bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Father absence predicts age at sexual maturity and reproductive timing in British men
Authors: Sheppard Paula , Sear Rebecca
Published: September 2011

Despite the widespread assumption that paternal investment is substantial in our species, previous studies have shown mixed results in relation to the impact of fathers on both offspring survival and reproductive outcomes. Using data from a large representative sample of British men, we tested whether father absence is associated with the timing of reproduction-related events among boys, while controlling for various cues denoting early childhood adversity. We further tested whether the loss of the father at different childhood stages matters, so as to assess whether early life is the most important period or if effects can be seen during later childhood. The results show that father absence before age seven is associated with early reproduction, while father absence between ages 11 and 16 only is associated with delayed voice-breaking (a proxy for puberty), even after adjusting for other factors denoting childhood adversity. We conclude that fathers do exert an influence on male reproductive outcomes, independently of other childhood adversities and that these effects are sensitive to the timing of father absence.
Repeated colonization of remote islands by specialized mutualists
Authors: Hembry David H. , Okamoto Tomoko , Gillespie Rosemary G.
Published: September 2011

Mutualisms are ubiquitous in nature, but constraints imposed by specialization may limit their ability to colonize novel environments synchronously. The ability of mutualisms to reassemble following disturbance is central to understanding their response to global change. Here, we demonstrate that a highly specialized pollination mutualism considered to be obligate (Phyllanthaceae:
Glochidion
; Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae:
Epicephala
) has colonized some of the world's most isolated archipelagoes, and we record, to our knowledge, for the first time the presence of
Epicephala
moths from 19 host
Glochidion
species on 17 islands in the Pacific Ocean. Our findings appear to offer a remarkable example of mutualism persistence in an insect–plant interaction characterized by reciprocal specialization and mutual dependence. These findings also appear to contradict the island biogeography paradigm that taxa with specialized biotic interactions are unlikely to colonize oceanic islands.
Is titin a ‘winding filament’? A new twist on muscle contraction
Authors: Nishikawa Kiisa C. , Monroy Jenna A. , Uyeno Theodore E. , Yeo Sang Hoon , Pai Dinesh K. , Lindstedt Stan L.
Published: September 2011

Recent studies have demonstrated a role for the elastic protein titin in active muscle, but the mechanisms by which titin plays this role remain to be elucidated. In active muscle, Ca2+-binding has been shown to increase titin stiffness, but the observed increase is too small to explain the increased stiffness of parallel elastic elements upon muscle activation. We propose a ‘winding filament’ mechanism for titin's role in active muscle. First, we hypothesize that Ca2+-dependent binding of titin's N2A region to thin filaments increases titin stiffness by preventing low-force straightening of proximal immunoglobulin domains that occurs during passive stretch. This mechanism explains the difference in length dependence of force between skeletal myofibrils and cardiac myocytes. Second, we hypothesize that cross-bridges serve not only as motors that pull thin filaments towards the M-line, but also as rotors that wind titin on the thin filaments, storing elastic potential energy in PEVK during force development and active stretch. Energy stored during force development can be recovered during active shortening. The winding filament hypothesis accounts for force enhancement during stretch and force depression during shortening, and provides testable predictions that will encourage new directions for research on mechanisms of muscle contraction.
The annual cycle of a trans-equatorial Eurasian–African passerine migrant: different spatio-temporal strategies for autumn and spring migration
Authors: Tøttrup Anders P. , Klaassen Raymond H. G. , Strandberg Roine , Thorup Kasper , Kristensen Mikkel Willemoes , Jørgensen Peter Søgaard , Fox James , Afanasyev Vsevolod , Rahbek Carsten , Alerstam Thomas
Published: September 2011

The small size of the billions of migrating songbirds commuting between temperate breeding sites and the tropics has long prevented the study of the largest part of their annual cycle outside the breeding grounds. Using light-level loggers (geolocators), we recorded the entire annual migratory cycle of the red-backed shrikeLanius collurio, a trans-equatorial Eurasian-African passerine migrant. We tested differences between autumn and spring migration for nine individuals. Duration of migration between breeding and winter sites was significantly longer in autumn (average 96 days) when compared with spring (63 days). This difference was explained by much longer staging periods during autumn (71 days) than spring (9 days). Between staging periods, the birds travelled faster during autumn (356 km d–1) than during spring (233 km d–1). All birds made a protracted stop (53 days) in Sahelian sub-Sahara on southbound migration. The birds performed a distinct loop migration (22 000 km) where spring distance, including a detour across the Arabian Peninsula, exceeded the autumn distance by 22 per cent. Geographical scatter between routes was particularly narrow in spring, with navigational convergence towards the crossing point from Africa to the Arabian Peninsula. Temporal variation between individuals was relatively constant, while different individuals tended to be consistently early or late at different departure/arrival occasions during the annual cycle. These results demonstrate the existence of fundamentally different spatio-temporal migration strategies used by the birds during autumn and spring migration, and that songbirds may rely on distinct staging areas for completion of their annual cycle, suggesting more sophisticated endogenous control mechanisms than merely clock-and-compass guidance among terrestrial solitary migrants. After a century with metal-ringing, year-round tracking of long-distance migratory songbirds promises further insights into bird migration.
A large population of king crabs in Palmer Deep on the west Antarctic Peninsula shelf and potential invasive impacts
Authors: Smith Craig R. , Grange Laura J. , Honig David L. , Naudts Lieven , Huber Bruce , Guidi Lionel , Domack Eugene
Published: September 2011

