bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Communication: Semiclassical perturbation theory for the quantum diffractive scattering of atoms on thermal surfaces
Authors: Daon Shauli , Pollak Eli , Miret-Artés S.
Published: December 2012

Inspired by the semiclassical perturbation theory of Hubbard and Miller [J. Chem. Phys. 80, 5827 (1984)10.1063/1.446609], we derive explicit expressions for the angular distribution of particles scattered from thermal surfaces. At very low surface temperature, the observed experimental background scattering is proportional to the spectral density of the phonons. The angular distribution is a sum of diffraction peaks and a broad background reflecting the spectral density. The theory is applied to measured angular distributions of Ne, Ar, and Kr scattered from a Cu(111) surface.
An insight into voltage-biased superconducting quantum interference devices
Authors: Liu Chao , Zhang Yi , Mück Michael , Krause Hans-Joachim , Braginski Alex I. , Xie Xiaoming , Offenhäusser Andreas , Jiang Mianheng
Published: December 2012

We experimentally studied two important parameters of helium-cooled superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) in the voltage bias mode: the dynamic resistance Rd and the flux-to-current transfer coefficient ∂i/∂Φ, with different junction shunt resistors RJ. We investigated a voltage-biased SQUID using the direct readout current-to-voltage converter scheme involving an operational amplifier. At higher RJ, the flux-to-voltage conversion coefficient ∂V/∂Φ becomes sufficiently large to effectively suppress the room-temperature amplifier's noise without any need for additional feedback circuits. The McCumber parameter limits the rise of ∂V/∂Φ. We discuss the performance of voltage-biased SQUIDs at different effective McCumber parameters.
Probing molecular interactions on carbon nanotube surfaces using surface plasmon resonance sensors
Authors: Kakenov Nurbek , Balci Osman , Balci Sinan , Kocabas Coskun
Published: December 2012

In this work, we present a method to probe molecular interactions on single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) surfaces using a surface plasmon sensor. SWNT networks were synthesized by chemical vapor deposition and transfer-printed on gold surfaces. We studied the excitation of surface plasmon-polaritons on nanotube coated gold surfaces with sub-monolayer, monolayer, and multilayer surface coverage. Integrating the fabricated sensor with a microfluidic device, we were able to obtain binding dynamics of a bovine serum albumin (BSA) protein on SWNT networks with various tube densities. The results reveal the kinetic parameters for nonspecific binding of BSA on SWNT coated surfaces having various tube densities.
Fabrication of single-dot planar nano-devices and the application to the exchange bias characterization in nano-pillar devices
Authors: Thiyagarajah Naganivetha , Lin Lin , Bae Seongtae
Published: December 2012

Single dot [Co/Pd]5/FeMn nano-pillar devices with split nano-contacts are fabricated down to 150 × 150 nm2 dimensions, to understand the effects of nano-patterning on perpendicular exchange bias (PEB) characteristics. Using extraordinary Hall effect measurements, magnetic force microscopy, and numerical calculations, it is shown that the exchange bias field initially increases from the thin-film value, with decreasing dimensions down to a critical dimension below, which it again reduces. The PEB characteristics of the nano-pillar devices are found to be influenced by changes to the ferromagnetic (FM) layer anisotropy, exchange coupling between ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic layers, in addition to edge effects caused by the fabrication process.
Low-voltage zinc oxide thin-film transistors with solution-processed channel and dielectric layers below 150 °C
Authors: Xu Xiaoli , Cui Qingyu , Jin Yizheng , Guo Xiaojun
Published: December 2012

In this letter, solution processed low voltage (<3 V) zinc oxide (ZnO) thin-film transistors with the maximum process temperature not exceeding 150 °C were achieved. In the devices, an ultra-thin zirconium oxide layer was formed as the gate dielectric via ultraviolet irradiation assisted sol-gel processes, and the ZnO channel was processed from an aqueous precursor of ammine-hydroxo zinc complex. The devices can be operated under a voltage of 3 V, and show decent device performance with the field effect mobility of 0.45 cm2/V · s and an ON/OFF current ratio of 105.
High-performance organic transistors with high-k dielectrics: A comparative study on solution-processed single crystals and vacuum-deposited polycrystalline films of 2,9-didecyl-dinaphtho[2,3-b:2′,3′-f]thieno[3,2-b]thiophene
Authors: Ou-Yang W. , Uemura T. , Miyake K. , Onish S. , Kato T. , Katayama M. , Kang M. , Takimiya K. , Ikeda M. , Kuwabara H. , Hamada M. , Takeya J.
Published: December 2012

High carrier-mobility organic field-effect transistors are developed employing high-k gate dielectrics so that unprecedentedly high transconductance is realized. 2,9-didecyl-dinaphtho[2,3-b:2′,3′-f]thieno[3,2-b]thiophene (C10-DNTT) solution-crystallized films are coated on hybrid gate insulators of silane self-assembled monolayers and high-k Al2O3 formed by atomic-layer-deposition. Intrinsically high carrier mobility exceeding 10 cm2/Vs in the crystalline C10-DNTT is preserved even on the high-k gate insulators because of suppressed coupling of the field-induced carriers to the polarization of the dielectrics.
Restricted leucine zipper dimerization and specificity of DNA recognition of the melanocyte master regulator MITF
Authors: Pogenberg Vivian , Ögmundsdóttir Margrét H , Bergsteinsdóttir Kristín , Schepsky Alexander , Phung Bengt , Deineko Viktor , Milewski Morlin , Steingrímsson Eiríkur , Wilmanns Matthias
Published: December 2012

Microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) is a master regulator of melanocyte development and an important oncogene in melanoma. MITF heterodimeric assembly with related basic helix–loop–helix leucine zipper transcription factors is highly restricted, and its binding profile to cognate DNA sequences is distinct. Here, we determined the crystal structure of MITF in its apo conformation and in the presence of two related DNA response elements, the E-box and M-box. In addition, we investigated mouse and human Mitf mutations to dissect the functional significance of structural features. Owing to an unusual three-residue shift in the leucine zipper register, the MITF homodimer shows a marked kink in one of the two zipper helices to allow an out-of-register assembly. Removal of this insertion relieves restricted heterodimerization by MITF and permits assembly with the transcription factor MAX. Binding of MITF to the M-box motif is mediated by an unusual nonpolar interaction by Ile212, a residue that is mutated in mice and humans with Waardenburg syndrome. As several related transcription factors have low affinity for the M-box sequence, our analysis unravels how these proteins discriminate between similar target sequences. Our data provide a rational basis for targeting MITF in the treatment of important hereditary diseases and cancer.
The INO80 chromatin remodeling complex prevents polyploidy and maintains normal chromatin structure at centromeres
Authors: Chambers Anna L. , Ormerod Georgina , Durley Samuel C. , Sing Tina L. , Brown Grant W. , Kent Nicholas A. , Downs Jessica A.
Published: December 2012

The INO80 chromatin remodeling complex functions in transcriptional regulation, DNA repair, and replication. Here we uncover a novel role for INO80 in regulating chromosome segregation. First, we show that the conserved Ies6 subunit is critical for INO80 function in vivo. Strikingly, we found that loss of either Ies6 or the Ino80 catalytic subunit results in rapid increase in ploidy. One route to polyploidy is through chromosome missegregation due to aberrant centromere structure, and we found that loss of either Ies6 or Ino80 leads to defective chromosome segregation. Importantly, we show that chromatin structure flanking centromeres is altered in cells lacking these subunits and that these alterations occur not in the Cse4-containing centromeric nucleosome, but in pericentric chromatin. We provide evidence that these effects are mediated through misincorporation of H2A.Z, and these findings indicate that H2A.Z-containing pericentric chromatin, as in higher eukaryotes with regional centromeres, is important for centromere function in budding yeast. These data reveal an important additional mechanism by which INO80 maintains genome stability.
Preparation of the Mouse Spinal Column for Single Imaging Using Two-Photon Laser-Scanning Microscopy
Authors: Steffens Heinz , Nadrigny Fabien , Kirchhoff Frank
Published: December 2012

Two-photon imaging of the nervous system is now used extensively for visualizing brain dynamics and signal activities. To date, scientists have focused on the analysis either of gray matter forebrain structures, such as the cortex and cerebellum, or they have investigated muscle innervation of peripheral nerves. The spinal cord is an ideal structure to use for imaging central nervous system white matter. The dorsal columns formed by myelinated sensory axons are located directly at the surface of the spinal cord underneath the pia mater. Neuronal fibers and neighboring glial cells can be imaged in transgenic mice using cell type-specific fluorescent protein expression. This protocol describes the anesthesia and surgical procedures necessary to prepare the mouse spinal column so that neurons and glia in the spinal cord can be imaged using two-photon laser-scanning microscopy (2pLSM). These procedures are ideal for single-imaging experiments in which the spinal cord needs to be imaged at optimal spatial resolution with minimal motion artifacts.
Assembly of Imaging Chambers and High-Resolution Imaging of Early Chick Embryos
Authors: Voiculescu Octavian , Stern Claudio D.
Published: December 2012

The chick embryo is a classical model system for developmental biology. Its flat disk morphology exemplifies the amniote embryos from reptiles, birds, and most mammals (including humans). It is also particularly amenable to manipulation and culture both in vitro and in ovo. As a consequence, studies with this system have been important for promoting our understanding of cell and tissue movements, lineages, inductive processes, and cell fate decisions. In recent years, imaging techniques have been devised that allow these questions to be studied at the cellular level at late neurulation and segmentation stages. Modern improvements to imaging techniques now allow direct visualization of molecular interactions and cellular events and are likely to be instrumental in linking these processes to whole tissue and embryo morphogenesis. Here, we describe a method for high-resolution (confocal or multiphoton) time-lapse imaging of chick embryos at stages spanning pregastrulation to early neurulation. We give detailed instructions for assembling the specialized imaging chambers required for this procedure.
Systematic versus Random Sampling in Stereological Studies
Authors: West Mark J.
Published: December 2012

