bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Estimating nitrogen fluxes at the European scale by upscaling INTEGRATOR model outputs from selected sites
Authors: Reinds G. J. , Heuvelink G. B. M. , Hoogland T. , Kros J. , de Vries W.
Published: June 2012

Abstract. A comparison was made between upscaled model results of nitrogen (N) fluxes to air and water from 450 sites within the EU27 and results derived for the entire EU27 area using the model INTEGRATOR. The 450 sites were selected using stratified random sampling, dividing the EU27 into 150 strata and selecting three sites at random within each stratum. The strata were based on important environmental factors influencing N fluxes. Hierarchical divisive cluster analysis was used to reduce the numerous combinations of environmental factors to the required total of 150, such that the heterogeneity of environmental factors within strata was as small as possible. Modelled NH3, N2O and NOx emissions and N leaching/runoff obtained were scaled up from the 450 sites to the entire EU27 and were within 10% of results obtained by running the model for the whole of the EU27. This implies that a reliable estimate of N fluxes for EU27can be made by upscaling results of the 450 selected sites suggesting that dramatic reductions in computation time can be achieved without substantial deterioration of results.
Changes in discharge and solute dynamics between hillslope and valley-bottom intermittent streams
Authors: Bernal S. , Sabater F.
Published: June 2012

Abstract. To gain understanding on how alluvial zones modify water and nutrient export from semiarid catchments, we compared monthly discharge as well as stream chloride, carbon, and nitrogen dynamics between a hillslope catchment and a valley-bottom catchment with a well-developed alluvium. Stream water and solute fluxes from the hillslope and valley-bottom catchments showed contrasting patterns between hydrological transitions and wet periods, especially for bio-reactive solutes. During transition periods, stream water export decreased >40% between the hillslope and the valley bottom coinciding with the prevalence of stream-to-aquifer fluxes at the alluvial zone. In contrast, stream water export increased by 20–70% between the hillslope and valley-bottom catchments during wet periods. During transition periods, stream solute export decreased by 34–97% between the hillslope and valley-bottom catchments for chloride, nitrate, and dissolved organic carbon. In annual terms, stream nitrate export from the valley-bottom catchment (0.32 ± 0.12 kg N ha−1 yr−1 [average ± standard deviation]) was 30–50% lower than from the hillslope catchment (0.56 ± 0.32 kg N ha−1 yr−1). The annual export of dissolved organic carbon was similar between the two catchments (1.8 ± 1 kg C ha−1 yr−1). Our results suggest that hydrological retention in the alluvial zone contributed to reduce stream water and solute export from the valley-bottom catchment during hydrological transition periods when hydrological connectivity between the hillslope and the valley bottom was low.
Heat-flow and subsurface temperature history at the site of Saraya (eastern Senegal)
Authors: Lucazeau F. , Rolandone F.
Published: June 2012

Abstract. New temperature measurements from eight boreholes in the West African Craton (WAC) reveal superficial perturbations down to 100 meters below the alteration zone. These perturbations are both related to a recent increase of the surface air temperature (SAT) and to the site effects caused by fluids circulations and/or the lower conduction in the alterites. The ground surface temperature (GST) inverted from the boreholes temperatures is stable in the past (1700–1940) and then dramatically increases in the most recent years (1.5 °C since 1950). This is consistent with the increase of the SAT recorded at two nearby meteorological stations (Tambacounda and Kedougou), and more generally in the Sahel with a coeval rainfall decrease. Site effects are superimposed to the climatic effect and interpreted by advective (circulation of fluids) or conductive (lower conductivity of laterite and of high-porosity sand) perturbations. We used a 1-D finite differences thermal model and a Monte-Carlo procedure to find the best estimates of these sites perturbations: all the eight boreholes temperatures logs can be interpreted with the same basal heat-flow and the same surface temperature history, but with some realistic changes of thermal conductivity and/or fluid velocity. The GST trend observed in Senegal can be confirmed by two previous boreholes measurements made in 1983 in other locations of West Africa, the first one in an arid zone of northern Mali and the second one in a subhumid zone in southern Mali. Finally, the background heat-flow is low (30 ± 1 m Wm−2), which makes this part of the WAC more similar with the observations in the southern part (33 ± 8 m Wm−2) rather than with those in the northern part and in the PanAfrican domains where the surface heat-flow is 15–20 m Wm−2 higher.
Numerical modeling of permafrost dynamics in Alaska using a high spatial resolution dataset
Authors: Jafarov E. E. , Marchenko S. S. , Romanovsky V. E.
Published: June 2012

