bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Explaining invasiveness from the extent of native range: new insights from plant atlases and herbarium specimens
Authors: Lavoie Claude , Shah Manzoor A. , Bergeron Alexandre , Villeneuve Paul
Published: December 2012

Aim

We tested the relationship between the extent of the native range and the success (number of occurrences) in the introduced range of European vascular plant species naturalized in the province of Québec (Canada). We hypothesized that the performance of models linking native range size and species invasiveness can be improved if residence time and climate tolerance are taken into account.

Methods

The extent of the native range (Europe, Asia) was estimated using plant atlases. The number of occurrences in the introduced range (Québec) was estimated using the number of herbarium specimens stored in herbaria. Herbarium specimens were also used to obtain residence time. Plant hardiness was used as an indicator of the suitability of a species to the climate of the introduced range. Multiple linear regression models, corrected to take into account phylogenetic biases, were used to calculate correlations between the extent of the native range and the number of occurrences in the introduced range.

Results

The larger the native distribution area in Eurasia, the greater the number of occurrences (herbarium specimens) in Québec. The shorter the residence time and the less hardy the plant, the fewer the number of occurrences. In all models tested, the phylogenetic structure explained a significant proportion of the variance, but its influence decreased as the number of species or area studied (Europe versus Eurasia) increased.

Main conclusions

The extent of the native range is a good explanatory variable for the invasion success of vascular plants, especially once other factors (residence time, climate tolerance, phylogeny) are taken into account. Thus, a model using these variables could be used by environmental managers to flag species warranting further investigation. With the emergence of online databases, gathering the required information is becoming easier and cheaper. As online databases continue to improve and new analytical tools are developed, this approach will become even more powerful.
Intellectual disability: population‐based estimates of the proportion attributable to maternal alcohol use disorder during pregnancy
Authors: O’LEARY COLLEEN , LEONARD HELEN , BOURKE JENNY , D’ANTOINE HEATHER , BARTU ANNE , BOWER CAROL
Published: December 2012

Aim  The aim of this study was to examine the association between maternal alcohol use disorder and intellectual disability in children.

Method  All mothers with an International Classification of Diseases (ICD) 9 and/or 10 alcohol‐related diagnosis, a proxy for alcohol use disorder, recorded on the Western Australian health, mental health, and drug and alcohol data sets were identified through the Western Australian Data Linkage Unit (n=5614 non‐Aboriginal; n=2912 Aboriginal). A comparison cohort of mothers without an alcohol‐related diagnosis was frequency matched on maternal age within maternal Aboriginal status and year of birth of their children. Linkage with the Western Australian Midwives Notification System (1983–2001) identified all births to these mothers (n=10 664 and 7907 respectively). Linkage to the Western Australian Intellectual Disability Database and Register of Developmental Anomalies identified cases of intellectual disability with no identified genetic origin (intellectual disability) (n=1487) and fetal alcohol syndrome (n=66). Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for intellectual disability were calculated using logistic regression incorporating generalized estimating equations and used to estimate population‐attributable fractions.

Results  At least 3.8% (95% CI 2.84–4.89%) of cases of intellectual disability could be avoided by preventing maternal alcohol use disorder: 1.3% (95% CI 0.81–1.86%) in non‐Aboriginal and 15.6% (95% CI 10.85–20.94%) in Aboriginal children. We observed a three‐fold increase in the adjusted odds of intellectual disability in children of mothers with an alcohol‐related diagnosis recorded during pregnancy (non‐Aboriginal OR 2.89, 95% CI 1.62–5.18; Aboriginal OR 3.12, 95% CI 2.13–4.56), with a net excess proportion of 3.7% and 5.5% respectively. One‐third (32%) of children diagnosed with fetal alcohol syndrome had intellectual disability.

Interpretation  Maternal alcohol use disorder is the leading known risk factor for intellectual disability with no identified genetic origin.
Rash with the multitargeted kinase inhibitors nilotinib and dasatinib: meta‐analysis and clinical characterization
Authors: Drucker Aaron M. , Wu Shenhong , Busam Klaus J. , Berman Ellin , Amitay‐Laish Iris , Lacouture Mario E.
Published: December 2012

Objectives

Nilotinib and dasatinib are second‐generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors approved for the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). In clinical trials, they have both been reported to cause rash in a significant number of patients, but its incidence varies significantly and has not been characterized clinically or histologically. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of rash with nilotinib and dasatinib, and to provide a clinical and histopathological description of the rash.

Methods

We conducted a meta‐analysis of clinical trials evaluating nilotinib and dasatinib to determine and compare the incidence of rash with these medications. Additionally, we performed a retrospective chart review to analyze the clinical presentation and histology of patients presenting with rash.

Results

The incidence of all‐grade (grade 1–4) rash with nilotinib was 34.3% (95% CI, 27.9–41.3), higher (P = 0.017) than with dasatinib (23.3%; 95% CI, 18.8–28.6). Similarly, the incidence of high‐grade rash with nilotinib (2.6%; 95% CI, 2.1–3.4) was higher (P = 0.002) than with dasatinib (1.1%; 95% CI, 0.8–1.6). The clinical presentation often consisted of a pruritic, perifollicular hyperkeratotic, occasionally erythematous papular rash affecting most areas of the body, depending on the severity.

