bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Responses of an African wading bird community to resource pulses are related to foraging guild and food‐web position
Authors: CUMMING GRAEME S. , NDLOVU MDUDUZI , MUTUMI GREGORY L. , HOCKEY PHILIP A. R.
Published: November 2012

1. The immediate impacts of nutrient inputs on aquatic systems are well documented, but the ways in which resource pulses affect the wider food web of water‐associated vertebrates remain obscure.

2. We monitored the wading bird community of Barberspan, a natural freshwater lake and Ramsar wetland in South Africa, before, during and after the addition of a pulse of nutrients in the form of a sewage overspill from an upstream processing facility. We counted waders at 13 points around the lake over 3 years, every 2 months from March 2007 to March 2010, and sampled water quality during all counting periods from January 2008 to January 2010.

3. We used our data to test the hypothesis that wading birds that forage directly at lower trophic levels and/or on prey populations that have fast turnover rates, such as those of phytoplankton and invertebrates, will be more heavily influenced by nutrient addition than birds that forage on species with lower turnover rates and/or at higher trophic levels (such as frogs and fish).

4. During the sampling period Barberspan experienced a significant, nutrient‐driven decline and subsequent recovery in dissolved oxygen and pH. This trend was mirrored by significant changes in the wading bird community. Partial Mantel tests and Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) showed that the nutrient pulse had marked short‐term, negative impacts on both the diversity and the abundance of medium‐sized, shoreline foragers such as scolopacids (e.g. sandpipers).

5. Our analysis supports the proposal that both food‐web position and the turnover rate of the prey population are strong influences on ecological responses to resource pulses. Analysis of time series of principal components that describe community composition suggested that recovery of the prey base was rapid and that the bird community was able to respond via immigration. These results must, of course, be considered provisional in the absence of replicated experimental data.

6. More generally, we interpret our results as suggesting that two different mechanisms act in different directions to determine the sensitivity of secondary and tertiary consumers to changes in their prey. First, for ‘earlier’ consumers (i.e. that forage lower in the food web), there are (on average) fewer generalist consumers and fewer stored nutrients in the intervening trophic levels. This increases the sensitivity of earlier consumer populations to changes in the composition of the primary consumer community. Second, the dynamics of prey populations lower in the food web tend to be faster, making recovery faster and serving to decrease the sensitivity of earlier consumers to perturbations. These dynamics may obscure the impacts of nutrient pulses in cases where additional analysis of system trajectories is not undertaken.
Mineral evolution and processes of ferruginous microbialite accretion – an example from the Middle Eocene stromatolitic and ooidal ironstones of the Bahariya Depression, Western Desert, Egypt
Authors: Salama W. , El Aref M. M. , Gaupp R.
Published: November 2012

Peritidal ferruginous microbialites form the main bulk of the Middle Eocene ironstone deposits of the Bahariya Depression, Western Desert, Egypt. They include ferruginous stromatolites and microbially coated grains (ferruginous oncoids and ooids). Their internal structures reveal repeated cycles of microbial and Fe oxyhydroxide laminae. The microbial laminae consist of fossilised neutrophilic filamentous iron‐oxidising bacteria. These bacteria oxidised the Fe(II)‐rich acidic groundwater upon meeting the marine water at an approximately neutral pH. The iron oxyhydroxide laminae were initially precipitated as amorphous iron oxhydroxides and subsequently recrystallised into nanocrystalline goethite during early diagenesis. Organic remains such as proteinaceous compounds, lipids, carbohydrates and carotenoids are preserved and can be identified by Raman spectroscopy. The ferruginous microbialites were subjected to post‐depositional subaerial weathering associated with sea‐level retreat and subsurface alteration by continued ascent of the Fe(II)‐rich acidic groundwater. At this stage, another iron‐oxidising bacterial generation prevailed in the acidic environment. The acidity of the groundwater was caused by oxidation of pyrite in the underlying Cenomanian Bahariya formation. The positive iron isotopic ratios and presence of ferrous and ferric iron sulphates may result from partial iron oxidation along the redox boundary in an oxygen‐depleted environment.
Balls Enough: Manliness and Legitimated Violence in Hell's Kitchen
Authors: Nilsson Gabriella
Published: November 2012

This article presents one example of how masculinity and hierarchy are exercised through violence in organizations. It draws on the empirical data of 15 episodes from the US reality television series Hell's Kitchen, in which 15 cooks compete for the job of Chef in one of celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay's restaurants. Ramsay's task is to lead the cooks towards a hegemonic masculinity valid in the restaurant context. An important feature is the contestant's ability to deal with Ramsay's fiery temper and fits of rage. The winner is the person who succeeds in approaching Ramsay's standards in terms of culinary art and leadership qualities, which in his terminology is referred to as manliness. Ramsay's aggressive style of management is possible to recognize, explain and to a certain extent justify as a way of running a restaurant. But what if his tongue‐lashings are to be understood, not as a possible way to train skilled chefs, but instead are called violence? Gender‐oriented organizational studies stress the importance of paying attention to acts of violence in organizations rather than disregarding it as organizational culture or tradition. Using concepts and perspectives from masculinity theory and feminist studies on men's violence against women, the purpose of this article is to analyse the micro practices of how masculinity and hierarchy are exercised through violence in the restaurant environment. As will be argued, reality television can be understood, not so much as a reflection but rather as an exaggeration of real life. It can be seen as a distorting mirror that enlarges and at the same time perverts the micro practices of reality. The aim is dual; to investigate the link between masculinity and legitimated violence in organizations and to give prominence to the potential of reality television visualizing the normalization of violence in organizations.
Age‐related changes in skin barrier function – Quantitative evaluation of 150 female subjects
Authors: Luebberding S. , Krueger N. , Kerscher M.
Published: November 2012

