bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
FGF2 stimulates the proliferation of human mesenchymal stem cells through the transient activation of JNK signaling
Authors: Ahn Hee-Jin , Lee Woo-Jung , Kwack KyuBum , Kwon Young Do
Published: August 2009

FGF2 has been shown to enhance proliferation and maintain differentiation potential in hMSCs during in vitro propagation. In this study, we investigated the role of mitogen‐activated protein kinase in the functions of FGF2 in hMSCs. We demonstrated that FGF2 induces the transient activation of c‐Jun N‐terminal kinase (JNK), but not extracellular signal‐regulated protein kinase or p38 protein kinase. SP600125 and a dominant negative JNK1 significantly reduced the FGF2‐enhanced proliferation of hMSCs. Treatment with SP600125 also diminished the activity of FGF2 in the maintenance of adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation potential. These results suggest that JNK signaling is involved in the FGF2‐induced stimulation of the proliferation and the maintenance of differentiation potential in hMSCs.
Ultrasound exposure of the foetal chick brain: effects on learning and memory
Authors: Schneider‐Kolsky Michal E. , Ayobi Zohel , Lombardo Paul , Brown Damian , Kedang Ben , Gibbs Marie E.
Published: August 2009

Ultrasound imaging of the brain is routinely used to monitor the development and resolution of brain lesions among premature and compromised newborn human babies. However, animal studies have shown that ultrasound can cause damage to developing foetal and neonatal tissues. In this study we investigated if ultrasound of the chick brain can lead to learning and memory impairment after hatch. We exposed the brains of chicks on day 19 of a 21 day incubation period to 5 or 10 min of B‐mode, or to 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 min of pulsed Doppler ultrasound in ovo. Learning and memory function were assessed at day 2 post‐hatch. Our results show that B‐mode exposure at E19 does not affect memory function. On the other hand, 2 h after training, significant memory impairment occurred following 4 and 5 min of pulsed Doppler exposure at E19. In separate groups of chicks, short‐, intermediate‐ and long‐term memory was equally impaired suggesting an inability to learn. Further, the chicks were still unable to learn with a second training session 5 min after completion of the initial testing. These results demonstrate that extended exposure to pulsed Doppler ultrasound can adversely affect cognitive function in the chick when exposure occurs close to the time of hatch.
The cochlea in fetuses with neural tube defects
Authors: Schmutzhard Joachim , Glueckert Rudolf , Bitsche Mario , Abraham Irene , Falkeis Christina , Schwentner Ilona , Riechelmann Herbert , Müller Bert , Beckmann Felix , Sergi Consolato , Schrott‐Fischer Annelies
Published: August 2009

In this study different malformations of the cochlea could be demonstrated. Nevertheless, we could not delineate a distinct malformation of the inner ear, that can be linked to a neural tube defect.

Neural tube defects are a frequent and heterogeneous group of malformations, ranging from the survivable spina bifida to fatal anencephaly. In multiple animal models an involvement of the vestibulocochlear system has been demonstrated. In this article human fetal temporal bones of neural tube defects were analysed in a multimodular work‐up.

The morphologic study was performed with light microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and synchrotron radiation‐based microcomputed tomography. Immunohistochemistry for different neuronal markers such as peripherin, beta‐III‐tubulin and vimentin helped to evaluate ontogenetic tissue development.

Eight fetal temporal bones with neural tube defects and five control temporal bones were included into the morphologic study. The morphologic results of the neural tube defect temporal bones showed six regularly developed cochleas and two with only a single cochlear turn. Three of the neural tube defect temporal bones were further examined with immunohistochemical analysis. No differences in the staining pattern for peripherin, beta‐III‐tubulin and vimentin were detected.
Examining supply chain relationships: Do buyer and supplier perspectives on collaborative relationships differ?
Authors: Nyaga Gilbert N. , Whipple Judith M. , Lynch Daniel F.
Published: August 2009

Firms are building collaborative relationships with their supply chain partners in order to achieve efficiencies, flexibility, and sustainable competitive advantage. However, it is unclear if collaborative relationships provide benefits that compensate for the additional expense associated with such relationships. Further, it is unclear what factors promote successful collaborations. This research examines collaborative relationships in two separate studies using structural equation modeling: one study examines buyers’ perceptions and the second study examines suppliers’ perceptions. The two studies are then compared using invariance testing in order to determine economic and relational factors that drive satisfaction and performance from each party's perspective. Results show that collaborative activities, such as information sharing, joint relationship effort, and dedicated investments lead to trust and commitment. Trust and commitment, in turn, lead to improved satisfaction and performance. Results from the two independent studies exhibit similarities and differences; while the conceptual model is highly similar, certain paths vary in their significance and/or their importance across buyer and supplier firms such that buyers focus more on relationship outcomes while suppliers look to safeguard their transaction specific investments through information sharing and joint relationship effort. Managerial and theoretical implications of the findings are discussed.
Post-Clovis survival of American Mastodon in the southern Great Lakes Region of North America
Authors: Woodman Neal , Beavan Athfield Nancy
Published: August 2009

