bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Quantifying reduction in ecological risk in Penrhyn Estuary, Sydney, Australia, following groundwater remediation
Authors: Hunt James , Birch Gavin , Warne Michael
Published: May 2011

The environmental risk associated with discharge of contaminated groundwater containing a complex mixture of at least 14 volatile chlorinated hydrocarbons (VCHs) to Penrhyn Estuary, Sydney, Australia has previously been assessed. That probabilistic ecological risk assessment (ERA) was undertaken using surface water monitoring data from 2004 to 2005. Subsequently, in 2006, a groundwater remediation system was installed and commissioned to prevent further discharge of VCHs into the estuary. The present study assessed the ecological risk posed to the estuary after 2006 to evaluate the success of the remediation system. The ERA was undertaken using toxicity data derived from direct toxicity assessment (DTA) of preremediation contaminated groundwater using indigenous species, exposure data from surface water monitoring between 2007 and 2008 and the joint probability curve (JPC) methodology. The risk posed was measured in 4 zones of the entire site: source area (2), tributary (2), the inner estuary and outer estuary at high, low, and a combination of high and low tides. In the 2 source areas, risk decreased by over 2 and over 1 orders of magnitude to maximum values of less than 0.5%. In 1 estuary, risk decreased by over 1 order of magnitude, from a maximum of 36% to a maximum of 2.3%. At the other tributary and both the inner and outer estuaries, the risk decreased to less than 1%, regardless of the tide. This analysis revealed that the remediation system was very effective and that the standard level of protection required for slightly to moderately affected ecosystems (95% of species) by the Australian and New Zealand Guidelines for Fresh and Marine Water Quality was met postremediation. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2012;8:98–106. © 2011 SETAC
Identification of ten serum microRNAs from a genome‐wide serum microRNA expression profile as novel noninvasive biomarkers for nonsmall cell lung cancer diagnosis
Authors: Chen Xi , Hu Zhibin , Wang Wenjing , Ba Yi , Ma Lijia , Zhang Chunni , Wang Cheng , Ren Zhiji , Zhao Yang , Wu Sijia , Zhuang Rui , Zhang Yixin , Hu Heng , Liu Chazhen , Xu Lin , Wang Jun , Shen Hongbing , Zhang Junfeng , Zen Ke , Zhang Chen‐Yu
Published: May 2011

The detection of nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) at an early stage presents a daunting challenge due to the lack of a specific noninvasive marker. The discovery of microRNAs (miRNAs), particularly those found in serum, has opened a new avenue for tumor diagnosis. To determine whether the expression profile of serum miRNAs can serve as a NSCLC fingerprint, we performed Taqman probe‐based quantitative RT‐PCR assay to selected differentially expressed serum miRNAs from a sample set including 400 NSCLC cases and 220 controls, and risk score analysis to evaluate the diagnostic value of the serum miRNA profiling system. After a two‐phase selection and validation process, 10 miRNAs were found to have significantly different expression levels in NSCLC serum samples compared with the control serum samples. Risk score analysis showed that this panel of miRNAs was able to distinguish NSCLC cases from controls with high sensitivity and specificity. Under ROC curves, the AUC for tumor identification in training set and validation set were 0.966 and 0.972, respectively. Furthermore, the expression profile of the 10‐serum miRNAs was correlated with the stage of NSCLC patients, especially in younger patients and patients with current smoking habits. More importantly, the serum miRNA‐based biomarker for early NSCLC detection was supported by a retrospective analysis in which the 10‐serum miRNA profile could accurately classify serum samples collected up to 33 months ahead of the clinical NSCLC diagnosis. Taken together, we demonstrate that the profiling of 10‐serum miRNAs provides a novel noninvasive biomarker for NSCLC diagnosis.
Diagnosis of hepatitis C virus infection by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay and reverse transcriptase‐nested polymerase chain reaction: A comparative evaluation
Authors: Swellam Menha , Mahmoud Magda Sayed , Ali Adel Abdel‐Fatah
Published: May 2011

Hepatitis C virus is one of the main causes of chronic hepatitis in developing countries. The current study was to evaluate the efficacy of the enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay third generation (ELISA‐3) for detection of antibodies to hepatitis C virus (anti‐HCV) in comparison with reverse transcriptase‐nested polymerase chain reaction (RT‐nested PCR) to detect HCV RNA for the diagnosis of hepatitis C virus. Serum samples were collected from 151 chronic hepatitis C patients and 50 healthy individuals. All samples were tested for anti‐HCV antibodies using ELISA‐3 and HCV RNA by RT‐nested PCR. Of the 151,120 (78.9%) were found to be seropositive by ELISA‐3, and 148 (98%) patients were HCV RNA positive, 118 (78.1%) were positives for both, 30 (19.9%) were positive for ELISA‐3 and negative for RT‐PCR, and 2 cases (1.3%) were positive for RT‐nested PCR and negative for ELISA‐3. The sensitivity and the specificity for the detection of HCV were absolute when the two techniques were combined. In conclusion, ELISA‐3 is a suitable assay for routine screening for anti‐HCV. RT‐nested PCR for HCV is a value for the early detection of viremic, anti‐HCV negative cases; this may be of importance in treatment of hepatitis C. © 2011 IUBMB IUBMB Life, 63(6): 430–434, 2011
Phylogenetic diversification of the globin gene superfamily in chordates
Authors: Storz Jay F. , Opazo Juan C. , Hoffmann Federico G.
Published: May 2011