Conclusions

Both nilotinib and dasatinib are associated with rash in a significant number of patients. Further studies to prevent and treat rash with nilotinib and dasatinib are required to improve patient quality of life, adherence with therapy and oncologic outcome.
Distribution of nerve growth factor, pro‐nerve growth factor, and their receptors in human salivary glands
Authors: Næsse Elsebeth P. , Schreurs Olav , Messelt Edward , Hayashi Katsuhiko , Schenck Karl
Published: December 2012

Nerve growth factor (NGF) is a pluripotent mediator that is present in a range of human tissues. Nerve growth factor was originally considered important only in neuronal homeostasis and pathophysiology, but later it was also implicated in the pathophysiology of inflammation, epithelial differentiation, and wound healing. In this study, the distribution of nerve growth factor beta (NGF‐β) and pro‐NGF, and their receptors – tyrosine kinase A (TrkA) and p75NTR – was examined in human parotid, submandibular, sublingual, and labial salivary glands by immunohistochemistry. Intercalated, striated, and collecting‐ducts in all gland types showed strong staining for pro‐NGF but only weak cytoplasmic or sparse nuclear staining for NGF‐β. Tyrosine kinase A was strongly expressed in the ducts of all gland types, whereas p75NTR expression was mainly confined to collecting ducts. In acini, no or only weak cytoplasmic staining was found for all markers, and some nuclei stained positive for NGF‐β, pro‐NGF, and TrkA. Western blotting of saliva showed secretion of several forms of pro‐NGF, while no mature NGF‐β was detected. Salivary pro‐NGF may play a role in oral wound healing.
Prevalence of Primary and Secondary Antimicrobial Resistance of Helicobacter pylori in Korea from 2003 through 2012
Authors: Lee Jung Won , Kim Nayoung , Kim Jung Mogg , Nam Ryoung Hee , Chang Hyun , Kim Jae Yeon , Shin Cheol Min , Park Young Soo , Lee Dong Ho , Jung Hyun Chae
Published: December 2012

Background

Antimicrobial resistance of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) affects the efficacy of eradication therapy. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of primary and secondary resistance of H. pylori isolates to antibiotics and to characterize the risk factors associated with antimicrobial resistance in Korea.

Materials and Methods

This study was performed during the period of 2003–2012. Primary resistance was evaluated from 347 patients without any history of eradication, and secondary resistance was evaluated in 86 patients from whom H. pylori was cultured after failure of eradication. Minimal inhibitory concentration test was performed for amoxicillin, clarithromycin, metronidazole, tetracycline, azithromycin, levofloxacin, and moxifloxacin using agar dilution method. Primary and secondary resistance rates of H. pylori to 7 antibiotics were evaluated and risk factors for the antibiotic resistance were analyzed.

Results

Increase in the primary resistance rate was found in amoxicillin (6.3–14.9%, p = .051), clarithromycin (17.2–23.7%, p = .323), and both of levofloxacin and moxifloxacin (4.7–28.1%, p = .002) during the study period. Secondary resistance rate significantly increased in metronidazole, levofloxacin, and moxifloxacin. Increase of resistance occurred after initial failure of eradication therapy in case of clarithromycin (p < .001), azithromycin (p < .001), levofloxacin (p = .011), and moxifloxacin (p = .020). Multivariable analyses showed that clarithromycin, azithromycin, levofloxacin, and moxifloxacin resistance was associated with previous eradication treatment history.

Conclusions

The increased primary and secondary antibiotic resistance of H. pylori in Korea is ongoing, and it will become a significant limitation for effective eradication of H. pylori in the future.
Reduction in bacterial counts in infected root canals after rotary or hand nickel–titanium instrumentation – a clinical study
Authors: Rôças I. N. , Lima K. C. , Siqueira Jr J. F.
Published: December 2012

Aim

To compare the antibacterial efficacy of two instrumentation techniques, one using hand nickel–titanium (NiTi) instruments and the other using rotary NiTi instruments, in root canals of teeth with apical periodontitis.

Methodology

Root canals from single‐rooted teeth were instrumented using either hand NiTi instruments in the alternated rotation motion technique or rotary BioRaCe instruments. The irrigant used in both groups was 2.5% NaOCl. DNA extracts from samples taken before and after instrumentation were subjected to quantitative analysis by real‐time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Qualitative analysis was also performed using presence/absence data from culture and qPCR assays.

Results

Bacteria were detected in all S1 samples by both methods. In culture analysis, 45% and 35% of the canals were still positive for bacterial presence after hand and rotary NiTi instrumentation, respectively (P > 0.05). Rotary NiTi instrumentation resulted in significantly fewer qPCR‐positive cases (60%) than hand NiTi instrumentation (95%) (P = 0.01). Intergroup comparison of quantitative data showed no significant difference between the two techniques.

Conclusion

There was no significant difference in bacterial reduction in infected canals after instrumentation using hand or rotary NiTi instruments. In terms of incidence of positive results for bacteria, culture also showed no significant differences between the groups, but the rotary NiTi instrumentation resulted in more negative results in the more sensitive qPCR analysis.
The effect of medicaments used in endodontic regeneration on root fracture and microhardness of radicular dentine
Authors: Yassen G. H. , Vail M. M. , Chu T. G. , Platt J. A.
Published: December 2012

Aim

To investigate the effect of medicaments used in endodontic regeneration on root fracture resistance and microhardness of radicular dentine.

