bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Competitive Dipstick Enzyme Immunoassay for Diagnosis of Early Pregnancy in Bovine
Authors: Venkatesa Perumal S , Umapathi V , Ambwani T , Lakhchaura BD
Published: May 2008

Contents

Early pregnancy diagnosis in bovines is one of the important aspects in efficient dairy farm management. In order to develop a competitive enzyme immunoassay (EIA) employing low cost reagents, anti‐progesterone antiserum and progesterone‐penicillinase enzyme conjugate were prepared. Using this anti‐serum and conjugate along with pencillinV–starch–iodine substrate system, the competitive EIA was standardized. In the experiment, danazol, a weak androgen used to extract the progesterone bound to proteins in milk, was included after standardizing the optimum concentration. Incubation period and temperature and pH of the reaction mixture were also optimized. The developed test was validated with milk samples obtained from dairy farm and individual animal owners. Confirmation of the pregnancy was made by per rectum examination of the genital tract around 60 days post‐insemination. The user friendly test procedure showed sensitivity and specificity of 83.3% and 87.5%, respectively as compared with residual binding method which was earlier developed in the laboratory with sensitivity and specificity of 100% and 87.5% respectively.
The exopolysaccharide of Rhizobium sp. YAS34 is not necessary for biofilm formation on Arabidopsis thaliana and Brassica napus roots but contributes to root colonization
Authors: Santaella Catherine , Schue Mathieu , Berge Odile , Heulin Thierry , Achouak Wafa
Published: May 2008

Microbial exopolysaccharides (EPSs) play key roles in plant–microbe interactions, such as biofilm formation on plant roots and legume nodulation by rhizobia. Here, we focused on the function of an EPS produced by Rhizobium sp. YAS34 in the colonization and biofilm formation on non‐legume plant roots (Arabidopsis thaliana and Brassica napus). Using random transposon mutagenesis, we isolated an EPS‐deficient mutant of strain YAS34 impaired in a glycosyltransferase gene (gta). Wild type and mutant strains were tagged with a plasmid‐born GFP and, for the first time, the EPS produced by the wild‐type strain was seen in the rhizosphere using selective carbohydrate probing with a fluorescent lectin and confocal laser‐scanning microscopy. We show for the fist time that Rhizobium forms biofilms on roots of non‐legumes, independently of the EPS synthesis. When produced by strain YAS34 wild type, EPS is targeted at specific parts of the plant root system. Nutrient fluctuations, root exudates and bacterial growth phase can account for such a production pattern. The EPS synthesis in Rhizobium sp. YAS34 is not essential for biofilm formation on roots, but is critical to colonization of the basal part of the root system and increasing the stability of root‐adhering soil. Thus, in Rhizobium sp. YAS34 and non‐legume interactions, microbial EPS is implicated in root–soil interface, root colonization, but not in biofilm formation.
Outcome of dorsal buccal graft urethroplasty for recurrent bulbar urethral strictures
Authors: O’Riordan Anna , Narahari Radnakrishna , Kumar Vinod , Pickard Robert
Published: May 2008

OBJECTIVE

To audit our results of dorsal buccal mucosal graft urethroplasty for recurrent bulbar urethral stricture disease and compare them with those from specialist centres.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Data were collected prospectively on 52 men who had urethroplasty with ≥1 year of follow‐up; failure was defined as the need for further intervention.

RESULTS

The mean (range) age of the patients was 39 (19–61) years and 23 (45%) had an identifiable cause for their stricture. The mean (range) stricture length was 3.5 (1.5–6) cm and was associated with moderate or severe spongiofibrosis in 38 (73%) men. Ten (19%) men had minor complications after surgery. The mean (range) follow‐up was 34 (12–80) months, with the mean maximum urinary flow rate increasing from 6 to 24 mL/s after surgery. The surgery failed, requiring dilatation or urethrotomy, in seven (14%) men at a mean (range) of 25 (15–50) months after urethroplasty, giving an overall success rate of 86%.

CONCLUSION

This prospective audit of dorsal buccal patch augmentation urethroplasty for bulbar strictures shows an equivalent outcome to the standard set by the expert originators, suggesting that is transferable to less specialized centres. The efficacy, low complication rate, short hospital stay and general applicability of the technique encourage its use for all men with recurrent bulbar stricture disease, but formal comparison with other options in randomized trials, including cost‐effectiveness analysis, is needed.
Renal surgery in the elderly: morbidity in patients aged >75 years in a contemporary series
Authors: Staehler Michael , Haseke Nicolas , Stadler Thomas , Bader Markus , Karl Alexander , Becker Armin , Stief Christian G.
Published: May 2008

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the surgical complications in a contemporary group of elderly patients with renal masses, as almost a quarter of patients with newly diagnosed renal mass are aged >74 years, with the potential for significant comorbidity.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

From April 2004 to June 2007, of 379 surgical resections of renal tumours, we assessed 117 consecutive patients aged ≥75 years, who had either radical nephrectomy (RN) or partial nephrectomy (PN) for assumed renal cell carcinoma. Also elderly patients who had nephroureterectomy (NU) for upper urothelial cancer were followed.

