bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
‘If You Want to Be Green Hold Your Breath’: Climate Change in British Theatre
Authors: Hudson Julie
Published: August 2012

With a rich mix of theatrical material to bring to the table, the climate-change debate playing out in the public domain would seem well adapted to the stage, and has often been presented in docu-dramatic form, as in Al Gore's well-known film An Inconvenient Truth. But until relatively recently climate change and the science relating to it have been conspicuous by their absence from the stage. Early movers on the climate-change theatre scene included Caryl Churchill's 2006 climate-change libretto for the London Proms, We Turned on the Light, and John Godber's 2007 play Crown Prince. Since then, interest has steadily increased. In 2009 came Steve Waters's double bill The Contingency Plan (On the Beach and Resilience). This was quickly followed by Earthquakes in London by Mike Bartlett in 2010, and by three further plays in the spring of 2011: Greenland, the collaborative work of Moira Buffini, Matt Charman, Penelope Skinner, and Jack Thorne; The Heretic by Richard Bean; and Wastwater by Simon Stephens. In this article Julie Hudson focuses on three of these works to explore how the plays engage with the debate through the medium of climate-change science. As her article suggests, these British climate-change plays make an important and occasionally subversive contribution to the long-running discourse on the relationship between science, the ecosystem, and human beings. In performance, they succeed in turning a subject that has been overplayed for effect in the public domain into compelling theatre. Julie Hudson is currently a visiting fellow at the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, Oxford University.
Meetings in Warsaw
Authors: Herbert Ian
Published: August 2012

Report on the thirty-second edition of the revived ‘Theatre Meetings’ in Warsaw, April 2012.
Quadrennial in Prague
Authors: Herbert Ian
Published: August 2012

Report on the Prague Quadrennial, 2011.
Real-time modelling used for outbreak management during a cholera epidemic, Haiti, 2010–2011
Authors: ABRAMS J. Y. , COPELAND J. R. , TAUXE R. V. , DATE K. A. , BELAY E. D. , MODY R. K. , MINTZ E. D.
Published: August 2012

The emergence of epidemic cholera in post-earthquake Haiti portended a public health disaster of uncertain magnitude. In order to coordinate relief efforts in an environment with limited healthcare infrastructure and stretched resources, timely and realistic projections of the extent of the cholera outbreak were crucial. Projections were shared with Government and partner organizations beginning 5 days after the first reported case and were updated using progressively more advanced methods as more surveillance data became available. The first projection estimated that 105 000 cholera cases would occur in the first year. Subsequent projections using different methods estimated up to 652 000 cases and 163 000–247 000 hospitalizations during the first year. Current surveillance data show these projections to have provided reasonable approximations of the observed epidemic. Providing the real-time projections allowed Haitian ministries and external aid organizations to better plan and implement response measures during the evolving epidemic.
A step-indexed Kripke model of hidden state
Authors: SCHWINGHAMMER JAN , BIRKEDAL LARS , POTTIER FRANÇOIS , REUS BERNHARD , STØVRING KRISTIAN , YANG HONGSEOK
Published: August 2012

Frame and anti-frame rules have been proposed as proof rules for modular reasoning about programs. Frame rules allow the hiding of irrelevant parts of the state during verification, whereas the anti-frame rule allows the hiding of local state from the context.

We discuss the semantic foundations of frame and anti-frame rules, and present the first sound model for Charguéraud and Pottier's type and capability system including both of these rules. The model is a possible worlds model based on the operational semantics and step-indexed heap relations, and the worlds are given by a recursively defined metric space. We also extend the model to account for Pottier's generalised frame and anti-frame rules, where invariants are generalised tofamiliesof invariants indexed over preorders. This generalisation enables reasoning about some well-bracketed as well as (locally) monotone uses of local state.
Foods contributing to sodium intake and urinary sodium excretion in a group of Australian women
Authors: Keogh Jennifer B , Lange Kylie , Hogarth Rebecca , Clifton Peter M
Published: August 2012

Objectives

To identify food sources of Na in a group of community-dwelling women in Adelaide, South Australia. A secondary aim was to measure Na excretion in this group.

Design

Survey.

Setting

Community setting, Adelaide, South Australia.

Subjects

Seventy healthy women (mean age 48·6 (sd8·1) years, mean BMI 28·6 (sd6·3) kg/m2) living in metropolitan Adelaide, South Australia and participating in a validation study of an FFQ. Dietary intake was derived from two 4 d weighed food records. Foods from the 4 d weighed food records were grouped according to foods or food groups to establish contributors to Na intake. Na excretion was measured in two 24 h urine samples. Completeness of urine collections was verified using creatinine excretion.

Results

Bread alone contributed 19·0 % of Na intake, with an overall contribution from the breads and cereals group of 32·5 %. Meat products contributed 14·4 % of intake, the dairy and eggs group (excluding cheese) 9·6 % and combination dishes (e.g. pizza, quiche, sandwiches and stir fry dishes) 8·4 %. Na excretion was 126 (sd42) mmol/d, i.e. approximately 7·6 (sd2.5) g salt/d. Seventy per cent of participants (n48) had Na excretion ≥100 mmol/d (146 (sd34) mmol/d).

