bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Poverty of the Stimulus Revisited
Authors: Berwick Robert C. , Pietroski Paul , Yankama Beracah , Chomsky Noam
Published: August 2011

A central goal of modern generative grammar has been to discover invariant properties of human languages that reflect “the innate schematism of mind that is applied to the data of experience” and that “might reasonably be attributed to the organism itself as its contribution to the task of the acquisition of knowledge” (Chomsky, 1971). Candidates for such invariances include the structure dependence of grammatical rules, and in particular, certain constraints on question formation. Various “poverty of stimulus” (POS) arguments suggest that these invariances reflect an innate human endowment, as opposed to common experience: Such experience warrants selection of the grammars acquired only if humans assume, a priori, that selectable grammars respect substantive constraints. Recently, several researchers have tried to rebut these POS arguments. In response, we illustrate why POS arguments remain an important source of support for appeal to a priori structure‐dependent constraints on the grammars that humans naturally acquire.
Latent Evidence Detection using a Combination of Near Infrared and High Dynamic Range Photography: An Example Using Bloodstains
Authors: Albanese John , Montes Ronald
Published: August 2011

Abstract:  In this paper, we use bloodstains to illustrate an approach for identifying latent evidence on dark cloth using near infrared (NIR) photography combined with high dynamic range (HDR) photography techniques. NIR photography alone has been used to capture latent evidence that cannot be seen in normal ambient light. HDR techniques combine multiple bracketed photographs of the same image to increase the dynamic range of the photograph which can provide greater contrast. Using NIR photography alone, we were able to detect a bloodstain up to a 1/16 dilution, an improvement over previous studies. Combining NIR photography with the HDR process resulted in a noticeable increase in visibility up to 1/16 dilution when compared to NIR photographs alone. At 1/32 dilution, we were able to detect bloodstains that were not visible using NIR alone. NIR is a useful tool for imaging latent evidence, and combining NIR with HDR consistently provides better results over NIR alone.
Validating TrueAllele® DNA Mixture Interpretation*,†
Authors: Perlin Mark W. , Legler Matthew M. , Spencer Cara E. , Smith Jessica L. , Allan William P. , Belrose Jamie L. , Duceman Barry W.
Published: August 2011

Abstract:  DNA mixtures with two or more contributors are a prevalent form of biological evidence. Mixture interpretation is complicated by the possibility of different genotype combinations that can explain the short tandem repeat (STR) data. Current human review simplifies this interpretation by applying thresholds to qualitatively treat STR data peaks as all‐or‐none events and assigning allele pairs equal likelihood. Computer review, however, can work instead with all the quantitative data to preserve more identification information. The present study examined the extent to which quantitative computer interpretation could elicit more identification information than human review from the same adjudicated two‐person mixture data. The base 10 logarithm of a DNA match statistic is a standard information measure that permits such a comparison. On eight mixtures having two unknown contributors, we found that quantitative computer interpretation gave an average information increase of 6.24 log units (min = 2.32, max = 10.49) over qualitative human review. On eight other mixtures with a known victim reference and one unknown contributor, quantitative interpretation averaged a 4.67 log factor increase (min = 1.00, max = 11.31) over qualitative review. This study provides a general treatment of DNA interpretation methods (including mixtures) that encompasses both quantitative and qualitative review. Validation methods are introduced that can assess the efficacy and reproducibility of any DNA interpretation method. An in‐depth case example highlights 10 reasons (at 10 different loci) why quantitative probability modeling preserves more identification information than qualitative threshold methods. The results validate TrueAllele® DNA mixture interpretation and establish a significant information improvement over human review.
Autoerotic Death: Incidence and Age of Victims—A Population‐based Study
Authors: Byard Roger W. , Winskog Calle
Published: August 2011

Abstract:  Review of the Australian National Coronial Information System and the Swedish National Forensic Database was undertaken over a 7‐year period from 2001 to 2007 for all cases where death had been attributed to autoerotic death or sexual asphyxia. In Australia, there were 44 cases (M:F = 42:2) with the majority of victims aged >30 years (77%)—a yearly national rate of approximately 0.3/million. In Sweden, there were nine cases (M:F = 9:0) with the majority of cases aged <30 years (55%)—a yearly national rate of approximately 0.14/million. The usual male predominance was present in both populations, although the Australian victims were older than is usually reported. Lethal sexual asphyxia is uncommon in both the Australian and Swedish populations, with a lower rate than has been cited for North America. Whether this is because of different kinds of paraphilic activities in different populations or of differences in methods of central data collection is uncertain.
A Proposed Dissection Procedure for Vertebral Arteries in Forensic Pathology
Authors: Galtés Ignasi , Rodríguez‐Baeza Alfonso , Subirana Mercè , Barbería Eneko , Castellà Josep , Medallo Jordi
Published: August 2011