The end of the Pleistocene in North America was marked by a wave of extinctions of large mammals, with the last known appearances of many species falling between ca. 11,000–10,000 14C yr BP. Temporally, this period overlaps with the Clovis Paleoindian cultural complex (11,190–10,530 14C yr BP) and with sudden climatic changes that define the beginning of the Younger Dryas chronozone (ca. 11,000–10,000 14C yr BP), both of which have been considered as potential proximal causes of this extinction event. Radiocarbon dating of enamel and filtered bone collagen from an extinct American Mastodon (Mammut americanum) from northern Indiana, USA, by accelerator mass spectrometer yielded direct dates of 10,055 ± 40 14C yr BP and 10,032 ± 40 14C yr BP, indicating that the animal survived beyond the Clovis time period and into the late Younger Dryas. Although the late survival of this species in mid-continental North America does not remove either humans or climatic change as contributing causes for the late Pleistocene extinctions, neither Clovis hunters nor the climatic perturbations initiating the Younger Dryas chronozone were immediately responsible for driving mastodons to extinction.
Late Holocene sea-surface temperature and precipitation variability in northern Patagonia, Chile (Jacaf Fjord, 44°S)
Authors: Sepúlveda Julio , Pantoja Silvio , Hughen Konrad A. , Bertrand Sébastien , Figueroa Dante , León Tania , Drenzek Nicholas J. , Lange Carina
Published: August 2009

A high-resolution multi-proxy study including the elemental and isotopic composition of bulk organic matter, land plant-derived biomarkers, and alkenone-based sea-surface temperature (SST) from a marine sedimentary record obtained from the Jacaf Fjord in northern Chilean Patagonia (∼44°20′S) provided a detailed reconstruction of continental runoff, precipitation, and summer SST spanning the last 1750 yr. We observed two different regimes of climate variability in our record: a relatively dry/warm period before 900 cal yr BP (lower runoff and average SST 1°C warmer than present day) and a wet/cold period after 750 cal yr BP (higher runoff and average SST 1°C colder than present day). Relatively colder SSTs were found during 750–600 and 450–250 cal yr BP, where the latter period roughly corresponds to the interval defined for the Little Ice Age (LIA). Similar climatic swings have been observed previously in continental and marine archives of the last two millennia from central and southern Chile, suggesting a strong latitudinal sensitivity to changes in the Southern Westerly Winds, the main source of precipitation in southern Chile, and validating the regional nature of the LIA. Our results reveal the importance of the Chilean fjord system for recording climate changes of regional and global significance.
Sample size and haplotype richness in population samples of the lichen-forming ascomycete Xanthoria parietina
Authors: LINDBLOM Louise
Published: August 2009

The fine-scale genetic variation and population structure of lichen-forming fungi is little known and sampling strategies are rarely recommended or discussed. I tested if the sample sizes of molecular data sets used in recent population studies of Xanthoria parietina revealed all haplotypes potentially present and, accordingly, quantified how many haplotypes were potentially missing in the samples. Data sets were concatenated from two geographical regions in Scandinavia and investigated if the sampling reached saturation at two levels: 1) individual-based using rarefaction curves and 2) population-based using species accumulation curves. At both levels, the matrices of two molecular markers (IGS and ITS) were analysed separately. The molecular markers show similar and parallel patterns in all analyses. Rarefaction analyses did not reveal different patterns for populations in different habitats, i.e., bark and rock. Species accumulation curves estimated with the Chao 1 richness estimator indicated that 23% of the IGS and 8% of the ITS haplotypes were not detected. Corresponding figures from an abundance-based coverage estimator (ACE) were 37% and 18%. Pilot studies are recommended to determine appropriate sample sizes for genetic-based population studies of lichen-forming fungi.
Bacidia rosellizans, a new lichen species from the taiga belt
Authors: EKMAN Stefan
Published: August 2009

Bacidia rosellizansS. Ekman is described as new to science. Morphologically, the new species is similar to the type species of the genus,B. rosella(Pers.) De Not., particularly in the pale pink and pigment-deficient apothecia and in having the proper exciple and upper part of the hymenium inspersed with minute crystals that consist at least partly of atranorin.Bacidia rosellizans, however, differs in having a thin whitish thallus, smaller apothecia and a thinner apothecial margin, a dense layer of crystals along the excipular rim, shorter and narrower ascospores with fewer septa, and septate conidia. WhereasB. rosellais a species occurring in the nemoral zone of Europe and possibly northernmost Africa and parts of Asia (but not North America),B. rosellizansis found mainly onPopulusandSalixin taiga. This species is currently known from Sweden, Russia, Canada and the USA. It was erroneously treated asBacidia rosellain a monograph of North American corticolous species ofBacidiaandBacidinaby Ekman (inOpera Botanica127, 1996).
Reproductive cycle, nutrition and growth of captive blue spotted stingray,Dasyatis kuhlii(Dasyatidae)
Authors: Janse Max , Schrama Johan W.
Published: August 2009