The sampling that takes place at all levels of an experimental design must be random if the estimate is to be unbiased in a statistical sense. There are two fundamental ways by which one can make a random sample of the sections and positions to be probed on the sections. Using a card-sampling analogy, one can pick any card at all out of a deck of cards. This is referred to as independent random sampling because the sampling of any one card is made without reference to the position of the other cards. The other approach to obtaining a random sample would be to pick a card within a set number of cards and others at equal intervals within the deck. Systematic sampling along one axis of many biological structures is more efficient than random sampling, because most biological structures are not randomly organized. This article discusses the merits of systematic versus random sampling in stereological studies.
Light-Emitting Diodes for Biological Microscopy
Authors: Sato Tomokazu , Murthy Venkatesh N.
Published: December 2012

Various technological advances have made imaging an increasingly useful tool in the life sciences. Imaging techniques that move away from the limitations of wide-field microscopy have allowed deeper, higher-resolution imaging of thick biological tissue. Even within wide-field microscopy, advancements such as structured and sheet illumination, as well as improvements of biological probes, have led to better visualization of cells and their subcellular structures. The illumination source for wide-field microscopy, however, has remained relatively unchanged for decades, relying mainly on xenon, mercury, and halogen lamps. Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have existed for more than 80 years, but their spectral range and output light flux have only recently become large enough for use in biological applications. This article presents the basic information necessary to build and to use an LED-based illumination source for microscopy. It also provides some useful resources about LED advancements. Although commercial LED-based illuminators for microscopy are available, custom-built illumination systems can incorporate the latest LED chips into microscopes more quickly and inexpensively than is possible through the retail market.
Reproductive failure of a long‐lived wetland tree in urban lands and managed forests
Authors: McCauley Lisa A. , Jenkins David G. , Quintana‐Ascencio Pedro F.
Published: December 2012

Urbanization is associated with the eventual reproductive failure of cypress and in the absence of management practice changes, cypress recruitment may cease in many additional wetlands. If past urbanization rates continue, 80–90% of cypress populations in isolated wetlands in the path of urban sprawl could permanently cease recruitment in 100 years. Reducing urban sprawl and introducing prescribed fire in managed‐forest cypress domes could mitigate this effect and conserve reproduction of this long‐lived, dominant tree species and the diversity of the wetlands they typify.
Support‐seeking, support‐provision and support‐perception in distressed married couples: a multi‐method analysis
Authors: Verhofstadt Lesley LL , Lemmens Gilbert MD , Buysse Ann
Published: December 2012

An emerging consensus argues for the importance of spousal support in our understanding of how relationships succeed or fail. This report covers two studies that examined support seeking, support provision and support perception in distressed married couples. In Study 1 a total of seventy distressed and seventy non‐distressed couples participated in a survey study; in Study 2 twenty distressed and twenty non‐distressed couples participated in an observational study. Global self‐reports were used in both studies to assess spouses’ support behaviour and perceived support. These measures were supplemented in Study 2 with measures of observed support behaviour and interaction‐based perceived support as assessed during specific support interactions. Our self‐report and observational measures consistently indicated that distressed marital couples display lower levels of positive support‐seeking and emotional or instrumental support provision than non‐distressed couples. We also found evidence for higher levels of negative support‐seeking and provision behaviour in distressed couples, as compared to non‐distressed couples. Distressed spouses also reported lower levels of global and interaction‐based perceived support than non‐distressed spouses.

Practitioner points

Assess and evaluate the different support behaviour in couples

Explain the interactional support behaviour cycle

Increase support skills within the couple

Detect and block negative support behaviour
Transcriptional and functional characterization of genetic elements involved in galacto‐oligosaccharide utilization by Bifidobacterium breve UCC2003
Authors: O'Connell Motherway Mary , Kinsella Michael , Fitzgerald Gerald F. , van Sinderen Douwe
Published: December 2012

Several prebiotics, such as inulin, fructo‐oligosaccharides and galacto‐oligosaccharides, are widely used commercially in foods and there is convincing evidence, in particular for galacto‐oligosaccharides, that prebiotics can modulate the microbiota and promote bifidobacterial growth in the intestinal tract of infants and adults. In this study we describe the identification and functional characterization of the genetic loci responsible for the transport and metabolism of purified galacto‐oligosaccharides (PGOS) by Bifidobacterium breve UCC2003. We further demonstrate that an extracellular endogalactanase specified by several B. breve strains, including B. breve UCC2003, is essential for partial degradation of PGOS components with a high degree of polymerization. These partially hydrolysed PGOS components are presumed to be transported into the bifidobacterial cell via various ABC transport systems and sugar permeases where they are further degraded to galactose and glucose monomers that feed into the bifid shunt. This work significantly advances our molecular understanding of bifidobacterial PGOS metabolism and its associated genetic machinery to utilize this prebiotic.
Cranial osteology of Picini (Aves: Piciformes: Picidae)
Authors: Donatelli Reginaldo J.
Published: December 2012

