bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Contamination level and ingestion dose of foodborne pathogens associated with infections
Authors: HARA-KUDO Y. , TAKATORI K.
Published: January 2011

Intake of a small dose of foodborne pathogens can cause infection. In this study, an estimation of the infectious dose of the pathogens was obtained by conducting microbiological risk assessments. The contamination levels of foodborne pathogens were analysed in 17 outbreaks of Salmonella, Escherichia coli O157, enterotoxigenic E. coli, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, and Campylobacter jejuni occurring in Japan between 2004 and 2006. The infectious dose was estimated in 14 of the 17 outbreaks utilizing existing data. In three outbreaks of Salmonella infection in which the infection rate was 89–100%, the dose of the ingested pathogens was estimated to be 259 000–14 000 000 000 c.f.u. In other outbreaks of Salmonella infection, the infection rate and dose of the ingested pathogens were 10–66·4% and 81–1560 c.f.u. or most probable number (MPN), respectively. The ingested Salmonella dose is likely to be related to the infection rate; however, storage conditions should be taken into account when making this determination. In an outbreak of E. coli O157 infection, the infection rate and ingestion dose were 100% and 2 to <9 c.f.u., respectively, while in an outbreak of enterotoxigenic E. coli infection, they were 93% and 25–1000 c.f.u., respectively. Finally, in an outbreak of C. jejuni infection, the infection rate and ingestion dose were 37·5% and 360 MPN, respectively. These results will be particularly valuable for risk assessment.
Asymptotics of some nonlinear eigenvalue problems modelling a MEMS Capacitor. Part II: multiple solutions and singular asymptotics
Authors: LINDSAY A. E. , WARD M. J.
Published: January 2011

Some nonlinear eigenvalue problems related to the modelling of the steady-state deflection of an elastic membrane associated with a Micro-Electromechanical System capacitor under a constant applied voltage are analysed using formal asymptotic methods. These problems consist of certain singular perturbations of the basic membrane nonlinear eigenvalue problem Δu= λ/(1 +u)2in Ω withu= 0 on ∂Ω, where Ω is the unit ball in2. It is well known that the radially symmetric solution branch to this basic membrane problem has an infinite fold-point structure with λ → 4/9 as ϵ ≡ 1 − ||u||∞→ 0+. One focus of this paper is to develop a novel singular perturbation method to analytically determine the limiting asymptotic behaviour of this infinite fold-point structure in terms of two constants that must be computed numerically. This theory is then extended to certain generalisations of the basic membrane problem in theN-dimensional unit ball. The second main focus of this paper is to analyse the effect of two distinct perturbations of the basic membrane problem in the unit disk resulting from either a bending energy term of the form −δΔ2uto the operator, or inserting a concentric inner undeflected disk of radius δ. For each of these perturbed problems, it is numerically shown that the infinite fold-point structure for the basic membrane problem is destroyed when δ > 0, and that there is a maximal solution branch for which λ → 0 as ϵ ≡ 1 − ||u||∞→ 0+. For δ > 0, a novel singular perturbation analysis is used in the limit ϵ → 0+to construct the limiting asymptotic behaviour of the maximal solution branch for the biharmonic problem in the unit slab and the unit disk, and for the annulus problem in the unit disk. The asymptotic results for the bifurcation curves are shown to compare very favourably with full numerical results.
A criterion for symmetric tricritical points in condensed ordered phases
Authors: BISI F. , GARTLAND E. C. , VIRGA E. G.
Published: January 2011

Basic methods from bifurcation theory are applied to derive a criterion that predicts when a symmetric tricritical point may occur in a transition between condensed ordered phases described by any finite number of scalar order parameters. At such a point, a change of order takes place in the phase transition, which passes from first to second order, orvice versa.
Stem cells in stroke management
Authors: Muir Keith W
Published: January 2011

Stem cells are a potential means of tissue regeneration in the brain that hold promise for treatment of the large number of stroke survivors who have permanent disability. Animal studies with stem cells derived from many different sources indicate that cells can migrate to the site of ischaemic injury in the brain, and that some survive and differentiate into neurones and glia with evidence of electrical function. Cells additionally promote endogenous repair mechanisms, including mobilization of neural stem cells resident within the adult brain. Whether the behavioural benefits seen with stem cell administration in rodent models reflect enhanced endogenous recovery or tissue regeneration is unclear. Production of stem cells to clinical standards and in quantities required for clinical studies is technically challenging. To date only a handful of patients have been involved in preliminary clinical studies of cell therapies for stroke, and there are therefore insufficient data to draw conclusions about either safety or efficacy. Further trials with several cell types are ongoing or planned, including neural stem cells, and bone marrow-derived stem cells and endothelial progenitor cells.
Brycon gouldingi(Teleostei, Characidae): aspects of the embryonic development in a new fish species with aquaculture potential
Authors: Faustino Francine , Nakaghi Laura Satiko Okada , Neumann Erika
Published: January 2011

