bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A systematic review of validated methods for identifying hypersensitivity reactions other than anaphylaxis (fever, rash, and lymphadenopathy), using administrative and claims data
Authors: Schneider Gary , Kachroo Sumesh , Jones Natalie , Crean Sheila , Rotella Philip , Avetisyan Ruzan , Reynolds Matthew W.
Published: January 2012

Purpose

The Food and Drug Administration's Mini‐Sentinel pilot program aims to conduct active surveillance to refine safety signals that emerge for marketed medical products. A key facet of this surveillance is to develop and understand the validity of algorithms for identifying health outcomes of interest from administrative and claims data. This article summarizes the process and findings of the algorithm review of hypersensitivity reactions.

Methods

PubMed and Iowa Drug Information Service searches were conducted to identify citations applicable to the hypersensitivity reactions of health outcomes of interest. Level 1 abstract reviews and Level 2 full‐text reviews were conducted to find articles using administrative and claims data to identify hypersensitivity reactions and including validation estimates of the coding algorithms.

Results

We identified five studies that provided validated hypersensitivity‐reaction algorithms. Algorithm positive predictive values (PPVs) for various definitions of hypersensitivity reactions ranged from 3% to 95%. PPVs were high (i.e. 90%–95%) when both exposures and diagnoses were very specific. PPV generally decreased when the definition of hypersensitivity was expanded, except in one study that used data mining methodology for algorithm development.

Conclusions

The ability of coding algorithms to identify hypersensitivity reactions varied, with decreasing performance occurring with expanded outcome definitions. This examination of hypersensitivity‐reaction coding algorithms provides an example of surveillance bias resulting from outcome definitions that include mild cases. Data mining may provide tools for algorithm development for hypersensitivity and other health outcomes. Research needs to be conducted on designing validation studies to test hypersensitivity‐reaction algorithms and estimating their predictive power, sensitivity, and specificity. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Mini‐Sentinel program: status and direction
Authors: Platt Richard , Carnahan Ryan M. , Brown Jeffrey S. , Chrischilles Elizabeth , Curtis Lesley H. , Hennessy Sean , Nelson Jennifer C. , Racoosin Judith A. , Robb Melissa , Schneeweiss Sebastian , Toh Sengwee , Weiner Mark G.
Published: January 2012

The Mini‐Sentinel is a pilot program that is developing methods, tools, resources, policies, and procedures to facilitate the use of routinely collected electronic healthcare data to perform active surveillance of the safety of marketed medical products, including drugs, biologics, and medical devices. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) initiated the program in 2009 as part of its Sentinel Initiative, in response to a Congressional mandate in the FDA Amendments Act of 2007.

After two years, Mini‐Sentinel includes 31 academic and private organizations. It has developed policies, procedures, and technical specifications for developing and operating a secure distributed data system comprised of separate data sets that conform to a common data model covering enrollment, demographics, encounters, diagnoses, procedures, and ambulatory dispensing of prescription drugs. The distributed data sets currently include administrative and claims data from 2000 to 2011 for over 300 million person‐years, 2.4 billion encounters, 38 million inpatient hospitalizations, and 2.9 billion dispensings. Selected laboratory results and vital signs data recorded after 2005 are also available. There is an active data quality assessment and characterization program, and eligibility for medical care and pharmacy benefits is known. Systematic reviews of the literature have assessed the ability of administrative data to identify health outcomes of interest, and procedures have been developed and tested to obtain, abstract, and adjudicate full‐text medical records to validate coded diagnoses. Mini‐Sentinel has also created a taxonomy of study designs and analytical approaches for many commonly occurring situations, and it is developing new statistical and epidemiologic methods to address certain gaps in analytic capabilities.

Assessments are performed by distributing computer programs that are executed locally by each data partner. The system is in active use by FDA, with the majority of assessments performed using customizable, reusable queries (programs). Prospective and retrospective assessments that use customized protocols are conducted as well. To date, several hundred unique programs have been distributed and executed.

Current activities include active surveillance of several drugs and vaccines, expansion of the population, enhancement of the common data model to include additional types of data from electronic health records and registries, development of new methodologic capabilities, and assessment of methods to identify and validate additional health outcomes of interest. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Synthesis of Three Novel Laurylamine‐Derived Long‐Chain Alkyl Bonding Agents and Their Interactions with RDX
Authors: Liu Yun‐fei , Chen Yu , Shi Liang , Yao Wei‐shang
Published: January 2012

Three novel long‐chain alkyl bonding agents including 1,1′‐dodecylimino‐bis[3‐[bis(2‐hydroxyethyl)amino]‐2‐propanol (DHAP), 1‐acetyl‐5‐dodecyl‐octahydro‐1,5‐diazocine‐3,7‐diol (ADODD) and 1,3‐bis(dodecylimino)‐5,5‐dimethyl‐2,4‐imidazolidinedione (DDID) were synthesized by modification of laurylamine. Interaction energies between bonding agents and RDX were calculated and compared using the molecular dynamics method. Effects of coating by different bonding agents on characteristic absorption peaks of RDX were analyzed by micro‐infrared spectroscopy. The adhesion degrees of different bonding agents on the surface of RDX solid particles were calculated by XPS methods. The three prepared bonding agents were added to the HTPB/RDX/Al propellant and their effects on σ, εm, εb and Φ (the adhesion index between filling particles and binder matrix) value of propellant were studied. Simulation and experimental results showed that those three types of long‐chain alkyl bonding agents exhibit a strong interaction with RDX, with highest interaction potencial observed for DHAP, followed by DDID and ADODD. In addition, the current study demonstrated that results obtained by molecular dynamics simulation were in very good agreement with the experimental data.
Variational data‐assimilation experiments using flow‐dependent dynamical constraints
Authors: Reszka M. K. , Polavarapu S. M.
Published: January 2012

