bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Metasomatic parageneses in deep-seated xenoliths from pipes Udachnaya and Komsomol’skaya-Magnitnaya as indicators of fluid transfer through the mantle lithosphere of the Siberian craton
Authors: Solov’eva L.V. , Yasnygina T.A. , Egorov K.N.
Published: November 2012

The petrography, major element, and trace element (TE) compositions of minerals from two types of modal metasomatites (metasomatized peridotites and pyroxenites) from kimberlite pipes Udachnaya and Komsomol’skaya-Magnitnaya, Yakutia, have been studied. It is shown that texturally and chemically equilibrated metasomatites A consist of a set of superimposed minerals: phlogopite + diopside ± ilmenite ± apatite ± sulfides ± graphite. Their major and trace element compositions have specific features. The contents of TEs in garnet and clinopyroxene from these metasomatites are close to those in garnet and clinopyroxene from low-temperature coarse-grained peridotites richest in TEs. The distribution of a significant portion of TEs between garnet and clinopyroxene from A-type metasomatites and from coarse-grained lherzolites rich in TEs is close to experimental values reported for minerals coexisting with carbonatitic and basaltic fluids. We assume that this metasomatic process was nearly synchronous with the global metamorphism and cratonization of the mantle lithosphere and that high-density silicate–carbonate fluidmelts were metasomatizing agents.

Another large mantle metasomatism process in the lithosphere of the Siberian craton was associated with the Middle Paleozoic kimberlite magmatic event, induced by the Yakutian thermochemical plume. Metasomatic minerals (Mg phlogopite + Cr diopside + chromite ± sulfides ± graphite) intensely replaced the minerals of the primary paragenesis, particularly, garnet. These reaction metasomatites show a sine-shaped REE pattern in garnet and disequilibrium between garnet and clinopyroxene. It is supposed that the reaction metasomatism in the mantle lithosphere of the Siberian craton was associated with ingress of reduced asthenospheric fluids at early stages of the kimberlite formation cycle. Metasomatic graphite formed in metasomatites of both types, and this fact evidences for two diamond formation epochs in the history of the mantle lithosphere of the Siberian craton.
Young People's Perceptions of Family, Peer, and School Connectedness and Their Impact on Adjustment
Authors: Law P.C. , Cuskelly M. , Carroll A.
Published: November 2012

Families, peer groups, and schools are important environments for children's positive growth and development. A theoretical model that linked children's perceptions of parenting, sense of connectedness to family, peers and school, along with peer group type, to adjustment was developed and tested. Data were collected from students and their parents. The model was supported and explained 56% of the variance with respect to children's reports. Family, school, and peer connectedness all independently predicted child reported adjustment. Differences were apparent between children's and parents’ reports, and the model did not convincingly predict parental views of their child's adjustment. There was evidence that non-familial social environments can have a positive, compensatory impact on children's emotional functioning — a most important finding for school personnel interested in student wellbeing.
Assessing Counsellor Effects on Quit Rates and Life Satisfaction Scores at a Tobacco Quitline
Authors: Michael Stephen S. , Seltzer Ryan G.N. , Miller Scott D. , Wampold Bruce E.
Published: November 2012

Objective: To evaluate the extent to which a client's successful tobacco quit attempt and subsequent improvement in life satisfaction depend on the quitline counsellor assigned to provide the cessation counselling. Methods: A retrospective review of 2,944 Arizona Smokers’ Helpline client records was conducted on enrolment, follow-up, and programme treatment data. Seven month post-enrolment quit rates were calculated on an intent-to-treat sample for 30-day point prevalence during follow-up surveys. A variance components model was used to estimate counsellor effects, that is, the amount of variability in outcomes explained by individual counsellor differences. Similar analysis was done to detect presence of counsellor effects in clients’ Outcome Rating Scale (ORS) scores (Miller et al., 2003) ‒ a proxy measure of life satisfaction ‒ as they change from intake date to exit date. Results: Statistically significant differences in quit rates (2%) and ORS change scores (2%) were attributable to counsellor effects. Conclusions: The results suggest that counsellor effects have an impact on quitline outcomes that otherwise might have been overlooked if one assumed that only treatment factors and extraneous factors contributed significantly to outcomes. Additional research is required to determine the sources of counsellor effects, as well as whether additional efforts to eliminate these counsellor effects can be justified.
THE WATER RELATIONS AND IRRIGATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE DATE PALM (Phoenix dactyliferaL.): A REVIEW
Authors: CARR M. K. V.
Published: November 2012