Lithodid crabs (and other skeleton-crushing predators) may have been excluded from cold Antarctic continental shelf waters for more than 14 Myr. The west Antarctic Peninsula shelf is warming rapidly and has been hypothesized to be soon invaded by lithodids. A remotely operated vehicle survey in Palmer Deep, a basin 120 km onto the Antarctic shelf, revealed a large, reproductive population of lithodids, providing the first evidence that king crabs have crossed the Antarctic shelf. DNA sequencing and morphology indicate the lithodid isNeolithodes yaldwyniAhyong & Dawson, previously reported only from Ross Sea waters. We estimate aN. yaldwynipopulation density of 10 600 km−2and a population size of 1.55 × 106in Palmer Deep, a density similar to lithodid populations of commercial interest around Alaska and South Georgia. The lithodid occurred at depths of more than 850 m and temperatures of more than 1.4°C in Palmer Deep, and was not found in extensive surveys of the colder shelf at depths of 430–725 m. WhereN. yaldwynioccurred, crab traces were abundant, megafaunal diversity reduced and echinoderms absent, suggesting that the crabs have major ecological impacts. Antarctic Peninsula shelf waters are warming at approximately 0.01°C yr−1; ifN. yaldwyniis currently limited by cold temperatures, it could spread up onto the shelf (400–600 m depths) within 1–2 decades. The Palmer DeepN. yaldwynipopulation provides an important model for the potential invasive impacts of crushing predators on vulnerable Antarctic shelf ecosystems.
Expression of Enzymes Involved in Chlorophyll Catabolism in Arabidopsis Is Light Controlled
Authors: Banaś Agnieszka Katarzyna , Łabuz Justyna , Sztatelman Olga , Gabryś Halina , Fiedor Leszek
Published: September 2011

We found that the levels of mRNA of two enzymes involved in chlorophyll catabolism in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), products of two chlorophyllase genes, AtCLH1 and AtCLH2, dramatically increase (by almost 100- and 10-fold, respectively) upon illumination with white light. The measurements of photosystem II quantum efficiency in 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea-inhibited leaves show that their expression is not related to photosynthesis but mediated by photoreceptors. To identify the photoreceptors involved, we used various light treatments and Arabidopsis photoreceptor mutants (cry1, cry2, cry1cry2, phot1, phot2, phot1phot2, phyA phyB, phyAphyB). In wild-type Columbia, the amount of transcripts of both genes increase after white-light irradiation but their expression profile and the extent of regulation differ considerably. Blue and red light is active in the case of AtCLH1, whereas only blue light raises the AtCLH2 mRNA level. The fundamental difference is the extent of up-regulation, higher by one order of magnitude in AtCLH1. Both blue and red light is active in the induction of AtCLH1 expression in all mutants, pointing to a complex control network and redundancy between photoreceptors. The blue-specific up-regulation of the AtCLH2 transcript is mediated by cryptochromes and modulated by phototropin1 and phytochromes. Individually darkened leaves were used to test the effects of senescence on the expression of AtCLH1 and AtCLH2. The expression profile of AtCLH1 remains similar to that found in nonsenescing leaves up to 5 d after darkening. In contrast, the light induction of AtCLH2 mRNA declines during dark treatment. These results demonstrate that the expression of enzymes involved in chlorophyll catabolism is light controlled.
Hard X-ray diffraction scanning tomography with sub-micrometre spatial resolution: application to an annealed γ-U0.85Mo0.15particle
Authors: Palancher Hervé , Tucoulou Rémi , Bleuet Pierre , Bonnin Anne , Welcomme Eléonore , Cloetens Peter
Published: September 2011

It is demonstrated that scanning X-ray diffraction tomography of heterogeneous and polycrystalline samples can provide real-space semi-quantitative three-dimensional structural information at a submicrometre spatial resolution. The capabilities of this technique are illustrated by the study of a slice of a spherical particle consisting of a UMo core (about 37 µm in diameter) surrounded by a UMoAl shell (5 µm thick). The technique allows precise characterization of the embedded UMo/UMoAl interface where the phases α-U (in the core), UAl2and U6Mo4Al43(in the shell) are found. Moreover, an unexpected phase (UC) is detected at a trace level. It is shown that the thickness of the UMoAl shell is locally anticorrelated with the amount of UC, suggesting that this phase plays a protective role in inhibiting thermally activated Al diffusion in UMo.
Electro-optic and electro-gyration effects on light propagation in \bf \overline 4 2mpoint-group crystals
Authors: Efremidis Anastasios T. , Deliolanis Nikolaos C. , Vyrsokinos Konstantinos , Manolikas Constantinos , Ves Sotirios , Vanidhis Evaggelos D.
Published: September 2011