Abstract:  Vertebral artery removing constitutes a significant forensic pathology challenge. Dissection techniques during head–neck autopsy are based on anterior approach, a difficult method, which is unable to assess the transverse part of the artery. This work presents an original and simple method for dissecting vertebral arteries by a posterior approach, opening the vertebroarterial canal through the spinal canal without any special equipment. Once the spinal cord is removed, the transversarium foramens are opened by an internal cut at the pedicle and an external cut at the transverse process. This enables us to visualize vertebral arteries in its entirety. The method improves both the examination of the upper extracranial segment of the vertebral artery and the neuropathological study when arterial injury is suspected. Applying this method routinely is both feasible and useful in suspected cases of vertebral artery trauma and could contribute to assess more precisely the actual incidence of this injury.
A Study on the Depression Levels of Children who are Brought to the Forensic DNA Laboratory for Paternity Testing
Authors: Akduman Gülümser Gültekin
Published: August 2011

Abstract:  This study aims to identify the depression levels of children who were brought to the forensic DNA laboratory for paternity testing. A total of 35 such children were enrolled in the study. Data were gathered using the parent interview form, general information form for children, and the “Child Depression Scale” as it had been tested for validity and reliability in the 6–17 year age group in the country. Data were analyzed using one‐way analysis of variance and Scheffe test. The results showed that the age of children who were brought in for paternity testing created a meaningful difference in their depression scores (p < 0.01) while gender did not. In addition, c. 63% of the children in this study did not know why they were in the laboratory, which also caused a meaningful difference in depression scores (p < 0.01).
Race, Gender, and Attitudes Toward War in Chicago: An Intersectional Analysis1
Authors: Allison Rachel
Published: August 2011

Although prior research has documented persistent racial and gender differences in public opinion on war across U.S. military conflicts, there is little understanding as to how race and gender simultaneously shape war opinion. Using data from the 2008 Chicago Area Study, this analysis locates gender within an intersectional examination of black‐white differences in support for the U.S. war in Iraq. “Structural” and “racialized” explanations for blacks’ lower level of support relative to whites are tested, first using all respondents, and then for men and women. Exploratory analyses show the race gap in war support to exist solely among Chicago women. Racial differences in partisanship and education are most strongly associated with black‐white differences in Iraq War support among Chicago women. In addition, while affiliation with the Republican Party increases the odds of support among both men and women, education and political alienation decrease the odds of support only among women and the odds of support increase with age only among men. Results highlight the utility of an intersectional lens to the study of public opinion on foreign policy.
Anti‐infective surgical therapy of peri‐implantitis. A 12‐month prospective clinical study
Authors: Heitz‐Mayfield L. J. A. , Salvi G. E. , Mombelli A. , Faddy M. , Lang N. P.
Published: August 2011

Aim

The aim of this prospective cohort study was to evaluate an anti‐infective surgical protocol for the treatment of peri‐implantitis.

Materials and methods

Thirty‐six implants in 24 partially dentate patients with moderate to advanced peri‐implantitis were treated using an anti‐infective surgical protocol incorporating open flap debridement and implant surface decontamination, with adjunctive systemic amoxicillin and metronidazole. Treatment outcomes were assessed at 3, 6 and 12 months. Patient‐based statistical analyses using multiple regression analyses were performed.

Results

There was 100% survival of treated implants at 12 months. At 3 months, there were statistically significant (P < 0.01) reductions in mean probing depths (PD), Bleeding on Probing (BoP) and suppuration. The greater the mean PD at baseline, the greater the PD reduction at 3 months. At 3 months, there was also a significant mean facial mucosal recession of 1 mm (P < 0.001). All these changes were maintained at 6 and 12 months. At 12 months, all treated implants had a mean PD < 5 mm, while 47% of the implants had complete resolution of inflammation (BoP negative). At 12 months, 92% of implants had stable crestal bone levels or bone gain. There were no significant effects of smoking on any of the treatment outcomes.

Conclusions

For the treatment of peri‐implantitis, an anti‐infective protocol incorporating surgical access, implant surface decontamination and systemic antimicrobials followed by a strict postoperative protocol was effective at 3 months with the results maintained for up to 12 months after treatment.
Whole‐body vibration does not influence knee joint neuromuscular function or proprioception
Authors: Hannah R. , Minshull C. , Folland J. P.
Published: August 2011

This study examined the acute effects of whole‐body vibration (WBV) on knee joint position sense and indices of neuromuscular function, specifically strength, electromechanical delay and the rate of force development. Electromyography and electrically evoked contractions were used to investigate neural and contractile responses to WBV. Fourteen healthy males completed two treatment conditions on separate occasions: (1) 5 × 1 min of unilateral isometric squat exercise on a synchronous vibrating platform [30 Hz, 4 mm peak‐to‐peak amplitude] (WBV) and (2) a control condition (CON) of the same exercise without WBV. Knee joint position sense (joint angle replication task) and quadriceps neuromuscular function were assessed pre‐, immediately‐post and 1 h post‐exercise. During maximum voluntary knee extensions, the peak force (PFV), electromechanical delay (EMDV), rate of force development (RFDV) and EMG of the quadriceps were measured. Twitch contractions of the knee extensors were electrically evoked to assess EMDE and RFDE. The results showed no influence of WBV on knee joint position, EMDV, PFV and RFDV during the initial 50, 100 or 150 ms of contraction. Similarly, electrically evoked neuromuscular function and neural activation remained unchanged following the vibration exercise. A single session of unilateral WBV did not influence any indices of thigh muscle neuromuscular performance or knee joint proprioception.
Deep sequencing of short RNAs reveals novel microRNAs in minor salivary glands of patients with Sjögren’s syndrome
Authors: Tandon M , Gallo A , Jang S‐I , Illei GG , Alevizos I
Published: August 2011

Oral Diseases (2012) 18, 127–131

Objectives:  Sjögren’s syndrome is a complex autoimmune disease of the salivary gland with an unknown etiology, so a thorough characterization of the transcriptome would facilitate our understanding of the disease. We use ultradeep sequencing of small RNAs from patients with Sjögren’s syndrome and healthy volunteers, primarily to identify and discover novel miRNA sequences that may play a role in the disease.