Synopsis

The protection against water loss and the prevention of substances and bacteria penetrating into the body rank as the most important functions of the skin. This so‐called ‘skin barrier function’ is the natural frontier between the inner organism and the environment, and is primarily formed by the epidermis. An impairment of the skin barrier function is often found in diseased and damaged skin. An influence of ageing on skin barrier function is widely accepted, but has not been conclusively evaluated yet. Therefore, the aim of this clinical study was to assess the potential influence of ageing on skin barrier function, including transepidermal water loss (TEWL), stratum corneum hydration, sebum content and pH value. One hundred and fifty healthy women aged 18–80, divided into five age groups with 30 subjects each, were evaluated in this study. TEWL, hydration level, sebum secretion and pH value of hydro‐lipid acid film were measured with worldwide acknowledged biophysical measuring methods at cheek, neck, décolleté, volar forearm and dorsum of hand. Whereas TEWL and stratum corneum hydration showed only very low correlation with subject's age, the sebum production decreased significantly with age, resulting in the lowest skin surface lipids levels measured in subjects older than 70 years. The highest skin surface pH was measured in subjects between 50 and 60 years, whereas the eldest age group had the lowest mean pH. The dorsum of the hand was the location with the highest TEWL and lowest stratum corneum hydration in all age groups. The results show that only some parameters related to skin barrier function are influenced by ageing. Whereas sebum production decreases significantly over lifetime and skin surface pH is significantly increased in menopausal woman, TEWL and stratum corneum hydration show only minor variations with ageing.
Improvement in skin color achieved by smoking cessation
Authors: Ishiwata T. , Seyama K. , Hirao T. , Shimada K. , Morio Y. , Miura K. , Kume A. , Takagi H. , Takahashi K.
Published: November 2012

Synopsis

It has been well known that habitual smoking accelerates premature skin ageing recognized as ‘smoker's face’. However, the effect of smoking cessation on the appearance of skin has not been elucidated. The aim of this study was to evaluate objectively the effect of smoking cessation on the skin's appearance. The stratum corneum carbonyl protein level and skin colour of the cheek and the hand were measured. The change before and during the smoking cessation treatment (0, 2, 4, 8 and 12 weeks), and the success or failure in smoking cessation, was compared and examined. Eighty‐four cases who had smoking cessation treatment were examined. The level of the stratum corneum carbonyl protein did not show any difference comparing before and after treatment for the smoking cessation success group and the failure group. The lightness of skin colour showed an upward tendency 4–12 weeks after starting the treatment in the success group and increased significantly compared with the failure group. The redness showed a significant decrease in comparison with before the treatment, and it also showed a significant decrease compared with the failure group. The yellowness did not show any clear tendency. Also, the haemoglobin showed a decreased tendency. Furthermore, multivariate statistical analysis showed a possibility that the lightness and haemoglobin could be changed by smoking cessation treatment. In conclusion, our study showed that an upward tendency of skin lightness was seen to correspond with a haemoglobin decrease accompanied by smoking cessation. If we can easily measure skin improvement as an effect of smoking cessation, it is thought to be a useful aid for smoking cessation support.
The relationship between oral health education and quality of life in adolescents
Authors: Carvalho Jefferson Calixto , Rebelo Maria Augusta Bessa , Vettore Mario Vianna
Published: November 2012

Background

There is no study on the association between oral health education and oral health quality of life (OHQoL).

Aim

To assess the relationship between oral health education activities integrated into primary care services and OHQoL in adolescents.

Design

A retrospective observational survey was conducted on 300 randomly selected 12–14 years‐of‐age adolescents living in two publicly funded health service administrative areas in Manaus, Brazil. Between 2006 and 2008, dental treatment and oral health education were offered in one area (DT/OHE group), whereas in the other area, only dental treatment was provided (DT group). Collected data included socio‐demographic characteristics, health services use, health‐related behaviours, dental pain, dental caries and Child‐OIDP. Independent variables were compared between groups by Mann–Whitney and chi‐square tests. The association between one or more OIDP (Child‐OIDP ≥ 1) and DT group tested using multivariate logistic regression.

Results

Caries, use of dental services and health‐related behaviours did not differ between groups (P > 0.05). Child‐OIDP ≥ 1 was higher in DT group (90.0%) compared with DT/OHE group (79.3%) (P = 0.01). Child‐OIDP ≥ 1 was independently associated with DT group [OR = 4.4 (1.1; 17.0)].

