bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
THE EFFECTS OF A SOCIAL–EMOTIONAL LEARNING PROGRAM ON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CHILDREN: THE ROLE OF PUPILS’ CHARACTERISTICS
Authors: Raimundo Raquel , Marques‐Pinto Alexandra , Lima Maria Luísa
Published: December 2012

This quasi‐experimental exploratory study investigated whether a social–emotional learning program, implemented during a 1‐year period, could lead to gains in social–emotional competencies and a reduction in internalizing and externalizing problems. Furthermore, it showed which pupils would benefit most from the program. The program was applied to 213 fourth‐grade Portuguese pupils. One hundred five controls followed an Origami curriculum during the same period. Sixteen teachers also participated in this study. Self‐report (pupils) and hetero‐report (teachers) questionnaires were administered before and after the intervention. There were significant intervention gains in some social–emotional competencies, namely, peer relations and social competence, but no gains were found in internalizing and externalizing problems. Intervention pupils with average pre‐test scores profited more in self‐management and peer relations than controls. Boys showed greater gains in self‐management, aggressiveness, and social problems than girls. There were no significant differences regarding socioeconomic status.
Modelling Open‐Talik Formation and Permafrost Lateral Thaw under a Thermokarst Lake, Beiluhe Basin, Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau
Authors: Ling Feng , Wu Qingbai , Zhang Tingjun , Niu Fujun
Published: December 2012

Thermokarst lakes on the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau cause considerable thermal disturbance to the surrounding permafrost, giving rise to anomalous ground‐temperature conditions and open‐talik formation below some lakes. Using in situ data and information from monitoring of a representative thermokarst lake in the Beiluhe Basin, this study simulates the rate of talik development beneath the lake, the time taken for an open talik to form, and the rate of permafrost lateral thaw after open‐talik formation. The simulation uses a simplified two‐dimensional unsteady finite‐element model for heat transfer with phase change under a cylindrical coordinate system. The results indicate that a bowl‐shaped talik forms under the lake and that the talik thickness increases substantially over time. An open talik forms below the lake 733 years after the lake formed. The average maximum thaw rates at the top and bottom of permafrost beneath the lake before the open talik forms are 5.8 cm year‐1 and 0.7 cm year‐1, respectively. By 1100 years after lake formation, permafrost beneath the central deep pool and shallow nearshore zone of the lake thaws completely and the heat‐source effect caused by the lake becomes very limited. The volume of the open talik beneath the lake still increases gradually with time 1500 years after lake formation, but the increase is very limited. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Are your credits worthy?
Authors: Lay James R. , Long Lisa A. , Marshall Michael L. , Wanko Jeffrey J.
Published: December 2012

Chemical and petrochemical manufacturing processes have potential for high consequence, low frequency events. Process safety management programs should identify and eliminate or control the conditions leading to the catastrophic hazards associated with these events. In recent years, industry has increasingly turned to quantitative or semiquantitative risk assessment tools to prioritize and manage the hazards they have identified. Risk assessment, whether qualitative, quantitative, or semiquantitative, is a powerful tool when used properly; however, companies must ensure that the safeguards for which they take credit are robust enough to truly manage hazards.

This article discusses possible inconsistencies in process hazard analysis (PHA) claims. If a PHA claims credit for a good mechanical integrity (MI) program, what happens when that MI program has numerous deficiencies or violations? When a PHA bases a failure scenario frequency on industry historical experience, how does the site know that this experience is actually applicable to their processes? When a safeguard is challenged, is it available on‐demand? What are the consequences if a claimed safeguard does not perform as designed/credited? © 2012 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Process Saf Prog 32: 8–11, 2013
Effects of cyantraniliprole, a novel anthranilic diamide insecticide, against Asian citrus psyllid under laboratory and field conditions
Authors: Tiwari Siddharth , Stelinski Lukasz L
Published: December 2012

Background

The Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri (Hemiptera: Psyllidae), is the most destructive pest of citrus in Florida. The development of insecticide resistance in several populations of D. citri has been documented. There is an urgent need to develop and integrate novel tools for the successful management of D. citri and also to prevent the development of insecticide resistance.

Results

The effects of a relatively newer chemistry, cyantraniliprole, against D. citri were investigated. The contact toxicity of cyantraniliprole was 297‐fold higher against D. citri than its primary parasitoid, Tamarixia radiata (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae). D. citri settled and fed less on cyantraniliprole‐treated plants than controls at concentrations as low as 0.025 and 0.125 µg AI mL−1 respectively. D. citri egg production, first‐instar emergence and adult emergence were significantly reduced on plants treated with 0.25, 0.02 and 0.25 µg AI mL−1 of cyantraniliprole, respectively, when compared with control plants. Under field conditions, foliar and drench treatments with cyantraniliprole (1436.08 g ha−1) reduced numbers of D. citri adults and nymphs, as well as of a secondary pest, citrus leafminer, Phyllocnistis citrella (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae), more than a standard insecticide.

