bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
China's Flat Earth: History and 8 August 2008
Authors: Barmé Geremie R. 
Published: March 2009

AbstractThe opening ceremony of the 29th Olympiad in Beijing was celebrated in China as an opportunity for the country to “tell its story to the world.” This article offers a forensic analysis of that story and how it was created under Party fiat with the active collaboration of local and international arts figures. In a scene-by-scene description of the ceremony, the article also reviews the symbiotic relationship of avant-garde cultural activists and the party-state, a relationship that has continuously evolved throughout the Reform era (since 1978). It also discusses contentious historical issues related to the revival of real and imagined national traditions in the era of China's re-emergence on the global stage.
Seasonal patterns in time series of pertussis
Authors: De GREEFF S. C. , DEKKERS A. L. M. , TEUNIS P. , RAHAMAT-LANGENDOEN J. C. , MOOI F. R. , De MELKER H. E. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYTo gain insight into pertussis disease dynamics, we studied age-specific long-term periodicity and seasonality of pertussis in The Netherlands. Hierarchical time-series models were used to analyse the monthly reported pertussis incidence in January 1996–June 2006 by age group. The incidence of pertussis showed a slightly increasing long-term trend with highest incidence rates seen in 1996, 1999, 2001 and 2004. For all age groups the annual peak incidence was found in August, except for the 13–18 years age group where the peak occurred in November. Monthly trends in adults showed high correlation with trends in age groups 0–4 years (0·94) and 5–12 years (0·92). We found no evidence for a relationship between annual rises in pertussis and the opening of schools. Concurrent annual fluctuations of pertussis incidence in adults and infants suggest frequent transmission within and between these age groups. Studying trends offers insight into transmission dynamics and may facilitate decisions on future vaccination strategies.
The relationship between international humanitarian and human rights law where it matters: admissible killing and internment of fighters in non-international armed conflicts
Authors: Sassòli Marco , Olson Laura M. 
Published: March 2009

AbstractThis article explores the relationship between international humanitarian and human rights law during non-international armed conflict. It seeks to answer two questions which are crucial in practice, but where the relationship between the two branches and the answers of humanitarian law alone are unclear. First, according to which branch of law may a member of an armed group be attacked and killed? Second, may a captured member of an armed force or group be detained similarly to a prisoner of war in international armed conflicts or as prescribed by human rights? Through application of the lex specialis principle, this article discusses possible answers to these questions.
Metal Detoxification in Freshwater Animals. Roles of Metallothioneins
Authors: Campbell Peter G. C. , Hare Landis 
Published: March 2009

In laboratory experiments with a variety of aquatic animals, the toxicity of non-essential metals normally exhibits a threshold response. At low exposure concentrations (low internal doses), the organism can detoxify the incoming metal and thus tolerate the exposure, whereas at higher concentrations, i.e., above some threshold, the detoxification mechanism is no longer able to protect the organism completely, the incoming metal binds to metal-sensitive sites within the cell, and deleterious effects begin to occur. Several metal-detoxification strategies have been identified in laboratory experiments, including metal sequestration in insoluble granules and metal complexation by metallothionein or metallothionein-like peptides (MTLP), but the ability of these mechanisms to prevent metals from binding to metal-sensitive sites in the intracellular environment has not been rigorously tested in field situations.
In this chapter we briefly summarize the laboratory evidence supporting the threshold model for metal toxicity and then present the results of our field studies on chronically exposed freshwater animals (Pyganodon grandis, a unionid bivalve mollusc; Perca flavescens, a percid fish), studies that were designed to test the threshold model under field conditions. The two biomonitor species were collected from lakes located along a metal concentration gradient, as defined by ambient dissolved metal concentrations. Subcellular metal partitioning was determined in target organs (bivalve gills and digestive gland; perch liver) by differential centrifugation, and MTLP were measured independently by a mercury saturation assay. From these studies we extract evidence for the inadequacy of the threshold model in the case of chronic/life-long metal exposures (i.e., evidence for incomplete detoxification even at low metal exposures in the field). We speculate that under chronic exposure conditions the animals establish a trade-off between the “cost” of detoxifying non-essential metals and the “cost” of allowing some of these metals to spill over onto metal-sensitive sites. Finally, we discuss the implications of the apparent absence of an exposure threshold below which metal detoxification is complete.
Medical and Surgical Evaluation Prior to Pediatric Cochlear Implantation
Authors: Adunka Oliver F. , Buchman Craig A. 
Published: March 2009

AbstractThe evaluation of children for cochlear implantation requires a multidisciplinary effort among several groups of professionals. Given the recent trend towards very early identification of hearing loss, clinicians have begun to evaluate these children and make intervention recommendations in the first few months of life. In addition to an accurate audiological assessment, a search for the etiology of the hearing loss as well as associated medical conditions is critical and frequently affects the management paradigm. The evaluation usually requires a number of studies, including imaging of the temporal bones and brain, electrocardiograms, genetic testing, and careful review of medical records. The timely identification, and management of, confounding otological problems such as otitis externa and otitis media is frequently needed. This presentation will focus on an otologist's perspective in the multidisciplinary evaluation prior to the implantation process.
Pediatric Assessment of Nonlinguistic Sound Perception: A Look Back and a Look Ahead to a Pediatric Nonlinguistic Sounds Test
Authors: Inverso Yell 
Published: March 2009

Abstract
The overwhelming majority of test measures to assess adult and pediatric cochlear implant candidacy, efficacy, and progress are based on speech perception. Nonlinguistic sounds have received comparatively little attention, despite their central importance for incidental learning, daily living and environmental sound awareness. The purpose of this review is to: 1. Highlight the importance of nonlinguistic sound perception, 2. Discuss currently available pediatric nonlinguistic sound perception profiles and behavioral measures, and 3. Describe both the Nonlinguistic Sounds Test (NLST) for adults and adolescents as well as the pediatric Picture-identification Nonlinguistic sounds Inventory for Children (PicNIC).
Cesarean scar pregnancies successfully treated with methotrexate
Authors: MURAJI MIHO , MABUCHI SEIJI , HISAMOTO KOJI , MURANISHI MARIKO , KANAGAWA TAKESHI , NISHIO YUKIHIRO , KIMURA TADASHI 
Published: March 2009

AbstractThree cases of cesarean scar pregnancy successfully treated with methotrexate are described. The diagnosis was confirmed by transvaginal sonographic examinations showing a well‐formed gestational sac in the myometrium of the lower uterine segment. Initial treatment with a systemic injection of 50 mg of methotrexate was not sufficient, and multiple doses were required to obtain a complete remission in two cases. In a case with a β‐hCG level of more than 20,000 mIU/mL with a viable embryo in a gestational sac, a combination of systemic and local treatment with methotrexate was required. It took 7–11 weeks for the β‐hCG level to become undetectable and 12–17 weeks for the cesarean scar pregnancy mass to disappear completely.
Methyl Salicylate Production and Jasmonate Signaling Are Not Essential for Systemic Acquired Resistance inArabidopsis
Authors: Attaran Elham , Zeier Tatiana E. , Griebel Thomas , Zeier Jürgen 
Published: March 2009

AbstractSystemic acquired resistance (SAR) develops in response to local microbial leaf inoculation and renders the whole plant more resistant to subsequent pathogen infection. Accumulation of salicylic acid (SA) in noninfected plant parts is required for SAR, and methyl salicylate (MeSA) and jasmonate (JA) are proposed to have critical roles during SAR long-distance signaling from inoculated to distant leaves. Here, we address the significance of MeSA and JA during SAR development in Arabidopsis thaliana. MeSA production increases in leaves inoculated with the SAR-inducing bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae; however, most MeSA is emitted into the atmosphere, and only small amounts are retained. We show that in several Arabidopsis defense mutants, the abilities to produce MeSA and to establish SAR do not coincide. T-DNA insertion lines defective in expression of a pathogen-responsive SA methyltransferase gene are completely devoid of induced MeSA production but increase systemic SA levels and develop SAR upon local P. syringae inoculation. Therefore, MeSA is dispensable for SAR in Arabidopsis, and SA accumulation in distant leaves appears to occur by de novo synthesis via isochorismate synthase. We show that MeSA production induced by P. syringae depends on the JA pathway but that JA biosynthesis or downstream signaling is not required for SAR. In compatible interactions, MeSA production depends on the P. syringae virulence factor coronatine, suggesting that the phytopathogen uses coronatine-mediated volatilization of MeSA from leaves to attenuate the SA-based defense pathway.
Efficacy and tolerability of gamma knife radiosurgery in acromegaly: a 10‐year follow‐up study
Authors: Ronchi Cristina L. , Attanasio Roberto , Verrua Elisa , Cozzi Renato , Ferrante Emanuele , Loli Paola , Montefusco Laura , Motti Enrico , Ferrari Daniela I. , Giugni Enrico , Beck‐Peccoz Paolo , Arosio Maura 
Published: March 2009

SummaryObjective  The long‐term efficacy and safety of stereotactic radiosurgery by gamma knife (GK) still remain unknown. The aim of the study was to investigate the long‐term efficacy and tolerability of GK in acromegalic patients.Design and patients  Retrospective analysis for a median follow‐up of 10 years. Thirty‐five acromegalic patients from two referral centres in Milan submitted to GK (median margin dose: 20 Gy, median % isodose: 50) between 1995 and 2004.Main outcome measures  GH/IGF‐I secretion, anterior pituitary function, radiological imaging and ophthalmological data.Results  Cure rate improved over time (up to 46% at 10 years), as did the proportion of patients achieving control on somatostatin analogues (from 12·5% at baseline to 50% at 10 years). Normal IGF‐I values were observed in 82% of patients at their last visit. No visual impairment, disease recurrence, tumour growth or secondary cerebral tumour occurred. Half of the patients developed one or more new deficiencies, while two patients normalized their prior failures. In particular, new onset of clinical or subclinical hypoadrenalism occurred in 12/30 patients (40%), hypothyroidism in 3/28 (11%), hypogonadism in 2/15 (13%) and GH deficiency in 2/35 (6%). GH value at the time of GK was the best negative predictor of cure and margin dose was the best positive predictor of new hypopituitarism.Conclusions  Over a 10‐year period after GK radiosurgery, an increasing percentage of patients achieve cure, or adequate control of the disease on pharmacological therapy, at the expense of increasing novel pituitary deficiencies.
Nitrous oxide fluxes from corn fields: on‐farm assessment of the amount and timing of nitrogen fertilizer
Authors: MA B. L. , WU T. Y. , TREMBLAY N. , DEEN W. , MORRISON M. J. , MCLAUGHLIN N. B. , GREGORICH E. G. , STEWART G. 
Published: March 2009

AbstractNitrogen fertilization is considered as an important source of atmospheric N2O emission. A seven site‐year on‐farm field experiment was conducted at Ottawa and Guelph, ON and Saint‐Valentin, QC, Canada to characterize the affect of the amount and timing of N fertilizer on N2O emission in corn (Zea mays L.) production. Using the static chamber method, gas samples were collected for 28‐days after preplant and 28‐days after sidedress fertilization at the seven site‐year, resulting in 14 monitoring periods. For both methods of fertilization, peak N2O flux and cumulative emission increased with the amount of N applied, with rates ranging from 30 to 900 μg N m−2 h−1. Depending on N amount and time of application, cumulative emission varied from 0.05 to 2.42 kg N ha−1, equivalent to 0.03% to 1.45% of the N fertilizer applied. Differences in N2O emission peaks among fertilizer treatments were clearly separated in 13 out of 14 monitoring periods. Total N2O emissions may have been underestimated compared with annual monitoring in 10 out of the 49 cases because the monitoring period ended before N2O efflux returned to the baseline level. The flux of N2O was negligible when soil mineral N in the 0–15 cm layer was < 20 mg N kg−1. While rainfall stimulated emission, soil temperature > 15 °C was likely the driving force responsible for the higher levels of N2O found for sidedress than preplant application methods. However, caution must be taken when interpreting these later results as preplant fertilization may have continuously stimulated N2O emissions after the 28‐days monitoring period, especially in situations where N2O effluxes have not fallen back to their baseline levels. Increasing fertilizer rates from 90 to 150 kg N ha−1 resulted in slight increases in yields, but doubled cumulative N2O emissions.
Effect of genetic variance in plant quality on the population dynamics of a herbivorous insect
Authors: Underwood Nora 
Published: March 2009

Summary

Species diversity can affect many ecological processes; much less is known about the importance of population genetic diversity, particularly for the population dynamics of associated species. Genetic diversity within a host species can create habitat diversity; when associated species move among hosts, this variation could affect populations additively (an effect of average habitat) or non‐additively (an effect of habitat variance). Mathematical theory suggests that non‐additive effects of variance among patches should influence population size, but this theory has not been tested.
This prediction was tested in the field by asking whether aphid population dynamics parameters on strawberry plant genotype mixtures were additive or non‐additive functions of parameters on individual plant genotypes in monoculture using model fitting.
Results show that variance in quality among plant genotypes can have non‐additive effects on aphid populations, and that the form of this effect depends on the particular plant genotypes involved.
Genetic variation among plants also influenced the spatial distribution of aphids within plant populations, but the number of plant genotypes per population did not affect aphid populations.
These results suggest that predicting the behaviour of populations in heterogeneous environments can require knowledge of both average habitat quality and variance in quality.
Resource and non‐resource root competition effects of grasses on early‐ versus late‐successional trees
Authors: Messier Christian , Coll Lluis , Poitras‐Larivière Amélie , Bélanger Nicolas , Brisson Jacques 
Published: March 2009

Summary

This study assessed the effects of resource (i.e. nutrients) and non‐resource (i.e. interference for space) competition from fine roots of competing grasses on the growth, morphology and architecture of fine roots of four tree species of varying successional status: Populus deltoides ¥ P. balsamifera (a hybrid), Betula papyrifera, Acer saccharum and Fraxinus americana. We tested the general hypothesis that tree fine‐roots are affected by both below‐ground resource and non‐resource competition from non‐self plants, and the more specific hypothesis that this effect is stronger in early‐successional tree species.
The experiment was conducted in split‐containers where half of the roots of tree seedlings experienced either below‐ground resource competition or non‐resource competition, or both, by grasses while the other half experienced no competition.
The late‐successional tree species A. saccharum and F. americana were mostly affected by resource competition, whereas the early‐successional P. deltoides¥balsamifera and B. papyrifera were strongly affected by both resource and non‐resource competition. Non‐resource competition reduced fine‐root growth, root branching over root length (a measure of root architecture) and specific root length (a measure of root morphology) of both early‐successional species.
Synthesis. This study suggests that early‐successional tree species have been selected for root avoidance or segregation and late‐successional tree species for root tolerance of competition as mechanisms to improve below‐ground resource uptake in their particular environments. It also contradicts recent studies showing perennial and annual grasses tend to overproduce roots in the presence of non‐self conspecific plants. Woody plants, required to grow and develop for long periods in the presence of other plants, may react differently to non‐self root competition than perennial or annual grasses that have much shorter lives.
Reliability and validity of a Japanese version of the Cambridge depersonalization scale as a screening instrument for depersonalization disorder
Authors: Sugiura Miyuki , Hirosawa Masataka , Tanaka Sumio , Nishi Yasunobu , Yamada Yasuyuki , Mizuno Motoki 
Published: March 2009

Aims:  The Cambridge Depersonalization Scale (CDS) is an instrument that has obtained reliability and validity in some countries for use in detecting depersonalization disorder under clinical conditions, but not yet in Japan under non‐psychiatric conditions. The purposes of this study were to develop a Japanese version of the CDS (J‐CDS) and to examine its reliability and validity as an instrument for screening depersonalization disorder under non‐clinical conditions.Methods:  The CDS was translated from English into Japanese and then back‐translated into English by a native English‐speaking American. After making the J‐CDS, we examined its reliability and validity. Questionnaires that were composed of J‐CDS, the Dissociative Experience Scale (DES), the Zung self‐rating scale and the Maudsley Obsessional–Compulsive Inventory were administrated to 59 participants (12 patients with depersonalization disorder, 11 individuals who had recovered from depersonalization and 36 healthy controls).Results:  Cronbach's alpha and split‐half reliability were 0.94 and 0.93, respectively. The J‐CDS score in the depersonalization group was significantly higher than in the healthy control group. The J‐CDS score was significantly correlated with scores of total DES, and DES‐depersonalization. The best compromise between the true positive and false negative rate was at a cut‐off point of 60, yielding a sensitivity of 1.00 and a specificity of 0.96.Conclusions:  In this study, J‐CDS showed good reliability and validity. The best cut‐off point, when we use this for distinguishing individuals with depersonalization disorder from individuals without psychiatric disorders, is 60 points.
Prevalence and risk factors of vitamin D deficiency rickets in Hokkaido, Japan
Authors: Matsuo Kumihiro , Mukai Tokuo , Suzuki Shigeru , Fujieda Kenji 
Published: March 2009

AbstractBackground:  Resurgence of vitamin D deficiency rickets has been recognized worldwide. While many cases of this disease have been reported in Hokkaido, the northern island of Japan, no prevalence data is available. Here, we investigated the prevalence and risk factors of vitamin D deficiency rickets in Hokkaido.Methods:  A specially designed questionnaire was sent to 84 major pediatric departments of hospitals in Hokkaido to collect information of the confirmed cases between July 1999 and June 2004.Results:  Sixty‐seven hospitals responded to the questionnaire. Of these, 20 hospitals reported 31 confirmed cases. All the patients were infants and toddlers, less than 4 years of age. The prevalence of cases in a recent year was estimated to be nine in 100 000 children under four years of age. Most of the 31 cases in our study were breast‐fed. Eleven cases showed signs of malnutrition due to unbalanced diet or dietary restriction. Furthermore, the prevalence of cases was higher in the northeastern region than in the southwestern region. The number of cases increased gradually from the end of winter to spring.Conclusions:  This is the first report ascertaining the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency rickets in Hokkaido, Japan. Limited exposure to sunlight and inadequate diet in early childhood are key risk factors of this disease. Thus, it is crucial to introduce active recommendations for vitamin D supplementation based on age, residential area, and to advocate public awareness for preventing this disease.
New reference growth charts for Japanese girls with Turner syndrome
Authors: Isojima Tsuyoshi , Yokoya Susumu , Ito Junko , Horikawa Reiko , Tanaka Toshiaki 
Published: March 2009

AbstractBackground:  Currently used growth charts for Japanese girls with Turner syndrome (TS) were constructed with auxological data obtained before the secular trend in growth reached a plateau. These charts were published in 1992 and may no longer be valid for the evaluation of stature and growth in girls with TS in clinical settings. Thus, we need to establish new clinical growth charts.Methods:  The samples for analysis were obtained by a retrospective cohort study. A total of 1867 Japanese girls with TS were registered between 1991 and 2004 for growth hormone (GH) treatment and their pretreatment anthropometric measurements were obtained. Reference growth charts were newly constructed using the LMS method from 1447 girls' cross‐sectional data after exclusion of measurements derived from those with the presence of puberty, with previous growth‐promoting treatment, or without cytogenetic evidence of TS.Results:  The new clinical reference growth charts differ from the old charts. Secular trends can be detected in both height and weight. Mean adult height on the new chart is 141.2 cm, 3.0 cm taller than the old data. This result seems attributable to the secular trend observed during the same period in Japanese women.Conclusions:  The newly constructed clinical reference growth charts for Japanese girls with TS seem to be better for the evaluation of growth in girls with TS born after approximately 1970, although selection bias and some other limitations in the present study should be kept in mind.