bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
INDUCTION OF PHOTORESPIRATION BY LIGHT IN THE CENTRIC DIATOM THALASSIOSIRA WEISSFLOGII (BACILLARIOPHYCEAE): MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION AND PHYSIOLOGICAL CONSEQUENCES1
Authors: Schnitzler Parker Micaela , Armbrust E. Virginia , Piovia‐Scott Jonah , Keil Richard G.
Published: July 2009

Glycine decarboxylase (GDC) is a multi‐subunit enzyme that plays a key role in the photorespiratory pathway. A cDNA (GDCT) with a deduced amino acid sequence sharing up to 64% homology and 50% identity with the T‐protein subunit of GDC from land plants was identified from the centric diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii (Grun.) Fryxell et Hasle. The effect of light on transcript abundance was determined using competitive RT‐PCR. GDCT mRNA per cell decreased during prolonged dark incubations and was higher in cells grown at higher light intensities, independent of growth rate. Cells acclimated to a 12:12‐h light:dark cycle maintained the same amount of GDCT transcripts before and after the dark phase, but rapidly increased transcript levels in the light with a peak “mid‐day.” Rapid increases in GDCT message abundance also occurred in response to an increase in irradiance. Transcript abundance of twca1, the gene for carbonic anhydrase, was also measured and displayed a slower and much less pronounced response to changes in light intensity. An HPLC‐based method was used to measure the concentration of the photorespiratory‐specific compound glycolate in the culturemedia. Only cultures shifted from low subsaturating irradiances to the highest light intensity released significant amounts of glycolate. Our results suggest that quantifying GDCT mRNA in conjunction with measurements of glycolate will allow us to monitor both the initiation of photorespiration and its physiological consequences in the marine environment.
Emerging infectious disease agents and their potential threat to transfusion safety
Authors: Stramer Susan L. , Hollinger F. Blaine , Katz Louis M. , Kleinman Steven , Metzel Peyton S. , Gregory Kay R. , Dodd Roger Y.
Published: July 2009

BACKGROUND: Emerging infections have been identified as a continuing threat to human health. Many such infections are known to be transmissible by blood transfusion, while others have properties indicating this potential. There has been no comprehensive review of such infectious agents and their threat to transfusion recipient safety to date.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: The members of AABB's Transfusion Transmitted Diseases Committee reviewed a large number of information sources in order to identify infectious agents with actual or potential risk of transfusion transmission now or in the future in the US or Canada; with few exceptions, these agents do not have available interventions to reduce the risk of such transmission. Using a group discussion and writing process, key characteristics of each agent were identified, researched, recorded and documented in standardized format. A group process was used to prioritize each agent on the basis of scientific/epidemiologic data and a subjective assessment of public perception and/or concern expressed by regulatory agencies.

RESULTS: Sixty‐eight infectious agents were identified and are described in detail in a single Supplement to TRANSFUSION. Key information will also be provided in web‐based form and updated as necessary. The highest priorities were assigned to Babesia species, Dengue virus, and vCJD.

CONCLUSION: The information is expected to support the needs of clinicians and transfusion medicine experts in the recognition and management of emerging infections among blood donors and blood recipients.
Resolving Water Conflicts: A Comparative Analysis of Interstate River Compacts
Authors: Schlager Edella , Heikkila Tanya
Published: July 2009

This paper examines compacts used by U.S. western states to engage in shared governance of interstate rivers. Compacts are viewed as inflexible, rigid governance structures incapable of responding to changing environmental and institutional settings because of the use of unanimity rules and the inability to directly regulate water users. Using data from a study of 14 western interstate river compacts we examine this claim. In particular, we explore the response of compacts to water conflicts. We find that members of compacts, closely related water agencies, and compact governments are capable of responding to conflicts. To better understand this finding, we identify the conditions under which compacts are likely to address conflicts, as well as the types of conflict solutions compact governments adopted.
Surfing for Problems: Advocacy Group Strategy in U.S. Forestry Policy
Authors: Boscarino Jessica E.
Published: July 2009

John Kingdon sets out a multiple streams approach to policymaking, whereby problems, solutions, and politics develop independently of one another. Kingdon's work suggests that advocates with pet policies may continually search the problem stream, looking for prominent issues to attach to their preferred solutions. I call this process “problem surfing.” This paper provides an empirical test of problem surfing through the use of a case study of environmental advocacy. The paper examines Wilderness Society and Sierra Club advocacy for sustainable forestry practices from 1971 to 1994 through an analysis of articles in member magazines and interview data. Problem surfing is revealed to be a complex strategic process. I find evidence that advocacy groups adjust the problems they associate their solutions with over time to take advantage of salient issues. However, problem surfing appears to be influenced by more than just problem salience.
Political Attention and Public Spending in the United States
Authors: Mortensen Peter B.
Published: July 2009