The Picini is composed of 26 species of woodpeckers from the old world that are grouped into seven genera. Given the absence of detailed studies on the cranial osteology of the Picini, the purpose of this study is to describe the cranial osteology of 14 species of Picini from six genera and to compare these species with each other, with other species of woodpeckers and with other bird groups. The results of the analysis of the bone structures of the skull of the Picini indicate that there are seven outstanding characteristic of bones involved in the functional mechanistics of the jaw apparatus. In the ossa cranii, these include the frontal overhang, the postorbital process, the extension of the parietal versus the frontal region and the temporal fossa. In the ossa faciei, these include the rostral expansion of the pterygoid, the ventral palatine fossa and the orbital process of the quadrate bone. For all of the structures associated with the cranial osteology of the investigated species, there is a clear distinction between the species of the genus Picus and the other species studied. Blythipicus rubiginosus, Chrysocolaptes lucidus, Reinwardtipicus validus, Gecinulus viridis and the species of the genus Dinopium exhibit additional particularities.
Palaeolimnological conditions inferred from fossil diatom assemblages and derivative spectral properties of sediments in thermokarst ponds of subarctic Quebec, Canada
Authors: Bouchard Frédéric , Pienitz Reinhard , Ortiz Joseph D. , Francus Pierre , Laurion Isabelle
Published: December 2012

Thermokarst ponds are widespread in arctic and subarctic regions, but little is known about their temporal evolution prior to human observations. This paper presents a pioneer biostratigraphic study conducted at a subarctic site with limnologically contrasted ponds located on the eastern shore of Hudson Bay, Canada. Fossil diatom and visible near infrared (VNIR) derivative spectral analyses were performed on short sediment cores, confirming the occurrence of three distinct stratigraphic facies as already inferred from an anterior sedimentological study: a lacustrine upper facies (UF) and a marine lower facies (LF), separated by an organic‐rich/peat transitional zone (TZ). Diatoms were almost absent from LF, but increased significantly in both TZ and UF. Identified diatom taxa were mainly benthic species (e.g. genera Fragilaria, Pinnularia), and their down‐core distribution appeared to be related to dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and possibly pH conditions. Diatom‐inferred DOC showed a decreasing trend towards the surface (potentially associated with an increase in pH), inverse to the general trend in this region, suggesting the action of other mechanisms on DOC, such as exhaustion of external inputs from limited catchments and the role of discontinuous peat layers (former surfaces of permafrost mounds) during the initial stages of pond formation. These bryophilous substrates in aerophilic habitats probably controlled diatom community composition. The combination of diatom and VNIR data revealed similar trends between (i) opal (amorphous silica) and diatom abundances; (ii) eukaryotic/prokaryotic algae ratio and anoxia or hypoxia in bottom waters; and (iii) limonite (iron oxide) and redox conditions in surface sediments. These findings indicate that diatom community changes and pond limnological evolution in the recent past were controlled mainly by autogenic processes (e.g. local vegetation/soil development, peat accumulation and erosion), rather than by allogenic forcing mechanisms (e.g. precipitation and temperature, geochemical leaching of the surrounding glaciomarine sediments).
Childhood sexual abuse: community‐based treatment practices and predictors of use of evidence‐based practices
Authors: Czincz Jennifer , Romano Elisa
Published: December 2012

Background

Cognitive behavior therapy with abuse‐focused components is empirically supported for children/adolescents who have experienced childhood sexual abuse (CSA). We examined the extent to which community‐based psychologists use evidence‐based practices (EBP) for CSA and identified predictors of EBP use.

Method

Psychologists (N = 231) providing CSA treatment services to children/adolescents in Ontario (Canada) were identified through the first census of child and adolescent psychology clinicians registered with the College of Psychologists of Ontario. Participants completed a questionnaire on treatment strategies, sociodemographics, work setting, treatment provision, and attitudes toward EBP. Data were collected between December 2009 and June 2010.

Results

The majority (78%) of psychologists providing CSA services reported never having received training in specific treatment approaches for this population. Only 5% of psychologists received training in the EBP of trauma‐focused cognitive behavior therapy. Multiple regressions indicated that age, theoretical orientation, continuing education, and attitudes predicted the use of an empirically based intervention for CSA.

Conclusion

Study findings show that few community‐based psychologists have received training in specific treatment approaches for CSA victims and very few are trained to deliver EBP for this population. There are ethical concerns about the practice of psychologists who are untrained and unsupervised doing this work. Research findings, which underline the need for training, supervision, and continuing education, need to be translated into clinical practice.
Absence of parasympathetic reactivation after maximal exercise
Authors: de Oliveira Tiago Peçanha , de Alvarenga Mattos Raphael , da Silva Rhenan Bartels Ferreira , Rezende Rafael Andrade , de Lima Jorge Roberto Perrout
Published: December 2012

