bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Burrow‐dwelling ecosystem engineers provide thermal refugia throughout the landscape
Authors: Pike D. A. , Mitchell J. C.
Published: May 2013

Ecosystem engineers play fundamental ecological roles by modifying habitats in ways that affect a multitude of other species and by creating refugia with novel microclimates. We hypothesize that burrow‐creating organisms may facilitate climate change adaptation by providing refugia from extreme and fluctuating temperatures found aboveground. We support this hypothesis by showing that large burrow‐dwelling tortoises, Gopherus polyphemus, likely depend upon burrows for thermoregulation. By exploiting the varied thermal conditions within burrows, tortoises avoided lethal temperatures and extreme fluctuations in body temperature, maintained moderate and stable body temperatures on hot days, and maintained relatively warm temperatures overnight. Climate change is predicted to increase maximum air temperatures throughout the geographic range of this species, with impacts most severe in Florida, US, where the range of future conditions could be above that of current maxima. This implies that environmental temperatures will be above lethal thermal limits more often, highlighting the importance of refugia from extreme conditions. Large burrowing animals (e.g. aardvarks, pocket gophers, rabbits, seabirds, tortoises, wombats) are widely distributed globally and could provide similar thermal refugia for countless commensal taxa. Burrows and the animals that create them are in urgent need of conservation, which will help ensure the widespread availability of refugia that offer protection from extreme temperatures under climate change.
Long‐term outcomes in patients with duodenal adenocarcinoma
Authors: Lee Sang Yeup , Lee Jae Hoon , Hwang Dae Wook , Kim Song Cheol , Park Kwang‐Min , Lee Young‐Joo
Published: May 2013

Background

Because of the rarity of duodenal adenocarcinoma, little is known regarding its natural history or prognostic factors for survival. We therefore evaluated surgical treatment, and prognostic factors for survival in patients with duodenal adenocarcinoma.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients who were diagnosed with duodenal adenocarcinoma at Asan Medical Center between December 1999 and December 2009.

Results

Of the 76 patients, 47 (61%) underwent surgery with curative intent and 29 (39%) underwent palliative operation. Of the former, 25 underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD), 19 underwent pylorus‐preserving PD, 2 underwent segmental duodenectomy and 1 underwent transduodenal excision. The median survival of the 41 patients who achieved R0 resection was 25.1 months (range 4–134 months), with overall 1‐, 3‐ and 5‐year survival rates of 80.4%, 63.4% and 60.9%, respectively. Median survival was significantly longer in patients who underwent curative resection than in those who underwent palliative surgery (28.2 versus 6.6 months, P < 0.001). Univariate analysis showed that transfusion and lymph node metastasis were related to survival, and multivariate analysis revealed that lymph node metastasis was independently associated with survival (P = 0.036). Survival differences were observed between stages of the seventh edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer staging system.

Conclusion

In the absence of distant metastasis, curative resection enhances the long‐term survival of patients with duodenal adenocarcinoma. Lymph node metastasis is prognostic factor of overall survival.
Acquiring surgical skills: the role of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons
Authors: Perry Richard E. , Oldfield Zaita
Published: May 2013

Contemporary surgeons are expected to develop and maintain competence across a range of skills far broader than that demanded of last century's surgeons. This is increasingly difficult to achieve in a competitive clinical environment in which the effectiveness of the traditional apprenticeship model can be compromised. New training paradigms must be found to ensure that the quality of surgical training is maintained and enhanced. Acquiring technical skills in the operating theatre is expensive, but training using simulations in the skills laboratory is gaining credibility and validity as a means to augment the clinical experience and accelerate training. The emerging role of surgical skills courses extends to training in behaviour and attitude. At the same time, there is a rapidly growing demand for training courses in technical surgical skills, particularly from prevocational trainees aspiring to enter surgical training. This group has been neglected by the new Surgical Education and Training programme, and re‐engagement with them is now a priority. Most skills courses rely on surgeons willing to teach pro bono, and paying tutors would impose a significant additional cost on surgical training. However, recruiting enough fellows to meet the demand for tutors remains a challenge. The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons is actively engaged in supporting and developing skills training courses and programmes to address the range of skills required for surgical competence.
Workplace‐based assessment in surgical training: experiences from the Intercollegiate Surgical Curriculum Programme
Authors: Eardley Ian , Bussey Maria , Woodthorpe Adrian , Munsch Chris , Beard Jonathan
Published: May 2013

Background

The Intercollegiate Surgical Curriculum Programme was launched in the United Kingdom in 2007. At its heart was the reliance upon clear, defined curricula, competence‐based training and the use of workplace‐based assessments to assess the competence. The principle assessments used were Case‐based Discussion, Procedure‐based Assessments (PBA), Direct Observation of Procedural Skills, and Clinical Evaluation Exercise and a Multisource Feedback tool.

Methods

We report the initial experience with that system, and most importantly, the experience with workplace‐based assessment.

Results

Themes include issues around faculty development, misuse of assessments, inappropriate timing of assessments, concerns about validity and reliability of the assessments and concerns about the actual process of workplace‐based assessments. Of the assessments, the PBA performed best.

