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Certain Areas (certain + area)
Selected AbstractsWild Flowers at WakehurstCURTIS'S BOTANICAL MAGAZINE, Issue 1 2004Arthur Hoare Summary. There are over three hundred species of native or naturalised plants found growing wild in Wakehurst Place. Certain areas away from the formal beds have been left wild, but are managed for the encouragement of wild flowers and a visitor taking a gentle stroll around the gardens will have no difficulty in finding many of them. [source] Multi-sensor track-to-track fusion via linear minimum variance sense estimatorsASIAN JOURNAL OF CONTROL, Issue 3 2008Li-Wei Fong Abstract An integrated approach that consists of sensor-based filtering algorithms, local processors, and a global processor is employed to describe the distributed fusion problem when several sensors execute surveillance over a certain area. For the sensor tracking systems, each filtering algorithm utilized in the reference Cartesian coordinate system is presented for target tracking, with the radar measuring range, bearing, and elevation angle in the spherical coordinate system (SCS). For the local processors, each track-to-track fusion algorithm is used to merge two tracks representing the same target. The number of 2-combinations of a set with N distinct sensors is considered for central track fusion. For the global processor, the data fusion algorithms, simplified maximum likelihood (SML) estimator and covariance matching method (CMM), based on linear minimum variance (LMV) estimation fusion theory, are developed for use in a centralized track-to-track fusion situation. The resulting global fusers can be implemented in a parallel structure to facilitate estimation fusion calculation. Simulation results show that the proposed SML estimator has a more robust capability of improving tracking accuracy than the CMM and the LMV estimators. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley and Sons Asia Pte Ltd and Chinese Automatic Control Society [source] Treatment of Vitiligo on Difficult-to-Treat Sites Using Autologous Noncultured Cellular GraftingDERMATOLOGIC SURGERY, Issue 1 2009SANJEEV V. MULEKAR MD BACKGROUND Because of the limitations of medical treatment, various surgical therapies have been developed and are being accepted to treat vitiligo. However, certain areas such as the fingers and toes, palms and soles, lips, eyelids, nipples and areolas, elbows and knees, and genitals are considered difficult-to-treat areas. OBJECTIVE To evaluate data pertaining to individual sites considered to be difficult to treat and highlight that noncultured melanocyte,keratinocyte transplantation (MKT) does not require any special precautions to treat these anatomical sites. METHODS AND MATERIALS Forty patients (13 male and 27 female) with bilateral vitiligo and nine (4 male and 5 female) with unilateral vitiligo were treated using noncultured MKT, for "difficult-to-treat" sites at the National Center for Vitiligo and Psoriasis, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and were analyzed for response according to region. Repigmentation was graded as excellent with 95% to 100% pigmentation, good with 65% to 94%, fair with 25% to 64%, and poor with 0% to 24% of the treated area. RESULTS For bilateral vitiligo, more than 50% of patients treated for difficult sites showed more than 65% repigmentation of the treated areas. For unilateral vitiligo, all of the patients except for two treated for the eyelids showed more than 65% repigmentation of the treated area. CONCLUSIONS The concept of a "difficult-to-treat site" is a relative term and depends upon the technique used. The noncultured MKT does not require any special precautions to treat these anatomical sites. This review may help physicians to change the concept of "difficult-to-treat site." [source] The implications of different species concepts for describing biodiversity patterns and assessing conservation needs for African birdsECOGRAPHY, Issue 5 2005Shaun Dillon It has been suggested that switching from the widely used Biological Species Concept to a Phylogenetic Species Concept, would result in the appearance of hitherto neglected patterns of endemism. The problem has mainly been analyzed with respect to endemic taxa and for rather limited geographical regions, but will here be analysed for the entire resident avifauna of sub-Saharan Africa. A database of African bird distributions was re-edited to create two new datasets representing 1572 biological species and 2098 phylogenetic species. Species richness patterns were virtually identical with the two taxonomies, and only subtle changes were found in the geographical variation in range-size rarity sum. However, there were some differences in the most range-restricted species, with increased complexity of long-recognized centres of endemism. Overall, then, the large-scale biogeographic patterns are robust to changes in species concepts. This reflects the aggregated nature of endemism, with certain areas acting as "species pumps" and large intervening areas being characterised by a predominance of widespread species which distribute themselves in accordance with contemporary environmental conditions. The percentages of phylogenetic and threatened species captured in a BSC near-minimum set of 64 grid-cells and a PSC near-maximum set, with the same number of grid-cells, are very similar. [source] Variations in ,-Hexachlorocyclohexane enantiomer ratios in relation