bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Labor Markets and the Demand for Foreign Direct Investment
Authors: Pandya Sonal S.
Published: July 2010

Existing research on foreign direct investment (FDI) focuses on how politics influences the supply of FDI inflows. In this article I shift focus to the demand for FDI inflows within recipient countries by examining individual preferences for FDI. I argue that FDI preferences are largely a function of FDI's effects on income. FDI raises wages, especially those of skilled labor because foreign firms require more highly skilled labor than their local counterparts. Accordingly, support for FDI should increase with respondents' skills. Using three years of extensive public opinion data from eighteen Latin American countries, I provide robust evidence that preferences are consistent with FDI's effects on income. There is relatively little support for alternate explanations including concerns about job security, opposition to privatization, and the socializing effects of higher education on economic policy preferences.
Reality Asserts Itself: Public Opinion on Iraq and the Elasticity of Reality
Authors: Baum Matthew A. , Groeling Tim
Published: July 2010

Prevailing theories hold that U.S. public support for a war depends primarily on its degree of success, U.S. casualties, or conflict goals. Yet, research into the framing of foreign policy shows that public perceptions concerning each of these factors are often endogenous and malleable by elites. In this article, we argue that both elite rhetoric and the situation on the ground in the conflict affect public opinion, but the qualities that make such information persuasive vary over time and with circumstances. Early in a conflict, elites (especially the president) have an informational advantage that renders public perceptions of “reality” very elastic. As events unfold and as the public gathers more information, this elasticity recedes, allowing alternative frames to challenge the administration's preferred frame. We predict that over time the marginal impact of elite rhetoric and reality will decrease, although a sustained change in events may eventually restore their influence. We test our argument through a content analysis of news coverage of the Iraq war from 2003 through 2007, an original survey of public attitudes regarding Iraq, and partially disaggregated data from more than 200 surveys of public opinion on the war.
Jazz as a Black American Art Form: Definitions of the Jazz Preservation Act
Authors: FARLEY JEFF
Published: July 2010

Jazz music and culture have experienced a surge in popularity after the passage of the Jazz Preservation Act (JPA) in 1987. This resolution defined jazz as a black American art form, thus using race, national identity, and cultural value as key aspects in making jazz one of the nation's most subsidized arts. Led by new cultural institutions and educational programs, millions of Americans have engaged with the history and canon of jazz that represent the values endorsed by the JPA. Record companies, book publishers, archivists, academia, and private foundations have also contributed to the effort to preserve jazz music and history. Such preservation has not always been a simple process, especially in identifying jazz with black culture and with America as a whole. This has required a careful balancing of social and musical aspects of jazz. For instance, many consider two of the most important aspects of jazz to be the blues aesthetic, which inevitably expresses racist oppression in America, and the democratic ethic, wherein each musician's individual expression equally contributes to the whole. Balanced explanations of race and nationality are useful not only for musicologists, but also for musicians and teachers wishing to use jazz as an example of both national achievement and confrontation with racism. Another important aspect of the JPA is the definition of jazz as a “high” art. While there remains a vocal contingent of critics arguing against the JPA's definitions of jazz, such results will not likely see many calling for an end to its programs, but rather a more open interpretation of what it means to be America's music.
Virgil'sGeorgicsand the Dating of Propertius’ First Book
Authors: Heslin Peter
Published: July 2010

This article re-examines a passage in the first book of Propertius which has generally been interpreted as establishing that the collection was published after Actium. In fact, these lines do not necessarily allude to Antony's defeat, but fit even better with the situation in the years leading up to the battle. Once that has been established, the balance of evidence supports a considerably earlier date for Propertius’ first book. This prompts a re-evaluation of the direction of influence between it and Virgil'sGeorgics. Contrary to traditional assumptions, Virgil can be seen to have reacted strongly to the elegist's brilliant debut.
The unipolar society: the value of an international society approach to preponderance
Authors: PLUNKETT JAMES
Published: July 2010

This article aims to reassert the relevance of the international society approach by highlighting the value it could bring to the project of understanding the effects of unipolarity. Bull's approach to war and international law as ‘institutions of international society’ could help to frame our understanding of the way in which preponderance has impacted on war and law. Examining the phenomenon of bilateralism suggests that there is also value in a more general attempt to trace the effects of unipolarity on international society.
Exel's crossed product for non-unital C*-algebras
Authors: BROWNLOWE NATHAN , RAEBURN IAIN , VITTADELLO SEAN T.
Published: July 2010

We consider a family of dynamical systems (A, α, L) in which α is an endomorphism of a C*-algebra A and L is a transfer operator for α. We extend Exel's construction of a crossed product to cover non-unital algebras A, and show that the C*-algebra of a locally finite graph can be realised as one of these crossed products. When A is commutative, we find criteria for the simplicity of the crossed product, and analyse the ideal structure of the crossed product.
Tackling the drivers of child undernutrition in developing countries: what works and how should interventions be designed?
Authors: Pridmore Pat , Carr-Hill Roy
Published: July 2010

Objective

The present paper presents a synthesis of available evidence to support action on the interventions that can effectively address the main drivers of child undernutrition in developing countries. It also discusses how interventions should be designed and identifies policy-relevant areas for further research.

