bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Contact-induced change in English worldwide
Authors: Schneider Edgar W.
Published: February 2013

Over the past few hundred years, and for the last few decades in particular, English has come into contact with a wide range of different languages across the globe due to colonial expansion and globalization. These contacts have given rise to a range of new varieties, both so-called “New Englishes” and pidgins and creoles, thus radically altering the evolutionary trajectory of English and emphasizing the need to rethink aspects of its history. This article explores the global spread of the English language, specifically from the perspective of language contact conditions. It discusses social, structural and theoretical aspects of the developments that have contributed to the emergence of new forms of English. Many of these phenomena date back to colonial history and Britain’s colonial expansion from the seventeenth to the twentieth century. The article also explores the structural consequences of contact, along with the modeling of contact phenomena in the emergence of new varieties of English.
Typological hierarchies and frequency drifts in the history of English
Authors: Laitinen Mikko
Published: February 2013

One of the large-scale changes in the history of the English language is the loss of grammatical gender, a phenomenon termed the “Great Gender Shift” by Patricia Poussa. In this typological change, grammatical gender in nouns was lost and semantics overrode gender in pronoun agreement. The form of the pronoun came to be determined by real-world properties of animacy, number and sex of the referent. The third-person singular pronouns (the present-day he, she and it) came to mark gender that was generally determined on the basis of semantic criteria. Greville Corbett’s agreement hierarchy predicts that pronouns are always most likely to show semantic rather than grammatical agreement with their antecedents. This article suggests that the successful variants (that is, those increasing in frequency) in some well-known pronoun changes were those that are most compatible with the agreement system. The connections between the changes seem to result in the so-called frequency drift in the system.
Lenition in English
Authors: Honeybone Patrick
Published: February 2013

Certain kinds of segmental change have been proposed to form part of an overarching type of change known as lenition, forming a continuum of changes that consonants can spontaneously undergo. The types of change that are typically recognized as lenitions include “spirantization,” “approximantization,” “debuccalization,” and “voicing.” This article discusses some fundamentals about what lenition might actually be and considers several phenomena which can be described as lenitions from the history of English. I argue that so-called “voicings” in English need to be viewed through the lens of the “Laryngeal Realism” approach to laryngeal specification and should be reinterpreted as cases of “delaryngealization”, and that the unity of lenitions lies in their environmental patterning: they are the weakly unconditioned changes, which are not “promoted” by any phonological environment, but are inhibited in certain well-defined sets of environments.
Rethinking the OV/VO alternation in Old English: The effect of complexity, grammatical weight, and information status
Authors: Taylor Ann , Pintzuk Susan
Published: February 2013

Research on syntactic change necessarily involves the study of syntactic variation, as the historical record shows that all change includes a period of variation between the conservative and innovative variants. In the history of English variation between object-verb (OV) and verb-object (VO) order was evident in written texts for several hundred years before OV order eventually disappeared in Early Modern English. This article demonstrates that variation in object position in Old English is subject to the same kind of discourse/performance constraints found in other cases of syntactic variation cross-linguistically. It also argues that while the OV/VO alternation is indeed subject to such constraints, the syntactic change from OV to VO order is independent of them. The data for this study are taken from the York-Penn-Helsinki Parsed Corpus of Old English Prose (YCOE).
Commentary: Special Abilities, Special Needs
Authors: Ockelford Adam
Published: February 2013

This article presents an overview of Section 1 of the Oxford Handbook of Music Education, Volume 2. It argues that high quality research is the key to moving music education forward for those with special abilities or needs, both in policy and practical terms. The global music education research community should acknowledge serious shortcomings and devote more resource to this area in the future. It provides three reasons why music-education research should focus on the concerns of children who are “special” in one way or another.
Community Music and Social Justice: Reclaiming Love
Authors: Silverman Marissa
Published: February 2013

This article integrates philosophical reflections on community music (CM) with analyses of two neglected concepts and practices in music education and CM: love-as-action and social justice. It explains the ways CM may adopt, adapt, and benefit from the practices of community facilitators working in various circumstances. It discuss some prerequisites for, and dimensions of, these concepts in the context of Western societies generally and the United States particularly. The final section connects the concept of love-as-social-justice to a practical example in New York City's urban environment.
Fast Forward: Emerging Trends in Community Music
Authors: Veblen Kari K. , Waldron Janice L.
Published: February 2013

This article examines the future of community music. It offers an interdisciplinary perspective by considering emerging research in CM, as well as related literature from education, ethnomusicology, sociology, and media and communication studies. It examines issues such as demographics, notions of communitas, international trends, and new networks for collaboration.
Commentary: Adult Learning in a Lifespan Context
Authors: Myers David E.
Published: February 2013

