bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A comparison of exemplary biology, chemistry, earth science, and physics teachers' conceptions and enactment of inquiry
Authors: Breslyn Wayne , McGinnis J. Randy
Published: August 2011

Teachers' use of inquiry has been studied largely without regard for the disciplines in which teachers practice. As a result, there is no theoretical understanding of the possible role of discipline in shaping teachers' conceptions and enactment of inquiry. In this mixed‐methods study, conceptions and enactment of inquiry for 60 National Board Certified Science Teachers (NBCSTs) across the secondary science disciplines of biology, chemistry, earth science, and physics were investigated. A situated cognitive framework was used. Through the analysis of portfolio text (n = 48) and participant interviews (n = 12), themes emerged for participants' conceptions and enactment of inquiry. Findings suggested that disciplinary differences exist between NBCSTs' conceptions and enactment of inquiry. Furthermore, individuals teaching in more than one discipline often held different conceptions of inquiry depending on the discipline in which they were teaching. A key implication was the critical importance of considering the discipline in understanding science teachers' varied conceptions and enactment of inquiry. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Sci Ed 96:48–77, 2012
An optimal algorithm for solving partial target coverage problem in wireless sensor networks
Authors: Gu Yu , Ji Yusheng , Li Jie , Zhao Baohua
Published: August 2011

This paper deals with the partial target coverage problem in wireless sensor networks under a novel coverage model. The most commonly used method in previous literature on the target coverage problem is to divide continuous time into discrete slots of different lengths, each of which is dominated by a subset of sensors while setting all the other sensors into the sleep state to save energy. This method, however, suffers from shortcomings such as high computational complexity and no performance bound. We showed that the partial target coverage problem can be optimally solved in polynomial time. First, we built a linear programming formulation, which considers the total time that a sensor spends on covering targets, in order to obtain a lifetime upper bound. Based on the information derived in previous formulation, we developed a sensor assignment algorithm to seek an optimal schedule meeting the lifetime upper bound. A formal proof of optimality was provided. We compared the proposed algorithm with the well‐known column generation algorithm and showed that the proposed algorithm significantly improves performance in terms of computational time. Experiments were conducted to study the impact of different network parameters on the network lifetime, and their results led us to several interesting insights. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Finding aptamers and small ribozymes in unexpected places
Authors: Matylla‐Kulinska Katarzyna , Boots Jennifer L. , Zimmermann Bob , Schroeder Renée
Published: August 2011

The discovery of the catalytic properties of RNAs was a milestone for our view of how life emerged and forced us to reformulate many of our dogmas. The urge to grasp the whole spectrum of potential activities of RNA molecules stimulated two decades of fervent research resulting in a deep understanding of RNA‐based phenomena. Most ribozymes were discovered by serendipity during the analysis of chemical processes, whereas RNA aptamers were identified through meticulous design and selection even before their discovery in nature. The desire to obtain aptamers led to the development of sophisticated technology and the design of efficient strategies. With the new notion that transcriptomes cover a major part of genomes and determine the identity of cells, it is reasonable to speculate that many more aptamers and ribozymes are awaiting their discovery in unexpected places. Now, in the genomic era with the development of powerful bioinformatics and sequencing methods, we are overwhelmed with tools for studying the genomes of all living and possibly even extinct organisms. Genomic SELEX (systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment) coupled with deep sequencing and sophisticated computational analysis not only gives access to unexplored parts of sequenced genomes but also allows screening metagenomes in an unbiased manner. WIREs RNA 2012, 3:73–91. doi: 10.1002/wrna.105

This article is categorized under:

RNA-Based Catalysis > Miscellaneous RNA-Catalyzed Reactions

Regulatory RNAs/RNAi/Riboswitches > Regulatory RNAs

Regulatory RNAs/RNAi/Riboswitches > Riboswitches
Instability following Total Knee Arthroplasty
Authors: Rodriguez-Merchan E. Carlos
Published: August 2011

Background Knee prosthesis instability (KPI) is a frequent cause of failure of total knee arthroplasty. Moreover, the degree of constraint required to achieve immediate and long-term stability in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is frequently debated. Questions This review aims to define the problem, analyze risk factors, and review strategies for prevention and treatment of KPI. Methods A PubMed (MEDLINE) search of the years 2000 to 2010 was performed using two key words: TKA and instability. One hundred and sixty-five initial articles were identified. The most important (17) articles as judged by the author were selected for this review. The main criteria for selection were that the articles addressed and provided solutions to the diagnosis and treatment of KPI. Results Patient-related risk factors predisposing to post-operative instability include deformity requiring a large surgical correction and aggressive ligament release, general or regional neuromuscular pathology, and hip or foot deformities. KPI can be prevented in most cases with appropriate selection of implants and good surgical technique. When ligament instability is anticipated post-operatively, the need for implants with a greater degree of constraint should be anticipated. In patients without significant varus or valgus malalignment and without significant flexion contracture, the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) can be retained. However, the PCL should be sacrificed when deformity exists particularly in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, previous patellectomy, previous high tibial osteotomy or distal femoral osteotomy, and posttraumatic osteoarthritis with disruption of the PCL. In most cases, KPI requires revision surgery. Successful outcomes can only be obtained if the cause of KPI is identified and addressed. Conclusions Instability following TKA is a common cause of the need for revision. Typically, knees with deformity, rheumatoid arthritis, previous patellectomy or high tibial osteotomy, and posttraumatic arthritis carry higher risks of post-operative instability and are indications for more constrained TKA designs. Instability following TKA usually requires revision surgery which must address the cause of the instability for success.
Interpreting Enterprise, State, and Society: A Critical Review of the Literature in Modern Chinese Business History, 1978–2008
Authors: Bian Morris L.
Published: August 2011