At Burgers' Ocean 7 male and 3 female blue spotted stingrays,Dasyatis kuhliiwere born over a period of 4.5 years. This paper describes the experiences of the captive breeding results of this species. The first two young died within 2 days of birth. One of them had an internal yolk sac, which may feed the young in the first few days. The other eight animals started to feed after 4 to 9 days on a variety of food types. Birth size of the young increased with increasing age of the parents. Mating occurred directly after parturition, so no seasonality could be defined. Gestation length ranged between 138 and 169 days, with a mean of 144.9±9.0 days (N = 11). Litter size was one, possibly caused by only one active ovarium. Sexual maturity of the two parent animals is approximately 3.5 years. The average feeding rations for the adults ranged between 10.1% BW week−1(131 kcal kg BW−1week−1) and 11.3% BW week−1(172 kcal kg BW−1 week−1), with a feeding frequency of 4 times per week. The relationship between body weight (BW) and wingspan (WS) is given as BW = 3.6 × 10−5* WS2.940(R2 = 0.9645; N = 45).
Characteristics of young rural Chinese suicides: a psychological autopsy study
Authors: Zhang J. , Wieczorek W. , Conwell Y. , Tu X.-M. , Wu B. Y.-W. , Xiao S. , Jia C.
Published: August 2009

Background

Patterns of suicide rates in China differ in many ways from those in the West. This study aimed to identify the risk factors characteristic for young rural Chinese suicides.

Method

This was a case-control psychological autopsy (PA) study. The samples were suicides and living controls (both aged 15–34 years) from 16 rural counties of China. We interviewed two informants for each suicide and each control with pretested and validated instruments to estimate psychosocial, psychiatric and other risk factors for suicides.

Results

The prevalence of mental disorders was higher among the young Chinese who died by suicide than among the living controls, but was lower than among suicides in the West. Marriage was not a protecting factor for suicide among young rural Chinese women, and never-married women who were involved in relationships were about three times more likely to commit suicide than single women who were unattached. Religion/religiosity was not a protecting factor in Chinese suicide, as it tended to be stronger for suicides than for controls. Impulsivity was significantly higher for suicides than for controls. Psychological strain, resulting from conflicting social values between communist gender equalitarianism and Confucian gender discrimination, was associated significantly with suicide in young rural Chinese women, even after accounting for the role of psychiatric illness.

Conclusions

Risk factors for suicide in rural China are different from those in the West. Psychological strain plays a role in suicide. Suicide prevention programs in China should incorporate culture-specific considerations.
Maternal psychological distress and fetal growth trajectories: The Generation R Study
Authors: Henrichs J. , Schenk J. J. , Roza S. J. , van den Berg M. P. , Schmidt H. G. , Steegers E. A. P. , Hofman A. , Jaddoe V. W. V. , Verhulst F. C. , Tiemeier H.
Published: August 2009

Background

Previous research suggests, though not consistently, that maternal psychological distress during pregnancy leads to adverse birth outcomes. We investigated whether maternal psychological distress affects fetal growth during the period of mid-pregnancy until birth.

Method

Pregnant women (n=6313) reported levels of psychological distress using the Brief Symptom Inventory (anxious and depressive symptoms) and the Family Assessment Device (family stress) at 20.6 weeks pregnancy and had fetal ultrasound measurements in mid- and late pregnancy. Estimated fetal weight was calculated using head circumference, abdominal circumference and femur length.

Results

In mid-pregnancy, maternal distress was not linked to fetal size. In late pregnancy, however, anxious symptoms were related to fetal size after controlling for potential confounders. Anxious symptoms were also associated with a 37.73 g [95% confidence interval (CI) −69.22 to −6.25, p=0.019] lower birth weight. When we related maternal distress to fetal growth curves using multilevel models, more consistent results emerged. Maternal symptoms of anxiety or depression were associated with impaired fetal weight gain and impaired fetal head and abdominal growth. For example, depressive symptoms reduced fetal weight gain by 2.86 g (95% CI −4.48 to −1.23, p<0.001) per week.

Conclusions

The study suggests that, starting in mid-pregnancy, fetal growth can be affected by different aspects of maternal distress. In particular, children of prenatally anxious mothers seem to display impaired fetal growth patterns during pregnancy. Future work should address the biological mechanisms underlying the association of maternal distress with fetal development and focus on the effects of reducing psychological distress in pregnancy.
A sham-controlled trial of left and right temporal rTMS for the treatment of auditory hallucinations
Authors: Loo C. K. , Sainsbury K. , Mitchell P. , Hadzi-Pavlovic D. , Sachdev P. S.
Published: August 2009

Background

Several studies have reported reduction of auditory hallucinations (AH) after repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) to the left temporal cortex. This study explored the effects of rTMS to the left and right temporal cortex.