Date palm is a crop suited to hot, arid regions. It originated in Mesopotamia and the centres of production are in West Asia and North Africa. Despite its regional and international importance, and its dependence on irrigation or a shallow water table for survival, relatively little research has been published on the water relations and irrigation need of date palm. Following early work in California, the majority of the recent research reported in the literature has been conducted in Saudi Arabia and Tunisia. The date palm has a terminal crown of 100–120 leaves. At the base of each leaf is an axillary bud, most of which develop in the winter as flower buds. It takes 150–200 days from pollination to fruit maturity. Stomata occur on both leaf surfaces. Different techniques have been used to measure the water use of date palm, including micrometeorological and sap flow methods. In Syria, mean actual evapotranspiration rates varied between 0.5 mm d−1(winter) and 3.5 mm d−1(summer), in Saudi Arabia from 2–3 to 8–11 mm d−1depending on location and in Jordan from 2 to 8–10 mm d−1respectively. In Tunisia, there was some (limited) evidence of stomatal control of transpiration rates (seasonal range 0.5 to 3.5 mm d−1) when temperatures exceeded 32 °C. Experimentally determined values of the crop coefficient were inconsistent, varying from 0.6–0.7 to 1.18. In the vicinity of an oasis, advection may increase potential water use substantially above that of a reference crop. In the absence of a shallow water table, roots can extract water from soil depths greater than 2 m. There is little published information on the water productivity of date palm. A target benchmark figure is probably about 1.3-kg fresh fruit m−3of irrigation water applied. Under controlled conditions, phenotypes differed in their responses to water stress. The date palm is traditionally considered to be relatively salt-tolerant, with a threshold electrical conductivity value for the saturated soil extract of 4.0 dS m−1, but recent evidence from Israel suggests that this view may be mistaken. Since early times, flood irrigation has been used to irrigate date palm and it is still probably the most common method in many countries. Since the 1980s, farmers have been encouraged by governments to use localised irrigation methods (e.g. micro-sprinklers, drip and bubbler) as a means of saving water. Since water is a scarce resource in the West Asia and North Africa region, research should focus on developing ways to improve the water productivity of this high value crop.
Sensitivity to information status in discourse: Gesture precedes speech in unbalanced bilinguals
Authors: SO WING-CHEE , LIM JIA-YI , TAN SEOK-HUI
Published: November 2012

This paper explores whether English–Mandarin bilingual children have mastered discourse skills and whether they show sensitivity to the discourse principle of information status of referents in their speech and gestures. We compare the speech and gestures produced by bilingual children to those produced by English- and Mandarin-speaking monolingual children. Six English-speaking and six Mandarin-speaking monolingual children, and nine English–Mandarin bilingual children (who were more dominant in English) were videotaped while interacting with their caregivers. Monolingual Mandarin- and English-speaking children produced null arguments and pronouns respectively to indicate given third-person referents, and nouns to indicate new third-person referents. They also gestured new third-person referents more often than given third-person referents. Thus, monolinguals’ speech and gestures followed the discourse principle. English–Mandarin bilingual children's speech and gestures also followed the discourse principle but only when they were speaking in English. They produced nouns more often to indicate given third-person referents than to indicate new third-person referents in Mandarin, indicating the violation of the discourse principle. It is interesting that they gestured new third-person referents more often than given third-person referents in Mandarin. Thus, our findings suggest that gesture precedes language development at discourse level in the less-dominant language in bilinguals.
Comparing the effect of skewed and balanced input on English as a foreign language learners’ comprehension of the double-object dative construction
Authors: McDONOUGH KIM , NEKRASOVA-BECKER TATIANA
Published: November 2012

According to usage-based approaches to acquisition, the detection of a construction may be facilitated when input contains numerous exemplars with a shared lexical item, which is referred to as skewed input. First language studies have shown that skewed input is more beneficial for the acquisition of novel constructions than balanced input, in which a small set of lexical verbs occurs an equal number of times. However, a second language (L2) study of datives found no advantage for skewed input compared to balanced input. The present study compared the effectiveness of skewed and balanced input at facilitating the comprehension of the double-object dative construction in L2 English. Over a 2-week period, Thai English as foreign language learners (N = 78) completed comprehension tests and a treatment activity that provided either skewed first, skewed random, or balanced input. The results indicated that balanced input was most effective at promoting comprehension of double-object datives. The implications are discussed in terms of the benefits of different types of input for L2 learners.
Stability of biped robotic walking with frictional constraints
Authors: Zhou Xuefeng , Guan Yisheng , Jiang Li , Zhu Haifei , Cai Chuanwu , Wu Wenqiang , Zhang Hong
Published: November 2012

Tipping-over and slipping, which are related to zero moment point (ZMP) and frictional constraint respectively, are the two most common instability forms of biped robotic walking. Conventional criterion of stability is not sufficient in some cases, since it neglects frictional constraint or considers translational friction only. The goal of this paper is to fully address frictional constraints in biped walking and develop corresponding stability criteria. Frictional constraints for biped locomotion are first analyzed and then the method to obtain the closed-form solutions of the frictional force and moment for a biped robot with rectangular and circular feet is presented. The maximum frictional force and moment are calculated in the case of ZMP at the center of contact area. Experiments with a 6-degree of freedom active walking biped robot are conducted to verify the effectiveness of the stability analysis.
Fruit removal by hornbills in a semi-evergreen forest of the Indian Eastern Himalaya
Authors: Sethi Pia , Howe Henry F.
Published: November 2012