Conclusions

Adolescents living in an area where OHE and DT were provided had better OHRQoL than those living in an area where only DT was provided.
Comparing the use of, and considering the need for, lumbar puncture in children with influenza or other respiratory virus infections
Authors: Khandaker Gulam , Heron Leon , Rashid Harunor , Li‐Kim‐Moy Jean , Lester‐Smith David , Kesson Alison , McCaskill Mary , Jones Cheryl , Zurynski Yvonne , Elliott Elizabeth J. , Dwyer Dominic E. , Booy Robert
Published: November 2012

Please cite this paper as: Khandaker et al. (2012) Comparing the use of, and considering the need for, lumbar puncture in children with influenza or other respiratory virus infections. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses DOI:10.1111/irv.12039.

Background  The clinical presentation of influenza in infancy may be similar to serious bacterial infection and be investigated with invasive procedures like lumbar puncture (LP), despite very limited evidence that influenza occurs concomitantly with bacterial meningitis, perhaps because the diagnosis of influenza is very often not established when the decision to perform LP is being considered.

Methods  A retrospective medical record review was undertaken in all children presenting to the Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, Australia, in one winter season with laboratory‐confirmed influenza or other respiratory virus infections (ORVIs) but excluding respiratory syncytial virus, to compare the use of, and reflect on the need for, the performance of invasive diagnostic procedures, principally LP, but also blood culture, in influenza and non‐influenza cases. We also determined the rate of concomitant bacterial meningitis or bacteraemia.

Findings  Of 294 children, 51% had laboratory‐confirmed influenza and 49% had ORVIs such as parainfluenza viruses (34%) and adenoviruses (15%). Of those with influenza, 18% had a LP and 71% had a blood culture performed compared with 6·3% and 55·5% in the ORVI group (for both P < 0·01). In multivariate analysis, diagnosis of influenza was a strong independent predictor of both LP (P = 0·02) and blood culture (P = 0·05) being performed, and, in comparison with ORVIs, influenza cases were almost three times more likely to have a LP performed on presentation to hospital. One child with influenza (0·9%) had bacteraemia and none had meningitis.

Interpretation  Children with influenza were more likely to undergo LP on presentation to hospital compared with those presenting with ORVIs. If influenza is confirmed on admission by near‐patient testing, clinicians may be reassured and less inclined to perform LP, although if meningitis is clinically suspected, the clinician should act accordingly. We found that the risk of bacterial meningitis and bacteraemia was very low in hospitalised children with influenza and ORVIs. A systematic review should be performed to investigate this across a large number of settings.
Variation in the diet and feeding morphology of polyphenic Lepomis macrochirus
Authors: Gerry S. P. , Vogelzang M. , Ascher J. M. , Ellerby D. J.
Published: November 2012

Bluegill Lepomis macrochirus showed variation in their diet and trophic morphology based on habitat. Pelagic L. macrochirus feed almost exclusively on cladocerans; littoral L. macrochirus feed on a variety of benthic invertebrates, molluscs, cladocerans and insects. Fish from the littoral habitat had wider pharyngeal jaws, which probably allowed them to crush gastropods and process benthic invertebrates.
Hedgerow trees and extended‐width field margins enhance macro‐moth diversity: implications for management
Authors: Merckx Thomas , Marini Lorenzo , Feber Ruth E. , Macdonald David W.
Published: November 2012

Improving the effectiveness of agri‐environment schemes is essential for reversing declines in farmland biodiversity. Crucial to achieving this is identifying management options that are practical and beneficial to biodiversity, and understanding the influence of the surrounding landscape. We used data on abundance and species richness of farmland macro‐moths, many of which are declining, and trait‐based analyses on their feeding guild, mobility and conservation status, to explore local‐ and landscape‐scale effects of two farmland features (extended‐width field margins and hedgerow trees) and surrounding farmland intensification.

Macro‐moths were light trapped at 48 fixed sites on 16 farms, over 4 years, within a 1200‐km2 area of lowland UK farmland. Sites belonged to one of four experimental groups that differed in their combinations of hedgerow tree presence and field margin width.

Hedgerow trees and extended‐width field margins locally increased species richness, but not abundance, of macro‐moths, irrespective of each other's presence. Overall, species richness and abundance were not affected by agricultural intensification, as measured by the amount of arable land in the surrounding landscape.

Sedentary moths showed double the species richness, but were half as abundant as mobile moths. Both groups responded positively to extended‐width margin and hedgerow tree presence. The effect of hedgerow trees was particularly strong for shrub‐ and/or tree‐feeding species.

Analyses based on the conservation status of moths demonstrated that agricultural intensification lowered the species richness of nationally severely declining UK Biodiversity Action Plan priority species and the abundance of both nationally moderately declining and priority species. These effects were most pronounced at the 0·8‐km radius scale.