This article offers a critical review of literature in the area of modern Chinese business history from 1978 to 2008. It focuses on four interconnected topics: (1) the evolution of industrial capitalism, (2) the adoption of corporate hierarchies and/or social networks, (3) the change of financial institutions and monetary system, and (4) the development of state-owned industries and the formation of the (central) state enterprise system. The review reveals not only significant growth of the field of modern Chinese business history over the last three decades but also the existence of major gaps. The article concludes by considering the implications of its findings for understanding the political economy of business enterprises and enterprise systems in different national and historical contexts.
Agency, Properties and Causation
Authors: Steward Helen
Published: August 2011

The paper argues against the very commonly held view that whenever a substance may be said to be the cause of something, a fuller and metaphysically more accurate understanding of the situation can always be obtained by looking to the properties in virtue of which that substance was able to bring about the effect in question. Paul Humphreys’ argument that when a substance is said to have produced an effect, it always turns out to be an aspect or property of that substance which brought about the effect in question is examined and criticized; it is argued that it is based on an illegitimate application of Mill’s Methods of Difference and Agreement to the case. Mill’s methods, it is suggested, are methods of empirical, not of ontological enquiry. The paper then turns to examine an argument by Mele which appears to depend on a structurally rather similar assumption that if there is nothing about a subject which could explain why she does one thing rather than another, it cannot really be up to that subject which thing occurs. It is suggested that, too, the inference is faulty, and that once it is rejected, one common objection to libertarianism—the argument from luck—might be more readily met.
What Does Fodor’s “Anti-Darwinism” Mean to Natural Theology?
Authors: Yingjin XU
Published: August 2011

In the current dialogue of “science and religion,” it is widely assumed that the thoughts of Darwinists and that of atheists overlap. However, Jerry Fodor, a full-fledged atheist, recently announced a war against Darwinism with his atheistic campaign. Prima facie, this “civil war” might offer a chance for theists: If Fodor is right, Darwinistic atheism will lose the cover of Darwinism and become less tenable. This paper provides a more pessimistic evaluation of the situation by explaining the following: Fodor’s criticism of adaptationism (as the backbone of Darwinism), viz., his refutation of any counterfactual-supporting laws on the macro-evolutionary level, implies that a law-maker is dispensable on this level. This will either encourage skepticism against the omniscience (at least that concerning the future of macro-evolution) of the Creator, or render the notion of God less appealing.
The Politics of Loitering and the Aesthetics of the Storytelling: A Rereading of Zhao Shuli’s “Rhymes of Li Youcai”
Authors: Hui JIANG
Published: August 2011

This essay traces a modernist aspect of Zhao Shuli’s fiction to his popular story “Rhymes of Li Youcai.” By using an analogy offlaneurfrom French resources, the essays argues that the major hero’s action delineated as a constant loitering suggests a special mode of intellectual being in his relation to the social and political life he lives in, which is quite exceptional in modern Chinese literature. Moreover, a close reading raises a few theoretical questions about the nature of his storytelling art and invites a rethinking of the relationship between the May Fourth Enlightenment Literature and the Revolutionary Literature.
Constructing Girlhood: Female Adolescence, Depression and the Making of a Female Tradition in Modern Chinese Literature
Authors: Lanjun XU
Published: August 2011

This essay examines stories of girls coming of age as depicted by modern Chinese women writers—in particular to the pervasive ness of a certain melancholy in their treatment of the subject. This study offers a vantage point from which it will be possible to survey writers ranging from Ding Ling and Xiao Hong in the 1930s and 1940s to Wang Anyi and Tie Ning in the 1980s and 1990s. As a rule, these seemingly trivial coming-of-age stories are set in the whirlwind of historical change through deep sorrow and grief, not the transcendent aesthetics of the sublime as suggested by grand historical narratives. Mainly based on the close-reading of three literary texts including Xiao Hong’s novel Tales of Hulan River (1941), Tie Ning’s novel The Rose Door (1988), and Wang Anyi’s novel Reality and Fiction (1993), the author argues that the recurrent figure of the “melancholic girl” functions as an important trope in the writing of modern Chinese women writers and that it also serves to reveal various problematic aspects of women’s emancipation in modern China; at the same time, this essay also reveals how melancholy—in the psychological and clinical sense—serves to legitimize a certain degree of ego-formation in its female sufferers.
Conflict and Balance between Yin and Yang: A Comparison of Family Values in The Book of Change and The Book of Rites
Authors: Yigang QIAO , Qianli CHEN
Published: August 2011

