bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Density‐dependent investment in costly anti‐predator defences: an explanation for the weak survival benefit of group living
Authors: Daly Derek , Higginson A. D. , Chen Dong , Ruxton G. D. , Speed M. P.
Published: April 2012

Ecology Letters(2012)

A central explanation for group living across animal taxa is the reduced rate of attack by predators. However, many field observations show a weak or non‐existent effect of group size onper capitamortality rates. Herein we resolve this apparent paradox. We found thatPieris brassicaelarvae defended themselves less readily when in groups than when alone, in that they were more reluctant to regurgitate in response to simulated attacks and produced less regurgitant. Furthermore, a simple model demonstrates that this reluctance was sufficient to cancel out the benefit from being in a group. This conditional strategy can be understood in terms of the costs and benefits of defences. For grouped individuals, defence is less often required because attack rates are lower and the costs of defence may be higher due to competition for resources. These phenomena are likely to be widespread in facultatively gregarious species that utilise anti‐predator defences.
An inherited virus influences the coexistence of parasitoid species through behaviour manipulation
Authors: Patot Sabine , Allemand Roland , Fleury Frédéric , Varaldi Julien
Published: April 2012

Ecology Letters(2012)

The potential role of pathogens or parasites in maintaining species coexistence is well documented. However, the impact of vertically transmitted symbionts, that can markedly modify their host’s biology, is largely unknown. Some females of theDrosophilaparasitoidLeptopilina boulardiare infected with an inherited virus (LbFV). The virus forces females to lay supernumerary eggs in already parasitised hosts, thus allowing its horizontal transmission. Using two independent experimental procedures, we found that LbFV impacts inter‐specific competition betweenL. boulardiand the relatedL. heterotoma. WhileL. boulardirapidly outcompetesL. heterotomain the absence of the virus,L. heterotomawas able to maintain or even to eliminateL. boulardiin the presence of LbFV. By forcing females to superparasitise, LbFV induced egg wastage inL. boulardithus explaining its impact on the competition outcome. We conclude that this symbiont whose transmission isL. boulardi‐density‐dependant may affect the coexistence ofLeptopilinaspecies.
Fertile forests produce biomass more efficiently
Authors: Vicca S. , Luyssaert S. , Peñuelas J. , Campioli M. , Chapin F. S. , Ciais P. , Heinemeyer A. , Högberg P. , Kutsch W. L. , Law B. E. , Malhi Y. , Papale D. , Piao S. L. , Reichstein M. , Schulze E. D. , Janssens I. A.
Published: April 2012

Ecology Letters (2012)

Trees with sufficient nutrition are known to allocate carbon preferentially to aboveground plant parts. Our global study of 49 forests revealed an even more fundamental carbon allocation response to nutrient availability: forests with high‐nutrient availability use 58 ± 3% (mean ± SE; 17 forests) of their photosynthates for plant biomass production (BP), while forests with low‐nutrient availability only convert 42 ± 2% (mean ± SE; 19 forests) of annual photosynthates to biomass. This nutrient effect largely overshadows previously observed differences in carbon allocation patterns among climate zones, forest types and age classes. If forests with low‐nutrient availability use 16 ± 4% less of their photosynthates for plant growth, what are these used for? Current knowledge suggests that lower BP per unit photosynthesis in forests with low‐ versus forests with high‐nutrient availability reflects not merely an increase in plant respiration, but likely results from reduced carbon allocation to unaccounted components of net primary production, particularly root symbionts.
Differential utilization of ash phloem by emerald ash borer larvae: ash species and larval stage effects
Authors: Chen Yigen , Ulyshen Michael D. , Poland Therese M.
Published: April 2012

Two experiments were performed to determine the extent to which ash species (black, green and white) and larval developmental stage (second, third and fourth instar) affect the efficiency of phloem amino acid utilization by emerald ash borer (EAB) Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) larvae.

EAB larvae generally utilized green ash amino acids more efficiently than those of the other two species. For example, the concentrations of only six (two essential) and seven (two essential) amino acids were lower in frass from EAB that fed upon black and white ash than in the corresponding phloem, respectively. By contrast, concentrations of 16 (eight essential) amino acids were lower in the frass from EAB that fed upon green ash than in the phloem. In addition, in green ash, the frass : phloem ratios of 13 amino acids were lower than their counterparts in black and white ash.

The concentrations of non‐essential amino acids glycine and hydroxylproline were greater in frass than in phloem when EAB fed on black ash, although not when EAB fed on green or white ash.

The concentration of total phenolics (a group of putative defensive compounds to EAB, expressed as antioxidant activity of acetone extraction) was high in EAB frass but even higher in the phloem samples when the data were pooled across ash species and EAB larval stages. This suggests EAB larvae may eliminate phenolics through a combination of direct excretion and enzymatic conversion of phenolics to nonphenolics before excretion. Because the ratio of frass total phenolics to phloem total phenolics in white ash was lower than the ratios in black and green ash, the ability to destroy phenolics or convert them to nonphenolics was greater when EAB larvae fed on white ash.

