bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An investigation into the relationship between training evaluation and the transfer of training
Authors: Saks Alan M. , Burke Lisa A.
Published: February 2012

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between training evaluation and the transfer of training in organizations. We hypothesized that training evaluation frequency will be related to higher rates of transfer because evaluation information can identify weaknesses that lead to improvements in training programs and create greater accountability among stakeholders for training outcomes. The data were obtained from 150 training professionals who were members of a training and development association in Canada. The results indicated that training evaluation frequency is positively related to training transfer. However, among Kirkpatrick's four levels of evaluation criteria, only behavior and results criteria were related to higher rates of transfer of training, indicating that the level of evaluation criteria is important for training transfer. These results indicate the importance of organizational‐level initiatives such as training evaluation in addition to individual‐level practices for facilitating the transfer of training.
Shrinking Cities: Urban Challenges of Globalization
Authors: MARTINEZ‐FERNANDEZ CRISTINA , AUDIRAC IVONNE , FOL SYLVIE , CUNNINGHAM‐SABOT EMMANUÈLE
Published: February 2012

Urban shrinkage is not a new phenomenon. It has been documented in a large literature analyzing the social and economic issues that have led to population flight, resulting, in the worse cases, in the eventual abandonment of blocks of housing and neighbourhoods. Analysis of urban shrinkage should take into account the new realization that this phenomenon is now global and multidimensional — but also little understood in all its manifestations. Thus, as the world's population increasingly becomes urban, orthodox views of urban decline need redefinition. The symposium includes articles from 10 urban analysts working on 30 cities around the globe. These analysts belong to the Shrinking Cities International Research Network (SCIRN), whose collaborative work aims to understand different types of city shrinkage and the role that different approaches, policies and strategies have played in the regeneration of these cities. In this way the symposium will inform both a rich diversity of analytical perspectives and country‐based studies of the challenges faced by shrinking cities. It will also disseminate SCIRN's research results from the last 3 years.

La décroissance urbaine n'est pas un phénomène nouveau. De nombreux travaux ont analysé les problèmes sociaux et économiques conduisant au départ de populations et résultant dans les pires des cas à l'abandon d'îlots d'habitat et de quartiers entiers. Cependant, l'étude de la décroissance urbaine doit aujourd'hui tenir compte du constat récent selon lequel ce phénomène est désormais global et multidimensionnel, tout en restant peu appréhendé dans toutes ses composantes. Ainsi, alors que la population mondiale est de plus en plus urbaine, les conceptions classiques du déclin urbain méritent d'être réexaminées. Ce symposium inclut des articles de dix chercheurs travaillant sur trente villes à travers le monde. Ils appartiennent au Shrinking Cities International Research Netwok (SCIRN), dont le travail collectif a pour objectif d'analyser différents types de décroissance urbaine et le rôle que les multiples approches, politiques et stratégies ont joué dans la régénération des villes touchées par ce processus. Ce numéro s'appuie sur une diversité d'approches et sur l'étude de contextes urbains variés, ayant pour point commun d'être concernés par les enjeux de la décroissance urbaine. Il permet de diffuser les résultats des recherches menées au sein du SCIRN au cours des trois dernières années.
Declining Suburbs in Europe and Latin America
Authors: AUDIRAC IVONNE , CUNNINGHAM‐SABOT EMMANUÈLE , FOL SYLVIE , MORAES SERGIO TORRES
Published: February 2012

Suburban shrinkage, understood as a degenerative urban process stemming from the demise of the Fordist mode of urbanism, is generally manifested in a decline in population, industry and employment. It is also intimately linked to the global restructuring of industrial organization associated with the rise of the post‐Fordist mode of urbanism and, more recently, the thrust of Asian industrialization. Framed in the discourse of industrial urbanism, this article examines the first ring of industrial suburbs that developed around large cities in their most rapid Fordist urbanization phase. These industrial suburbs, although they were formed at different times, are today experiencing specific mutations and undergoing profound restructuring on account of their particular spatial position between the central area and the expanding peripheries of the post‐Fordist metropolis. This article describes and compares suburban decline in two European cities (Glasgow and Paris) and two Latin American Cities (São Paulo, Brazil and Guadalajara, Mexico), as different instances of places asymmetrically and fragmentarily integrated into the geography of globalization.

La décroissance suburbaine, analysée comme un processus découlant de la disparition du mode fordiste de développement urbain, se manifeste généralement par une baisse de la population, de l’activitééconomique et de l’emploi. Elle est aussi intimement liée à la restructuration globale de l’organisation industrielle associée à la montée du mode post‐fordiste de développement urbain et, plus récemment, à la poussée de l’industrialisation en Asie. Fondé sur les approches de l’urbanisme industriel, cet article examine la première couronne de banlieues industrielles qui s’est développée autour des grandes villes dans la phase la plus rapide de l’urbanisation fordiste. Ces banlieues industrielles, bien que formées à différentes périodes, connaissent aujourd’hui des mutations spécifiques et des restructurations profondes liées à leur position particulière: entre les villes centres et les périphéries en expansion de la métropole post‐fordiste. Cet article décrit et compare la décroissance des banlieues dans deux villes européennes (Glasgow et Paris) et deux villes latino‐américaines (São Paulo au Brésil et Guadalajara au Mexique), comme différents exemples de territoires intégrés de manière asymétrique et fragmentée dans la géographie de la globalisation.
Micro‐Level Determinants of Remittances from Recent Migrants to Canada
Authors: Unheim Per , Rowlands Dane
Published: February 2012