Method

Eighteen subjects with schizophrenia and frequent AH were enrolled in a double-blind, cross-over trial of 3 days of active rTMS to the left or right temporal cortex, or sham rTMS to the vertex (control condition), followed by an open treatment phase. The effects on AH were assessed by a blinded rater, using the Auditory Hallucination Rating Scale (AHRS).

Results

During the double-blind phase, active temporal rTMS did not result in significantly greater improvement in hallucination scores than sham rTMS to the vertex, apart from a reduction in distress scores. Hallucination scores improved during the open continued treatment phase.

Conclusions

This study did not demonstrate an advantage for left temporal rTMS compared to right temporal and sham stimulation, over a 3-day stimulation period, but found modest improvement in hallucinations during continued open label treatment.
The Generations of the Diaspora and Multiculturalism in Britain
Authors: Verma Jatinder
Published: August 2009

Jatinder Verma founded Tara Arts in 1977 as a British-Asian company, the first of its kind in Britain. Its use of ‘Binglish’, a term coined by Verma to define the English of speakers belonging to the diaspora of the Indian subcontinent, is an integral part of Tara's identity, as he discussed in his commentary in NTQ52 (1997). This new interview, conducted in July 2008 and February 2009, focuses on issues to do with multiculturalism, engaging Verma in an in-depth discussion of this problematic and increasingly contested area and leading him to outline the artistic pursuits of his company. Special attention is given to the working processes of the Journey to the West trilogy (2002) and to the aesthetic principles driving it, which extend to other productions he has directed for Tara Arts, not least to his more recent transpositions of Ibsen and Shakespeare. A complete chronology of productions can be found on the Tara Arts webpage, www.tara-arts.com. The first part of this interview was published in Maria Shevtsova's Sociology of Theatre and Performance (Verona: QuiEdit, 2009), p. 359–71. She is Professor of Drama and Theatre Arts at Goldsmiths, University of London, and co-editor of New Theatre Quarterly.
The Relationship between Theatre and Ritual in the Sogo bò of the Bamana from Mali
Authors: Kruger Marie
Published: August 2009

The Sogo bò, primarily an animal masquerade, can be distinguished from Western theatre through its use of a fluid space with shifting boundaries between spectator and performer. An oral tradition dictates the characterization, scenario, and content. The resemblance to ritual can be found in structural elements such as its repetitive nature and the use of non-realistic performance objects and motions. As in ritual, there is a clear sense of order, an evocative presentational style, and a strong collective dimension. The functional resemblance lies in the complex metaphorical expression through which relationships and values are symbolized, objectified, and embodied in a highly artistic way. Marie Kruger is an associate professor and the Chair of the Department of Drama at the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa, where puppetry is offered as a performance and research option. Her research is focused on masquerades in Africa and the various contemporary applications of puppetry in sub-Saharan Africa.
Making Visible the Invisible: Corporeal Mime in the Twenty-First Century
Authors: Baylis Nicola
Published: August 2009

Corporeal mime and the work of Etienne Decroux are well known in the world of physical theatre, remaining inspirational to those who have studied and explored this complex art form. In the following article Nicola Baylis examines the prevailing misunderstandings that surround corporeal mime, briefly addressing its historical context, and moving on to discuss contemporary applications of Decroux's training system. With the increasing advent of innovative theatre produced by a new wave of actors trained in corporeal mime, she focuses on the current work of artists in Naples, and concludes with reflections on corporeal mime's relevance to present-day experimental performance and on the potential future role of the form within modern theatre. Nicola Baylis is an actor, director, and teacher who has trained in corporeal mime and commedia dell'arte. Before moving to Naples, she worked as a Lecturer in Drama on degree programmes at Bournemouth and Poole College, in conjunction with Bournemouth University. She is currently working on an adaptation of Macbeth which will be performed in London in the autumn.
A Demonstrative Theory of Natural Law: Johannes Althusius and the Rise of Calvinist Jurisprudence
Authors: Witte John
Published: August 2009

Early modern Calvinists produced a rich tradition of natural law and natural rights thought that shaped the law and politics of protestant lands. The German-born Calvinist jurist Johannes Althusius produced one of the most original Calvinist natural law theories at the turn of the seventeenth century. Althusius argued for the natural qualities of a number of basic legal norms and practices by demonstrating their near universal embrace by classical and biblical, catholic and protestant, theological and legal communities alike. On this foundation, he developed a complex theory of public, private, penal and procedural rights and duties for his day, to be embraced by everyone, particularly by those who were slaughtering each other in religious wars, persecutions and inquisitions. Althusius' theory of natural law and natural rights was Calvinist in inspiration but universal in aspiration, and it anticipated the political formulations of a number of later Western writers, including Locke, Rousseau and Madison.1
Ecclesiastical Buildings: Constraints and Opportunities
Authors: Mynors Charles
Published: August 2009