to microbial activity in a temperate estuaryENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 7 2003Tiruponithura V. Padma Abstract Changes in the enantiomer ratios (ERs) of chiral pollutants in the environment are often considered evidence of biological alteration despite the lack of data on causal or mechanistic relationships between microbial parameters and ER values. Enantiomer ratios that deviate from 1:1 in the environment provide evidence for the preferential microbial degradation of one enantiomer, whereas ER values equal to 1 provide no evidence for microbial degradation and may mistakenly be interpreted as evidence that biodegradation is not important. In an attempt to link biological and geochemical information related to enantioselective processes, we measured the ERs of the chiral pesticide ,-hexachlorocyclohexane (,-HCH) and bacterial activity (normalized to abundance) in surface waters of the York River (VA, USA) bimonthly throughout one year. Despite lower overall ,-HCH concentrations, ,-HCH ER values were unexpectedly close to 1:1 in the freshwater region of the estuary with the highest bacterial activity. In contrast, ER values were nonracemic (ER , 1) and ,-HCH concentrations were significantly higher in the higher salinity region of the estuary, where bacterial activity was lower. Examination of these data may indicate that racemic environmental ER values are not necessarily reflective of a lack of biodegradation or recent input into the environment, and that nonenantioselective biodegradation may be important in certain areas. [source] Comparative distribution of the mammalian mediator subunit thyroid hormone receptor-associated protein (TRAP220) mRNA in developing and adult rodent brainEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, Issue 4 2002Anastasia Galeeva Abstract TRAP220 (thyroid hormone receptor-associated protein) is a recently cloned nuclear receptor coactivator, which interacts with several nuclear receptors in a ligand-dependent manner and stimulates transcription by recruiting the TRAP mediator complex to hormone responsive promoter regions. TRAP220 has been shown to interact with thyroid hormone receptors, vitamin D receptors, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors, retinoic acid receptors and oestrogen receptors. Thyroid hormone and retinoic acid play very important roles in brain development and they also influence adult brain. Using in situ hybridization we have examined expression of TRAP220 mRNA in the central nervous system during development and in adult rat and mouse brain. Expression of TRAP220 was seen already during early embryonic development in the epithelium of neural tube at E9 in mouse and at E12 in rat. At later stages of development the strongest signal was seen in different layers of cerebral neocortex, external germinal layer of cerebellum, differentiating fields of hippocampus and neuroepithelium, and a moderate signal was detected in basal ganglia, different areas of diencephalon and midbrain. In adult rat brain the signal was more restricted than during development. TRAP220 expression occurred mostly in the granular layer of cerebellar cortex, piriform cortex and hippocampal formation. The signal was found predominantly in neurons. Our work supports the assumption that TRAP220 plays an important role in growth and differentiation of central nervous system and may have a function in certain areas of adult brain. [source] Constitutionalism and Dissonances: Has Europe Paid Off Its Debt to Functionalism?EUROPEAN LAW JOURNAL, Issue 3 2009Marco Dani This impression seems confirmed by the recent Presidency Conclusions of the European Council which, although salvaging many important solutions contained in the Constitutional Treaty, explicitly sanction that ,the constitutional concept . . . is abandoned'. In the light of this context, what role could the constitutional scholarship play? How to make sense of a polity in which the claims of constitutionalism as a form of power are politically unappealing though legally plausible? This article tries to respond to these questions by reaffirming functionalism as a valid analytical and normative perspective in facing the current constitutional reality of European integration. The analytical value associated with functionalism is evidenced by testing against the current context of the EU legal framework the accounts for EU constitutionalism which postulate functional equivalence between the EU and the Member States. The normative potential of functionalism, then, is discussed by arguing that there may be a value worth preserving in a degree of functional discrepancy between the EU and state constitutionalism and, notably, that the transformative and civilising dividend inherent in functionalism could still be exploited, at least in certain areas of EU policy making. Finally, the article suggests that the difficulties in accounting for EU constitutionalism in the light of state-centred constitutional theory could be regarded as symptoms of European integration marking a moment in the theoretical evolution of constitutionalism. [source] Still in Deficit: Rights, Regulation, and Democracy in the EU1EUROPEAN LAW JOURNAL, Issue 6 2006Richard Bellamy Recently two groups of theorists have argued neither deficit need prove problematic. The first group adopts a rights-based view of democracy and claims that a European consensus on rights, as represented by the Charter of Fundamental European