Methods:  Total RNA was isolated from minor salivary glands of healthy volunteers and patients with either high or low salivary flow and sequenced on the SOLiD platform. Prediction of mature miRNAs from the sequenced reads was carried out using miRanalyzer, and expression was validated using Taqman qPCR assays.

Results:  We validated the presence of six previously unidentified miRNA sequences in patient samples and in several cell lines. One of the validated novel miRNAs shows promise as a biomarker for salivary function.

Conclusion:  Sequencing small RNAs in the salivary gland is largely unprecedented, but here, we show the feasibility of discovering novel miRNAs and disease biomarkers by sequencing the transcriptome.
Incidence and pattern of hearing impairment in children with ≤ 800 g birthweight in British Columbia, Canada
Authors: Synnes Anne R , Anson Shelagh , Baum Julia , Usher Laurie
Published: August 2011

Aim:  This study aimed to evaluate changes over time in the characteristics of permanent hearing impairment (HI) in extremely low‐birthweight (ELBW ≤800 g) children.

Methods:  Data from sequential visits up to 5 years of age assessing hearing and other neurodevelopmental outcomes were extracted from a cohort of ELBW subjects born between 1983 and 2006 at a single Canadian site. Trends in HI incidence, severity and association with other impairments were analysed in three 8‐year epochs.

Results:  Fifty of 586 ELBW children had a HI. HI rates increased from 5% in epoch 1 to 7% in epoch 2–13% in epoch 3 (p = 0.01). Mild HI decreased from 78% in epoch 1 to 35% in epoch 3 (p = 0.03). Median age at diagnosis decreased from 13 to 8 months. Comorbidities were more common in HI children than non‐HI children: cerebral palsy (40% vs 14%, p < 0.0001)), cognitive (38% vs 12%, p < 0.0001) and visual impairments (16% vs 6%, p = 0.009).

Conclusion:  The incidence and severity of hearing impairment in a cohort of extremely low‐birthweight children increased significantly from 5% to 13% (p = 0.01) over a 24‐year period. Comorbidities were common. Potentially modifiable causes are explored.
Measuring maternal stress and perceived support in 25 Italian NICUs
Authors: Montirosso Rosario , Provenzi Livio , Calciolari Guido , Borgatti Renato ,   NEO‐ACQUA Study Group
Published: August 2011

Aims:  To determine the validity and reliability of the Parental Stressor Scale: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (PSS: NICU) and the Nurse Parental Support Tool (NPST) for use with Italian parents; to investigate to which extent demographic variables and/or situational factors affect NICU‐related maternal stress.

Methods:  Mothers (N = 156) of very preterm (VPT) infants from 25 Italian NICUs completed a socio‐demographic form, the PSS: NICU and the NPST at discharge. Psychometric properties of both tools were evaluated.

Results:  High internal consistency and split‐half reliability were found for both measures. The multi‐dimensional structure of the PSS:NICU was confirmed. Alteration in parental role emerged as the greatest source of NICU‐related stress. Length of stay in NICU and familiar socio‐economic status explained partial variance in the PSS: NICU scores. NPST score mitigates the stress because of the infant’s appearance and behaviour, but not that related to the parental role alteration.

Conclusions:  PSS: NICU and NPST demonstrated adequate psychometric properties in a large sample of Italian mothers. The need for a psychologically informed support to NICU mothers is suggested.
Initial species pattern affects invasion resistance in experimental grassland plots
Authors: Yurkonis Kathryn A. , Wilsey Brian J. , Moloney Kirk A.
Published: August 2011

Question

Does the spatial patterning of plant species affect plant community dynamics in ways that are independent of effects attributable to species richness or abundances? Does the initial species pattern affect subsequent diversity and invasion in a perennial grassland system?

Location

Field experiment, Iowa State University Horticultural Research Station, Ames, Iowa, USA.

Methods

Experimental plots (4 m2) were planted with seedlings of four grassland species arranged into increasingly larger groups (patches) of conspecific individuals while controlling plot‐scale richness and evenness. Available light (photosynthetically active radiation; PAR) at the soil surface was measured each month for three growing seasons after planting. Species’ relative abundances were quantified via point‐intercept sampling within each plot at the end of each growing season.

Results

In the three growing seasons after planting, planted species richness and evenness (plot scale) did not vary among plots planted with different species patterns. However, early in the second growing season more light reached the soil surface in plots with initially larger conspecific patches. Invader abundance was also consistently higher in plots planted with initially larger conspecific patches.

