bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Sources and Methods of Intelligence Studies
Authors: Wirtz James J.
Published: September 2010

“Sources and methods” is a term often used to describe the practice of intelligence collection and analysis. Intelligence sources and the nature of information obtained vary. Intelligence sources may include information obtained from espionage, images obtained by satellites, intercepted communications, and publicly available media reporting. The nature of information may vary, from purloined documents to the “signature” of a ship's radar. The term “methods,” which is synonymous with “tradecraft,” pertains to the techniques used by operations officers and analysts to carry out their duties. Methods may include social-science methodologies, computer-based analytic tools, maintaining secretive communications, and so on. Intelligence agencies worldwide strive to protect their “sources and methods” because they are crucial to the success of ongoing and future operations and analysis, and a, comprise of the ways they collect and analyze information can give opponents a keen appreciation of their overall capabilities and interests. In the advent of globalization, the barriers are dissolved between foreign and domestic violence activities, including the ways local and national law enforcement and intelligence agencies work. Distinctions between private and public interests and entities are also blurred as activities in the public and private sphere interact to shape domestic and international threats. Apart from globalization, the advent of information revolution has also changed the practice and study of intelligence. Policymakers, analysts, and scholars are now confronted with a torrent of data and information as well as the virtual realities of “cyberspace.” New collective workspaces, which are empowered by the advancement in communication and computer technologies, are also creating new opportunities for collaboration. This article discusses three emerging topics in the study and practice of intelligence in such a way to illustrate the emerging sources and methods of intelligence studies. These new emerging topics are: the intelligence for homeland security, the concept of collective intelligence, and the application of intelligence and warning methodologies to mitigate risk.
The Rise and Fall of the CIA
Authors: Jeffreys-Jones Rhodri
Published: September 2010

The Central Intelligence System was founded in 1947. Its rise was the result of the adoption of a doctrine on central intelligence. Once established, the agency achieved ascendancy in the intelligence community, acquired reputation for its successful covert operations, and developed an effective U.S. analytical capability. The agency became one of the most reputed institutions in the government circle and became the icon of American culture. However, the rise of the CIA was not devoid of failures. In the early twenty-first century, the CIA lost its former high standing. This fall of the CIA may be traced to a number of setbacks and difficulties such as: the Bay of Pigs disaster that failed to liberate Cuba from communism; the disclosures about its assassination policy, manipulation of intelligence, and malpractices; and the failure to predict the 9/11 attack and the creation of weapons of mass destruction. This article discusses the rise and fall of the CIA from its founding in 1947 to its golden years in the 1950s and to its troubled years in the 1960s. The article also discusses some of the revelations on the CIA which shocked the American nation. It also discusses the victory of the CIA during the Cold War and the reforms undertaken by the agency following the Aldrich Ames incident and following the many criticisms hurtled against the agency. The article concludes with the declining ascendancy of the CIA. The decline of the CIA rested in the agency's loss of standing. It had relinquished its ascendancy over and its independence within the intelligence community. While its capabilities remained, it is a fallen agency in the sense that its analyses now fell on unsympathetic ears.
British Strategic Intelligence and the Cold War
Authors: Scott Len
Published: September 2010

Strategic intelligence was a term developed by the early pioneers of “classical intelligence theory” in the United States who combined their academic perspectives with active involvement in the development of the American intelligence community. The term entered the lexicon of intelligence studies in the United States while in Britain, the pioneering academic studies of intelligence made only fleeting reference to them. While there is an informed debate and a degree of openness on the issues of intelligence in the United States, Britain tackled the lessons of intelligence within the narrow walls of Whitehall. This article is a survey of the themes and issues in the study of British strategic intelligence. It discusses the evolution of the British strategic intelligence and intelligence historiography during the Cold War. It also discusses how British strategic intelligence coped with the war within the context of Whitehall and the Joint Intelligence Committee.
Competitive Analysis: Techniques for Better Gauging Enemy Political Intentions and Military Capabilities
Authors: Russell Richard L.
Published: September 2010

This article reviews the calls for competitive analysis from outside reviews of American intelligence performances. It evaluates the major competitive analytic techniques and some of the efforts by the American intelligence community in putting them to practice. The article also discusses the difficult bureaucratic, intellectual, cultural, and human collection hurdles that can pose a constraint on effective competitive analysis practices in the American intelligence community. The article concludes with some recommendations for better and competitive analysis under the auspices of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI).
Leadership in an Intelligence Organization: The Directors of Central Intelligence and the CIA
Authors: Robarge David
Published: September 2010