Conclusions

As a consequence, there has been an increased focus upon faculty development, while some of the assessments have been redesigned in line with the PBA. A global rating scale has been introduced that uses clinical anchors. The rating scales have also been altered with a reduction in the number of ratings while an enhanced description of the complexity of the case has been introduced within the Case‐based Discussion and the Clinical Evaluation Exercise. A re‐evaluation will take place in the near future.
Lidocaine‐prilocaine (EMLA®) cream as analgesia in hysteroscopy practice: a prospective, randomized, non‐blinded, controlled study
Authors: Arnau Baldomero , Jovell Esther , Redón Stephanie , Canals Marta , Mir Vanessa , Jiménez Elena
Published: May 2013

We investigated the efficacy of 5% lidocaine 25 mg–prilocaine 25 mg/g cream (EMLA®) applied to the uterine cervix for reducing pain during diagnostic or operative hysteroscopy, using a visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain in a prospective randomized, non‐blinded, controlled study in 92 successive patients. Patients were randomized to either 3 mL of EMLA cream or 3 mL of ultrasound gel (placebo), placed endocervically and exocervically, 10 min before hysteroscopy. Intensity of pain was evaluated immediately after the procedure using a 10‐cm VAS. No differences were found between the two groups (p = 0.07). The number of women who wished to stop the procedure was significantly lower in the EMLA group compared with the control group (p = 0.013). We concluded that topical instillation of EMLA does not decrease pain during hysteroscopy, but does reduce a desire to abandon the procedure.
Pilot study: miscellaneous therapy is highly successful for Helicobacter pylori eradication
Authors: Sierra F. , Forero J. D. , Rey M. , Botero M. L. , Cárdenas A.
Published: May 2013

Background

Success in H. pylori eradication with conventional therapies has decreased to unacceptable levels (≤80%). New schemes of combined treatment are currently needed.

Aim

To test a miscellaneous therapy for H. pylori eradication.

Methods/patients

Open‐label, pilot, single‐centre and prospective study. Patients received a 15‐day treatment scheme that consisted of 5 initial days of lansoprazole 30 mg b.d., amoxicillin 1 g b.d., and metronidazole 500 mg t.d.s.; days 6 to 10: lansoprazole 30 mg q.d.s. and metronidazole 500 mg t.d.s.; days 11 to 15: lansoprazole 30 mg b.d., clarithromycin 500 mg b.d. and metronidazole 500 mg t.d.s. Each patient underwent an upper endoscopy before treatment and a second follow‐up endoscopy at least 4 weeks after therapy. Success was defined on the basis of an eradication rate following a per‐protocol analysis ≥95%. Biopsies before and after therapy were obtained for histological evaluation and rapid urease test.

Results

One hundred and twenty‐two patients were enrolled and 118 patients completed the study. The eradication rate for H. pylori with miscellaneous therapy was 94% (confidence Interval (CI) 95%, 90–98.3%) in the per‐protocol analysis (PP) and 91% (95% CI, 86–96%) in the intention‐to‐treat (ITT) analysis. Adherence to treatment was 96% (113 patients). Among patients who completed treatment, 55% presented adverse events, mainly nausea and abdominal pain.

Conclusion

A miscellaneous therapy, based on the combination of multiple medications in high doses for 2 weeks, and with gastric pH elevation, is a highly effective treatment as a first‐line therapy for the eradication of H. pylori.
Motion controllers for learners to manipulate and interact with 3D objects for mental rotation training
Authors: Yeh Shih‐Ching , Wang Jin‐Liang , Wang Chin‐Yeh , Lin Po‐Han , Chen Gwo‐Dong , Rizzo Albert
Published: May 2013

Mental rotation is an important spatial processing ability and an important element in intelligence tests. However, the majority of past attempts at training mental rotation have used paper‐and‐pencil tests or digital images. This study proposes an innovative mental rotation training approach using magnetic motion controllers to allow learners to manipulate and interact with three‐dimensional (3D) objects. Stereovision allows learners to perceive the spatial geometric form of a 3D object. This approach allows learners to perceive 3D objects in space through stereovision and make mental rotation visible from each intrinsic and invisible mental rotation step using motion‐interaction methods. This study examines the effects of user training performance and perceptions. The results indicate that the proposed approach can improve user mental rotation ability effectively. Learners expressed high degrees of concentration toward the mechanism that included direct control and immediate feedback. The results also suggest that female testers perceive greater degrees of playfulness toward the mechanism and improve more through training than male testers.
Bone metastases in germ cell tumours: lessons learnt from a large retrospective study
Authors: Jamal‐Hanjani Mariam , Karpathakis Anna , Kwan Amy , Mazhar Danish , Ansell Wendy , Shamash Jonathan , Harper Peter , Rudman Sarah , Powles Thomas , Chowdhury Simon
Published: May 2013

Objective

To determine the characteristics of patients with germ cell cancer and bone metastases.

Patients and Methods

The case records of patients with known germ cell tumours (GCTs) within the Anglian Germ Cell Cancer Group database between January 2005 and March 2011 were reviewed retrospectively.

Data were collected for histopathology, presence of bone metastases at diagnosis or relapse, site of bone metastases and imaging method used to confirm bone metastases, treatment received, response to treatment and overall survival.