Conclusions

Effective Na reduction could be achieved by reducing the amount in staple foods such as bread and meat products.
The story of a North Sea bubble: the strange demise of the Anglo-liberal growth model in the United Kingdom and Ireland
Authors: Hay Colin , Smith Nicola
Published: August 2012

In the wake of the deepest and longest recession that the United Kingdom has experienced since the 1930s and the Irish Republic has experienced since the 1980s, this paper examines the origins, sustenance, and puncturing of the growth dynamic both economies have enjoyed since the early 1990s. It identifies, in both cases, elements of an ‘Anglo-liberal growth model’. For as long as it lasted, this took the form of a consumer boom fuelled by growing private indebtedness (typically secured against property in a rising housing market) and was itself dependent on the nurturing and sustenance of a low inflation–low interest rate equilibrium. Of the two cases, it is the United Kingdom that presents the purer form of Anglo-liberal growth; in Ireland, a hybrid growth model can be seen to have developed in which Anglo-liberal growth was allied to a more conventional (and ultimately more sustainable) export-oriented growth dynamic. The paper seeks to gauge the character, paradigmatic significance, and effectiveness of the interventions made in the attempt to shore up the Anglo-liberal growth model and the rather different prospects for the resumption of growth in the years ahead. It argues that the Anglo-liberal growth model is, indeed, fatally flawed. In such a context, it is difficult to see how sustained economic growth can be restored, in the UK case, in the absence of a completely new growth model and, in the Irish case, without the cleansing of the long-standing export-oriented growth model of the Anglo-liberal trappings it has acquired in recent years.
Modulation of Auditory Attention by Training
Authors: Soveri Anna , Tallus Jussi , Laine Matti , Nyberg Lars , Bäckman Lars , Hugdahl Kenneth , Tuomainen Jyrki , Westerhausen René , Hämäläinen Heikki
Published: August 2012

We studied the effects of training on auditory attention in healthy adults with a speech perception task involving dichotically presented syllables. Training involved bottom-up manipulation (facilitating responses from the harder-to-report left ear through a decrease of right-ear stimulus intensity), top-down manipulation (focusing attention on the left-ear stimuli through instruction), or their combination. The results showed significant training-related effects for top-down training. These effects were evident as higher overall accuracy rates in the forced-left dichotic listening (DL) condition that sets demands on attentional control, as well as a response shift toward left-sided reports in the standard DL task. Moreover, a transfer effect was observed in an untrained auditory-spatial attention task involving bilateral stimulation where top-down training led to a relatively stronger focus on left-sided stimuli. Our results indicate that training of attentional control can modulate the allocation of attention in the auditory space in adults. Malleability of auditory attention in healthy adults raises the issue of potential training gains in individuals with attentional deficits.
Synchronization Can Influence Trust Following Virtual Interaction
Authors: Launay Jacques , Dean Roger T. , Bailes Freya
Published: August 2012

Synchronization has recently received attention as a form of interpersonal interaction that may affect the affiliative relationships of those engaged in it. While there is evidence to suggest that synchronized movements lead to increased affiliative behavior ( Hove & Risen, 2009 ; Valdesolo & DeSteno, 2011 ; Wiltermuth & Heath, 2009 ), the influence of other interpersonal cues has yet to be fully controlled. The current study controls for these features by using computer algorithms to replace human partners. By removing genuine interpersonal interaction, it also tests whether sounds alone can influence affiliative relationships, when it appears that another human agent has triggered those sounds. Results suggest that subjective experience of synchrony had a positive effect on a measure of trust, but task success was a similarly good predictor. An objective measure of synchrony was only related to trust in conditions where participants were instructed to move at the same time as stimuli.
Of pirates and pogos
Authors: Jacobs Howy
Published: August 2012

Howy makes a strident plea for more resources to be dedicated to the research projects of gifted young investigators, and for the burden of other academic duties to be lifted from their shoulders.
Optimizing PK properties of cyclic peptides: the effect of side chain substitutions on permeability and clearance
Authors: Rand Arthur C. , Leung Siegfried S. F. , Eng Heather , Rotter Charles J. , Sharma Raman , Kalgutkar Amit S. , Zhang Yizhong , Varma Manthena V. , Farley Kathleen A. , Khunte Bhagyashree , Limberakis Chris , Price David A. , Liras Spiros , Mathiowetz Alan M. , Jacobson Matthew P. , Lokey R. Scott
Published: August 2012

The impact of side chain functionality on the pharmacokinetics of an orally bioavailable cyclic peptide scaffold is investigated.
Long‐term hydrogen peroxide exposure potentiates anoikis resistance and anchorage‐independent growth in lung carcinoma cells
Authors: Halim Hasseri , Chanvorachote Pithi
Published: August 2012

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is upregulated in tumour microenvironments and may contribute to effects on metastatic cancer cells. This study demonstrates that treatment of lung carcinoma and melanoma cells with H2O2 for 14 days results in an induction of anoikis resistance and growth in an anchorage‐independent condition. H2O2 exposure increased the Cav‐1 (caveolin‐1) level through an increase of Cav‐1 mRNA with minimal effect on protein degradation. Upregulation of Cav‐1 induced anoikis resistance and facilitated growth in a detached manner. The findings show a novel role of hydrogen peroxide in the regulation of metastatic potential of cancer cells.
Will arboreal mammals use rope-bridges across a highway in eastern Australia?
Authors: Goldingay Ross L. , Rohweder David , Taylor Brendan D.
Published: August 2012