We tested the hypothesis that seed size influences which frugivores eat fruits, and the size and nature of disperser assemblages in Pakke Tiger Reserve, India. Four tree species had large seeds (> 18 mm width) that could be handled by birds with large gape widths, while two tree species had smaller seeds (< 7 mm width) falling within the gape size range of many frugivores. We tested whether (1) disperser assemblage and activity reflected seed size, and (2) large-gaped hornbills were more effective at fruit removal of tree species with large seeds, than of those with smaller seeds and many dispersers. Day-long watches were conducted in 2005 at trees ofDysoxylum binectariferum(three in 2005 and nine in 2006),Chisocheton cumingianus(nine),Aglaia spectabilis(seven),Polyalthia simiarum(nine),Litsea monopetala(four) andCinnamomum bejolghota(two in 2005 and six in 2006) to determine which frugivores visited trees and ate fruit. Disperser visitation and species diversity per tree to species with medium-sized seeds averaged 85 visits and 10 species d−1, contrasted with five visits by one frugivore species to large-seeded tree species. Seed removal rates per tree averaged 486 seeds d−1from medium-seeded tree species, but 10 seeds d−1from large-seeded species. Hornbills (Bucerotidae) andDucula badia(Columbidae) removed large seeds from capsules ofAglaia spectabilis,Chisocheton cumingianusandDysoxylum binectariferum(Meliaceae). Primates, civets and bats also consumed drupes of large-seededPolyalthia simiarum(Annonaceae).Anthracoceros albirostrishornbills were important dispersers ofLitsea monopetala(Lauraceae), a medium-seeded tree with a large disperser assemblage. Conversely, hornbills were quantitatively inconsequential forCinnamomum bejolghota(Lauraceae), another medium-seeded tree species with several dispersers. Results suggest that the size and activity of disperser assemblages accurately reflects seed size. While hornbills were quantitatively important dispersers of large-seeded tree species, their effectiveness for trees with small- to medium-sized seeds depended on the tree species.
Selecting key areas for conservation at the regional level: the case of the globally ‘Near Threatened’ Cinereous Vulture Aegypius monachus in south-east Portugal
Authors: LOURENÇO PEDRO M. , CURADO NUNO , LOUREIRO FILIPA , GODINO ALFONSO , SANTOS EDUARDO
Published: November 2012

Since the resources available for nature conservation tend to be very limited, localised conservation actions are often the only feasible management option. Therefore, we must select key areas where these actions will be most effective. Here we used Weighted Linear Combination (WLC) to integrate various variables in a GIS environment and identify key areas for implementing conservation actions benefiting Cinereous Vultures Aegypius monachusin south-east Portugal. Through a bibliographic search, we selected four main variables and sub-variables related to land use, food availability, disturbance and topography. These were weighted for their relative importance using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and combined using WLC to obtain suitability maps for the best nesting and foraging sites for Cinereous Vultures. Overall, the study areas show moderate to high suitability as foraging areas for the species, but only a few small patches seem suitable as nesting sites. The use of GIS-based decision support systems, such as WLC, together with an objective method for weighting variables, like the AHP, allows for the integration of large amounts of cartographic information into suitability maps that can easily be used to select key areas for conservation at the regional level.
Structural analysis of toad oviductal mucosa in relation to jelly components secretion throughout the reproductive cycle
Authors: Crespo Claudia Alejandra , Ramos Inés , Medina Marcela Fátima , Cisint Susana Beatriz , Iruzubieta Villagra Ana Lucrecia , Fernández Silvia Nélida
Published: November 2012

In amphibians, the components of the jelly coats that surround the oocytes at the time of fertilization and coordinate gamete interaction are secreted by the oviduct. We analysed the histological variations in the mucosa of the oviductal pars convoluta (PC) of Rhinella arenarum during the reproductive cycle and its relationship with secretion. During the preovulatory period, the mucosa reaches a high degree of morphological and functional development, with a large number of epithelial (ESC) and glandular secretory cells (GSC) loaded with contents that are secreted into the oviductal lumen. During the ovulatory period, the secretory cells (SC) of both layers present maximum secretory activity through apocrinia and merocrinia. While the ESC located at the tips of the folds release their content directly in contact with the oocytes, the GSC secrete material from the bottom of the epithelial folds that, by interaction with the secretion of the ESC in the lateral faces, form a product with a certain degree of organization. Secretion is a continuous process with formation of coats of increasing complexity from the intermediate proximal zone (IPZ) to the pars convoluta (pc) itself, and the passage of the oocyte is a requisite for the organization of the jelly coats around the gamete.

