bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Update on the treatment of anorexia nervosa: review of clinical trials, practice guidelines and emerging interventions
Authors: Watson H. J. , Bulik C. M.
Published: December 2012

Background

Anorexia nervosa is a potentially deadly psychiatric illness that develops predominantly in females around puberty but is increasingly being recognized as also affecting boys and men and women across the lifespan. The aim of this environmental scan is to provide an overview of best practices in anorexia nervosa treatment across the age spectrum.

Method

A triangulation approach was used. First, a detailed review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for anorexia nervosa published between 1980 and 2011 was conducted; second, clinical practice guidelines were consulted and reviewed; third, information about RCTs currently underway was sourced. This approach facilitated a comprehensive overview, which addressed the extant evidence base, recent advances in evidence and improvements in treatment, and future directions.

Results

The evidence base for the treatment of anorexia nervosa is advancing, albeit unevenly. Evidence points to the benefit of family-based treatment for youth. For adults no specific approach has shown superiority and, presently, a combination of renourishment and psychotherapy such as specialist supportive clinical management, cognitive behavioral therapy, or interpersonal psychotherapy is recommended. RCTs have neither sufficiently addressed the more complex treatment approaches seen in routine practice settings, such as multidisciplinary treatment or level of care, nor specifically investigated treatment in ethnically diverse populations. Methodological challenges that hinder progress in controlled research for anorexia nervosa are explained.

Conclusions

The review highlights evidence-based and promising treatment modalities for anorexia nervosa and presents a triangulated analysis including controlled research, practice guidelines, and emerging treatments to inform and support clinical decision making.
Increased serotonin transporter gene (SERT) DNA methylation is associated with bullying victimization and blunted cortisol response to stress in childhood: a longitudinal study of discordant monozygotic twins
Authors: Ouellet-Morin I. , Wong C. C. Y. , Danese A. , Pariante C. M. , Papadopoulos A. S. , Mill J. , Arseneault L.
Published: December 2012

Background

Childhood adverse experiences are known to induce persistent changes in the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis reactivity to stress. However, the mechanisms by which these experiences shape the neuroendocrine response to stress remain unclear.

Method

We tested whether bullying victimization influenced serotonin transporter gene (SERT) DNA methylation using a discordant monozygotic (MZ) twin design. A subsample of 28 MZ twin pairs discordant for bullying victimization, with data on cortisol and DNA methylation, were identified in the Environmental Risk (E-Risk) Longitudinal Twin Study, a nationally representative 1994–1995 cohort of families with twins.

Results

Bullied twins had higherSERTDNA methylation at the age of 10 years compared with their non-bullied MZ co-twins. This group difference cannot be attributed to the children's genetic makeup or their shared familial environments because of the study design. Bullied twins also showed increasing methylation levels between the age of 5 years, prior to bullying victimization, and the age of 10 years whereas no such increase was detected in non-bullied twins across time. Moreover, children with higherSERTmethylation levels had blunted cortisol responses to stress.

Conclusions

Our study extends findings drawn from animal models, supports the hypothesis that early-life stress modifies DNA methylation at a specific cytosine–phosphate–guanine (CpG) site in theSERTpromoter and HPA functioning and suggests that these two systems may be functionally associated.
Vocabulary growth in second language among immigrant school-aged children in Greece
Authors: SIMOS PANAGIOTIS G. , SIDERIDIS GEORGIOS D. , MOUZAKI ANGELIKI , CHATZIDAKI ASPASIA , TZEVELEKOU MARIA
Published: December 2012

The goal of the study was to assess differences between native Greek and bilingual, immigrant children of Albanian descent learning Greek as a second language on a receptive vocabulary measure. Vocabulary measures were obtained at five time points, 6 months apart, from 580 children attending Grades 2–4. Individual variability on both initial performance (intercept) and growth rate (slope) was assessed using hierarchical linear modeling, which included linguistic/ethnic group, parental education (as a socioeconomic status [SES] indicator), gender, and a measure of nonverbal cognitive ability as time-invariant predictors of vocabulary growth. Results indicated that linguistic/ethnic group, parental education, and baseline nonverbal cognitive ability were significant predictors of initial vocabulary scores, whereas only linguistic/ethnic group and nonverbal ability accounted for significant variability in vocabulary growth rates. Additional analyses confirmed that linguistic/ethnic group remained a significant predictor of receptive vocabulary knowledge at both the intercept and the slope levels even after controlling for the initial differences between groups on parental education and block design subtest scores.
The role of age of onset and input in early child bilingualism in Greek and Dutch
Authors: UNSWORTH SHARON , ARGYRI FROSO , CORNIPS LEONIE , HULK AAFKE , SORACE ANTONELLA , TSIMPLI IANTHI
Published: December 2012

