bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Study of the smecticA–hexaticB phase transition in homeotropic single domain samples of 65OBC liquid crystal by photopyroelectric calorimetry
Authors: Mercuri F. , Paoloni S. , Marinelli M. , Pizzoferrato R. , Zammit U.
Published: February 2013

The smecticA–hexaticB phase transition was studied in a homeotropic single domain sample and in a non-aligned sample of n-hexyl-4′-n-pentyloxybiphenyl-4-carboxylate liquid crystal compound to probe the effect of different amount of defects on the phase transition. The specific heat, the thermal diffusivity and the enthalpy exchange were monitored over the transition and, at the same time, polarization microscopy observations could be carried out. The transition during the first cooling run was found to be accompanied by a considerably larger defect annealing in the non-aligned sample than in the homeotropic one, but the critical behaviour of the specific heat remained substantially the same.
Effect of barium-deficiency on the structural, magnetic, and magnetocaloric properties of La0.6Sr0.2Ba0.2−x◻xMnO3 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.15)
Authors: M'nassri R. , Cheikhrouhou-Koubaa W. , Chniba Boudjada N. , Cheikhrouhou A.
Published: February 2013

Structural, magnetic, and magnetocaloric properties of La0.6Sr0.2Ba0.2-x◻xMnO3 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.15) where ◻ is a barium deficiency have been investigated by X-ray diffraction and magnetic measurements. Our samples were synthesized using the solid-state reaction method at high temperatures. Structural studies show that our samples are single phase and crystallize in the rhombohedral system with R 3¯ c space group. Magnetization measurements as a function of temperature in a magnetic applied field of 0.05 T show that all our samples exhibit a paramagnetic-ferromagnetic transition with decreasing temperature. The Curie temperature TC shifts to lower values with increasing barium-deficiency. The Arrott plots show that the phase transition is of second order. The effect of barium deficiency on the magnetocaloric properties has been investigated. The values of the maximum of the magnetic entropy change, |−ΔSmax|, under a magnetic field change of 3.5 T are found to be 2.9, 2.92, 3.31, and 3.34 J/kg K for x = 0.0, 0.05, 0.1, and 0.15, respectively.
Hydrogen plasma microlithography of graphene supported on a Si/SiO2 substrate
Authors: Eren Baran , Glatzel Thilo , Kisiel Marcin , Fu Wangyang , Pawlak Rémy , Gysin Urs , Nef Cornelia , Marot Laurent , Calame Michel , Schönenberger Christian , Meyer Ernst
Published: February 2013

In this work, a silicon stencil mask with a periodic pattern is used for hydrogen plasma microlithography of single layer graphene supported on a Si/SiO2 substrate. Obtained patterns are imaged with Raman microscopy and Kelvin probe force microscopy, thanks to the changes in the vibrational modes and the contact potential difference (CPD) of graphene after treatment. A decrease of 60 meV in CPD as well as a significant change of the D/G ratio in the Raman spectra can be associated with a local hydrogenation of graphene, while the topography remains invariant to the plasma exposure.
Stephen Doxsey: At the (peri)center of things
Authors: Sedwick Caitlin
Published: February 2013

Doxsey studies how centrosomes and pericentriolar material affect cell function.
Exosomes: Looking back three decades and into the future
Authors: Harding Clifford V. , Heuser John E. , Stahl Philip D.
Published: February 2013

Exosomes are extracellular membrane vesicles whose biogenesis by exocytosis of multivesicular endosomes was discovered in 1983. Since their discovery 30 years ago, it has become clear that exosomes contribute to many aspects of physiology and disease, including intercellular communication. We discuss the initial experiments that led to the discovery of exosomes and highlight some of the exciting current directions in the field.
Gender‐related differences in hospitalized heart failure patients
Authors: Stein Gideon Y. , Ben‐Gal Tuvia , Kremer Angelika , Bental Tamir , Alon Danny , Korenfeld Roman , Yedidia Idit , Porter Avital , Abramson Evgeny , Sagie Alexander , Fuchs Shmuel
Published: February 2013

Aims

The burden of heart failure (HF)‐related hospitalization and mortality of female patients with HF is substantial. Currently, several gender‐specific distinctions have been recognized amongst HF patients, but their relationships to outcomes have not been fully elucidated. Accordingly, in the current work, we aimed to explore gender‐specific clinical and echocardiographic measures and to assess their potential impact on outcome.

Methods and results

We studied all consecutive HF patients, aged 50 or older, who had been hospitalized between January 2000 and December 2009, and had undergone at least one echocardiography study. A comparative analysis of clinical and echocardiographic findings was performed between 5228 males and 4107 females. Patients were followed for a mean of 2.8 ± 2.6 years. Females compared with males had less ischaemic heart disease, prior stroke, chronic renal failure, and COPD, and higher rates of hypertension, AF, obesity, valvular abnormalities, and pulmonary hypertension. Unadjusted 30‐day and 1‐year mortality rates were higher among women, while age‐adjusted rates were similar. Predictors of outcomes varied between genders. Female‐specific predictors of mortality included aortic stenosis, pulmonary hypertension, and malignancy, whereas diastolic dysfunction and chronic renal failure were found to be male‐specific predictors.