The characteristics of the family system in the “Chinese-Han” cultural circles of feudal society can be traced back to two classics of traditional Chinese culture: Yijing 易经 (The book of change) and Liji 礼记 (The book of rites). The Book of Change seeks balance and harmony between yin and yang, proposing some valuable ideas about family, such as a “happy and harmonious marriage is based on the husband’s respect for his wife.” Its dialectical deduction and thought pattern have greatly influenced the gender relations of the Chinese people and the formation of family values. The family values in The Book of Change contain essential Confucian and Daoist ideas. The Book of Rites reflects more Confucian ideas, focusing more on the establishment of a hierarchic structure in the family. Confucian ideas in The Book of Rites and Daoist ideas in The Book of Change have had great influence on Chinese life and literary writings.
Clinical value of the Taylor Spatial Frame: A comparison with the Ilizarov and Orthofix fixators
Authors: Dammerer D. , Kirschbichler K. , Donnan L. , Kaufmann G. , Krismer M. , Biedermann R.
Published: August 2011

Purpose

Evaluation of the advantages and limitations of the Taylor Spatial Frame (TSF) with regard to the healing index (HI), distraction–consolidation time (DCT), accuracy of correction complications, and cost of the device.

Methods

Comparison of results with the traditional Ilizarov apparatus and a unilateral Orthofix fixator in a consecutive patient series with 135 bony deformity corrections.

Results

The HI did not differ significantly between all three fixators and was 57 days/cm for all patients. The DCT was significantly shorter for the TSF (148 days) compared to the Ilizarov fixator (204 days) and the Orthofix device (213 days). The accuracy of deformity correction was higher for the TSF than the other devices. The mean values of the measured angles after correction did not differ, but the variance of the results was the lowest. Also, the total rate of complications was considerably lower for the TSF. The Orthofix device showed a high rate of angular deformity during treatment, whereas both ring fixators had a relatively higher number of pin-related problems.

Conclusions

The findings in our patient series suggest the use of the Orthofix apparatus for simple lengthening over short to median distances and the Ilizarov device for the correction of simple bony deformities and pure lengthening over long distances. The TSF allows multiplanar corrections and lengthenings without complex modifications of the device. But, due to the remarkably higher costs, it has not yet been established as our routine device.

Level of evidence

Level IV—case series. Therapeutic Study—Investigating the Results of Treatment.
Symmetry and nonexistence of positive solutions of elliptic equations and systems with Hardy terms
Authors: Jin Tianling
Published: August 2011

We prove some symmetry property for equations with Hardy terms in cones, without any assumption at infinity. We also show symmetry property and nonexistence of entire solutions of some elliptic systems with Hardy weights.
An isoperimetric inequality for a nonlinear eigenvalue problem
Authors: Croce Gisella , Henrot Antoine , Pisante Giovanni
Published: August 2011

We prove an isoperimetric inequality of the Rayleigh–Faber–Krahn type for a nonlinear generalization of the first
twisted
Dirichlet eigenvalue, defined by

\lambda^{p,q}(\Omega) =
\inf \left\{
\frac{\|\nabla v\|_{L^{p}(\Omega )}}{\|v\|_{L^q(\Omega )}},\
v \neq 0,\ v \in W_0^{1,p}(\Omega),\
\int_\Omega |v|^{q−2}v dx = 0
\right\}.

More precisely, we show that the minimizer among sets of given volume is the union of two equal balls.

On montre une inégalité isopérimétrique du type Rayleigh–Faber–Krahn pour une généralisation non-linéaire de la première valeur propre de Dirichlet
torsadée
, définie par

\lambda^{p,q}(\Omega) =
\inf \left\{
\frac{\|\nabla v\|_{L^{p}(\Omega )}}{\|v\|_{L^q(\Omega )}},\
v \neq 0,\ v \in W_0^{1,p}(\Omega),\
\int_\Omega |v|^{q−2}v dx = 0
\right\}.

Plus précisément, on montre que le minimum parmi les ensembles de volume donné est lʼunion de deux boules égales.
Patronage and Elections in U.S. States
Authors: FOLKE OLLE , HIRANO SHIGEO , SNYDER JAMES M.
Published: August 2011

Does control of patronage jobs significantly increase a political party's chances of winning elections in U.S. states? We employ a differences-in-differences design, exploiting the considerable variation in the dates that different states adopted civil service reforms. Our evidence suggests that political parties in U.S. states were able to use state-level patronage to increase the probability of maintaining control of state legislatures and statewide elective offices. We also find that an “entrenched” party, in power for a longer time, can use patronage more effectively. We consider several alternative hypotheses that might plausibly account for the patterns in the data, but find no evidence to support them.
A RESULT ON MONOTONICALLY LINDELÖF GENERALIZED ORDERED SPACES
Authors: XU AI-JUN , SHI WEI-XUE
Published: August 2011

In this paper, we show that the character of any monotonically Lindelöf generalized ordered (GO) space is not greater than ω1, which gives a negative answer to a question posed by Levy and Matveev [‘Some questions on monotone Lindelöfness’, Questions Answers Gen. Topology26 (2008), 13–27, Question 51].
Benefits of whole ginger extract in prostate cancer
Authors: Karna Prasanthi , Chagani Sharmeen , Gundala Sushma R. , Rida Padmashree C. G. , Asif Ghazia , Sharma Vibhuti , Gupta Meenakshi V. , Aneja Ritu
Published: August 2011