We present here the largest unselected cohort of bone metastases in patients with GCTs.

Results

In all, 2550 cases of GCTs were reviewed and there was bone involvement in 19 cases.

The primary site was either testicular (13/19), mediastinal (1/19) or unknown (5/19). Most cases were non‐seminomatous GCTs (11/19, 58%) and only three cases of seminomatous GCTs (3/19, 16%) with five cases in which diagnosis was based on clinical history and significantly raised GCT markers (5/19, 26%). In all of these five cases β‐human chorionic gonadotrophin was raised and in three α‐fetoprotein was raised, consistent with non‐seminomatous GCT.

There were bone metastases at diagnosis (0.51%, 13/2550) or at relapse (0.24%, 6/2550). The sites of bone metastases were the vertebrae (15/19, 79%), pelvis (3/19, 16%), ribs (3/19, 16%) and femur (2/19, 11%). Ten patients (53%) had solitary, and nine patients (47%) had multiple, sites of bone metastases. In patients presenting with bone metastases at diagnosis compared with relapse, the mortality rate was 23% (3/13) and 50% (3/6), respectively.

After receiving one line of chemotherapy, nine patients (47%) remained in remission not requiring further treatment, six (32%) required further chemotherapy due to subsequent relapse, three (16%) died after first‐line chemotherapy and one was lost to follow‐up.

At the time of data collection and based on the last clinic follow‐up, six patients (32%) had died with a median (interquartile range, IQR) follow‐up of 11.5 (4.3, 24.8) months and 10 (53%) remained alive with a median (IQR) follow‐up of 26 (13.5, 48) months Three patients were lost to follow‐up. Of the known patients alive, eight (42%) remained in remission and two (11%) had recurrent disease requiring further treatment.

Conclusion

Although bone disease in germ cell cancer is rare, awareness of this condition is important and there is a need for prospective evaluation of patient characteristics, treatment approaches and survival outcome in this group of patients.
New findings in ATP supply in rod outer segments: Insights for retinopathies
Authors: Calzia Daniela , Barabino Stefano , Bianchini Paolo , Garbarino Greta , Oneto Michele , Caicci Federico , Diaspro Alberto , Tacchetti Carlo , Manni Lucia , Candiani Simona , Ravera Silvia , Morelli Alessandro , Enrico Traverso Carlo , Panfoli Isabella
Published: May 2013

Background Information

The rod outer segment (OS) is the specialised organelle where phototransduction takes place. Our previous proteomic and biochemical analyses on purified rod disks showed the functional expression of the respiratory chain complexes I–IV and F1Fo‐ATP synthase in OS disks, as well as active soluble tricarboxylic acid cycle enzymes. Here, we focussed our study on the whole OS that contains the cytosol and plasma membrane and disks as native flattened saccules, unlike spherical osmotically intact disks.

Results

OS were purified from bovine retinas and characterised for purity. Oximetry, ATP synthesis and cytochrome c oxidase (COX) assays were performed. The presence of COX and F1Fo‐ATP synthase (ATP synthase) was assessed by semi‐quantitative Western blotting, immunofluorescence or confocal laser scanning microscopy on whole bovine retinas and bovine retinal sections and by immunogold transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of purified OS or bovine retinal sections. Both ATP synthase and COX are catalytically active in OS. These are able to consume oxygen (O2) in the presence of pyruvate and malate. CLSM analyses showed that rhodopsin autofluorescence and MitoTracker Deep Red 633 fluorescence co‐localise on rod OS. Data are confirmed by co‐localisation studies of ATP synthase with Rh in rod OS by immunofluorescence and TEM in bovine retinal sections.

Conclusions

Our data confirm the expression and activity of COX and ATP synthase in OS, suggestive of the presence of an extra‐mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation in rod OS, meant to supply ATP for the visual transduction. In this respect, the membrane rich OS environment would be meant to absorb both light and O2. The ability of OS to manipulate O2 may shed light on the pathogenesis of many retinal degenerative diseases ascribed to oxidative stress, as well as on the efficacy of the treatment with dietary supplements, presently utilised as supporting therapies.
Cancer‐associated missense mutations of caspase‐8 activate nuclear factor‐κB signaling
Authors: Ando Mizuo , Kawazu Masahito , Ueno Toshihide , Fukumura Kazutaka , Yamato Azusa , Soda Manabu , Yamashita Yoshihiro , Choi Young L. , Yamasoba Tatsuya , Mano Hiroyuki
Published: May 2013