Phylogenetic reconstructions provide a means of inferring the branching relationships among members of multigene families that have diversified via successive rounds of gene duplication and divergence. Such reconstructions can illuminate the pathways by which particular expression patterns and protein functions evolved. For example, phylogenetic analyses can reveal cases in which similar expression patterns or functional properties evolved independently in different lineages, either through convergence, parallelism, or evolutionary reversals. The purpose of this article is to provide a robust phylogenetic framework for interpreting experimental data and for generating hypotheses about the functional evolution of globin proteins in chordate animals. To do this, we present a consensus phylogeny of the chordate globin gene superfamily. We document the relative roles of gene duplication and whole‐genome duplication in fueling the functional diversification of vertebrate globins, and we unravel patterns of shared ancestry among globin genes from representatives of the three chordate subphyla (Craniata, Urochordata, and Cephalochordata). Our results demonstrate the value of integrating phylogenetic analyses with genomic analyses of conserved synteny to infer the duplicative origins and evolutionary histories of globin genes. We also discuss a number of case studies that illustrate the importance of phylogenetic information when making inferences about the evolution of globin gene expression and protein function. Finally, we discuss why the globin gene superfamily presents special challenges for phylogenetic analysis, and we describe methodological approaches that can be used to meet those challenges. © 2011 IUBMB IUBMB Life, 63(5): 313–322, 2011
Autofluorescence imaging of early colorectal cancer
Authors: Takeuchi Yoji , Hanaoka Noboru , Hanafusa Masao , Ishihara Ryu , Higashino Koji , Iishi Hiroyasu , Uedo Noriya
Published: May 2011

Autofluorescence imaging (AFI) is expected to better detect colorectal neoplasms than the conventional white light imaging (WLI). The AFI image of colorectal cancer is different according to its macroscopic type. Protruded lesion, which is the most common macroscopic type of colorectal neoplasms, is revealed as magenta protruded lesion. Flat lesion, which is uncommon macroscopic type, is presented as distinct magenta area surrounding green mucosa using AFI. And depressed lesion, which is rare macroscopic type, is revealed as green area surrounded by magenta mucosa. (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Recent developments and applications of molecularly imprinted monolithic column for HPLC and CEC
Authors: Zheng Chao , Huang Yan‐Ping , Liu Zhao‐Sheng
Published: May 2011

As a new generation of stationary phases, monolithic supports have attracted significant interest in high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and capillary electrochromatography (CEC) because of their ease of preparation, high reproducibility, versatile surface chemistry and rapid mass transport. Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are synthetic materials with high specific recognition ability to template molecule. The combination of monolithic column and MIPs integrates the high efficiency of modern chromatography and the high selectivity provided by MIPs. This review focuses on the recent developments and applications of all kinds of monolithic matrix, i.e. organic polymer‐based and silica‐based MIP monolith in HPLC and CEC mode.
Persistence Characteristics of Tourism Arrivals to Australia
Authors: Assaf A. George , Gil‐Alana Luis A. , Barros Carlos Pestana
Published: May 2011

This paper examines the degree of persistence in international monthly arrivals to Australia by using data disaggregated by tourism‐source countries. We employ two competing models, which are very general in the sense that they include (seasonal and non‐seasonal) unit roots as particular cases of interest. The first model is based on a long‐memory process in the non‐seasonal part of the series along with a short‐memory autoregressive (AR) seasonal structure. The second model is based on a long‐memory process for the seasonal structure of the series, the short‐term evolution being described through a non‐seasonal AR(1) process. Results based on the residuals and forecasting assessment indicate that the second model is preferable in terms of fitting the data. We provide persistence ranking of all countries included in the study and discuss the managerial implications of the main findings. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The shorter, the better
Authors: Mayerhofer Roland
Published: May 2011

The smaller the components, the shorter the pulse duration: particularly for manufacturing of medical implants the technological and economical advantages are obvious. Ultra short pulsed lasers are considered as only suitable tool for that kind of application. Meanwhile, additional industrial applications for femtosecond lasers arise (Fig. 1).
Thin film LEDs gaining ground
Authors: Delmdahl Ralph , Kunzer Michael , Schwarz Ulrich
Published: May 2011

Excimer laser‐based Laser Lift‐Off (LLO) is a key enabling technology in fabricating thin film LEDs. This article reviews the market drivers for high brightness LEDs, current LED designs and their limitations and the basics of thin film devices as well as the LLO process for manufacturing them.
A note on coset graphs
Authors: Baumann Ulrike
Published: May 2011

Coset graphs are a generalization of Cayley graphs. They arise in the construction of graphs and digraphs with transitive automorphism groups. Moreover, the consideration of coset graphs makes it possible to give an algebraic description of regular connected graphs of even degree. In this paper we consider the automorphism group of coset graphs with an edge set decomposed into oriented cycles and provide a characterization of subgroups of the automorphism group which preserve a given decomposition of the edge set. © 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim
Lawson homology, morphic cohomology and Chow motives
Authors: Hu Wenchuan , Li Li
Published: May 2011