Design

A structured literature review of fifty-eight controlled evaluations and studies in developing countries were selected because they are methodologically sound, recent (reported within the past 10 years), report on nutritional status, cover a wide range of interventions and are implemented by a range of different agencies.

Setting

Indirect interventions in developing countries, which address the underlying and basic causes of child undernutrition and can potentially be implemented in the short to medium term.

Subjects

Children under 5 years of age and their mothers across a range of developing countries.

Results

Evidence has now accumulated to guide action on a range of indirect interventions that can reduce child undernutrition, but for all these interventions context is all-important. There is less evidence on how these interventions can be effectively implemented on a large scale.

Conclusions

Efforts should be directed towards improving implementation of effective interventions on a large scale. Donors need to keep commitments both in dollar terms and in terms of the Paris Declaration so that the push for improved nutrition does not become donor driven. At the country level, there is a need for enabling governance structures, institutions and evidence-based decision making. Within countries there is a need for well-trained personnel with delegated authority, accountable to local people. It is essential for chains of accountability to be transparent and for active involvement of households in decision-making processes.
Cross-fostering and improved lactation ameliorates deficits in endocrine pancreatic morphology in growth-restricted adult male rat offspring
Authors: Siebel A. L. , Gallo L. A. , Guan T. C. , Owens J. A. , Wlodek M. E.
Published: July 2010

Uteroplacental insufficiency and poor postnatal nutrition impair adult glucose tolerance and insulin secretion in male rat offspring, which can be partially ameliorated by improving postnatal nutrition. Uteroplacental insufficiency was induced in the WKY rat on day 18 of pregnancy (Restricted) compared to sham-operated Controls. Pups were then cross-fostered onto Control or Restricted mothers one day after birth resulting in: (Pup-on-Mother) Control-on-Control, Control-on-Restricted, Restricted-on-Control and Restricted-on-Restricted. Endocrine pancreatic morphology and markers of intrinsic β-cell function and glucose homeostasis were assessed in male offspring at 6 months. Pancreatic and hepatic gene expression was quantified at postnatal day 7 and 6 months. Restricted pups were born 10–15% lighter than Controls and remained lighter at 6 months. Relative islet and β-cell mass were 51–65% lower in Restricted-on-Restricted compared to Controls at 6 months. Non-fasting plasma C-reactive protein levels were also increased, suggestive of an inflammatory response. Overall, the average number of islets, small islets and proportion of β-cells per islet correlated positively with birth weight. Intrinsic β-cell function, estimated by insulin secretion relative to β-cell mass, was unaffected by Restriction, suggesting that the in vivo functional deficit was attributable to reduced mass, not function. Importantly, these deficits were ameliorated when lactational nutrition was normalized in Restricted-on-Control offspring, who also showed increased pancreatic Igf1r, Pdx1 and Vegf mRNA expression at 7 days compared to Control-on-Control and Restricted-on-Restricted. This highlights lactation as a critical period for intervention following prenatal restraint, whereby deficits in endocrine pancreatic mass and associated impaired in vivo insulin secretion can be ameliorated.
Low water content of the Cenozoic lithospheric mantle beneath the eastern part of the North China Craton
Authors: Xia Qun‐Ke , Hao Yantao , Li Pei , Deloule Etienne , Coltorti Massimo , Dallai Luigi , Yang Xiaozhi , Feng Min
Published: July 2010

Nominally anhydrous minerals in 46 peridotite xenoliths hosted by Cenozoic basalts from five localities (Fangshan, Penglai, Qixia, Changle, and Hebi) of the eastern part of the North China Craton (NCC) have been investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR). The water contents (H2O wt %) of clinopyroxene (cpx), orthopyroxene (opx), and olivine (ol) range from 27 to 223 ppm, 8 to 94 ppm, and ∼0 ppm, respectively. On the basis of (1) the homogenous H2O content within single pyroxene grains and (2) the equilibrium partitioning of H2O between cpx and opx, it is suggested that the pyroxenes largely preserve the H2O content of their mantle source, although possible H loss during xenolith ascent cannot be excluded for ol. The recalculated whole‐rock H2O contents, using mineral modes and assuming a partition coefficient of 10 for water between cpx and ol, range from 6 to 56 ppm (average of 23 ± 13 ppm). In combination with previously reported data, the recalculated whole‐rock water contents of peridotite xenoliths (105 samples from 9 localities) hosted by Cenozoic basalts from the eastern part of the NCC range from 6 to 85 ppm (average of 25 ± 18 ppm). The Cenozoic lithospheric mantle of the eastern part of the NCC is therefore characterized by a low water content compared to continental lithospheric mantle worldwide represented by typical cratonic and off‐cratonic peridotites (normally 40–180 ppm, with average values of 119 ± 54 ppm and 78 ± 45, respectively) and to oceanic mantle values (>50 ppm) inferred from MORB and OIB. Peridotite xenoliths have low‐to‐moderate spinel Fe3+/ΣFe (0.02–0.34) and whole rock ΔFMQ values (from −4.2 to 2.2, normally between −2.5 and 1.5), which are not correlated with pyroxene H2O contents. Therefore, the low water contents cannot have resulted from oxidation of the mantle xenoliths and may have been caused instead by heating from an upwelling asthenosphere flow that acted in concert with NCC lithospheric thinning during the late Mesozoic to early Cenozoic. If so, the present eastern NCC lithospheric mantle represents essentially relict ancient lithospheric mantle after the thinning event, rather than newly accreted and cooled asthenospheric mantle.
Subduction of a wedge‐shaped Philippine Sea plate beneath Kanto, central Japan, estimated from converted waves and small repeating earthquakes
Authors: Uchida Naoki , Matsuzawa Toru , Nakajima Junichi , Hasegawa Akira
Published: July 2010

