bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Improving Adherence—Sharing Experiences
Authors: Burkiewicz Jill S , Fit Kathy E
Published: October 2007

Nonadherence is a significant concern for practitioners. Adherence rates have been estimated at 50%, demonstrating the need for information regarding interventions to improve adherence. Patient education through creative analogies or stories may help overcome barriers related to patient misconceptions. There is a need for individual clinicians to have a forum for sharing successful strategies used in patient adherence on an individual level. An electronic column for clinicians to share innovative approaches may fill this need.
Pathopharmacology of Excessive Hemorrhage in Mifepristone Abortions
Authors: Miech Ralph P
Published: October 2007

Objective:

To explain a pathopharmacologic mechanism that initiates an increase in hemorrhage following medical abortions with mifepristone.

Data Sources:

MEDLINE, PubMed, and Google Scholar databases were searched (1990–July 2007). Key search terms were mifepristone, RU486, medical abortion hemorrhage, bleeding, inflammation, innate immune system, phagocytes, macrocytes, cytokines, interleukins, and nitric oxide.

Study Selection and Data Extraction:

All articles identified from the data sources were evaluated and all information deemed relevant was included for the information related to the development of the understanding of the pathopharmacology of mifepristone as the initiating cause of increased hemorrhage in medical abortions. Mifepristone's blockade of glucocorticoid receptors, prolonged generation of nitric oxide (NO), and postabortion vasodilatation of uterine vasculature by NO that favors excessive hemontiage were the criteria used to determine whether information was relevant for inclusion.

Data Synthesis:

Inescapable bacterial contamination of the decidua accompanies spontaneous, surgical, and mifepristone abortions and is routinely overcome by activation of the innate immune system. The combination of the induction of NO synthase (NOS) and local production of NO is one of the key features of the activation of the innate immune system's phagocytes. NO is a potent vasodilator and is associated with menstrual menorrhagia. Glucocorticoids prevent the overproduction of NOS and NO and thereby contribute to the control of hemorrhage in the postabortion phase.

Conclusions:

Blockade of the glucocorticoid receptors by mifepristone can result in an excess of NO that is theorized to be the cause of excessive hemorrhage seen in mifepristone abortions.
Multidrug-Resistant Ewingella Americana: A Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Pound Melanie W , Tart Serina B , Okoye Obiefuna
Published: October 2007

Objective:

To describe and report a case of multidrug-resistant Ewingella americana associated with exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Case Summary:

A 77-year-old female presented to her physician with shortness of breath and an initial assessment of pneumonia. Her past medical history included COPD, Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection, recent Mycobacterium avium infection, and Crohn's disease. Blood and urine cultures revealed no growth; however, a sputum culture later revealed multidrug-resistant E. americana. The patient was ultimately treated with trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMX), with complete resolution of symptoms following a 10 day course.

Discussion:

E. americana is a rare gram-negative bacillus that has infrequently been reported to cause infection. This organism has been reported in humans in the blood, sputum, conjunctiva, wounds, and peritoneal fluid. In several of these cases, as well as in our case, this organism appeared to occur more frequently in immunocompromised patients. Although generally susceptible to most antibiotics, our patient's organism was resistant to all antibiotics tested, with the exception of TMP/SMX, ticarcillin/clavulanate, and cefotetan.

Conclusions:

To our knowledge, this is only the second case of an E. americana respiratory infection, and the only one in which multidrug resistance has been reported.
Design students' experience of engagement and creativity
Authors: Reid Anna , Solomonides Ian
Published: October 2007

The terms creativity and engagement are used broadly throughout the literature and are in common usage in our education and design language. Students, however, understand these terms in unexpected ways and this can sometimes cause a disjunction between the teacher's intention for the
learning activity and the ways in which the student may go about it.