For over six decades, the directors of the Central Intelligence (DCI) and the directors of Central Intelligence Agency (DCIA) have headed the world's most important intelligence agency and, until 2005, overseen the most sophisticated, largest, and most productive set of intelligence services. The establishment of the position of the director and the CIA under the law in 1947 was aimed to help avoid the another Pearl Harbor attack by taking strategic intelligence functions from separate departments and elevating them to the national level. The director was to have been the only adviser to the president with the institutional capability of presenting him with unbiased and non-departmental intelligence. The phrases in the National Security Act, however, only gave the director the potential to be leader of the intelligence community. Whether a director came close to being one was a result of the interplay of politics, personalities, and world events. With the line of authority only over the CIA, the director depended upon his powers of bureaucratic persuasion and his political clout at the White House to be heard and heeded. This article focuses on the directors of Central Intelligence and their leadership role in the intelligence organization. It discusses the profiles of the directors, their impact, their leadership typology, and their successes as directors of the intelligence community.
The Challenges of Counterintelligence
Authors: Redmond Paul J.
Published: September 2010

This article discusses counterintelligence and the challenges faced by the U.S. counterintelligence. The article begins by defining counterintelligence. Counterintelligence is the method of gathering information and performing activities to identify, deceive, exploit, disrupt, or protect against espionage, other intelligence activities, sabotage, or assassination conducted for or on behalf of foreign powers, organizations, or persons or their agents, or international terrorist organizations or activities. The discussion then proceeds to the various aspects of counterintelligence. It discusses counterintelligence as a counterespionage and as an asset validation. The third section discusses the purposes and techniques of running operations against the opposition in order to control their activities, misinform them, or get them to reveal their operational techniques and capabilities. The fourth section discusses counterintelligence as a tradecraft while the fifth section focuses on counterintelligence as a means for recruiting counterintelligence sources. The final section discusses the developing issues and challenges in counterintelligence.
Covert Action, Pentagon Style
Authors: Kibbe Jennifer D.
Published: September 2010

Until September 11, 2001, covert action has long been the province of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center have not only given Washington a new enemy but changed its conception of how to fight the enemy. The change in the conception of fighting the enemy led to the newfound emphasis on Special Operations Forces (SOF). And since 9/11, the SOF's resources have increased dramatically and SOF has become an increasingly important weapon in the U.S. national security arsenal. This article attempts to draw the disparate strands in covert action together while mapping the way forward for future research. It also discusses the nature of SOF and the various sources of confusion in analyzing them. It also discusses the myriad ways in which the SOF's size and authority have expanded since the September 11 attack and considers the different types of risks that are posed by the expansion. The article concludes with a discussion on the future directions that research in the field should take.
Covert Action: United States Law in Substance, Process, and Practice
Authors: Baker James E.
Published: September 2010

This article discusses covert action within the context of the U.S. law. The first section describes the main elements of the U.S. legal regime, including the definition of covert action and the “traditional activity” exceptions, the elements of a covert action finding, and the thresholds and requirements for congressional notification. The second section describes some of the significant limitations on the conduct of covert action. The third section discusses the nature of executive branch legal practice in this area of the law. And the last section draws conclusions about the role of national security law within the context of covert action.
Intelligence and the Law in the United Kingdom
Authors: Leigh Ian
Published: September 2010

This article discusses the legal framework within which security and intelligence agencies operate in the United Kingdom. It first discusses the legislative charters of the three main agencies. Following the discussion on the legislative charters of the Security Service (M15), the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS or M16), and the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), the article discusses the accountability these three agencies to the ministers, Parliament, and the judiciary. The article concludes with a discussion on the significant impact of human rights standards upon the agencies's work and current and future trends.
The Politics of Intelligence Accountability
Authors: Hastedt Glenn
Published: September 2010

Accountability is one of the core concepts in a democratic order. Accountability means to have an obligation to explain and justify one's actions. Contained within the straightforward obligation to explain and justify one's actions are a series interrelated sets of questions that transform the concept of accountability into a political question in which the targets of accountability, the standards employed, the identity of those making accountability judgments, and the purpose of the accountability inquiry are all contested. In short, they are political questions. This article discusses the various questions contained in the concept of accountability. It also examines how these questions relate to intelligence accountability. The article ends with a discussion on the resulting contextual and political nature of intelligence accountability.
Introduction: Regulation—the Field and the Developing Agenda
Authors: Baldwin Robert , Cave Martin , Lodge Martin
Published: September 2010

This text seeks to highlight the growing importance of the language, practice, and study of regulation for contemporary social life, to show how the theory and practice of regulation have developed through a process of continuous interaction, to explore key themes in the study and practice of regulation, to assess developments, and to suggest how these trajectories will develop in the future. The challenge for this book is not only to account for this broadening and maturation of interest, but also to illustrate how regulation has remained a moving target, both in the fields of practice and study, for the past three decades. The very concept of regulation has evolved so that study in this area is no longer confined to the examination of dedicated ‘command’ regimes that are designed to offer continuing and direct control over an area of economic life.
The Regulatory State
Authors: Yeung Karen
Published: September 2010

This article examines the main features of the regulatory state and considers some of the explanations that seek to account for its emergence. It begins by exploring the core characteristics that are claimed to define the regulatory state, focusing on changes in institutional form, functional mission, and policy instruments employed by the state to guide and stimulate economic and social activity. Secondly, it considers some of the explanations that have been offered to explain its emergence. Thirdly, it explores the paths of regulatory development in two other locations that are frequently labelled as regulatory states — the USA and the UK. Accordingly, the fourth section of this article touches upon various attempts to reconcile the apparent tension between the image of regulation as a technocratic, apolitical process in pursuit of economic efficiency, and recognition that regulatory decisions invariably have political dimensions, and therefore require democratic legitimation.
The Role of Risk in Regulatory Processes
Authors: Black Julia
Published: September 2010