Fourth‐instar EAB extracted phloem amino acids, including threonine, more efficiently than third‐instar EAB. The different larval developmental stages of EAB did not differ in their apparent ability to destroy phenolics or convert them to nonphenolics.
Immediate radical cystectomy vs conservative management for high grade cT1 bladder cancer: is there a survival difference?
Authors: Badalato Gina M. , Gaya Josep M. , Hruby Gregory , Patel Trushar , Kates Max , Sadeghi Neda , Benson Mitchell C. , McKiernan James M.
Published: April 2012

Study Type – Aetiology (individual cohort)

Level of Evidence 2b

What's known on the subject? and What does the study add?

For patients with high grade (HG) non‐muscle invasive urothelial cell cancer (UCC) of the bladder, transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT) in conjunction with induction and maintenance intravesical therapy is a commonly used treatment modality.

Early cystectomy, although offering the best opportunity for cure, would in turn constitute overtreatment in some cases.

Conservative management strategies, as opposed to radical surgery, are a viable treatment option within a well selected subset of patients with HG T1 UCC.

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether a survival difference exists between patients with high grade (HG) cT1 urothelial cell carcinoma (UCC) receiving immediate radical cystectomy (IRC) as opposed to those choosing bladder‐sparing therapy.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Between January 1990 and August 2010, 349 patients were retrospectively identified with a diagnosis of HG cT1 UCC of the bladder. Patients were divided into two groups: those who underwent IRC and those treated with conservative management (CM), consisting of transurethral resection of the bladder tumour (TURBT) and intravesical therapy. IRC was defined as surgery within 90 days of HG cT1 diagnosis with no intervening transurethral resection (TUR) or intravesical therapy (IVT). Trends in patient selection and cancer‐specific survival (CSS) were analyzed over consecutive decades.

The primary outcome was to compare CSS among patients during consecutive decades whereby management paradigms shifted from IRC to CM. The secondary outcome was to examine whether patient selection changed over time for each respective intervention.

RESULTS

One hundred and thirteen patients underwent IRC and 236 had CM. From 1990 to 1999, only 90 patients were diagnosed with HG cT1 disease, and a majority of patients (n= 54) underwent IRC. From 2000 to 2010, only 23% (59/259) of the patients with HG cT1 underwent IRC. Despite 42.3% more patients successfully maintaining their bladder in the long‐term, no difference in 5 year bladder CSS was noted between decades (77% vs 80% consecutively, P= 0.566). A subset analysis of risk factors for bladder cancer progression/recurrence demonstrated more patients with lymphovascular invasion (LVI) on TUR underwent IRC in the current era (13/59 (22.0%) vs 13/200 (6.5%), P < 0.001). These findings remain to be validated in prospective work at other institutions.

CONCLUSION

Conservative management strategies are a viable treatment option within a well selected subset of patients with HG cT1 UCC.
Effect of primary percutaneous coronary intervention on stress hyperglycaemia in myocardial infarction
Authors: McGregor A. K. , Leech N. , Purcell I. F. , Edwards R.
Published: April 2012

Diabet. Med. 29, 1317–1320 (2012)

Aim  To measure the effect of primary percutaneous coronary intervention on stress hyperglycaemia induced by ST segment elevation myocardial infarction.

Methods  We measured blood glucose before primary percutaneous coronary intervention and 1 h after intervention in all patients presenting with ST segment elevation myocardial infarction for 2 months in our unit. A paired t‐test was used for a statistical analysis.

Results  From 157 patients accepted for primary percutaneous coronary intervention, 90 patients were included in the analysis. Blood glucose before intervention was 8.4 ± 2.46 mmol/l (mean ± SD) and after intervention was 7.9 ± 2.0 mmol/l (mean ± sd) (P = 0.003). In the subset of 15 patients with hyperglycaemia (glucose greater than 10 mmol/l), glucose before intervention was 12.7 ± 2.62 mmol/l (mean ± SD) and after intervention was 9.8 ± 3.42 mmol/l (mean ± sd) (P = 0.0002).

Conclusions  Blood glucose in patients with ST segment elevation myocardial infarction is significantly lower after primary percutaneous coronary intervention and this reduction is most marked in patients with hyperglycaemia. Waiting for the stress response to diminish means that 11.1% of patients’ glucose levels fell below the treatment threshold of 10 mmol/l. Using the post‐intervention blood glucose level avoids the need for treatment with insulin in this population. Further randomized studies are warranted to investigate the impact on mortality and morbidity of administering insulin triggered by pre‐invention blood glucose vs. post‐intervention blood glucose.
INPPL1 is associated with the metabolic syndrome in men with Type 1 diabetes, but not with diabetic nephropathy
Authors: Hyvönen M. E. , Ihalmo P. , Forsblom C. , Thorn L. , Sandholm N. , Lehtonen S. , Groop P.‐H.
Published: April 2012

Diabet. Med. 29, 1589–1595 (2012)

Aims  The metabolic syndrome is a frequent phenomenon in people with Type 1 diabetes and is associated with diabetic nephropathy. The aim of this study was to investigate if the INPPL1 (inositol polyphosphate phosphatase‐like 1) gene encoding lipid phosphatase SHIP2 is associated with the metabolic syndrome and diabetic nephropathy in Finnish people with Type 1 diabetes.