This paper looks at the systems available for the control of works to churches, and considers the arguments for and against the ecclesiastical exemption from the secular system of listed building control. It also examines the principles underlying the exercise of the faculty jurisdiction in relation to works to churches, both those that are listed and others, and relates this to the most recent policy guidance from English Heritage.1
Life-course socio-economic factors, skin colour and abdominal obesity in adulthood in a Brazilian birth cohort
Authors: González David A , Nazmi Aydin , Yudkin John S , Victora Cesar G
Published: August 2009

Objective

Obesity is an increasingly prevalent nutritional disorder throughout the world. In particular, abdominal obesity is associated with cardiovascular and metabolic risk. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of skin colour and life-course socio-economic indicators on waist circumference (WC), hip circumference (HC) and waist:hip ratio (WHR) in young adults.

Design

Population-based birth cohort study. Individuals born in 1982 in Pelotas (southern Brazil) were visited on a number of occasions from birth to age 23–24 years. A sample of the cohort was sought in 2006 and 972 individuals were located. The analysis was restricted to individuals with complete data available (442 males, 414 females).

Results

In men, family income at birth and in 2004–5 were positively associated with WC and HC, but not with WHR. Regardless of current income, men born to wealthier families had larger WC and HC as adults. Skin colour was not associated with any of the outcomes. In women, early poverty was associated with smaller HC, and current poverty with larger WC. Poverty at any age thus led to higher WHR. Black women had larger WC and HC than white women, but there were no differences in WHR. All the associations were partially mediated by education and behavioural variables.

Conclusions

The effects of early socio-economic position on WC and HC persist even after adjustment for adult socio-economic position, highlighting the importance of interventions during the first years of life.
Individual preferences for diet and exercise programmes: changes over a lifestyle intervention and their link with outcomes
Authors: Owen Kate , Pettman Tahna , Haas Marion , Viney Rosalie , Misan Gary
Published: August 2009

Objective

To investigate the influence of a trial lifestyle intervention on participants’ preferences for a range of exercise and diet programmes and whether these differ between successful and unsuccessful participants.

Design

Hypothetical scenarios that describe attributes of diet and exercise programmes were developed using an experimental design. Participants completed an online questionnaire at baseline, 16 weeks and 12 months where they chose their most preferred of three programmes in each of sixteen scenarios. Discrete choice modelling was used to identify which attributes participants emphasised at each time point.

Subjects

Fifty-five individuals who exhibited symptoms of metabolic syndrome and who participated in a 16-week trial lifestyle intervention.

Results

There was a clear shift in programme preferences from structure to flexibility over the intervention. At baseline, emphasis was on individually designed and supervised exercise, structured diets and high levels of support, with Gainers focusing almost exclusively on support and supervision. Losers tended to consider a wider range of programme attributes. After 16 weeks preferences shifted towards self-directed rather than organised/supervised exercise and support was less important (this depended on the type of participant and whether they were in the follow-up group). Cost became significant for Gainers following the end of the primary intervention.

Conclusions

The stated preference method could be a useful tool in identifying potential for success and specific needs. Gainers’ relinquishment of responsibility for lifestyle change to programme staff may be a factor in their failure and in their greater cost sensitivity, since they focus on external rather than internal resources.
Stunting and ‘overweight’ in the WHO Child Growth Standards – malnutrition among children in a poor area of China
Authors: Wang Xiaoli , Höjer Bengt , Guo Sufang , Luo Shusheng , Zhou Wenyuan , Wang Yan
Published: August 2009

Objective

The aims of the present paper were to assess the nutritional status of children under 5 years old using the 2006 WHO Child Growth Standards (‘the WHO standards’) and to compare the results with those obtained using the National Center for Health Statistics/WHO international growth reference (‘the NCHS reference’).

Design

This was a community-based cross-sectional survey. The WHO standards were used to calculate Z-scores of height-for-age (HAZ), weight-for-age (WAZ), weight-for-height (WHZ) and BMI-for-age (BMIZ).

Setting

Fifty counties of thirteen mid-western provinces, China.

Subjects

A total 8041 children aged <5 years were measured during a 2-month period from August to October 2006.

Results

The prevalence of stunting, underweight and wasting were 30·2 %, 10·2 % and 2·9 %, respectively. The prevalence of overweight and the possible risk of overweight were as high as 4·1 % and 16·8 %. Further analysis among the children with possible risk of overweight found that the percentage of stunting (HAZ < −2) was 57·6 %, the percentage with −2 ≤ HAZ ≤ 2 was 41·0 % and the percentage with HAZ > 2 was only 1·4 %. The prevalence of stunting was 21·9 % and of underweight was 12·7 % by the NCHS reference.