This article explores the role that risk plays in different parts of the regulatory process, in order to evaluate the extent to which risk has become an ‘organising principle’ of governance and its implications. This article focuses more specifically on the role that risk plays in constituting, framing, and structuring regulation and regulatory processes, and analyses some of the key themes of the broader risk literature in this context. It argues that risk currently plays four main roles in regulation: providing an object of regulation; justifying regulation; constituting and framing regulatory organisations and regulatory procedures; and framing accountability relationships. This article explores each of these roles. It suggests that in each case, the role of ‘risk’ serves to destabilise decision-making, leading governments and regulators to attempts to find stability through attempts to rationalise processes and procedures, attempts which are often unsuccessful due to the inherent nature of risk itself.
Health
Authors: Freeman Richard , Rothgang Heinz
Published: September 2010

This article focuses on the public aspects of health systems, on the ways in which concerns for health and health care are expressed in politics and policy. It first reviews the origins and development of health policy in the modern state, pointing to the different ways that development has been understood by welfare state scholars. It then discusses the different standard forms of health system, describing the ways health care is paid for, provided, and regulated in advanced industrial countries, and comments on the emergence of a new domain of international and global health. It takes the United Kingdom, Germany, and the United States as archetypes of respective systems in regulation patterns. International health issues are interesting not least because they cut across the logic of comparison.
Effect of the Coenzymes NAD(P)(H) in Straight‐Dough Breadmaking on Protein Properties and Loaf Volume
Authors: Joye Iris J. , Shang Jingya , Brijs Kristof , Delcour Jan A.
Published: September 2010

The nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide coenzymes [NAD(P)(H)] are strong redox agents naturally present in wheat flour, and are indispensable cofactors in many redox reactions. Hence, it is not inconceivable that they affect gluten cross‐linking during breadmaking. We investigated the effect of increasing concentrations of NAD(P)(H) on gluten cross‐linking, dough properties, and bread volume using two flours of different breadmaking quality. Separate addition of the four nicotinamide coenzymes did not significantly affect mixograph properties. While addition of NAD+ hardly affected bread volume, supplementation with NADP(H) and NADH significantly decreased loaf volumes of breads made using flour of high breadmaking quality. Wheat flour incubation with NAD(P)H under anaerobic conditions increased wheat flour thiol content, while NAD(P)+ increased the extractability in SDS‐containing medium of the protein of the strong breadmaking flour. Based on the results, it was hypothesized that at least three reactions, competing for NAD(P)(H), occur during breadmaking that determine the final effect on protein, dough, and loaf properties. Next to coenzyme hydrolysis, the experiments pointed to coenzyme oxidation and NAD(P)(H) dependent redox reactions affecting protein properties.
Baking Gradients Cause Heterogeneity in Starch and Proteins in Pound Cake
Authors: Wilderjans E. , Kerckhofs G. , Lagrain B. , Brijs K. , Wevers M. , Delcour J. A.
Published: September 2010

We investigated the impact of temperature and moisture gradients on starch gelatinization and egg denaturation, and on protein extractabilities during cake baking. Differences in crumb structure in the center, top, and bottom zones of cake as measured with X‐ray microfocus‐computed tomography were successfully related to the moment at which starch gelatinized and protein aggregated during baking, which stiffened the cell walls. The temperature in the top and bottom zones of cake increased faster than in the center of the cake due to facilitated heat transfer. This resulted in lower water availability in top and bottom zones, leading to incomplete gelatinization of starch after baking in these zones. In the top zone, extended starch gelatinization and protein polymerization led to later cell wall formation, resulting in a broader cell size distribution. The bottom zone of cake reached the highest temperatures during baking with more substantial starch gelatinization and egg denaturation within the first 25 min of baking. During the final 20 min of baking, little if any change in gelatinization enthalpy and protein extractability was found due to the very low water availability in this region. The bottom zone of the crumb showed a broader cell wall size distribution, which was associated with more collapse. All in all, the results illustrate that cake crumb is not a homogeneous material.
Influence of pH on Structure and Function of Amaranth (Amaranthus hypochondriacus) Protein Isolates
Authors: Abugoch Lilian E. , Martínez Nora E. , Añón María Cristina
Published: September 2010