Methodology

The root canals of mandibular premolars (n = 180) were instrumented and randomized into three treatment groups and an untreated control group. Each treatment group received either triple antibiotic paste (TAP), double antibiotic paste (DAP) or calcium hydroxide paste [Ca(OH)2] intracanal medicament. Teeth were kept in saline for 1 week, 1 month or 3 months. After each time‐point, 15 teeth were randomly selected from each group and two root cylinders were obtained from each tooth. One cylinder was subjected to a fracture resistance test, and the other cylinder was used for a microhardness test. Two‐way anova and Tukey's pairwise comparisons were used for statistical analysis.

Results

For the microhardness test, the two‐way interaction between group and time was significant (P < 0.001). The intracanal application of TAP and DAP caused significant and continuous decrease in root dentine microhardness after one (P < 0.05) and 3 months (P < 0.001), respectively. The three‐month intracanal application of Ca(OH)2 significantly increased the microhardness of root dentine (P < 0.05). The time factor had a significant effect on fracture resistance (P < 0.001). The three intracanal medicaments caused significant decreases in fracture resistance ranging between 19% and 30% after 3‐month application compared to 1‐week application.

Conclusion

In this laboratory study, the 3‐month application of triple antibiotic paste, double antibiotic paste or calcium hydroxide paste medicaments significantly reduced the root fracture resistance of extracted teeth compared to a 1‐week application.
Safety of oral midazolam sedation use in paediatric dentistry: a review
Authors: Papineni Arathi , Lourenço‐Matharu Liege , Ashley Paul F.
Published: December 2012

Background

Little information is available as to the safety of midazolam when used as an oral sedative.

Aim

To evaluate the side effects and other adverse outcomes following use of oral midazolam for behaviour management in paediatric dentistry.

Design

A review of published literature relating to the safety and side effects of oral midazolam for use in paediatric dental procedures was conducted. Both randomised controlled trials and non‐randomised studies were assessed. Reported side effects were recorded and classified as either significant or minor. The percentage prevalence of significant or minor side effects per episode of treatment was calculated.

Results

Sixteen papers of randomised controlled trials met the inclusion criteria. None of the side effects recorded were considered as significant. Minor side effects were reported (n = 68, 14%), with nausea and vomiting being the most frequently recorded (n = 30, 6%). Eleven papers of non‐randomised studies were included. No significant side effects were recorded. Minor side effects were recorded (n = 157, 8%), with paradoxical reaction being the most common at 3.8%.

Conclusion

Significant side effects associated with oral midazolam usage for behaviour management in children and adolescents requiring dental treatment appear to be rare. Minor side effects are more common but determining precise figures is complicated by poor reporting.
A new methodology for costing wound care
Authors: Harding Keith , Posnett John , Vowden Katherine
Published: December 2012

Increasing pressure on health care budgets highlights the need for clinicians to understand the true costs of wound care, in order to be able to defend services against indiscriminate cost cutting. Our aim was to develop and test a straightforward method of measuring treatment costs, which is feasible in routine practice. The method was tested in a prospective study of leg ulcer patients attending three specialist clinics in the UK. A set of ulcer‐related health state descriptors were defined on the basis that they represented distinct and clinically relevant descriptions of wound condition [‘healed’, ‘progressing’; ‘static’‘deteriorating; ‘severe’ (ulcer with serious complications)]. A standardised data‐collection instrument was used to record information for all patients attending the clinic during the study period regarding (i) the health state of the ulcer; (ii) treatment received during the clinic visit and (iii) treatment planned between clinic visits. Information on resource use was used to estimate weekly treatment costs by ulcer state. Information was collected at 827 independent weekly observations from the three study centres. Treatment costs increased markedly with ulcer severity: an ulcer which was ‘deteriorating’ or ‘severe’ cost between twice and six times as much per week as an ulcer which was progressing normally towards healing. Higher costs were driven primarily by more frequent clinic visits and by the costs of hospitalisation for ulcers with severe complications. This exercise has demonstrated that the proposed methodology is easy to apply, and produces information which is of value in monitoring healing and in potentially reducing treatment costs.
Effect of naloxone on the antral motor response to solid food in man
Authors: SHARPE G. R. , REES W. D. W. , ADRIAN T. E. , CHRISTOFIDES N. D. , BLOOM S. R.
Published: December 2012

Abstract. Antroduodenal motor activity was recorded in eight healthy subjects using perfused tubes connected to external strain gauge transducers. Each subject was studied over a 2·5‐h period following ingestion of a solid meal, on 2 separate days. Intravenous saline was administered on one day and saline plus naloxone (40 μg kg−1 h−1) on the other, in randomized order. Naloxone markedly inhibited the antral motor response to food and this effect was due to decreased amplitude and contractile frequency. The duodenal motor response to solid food and the postprandial rise in serum gastrin and plasma pancreatic polypeptide were not altered by naloxone. These observations suggest that peripheral or central opiate receptors play a role in regulating the antral motor response to food.
Interaction between leukotriene D4 and adenosine or iloprost in the isolated working guinea‐pig heart: prevention of the leukotriene D4 effect
Authors: BJÖRNSSON Ó. G. , KOBAYASHI K. , WILLIAMSON J. R.
Published: December 2012