It is appreciated far and wide that increased and regular consumption of fruits and vegetables is linked with noteworthy anticancer benefits. Extensively consumed as a spice in foods and beverages worldwide, ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) is an excellent source of several bioactive phenolics, including non-volatile pungent compounds such as gingerols, paradols, shogaols and gingerones. Ginger has been known to display anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antiproliferative activities, indicating its promising role as a chemopreventive agent. Here, we show that whole ginger extract (GE) exerts significant growth-inhibitory and death-inductory effects in a spectrum of prostate cancer cells. Comprehensive studies have confirmed that GE perturbed cell-cycle progression, impaired reproductive capacity, modulated cell-cycle and apoptosis regulatory molecules and induced a caspase-driven, mitochondrially mediated apoptosis in human prostate cancer cells. Remarkably, daily oral feeding of 100 mg/kg body weight of GE inhibited growth and progression of PC-3 xenografts by approximately 56 % in nude mice, as shown by measurements of tumour volume. Tumour tissue from GE-treated mice showed reduced proliferation index and widespread apoptosis compared with controls, as determined by immunoblotting and immunohistochemical methods. Most importantly, GE did not exert any detectable toxicity in normal, rapidly dividing tissues such as gut and bone marrow. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report to demonstrate the in vitro and in vivo anticancer activity of whole GE for the management of prostate cancer.
EVALUATION OF VELVETLEAF INTERFERENCE WITH MAIZE HYBRIDS AS INFLUENCED BY RELATIVE TIME OF EMERGENCE
Authors: TRAVLOS ILIAS S. , KANATAS PANAGIOTIS J. , ECONOMOU GARIFALIA , KOTOULAS VASILIS E. , CHACHALIS DIMOSTHENIS , TSIOROS STELIOS
Published: August 2011

The presence of velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti) in crops is increasing in arid and semi-arid environments. Field experiments were conducted in Greece in 2009 and 2010 to determine the influence of velvetleaf emergence time and maize (Zea mays) hybrids with different growth rates on maize yield and velvetleaf growth and fecundity. Velvetleaf was uniformly seeded in order to emerge at the 1, 3, 5 and 7-leaf stage of maize (V1, V3, V5 and V7 growth stages, respectively). Velvetleaf biomass, canopy area and seed production were significantly affected by the date of velvetleaf emergence. Velvetleaf plants emerging just after maize (V1) produced 7–17 times lower seed number, compared with the V5 growth stage. Maximum maize grain yield loss ranged from 26 to 37% for early emerging velvetleaf, and less than 6% yield loss occurred from velvetleaf seedlings emerging at V7 growth stage. Maize hybrids with high initial growth rate seem to be more competitive than the other hybrids. The results of this study are essential in the development of an integrated weed management strategy for maize in semi-arid environments, since they highlight the importance of the careful selection of a competitive maize hybrid and avoidance of early velvetleaf emergence.
Improving pregnancy outcome in obese women
Authors: Denison Fiona C. , Chiswick Carolyn
Published: August 2011

The global pandemic of maternal obesity presents a major challenge for healthcare providers, and has significant short- and long-term implications for both maternal and fetal health. Currently, the evidence-base underpinning many of the interventions either currently in use or recommended to improve pregnancy outcome in obese women is limited. The nature and timing of these interventions vary widely, ranging from simple advice to more intensive dietary and exercise programmes, cognitive behavioural therapy and drug trials. In addition, a growing number of very severely obese women now enter pregnancy having had surgical interventions. Although surgical interventions such as gastric bypass or banding may be associated with improved pregnancy outcomes, these women have particular nutritional requirements, which need to be addressed to optimise pregnancy outcome. Until the outcomes of ongoing current trials are reported and provide a firm evidence base on which to base future intervention strategies and guide evidence based care for obese pregnant women, pregnancy outcome is best optimised by high-risk antenatal care delivered by healthcare providers who are experienced in supporting these high-risk women.
‘It isn't geet good, like, but it's canny’: a new(ish) dialect feature in North East England
Authors: Pearce Michael
Published: August 2011

In recent years, linguists have become interested in ‘interactional’ aspects of English: resources which are used as two or more interlocutors dynamically adapt their expression to an ongoing exchange (Biber et al., 1999: 1045). This process occurs mainly in conversation, but it is also an aspect of informal ‘dialogic’ writing. Features such as intensifiers (They soundreallythick), colloquial discourse markers (You know he'slikeupset that nobody got killed), and quotative forms (Hewent, ‘Gran’, and Granwent, ‘Yeah’) vary so widely and change so rapidly that they have attracted the attention of folk and professional linguists alike, and interesting work now regularly appears in the research literature (see, for example Dailey-O'Cain, 2000, Ito and Tagliamonte, 2003, Anderson, 2006). My purpose in this article is to offer an initial account of geet/git, a vernacular feature used in North East England. Drawing on data from social websites, I explore the range of functions it performs in discourse. In doing so, I hope to contribute to a developing body of research which considers such features not only in terms of their function, but also as markers of geographical identity (see, for example, Macaulay's work on pure in the west of Scotland (2006) and Bucholtz et al. (2007) on hella in Northern California).
Introducing the Corpus of Dutch English
Authors: Edwards Alison
Published: August 2011

