bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mass support for global climate agreements depends on institutional design
Authors: Bechtel Michael M. , Scheve Kenneth F.
Published: July 2013

Effective climate mitigation requires international cooperation, and these global efforts need broad public support to be sustainable over the long run. We provide estimates of public support for different types of climate agreements in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Using data from a large-scale experimental survey, we explore how three key dimensions of global climate cooperation—costs and distribution, participation, and enforcement—affect individuals’ willingness to support these international efforts. We find that design features have significant effects on public support. Specifically, our results indicate that support is higher for global climate agreements that involve lower costs, distribute costs according to prominent fairness principles, encompass more countries, and include a small sanction if a country fails to meet its emissions reduction targets. In contrast to well-documented baseline differences in public support for climate mitigation efforts, opinion responds similarly to changes in climate policy design in all four countries. We also find that the effects of institutional design features can bring about decisive changes in the level of public support for a global climate agreement. Moreover, the results appear consistent with the view that the sensitivity of public support to design features reflects underlying norms of reciprocity and individuals’ beliefs about the potential effectiveness of specific agreements.
‘Heritage talks. Heritage calls’: some instances of the canonisation policy of John Paul II in Italy
Authors: Ciciliot Valentina
Published: July 2013

During his long pontificate, John Paul II pursued a wide and carefully articulated policy of canonisations whose aim was to underwrite his magisterium by presenting hagiographical models that would convey well-defined pastoral teaching and contain both ecclesiastical and ecclesiological messages for the faithful. The high number of Italians declared blessed and/or made saints analysed in the present article is proof of the special interest the Pope showed in Italy and specifically in the sanctity of the country. The high concentration of beatifications and canonisations of hagiographical figures from Italy can be explained only in part by the canonical system, which regulates the process of canonisation and which makes it easier to open and support a cause, above all from a financial point of view, if the pressure group behind the candidate for sainthood is located near the Vatican. More precisely, what emerges is both the attempt to create a specific public image of Italy as a nation which has been a historic stronghold of Catholicism and is still capable of reacting to secularisation, and the objective of laying down more effective guidelines and robust directives for civil society. In other words, by proposing Italian hagiographical models, John Paul II was striving to mould Italy's national identity in a Christian form, conferring on the country the role of model for other European states.
Some results and open questions on spaceability in function spaces
Authors: Enflo Per , Gurariy Vladimir , Seoane-Sepúlveda Juan
Published: July 2013

A subset

M
M

of a topological vector space

X
X

is called lineable (respectively, spaceable) in

X
X

if there exists an infinite dimensional linear space (respectively, an infinite dimensional closed linear space)

Y
⊂
M
∪
{
0
}

Y \subset M\cup \{0\}

. In this article we prove that, for every infinite dimensional closed subspace

X
X

of

C

[
0
,
1
]

\mathcal {C}[0,1]

, the set of functions in

X
X

having infinitely many zeros in

[
0
,
1
]

[0,1]

is spaceable in

X
X

. We discuss problems related to these concepts for certain subsets of some important classes of Banach spaces (such as

C

[
0
,
1
]

\mathcal {C}[0,1]

or Müntz spaces). We also propose several open questions in the field and study the properties of a new concept that we call the oscillating spectrum of subspaces of

C

[
0
,
1
]

\mathcal {C}[0,1]

, as well as oscillating and annulling properties of subspaces of

C

[
0
,
1
]

\mathcal {C}[0,1]

.
How to Do Things with Time
Authors: Raff Daniel M. G.
Published: July 2013

Sample selection bias is a common problem in the business history literature. This paper proposes methods for researching and writing the history of firms and industries designed to address the problem. The key elements are a forward-looking perspective and close attention to the development over time of selection environments, the resources individual firms can mobilize, and understanding an agency within the firm or firms.
The Best of All Possible Marriages: Voltaire and Frederick in
Paméla
Authors: Fowler James
Published: July 2013

A recent edition of Voltaire's
Paméla
(1750–53) by Jonathan Mallinson emphasizes that it exists ‘on the border of truth and fiction, of openness and concealment’. In the first letter of
Paméla
, Voltaire describes a landscape of exceptional natural beauty, near Cleves; but he also reveals that in this case nature has been arranged according to human design. The only visible evidence of this is a statue of Minerva. Yet it turns out that, in a sense, ‘all is art’ here, for a former count of Nassau-Siegen had ordered the entire scene to be landscaped. Set within
Paméla
, this passage functions as a
mise en abyme
, for Voltaire's text too cultivates an artful appearance of naturalness. This article shows how the
philosophe
initially presents his text as a spontaneous ‘fatras de prose et de vers’, but cannot resist hinting at the art that subtends the whole.
Household Balance Sheets, Consumption, and the Economic Slump*
Authors: Mian Atif , Rao Kamalesh , Sufi Amir
Published: July 2013

We investigate the consumption consequences of the 2006–9 housing collapse using the highly unequal geographic distribution of wealth losses across the United States. We estimate a large elasticity of consumption with respect to housing net worth of 0.6 to 0.8, which soundly rejects the hypothesis of full consumption risk-sharing. The average marginal propensity to consume (MPC) out of housing wealth is 5–7 cents with substantial heterogeneity across ZIP codes. ZIP codes with poorer and more levered households have a significantly higher MPC out of housing wealth. In line with the MPC result, ZIP codes experiencing larger wealth losses, particularly those with poorer and more levered households, experience a larger reduction in credit limits, refinancing likelihood, and credit scores. Our findings highlight the role of debt and the geographic distribution of wealth shocks in explaining the large and unequal decline in consumption from 2006 to 2009.
Percutaneous Kyphoplasty in the Treatment of Osteoblastic-related Spinal Metastases
Authors: Zhang Hong-Tao , Chen Guang-Dong , Yang Hui-Lin , Luo Zong-Ping
Published: July 2013

Study Design:

A retrospective study.