Abstract. The interaction between leukotriene D4 and adenosine or the prostacyclin analogue iloprost was studied in isolated guinea‐pig hearts. Adenosine (1 × 10−6 m) or iloprost (5 × 10−8 m) abolished or greatly attenuated the vasoconstrictive effect of leukotriene D4 over a wide dose range of leukotriene D4 (001–1000 ng), and myocardial ischemia as a consequence of coronary insufficiency completely disappeared. Comparison of myocardial levels of reduced pyridine nucleotide fluorescence in hearts treated with leukotriene D4 and in hearts subjected to varying degrees of high‐flow hypoxia, or the calcium agonist BAY‐K 8644, revealed low levels of reduced pyridine nucleotides in the leukotriene D4‐treated hearts, suggesting that leukotriene D4 directly suppressed myocardial contractility. These findings were supported by full restoration of cardiac work by the receptor antagonist FPL 55712 following leukotriene D4 treatment. It is concluded that adenosine and iloprost are potent inhibitors of leukotriene D4‐induced reduction in coronary flow in guinea‐pig hearts, and that myocardial ischaemia and suppressed cardiac work are prevented during leukotriene D4 study in adenosine or iloprost perfused hearts. Low levels of myocardial‐reduced pyridine nucleotides during leukotriene D4 treatment and restoration of cardiac work by FPL 55712 indicate that leukotriene D4 may also have a direct suppressive effect on myocardial contractility.
Heterogeneous distribution of beta and alpha‐2 adrenoceptor binding sites in human fat cells from various fat deposits: functional consequences
Authors: MAURIEGE P. , GALITZKY J. , BERLAN M. , LAFONTAN M.
Published: December 2012

Abstract. Investigations have been carried out to explain the heterogeneity of response to catecholamines of human fat cells from various deposits. Adipocytes from two subcutaneous sites (abdominal and femoral) were studied concomitantly in women while omental fat cells were taken from another group of patients undergoing abdominal surgery. Alpha‐2 and beta sites were identified in fat‐cell membranes with [3H]yohimbine and [3H]dihydroalprenolol, respectively. Lipolytic responses were tested with isoproterenol (beta agonist), clonidine (alpha‐2 agonist) and epinephrine. There are clear differences in the relative number of beta and alpha‐2 sites according to the origin of the fat deposit; beta sites are less numerous than alpha‐2 sites in subcutaneous fat cells of both regions (alpha‐2: beta sites are in a ratio of 3 ± 0·4:2 ± 0·4). However, in membranes of omental fat cells, beta sites are at least as numerous as alpha‐2 sites (ratio 0·9 ± 0·2). Epinephrine always has a higher affinity for alpha‐2 sites than for beta sites in the subcutaneous and omental deposits. In lipolysis studies, epinephrine, in the absence of adenosine in the incubation medium, initiated an anti‐lipolytic effect in femoral fat cells and promoted inhibition of lipolysis at lower concentrations in abdominal subcutaneous fat cells, the effect being reversed at higher doses; epinephrine, however, was always lipolytic in omental adipocytes. There was no striking difference in the sensitivity to isoproterenol in the various deposits. Clonidine had a higher affinity for alpha‐2 sites in femoral fat cells and was equipotent in the omental and abdominal ones. Thus, the differences in the lipolytic responses to epinephrine in adipocytes from different sites are linked to a variable alpha‐2 inhibiting effect (and alpha‐2 site number) rather than to a modified beta driven increase in lipolysis initiated by the physiological amine.
In‐vivo studies on Haemaccel‐fibronectin interaction in man
Authors: DAMAS P. , ADAM A. , BURET J. , RENARD CL. , LAMY M. , FOIDART J. B. , MAHIEU PH.
Published: December 2012

Abstract. An enzyme‐linked immunoassay has been recently set up for direct measurement of the binding capacity of plasma fibronectin to gelatin. This binding capacity could be completely inhibited in vitro by an eight‐fold excess of gelatin, of Haemaccel®, but not of Geloplasma®. On the contrary, the levels of immunoreactive fibronectin measured by laser nephelometry did not change, in presence of 10 to 1000 μg ml−1 of gelatin, of Haemaccel or of Geloplasma. When infused into normal volunteers, Haemaccel provoked a strong and immediate inhibition of the plasma fibronectin binding capacity to gelatin. This inhibition was dose‐dependent and maximal after infusion of 500 ml of Haemaccel. Twenty‐four hours after this infusion, there was a progressive recovery of the gelatin‐binding capacity, which was almost completely achieved 96 h later. The formation of complexes between Haemaccel and fibronectin was demonstrated by gel filtration chromatography and by affinity chromatography. Immunoreactive plasma fibronectin levels remained unchanged up to 24 h after infusion of 500 ml of Haemaccel. A transient decline to 50% of its initial value then occurred the second day after the infusion. Therefore, a delay existed between the formation of fibronectin‐Haemaccel complexes and their elimination from the bloodstream. This delay decreased when smaller volumes of Haemaccel were infused, which strongly suggests that plasma fibronectin is cleared by means of Haemaccel and does not seem to play a role of opsonin in these conditions. Besides, after Haemaccel infusion, the recovery time of the gelatin binding function of plasma fibronectin most probably reflects the blood turnover of this domain of the molecule. The production rate of new fibronectin molecules appears to be about 90 μg ml−1 day−1, which corresponds to a half‐recovery time of about 40 h.
Bile acid metabolism in heterozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia: a study comparing affected and unaffected siblings of four kindreds
Authors: ANGELIN B.
Published: December 2012