In this article we tease out the relationships between engagement and creativity for student learning in design. Our data suggest that engagement relies on certain conditions and attributes that have to be met before a
student makes a personally meaningful commitment to study. Engagement here means some form of interlocking between the student and the task, or some form of attentiveness facilitated by the teacher or the environment. By creativity we mean the meshing between person, process and product which
is then appreciated by the broader design community. We suggest that understanding creativity as a complex attribute contributes to the nature and quality of student engagement with their learning and the profession.
Censorship and commitment: Foreign correspondents in the Spanish Civil War
Authors: Preston Paul
Published: October 2007

Thousands of men and women from all around the world flocked to join the International Brigades believing that to fight for the Spanish Republic was to fight for the very survival of democracy and civilisation against the assault of fascism. And alongside the regular troops sent by
Hitler and Mussolini to support Franco and the military rebels, a smaller number of volunteers also went to fight for what they perceived as the cause of Catholicism and anti-Communism. A similar range of sentiments can be found among the nearly one thousand newspaper correspondents who went
to Spain. Along with the hardened professional war correspondents, and others still to win their spurs, came some of the world's most prominent literary figures. This article shows how, as a result of what they saw, even some of those who arrived without commitment came to embrace the cause
of the beleaguered Republic. Underlying their conversion was a deep admiration for the stoicism with which the Republican population resisted.
Book Reviews
Authors: Twomey Lesley , Black Stanley , Thornton Niamh , Longhurst Alex
Published: October 2007

Catalan Nationalism: Francoism, Transition, and Democracy, Montserrat Guibernau (2004) Caada Blanch Studies on Contemporary Spain, 12. Abingdon: Routledge, xii+ 200 pp., ISBN 0-415-32240-5 (hbk), 80

Vanguardia espaola e intermedialidad: artes escnicas, cine y
radio, Mechthild Albert (ed) (2005) Estudios de Cultura de Espaa, 7, Madrid: Iberoamericana-Vervuert, Casa de la Cultura, ISBN 848489200X, ISBN 3-86527-210-X, pp. 615, (pbk), 24.00

Carmen: From Silent Film to MTV, edited by Chris Perriam and Ann Davies (2005) Amsterdam:
Rodopi, 224 pp., ISBN 90-420-1964-6 (hbk), 55

Gibraltar, Identity, and Empire, E.G. Archer (2006) London and New York: Routledge, 233 pp., ISBN 0-415-34796-3 (hbk), 70
Mapping Old Traces of the New. Towards a Historical Topography of Early Twentieth-Century Avant-Garde(s) in the European Cultural Field(s)
Authors: van den Berg Hubert
Published: October 2007

How can we outline the historical and geographical spread of the so-called “historical avant-garde” An examination of the historiographical status of a few movements that are commonly considered as part of this avant-garde illustrates the lack of a consensus. For instance, some accounts ascribe a pivotal or privileged role to cubism and expressionism, whereas others explicitly exclude them. Neither the self-understanding of the “historical avant-garde” nor the innovations of its literary, artistic, and political practices yield a satisfactory definition. Instead, we should start viewing the “historical avant-garde” as a network and map it out as a rhizomatic complex.
Schwebe der Körper, Stammeln der Sprache. Strategien literarischer und sexueller Subversion bei Julia Kristeva und Gilles Deleuze
Authors: Ebke Thomas
Published: October 2007

Julia Kristeva and Gilles Deleuze, two key figures of French post-structuralism, developed paradigms of literary theory that revolve around a certain idea of subversion. Interestingly, both authors illustrate the subversive impact of modern literature with a view to a psychoanalytic reading of sexual “perversions”: Whereas Kristeva stresses the paradigm of fetishism, Deleuze underscores the subversive core of masochism. Kristeva's position is elucidated by way of James Joyce and Georges Bataille, that of Deleuze with Elias Canetti and Franz Kafka.
Bio-tech, NanoBio-Tech, SynBio-tech, NanoSynBio-tech? The changing face of biotech law? (Part I)
Authors: Wolbring Gregor
Published: October 2007