Conclusions

Stunting was the most serious problem that was impeding child growth and development. The high rate of ‘overweight’ was a false impression, the truth being ‘stunting overweight’, and the way to solve it should be to increase protein and other nutrients in the diet at an early age.
Obesity and cardiometabolic risk factors in a representative population of Iranian adolescents and adults in comparison to a Western population: the Isfahan Healthy Heart Programme
Authors: Sarrafzadegan Nizal , Kelishadi Roya , Dana Siadat Zahra , Esmaillzadeh Ahmad , Solhpour Amirreza , Shirani Shahin , Naderi Gholamali , Asgary Sedigheh , Sadri Gholamhossein , Khosravi Alireza , Bahonar Ahmad
Published: August 2009

Objective

The aim of the present study was to develop reference data for the Iranian population for anthropometric values and cardiometabolic data in comparison with those in Americans, as representative of a Western population.

Design

The present cross-sectional survey, conducted as part of the baseline survey of a community-based interventional study (the Isfahan Healthy Heart Programme), used a two-stage clustering design and was conducted in 12 600 randomly selected adults (≥19 years of age) and 2000 adolescents (aged 11–18 years) living in three cities in the central part of Iran. For comparison with a Western population, comparable data for Americans were derived from the data sets of the Second and Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES II and NHANES III).

Results

Iranian women had significantly higher mean BMI, waist circumference (WC), hip circumference (HC) and waist:hip ratio (WHR) than Iranian men and American women; but the mean BMI of Iranian men was lower than that of American men. The mean serum TAG level of Iranian men was significantly higher than that of Iranian women, whereas the mean serum total cholesterol (TC), LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) and HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) levels were significantly higher in Iranian women than in men. The Iranian population had lower mean TC, LDL-C and TAG levels than the Americans, but such difference was not documented for HDL-C. Iranian adolescents had significantly lower mean BMI and higher mean TAG than did American adolescents.

Conclusions

Our findings provide serious evidence for health professionals and policy makers about the very high prevalence of generalized and abdominal obesity in Iran. Controlling this emerging health problem, notably in women, should become a national priority in Iran and necessitates comprehensive public health programmes.
Food intake of young people with a migration background living in Germany
Authors: Kleiser Christina , Mensink Gert BM , Neuhauser Hannelore , Schenk Liane , Kurth Bärbel-Maria
Published: August 2009

Objective

To explore the food intake of young migrants living in Germany.

Design

Children and adolescents aged 0 to 17 years living in Germany, including 17·1 % with a migration background, were examined in a representative health survey. Food frequency data of 7186 boys and 6919 girls, aged 3 to 17 years, were analysed separately for Turkish, Russian Germans, other migrants and non-migrants. Daily food intake was calculated and a healthy diet score was used to allow an overall interpretation of the diet. Using stepwise linear regression, the association between migrant status and healthy diet score was analysed.

Results

Turkish participants (4·8 %) consumed significantly more soft drinks, fried potatoes, chocolate cream and snacks than all other groups and significantly less meat than other migrants and non-migrants. Turkish as well as other migrants (8·8 %) ate more poultry, fish and pasta/rice, and less sausage/bacon and cooked potatoes, than Russian Germans and non-migrants. Russian Germans (3·5 %) consumed less cooked vegetables than non-migrants and other migrants. Non-migrants had a better mean dietary score than Russian Germans and other migrants. A less preferable diet score was associated with higher age, male sex, being a migrant from Russia, low or middle socio-economic status, and living in rural or provincial areas.

Conclusions

The study showed considerable differences in dietary habits between young persons of different origin. This underlines the importance of focusing on ethnic groups in dietary interventions.
The relevance of stratigraphy
Authors: Berggren Åsa
Published: August 2009

Not all archaeological remains cause discussions concerning stratigraphy. In Sweden, for example, intense stratigraphy discussions have taken place among archaeologists working mainly with urban sites (see e.g. Larsson 2004), and many of the illustrative examples in the text by McAnany and Hodder are rather well-preserved remains with complex stratigraphic sequences. This is, of course, due to the fact that different remains are stratified to different extents and are thus valued differently regarding this issue. Poorly preserved, sketchy remains scattered in the ground may lack complex stratigraphic relations and are regarded as less relevant for this discussion. However, all archaeological remains have some stratigraphical relation and – as McAnany and Hodder mention – interpretation of stratigraphic sequences is a part of archaeological identity. A greater interest in how stratigraphic sequences are formed in social terms should be relevant for all archaeologists. I believe that archaeologists working with complex stratigraphic sequences, and those who work with less stratified remains, have something to gain from this discussion, but in different ways. McAnany and Hodder state that stratigraphy may be both overdescribed and undertheorized. The problem of overdescription concerns complex stratigraphies, while I think less stratified remains are suffering from a lack of discussion concerning stratigraphy all together.
From the ground up. Depositional history, memory and materiality
Authors: Mills Barbara J.
Published: August 2009