According to Jones and Baumgartner's disproportionate information processing model, it is crucial to study fluctuations in congressional attention over time and across policy issues to understand congressional policy decisions including decisions on the federal budget. Drawing on classical ideas about reelection‐oriented behavior, on the one hand, and the blocking power of federal agencies, on the other, this paper extends and specifies the attention‐spending predictions of the disproportionate information processing model. Specifically, spending effects of congressional attention shifts are argued to be crucially dependent on both the spending preferences expressed by the U.S. public and on pressure from spending advocates. An empirical evaluation of the association between changes in congressional attention measures and federal budget appropriations across 12 spending domains and 33 years (1970–2003) supports this conditional hypothesis derived from the extended disproportionate information processing model.
Exploring the Factors for Budget Stability and Punctuations: A Preliminary Analysis of State Government Sub‐Functional Expenditures
Authors: Ryu Jay Eungha
Published: July 2009

Disproportionate information processing theory asserts that sudden, dramatic changes punctuate otherwise stable growth patterns in U.S. policy and budget processes. The present paper uses state government sub‐functional expenditures to explore what factors cause budget stability and punctuations. First, the findings in the present paper generally confirm the observations made in other studies that distributions of governmental budgets are Paretian. Second, while future research is warranted to identify more specific causes, this preliminary analysis suggests that institutional frictions and information oversupply tend to increase both budget stability and punctuations. It also suggests that availability of efficient information reduces budget stability but not necessarily budget punctuations. However, when examined at the level of different fund‐type expenditures, which have differing degrees of institutional friction and availability of information that can be efficiently processed, more subtle and distinguishable differences in patterns of budget stability and punctuations emerge, which was not accounted for in disproportionate information processing theory.
The Limited Effects of Federal Environmental Justice Policy on State Enforcement
Authors: Konisky David M.
Published: July 2009

The federal government adopted several measures during the mid‐1990s to address concerns about race‐based and class‐based disparities in environmental protection. This article examines whether these measures affected the pattern of state enforcement of three federal pollution control laws. Using differences‐in‐differences models to estimate the effects of the federal policy adoption, I find evidence of increases in state enforcement of the Clean Air Act in large African‐American communities, but declines in enforcement in communities with large poor and Hispanic populations. Similarly, there is evidence that state enforcement of the Clean Water Act decreased in poor and African‐American communities, but there were no real changes in enforcement of facilities regulated under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. Collectively, the analysis suggests that the federal policy had minimal positive effects on state regulatory enforcement.
Leaders in Thinking, Laggards in Attention? Bureaucratic Engagement in International Arenas
Authors: Beem Betsi
Published: July 2009

Frameworks that examine policy subsystems, networks, and coalitions view bureaucracies as part of the mix of policy actors that advocate policy positions in both domestic and international arenas. However, few examine bureaucracies as independent actors and how they exercise influence distinct from other pressure groups. The ways in which domestic bureaucracies engage in the international environment is woefully under examined, with only a few studies examining how domestic bureaucrats affect decision making in the international arena. However, it is not unreasonable to posit that bureaucratic engagement in the international arena may have political implications in the domestic sphere. Building on examinations of bureaucratic autonomy, this research queries the ways in which domestic bureaucracies can interact in the international arena to “change agendas and preferences” of domestic political actors. While it finds that attention to developing an international reputation can enhance political leverage at home, it may do so at a cost to domestic programs if insufficient attention is given to domestic aspects of the organization's mission. Nevertheless, as attention lurches from one arena to another, policy change is facilitated by the politically powerful resources of an international reputation in expertise, active engagement in the international policy community, and broadly based support for programmatic change.
Processing Complexity in Networks: A Study of Informal Collaboration and its Effect on Organizational Success
Authors: Berardo Ramiro
Published: July 2009

Do organizations with more collaborative partners perform better than organizations with fewer partners? And is this relationship conditional on the ability of those partners to provide nonredundant resources from their network of contact with other actors? This article answers these questions with data describing the participation of governmental and nongovernmental organizations in the Cooperative Funding Initiative (CFI), a program sponsored by the one of the five water management districts in Florida. Results show a positive relationship between the inclusion of more partners in a project and the chances of getting funded, but also that once the project becomes too inclusive; those chances decrease if the partners fill more structural holes (e.g., provide more nonredundant resources). In other words, organizations perform better by adding more partners as long as this addition does not result in excessive complexity. These results are valuable for the growing community of policy scholars seeking to understand the specific conditions under which collaborative behavior positively affects organizational performance.
What are melanocytesreallydoing all day long…?
Authors: Plonka P. M. , Passeron T. , Brenner M. , Tobin D. J. , Shibahara S. , Thomas A. , Slominski A. , Kadekaro A. L. , Hershkovitz D. , Peters E. , Nordlund J. J. , Abdel‐Malek Z. , Takeda K. , Paus R. , Ortonne J. P. , Hearing V. J. , Schallreuter K. U.
Published: July 2009