Conclusions

These results suggest that cyantraniliprole should be a valuable new tool for rotation into D. citri management programs. For insecticide resistance management, cyantraniliprole may be particularly useful for rotation with neonicotinoids. In addition, cyantraniliprole was much less toxic to T. radiata than to D. citri and thus may have less impact on biological control than other currently used broad‐spectrum insecticides, such as organophosphates and pyrethroids. © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry
Implications of European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis, infestation in an Aspergillus flavus‐biocontrolled corn agroecosystem
Authors: Mencarelli Mariangela , Accinelli Cesare , Vicari Alberto
Published: December 2012

Background

A novel biocontrol strategy consisting of field application of bioplastic‐based granules inoculated with a non‐toxigenic Aspergillus flavus L. strain has recently been shown to be effective for reducing aflatoxin contamination in corn. This study focused on other factors that may affect the feasibility of this biocontrol technique, and more specifically the role of the European corn borer (ECB), Ostrinia nubilalis H., in the dispersal and infestation of A. flavus in corn and its impact on crop yield.

Results

In spite of the high percentage of corn ears showing larval feeding damage, ECB‐bored kernels accounted for only 3 and 4% in 2009 and 2010 respectively. Most of the damaged kernels were localised in the ear tip or immediately below. More precisely, the average incidence of ECB‐bored kernels in the upper end of the ear was 32%. However, less than 5% of kernels from the central body of the ear, which includes the majority of kernels, were injured by ECB.

Conclusions

Although ECB larvae showed a high tolerance to aflatoxin B1 and thus had the potential to serve as vectors of the mould, fungal infection of kernels was poorly associated with insect damage. ECB infestation resulted in grain yield losses not exceeding 2.5%. © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry
Functional analysis of the β2‐tubulin gene of Fusariumgraminearum and the β‐tubulin gene of Botrytiscinerea by homologous replacement
Authors: Liu ShengMing , Duan YaBing , Ge ChangYan , Chen ChangJun , Zhou MingGuo
Published: December 2012

Background

Resistance to carbendazim and other benzimidazole fungicides in Botrytis cinerea and most other fungi is usually conferred by one or several allelic mutations in the β‐tubulin. Carbendazim resistance in Fusarium graminearum, however, differs from that in B. cinerea and other fungi in that F. graminearum has two β‐tubulins (Fgtub1 and Fgtub2) rather than one, and the resistance is conferred by mutations in the β2‐tubulin. In a previous study, the β1‐tubulin of F. graminearum (Fgtub1) was replaced with the β‐tubulin of B. cinerea conferring carbendazim resistance (BctubE198A). The transformants were sensitive to carbendazim.

Results

BctubE198A was successfully transferred into the β2‐tubulin locus of F. graminearum (Fgtub2) via homologous replacement. The mutants were still sensitive to carbendazim. Furthermore, Fgtub2 of the mutant 20C1 (Fgtub1 had been replaced with BctubE198A) and Fgtub1 of the mutant 20D10 (Fgtub2 had been replaced with BctubE198A) were deleted. Surprisingly, the mutants were also sensitive to carbendazim. Meanwhile, the biological characteristics of all the mutants were determined.

Conclusion

The B. cinerea β‐tubulin (Bctub) could complement the function of the two F. graminearum β‐tubulins even when both were deleted. Expression of the β‐tubulin conferring carbendazim resistance differs between pathogenic fungi. © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry
Elastic properties of boron carbide films via surface acoustic waves measured by Brillouin light scattering
Authors: Salas E. , Jiménez‐Villacorta F. , Sánchez‐Marcos J. , Jiménez Riobóo R. J. , Muñoz‐Martín A. , Prieto J. E. , Joco V. , Prieto C.
Published: December 2012

Surface acoustic wave (SAW) velocity has been determined by high resolution Brillouin light scattering to study the mechano‐elastic properties of boron carbide films prepared by radio frequency (RF) sputtering. The comparison of experimentally observed elastic behaviour with simulations made by considering film composition obtained from elastic recoil detection analysis‐time of flight (ERDA‐ToF) spectroscopy allows establishing that elastic properties are determined by that of crystalline boron carbide with a lessening of the SAW velocity values due to surface oxidation.

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Solvothermal synthesis and luminescent properties of Y2Ti2O7:Eu3+ spheres
Authors: Pavitra E. , Raju G. Seeta Rama , Yu Jae Su
Published: December 2012

Pyrochlore‐structured yttrium titanate phosphors activated by trivalent europium ions (Y2Ti2O7(YT):Eu3+), with spherical morphology, were synthesized at different pH values by a solvothermal process. From the structural and morphological measurements, the annealing temperature had no effect on the spherical morphology of the YT:Eu3+ sample. The photoluminescence excitation and emission spectra were taken by activating the Eu3+ ions in the YT host lattice as functions of Eu3+ ion concentration and annealing temperature. The optimal doping concentration was found to be 4 mol%, exhibiting an excellent orange–red emission due to the highest intensity of the 5D0 → 7F1 transition. When the YT:Eu3+ phosphor was mixed with YAG:Ce3+ phosphor, a brilliant white light emission was achieved. (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Sensitivity of tropical‐cyclone intensification to perturbations in the surface drag coefficient
Authors: Thomsen Gerald L. , Montgomery Michael T. , Smith Roger K.
Published: December 2012