Structural and functional properties of two amaranth protein isolates as a function of pH were studied. Isolates, A9 and A11, were obtained by alkaline extraction at pH 9 and 11, respectively. Gel filtration chromatograms of A9 and A11 showed similar profiles. The A11 isolate contained mainly albumins and globulins, and a small proportion of globulin‐P aggregates, suggesting the presence of species with a higher degree of denaturation compared to A9. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) showed that A9 was characterized by two thermal transitions (65.8 and 98°C); A11 exhibited only a small endotherm (66.6°C) and a second, less defined one. DSC analysis of A9 at pH 2–4 did not show endotherms, but at pH 5, some protein structures were observed. A11 showed a greater degree of denaturation. FPLC results showed that the proteins in A9 are more folded and their conformation is closer to the native state than those in A11, which are more unfolded due to pH‐mediated denaturation, mainly in acid media. The surface hydrophobicity of the isolates in acid media was lower than in alkaline media. The fluorescence emission spectra of the isolates showed differences in acidic pH conditions. As expected, the highest solubility was at alkaline pH. The water‐holding capacity was similar for both isolates. The water‐imbibing capacity and speed of foaming was higher for A11 than for A9. In summary, intense pH treatment of amaranth isolates generated partial or total protein denaturation and differences in the functional properties.
Variation in Kernel Hardness and Associated Traits in U.S. Barley Breeding Lines
Authors: Nair S. , Ullrich S. E. , Blake T. K. , Cooper B. , Griffey C. A. , Hayes P. M. , Hole D. J. , Horsley R. D. , Obert D. E. , Smith K. P. , Muehlbauer G. J. , Baik B.‐K.
Published: September 2010

Kernel hardness is an important trait influencing postharvest handling, processing, and food product quality in cereal grains. Though well‐characterized in wheat, the basis of kernel hardness is still not completely understood in barley. Kernels of 959 barley breeding lines were evaluated for hardness using the Single Kernel Characterization System (SKCS). Barley lines exhibited a broad range of hardness index (HI) values at 30.1–91.9. Distribution of kernel diameter and weight were 1.7–2.9 mm and 24.9–53.7 mg, respectively. The proportion of hull was 10.2–20.7%. From the 959 breeding lines, 10 hulled spring barley lines differing in HI values (30.1–91.2) were selected to study the associations of HI with proportion of hull, kernel weight, diameter, vitreousness, protein, β‐glucan, and amylose content. Vitreousness, evaluated visually using a light box, showed a clear distinction between hard and soft kernels. Hard kernels appeared translucent, while soft kernels appeared opaque when illuminated from below on the light box. Kernel brightness (L*), determined as an indicator of kernel vitreousness, showed a significant negative correlation (r = –0.83, P < 0.01) with HI. Protein, β‐glucan, amylose content, proportion of hull, kernel weight, and diameter did not show any significant association with HI.
ATP is required for interactions between UAP56 and two conserved mRNA export proteins, Aly and CIP29, to assemble the TREX complex
Authors: Dufu Kobina , Livingstone Michaela J. , Seebacher Jan , Gygi Steven P. , Wilson Stuart A. , Reed Robin
Published: September 2010

The conserved TREX mRNA export complex is known to contain UAP56, Aly, Tex1, and the THO complex. Here, we carried out proteomic analysis of immunopurified human TREX complex and identified the protein CIP29 as the only new component with a clear yeast relative (known as Tho1). Tho1 is known to function in mRNA export, and we provide evidence that CIP29 likewise functions in this process. Like the known TREX components, a portion of CIP29 localizes in nuclear speckle domains, and its efficient recruitment to mRNA is both splicing- and cap-dependent. We show that UAP56 mediates an ATP-dependent interaction between the THO complex and both CIP29 and Aly, indicating that TREX assembly is ATP-dependent. Using recombinant proteins expressed in Escherichia coli, we show that UAP56, Aly, and CIP29 form an ATP-dependent trimeric complex, and UAP56 bridges the interaction between CIP29 and Aly. We conclude that the interaction of two conserved export proteins, CIP29 and Aly, with UAP56 is strictly regulated by ATP during assembly of the TREX complex.
G protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 promotes high-level Hedgehog signaling by regulating the active state of Smo through kinase-dependent and kinase-independent mechanisms in Drosophila
Authors: Chen Yongbin , Li Shuang , Tong Chao , Zhao Yun , Wang Bing , Liu Yajuan , Jia Jianhang , Jiang Jin
Published: September 2010

G protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 (Gprk2/GRK2) plays a conserved role in modulating Hedgehog (Hh) pathway activity, but its mechanism of action remains unknown. Here we provide evidence that Gprk2 promotes high-level Hh signaling by regulating Smoothened (Smo) conformation through both kinase-dependent and kinase-independent mechanisms. Gprk2 promotes Smo activation by phosphorylating Smo C-terminal tail (C-tail) at Ser741/Thr742, which is facilitated by PKA and CK1 phosphorylation at adjacent Ser residues. In addition, Gprk2 forms a dimer/oligomer and binds Smo C-tail in a kinase activity-independent manner to stabilize the active Smo conformation, and promotes dimerization/oligomerization of Smo C-tail. Gprk2 expression is induced by Hh signaling, and Gprk2/Smo interaction is facilitated by PKA/CK1-mediated phosphorylation of Smo C-tail. Thus, Gprk2 forms a positive feedback loop and acts downstream from PKA and CK1 to facilitate high-level Hh signaling by promoting the active state of Smo through direct phosphorylation and molecular scaffolding.
Molecular genetics of prostate cancer: new prospects for old challenges
Authors: Shen Michael M. , Abate-Shen Cory
Published: September 2010