Brycon gouldingiis an endemic species from Tocantins-Araguaia basin, used as a food source by riverine communities and relevant to aquaculture. Information about the initial morphology ofB. gouldingi, a recently described species, is absent. In the present study, we analysed the fertilization and the embryonic development of this species based on light and scanning electron microscopy. After collection of adult specimens in Mortes River – Mato Grosso, Brazil, adaptation to captivity and induced spawning at Buriti Fishculture, Nova Mutum – Mato Grosso, Brazil, in December 2007 and January 2008, samples were collected at pre-defined periods from egg extrusion up to larval hatching, which occurred at 13.9 ± 0.06 h post-fertilization (hpf) in average. At the moment of extrusion, the eggs were slightly ovoid bearing a single micropyle per oocyte with a funnel-shaped micropyle canal and vestibule covered with longitudinal folds, typical of the genusBrycon. The embryonic development ofB. gouldingiwas characterized by six stages with distinct features: zygote (from fertilization up to formation of egg-cell); cleavage (cell divisions resulting in blastomeres, including the morula phase); blastula (several embryonic cells in a cup shape, without distinction of cell boundaries); gastrula (cell movement); histogenesis/organogenesis (formation of tissues and organs); and hatching (larval chorion rupture). Right after hatching, the larvae presented neither swimming abilities nor visual accuracy, and the digestive trait was undifferentiated. The present study is the first report on biological features of embryogenesis inB. gouldingi, providing relevant information to several approaches, mainly related to taxonomy, ecology, conservation and captive rearing of this newBryconspecies.
Educational achievement among long-term survivors of congenital heart defects: a Danish population-based follow-up study
Authors: Olsen Morten , Hjortdal Vibeke E. , Mortensen Laust H. , Christensen Thomas D. , Sørensen Henrik T. , Pedersen Lars
Published: January 2011

Background

Congenital heart defect patients may experience neurodevelopmental impairment. We investigated their educational attainments from basic schooling to higher education.

Patients and methods

Using administrative databases, we identified all Danish patients with a cardiac defect diagnosis born from 1 January, 1977 to 1 January, 1991 and alive at age 13 years. As a comparison cohort, we randomly sampled 10 persons per patient. We obtained information on educational attainment from Denmark's Database for Labour Market Research. The study population was followed until achievement of educational levels, death, emigration, or 1 January, 2006. We estimated the hazard ratio of attaining given educational levels, conditional on completing preceding levels, using discrete-time Cox regression and adjusting for socio-economic factors. Analyses were repeated for a sub-cohort of patients and controls born at term and without extracardiac defects or chromosomal anomalies.

Results

We identified 2986 patients. Their probability of completing compulsory basic schooling was approximately 10% lower than that of control individuals (adjusted hazard ratio = 0.79, ranged from 0.75 to 0.82 0.79; 95% confidence interval: 0.75–0.82). Their subsequent probability of completing secondary school was lower than that of the controls, both for all patients (adjusted hazard ratio = 0.74; 95% confidence interval: 0.69–0.80) and for the sub-cohort (adjusted hazard ratio = 0.80; 95% confidence interval: 0.73–0.86). The probability of attaining a higher degree, conditional on completion of youth education, was affected both for all patients (adjusted hazard ratio = 0.88; 95% confidence interval: 0.76–1.01) and for the sub-cohort (adjusted hazard ratio = 0.92; 95% confidence interval: 0.79–1.07).

Conclusion

The probability of educational attainment was reduced among long-term congenital heart defect survivors.
Outcomes of cardiac surgery in trisomy 18 patients
Authors: Muneuchi Jun , Yamamoto Junko , Takahashi Yasuhiko , Watanabe Mamie , Yuge Tetsuji , Ohno Takuro , Imoto Yutaka , Sese Akira , Joo Kunitaka
Published: January 2011

Objective

The objective was to clarify the outcomes of cardiac surgery in trisomy 18 patients.

Patients and methods

We analysed 34 consecutive trisomy 18 patients, of whom 21 were males, with cardiac complications. They were divided into patients who underwent cardiac surgery and those who were conservatively treated. We compared rates of survival and discharge alive between two groups.

Results

The surgery group included nine patients, with six males, who underwent cardiac surgery – intracardiac repair in three patients, pulmonary arterial banding in five patients, and ligation of the ductus in one patient – at median age of 2.2 months, ranging from 0.5 to 9.8, and with median weight of 2.6 kilograms, ranging from 1.5 to 3.2. Cardiac surgery and pre-operative assisted ventilation were hazardous factors leading to death. In the surgery group, cumulative survival rates at 1 month, 6 months, 12 months, and 24 months were 63%, 38%, 25%, and 22%, respectively, compared with 51%, 26%, 9%, and 9% in the conservative group. There was a significant difference (p = 0.002). The cumulative rates of discharge alive at 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months were 0%, 12%, and 65% in the surgery group, which did not differ from the conservative group (p = 0.80).