Artificial structures designed to promote road-crossing by arboreal mammals are increasingly being installed in Australia but there is a limited understanding of their usefulness. We studied five 50–70-m-long rope-bridges (encompassing three designs) erected across the Pacific Highway, a major freeway in eastern Australia. Native arboreal mammals showed a willingness to explore these structures, being detected by camera traps on four rope-bridges. The vulnerable squirrel glider (Petaurus norfolcensis) crossed on one rope-bridge at least once every 4.5 weeks over a 32-week period. The feathertail glider (Acrobates pygmaeus), common ringtail possum (Pseudocheirus peregrinus) and the common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) were detected on one of two rope-bridges that extended under the freeway at creek crossings. The feathertail glider was detected on all three rope-bridge designs. Our results suggest that rope-bridges have the potential to restore habitat connectivity disrupted by roads for some arboreal mammals. Further research is needed to refine the design and placement of rope-bridges as well as to determine whether these structures promote gene flow.
Fluorescence properties of dissolved organic matter in coastal Mediterranean waters influenced by a municipal sewage effluent (Bay of Marseilles, France)
Authors: Tedetti M. , Longhitano R. , Garcia N. , Guigue C. , Ferretto N. , Goutx M.
Published: August 2012

Environmental contextMarine dissolved organic matter plays a key role in the global carbon cycle. Questions remain, however, as to the influence of anthropogenic activities on its composition and distribution in coastal waters. It was found that dissolved organic matter in the vicinity of a municipal sewage effluent (Marseilles City, France) contained a high proportion of protein-like material, thereby demonstrating the influence of human activities on coastal dissolved organic matter. AbstractFluorescent dissolved organic matter (FDOM) in coastal marine waters influenced by the municipal sewage effluent (SE) from Marseilles City (France, north-western Mediterranean Sea) has been characterised. Samples were collected eleven times from September 2008 to June 2010 in the Bay of Marseilles along a coast–open sea transect from the SE outlet in the South Bay and at the Mediterranean Institute Observation site in the central Bay. Fluorescence excitation–emission matrices combined with parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) allowed the identification of two protein-like (tyrosine C1, with excitation maxima (λEx) and an emission maximum (λEm) of <230, 275/306 nm; tryptophan C2, λEx/λEm <230, 270/346 nm) and three humic-like components (marine humic C3, λEx/λEm 280/386 nm; C4, λEx/λEm 235, 340/410 nm; C5, λEx/λEm 255, 365/474 nm). From the SE outlet to the central Bay, a gradient appeared, with decreasing FDOM intensities, decreasing dissolved organic carbon, particulate carbon, nutrients and faecal bacteria concentrations and increasing salinity values. This gradient was associated with decreasing abundances in protein-like fluorophores and rising abundances in humic-like (C3 and C5) materials. This shift in FDOM composition illustrated the decrease in wastewater inputs and the increase in marine sources of DOM along the transect. FDOM data showed that the Marseilles SE spread up to 1500 m off the outlet, but it did not reach the central Bay. Tryptophan-like material was the dominant fluorophore in the SE and displayed the highest correlations with biogeochemical parameters (organic carbon, phosphates, faecal bacteria). Therefore, it is proposed to use its fluorescence intensity to detect and track SE inputs in the Marseilles coastal marine waters.
A role for root morphology and related candidate genes in P acquisition efficiency in maize
Authors: Morais de Sousa Sylvia , Clark Randy T. , Mendes Flávia Ferreira , Carlos de Oliveira Antonio , Vilaça de Vasconcelos Maria José , Parentoni Sidney Netto , Kochian Leon V. , Guimarães Cláudia Teixeira , Magalhães Jurandir Vieira
Published: August 2012

Phosphorus (P) is an essential nutrient for plants and is acquired from the rhizosphere solution as inorganic phosphate. P is one of the least available mineral nutrients, particularly in highly weathered, tropical soils, and can substantially limit plant growth. The aim of this work was to study a possible effect of root morphology and the expression pattern of related candidate genes on P efficiency in maize. Our field phenotyping results under low and high P conditions enabled us to identify two contrasting genotypes for P acquisition efficiency that were used for the root traits studies. Root morphology was assessed in a paper pouch system to investigate root traits that could be involved in P acquisition efficiency. The genes, Rtcs, Bk2 and Rth3, which are known to be involved in root morphology, showed higher expression in the P efficient line relative to the P inefficient line. Overall, root traits showed high heritability and a low coefficient of variation. Principal component analysis revealed that out of the 24 root traits analysed, only four root traits were needed to adequately represent the diversity among genotypes. The information generated by this study will be useful for establishing early selection strategies for P efficiency in maize, which are needed to support subsequent molecular and physiological studies.
Free blastocyst and implantation stages in the European brown hare: correlation between ultrasound and histological data
Authors: Drews Barbara , Ringleb Jennifer , Waurich Romy , Hildebrandt Thomas Bernd , Schröder Katharina , Roellig Kathleen
Published: August 2012

