bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Investigation of some factors affecting the antibacterial activity of rosemary extracts in food models by a food microdilution method
Authors: Klančnik Anja , Piskernik Saša , Možina Sonja Smole , Gašperlin Lea , Jeršek Barbara
Published: January 2011

The activity of rosemary phenolic extracts against Listeria monocytogenes and Escherichia coli was evaluated in 50% food models of meat, vegetable and dairy products in relation to some factors that can affect MIC (minimal inhibitory concentration) values (inoculum level, proportion of food, temperature) using a new food microdilution method. It was shown that the interactions of meat and milk components with plant extracts reduced the antibacterial effectiveness of rosemary extracts. MIC values for L. monocytogenes were lower than for E. coli in all tested conditions. A lower inoculation level caused a decrease in MIC values for E. coli but an increase in MIC values for L. monocytogenes in control media. In food models, MIC values were higher or equal to MIC values in control media regardless of bacterial type. We showed that the food microdilution method represents a simple, rapid, reproducible and inexpensive method for testing the antimicrobial efficiency of plant extracts in food systems.
Effect of temperature on the drying characteristics, colour, antioxidant and beta‐carotene contents of two apricot varieties
Authors: Ihns Reiner , Diamante Lemuel M. , Savage Geoffrey P. , Vanhanen Leo
Published: January 2011

In this study, the drying characteristics, colour, oxygen reactive antioxidant capacity (ORAC) and beta‐carotene contents of two apricot varieties dried at different temperatures were compared. The hot air drying of apricot slices for both varieties consisted of a constant rate period (CRP) and two of falling rate periods (FRP). The CRP drying rate and the first and second FRP drying coefficients increased with drying temperature for both apricot varieties. The first and second FRP of both apricot varieties gave activation energies of 23.5–28.7 and 25.6–29.3 kJ mole−1, respectively. The colour values (L*, a* and b*) of both dried apricot varieties decreased with increasing temperature, while the total colour change of both dried apricot varieties increased with temperature. The chroma, hue angle and browning index values of both dried apricot varieties decreased with increasing temperature, and the hydrophilic ORAC and beta‐carotene contents increased with drying temperature.
The effect of lemon juice on bonito (Sarda sarda, Bloch, 1793) preserved by sous vide packaging
Authors: Cosansu Serap , Mol Suhendan , Alakavuk Didem Ucok , Ozturan Samime
Published: January 2011

This study examined the effect of lemon juice on sensory, biochemical and microbiological quality of sous vide (SV)‐packaged bonito. Bonitos were salted (0.2%) and divided into two groups. The first group (SV) was vacuum‐packaged in a gas barrier plastic pouch, pasteurised (70 °C, 10 min) and stored at 4 ± 1 °C. The second group [(lemon juice‐treated sous vide (LSV)] was treated with lemon juice, vacuum‐packaged, pasteurised and stored similarly. LSV samples had lower pH, mesophilic and psychrophilic aerobic counts than SV samples (P < 0.05), and they had better sensory quality. SV samples spoiled on the 35th day, while the LSV samples were acceptable until 49th day of storage. This result shows that treatment with lemon juice increased the acceptability and shelf life of SV packaged bonito for 2 weeks (40%). When compared to several other mild preservation procedures, addition of lemon juice to SV fish is inexpensive and uncomplicated method.
Effect of acid hydrolysis in the presence of anhydrous alcohols on the structure, thermal and pasting properties of normal, waxy and high‐amylose maize starches
Authors: Luo Zhi‐Gang , Fu Xiong , Gao Qun‐Yu , Yu Shu‐Juan
Published: January 2011

Maize starches with different amylose contents (0%, 23% and 55%) were treated in anhydrous methanol, ethanol, 2‐propanol, 1‐butanol with 0.36% HCl at 25 °C for 5 days. Results showed that the extent of change in physicochemical properties increased from methanol to butanol. Treated waxy maize starch showed higher than 65% solubility at above 75 °C. The diffraction peak at 2θ = 5.3° of amylomaize V starch disappeared after treatment in ethanol, 2‐propanol and 1‐butanol. Acid–alcohol treatment decreased the gelatinisation temperature of normal (from 64.5 to 61.9 °C) and waxy maize (from 68.1 to 61.1 °C) starches, while it increased that of amylomaize V (from 68.7 to 72.3 °C) starch. The extent of the decrease in the pasting viscosity followed the following order: amylomaize V < normal maize < waxy maize. This study indicated that acid–alcohol treatment degraded preferentially the amorphous regions and the different changes depended on the crystal structure and amylose content of starch.
Modelling of mass transfer and texture evaluation during osmotic dehydration of melon under vacuum
Authors: Ferrari Cristhiane C. , Arballo Javier R. , Mascheroni Rodolfo H. , Hubinger Miriam D.
Published: January 2011