Conclusions

Our findings support the hypothesis that invasion resistance increases as communities become more heterogeneous at fine scales and suggest that within‐plot heterogeneity should be considered as an additional factor when assessing invasion resistance in perennial plant communities.
High‐pressure analysis of a hammerhead ribozyme from Chrysanthemum chlorotic mottle viroid reveals two different populations of self‐cleaving molecule
Authors: Kaddour Hussein , Vergne Jacques , Hervé Guy , Maurel Marie‐Christine
Published: August 2011

The activity of the full‐length hammerhead ribozyme requires a tertiary interaction between its distal loops leading to the closure of the molecule and its stabilization in the active conformation. In this study, the conformational changes accompanying the cis‐cleavage reaction of Chrysanthemum chlorotic mottle viroid hammerhead ribozyme were investigated by high‐pressure experiments on the complete cleavage reaction. Two activation volumes (ΔV≠) were measured, pointing to the presence of two different populations of molecules corresponding to fast‐cleaving and slow‐cleaving ribozymes in the reaction mixture. The fast population, with a small ΔV≠ of 2.6 mL·mol−1, most likely represents molecules in the near‐active conformation, whereas the slow population, with a larger ΔV≠ of 11.6 mL·mol−1, represents molecules that need a larger conformational change to induce activity. In addition, pH‐dependence experiments suggest that the group whose deprotonation is required for activity intervenes in the formation of the transition state or in the chemistry of the reaction, but not in the conformational change that precedes it.
Substrate‐induced conformational changes in Plasmodium falciparum guanosine monophosphate synthetase
Authors: Bhat Javaid Y. , Venkatachala Roopa , Balaram Hemalatha
Published: August 2011

GMP synthetase is a glutamine amidotransferase that incorporates ammonia derived from glutamine into the nucleotide xanthosine 5′‐monophosphate (XMP) to form guanosine 5′‐monophosphate (GMP). Functional coordination of domains in glutamine amidotransferases leads to upregulation of glutamine hydrolysis in the presence of acceptor substrates and is a common feature in this class of enzymes. We have shown earlier that binding of substrates to the acceptor domain of Plasmodium falciparum GMP synthetase (PfGMPS) leads to enhancement in both glutaminase activity and rate of glutaminase inactivation, by the irreversible inhibitors acivicin and diazo‐oxonorleucine [Bhat JY et al. (2008) Biochem J409, 263–273], a process that must be driven by conformational alterations. In this paper, through the combined use of biochemical assays, optical spectroscopy and mass spectrometry, we demonstrate that PfGMPS undergoes conformational transitions upon binding of substrates to the acceptor domain. Limited proteolysis and hydrogen–deuterium exchange in conjunction with mass spectrometry unveil region‐specific conformational changes in the ATP + XMP bound state of PfGMPS. Decreased accessibility of R294 and K428 residues to trypsin in the ATP pyrophosphatase domain and reduced deuterium incorporation in the 143–155 region, pertaining to the glutaminase domain, suggest that in PfGMPS ligand‐induced conformational changes are not only local but also transmitted over a long range across the domains. Overall, these results provide a detailed understanding of the substrate‐induced changes in PfGMPS that could be essential for the overall catalytic process.
Introduction to Paediatric Advanced Life Support. ARC and NZRC Guideline 2010
Authors:   Australian Resuscitation Council, New Zealand Resuscitation Council
Published: August 2011

Introduction to Paediatric Advanced Life Support. ARC and NZRC Guideline 2010

Advanced Life Support for Infants and Children Diagnosis and Management. ARC and NZRC Guideline 2010

Flowchart for the Sequential Management of Life‐threatening Dysrhythmias in Infants and Children. ARC and NZRC Guideline 2010

Medications and Fluids in Paediatric Advanced Life Support. ARC and NZRC Guideline 2010

Management of Specific Dysrhythmias in Paediatric Advanced Life Support. ARC and NZRC Guideline 2010

Techniques in Paediatric Advanced Life Support. ARC and NZRC Guideline 2010

Management after Resuscitation in Paediatric Advanced Life Support. ARC and NZRC Guideline 2010
Nitrous oxide/oxygen compared with fentanyl in reducing pain among adults with isolated extremity trauma: A randomized trial
Authors: Kariman Hamid , Majidi Alireza , Amini Afshin , Arhami Dolatabadi Ali , Derakhshanfar Hojjat , Hatamabadi Hamidreza , Shahrami Ali , Yaseri Mahdi , Sheibani Kourosh
Published: August 2011

Objective: To compare the effectiveness of nitrous oxide/oxygen (N2O/O2) and fentanyl in relieving pain among patients with an isolated long bone fracture or main joint dislocation of the limbs.

Methods: Patients with isolated long bone fracture or main joint dislocation with moderate to severe pain were randomized into two groups. For the first group, nitrous oxide/oxygen (50:50) was self‐administered until pain relief was achieved up to a maximum of 15 min. Fentanyl (2 µg/kg) as a single dose was administered for the second group. Pain intensity was measured with a visual analogue scale before and at minutes three, six and nine after the start of the drug administration. We also recorded observed adverse effects in these two groups.

