bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Laccase from an alkalitolerant basidiomycetes Crinipellis sp. RCK‐1: Production optimization by response surface methodology
Authors: Diwaniyan Sarika , Sharma Krishna Kant , Kuhad Ramesh Chander
Published: November 2011

A newly isolated alkalitolerant basidiomycetous fungus, identified as Crinipellis sp. RCK‐1 was observed to produce laccase. The effect of different physicochemical factors on laccase production was studied. The identification of the important factors (initial pH of the medium, copper and tryptophan) with simple screening experiment involving optimization using single factor at a time strategy, was followed by application of complex response surface design for further maximizing the laccase production and was helpful in defining the effects and interactions of the physiological and nutritional factors. The statistical optimization by response surface methodology resulted in a 27.0‐fold (619.9 U ml–1) increase in the production of laccase from Crinipellis sp. RCK‐1 when compared to laccase production in unoptimized medium (23.0 U ml–1). The results from the response surface curve suggested that there was interaction between tryptophan and copper in a way that might resulted in positive effect on laccase production from Crinipellis sp. RCK‐1. The relatively higher laccase production by Crinipellis sp. RCK‐1 showed promise of offering great potential in various biotechnological applications. (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Characterization of a novel biosurfactant produced by Staphylococcus sp. strain 1E with potential application on hydrocarbon bioremediation
Authors: Eddouaouda Kamel , Mnif Sami , Badis Abdelmalek , Younes Sonia Ben , Cherif Slim , Ferhat Samira , Mhiri Najla , Chamkha Mohamed , Sayadi Sami
Published: November 2011

A biosurfactant‐producing bacterium (Staphylococcus sp. strain 1E) was isolated from an Algerian crude oil contaminated soil. Biosurfactant production was tested with different carbon sources using the surface tension measurement and the oil displacement test. Olive oil produced the highest reduction in surface tension (25.9 dynes cm–1). Crude oil presented the best substrate for 1E biosurfactant emulsification activity. The biosurfactant produced by strain 1E reduced the growth medium surface tension below 30 dynes cm–1. This reduction was also obtained in cell‐free filtrates. Biosurfactant produced by strain 1E showed stability in a wide range of pH (from 2 to 12), temperature (from 4 to 55 °C) and salinity (from 0 to 300 g l–1) variations. The biosurfactant produced by strain 1E belonged to lipopeptide group and also constituted an antibacterial activity againt the pathogenic bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Bacillus subtilis. Phenanthrene solubility in water was enhanced by biosurfactant addition. Our results suggest that the 1E biosurfactant has interesting properties for its application in bioremediation of hydrocarbons contaminated sites. (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Human platelet‐rich plasma stimulates migration and chondrogenic differentiation of human subchondral progenitor cells
Authors: Krüger Jan Philipp , Hondke Sylvia , Endres Michaela , Pruss Axel , Siclari Alberto , Kaps Christian
Published: November 2011

In cartilage repair, platelet‐rich plasma (PRP) is used in one‐step approaches utilizing microfracture and matrix‐induced chondrogenesis procedures, bone marrow‐derived cell transplantation, or intra‐articular injection. The aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of human PRP on the migration and chondrogenic differentiation of human subchondral progenitors. Human progenitors were derived from subchondral cortico‐spongious bone (CSP), were analyzed for their migration capacity upon PRP treatment in 96‐well chemotaxis assays and cultured in high‐density pellet cultures under serum‐free conditions in the presence of 5% PRP. Chemotaxis assays showed that 0.1–100% PRP significantly (p < 0.05) stimulate the migration of CSP compared to untreated controls. Histological staining of proteoglycan and immuno‐staining of type II collagen indicated that progenitors stimulated with PRP show significantly increased cartilage matrix formation compared to untreated progenitors. Real‐time gene expression analysis of typical chondrocyte marker genes as well as osteogenic and adipogenic markers like osteocalcin and fatty acid binding protein showed that PRP induces the chondrogenic differentiation sequence of human progenitors in high‐density pellet cultures, while osteogenic or adipogenic differentiation was not evident. These results suggest that human PRP may enhance the migration and stimulate the chondrogenic differentiation of human subchondral progenitor cells known from microfracture. © 2011 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 30:845–852, 2012
The inhibitory effect of honokiol, a natural plant product, on vestibular schwannoma cells
Authors: Lee Jong Dae , Lee Jae Yong , Baek Byoung Joon , Lee Byung Don , Koh Yoon Woo , Lee Won‐Sang , Lee Yu‐Jin , Kwon Byoung‐Mog
Published: November 2011

Objectives/Hypothesis:

As the molecular biology of vestibular schwannoma (VS) is better understood, new means of targeting the pathways involved for intervention in schwannoma cells are being developed. Honokiol, a bioactive constituent of Magnolia officinalis, has attracted attention due to its diverse biological effects. This study was conducted to determine the inhibitory effect of honokiol on schwannoma cell proliferation.

Methods:

HEI 193 cells were used to investigate the growth‐inhibitory effects of honokiol. Cell proliferation was assessed by MTT assays. Apoptosis was measured by flow cytometry analysis and immunofluorescence staining including Hoechst 33342 and TUNEL. Western blot analysis was used to assess the potential inhibition of extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK) and AKT signaling by honokiol.