The influence of vacuum time and solution concentration on mass transfer and mechanical properties of osmodehydrated melon cubes has been studied. Pulsed vacuum osmotic dehydration (PVOD) was carried out at 30 °C for 4 h, using sucrose solutions (40, 50 or 60°Brix) and applying a vacuum pulse (100 mbar for 5, 10 or 15 min). Kinetics of water loss, solid gain and stress at rupture were analysed, as well as effective diffusivities using the hydrodynamic model. The increase in solution concentration favoured water removal, but no significant effect of vacuum time was observed. The use of less concentrated solutions coupled to the action of vacuum pulse resulted in greater solid uptake. Samples subjected to PVOD using 60°Brix sucrose solution presented greater water loss, lower sugar uptake and better maintenance of fresh fruit texture throughout the process. Diffusion coefficients estimated by the hydrodynamic model showed a good fit to the experimental data.
Txt lang: Texting, textism use and literacy abilities in adolescents with and without specific language impairment
Authors: Durkin K. , Conti‐Ramsden G. , Walker A.J.
Published: January 2011

The present study examined text messaging in adolescence, in particular relationships among textism use, language and literacy skills. Forty‐seven typically developing (TD) 17‐year‐olds and 47 adolescents of the same age with specific language impairment (SLI) participated. Participants completed standardised assessments of cognitive, language and literacy abilities, an interview about frequency of text messaging, and were asked to send a text message in reply to one sent by the experimenter. Adolescents with SLI were less likely than their TD peers to reply to the text message. Non‐senders with SLI (32%) had significantly lower reading abilities than senders with SLI. Senders with SLI composed shorter texts and used less text language than did TD peers. Correlational analyses revealed significant positive relationships among textism density, number of types of textism used and measures of literacy in adolescence. Implications of these findings for educational technology instruction in how to text are discussed.
The effect of text messaging on 9‐ and 10‐year‐old children's reading, spelling and phonological processing skills
Authors: Wood C. , Jackson E. , Hart L. , Plester B. , Wilde L.
Published: January 2011

This paper reports on an intervention study that considered the impact of text messaging on 9‐ to 10‐year‐old children's literacy skills. One hundred and fourteen children who had never owned a mobile phone before were recruited and randomly allocated to either the intervention or control conditions. All children were pre‐ and post‐tested on a range of reading, spelling and phonological awareness measures. Children in the intervention group were given access to a mobile phone (enabled for text messaging only) for weekends and during half‐term break for a 10‐week period. It was found that there were no significant differences between the two groups of children in terms of their literacy attainment during that period. However, within the mobile phone group, there was evidence that use of text abbreviations was positively related to gains in literacy skills. Moreover, after controlling for individual differences in IQ, and the children's performance at pre‐test, textism usage was able to account for a significant amount of variance in post‐test spelling scores. These results show that text messaging does not adversely affect the development of literacy skills within this age group, and that the children's use of textisms when text messaging is positively related to improvement in literacy skills, especially spelling.
Children's text messaging: abbreviations, input methods and links with literacy
Authors: Kemp N. , Bushnell C.
Published: January 2011

This study investigated the effects of mobile phone text‐messaging method (predictive and multi‐press) and experience (in texters and non‐texters) on children's textism use and understanding. It also examined popular claims that the use of text‐message abbreviations, or textese spelling, is associated with poor literacy skills. A sample of 86 children aged 10 to 12 years read and wrote text messages in conventional English and in textese, and completed tests of spelling, reading and non‐word reading. Children took significantly longer and made more errors when reading messages written in textese than in conventional English. Further, they were no faster at writing messages in textese than in conventional English, regardless of texting method or experience. Predictive texters were faster at reading and writing messages than multi‐press texters, and texting experience increased writing, but not reading, speed. General spelling and reading scores did not differ significantly with usual texting method. However, better literacy skills were associated with greater textese reading speed and accuracy. These findings add to the growing evidence for a positive relationship between texting proficiency and traditional literacy skills.
Reliability and validity of the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale in clinical outpatients with depressive disorders
Authors: Grootenboer Esther M. V. , Giltay Erik J. , van der Lem Rosalind , van Veen Tineke , van der Wee Nic J. A. , Zitman Frans G.
Published: January 2011

Rationale, aims and objectives  The Global Assessment of Functioning Scale (GAF) is widely used to assess psychological, social and occupational functioning. The validity and reliability of the GAF in clinical practice have only scarcely been studied in naturalistic samples.

Methods  A total of 432 outpatients with a current major depressive disorder (MDD) were evaluated with routine outcome monitoring (ROM). At baseline the GAF score was assessed by the treating clinician and at ROM baseline and follow‐up sessions also by a trained test nurse. Sociodemographic data, the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview Plus and scores on the Montgomery‐Äsberg Depression Rating Scale, Beck Depression Inventory‐revised, Brief Symptom Inventory and Short Form‐36 were assessed.

Results  At baseline, the mean GAF score by the clinician was 54.8 (range 35–85), and this was systematically lower than the mean GAF score by the test nurse of 57.5 (range 31–88). GAF scores by the clinician and test nurse correlated weakly (r = 0.26). The GAF scores of the clinicians correlated strongly with disease severity, and social and physical functioning.