Methods  Participants were selected from the FinnDiane study for this cross‐sectional study. The individuals were divided into controls without the metabolic syndrome (n = 1074) and cases with the metabolic syndrome (n = 1328), or into groups based upon their albumin excretion rate. Nine single‐nucleotide polymorphisms covering the INPPL1 gene +/− 20 kb were genotyped. The associations between the single‐nucleotide polymorphisms and outcome variables were analysed with the χ2 test and logistic regression.

Results  Two INPPL1 single‐nucleotide polymorphisms, rs2276048 (silent mutation) and rs2276047 (intronic), were associated with the metabolic syndrome in men with odds ratios of 0.23 (95% CI 0.11–0.45, P = 2.1 × 10−5), and 0.37 (0.21–0.65, P = 0.001), adjusted for age, duration of diabetes and history of smoking. When both sexes were included, these associations were less significant. No association between the genotyped single‐nucleotide polymorphisms and diabetic nephropathy was observed.

Conclusions  INPPL1 gene variants may contribute to susceptibility to the metabolic syndrome in men with Type 1 diabetes, but not to diabetic nephropathy.
Experiences of using blood glucose targets when following an intensive insulin regimen: a qualitative longitudinal investigation involving patients with Type 1 diabetes
Authors: Rankin D. , Cooke D. D. , Heller S. , Elliott J. , Amiel S. , Lawton J. ,   for the UK National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Dose Adjustment for Normal Eating (DAFNE) Study Group
Published: April 2012

Diabet. Med. 29, 1079–1084 (2012)

Aims  Use of blood glucose targets is considered essential to help patients with Type 1 diabetes achieve tight glycaemic control following structured education. To foster effective use of blood glucose targets, we explored patients’ experiences and views of implementing clinically recommended blood glucose targets after attending a structured education programme promoting intensive insulin treatment.

Methods  Repeat, in‐depth interviews with 30 patients with Type 1 diabetes recruited from Dose Adjustment for Normal Eating (DAFNE) courses in the UK. Data were analysed using an inductive, thematic approach.

Results  Patients found use of blood glucose targets motivational. Targets enabled patients to identify problems with blood glucose control and prompted them to make insulin dose adjustments independently, or with assistance. However, patients tended to adapt or simplify targets over time to: make them more attainable and easy to remember; reduce risk of hypoglycaemia; and, mitigate feelings of failure when attempts to attain clinically defined targets were unsuccessful. Some patients were advised to use elevated targets to counter hypoglycaemia unawareness and required help from health professionals to determine when/if these should be reduced.

Conclusions  Although blood glucose targets are an important component of diabetes self‐management, patients may adapt and personalize them over time, sometimes inadvertently, with a potentially detrimental impact on long‐term glycaemic control. Blood glucose targets should be regularly revisited during clinical reviews and revised/new targets agreed to accommodate patients’ concerns and difficulties. Other interventions may need to be considered to promote effective use of blood glucose targets.
Concordance facilitates access in diabetes care—service provider perspectives of service improvement and cultural competency
Authors: Wilkinson E. , Randhawa G.
Published: April 2012

Aims  Inequalities between different ethnic groups in diabetes care and outcomes are well documented in the UK. This research sought to explore and understand how national and local policy interventions impacted upon access and the development of culturally competent diabetes services from the care provider perspective.

Methods  This paper describes the care provider perspective of access to diabetes care in ethnically mixed populations from a thematic analysis of 14 semi‐structured interviews conducted with professionals, at three study sites, with different roles in the diabetes care pathway.

Results  National policy level initiatives to improve quality have led to quality improvements at a practical level. These achievements, however, have been unable to address all aspects of care that service providers identified as important in facilitating access for all patient groups. Concordance emerged as a key process in improving access to care within local systems and barriers to this exist at different levels and are greater for some groups of patients compared with others.

Conclusions  Concordance is a key concept that underpins access and cultural competency in diabetes service improvement. A focus on concordance at different levels within local systems may improve access to quality diabetes care for ethnic minority groups.
Foreign Aid Transaction Costs: What Are They and When Are They Minimised?
Authors: Paul Elisabeth , Vandeninden Frieda
Published: April 2012

‘Transaction costs’ are commonly referred to in the recent literature on aid effectiveness. Aid transaction costs, however, have been neither consistently defined nor measured. This article defines aid transaction costs as all the economic costs associated with aid management that add no value to aid delivery. This enables the ‘net’ transaction costs that should be minimised to be identified. An analytical framework is then developed for assessing these costs. This allows the effectiveness of different aid modalities to be compared, according to the characteristics of the aid transaction. The article shows that the choice of aid modality should depend on these characteristics and, therefore, that the minimisation of transaction costs should not be an end in itself.
Marching to Different Tunes: Commitment and Culture as Mobilizing Mechanisms of Trade Unions and Community Organizations
Authors: Tapia Maite
Published: April 2012

This study examines mobilizing mechanisms using a British community organization and a British trade union as exemplars. Although there has been substantial work on union revitalization on the one hand, and the emergence of alternative, community organizations on the other, no study has compared the challenges these organizations face in encouraging member mobilization. The findings illustrate how the trade union engages in a service‐driven culture, cultivating instrumental commitment between the members and the union. The community organization, in contrast, engages in a relational culture and exemplifies a form of social commitment between the members and the group. As a result, different types of commitment and organizational cultures help explain why sustained member mobilization within a trade union is harder to achieve than within a community organization.
Feature‐Preserving Displacement Mapping With Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) Tessellation
Authors: Jang Hanyoung , Han JungHyun
Published: April 2012