Several nonlinear crystals that are used in laser and optical signal processing technologies belong to the {\overline 4}2m point group. This group exhibits as primary effects natural birefringence, optical activity, linear and quadratic electro-optic effects, and linear and quadratic electro-gyration effects, and, as secondary effects, photo-elasticity and piezo-gyrationviathe inverse piezo-electric phenomenon. The combination of these effects makes the study of light propagation a complicated task. In this work, the influence of each of these effects on light propagation is analytically reviewed, and suitable configurations for the light propagation and applied electric field directions are identified, which decouple the contribution of the individual effects. It is found that the complete decoupling of the linear electro-gyration from the linear electro-optic effect is not possible for this symmetry, while the inverse is feasible, and that the separation of the quadratic from the linear electro-optic effect can be achieved. For the linear phenomena, index ellipsoid geometries and eingenpolarizations are calculated, and analytic expressions are derived for the intensity of a light beam propagating through a crystal followed by a polarizer, thus providing valuable information for the design of devices and/or measurements of corresponding coefficients.
Using phases retrieved from two-dimensional projections to facilitate structure solution from X-ray powder diffraction data
Authors: Xie Dan , Baerlocher Christian , McCusker Lynne B.
Published: September 2011

A single-crystal charge-flipping algorithm has been applied to two-dimensional projections derived from X-ray powder diffraction data to retrieve structure-factor phases. These phases proved to be as reliable as those obtained from high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) images or from precession electron diffraction data. In particular, the stronger reflections tend to be correctly phased. The two-dimensional electron-density `images' obtained in this way show the same features as the corresponding HRTEM images, but with higher resolution. Application of the powder charge-flipping algorithm to the full three-dimensional powder diffraction data in conjunction with phases derived from several such (arbitrarily selected) projections was found to have a significant and beneficial effect on the structure solution. The approach was first developed using data collected on the complex zeolite TNU-9, and was then tested further using data for IM-5 and SSZ-74, two similarly complex zeolites. All three of these structures were originally solved by combining X-ray powder diffraction and electron microscopy data, because X-ray diffraction data alone were not sufficient. In all three cases, the phase information derived from two-dimensional subsets of the X-ray powder diffraction data resulted in a significant improvement in the electron-density maps generated by the powder charge-flipping algorithm. The inclusion of this phase information allowed all three structures to be determined from the X-ray data alone. This two-dimensional X-ray powder diffraction approach appears to offer a remarkably simple and powerful method for solving the structures of complex polycrystalline materials.
Combined synchrotron X-ray and image-correlation analyses of biaxially deformed W/Cu nanocomposite thin films on Kapton
Authors: Djaziri Soundes , Renault Pierre-Olivier , Hild François , Le Bourhis Eric , Goudeau Philippe , Thiaudière Dominique , Faurie Damien
Published: September 2011

In situbiaxial tensile tests within the elastic domain were conducted with W/Cu nanocomposite thin films deposited on a polyimide cruciform substrate using a biaxial testing machine developed on the DiffAbs beamline at the Synchrotron SOLEIL. The mechanical behaviour of the nanocomposite was characterized at the micro- and macroscales using synchrotron X-ray diffraction and digital image-correlation techniques simultaneously. Strain analyses for equibiaxial and non-equibiaxial loading paths were carried out. The results show that the two strain measurements match to within 1 × 10−4in the elastic domain for strain levels less than 0.3% and for both loading paths.
Influence of annealing on structure and optical properties of Mn-substituted ZnO nanoparticles
Authors: Roy B. , Mondal O. , Sen D. , Bahadur J. , Mazumder S. , Pal M.
Published: September 2011

The influence of annealing on crystal growth and the micro- and mesoscopic structures of Mn-substituted nanocrystalline zinc oxide (ZnO) has been investigated using X-ray diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). Average particle sizes and their distributions have been estimated from scattering experiments as well as a microscopy study, and found to be in the nanometre range. The SANS study indicates that the fractal dimension, which describes the nature of the agglomerate, is almost unchanged up to an annealing temperature of 1023 K. However, at 1223 K, the fractal dimension increases to 3. An attempt has also been made to understand the influence of the annealing temperature on the growth of the structural morphology of the aggregates by performing a simulation based on a diffusion-limited aggregate model. By showing the variation of the band gap estimated from UV–visible absorption spectra with particle size, an attempt has been made to establish a structure–property correlation.
Powder diffraction line profiles from the size and shape of nanocrystallites
Authors: Beyerlein K. R. , Snyder R. L. , Scardi P.
Published: September 2011

A numerical procedure to carry out the integral on the powder diffraction sphere in reciprocal space and obtain accurate powder diffraction peak profiles for small crystallites is presented. In doing so, the literature surrounding the effect of crystallite size and shape on the powder peak profile is briefly reviewed. Powder patterns simulated by this technique are compared with those calculated by the tangent plane approximation and Debye function for spherical, cubic and cylindrical crystallites having sizes of only a few nanometres. The tangent plane approximation is found to produce inaccurate peak profiles and peak positions in simulated patterns of the cubic and cylindrical nanocrystallites. This performance is in contrast to that of the proposed powder integration technique, which results in powder patterns that are in good agreement with those from the Debye function, for all crystallite sizes and shapes considered here.
Comparison of dynamical theory and phase-object approximation for neutron scattering from periodic structures
Authors: Ashkar Rana , de Haan V. O. , van Well A. A. , Dalgliesh R. , Plomp J. , Fitzsimmons M. R. , Schaich W. L. , Pynn Roger
Published: September 2011