Synthesis and applications. Our results suggest that the presence of extended‐width field margins and hedgerow trees, possibly promoted by agri‐environment schemes targeting their implementation at relatively small spatial scales (0·8 km), may help mitigate negative effects of agricultural intensification on macro‐moths. A wide range of other taxa feed on macro‐moths and may therefore indirectly benefit from these features. Nevertheless, taxa differ widely in their mobility and measures mitigating biodiversity loss may need to be targeted at multiple spatial scales to maximize their effectiveness for multiple taxa.
Capturing the elasticity and morphology of live fibroblast cell cultures during degradation with atomic force microscopy
Authors: AIFANTIS K.E. , SHRIVASTAVA S. , PELIDOU S.H.
Published: November 2012

Atomic force microscopy, in a liquid environment, was used to capture in vitro the morphological and mechanical changes that cultured fibroblasts undergo as time elapses from the completion of the cell culture. Topography images illustrated that initially, the nucleus had a height of 1.18 ± 0.2 μm, and after 48 h it had decreased to 550 ± 60 nm; similarly, the cell membrane exhibited significant shrinkage from 34 ± 4 to 23 ± 2 μm. After each image scan, atomic force microscopy indentation was performed on the centre of the nucleus, to measure the changes in the cell elasticity. Examination of the force‐distance curves indicated that the membrane elastic modulus at the nucleus remained the same within the time frame of 48 h, even though the cell morphology had significantly changed.
Incongruence between morphological and molecular markers in the butterfly genusZizina(Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) in New Zealand
Authors: GILLESPIE MARK , WRATTEN STEVE D. , CRUICKSHANK ROB , WISEMAN BENJAMIN H. , GIBBS GEORGE W.
Published: November 2012

The butterfly genusZizinain New Zealand has a complex taxonomic history due to the presence of morphological intermediates between the two species, the endemicZ. oxleyiand the introducedZ. labradus, in a putative hybrid zone on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. This makes species identification in the field problematic, particularly as the presence of hybrids has not been confirmed. We address this uncertainty through morphological and molecular analyses. Specimens were collected from a range of locations in New Zealand, as well as from Australia, and measurements were made of male genitalia and ventral wing coloration. Two mitochondrial genes (COI,ND5) and three nuclear gene fragments (28S,ITS2andwingless) were also sequenced for a selection of individuals, and the presence ofWolbachiaspecies in genomic DNA was tested. The two species were separable in morphological space, although there was some overlap, and the contact zone appeared to be around Kaikoura on the east coast of the South Island. Furthermore, specimens from the putative hybrid zone could be classified asZ. oxleyiusing morphological characters individually, but not when these were used in a principal component analysis. Molecular analysis showed that there was a mean sequence divergence of 2.0% between two clades for COI, and 4.1% for ND5, but suggested that the contact zone between them was in the north‐west of the South Island. However, there was only a single clade for each of the three nuclear markers. It is thought that this incongruence between morphological and molecular markers is indicative of hybridization which is more extensive than previously thought. However, the possibility that recent speciation has occurred or is occurring is not ruled out.
Clinicopathologic review of eruptive pseudoangiomatosis in Korean adults: report of 32 cases
Authors: Kim Jung Eun , Kim Byung Jik , Park Hyun Jeong , Park Young Min , Park Chul Jong , Cho Sang Hyun , Kim Si Yong , Kang Hoon
Published: November 2012

Background  Eruptive pseudoangiomatosis (EP) is a rare, benign, spontaneously regressing exanthema of unknown etiology, characterized by an eruption of distinctive erythematous papules. This study was performed to evaluate the etiologic, clinical, and histopathologic characteristics of EP in Koreans.

Methods  Patients diagnosed with EP during 2005–2010 were included in a retrospective study. Diagnoses were based on clinical findings and confirmed by histology. Biopsies were re‐examined. Patient gender, age at onset, disease duration, lesion location, season of occurrence, concomitant diseases, occupation, previous related events, disease course, responses to treatment, and laboratory findings were analyzed.

Results  A total of 32 patients were identified. Mean age at onset was 50.06 ± 17.12 years. Two patients developed lesions after outdoor activities. Two patients presented with simultaneous occurrences in family members. One patient reported having taken herbal medicine. One subject experienced systemic contact dermatitis caused by eating a lacquer chicken dish just before the lesions developed. All patients had typical erythematous papules measuring 2–5 mm. Lesions were usually located on exposed sites. No prodromal or systemic symptoms were observed. Routine laboratory tests were within normal ranges, except in one patient with known hyperlipidemia. Most patients were treated with oral antihistamine and topical steroid, or oral prednisolone. Eight patients did not receive any treatment. Mean disease duration was 1.64 ± 1.41 months in the treatment group and 1.20 ± 1.24 months in the no‐treatment group (P > 0.05).