The focus of this study is the acquisition of grammatical gender in Greek and Dutch by bilingual children whose other language is English. Although grammatical gender languages share the property of noun classification in terms of grammatical gender, there are important differences between the languages under investigation here in terms of both the morphological cues for gender marking available to the child and the developmental path followed by monolingual children. Dutch offers limited input cues for grammatical gender, but Greek shows consistent and regular patterns of morphological gender marking on all members of the nominal paradigm. This difference is associated with the precocious pattern of gender acquisition in Greek and the attested delay in monolingual Dutch development. We explore the development of gender in Dutch and Greek with the aim of disentangling input from age of onset effects in bilingual children who vary in the age of first exposure to Dutch or Greek. Our findings suggest that although bilingual Greek children encounter fewer difficulties in gender acquisition compared to bilingual Dutch children, amount of input constitutes a predictive factor for the pattern attested in both cases. Age of onset effects could be partly responsible for differences between simultaneous and successive bilinguals in Greek, but this is clearly not the case for Dutch. Our findings are also addressed from the more general perspective of the status of “early” and “late” phenomena in monolingual acquisition and the advantages of investigating these from the bilingual perspective.
Variability in the learning of complex morphophonology
Authors: ETTLINGER MARC , BRADLOW ANN R. , WONG PATRICK C. M.
Published: December 2012

This paper explores how theories on the relationship between language and domain-general cognitive capabilities might account for individual variation in second language learning. We investigated the acquisition of a morphophonological grammar paired with standardized tests of memory function. The language learned had simple and complex morphophonological patterns of word formation, which are hypothesized to correlate with standardized measures of procedural and declarative memory, respectively. The results show a significant amount of variation in learning success is accounted for by these measures of memory in accordance with the hypothesis. These findings help explain why some adults are able to learn a second language more easily than others while also advancing a model of second language learning motivated by linguistic theory.
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FINANCIAL IMPACT AND COVERAGE OF DRUGS IN AUSTRALIA
Authors: Mauskopf Josephine , Chirila Costel , Masaquel Catherine , Boye Kristina S. , Bowman Lee , Birt Julie , Grainger David
Published: December 2012

Objectives: The aim of this study was to estimate the relationship between the financial impact of a new drug and the recommendation for reimbursement by the Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC).

Methods: Data in the PBAC summary database were abstracted for decisions made between July 2005 and November 2009. Financial impact—the upper bound of the values presented in the PBAC summary database—was categorized as ≤A$0, >A$0 up to A$10 million, A$10 million up to A$30 million, and >A$30 million per year. Descriptive, logistic, survival, and recursive partitioning decision analyses were used to estimate the relationship between the financial impact of a new drug indication and the recommendation for reimbursement. Multivariable analyses controlled for other clinical and economic variables, including cost per quality-adjusted life-year gained.

Results: Financial impact was a significant predictor of the recommendation for reimbursement. In the logistic analysis, the odds ratios of reimbursement for drug submissions with financial impacts ≥A$10 million to ≥A$30 million or >A$0 to <A$10 million compared with ≤A$0 were 0.12 (95 percent confidence interval [CI]: 0.03–0.51) and 0.16 (95 percent CI: 0.04–0.60), respectively. In the recursive partition decision analysis, the first split of the data was for submissions with a positive financial impact compared with those with a zero or negative financial impact.

Conclusions: In Australia, financial impact on the drug budget is an important determinant of whether a new drug is recommended for reimbursement when cost-effectiveness estimates and other clinical and economic variables are controlled.
The Anatolian Diagonal: fact or fiction?
Authors: Ekim T. , Güner A.
Published: December 2012

Synopsis

An analysis of the 8 published volumes of theFlora of Turkeywas made in order to determine if there was a factual basis for the concept of an Anatolian Diagonal affecting plant distribution in Turkey. The data accumulated indicated that a substantial number of species (c.2600) have distributions associated with the Diagonal this total accounts forc. 32% of the number of species in the 8 volumes: 5% are ± restricted to the Diagonal; 14% are absent from the W of it and 13% from the E. Some suggestions are made for the reasons for this floral break.
A MARKOV CHAIN CHOICE PROBLEM
Authors: Ross Sheldon M.
Published: December 2012

Consider two independent Markov chains having states 0, 1, and identical transition probabilities. At each stage one of the chains is observed, and a reward equal to the observed state is earned. Assuming prior probabilities on the initial states of the chains it is shown that the myopic policy that always chooses to observe the chain most likely to be in state 1 stochastically maximizes the sequence of rewards earned in each period.
ON ORDERINGS BETWEEN WEIGHTED SUMS OF RANDOM VARIABLES
Authors: Mao Tiantian , Pan Xiaoqing , Hu Taizhong
Published: December 2012

Linear combinations of independent random variables have been extensively studied in the literature. Xu & Hu [21] and Pan, Xu, & Hu [16] unified the study of linear combinations of independent random variables under the general setup. This paper is a companion one of these two papers. In this paper, we will further study this topic. The results are further generalized to the cases of permutation invariant random variables and of independent but not necessarily identically distributed random variables which are ordered in the likelihood ratio or the hazard ratio order.
Assessment of skin test with varicella-zoster virus antigen for predicting the risk of herpes zoster
Authors: OKUNO Y. , TAKAO Y. , MIYAZAKI Y. , OHNISHI F. , OKEDA M. , YANO S. , KUMIHASHI H. , GOMI Y. , MAEDA K. , ISHIKAWA T. , MORI Y. , ASADA H. , ISO H. , YAMANISHI K.
Published: December 2012