Conclusions

Age‐adjusted mortality rates of male and female hospitalized HF patients are similarly high. Predictors of mortality, however, are gender distinctive, and these measures may allow a better identification of high‐risk HF patients.
Spatial patterns and trends in abundance of larval sandeels in the North Sea: 1950–2005
Authors: Lynam Christopher P. , Halliday Nicholas C. , Höffle Hannes , Wright Peter J. , van Damme Cindy J. G. , Edwards Martin , Pitois Sophie G.
Published: February 2013

Lynam, C. P., Halliday, N. C., Höffle, H., Wright, P. J., van Damme, C. J. G., Edwards, M., and Pitois, S. 2013. Spatial patterns and trends in abundance of larval sandeels in the North Sea: 1950–2005 – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 70: 540–553. Early recruitment indices based on larval fish data from the Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR) have the potential to inform stock assessments of Ammodytes marinus in the North Sea. We evaluate whether the CPR data are reliable for sandeel larvae. Spatially, CPR larval data were comparable with catches by dedicated larval samplers (Gulf and bongo nets) during ICES coordinated surveys in 2004 and 2009. ICES data are also used to explore environmental influences on sandeel distributions. Temporally, CPR data correlate with larval data from plankton surveys off Stonehaven (1999–2005), with sandeel 0-group trawl data at the east Fair Isle ground (since 1984), and with recruitment data (since 1983) for the Dogger Banks stock assessment area. Therefore, CPR data may provide an early recruit index of relative abundance for the Dogger Banks assessment area, where the majority of the commercial catch of A. marinus is taken, and the Wee Bankie area that is particularly important for seabird foraging. While warm conditions may stimulate the production of sandeel larvae, their natural mortality is typically greater, in the Dogger Banks and Wadden Sea areas, when the larvae are hatched in warm years and/or with abundant 1-year-old sandeel that are likely to be cannibalistic.
Networks and webs in ecosystems and financial systems
Authors: May Robert M.
Published: February 2013

This paper briefly outlines our growing understanding of the relationships between the network structure of ecological networks—both in mathematical models and in the real world—and their consequent dynamical properties. These are interesting, inter alia, because they affect the system’s ability to withstand disturbance, whether natural or human-created. The paper also sketches recent interest in the potential relevance of this work to ‘systemic risk’ and regulatory measures in banking systems, emphasizing the similarities and differences. I conclude with some cautions against drawing excessively general conclusions from any such models.
Will the Web break?
Authors: Zittrain Jonathan
Published: February 2013

What is the Web? What makes it work? And is it dying? This paper is drawn from a talk delivered by Prof. Zittrain to the Royal Society Discussion Meeting ‘Web science: a new frontier’ in September 2010. It covers key questions about the way the Web works, and how an understanding of its past can help those theorizing about the future. The original Web allowed users to display and send information from their individual computers, and organized the resources of the Internet with uniform resource locators. In the 20 years since then, the Web has evolved. These new challenges require a return to the spirit of the early Web, exploiting the power of the Web’s users and its distributed nature to overcome the commercial and geopolitical forces at play. The future of the Web rests in projects that preserve its spirit, and in the Web science that helps make them possible.
The read–write Linked Data Web
Authors: Berners-Lee Tim , O’Hara Kieron
Published: February 2013

This paper discusses issues that will affect the future development of the Web, either increasing its power and utility, or alternatively suppressing its development. It argues for the importance of the continued development of the Linked Data Web, and describes the use of linked open data as an important component of that. Second, the paper defends the Web as a read–write medium, and goes on to consider how the read–write Linked Data Web could be achieved.
A one-dimensional coordination polymer based on Cd2O2clusters: poly[aqua(μ3-4,4′-sulfonyldibenzoato)(3,4,7,8-tetramethyl-1,10-phenanthroline-κ2N,N′)cadmium(II)]
Authors: Tao Jian-Qing
Published: February 2013

In the title mixed-ligand metal–organic polymeric complex [Cd(C14H8O6S)(C16H16N2)(H2O)]n, the asymmetric unit contains a crystallographically unique CdIIatom, one doubly deprotonated 4,4′-sulfonyldibenzoic acid ligand (H2SDBA), one 3,4,7,8-tetramethyl-1,10-phenanthroline (TMPHEN) molecule and one water molecule. Each CdIIcentre is coordinated by two N atoms from the chelating TMPHEN ligand, three O atoms from monodentate carboxylate groups of three different SDBA2−ligands and one O atom from a coordinated water molecule, giving a distorted CdN2O4octahedral geometry. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis reveals that the compound is a one-dimensional double-chain polymer containing 28-membered rings based on Cd2O2clusters, with a Cd...Cd separation of 3.6889 (4) Å. These chains are linked by O—H...O and C—H...O hydrogen bonds to form a three-dimensional supramolecular framework. The framework is reinforced by π–π and C—O...π interactions.
Two polymorphs of afobazole from powder diffraction data
Authors: Chernyshev Vladimir V. , Petkune Sanita , Actins Andris , Auzins Raimonds , Davlyatshin Dmitry I. , Nosyrev Pavel V. , Velikodny Yurii A.
Published: February 2013