Despite much recent progress, prostate cancer continues to represent a major cause of cancer-related mortality and morbidity in men. Since early studies on the role of the androgen receptor that led to the advent of androgen deprivation therapy in the 1940s, there has long been intensive interest in the basic mechanisms underlying prostate cancer initiation and progression, as well as the potential to target these processes for therapeutic intervention. Here, we present an overview of major themes in prostate cancer research, focusing on current knowledge of principal events in cancer initiation and progression. We discuss recent advances, including new insights into the mechanisms of castration resistance, identification of stem cells and tumor-initiating cells, and development of mouse models for preclinical evaluation of novel therapuetics. Overall, we highlight the tremendous research progress made in recent years, and underscore the challenges that lie ahead.
A unique H3K4me2 profile marks tissue-specific gene regulation
Authors: Pekowska Aleksandra , Benoukraf Touati , Ferrier Pierre , Spicuglia Salvatore
Published: September 2010

Characterization of the epigenetic landscape fundamentally contributes toward deciphering the regulatory mechanisms that govern gene expression. However, despite an increasing flow of newly generated data, no clear pattern of chromatin modifications has so far been linked to specific modes of transcriptional regulation. Here, we used high-throughput genomic data from CD4+ T lymphocytes to provide a comprehensive analysis of histone H3 lysine 4 dimethylation (H3K4me2) enrichment in genomic regions surrounding transcriptional start sites (TSSs). We discovered that a subgroup of genes linked to T cell functions displayed high levels of H3K4me2 within their gene body, in sharp contrast to the TSS-centered profile typical of housekeeping genes. Analysis of additional chromatin modifications and DNase I hypersensitive sites (DHSS) revealed a combinatorial chromatin signature characteristic of this subgroup. We propose that this epigenetic feature reflects the activity of an as yet unrecognized, intragenic cis-regulatory platform dedicated to refining tissue-specificity in gene expression.
Probing the NASA Generic Transport Aircraft in Real-Time for Health Monitoring
Authors: Wu N. Eva , Ruschmann Matthew Charles , Huang Jianzhuang , Huang Kun
Published: September 2010

This brief paper describes the development of a pulse compression probing algorithm for real-time monitoring of nonlinear dynamic systems. The probing outputs of a system being monitored are estimates of the sequences of Markov parameters at the current operating point. By imposing signal to noise ratios at both the controlled outputs and the probing outputs, the probing inputs are designed to be non-intrusive and with the intention that the resulting probing outputs are unaffected by other applied signals to the system. The probing algorithm is implemented on a Virtex-5 field-programmable gate-array evaluation platform to expedite real-time processing, and is applied to monitoring the health of the NASA Generic Transport Aircraft Model (GTM). Samples of probing output residuals are evaluated using the Hotelling'sT2-test for change detection when significant noise is present in the system. This brief paper focuses its discussion on the method of rapid collection of independent samples to reduce detection delay.
Variations in NHL Attendance: The Impact of Violence, Scoring, and Regional Rivalries
Authors: Paul Rodney J.
Published: September 2010

In recent years the National Hockey League (NHL) has put policies in place to boost attendance. Specifically, these changes have been to curb violence, increase scoring, and move to an unbalanced schedule featuring more games against regional rivals. This research looks at variations in game‐to‐game attendance in the NHL, focusing on these policy changes. It is found that violence, specifically fighting, tends to attract fans in large numbers across the United States and Canada. Surprisingly, increases in scoring, ceteris paribus, tend to depress attendance. The change in scheduling by the NHL, however, has been a success, with divisional rivals increasing attendance in U.S. cities and additional contests against other Canadian teams increasing attendance in Canada.
Composition and structure of reef fish communities in Paraíba State, north‐eastern Brazil
Authors: Honório P. P. F. , Ramos R. T. C. , Feitoza B. M.
Published: September 2010

The composition and trophic structure of reef fish communities in two natural and two artificial reefs along the coast of Paraíba State in north‐eastern Brazil were investigated. A total of 114 species of fish belonging to 47 families were recorded during 120 stationary visual surveys, slightly less than half (46·55%) of which were recorded at all four surveyed localities. Most species are widely distributed on the western Atlantic coast, but several are endemic to Brazil. The greatest diversity and equitability indexes were recorded at the reefs of Sapatas and Cabeço dos Cangulos, whereas the greatest richness and abundance were found at the Queimado shipwreck. The Alvarenga shipwreck reef had the least richness, diversity and equitability. The four localities studied had very similar ichthyofaunas, especially in relation to species composition. The reefs along the Paraíba coast are considered priority conservation areas by the Brazilian Ministry of the Environment, and the information generated by this study will be useful for comparison with other reefs in the region and can be directly applied to programmes seeking to protect and manage these environments.
A new species of hagfish (Myxinidae: Eptatretus) from Papua New Guinea
Authors: Fernholm B. , Mincarone M. M.
Published: September 2010