The Shozu Herpes Zoster (SHEZ) Study was designed to clarify the incidence of and predictive and immunological factors for herpes zoster in a defined community-based Japanese population. As part of this series, a total of 5683 residents aged ⩾50 years received a varicella-zoster virus (VZV) skin test with VZV antigen, and 48 h later, the erythema and oedema were assessed by measuring the longest diameter. The diameters of both the erythema and oedema decreased with the increasing age of the subject. Sixty-three subjects contracted herpes zoster within a year after receiving the VZV skin test. Analysis of the herpes zoster incidence ratevs.the skin test reaction revealed that the shorter the diameter of erythema or oedema, the greater the likelihood of herpes zoster. These results demonstrated that the VZV skin test is an excellent surrogate marker for predicting the risk of herpes zoster.
Canon Law and Communion
Authors: Doe Norman
Published: December 2012

This paper deals, in an introductory way, with the role which the canon law of individual Anglican churches plays in the wider context of the global Anglican Communion. Part I reflects on the two main experiences which Anglicans have concerning ecclesial order and discipline: that of the juridical order of each particular church, and that of the moral order of the global communion; it also examines canonical dimensions of inter-Anglican conflict. Part II deals with the contributions which individual canonical systems, the Anglican common law (induced from these systems), and the canonical tradition currently make to global communion. Part III assesses critically these contributions, their strengths and weaknesses, illustrates the potential of individual canonical systems for the development of global communion, and reflects on practical ways in which that potential might be fulfilled. Generally, the paper aims to stimulate discussion as to whether there exists a sufficient understanding of Anglican common law to justify: (a) the issue, by the Primates Meeting, of a statement of this, being a description, which itself would not have the force of law, of those parts of Anglican common law which deal with inter-Anglican relations, (b) incorporation of the statement by individual churches in their own legal systems, so that (c) each church has a meaningful and binding body of communion law. in order (cl) to enhance global communion and inter-Anglican relations, and to reduce the likelihood of inter-church disagreement.
Dancing or Fighting? A Recently Discovered Predynastic Scene from Abydos, Egypt
Authors: Garfinkel Yosef
Published: December 2012

A recently discovered painted pottery vessel from the Predynastic cemetery of Umm el-Qaab in Abydos, Egypt (early fourth millennium bc), bears one of the most sophisticated proto-historic scenes surviving from the ancient Near East. The excavators interpreted the scene as a depiction of warfare. A systematic analysis of its various components, however, as well as two similar contemporary scenes, suggests that the scene depicts dancing. It is even possible that the scene represents four stages in a sequence of movement. If so, it is one of the earliest movement notation documents preserved from antiquity.
Viable seeds buried in the tropical forest soils of Xishuangbanna, SW China
Authors: Cao Min , Tang Yong , Sheng Caiyu , Zhang Jianhou
Published: December 2012

This paper examines the composition and density of soil seed banks under a mature seasonal rain forest (>150 years old), three secondary forests (4 yrTrema orientalisforest, 9 yrMacaranga denticulataforest and 25 yrMallotus paniculatusforest) and in a slash-and-burn field of Xishuangbanna, southwest China. Seeds in the secondary forests germinated most rapidly in the first week, while the seeds of the seasonal rain forest and the slash-and-burn field soils germinated slowly over the first 6 weeks and peaked in the seventh and eighth weeks. Seed densities were 4585–65,665 seeds m−2for forest sites and 1130 seeds m−2for the slash-and-burn field in the top 10 cm of the soils. The seed density decreased with soil depth in the forest sites and tended to decline during succession. Herbs accounted for the largest proportion of seeds at all five sites. The importance of woody species, however, increased as forests became older. Slash and burn eliminated a large number of seeds in the upper soil and, consequently, reversed the vertical distribution of seeds in the soil and had a negative impact on family, genus and species richness of the soil seed bank as well.
Nurse-Paramedic Interactions: Teamwork or Turf Wars?
Authors: Palmer C. Eddie , Gonsoulin Sheryl M.
Published: December 2012

Introduction:

The interaction patterns that result from the role performance of nurses and paramedics as they care for patients conveyed to the Emergency Department could impact substantially on outcome. The nature of this interaction was studied.

Methods:

Structured interviews were conducted with 35 persons: 21 paramedics, 12 full-time emergency department nurses, and two ED physicians.

Results:

Open conflicts in the ED are not a common occurrence. The reports given by paramedics and the assessments of patients by the nurse at transfer seem to represent “flash points” of conflict. The characteristics of some of the hostile behaviors which do occur are defined.