Abstract. Previous studies have indicated that quantitative as well as qualitative abnormalities of bile acid metabolism frequently occur in hypercholesterolaemia. In order to determine if this is a feature of familial hypercholesterolaemia, bile acid kinetics and biliary lipid composition were determined in 15 affected (heterozygous) and six unaffected siblings of four kindreds with familial hypercholesterolaemia. Furthermore, serum levels of cholic acid, chenodeoxycholic acid and deoxycholic acid were measured with a mass fragmentographic technique in 15 members of two of the kindreds, and secretion rates of biliary lipids were measured in six members of two kindreds. No differences with regard to these parameters between affected and unaffected siblings could be detected. There was a close resemblance between relatives of a given kindred concerning bile acid pool size and serum bile acid levels. No evidence for a defective bile acid metabolism in familial hypercholesterolaemia could be gained from the present study. It is concluded that the deficient receptor‐mediated elimination of low density lipoprotein cholesterol in this disorder does not influence the maintenance of normal bile acid metabolism.
Changes in the lectin‐binding pattern of PNA‐agglutinin and UEA1 during the DMH‐induced carcinogenesis in the normal appearing colonic mucosa of the rat
Authors: BALZER T. , SANDFORTH F. , GUTSCHMIDT S. , RIECKEN E.‐O.
Published: December 2012

Abstract. The purpose of this study was the investigation of changes in the lectin‐binding pattern prior to tumour formation in an experimental model. Female Wistar rats were treated with 1, 2‐dimethylhydrazine (DMH). After 4, 8, 16, 24, 32 and 40 weeks of treatment the lectin‐binding‐pattern of the colonic mucosa appearing morphologically normal was examined at the caecum, proximal colon, distal colon and rectum, using FITC‐conjugated Peanut‐agglutinin (PNA) and Ulex europaeus‐agglutinin1 (UEA1). In contradistinction to what has been reported earlier by other authors, PNA did not indicate constant cancer‐associated mucin changes. In addition, there was no difference in the UEA1‐binding between the control animals and the DMH‐treated rats. Thus, in the rat there is no specific PNA‐ and UEA1‐binding pattern during tumour induction in the gut.
Domestic Credit and Diversification of Manufactured Exports from Developing Countries
Authors: Munemo Jonathan
Published: December 2012

This article uses panel data to analyse the effect of domestic credit on the diversification of manufactured exports from developing countries. Given the evidence that export variety of manufactured goods affects productivity positively, the results imply that policy reforms that improve access to domestic credit for firms can raise productivity and hence economic growth in many poor countries. In addition, the results also show that building infrastructure and implementing reforms in governance that improve the quality of government regulations are important for encouraging diversification of manufactured export products in developing countries.
Fifty Years of the OECD and Forty Years of Australian Membership
Authors: Carroll Peter , Kellow Aynsley
Published: December 2012

The Country Party leader Jack McEwen said that Australia would join the OECD “over my dead body” and it did not do so until 1971, the year he retired from politics. Since then Australia has taken part in what is a complex “network of networks” linking over 40,000 senior public servants from many of the most influential states via some 200 committees spanning a wide range of policy areas. Yet Australian scholars have paid little attention to the OECD and to its effect upon Australia. Our essay is a first step in remedying this gap. Using both archival sources and interviews with public servants, we examine Australia's reasons for taking up OECD membership and assess its impact on policymaking since, the most obvious of which has been upon policy learning. We also ask about Australia's impact on the OECD.
Political Debates on Asylum Seekers during the Fraser Government, 1977–1982
Authors: Stevens Rachel
Published: December 2012

Between 1977 and 1982, the Australian Government resettled over 54,000 Vietnamese refugees. It also admitted 2,059 Vietnamese asylum seekers who arrived by boat without state authorisation. Although the number of Vietnamese asylum seekers was significantly smaller than the number of Vietnamese refugees processed offshore in refugee camps, the unexpected arrival of these boat people stimulated debate in Parliament and in the press about an appropriate response. This article examines the language politicians used to describe Vietnamese asylum seekers and the arguments used to justify their inclusion or exclusion. The evidence demonstrates that the political rhetoric used in this period in Australia's immigration history cannot be solely categorised as inclusive or humane. Rather, the overall impression is one of resistance and pragmatism.
Arresting the Eschaton: Mirza Husayn Tabarsi Nuri (d. 1902) and the Babi and Baha’i Religions*
Authors: GHAEMMAGHAMI OMID
Published: December 2012

