bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Knowledge of Pap smear, HPV and the HPV vaccine and the acceptability of the HPV vaccine by Thai women
Authors: CHARAKORN Chuenkamon , RATTANASIRI Sasivimol , LERTKHACHONSUK Arb‐aroon , THANAPPRAPASR Duangmani , CHITTITHAWORN Suwicha , WILAILAK Sarikapan
Published: May 2011

Aims:  The primary prevention for cervical cancer, a human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine, has been available in Thailand for almost 3 years. The present study evaluates knowledge about the Papanicolaou (Pap) smear, HPV and the HPV vaccine and focuses on identifying predictors for the acceptability of the HPV vaccine.

Methods:  A sample of 764 women attending the gynecology clinic at Ramathibodi Hospital, Bangkok, was asked to answer a questionnaire on their personal background, their knowledge of the Pap smear and HPV and the HPV vaccine and the acceptability of the HPV vaccine for themselves and their daughters.

Results:  Knowledge of the Pap smear (96%) is higher than that of HPV (41%) and the HPV vaccine (36%). Only 40% of participants had previously heard about HPV. The acceptability of the HPV vaccine for participants and their daughters was high, 77% and 84%, respectively. Knowing about HPV increases acceptance for the HPV vaccine (adjusted OR = 1.7, 95% CI = 1.2–2.5, in the participants and OR = 2.3, 95% CI = 1.5–3.6 in their daughters). Participants younger than 45 years old (OR = 2.3 and 95% CI = 1.6–3.4 for themselves; OR = 2.2 and 95% CI = 1.4–3.3 for their daughters) were more likely to accept the vaccination than those aged 45 years old and above.

Conclusion:  Knowledge about HPV and the HPV vaccine is generally poor in Thai women. However, the acceptability of the HPV vaccine is good. Knowing about HPV and age under 45 years predict the acceptability of the HPV vaccine.
The impact of cytology screening and HPV vaccination on the burden of cervical cancer
Authors: TAY Kaijun , TAY Sun K
Published: May 2011

Aim:  To evaluate the impact of different strategies of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination on the burden of cervical cancer in Singapore.

Methods:  The incidence of cervical cancer was calculated using a Markov model with inputs based on Singapore data for the prevalence of HPV infection, socioeconomic characteristics and screening prevalence. The evaluation was performed for 10 scenarios: no screening, current opportunistic cytology screening, ideal optimal screening, universal adolescent HPV vaccination at 12‐years old alone and with catch‐up cohorts and combinations of screening and vaccination.

Results:  (1) The model prediction showed that cervical cancer cases were reduced by 6.5% using opportunistic screening, by 34.3% using optimized screening and by 63.9% with a universal HPV vaccination at 12 years of age. (2) Adding optimized screening, but not opportunistic screening, to a universal adolescent HPV vaccination program caused a moderate further reduction in cervical cancer cases. (3) No difference was discernable in the impact of vaccination introduction between the age groups <20, 20–24 and 25–29 years old. (4) The time required to halve the incidence of cervical cancer was 42 years for universal vaccination at the age of 12 but could be shortened by including catch‐up cohorts of women up to 40‐years old.

Conclusion:  A universal HPV vaccination program introduced between the ages of 12–29 is superior to cytology screening in reducing the burden of cervical cancer. However, in the next four decades of post‐vaccination era, optimizing the screening program remains the most important measure for cervical cancer prevention.
Comparative effectiveness of bevacizumab plus cisplatin‐based chemotherapy versus pemetrexed plus cisplatin treatment in East Asian non‐squamous non‐small cell lung cancer patients applying real‐life outcomes
Authors: CHANG Gee‐Chen , AHN Myung‐Ju , WRIGHT Elaine , KIM Heung Tae , KIM Joo‐Hang , KANG Jin Hyoung , KIM Sang‐We , SHERMAN Steven , WALZER Stefan
Published: May 2011

Aim:  To indirectly compare real‐life clinical effectiveness of bevacizumab + cisplatin‐based therapy from the Safety of Avastin in Lung (SAiL) phase IV clinical trial with published evidence from the phase III clinical trial for pemetrexed + cisplatin among East Asian patients with non‐squamous metastatic or recurrent non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods:  Survival outcomes were compared between subgroups of East Asian patients receiving treatments of either bevacizumab + cisplatin‐based chemotherapy or pemetrexed + cisplatin using a matching‐adjusted indirect comparison approach. Patient‐level data were used to derive a new group with similar characteristics compared to those reported in a phase III clinical trial evaluating pemetrexed + cisplatin therapy. Exclusions to the SAiL data included those with an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status (PS) of 2, those with mixed cell histology, non‐East Asians and those who did not receive cisplatin‐based chemotherapy. In total 1000 samples of the pre‐matched analysis set of the SAiL data were selected that resulted in equal distributions of the ECOG PS and gender matching variables selected and evaluated for a progression‐free survival (PFS) outcome.

Results:  Median PFS was longer for patients treated with bevacizumab‐based therapy (7.4 months; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 6.7–8.2) versus pemetrexed + cisplatin (6.4 months; 95% CI N/A) among non‐squamous East Asian NSCLC patients.