Conclusion:

Conflict does exist and the application of suggested interventions may serve to lessen such conflict.
Patient-Initiated Refusals of Prehospital Care: Ambulance Call Report Documentation, Patient Outcome, and On-line Medical Command
Authors: Cone David C. , Kim David T. , Davidson Steven J.
Published: December 2012

Introduction:

There is a growing interest in cases in which emergency medical services (EMS) providers evaluate a patient, but do not transport the patient to a hospital. A subset of these cases, the patient-initiated refusal (PIR) in which the patient refused care and transport, was studied and evaluated. The objectives of the study were to examine the adequacy of ambulance call report documentation in PIR, to examine the clinical outcome of these patients in one hospital-based, suburban EMS system, and to assess the potential impact of on-line medical command (OLMC) on cases of PIR.

Methods:

The system studied is a hospital-based, transport-capable, advanced life support service in a suburban EMS system, with an annual call volume of 4,200 runs. During the 6-month study period, all ambulance call reports completed by the paramedics and medical command control forms completed by medical command physicians were examined, and cases of PIR collected. Each ambulance call report was examined for adequacy of documentation. Patient outcome was determined from emergency department records and telephone follow-up.

Results:

Eighty-five PIRs were documented during the study period. Four cases were excluded because of a missing ambulance call reports and/or medical command control forms, leaving 81 PIRs for analysis. Despite policy requiring OLMC in cases of PIR, OLMC was established in only 23 PIRs (28%). Of these, two (9%) had inadequate ambulance call report documentation. Of the 58 PIR in which OLMC was not established, 25 (43%) had inadequate ambulance call report documentation (p <0.001, Fisher's exact test). Follow-up was obtained for 54 (67%) PIR. Of these, 37 (68%) did not subsequently see a physician, and all needed no further medical care. Seven (13%) saw their own physicians within a few days of the initial refusal of prehospital care, and had no further problems. Ten patients were seen in an emergency department within a few days. Three (6%) were discharged, and did well. Seven (13%) were admitted to the hospital, with four (7%) admitted to monitored beds, and three (6%) to unmonitored beds. There were no deaths.

Conclusions:

Ambulance call report documentation is better with OLMC than without. Patients who initially refuse care may be ill, and some ultimately will be hospitalized. Further research may elucidate a role for OLMC in preventing refusals by incompetent patients, convincing patients who are competent but appear ill to accept transport, and assisting paramedics with other difficult or unusual circumstances.
Optimizing Outcomes in Schizophrenia: Long-acting Depots and Long-term Treatment
Authors: Morrissette Debbi A. , Stahl Stephen M.
Published: December 2012

Antipsychotics are the mainstay of treatment for patients with schizophrenia. However, these medications only work if they are taken and perhaps work best if they are taken for longer periods of time than seen in typical research trials. Here we explore the idea of “time as a drug” by reviewing the data showing the potential benefits of long-term antipsychotic use. We also discuss the utility of depot antipsychotic formulations for improving the chances of attaining long-term therapeutic results.
The economic impact of initiatives to reduce stigma: demonstration of a modelling approach
Authors: McCrone Paul , Knapp Martin , Henri Mary , McDaid David
Published: December 2012

Aims– This paper seeks to provide a methodology to assess the cost-effectiveness of anti-stigma campaigns for people with mental health problems.Methods– The costs of running a national campaign in Scotland were obtained and combined with the number of adults in the Scottish population and the estimated number of people with improved attitudes towards people with mental health problems. A decision model was constructed to estimate the economic impact of a campaign in terms of increased use of services by people with depression and increased work time.Results– If the campaign caused 10% of changed attitudes then it was estimated to cost £35 per one less person who felt that people with mental health problems were dangerous and £186 per one less person who felt the public needs protection from people with mental health problems. The decision model suggested extra economic benefits (employment gains minus service costs) as a result of an anti-stigma campaign compared to the absence of a campaign.Conclusions– Data on the economic impact of anti-stigma campaigns are scarce and evaluation is intrinsically difficult. We have demonstrated a method to conduct such analyses. The model proposed here should be tested further as data become available.
Stigma and discrimination limit access to mental health care
Authors: Thornicroft Graham
Published: December 2012

This editorial provides an overview of how far access to mental health care is limited by perceptions of stigma and anticipated discrimination. Globally over 70% of young people and adults with mental illness receive no treatment from healthcare staff. The rates of non-treatment are far higher in low income countries. Evidence from some descriptive studies and epidemiological surveys suggest that potent factors increasing the likelihood of treatment avoidance, or long delays before presenting for care include: (i) lack of knowledge about the features and treatability of mental illnesses; (ii) ignorance about how to access assessment and treatment; (iii) prejudice against people who have mental illness, and (iv) expectations of discrimination against people who have a diagnosis of mental illness. The associations between low rates of help seeking, and stigma and discrimination are as yet poorly understood and require more careful characterisation and analysis, providing the platform for more effective action to ensure that a greater proportion of people with mental illness are effectively treated in future.
Incentives for marine conservation: options for small island developing states
Authors: Niesten Eduard , Gjertsen Heidi , Fong Patrick S.
Published: December 2012