Abstract. Climate projections for the 21st century indicate that there could be a pronounced warming and permafrost degradation in the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions. Climate warming is likely to cause permafrost thawing with subsequent effects on surface albedo, hydrology, soil organic matter storage and greenhouse gas emissions. To assess possible changes in the permafrost thermal state and active layer thickness, we implemented the GIPL2-MPI transient numerical model for the entire Alaska permafrost domain. The model input parameters are spatial datasets of mean monthly air temperature and precipitation, prescribed thermal properties of the multilayered soil column, and water content that are specific for each soil class and geographical location. As a climate forcing, we used the composite of five IPCC Global Circulation Models that has been downscaled to 2 by 2 km spatial resolution by Scenarios Network for Alaska Planning (SNAP) group. In this paper, we present the modeling results based on input of a five-model composite with A1B carbon emission scenario. The model has been calibrated according to the annual borehole temperature measurements for the State of Alaska. We also performed more detailed calibration for fifteen shallow borehole stations where high quality data are available on daily basis. To validate the model performance, we compared simulated active layer thicknesses with observed data from Circumpolar Active Layer Monitoring (CALM) stations. The calibrated model was used to address possible ground temperature changes for the 21st century. The model simulation results show widespread permafrost degradation in Alaska could begin between 2040–2099 within the vast area southward from the Brooks Range, except for the high altitude regions of the Alaska Range and Wrangell Mountains.
Dura’s Effect on Securities Class Actions
Authors: Duncan Scotland M.
Published: June 2012

On April 19, 2005, the United States Supreme Court rendered a unanimous decision in Dura Pharmaceuticals, Inc. v. Broudo, which had been described as “the most important securities case in a decade.” Simply put, the decision raises the pleading standard for Rule 10b-5 cases asserting fraud-onthe-market; instead of requiring a showing of ex ante losses, such as inflation at the time of purchase, Dura requires a showing of ex post losses, such as market decline resulting from a corrective disclosure. This paper assesses the decision’s practical implications by examining and empirically testing whether the Supreme Court’s enhanced pleading requirements have impacted the frequency and magnitude of post-Reform Act (PSLRA) class action securities cases. Specifically, this paper examines Dura’s effect on the filing and settling of cases, as well as on settlement amount. In particular, the results suggest that Dura, ceteris paribus, has had a statistically significant impact on both the filing and settlement of class actions, suggesting a reduction in frivolous litigation.
Environmental Protection as an Obstacle to Free Movement of Goods: Realist Jurisprudence in Articles 28 and 30 of the e.c. Treaty
Authors: Engle Eric
Published: June 2012

Free trade and environmental protection are two norms that sometimes collide. The resolution of colliding norms can occur either using a formalist “descriptive” analysis, or using a “prescriptive” approach of legal realism. It may seem intuitive to imagine realism and formalism as mutually exclusive. However, this dualism is not entirely accurate. The realist-formalist dualism is unsatisfying because legal realism critiques the capricious nature of formalism only to replace it with likewise capricious methods of legal decision-making. Further, courts sometimes act as realists and at other times as formalists. Finally, many methods of legal interpretation may be considered either “formalist” or “realist.” This paper examines the conflict between free trade and environmental protection in E.C. law. It uses Articles 28 and 30 of the E.C. Treaty as a foil with which to draw out the distinctions and limits of both realism and formalism. A formal analysis of Articles 28 and 30 of the E.C. Treaty reveals a series of cases that struggle first to define waste as wares and then to determine the limitations that the free movement of goods imposes on environmental standards and vice versa. However, this unsatisfying formal analysis is not the only possible interpretation of the case law arising out of Articles 28 and 30. An analysis based on legal realism is also possible but not entirely satisfying. This paper concludes that the realist-formalist dualism, though tenable, does not solve the problem of capricious legal power.
The International Contracting Practices Survey Project: an Empirical Study of the Value and Utility of the United Nations Convention On the International Sale Of Goods (Cisg) and the UNIDROIT Principles of International Commercial Contracts to Practitione
Authors: Fitzgerald Peter L
Published: June 2012

In an era of globalization it is perplexing that so many U.S. practitioners, jurists, and legal academics continue to view contract issues as governed exclusively by state common law and the Uniform Commercial Code. In essence, a significant number of lawyers may be defaulting to the wrong law, in the absence of an effective choice of law clause, when trying to determine the rights and responsibilities arising out of international commercial transactions. The object of the International Commercial Contracting Practices Survey Project was to learn more about how and why this occurs.
Zapata Retold: Attorneys’ Fees Are (Still) Not Governed by the CISG
Authors: Lookofsky Joseph , Flechtner Harry
Published: June 2012

In Viva Zapata (the 1952 movie), a Mexican revolutionary hero named Zapata led a band of hungry peasants in a wild uprising against the government in power. In the film, Zapata (played by Marlon Brando, himself) scored some crowd-pleasing victories, but (historians tell us) the rule-making powers ultimately prevailed, reigning in the Wild One and ending (forever) Zapata’s quixotic quest.
The Enron Collapse and Criminal Liabilities of Auditors and Lawyers for Defective Prospectuses in the United States, Australia and Canada: a Review
Authors: Solaiman S.M.
Published: June 2012