Conclusions

Cardiac surgery contributed to increased survival rate but not the rate of discharge alive in trisomy 18 patients. Cardiac surgery could not prevent all the trisomy 18 patients from death. The indication of cardiac surgery should be carefully individualised to improve the quality of life in trisomy 18 patients and concerned surrounding people.
The Fate of the 0.5s: Predictors of 2-Year Outcome in Mild Cognitive Impairment
Authors: Aretouli Eleni , Okonkwo Ozioma C. , Samek Jaclyn , Brandt Jason
Published: January 2011

Impairments in executive cognition (EC) may be predictive of incident dementia in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). The present study examined whether specific EC tests could predict which MCI individuals progress from a Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) score of 0.5 to a score ≥1 over a 2-year period. Eighteen clinical and experimental EC measures were administered at baseline to 104 MCI patients (amnestic and non-amnestic, single- and multiple-domain) recruited from clinical and research settings. Demographic characteristics, screening cognitive measures and measures of everyday functioning at baseline were also considered as potential predictors. Over the 2-year period, 18% of the MCI individuals progressed to CDR ≥ 1, 73.1% remained stable (CDR = 0.5), and 4.5% reverted to normal (CDR = 0). Multiple-domain MCI participants had higher rates of progression to dementia than single-domain, but amnestic and non-amnestic MCIs had similar rates of conversion. Only three EC measures were predictive of subsequent cognitive and functional decline at the univariate level, but they failed to independently predict progression to dementia after adjusting for demographic, other cognitive characteristics, and measures of everyday functioning. Decline over 2 years was best predicted by informant ratings of subtle functional impairments and lower baseline scores on memory, category fluency, and constructional praxis. (JINS, 2011,17, 277–288)
GROWTH, PENSIONS, AND THE AGING JONESES
Authors: Fisher Walter H. , Heijdra Ben J.
Published: January 2011

We incorporate keeping-up-with-the-Joneses (KUJ) preferences into the Blanchard–Yaari framework and develop a model of balanced growth. In this context we investigate status preference, demographic shocks, and pension policy. We find that a higher degree of KUJ lowers economic growth, whereas, in contrast, a decrease in the fertility and mortality rates increase it. In the second part of the paper we extend the model by incorporating a pay-as-you-go (PAYG) pension system with a statutory retirement date. The latter implies that the growth rate is higher under PAYG. We also consider the implications of pension reform under both defined benefit and defined contribution schemes.
MONETARY POLICY IMPLEMENTATION FRAMEWORKS: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS
Authors: Martin Antoine , Monnet Cyril
Published: January 2011

We compare two stylized frameworks for the implementation of monetary policy. The first framework relies only on standing facilities, whereas the second framework relies only on open-market operations. We show that the Friedman rule cannot be implemented when the central bank uses standing facilities only. For a given rate of inflation, we show that standing facilities unambiguously achieve higher welfare than just conducting open-market operations. We conclude that elements of both frameworks should be combined. Also, our results suggest that any monetary policy implementation framework should remunerate both required and excess reserves.
Diverging opinions of supplementation programmes between mothers of small children and staff at primary health clinics in the Western Cape Province of South Africa
Authors: Iversen Per O , Høisæther Elisabeth A , Morseth Marianne , Herselman Marietjie
Published: January 2011

Objective

Nutritional status has remained inadequate among disadvantaged mothers and small children in South Africa. Several supplementation programmes are administered through primary health clinics (PHC). The present study examined the perceptions of mothers who attend PHC and of the PHC staff on the purpose, management and eligibility of the vitamin A and nutritional supplementation components of the Nutrition Supplementation Programme (NSP).

Design

Observational study based on anthropometry and questionnaires.

Setting

Random selection of ten urban and ten rural PHC from the Western Cape Province of South Africa.

Subjects

Mothers (n 176) and their children (n 179) aged <5 years, and various PHC staff categories.

Results

Half (56 %) of the households were classified as food insecure and about one-third of the children were malnourished, as evidenced by stunting, wasting or underweight. A majority of mothers complained about poor information related to the programmes. More than half of the children who were eligible for NSP were not included. In contrast, the staff felt that they managed both programmes well and problems with implementation were mostly attributed to clients.

Conclusions

In general, the mothers expressed more dissatisfaction and ignorance about the vitamin A programme and the NSP than was perceived by the staff. This apparent discrepancy might, at least in part, explain why these programmes do not work optimally.
Socio-economic differences in outdoor food advertising in a city in Northern England
Authors: Adams Jean , Ganiti Ellie , White Martin
Published: January 2011

Objective

To explore differences in the prevalence of outdoor food advertising, and the type and nutritional content of advertised foods, according to an area-based marker of socio-economic position (SEP) in a city in Northern England.

Design

All outdoor advertisements in the city were identified during October–December 2009, their size (in m2) estimated and their location determined using a global positioning system device. Advertisements were classified as food or non-food. Food advertisements were classified into one of six food categories. Information on the nutritional content of advertised foods was obtained from packaging and manufacturer's websites. An area-based marker of SEP was assigned using the location of each advertisement, grouped into three affluence tertiles for analysis.

Setting

A city in Northern England.

Subjects

None.

Results

In all, 1371 advertisements were identified; 211 (15 %) of these were for food. The advertisements covered 6765 m2, of which 1326 m2 (20 %) was for food. Total advertising and food advertising space was largest in the least affluent tertile. There was little evidence of socio-economic trends in the type or nutritional content of advertised foods.

Conclusions

Despite an absence of socio-economic differences in the type and nutritional content of advertised foods, there were socio-economic differences in food advertising space. There may also be socio-economic differences in exposure to outdoor food advertising.
Healthy food availability and participation in WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children) in food stores around lower- and higher-income elementary schools
Authors: Tester June M , Yen Irene H , Pallis Lauren C , Laraia Barbara A
Published: January 2011

Objective

The nutritional intake of schoolchildren is affected not only by what is consumed at school but also by what is available in food outlets near schools. The present study surveys the range of food outlets around schools and examines how the availability of healthy food in the food stores encountered varies by income status of the school and by store participation in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) food assistance programme.