We estimate the configuration of the Philippine Sea plate (PHS) subducted beneath Kanto to understand the seismotectonics in the Tokyo metropolitan area. In addition to small repeating earthquakes that delineate both the upper and lower boundaries of the PHS, previously unrecognized converted waves at its upper boundary from lower‐boundary repeater sources provide a new constraint on the position of the boundary. The results from 794 S‐to‐P and 212 P‐to‐S converted waves together with ∼200 repeater locations show that (1) the PHS has a wedge‐like shape, decreasing in thickness from 50 km beneath Tokyo to zero at its northeastern limit, and (2) the PHS is relatively flat in the eastern part of Kanto and bends upward near its northeastern limit. From the fact that the PHS in the Izu‐Bonin forearc also has a similar wedge‐like shape, we infer that its shape was formed before its subduction. On the other hand, the relatively flat PHS at its northeastern limit and its upward bend are probably a consequence of ongoing deformation from an interaction with the underlying thick Pacific plate (PAC). The history of the PHS as a forearc before subduction and its contact with the PAC after subduction suggests that the temperature of this part of the PHS is colder than other regions, which probably causes anomalously deep seismicity on the PHS in Kanto. Colder PHS temperatures imply that the source regions of large earthquakes may extend deeper than expected, an important fact when assessing the locations of disastrous earthquakes for Tokyo.
Impact cratering on the H chondrite parent asteroid
Authors: Wittmann Axel , Swindle Timothy D. , Cheek Leah C. , Frank Elizabeth A. , Kring David A.
Published: July 2010

This paper reports petrological data for LaPaz Icefield 02240, 03922, 031125, 031173, 031308, 04462, and 04751, which are meteoritic samples of clast‐rich impact melt rocks from the H chondrite parent asteroid. The size distribution and metallographic characteristics of Fe‐Ni metal in the melts indicate very rapid 1 to 40°C/s cooling in the temperature range between >1500 and ∼950°C when the clast‐melt mixtures were thermally equilibrating. Cooling slowed to values between 10−3 and 10−2°C/s in the temperature range between 700 and 400°C when the melt rocks were cooling to their surroundings. These data suggest that the rocks cooled near the surface of the H chondrite asteroid within suevitic impact deposits. Integrating these data with the petrologic characteristics of other H chondrite melt rocks and their radioisotopic ages indicates that the H chondrite asteroid suffered at least one large impact event while still cooling from endogenous metamorphism at ∼4500 Ma; this impact must have degraded the asteroid's integrity but did not cause shattering. Impact events in the era between ∼4100 and ∼3600 Ma produced melt volumes large enough to allow segregation of metal and troilite from silicate melts, possibly within continuous impact melt sheets contained in craters. The impact record after 3600 Ma does not display such assemblages, which suggests a decrease in the rate of large impact events or a catastrophic size reduction of the H chondrite parent asteroid at around this time.
Mineralogical and spectroscopic investigation of enstatite chondrites by X‐ray diffraction and infrared reflectance spectroscopy
Authors: Izawa M. R. M. , King P. L. , Flemming R. L. , Peterson R. C. , McCausland P. J. A.
Published: July 2010

The mineralogy and infrared reflectance spectra of 13 Enstatite (E) chondrite meteorite finds spanning the full range of textural alteration grades in both EL and EH classes have been investigated. Rietveld refinement of high‐resolution powder X‐ray diffraction (XRD) data was used to determine quantitative major mineral abundances. Sample‐correlated mid‐infrared (2.0 to 25.0μm; 4500 cm−1to 400 cm−1) reflectance infrared spectra were collected for each meteorite. Spectral features due to the fundamental lattice vibrations of the silicates, primarily enstatite, dominate the spectra of these meteorites over most of the spectral range investigated. The spectral features related to primary (i.e., pre‐terrestrial) mineralogy include fundamental stretching and bending lattice modes (∼8.3–25.0μm; 1200–400 cm−1), overtones and combinations of the fundamental modes (∼4.5–6.1μm; 2200–1650 cm−1), and the principle Christensen feature (∼8.3μm; 1200 cm−1). Terrestrial weathering products including Fe‐oxyhydroxides, gypsum, and carbonates occur in most of these meteorites and contribute to some spectral features: particularly an asymmetric feature near ∼2.6 to 3.8μm (3800 to 2600 cm−1) attributed to adsorbed, hydrogen‐bonded, and/or structural OH and H2O, and a feature near ∼6.2μm (1625 cm−1) attributed to adsorbed, hydrogen‐bonded, and/or structural H2O. Modal mineral abundances determined by Rietveld refinement have been used to calculate model grain densities for each meteorite. Bulk magnetic susceptibility measurements combined with modal mineralogy and grain densities reveal a trend toward lower grain density and lower bulk susceptibility with increased terrestrial weathering.
Coherent flow structures in a depth‐limited flow over a gravel surface: The influence of surface roughness
Authors: Hardy Richard J. , Best James L. , Lane Stuart N. , Carbonneau Patrice E.
Published: July 2010