Rights, can offer the basis of citizen allegiance to EU wide democracy, thereby overcoming the demos deficit. The second group adopts a public-interest view of democracy and argues that so long as delegated authorities enact policies that are ,for' the people, then the absence of institutional forms that facilitate democracy ,by' the people are likewise unnecessary,indeed, in certain areas they may be positively harmful. This article argues that both views are normatively and empirically flawed. This is because there is no consensus on rights or the public interest apart from the majority view of a demos secured through parliamentary institutions. To the extent that these remain absent at the EU level, a democratic deficit continues to exist. [source] Advice Given to Parents on Welcoming a Second Child: A Critical Review,FAMILY RELATIONS, Issue 1 2002Laurie Kramer A review of popular press books and articles for parents published between 1975 and 2000 was conducted to delineate the areas in which the advice given to parents about the transition to a second child is consistent with or diverges from the results of relevant research. Although popular advice reflects available research in certain areas (e.g., encouraging sibling caregiving), research to substantiate other directives (e.g., sibling preparation classes) is lacking. Key research findings about how to promote harmonious sibling relationships often are not represented in popular writings. These results highlight the need for researchers and popular press writers to acknowledge their complementary roles in disseminating information. [source] INTEGRATED LANDSCAPE ANALYSES OF CHANGE OF MIOMBO WOODLAND IN TANZANIA AND ITS IMPLICATION FOR ENVIRONMENT AND HUMAN LIVELIHOODGEOGRAFISKA ANNALER SERIES A: PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY, Issue 1 2009LENNART STRÖMQUIST ABSTRACT. Landscapes bear witness to past and present natural and societal processes influencing the environment and human livelihoods. By analysing landscape change at different spatial scales over time the effects on the environment and human livelihoods of various external and internal driving forces of change can be studied. This paper presents such an analysis of miombo woodland surrounding the Mkata plains in central Tanzania. The rich natural landscape diversity of the study area in combination with its historical and political development makes it an ideal observation ground for this kind of study. The paper focuses on long-term physical and biological changes, mainly based on satellite information but also on field studies and a review of documents and literature. The miombo woodlands are highly dynamic semi-arid ecosystems found on a number of nutrient-poor soil groups. Most of the woodlands are related to an old, low-relief geomorphology of erosion surfaces with relatively deep and leached soils, or to a lesser extent also on escarpments and steep Inselberg slopes with poor soils. Each period in the past has cast its footprints on the landscape development and its potential for a sustainable future use. On a regional level there has been a continual decrease in forest area over time. Expansion of agriculture around planned villages, implemented during the 1970s, in some cases equals the loss of forest area (Mikumi-Ulaya), whilst in other areas (Kitulangalo), the pre-independence loss of woodland was small; the agricultural area was almost the same during the period 1975,1999, despite the fact that forests have been lost at an almost constant rate over the same period. Illegal logging and charcoal production are likely causes because of the proximity to the main highway running through the area. Contrasting to the general regional pattern are the conditions in a traditional village (Ihombwe), with low immigration of people and a maintained knowledge of the resource potential of the forest with regards to edible plants and animals. In this area the local community has control of the forest resources in a Forest Reserve, within which the woody vegetation has increased in spite of an expansion of agriculture on other types of village land. The mapping procedure has shown that factors such as access to transport and lack of local control have caused greater deforestation of certain areas than during the colonial period. Planned villages have furthermore continued to expand over forest areas well after their implementation, rapidly increasing the landscape fragmentation. One possible way to maintain landscape and biodiversity values is by the sustainable use of traditional resources, based on local knowledge of their management as illustrated by the little change observed in the traditionally used area. [source] Foraging technique and prey-handling time in black-necked stork (Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus)INTEGRATIVE ZOOLOGY (ELECTRONIC), Issue 4 2008Gopinathan MAHESWARAN Abstract The foraging technique and prey-handling time of the black-necked stork (Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus) was studied in Dudhwa National Park, India, from January 1996 to June 1997. The habitat in which the storks foraged played an important role in selecting a particular technique to procure food. Black-necked storks mostly foraged using a tactile technique (>90%), but sometimes foraged visually. When the water level was estimated to be less than 60 cm, the storks foraged using tactile techniques. There was no difference in the feeding techniques