Design

Network buffer zones were created to reflect a quarter-mile (400 m) walk from elementary schools with lower- and higher-income student populations in Oakland, CA, USA. All food outlets within these zones were categorised by type, and audits were conducted within food stores using a checklist to assess for the presence or absence of twenty-eight healthy items (in five domains).

Setting

Mid-sized city in the USA.

Subjects

Food outlets near public elementary schools.

Results

There were considerably more food outlets around lower-income schools. Food stores near higher-income schools had higher scores in two of the five domains (healthy beverages/low-fat dairy and healthy snacks). However, there were more food stores near lower-income schools that accepted WIC vouchers. Stratification showed that WIC stores scored higher than non-WIC stores on four of the five domains.

Conclusions

Although higher-income students have more access to healthy food in the environment surrounding their school, this disparity appears to be mitigated by stores that accept WIC and offer more healthy snacking options. Federal programmes such as this may be particularly valuable for children in lower-income areas.
COMPARISON OF NUMERICAL AND ANALYTICAL APPROXIMATIONS OF THE EARLY EXERCISE BOUNDARY OF AMERICAN PUT OPTIONS
Authors: LAUKO M. , ŠEVČOVIČ D.
Published: January 2011

We present qualitative and quantitative comparisons of various analytical and numerical approximation methods for calculating a position of the early exercise boundary of American put options paying zero dividends. We analyse the asymptotic behaviour of these methods close to expiration, and introduce a new numerical scheme for computing the early exercise boundary. Our local iterative numerical scheme is based on a solution to a nonlinear integral equation. We compare numerical results obtained by the new method to those of the projected successive over-relaxation method and the analytical approximation formula recently derived by Zhu [‘A new analytical approximation formula for the optimal exercise boundary of American put options’, Int. J. Theor. Appl. Finance9 (2006) 1141–1177].
INTERSECTIONS OF HOLOMORPHIC RETRACTS IN BANACH SPACES
Authors: BUDZYŃSKA MONIKA , REICH SIMEON
Published: January 2011

Using the Kobayashi distance, we provide sufficient conditions for the intersection of a family of holomorphic retracts in a Banach space to also be a holomorphic retract.
THE IMMORTAL SOLIPSIST
Authors: Sötemann Christian H.
Published: January 2011

Philosophers have been known to sometimes conjure up world-views which seem dazzlingly at odds with our everyday take on the world. Among the more, if not most drastic ‘-isms’ to be found in the history of philosophy, then, is the standpoint of solipsism, derived from the Latin words ‘solus’ (alone) and ‘ipse’ (self). What is that supposed to mean? It adopts a position that only acknowledges the existence of one's very own mind and opposes that there is anything beyond the realm of my mind that could be known. What a drastic contradiction to the way we normally view the world, indeed. Allow me to emphasize some implications that would arise were one really to take the solipsist view for granted. The aim is to briefly adumbrate how a solipsist view would cut us off from the social world and from the existential dimension of our own death.
THAT TRUTH EXISTS IS MORE LOGICAL
Authors: Iwasa Noriaki
Published: January 2011

Postmodernists claim that there is no truth. However, the statement ‘there is
no truth’ is self-contradictory. This essay shows the following: One cannot
state the idea ‘there is no truth’ universally without creating a
paradox. In contrast, the statement ‘there is truth’ does not produce
such a paradox. Therefore, it is more logical that truth exists.
EUTHYPHRO, SOCRATES, AND PROFESSOR PANGLOSS
Authors: Vroman Brian
Published: January 2011

In his article ‘A New Euthyphro’ (Think, Summer 2010), pp. 65–83, Glenn Peoples constructs a new version of the famous Euthyphro dialogue, in which Euthyphro, rather than Socrates, prevails.
THE TEXAS SHARPSHOOTER FALLACY
Authors: Bebbington Dene
Published: January 2011

A man fires a gun several times at the side of a barn and then draws a circle around a cluster of most of the bullet holes. Drawing a target retrospectively like this doesn't prove the shooting skills of the gunman – no one would consider him a sharpshooter if they knew what he'd done. When the equivalent of this happens in other circumstances we call it the Texas sharpshooter fallacy. As with many fallacies, it may not appear fallacious at first inspection.
ARE DOGS THE NEW HUMMER?
Authors: Betz Margaret
Published: January 2011

Pet adoption from an animal rescue shelter would seem to be one of those indisputable things in life that only increases a person's positive karma. Kant spoke of morality residing in a good will and pure intention; saving a dog from being euthanized by providing it with a loving, secure home seems the living embodiment of that. Or so it would seem.
FIELDS AND VISIONS
Authors: Rosbrook-Thompson James , Armstrong Gary
Published: January 2011

