bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Biosecurity and the topologies of infected life: from borderlines to borderlands
Authors: Hinchliffe Steve , Allen John , Lavau Stephanie , Bingham Nick , Carter Simon
Published: August 2012

Biosecurity, as a response to threats from zoonotic, food‐borne and emerging infectious diseases, implies and is often understood in terms of a spatial segregation of forms of life, a struggle to separate healthy life from diseased bodies. While an ensuing will to closure in the name of biosecurity is evident at various sites, things are, in practice and in theory, more intricate than this model would suggest. There are transactions and transformations that defy easily segmented spaces. Using multi‐species ethnographic work across a range of sites, from wildlife reserves to farms and food processing plants, we argue for a shift of focus in biosecurity away from defined borderlines towards that of borderlands. The latter involves the detachment of borders from geographic territory and highlights the continuous topological interplay and resulting tensions involved in making life live. We use this spatial imagination to call for a different kind of biopolitics and for a shift in what counts as a biosecurity emergency. As a means to re‐frame the questions concerning biosecurity, we argue for a change of discourse and practice away from disease ‘breach points’ towards the ‘tipping points’ that can arise in the intense foldings that characterise pathological lives.
Augmented reality in urban places: contested content and the duplicity of code
Authors: Graham Mark , Zook Matthew , Boulton Andrew
Published: August 2012

With the increasing prevalence of both geographically referenced information and the code through which it is regulated, digital augmentations of place will become increasingly important in everyday, lived geographies. Through two detailed explorations of ‘augmented realities’, this paper provides a broad overview of not only the ways that those augmented realities matter, but also the complex and often duplicitous manner that code and content can congeal in our experiences of augmented places. Because the re‐makings of our spatial experiences and interactions are increasingly influenced through the ways in which content and code are fixed, ordered, stabilised and contested, this paper places a focus on how power, as mediated through technological artefacts, code and content, helps to produce place. Specifically, it demonstrates there are four key ways in which power is manifested in augmented realities: two performed largely by social actors, distributed power and communication power; and two enacted primarily via software, code power and timeless power. The paper concludes by calling for redoubled attention to both the layerings of content and the duplicity and ephemerality of code in shaping the uneven and power‐laden practices of representations and the experiences of place augmentations in urban places.
Nationalisation of multilevel party systems: A conceptual and empirical analysis
Authors: Schakel Arjan H.
Published: August 2012

The concept of ‘nationalisation’ is vigorously discussed in the literature and three dimensions have been proposed. A first dimension considers the extent to which a party's vote in territorial units varies across time and this is labeled ‘dynamic nationalisation’. ‘Distributional nationalisation’ focuses on the degree to which there is an equal distribution of party votes across territorial units. Finally, ‘party‐linkage nationalisation’ concerns the extent to which candidates link together under common party labels. In addition to a conceptual debate there has been a simultaneous debate on the measurement of the various forms of nationalisation. This article contributes to both debates and argues that most of the literature on nationalisation suffers from a methodological nationalism bias – that is, the tendency of many scholars to choose the statewide level and national election as the natural unit of analysis. This claim is supported by a conceptual and empirical analysis regarding the effects of decentralisation on nationalisation. The conceptual analysis shows that the non‐robust findings of many studies concerning the effects of decentralisation on nationalisation can be related to the methodological nationalism bias. An effect of decentralisation is found once nationalisation is conceptualised with regard to its multilevel dimension and the measurements of nationalisation are differentiated according to parties, regions and type of elections (national or regional). An empirical analysis on the nationalisation of party systems, parties and regions in 18 countries for national and regional elections held between 1945 and 2009 shows that regional authority has a significant and robust effect on regions and regional elections but not on parties, party systems and national vote shares.
Race/Ethnicity Differences between Alcohol, Marijuana, and Co‐occurring Alcohol and Marijuana Use Disorders and Their Association with Public Health and Social Problems Using a National Sample
Authors: Pacek Lauren R. , Malcolm Robert J. , Martins Silvia S.
Published: August 2012

Background: Alcohol and marijuana are commonly used and misused in the United States, both singly and together. Despite this, few studies examine their co‐occurring use and the corresponding association with public health and other problems. Moreover, there is a lack of investigation into differences in these associations on the basis of race/ethnicity.

Methods: The present study estimated the frequency of alcohol use disorder, marijuana use disorder, and co‐occurring alcohol and marijuana use disorder and their associated public health and social problems in Whites, African Americans, and Hispanics. This cross‐sectional study included 13,872 individuals and used data from the 2005–2007 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Frequency was calculated and multinomial regression was used to assess associations between substance use disorder and psychosocial, adverse consequences such as history of being arrested, substance use treatment, and sexually transmitted infection.

Results: Alcohol use disorder was comparable between, and most prevalent among, Whites and Hispanics compared to African Americans, whereas marijuana use disorder was greatest among African Americans compared to other race/ethnicities. Co‐occurring alcohol and marijuana use disorders were most prevalent for African Americans versus Whites and Hispanics, and similar in Whites and Hispanics. In general, major depressive episode was more prevalent for respondents with co‐occurring use disorders or single marijuana use disorders. However, race/ethnicity differences in associations between substance use disorder and psychosocial correlates and adverse consequences were observed.