A lack of uniformity in laws regulating professionals such as auditors and lawyers in relation to defective prospectuses exists across nations around the world. Securities legislation of some jurisdictions clearly imposes criminal liabilities for defective prospectuses on professionals along with directors and promoters of the issuer of securities. But the laws of some other countries are ambiguous in this regard. Such an ambiguity is present in the securities legislation of the United States, Australia and Canada. Their legislation does not categorically name the persons who should be criminally liable for a defective prospectus; nonetheless auditors and lawyers are sometimes caught by virtue of judicial interpretations of those vague legal provisions. Even though they could be on the hook under such interpretations, legislation provides a wide range of defences that facilitate escaping liabilities by offenders at the expense of the integrity of the market. Regarding sanctions, although the term of imprisonment is identical in all these three jurisdictions, pecuniary penalties significantly vary after the recent reforms triggered by some spectacular corporate bankruptcy taking place especially in the U.S. and Australia. Most importantly, the post-Enron reforms explicitly amend the laws governing secondary securities markets, and therefore their application to defective prospectuses is questionable except for the Canadian reforms. If the post-Enron reforms do not really touch the prospectus liability regimes in the U.S. and Australia, it can be said that the lawmakers have ignored their primary securities markets. If this is so, it would be an unwise policy to wait for an Enron-type disaster to occur in the IPO market for stimulus to initiate reforms addressing professional malpractices in the preparation of prospectuses. If not, the law should make it clear before it is too late.
The Death of Selective Waiver: How New Federal Rule of Evidence 502 Ends the Nationalization Debate
Authors: Emery Patrick M.
Published: June 2012

New Federal Rule of Evidence 502 (“FRE 502”) will end the threedecade push to nationalize a corporate litigation protection known as the “selective waiver doctrine.” First adopted by the Eighth Circuit in 1978, the selective waiver doctrine holds that, when a corporation discloses privileged materials to a government agency during an investigation, the corporation retains its privileges against third-party litigants—i.e., the corporation may selectively waive its attorney-client privilege (and in other circuits its attorney work product protection). This flies in the face of traditional waiver rules, under which a waiver of privilege to one’s adversary generally is a waiver to all adversaries on that subject matter. Based on years of frustration with discovery costs, fear of corporate fraud, and heavy burdens placed on administrative agencies, many legal scholars praised selective waiver as a cure for those ills. Recently, when the Advisory Committee on Evidence Rules met to discuss additions to the FRE, many called for the inclusion of a selective waiver provision. After much debate, the Advisory Committee determined that the selective waiver proposal for FRE 502 was too controversial. In its enacted form, FRE 502 does not contain a selective waiver provision.
Why Women Matter: the Story of Microcredit
Authors: Lott Charlotte E
Published: June 2012

Alice Amoateng of Ghana is on her second loan of around $100 to set up and expand a clothing trading business. She borrowed the money from a microfinance institution, Sinapi Aba Trust, because she had no access to credit from the banking system. This microfinance institution was able to lend her money by using a group lending system, in which groups of women are jointly responsible for repayment of the loan. The loans allowed her to make her business more profitable and to spend the extra income on her children’s education and her family’s medical expenses. In addition to the loan, she received training in business and leadership, and she was elected to public office to represent her community.
Affordable Housing Options under Pennsylvania’s Three Legislative Regimes
Authors: Collins Clayton H
Published: June 2012

The police power of a state includes the authority of its local governments to protect the health, morals, and safety of the communities they govern. Managing the growth of a community through the placement and timing of private development has repeatedly been found a valid exercise of this police power.
The Eight Principles of the Microeconomic and Regulatory Future of Ticket Scalping, Ticket Brokers, and Secondary Ticket Markets
Authors: Happel Stephen
Published: June 2012

“Ticket scalping” is a term akin to “loan sharking.” Both practices fill a market need, but both practices also bring the disdain of the consumer, the wrath of primary market competitors, and the microscopic attention of regulators. From the time of Shakespearean England, those who resell tickets have carried images of greedy speculators forcing innocents to pay unjust sums for event tickets, being fleeced of their hard-earned shekels in the process.
When Bullets Penetrate Bullet-Proof Vests: Conformity of the Bullet-Proof Material to the Contract of Sale and Concurrent Remedies (a Note on the Judgment of the Multi-Member Court of First Instance of Athens 4505/2009)
Authors: Flambouras Dionysios P.
Published: June 2012

The Vienna Convention of 1980 for the International Sale of Goods (the “Vienna Convention” or “CISG”) was entered into force in Greece on1.2.1999 by virtue of law no. 2532/1997 (Gov. Gazette A 227/11.11.1997) and has since then been applied and interpreted by fourteen Greek judgments. The judgment of the Multi-Member Court of First Instance of Athens 4505/2009 (“Judgment 4505/2009”) is, if not the most important, one of the most important cases. Its importance is based not only on the CISG legal issues on which it expressed an opinion, but also on the particularities (and complexities) of its facts (its original text exceeds 100 pages and is still unpublished in Greece). On this basis the author believes that the full understanding of the legal issues of Judgment 4505/2009 requires systematic and, to the extent possible, detailed presentation of its complicated facts. It is noted that Judgment 4505/2009 also deals with important legal issues relating to international jurisdiction and Greek domestic civil law. However, this note will only concentrate, with few exceptions, on legal issues relating to the CISG.
Not Running Wild With the CISG
Authors: Lookofsky Joseph
Published: June 2012

In determining the boundaries of supranational legislation some courts adopt an expansionist (dynamic) line. To take a well-known regional example, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has long been engaged in an exercise in expansionist interpretation, thus broadening the scope of European Union legislation at the expense of the political discretion of EU Member States. Though surely seeking to advance what it sees as the Union’s best interests, the ECJ sometimes “runs amok,” actively extending regional rules in ways that constrain national sovereignty beyond what the Members had originally intended. Or, as one of my Copenhagen colleagues  once put it: the ECJ is “running wild.”
Rome I Regulation a—Mostly—Unified Private International Law of Contractual Relationships within—Most—of the European Union
Authors: Volker Behr
Published: June 2012