The concept of the “African Personality” was celebrated by the continent's first post-colonial President, Kwame Nkrumah. Sweeping to power in Ghana's first general election in 1951, Nkrumah and his Convention People's Party—inspired by Marcus Garvey and W. E. B. Du Bois—espoused the doctrines of nationhood and self-reliance. The conceptual dimensions of Nkrumah's “African Personality” and the role he had in mind for Association Football (soccer) as an instrument of its expression are crucial points of this analysis. Here we attempt to locate Nkrumah's political ideal within the contemporary realities of the migration of young Ghanaian soccer talent, examining at the same time the socio-economic processes which act as “push” and “pull” mechanisms in the context of such migratory trends. While Nkrumah's “race-conscious,” pan-African forces have been utilized in the face of post-colonial identifications, soccer loyalties and objectives which are far more immediate and parochial in character continue to supersede those surrounding national or “racial” interests. Ghana's domestic game and national selection are riven by ethnic and regional hostilities while interlopers from Europe—some acting alone, others as emissaries for European soccer clubs—have laid down roots in Ghana, recognizing the nation as a breeding ground for talented, and comparatively cheap, young soccer talent. We argue that such inveterate ethno-regional rivalries, along with the conditions of neoliberal capitalism and its instrumental system of uneven geographical development, have provided entry points for the post-colonial forces so maligned by Nkrumah. Furthermore, we question the wisdom of notions of belonging based on bounded units such as “race” and attendant expressions of “race-consciousness.”
CLAIMING HUMAN DIGNITY
Authors: Bobo Lawrence D.
Published: January 2011

In the concluding line of his opening note to Black Reconstruction in America, W. E. B. Du Bois, wrote “I am going to tell this story as though Negroes were ordinary human beings, realizing that this attitude will from the first seriously curtail my audience” (1934[2007], p. xliii). Doing so was an intellectually courageous step at the time Du Bois wrote. Jim Crow strictures, after all, were almost fully institutionalized across the South by that time and larger cultural motifs stressing redemption and reconciliation were steadily undoing the meager steps toward uplift and equality for African Americans of the Reconstruction era. Enormous progress notwithstanding, we know that great challenges of enduring inequality and persistent cultural racism remain in our time. The spirit of this declaration and the a priori intellectual posture it embraces have, quite fittingly then, animated this journal from our inception.
ECCENTRIC, GIFTED, AND BLACK: THELONIOUS MONK REVEALED
Authors: Monson Ingrid , Gennari John , Jackson Travis A.
Published: January 2011

Do not miss Robin D. G. Kelley'sThelonious Monk: The Life and Times of an American Original, for it will stand as the definitive biography of the great American composer and pianist for many years to come. What distinguishes Kelley's treatment of Monk's complicated and enigmatic life is the sheer depth and breadth of primary research, including, for the first time, the active cooperation and involvement of Thelonious Monk's family. In his acknowledgments, Kelley describes a long process of convincing Thelonious Monk, III to grant permission culminating in a six-hour meeting in which his knowledge, credentials, and commitment were thoroughly tested and challenged. Once he had secured “Toot's” blessings, as well as that of his wife Gale and brother-in-law Peter Grain, Kelley was introduced to Nellie Monk, Thelonious Monk's wife, and a wide range of family and friends who shared their memories and personal archives of photos, recordings, and papers. This is not an authorized biography, however, since Thelonious Monk, Jr. never demanded the right to see drafts or dictate the content. Rather Kelley was admonished to “dig deep and tell the truth.”
RACIAL REALITIES IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY
Authors: White Clovis L.
Published: January 2011

Doing Race: 21 Essays for the 21st Century and Black Los Angeles: American Dreams and Racial Realities are two important additions to the study of race in the United States. First, both provide insight into the continuous significance of race in a time when racial tensions are on the rise despite the ubiquitous suggestion that we are in a post-racial society. Secondly, both works serve as important indicators of the multiplicative nature of race, each covering many of the bases so critical to race study. As many academicians and students of race and ethnicity recognize, race is a phenomenon that must be approached from multiple angles (e.g., anthropologically, sociologically, historically, and so on) if we are to fully understand how race operates. Thirdly, these two works offer an array of possible solutions or models for addressing some of the problems that beset racial and ethnic conflicts. Finally, while each of the books tackles the issue of race, they complement each other as Doing Race provides a more general, comprehensive understanding of racial and ethnic issues across the United States while Black Los Angeles represents a specific case study of race relations in one urban setting. All in all, these works make important contributions to the literature about the significance of race in America.
Essential multiple functions of farms in rural communities and landscapes
Authors: Milestad Rebecka , Ahnström Johan , Björklund Johanna
Published: January 2011

As farms are consolidated into larger operations and small farms close down for economic reasons, rural areas lose ecological, social and economic functions related to farming. Biodiversity and scenic, open-vista landscapes are lost as fields are left unmanaged. Social and economic benefits such as local job opportunities and meeting places disappear. Four Swedish rural communities were examined to increase our understanding of the functions that a diverse agriculture provides and which of these are lost as farms cease operation and overall rural social capital is depleted. Workshops and interviews with village action groups and with farmers were carried out. Both groups identified key functions from farming that are important to the rural community, such as production of food and fiber, businesses and jobs, human services, local security, ecosystem services such as nutrient cycling and biodiversity, and functions pertaining to quality of life. Several ways in which village action groups can support agriculture were identified that current industrial agriculture and even agri-environmental schemes fail to achieve. These include organizing local meeting places, encouraging local processing and consumption and supporting farmers in their work. We conclude that agriculture and village action groups match well in community development and that policies supporting this match would be useful.
The generic drug market in Japan: will it finally take off?
Authors: Iizuka Toshiaki , Kubo Kensuke
Published: January 2011