RESULTS

Fifty patients had RN, 57 PN and 10 had NU; the median (range) age of all patients was 78.1 (72.7–92.5) years and was similar in all groups. No patient died during surgery and only one died within 90 days. The complication rates during and after surgery RN, PN and NU were 12%, 15% and 20%, respectively; the major complications within 30 days were 4%, 7% and 10%; major complications included bleeding during surgery and one acute bleeding event after surgery in the PN group.

CONCLUSIONS

Open renal surgery in elderly patients can be done safely; there was no difference in morbidity among RN, PN and NU. Renal surgery in the elderly patient is safe if done at a specialized centre. Mortality and morbidity can be very low, rendering this a feasible approach in the treatment of renal masses even if the prognosis is not determined by the oncological situation but by comorbidity.
‘Educator talk’ and patient change: some insights from the DESMOND (Diabetes Education and Self Management for Ongoing and Newly Diagnosed) randomized controlled trial
Authors: Skinner T. C. , Carey M. E. , Cradock S. , Dallosso H. M. , Daly H. , Davies M. J. , Doherty Y. , Heller S. , Khunti K. , Oliver L. ,   on behalf of The DESMOND Collaborative
Published: May 2008

Aims  To determine whether differences in the amount of time educators talk during a self‐management education programme relate to the degree of change in participants’ reported beliefs about diabetes.

Method  Educators trained to be facilitative and non‐didactic in their approach were observed delivering the DESMOND self‐management programme for individuals newly diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Observers used 10‐s event coding to estimate the amount of time educators spoke during different sessions in the programme. Facilitative as opposed to didactic delivery was indicated by targets for levels of educator talk set for each session. Targets were based on earlier pilot work. Using the revised Illness Perceptions Questionnaire (IPQ‐R) and the Diabetes Illness Representations Questionnaire (DIRQ), participants completed measures of: perceived duration of diabetes (timeline IPQ‐R), understanding of diabetes (coherence IPQ‐R), personal responsibility for influencing diabetes (personal responsibility IPQ‐R), seriousness of diabetes (seriousness DIRQ) and impact on daily life (impact DIRQ), before and after the education programme.

Results  Where data from the event coding indicated educators were talking less and meeting targets for being less didactic, a greater change in reported illness beliefs of participants was seen. However, educators struggled to meet targets for most sessions of the programme.

Conclusion  The amount of time educators talk in a self‐management programme may provide a practical marker for the effectiveness of the education process, with less educator talk denoting a more facilitative/less didactic approach. This finding has informed subsequent improvements to a comprehensive quality development framework, acknowledging that educators need ongoing support to facilitate change to their normal educational style.
Competing Rationales for Corporate Governance in France: Institutional Complementarities between Financial Markets and Innovation Systems
Authors: Lee Soo H. , Yoo Taeyoung
Published: May 2008

Manuscript Type:Conceptual

Research Question/Issue:This paper identifies the causes and consequences of corporate governance reform with reference to the French case. By disaggregating institutional complementarities into global and domestic dimensions, we analyze the path of institutional change compelled by financial efficiency and cooperative innovation.

Research Findings/Results:Our analysis of the French case shows that both converging and diverging forces of institutional change coexist, shaping selective responses to globalization. While the adoption of the shareholder model is necessary for resource acquirement from the global capital markets, resource allocation in the cooperative innovation systems reinforces the stakeholder model. The French case confirms the sustainability of distinctive institutional complementarities, albeit with selective adaptation based on a sense‐making social compromise.

Theoretical Implications:The French case reminds us of the importance of distinctive institutional traditions and dominant social rationalities to understand the underlying logic of governance reform. The comparative research on corporate governance needs to address not just the cross‐country variations in institutional arrangements and practices, but also the clash of competing rationales for reform explicitly in comparative terms within a single country context.

Practical Implications:For foreign investors, it is vital to understand the unique institutional environment of state‐centred stakeholder economies if they are to negotiate the best terms of return and to avoid unnecessary conflicts. French managers are expected to devise strategic choices responding to the competing rationales of governance. Managerial sense‐making is essential for achieving sound long‐term performance, upon which the legitimacy and sustainability of the constellation of selective governance rests.
Board Independence and Real Earnings Management: The Case of R&D Expenditure
Authors: Osma Beatriz Garcia
Published: May 2008

Manuscript Type: Empirical

Research Question/Issue: This paper analyzes the role of boards of directors in constraining research and development (R&D) spending manipulation. Extant research on earnings management indicates that independent directors reduce accounting accruals manipulation; however, there is little evidence on their effectiveness in limiting potentially value reducing R&D cuts motivated by short‐term earnings pressures.

Research Findings/Results: Using a large sample of UK firms, I study whether independent boards are efficient at detecting and constraining myopic R&D cuts. The results indicate that more independent boards constrain the manipulation of R&D expenditure. The research design controls for the potential confounding effect of the decision to capitalize vs. expense R&D outlays.

Theoretical Implications: The results indicate that independent directors have sufficient technical knowledge to identify opportunistic reductions in R&D, and efficiently constrain opportunistic R&D spending.