Displacement mapping reconstructs a high‐frequency surface by adding geometric details encoded in the displacement map to the coarse base surface. In the context of hardware tessellation supported by GPUs, this paper aims at feature‐preserving surface reconstruction, and proposes the generation of a displacement map that displaces more vertices towards the higher‐frequency feature parts of the target mesh. In order to generate the feature‐preserving displacement map, surface features of the target mesh are estimated, and then the target mesh is parametrized and sampled using the features. At run time, the base surface is semi‐uniformly tessellated by hardware, and then the vertices of the tessellated mesh are displaced non‐uniformly along the 3‐D vectors stored in the displacement map. The experimental results show that the surfaces reconstructed by the proposed method are of a higher quality than those reconstructed by other methods.
Model Checks in Inverse Regression Models with Convolution‐Type Operators
Authors: BISSANTZ NICOLAI , DETTE HOLGER , PROKSCH KATHARINA
Published: April 2012

Abstract. We consider the problem of testing parametric assumptions in an inverse regression model with a convolution‐type operator. AnL2‐type goodness‐of‐fit test is proposed which compares the distance between a parametric and a non‐parametric estimate of the regression function. Asymptotic normality of the corresponding test statistic is shown under the null hypothesis and under a general non‐parametric alternative with different rates of convergence in both cases. The feasibility of the proposed test is demonstrated by means of a small simulation study. In particular, the power of the test against certain types of alternative is investigated. Finally, an empirical example is provided, in which the proposed methods are applied to the determination of the shape of the luminosity profile of the elliptical galaxy NGC 5017.
Masculinities, ‘guy talk’ and ‘manning up’: a discourse analysis of how young men talk about sexual health
Authors: Knight Rod , Shoveller Jean A. , Oliffe John L. , Gilbert Mark , Frank Blye , Ogilvie Gina
Published: April 2012

Sexually transmitted infection testing rates among young men remain low, and their disengagement from sexual health services has been linked to enactments of masculinity that prohibit or truncate discussions of sexual health. Understanding how men align with multiple masculinities is therefore important for tailoring interventions that appropriately respond to their needs. We draw on 32 in‐depth interviews with 15–24‐year‐old men to explore the discourses that facilitate or shut down sexual health communication with peers and sex partners. We employ a critical discourse analysis to explore how men’s conversations about sexual health are constituted by masculine hierarchies (such as the ways in which masculinities influence men’s ability to construct or challenge and contest dominant discourses about sexual health). Men’s conversations about sexual health focused primarily around their sexual encounters – something frequently referred to as ‘guy talk’. Also described were situations whereby participants employed a discourse of ‘manning up’ to (i) exert power over others with disregard for potential repercussions and (ii) deploy power to affirm and reify their own hyper‐masculine identities, while using their personal (masculine) power to help others (who are subordinate in the social ordering of men). By better understanding how masculine discourses are employed by men, their sexual health needs can be advanced.
DOES FIRM AGGLOMERATION DRIVE PRODUCT INNOVATION AND RENEWAL? AN APPLICATION FOR BELGIUM
Authors: DE BEULE FILIP , VAN BEVEREN ILKE
Published: April 2012

This paper uses data from the Community Innovation Survey for Belgium to evaluate to what extent firms located in sectors and regions characterised by high employment concentration innovate more. We analyse the innovative performance of Belgian firms and relate it to agglomeration measures, as well as to a number of control variables. Our findings show a positive impact of localisation and urbanisation economies on firm‐level innovation output, lending support to the hypothesis that firms can benefit from their location within regions/sectors characterised by high employment concentration. In an analysis of low, medium, and high‐tech manufacturing and service industries, localisation economies are shown to improve firms' innovativeness only for low‐tech manufacturing and service sectors, while urbanisation externalities are shown to matter more for high‐tech service sectors. This suggests that localisation economies can be an important source of competitiveness for low‐tech sectors, while urbanisation economies improve innovativeness of high‐tech service firms.
HYSTERESIS IN THE DYNAMICS OF EMPLOYMENT
Authors: Mota Paulo R. , Varejão José , Vasconcelos Paulo B.
Published: April 2012

In this paper, we derive a micro model of employment demand with hysteresis whereby firms can adjust along an intensive (employment) and an extensive (hours of work) margin. A mechanism of aggregation over heterogeneous firms is used to generate the corresponding aggregate dynamics. Longitudinal micro monthly data on a representative sample of Portuguese manufacturing firms are used in the empirical analysis. Our results indicate that signs of hysteresis found at the micro level do not vanish completely by aggregation and that hysteresis is magnified by the existence of an additional margin of adjustment (the hours adjustment margin).
Social Networks, Segregation and Poverty in São Paulo
Authors: MARQUES EDUARDO
Published: April 2012

The associations between segregation and urban poverty have been intensely scrutinized by the sociology and urban studies literatures. More recently, several studies have emphasized the importance of social networks for living conditions. Yet relatively few studies have tested the precise effects of social networks, and fewer still have focused on the joint effects of residential segregation and social networks on living conditions. This article explores the associations between networks, segregation and some of the most important dimensions of access to goods and services obtained in markets: escaping from social precariousness and obtaining monetary income. It is based on a study of the personal networks of 209 individuals living in situations of poverty in seven locales in the metropolitan area of São Paulo. Using network analysis and multivariate techniques, I show that relational settings strongly influence the access individuals have to markets, leading some individuals into worse living conditions and poverty. At the same time, although segregation plays an important role in poverty, its effects tend to be mediated by the networks in which individuals are embedded. Networks in this sense may enhance or mitigate the effects of isolation produced by space.