In this paper, Lawson homology and morphic cohomology are defined for Chow motives. As consequences, we rederive the projective bundle formula proved by Friedlander and Gabber, the blowup formula for Lawson homology by the first author, and a formula for certain homogeneous projective varieties, including those admitting cellular decompositions. We also define rational coefficient Lawson homology and morphic cohomology for Chow motives of finite quotient varieties. As a consequence, we obtain a formula for the Hilbert scheme of points on a smooth complex projective surface. We also discuss generic finite maps, in particular, we give examples of self‐product of smooth projective curves with nontrivial Griffiths groups by using a result of Ceresa. © 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim
Effect of contrast agent on the results of in vivo1H MRS of breast tumors – is it clinically significant?
Authors: Baltzer Pascal A. T. , Gussew Alexander , Dietzel Matthias , Rzanny Reinhard , Gajda Mieczyslaw , Camara Oumar , Reichenbach Jürgen R. , Kaiser Werner A.
Published: May 2011

Choline (Cho) signal identification and quantification in 1H MRS are used in breast cancer diagnosis. However, an influence of the gadolinium‐based contrast agent on the Cho amplitude has been reported experimentally. This study aims to identify the impact of gadolinium‐based contrast agents on Cho detection and quantification in postcontrast breast MRS. Consecutive patients were recruited prospectively and randomly allocated to two groups. Group A received a neutral (gadolinium diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid bis‐methylamide) and group B an ionic (gadolinium diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid) contrast agent, each at a dosage of 0.1 mmol/kg. First, the presence of Cho was identified visually. Then, the normalized Cho intensity in malignant lesions was quantified. Multivariate analysis was applied to identify independent influencing factors on Cho. Sixty‐three lesions were investigated [A, n = 34; B, n = 29; 43 malignant (one bilaterally malignant), 20 benign]. Cho was identified visually in 14 of 20 malignant tumors in group A and 12 of 22 malignant tumors in group B (p = 0.477). Normalized Cho differed significantly (p = 0.001) between groups A (mean, 26.8 ± 6.0 AU) and B (mean, 18.2 ± 12.5 AU). No linewidth differences were identified (p > 0.05). Multivariate analysis revealed only group membership (A versus B) as an independent predictor of Cho (p = 0.017). The results suggest stronger negative effects of an ionic relative to a neutral gadolinium‐based contrast agent on breast tumor MRS in vivo. These results should be considered when conducting and comparing quantitative Cho measurements in the breast. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Examining the role of trauma, personality, and meaning in young prolonged grievers
Authors: Tomarken Alexis , Roth Andrew , Holland Jimmie , Ganz Ollie , Schachter Sherry , Kose Gary , Ramirez Paul Michael , Allen Rhiannon , Nelson Christian J.
Published: May 2011

Purpose

Younger spouses or partners have been understudied in the prolonged grief literature. The purpose of this study was to determine rates of prolonged grief in young spouses or partners and the associations between prolonged grief and personality styles (specifically, narcissistic, histrionic, and obsessive), trauma history, and the perceived meaning of the loss in the young conjugally bereaved.

Participants and method

Participants between 20 and 50 years old who lost a spouse/partner to cancer 6 months–3 years prior to the study completed the following measures during one time point (via phone or in person interviews): Prolonged Grief‐13, Traumatic Life Events Questionnaire, Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory‐III, and Grief Meaning Reconstruction Inventory.

Results

Fifty‐six spouses and partners (51.8% women) completed the interviews (mean age: 44.54 ± 4.20 years). The participants (49.1%) reported elevated rates of prolonged grief and 12.3% of the participants were diagnosed with prolonged grief with the recently published diagnostic algorithm. Bivariate analyses demonstrated an association between prolonged grief and negative meaning of the loss (r = 0.73; p < 0.01) and the frequency of the traumatic events (r = 0.23; p < 0.05). Multivariate analyses revealed that negative meaning of the loss was the only significant predictor of prolonged grief (Beta = 0.71; p = 0.0001).

Conclusion

Elevated levels of prolonged grief were found in this population, suggesting a need for further research into young spousal grief. Young bereaved spouses may lack flexibility in reconstructing their view of the world as the death may invalidate their previously held world beliefs. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effects of Ice Content on the Thermal Erosion of Permafrost: Implications for Coastal and Fluvial Erosion
Authors: Dupeyrat L. , Costard F. , Randriamazaoro R. , Gailhardis E. , Gautier E. , Fedorov A.
Published: May 2011

The effects of ice content and water flow on thawing and erosion of non‐cohesive permafrost banks were investigated through laboratory experiments. A critical ice content was identified as associated with turbulent flows (20% and 80% for Reynolds numbers of 15 900 and 12 700, respectively), above which thermal erosion results in ablation and a decrease in ice content increases ablation. Below the critical value, the ablation model over‐estimates the erosion rate as the removal of thawed sediments occurs episodically, possibly due to the imbrication of sand grains. The ablation model applies to rivers with non‐cohesive banks, high ice contents and subject to high‐velocity water flows. The model may explain differential erosion that results in massive ice layers in relief. At other sites, however, the retreat rate increases with ground ice content. This behaviour can be explained for sandy permafrost with a relatively low ice content and heterogeneous sand sizes and shapes subject to relatively low‐velocity water flow. These results apply only to perenially frozen sands, as even a small percentage of cohesive material would modify the relationships described. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Use of Waste Bakelite as a Raw Material Resource for Recarburization in Steelmaking Processes
Authors: Kongkarat Somyote , Khanna Rita , Koshy Pramod , O'Kane Paul , Sahajwalla Veena
Published: May 2011