Mass–wind and vorticity–divergence balance constraints based on the linearized Charney and quasi‐geostrophic omega equations, respectively, are assessed in a developmental version of the global, three‐dimensional variational data‐assimilation system at Environment Canada. Unlike traditional balance constraints, which are averaged in time, the new constraints are flow‐dependent and reflect a more complete set of dynamics. Single observation experiments demonstrate that the new covariance model leads to asymmetrical increments that are qualitatively aligned with the instantaneous background wind field. Data‐assimilation experiments using real observations are performed for a period of five weeks during two different seasons, employing the control and experimental constraints. Subsequent forecast verification against radiosondes shows a definite benefit of the new covariances in the Tropics; however, the impact in the Extratropics is neutral or slightly negative. Verifications against analysis show virtually no change in the troposphere; however, a significant improvement is observed in the stratosphere at all lead times. Compared with the Charney mass–wind balance, the contribution of the quasi‐geostrophic omega constraint is rather minimal, at least in its current adiabatic form. The new balance scheme requires a considerable amount of computational time in the context of our 3D‐Var system, although the relative cost in a 4D‐Var setting may be far less significant. Moreover, the present experiments are useful in elucidating several important aspects of covariance modelling, particularly the dependence of balance dynamics on spatial scale. © 2012 Crown in the right of Canada. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Structural electronic study via XPS and TEM of subnanometric gold particles protected by calixarenes for silicon surface anchoring
Authors: Boccia Alice , Zanoni Robertino , Arduini Arturo , Pescatori Luca , Secchi Andrea
Published: January 2012

A series of differently sized gold nanoparticles stabilized by bidentate calixarene ligands, prepared by the Brust–Schiffrin two‐phase synthesis, were characterized by XPS, in combination with TEM. The experimental data show that the particular conditions in the synthesis reaction allow to obtain subnanometric gold nanoparticles. Such nanoparticles with controlled and reduced size are the best candidate for anchoring on a Si surface, through specific and reversible supramolecular interactions, in view of the development of new hybrid nanomaterials. XPS measurements allow to separate the Au atoms in two subsets, on the basis of their clearly distinct Au 4f binding energy: central and surface atoms bound to S. The S 2p spectra present a main component due to thiolate–Au bond, compatible with the structural ‘staple motif’ reported in the literature. Because very small nanoparticles have a larger percentage of surface atoms, the experimental S/Au and Au–S/Aucentral ratios are an indirect evaluation of the cluster nuclearity, likely to be assigned to Au11 or Au13, both compatible with the observed diameters. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Characterization of hybrid sol–gel films doped with red mud particles
Authors: Collazo A. , Covelo A. , Pérez C.
Published: January 2012

The present work deals with the characterization of a hybrid sol–gel coating doped with red mud (RM) particles. RM is the insoluble residue remaining after caustic digestion of bauxite by the Bayer process. Because of its high alkaline nature, together with the presence of Fe(III), we assume that this is a good corrosion inhibitor candidate. The hybrid sol–gel was made from tetra‐n‐propoxyzirconium as an inorganic precursor and 3‐glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane as an organic precursor. Sol–gel films were doped with 5% wt. of RM and deposited on an AA2024‐T3 alloy. Several techniques were used to study the system: Fourier‐transformed infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, time‐of‐flight secondary ion mass spectrometry, and zeta potential measurements. The results indicate that a good dispersion of the particles into the sol–gel film was obtained. Moreover, the zeta potential measurements revealed the ability of RM particles to capture chloride ions. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Self‐Assembly of a Dendron‐Attached Tetrathiafulvalene: Gel Formation and Modulation in the Presence of Chloranil and Metal Ions
Authors: Yang Xingyuan , Zhang Guanxin , Li Liqiang , Zhang Deqing , Chi Lifeng , Zhu Daoben
Published: January 2012

The self‐assembly of a tetrathiafulvalene (TTF)‐based molecular gelator with a dendron substituent into a gel is described. Scanning electron microscope and atomic force microscope studies show that the xerogels exhibit rope‐like frameworks or interwoven nanofibers, depending on the polarity of solvent from which the gel is formed. Gels containing chloranil can also be successfully prepared. Interestingly, this two‐component gel can be easily transformed into solution after the addition of either Sc3+ or Pb2+. Both absorption and electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopic investigations reveal that the TTF unit is oxidized into TTF.+ by chloranil in the presence of either Sc3+ or Pb2+. Moreover, the gel phase can be restored by reduction of TTF.+ into the neutral form using magnesium.
Optimum structural modelling for tall buildings
Authors: Jameel Mohammed , Saiful Islam A.B.M. , Hussain Raja Rizwan , Khaleel M. , Zaheer M. M.
Published: January 2012