Conclusion:  The results suggest that East Asian non‐squamous NSCLC patients treated with bevacizumab‐based therapy have a trend toward improved PFS outcomes compared to those treated with pemetrexed + cisplatin, even after adjusting for differences between the two trial groups.
Legal Transnationalism: The Relationship between Transnational Social Movement Building and International Law
Authors: Kay Tamara
Published: May 2011

This article examines the compelling enigma of how the introduction of a new international law, the North American Agreement on Labor Cooperation (NAALC), helped stimulate labor cooperation and collaboration in the 1990s. It offers a theory of legal transnationalism—defined as processes by which international laws and legal mechanisms facilitate social movement building at the transnational level—that explains how nascent international legal institutions and mechanisms can help develop collective interests, build social movements, and, ultimately, stimulate cross‐border collaboration and cooperation. It identifies three primary dimensions of legal transnationalism that explain how international laws stimulate and constrain movement building through: (1) formation of collective identity and interests (constitutive effects), (2) facilitation of collective action (mobilization effects), and (3) adjudication and enforcement (redress effects).
Support Structures and Constitutional Change: Teles, Southworth, and the Conservative Legal Movement
Authors: Hollis‐Brusky Amanda
Published: May 2011

This essay reviews two recent works in political science on the American conservative legal movement: Steven M. Teles's The Rise of the Conservative Legal Movement: The Battle for Control of the Law (2008) and Ann Southworth's Lawyers of the Right: Professionalizing the Conservative Coalition (2008). It examines these books in the context of a larger debate over the variables that best explain constitutional change in general and the recent “conservative counterrevolution” in Supreme Court jurisprudence in particular. It shows how these studies build on the scholarship of Charles Epp, who argued in The Rights Revolution (1998) that serious constitutional change requires not only the right cast of characters on the court, but also a strong “support structure” in the legal profession and civil society. Finally, it draws on the author's own research on the Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy to illustrate some important avenues for further inquiry.
Calling in the Met: serious crime investigation involving Scotland Yard and provincial police forces in England and Wales, 1906–1939
Authors: Rubin G R
Published: May 2011

The paper analyses the scheme whereby provincial chief constables, encouraged by the Home Office, could call in the help of Scotland Yard's experienced detectives to investigate serious cases, especially murder, that were considered to be beyond the capacity of the local force to solve on its own. While the scheme was on balance successful in that more than 50% of such call-outs between 1919 and 1928 resulted in convictions, it is suggested that its significance extended beyond the mere profit and loss accounting approach. For the arrangements cast a mirror on many of the conflicts and some of the developments in policing during this period. Thus they illuminated the tension between respect for local, even if inexperienced, police autonomy, on the one hand, and efficiency and expertise on the other; or, more broadly, between constitutional localism and central governmental direction of policing in England and Wales. But with the press campaigning for more efficient use of the scheme, its arrangements actually attested to the favourable prospects, in the late 1920s and 1930s, for inter-force cooperation in the form of national crime prevention schemes (such as that designed to intercept cross-country ‘motor bandits’). It was thus one of the unacknowledged elements in the forcing house for organisational change experienced by British policing before the war.
Legal transplants and jury trial in Japan
Authors: Dean Meryll
Published: May 2011

Alan Watson's theory of legal transplants was pioneering and innovative. It moved comparative law beyond ideas of legal families and legal systems by providing both a tool and a metaphor for examining hybrid, or mixed, legal systems. However, socio-legal comparativists in particular criticised his approach because of its failure adequately to acknowledge the importance of legal culture in transplant theory. As a hybrid legal system Japan provides an operative laboratory of comparative law. This paper examines jury trial to evaluate Watson's theory. It concludes by offering a new threefold categorisation of legal transplants.
Composition of Flavonoids and Phenolic Acids in Lychee (Litchi Chinensis Sonn.) Flower Extracts and Their Antioxidant Capacities Estimated with Human LDL, Erythrocyte, and Blood Models
Authors: Chen Y.‐C. , Lin J.‐T. , Liu S.‐C. , Lu P.‐S. , Yang D.‐J.
Published: May 2011

Abstract:  Lychee (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) flower is a major nectar source in Taiwan. Antioxidant activities of acetone, ethanol, and hot‐water extracts of the flower were estimated through three biochemical models: inhibition of Cu2+‐induced oxidation of human low‐density lipoprotein, scavenging ability of oxygen radicals in human blood, and inhibition of human erythrocyte hemolysis induced by peroxyl radicals. Composition and content of flavonoids and phenolic acids in these extracts were also determined by high‐performance liquid chromatography. Results showed that antioxidant effects of all test models as well as contents of flavonoids and phenolic acids for the lychee flower extracts were in the order: acetone extract > ethanol extract > hot‐water extract. Gentistic acid and epicatechin were the major phenolic acid and flavonoid in the extracts, respectively.
Sensory Characteristics and Consumer Acceptability of Red Ginseng Extracts Produced with Different Processing Methods
Authors: Yoon E.K. , Hong J.H. , Lê S. , Kim K.O.
Published: May 2011