Bakelite is a thermoset plastic commonly found in electronic and automobile components. CaCO3 is generally found in the polymer as a filler material. Since it cannot be remelted, the disposal of this material has become an environmental issue. The present study investigates a new route to utilize waste bakelite as a source of carbon in EAF steelmaking process. This paper reports the carbon dissolution behaviour of bakelite/coke blends into liquid steel at 1550 °C. The carbon pick up in the liquid steel after reaction with varying blends of bakelite/coke for 30 minutes ranged between 0.13 wt% to 0.17 wt%; these were generally higher than that observed from coke alone (0.1 wt%). The dissolution rate (K) was also found to improve and the observed trend was BK2 (0.045 × 10−3 s−1) > BK3 (0.023 × 10−3 s−1) > BK1 (0.005 × 10−3 s−1) > coke (0.003 × 10−3 s−1). The reaction products formed at the interface after 30 minutes of contact between liquid steel and bakelite/coke blends were observed to be a CaS‐Al2O3 complex. The presence of CaS in the interfacial layer due to the CaO in the ash, lowered melting temperature of the layer, thereby allowing for increased removal of the ash layer and greater carbon pick‐up. The CaO is formed from the decomposition of CaCO3, and its presence was found to have a positive effect on modifying the properties of the coke, and thereby enhancing the carbon dissolution behaviour.
Correlation of age‐specific phenylalanine levels with intellectual outcome in patients with phenylketonuria
Authors: Viau Krista S. , Wengreen Heidi J. , Ernst Sharon L. , Cantor Nancy L. , Furtado Larissa V. , Longo Nicola
Published: May 2011

Patients with treated phenylketonuria (PKU) can have subtle deficits in intellect, academic skills, and executive functioning. This study evaluates the relationship between intellectual outcome and concentration/variation in blood phenylalanine (Phe) during specific developmental periods (0–6 years, 7–12 years, >12 years) in our patients with PKU. Verbal comprehension, perceptual reasoning, and processing speed were used as measures of intelligence. Data were collected from 55 patients receiving treatment at the University of Utah Metabolic Clinic. Yearly median Phe levels increased and mean number of blood Phe samples decreased as patients aged. Yearly median blood Phe from 0–6 and 7–12 years were inversely associated with perceptual reasoning abilities using linear regression. Additionally, increased blood Phe concentration negatively impacted specific areas of verbal comprehension abilities for those 0–6 years of age (p = 0.001). Variation of Phe levels around the mean (assessed as standard deviation) in each patient was associated with diagnostic (highest pretreatment) Phe levels and yearly median Phe levels (p < 0.001 for both), but did not significantly impact intelligence in our group of patients. Frequent blood Phe monitoring from 7–12 years significantly reduced the probability of yearly median Phe exceeding 360 μM (p = 0.005). Our data show that compliance with treatment in patients with PKU affects both the concentration and variation of blood Phe levels, and may have a greater impact on verbal comprehension and perceptual reasoning skills during the first 12 years of life when compared the influence beyond 12 years.
The use of continuous glucose monitoring in the practical management of glycogen storage disorders
Authors: White Fiona J. , Jones Simon A.
Published: May 2011

Continuous glucose monitoring systems (CGMS) are now in widespread use in diabetes management with an increasing evidence base. There are few reports of their use in GSD. Liver glycogen storage disorders (GSDs) are most often managed by intensive dietary regimens. Risks of over and under‐treatment remain. We describe our use of CGMS in a cohort of GSD patients, the results obtained and the frequency of complications. Our experience is that CGM is a reliable, well accepted and valid tool in the monitoring of GSD patients and allows for assessment of blood sugar control in the ‘real‐life’ setting, unlike hospital admissions. Combining CGM with urine ketone and /or blood lactate measurements, again at home, improves the investigation yet further. It is possible to perform CGM for periods including both schooldays and weekends, and also to change the dietary regimen during the period of monitoring to reduce the frequency of assessments. Risks of decreased reliability in the low range of blood sugars may be outweighed by the increased validity of the patient being in the home environment, with a normal diet and activity schedule.
Long‐term follow‐up and treatment in nine boys with X‐linked creatine transporter defect
Authors: van de Kamp Jiddeke M. , Pouwels Petra J. W. , Aarsen Femke K. , ten Hoopen Leontine W. , Knol Dirk L. , de Klerk Johannes B. , de Coo Ireneus F. , Huijmans Jan G. M. , Jakobs Cornelis , van der Knaap Marjo S. , Salomons Gajja S. , Mancini Grazia M. S.
Published: May 2011

The creatine transporter (CRTR) defect is a recently discovered cause of X‐linked intellectual disability for which treatment options have been explored. Creatine monotherapy has not proved effective, and the effect of treatment with L‐arginine is still controversial. Nine boys between 8 months and 10 years old with molecularly confirmed CRTR defect were followed with repeated 1H‐MRS and neuropsychological assessments during 4–6 years of combination treatment with creatine monohydrate, L‐arginine, and glycine. Treatment did not lead to a significant increase in cerebral creatine content as observed with H1‐MRS. After an initial improvement in locomotor and personal‐social IQ subscales, no lasting clinical improvement was recorded. Additionally, we noticed an age‐related decline in IQ subscales in boys affected with the CRTR defect.
Optimization of Oil Oxidation by Response Surface Methodology and the Application of this Model to Evaluate Antioxidants
Authors: Branco Gabriel Favalli , Castro Inar Alves
Published: May 2011