Conclusions: Findings have implications for race/ethnicity appropriate integrated prevention and treatment of single and co‐occurring use disorders and psychiatric comorbidities. (Am J Addict 2012;21:435–444)
Temperament and Character Modify Risk of Drug Addiction and Influence Choice of Drugs
Authors: Milivojevic Dragan , Milovanovic Srdjan D. , Jovanovic Minja , Svrakic Dragan M. , Svrakic Nenad M. , Svrakic Slobodan M. , Cloninger C. Robert
Published: August 2012

Background:

Drug addiction and alcoholism involve a complex etiopathogenesis with a variable degree of risk contributions from the host (person), environment, and addictive substances. In this work, temperament and character features of individuals addicted to opiates or alcohol are compared with normal controls to study personality factors in the overall risk for drug addiction.

Methods:

The study was done in a permissive environment, with easy access to alcohol and heroin, which facilitated analyses of personality factors in drug choice. Participants included 412 consecutive patients (312 opiate addicts, 100 alcohol addicts) treated at the Specialized Hospital for Chemical Dependency in Belgrade, Serbia, and a community sample of 346 controls.

Results:

Opiate addicts manifested antisocial temperament configuration (high Novelty Seeking, low Reward Dependence) coupled with high Self‐transcendence (ie, susceptibility to fantasy and imagination). Alcohol addicts manifested sensitive temperament configuration (high Novelty Seeking coexisting with high Harm Avoidance). Immature personality was observed far more frequently in opiate addicts than in alcoholics or normals.

Conclusions:
Novelty Seeking appears to be a general risk factor for drug addiction. High Harm Avoidance appears to channel individuals with high Novelty Seeking towards alcoholism. Immature character traits and probable Personality Disorder increase the risk of illegal drugs. Based on equivalent research in nonpermissive environments, at least a portion of our opiate addicts could have developed alcoholism instead in environments with more limited access to opiates. Personality factors provide useful guidelines for preventive work with young individuals with personality risk factors for drug addiction. (Am J Addict 2012;21:462–467)
A Longitudinal Examination of the Relationships between Childhood Maltreatment and Patterns of Adolescent Substance Use among High‐Risk Adolescents
Authors: Hyucksun Shin Sunny
Published: August 2012

Background:
Childhood maltreatment has been linked to adolescent substance use in cross‐sectional studies but the studies were unable to test the associations between childhood maltreatment and changes in substance use patterns during adolescence. The present study investigated the linkages between exposure to childhood maltreatment and developmental trends of alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, opioid, and hallucinogen use among high‐risk adolescents.

Methods:
We used a sample of 937 adolescents (mean age: 15.9 years; range: 13‐18), who were selected from five publicly‐funded service systems, to examine the extent to which childhood maltreatment may influence changes in patterns of adolescent substance use over time.

Results:
The present study identified a 3‐class model of adolescent substance use. Mover‐stayer latent transition analyses (LTA) indicated that progression toward heavy polysubstance use increased with experience of childhood maltreatment. Findings also suggested that older male adolescents (ages 15‐18) who are involved with public service systems are at high risk for developing and maintaining multiple‐substance use in adolescence.

Conclusions: Experience of childhood maltreatment is associated with problematic patterns of adolescent substance use and may shape the longitudinal course of substance use during adolescence. (Am J Addict 2012;21:453–461)
The Role of Ethnic Pride and Parental Disapproval of Smoking on Smoking Behaviors among Minority and White Adolescents in a Suburban High School
Authors: Kong Grace , Camenga Deepa , Cavallo Dana , Connell Christian M. , Pflieger Jacqueline C. , Krishnan‐Sarin Suchitra
Published: August 2012

Background: Adolescence is a critical developmental period when tobacco use is initiated and progression to regular smoking occurs. Another growing concern is the mounting evidence of ethnic/racial disparities in the smoking rates and adverse health consequences related to smoking. To reduce ethnic/racial disparities in smoking behaviors, understanding the protective influences against smoking behaviors among minority adolescents is important. Therefore, we examined the role of ethnic pride and parental disapproval of smoking on a wide range of smoking behaviors in ethnic/racial minority and White adolescents attending a suburban high school in Connecticut.

Methods:
A total of 870 adolescents (ethnic/racial minority: n= 202) completed questions on susceptibility to smoking, ever trying a cigarette, smoking at least one cigarette daily in the past 30 days, as well as parental disapproval of smoking and ethnic pride in a school‐wide survey.

Results:
Logistic regression analyses indicated that perceived parental disapproval of adolescent smoking and ethnic pride were associated with susceptibility to smoking, ever trying a cigarette, and daily smoking differently for minority and White adolescents. For White youth, high parental disapproval of smoking was protective against all three smoking behaviors whereas ethnic pride was not. For minority youth, the combined protective effect of higher ethnic pride and higher parental disapproval of smoking was protective against all smoking behaviors.