The recent studies of the sensitivity of tropical‐cyclone intensification to the surface drag coefficient in a three‐dimensional model by Montgomery et al., and Smith et al., are extended to include perturbations of the surface drag coefficient in one of four boundary‐layer parametrization schemes: the bulk scheme, the Blackadar scheme, the MRF scheme, and the Gayno–Seaman scheme. The schemes are slightly modified to have the same drag coefficient formulation and the same constant exchange coefficients for sensible heat and moisture. We find that the intensification rate and mature intensity are essentially unaltered when the drag coefficient is perturbed randomly by variations of up to 60%. The results, in conjunction with an analysis of coherent drag coefficient variations for a moving vortex, question the notion that coupled wind–wave mod els are necessary to accurately forecast tropical‐cyclone intensification and mature intensity.
Can aerosols influence deep tropical convection? Aerosol indirect effects in the Hector island thunderstorm
Authors: Connolly P. J. , Vaughan G. , May P. T. , Chemel C. , Allen G. , Choularton T. W. , Gallagher M. W. , Bower K. N. , Crosier J. , Dearden C.
Published: December 2012

This article addresses the effects of cloud condensation nuclei on the evolution of an intense tropical convective system, known as Hector, using data taken from the ACTIVE and TWP‐ICE field campaigns, which were conducted in 2005 and 2006. The Hector thunderstorms were observed in a variety of aerosol conditions so the data serve as an ideal dataset to test whether aerosols have a significant impact on the evolution of convective clouds and precipitation. We find evidence for an aerosol effect on the storm's properties, which are reproduced with a state‐of‐the‐art mesoscale cloud‐resolving model. Including the measured aerosol concentration within the model is shown to improve the fractions skill‐score metric for every case presented in the article, thus giving us confidence that the deep convection observed during the period was indeed influenced by the aerosol entering the storm's inflow. However, we do not find a general relationship for the way aerosols affect properties such as cloud‐top height, precipitation or radiative properties, as has been suggested in previous work. The reasons for this appear to be because of the nonlinearity of interactions between neighbouring cells and because of the variability in the meteorological profiles of temperature, wind and humidity.
Impact of dust particle non‐sphericity on climate simulations
Authors: Räisänen P. , Haapanala P. , Chung C. E. , Kahnert M. , Makkonen R. , Tonttila J. , Nousiainen T.
Published: December 2012

Although mineral aerosol (dust) particles are irregular in shape, they are treated as homogeneous spheres in climate model radiative transfer calculations. Here, we test the effect of dust particle non‐sphericity in the ECHAM5.5‐HAM2 global aerosol–climate model. The short‐wave optical properties of the two insoluble dust modes in HAM2 are modelled using an ensemble of spheroids that has been optimized to reproduce the optical properties of dust‐like aerosols, thereby providing a significant improvement over spheres. First, the direct radiative effects (DRE) of dust non‐sphericity were evaluated diagnostically, by comparing spheroids with both volume‐equivalent and volume‐to‐area (V/A) equivalent spheres. In the volume‐equivalent case, the short‐wave DRE of insoluble dust at the surface and at the top of the atmosphere (TOA) was slightly smaller (typically by 3–4%) for spheroidal than for spherical dust particles. This rather small difference stems from compensating non‐sphericity effects on the dust optical thickness and asymmetry parameter. In the V/A‐equivalent case, the difference in optical thickness was virtually eliminated and the DRE at the TOA (surface) was ∼20% (∼13%) smaller for spheroids than for spheres, due to a larger asymmetry parameter. Even then, however, the global‐mean DRE of non‐sphericity was only 0.055 W m−2at the TOA and 0.070 W m−2at the surface. Subsequently, the effects of dust non‐sphericity were tested interactively in simulations in which ECHAM5.5‐HAM2 was coupled to a mixed‐layer ocean model. Consistent with the rather small radiative effects noted above, the climatic differences from simulations with spherical dust optics were generally negligible.
Prenatal diagnosis of chromosomal abnormalities in fetuses with abnormal cardiac ultrasound findings: evaluation of chromosomal microarray‐based analysis
Authors: Mademont‐Soler I. , Morales C. , Soler A. , MartÍnez‐Crespo J. M. , Shen Y. , Margarit E. , Clusellas N. , Obón M. , Wu B.‐L. , Sánchez A.
Published: December 2012

Objectives

To assess the frequency of karyotype abnormalities and chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome among fetuses with abnormal cardiac ultrasound findings, and to evaluate the clinical value of chromosomal microarray‐based analysis (CMA) in the study of such pregnancies.

Methods

First, we carried out retrospective analysis of karyotype abnormalities and 22q11.2 deletion syndrome cases diagnosed between January 2009 and December 2011 in our center among fetuses with abnormal cardiac ultrasound findings (n = 276). Second, CMA was performed in 51 of the fetuses with such findings, normal karyotype and negative or no 22q11.2 deletion syndrome study, and in the only fetus with a heart defect and an apparently balanced de novo chromosomal rearrangement.