Abstract: Everyone knows and seems to agree that melanocytes are there to generate melanin – an intriguing, but underestimated multipurpose molecule that is capable of doing far more than providing pigment and UV protection to skin (1). What about the cell that generates melanin, then? Is this dendritic, neural crest‐derived cell still serving useful (or even important) functions when no‐one looks at the pigmentation of our skin and its appendages and when there is essentially no UV exposure? In other words, what do epidermal and hair follicle melanocytes do in their spare time – at night, under your bedcover? How much of the full portfolio of physiological melanocyte functions in mammalian skin has really been elucidated already? Does the presence or absence of melanoctyes matter for normal epidermal and/or hair follicle functions (beyond pigmentation and UV protection), and for skin immune responses? Do melanocytes even deserve as much credit for UV protection as conventional wisdom attributes to them? In which interactions do these promiscuous cells engage with their immediate epithelial environment and who is controlling whom? What lessons might be distilled from looking at lower vertebrate melanophores and at extracutaneous melanocytes in the endeavour to reveal the ‘secret identity’ of melanocytes? The currentControversiesfeature explores these far too infrequently posed, biologically and clinically important questions. Complementing a companion viewpoint essay on malignant melanocytes (2), this critical re‐examination of melanocyte biology provides a cornucopia of old, but under‐appreciated concepts and novel ideas on the slowly emerging complexity of physiological melanocyte functions, and delineates important, thought‐provoking questions that remain to be definitively answered by future research.
From Support to Control: A Configurational Perspective on Conjugal Quality
Authors: Widmer Eric D. , Giudici Francesco , Le Goff Jean‐Marie , Pollien Alexandre
Published: July 2009

The topic of conjugal quality provides an empirical illustration of the relevance of the configurational perspective on families. On the basis of a longitudinal sample of 1,534 couples living in Switzerland drawn from the study “Social Stratification, Cohesion and Conflict in Contemporary Families,” we show that various types of interdependencies with relatives and friends promote distinct conflict management strategies for couples as well as unequal levels of conjugal quality. We find that configurations characterized by supportive and noninterfering relationships with relatives and friends for both partners are associated with higher conjugal quality, whereas configurations characterized by interference are associated with lower conjugal quality.
A Study of Commitment and Relationship Quality in Sweden and Norway
Authors: Wiik Kenneth Aarskaug , Bernhardt Eva , Noack Turid
Published: July 2009

The Scandinavian countries are often cited as examples of countries where cohabitation is largely indistinguishable from marriage. Using survey data from Norway and Sweden (N = 2,923) we analyzed differences between cohabitors and married individuals in relationship seriousness, relationship satisfaction, and dissolution plans. Our analyses reveal that cohabitors overall are less serious and less satisfied with their relationships and are more likely to consider ending their current relationships than are married respondents. The views of cohabitors who report that they intend to marry their current partners within 2 years, however, differ much less from those of married respondents than cohabitors with no marriage plans. This finding suggests that even in Scandinavia cohabitors are a heterogeneous group.
Do Spousal Discrepancies in Marital Quality Assessments Affect Psychological Adjustment to Widowhood?
Authors: Carr Deborah , Boerner Kathrin
Published: July 2009

We use prospective couple‐level data from the Changing Lives of Older Couples to assess the extent to which spouses concur in their assessments of marital quality (N = 844) and whether discrepancies in spouses' marital assessments affect the bereaved spouse's psychological adjustment 6 months after loss (n = 105). Spouses' assessments of marital quality are correlated modestly (r = .45), with women offering less positive assessments. Bereaved persons who had rated their marriages more positively than their spouse at the preloss interview reported higher levels of anger 6 months postloss. We conclude that persons who offer more positive appraisals of their marriages than their spouse may view spousal loss as a particularly unjust event. We discuss implications for understanding late life marriage and spousal bereavement.
Attitudes Toward Housework and Child Care and the Gendered Division of Labor
Authors: Poortman Anne‐Rigt , Van Der Lippe Tanja
Published: July 2009

Research on the division of household labor has typically examined the role of time availability, relative resources, and gender ideology. We explore the gendered meaning of domestic work by examining the role of men's and women's attitudes toward household labor. Using data from the Dutch Time Competition Survey (N = 732), we find that women have more favorable attitudes toward cleaning, cooking, and child care than do men: Women enjoy it more, set higher standards for it, and feel more responsible for it. Furthermore, women's favorable and men's unfavorable attitudes are associated with women's greater contribution to household labor. Effects are stronger for housework than child care, own attitudes matter more than partner's, and men's attitudes are more influential than women's.
Rethinking Family Patriarchy and Women's Positions in Presocialist China
Authors: Zuo Jiping
Published: July 2009

Grounded in the patrilineal family system in presocialist China, this study explores the intersection between generation and gender dimensions of family patriarchy in influencing marital power relations. Data come from the life stories of 80 elderly married individuals, collected during the 2000–2001 period in the city of Beijing. Patterns of male dominance in marital relations were found to be incomplete, inconsistent, and even countervailing in the presence of generation patriarchy. Consequently, women's experience with family patriarchy was mixed over the life course. They were particularly disadvantaged as daughters‐in‐law, but their lives were improved as they became fully integrated into the patrilineal system through reproduction and their husband's growing reliance on their contributions to family continuity.
Maternal Relationships and Nonresidential Father Visitation of Children Born Outside of Marriage
Authors: Guzzo Karen Benjamin
Published: July 2009