This article presents an overview of Section 3 of the Oxford Handbook of Music Education, Volume 2. The contributions demonstrate how adult music learning covers the entire life span after age 18, comprises diverse personal and professional motivations, and includes a wide cross-section of performing, creating, and listening experiences. It may be formal, non-formal, or informal; it may occur in explicitly educational venues or in a variety of individual, social, and community contexts; it may be self-directed or collaboratively pursued; it crosses cultural boundaries; and it may accommodate a broad range of learner interests, needs, and preferences.
Music Teacher Education: Crossing Generational Borders
Authors: Kerchner Jody L. , Abril Carlos R.
Published: February 2013

One challenge in the education of music teachers is helping them prepare to teach students beyond the traditional school years in a variety of settings. In so doing, music teacher educators should consider: (a) how they can prepare all music majors to engage with community adults through music; (b) how they can better prepare teachers to teach people of all ages in a diverse array of settings in and beyond schools; (c) how they might infuse a lifespan perspective in existing music education courses, from introduction to music education to methods and graduate courses in philosophy; (d) how community music can become a specialized track in music education, at the undergraduate and/or graduate levels; and (e) how they may incorporate additional resources (e.g., personnel, materials, field experience locations) to realize the aforementioned possibilities. This article considers adult characteristics and developmental theories in relation to a lifespan perspective in music teacher education programs.
The Responsibility of Research in Defining the Profession of Music Education
Authors: Johnson Christopher M.
Published: February 2013

This article discusses two major flaws in the statement: research just does not apply to the real world. The first flaw rests in the concept of “the real world”; the second flaw refers to the applicability of knowledge gained from research. Since all of us live in the same world, researchers are better off assuming that everyone's realities have the challenges. While it is true that one project cannot serve as a blueprint for another situation without some adaptation, making such transfers work is part of being a professional. The notion that research has no practical use is also given further credence when researchers themselves repeat the aforementioned phrase in an attempt to create a common reality with people they are trying to positively influence. This is a mistake because denigrating the value and applicability of research lessens both the importance of the research product and the individuals with whom one is trying to conciliate.
Embracing New Digital Technologies: Now and into the Future
Authors: Merrick Bradley
Published: February 2013

This article assesses the impact of new digital technologies on music education. It argues that music teachers have an obligation to understand and integrate the technologies that students bring into their classrooms. New digital technologies must be seen as instruments in their own right, and used to facilitate the development of knowledge and innovative approaches to exploring and understanding music among various emerging learning communities.
Managing Diversity
Authors: Roberson Quinetta M.
Published: February 2013

As we hear time and time again in the scholarly literature and business press, workforces have become more diverse. As such, there is a substantial body of research that investigates the concept of diversity, its effects, and the processes that underlie these effects. Interestingly, the findings from this body of research and subsequent conclusions that can be drawn are not very straightforward. This chapter summarizes the findings of research focused on the conceptualization of diversity, theoretical perspectives on the effects of diversity, such effects across levels of analysis, and the evolution of diversity management. In addition, challenges, unanswered questions, and other gaps in the diversity literature are highlighted, and directions for future research in this area are suggested.
Cognition and Technology: Interdisciplinarity and the Impact of Cognitive Engineering Research on Organizational Productivity
Authors: Fiore Stephen M.
Published: February 2013

In this chapter I describe the dynamic intersection of cognition and technology as it has emerged through the development of cognitive engineering research. This discipline has matured over the past several decades into an interdisciplinary approach, melding concepts and methods from cognitive psychology, computer science, and engineering with a holistic approach to understanding human-technology integration. I show how cognitive engineering has contributed to both a fundamental and practical understanding of human performance embedded in context, and I offer suggestions for developments in the field that may provide a more cohesive and unified approach to understanding and expanding human-systems integration.
Taxonomy and Theory in Computer Supported Cooperative Work
Authors: Grudin Jonathan , Poltrock Steven
Published: February 2013

In the mid-1980s, when most hands-on computer use was still confined to one person and one computer, a group comprising social scientists and technologists began convening under the label Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) to discuss how technology could support groups, organizations, and communities. The resulting research, presented in annual conferences and journals, has had to adjust to the extraordinary growth of activity as the Internet and World Wide Web have transformed work. In this chapter, we examine the evolution of the participants and topics covered in CSCW, the frameworks and typologies that have been used, and we discuss the diverse if somewhat limited roles that theory has played in guiding CSCW research and application.
Performance Management
Authors: Smither James W.
Published: February 2013

This chapter focuses on the continuous process of performance management rather than the discrete event of performance appraisal. The chapter begins by defining job performance and then reviews research concerning each of the core elements of performance management, including goal setting, feedback, developing employees (including coaching), evaluating performance, and rewarding performance. Several topics are reviewed that are of special interest to performance management: contextual performance, counterproductive work behavior, team performance, the role of technology, cross-cultural issues, and perceptions of fairness. The chapter concludes by presenting directions for future research.
Learning, Training, and Development in Organizations
Authors: Salas Eduardo , Weaver Sallie J. , Shuffler Marissa L.
Published: February 2013