Conclusion  The GAF showed rather poor inter‐rater reliability as well as poor discriminant validity with disease severity and physical limitations in a large naturalistic sample of outpatients with MDD.
Introductory insights into patient preferences for outpatient rehabilitation after knee replacement: implications for practice and future research
Authors: Naylor Justine M. , Mittal Rajat , Carroll Katherine , Harris Ian A.
Published: January 2011

Objectives  Current perspectives concerning clinical decision making favour inclusion of patient preference for therapy. This exploratory study aimed to forge introductory insights into patient preference for outpatient‐based rehabilitation after total knee replacement (TKR).

Methods  TKR recipients from six public hospitals participating in a prospective, longitudinal study assessing outcomes after surgery were surveyed 1 year after surgery about preferences for rehabilitation. Surveys were conducted face‐to‐face or via postal questionnaire. Questions included global satisfaction (percentage scale) with therapy received, future preference for therapy and the reasons underpinning preference.

Results  Ninety‐three (93/115) TKR recipients participated [mean age 68 (SD 8) years; 66% female; 75% face‐to‐face interview]. Group‐based (39/93) and one‐to‐one therapies (38/93) were the most common modes experienced. Most participants (81/93) were highly satisfied (satisfaction ≥ 75%). Future preference was associated with satisfaction with past exposure regardless of mode (P = 0.02), hence no overall preference for one mode emerged. Commonality existed in the reasons why patients preferred specific modes. The most common reason for preferring group‐based therapy was psychosocial benefit whilst the more personalized approach was the most common reason for preferring one‐to‐one therapy.

Conclusions  Patient global satisfaction is similarly high across different modes of outpatient rehabilitation despite differences in perceived benefits. The association between satisfaction and preference potentially indicates that provided the service is deemed high quality, the actual mode of therapy offered is less important to this patient population. Research is required, however, to establish the relationship between preference and outcome, the stability of preference across time, and the effect of multiple rehabilitation exposures on preference. For now, the quality of current uni‐modal programmes could be enhanced by incorporation of features typically associated with alternative modes.
Accuracy of administrative coding in identifying hip and knee primary replacements and revisions
Authors: Daneshvar Parham , Forster Alan J. , Dervin Geoffrey F.
Published: January 2011

Rationale, aims and objectives  Hospital discharge notes can be used to identify rates of revisions in hip and knee arthroplasty surgeries if such administrative codes are accurate. In order to trust the data taken from the hospital discharge abstracts it is important to assess their reliability. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the accuracy of the administrative coding used in measuring revision rates for total hip and knee arthroplasty.

Methods  Validation coding was determined by two orthopaedic surgery residents who reviewed the operative, radiological and discharge summaries in order to identify the revision rates for total hip and knee arthroplasty. A random sample of 637 patients from two tertiary care hospitals was studied. These patients had total hip or knee arthroplasty between 1996 and 2006. All of these patients had an International Classification of Disease (ICD)‐9CM or ICD‐10CM code indicating what procedure they had done. The validation reviewers were blinded to the administrative codes used. The sensitivity, specificity and positive and negative predictive values of the administrative codes for revision rates were measured.

Results  Based on 1201 procedures performed on 637 patients, when comparing validation review versus hospital administrative chart coding for primary and revision surgeries of total hip and knee arthroplasty, the following data were obtained: for total hip arthroplasty sensitivity is 99%, specificity is 91%, positive predictive value is 91% and negative predictive value is 99%; for total knee arthroplasty sensitivity is 89%, specificity is 98%, positive predictive value is 97% and negative predictive value is 93%. The accuracy of ICD‐9CM and ICD‐10CM were 96% and 95%, respectively.

Conclusion  This study demonstrates that ICD‐9CM and ICD‐10CM codes can be used accurately when analysing hip and knee arthroplasty. This study was conducted in a large tertiary academic centre where a significant number of records analysts are employed; therefore, there should be little inter‐hospital error. These results should help researchers understand the potential accuracy of classification for these procedures as part of an audit or quality assurance project.
Digital gene expression analysis of gastrointestinal helminth resistance in Scottish blackface lambs
Authors: PEMBERTON J. M. , BERALDI D. , CRAIG B. H. , HOPKINS J.
Published: January 2011

Digital gene expression (DGE) analysis offers a route to gene discovery which by‐passes the need to develop bespoke arrays for nonmodel species, and is therefore a potentially valuable tool for molecular ecologists. Scottish blackface sheep, which vary in resistance to the common abomasal parasitic nematode Teladorsagia circumcincta, were trickle‐infected with L3 larvae over 3 months to mimic the natural progression of infection. DGE was performed on abomasal lymph node tissue after the resolution of infection in resistant animals. Susceptible (low resistance) animals showed a large number of differentially expressed genes associated with inflammation and cell activation, but generally few differentially regulated genes in either the susceptible or the resistant group were directly involved in the adaptive immune function. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that both resistance and susceptibility are active responses to infection and that susceptibility is associated with dysfunction in T cell differentiation and regulation.
Maternal reproductive history and the risk of isolated congenital malformations
Authors: Materna‐Kiryluk A. , Więckowska B. , Wiśniewska K. , Borszewska‐Kornacka M. K. , Godula‐Stuglik U. , Limon J. , Rusin J. , Sawulicka‐Oleszczuk H. , Szwałkiewicz‐Warowicka E. , Walczak M. ,   other members of the PRCM Working Group
Published: January 2011

Materna‐Kiryluk A, Więckowska B, Wiśniewska K, Borszewska‐Kornacka MK, Godula‐Stuglik U, Limon J,et al. Maternal reproductive history and the risk of isolated congenital malformations.Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology2011.