Practical Implications: The evidence supports the emphasis that recent policy statements have put on increasing the number of independent directors on corporate boards. This study offers insights to policy makers interested in enhancing the monitoring role of corporate boards.
Justifying Sociological Knowledge: From Realism to Interpretation
Authors: Reed Isaac
Published: May 2008

In the context of calls for “postpositivist” sociology, realism has emerged as a powerful and compelling epistemology for social science. In transferring and transforming scientific realism—a philosophy of natural science—into a justificatory discourse for social science, realism splits into two parts: a strict, highly naturalistic realism and a reflexive, more mediated, and critical realism. Both forms of realism, however, suffer from conceptual ambiguities, omissions, and elisions that make them an inappropriate epistemology for social science. Examination of these problems in detail reveals how a different perspective—centered on the interpretation of meaning—could provide a better justification for social inquiry, and in particular a better understanding of sociological theory and the construction of sociological explanations.
Serial Reciprocity: A Preliminary Statement
Authors: Moody Michael
Published: May 2008

Serial reciprocity exists when people reciprocate for what they have received—for example, from a parent, a friend, a mentor, a stranger, a previous generation—by providing something to a third party, regardless of whether a return is also given to, or makes its way back to, the original giver. To understand serial reciprocity as reciprocity, this article delineates the general features of the serial type of reciprocity and outlines two general situations in which serial reciprocity provides a viable option—the only or the most appropriate option—for reciprocal return. It also argues for a more fundamental rethinking of reciprocity in general. A more cognitive and cultural perspective on reciprocity is proposed that focuses on the meaning of exchanges and treats reciprocity as a socially constructed element of a culturally available repertoire. This can better account for the existing serial type of reciprocity. The article concludes with suggestions for empirical research.
Beyond the Intersection: A New Culinary Metaphor for Race-Class-Gender Studies
Authors: Ken Ivy
Published: May 2008

Few would argue that race, class, and gender are unrelated, now that scholars of inequality have spent decades making the once devalued but now widely accepted case that structures of oppression like these cannot be understood in isolation from one another. Yet the imagery on which the field has relied—race, class, and gender as “intersecting” or “interlocking”—has limited our ability to explore the characteristics of their relationships in empirical and theoretical work. In this article I build on the gender framework articulated by Leslie Salzinger to articulate new imagery—via a metaphor of sugar—which highlights how race, class, and gender are produced, used, experienced, and processed in our bodies, human and institutional. This metaphor allows us to emphasize structural and individual forces at work in their continual and mutual constitution.
The Meaning of ‘Theory’
Authors: Abend Gabriel
Published: May 2008

‘Theory’ is one of the most important words in the lexicon of contemporary sociology. Yet, their ubiquity notwithstanding, it is quite unclear what sociologists mean by the words ‘theory,’ ‘theoretical,’ and ‘theorize.’ I argue that confusions about the meaning of ‘theory’ have brought about undesirable consequences, including conceptual muddles and even downright miscommunication. In this paper I tackle two questions: (a) what does ‘theory’ mean in the sociological language?; and (b) what ought ‘theory’ to mean in the sociological language? I proceed in five stages. First, I explain why one should ask a semantic question about ‘theory.’ Second, I lexicographically identify seven different senses of the word, which I distinguish by means of subscripts. Third, I show some difficulties that the current lack of semantic clarity has led sociology to. Fourth, I articulate the question, ‘what ought “theory” to mean?,’ which I dub the ‘semantic predicament’ (SP), and I consider what one can learn about it from the theory literature. Fifth, I recommend a semantic therapy‘ for sociology, and advance two arguments about SP: (a) the principle of practical reason—SP is to a large extent a political issue, which should be addressed with the help of political mechanisms; and (b) the principle of ontological and epistemological pluralism—the solution to SP should not be too ontologically and epistemologically demanding.
A New Mixture Model for Capture Heterogeneity
Authors: Morgan B. J. T. , Ridout M. S.
Published: May 2008

We propose a mixture of binomial and beta–binomial distributions for estimating the size of closed populations. The new mixture model is applied to several real capture–recapture data sets and is shown to provide a convenient, objective framework for model selection. The new model is compared with three alternative models in a simulation study, and the results shed light on the general performance of models in this area. The new model provides a robust flexible analysis, which automatically deals with small capture probabilities.
SACRAMENTAL SUFFERING: THE FRIENDSHIP OF FLANNERY O’CONNOR AND ELIZABETH HESTER1
Authors: WOOD RALPH C.
Published: May 2008

As the only orthodox Christian writer the American nation has yet produced, Flannery O’Connor created a remarkable body of fiction rooted in a profoundly sacramental theology. The depth of O’Connor's sacramentalism has recently been revealed with the opening of her remarkable letters to Elizabeth Hester, her most important epistolary friend. Their eleven‐year correspondence centers upon two inseparable matters: conversion and suffering. The aim of this essay is to explore how the gift (or refusal) of faith comes through the embrace (or rejection) of a participation in God's own life through a life of sacramental suffering.
RETURNING BARTH TO ANSELM
Authors: STANLEY TIMOTHY
Published: May 2008