A new species of seven‐gilled hagfish Eptatretus astrolabium (Myxinidae) is described from a 400 mm total length female trapped 1 km east from Planet Rock, Astrolabe Bay, Papua New Guinea, at c. 500 m depth. This is the first hagfish species reported from the waters around New Guinea. It can be distinguished from other hagfishes by a combination of characters including seven pairs of gill apertures, three‐cusp multicusps on the anterior and posterior rows of cusps, 10 posterior unicusps, 52 total cusps, 18–19 prebranchial pores, five branchial pores, 48–49 trunk pores, 83–84 total pores and no nasal‐sinus papillae.
Noise and the Trading Mechanism: the Case of SETS
Authors: Chelley‐Steeley Patricia
Published: September 2010

On 20 October 1997 the London Stock Exchange introduced a new trading system called SETS. This system was to replace the dealer system SEAQ, which had been in operation since 1986. Using the iterative sum of squares test introduced by Inclan and Tiao (1994), we investigate whether there was a change in the unconditional variance of opening and closing returns, at the time SETS was introduced. We show that for the FTSE‐100 stocks traded on SETS, on the days following its introduction, there was a widespread increase in the volatility of both opening and closing returns. However, no synchronous volatility changes were found to be associated with the FTSE‐100 index or FTSE‐250 stocks. We conclude therefore that the introduction of the SETS trading mechanism caused an increase in noise at the time the system was introduced.
A qualitative study of young people's sources of cigarettes and attempts to circumvent underage sales laws
Authors: Robinson Jude , Amos Amanda
Published: September 2010

Aims  To explore how young people continue to access cigarettes following an increase of the age of sale to 18 years and the implications for future smoking prevention policy and practice.

Design  Qualitative study using 14 focus groups.

Setting  Schools and community projects in disadvantaged areas of Birmingham, UK.

Participants  Eighty‐five smokers and non‐smokers aged 12–15 years.

Measurements  Focus group topic guides.

Findings  While young people did use social sources to access cigarettes, most obtained cigarettes from small local shops. Smoking and non‐smoking participants knew which shops sold to underage children and what strategies to employ, suggesting a widespread acceptance of underage sales in some communities. Some young people bought directly from retailers, reporting that the retailers did not ask for identification. Some young people reported that retailers were complicit, knowingly selling to underage smokers. Young people waited outside shops and asked strangers to buy them cigarettes (proxy sales). Young people expressed cynicism about some shopkeepers' motives, who they believed knew that they were selling to under‐18s, but did not care as long as they made a profit.

Conclusions  The ban in selling cigarettes to those under 18 in the United Kingdom appears to be easily circumvented, and one important route appears to be ‘proxy sales’ in which young people approach strangers outside retailers and ask them to purchase cigarettes on their behalf.
Alcohol dependence and anxiety increase error‐related brain activity
Authors: Schellekens Arnt F. A. , De Bruijn Ellen R. A. , Van Lankveld Christa A. A. , Hulstijn Wouter , Buitelaar Jan K. , De Jong Cor A. J. , Verkes Robbert J.
Published: September 2010

Aims  Detection of errors is crucial for efficient goal‐directed behaviour. The ability to monitor behaviour is found to be diminished in patients with substance dependence, as reflected in decreased error‐related brain activity, i.e. error‐related negativity (ERN). The ERN is also decreased in other psychiatric disorders with impaired response inhibition, such as attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder and borderline personality disorder, but increased in anxiety disorders. The objective of the current study was to assess error monitoring in alcohol‐dependent patients in relation to psychiatric comorbidity. We expected decreased error monitoring in alcohol‐dependent patients with impulse control disorders and increased error monitoring in anxious alcohol‐dependent patients.

Design  In a case–control design alcohol‐dependent patients were compared with healthy controls.

Setting and participants  A consecutive series of 29 male alcohol‐dependent patients, between 18 and 55 years of age, applying for in‐patient detoxification were recruited at Novadic Kentron Center for Addiction Treatment. Fifteen age‐matched healthy controls were recruited through advertisements in regional newspapers.

Measurements  Event‐related potentials were recorded while performing a speeded choice‐reaction task, from which ERN amplitudes were calculated. Axis‐I and ‐II psychiatric comorbidity were assessed using the MINI International Neuropsychiatric Interview and the Structured Interview for DSM‐IV Personality disorders. All participants completed the Temperament and Character Inventory and Profile of Mood States.

Findings  ERN amplitudes were increased for alcohol‐dependent patients compared to healthy controls, particularly in patients with comorbid anxiety disorders.