The ability of the human organism to recover its autonomic balance soon after physical exercise cessation has an important impact on the individual's health status. Although the dynamics of heart rate recovery after maximal exercise has been studied, little is known about heart rate variability after this type of exercise. The aim of this study is to analyse the dynamics of heart rate and heart rate variability recovery after maximal exercise in healthy young men. Fifteen healthy male subjects (21·7 ± 3·4 years; 24·0 ± 2·1 kg m−2) participated in the study. The experimental protocol consisted of an incremental maximal exercise test on a cycle ergometer, until maximal voluntary exhaustion. After the test, recovery R‐R intervals were recorded for 5 min. From the absolute differences between peak heart rate values and the heart rate values at 1 and 5 min of the recovery, the heart rate recovery was calculated. Postexercise heart rate variability was analysed from calculations of the SDNN and RMSSD indexes, in 30‐s windows (SDNN30s and RMSSD30s) throughout recovery. One and 5 min after maximal exercise cessation, the heart rate recovered 34·7 (±6·6) and 75·5 (±6·1) bpm, respectively. With regard to HRV recovery, while the SDNN30s index had a slight increase, RMSSD30s index remained totally suppressed throughout the recovery, suggesting an absence of vagal modulation reactivation and, possibly, a discrete sympathetic withdrawal. Therefore, it is possible that the main mechanism associated with the fall of HR after maximal exercise is sympathetic withdrawal or a vagal tone restoration without vagal modulation recovery.
Alcohol and young people: What the legislation says about access and secondary supply
Authors: Roche Ann M. , Steenson Tania , Andrew Rachel
Published: December 2012

Issue

The rationale and potential impact ofAustralia's recent legislative changes regulating secondary supply of alcohol to minors, particularly on private premises.

Approach

An examination of similarities and differences between state and territory liquor licensing legislation regulating secondary supply of alcohol to minors was undertaken.

Key Findings

TheNorthernTerritory,NewSouthWales,Queensland,Tasmania andVictoria prohibit supply of alcohol to minors on private premises, except by parents/guardians/authorised persons.NorthernTerritory,Queensland andTasmanian legislation also prescribes that supply must occur responsibly and under supervision. Elsewhere, alcohol supply to minors on private premises is unregulated. These legislative changes reflect the ‘familialisation’ of adolescent drinking.

Implications

Recent legislative amendments regulating secondary supply on private premises may indicate growing awareness of adolescent alcohol‐related harms and signal a shift in community norms. However, sociocultural factors, misunderstanding and challenges in enforcing the legislation may limit compliance.

Conclusions

Changes in secondary supply legislation need effective dissemination as divergence between states and territories may result in confusion about legal responsibilities. A national approach may be warranted to help set community boundaries for young people's drinking.
Reactive oxygen species are generated by the respiratory complex II – evidence for lack of contribution of the reverse electron flow in complex I
Authors: Moreno‐Sánchez Rafael , Hernández‐Esquivel Luz , Rivero‐Segura Nadia A. , Marín‐Hernández Alvaro , Neuzil Jiri , Ralph Stephen J. , Rodríguez‐Enríquez Sara
Published: December 2012

Succinate‐driven oxidation via complex II (CII) may have a significant contribution towards the high rates of production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by mitochondria. Here, we show that the CII Q site inhibitor thenoyltrifluoroacetone (TTFA) blocks succinate + rotenone‐driven ROS production, whereas the complex III (CIII) Qo inhibitor stigmatellin has no effect, indicating that CII, not CIII, is the ROS‐producing site. The complex I (CI) inhibitor rotenone partially reduces the ROS production driven by high succinate levels (5 mm), which is commonly interpreted as being due to inhibition of a reverse electron flow from CII to CI. However, experimental evidence presented here contradicts the model of reverse electron flow. First, ROS levels produced using succinate + rotenone were significantly higher than those produced using glutamate + malate + rotenone. Second, in tumor mitochondria, succinate‐driven ROS production was significantly increased (not decreased) by rotenone. Third, in liver mitochondria, rotenone had no effects on succinate‐driven ROS production. Fourth, using isolated heart or hepatoma (AS‐30D) mitochondria, the CII Qp anti‐cancer drug mitochondrially targeted vitamin E succinate (MitoVES) induced elevated ROS production in the presence of low levels of succinate(0.5 mm), but rotenone had no effect. Using sub‐mitochondrial particles, the Cu‐based anti‐cancer drug Casiopeina II‐gly enhanced succinate‐driven ROS production. Thus, the present results are inconsistent with and question the interpretation of reverse electron flow from CII to CI and the rotenone effect on ROS production supported by succinate oxidation. Instead, a thermodynamically more favorable explanation is that, in the absence of CIII or complex IV (CIV) inhibitors (which, when added, facilitate reverse electron flow by inducing accumulation of ubiquinol, the CI product), the CII redox centers are the major source of succinate‐driven ROS production.
Youth, Wars and Violence in West Africa
Authors: Peters Krijn
Published: December 2012