Abstract:  The aims of this study were: to develop objective and effective sample preparation and presentation procedures for the sensory analysis of red ginseng extracts (RGE); to identify their sensory attributes in relation with the consumer acceptability of RGEs produced with different processing techniques. The samples included 7 different types of RGE, among which 2 samples were of commercial products and the other samples were specially prepared for the study. The samples differed in processing methods (traditional method, high‐hydrostatic pressure [HHP], and fermentation) and extraction solvents (ethanol, water). For the descriptive analysis, 7 trained panelists developed and evaluated 30 attributes. Principal component analysis was conducted to summarize the relationships between the sensory attributes and to get a representation of the samples according to those attributes. Consumers evaluated the appearance and flavor acceptability of the extracts. Hierarchical cluster analysis was conducted on consumer acceptability of flavor. The results showed that the clear differences among the RGEs in terms of sensory perceptions were explained by the processing methods. Consumers were segmented into 3 distinct groups in terms of preference: a consumer cluster that likes the RGEs produced with HHP or fermentation, a cluster that likes a product with strong ginseng flavor, and a cluster that likes a RGE with sweet taste and jujube flavor. These 3 clusters differed somewhat in their consumption frequency and purchase factors, also.

Practical Application:  The red ginseng extract (RGE) market is rapidly growing due to the consumer awareness of its superior health‐promoting effects. However, little attention has been given to sensory properties that are a critical factor in determining quality and consumer preference. The results of this study will be helpful for researchers and manufacturers to understand the sensory characteristics of RGEs and to detect the driving factors of consumer acceptability. Also, the sample preparation and presentation procedures developed in this experiment will be used effectively in academia and industries to examine sensory characteristics of RGE products.
Effect of the Use of a Commercial Phosphate Mixture on Selected Quality Characteristics of 2 Spanish‐Style Dry‐Ripened Sausages
Authors: Fonseca Beatriz , Kuri Victor , Zumalacárregui José M. , Fernández‐Diez Ana , Salvá Bettit K. , Caro Irma , Osorio M. Teresa , Mateo Javier
Published: May 2011

Abstract:  The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of the addition of a commercial phosphate mixture in 2 dry‐ripened Spanish‐style sausages: “salchichón” and “chorizo.” Three batches of each of those sausages were prepared with low and high levels of phosphates, and selected quality variables (moisture, pH, aw, lactic and acetic acid, α‐amino nitrogen, total free fatty acids, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, microbial counts, color, and texture analysis) were compared against controls. Furthermore, phosphate‐added and control sausages were ranked by consumers in order of preference. In “salchichón,” phosphate addition resulted in a significant (P < 0.05) increase in drying rate, and tendencies (not significant) toward a decrease in lipid oxidation and an increase in hardness and chewiness. In “chorizo,” the addition of phosphates resulted in higher hardness, elasticity and chewiness, and lower yellowness (P < 0.05). In the manufacture process of dry‐ripened sausages, phosphates can be considered as additives with potential enhancement effect in drying and eating quality.

Practical Application:  The main outcome from the present study is to find evidence on which points of reference could be drawn for the technological application of phosphates in dry‐ripened sausages. It has been observed that the drying rate and several eating quality characteristics can be enhanced with the use of phosphates.
Sensory Characteristics and Consumer Acceptance of Bread and Cracker Products Made from Red or White Wheat
Authors: Challacombe Carolyn A. , Seetharaman Koushik , Duizer Lisa M.
Published: May 2011

Abstract:  Whole grain consumption is being promoted due to a number of associated health benefits. However, whole grain consumption is below recommendations possibly due to the presence of characteristic flavors that consumers find unacceptable. The objective of this study was to investigate the sensory characteristics and consumer acceptance of products made from commercial whole grain flours produced from red or white wheats, and with fine or coarse bran particle sizes. Descriptive analysis and consumer acceptance panels were used to characterize both low (cracker) and intermediate (bread) moisture products made with the flours. Partial least squares (PLS) regression was used to correlate the descriptive and consumer data. Sensory differences in whole grain products made from red or white wheat with small or large bran particles sizes and product moisture contents were observed. Bran particle size had a greater effect on the sensory properties of the whole grain products, particularly within the cracker; conversely bran particle size had little influence on consumer acceptance. Red wheat products were found to be more acceptable than the white wheat products. However, a number of color × bran particle interactions were observed in both the descriptive and consumer data. PLS regression demonstrated that consumers could be divided into groupings based upon certain attributes and characteristics.
Circulating interleukin‐27 levels in Helicobacter pylori‐infected patients with gastric or duodenal ulcers, independent of the bacterial cytotoxin‐associated gene A virulence factor
Authors: JAFARZADEH Abdollah , NEMATI Maryam , REZAYATI Mohammad‐Taghi
Published: May 2011

OBJECTIVE:  The aim was to evaluate the interleukin (IL)‐27 levels in Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori)‐infected patients with gastric ulcer (GU) or duodenal ulcer (DU) and to determine its association with H. pylori virulence factor cytotoxin‐associated gene A (CagA).

METHODS:  In all, 127 H. pylori infected patients (including 96 DU patients, of whom 61 were anti‐CagA+ and 35 were anti‐CagA‐) and 31 GU patients (of whom 15 were anti‐CagA+ and 16 were anti‐CagA‐), 60 asymptomatic (AS) carriers (of whom 30 were anti‐CagA+ and 30 were anti‐CagA‐) and 30 healthy H. pylori‐negative participants (as a control) were enrolled in the study. Serum concentrations of IL‐27 were measured by the enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay method.