Les associations entre ségrégation et pauvreté urbaine ont fait l'objet d'études sociologiques et urbaines nombreuses et poussées. Plus récemment, l'incidence des réseaux sociaux sur les conditions de vie a été mise en évidence. Pourtant, peu de travaux ont testé les effets précis de ces réseaux, et moins encore ont été consacrés aux effets combinés de la ségrégation résidentielle et des réseaux sociaux sur les conditions de vie. Cet article explore comment se combinent réseaux, ségrégation et certaines des dimensions essentielles de l'accès aux biens et services obtenus sur des marchés (échapper à la précarité sociale et se procurer un revenu monétaire). Il s'appuie sur une étude des réseaux personnels de 209 individus en situation de pauvreté dans sept endroits de la zone métropolitaine de São Paulo. Grâce à une analyse de réseaux et aux méthodes à plusieurs variables, il est montré que les contextes relationnels influencent fortement l'accès des individus aux marchés, provoquant une aggravation des conditions de vie et de la pauvreté chez certains. Parallèlement, même si la ségrégation pèse nettement sur la pauvreté, ses effets ont tendance àêtre modulés par les réseaux dont les individus font partie. Dans ce sens, les réseaux sont susceptibles de renforcer ou d'atténuer les conséquences de l'isolement d'origine spatiale.
Psoriasis prevalence among the 2009 AAD National Melanoma/Skin Cancer Screening Program participants
Authors: Lima X.T. , Minnillo R. , Spencer J.M. , Kimball A.B.
Published: April 2012

Background  Validated epidemiological estimates of the prevalence of skin diseases remain an unmet challenge. Most patients in many health care systems do not see dermatologists for skin problems. Assessments based on claims data or self‐report are likely to contain substantial misclassification. Population‐based in‐person dermatological exams have proven impractical because of the number of patients required. However, in the US, there is a large skin cancer screening program where volunteer dermatologists assess almost 100 000 people annually.

Objective  To evaluate the utility of this program for the assessment of other diseases.

Methods  Information concerning prior diagnosis of psoriasis, type of insurance and physician’s current assessment of psoriasis was captured as part of the American Academy of Dermatology National Melanoma/Skin Cancer Screening Program. A modified form was provided to a subset of participant sites. Overall and subgroup prevalence of psoriasis was analysed. Crude and adjusted results are presented for comparison to the US population.

Results  Among the 2991 participants, 86% answered the self‐report psoriasis question. A previous diagnosis of psoriasis was reported by 5.1% of them. This proportion was greater than the prevalence of physician documented diagnosis of psoriasis (2.8%). Analyses with different assumptions to account for missing values and weighting based on US population estimates yielded prevalence values ranging from 1.2% to 3.4%.

Conclusion  This project, although limited by missing data, is consistent with previous findings that psoriasis prevalence is between 2.2% and 4.6% in the US. It demonstrates the potential to evaluate prevalence of other skin conditions through existing national activities.
Reaction time as an indicator of stimulus‐response binding in affective judgment of visual stimuli1
Authors: KIMURA ATSUSHI , DAN IPPEITA , WATANABE NOBUYUKI , YAMADA HIROSHI , WADA YUJI
Published: April 2012

Conventional studies on affective meanings have been conducted using the semantic differential technique. Although it offers reasonably valid and reliable measures for the bindings between visual stimuli and affective responses, it is dependent on subjective rating. Thus, the present study examined whether the reaction time (RT) of affective judgments for visual stimuli (color, shape, and facial expression) can be an objective indicator of the strength of stimuli‐response bindings. The results can be summarized as follows: (a) RTs for judging Evaluation were longer regardless of stimulus type; (b) RTs for Activity were shorter regardless of stimulus type; and (c) RTs for Lightness and Sharpness depended on stimulus type. These phenomena are consistent with the findings of previous affective meaning studies, suggesting that the RTs for affective judgments can be useful indicators reflecting the strength of the bindings between stimulus properties and affective meanings across various target stimuli and rating scales.
Survey of aflatoxin M1 in milk and dairy products consumed in Burdur, Turkey
Authors: KOCASARI FATMA SAHINDOKUYUCU , TASCI FULYA , MOR FIRDEVS
Published: April 2012

The aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence of aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) in dairy product samples in Burdur city. A total of 315 samples of dairy products were collected during 2008. Of the 315 samples analysed, AFM1 in 246 samples (78.1%) was found to range from 5.5 to 800 ng/kg. In addition, AFM1 levels of 16 raw milk, two pasteurised milk, only one milk powder and three white cheese samples were above the Turkish Food Codex. It is concluded that the occurrence of AFM1 in dairy products may be considered as a possible hazard for public health.
School‐to‐work transition services for students with disabilities in Malaysia: organisations' views on policy and practices
Authors: Abdullah Melissa Ng Lee Yen , Mey See Ching , Eng Tan Kok , Othman Rosly , Omar Ahmad Fairuz
Published: April 2012

Transition services are required by law for students with disabilities in many developed countries. In Malaysia, however, there is still no specific legislation mandating that school‐to‐work transition planning and services be provided to students with disabilities. This study investigated the state of the transition services provided by educational organisations to students with disabilities in Malaysia. A mixed method research design, which utilises both quantitative and qualitative research techniques, was employed to obtain information from 23 government organisations and NGOs involved in the education and training of students with disabilities. This study found that the organisations surveyed were aware of the lack of transition support and call attention to the importance of instituting a national policy on school‐to‐work transition services and supported employment systems for students with disabilities. The legislative and educational implications for Malaysia are discussed.
Simulation of hydrology following various volumes of irrigation to soil with different depths to the water table
Authors: Huo Z. , Feng S. , Dai X. , Zheng Y. , Wang Y.
Published: April 2012

Vertical water fluxes at the water table and in the subsoil need to be quantified because of their significance for the supply of water to crops and the control of soil salinization in areas with shallow groundwater. A soil–water–atmosphere–plant (SWAP) model was calibrated using measured values of soil water content and the water fluxes at the water table. The measurements were taken in a field experiment where the depth to groundwater and the volume of irrigation water applied were controlled. The calibrated SWAP model was then used to simulate the soil water content and fluxes at the water table and in the subsoil under different irrigation and groundwater conditions. The predicted values provided a quantitative insight into specific terms in the water balance equation together with soil water fluxes in the subsoil that cannot be measured directly by field instruments. Crops utilized significant amounts of water from deeper soil layers and directly from groundwater, when the volume of irrigation decreased and the depth to the water table was <3.0 m. Depth to the water table significantly influenced water fluxes occurring in the soil profile over the period when evaporation dominated the hydrological cycle. Shallow groundwater is a very significant water resource for meeting the water requirement of crops. In practice, the frequency and quantity of irrigation need to be varied according to groundwater conditions.
Assessment of co‐blending water treatment residual with dairy manure to reduce phosphorus concentrations in run‐off in Northern Ireland
Authors: O’Rourke S. M. , Foy R. H. , Watson C. J. , Gordon A. , Doody D.
Published: April 2012

Losses of phosphorus (P) to water that follow manure applications can be high while water treatment residuals (WTR) have an appreciable capacity to sorb soluble P which is an important risk factor in determining the susceptibility of manure P to run‐off losses. The objective of this study was to assess whether co‐blending WTR with dairy cow manure prior to surface application would reduce P concentrations in run‐off from grassland. An alum‐derived WTR was collected from a water treatment works (WTW), dried and characterized for its phosphorus sorption capacity (PSC) based on oxalate‐extractable Al and Fe. Multipoint P sorption isotherms were used to calculate the Langmuir P sorption maximum (Pmax) and equilibrium P concentration (EPC0). The WTR contained 170 g Alox/kg and 2.2 g Feox/kg with a nominal long‐term PSC of 118 g/kg. Following a 6 day incubation of WTR, the Langmuir Pmax was 82.6 g/kg and the EPC0 of 0.13 mg P/L. Laboratory incubations of manure co‐blended with WTR indicated that 144 g WTR/kg dry matter (DM) manure significantly lowered (P < 0.001) manure WSP by 71.5 ± 16.6% after 108 h, but lower WTR mixing rates of 72 and 36 g WTR/kg had no statistical effect on manure WSP. Results from a field experiment using simulated rain on 0.5‐m2 grassland plots showed no significant effect on run‐off P 2 days after applying 50 m3/ha of 6% DM manure co‐blended WTR at rates of 150 and 250 g WTR/kg.
Predictors of friend approval for romantic relationships
Authors: ETCHEVERRY PAUL E. , LE BENJAMIN , HOFFMAN NICHOLAS G.
Published: April 2012

Three studies (1 correlational and 2 experiments) applied the investment model to explain social network approval for others' romantic relationships. Study 1 supported the prediction that friends' perceived satisfaction and perceived alternatives were predictive of their approval for target relationships, while perceived investments was not a significant predictor. Studies 2 and 3 employed experimental manipulations of perceived satisfaction to test its causal impact on relationship approval, and in these studies, perceived satisfaction was a significant predictor of relationship approval. Taken as a whole, these findings supported the prediction that perceived relationship satisfaction is a causal factor influencing friends' approval of target romantic relationships.
Where is Power in Governance? Why Geography Matters in the Theory of Governance
Authors: Griffin Liza
Published: April 2012

The concept of governance has provided many ways to theorise the shifting power relations between the state, interest groups and civil society over the last 30 years. Theorisations have culminated in ‘spatial imaginaries’ for visualising new governing practices and their associated power relations. By paying attention to these imaginaries, it is possible to see how each theory of governance brings particular spatialities of power to the fore, while necessarily foreclosing others. This foreclosure stems from a failure to visualise diverse and multiple modes of power in governance models and to take in power as a relative and spatially contingent property. This is not only theoretically significant, however; it also has important practical consequences for how we govern effectively in practice. I argue that rather than starting our analyses of governance arrangements with theoretical models which appear to predetermine our understanding of the spatial workings of power, we should instead remain open and attuned to the complex geographies of power that might actually operate in practices of governance on the ground. I suggest that by deploying John Allen's topological approach to power we can achieve a more relational and spatially contingent account of power in practice under the turn to governance. This will give us greater insight into actual governance arrangements and their limitations, exclusions and unevenness.
Nonlethal sampling of DNA from critically endangered diving beetles (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae) using a single antenna
Authors: SUZUKI Gaku , INODA Toshio , KUBOTA Souichirou
Published: April 2012

Nonlethal DNA sampling is highly desirable in molecular genetic studies of protected and endangered species. To develop a demonstrably nonlethal method of obtaining DNA from endangered diving beetles (Dytiscus sharpi sharpi Wehncke, Cybister lewisianus Sharp and Cybister brevis Aubé), we amputated the antennae of these endangered diving beetles and investigated the impact of the amputation on reproductive behaviors, egg‐laying and lifespan. Diving beetles with either one or no antennae copulated without delay and laid eggs, comparable to the pairs of intact beetles under breeding conditions. The lifespan of antennae‐amputated D. sharpi sharpi was the same as that of the intact beetles. A single antenna was sufficient to allow polymerase chain reaction (PCR) detection of a mitochondrial DNA gene, cytochrome‐c oxidase subunit I (COI), and the sequence of the COI gene could be determined directly. The PCR‐ready genomic DNA was available both in fresh antennae isolated from living beetles and in old antennae from whole beetles preserved for at least 5–6 years in pure ethanol. These results suggest that an antenna is a good sampling site for isolating genomic DNA from endangered diving beetles without sacrificing and disturbing reproductive behaviors such as mating and egg‐laying, or lifespan.
Deficiency of Interleukin‐1 Receptor Antagonist Responsive to Anakinra
Authors: Schnellbacher Charlotte , Ciocca Giovanna , Menendez Roxanna , Aksentijevich Ivona , Goldbach‐Mansky Raphaela , Duarte Ana M. , Rivas‐Chacon Rafael
Published: April 2012

Abstract:  We describe a 3‐month‐old infant who presented to our institution with interleukin (IL)‐1 receptor antagonist deficiency (DIRA), which consists of neutrophilic pustular dermatosis, periostitis, aseptic multifocal osteomyelitis, and persistently high acute‐phase reactants. Skin findings promptly improved upon initiation of treatment with anakinra (recombinant human IL‐1 receptor antagonist), and the bony lesions and systemic inflammation resolved with continued therapy.
Ecthyma Gangrenosum and Neutropenia in a Previously Healthy Child
Authors: Pacha Omar , Hebert Adelaide A.
Published: April 2012

Abstract:  Ecthyma gangrenosum is the cutaneous manifestation of pseudomonas infection in patients with sepsis. A previously healthy 7‐month‐old girl who developed ecthyma gangrenosum without apparent inciting factors became neutropenic secondary to autoimmune neutropenia 2 months after initial presentation. She was treated with appropriate surgical and medical intervention and was discharged in stable condition only to die suddenly 2 days after discharge.
Allergic Contact Dermatitis to Gamma‐Irradiated WEBCOL Alcohol Prep Pads
Authors: Firoz Elnaz F. , Turnbull Rowena K. , Loomis Cynthia A. , Brownell Isaac
Published: April 2012

Abstract:  We report a case of allergic contact dermatitis to WEBCOL® alcohol prep pads in a healthy 17‐year‐old girl who showed no reaction to the individual components of the prep pads upon provocative use testing. Although several case reports have described allergic contact dermatitis to isopropyl alcohol, there have been no reports of allergic contact dermatitis to alcohol prep pads sterilized with gamma irradiation, a common sterilization technique capable of producing volatile products in this type of alcohol prep pad.
Scleral Hemangioma: Case Report and Response to Propranolol
Authors: Berk David R. , Culican Susan M. , Bayliss Susan J.
Published: April 2012

Abstract:  Scleral infantile hemangiomas are rare. We describe a patient who presented at 3 months of age with an enlarging infantile hemangioma on the sclera of the left eye. He had two other hemangiomas on the left eyebrow and chest. Treatment with propranolol resulted in marked improvement of all of his hemangiomas. He did not develop any ocular complications.
IDENTIFICATION AND PHYSIOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF A NOVEL CAROTENOID‐ENRICHED, METAL‐RESISTANT MICROALGA ISOLATED FROM AN ACIDIC RIVER IN HUELVA (SPAIN)1
Authors: Garbayo Inés , Torronteras Rafael , Forján Eduardo , Cuaresma María , Casal Carlos , Mogedas Benito , Ruiz‐Domínguez María C. , Márquez Carmen , Vaquero Isabel , Fuentes‐Cordero Juan L. , Fuentes Rocío , González‐del‐Valle Manuel , Vílchez Carlos
Published: April 2012