Afobazole {systematic name: 2-[2-(morpholin-4-yl)ethylsulfanyl]-1H-benzimidazole} is a new anxiolytic drug and Actins, Auzins & Petkune [(2012). Eur. Patent EP10163962] described four polymorphic modifications. In the present study, the crystal structures of two monoclinic polymorphs, 5-ethoxy-2-[2-(morpholin-4-ium-4-yl)ethylsulfanyl]-1H-benzimidazol-3-ium dichloride, C15H23N3O2S2+·2Cl−, (II) and (IV), have been established from laboratory powder diffraction data. The crystal packing and conformation of the dications in (II) and (IV) are different. In (II), there are channels in the [001] direction, which offer atmospheric water molecules an easy way of penetrating into the crystal structure, thus explaining the higher hygroscopicity of (II) compared with (IV).
Three closely related thienyl-substituted 1,4-epoxynaphtho[1,2-b]azepines: hydrogen-bonded assembly in one, two and three dimensions
Authors: Yépes Andrés F. , Palma Alirio , Cobo Justo , Glidewell Christopher
Published: February 2013

(2R,4S)-2-(3-Methylthiophen-2-yl)-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1,4-epoxynaphtho[1,2-b]azepine, C19H17NOS, (I), crystallizes with a single enantiomer in each crystal, whereas its geometrical isomer (2RS,4SR)-2-(5-methylthiophen-2-yl)-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1,4-epoxy-naphtho[1,2-b]azepine, (II), and (2RS,4SR)-2-(5-bromothiophen-2-yl)-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1,4-epoxynaphtho[1,2-b]azepine, C18H14BrNOS, (III), both crystallize as racemic mixtures. A combination of one C—H...O hydrogen bond and two C—H...π(arene) hydrogen bonds links the molecules of (I) into a three-dimensional framework; the molecules of (II) are linked into aC(4)C(4)[R22(7)] chain of rings by a combination of C—H...N and C—H...O hydrogen bonds; and in (III), whereZ′ = 2, a combination of four C—H...π(arene) hydrogen bonds and two C—H...π(thienyl) hydrogen bonds links the molecules into complex sheets. Comparisons are made with the assembly patterns in some aryl-substituted 1,4-epoxynaphtho[1,2-b]azepines.
Ripening of cheese made from full concentrated milk retentate with and without peptidase addition
Authors: Aaltonen Terhi , Huumonen Ilkka
Published: February 2013

The aim of this study was to determine ripening of cheese made from full concentrated (FC) milk retentate with and without peptidase addition. No free amino acids (FAAs) were found in FC cheese at the end of ripening. However, added peptidase increased FAA formation. Protein and peptide profile analysis showed that FAA and small peptides increased during ripening and therefore some secondary proteolysis occurred. Added peptidase increased D‐lactic acid formation during ripening of cheeses. This kind of changes in lactose fermentation should be considered during developing the making cheese with different enzyme addition.
Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy and associated adverse pregnancy and fetal outcomes: a 12‐year population‐based cohort study
Authors: Wikström Shemer E , Marschall HU , Ludvigsson JF , Stephansson O
Published: February 2013

Objective

To determine the risk for adverse pregnancy and fetal outcomes in intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP).

Design

Population‐based cohort study.

Setting

Swedish Medical Birth Register (MBR) 1997–2009.

Population

A total of 1 213 668 singleton deliveries.

Methods

Linkage of Hospital Discharge Register for exposure (ICP; n = 5477) with MBR for covariates.

Main outcome measures

Gestational diabetes, pre‐eclampsia, prematurity, and stillbirth.

Results

Intrahepatic cholestasis (ICP) was diagnosed in 0.32–0.58% of all pregnancies, with an increasing trend until 2005 (P < 0.0001). Compared with women who did not have ICP, women with ICP were more likely to have gestational diabetes (adjusted odds ratio, aOR, 2.81; 95% CI 2.32–3.41) and pre‐eclampsia (aOR 2.62, 95% CI 2.32–2.78). Women with ICP were also more likely to have spontaneous (aOR 1.60, 95% CI 1.47–1.93) and iatrogenic (aOR 5.95, 95% CI 5.23–6.60) preterm delivery, with increased rates of induction of labour (aOR 11.76, 95% CI 11.04–11.62). However, this actively managed cohort of ICP cases was not at increased risk of stillbirth (aOR 0.92, 95% CI 0.52–1.62). Infants in ICP deliveries were more likely to have a low (<7) 5‐minute Apgar score (aOR 1.45, 95% CI 1.14–1.85) and be large for gestational age at birth (aOR 2.27, 95% CI 2.02–2.55).