It is a common practice to model multi‐storey tall buildings as frame structures where the loads for structural design are supported by beams and columns. Intrinsically, the structural strength provided by the walls and slabs are neglected. As the building height increases, the effect of lateral loads on multi‐storey structures increases considerably. The consideration of walls and slabs in addition to the frame structure modelling shall theoretically lead to improved lateral stiffness. Thus, a more economic structural design of multi‐storey buildings can be achieved. In this research, modelling and structural analysis of a 61‐storey building have been performed to investigate the effect of considering the walls, slabs and wall openings in addition to frame structure modelling. Sophisticated finite element approach has been adopted to configure the models, and various analyses have been performed. Parameters, such as maximum roof displacement and natural frequencies, are chosen to evaluate the structural performance. It has been observed that the consideration of slabs alone with the frame modelling may have negligible improvement on structural performance. However, when the slabs are combined with walls in addition to frame modelling, significant improvement in structural performance can be achieved. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Investigating the effectiveness of computer simulations for chemistry learning
Authors: Plass Jan L. , Milne Catherine , Homer Bruce D. , Schwartz Ruth N. , Hayward Elizabeth O. , Jordan Trace , Verkuilen Jay , Ng Florrie , Wang Yan , Barrientos Juan
Published: January 2012

Are well‐designed computer simulations an effective tool to support student understanding of complex concepts in chemistry when integrated into high school science classrooms? We investigated scaling up the use of a sequence of simulations of kinetic molecular theory and associated topics of diffusion, gas laws, and phase change, which we designed and experimentally tested. In the two effectiveness studies reported, one in a rural and the other in an urban context, chemistry teachers implemented two alternate versions of a curricular unit—an experimental version, incorporating simulations, and a control version, using text‐based materials covering the same content. Participants were 718 high school students (357 rural and 361 urban), in a total of 25 classrooms. The implementation of the simulations was explored using criteria associated with fidelity of implementation (FOI). Each context provided insights into the role of FOI in affecting the effectiveness of the interventions when working with groups of teachers. Results supported the effectiveness of this sequence of simulations as a teaching tool in a classroom context, and confirmed the importance of FOI factors such as adherence and exposure in determining the specific environments in which these materials were most effective. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 49: 394–419, 2012
Early Data from the First Population‐Wide Breast Cancer‐Specific Registry in Hong Kong
Authors: Cheung Polly , Hung W. K. , Cheung Catherine , Chan Amy , Wong T. T. , Li Lawrence , Chan Sharon W. W. , Chan K. W. , Choi Peter , Kwan W. H. , Yau C. C. , Chan Emily Y. Y. , Law Stephen C. K. , Kwan Daisy
Published: January 2012

Background

Current measures for breast cancer prevention and options for treatment adopted in Hong Kong are mainly based on research data and clinical evidence from overseas. It is essential to establish a cancer‐specific registry to monitor the status of breast cancer in Hong Kong.

Objectives

We summarized the current status of breast cancer in Hong Kong based on the data collected from Hong Kong Breast Cancer Registry (HKBCR).

Methods

Prevalent and newly diagnosed breast cancers (including in situ and invasive breast cancers) were registered in the HKBCR. Information on patient demographics, risk factors, medical information, and survival were analyzed and reported in this study.

Results

Data of 2,330 breast cancer patients were analyzed. We observed an earlier median age at diagnosis in Hong Kong than those reported in other countries. Distribution of cancer stage was: stage 0 (11.4%), stage I (31.4%), stage II (41%), stage III (12.5%), stage IV (0.8%), and unclassified (2.9%). The percentages of patients who received surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and endocrine therapy were 98.7, 67.9, 64.8, and 64.1%, respectively. At a median follow‐up of 1.2 years, locoregional recurrence was recorded at 2%, distant recurrence at 2.8%, and breast‐cancer–related mortality at 0.3%.

Conclusions

The HKBCR serves as a surveillance program to monitor disease and treatment patterns. It is pivotal to support research for more effective breast cancer prevention and treatment strategies in Hong Kong.
Prevalence of Germline Mutations in Patients with Pheochromocytoma or Abdominal Paraganglioma and Sporadic Presentation: A Population‐Based Study in Western Sweden
Authors: Muth Andreas , Abel Frida , Jansson Svante , Nilsson Ola , Ahlman Håkan , Wängberg Bo
Published: January 2012

Background

Germline mutations in the susceptibility genes RET, SDHB, SDHD, and VHL have been reported in 7.5–24% of patients with pheochromocytoma (Pheo) or paraganglioma (PGL) and sporadic presentation. The purpose of the present study was to establish population‐based data on the frequency of germline mutations in patients with apparently sporadic Pheo or abdominal PGL in Western Sweden.

Methods

From the Swedish National Cancer Registry, all patients with Pheo or PGL in Western Sweden (population 1.72 million) registered between 1958 and 2009 were identified (n = 256). Patients were characterized using register data, hospital records, and clinical interviews. All living patients with Pheo or abdominal PGL and sporadic presentation (n = 81) were invited to genetic screening; 71 patients accepted. Germline mutations were investigated by using direct sequencing for point mutations in RET, SDHB, SDHD, and VHL, and multiplex ligation‐dependent probe amplification for gross deletions in SDHB, SDHC, SDHD, and VHL. Plasma or urinary metanephrines and/or urinary catecholamines were used for biochemical follow‐up.