Using data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (N = 781), I examined how father visitation for children born outside of marriage is affected by subsequent maternal relationship formation, focusing on the timing, type, and stability of maternal relationships. Results showed that fathers were most likely to have not seen their child at all when mothers formed a new relationship early in the child's life, especially if the new relationship was coresidential and the partner engaged in activities with the child. Fathers who initially visited their child were more likely to stop visiting their child if an initially unpartnered mother became partnered. Frequency of visitation was not as strongly affected as whether visitation occurred at all.
Promoting Fathers' Engagement With Children: Preventive Interventions for Low‐Income Families
Authors: Cowan Philip A. , Cowan Carolyn Pape , Pruett Marsha Kline , Pruett Kyle , Wong Jessie J.
Published: July 2009

Few programs to enhance fathers' engagement with children have been systematically evaluated, especially for low‐income minority populations. In this study, 289 couples from primarily low‐income Mexican American and European American families were randomly assigned to one of three conditions and followed for 18 months: 16‐week groups for fathers, 16‐week groups for couples, or a 1‐time informational meeting. Compared with families in the low‐dose comparison condition, intervention families showed positive effects on fathers' engagement with their children, couple relationship quality, and children's problem behaviors. Participants in couples' groups showed more consistent, longer term positive effects than those in fathers‐only groups. Intervention effects were similar across family structures, income levels, and ethnicities. Implications of the results for current family policy debates are discussed.
Work‐Family Enrichment and Conflict: Additive Effects, Buffering, or Balance?
Authors: Gareis Karen C. , Barnett Rosalind Chait , Ertel Karen A. , Berkman Lisa F.
Published: July 2009

We used data from the Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS I) (N = 2,031) to compare three models of how work‐family conflict and enrichment might operate to predict well‐being (mental health, life satisfaction, affect balance, partner relationship quality). We found no support for a relative‐difference model in which the conflict‐enrichment balance predicted outcomes. In the work‐to‐family direction, the additive model fit best: Both work‐to‐family conflict and work‐to‐family enrichment were independently linked to outcomes. In the family‐to‐work direction, the interactive model fit best: Family‐to‐work enrichment buffered the negative outcomes ordinarily linked to family‐to‐work conflict. Enrichment is key because with the additive model, it contributed incremental explanatory power, and with the buffering model, it conditioned conflict‐outcome relationships. Work‐to‐family conflict and family‐to‐work enrichment appeared particularly salient for well‐being.
Economic Crisis and Marital Problems in Turkey: Testing the Family Stress Model
Authors: Aytaç Işik A. , Rankin Bruce H.
Published: July 2009

This paper applied the family stress model to the case of Turkey in the wake of the 2001 economic crisis. Using structural equation modeling and a nationally representative urban sample of 711 married women and 490 married men, we tested whether economic hardship and the associated family economic strain on families resulted in greater marital problems. Our results showed a modified family stress model applies to Turkey. In contrast to most previous research, economic strain had a direct effect on marital problems, and the indirect effect of strain, via emotional distress, was only significant for women. The results were interpreted in light of social and cultural factors that condition how economic distress affects marital relations.
Validation of a point of care troponin assay in real life emergency department conditions
Authors: Loten Conrad , Attia John , Hullick Carolyn , Marley John , McElduff Patrick
Published: July 2009

Objective:  To validate the accuracy of a Point of care (POC) troponin device (Abbott i‐Stat) in real life ED conditions.

Methods:  Design: A three‐way comparison between troponin I results obtained by experienced POC operators, inexperienced ED staff and central laboratory criterion standard. Participants: Convenience sample of 332 patients presenting to the ED with possible coronary syndromes.

Results:  Spearman correlation coefficient for experienced versus laboratory was 0.83 (95% CI 0.78–0.87), occasional users versus laboratory was 0.76 (95% CI 0.71–0.81), and experienced versus occasional users on POC was 0.82 (95% CI 0.76–0.87). Using local troponin cut‐off of 0.1 ng/mL, kappa coefficient was 0.94 for occasional users versus laboratory, 0.91 for experienced versus laboratory and 0.94 for experienced versus occasional users. Bland–Altman plots showed good agreement across the range of measured values. The sensitivity of i‐Stat (vs laboratory as criterion standard) was 92.2% (95% CI 83.8%–97.0%) with the local cut‐off but only 70.1% (95% CI 60.5%–78.6%) using the lowest cut‐off associated with acceptable reproducibility (10% coefficient of variation).

Conclusions:  The i‐Stat POC device produces similar results in the hands of experienced and occasional operators in ED. There is good agreement between the POC and laboratory at levels used to diagnose infarction by older, more specific criteria. When compared using new lower cut‐offs, the i‐Stat had poor sensitivity.
Emergency department management of Colles‐type fractures: A prospective cohort study
Authors: Blakeney William , Webber Laurence
Published: July 2009

Objective:  To assess radiographic outcomes from ED reduction of Colles‐type fractures.