Conclusions

Over time, a greater proportion of Swedish pregnant women have received a diagnosis of ICP, probably because of an increased awareness of the disorder. Our data confirm an increased risk of preterm delivery, but not of stillbirth, in actively managed ICP. The high rates of gestational diabetes and pre‐eclampsia are new findings, and need to be considered in the management of ICP pregnancies.
Recent developments in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease
Authors: Rietdijk Svend T. , D'Haens Geert R.
Published: February 2013

Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are chronic inflammatory bowel diseases that have been treated with corticosteroids, 5‐aminosalicates and thiopurines, but therapeutic options have been broadened with the arrival of anti‐tumor necrosis factor antibodies. In this article we reviewed the current evidence‐based approach to inflammatory bowel disease, the modifications that have been made to existing therapies and discussed new drugs that have shown success in clinical trials. The new drugs discussed here are those that disturb lymphocyte homing to the gut (natalizumab, vedolizumab and anti‐mucosal addressin cellular adhesion molecule); one that blocks interleukin (IL)‐12 as well as the IL‐23/T helper 17 (Th17) axis (ustekinumab) and one that blocks the signaling of multiple cytokines (tofacitinib).
Fitting complex ecological point process models with integrated nested Laplace approximation
Authors: Illian Janine B. , Martino Sara , Sørbye Sigrunn H. , Gallego‐Fernández Juan B. , Zunzunegui María , Esquivias M. Paz , Travis Justin M. J.
Published: February 2013

We highlight an emerging statistical method, integrated nested Laplace approximation (INLA), which is ideally suited for fitting complex models to many of the rich spatial data sets that ecologists wish to analyse.

INLA is an approximation method that nevertheless provides very exact estimates. In this article, we describe the INLA methodology highlighting where it offers opportunities for drawing inference from (spatial) ecological data that would previously have been too complex to make practical model fitting feasible.

We use INLA to fit a complex joint model to the spatial pattern formed by a plant species, Thymus carnosus, as well as to the health status of each individual.

The key ecological result revealed by our spatial analysis of these data, relates to the distance‐to‐water covariate. We find that T. carnosus plants are generally healthier when they are further away from the water.

We suggest that this may be the result of a combination of (1) plants having alternative rooting strategies depending on how close to water they grow and (2) the rooting strategy determining how well the plants were able to tolerate an unusually dry summer.

We anticipate INLA becoming widely used within spatial ecological analysis over the next decade and suggest that both ecologists and statisticians will benefit greatly from working collaboratively to further develop and apply these emerging statistical methods.
The Feasibility and Cost of Neonatal Screening for Prenatal Alcohol Exposure by Measuring Phosphatidylethanol in Dried Blood Spots
Authors: Bakhireva Ludmila N. , Savich Renate D. , Raisch Dennis W. , Cano Sandra , Annett Robert D. , Leeman Lawrence , Garg Mahek , Goff Chelsea , Savage Daniel D.
Published: February 2013

Background

Accurate confirmation of prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) is required as a diagnostic criterion for the majority of children adversely affected by PAE who do not manifest the physical features associated with fetal alcohol syndrome. A number of ethanol biomarkers have been used to assess PAE, often with suboptimal results. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and cost of PAE screening in newborns by measuring phosphatidylethanol (PEth) in dried blood spot (DBS) cards.

Methods

The feasibility of collecting an additional DBS card during routine newborn screening and the background prevalence of PAE were evaluated in a de‐identified sample of newborn children delivered at the University of New Mexico Hospital. Electronic orders to collect DBS cards from newborns who continue to bleed after the routine newborn screen, glucose, or hematocrit testing were initiated for all infants delivered during a 4‐week time frame. Specimens were sent to a contract laboratory for PEth analysis by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. A cost analysis was conducted to compare the cost of PAE screening by PEth in DBS versus PEth in conventional blood specimens and by meconium fatty acid ethyl esters.

Results

From 230 collected cards, 201 (87.4%) had at least 1 full blood spot (amount sufficient for PEth analysis), and 6.5% had PEth >20 ng/ml indicative of potential PAE in late pregnancy. PAE screening by PEth in DBS is logistically simpler and less expensive compared with 2 other screening approaches.

Conclusions

These results indicate that screening for PAE in DBS cards is a feasible procedure and that a majority of infants have enough blood after the routine heel prick to fill an additional card. Moreover, screening by PEth analysis from DBS cards is cost‐efficient. The acceptability of such screening by parents and corresponding ethical issues remain to be investigated.
Self‐Determination and Substance Use: Is Effortful Control a Mediator?
Authors: Wong Maria M. , Rowland Sarah E.
Published: February 2013

Background

Alcohol and other drug use among college students are highly common in the United States. This study examined the relationships between 2 motivational orientations (i.e., autonomy and controlled orientations) and substance use and related problems among college students. It also examined whether effortful control mediated the relationship between these motivational orientations and substance use.

Methods

Study participants were 644 undergraduate students (67.2% female; 87.2% Caucasian) who completed a series of online questionnaires as a part of a larger longitudinal study on sleep and substance use. The mean age of participants was 23.58 (SD = 6.861).

Results

Students with a higher autonomy orientation were more likely than their counterparts to report that they did not drink in the last 6 months. In contrast, students with a higher controlled orientation were less likely to report that they did not drink. Among those who drank in the last 6 months, effortful control significantly mediated the effects of autonomy orientation and controlled orientation on frequency of alcohol use within that time frame. Autonomy orientation positively predicted effortful control, which was associated with a decrease in the expected frequency of drinking. In contrast, controlled orientation negatively predicted effortful control, which was associated with an increase in the expected frequency of drinking. Controlled orientation also significantly predicted the presence of alcohol‐related problems and illicit drug use.