A 2008 Bureau of Labor Statistics report indicates that the youngest of the baby boom generation (i.e., individuals born between 1957 and 1964) held an average of 10.8 different jobs between the ages of 18 and 42. To remain viable, today's workforce must continually develop new knowledge, skills, and attitudes in order to adapt to changing technological and environmental demands. Training is the classic mechanism for such skill enhancement. This chapter provides an overview of training and other developmental activities from the organizational science perspective, including mentoring and coaching. Several classic models of training are reviewed, and an overarching organizational framework delineating the key variables of the training process is presented. Several suggestions for furthering our understanding of training and other forms of development are also offered.
Organizational Justice
Authors: Colquitt Jason A.
Published: February 2013

This chapter frames the development of the justice literature around three literature-level trends: differentiation, cognition, and exogeneity. The differentiation trend has impacted how justice is conceptualized, with additional justice dimensions being further segmented into different sources. The cognition trend has created a rational, calculative theme to the most visible justice theories. The exogeneity trend has resulted in justice occupying the independent variable position in most empirical studies. Taken together, these trends have resulted in a vibrant and active literature. However, I will argue that the next phase of the literature's evolution will benefit from a relaxation—or even reversal—of these trends. Path-breaking contributions may be more likely to result from the aggregation of justice concepts, a focus on affect, and the identification of predictors of justice.
Organizational Socialization: Background, Basics, and a Blueprint for Adjustment at Work
Authors: Chao Georgia T.
Published: February 2013

Organizational socialization is defined as a learning and adjustment process that enables an individual to assume an organizational role that fits both organizational and individual needs. It is a dynamic process that occurs when an individual assumes a new or changing role within an organization. A description of general socialization within the field of psychology is presented as a background for the study of organizational socialization. Four theories: uncertainty reduction theory, the need to belong, social exchange theory, and social identity theory are presented as theoretical foundations for organizational socialization. Against this background, the basic components of organizational socialization—its processes, content, and outcomes—are reviewed. Emphasis is given to organizational and individual tactics used to facilitate socialization, as well as to the specific content of what is learned. Finally, a blueprint for future research directions is presented to address current gaps in a general model of organizational socialization. In particular, a call for research to understand how organizations learn from the socialization process is presented to balance the study of work adjustment from individual and organizational perspectives.
A Social Network Perspective on Organizational Psychology
Authors: Brass Daniel J.
Published: February 2013

This paper applies a social network perspective to the study of organizational psychology. Complementing the traditional focus on individual attributes, the social network perspective focuses on the relationships among actors. The perspective assumes that actors (whether they be individuals, groups, or organizations) are embedded within a network of interrelationships with other actors. It is this intersection of relationships that defines an actor's position in the social structure, and provides opportunities and constraints on behavior. A brief introduction to social networks is provided, typical measures are described, and research focusing on the antecedents and consequences of networks is reviewed. The social network framework is applied to organizational behavior topics such as recruitment and selection, performance, power, justice, and leadership, with a focus on research results obtained and directions for future research.
Characterization of Diaporthe australafricana and Diaporthe spp. Associated with Stem Canker of Blueberry in Chile
Authors: Elfar Karina , Torres René , Díaz Gonzalo A. , Latorre Bernardo A.
Published: February 2013

Stem canker and dieback are important factors that limit the longevity and reduce the yield of blueberry (Vaccinium spp.) in Chile. In this study, species of Diaporthe associated with blueberry were isolated and identified. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions of ribosomal DNA of 30 isolates and the translation elongation factor 1-α (EF1-α) of 14 isolates were sequenced, analyzed, and compared with their morphological and pathological characteristics. The molecular analysis of ITS sequences by alignment with those of ex-type strains deposited in GenBank and morphological characteristics allowed the identification of Diaporthe ambigua, D. australafricana, D. neotheicola, D. passiflorae, and Diaporthe sp. 1. However, morphology alone was insufficient to identify these species. The combined analysis of ITS and EF1-α gene sequences grouped the Chilean blueberry isolates in the same five groups obtained in the ITS analysis. Pathogenicity tests conducted with attached and detached blueberry shoots (<1 year old) and stems (1 to 2 years old) confirmed that isolates of these Diaporthe spp. were pathogenic. The symptoms were reproducible and consisted of necrotic reddish-brown cankers on blueberry shoots and stems. These isolates were capable of infecting blueberry fruit, causing a soft decay, suggesting that they were tissue nonspecific and were also pathogenic on shoots of apple, grapevine, and pear. D. australafricana was the most frequently isolated species and D. ambigua, D. australafricana, and D. passiflorae were highly virulent in shoots, stems, and fruit of blueberry. This study showed that at least four species of Diaporthe are primary pathogens, capable of causing stem canker symptoms on blueberry, and this is the first report of D. ambigua, D. neotheicola, and D. passiflorae attacking this host.
Phytophthora × pelgrandis Causes Root and Collar Rot of Lavandula stoechas in Italy
Authors: Faedda Roberto , Cacciola Santa Olga , Pane Antonella , Szigethy András , Bakonyi József , Veld Willem A. Man in't , Martini Patrizia , Schena Leonardo , di San Lio Gaetano Magnano
Published: February 2013