The oxidative stability of oils is a complex process influenced by several factors, making the evaluation of antioxidant effects of new compounds difficult. Thus, the objective of this study was to apply a factorial design to obtain the combination of factors that maximizes the formation of oil oxidation products, and use this model to evaluate the antioxidant activity of different compounds. Temperature, Fe2+ and ascorbyl palmitate were evaluated in two full‐factorial designs (23 and 32). The validated optimized oxidation model was obtained by adding 1.47 mmol/L of Fe2+ and 1.54 mmol/L of ascorbyl palmitate to flaxseed oil stripped of tocopherol kept at 40 °C for 8 days. Antioxidant activities of six compounds were evaluated using this model. All antioxidant samples were statistically different (p < 0.001) at 200 ppm concentration, indicating the efficiency of the optimized model to evaluate the antioxidant action of natural and synthetic compounds.
Detoxification of Rapeseed Meals by Steam Explosion
Authors: Gu Xuhui , Dong Wei , He Yucai
Published: May 2011

Steam explosion was evaluated as a detoxification method for rapeseed meals. A series of two factor experiments were performed with different steam pressures (1.0, 1.2, 1.4, 1.6, 1.8, 2.4, 3.2 and 4.0 MPa) and different treatment times (30, 60, 90, 120, 150 and 180 s). When the steam pressure was increased to 1.6 MPa or higher, 99% glucosinolates could be removed within 180 s. Their toxic breakdown products, including isothiocyanates, oxazolidinethiones and nitriles, were also reduced by 97, 93 and 59%, respectively. A model experiment confirmed that they were taken away by the steam. The effect of steam explosion on amino acids was also investigated. Lysine, arginine, aspartate, cysteine, methionine and tryptophan contents were reduced by 21, 24, 14, 13, 17 and 8%, respectively. Steam explosion is a fast and simple detoxification method, but it negatively affects amino acids.
“We don’t need no education”: Video game preferences, video game motivations, and aggressiveness among adolescent boys of different educational ability levels
Authors: Nije Bijvank Marije , Konijn Elly A. , Bushman Brad J.
Published: May 2011

This research focuses on low educational ability as a risk factor for aggression and violent game play. We propose that boys of lower educational ability are more attracted to violent video games than other boys are, and that they are also higher in trait aggressiveness and sensation seeking. Participants were Dutch boys in public schools (N = 830, age‐range 11–17). In the Netherlands, standardized tests are used to place students into lower, medium, and higher educational ability groups. Results showed that boys in the lower educational ability group preferred to play violent, stand‐alone games, identified more with video game characters, and perceived video games to be more realistic than other boys did. Lower levels of education were also related to higher levels of aggressiveness and sensation seeking. Higher educational ability boys preferred social, multiplayer games. Within a risk and resilience model, boys with lower educational ability are at greater risk for aggression.
Abnormal facilitatory mechanisms in motor cortex of migraine with aura
Authors: Brighinal Filippo , Cosentinol Giuseppe , Vigneri Simone , Talamanca Simona , Palermo Antonio , Giglia Giuseppe , Fierro Brigida
Published: May 2011

Experimental evidence suggests impairment of inhibitory intracortical circuits in migraine, while not much is known about activity of facilitatory intracortical circuits. In the present work we evaluated the effects of high frequency‐repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (hf‐rTMS) on the activity of facilitatory circuits of motor cortex in 18 patients affected by migraine with aura and 18 healthy subjects. Trains of 10 stimuli were applied to the motor cortex at 5‐Hz frequency with recording of the EMG traces from the contralateral abductor pollicis brevis muscle (APB). Two intensities of stimulation (110% and 130% of resting motor threshold) were used in order to explore whether motor cortex excitability was differently modulated. Twelve patients underwent hf‐rTMS both before and during prophylactic treatment with levetiracetam. Results showed that rTMS delivered at 110% intensity of stimulation at rest had a facilitatory effect on MEP size in untreated patients, while left MEP unchanged in controls. Conversely, when rTMS was applied at 130%, we observed MEP potentiation in healthy subjects and paradoxical MEP inhibition in migraineurs. In treated patients, levetiracetam inhibited MEP size at both 110% and 130% intensity of stimulation. Our findings reveal an opposite response of migraine motor cortex to 5‐Hz rTMS when it is delivered at different stimulation intensities, providing evidence of both hyper‐responsivity and self‐limiting hyperexcitability capacity, in line with studies supporting the concept that under conditions of cortical hyperexcitability inhibitory mechanisms of homeostatic plasticity could be activated.
Cesarean delivery‐related fistulae in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Authors: Onsrud Mathias , Sjøveian Solbjørg , Mukwege Denis
Published: May 2011

Objective

To compare the characteristics of urogenital fistulae after cesarean delivery with those after spontaneous vaginal delivery.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of hospital records of 597 consecutive patients with a urogenital fistula who received treatment at Panzi Hospital, Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo, during 2005–2007.

