bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fertility tables of two populations of the parthenogenetic species Poratia salvator (Diplopoda, Polydesmida, Pyrgodesmidae)
Authors: Pinheiro TG , Battirola LD , Marques MI
Published: July 2011

Diplopods are very susceptible to various degrees of environmental disturbance, particularly climate, altitude and diet. In order to increase our understanding of millipede ecological plasticity, we used fertility tables to access and to compare the fertility and survival of two populations of the parthenogenetic species Poratia salvator from two areas with distinct characteristics. Collecting was conducted in two localities within the state of Mato Grosso, in the Pantanal of Mato Grosso, municipality of Nossa Senhora do Livramento, and in the municipality of Várzea Grande. The specimens were maintained at room temperature. In the first generation, individuals from the Pantanal of Mato Grosso population reproduced early and also died earlier when compared with individuals from the Várzea Grande population. Furthermore, the population from the Pantanal had a lower net reproduction rate and a higher intrinsic growth rate than the population from the Várzea Grande. The generation time was lower for the Pantanal population than for the Várzea Grande population. In the second generation, the net reproduction rate observed for both populations was higher than that observed in the first generation, suggesting an increase in the reproductive potential of the females throughout their lives. The intrinsic growth rate of both populations decreased as a function of an increase in generation time observed in the second generation. As a result, the population growth rate in the second generation was slower when compared with the first generation, probably a result of the longer life expectancy of the second generation, which may have become adapted to the artificial conditions of the experiment.
Allometry of some woody plant species in a Brazilian savanna after two years of a dry season fire
Authors: Dodonov P. , Lucena IC , Leite MB , Silva Matos DM
Published: July 2011

Studies of allometry are important in explaining effects of fire and herbivory, for estimating biomass in forests, and so on. There has been extensive research on plant allometry in temperate and tropical forests, showing that plant architecture often adjusts to the elastic similarity model, but not in Brazilian savannas (cerrado). We studied allometry of Dalbergia miscolobium, Diospyros hispida, Erythroxylum suberosum, Miconia albicans, M. ligustroides, Schefflera vinosa, and Xylopia aromatica in a cerrado sensu stricto area that was affected by a fire in August 2006. We expected that the study species would not adjust to any of the allometric models considered common for forest species ("constant stress", "elastic similarity", and "geometric growth"), and that there would be differences in allometry in burnt and unburnt patches. We sampled two species in 60 5 × 5 m contiguous plots placed in three transects, and five species in 100 5 × 5 m contiguous plots placed in five transects, where we measured the diameters at soil level (DSL) and the heights of all shoots. We used standardized major axis regressions on log-transformed data. The regression slope between the height and DSL was higher than 1.0 (p < 0.05) for four species, showing a greater height than would be expected under geometric growth, not predicted by theoretical models. We found significant differences (p < 0.05) in regression slopes and/or correlation coefficients between burnt and unburnt plots for five species, indicating that fire may influence plant allometry in the Brazilian cerrado, and that such a response is highly variable between species.
Pterygosomatidae and Trombiculidae mites infesting Tropidurus hispidus (Spix, 1825) (Tropiduridae) lizards in northeastern Brazil
Authors: Delfino MMS , Ribeiro SC , Furtado IP , Anjos LA , Almeida WO
Published: July 2011

Parasitism of the lizard Tropidurus hispidus by Geckobiella sp. and by larvae of Eutrombicula alfreddugesi was examined in a mountainous area in Chapada do Araripe (07° 16' S and 39° 26' W), southern Ceará State, Brazil. Of the 56 lizards collected (26 females, 27 males, and 3 juveniles), 40 (total prevalence of 71.42%) were infested by mites. Mite-pockets were the sites most heavily infested by E. alfreddugesi larvae, while Geckobiella sp. was found uniformly distributed under scales over the host's entire body. The female specimens of T. hispidus parasitised by E. alfreddugesi had an average infestation rate of 8.57 ± 3.62, 1-27, while the males had an average infestation rate of 11.90 ± 2.63, 1-25. The female specimens parasitised by Geckobiella sp. had an average infestation rate of 5.91 ± 2.28, 1-25, while the males had an average infestation rate of 5.43 ± 1.52, 1-23. Seven specimens were also infested by eggs and immature forms of unidentified mites (average 2.28 ± 0.89, 1-7). There were no significant differences between the total prevalence of mites on adult male (70.4%) and adult female (65.4%) lizards. The body sizes of the hosts did not influence their infestation rates. The average infestation intensity by E. alfreddugesi (10.2 ± 8.7) was significantly greater than the average infestation intensity by Geckobiella sp. (5.9 ± 6.8). T. hispidus is the new host record to Geckobiella mites.
Diagnóstico e tratamento da tuberculose latente em pacientes com doenças inflamatórias crônicas e uso de imunobiológicos inibidores do TNF-α
Authors: Lopes Diana Maria de Almeida , Pinheiro Valéria Goes Ferreira , Monteiro Helena Serra Azul , Queiroz José Ajax Nogueira , Madeira Lucivaldo dos Santos , Lopes Mônica Maria de Almeida
Published: July 2011