Dynamical theory (DT) calculations have been successfully developed to explain neutron spin-echo resolved grazing-incidence scattering from diffraction gratings. The theory, without any adjustable parameters, has been shown in previous publications to accurately reproduce the sensitivity of the spin-echo polarization signal to sample specifications and scattering geometry. The phase-object approximation (POA), which is computationally less demanding than the DT, has also been used to analyze neutron spin-echo polarization data obtained from diffraction gratings. In this paper, POA and DT calculations are compared for neutron scattering from various diffraction gratings in different geometrical settings. POA gives a good description of the data for transmission cases, where the neutron beam is incident at large angles to the average grating surface. However, for the grazing-incidence reflection cases that were studied, the POA does not fit the data using the independently determined dimensions of the measured gratings. On the other hand, the good agreement between dynamical theory and the data from gratings with known profiles paves the way for its use to extract profile information from periodic samples with unknown structures.
CRYSTALSenhancements: absolute structure determination
Authors: Thompson Amber L. , Watkin David J.
Published: September 2011

A summary of the features for investigating absolute structure available in the crystallographic refinement programCRYSTALSis presented, together with the results of analyses of 150 light-atom structures collected with molybdenum radiation carried out with these tools. The results confirm that the Flack and Hooft parameters are strongly indicative, even when the standard uncertainties are large compared to the thresholds recommended by Flack & Bernardinelli [J. Appl. Cryst.(2000),33, 1143–1148].
First data acquired on the extendedQ-range small-angle neutron scattering (EQ-SANS) diffractometer at the Spallation Neutron Source
Authors: Liu Dazhi , Hong Kunlun , Gao Carrie Y. , Melnichenko Yuri , Littrell Ken , Smith Greg , Zhao Jinkui
Published: September 2011

Initial experimental results are reported from the extendedQ-range small-angle neutron scattering (EQ-SANS) diffractometer at the Spallation Neutron Source at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). A generation-8 polyamidoamine dendrimer was measured and the conformation parameters (radius of gyration, thickness of the soft shelletc.) extracted by model fitting to the scattering data. The results are compared with data collected at the general-purpose small-angle neutron scattering (GP-SANS) beamline at the High-Flux Isotopic Reactor at ORNL and show that EQ-SANS is ready for scientific studies for the small-angle neutron scattering community.
Determining the C60 molecular arrangement in thin films by means of X-ray diffraction
Authors: Elschner Chris , Levin Alexandr A. , Wilde Lutz , Grenzer Jörg , Schroer Christian , Leo Karl , Riede Moritz
Published: September 2011

The electrical and optical properties of molecular thin films are widely used, for instance in organic electronics, and depend strongly on the molecular arrangement of the organic layers. It is shown here how atomic structural information can be obtained from molecular films without further knowledge of the single-crystal structure. C60 fullerene was chosen as a representative test material. A 250 nm C60 film was investigated by grazing-incidence X-ray diffraction and the data compared with a Bragg–Brentano X-ray diffraction measurement of the corresponding C60 powder. The diffraction patterns of both powder and film were used to calculate the pair distribution function (PDF), which allowed an investigation of the short-range order of the structures. With the help of the PDF, a structure model for the C60 molecular arrangement was determined for both C60 powder and thin film. The results agree very well with a classical whole-pattern fitting approach for the C60 diffraction patterns.
Supercritical carbon dioxide behaviour in porous silica aerogel. Erratum
Authors: Ciccariello Salvino , Melnichenko Yuri B. , He Lilin
Published: September 2011

Errors in the paper by Ciccariello, Melnichenko & He [J. Appl. Cryst.(2011),44, 43–51] are corrected.
Characterization ofCpSte11, a MAPKKK gene ofCryphonectria parasitica, and initial evidence of its involvement in the pheromone response pathway
Authors: PARK JIN‐AH , KIM JUNG‐MI , PARK SEUNG‐MOON , KIM DAE‐HYUK
Published: September 2011

The geneCpSte11ofCryphonectria parasitica, which encodes a yeast Ste11 homologue, was cloned and characterized. Gene replacement analysis revealed a high frequency ofCpSte11null mutants. When compared with the wild‐type parent strain,CpSte11null mutants showed no difference in terms of growth rate or pigmentation. However,CpSte11null mutants showed a marked decrease in both the number and size of stromal pustules on chestnut twigs. The virulence test showed that, in comparison with those of the wild‐type and virus‐infected hypovirulent strains,CpSte11null mutants produced necrotic areas of intermediate size. Disruption of theCpSte11gene also resulted in defects in female fertility. Down‐regulation of transcripts for the mating pheromone precursor gene,Mf2/2, and mating response transcription factors, such ascpst12andpro1, was observed inCpSte11null mutants. The down‐regulation ofMf2/2,cpst12andpro1was also observed in the mutant phenotype ofCpmk2, a mating response Fus3‐like mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) gene, but not in the mutant ofCpmk1, a high‐osmolarity glycerol Hog1‐like MAPK gene. These results indicate that the clonedCpSte11gene is functionally involved in the mating response pathway and acts through downstream targets, includingCpmk2,cpst12,pro1andMf2/2. However, the characteristics of theCpSte11null mutant were fully phenocopied only in thecpst12null mutant, but not in other studied null mutants of components of the putative mating response pathway.
A prospective evaluation of postural stimulation testing, computed tomography and adrenal vein sampling in the differential diagnosis of primary aldosteronism
Authors: Lau Jeshen H. G. , Candy Sze W. C. , Reznek Rodney H. , Matson Matthew , Sahdev Anju , Carpenter Robert , Berney Daniel M. , Akker Scott A. , Chew Shern L. , Grossman Ashley B. , Monson John P. , Drake William M.
Published: September 2011