Archaeologists often take stratigraphy for granted, using it for building chronologies, recognizing various natural and cultural formation processes, and understanding relations between features and settlements. But for the last few decades there has been a subtle shift in the way that we approach stratigraphy – in terms of both the kinds of techniques that can be applied (residue analyses, micromorphology, Harris matrices and so on) and the interpretive frameworks that can be employed. Perhaps it is not stratigraphy that we are talking about per se, but rather depositional practices – the many ways in which people make and alter archaeological deposits – in addition to the different interpretive frameworks that we apply to these physical accumulations.
Thinking about archaeological excavation in reflexive terms
Authors: McAnany Patricia A. , Hodder Ian
Published: August 2009

We thank the four commentators – Åsa Berggren, Barbara Helwing, Barbara Mills, and Allan Maca – for their thoughtfully critical comments and cannot help but feel encouraged by the passion displayed in their comments. To an extent underrealized in our initial formulation, the recording and interpretation of stratigraphy forms the jugular vein of archaeological practice. Although accused by some of the commentators of not offering anything new, creating a straw man, or ignoring artefacts, we note that our discussion of social stratigraphy encouraged reflexivity about archaeological practice in all four commentaries. Our initial pulling together of social practices that might be expressed in patterns of depositing and cutting also sparked extremely productive and creative dialogue regarding the documentation and interpretation of stratigraphy, a virtual (and highly successful) simulation that employed our proposed ‘toolkit’, and worrisome questions regarding the lack of fit between social theory and archaeological technique within the Americanist tradition. We address these topics, particularly in light of commentators' demonstration of the importance of reflexive practices within archaeology.
Becoming persons, becoming ancestors. Personhood, memory and the corpse in Roman rituals of social remembrance
Authors: Graham Emma-Jayne
Published: August 2009

This article examines the role of social memory and the treatment of the corpse within the reconfiguration of personhood in the Roman world. Exploring the significance of ‘remembering and forgetting’, it emphasizes the importance of memory and the body as a context for the manipulation of post-mortem personhood and identity. An extraordinarily rich collection of archaeological and epigraphic evidence associated with the Augustan-period senator Marcus Nonius Balbus provides an almost unparalleled context in which to explore the significance of these observations. This particular example from Herculaneum demonstrates that the realignment of relationships during mortuary activities could produce a new sense of personhood for both the deceased and mourners that was constructed in the context of communal remembrance. Subsequent commemorative activities, focused on the material manifestation of these relationships and the ‘dividuality’ of the dead within the urban fabric, may consequently have acted to promote a new civic ancestor for the community of Herculaneum.
Acts of estrangement. The post-mortem making of self and other
Authors: Crossland Zoe
Published: August 2009

The histories of post-mortem intervention in 18th- and 19th-century Britain illustrate how the relationships within which the dead were located affected their post-mortem treatment and were reproduced through it. This paper explores how traditions of marking social distinctions among the dead have been incorporated into archaeological practice, tracing some of the ways in which relationships between the dead and the living define the nature and tone of post-mortem interventions. This history suggests that the conditions within which people are produced as dead bodies through archaeological practice are at present poorly understood, and, as such, I contribute some notes towards a relational understanding of this production.
The impact of changing demographics and pensions on the demand for housing and financial assets
Authors: ČERNÝ ALEŠ , MILES DAVID , SCHMIDT L'UBOMÍR
Published: August 2009

The main aim of this paper is to analyse the impact of shifting demographics and changes in pension arrangements in a model that includes housing as both an investment asset and a consumption good. We consider the impact on welfare, and on macroeconomic aggregates, of some specific pension reforms. Using a calibrated OLG model with several sources of uncertainty, we find that the impact of ageing and of reform of social security upon the demand for housing and the level of owner occupation is substantial. We find that pension reform has a very significant impact on the demand for, and price of, housing. The interaction between pension reform and housing is a neglected subject and one which the results we present suggest is important.
Magnetic particle characterization in the Seine river system: Implications for the determination of natural versus anthropogenic input
Authors: Franke Christine , Kissel Catherine , Robin Eric , Bonté Philippe , Lagroix France
Published: August 2009

This study presents an innovative application of well‐established environmental magnetic proxy parameters on fluvial sediments, with the aim to trace geological and human‐induced processes in the complex Seine river drainage system in northern France. We seek to identify environmental fingerprints of mechanical and chemical weathering processes, the regional distribution of the suspended material, and changes in the balance of natural input versus anthropogenic pollution. In order to reach these goals, we applied a combination of rock magnetic and advanced scanning electron microscopic techniques on a large number of sediment trap samples. Generally, we observe an increase in magnetic concentration coupled with a coarsening in magnetic grain size downstream of the Seine river system. Furthermore, the dominant magnetomineralogy changes from high‐coercivity minerals upstream in more rural areas to magnetite‐dominated assemblages downstream. Each river (segment) shows its specific trend line depending on regional initial input, weathering conditions, drainage area, and potential pollution sources. One major outcome of this study is the observed significant correlation between anthropogenic antimony‐rich iron oxide particles and the magnetic concentration. This shows the potential of magnetic remanence measurements as proxy parameters for specific heavy metal pollution concentrations. Hence, the environmental magnetic study presented herein serves to identify major trends as well as local particularities and leads to quantitative analyses of the contributions of individual tributaries in the Seine river system.
Detecting hydrologic deformation using GRACE and GPS
Authors: Tregoning P. , Watson C. , Ramillien G. , McQueen H. , Zhang J.
Published: August 2009