OBJETIVO: Traçar o perfil clínico-epidemiológico de pacientes candidatos ao uso de fármacos anti-TNF-α diagnosticados como portadores de tuberculose latente (TBL) e avaliar os desfechos do tratamento profilático com isoniazida. MÉTODOS: Análise descritiva prospectiva seguida de um estudo analítico observacional transversal dos desfechos do tratamento profilático em um grupo de 45 candidatos ao uso de fármacos anti-TNF-α. A avaliação dos pacientes constou de anamnese, exame clínico, radiografia de tórax e teste tuberculínico (TT) por Mantoux. RESULTADOS: A idade média dos pacientes foi 45 anos, e 56,0% dos pacientes eram mulheres. Doenças reumatológicas crônicas, doenças dermatológicas crônicas e doença de Crohn estavam presentes em 46,7%, 40,0% e 13,3% dos pacientes, respectivamente. A média de enduração do TT foi 14,6 mm (variação: 5-30 mm). A maioria dos pacientes (n = 30; 66,7%) apresentou enduração > 10 mm. Dos 16 pacientes com cicatriz vacinal BCG, a média de enduração foi de 15,7 mm, sendo que 14 tiveram enduração > 10 mm. Os resultados de radiografia de tórax foram considerados normais e com alterações mínimas em 64,4% e em 35,6%, respectivamente. Apenas 1 paciente (2,2%) abandonou o tratamento com isoniazida, 41 (91,2%) completaram o tratamento, 2 (4,4%) tiveram de interromper o tratamento por hepatite medicamentosa, e 1 (2,2%) foi transferido para outro hospital. Dos que completaram o tratamento, 5 apresentaram efeitos colaterais leves. CONCLUSÕES: A determinação do perfil dos candidatos ao uso de inibidores do TNF-α é importante para o manejo do tratamento da TBL, bem como para estabelecer protocolos clínicos de uso e acompanhamento do uso desses fármacos
Disfunção muscular periférica em DPOC: membros inferiores versus membros superiores
Authors: Miranda Eduardo Foschini , Malaguti Carla , Corso Simone Dal
Published: July 2011

O prejuízo funcional parece diferir entre membros superiores e membros inferiores de pacientes com DPOC. Dois possíveis mecanismos explicam os sintomas importantes de dispneia e fadiga relatados pelos pacientes ao executar tarefas com membros superiores não sustentados: a disfunção neuromecânica dos músculos respiratórios e a alteração dos volumes pulmonares durante as atividades realizadas com membros superiores. A disfunção neuromecânica está relacionada à alteração do padrão respiratório e à simultaneidade de estímulos aferentes e eferentes musculares, o que causaria a dissincronia na ação dos músculos respiratórios em pacientes com DPOC durante esse tipo de exercício. Adicionalmente, o aumento da ventilação durante os exercícios com membros superiores em pacientes com DPOC induz à hiperinsuflação dinâmica em diferentes cargas de trabalho. Nos membros inferiores, há redução da força e da endurance muscular do quadríceps femoral nos pacientes com DPOC comparados a indivíduos saudáveis. Uma explicação para essas reduções é a anormalidade no metabolismo muscular (diminuição da capacidade aeróbia), a dependência do metabolismo glicolítico e o acúmulo rápido de lactato durante o exercício. Quando contrastadas as atividades de membros superiores e membros inferiores, os exercícios com membros superiores resultam em maior demanda metabólica e ventilatória com mais intensa sensação de dispneia e fadiga. Devido às diferenças nas adaptações morfofuncionais dos músculos dos membros superiores e membros inferiores em pacientes com DPOC, protocolos específicos de treinamento de força e/ou endurance devem ser desenvolvidos e testados para os grupos musculares desses segmentos corporais
Acetolactate Synthase Gene Proline (197) Mutations Confer Tribenuron-Methyl Resistance in Flixweed (Descurainia sophia) Populations from China
Authors: Cui Hai Lan , Zhang Chao Xian , Wei Shou Hui , Zhang Hong Jun , Li Xiang Ju , Zhang Yan Qiu , Wang Gui Qi
Published: July 2011

The molecular basis of resistance to tribenuron-methyl, an acetolactate synthase (ALS)–inhibiting herbicide was investigated in four resistant (R) and three susceptible (S) flixweed populations. The resistance level in the R populations was assessed in whole-plant pot experiments in a greenhouse, and resistance indices ranged from 723 to 1422. The ALS genes of the three S populations and four R populations were cloned and sequenced, and the full coding sequence of the ALS gene of flixweed was 2,004 bp. The sequences of the ALS genes of the three S populations collected from Shaanxi, Gansu, and Tianjin were identical. Comparison of the ALS gene sequences of the S and R populations withArabidopsisrevealed that proline at position 197 of the ALS gene was substituted by leucine in R population SSX-2, by alanine in R population SSX-3, and by serine in R populations TJ-2 and GS-2. In another study of two R flixweed populations from Hebei and Shaanxi, resistance was also related to mutation at position 197 of the ALS gene. Both studies confirmed tribenuron-methyl resistance in flixweed in China, with the resistance mechanism being conferred by specific ALS point mutations at amino acid position 197.
Water and Temperature Stress Impact Fitness of Acetohydroxyacid Synthase–Inhibiting Herbicide-Resistant Populations of Eastern Black Nightshade (Solanum ptychanthum)
Authors: Ashigh Jamshid , Tardif François J.
Published: July 2011