Conclusions  Increased error monitoring in alcohol‐dependent patients, particularly those with comorbid anxiety disorders, is in contrast with previous studies that suggested decreased error monitoring to be a general feature in substance use disorders. Psychiatric disorders co‐occurring with alcohol dependence, such as anxiety disorders, may indicate subpopulations of alcohol‐dependent patients, with distinct neurobiological and genetic characteristics, possibly requiring different treatment strategies.
Motor vehicle collision fatalities involving alcohol and illicit drugs in Greece: the need for management protocols and a reassessment of surveillance
Authors: Papadopoulos Iordanis N. , Bonovas Stefanos , Kanakaris Nikolaos K. , Konstantiadou Ioanna , Nikolopoulos Georgios , Konstantoudakis George , Leukidis Christos
Published: September 2010

Aims  The frequency and the effect of alcohol and illicit drugs on injury type, severity and location of death in motor vehicle collision (MVC) fatalities were investigated.

Design  Retrospective case–control study based on autopsy and toxicology.

Settings  Single faculty accepting referrals from Greater Athens and prefectures.

Participants  Consecutive pre‐hospital and in hospital fatalities.

Measurements  Demographics, toxicology, abbreviated injury scale (AIS), injury severity score (ISS), and location of death.

Findings  Of the 1860 screened subjects, 612 (32.9%) constituted the positive toxicology group (PTG) for alcohol or illicit drugs or both and the 1248 (67.1%) the negative toxicology group (NTG). The median age was 34 (4–90) years for the PTG and 45 (3–97) years for the NTG. The PTG included significantly higher proportions of males and motorcyclists. The PTG had a 50% increased risk for a severe (AIS≥3) cervical spine and 85% for a severe upper extremity injury, compared to the NTG. A total of 29.2% of the PTG and 22.4% of the NTG deaths were non‐preventable (ISS = 75). The frequency of severe trauma (ISS≥16) was comparable between PTG and NTG (P = 0.87). The PTG presented with a median ISS of 43 (6–75) versus 41 (2–75) of the NTG, hence without significant difference (P = 0.11). The pre‐hospital death rate was 77.8% for the PTG versus 58% of the NTG (P < 0.001). The analysis confirmed that the odds of positive toxicology were considerably higher in the subjects who arrived dead at the hospital (OR 2.62, P < 0.001).

Conclusions  In the greater Athens region, almost a third of motor vehicle collision‐related fatalities involved alcohol, illicit drugs or both. Individuals screened positive for alcohol or drugs were 2.6 times more likely to die before hospital admission than those with a negative toxicology screen, despite comparable injury severity. Specific evidence‐based management protocols and reassessment of surveillance are required.
Addiction treatment outcomes, process and change: Texas Institute of Behavioral Research at Texas Christian University
Authors: Simpson D. Dwayne , Joe George W. , Dansereau Donald F. , Flynn Patrick M.
Published: September 2010

For more than 40 years the Texas Institute of Behavioral Research (IBR) has given special attention to assessment and evaluation of drug user populations, addiction treatment services and various cognitive and behavioral interventions. Emphasis has been on studies in real‐world settings and the use of multivariate methodologies to address evaluation issues within the context of longitudinal natural designs. Historically, its program of addiction treatment research may be divided into three sequential epochs—the first era dealt mainly with client assessment and its role in treatment outcome and evaluation (1969–89), the second focused upon modeling the treatment process and the importance of conceptual frameworks (1989–2009) in explaining the relationships among treatment environment, client attributes, treatment process and outcome, and the third (and current) era has expanded into studying tactical deployment of innovations and implementation. Recent projects focus upon adapting and implementing innovations for improving early engagement in adolescent residential treatment settings and drug‐dependent criminal justice populations. Related issues include the spread of human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome and other infectious diseases, organizational and systems functioning, treatment costs and process related to implementation of evidence‐based practices.
Effects of restricting pub closing times on night‐time assaults in an Australian city
Authors: Kypri Kypros , Jones Craig , McElduff Patrick , Barker Daniel
Published: September 2010

Aims In March 2008 the New South Wales judiciary restricted pub closing times to 3 a.m., and later 3.30 a.m., in the central business district (CBD) of Newcastle, Australia. We sought to determine whether the restriction reduced the incidence of assault.

Design Non‐equivalent control group design with before and after observations.

Setting Newcastle, a city of 530 000 people.

Participants People apprehended for assault in the CBD and nearby Hamilton, an area with a similar night‐time economy but where no restriction was imposed.

Measurements Police‐recorded assaults in the CBD before and after the restriction were compared with those in Hamilton. Cases were assaults occurring from 10 p.m.–6 a.m. from January 2001–March 2008, with April 2008–September 2009 as the post‐restriction period. We also examined changes in assault incidence by time of night. Negative binomial regression with time, area, time × area interaction terms and terms for secular trend and seasonal effects was used to analyse the data. Autocorrelation was examined using generalized estimating equations.

Findings In the CBD, recorded assaults fell from 99.0 per quarter before the restriction to 67.7 per quarter afterward [incidence rate ratio (IRR): 0.66, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.55–0.80]. In the same periods in Hamilton, assault rates were 23.4 and 25.5 per quarter, respectively (IRR: 1.02, 95% CI: 0.79–1.31). The relative reduction attributable to the intervention was 37% (IRR = 0.63, 95% CI: 0.47–0.81) and approximately 33 assault incidents were prevented per quarter.