We examined the relationship between maternal reproductive history and the newborn's risk of isolated congenital malformations in a large case–control cohort from the Polish Registry of Congenital Malformations. Congenital malformations were classified into four categories: isolated congenital heart defects (n = 1673), isolated cleft palate (n = 255), cleft lip with or without cleft palate (n = 448) and renal agenesis (n = 103). The case groups were compared with a shared group of 2068 controls recruited in the same time period and geographic area. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the risk associated with maternal gravidity and of previous miscarriages after accounting for maternal age and other potential risk factors.

In unadjusted analyses, maternal gravidity was significantly associated with increased risk of all four classes of congenital malformations. After adjustment, a significant association persisted for congenital heart defects [odds ratio (OR) = 1.22, [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.09, 1.36],P = 0.0007] and cleft lip with or without cleft palate (OR = 1.21, [95% CI 1.09, 1.36],P = 0.0005). A similar trend existed for isolated cleft palate (OR = 1.18, [95% CI 1.02, 1.37],P = 0.03). There was no appreciable increase in the risk of congenital malformations associated with a maternal history of miscarriages, but a trend for a protective effect on the occurrence of cleft lip with or without cleft palate was observed (OR = 0.72, [95% CI 0.52, 0.99],P = 0.045). Based on our data, maternal gravidity represents a significant risk factor for congenital heart defects and cleft lip with or without cleft palate in the newborn infant. Our data do not support an increase in risk because of past history of miscarriages.
Age‐dependent investment in death‐feigning behaviour in the sweetpotato weevil Cylas formicarius
Authors: KURIWADA TAKASHI , KUMANO NORIKUNI , SHIROMOTO KEIKO , HARAGUCHI DAI
Published: January 2011

Because life‐history theory predicts that risky behaviours such as mating should increase as life expectancy decreases, predatory avoidance is expected to decrease with age. However, this prediction has not been examined. In the present study, the effect of age on death‐feigning behaviour, a form of predatory avoidance behaviour in the sweetpotato weevil Cylas formicarius (Summers) (Coleoptera: Brentidae), is investigated by performing a longitudinal study. Because the effects of mating history and age usually cannot be distinguished, mating history is controlled. The results show that only female weevils decrease the investment in death‐feigning behaviour with age, whereas male weevils do not show any age‐related change. In addition, death‐feigning behaviour of mated females is longer than that of virgin females, possibly because additional mating partners would be not needed by mated females.
Systematics of the mealybug tribe Xenococcini (Hemiptera: Coccoidea: Pseudococcidae), with a discussion of trophobiotic associations with Acropyga Roger ants
Authors: SCHNEIDER SCOTT A. , LaPOLLA JOHN S.
Published: January 2011

The mealybug tribe Xenococcini (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) comprises three genera, Eumyrmococcus Silvestri, Neochavesia Williams & Granara de Willink and Xenococcus Silvestri, trophobiotically associated with ants of the genus Acropyga Roger (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Alate Acropyga queens vertically transmit trophobionts by carrying them along on the nuptial flight, a unique behaviour termed trophophoresy. Xenococcine mealybugs have never been collected without ant associates, and putatively only associate with Acropyga. Xenococcine mealybugs are characterized by the absence of dorsal ostioles, presence of distally cup‐shaped circuli and a female pupal instar rather than a third feeding instar. The phylogeny of this tribe is derived for the first time using morphological data from adult females (53 characters) through Bayesian inference and maximum parsimony methods. Monophyly of the clade is strongly supported and a discussion of their taxonomy is included. The Neotropical genus Neochavesia was recovered as monophyletic. Eumyrmococcus, as previously defined, was recovered as paraphyletic, and thus two species are transferred to Xenococcus: Xenococcus kinomurai (Williams & Terayama) comb.n. and Xenococcus neoguineensis (Williams) comb.n. Two species groups are recognized within Eumyrmococcus: the Eumyrmococcus scorpioides species group, restricted to the eastern Mediterranean and Afrotropics, and the Eumyrmococcus smithii species group, restricted to the Orient and Indo‐Australasia. Six new species are described: Eumyrmococcus adornocapillussp.n. from Australia; Eumyrmococcus sarnatisp.n. from Fiji; Eumyrmococcus ordinotersussp.n. and Xenococcus baryglobosussp.n. from the Solomon Islands; Neochavesia cephalonodussp.n. from French Guiana; and Neochavesia linealumasp.n. from Guyana. The systematics and biology of the xenococcine mealybugs is discussed in the context of obligate ant symbiosis.
Cost of illness due to typhoid fever in five Asian countries
Authors: Poulos Christine , Riewpaiboon Arthorn , Stewart John F. , Clemens John , Guh Soyeon , Agtini Magdarina , Anh Dang Duc , Baiqing Dong , Bhutta Zulfiqar , Sur Dipika , Whittington Dale ,   the DOMI Typhoid COI Study Group
Published: January 2011

Objective  To generate community‐based estimates of the public (paid by the government) and private (paid by households) costs of blood culture‐confirmed typhoid fever in Hechi, China; North Jakarta, Indonesia; Kolkata, India; Karachi, Pakistan and Hue, Vietnam.