Conclusions

Intervention and prevention programs on college drinking could incorporate education about strategies for self‐control, including strategies for withstanding peer pressure and diverting one's attention to activities unrelated to substance use. Focusing on strategies of self‐control may be a useful starting point for a more in‐depth discussion about the motivations, values, and psychological needs satisfaction that are associated with drinking and other drug use.
Gross Anatomical Features of the Gastrointestinal Tract (GIT) of Blue‐and‐Yellow Macaws (Ara ararauna) – Oesophagus to Cloaca
Authors: Aizawa J. , Tivane C. , Rodrigues M. N. , Wagner P. G. , Campos D. B. , Guerra R. R. , Miglino M. A.
Published: February 2013

Morphological studies of the gastrointestinal tract of blue‐and‐yellow macaws (Ara ararauna) are scarce. In view of the paucity of information regarding the digestive tract of macaws, this study aims to describe the gross anatomical features (oesophagus to cloaca) as part of a broad study of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of these birds. Three animals (two males and one female) adult macaws were anatomically dissected from the oropharynx to the cloaca to expose the GIT. The oesophagus was identified as a muscle‐membranous tube continuous with the crop, which was intimately attached to the skin. The internal longitudinal folds of the cervical oesophagus were sparser cranial to the crop and less evident compared to the portion caudal to the crop. The duodenum began in the pylorus and was grey‐coloured exhibiting a large lumen. The jejunum was formed by loops in a spiral‐fashion model supported by mesojejunum. The ileum was also composed by small loops and was continuous with the colo‐rectum forming the large intestine, because the caeca were absent. The large intestine was short, median in position, suspended in the dorsal wall of the abdominal cavity by mesentery and ended in the cloaca. The GIT was similar to the basic patterns in birds, in general, and also presented new unreported morphological data that might be important when studying nutrition and health of the macaws.
Glennie, Jenny et al ed (2012) Open educational resources and change in higher educationCommonwealth of learning (Vancouver) isbn 978‐1‐894975‐53‐7 291 pp cdn$12 (or free download) http://www.col.org/resources/publications/Pages/detail.aspx?PID=412
Authors: Hammer Sara
Published: February 2013

This engaging book reviews current policy and practice in the development and use of open educational resources (oer) internationally. It includes chapters that examine the current environment for oer development and use, including government and institutional policy, as well as a range of case studies that describe the development, re‐use and implementation of oer with a particular emphasis on developing countries. The book is useful for educators, educational leaders, learning resource developers, and government policymakers.

Sara Hammer
Thormann, Joan & Zimmerman, Isa Kaftal (2012) Complete step‐to‐step guide to designing and teaching online coursesTeachers College Press (Columbia University, NY & Eurospan, London) isbn 978‐0‐8077‐5309‐5 216 pp £26.95 http://store.tcpress.com/0807753092.shtml
Authors: Sharma Ramesh
Published: February 2013

This is a highly useful illustrative step‐by‐step resource for teachers and administrators planning for or already teaching online. It offers great ideas, strategies, practical examples, online tools and design principles for all those associated with online teaching, whether they are beginners or experienced. I recommend you buy a copy of this book for your own use if its content is likely to be relevant to you.

Ramesh Sharma
Retreat pattern of the Cordilleran Ice Sheet in central British Columbia at the end of the last glaciation reconstructed from glacial meltwater landforms
Authors: Margold Martin , Jansson Krister N. , Kleman Johan , Stroeven Arjen P. , Clague John J.
Published: February 2013

The Cordilleran Ice Sheet (CIS) covered much of the mountainous northwestern part of North America at least several times during the Pleistocene. The pattern and timing of its growth and decay are, however, poorly understood. Here, we present a reconstruction of the pattern of ice‐sheet retreat in central British Columbia at the end of the last glaciation based on a palaeoglaciological interpretation of ice‐marginal meltwater channels, eskers and deltas mapped from satellite imagery and digital elevation models. A consistent spatial pattern of high‐elevation (1600–2400 m a.s.l.), ice‐marginal meltwater channels is evident across central British Columbia. These landforms indicate the presence of ice domes over the Skeena Mountains and the central Coast Mountains early during deglaciation. Ice sourced in the Coast Mountains remained dominant over the southern and east‐central parts of the Interior Plateau during deglaciation. Our reconstruction shows a successive westward retreat of the ice margin from the western foot of the Rocky Mountains, accompanied by the formation and rapid evolution of a glacial lake in the upper Fraser River basin. The final stage of deglaciation is characterized by the frontal retreat of ice lobes through the valleys of the Skeena and Omineca Mountains and by the formation of large esker systems in the most prominent topographic lows of the Interior Plateau. We conclude that the CIS underwent a large‐scale reconfiguration early during deglaciation and was subsequently diminished by thinning and complex frontal retreat towards the Coast Mountains.
Cordycepin Suppresses Excitatory Synaptic Transmission in Rat Hippocampal Slices Via a Presynaptic Mechanism
Authors: Yao Li‐Hua , Huang Jun‐Ni , Li Chu‐Hua , Li Hai‐Hang , Yan Wen‐Wen , Cai Zhao‐Lin , Liu Wen‐Xiao , Xiao Peng
Published: February 2013

Aims

Cordycepin plays an important role in modulating the function of central nervous system (CNS). However, the modulating mechanism is poorly understood. Excitatory synaptic transmission, the essential process in brain physiology and pathology, is critical in the signal integration activities of the CNS. To further understand the effects of cordycepin on CNS, we investigated the effects of cordycepin on excitatory synaptic transmission in the CA1 region of rat hippocampal slices.