During the early postovulatory period, although there is a marked decrease in the number and volume of the SC, the ESC still release material into the oviductal lumen. In the late postovulatory period the morphological characteristics of the PC begin to recovery although there is no evidence of secretion.
DNA methylation pattern in mouse oocytes and theirin vitrofertilized early embryos: effect of oocyte vitrification
Authors: Liang Ying , Fu Xiang-Wei , Li Jun-Jie , Yuan Dian-Shuai , Zhu Shi-En
Published: November 2012

This study was conducted to investigate the pattern of DNA methylation in vitrified–thawed mouse oocytes and theirin vitrofertilized early embryos. Firstly, mouse oocytes at metaphase II (MII) stage of meiosis were allocated randomly into three groups: (1) untreated (control); (2) exposed to vitrification solution without being plunged into liquid nitrogen (toxicity); or (3) vitrified by open-pulled straw (OPS) method (vitrification). Oocytes from all three groups were fertilized subsequentlyin vitro. The level of DNA methylation in the MII oocytes and their early embryos was then examined by immunofluorescence using an anti-5-methylcytosine (anti-5-MeC) monoclonal antibody and fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-conjugated goat anti-mouse IgG. Developmental rates to 2-cell embryos (62.28%) and blastocysts (43.68%) of the vitrified–thawed oocytes were lower (P< 0.01) than those of fresh oocytes (81.47%, 61.99%) and vitrification solution treated (79.20%, 60.04%) oocytes. DNA methylation (as reflected by 5-MeC fluorescence intensity) in the vitrification group was less (P< 0.01) for MII oocyte and 2- to 8-cell stages compared with that in the control and toxicity groups. Accordingly, a reduction in global genomic methylation due to vitrification of MII oocytes may result in compromisedin vitrodevelopmental potential in early mouse embryos.
A Prospective Observational Analysis of Ambulation After Motor Vehicle Collisions
Authors: Merlin Mark A. , Ciccosanti Colleen , Saybolt Matthew D. , Bockoff Olivia , Mazzei Michael , Shiroff Adam
Published: November 2012

Objectives

Predicting injury patterns of patients based only on mechanism of injury is difficult and is well described in the literature. Characteristics of patients on-scene immediately following injury(ies) may lead to predicting injury patterns. Although reported frequently, the significance of victim ambulation after a motor vehicle crash is poorly understood. It was hypothesized that ambulation at the scene is not predictive of injury severity following a motor vehicle crash (MVC).

Methods

A prospective, cohort study of 117 consecutive injured patients who were ambulatory after MVCs were enrolled. Paramedics in a large urban Emergency Medical Services (EMS) system were mandated to document “ambulatory” or “nonambulatory” for motor vehicle collisions in order to complete their prehospital electronic medical records. This assured accuracy and completeness in the data collection. All charts were abstracted for trauma-induced injury and imaging results.

Results

A total of 608 (10.9%) persons were ambulatory at the scene, of which 284 had an injury pattern documented in the prehospital or emergency department record. The average age was 35.9 (SD = 16.8) years, and 158 (55.6%) were male. A total of 707 injuries were identified in the 284 patients who had sustained injuries.

Conclusions

Ambulation after motor vehicle collisions appears to be only infrequently associated with major injuries, although this population still may present with significant injuries. A larger, prospective study is warranted.

MerlinMA, CiccosantiC, SayboltMD, BockoffO, MazzeiM, ShiroffA. A prospective observational analysis of ambulation after motor vehicle collisions. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2013;28(1):1-3.
The Garden of Adumbrations: Reimagining environmental composition
Authors: Parmar Robin
Published: November 2012

R. Murray Schafer's soundscape, predicated on a schizophonic engagement with sound, and Pierre Schaeffer'smusique concrète, based on an acousmatic relationship, have for some time been the dominant approaches for those who wish to compose with sounds sourced from the environment. Following Brian Kane and Timothy Morton, this paper critiques the ideologies behind these systems, instead suggesting an approach that uses Deleuze and Guattari'srhizomeas a generative metaphor.The Garden of Adumbrations, a multi-channel electroacoustic piece, is used to illustrate several compositional possibilities: the tracing of place through subjectivity, the machinic phylum as emergent intelligence, the interplay between Katharine Norman's self-intended and composer-intended listening, and the encouragement ofaccidents of listening. Also discussed are Antonin Artaud's Body without Organs, conceptions of Nature and the garden, and Luc Ferrari'sPresque rien ou le lever du jour au bord de la mer. The goal is to develop an integrated and sustainable model of sonic practice that addresses the acousmatic while supporting an embedded and non-hierarchical relationship with our ecological milieu.
Voicing Nature in John Luther Adams's The Place Where You Go to Listen
Authors: Kinnear Tyler
Published: November 2012

John Luther Adams's The Place Where You Go to Listen (2006), a permanent sound-and-light installation at the Museum of the North in Fairbanks, Alaska, resonates strongly with the geography and ecology of the composer's place of residence. The audiovisual experience is generated through a computer programme that translates real-time data streams from geophysical events into sound and colour signals. The Place functions as an artistic mirror, absorbing data from natural phenomena and reflecting it back to the listener in a deliberately allusive way. As a result, those present are invited to raise their awareness to the ‘unheard vibrations’ of the natural world.