Conservation practitioners are increasingly turning to incentive-based approaches to encourage local resource users to change behaviors that impact on biodiversity and natural habitat. Three such approaches are buyouts, conservation agreements and alternative livelihoods. We assess the design and performance of these types of marine conservation interventions through an analysis of 27 case studies from around the world. Here we focus on cases that are particularly relevant to designing incentives for Small Island Developing States. Many more opportunities exist for interventions that combine the strengths of these approaches, such as through performance-based agreements that provide funds for education or alternative livelihood development.
The Stability Treaty: Permanent Austerity or Gesture Politics?
Authors: Peers Steve
Published: December 2012

Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance – Economic governance – Stability Pact – The European Council – National constitutional law.
Arguments for a Holistic Approach in European Constitutionalism: What Role for National Institutions in Avoiding Constitutional Conflicts between National Constitutions and EU law
Authors: Piqani Darinka
Published: December 2012

Relation between national constitutions and EU law – Constitutional conflict – Role of national institutions in avoiding constitutional conflict – A need for a holistic approach in European constitutionalism – Constitutional courts put forward constitutional requirements next to constitutional reservations – The need to bring constitutions in line with EU law before accession – The role of parliaments and governments in avoiding conflict when implementing EU law – Role of national institutions in decision-making at EU level
James Cameron discusses record dive and science concerns
Authors: Showstack Randy , Balcerak Ernie
Published: December 2012

James Cameron, the explorer and filmmaker, led a 4 December panel at the AGU Fall Meeting in San Francisco to discuss his daring dive on 26 March to the bottom of the ocean in a one‐person vertical “torpedo” submarine, the Deepsea Challenger, and to present some initial science findings from expedition samples and data. The dive touched the bottom of the Challenger Deep, a valley in the floor of the nearly 11‐kilometer‐deep Mariana Trench in the western Pacific Ocean. The vessel landed close to the same depth and at a location similar to where Don Walsh and Jacques Piccard descended in the Trieste bathyscaphe on 23 January 1960 at a then record‐setting depth of 10,911 meters.
Intensification of southwestern Indonesian rainfall over the past millennium
Authors: Konecky Bronwen L. , Russell James M. , Rodysill Jessica R. , Vuille Mathias , Bijaksana Satria , Huang Yongsong
Published: December 2012

Modern precipitation in Indonesia is strongly correlated to variations in the Asian/Australasian monsoons, the Walker circulation, and migrations of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), but controls on multidecadal to millennial rainfall variations are less clear. We present a new, high‐resolution, precipitation proxy reconstruction from Lake Lading (8°S, 113°E), Java, from 850 Common Era (C.E.) to present, based on the δD of terrestrial plant waxes. We find that rainfall has steadily increased in Java over the past millennium. This increase persists into the twentieth century despite evidence from other tropical proxy records for a northward ITCZ migration during the last two centuries, which should introduce drier conditions to Java. Aspects of this long‐term increase in rainfall resemble records from the Northern Hemisphere, tropical Indo‐Pacific, suggesting that strengthening Walker circulation played an important role in this long‐term increase in rainfall and decrease in the δD of precipitation, while ITCZ variations may have been important to climate variations on multidecadal to centennial timescales.
Reply to comment on “Hydrocarbon emissions characterization in the Colorado Front Range—A pilot study” by Michael A. Levi
Authors: Pétron Gabrielle , Frost Gregory J. , Trainer Michael K. , Miller Benjamin R. , Dlugokencky Edward J. , Tans Pieter
Published: December 2012

The Comment by Levi (2012) on our paper, Pétron et al. (2012), presents a different interpretation of the atmospheric data and inventory estimates we used to derive our conclusions about methane emissions from oil and natural gas development in the Denver‐Julesburg Basin (DJB) in Weld County, Colorado. Levi's (2012) Comment brings up new issues that point to the need for additional information. We maintain the value of the results derived in Pétron et al. (2012), particularly that vented and fugitive methane emissions from Weld County's fossil fuel exploration and production in 2008 were likely larger and more uncertain than values reported by emission inventories. Our findings rely on the interpretation of high‐quality atmospheric observations using existing inventory data provided by the industry and regulatory agencies and on reasonable assumptions about the average vented raw gas composition. However, Levi (2012) has caused us to extend our analysis and to better characterize the uncertainties associated with his and with our approaches. In this Reply, we examine some critical limitations of the Pétron et al. (2012) and Levi (2012) interpretations of the atmospheric data using simple, two‐source emission models that incorporate inventory data sets of unknown reliability. We present new evidence that the regulatory estimates of flashing emission and regulatory modeled composition profiles for a limited number of condensate tanks, the starting point for the calculations of Pétron et al. (2012) and Levi (2012), probably do not represent the true range of these parameters for the thousands of such sources across the DJB in 2008. The results of Levi (2012) suggest that leakage in Weld County in 2008 was biased toward dry gas wells, which disagrees with current inventories of venting and fugitive emissions in U.S. oil and gas fields, including the DJB. Most importantly, the indirect flux derivations undertaken by Levi (2012) and Pétron et al. (2012) highlight two inherent shortcomings common to most emissions inventories: their reliance on the extrapolation of very limited information and the difficulty in carrying out a full uncertainty analysis of such datasets. We agree with Levi (2012) that there is an urgent need to statistically document the composition profiles and magnitudes of significant sources in oil‐ and gas‐producing fields. Observations‐based methods with established uncertainties and that are completely independent of inventory information could directly quantify emission strengths and compositions of both point and aggregated area sources, providing an objective assessment of inventory methodology and estimates.
A model analysis of the interactions between East Asian anthropogenic aerosols and North Pacific atmospheric transients in boreal winter
Authors: Zhou Renjun , Deng Yi
Published: December 2012