Methods

The effects of cordycepin on excitatory synaptic transmission were investigated by using in vitro field potential electrophysiology and whole‐cell patch clamp techniques.

Results

Cordycepin significantly decreased the amplitudes of field excitatory postsynaptic potentials (fEPSPs) elicited in the CA1 by stimulation of the Schaffer‐commissural fibers. And the reduction in fEPSPs amplitude was associated with an increase in the paired‐pulse facilitation. Cordycepin also suppressed α‐amino‐3‐hydroxy‐5‐methyl‐4‐isoxazole‐propionic acid (AMPA) and N‐methyl‐d‐aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor‐mediated responses but did not directly affect AMPA receptors and NMDA receptors. Furthermore, quantal analysis revealed that cordycepin decreased the frequency but not amplitude of miniature spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents.

Conclusions

These results demonstrate that cordycepin suppresses excitatory synaptic transmission by decreasing the excitatory neurotransmitter release presynaptically, which provides an evidence for the novel potential mechanism of cordycepin in modulating the function of CNS.
Monetary and Nonmonetary Returns to Education in Indonesia
Authors: Sohn Kitae
Published: February 2013

Some important aspects of returns to education in Indonesia have been neglected. This paper draws on the Indonesia Family Life Survey, a longitudinal survey, to shed some light on these aspects. This paper finds in a Mincerian specification that a more recent rate of return is in line with the rates found in previous research. A quantile regression is applied to show that the rate varies little in the conditional distribution of earnings, which stands in stark contrast to findings from some developed countries. In addition, the rate of return in self‐employment is estimated to be lower than that in paid employment for person‐ and sector‐specific reasons. In addition to monetary returns to education, happiness returns to education are considered. This paper advances evidence that education has important and robust implications for happiness above and beyond absolute and relative levels of income.
The Role of Public Infrastructure in China's Regional Inequality and Growth: A Simultaneous Equations Approach
Authors: Zheng Dan , Kuroda Tatsuaki
Published: February 2013

Using a simultaneous equations approach, this paper empirically investigates the impact of two types of public infrastructure, transportation infrastructure and knowledge infrastructure, on industrial geography, regional income disparities, and growth across 286 cities in China. It is found that an improvement in transportation infrastructure that reduces trade costs on goods increases growth and decreases income gap at the expense of increasing industrial agglomeration between cities. Therefore, this paper confirms the existence of a trade‐off between spatial equity (more even spatial distribution of economic activities) and spatial efficiency (higher growth rate). However, for knowledge infrastructure that reduces trade costs on ideas, it is found that it increases growth but also decreases income gap and industrial agglomeration simultaneously. Moreover, the impact of knowledge infrastructure is found to be larger in the case of high labor mobility.
How much further can large international databases take Rett syndrome research?
Authors: Clarke Angus
Published: February 2013

This commentary is on the original article by Bao et al. on pages 553–558 of this issue.
Prey: predator ratio dependence in the functional response of a freshwater amphipod
Authors: MÉDOC V. , SPATARO T. , ARDITI R.
Published: February 2013

1. First known for their shredding activity, freshwater amphipods also behave as active predators with consequences for prey population regulation and amphipod coexistence in the context of biological invasions.

2. A way to quantify predation is to determine the average consumption rate per predator, also known as its functional response (FR).

3. Although amphipods are gregarious and can display social interactions that can alter per capita consumption rates, previous studies using the FR approach to investigate amphipod predation ignored such potential mutual interference because they did not consider variations in predator density.

4. We investigated the FR of Echinogammarus berilloni feeding on dipteran larvae with joint variations in prey and predator densities. This bivariate experimental design allowed us to estimate interference and to compare the fits of the three main classes of theoretical FR models, in which the predation rate is a function of prey density alone (prey‐dependent models), of both prey and predator densities (predator‐dependent models) or of the prey‐to‐predator ratio (ratio‐dependent models).

5. The Arditi–Ginzburg ratio‐dependent FR model provided the best representation of the FR of E. berilloni, whose predation rate showed a decelerating rise to a horizontal asymptote as prey abundance increased.

6. Ratio dependence means that mutual interference between amphipods leads to prey sharing. Mutual interference is likely to vary between amphipod species, depending on their level of aggressiveness.
High‐throughput on‐chip leukemia diagnosis
Authors: Park S. , Moon H. S. , Lee D. S. , Kim H. C. , Chun H.
Published: February 2013

Advances in lab‐on‐a‐chip technologies enabled programmable, reconfigurable, and scalable manipulation of a variety of laboratory procedures. Samples, reagents, and fluids can be precisely controlled; buffer temperature, pH, and concentration control systems as well as a variety of detection systems can be integrated on a small chip. These advantages have attracted attention in various fields of clinical application including leukemia diagnosis and research. A lot of research on lab‐on‐a‐chip based diagnosis has been reported and the field is rapidly expanding. This review describes recent developments of lab‐on‐a‐chip technologies as solutions to challenges for high‐throughput leukemia diagnosis.
Effects of the Rho kinase inhibitor, hydroxyfasudil, on bladder dysfunction and inflammation in rats with HCl‐induced cystitis
Authors: Shimizu Nobutaka , De Velasco Marco A , Umekawa Tohru , Uemura Hirotsugu , Yoshikawa Kazuhiro
Published: February 2013

Objective

To evaluate the effect of the Rho kinase inhibitor, hydroxyfasudil, on bladder function in a rat model of HCl‐induced chemical cystitis, and to elucidate the possible mechanisms associated with its therapeutic effect.