A heavy‐metal‐resistant, carotenoid‐enriched novel unicellular microalga was isolated from an acidic river in Huelva, Spain. The isolated ribosomal 18S subunit rDNA sequence showed homology with known sequences from green microalgae, the closest sequence (98% homology) belonging to the genus Coccomyxa. The isolated microalga therefore was an up to now uncultured microalga. The microalga was isolated from Tinto River area (Huelva, Spain), an acidic river that exhibits very low pH (1.7–3.1) with high concentrations of sulfuric acid and heavy metals, including Fe, Cu, Mn, Ni, and Al. Electron micrographs show that the microalga contains a large chloroplast with a presence of lipid droplets, an increased number of starch bodies as well as electron‐dense deposits and plastoglobules, the last observed only in iron‐exposed cells. Unlike other acidophile microalgae, the isolated microalga showed high growth rates when cultivated photoautotrophycally (up to 0.6 d−1) in a suitable culture medium prepared at our laboratory. The growth was shown to be iron dependent. When the microalga is grown in fluidized bed reactors, the high growth rates resulted in unexpectedly high productivities for being a microalga that naturally grows in acidic environments (0.32 g·L−1·d−1). The microalga also grows optimally on reduced carbon sources, including glucose and urea, and at an optimal temperature of 35°C. The alga pigment profile is particularly rich in carotenoids, especially lutein, suggesting that the microalga might have potential for antioxidant production, namely, xanthophylls.
ANALYSIS OF SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTION OF PORPHYRA (RHODOPHYTA) IN SOUTHEASTERN NEW ZEALAND SUPPORTED BY THE USE OF MOLECULAR TOOLS1
Authors: Schweikert Katja , Sutherland Judith E. , Burritt David J. , Hurd Catriona L.
Published: April 2012

Molecular studies have shown that New Zealand’s rocky shores are a habitat for >30 species of Porphyra, but little is known of their seasonal and zonal distribution. The spatial and temporal distribution of bladed Porphyra gametophytes at Brighton Beach, southeast New Zealand, were monitored for 32 months. Molecular markers were used for species identification, and a total of nine species was observed as being present during this time. Two species, P. cinnamomea and Porphyra sp. “ROS 54,” were the most common, and both were present for most months, while the remaining seven species were present sporadically, for only a few weeks at a time. P. cinnamomea W. A. Nelson and Porphyra sp. “ROS 54” were most common in the midintertidal, and both showed a similar seasonality with the highest presence during spring. They also showed a similar trend of seasonal dieback resulting in at least 1 month (May) in two consecutive years when they were both absent. This is one of the few studies investigating spatial and temporal distribution within a genus and over a 3‐year period. Our results show no distinct intertidal zonation patterns within the genus, and we conclude that morphologically similar species in a similar habitat rely on physiological mechanisms for survival.
STIMULATING EFFECT OF ANABAENA SP. (CYANOBACTERIA) EXUDATE ON PRYMNESIUM PARVUM (HAPTOPHYTA)1
Authors: Neisch Michael T. , Roelke Daniel L. , Brooks Bryan W. , Grover James P. , Masser Michael P.
Published: April 2012

Prymnesium parvum blooms have become more frequent in the south‐central United States, leading to significant ecological and economic impacts. Allelopathic effects from cyanobacteria were suggested as a mechanism that might limit the development of P. parvum blooms. This research focused on the effects of cultured cyanobacteria, Anabaena sp., on P. parvum. Over a 6‐d period, daily additions of filtrate from the senescent Anabaena culture were made to P. parvum cultures growing in log phase. All treatments, including several types of controls, showed reductions in P. parvum biomass over the course of the experiment, but the treatments receiving Anabaena filtrate were reduced to a lesser degree, suggesting that filtrate from the senescent cyanobacteria culture was beneficial to P. parvum in some way. This unexpected outcome may have resulted from stimulation of heterotrophic bacteria by the addition of Anabaena filtrate, which likely contained exudates rich in dissolved organic carbon compounds. P. parvum was then able to supplement its nutritional requirements for growth by feeding on the elevated bacteria population. These findings coupled to previous observations suggest that interactions between cyanobacteria and P. parvum in natural environments are complex, where both allelopathic and growth‐stimulating interactions are possible.
The Economics of Henry George: A Review Essay
Authors: CLEVELAND MARY M.
Published: April 2012

Abstract

This is a welcome addition to the literature on Henry George. Bryson seeks to “rehabilitate” George—by highlighting his major achievements, by explaining why academic economists have rejected or neglected him, and by showing how nonetheless George has had a major but little‐acknowledged impact on economic thought.
Social Dimensions of Individualistic Rationality
Authors: WITZTUM AMOS
Published: April 2012

Abstract

We re‐examine the introduction of social dimensions into the economic conception of individual rationality. Most contributions in this area adopt the rational utility maximizer by adding social aspects into the domain of the agent's consideration. Thus, an inconsistency is created between sociality and opportunism. We overcome this by employing the Weberian distinction between instrumental and expressive rationality. It does not require the increase in the domain of agent's considerations and it captures society in a richer way with heterogeneity of social attitudes both to society as a system and to its management.