In 2007, Phytophthora isolates with atypical morphological and biological characteristics were found associated with root and collar rot of potted plants of Stoechas lavender (Lavandula stoechas) in an ornamental nursery in Italy. A polyphasic approach, including morphological and cultural observations, sequencing the ITS-rDNA region, the Pheca and the mitochondrial coxI genes, multiplex PCRs with primers specific for P. nicotianae or P. cactorum, as well as random amplified polymorphic DNA–polymerase chain reaction, was used to characterize these isolates. On the basis of morpho-cultural and molecular analyses, the isolates from Stoechas lavender were identified as Phytophthora × pelgrandis, a natural hybrid of P. nicotianae × P. cactorum previously reported in other European countries, the Americas, and Taiwan, as a pathogen of ornamentals and loquat plants. In pathogenicity tests using potted plants of Stoechas lavender, the P. × pelgrandis isolates, similarly to the parental species P. nicotianae, induced the symptoms observed on plants with natural infections and were reisolated only from artificially inoculated plants. Dispersal of P. × pelgrandis on this host could exacerbate the damage caused by Phytophthora root and collar rot, of which the main causal agent presently is P. nicotianae on lavender in Europe. Application of hygienic measures is important to reduce the proliferation and spread of the Phytophthora hybrids.
Susceptibility of Cucurbit Rootstocks to Didymella bryoniae and Control of Gummy Stem Blight on Grafted Watermelon Seedlings with Fungicides
Authors: Keinath Anthony P.
Published: February 2013

Seedlings of watermelon are susceptible to Didymella bryoniae, the cucurbit pathogen that causes gummy stem blight, particularly when they are grown in the greenhouse for use as transplants. Seedlings of bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria) and interspecific hybrid squash (Cucurbita moschata × C. maxima) that are used as rootstocks for grafting watermelon are susceptible to gummy stem blight when wounded. Nonwounded rootstock seedlings of both genera were as susceptible to gummy stem blight as seedless watermelon. Because grafted plants must be misted or held at high relative humidity for 1 week so the graft union will heal, fungicides may be necessary to manage gummy stem blight under these disease-conducive environmental conditions. Nine fungicides were applied as foliar treatments at labeled rates per 467 liters/ha water to nongrafted seedlings of watermelon and five rootstock cultivars. Fluopyram + tebuconazole injured all five bottle gourd and hybrid squash cultivars and stunted watermelon and hybrid squash seedlings. Cyprodinil + difenoconazole injured all five rootstock cultivars and watermelon. Tebuconazole stunted bottle gourd and watermelon seedlings. Four of the five fungicides that were not phytotoxic reduced incidence and severity of gummy stem blight on seedless watermelon grafted onto bottle gourd Emphasis and hybrid squash Strong Tosa. Difenoconazole and cyprodinil were more effective than mancozeb or cyprodinil + fludioxonil, which were more effective than thiophanate-methyl, which was not significantly different from the water control (P = 0.01). Nongrafted watermelon seedlings and watermelon seedlings grafted onto watermelon as the rootstock were as susceptible to gummy stem blight as watermelon seedlings grafted onto cucurbits. Although difenoconazole and cyprodinil are not registered currently on cucurbits, transplant growers can apply mancozeb or cyprodinil + fludioxonil to manage gummy stem blight on watermelon and rootstock seedlings during greenhouse production.
Effects of Naloxone on Opioid-induced Hyperalgesia and Tolerance to Remifentanil under Sevoflurane Anesthesia in Rats
Authors: Aguado Delia , Abreu Mariana , Benito Javier , Garcia-Fernandez Javier , Gómez de Segura Ignacio A.
Published: February 2013

Background:

Opioid antagonists at ultra-low doses have been used with opioid agonists to prevent or limit opioid tolerance. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether an ultra-low dose of naloxone combined with remifentanil could block opioid-induced hyperalgesia and tolerance under sevoflurane anesthesia in rats.

Methods:

Male adult Wistar rats were allocated into one of four treatment groups (n = 7), receiving remifentanil (4 µg·kg−1·min−1) combined with naloxone (0.17 ng·kg−1·min−1), remifentanil alone, naloxone alone, or saline. Animals were evaluated for mechanical nociceptive thresholds (von Frey) and subsequently anesthetized with sevoflurane to determine the baseline minimum alveolar concentration (MAC). Next, treatments were administered, and the MAC was redetermined twice during the infusion. The experiment was performed three times on nonconsecutive days (0, 2, and 4). Hyperalgesia was considered to be a decrease in mechanical thresholds, whereas opioid tolerance was considered to be a decrease in sevoflurane MAC reduction by remifentanil.

Results:

Remifentanil produced a significant decrease in mechanical thresholds compared with baseline values at days 2 and 4 (mean ± SD, 30.7 ± 5.5, 22.1 ± 6.4, and 20.7 ± 3.7g at days 0, 2, and 4, respectively) and an increase in MAC baseline values (2.5 ± 0.3, 3.0 ± 0.3, and 3.1 ± 0.3 vol% at days 0, 2, and 4, respectively). Both effects were blocked by naloxone coadministration. However, both remifentanil-treated groups (with or without naloxone) developed opioid tolerance determined by their decrease in MAC reduction.