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is an aggressive cancer with a 5‐year survival rate of ~50%. With the use of a custom cDNA‐capture system coupled with massively parallel sequencing, we have now investigated transforming mechanisms for this malignancy. The cDNAs of cancer‐related genes (n = 906) were purified from a human HNSCC cell line (T3M‐1 Cl‐10) and subjected to high‐throughput resequencing, and the clinical relevance of non‐synonymous mutations thus identified was evaluated with luciferase‐based reporter assays. A CASP8 (procaspase‐8) cDNA with a novel G‐to‐C point mutation that results in the substitution of alanine for glycine at codon 325 was identified, and the mutant protein, CASP8 (G325A), was found to activate nuclear factor‐κB (NF‐κB) signaling to an extent far greater than that achieved with the wild‐type protein. Moreover, forced expression of wild‐type CASP8 suppressed the growth of T3M‐1 Cl‐10 cells without notable effects on apoptosis. We further found that most CASP8 mutations previously detected in various epithelial tumors also increase the ability of the protein to activate NF‐κB signaling. Such NF‐κB activation was shown to be mediated through the COOH‐terminal region of the second death effector domain of CASP8. Although CASP8 mutations associated with cancer have been thought to promote tumorigenesis as a result of attenuation of the proapoptotic function of the protein, our results now show that most such mutations, including the novel G325A identified here, separately confer a gain of function with regard to activation of NF‐κB signaling, indicating another role of CASP8 in the transformation of human malignancies including HNSCC.
Design, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation of Novel 3,5‐Disubstituted‐1,2,6‐Thiadiazine‐1,1‐Dione Derivatives as HIV‐1 NNRTIs
Authors: Tian Ye , Rai Diwakar , Zhan Peng , Pannecouque Christophe , Balzarini Jan , De Clercq Erik , Liu Huiqing , Liu Xinyong
Published: May 2013

On the basis of structural features, binding mode, and structure–activity relationship studies of two pyrimidine‐derived non‐nucleoside reverse‐transcriptase inhibitors, DABOs, and diaryl pyrimidines, a novel class of 1,2,6‐thiadiazine‐1,1‐dione derivatives were rationally designed using the strategies of bioisosterism and molecular hybridization, synthesized, and evaluated for their anti‐HIV activity in MT4 cell cultures. Three compounds were found to have moderate activity against HIV‐1 replication with EC50 values ranging from 23 to 32 μm. To further confirm the binding target, compound IIg was selected to conduct an HIV‐1 reverse‐transcriptase inhibitory assay. In addition, preliminary structure–activity relationship analysis among the newly synthesized compounds was discussed, and the binding mode of the active compound IIg was rationalized by molecular docking and physicochemical studies.
Child Well‐Being: What Does It Mean?
Authors: Amerijckx Gaëlle , Humblet Perrine Claire
Published: May 2013

The notion ofchild well‐beingappears in a large number of publications nowadays. Our review of the literature underlines both the oddly pathogenic approach tochild well‐beingand the scarcity of papers discussing a still poorly defined notion. Through this review, we identified the recourse to a binary language; from there, we derived five theoretical axes that heed the multidimensional and multilevel nature ofwell‐being, although for each one, a pole is here predominantly developed. We argue in favour of an override of a one‐dimensional, single‐level, unipolar approach tochild well‐beingand an exploration of its otherwise underdeveloped positive, hedonic, subjective, spiritual and collective dimensions.
Radiographic outcomes of transcrestal sinus floor elevation performed with a minimally invasive technique in smoker and non‐smoker patients
Authors: Franceschetti Giovanni , Farina Roberto , Stacchi Claudio , Di Lenarda Roberto , Di Raimondo Rosario , Trombelli Leonardo
Published: May 2013

Objectives

To evaluate the association between smoking status and the outcomes of transcrestal sinus floor elevation (tSFE) performed with a minimally invasive technique (Smart Lift).

Methods

Forty‐five implants were placed in 25 non‐smoker (NS) and 20 smoker (S) patients in conjunction with the tSFE procedure. In all cases, an additional graft, chosen among different hydroxyapatite‐based or ß‐tricalcium phosphate‐based biomaterials, was pushed into the sinus by gradual increments. Immediately after surgery, residual bone height, implant penetration into the sinus, extent of sinus lift (SL) and the height of the graft apical to the implant apex (aGH) were assessed on periapical radiographs. At 6 months after surgery, SL and aGH were reassessed.

Results

(i) The Smart Lift procedure resulted in substantial 6‐month SL and aGH in both treatment groups; (ii) smoking status did not significantly affect the 6‐month radiographic outcomes; (iii) a similarly low incidence of intra‐ and postoperative complications was observed in NS and S patients.

Conclusions

Smoking has a limited impact on the outcomes of tSFE performed with the Smart Lift technique.
Editorial
Authors: Desjardins Richard , Rubenson Kjell
Published: May 2013

A Video Editorial for this Issue is available online here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0sdcbl36xo
Participation Patterns in Higher Education: a comparative welfare and production régime perspective
Authors: Andres Lesley , Pechar Hans
Published: May 2013

This article considers the counter‐intuitive observation that some of the wealthiest nations can feature low tertiary graduation rates (e.g. Austria, Germany, and Switzerland). It also considers the observation that many countries with high tertiary graduation rates show low levels of social equity, while many countries with low tertiary graduation rates show high levels of social equity. These observations are considered through the lenses of institutional perspectives, and specifically welfare and production régime theories. The analysis elaborates on educational attainment, patterns and key aspects of economic functioning and development, and educational attainment patterns and their relationship to social inequality.
Firm‐provided Training in Europe and the Limits of National Skills Strategies
Authors: Markowitsch Jörg , Käpplinger Bernd , Hefler Günter
Published: May 2013

