bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Drawing New Boundaries of Participation: Experiences and Strategies of Economic Citizenship among Skilled Migrant Women in Switzerland
Authors: Riaño Yvonne
Published: July 2011

The concept of citizenship, originally coined by Marshall, and synonymous with social rights and equality, is pivotal in understanding and overcoming the social injustices that many migrants experience. Marshall's notion of social rights, however, does not elaborate on economic rights. Feminist authors argue that women's equal access to sources of income outside family relations is key to their citizenship. Access to spaces of paid work is a significant aspect of migrant women's citizenship because their residence status and naturalization is often contingent on their employment. The author thus argues that economic rights should be central to debates on migration and citizenship. The proposed term ‘economic citizenship’ is used to examine experiences and strategies of fifty-seven skilled migrant women from Latin America, the Middle East, and South East Europe when trying to access positions in the Swiss labour market corresponding to their professional qualifications. The feminist and postcolonial perspectives of ‘intersectionality’ and participatory research are used to understand how and why inequalities in the labour market occur. It is found that traditional ideas about gender roles, discourses about ethnic difference, and discriminatory migration policies intersect to create boundaries for skilled migrant women in accessing upper segments of the Swiss labour market. Migration, therefore, does not always imply empowerment and emancipation, but also generates new forms of social inequality.
Regional Innovation Systems and Knowledge-Sourcing Activities in Traditional Industries—Evidence from the Vienna Food Sector
Authors: Trippl Michaela
Published: July 2011

The aim of this paper is to investigate the spatial pattern of knowledge links in traditional, long-established, and less-research-intensive sectors and to contribute to a better understanding of the role of the regional innovation system (RIS) as space for knowledge-sourcing activities in such industries. Departing from conceptual work on the science, technology, and innovation (STI) and the doing, using, and interacting (DUI) modes of learning, it is argued that the relation between mature industries and their RIS depends on the relative importance of these two innovation modes and their specific geographies of knowledge-sourcing activities. The empirical focus is on the food industry in the Vienna metropolitan region. Based on ten case studies of firms and ten interviews with research organisations and industry experts, it is suggested that innovation rests on a combination of the DUI and the STI modes of learning. This is related with a complex spatial pattern of knowledge links and a selective integration of innovative food companies into the RIS. The firms investigated use scientific knowledge available within the RIS and tap into extraregional pools of experience-based knowledge.
States of Exemption: The Legal and Animal Geographies of American Zoos
Authors: Braverman Irus
Published: July 2011

The paper explores the interconnections between legal and animal geographies as manifested in American zoos. On the one hand, law shapes not only the zoo's physical facilities, but also the very identity of zoo animals. On the other hand, the peculiarity of zoo animals—and of zoos as public spaces that display such animals—also translates into an anomalous state of zoo laws. The paper is divided into three parts. The first part demonstrates that, despite the numerous official laws that pertain to animals in various settings, exceptions and exemptions that apply to the zoo animal make it into an almost extralegal creature. The second part examines the laws that regulate the zoo's physical facilities, showing how—in this context too—the zoo is regulated mostly through variances and exceptions. The third part focuses on the zoo's self-regulating industry standards, arguing that they provide yet another reason for the peculiar legal state of zoos and their animals. Drawing on a set of interviews, conducted mostly with American zoo professionals, the paper explores the interstitial nature of law, space, and animals, offering a fresh perspective into, and a few interconnections between, the literatures of animal geography and law and geography.
Ecological factors affecting distribution and abundance of Medicago minima
Authors: Fresnillo-Fedorenko Diana E. , Cocks Philip S. , Bowden John W.
Published: July 2011

A survey was conducted to study the distribution and abundance of Medicago minima in relation to soil factors and rainfall. The collection targeted two regions of Western Australia where this species is known to occur. The frequency and pod density of M. minima and other naturalised annual pasture legumes (Medicago spp. and Trifolium spp.) was recorded per site. In addition, soil samples were taken and analysed for physical and chemical characteristics. Soils where M. minima was present were finer textured, higher in pH, nitrate and potassium, and lower in available phosphorus than soils where it was absent. These soils were commonly found in low rainfall areas. The highest frequency (55%) and density (4000 pods/m2) of M. minima were recorded in areas with 275 mm average annual rainfall. In a third of the collection sites M. minima was the only pasture legume present in the plant community. In the driest areas (260 mm annual rainfall) with the lowest content of available phosphorus (7.5 mg/kg) M. laciniata was associated with M. minima. In areas with 300–325 mm rainfall, M. minima was associated with M. truncatula, M. polymorpha and M. littoralis. The absence of M. minima in areas of Western Australia with >325 mm annual rainfall was related to its low tolerance to soil acidity. This paper examines the ecological success of M. minima with regard to its ability to use phosphorus in soils of high pH and lime content, and to set seed under water stress. It also discusses the distribution of M. minima in Western Australia in relation to its distribution in the Mediterranean Basin and other areas that the species is known to have colonised.
Yield and water-use efficiency of contrasting lucerne genotypes grown in a cool temperate environment
Authors: Pembleton K. G. , Rawnsley R. P. , Donaghy D. J.
Published: July 2011