Results

Out of the 276 pregnancies with abnormal cardiac ultrasound findings, karyotyping revealed a chromosomal abnormality in 44 (15.9%). Of fetuses with normal karyotype in which 22q11.2 deletion syndrome studies were performed, 6.4% (5/78) had this microdeletion syndrome. Among fetuses with abnormal cardiac findings, normal karyotype and negative or no 22q11.2 deletion syndrome study that underwent CMA, the detection rate of pathogenic copy number variants not detected by conventional cytogenetics was 2.0% (1/51), and no variants of uncertain clinical significance were found. In the fetus with a heart defect and an apparently balanced de novo chromosomal rearrangement, CMA revealed that the rearrangement was not truly balanced.

Conclusions

In the assessment of genetic abnormalities in pregnancies with abnormal cardiac ultrasound findings, the diagnostic yield may be increased by 2% if CMA is used as a complementary tool to conventional cytogenetics. Our results suggest that CMA could be a good alternative to karyotyping in these pregnancies. Copyright © 2012 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Gap junctions and Bystander effects: Good Samaritans and executioners
Authors: Spray David C. , Hanstein Regina , Lopez‐Quintero Sandra V. , Stout Randy F. , Suadicani Sylvia O. , Thi Mia M.
Published: December 2012

The ‘Bystander’ and ‘Good Samaritan’ effects involve the transfer of toxic or beneficial compounds from one cell to a generally adjacent other through gap junction channels and through extracellular routes. The variety of injuries in which bystander cell killing or protection occurs has greatly expanded in the last decade to include infectious agents and therapeutic compounds, radiation injury, chaperones in cell therapy and apoptosis in development. This has been accompanied by the appreciation that both gap junction mediated and paracrine routes are used for the signaling of the ‘kiss of life’ and the ‘kiss of death’ and that manipulations of these pathways and the molecules that use them may find therapeutic utility in treatment of a variety of pathological conditions. WIREs Membr Transp Signal 2013, 2:1–15. doi: 10.1002/wmts.72

For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.
Getting the Job Done: Analysis of the Impact and Effectiveness of the SmileTrain Program in Alleviating the Global Burden of Cleft Disease
Authors: Poenaru D.
Published: December 2012

Background

The study measured the success of SmileTrain, the largest cleft charity globally, in alleviating the global burden of disease (GBD). It was done by estimating averted disability‐adjusted life years (DALYs) and delayed averted DALYs because of the global backlog in cleft procedures.

Methods

Anonymized data for all procedures in the SmileTrain global database were analyzed by age, sex, country, region, and surgery type. DALYs averted were calculated using life expectancy tables and established and estimated disability weights. The cost‐effectiveness analysis used mean SmileTrain procedural disbursement figures. Sensitivity analysis was performed using various cleft incidence rates, life expectancy tables, and disability weights.

Results

During 2003–2010 a total of 536,846 operations were performed on 364,467 patients—86 % in Southeast Asia and the western Pacific region. Procedure numbers increased yearly. Mean age at primary surgery—6.2 years (9.8 years in Africa)—remained fairly constant over time in each region. Globally, 2.1–4.7 million DALYs were averted through the operations at a total estimated cost of US$196 M. Mean DALYs per patient were 3.8–9.0, and mean cost per DALY was $72–$134. Total delayed GBD due to advanced age at surgery was 191,000–457,000 DALYs.

Conclusions

Despite an unparalleled number of surgeries performed and yearly increase by one charity, the unmet and delayed averted cleft GBD remains significant in all regions. Large geographic disparities reflect varied challenges regarding access to surgery. Cleft surgeries are cost‐effective interventions to reduce the global burden of disease (GBD). Future challenges include increased collaboration among cleft care providers and a focus on remote global areas by building infrastructure and local training.
Initial Experience of Single‐port Laparoscopic Surgery for Sigmoid Colon Cancer
Authors: Park Sun Jin , Lee Kil Yeon , Kang Byung Mo , Choi Sung Il , Lee Suk Hwan
Published: December 2012

Background

Single‐port laparoscopic surgery has attracted attention in the field of minimally invasive colorectal surgery. We hypothesized that an experienced laparoscopic surgeon could perform single‐port surgery for colon cancer eligible for conventional laparoscopic anterior resection. Our aim was to analyze our initial experience and immediate surgical outcomes of single‐port anterior resection.

Methods

A total of 37 consecutive patients with presumed sigmoid colonic cancer underwent single‐port anterior resection with standard laparoscopic instruments between May 2009 and June 2010. Each operation was performed by one of two experienced colorectal surgeons. A cohort of patients who had undergone conventional laparoscopic surgery (CLS) for the same duration a year earlier (August 2007 to September 2008) was used as a historical control. Patient demographics and perioperative outcomes were analyzed and compared with those of CLS.

Results

There were no significant differences in mean estimated blood loss, mean length of the resection margin, or morbidity between the two groups, but operative time for the single‐port group was significantly shorter (118 ± 41 vs 140 ± 42 min; p = 0.017). Single‐port laparoscopic surgery was successfully performed in 78.4 % (29/37) of the patients treated in 2010, and CLS was successfully completed in all of the patients treated the previous year (p = 0.000). The main causes of single‐port surgery failure were adhesion and tumor location.