Conclusions:

An ultra-low dose of naloxone blocked remifentanil-induced hyperalgesia but did not change opioid tolerance under inhalant anesthesia. Moreover, the MAC increase associated with hyperalgesia was also blocked by naloxone.
Bite force is limited by the force–length relationship of skeletal muscle in black carp,Mylopharyngodon piceus
Authors: Gidmark Nicholas J. , Konow Nicolai , LoPresti Eric , Brainerd Elizabeth L.
Published: February 2013

Bite force is critical to feeding success, especially in animals that crush strong, brittle foods. Maximum bite force is typically measured as one value per individual, but the force–length relationship of skeletal muscle suggests that each individual should possess a range of gape height-specific, and, therefore, prey size-specific, bite forces. We characterized the influence of prey size on pharyngeal jaw bite force in the snail-eating black carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus,family Cyprinidae), using feeding trials on artificial prey that varied independently in size and strength. We then measured jaw-closing muscle lengthsin vivofor each prey size, and then determined the force–length relationship of the same musclein situusing tetanic stimulations. Maximum bite force was surprisingly high: the largest individual produced nearly 700 N at optimal muscle length. Bite force decreased on large and small prey, which elicited long and short muscle lengths, respectively, demonstrating that the force–length relationship of skeletal muscle results in prey size-specific bite force.
A Major Latex-Like Protein Is a Key Factor in Crop Contamination by Persistent Organic Pollutants
Authors: Inui Hideyuki , Sawada Mami , Goto Junya , Yamazaki Kiyoshi , Kodama Noriko , Tsuruta Hiroki , Eun Heesoo
Published: February 2013

This is the first report, to our knowledge, to reveal important factors by which members of the Cucurbitaceae family, such as cucumber (Cucumis sativus), watermelon (Citrullus lanatus), melon (Cucumis melo), pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo), squash (C. pepo), and zucchini (C. pepo), are selectively polluted with highly toxic hydrophobic contaminants, including organochlorine insecticides and dioxins. Xylem sap of C. pepo ssp. pepo, which is a high accumulator of hydrophobic compounds, solubilized the hydrophobic compound pyrene into the aqueous phase via some protein(s). Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of xylem sap of two C. pepo subspecies revealed that the amount of 17-kD proteins in C. pepo ssp. pepo was larger than that in C. pepo ssp. ovifera, a low accumulator, suggesting that these proteins may be related to the translocation of hydrophobic compounds. The protein bands at 17 kD contained major latex-like proteins (MLPs), and the corresponding genes MLP-PG1, MLP-GR1, and MLP-GR3 were cloned from the C. pepo cultivars Patty Green and Gold Rush. Expression of the MLP-GR3 gene in C. pepo cultivars was positively correlated with the band intensity of 17-kD proteins and bioconcentration factors toward dioxins and dioxin-like compounds. Recombinant MLP-GR3 bound polychlorinated biphenyls immobilized on magnetic beads, whereas recombinant MLP-PG1 and MLP-GR1 did not. These results indicate that the high expression of MLP-GR3 in C. pepo ssp. pepo plants and the existence of MLP-GR3 in their xylem sap are related to the efficient translocation of hydrophobic contaminants. These findings should be useful for decreasing the contamination of fruit of the Cucurbitaceae family as well as the phytoremediation of hydrophobic contaminants.
TheSUD1Gene Encodes a Putative E3 Ubiquitin Ligase and Is a Positive Regulator of 3-Hydroxy-3-Methylglutaryl Coenzyme A Reductase Activity inArabidopsis
Authors: Doblas Verónica G. , Amorim-Silva Vítor , Posé David , Rosado Abel , Esteban Alicia , Arró Montserrat , Azevedo Herlander , Bombarely Aureliano , Borsani Omar , Valpuesta Victoriano , Ferrer Albert , Tavares Rui M. , Botella Miguel A.
Published: February 2013

The 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase (HMGR) enzyme catalyzes the major rate-limiting step of the mevalonic acid (MVA) pathway from which sterols and other isoprenoids are synthesized. In contrast with our extensive knowledge of the regulation of HMGR in yeast and animals, little is known about this process in plants. To identify regulatory components of the MVA pathway in plants, we performed a genetic screen for second-site suppressor mutations of the Arabidopsis thaliana highly drought-sensitive drought hypersensitive2 (dry2) mutant that shows decreased squalene epoxidase activity. We show that mutations in SUPPRESSOR OF DRY2 DEFECTS1 (SUD1) gene recover most developmental defects in dry2 through changes in HMGR activity. SUD1 encodes a putative E3 ubiquitin ligase that shows sequence and structural similarity to yeast Degradation of α factor (Doα10) and human TEB4, components of the endoplasmic reticulum–associated degradation C (ERAD-C) pathway. While in yeast and animals, the alternative ERAD-L/ERAD-M pathway regulates HMGR activity by controlling protein stability, SUD1 regulates HMGR activity without apparent changes in protein content. These results highlight similarities, as well as important mechanistic differences, among the components involved in HMGR regulation in plants, yeast, and animals.
Improvements and considerations for size distribution retrieval from small-angle scattering data by Monte Carlo methods
Authors: Pauw Brian R. , Pedersen Jan Skov , Tardif Samuel , Takata Masaki , Iversen Bo B.
Published: February 2013