Results

The prevalence of germline mutations was 5.6%. Mutations were only seen in RET (n = 1) and SDHB (n = 3). Notably, in the patients with SDHB mutations, no malignant phenotype was observed during a mean follow‐up of 23.3 years.

Conclusions

The frequency of germline mutations in patients with apparently sporadic Pheo and abdominal PGL in Western Sweden was lower than in previous studies. Variations in reported frequencies of germline mutations in patients with clinically sporadic Pheo/PGL may reflect geographical differences or patient selection.
Retromuscular Mesh Repair of Midline Incisional Hernia with Polyester Standard Mesh: Monocentric Experience of 261 Consecutive Patients with a 5‐year Follow‐up
Authors: Poghosyan Tigran , Veyrie Nicolas , Corigliano Nicola , Helmy Nada , Servajean Stephane , Bouillot Jean‐Luc
Published: January 2012

Background

Midline incisional hernia (MIH) repair remains a major challenge for surgeons. Multiple procedures and types of mesh to treat incisional hernia are available. We evaluated outcomes of MIH treated by retromuscular mesh repair (RMR) using a polyester standard prosthesis.

Patients

A total of 262 patients were treated for MIH by RMR between June 2000 and November 2007 in an academic tertiary referral center using the same standardized surgical technique and one type of mesh. The early complications and recurrence rate were evaluated.

Results

The average patient age was 57 years; 51% were women. The mean width was 7.8 cm and defect size was 61 cm². Previous MIH repair had been performed in 23% of the patients. Average hospital stay was 7 days. Of the 262 patients studied, 34 patients (13%) developed early complications, and 16 required reoperation for various indications. Early mesh infection occurred in 2 patients (0.8%) requiring mesh removal. The mean follow‐up was 58 months. Recurrence was observed in 8 patients (3%) with an average delay of 19 months. There was a significant difference in terms of recurrence in patients with mesh infection versus the group who did not develop infection (2/2 patients versus 6/259; P < 0.001).

Conclusions

Our results suggest that RMR with a polyester standard prosthesis for MIH remains a safe “classic” treatment with a moderate complication rate and a low infection and recurrence rate, even in large incisional hernia.
Co-transformation of Panax major ginsenosides Rb1 and Rg1 to minor ginsenosides C–K and F1 by Cladosporium cladosporioides
Authors: Wu Lunpeng , Jin Yan , Yin Chengri , Bai Longlv
Published: January 2012

Rb1 and Rg1 are the major ginsenosides in protopanaxadiol and protopanaxatriol. Their content in ginsenosides was 23.8 and 17.6%, respectively. A total of 22 isolates of β-glucosidase producing microorganisms were isolated from the soil of a ginseng field using Esculin-R2A agar. Among these isolates, the strain GH21 showed the strongest activities to convert ginsenoside Rb1 and Rg1 to minor ginsenosides compound-K and F1, respectively. Ginsenosides Rb1 and Rg1 bioconversion rates were 74.2 and 89.3%, respectively. Meanwhile, the results demonstrated that the ginsenoside Rg1 could change the biotransformation pathway of ginsenoside Rb1 by inhibiting the formation of the intermediate metabolite gypenoside-XVII. GH21 was identified as a Cladosporium cladosporioides species based on the internal transcribed spacers (ITS) ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 rRNA gene sequences constructed phylogenetic trees.
Catholic Women Religious Vocations in the Twentieth Century: The Slovenian Case
Authors: Bezjak Sonja
Published: January 2012

In the twentieth century, female monasticism in Slovenia enjoyed a dynamic period. In this paper, I present changes in numerical trends for the whole century and explore the broader social circumstances and conditions that influenced the dynamics of this phenomenon. The basic thesis is that the numbers of members of religious orders change depending on the manner in which monasticism is structured in the economic, political and cultural life of a certain society. The major part of the discussion focuses on the first half of the century, which saw the greatest growth. In comparing the Slovenian statistical regions, I found that the majority of women members came from regions in which the demographic imbalance favoring women over men and the influence of the Catholic Church on everyday life were the greatest. In Slovenia, the decline in female religious vocations started after WWII and, especially until the second Vatican Council, was part of a manifest secularization process rooted in political change. The numerical trend in Slovenian female monasticism differs from West European and USA trends; therefore, a different approach and explanation was needed. This enabled me to re-think the social circumstances and position of Catholic orders in Slovenian society.
Screening and treatment for Alzheimer's disease: Predicting population‐level outcomes
Authors: Furiak Nicolas M. , Kahle‐Wrobleski Kristin , Callahan Christopher , Klein Timothy M. , Klein Robert W. , Siemers Eric R.
Published: January 2012

Background

Advances in screening and treatment are needed to mitigate increasing prevalence of dementia due to Alzheimer's disease (DAT). Current proposals to revise Alzheimer's disease (AD) diagnostic criteria incorporate diagnostic biomarkers. Such revisions would allow identification of persons with AD pathology before the onset of dementia. The population‐level impact of screening for preclinical AD and treating with a disease‐modifying agent is important when evaluating new biomarkers and medications.