Conclusion: The protective role of parental disapproval of smoking and ethnic pride on smoking behaviors may inform culturally sensitive smoking interventions aimed at diverse, multi‐ethnic youth, and future studies are needed to examine this. (Am J Addict 2012;21:424–434)
Adaptation of the dermal collagen structure of human skin and scar tissue in response to stretch: An experimental study
Authors: Verhaegen Pauline D. , Schouten Hennie J. , Tigchelaar‐Gutter Wikky , van Marle Jan , van Noorden Cornelis J. , Middelkoop Esther , van Zuijlen Paul P.
Published: August 2012

Surgeons are often faced with large defects that are difficult to close. Stretching adjacent skin can facilitate wound closure. In clinical practice, intraoperative stretching is performed in a cyclical or continuous fashion. However, exact mechanisms of tissue adaptation to stretch remain unclear. Therefore, we investigated collagen and elastin orientation and morphology of stretched and nonstretched healthy skin and scars. Tissue samples were stretched, fixed in stretched‐out position, and processed for histology. Objective methods were used to quantify the collagen orientation index (COI), bundle thickness, and bundle spacing. Also sections were analyzed for elastin orientation and quantity. Significantly more parallel aligned collagen bundles were found after cyclical (COI = 0.57) and continuous stretch (COI = 0.57) compared with nonstretched skin (COI = 0.40). Similarly, more parallel aligned elastin was found after stretch. Also, significantly thicker collagen bundles and more bundle spacing were found after stretch. For stretched scars, significantly more parallel aligned collagen was found (COI = 0.61) compared with nonstretched scars (COI = 0.49). In conclusion, both elastin and collagen realign in a parallel fashion in response to stretch. For healthy skin, thicker bundles and more space between the bundles were found. Rapid changes in extension, alignment, and collagen morphology appear to be the underlying mechanisms of adaptation to stretching.
Intermittent Hydrostatic Pressure Enhances Growth Factor‐Induced Chondroinduction of Human Adipose‐Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Authors: Safshekan Farzaneh , Tafazzoli‐Shadpour Mohammad , Shokrgozar Mohammad Ali , Haghighipour Nooshin , Mahdian Reza , Hemmati Alireza
Published: August 2012

Hydrostatic pressure (HP) plays an essential role in regulating function of chondrocytes and chondrogenic differentiation. The objective of this study was to examine effects of intermittent HP on chondrogenic differentiation of human adipose‐derived mesenchymal stem cells (hASCs) in the presence or absence of chemical chondrogenic medium. Cells were isolated from abdominal fat tissue and confirmed for expression of ASC surface proteins and differentiation potential. Passage 3 pellets were treated with chemical (growth factor), mechanical (HP of 5 MPa and 0.5 Hz with duration of 4 h/day for 7 consecutive days), and combined chemical–mechanical stimuli. Using real‐time polymerase chain reaction, the expression of Sox9, collagen II, and aggrecan as three major chondrogenic markers were quantified among three experimental groups and compared to those of stem cells and human cartilage tissue. In comparison to the chemical and mechanical groups, the chemical–mechanical group showed the highest expression for all three chondrogenic genes close to that of cartilage tissue. Results show the beneficial role of intermittent HP on chondrogenic differentiation of hASCs, and that this loading regime in combination with chondrogenic medium can be used in cartilage tissue engineering.
Intracardiac Ultrasound for Esophageal Anatomic Assessment and Localization During Left Atrial Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: BUNCH T. JARED , MAY HEIDI T. , CRANDALL BRIAN G. , WEISS J. PETER , BAIR TAMI L. , OSBORN JEFFREY S. , ANDERSON JEFFREY L. , MUHLESTEIN JOSEPH B. , LAPPE DONALD L. , JOHNSON DAVID L. , DAY JOHN D.
Published: August 2012

Intracardiac Ultrasound During Left Atrial Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation. Background: Esophageal injury during left atrial ablation is associated with a significant risk of mortality and morbidity. There are no validated approaches to reduce injury outside of avoidance, a strategy critically dependent on a precise understanding of the esophageal anatomy and location. Intracardiac ultrasound (ICE) can provide a real‐time assessment of the esophagus during ablation. We hypothesized that ICE can accurately define esophageal anatomy and location to enhance avoidance strategies during ablation.

Methods:
Fifty patients underwent atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation. The left atrium and pulmonary vein anatomies were rendered by traditional electroanatomic mapping (CARTO). A Navistar catheter within the esophagus was used to create a traditional electroanatomic esophageal anatomy. ICE imaging was used to create a second geometry of the esophagus. The traditional and ICE anatomies of the esophagus were compared and the greatest border dimensions used to avoid injury.

Results:
The average age was 66 ± 10 years, 45% had persistent/longstanding persistent AF, and 18% had a prior AF ablation. The esophagus location was leftward in 17 (34%), midline in 22 (44%), and rightward in 11 (22%). Traditional esophagus and ICE imaging correlated within 1 cm in the greatest distance in 26 (52%) patients. Traditional imaging underestimated the esophageal location by >1–1.5 cm in 9 (18%) and >1.5 cm in 15 (30%). In those with poor correlation (>1.5 cm), the most common cause was the presence of a hiatal hernia. Ablation energy delivery was performed outside the greatest esophagus anatomy borders. Of those with 12‐month follow‐up, 75% were AF/atrial flutter free without antiarrhythmic drugs. No esophageal injuries were observed. One patient experienced a TIA greater than 6 months postablation.