Monte Carlo (MC) methods, based on random updates and the trial-and-error principle, are well suited to retrieve form-free particle size distributions from small-angle scattering patterns of non-interacting low-concentration scatterers such as particles in solution or precipitates in metals. Improvements are presented to existing MC methods, such as a non-ambiguous convergence criterion, nonlinear scaling of contributions to match their observability in a scattering measurement, and a method for estimating the minimum visibility threshold and uncertainties on the resulting size distributions.
Solid-state tautomeric structure and invariom refinement of a novel and potent HIV integrase inhibitor
Authors: Bacsa John , Okello Maurice , Singh Pankaj , Nair Vasu
Published: February 2013

The conformation and tautomeric structure of (Z)-4-[5-(2,6-difluorobenzyl)-1-(2-fluorobenzyl)-2-oxo-1,2-dihydropyridin-3-yl]-4-hydroxy-2-oxo-N-(2-oxopyrrolidin-1-yl)but-3-enamide, C27H22F3N3O5, in the solid state has been resolved by single-crystal X-ray crystallography. The electron distribution in the molecule was evaluated by refinements with invarioms, aspherical scattering factors by the method of Dittrichet al.[Acta Cryst.(2005), A61, 314–320] that are based on the Hansen–Coppens multipole model [Hansen & Coppens (1978).Acta Cryst.A34, 909–921]. The β-diketo portion of the molecule exists in the enol form. The enol –OH hydrogen forms a strong asymmetric hydrogen bond with the carbonyl O atom on the β-C atom of the chain. Weak intramolecular hydrogen bonds exist between the weakly acidic α-CH hydrogen of the keto–enol group and the pyridinone carbonyl O atom, and also between the hydrazine N—H group and the carbonyl group in the β-position from the hydrazine N—H group. The electrostatic properties of the molecule were derived from the molecular charge density. The molecule is in a lengthened conformation and the rings of the two benzyl groups are nearly orthogonal. Results from a high-field1H and13C NMR correlation spectroscopy study confirm that the same tautomer exists in solution as in the solid state.
Supramolecular networks of 10-(2-hydroxyethyl)acridin-9(10H)-one and 10-(2-chloroethyl)acridin-9(10H)-one
Authors: He Chang-Shuai , Liu Lu-Fang , Guo Lei , Wu Jian-Zhong
Published: February 2013

Both 10-(2-hydroxyethyl)acridin-9(10H)-one, C15H13NO2, and 10-(2-chloroethyl)acridin-9(10H)-one, C15H12ClNO, have monoclinic (P21/c) symmetry and supramolecular three-dimensional networks. But the differences in the intermolecular interactions displayed by the hydroxy group and the chlorine substituent lead to stronger intermolecular π-stacking interactions and hydrogen bonding, and hence a significantly higher melting point for the former.
High reproductive efficiency as an adaptive strategy in competitive environments
Authors: Bonser Stephen P.
Published: February 2013

Reproductive efficiency (the efficiency of conversion of resources from vegetative tissue to reproductive output) is a central to our understanding of reproductive allocation and the evolution of reproductive strategies in plants. Plant strategy theory predicts that reproductive efficiency should decrease under competition. Short‐lived semelparous species are not predicted to evolve under competition and therefore should not express adaptive responses to the presence of competitors. Long‐lived iteroparous species are predicted to delay reproduction in favour of growth and resource acquisition in the presence of competitors. I use life‐history theory to advance a prediction that reproductive efficiency increases under competition in both short‐lived semelparous and potentially longer‐lived iteroparous species.

Contrary to the predictions of plant strategy theory, short‐lived semelparous species are frequently observed to live in highly competitive environments. Further, iteroparous species under intense competition may die long before they reach competitive dominance or an optimal size for reproduction.

I surveyed the literature for studies on plant species including measurements of vegetative and reproductive allocation in high and low (or no) competition treatments.

Across species, relative reproductive efficiency (reproductive efficiency under high competition/reproductive efficiency under low competition) significantly increased with increasing competition intensity.

Patterns of allocation to reproduction under competition support the existence of a competitive annual strategy and a reproductive perennial strategy. Under these strategies, short‐lived semelparous species and long‐lived iteroparous species express high reproductive efficiency under competition as an adaptation to high neighbour density. In addition, some species also expressed patterns of allocation to reproduction consistent with plant strategy theories.