RESULTS:  The mean levels of IL‐27 in the GU (44.26 ± 7.12 pg/mL) and DU patients (40.84 ± 3.90 pg/mL) was significantly higher than those observed in the AS carriers (22.06 ± 1.90 pg/mL, P < 0.001) and the control group (18.12 ± 1.68 pg/mL, P < 0.001 and P < 0.002, respectively). In the GU, DU and AS groups the levels of IL‐27 in anti‐CagA+ participants were not significantly differ from that in the anti‐CagA‐ participants.

CONCLUSIONS:  These results showed that the mean concentration of IL‐27 in H. pylori‐infected peptic ulcer (PU) patients was higher than in AS carriers and the healthy control group. The serum concentrations of IL‐27 were not affected by the CagA factor.
Dental treatment needs in Dutch nursing homes offering integrated dental care
Authors: Gerritsen Paul F. M. , Cune Marco S. , van der Bilt Andries , de Putter Cornelis
Published: May 2011

The purpose of this study was to determine the dental treatment needs of the residents in nursing homes (NHs) where integrated dental care has been offered without financial barriers.

The dental status and surgical, prosthetic, restorative, and periodontal treatment needs were determined for 432 residents (average age 78.8 years) in three Dutch NHs. Although the subjects had no complaints, 72% had dental treatment needs. It was determined that treatment was necessary for 64% of the edentulous subjects (N = 316), 100% of the partially dentate subjects (N = 76), and 87% of the fully dentate subjects (N = 40).

We concluded that when residents can no longer carry out oral hygiene independently, it is very difficult for them to maintain a level of oral health where their dental treatment needs have been met, especially for dentate residents.
Management of the oral manifestations of senile purpura in an edentulous patient: a case report
Authors: da Rosa Rosena Santos , Garcia Renata C. M. R. , Cury Altair A. D. B. , Faot Fernanda
Published: May 2011

Senile purpura occurs because of a weakness of the vascular supporting tissues mainly caused by aging and is most often seen on the dorsal surface of the hands and the extensor surfaces of the forearms, and has also been observed in the oral mucosa of elderly patients. These red lesions present as sharply margined subcutaneous hemorrhagic spots and are due to trauma, such as damage to the endothelium of small blood vessels, or a coagulation defect. They can also be due to reduced perivascular support, or capillary fragility and permeability, or a combination of all of these factors. Oral manifestation of senile purpura can also be induced by long periods of medication use leading to fragile areas of the mucosa. The presence of senile purpura requires continuous follow‐up since drug‐induced purpura may cause plaque function alterations. An accurate diagnosis in elderly complete denture wearers can minimize bleeding and prevent possible development of ulcerations under the dentures, especially during the adaptation period to the prosthesis. This case report, presents the care and 3‐year follow‐up of a 66‐year‐old woman with complete dentures who presented with the oral manifestations of senile purpura caused by the continued use of several medications.
Oral care and sensory sensitivities in children with autism spectrum disorders
Authors: Stein Leah I. , Polido José C. , Mailloux Zoe , Coleman Gina G. , Cermak Sharon A.
Published: May 2011

Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are at high risk for oral disease. The aim of this study was to examine the contribution of sensory processing problems to challenges in receiving oral care for children with ASD.

A questionnaire was sent to the parents of 206 children with disabilities to test the hypotheses that children with ASD, relative to children with other disabilities, experience greater difficulty with home‐based and professional oral care, and that these difficulties may relate in part to sensory processing problems. The results partially supported these hypotheses. Compared to children with other disabilities, those with ASD had greater behavioral difficulties and sensory sensitivities that parents believed interfered with their child’s oral care. Among children with ASD, sensory sensitivities were associated with oral care difficulties in the home and dental office, and with behavioral difficulties in the dental office. Utilizing strategies to modify the sensory environment may help facilitate oral care in children with ASD.
Successful prevention of oral self‐mutilation using a lip guard: a case report
Authors: Kumar Praveen , Bhojraj Nandlal
Published: May 2011

Self‐injurious behavior (SIB) is causing deliberate harm to the body without suicidal intent; this problem occurs in a number of psychiatric, behavioral, and developmental disorders.

This report describes the case of a girl, aged 19 months, whose lower lip injuries due to SIB were successfully treated through the use a combination of extraoral and intraoral prostheses. A custom‐made lip guard with a custom‐made adjustable head strap was effective in the management of the lip trauma. SIB was prevented and there was no recurrence even at the 17‐month follow‐up appointment.
An intervention to reduce care‐resistant behavior in persons with dementia during oral hygiene: a pilot study
Authors: Jablonski Rita A. , Therrien Barbara , Mahoney Ellen K. , Kolanowski Ann , Gabello Mia , Brock Alexandra
Published: May 2011

The primary purpose of this pilot study was to test the feasibility of an intervention designed to reduce care‐resistant behaviors (CRBs) in persons with moderate‐to‐severe dementia during oral hygiene activities.

The intervention, Managing Oral Hygiene Using Threat Reduction (MOUTh), combined best oral hygiene practices with CRB reduction techniques. Oral health was operationalized as the total score obtained from the Oral Health Assessment Tool (OHAT). CRB was measured using a refinement of the Resistiveness to Care Scale. Seven nursing home residents with dementia received twice daily mouth care for 14 days. The baseline OHAT mean score of 7.29 (SD = 1.25) improved to 1.00 (SD = 1.26, p < .001); CRB improved from 2.43 CRBs/minute (SD = 4.26) to 1.09 CRBs/minute (SD = 1.56, t = 1.97, df 41, p= .06).