of male and female storks. Foraging attempt rates varied between the sexes in summer (May) and during late winter (February) in 1997. The search time for prey increased when the water level was high and fish were widely distributed. Decreases in water level resulted in concentration offish in certain areas and this contributed to high fish-catching rates by black-necked storks. Males had a higher success rate offish capture than females. However, females captured longer fish than males. Prey-handling time increased in both sexes as fish length increased. Fish 4,6 cm long were most frequently taken by the foraging storks. [source] Preparation and properties of ,-chitin-whisker-reinforced hyaluronan,gelatin nanocomposite scaffoldsJOURNAL OF APPLIED POLYMER SCIENCE, Issue 6 2010Parintorn Hariraksapitak Abstract Tissue scaffolds made of naturally derived polymers present poor mechanical properties, which may limit their actual utilization in certain areas where high strength is a key criterion. This study was aimed at developing tissue scaffolds from a 50 : 50 w/w blend of hyaluronan (HA) and gelatin (Gel) that contained different amounts of acid-hydrolyzed ,-chitin whiskers (CWs) by a freeze-drying method. The weight ratios of the CWs to the blend were 0,30%. These scaffolds were characterized for their physical, physicochemical, mechanical, and biological properties. Regardless of the CW content, the average pore size of the scaffolds ranged between 139 and 166 ,m. The incorporation of 2% CWs in the HA,Gel scaffolds increased their tensile strength by about two times compared to those of the other groups of the scaffolds. Although the addition of 20,30% CWs in the scaffolds improved their thermal stability and resistance to biodegradation, the scaffolds with 10% CWs were the best for supporting the proliferation of cultured human osteosarcoma cells (SaOS-2). © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010 [source] Richness and diversity of helminth communities in tropical freshwater fishes: empirical evidenceJOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY, Issue 4 2000Anindo Choudhury Abstract Aim Published information on the richness and diversity of helminth parasite communities in tropical freshwater fishes is reviewed in response to expectations of species-rich parasite communities in tropical regions. Location Areas covered include the tropics and some subtropical areas. In addition, the north temperate area of the nearctic zone is included for comparison. Methods Data from 159 communities in 118 species of tropical freshwater fish, summarized from 46 published studies, were used for this review. Parasite community descriptors used in the analyses included component community richness and calculated mean species richness. Data from 130 communities in 47 species of nearctic north temperate freshwater fish were summarized from 31 studies and used for comparison. Results The component helminth communities of many tropical freshwater fish are species-poor, and considerable proportions of fish from certain parts of the tropics, e.g. West African drainages, are uninfected or lightly infected. Mean helminth species richness was low and equaled or exceeded 2.0 in only 22 of 114 communities. No single group of helminths was identified as a dominant component of the fauna and species composition was variable among and within broader geographical areas. The richest enteric helminth assemblages were found in mochokid and clariid catfish with a mixed carnivorous diet, whereas algal feeders, herbivores and detritivores generally had species-poor gut helminth communities. Comparisons indicated that certain areas in the north temperate region had higher helminth species richness in fishes than areas in the tropics. Main conclusions Expectations of high species richness in helminth communities of tropical freshwater fishes are not fulfilled by the data. Direct comparisons of infracommunities and component communities in host species across widely separated phylogenetic and geographical lines are inappropriate. Examination of latitudinal differences in richness of monophyletic parasite groups or of compound communities may uncover patterns different from those found in this study. Richness of helminth communities may be ultimately determined not by the number of host species present but by the degree of divergence of host lineages and by their diversification modes. A phylogenetic framework for hosts and parasites will reveal if increased host species richness within host clades, when host speciation is accompanied by habitat or diet specialization, or both, leads to lower helminth diversity in host species by fragmentation of a core helminth fauna characteristic or specific of the larger host clade. This pattern may be analysed in the context of cospeciation and acquisition from other unrelated hosts (host-sharing or host-switching). [source] Greening of the Tooth,Amalgam Interface during Extended 10% Carbamide Peroxide Bleaching of Tetracycline-Stained Teeth: A Case ReportJOURNAL OF ESTHETIC AND RESTORATIVE DENTISTRY, Issue 1 2002VAN B. HAYWOOD DMD ABSTRACT At-home bleaching with 10% carbamide peroxide in a custom-fitted tray has been shown to have some minor effects on certain brands of amalgam, pertaining to mercury release, but generally, effects on amalgam are not considered clinically significant. However, in this case report, a greening of the tooth structure in certain areas immediately adjacent