Results: One hundred patients were enrolled in the study. No statistically significant difference in pain score was detected between the two groups with one exception. The mean visual analogue scale scores at 9 min were 2.2 and 3.1 for nitrous oxide/oxygen and fentanyl, respectively (difference −0.9 [95% CI −1.7–−0.1]) (P= 0.006). There was no statistically significant difference between two groups regarding adverse effects.

Conclusions: Neither nitrous oxide/oxygen or fentanyl appeared to be superior to the other in relieving moderate to severe pain among emergency patients presenting with isolated limb fracture or dislocation. In an ED, increased use of nitrous oxide might reduce the overall need for opiate analgesia, and in our setting, the need for constant monitoring.
Review article: Prehospital fluid management in traumatic brain injury
Authors: Tan Pek Ghe , Cincotta Marion , Clavisi Ornella , Bragge Peter , Wasiak Jason , Pattuwage Loyal , Gruen Russell L
Published: August 2011

The early management of patients who have sustained traumatic brain injury is aimed at preventing secondary brain injury through avoidance of cerebral hypoxia and hypoperfusion. Especially in hypotensive patients, it has been postulated that hypertonic crystalloids and colloids might support mean arterial pressure more effectively by expanding intravascular volume without causing problematic cerebral oedema. We conducted a systematic review to investigate if hypertonic saline or colloids result in better outcomes than isotonic crystalloid solutions, as well as to determine the safety of minimal volume resuscitation, or delayed versus immediate fluid resuscitation during prehospital care for patients with traumatic brain injury. We identified nine randomized controlled trials and one cohort study examined the effects of hypertonic solutions (with or without colloid added) for prehospital fluid resuscitation. None has reported better survival and functional outcomes over the use of isotonic crystalloids. The only trial of restrictive resuscitation strategies was underpowered to demonstrate its safety compared with aggressive early fluid resuscitation in head injured patients, and maintenance of cerebral perfusion remains the top priority.
Evidence for environmentally dependent cluster disruption in M83
Authors: Bastian N. , Adamo A. , Gieles M. , Lamers H. J. G. L. M. , Larsen S. S. , Silva-Villa E. , Smith L. J. , Kotulla R. , Konstantopoulos I. S. , Trancho G. , Zackrisson E.
Published: August 2011

Using multiwavelength imaging from the Wide Field Camera 3 on the Hubble Space Telescope we study the stellar cluster populations of two adjacent fields in the nearby face-on spiral galaxy, M83. The observations cover the galactic centre and reach out to ∼6 kpc, thereby spanning a large range of environmental conditions, ideal for testing empirical laws of cluster disruption. The clusters are selected by visual inspection to be centrally concentrated, symmetric and resolved on the images. We find that a large fraction of objects detected by automated algorithms (e.g. SExtractor or daofind) are not clusters, but rather are associations. These are likely to disperse into the field on time-scales of tens of Myr due to their lower stellar densities and not due to gas expulsion (i.e. they were never gravitationally bound). We split the sample into two discrete fields (inner and outer regions of the galaxy) and search for evidence of environmentally dependent cluster disruption. Colour—colour diagrams of the clusters, when compared to simple stellar population models, already indicate that a much larger fraction of the clusters in the outer field are older by tens of Myr than in the inner field. This impression is quantified by estimating each cluster's properties (age, mass and extinction) and comparing the age/mass distributions between the two fields. Our results are inconsistent with ‘universal’ age and mass distributions of clusters, and instead show that the ambient environment strongly affects the observed populations.
Potential biases in the detection of planetary systems with large transit timing variations
Authors: García-Melendo E. , López-Morales M.
Published: August 2011

The transit timing variations (TTVs) technique provides a powerful tool to detect additional planets in transiting exoplanetary systems. In this Letter, we show how transiting planets with significant TTVs can be systematically missed, or catalogued as false positives, by current transit search algorithms, unless they are in multitransit systems. If the period of the TTVs, PTTV, is longer than the time baseline of the observations and its amplitude, ATTV, is larger than the timing precision limit of the data, transiting planet candidates are still detected, but with incorrect ephemerides. Therefore, they will be discarded during follow-up. When PTTV is shorter than the time baseline of the observations and ATTV is sufficiently large, constant period search algorithms find an average period for the system, which results in altered transit durations and depths in the folded light curves. Those candidates can get subsequently discarded as eclipsing binaries, grazing eclipses or blends. Also, for large enough ATTV values, the transits can get fully occulted by the photometric dispersion of the light curves. These detection biases could explain the observed statistical differences between the frequency of multiple systems among planets detected via other techniques and those detected via transits. We suggest that new transit search algorithms allowing for non-constant period planets should be implemented.
Design and Synthesis of a Series of Novel Bisquinazoline Glycosides as Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Inhibitors
Authors: Chen Shaopeng , Zhang Xiaowei , Wang Junlei , Wan Shengbiao , Geng Meiyu , Jiang Tao
Published: August 2011

A new series of potential epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors possessing bisquinazoline and saccharide moieties were designed and synthesized. The biological results demonstrated that the synthetic derivatives significantly inhibited epidermal growth factor receptor enzymatic activity in vitro. Of them, compound 14b showed the highest inhibitory rate toward epidermal growth factor receptor protein tyrosine kinase (81.36%) at a concentration of 1 μm. Further molecular simulation predicted that 14b offered its saccharide moieties hydrogen bonding to ATP‐binding pocket.
Naturalistic Explanation for Religious Belief
Authors: Leech David , Visala Aku
Published: August 2011