Under this interpretation, I predict that competitive strategies, where plants delay reproduction in competitive environments to gain competitive superiority, are favoured not under intense competition but under modest competition. Including a life‐history interpretation in reproductive efficiency under competition provides a much needed predictive framework for strategies of reproduction observed across species.
Are all eggs created equal? Food availability and the fitness trade‐off between reproduction and immunity
Authors: Stahlschmidt Zachary R. , Rollinson Njal , Acker Madison , Adamo Shelley A.
Published: February 2013

Reproduction and immune function are critical processes, but organisms can rarely optimize both traits. Resultant reproduction–immunity trade‐offs may be ‘facultative’, occurring only when resources are scarce, or they may be ‘obligate’, occurring regardless of resource availability.

Previous research has tested for the ‘facultative’ or ‘obligate’ nature of reproduction–immunity trade‐offs by measuring resource allocation (e.g. follicle size). However, measuring resource allocation alone may be insufficient when gauging the fitness consequences of reproduction–immunity trade‐offs because the number and quality of eggs or offspring trade off with one another.

We used the Texas field cricket (Gryllus texensis) to provide the most direct test to date of whether a fitness trade‐off between these two traits is ‘facultative’ or ‘obligate’. We used a factorial design to manipulate food availability and immune status throughout adulthood. We then estimated lifetime fecundity, hatching success and their product (reproductive success), and we also measured several aspects of offspring quality (e.g. egg size and protein content, and hatchling size and energy stores).

A reproduction–immunity trade‐off was ‘obligate’ in this species because immune challenge reduced reproductive success estimates regardless of food availability. Females with unlimited food were more fecund and produced more and larger hatchlings, but neither food availability nor immune status affected egg size, egg phenoloxidase activity, incubation duration, hatching success or hatchling energy stores. We observed a trade‐off between offspring size and number – females favouring offspring size over fecundity produced fewer hatchlings, but their hatchlings were of higher quality (larger and more robust).

By demonstrating that not all eggs are created equal, we provide key insight into the role of reproductive allocation in the fitness trade‐off between reproduction and immunity.
Unmasking the potential of the angiotensin AT2 receptor as a therapeutic target in hypertension in men and women: What we know and what we still need to find out
Authors: Hilliard Lucinda M , Mirabito Katrina M , Denton Kate M
Published: February 2013

Major sex differences exist in the development and progression of hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Prior to menopause, women have lower arterial pressure and, furthermore, are protected from hypertension and cardiovascular disease relative to age‐matched men. However, after menopause this cardiovascular protection in women is lost. These sex differences have been linked to sexual dimorphism in the physiological mechanisms that regulate arterial pressure, including the renin–angiotensin system (RAS), which can also impact on the male and female response to different therapeutic approaches. This suggests that antihypertensive regimens need to be tailored according to sex.

Newly discovered components of the RAS have emerged in recent years, allowing us to look beyond the classical RAS for novel therapeutic targets for hypertension. In this context, it is now well established that the angiotensin AT2 receptor (AT2R) elicits depressor and natriuretic effects and that these effects are greater in females due to enhanced AT2R levels modulated by oestrogen.

In light of knowledge that AT2R expression is regulated by oestrogen and that the prevalence of hypertension and cardiovascular risk is greater in women after menopause, AT2R agonist therapy may represent an innovative therapeutic approach to treat hypertension. Consequently, understanding how ageing and changes in the sex hormone balance influence the RAS is vital if we are to evaluate the potential of the AT2R as a therapeutic target in women and also in men.
Effective intervention for expressive grammar in children with specific language impairment
Authors: Smith‐Lock Karen M. , Leitao Suze , Lambert Lara , Nickels Lyndsey
Published: February 2013

Background

Children with specific language impairment are known to struggle with expressive grammar. While some studies have shown successful intervention under laboratory conditions, there is a paucity of evidence for the effectiveness of grammar treatment in young children in community settings.

Aim

To evaluate the effectiveness of a school‐based intervention programme for expressive grammar in 5‐year‐olds with specific language impairment.

Method & Procedures

Thirty‐four 5‐year‐old children attending a specialized school for children with language impairment participated in the study. Nineteen children received treatment for expressive grammar (experimental group) and 15 children received a control treatment. Treatment consisted of weekly 1‐h sessions of small group activities in a classroom setting for 8 weeks. Techniques included direct instruction, focused stimulation, recasting and imitation.

Outcomes & Results

Results were analysed at the group level and as a case series with each child as their own control in a single‐subject design. There was a significant difference in grammatical performance pre‐ and post‐treatment for children who received grammar treatment (Cohen's d = 1.24), but not for a group of children who received a control treatment. Further, no difference in performance was found in the equivalent time period prior to treatment, nor for an untreated target. Treatment success was more pronounced in children without articulation difficulties which interfered with their ability to produce the grammatical targets (Cohen's d = 1.66). Individual analyses indicated the treatment effect was significant for the majority of children.