Methods

Female Sprague–Dawley rats with HCl‐induced cystitis were given hydroxyfasudil (10 mg/kg, i.p.) for 7 days. Treatment efficacy was determined by comparing bladder function and histopathology to sham and untreated control rats. Bladder function was determined by cystometric analysis. Rho kinase activity was determined by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and signal inhibition of downstream Ras homolog member A/Rho kinase signaling molecules by western blot and immunohistochemistry.

Results

Treatment with hydroxyfasudil significantly improved bladder intercontraction intervals. Rats treated with hydroxyfasudil also showed a significant reduction of histopathological features associated with cystitis. Western blot and immunohistochemistry findings showed that hydroxyfasudil inhibited downstream molecules of Rho kinase that ameliorated changes associated with HCl‐induced chemical cystitis, such as inflammatory cell recruitment and smooth muscle cell proliferation.

Conclusion

The findings from the present study suggest a promising therapeutic role for hydroxyfasudil in bladder inflammation associated with cystitis.
‘I sang Amazing Grace for about 3 hours that day’: Understanding Indigenous Australians' experience of seclusion
Authors: Sambrano Rachel , Cox Leonie
Published: February 2013

Research shows that Indigenous Australians' suspicion and fear of being ‘locked up’ may influence mental health service avoidance. Given this, the aim of this study was to explore, by qualitative analysis of in‐depth interviews (n = 3), how three Indigenous people experienced the controversial practice of seclusion. Hans‐Georg Gadamer's phenomenology guided analysis of the material, and allowed narrated experiences to be understood within their cultural and historical context. Participants viewed seclusion negatively: police involvement in psychiatric care; perceptions of being punished and powerless; occasions of extreme use of force; and lack of care were prominent themes throughout the interviews. While power imbalances inherent in seclusion are problematic for all mental health clients, the distinguishing factor in the Indigenous clients' experience is that seclusion is continuous with the discriminatory and degrading treatment by governments, police, and health services that many Indigenous people have experienced since colonization. The participants' experiences echoed Goffman's findings that institutional practices act to degrade and dehumanize clients whose resulting conformity eases the work of nursing staff. While some nurses perceive that seclusion reduces clients' agitation, one must ask at what cost to clients' dignity, humanity, and basic human rights.
Mortality burden of the 2009‐10 influenza pandemic in the United States: improving the timeliness of influenza severity estimates using inpatient mortality records
Authors: Charu Vivek , Simonsen Lone , Lustig Roger , Steiner Claudia , Viboud Cécile
Published: February 2013

Background

Delays in the release of national vital statistics hinder timely assessment of influenza severity, especially during pandemics. Inpatient mortality records could provide timelier estimates of influenza‐associated mortality.

Methods

We compiled weekly age‐specific deaths for various causes from US State Inpatient Databases (1990–2010) and national vital statistics (1990–2009). We calculated influenza‐attributable excess deaths by season based on Poisson regression models driven by indicators of respiratory virus activity, seasonality, and temporal trends.

Results

Extrapolations of excess mortality from inpatient data fell within 11% and 17% of vital statistics estimates for pandemic and seasonal influenza, respectively, with high year‐to‐year correlation (Spearman's rho = 0·87–0·90, P < 0·001, n = 19). We attribute 14 800 excess respiratory and cardiac deaths (95% CI: 10 000–19 650) to pandemic influenza activity during April 2009–April 2010, 79% of which occurred in people under 65 years.

Conclusions

Modeling inpatient mortality records provides useful estimates of influenza severity in advance of national vital statistics release, capturing both the magnitude and the age distribution of pandemic and epidemic deaths. We provide the first age‐ and cause‐specific estimates of the 2009 pandemic mortality burden using traditional ‘excess mortality’ methods, confirming the unusual burden of this virus in young populations. Our inpatient‐based approach could help monitor mortality trends in other infectious diseases.
Androdioecy and hermaphroditism in five species of clam shrimps (Crustacea: Branchiopoda: Spinicaudata) from India and Thailand
Authors: Brantner Justin S. , Ott Donald W. , Joel Duff R. , Sanoamuang La‐orsri , Simhachalam Gulli Palli , Subhash Babu K. K. , Weeks Stephen C.
Published: February 2013