Data collection is now underway for a new corpus of ‘Dutch English’ within the broad scope of World Englishes. This news is often met with suspicion from ELT practitioners, SLA researchers and the average person on the street, Dutch and English L1s alike. How could aDunglish-style interlanguage arising from ‘imperfect learning’ be cast as legitimate regional variation? Yet this has been a fruitful field for many decades across Asia and Africa, and researchers in Europe are starting to follow suit (see e.g. Erling, 2004; Erling & Bartlett, 2006 for the case of Germany). With English being used for intra-national purposes on the continent all the more frequently, especially in higher education, it is not hard to find examples of regionally flavoured English being more appropriate than any native ‘norm’.
English in film songs from India: an overview
Authors: Viswamohan Aysha Iqbal
Published: August 2011

‘C-a-t, cat. Cat mane billi; r-a-t, rat mane chooha’ went a song from a Hindi film of the fifties (mane = ‘means’, billi = ‘cat’, chooha = ‘rat’). The song, enormously popular with Indian youth of that generation, was scoffed at by the then contemporary purists who found it hard to accept such ‘blatant’ dilution of the Hindi language. This song, like a few more of its times, was merely an exception to the largely acceptable language of songs, then largely a mix of Hindi, Urdu and Persian. English was, thus, used in songs either when it depicted (literally, since songs are acted out as autonomous scenes in Bollywood) a comic actor in a light-hearted situation or a semi-literate character desperate to accommodate to the urban ways of life. A celebrated song from Gopi, a Hindi film of the early seventies, goes a step forward with its novel coinage. The hero is a rustic who tries to impress his fellow villagers by dressing up in city (read English) style and sings:Gentleman gentleman, gentleman/London se aaya mein ban-than ke……Yeh dekh mera suita/Yeh dekh mera boota/Yeh dekh mera comba
Race and native speakers in ELT: parents' perspectives in Hong Kong
Authors: Sung Chit Cheung Matthew
Published: August 2011

English is used as an important means of international and intercultural communication around the world more than ever. Because of its widespread use in the global context, non-native speakers of English around the world outnumber native speakers by far (Crystal, 1997). According to Kachru and Nelson (1996: 79), ‘accepting even cautious estimates, there must be at least three nonnative users of English for every old-country native user’. A similar phenomenon is also observable in the English Language Teaching (ELT) profession, with the vast majority of teachers of English as a second and foreign language in the world being non-native speakers.
The afterlives of Shakespeare and Milton on the streets of the English-speaking world
Authors: Jung Udo O. H.
Published: August 2011

From Ben Jonson to Thomas Carlyle, from the Modern Language Association of America to the British Tourist Authority, there were and there are enthusiastic testimonies to Shakespeare's greatness, to what his oeuvre means to the inhabitants of the ‘precious stone set in the silver sea’ and the world at large. Only recently, at the turn of the century, listeners of BBC's Radio 4 voted himMan of the Millennium. On that occasion, Shakespeare ousted dignitaries like Winston Churchill and Isaac Newton, who all play leading roles in British history, from their position of power. The playwright is dearest to the memory of his countrymen. He occupies the most prominent place in the national portrait gallery, if the witnesses cited above are accepted. There are some, however, who apparently beg to differ. Their dissenting voices were discovered in the context of cultural memory studies and a concomitant attempt to introduce EFL students to some of the core elements of British collective memory.
Un-bending the genders or ‘Why don't they just get married?’
Authors: Hinton Suzanne
Published: August 2011

‘Hello, Mrs Hinton, how's the family?’ asks Mrs Nosey when I meet her in the street on Tuesday. Canny woman, that Mrs Nosey. She can't rightly remember if I have a son, a daughter or both. So she's asked the standard question which will elicit the maximum of information. She's a past master at such interrogation.
Acquisition of generic noun phrases in Chinese: learning about lions without an ‘-s’
Authors: TARDIF TWILA , GELMAN SUSAN A. , FU XIAOLAN , ZHU LIQI
Published: August 2011

English-speaking children understand and produce generic expressions in the preschool years, but there are cross-linguistic differences in how generics are expressed. Three studies examined interpretation of generic noun phrases in three- to seven-year-old child (N=192) and adult speakers (N=163) of Mandarin Chinese. Contrary to suggestions by Bloom (1981), Chinese-speaking adults honor a clear distinction between generics (expressed as bare NPs) and other quantified expressions (‘all’/suo3you3 and ‘some’/you3de). Furthermore, Mandarin-speaking children begin to distinguish generics from ‘all’ or ‘some’ as early as five years, as shown in both confirmation (Study 2) and property-generation (Study 3) tasks. Nonetheless, the developmental trajectory for Chinese appears prolonged relative to English and this seems to reflect difficulty with ‘all’ and ‘some’ rather than difficulty with generics. Altogether these results suggest that generics are primary, and that the consistency of markings affects the rate at which non-generic NPs are distinguished from generics.
Role of environmental poliovirus surveillance in global polio eradication and beyond
Authors: HOVI T. , SHULMAN L. M. , VAN DER AVOORT H. , DESHPANDE J. , ROIVAINEN M. , DE GOURVILLE E. M.
Published: August 2011