The European brown hare (Lepus europaeus) is the only species with superconception, whereby the maternal reproductive tract hosts two sets of conceptuses at different developmental stages. The embryonic development of the hare has not yet been described. To understand the mechanism of superconception, we studied oviduct transport and implantation stages by embryo flushing and live high-resolution ultrasound. Ultrasound data of implantation stages is correlated with histology. In the oviduct, a mucin coat is deposited on the zona pellucida. The blastocysts enter the uterine horns on Day 5, 1 day later than in the rabbit, and directly expand approximately threefold. Spacing is accompanied by peristaltic movement of the endometrium. The mucin coat disappears and the conceptuses attach. The yolk-sac expands in the blastocoel and syncytial knobs invade the antimesometrial endometrium. Maternal blood lacunae appear in the mesometrial endometrial folds, which are subsequently invaded by the syncytiotrophoblast. The haemochorial chorioallantoic placenta forms. The yolk-sac cavity is gradually replaced by the allantois and finally by the exocoel. The different reproductive strategies of the precocial hare and the altricial rabbit are discussed. We assume that the lagomorph-specific mucin coat and the hare-specific delay of the oviduct–uterine transition are prerequisites for superconception.
High insulin concentrations promote the in vitro growth and viability of canine preantral follicles
Authors: Serafim Michelle K. B. , Silva Gerlane M. , Duarte Ana B. G. , Araújo V. R. , Silva T. F. P. , Lima A. K. F. , Chaves R. N. , Campello C. C. , Silva L. D. M. , Figueiredo J. R.
Published: August 2012

To determine whether the effects of different concentrations of insulin on the development of canine preantral follicles in vitro were associated or not with FSH, secondary follicles were isolated and cultured. In Experiment 1, follicles were cultured in the following media: modified minimum essential medium (CtrlMEM) alone; CtrlMEM plus 5 ng mL–1 insulin (Ins5ng); CtrlMEM plus 10 ng mL–1 insulin (Ins10ng); and CtrlMEM plus 10 μg mL–1 insulin. In Experiment 2, follicles were cultured in the same media but in the presence of sequential FSH (i.e. CtrlFSH, Ins5ngF, Ins10ngF and 10μgF, respectively). Increasing concentrations of FSH (100, 500 and 1000 ng mL–1) were added sequentially to the culture medium on Days 0, 6 and 12 of culture. Viability were assessed at the end of culture and follicular diameter and the antrum formation rate at four time points (Days 0, 6, 12 and 18). In Experiment 1, the high insulin concentration significantly increased follicular viability (P < 0.05). In contrast, in Experiment 2, viability was not affected by the inclusion of insulin. In addition, viability was significantly better in follicles cultured in CtrlFSH (P < 0.05). The diameter of follicles in the high-insulin group in Experiment 1 and high-insulin plus FSH group in Experiment 2 was superior to other groups tested. In experiment 2, the Ins10μg and Ins10μgF groups exhibited significantly higher antrum formation rates than the other groups. In conclusion, in the absence of FSH, high concentrations of insulin have beneficial effects on follicular viability. However, to promote the growth of canine preantral follicles in vitro, it is recommended that a combination of insulin and FSH be added to the medium.
Emerging roles of immune cells in luteal angiogenesis
Authors: Shirasuna Koumei , Shimizu Takashi , Matsui Motozumi , Miyamoto Akio
Published: August 2012

In the mammalian ovary, the corpus luteum (CL) is a unique transient endocrine organ displaying rapid angiogenesis and time-dependent accumulation of immune cells. The CL closely resembles ‘transitory tumours’, and the rate of luteal growth equals that of the fastest growing tumours. Recently, attention has focused on multiple roles of immune cells in luteal function, not only in luteolysis (CL disruption by immune responses involving T lymphocytes and macrophages), but also in CL development (CL remodelling by different immune responses involving neutrophils and macrophages). Neutrophils and macrophages regulate angiogenesis, lymphangiogenesis, and steroidogenesis by releasing cytokines in the CL. In addition, functional polarisation of neutrophils (proinflammatory N1 vs anti-inflammatory N2) and macrophages (proinflammatory M1 vs anti-inflammatory M2) has been demonstrated. This new concept concurs with the phenomenon of immune function within the luteal microenvironment: active development of the CL infiltrating anti-inflammatory N2 and M2 versus luteal regression together with proinflammatory N1 and M1. Conversely, excessive angiogenic factors and leucocyte infiltration result in indefinite disordered tumour development. However, the negative feedback regulator vasohibin-1 in the CL prevents excessive tumour-like vasculogenesis, suggesting that CL development has well coordinated time-dependent mechanisms. In this review, we discuss the physiological roles of immune cells involved in innate immunity (e.g. neutrophils and macrophages) in the local regulation of CL development with a primary focus on the cow.
Squamous cell carcinoma of the anal canal: a review of the aetiology, presentation, staging, prognosis and methods available for treatment
Authors: Szmulowicz Ursula M. , Wu James S.
Published: August 2012