Conclusions  Any clear relationship between EP and exposure to allergens or insect bites has yet to be elucidated. In patients in whom EP occurs on non‐exposed sites, drugs and food should be considered as possible causative agents. Intravascular neutrophil infiltration on histology can be helpful in diagnosing EP.
Karyotype evolution and phylogenetic analyses in the genus Cardiospermum L. (Paullinieae, Sapindaceae)
Authors: Urdampilleta J. D. , Coulleri J. P. , Ferrucci M. S. , Forni‐Martins E. R.
Published: November 2012

Cardiospermum L. belongs to the Paullinieae tribe (Sapindaceae) and comprises 16 species. Of these, 12 species are present in South America and all occur in Brazil. Cardiospermum shows the most variable chromosome number of the tribe. Phylogenetic relationships within the genus Cardiospermum, especially with other species of the tribe, are poorly understood. This research focuses on characterisation of the karyotypic features of Cardiospermum using conventional cytogenetic methods, CMA/DAPI chromosome banding and fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH). To elucidate the phylogeny of the genus, the nuclear markers ITS1 and ITS2 were sequenced and analysed using maximum parsimony and Bayesian inference. Cardiospermum shows important diversity in basic numbers, with x = 7, 9, 10, 11 and 12. All species studied have metacentric and submetacentric chromosomes, some species have subtelocentric chromosomes, while telocentric chromosomes are absent. The interphase nuclei differentiate the Cardiospermum species into two groups. The CMA3/DAPI chromosome banding revealed the presence of an AT‐rich terminal region in C. corindum, C. grandiflorum and C. urvilleoides, whereas GC‐rich regions were found in C. grandiflorum, C. halicacabum var. halicacabum, C. halicacabum var. microcarpum, C. heringeri and C. integerrimum. FISH revealed syntenic and non‐syntenic distribution of the 18‐5.8‐26S and 5S rDNA. The syntenic distribution always occurred in the short arms of the same chromosome in all of the species. The phylogenetic relationships reveal, in part, the taxonomic arrangement of the genus Cardiospermum.
Proteomics‐based analysis of invasion‐related proteins in malignant gliomas
Authors: Maruo Tomoko , Ichikawa Tomotsugu , Kanzaki Hirotaka , Inoue Satoshi , Kurozumi Kazuhiko , Onishi Manabu , Yoshida Koichi , Kambara Hirokazu , Ouchida Mamoru , Shimizu Kenji , Tamaru Seiji , Chiocca E. Antonio , Date Isao
Published: November 2012

One of the insidious biological features of gliomas is their potential to extensively invade normal brain tissue, yet molecular mechanisms that dictate this locally invasive behavior remain poorly understood. To investigate the molecular basis of invasion by malignant gliomas, proteomic analysis was performed using a pair of canine glioma subclones – J3T‐1 and J3T‐2 – that show different invasion phenotypes in rat brains but have similar genetic backgrounds. Two‐dimensional protein electrophoresis of whole‐cell lysates of J3T‐1 (angiogenesis‐dependent invasion phenotype) and J3T‐2 (angiogenesis‐independent invasion phenotype) was performed. Twenty‐two distinct spots were recognized when significant alteration was defined as more than 1.5‐fold change in spot intensity between J3T‐1 and J3T‐2. Four proteins that demonstrated increased expression in J3T‐1, and 14 proteins that demonstrated increased expression in J3T‐2 were identified using liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry analysis. One of the proteins identified was annexin A2, which was expressed at higher levels in J3T‐1 than in J3T‐2. The higher expression of annexin A2 in J3T‐1 was corroborated by quantitative RT‐PCR of the cultured cells and immunohistochemical staining of the rat brain tumors. Moreover, immunohistochemical analysis of human glioblastoma specimens showed that annexin A2 was expressed at high levels in the tumor cells that formed clusters around dilated vessels. These results reveal differences in the proteomic profiles between these two cell lines that might correlate with their different invasion profiles. Thus, annexin A2 may be related to angiogenesis‐dependent invasion.
Diagnosis of narrow‐band imaging in non‐muscle‐invasive bladder cancer: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Li Kaiwen , Lin Tianxin , Fan Xinxiang , Duan Yu , Huang Jian
Published: November 2012

Objectives

The objective was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of cystoscopy assisted by narrow‐band imaging compared with white‐light imaging for non‐muscle‐invasive bladder cancer.

Methods

An electronic database search of PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, Ovid and Web of Science was carried out for all articles comparing narrow‐band imaging with white‐light imaging cystoscopy in the detection of non‐muscle‐invasive bladder cancer. The review process followed the guidelines of the Cochrane Collaboration.

Results

Seven studies with prospectively collected data including a total of 1040 patients were identified, and 611 patients with 1476 tumors were detected by biopsy. In the patient‐ and tumor‐level analysis, an additional 17% of patients (95% confidence interval, 10–25%) and an additional 24% of tumors (95% confidence interval, 17–31%) were detected by narrow‐band imaging, respectively. In the patient‐ and tumor‐level analysis, significantly higher detection rates using narrow‐band imaging (rate difference 11%; 95% confidence interval 5–17%; P < 0.001; and rate difference 19%; 95% confidence interval 12–26%; P < 0.001, respectively) rather than white‐light imaging were found. On the tumor level, an additional 28% of carcinoma in situ was detected (95% confidence interval 14–45%) by narrow‐band imaging, and a significantly higher detection rate (rate difference 11%; 95% confidence interval 1–21%; P = 0.03) was found. The false‐positive detection rate of tumor level did not differ significantly between the two techniques.