In Tasmania, Australia, forage production is maximised by the use of irrigation. However, availability of water for irrigation is often limited, making the water-use efficiency (WUE) of a species/genotype an important consideration when designing forage systems. Field experimentation and an associated modelling study was undertaken to determine the WUE and environmental factors influencing WUE for contrasting lucerne (Medicago sativa) genotypes across six dairying regions within Tasmania. In the field experiment a significant genotype influence on WUE was identified under irrigated conditions and modelling identified a genotype influence on WUE in three out of six regions. WUE was related to the amount of water received (irrigation plus rainfall). The marginal response to the application of irrigation water (MWUE) was greatest for the highly winter-active genotype in the field experiment; however, modelling did not identify a consistent genotype influence on MWUE across regions. MWUE was negatively associated with the amount of deep drainage. The present study identified that lucerne has the potential to improve the WUE of forage systems across six different Tasmanian regions. The linkage of MWUE and deep drainage highlights that deficit irrigation practices could further improve the WUE of this forage crop, particularly in environments prone to deep drainage.
Accessing the transport properties of graphene and its multilayers at high carrier density
Authors: Ye Jianting , Craciun Monica F. , Koshino Mikito , Russo Saverio , Inoue Seiji , Yuan Hongtao , Shimotani Hidekazu , Morpurgo Alberto F. , Iwasa Yoshihiro
Published: July 2011

We present a comparative study of high carrier density transport in mono-, bi-, and trilayer graphene using electric double-layer transistors to continuously tune the carrier density up to values exceeding 10
14
 cm
-2
. Whereas in monolayer the conductivity saturates, in bi- and trilayer filling of the higher-energy bands is observed to cause a nonmonotonic behavior of the conductivity and a large increase in the quantum capacitance. These systematic trends not only show how the intrinsic high-density transport properties of graphene can be accessed by field effect, but also demonstrate the robustness of ion-gated graphene, which is crucial for possible future applications.
Cooperative transcription factor associations discovered using regulatory variation
Authors: Karczewski Konrad J. , Tatonetti Nicholas P. , Landt Stephen G. , Yang Xinqiong , Slifer Teri , Altman Russ B. , Snyder Michael
Published: July 2011

Regulation of gene expression at the transcriptional level is achieved by complex interactions of transcription factors operating at their target genes. Dissecting the specific combination of factors that bind each target is a significant challenge. Here, we describe in detail the Allele Binding Cooperativity test, which uses variation in transcription factor binding among individuals to discover combinations of factors and their targets. We developed the ALPHABIT (a large-scale process to hunt for allele binding interacting transcription factors) pipeline, which includes statistical analysis of binding sites followed by experimental validation, and demonstrate that this method predicts transcription factors that associate with NFκB. Our method successfully identifies factors that have been known to work with NFκB (E2A, STAT1, IRF2), but whose global coassociation and sites of cooperative action were not known. In addition, we identify a unique coassociation (EBF1) that had not been reported previously. We present a general approach for discovering combinatorial models of regulation and advance our understanding of the genetic basis of variation in transcription factor binding.
Systemic augmentation of αB-crystallin provides therapeutic benefit twelve hours post-stroke onset via immune modulation
Authors: Arac Ahmet , Brownell Sara E. , Rothbard Jonathan B. , Chen Charlene , Ko Rose M. , Pereira Marta P. , Albers Gregory W. , Steinman Lawrence , Steinberg Gary K.
Published: July 2011

Tissue plasminogen activator is the only treatment option for stroke victims; however, it has to be administered within 4.5 h after symptom onset, making its use very limited. This report describes a unique target for effective treatment of stroke, even 12 h after onset, by the administration of αB-crystallin (Cryab), an endogenous immunomodulatory neuroprotectant. In

Cryab
−/−

mice, there was increased lesion size and diminished neurologic function after stroke compared with wild-type mice. Increased plasma Cryab was detected after experimental stroke in mice and after stroke in human patients. Administration of Cryab even 12 h after experimental stroke reduced both stroke volume and inflammatory cytokines associated with stroke pathology. Cryab is an endogenous anti-inflammatory and neuroprotectant molecule produced after stroke, whose beneficial properties can be augmented when administered therapeutically after stroke.
Catch‐Rate Standardization for Yellow Perch in Lake Erie: A Comparison of the Spatial Generalized Linear Model and the Generalized Additive Model
Authors: Yu Hao , Jiao Yan , Winter Andreas
Published: July 2011

Various statistical models have been used to standardize catch rates of fish populations for stock assessment. The generalized linear model (GLM) is one of the most commonly used approaches. However, response variables in fisheries data are often spatially autocorrelated or show a nonlinear relationship with explanatory variables, thus violating the underlying assumption of the GLM. The GLM with spatial autocorrelation (s‐GLM) and the generalized additive model (GAM) may be better suited to dealing with autocorrelated variables and nonlinear relationships, respectively. In this study, catch rates of yellow perchPerca flavescensfrom a fishery‐independent gill‐net survey in Lake Erie during 1990–2003 were estimated by the s‐GLM and GAM. Set duration, gear depth, temperature at gear depth, dissolved oxygen concentration, water transparency, and latitude were selected as significant explanatory variables for these models. By comparing the goodness of fit, reduction of spatial autocorrelation, and prediction errors from cross validation, we found that the GAM had the best goodness of fit and lowest prediction errors but the s‐GLM resulted in the greatest reduction in spatial autocorrelation for catch‐rate standardization of yellow perch in Lake Erie. The GAM is more suitable for modeling the nonlinear relationships between species characteristics and explanatory variables, and the s‐GLM is preferable for dealing with spatially autocorrelated residuals. Application of the GAM or s‐GLM is determined by the species distribution pattern and available explanatory variables.
Toxicity of the Piscicide Rotenone to Columbia Spotted Frog and Boreal Toad Tadpoles
Authors: Billman Hilary G. , St‐Hilaire Sophie , Kruse Carter G. , Peterson Teri S. , Peterson Charles R.
Published: July 2011