Despite considerable interest in remittances to developing countries, the limited availability of large sample data has constrained aspects of our understanding of remitter behaviour. This paper utilizes data from Statistics Canada’s Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Canada (LSIC) to investigate how the demographic characteristics of recent immigrants influence their remittance levels shortly after their arrival in Canada. We identify several hypotheses and use a Tobit model to estimate the impact of individual characteristics on remittance choices. As expected, remittances rise with incomes, age and falls with the size of the migrating family, housing costs and education. We also estimate how remittances are affected by other characteristics, such as gender, marital status, religion, region of origin, region of settlement and attitudes towards home and host communities.
Resources or Power? Implications of Social Networks on Compensation and Firm Performance
Authors: Horton Joanne , Millo Yuval , Serafeim George
Published: February 2012

Abstract:  Using a sample of 4,278 listed UK firms, we construct a social network of directorship‐interlocks that comprises 31,495 directors. We use social capital theory and techniques developed in social network analysis to measure a director's connectedness and investigate whether this connectedness is associated with their compensation level and their firms overall performance. We find connectedness is positively associated with compensation and with the firm's future performance. The results do not support the view that executive and outside directors use their connections to extract economic rents. Rather the company compensates these individuals for the resources these better connections provide to the firm.
Gender‐based differences in the shape of the human corpus callosum are associated with allometric variations
Authors: Bruner Emiliano , de la Cuétara José Manuel , Colom Roberto , Martin‐Loeches Manuel
Published: February 2012

The corpus callosum displays considerable morphological variability between individuals. Although some characteristics are thought to differ between male and female brains, there is no agreement regarding the source of this variation. Biomedical imaging and geometric morphometrics have provided tools to investigate shape and size variation in terms of integration and correlation. Here we analyze variations at the midsagittal outline of the corpus callosum in a sample of 102 young adults in order to describe and quantify the pattern of covariation associated with its morphology. Our results suggest that the shape of the corpus callosum is characterized by low levels of morphological integration, which explains the large variability. In larger brains, a minor allometric component involves a relative reduction of the splenium. Small differences between males and?females are associated with this allometric pattern, induced primarily by size variation rather than gender‐specific characteristics.
Age‐dependent skewing of X chromosome inactivation appears delayed in centenarians’ offspring. Is there a role for allelic imbalance in Healthy Aging and Longevity?
Authors: Gentilini Davide , Castaldi Davide , Mari Daniela , Monti Daniela , Franceschi Claudio , Di Blasio Anna Maria , Vitale Giovanni
Published: February 2012

Recently, it has been proposed that age‐related X chromosome inactivation (XCI) skewing can clinically result in late‐onset X‐linked disorders. This observation leads to hypothesize that age‐related skewed XCI might also influence lifespan in women. To investigate this issue, we employed a new experimental model of longevity and healthy aging including 55 female centenarians, 40 of their offspring, 33 age‐matched offspring of both non‐long‐lived parents and 41 young women. Peripheral blood DNA from 169 females was screened for heterozygosity at the HUMARA locus. We confirmed that skewing of XCI is an age‐dependent phenomenon. However, skewed XCI was significantly less severe and frequent in centenarians’ offspring [degree of skewing (DS) = 0.16 ± 0.02] compared to age‐matched offspring of both non‐long‐lived parents (DS = 0.24 ± 0.02) (P < 0.05). A second goal was to assess whether changes in XCI pattern could be a consequence of loss of methylation on X chromosome. Using a methylation array evaluating 1085 CpG sites across X chromosome and eleven CpG sites located at HUMARA locus, no differences in methylation levels and profiles emerged between all groups analysed, thus suggesting that age‐associated epigenetic changes could not influence HUMARA results. In conclusion, the results presented herein highlight for the first time an interesting link between skewing of XCI and healthy aging and longevity. We speculate that the allelic imbalance produced by XCI skewing may compromise the cooperative and compensatory organization occurring between the two cell populations that make up the female mosaic.
GILDINGS AND FALSE GILDINGS OF THE BAROQUE AGE: CHARACTERIZATION AND CONSERVATION PROBLEMS
Authors: GULOTTA D. , GOIDANICH S. , BERTOLDI M. , BORTOLOTTO S. , TONIOLO L.
Published: February 2012

This work investigates the decayed decoration of the ‘Vergine del Carmelo’ chapel, with a particular interest in the residual gildings. Samples of the finishing layers were examined by VIS‐UV optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy coupled with EDX spectrometry, in order to evaluate the unusual degradation phenomena. Mineralogical composition of the stucco substrate was characterized by X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and FTIR spectroscopy. The results showed the unexpected presence of a thick layer of brass flakes, applied without any binder, used as a substitute for the damaged original gold leaf, and highlighting a very uncommon selective corrosion process of the brass.
Values, trust and democracy in Germany: Still in search of ‘inner unity’?
Authors: CAMPBELL ROSS
Published: February 2012