Conclusion:
These data demonstrate that traditional means of mapping the esophagus using a catheter within the esophagus are insufficient and often grossly underestimate the actual anatomy. Imaging techniques that define the complete esophageal lumen should be considered to truly minimize esophageal injury risk. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 24, pp. 33‐39, January 2013)
Believing Selves: Negotiating Social and Psychological Experiences of Belief
Authors: Carlisle Steven , Simon Gregory M.
Published: August 2012

The authors in this issue provide ethnographic explorations of believing and beliefs—that is, subjective commitments to truths as being true—situated within a range of religious traditions and social contexts. Anthropology has struggled with belief—its meanings, its uses, and even its validity outside of the Christian contexts from which it entered the field. This discomfort grows in large part from the fact that belief can refer both to internal psychological phenomena and to social claims to truth. Ultimately, this uncertainty is not a problem of terminology; rather, it reflects fundamental problems in the anthropology of subjectivity and selfhood. The authors in this issue make headway in theorizing the connections between individual subjectivities and social contexts by investigating the kinds of believing selves that subjects fashion as they work through the problems of belief, meeting the challenges of linking themselves to particular truths.
Outcomes of gestational diabetes in Sweden depending on country of birth
Authors: FADL HELENA E. , ÖSTLUND INGRID K. M. , HANSON ULF S. B.
Published: August 2012

Objective. To analyze maternal and neonatal outcomes for women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in Sweden, depending on country of birth (Nordic vs. non‐Nordic women). Design. Population‐based cohort study using the Swedish Medical Birth register. Setting. Data on pregnant women in Sweden with diagnosed GDM. Population. All singleton births to women with GDM between 1998 and 2007 (n = 8560). Methods. Logistic regression in an adjusted model to assess the risk of adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes. Chi‐squared tests or Student's unpaired t‐tests were used to analyze differences between maternal and fetal characteristics. Main outcome measures. Maternal and neonatal complications. Results. GDM incidence was higher at 2.0% among non‐Nordic women, compared with 0.7% in the Nordic group. The non‐Nordic women were older, had less chronic hypertensive disease, smoked less, and had lower BMI and shorter height. Preeclampsia was significantly lower in the non‐Nordic group. The mean birthweight (3561 vs. 3698 g, p < 0.001) and the large‐for‐gestational age rate (11.7 vs. 17.5%, p < 0.001) were significantly lower in the non‐Nordic group. Large‐for‐gestational age was dependent on maternal height [crude odds ratio 0.6 (0.5–0.7) and adjusted odds ratio 0.8 (0.6–0.9)]. Conclusions. Non‐Nordic women with GDM in Sweden have better obstetrical and neonatal outcomes than Nordic women. These results do not support the idea of inequality of health care. Large‐for‐gestational age as a diagnosis is highly dependent on maternal height, which raises the question of the need for individualized growth curves.
Chemotherapy during pregnancy: effect of anthracyclines on fetal and maternal cardiac function
Authors: GZIRI MINA MHALLEM , DEBIÈVE FRÉDÉRIC , DE CATTE LUC , MERTENS LUC , BARREA CATHERINE , VAN CALSTEREN KRISTEL , HAN SILENY N. , HEYNS LIESBETH , AMANT FRÉDÉRIC
Published: August 2012

Chemotherapy and especially anthracyclines are associated to cardiotoxicity. To assess this potential risk during pregnancy a clinical case–control trial was conducted. Maternal cardiac function, fetal Doppler and fetal cardiac function were evaluated before and after chemotherapy. Maternal cardiac function was assessed by echocardiography before and after the third cycle of anthracyclines and compared with a control group of 10 non‐pregnant women matched for age, type of cancer and anthracycline treatment. Ten fetuses exposed to chemotherapy were compared with 10 control fetuses matched for gestational age and gender. Biometry, amniotic fluid index, fetal Doppler and cardiac function were assessed before and after each cycle of chemotherapy. In all, 108 fetal ultrasounds scans were performed before and after 36 cycles of chemotherapy. Anthracycline exposure did not result in acute maternal and fetal cardiac dysfunction in this small cohort study.
The heritability of delusional‐like experiences
Authors: Varghese D. , Wray N. R. , Scott J. G. , Williams G. M. , Najman J. M. , McGrath J. J.
Published: August 2012

Objective:  Delusional‐like experiences (DLE) are common in the general community and are associated with a family history of mental illness. The aim of this study was to estimate the heritability of DLE.

Method:  The Peter’s Delusional Inventory (PDI) was administered to a population‐based cohort of mothers (n = 2861, aged 35–67 years) and their adult offspring (n = 3079, aged 18–23 years). Heritability of DLE was estimated from the sum scores of the 21 item PDI under the assumption that the covariance between mother–offspring scores is attributable to shared additive genetic factors.

Results:  The means (medians and standard deviations) for the total PDI scores for the mothers and their offspring were 3.6 (3.0, 3.0) and 5.0 (4.0, 3.5), respectively. The Pearson correlation coefficient between mother and offspring PDI scores was 0.17 (P < 0.001). The heritability was estimated to be 0.35 (standard error 0.04).