to amalgam restorations in the maxillary and mandibular first molars occurred during tooth whitening. Other amalgam restorations in mandibular and maxillary second molars in the same mouth did not demonstrate any green discoloration of the teeth. Upon removal of the affected amalgam restorations, recurrent decay was present in the areas of tooth greening but not in other areas adjacent to the restoration. The teeth were restored with posterior composite restorations. Whether the green discoloration was a result of some loss of material from a particular brand of amalgam, indicating leakage, or indicative of original or recurrent tooth decay is unclear in this single-patient situation. Other patients in the same study did not demonstrate this occurrence. Dentists should be ready to replace amalgam restorations should this green discoloration in adjacent tooth structure occur during bleaching, in case decay is present. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE The unusual discoloration cited suggests that amalgam restorations in potentially esthetic areas, including the lingual of anterior teeth, should be replaced prior to bleaching, to avoid the problem of difficult stain removal or translucency allowing restoration visibility following bleaching. [source] Sperm ultrastructure of the spider crab Maja brachydactyla (Decapoda: Brachyura)JOURNAL OF MORPHOLOGY, Issue 4 2010Carles G. Simeó Abstract This study describes the morphology of the sperm cell of Maja brachydactyla, with emphasis on localizing actin and tubulin. The spermatozoon of M. brachydactyla is similar in appearance and organization to other brachyuran spermatozoa. The spermatozoon is a globular cell composed of a central acrosome, which is surrounded by a thin layer of cytoplasm and a cup-shaped nucleus with four radiating lateral arms. The acrosome is a subspheroidal vesicle composed of three concentric zones surrounded by a capsule. The acrosome is apically covered by an operculum. The perforatorium penetrates the center of the acrosome and has granular material partially composed of actin. The cytoplasm contains one centriole in the subacrosomal region. A cytoplasmic ring encircles the acrosome in the subapical region of the cell and contains the structures-organelles complex (SO-complex), which is composed of a membrane system, mitochondria with few cristae, and microtubules. In the nucleus, slightly condensed chromatin extends along the lateral arms, in which no microtubules have been observed. Chromatin fibers aggregate in certain areas and are often associated with the SO-complex. During the acrosomal reaction, the acrosome could provide support for the penetration of the sperm nucleus, the SO-complex could serve as an anchor point for chromatin, and the lateral arms could play an important role triggering the acrosomal reaction, while slightly decondensed chromatin may be necessary for the deformation of the nucleus. J. Morphol., 2010. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Infantile haemangiomas: a challenge in paediatric dermatologyJOURNAL OF THE EUROPEAN ACADEMY OF DERMATOLOGY & VENEREOLOGY, Issue 6 2010RA Schwartz Abstract Infantile haemangiomas, common benign vascular tumours of childhood, are characterized by rapid growth during the first year of life and a slow regression that is usually completed at 7,10 years of age. These tumours are composed of endothelial cells with high mitotic rates and stromal components such as fibroblasts, mast cells and pericytes. Haemangiomas become a challenge when they are part of a syndrome, are located in certain areas of the body or when complications develop. The above-mentioned factors also influence the treatment modality used. However, although there remain many uncertainties regarding management, the ,-adrenergic receptor blocker propranolol is a promising new candidate for first-line systemic therapy. It produces such a dramatic and rapid response that the appearance of an infantile haemangioma should impart expeditious consideration of the risks and benefits of its use. [source] Fallow cultivation system and farmers' resource management in Niger, West AfricaLAND DEGRADATION AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 3 2002A. Wezel Abstract A survey was carried out in 136 farm-households from seven villages in 1995 and 1996 to analyse the traditional fallow cultivation system in Niger. Farmers were asked to give information about land use on their fields, focusing on cropping and fallow periods as well as on cultivation changes compared to the past. In addition, they were interviewed about their management strategies to maintain or improve soil fertility. Millet-based systems clearly dominate at all sites, either in pure form or intercropped with cowpea, groundnut, sorghum or roselle. At present, almost half of all farmers cultivate their fields on average up to 5 years until it is left fallow. About one-third use their fields permanently. Most farmers use short fallow periods of 1 to 5 years. Moreover, there was a decrease in the cropping area left fallow, and the fallow period also decreased steadily in the past years. In the mid-1970s the average fallow period was about 8 years, decreasing to 2.5 years in 1996. The actual fallow periods are too short to allow sufficient positive effects on soil fertility and farmers are aware of this problem. Consequently, farmers employ different fertilization techniques which aim at maintaining or restoring the soil nutrient pool of the fields while providing physical protection against wind and water erosion. Most farmers use animal manure to improve soil fertility and apply mulch from different sources, millet stalks and branches, for soil regeneration. Few farmers employ other strategies such as mineral fertilizer or planting pits. The farmers try to optimize the use of internal and external resources resulting in a mixture of different fertilization and soil protection methods. Internal resources play by far the most important role. Due to the generally limited resource availability farmers concentrate their management efforts on certain areas within each field or on selected fields only. This means a decreased crop production for the individual household and a higher risk of soil degradation because of soil mining or increased erosion risk on the field area where soil fertility management cannot be practised. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Natural hybridization and the evolution of domesticated, pest and disease organismsMOLECULAR ECOLOGY, Issue 5 2004Michael L. Arnold Abstract The role of natural hybridization in the evolutionary history of numerous species is well recognized. The impact of introgressive hybridization and hybrid speciation has been documented especially in plant and animal assemblages. However, there remain certain areas of investigation for which natural hybridization and its consequences remain under-studied and under-appreciated. One such area involves the evolution of organisms that positively or negatively affect human populations. In this review, I highlight exemplars of how natural hybridization has contributed to the evolution of (i) domesticated plants and animals; (ii) pests; (iii) human disease vectors; and (iv) human pathogens. I focus on the effects from genetic exchange that may lead to the acquisition of novel phenotypes and thus increase the beneficial or detrimental (to human populations) aspects of the various taxa. [source] Spatial determination of successive spikes in the isolated cat duodenumNEUROGASTROENTEROLOGY & MOTILITY, Issue 6 2004W. J. E. P. Lammers Abstract, In seven isolated segments of the feline duodenum, the timings of all spikes and the locations of all spike patches that occurred after 12,16 successive slow waves were analysed. Simultaneous recordings were performed during 1-min periods using 240 extracellular electrodes (24 × 10 array; interelectrode distance 2 mm) positioned onto the serosal surface. In all seven preparations, spikes always occurred during the first half of the slow wave cycle. From preparation to preparation, and within 1-min periods in each preparation, there was limited variation in the spike,spike intervals, in the times between the spikes and the preceding slow wave and in the number of spikes at each electrode site. In contrast, the number of electrode sites that recorded spikes and the number of spike patches both showed great variability between preparations and sometimes within a single preparation. In addition, the location of spikes and spike patches was not random but was significantly concentrated in certain areas, often located along the anti-mesenteric border, while other sites showed little or no spike activity. In conclusion, spikes and spike patches tend to occur significantly in some areas and not in others. This spatial heterogeneity will play a role in intestinal motility. [source] Peripheral Subcutaneous Neurostimulation in the Management of Neuropathic Pain: Five Case ReportsNEUROMODULATION, Issue 2 2009Claudio Reverberi MD, FIPP ABSTRACT Introduction., Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is an effective treatment option for neuropathic pain. However, because of the obvious procedural issues, SCS is unable to reach certain areas, such as the face, thorax, coccyx, the cervico-dorsal and lumbar areas, and the sacral, abdominal, and inguinal regions. On the other hand, these areas are easily reached by subcutaneous field stimulation. Methodology., We report the analgesic results, using a visual analog scale (VAS), of five patients with neuropathic pain treated with subcutaneous field stimulation to the area. We also discuss the probable mechanism of action, and highlight the technical issues inherent to this approach. Results., Significant pain reduction and reduction in analgesic medication were reported in all patients during the study period, with VAS scores consistently lowered by more than 50% from baseline levels. As a result of pain reduction, the patients' quality of life improved. There were no adverse events reported except for early electrode array displacement in two of our patients. Conclusion., When SCS is not appropriate for certain neuropathic pain syndromes, subcutaneous field stimulation may be used with some degree of efficacy. [source] How Electoral Systems Can Influence Policy InnovationPOLICY STUDIES JOURNAL, Issue 4 2010Salomon Orellana This paper argues that in certain areas of policy, electoral systems can influence policy innovation (how early countries will adopt certain policies). Electoral systems influence the number of parties that win representation and thereby influence the diversity of perspectives included in the policymaking process. It is argued here that this diversity facilitates elite and public consideration of new issues and ideas, and consequently, it leads to earlier debate and action on these issues and ideas. This dynamic is particularly relevant to controversial issues and ideas that major parties may be hesitant to address and that minor parties may be more incentivized to promote. In this paper, two issues/ideas are considered: extending rights to same-sex couples and making material sacrifices to protect the environment. I show that countries with more proportional electoral systems tend to act earlier to protect the environment and that they tend to be early adopters of civil union legislation. These results are also supported by World Values Survey data showing public preference patterns that support these policy outcomes. [source] Prehistoric trepanation in the Cuzco region of Peru: A view into an ancient Andean practiceAMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY, Issue 1 2008Valerie A. Andrushko Abstract In this study, patterns of prehistoric trepanation in the southern highlands of Peru were examined through an analysis of 11 Cuzco-region burial sites. Trepanations were found in 66 individuals, with several individuals exhibiting more than one trepanation, for a total of 109 perforations observed. The predominant methods used were circular cutting and scraping,methods that proved highly successful with an overall 83% survival rate and little ensuing infection. Survival rates showed a significant increase over time, apparently reflecting improvements in trepanation technique through experimentation and practical experience. Practitioners avoided certain areas of the cranium and employed methods that reduced the likelihood of damage to the cerebral meninges and venous sinuses. In many cases, trepanation as a medical treatment appears to have been prompted by cranial trauma, a finding that corroborates other studies pointing to cranial trauma as a primary motivation for the surgical procedure. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Blood, timber, and the state in West Kalimantan, IndonesiaASIA PACIFIC VIEWPOINT, Issue 1 2008Gerry Van Klinken Abstract: West Kalimantan (West Borneo) has a history of violent communal conflict.1 It also has extensive forests that have been looted for decades. The argument will be that these two are linked, but not by the grievances of the forest dwellers. Except in its first few days, the two main episodes of 1997 and 1999 were not driven mainly by grievances among marginal groups. Rather, explanations based on the ,resource curse' carry more weight. These focus attention on the contested nature of the state, rather than on rebellious activities of marginal groups. When state institutions were thrown into disarray by the sudden resignation of President Suharto in 1998, Dayak militants already close to state power rewrote the rules of local politics by demonstratively ,cleansing' certain areas of an unpopular immigrant minority. This theatrical manoeuvre impressed political rivals sufficiently to allow Dayaks to gain control over several timber-rich districts, which had a thriving black economy. Malays later imitated these techniques to stem the tide. [source] Marine protected areas in spatial property-rights fisheries,AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL & RESOURCE ECONOMICS, Issue 3 2010Christopher Costello Marine protected areas (MPAs) and spatial property rights (TURFs) are two seemingly contradictory approaches advocated as solutions to common property failures in fisheries. MPAs limit harvest to certain areas, but may enhance profits outside via spillover. TURFs incentivize local stewardship but may be plagued by spatial externalities when the TURF size is insufficient to capture all dispersal. Within a numerical model parameterized to a California marine species, we explore the economic and ecological effects of imposing MPAs on a TURF-regulated fishery. Whether MPAs can enhance or diminish profits (or fish abundance) hinges critically on the level of coordination already occurring between TURF owners. If coordination is complete, private MPAs may already emerge in some TURFs; implementing additional MPAs reduces profits. However, to the extent that coordination is incomplete, strategically sited MPAs may be an effective complement to spatial property rights-based fisheries, increasing both fishery profits and abundance. [source] How Mobile Are Resources in Chinese Agriculture?, Implications for China's Agricultural Trade PolicyCHINA AND WORLD ECONOMY, Issue 1 2007Funing Zhong Abstract Agricultural trade policy in China has been the subject of heated discussion since China's accession to the WTO. Studies have been carried out and propositions put forth regarding comparative advantage, food security, development of the industry, and farmers' income. In this paper, we attempt to provide an analysis from another important perspective: resource mobility, which is an essential assumption in free trade theory. By examining the mobility of different production resources in Chinese agriculture, namely natural resources, capital inputs, human resources and institutional arrangements, we found that for most production resources in Chinese agriculture, mobility is low. The results have significant policy implications in two respects: first, protective measures in the transitional period for certain crops in certain areas in China are legitimate and necessary to ensure social stability; and second, policy instruments to improve resource mobility in Chinese agricultural should be explored and implemented to realize more trade benefit in the future. (Edited by Xinyu Fan) [source] |