Perpetual winter simulations are conducted with the Community Earth System Model under conditions of normal and zero emission of East Asian anthropogenic aerosols. The inclusion of aerosol emission and subsequently the increase of aerosol concentrations over the North Pacific due to the downstream transport induce statistically robust changes to the structure of the time‐mean atmospheric circulation across the basin. Specifically, the activity of atmospheric transient eddies significantly weakens in a zone extending from the east of Japan to the Bering Sea, Alaska, and slightly strengthens over the central North Pacific. Further partitioning in the frequency domain reveals that low‐frequency eddies with a 10–30 days time scale dictates the overall transient eddy response to aerosols. The amplitude of synoptic‐scale, high‐frequency eddies (2–6 days), on the other hand, increases from the central North Pacific to the Gulf of Alaska and decreases at the entrance of the North Pacific storm track and near the west coast of North America. The changes in the synoptic eddy field leave a distinct and consistent signal in surface precipitation. An analysis of the local energy budget of transient eddies indicates that changes in baroclinic conversion, more specifically transient eddy heat flux, largely determines the simulated differences in the activity of atmospheric transients between conditions of normal and zero emission of East Asian anthropogenic aerosols.
Thermospheric density variations: Observability using precision satellite orbits and effects on orbit propagation
Authors: Lechtenberg Travis , McLaughlin Craig A. , Locke Travis , Krishna Dhaval Mysore
Published: December 2012

This paper examines atmospheric density estimated using precision orbit ephemerides (POE) from the CHAMP and GRACE satellites during short periods of greater atmospheric density variability. The results of the calibration of CHAMP densities derived using POEs with those derived using accelerometers are examined for three different types of density perturbations, [traveling atmospheric disturbances (TADs), geomagnetic cusp phenomena, and midnight density maxima] in order to determine the temporal resolution of POE solutions. In addition, the densities are compared to High‐Accuracy Satellite Drag Model (HASDM) densities to compare temporal resolution for both types of corrections. The resolution for these models of thermospheric density was found to be inadequate to sufficiently characterize the short‐term density variations examined here. Also examined in this paper is the effect of differing density estimation schemes by propagating an initial orbit state forward in time and examining induced errors. The propagated POE‐derived densities incurred errors of a smaller magnitude than the empirical models and errors on the same scale or better than those incurred using the HASDM model.
Biserrula pelecinus L. - genetic diversity in a promising pasture legume for the future
Authors: Ghamkhar K. , Revell C. , Erskine W.
Published: December 2012

Biserrula pelecinus L. is a Mediterranean annual pasture legume and performs best on well drained sandy loams and medium loams with a pH 4.5–7. It is not suited to areas prone to waterlogging but persists well, even with hard summer grazing and in rotational systems. It is deep-rooted and remains green long after traditional pastures have dried off. Diversity analysis of germplasm collection of 279 accessions using 18 agro-morphological traits, 22 eco-geographical specifications of the collection sites, and amplified fragment length polymorphisms markers was conducted to develop a core collection of ~10% of the original collection. This core collection of 30 accessions from seven countries well represented the diversity of the whole collection. This core will be exploited for variation in photosensitivity effect in sheep together with other economically important traits challenging the livestock industry.
Future applications of lucerne for efficient livestock production in southern Australia
Authors: Humphries A. W.
Published: December 2012

Lucerne is a deep-rooted herbaceous perennial legume with high levels of summer production and adaptation to a broad range of agro-ecological environments in southern Australia. The ability of lucerne to extend the growing season of winter-based pasture and respond quickly to rainfall after periods of drought makes it one of the most valuable plants in our feed base. However, for all the advantages of lucerne, it remains underutilised. Lucerne is often considered to be a speciality fodder crop, requiring careful management to achieve high levels of production and persistence. This paper investigates the opportunity of whole-farm integration of lucerne; from speciality fodder crop to traditional pasture. The future trends of lucerne production in temperate grazing and intensive dairy systems are discussed in relation to breeding objectives identified to meet these demands. If lucerne is to be used more commonly as a pasture, the plant and systems must adapt. This paper investigates the plant traits and management principles that are important for growing lucerne in mixtures with other plants and improving the integration of lucerne into the whole-farm plan.
Improving white clover for Australasia
Authors: Jahufer M. Z. Z. , Ford J. L. , Widdup K. H. , Harris C. , Cousins G. , Ayres J. F. , Lane L. A. , Hofmann R. W. , Ballizany W. L. , Mercer C. F. , Crush J. R. , Williams W. M. , Woodfield D. R. , Barrett B. A.
Published: December 2012