Many substitutions in the herbicide target enzyme acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS) confer whole-plant resistance and may reduce plant fitness. This study was done to determine the impact of different watering and temperature regimes on the germination, growth, and seed production of eastern black nightshade populations resistant (R) to AHAS inhibitors as conferred by an Ala205Val substitution in their AHAS. Growth and reproductive ability of four R and four susceptible (S) populations were determined in growth-cabinet and greenhouse studies. The R populations had lower total berry and viable seed production per plant than S under optimal conditions because of slower berry maturation. Seed production of both S and R populations decreased under lower or higher than optimal watering regimes; however, this reduction was more pronounced for the S populations so that seed production was comparable across S and R. The R populations had significantly higher germination and vegetative growth under cooler alternating temperature regimes. Although there were no differences between R and S plants under stress conditions, under optimal growth conditions, the Ala205Val substitution comes at a significant cost in eastern black nightshade. Under optimal growth conditions and in the absence of herbicide selection, S populations should eventually dominate over R; however, the lack of fitness differences under stress conditions could enhance the persistence of the R individuals.
Selection of Glyphosate-Resistant Annual Bluegrass (Poa annua) on a Golf Course
Authors: Binkholder Kenton M. , Fresenburg Brad S. , Teuton Travis C. , Xiong Xi , Smeda Reid J.
Published: July 2011

Annual bluegrass is a pervasive weed on golf courses in the Transition Zone of the United States and is difficult to selectively remove. For years, superintendents have applied glyphosate on dormant zoysiagrass to remove cool-season weeds. In 2007, a population of annual bluegrass in Columbia, MO, was not controlled with glyphosate after more than 10 yr of continuous applications. Greenhouse studies were established to compare the response of suspect glyphosate-resistant (CCMO1) and -susceptible annual bluegrass to glyphosate. Seedling plants were treated with glyphosate from 0 to 6.27 kg ae ha−1. At 21 d after treatment, reductions in biomass for susceptible annual bluegrass reached a maximum at glyphosate rates of 0.78 kg ha−1or higher. Comparatively, the biomass of CCMO1 plants was only reduced by 50% at 0.78 kg ha−1, and reductions did not exceed 60% at rates up to 6.27 kg ha−1, which is eight times the labeled rate. At rates necessary to reduce plant dry weights by 50%, the resistance factor (RF) for CCMO1 was 5.2. Twenty-one days following biomass assessment, regrowth of plants was non-existent on susceptible plants at 0.78 kg ha−1glyphosate or above, but CCMO1 plants reached 1.7 cm regrowth at the 6.27 kg ha−1rate. Based on the regrowth, the RF for CCMO1 was 5.2. Results indicate a new species has been identified with resistance to glyphosate, and this represents the first report of glyphosate resistance in turfgrass.
The Ability of Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) to Establish in a Seminatural Habitat under Different Seed Dispersal Times and Disturbance
Authors: Bagavathiannan Muthukumar V. , Gulden Robert H. , Van Acker Rene C.
Published: July 2011

Alfalfa is an important forage crop in North America, and it can also be found as a roadside weed in alfalfa-growing regions. Weediness and invasiveness are greatly facilitated by establishment ability, yet little is known about the ability of alfalfa to establish in competitive environments such as roadsides. The primary objective of this study was to estimate the degree of alfalfa establishment without managed cultivation under different seed-dispersal times and disturbance regimes. The study had a split-plot design with two main plots (spring and fall seed dispersal) and five subplots (mowing, soil disturbance, herbicide spray, seedbed, and undisturbed control). The study examined establishment, growth attributes, and reproductive output of alfalfa in response to these treatments. Alfalfa establishment in the undisturbed grass swards ranged between 0.5 and 9.7% (out of the total number of seeds dispersed) across the dispersal times. The density of alfalfa in fall-seeded plots was about 82% lower than in spring-seeded plots. Soil disturbance reduced the density of alfalfa to < 50% of the initial density. Generally, low plant densities were compensated over time by increased numbers of shoots and reproductive units (racemes and pods) per plant. Herbicide application (2,4-D + dicamba) effectively controlled all emerged alfalfa plants, but in some cases, seedling recruitment was observed in the years following herbicide application. Although mowing did not kill alfalfa plants, mowed plants did not produce mature seeds, and as such, mowing may be useful in restricting the reproductive success and population growth of alfalfa. Overall, it is evident that alfalfa is capable of establishing in competitive environments (such as roadside habitats) and rapidly recovering from moderate disturbances. The results of this study have implications for managing roadside alfalfa and for designing novel trait-confinement protocols for alfalfa.
Herbicide Rate, Glyphosate/Glufosinate Sequence and Corn/Soybean Rotation Effects on Weed Seed Banks
Authors: Simard Marie-Josée , Rouane Sébastien , Leroux Gilles D.
Published: July 2011