Objective:

To evaluate the feasibility, efficacy, and safety of percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP) for the treatment of painful osteoblastic-related spinal metastases unresponsive to conservative treatments.

Summary of Background Data:

PKP represents a powerful tool in the management of oncology patients who suffer from painful osteolytic spinal lesions. However, to our knowledge, there have been no reports on the role of PKP in the treatment of osteoblastic metastatic spinal lesions. In this study, we evaluate the potential efficacy of kyphoplasty for the treatment of painful osteoblastic spinal metastases unresponsive to conservative treatments.

Methods:

A retrospective study was performed on 13 patients managed with PKP for painful osteoblastic-related spinal metastases. Visual analog scale pain score and Oswestry disability index questionnaire were used to assess back pain and functional status, respectively.

Results:

The average visual analog scale pain score before the treatment was 8.5±0.5 compared with 2.0±0.8 at 3 days after the procedure (P<0.001), and remained largely unchanged from 1.6±0.5 at 1 month, 1.5±0.5 at 3 months to 2.2±0.7 at the last follow-up. The Oswestry disability index scores decreased from 77.2±8.2 before the surgery to 34.6±7.4 at 3 days after the operation (P<0.001), 32.2±6.1 at 1 month, 30.2±5.9 at 3 months, and 34.5±6.7 at the last follow-up. No symptomatic cement leakage and PKP-related complications were found after operation.

Conclusions:

PKP is an effective, safe, and minimally invasive procedure to treat painful osteoblastic spinal metastases, leading to a significant reduction of pain and improvement of functional status.
The lanky and the corky: fire‐escape strategies in savanna woody species
Authors: Dantas Vinícius de L. , Pausas Juli G.
Published: July 2013

Fire and herbivory are the main disturbances shaping the structure of savannas. In these ecosystems, the key strategies by which woody plants escape fire are either early height growth (the lanky strategy) or early bark growth (the corky strategy). We hypothesize that the dominance of each strategy in different savannas depends on the prevailing disturbance regimes. Given the importance of herbivory in afrotropical savanna, we expect woody plants in these savannas to be taller and have thinner barks (the lanky strategy) than plants in neotropical savanna where fire tends to be more intense (the corky strategy).

We compiled data on bark thickness and stem height in relation to stem diameter for afrotropical and neotropical savanna woody species and tested for differences in the allometric relationship between these two savannas with a general linear mixed model (GLMM).

Fire intensities were higher in neotropical than in afrotropical savannas. Afrotropical savanna plants were taller and had thinner barks for a given diameter than neotropical savanna plants – supporting our hypothesis that because of the contrasting disturbance regimes, the lanky strategy is more adaptive in afrotropical savannas, whereas the corky strategy is more adaptive in neotropical savannas.

Synthesis. While the lanky strategy is more associated with heavily browsed and fuel‐controlled savannas, the corky strategy is associated with lightly browsed savannas that experience more intense fires. Because the relative role of disturbances varies across the globe, we suggest that the height‐bark‐diameter scheme is a powerful framework for understanding the ecology of many savannas.
MC(MC)MC: exploring Monte Carlo integration within MCMC for mark–recapture models with individual covariates
Authors: Bonner Simon , Schofield Matthew
Published: July 2013

Estimating abundance from mark–recapture data is challenging when capture probabilities vary among individuals.

Initial solutions to this problem were based on fitting conditional likelihoods and estimating abundance as a derived parameter. More recently, Bayesian methods using full likelihoods have been implemented via reversible jump Markov chain Monte Carlo sampling (RJMCMC) or data augmentation (DA). The latter approach is easily implemented in available software and has been applied to fit models that allow for heterogeneity in both open and closed populations. However, both RJMCMC and DA may be inefficient when modelling large populations.

We describe an alternative approach using Monte Carlo (MC) integration to approximate the posterior density within a Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) sampling scheme. We show how this Monte Carlo within MCMC (MCWM) approach may be used to fit a simple, closed population model including a single individual covariate and present results from a simulation study comparing RJMCMC, DA and MCWM. We found that MCWM can provide accurate inference about population size and can be more efficient than both RJMCMC and DA. The efficiency of MCWM can also be improved by using advanced MC methods like antithetic sampling.