Methods

A published computer simulation model assigned AD‐related event times, such that delays in disease progression due to therapy effectiveness can be estimated for a preclinical AD cohort. Attributes such as screening sensitivity/specificity, treatment efficacy, age at first screening, and rescreening intervals were varied. Outcomes included incident mild cognitive impairment (MCI‐AD), incident DAT, and number of patients recommended for treatment.

Results

One‐time screening at age 65 years, 50% efficacy, and literature‐based proxy persistence rates yielded 12.4% incidence of MCI‐AD and 0.9% decrease in DAT incidence from base case of no screening/treatment. Modest reductions in incident MCI‐AD and DAT were observed with more sensitive testing. Reducing specificity yielded greater reductions in MCI‐AD and DAT cases, albeit by treating more patients. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis predicted that for a cohort of patients aged 65 years, the number that needed to be treated to avoid one AD case was 11.6 (range: 5.7–104).

Conclusion

The reduction in MCI‐AD and DAT depends on initial screening age, screening frequency, and specificity. When considering population‐level impact of screening–treatment, the effect of these parameters on incidence would need to be weighed against the number of individuals screened and treated.
INTRODUCTION: POPULAR ECONOMIES IN SOUTH AFRICA
Authors: Hull Elizabeth , James Deborah
Published: January 2012

African economies have long been a matter of concern to anthropologists, not least in the pages ofAfrica.These economies are situated, somewhat contradictorily, between global settings of financialized capitalism on the one hand and impoverished local arenas where cash-based economic transfers predominate on the other. The more such economies appear to be tied to wider global arenas and operations that place them beyond the reach of ordinary people, the more necessary it is to explore the logics and decisions that tie them inexorably to specific everyday settings.
BANKING IN THE BUSH: WAITING FOR CREDIT IN SOUTH AFRICA'S RURAL ECONOMY
Authors: Hull Elizabeth
Published: January 2012

Drawing on fieldwork in a rural area of KwaZulu-Natal, this article shows how people experience government and other institutions in a patchwork of encounters spread out over time, disjointedly, and via various intermediaries. Aspirations change over time and in response to these encounters. Specifically, the article focuses on the setting up of a government-regulated microfinance institution. I consider the divergence between state-led models of ‘entrepreneurship’ and the practice of individuals' engagement with the organization and their own expectations about it. One government stipulation was that the bank demonstrated its effective operation through regular inflows and outflows of cash, prior to paying out any loans. As such, members were encouraged to invest money in order to qualify for a loan at a later stage. I describe the factors that enhanced or inhibited the willingness of members to invest in the bank, arguing that these strategies were influenced not only by existing levels of economic vulnerability experienced by individuals, but also by particular expectations of the bank, including its perceived reliability, stability and degree of formalityvis-à-visexisting conceptions about banking. The example demonstrates that processes of formalization are often partial and incomplete. Rather than examining them in the narrow terms of success or failure, the article focuses on the intersection of moral and economic actions that emerge in the prolonged states of limbo that they create.
MONEY AND SOCIALITY IN SOUTH AFRICA'S INFORMAL ECONOMY
Authors: Neves David , du Toit Andries
Published: January 2012

This article examines the interplay of agency, culture and context in order to consider the social embeddedness of money and trade at the margins of South Africa's economy. Focusing on small-scale, survivalist informal enterprise operators, it draws on socio-cultural analysis to explore the social dynamics involved in generating and managing wealth. After describing the informal sector in South Africa, the article elucidates the relationship between money and economic informality. First, diverse objectives, typically irreducible to the maximization of profit, animate those in the informal sector and challenge meta-narratives of a ‘great transformation’ towards socially disembedded and depersonalized economic relationships. Second, regimes of economic governance, both state-led and informal, shape the terrain on which informal economic activity occurs in complex and constitutive ways. Third, local idioms and practices of trading, managing money and negotiating social claims similarly configure economic activities. Fourth, and finally, encroaching and often inexorable processes of formalization differentially influence those in the informal sector. The analysis draws on these findings to recapitulate both the ubiquity and centrality of the sociality at the heart of economy, and to examine the particular forms they take in South Africa's informal economy.
Soziales und moralisches Denken von Kindern über den Ein- und Ausschluss behinderter Kinder
Authors: Gasser Luciano , Chilver-Stainer Jennifer , Buholzer Alois , Perrig-Chiello Pasqualina
Published: January 2012

Zusammenfassung:Die Studie untersucht, wie 70 Kindergartenkinder im Vergleich zu 71 Fünft- und Sechstklässler über Situationen denken, in welchen sich ein Protagonist für die Wahl eines behinderten oder nicht behinderten Kindes in seine Gruppe entscheiden musste. Die Situationen wurden nach Behinderungsform des behinderten Kindes (geistig behindert, körperbehindert) und nach Gruppenaktivität (schulisch, sozial, sportlich) variiert. Die Kinder sollten die Wahl des Protagonisten vorhersagen und die Wahl begründen. Die älteren Kinder berücksichtigten in ihren Überlegungen stärker den situativen Kontext als die jüngeren Kinder. Allerdings erwarteten sie weniger häufig den Einschluss des geistig behinderten Kindes als den Einschluss des körperbehinderten Kindes. Die Ergebnisse der Studie werden vor dem Hintergrund von Forschung zur Entwicklung sozialen und moralischen Denkens über Ein- und Ausschluss diskutiert.
Mechanics, slip behavior, and seismic potential of corrugated dip‐slip faults
Authors: Marshall Scott T. , Morris Anna C.
Published: January 2012