Barth's Anselm

This article focuses on Barth's explication of Anselm's Proslogion 2‐4 in his book on Anselm and attempts to show how Anselm helped clarify for Barth the ontological nature of his own early theology, in particular what he meant by the “is” in his affirmation “God is God.” Our contention is that Barth's continual pointing to Anselm's Fides Quaerens Intellectum as a vital key to his own theology should not be overlooked. In fact, we argue that only by returning Barth to Anselm in this way can we begin to understand more thoroughly one of the key contributions of Barth's theology generally and its potential relevance to contemporary onto‐theological debates.
INTRODUCING THE WORK OF PETER OCHS
Authors: RASHKOVER RANDI
Published: May 2008

Peter Ochs’ work offers a rehabilitation of the wisdom tradition celebrated by rabbinic Judaism. While Jewish philosophy, long occupied by the particular names and categories of the given order, has neglected the deepest insights of the rabbinic appreciation of wisdom, Ochs’ work recovers wisdom as a metaphysically imaginative and pragmatically effective exercise of reasoning. The four articles offered in this symposium on the work of Peter Ochs by David Lamberth, James K. A. Smith, Nicholas Adams and Leora Batnitzky, together with Peter Ochs’ response and Steven Kepnes’ conclusion, offer a striking illustration of the reach and depth of Ochs’ recovery of wisdom. This reach extends but is not limited to a ‘new thinking’ and agenda for philosophical theology applied to its specific areas of concern, including the relationship between philosophy and theology, the nature of religious studies, and the practice of Scriptural Reasoning.
HOW RELIGIOUS PRACTICES MATTER1: PETER OCHS' “ALTERNATIVE NURTURANCE” OF PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION
Authors: SMITH JAMES K. A.
Published: May 2008

This article engages the work of Peter Ochs from the perspective of philosophy of religion. In particular, I consider Ochs' work on Scriptural Reasoning and Jewish Morning Prayer as articulating a unique emphasis on religious liturgical practices that hints at a much needed paradigm shift in philosophy of religion, which has tended to focus on the cognitive aspects of religion (beliefs and doctrines) or the merely static artifacts of religious traditions.
PRAGMATICISM AND BIBLICAL HERMENEUTICS: SOME COMMENTS ON THE WORK OF PETER OCHS
Authors: BATNITZKY LEORA
Published: May 2008

This article considers the tension between Peter Ochs' commitment not to apply external standards to scripture and his view that rules of meaning must continually be adjusted to new conditions. In this context, the article rejects Ochs' claim that “the ‘isms’ of modernity [have] exhausted their positive contribution to the betterment of humanity,” arguing instead, on the basis of Ochs' work itself, that we remain “children of the epoch of great dyads”—between the logic of scripture and consciousness of our historicity, between the children of Abraham and the children of Adam, between Abraham's tent and the desert outside of it.
RESPONSE: REFLECTIONS ON BINARISM
Authors: OCHS PETER
Published: May 2008

Immanuel Kant asked, What are the transcendental conditions for knowing the world and for knowing how we ought to behave in it? For Scriptural Reasoners, this question is answered through fellowships of scriptural study in which practices of shared reading and interpretation give rise to practices of reasoning, speculatively, about what ultimately guides and authorizes our action in the world. These practices lead, in one direction, to Textual Reasoning: fellowships of study that define and test such speculations from within the context of specific traditions of belief and action. In another direction, these practices lead to recommendations about academic study: for example, about how well or poorly various disciplines comprehend the conditions for understanding scriptural religion.
PETER OCHS: PHILOSOPHY IN THE SERVICE OF GOD AND WORLD
Authors: KEPNES STEVEN D.
Published: May 2008

As theologian, Ochs adopts C. S. Peirce's notions of “thirdness” to find an alternative to the dichotomies particular/universal, traditional/modern, individual/community that plague modern thought and theology. In the difficult attempt to walk this fine line between the dichotomies of contemporary thought, Ochs often finds himself misunderstood by the two camps on either side of him. Thus, we see that Batnitzky accuses him of being too universalistic and Lamberth of being too particularistic. Ochs's reply to his critics on both the modernist or traditionalist sides is that both are wrong because they employ the same dichotomist logic. Each is a mirror image of the other. Ochs argues that operative in scripture is a “logic of thirdness,” which provides the key both to the repair of modern theology and the repair of the world.
A Dual Aspect Process Model of Intensive Interaction
Authors: Firth Graham
Published: May 2008

Accessible summary

Intensive Interaction is a way of communicating sociably with people who have severe or profound learning disabilities and/or autism.

The writer of this paper thinks that some people may have different ideas why they do Intensive Interaction with people who have severe or profound learning disabilities and/or autism.

Some people use Intensive Interaction to communicate with and respond to people who have severe or profound learning disabilities and/or autism, in whichever way works best.

Other people use Intensive Interaction to help people who have severe or profound learning disabilities and/or autism to learn more ways to communicate and get on with other people around them.

The writer of this paper thinks that there should be more research into what people think about Intensive Interaction.