Turbulent flows moving over a gravel bed develop large‐scale, macroturbulent flow structures that are initiated at anchor clasts in the bed and grow and dissipate as they move upward through the flow depth. This paper extends previous research in which we investigated the influence of the Reynolds number on coherent flow structures generated over a gravel bed by assessing the importance of effective bed roughness. Here, we report on flume experiments in which flows over beds of decreasing surface roughness have been quantified through the application of digital particle imaging velocimetry, which allows study of the downstream and vertical components of velocity over the entire flow field. These results indicate that as the effective roughness increases (1) the visual distinctiveness of the coherent flow structures becomes more defined throughout the flow depth, (2) the upstream angle of slope of the coherent flow structure increases, and (3) the reduction in streamwise flow velocity and turbulence intensity toward the upstream side of the structure becomes greater. Applying standard scaling laws, these structures appear shear‐generated and form through a combination of both wake flapping and the reattachment of localized shear layers associated with flow separation around individual topographic protrusions. As the effective protrusion decreases, the scale of these coherent flow structures also decreases.
Fungus, not comet or catastrophe, accounts for carbonaceous spherules in the Younger Dryas “impact layer”
Authors: Scott Andrew C. , Pinter Nicholas , Collinson Margaret E. , Hardiman Mark , Anderson R. Scott , Brain Anthony P. R. , Smith Selena Y. , Marone Federica , Stampanoni Marco
Published: July 2010

A claim attributes the onset of the Younger Dryas climate interval and a range of other effects ∼12,900 years ago to a comet airburst and/or impact event. One key aspect of this claim centers on the origin of carbonaceous spherules that purportedly formed during intense, impact‐ignited wildfires. Samples from Pleistocene‐Holocene sedimentary sequences in the California Channel Islands and other sites show that carbon spherules and elongate forms are common in samples dating to before, during, and well after the 12,900‐year time horizon, including from modern samples. Microscopic studies show that carbon spherules have morphologies and internal structures identical to fungal sclerotia (such as Sclerotium and Cenococcum). Experimental charring of fungal sclerotia shows that their reflectance increases with temperature. Reflectance measurements of modern and late Pleistocene spherules show that the latter indicate, at most, low‐intensity burning. These data cast further doubt upon the evidence suggesting a catastrophic Younger Dryas impact event.
e-Infrastructures supporting research into depression, self-harm and suicide
Authors: McCafferty S. , Doherty T. , Sinnott R. O. , Watt J.
Published: July 2010

The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)-funded Data Management through e-Social Sciences (DAMES) project is investigating, as one of its four research themes, how research into depression, self-harm and suicide may be enhanced through the adoption of e-Science infrastructures and techniques. In this paper, we explore the challenges in supporting such research infrastructures and describe the distributed and heterogeneous datasets that need to be provisioned to support such research. We describe and demonstrate the application of an advanced user and security-driven infrastructure that has been developed specifically to meet these challenges in an on-going study into depression, self-harm and suicide.
Computational modelling of the initiation and development of spontaneous intracellular Ca
2+
waves in ventricular myocytes
Authors: Li Pan , Wei Wenjie , Cai Xing , Soeller Christian , Cannell Mark B. , Holden Arun V.
Published: July 2010

Intracellular Ca
2+
dynamics provides excitation–contraction coupling in cardiac myocytes. Under pathological conditions, spontaneous Ca
2+
release events can lead to intracellular Ca
2+
travelling waves, which can break, giving transitory or persistent intracellular re-entrant Ca
2+
scroll waves. Intracellular Ca
2+
waves can trigger cellular delayed after-depolarizations of membrane potential, which if they occur in a cluster of a few hundred neighbouring myocytes may lead to cardiac arrhythmia. Quantitative prediction of the initiation and propagation of intracellular Ca
2+
waves requires the dynamics of Ca
2+
-induced Ca
2+
release, and the intracellular spatial distribution of Ca
2+
release units (CRUs). The spatial distribution of ryanodine receptor clusters within a few sarcomeres was reconstructed directly from confocal imaging measurements. It was then embedded into a three-dimensional ventricular cell model, with a resting membrane potential and simple stochastic Ca
2+
-induced Ca
2+
release dynamics. Isotropic global Ca
2+
wave propagation can be produced within the anisotropic intracellular architecture, by isotropic local Ca
2+
diffusion, and the branching Z-disc structure providing inter Z-disc pathways for Ca
2+
propagation. The branching Z-disc provides a broader spatial distribution of ryanodine receptor clusters across Z-discs, which reduces the likelihood of wave initiation by spontaneous Ca
2+
releases. Intracellular Ca
2+
dynamics during catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT) was simulated phenomenologically by increasing the Ca
2+
sensitivity factor of the CRU, which results in an increased rate of Ca
2+
release events. Flecainide has been shown to prevent arrhythmias in a murine model of CPVT and in patients. The modelled actions of flecainide on the time course of Ca
2+
release events prevented the initiation of Ca
2+
waves.
Optimizing electronic standard cell libraries for variability tolerance through the nano-CMOS grid
Authors: Walker James Alfred , Sinnott Richard , Stewart Gordon , Hilder James A. , Tyrrell Andy M.
Published: July 2010