The year 2009 was an important year in the development of unified private international law in the European Union. At the beginning of the year, Regulation (EC) No. 864/2007 on the law applicable to non-contractual obligations (Rome II)  entered into force. And at the end of the year Regulation (EC) 593/2008 on the law applicable to contractual obligations (Rome I) followed suit. Hence, within one year significant parts of the private international law relevant to international business transactions have been unified within most of the Member States of the European Union. Further segments are to follow up on these developments.
The Battle over Sunrise Rock: Examining the Constitutionality of Government Land Transfers to Private Entities
Authors: Pest Michael
Published: June 2012

Among the 1.6 million acres of southern California’s Mojave National Preserve stands a small cross, erected nearly a century ago as a memorial to veterans who died in World War I. Located in a remote site in the desert atop an outcropping known as Sunrise Rock, the cross, standing between five and eight feet tall,may appear to be of little significance to the average passerby. However, this seemingly inconsequential monument may have substantial implications for the federal government’s ability to transfer land to private entities. The location of the cross in the federally-owned Preserve has sparked widespread debate over whether it violates the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause, which guarantees that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.”The Establishment Clause is generally interpreted to guarantee citizens the right to be free from the government’s endorsement of a particular religion.Opponents of the cross have sought its removal for more than a decade, arguing that its location on the Preserve constitutes governmental endorsement of Christianity.
Changes in Whole Blood Viscosity at Low Shear Rates Correlate with Intravascular Volume Changes during Hemodialysis
Authors: Kim Won , Park Sung Kwang , Kang Kyung Pyo , Lee Dong Hwan , Kim Sam Yeon , Jung Jin Mu , Cho Young I.
Published: June 2012

Background:

Elevated blood viscosity has been shown to be independently correlated with cardiovascular risk factors and associated with increased risk of major cardiovascular events, including death and acute myocardial infarction. The aim of the present study was to investigate changes in whole blood viscosity (WBV) at shear rates of 1, 5, and 300 s-1 before and after hemodialysis in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). We also examined the relationship between the changes of WBV and intravascular blood volume.

Methods:

43 patients with ESRD receiving maintenance hemodialysis were enrolled. WBV was measured using a scanning capillary tube viscometer pre- and post-dialysis to quantify dialytic viscosity surges. Body weight, blood pressure, and hematocrit were also measured before and after hemodialysis, as was the fluid removed during the session.

Results:

Hemodialysis had a 3 times greater impact on the low-shear WBV at a shear rate of 1 s-1 (i.e., 44.1% change) than on the high-shear WBV at a shear rate of 300 s-1 (i.e., 15.9% change). Changes in the low-shear WBV obtained at shear rates of 1 and 5 s-1 during hemodialysis were significantly correlated with changes in hematocrit. The intravascular blood volume reduction during hemodialysis was positively correlated with the changes in both high-shear and low-shear WBVs.

Conclusions:

These results suggest that the WBV parameter may hold additional information beyond hemoconcentration. Further research is needed to evaluate the relationship between low-shear WBV surges and increased morbidity in the patient population with ESRD.
Patients' and Caregivers' Attributes in a Meaningful Care Encounter: Similarities and Notable Differences
Authors: Snellman Ingrid , Gustafsson Christine , Gustafsson Lena-Karin
Published: June 2012

In today's healthcare system, there is an imbalance between what patients expect of caregivers' care and their perception of the care they get. How is it possible to reduce this imbalance? The aim of this paper was to describe attributes associated with meaningful encounters in the Swedish healthcare system based on patients' and caregivers' written narratives and to note the differences and similarities between the attributes identified by the two groups. This paper is a qualitative descriptive study. The analysis was guided by qualitative content analyses. Based on patients' narratives, attributes associated with a meaningful encounter fell into four categories: the kind-hearted caregiver, the thoughtful caregiver, the mutually oriented caregiver, and the helpful caregiver. Based on caregivers' narratives, the attributes were categorized as being humane, caring through physical contact, caring by nurturing communication, joy and laughter in care, and a sense of mutuality. The results show that there are both similarities and differences in patients' and caregivers' opinions about the attributes of a meaningful encounter. Knowing more about the attributes associated with meaningful encounters makes it possible for caregivers to individualize care for patients and makes it easier to help and support patients in what they most need support with.
Effect of Formula Feeding and Breastfeeding on Child Growth, Infant Mortality, and HIV Transmission in Children Born to HIV-Infected Pregnant Women Who Received Triple Antiretroviral Therapy in a Resource-Limited Setting: Data from an HIV Cohort Study in India
Authors: Alvarez-Uria Gerardo , Midde Manoranjan , Pakam Raghavakalyan , Bachu Lakshminarayana , Naik Praveen Kumar
Published: June 2012