Finally, we apply MCWM to estimate the abundance of meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus) at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in 1982 allowing for capture probabilities to vary as a function body mass.
Comparison of Hemodynamics in the Ascending Aorta Between Pulsatile and Continuous Flow Left Ventricular Assist Devices Using Computational Fluid Dynamics Based on Computed Tomography Images
Authors: Karmonik Christof , Partovi Sasan , Schmack Bastian , Weymann Alexander , Loebe Matthias , Noon George P. , Piontek Patrizia , Karck Matthias , Lumsden Alan B. , Ruhparwar Arjang
Published: July 2013

This study aims to investigate differences in hemodynamic conditions in the thoracic aorta for pulsatile and continuous‐flow left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Patient‐specific models were reconstructed from three patients with continuous‐flow LVAD (HeartMate II, Thoratec Corporation) and three patients with biventricular assist devices (Excor, Berlin Heart) where only the aortic part was included in the simulations. CFD simulations were performed with constant inflow for the continuous‐flow LVADs and time‐varying inflow for the pulsatile devices. Differences in flow patterns, wall shear stress (WSS), and dynamic pressure in the ascending aorta were compared for both cases. Retrograde flow patterns were observed in all cases proximal to the location of the outflow cannula anastomosis site. On average, dynamic pressures derived from the retrograde flow velocities were higher in the continuous‐flow group with large variations dependent on the angle of the cannula anastomosis relative to the ascending aorta (continuous group: 0.14 ± 0.2 mm Hg, pulsatile group: 0.013 ± 0.008 mm Hg). Elevated WSS contralaterally to the anastomosis site was observed in three of the six models with higher values for the continuous cases. Lower WSS and reduced pressure in the ascending aorta, both favorable hemodynamic conditions, were found in pulsatile versus continuous‐flow LVADs by means of CFD. These findings indicate, along with clinical observations reported by others, the superior performance of pulsatile LVADs.
Stem cell‐based treatment in geographic atrophy: promises and pitfalls
Authors: Kvanta Anders , Grudzinska Monika K.
Published: July 2013

Geographic atrophy is a common and untreatable form of advanced age‐related macular degeneration. The degeneration primarily affects the retinal pigment epithelium and photoreceptors of the retina and their restoration by cell transplantation seems attractive. Recently, a patient with geographic atrophy was the first human to receive cells derived from human embryonic stem cells. In this short review, the rationale, potential and obstacles for stem cell‐derived therapy in geographic atrophy are discussed.
Histopathological changes in the lungs from dogs with tick paralysis: 25 cases (2010–2012)
Authors: Webster RA , Mackie JT , Haskins SC
Published: July 2013

Objective

To determine the prevalence and nature of histological lung lesions in dogs with tick paralysis.

Methods

A prospective study of 25 client‐owned dogs that died during treatment for tick paralysis or were euthanased because of either the severity of the disease process or financial constraints was conducted at a veterinary emergency hospital in Queensland, Australia. Lung specimens were collected postmortem for histopathological examination.

Results

All 25 dogs had significant pulmonary changes: 9 exhibited congestion and alveolar oedema, with no obvious inflammatory cell infiltrate; 1 exhibited a mild increase in the number of alveolar macrophages in addition to congestion and alveolar oedema; the remaining 15 dogs had moderate or severe bronchopneumonia, with 2 showing evidence of aspiration pneumonia.

Conclusion

Dogs with clinically severe tick paralysis are likely to have pulmonary parenchymal disease. Bronchopneumonia may be present in a significant proportion of cases and may reflect aspiration.
Empiric antibiotics for an elevated prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) level: a randomised, prospective, controlled multi‐institutional trial
Authors: Eggener Scott E. , Large Michael C. , Gerber Glenn S. , Pettus Joseph , Yossepowitch Ofer , Smith Norm D. , Kundu Shilajit , Kunnavakkam Rangesh , Zorn Kevin , Raman Jay D.
Published: July 2013

Objective

To determine the impact of empiric antibiotics on men with an elevated prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) level.

Subjects/Patients and Methods

Men of any age with a PSA level of >2.5 ng/mL and normal digital rectal examination undergoing their first prostate biopsy were recruited from five medical centres.

Patients with previous biopsy, prostate cancer, urinary tract infection (UTI) or prostatitis within the prior year, antibiotic use within 1 month, 5α‐reductase inhibitor use, allergy to fluoroquinolones or clinical suspicion of UTI were excluded.

Men were randomised to 2 weeks of ciprofloxacin or no antibiotic. A PSA measurement was obtained 21–45 days after randomisation immediately before prostate biopsy.

The primary endpoint was the change in PSA level between baseline and immediately before biopsy.

Results

Complete data were available for 77 men with a mean (interquartile range) age of 60.6 (53–66) years.

In the control group of men not receiving antibiotic (39 men), the mean baseline and pre‐biopsy PSA levels were 6.5 and 6.9 ng/mL, respectively (P = 0.8).

In men receiving ciprofloxacin (38 men), the mean baseline PSA level was 7.6 ng/mL and after 2 weeks of ciprofloxacin was 8.5 ng/mL (P = 0.7).

Compared with controls not receiving antibiotic, use of ciprofloxacin was not associated with a statistically significant change in PSA level (P = 0.33).

Prostate cancer was detected in 36 (47%) men, 23 (59%) in the control group and 13 (34%) in the antibiotic group (P = 0.04). Detection rates were not significantly associated with the change in PSA level between baseline and biopsy. The primary limitation of the study is early stoppage due to an interim futility analysis and poor accrual.