This article addresses cross‐country and cross‐period differences in average levels of training activity from an institutional perspective. Firm‐provided training in Europe between 1999 and 2010 is scrutinized in order to explore whether diverse institutional arrangements that can be linked to welfare state regimes can yield discernible cross‐country patterns. An emphasis is placed on the limits of national skills strategies that are not well embedded in wider institutional environments. This is grounded in a view that policy efforts to influence training activity, involves nothing less than ‘reforming’ societies. Insights of this research should contribute both to a critical reflection of the EU's targets in the field of lifelong learning as well as supporting policy learning between member states.
Policy Formulation and Networks of Practice in European eLearning: the emergence of a European E‐Learning Area
Authors: Salajan Florin D.
Published: May 2013

This article discusses the emergence of a European E‐Learning Area (EELA) as a consequence of three factors that can be observed in the e‐learning developments over the past decade. The first factor consists of the carving of a policy sector in e‐learning via formal instruments such as the eLearning Programme, the Lifelong Learning Programme and an array of other e‐learning policy stipulations embedded in larger policy instruments at European level (e.g. Framework Programme). The second factor is represented by the mainstreaming of e‐learning activities, both through formal and informal measures across multiple domains. Finally, the proliferation and consolidation of interlinked networks of practice as incubators of e‐learning innovation and sharing of expertise act as the third factor in the shaping of EELA. The conceptualisation of EELA is substantiated through an analysis of the European e‐learning policy documentation and the findings of a questionnaire distributed to the coordinators of projects under the eLearning Programme. In light of the findings, theoretical and practical implications for EELA as a nascent policy domain are explored and offered as a basis for further debate on this theme.
Reproductive migration of fish and movement in a series of reservoirs in the Upper Parana River basin, Brazil
Authors: de C. Britto S. G. , Carvalho E. D.
Published: May 2013

This study evaluates the effectiveness of two fish passes at two hydropower dams (Canoas I and II) in the Upper Parana basin, which form part of a cascade of three reservoirs. Fish from 12 migratory species (3089 specimens) were captured during their ascending, reproductive migration and were tagged with hydrostatic tags. The recapture data (294 specimens over two consecutive years) showed that there is a strong tendency for the maintenance of ascending migration through reservoirs with fish passes but with differences in migratory activity within the same species. No eggs, larvae or juveniles of these species were found in samples collected over 5 years in the reservoirs above the fish passes. These data suggest that fish passes have contributed to the restoration of the migratory routes of adult fish but that in the absence of suitable spawning or nursery habitats for these species; they probably act as ecological traps and do not contribute to the recruitment of the species.
Hypoxic conditions enhance refuge effect of macrophyte zone for small prey fish from piscivorous predators
Authors: Yamanaka H.
Published: May 2013

Body size dependency of the refuge effects of gape limitation and differences in hypoxia tolerance between the predator largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides (Lacépède) and the prey fish, nigorobuna carp Carassius buergeri grandoculis Temminck & Schlegel, were modelled to simulate the relative effect of size and physiological refuges for prey inhabiting the hypoxic macrophyte zone along a lakeshore. The model simulation suggested that a physiological refuge, maintained by the difference in hypoxia tolerance, could protect far smaller prey than a size refuge that is based solely on predator gape size and prey body depth. The dissolved oxygen gradient observed in the macrophyte zone located in Yamanoshita Bay, Lake Biwa, Japan, which was extremely low at the inner part and higher offshore, was determined to provide a physiological refuge that would be effective in terms of space.
Flow effects on periphyton patches and their ecological consequences in a New Zealand river
Authors: Hart David D. , Biggs Barry J. F. , Nikora Vladimir I. , Flinders Camille A.
Published: May 2013

Proliferations of periphyton associated with the ecological degradation of streams have been linked to changes in flow regime, most frequently as a product of water abstraction and impoundment. We used descriptive and experimental studies to examine the relationship between water velocity and the distribution of two distinct, often high biomass, periphyton patch types and associated macroinvertebrate communities in the Waipara River, a meso‐eutrophic stream in Canterbury, New Zealand.

One patch type (‘Phormidium’) consisted mainly of two filamentous cyanobacterial taxa: a Phormidium/Lyngbya complex and Oscillatoria. The other type (‘filamentous greens’) consisted mainly of several filamentous chlorophyte taxa (Mougeotia sp.) along with various diatom epiphytes. Ash‐free dry mass, chlorophyll a and particulate N and P concentrations were significantly greater in the Phormidium than in the filamentous green patches.

There was a significant relationship between patch cover and water velocity, with filamentous greens negatively associated with velocity and dominant in areas with a velocity <∼0.20 m s−1, while Phormidium was dominant at velocities >∼0.40 m s−1. A 7‐day experimental reduction in velocity in Phormidium‐dominated habitats resulted in a significant reduction in% cover (84–21%) with a corresponding increase in filamentous greens (16–79%). There was a small but significant reduction in the % cover of filamentous greens (90–82%) with experimentally increased velocity, but no significant change in Phormidium cover (7–2%), perhaps due in part to the slow growth rate of taxa in this patch type.

Characterisation of macroinvertebrate assemblages collected from Phormidium and filamentous green patches and the substratum immediately below showed patch‐specific assemblages, although patch type was a less important determinant than vertical location, with 85% of the macroinvertebrates found in the substratum below algal mats.