Conclusion:  Heritable factors contribute to over a third of the variance of PDI scores in this population. In light of the association between a family history of a wide range of mental disorders and DLE, these experiences may represent a useful quantitative endophenotype for genetic studies of common mental disorders in population settings.
Associations between health insurance and generalized periodontal disease in a study population of Gullah African Americans with type‐2 diabetes
Authors: Marlow Nicole M. , Slate Elizabeth H. , Fernandes Jyotika K. , Leite Renata S.
Published: August 2012

Objectives

To explore the relationship between health insurance status (Medicare, Medicaid, private, and uninsured) and generalized periodontal disease (GPD) among a study population (N = 245) of adult Gullah African Americans with type‐2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) ages <65 years.

Methods

We used multivariable logistic regression to assess GPD [using three different and increasingly severe clinical assessments: ≥3, ≥4, and ≥5 mm clinical attachment level (CAL) at ≥30% of sites] according to health insurance status.

Results

Prevalence of GPD was 33.06% for ≥3, 18.78% for ≥4, and 9.80% for ≥5 mm CAL. Age ranged 26–64 years (mean = 52.11, SD = 8.53, median = 53). Private insurance was most prevalent (39.59%), followed by uninsured (30.61%), Medicaid (16.33%), and Medicare (13.47%). Results showed increased odds (versus private insurance) for GPD at ≥3 mm among Medicaid (OR = 1.82, P = 0.2404), Medicare (OR = 3.34, P = 0.0103), and uninsured (OR = 1.96, P = 0.0956) groups; GPD at ≥4 mm among Medicaid (OR = 1.97, P = 0.3303), Medicare (OR = 5.02, P = 0.0121), and uninsured (OR = 3.38, P = 0.0319) groups; and GPD at ≥5 mm among Medicaid (OR = 1.21, P = 0.8507), Medicare (OR = 12.62, P = 0.0038), and uninsured (OR = 4.00, P = 0.0763) groups.

Conclusions

We observed substantial disparities for GPD severity among those without private health insurance even after adjusting for glycemic control, income, dental health behaviors, and other covariates. Improved insurance benefits as well as individualized oral health educational interventions may decrease GPD severity for this study population of younger (ages <65 years) Gullah African Americans with T2DM, particularly those with Medicare insurance.
Immune‐mediated interface dermatitis in a rhesus macaque
Authors: Makaron L. , Smith K. , Bailey C. , Kaliyaperumal S. , Miller A. , Kramer J.
Published: August 2012

Background

Autoimmune dermatitis, specifically interface dermatitis, is rarely reported in nonhuman primates.

Results and Conclusions

This report describes a case of idiopathic immune‐mediated dermatitis clinically manifesting as palmoplantar hyperkeratosis in a rhesus macaque, successfully controlled with the use of long‐term oral corticosteroid therapy.
Sodium chloride and potassium sorbate: a synergistic combination against Enterococcus faecalis biofilms: an in vitro study
Authors: van der Waal Suzette V. , Jiang Lei‐Meng , de Soet Johannes J. , van der Sluis Lucas W.M. , Wesselink Paul R. , Crielaard Wim
Published: August 2012

Incomplete disinfection of the root canal system is a major cause of post‐treatment disease. This study aimed to investigate the disinfecting property of organic acid salts and sodium chloride (NaCl), in a double‐hurdle strategy, on Enterococcus faecalis biofilms. First of all, the high‐throughput resazurin metabolism assay (RMA) was used to test a range of organic acid salts. Then, to gain more insight into the efficacy of sorbate salt solutions, 48‐h E. faecalis biofilms were evaluated in colony‐forming unit (CFU) assays. Chlorhexidine (CHX) and calcium hydroxide [Ca(OH)2] were tested in parallel as controls. Sorbate salt produced the largest and most significant reduction of fluorescence intensity in the RMA assay. Neither NaCl nor potassium sorbate (KS) alone induced a clinically relevant reduction of CFU counts after 1 h. Surprisingly, the combination of the two in a single solution had a synergistic effect on the inactivation of E. faecalis. Potassium sorbate amplified the efficacy of NaCl. Of the salts tested, NaCl with KS eradicated E. faecalis biofilms within 1 h. This study showed that the double‐hurdle strategy indeed leads to synergistic efficacy and is a possible next step in the complete disinfection of endodontic infections.
Ecological resistance to Acer negundo invasion in a European riparian forest: relative importance of environmental and biotic drivers
Authors: Saccone Patrick , Girel Jacky , Pages Jean‐Philippe , Brun Jean‐Jacques , Michalet Richard
Published: August 2012

Question

The relative importance of environmental vs. biotic resistance of recipient ecological communities remains poorly understood in invasion ecology. Acer negundo, a North American tree, has widely invaded riparian forests throughout Europe at the ecotone between early‐ (Salix spp. and Populus spp.) and late‐successional (Fraxinus spp.) species. However, it is not present in the upper part of the Rhône River, where native Alnus incana occurs at an intermediate position along the successional riparian gradient. Is this absence of the invasive tree due to environmental or biotic resistance of the recipient communities, and in particular due to the presence of Alnus?