Improving the genetic merit of temperate forage legumes helps ensure profitability and sustainability of our Australasian pastoral industries. Today’s plant breeders are supported by a range of underpinning research activities including genetic resources exploration and enhancement, plant physiology, plant health, feed quality, agronomy, quantitative genetics and plant biotechnology; and have collaborative interfaces with animal and farm systems science. Lifting the rate of gain by integration of molecular tools, innovative breeding strategies, and new genetic resources is the major objective of our white clover breeding network. This paper, presented at the Australasian Grassland Association’s recent Legume Symposium, focuses on the key research and development achievements in white clover breeding for Australasia, and on the success and future of an Australasian collaboration to breed improved cultivars for the region’s temperate environments. The paper reports on successful developments in the areas of improving white clover root systems for phosphate uptake, pest tolerance, development of novel inter-specific hybrids and marker-aided breeding. The successful trans-Tasman collaboration in white clover breeding and future work is also discussed.
Nitrogen from Australian dryland pastures
Authors: Angus J. F. , Peoples M. B.
Published: December 2012

Legume-based pastures, particularly those containing a large proportion of lucerne (alfalfa, Medicago sativa), have a prodigious capacity to fix atmospheric N2. Budgets of N show that permanent pastures in south-eastern Australia, when growing with no management limitations, can supply more N than is removed in animal products and can eventually lead to excess soil N. For a mixed crop–livestock farm, legume-dominant ley pastures occupying ~40% of the land area can maintain a stable N balance. The actual performance of pastures on farms normally falls below the potential. Pastures are being replaced by crops in the wheat-sheep zone and, to a lesser extent, in the high-rainfall zone. Pasture productivity, as indicated by the area topdressed, the mean stocking rate, input of superphosphate and sale of pasture legume seed has decreased in the period 1990–2010. It is therefore likely that N2 fixation by pastures is falling sharply in the wheat–sheep zone and is static or falling slightly in the high-rainfall zone. Reversing the decrease in N2 fixation by pastures will become important if the real price of N fertilisers increases, as seems likely because the efficiency of fertiliser synthesis is approaching a maximum and the reserves of natural gas feedstock will eventually be depleted. Increased N2 fixation by pastures will depend on more profitable grazing industries, improved management methods and genotypes, and re-adoption of ley pastures by farmers. There is evidence that profitability of grazing enterprises is approaching that of crops so investment in pasture science is likely to lead to increased N2 fixation.
Experimental hydrophobicity parameters of perfluorinated alkylated substances from reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography
Authors: de Voogt Pim , Zurano Lluis , Serné Peter , Haftka Joris J. H.
Published: December 2012

Environmental contextPerfluorinated compounds are synthetic chemicals shown to be present in the blood of humans. To study how these contaminants get into our blood requires a good understanding of their physicochemical properties. We describe an alternative way to obtain values for how perfluorinated compounds distribute between water and fatty phases (mimicking e.g. gut content and gut wall), which is essential information for modelling and understanding the environmental fate of these chemicals. AbstractCapacity factors of perfluorinated alkylated substances were obtained from isocratic reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry experiments at different organic modifier strengths of the mobile phase. The resulting capacity factor v. modifier strengths plots were extrapolated to obtain capacity factors at 100% water (k0) that can serve as indicators of the hydrophobicity of the perfluorinated acids. Values of log k0 were shown to increase linearly with the number of CF2 units in the fluorinated alkyl chain.
Identification and genes expression analysis of ATP-dependent phosphofructokinase family members among three Saccharum species
Authors: Zhu Lin , Zhang Jisen , Chen Youqiang , Pan Hongyu , Ming Ray
Published: December 2012

