bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Null model analyses of presence–absence matrices need a definition of independence
Authors: Navarro‐Alberto Jorge A. , Manly Bryan F. J.
Published: February 2009

Tests for species interactions that involve the comparison of a statistic calculated from observed matrix of species presences and absences with the distribution of the same statistic generated from a null model have been used by ecologists for about 30 years. We argue that the validity of these tests requires a specific definition of independence. In particular, we note that an assumption that is often made is that all presence–absence matrices with the same row and column totals are equally likely if there is no interaction. However, we show using a simple model for species presences and absences without any species interactions that, in general, this assumption should be made with caution. Our model incorporates a definition of independence, allowing the computation of probabilities of different patterns in the null matrices. Other definitions of independence are possible; one of them is outlined using a new generalized linear model approach for carrying out tests applicable to different null models with or without the assumption of keeping row and column totals fixed.
Cancer Genetic Counselees’ Self‐Reported Psychological Distress, Changes in Life, and Adherence to Recommended Surveillance Programs 3–7 Years Post Counseling
Authors: Hayat Roshanai Afsaneh , Rosenquist Richard , Lampic Claudia , Nordin Karin
Published: February 2009

The aim of the present cross‐sectional study was to investigate psychological distress, changes in life, adherence to surveillance programs and satisfaction with cancer genetic counseling based on Swedish participants’ self‐reported data. A total of 218 probands (72% response rate) affected by breast, breast/ovarian or colorectal cancer and/or a family history of cancer were surveyed 3–7 years after receiving cancer genetic counseling. Participants reported a relatively high level of anxiety and a low level of depression. Probands affected by colorectal cancer reported a higher level of depression than did non‐affected individuals with a family history of colorectal cancer. Overall, the participants reported moderate changes in family relations, priorities and appreciation of daily life activities. The majority of at‐risk probands reportedly adhered to recommended surveillance programs. The mean level of satisfaction with cancer genetic counseling was high. About half of the participants would have accepted additional counseling sessions, contact with a psychologist or further help concerning informing family members. The present results indicate no adverse effects of genetic counseling, but they do suggest that typical counseling procedures could be improved by provision of additional psychosocial support.
First-Principles Study of Magnetic Properties of 3d Transition Metals Doped in ZnO Nanowires
Authors: Shi Hongliang , Duan Yifeng
Published: February 2009

The defect formation energies of transition metals (Cr, Fe, and Ni) doped in the pseudo-H passivated ZnO nanowires and bulk are systematically investigated using first-principles methods. The general chemical trends of the nanowires are similar to those of the bulk. We also show that the formation energy increases as the diameter of the nanowire decreases, indicating that the doping of magnetic ions in the ZnO nanowire becomes more difficult with decreasing diameter. We also systematically calculate the ferromagnetic properties of transition metals doped in the ZnO nanowire and bulk, and find that Cr ions of the nanowire favor ferromagnetic state, which is consistent with the experimental results. We also find that the ferromagnetic coupling state of Cr is more stable in the nanowire than in the bulk, which may lead to a higherT
cuseful for the nano-materials design of spintronics.
The pain of nasal tampon removal after nasal surgery: A randomized control trial
Authors: Chheda Neil , Katz Arnold E. , Gynizio Lori , Singer Adam J.
Published: February 2009

Objective

The purpose of this study was to compare the pain and discomfort associated with the removal of two commercially available nasal tampons after nasal surgery.

Study Design

Prospective, paired, randomized clinical trial.

Subjects

Consecutive, consenting, adult patients undergoing nasal surgery.

Interventions

The nose was packed with a Rapid Rhino tampon (Applied Therapeutics, Tampa, FL) on one side and a Rhino Rocket tampon (Shippert Medical Technologies Corporation, Centennial, CO) on the other.

Outcomes

The pain of packing removal was assessed with a validated 100‐mm visual analog scale. Patient satisfaction was measured on a Likert scale from 1 to 5.

Results

In all 13 patients, the pain of removal was greater with the Rhino Rocket Tampon (82.7 ± 20.9 mm) than with the Rapid Rhino tampon (12.0 ± 11.9 mm); the mean difference was 70.7 mm (95% confidence interval [CI], 47.1–78.2 mm; P < 0.0001). Patient satisfaction was significantly higher with the Rapid Rhino nasal tampon (4.6 ± 1.1 vs 1.5 ± 0.7; mean difference 3.1 [95% CI, 2.6–3.6]; P < 0.001).

Conclusions

Removal of the Rapid Rhino nasal tampon was significantly less painful and was associated with higher patient satisfaction than the removal of the Rhino Rocket nasal tampon.
Hemostasis during functional endoscopic sinus surgery: The effect of local infiltration with adrenaline
Authors: Lee Ta‐Jen , Huang Chi‐Che , Chang Po‐Hung , Chang Chee‐Jen , Chen Yi‐Wei
Published: February 2009

Objectives

To determine the feasibility of the use of a topical vasoconstrictor for hemostasis during functional endoscopic sinus surgery.

Study Design

Case‐control study.

Subjects and Methods

From May 1998 to August 2002, 226 patients (injection group) with bilateral chronic rhinosinusitis received an adrenaline injection for hemostasis during functional endoscopic sinus surgery at our tertiary referral center. After September 2002, topical adrenaline was applied for hemostasis in 226 consecutive patients (noninjection group) who underwent the same surgery. The two groups were matched by age, sex, body weight, stage of chronic rhinosinusitis, and pre‐anesthesia blood pressure. The hemostatic effects in each group were analyzed.

Results

No statistically significant differences in operation time and intraoperative blood loss were reached between the two groups of patients.

Conclusions

Topical use of adrenaline achieved similar hemostatic effect compared with injection of adrenaline. Intranasal injection of a vasoconstrictor, in consideration of its adverse effects, may be avoided during surgery.
The preventive effect of ginkgo biloba extract in myringosclerosis: Study in rats
Authors: Emir Hatice , Kaptan Zeynep Kizilkaya , Samim Erdal , Sungu Nuran , Ceylan Kursat , Ustun Huseyin
Published: February 2009

Objective

To determine the preventive effect of Ginkgo biloba extract in the formation of myringosclerosis.

Study Design

Prospective, randomized clinical study.

Materials and Methods

Posterosuperior quadrant of tympanic membranes of twenty‐five Wistar Albino rats were bilaterally myringotomized. They were divided into three groups randomly. Groups 1 and 2 were administered 100 mg/kg/day and 200 mg/kg/day systemic Ginkgo biloba extract. The third group was treated with 1 mL/day saline solution. After 10 days of treatment, myringotomized membranes were examined by otomicroscopy and harvested. They were evaluated histopathologically by light microscopy and compared according to the occurrence of myringosclerotic plaques and the thickness of membranes.

Results

Tympanic membranes of groups 1 and 2 nearly had no existence of myringosclerosis (72.2% in group 1 and 83.3% in group 2, P = 0.434). However, in group 3, only 14.3 percent had no myringosclerosis (P < 0.001). Thickness of membranes in group 1 was 0.13 ± 0.25, group 2 was 0.06 ± 0.02, and group 3 was 0.19 ± 0.35 mm. Group 3 had significantly thicker membranes compared with groups 1 and 2 (P < 0.001 for group 2 and P = 0.003 for group 1).

Conclusion

Formation of experimental myringosclerosis was reduced or inhibited and tympanic membranes were thinner after systemic Ginkgo biloba extract administration.
Endoscopic stapling of pharyngeal pouch: A 10‐year review of single versus multiple staple rows
Authors: Roth Jason A. , Sigston Elizabeth , Vallance Neil
Published: February 2009

Objective

To compare the outcomes obtained in patients undergoing endoscopic stapling of pharyngeal pouches with single versus multiple rows of staples.

Study Design

A retrospective, 10‐year review.

Subjects and Methods

Review of medical records in 38 patients who underwent endoscopic pharyngeal pouch repair.

Results

Patients who underwent stapling with multiple rows had a higher postoperative leak rate than patients who were stapled with a single row (36% vs 0%, P < 0.05). Patients with multiple rows also had a more prolonged length of stay and a slower return to both clear fluids and solid diet (P < 0.05). There was no difference in recurrence rate or patient satisfaction between the two groups.

Conclusion

The technique of endoscopic pharyngeal pouch stapling has the potential to achieve excellent results. The application of more than one row of staples may be necessary to divide the common wall. However, in our series this is associated with a significantly increased risk of esophageal or pouch perforation. Care should be taken during the placement of multiple rows of staples.
Application of neural stem cells in tissue‐engineered artificial nerve
Authors: Guo Bao‐Feng , Dong Ming‐Min
Published: February 2009

Objective

To observe the curative effect of neural stem cells (NSCs), which are used in tissue‐engineered artificial nerve, on repairing rabbit 10‐mm facial nerve defects.

Methods

Thirty‐six Oryctolagus cuniculi were randomly divided into three groups (each group with 12 Oryctolagus cuniculi). In group A, chitosan conduit, collagen protein sponge, nerve growth factor (NGF), and NSCs were used. In group B, chitosan conduit, collagen sponge, and NGF were used. In group C, nerve autograft was performed. Electrophysiologic detection, histologic observation, and BrdU and S100 immunohistochemical examination were performed 12 weeks after operation.

Results

All observation items in group A were better than those in group B (P < 0.01), and there were no significant differences between group A and group C (P > 0.05).

Conclusion

NSCs may be served as seed cells of peripheral nerve tissue engineering and be used in artificial nerve to repair facial nerve defects.
Symptom duration and CT findings in pediatric deep neck infection
Authors: Meyer Abby C. , Kimbrough Tyler G. , Finkelstein Marsha , Sidman James D.
Published: February 2009

Objective

To investigate whether children with less than 48 hours of localized symptoms of deep neck infection are less likely to have an abscess on CT scan.

Study Design

Case series.

Subjects and Methods

The charts of children seen in a tertiary children's hospital for deep neck infections between 2000 and 2007 were reviewed.

Results

Of 179 children identified, 167 (93.3%) underwent a CT scan of the neck of which 102 (61.1%) were positive for abscess. There was no significant difference in the rate of abscess on CT between children with less than 48 hours of localizing symptoms and 48 or more hours of symptoms at 58.1 percent and 58.3 percent, respectively (P = 0.98). Furthermore, there was no significant difference in age, gender, C‐reactive protein levels, disease location, or length of stay between children with and without abscess on CT. White blood cell counts were significantly higher in the abscess group (P = 0.01); however, the median white blood cell count in both groups was above normal.

Conclusion

Because duration of symptoms does not predict finding of abscess on CT, it is appropriate to obtain a CT scan upon presentation in all children with symptoms concerning for neck abscess.
Early tracheotomy in elderly patients results in less ventilator‐associated pneumonia
Authors: Schneider Glenn Todd , Christensen Nathan , Doerr Timothy D.
Published: February 2009

Objectives

To determine if the timing of tracheotomy in elderly patients results in less ventilator associated‐pneumonia, mortality, and morbidity.

Study Design

Historical cohort study.

Subjects and Methods

This study included 158 ICU patients aged >65 who underwent tracheotomy from March 2003 to June 2007. Patient demographics, outcomes, and ventilation data were collected and analyzed.

Results

The early tracheotomy group (continuous intubation time <7 days) included 43 patients, and 115 patients were included in the late group. There were no statistically significant differences in the demographics of the two groups. A statistically significant difference in the rate of ventilator‐associated pneumonia was noted in the early versus late tracheotomy group (−0.29% VAP, 95% CI: −0.46, −0.12). There were more intubations per patient noted in the early tracheotomy group versus the late tracheotomy group (0.70 intubations, 95% CI: 0.41, 0.99). The early tracheotomy group has a lower total ICU admission time (−9.5 days, 95% CI: −21.81, −2.25) and total hospital admission time (−10 days, 95% CI: −33.69, −2.249). There was no difference in mortality, although there was a trend of lower mortality in the early tracheotomy group (−11.3% mortality, 95% CI: −0.27, −0.05).

Conclusion

Early tracheotomy in elderly patients is associated with less ventilator‐associated pneumonia, more frequent intubations, less total admission time, and a trend toward lower mortality.
The 3‐ounce (90‐cc) water swallow challenge: A screening test for children with suspected oropharyngeal dysphagia
Authors: Suiter Debra M. , Leder Steven B. , Karas David E.
Published: February 2009

Objectives

To investigate the clinical utility of the 3‐ounce (90‐cc) water swallow challenge alone to determine both aspiration status and oral feeding recommendations in children.

Design

Cross‐sectional evaluation of a diagnostic test with a consecutive, referral‐based sample.

Setting

Urban, tertiary care, teaching hospital.

Participants

Fifty‐six children (age range 2–18 years; mean 13 years) referred for swallowing evaluations.

Outcome Measures

Aspiration status during fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES) was the objective criterion standard with which results from the 3‐ounce water swallow challenge were compared.

Results

Twenty‐two (39.3%) participants passed and 34 (60.7%) failed the 3‐ounce challenge. Sensitivity for predicting aspiration status during FEES = 100.0 percent, specificity = 51.2 percent, and false‐positive rate = 48.4 percent. Sensitivity for identifying individuals who were deemed safe for oral intake based on FEES results = 100.0 percent, specificity = 44.0 percent, and false‐positive rate = 56.0 percent.

Conclusions

If the 3‐ounce water swallow challenge is passed, not only thin liquids but diet recommendations with puree and solid food consistencies can be made without the need for further instrumental dysphagia assessment.

Significance

The 3‐ounce water swallow challenge has been shown to be a clinically useful screening test for oropharyngeal dysphagia in children.
Probiotics as adjunctive treatment for chronic rhinosinusitis: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Mukerji Shraddha S. , Pynnonen Melissa A. , Kim Hyungjin Myra , Singer Andrew , Tabor Mark , Terrell Jeffrey E.
Published: February 2009

Objective

To determine if oral probiotics as adjunctive treatment are more effective than placebo in improving quality of life in patients with chronic inflammatory rhinosinusitis.

Design

Prospective, randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial.

Methods

A total of 77 patients with chronic inflammatory rhinosinusitis were randomly assigned to receive oral probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus R0011 strain (500 million active cells/tablet twice daily) (n = 39) or oral placebo treatment (n = 38) for 4 weeks.

Results

In the probiotic group, the mean change from baseline in the SNOT‐20 scores was significant at 4 weeks (P = 0.002) but not at 8 weeks (P = 0.37). Rhinological domain improved by 9.3 percent (P = 0.004) in probiotics group but returned to baseline level at 8 weeks. No significant differences were found between the probiotic and placebo groups in mean changes from baseline to 4 weeks (P = 0.79) or from baseline to 8 weeks (P = 0.23). No changes in symptom frequency were noted, either within each group or between treatment groups at 4 and 8 weeks. There was no difference in medication use or side effects between the two study groups.

Conclusion

Oral use of the probiotic strain L rhamnosus R0011 did not improve sinonasal quality‐of‐life scores in patients with chronic inflammatory rhinosinusitis compared with placebo.
Significance and reliability of the House‐Brackmann grading system for regional facial nerve function
Authors: Reitzen Shari D. , Babb James S. , Lalwani Anil K.
Published: February 2009

Objective

To determine the reliability of the House‐Brackmann facial nerve grading scale in the setting of differential function across its branches.

Study Design

Prospective.

Subjects and Methods

Eleven physicians with different levels of clinical experience and three upper‐level medical students were provided with digital video clips of 11 patients with differential facial nerve functioning, and asked to report facial nerve function as a traditional global score and as a regional score on the basis of the House‐Brackmann scale for the forehead, eye, nose, and mouth. Agreements between the traditional global score and the regional scores, as well as inter‐rater agreement, were analyzed.

Results

In patients with variable facial weakness, a single House‐Brackmann score did not fully communicate facial function. The single House‐Brackmann score most strongly correlated with the regional scoring of the nose/midface (59%), followed by the mouth (51%), eye (48%), and forehead (35%). Overall inter‐reader reliability was relatively strong for the midface (kappa = 0.503) and global scores (kappa = 0.541), followed by the mouth (k = 0.419), the forehead (k = 0.330), and the eye (k = 0.302). There was a marked tendency for reader agreement to increase among those with more clinical experience.

Conclusion

Regional assessment using the House‐Brackmann grading scale more fully communicates facial function and increases in reliability with experience.
HPV‐16 infection predicts treatment outcome in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Nichols Anthony C. , Faquin William C. , Westra William H. , Mroz Edmund A. , Begum Shanaz , Clark John R. , Rocco James W.
Published: February 2009

Objective

To determine if patients with human papillomavirus (HPV)‐positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) treated with chemoradiation have improved outcomes.

Study Design

A retrospective search was used to identify patients with OPSCC treated with concurrent chemoradiation. Pretreatment biopsy specimens were tested for HPV‐16 infection and p16 expression.

Methods

Forty‐four patients with OPSCC treated with concurrent chemotherapy and intensity‐modulated radiation therapy were identified. Eligibility criteria included a minimum two years of follow‐up, or biopsy‐proven recurrence. In situ hybridization was applied to archival tumor specimens, with HPV‐16‐positive status defined as positive staining of tumor cell nuclei. p16 expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry.

Results

Twenty‐seven tumors (61%) were positive for HPV‐16 and 29 tumors (66%) expressed p16. HPV‐16 infection was highly correlated with p16 expression (P < 10−7). Three‐year disease‐free and overall survival for all patients was 66 percent and 79 percent respectively. Patients with tumors infected with HPV‐16 had improved overall (OS) and disease‐free survival (DFS) after chemoradiation (OS: hazard ratio [HR] = 0.21, P = 0.01; DFS: HR = 0.30, P = 0.02).

Conclusion

Patients with OPSCC tumors that are infected with HPV‐16 have improved survival after treatment with concurrent chemoradiation.
Synergien und Konkurrenzen bei Naturschutz und vorsorgendem Gesundheitsschutz
Authors: Claßen Thomas
Published: February 2009

Einleitung

Zur Gefahrenminderung, aber ebenso zum Erhalt salutogener, d.h. gesundheitsförderlicher Umweltbedingungen, wird dem Natur- und Ressourcenschutz in der internationalen Diskussion inzwischen ein hoher Stellenwert auch im Rahmen des vorsorgenden Gesundheitsschutzes zugeschrieben (Litsios, 1994; MA, 2005). In Deutschland vollziehen diese beiden umfassenden Disziplinen und Handlungsfelder in den vergangenen zwei Jahrzehnten einen paradigmatischen Wandel ihrer Strategien und Konzepte.
Naturbezüge in der ökologischen Gesundheitsförderung
Authors: Fehr Rainer
Published: February 2009

Einleitung

Die Ottawa-Charta behandelt ausdrücklich den Stellenwert natürlicher Ressourcen für die menschliche Gesundheit: „Die enge Bindung zwischen Mensch und Umwelt bildet die Grundlage für einen sozial-ökologischen Weg zur Gesundheit […]. Jede Strategie zur Gesundheitsförderung muss den Schutz der natürlichen und der sozialen Umwelt sowie die Erhaltung der vorhandenen natürlichen Ressourcen mit zu ihrem Thema machen“ (WHO, 1986). Hier äußert sich eine ökologische Gesundheitsperspektive, wie sie zur Tradition von Medizin und Hygiene seit der Antike gehört.
Die Bedeutung von Stadtgrün aus gesundheitswissenschaftlicher Sicht
Authors: Brei Björn , Hornberg Claudia
Published: February 2009

Einleitung

Stadtgrün erhält als Gesundheitsressource inzwischen sowohl international als auch national einen hohen Stellenwert (vgl. WHO Europe, 2007; Maas et al., 2008; Mitchell & Popham, 2008).

Zahlreiche Forschungsvorhaben der vergangenen Jahre untersuchten die Wirkungen von Natur und Landschaft im städtisch-urbanen Kontext. Sie konnten zeigen, dass regelhaft eine deutliche Assoziation zwischen dem Wohlbefinden bzw. der Zufriedenheit der Bevölkerung im Sinne salutogener Widerstandressourcen und der Erreichbarkeit von Grünräumen besteht.
Naturbezogene Elemente der Gesundheitserziehung
Authors: Gebhard Ulrich
Published: February 2009

Einleitung

Zu den günstigen Wirkungen von Naturerfahrungen zählen eine gesundheitsförderliche Wirkung und ein positiver Einfluss auf die Entwicklung von Umweltbewusstsein. Damit sind unmittelbare Bezüge zwischen Gesundheitserziehung und Umweltbildung gegeben. Vor allem erlebnispädagogische Konzepte gründen auf diese Zusammenhänge. Es gibt Hinweise, dass eine Entfremdung von Natur sich in psychischer und somatischer Hinsicht negativ auswirkt.
Gesunde Ernährung durch gesunde Natur
Authors: Straka Dorothee
Published: February 2009

Einleitung

„Gesunde Ernährung“ wird als eine optimale Versorgung mit Nährstoffen kommuniziert, die den physiologischen Bedarf deckt und eine entsprechend empfehlenswerte Lebensmittelauswahl impliziert (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Ernährung – DGE, 2008). Dabei geht es nicht allein um individuelles gesundheitsförderndes Verhalten, sondern auch im Hinblick auf die steigende Bedeutung ernährungsabhängiger Erkrankungen um die gesellschaftspolitische Relevanz.
Thermodynamic model for sorption of bivalent heavy metals on calcite in natural-technogenic environments
Authors: Gaskova O.L. , Bukaty M.B. , Shironosova G.P. , Kabannik V.G.
Published: February 2009

Approaches to the construction of thermodynamic models for sorption of trace-element cations on carbonates are considered. To calculate thermodynamic equilibria by the method of Gibbs free-energy minimization, the existing database of reaction constants and thermodynamic potentials was extended. Different types of models are illustrated by the example of precipitation of Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn from the water of a drainage stream flowing out of the impoundment of barite-polymetallic ore-dressing wastes. It is shown that the mobility of metals in such cases can be controlled by their sorption by calcite present in bottom sediments and suspension. Any approach can be successfully applied to both the modeling of experimental data on cation sorption and the prediction of the ecologo-geochemical situation in the districts of dressing works.
Periodicity of geophysical fields and seismicity: possible links with core motion
Authors: Malyshkov Yu.P. , Malyshkov S.Yu.
Published: February 2009

Years-long data series of Earth’s natural pulse electromagnetic fields (EPEMF) from the Talaya station near Lake Baikal indicates their mainly terrestrial origin and includes a component of poorly understood stable diurnal and annual crustal rhythms. The short-period crustal motion may drive mechanic-to-electric conversion in rocks and be responsible for diurnal and annual VLF electromagnetic pulses.

The lithospheric rather than atmospheric origin of many recorded EPEMF signals is supported by their links with nucleation of earthquakes and respective perfect match of the EPEMF and seismicity diurnal patterns. Joint spectral analysis of the Talaya EPEMF and seismicity time series and comparison with the known spectra of lunar and solar tides shows no direct correlation between the short-period rhythms and the gravitation effects.

We suggest that the diurnal and annual EPEMF periodicity may be associated with differential motion of the core and lithosphere and use this hypothesis to model an annual core path. As the model predicts, the inner solid core is never at the Earth’s geometric center but moves relative to the latter along a closed orbit; the plane of the core orbit is normal to the equatorial plane and tilted 45° to the direction to the Sun and to the Earth’s orbit; the core rotates 1.1 deg/yr faster than the Earth. The suggested model of core motion is consistent with the known instability of Earth rotation.
Estimating heat flow from an unsteady temperature log of submarine borehole BDP-98 (Lake Baikal)
Authors: Duchkov A.D. , Kutasov I.M. , Sokolova L.S.
Published: February 2009

We have applied the method of one temperature log suggested by Kutasov in 1987 to process an unsteady temperature log of the 674 m deep submarine borehole BDP-98-2 (Akademichesky Ridge, Lake Baikal) and found it suitable to reconstruct the primary steady thermal gradient not disturbed by drilling. The steady gradient we derived using a special formalism, with reference to drilling conditions and measured thermal properties of sediments, was 63 mK/m, more than two times the unsteady gradient at different depths. Heat flow calculated with this gradient and a mean thermal conductivity of 1.1 W/(m·K) was 70 mW/m2, which is consistent with earlier geothermal data from the same area. Thus, the one-log procedure is a useful tool to predict the original undisturbed thermal gradients and estimate approximate heat flows if a single unsteady temperature log is available.
Joint inversion of IP-affected TEM data
Authors: Kozhevnikov N.O. , Antonov E.Yu.
Published: February 2009

A numerical experiment was applied to explore the potentialities and limitations of joint inversion of IP-affected transients measured with different loop configurations above a uniform half-space with a Cole-Cole complex conductivity. One of us calculated 200 m × 50 m and 50 m × 50 m loop responses of a uniform polarizable conductor with varied Cole-Cole parameters and imposed synthetic Gaussian noise that simulated measurement errors. Then the generated pseudo-experimental data passed to the other co-author who performed single and joint 1D inversion twice: first being unaware of the “true” underlying models and then after being told that they all were represented by a uniform polarizable earth. More than a half of the fitted models provided a good idea of the true models though misfit was quite large in some cases. The fit was better in single inversion with a priori information available, and improved further through joint inversion of central-loop and coincident-loop responses. Joint inversion with a priori information known was of good quality even at a chargeability as low as 0.02. The standard error in joint inversion was times the measurement error and depended mainly on fitting errors for smaller-loop data. The reason is that the smaller-loop transients included a non-monotonous interval where the signal changed rapidly under the effect of fast-decaying induced polarization.
Prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and its relationship with thyroid autoimmunity in Asian Indians: a community-based survey
Authors: Goswami Ravinder , Marwaha Raman Kumar , Gupta Nandita , Tandon Nikhil , Sreenivas Vishnubhatla , Tomar Neeraj , Ray Debarti , Kanwar Ratnesh , Agarwal Rashmi
Published: February 2009

25-Hydroxy vitamin D (25(OH)D) deficiency is linked with predisposition to autoimmune type 1 diabetes and multiple sclerosis. Our objective was to assess the relationship between serum 25(OH)D levels and thyroid autoimmunity. Subjects included students, teachers and staff aged 16–60 years (total 642, 244 males, 398 females). Serum free thyroxine, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), and thyroid peroxidase autoantibodies (TPOAb), intact parathyroid hormone and 25(OH)D were measured by electrochemiluminescence and RIA, respectively. Thyroid dysfunction was defined if (1) serum TSH ≥ 5 μU/ml and TPOAb>34 IU/ml or (2) TSH ≥ 10 μU/ml but normal TPOAb. The mean serum 25(OH)D of the study subjects was 17·5 (sd 10·2) nmol/l with 87 % having values ≤ 25 nmol/l. TPOAb positivity was observed in 21 % of subjects. The relationship between 25(OH)D and TPOAb was assessed with and without controlling for age and showed significant inverse correlation (r − 0·08, P = 0·04) when adjusted for age. The prevalence of TPOAb and thyroid dysfunction were comparable between subjects stratified according to serum 25(OH)D into two groups either at cut-off of ≤ 25 or >25 nmol/l or first and second tertiles. Serum 25(OH)D values show only weak inverse correlation with TPOAb titres. The presence of such weak association and narrow range of serum 25(OH)D did not allow us to interpret the present results in terms of quantitative cut-off values of serum 25(OH)D. Further studies in vitamin D-sufficient populations with wider range of serum 25(OH)D levels are required to substantiate the findings of the current study.
Significance of the tropical fire ant Solenopsis geminata (hymenoptera: formicidae) as part of the natural enemy complex responsible for successful biological control of many tropical irrigated rice pests
Authors: Way M.J. , Heong K.L.
Published: February 2009

The tropical fire ant Solenopsis geminata (Fabricius) often nests very abundantly in the earthen banks (bunds) around irrigated rice fields in the tropics. Where some farmers habitually drain fields to the mud for about 3–4 days, the ants can quickly spread up to about 20 m into the fields where they collect food, including pest prey such as the eggs and young of the apple snail Pomacea caniculata (Lamarck) and insects such as lepidopterous larvae and hoppers, notably Nilaparvata lugens (Stäl) the brown planthopper (Bph) and green leafhoppers Nephotettix spp. Even in drained fields, the activity of S. geminata is restricted by rainfall in the wet season. The relatively few ant workers that forage characteristically into drained fields and on to the transplanted clumps of rice plants (hills) kill the normally few immigrant Bph adults but are initially slower acting than other species of the natural enemy complex. However, larger populations of Bph are fiercely attacked and effectively controlled by rapidly recruited ant workers; whereas, in the absence of the ant, the other natural enemies are inadequate. In normal circumstances, there is no ant recruitment in response to initially small populations of immigrant Bph and no evidence of incompatibility between ant foragers and other natural enemies such as spiders. However, when many ants are quickly and aggressively recruited to attack large populations of Bph, they temporarily displace some spiders from infested hills. It is concluded that, in suitable weather conditions and even when insecticides kill natural enemies within the rice field, periodic drainage that enables S. geminata to join the predator complex is valuable for ant-based control of pests such as snails and Lepidoptera, and especially against relatively large populations of Bph. Drainage practices to benefit ants are fully compatible with recent research, which shows that periodic drainage combats problems of ‘yield decline’ in intensively irrigated tropical rice and is also needed in South East Asia to make better use of seriously declining water supplies for irrigation.
A real-time PCR assay to differentiate the B and Q biotypes of theBemisia tabacicomplex in Cyprus
Authors: Papayiannis L.C. , Brown J.K. , Seraphides N.A. , Hadjistylli M. , Ioannou N. , Katis N.I.
Published: February 2009

A real-time PCR assay based on TaqMan® technology was developed and evaluated for the rapid detection of the B and Q biotypes ofBemisia tabaci(Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae). A survey was conducted during 2005–2007 in order to identify the distribution and prevalence ofB. tabacibiotypes in Cyprus using the real-time PCR assay. More than 700 adult whiteflies collected from 35 cultivated and weed plant species were individually haplotyped using TaqMan® PCR, and the results of the assay were validated by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis and DNA sequencing of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (mtCOI) gene. Two biotypes, B and Q, were identified in the collected plant species on the island. The real-time PCR and RFLP assay consistently yielded the same results, although the real-time assay was more sensitive and less time consuming. Phylogenetic analysis of the mtCOI DNA sequences corroborated the identity of the B and Q biotypes 100% of the time and by phylogenetic analysis the haplotypes grouped, as expected, in the major North African-Mediterranean-Middle Eastern clade of theB. tabacicomplex.
Alighting of Tabanidae and muscids on natural and simulated hosts in the Sudan
Authors: Mohamed-Ahmed M.M. , Mihok S.
Published: February 2009

Alighting of horse flies (Diptera: Tabanidae) and non-biting muscids (Diptera: Muscidae) was studied at Khartoum, Sudan, using black cylindrical models mimicking a goat, calf and cow. Flies were intercepted by attaching electrocution grids or clear adhesive film to models. Alighting sites and defensive behaviour were also documented on hosts through observation. FemaleTabanus sufis(Jennicke),T. taeniola(Palisot) andAtylotus agrestis(Wiedemann) were the main tabanids captured. Muscids landed in equal numbers on all sizes of models. They had a strong preference for the upper portions of both models and hosts. Landings ofT. taeniolaandA. agrestisincreased with model size, but not so forT. sufis.T. taeniolaandA. agrestisscarcely alighted on the legs of models whereas 60–78% ofT. sufisdid so. Landings ofT. sufison artificial legs did not vary with model size. Landings of all tabanids on the lower and upper portions of a model increased with model size. For both hosts and models, most tabanids (88–98%) alighted on the lower half and legs. Most muscids (63–89%) alighted on the upper half. Landing of tabanids on the cow was 34.9 and 69.3 times greater than that on the calf and goat, respectively. These results are discussed in relation to strategies for the control of blood-sucking flies associated with farm animals using either insecticide-treated live baits or their mimics.
Gordon Brown's Misplaced Smithian Appeal: The Eclipse of Sympathy in Changing British Welfare Norms
Authors: WATSON MATTHEW
Published: February 2009

Gordon Brown has eagerly lauded his fellow Kirkcaldy citizen, Adam Smith, as his main policy inspiration. This article tests the rigour of such a claim by matching Brown's promotion of Smithian ‘sympathy’ as the centrepiece of his programme for government with the changes introduced by his Treasury to the British welfare model. In the 1970s, Thomas Wilson showed that the traditions of the post-war British welfare state were compatible with a modified form of Smithian sympathy socialised at the level of the state. New Labour has set about reforming the welfare model with respect to both its underlying institutions and the basic subjectivities of its recipients. I show that Brown's substantive preference for an asset-based system of welfare moves those subjectivities away from the ‘relational self’ of Smithian sympathy and towards a much more ‘autonomous self’. Consequently, I conclude that it is stretching Smith's concept of sympathy too far, even in a modified socialised form, to associate it with New Labour's asset-based system of welfare.
Early Childcare and Child Development
Authors: HANSEN KIRSTINE , HAWKES DENISE
Published: February 2009

Nowadays many more young children experience non-maternal childcare than in the past. From a theoretical perspective, the effect this may have on their cognitive and behavioural development is unclear. This paper uses data from the UK for a sample of children in the Millennium Cohort Study, whose mothers were working when they were nine months old, to test how different forms of childcare at an early age play a role in the production of cognitive skills and the behavioural development of young children (measured at age three). The results show that formal group care is positively associated with school readiness test scores. But, unlike previous research, we find no association between formal group care and problem behaviour. Grandparent care, which has received negative attention in the past, is shown to be positively associated with vocabulary test scores, but also positively related to problem behavioural scores.
Articulating the Improvement of Care Standards: The Operation of a Barring and Vetting Scheme in Social Care
Authors: HUSSEIN SHEREEN , MANTHORPE JILL , STEVENS MARTIN , RAPAPORT JOAN , HARRIS JESS , MARTINEAU STEPHEN
Published: February 2009

The vetting and barring scheme known as the POVA (Protection of Vulnerable Adults) List established in England and Wales by the Care Standards Act (2000) was intended to provide greater assurance about the quality of social care for adults. This article discusses referrals to the POVA List in the period 21 May 2004 to 17 November 2006, details of which were made available to the researchers. These comprised 5,294 cases. Further data relating to the investigation process were provided through drawing on all material supplied in a purposively selected sample of 298 referrals. These have been analysed and findings are reported here in respect of referrals and prior disciplinary action, interactions with local and national agencies and the involvement of the police. What happened to the referrals and the length of time for decisions about Listing are also reported. The article concludes with some policy recommendations for the future of the scheme and sets this in the context of regulation.
Spatial Perspectives on Voluntarism in Learning Disability Services in Ireland
Authors: POWER ANDREW
Published: February 2009

Voluntarism has moved to the centre of most western neo-liberal governments' focus in terms of welfare delivery. At the same time, very little of the social policy literature has identified specific historical, cultural and political contexts of place in shaping the particular form of voluntarism and the scale at which it takes place in a country. In order to address policy-related issues of the voluntary sector, a geographical perspective focusing on these local contexts can be very useful in unpacking how the sector can exist across regional and local scales. This article explores the rise of voluntarism in adult learning disability services in Ireland. Ireland experienced the ‘community turn’ much earlier than most Western states, in that the state advocated a ‘hands-off’ approach in learning disability services from the outset. It uses data from 40 interviews with local health agencies, voluntary organisations and informal carers. It critically examines the complex geographical factors that have contributed to the particular form of voluntarism that has evolved, thus demonstrating that understanding levels of voluntary activity requires attention to local circumstances.
Variations in normal color vision. V. Simulations of adaptation to natural color environments
Authors: JURICEVIC IGOR , WEBSTER MICHAEL A.
Published: February 2009

Modern accounts of color appearance differ in whether they assume that the perceptual primaries (e.g., white and the unique hues of red, green, blue, and yellow) correspond to unique states determined by the spectral sensitivities of the observer or by the spectral statistics of the environment. We examined the interaction between observers and their environments by asking how color perception should vary if appearance depends on fixed responses in a set of color channels, when the sensitivities of these channels are adapted in plausible ways to different environments. Adaptation was modeled as gain changes in the cones and in multiple postreceptoral channels tuned to different directions in color–luminance space. Gains were adjusted so that the average channel responses were equated across two environments or for the same environment during different seasons, based on sets of natural outdoor scenes (Webster et al., 2007). Because of adaptation, even observers with a shared underlying physiology should perceive color in significantly and systematically different ways when they are exposed to and thus adapted by different contexts. These include differences in achromatic settings (owing to variations in the average chromaticity of locations) and differences in perceived hue (because of differences in scene contrasts). Modeling these changes provides a way of simulating how colors might be experienced by individuals in different color environments and provides a measure of how much color appearance might be modulated for a given observer by variations in the environment.
On the status of onglides in American English
Authors: Davis Stuart , Hammond Michael
Published: February 2009