The project
Meeting the Design Challenges of nano-CMOS Electronics
(
http://www.nanocmos.ac.uk
) was funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council to tackle the challenges facing the electronics industry caused by the decreasing scale of transistor devices, and the inherent variability that this exposes in devices and in the circuits and systems in which they are used. The project has developed a grid-based solution that supports the electronics design process, incorporating usage of large-scale high-performance computing (HPC) resources, data and metadata management and support for fine-grained security to protect commercially sensitive datasets. In this paper, we illustrate how the nano-CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) grid has been applied to optimize transistor dimensions within a standard cell library. The goal is to extract high-speed and low-power circuits which are more tolerant of the random fluctuations that will be prevalent in future technology nodes. Using statistically enhanced circuit simulation models based on three-dimensional atomistic device simulations, a genetic algorithm is presented that optimizes the device widths within a circuit using a multi-objective fitness function exploiting the nano-CMOS grid. The results show that the impact of threshold voltage variation can be reduced by optimizing transistor widths, and indicate that a similar method could be extended to the optimization of larger circuits.
GIMI: the past, the present and the future
Authors: Simpson Andrew , Power David , Russell Douglas , Slaymaker Mark , Bailey Vernon , Tromans Chris , Brady Michael , Tarassenko Lionel
Published: July 2010

In keeping with the theme of this year’s e-Science All Hands Meeting—past, present and future—we consider the motivation for, the current status of, and the future directions for, the technologies developed within the GIMI (Generic Infrastructure for Medical Informatics) project. This analysis provides insights into how some key problems in data federation may be addressed. GIMI was funded by the UK’s Technology Strategy Board with the intention of developing a service-oriented framework to facilitate the secure sharing and aggregation of heterogeneous data from disparate sources to support a range of healthcare applications. The project, which was led by the University of Oxford, involved collaboration from the National Cancer Research Institute Informatics Initiative, Loughborough University, University College London, t+ Medical, Siemens Molecular Imaging and IBM UK.
Petascale lattice-Boltzmann studies of amphiphilic cubic liquid crystalline materials in a globally distributed high-performance computing and visualization environment
Authors: Saksena Radhika S. , Mazzeo Marco D. , Zasada Stefan J. , Coveney Peter V.
Published: July 2010

We present very large-scale rheological studies of self-assembled cubic gyroid liquid crystalline phases in ternary mixtures of oil, water and amphiphilic species performed on petascale supercomputers using the lattice-Boltzmann method. These nanomaterials have found diverse applications in materials science and biotechnology, for example, in photovoltaic devices and protein crystallization. They are increasingly gaining importance as delivery vehicles for active agents in pharmaceuticals, personal care products and food technology. In many of these applications, the self-assembled structures are subject to flows of varying strengths and we endeavour to understand their rheological response with the objective of eventually predicting it under given flow conditions. Computationally, our lattice-Boltzmann simulations of ternary fluids are inherently memory- and data-intensive. Furthermore, our interest in dynamical processes necessitates remote visualization and analysis as well as the associated transfer and storage of terabytes of time-dependent data. These simulations are distributed on a high-performance grid infrastructure using the application hosting environment; we employ a novel parallel
in situ
visualization approach which is particularly suited for such computations on petascale resources. We present computational and I/O performance benchmarks of our application on three different petascale systems.
Geographical variation in postzygotic isolation and its genetic basis within and between twoMimulusspecies
Authors: Martin Noland H. , Willis John H.
Published: July 2010

The aim of this study is to investigate the evolution of intrinsic postzygotic isolation within and between populations ofMimulus guttatusandMimulus nasutus. We made 17 intraspecific and interspecific crosses, across a wide geographical scale. We examined the seed germination success and pollen fertility of reciprocal F1and F2hybrids and their pure-species parents, and used biometrical genetic tests to distinguish among alternative models of inheritance. Hybrid seed inviability was sporadic in both interspecific and intraspecific crosses. For several crosses, Dobzhansky–Muller incompatibilities involving nuclear genes were implicated, while two interspecific crosses revealed evidence of cytonuclear interactions. Reduced hybrid pollen fertility was found to be greatly influenced by Dobzhansky–Muller incompatibilities in five out of six intraspecific crosses and nine out of 11 interspecific crosses. Cytonuclear incompatibilities reduced hybrid fitness in only one intraspecific and one interspecific cross. This study suggests that intrinsic postzygotic isolation is common in hybrids between theseMimulusspecies, yet the particular hybrid incompatibilities responsible for effecting this isolation differ among the populations tested. Hence, we conclude that they evolve and spread only at the local scale.
Unrestricted migration favours virulent pathogens in experimental metapopulations: evolutionary genetics of a rapacious life history
Authors: Eshelman Christal M. , Vouk Roxanne , Stewart Jodi L. , Halsne Elizabeth , Lindsey Haley A. , Schneider Stacy , Gualu Miliyard , Dean Antony M. , Kerr Benjamin
Published: July 2010