To better understand the mechanics and seismic potential of nonplanar fault surfaces, we present results from a suite of numerical models of faults with sinusoidal corrugations in the downdip direction. Systematic variations in corrugation wavelength, amplitude, and loading angle are introduced to determine the effects on slip behavior and seismic moment release. We find that corrugated faults, in general, slip less than planar faults. Changes in slip behavior are nearly scale‐independent and are dominantly controlled by the amplitude/wavelength of corrugations. Model results suggest that obliquely loaded corrugated faults accumulate less strike slip than a planar fault with the same tip line dimensions and average orientation. This result implies that slip direction is not a reliable indicator of regional stress direction and may at least partially explain repeated, nearly pure dip‐slip coseismic events at oblique plate boundaries. Though the scalar seismic moment release is always less for corrugated fault surfaces due to a greater reduction in slip compared to increased surface area, for geologically reasonable corrugation geometries, changes in total scalar moment release are not significantly different than planar faults. Techniques that utilize highly simplified fault geometries may therefore accurately reproduce scalar moment release but will nonetheless incorrectly predict coseismic slip magnitudes and distributions, as well as regional stress orientations.
Cirrus optical depth and lidar ratio retrieval from combined CALIPSO‐CloudSat observations using ocean surface echo
Authors: Josset Damien , Pelon Jacques , Garnier Anne , Hu Yongxiang , Vaughan Mark , Zhai Peng‐Wang , Kuehn Ralph , Lucker Pat
Published: January 2012

Ocean surface observations from the CloudSat radar and the spaceborne lidar aboard the Cloud Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) platform are combined in the Synergized Optical Depth of Aerosol (SODA) algorithm and used to retrieve the optical depth of semitransparent single‐layered cirrus clouds. In the operational CALIPSO data analysis, lidar‐derived optical depths are typically estimated using a correction factor for multiple scattering effects and a single global mean lidar ratio. By combining the SODA approach with observations from the CALIPSO Imaging Infrared Radiometer, accurate values for both of these parameters can be derived directly from the measurements. Application of this approach yields a multiple scattering factor of 0.61 ± 0.15 sr, which is essentially identical to the value used operationally. However, the standard lidar ratio used in the CALIPSO daytime operational analysis is found to be biased low by around 25%. As a consequence, the lidar‐derived optical depths retrieved from the daytime operational analyses are more than 30% smaller than those derived using SODA. The lidar ratio for semitransparent cirrus is found to be rather stable over ocean (33 ± 5 sr) with slight variations as a function of temperature and latitude. The geographic distribution shows a moderate decrease of average lidar ratio values over Indonesia during daytime, which may be attributed to a larger occurrence of high‐altitude cirrus layers in this convectively active area.
One Hundred Years of Volcano Monitoring in Hawaii
Authors: Kauahikaua Jim , Poland Mike
Published: January 2012

In 2012 the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO), the oldest of five volcano observatories in the United States, is commemorating the 100th anniversary of its founding. HVO's location, on the rim of Kīlauea volcano (Figure 1)—one of the most active volcanoes on Earth—has provided an unprecedented opportunity over the past century to study processes associated with active volcanism and develop methods for hazards assessment and mitigation. The scientifically and societally important results that have come from 100 years of HVO's existence are the realization of one man's vision of the best way to protect humanity from natural disasters. That vision was a response to an unusually destructive decade that began the twentieth century, a decade that saw almost 200,000 people killed by the effects of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
Review of Global Change Research Program plan
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: January 2012

The draft 10‐year strategic plan for the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP), which proposes broadening the scope of the program from climate change only to climate change and climaterelated global changes, “is an important step in the right direction,” according to a 5 January review of the plan by a committee of the U.S. National Research Council (NRC) of the National Academies. However, the committee also said that the program's legislative mandate is even broader in allowing USGCRP to address many aspects of global change including climate change, the global hydrological cycle, and widespread land use changes. “The Program's legislative mandate is to address all of global change, whether or not related to climate. The Committee concurs that this broader scope is appropriate, but realizes that such an expansion may be constrained by budget realities and by the practical challenge of maintaining clear boundaries for an expanded program,” the report states. “We encourage sustained efforts to expand the Program over time, along with efforts to better define and prioritize what specific topics are included within the bounds of global change research.”
Peatlands as a model ecosystem of soil carbon dynamics: Reply to Comment on “Peatlands and their role in the global carbon cycle”
Authors: Yu Zicheng , Beilman D. W. , Frolking S. , MacDonald G. M. , Roulet N. T. , Camill P. , Charman D. J.
Published: January 2012

AGU Chapman Conference on Advances in Lagrangian Modeling of the Atmosphere; Grindelwald, Switzerland, 10–14 October 2011 Under the majestic gaze of the Eiger north face in Switzerland, an international group of researchers met as part of a Chapman Conference to discuss advances in Lagrangian modeling of the atmosphere. Lagrangian models track the movement of air parcels, giving rise to trajectory information and source/receptor linkages that have become increasingly popular as tools used by geoscientists. The conference was an opportunity for a diverse group of researchers developing and applying Lagrangian models to congregate and discuss the use of such models to understand geophysical phenomena and to identify how to further improve the models. The 98 participants (of which 17 were graduate students) hailed from 19 countries around the world.
Schmidt receives 2011 Climate Communication Prize: Response
Authors: Schmidt Gavin A.
Published: January 2012