Stories of encounters between the concealed Shi‘i messianic saviour known as, inter alia, the Hidden Imam, and his privileged devotees (mostly from the ranks of the ulama) during the period that is known as his occultation (ghayba) occupy a recurring theme in many of the works dedicated to this figure. The encounter topos was revivified in the late nineteenth century by the prolific Shi‘i scholar Mirza Husayn Tabarsi Nuri (d. 1902). Nuri lived at a time in which many of the messianic and eschatological tensions concerning the Hidden Imam — tensions that had remained unresolved for a thousand years — exploded onto the religious landscape, due in most part to the birth of the Babi religion and its metamorphosis into the Baha’i Faith. This article will focus on Nuri's relationship with and links to the Babi and Baha’i religions in an attempt to understand his own motives for promoting stories of contact with the Hidden Imam.
Transnational Baha’i Print Culture: Community Formation and Religious Authority, 1890–1921*
Authors: VEJDANI FARZIN
Published: December 2012

Persian and Arabic Baha'i publishing emerged during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries when printing was becoming increasingly widespread in Muslim societies. This article examines how Baha'is employed printing in community consolidation, scriptural canonization, and apologetic encounters. It first considers the role of Baha'i leadership in promoting and defining the parameters of print activities. It then discusses the transnational commercial, travel and pilgrimage routes facilitating the preparation and distribution of printed materials throughout India, Egypt, Palestine, Russian Turkistan and Iran. Specific attention will be paid to individual Baha'is as cultural middlemen across geographical boundaries.
The Baha'i Faith in Australia 1947–1963
Authors: HASSALL GRAHAM
Published: December 2012

Between 1947 and 1963 the Australian Baha'i community developed an institutional framework at local and national levels and expanded its activities both with Australia and islands of the Pacific Ocean. The community's evolution was shaped not only by the activities of its members, but by the faith's evolution globally, and by persecution of the Baha'i community in Iran. The opening of a house of worship in Sydney (see cover photograph) in 1961 contributed significantly to the Baha'i community's profile. In 1963 it was one of fifty‐six communities worldwide to participate in the establishment of the faith's world governing body, the Universal House of Justice.
Kenosis, Necessity and Incarnation
Authors: Le Poidevin Robin
Published: December 2012

The doctrine of the Incarnation faces the following modal challenge: ‘The Son, as God, exists of necessity; Jesus, as man, exists only contingently. Therefore they cannot be one and the same.’ On the face it, the kenotic model, on which the Son gave up some of the divine properties at the Incarnation, cannot help to meet this challenge, since the suggestion that the Son gave up necessary existence implies that the necessity in question was only contingent, and this notion makes no sense. A necessary being is necessarily (and therefore eternally) so. This paper, however, argues that some necessities may appropriately be described as ‘contingent’, being conditional on contingent and mutable circumstances, and that there is a natural understanding of divine necessity on which the Son could give up necessary existence on becoming incarnate.
The politics of concepts: family and its (putative) replacements
Authors: Edwards Rosalind , McCarthy Jane Ribbens , Gillies Val
Published: December 2012

The central concern of this paper is that there has been a move withinBritish sociology to subsume (or sometimes, even replace) the concept of ‘family’ within ideas about personal life, intimacy and kinship. It calls attention to what will be lost sight of by this conceptual move: an understanding of the collective whole beyond the aggregation of individuals; the creation of lacunae that will be (partially) filled by other disciplines; and engagement with policy developments and professional practices that focus on ‘family’ as a core, institutionalized, idea. While repudiating the necessity (and indeed, pointing out the dangers) of providing any definitive answer to definitions of ‘family’, the paper calls for critical reflection on the implications of these conceptual moves.
Effects of Revegetation on Soil Microbial Biomass, Enzyme Activities, and Nutrient Cycling on the Loess Plateau in China
Authors: An Shao‐Shan , Cheng Yi , Huang Yi‐Mei , Liu Dong
Published: December 2012

Revegetation is a traditional practice widely used for soil and water conservation on the Loess Plateau in China. However, there has been a lack of reports on soil microbial–biochemical indices required for a comprehensive evaluation of the success of revegetation systems. In this study, we examined the effects of revegetation on major soil nutrients and microbial–biochemical properties in an artificial alfalfa grassland, an enclosed natural grassland, and an artificial shrubland (Caragana korshinskii), with an abandoned cropland as control. Results showed that at 0–5, 5–20, and 20–40 cm depths, soil organic carbon, alkaline extractable nitrogen and available potassium were higher in natural grassland and artificial shrubland compared with artificial grassland and abandoned cropland. Soil microbial biomass C (Cmic) and phosphorous (Pmic) substantially decreased with depth at all sites, and in abandoned cropland was significantly lower than those of natural grassland, artificial grassland, and artificial shrubland at the depth of 0–5 cm. Soil microbial biomass N (Nmic) was higher in artificial shrubland and abandoned cropland compared with that in natural and artificial grasslands. Both Cmic and Pmic were significantly different between the 23‐year‐old and the 13‐year‐old artificial shrublands at the 0–5 cm depth. The activities of soil invertase, urease, and alkaline phosphatase in natural grassland and artificial shrubland were higher than those in artificial grassland and abandoned cropland. This study demonstrated that the regeneration of both natural grassland and artificial shrubland effectively preserved and enhanced soil microbial biomass and major nutrient cycling, thus is an ecologically beneficial practice for recovery of degraded soils on the Loess Plateau.
Not Early Drinking but Early Drunkenness Is a Risk Factor for Problem Behaviors Among Adolescents from 38 European and North American Countries
Authors: Kuntsche Emmanuel , Rossow Ingeborg , Simons‐Morton Bruce , Bogt Tom Ter , Kokkevi Anna , Godeau Emmanuelle
Published: December 2012

Background

Many studies have reported that the earlier the age at first drink (AFDrink) the higher the later drinking levels and related problems. However, unless adolescents proceed into drunkenness, it is unclear why consuming small quantities at early age should lead to later problems. This study investigates the link between AFDrink and problem behaviors (smoking, cannabis use, injuries, fights, and low academic performance) among 15‐year‐olds who did and did not proceed into drunkenness. Among those with drunkenness experience, we tested whether AFDrink predicted problem behaviors over and above the age at first drunkenness (AFDrunk).