Understanding pathogen infectivity and virulence requires combining insights from epidemiology, ecology, evolution and genetics. Although theoretical work in these fields has identified population structure as important for pathogen life-history evolution, experimental tests are scarce. Here, we explore the impact of population structure on life-history evolution in phage T4, a viral pathogen of
Escherichia coli
. The host–pathogen system is propagated as a metapopulation in which migration between subpopulations is either spatially restricted or unrestricted. Restricted migration favours pathogens with low infectivity and low virulence. Unrestricted migration favours pathogens that enter and exit their hosts quickly, although they are less productive owing to rapid extirpation of the host population. The rise of such ‘rapacious’ phage produces a ‘tragedy of the commons’, in which better competitors lower productivity. We have now identified a genetic basis for a rapacious life history. Mutations at a single locus (
rI
) cause increased virulence and are sufficient to account for a negative relationship between phage competitive ability and productivity. A higher frequency of
rI
mutants under unrestricted migration signifies the evolution of rapaciousness in this treatment. Conversely, spatially restricted migration favours a more ‘prudent’ pathogen strategy, in which the tragedy of the commons is averted. As our results illustrate, profound epidemiological and ecological consequences of life-history evolution in a pathogen can have a simple genetic cause.
Effects of Bifidobacterium bifidum on adaptive immune senescence in aging mice
Authors: Fu Yu‐Rong , Yi Zheng‐Jun , Pei Jing‐liang , Guan Shizhen
Published: July 2010

Bifidobacteria are a natural component of the bacterial flora of the human body and have a symbiotic bacteria‐host relationship with human beings. Aging is associated with reduced numbers of beneficial colonic Bifidobacteria and impaired immunity. The possible anti‐senescence effects of Bifidobacteria are presently unknown. The aims of the present study were to investigate possible anti‐senescence effects of B. bifidum on naturally senescent mice and to explore their mechanisms. After treatment with B. bifidum, mice were killed and samples collected. Cytokine production in serum and lymphocyte culture supernatant, anti‐oxidation activity and gene expression were measured. B. bifidum significantly increased cytokine IL‐2 and IFN‐γ levels but decreased proinflammatory cytokines IL‐6 and TNF‐α concentrations. Moreover, B. bifidum improved anti‐oxidation activity and reduced lipid peroxidation in thymus and spleen. In addition, B. bifidum down‐regulated p16 expression in thymus and spleen. Taken together, the results indicate, for the first time, that B. bifidum delays senescence by several mechanisms, including enhancement of anti‐oxidation activity in thymus and spleen, alteration of gene expression and improvement in immune function.
Ocular morbidity in hearing impaired schoolchildren
Authors: Bist J. , Adhikari P. , Sharma A. K.
Published: July 2010

Aims  To determine the pattern and prevalence of ocular morbidity in hearing impaired schoolchildren.

Methods  A cross‐sectional descriptive study was conducted in the three different deaf schools of Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Kavre districts. All children in the deaf school underwent complete ocular examination. Examination included visual acuity assessment, refraction, binocular vision assessment, and anterior and posterior segment evaluation.

Results  Ocular examination was carried out in 279 children with age range within 5 to 20 years (mean age 14.1 ± 3.14 years). Ocular morbidity was detected in 78 (28%) children with 46 (16.48%) having refractive errors. Seventy eight percent children did not have corrective lenses despite having refractive errors. Two children were found to have pigmentary retinopathy where electro‐retinogram findings suggested Usher's Syndrome in one child. Another child was found to have Waardenburg Syndrome.

Conclusions  Hearing impaired children are at an increased risk of having ocular morbidity. Hence, periodic eye examinations are important in deaf children.
Immunohistochemistry of ultrastructural changes in scarring lupus erythematosus
Authors: Al-Refu K. , Goodfield M.
Published: July 2010

Background. The various clinical types of lupus erythematosus (LE) show an essentially similar histological picture, and the subsets of LE cannot easily be distinguished by histology alone. However, there is an important clinical difference: lesions of discoid LE (DLE) cause scarring, particularly on the scalp, whereas lesions of subacute and acute LE heal without scarring. The focal thickening of the basement membrane zone (BMZ) in DLE lesions represents an important histopathological finding, and there is little known about the nature of these alterations at the BMZ level.

Aim. To investigate BMZ alterations in the basement membrane zone (BMZ) in cutaneous LE (CLE) by immunohistochemistry.

Methods. Skin biopsies from 30 patients with CLE [DLE and subacute CLE (SCLE)] and from 10 controls were studied using antibodies to cytokeratin 5, cytokeratin 14, bullous pemphigoid (BP)180, BP230, plectin, laminin 5, collagen IV and collagen VII.