The piscicide rotenone is commonly used to remove nonnative fishes from natural aquatic systems. While the effects of rotenone on fish are well documented, the effects of this chemical on amphibians are less well known. We determined the toxicity of the rotenone formulation CFT Legumine (5% rotenone) to three ages—Gosner age ranges 21–25, 30–35, and 40–45—of tadpoles of the Columbia spotted frog Rana luteiventris and the boreal toad Anaxyrus boreas under laboratory conditions. Tadpoles of both species were exposed to 0.1, 0.5, and 1.0 mg/L CFT Legumine (0.005, 0.025, and 0.050 mg/L rotenone, respectively) in static, 96‐h exposure trials; surviving individuals were placed in rotenone‐free water and raised until metamorphosis. In an additional experiment, Columbia spotted frog tadpoles were exposed to 1.0 mg/L CFT Legumine for 1, 2, 3, or 4 h before being placed in rotenone‐free water for the duration of a 96‐h exposure period. Tadpole mortality increased with increases in CFT Legumine concentration and exposure period. Individuals exposed to 1.0 mg/L of product experienced significantly greater mortality than did control tadpoles (P < 0.001), with 99–100% mortality occurring in the youngest age‐group (Gosner 21–25) in both species. In Columbia spotted frog tadpoles, mortality decreased as age increased, while age did not affect mortality in boreal toad tadpoles. Rotenone produced no biologically significant effects on growth or metamorphosis. Our findings suggest that the use of 1.0 mg/L CFT Legumine to remove nonnative fish may cause significant mortality to larval amphibians if they are exposed for 96 h; exposures to lower dosages (0.5 mg/L of product) or for shorter durations (≤4 h), however, resulted in less mortality. Fisheries managers can use these results to improve amphibian conservation in fish restoration areas and reduce the impacts on larval amphibian populations.
Interspecies Synchrony in Salmonid Densities Associated with Large‐Scale Bioclimatic Conditions in Central Idaho
Authors: Copeland Timothy , Meyer Kevin A.
Published: July 2011

The abundance of lotic salmonids varies substantially through time, but the extent to which several sympatric species respond coherently to large‐scale bioclimatic conditions has rarely been investigated for freshwater fishes. We compared correlations in salmonid density in central Idaho and examined the relationships between changes in salmonid density and the variation in large‐scale bioclimatic conditions as indexed by stream flow, air temperature, drought, coastal upwelling, and the number of Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha redds (a surrogate for nutrient influx and therefore increased stream productivity). The average densities of six stream‐dwelling salmonid fishes were highly synchronous, with declines from the mid‐1980s to the mid‐1990s followed by a rebound through 2003. All pairwise correlations were positive and 8 of 15 were statistically significant. Stream flow and Chinook salmon redds were correlated with fish densities as a group, but the importance of bioclimatic indices differed by species and varied by the lag times applied. Stream flow 3 and 4 years previous was most important for brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis and bull trout S. confluentus. The presence of Chinook salmon redds from the previous year was most important for Chinook salmon. The coastal upwelling index 4 years previous was most important for mountain whitefish Prosopium williamsoni and steelhead O. mykiss. No variable captured much of the variation in the density of westslope cutthroat trout O. clarkii lewisi. Models based on data from 1985 to 2003 correctly predicted the synchronous declines in fish density observed for all species from 2004 to 2009, suggesting that the bioclimatic indices we chose were useful surrogates for large‐scale factors influencing the temporal changes in salmonid densities in central Idaho. For fishery managers, interspecies synchrony may allow a more powerful multispecies approach to monitoring and reveal the tractability of large systems to management control. However, causal mechanisms are hard to infer and require further research (e.g., the effects of ocean conditions). Our study provides a basis for such work.
Magnetostrictions and Magnetic Properties of Nd-Fe-B and SrFe12O19
Authors: Chen Hai-Ying , Zhang Yan , Yang Yun-Bo , Chen Xue-Gang , Liu Shun-Quan , Wang Chang-Sheng , Yang Ying-Chang , Yang Jin-Bo
Published: July 2011

The magnetostrictions of polycrystalline Nd-Fe-B and Sr-ferrite at different temperatures are reinvestigated using a strain gauge rotating-sample method. It is found that the magnetostriction λsof Nd-Fe-B is +52×10−6, and that of Sr-ferrite is −25 × 10−6under a magnetic field of 8 T at room temperature. The maximum energy product (BH)maxof the Nd-Fe-B magnet is improved when the powders are magnetically aligned perpendicular to the pressing direction, whereas that of the Sr-ferrite magnet is better when the powders are aligned parallel to the pressing direction. These experimental results suggest that the magnetostriction can generate compressive strain anisotropy resulting from the inverse effect of the magnetostriction. Thus, the magnetization of materials with a negative coefficient of magnetostriction are easier to be aligned normal to the stress direction, while for the materials with a positive coefficient of magnetostriction, the magnetization is easier to be aligned along the stress direction. Therefore, the magnetostriction anisotropy can be used to improve the alignment of the magnetic powders as well as the performance of the magnets.
Modelling rate distributions using character compatibility: implications for morphological evolution among fossil invertebrates
Authors: Wagner Peter J.
Published: July 2011