Context  In primary aldosteronism (PA), discriminating unilateral from bilateral disease is crucial because adrenalectomy is frequently curative in the former case but rarely helps in the latter. Various series have reported the utility of postural stimulation testing (PST), cross‐sectional imaging and adrenal vein sampling (AVS) in the assessment of PA, but most of these studies were retrospective.

Objective  To prospectively determine the diagnostic utility of PST, AVS and computed tomography (CT) using a radiological scoring system in the assessment of PA in a tertiary centre, as well as to document the incidence of autonomous cortisol cosecretion.

Design and Setting  Fifty consecutive patients with PA underwent PST, CT, AVS and a low‐dose dexamethasone suppression test with measurement of serum cortisol at 48 h. For patients who underwent surgery, histological confirmation, and a normal postoperative serum aldosterone concentration and plasma renin activity were taken as evidence for unilateral disease. For other patients, results from successful adrenal vein sampling were the diagnostic evidence against which CT and PST were assessed.

Results  Postural stimulation testing had a sensitivity and specificity of 44–56% and 71–75%, respectively. CT had an overall sensitivity and specificity of 77% and 80%, respectively, rising to 100% sensitivity and specificity if there was a single, discrete macronodule with an unequivocally normal contralateral gland. Evidence of cosecretion of cortisol occurred in 14% of patients.

Conclusions  Preliminary experience is presented of an objective radiological scoring system for selecting patients with PA for AVS. PST provides little, if any, useful additional information. A significant minority of patients with PA exhibit evidence of cortisol cosecretion, which may have implications for perioperative management.
Efficacy and safety of zinc supplementation for adults, children and pregnant women with HIV infection: systematic review
Authors: Zeng Linan , Zhang Lingli
Published: September 2011

Objectives  To determine the efficacy and safety of zinc supplementary in children, adults and pregnant women with HIV infection.

Methods  We conducted a comprehensive search in Medline, Embase, the Cochrane Library, CBM, VIP and CNKI. Only randomized controlled trials conducted subsequent to the introduction of zinc supplementation were included in this systematic review. Two reviewers assessed and extracted data for analysis.

Results  Six trials with a total of 1009 participants were included. The findings in this review suggested a benefit of zinc supplementation in reducing opportunistic infection for both adults and children with HIV infection. In terms of increase in zinc level and CD4 counts, however, only adults with HIV infection benefited. For other outcomes, such as viral load, mortality, mother‐to‐child transmission of HIV and foetal outcomes, zinc supplementation conferred no benefit over placebo. No adverse event related to zinc supplementation was found in all the included trials.

Conclusion  Based on the current evidence, zinc supplementation seems to be beneficial in adult patients with HIV infection in some aspects. More research is needed in children and pregnant women. The influence of zinc dose, duration and usage of antiretroviral medicine also requires further investigation.
Inclusive health
Authors: MacLachlan Malcolm , Khasnabis Chapal , Mannan Hasheem
Published: September 2011

We propose the concept of Inclusive Health to encapsulate the Health for All ethos; to build on the rights‐based approach to health; to promote the idea of inclusion as a verb, where a more proactive approach to addressing distinctive and different barriers to inclusion is needed; and to recognise that new initiatives in human resources for health can offer exciting and innovative ways of healthcare delivery. While Inclusive Education has become a widely recognised and accepted concept, Health for All is still contested, and new thinking is required to develop its agenda in line with contemporary developments. Inclusive Health refers both to who gets health care and to who provides it; and its ethos resonates strongly with Jefferson’s assertion that ‘there is nothing more unequal, than the equal treatment of unequal people’. We situate the timeliness of the Inclusive Health concept with reference to recent developments in the recognition of the rights of people with disability, in the new guidelines for community‐based rehabilitation and in the World Report on Disability. These developments offer a more inclusive approach to health and, more broadly, its inter‐connected aspects of wellbeing. A concept which more proactively integrates United Nations conventions that recognise the importance of difference – disability, ethnicity, gender, children – could be of benefit for global healthcare policy and practice.
Neurally adjusted ventilatory assist vs. pressure support ventilation in critically ill patients: an observational study
Authors: BARWING J. , LINDEN N. , AMBOLD M. , QUINTEL M. , MOERER O.
Published: September 2011

Background

During neurally adjusted ventilatory assist (NAVA), the inspiratory support is controlled by the patients' respiratory drive influenced by an operator‐controlled gain factor (NAVA level). The purpose of our observational study was to transfer patients from conventional pressure support ventilation (PSV) to NAVA safely. We compared two approaches to set the NAVA level and evaluated the effect of NAVA.