Conclusions

Single‐port anterior resection is a feasible and safe procedure with immediate outcomes comparable to those of conventional laparoscopy. Further studies are required to determine the feasibility of single‐port surgery for colonic tumors outside the sigmoid colon and the long‐term outcome.
Qualitative Analysis of the Perspectives of Volunteer Reconstructive Surgeons on Participation in Task‐Shifting Programs for Surgical‐Capacity Building in Low‐Resource Countries
Authors: Aliu Oluseyi , Pannucci Christopher J. , Chung Kevin C.
Published: December 2012

Background

Experts agree that the global burden of untreated surgical disease is disproportionately borne by the world’s poorest. This is partly because of a severe shortage of surgical care providers. Several experts have emphasized the need to research solutions for surgical‐capacity building in developing countries. Volunteer surgeons already contribute significantly to directly tackling surgical disease burden in developing countries. We qualitatively evaluated their interest in participating in task‐shifting programs as a surgical capacity‐building strategy.

Methods

We conducted semi‐structured interviews with surgeons familiar with delivery of surgical care in developing countries through their extensive volunteer experiences. The interviews followed a structured guide that centered on task shifting as a model for surgical capacity‐building in developing countries. We analyzed the interview transcripts using established qualitative methods to identify themes relevant to the interest of volunteer surgeons to participate in task‐shifting programs.

Results

Most participants were open to involvement in task‐shifting programs as a feasible way for surgical capacity‐building in low‐resource communities. However, they thought that surgical task shifting would need to be implemented with some important requisites. The most strongly emphasized condition was direct supervision of lower‐skilled providers by fully trained surgeons.

Conclusions

There is a favorable view regarding the involvement of surgeon volunteers in capacity‐building efforts. Additionally, volunteer surgeons view task shifting as a feasible way to accomplish surgical capacity building in developing countries—provided that surgical tasks are assigned appropriately, and lower level providers are adequately supervised.
Adaptation to the infectious disease impacts of climate change
Authors: Ebi Kristie L. , Lindgren Elisabet , Suk Jonathan E. , Semenza Jan C.
Published: December 2012

Climate change has the potential to increase the challenge of preventing and controlling outbreaks of infectious diseases. An adaptation assessment is an important aspect of designing and implementing policies and measures to avoid, prepare for, and effectively respond to infectious diseases outbreaks. The main steps in conducting an adaptation assessment include: 1) evaluating the effectiveness of policies and measures that address the burden of climate-sensitive infectious diseases; 2) identifying options to manage the health risks of current and projected climate change; 3) evaluating and prioritizing the options; 4) identifying human and financial resources needs, and possible barriers, constraints, and limits to implementation; and 5) developing monitoring and evaluation programs to ensure continued effectiveness of policies and measures in a changing climate. Optimally, relevant stakeholders are optimally included throughout the adaptation assessment. Although the process of conducting an assessment is similar across nations and regions, the context and content will vary depending on local circumstances, socioeconomic conditions, legal and regulatory frameworks, and other factors. The European Centers for Disease Prevention and Control developed guidelines for conducting assessments, with sufficient consistency to facilitate learning lessons across assessments.
Impact of the complete ban on female genital cutting on the attitude of educated women from Upper Egypt toward the practice
Authors: Hassanin Ibrahim M.A. , Shaaban Omar M.
Published: December 2012

Objective

To compare the prevalence of female genital cutting (FGC) before and 5 years after the law completely banned the practice in Egypt, and evaluate the attitude of educated mothers of girls toward FGC in Upper Egypt.

Methods

All women attending 2 outpatient clinics in Upper Egypt were approached from January 1 through November 30, 2011. A trained nurse interviewed those who had daughters, and factors influencing their attitude toward FGC were evaluated. The participants in a previous study done in the same locality acted a historical comparison group.

Results

The percentage of women who had FGC performed on at least 1 daughter was significantly lower in 2011 than in 2006 (71.6% vs 77.8%, P = 0.04). The main reason for performing FGC, given by 42.6% of the participants, was family pressure. The percentage of FGC procedures practiced by physicians was significantly lower in 2011 than it was in 2006 (34.6% vs 39.3%, P = 0.04).

Conclusion

The decrease in prevalence of FGC after its complete ban was small after 5 years, with little change in attitude among educated families in Upper Egypt. In addition to the current law, a change in attitude will be needed to wipe out this custom.
Impact of probiotic feeding during weaning on the serum lipid profile and plasma metabolome in infants
Authors: Chorell Elin , Karlsson Videhult Frida , Hernell Olle , Antti Henrik , West Christina E.
Published: December 2012

The gut microbiome interacts with the host in the metabolic response to diet, and early microbial aberrancies may be linked to the development of obesity and metabolic disorders later in life. Probiotics have been proposed to affect metabolic programming and blood lipid levels, although studies are lacking in infants. Here, we report on the lipid profile and global metabolic response following daily feeding of probiotics during weaning. A total of 179 healthy, term infants were randomised to daily intake of cereals with (n89) or without (n90) the addition ofLactobacillus paracaseissp.paracaseiF19 (LF19) 108colony-forming units per serving from 4 to 13 months of age. Weight, length and skinfold thickness were monitored. Venous blood was drawn at 5·5 and 13 months of age for analysis of the serum lipid profile. In a subsample, randomly selected from each group, GC-time-of-flight/MS was used to metabolically characterise plasma samples from thirty-seven infants. A combination of multi- and univariate analysis was applied to reveal differences related to LF19 treatment based on 228 putative metabolites, of which ninety-nine were identified or classified. We observed no effects of probiotic feeding on anthropometrics or the serum lipid profile. However, we detected significantly lower levels of palmitoleic acid (16 : 1) (P< 0·05) and significantly higher levels of putrescine (P< 0·01) in LF19-treated infants. Palmitoleic acid is a major MUFA strongly linked to visceral obesity, while putrescine is a polyamine with importance for gut integrity. Whether the observed differences will have long-term health consequences are being followed.
Nutritional risk and gastrointestinal dysautonomia symptoms in Parkinson's disease outpatients hospitalised on a scheduled basis
Authors: Barichella Michela , Cereda Emanuele , Madio Carmen , Iorio Laura , Pusani Chiara , Cancello Raffaella , Caccialanza Riccardo , Pezzoli Gianni , Cassani Erica
Published: December 2012