Hydrological processes cause variations in gravitational potential and surface deformations, both of which are detectable using space geodetic techniques. We computed elastic deformation using continental water load estimates derived from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment and compared to 3D deformation estimated from GPS observations. The agreement is very good in areas where large hydrologic signals occur over broad spatial scales, with correlation in horizontal components as high as 0.9. Agreement is also observed at smaller scales, including across Europe. This suggests that: a) both techniques are perhaps more accurate than previously thought and b) a large percentage of the non‐linear variations seen in our GPS time series are most likely related to geophysical processes rather than analysis error. Low correlation at some sites suggests that local processes or site specific analysis errors dominate the GPS deformation estimates rather than the broad‐scale hydrologic signals detected by GRACE.
Distinct CCN activation kinetics above the marine boundary layer along the California coast
Authors: Ruehl C. R. , Chuang P. Y. , Nenes A.
Published: August 2009

The influence of aerosols on cloud properties remains one of the largest sources of uncertainty in estimates of the anthropogenic component of climate change. Here we report the rate of cloud droplet formation on particles sampled at a site near the California coast that is typically above the marine boundary layer. We observed persistent bimodal diameter spectra which are better explained by kinetic limitations than by differences in equilibrium properties. The slowly‐growing mode contained 10–25% of the total cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) and had apparent mass accommodation coefficients (α) 10–30 times smaller than that measured for ammonium sulfate. Cloud parcel modeling suggests that most of these slowly‐growing CCN will not form cloud droplets. The relatively small and narrow size distribution of the low‐α droplets suggest that a condensed film is a more likely cause of these limitations than slow dissolution.
A Dehalococcoides-containing co-culture that dechlorinates tetrachloroethene to trans-1,2-dichloroethene
Authors: Cheng Dan , Chow Wai Ling , He Jianzhong
Published: August 2009

In the microbial reductive dechlorination of tetrachloroethene (PCE) and trichloroethene (TCE), dechlorinators usually produce cis-1,2-dichloroethene (cis-DCE) as the predominant product or an intermediate. This study shows that dechlorination of PCE and TCE can also lead to the generation of trans-1,2-dichloroethene (trans-DCE) by a co-culture MB. During its enrichment process, the ratio of trans- to cis-DCE increased from 1.4 (±0.1):1–3.7 (±0.4):1, whereas the TCE reductive dechlorination rate went up from ∼26.2 to ∼68.8 μmol l−1 day−1. PCR–denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) revealed that the increased ratio of trans- /cis-DCE was well correlated with the increased proportions of Dehalococcoides and the disappearance of Desulfuromonas during the enrichment process. As shown by PCR-DGGE, similar Dehalococcoides species were consistently present in another three sediment-free cultures with various trans- /cis-DCE ratios. The 16S rRNA gene sequence of this Dehalococcoides sp. in co-culture MB is 100% identical (over 1489 bp) to that of Dehalococcoides ethenogenes strain 195 (CP000027), which belongs to the Cornell subgroup of the Dehalococcoides cluster. The other bacterium in this co-culture MB was a Sedimentibacter species, which showed no PCE or TCE dechlorination activity. Results from this study show that microbial dechlorination of chloroethenes by this particular subgroup of Dehalococcoides could result in significant accumulation of trans-DCE in the environment if no trans-DCE dechlorinators coexist in the contaminated sites.
Using the Gene Ontology to Annotate Biomedical Journal Articles
Authors: Bada Michael , Hunter Lawrence
Published: August 2009

We are creating a gold-standard corpus of manually annotated full-text biomedical journal articles toward natural-language-processing applications. Central to this is our use of entire ontologies of the Open Biomedical Ontologies initiative as well as other terminologies as term sources, in contrast to most other such annotation projects, which have used small, ad hoc schemas. In addition to the standard difficulties in such annotation projects, each of the terminologies we have used has idiosyncrasies and ambiguities that present further challenges to consistent, high-quality annotation of these articles. In this paper we present and discuss the most salient of these with regard to the Gene Ontology that we have encountered and addressed in our annotation guidelines and training. The utility of these guidelines can be seen in the high and still-increasing interannotator-agreement statistics that we continually monitor.
Logical implications for regulatory relations represented by verbs in biomedical texts
Authors: Zambach Sine
Published: August 2009

Relations used in biomedical ontologies can be very general or very specific in respect to the domain. However some relations are used widely in for example regulatory networks. This work focuses on positive and negative regulatory relations, in particular their usage expressed as verbs in different biomedical genres and the properties of the relations.