Results:

Honokiol exhibited significant antiproliferative activity in a dose‐dependent manner on HEI 193 cells. Significant apoptosis was detected on schwannoma cells with 7 mg/mL(IC50) honokiol. Western blot analysis showed significant inhibition of ERK phosphorylation.

Conclusions:

Honokiol, a low molecular weight natural product, inhibits cell proliferation and promotes apoptosis in schwannoma cells by targeting the ERK pathway. Our data suggest that honokiol can be evaluated as a chemotherapeutic agent for VS.
Tribological and electrical properties of silica‐filled epoxy nanocomposites
Authors: Veena M.G. , Renukappa N.M. , Suresha B. , Shivakumar K.N.
Published: November 2011

The tribological and electrical properties of epoxy composites filled with nano‐sized silica particles are studied and discussed in this article. To enhance the interfacial interaction between the fillers and the matrix, nanoparticles were pretreated with silane coupling agent. Dry sliding wear tests were carried out with configuration of composite sample on a rotating steel disc. Electrical measurements such as AC breakdown voltage, at 50 Hz, high voltage‐low current arc resistance and wet tracking resistance were carried out. The results reveal the influence of nanosized silica loading on wear resistance of the epoxy. It is observed that 10 wt% loading of silica is very effective in reducing the wear loss. With further increase of silica filler loading, the nanoparticles agglomerated and resulted in increase of the specific wear rate. The influence of silica particles on the specific wear rate is more pronounced under sliding wear situation. The influence of silica particle loading on epoxy is evident in the results of electrical parameters like dielectric strength, arc resistance and tracking resistance. These parameters showed improvement with filler loading up to 15 wt% and beyond this value of filler loading noticeable deterioration was observed. The effects of electrical stresses in the morphologies of the surfaces of epoxy nanocomposites are discussed. POLYM. COMPOS., 2011. © 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers
Poly(2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate) nanocomposites: From a nonionic gel to pH sensitivity
Authors: Cavusoglu Fatma , Kasgoz Hasine
Published: November 2011

2‐Hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA)‐clay nanocomposites were prepared via in situ free radical polymerization using montmorillonite (MMT) as a crosslinker. The structure and surface morphology of the nanocomposites were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X‐ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy. It was found that exfoliated or highly expanded intercalated nanocomposite structure was obtained. The swelling degree was determined in distilled water and various pH buffered solutions. The highest swelling capacity in distilled water was observed for the nanocomposite sample prepared with the MMT amount of 10 % (w). It was seen that the diffusion mechanism was Fickian type in distilled water and also in various pH‐buffered solutions. It is interesting that the swelling degree of nanocomposites in alkaline pH values increased by the increasing of MMT in the polymer structure. This result supports the possibility of future applications of the novel nanocomposite in systems for the controlled released of drugs. POLYM. COMPOS., 2011. © 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers
A longer tracheal occlusion period results in increased lung growth in the nitrofen rat model
Authors: Beck Veronika , Davey Marcus G. , Mayer Steffi , Froyen Guy , Deckx Sebastiaan , Klaritsch Philipp , Roubliova Xenia I. , Petersen Scott G. , Deprest Jan A.
Published: November 2011

Objective

Prenatal tracheal occlusion (TO) promotes lung growth and is applied clinically in fetuses with severe congenital diaphragmatic hernia. Limited data are available regarding the effect of duration of TO on lung development. Our objective was to evaluate the effects of long (2 and 2.5 days) versus short (1 day) TO on lung development in rats with nitrofen‐induced diaphragmatic hernia.

Method

Nitrofen was administered on embryonic day (ED) 9 and fetal TO performed either on ED18.5, 19 or 20 (term = 22 days). Sham‐operated and untouched littermates served as controls. On ED21, lungs were harvested and only fetuses with a left‐sided diaphragmatic defect were included in further analyses.

Results

Lung–body‐weight ratio incrementally increased with the duration of TO. Increased proliferation following long TO was confirmed by immunohistochemistry and qRT‐PCR for the proliferation marker Ki‐67. Irrespective of duration, TO induced more complex airway architecture. Medial wall thickness of pulmonary arteries was thinner after long rather than short TO.

Conclusion

In the nitrofen rat model of congenital diaphragmatic hernia, a longer period of TO leads to enhanced lung growth and less muscularized pulmonary arteries. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Health problems most commonly diagnosed among young female patients during visits to general practitioners and gynecologists in France before the initiation of the human papillomavirus vaccination program
Authors: Ganse Eric Van , Letrilliart Laurent , Borne Hélène , Morand Francois , Robain Matthieu , Siegrist Claire Anne
Published: November 2011

Purpose

Background rates for common health problems have seldom been estimated to facilitate interpretation of signals that may occur after a new public health intervention. Background rates of diagnoses from general practitioners (GPs) and gynecologists (GYNs) were assessed before the implementation of human papillomavirus (HPV) immunization program.