Conclusion

Despite not meeting the target accrual goal, empiric use of antibiotics for asymptomatic men with an elevated PSA level does not appear to be of clinical benefit.
Diabetes mellitus and cancer risk: Pooled analysis of eight cohort studies in Japan
Authors: Sasazuki Shizuka , Charvat Hadrien , Hara Azusa , Wakai Kenji , Nagata Chisato , Nakamura Kozue , Tsuji Ichiro , Sugawara Yumi , Tamakoshi Akiko , Matsuo Keitaro , Oze Isao , Mizoue Tetsuya , Tanaka Keitaro , Inoue Manami , Tsugane Shoichiro ,   for the Research Group for the Development and Evaluation of Cancer Prevention Strategies in Japan
Published: July 2013

Although a growing body of evidence suggests a link between diabetes and cancer, it is not clear whether diabetes independently increases the risk of cancer. We conducted a comprehensive assessment of the association between pre‐existing diabetes and total and site‐specific cancer risk based on a pooled analysis of eight cohort studies in Japan (>330 000 subjects). We estimated a summary hazard ratio by pooling study‐specific hazard ratios for total and site‐specific cancer by using a random‐effects model. A statistically increased risk was observed for cancers at specific sites, such as colon (hazard ratio; HR = 1.40), liver (HR = 1.97), pancreas (HR = 1.85) and bile duct (HR = 1.66; men only). Increased risk was also suggested for other sites, and diabetes mellitus was associated with an overall 20% increased risk in total cancer incidence in the Japanese population. The association between these two diseases has important implications for reiterating the importance of controlling lifestyle factors and may suggest a possible strategy for cancer screening among patients with diabetes. Studies continuously investigating the risk factors for diabetes are also important.
Effects of a national economic crisis on dental habits and checkup behaviors – a prospective cohort study
Authors: McClure Christopher Bruce , Sæmundsson Sigurður Rúnar
Published: July 2013

Objectives

The effects of economic recessions on dental health behaviors and care utilization are vastly unexamined. Thus, we aimed to ascertain changes in dental health behaviors and checkup frequency from before to after the start of the 2008 Icelandic economic collapse using a nationally representative, prospective cohort – the Health and Wellbeing in Iceland cohort.

Methods

Participants in the cohort (n = 4100) were contacted first from October to December of 2007 and again from November to December of 2009. The questionnaires assessed respondent's demographics, dental behaviors (brushing, flossing), and dental checkup frequency. We present odds ratios derived from multivariate logistic regression of visiting a dentist annually after the collapse compared with before, as well as odds ratios of daily brushing and flossing habits.

Results

Overall, there was no strong evidence for drastic changes in dental health behaviors as from 2007 to 2009. However, employed men (odds ratio 1.29; 95% confidence interval 1.07–1.54) – as well as unemployed women (1.98; 1.00–3.92) – experienced increased odds of visiting a dentist at least annually. Additionally, men were more likely to brush (1.42; 1.05–1.93) and floss daily (1.20; 1.03–1.42) after the collapse compared with before.

Conclusions

Overall, it seems as if the collapse did not have drastic negative effects on dental health behaviors of the population in Iceland. Our findings suggest that men may have opted for healthier dental health behaviors following the national economic collapse in 2008.
Risk factors associated with methylisothiazolinone contact sensitization
Authors: Uter Wolfgang , Geier Johannes , Bauer Andrea , Schnuch Axel
Published: July 2013

Background

The preservative methylisothiazolinone (MI) has become an important allergen, with a dramatic increase in sensitization prevalence being seen over the last few years.

Objective

To examine risk factors associated with MI sensitization, in order to identify targets of prevention aimed at curtailing the present epidemic.

Methods

On the basis of contact allergy surveillance data collected by the Information Network of Departments of Dermatology (www.ivkd.org), 2009–2012, in the course of 28 922 patch tests with MI, 500 ppm in water, included in a series of cosmetic preservatives, logistic regression analysis was employed to quantify the risk associated with a number of putative risk factors.

Results

The prevalence of MI sensitization increased from 1.94% in 2009 to 6.02% in 2012, the increase being mainly driven by female patients aged ≥ 40 years, patients with face dermatitis, and the use of cosmetics. Adjusted multifactorial analysis additionally identified several occupations (e.g. painters and beauticians) and ano‐genital dermatitis as risk factors for MI sensitization.

Conclusions

The present use concentrations of MI, both cosmetic and industrial, are too high; (self‐)regulatory action is urgently needed. MI should be added to the baseline series.
Prominent follicular mucinosis with diffuse scalp alopecia resembling alopecia areata
Authors: Missall Tricia A. , Hurley M. Yadira , Burkemper Nicole M.
Published: July 2013

A 56‐year‐old Caucasian female presented with a 2‐month history of alopecia. On examination, she had diffuse hair loss of her scalp with some discrete patches of nonscarring alopecia. Histopathology revealed an inflammatory nonscarring alopecia with prominent follicular mucinosis and findings suggestive of alopecia areata. The patient's alopecia completely resolved with oral prednisone. The histopathologic findings and clinical presentation are most consistent with a diagnosis of alopecia areata with follicular mucinosis, although the differential diagnosis is broad. As follicular mucinosis may be associated with both benign and malignant conditions, it is important to be cautious regarding the clinical diagnosis when this reaction pattern is observed histopathologically.
Complete Spontaneous Left Heart and Aortic Thromboses on Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Support
Authors: Ramjee Vimal , Shreenivas Satya , Rame Jesus Eduardo , Kirkpatrick James N. , Jagasia Dinesh
Published: July 2013