For everyone involved in the governance and economics of science and technology the subject becomes more and more complicated. Today's scientific news is increasingly faster replaced by even more astonishing news. New science and technology (S&T) fields and new S&T ‘buzzwords’ appear at an ever-increasing speed. ‘Biotech’ and genetic engineering are buzzwords for many decades with 43,000,000 and 2,230,000 Google hits respectively. In the last few years nanotechnology joined the rank of buzzwords with already 16,300,000 Google hits. The nano-visibility increase influenced the appearance of nano-bio fusion terms and vice versa. Nanobiotechnology generates 538,000; nanobiotechnology 603,000 and nanobio-technology 539,000 Google hits. DNA-Nanotechnology produces 35,700 hits. ‘Synthetic biology’ (synbio) stormed onto the scene in the last two years with already 964,000 Google hits. As the popularity of synbio increases one can expect ‘Nano-synthetic biology’, ‘Nano-synbiotechnology’ or similar terms to increasingly appear. In June 2007 a meeting created the ”Ilulissat Statement Synthesizing the Future a vision for the convergence of synthetic biology and nanotechnology”. The increasing appearance of fusion terms fits the increased move towards and discourse about converging different sciences and technologies. One influential event in this regards was the 2001 National Science Foundation and Department of Commerce (USA) workshop ””Nanotechnology, Biotechnology, Information technology and Cognitive science (NBIC): Converging Technologies for Improving Human Performance”. which coined the term NBIC. The workshop stated: ”The integration and synergy of the four technologies (nano-bio-info-cogno) originate from the nanoscale, where the building blocks of matter are established.”
Biobanks and Legislation in Switzerland – a data protection perspective
Authors: Mund Claudia
Published: October 2007

The combination of health and lifestyle data with bodily substances and genetic information has led over the last few years to the creation of so-called biobanks. These biobanks are used to research a large number of diseases of modern civilization and their genetic interactions. One of the best-known projects in this respect is without a doubt the Icelandic biobank, operated since 1998 by a private pharmaceutical company, deCode Genetics, and set up with government support. The database contains family histories and medical records, as well as biological samples taken from a large section of Iceland's homogeneous population. The hope is that this data will allow a correlation to be established between genetic predispositions and the onset of widespread diseases. Other examples of population-based biobanks include the Estonian Genome Project, launched in 2001 by the Estonian Government, as well as the UK Biobank in the UK and PopGen in the state of Schleswig-Holstein in Germany.
Cortical Folding Abnormalities in Autism Revealed by Surface-Based Morphometry
Authors: Nordahl Christine Wu , Dierker Donna , Mostafavi Iman , Schumann Cynthia M. , Rivera Susan M. , Amaral David G. , Van Essen David C.
Published: October 2007

We tested for cortical shape abnormalities using surface-based morphometry across a range of autism spectrum disorders (7.5–18 years of age). We generated sulcal depth maps from structural magnetic resonance imaging data and compared typically developing controls to three autism spectrum disorder subgroups: low-functioning autism, high-functioning autism, and Asperger's syndrome. The low-functioning autism group had a prominent shape abnormality centered on the pars opercularis of the inferior frontal gyrus that was associated with a sulcal depth difference in the anterior insula and frontal operculum. The high-functioning autism group had bilateral shape abnormalities similar to the low-functioning group, but smaller in size and centered more posteriorly, in and near the parietal operculum and ventral postcentral gyrus. Individuals with Asperger's syndrome had bilateral abnormalities in the intraparietal sulcus that correlated with age, intelligence quotient, and Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised social and repetitive behavior scores. Because of evidence suggesting age-related differences in the developmental time course of neural alterations in autism, separate analyses on children (7.5–12.5 years of age) and adolescents (12.75–18 years of age) were also carried out. All of the cortical shape abnormalities identified across all ages were more pronounced in the children. These findings are consistent with evidence of an altered trajectory of early brain development in autism, and they identify several regions that may have abnormal patterns of connectivity in individuals with autism.
Synaptic Connections between Layer 5B Pyramidal Neurons in Mouse Somatosensory Cortex Are Independent of Apical Dendrite Bundling
Authors: Krieger Patrik , Kuner Thomas , Sakmann Bert
Published: October 2007