Rate distributions are important considerations when testing hypotheses about morphological evolution or phylogeny. They also have implications about general processes underlying character evolution. Molecular systematists often assume that rates are Poisson processes with gamma distributions. However, morphological change is the product of multiple probabilistic processes and should theoretically be affected by hierarchical integration of characters. Both factors predict lognormal rate distributions. Here, a simple inverse modelling approach assesses the best single-rate, gamma and lognormal models given observed character compatibility for 115 invertebrate groups. Tests reject the single-rate model for nearly all cases. Moreover, the lognormal outperforms the gamma for character change rates and (especially) state derivation rates. The latter in particular is consistent with integration affecting morphological character evolution.
Latitudinal variation in light levels drives human visual system size
Authors: Pearce Eiluned , Dunbar Robin
Published: July 2011

Ambient light levels influence visual system size in birds and primates. Here, we argue that the same is true for humans. Light levels, in terms of both the amount of light hitting the Earth's surface and day length, decrease with increasing latitude. We demonstrate a significant positive relationship between absolute latitude and human orbital volume, an index of eyeball size. Owing to tight scaling between visual system components, this will translate into enlarged visual cortices at higher latitudes. We also show that visual acuity measured under full-daylight conditions is constant across latitudes, indicating that selection for larger visual systems has mitigated the effect of reduced ambient light levels. This provides, to our knowledge, the first support that light levels drive intraspecific variation in visual system size in the human population.
Incidence of adult brain cancers is higher in countries where the protozoan parasiteToxoplasma gondiiis common
Authors: Thomas Frédéric , Lafferty Kevin D. , Brodeur Jacques , Elguero Eric , Gauthier-Clerc Michel , Missé Dorothée
Published: July 2011

We explored associations between the common protozoan parasiteToxoplasma gondiiand brain cancers in human populations. We predicted thatT. gondiicould increase the risk of brain cancer because it is a long-lived parasite that encysts in the brain, where it provokes inflammation and inhibits apoptosis. We used a medical geography approach based on the national incidence of brain cancers and seroprevalence ofT. gondii. We corrected reports of incidence for national gross domestic product because wealth probably increases the ability to detect cancer. We also included gender, cell phone use and latitude as variables in our initial models. Prevalence ofT. gondiiexplained 19 per cent of the residual variance in brain cancer incidence after controlling for the positive effects of gross domestic product and latitude among nations. Infection withT. gondiiwas associated with a 1.8-fold increase in the risk of brain cancers across the range ofT. gondiiprevalence in our dataset (4–67%). These results, though correlational, suggest thatT. gondiishould be investigated further as a possible oncogenic pathogen of humans.
Ambiguous cells: the emergence of the stem cell concept in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries
Authors: Maehle Andreas-Holger
Published: July 2011

This paper elucidates the origins of scientific work on stem cells. From the late nineteenth century onwards, the notion of stem cells became customary in scientific communities of Imperial Germany. Adopting the term
Stammzelle
from Ernst Haeckel, Theodor Boveri was influential in introducing the concept in embryological studies and early genetics around 1900, describing a capacity of stem cells for self-renewal as well as differentiation. At the same time, blood stem cells were conceptualized by histologists such as Ernst Neumann and Artur Pappenheim in studies of physiological haematopoiesis and various forms of leukaemia. Furthermore, building on Julius Cohnheim's theory that tumours arise from ‘embryonic remnants’ in the adult body, pathologists aimed at identifying the cells of origin, particularly in the embryo-like teratomas. Embryonic stem cells thus assumed an ambiguous status, partly representing common heritage and normal development, and partly being seen as potential causes of cancer if they had been left behind or displaced during ontogeny. In the 1950s and 1960s experimental research on teratocarcinomas by Leroy Stevens and Barry Pierce in the USA brought together the strands of embryological and pathological work. Alongside the work of Ernest McCulloch and James Till at the Ontario Cancer Institute from the early 1960s on stem cells in haematopoiesis, this led into the beginnings of modern stem cell research.
A palaeobiogeographic model for biotic diversification within Amazonia over the past three million years
Authors: Ribas Camila C. , Aleixo Alexandre , Nogueira Afonso C. R. , Miyaki Cristina Y. , Cracraft Joel
Published: July 2011