Methods

Multilevel structural equation models were estimated based on a sample of 44,801 alcohol‐experienced 15‐year‐olds from 38 North American and European countries and regions who participated in the Health Behaviour in School‐aged Children cross‐national survey.

Results

Overall, there was a significant association between AFDrink and all 5 problem behaviors. However, this was the case only among those with drunkenness experiences but not among those never drunk. Among the former, AFDrunk was a strong predictor for all 5 problem behaviors, but time from first drink to first drunk did not predict problem behaviors.

Conclusions

Not early alcohol initiation but early drunkenness was a risk factor for various adolescent problem behaviors at the age of 15, that is, there was not consistent relationship for the time before the first drunkenness (i.e., since first drinking). Besides targeting early drinking, particular efforts are needed to impede early drunkenness to prevent associated harm in adolescence and beyond.
Is Vitamin D Deficiency a Confounder in Alcoholic Skeletal Muscle Myopathy?
Authors: Wijnia Jan W. , Wielders Jos P. M. , Lips Paul , van de Wiel Albert , Mulder Cornelis L. , Nieuwenhuis K. Gerrit A.
Published: December 2012

Background

Excessive intake of alcohol is often associated with low or subnormal levels of vitamin D even in the absence of active liver disease. As vitamin D deficiency is a well‐recognized cause of myopathy, alcoholic myopathy might be related to vitamin D deficiency. Chronic alcoholic myopathy affects approximately half of chronic alcoholics and is characterized by the insidious development of muscular weakness and wasting. Although alcohol or its metabolites may have a direct toxic effect on muscles, the relationship between alcoholic myopathy and vitamin D deficiency has not been examined extensively.

Methods

We reviewed the literature on alcoholic myopathy and hypovitaminosis D myopathy and compared the pathophysiological findings to designate possible mechanisms of vitamin D action in alcohol‐related myopathy.

Results and Conclusions

Given the strong interdependency of suboptimal levels of vitamin D, phosphate, and magnesium in chronic alcohol abuse, we hypothesize that combined deficiencies interfere with membrane and intracellular metabolic processes in chronic alcohol‐related myopathy; however, it is not yet possible to define exact mechanisms of interaction.
Executive Functions in Adult Offspring of Alcohol‐Dependent Probands: Toward a Cognitive Endophenotype?
Authors: Gierski Fabien , Hubsch Bérengère , Stefaniak Nicolas , Benzerouk Farid , Cuervo‐Lombard Christine , Bera‐Potelle Céline , Cohen Renaud , Kahn Jean‐Pierre , Limosin Frédéric
Published: December 2012

Background

Executive function (EF) impairment in alcohol dependence (AD) has been related to the toxic effects of alcohol on frontal lobes. However, this impairment could be partially present before the onset of the disease and might constitute a vulnerability factor. Although a considerable body of research has investigated executive functioning among AD patients, much less attention has been directed toward high‐risk individuals. Most studies were carried out among children or adolescents, and very few were conducted in adults. The aim of this study was to examine EF in a group of adult offspring of AD individuals.

Methods

One hundred and fifty‐five nonalcoholic adults with (family history positive [FHP]) or without (family history negative [FHN]) family history of AD were included in the study. All participants were screened for past and current psychiatric diagnoses, and alcohol, tobacco, and other substance use. They were compared on self‐rated impulsiveness using the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale‐11 (BIS‐11) and EF using a neuropsychological test battery.

Results

Group comparison revealed that FHP participants had significantly higher BIS‐11 scores than the FHN participants, while neuropsychological examination revealed lower EF scores for FHP participants. Hierarchical regression analysis revealed that the number of AD family members was a predictor of EF results, whereas impulsiveness was not.

Conclusions

Nonalcoholic adult offspring of AD individuals showed increased impulsiveness and decreased EF, suggesting weakness of 2 distinct neurobehavioral decision systems. Findings support evidence that EF weaknesses may qualify as a suitable endophenotype candidate for AD.
Use of a Hard Palate Mucoperiosteal Flap for Rostral Muzzle Reconstruction in a Dog after a Traumatic Premaxillary Degloving Injury
Authors: Kurach Lindsey , Plesman Rhea , Grier‐Lowe Candace , Linn Kathleen , Anthony James
Published: December 2012

Objective

To describe a technique for reconstruction of the rostral aspect of the muzzle of a dog after traumatic amputation.

Study Design

Clinical report.

Animals

Adult female dog.