Conclusions & Implications

Individually targeted intervention delivered in small groups in a classroom setting was effective in improving production of expressive grammatical targets in 5‐year‐old children with specific language impairment.
Potential Bias in Medication Adherence Studies of Prevalent Users
Authors: Maciejewski Matthew L. , Bryson Chris L. , Wang Virginia , Perkins Mark , Liu Chuan‐Fen
Published: February 2013

Purpose

We examined how the choice of historic medication use criteria for identifying prevalent users may bias estimated adherence changes associated with a medication copayment increase.

Methods

From pharmacy claims data in a retrospective cohort study, we identified 6,383 prevalent users of oral diabetes medications from four VA Medical Centers. Patients were included in this prevalent cohort if they had one fill both 3 months prior and 4–12 months prior to the index date, defined as the month in which medication copayments increased. To determine whether these historic medication use criteria introduced bias in the estimated response to a $5 medication copayment increase, we compared adherence trends from cohorts defined from different medication use criteria and from different index dates of copayment change. In an attempt to validate the prior observation of an upward trend in adherence prior to the date of the policy change, we replicated time series analyses varying the index dates prior to and following the date of the policy change, hypothesizing that the trend line associated with the policy change would differ from the trend lines that were not.

Results

Medication adherence trends differed when different medication use criteria were applied. Contrary to our expectations, similar adherence trends were observed when the same medication use criteria were applied at index dates when no copayment changes occurred.

Conclusion

To avoid introducing bias due to study design in outcomes assessments of medication policy changes, historic medication use inclusion criteria must be chosen carefully when constructing cohorts of prevalent users. Furthermore, while pharmacy data have enormous potential for population research and monitoring, there may be inherent logical flaws that limit cohort identification solely through administrative pharmacy records.
Suicide by Self‐Administration of a Drug Mixture (Propofol, Midazolam, and Zolpidem) in an Anesthesiologist: The First Case Report in Italy
Authors: Colucci Anna Pia , Gagliano‐Candela Roberto , Aventaggiato Lucia , De Donno Antonio , Leonardi Sabrina , Strisciullo Giuseppe , Introna Francesco
Published: February 2013

The authors report an unusual case of suicide of an anesthesiologist, in which the suicide manner and means depend upon the victim's occupation. This is the first case report published in Italy of a death involving propofol and other drugs. The anesthesiologist was found dead with an empty drip still inserted in the hand and another one near his body. Forensic and toxicological findings suggested that the cause of death was a respiratory depression due to a self‐administration of a rapidly infused lethal drug mixture. Analytical drug quantification was performed by gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry. Blood analysis revealed: zolpidem (0.86 μg/mL), propofol (0.30 μg/mL), midazolam (0.08 μg/mL), thiopental (0.03 μg/mL), and amitriptyline (0.07 μg/mL). Adipose tissue and hair analysis suggested a previous and repeated use of these drugs verifying the fact that in Italy recreational abuse of anesthetic and sedative agents in health care practitioners is becoming an increasing problem.
Novel Classification System of Rib Fractures Observed in Infants
Authors: Love Jennifer C. , Derrick Sharon M. , Wiersema Jason M. , Pinto Deborrah C. , Greeley Christopher , Donaruma‐Kwoh Marcella , Bista Bibek
Published: February 2013

Rib fractures are considered highly suspicious for nonaccidental injury in the pediatric clinical literature; however, a rib fracture classification system has not been developed. As an aid and impetus for rib fracture research, we developed a concise schema for classifying rib fracture types and fracture location that is applicable to infants. The system defined four fracture types (sternal end, buckle, transverse, and oblique) and four regions of the rib (posterior, posterolateral, anterolateral, and anterior). It was applied to all rib fractures observed during 85 consecutive infant autopsies. Rib fractures were found in 24 (28%) of the cases. A total of 158 rib fractures were identified. The proposed schema was adequate to classify 153 (97%) of the observed fractures. The results indicate that the classification system is sufficiently robust to classify rib fractures typically observed in infants and should be used by researchers investigating infant rib fractures.
Modified Midi‐ and Mini‐Multiplex PCR Systems for Mitochondrial DNA Control Region Sequence Analysis in Degraded Samples
Authors: Kim Na Young , Lee Hwan Young , Park Sun Joo , Yang Woo Ick , Shin Kyoung‐Jin
Published: February 2013

Two multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) systems (Midiplex and Miniplex) were developed for the amplification of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region, and the efficiencies of the multiplexes for amplifying degraded DNA were validated using old skeletal remains. The Midiplex system consisted of two multiplex PCRs to amplify six overlapping amplicons ranging in length from 227 to 267 bp. The Miniplex system consisted of three multiplex PCRs to amplify 10 overlapping short amplicons ranging in length from 142 to 185 bp. Most mtDNA control region sequences of several 60‐year‐old and 400–500‐year‐old skeletal remains were successfully obtained using both PCR systems and consistent with those previously obtained by monoplex amplification. The multiplex system consisting of smaller amplicons is effective for mtDNA sequence analyses of ancient and forensic degraded samples, saving time, cost, and the amount of DNA sample consumed during analysis.