Many hypotheses have been proposed to explain high species diversity in Amazonia, but few generalizations have emerged. In part, this has arisen from the scarcity of rigorous tests for mechanisms promoting speciation, and from major uncertainties about palaeogeographic events and their spatial and temporal associations with diversification. Here, we investigate the environmental history of Amazonia using a phylogenetic and biogeographic analysis of trumpeters (Aves:
Psophia
), which are represented by species in each of the vertebrate areas of endemism. Their relationships reveal an unforeseen ‘complete’ time-slice of Amazonian diversification over the past 3.0 Myr. We employ this temporally calibrated phylogeny to test competing palaeogeographic hypotheses. Our results are consistent with the establishment of the current Amazonian drainage system at approximately 3.0–2.0 Ma and predict the temporal pattern of major river formation over Plio-Pleistocene times. We propose a palaeobiogeographic model for the last 3.0 Myr of Amazonian history that has implications for understanding patterns of endemism, the temporal history of Amazonian diversification and mechanisms promoting speciation. The history of
Psophia
, in combination with new geological evidence, provides the strongest direct evidence supporting a role for river dynamics in Amazonian diversification, and the absence of such a role for glacial climate cycles and refugia.
Sex-biased dispersal, haplodiploidy and the evolution of helping in social insects
Authors: Johnstone Rufus A. , Cant Michael A. , Field Jeremy
Published: July 2011

In his famous haplodiploidy hypothesis, W. D. Hamilton proposed that high sister–sister relatedness facilitates the evolution of kin-selected reproductive altruism among Hymenopteran females. Subsequent analyses, however, suggested that haplodiploidy cannot promote altruism unless altruists capitalize on relatedness asymmetries by helping to raise offspring whose sex ratio is more female-biased than the population at large. Here, we show that haplodiploidy is in fact more favourable than is diploidy to the evolution of reproductive altruism on the part of females, provided only that dispersal is male-biased (no sex-ratio bias or active kin discrimination is required). The effect is strong, and applies to the evolution both of sterile female helpers and of helping among breeding females. Moreover, a review of existing data suggests that female philopatry and non-local mating are widespread among nest-building Hymenoptera. We thus conclude that Hamilton was correct in his claim that ‘family relationships in the Hymenoptera are potentially very favourable to the evolution of reproductive altruism’.
Floral signposts: testing the significance of visual ‘nectar guides’ for pollinator behaviour and plant fitness
Authors: Hansen Dennis M. , Van der Niet Timotheüs , Johnson Steven D.
Published: July 2011

Nectar guides, contrasting patterns on flowers that supposedly direct pollinators towards a concealed nectar reward, are taxonomically widespread. However, there have been few studies of their functional significance and effects on plant fitness. Most previous studies focused on pollinator behaviour and used artificial flowers in laboratory settings. We experimentally investigated the role of putative nectar guides in a natural system: the South African iris
Lapeirousia oreogena
, whose flowers have a clearly visible pattern of six white arrow-markings pointing towards the narrow entrance of the long corolla tube, and its sole pollinator, a long-proboscid nemestrinid fly. We painted over none, some or all of the white arrow-markings with ink that matched the colour of the corolla background. Although arrow-marking removal had little effect on the approaches by flies to flowers from a distance, it dramatically reduced the likelihood of proboscis insertion. Export of pollen dye analogue (an estimate of male fitness) was reduced to almost zero in flowers from which all nectar guides had been removed, and fruit set (a measure of female fitness) was also significantly reduced. Our results confirm that the markings on
L. oreogena
flowers serve as nectar guides and suggest that they are under strong selective maintenance through both male and female fitness components in this pollination system.
Working memory deficits, increased anxiety-like traits, and seizure susceptibility in BDNF overexpressing mice
Authors: Papaleo Francesco , Silverman Jill L. , Aney Jordan , Tian Qingjun , Barkan Charlotte L. , Chadman Kathryn K. , Crawley Jacqueline N.
Published: July 2011

BDNF regulates components of cognitive processes and has been implicated in psychiatric disorders. Here we report that genetic overexpression of the BDNF mature isoform (BDNF-tg) in female mice impaired working memory functions while sparing components of fear conditioning. BDNF-tg mice also displayed reduced breeding efficiency, higher anxiety-like scores, high self-grooming, impaired prepulse inhibition, and higher susceptibility to seizures when placed in a new empty cage, as compared with wild-type (WT) littermate controls. Control measures of general health, locomotor activity, motor coordination, depression-related behaviors, and sociability did not differ between genotypes. The present findings, indicating detrimental effects of life-long increased BDNF in mice, may inform human studies evaluating the role of BDNF functional genetic variations on cognitive abilities and vulnerability to psychiatric disorders.
Using ‘payment by results’ to fund the treatment of dependent drug users—proceed with care!
Authors: Maynard Alan , Street Andrew , Hunter Rachael
Published: July 2011

The UK government is changing its system of payment for drug treatment services in order to reward the achievement of better patient outcomes. This is a model that may be taken up internationally. This ‘payment by results’ funding system will reward providers for achieving good outcomes in terms of whether clients are drug free, employed and/or not convicted of a criminal offence. Providers will also receive a payment based on health and wellbeing outcome measurement. The definition and measurement of success in achieving these outcomes is complex and challenging, as is the need to bridge treatment costs during the period in which outcomes are pursued. This experiment requires careful evaluation if the delivery of drug treatment is not to be jeopardized or fragmented.
Membrane compartmentalization in Southeast Asian ovalocytosis red blood cells
Authors: Mirchev Rossen , Lam Alexander , Golan David E.
Published: July 2011