Dysautonomia symptoms of nutritional interest may often occur in Parkinson's disease (PD), but the role played in affecting the risk of malnutrition still needs to be clarified. A total of 208 consecutive PD outpatients hospitalised on a scheduled basis were assessed for nutritional risk by the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool. Presence of dysautonomia symptoms (dysphagia, sialorrhoea and constipation) was investigated using clinical rating scales. In our population, prevalence of nutritional risk was 17·2 (95 % CI 12·1, 24·0) % and relied mainly on unintentional weight loss. Sialorrhoea, dysphagia, dysphagia to liquids and constipation were observed in 10·6, 11·0, 14·4 and 59·6 % of the patients, respectively. Nutritional risk was independently associated with the number of dysautonomia symptoms (OR 1·39 (95 % CI 1·00, 1·96); P= 0·048) but not with single symptoms. An independent association was also found with the severity of motor symptoms (Hoehn–Yahr stage, OR 1·48 (95 % CI 1·00, 2·55); P= 0·049) and levodopa dose (OR 1·16 (95 % CI 1·04, 1·31) mg/kg per d; P= 0·009). Nutritional risk in PD outpatients appears to depend mainly on dysautonomic syndrome, disease severity and levodopa dosage. Implications for outcome deserve further investigation. The assessment of nutritional status and of gastrointestinal dysautonomia symptoms should be part of the routine work-up of a PD patient.
Pluralism about Global Poverty
Authors: Rubenstein Jennifer C.
Published: December 2012

Theorists have identified a wide range of reasons why individual and collective actors have a moral responsibility to help alleviate global poverty. There is now widespread agreement that several of these reasons are valid. From the perspective of the poverty opponent, it might seem that the more reasons there are to alleviate poverty, the better. The difficulty is that different reasons for alleviating poverty point to different poverty-alleviating activities. This situation generates questions about both how actors should set priorities among different poverty-alleviating activities (‘actor-centred’ questions) and who should have primary responsibility for alleviating particular cases of poverty (‘case-centred’ questions). This article explains why actor-centred and case-centred questions are worth asking and sketches a promising way of responding to them.
The Last Carolingian Exegete: Pope Urban II, the Weight of Tradition, and Christian Reconquest
Authors: Gabriele Matthew
Published: December 2012

Pope Urban II (1088–99) was trained at Reims and Cluny before entering the orbit of the Gregorians around Rome. As such, Urban was first trained as an exegete. By considering how Urban used one particular verse (Daniel 2:21) and tracing that verse's intellectual lineage forward from the Fathers, through the Carolingians, we get a clearer picture not just of the vibrancy of eleventh-century intellectual life but also, ultimately, of Urban's understanding of the arc of sacred history. As a trained Carolingian exegete, Urban continued the work of his ninth-century predecessors, calling the Christian people(populus christianus)to mend their ways and strike back against the pagans, so that God would return His hand and allow the Christians to reconquer the Mediterranean world.
Do contrastive topics exist?
Authors: TITOV ELENA
Published: December 2012

This paper investigates a phenomenon that has been referred to in the linguistic literature as contrastive topic. Traditionally, contrastive topic is analyzed as an independent information-structural notion that is linked to a particular interpretation and intonation. The paper, however, argues that the information-structural notion of contrastive topic is redundant and can be reduced to that of contrastive focus. The apparent dissimilarity between contrastive topics and contrastive foci is attributed to a difference in the structures that contain them rather than any particular difference between the associated information-structural notions themselves. The structures that host contrastive topics and contrastive foci are claimed to be distinct due to the nature of an additional focused element obligatorily present in the sentence. Contrastive topics and contrastive foci themselves, in contrast, are shown to be associated with identical interpretations, which results in their identical syntactic distribution, strongly suggesting that they in fact represent one and the same information-structural phenomenon in two different types of construction.
The breeding of the scallop, Pecten maximus (L.), in Manx waters
Authors: Mason James
Published: December 2012

An important fishery for the scallop, Pecten maximus (L.), is carried on during the winter months round the Isle of Man. A knowledge of the breeding of this lamellibranch would be useful should legislation become necessary with regard to the fishery.

