bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Active electrolocation in pulse gymnotids: sensory consequences of objects’ mutual polarization
Authors: Aguilera Pedro A. , Pereira Ana Carolina , Caputi Ángel A. 
Published: April 2012

SUMMARYWe examined non-linear effects of the presence of one object on the electric image of another placed at the foveal region in Gymnotus omarorum. The sensory consequences of object mutual polarization on electric images were also depicted using behavioral procedures. Image measurements show that objects whose electric image is not detectable may modify the electric image of another placed closer to the fish and suggest that detection range and discrimination parameters used for one object may be affected when the presence of others enriches the scene. Behavioral experiments confirm that these changes in object images resulting from mutual polarization may be exploited for improving perception. While conductive objects close to the skin allow the fish to detect other objects placed out of the active electrodetection range, non-conductive objects may hide objects that otherwise show clear electric images. This suggests that fish movements may orient the self-generated field to exploit object mutual polarization, increasing or decreasing the active electrolocation range. In addition, images of a nearby object may be modulated by the presence of another object placed outside the detection range and the corresponding behavioral responses suggest that a moving or impedance-changing context may modify a fish’s discrimination abilities for closer objects.
Active sensing via movement shapes spatiotemporal patterns of sensory feedback
Authors: Stamper Sarah A. , Roth Eatai , Cowan Noah J. , Fortune Eric S. 
Published: April 2012

SUMMARY
Previous work has shown that animals alter their locomotor behavior to increase sensing volumes. However, an animal’s own movement also determines the spatial and temporal dynamics of sensory feedback. Because each sensory modality has unique spatiotemporal properties, movement has differential and potentially independent effects on each sensory system. Here we show that weakly electric fish dramatically adjust their locomotor behavior in relation to changes of modality-specific information in a task in which increasing sensory volume is irrelevant. We varied sensory information during a refuge-tracking task by changing illumination (vision) and conductivity (electroreception). The gain between refuge movement stimuli and fish tracking responses was functionally identical across all sensory conditions. However, there was a significant increase in the tracking error in the dark (no visual cues). This was a result of spontaneous whole-body oscillations (0.1 to 1 Hz) produced by the fish. These movements were costly: in the dark, fish swam over three times further when tracking and produced more net positive mechanical work. The magnitudes of these oscillations increased as electrosensory salience was degraded via increases in conductivity. In addition, tail bending (1.5 to 2.35 Hz), which has been reported to enhance electrosensory perception, occurred only during trials in the dark. These data show that both categories of movements – whole-body oscillations and tail bends – actively shape the spatiotemporal dynamics of electrosensory feedback.
Fracture toughness of locust cuticle
Authors: Dirks Jan-Henning , Taylor David 
Published: April 2012

SUMMARYInsect cuticle is one of the most common biological materials, yet very little is known about its mechanical properties. Many parts of the insect exoskeleton, such as the jumping legs of locusts, have to withstand high and repeated loading without failure. This paper presents the first measurements of fracture toughness for insect cuticle using a standard engineering approach. Our results show that the fracture toughness of cuticle in locust hind legs is 4.12 MPa m1/2 and decreases with desiccation of the cuticle. Stiffness and strength of the tibia cuticle were measured using buckling and cantilever bending and increased with desiccation. A combination of the cuticle’s high toughness with a relatively low stiffness of 3.05 GPa results in a work of fracture of 5.56 kJ m–2, which is amongst the highest of any biological material, giving the insect leg an exceptional ability to tolerate defects such as cracks and damage. Interestingly, insect cuticle achieves these unique properties without using reinforcement by a mineral phase, which is often found in other biological composite materials. These findings thus might inspire the development of new biomimetic composite materials.
Developmental phenotypic plasticity in a marsupial
Authors: Riek Alexander , Geiser Fritz 
Published: April 2012