Conclusions

Cystoscopy assisted by narrow‐band imaging detects more patients and tumors of non‐muscle‐invasive bladder cancer than white‐light imaging, and it might be an additional or alternative diagnostic technique for non‐muscle‐invasive bladder cancer.
Biomarkers for lower urinary tract dysfunction
Authors: Cho Kang Jun , Kim Joon Chul
Published: November 2012

Lower urinary tract dysfunction is highly prevalent, but has relatively low persistence and compliance with therapy because of poor efficacy. Although urodynamic study is the gold standard for detailed evaluation of lower urinary tract dysfunction, urodynamic study has limitations as a biomarker, such as invasiveness and a lack of reproducibility of symptoms. Thus, many investigations about new biomarkers for lower urinary tract dysfunction have been carried out and reported. For imaging biomarkers, bladder and prostate parameters assessed by ultrasonography have been used to evaluate lower urinary tract dysfunction. For urinary biomarkers, neurotrophins, such as nerve growth factor and brain derived neurotrophics factor, prostaglandins and cytokines, have been analyzed and evaluated. Among these, nerve growth factor is considered one of the key factors in the pathophysiology of lower urinary tract dysfunction, and is researched in various ways. Serum markers have suggested that C‐reactive protein and sex hormones have a relationship with lower urinary tract dysfunction. The possibility of genetic biomarkers in lower urinary tract dysfunction has also been raised. Nevertheless, as yet these biomarkers have not shown enough evidence to reflect lower urinary tract dysfunction and require further investigation. This review will discuss promising and potential biomarkers in lower urinary tract dysfunction to date.
The Prostate Cancer Registry: monitoring patterns and quality of care for men diagnosed with prostate cancer
Authors: Evans Sue M. , Millar Jeremy L. , Wood Julie M. , Davis Ian D. , Bolton Damien , Giles Graham G. , Frydenberg Mark , Frauman Albert , Costello Antony , McNeil John J.
Published: November 2012

What's known on the subject? and What does the study add?

Operating principles exist both within Australia and internationally to provide guidance on how to establish clinical registries. In establishing a registry, consideration needs to be given to its purpose, the stakeholders and the output it will generate and to whom output will be disseminated

The present study describes how a prostate cancer‐specific registry was developed that aligns with generic operating principles. We describe the governance model, the data items collected, the collection methodology clinical indicators selected for reporting and the reporting framework.

OBJECTIVE

To establish a pilot population‐based clinical registry with the aim of monitoring the quality of care provided to men diagnosed with prostate cancer.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

All men aged >18 years from the contributing hospitals in Victoria, Australia, who have a diagnosis of prostate cancer confirmed by histopathology report notified to the Victorian Cancer Registry are eligible for inclusion in the Prostate Cancer Registry (PCR).

A literature review was undertaken aiming to identify existing quality indicators and source evidence‐based guidelines from both Australia and internationally.

RESULTS

A Steering Committee was established to determine the minimum dataset, select quality indicators to be reported back to clinicians, identify the most effective recruitment strategy, and provide a governance structure for data requests; collection, analysis and reporting of data; and managing outliers.

A minimum dataset comprising 72 data items is collected by the PCR, enabling ten quality indicators to be collected and reported.

Outcome measures are risk adjusted according to the established National Comprehensive Cancer Network and Cancer of the Prostate Risk Assessment Score (surgery only) risk stratification model. Recruitment to the PCR occurs concurrently with mandatory notification to the state‐based Cancer Registry.

The PCR adopts an opt‐out consent process to maximize recruitment.

The data collection approach is standardized, using a hybrid of data linkage and manual collection, and data collection forms are electronically scanned into the PCR.

A data access policy and escalation policy for mortality outliers has been developed.

CONCLUSIONS

The PCR provides potential for high‐quality population‐based data to be collected and managed within a clinician‐led governance framework.

This approach satisfies the requirement for health services to establish quality assessment, at the same time as providing clinically credible data to clinicians to drive practice improvement.
Life on a tropical planet: niche conservatism and the global diversity gradient
Authors: Romdal Tom S. , Araújo Miguel B. , Rahbek Carsten
Published: November 2012

Aim

The niche conservatism hypothesis proposes that species distribution patterns are, by and large, governed by ancestral climatic affinities. Here, we test this hypothesis by combining information on current diversity gradients among lineages, lineage initiation dates, and palaeoclimatic reconstructions.

Location

World‐wide.

Methods

We test the niche conservatism hypothesis by comparing slopes of latitudinal diversity gradients among terrestrial and aquatic lineages derived from 343 studies from around the world. The prediction is that clades originating during warm periods should be very species rich in tropical regions, exhibiting a steeper richness gradient from lower to higher latitudes than clades originating during cold periods, which are expected to exhibit shallower latitudinal species richness gradients.

Results

Latitudinal gradients for clades that originated in warm climates are steeper and with a strong tropical affinity, whereas organisms originating in colder periods exhibit a shallower diversity gradient or no tropical affinity.