The findings from this pilot study suggest that the MOUTh intervention is feasible and reduced CRBs, thus allowing more effective oral care.
The appropriation of an Aboriginal landscape in northern New South Wales
Authors: Weiner James F.
Published: May 2011

The attachment of Australian Aboriginal people to land has not only been amply documented by anthropologists since the late 19thcentury, it is also one of their own enduring tropes of differentiation from non‐Aboriginal and “official” Australian state society. In the face of widespread and concerted alteration of the pre‐settlement landscape engendered by industrial and commercial development, Aboriginal people seek to reclaim or reappropriate remnants of a pristine environment untransformed by modern development. Alteration of the landscape, as far as Aboriginal people are concerned, also goes hand in hand with the progressive decimation of Aboriginal populations in the 19thand early 20thcenturies through violence and disease. Contemporary Aboriginal communities seek to protect the sites of violent death, believed heavily populated with the frustrated spirits of the deceased, from disturbance, particularly by non‐Aboriginal people. In this chapter I discuss some of the anthropological implications of seeing landscape as a terrain of intercultural conjunction in such a bifold society in northern New South Wales, and what levels of transformation are and are not acknowledged by a marginal, minority indigenous population seeking to insulate their historical landscape from development.
Seasonal Dynamics of House Dust Mites in Dust Samples Collected From Sleeping Places in North‐Western Poland
Authors: Kosik‐Bogacka D. I. , Kalisinska E. , Henszel L. , Kuzna‐Grygiel W.
Published: May 2011

The most common families of mites found in house dust are Pyroglyphidae, Glycyphagidae and Acaridae; all are a source of many antigens responsible for allergic diseases. The aim of this study was to examine the seasonal dynamics of allergenic mite populations in dust samples collected from sleeping places in apartments in north‐western Poland. The mites were isolated from the dust using a saturated saline floating method. In 132 dust samples we determined: Dermatophagoides farinae, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, Euroglyphus maynei, Hirstia sp., Chortoglyphus arcuatus, Lepidoglyphus destructor, Gohieria fusca and Cheyletus sp. The greatest frequency was observed for D. farinae, D. pteronyssinus, Ch. arcuatus and Cheyletus sp., in the fourth quarter and D. farinae in the third quarter. Smaller coefficients of dominance were found for D. pteronyssinus, Ch. arcuatus and Cheyletus sp., and their greatest mean concentrations were found in the first and fourth quarters. Given the division of the year into heating and non‐heating seasons, mites D. farinae and D. pteronyssinus achieved the highest mean concentration in the first season, and Cheyletus sp. in the second season. The analysis of the participation of developmental stages showed that the adults of D. farinae were more prevalent than juveniles in the first, second and third quarters, and imago stages of D. pteronyssinus were more numerous in relation to juveniles in the first, third and fourth quarters. The results confirm the high incidence of house dust mites in sleeping places in north‐western Poland dwellings; the best conditions for the development of these mites, mainly D. farinae and D. pteronyssinus, occur in the fourth quarter and are the least favourable in the second quarter. In many cases, these results are consistent with data from other parts of Poland collected by various authors.
Spatial capture‐recapture models for search‐encounter data
Authors: Royle J. Andrew , Kéry Marc , Guélat Jérôme
Published: May 2011

1. Spatial capture–recapture models make use of auxiliary data on capture location to provide density estimates for animal populations. Previously, models have been developed primarily for fixed trap arrays which define the observable locations of individuals by a set of discrete points.

2. Here, we develop a class of models for ‘search‐encounter’ data, i.e. for detections of recognizable individuals in continuous space, not restricted to trap locations. In our hierarchical model, detection probability is related to the average distance between individual location and the survey path. The locations are allowed to change over time owing to movements of individuals, and individual locations are related formally by a model describing individual activity or home range centre which is itself regarded as a latent variable in the model. We provide a Bayesian analysis of the model in WinBUGS, and develop a custom MCMC algorithm in the R language.

3. The model is applied to simulated data and to territory mapping data for the Willow Tit from the Swiss Breeding Bird Survey MHB. While the observed density was 15 territories per nominal 1 km2plot of unknown effective sample area, the model produced a density estimate of 21·12 territories per square km (95% posterior interval: 17–26).

4. Spatial capture–recapture models are relevant to virtually all animal population studies that seek to estimate population size or density, yet existing models have been proposed mainly for conventional sampling using arrays of traps. Our model for search‐encounter data, where the spatial pattern of searching can be arbitrary and may change over occasions, greatly expands the scope and utility of spatial capture–recapture models.
On the approximation of continuous dispersal kernels in discrete‐space models
Authors: Chipperfield Joseph D. , Holland E. Penelope , Dytham Calvin , Thomas Chris D. , Hovestadt Thomas
Published: May 2011

1. Models that represent space as a lattice have a critical function in theoretical and applied ecology. Despite their significance, there is a dearth of appropriate theoretical developments for the description of dispersal across such lattices.

2. We present a series of methods for approximating continuous dispersal in discrete landscapes (denoted as centroid‐to‐centroid, centroid‐to‐area, area‐to‐centroid and area‐to‐area dispersal). We describe how these methods can be extended to incorporate different conditions at the boundary of the simulation arena and a framework for approximating continuous dispersal between irregularly shaped patches.

3. Each approximation method was tested against a baseline of continuous Gaussian dispersal in a periodic simulation arena. The residence probabilities for an individual dispersing in each time step according to a Gaussian kernel across grids of three differing resolutions were calculated over a number of dispersal steps. In addition, the steady‐state asymptotic properties for the transition matrices for each approximation method and cell resolution were calculated and compared against the uniform expectation under continuous dispersal.

4. All four methods described in this article provide a reasonable approximation to the continuous baseline (<0·03 absolute error in probability calculations) on landscapes with grid cells of length equal to the expected dispersal distance or finer, but error increases as grid cells become progressively larger than the expected dispersal distance.

5. Each approximation method exhibits a different spatial pattern of approximation error. Centroid‐to‐centroid dispersal overestimates residence probabilities near the origin, resulting in decreased invasion rates relative to the baseline diffusion process. All other approximation methods underestimate residence probabilities near the origin and overestimate such probabilities in the peripheries, leading to an overestimation of invasion rates.

6. The asymptotic properties of centroid‐to‐centroid and area‐to‐centroid dispersal approximation methods deviate from that which is expected under continuous dispersal. This characteristic renders these methods unsuitable for use in long‐term simulation studies where the equilibrium properties of the system are of interest.

7. Centroid‐to‐area and area‐to‐area approximation methods exhibit both low approximation error and desirable asymptotic properties. These methods provide a viable mechanism for linking individual‐level dispersal to larger‐scale characteristics such as metapopulation connectivity.
Perceiving the target's state or state provoked by the target? An analysis of the descriptive and evaluative knowledge in person perception
Authors: Mignon Astrid , Mollaret Patrick
Published: May 2011

In line with the theory of traits as generalized affordances, the present article argues that target's states (TSs) and states provoked by a target (other's states (OSs) towards target) are two components of the meaning of traits referring, respectively, to a descriptive and to an evaluative knowledge of people. A preliminary study confirmed that TS and OS were equally representative of a trait. Two studies were designed to study the effects of practising the use of traits as either TS or OS categories (an induction procedure) on a subsequent person perception task, requiring participants to rate photographed targets on a series of traits. Results show that both the differentiation between targets and evaluative consistency of ratings were enhanced under the OS condition compared to TS and control (with no practice of traits) conditions. Importantly, Study 2 tends to show that the effects of the induction procedure are not limited to the practised traits but also generalize to unpractised traits. Implications of these findings for social perception research are discussed.
Research and Application of Risk Assessment Methodology for Power Station Boiler Superheaters
Authors: Liu Fujun , Kong Shuai , Ling Zhangwei , Li Qiang , Qian Yueqiang , Zheng Mulin
Published: May 2011

Risk-based inspection (RBI) has been applied to good effect in relation to pieces of equipment and pipelines in the petrochemical industry worldwide, but to the best of our knowledge application of RBI to power station boilers has not hitherto been reported. The tubes of the four key components, namely, the economizer, the water-cooling wall, the superheater, and the reheater, are prone to blast due to direct fire heating. Such a blast always causes unplanned shutdown and has severe safety implications. Based on the “API 581-2000” code (Risk-Based Inspection Base Resource), the failure mechanisms of power station boilers have been studied, and the high-temperature smoke erosion factor and high-temperature creep factor have been calculated. Then, considering specific situations in China, such as material quality and extended service, a failure modification factor based on remaining life has been proposed. Finally, two risk assessment projects have been carried out; after delineating the risk levels of the tubes, appropriate management suggestions have been proposed. The obtained data should provide some technical support for the application of RBI to power station boilers.
Antireflection properties and solar cell application of silicon nanostructures
Authors: Yue Huihui , Jia Rui , Chen Chen , Ding Wuchang , Meng Yanlong , Wu Deqi , Wu Dawei , Chen Wei , Liu Xinyu , Jin Zhi , Wang Wenwu , Ye Tianchun
Published: May 2011

Silicon nanowire (Si NW) arrays were fabricated on polished and pyramids textured mono-crystalline Si (mc-Si) using an aqueous chemical etching method. The Si NWs and a hybrid texture of NWs and pyramids both show strong anti-reflectance properties in the wavelength region of 300–1000 nm, with the minimum average reflectance of 2.52% and 8%, respectively. The above two nanostructures were fabricated on mc-Si solar cells with the area of 125×125 mm2. Then the influences of Si NWs and hybrid textures on the performances of mc-Si solar cells created using different fabrication processes were analyzed by internal quantum efficiency measurement and by systematical comparisons of efficiency, filling factor, open circuit voltage and short-circuit current. Passivation is found to be essential for the hybrid textured solar cells, and the average open circuit voltage can be improved by 7% after a passivation layer was deposited. The short circuit current could be increased when Si NWs were fabricated on a substrate with an initial PN junction.
Regulatory T Cells: Customizing for the Clinic
Authors: Wang Xuehao , Lu Ling , Jiang Shuiping
Published: May 2011

A collection of new data provides a platform for clinical use of regulatory T cells as personalized therapeutic agents.
Human Regulatory T Cells with Alloantigen Specificity Are More Potent Inhibitors of Alloimmune Skin Graft Damage than Polyclonal Regulatory T Cells
Authors: Sagoo Pervinder , Ali Niwa , Garg Garima , Nestle Frank O. , Lechler Robert I. , Lombardi Giovanna
Published: May 2011

Alloantigen-specific human regulatory T cells may improve immunosuppressive therapy after transplantation.
Heterologous Prime-Boost Oral Immunization with GK-1 Peptide from Taenia crassiceps Cysticerci Induces Protective Immunity
Authors: Fragoso Gladis , Esquivel-Guadarrama Fernando , Santana M. Angélica , Bobes Raul J. , Hernández Beatriz , Cervantes Jacquelynne , Segura René , Goldbaum Fernando A. , Sciutto Edda , Rosas Gabriela
Published: May 2011

Oral immunization is a goal in vaccine development, particularly for pathogens that enter the host through the mucosal system. This study was designed to explore the immunogenic properties of theTaenia crassicepsprotective peptide GK-1 administered orally. Mice were orally immunized with the synthetic GK-1 peptide in its linear form with or without theBrucellalumazine synthase (BLS) protein adjuvant or as a chimera recombinantly bound to BLS (BLS-GK-1). Mice were boosted twice with GK-1 only at 15-day intervals. A significant rate of protection of 64.7% was achieved in GK-1-immunized mice, and that rate significantly increased to 91.8 and 96% when mice were primed with GK-1 coadministered with BLS as an adjuvant and BLS as a carrier, respectively. Specific antibodies and T cell activation and proliferation accompanied the protection induced, revealing the potent immunogenicity of GK-1. Through immunohistochemical studies, GK-1 was detected in T and B cell zones of the Peyer's patches (PP) and mesenteric lymph nodes. In the latter, abundant proliferating cells were detected by 5′-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine incorporation. No proliferation was detected in PP. Altogether, these results portray the potent immunogenic properties of GK-1 administered orally and reinforce the usefulness of BLS as an adjuvant and adequate vaccine delivery system for oral vaccines.
Adenovirus Sequesters Phosphorylated STAT1 at Viral Replication Centers and Inhibits STAT Dephosphorylation
Authors: Sohn Sook-Young , Hearing Patrick
Published: May 2011

Tyrosine phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of STAT1 indicate activation of interferon (IFN) signal transduction pathways. Here, we demonstrate that tyrosine-phosphorylated STAT1 is targeted by a unique mechanism in adenovirus (Ad)-infected cells. Ad is known to suppress IFN-inducible gene expression; however, we observed that Ad infection prolongs the tyrosine phosphorylation of STAT1 induced by alpha IFN in infected cells. To understand this paradoxical effect, we examined the subcellular localization of STAT1 following Ad infection and found that nuclear, tyrosine-phosphorylated STAT1 accumulates at viral replication centers. This form of STAT1 colocalized with newly synthesized viral DNA. Viral DNA replication, but not viral late gene expression, is required for the regulation of STAT1 phosphorylation. Our results indicate that Ad infection regulates STAT1 dephosphorylation rather than STAT1 phosphorylation. Consistent with this idea, we show that Ad infection disrupts the interaction between STAT1 and its cognate protein tyrosine phosphatase, TC45. Our findings indicate that Ad sequesters phosphorylated STAT1 at viral replication centers and inhibits STAT dephosphorylation. This report suggests a strategy employed by Ad to counteract an active form of STAT1 in the nucleus of infected cells.
CD4+T Lymphocytes Are Critical Mediators of Tumor Immunity to Simian Virus 40 Large Tumor Antigen Induced by Vaccination with Plasmid DNA
Authors: Aldrich Joel F. , Lowe Devin B. , Shearer Michael H. , Winn Richard E. , Jumper Cynthia A. , Bright Robert K. , Kennedy Ronald C.
Published: May 2011

A mechanistic analysis of tumor immunity directed toward the viral oncoprotein simian virus 40 (SV40) large tumor antigen (Tag) has previously been described by our laboratory for scenarios of recombinant Tag immunization in BALB/c mice. In the present study, we performed a preliminary characterization of the immune components necessary for systemic tumor immunity induced upon immunization with plasmid DNA encoding SV40 Tag as a transgene (pCMV-Tag). Antibody responses to SV40 Tag were observed via indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay following three intramuscular (i.m.) injections of pCMV-Tag and were typified by a mixed Th1/Th2 response. Complete tumor immunity within a murine model of pulmonary metastasis was achieved upon two i.m. injections of pCMV-Tag, as assessed by examination of tumor foci in mouse lungs, without a detectable antibody response to SV40 Tag. Induction-phase and effector-phase depletions of T cell subsets were performedin vivovia administration of depleting rat monoclonal antibodies, and these experiments demonstrated that CD4+T lymphocytes are required in both phases of the adaptive immune response. Conversely, depletion of CD8+T lymphocytes did not impair tumor immunity in either immune phase and resulted in the premature production of antibodies to SV40 Tag. Our findings are unique in that a dominant role could be ascribed to CD4+T lymphocytes within a model of DNA vaccine-induced tumor immunity to Tag-expressing tumor cells. Additionally, our findings provide insight into the general mechanisms of vaccine-induced tumor immunity directed toward tumors bearing distinct tumor-associated antigens.
Recognition of Cap Structure by Influenza B Virus RNA Polymerase Is Less Dependent on the Methyl Residue than Recognition by Influenza A Virus Polymerase
Authors: Wakai Chitose , Iwama Minako , Mizumoto Kiyohisa , Nagata Kyosuke
Published: May 2011