Recent decades have seen the emergence of various cognitive and biological explanations of religious belief that claim to be better scientifically supported than predecessor explanations. This article provides an overview of such explanations and some of the philosophical discussions they have evoked. Contemporary naturalistic explanations of religious belief come in three types: (1) cognitive explanations, (2) evolutionary explanations and (3) co‐evolutionary explanations. Some writers have claimed that scientifically plausible biological and psychological accounts of religious belief make religious belief itself irrational because they reveal the naturalness and unreliability of the mechanisms that produce religious belief. Conversely, others have argued that the possible naturalness of religious belief is not enough to make it irrational or unwarranted. They maintain that naturalistic explanations of religious belief cannot debunk religious belief wholesale, but instead their religious relevance depends on the ways in which religious people justify their beliefs. Philosophical debates are currently in their early stages, as are the naturalistic theories, and the chief philosophical stakes themselves have not yet come entirely into focus.
Ideal Observer Theories in Aesthetics
Authors: Ross Stephanie
Published: August 2011

I examine the prospects for an ideal observer theory in aesthetics modelled on Roderick Firth’s 1952 paper ‘Ethical Absolutism and the Ideal Observer’. The first generation of philosophers to consider an Ideal Aesthetic Observer (IAO) found fault with Firth’s omniscience condition; more recent writers have criticized the affective component of an IAO’s response. In the end, most discussants reject the possibility of an IAO theory. Though the IAO theory gets the model wrong for answering meta‐aesthetic questions, revisiting the debate prompts useful reconsideration of the role of the critic and the nature of aesthetic appreciation.
Infusion with the antioxidant N‐acetylcysteine attenuates early adaptive responses to exercise in human skeletal muscle
Authors: Petersen A. C. , McKenna M. J. , Medved I. , Murphy K. T. , Brown M. J. , Della Gatta P. , Cameron‐Smith D.
Published: August 2011

Aim:  Production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in skeletal muscle is markedly increased during exercise and may be essential for exercise adaptation. We, therefore, investigated the effects of infusion with the antioxidant N‐acetylcysteine (NAC) on exercise‐induced activation of signalling pathways and genes involved in exercise adaptation in human skeletal muscle.

Methods:  Subjects completed two exercise tests, 7 days apart, with saline (control, CON) or NAC infusion before and during exercise. Exercise tests comprised of cycling at 71%2peak for 45 min, and then 92% \dot{{V}}\hbox{O}2peak to fatigue, with vastus lateralis biopsies at pre‐infusion, after 45‐min cycling and at fatigue.

Results:  Analysis was conducted on the mitogen‐activated protein kinase signalling pathways, demonstrating that NAC infusion blocked the exercise‐induced increase in JNK phosphorylation, but not ERK1/2, or p38 MAPK. Nuclear factor‐κB p65 phosphorylation was unaffected by exercise; however, it was reduced in NAC at fatigue by 14% (P < 0.05) compared with pre‐infusion. Analysis of exercise and/or ROS‐sensitive genes demonstrated that exercise‐induced mRNA expression is ROS dependent of MnSOD, but not PGC‐1α, interleukin‐6, monocyte chemotactic protein‐1, or heat‐shock protein 70.

Conclusion:  These results suggest that inhibition of ROS attenuates some skeletal muscle cell signalling pathways and gene expression involved in adaptations to exercise.
Idiopathic osseous hyperplasia of the nasal turbinates in a Welsh terrier
Authors: Rutherford S. , Whitbread T. , Ness M.
Published: August 2011

A three‐year‐old Welsh terrier was presented with a 6‐month history of progressive stertor, exercise intolerance and sneezing which was unresponsive to symptomatic treatment. A large calcified mass occupying the entire rostral right nasal cavity was defined with computed tomography. The mass was completely removed via a dorsal rhinotomy. Histopathological examination of the mass revealed osseous hyperplasia of the nasal turbinates. The excision led to complete resolution of clinical signs and there has been no recurrence 18 months after surgery.
Bacterial and fungal colonisation of peripheral intravenous catheters in dogs and cats
Authors: Seguela J. , Pages J.‐P.
Published: August 2011

Objectives: The purposes of this study were to determine the prevalence of intravenous catheter colonisation in a routine clinical setting, to identify pathogens involved and to explore factors associated with an increased risk of colonisation.

Methods: A prospective study of 100 peripherally placed intravenous catheters from 13 cats and 78 dogs was conducted. The distal two‐thirds were removed and submitted for bacterial and fungal cultures. Antimicrobial susceptibility of each isolate was determined.

Results: Nineteen peripheral catheters were positive for microbiologic culture from 14 animals. Twenty organisms were isolated among which Staphylococcus species was the most common. Isolates displayed lower levels of resistance against the antimicrobial agents amoxicillin‐clavulanate, cephalosporins and gentamicin than against other agents tested. Major risk factors predisposing to catheter‐related colonisation included dextrose infusion, duration of catheter placement, local complications and immunosuppressive diseases or drugs.

Clinical Significance: In a routine clinical setting, the prevalence of microbial colonisation of peripheral intravenous catheters is comparable to that found in an intensive care unit. However, consequences on morbidity and mortality rates differ.
Society, sex, and STIs: human behavior and the evolution of sexually transmitted diseases and their agents
Authors: Nahmias Susa Beckman , Nahmias Daniella
Published: August 2011

The last few decades have provided new perspectives on the increasingly complex interrelationships between the evolutionary epidemiology of STDs and their agents, human sexuality, and economic, social, cultural, and technological developments. Rapidly emerging HIV/AIDS, globalization, migration, and information technology are some factors that stress the importance of focusing on how old and new sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are spread, both in and between networks and populations. This review of determinants of STI transmission emphasizes their impact on disease prevalence and transmission, as well as their potential for affecting the agents themselves—directly or indirectly. Interventions aiming to control the spread of STIs and HIV on the different levels of society need to be adapted to the specific environment and need to integrate social structures, such as economic and gender inequality and mobility, as well as the great variability and complexity of sexual behavior.
The evolution of infectious agents in relation to sex in animals and humans: brief discussions of some individual organisms
Authors: Reed David L. , Currier Russell W. , Walton Shelley F. , Conrad Melissa , Sullivan Steven A. , Carlton Jane M. , Read Timothy D. , Severini Alberto , Tyler Shaun , Eberle R. , Johnson Welkin E. , Silvestri Guido , Clarke Ian N. , Lagergård Teresa , Lukehart Sheila A. , Unemo Magnus , Shafer William M. , Beasley R. Palmer , Bergström Tomas , Norberg Peter , Davison Andrew J. , Sharp Paul M. , Hahn Beatrice H. , Blomberg Jonas
Published: August 2011

The following series of concise summaries addresses the evolution of infectious agents in relation to sex in animals and humans from the perspective of three specific questions: (1) what have we learned about the likely origin and phylogeny, up to the establishment of the infectious agent in the genital econiche, including the relative frequency of its sexual transmission; (2) what further research is needed to provide additional knowledge on some of these evolutionary aspects; and (3) what evolutionary considerations might aid in providing novel approaches to the more practical clinical and public health issues facing us currently and in the future?
Copia Nostri: Echoes of a Poetic Self in Kafka's “Der Ausflug ins Gebirge”
Authors: Driscoll Kári
Published: August 2011

Through a reading of Kafka's “Der Ausflug ins Gebirge” and the story of Echo and Narcissus in Ovid's Metamorphoses, this paper explores the strategies employed by Kafka in creating a poetic self. Central to this maneuver are the complementary tropes of aphanisis, the “fading” of the subject upon contact with language, and prosopopoeia, the lending of a voice to a voiceless entity Kafka's text stages a “Ruf ohne Klang,” uttered by a silent “I” which is able to “lend” itself a voice only by fading away behind its own image. Unpacking the multiple resonances of the word “copia,” the essay explores the power of the echo, as producer of difference and meaning through repetition, to constitute an original utterance. In this way, Kafka's text may be read as a textual echo that preserves an utterance which otherwise could never have come into being.
“Beim Straucheln und beim Stürzen und beim Schreien”: Ekphrastic Representation and Identification in Gert Hofmann's Der Blindensturz
Authors: Knapp Thyra E.
Published: August 2011

In this analysis of Gert Hofmann's 1985 novel, Der Blindensturz, ekphrasis is reexamined as a postmodern literary device through which marginalized characters express their alterity Here, the traditional ekphrastic focus on a work of plastic art within a text shifts instead to the literary subjects illuminated by an artwork. The relationship of the subjects (six blind beggars) to the painter, Pieter Bruegel the Elder, and the way in which he represents them in the 1568 painting, Parable of the Blind, inspire questions of both ethics and aesthetics. Conventional theories of intersemiotic transposition underpin this investigation; however, it will be shown that both Hofmann and Bruegel simultaneously confirm and challenge tradition. I argue that while the painter's transformation of the marginalized characters into visual signs converts them into a form of representation legible to the public, the act of ekphrastic narration gives voice to this signification.
Excursions into German History and Poetic Voices: Marcel Beyer's Falsches Futter1
Authors: Mundt Hannelore
Published: August 2011

In contrast to the critical attention given to Marcel Beyer's novels Flughunde (1995), Spione (2000), and Kaltenburg (2008), his cycle of poems Falsches Futter (1997) has received little similar comment. Based on Beyer's criticism of poetry in the service of (Nazi) ideology in Falsches Futter, and drawing from his comments on poetry in his nonfictional publications, this article investigates how the poems embrace yet also disavow communication with readers, in order to reject poetry as ethical and political orientation and engage readers in an open dialogue about Germany's past and present. By using disparate images and cryptic allusions, and by mixing his poetic voice with those of Brecht, Benn, and others, Beyer creates a multi‐layered poetic discourse that oscillates between constructing and rejecting an intelligible world in its presentation of twentieth‐century German history, and that both questions and affirms the functionality of poetic discourse. Thus despite his skepticism toward language, Beyer embraces a provocative poetry as playful resistance to reality, which in Falsches Futter is overshadowed by violence, disillusionment, and desolation.
Hematology, leukocyte cytochemical analysis, plasma biochemistry, and plasma electrophoresis of wild‐caught and captive‐bred Gila monsters (Heloderma suspectum)
Authors: Cooper‐Bailey Kerri , Smith Stephen A. , Zimmerman Kurt , Lane Rosalie , Raskin Rose E. , DeNardo Dale
Published: August 2011

Background:The Gila monster (Heloderma suspectum), one of several venomous lizard species in the world, is found within the United States and Mexico and is recognized as an iconic symbol of the American Southwest. Thus, Gila monsters are of growing interest in the captive reptile trade and within zoological and educational institutions.