Red blood cells (RBCs) from individuals with Southeast Asian ovalocytosis (SAO) contain a mutant band 3 protein that causes the formation of unique linear oligomers in the RBC membrane. We used single‐particle tracking to measure the lateral diffusion of individual glycophorin C (GPC), band 3, and CD58 proteins in membranes of intact SAO RBCs and normal RBCs (nRBCs). GPC, an integral protein that binds with high affinity to the RBC membrane skeleton, showed oscillatory motion within confinement areas that were smaller in SAO RBCs than in nRBCs. The additional confinement in SAO RBCs could be due to membrane stiffening associated with the SAO phenotype. Band 3 in both SAO RBCs and nRBCs also showed confined motion over short times (ms) and distances (nm), and the area of confinement was smaller in SAO RBCs than in nRBCs. These data presumably reflect the constraints imposed by band 3 oligomerization. Similarly, the glycosylphosphatidylinositol‐linked protein CD58 showed loosely confined diffusion in nRBCs and a substantially higher degree of confinement in SAO RBCs. Restricted protein mobility could contribute to the altered adherence of parasite‐infected RBCs to vascular endothelium that is thought to protect individuals with SAO from severe manifestations of malaria.
Coral reefs modify their seawater carbon chemistry – implications for impacts of ocean acidification
Authors: Anthony Kenneth R. N. , A. Kleypas Joan , Gattuso Jean‐Pierre
Published: July 2011

Reviews suggest that that the biogeochemical threshold for sustained coral reef growth will be reached during this century due to ocean acidification caused by increased uptake of atmospheric CO2. Projections of ocean acidification, however, are based on air‐sea fluxes in the open ocean, and not for shallow‐water systems such as coral reefs. Like the open ocean, reef waters are subject to the chemical forcing of increasing atmospheric pCO2. However, for reefs with long water residence times, we illustrate that benthic carbon fluxes can drive spatial variation in pH, pCO2 and aragonite saturation state (Ωa) that can mask the effects of ocean acidification in some downstream habitats. We use a carbon flux model for photosynthesis, respiration, calcification and dissolution coupled with Lagrangian transport to examine how key groups of calcifiers (zooxanthellate corals) and primary producers (macroalgae) on coral reefs contribute to changes in the seawater carbonate system as a function of water residence time. Analyses based on flume data showed that the carbon fluxes of corals and macroalgae drive Ωain opposing directions. Areas dominated by corals elevate pCO2 and reduce Ωa, thereby compounding ocean acidification effects in downstream habitats, whereas algal beds draw CO2 down and elevate Ωa, potentially offsetting ocean acidification impacts at the local scale. Simulations for two CO2 scenarios (600 and 900 ppm CO2) suggested that a potential shift from coral to algal abundance under ocean acidification can lead to improved conditions for calcification in downstream habitats, depending on reef size, water residence time and circulation patterns. Although the carbon fluxes of benthic reef communities cannot significantly counter changes in carbon chemistry at the scale of oceans, they provide a significant mechanism of buffering ocean acidification impacts at the scale of habitat to reef.
The use of CO2 flux time series for parameter and carbon stock estimation in carbon cycle research
Authors: Hill Timothy Charles , Ryan Edmund , Williams Mathew
Published: July 2011

Data assimilation (DA) is increasingly being employed to estimate the parameters and states of terrestrial ecosystem models from eddy covariance measurements of net carbon (C) fluxes. The length of the observation time series used varies for each study. The impact of these differences has not been quantified explicitly. Therefore, in this study, we investigate the importance of the time series length relative to observation noise and data gaps. Different length synthetic time series are used to determine the parameter and C stocks of a simple ecosystem C model. Two commonly used DA schemes are tested: the sequential Ensemble Kalman Filter (EnKF) and a batch Metropolis Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm. Longer time series improve both the parameter and C pool estimates of the EnKF, while adversely affecting those of the Metropolis algorithm. For both DA approaches, the length of the time series has more influence on the parameter and pool estimates than the level of random noise or amount of data. In this study, the EnKF provides more robust parameter and C pool estimates than the Metropolis algorithm. Optimized parameters and states are often used as the basis for forecasting future responses. Despite having better parameter and C pool estimates, EnKF forecasts estimates have much larger uncertainties than the Metropolis algorithm forecast estimates. Finally, we suggest that the structure of simple box models, as used in this study, introduces a large degree of equifinality into DA. Neither DA scheme correctly accounts for the equifinality, but our results suggest that it is particularly problematic for the batch Metropolis algorithm.
Evolutionary change inCepaea nemoralisshell colour over 43 years
Authors: Ożgo Małgorzata , Schilthuizen Menno
Published: July 2011

We compared shell colour forms in the land snailCepaea nemoralisat 16 sites in a 7 × 8 km section of the Province of Groningen, theNetherlands, between 1967 and 2010. To do so, we used stored samples in a natural history collection and resampled the exact collection localities. We found that almost all populations had experienced considerable evolutionary change in various phenotypes, possibly due to population bottlenecks and habitat change after repeated land consolidation schemes in the area. More importantly, we found a consistent increase in yellow effectively unbanded snails at the expense of brown snails. This is one of the expected adaptations to climate change (this area of theNetherlands has warmed by 1.5–2.0 °C over the time period spanned by the two sampling years), and the first clear demonstration of this inC. nemoralis.
The effectiveness of the Omaha System intervention on the women’s health promotion lifestyle profile and quality of life
Authors: Erci Behice
Published: July 2011

erci b.
(2011) The effectiveness of the Omaha System intervention on the women’s health promotion lifestyle profile and quality of life. Journal of Advanced Nursing 68(4), 898–907.