Methods

This cross‐sectional study used data collected in 2006 in France. All visits of women (aged 11–23 years) to a GP or a GYN participating in the longitudinal patient data (LPD) network were considered. Diagnoses and symptoms were retrieved and classified according to the International Classification of Primary Care. Only diagnoses made in ≥1% of visits were reported in primary analyses. Independent analyses were performed for visits to GPs and GYNs and for adolescents and young adults. Finally, the rates of pre‐specified health problems of interest (e.g., because of their potential identification as signals after HPV immunization) were computed from processed diagnostic data, using time windows consistent with HPV vaccination scheme.

Results

About 380 813 GP and 36 329 GYN visits were analyzed. Acute upper respiratory infections were the most frequently recorded diagnoses by GPs, accounting for 11 783 per 100 000 visits per year. Visits related to the respiratory system accounted for 10 of the 23 most frequent diagnoses by GPs. Genital candidiasis was the most frequent GYN diagnosis, accounting for 4746 per 100 000 visits per year. Most GYN visits were for pregnancy‐related issues or menstrual problems. The main diagnoses were similar in adolescents compared with young adults in both GP and GYN settings. Pre‐specified health problems occurred at high rates, as exemplified by acne that was diagnosed in 0.8% of patients during time windows consistent with HPV immunization.

Conclusion

Diagnostic data processed from electronic health records identified the rates of common health events experienced by young female patients routinely visiting their GP or GYN before HPV immunization. Such rates may prove useful in interpreting adverse events reported after the launch of new medical interventions. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effects of maternal food restriction on offspring lung extracellular matrix deposition and long term pulmonary function in an experimental rat model
Authors: Rehan Virender K. , Sakurai Reiko , Li Yishi , Karadag Ahmet , Corral Julia , Bellusci Saverio , Xue Ying Ying , Belperio John , Torday John S.
Published: November 2011

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) increases the risk of respiratory compromise throughout postnatal life. However, the molecular mechanism(s) underlying the respiratory compromise in offspring following IUGR is not known. We hypothesized that IUGR following maternal food restriction (MFR) would affect extracellular matrix deposition in the lung, explaining the long‐term impairment in pulmonary function in the IUGR offspring. Using a well‐established rat model of MFR during gestation to produce IUGR pups, we found that at postnatal day 21, and at 9 months (9M) of age the expression and abundance of elastin and alpha smooth muscle actin (αSMA), two key extracellular matrix proteins, were increased in IUGR lungs when compared to controls (P < 0.05, n = 6), as determined by both Western and immunohistochemistry analyses. Compared to controls, the MFR group showed no significant change in pulmonary resistance at baseline, but did have significantly decreased pulmonary compliance at 9M (P < 0.05 vs. control, n = 5). In addition, MFR lungs exhibited increased responsiveness to methacholine challenge. Furthermore, exposing cultured fetal rat lung fibroblasts to serum deprivation increased the expression of elastin and elastin‐related genes, which was blocked by serum albumin supplementation, suggesting protein deficiency as the predominant mechanism for increased pulmonary elastin deposition in IUGR lungs. We conclude that accompanying the changes in lung function, consistent with bronchial hyperresponsiveness, expression of the key alveolar extracellular matrix proteins elastin and αSMA increased in the IUGR lung, thus providing a potential explanation for the compromised lung function in IUGR offspring. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2012; 47:162–171. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Recent advances in single‐carrier distributed antenna network
Authors: Adachi Fumiyuki , Takeda Kazuki , Yamamoto Tetsuya , Matsukawa Ryusuke , Kumagai Shinya
Published: November 2011

For the realization of future wireless networks, gigabit wireless technology, which can achieve higher‐than‐1 Gbps data transmission with extremely low transmit power, is indispensable. We have been studying the distributed antenna network (DAN) and the frequency domain wireless signal processing. In DAN, many antennas or clusters of antennas are spatially distributed over a service area, and they are connected by means of optical fiber links with DAN signal processing center. A number of distributed antennas cooperatively serve mobile users using spatial multiplexing, diversity, array, or relaying technique. In this paper, the recent advances in single‐carrier DAN are introduced. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Proactive load balancing with admission control for heterogeneous overlay networks
Authors: Ma Dong , Ma Maode
Published: November 2011

The next generation wireless networks will be the coexistence of heterogeneous wireless technologies. Balancing the traffic load among different networks can effectively utilize the overall radio resources in the system. In this paper, we propose an efficient load balancing scheme for the heterogeneous overlay systems, which is applied in the call admission control process. If the available network(s) cannot provide enough resource for the request call without degrading the quality‐of‐service (QoS) obtained by the ongoing calls, the system will perform load balancing operations first by initiating vertical handoffs among networks in order to create more rooms for the request call. The load balancing algorithm is to minimize the variance between the network utilizations of the entire system, which can be formulated as a quadratic binary programming problem. Simulation results show that the proposed scheme can admit more calls into the system compared with the other three reference schemes and then improve the overall throughput. Meanwhile, the scheme can keep the networks working in effective states and provide a better QoS support for users. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Glass‐bead/X‐ray fluorescence analysis of earthenware body – sampling from heterogeneous earthenware
Authors: Ichikawa Shintaro , Nakayama Kenichi , Nakamura Toshihiro
Published: November 2011