Historically, brand-name pharmaceuticals have enjoyed long periods of market exclusivity in Japan, given the limited use of generics after patent expiration. To improve the efficiency of the health-care system, however, the government has recently implemented various policies aimed at increasing generic substitution. Although this has created expectations that the Japanese generic drug market may finally take off, to date, generic usage has increased only modestly. After reviewing the incentives of key market participants to choose generics, we argue that previous government policies did not provide proper incentives for pharmacies to boost generic substitution. We offer some recommendations that may help to increase generic usage.
Cranial anatomy of a new genus of hyperodapedontine rhynchosaur (Diapsida, Archosauromorpha) from the Upper Triassic of southern Brazil
Authors: Montefeltro Felipe Chinaglia , Langer Max Cardoso , Schultz Cesar Leandro
Published: January 2011

Detailed description of the cranial anatomy of the rhynchosaur previously known as Scaphonyx sulcognathus allows its assignment to a new genus Teyumbaita. Two nearly complete skulls and a partial skull have been referred to the taxon, all of which come from the lower part of the Caturrita Formation, Upper Triassic of Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil. Cranial autapomorphies of Teyumbaita sulcognathus include anterior margin of nasal concave at midline, prefrontal separated from the ascending process of the maxilla, palatal ramus of pterygoid expanded laterally within palatines, dorsal surface of exoccipital markedly depressed, a single tooth lingually displaced from the main medial tooth-bearing area of the maxilla, and a number of other characters (such as skull broader than long; a protruding orbital anterior margin; anguli oris extending to anterior ramus of the jugal; bar between the orbit and the lower temporal fenestra wider than 0·4 of the total orbital opening; mandibular depth reaching more than 25 of the total length) support its inclusion in Hyperodapedontinae. T. sulcognathus is the only potential Norian rhynchosaur, suggesting that the group survived the end-Carnian extinction event.
Osteology of Leptopleuron lacertinum Owen, a procolophonoid parareptile from the Upper Triassic of Scotland, with remarks on ontogeny, ecology and affinities
Authors: Säilä Laura K.
Published: January 2011

The Late Triassic reptile Leptopleuron lacertinum Owen, 1851 is described for the first time in full anatomical detail, based on newly produced silicone and plastic casts of the numerous specimens preserved as natural moulds. Previously, only the braincase has been described from these detailed casts. Leptopleuron is reconstructed as a 270-mm-long reptile with a long tail, although it is possible that even the largest known specimens were still sub-adults. Within Procolophonoidea, Leptopleuron is distinguished by the following non-braincase autapomorphies: two flattened, triangular spines of equal size on the quadratojugal; V-shaped groove on the jugal; the anterior tip of the jugal in contact with the posterolateral extension of the nasal; minimal contact between the jugal and the postorbital; frontals narrow anterior to the orbitotemporal openings; the vomerine dentition consisting of a tall and a short pair of fangs; broad medial ridge of pleurocentra of the dorsal vertebrae divided into three separate ridges by two deep grooves on each pleurocentrum; distinct three-fold depression pattern on the ventral side of ischium; and the first phalanx on the fifth pedal digit being long and slim. Leptopleuron shares some features with living sand lizards and might have lived a burrowing lifestyle. The dentition and body shape of Leptopleuron imply it ate a diet of fibrous plant material or hard-shelled invertebrates.
The development of a harmonic rejection mirror on XAFS beamline at Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility
Authors: Yuan F. , Song X. , Xiangjun W. , Zheng J. , Songqi G. , Ming C. , Yuying H. , Xiaohan Y.
Published: January 2011

A harmonic rejection mirror (HRM) can apply pure spectrum for X-ray Absorption Spectrum (XAFS) experiment. The HRM mechanism includes a mirror holding system, a horizontal switch system and a three-point adjustment system. We analyse and calculate the design of the mechanism. Finally, we evaluate the HRM capability based on the rocking curve obtained in a test.
Support structure design of Quantum Material Spectroscopy Center beamline insertion devices
Authors: Chen S. Y. , Sigrist M. , Johnson T. , Yates B. , Gorovikov S.
Published: January 2011

A high-energy elliptically polarizing undulator (EPU) and a low-energy EPU are designed to share a single C style supporting structure. Each of the EPUs is 4 m in length. Finite-element analyses (FEA) are performed to choose the proper girder style and section size and to verify the components' strength and deflection. The most difficult challenges are the huge three dimensional magnetic forces on high-energy EPU and the space limitation for the two EPUs. In total the whole structure has 18 ball screw drive systems. A total of 30 sets of linear bearings are used in the structure.
miRNA in der Epigenetik rheumatischer Erkrankungen
Authors: Jüngel  , Gay
Published: January 2011