Methods

We studied mechanically ventilated patients capable of spontaneous breathing. For the change of the ventilator mode, we used a NAVA level calculated to generate a peak inspiratory pressure equal to PSV. We compared this NAVA level with a NAVA level determined by a NAVA level titration. Ventilatory and haemodynamic data were recorded during an observational period of 6 h.

Results

All 20 patients included in the study could be transferred from PSV to NAVA and completed the observation interval. Setting the NAVA level according to prior PSV settings proved to be a feasible approach, but in 75% of our patients, we modified the NAVA level according to the titration results. Gas exchange and ventilatory mechanics during the observation interval remained stable.

Conclusions

The ventilator mode NAVA seems to be well tolerated in a heterogeneous group of critically ill patients. Pre‐setting of the NAVA level during PSV can result in an overestimation of the required ventilator support. An additional titration of the NAVA level ads valuable information although difficult to interpret in some cases.
The role of mobility for the emergence of diversity in victim–exploiter systems
Authors: CHAIANUNPORN T. , HOVESTADT T.
Published: September 2011

Theoretical and empirical studies indicate that exploitation is a possible driver of exploiter and victim diversification. However, there are many factors which could promote and limit this diversification process. Using a spatially explicit individual‐based model, where an exploiter’s success depends on matching between its own and a victim’s continuous trait, we simulate local communities of victims and exploiters. We investigate how exploiter mobility (searching ability and movement strategies) can influence diversification of victims. We find that if victim traits are under intermediate intensity of stabilizing selection, disruptive selection exerted by exploiters can indeed lead to diversification in victim population and the victim trait distribution can split into two or more groups. Searching ability and movement strategy of exploiters (local vs. global movement) play a role in determining the number of victim trait groups emerging. Moreover, they affect the proportion of infected victims and the formation of spatial patterns in the victim trait distribution. In addition, with a high searching ability, exploiters with global movement drive victims to be more diverse than exploiters with local movement.
Disease‐free survival of patients after surgical resection of non‐small cell lung carcinoma and correlation with excision repair cross‐complementation group 1 expression and genotype
Authors: TSEDEN‐ISH MANALJAV , CHOI YOO‐DUK , CHO HYUN‐JU , BAN HEE‐JUNG , OH IN‐JAE , KIM KYU‐SIK , SONG SANG‐YUN , NA KOOK‐JOO , AHN SUNG‐JA , CHOI SONG , KIM YOUNG‐CHUL
Published: September 2011

Background and objective:  Expression of excision repair cross‐complementation group 1 (ERCC1) is recognized as a favourable prognostic marker in patients who have undergone surgical resection of non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, in patients treated with adjuvant chemotherapy after surgical resection, ERCC1 correlated with poor prognosis. Class III beta tubulin (TUBB3) is also known to be a predictive marker of the efficacy of treatment with taxanes or vinorelbine.

Methods:  Tumour tissues (n = 363) from patients with surgically resected NSCLC were analysed retrospectively. Tissue sections were labelled with ERCC1‐ and TUBB3‐specific antibodies. Using genomic DNA from 262 patients, single nucleotide polymorphisms of the ERCC1 gene (T19007C and C8092A) were genotyped by PCR‐restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis.

Results:  Only 5.9% of patients with stage I disease (14/238) and 61.6% of patients with stages II–III disease (77/125) received adjuvant chemotherapy. Relapses were noted in 30.6% (111) of patients, and among these, 31 ultimately succumbed. The relapse rate (RR) was 24.8% for stage I disease, and 41.6% for stages II–III disease. The RR was significantly lower in ERCC1‐positive (24.3%) as compared with ERCC1‐negative patients (36.3%, P = 0.014) and was lower in patients with the AA/CA genotype at the ERCC1 C8092A locus (29.5%) compared with those with the CC genotype (42.1%, P = 0.034). The median disease‐free survival (DFS) time was 62.3 months. DFS was significantly greater in ERCC1‐positive patients (62.3 months) than in ERCC1‐negative patients (48.0 months, P = 0.042). In a multivariate analysis, ERCC1 expression and the C8092A polymorphism were independent prognostic factors in patients with stage I disease who were naïve to chemotherapy.

Conclusions:  ERCC1 expression and the AA/CA genotype at the C8092A locus were correlated with a good prognosis in patients who had undergone surgical resection of NSCLC.
Pilot study comparing SPECT perfusion scintigraphy with CT pulmonary angiography in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension
Authors: SOLER XAVIER , KERR KIM M. , MARSH JAMES J. , RENNER JOHN W. , HOH CARL K. , TEST VICTOR J. , MORRIS TIMOTHY A.
Published: September 2011

Background and objective:  The management of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is dependent on the extent of pulmonary artery obstruction, which is usually evaluated by planar perfusion scanning and CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA). We previously reported that SPECT perfusion scanning is more sensitive than planar scanning for detecting vascular obstruction in CTEPH. The purpose of this study is to compare SPECT with CTPA for detecting segmental pulmonary artery obstruction in CTEPH.