Methods  To measure out‐of‐pocket costs of illness and lost earnings, families with culture‐proven cases were surveyed 7, 14 and 90 days after onset of illness. Public costs of treatment were measured at local health facilities using a micro costing (bottom‐up) method.

Results  The costs of hospitalized cases ranged from USD 129 in Kolkata to USD 432 in North Jakarta (hospitalization rates varied from 2% in Kolkata to 40% in Hechi) and the costs of non‐hospitalized cases ranged from USD 13 in Kolkata to USD 67 in Hechi. Where costs were highest (Hechi, North Jakarta and Karachi), the bulk of the costs of hospitalized cases was borne by families, comprising up to 15% of annual household income.

Conclusion  Although these estimates may understate true costs due to the fact that higher quality treatment may have been provided earlier‐than‐usual, this multi‐country community‐based study contributes to evidence on the public and private costs of typhoid fever in developing countries. These cost estimates were used in a cost‐effectiveness analysis of typhoid vaccines and will help policymakers respond to World Health Organization’s updated typhoid fever immunization recommendations.
Late Cretaceous paleoenvironment and lake level fluctuation in the Songliao Basin, northeastern China
Authors: Xi Dangpeng , Wan Xiaoqiao , Jansa Luba , Zhang Yiyi
Published: January 2011

Study of Late Cretaceous lacustrine sedimentary strata in the eastern Songliao Basin, China revealed that the paleoclimate was relatively arid and hot during sedimentation of the upper Santonian of the Yaojia Formation, but became relatively humid and warm during deposition of the lower Campanian Nenjiang Formation. The upper Yaojia Formation was deposited in a freshwater lake environment, while the lower Nenjiang Formation was deposited in a slightly brackish to brackish environment. The average total organic carbon content in the upper Yaojia Formation is 0.15%, while the hydrogen index is 36 mgHC/gTOC, implying poor source rock for oil generation and the organic matter comprised of a mixture of woody and herbaceous organic matter. In contrast, the hydrogen index of oil shale and black shale of the lower Nenjiang Formation is 619 mgHC/gTOC, and total organic carbon content on average is 3.37%, indicating a mixed algae and herbaceous source of kerogen and an increase in aquatic bioproductivity. The black shale and oil shale have low Pristane/Phytane and C29 5α,14α,17α(H) − stigmastane 20R/(20R + 20S) ratios, with maximum concentration of n‐alkanes at n‐C23, implying an anoxic depositional environment with algae, bacteria and higher plants providing most of the organic matter. Relatively abundant gammacerane and a higher Sr/Ba ratio in the oil shales suggest the presence of brackish water and development of salinity stratification in the lake. During sedimentation of the upper Yaojia through the lower Nenjiang Formations, the level of Songliao lake increased and a deep‐lake environment was formed with bottom waters being oxygen depleted. Concomitantly, as the lake deepened bottom conditions were changing from oxic to anoxic, and the input of organic matter changed from predominantly higher plants to a mixture of bacteria, algae and higher plants providing favorable conditions for oil source rock accumulation.
Oxygen and lead isotope characteristics of granitic rocks from the Nansha block (South China Sea): Implications for their petrogenesis and tectonic affinity
Authors: YAN QUANSHU , SHI XUEFA , LI NAISHENG
Published: January 2011

The pre‐Cenozoic history of the South China Sea (SCS) region is the object of continued debate. To trace the evolution of the SCS, a better understanding of the petrogenesis and tectonic affiliation of the granitic rocks that comprise the microblocks within the region is necessary. In this study, we analyzed the whole‐rock oxygen and lead isotope ratios of granitic samples dredged from two locations in the Nansha microblock, one of the microblocks in the SCS. Oxygen isotope data combined with previously published Sr isotope data show that group I rocks (δ18O = 6.00–7.20‰; average = 6.64‰) originated from a mantle source contaminated by material and/or fluid input from a Mesozoic subduction zone in the southeastern side of the microblock. Group II rocks (δ18O = 6.86‰–9.13‰; average = 7.75‰) also came from the same source, but they were additionally affected by crustal contamination. The Nansha microblock has high radiogenic lead ratios (206Pb/204Pbi = 18.602–18.756, 207Pb/204Pbi = 15.660–15.713, 208Pb/204Pbi = 38.693–38.893), which indicate that the Nansha microblock is tectonically affiliated with the Nanling–Hainan or South China block. This notion is consistent with the results of a previous Nd isotope study. As a whole, results of our study suggest that some of the other microblocks dispersed in the SCS are also possible fragments of South China block, and thus further studies are needed to better constrain the pre‐Cenozoic evolutionary history of the SCS region.
Cisatracurium pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics during hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass in infants and children
Authors: Withington Davinia , Ménard Guillaume , Varin France
Published: January 2011

Background:  Hypothermia potentiates neuromuscular blockade in adults during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) but the pediatric literature is sparse. Temperature‐dependent Hoffman degradation of cisatracurium may allow reduction in infusion rate (IR) during hypothermia. The effect of hypothermic CPB on the pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD) of cisatracurium has not been described in children.