Das Epigeneom ist eine dem Genom übergeordnete Instanz, beide zusammen bilden den Gesamtdatensatz des Menschen. Obwohl jede Zelle mit der gleichen genetischen Information ausgestattet ist, werden nur bestimmte Gene aktiv transkribiert. Das Epigenom bestimmt dabei, welche Gene expimiert werden und welche nicht, indem chemische Modifikationen an die DNA oder den nukleären Proteinen, den Histonen, vorgenommen werden. MicroRNA (miRNA) sind eine neue Gruppe nichtkodierender RNA mit regulatorischer Funktion für epigenetische Modifikationen, indem sie die Genexpression hemmen. In dieser Zusammenfassung wird beschrieben, welche miRNA bei rheumatischen Erkrankungen dysreguliert sind. Auch wenn der gesamte Mechanismus, wie miRNA ihre Zielstruktur hemmen, noch nicht geklärt ist, bieten diese Moleküle die Möglichkeit, neue therapeutische Strategien zu entwickeln.
EGFP-FMRP Granules Are Proto-Granules That Can Be Shunted to Stress Granules During a Stress Response
Authors: Denman Robert
Published: December 2010

Overexpressed EGFP-FMRP has been used as a substitute for endogenous fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) in protein-protein interaction studies, and in studies concerning the composition, the formation and the localization of neuronal granules. However, the question of whether this tool truly recapitulates the properties of the endogenous protein has not been addressed. Here we demonstrate that overexpressed EGFP-FMRP forms three distinct granule types based on colocalization with various marker proteins. The majority of EGFP-FMRP-containing granules are larger and more amorphous than known granule types. Consistent with this, there is only partial colocalization with stress granule or P-body markers and no colocalization with a putative Drosophila ortholog neuronal granule marker. Nevertheless, agents such as arsenite and hippurstanol, which create endogenous stress granules and P-bodies, drive EGFP-FMRP into such granules. Additionally, whereas inhibiting cellular methyl-protein formation alters the composition of endogenous FMRP-containing stress granules, we found that such treatment had little effect on the formation of EGFP-FMRP granules, or their composition. Altogether these data suggest that many overexpressed EGFP-FMRP granules represent proto-stress granules requiring external stimuli for their conversion. More importantly, the inherent heterogeneity of these granules suggests that caution should be used in extrapolating results obtained with EGFP-tagged surrogates of FMRP to endogenous FMRP granules.
High Performance Chelation Ion Chromatography
Authors: Nesterenko Pavel , Jones Phil , Paull Brett
Published: January 2011

Established ion chromatography techniques have changed little since the 1980s but a new technique, high performance chelation ion chromatography (HPCIC), has revolutionized the area. HPCIC enables a much greater range of complex samples to be analyzed and this is the first comprehensive description of its use in the trace determination of metals. Written by world leaders in the field, it is aimed at professionals, postgraduates, chromatographers, analytical chemists, and industrial chemists. The book describes the underlying principles which give rise to the special selectivities that can be chosen for separating specific groups of metals. It also covers the latest research and gives many examples of its application to real samples. The very latest developments in detection techniques are included showing that HPCIC can rival atomic spectroscopic techniques such as ICP-MS. The detailed description of the fundamental principles controlling the separation of trace metals using chelating substrates is unique to this book. It shows how HPCIC differs from the commonly used simple ion exchange techniques and how these chelation characteristics give rise to a much more useful and versatile metal separation system. Readers will also be interested in the analysis of extremely difficult matrices, such as saturated brines, easily achieved by HPCIC but requiring very complex multi column systems using other ion chromatography methods.
Nanoscale probing of dielectric breakdown at SiO2/3C-SiC interfaces
Authors: Eriksson Jens , Roccaforte Fabrizio , Fiorenza Patrick , Weng Ming-Hung , Giannazzo Filippo , Lorenzzi Jean , Jegenyes Nikoletta , Ferro Gabriel , Raineri Vito
Published: January 2011

Thin (6–7 nm) SiO2 layers were thermally grown onto cubic silicon carbide (3C-SiC) heteroepitaxial layers of different surface roughness and with different types of near-surface epitaxial defects. Localized dielectric breakdown (BD) was studied by electrically stressing the system using conductive atomic force microscopy (C-AFM), which constitutes a means to directly and simultaneously observe localized dielectric failure as a function of stress time and surface morphology with nanoscale lateral resolution. AFM and scanning capacitance microscopy (SCM) were used to monitor defects and the morphological and capacitive uniformities of the SiO2, respectively, while capacitance-voltage (C-V) measurements were used to evaluate the presence of charges and traps in the oxide layers. The BD kinetics was evaluated by fitting the experimental failure ratios as a function of the stress time to the failure probability described by Weibull statistics, in turn allowing a distinction to be made between defect-induced (extrinsic) and intrinsic dielectric BD events. The results give useful information about how morphological features at the 3C-SiC surface as well as trapped charges influence the BD generation in thermally grown oxides on this polytype.
Fe on W(110), a stable magnetic reference system
Authors: Miesch S. , Fognini A. , Acremann Y. , Vaterlaus A. , Michlmayr T. U.
Published: January 2011