Design:  Prospective cohort.

Setting:  One tertiary hospital in Western Australia.

Participants:  All patients (184) between ages 21–85 years, presenting to ED with Colles‐type fractures between 1 April 2006 to 31 July 2008. Fractures were divided into two groups. Those with ≤15° dorsal angulation were classified as ‘minimally displaced’ and those with >15° dorsal angulation were classified as ‘displaced’.

Main outcome measures:  Radiographic analysis of the dorsal angle on post‐reduction and 6 week post‐fracture X‐rays. A combined end‐point of poor outcome, as defined by either poor radiological result and/or progression to surgery.

Results:  In the group of patients with displaced fractures, 69 of 114 (61%) went on to have an operation or a poor radiographic outcome versus 8 of 48 (17%) in the group with minimally displaced fractures, an absolute difference of 44% (95% CI 30–57%). Patients who had a minimally displaced fracture with an adequate reduction went on to have a satisfactory 6 week X‐ray in 37 of 43 cases (86%; 95% CI 75–96%). Patients who had a displaced fracture and an adequate reduction had a satisfactory 6 week X‐ray in 42 of 86 cases (49%; 95% CI 38–59%). Patients who had a displaced fracture and an inadequate reduction had a satisfactory 6 week X‐ray in only 3 of 22 cases (14%; 95% CI 0–28%).

Conclusion:  The study highlights the importance of the initial ‘on arrival’ and ‘post‐reduction’ X‐rays in the ED. Displaced fractures are more likely to go onto poor outcome, as are inadequately reduced fractures. Medical officers working in ED should be aware of the importance of measuring the dorsal angle. They should be referring patients with >15° dorsal angulation to orthopaedics early. Reduction should not be accepted until the dorsal angle has been adequately corrected.
Factors influencing rural versus metropolitan work choices for emergency physicians
Authors: Meek Robert , Doherty Steven , Deans Adrienne
Published: July 2009

Objectives:  To survey Fellows of the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (FACEM) on how a range of factors influenced their decision to accept their most recent position. To compare this information between rural and metropolitan FACEM.

Methods:  Analytical cross‐sectional survey of FACEM. Sections included baseline demographics and a range of questions regarding the presence, absence and influence of 14 professional and 12 personal/external factors on the decision to accept their current position.

Results:  Questionnaires were returned by 498 (61.9%) of 805 FACEM. Eighty‐seven (18.4%) were currently employed in rural areas. Rural FACEM were more likely to be male (odds ratio 2.0 [95% CI 1.1–3.9]) and to have worked for >12 months as a registrar in a rural hospital (odds ratio 4.5 [95% CI 2.2–9.1]). Negative influences for FACEM accepting rural positions included lack of access to continuing education, less acceptable on‐call arrangements, fewer employment opportunities for their partner and less educational opportunities for their children. Positive influences included acceptable remuneration, desirable lifestyle, a higher indigenous caseload and more affordable housing.

Conclusions:  The influence of different types of factors appears to differ between rural and metropolitan FACEM and this information might assist in the formulation of strategies aimed at increasing the rural workforce.
Bright Lyα emitters at z ∼ 9: constraints on the LF from HizELS
Authors: Sobral D. , Best P. N. , Geach J. E. , Smail Ian , Kurk J. , Cirasuolo M. , Casali M. , Ivison R. J. , Coppin K. , Dalton G. B.
Published: July 2009

New results are presented, as part of the Hi-z Emission Line Survey (HizELS), from the largest area survey to date (1.4 deg2) for Lyα emitters (LAEs) at z∼ 9. The survey, which is primarily targeting Hα emitters at z < 3, uses the Wide Field CAMera on the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope and a custom narrow-band filter in the J band and reaches a Lyα luminosity limit of ∼1043.8 erg s−1 over a co-moving volume of 1.12 × 106 Mpc3 at z= 8.96 ± 0.06. Only two candidates were found out of 1517 line emitters and those were rejected as LAEs after follow-up observations. The limit on the space density of bright LAEs is improved by three orders of magnitude, consistent with suppression of the bright end of the Lyα luminosity function beyond z∼ 6. Combined with upper limits from smaller but deeper surveys, this rules out some of the most extreme models for high-redshift LAEs. The potential contamination of future narrow-band Lyα surveys at z > 7 by Galactic brown dwarf stars is also examined, leading to the conclusion that such contamination may well be significant for searches at 7.7 < z < 8.0, 9.1 < z < 9.5 and 11.7 < z < 12.2.
SDSSJ092712.65+294344.0: a candidate massive black hole binary
Authors: Dotti M. , Montuori C. , Decarli R. , Volonteri M. , Colpi M. , Haardt F.
Published: July 2009