Intensive Interaction is an empirically researched approach to developing fundamental communication and sociability for people with severe and profound learning disabilities and/or autism. However, it is the author’s contention that certain aspects of Intensive Interaction are not universally conceptualised in a uniform manner, and that there are two general process models that are used to describe the approach by an increasing number of multi‐disciplinary practitioners and advocates. Firstly, there is a ‘Social Inclusion Process Model’ of Intensive Interaction, with practitioners using the approach with the primary aim of inclusively responding to the communication of a person with learning disability, however it is expressed. Secondly, there is a ‘Developmental Process Model’, with practitioners having identifiably educative or developmental goals, rather than the approach being viewed simply as a means of contemporaneous social inclusion. In an attempt to clarify this position, this paper makes the case for a ‘Dual Aspect Process Model’ of Intensive Interaction.
Global Problem: National Accountability: Framing Accountability in the Australian Context of Climate Change
Authors: Olsson Eva‐Karin , Paglia Eric
Published: May 2008

Climate change has been seen as a crisis looming in the future, and has therefore not reached the top of the political agenda. This no longer holds true when looking at Australia, where climate change has become high politics. In this paper we examine the Australian electoral debate in terms of accountability framing, where the Government and Opposition were involved in a ‘framing contest’. We argue that theories on accountability framing in crisis need to be modified in order to capture the complex dynamics of climate change due to its inherent scientific uncertainty and global nature. After conducting an inductive analysis of Australian Broadcasting Corporation‐reporting we found three themes to be of importance for accountability framing in the ‘risk society’: labeling, linking and coping.
Analysing Emergency Response Systems
Authors: Uhr Christian , Johansson Henrik , Fredholm Lars
Published: May 2008

We suggest a method that can be used for analysing an emergency response system. Both the literature and empirical findings indicate that response operations sometimes diverge from existing plans when adapting to an event and its consequences. The method, which aims at achieving a better understanding of emergency response management, adopts a systems perspective using various relationships that exist or develop between personnel belonging to those organizations that are part of the emergency response operation. Results of a study of such an emergency response system are presented and discussed in order to demonstrate how the method can be employed.
From Stakeholder to StakeSholder Management in Crisis Episodes: A Case Study in a Public Transportation Company
Authors: Acquier Aurélien , Gand Sébastien , Szpirglas Mathias
Published: May 2008

Stakeholder perspectives on crisis management provide a useful descriptive framework to analyse crises and to develop crisis narratives. However, their ‘actionability’ for crisis management, i.e. the possibility to use stakeholder management models in operational crisis management processes, remains an under‐investigated research question. This article, built on a qualitative case study of successful crisis management in a public transportation company, discusses the operational value of stakeholder frameworks for crisis management. We investigate the actions set up by the crisis cell to manage internal and external stakeholders during the crisis. The successful management of the crisis involved: (1) good stakeholder diagnostic capabilities to design an appropriate corporate positioning; (2) an ability to identify and coherently manage emerging and heterogeneous issues involving stakeSholders, i.e. actors that are concerned with multiple issues of the crisis; and (3) the capacity to set up a tightly coupledad hocorganization, articulating both crisis cell members and various ‘anchorage points’, i.e. actors previously involved in the project. Finally, we discuss the implications and potential value of stakeholder perspectives for crisis management.
Image processing techniques to quantify microprojections on outer corneal epithelial cells
Authors: Julio Gemma , Merindano Ma Dolores , Canals Marc , Ralló Miquel
Published: May 2008

It is widely accepted that cellular microprojections (microvilli and/or microplicae) of the corneal surface are essential to maintain the functionality of the tissue. To date, the characterization of these vital structures has been made by analysing scanning or transmission electron microscopy images of the cornea by methods that are intrinsically subjective and imprecise (qualitative or semiquantitative methods). In the present study, numerical data concerning three microprojection features were obtained by an automated method and analysed to establish which of them showed less variability. We propose that the most stable microprojection characteristic would be a useful sign in early detection of epithelial damage or disease. With this aim, the scanning electron microscopy images of 220 corneal epithelial cells of nine rabbits were subjected to several image processing techniques to quantify microprojection density, microprojection average size and surface covered by microprojections (SCM). We then assessed the reliability of the methods used and performed a statistical analysis of the data. Our results show that the thresholding process, the basis of all image processing techniques used in this work, is highly reliable in separating microprojections from the rest of the cell membrane. Assessment of histogram information from thresholded images is a good method to quantify SCM. Amongst the three studied variables, SCM was the most stable (with a coefficient of variation of 15.24%), as 89.09% of the sample cells had SCM values ≥ 40%. We also found that the variability of SCM was mainly due to intercellular differences (the cell factor contribution represented 88.78% of the total variation in the analysed cell areas). Further studies are required to elucidate how healthy corneas maintain high SCM values.
Cranial performance in the Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis) as revealed by high‐resolution 3‐D finite element analysis
Authors: Moreno Karen , Wroe Stephen , Clausen Philip , McHenry Colin , D’Amore Domenic C. , Rayfield Emily J. , Cunningham Eleanor
Published: May 2008

The Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis) displays a unique hold and pull‐feeding technique. Its delicate ‘space‐frame’ skull morphology differs greatly from that apparent in most living large prey specialists and is suggestive of a high degree of optimization, wherein use of materials is minimized. Here, using high‐resolution finite element modelling based on dissection and in vivo bite and pull data, we present results detailing the mechanical performance of the giant lizard's skull. Unlike most modern predators, V. komodoensis applies minimal input from the jaw muscles when butchering prey. Instead it uses series of actions controlled by postcranial muscles. A particularly interesting feature of the performance of the skull is that it reveals considerably lower overall stress when these additional extrinsic forces are added to those of the jaw adductors. This remarkable reduction in stress in response to additional force is facilitated by both internal and external bone anatomy. Functional correlations obtained from these analyses also provide a solid basis for the interpretation of feeding ecology in extinct species, including dinosaurs and sabre‐tooth cats, with which V. komodoensis shares various cranial and dental characteristics.
The presence and absence of prosencephalic cell groups relaying striatal information to the medial and lateral thalamus in tenrec
Authors: Künzle Heinz
Published: May 2008

Although there are remarkable differences regarding the output organization of basal ganglia between mammals and non‐mammals, mammalian species with poorly differentiated brain have scarcely been investigated in this respect. The aim of the present study was to identify the pallidal neurons giving rise to thalamic projections in the Madagascar lesser hedgehog tenrec (Afrotheria). Following tracer injections into the thalamus, retrogradely labelled neurons were found in the depth of the olfactory tubercle (particularly the hilus of the Callejal islands and the insula magna), in subdivisions of the diagonal band complex, the peripeduncular region and the thalamic reticular nucleus. No labelled cells were seen in the globus pallidus. Pallidal neurons were tentatively identified on the basis of their striatal afferents revealed hodologically using anterograde axonal tracer substances and immunohistochemically with antibodies against enkephalin and substance P. The data showed that the tenrec's medial thalamus received prominent projections from ventral pallidal cells as well as from a few neurons within and ventral to the cerebral peduncle. The only regions projecting to the lateral thalamus appeared to be the thalamic reticular nucleus (RTh) and the dorsal peripeduncular nucleus (PpD). On the basis of immunohistochemical data and the topography of its thalamic projections, the PpD was considered to be an equivalent to the pregeniculate nucleus in other mammals. There was no evidence of entopeduncular (internal pallidal) neurons being present within the RTh/PpD complex, neuropils of which did not stain for enkephalin and substance P. The ventrolateral portion of RTh, the only region eventually receiving a striatal input, projected to the caudolateral rather than the rostrolateral thalamus. Thus, the striatopallidal output organization in the tenrec appeared similar, in many respects, to the output organization in non‐mammals. This paper considers the failure to identify entopeduncular neurons projecting to the rostrolateral thalamus in a mammal with a little differentiated cerebral cortex, and also stresses the discrepancy between this absence and the presence of a distinct external pallidal segment (globus pallidus).
Immunohistochemical distribution of regulatory peptides in the human fetal adenohypophysis
Authors: Reyes R. , Valladares F. , Gutiérrez R. , González M. , Bello A. R.
Published: May 2008

We have studied here the cellular distribution of several regulatory peptides in hormone‐producing cells of the human pituitary during the fetal period. Immunohistochemistry was used to show the expression of several regulatory peptides, namely Angiotensin‐II, Neurotensin and Galanin, at successive gestational stages and their co‐localization with hormones in the human fetal adenohypophysis. Somatotrophs, gonadotrophs and thyrotrophs were differentiated earliest. At gestational week 9, Angiotensin‐II immunoreactivity was co‐localized only with growth hormone immunoreactivity in somatotrophs, one of the first hormone‐producing cells to differentiate. This co‐localization remained until week 37. Neurotensin immunoreactivity was present in gonadotrophs and thyrotrophs in week 23, after FSH and TSH hormone differentiation. Galanin immunoreactivity was present in all hormone‐producing cell types except corticotrophs. The different pro‐opiomelanocortin‐derived peptides were detected at different stages of gestation and adrenocorticotrophic hormone immunoreaction was the last to be detected. Our results show an interesting relationship between regulatory peptides and hormones during human fetal development, which could imply that these peptides play a regulatory role in the development of pituitary function.
Calibration of estimated biting forces in domestic canids: comparison of post‐mortem and in vivo measurements
Authors: Ellis Jennifer Lynn , Thomason Jeffrey J. , Kebreab Ermias , France James
Published: May 2008

Estimates of biting forces are widely used in paleontological and comparative studies of feeding mechanics and performance, and are usually derived from lever models based on measurements made on the skull that are relevant to the mechanics of the masticatory system. Owing to assumptions and unmeasurable errors in their estimation, such values are used comparatively rather than as absolute estimates. The purpose of this paper was to provide calibration of post‐mortem calculated bite force estimates by comparing them to in vivo forces derived from a sample of 20 domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) during muscle stimulation under general anaesthesia. Two lever models previously described in the literature were used to estimate post‐mortem values, and regression analysis was also performed to derive best‐fit equations against a number of morphometric measurements on the skull. The ranges of observed forces in vivo were 147–946 N at the canine, and 524–3417 N at the second molar. The lever models substantially underestimated these forces, giving mean values between 39% and 61% of the observed means. Predictability was considerably improved by removing the linear bias and deviation of the regression slope from unity with an adjustment equation. Best‐fit statistical models developed on these animals performed considerably better (calculated means within 0.54% of observed means) and included easily measureable variables such as bodyweight, dimensions of the temporalis fossa and out‐lever from the jaw joint to the biting tooth. These data should lead to more accurate absolute, rather than relative, estimates of biting forces for other extant and fossil canids, and other carnivorans by extrapolation.
Redistribution and loss of soil organic carbon by overland flow under various soil management practices on the Chinese Loess Plateau
Authors: Jin K. , Cornelis W. M. , Schiette W. , Lu J. J. , Buysse T. , Baert G. , Wu H. J. , Yao Y. , Cai D. X. , Jin J. Y. , De Neve S. , Hartmann R. , Gabriels D.
Published: May 2008

Field rainfall simulations with intensities of 85 and 170 mm/h were conducted in 2002 and 2005 on a 15‐m long slope on a loess soil in Luoyang, Henan Province, P. R. China to study the effects of different soil management practices on the redistribution and loss of soil organic carbon (SOC) by runoff and soil erosion. Field plots under winter wheat (Triticum aestivumL.) were set up in 2001 and included the following soil management practices: subsoiling with mulch (SSM), no‐till with mulch (NTM), reduced tillage (RT) and conventional tillage control (CT). The results showed that SOC for topsoil (0–20 cm) increased in the NTM and SSM plots when compared with results from 2002 and 2005. For all treatments, SOC in the lower part of the plots was higher in 2005 than in 2002. The values from the upper parts of the plots were only lower in 2005 compared with the overall values for 2002 for RT and CT. The enrichment ratio of organic carbon (ERoc) in runoff sediment varied from 1.01 to 2.24 with a mean of 1.25. During the simulated rainfall events, ERocwas initially high and then reduced after a short period to reach a steady value at the end of the event, always remaining ≥1. The change in SOC loss rate was more dependent on the sediment loss rate than on the changes in SOC concentration in the sediment. The best results in terms of a reduction in soil and SOC loss were obtained with NTM: no runoff and hence no soil and SOC loss were observed. SOC losses observed for SSM were on average only 4% of those observed for CT. RT resulted in 71% SOC loss compared with CT although the runoff reduction was not pronounced. For farmers, SSM and NTM are the best alternatives in terms of SOC conservation. NTM has the additional advantage that it requires less labour and is more beneficial from economic and environmental perspectives.
An evaluation of furrows for managing soil and water loss from a shallow Alfisol under simulated rainfall
Authors: Mishra P. K. , Vasudeva Reddy Ch. , Satish Kumar U.
Published: May 2008

Furrows are widely used in rainfed areas of semi‐arid India for soil and water conservation. The orientation of furrows, either down or across slope, and their spacing influence the effectiveness of furrows as soil and water conservation measures. We evaluated treatments with furrows aligned down and across 3% sloping land at spacings of 90, 60 and 30 cm under simulated rainfall intensities of 80 and 100 mm/h on a shallow Alfisol. A bare plot without any furrows was considered as a control. A large (24 m × 3 m) rainfall simulator developed at the Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture (CRIDA), Hyderabad, was used for this controlled study. Run‐off was measured by a calibrated tipping bucket run‐off recorder. The effects of the treatments on peak flow rate (L/s), sediment loss with run‐off water (kg/ha/mm), peak sediment concentration (g/L), run‐off (per cent rainfall) and time to peak (min) were investigated. When compared with the control (no furrows), across slope furrowing with 60‐ and 30‐cm spacing reduced sediment yields by 19.9 and 21.3 kg/ha/mm of run‐off, respectively, under a rainfall intensity of 80 mm/h and 24 and 25.3 kg/ha/mm of run‐off, respectively, under a rainfall intensity of 100 mm/h. For the control, sediment loss was 50.72 kg/ha/mm run‐off and 56.68 kg/ha/mm run‐off for rainfall intensities of 80 and 100 mm/h, respectively. Similar trends were recorded from observations of peak flow, time to peak and peak sediment concentration. Run‐off hydrographs demonstrated the conservation value of across slope furrowing by delaying run‐off initiation, reducing run‐off and slowly releasing the run‐off after the cessation of rainfall. The results show that furrow orientation has major effects on reducing run‐off, whereas furrow spacing has insignificant effects.
Deinking paper fibre application to agricultural land: soil quality enhancer or copper polluter?
Authors: Tandy S. , Williamson J. C. , Nason M. A. , Healey J. R. , Jones D. L.
Published: May 2008

Short‐fibre paper residuals (deinking paper fibre (DPF) or paper mill sludge) represents a major waste formed during the processing of recycled paper and is known to contain significant quantities of copper. It is often spread onto agricultural land to help increase soil pH and improve structure by adding soil organic matter (SOM). A number of agricultural sites in England and Wales that had received large and repeated applications were sampled to investigate the long‐term effects of this practice on soil quality and plant copper content. We found that the composition of DPF waste has changed significantly between 1999 and 2006 with concentrations of Cu increasing and organic matter content declining. Whilst repeated additions of DPF to agricultural land always increased soil Cu, an associated increase in SOM was not always apparent. There was no link between SOM and bioavailable Cu nor between soil bioavailable Cu and plant Cu. In contrast to previous reports, our findings indicate that improvement in soil quality following the long‐term application of DPF was site‐specific and in some cases it may have reduced soil quality rather than enhanced it.
Soil loss tolerance values for different physiographic regions of Central India
Authors: Lakaria Brij Lal , Biswas H. , Mandal D.
Published: May 2008