Environmental poliovirus surveillance (ENV) means monitoring of poliovirus (PV) transmission in human populations by examining environmental specimens supposedly contaminated by human faeces. The rationale is based on the fact that PV-infected individuals, whether presenting with disease symptoms or not, shed large amounts of PV in the faeces for several weeks. As the morbidity:infection ratio of PV infection is very low, this fact contributes to the sensitivity of ENV which under optimal conditions can be better than that of the standard acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance. The World Health Organization has included ENV in the new Strategic Plan of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative for years 2010–2012 to be increasingly used in PV surveillance, supplementing AFP surveillance. In this paper we review the feasibility of using ENV to monitor wild PV and vaccine-derived PV circulation in human populations, based on global experiences in defined epidemiological situations.
Use of the self-controlled case-series method in vaccine safety studies: review and recommendations for best practice
Authors: WELDESELASSIE Y. G. , WHITAKER H. J. , FARRINGTON C. P.
Published: August 2011

The self-controlled case-series method was originally developed to investigate potential associations between vaccines and adverse events, and is now commonly used for this purpose. This study reviews applications of the method to vaccine safety investigations in the period 1995–2010. In total, 40 studies were reviewed. The application of the self-controlled case-series method in these studies is critically examined, with particular reference to the definition of observation and risk periods, control of confounders, assumptions and potential biases, methodological and presentation issues, power and sample size, and software. Comparisons with other study designs undertaken in the papers reviewed are also highlighted. Some recommendations are presented, with the emphasis on promoting good practice.
On r-Cross Intersecting Families of Sets
Authors: FRANKL PETER , TOKUSHIGE NORIHIDE
Published: August 2011

Let (r−1)n ≥ rk and let $\FF_1,\ldots,\FF_r\subset\binom{[n]}k$. Suppose that F1 ∩ ⋅⋅⋅ ∩ Fr ≠ ∅ holds for all Fi ∈ i, 1 ≤ i ≤ r. Then we show that $\prod_{i=1}^r|\FF_i|\leq\binom{n-1}{k-1}^r$.
Concave Majorants of Random Walks and Related Poisson Processes
Authors: ABRAMSON JOSH , PITMAN JIM
Published: August 2011

We offer a unified approach to the theory of concave majorants of random walks, by providing a path transformation for a walk of finite length that leaves the law of the walk unchanged whilst providing complete information about the concave majorant. This leads to a description of a walk of random geometric length as a Poisson point process of excursions away from its concave majorant, which is then used to find a complete description of the concave majorant of a walk of infinite length. In the case where subsets of increments may have the same arithmetic mean, we investigate three nested compositions that naturally arise from our construction of the concave majorant.
PHILIPPE FLAJOLET 1 December 1948 – 22 March 2011
Authors: Salvy Bruno , Sedgewick Bob , Soria Michele , Szpankowski Wojciech , Vallée Brigitte
Published: August 2011

Philippe Flajolet, mathematician and computer scientist extraordinaire, the father of analytic combinatorics, suddenly passed away on 22 March 2011, at the prime of his career. He is celebrated for opening new lines of research in the analysis of algorithms, developing powerful new methods, and solving difficult open problems. His research contributions will have an impact for generations, and his approach to research, based on curiosity, discriminating taste, broad knowledge and interests, intellectual integrity, and a genuine sense of camaraderie, will serve as an inspiration to those who knew him, for years to come.
Non-separability and substitutability among water pollutants: evidence from India
Authors: Kumar Surender , Managi Shunsuke
Published: August 2011

The design and implementation of environmental policy often involve more than one pollutant, and must consider pollution as a byproduct of the production of marketable output. In this paper, we test the implicit assumption in the empirical literature that (1) production of marketable output, pollution and abatement are separable, and (2) different pollutants can be abated separately. Using unique plant-level data in India, we reject the null hypotheses of separability between marketable output and pollutants, and between different pollutants. Firms must incur abatement costs for reducing pollution levels. In addition, complement and substitute relationships between water pollutants are demonstrated with statistical significance.
Pornografiekonsum, sexuelle Skripts und sexuelle Aggression im Jugendalter
Authors: Krahé Barbara
Published: August 2011

Zusammenfassung. An einer Stichprobe von 197 Jugendlichen wurde der Zusammenhang zwischen dem Konsum pornografischer Medieninhalte, der Akzeptanz sexueller Aggression sowie der Ausprägung von Risikomerkmalen sexueller Aggression (Sex nach kurzer Bekanntschaft, Alkohol- und Drogenkonsum in sexuellen Interaktionen und uneindeutige Kommunikation sexueller Absichten) in den Skripts für freiwillige sexuelle Interaktionen untersucht. Dabei wurde neben dem Gesamtkonsum von Pornografie auch der Konsum freiwilliger, gewalthaltiger und erniedrigender pornografischer Darstellungen erfasst. Fast alle Befragten hatten schon mindestens einmal pornografische Darstellungen gesehen, knapp die Hälfte mindestens einmal erzwungene sexuelle Handlungen. Es fanden sich signifikante Beziehungen zwischen dem Konsum pornografischer Medieninhalte und der Ausprägung von Risikomerkmalen sexueller Aggression in den konsensuellen sexuellen Skripts. Der Konsum gewalthaltiger Pornografie korrelierte signifikant mit der Akzeptanz sexueller Aggression, wobei die Beziehung zum Teil durch die Risikoscores sexueller Skripts vermittelt wurde. Die Befunde werden im Hinblick auf die Bedeutung pornografischer Medieninhalte für die sexuelle Sozialisation im Jugendalter diskutiert.
Soil Microbial Community Composition and Enzyme Activity Responses to an Intensive SilvopastoralSystem of Colombia
Authors: Vallejo Victoria E. , Dick Richard P. , Ziv Arbeli , Terán Wilson , Roldán Fabio
Published: August 2011