Mini‐Abstract

There is an increasing prevalence of mechanical assist device use in patients with end‐stage heart failure. With a growing number of intra‐ and postoperative cardiac thrombotic events in the setting of mechanical assist devices, recognition of this entity is becoming increasingly salient to the clinical management of this population. The case presented herein is notable for multiple reasons: (1) the thrombus demonstrated involves the entire left atrium, left ventricle, and proximal ascending aorta; (2) thrombosis did not occur in the setting of previously described triggers, including fresh frozen plasma, protamine, or intrinsic hypercoagulable state; and finally, (3) thrombosis occurred with therapeutic heparin levels.
Role of the adhesion molecule CD99 in platelet–neutrophil interactions
Authors: Pliyev Boris K. , Shepelev Alexander V. , Ivanova Anna V.
Published: July 2013

The interaction of platelets with neutrophils plays an important role in inflammation and thrombosis and is coordinated by multiple adhesive interactions. The adhesion molecule CD99 is a key mediator of neutrophil migration across the endothelium but whether it is involved in platelet–neutrophil adhesive interactions has not previously been addressed. We found that platelet CD99 is predominantly localized on the cell surface and is not shed following platelet activation. Blocking of either platelet or neutrophil CD99 significantly diminished neutrophil migration across surface‐adherent activated platelets in a quantitatively equivalent manner. In contrast, the blocking of CD99 affected neither neutrophil adhesion to surface‐adherent activated platelets nor formation of circulating platelet–neutrophil conjugates. Thus, homophilic CD99 interaction mediates neutrophil transplatelet migration but is not involved or is redundant in neutrophil adhesion to surface‐adherent or circulating platelets.
A method to develop a unified fatigue life prediction model for filled natural rubbers under uniaxial loads
Authors: Wang Xiao‐Li , Shangguan Wen‐Bin , Rakheja Subhash , Li Wu‐Cheng , Yu Bin
Published: July 2013

Rubber components are widely used in many fields because of their superior elastic properties. Fatigue failures, commonly encountered in rubber components, however, remain a critical issue. In this study, the effect of strain ratio R on the fatigue life of filled natural rubbers used in automotive mounts is investigated experimentally and numerically. A uniaxial tension/compression fatigue experiment was conducted on dumb‐bell cylindrical rubber specimens subject to loads representing different R ratios. The experimental fatigue data are used to formulate two preliminary fatigue models based on peak strain and strain amplitude as the damage parameters. The deficiencies of these two models in predicting fatigue life over a wide range of R ratios are discussed, and an alternative life prediction model is proposed. The proposed model incorporates the effect of R ratio using an equivalent strain amplitude. It is shown that the proposed model could effectively predict fatigue life over a wide range of R ratios with an improved accuracy.
Retrospective analysis of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) marine growth and condition in the northwest Atlantic based on tag‐recovery data
Authors: Miller Alicia S. , Miller Timothy J. , Mills Katherine E. , Sheehan Timothy F.
Published: July 2013

The life history of North American Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) is characterized by extensive round‐trip migrations between freshwater rearing habitats and marine feeding grounds off the coasts of Canada and Greenland. Growth is rapid during the marine migration, and growth rate and condition factor may be indicators of salmon health during this period. Growth data were evaluated from a tag‐recovery program conducted from 1969 to 1991 using hatchery‐reared Atlantic salmon smolts released in the Penobscot River, Maine, U.S.A. Information from recaptures of 3167 salmon that were at large in the marine environment for 1 month to 3 yr was analyzed. Length–weight measurements coupled with time‐at‐large data were used to estimate von Bertalanffy and allometric growth parameters specific to the marine phase. Variations in growth and condition factor in relation to smolt age, release date, and temperature conditions in the northwest Atlantic were also examined. The von Bertalanffy k parameter declined with ordinal release date, indicating faster growth rates during the first year of smolts released earlier in the spring. The 2‐yr‐old smolts had a larger k than 1‐yr‐old smolts, although 1‐yr‐old smolts grew to a larger asymptotic size. Sea surface temperature had variable effects on growth parameters and condition factor, with temperature at the beginning of the migration and in overwintering habitat during the first year at sea having the greatest influence on length–weight relationships. Determining the mechanisms that influence growth of individuals during the marine phase will help elucidate the factors responsible for historic growth trends, establishing a baseline for current research.
The influence of weather on the flight altitude of nocturnal migrants in mid‐latitudes
Authors: Kemp Michael U. , Shamoun‐Baranes Judy , Dokter Adriaan M. , van Loon Emiel , Bouten Willem
Published: July 2013