Regular samples of scallops were dredged, whenever possible, at roughly weekly or fortnightly intervals throughout the period October 1950-October 1952, from a depth of 13–16 fm. off Bradda Head and Bay Fine, near Port Erin. Approximately 8000 scallops of all ages up to 13 years were examined, though very few young ones were caught. Scallops were aged by means of the growth-rings on the shell, of which one is laid down each spring (Mason, 1957).
Descartes's sceptical theism
Authors: ROBINSON THADDEUS S.
Published: December 2012

In the first part of the article I show how Descartes employs the sceptical theist strategy as part of his response to the problem of evil in Meditation Four. However, Descartes's use of this strategy seems to raise a serious challenge to his whole project: if Descartes is ignorant of God's purposes, then how can he be sure that God doesn't have some morally sufficient reason for creating him with unreliable clear and distinct perceptions? Drawing on related objections from Mersenne and Hobbes, I show in the second half of the article how Descartes can sidestep this objection.
Religious naturalism and its rivals
Authors: STENMARK MIKAEL
Published: December 2012

The aim of this article is to explore where and why religious naturalism differs from its rivals, and also to consider some of the challenges religious naturalism faces. I argue that religious naturalism is best conceived as a reaction against both theists who are religious and naturalists who are atheists: the best option is taken to be a naturalist who is religious. Nevertheless, it is quite difficult to say more exactly what claims the view contains. In fact, it is argued, three forms of religious naturalism must be distinguished and contrasted with their rivals, which are taken to be non-religious naturalism, scientific naturalism, theism (including panentheism), divine transcendentalism, religious agnosticism, and religious relativism.
The location of international practices: what is human rights practice?
Authors: KARP DAVID JASON
Published: December 2012

This article opens up space to challenge state-centrism about human rights practice. To do so, it presents and critically assesses four methods that can be used to determine who and/or what counts as a part of any international practice: the agreement method, which locates a practice by referring to speech acts that define it; the contextual method, which locates a practice by referring to the actions, meanings, and intentions of practitioners; the value method, which locates a practice by identifying a value or principle that the practice reflects or instantiates; and the purpose method, which locates a practice by constructing an account of the sociopolitical reason(s) for a practice's existence. The purpose method, based on an interpretation of Rawls' constructivism, is developed, in a way that focuses on practitioners' judgement-based reasons to assign responsibility for human rights to any state or non-state actor.
Explaining cooperation between IGOs and NGOs – push factors, pull factors, and the policy cycle
Authors: STEFFEK JENS
Published: December 2012

The ever closer collaboration between intergovernmental organisations (IGOs) and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) is empirically well described but poorly theorised. In this article I develop a general theoretical framework for analysing emergent patterns of cooperation between IGOs and NGOs, which may be used to generate hypotheses or guide comparatives studies. The starting point is a conception of organisational actors as purposeful but resource-dependent. The article then combines a ‘resource exchange perspective’ from organisational sociology with the model of a policy cycle from comparative politics. The result is a theoretical framework that allows to identify incentives for, as well as obstacles to, IGO-NGO cooperation along all phases of the policy cycle. In a concluding section the limits of this model and the underlying assumptions are discussed.
Intentionality as the Mark of the Mental
Authors: Crane Tim
Published: December 2012

‘It is of the very nature of consciousness to be intentional’ said Jean-Paul Sartre, ‘and a consciousness that ceases to be a consciousness of something wouldipso factocease to exist.’ Sartre here endorses the central doctrine of Husserl's phenomenology, itself inspired by a famous idea of Brentano's: that intentionality, the mind's ‘direction upon its objects’, is what is distinctive of mental phenomena. Brentano's originality does not lie in pointing out the existence of intentionality, or in inventing the terminology, which derives from scholastic discussions of concepts orintentiones. Rather, his originality consists in his claim that the concept of intentionality marks out the subject matter of psychology: the mental. His view was that intentionality ‘is characteristic exclusively of mental phenomena. No physical phenomenon manifests anything like it.’ This isBrentano's thesisthat intentionality is the mark of the mental.
Impairment of cortical GABAergic synaptic transmission in an environmental rat model of autism
Authors: Banerjee Anwesha , García-Oscos Francisco , Roychowdhury Swagata , Galindo Luis C. , Hall Shawn , Kilgard Michael P. , Atzori Marco
Published: December 2012

The biological mechanisms of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are largely unknown in spite of extensive research. ASD is characterized by altered function of multiple brain areas including the temporal cortex and by an increased synaptic excitation:inhibition ratio. While numerous studies searched for evidence of increased excitation in ASD, fewer have investigated the possibility of reduced inhibition. We characterized the cortical γ-amino butyric acid (GABA)ergic system in the rat temporal cortex of an ASD model [offspring of mothers prenatally injected with valproic acid (VPA)], by monitoring inhibitory post-synaptic currents (IPSCs) with patch-clamp. We found that numerous features of inhibition were severely altered in VPA animals compared to controls. Among them were the frequency of miniature IPSCs, the rise time and decay time of electrically-evoked IPSCs, the slope and saturation of their input/output curves, as well as their modulation by adrenergic and muscarinic agonists and by the synaptic GABAA receptor allosteric modulator zolpidem (but not by the extra-synaptic modulator gaboxadol). Our data suggest that both pre- and post-synaptic, but not extra-synaptic, inhibitory transmission is impaired in the offspring of VPA-injected mothers. We speculate that impairment in the GABAergic system critically contributes to an increase in the ratio between synaptic excitation and inhibition, which in genetically predisposed individuals may alter cortical circuits responsible for emotional, communication and social impairments at the core of ASD.
Bioleaching of ilmenite and basalt in the presence of iron-oxidizing and iron-scavenging bacteria
Authors: Navarrete Jesica U. , Cappelle Ian J. , Schnittker Kimberlin , Borrok David M.
Published: December 2012