We describe a programme for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV that provided universal antiretroviral therapy (ART) to all pregnant women regardless of the CD4 lymphocyte count and formula feeding for children with high risk of HIV transmission through breastfeeding in a district of India. The overall rate of HIV transmission was 3.7%. Although breastfeeding added a 3.1% additional risk of HIV acquisition, formula-fed infants had significantly higher risk of death compared to breastfed infants. The cumulative 12-month mortality was 9.6% for formula-fed infants versus 0.68% for breastfed infants. Anthropometric markers (weight, length/height, weight for length/height, body mass index, head circumference, mid-upper arm circumference, triceps skinfold, and subscapular skinfold) showed that formula-fed infants experience severe malnutrition during the first two months of life. We did not observe any death after rapid weaning at 5-6 months in breastfed infants. The higher-free-of HIV survival in breastfed infants and the low rate of HIV transmission found in this study support the implementation of PMTCT programmes with universal ART to all HIV-infected pregnant women and breastfeeding in order to reduce HIV transmission without increasing infant mortality in developing countries.
A Sensitivity Study on the Soil Parameter-Boundary Layer Height Interrelationship
Authors: Breuer Hajnalka , Ács Ferenc , Horváth Ákos , Laza Borbála , Matyasovszky István , Németh Péter , Weidinger Tamás , Rajkai Kálman
Published: June 2012

Simulations with the WRF model have been carried out with high resolution soil
data to analyze its effect on planetary boundary layer (PBL) development. The
default soil texture distribution of 5′ horizontal resolution has been replaced with
a 30′′ one on the basis of the Digital Kreybig Soil Information System and Hungarian
Agrogeological Database in Hungary. Soil parameter values determined from
HUNSODA and MARTHA Hungarian soil databases were also compared. Comparison
of PBL height simulations and measurements obtained by radiometer and
windprofiler shows that the impact of soil parameter differences on PBL height evolution
is not negligible. The latent heat flux and PBL height daytime courses show
significant (P<0.01) differences over more than 50% of the model domain covering
the Carpathian basin.
Rare inherited A2BP1 deletion in a proband with autism and developmental hemiparesis
Authors: Davis L.K. , Maltman N. , Mosconi M.W. , Macmillan C. , Schmitt L. , Moore K. , Francis S.M. , Jacob S. , Sweeney J.A. , Cook E.H.
Published: June 2012

Ataxin 2 binding protein 1 (A2BP1 aka FOX1, RBFOX1) is an RNA binding protein responsible for regulation of pre‐mRNA splicing events in a number of critical developmental genes expressed in muscle, heart and neuronal cells [Shibata et al. (2000); Mamm Genome 12:595–601; Jin et al. (2003); EMBO J 22:905–912; Underwood et al. (2005); Mol Cell Biol 25:10005–10016]. Rare copy number abnormalities of A2BP1 have been previously associated with cognitive impairment, attention deficit disorder and autism [Martin et al. (2007); Am J Med Gen Part B 144B:869–876; Elia et al. (2010); Mol Psychiatry 15:637–646.]. Using a 1M Illumina SNP microarray, we identified a 1.3 kb deletion in A2BP1, which was subsequently validated by quantitative PCR. Here we present an in depth case study of an individual with autism and mild developmental hemiparesis in whom the deletion was detected. This study provides further support for the possible role of rare copy number variants in A2BP1 in the development of autism and associated motor asymmetries. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Proposal of a clinical score for the molecular test for Pitt–Hopkins syndrome
Authors: Marangi Giuseppe , Ricciardi Stefania , Orteschi Daniela , Tenconi Romano , Monica Matteo Della , Scarano Gioacchino , Battaglia Domenica , Lettori Donatella , Vasco Gessica , Zollino Marcella
Published: June 2012

Pitt–Hopkins syndrome (PTHS) is an emerging condition characterized by severe intellectual disability (ID), typical facial gestalt, and additional features, such as breathing abnormalities. Because of the overlapping phenotype of severe ID with absent speech, epilepsy, microcephaly, large mouth, and constipation, differential diagnosis of PTHS with respect to Angelman, Rett, and Mowat–Wilson syndromes represents a relevant clinical issue, and many patients are currently undergoing genetic tests for different conditions that are assumed to fall within the PTHS clinical spectrum. During a search for TCF4 mutations in 78 patients with a suspected PTHS, haploinsufficiency of TCF4 was identified in 18. By evaluating clinical features of patients with a proven TCF4 mutation with those of patients without, we noticed that, in addition to the typical facial gestalt, the PTHS phenotype results from the various combination of the following characteristics: ID with severe speech impairment, normal growth parameters at birth, postnatal microcephaly, breathing abnormalities, motor incoordination, ocular anomalies, constipation, seizures, typical behavior, and subtle brain abnormalities. On the basis of these observations, here we propose a clinically based score system as useful tool for driving a first choice molecular test for PTHS. This scoring system is also proposed for a clinically based diagnosis of PTHS in absence of a proven TCF4 mutation. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Severe plexiform facial neurofibromatosis, type 1 with underdeveloped eyes and a novel NF1 mutation
Authors: Kantaputra Piranit Nik , van den Ouweland Ans , Sangruchi Tumtip , Limwongse Chanin
Published: June 2012