By altering its flight altitude, a bird can change the atmospheric conditions it experiences during migration. Although many factors may influence a bird's choice of altitude, wind is generally accepted as being the most influential. However, the influence of wind is not clearly understood, particularly outside the trade‐wind zone, and other factors may play a role. We used operational weather radar to measure the flight altitudes of nocturnally migrating birds during spring and autumn in the Netherlands. We first assessed whether the nocturnal altitudinal distribution of proportional bird density could be explained by the vertical distribution of wind support using three different methods. We then used generalized additive models to assess which atmospheric variables, in addition to altitude, best explained variability in proportional bird density per altitudinal layer each night. Migrants generally remained at low altitudes, and flight altitude explained 52 and 73% of the observed variability in proportional bird density in spring and autumn, respectively. Overall, there were weak correlations between altitudinal distributions of wind support and proportional bird density. Improving tailwind support with height increased the probability of birds climbing to higher altitude, but when birds did fly higher than normal, they generally concentrated around the lowest altitude with acceptable wind conditions. The generalized additive model analysis also indicated an influence of temperature on flight altitudes, suggesting that birds avoided colder layers. These findings suggested that birds increased flight altitudes to seek out more supportive winds when wind conditions near the surface were prohibitive. Thus, birds did not select flight altitudes only to optimize wind support. Rather, they preferred to fly at low altitudes unless wind conditions there were unsupportive of migration. Overall, flight altitudes of birds in relation to environmental conditions appear to reflect a balance between different adaptive pressures.
The effect of wearing loupes on upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders among dental hygienists
Authors: Hayes MJ , Osmotherly PG , Taylor JA , Smith DR , Ho A
Published: July 2013

Objectives

It is well established that musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) are a significant occupational health issue for dentists and hygienists. Despite this, there has been little advancement in the application of ergonomic principles in the dental profession. While the use of loupes is often promoted as an ergonomic solution, there is little published research to robustly support this claim. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of the use of loupes on upper extremity MSD among dental hygienists.

Methods

The study was conducted using an exploratory pretest and post‐test design, comparing musculoskeletal measures in practising dental hygienists wearing loupes with final‐year dental hygiene students who did not wear loupes. Pre‐ and post‐test measures included valid self‐reported and objective outcome measures and were measured at baseline and 6 months following the intervention. Statistical analysis was conducted as a series of mixed anovas with time and treatment as the independent variables.

Results

The analysis revealed a significant interaction between time and treatment for the Disabilities of the Shoulder, Arm and Hand (DASH) scores (P < 0.04), indicating an improvement in symptoms for the treatment group but a reversed trend for the controls. There was also a significant mean increase in scapular position measures; however, this finding was evident in both groups, indicating that these were not a result of the intervention.

Conclusions

Overall, this study suggests that wearing loupes appears to have both positive and negative effects on upper extremity MSD among dental hygienists. Ongoing research is required to determine the long‐term effects of loupes wear, over an extended period of time.
Amphetamine stimulates movement through thalamocortical glutamate release
Authors: Mabrouk Omar S. , Semaan Daniel Z. , Mikelman Sarah , Gnegy Margaret E. , Kennedy Robert T.
Published: July 2013

The ventrolateral thalamus (VL) is a primary relay point between the basal ganglia and the primary motor cortex (M1). Using dual probe microdialysis and locomotor behavior monitoring, we investigated the contribution of VL input into M1 during amphetamine (AMPH)‐stimulated monoamine release and hyperlocomotion in rats. Tetrodotoxin (10 μM) perfusion into the VL significantly lowered hyperactivity induced by AMPH (1 mg/kg i.p.). This behavioral response corresponded to reduced cortical glutamate and monoamine release. To determine which glutamate receptors the thalamocortical projections acted upon, we perfused either the α‐amino‐3‐(3‐hydroxy‐5‐methyl‐isoxazol‐4‐yl)propanoic acid (AMPA)/kainate receptor antagonist 2,3‐dihydroxy‐6‐nitro‐7‐sulfamoyl‐benzo[f]quinoxaline‐2,3‐dione (NBQX) (10 μM) or the N‐methyl‐D‐aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor antagonist (MK‐801) intracortically followed by systemic AMPH. The results show that AMPA/kainate, and to a lesser extent NMDA receptors, mediated the observed effects. As glutamate–monoamine interactions could possibly occur through local or circuit‐based mechanisms, we isolated and perfused M1 tissue ex vivo to determine the extent of local glutamate–dopamine interactions. Taken together, these results demonstrate that AMPH generates hyperlocomotive states via thalamocortical signaling and that cortical AMPA receptors are an important mediator of these effects.

image

This study utilizes dual probe microdialysis sampling and comprehensive LC‐MS analysis to determine the effects of amphetamine (1 mg/kg i.p.) on thalamocortical neurotransmission. Using pharmacological tools such as local thalamic tetrodotoxin (TTX) perfusion and glutamate antagonist at the cortical level, we demonstrate that thalamocortical glutamate (acting primarily through cortical AMPA receptors) is an essential component in amphetamine‐induced hyperlocomotion.
Duration of Executive Compensation
Authors: GOPALAN RADHAKRISHNAN , MILBOURN TODD , SONG FENGHUA , THAKOR ANJAN V.
Published: July 2013

Extensive discussions on the inefficiencies of “short‐termism” in executive compensation notwithstanding, little is known empirically about the extent of such short‐termism. We develop a novel measure of executive pay duration that reflects the vesting periods of different pay components, thereby quantifying the extent to which compensation is short‐term. We calculate pay duration in various industries and document its correlation with firm characteristics. Pay duration is longer in firms with more growth opportunities, more long‐term assets, greater R&D intensity, lower risk, and better recent stock performance. Longer CEO pay duration is negatively related to the extent of earnings‐increasing accruals.
A Randomized Trial on Simplified and Conventional Methods for Complete Denture Fabrication: Cost Analysis
Authors: Vecchia Maria Paula Della , Regis Rômulo Rocha , Cunha Tatiana Ramirez , de Andrade Ingrid Machado , da Matta Julio César Souza , de Souza Raphael Freitas
Published: July 2013

Purpose

This study aimed to quantify the costs of complete denture fabrication by a simplified method compared with a conventional protocol.