Twenty years after German reunification, surveys have persistently uncovered differences in political trust between the eastern and western parts of the country. Studies have offered disintegrated and inconclusive assessments of the cross‐regional variation. This variation is traced to a tenacious, retrospective sympathy for socialism steeped in political socialisation and experiential learning. Empirical analyses confirm the presence of two key effects. First, retrospective evaluations of socialism not only fuel popular distrust of political institutions, but are more strongly correlated with trust in the east. Second, East–West evaluations of socialism are sufficiently different to contribute towards explaining the contrasting levels of trust between the two regions. That socialist values constitute a core axis upon which East German attitudes pivot presents a challenge for nurturing trust in democratic institutions and renews attention to processes through which supportive attitudes to democracy are acquired in transitional countries.
Institutional Foundations of Legislative Speech
Authors: Proksch Sven‐Oliver , Slapin Jonathan B.
Published: February 2012

Participation in legislative debates is among the most visible activities of members of parliament (MPs), yet debates remain an understudied form of legislative behavior. This study introduces a comparative theory of legislative speech with two major implications. First, party rules for debates are endogenous to strategic considerations and will favor either party leadership control or backbencher MP exposure. Second, in some systems, backbenchers will receive less time on the floor as their ideological distance to the party leadership increases. This leads to speeches that do not reflect true party cohesion. Where party reputation matters less for reelection, leaders allow dissidents to express their views on the floor. We demonstrate the implications of our model for different political systems and present evidence using speech data from Germany and the United Kingdom.
Gut Region‐Specific Diabetic Damage to the Capillary Endothelium Adjacent to the Myenteric Plexus
Authors: BÓDI NIKOLETT , TALAPKA PETRA , POLES MARIETTA ZITA , HERMESZ EDIT , JANCSÓ ZSANETT , KATAROVA ZÓJA , IZBÉKI FERENC , WITTMANN TIBOR , FEKETE ÉVA , BAGYÁNSZKI MÁRIA
Published: February 2012

Please cite this paper as: Bódi N, Talapka P, Poles MZ, Hermesz E, Jancsó Z, Katarova Z, Izbéki F, Wittmann T, Fekete É, Bagyánszki M. Gut region‐specific diabetic damage to the capillary endothelium adjacent to the myenteric plexus. Microcirculation 19: 316–326, 2012.

Objective:  Damage in the capillaries supplying the MP has been proposed as a critical factor in the development of diabetic enteric neuropathy. We therefore investigated connections between STZ‐induced diabetes and the BM morphology, the size of caveolar compartments, the width of TJs, the transport of albumin, and the quantitative features of Cav‐1 and eNOS expression in these microvessels.

Methods:  Gut segments from diabetic rats were compared with those from insulin‐treated diabetics and those from controls. The effects of diabetes on the BM, the caveolar compartments, and the TJs were evaluated morphometrically. The quantitative features of the albumin transport were investigated by postembedding immunohistochemistry. The diabetes‐related changes in Cav‐1 and eNOS expression were assessed by postembedding immunohistochemistry and molecular method.

Results:  Thickening of the BM, enlargement of the caveolar compartments, opening of the junctions, enhanced transport of albumin, and overexpression of Cav‐1 and eNOS were documented in diabetic animals. Insulin replacement in certain gut segments prevented the development of these alterations.

Conclusions:  These data provide morphological, functional, and molecular evidence that the endothelial cells in capillaries adjacent to the MP is a target of diabetic damage in a regional manner.
A Four‐Country Study of the Relationship of Affect‐Based Trust to Turnover Intention
Authors: COSTIGAN ROBERT D. , INSINGA RICHARD C. , BERMAN J. JASON , KRANAS GRAZYNA , KURESHOV VLADIMIR A.
Published: February 2012

In this study, employees' affect‐based trust of their supervisor was used as the main predictor of turnover intention. It is hypothesized that affect‐based trust has a curvilinear U‐shaped relationship with turnover intention. The sample consisted of U.S., Polish, Russian, and Turkish participants, all with work experience. Regression results indicated that only the responses of the Russian sample supported the hypothesis, suggesting that Russian participants with either weak or strong affect‐based trust of the supervisor had higher intentions to the leave the organization. The Turkish, Polish, and U.S. results showed a negative linear relationship between affect‐based trust and turnover intention.
Characteristics and outcome of brachial plexus birth palsy in neonates
Authors: Lindqvist Pelle G , Erichs Kristina , Molnar Cecilia , Gudmundsson Saemundur , Dahlin Lars B
Published: February 2012

Aim:  To relate pregnancy characteristics to extent and reversibility of brachial plexus birth palsy (BPBP) in neonates.

Methods:  Retrospective case–control study: newborns with a registered diagnosis of BPBP (n = 168) 1990–2005 were compared to data from a randomly selected control group (n = 1000). Characteristics were related to the level of injury, reversibility and outcome.

Results:  Among 51 841 newborns, 168 cases with BPBP were found (incidence 3.2/1000 newborns/year). Extent and reversibility of lesion did not differ with respect to characteristics of mothers, foetuses or deliveries. Children with C5–C6 and C5–C6–C7 injuries had complete recovery in 86% and 38%, respectively. Global injuries (C5‐Th1) always had permanent disability. Accelerators (foetal weight gain >35 g/day after 32 weeks of gestation) and foetuses with estimated weight deviation ≥ +22% at 32 weeks were at seven‐ and ninefold increased risk of BPBP. Parous women were at doubled risk as compared to nulliparous women.