A Thai woman, who was affected with neurofibromatosis type 1, was followed up and re‐evaluated at ages 45, 61, and 67 years. Her mother and her three brothers were also affected. The proposita was very severely affected. She was born blind with underdeveloped eyeglobes and had large plexiform neurofibromas on her face. Her eyelids were gigantic and tears drained from the orifice between them. Cutaneous neurofibromas were observed all over her body. A novel mutation c.4821delA was identified in NF1 gene, which predicted truncation of neurofibromin (p.Leu1607fs). © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Molecular characterization of 1q44 microdeletion in 11 patients reveals three candidate genes for intellectual disability and seizures
Authors: Thierry Gaelle , Bénéteau Claire , Pichon Olivier , Flori Elisabeth , Isidor Bertrand , Popelard Françoise , Delrue Marie‐Ange , Duboscq‐Bidot Laetitia , Thuresson Ann‐Charlotte , van Bon Bregje W.M. , Cailley Dorothée , Rooryck Caroline , Paubel Agathe , Metay Corinne , Dusser Anne , Pasquier Laurent , Béri Mylène , Bonnet Céline , Jaillard Sylvie , Dubourg Christèle , Tou Bassim , Quéré Marie‐Pierre , Soussi‐Zander Cecilia , Toutain Annick , Lacombe Didier , Arveiler Benoit , de Vries Bert B.A. , Jonveaux Philippe , David Albert , Le Caignec Cédric
Published: June 2012

Patients with a submicroscopic deletion at 1q43q44 present with intellectual disability (ID), microcephaly, craniofacial anomalies, seizures, limb anomalies, and corpus callosum abnormalities. However, the precise relationship between most of deleted genes and the clinical features in these patients still remains unclear. We studied 11 unrelated patients with 1q44 microdeletion. We showed that the deletions occurred de novo in all patients for whom both parents' DNA was available (10/11). All patients presented with moderate to severe ID, seizures and non‐specific craniofacial anomalies. By oligoarray‐based comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) covering the 1q44 region at a high resolution, we obtained a critical deleted region containing two coding genes—HNRNPU and FAM36A—and one non‐coding gene—NCRNA00201. All three genes were expressed in different normal human tissues, including in human brain, with highest expression levels in the cerebellum. Mutational screening of the HNRNPU and FAM36A genes in 191 patients with unexplained isolated ID did not reveal any deleterious mutations while the NCRNA00201 non‐coding gene was not analyzed. Nine of the 11 patients did not present with microcephaly or corpus callosum abnormalities and carried a small deletion containing HNRNPU, FAM36A, and NCRNA00201 but not AKT3 and ZNF238, two centromeric genes. These results suggest that HNRNPU, FAM36A, and NCRNA00201 are not major genes for microcephaly and corpus callosum abnormalities but are good candidates for ID and seizures. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Progressive polyepiphyseal dysplasia with arthropathy: A distinct disorder from idiopathic juvenile arthritis and pseudorheumatoid dysplasia?
Authors: Isidor Bertrand , Poignant Sylvaine , Picherot Georges , Mégabarné André , Quartier Pierre , Bader‐Meunier Brigitte , Le Caignec Cédric , Le Merrer Martine , Baujat Geneviève , Cormier‐Daire Valérie , David Albert
Published: June 2012

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis is an inflammatory disease with various onset‐forms which can sometimes be difficult to distinguish from genetic inflammatory/rheumatoid‐like osteoarthropathies. In this report, we describe two boys with severe chronic arthralgia, stiffness and swelling of joints, motor weakness and joints contractures evolving despite immunosuppressive treatments and for whom all biological and molecular exams failed to identify a prompt diagnosis. Some findings also overlap with pseudorheumatoid dysplasia but WISP3 gene molecular analysis failed to identify any mutation for both patients. Therefore, we propose that these boys show a clinical entity distinct from the actually known genetic inflammatory/rheumatoid‐like osteoarthropathies. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Studies on the preparation of Parinari polyandra benth seed oil alkyd resins
Authors: Odetoye T. E. , Ogunniyi D. S. , Olatunji G. A.
Published: June 2012

Parinari polyandra Benth seed oil was utilized in the preparation of four sets of alkyd resin (35%, 50%, 60%, and 75% oil formulations) using a two‐stage alcoholysis‐polyesterification method. The rate of polyesterification was depended on the amount of oil used during synthesis. The properties of the alkyds (drying times, film characteristics, water and acid resistances, and solubility) were evaluated using relevant standards. Inclusion of cobalt naphthenate drier in the alkyds and their exposure to outdoor temperature improved the drying properties. White gloss paints formulated from the alkyds, considering a pigment‐volume concentration of 20.67% in the gloss paint formulation compare well with commercial standard. FTIR and 1H‐NMR analysis confirm the alkyd (glycerol‐phthalate) structure. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013
Catalytic oxidation of thioanisole using oxovanadium(IV)‐functionalized electrospun polybenzimidazole nanofibers
Authors: Walmsley Ryan S. , Hlangothi Percy , Litwinski Christian , Nyokong Tebello , Torto Nelson , Tshentu Zenixole R.
Published: June 2012