The effect of herbicide rates on weed control and crop yield is the subject of countless and ongoing research projects. Weed seed banks receive very little attention in comparison. The seed bank resulting from 3 yr (2006 to 2008) of single herbicide rates in a cropping system where glyphosate/glufosinate and corn/soybean were rotated or not was evaluated in a field located in St-Augustin-de-Desmaures, Québec, Canada. Field plots under conventional tillage were seeded in corn every year, or corn and soybean (1 yr). These plots received the same herbicide every year or various glyphosate/glufosinate 3-yr sequences. Subplots were sprayed with a single POST application of the recommended rate of glyphosate (900 g ae ha−1) or glufosinate (500 g ai ha−1) or lower rates. Subplots received the same full (1.0×, recommended) or reduced (0.5×, 0.75×) rate every year. After crop harvest in 2008, soil cores were extracted and the weed seed bank was evaluated. Including soybean in the cropping system resulted in lower seed banks compared to those under continuous corn cropping. Including glufosinate in a glyphosate herbicide sequence increased weed seed banks due to the lower efficacy of the glufosinate rates tested at reducing the seed bank of annual grasses. Higher herbicide rates translated into lower seed banks, up to a certain rate. After 3 yr, the lowest seed bank (full glyphosate rates every year) still had 4,339 ± 836 seeds m−2and was higher than the initial seed bank (2,826 ± 724 seeds m−2).
Weeds and the Red to Far-Red Ratio of Reflected Light: Characterizing the Influence of Herbicide Selection, Dose, and Weed Species
Authors: Cressman Scott T. , Page Eric R. , Swanton Clarence J.
Published: July 2011

Crop seedlings detect the presence of neighboring competitors by means of the red to far-red ratio (R/FR) of light reflected from the leaf surfaces of adjacent seedlings. Although previous studies have suggested that shifts in the R/FR initiate crop–weed competition, no studies have documented the R/FR of light reflected from weeds or explored how weed management practices may affect the R/FR. Experiments were conducted to test the following hypotheses: (1) the duration of R/FR signals reflected from the leaf surface of weed seedlings will vary among herbicides following treatment and will decline faster as the dose of a given herbicide increases, (2) the R/FR of reflected light will differ among weed species, and (3) the R/FR of reflected light will decrease as weed seedling leaf area and stage of development increases. Velvetleaf was used as a model weed species to examine herbicide chemistry and dose, and six weed species including Powell amaranth, velvetleaf, Eastern black nightshade, barnyardgrass, proso millet, and green foxtail were evaluated in order to characterize the R/FR of light reflected from their leaf surfaces. Results of this study confirm that the R/FR reflected from the leaf surface of weeds is affected by: herbicide chemistry, herbicide dose, weed species, stage of weed development, and distance of the weed from the crop. The relative decline in the R/FR (as a percent of the untreated control) was most rapid following treatment with paraquat, followed by glufosinate and then glyphosate. As glyphosate dose decreased, so did the reduction in the relative R/FR. Based on reflected R/FR, weed species tended to be grouped into monocots and dicots, with the latter reflecting a lower R/FR per unit leaf area than the former. This disparity was attributed to the compact leaf arrangement and orientation of dicot weed canopies, which may contribute to the greater competitiveness of dicot weeds.
Saflufenacil (Kixor™): Biokinetic Properties and Mechanism of Selectivity of a New Protoporphyrinogen IX Oxidase Inhibiting Herbicide
Authors: Grossmann Klaus , Hutzler Johannes , Caspar Guenter , Kwiatkowski Jacek , Brommer Chad L.
Published: July 2011

Saflufenacil (Kixor™) is a new protoporphyrinogen IX oxidase (PPO) inhibiting herbicide for preplant burndown and selective PRE dicot weed control in multiple crops, including corn. The biokinetic properties and the mechanism of selectivity of saflufenacil in corn, black nightshade, and tall morningglory were investigated. After root treatment of plants at the third-leaf stage, the difference in the phytotoxic selectivity of saflufenacil in corn and the weed species has been quantified as approximately 10-fold. The plant species showed similar selectivity after foliar applications; the plant response to saflufenacil was approximately 100-fold more sensitive compared with a root application. PPO enzyme activity in vitro was inhibited by saflufenacil, a 50% inhibition lay in a concentration range from 0.2 to 2.0 nM, with no clear differences between corn and the weed species. Treatments of light-grown plants and dark-grown seedlings with [14C]saflufenacil revealed that the herbicide is rapidly absorbed by root and shoot tissue. The [14C]saflufenacil was distributed within the plant systemically by acropetal and basipetal movement. Systemic [14C]saflufenacil distribution can be explained by the weak acid character of saflufenacil and its metabolic stability in black nightshade and tall morningglory. Metabolism of [14C]saflufenacil in corn was more rapid than in the weeds. In addition, low translocation of root-absorbed [14C]saflufenacil in the corn shoot was observed. It is concluded that rapid metabolism, combined with a low root translocation, support PRE selectivity of saflufenacil in corn.
Effects of Seeding Rate and Poultry Litter on Weed Suppression from a Rolled Cereal Rye Cover Crop
Authors: Ryan Matthew R. , Curran William S. , Grantham Alison M. , Hunsberger Laura K. , Mirsky Steven B. , Mortensen David A. , Nord Eric A. , Wilson Dave O.
Published: July 2011

Growing enough cover crop biomass to adequately suppress weeds is one of the primary challenges in reduced-tillage systems that rely on mulch-based weed suppression. We investigated two approaches to increasing cereal rye biomass for improved weed suppression: (1) increasing soil fertility and (2) increasing cereal rye seeding rate. We conducted a factorial experiment with three poultry litter application rates (0, 80, and 160 kg N ha−1) and three rye seeding rates (90, 150, and 210 kg seed ha−1) in Pennsylvania and Maryland in 2008 and 2009. We quantified rye biomass immediately after mechanically terminating it with a roller and weed biomass at 10 wk after termination (WAT). Rye biomass increased with poultry litter applications (675, 768, and 787 g m−2 in the 0, 80, and 160 kg N ha−1 treatments, respectively), but this increased rye biomass did not decrease weed biomass. In contrast, increasing rye seeding rate did not increase rye biomass, but it did reduce weed biomass (328, 279, and 225 g m−2 in the 90, 150, and 210 kg seed ha−1 treatments, respectively). In 2009, we also sampled ground cover before rolling and weed biomass and density at 4 WAT. Despite no treatment effects, we found a correlation between bare soil before rolling (%) and weed biomass at 4 WAT. Our results suggest that increased rye seeding rate can effectively reduce weed biomass and that ground cover in early spring can influence weed biomass later in the growing season.
New Brontotheriidae (Mammalia, Perissodactyla) from the early and middle Eocene of Pakistan with implications for mammalian paleobiogeography
Authors: Missiaen Pieter , Gunnell Gregg F. , Gingerich Philip D.
Published: July 2011

Brontotheriids are common in Eocene faunas of North America and Asia but are poorly known from the Indian subcontinent. Here we describe three new late early Eocene brontotheriids from Pakistan, found in the upper part of the upper Ghazij Formation and representing the oldest Asian brontotheres. Eotitanops pakistanensis n. sp. is a small, primitive species, Balochititanops haqi n. gen. n. sp. is slightly larger and more derived, and fragmentary specimens identified as cf. Balochititanops sp. appear to represent a third, larger taxon.

Improved knowledge of early brontotheres from North America permits better taxonomic resolution of some middle Eocene brontothere remains from Pakistan. ‘Eotitanops’ dayi from the Kuldana Formation is shown to be closer to Palaeosyops and is renamed Palaeosyops dayi n. comb. A new astragalus from the Baska Formation probably represents Pakotitanops latidentatus. A previously described humerus and a new calcaneum, both from the Subathu Formation, are tentatively referred to Mulkrajanops moghliensis.

Phylogenetic interpretation suggests that Eotitanops pakistanensis is as primitive as the North American species of this basal brontothere genus, and also, within the limits of stratigraphic resolution, Eotitanops appeared on both continents at the same time. The origin of brontotheres is therefore equally likely to have been in Asia or in North America. The presence of the primitive brontotheres Eotitanops and Palaeosyops in Indo-Pakistan and North America indicates faunal exchange, almost certainly through Asia, although the direction of dispersal cannot be determined. The postulated high-latitude exchange coincides with a warm interval known as the Early Eocene Climatic Optimum.
Cranial anatomy of middle EoceneRemingtonocetus(Cetacea, Mammalia) from Kutch, India
Authors: Bajpai S. , Thewissen J. G. M. , Conley R. W.
Published: July 2011

The family Remingtonocetidae is a basal family of Eocene cetaceans only known from near shore marine environments of India and Pakistan. We describe a new skull forRemingtonocetus harudiensiswhich elucidates the anatomy and functional morphology of the head and provides new details on cranial cavity and nasopharyngeal region. We suggest thatRemingtonocetuswas an ambush predator that hunted from a perch on the ocean floor, and that hearing was its most important sense. We speculate that the greatly elongated rostrum is an adaptation for water retention because these are some of the earliest whales living in seawater.
How Do Macro-Level Contexts and Policies Affect the Employment Chances of Chronically Ill and Disabled People? Part I: The Impact of Recession and Deindustrialization
Authors: Holland Paula , Burström Bo , Whitehead Margaret , Diderichsen Finn , Dahl Espen , Barr Ben , Nylén Lotta , Chen Wen-Hao , Thielen Karsten , van der Wel Kjetil A. , Clayton Stephen , Uppal Sharanjit
Published: July 2011

Low employment rates of chronically ill and disabled people are of serious concern. Being out of work increases the risk of poverty and social exclusion, which may further damage the health of these groups, exacerbating health inequalities. Macro-level policies have a potentially tremendous impact on their employment chances, and these influences urgently need to be understood as the current economic crisis intensifies. In Part I of this two-part study, the authors examine employment trends for people who report a chronic illness or disability, by gender and educational level, in Canada, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom in the context of economic booms and busts and deindustrialization. People with the double burden of chronic illness and low education have become increasingly marginalized from the labor market. Deindustrialization may have played a part in this process. In addition, periods of high unemployment have sparked a downward trend in employment for already marginalized groups who did not feel the benefits when the economy improved. Norway and Sweden have been better able to protect the employment of these groups than the United Kingdom and Canada. These contextual differences suggest that other macro-level factors, such as active and passive labor market polices, may be important, as examined in Part II.
How Do Macro-Level Contexts and Policies Affect the Employment Chances of Chronically Ill and Disabled People? Part II: The Impact of Active and Passive Labor Market Policies
Authors: Holland Paula , Nylén Lotta , Thielen Karsten , van der Wel Kjetil A. , Chen Wen-Hao , Barr Ben , Burström Bo , Diderichsen Finn , Andersen Per Kragh , Dahl Espen , Uppal Sharanjit , Clayton Stephen , Whitehead Margaret
Published: July 2011

The authors investigate three hypotheses on the influence of labor market deregulation, decommodification, and investment in active labor market policies on the employment of chronically ill and disabled people. The study explores the interaction between employment, chronic illness, and educational level for men and women in Canada, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, countries with advanced social welfare systems and universal health care but with varying types of active and passive labor market policies. People with chronic illness were found to fare better in employment terms in the Nordic countries than in Canada or the United Kingdom. Their employment chances also varied by educational level and country. The employment impact of having both chronic illness and low education was not just additive but synergistic. This amplification was strongest for British men and women, Norwegian men, and Danish women. Hypotheses on the disincentive effects of tighter employment regulation or more generous welfare benefits were not supported. The hypothesis that greater investments in active labor market policies may improve the employment of chronically ill people was partially supported. Attention must be paid to the differential impact of macro-level policies on the labor market participation of chronically ill and disabled people with low education, a group facing multiple barriers to gaining employment.
“Responsibilizing” a Healthy Britain: Personal Debt, Employment, and Welfare
Authors: Walker Carl
Published: July 2011

Growing evidence suggests that experiences of financial strain and over-indebtedness can contribute to problems of physical and mental health. This article contends that there is a need to carefully examine recent neoliberally informed symbolic and material transformations in the practices and experiences of employment, welfare, and subjectivity in order to provide an appropriately sophisticated analysis of experiences of debt and mental health. An illusion of economic growth has been based on increasing levels of often traumatic personal debt and a low-wage labor force compelled into increasingly problematic practices of employment. In recent years, a concerted neoliberal assault on subjectivity, modes of employment, minimum incomes, and practices of welfare governance has effectively constituted new forms of poverty and personal sustenance through deregulated sub-prime credit markets. The variable and multifunctional nature of personal debt has provided a substrate for neoliberal public policy by systematically reinforcing the development of a low-wage labor market and by representing a means through which to transfer collective risk into private responsibility. This article suggests that traditional ways of knowing and acting upon the mental and physical health difficulties associated with problems of debt and material deprivation fail to adequately acknowledge the political and economic role of personal debt growth.
Liberalizing the Health Care Market: The New Government's Ambition for the English National Health Service
Authors: Lewis Richard Q. , Thorlby Ruth
Published: July 2011

England's National Health Service (NHS) faces the prospect of a radical overhaul by the current coalition government, with the aim of improving the quality and efficiency of health services. The government has identified the increased use of competition between providers as a primary lever to achieve its goals and is creating a competitive market comprising state, private, and not-for-profit providers. This market will be overseen by an independent economic regulator with powers to intervene and shape local markets for health services. While the use of market incentives is not wholly novel, if implemented, these new reforms imply a rapid expansion of the scope and scale of competitive market forces within the NHS. This article examines the government's current proposals for increased use of competition and considers its potential impact in the light of the available evidence. It argues that despite some research evidence pointing to the potentially beneficial effects of competition on quality and efficiency, there are also risks of adverse outcomes. Consequently, there is significant uncertainty as to whether this policy will deliver the desired objectives.
The Deepening Crisis in U.S. Health Care: A Review of Data
Authors: Hellander Ida
Published: July 2011

This report presents information on the state of the U.S. health system in 2010. It includes data on the uninsured and underinsured and their access to health care, on socioeconomic inequality in health care, and on the rising costs of the U.S. health system. It also presents information on the role of corporate money in health care, focusing on the pharmaceutical industry, Medicare HMOs, and corporate-government conflicts of interest. The author includes results from public opinion polls on health system reform and recent data on international health systems and international system comparisons. The article concludes with an update on the U.S. federal health reform legislation.
Environmental and Occupational Health and Human Rights
Authors: Slatin Craig
Published: July 2011

Modern environmental- and occupational-related morbidities and mortality are determined by the power relations inherent in our existing capitalist systems of production and consumption. These systems thwart human public health rights because of the priority to maximize profit for the systems' owners rather than to establish ecologically sound and socially just development for all. The international public health community must return to its primary prevention roots and take action to eliminate the potential for population morbidities that result from hazardous substance exposures in work and community environments. The 1988 Adelaide Recommendations on Healthy Public Policy provide us with guidelines that incorporate a human rights approach and build on several decades of international public health declarations and charters. To succeed, public health must work with the labor movement. A human rights approach to environmental public health can help us make a transition to sustainable modes of production and consumption. The environmental justice movement's strategy for an economic greening that sets as a priority “pathways out of poverty” can help to advance environmental public health rights.
Lessons on Corporate “Sustainability” Disclosure from Deepwater Horizon
Authors: Lewis Sanford
Published: July 2011

The BP oil spill highlighted shortcomings of current financial and sustainability reporting standards and practice. “Integrated reporting” aims to combine financial and social/environmental information into a single annual corporate report. But without more stringent standards, integrated reports would neglect substantial risks and, as BP's sustainability reports demonstrate, create false impressions of good practice.

To be of value, integration must:

Require timely disclosure of enforcement notices, orders and allegations issued by regulators. Require disclosure of credible scientific reports and concerns indicative of potentially catastrophic risks of a company's products and activities, regardless of scientific uncertainty. Require review and disclosures of a firm's safety culture. Require disclosure of any facts or circumstances needed to ensure that the management's self-portrait of its sustainability strategies, goals and progress is not materially misleading.

In conducting its misleading reporting, BP largely followed Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) guidelines. GRI is soliciting input, beginning in summer 2011, on how to revise those guidelines. Since GRI may prove a leading source for sustainability disclosure rules in integrating reporting, lessons learned from the BP experience must be applied to the next GRI revisions.
Ten Years After: Is it Time to Revisit the 1994 OSHA Indoor Air Quality Rule?
Authors: Ahrens David
Published: July 2011

Approximately 20 million nonsmoking workers are employed in workplaces without restrictions on smoking and are potentially exposed to secondhand smoke—a Class A carcinogen. These workers are largely in the service industry, in southern and western states and in non-urban areas. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA's) 1994 proposal for smoke-free workplaces (withdrawn in 2001) was attacked by many interest groups that may no longer oppose this protection. Federal regulation for smoke-free workplaces is needed for workers, who are not protected by state and local smoke-free laws. This policy could save thousands of lives each year, and prevent significant illness. Twenty-one states have “state plans” that would allow more protective laws. Of the 29 states under OSHA, 11 have comprehensive smoke-free statutes. Changes in the policy environment and in institutions such as unions, restaurant associations, and the tobacco industry since 2001 may improve the prospects for federal action and reduce disparities that currently characterize exposure to secondhand smoke.
Implementation and Evaluation of Interventions for Home Care Aides on Blood and Body Fluid Exposure in Large-Group Settings
Authors: Amuwo Shakirudeen , Sokas Rosemary K. , Nickels Leslie , Zanoni Joseph , Lipscomb Jane
Published: July 2011

Participatory research conducted with academic, union and management cooperation resulted in the development, implementation, and process evaluation of interventions designed to reduce occupational blood and body fluid exposure among home care aides. Home care aides working for a large urban home care agency took part in the design and implementation of an interactive participatory training program conducted in large-group settings, and the development and evaluation of two training tools: an information card for home care aides and a sharps safety magnet for their clients. A process evaluation conducted immediately following the interactive training program found that 72 percent of the home care aides preferred it to lecture-style trainings typically offered, while only 9 percent preferred typical trainings. Home care aides were able to effectively articulate information learned during the interactive training program, with less than 2 percent providing inaccurate information about what was taught during the training. Home care aides overall responded positively to the information card and the magnet, with aides caring for clients who used sharps rating the tools as more useful. Participatory training programs can be effectively implemented in a large-group setting.
The “Chair Campaign” in Korea: An Alternative Approach in Occupational Health and Safety for Service Workers
Authors: Lee Yun-Keun , Kim Shin-Bum , Chung Jinjoo , Jung Min-Jung , Kim Myoung-Hee
Published: July 2011

In spite of the increasing number of service workers in Korea, their occupational health and safety concerns have largely been neglected. It is in this context that the Chair Campaign, which lasted four months, was launched as an alternative occupational health approach for service workers. The campaign succeeded in getting wide public support, bringing about a special inspection by the Ministry of Labor. Finally, chairs were provided for workers at checkout counters in 71 department stores and 449 large discount stores. However, there are still many workplaces where workers cannot sit, whether chairs are provided or not. Although there is still much to be done, this campaign raised social awareness that service workers, mainly women, have the right to work in healthy and safe conditions. This paper will review the campaign and evaluate its achievements and limitations.
Public Health Keys for the Future
Authors: Raffensperger Carolyn
Published: July 2011

On November 8, 2010 the Environment Section of the American Public Health Association recognized the work on the precautionary principle that Carolyn Raffensperger and her organization, the Science and Environmental Health Network, had done over the past 12 years by honoring her with the Homer N. Calver Award Lecture. The award gave her an opportunity to reflect on the past and consider the future of environmental health ideas. The following is the basis for that speech.
Code cache management based on working set in dynamic binary translator
Authors: Ma Ruhui , Guan Haibing , Zhu Erzhou , Gao Yongqiang , Liang Alei
Published: July 2011

Software code cache employed to store translated or optimized codes,
amortizes the overhead of dynamic binary translation via reusing of
stored-altered copies of original program instructions. Though many
conventional code cache managements, such as Flush, Least-Recently Used
(LRU), have been applied on some classic dynamic binary translators, actually
they are so unsophisticated yet unadaptable that it not only brings
additional unnecessary overhead, but also wastes much cache space, since
there exist several noticeable features in software code cache, unlike pages
in memory. Consequently, this paper presents two novel alternative cache
schemes-SCC (Static Code Cache) and DCC (Dynamic Code Cache) based on working
set. In these new schemes, we utilize translation rate to judge working set.
To evaluate these new replacement policies, we implement them on dynamic
binary translator-CrossBit with several commonplace code cache managements.
Through the experiment results based on benchmark SPECint 2000, we achieve
better performance improvement and cache space utilization ratio.
Indexing temporal information for web pages
Authors: Jin Peiquan , Chen Hong , Zhao Xujian , Li Xiaowen , Yue Lihua
Published: July 2011

Temporal information plays important roles in Web search, as Web pages
intrinsically involve crawled time and most Web pages contain time keywords
in their content. How to integrate temporal information in Web search engines
has been a research focus in recent years, among which some key issues such
as temporal-textual indexing and temporal information extraction have to be
first studied. In this paper, we first present a framework of
temporal-textual Web search engine. And then, we concentrate on designing a
new hybrid index structure for temporal and textual information of Web pages.
In particular, we propose to integrate B+-tree, inverted file and a typical
temporal index called MAP21-Tree, to handle temporal-textual queries. We
study five mechanisms to implement a hybrid index structure for
temporal-textual queries, which use different ways to organize the inverted
file, B+-tree and MAP-21 tree. After a theoretic analysis on the performance
of those five index structures, we conduct experiments on both simulated and
real data sets to make performance comparison. The experimental results show
that among all the index schemes the first-inverted-file-then-MAP21-tree
index structure has the best query performance and thus is an acceptable
choice to be the temporal-textual index for future time-aware search engines.
The trustworthiness analyzing of interacting business process based on the induction information
Authors: Fang Xianwen , Jiang Changjun , Yin Zhixiang , Fan Xiaoqin
Published: July 2011

Under the open environments, it is very difficult to guarantee the
trustworthiness of interacting business process using traditional software
engineering methods, at the same time, for dealing with the influence of
external factors, some proposed business process mining methods are only
effective 1-bounded business process, and some behavior dependent
relationships are ignore. A behavior trustworthiness analysis method of
business process based on induction information is presented in the paper.
Firstly, aimed to the internal factors, we analyze the consistent behavior
relativity to guarantee the predictable function. Then, for the external
factors, in order to analyze the behavior change of business process, we
propose a process mining methods based on induction information. Finally,
experiment simulation is given out, and compares our method with genetic
process mining methods. Theoretical analysis and experimental results
indicate that our method is better than the genetic process mining method.
SVM based forest fire detection using static and dynamic features
Authors: Zhao Jianhui , Zhang Zhong , Han Shizhong , Qu Chengzhang , Yuan Zhiyong , Zhang Dengyi
Published: July 2011

A novel approach is proposed in this paper for automatic forest fire
detection from video. Based on 3D point cloud of the collected sample fire
pixels, Gaussian mixture model is built and helps segment some possible flame
regions in single image. Then the new specific flame pattern is defined for
forest, and three types of fire colors are labeled accordingly. With 11
static features including color distributions, texture parameters and shape
roundness, the static SVM classifier is trained and filters the segmented
results. Using defined overlapping degree and varying degree, the remained
candidate regions are matched among consecutive frames. Subsequently the
variations of color, texture, roundness, area, contour are computed, then the
average and the mean square deviation of them are obtained. Together with the
flickering frequency from temporal wavelet based Fourier descriptors analysis
of flame contour, 27 dynamic features are used to train the dynamic SVM
classifier, which is applied for final decision. Our approach has been tested
with dozens of video clips, and it can detect forest fire while recognize the
fire like objects, such as red house, bright light and flying flag. Except
for the acceptable accuracy, our detection algorithm performs in real time,
which proves its value for computer vision based forest fire surveillance.
Islet Amyloid Polypeptide Is a Target Antigen for Diabetogenic CD4+ T Cells
Authors: Delong Thomas , Baker Rocky L. , Reisdorph Nichole , Reisdorph Richard , Powell Roger L. , Armstrong Michael , Barbour Gene , Bradley Brenda , Haskins Kathryn
Published: July 2011

OBJECTIVE

To investigate autoantigens in β-cells, we have used a panel of pathogenic T-cell clones that were derived from the NOD mouse. Our particular focus in this study was on the identification of the target antigen for the highly diabetogenic T-cell clone BDC-5.2.9.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

To purify β-cell antigens, we applied sequential size exclusion chromatography and reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography to membrane preparations of β-cell tumors. The presence of antigen was monitored by measuring the interferon-γ production of BDC-5.2.9 in response to chromatographic fractions in the presence of NOD antigen-presenting cells. Peak antigenic fractions were analyzed by ion-trap mass spectrometry, and candidate proteins were further investigated through peptide analysis and, where possible, testing of islet tissue from gene knockout mice.

RESULTS

Mass-spectrometric analysis revealed the presence of islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP) in antigen-containing fractions. Confirmation of IAPP as the antigen target was demonstrated by the inability of islets from IAPP-deficient mice to stimulate BDC-5.2.9 in vitro and in vivo and by the existence of an IAPP-derived peptide that strongly stimulates BCD-5.2.9.

CONCLUSIONS

IAPP is the target antigen for the diabetogenic CD4 T-cell clone BDC-5.2.9.