Rodent somatosensory barrel cortex is organized both physiologically and anatomically in columns with a cross-sectional diameter of 100–400 μm. The underlying anatomical correlate of physiologically defined, much narrower minicolumns (20–60 μm in diameter) remains unclear. The minicolumn has been proposed to be a fundamental functional unit in the cortex, and one anatomical component of a minicolumn is thought to be a cluster of pyramidal cells in layer 5B (L5B) that contribute their apical dendrite to distinct bundles. In transgenic mice with fluorescently labeled L5B pyramidal cells, which project to the pons and thalamus, we investigated whether the pyramidal cells of a cluster also share functional properties. We found that apical dendrite bundles in the transgenic mice were anatomically similar to apical dendrite bundles previously proposed to be part of minicolumns. We made targeted whole-cell recordings in acute brain slices from pairs of fluorescently labeled L5B pyramidal cells that were located either in the same cluster or in adjacent clusters and subsequently reconstructed their dendritic arbors. Pyramids within the same cluster had larger common dendritic domains compared with pyramids in adjacent clusters but did not receive more correlated synaptic inputs. L5B pyramids within and between clusters have similar connection probabilities and unitary EPSP amplitudes. Furthermore, intrinsically bursting and regular spiking pyramidal cells were both present within the same cluster. In conclusion, intrinsic electrical excitability and the properties of synaptic connections between this subtype of L5B pyramidal cells are independent of the cell clusters defined by bundling of their apical dendrites.
Sites and Molecular Mechanisms of Modulation of NaV1.2 Channels by Fyn Tyrosine Kinase
Authors: Beacham Daniel , Ahn Misol , Catterall William A. , Scheuer Todd
Published: October 2007

Voltage-gated sodium channels are important targets for modulation of electrical excitability by neurotransmitters and neurotrophins acting through protein phosphorylation. Fast inactivation of NaV1.2 channels is regulated via tyrosine phosphorylation by Fyn kinase and dephosphorylation by receptor phosphoprotein tyrosine phosphatase-β, which are associated in a signaling complex. Here we have identified the amino acid residues on NaV1.2 channels that coordinate binding of Fyn kinase and mediate inhibition of sodium currents by enhancing fast inactivation. Fyn kinase binds to a Src homology 3 (SH3)-binding motif in the second half of the intracellular loop connecting domains I and II (LI–II) of NaV1.2, and mutation of that SH3-binding motif prevents Fyn binding and Fyn enhancement of fast inactivation of sodium currents. Analysis of tyrosine phosphorylation sites by mutagenesis and functional expression revealed a multisite regulatory mechanism. Y66 and Y1893, which are in consensus sequences appropriate for binding to the Fyn SH2 domain after phosphorylation, are both required for optimal binding and regulation by Fyn. Y730, which is located near the SH3-binding motif in LI–II, and Y1497 and Y1498 in the inactivation gate in LIII–IV, are also required for optimal regulation. Phosphorylation of these sites likely promotes fast inactivation. Fast inactivation of the closely related NaV1.1 channels is not modulated by Fyn, and these channels do not contain an SH3-binding motif in LI–II. Subtype-selective modulation by tyrosine phosphorylation/dephosphorylation provides a mechanism for differential regulation of sodium channels by neurotrophins and tyrosine phosphorylation in unmyelinated axons and dendrites, where NaV1.2 channels are expressed in brain neurons.
Calcium Response to Retinohypothalamic Tract Synaptic Transmission in Suprachiasmatic Nucleus Neurons
Authors: Irwin Robert P. , Allen Charles N.
Published: October 2007

Glutamate released from retinohypothalamic tract (RHT) synapses with suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) neurons induces phase changes in the circadian clock presumably by using Ca2+as a second messenger. We used electrophysiological and Ca2+imaging techniques to simultaneously record changes in the membrane potential and intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) in SCN neurons after stimulation of the RHT at physiologically relevant frequencies. Stimulation of the RHT sufficient to generate an EPSP did not produce detectable changes in [Ca2+]i, whereas EPSP-induced action potentials evoked an increase in [Ca2+]i, suggesting that the change in postsynaptic somatic [Ca2+]iproduced by synaptically activated glutamate receptors was the result of membrane depolarization activating voltage-dependent Ca2+channels. The magnitude of the Ca2+response was dependent on the RHT stimulation frequency and duration, and on the SCN neuron action potential frequency. Membrane depolarization-induced changes in [Ca2+]iwere larger and decayed more quickly in the dendrites than in the soma and were attenuated by nimodipine, suggesting a compartmentalization of Ca2+signaling and a contribution of L-type Ca2+channels.