Upon entering the installation, the listener perceives an ongoing, harmonically dense hum. Through immersion, he or she notices change in both the location from which sounds project and the properties of audio and visual signals. Drawing on information theory, this article investigates the process whereby Adams renders scientific data into an audiovisual presentation as well as the role the composer and audience play in attributing meaning to this environmentally driven work. By examining the communicative layers of the installation and exploring the perceptual tendencies of the listener, we can better understand how The Place raises environmental awareness.
The Ecology of Listening while Looking in the Cinema: Reflective audioviewing in Gus Van Sant'sElephant
Authors: Jordan Randolph
Published: November 2012

This article argues that the state of spatial awareness engendered by the art of soundscape composition can be productively extended to the act of listening while looking in the cinema. Central to my argument is how Katharine Norman's concept ofreflective listeningin soundscape composition can be adapted toreflective audioviewingin the audiovisual context of film. Norman begins the process of intersecting film theory and the discourse of soundscape composition by appealing to famed Soviet filmmaker Sergei Eisenstein's theories of montage to illustrate how soundscape composition enables active listener engagement. I extend her discussion of Eisenstein to demonstrate how this filmmaker's thinking about sound/image synchronisation in the cinema – and R. Murray Schafer's own predilection for Eisensteinian dialectics – can be understood as a means towards the practice of reflective audioviewing. I illustrate my argument with an analysis of how the soundscape compositions of Hildegard Westerkamp have been incorporated into Gus Van Sant's filmElephant. Attention to the reflective qualities of Westerkamp's work open up new dimensions in our experience of the audiovisual construction of space in the film. Ultimately I argue that the reflective audioviewing prompted byElephantcan be carried into considerations of all films that make use of sound design for spatial representation.
Gender and number agreement in the oral production of Arabic Heritage speakers
Authors: ALBIRINI ABDULKAFI , BENMAMOUN ELABBAS , CHAKRANI BRAHIM
Published: November 2012

Heritage language acquisition has been characterized by various asymmetries, including the differential acquisition rates of various linguistic areas and the unbalanced acquisition of different categories within a single area. This paper examines Arabic heritage speakers’ knowledge of subject–verb agreement versus noun–adjective agreement with the aim of contrasting their distributions and exploring areas of resilience and vulnerability within Arabic heritage speech and their theoretical implications. Two oral-production experiments were carried out, one involving two picture-description tasks, and another requiring an elicited narrative. The results of the study show that subject–verb agreement morphology is more maintained than noun–adjective morphology. Moreover, the unmarked singular masculine default is more robust than the other categories in both domains and is often over-generalized to other marked categories. The results thus confirm the existence of these asymmetries. We propose that these asymmetries may not be explained by a single factor, but by a complex set of morphological, syntactic, semantic, and frequency-related factors.
Processing empty categories in a second language: When naturalistic exposure fills the (intermediate) gap
Authors: PLIATSIKAS CHRISTOS , MARINIS THEODOROS
Published: November 2012

An ongoing debate on second language (L2) processing revolves around whether or not L2 learners process syntactic information similarly to monolinguals (L1), and what factors lead to a native-like processing. According to the Shallow Structure Hypothesis (Clahsen & Felser, 2006a), L2 learners’ processing does not include abstract syntactic features, such as intermediate gaps of wh-movement, but relies more on lexical/semantic information. Other researchers have suggested that naturalistic L2 exposure can lead to native-like processing (Dussias, 2003). This study investigates the effect of naturalistic exposure in processing wh-dependencies. Twenty-six advanced Greek learners of L2 English with an average nine years of naturalistic exposure, 30 with classroom exposure, and 30 native speakers of English completed a self-paced reading task with sentences involving intermediate gaps. L2 learners with naturalistic exposure showed evidence of native-like processing of the intermediate gaps, suggesting that linguistic immersion can lead to native-like abstract syntactic processing in the L2.
On the nature of cross-linguistic transfer: A case study of Andean Spanish
Authors: MUNTENDAM ANTJE G.
Published: November 2012

This paper presents the results of a study on cross-linguistic transfer in Andean Spanish word order. In Andean Spanish the object appears in preverbal position more frequently than in non-Andean Spanish, which has been attributed to an influence from Quechua (a Subject–Object–Verb language). The high frequency of preverbal objects could be explained by focus fronting. The main syntactic properties of focus fronting in Spanish are weak crossover and long distance movement. Two elicitation studies designed to test for these properties in non-Andean Spanish, Andean Spanish and Quechua show no evidence of syntactic transfer from Quechua into Andean Spanish. Rather, the analysis of naturalistic data and an elicitation study on question–answer pairs show that there is pragmatic transfer from Quechua into Andean Spanish. The study has implications for theories of syntax and language contact, and especially for the debate on the nature of cross-linguistic transfer.
Translation ambiguity but not word class predicts translation performance
Authors: PRIOR ANAT , KROLL JUDITH F. , MACWHINNEY BRIAN
Published: November 2012