In many languages the issue arises as to whether an onglide patters as part of the syllable onset or forms the first part of a (rising) diphthong with the immediately following vowel. If it is part of the syllable onset, the structure of a CGV syllable would be as in (1), but if it forms the first part of a diphthong the structure of a CGV syllable could either be as in (2a) with a monomoraic diphthong (where the glide is ‘co-moraic’ with the following vowel) or as in (2b) with a bimoraic diphthong (C = consonant, G = glide, V = vowel, μ = mora, and σ = syllable).
Leading tones and downstep in English
Authors: Grice Martine
Published: February 2009

In early autosegmental studies certain segments were specially marked with a ‘star’ diacritic. These starred segments had a priority association; only in a later stage of the derivation were other segments associated. Starred associations were resistant to modification by subsequent rules: ‘the point is to preserve the prominence of the star’ (Goldsmith 1979: 129). An associated tone had as its phonetic exponent a high or low pitch occurring approximately at the same time as the associated item(s) on the phoneme tier, usually a vowel.
The representation of glottals in Oromo
Authors: Lloret Maria-Rosa
Published: February 2009

In current phonological feature theories, the behaviour of glottals poses serious problems for their representation. The special status of / h / and /? / which are often transparent to vowel harmony processes (cf. Steriade 1987; McCarthy 1991, forthcoming; Stemberger 1993), has led to the hypothesis that, at least in some languages, they lack a place node. The representation of ejectives and implosives, though, is very rarely discussed in the literature. On phonetic grounds, the main difference between plain stops and ejectives and implosives is the airstream mechanism used during their realisation, the former having a pulmonic egressive airstream while the latter involve a supplementary glottal constriction, which may accompany either egressive airflow, as in ejectives, or ingressive, as in implosives.
Mid-vowel alternations in the Brazilian Portuguese verb
Authors: Leo Wetzels W.
Published: February 2009

The underlying system of consonants and vowels in Brazilian Portuguese (henceforth BP), together with the lexical and word-level phonological rules and the interactions between them, has been studied in great detail (see e.g. Harris 1974; Lopez 1979; Redenbarger 1981; Quicoli 1990). The detailed knowledge we possess in this area of BP phonology makes the language an excellent test case for evaluating theoretical innovations, especially since genuine descriptive and explanatory progress can only be achieved by virtue of improved theoretical models. The discussion in this paper will focus on the rules of Vowel Harmony (henceforth VH), Truncation, Neutralisation and Vowel Lowering in verbs (henceforth VL), for which a non-linear analysis will be proposed. One of the purposes of this paper is to show that a treatment of the BP vowel alternations in non-linear terms yields an elegant and explanatory description of a substantial part of the BP phonological component. Another goal is to present the theoretically relevant aspects of the BP facts. It will be argued that aperture distinctions in BP are advantageously represented by a single phonetic parameter, which will not only dispense with the features [high] and [low], but also with [ATR] or [tense], which have been frequently used to distinguish the two series of BP mid vowels. Also, further evidence will be provided in favour of the hypothesis advanced by a number of phonologists (see Clements 1991a; Odden 1991) that aperture features should be represented as constituents in the vocalic feature tree.
Aspiration and laryngeal representation in Germanic
Authors: Iverson Gregory K. , Salmons Joseph C.
Published: February 2009

The phonetic gesture of stop consonant aspiration, which is predictable in a Germanic language such as English, has been described traditionally as ranging from a ‘puff of air’ upon release of closure (Heffner 1950) to the segmental occurrence of a following voiceless glottal approximant /h/ (Trager & Smith 1951). Within the generative phonology paradigm, however, aspiration has been construed as a featural property rather than as an independent segment of its own, often casually identified simply as [+aspiration], or, following Chomsky & Halle (1968), as a positive specification resulting from ‘heightened subglottal pressure’. We take this kind of view here as well, employing a notation with superscript h ([Ch]) to indicate representations in which aspiration is encoded as an integral feature of the segment with which it is associated, while we explore the phonological realisation of aspiration in Germanic as the reflex manifestation of a spread or open glottis, an idea first advanced in the seminal work of Kim (1970), and since developed in Anderson & Ewen's treatment of ‘|O| languages’ (1987: 195–199)
Representation of the Weddell Sea deep water masses in the ocean component of the NCAR-CCSM model
Authors: Kerr Rodrigo , Wainer Ilana , Mata Mauricio M.
Published: February 2009

We examine Weddell Sea deep water mass distributions with respect to the results from three different model runs using the oceanic component of the National Center for Atmospheric Research Community Climate System Model (NCAR-CCSM). One run is inter-annually forced by corrected NCAR/NCEP fluxes, while the other two are forced with the annual cycle obtained from the same climatology. One of the latter runs includes an interactive sea-ice model. Optimum Multiparameter analysis is applied to separate the deep water masses in the Greenwich Meridian section (into the Weddell Sea only) to measure the degree of realism obtained in the simulations. First, we describe the distribution of the simulated deep water masses using observed water type indices. Since the observed indices do not provide an acceptable representation of the Weddell Sea deep water masses as expected, they are specifically adjusted for each simulation. Differences among the water masses’ representations in the three simulations are quantified through their root-mean-square differences. Results point out the need for better representation (and inclusion) of ice-related processes in order to improve the oceanic characteristics and variability of dense Southern Ocean water masses in the outputs of the NCAR-CCSM model, and probably in other ocean and climate models.