Methods and materials:  Using neuromuscular monitoring with a Datex Relaxograph, cisatracurium IR was adjusted to obtain a pseudo‐steady state during each phase of surgery (pre‐CPB, CPB, post‐CPB). Paired samples were taken at each phase. Cisatracurium plasma concentrations (Cpss) were determined by HPLC. Core and skin temperatures were recorded.

Results:  Data from ten infants were analyzed: Group 1: mean 33.6°C; Group 2: mean 21.9°C. To maintain T1% between 5% and 10% in Group 2, the IR was decreased by a mean of 89% (P < 0.001). IR was not significantly different in Group 1. Post‐CPB IR approximated pre‐CPB rates in both groups. During CPB, Cpss fell by 27% in Group 1 and by 50% in Group 2 (P = 0.039). Post‐CPB Cpss was not significantly different to pre‐CPB in either group. Clearance did not change significantly in Group 1 but fell significantly in Group 2 during CPB (P = 0.002). Clearance post‐CPB was unchanged from pre‐CPB.

Conclusions:  Cisatracurium IR may be decreased by around 60% during CPB with moderate hypothermia but can be maintained at baseline during mild hypothermia.
Taylor Prediction for Mesh Geometry Compression
Authors: Courbet Clément , Hudelot Céline
Published: January 2011

In this paper, we introduce a new formalism for mesh geometry prediction. We derive a class of smooth linear predictors from a simple approach based on the Taylor expansion of the mesh geometry function. We use this method as a generic way to compute weights for various linear predictors used for mesh compression and compare them with those of existing methods. We show that our scheme is actually equivalent to the Modified Butterfly subdivision scheme used for wavelet mesh compression. We also build new efficient predictors that can be used for connectivity‐driven compression in place of other schemes like Average/Dual Parallelogram Prediction and High Degree Polygon Prediction. The new predictors use the same neighbourhood, but do not make any assumption on mesh anisotropy. In the case of Average Parallelogram Prediction, our new weights improve compression rates from 3% to 18% on our test meshes. For Dual Parallelogram Prediction, our weights are equivalent to those of the previous Freelence approach, that outperforms traditional schemes by 16% on average. Our method effectively shows that these weights are optimal for the class of smooth meshes. Modifying existing schemes to make use of our method is free because only the prediction weights have to be modified in the code.
The violence of disablism
Authors: Goodley Dan , Runswick‐Cole Katherine
Published: January 2011

This article addresses the multi‐faceted nature of violence in the lives of disabled people, with a specific focus on the accounts of disabled children and their families. Traditionally, when violence and disability have been considered together, this has emphasised the disabled subject whom inevitably exhibits violent challenging behaviour. Recently, however, more attention has been paid to violence experienced by disabled people, most notably in relation to hate crime. This article embraces theories that do not put the problems of disablism or violence back onto disabled people but magnify and expose processes of disablism that are produced in the relationships between people, which sometimes involve violence. This, we argue, means taking seriously the role of social relationships, institutions and culture in the constitution of violence. Disabled children, we argue, are enculturated by the violence of disablism. We follow Žižek’s advice to step back from the obvious signals of violence to ‘perceive the contours of the background which generates such outbursts’, and identify four elements of the violence of disablism which we define as real, psychoemotional, systemic and cultural. We come to the conclusion that violence experienced by disabled children and their families says more about the dominant culture of disablism than it does of the acts of a few seemingly irrational, unreasonable, mean or violent individuals. We conclude that there is a need for extensive cultural deconstruction and reformation.
From recreational to regular drug use: qualitative interviews with young clubbers
Authors: Järvinen Margaretha , Ravn Signe
Published: January 2011

This article analyses the process of going from recreational use to regular and problematic use of illegal drugs. We present a model containing six career contingencies relevant for young people’s progress from recreational to regular drug use: the closing of social networks, changes in forms of parties, intoxication becoming a goal in itself, easier access to drugs, learning to recognise alternative effects of drugs and experiences of loss of control. The analysis shows that these dimensions are at play not only when young people develop a regular drug use pattern but also when they attempt to extricate themselves from this pattern. Hence, when regular drug users talk about their future, it is not a future characterised by total abstinence from illegal drugs but a future where they have rolled back their drug use career to the recreational drug use pattern they started out with. Empirically, the article is based on qualitative interviews with young drug users contacted at nightclubs in Denmark
In a moment of mismatch: overseas doctors’ adjustments in new hospital environments
Authors: Harris Anna
Published: January 2011