Conclusion:  Maternal and foetal characteristics influence risk of BPBP, but not the extent of injury or reversibility of injury. Because of the high risk of permanent disability and modest risk of low Apgar or pH among newborns with BPBP, the recommendation of prompt delivery may need to be re‐evaluated.
Different plant trait scaling in dry versus wet Central European meadows
Authors: de Bello Francesco , Janeček Štěpán , Lepš Jan , Doležal Jiří , Macková Jana , Lanta Vojtěch , Klimešová Jitka
Published: February 2012

Question

Trait scaling relationships involve multiple trade‐offs and allometric constraints between the traits of co‐existing species. Alternative trait relationships, particularly between plant size and other traits, are expected in response to combinations of different biotic and abiotic filters. To what extent does the expected convergence in plant attributes to water shortage and disturbance produce different trait scaling relationships in dry vs wet meadows under various disturbance regimes?

Locations

One test meadow in South Bohemia and one in South Moravia (i.e. wet vs dry Central Europe meadows), Czech Republic.

Methods

Selected species were sampled in mown and abandoned plots within each site. Several plant traits were measured to provide information on plant strategies related to growth, resource acquisition and carbon–water economy.

Results

Trait differentiation among co‐existing species was strong in both meadows, and generally stronger than differentiation caused by mowing and site effects. Different trait scaling relationships with plant height were observed across the meadows, particularly showing a more independent trait differentiation linked to water–carbon economy at the dry site. Mowing tended to reinforce the effect of water limitation on traits and on trait scaling. In contrast, mowing cessation tended to resemble the effect of humid conditions on trait relationships.

Conclusions

The results advocate incorporating trait scaling relationships between species into vegetation models and community assembly assessments, therefore accounting for processes of plant co‐existence along combined spectra of light, water and disturbance regimes. These gradients affect alternative life‐history strategies and possibly sustain different species co‐existence patterns based on different trait scaling. The results particularly advocate a convergence in traits and trait scaling relationships in response to the combination of disturbance and water limitation.
Recruiting and retaining postpartum women from areas of social disadvantage in a weight‐loss trial – an assessment of strategies employed in the WeighWell feasibility study
Authors: Macleod Maureen , Craigie Angela M. , Barton Karen L. , Treweek Shaun , Anderson Annie S. ,   on behalf of the WeighWell team
Published: January 2012

Little is known about the response of post‐partum women from deprived backgrounds to weight management interventions, however behavioural intervention trials in disadvantaged communities are often characterised by recruitment difficulties. Recruitment and retention is key to the robust conduct of an effective trial, and exploratory work is essential prior to a definitive randomised controlled trial. This paper describes strategies used to recruit to the WeighWell feasibility study, which aimed to recruit 60 overweight or obese post‐partum women living in areas of deprivation to a trial of a weight‐loss intervention. Recruitment strategies included the following: (1) distribution of posters and ‘business cards’; (2) newspaper advertisements; (3) visits to community groups; and (4) personalised letters of invitation sent via the National Health Service (NHS). Potential participants were screened for eligibility following response to a Freephone number. Body mass index was calculated using self‐reported body weight and height. Over 6 months, 142 women responded of whom 65 (46%) met the eligibility criteria. The most effective methods for recruiting eligible women and those who went on to complete the study (n = 36) were visits to community groups (37% and 42%, respectively), personalised letters (26% and 17%, respectively) and posters and ‘business cards’ (22% and 31%, respectively). These results emphasise the need to utilise a range of strategies beyond traditional NHS settings. Current approaches might be enhanced by sending personal contact letters via their General Practitioner to women identified as eligible at post‐natal discharge. Under‐reporting of body weight by self‐report suggests that a threshold lower than 25 kg/m2 should be utilised for screening purposes.
Alpha‐1 antitrypsin reduces ovariectomy‐induced bone loss in mice
Authors: Cao Jay J. , Gregoire Brian R. , Sun Li , Song Sihong
Published: February 2012

Proinflammatory cytokines are primary mediators of bone loss in estrogen deficiency. This study determined whether alpha‐1 antitrypsin (AAT), a multifunctional protein with proteinase inhibitor and anti‐inflammatory activities, mitigates bone loss induced by estrogen deficiency. Mice were either sham‐operated or ovariectomized and injected with either AAT or phosphate buffered saline (PBS). Ovariectomy resulted in decreased wet uterus weight, significant bone loss, increased serum leptin concentrations, and higher body weight compared to sham. AAT injection increased tibial trabecular bone volume/total volume and trabecular thickness compared to PBS injection in ovariectomized mice. Ovariectomized mice with AAT treatment had higher uterus weight, lower serum osteocalcin levels, fewer bone marrow tartrate‐resistant acid phosphatase–positive osteoclasts, and less expression of calcitonin receptor in bone than that in PBS‐injected mice. These data demonstrate that AAT mitigates ovariectomy‐induced bone loss in mice possibly through inhibiting osteoclast activity and bone resorption.
Effects of Feed Type and Temperature on Growth of Juvenile Abalone, Haliotis discus hannai Ino
Authors: Cho Sung Hwoan , Kim Dong Soo
Published: February 2012