Conclusions

For a broad variety of plants and animals of both marine and terrestrial realms our results are consistent with the idea that higher diversities have arisen among tropical clades because the earth has been predominantly tropical throughout most of its history. Most clades radiated in tropical climates, with subsequent climate changes causing a retraction in distributions. Our study implies that global climate change by itself, even when developing over tens of millions of years, could have shaped the large‐scale patterns of diversity prevailing on earth today.
The Development of the Institutional Investor: The Case of Australian Life Insurers 1945–85
Authors: Keneley Monica J.
Published: November 2012

This paper considers the post‐war development of asset management practices among Australian life insurers, which have historically been among the largest institutional investors in Australia. A complex process of adaptation and organisational restructuring allowed life insurers to transform from basic investors of policy‐holders’ funds to large multifaceted institutional investors in just three decades. Three stages in the development of investment practices are identified. These phases trace the process of expanding existing knowledge bases; diversification; and the acquisition of new skills; consolidation and the integration of these skills into institutional structures; thus completing one cycle of organisational learning and setting the stage for the next.
The Emerging Neocommunitarianism
Authors: DAVIES WILLIAM
Published: November 2012

The financial crisis which began in 2007 has been widely interpreted as a crisis of neoliberalism, akin to the crisis of Keynesianism of the 1970s. But there is little sign of a major paradigmatic alternative, either in theory or in practice. This article looks at how the crises and failures of neoliberalism are occurring at a micro‐policy level, where they are interpreted in terms of the fallibility of individual rational choice. Policy responses to this crisis, drawing on more psychologically nuanced accounts of economic behaviour, can be described as ‘neocommunitarian’, inasmuch as they echo the communitarian critique of the liberal self. Where neoliberalism rests on a vision of the individual as atomised and rational, neocommunitarianism treats individuals as governed by social norms and incentives simultaneously. And where neoliberalism subjects individuals to periodic audit organised around targets and outputs, neocommunitarianism conducts a constant audit of behavioural fluctuations in real time.
The Beecroft Report: Pandering to Popular Perceptions of Over‐regulation
Authors: JAMESON HANNAH
Published: November 2012

The Coalition government made a commitment to review employment law to ensure flexibility for both parties and enhance business's competitiveness. This led the prime minister to ask venture capitalist Adrian Beecroft to undertake the task of identifying the areas of employment law that presented the greatest burden, and making recommendations for reform. The Beecroft report identifies 16 areas for reform, but the lack of evidence to support his conclusions severely undermines his case. The challenge of increasing employment in a stagnant economy is substantial, and Beecroft's recommendations, if implemented, are unlikely to make a difference. Businesses need to see increased demand and access to finance if they are to take on more workers, but government must also develop a long‐term vision of the UK labour market and address weaknesses that existed before the financial crisis.
Is the Failed State Thesis Analytically Useful? The Case of Yemen
Authors: Dingli Sophia
Published: November 2012

The failed state thesis has been a matter for discussion in the international relations academy for more than two decades. However, the soundness of this analytic framework has been questioned. This article critically engages this debate by examining the ability of the thesis to provide insight into the practice of statecraft in the case of Yemen. It argues that as a result of its rigid and Eurocentric approach, the failed state thesis is unable to recognise the strategies employed by states like Yemen to ensure their survival, which include the purposeful production of chaos.
Experimental Designs for Identifying Causal Mechanisms
Authors: Imai Kosuke , Tingley Dustin , Yamamoto Teppei
Published: November 2012

Experimentation is a powerful methodology that enables scientists to establish causal claims empirically. However, one important criticism is that experiments merely provide a black box view of causality and fail to identify causal mechanisms. Specifically, critics argue that, although experiments can identify average causal effects, they cannot explain the process through which such effects come about. If true, this represents a serious limitation of experimentation, especially for social and medical science research that strives to identify causal mechanisms. We consider several experimental designs that help to identify average natural indirect effects. Some of these designs require the perfect manipulation of an intermediate variable, whereas others can be used even when only imperfect manipulation is possible. We use recent social science experiments to illustrate the key ideas that underlie each of the designs proposed.
Households' Forming Subjective Expectations Using Perceived News: Do Shocks to ‘Good’ News Matter More Than ‘Bad’ News?
Authors: Easaw Joshy , Ghoshray Atanu , Heravi Saeed
Published: November 2012

The present paper examines the microfoundations of how households form subjective expectations about the macroeconomy using a novel survey‐based data set. In particular, we are interested in the role of perceived news. The paper outlines a model where households may give unequal importance (or weights) to ‘good’ and ‘bad’ news. We also consider whether the relationship is state‐varying and has any structural changes. The ensuing empirical investigation uses time‐varying smooth transition autoregressive models. We find that weights given to the news are state‐varying, with little, or no, weight given to bad news. There is also a clear structural change in the relationship after September 2001.
Post‐Secularism and the European Court of Human Rights: Or How God Never Really Went Away
Authors: Leigh Ian , Ahdar Rex
Published: November 2012