Materials and Methods

A sample of edentulous patients needing conventional maxillary and mandibular complete dentures was randomly divided into group S, which received dentures fabricated by a simplified method, and group C, which received conventionally fabricated dentures. We calculated direct and indirect costs for each participant including unscheduled procedures. This study assessed 19 and 20 participants allocated into groups S and C, respectively, and comparisons between groups were conducted by the Mann‐Whitney and Student'st‐test (α = 0.05).

Results

Complete denture fabrication demanded median time periods of 173.2 and 284.5 minutes from the operator for groups S and C respectively, and 46.6 and 61.7 minutes from the dental assistant (significant differences,p< 0.05). There was no difference between groups regarding postinsertion adjustments. Group S showed lower values for costs with materials and time spent by patients than group C during the fabrication stage, but not during adjustments.

Conclusions

The median direct cost of complete denture treatment was 34.9% lower for the simplified method. It can be concluded that the simplified method is less costly for patients and the health system when compared with a conventional protocol for the rehabilitation of edentulous patients.
Coverage of Denture Teeth with Tin Foil for Radiographic Guide Fabrication
Authors: Alhashim Abdulmohsin , Chesla Edward Robert
Published: July 2013

A novel technique using the patient's existing complete dentures as a radiographic guide for diagnosis and treatment planning in implant dentistry is presented. Tin foil is used to cover the denture teeth before the radiographic scan is performed. Advantages of the described technique include its cost‐effectiveness, simplicity, efficiency, and lack of need to modify or duplicate the patient's existing dentures. A disadvantage of the technique is that it serves only as a radiographic guide.
Effect of plasticiser type on the hot melt extrusion of venlafaxine hydrochloride
Authors: Bounartzi Melina , Panagopoulou Athanasia , Kantiranis Nikolaos , Malamataris Stavros , Nikolakakis Ioannis
Published: July 2013

Objectives

During hot melt extrusion (HME), phase changes and interactions due to thermo-mechanical stresses affect the drug incorporation into polymeric matrices. Two HME compositions of venlafaxine HCl with Eudragit RSPO (Evonic, Darmstadt, Germany) as the matrix polymer and either citric acid monohydrate (CAMH) or Lutrol F127 (BASF, Ludwigshafen, Germany) as plasticisers were compared.

Methods

Miscibility and extrusion temperatures were elucidated based on solubility parameters and differential scanning calorimetry. Thermal changes in the extruded melts and their respective physical mixtures were compared. Powder X-ray diffraction was applied to detect changes in crystallinity and fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy for chemical interactions.

Key findings

Both plasticisers (15%) enabled extrusion easily. With Lutrol, the drug remained crystalline, whereas with CAMH a single-phase amorphous transparent extrudate was obtained. Differences between the thermographs of extruded and physical mixtures indicated the importance of mechanical stresses in the single-screw extruder. In the FT-IR spectrum of Eudragit/CAMH/drug extrudate, the abscence of the peak due to venlafaxine OH and the merging of the two peaks due to CAMH carbonyl, into one, indicated esterification.

Conclusions

CAMH and Lutrol have different reactivities towards venlafaxine HCl and also different plasticising mechanisms for Eudragit RSPO because of hydrogen bonding and because of similar overall molecular attractive forces, respectively.
Vascular Dysfunction in Preeclampsia
Authors: Brennan Lesley J. , Morton Jude S. , Davidge Sandra T.
Published: July 2013

Preeclampsia is a complex disorder which affects an estimated 5% of all pregnancies worldwide. It is diagnosed by hypertension in the presence of proteinuria after the 20th week of pregnancy and is a prominent cause of maternal morbidity and mortality. As delivery is currently the only known treatment, preeclampsia is also a leading cause of preterm delivery. Preeclampsia is associated with maternal vascular dysfunction, leading to serious cardiovascular risk both during and following pregnancy. Endothelial dysfunction, resulting in increased peripheral resistance, is an integral part of the maternal syndrome. While the cause of preeclampsia remains unknown, placental ischemia resulting from aberrant placentation is a fundamental characteristic of the disorder. Poor placentation is believed to stimulate the release of a number of factors including pro‐ and antiangiogenic factors and inflammatory activators into the maternal systemic circulation. These factors are critical mediators of vascular function and impact the endothelium in distinctive ways, including enhanced endothelial oxidative stress. The mechanisms of action and the consequences on the maternal vasculature will be discussed in this review.
Identification of Instantaneous Modal Parameter of Time‐Varying Systems via a Wavelet‐Based Approach and Its Application
Authors: Su W. C. , Liu C. Y. , Huang C. S.
Published: July 2013