Effects of feed type and temperature on growth and body composition of juvenile abalone, Haliotis discus hannai Ino, were determined. A 2 (feed types: formulated diet and dry sea tangle) × 3 (temperature conditions: 20, 23 and 26 C) factorial design with triplicate was used. Seventy juvenile abalone averaging 4.7 g were randomly distributed into each of 18, 50‐L plastic rectangular containers. Six containers were placed into each temperature condition of three 1.3 ton concrete flow‐through raceway systems. Abalone were daily fed with either the formulated diet or dry sea tangle once a day to satiation level. Survival was affected by feed type, but not by temperature. Weight gain of abalone was affected by both feed type and temperature. Regardless of temperature, weight gain of abalone fed the formulated diet was better than that of abalone fed the dry sea tangle. Shell length and width were affected by feed type, but not by temperature. In conclusion, weight gain of abalone was affected by both feed type and temperature, but feed type had a stronger effect than temperature. The formulated diet achieved better growth of abalone than the dry sea tangle regardless of temperature and 20 C seemed to be recommendable for abalone among temperature tested.
Alternative Protein Sources in Artificial Diets for New Zealand's Black‐Footed Abalone, Haliotis iris, Martyn 1784, Juveniles
Authors: Tung Che‐Huang , Alfaro Andrea C.
Published: February 2012

Growth and health parameters were tested in juvenile New Zealand black‐footed abalone, Haliotis iris, fed nine diets containing different protein sources (white and red fishmeal, blood meal, meat and bone meal, casein, soybean concentrate, wheat gluten, maize gluten, and Spirulina powder) over a 5‐mo period. The growth parameters measured included shell length, total animal weight, and soft body and gonad weights. The health indicators included survival, goblet cell counts, and epithelium thickness of the tentacle region. Proximate analyses and amino acid and fatty acid profiles were also determined on the diets, soft body tissues and shell materials to evaluate the nutrient contents (diet and animal) and requirements (animal). Measurements of soft body, gonad, and shell growth parameters indicated that white and red fishmeals generally result in better growth. Animals fed blood meal had the lowest survival rates and crude protein contents. Spirulina produced animals with the heaviest shells and soybean treatments produced animals with the highest gonad to soft body ratios. Significantly lower acid/basic amino acid ratios were found in fishmeal diets, indicating that animals fed fishmeal may incorporate more aragonite than calcite in their shells.
Anesthesia during Vaccination of Atlantic Salmon: Compliance with Recommended Procedures
Authors: Berg Anne‐Grethe T. , Haagensen Eva , Horsberg Tor Einar
Published: February 2012

The preparation and use of two anesthetic agents for fish, a buffered metacaine solution for anesthesia in connection with vaccination procedure, and an available benzocaine solution for minor procedures, were studied at a commercial fish farm producing Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., smolts. The procedures were compared with the given recommendations to evaluate compliance with recommended procedures and labels. The personnel were evaluated to be non‐compliant with labels and procedures for both anesthetic agents used and the recommended exposure time in the baths. Five important themes were identified: the preparation and use of the anesthetics, fish welfare, training procedures, and occupational hazard aspects. One important reason for non‐compliance was that the rate of delivery of anesthetized fish to the vaccination table was more dependent on the speed of vaccination, and less on the anesthetic depth of the fish. This may be a management issue. Management decisions may create an environment leading to situations where errors are more likely to occur. Better communication between the fish health‐service team and the personnel, more tailored procedures, and a preprepared anesthetic agent might increase compliance with procedures and may promote fish welfare and welfare of the employees.
The Current State of Sacheverell Scholarship
Authors: SPECK W.A.
Published: February 2012

This article reviews the literature on the Sacheverell affair as it stood when it was delivered as a paper to the symposium held in March 2010 to commemorate the 300th anniversary of his impeachment. The basic narrative and prevalent interpretation of its significance were established by the late Geoffrey Holmes in his monograph The Trial of Doctor Sacheverell published in 1973. Holmes placed it in the context of a crisis in Church and state brought about by the Glorious Revolution and its aftermath. This led to the formation of the party conflict between high church tories and low church whigs. When the whigs, led by the junto, came to power between 1708 and 1710, their ascendancy provoked a reaction from tories claiming that the established Church was in danger. It was in this context that Sacheverell preached his provocative sermon on 5 November 1709, which brought on his impeachment for high crimes and misdemeanours. Holmes's detailed account of the trial, together with his separate analysis of the ‘Sacheverell riots’, have been generally accepted as definitive. Consequently, scholarly attention has tended to shift to the cultural aspects of the affair such as poems on affairs of state and political prints. These investigations have led, in turn, to attempts to establish an appropriate methodology for analysing their significance.
The Spin Doctor: Sacheverell's Trial Speech and Political Performance in the Divided Society*
Authors: COWAN BRIAN
Published: February 2012