Extensive cattle production occupies more than 27% of the rural landscapes in Latin America, and nowadays is considered as a major driver of tropical deforestation. Conventional monoculture pasture (CP) systems have degraded soils and caused negative environmental impacts. Recent years have shown increasing interest in the development of alternatives to the CP with a high efficiency of internal resource use and thus lower input requirement and cost. To address this, intensive silvopastoral systems (ISS) have been developed where trees are integrated with crops, pastures, and cattle for environmental and economic benefits. Soil microbial communities drive nutrients cycling and play an essential role in maintaining and improving soil quality; however, little information is available on how ISS affects them. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate microbial (fatty acid community profiling and enzyme activities) and physicochemical (pH, total C, moisture, and bulk density) properties when CP are converted to ISS (n=3). The treatments (three replications) were: CP, native forest, and 12-15 years old ISS. The results shown that ISS reduced bulk density, penetration resistance, increased total C and soil microbial biomass (normalized on clay content), making them more effective C storage pools than CP. Principal component analysis revealed that enzymes activities were clustered according to land management practices, which suggest that these properties can be used as indicators of ecosystem disturbance. On the other hand, CP promoted dominance of Gram (-) bacteria, while adversely affects slow growing microorganisms such as fungi and actinomycetes that are known to be sensitive to disturbance. This study demonstrate that increases in microbial biomass and enzyme activities of C, N and P cycling in ISS that would represent positive changes in soil functioning compared with CP.
Intestinal Permeability Is Associated With Visceral Adiposity in Healthy Women
Authors: Gummesson Anders , Carlsson Lena M.S. , Storlien Len H. , Bäckhed Fredrik , Lundin Pål , Löfgren Lars , Stenlöf Kaj , Lam Yan Y. , Fagerberg Björn , Carlsson Björn
Published: August 2011

Increased visceral fat, as opposed to subcutaneous/gluteal, most strongly relates to key metabolic dysfunctions including insulin resistance, hepatic steatosis, and inflammation. Mesenteric fat hypertrophy in patients with Crohn's disease and in experimental rodent models of gut inflammation suggest that impaired gut barrier function with increased leakage of gut‐derived antigens may drive visceral lipid deposition. The aim of this study was to determine whether increased intestinal permeability is associated with visceral adiposity in healthy humans. Normal to overweight female subjects were recruited from a population‐based cohort. Intestinal permeability was assessed using the ratio of urinary excretion of orally ingested sucralose to mannitol (S/M). In study 1 (n = 67), we found a positive correlation between waist circumference and S/M excretion within a time frame of urine collection consistent with permeability of the lower gastrointestinal tract (6–9 hours post‐ingestion; P = 0.022). These results were followed up in study 2 (n = 55) in which we used computed tomography and dual energy X‐ray absorptiometry to measure visceral and subcutaneous fat areas of the abdomen, liver fat content, and total body fat of the same women. The S/M ratio from the 6–12 h urine sample correlated with visceral fat area (P = 0.0003) and liver fat content (P = 0.004), but not with subcutaneous or total body fat. This novel finding of an association between intestinal permeability and visceral adiposity and liver fat content in healthy humans suggests that impaired gut barrier function should be further explored as a possible mediator of excess visceral fat accumulation and metabolic dysfunction.
A Losing Battle: Weight Regain Does Not Restore Weight Loss‐Induced Bone Loss in Postmenopausal Women
Authors: Villalon Karen L. , Gozansky Wendolyn S. , van Pelt Rachael E. , Wolfe Pam , Jankowski Catherine M. , Schwartz Robert S. , Kohrt Wendy M.
Published: August 2011

Previously, we reported significant bone mineral density (BMD) loss in postmenopausal women after modest weight loss. It remains unclear whether the magnitude of BMD change in response to weight loss is appropriate (i.e., proportional to weight loss) and whether BMD is recovered with weight regain. We now report changes in BMD after a 1‐year follow‐up. Subjects (n = 23) in this secondary analysis were postmenopausal women randomized to placebo as part of a larger trial. They completed a 6‐month exercise‐based weight loss program and returned for follow‐up at 18 months. Dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DXA) was performed at baseline, 6, and 18 months. At baseline, subjects were aged 56.8 ± 5.4 years (mean ± s.d.), 10.0 ± 9.2 years postmenopausal, and BMI was 29.6 ± 4.0 kg/m2. They lost 3.9 ± 3.5 kg during the weight loss intervention. During follow‐up, they regained 2.9 ± 3.9 kg. Six months of weight loss resulted in a significant decrease in lumbar spine (LS) (−1.7 ± 3.5%; P = 0.002) and hip (−0.04 ± 3.5%; P = 0.03) BMD that was accompanied by an increase in a biomarker of bone resorption (serum C‐terminal telopeptide of type I collagen, CTX: 34 ± 54%; P = 0.08). However, weight regain was not associated with LS (0.05 ± 3.8%; P = 0.15) or hip (−0.6 ± 3.0%; P = 0.81) bone regain or decreased bone resorption (CTX: −3 ± 37%; P = 0.73). The findings suggest that BMD lost during weight reduction may not be fully recovered with weight regain in hormone‐deficient, postmenopausal women. Future studies are needed to identify effective strategies to prevent bone loss during periods of weight loss.
ITIH‐5 Expression in Human Adipose Tissue Is Increased in Obesity
Authors: Anveden Åsa , Sjöholm Kajsa , Jacobson Peter , Palsdottir Vilborg , Walley Andrew J. , Froguel Philippe , Al‐Daghri Nasser , McTernan Philip G. , Mejhert Niklas , Arner Peter , Sjöström Lars , Carlsson Lena M.S. , Svensson Per‐Arne
Published: August 2011