Gavin A. Schmidt was awarded the 2011 Climate Communication Prize at the AGU Fall Meeting Honors Ceremony, held on 7 December in San Francisco, Calif. The Climate Communication Prize is funded by Nature's Own, a purveyor of fossils, minerals, and handcrafted jewelry in Boulder, Colo. The prize honors an “AGU member‐scientist for the communication of climate science, and highlights the importance of promoting scientific literacy, clarity of message, and efforts to foster respected and understanding of science‐based values as they relate to the implications of climate change.”
Moyers receives Edward A. Flinn III Award: Citation
Authors: Finlayson‐Pitts Barbara J. , Duce Robert A.
Published: January 2012

Jarvis L. Moyers received the Edward A. Flinn III Award posthumously at the 2011 AGU Fall Meeting Honors Ceremony, held on 7 December 2011 in San Francisco, Calif. The award honors “individuals who personify the Union's motto ‘unselfish cooperation in research’ through their facilitating, coordinating, and implementing activities.”
Gulledge receives 2011 Charles S. Falkenberg Award: Citation
Authors: Holland Greg , Backlund Peter , Buja Lawrence
Published: January 2012

Jay Gulledge received the Charles S. Falkenberg Award at the 2011 AGU Fall Meeting Honors Ceremony, held on 7 December in San Francisco, Calif. The award honors a “scientist under 45 years of age who has contributed to the quality of life, economic opportunities, and stewardship of the planet through the use of Earth science information and to the pubic awareness of the importance of understanding our planet.”
Steenhuis receives 2011 International Award: Response
Authors: Steenhuis Tammo
Published: January 2012

Tammo Steenhuis received the International Award at the 2011 Fall Meeting Honors Ceremony, held on 7 December 2011 in San Francisco, Calif. The award honors “an individual scientist or a small team for making an outstanding contribution to furthering the Earth and space sciences and using science for the benefit of society in less favored nations.”
Laj receives 2011 Excellence in Geophysical Education Award: Response
Authors: Laj Carlo
Published: January 2012

Carlo E. Laj received the Excellence in Geophysical Education Award at the 2011 AGU Fall Meeting Honors Ceremony, held on 7 December in San Francisco, Calif. The award honors “a sustained commitment to excellence in geophysical education by a team, individual, or group.”
Petit receives Robert C. Cowen Award for Sustained Achievement in Science Journalism: Citation
Authors: Rademacher Horst
Published: January 2012

Charles W. Petit, a veteran science writer, received the 2011 Robert C. Cowan Award for Sustained Achievement in Science Journalism at the AGU Fall Meeting Honors Ceremony, held on 7 December 2011 in San Francisco, Calif. Petit covered earthquakes for the San Francisco Chronicle during the 1980s and 1990s and has recently served as “head tracker” for the Knight Science Journalism Tracker, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology–based daily blog that compiles and critiques science reporting worldwide. Petit was previously honored by AGU in 2003 when he received the David Perlman Award for an article about a new finding in oceanography. The Cowan Award, named for a former science editor of the Christian Science Monitor, is given no more than every 2 years and recognizes a journalist who has made “significant, lasting, and consistent contributions to accurate reporting or writing” on the Earth and space sciences for the general public.
Petit receives Robert C. Cowen Award for Sustained Achievement in Science Journalism: Response
Authors: Petit Charles W.
Published: January 2012

Charles W. Petit, a veteran science writer, received the 2011 Robert C. Cowan Award for Sustained Achievement in Science Journalism at the AGU Fall Meeting Honors Ceremony, held on 7 December 2011 in San Francisco, Calif. Petit covered earthquakes for the San Francisco Chronicle during the 1980s and 1990s and has recently served as “head tracker” for the Knight Science Journalism Tracker, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology–based daily blog that compiles and critiques science reporting worldwide. Petit was previously honored by AGU in 2003 when he received the David Perlman Award for an article about a new finding in oceanography. The Cowan Award, named for a former science editor of the Christian Science Monitor, is given no more than every 2 years and recognizes a journalist who has made “significant, lasting, and consistent contributions to accurate reporting or writing” on the Earth and space sciences for the general public.
Connor receives David Perlman Award for Excellence in Science Journalism–News: Response
Authors: Connor Steve
Published: January 2012

Steve Connor, science editor of the Independent newspaper of London, received the David Perlman Award for Excellence in Science Journalism–News at the AGU Fall Meeting Honors Ceremony, held on 7 December 2011 in San Francisco, Calif. Connor was honored for his article “Expect more extreme winters thanks to global warming, say scientists,” published 24 December 2010 in theIndependent. The article covers a computer modeling study that found that losses in sea ice north of Scandinavia and Russia caused by global warming could paradoxically cause harsh, cold winters in the United Kingdom and elsewhere. The Perlman award is for work published with a deadline pressure of 1 week or less.
Forest carbon uptake recovers from modest tree losses
Authors: Schultz Colin
Published: January 2012