Samples of ancient earthenware were prepared in 1 : 10 glass beads for the X‐ray fluorescence quantitation of 10 major elements (Na, Mg, Al, Si, P, K, Ca, Ti, Mn, and Fe). Calibration standards of the glass beads were used with a mixture of reagents in an arbitrary ratio instead of rock standards. The calibration curves were constructed using the reported values of Japanese wares and clay materials. The adequacy of conventional sampling methods was statistically evaluated by examining the homogeneities of two shards (112 g of Jomon ware and 92 g of Yayoi ware) with respect to their crystalline phases and 10 major constituents. Both shards were found to be heterogeneous. An important finding is that in the sampling from a shard, unless at least half of the shard is homogenized, small sampling cannot represent the whole shard. The sampling was found to be only marginally reliable because the K/Ca scatter diagram for determination of provenance showed regional characteristics, and the measured analytical values showed normal (or Gaussian) distributions. Furthermore, taking eight samples or above from a shard enhances the reliability of small sampling. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
In Search of Chemical Frustration in the Ca‐Cu‐Cd System: Chemical Pressure Relief in the Crystal Structures of ­Ca5Cu2Cd and Ca2Cu2Cd9
Authors: Harris Nicholas A. , Hadler Amelia B. , Fredrickson Daniel C.
Published: November 2011

Structural complexity in intermetallic phases is increasingly being linked to the coexistence of or competition between mutually exclusive types of bonding or packing. We present an approach to inducing such competition through the choice of a ternary combination of elements with inherent incompatibilities in the bonding preferences of their binary subsystems, a conflict we term chemical frustration by analogy with magnetic phenomena. One system in which we perceived the potential for chemical frustration emerging is Ca‐Cu‐Cd. We describe our synthetic efforts in this system and the structures of two new compounds that we have obtained with the approximate compositions Ca5Cu2Cd and Ca2Cu2Cd9. Both compounds crystallize in ternary variants of binary structure types: the Cr5B3 type for Ca5Cu2Cd and the Mg2Zn11 type for Ca2Cu2Cd9. Despite their ternary compositions, the structural features of binary and even elemental phases can be discerned at the level of local coordination polyhedra. These observations can be rationalized by the position of the compounds in the phase diagram as a sort of phase‐segregation at a very small length scale, consistent with the presence of incompatible bonding modes. The impetus for the formation of ternary phases, as opposed to a multiphase sample with macroscopic separation between binary and elemental phases, is traced through μ2‐Hückel chemical pressure analysis to the relief of electronic packing frustration in hypothetical binary compounds upon introducing a third element.
Synthesis and Crystal Structures of Aluminum, Gallium and Indium Complexes with Chelating Me2Si(NPh)22– Ligands
Authors: Mane Ankush , Wagner Christoph , Merzweiler Kurt
Published: November 2011

The reaction of ECl3 (E = Al, Ga) with two equivalentsof Li2Me2Si(NPh)2 (in diethyl ether/n‐hexane) leads to the formation of bis‐chelate complexes [Li(OEt2)3][E{Me2Si(NPh)2}2] (E = Al (1), Ga (2)). Compounds 1 and 2 crystallize isotypically in the monoclinic system with a = 1136.42(6), b = 3267.9(1), c = 1360.37(8) pm, β = 94.320(7)° for 1 and a = 1140.88(6), b = 3261.7(2), c = 1360.20(8) pm, β = 94.641(7)° for 2. Both the compounds display a distorted tetrahedral coordination of the central metal atom to give a spirocyclic EN4Si2 core. The Al–N bond lengths are in the range of186.5–186.9 pm and for the Ga–N distances values between 192.3and 193.1 pm are observed. Treatment of InCl3 with three equivalents of Li2Me2Si(NPh)2 yields the tris‐chelate [{Li(OEt2)}3In{Me2Si(NPh2)}3] 3. Compound 3 crystallizes in the trigonal crystal system, space group R$\bar{3}$c with a = 1852.4(1), and c = 3300.2(2) pm. The central indium atom is coordinated by threeMe2Si(NPh)22– ligands in a distorted octahedral arrangement withIn–N bond lengths of 230.8 pm.
Spontaneous Adrenal Hemorrhage with Associated Masses: Etiology and Management in 6 Cases and a Review of 133 Reported Cases
Authors: Marti Jennifer L. , Millet John , Sosa Julie Ann , Roman Sanziana A. , Carling Tobias , Udelsman Robert
Published: November 2011

Background

Spontaneous adrenal hemorrhage associated with a mass is uncommon and treatment strategies are not standardized. Current treatment modalities range from supportive management and blood transfusion to embolization or immediate operative extirpation. Our objectives were to describe six cases from a single institution and to perform a literature review of the etiology of the condition and recommended management of patients with hemorrhagic adrenal masses.

Methods

Records from six patients diagnosed with adrenal hemorrhage and an associated mass at a single institution were reviewed. Clinical records and outcomes were analyzed. A comprehensive review of 133 reported cases in the literature was performed.

Results

Six patients presented with spontaneous adrenal hemorrhage that appeared to be associated with a mass, with tumor sizes ranging from 3.7 to 15 cm. Three patients underwent adrenalectomy for pheochromocytoma or adrenocortical cancer. Three patients did not undergo adrenalectomy: one had a metastasis from lung cancer, one underwent embolization, and one had resolution of the mass on interval imaging. A comprehensive review of the literature identified 133 cases, with pheochromocytoma the most commonly reported lesion (48%).