Sugarcane contributes ~80% of sugar production in the world and is an established biofuel crop. In working towards understanding the molecular basis of high sucrose accumulation, we have annotated and analysed the ATP-dependent phosphofructokinase (PFK) gene family that catalyses the phosphorylation of D-fructose 6-phosphate to D-fructose 1,6-bisphosphate. PFKs play an essential role in sucrose metabolism in plants and their expression patterns are unknown in sugarcane. In this study, based on the sorghum genome and sugarcane EST database, 10 PFK gene members were annotated and further verified by PCR using sugarcane genomic DNA. An unrooted phylogenetic tree was constructed with the deduced protein sequences of PFKs that were from the assembly of cDNA library of sugarcane and other plants. The results showed that gene duplication events and the retention rate after genome wide or segmental duplications occurred in higher frequency in monocots than in dicots and the genes in subgroup II of group III were likely originated from recent duplication events. Quantitative RT–PCR was performed to investigate the gene expression of 10 PFK genes in five tissues of three Saccharum species, including two developmental stages in leaves and three in culms. Of the PFK family members in sugarcane, ScPFK6, 7 and 8 appeared to be the primary isoforms based on the highly abundant expression of these three genes. ScPFK7 showed high expression level in the leaves, suggesting a potential role in sucrose metabolism. ScPFK8 had lower expression level in Saccharum officinarum L. than in the other two species, suggesting negative regulation of sucrose metabolism, which might have contributed to the high sugar content of S. officinarum. The genes in monocot specific subgroup II of group III, PFK7, 8 and 9, showed variation among the three Saccharum species, suggesting potential functional redundancy. Our results provide detailed annotation and analysis of the PFK gene family in sugarcane. Further elucidation of the role of ScPFK8 in the domestication process of sugarcane would be useful.
An analysis of fire frequency in tropical savannas of northern Australia, using a satellite-based fire atlas
Authors: Oliveira Sofia L. J. , Turkman M. A. Amaral , Pereira José M. C.
Published: December 2012

We characterised fire frequency in western Arnhem Land, northern Australia (~24 000 km2), during the period 1990–2008, using available satellite burnt area maps. We estimated fire mortality and fire survival distributions, and hazard functions by vegetation type. We tested the performance of three probability models to study fire interval distributions: continuous and discrete Weibull, and discrete lognormal. Over the 19 year study period the mean annual area burnt was 36%. Median fire intervals ranged from 1 to 4 years. The discrete lognormal model best fitted the data, yielding non-monotonic hazard functions that peak at 2 to 3 years, making it more appropriate for fire frequency analysis in fire-prone tropical savannas than the more popular Weibull model. Open forest showed the highest flammability dependence on fuel age, and closed forest the lowest. The probability of burning as a function of time since last fire reaches an early peak and subsequently declines, due to fuel dynamics in these flammable savanna systems. Age-specific fire incidence is much higher for older vegetation patches than was suggested by earlier analysis of fire interval distributions. Fitting an appropriate model is important to characterize the observed fire frequency patterns, and make inferences for unobserved, longer fire intervals.
A Buprenorphine Education and Training Program for Primary Care Residents: Implementation and Evaluation
Authors: Kunins Hillary V. , Sohler Nancy L. , Giovanniello Angela , Thompson Devin , Cunningham Chinazo O.
Published: December 2012

Background

Although substance use disorders are highly prevalent, resident preparation to care for patients with these disorders is frequently insufficient. With increasing rates of opioid abuse and dependence, and the availability of medication-assisted treatment, one strategy to improve resident skills is to incorporate buprenorphine treatment into training settings.

Methods

In this study, esidency faculty delivered the BupEd education and training program to 71 primary care residents. BupEd included (1) a didactic session on buprenorphine, (2) an interactive motivational interviewing session, (3) monthly case conferences, and (4) supervised clinical experience providing buprenorphine treatment. To evaluate BupEd, the authors assessed (1) residents’ provision of buprenorphine treatment during residency, (2) residents’ provision of buprenorphine treatment after residency, and (3) treatment retention among patients treated by resident versus attending physicians.

Results

Of 71 residents, most served as a covering or primary provider to at least 1 buprenorphine-treated patient (84.5 and 66.2%, respectively). Of 40 graduates, 27.5% obtained a buprenorphine waiver and 17.5% prescribed buprenorphine. Treatment retention was similar between patients cared for by resident PCPs versus attending PCPs (90-day retention: 63.6% [ n = 35] vs. 67.9% [ n = 152]; P = .55).

Conclusion

These results show that BupEd is feasible, provides residents with supervised clinical experience in treating opioid-dependent patients, and can serve as a model to prepare primary care physicians to care for patients with opioid dependence.
Teacher education in Finland: a review of a national effort for preparing teachers for the future
Authors: Malinen Olli-Pekka , Väisänen Pertti , Savolainen Hannu
Published: December 2012

The quality of teachers is one of the most frequently cited factors explaining the quality of an education system. This article discusses the nature and role teacher education plays as a part of the Finnish education system. Teacher education in Finland is a highly competitive field of masters' degree university studies and is provided in universities all across the country. Students are selected through two‐phase entrance exams which emphasise, in addition to academic qualifications, the candidates' personal suitability and motivation for teacher%s work. Elementary‐class‐teacher education, which is discussed in more detail, includes a strong practical and research orientation. The Finnish school system%s approach in responding to the demands of increasing standards is to put a lot of trust in teachers and local education authorities to deliver good outcomes instead of centralised norms and consequential accountability. One Finnish solution is also the extensive learning support system; for example, by special education, which can also be regarded as a challenge for the future with regard to the universally agreed goals of inclusive education.