Henry Sacheverell's speech in his own defence on the eighth day of his parliamentary trial (9 March 1710) was, by all accounts, a show‐stopping performance. The speech was an effective political performance at a show trial originally designed to condemn the principles he had enunciated in his controversial 1709 sermons at Derby and St Paul's Cathedral. Sacheverell avoided any forthright or elaborate defence of his beliefs with regard to the legitimacy of resistance during the Glorious Revolution in order to appear humble, orthodox, and loyal to the queen and to the protestant succession. As such, he presented himself as a sort of living martyr for the high church cause. While this strategy was itself deeply controversial, it was also rather successful in spinning the debate from one about ‘revolution principles’ to one about the persecution of a loyal clergyman. In order to understand the form, the effectiveness and the purpose of Sacheverell's trial speech, one must take its pathetic form and its widespread distribution, both in print and manuscript reports, into account. The sympathy garnered for Sacheverell due to his speech was a public relations success for the tory cause in the short run, but it also entailed a solid commitment to the Hanoverian succession that remained deeply controversial within high church circles.
A Method for Rapid Determination of Re and Os Isotope Compositions Using ID‐MC‐ICP‐MS Combined with the Sparging Method
Authors: Nozaki Tatsuo , Suzuki Katsuhiko , Ravizza Gregory , Kimura Jun‐Ichi , Chang Qing
Published: February 2012

A simple, rapid method for the determination of Re and Os concentrations and isotope compositions using isotope dilution multi‐collector inductively coupled plasma‐mass spectrometry (ID‐MC‐ICP‐MS) combined with Carius tube digestion and sparging introduction of Os was developed. For Os measurement, four channeltron ion counters to detect different Os isotopes were used simultaneously, which led to a drastic reduction in the measurement time. Rhenium isotopes were measured by means of eight Faraday cups with solution nebulisation and an ultrasonic membrane desolvator. The representative 188Os count rate of an Os standard solution containing 50 pg of total Os was approximately 110000–120000 cps at the onset of measurement; the Re intensity of our in‐house 10 pg g−1 standard solution reached 1820 V/μg g−1 with a sample uptake rate of 95–99 μl min−1. These values indicate that the sensitivity of the method was sufficient even for samples with low Re and Os concentrations, such as chert. As the temporal variations of the amplification efficiency of the ion counters differed from one another, we adopted a sample‐calibrator bracketing method to correct the measured Re and Os isotope ratios. The Re and Os concentrations via the isotope dilution method and the 187Os/188Os ratios of two sedimentary rock reference materials (JMS‐2 and JCh‐1) on the basis of the isotope ratios determined by the MC‐ICP‐MS and by negative thermal ionisation mass spectrometry (N‐TIMS) were comparable within their ranges. Based on Os isotope measurement of the IAG reference material [Durham Romil Os (DROsS)], the average difference from the recommended value and precision of Os isotope measurements by the sparging method in combination with multi‐ion‐counters were 0.72% and 0.76% [1RSD (%), n = 29], respectively. The precisions in the 187Os/188Os ratios [1RSD (%)] of JMS‐2, JCh‐1 and DROsS were 0.35–0.71, 1.56–3.31 and 0.99–1.28%, respectively, which depended on their Os ion intensities. No systematic difference was observed between the Re and Os geochemical compositions of JCh‐1 and JMS‐2 obtained by means of digestion with inverse aqua regia and CrO3‐H2SO4 solutions, suggesting that either acid solution can be used for the sparging method of sedimentary rock samples. As CrO3‐H2SO4 solution is believed to liberate predominantly the hydrogenous Re and Os fraction from organic‐rich sediment, the sparging method combined with CrO3‐H2SO4 digestion and multi‐ion‐counters in the mass spectrometry is expected to be a powerful tool for reconstructing the secular change in marine Os isotope compositions with high sample throughput.
Permanent Genetic Resources added to Molecular Ecology Resources Database 1 October 2011 – 30 November 2011
Authors:   Molecular Ecology Resources Primer Development Consortium, ABREU ALUANA G. , ALBAINA A. , ALPERMANN TILMAN J. , APKENAS VANESSA E. , BANKHEAD‐DRONNET S. , BERGEK SARA , BERUMEN MICHAEL L. , CHO CHANG‐HUNG , CLOBERT JEAN , COULON AURÉLIE , DE FERAUDY D. , ESTONBA A. , HANKELN THOMAS , HOCHKIRCH AXEL , HSU TSAI‐WEN , HUANG TSURNG‐JUHN , IRIGOIEN X. , IRIONDO M. , KAY KATHLEEN M. , KINITZ TIM , KOTHERA LINDA , LE HÉNANFF MAXIME , LIEUTIER F. , LOURDAIS OLIVIER , MACRINI CAMILA M. T. , MANZANO C. , MARTIN C. , MORRIS VERONICA R. F. , NANNINGA GERRIT , PARDO M. A. , PLIESKE JÖRG , POINTEAU S. , PRESTEGAARD TORE , QUACK MARKUS , RICHARD MURIELLE , SAVAGE HARRY M. , SCHWARCZ KAISER D. , SHADE JESSICA , SIMMS ELLEN L. , SOLFERINI VERA N. , STEVENS VIRGINIE M. , VEITH MICHAEL , WEN MEI‐JUAN , WICKER FLORIAN , YOST JENNIFER M. , ZARRAONAINDIA I.
Published: February 2012