Being plagued for decades by political tension, structural violence and armed conflict, recently the West African coastal region moved a step closer towards political stability and sustainable peace. This article assesses the wars in Guinea‐Bissau, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Cote d’Ivoire and the role of young people in these. It is argued that young people experienced a crisis prior to the conflicts: the patrimonial structured states were no longer able to fulfil their promises towards their clients with young people – at the lowest rungs of the patrimonial ladder – becoming the main victims of this failure. In some cases an additional crisis was experienced: due to a generational asymmetric control over resources – such as a productive and reproductive means and customary law – young people became particularly vulnerable to exploitation by elites who could jeopardize their social transition from youthhood to adulthood. For many of youthful participants in the conflicts, this single or double failure – from the state and the more traditional organised localities – was a driving force in the decision to actively participate in the conflicts, it is argued. Moreover, by joining the militias or armed forces young people entered an alternative structure, in some cases more based on meritocratic than on patrimonial principles, offering opportunities to those who normally would have remained vulnerable to exploitation and marginalisation.
BANKS, FREE BANKS, AND U.S. ECONOMIC GROWTH
Authors: JAREMSKI MATTHEW , ROUSSEAU PETER L.
Published: December 2012

The “Federalist financial revolution” may have jump‐started the U.S. economy into modern growth, but the Free Banking System (1837–1862) did not play a direct role in sustaining it. Despite lowering entry barriers and extending banking into developing regions, we find in county‐level data that free banks had little or no effect on growth. The result is not just a symptom of the era, as state‐chartered banks seem to have strong and positive effects on manufacturing and urbanization. (JEL G21, N21, O43)
Intervention or inspiration?: Kolam and fieldwork ethics in the Tamil diaspora (Respond to this article at http://www.therai.org.uk/at/debate)
Authors: Laine Anna
Published: December 2012

This article explores a classic dilemma concerning the extent to which anthropologist fieldworkers may influence their fieldwork hosts. This dilemma arose in the course of the author's research on kolam drawing practices among diaspora Tamils in the UK. Kolam constitute a popular visual practice among Tamils in India and Sri Lanka, but less so in the diaspora. However, the researcher's interest in kolam practice began to awaken an interest on the part of diaspora Tamils in the UK and affect the very practices researched. Does this constitute an intervention or might it be considered an appropriate form of inspiration? The article makes a contribution to the literature on ethics and on diasporic communities, whose members, although reticent to perpetuate practices that might upset their host society, may nevertheless defer to researchers with specialist knowledge of their homeland.
Liberté, égalité, fraternité?: Views from the far‐right fringe in France (Respond to this article at http://www.therai.org.uk/at/debate)
Authors: Delouis Anne Friederike
Published: December 2012

The current financial, economic, social, and political crisis is widely thought to benefit far‐right parties in many European states. The Front National party, a fixture in French politics for more than two decades, achieved its best result ever in the 2012 presidential elections. This article explores far‐right voters’ accounts of their political life‐stories, analyzing the factors that trigger people's “conversions” to the right, and examining the ways in which this increasing, yet diverse minority views French history, society, and politics. Far‐right supporters legitimize their political convictions and actions in different ways. Some believe that they are part of a “resistance movement”, others draw on what they believe to be sociological or anthropological insights. Many pretend to advocate Republican ideals such as equality and freedom. Democracy stands to gain from drawing this growing part of the population back into mainstream debate, and social scientists may have a role to play in this effort.
Cull or vaccinate?: Badger politics in Wales
Authors: Caplan Pat
Published: December 2012

In this sequel to an article on the badger‐cull published in the April issue of 2010, the author provides an update on what is happening to the culls announced for North Pembrokeshire and for England.
‘Death to Sarts’: History, injustice and a complex insult in Central Asia (Respond to this article at http://www.therai.org.uk/at/debate)
Authors: McDowell Christopher
Published: December 2012

Recently published independent inquiries and detailed chronologies of the violence that occurred in the southern Kyrgyzstan city of Osh in 2010 noted the frequent and threatening use of ‘Sart’ against Uzbek residents in the city's mahallas. This article explains the significance and potency of this insult as the confluence of perceived historical injustices, iniquities in post‐independence land privatizations, and current hardships of food insecurity and poverty. It considers the significance of narratives of ‘Soviet injustice’ (outlawing of pastoralism, collectivization, and land confiscation) for contemporary nationalist agendas which emphasize Kyrgyz harm. With increasing political fragmentation and social disunity, the fear of further inter‐communal violence is ever present, and it is suggested that twenty years on from independence the Kyrgyzstan government will need to find ways of openly debating such interpretations of the past without undermining national reconciliation.
Urban Citizenship, the Right to the City and Politics of Disability in Istanbul
Authors: Bezmez Dikmen
Published: December 2012

Since the late 1990s, the ‘urban citizenship’ literature has accentuated the burgeoning potential of the city as host to more democratic interpretations of citizenship. A more recent literature highlighted the ‘local trap’ in such assumptions, arguing that the local cannot exist outside of neoliberalization. This article examines some of the recent institutional transformations in Istanbul's local government and seeks to understand where these might be situated in this discussion. Three institutions dealing with disability are scrutinized with regard to their power dynamics, discourses and practices. The argument is that, although superficially such developments seem to represent some of the tendencies highlighted by the urban citizenship literature (in terms of their scale, timing and appeal to a group previously excluded from modern citizenship), deeper analysis shows that these often promote charity‐ rather than rights‐based approaches. This is because the push factors in the emergence of these institutions are not the urban struggles on the part of the disability community, but rather the ruling party's populism, the impact of supranational agencies and the demands of non‐disabled residents at district level. Each of the three institutions examined is shaped primarily by one factor, leading to differing degrees of charity‐ and rights‐based practices. Arguments concerning the prospects of more democratic interpretations of citizenship at local level need to consider experiences in diverse settings.
Palaeoenvironmental changes of the last two millennia on the western and northern Svalbard shelf
Authors: Jernas Patrycja , Klitgaard Kristensen Dorthe , Husum Katrine , Wilson Lindsay , Koç Nalan
Published: December 2012