Conclusions

Spontaneous adrenal hemorrhage is rare. When it does occur, a high level of suspicion for malignant disease or pheochromocytoma should be maintained. The possibility of a hematoma masquerading as a neoplasm should also be considered. In cases of ongoing hemorrhage, embolization may be a lifesaving temporizing measure. Acute surgical intervention should be considered in selected patients, and surgery may not be required in all patients. A cautious approach with a comprehensive biochemical and imaging work‐up is advised prior to operation.
Individual and contextual bases of thriving in adolescence: A view of the issues☆
Authors: Lerner Richard M. , Lerner Jacqueline V. , von Eye Alexander , Bowers Edmond P. , Lewin‐Bizan Selva
Published: November 2011

We introduce this special issue on the individual and contextual bases of adolescent thriving by describing the relational developmental systems theory‐based, positive youth development (PYD) perspective that frames much of contemporary research about health and positive development across the adolescent period and that, more specifically, frames the 4‐H Study of PYD, the data set from which the empirical work in this special issue is drawn. All articles point to the combined role of characteristics of the person and ecological assets in the family, school, or community settings of youth to promote the development of PYD. We discuss how these articles provide evidence about the empirical usefulness of the PYD perspective and discuss how research testing the PYD model has new and important implications for both adolescent development research and for the application of developmental science.
Linear stability of compressible flow in a streamwise corner
Authors: Schmidt Oliver T. , Rist Ulrich
Published: November 2011

The linear stability of the compressible flow in a streamwise corner is studied. The steady laminar mean flow is obtained as a solution to the parabolized Navier–Stokes equations with the asymptotic cross-flow velocity enforced on the far-field boundaries via a sponge region and was found to be in good agreement with the corresponding self-similar solution. The eigenvalue problem of linear stability theory is solved for base flows at three different Mach numbers representing the incompressible limit ($\mathit{Ma}= 0. 01$), the subsonic ($\mathit{Ma}= 0. 95$) and the supersonic ($\mathit{Ma}= 1. 5$) velocity regime. Particular attention is given to the subject of wave obliqueness. Owing to the break of periodicity by the opposing wall the exact spanwise wavenumbers and associated phase angles resolved in the computational domain are not knowna priori. We address this problem by imposing different phase angles on the far-field boundaries to obtain the critical values of the Reynolds number, streamwise wavenumber and spanwise wavenumber from a three-dimensional solution space. The stability characteristics of the different types of modes present in the spectrum are discussed. An inviscid corner mode with odd-symmetry not present in the subsonic regime and with a higher amplification rate than its symmetric counterpart is identified in the supersonic case. Acoustic modes are found in an enlarged computational domain and categorized with respect to speed, symmetry and wall-boundedness, among them an acoustic corner mode.
Politicizing Agency Spending Authority: Lessons from a Bush-era Scandal
Authors: GORDON SANFORD C.
Published: November 2011

When can presidents direct bureaucrats to allocate government expenditures for electoral purposes? To address this question, I exploit a scandal concerning the General Services Administration (GSA), an agency that contracts with private vendors to provide supplies and real estate to other agencies. Shortly after Republican losses in 2006, a White House deputy gave a presentation to GSA political appointees identifying potentially vulnerable congressional districts. I find that vendors in prioritized Republican districts experienced unusually large new contract actions from the GSA's Public Buildings Service following the presentation relative to unmentioned districts, a discrepancy that disappeared once theWashington Postbroke the story. Contracts supervised by the agency's Federal Acquisition Service, by contrast, were largely unresponsive to the briefing and media scrutiny. My findings suggest that the extent to which executives succeed in politicizing discretionary allocation decisions depends upon key features of the implementing agency's tasks and its informational environment.
A new species of the side-necked turtle Foxemys (Pelomedusoides: Bothremydidae) from the Late Cretaceous of Hungary and the historical biogeography of the Bothremydini
Authors: RABI MÁRTON , TONG HAIYAN , BOTFALVAI GÁBOR
Published: November 2011

The continental deposits of the Upper Cretaceous (Santonian) Csehbánya Formation of the Bakony Mountains in Hungary yielded abundant remains of a bothremydid side-necked turtle, which are attributed to a new species of the genus Foxemys, Foxemys trabanti. F. trabanti shows strong affinities with the European monophyletic group Foxemydina owing to the absence of pits in the upper and lower triturating surfaces, the exclusion of the jugal from the triturating surface, the separation of the Eustachian tube and the stapes by a narrow fissure, the presence of deep and narrow fossa pterygoidei, the partially closed foramen jugulare posterius and the pentagonal shape of the basisphenoid in ventral view. Among the Foxemydina the bothremydid from Iharkút is more closely related to F. mechinorum than to Polysternon provinciale from the Early Campanian of France, mainly because of the position of the occipital condyle relative to the mandibular condyles of the quadrate. The new remains represent the only record of the Foxemydina outside of Western Europe and provide the earliest known occurrence of this endemic, freshwater group in the former Mediterranean Basin. The historical biogeography of the tribe Bothremydini is investigated and a hypothesis of migration from Africa to North America via the high-latitude Thulean route is put forward.
The Portrait's Journey: The Image, Social Communication and Martyr-Making in Colonial India
Authors: Maclean Kama
Published: November 2011