This article documents the addition of 139 microsatellite marker loci and 90 pairs of single‐nucleotide polymorphism sequencing primers to the Molecular Ecology Resources Database. Loci were developed for the following species: Aglaoctenus lagotis, Costus pulverulentus, Costus scaber, Culex pipiens, Dascyllus marginatus, Lupinus nanus Benth, Phloeomyzus passerini, Podarcis muralis, Rhododendron rubropilosum Hayata var. taiwanalpinum and Zoarces viviparus. These loci were cross‐tested on the following species: Culex quinquefasciatus, Rhododendron pseudochrysanthum Hay. ssp. morii (Hay.) Yamazaki and R. pseudochrysanthum Hayata. This article also documents the addition of 48 sequencing primer pairs and 90 allele‐specific primers for Engraulis encrasicolus.
Greenhouse gas emissions and abatement costs of biofuel production in South Africa
Authors: Tomaschek Jan , Özdemir Enver Doruk , Fahl Ulrich , Eltrop Ludger
Published: February 2012

Transport accounts for about one quarter of South Africa's final energy consumption. Most of the energy used is based on fossil fuels causing significant environmental burdens. This threat becomes even more dominant as a significant growth in transport demand is forecasted, especially in South Africa's economic hub, Gauteng province. The South African government has realized the potential of biofuel usage for reducing oil import dependency and greenhouse gas (GHG) and has hence developed a National Biofuels Industrial Strategy to enforce their use. However, there is limited experience in the country in commercial biofuel production and some of the proposed crops (i.e. rapeseed and sugar beet) have not been yet cultivated on a larger scale. Furthermore, there is only limited research available, looking at the feasibility of commercial scale biofuel production or abatement costs of GHG emissions. To assess the opportunities of biofuel production in South Africa, the production costs and consumer price levels of the fuels recommended by the national strategy are analysed in this article. Moreover, the lifecycle GHG emissions and mitigation costs are calculated compared to the calculated fossil fuel reference including coal to liquid (CTL) and gas to liquid (GTL) fuels. The results show that the cost for biofuel production in South Africa are currently significantly higher (between 30% and 80%) than for the reference fossil fuels. The lifecycle GHG emissions of biofuels (especially for sugar cane) are considerably lower (up to 45%) than the reference fossil GHG emissions. The resulting GHG abatement costs are between 1000 and 2500 ZAR2007 per saved ton of carbon dioxide equivalent, which is high compared to the current European CO2 market prices of ca. 143 ZAR2007 t−1. The analysis has shown that biofuel production and utilization in South Africa offers a significant GHG‐mitigation potential but at relatively high cost.
The importance of intermediate filaments in the adaptation of tissues to mechanical stress: Evidence from gene knockout studies
Authors: Galou Maria , Gao Jie , Humbert Jeanne , Mericskay Mathias , Li Zhenlin , Paulin Denise , Vicart Patrick
Published: February 2012

Research over the past few years on the function of intermediate filaments in cells in culture has not produced convincing results, because the key role of intermediate filaments is within tissues and at certain periods of development. Only recently the technique of gene knockout has been used to examine intermediate filaments in mice and has provided the first evidence that intermediate filaments are directly involved in cell resilience and the maintenance of tissue integrity. Knockout of the gene encoding keratin K8 is lethal in the embryo, and results in hepatic or intestinal lesions, while knockout of the K14 or K10 genes leads to rupture of stratified epithelia. Knockout of the gene encoding desmin causes the rupture of skeletal and cardiac muscle, and collapse of blood vessel walls. Knockout of the gene coding for GFAP leads to a loss of cerebral white matter, and knockout of the gene coding for vimentin causes degeneration of the cerebellar Purkinje cells. The results reveal the lack of compensation by another intermediate filament. Tissues without intermediate filaments fall apart; they are mechanically unstable, unable to resist physical stress, and this leads to cell degeneration. By maintaining the shape and plasticity of the cell, the intermediate filament network acts as an integrator within the cell space. The state of mechanical force imposed on a tissue or a cell can alter the shape of certain elements of the cytoskeleton and thus participate to the control of cell functions.
TPA induces apoptosis in MPC‐11 mouse plasmacytoma cells grown in serum‐free medium
Authors: Giese Gu¨nter , Schmidt Jochen , Gilbert Michael , Albrecht Richard , Traub Peter
Published: February 2012

Apoptotic‐like events could be rapidly induced by the phorbol ester 12‐O‐tetradecanoylphorbol‐13‐acetate (TPA) in cells of the mouse plasmacytoma cell line MPC‐11 grown in serum‐free medium. Indicators for apoptosis were morphological changes visualized by light and electron microscopy, such as chromatin condensation and the formation of cellular buds and fragments, as well as biochemical indices like the appearance of the so‐called ‘DNA ladder’. Additionally, in these cells which are usually devoid of significant amounts of cytoplasmic intermediate filament (cIF) proteins, synthesis and accumulation of the cIF protein vimentin was rapidly induced by TPA treatment and almost all cells became vimentin‐positive. Later on, substantial amounts of vimentin and lamin B degradation products appeared, and an increasing fraction of cells displayed low or even undetectable quantities of intact vimentin. This subpopulation was characterized via microscopy to be in the late stages of apoptosis. We suggest that in MPC‐11 cells undergoing apoptosis in response to TPA treatment vimentin as well as lamin B are degraded, leading to a rearrangement and eventual loss of their respective filament networks.
Antisense inhibition of β‐actin mRNA localization and its effect on smooth muscle cell migration
Authors: Schedlich Lynette , Hill Mark , Lockett Trevor
Published: February 2012