By some accounts, forests are currently seeing the highest rates of disturbance since the recession of the Pleistocene glaciers more than 10,000 years ago. In recent decades the global extent of forest‐disrupting events has increased, yet their intensity has been on the decline. Significant tree losses upset carbon and nitrogen cycling, drastically extending recovery times. Throughout the northern temperate zone, forests that were established a century ago on clear‐cut or burned lands have been increasingly affected by subtle disturbances, like selective logging, pathogenic insects, or age‐related mortality. The higher proportion of trees surviving these modest disturbances likely mitigates the effects on carbon and nitrogen cycling, but evidence is limited.
Validating a magnetic reconnection model for the magnetopause
Authors: Schultz Colin
Published: January 2012

Originating in the Sun's million‐degree corona, the solar wind flows at supersonic speeds into interplanetary space, carrying with it the solar magnetic field. As the solar wind reaches Earth's orbit, its interaction with the geomagnetic field forms the magnetosphere, a bubble‐like structure within the solar wind flow that shields Earth from direct exposure to the solar wind as well as to the highly energetic charged particles produced during solar storms. Under certain orientations, the magnetic field entrained in the solar wind, known as the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF), merges with the geomagnetic field, transferring mass, momentum, and energy to the magnetosphere. The merging of these two distinct magnetic fields occurs through magnetic reconnection, a fundamental plasma‐physical process that converts magnetic energy into kinetic energy and heat.
Lower Thigh Subcutaneous and Higher Visceral Abdominal Adipose Tissue Content Both Contribute to Insulin Resistance
Authors: Amati Francesca , Pennant Marjorie , Azuma Koichiro , Dubé John J. , Toledo Frederico G.S. , Rossi Andrea P. , Kelley David E. , Goodpaster Bret H.
Published: January 2012

It is well known that visceral adipose tissue (VAT) is associated with insulin resistance (IR). Considerable debate remains concerning the potential positive effect of thigh subcutaneous adipose tissue (TSAT). Our objective was to observe whether VAT and TSAT are opposite, synergistic or additive for both peripheral and hepatic IR. Fifty‐two volunteers (21 male/31 female) between 30 and 75 years old were recruited from the general population. All subjects were sedentary overweight or obese (mean BMI 33.0 ± 3.4 kg/m2). Insulin sensitivity was determined by a 4‐h hyperinsulinemic–euglycemic clamp with stable isotope tracer dilution. Total body fat and lean body mass were determined by dual X‐ray absorptiometry. Abdominal and mid‐thigh adiposity was determined by computed tomography. VAT was negatively associated with peripheral insulin sensitivity, while TSAT, in contrast, was positively associated with peripheral insulin sensitivity. Subjects with a combination of low VAT and high TSAT had the highest insulin sensitivity, subjects with a combination of high VAT and low TSAT were the most insulin resistant. These associations remained significant after adjusting for age and gender. These data confirm that visceral excess abdominal adiposity is associated with IR across a range of middle‐age to older men and women, and further suggest that higher thigh subcutaneous fat is favorably associated with better insulin sensitivity. This strongly suggests that these two distinct fat distribution phenotypes should both be considered in IR as important determinants of cardiometabolic risk.
The regulation of myosin phosphatase in pregnant human myometrium
Authors: Hudson Claire A. , Bernal Andrés López
Published: January 2012

Myometrial smooth muscle contractility is regulated predominantly through the reversible phosphorylation of MYLs (myosin light chains), catalysed by MYLK (MYL kinase) and MYLP (MYL phosphatase) activities. MYLK is activated by Ca2+–calmodulin, and most uterotonic agonists operate through myometrial receptors that increase [Ca2+]i (intracellular Ca2+ concentration). Moreover, there is substantial evidence for Ca2+-independent inhibition of MYLP in smooth muscle, leading to generation of increased MYL phosphorylation and force for a given [Ca2+]i, a phenomenon known as ‘Ca2+-sensitization’. ROCK (Rho-associated kinase)-mediated phosphorylation and inhibition of MYLP has been proposed as a mechanism for Ca2+-sensitization in smooth muscle. However, it is unclear to date whether the mechanisms that sensitize the contractile machinery to Ca2+ are important in the myometrium, as they appear to be in vascular and respiratory smooth muscle. In the present paper, we discuss the signalling pathways regulating MYLP activity and the involvement of ROCK in myometrial contractility, and present recent data from our laboratory which support a role for Ca2+-sensitization in human myometrium.
IP3R, store-operated Ca2+ entry and neuronal Ca2+ homoeostasis in Drosophila
Authors: Chakraborty Sumita , Hasan Gaiti
Published: January 2012

The IP3R (inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor) releases Ca2+ from the ER (endoplasmic reticulum) store upon binding to its ligand InsP3, which is thought to be generated by activation of certain membrane-bound G-protein-coupled receptors in Drosophila. Depletion of Ca2+ in the ER store also activates SOCE (store-operated Ca2+ entry) from the extracellular milieu across the plasma membrane, leading to a second rise in cytosolic Ca2+, which is then pumped back into the ER. The role of the IP3R and SOCE in mediating Ca2+ homoeostasis in neurons, their requirement in neuronal function and effect on neuronal physiology and as a consequence behaviour, are reviewed in the present article.