In this Letter, we explore the hypothesis that the quasar SDSSJ092712.65+294344.0 is hosting a massive black hole binary embedded in a circumbinary disc. The lightest, secondary black hole is active, and gas orbiting around it is responsible for the blue-shifted broad emission lines with velocity off-set of 2650 km s−1, relative to the galaxy rest frame. As the tidal interaction of the binary with the outer disc is expected to excavate a gap, the blue-shifted narrow emission lines are consistent with being emitted from the low-density inhomogeneous gas of the hollow region. From the observations, we infer a binary mass ratio q≈ 0.3, a mass for the primary of M1≈ 2 × 109 M⊙, and a semimajor axis of 0.34 pc, corresponding to an orbital period of 370 years. We use the results of cosmological merger trees to estimate the likelihood of observing SDSSJ092712.65+294344.0 as recoiling black hole or as a binary. We find that the binary hypothesis is preferred being 100 times more probable than the ejection hypothesis. If SDSSJ092712.65+294344.0 hosts a binary, it would be the one closest massive black hole binary system ever discovered.
Modelling Potential Socio‐economic Determinants of Building Fires in South East Queensland
Authors: CHHETRI PREM , CORCORAN JONATHAN , STIMSON ROBERT J. , INBAKARAN ROBERT
Published: July 2009

This paper investigates the relationships between areas of building fire incidence, levels of socio‐economic disadvantage and the underlying socio‐economic characteristics in the South East Queensland (SEQ) region, Australia. Disaggregated fire incident data was acquired from the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service (QFRS) and then aggregated to the Statistical Local Area (SLA) level. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) defined index of socio‐economic disadvantage (called ‘SEIFA’) has been used as the basis to identify relationships between socio‐economic disadvantage and building fires. A regression model was then developed to predict the incidence of building fires using a range of socio‐economic variables. Five significant predictors were identified that include: i) percentage of unemployed, ii) proportion of Indigenous population, iii) families living in separate dwellings, iv) one parent, and v) parent families with children less than fifteen years of age. Results also show that the distribution of building fires varies markedly across the SEQ region, with some of the Brisbane inner suburbs, areas of high socio‐economic disadvantage, and parts of inland SEQ associated with relatively high fire rates.
The Larval Development, Metamorphosis and Juvenile Growth of the Turban Snail Lithopoma (Astraea) undosa (Wood, 1828) (Gastropoda:Turbinidae)
Authors: Salas‐Garza Alfredo , Parés‐Sierra Griselda , Gómez‐Rigalt Rodrigo , Carpizo‐Ituarte Eugenio
Published: July 2009

This work presents the embryonic, larval, and postlarval development of Lithopoma undosa (L. undosa) (20 ± 2 C and the effect of natural inducers on the larval metamorphosis. Embryonic development until hatching of the trochophore larva took 15 h. Early veliger larvae with well‐developed shell were after 24 h. At 48 h, the operculum was completely formed. Cephalic tentacles were visible after 72 h. Larvae reached competence 6 to 7 d after fertilization, and was characterized by the presence of branched cephalic tentacles. The effect of natural inducers was evaluated. The percentage of metamorphosis with diatoms and adult mucus was 94% and 58% respectively, differing from the 25% without inducer. When was repeated, the metamorphosis was 100%, and 16% with benthic diatoms. The initial mean size of the postlarvae was 0.316 ± 0.02 mm. After 264 d the juveniles had attained a mean size of 5.98 ± 0.16 mm. These results will not only be of use in the evaluation of the culture of L. undosa, but also in studies on the characterization of inducers.
Effect of Different Dietary Protein and Lipid Levels on Growth Performance and Body Composition of Juvenile Southern Flounder, Paralichthys lethostigma, Reared in a Recirculating Aquaculture System
Authors: Alam Md. Shah , Watanabe Wade O. , Daniels Harry V.
Published: July 2009

The effects of six formulated diets containing different protein and lipid levels on growth performance and body composition of juvenile southern flounder were evaluated. Test diets were prepared with a combination of three crude protein (CP) levels (45, 50 and 55%) and two crude lipid (CL) levels (10 and 15%). Diets (CP/CL) were as follows: 45/10, 45/15, 50/10, 50/15, 55/10, 55/15 and a commercial diet (50/15). Southern flounder (1.10 g) were fed the respective diets for 42 d in triplicate recirculating tanks (20 fish/tank). Percent body weight gain (BWG) for fish fed diet 45/10 (413%) and the commercial diet (426%) were significantly (P < 0.05) lower than fish fed other diets (823–837%). Increasing protein level from 45 to 50% produced a significant increase in BWG for the 10% lipid diet (823%) but further increasing protein did not produce a significant effect on BWG irrespective of dietary lipid levels. Specific growth rate (SGR), feed intake, feed conversion efficiency (FCE), protein efficiency ratio (PER), and total lipid content in the whole body were significantly affected by different dietary protein and lipid levels. Results indicated that a combination of 50% protein and 10% lipid was optimal for the growth performance of southern flounder juveniles.
The Biochemical Composition of Chaetoceros muelleri (Lemmermann Grown) with an Agricultural Fertilizer
Authors: Pacheco‐Vega Juan M. , Sánchez‐Saavedra M. Del Pilar
Published: July 2009

The aim of this work was to demonstrate that the source of nitrogen of microalgae growth media has an effect on the biochemical composition by comparing the composition of Chaetoceros muelleri grown in semicontinuous cultures with 30% daily dilutions with an agricultural fertilizer containing three nitrogen sources (AF) and with the traditional f/2 medium. The cell yields, proximate composition, and total essential and nonessential amino acid contents of C. muelleri were similar, but phenylalanine and glutamate were significantly higher with f/2, and alanine was higher with AF. Monounsaturated fatty acids were higher in AF‐grown cultures, but polyunsaturates were higher with f/2. Among polyunsaturates, 20:5n‐3 (eicosapentaenoic acid, EPA) was higher with AF (17.16%) than with f/2 (13.44%), whereas f/2 yielded cells richer in 20:4n‐6 (arachidonic acid, ARA: 2.08% vs. 1.38%) and 22:6n‐3 (docosahexaenoic acid, DHA: 6.86% vs. 3.80%). Our results provide evidence that different nitrogen sources may cause variations in the biochemical profile of C. muelleri.
Defining urology nursing practice roles in Australia and New Zealand
Authors: White Trish , Crowe Helen , Papps Elaine
Published: July 2009

There is confusion surrounding the roles and clinical responsibilities of urology nurses employed in Australia and New Zealand. A study of members of the Australian and New Zealand Urological Nurses Society (ANZUNS Inc.) was undertaken to provide baseline information about their clinical practices. A descriptive survey utilizing a questionnaire consisting of 28 questions was sent to all 623 members on the ANZUNS Inc. database. Demographic data, information on role development and the current clinical skill set of each nurse was collected. Information was provided on education received to perform these various activities and which role respondents believed most appropriate to carry out the activity, e.g. RN, clinical nurse specialist, nurse practitioner (NP) or doctor.

Respondents identified over 35 job titles with 26% of roles created independently. One‐third of these job titles had no guidelines for role development. Almost 80% of respondents have been working in a urology setting for longer than 5 years, with almost 60% holding specialist nursing positions. The preparation for a variety of identified advanced clinical practices varied widely between respondents from being self‐taught to receiving informal ‘on the job’ training and undertaking formal competency programmes. Similarly, there was wide disparity between respondent's opinions about which role was best suited to perform these clinical practices. This study highlights the need to introduce consistency across the urological nursing workforce in Australia and New Zealand to standardize role titles and associated clinical responsibilities, with clear guidelines required to define appropriate preparation for advanced practice.
Preoperative carbohydrate drink improves postoperative quality of life after urological surgery: a randomized study
Authors: Dahlin Britt‐Inger , Ljungberg Börje
Published: July 2009

Recently, fast track treatment in surgery has been advocated. Fasting time has been cut down to attenuate preoperative discomfort as irritable and preoperative thirst. We accessed effects of preoperative carbohydrate drink on preoperative quality of life (QOL) including hospitalization time, drinking first day, gut emptying, and return to work. A total of 170 patients scheduled for nephrectomy or prostatectomy were randomized to carbohydrate drink or overnight fasting. Responses a modified QLQ‐C30 questionnaire were collected before and one month after surgery.

In patients treated with prostatectomy to the variables: did you worry, total health and total QOL improved, while most (19 of 30) variables were impaired. Nephrectomy patients had significantly fewer parameters with impaired QOL than prostatectomy (p = 0.01). There was significant weight loss despite surgical procedure (p < 0.001). When comparing the carbohydrate and control groups, there was no difference concerning age, sex and stages. After prostatectomy, only the QOL variable “worry” improved (p = 0.027) in the carbohydrate group. After nephrectomy, the carbohydrate group had less weight loss (p = 0.035) than controls and had improved QOL as: “short of breath” (p = 0.038), “feel tense” (p = 0.057), “worry” (p = 0.035), and “interfered social activities” (p = 0.024). There was no difference in hospitalization time, drinking 1st day, time to gut emptying, and return to normal activities between the groups, despite surgical procedure.

Carbohydrate drink before surgery significantly improved QOL variables such as “worry”, “tense”, and “social activities”. Weight loss was significantly reduced compared with controls after nephrectomy. Thus, carbohydrate drinking before elective surgery improves postoperative QOL parameters, but not postoperative drinking and hospitalization time.
Phenotyping the Right Ventricle in Patients with Pulmonary Hypertension
Authors: Simon Marc A. , Deible Christopher , Mathier Michael A. , Lacomis Joan , Goitein Orly , Shroff Sanjeev G. , Pinsky Michael R.
Published: July 2009