SUMMARY
Climate change is likely to substantially affect the distribution ranges of species. However, little is known about how different mammalian taxa respond morphologically and physiologically to a rapid change of climate. Our objective was to provide the first quantitative data on the effect of continuous cold exposure during development on morphological and functional variables of a marsupial. Fat-tailed dunnarts (Sminthopsis crassicaudata, Dasyuridae) were reared at an ambient temperature (Ta) of 16°C [cold-reared (CR)] or 22°C [warm-reared (WR)] until they reached adult age (&gt;200 days). Body and head length of CR animals were significantly longer than in WR animals (mean ± s.e.m.; body: CR 80.8±6 mm, WR 76.4±5 mm; head: CR 29.4±3 mm, WR 27.5±2 mm), but other body attributes were not significantly different. Use of torpor was more frequent, torpor bout duration was longer and average daily metabolic rate and percentage of savings when using torpor were significantly higher (P&lt;0.01) in CR than in WR animals at 16°C Ta but not at 24°C. Furthermore, resting metabolic rates measured at 16°C Ta were significantly lower in CR than WR animals; at 30°C Ta values were similar. Our results do not conform to Allen’s rule, but to some extent they do conform to Bergmann’s rule. However, the data demonstrate that a relatively moderate cold exposure from birth until adulthood induces marked changes in the morphology and thermal energetics of small marsupials. Such short-term phenotypic responses without the need for long-term selection are likely important for the ability to cope with different climates over a wide range of distribution, but will also play a crucial role in enhancing the survival of species during climate change.
Network Traces on Penetration: Uncovering Degree Distribution from Adoption Data
Authors: Dover Yaniv , Goldenberg Jacob , Shapira Daniel 
Published: April 2012

We show how networks modify the diffusion curve by affecting its symmetry. We demonstrate that a network's degree distribution has a significant impact on the contagion properties of the subsequent adoption process, and we propose a method for uncovering the degree distribution of the adopter network underlying the dissemination process, based exclusively on limited early-stage penetration data. In this paper we propose and empirically validate a unified network-based growth model that links network structure and penetration patterns. Specifically, using external sources of information, we confirm that each network degree distribution identified by the model matches the actual social network that is underlying the dissemination process. We also show empirically that the same method can be used to forecast adoption using an estimation of the degree distribution and the diffusion parameters at an early stage (15%) of the penetration process. We confirm that these forecasts are significantly superior to those of three benchmark models of diffusion. Our empirical analysis indicates that under heavily right-skewed degree distribution conditions (such as scale-free networks), the majority of adopters (in some cases, up to 75%) join the process after the sales peak. This strong asymmetry is a result of the unique interaction between the dissemination process and the degree distribution of its underlying network.
Error Prevention Strategies for Strong Iodine Solution; Do Not Use an Insulin Pen for Multiple Patients
Authors: Cohen Michael R. , Smetzer Judy L. 
Published: April 2012

These medication errors have occurred in health care facilities at least once. They will happen again—perhaps where you work. Through education and alertness of personnel and procedural safeguards, they can be avoided. You should consider publishing accounts of errors in your newsletters and/or presenting them at your inservice training programs. Your assistance is required to continue this feature. The reports described here were received through the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) Medication Errors Reporting Program. Any reports published by ISMP will be anonymous. Comments are also invited; the writers' names will be published if desired. ISMP may be contacted at the address shown below. Errors, close calls, or hazardous conditions may be reported directly to ISMP through the ISMP Web site ( www.ismp.org ), by calling 800-FAIL-SAFE, or via e-mail at ismpinfo@ismp.org . ISMP guarantees the confidentiality and security of the information received and respects reporters' wishes as to the level of detail included in publications.
Symptomatic Bradycardia, Syncope, and Prolonged QTc Interval Associated with Dronedarone Therapy
Authors: Eppert Heather Draper , Goddard Kara B. 
Published: April 2012

Objective To report a case of symptomatic bradycardia, prolonged QT interval, and syncope associated with dronedarone in a patient with atrial fibrillation who was maintained in sinus rhythm. Case Summary A 58-year-old man presented to the emergency department with a chief complaint of chest pain and “passing out.” Three months prior, dronedarone had been initiated for maintenance of sinus rhythm. An initial electrocardiogram (ECG) revealed normal sinus rhythm with a prolonged corrected QT (QTc) interval of 645 ms. Upon hospital admission, dronedarone was discontinued. Approximately 17 hours after hospitalization and 35 hours after the last ingested dronedarone dose, a repeat ECG revealed a QTc interval of 457 ms, and the patient reported symptomatic improvement. The patient was discharged home after a 3-day hospital stay without further event. The Naranjo Adverse Drug Reaction Probability Scale indicated a probable relationship between the patient's symptoms and dronedarone. Discussion Dronedarone is an antiarrhythmic drug that exhibits multiple mechanisms of action, including potassium, sodium, and calcium channel blockade, in addition to antiadrenegic activity. In clinical evaluations of dronedarone therapy, dronedarone was associated with a mean decrease in resting heart rate and potential to prolong the QT interval by 10 ms. These effects may result in clinically significant outcomes, as was observed in this patient. Conclusions This case of symptomatic bradycardia and prolonged QTc interval emphasizes the importance of monitoring the heart rate and ECG in patients prescribed dronedarone, particularly in those on concomitant drug therapy that may precipitate these events.
Extended Stability of Magnesium Sulfate Infusions Prepared in Polyolefin Bags
Authors: Sayre Brian E. , Prettyman Terrence , Kaushal Gagan 
Published: April 2012

Purpose To investigate the stability of extemporaneously compounded 50 g per 600 mL magnesium sulfate parenteral solution diluted in Lactated Ringer's solution. Methods The sterile preparations of magnesium sulfate were compounded in accordance with USP <797> standards. To carry out the stability testing, these products were stored under 3 different temperature conditions of −20°C, 2°C to 6°C, and 22°C to 25°C. Under the stability studies, pH, particulate matter, and the active content were monitored for 30 days. Results Magnesium sulfate infusions are stable for 30 days when stored at −20°C or 2°C to 6 °C and stable for 30 days under all the temperature conditions studied. These data demonstrate that magnesium sulfate infusions have an extended physical and chemical stability after preparation. Conclusions The stability analysis results show that the shelf-life observed was far better than their recommended expiration dates. This will allow the hospitals to give longer dating to magnesium sulfate preparations, provided they are prepared in a sterile environment and are in compliance with USP <797> guidelines.
Artemether-Lumefantrine: An Option for Malaria
Authors: Stover Kayla R , King S Travis , Robinson Jessica 
Published: April 2012

Objective: To review the pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, safety, and efficacy of artemether-lumefantrine for the treatment of Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Data Sources: English-language articles indexed in PubMed (1947-November 2011) were identified, using the search terms artemether-lumefantrine, artemether-lumefantrine AND malaria, Coartem, and Coartem AND malaria. Study Selection and Data Extraction: Available English-language articles were reviewed. In addition, the malaria treatment regimens recommended by region as provided by the World Health Organization and the treatment guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were reviewed. Data Synthesis: Artemether-lumefantrine is an artemisinin-derived combination antimalarial approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2009 for the treatment of P. falciparum malaria. The dual mechanisms of action of artemether-lumefantrine provide rapid and sustained parasite clearance. In the reviewed studies, the polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-corrected 28-day cure rates of artemether-lumefantrine were noninferior to the most common comparators, including chloroquine, dapsone, and other artemisinin derivatives (86-100% vs 51-100%, respectively). PCR-corrected day-42 cure rates were 92-99.3% for artemether-lumefantrine versus 62-100% for the comparator groups. The major adverse effects (gastrointestinal and central nervous system) were mild to moderate in severity and did not require a change in therapy. Although adherence to artemether-lumefantrine has been described as a potential problem due to the complicated dosing schedule, studies have described clinical cure rates similar to those of other antimalarials. Conclusions: Artemether-lumefantrine is a safe and effective treatment for children and adults with P. falciparum malaria.
Interactions between small pelagic fish and young cod across the North Atlantic
Authors: Minto Cóilín , Worm Boris 
Published: April 2012