Bhagat Singh, the revolutionary nationalist executed by the British in 1931, continues to be an enormously popular figure in contemporary India, immediately recognizable in ubiquitous posters, stickers and placards by his distinctive hat. This article uncovers the story behind Bhagat Singh's original ‘hat photograph’ by tracing the portrait's journey from the time it was taken, in 1929, to the early 1930s. The portrait was devised as a tactic of political subversion and intended as revolutionary propaganda, although it became more widely interpreted as an icon of defiant nationalism and a symbol of imperial injustice. The image quickly morphed from its original format, and rapidly circulated in the form of reproductions, paintings and drawings, travelling well beyond the confines of the literate domain, making a decisive impact on the charged political landscape of the early 1930s.
The changing face of informed surgical consent
Authors: Oosthuizen J C , Burns P , Timon C
Published: November 2011

Objectives:

To determine whether procedure-specific brochures improve patients' pre-operative knowledge, to determine the amount of information expected by patients during the consenting process, and to determine whether the recently proposed ‘Request for Treatment’ consenting process is viable on a large scale.

Method:

A prospective, questionnaire-based study of 100 patients admitted for selected, elective surgical procedures.

Results:

In total, 99 per cent of patients were satisfied with the information received in the out-patient department, regarding the proposed procedure. However, 38 per cent were unable to correctly state the nature of the surgery or specific procedure they were scheduled to undergo. Although the vast majority of patients were able to state the intended benefits to be gained from the procedure, only 54 per cent were able to list at least one potential complication, and 80 per cent indicated that they wished to be informed about all potential complications, even if these occurred in less than 1 per cent of cases.

Conclusions:

The introduction of procedure-specific brochures improved patients' pre-operative knowledge. Although the failings of current consenting practice are clear, the Request for Treatment consenting process would not appear to be a viable alternative because of the large number of patients unable to accurately recall the nature of the proposed surgery or potential complications, following consent counselling.
Everyday Technology in South and Southeast Asia: An introduction
Authors: ARNOLD DAVID , DeWALD ERICH
Published: November 2011

That technology matters—and matters profoundly—to the humanities and social sciences is no longer in dispute. But exactly how it informs our understanding of society, now and in the past, remains a matter of scholarly contention. It might be argued that, as the history and sociology of technology moves away from its principal point of origin in the study of Euro-American societies, the questions that technology poses have, if only by virtue of their relative novelty, a particular resonance for the constituent regions of modern Asia—and not least for the societies of South and Southeast Asia that form the subject of this special issue. It is not a question of adopting an approach as unsubtle and outmoded as technological determinism, or of simply extending to one corner of the Asian landmass a set of ‘global’ theories and histories, with technology as their underpinning, already established and familiar in other contexts. Rather, it is a case of finding and developing a perspective on technology which helps to illuminate the inner histories and local narratives of these regions and which brings to the wider discussion of technology something distinctive, distilled from the outlook and experience of one part of the non-Western world. A desire to move beyond scholarship's still-dominant paradigms of colonialism, nationalism, and development, to explore the multivalent nature of ‘everyday life’ and enquire into ‘the social life of things’ as locally constituted, to examine modernity's diverse material forms, technological manifestations, and ideological configurations, to locate the regional roots as well as the exogenous origins of social change and cultural transformation, to situate subaltern experience alongside middle class mores and elite appropriation—all these interlocking considerations have begun to form part of a collective inquiry into the technological histories and cultures of South and Southeast Asia. A scholarly search is clearly under way to establish new methodologies and meanings, new contexts, and conjunctures, which will inform and reinvigorate the history, sociology, anthropology, and geography of these regions and redefine their place within the burgeoning field of science and technology studies.
Effects of cognitive therapy versus interpersonal psychotherapy in patients with major depressive disorder: a systematic review of randomized clinical trials with meta-analyses and trial sequential analyses
Authors: Jakobsen J. C. , Hansen J. L. , Simonsen S. , Simonsen E. , Gluud C.
Published: November 2011

Background

Major depressive disorder afflicts an estimated 17% of individuals during their lifetime at tremendous suffering and cost. Cognitive therapy and interpersonal psychotherapy are treatment options, but their effects have only been limitedly compared in systematic reviews.

Method

Using Cochrane systematic review methodology we compared the benefits and harm of cognitive therapy versus interpersonal psychotherapy for major depressive disorder. Trials were identified by searching the Cochrane Library's CENTRAL, Medline via PubMed, EMBASE, Psychlit, PsycInfo, and Science Citation Index Expanded until February 2010. Continuous outcome measures were assessed by mean difference and dichotomous outcomes by odds ratio. We conducted trial sequential analysis to control for random errors.

Results

We included seven trials randomizing 741 participants. All trials had high risk of bias. Meta-analysis of the four trials reporting data at cessation of treatment on the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression showed no significant difference between the two interventions [mean difference −1.02, 95% confidence interval (CI) −2.35 to 0.32]. Meta-analysis of the five trials reporting data at cessation of treatment on the Beck Depression Inventory showed comparable results (mean difference −1.29, 95% CI −2.73 to 0.14). Trial sequential analysis indicated that more data are needed to definitively settle the question of a differential effect. None of the included trial reported on adverse events.