Objectives:The aims of this study were to determine results for CBCs, describe cytochemical reactions in WBCs, and obtain plasma biochemical and protein electrophoresis results from wild‐caught and captive‐bredH. suspectum.

Methods:Ventral tail vein blood samples were obtained from 16 captive (14 wild‐caught and 2 captive‐bred) Gila monsters. CBCs, RBC morphometric analysis, plasma biochemical analysis, and protein electrophoresis were performed. Leukocytes were stained for peroxidase, Sudan black B (SBB), chloroacetate esterase, napthyl butyrate esterase, and leukocyte alkaline phosphatase, and blood smears were examined for the presence of hemoparasites.

Results:The median (range) PCV was 37% (22–50%) and WBC count was 4.6 × 103/μL (3.3–6.4 × 103/μL) with approximately 50% heterophils and fewer lymphocytes, basophils, azurophils, and monocytes in decreasing order. Cytochemical reactions were unique among reptiles with strong staining for peroxidase and SBB in monocytes/azurophils. Biochemical results were similar to those of earlier reports with slight increases in uric acid and urea concentrations. Plasma electrophoretic results indicated that albumin was approximately equal to the combined globulin fractions.

Conclusions:Results of blood analysis in healthy wild‐caught and captive‐bredH. suspectummay be useful for monitoring health status in this species.
THE USE OF TELESCOPING SPATIAL SCALES TO CAPTURE INSHORE TO SLOPE DYNAMICS IN MARINE ECOSYSTEM MODELING
Authors: JOHNSON PENELOPE , FULTON ELIZABETH , SMITH DAVID C. , JENKINS GREGORY P. , BARRETT NEVILLE
Published: August 2011

Abstract Ecosystem processes function at many scales, and capturing these processes is a challenge for ecosystem models. Nevertheless, it is a necessary step for considering many management issues pertaining to shelf and coastal systems. In this paper, we explore one method of modeling large areas with a focus at a range of scales. We develop an ecosystem model that can be used for strategic management decision support by modeling the waters off southeastern Australia using a polygon telescoping approach, which incorporates fine‐scale detail at the coastal zone, increasing in scale to a very coarse scale in the offshore areas. This telescoping technique is a useful tool for incorporating a wide range of habitats at different scales into a single model.
CLIMATE CHANGE AND COOPERATION IN TRANSBOUNDARY WATER SHARING: AN APPLICATION OF STOCHASTIC STACKELBERG DIFFERENTIAL GAMES IN VOLTA RIVER BASIN
Authors: BHADURI ANIK , MANNA UTPAL , BARBIER EDWARD , LIEBE JENS
Published: August 2011

Abstract As multiple countries share a river, the likelihood of conflicts over distributing water resources increases, particularly under the effects of climate change. In this paper, we demonstrate how countries can cooperate in sustainable transboundary water sharing under such conditions. We examine the case of water distribution in the Volta Basin of West Africa between the upstream country, Burkina Faso, and the downstream country, Ghana. The latter faces an additional tradeoff between the production of hydropower in the south, close to the outlet of the basin, and agricultural water use in the reservoir’s catchment area in the north. In the framework of a stochastic Stackelberg differential game, we show how sustainable water‐sharing agreements can be achieved by linking transboundary flows to hydropower exports. Our results indicate that, through cooperation, Ghana will have an opportunity to increase its water abstraction for agriculture, which has remained largely restricted. We also find that the equilibrium strategies for the long‐run distribution are stable even with increasing variances of water flow.
Effect of complete edentulism on masseter muscle thickness and changes after complete denture rehabilitation: an ultrasonographic study
Authors: Bhoyar Parag Sudhakar , Godbole Surekha R. , Thombare Ram U. , Pakhan Ashok J.
Published: August 2011

Aim:  The aim of the present study was to determine the changes in masseter muscle thickness due to the state of complete edentulism and the effect of complete denture rehabilitation on the masseter muscle.

Methods:  Real‐time ultrasonography of the masseter muscle at relaxed and contracted states was carried out for twelve patients (six dentulous and six completely edentulous). Edentulous patients were scanned at the time of denture insertion and at the end of 3 months’ follow up.

Results:  The mean masseter muscle thickness of the edentulous patients was significantly increased after the 3‐month follow‐up than the thickness at the time of denture insertion, but was significantly lower than that of the dentulous patients of the same age group.

Conclusion:  Within the limitations of this study, it can be concluded that change occurs in the masseter muscle thickness after rehabilitation with complete dentures in the form of increased muscle thickness. However, the thickness of the muscle remains smaller than that of dentate individuals.