We investigated the influence of word class and translation ambiguity on cross-linguistic representation and processing. Bilingual speakers of English and Spanish performed translation production and translation recognition tasks on nouns and verbs in both languages. Words either had a single translation or more than one translation. Translation probability, as determined by normative data, was the strongest predictor of translation production and translation recognition, after controlling for psycholinguistic variables. Word class did not explain additional variability in translation performance, raising the possibility that previous findings of differences between nouns and verbs might be attributed to the greater translation ambiguity of verbs relative to nouns. Proficiency in the second language was associated with quicker and more successful production of translations for ambiguous words, and with more accurate recognition of translations for ambiguous words. Working memory capacity was related to the speed of recognizing low probability translations for ambiguous words. These results underscore the importance of considering translation ambiguity in research on bilingual lexical and conceptual knowledge.
Perception of front-of-pack labels according to social characteristics, nutritional knowledge and food purchasing habits
Authors: Méjean Caroline , Macouillard Pauline , Péneau Sandrine , Hercberg Serge , Castetbon Katia
Published: November 2012

Objective

To identify patterns of perception of front-of-pack (FOP) nutrition labels and to determine social factors, nutritional knowledge and attention to packaging features related to such patterns.

Design

Cross-sectional. Perception was measured using indicators of understanding and acceptability of three simple FOP labels (the ‘Green Tick’, the logo of the French Nutrition and Health Programme (PNNS logo) and ‘simple traffic lights’ (STL)) and two detailed formats (‘multiple traffic lights’ (MTL) and the ‘colour range’ logo (CR)). Associations of perception patterns with individual characteristics were examined using χ2 tests.

Setting

Data from the French NutriNet-Santé cohort study.

Subjects

A total of 38 763 adults.

Results

Four perception patterns emerged. Poorly educated individuals were most often found in groups favouring simple formats. The ‘favourable to CR’ group had a high rate of men and older persons. Poor nutritional knowledge was more frequent in the ‘favourable to STL’ group, while individuals with substantial knowledge were proportionally more numerous in the ‘favourable to MTL’ group. The ‘favourable to STL’ group more frequently self-reported noting price and marketing characteristics during purchasing, while the ‘favourable to MTL’ and ‘favourable to CR’ groups declared more interest in nutritional information. The ‘favourable to Green Tick and PNNS logo’ group self-reported paying closer attention to claims and quality guarantee labels.

Conclusions

The ‘favourable to MTL’ cluster was most frequently represented in our survey. However, simple FOP formats may be most appropriate for increasing awareness of healthy eating among targeted groups with poor nutritional knowledge and little interest in the nutritional quality of packaged foods.
Assessment of the dining environment on and near the campuses of fifteen post-secondary institutions
Authors: Horacek Tanya M , Erdman Maria B , Byrd-Bredbenner Carol , Carey Gale , Colby Sarah M , Greene Geoffrey W , Guo Wen , Kattelmann Kendra K , Olfert Melissa , Walsh Jennifer , White Adrienne B
Published: November 2012

Objective

The present study evaluated the restaurant and dining venues on and near post-secondary campuses varying in institution size.

Design

The Nutrition Environment Measures Survey for Restaurants (NEMS-R) was modified to evaluate restaurants as fast food, sit down and fast casual; and campus dining venues as dining halls, student unions and snack bar/cafés. ANOVA withpost hocTukey'sBandTtests were used to distinguish differences between dining venues and associated institutions by size.

Setting

The study was conducted at fifteen US post-secondary institutions, 2009–2011.

Subjects

Data presented are from a sample of 175 restaurants and sixty-eight on-campus dining venues.

Results

There were minimal differences in dining halls by institution size, although medium-sized institutions as compared with small-sized institutions offered significantly more healthful side dish/salad bar items. Dining halls scored significantly higher than student unions or snack bar/cafés on healthful entrées, side dish/salad bar and beverages offerings, but they also had the most barriers to healthful dietary habits (i.e. all-you-can-eat). No differences were found by restaurant type for NEMS-R scores for total restaurant dining environment or healthful entrées and barriers. Snack bars had more healthful side dishes (P= 0·002) and fast-food restaurants had the highest level of facilitators (i.e. nutrition information;P= 0·002).