The western and northern Svalbard continental margins (European Arctic) are environmentally sensitive areas that are dependent on the northward flow of Atlantic Water, the largest heat source of the Arctic Ocean. Two marine sediment records from the Svalbard shelf: Kongsfjorden Trough and Hinlopen Trough, were analysed with regard to the benthic foraminiferal content and lithology to assess the palaeoceanographic evolution during the past two millennia with decadal to multi‐decadal temporal resolution. In both records, an overall gradual decrease of E. excavatum f. clavata during the past two millennia reflects a change towards generally warmer and less glacially influenced conditions, presumably related to enhanced inflow of Atlantic Water (AW). The influence of AW also varied on centennial time scales, as evidenced by faunal and sedimentary shifts occurring almost synchronously at both locations. The period from AD 700 to 1200 was characterized by enhanced inflow of AW, followed by the development of highly productive oceanographic fronts at both localities from AD 1200 to 1500. In contrast, the subsequent interval (AD 1500–1900) shows particularly harsh conditions in the Hinlopen Trough, with significantly reduced foraminiferal flux and sediment input related to perennial sea ice cover. In Kongsfjorden, less severe conditions were observed, indicating that the AW advection continued. The synchronicity of changes in both records demonstrates the effect of the variability in inflow of AW to the Svalbard region during the past 2000 years. Moreover, the records seem to follow climate anomalies, for example the Little Ice Age and Medieval Warm Period, found in the North Atlantic realm.
Caring for military spouses in primary care
Authors: Padden Diane , Posey Sheena M.
Published: December 2012

Purpose

To provide primary care providers with knowledge of unique challenges faced by military families. By understanding how military families cope with military lifestyle and deployment, providers can be more effective in their care of these patients and offer assistance in optimizing their health.

Data sources

Research articles, World Wide Web search of resources for military families and Department of Defense documents.

Conclusions

Military families are faced with many challenges and hardships such as frequent geographic relocations, social isolation, periodic deployments and separations, and risk of injury and death. Unique stressors associated with deployment include assumption of single parent role, altered finances, change in social support from family and friends, and concerns for the safety of the service member. Ineffective coping with stressors can manifest both physically and/or psychologically.

Implications for practice

Healthcare providers should routinely inquire about a patient's possible military affiliation. Military spouses need to be assessed for current stress levels and coping behaviors used in order to provide the most appropriate recommendations and referrals. As healthcare providers, understanding the unique demands of the military lifestyle is necessary to provide effective quality care with optimal health outcomes in this population.
The consensus model for regulation of APRNs: Implications for nurse practitioners
Authors: Rounds Linda R. , Zych Jolene J. , Mallary Laura L.
Published: December 2012

Purpose: To examine the Consensus Model for APRN Regulation as a proposed solution to simplify and unify regulation of advanced nursing practice with respect to licensure, certification, accreditation, and educational standards.

Data sources: Policy statements and reports issued by national organizations of nursing professionals and discussion within the scholarly literature provided an overview of regulatory differences among the 50 U.S. states, their impacts on advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) practice, and discussion of the Consensus Model as a potential solution.

Conclusions: Major organizations of nursing professionals have endorsed the Consensus Model, indicating the importance of this significant step toward standards and consistent quality in APRN education and practice. Diverse regulatory criteria, such as variable accreditation standards, disparate certification and licensing requirements, inconsistent population foci, and scopes of practice, represent barriers to optimized APRN function within today's complex healthcare system and, ultimately, reduced access to safe, quality care for patients.

Implications for practice: The Consensus Model for APRN Regulation promises to unify APRN education, practice, and licensure, promoting greater mobility among nursing professionals. Elimination of inconsistencies in APRN licensure, education, certification, and accreditation requirements will promote greater value and mobility for the APRN within the healthcare system.
Distance from source and fluoride concentrations in municipal water supply
Authors: Rawson Kenneth G. , Ditmyer Marcia M.
Published: December 2012

Aim

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the concentrations of fluoride in community water at the point of source, compared to the concentration delivered to various locations within the Las Vegas Valley, to determine if the levels of fluoride change over distance.

Methods

Ten samples per week over an 8‐week period were taken from four locations, totaling 320 samples. The first location included the water treatment facility where fluoride is added to the municipal water to bring the concentrations to the desired amount. The other locations included three residences at an increasing distance from the source of fluoridation. The 320 samples were submitted for fluoride analysis. Repeated‐measure anova was used to compare the means between the four data points.

Results

The fluoride concentration data for the four test locations ranged from 0.73 to 0.89 mg/L. Mauchly's test of sphericity revealed no significant difference in the fluoride concentrations in Las Vegas from the point of source to distant locations.