This paper contributes to studies of healthcare worker migration and, more broadly, to the study of occupational adjustment, with an analysis of finely detailed sensorial data. It focuses upon doctors, who are increasingly on the move around the world, working in hospital environments different from those in which they have trained. A number of unexamined questions remain in relation to how medical practitioners shift their work across contexts, in particular the tactile nature of adjustment, which has been under‐explored in health sociology. This paper examines a procedural skill; a skill in which tools have become almost natural extensions of the doctor’s hands. It focuses upon what happens when doctors travel overseas and find unfamiliar equipment, and their habitual practice is interrupted. The paper argues that by studying overseas doctors’ bodily adjustment during such moments of mismatch, we learn more about the environment of the doctors’ past and present. It suggests that by looking at the rupture between habit and the unfamiliar, we also understand something about the ways in which we adjust to the unexpected.
Ethical boundary‐work in the infertility clinic
Authors: Frith Lucy , Jacoby Ann , Gabbay Mark
Published: January 2011

Infertility practice and reproductive technologies are generally seen as ‘controversial’ areas of scientific inquiry that raise many complex ethical issues. This paper presents a qualitative study that considered how clinicians constructed the role of the ‘ethical’ in their everyday practice. We use the concept of ethical boundary‐work to develop a theory of ‘settled’ and ‘controversial’ morality to illuminate how infertility clinicians drew boundaries between different conceptions of the role ethics played in their practice. An attention to areas of settled morality, usually rendered invisible by their very nature, enables us to see how clinicians manage the ‘ethical’ in their practice. We argue that by creating a space of ‘no‐ethics’ in their practice – part of a settled morality that does not require articulation – the informants re‐appropriate an area of their practice from ‘outside’ influences and control. Bringing these elements to light can help ‘outsiders’ to challenge and question these distinctions and therefore bring additional perspectives to debates over morality in the infertility clinic. Illuminating the everyday ethical concerns of infertility clinicians can help direct ethical thinking towards these practical concerns, as well as to more abstract debates.
Conceptualising body work in health and social care
Authors: Twigg Julia , Wolkowitz Carol , Cohen Rachel Lara , Nettleton Sarah
Published: January 2011

Body work is a central activity in the practice of many workers in the field of health and social care. This article provides an introduction to the concept of body work – paid work on the bodies of others – and demonstrates its importance for understanding the activities of health and social care workers. Providing an overview of existing research on body work, it shows the manifold ways in which this can inform the sociology of health and illness – whether through a micro‐social focus on the inter‐corporeal aspects of work in health and social care, or through elucidating our understanding of the times and spaces of work, or through highlighting the relationship between mundane body work and the increasingly global movements of bodies, workers and those worked‐upon. The article shows how understanding work undertaken on the bodies of others as ‘body work’ provides a mechanism for relating work in the sphere of health and social care to that in other sectors, opening up new avenues for research.
Sensitivity to rime unit frequency and children's early word‐reading strategies
Authors: Coyne Emily , Farrington‐Flint Lee , Underwood Jean , Stiller James
Published: January 2011

The current work examines children's sensitivity to rime unit spelling–sound correspondences within the context of early word reading as a way of assessing word‐specific influences on early word‐reading strategies. Sixty 6–7‐year‐olds participated in an experimental reading task that comprised word items that shared either frequent or infrequent rime unit correspondences. Retrospective self‐reports were taken as measures of strategy choice. The results showed that the children were more accurate in identifying word items that shared a common rime unit (consistent items) when compared with those containing infrequent rime units (unique and exception items). Moreover, while nonlexical (phonological) attempts were most frequently applied across all word types, these resulted in lower levels of accuracy, especially for the exception word items. The current data support the argument that children are increasingly sensitive to rime unit sound–spelling correspondences during the early stages of their word reading and the nature of these word‐specific orthographic representations shape their reliance on using particular lexical or non‐lexical‐based word‐reading strategies.
Reading competence development of poor readers in a German elementary school sample: an empirical examination of the Matthew effect model
Authors: Pfost Maximilian , Dörfler Tobias , Artelt Cordula
Published: January 2011

According to the Matthew effect model, interindividual differences in reading competence between poor and normal readers should become wider as students grow older. The second part of the model assumes that these differential pathways are mainly attributable to differential reading activities. The purpose of this study is to examine whether both assumptions can be verified in a sample of German elementary school students. Data from 1,124 students, participating in the BiKS longitudinal study with assessment starting in Grade 3 and two further points of measurement in Grade 4, were available for our analyses. Latent growth curve models showed a significant lower linear and quadratic trend on reading competence development for students with severe reading deficits in comparison with their better classmates. Further analysis indicates that differential reading behaviour seems to be a prominent factor in explaining these differential pathways whereas the students' general cognitive abilities seem to be of less importance.
Single‐species conservation in a multiple‐use landscape: current protection of the tiger range
Authors: Forrest J. L. , Bomhard B. , Budiman A. , Coad L. , Cox N. , Dinerstein E. , Hammer D. , Huang C. , Huy K. , Kraft R. , Lysenko I. , Magrath W.
Published: January 2011