Conclusions

Based on this evaluation in fifteen institutions, the full campus dining environment provides limited support for healthy eating and obesity prevention. The quality of campus dining environments can be improved via healthful offerings, providing nutrition information and other supports to facilitate healthy eating and prevent unwanted weight gain.
ON DIVISIBILITY OF BINOMIAL COEFFICIENTS
Authors: SUN ZHI-WEI
Published: November 2012

In this paper, motivated by Catalan numbers and higher-order Catalan numbers, we study factors of products of at most two binomial coefficients.
ON THE EQUATION f(g(x))=f(x)hm(x) FOR COMPOSITE POLYNOMIALS
Authors: GANGULI HIMADRI , JANKAUSKAS JONAS
Published: November 2012

In this paper we solve the equation f(g(x))=f(x)hm(x) where f(x), g(x) and h(x) are unknown polynomials with coefficients in an arbitrary field K, f(x) is nonconstant and separable, deg g≥2, the polynomial g(x) has nonzero derivative g′(x)≠0 in K[x] and the integer m≥2 is not divisible by the characteristic of the field K. We prove that this equation has no solutions if deg f≥3 . If deg f=2 , we prove that m=2 and give all solutions explicitly in terms of Chebyshev polynomials. The Diophantine applications for such polynomials f(x) , g(x) , h(x) with coefficients in ℚ or ℤ are considered in the context of the conjecture of Cassaigne et al. on the values of Liouville’s λ function at points f(r) , r∈ℚ.
Pharmacological insights into the role of P2X4 receptors in behavioural regulation: lessons from ivermectin
Authors: Bortolato Marco , Yardley Megan M. , Khoja Sheraz , Godar Sean C. , Asatryan Liana , Finn Deborah A. , Alkana Ronald L. , Louie Stan G. , Davies Daryl L.
Published: November 2012

Purinergic ionotropic P2X receptors are a family of cation-permeable channels that bind extracellular adenosine 5′-triphosphate. In particular, convergent lines of evidence have recently highlighted P2X4 receptors as a potentially critical target in the regulation of multiple nervous and behavioural functions, including pain, neuroendocrine regulation and hippocampal plasticity. Nevertheless, the role of the P2X4 receptor in behavioural organization remains poorly investigated. To study the effects of P2X4 activation, we tested the acute effects of its potent positive allosteric modulator ivermectin (IVM, 2.5–10 mg/kg i.p.) on a broad set of paradigms capturing complementary aspects of perceptual, emotional and cognitive regulation in mice. In a novel open field, IVM did not induce significant changes in locomotor activity, but increased the time spent in the peripheral zone. In contrast, IVM produced anxiolytic-like effects in the elevated plus maze and marble burying tasks, as well as depression-like behaviours in the tail-suspension and forced swim tests. The agent induced no significant behavioural changes in the conditioned place preference test and in the novel object recognition task. Finally, the drug induced a dose-dependent decrease in sensorimotor gating, as assessed by pre-pulse inhibition (PPI) of the acoustic startle reflex. In P2X4 knockout mice, the effects of IVM in the open field and elevated plus maze were similar to those observed in wild type mice; conversely, the drug significantly increased startle amplitude and failed to reduce PPI. Taken together, these results suggest that P2X4 receptors may play a role in the regulation of sensorimotor gating.
Gale crater: the Mars Science Laboratory/Curiosity Rover Landing Site
Authors: Wray James J.
Published: November 2012

Gale crater formed from an impact on Mars ∼3.6 billion years ago. It hosts a central mound nearly 100 km wide and ∼5 km high, consisting of layered rocks with a variety of textures and spectral properties. The oldest exposed layers contain variably hydrated sulphates and smectite clay minerals, implying an aqueous origin, whereas the younger layers higher on the mound are covered by a mantle of dust. Fluvial channels carved into the crater walls and the lower mound indicate that surface liquids were present during and after deposition of the mound material. Numerous hypotheses have been advocated for the origin of some or all minerals and layers in the mound, ranging from deep lakes to playas to mostly dry dune fields to airfall dust or ash subjected to only minor alteration driven by snowmelt. The complexity of the mound suggests that multiple depositional and diagenetic processes are represented in the materials exposed today. Beginning in August 2012, the Mars Science Laboratory rover Curiosity will explore Gale crater by ascending the mound's northwestern flank, providing unprecedented new detail on the evolution of environmental conditions and habitability over many millions of years during which the mound strata accumulated.
The Big Society in China: A Failed Experiment
Authors: Lei Jie , Walker Alan
Published: November 2012

From 1988 the Chinese Government pursued a policy of ‘small government, big society’. The policy was determined at the highest level and, after a pilot study in Hainan Province, was implemented vigorously in a series of political reforms. It was the chief political dimension of the economic restructuring which led from state ownership of enterprises to the so-called socialist market. Like its economic counterpart, it reflected China's adoption of neo-liberal ideology. The aims were to encourage both civil society and the private market to provide social welfare and, thereby, to restrict demands on public expenditure. However, it failed to realise these goals and was recently replaced by a more state oriented approach. The article discusses the Chinese big society project and, specifically, examines why it was introduced, what it consisted of, its impact on social welfare, the criticisms it attracted and its recent changes in nature. The article concludes by considering some possible lessons for the UK Coalition Governments’ big society project and any similar initiatives attempted in other countries.
Attitudes, beliefs and perceptions regarding truth disclosure of cancer-related information in the Middle East: A review
Authors: Khalil Rami Bou
Published: November 2012

The aim of this review is to evaluate the current status concerning attitudes, beliefs and/or practices of patients, family members, health professionals and/or caregivers regarding truth disclosure about a cancer diagnosis in the Greater Middle East countries. A search was done via MedLine for all publications related to this review objective. 55 publications were included emanating from Egypt, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Palestine Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and United Arab Emirates. In the Greater Middle East region, a diagnosis of cancer is still mixed with social stigma and misperceptions related to incurability. Physicians conserve a truth disclosure policy in which from one side they respect some of the historical and cultural misperceptions about cancer and accordingly, tell the truth about cancer to one of the family members and from another side acknowledge the patients' right to know the truth and tend to disclose it for him(or her) when possible. Family members and caregivers' attitudes, perceptions and beliefs about telling the truth to the patient seem to be in favor of concealment. Discrepant results concerning physicians' and patients' evaluation of the quality of truth disclosure exist in the literature. Education programs in breaking bad news are lacking in many countries. Finally, the most important and common problem affecting truth disclosure to a patient suffering from cancer is the lack of codes and legislations concerning the patients' rights in an informed consent. Studies, legislations and training programs are needed in this domain in Middle Eastern societies.
Genetic diversity among accessions of Solanum aethiopicum L. groups based on morpho-agronomic traits
Authors: Adeniji O. T. , Kusolwa P. M. , Reuben S. O. W. M.
Published: November 2012

Solanum aethiopicum L. is indigenous to Africa and constitutes an important vegetable. Morpho-agronomic traits were used to study diversity among 44 accessions of S. aethiopicum groups to identify traits of high discriminatory ability and donor parents with specific or multiple traits for introgression and utilization in breeding programmes. Field experiments were conducted from 2008 to 2010. The principal component (PC) analysis of morpho-agronomic data indicated high discriminatory ability for fruit calyx length, fruit length and leaf length. On PC1, fruit length showed positive and significant correlation coefficients with leaf length, fruit calyx length and width. An independent association was recorded among fruit width, fruits per infructescence and seed yield (t/ha). Ordination (biplot) and grouping (dendrogram) revealed genetic variation and relatedness, phenotypic plasticity and geographical heterogeneity among the accessions within and among the clusters. Members of cluster 1 (group ‘c’) are a promising donor parent for multiple traits (earliness and fruit length), and members of group ‘b’ are superior for fruits per plant, fruits per infructescence and fruit infructescence per plant. Hybridization among distant clusters would provide an opportunity for bringing together gene constellations of diverse background. Earliness and fruit length were highly variable among the S. aethiopicum groups. The results are important for the breeding and selection of this crop.
Revisiting the Principle of Non-Intervention: A Structural Principle of International Law or a Political Obstacle to Regional Security in Asia?
Authors: NASU Hitoshi
Published: November 2012

The principle of non-intervention remains a significant legal issue, particularly in Asia, for regional efforts to address a wide range of transnational security issues in the absence of a regional collective security mechanism. This article revisits the principle of non-intervention with a particular focus on the application and interpretation of the principle by Asian states for the purpose of identifying whether and in what respect an Asian approach or approaches can be found, and considering its implications for regional efforts to address transnational security issues. This article finds that the emerging regional norm of comprehensive security requires clear demarcation between the principle of non-intervention and the norm of comprehensive security, as well as an institutionalized mechanism to ensure that regional efforts to address transnational security issues are not used as a disguised form of intervention and that the fear of intervention does not impede those regional efforts.
Three‐dimensional flow in centered pool‐riffle sequences
Authors: Rodríguez José F. , García Carlos M. , García Marcelo H.
Published: November 2012

Key Points

Detailed 3D velocity measurements on pools/riffles show stage‐dependent patterns

Stage‐dependent patterns include jets, convergence/divergence and rotating cells

Stage‐dependent patterns affect spatial flow variability and self‐maintenance
Geomagnetic jerks as chaotic fluctuations of the Earth's magnetic field
Authors: Qamili E. , De Santis A. , Isac A. , Mandea M. , Duka B. , Simonyan A.
Published: November 2012

The geomagnetic field is chaotic and can be characterized by a mean exponential time scale < τ > after which it is no longer predictable. It is also ergodic, so time analyses can substitute the more difficult phase space analyses. Taking advantage of these two properties of the Earth's magnetic field, a scheme of processing global geomagnetic models in time is presented, to estimate fluctuations of the time scale τ. Here considering that the capability to predict the geomagnetic field is reduced over periods of geomagnetic jerks, we propose a method to detect these events over a long time span. This approach considers that epochs characterized by relative minima of fluctuations in time scale τ, i.e., those periods when a geomagnetic field is less predictable, are possible jerk occurrence dates. We analyze the last 400 years of the geomagnetic field (covered by the Gufm1 model) to detect minima of fluctuations, i.e., epochs characterized by low values of the time scale. Most of the well known jerks are confirmed through this method and a few others have been suggested. Finally, we also identify some short periods when the field is less chaotic (more predictable) than usual, naming these periods assteady state geomagnetic regime, to underline their opposite behavior with respect to jerks.