The differential responses of Phormidium and filamentous green patches to velocity are considered in the context of a subsidy‐stress model that examines how trade‐offs between flow‐mediated biomass accrual and loss processes vary for different algal growth forms.

Collectively, these results indicated that key ecological characteristics of rivers can be quite sensitive to spatial and temporal variations in hydraulic conditions that are much smaller than those typical of floods and droughts.
Visiting the hyporheic zone: youngAtlantic salmon move through the substratum
Authors: Heggenes Jan , Bremset Gunnbjørn , Brabrand Åge
Published: May 2013

The hyporheic zone may be a habitat for fish, depending on habitat patch characteristics and interactions with fish behaviour, such as movements. Theory highlights the vertical connection and potentially significant functional role of the hyporheic zone, but actual use of the hyporheic zone by fish is understudied.

In replicated factorial field experiments, we investigated movements of (i) young Atlantic salmon of various size (Salmo salar, mean total lengths, 28.3, 51.7, 52.1 and 84.6 mm) through substrata of (ii) different particle size (16–22, 24–60 mm) and (iii) thickness (20, 40, 60 cm), depending on (iv) current direction (horizontal up‐ to downstream, vertical ‘upwelling’) and (v) temperature/season (summer/autumn). In nine experiments, each with different treatments, three replicated 14‐cm‐diameter translucentPVCtubes were used as a proxy for the hyporheic zone and placed in parallel on the bottom in a natural salmon stream. Each tube consisted of five separable 20‐cm segments, with a no‐substratum segment in each end and three midsegments filled with substratum. Young salmon were placed in the upstream or/and downstream free segment, localised by a snorkeler every 15 min, and after 135 min, the segments were separated and the fish per segment counted.

Results indicated that (i) a significant number of fish moved into the substratum, (ii) small Atlantic salmon (28 mm) in June rapidly moved into, and even 60 cm through, both substratum particle sizes regardless of flow direction, but fewer fish into the fine substratum, and (iii) significant numbers of larger fish (52 mm, 85 mm) in September and November also moved into the 24–60 mm substratum, but not so far and relatively fewer remained in the substratum. Horizontal or vertical flow did not affect results.

We conclude that young Atlantic salmon can easily move into and through the interstitial spaces in the substratum, depending on fish size and substratum coarseness. The active use by Atlantic salmon of the substratum as part of their habitat remains to be studied, but is likely to be more prevalent than commonly assumed.
A projection of ozone‐induced wheat production loss in China and India for the years 2000 and 2020 with exposure‐based and flux‐based approaches
Authors: Tang Haoye , Takigawa Masayuki , Liu Gang , Zhu Jianguo , Kobayashi Kazuhiko
Published: May 2013

Using a high‐resolution (40 × 40 km) chemical transport model coupled with the Regional Emission inventory in Asia (REAS), we simulated surface ozone concentrations ([O3]) and evaluated O3‐induced wheat production loss in China and India for the years 2000 and 2020 using dose–response functions based on AOT40 (accumulated [O3] above 40 ppb) and PODY (phytotoxic O3 dose, accumulated stomatal flux of O3 above a threshold of Y nmol m−2 s−1). Two O3 dose metrics (90 days AOT40 and POD6) were derived from European experiments, and the other two (75 days AOT40 and POD12) were adapted from Asian studies. Relative yield loss (RYL) of wheat in 2000 was estimated to be 6.4–14.9% for China and 8.2–22.3% for India. POD6 predicted greater RYL, especially for the warm regions of India, whereas the 90 days AOT40 gave the lowest estimates. For the future projection, all the O3 dose metrics gave comparable estimates of an increase in RYL from 2000 to 2020 in the range 8.1–9.4% and 5.4–7.7% for China and India, respectively. The lower projected increase in RYL for India may be due to conservative estimation of the emission increase in 2020. Sensitivity tests of the model showed that the PODY‐based estimates of RYL are highly sensitive to perturbations in the meteorological inputs, but that the estimated increase in RYL from 2000 to 2020 is much more robust. The projected increase in wheat production loss in China and India in the near future is substantially larger than the uncertainties in the estimation and indicates an urgent need for curbing the rapid increase in surface [O3] in these regions.
A spatial model of climate change effects on yields and break‐even prices of switchgrass and miscanthus in Ontario, Canada
Authors: De Laporte Aaron V. , Weersink Alfons J. , McKenney Daniel W.
Published: May 2013