This work presents an efficient approach using time‐varying autoregressive with exogenous input (TVARX) model and a substructure technique to identify the instantaneous modal parameters of a linear time‐varying structure and its substructures. The identified instantaneous natural frequencies can be used to identify earthquake damage to a building, including the specific floors that are damaged. An appropriate TVARX model of the dynamic responses of a structure or substructure is established using a basis function expansion and regression approach combined with continuous wavelet transform. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is validated using numerically simulated earthquake responses of a five‐storey shear building with time‐varying stiffness and damping coefficients. In terms of accuracy in determining the instantaneous modal parameters of a structure from noisy responses, the proposed approach is superior to typical basis function expansion and regression approach. The proposed method is further applied to process the dynamic responses of an eight‐storey steel frame in shaking table tests to identify its instantaneous modal parameters and to locate the storeys whose columns yielded under a strong base excitation.
Several developmental and morphogenetic factors govern the evolution of stomatal patterning in land plants
Authors: Rudall Paula J. , Hilton Jason , Bateman Richard M.
Published: July 2013

We evaluate stomatal development in terms of its primary morphogenetic factors and place it in a phylogenetic context, including clarification of the contrasting specialist terms that are used by different sets of researchers. The genetic and structural bases for stomatal development are well conserved and increasingly well understood in extant taxa, but many phylogenetically crucial plant lineages are known only from fossils, in which it is problematic to infer development. For example, specialized lateral subsidiary cells that occur adjacent to the guard cells in some taxa can be derived either from the same cell lineage as the guard cells or from an adjacent cell file. A potentially key factor in land‐plant evolution is the presence (mesogenous type) or absence (perigenous type) of at least one asymmetric division in the cell lineage leading to the guard‐mother cell. However, the question whether perigenous or mesogenous development is ancestral in land plants cannot yet be answered definitively based on existing data. Establishment of ‘fossil fingerprints’ as developmental markers is critical for understanding the evolution of stomatal patterning. Long cell–short cell alternation in the developing leaf epidermis indicates that the stomata are derived from an asymmetric mitosis. Other potential developmental markers include nonrandom stomatal orientation and a range of variation in relative sizes of epidermal cells. Records of occasional giant stomata in fossil bennettites could indicate development of a similar type to early‐divergent angiosperms.

Contents

Summary
598

I.
Introduction
599

II.
One‐cell spacing
601

III.
Paired guard cells
601

IV.
Asymmetric cell divisions
604

V.
Leaf development and stomatal orientation
606

VI.
Lateral subsidiary cells
607

VII.
Amplifying divisions
608

VIII.
Conclusions
610

Acknowledgements
611

References
611
The evolutionary paths towards complexity: a metabolic perspective
Authors: Weng Jing‐Ke
Published: July 2013

As sessile organisms, land plants have exploited their metabolic systems to produce a panoply of structurally and functionally diverse natural chemicals and polymers to adapt to challenging ecosystems. Many of these core and specialized metabolites confer chemical shields against a multitude of abiotic stresses, while others play important roles in plants' interactions with their biotic environments. Plant specialized metabolites can be viewed as complex traits in the sense that the biosynthesis of these molecules typically requires multistep metabolic pathways comprising numerous specific enzymes belonging to diverse protein fold families. Resolving the evolutionary trajectories underlying the emergence of these specialized metabolic pathways will impact a fundamental question in biology – how do complex traits evolve in a Darwinian fashion? Here, I discuss several general patterns observed in rapidly evolving specialized metabolic systems in plants, and surmise mechanistic features at enzyme, pathway and organismal levels that rationalize the remarkable malleability of these systems through stepwise evolution. Future studies, focused on fine sampling of metabolic enzymes and pathways in phylogenetically related plant species, or employing directed evolution strategies in synthetic systems, will significantly broaden our perspective on how biological complexity arises at the metabolic level.
Genome‐wide association mapping for wood characteristics in Populus identifies an array of candidate single nucleotide polymorphisms
Authors: Porth Ilga , Klapšte Jaroslav , Skyba Oleksandr , Hannemann Jan , McKown Athena D. , Guy Robert D. , DiFazio Stephen P. , Muchero Wellington , Ranjan Priya , Tuskan Gerald A. , Friedmann Michael C. , Ehlting Juergen , Cronk Quentin C. B. , El‐Kassaby Yousry A. , Douglas Carl J. , Mansfield Shawn D.
Published: July 2013

Establishing links between phenotypes and molecular variants is of central importance to accelerate genetic improvement of economically important plant species. Our work represents the first genome‐wide association study to the inherently complex and currently poorly understood genetic architecture of industrially relevant wood traits.

Here, we employed an Illumina Infinium 34K single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping array that generated 29 233 high‐quality SNPs in c. 3500 broad‐based candidate genes within a population of 334 unrelated Populus trichocarpa individuals to establish genome‐wide associations.

The analysis revealed 141 significant SNPs (α ≤ 0.05) associated with 16 wood chemistry/ultrastructure traits, individually explaining 3–7% of the phenotypic variance. A large set of associations (41% of all hits) occurred in candidate genes preselected for their suggested a priori involvement with secondary growth. For example, an allelic variant in the FRA8 ortholog explained 21% of the total genetic variance in fiber length, when the trait's heritability estimate was considered. The remaining associations identified SNPs in genes not previously implicated in wood or secondary wall formation.

Our findings provide unique insights into wood trait architecture and support efforts for population improvement based on desirable allelic variants.