In India, a single soil loss tolerance (T) value of 11.2 Mg/ha is by default used for formulating land restoration strategies for all soil types, climates and vegetation covers. However, this single ‘T’ value does not represent a true picture of soil loss tolerance under all land uses. The objective of our study was to develop adjusted ‘T’ values for Central India using soil infiltration rate, bulk density, total organic carbon, erodibility and soil pH. Soil state was defined using a quantitative model involving different soil functions which were used to convert soil parameters to a 0 to 1 scale. The normalized values were then multiplied by appropriate weighing factors based on relative importance and sensitivity analysis of each indicator. Based on overall assessment, each soil mapping unit was categorized into soil groups I, II or III. A general guideline of USDA – Natural Resource Conservation Service (USDA‐NRCS) was followed to calculate soil loss tolerance for each soil group using effective soil depth. Adjusted ‘T’ values for Central India ranged from 2.5 to 12.5 Mg/ha compared with a default value of 11.2 Mg/ha. Use of these values for soil mapping units will improve conservation planning and assist with planning the development of sustainable agriculture.
Tears in the Vagina, Perineum, Sphincter Ani, and Rectum and First Sexual Intercourse after Childbirth: A Nationwide Follow‐up
Authors: Rådestad Ingela , Olsson Ann , Nissen Eva , Rubertsson Christine
Published: May 2008

ABSTRACT:  Background:
The first sexual intercourse after childbirth may be challenging for women, especially if the birth resulted in injuries in the genital area. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether or not tears in the vagina, perineum, sphincter ani, or rectum hindered sexual intercourse during the year after childbirth.
Methods:
We obtained information from 2,490 women in a population‐based cohort identified at antenatal care. Information about first sexual intercourse was collected by means of a questionnaire sent 1 year after birth to the women and about women’s tears reported in the population‐based Swedish Medical Birth Register.
Results:
Adjusted relative risks with 95 percent confidence intervals for not having had sexual intercourse within 3 and 6 months, respectively, after childbirth were 1.5 (95% CI 1.2–1.8) and 1.6 (95% CI 1.2–2.3) for tears in the vagina, 1.4 (95% CI 1.1–1.6) and 1.5 (95% CI 1.1–2.1) for tears in the perineum, and 2.1 (95% CI 1.4–3.1) and 2.2 (95% CI 1.1–4.6) for tears in the sphincter ani and rectum. No statistically significant differences were found at 1‐year follow‐up. No associations between episiotomy and delay in resuming intercourse were found after adjusting the relative risks.
Conclusions:
Tears in the vagina, perineum, sphincter ani, or rectum are associated with a delay in women’s resumption of sexual intercourse 6 months after childbirth in Sweden. (BIRTH 35:2 June 2008)
Perinatal Factors Related to Negative or Positive Recall of Birth Experience in Women 3 Years Postpartum in the Netherlands
Authors: Rijnders Marlies , Baston Helen , Schönbeck Yvonne , Van Der Pal Karin , Prins Marianne , Green Josephine , Buitendijk Simone
Published: May 2008

ABSTRACT:  Background:
Little research has been conducted to date on women’s postnatal emotional well‐being and satisfaction with the care received in the Netherlands. The aim of this study was to investigate Dutch women’s views of their birth experience 3 years after the event.
Methods: A questionnaire was mailed to all women who had given birth in 2001 and who had at least one prenatal, perinatal, or postnatal visit to the participating midwifery practice. Women who had a subsequent birth after the index birth in 2001 were not excluded. We specifically asked respondents to reflect on the birth that occurred in 2001. Women were asked to say how they felt now looking back on their labor and birth, with five response options from “very happy” to “very unhappy.” Results: We received 1,309 postnatal questionnaires (response rate 44%). The sample was fairly representative with respect to the mode of delivery, place of birth, and obstetric interventions compared with the total Dutch population of pregnant women; however, the sample was not representative for ethnicity and initial caregiver. Three years after delivery, most women looked back positively on their birth experience, but more than 16 percent looked back negatively. More than 1 in 5 primiparas looked back negatively compared with 1 in 9 multiparas. Adjusted odds ratios (OR) for looking back negatively 3 years later included having had an assisted vaginal delivery or unplanned cesarean delivery (OR 2.6, 95% CI 1.59–4.14), no home birth (OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.04–1.93), referral during labor (OR 2.4, 95% CI 1.48–3.77), not having had a choice in pain relief (OR 2.9, 95% CI 1.91–4.45), not being satisfied in coping with pain (OR 4.9, 95% CI 2.55–9.40), a negative description of the caregivers (OR 2.9, 95% CI 1.85–4.40), or having had fear for the baby’s life or her own life (OR 2.3, 95% CI 1.47–3.48). Conclusions: A substantial proportion of Dutch women looked back negatively on their birth experience 3 years postpartum. Further research needs to be undertaken to understand women’s expectations and experiences of birth within the Dutch maternity system and an examination of maternity care changes designed to reduce or modify controllable factors that are associated with negative recall. (BIRTH 35:2 June 2008)