Location

Upper Rhône River, France.

Methods

We undertook a transplant experiment in an Alnus‐dominated community along the Upper Rhône River, where we compared Acer negundo survival and growth, with and without biotic interactions (tree and herb layer effects), to those of four native tree species from differing successional positions in the Upper Rhône communities (P. alba, S. alba, F. excelsior and Alnus incana).

Results

Without biotic interactions Acer negundo performed similarly to native species, suggesting that the Upper Rhône floodplain is not protected from Acer invasion by a simple abiotic barrier. In contrast, this species performed less well than F. excelsior and Alnus incana in environments with intact tree and/or herb layers. Alnus showed the best growth rate in these conditions, indicating biotic resistance of the native plant community.

Conclusions

We did not find evidence for an abiotic barrier to Acer negundo invasion of the Upper Rhône River floodplain communities, but our results suggest a biotic resistance. In particular, we demonstrated that (i) additive competitive effects of the tree and herb layer led to Acer negundo suppression and (ii) Alnus incana grew more rapidly than Acer negundo in this intermediate successional niche.
What are older adults seeking? Factors encouraging or discouraging retirement village living
Authors: Crisp Dimity A , Windsor Tim D , Butterworth Peter , Anstey Kaarin J
Published: August 2012

Aims

(1) To identify factors that older adults find encouraging or discouraging about the prospect of relocation to a retirement village; and (2) to identify features or facilities often associated with retirement communities that are most appealing to prospective residents.

Method

Randomly selected community residents (n = 517), aged 55–94 years, from the Australian Capital Territory completed postal surveys to identify the characteristics associated with retirement villages that influence relocation decisions.

Results

The provision of outdoor living areas, support in maintaining independence, assisted living facilities and accessibility to medical facilities were identified as factors that would encourage relocation. Luxury services (e.g. heated swimming pools) were indicated as least likely to encourage relocation. Negative perceptions most influential in discouraging relocation reflected a fear of losing independence and privacy.

Conclusions

Through identifying the expectations of prospective residents, retirement village providers may better tailor facilities to the needs of their target demographic.
Excision of carbuncle with primary split‐thickness skin grafting as a new treatment modality
Authors: Iyer Sandhya P , Kadam Prashant , Gore Madhuri A , Subramaniyan Prabhakar
Published: August 2012

Carbuncles are debilitating skin infections commonly seen in diabetic patients. Excision of these infective lesions leads to large defects that require prolonged hospital stay and repeated dressings with ensuing pain and bleeding. This study is an attempt to cover the wounds resulting from excision of carbuncle with primary skin grafting so as to decrease the hospital stay and frequency of dressings.
Endoprosthetic reconstruction for giant cell tumors of the distal tibia: A short term review
Authors: Ajit Singh Vivek , Nasirudin Norzatulsyima , Bernatt Michael
Published: August 2012

Custom‐made endoprosthetic reconstruction for distal tibia tumors is a viable option of treatment in carefully selected patients. It maintains satisfactory function and provides good pain relief. We report four cases of giant cell tumors of the distal tibia successfully treated by endoprosthetic reconstruction. This is a feasible option in cases of this nature and offers a better function than the other available options.
Dynamic Interrelationships in Hard Wheat Basis Markets
Authors: Wilson William W. , Miljkovic Dragan
Published: August 2012

Basis values for hard red spring (HRS) wheat have escalated radically, experienced extraordinary levels of volatility (risk), were subject to a squeeze during 2008, and all these have important implications for market participants. These are particularly important to marketers in the Northern Great Plains in the United States, as well as for Canadian marketers as they confront deregulation in wheat marketing and will be exposed to these risks. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the dynamic relationships and interdependencies among terminal market basis values for milling. Specifically, we seek to identify factors impacting basis values for 13%, 14%, and 15% protein HRS wheat in addition to the intermarket wheat spread between Minneapolis and Kansas City wheat futures. We specify a vector autoregression (VAR) model to explore these relationships. Exogenous structural variables are specified in addition to dynamic interrelationships including seasonal and intertemporal variability and dynamic interdependencies among these markets and relationships. Results of interest are that: (1) basis values for these markets have been trending up and have become more volatile; (2) factors impacting this variability are the protein level in HRS, production of hard red winter (HRW), and Canadian wheat (on high protein basis); (3) HRW protein supplies are not significant in the basis equations, but, do impact the intermarket wheat futures spread; (4) quality factors have a significant impact on basis values, notably vomitoxin, falling numbers, and absorption. Dynamic interrelations are also important in that all prices converge quickly toward a long‐term equilibrium. In addition, there are seasonal impacts, dynamic basis interactions, trends, and lagged impacts of protein levels.
Utilization of Intravenous Thrombolysis is Increasing in the United States
Authors: Nasr Deena M. , Brinjikji Waleed , Cloft Harry J. , Rabinstein Alejandro A.
Published: August 2012

Background

Evaluating recombinant tissue plasminogen activator utilization rates is important, as many studies have demonstrated that administration of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator to qualified patients significantly improves prognosis.

Aims

We investigated recent trends in the utilization and outcomes of administration of intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator in the United States using the National Inpatient Sample between 2001 and 2008.