Bioleaching has been suggested as an alternative to traditional mining techniques in extraterrestrial environments because it does not require extensive infrastructure and bulky hardware. In situ bioleaching of silicate minerals, such as those found on the moon or Mars, has been proposed as a feasible alternative to traditional extraction techniques that require either extreme heat and/or substantial chemical treatment. In this study, we investigated the biotic and abiotic leaching of basaltic rocks (analogues to those found on the moon and Mars) and the mineral ilmenite (FeTiO3) in aqueous environments under acidic (pH ∼ 2.5) and circumneutral pH conditions. The biological leaching experiments were conducted using Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans, an iron (Fe)-oxidizing bacteria, and Pseudomonas mendocina, an Fe-scavenging bacteria. We found that both strains were able to grow using the Fe(II) derived from the tested basaltic rocks and ilmenite. Although silica leaching rates were the same or slightly less in the bacterial systems with A. ferrooxidans than in the abiotic control systems, the extent of Fe, Al and Ti released (and re-precipitated in new solid phases) was actually greater in the biotic systems. This is likely because the Fe(II) leached from the basalt was immediately oxidized by A. ferrooxidans, and precipitated into Fe(III) phases which causes a change in the equilibrium of the system, i.e. Le Chatelier's principle. Iron(II) in the abiotic experiment was allowed to build up in solution which led to a decrease in its overall release rate. For example, the percentage of Fe, Al and Ti leached (dissolved + reactive mineral precipitates) from the Mars simulant in the A. ferrooxidans experimental system was 34, 41 and 13% of the total Fe, Al and Ti in the basalt, respectively, while the abiotic experimental system released totals of only 11, 25 and 2%. There was, however, no measurable difference in the amounts of Fe and Ti released from ilmenite in the experiments with A. ferrooxidans versus the abiotic controls. P. mendocina scavenged some Fe from the rock/mineral substrates, but the overall amount of leaching was small (<2% of total Fe in rocks) when compared with the acidophilic systems. Although the mineralogy of the tested basaltic rocks was roughly similar, the surface areas of the lunar and Mars simulants varied greatly and thus were possible factors in the overall amount of metals released. Overall, our results indicate that the presence of bacteria does not increase the overall silica leaching rates of basaltic rocks; however, the presence of A. ferrooxidans does lead to enhanced release of Fe, Al and Ti and subsequent sequestration of Fe (and other metals) in Fe(III)-precipitates.
Early Carboniferous minor intrusions of the Clyde Plateau: new data from the Cumbrae islands
Authors: Caldwell W. G. E. , Young G. M.
Published: December 2012

The Cumbrae islands are unmatched for study of minor intrusions associated with the Early Carboniferous Clyde Lava Plateau. The transitional to subalkaline rock suite is present in a linear swarm of c. 250 ENE to NE dykes – 82 ‘basaltic’ (basalt to hawaiite) and 18 ‘trachytic’ (benmoreite to felsite), with a crustal dilation of 13·3. This swarm provides a unique window on the shallow crustal feeder system of the lava plateau. A ‘trachytic’ secondary swarm, focused on the plateau volcano of Misty Law in the Renfrewshire Hills, is analogous to a similar swarm in the Campsie Fells linked to the Meikle Bin volcano, and a ‘basaltic’ secondary swarm, unusually dense, with crustal dilation of 24·7, may record projection of the Dumbarton–Fintry Volcano–Tectonic lineament from the Campsie and Kilpatrick hills into the Firth of Clyde. Accompanied by bosses, plugs, vents and sheeted structures, the swarms are inferred to overlie fracture systems in the Caledonian basement of the Midland Valley. Internal relationships among extrusive and intrusive rocks of the Early Carboniferous suite and external relationships to dyke suites recording regional tectono-magmatic events of Late Carboniferous and Palaeogene age allow formulation of a new relative chronology for magmatic activity in the western off-shore Midland Valley.
Long range correlations in tree ring chronologies of the USA: Variation within and across species
Authors: Bowers M. C. , Gao J. B. , Tung W. W.
Published: December 2012

Tree ring width data are among the best proxies for reconstructing past temperature and precipitation records. The discovery of fractal scaling and long‐memory in meteorological and hydrological signals motivates us to investigate such properties in tree ring chronologies. Detrended fluctuation analysis and adaptive fractal analysis are utilized to estimate the Hurst parameter values of 697 tree ring chronologies from the continental United States. We find significant differences in the Hurst parameter values across the 10 species studied in the work. The long‐range scaling relations found here suggest that the behavior of tree ring growth observed in a short calibration period may be similar to the general behavior of tree ring growth in a much longer period, and therefore, the limited calibration period may be more useful than originally thought. The variations of the long‐range correlations within and across species may be further explored in future to better reconstruct paleoclimatic records.