Conclusions

Randomized trials with low risk of bias and low risk of random errors are needed, although the effects of cognitive therapy and interpersonal psychotherapy do not seem to differ significantly regarding depressive symptoms. Future trials should report on adverse events.
Genetic co-morbidity between neuroticism, anxiety/depression and somatic distress in a population sample of adolescent and young adult twins
Authors: Hansell N. K. , Wright M. J. , Medland S. E. , Davenport T. A. , Wray N. R. , Martin N. G. , Hickie I. B.
Published: November 2011

Background

Genetic studies in adults indicate that genes influencing the personality trait of neuroticism account for substantial genetic variance in anxiety and depression and in somatic health. Here, we examine for the first time the factors underlying the relationship between neuroticism and anxiety/depressive and somatic symptoms during adolescence.

Method

The Somatic and Psychological Health Report (SPHERE) assessed symptoms of anxiety/depression (PSYCH-14) and somatic distress (SOMA-10) in 2459 adolescent and young adult twins [1168 complete pairs (35.4% monozygotic, 53% female)] aged 12–25 years (mean=15.5±2.9). Differences between boys and girls across adolescence were explored for neuroticism, SPHERE-34, and the subscales PSYCH-14 and SOMA-10. Trivariate analyses partitioned sources of covariance in neuroticism, PSYCH-14 and SOMA-10.

Results

Girls scored higher than boys on both neuroticism and SPHERE, with SPHERE scores for girls increasing slightly over time, whereas scores for boys decreased or were unchanged. Neuroticism and SPHERE scores were strongly influenced by genetic factors [heritability (h2)=40–52%]. A common genetic source influenced neuroticism, PSYCH-14 and SOMA-10 (impacting PSYCH-14 more than SOMA-10). A further genetic source, independent of neuroticism, accounted for covariation specific to PSYCH-14 and SOMA-10. Environmental influences were largely specific to each measure.

Conclusions

In adolescence, genetic risk factors indexed by neuroticism contribute substantially to anxiety/depression and, to a lesser extent, perceived somatic health. Additional genetic covariation between anxiety/depressive and somatic symptoms, independent of neuroticism, had greatest influence on somatic distress, where it was equal in influence to the factor shared with neuroticism.
FRENCH CROSSINGS: II. LAUGHING OVER BOUNDARIES
Authors: Jones Colin
Published: November 2011

Under the generic title, ‘French Crossings’, this Presidential Address explores the history of laughter in French society, and humour's potential for trangressing boundaries. It focuses on the irreverent and almost entirely unknown book of comic drawings entitledLivre de caricatures tant Bonnes que mauvaises(Book of Caricatures, both Good and Bad), that was composed between the 1740s and the mid-1770s by the luxury Parisian embroiderer and designer, Charles-Germain de Saint-Aubin, and his friends and family. The bawdy laughter that the book seems intended to provoke gave it its nickname of theLivre de culs(Book of Arses). Yet despite the scatological character of many of the drawings, the humour often conjoined lower body functions with rather cerebral and erudite wit. The laughter provoked unsparingly targeted and exposed to ridicule the social elite, cultural celebrities and political leaders of Ancien Régime France. This made it a dangerous object, which was kept strictly secret. Was this humour somehow pre- or proto-Revolutionary? In fact, the work is so embedded in the culture of the Ancien Régime that 1789 was one boundary that the work signally fails to cross.
THINKING WITH BYZANTIUM
Authors: Cameron Averil
Published: November 2011

It is well known that the history of Byzantium does not fit comfortably with mainstream medieval history. This paper returns to the problem in the light of two recent, if opposing, historiographical trends: first, the emphasis on the Mediterranean as a unifying factor, and second, the turn towards the comparative history of western and eastern Eurasia. Neither emphasis accommodates Byzantium well, and it is argued that however difficult it may seem to some historians, any broad approach to medieval history will be inadequate if it does not make space for the history of Byzantium.
WHY WERE SOME TENTH-CENTURY ENGLISH KINGS PRESENTED AS RULERS OF BRITAIN?
Authors: Molyneaux George
Published: November 2011

Some tenth-century English kings, especially Æthelstan and Edgar, were commonly presented as rulers of Britain. The basic reason for this is that they had a loose but real hegemony over the other rulers on the island. This hegemony did not collapse in subsequent centuries, but English kings were less often described as rulers of Britain. The intensification of royal rule within the English kingdom in the second half of the tenth century made kings’ power inside the kingdom increasingly unlike their power elsewhere in Britain: it consequently became harder to think of Britain as a single political unit.
TROUBLING MEMORIES: NINETEENTH-CENTURY HISTORIES OF THE SLAVE TRADE AND SLAVERY
Authors: Hall Catherine
Published: November 2011

This paper explores the memories and histories of the slave trade and slavery produced by three figures, all of whom were connected with the compensation awarded to slave owners by the British government in 1833. It argues that memories associated with slavery, of the Middle Passage and the plantations, were deeply troubling, easier to forget than remember. Enthusiasm for abolition, and the ending of ‘the stain’ upon the nation, provided a way of screening disturbing associations, partially forgetting a long history of British involvement in the slavery business. Yet remembering and forgetting are always interlinked as different genres of text reveal.
THE MEANINGS OF ‘LIFE’: BIOLOGY AND BIOGRAPHY IN THE WORK OF J. S. HALDANE (1860–1936)
Authors: Sturdy Steve
Published: November 2011

In the course of his somewhat unorthodox career in science, the physiologist John Scott Haldane occasionally turned to biography to portray the aims and values that he associated with such a career. But the same concerns can also be discerned in his scientific writings which drew, in large part, on experiments he conducted on himself. For Haldane, biology, as the science of life, was inseparable from biography, as the depiction of a life in science; and he embodied both these enterprises in his own autobiological investigations. Analysing these connections in Haldane's work serves to illuminate the contested role of science in the growth of professional society and the emergence of the intellectual aristocracy.
THE DEMISE OF THE ASYLUM IN LATE TWENTIETH-CENTURY BRITAIN: A PERSONAL HISTORY
Authors: Taylor Barbara
Published: November 2011

Mental health care in Britain was revolutionised in the late twentieth century, as a public asylum system dating back to the 1850s was replaced by a community-based psychiatric service. This paper examines this transformation through the lens of an individual asylum closure. In the late 1980s, I spent several months in Friern mental hospital in north-east London. Friern was the former Colney Hatch Asylum, one of the largest and most notorious of the great Victorian ‘museums of the mad’. It closed in 1993. The paper gives a detailed account of the hospital's closure, in tandem with my personal memories of life in Friern during its twilight days. Friern's demise occurred in an ideological climate increasingly hostile to welfare dependency. The transfer of mental health care from institution to community was accompanied by a new ‘recovery model’ for the mentally ill which emphasised economic independence and personal autonomy. Drawing on the Friern experience, the paper concludes by raising questions about the validity of this model and its implications for mental healthcare provision in twenty-first century Britain.
Longevity and germination ecology of seeds of endemic Cactaceae species from high-altitude sites in south-eastern Brazil
Authors: Cheib Ana Loureiro , Garcia Queila Souza
Published: November 2011

The influence of light and temperature on germination behaviour and the longevity of seeds were evaluated in four taxa of the genusArthrocereus(Cactaceae). Germination experiments were conducted at six constant temperatures with a 12-h photoperiod and in continuous darkness. Forin situstorage tests, the seeds were buried in the soil where the species naturally occur, and germination experiments were performed for 14 months. Seeds were also stored dry at room temperature in the laboratory for 12 months. The results indicated that, in spite of the variations between the four taxa studied, there is a consistent pattern in their germination behaviour. The seeds are small, with an absolute requirement of light for germination. In the presence of light, we obtained high germinability at temperatures between 20 and 30°C and low germination percentages at 10, 15 and 35°C. This behaviour may represent an adaptive mechanism during seasons when environmental conditions in open rocky fields are not favourable for seedling survival. In general, germination was relatively slow, which would favour establishment during the rainy season. Dry storage did not significantly alter seed germination behaviour, and buried seeds, likewise, remained viable and retained high germination percentages. We can therefore infer that the seeds of the species studied here are able to form persistent soil seed-banks. All studied species are threatened with extinction, so their ability to form soil seed-banks, together with the possibility ofex situseed preservation, will possibly give support for future conservation efforts.
Natural history of prenatal ventricular septal defects and their association with foetal echocardiographic features
Authors: Jin Youpeng , Wang Aiyun , Wang Yulin , Wang Yuemei , Wang Wei , Hou Xiaoming
Published: November 2011

Objective

To describe the evolution of ventricular septal defects in infants from intra-uterine diagnosis to the age of 3 years or until documented echocardiographic closure of the defect, as well as any relationship between closure rate, time and foetal echocardiographic features.

Methods

Between January, 2004 and December, 2006, 268 cases of congenital cardiac defect were detected in 14,993 pregnancies referred to our hospital for routine foetal echocardiography; of these cases, 125 had isolated ventricular septal defect. The mothers were scheduled for regular ultrasonography every 2 weeks from diagnosis until the ventricular septal defect closed or 3 years postnatally.

Results

Of the 125 cases of ventricular septal defects, the pregnancy was terminated in 25, four resulted in death, two defects closed spontaneouslyin utero, 55 closed at a mean age of 13.7 months postnatally, 17 were treated with surgery, nine remained unclosed, and 13 cases were lost to follow-up. Only 7.7% of muscular ventricular septal defects remained patent as compared with 35.7% of perimembranous ventricular septal defects (p is less than 0.01). Muscular ventricular septal defects closed earlier than perimembranous ventricular septal defects. All the ventricular septal defects less than or equal to 3 millimetres closed, whereas only 79.5% of the defects greater than 3 millimetres closed before the age of 3 years; 60.9% of the defects less than or equal to 3 millimetres closed before the age of 1 year as compared with 41.7% of the defects greater than 3 millimetres. The velocity of right-to-left flow was negatively correlated with closure rate but not related to closure period.

Conclusion

Ventricular septal defects can closein uteroor during the postnatal period, and both the size and site play a role in the natural history, with small and muscular ventricular septal defects having a high closure rate and early closure.