Polybenzimidazole fibers, with an average diameter of 262 nm, were produced by the process of electrospinning. These fibers were used as a solid support material for the immobilization of oxovanadium(IV) which was achieved via a reaction with vanadyl sulfate. The oxovanadium(IV)‐functionalized nanofibers were used as heterogeneous catalysts for the oxidation of thioanisole under both batch and pseudo‐continuous flow conditions with great success. Under batch conditions near quantitative oxidation of thioanisole was achieved in under 90 min, even after four successive catalytic reactions. Under continuous conditions, excellent conversion of thioanisole was maintained throughout the period studied at flow rates of up to 2 mLh−1. This study, therefore, proposes that electrospun polybenzimidazole nanofibers, with their small diameters, impressive chemical and thermal stability, as well as coordinating benzimidazole group, may be a desirable support material for immobilization of homogeneous catalysts. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013
Arthropod venoms: A vast arsenal of insecticidal neuropeptides
Authors: Schwartz Elisabeth F. , Mourão Caroline B. F. , Moreira Karla G. , Camargos Thalita S. , Mortari Márcia R.
Published: June 2012

Arthropods are the most diverse animal group on the planet, and occupy almost all ecological niches. Venomous arthropods are a rich source of bioactive compounds evolved for prey capture and defense against predators and/or microorganisms. These highly potent chemical arsenals represent an available source for new insecticidal compounds as they act selectively on their molecular targets. These toxins affect the invertebrate nervous system and, until the moment, several insecticidal compounds belonging to the class of peptides or polyamine‐like compounds have been purified and characterized from the venom of arachnids and hymenopterans. This review focuses on invertebrate‐specific peptide neurotoxins that have been isolated from the venom of spiders, scorpions, centipedes, ants, and wasps, discussing their potential in pest control and as invaluable tools in neuropharmacology. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers (Pept Sci) 98: 385‐405, 2012.
Comparisons of CES‐D depression scoring methods in two older adults ethnic groups. The emergence of an ethnic‐specific brief three‐item CES‐D scale
Authors: Coman Emil N. , Iordache Eugen , Schensul Jean J. , Coiculescu Ion
Published: June 2012

Objective

To compare the reliabilities and convergent validities of five CES‐D (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression) composite scores in two ethnic/racial groups of community‐dwelling older adults.

Design

CES‐D measurement equivalence was tested with Structural Equation Modeling in Puerto‐Rican (PR) and African American (AA) older adults, then reliabilities of five composite scores and their convergent validities were compared.

Findings

Bayesian CES‐D scores had the highest reliabilities, followed by software estimated factor scores, the unit weight, and the weighted scores. Bayesian CES‐D scores, factor scores, and surprisingly a group‐specific three‐item brief CES‐D score exhibited better convergent validity than the unit‐weight and weighted CES‐D scores.

Conclusions

An ethnic group‐specific three‐item brief CES‐D score emerged as a reliable CES‐D measure in PR and AA older adults. We conclude that practitioners could emphasize three main symptoms in individual older adults in screening for depression, and researchers can model with confidence the relationships between the CES‐D brief scale and its correlates. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Mass balance loss of Mount Baker, Washington glaciers 1990–2010
Authors: Pelto Mauri , Brown Courtenay
Published: June 2012

Mount Baker, North Cascades, WA, has a current glacierized area of 38.6 km2. From 1984 to 2010, the North Cascade Glacier Climate Project has monitored the annual mass balance (Ba), accumulation area ratio (AAR), terminus behaviour and longitudinal profiles of Mount Baker glaciers. The Ba on Rainbow, Easton and Sholes Glaciers from 1990 to 2010 averaged −0.52 m w.e. a−1(m a−1). Terminus observations on nine principal Mount Baker glaciers, 1984–2009, indicate retreat ranging from 240 to 520 m, with a mean of 370 m or 14 m a−1. AAR observations on Rainbow, Sholes and Easton Glaciers for 1990–2010 indicate a mean AAR of 0.55 and a steady state AAR of 0.65.

A comparison of Ba and AAR on these three glaciers yields a relationship that is used in combination with AAR observations made on all Mount Baker glaciers during 7 years to assess Mount Baker glacier mass balance. Utilizing the AAR–Ba relationship for the three glaciers yields a mean Ba of −0.55 m a−1 for the 1990–2010 period, 0.03 m a−1 higher than the measured mean Ba. The mean Ba based on the AAR–Ba relationship for the entire mountain from 1990 to 2010 is −0.57 m a−1. The product of the mean observed mass balance gradient determined from 11 000 surface mass balance measurements and glacier area in each 100‐m elevation band on Mount Baker yields a Ba of −0.50 m a−1 from 1990–2010 for the entire mountain. The median altitude of the three index glaciers is lower than that of all Mount Baker glaciers. Adjusting the balance gradient for this difference yields a mean Ba of −0.77 m a−1 from 1990 to 2010. All but one estimate converge on a loss of −0.5 m a−1 for Mount Baker from 1990 to 2010. This equates to an 11‐m loss in glacier thickness, 12–20% of the entire 1990 volume of glaciers on Mount Baker. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
An unusually accentuated diastolic anterior motion of the mitral valve in aortic insufficiency
Authors: Rudominer Rebecca , Saric Muhamed , Benenstein Ricardo , Skolnick Adam H.
Published: June 2012