Results. There was increased expression of components of the lamina lucida, lamina densa and anchoring fibrils in active DLE, whereas expression was normal in SCLE and control tissues, and in areas of scarring in DLE. In addition, higher expression of the hemidesmosome-associated antigens (BP230 and plectin) was found in active DLE. The expression of other antigens was similar in all tissues examined.

Conclusions. These alterations in the BMZ suggest that the BMZ may react in a different way in active DLE than in SCLE, and that the BMZ may remodel in different ways. These immunohistochemical differences may provide a new method of histological differentiation between the various LE subtypes.
Breast fine needle aspiration cytology: a review of current practice in Australasia
Authors: Cummings M. C. , Waters B. A. , O’Rourke P. K.
Published: July 2010

M. C. Cummings, B. A. Waters and P. K. O’Rourke

Breast fine needle aspiration cytology: a review of current practice in Australasia

Aims:  To investigate breast fine needle aspiration (FNA) cytology in Australasia, in terms of laboratory demographics, specimens received and quality control (QC).

Methods:  A questionnaire was sent to all laboratories enrolled in the FNA module of the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia Cytopathology Quality Assurance Program (QAP), requesting information about specimens received in a 3‐month period in 2001 and in 2008.

Results:  Responses were received from 81/180 laboratories in 2001 and from 94/200 in 2008. The mean number of cases per 3 months was 137 in 2001 and 141 in 2008 and for the 42 laboratories responding on both occasions, the mean number of cases declined from 191 to 149 (P = 0.001). The mean percentage of malignant cases was 11.7% in 2001 and 10.5% in 2008 and the mean percentages of unsatisfactory rates were 21.7% and 25.2%, respectively; 43.2% of laboratories in 2001 and 40.4% in 2008 reported fewer than 50 cases for the 3‐month period. The unsatisfactory rate was inversely proportional to the number of cases received. Most QC (69.1% in 2001, 71.3% in 2008) was carried out by correlation with any later histology. With no histology available, 35.8% of laboratories in 2001 and 48.9% in 2008 did no further follow‐up. Follow‐up of all diagnostic categories increased from 30.9% in 2001 to 44% in 2008.

Conclusions:  Breast FNA cytology is still actively undertaken in Australasia, but numbers have declined. Unsatisfactory rates have reached the Australian recommended upper limit and are inversely proportional to the total number of cases received. Overall QC measures are unchanged and consideration of a review of breast FNA guidelines is suggested.
Species richness facilitates ecosystem resilience in aquatic food webs
Authors: DOWNING AMY L. , LEIBOLD MATHEW A.
Published: July 2010

1. Many studies indicate that biodiversity in ecosystems affects stability, either by promoting temporal stability of ecosystem attributes or by enhancing ecosystem resistance and resilience to perturbation. The effects on temporal stability are reasonably well understood and documented but effects on resistance and resilience are not.

2. Here, we report results from an aquatic mesocosm experiment in which we manipulated the species richness and composition of aquatic food webs (macrophytes, macro‐herbivores and invertebrate predators), imposed a pulse disturbance (acidification), and monitored the resistance (initial response) and resilience (recovery) of ecosystem productivity and respiration.

3. We found that species‐rich macroinvertebrate communities had higher resilience of whole‐ecosystem respiration, but were not more resistant to perturbations. We also found that resilience and resistance were unaffected by species composition, despite the strong role composition is known to play in determining mean levels of function in these communities.

4. Biodiversity’s effects on resilience were probably mediated through complex pathways affecting phytoplankton and microbial communities (e.g. via changes in nutrient regeneration, grazing or compositional changes) rather than through simpler effects (e.g. insurance effects, enhanced facilitation) although these simpler mechanisms probably played minor roles in enhancing respiration resilience.

5. Current mechanisms for understanding biodiversity’s effects on ecosystem stability have been developed primarily in the context of single‐trophic level communities. These mechanisms may be overly simplistic for understanding the consequences of species richness on ecosystem stability in complex, multi‐trophic food webs where additional factors such as indirect effects and highly variable life‐history traits of species may also be important.
Review article: Basic steps in adapting response surface methodology as mathematical modelling for bioprocess optimisation in the food systems
Authors: Nwabueze Titus U.
Published: July 2010

Techniques involving choosing process combinations for optimisation without due consideration for relevant experimental designs is scientifically unreliable and irreproducible. Mathematical modelling, of which response surface methodology (RSM) is one, provides a precise map leading to successful optimisation. This paper identified key process variables, building the model and searching the solution through multivariate regression analysis, interpretation of resulting polynomial equations and response surface/contour plots as basic steps in adapting the central composite design to achieve process optimisation. It also gave information on appropriate RSM software packages and choice of order in RSM model and data economy in reducing the factorial experiments from large number parameter combinations to a far less number without losing any information including quadratic and interaction (if present) effects. It is expected that this paper will afford many food scientists and researchers the opportunity for adapting RSM as a mathematical model for achieving bioprocess optimisation in food systems.
Original article: Antifungal activities of cinnamon oil against Rhizopus nigricans, Aspergillus flavus and Penicillium expansum in vitro and in vivo fruit test
Authors: Xing Yage , Li Xihong , Xu Qinglian , Yun Juan , Lu Yaqing
Published: July 2010