Concerns over global climate change have led many jurisdictions to implement strategies aimed at reducing greenhouse gas levels. One example is the replacement of coal with dedicated energy crops, such as switchgrass and miscanthus. The yields and costs of these potentially valuable bio‐energy crops have been evaluated in only a few cases, and previous studies have not focused on climate change effects. This article assesses the potential yields and costs of growing switchgrass and miscanthus on the agricultural land base in Ontario, Canada, under different climate assumptions, using a GIS‐based integrated biophysical and economic simulation model. The model shows that miscanthus has a mean peak yield that is 88.5% (29.6 t ha−1 compared with 15.7 t ha−1) higher and a mean farm gate break‐even price that is 25.9% ($58.20 per tonne compared with $73.29 per tonne) lower than switchgrass. The impact of climate change on the yield and break‐even price of switchgrass and miscanthus is dependent upon the climate model. CGCM3.1 predicts that mean peak yields of switchgrass and miscanthus could drop by 17.8% and 14.9%, whereas CCSM3.0 predicts that mean yields could increase to 41.4% and 44.9%, from 2071 to 2100, in the A2 climate scenario respectively. Both crops show promise as biomass sources for bio‐energy production, but a changing global climate, along with cultivar and planting technology developments, could affect crop choices.
ORCHIDEE‐STICS, a process‐based model of sugarcane biomass production: calibration of model parameters governing phenology
Authors: Valade Aude , Vuichard Nicolas , Ciais Philippe , Ruget Françoise , Viovy Nicolas , Gabrielle Benoît , Huth Neil , Martiné Jean‐François
Published: May 2013

Agro‐Land Surface Models (agro‐LSM) combine detailed crop models and large‐scale vegetation models (DGVMs) to model the spatial and temporal distribution of energy, water, and carbon fluxes within the soil–vegetation–atmosphere continuum worldwide. In this study, we identify and optimize parameters controlling leaf area index (LAI) in the agro‐LSM ORCHIDEE‐STICSdeveloped for sugarcane. Using the Morris method to identify the key parameters impactingLAI, at eight different sugarcane field trial sites, in Australia and La Reunion island, we determined that the three most important parameters for simulatingLAIare (i) the maximum predefined rate ofLAIincrease during the early crop development phase, a parameter that defines a plant density threshold below which individual plants do not compete for growing theirLAI, and a parameter defining a threshold for nitrogen stress onLAI. A multisite calibration of these three parameters is performed using three different scoring functions. The impact of the choice of a particular scoring function on the optimized parameter values is investigated by testing scoring functions defined from the model‐dataRMSE, the figure of merit and a Bayesian quadratic model‐data misfit function. The robustness of the calibration is evaluated for each of the three scoring functions with a systematic cross‐validation method to find the most satisfactory one. Our results show that the figure of merit scoring function is the most robust metric for establishing the best parameter values controlling theLAI. The multisite average figure of merit scoring function is improved from 67% of agreement to 79%. The residual error inLAIsimulation after the calibration is discussed.
THE LIMITS OF OTTOMAN PRAGMATISM
Authors: DAĞLI MURAT
Published: May 2013

In this paper I reflect critically on the concept of pragmatism as it is used in Ottoman historiography. Pragmatism has gained increasing currency over the last ten to fifteen years as one of the defining features of the Ottoman polity. I argue that unless it is properly defined from a theoretical‐philosophical perspective, and carefully contextualized from a historical perspective, pragmatism cannot be used as an explanatory or comparative category. When used as a framework of explanation for historical change, pragmatism blurs more than it clarifies an essential aspect of the Ottoman polity that it seeks to define, namely, the political. It is essential to reflect on the difference between the political and politics because whereas the political refers to the configuration of the power relations that organize a society as a legitimate entity, politics refers to the strategies, practices, institutions, or discourses whose purpose is to construct and retain hegemony within a polity. Through an analysis of the concept of pragmatism in Ottoman historiography, I show that for most proponents of Ottoman pragmatism, pragmatism pertains to politics rather than to the political. From a perspective rigorously confined to political theory, I argue that much like the discourse of modern tolerance, pragmatism in Ottoman historiography posits a problematic periodization, relegates the political to the background, and depoliticizes essential power relations.
PINKER AND PROGRESS
Authors: Aronson Ronald
Published: May 2013

Condorcet's classical Enlightenment statement of human progress became an essential element of nineteenth‐ and twentieth‐century consciousness, but by the millennium grand narratives had fallen victim to a disillusioned cultural climate. Now Steven Pinker, like Condorcet drawing on a wide range of contemporary “knowledges,” has reasserted a sweeping narrative of human progress in The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined. Mapping a spectacular long‐term decline in person‐on‐person violence and reduction in deaths due to war, Pinker celebrates the spread of a cultural pattern of self‐restraint, sensitivity to human suffering, and recent regard for human rights, due to the modern state and gentle commerce capitalism.

For Pinker the human condition has gotten steadily better, the decline of violence is an accomplishment we can savor and an impetus to cherish the forces of civilization and enlightenment that made it possible. Why then are so many so negative about modernity? Citing the psychology of temporal proximity to horrific events and the bad‐news predilection of the media, Pinker ignores the specifically modern and less directly brutal institutionalized forms of violence as well as the profound ambivalence of progress. He decisively demonstrates the drop in certain kinds of violence, but his account becomes strangely ideological, recapitulating key Cold‐War themes—the individual against totalitarianism, the Enlightenment against the counter‐Enlightenment, rationalism and freedom against murderous utopianism—distorting his study in the name of gentle commerce, Marxism, and anti‐Communism.
HISTORIOGRAPHY: A FIELD IN SEARCH OF A HISTORIAN?
Authors: Cheng Eileen Ka‐May
Published: May 2013