Crustaceans in the order Spinicaudata display a broad range of reproductive strategies, ranging from pure hermaphroditism to pure dioecy (separate males and females), and intermediate combinations. One particularly interesting genus of these “clam shrimps” is Eulimnadia. Based on offspring sex ratios, it has been suggested that all members of the genus are androdioecious: populations consist of mixtures of males and hermaphrodites. However, only two of the ~40 species in this genus have been examined histologically to confirm the presence of ovotestes in the purported hermaphrodites of this group. Here, we report both sex ratio and histological evidence showing that populations of five additional Eulimnadia species from India and Thailand are indeed mixes of males and hermaphrodites (four species) or hermaphrodite only (one species). Sex ratios of adults and offspring from isolated hermaphrodites are in accordance with those previously reported for 15 Eulimnadia species, and histological assays of four of the five species show the presence of both testicular and ovarian tissue in these hermaphrodites. As has been previously reported, the testicular tissue in members of these Eulimnadia spp. is located in a small section at the distal end of the gonad. In addition, the sperm produced in these hermaphrodites forms distinct plaques of compacted chromatin. Overall, these data are consistent with a single origin of hermaphroditism in Eulimnadia, and support the notion that all members of the genus are either androdioecious or all‐hermaphroditic.
Negative pressure surgical management after pathological scar surgical excision: a first report
Authors: Bollero Daniele , Malvasio Valeria , Catalano Fabio , Stella Maurizio
Published: February 2013

Wound dehiscence is a surgical complication caused by the application of opposing and distracting forces tending to pull apart the suture line. In recent years, a novel negative pressure surgical management system has been developed to prevent surgical wound complications. This system creates a closed environment that removes exudates and other potentially infectious material, protects the surgical site from external contamination, provides support in holding the edges of the incision together and promotes wound healing. In this study, we describe our first experience with Prevena™, a closed incision negative pressure management system used on suture line following wide pathological scars excision for the prevention of postoperative wound dehiscence. Eight patients with wide and mature pathological skin scars were treated with Prevena™. The device was positioned directly after surgical correction for 8 days with a continuous application of −125 mmHg negative pressure. All treated patients had no postoperative surgical wound dehiscence. In one case, a limit of the device was represented by its poor adherence on hairy surface, hampering the maintenance of an appropriate local negative pressure. In another case, suture line was longer than Prevena™ foam and it was covered partially. Prevena™ system appears to be safe, easy to use and may represent a support technique to wide pathological skin scars surgical correction.
New techniques for wound debridement
Authors: Madhok Brijesh M , Vowden Kathryn , Vowden Peter
Published: February 2013

Debridement is a crucial component of wound management. Traditionally, several types of wound debridement techniques have been used in clinical practice such as autolytic, enzymatic, biodebridement, mechanical, conservative sharp and surgical. Various factors determine the method of choice for debridement for a particular wound such as suitability to the patient, the type of wound, its anatomical location and the extent of debridement required. Recently developed products are beginning to challenge traditional techniques that are currently used in wound bed preparation. The purpose of this review was to critically evaluate the current evidence behind the use of these newer techniques in clinical practice. There is some evidence to suggest that low frequency ultrasound therapy may improve healing rates in patients with venous ulcers and diabetic foot ulcers. Hydrosurgery debridement is quick and precise, but the current evidence is limited and further studies are underway. Debridement using a monofilament polyester fibre pad and plasma‐mediated bipolar radiofrequency ablation are both very new techniques. The initial evidence is limited, and further studies are warranted to confirm their role in management of chronic wounds.
STRUCTURAL CHANGE IN THE NHS AND GP UTILIZATION IN ENGLAND UNDER NEW LABOUR, 1997–2003
Authors: MCGREGOR PAT , MCKEE PATRICIA , O'NEILL CIARAN
Published: February 2013

In this article we compare the pattern of service utilization in the period preceding the health‐care reforms introduced by New Labour with service utilization following the refoms. Data from the 1997 and 2003 waves of the British Household Panel Survey are used to estimate a series of utilization functions. These show that GP utilization overall fell, for women more than men and for the sick more than others. The results suggest that GPs responded to the changing context the reforms created but there are different interpretations of that response. They support the contention that GPs devoted greater attention to preventative services post‐reform than had previously been the case. They are also consistent with the contention that GPs responded less directly to the needs of their patients, either because they became more sophisticated in interpreting those needs or conscious of the increased opportunity costs of responding to them.
Health consumers' experiences in Australian critical care units: postgraduate nurse education implications
Authors: Gill Fenella J , Leslie Gavin D , Grech Carol , Latour Jos M
Published: February 2013

Aim: To explore critical care patients and families experiences and seek their input into nurses' postgraduate educational preparation and practice.

Background: There is an inconsistency in the expected standard of practice to ‘qualify’ Australian critical care nurses. There has also been a lack of health consumer input in the development of postgraduate course curriculum and content.

Method: Following institutional ethics committee approval, purposive sampling was used to select participants for focus groups and individual interviews who had experienced intensive care or coronary care.

Findings: Seventeen participants provided data which created two main thematic categories; the role of the critical care nurse and; minimum practice standards for postgraduate critical care course graduates. Both physical patient care and socio‐emotional support of patients and family were identified as important for the critical care nurse role. The level of socio‐emotional support provided by nurses was reported to be inconsistent. Components of socio‐emotional support included communication, people skills, facilitating family presence and advocacy. These components were reflected in participants' concepts of minimum practice standards for postgraduate critical care course graduates; talking and listening skills, relating to and dealing with stressed people, individualizing care and patient and family advocacy.

Conclusion: Health consumers' views emphasize that socio‐emotional skills and behaviours need to be explicitly described in postgraduate critical care nursing course curricula and instruments developed to consistently assess these core competencies.