Aim.  This article is a report of a quasi‐experimental study of the effectiveness of the Omaha System intervention on the women’s health promotion lifestyle profile and the quality of life.

Background.  The Omaha System is a model for organizing, documenting and evaluating the outcomes of comprehensive, community‐based, client‐centred care. Therefore, the Omaha System is important for public health nurses whose aim is to protect and promote health. However, few studies addressed the influence of the Omaha System on health promotion activities or quality of life in adult population.

Methods.  The design of the study was one‐group pre‐test and post‐test. The study took place in Turkey in 2007; the sample comprised 76 women from an urban primary healthcare centre. The women completed questionnaires consisting of demographical characteristics, the health promotion lifestyle profile scale developed by Walker and colleagues and the quality of life scale developed by Burckhardt and colleagues. The researcher then visited selected women in their home weekly or biweekly for a 4‐month period. At the end of intervention, the scales were applied to the women as the post‐test.

Findings.  The mean scores of self‐actualization, health responsibility, interpersonal support, stress management subscales of the health promotion lifestyle profile and the total score increased in post‐test, except for nutrition subscale. There were statistically significant differences between pre‐ and post‐test scores.

Conclusions.  This study demonstrated that the Omaha System intervention increases health promotion lifestyle profile of the women. It is recommended as a nursing care to health promotion.
The mediating role of the nurse–patient dyad bonding in bringing about patient satisfaction
Authors: Tejero Lourdes Marie S.
Published: July 2011

tejero l.m.s.
(2011) The mediating role of the nurse–patient dyad bonding in bringing about patient satisfaction. Journal of Advanced Nursing 68(5), 994–1002.

Aim.  This article is a report on a Synergy Model‐guided correlational study of the direct and indirect relations of nurse‐characteristics and patient characteristics to patient satisfaction, as mediated by nurse–patient dyad bonding.

Background.  Findings from previous studies have revealed that interventions alone do not fully account for patient outcomes, and that the effect of interventions on outcomes is mediated by factors such as interpersonal communication. The characteristics of the nurse and the patient synergize during their interaction, forming nurse–patient dyad bonding that affects patient satisfaction. Patient satisfaction is regarded as a critical part of the quality outcomes in healthcare.

Method.  A total of 210 nurse–patient dyadic interactions were observed using the Nurse–Patient Bonding Instrument. Nurse characteristics and patient characteristics were gathered through observation, interview and chart review. Data were collected in 2008 from four hospitals in the Philippines.

Results.  Path analysis revealed that the patient characteristic of predictability had both direct effect and indirect effects on patient satisfaction, and that the nurse characteristic of facilitation of learning had an indirect effect on patient satisfaction. Nurse–patient dyad bonding mediated the relations between patient predictability and patient satisfaction, and nurse facilitation of learning and patient satisfaction.

Conclusion.  The nurse and the patient both have a role to play in forming a therapeutic dyadic relationship that brings about the desired outcome. Further research on the formation and development of nurse–patient dyads in other settings and with other patient outcomes is recommended.
Impaired cardiac function in chronic fatigue syndrome measured using magnetic resonance cardiac tagging
Authors: Hollingsworth K. G. , Hodgson T. , MacGowan G. A. , Blamire A. M. , Newton J. L.
Published: July 2011

Abstract.  Hollingsworth KG, Hodgson T, MacGowan GA, Blamire AM, Newton JL (Institute of Cellular Medicine, Campus for Ageing and Vitality; Institute of Genetic Medicine; and Institute for Ageing and Health, Campus for Ageing and Vitality; Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK). Impaired cardiac function in chronic fatigue syndrome measured using magnetic resonance cardiac tagging. J Intern Med 2012; 271: 264–270.

Objectives.  Impaired cardiac function has been confirmed in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Magnetic resonance cardiac tagging is a novel technique that assesses myocardial wall function in vivo. We hypothesized that patients with CFS may have impaired development and release of myocardial torsion and strain.

Methods.  Cardiac morphology and function were assessed using magnetic resonance imaging and cardiac tagging methodology in 12 CFS patients (Fukuda) and 10 matched controls.

Results.  Compared to controls, the CFS group had substantially reduced left ventricular mass (reduced by 23%), end‐diastolic volume (30%), stroke volume (29%) and cardiac output (25%). Residual torsion at 150% of the end‐systolic time was found to be significantly higher in the patients with CFS (5.3 ± 1.6°) compared to the control group (1.7 ± 0.7°, P = 0.0001). End‐diastolic volume index correlated negatively with both torsion‐to‐endocardial‐strain ratio (TSR) (r = −0.65, P = 0.02) and the residual torsion at 150% end‐systolic time (r = −0.76, P = 0.004), so decreased end‐diastolic volume is associated with raised TSR and torsion persisting longer into diastole. Reduced end‐diastolic volume index also correlated significantly with increased radial thickening (r = −0.65, P = 0.03) and impaired diastolic function represented by the ratio of early to late ventricular filling velocity (E/A ratio, r = 0.71, P = 0.009) and early filling percentage (r = 0.73, P = 0.008).