Anal cancer is an uncommon malignancy, with the majority of cases comprised of squamous cell carcinomas. The increasing incidence of this disease reflects a rise in the transmission of the human papillomavirus, the causative organism of most tumours. Abdominoperineal resection (APR), once the primary mode of treatment, has been supplanted by sphincter-saving combination chemoradiation as the first-line therapy. However, surgeons continue to play a role in the multidisciplinary management of patients with anal cancer for diagnosis and post-treatment surveillance. Sentinel node biopsy may identify patients with clinically and radiographically negative inguinal lymph nodes who will benefit from groin irradiation. In very select cases, the controversial means of local excision has been employed as primary treatment, often in conjunction with radiation and chemotherapy. The management of persistent or recurrent anal cancers following primary chemoradiation remains a concern, for which only salvage APR currently offers the possibility of a cure. The introduction of human papillomavirus vaccines presents the exciting potential for the eradication of the disease.
The epidemiology of anal human papillomavirus infection among women and men having sex with women
Authors: Nyitray Alan G.
Published: August 2012

The goal of this review is to summarise epidemiological data that support an understanding of the natural history of anal human papillomavirus (HPV) among women and men having sex with women (MSW). HPV is a common infection of the anal canal among women and MSW. Although there have been a limited number of studies to date, both oncogenic and nononcogenic HPV genotypes commonly occur among these populations even when individuals do not report receptive anal sex. Genotype distribution is quite diverse, with recent studies typically detecting more than two dozen genotypes in the anal canal in samples of women and MSW. Factors most consistently associated with HPV in the anal canal among both women and MSW are lifetime number of sexual partners and detection of HPV at the genitals. The common finding of genotypic concordance between the genitals and anal canal in women and MSW, and the infectious nature of HPV, in addition to a limited number of studies offering empirical evidence of anal-to-genital self-inoculation and evidence of HPV hand carriage, may help explain the detection of HPV in the anal canal outside the context of receptive anal sex. HPV vaccination has been shown to reduce anal HPV infection among women and is also a promising prevention strategy among MSW.
Modelling the potential for prescribed burning to mitigate carbon emissions from wildfires in fire-prone forests of Australia
Authors: Bradstock R. A. , Boer M. M. , Cary G. J. , Price O. F. , Williams R. J. , Barrett D. , Cook G. , Gill A. M. , Hutley L. B. W. , Keith H. , Maier S. W. , Meyer M. , Roxburgh S. H. , Russell-Smith J.
Published: August 2012

Prescribed fire can potentially reduce carbon emissions from unplanned fires. This potential will differ among ecosystems owing to inherent differences in the efficacy of prescribed burning in reducing unplanned fire activity (or ‘leverage’, i.e. the reduction in area of unplanned fire per unit area of prescribed fire). In temperate eucalypt forests, prescribed burning leverage is relatively low and potential for mitigation of carbon emissions from unplanned fires via prescribed fire is potentially limited. Simulations of fire regimes accounting for non-linear patterns of fuel dynamics for three fuel types characteristic of eucalypt forests in south-eastern Australia supported this prediction. Estimated mean annual fuel consumption increased with diminishing leverage and increasing rate of prescribed burning, even though average fire intensity (prescribed and unplanned fires combined) decreased. The results indicated that use of prescribed burning in these temperate forests is unlikely to yield a net reduction in carbon emissions. Future increases in burning rates under climate change may increase emissions and reduce carbon sequestration. A more detailed understanding of the efficacy of prescribed burning and dynamics of combustible biomass pools is required to clarify the potential for mitigation of carbon emissions in temperate eucalypt forests and other ecosystems.
Modelling smoke transport from wildland fires: a review
Authors: Goodrick Scott L. , Achtemeier Gary L. , Larkin Narasimhan K. , Liu Yongqiang , Strand Tara M.
Published: August 2012

Among the key issues in smoke management is predicting the magnitude and location of smoke effects. These vary in severity from hazardous (acute health conditions and drastic visibility impairment to transportation) to nuisance (regional haze), and occur across a range of scales (local to continental). Over the years a variety of tools have been developed to aid in predicting smoke effects. This review follows the development of these tools, from various indices and simple screening models to complex air quality modelling systems, with a focus on how each tool represents key processes involved in smoke transport.
Satellite-based comparison of fire intensity and smoke plumes from prescribed fires and wildfires in south-eastern Australia
Authors: Williamson Grant J. , Price Owen F. , Henderson Sarah B. , Bowman David M. J. S.
Published: August 2012

Smoke pollution from wildfires can adversely affect human health, and there is uncertainty about the amount of smoke pollution caused by prescribed v. wildfires, a problem demanding a landscape perspective given that air quality monitoring is sparse outside of urban airsheds. The primary objective was to assess differences in fire intensity and smoke plume area between prescribed fires and wildfires around Melbourne and Sydney, Australia. We matched thermal anomaly satellite data to databases of fires in forests surrounding both cities. For each matched fire we determined hotspot count and quantified their intensity using the fire radiative power (FRP) measurement. Smoke plumes were mapped using MODIS true colour images. Wildfires had more extreme fire intensity values than did prescribed burns and the mean size of wildfire plumes was six times greater than of prescribed fire plumes for both cities. Statistical modelling showed that the horizontal area covered by smoke plumes could be predicted by hotspot count and sum of FRP, with differences between cities and fire type. Smoke plumes from both fire types reached both urban areas, and particulate pollution was higher on days affected by smoke plumes. Our results suggested that prescribed fires produced smaller smoke plume areas than did wildfires in two different flammable landscapes. Smoke plume and FRP data, combined with air pollution data from static monitors, can be used to improve smoke management for human health.
Interdisciplinary approaches to understanding disease emergence: The past, present, and future drivers of Nipah virus emergence
Authors: Daszak Peter , Zambrana-Torrelio Carlos , Bogich Tiffany L. , Fernandez Miguel , Epstein Jonathan H. , Murray Kris A. , Hamilton Healy
Published: August 2012

Emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) pose a significant threat to human health, economic stability, and biodiversity. Despite this, the mechanisms underlying disease emergence are still not fully understood, and control measures rely heavily on mitigating the impact of EIDs after they have emerged. Here, we highlight the emergence of a zoonotic
Henipavirus
, Nipah virus, to demonstrate the interdisciplinary and macroecological approaches necessary to understand EID emergence. Previous work suggests that Nipah virus emerged due to the interaction of the wildlife reservoir (
Pteropus
spp. fruit bats) with intensively managed livestock. The emergence of this and other henipaviruses involves interactions among a suite of anthropogenic environmental changes, socioeconomic factors, and changes in demography that overlay and interact with the distribution of these pathogens in their wildlife reservoirs. Here, we demonstrate how ecological niche modeling may be used to investigate the potential role of a changing climate on the future risk for
Henipavirus
emergence. We show that the distribution of
Henipavirus
reservoirs, and therefore henipaviruses, will likely change under climate change scenarios, a fundamental precondition for disease emergence in humans. We assess the variation among climate models to estimate where
Henipavirus
host distribution is most likely to expand, contract, or remain stable, presenting new risks for human health. We conclude that there is substantial potential to use this modeling framework to explore the distribution of wildlife hosts under a changing climate. These approaches may directly inform current and future management and surveillance strategies aiming to improve pathogen detection and, ultimately, reduce emergence risk.
Hematopoietic overexpression of the transcription factor Erg induces lymphoid and erythro-megakaryocytic leukemia
Authors: Carmichael Catherine L. , Metcalf Donald , Henley Katya J. , Kruse Elizabeth A. , Di Rago Ladina , Mifsud Sandra , Alexander Warren S. , Kile Benjamin T.
Published: August 2012

The transcription factor encoded by the E-twenty-six (ETS)-related gene,
ERG
, is an essential regulator of hematopoietic stem cell function and a potent human oncoprotein. Enforced expression of ERG in murine hematopoietic cells leads to the development of a well-characterized lymphoid leukemia and a less well-defined non lymphoid disease. To clarify the latter, we generated murine bone marrow chimeras with enforced Erg expression in engrafted hematopoietic progenitor cells. As expected, these mice developed lymphoid leukemia. However, the previously reported non lymphoid disease that developed was shown to be a uniform, transplantable leukemia with both erythroid and megakaryocytic characteristics. In vivo, this disease had the overall appearance of an erythroleukemia, with an accumulation of immature erythroblasts that infiltrated the bone marrow, spleen, liver, and lung. However, when stimulated in vitro, leukemic cell clones exhibited both erythroid and megakaryocytic differentiation, suggesting that transformation occurred in a bipotential progenitor. Thus, in mice, Erg overexpression induces the development of not only lymphoid leukemia but also erythro-megakaryocytic leukemia.
Distinctive features of persuasion and deliberation dialogues
Authors: Atkinson Katie , Bench-Capon Trevor , Walton Douglas
Published: August 2012

The distinction between action persuasion dialogues and deliberation dialogues is not always obvious at first sight. In this paper, we provide a characterisation of both types of dialogues that draws out the distinctive features of each. It is important to recognise the distinctions since participants in both types of dialogues will have different aims, which in turn affects whether a successful outcome can be reached. Such dialogues are typically conducted by exchanging arguments for and against certain options. The moves of the dialogue are designed to facilitate such exchanges. In particular, we show how the pre- and post-conditions for the use of particular moves in the dialogues are very different depending upon whether they are used as part of a persuasion over action or a deliberation dialogue. We draw out the distinctions with reference to a running example that we also present as a logic program in order to give a clear characterisation of the two types of dialogues, which is intended to enable them to be used more effectively within systems requiring automated communication.
Index Insurance for Developing Countries
Authors: Miranda Mario J. , Farrin Katie
Published: August 2012

Unlike conventional insurance, which indemnifies policyholders for verifiable production losses arising from multiple perils, index insurance indemnifies policyholders based on the observed value of a specified “index” or some other closely related variable that is highly correlated with losses. Index insurance exhibits lower transaction costs than conventional insurance, potentially making it more affordable to the poor in the developing world. However, it also offers less effective individual risk protection. This article provides a review of recent theoretical and empirical research on index insurance for developing countries and summarizes lessons learned from index insurance projects implemented in the developing world since 2000.
Dynamic Games with Asymmetric Information: A Framework for Empirical Work*
Authors: Fershtman Chaim , Pakes Ariel
Published: August 2012