This article analyses the critical yet elusive notions of state neutrality, secularism and religious coercion under the European Convention in light of the European Court of Human Rights recent decision in Lautsi v Italy. We contend that the real concern in the Italian crucifix case was not the infringement of the school pupils’ religious freedom nor the proselytising or coercive effect of the ‘passive’ religious symbols. Rather, opponents of the longstanding symbols were animated by desire for strict religious equality, a notion that is, correctly in our view, not guaranteed under the Convention. Lautsi has significantly cleared the conceptual undergrowth surrounding state neutrality and the varieties of secularism, reined in the elastic notion of religious coercion and eschewed attempts to squeeze the constitutional diversity of European religion‐state frameworks into a strict American‐style separationist mould. The Convention jurisprudence on freedom of religion has finally come of age.
Nuisance Law and the Industrial Revolution: A Reinterpretation of Doctrine and Institutional Competence
Authors: Pontin Ben
Published: November 2012

Contrary to the leading studies of Brenner and McLaren, it is argued that nuisance law was consistently a robust constraint on polluting industrial enterprise during the industrial revolution. The defining nuisances of industrialisation were ‘inter‐neighbourhood’ in character. They affected country estates surrounding industrial seats into which pollutants were displaced by increasingly tall chimneys and long outfalls. The victims of revolutionary nuisance included elite proprietors with unsurpassed capacity to enforce the law. Like Galanterian ‘haves’, who (it is postulated) use the law to reinforce a social advantage, nineteenth century proprietors enforced the common law to protect the ecological fabric of rural life from the threat of polluting corporate enterprise. This is a fundamental challenge to the orthodox view of the common law's complicity with industrial ecological harm in the past, and poses important questions about the prospect of strengthened common law protection of the environment in the modern day.
Adoption, Homosexuality and the European Convention on Human Rights: Gas and Dubois v France
Authors: Johnson Paul
Published: November 2012

On 15 March 2012 the European Court of Human Rights (the Court) issued its first judgment addressing the differential treatment of same‐sex and opposite‐sex couples in respect of the adoption of a child. The Court held that excluding same‐sex couples in civil partnerships, who have no legal right to marry, from adoption provisions available to married opposite‐sex couples does not violate rights guaranteed by the European Convention on Human Rights (the Convention). I argue that the Court's reasoning in Gas and Dubois v France is unpersuasive and unsustainable in light of its wider case law.
Molecular analysis of the parallel domestication of the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) in Mesoamerica and the Andes
Authors: Bitocchi Elena , Bellucci Elisa , Giardini Alessandro , Rau Domenico , Rodriguez Monica , Biagetti Eleonora , Santilocchi Rodolfo , Spagnoletti Zeuli Pierluigi , Gioia Tania , Logozzo Giuseppina , Attene Giovanna , Nanni Laura , Papa Roberto
Published: November 2012

We have studied the nucleotide diversity of common bean,Phaseolus vulgaris, which is characterized by two independent domestications in two geographically distinct areas: Mesoamerica and the Andes. This provides an important model, as domestication can be studied as a replicate experiment.

We used nucleotide data from five gene fragments characterized by large introns to analyse 214 accessions (102 wild and 112 domesticated). The wild accessions represent a cross‐section of the entire geographical distribution ofP. vulgaris.

A reduction in genetic diversity in both of these gene pools was found, which was three‐fold greater in Mesoamerica compared with the Andes. This appears to be a result of a bottleneck that occurred before domestication in the Andes, which strongly impoverished this wild germplasm, leading to the minor effect of the subsequent domestication bottleneck (i.e. sequential bottleneck).

These findings show the importance of considering the evolutionary history of crop species as a major factor that influences their current level and structure of genetic diversity. Furthermore, these data highlight a single domestication event within each gene pool. Although the findings should be interpreted with caution, this evidence indicates the Oaxaca valley in Mesoamerica, and southern Bolivia and northern Argentina in South America, as the origins of common bean domestication.
Recognizable phenotypes associated with intracranial calcification
Authors: LIVINGSTON JOHN H , STIVAROS STAVROS , VAN DER KNAAP MARJO S , CROW YANICK J
Published: November 2012

Aim  In this observational study, we adopted a systematic approach to the radiological phenotyping of disorders associated with intracranial calcification, with the aim of determining if characteristic patterns could be defined as an aid to the future diagnosis of known conditions and the identification of new disorders.

Method  A cranial imaging‐based scoring system was devised using both computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging data. Patients were grouped into diagnostic categories where a definitive molecular diagnosis was known, or where the clinical and radiological features suggested a specific diagnosis. For patients in whom the diagnosis was unknown, subgroups were defined according to shared radiological features.

Results  Data on 244 scans from 119 patients were analysed. A specific diagnosis was available for 59 patients (31males, 28 females; median age 50mo, range 1wk to 54y). These were as follows (number of patients in brackets): Aicardi–Goutières syndrome (33), cerebroretinal microangiopathy with calcification and cysts (10), band‐like calcification with simplified gyration and polymicrogyria (6), COL4A1‐related disease (3), Degos disease (2), Krabbe disease (2), Alexander disease (1), mitochondrial disease (1), and tetrasomy 15 (1). In 60 patients the aetiology was unknown. Within this group, subsets demonstrating shared characteristics suggestive of a specific calcification phenotype could be identified.

Interpretation  This study confirms the value of a systematic approach to radiological phenotyping of disorders associated with intracranial calcification.