Methods:  SPECT and CTPA were carried out before pulmonary endarterectomy in 12 CTEPH patients. Field experts documented the anatomical distribution of perfusion defects disclosed by SPECT, the anatomical distribution of pulmonary arterial filling defects disclosed by CTPA and the segmental anatomy of the vascular obstructions based on a review of clinical and pathology records, without knowledge of scan results.

Results:  Clinical/pathological evaluation disclosed 140 obstructed (15.5 ± 2.5 per patient) and 40 unobstructed lung segments. SPECT scanning identified 87/140 (62%) of the obstructed and 29/40 (72%) of the unobstructed segments. By comparison, CTPA identified 67/140 (47.8%) of the obstructed and 32/40 (80%) of the unobstructed segments. Sensitivity for detecting obstructed segments was significantly higher for SPECT compared with CTPA (62 ± 4.1% vs 47.8 ± 2.9%, respectively; P = 0.03).

Conclusions:  SPECT is more sensitive than CTPA for identifying obstructed segments in this small sample of CTEPH patients. However, even SPECT under‐represents the extent of vascular obstruction from this disease.
Laparoscopic restorative proctocolectomy: safety and critical level of the ileal pouch anal anastomosis
Authors: Duff S. E. , Sagar P. M. , Rao M. , Macafee D. , El‐Khoury T.
Published: September 2011

Aim  The study reports the longer‐term results of laparoscopic‐assisted restorative proctocolectomy (RPC), with particular reference to safety and the level of the stapled ileal pouch‐anal anastomosis (IPAA).

Method  Data were collected prospectively from all patients who underwent laparoscopic RP from July 2006 to July 2010. In each patient the operation involved the use of a short (6 cm) Pfannenstiel incision to facilitate placement of the linear stapler for anorectal division.

Results  Seventy‐five patients underwent RPC either with total proctocolectomy (n = 53) or after previous emergency colectomy (n = 22). Early postoperative morbidity occurred in 18 (24%) patients and readmission within 30 days occurred in 18 (24%). Morbidity during follow up developed in 29 (39%). A pouchogram was carried out in all 75 patients before ileostomy closure with an abnormality shown in eight. The median level of the IPAA was at 3.0 cm (1.0–5.0cm) above the dentate line. At a median of 33 (9–57) months, there has been one case of small bowel obstruction and no incisional hernia.

Conclusion  In laparoscopic‐assisted RPC a limited Pfannenstiel incision allows safe construction of the IPAA at an appropriate level. Laparoscopic RPC is safe and the emerging long‐term follow‐up data show the benefitof this approach, with very low rates of small bowel obstruction and incisional hernia formation.
Can acute abdominal CT prioritize patients with suspected diverticulitis for a subsequent clean colonic examination?
Authors: Grevfors N. , Torkzad M. R. , Bergman A. , Påhlman L.
Published: September 2011

Aim  The aim of this study was to investigate whether patients with diverticulitis can be prioritized with higher urgency for a subsequent full colonic examination based upon the emergency abdominal CT scan performed at the time of presentation.

Method  All patients with a diagnosis of diverticulitis, hospitalized during 2006 and having a CT scan on admission and a subsequent ‘clean colon’ examination, were reviewed. The CT scan was reviewed by two independent and blinded senior radiologists (Radiologist A and Radiologist B) for signs inconsistent with diverticulitis and suggestive of malignancy. The patients were classified on the CT scan results into group 1 (normal findings, nontumour pathology or benign polyps < 1 cm) or group 2 (benign polyps ≥ 1 cm and cancer).

Results  Ninety‐three patients (83 in group 1 and 10 in group 2) were reviewed. Radiologist A suggested high‐priority colonic examination in 18% and 50% of patients in groups 1 and 2, respectively, and Radiologist B in 63% and 90% of patients, respectively. There was a statistically significant interobserver difference, and also lower accuracy of Radiologist B compared with Radiologist A in predicting a subsequent ‘clean colon’ examination.

Conclusion  Use of an emergency acute CT scan at the time of diagnosis of diverticulitis to predict a clean colon examination for neoplasia is not reliable because there is a considerable degree of interobserver difference between radiologists.
Health, Education and Emergence from the Development Trap
Authors: Berthélemy Jean‐Claude
Published: September 2011

Abstract:  This paper studies the emergence of developing countries from a development trap. It shows that countries whose dynamics exhibits several growth peaks can be considered as cases of equilibrium jump. Applying this criterion to a sample of 65 countries that were initially very poor in 1950, it identifies 13 such countries, called ‘emerging economies’. Comparing emerging and non‐emerging economies in the 1950s and early 1960s, it shows that economic take‐offs starting in the 1960s can be related to health and education in the early 1950s, while other possible factors, such as savings, openness and democracy are not significant.
Exploring the Impact of Energy Sources on Production, Inequality and Poverty in Simultaneous Equations Models for South Africa
Authors: Ngepah Nicholas
Published: September 2011