Time resolved pump probe experiments with ultra short infrared pump and x-ray photoemission probe pulses require a stable magnetic reference system with reproducible magnetic properties. In search of such a system we found in iron on tungsten an ideal sample. The coercive field of this system remains constant at 12.2±1 Oe between 15 and 25 monolayers. Kerr effect measurements and scanning electron microscopy with polarization analysis images prove that the magnetization switches from single domain to single domain state. Capping with Au increases the coercive field and prevents the Fe layer from deterioration.
Tunable helical ribbons
Authors: Chen Z. , Majidi C. , Srolovitz D. J. , Haataja M.
Published: January 2011

The helix angle, chirality, and radius of helical ribbons are predicted with a comprehensive, three-dimensional analysis that incorporates elasticity, differential geometry, and variational principles. In many biological and engineered systems, ribbon helicity is commonplace and may be driven by surface stress, residual strain, and geometric or elastic mismatch between layers of a laminated composite. Unless coincident with the principle geometric axes of the ribbon, these anisotropies will lead to spontaneous, three-dimensional helical deformations. Analytical, closed-form ribbon shape predictions are validated with table-top experiments. More generally, our approach can be applied to develop materials and systems with tunable helical geometries.
TrkB receptor controls striatal formation by regulating the number of newborn striatal neurons
Authors: Baydyuk Maryna , Russell Theron , Liao Guey-Ying , Zang Keling , An Juan Ji , Reichardt Louis French , Xu Baoji
Published: January 2011

In the peripheral nervous system, target tissues control the final size of innervating neuronal populations by producing limited amounts of survival-promoting neurotrophic factors during development. However, it remains largely unknown if the same principle works to regulate the size of neuronal populations in the developing brain. Here we show that neurotrophin signaling mediated by the TrkB receptor controls striatal size by promoting the survival of developing medium-sized spiny neurons (MSNs). Selective deletion of the gene for the TrkB receptor in striatal progenitors, using the
Dlx5/6-Cre
transgene, led to a hindpaw-clasping phenotype and a 50% loss of MSNs without affecting striatal interneurons. This loss resulted mainly from increased apoptosis of newborn MSNs within their birthplace, the lateral ganglionic eminence. Among MSNs, those expressing the dopamine receptor D2 (DRD2) were most affected, as indicated by a drastic loss of these neurons and specific down-regulation of the DRD2 and enkephalin. This specific phenotype of mutant animals is likely due to preferential TrkB expression in DRD2 MSNs. These findings suggest that neurotrophins can control the size of neuronal populations in the brain by promoting the survival of newborn neurons before they migrate to their final destinations.
Newly identified and diverse plastid-bearing branch on the eukaryotic tree of life
Authors: Kim Eunsoo , Harrison James W. , Sudek Sebastian , Jones Meredith D. M. , Wilcox Heather M. , Richards Thomas A. , Worden Alexandra Z. , Archibald John M.
Published: January 2011

The use of molecular methods is altering our understanding of the microbial biosphere and the complexity of the tree of life. Here, we report a newly discovered uncultured plastid-bearing eukaryotic lineage named the rappemonads. Phylogenies using near-complete plastid ribosomal DNA (rDNA) operons demonstrate that this group represents an evolutionarily distinct lineage branching with haptophyte and cryptophyte algae. Environmental DNA sequencing revealed extensive diversity at North Atlantic, North Pacific, and European freshwater sites, suggesting a broad ecophysiology and wide habitat distribution. Quantitative PCR analyses demonstrate that the rappemonads are often rare but can form transient blooms in the Sargasso Sea, where high 16S rRNA gene copies mL
−1
were detected in late winter. This pattern is consistent with these microbes being a member of the rare biosphere, whose constituents have been proposed to play important roles under ecosystem change. Fluorescence in situ hybridization revealed that cells from this unique lineage were 6.6 ± 1.2 × 5.7 ± 1.0 μm, larger than numerically dominant open-ocean phytoplankton, and appear to contain two to four plastids. The rappemonads are unique, widespread, putatively photosynthetic algae that are absent from present-day ecosystem models and current versions of the tree of life.
High-pressure EPR reveals conformational equilibria and volumetric properties of spin-labeled proteins
Authors: McCoy John , Hubbell Wayne L.
Published: January 2011

Identifying equilibrium conformational exchange and characterizing conformational substates is essential for elucidating mechanisms of function in proteins. Site-directed spin labeling has previously been employed to detect conformational changes triggered by some event, but verifying conformational exchange at equilibrium is more challenging. Conformational exchange (microsecond–millisecond) is slow on the EPR time scale, and this proves to be an advantage in directly revealing the presence of multiple substates as distinguishable components in the EPR spectrum, allowing the direct determination of equilibrium constants and free energy differences. However, rotameric exchange of the spin label side chain can also give rise to multiple components in the EPR spectrum. Using spin-labeled mutants of T4 lysozyme, it is shown that high-pressure EPR can be used to: (
i
) demonstrate equilibrium between spectrally resolved states, (
ii
) aid in distinguishing conformational from rotameric exchange as the origin of the resolved states, and (
iii
) determine the relative partial molar volume (

) and isothermal compressibility (

) of conformational substates in two-component equilibria from the pressure dependence of the equilibrium constant. These volumetric properties provide insight into the structure of the substates. Finally, the pressure dependence of internal side-chain motion is interpreted in terms of volume fluctuations on the nanosecond time scale, the magnitude of which may reflect local backbone flexibility.