A 55‐year‐old woman was diagnosed with endocarditis involving the aortic valve and resulting in moderate aortic insufficiency. Transesophageal and transthoracic echocardiography demonstrated an unusually accentuated diastolic anterior motion of the anterior mitral valve leaflet toward the interventricular septum. The anterior leaflet remained within a few millimeters of the septum throughout diastole, with a narrow jet of aortic insufficiency separating the anterior leaflet from the septum. We hypothesize that the particularly long anterior mitral leaflet was drawn toward the septum during diastole due to the Venturi effect of the aortic insufficiency jet within a narrow ventricular outflow tract. This accentuated diastolic anterior motion may be a diastolic correlate of systolic anterior motion of the mitral valve. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 41:392–393, 2013
A Comparison of Logistic Regression and Classification Tree Analysis for Behavioural Case Linkage
Authors: Tonkin Matthew , Woodhams Jessica , Bull Ray , Bond John W. , Santtila Pekka
Published: June 2012

Much previous research on behavioural case linkage has used binary logistic regression to build predictive models that can discriminate between linked and unlinked offences. However, classification tree analysis has recently been proposed as a potential alternative owing to its ability to build user‐friendly and transparent predictive models. Building on previous research, the current study compares the relative ability of logistic regression analysis and classification tree analysis to construct predictive models for the purposes of case linkage. Two samples are utilised in this study: a sample of 376 serial car thefts committed in the UK and a sample of 160 serial residential burglaries committed in Finland. In both datasets, logistic regression and classification tree models achieve comparable levels of discrimination accuracy, but the classification tree models demonstrate problems in terms of reliability or usability that the logistic regression models do not. These findings suggest that future research is needed before classification tree analysis can be considered a viable alternative to logistic regression in behavioural case linkage. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Managing change: Nine common blunders—and how to avoid them
Authors: Toterhi Tim , Recardo Ronald J.
Published: June 2012

Despite increased awareness of change management processes, principles, and practices, many business leaders continue to struggle with navigating their organization through a change initiative. These challenges often stem from a series of common blunders that can significantly impede progress in achieving project goals. The experiences of several executive sponsors of large‐scale change, however, show that employing a holistic change management model can help highlight these potential pitfalls so that they can be proactively addressed. A methodology for avoiding these common blunders can be incorporated into any change program to shorten implementation cycle times, enhance stakeholder engagement and commitment, reduce productivity fluctuations during rollout, and, most important, capture targeted benefits. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Organizational identity via recruitment and communication: Lessons from the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor project
Authors: Collins Hilary
Published: June 2012

A study of the efforts employed among scientific, engineering, and support staff in the early phases of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project outside Marseille, France, found that the management of communication tools as part of a strategic sense‐giving process enabled the formation of a transitional identity. This eased employees' transition into their new surroundings and fostered their engagement with the organization and its mission. Having implications for both the motivation and retention of employees, the findings show that sense making and sense giving using communication tools affects the pace at which an organization can forge an organizational identity.
© 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A Bayesian Whittaker–Henderson smoother for general‐purpose and sample‐based spectral baseline estimation and peak extraction
Authors: Lau Sok Kiang , Winlove Peter , Moger Julian , Champion Olivia L. , Titball Richard W. , Yang Zi Hua , Yang Zheng Rong
Published: June 2012

Raman spectroscopy is a well‐established technique that allows both chemical and structural analysis of materials. Raman spectra are often complex and extracting meaningful information is easily hindered by spectral interferences; one of the most significant sources being variations in background. Raman spectra have diverse sources of background making it hard to eliminate them or theoretically to predict the form of the baseline, which frequently varies between samples. Although many different methods for baseline removal have been proposed, most require some form of user input. User input is also subjective and consequently less reproducible than automated methods and variations in baseline subtraction can distort peak heights leading to erroneous results. We present a Bayesian Whittaker–Henderson smoother for spectral baseline estimation and peak extraction. It is a generalisation of the Whittaker–Henderson smoother, a regularised regression algorithm. We introduce hierarchical priors for model parameters of the smoother and propose a global aligner for consistent peak extraction across multiple spectra. We show that this novel smoother significantly outperforms several existing smoothers. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Identification of physicochemical properties of Scylla paramamosain allergen, arginin kinase
Authors: Yu Hui‐Lin , Ruan Wei‐Wei , Cao Min‐Jie , Cai Qiu‐Feng , Shen Hai‐Wang , Liu Guang‐Ming
Published: June 2012

BACKGROUND: Arginine kinase (AK) is expressed in a wide variety of species, including human food sources (seafood) and pests (cockroaches and moths), and has been reported as a novel allergen. However, there has been little research on the allergenicity of AK in crustaceans. In this study the physicochemical properties of AK from mud crab (Scylla paramamosain) were investigated.

RESULTS: Analysis by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, immunoblotting and inhibition enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay revealed that purified AK was unstable in thermal processing and in acid buffer. Under simulated gastric fluid (SGF) and simulated intestinal fluid (SIF) conditions, purified AK was much more readily degraded by pepsin than by trypsin or chymotrypsin. The unpurified AK in crab myogen degraded more markedly than purified AK. In addition, in two‐phase gastrointestinal digestion, AK was rapidly degraded by pepsin but resistant to trypsin and chymotrypsin digestion, while tropomyosin derived from mud crab was resistant to pepsin digestion but digested readily by trypsin or chymotrypsin. Further study of serum samples obtained from crab‐allergic human patients indicated that the allergenicity of AK was markedly reduced by digestion with SGF but not SIF.

CONCLUSION: AK is an important food allergen despite its unstable physicochemical properties of digestibility. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry