bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Use of Repression as a Response to Domestic Dissent
Authors: Carey Sabine C.
Published: February 2009

This study contributes to our understanding of government repression in response to internal threats using a quantitative approach. In contrast to previous research, it focuses on the outbreak of state terror and on how different types of domestic dissent influence the risk of such severe state-sponsored violence. The empirical analysis distinguishes between demonstrations, strikes, riots, guerrilla attacks and revolutions, which vary in the level of violence and in the level of organisation that is behind the dissent, and analyses how those forms of threat affect the probability of repression onset. The empirical model controls for a potentially non-linear relationship between level of democracy and repression and investigates how dissent influences state terror in different political regimes. The analysis employs a logit model to test the link between dissent and repression in 149 countries between 1977 and 2002. The findings suggest that only guerrilla warfare increases the probability of repression onset. Democratic political regimes not only decrease the risk of state terror per se, but also dampen the effect of large-scale violent dissent on the risk of repression. The results also show that the longer a country manages to avoid repression, the less likely it is to suffer from repression again.
Does Power Drive Out Trust? Relations between Labour Market Actors in Sweden
Authors: ÖUberg PerOla , Svensson Torsten
Published: February 2009

Although power and trust are crucial to human cooperation, and considerable attention has been paid to both these concepts in the social sciences, the relationship between them has been poorly investigated. In this article, based on data about a complete network of labour market actors in Sweden, it is investigated whether power ‘drives out trust’ or if power is a requirement of trust. In contrast to previous research, the article concludes that there is a positive relationship between power and trust, although it levels out when power is at a very high level. Also in disagreement with previous findings, it is shown that symmetry in power relations is not a guarantee of trust: two actors with symmetric low power do not trust each other, at least not in this specific institutional setting. Moreover, the theoretical argument is developed and refined by showing that shared beliefs and group membership also have an independent impact on trust, as well as a perception that the other actor is pursuing the common good. Hence, the presumed negative impact of power on trust is not only neutralised, but also transformed into a positive impact in the social context investigated here. However, more research is needed to show whether this finding is true only within certain institutional settings and, if so, within which ones.
Fictitious Issues Revisited: Political Interest, Knowledge and the Generation of Nonattitudes
Authors: Sturgis Patrick , Smith Patten
Published: February 2009

It has long been suspected that, when asked to provide opinions on matters of public policy, significant numbers of those surveyed do so with only the vaguest understanding of the issues in question. In this article, we present the results of a study which demonstrates that a significant minority of the British public are, in fact, willing to provide evaluations of non-existent policy issues. In contrast to previous American research, which has found such responses to be most prevalent among the less educated, we find that the tendency to provide ‘pseudo-opinions’ is positively correlated with self-reported interest in politics. This effect is itself moderated by the context in which the political interest item is administered; when this question precedes the fictitious issue item, its effect is greater than when this order is reversed. Political knowledge, on the other hand, is associated with a lower probability of providing pseudo-opinions, though this effect is weaker than that observed for political interest. Our results support the view that responses to fictitious issue items are not generated at random, via some ‘mental coin flip’ . Instead, respondents actively seek out what they consider to be the likely meaning of the question and then respond in their own terms, through the filter of partisan loyalties and current political discourses.
Embolism resistance of three boreal conifer species varies with pit structure
Authors: Hacke Uwe G. , Jansen Steven
Published: February 2009

DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2009.02847.xCommentary p 557
Gene expression profiles associated with aging and mortality in humans
Authors: Kerber Richard A. , O’Brien Elizabeth , Cawthon Richard M.
Published: February 2009

We investigated the hypothesis that gene expression profiles in cultured cell lines from adults, aged 57–97 years, contain information about the biological age and potential longevity of the donors. We studied 104 unrelated grandparents from 31 Utah CEU (Centre d’Etude du Polymorphisme Humain – Utah) families, for whom lymphoblastoid cell lines were established in the 1980s. Combining publicly available gene expression data from these cell lines, and survival data from the Utah Population Database, we tested the relationship between expression of 2151 always‐expressed genes, age, and survival of the donors. Approximately 16% of 2151 expression levels were associated with donor age: 10% decreased in expression with age, and 6% increased with age. Cell division cycle 42 (CDC42) and CORO1A exhibited strong associations both with age at draw and survival after draw (multiple comparisons‐adjusted Monte CarloP‐value < 0.05). In general, gene expressions that increased with age were associated with increased mortality. Gene expressions that decreased with age were generally associated with reduced mortality. A multivariate estimate of biological age modeled from expression data was dominated by CDC42 expression, and was a significant predictor of survival after blood draw. A multivariate model of survival as a function of gene expression was dominated by CORO1A expression. This model accounted for approximately 23% of the variation in survival among the CEU grandparents. Some expression levels were negligibly associated with age in this cross‐sectional dataset, but strongly associated with inter‐individual differences in survival. These observations may lead to new insights regarding the genetic contribution to exceptional longevity.
Normal human aging and early‐stage schizophrenia share common molecular profiles
Authors: Tang Bin , Chang Wei‐li , Lanigan Caroline M. , Dean Brian , Sutcliffe J. Gregor , Thomas Elizabeth A.
Published: February 2009

We examined genome‐wide expression datasets from human prefrontal cortex of normal and schizophrenic individuals ranging from 19 to 81 years of age. We found that changes in gene expression that are correlated with aging in normal subjects differ dramatically from those observed with aging in schizophrenic subjects. Only 2.5% of genes were correlated with age in both groups. Surprisingly, we also found a significant overlap (29–34%) between those genes whose expression was correlated with aging in normal subjects and those significantly altered in subjects with early‐stage schizophrenia (within 4 years of diagnosis). This suggests that schizophrenia onset anticipates the normal aging process, and further, that some symptoms of aging, i.e. dementia and psychosis, might be explained by these common molecular profiles.
African Languages in the World of Global English1
Authors: Rodrigues Ângela Lamas
Published: February 2009

This essay discusses the significance of African languages in contexts in which English figures as a dominant language both as a result of colonialism and of its current status as a global vehicle of communication and interaction. Kenya and Uganda are used as examples of places where practices of resistance to anglophony and projects for the promotion of African languages are carried out by communities, non‐governmental organizations and researchers.
Serious psychological distress among persons with epilepsy based on the 2005 California Health Interview Survey
Authors: Layne Moore J. , Elliott John O. , Lu Bo , Klatte Emily T. , Charyton Christine
Published: February 2009

Purpose:  To compare the prevalence of self‐reported serious psychological distress using the Kessler 6 (K6) in persons with a history of epilepsy (PWE) to those without epilepsy from a population‐based survey.

Methods:  Data were analyzed from adults aged ≥18 years (n = 43,020) who participated in the 2005 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS).

Results:  California adults with a history of epilepsy, after controlling for demographics and comorbidities, reported higher rates of feeling nervous [odds ratio (OR) 2.22], feeling hopeless (OR 1.35), feeling restless (OR 2.07), feeling depressed (OR 3.14), and feeling worthless (OR 2.57), and reported that everything has been an effort (OR 2.28) in the last 30 days. The K6 score showed that serious psychological distress is more common in PWE (OR 2.24). After adjusting for demographics, comorbidities, and serious psychological distress, PWE are more likely to report having 14 or more physical, mental, and general unhealthy days in the last 30 days.

Discussion:  PWE have significantly higher rates of serious psychological distress and poor health‐related quality of life after controlling for demographics, comorbidities. These comorbid conditions need to be factored into any comprehensive treatment strategy for managing PWE to achieve optimum quality of life.
Sex and the Statehouse: The Law and the American Same‐Sex Marriage Debate
Authors: Failinger Marie A.
Published: February 2009

Abstract:  Same‐sex marriage remains a point of contention in American politics. The recent history of this conflict suggests that the Court's attempt to frame issues of sexual politics through paradigms of the right to choose and the tolerance principle, and constitutional ‘liberty’ and ‘equality’ cases raises difficult questions of justice. This article proposes that a Lutheran response, grounded in an understanding of the orders of creation, might interrogate these assumptions, particularly about the appropriate reach of government in sexual and family matters.
C. S. Lewis Surprised and Humanized by Joy
Authors: Scudder John R. , Bishop Anne H.
Published: February 2009

Abstract:  C. S. Lewis' views on sexuality and the relationship between men and women changed radically through his relationship with Joy, his friend and later wife. Lewis makes a sharp distinction between love and friendship in his writings. This article shows how his concrete experience of love and grief with Joy transformed his understanding of relationships between men and women, and, eventually, the meaning of being human and its implications for Christianity.
On Taboos: The Danish Cartoon Crisis 2005–20081
Authors: Gregersen Niels Henrik
Published: February 2009

Abstract:  The international crisis following the publication of 12 Muhammad cartoons in the Danish newspaper Jyllands‐Posten (September 30, 2005) raises the general question of how to exercise the freedom of expression in relation to religious taboos. After briefly reviewing the Cartoon Crisis from September 2005 to the bombings on the Danish Ambassay in Pakistan in June 2008, the article addresses Lutheran resources for coping with secularisation and desecularisation, in particular as regards the taboos that persist as a part of religious and humanistic values. The thesis is that the Lutheran doctrine of the two kingdoms has given rise to two models of interpretation that have both been historically active. The doctrine of the two regiments has been interpreted both as a ‘liberalist’ argument for a principled separation of religion and politics, and as a ‘social‐conservative’ (later Social Democratic) argument for the view that the state should take care of its citizens' welfare through education, the legal system and social services. In today's global and multi‐religious world, this leads us to ask the question to what extent a welfare society, for the sake of peace and social order, should, or should not, protect religious sensitivities. Should religious communities always be kept out of public life, or can they be recognised as non‐governmental organizations in civil society, hence as potential partners for the state?
Excellent Long‐Term Reproducibility of the Electrophysiologic Efficacy of Quinidine in Patients with Idiopathic Ventricular Fibrillation and Brugada Syndrome
Authors: BELHASSEN BERNARD , GLICK AHARON , VISKIN SAMI
Published: February 2009

Background: Quinidine is very effective in preventing the reinduction of sustained ventricular fibrillation (VF) during electrophysiologic study (EPS) in patients with idiopathic VF and Brugada syndrome. However, there are no data on the long‐term reproducibility of this EP efficacy.

Methods and Results: Nine patients (seven males and two females, aged 21–72 years), who suffered from aborted cardiac arrest (n = 8) or recurrent syncope (n = 1) due to Brugada syndrome (n = 5) or idiopathic VF (n = 4), comprised the study. All patients had inducible sustained VF at baseline that was prevented by quinidine therapy and underwent another EPS on medication after 1.7–23.6 (9.8 ± 6.8) years (>5 years in eight patients). Two patients underwent two late EPS on quinidine. The goal of repeat EPS on quinidine was to ensure persistent long‐term drug efficacy (n = 6) or to elucidate the reason of syncopal episodes during therapy (n = 3). The EPS protocol significantly evolved over the years as it became more aggressive (more pacing sites and/or more ventricular extrastimuli). All nine patients tolerated the medication well and had no recurrent documented arrhythmic events during long‐term follow‐up (mean 15 ± 7 years). No sustained ventricular tachyarrhythmias could be induced in any patient during repeat late EPS. In six patients, a more aggressive stimulation protocol could be tested at repeat EPS.

Conclusion: The long‐term reproducibility of the EP efficacy of quinidine in patients with idiopathic VF and Brugada syndrome is excellent. EP‐guided quinidine therapy represents a valuable long‐term alternative to ICD therapy in these patients.
Noninvasive Evidence of Shortened Atrial Refractoriness during Sinus Rhythm in Patients with Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: HOLMQVIST FREDRIK , CARLSON JONAS , WAKTARE JOHAN E.P. , PLATONOV PYOTR G.
Published: February 2009

Background: Shortening of the atrial refractory period is the key feature of atrial electrical remodeling during atrial fibrillation (AF). During sinus rhythm (SR), assessment of the atrial refractoriness is hampered by the fact that the atrial repolarization wave (Ta wave) is largely obscured by the following QRST complex. The purpose of this study was to study the Ta wave in subjects with paroxysmal AF during SR with third‐degree atrioventricular (AV) block, and in matched controls.

Methods: Fifteen patients (mean age 70 ± 10 years, five males) with paroxysmal AF undergoing AV‐nodal ablation were studied. Fifteen age‐ and gender‐matched subjects (mean age 71 ± 9 years, five males) with third‐degree AV block, without a history of heart disease, were used as controls. Standard 12‐lead electrocardiograms (ECGs) were recorded and transformed to orthogonal leads and studied using P‐wave signal averaging technique.

Results: The P to Ta interval was shorter (408 ± 47 ms vs 451 ± 53 ms, P = 0.017) and in Lead Y the Ta peak location was earlier (156 ± 31 ms vs 187 ± 34 ms, P = 0.002) in subjects with paroxysmal AF than in the controls. The P‐wave duration (126 ± 15 ms vs 129 ± 17 ms, P = 0.59) and morphology was similar in AF patients and controls.

Conclusions: In this study, the ECG signs of shorter atrial refractoriness associated with a history of AF are visualized for the first time during SR. The finding of the earlier location of the PTa peak in AF subjects implies that a possible indicator of increased arrhythmia susceptibility may be visible already in the unprocessed ECG.
The Characteristics and Distribution of the Scar Tissue Predict Ventricular Tachycardia in Patients with Advanced Heart Failure
Authors: YOKOKAWA MIKI , TADA HIROSHI , KOYAMA KEIKO , INO TOSHIHIKO , HIRAMATSU SHIGEKI , KASENO KENICHI , NAITO SHIGETO , OSHIMA SHIGERU , TANIGUCHI KOICHI
Published: February 2009

Background: Contrast‐enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) identifies scar tissue as hyperenhanced areas. We sought to clarify the relationship between the scar characteristics and occurrence of sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT) in patients with advanced heart failure.

Methods: CMR was performed in 29 patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM group) and 18 patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM group). The characteristics, volume, and distribution of the hyperenhanced areas were analyzed by CMR. The CMR parameters and clinical arrhythmic events were compared between the two groups.

Results: In the DCM group, almost all hyperenhanced areas were nontransmural, and presented frequently in the midwall layer. The volume of the hyperenhanced areas and total number of hyperenhanced segments were greater in patients with sustained VT than in those without. On the other hand, in the ICM group, transmural or subendocardial hyperenhanced areas were detected in the territory of the coronary arteries. The volume of the hyperenhanced areas and total number of transmural hyperenhanced segments in patients with sustained VT were unexpectedly smaller than in those without. However, the percentage of nontransmural hyperenhanced segments was greater in patients with sustained VT than in those without.

Conclusions: The presence and magnitude of the nontransmural scar tissue may predict sustained VT in patients with advanced heart failure. There was the possibility that a recruitment bias was responsible for the finding of the smaller scars in the ICM patients with sustained VT.
Stretch‐Activated Receptors Mediate Cardiac Memory
Authors: KOOSHKABADI MOHAMMAD , WHALEN PATRICK , YOO DALE , LANGBERG JONATHAN
Published: February 2009

Background: Cardiac memory refers to long‐lasting T‐wave changes that follow an episode of altered ventricular activation sequence. Memory‐induced alterations in repolarizing ion channel activity have been characterized. However, the mechanism by which changes in activation sequence produce these effects is unknown. We hypothesized that cardiac memory is mediated by the response of stretch‐activated receptors (SARs) to a change in mechanical activation sequence.

Methods: In anesthetized, closed‐chest dogs, coronary sinus leads were used to pace the posterolateral left ventricle (LV) continuously for 1 hour at a rate of 120 bpm. The surface vectorcardiogram was used to quantify cardiac memory by measuring T‐wave displacement after pacing. Streptomycin, which has been shown to block SARs, was given at a dose of 4 g intramuscularly 1 hour before experimental LV pacing sessions. T‐wave displacement after control sessions of LV pacing in the absence of drug (n = 12) was compared to that produced by pacing after streptomycin administration (n = 10 sessions).

Results: There was a distinct and consistent cardiac memory seen after 1 hour of LV pacing under control conditions, with T‐wave displacement of 1.28 ± 0.43 mV (P < 0.001 vs baseline). Pretreatment with streptomycin had no direct effect on the electrocardiogram or hemodynamics, but decreased pacing‐induced T‐wave displacement to 0.50 ± 0.28 mV (P < 0.001 vs control sessions).

Conclusions: Streptomycin, a SAR blocker, dramatically attenuated the development of cardiac memory following epicardial pacing. These data suggest that SARs are a critical link between mechanical sequence of activation and regional modulation of action potential duration that is responsible for cardiac memory.
Automatic Management of Left Ventricular Stimulation: Hints for Technologic Improvement
Authors: BIFFI MAURO , BERTINI MATTEO , SAPORITO DAVIDE , ZIACCHI MATTEO , STABELLINI SILVIA , VALSECCHI SERGIO , RICCI VALERIA , BORIANI GIUSEPPE
Published: February 2009

Background: We used a cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator device with an algorithm for automatic verification of left ventricular (LV) stimulation to understand LV threshold variability, such as to provide hints to program the algorithm features. We also evaluated the algorithm performance over long term, and tested a stimulation setting to achieve 99% effective stimulation while maximizing device longevity.

Methods: The LV output was programmed as threshold + 0.5 V; the upper limit of LV output adjustment was 6 V at programmed pulse width. The algorithm is insensitive to the strength of the pacing pulse, thus pulse width was conveniently programmed to minimize the use of voltage multipliers in all the patients. Follow‐ups occurred at 1 month, then every 3 months, for clinical assessment and manual threshold verification. The efficacy of this programming at long term was also evaluated by Holter validation of LV stimulation.

Results: Twenty patients were followed for 14 ± 5 months (6–21). LV threshold showed no changes in 97% of consecutive days, whereas a 0.5‐V and 1‐V increase occurred, respectively, in 2.3% and 0.6%. Maximum variability of LV threshold was ≤0.5 V during 90% of the follow‐up period. Our programming of LV output provided 99–100% effective stimulation in 18 of 20 patients, and 90% efficacy in two patients because of missed threshold measurements. A 25% increase of device longevity can be expected by this programming.

Conclusions: LV threshold variability is truly modest. Daily update of LV threshold should be improved to ensure 100% LV stimulation by a threshold + 0.5 V safety margin. Device longevity is maximized when LV stimulation occurs below battery voltage.
Multiple Shocks Affect Thoracic Electrical Impedance During External Cardioversion of Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: FUMAGALLI STEFANO , TARANTINI FRANCESCA , CALDI FRANCESCA , MAKHANIAN YASMINE , PADELETTI MARGHERITA , BONCINELLI LORENZO , VALOTI PAOLO , DI SERIO CLAUDIA , PELLERITO SILVIA , PADELETTI LUIGI , BAROLD S. SERGE , MARCHIONNI NICCOLÒ
Published: February 2009

Background: Thoracic impedance (TI) influences the success of external cardioversion (ECV) or defibrillation because current intensity traversing the heart is inversely related to TI. Experimental data suggest that TI decreases after multiple shocks. We undertook a clinical study to determine changes of TI values in patients with atrial fibrillation or flutter requiring ECV.

Methods: We enrolled 222 consecutive patients (age 73 ± 11 years; males 67%; body weight 75 ± 13 kg) who underwent ECV between January 2004 and February 2007. Biphasic shocks were delivered through adhesive pads placed in the anteroposterior position. The initial energy was set at 1 J/kg, with progressive increases up to a maximum of 180 J in case of failure. In the last 39 elective patients, plasma concentration of interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α were determined before and 6 hours after ECV.

Results: Sinus rhythm was restored in 202 patients (91.0%). Of these, 155 (69.8%) required more than one shock (on average, 2.5 ± 1.5 shocks/patient). Final values of energy and peak current intensity were 136 ± 47 J and 50 ± 14 A, respectively. TI decreased significantly by 6.2% from baseline after ≥2 shocks (P < 0.001). The absolute reduction was correlated with baseline TI, number of delivered shocks, and hemoglobin oxygen saturation. IL‐6 and TNF‐α increased with ECV (P < 0.001 and P = 0.014, respectively).

Conclusions: TI decreases significantly after multiple shocks, possibly by activation of acute inflammation.
Postoperative Low‐Molecular‐Weight Heparin Bridging Is Associated with an Increase in Wound Hematoma Following Surgery for Pacemakers and Implantable Defibrillators
Authors: ROBINSON MARLENE , HEALEY JEFF S. , EIKELBOOM JOHN , SCHULMAN SAM , MORILLO CARLOS A. , NAIR GIRISH M. , BARANCHUK ADRIAN , RIBAS SEBASTIAN , EVANS GEOFF , CONNOLLY STUART J. , TURPIE ALEXANDER G.
Published: February 2009

Background: The perioperative management of patients receiving oral anticoagulation therapy (OAC) who undergo pacemaker (PM) and defibrillator (ICD) surgery remains controversial. Low‐molecular‐weight heparin (LMWH) is often used; however, wound hematoma is a common complication.

Methods: At a single academic Canadian center, between July 2003 and June 2005, details of perioperative OAC bridging and the rate of wound hematoma requiring reoperation or interruption of OAC were reviewed for all patients receiving LMWH bridging for PM or ICD surgery.

Results: A total of 148 PM/ICD patients underwent perioperative bridging with LMWH. A significant hematoma occurred in 23 patients, requiring reoperation in three patients. No patient died, developed infection, or stroke. The initial bridging regimen included LMWH (enoxaparin 1 mg/kg BID) given until evening prior to surgery, and reinitiated on postoperative day 3. In response to high rates of postoperative hematoma, subsequent protocols omitted the LMWH on the evening before surgery, all postoperative LMWH, or both.

The use of LMWH the night before surgery had no effect on hematoma rates (12% vs 17%, P = 0.62); however, the use of any postoperative LMWH increased hematoma rates (23% vs 8%, P = 0.01). Hematoma rates were not increased in patients receiving acetylsalicylic acid (19% vs 16%, P = 0.62) or clopidogrel (25% vs 17%, P = 0.54). In a multivariate analysis, independent predictors of significant wound hematoma included postoperative LMWH (P = 0.001), a higher international normalized ratio on the day of surgery (P = 0.03), and male sex (P = 0.05).

Conclusion: Elimination of postoperative LMWH was associated with a substantial reduction in hematoma rates following PM and ICD surgery.
Progress of multiple cutaneous and subcutaneous melanoma metastases of the face during imiquimod treatment
Authors: Kowalzick Lutz , Eickenscheidt Lena
Published: February 2009

A 68‐year‐old man developed a local recurrence with multiple cutaneous and subcutaneous nodules three months after excision of a primary malignant melanoma of the temple. Despite extensive surgery and adjuvant irradiation, another local recurrence occurred. Following further local progression during dacarbazine chemotherapy, topical treatment with imiquimod was begun and the chemotherapy was changed to fotemustine. During this treatment further local progression occurred and two months later regional lymph node and distant metastasis were detected. The patient died from his tumor disease eighteen months after the first diagnosis of malignant melanoma.
Changes in plant communities over three decades on two disturbed bogs in southeastern Québec
Authors: Pellerin S. , Mercure M. , Desaulniers A.S. , Lavoie C.
Published: February 2009

Questions: Have the natural plant communities of two mined bogs experienced changes in composition and richness over a three‐decade period, and are these changes associated with anthropogenic disturbances?

Location: Bas‐Saint‐Laurent region, southeastern Québec, Canada.

Methods: We monitored three decades of floristic changes in two disturbed bogs by revisiting 57 plots in 1998, which were previously sampled in 1965 and 1966. Changes in species richness and composition were evaluated using Wilcoxon signed rank tests, principal component analysis and partial redundancy analyses (pRDA). We also used pRDA and an indicator species analysis to determine which species had undergone the greatest changes over time. Variation partitioning was used to evaluate the relative influence of human disturbance in compositional change.

Results: The main changes in the vegetation of the two bogs were 1) a decrease of overall species diversity, 2) an increase in the percent cover of trees and of species tolerant of shade or drought, and 3) a decrease in the cover of heliophilous species. Picea mariana, Sphagnum fuscum and Pleurozium schreberi increased in percent cover while Chamaedaphne calyculata and Sphagnum rubellum decreased in percent cover. Variation partitioning suggested that human activities had a significant impact on vegetation composition.

Conclusion: The results indicated that substantial changes occurred in the vegetation of the natural fragments of these severely disturbed bogs. Although human activities were partially responsible for the changes, our study suggested that the drying of the peat surface due to drought during the 1960s and 1980s may have contributed to the vegetation changes.
Niche breadth rather than reproductive traits explains the response of wetland monocotyledons to land‐cover change
Authors: Pino Joan , Vilà Montserrat , Álvarez Nora , Seguí Josep Maria , Guerrero Charo
Published: February 2009

Question: We hypothesised that, even within the same plant functional group, there are specific distributions in land‐cover classes and with land‐cover change that are associated with niche breadth rather than reproductive strategy, and that the broader the niche of the species the better they cope with different land‐cover classes and changes over time.

Location: The Llobregat Delta (Barcelona, Spain).

Methods: We analysed the distribution pattern of eight coexisting wetland perennial monocotyledons within human disturbance classes (obtained from the classification of land‐cover categories in relation to their level of human disturbance) and changes in such classes from 1956 to 1999. We then compared species regional abundance and distribution patterns with seed dispersal type (wind dispersed versus non‐wind dispersed species), vegetative spread (tussock versus caespitose‐running species), and niche breadth (the number of phytosociological alliances in which each species is found).

Results: Regional abundance of the species was positively related to niche breadth, but was independent of reproductive traits. Similarly, distribution in human disturbance classes and their changes were associated with niche breadth rather than reproductive traits. In general, the more specialist the species, (i) the more they are concentrated in natural habitats, (ii) the less land‐cover changes they are able to cope with, and (iii) the more they are restricted to stable change types, particularly to longstanding natural areas.

Conclusions: Ecological plasticity rather than dispersal capacity of dominant perennial monocotyledons determines their regional abundance and their ability to cope with recent and future land‐cover changes in Mediterranean wetlands. As habitat specialists are less resistant to landscape change than generalists, floristic homogenisation may progress in these habitats with the likely scenario of increasing land‐cover turnover.
Savanna dynamics in central Texas: just succession?
Authors: Fowler Norma L. , Simmons Mark T.
Published: February 2009

Question: What is the best way to model savanna dynamics? Specifically, under what conditions is a traditional succession model, i.e., a model of ordered, uni‐directional change in the plant community, better than a state‐and‐transition model?

Location: Central Texas savannas.

Methods: We describe three examples of successional processes in central Texas savannas: (a) woody plant encroachment, (b) invasion by a non‐native grass, and (c) establishment of different grass species in highly disturbed sites.

Results and Conclusions: Savanna dynamics are now commonly conceptualized with state‐and‐transition models. However, in some situations a traditional succession model may be more appropriate or more useful. Succession models may better fit current ecological reality, as found in central Texas. Succession models emphasize transient dynamics rather than an (often unknown) endpoint, and direct us towards relevant literature from non‐savanna ecosystems. Succession models may be particularly useful for land management and restoration, and where woody plant encroachment and/or invasions by non‐native species control vegetation dynamics.
Soil fertility, heterogeneity, and microbes: towards an integrated understanding of grassland structure and dynamics
Authors: Reynolds Heather L. , Haubensak Karen A.
Published: February 2009

Objective: To highlight the need and the potential for an integrated understanding of three key soil‐based drivers of plant community structure and dynamics – soil fertility, soil heterogeneity, and microbes.

Location: European and North American grasslands.

Methods: Review and discussion of conceptual models and empirical literature, including examples of observational and manipulative studies from both natural and restored grassland communities.

Results and Conclusions: In general, the results of empirical studies on soil fertility, soil heterogeneity, and soil microbes in grassland communities do not support expectations of common conceptual models. Ecological theory assumes a unimodal relationship between soil fertility and plant community diversity, yet empirical relationships from grassland communities are variable, the mechanisms underlying these variable patterns are not yet well understood, and there is mixed success at manipulating soil fertility to facilitate restorations. While theory predicts that increased soil heterogeneity will lead to increased plant community diversity, results of experimental manipulations of soil heterogeneity often show the opposite. Of two major conceptual models proposed for how microbes structure plant communities, there is little support for the hypothesis of microbially mediated niche partitioning. Plant‐microbe feedbacks do have significant empirical support to date and there is increasing application of positive feedback dynamics in restoration, yet field tests of feedback dynamics remain limited. We suggest that an understanding of interactions between these soil drivers may help to resolve discrepancies between conceptual models and empirical results, improving our understanding of grasslands and our ability to restore them.
Levels of Change in Adolescent Sexual Behavior in Three Asian Cities
Authors: Zabin Laurie Schwab , Emerson Mark R. , Nan Li , Chaohua Lou , Ersheng Gao , Minh Nguyen Huu , Chuang Yi‐Li , Hurng Baai Shyun , Bishai David , Blum Robert W.
Published: February 2009

Considerable change in the romantic and sexual behaviors of Asian young people may be occurring as traditionally Confucian societies modernize and increase outside contacts. This study explores the dimensions and context of this change in three sites at different stages in the process of modernization: Hanoi (early), Shanghai (intermediate), and Taipei (later stage). A survey was conducted of 17,016 males and females aged 15–24 in urban and rural settings in three large metropolitan areas. Survival analysis and Cox regressions were performed to explore ages of respondents at key transitions and the significance of differences between two age cohorts: 15–19 and 20–24. Significant differences are found in levels of sexual and other transitions, even within the narrow time span reflected by the age cohorts. The findings highlight the differential impact of modernization on adolescent sexual behavior as traditional societies undergo social change, and they underline the importance of context in exploring youthful transitions.
THE COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHIC APPEARANCE OF EQUINE TEMPOROHYOID OSTEOARTHROPATHY
Authors: HILTON HUGO , PUCHALSKI SARAH M. , ALEMAN MONICA
Published: February 2009

Equine temporohyoid osteoarthropathy is characterized by progressive osseous proliferation of the temporohyoid articulation and surrounding structures. The diagnosis has generally been made using radiography and endoscopy of the guttural pouch. Recently, computed tomography (CT) has been used in the diagnosis of temporohyoid osteoarthropathy. This study was performed to determine the CT imaging characteristics of temporohyoid osteoarthropathy and to compare these to radiographic and endoscopic findings. CT scans from 16 horses with a final diagnosis of temporohyoid osteoarthropathy were reviewed. Five horses that had undergone CT scan for reasons other than temporohyoid osteoarthropathy were included as controls. Qualitative and quantitative data were used to describe the magnitude of the CT findings. Osseous proliferation of the stylohyoid bone and temporohyoid articulation was found to be a consistent feature of temporohyoid osteoarthropathy. Thickening of the ceratohyoid bone and proliferation of its articulation with the stylohyoid bone was frequently identified and this finding may have surgical implications. Horses with neurologic deficits had increased stylohyoid width that was significantly different than the subclinically affected side. CT evaluation also allowed the identification of subclinical bilateral disease in horses thought to be unilaterally affected based on clinical examination.
MR IMAGING OF HISTIOCYTIC SARCOMA OF THE CANINE BRAIN
Authors: TAMURA SHINJI , TAMURA YUMIKO , NAKAMOTO YUYA , OZAWA TSUYOSHI , UCHIDA KAZUYUKI
Published: February 2009

Histiocytic sarcomas are characterized by proliferation and/or infiltration of neoplastic histiocytes localized to specific organs, unlike malignant histiocytosis which involves many organ systems. Only a few cranial histiocytic sarcomas have been reported. Here we describe four dogs that presented with neurological deficits referable to the forebrain, and were diagnosed histologically as having histiocytic sarcoma. Using magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, the tumors were characterized by a T2‐hyperintense and T1‐isointense mass in one dog, T2‐ and T1‐isointense extraaxial masses in two dogs, and a diffuse T2‐hyperintense lesion over the left cerebral cortex in one dog. All tumors had contrast enhancement. MRI features in three of the four dogs were similar to that of meningioma, supported by the observation of a dural tail in two of these three dogs, and a broad base of attachment in the other. In the other dog the imaging findings were similar to those of encephalitis. Intracranial histiocytic sarcoma does not appear to have specific MR imaging features and can be confused with meningioma or encephalitis.
IMAGING DIAGNOSIS—POSITIVE CONTRAST PERITONEOGRAPHIC FEATURES OF TRUE DIAPHRAGMATIC HERNIA
Authors: CHOI JIHYE , KIM HYUNWOOK , KIM MIEUN , YOON JUNGHEE
Published: February 2009

A true diaphragmatic hernia is a congenital diaphragmatic malformation that can appear identical to a peritoneopericardial diaphragmatic hernia (PPDH). True diaphragmatic hernias are rare in dogs. Herein we describe the use of positive contrast peritoneography for diagnosis of a true diaphragmatic hernia in two dogs.
ULTRASONOGRAPHIC APPEARANCE OF JEJUNAL LYMPH NODES IN DOGS WITHOUT CLINICAL SIGNS OF GASTROINTESTINAL DISEASE
Authors: AGTHE PETRA , CAINE ABBY R. , POSCH BARBARA , HERRTAGE MICHAEL E.
Published: February 2009

The jejunal lymph nodes of 57 dogs without clinical signs of gastrointestinal disease were examined to characterize their ultrasonographic appearance on B‐mode and power Doppler examination, and to obtain ultrasonographic measurements. The lymph nodes were mildly hypoechoic to the mesentery in 71% of dogs and isoechoic in 29%. All dogs, 6 years of age or older had jejunal lymph nodes of uniform echogenicity. In dogs less than 6 years of age, nonuniform lymph nodes with different echopatterns were observed. Although most lymph nodes had no blood flow based on power Doppler examination, hilar blood flow was detected in 33% of dogs, which were generally less than 2 years of age. The median maximum thickness of the jejunal lymph nodes was 3.9 mm (range 1.6–8.2 mm), and their median maximum width 7.5 mm (range 2.6–14.7 mm). There was a significant correlation between larger lymph node diameter and younger age and higher body weight. We concluded that patient age should be considered when interpreting the echopattern and vascularity of jejunal lymph nodes in dogs, and that the jejunal lymph nodes of dogs without clinical signs of gastrointestinal disease may exceed the previously stated upper limit of 5–6 mm thickness.
ULTRASONOGRAPHIC APPEARANCE OF CANINE GASTRIC POLYPS
Authors: DIANA ALESSIA , PENNINCK DOMINIQUE G. , KEATING JOHN H.
Published: February 2009

Benign gastric polyps are uncommon in dogs and most are discovered incidentally. Polyps protruding into the pyloric antrum can cause gastric outflow obstruction. Clinical and ultrasonographic findings in seven dogs with histologically confirmed benign mucosal gastric polyps were reviewed. Sonographic findings such as shape, size, echogenicity, location, evidence of gastric wall thickening, wall layering, and size of regional lymph nodes were recorded. Five sessile and two pedunculated masses of different sizes (range 7–60 mm) and echogenicities were found. They primarily arose from the mucosal layer and protruded into the gastric lumen. Only one dog had a large inhomogeneous mass with a poorly visualized gastric wall layering. The polyps were all single, and were located in the pyloric antrum in six out of seven dogs. Although the ultrasonographic appearance allowed a presumptive diagnosis of mucosal gastric polyp, the final diagnosis was determined from histopathologic examination.
18FDG‐PET IMAGING IN CANINE LYMPHOMA AND CUTANEOUS MAST CELL TUMOR
Authors: LEBLANC AMY K. , JAKOBY BJOERN W. , TOWNSEND DAVID W. , DANIEL GREGORY B.
Published: February 2009

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) using the glucose analog 2‐deoxy‐2‐[18F]fluoro‐d‐glucose (18FDG) is a common imaging modality for diagnosis and management of many human malignancies. We evaluated 18FDG‐PET in dogs with either multicentric lymphoma (LSA) or cutaneous mast cell tumor (MCT). A prototype large field‐of‐view PET scanner was used to collect whole‐body images in nine dogs with LSA or MCT. Both tumors were characterized by avidity for 18FDG. In dogs with LSA, 18FDG‐PET correctly identified involvement of superficial and internal lymph nodes, liver, and spleen. Repeated PET scans after induction chemotherapy demonstrated resolution of abnormal 18FDG uptake within these sites. In dogs with MCT, 18FDG‐PET correctly identified MCT metastasis to regional lymph nodes in all dogs in which this was suspected or confirmed with cytology or biopsy before the PET scan. In two dogs, additional sites of mast cell disease were identified with 18FDG‐PET that were undetected on physical examination and/or regional lymph node cytology. 18FDG‐PET holds promise as a whole‐body staging method for canine LSA and MCT.
Dimensional accuracy of upper complete denture bases: the effect of metallic flask closure methods
Authors: Consani Rafael Leonardo Xediek , Mesquita Marcelo Ferraz , Sobrinho Lourenço Correr , Sinhoreti Mário Alexandre Coelho
Published: February 2009

Objectives:  To verify the dimensional accuracy of upper complete denture bases under the effect of different methods of metallic flask closure.

Materials and methods:  Wax record bases were assigned to six groups: 1–2: traditional clamp; 3–4: RS system; and 5–6: flask with screws. Flasks were immediately polymerised or bench stored for 6 h prior to polymerisation. Resin base‐cast sets were sectioned at regions corresponding to the canines, first molars and posterior palatal zone. Gap discrepancies were measured at five points: right and left ridge crests, palatal midline, and right and left marginal limits of the flanges. An optical micrometer was used for measurement purposes.

Results:  Data were submitted to anova, and the means compared by Tukey’s test (α = 0.05). Results revealed significant differences in the flask closure technique, polymerisation time, section, and their interactions. Discrepancy values for the RS system and flask with screws were significantly lower than those related to the traditional clamp, regardless of whether resin polymerisation was immediate or delayed for 6 h.

Conclusions:  Flask closure methods should be considered when the denture base stability and comfort of the patient are being assessed during clinical use of the dentures.
The Oxford Edition of Donne's Letters: Well Underway
Authors: Maurer Margaret
Published: February 2009

This paper introduces a Literature Compass panel cluster on the forthcoming Oxford edition of Donne's letters.

Offering papers by the three editors, this cluster seeks to examine the new directions the edition will pursue. The papers were originally delivered to the members of the John Donne Society in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in February 2008.

The cluster is made up of the following articles:

‘The Oxford Edition of Donne's Letters: Well Underway’, Margaret Maurer, Literature Compass 5 (2008), DOI: 10.1111/j.1741-4113.2008.00598.x.

‘“Apparitions, and Ghosts”: H(a)unting Donne's Letters’, M. Thomas Hester, Literature Compass 5 (2008), DOI: 10.1111/j.1741-4113.2008.00599.x.

‘“Only in Obedience” to Whom? – The Identity of a Donne Correspondent’, Dennis Flynn, Literature Compass 5 (2008), DOI: 10.1111/j.1741-4113.2008.00600.x.

‘Problems in Editing John Donne's Letters: Unreliable Primary Materials’, Ernest W. Sullivan, II, Literature Compass 5 (2008), DOI: 10.1111/j.1741-4113.2008.00601.x.
Problems in Editing John Donne's Letters: Unreliable Primary Materials
Authors: Sullivan, II Ernest W.
Published: February 2009

This paper is part of a Literature Compass panel cluster on the forthcoming Oxford edition of Donne's letters.

Margaret Maurer introduces the cluster which offers papers by the three editors and seeks to examine the new directions the edition will pursue. The papers were originally delivered to the members of the John Donne Society in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in February 2008.

The cluster is made up of the following articles:

‘The Oxford Edition of Donne's Letters: Well Underway’, Margaret Maurer, Literature Compass 5 (2008), DOI: 10.1111/j.1741-4113.2008.00598.x.

‘“Apparitions, and Ghosts”: H(a)unting Donne's Letters’, M. Thomas Hester, Literature Compass 5 (2008), DOI: 10.1111/j.1741-4113.2008.00599.x.

‘“Only in Obedience” to Whom? – The Identity of a Donne Correspondent’, Dennis Flynn, Literature Compass 5 (2008), DOI: 10.1111/j.1741-4113.2008.00600.x.

‘Problems in Editing John Donne's Letters: Unreliable Primary Materials’, Ernest W. Sullivan, II, Literature Compass 5 (2008), DOI: 10.1111/j.1741-4113.2008.00601.x.

***

This essay examines some of the difficulties in producing the kind of edition of Donne's prose letters that everyone would like – one that establishes the canon, dates, recipients, and texts that accurately represent what Donne wrote. By examining the texts of the two Donne letters that survive in holograph as well as in various seventeenth‐century printings (letters to Edward Herbert and Lady Kingsmill) as well as one to the Duke of Buckingham that survives in holograph and in a nineteenth‐century transcription and printings, I show how editorial intervention and physical degradation have so compromised the texts of some of the letters in Donne's Letters to Severall Persons of Honour (1651) and A Collection of Letters, Made By Sr Tobie Mathews (1660) and even in the holograph to Buckingham that the surviving texts (including their dates and recipients) of nearly all of Donne's letters are problematical. Worse, the evidence shows that the changes to the originals would not have been recoverable had these few holographs not survived. Any edition of Donne's prose letters, then, will have to attend to risk assessment as well as to the traditional features of an edition.