Right ventricular (RV) failure is associated with poor outcomes in pulmonary hypertension (PH). We sought to phenotype the RV in PH patients with compensated and decompensated RV function by quantifying regional and global RV structural and functional changes. Twenty‐two patients (age 51 ± 11, 14 females, mean pulmonary artery (PA) pressure range 13–79 mmHg) underwent right heart catheterization, echocardiography, and ECG‐gated multislice computed tomography of the chest. Patients were divided into three groups: Normal, PH with hemodynamically compensated, and decompensated RV function (PH‐C and PH‐D, respectively). RV wall thickness (WT) was measured at end‐diastole (ED) and end‐systole (ES) in three regions: infundibulum, lateral free wall, and inferior free wall. Globally, RV volumes progressively increased from Normal to PH‐C to PH‐D and RV ejection fraction decreased. Regionally, WT increased and fractional wall thickening (FWT) decreased in a spatially heterogeneous manner. Infundibular wall stress was elevated and FWT was lower regardless of the status of global RV function. In PH, there are significant phenotypic abnormalities in the RV even in the absence of overt hemodynamic RV decompensation. Regional changes in RV structure and function may be early markers of patients at risk for developing RV failure.
Survey of Radiation Oncology Centres in Australia: Report of the Radiation Oncology Treatment Quality Program*
Authors: Kolybaba M , Kron T , Harris J , O'Brien P , Kenny L
Published: July 2009

One of the first steps towards the development of a comprehensive quality program for radiation oncology in Australia has been a survey of practice. This paper reports on the results of the survey that should inform the development of standards for radiation oncology in Australia.

A questionnaire of 108 questions spanning aspects of treatment services, equipment, staff, infrastructure and available quality systems was mailed to all facilities providing radiation treatment services in Australia (n = 45).

Information of 42 sites was received by June 2006 providing data on 113 operational linear accelerators of which approximately 2/3 are equipped with multi‐leaf collimators. More than 75% of facilities were participating in a formal quality assurance (QA) system, with 63% following a nationally or internationally recognised system. However, there was considerable variation in the availability of policies and procedures specific to quality aspects, and the review of these. Policies for monitoring patient waiting times for treatment were documented at just 71% of all facilities. Although 85% of all centres do, in fact, monitor machine throughput, the number and types of efficiency measures varied markedly, thereby limiting the comparative use of these results.

Centres identified workload as the single most common factor responsible for limiting staff involvement in both QA processes and clinical trial participation.

The data collected in this ‘snapshot’ survey provide a unique and comprehensive baseline for future comparisons and evaluation of changes.
Congenital quadricuspid aortic valve detected on chest CT
Authors: Hunt GB
Published: July 2009

A quadricuspid aortic valve is a very rare congenital anomaly, previously detected at autopsy, or more recently, on echocardiography. This case is only the second to be reported following detection on chest CT.
Conformal external beam radiotherapy in the treatment of anal canal carcinoma: A retrospective study of a genital organ sparing technique
Authors: Bui T , Harvey J , Brown E , Scott M , Haines T , Davidson K
Published: July 2009

To investigate and compare the dosimetric distribution of a conventional radiotherapy (CRT) technique and a genital organ sparing three‐dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT) technique for the treatment of anal canal cancer. Twenty‐four patients with anal canal cancer treated between January 2002 and December 2006 were investigated. Each patient was retrospectively planned with the CRT and 3DCRT techniques using the Eclipse planning system (version 7.3, Varian Medical Systems, Palo Alto, CA, USA). Planning target volumes (PTVs) and surrounding organs at risk were contoured. Organs at risk included the bladder, bowel, femoral head and neck, and external genitalia. The two planning approaches were compared using dose volume histograms. Dose volume histograms of the PTV pelvis and PTV inguinal showed comparable PTV coverage between the two techniques. The mean percentage volumes of the PTV pelvis and PTV inguinal receiving at least 95% of the prescribed dose was greater than 99% and 91.5%, respectively. Dose volume histograms of the external genitalia demonstrated that they were well spared by the 3DCRT technique with mean doses of 28.30 and 13.17 Gy for the CRT and 3DCRT techniques, respectively. The percentage volume of bowel and bladder receiving 35 Gy or less was reduced with the 3DCRT technique. The femoral head and neck doses were comparable between the two techniques, with average maximum doses recorded of 40.60 and 40.69 Gy. The results of this study demonstrate that the 3DCRT technique achieves significant sparing of surrounding organs at risk, particularly the external genitalia. This organ at risk sparing was accomplished while achieving comparable PTV coverage with a CRT technique.
Standardised tumour, node and metastasis reporting of oncology CT scans
Authors: Gormly KLM
Published: July 2009

The oncology CT report is a vital piece of communication between the radiologist and the treating clinician and often determines patient management. The use of a standardised report that follows the tumour, node and metastasis (TNM) structure makes it easier for the radiologist to include all of the necessary information in an easy‐to‐read format. Presenting the results under the headings of primary tumour, lymph nodes, metastases, and other findings follows a similar pattern to that used by pathologists and also follows the thought process of the treating clinician. Standardised templates for TNM‐based oncology CT reports were introduced into public and private institutions. An audit of 199 reports demonstrated a significant increase in the presence of measurements and conclusions in the template reports. While there was a non‐significant increase in the use of correct Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumours terminology for template reports, there was an improved attempt to describe the disease response. Saving measurements as a summary series on PACS also assists follow‐up reporting.