We develop a framework for the analysis of dynamic oligopolies with persistant sources of asymmetric information that enables applied analysis of situations of empirical importance that have been difficult to deal with. The framework generates policies that are “relatively” easy for agents to use while still being optimal in a meaningful sense, and is amenable to empirical research in that its equilibrium conditions can be tested and equilibrium policies are relatively easy to compute. We conclude with an example that endogenizes the maintenance decisions of electricity generators when the costs states of the generators are private information.
Subgame-Perfect Implementation Under Information Perturbations*
Authors: Aghion Philippe , Fudenberg Drew , Holden Richard , Kunimoto Takashi , Tercieux Olivier
Published: August 2012

We consider the robustness of extensive form mechanisms to deviations from common knowledge about the state of nature, which we refer to as information perturbations . First, we show that even under arbitrarily small information perturbations the Moore-Repullo mechanism does not yield (even approximately) truthful revelation and that in addition the mechanism has sequential equilibria with undesirable outcomes. More generally, we prove that any extensive form mechanism is fragile in the sense that if a non-Maskin monotonic social objective can be implemented with this mechanism, then there are arbitrarily small information perturbations under which an undesirable sequential equilibrium also exists. Finally, we argue that outside options can help improve efficiency in asymmetric information environments, and that these options can be thought of as reflecting ownership of an asset.
Time series community genomics analysis reveals rapid shifts in bacterial species, strains, and phage during infant gut colonization
Authors: Sharon Itai , Morowitz Michael J. , Thomas Brian C. , Costello Elizabeth K. , Relman David A. , Banfield Jillian F.
Published: August 2012

The gastrointestinal microbiome undergoes shifts in species and strain abundances, yet dynamics involving closely related microorganisms remain largely unknown because most methods cannot resolve them. We developed new metagenomic methods and utilized them to track species and strain level variations in microbial communities in 11 fecal samples collected from a premature infant during the first month of life. Ninety six percent of the sequencing reads were assembled into scaffolds of >500 bp in length that could be assigned to organisms at the strain level. Six essentially complete (∼99%) and two near-complete genomes were assembled for bacteria that comprised as little as 1% of the community, as well as nine partial genomes of bacteria representing as little as 0.05%. In addition, three viral genomes were assembled and assigned to their hosts. The relative abundance of three Staphylococcus epidermidis strains, as well as three phages that infect them, changed dramatically over time. Genes possibly related to these shifts include those for resistance to antibiotics, heavy metals, and phage. At the species level, we observed the decline of an early-colonizing Propionibacterium acnes strain similar to SK137 and the proliferation of novel Propionibacterium and Peptoniphilus species late in colonization. The Propionibacterium species differed in their ability to metabolize carbon compounds such as inositol and sialic acid, indicating that shifts in species composition likely impact the metabolic potential of the community. These results highlight the benefit of reconstructing complete genomes from metagenomic data and demonstrate methods for achieving this goal.
Density of herbaceous plants and distribution of western gorillas in different habitat types in south‐east Cameroon
Authors: Willie Jacob , Petre Charles‐Albert , Tagg Nikki , Lens Luc
Published: August 2012

The study of forest herb availability improves knowledge of ecology and conservation of gorillas that depend on such herbs. Density patterns of herbs and location of western gorilla nest sites were studied in different habitat types at a site in south‐east Cameroon to assess their relationship. Herb stems of the families Marantaceae and Zingiberaceae were identified and counted in 10,713 1‐m2 plots distributed within six habitat types. Stem density correlated with light availability and ranged from 2.38 stems m−² in near primary forest to 4.66 stems m−² in light gaps. Gorillas showed marked preferences for habitats with high herb densities such as light gaps, swamps and young secondary forest. However, no clear relationship exists between terrestrial herbaceous vegetation and gorilla densities across Central Africa. It is suggested that differences in ecological factors and land use history within and between sites may explain differences in herb density and diversity which partly account for variations in the historical and present population distribution and density of western gorillas. Formerly logged and swamp forests, which are characterized by an abundance of herbs, may prove to be of great value in the conservation of western gorillas given appropriate forest management practices, adequate protection from poaching and limited human encroachment.
The Localization and Regulation of Proprotein Convertase Subtilisin/Kexin (PCSK) 6 in Human Ovary
Authors: Akiyama Ikumi , Yoshino Osamu , Osuga Yutaka , Shi Jia , Hirota Yasushi , Hirata Tetsuya , Harada Miyuki , Koga Kaori , Fujimoto Akihisa , Yano Tetsu , Taketani Yuji
Published: August 2012

Problem

The aim of this study is to evaluate the expression and regulation of proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin (PCSK) 6, which is known to be an important factor in the production of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) cytokines in human ovary.

Method of study

The localization of PCSK 6 protein in normal human ovaries was examined by immunohistochemistry. Human granulosa cells (GC), obtained from 34 patients undergoing ovarian stimulation for in vitro fertilization, were cultured with BMP‐2, BMP‐6, BMP‐7, BMP‐15, growth differentiation factor (GDF)‐9, and activin‐A with or without FSH. PCSK 6 mRNA expression level was evaluated by quantitative real‐time reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR).

Results

An immunohistochemistry study revealed that GC expressed PCSK 6 throughout follicular development, beginning in the primary follicle stage, while oocytes expressed PCSK 6 from the primordial follicle stage onwards. An in vitro study demonstrated that BMP‐2, BMP‐6, BMP‐7, and BMP‐15, not activin‐A and GDF‐9, decreased PCSK 6 gene expression in human GC. FSH induced PCSK 6 mRNA in the presence of activin‐A or GDF‐9. GDF‐3, which is an inhibitor of BMP cytokines, also induced PCSK 6 mRNA expression.