Conclusion This study indicates that a restriction in pub closing times to 3/3.30 a.m. in Newcastle, NSW, produced a large relative reduction in assault incidence of 37% in comparison to a control locality.
eDrugCalc: an online self‐assessment package to enhance medical students' drug dose calculation skills
Authors: McQueen Daniel S. , Begg Michael J. , Maxwell Simon R. J.
Published: September 2010

WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ABOUT THIS SUBJECT

• Dose calculation errors are an important cause of some of the most serious medication incidents in advanced healthcare systems.

• A number of small studies have shown that dose calculations are poorly performed by hospital doctors, nurses and medical students.

WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS

• The performance of dose calculations was highly variable amongst a large cohort of medical students from a leading UK medical school.

• Calculations that involved converting concentrations expressed as percentage or calculating infusion rates were identified as major weaknesses.

• The availability of an online self‐assessment and education package, coupled with encouragement and twice‐yearly formative assessment, led to a significant improvement in performance.

AIMS

Dose calculation errors can cause serious life‐threatening clinical incidents. We designed eDrugCalc as an online self‐assessment tool to develop and evaluate calculation skills among medical students.

METHODS

We undertook a prospective uncontrolled study involving 1727 medical students in years 1–5 at the University of Edinburgh. Students had continuous access to eDrugCalc and were encouraged to practise. Voluntary self‐assessment was undertaken by answering the 20 questions on six occasions over 30 months. Questions remained fixed but numerical variables changed so each visit required a fresh calculation. Feedback was provided following each answer.

RESULTS

Final‐year students had a significantly higher mean score in test 6 compared with test 1 [16.6, 95% confidence interval (CI) 16.2, 17.0 vs. 12.6, 95% CI 11.9, 13.4; n= 173, P < 0.0001 Wilcoxon matched pairs test] and made a median of three vs. seven errors. Performance was highly variable in all tests with 2.7% of final‐year students scoring < 10/20 in test 6. Graduating students in 2009 (30 months' exposure) achieved significantly better scores than those in 2007 (only 6 months): mean 16.5, 95% CI 16.0, 17.0, n= 184 vs. 15.1, 95% CI 14.5, 15.6, n= 187; P < 0.0001, Mann–Whitney test. Calculations based on percentage concentrations and infusion rates were poorly performed. Feedback showed that eDrugCalc increased confidence in calculating doses and was highly rated as a learning tool.

CONCLUSIONS

Medical student performance of dose calculations improved significantly after repeated exposure to an online formative dose‐calculation package and encouragement to develop their numeracy. Further research is required to establish whether eDrugCalc reduces calculation errors made in clinical practice.
Inflammatory conditions affect gene expression and function of human adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells
Authors: Crop M J , Baan C C , Korevaar S S , IJzermans J N M , Pescatori M , Stubbs A P , Van IJcken W F J , Dahlke M H , Eggenhofer E , Weimar W , Hoogduijn M J
Published: September 2010

There is emerging interest in the application of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) for the prevention and treatment of autoimmune diseases, graft-versus-host disease and allograft rejection. It is, however, unknown how inflammatory conditions affect phenotype and function of MSC. Adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ASC) were cultured with alloactivated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) (mixed lymphocyte reaction: MLR), with proinflammatory cytokines [interferon (IFN)-γ, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-6] or under control conditions, and their full genome expression and function examined. Proinflammatory cytokines mainly increased indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase expression, whereas ASC cultured with MLR showed increased expression of COX-2, involved in prostaglandin E2 production. Both conditions had a stimulatory, but differential, effect on the expression of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines, while the expression of fibrotic factors was decreased only in response to proinflammatory cytokines. Functional analysis demonstrated that inflammatory conditions affected morphology and proliferation of ASC, while their differentiation capacity and production of trophic factors was unaffected. The immunosuppressive capacity of ASC was enhanced strongly under inflammatory conditions. In conclusion, ASC showed enhanced immunosuppressive capacity under inflammatory conditions, while their differentiation capacity was preserved. Therefore, in vitro preconditioning provides ASC with improved properties for immediate clinical immune therapy.
The Effect of Acid, Pepsin and Trypsin on Human Colostral IgA Agglutinins
Authors: Parkin D. M. , McClelland D. B. L. , Samson R. R. , Lees M. McA , Shearman D. J. C.
Published: September 2010

Abstract. Secretory IgA prepared from pooled human colostrum has been shown to agglutinate a wide range of aerobic intestinal bacteria. The effects of acid (pH 2.5), pepsin and trypsin on secretory IgA antibody have been studied by gel filtration, Immunoelectrophoresis, and by effect on agglutinin titres. Trypsin produced no detectable changes. Acid produced a small fall in agglutinin titres. Peptic digestion at pH 2.5 produced a rapid fall in agglutinin titre, accompanied by the appearance of changes in the immunoelectrophoretic are, and the appearance of lower molecular weight components on gel filtration.