The postharvest pathogens such as R. nigricans, A. flavas and P. expansum are the causal agents of jujube or orange fruit, therefore, in vitro and in vivo antifungal activities of cinnamon oil to inactivate these fungi were investigated. Cinnamaldehyde is the main constituent of cinnamon oil. The minimum inhibitory concentrations of cinnamon oil against Rhizopus nigricans, Aspergillus flavus and Penicillium expansum were 0.64% (v/v), 0.16% (v/v) and 0.16% (v/v), respectively. The antifungal activity of cinnamon oil against A. flavus and P. expansum was stronger than that against R. nigricans and the activity was improved with increasing its concentration. In an in vivo study, cinnamon oil with concentrations of 2.0% (v/v) and 3.0% (v/v) showed complete control the growth of fungi in wound‐inoculated Lingwu Long Jujube and Sand Sugar Orange fruits. These results revealed that cinnamon oil has a good potential to be as a natural antifungal agent for fruit applications.
Original article: Thermal pretreatment and chemical modifications as a means to alter hydrolytic characteristics and prevent bitterness in hydrolysates of fishery by‐catch (Decapterus maruadsi) protein
Authors: Liu Tong‐Xun , Zhao Mou‐Ming
Published: July 2010

In this study, fishery by‐catch protein (Decapterus maruadsi) was first thermal treated (60–100 °C), phosphorylated (0.5–4.0 g g−1 protein) or succinylated (0.05–0.3 g g−1 protein) before hydrolysis to prevent the bitterness of the resulting hydrolysate. Hydrolysis was performed at 50 °C, 10 h, pH 8.0 by Alcalase. Results showed that thermal treatment upon 80 °C, succinylation and phosphorylation resulted in significant decrease in amino acid content and increase in larger peptide content (>1450 Da). Succinylation did not reduce the bitterness as a result of higher content of small peptides (<550 Da), which was found to be correlated positively with the bitterness of hydrolysates. However, thermal treatment, especially phosphorylation, could reduce the bitterness to discernible level, indicating that phosphorylation before hydrolysis could be a potential means to prevent the evolution of bitter flavour which restricts the practical uses of the hydrolysates.
Oral health in 12‐ to 17‐year‐old athletes participating in the German Special Olympics
Authors: BISSAR ABDUL‐RAZAK , KASCHKE IMKE , SCHULTE ANDREAS GERHARD
Published: July 2010

International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry 2010; 20: 451–457

Background.  There is a lack of actual data regarding oral health in children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities.

Aim.  To evaluate the oral health in adolescents with intellectual disabilities participating in the German Special Olympics games 2008.

Methods.  A free voluntary dental examination was offered to the participating athletes. Dental examinations were performed according to WHO criteria by dental clinicians. In addition, information about the athletes’ oral hygiene habits was collected.

Results.  The number of adolescent athletes aged between 12 and 17 years who had their teeth examined was 160. On average they were 15.3 years old. Caries prevalence was 58.1% and the mean DMFT was 2.3. The mean number of fissure sealed teeth was 2.5. About half of the participants showed signs of gum inflammation. The proportion of the adolescents living at home with their parents was 88%. More than 90% of them brushed their teeth by themselves without assistance.

Conclusions.  Adolescents with intellectual disabilities seem to have benefited from various caries preventive measures which had been introduced during the last two decades in Germany but still have a poorer oral health than the general population. More specific prevention programmes seeking close cooperation with parents, custodians, and caretakers should be developed.
Prevalence of dental fluorosis in children taking part in an oral health programme including fluoride tablet supplements from the age of 2 years
Authors: ECKERSTEN CHARLOTTE , PYLVÄNEN LENA , SCHRÖDER ULLA , TWETMAN SVANTE , WENNHALL INGER , MATSSON LARS
Published: July 2010

International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry 2010; 20: 347–352

Aim.  To investigate the prevalence of dental fluorosis in children who had participated in an oral health programme between the ages 2–5 years, including fluoride tablets from the age of 2 years.

Design.  The study group consisted of 135 10‐ to 11‐year‐old children who had participated in the programme, including parent education, tooth‐brushing instruction and prescribed fluoride tablets (0.25 mg NaF) (2–3 years: 1 tablet/day; 3–5 years: 2 tablets/day). The prevalence of dental fluorosis in the study group was compared with that in a nonintervention reference group consisting of 129 children of the same ages. The analysis was based on photos of the permanent maxillary front teeth using the Thylstrup & Fejerskov (TF) Index.

Results.  No statistically significant difference in prevalence of dental fluorosis was seen between the two groups. Forty‐three percent of the children in the study group and 38% in the reference group had fluorosis, the majority of a mild nature (TF‐score 1). None had a TF score above 2. The pattern was the same after correction for parent reported intake of tablets at 3 and 5 years of age.

Conclusion.  Introduction of fluoride tablets at the age of 2 years did not result in increased prevalence of dental fluorosis.