Species interactions that play out over large spatial scales are difficult to observe, particularly in the oceans. The current lack of empirical evidence for biologically meaningful interaction parameters likely delays the application of holistic management procedures. Here we estimate interactions during the early life history of fish across regions. We present separate and hierarchical Bayesian models that estimate the direction and strength of interactions between Atlantic cod and dominant pelagic fishes across much of their range in the North Atlantic. We test the hypothesis that small pelagic fish may reduce survival of cod at early life stages, and thereby contribute to the delayed recovery of depleted cod populations.Significant regional variation exists between cod recruitment and Atlantic herring abundance with eight of 14 regions displaying a negative relationship, four regions displaying no relationship, and a positive relationship observed in two regions. In contrast, most regions where Atlantic mackerel co‐occurs showed no relationship with cod recruitment, with the possible exception of Gulf of St. Lawrence and Celtic Sea regions. Regions with sprat or capelin as dominant pelagics also displayed weak or no relationship, although the probability of a negative interaction with sprat increased when time series autocorrelation was accounted for. Overall, the interaction between herring and young cod was found to be negative with 94% probability, while the probability of negative interactions with mackerel was only 68%. Our findings suggest that the strength of predation or competition effects on young cod varies among small pelagic species but appears consistently for Atlantic herring; this effect may need to be considered in recovery trajectories for depleted cod populations. The methods introduced here are applicable in the investigation of species interactions from time series data collected across different study systems.
Modernity/Coloniality and Eurocentric Education: Towards a Post-Occidental Self-Understanding of the Present
Authors: Baker Michael 
Published: April 2012

This article sketches a post-Occidental interpretation of the historical/conceptual relationships between modern western education and European civilizational identity formation. Modern western education will be interpreted as a modern/colonial institution that emerged along with the sixteenth-century responses to the questions provoked by the breakup of medieval Christendom and the discovery of the Americas: What is man? Where does he come from? Where is he going? Modern western education and European civilizational identity, as distinct from Christendom, emerged together (simultaneous and interrelated) during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries within the initial formation of a global structural dynamic designed for governing the social world, both within and beyond Europe. Modern western education is a central institution within the ongoing disciplinary projects of modernity and its differentiated reproduction of particular subjectivities. This perspective problematizes the Euro-American historiography of modernity along with the contemporary historical self-understanding of modern western education. From this perspective, the self-understanding of modern western education (both metropolitan and colonial) emerged and remains largely embedded within the conceptual and historical framework identified here as Occidentalism. This article concludes with a proposal for rethinking education within an ecology of knowledges, articulated by Boaventura de Sousa Santos. Post-Occidental reasoning contributes to the recognition and inclusion of the multiplicity of knowledge systems occluded by the hegemony of western epistemology and Eurocentric education. Modern (European) civilization understands itself as the most developed, the superior, civilization; This sense of superiority obliges it, in the form of a categorical imperative, as it were, to ‘develop’ (civilize, uplift, educate) the more primitive, barbarous, underdeveloped civilizations; The path of such development should be that followed by Europe in its own development out of antiquity and the Middle Ages; Where the barbarians or the primitive opposes the civilizing process, the praxis of modernity must, in the last instance, have recourse to the violence necessary to remove the obstacles to modernization. (Dussel, 1995, p. 75)
L'argent dans la cure au temps de Freud
Authors: Sédat Jacques 
Published: April 2012

Résumé Les positions personnelles et théoriques de Freud sur le rôle l’argent dans la cure sont loin d’être univoques. Freud expose le rôle exigible de l’argent dans la cure, dans le texte « Sur l’engagement du traitement » en 1913. Mais, après la guerre de 1914-18, Freud s’oriente vers une position plus favorable à la gratuité des soins pour les plus démunis, ce qui sera mis en pratique dans la Polyclinique de Berlin, en 1920.
Le premier transfert : s'arracher à la suggestion du somatique
Authors: Villa François 
Published: April 2012

Résumé Ce texte est né à la suite de la relecture de L’interprétation des rêves dans la nouvelle traduction des Œuvres complètes , le commentaire que Freud fait à propos du rêve où il figure montant un cheval gris mérite que nous lui portions attention. Par rapport à ce rêve qui est apparu sous la contrainte du stimulus douloureux que constituait un furoncle à la base du scrotum, Freud note que le rêve lui “désuggéra” le furoncle . Faut-il reconnaître dans cette formulation, l’esquisse d’une théorie sur l’une des fonctions du rêve, du traitement psychique : permettre de s’arracher à la suggestion que l’expérience vécue somatique exercerait ? N’est-ce pas là une voie d’entrée pour penser l’obscure notion de refoulement organique ? Y a-t-il vraiment lieu de généraliser ce qui est formulé à l’occasion de ce rêve ? C’est cette éventualité qui est, ici examiné depuis la névrose de transfert.
Compétitivité et performances macroéconomiques en Allemagne : suivez le guide ?
Authors: Heylen Freddy , Buyse Tim 
Published: April 2012

Résumé Dans cet article, nous décrivons et évaluons les performances macroéconomiques de l’Allemagne au cours de la décennie écoulée. Nous analysons la formation des salaires, la compétitivité et les performances à l’exportation. Nous nous demandons également dans quelle mesure le modèle allemand est performant au regard des défis à long terme posés par le vieillissement démographique et par le besoin de renforcer l’emploi et la croissance économique. Nous comparons l’Allemagne à plusieurs autres pays européens, parmi lesquels la Belgique et les pays scandinaves. Nous en concluons que le succès du modèle allemand est partiel. Le « pays-guide » ne convainc pas en certains points importants, comme les investissements dans le capital humain et la pleine exploitation du potentiel de main-d’œuvre. Code JEL : E23, E24, J2, O57
Les pôles de compétitivité : un nouvel instrument de la politique industrielle de la Wallonie
Authors: Bayenet Benoît , Capron Henri 
Published: April 2012

Résumé Au cours de ces dix dernières années, nous avons assisté dans le monde entier à l’émergence de politiques de « clustering ». Les clusters étant des agglomérations spatiales d’industries et de services colocalisés, la dimension régionale joue un rôle déterminant dans l’élaboration des nouvelles politiques industrielles mises en œuvre par les pays européens et la Commission européenne. En 2005, la Wallonie a lancé une nouvelle politique industrielle axée sur la création de pôles de compétitivité. L’objectif consistait à mettre en réseau des entreprises, centres de recherche et établissements d’enseignement afin de stimuler la création de nouvelles richesses et de nouveaux emplois par le financement de projets innovants. À ce jour, les autorités wallonnes ont soutenu le développement de six pôles dans le cadre de la mise en œuvre des Plans Marshall et Marshall 2.vert. Le choix des pôles a été opéré sur la base d’un processus mixte combinant les approches ascendante et descendante. Le présent article a pour but de décrire la procédure mise en œuvre par les autorités wallonnes et d’examiner le positionnement européen des pôles wallons. Codes JEL : R58, R38, R11
Two Teenage Males with Hypocalcemia and Elevated Parathyroid Hormone Levels
Authors: Shoemaker Ashley H. , Bremer Andrew A. 
Published: April 2012

Vitamin D deficiency is not a rare disorder, particularly in minority groups. The Institute of Medicine recommends serum 25-hydroxyvitamin (OH)D levels >20 ng/mL and The Endocrine Society recommends levels >30 ng/mL for good health. In contrast, the 2003–2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey reported average total 25-(OH)D concentrations of 25.6 ± 0.4 ng/mL in whites, 19.5 ± 0.5 ng/mL in Mexican Americans, and 14.8 ± 0.4 ng/mL in blacks. Pediatric patients with vitamin D deficiency may be asymptomatic or may present either with rickets, hypocalcemia, or seizures.
Pseudohypoparathyroidism (PHP) is a rare disorder characterized by parathyroid hormone (PTH) resistance with (type 1a) or without (type 1b) the Albright Hereditary Os-teodystrophy (AHO) phenotype of short stature, brachydactyly, and mental retardation. Patients with PHP have elevated PTH levels and may have hyperphosphatemia and hypocalcemia. However, the same laboratory values can be seen in children with vitamin D deficiency, and diagnostic confusion is common. We report two cases of vitamin D deficiency with presentations suggestive of PHP.