Conclusions

PCSK 6, which is a critical factor to produce BMP cytokines, was suppressed with BMP stimulation in human GC, suggesting the presence of a negative feedback system in the follicular development process.
Transient Detection of Chlamydial‐Specific Th1 Memory Cells in the Peripheral Circulation of Women with History of Chlamydia trachomatis Genital Tract Infection
Authors: Vicetti Miguel Rodolfo D. , Reighard Seth D. , Chavez Jean M. , Rabe Lorna K. , Maryak Samantha A. , Wiesenfeld Harold C. , Cherpes Thomas L.
Published: August 2012

Problem

Development of safe and effective Chlamydia trachomatis vaccines requires better understanding of the host immune responses elicited by natural infection.

Method of study

Peripheral blood mononuclear cells isolated from women with or without history of genital tract chlamydial infection were stimulated with inactivated C. trachomatis elementary bodies (EB) in ELISPOT assays that enumerated frequencies of cells producing interferon (IFN)‐γ or interleukin (IL)‐17.

Results

IFN‐γ‐positive cells were highest among women sampled 30–60 days after diagnosis of C. trachomatis infection and treatment initiation, while the numbers of IFN‐γ‐positive cells were equally low among uninfected women and women sampled <30 or >60 days after diagnosis of infection. Conversely, IL‐17‐positive cell numbers were uniformly low among all participants.

Conclusion

Dramatically reduced numbers of Chlamydia‐specific Th1 memory cells in the peripheral circulation of study participants sampled more than 2 months after diagnosis, and initiation of treatment provides new insight into the results from C. trachomatis vaccine trials, in which immunization with EB provided only short‐lived protection. Our results also suggest that an effective vaccine against this weakly antigenic intracellular pathogen will need to generate immunological memory more durable than that elicited by natural infection.
Bone formation around zirconia implants combined with rhBMP‐2 gel in the canine mandible
Authors: Lee Byung‐Chul , Yeo In‐Sung , Kim Dae‐Joon , Lee Jai‐Bong , Kim Sung‐Hun , Han Jung‐Suk
Published: August 2012

Objective

The aim of this study was to estimate the effects of zirconia implants and recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein‐2 (rhBMP‐2) gel on the acceleration of local bone formation and osseointegration in the canine mandible.

Materials and Methods

Four groups of 48 implants with identical geometry were installed in the mandibles of beagle dogs: alumina‐blasted zirconia implants applied with rhBMP‐2, alumina‐blasted zirconia implants applied with demineralized bone matrix (DBM), alumina‐blasted zirconia implants, and resorbable blast media‐treated titanium (Ti) implants. For the first two groups, zirconia implants were inserted after the surgical sites were filled with rhBMP‐2 or DBM gel. For the other two groups, zirconia or Ti implants were installed with no adjunctive treatment. Fluorescent bone markers were administered to monitor bone remodeling at weeks 2, 4, and 5 postimplantation. After healing periods of 3 weeks and 6 weeks, the animals were sacrificed, and fluorescent microscopy, histology, and histomorphometric analyses were performed.

Results

Fluorescent microscopy showed that bone formation around the zirconia implants installed with rhBMP‐2 gel was the most prominent at 2 weeks postimplantation, while the Ti implants acquired bone apposition mainly at week 5. No significant differences were found in bone area among the groups (P > 0.05). The zirconia implants showed similar bone‐to‐implant contact to the Ti implants. There were no significant differences in bone‐to‐implant contact between the zirconia implants with rhBMP‐2 gel and those with DBM (P > 0.05).

Conclusions

The zirconia implants with alumina‐blasted surfaces may achieve osseointegration in much the same manner as the well‐established Ti implants. The area influenced by rhBMP‐2 gel, including the alveolar crest, may cause active remodeling and early bone formation.
Differences in liquor prices between control state‐operated and license‐state retail outlets in theUnitedStates
Authors: Siegel Michael , DeJong William , Albers Alison B. , Naimi Timothy S. , Jernigan David H.
Published: August 2012

Aims

This study aims to compare the average price of liquor in theUnitedStates between retail alcohol outlets in states that have a monopoly (‘control’ states) with those that do not (‘licence’ states).

Design

A cross‐sectional study of brand‐specific alcohol prices in theUnitedStates.

Setting

We determined the average prices inFebruary 2012 of 74 brands of liquor among the 13 control states that maintain a monopoly on liquor sales at the retail level and among a sample of 50 license‐state liquor stores, using their online‐available prices.

Measurements

We calculated average prices for 74 brands of liquor by control versus license state. We used a random‐effects regression model to estimate differences between control and license state prices—overall and by alcoholic beverage type. We also compared prices between the 13 control states.

Findings

The overall mean price for the 74 brands was $27.79 in the license states [95% confidence interval (CI): $25.26–30.32] and $29.82 in the control states (95%CI: $26.98–32.66). Based on the random‐effects linear regression model, the average liquor price was approximately $2 lower (6.9% lower) in license states.

Conclusions

In theUnitedStates monopoly of alcohol retail outlets appears to be associated with slightly higher liquor prices.