Abstract:  This work adapts per capita income, energy demand (sub‐group decomposed), inequality and poverty frameworks in a simultaneous equations setting to investigate the role of energy sources on per capita income, inequality and poverty in South Africa. It finds that energy sources (particularly electricity and diesel) are important in estimating production functions. Gasoline, kerosene and coal all exacerbate poverty, with the highest impacts on abject poverty. It is better to disaggregate energy sources in order to capture resource‐specific details. Redistribution efforts that focus on reduction of between‐group inequality can also moderate energy use since between‐group inequality tends to increase the demand for most energy sources. Public efforts are yielding fruits in this direction and should be encouraged. Access to energy sources like electricity, diesel and gas are crucial for productivity enhancement, but for them to yield significant anti‐poverty fruits, efforts must also target broadening capital access by the poor.
The Strategic Management of Innovation: A Systematic Review and Paths for Future Research
Authors: Keupp Marcus Matthias , Palmié Maximilian , Gassmann Oliver
Published: September 2011

Strategic management scholars have long emphasized the importance of innovation for a firm's competitive advantage and performance. However, the current state of knowledge about the strategic management of innovation is characterized by conflicting theoretical predictions, persisting knowledge gaps and theoretical inconsistencies. Adopting a ‘systematic’ approach to reviewing the literature, this paper combines different quantitative methods – co‐word analysis, cluster analysis and frequency analysis – to review 342 articles on the strategic management of innovation published in seven journals from 1992 to 2010. On the basis of these analyses, suggestions are developed for future research which could help to promote future theory development and provide relevant material for policy decisions that managers and executives have to make when they manage innovation.
Employee Well‐being and the HRM–Organizational Performance Relationship: A Review of Quantitative Studies
Authors: Van De Voorde Karina , Paauwe Jaap , Van Veldhoven Marc
Published: September 2011

There is a lack of consensus on the role of employee well‐being in the human resource management–organizational performance relationship. This review examines which of the competing perspectives –‘mutual gains’ or ‘conflicting outcomes’– is more appropriate for describing this role of employee well‐being. In addition, this review examines whether study attributes such as the measurement of key variables, the level of analysis and the study design affect a study's outcomes. The review covers 36 quantitative studies published from 1995 to May 2010. Employee well‐being is described here using three dimensions: happiness, health and relationship. The main findings are that employee well‐being in terms of happiness and relationship is congruent with organizational performance (mutual gains perspective), but that health‐related well‐being appears to function as a conflicting outcome. Directions for future research and theoretical development are suggested.
Coming of age in Spain: the self‐identification, beliefs and self‐esteem of the second generation1
Authors: Portes Alejandro , Vickstrom Erik , Aparicio Rosa
Published: September 2011

We review the literature on determinants of ethnic/national self‐identities and self‐esteem as a prelude to examining these outcomes among a large, statistically representative sample of second generation adolescents in Madrid and Barcelona. While these psycho‐social outcomes are malleable, they still represent important dimensions of immigrant adaptation and can have significant consequences both for individual mobility and collective mobilizations. Current theories are largely based on data from the USA and other Anglophone countries. The availability of a new large Spanish survey allows us to test those theories in an entirely different socio‐cultural context. The analysis concludes with a structural equations model that summarizes key determinants of national identities and self‐esteem among children of immigrants in Spain. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.
‘Being there’: multidimensionality, reflexivity and the study of emotional lives1
Authors: Brownlie Julie
Published: September 2011

Emotional lives tend to be untidy. Yet despite a growing recognition of this, sociological research designs rarely mirror the multidimensionality they are striving to represent. This article takes as its starting point a recent study of beliefs and practices about emotional support and emotions talk in Britain, to illustrate how a methodologically mixed approach offers particular purchase on what passes between us in our everyday emotional lives and in research about these lives. The notion of ‘being there’ is drawn on to help make this argument. Moving between ‘being there’ as topic, a form of emotional support, and ‘being there’ as a methodological resource, the article concludes that the analytical claims we make about our emotional lives are strengthened through a methodologically mixed – and by necessity, reflexive – approach which explores, rather than smooths out, the ragged, sometimes indeterminate, edges between methods.
Review Essay: Empires, ancient and modern
Authors: Hall John A.
Published: September 2011

This essay drews attention to two books on empires by historians which deserve the attention of sociologists. Bang's model of the workings of the Roman economy powerfully demonstrates the tributary nature of per‐industrial tributary empires. Darwin's analysis concentrates on modern overseas empires, wholly different in character as they involved the transportation of consumption items for the many rather than luxury goods for the few. Darwin is especially good at describing the conditions of existence of late nineteenth century empires, noting that their demise was caused most of all by the failure of balance of power politics in Europe. Concluding thoughts are offered about the USA.
Determinants of the Formation of a European Identity among Children: Individual‐ and School‐Level Influences
Authors: AGIRDAG ORHAN , HUYST PETRA , VAN HOUTTE MIEKE
Published: September 2011

While a growing number of studies have been conducted on European identification, very few of them have examined how children form their sense of European identity. This article investigates the impact of individual‐ and school‐level characteristics on children's formation of a European identity. Multi‐level analyses of data from 2,845 pupils (aged 10–14) in 68 Belgian primary schools revealed that family socio‐economic status (SES), ethnicity, gender and the school's SES make‐up influence the extent to which children identify as European; age, religion and school sector do not. The study clarifies the importance of examining how children form their European identity.