Results

Of 576 women with an obstetric fistula, 229 (40%) had had a cesarean delivery; 55 (24%) of the 229 fistulae were considered to be iatrogenic. The distribution of risk factors (age, stature, parity, and labor duration) was similar to that among 226 women with a spontaneous vaginal delivery, but the odds ratios for having a ureterovaginal or a vesicouterine fistula were 11.9 (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.8–51.2) and 9.5 (95% CI 2.8–31.9), respectively. Vesicovaginal fistulae with cervical involvement were also significantly more frequent in the cesarean delivery group. The fistulae in this group had less surrounding fibrosis and there was less treatment delay. Stillbirth rates were 87% (cesarean delivery) and 95% (spontaneous vaginal delivery).

Conclusion

The data indicate that cesarean delivery‐related fistulae are a separate clinical entity. Focus on this condition is important for fistula prevention and provision of adequate obstetric care, particularly for training in surgery and alternative delivery methods.
Brown representability in1-homotopy theory
Authors: Naumann Niko , Spitzweck Markus
Published: May 2011

We prove the following result announced by V. Voevodsky. IfSis a finite dimensional noetherian scheme such thatS= ∪αSpec(Rα) forcountableringsRα, then the stable motivic homotopy category overSsatisfies Brown representability.
The effect of within-meal protein content and taste on subsequent food choice and satiety
Authors: Griffioen-Roose Sanne , Mars Monica , Finlayson Graham , Blundell John E. , de Graaf Cees
Published: May 2011

It is posed that protein intake is tightly regulated by the human body. The role of sensory qualities in the satiating effects of protein, however, requires further clarification. Our objective was to determine the effect of within-meal protein content and taste on subsequent food choice and satiety. We used a cross-over design whereby sixty healthy, unrestrained subjects (twenty-three males and thirty-seven females) with a mean age of 20·8 (sd 2·1) years and a mean BMI of 21·5 (sd 1·6) kg/m2 were offered one of four isoenergetic preloads (rice meal) for lunch: two low in protein (about 7 % energy derived from protein) and two high in protein (about 25 % energy from protein). Both had a sweet and savoury version. At 30 min after preload consumption, subjects were offered an ad libitum buffet, consisting of food products differing in protein content (low/high) and taste (sweet/savoury). In addition, the computerised Leeds Food Preference Questionnaire (LFPQ) was run to assess several components of food reward. The results showed no effect of protein content of the preloads on subsequent food choice. There was an effect of taste; after eating the savoury preloads, choice and intake of sweet products were higher than of savoury products. No such preference was seen after the sweet preloads. No differences in satiety were observed. To conclude, within one eating episode, within-meal protein content in these quantities seems not to have an effect on subsequent food choice. This appears to be mostly determined by taste, whereby savoury taste exerts the strongest modulating effect. The results of the LFPQ provided insight into underlying processes.
WHO WAS WALKING ON THE BEACH?
Authors: Keating Gregory D. , VanPatten Bill , Jegerski Jill
Published: May 2011

The position of antecedent strategy (Carminati, 2002) claims that speakers of null-subject languages prefer to resolve intrasentential anaphora by linkingproto an antecedent in the specifier of the inflection phrase and the overt pronoun to an antecedent lower in the clause. The present study has two aims: (a) to determine whether adult early Spanish-English bilinguals (Spanish heritage speakers) and late English-Spanish bilinguals (adult second language [L2] learners of Spanish) utilize the same antecedent assignment strategies as monolingually raised Spanish speakers, and (b) to determine whether early exposure to and use of Spanish confers advantages to Spanish heritage speakers relative to L2 learners. Spanish speakers raised without English contact (n= 19), Spanish heritage speakers (n= 25), and L2 learners of Spanish (n= 19) completed an offline questionnaire that comprised complex sentences such asJuan vio a Carlos mientraspro/él caminaba en la playa“John saw Charles while he was walking on the beach.” Comprehension questions probed participants’ preferences regarding the antecedent of null and overt pronouns. The results indicate that the monolingually raised Spanish speakers showed an antecedent bias, but the heritage speakers and the L2 learners did not. Furthermore, the two groups of bilinguals differed from the controls in different ways: The heritage speakers displayed a stronger subject bias for the overt pronoun, whereas the L2 learners did not exhibit any clear antecedent biases.
AN EMERGENTIST PERSPECTIVE ON HERITAGE LANGUAGE ACQUISITION
Authors: O’Grady William , Kwak Hye-Young , Lee On-Soon , Lee Miseon
Published: May 2011

It is widely recognized that the processor has a key role to play in creating and strengthening the mapping between form and meaning that is integral to language use. Adopting an emergentist approach to heritage language acquisition, the current study considers the extent to which the operation of the processor can contribute to an account of what is acquired, what is subsequently retained or lost, and what is never acquired in the first place. These questions are explored from two perspectives. First, morphosyntactic phenomena for which there is apparently substantial input are considered, with a focus on the relevance of salience, frequency, and transparency to the establishment of form-meaning mappings. Second, a phenomenon for which there appears to be relatively little input (i.e., scope) is examined with a view to understanding its fate in heritage language acquisition. In both cases, the emergentist perspective appears to offer promising insights into why heritage language learners succeed—and fail—in the way that they do.
Shameful Ambivalences: Dimensions of Rabbinic Shame
Authors: Crane Jonathan K.
Published: May 2011