Methods

We identified patients with a primary diagnosis of acute ischemic stroke who underwent treatment with intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator and studied utilization rates and clinical outcomes: discharge to long-term facility (morbidity), in-hospital death (mortality), and intracranial hemorrhage. Information on demographics, hospital characteristics, and comorbidities was collected. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to determine independent predictors of morbidity, mortality, and intracranial hemorrhage.

Results

Intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator utilization increased from 1·3% in 2001 to 3·5% in 2008. On multivariate analysis, variables associated with increased morbidity after intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator administration included advanced age ( P < 0·001), female gender ( P < 0·001), and comorbidities of atrial fibrillation ( P < 0·001) and hypertension ( P < 0·001). Increased mortality was associated with increased age ( P < 0·001) and comorbidities of atrial fibrillation, congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease, and diabetes ( P < 0·001 for all comorbidities).

Conclusions

Intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator utilization rates increased between 2001 and 2008. Advanced age and atrial fibrillation were significantly associated with increased morbidity and mortality among patients treated with intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator.
Uncovering Pathways of Design Thinking and Learning: Inquiry on Intellectual Development and Learning Style Preferences
Authors: Carmel–Gilfilen Candy
Published: August 2012

The purpose of this study was to explore thought development and learning styles using the Perry scheme of intellectual development and Kolb's experiential learning theory (ELT). One hundred thirty–nine beginning, intermediate, and advanced interior design and architecture students were empirically assessed using the measure of intellectual development, the measure of designing, and the learning style inventory, respectively. The study objectives were to examine thought development and learning styles of interior design and architecture students, determine whether differences exist between design students and normative data, and explore relationships between thought development and learning styles. Supporting previous research using the Perry scheme, students were found in the positions of dualism and multiplicity with global thought development proving more advanced than design thinking. Furthermore, overall thought development appeared significantly higher in the sample than in normative data on college students. Supporting the ELT, the study uncovered the presence of all learning styles with preference toward diverging and accommodating learning noted. In addition, the concrete experience preferences of design students appeared significantly higher in the sample than in normative data on college students. Results indicated no association between learning style and global or discipline–specific thought development level; however, qualitative data provide insights into the ways design students approach thinking and learning.
Russia and the Balance of Power in Northeast Asia
Authors: Lukin Artyom
Published: August 2012

The article attempts to examine the emerging balance‐of‐power system in Northeast Asia (NEA) that is replacing the USA's hegemony. A multipolar balance of power is beginning to take shape in the region. Within this new regional order, China and the USA are the strongest players. There are also other poles, which, albeit less influential than the USA and China, are still significant enough. Russia is the most important among them, as it is a fully independent actor with considerable strategic capabilities.

Although NEA is still very much ripe for rivalry, there exist powerful forces and trends that raise the prospects for a stable and relatively peaceful regional system. These pacifying factors are nuclear weapons, demographics, and multilateral institutions. A multipolar balance of power, which has sufficient flexibility, can be another contributor to stability in NEA. By pursuing smart balance‐of‐power diplomacy, Russia would be able to secure its national interests in the region as well as promote peace and security.

Moscow will have to make its strategic moves in the context of rising geopolitical competition between China and the USA One possible future option for Russia would be to end its present de‐facto alignment with China and establish entente with the USA. Rather than hard balancing against Beijing, the Russian–US alignment is likely to represent some form of coordinated hedging vis‐à‐vis China. So far this is just a scenario that might or might not materialize. Yet its very possibility could affect the calculations and behavior of NEA's players.
The Risk of Applying Realpolitik in Resolving the South China Sea Dispute: Implications on Regional Security*
Authors: De Castro Renato Cruz
Published: August 2012

This paper examines the regional security implications of China's realpolitik approach in its territorial claim over the South China Sea. It observes that China uses the following power‐politics tactics: (i) citing a historic claim; (ii) applying a bilateral approach to weaken ASEAN; (iii) relying on a divide‐and‐rule stratagem in dealing individually with ASEAN member states and creating a wedge between ASEAN and the USA; and (iv) buttressing its naval capabilities to resolve the territorial dispute according to its own terms. This consequently has driven the small claimant states, like Vietnam and the Philippines, to adopt a balancing strategy that involves the USA in the issue. In conclusion, the paper argues that with China's realpolitik approach, the idea that Europe's (violent) past is becoming East Asia's future is turning into reality.
Magnesium‐Containing Bioactive Glasses for Biomedical Applications
Authors: Diba Mani , Tapia Felipe , Boccaccini Aldo R. , Strobel Leonie A.
Published: August 2012