We report on land management and protected area management effectiveness in the tiger range. Wild tigers Panthera tigris are found in 13 countries, with habitat that is also important for ecosystem services, biodiversity and a number of other threatened species. Timber production, mineral mining, oil and gas concessions and protected areas are common land‐use designations in tiger habitat. Twenty‐one per cent of the current tiger range is under some form of protection, while 9% is designated as ‘strictly protected,’ in IUCN categories I or II. Fifteen per cent of the tiger range is under oil and gas concession. These concessions also overlap 152 protected areas, 55 of which are categorized as strictly protected. Management effectiveness tracking tool responses suggest that the majority of protected areas in the tiger range are inadequately managed to meet their objectives, and the most commonly reported management challenges are minimal enforcement and budgets. We observe that even strictly protected areas are subject to a variety of pressures, particularly resource extraction. Results imply that the establishment and enforcement of effective protected areas in each tiger landscape, sufficient to protect and grow breeding tiger populations, could help change current trends. These areas should be free from incompatible land uses, and should be adequately resourced to meet management, enforcement and monitoring challenges. Weaknesses in protected area management identified here have implications for species and ecosystem services that share the same geography as tigers. In addition, results suggest that similar issues may exist for threatened species and protected areas in other geographies as well.
Fragmentation of sagebrush communities: does an increase in habitat edge impact pygmy rabbits?
Authors: Pierce J. E. , Larsen R. T. , Flinders J. T. , Whiting J. C.
Published: January 2011

Sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) communities are ecologically critical; however, these areas currently face severe threats from alteration and reduction. Pygmy rabbits Brachylagus idahoensis are sagebrush specialists that occupy the intermountain region of the USA. Little is known concerning how fragmentation of sagebrush and an increase in habitat edge may impact pygmy rabbits. From 2004 to 2009 in Utah, USA, we tested hypotheses concerning the influences of habitat edge on pygmy rabbits. We quantified the number of active pygmy rabbit burrows in relation to distance from habitat edge. At differing distances from habitat edge, we also deployed remote cameras at burrows and counted fecal pellets to document potential increases in the number of terrestrial predators and competitors. We classified activity of 528 burrows (284 active and 244 inactive). The proportion of active burrows was lower within 100 m of habitat edge (r2=0.502, P=0.02) compared with burrows located in control areas (>100 m from habitat edge). Photographs of pygmy rabbits decreased at burrows closer to habitat edge (P<0.01). Photographs of predators increased near habitat edge, but was marginally insignificant (P=0.07), and photographs of potential competitors [cottontail (Sylvilagus spp.), P<0.01; jackrabbit Lepus californicus, P<0.01] increased near habitat edge. Fecal pellet plots supported these patterns. Our results indicated that the proportion of active burrows and the relative abundance of pygmy rabbits were reduced near habitat edge. This reduction was associated with an increase in terrestrial predators and competitors near habitat edge. Consideration should be given to the influence of habitat edge on pygmy rabbits in order to conserve and manage this unique species.
Using major histocompatibility complex markers to assign the geographic origin of migratory birds: examples from the threatened lesser kestrel
Authors: Rodríguez A. , Alcaide M. , Negro J. J. , Pilard P.
Published: January 2011

Gathering knowledge about the migratory routes and wintering areas of threatened populations is fundamental for their successful conservation. Here, we used a non‐invasive approach that relies on major histocompatibility complex (MHC) polymorphism to infer the breeding origin of a long‐distance migratory bird, the lesser kestrel Falco naumanni, in its most important wintering quarters in the Sub‐Saharan Africa (Senegal and South Africa). Private alleles support a strong connectivity between wintering Senegalese and western European breeding populations. On the other hand, birds wintering in South Africa were genetically differentiated with respect to western European breeding populations and might therefore gather individuals from the eastern distribution range. This study demonstrates that, at least at wide continental scales, MHC genes can be powerful intrinsic markers to study migration and migration connectivity, thus adding value to its role in conservation and management.
Floater strategies and dynamics in birds, and their importance in conservation biology: towards an understanding of nonbreeders in avian populations
Authors: Penteriani V. , Ferrer M. , Delgado M. M.
Published: January 2011

Over the past 40 years, the study of animal populations has shifted from a relatively simple science that assumed the most crucial regulating mechanisms were the intrinsic properties of breeders, to a more complex and refined discipline that reflects a greater understanding of populations and their dynamics. Part of this shift has been the explicit recognition of the importance of a previously overlooked nonbreeding component of animal populations, the so‐called floaters. Here we review and discuss the various effects that pools of floaters can have on the structure, dynamics and persistence of bird populations. Under some circumstances floaters can be both active intruders that can alter the breeding performance and behavioural traits of territory owners, as well as secretive presences reducing the extinction risk of populations. Floaters are crucial elements in conservation biology, and knowledge of their behaviour and dynamics in avian communities can be a key factor in the success of conservation strategies. Firstly, larger pools of floaters are associated with more stable breeding populations, even in cases where breeding output could be impacted through interference by floaters. Secondly, the effects of habitat loss and mortality rates are frequently ignored in areas where floaters settle, and consequently conservation measures tend to overlook these sites, potentially leading to increased risks of mortality among floaters. Thirdly, because an increase in the proportion of juveniles in the breeding component of a population may be because of increased pre‐adult and/or adult mortality rates, a change in the age of breeders has the potential to function as a warning of an imminent decline in breeding populations. Most population studies have only considered the breeding components of animal populations, so it is time now to focus attention on the floater component, wherein the solution to many conservation issues may be found.