Conclusions

The analysis of the collected data revealed that there was no statistical difference in the fluoride concentration in the Las Vegas municipal water supply from the source to the remote locations, and that distance does not affect fluoride concentration in the Las Vegas Valley municipal water supply.
Alterations in soft tissue levels and aesthetics over a 16–22year period following single implant treatment in periodontally‐healthy patients: a retrospective case series
Authors: Dierens Melissa , de Bruecker Evelyn , Vandeweghe Stefan , Kisch Jëno , de Bruyn Hugo , Cosyn Jan
Published: December 2012

Purpose

Long term studies on single implants are scarce and merely focus on clinical response parameters, complications and bone remodelling. The objective of this retrospective case series was to assess alterations in soft tissue levels and aesthetics over a 16–22 year period in periodontally‐healthy patients.

Material and methods

Patients who had received a single turned implant in the anterior maxilla/mandible at the Dental Specialist Clinic in Malmö between 1987 and 1993 were invited for a re‐examination on the basis of a number of inclusion criteria. Both neighbouring teeth had to be present at re‐examination and baseline clinical photographs (within the first year of function) had to be available for soft tissue evaluation. These photographs were superimposed onto final clinical photographs to assess longitudinal soft tissue alterations.

Results

Twenty‐one patients (nine females; mean age 23, range 16–41) treated with 24 single implants met the criteria for soft tissue evaluation. Peri‐implant soft tissue levels (papillae, midfacial level) remained stable over a 16–22 year observation period (p ≥ 0.372). However, neighbouring teeth demonstrated midfacial recession and eruption pointing to a major distortion with the implant crown (> 1 mm) in 5/24 (21%) and 10/24 (42%) of the cases, respectively. Baseline aesthetics was considered poor (mean Pink Esthetic Score 7.42, mean White Esthetic Score 5.43), yet a significant time effect could not be demonstrated (p ≥ 0.552). Implant and tooth bone loss was low (mean 0.6 mm and 0.4 mm, respectively) over a 16–22 year period.

Conclusions

This limited case series demonstrated stable peri‐implant soft tissue levels and aesthetics in the long term following single implant treatment in periodontally‐healthy patients. However, midfacial recession and eruption may be expected at neighbouring teeth.
Atypical panmixia in a European dolphin species (Delphinus delphis): implications for the evolution of diversity across oceanic boundaries
Authors: Moura A. E. , Natoli A. , Rogan E. , Hoelzel A. R.
Published: December 2012

Despite the scarcity of geographical barriers in the ocean environment, delphinid cetaceans often exhibit marked patterns of population structure on a regional scale. The European coastline is a prime example, with species exhibiting population structure across well‐defined environmental boundaries. Here we undertake a comprehensive population genetic study on the European common dolphin (Delphinus delphis, based on 492 samples and 15 loci) and establish that this species shows exceptional panmixia across most of the study range. We found differentiation only between the eastern and western Mediterranean, consistent with earlier studies, and here use approximate Bayesian computations to explore different scenarios to explain the observed pattern. Our results suggest that a recent population bottleneck likely contributed significantly to the differentiation of the Eastern Mediterranean population (in Greek waters). This interpretation is consistent with independent census data that suggest a sharp population decline in the recent past. The implication is that an unperturbed population may currently show panmixia across the full study range. This exception to the more typical pattern of population structure seen for other regional dolphin species (and for common dolphin populations elsewhere in the world) suggests particular ecological or life‐history traits distinct to this species in European waters.
Genetic factors affecting food‐plant specialization of an oligophagous seed predator
Authors: Laukkanen L. , Leimu R. , Muola A. , Lilley M. , Mutikainen P.
Published: December 2012

Several ecological and genetic factors affect the diet specialization of insect herbivores. The evolution of specialization may be constrained by lack of genetic variation in herbivore performance on different food‐plant species. By traditional view, trade‐offs, that is, negative genetic correlations between the performance of the herbivores on different food‐plant species favour the evolution of specialization. To investigate whether there is genetic variation or trade‐offs in herbivore performance between different food plants that may influence specialization of the oligophagous seed‐eating herbivore, Lygaeus equestris (Heteroptera), we conducted a feeding trial in laboratory using four food‐plant species. Although L. equestris is specialized on Vincetoxicum hirundinaria (Apocynaceae) to some degree, it occasionally feeds on alternative food‐plant species. We did not find significant negative genetic correlations between mortality, developmental time and adult biomass of L. equestris on the different food‐plant species. We found genetic variation in mortality and developmental time of L. equestris on some of the food plants, but not in adult biomass. Our results suggest that trade‐offs do not affect adaptation and specialization of L. equestris to current and novel food‐plant species, but the lack of genetic variation may restrict food‐plant utilization. As food‐plant specialization of herbivores may have wide‐ranging effects, for instance, on coevolving plant–herbivore interactions and speciation, it is essential to thoroughly understand the factors behind the specialization process. Our findings provide valuable information about the role of genetic factors in food‐plant specialization of this oligophagous herbivore.