Adipocytes secrete many proteins that regulate metabolic functions. The gene inter‐α (globulin) inhibitor H5 (ITIH‐5) encodes a secreted protein and is known to be expressed abundantly in the placenta. However, using gene expression profiles data we observed high expression of ITIH‐5 in adipose tissue. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that ITIH‐5 is strongly expressed in human adipocytes and adipose tissue, and is related to obesity and clinical metabolic variables. ITIH‐5 adipose tissue mRNA expression was analyzed with DNA microarray and real‐time PCR, and its association with clinical variables was examined. ITIH‐5 protein expression was analyzed using western blot. ITIH‐5 mRNA expression was abundant in human adipose tissue, adipocytes, and placenta, and higher in subcutaneous (sc) compared to omental adipose tissue (P < 0.0001). ITIH‐5 mRNA and protein expression in sc adipose tissue were higher in obese compared to lean subjects (P < 0.0001 and P < 0.001, respectively). ITIH‐5 mRNA expression was reduced after diet‐induced weight loss (P < 0.0001). ITIH‐5 mRNA expression was associated with anthropometry and clinical metabolic variables. In conclusion, ITIH‐5 is highly expressed in sc adipose tissue, increased in obesity, down regulated after weight loss, and associated with measures of body size and metabolism. Together, this indicates that ITIH‐5 merits further investigation as a regulator of human metabolism.
Introduction
Authors: Simmons Blake A.
Published: August 2011

This chapter provides an introduction to the general topic of biofuels, sustainability and to the chapters that follow. The development of advanced biofuels, defined here as those that are derived from non-food sources, capable of displacing a significant amount of petroleum within the global transportation sector has quickly become a topic of significant interest. Biofuels are not without controversy, and this chapter introduces the reader to some of the challenges and opportunities present. In addition, there exist multiple pathways that have been hypothesized as effective means of converting biomass into biofuels, biopower, and co-products. These include biochemical, chemical, thermochemical, and hybrid conversion routes that follow multiple pathways for the production of fuels and chemicals. All of the technologies to date have advantages and disadvantages that must be taken into consideration. This book presents a general yet substantial review from subject matter experts of the most promising processes within the spectrum of biomass pretreatment, enzymes, chemical catalysts, and hybrid approaches of converting biomass into intermediates and fuels, and is aimed to inform the reader on a wide range of topics.
Biomass Availability and Sustainability for Biofuels
Authors: Loqué Dominique , Eudes Aymerick , Yang Fan
Published: August 2011

One of the most significant questions surrounding biofuels is the availability of a sufficient amount of land capable of sustainably producing biofuel feedstocks that do not compete with food production. On Earth, only 29.2% of the surface is above water (149M Km2)-the rest is covered ocean. From this 29.2%, only 59.5% is considered as biologically productive land (86M Km2) and corresponds to forests (39.3M Km2) or agricultural areas (49.3M Km2). Biological productive land corresponds to land that support human demands for food, fiber and timber for infrastructure and energy (FAO definition). The other 40.5% of lands, traditionally considered as non-productive lands, have a very low or no primary productivity since they are covered by ice, human development, or they are located under extreme climate conditions (cold, dry or arid). The productive lands are divided in several biomes mainly classified according to the vegetation types and productivity, which are dictated by the climate and human accessibility. In order to define those land areas suitable for biofuel feedstock production, an evaluation of most of he primary lands has to be conducted. This analysis is presented in this chapter where we evaluate the different types of lands available and discuss biomass availability as a function of land cover type.
Cellulases and Hemicellulases for Biomass Degradation: An Introduction
Authors: Datta Supratim , Sapra Rajat
Published: August 2011

The development of second-generation biofuels will require a wide variety of lignocellulosic feedstocks that can be grown sustainably and processed cost-effectively in different geographical area. In nature bioconversion of lignocellulosic residues is initiated primarily by microorganisms such as fungi and bacteria. The mechanism of degradation varies with the organism and the environment. While fungi primarily produce large amounts of extracellular cellulolytic enzymes, some bacterial and a few anaerobic fungal strains produce cellulolytic enzymes in a complex called cellulosome. The cellulolytic enzymes including endoglucanases, cellobiohydrolases (exoglucanases) and β-glucosidases hydrolyze the cellooligomers in a synergistic manner. Here we introduce the different cellulolytic enzymes required for the conversion of lignocelluloses to monomeric sugars.