The importance ofMgin the human body, its key role in bone tissue development, in addition to its application to improve and modify physical, thermal, and mechanical properties of bioactive silicate glasses, makeMga very interesting element as a component of bioactive glasses for medical applications. AlthoughMgis a typical element in the composition of numerous developed bioactive glasses, the analysis of the literature reveals that further research is required to gain comprehensive understanding about the effects ofMgOon bioactive glass structure and properties. This article presents a comprehensive overview of the field ofMg‐containing bioactive glasses discussing available compositions and summarizing existing knowledge on effects ofMgOon glass properties. The biomedical applications of several developed glasses are discussed highlighting the distinct effects ofMgin relevant areas, such as bioactivity and cell response, and focusing on the most common applications for these glasses, such as bone cements, bioactive coatings, and scaffolds for bone tissue engineering. The effect ofMgon bone development is discussed and avenues for future research in the field are proposed, emphasizing the need to investigate unstudied properties of (already developed)Mg‐containing glass compositions, such as angiogenesis‐stimulating action and the effect on osteoclast functions, to develop newMg‐containing bioactive glasses as well as to make products of different shape designs such as nanoparticles, fibers, and complex porous structures.
ANGLING FOR A STRANGLEHOLD ON THE DEATH PENALTY
Authors: CUSTER OLIVIA
Published: August 2012

abstract

Responding to Elizabeth Rottenberg's invitation to consider good signs, I first raise a question about “good” and “too good” signs by referring to a letter of Louis Althusser's that describes the risk that “too good” signs will be misread. I then turn to the distinction Rottenberg makes between deconstructive signs and Immanuel Kant's historical signs. Borrowing an image from Jacques Derrida's The Animal That Therefore I Am (2008), I suggest that we think of the task of abolition of the death penalty as requiring a particular kind of strangulation of Kantian discourse, a strangulation that would reach the center of its nervous system and disarm its powers without putting it to death. Finally, I turn to a recent initiative by a Belgian nongovernmental organization (Groupe d'action dans l'interet des animaux or Global Action in the Interest of Animals [GAIA]) in their campaign to abolish the practice of castrating piglets without anesthetic, reading it as an example of a strategy that mobilizes the discourse of rights while at the same time undermining the sovereign power that sustains it. This provides an image of the sort of stranglehold with a certain lightness of touch that, I argue, Derrida's work on the death penalty prescribes as the task for unconditional abolition.
THE DEATH PENALTY, IN OTHER WORDS, PHILOSOPHY
Authors: SAGHAFI KAS
Published: August 2012

abstract

In response to Thomas Dutoit's ambitious summary of the two years of Derrida's Death Penalty Seminars, I take up the following themes: the deconstruction of death, Hugo's “advance,” and “the principle of substitution” in Freud.
PROTOCOL: DEATH PENALTY ADDICTION
Authors: KAMUF PEGGY
Published: August 2012

abstract

“What if the death penalty were a drug?” This question opens the essay and is pursued through two very different kinds of texts. On the one hand, Derrida's 1999–2000 Death Penalty Seminar is brought to bear for its analysis of what is called there the “anesthesial logic” of capital punishment. This logic, Derrida argues, has determined both pro– and anti–death penalty discourses since at least the mid‐eighteenth century. On the other hand, the essay gathers evidence of events that led, in 2010, to the unavailability in the United States of sodium thiopental—the anesthetic component of the three‐drug protocol of the lethal injection—which forced many death penalty states to halt executions. Current events thus confirm the philosopher's analysis that anesthesia is indeed the lynchpin of the apparatus of state‐sanctioned executions. But the analysis of this anesthesial logic also leads one to pose the further question of who is being anesthetized by this protocol and its discursive devices: the sentenced or the sentencers?
CRUELTY AND ITS VICISSITUDES: JACQUES DERRIDA AND THE FUTURE OF PSYCHOANALYSIS
Authors: ROTTENBERG ELIZABETH
Published: August 2012

abstract

This paper discusses Jacques Derrida's Death Penalty Seminars (two consecutive seminars he gave at the École des hautes études en sciences sociales in 1999–2000 and 2000–2001), as well as his 2000 Paris address to the States General of Psychoanalysis entitled “Psychoanalysis Searches the States of Its Soul.” The paper is magnetized by two questions: what does it mean to say, as Derrida says in his provocative statement at the end of his 1999 seminar, “even when the death penalty will have been abolished . . . it will survive, there will still be some death penalty [même quand la peine de mort sera abolie . . . elle survivra, il y en aura encore]”? And why is psychoanalysis in a privileged position to address “this irreducible thing in the life of the animate being” that is the possibility of cruelty?
THE PHILOSOPHY AND LITERATURE OF THE DEATH PENALTY: TWO SIDES OF THE SAME SOVEREIGN
Authors: NAAS MICHAEL
Published: August 2012

abstract

This essay demonstrates that in his 1999–2000 Death Penalty Seminar Jacques Derrida pursues the deconstruction of political theology that he had been pursuing in a more or less explicit fashion for more than two decades. Derrida's interest in the theme of the death penalty can be traced back in large part, it is argued, to the theological and essentially Judeo‐Christian origins that Derrida finds in discourses both for and against the death penalty. This emphasis on the theological origins of the death penalty helps explain why Derrida spends much more time questioning the principles, rhetoric, and images of abolitionist discourses than pro–death penalty discourses. For Derrida, this essay concludes, a critique or deconstruction of discourses surrounding the death penalty is never more critical than in a putatively postreligious, secular age. In the end, Derrida hopes to provide what may be the very first philosophical abolitionist discourse, one that argues against the death penalty without relying on the language, tropes, symbols, and images of Judeo‐Christian theology.