According to a ninth-century midrash, God asks the wicked of the world why they did not come closer to God. Each person responds, “I was so steeped in my wickedness that I was ashamed.” Too ashamed, it seems, to muster sufficient courage to admit failures, change behaviors, and move closer—ritually if not spiritually—to God, and so they wallowed deeper into wickedness. Had these people not been so wicked, their shame might have spurred a return to God. A few centuries later, Moses Maimonides prefaces his introductory remarks to theMishneh Torahwith a quotation from Psalms: “Then I would not be ashamed when I regard all Your commandments.” This verse, coming after and completing the psalmist's prayer, “Would that my ways were firm in keeping your laws,” suggests that between action and complete lawfulness shamefulness exists. It is unclear whether the shamefulness Maimonides speaks of inspires fidelity to the law or impinges it. Either way, shame precedes (seeing) the law both lexicographically and phenomenologically. Before lawfulness, shame facilitates both regard of self as well as regard of notions of uprightness and of wickedness. At least according to these two sources, shame intertwines self-consciousness with self-evaluation; it mixes a sense of dark depths with a notion of ascent toward righteousness. Shame breeds inwardness and otherness, and can debilitate as well as empower. In short, shame simultaneously damns and redeems.
עקידת יצחק בספר הזוהר – מניסיון להתנסות
Authors: ישראלי עודד
Published: May 2011

מעשה עקדת יצחק, כפי שהוא מסופר בפרק כב של ספר בראשית, הוא אחד מן הסיפורים המכוננים של אמונת ישראל. השפעותיו על האתוס היהודי של קידוש השם באות לידי ביטוי רחב בתולדות ישראל ובספרות השו"ת, כמו גם ביצירה העממית והליטורגית, והוא מהדהד גם בשירה העברית החדשה. חותמו של סיפור זה על ההיסטוריה ועל היצירה היהודית נידון כבר בהרחבה במחקרים ובחיבורים שונים, אך לעומת זאת מעט מאד נכתב על השתקפותו של הסיפור בספרות הקבלה ובספר הזוהר בפרט. יתכן שהדבר נובע ממיעוט העיסוק באגדה הזוהרית בכלל, אך אפשר והתמקדותו של המחקר בתפקיד שמלא סיפור העקדה בעיצוב תודעת קידוש השם באשכנז שלאחר מסעי הצלב, דחקה אל השוליים את העניין המחקרי באופן שבו הוא נתפרש בעולם הרוחני הספרדי של ימי הביניים, שספר הזוהר הוא מפירותיו המובהקים.
Holocaust Memory in Polish Scholarship
Authors: Auerbach Karen
Published: May 2011

Commemoration of the Holocaust, scholar Halina Taborska recently argued, has entered a new stage in Poland. For more than a decade after communist rule ended in 1989, politicized slogans remained on many Holocaust memorials and other forms of commemoration, remnants of the period “when politicians and ideologues, the ruling powers and the ruled, artists and administrators accepted a definitive version of events as true and obligatory,” she wrote in a collection of articles. Only in recent years has Holocaust commemoration sought to grapple with the “falsified semantic expressions” of Holocaust memory and to depoliticize commemoration in the public sphere.
Response
Authors: Fagenblat Michael
Published: May 2011

My reading of Levinas's magnificent philosophical works,Totality and InfinityandOtherwise than Beingis based on two primary convictions. The first is that Levinas'sphilosophical works, in which he addresses and enjoins people without regard for identity (without regard for peoplehood and law), were produced out of strong readings of the Judaic tradition. Samuel Moyn showed how deeply Levinas was nurtured by interwar Protestant philosophical theology, and I sought to show that it was also possible to read Levinas's philosophy through the rabbinic tradition. Whereas Moyn's outstanding work shrugged off Levinas's Judaism as an “invention,” I regard Levinas as a midrashic philosopher whose account of ethics amounts to a non-Jewish Judaism—non-Jewish since it is addressed to anyone, yet Judaism since, in my view, it is midrashically determined from the ground up. Most of the book attempts to show how Levinas's philosophy works as a reading of core concepts from the Judaic tradition and thereby as a phenomenological midrash of biblical, rabbinic, and Maimonidean texts, all of which Levinas knew well.
“In the Interest of the Volk…”: Nazi-German Paternity Suits and Racial Recategorization in the Munich Superior Courts, 1938–1945
Authors: Kaplan Thomas Pegelow
Published: May 2011

In Nazi Germany, integration into the community of the Volk, or exclusion and persecution, were determined by the regime's categories. As legal historian Michael Stolleis has noted, this new National Socialist terminology “quick[ly] penetrat[ed] … into the old conceptual world” of German jurisprudence and the country's court system. In line with the prescriptions of the political leadership of the Hitler state, bureaucrats of the Justice and Interior Ministries in Berlin drafted novel legislation that, once issued as new laws, judges, state attorneys, and lawyers readily interpreted and put into practice. With the promulgation of the Nuremberg Laws in September 1935, the main racial designations evolved around a tripartite terminology of “full Jews [Volljuden],” “Jewish mixed breeds [Mischlinge],” and “persons of German and kindred blood.” In accordance with paragraph 5 of the first supplementary decree to the Reich Citizenship Law of November 1935, state authorities classified any descendant “from at least three grandparents who [we]re racially full Jews” as Jewish. Paragraph 3 defined Mischlinge of the first degree, introduced as a novel legal category, as Jewish Mischlinge with two grandparents “who [we]re racially full Jews.” The supplementary decrees did not explicitly delineate the term “person of German blood”, but the main commentary of the Nuremberg Laws loosely tied this term to the “German Volk” as a community comprised of six basic races, including the Nordic and East Baltic ones.
Rethinking ‘the Nation’ in National Legal History: A Canadian Perspective
Authors: Girard Philip , Phillips Jim
Published: May 2011