Richard Kirkendall's collection of essays, The Organization of American Historians and the Writing and Teaching of American History, examines the history of the Organization of American Historians (OAH) from its founding to the present, using that history to illuminate how the writing of American history has changed over the last hundred years. The book provides coverage of all the major dimensions of the Mississippi Valley Historical Association's (MVHA) and the OAH's activities, ranging from the work of its scholarly publications, the Mississippi Historical Valley Review and the Journal of American History, to its role in promoting the teaching of American history. Overall, the essays in the volume tell a story of the organization's progress toward greater inclusion and democracy, falling prey to a Whig interpretation of historiography. In doing so, the book is part of a larger tendency in the way that historians have approached historiography, which in turn reflects their ambivalence about their relationship to the historical process. Thus, even as the very enterprise of historiography is premised on the recognition of how historians are themselves the products of the historical process, historians have revealed the limits to that recognition in their approach to the subject. This essay shows how deeply rooted this duality has been in the study of American historiography and illuminates some of its sources by placing Kirkendall's book in the context of how the MVHA and the OAH have treated historiography over the course of the organization's history.
Courage and selflessness in professional actions: but are they enough?
Authors: Alder‐Collins J.K.
Published: May 2013

Background

The Great East Japan Earthquake on 11 March 2011 caused considerable loss of life, destruction of livelihood and infrastructure. Linked to this event but not its cause, was the meltdown and radioactive contamination of the environment from Fukishima Dai‐ichi power plant. This disaster, in turn, led to the enforced evacuation of populations at risk. Japanese nurses, physicians, paramedical staff and faculty from nearby universities all volunteered to staff decontamination centres for evacuees and survivors.

Aim

This commentary critically reflects on the insights provided in this issue by Noto, Kitamiya, Itaki, Urushizaka & Yamabe (pp. 196–200) on the role of nurses in the Fukishima Dai‐ichi disaster, extending that critique to evidence that has emerged through official and unofficial sources.

Discussion

Disaster planning is not a popular subject for societies in general nor is it a finite art or process. Civil authorities often work under restricted or reducing budgets and resources while serving increasing demands. Disaster planning requires multidisciplinary skills sets to be able to work across the many different departments, agencies, interest groups and budgets. Planners need to think outside the box, allocate resources and training to a level that justifies known and/or projected threats in preparing first responders with the correct tools, training and time to practise skills they may never be called upon to use.

Conclusion

Disasters will always happen be they natural or man‐made. To rely on the courage and selflessness of professionals is not enough. Training and learning from previous disasters can help in responsible planning.
Preliminary outcome study on assertive community treatment in Japan
Authors: Nishio Masaaki , Ito Junichiro , Oshima Iwao , Suzuki Yuriko , Horiuchi Kentaro , Sono Tamaki , Fukaya Hiroi , Hisanaga Fumie , Tsukada Kazumi
Published: May 2013

Aims:  The beneficial effects of assertive community treatment (ACT), which has been widely acclaimed as being successful in several foreign countries, must also be objectively evaluated with respect to the transition from inpatient to community‐based mental health treatment in Japan. This was the first study that examined effects of the ACT program in Japan using pre/post design data of the pilot trial of the ACT program in Japan project.

Methods:  The study included 41 subjects hospitalized at Kohnodai Hospital, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry between May 2003 and April 2004 for severe mental illness and who met inclusion criteria for entry regarding age, diagnosis, residence, utilization of mental health services, social adjustment, and ability to function in daily activities. All subjects provided informed consent for study participation and were followed for 1 year after hospital discharge.

Results:  Comparison of the number of days and frequency of inpatient psychiatric hospitalization and frequency of emergency psychiatric visits between the 1‐year period before hospitalization and 1‐year period after hospital discharge showed a significant decrease in number of days and frequency of hospitalization. Comparison at 1 year after discharge with baseline showed no change in satisfaction with overall quality of life or Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale scores, but the Global Assessment of Functioning score significantly increased, and the antipsychotic dose (chlorpromazine equivalent) significantly decreased.

Conclusion:  Despite some limitations in methodology and conclusions, this study suggests that ACT enables persons with severe mental illness to live for longer periods in the community, without worsening of symptoms, decreased social function, or deterioration in quality of life.
The IgG and Transferrin Receptors of the Human Syncytiotrophoblast Microvillus Plasma Membrane*
Authors: JOHNSON PETER M. , BROWN PETER J.
Published: May 2013

ABSTRACT: Fcγ receptor activity has been demonstrated using a radioisotopic assay on human syncytiotrophoblast microvillus plasma membrane (StMPM) vesicle preparations isolated from normal full‐term placentas. Prior chaotropic extraction to remove extrinsic membrane protein from StMPM preparations was shown to increase radiolabeled IgG uptake by up to 30%. Polyacrylamide disc gel electrophoresis (PAGE) has been used to indicate that the StMPM receptor for transferrin solubilizes in 1% sodium deoxycholate and retains its binding activity for transferrin. Quantitative data for both Fcγ and transferrin receptors obtained following study of isolated StMPM preparations are summarized. Current concepts for the potential role of trophoblast Fey and transferrin receptors in the mechanisms of transplacental passage of IgG and iron, respectively, from mother to fetus are illustrated and discussed.