Methods

A 6‐year‐old, intact, female, mixed‐breed dog was admitted for facial reconstructive surgery after traumatic amputation of the rostral aspect of the muzzle. The nasal planum and the rostral portion of the upper lips were missing. A hard palate mucoperiosteal flap and lateral labial advancement flaps were used to reconstruct the nasal philtrum and borders of the nares.

Results

This reconstructive technique resulted in adequate nostril function and an acceptable cosmetic outcome. One naris developed partial obstruction with granulation tissue that may have occurred because of a lack of circumferential nasal mucosa to appose the skin on that side.

Conclusion

The mucoperiosteum of the hard palate can be used to reconstruct the rostral aspect of the muzzle after traumatic amputation, resulting in an acceptable cosmetic outcome.
Sex and the subgingival microbiome: Do female sex steroids affect periodontal bacteria?
Authors: Kumar Purnima S.
Published: December 2012

Fluctuations in the levels of sex steroid hormones begin at menarche and end with menopause in the human female. The association between gingivitis and increases in systemic sex steroids has been extensively reported and the biological mechanisms underlying this florid inflammatory state have been examined over several decades. The purpose of this review is to critically examine the evidence in the literature on the effect of female sex steroids on oral bacterial communities.
Endocrinology of menopause
Authors: Edwards Beatrice J. , Li Jin
Published: December 2012

Menopause is a natural process that occurs in women’s lives as part of normal aging. Many women go through the menopausal transition with few or no symptoms, while some have significant, or even disabling, symptoms. This manuscript reviews the physiologic processes and symptoms connected with menopause and the diseases associated with menopause, as well as how menopausal symptoms are managed.
Endocrinology of sex steroid hormones and cell dynamics in the periodontium
Authors: Mariotti Angelo , Mawhinney Michael
Published: December 2012

Numerous scientific studies assert the existence of hormone‐sensitive periodontal tissues. Tissue specificity of hormone localization, identification of hormone receptors and the metabolism of hormones are evidence that periodontal tissues are targets for sex steroid hormones. Although the etiologies of periodontal endocrinopathies are diverse, periodontal pathologies are primarily the consequence of the actions and interactions of sex steroid hormones on specific cells found in the periodontium. This review provides a broad overview of steroid hormone physiology, evidence for the periodontium being a target tissue for sex steroid hormones and theories regarding the roles of sex steroid hormones in periodontal pathogenesis. Using this information, a teleological argument for the actions of steroid hormones in the periodontium is assessed.
Principles of endocrinology
Authors: Leblebicioglu Binnaz , Connors John , Mariotti Angelo
Published: December 2012

The endocrine system plays a major role in human survival. Endocrine glands secrete chemical messengers or hormones that affect every tissue of the body, including the periodontium, during the life of the individual. As the endocrine system influences a broad assortment of biological activities necessary for life, a general understanding of the principal components and functions of this system is essential. A fundamental assessment of hormone structure, mechanism of action and hormone transport, as well as influence on homeostasis is reviewed. A concise evaluation of the functions of the central endocrine glands, the functions of the major peripheral endocrine glands (other than gonadal tissues) and the known relationships of these hormones to the periodontium is examined.
Do X‐linked diseases affect periodontal health?
Authors: Chien Hua‐Hong , Hart Thomas C.
Published: December 2012

Genetic factors play an important etiologic role in destructive periodontal diseases. There have been reports that sex chromosomes, especially disorders associated with the X chromosome, affect periodontal health. Although numerous X‐linked diseases have been reported to be associated with various periodontal diseases, the association of gingivitis and/or periodontitis with these genetic syndromes should be considered tenuous and raises the question of whether the periodontal manifestation truly arises from an underlying X‐linked genetic etiology. A brief overview of genetics in relation to sex chromosomes and putative X‐linked genetic periodontal diseases is given.
Growing from the middle out: US jobs and the economy in Obama's second term
Authors: Boushey Heather
Published: December 2012

Heather Boushey reviews the policy initiatives of Obama's first term that brought the US economy back from the brink and outlines a ‘middle out’ growth agenda for his second go around.
In Europe but not of Europe
Authors: Curtice John
Published: December 2012

In his regular column for Juncture, John Curtice looks at British public attitudes towards Europe and questions whether apparent moves towards Euroscepticism by politicians and the public are real or just par for the course.
Producing time and space: academic work after Henri Lefebvre
Authors: Spencer Maureen Patricia
Published: December 2012

In a recent study, the influential theorist of higher education Ronald Barnett suggests that one way for academics to address the pressures on their professional lives is to embrace a multidimensional concept of working time. Drawing on the analysis of space by the French philosopher/sociologist Henri Lefebvre, Barnett advocates conceiving academic practice as a continuum of interrelated strands rather than a set of discrete packages of activity subject to bureaucratic domination. This paper examines whether this approach can reassert agency on the part of academics and provide a site for resistance to the obsession on the part of managers and policy makers with outputs and the quantification of working hours. It sets Barnett's analysis in the context of other empirical studies in higher education literature on the management and allocation of workloads, particularly on tensions arising from conflicting demands of research and teaching. It also examines synergies between Barnett and other scholarship on the professional lives of law academics on the part of Bradney, Collier and Cownie. The paper concludes that a Lefebvrean analysis of how time and space are constituted by human activity provides a rigorous theoretical framework within which to reconstitute the coherence in academic practice which is sought by many in higher education.