Conclusion.  Patients with CFS have markedly reduced cardiac mass and blood pool volumes, particularly end‐diastolic volume: this results in significant impairments in stroke volume and cardiac output compared to controls. The CFS group appeared to have a delay in the release of torsion.
A retrospective survey of autotransplantation of teeth in dental clinics
Authors: YOSHINO K. , KARIYA N. , NAMURA D. , NOJI I. , MITSUHASHI K. , KIMURA H. , FUKUDA A. , KIKUKAWA I. , HAYASHI T. , YAMAZAKI N. , KIMURA M. , TSUKIYAMA K. , YAMAMOTO K. , FUKUYAMA A. , HIDAKA D. , SHINODA J. , MIBU H. , SHIMAKURA Y. , SAITO A. , IKUMI S. , UMEHARA K. , KAMEI F. , FUKUDA H. , TOAKE T. , TAKAHASHI Y. , MIYATA Y. , SHIOJI S. , TOYODA M. , HATTORI N. , NISHIHARA H. , MATSUSHIMA R. , NISHIBORI M. , HOKKEDO O. , NOJIMA M. , KIMURA T. , FUJISEKI M. , OKUDAIRA S. , TANABE K. , NAKANO M. , ITO K. , KURODA M. , MATSUKUBO T.
Published: July 2011

Summary  The aim of this study was to investigate the usage of tooth autotransplantation in dental clinics which offer the treatment and evaluate its practicality. Participating dentists were requested to provide information on transplantations they had undertaken from 1 January 1990 to 31 December 2010. A total of 614 teeth from 552 patients (37 dentists) ranging in age from 17 to 79 (mean age: 44·1) were examined. Cumulative survival rate and mean survival time were calculated using the Kaplan–Meier method, and log rank test was used for analysis of factors. The mean number of autotransplantation patients per clinic per year was 1·4. Upper third molars constituted 36·8% of donor teeth, while 37·1% were lower third molars. The lower first molar region was the most common recipient site at 32·6%, followed by the lower second molar region (28·0%). Prosthodontic treatment of transplanted teeth involved coverage with a single crown (72·5%) and abutment of bridge (18·9%). A total of 102 transplanted teeth were lost owing to complications such as attachment loss (54·9%) and root resorption (25·7%). The cumulative survival rate in cases where donor teeth had complete root formation was 90·1% at 5 years, 70·5% at 10 years and 55·6% at 15 years. The mean survival time was 165·6 months. Older age was a significant risk factor (P < 0·05) for survival. In cases where suitable donor teeth are available, autotransplantation of teeth may be a plausible treatment option for dealing with missing teeth in dental clinics.
Intradermal injection of Botulinum toxin type A alleviates infraorbital nerve constriction‐induced thermal hyperalgesia in an operant assay
Authors: KUMADA A. , MATSUKA Y. , SPIGELMAN I. , MARUHAMA K. , YAMAMOTO Y. , NEUBERT J. K. , NOLAN T. A. , WATANABE K. , MAEKAWA K. , KAMIOKA H. , YAMASHIRO T. , KUBOKI T. , OGUMA K.
Published: July 2011

Summary  Recent studies have shown that infraorbital nerve constriction (IoNC)‐induced mechanical allodynia has been attenuated by administration of highly purified 150‐kDa Botulinum neurotoxin type A (BoNT/A). Here, we extend these studies to determine whether BoNT/A could attenuate IoNC‐induced symptoms of thermal hyperalgesia. Instead of testing head withdrawal thresholds, a thermal operant assay was used to evaluate cortical processing of sensory input following IoNC. In this assay, a fasted rat’s desire to obtain a food reward (sweetened condensed milk) is coupled to its ability to tolerate facial contact with a warm (45 °C) thermode. Bilateral IoNC decreased the ratio of thermode contact duration/event, which is an indicative of thermal hyperalgesia. BoNT/A injection intradermally in the area of infraorbital nerve (IoN) innervation 7 days after IoNC resulted in decreased number of facial contacts and increased the ratio of contact duration/event (measured at 14 days after IoNC). The BoNT/A (2–200 pg) effects were dose dependent and statistically significant at 100 and 200 pg (P < 0·05). Complete reversal of thermal hyperalgesia symptoms was obtained with a 200‐pg dose, without affecting sham rat behaviour. Off‐site (neck) injection of BoNT/A did not relieve thermal hyperalgesia, while co‐injection of BoNT/A with a neutralising antibody in the area of IoN innervation prevented relief of thermal hyperalgesia. Neither IoNC nor BoNT/A injection affected operant assay parameters with a 24 °C thermode, indicating selectivity of thermal hyperalgesia measurements. These results strongly suggest that intradermal injection of BoNT/A in the area of IoN innervation alleviates IoNC‐induced thermal hyperalgesia in an operant assay.
Eosinophilic pustular folliculitis (Ofuji’s disease) without macroscopic pustules
Authors: Uchiyama Masaki , Mitsuhashi Yoshihiko , Okubo Yukari , Tsuboi Ryoji
Published: July 2011

Background  Eosinophilic pustular folliculitis (EPF), first described by Ofuji et al. in 1970, is a rare dermatosis characterized by pruritic papules and pustules on circinate erythematous plaques with eosinophilic infiltration in and around the hair follicle.

Methods and results  We report three cases of EPF that showed no macroscopic pustules during the total observation period. Histopathological examination revealed eosinophilic infiltration in and around the hair follicle in the lower dermis and subcutis.

Conclusions  EPF consists of clinical variants, one of which lacks obvious pustules.