In 1929, when Lorna Parsons tired of her four-year marriage to a London, Ontario tailor, she decided to seek a divorce—in Reno, Nevada. Even though Lorna's divorce was not generally recognized in Canada, obtaining it was important to her and to the hundreds, if not thousands, of Canadians who similarly sought United States divorces at a time when Canadian law was extremely restrictive. The choices of Parsons and her compatriots should be of interest to legal historians. They problematize the idea of national legal history by reminding us that law does not always remain in the tidy jurisdictional containers constructed by legal authorities and academics. National boundaries are more porous, and the nature of law itself more fluid, than we often admit.
Power-Conferring Treaties: The Meaning of ‘Investment’ in the ICSID Convention
Authors: COLE TONY , VAKSHA ANUJ KUMAR
Published: May 2011

It is now standard in contemporary international law commentary to note that the latter part of the twentieth century has seen a move away from the traditional understanding of international law as fundamentally based on the consent of states. As just two examples, customary international law has in some contexts become more influential than treaties and human rights obligations are now recognized as often binding states even when they have signed no treaty acknowledging their existence. Treaty interpretation, by contrast, has remained focused upon the parties to a treaty, with even textualist approaches to treaty interpretation justified as the best means of ascertaining the intent of the contracting states. The purpose of the present article is to highlight the existence of a subset of treaties for which even a teleological approach to interpretation fails to capture the central importance for the treaty of entities other than the contracting states. These ‘power-conferring treaties’ do not merely entrust tribunals with the power to effectively fashion the means by which a treaty's goals should be achieved. To varying degrees, they grant control of the treaty itself, including, at times, both its enforcement and the very meaning of its terms, to entities other than the contracting states. As a result, the traditional emphasis in treaty interpretation on the ‘object and purpose’ of the treaty, and the precise language in which the treaty is written, will fail to generate an interpretation that faithfully captures the manner in which the treaty genuinely functions. The article then illustrates the potential impact of the power-conferring nature of a treaty through an analysis of the meaning of the term ‘investment’ in the International Convention for Settlement of Investment Disputes. This is one of the most controversial topics in contemporary international investment law, with an enormous impact upon the jurisdiction of ICSID arbitral tribunals. It is argued that recognizing the power-conferring nature of the ICSID Convention provides an enhanced understanding of the way in which this term should be interpreted.
Is the European Court of Human Rights Still a Principled Court of Human Rights After the Demopoulos Case?
Authors: LOUCAIDES LOUKIS G.
Published: May 2011

On 10 May 2001, the European Court of Human Rights delivered its judgment in the case of Cyprus v. Turkey pronouncing on the legal consequences of Turkey's invasion and occupation of the northern part of Cyprus since 1974. The Court found Turkey responsible for continuing violations of the right to the home and property of Greek-Cypriots. Invoking the Namibia principle, the Court found that remedies in the occupied part of Cyprus may be regarded as domestic remedies of Turkey and that the question of their effectiveness was to be considered in the specific circumstances in which it arises. On 1 March 2010, the Court decided that a Commission in the occupied area was a remedy that should be exhausted by the complainants for the above violations. Significant legal questions were determined relating to the effectiveness of this remedy with far-reaching consequences concerning the right to home and property as well as other aspects of human rights and international law.
Holding Counsel to Account in International Arbitration
Authors: McMULLAN SAM
Published: May 2011

Counsel are regulated the world over in their dealings with a court of law through the enforcement of ethical duties that are owed by them. With the increased prevalence of arbitration in resolving disputes internationally, the question then arises: how are counsel kept in check when appearing before an arbitral tribunal? The issues involved are magnified when one considers the question in the context of international arbitral tribunals. This paper considers these issues by analysing them in three parts. First, is ethical regulation necessary in international arbitration? Second, does an arbitral tribunal have jurisdiction to consider and enforce ethical obligations owed to it by counsel? Third, what ethical obligations should be applied to counsel?
Determinants of anti-hepatitis A antibody seroprevalence in 2- to 19-year-olds in the USA using NHANES 2007–2008
Authors: VELASCO-MONDRAGON E. , LINDONG I. , KAMANGAR F.
Published: May 2011

The aim of the study was to describe the epidemiology and determinants of anti-hepatitis A seroprevalence in 2- to 19-year-olds in the USA for 2007–2008. This study was conducted in a sample of 2621 individuals aged 2–19 years in the USA using data from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2007–2008. The overall seroprevalence of anti- hepatitis A virus (HAV) in this population was 39% (95% confidence interval 32·6–45·3). HAV seroprevalence was higher in Mexican Americans than other ethnic groups, in younger persons, and in those who reported previous vaccination compared to those who did not. We concluded that anti-hepatitis A seroprevalence rates are increasing in younger individuals in the USA, indicating a shift of seroprevalence over time due to vaccination status. Findings are consistent with a persistent influx of infection through international travel and migration and highlight the need to discern hepatitis A infection from vaccination status when assessing the effectiveness of vaccination using seroprevalence data.