A crucial step in cell migration involves changes in the actin cytoskeleton in response to extracellular signals. We have previously shown that β‐actin transcripts are associated with mobile regions of mouse 3T3 fibroblasts when grown in the presence of serum. In the current study we used in situ hybridization and laser scanning confocal microscopy to show that cultured rat smooth muscle cells also localize β‐actin mRNA to the cell periphery and that this peripheral pool of β‐actin mRNA is dependent on the presence of growth factors in the culture medium. We also show that antisense phosphorothioated oligonucleotides directed against sequences in the 3′ untranslated region of rat β‐actin mRNA block peripheral localization of β‐actin mRNA while the corresponding control oligonucleotides have no effect. Time‐lapse video analysis demonstrates that the antisense oligonucleotides inhibit rat smooth muscle cell migration in culture and analysis of β‐actin mRNA confirms this is not due to changes in β‐actin gene expression or instability of the message. Our results suggest that depletion of β‐actin transcripts from the cell periphery is associated with suppression of SMC migration.
Lectin binding pattern and band 3 localization in toad skin epithelium and the effect of salt acclimation
Authors: Katz Uri , Zaccone Gino , Fasulo Salvatore , Mauceri Angela , Gabbay Shoshanah
Published: February 2012

Seven lectins were employed to localize glycoconjugates in the skin of a toad (Bufo viridis). Each of the lectins exhibited a particular, specific and selective binding pattern. Peanut lectin (PNA) and WGA bound to mitochondria‐rich (MR) cells, but WGA bound also abundantly, in the dermis. Band 3‐like protein, as indicated by the reaction with polyclonal anti band 3 antibody, was localized exclusively in MR cells. Ionic acclimation (200 mmol/L NaCl, or 50 mmol/L KCl) affected profoundly the binding pattern of the lectins. High NaCl acclimation resulted also in diminishing anti band 3 antibody binding, whereas in skins of KCl‐acclimated toads the staining remained similar to the control. The binding of WGA but not PNA, corresponded with the same cells that stained with anti band 3 antibody. PNA in concentration of < 10 μg/mL reduced reversibly, both the resting and activated Cl− conductance by 25–30%. Based on differential binding of band 3, WGA and PNA, these observations provide conclusive verification of the presence of at least two populations of MR cells in the toad skin epithelium. It is suggested that the PNA positive MR cells may correspond to a β‐type MR cell. The information can be used to study molecular mechanisms that are involved in ionic acclimation.
Effects of disassembly of actin microfllaments on the AVP‐induced regulation of sodium channel densities in frog skin epithelium
Authors: Chou Kuang‐Yi , Els Willem J.
Published: February 2012

Vasopressin (AVP) stimulates the absorption of Na+ across frog skin epithelium by increasing the number of open apical channels (No) mainly through a large expansion of the total number of channels (NT) at the membrane. This study investigates with blocker‐induced noise analysis the potential role of actin in the regulation of AVP‐induced changes in channel densities. Particularly we examined the idea that actin regulates the insertion of channels into apical cell membranes, consistent with the model for its hydrosmotic action. Treating cells with cytochalasin B (CB) for 2 h to disassemble the prominent subapical actin network did not significantly alter the stimulation of the Isc by AVP. Importantly, the treatment had no significant effect on the AVP‐induced activation of Na+ channels, nor on the increases in NT indicating that an intact actin network is not required for the natriferic actions on the channels. This result is disparate from well known effects of CB on the AVP‐induced hydrosmotic response and we assume that these distinct responses are produced by different mechanisms. Other mechanisms need to be considered to explain the mechanism whereby new Na+ channels are recruited to the apical membrane. In particular, mechanisms of intracellular trafficking involved in the redistribution of epithelial Na+ channels remain unresolved and need to be refined.
Angiogenesis inhibitor SR 25989 upregulates thrombospondin‐1 expression in human vascular endothelial cells and foreskin fibroblasts
Authors: Klein‐Soyer Claudine , Céraline Jocelyn , Orvain Christophe , de la Salle Corinne , Bergerat Jean‐Pierre , Cazenave Jean‐Pierre
Published: February 2012

The aim of this work was to evaluate the effects of SR 25989, a member of the thienopyridine family devoid of antiplatelet activity but possessing anti‐angiogenic properties, on the regulation of proteins involved in matrix remodeling during wound healing or tumor progression. Human endothelial cells grown in the presence of SR 25989 showed moderate increases in the production of activators (tissue plasminogen activator and urokinase) and one inhibitor (plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1) of fibrinolysis, together with a significant rise in intracellular thrombospondin‐1. SR 25989 induced a similar increase in thrombospondin‐1 in human foreskin fibroblasts. This over‐expression of thrombospondin‐1 was correlated to a decrease in cell density. A concomitant increase in the tumor suppressor gene protein p53 was observed in endothelial cells and in fibroblasts, in which the slowing down of proliferation could be related to an accumulation of cells in the S and G2 M phases of the cell cycle. Northern blot analysis revealed a temporary rise in thrombospondin‐1 transcripts, followed by a decrease along with a moderate increase in p53 transcripts. Thus the anti‐angiogenic properties of SR 25989 appear to result from an upregulation of thrombospondin‐1 which is possibly mediated by p53. The thienopyridine SR 25989 could therefore be a good candidate for adjuvant anti‐angiogenic therapy in cancer.