The cap-dependent endonuclease activity of the influenza virus RNA-dependent RNA polymerase cleaves host mRNAs to produce capped RNA fragments for primers to initiate viral mRNA synthesis. The influenza A virus (FluA) cap-dependent endonuclease preferentially recognizes the cap1 structure (m
7
GpppNm). However, little is known about the substrate specificity of the influenza B virus (FluB) endonuclease. Here, we determined the substrate specificity of the FluB polymerase using purified viral RNPs and
32
P-labeled polyribonucleotides containing a variety of cap structures (m
7
GpppGm, m
7
GpppG, and GpppG). We found that the FluA polymerase cleaves m
7
G-capped RNAs preferentially. In contrast, the FluB polymerase could efficiently cleave not only m
7
G-capped RNAs but also unmethylated GpppG-RNAs. To identify a key amino acid(s) related to the cap recognition specificity of the PB2 subunit, the transcription activity of FluB polymerases containing mutated cap-binding domains was examined by use of a minireplicon assay system. In the case of FluA PB2, Phe323, His357, and Phe404, which stack the m
7
GTP, and Glu361 and Lys376, which make hydrogen bonds with a guanine base, were essential for the transcription activity. In contrast, in the case of FluB PB2, the stacking interaction of Trp359 with a guanine base and putative hydrogen bonds using Gln325 and Glu363 were enough for the transcription activity. Taking these results together with the result for the cap-binding activity, we propose that the cap recognition pocket of FluB PB2 does not have the specificity for m
7
G-cap structures and thus is more flexible to accept various cap structures than FluA PB2.
Streptococcus pneumoniae DNA Initiates Type I Interferon Signaling in the Respiratory Tract
Authors: Parker Dane , Martin Francis J. , Soong Grace , Harfenist Bryan S. , Aguilar Jorge L. , Ratner Adam J. , Fitzgerald Katherine A. , Schindler Christian , Prince Alice
Published: May 2011

The mucosal epithelium is the initial target for respiratory pathogens of all types. While type I interferon (IFN) signaling is traditionally associated with antiviral immunity, we demonstrate that the extracellular bacterial pathogen
Streptococcus pneumoniae
activates the type I IFN cascade in airway epithelial and dendritic cells. This response is dependent upon the pore-forming toxin pneumolysin. Pneumococcal DNA activates IFN-β expression through a DAI/STING/TBK1/IRF3 cascade.

Tlr4
−/−

,

Myd88
−/−

,

Trif
−/−

, and

Nod2
−/−

mutant mice had no impairment of type I IFN signaling. Induction of type I IFN signaling contributes to the eradication of pneumococcal carriage, as IFN-α/β receptor null mice had significantly increased nasal colonization with
S. pneumoniae
compared with that of wild-type mice. These studies suggest that the type I IFN cascade is a central component of the mucosal response to airway bacterial pathogens and is responsive to bacterial pathogen-associated molecular patterns that are capable of accessing intracellular receptors.

IMPORTANCE
The bacterium
Streptococcus pneumoniae
is a leading cause of bacterial pneumonia, leading to upwards of one million deaths a year worldwide and significant economic burden. Although it is known that antibody is critical for efficient phagocytosis, it is not known how this pathogen is sensed by the mucosal epithelium. We demonstrate that this extracellular pathogen activates mucosal signaling typically activated by viral pathogens via the pneumolysin pore to activate intracellular receptors and the type I interferon (IFN) cascade. Mice lacking the receptor to type I IFNs have a reduced ability to clear
S. pneumoniae
, suggesting that the type I IFN cascade is central to the mucosal clearance of this important pathogen.
Systematic reviews of t'ai chi: an overview
Authors: Lee Myeong Soo , Ernst Edzard
Published: May 2011

Several systematic reviews (SRs) have assessed the effectiveness of t'ai chi for many conditions including hypertension, osteoarthritis and fall prevention; however, their conclusions have been contradictory. The aim of this overview was to critically evaluate the SRs of t'ai chi for any improvement of medical conditions or clinical symptoms. English, Chinese and Korean electronic databases were searched for relevant articles, and data were extracted according to predefined criteria; 35 SRs met our inclusion criteria. They were related to the following conditions: cancer, older people, Parkinson's disease, musculoskeletal pain, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), muscle strength and flexibility, improving aerobic capacity, cardiovascular disease and risk factors, lowering resting blood pressure, osteoporosis or bone mineral density, type 2 diabetes, psychological health, fall prevention and improving balance, and any chronic conditions. In several instances, the conclusions of these articles were contradictory. Relatively clear evidence emerged to suggest that t'ai chi is effective for fall prevention and improving psychological health and was associated with general health benefits for older people. However, t'ai chi seems to be ineffective for the symptomatic treatment of cancer and RA. In conclusion, many SRs of t'ai chi have recently been published; however, the evidence is convincingly positive only for fall prevention and for improvement of psychological health.