RHT stimulation at frequencies that mimicked the output of light-sensitive retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) evoked [Ca2+]itransients in SCN neurons via membrane depolarization and activation of voltage-dependent Ca2+channels. These data suggest that for Ca2+to induce phase advances or delays, light-induced signaling from RGCs must augment the underlying oscillatory somatic [Ca2+]iby evoking postsynaptic action potentials in SCN neurons during a period of slow spontaneous firing such as occurs during nighttime.
Multiple Gq-Coupled Receptors Converge on a Common Protein Synthesis-Dependent Long-Term Depression That Is Affected in Fragile X Syndrome Mental Retardation
Authors: Volk Lenora J. , Pfeiffer Brad E. , Gibson Jay R. , Huber Kimberly M.
Published: October 2007

Gq-coupled, M1muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs) facilitate hippocampal learning, memory, and synaptic plasticity. M1mAChRs induce long-term synaptic depression (LTD), but little is known about the underlying mechanisms of mAChR-dependent LTD and its link to cognitive function. Here, we demonstrate that chemical activation of M1mAChRs induces LTD in hippocampal area CA1, which relies on rapid protein synthesis, as well as the extracellular signal-regulated kinase and mammalian target of rapamycin translational activation pathways. Synaptic stimulation of M1mAChRs, alone, or together with the Gq-coupled glutamate receptors (mGluRs), also results in protein synthesis-dependent LTD. New proteins maintain mAChR-dependent LTD through a persistent decrease in surface AMPA receptors. mAChRs stimulate translation of the RNA-binding protein, Fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) and FMRP target mRNAs. In mice without FMRP (Fmr1knock-out), a model for human Fragile X syndrome mental retardation (FXS), both mGluR- and mAChR-dependent protein synthesis and LTD are affected. Our results reveal that multiple Gq-coupled receptors converge on a common protein synthesis-dependent LTD mechanism, which is aberrant in FXS. These findings suggest novel therapeutic strategies for FXS in the form of mAChR antagonists.
Attentional Modulation of Spatial Integration of Pain: Evidence for Dynamic Spatial Tuning
Authors: Quevedo Alexandre S. , Coghill Robert C.
Published: October 2007

In many sensory modalities, afferent processing is dynamically modulated by attention and this modulation produces altered sensory experiences. Attention is able to alter perceived pain, but the mechanisms involved in this modulation have not been elucidated. To determine whether attention alters spatial integration of nociceptive information, subjects were recruited to evaluate pain from pairs of noxious/innocuous thermal stimuli during different spatial attentional tasks. Divided attention was able to abolish spatial summation and produce inhibition of pain. In contrast, directed attention enhanced pain intensity by partially integrating both stimuli. This dynamic modulation of spatial integration indicates that attention alters spatial dimensions of afferent nociceptive processing to optimize the perceptual response to input from a particular body region or stimulus feature. This dynamic spatial tuning of nociceptive processing provides a new conceptual insight into the functional significance of endogenous pain inhibitory and facilitatory mechanisms.
The Role of the Superior Intraparietal Sulcus in Supporting Visual Short-Term Memory for Multifeature Objects
Authors: Xu Yaoda
Published: October 2007

Everyday objects can vary in a number of feature dimensions, such as color and shape. To identify and recognize a particular object, often times we need to encode and store multiple features of an object simultaneously. Previous studies have highlighted the role of the superior intraparietal sulcus (IPS) in storing single object features in visual short-term memory (VSTM), such as color, orientation, shape outline, and shape topology. The role of this brain area in storing multiple features of an object together in VSTM, however, remains mostly unknown. In this study, using an event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging design and an independent region-of-interest-based approach, how an object's color and shape may be retained together in the superior IPS during VSTM was investigated. Results from four experiments indicate that the superior IPS holds neither integrated whole objects nor the total number of objects (both whole and partial) stored in VSTM. Rather, it represents the total amount of feature information retained in VSTM. The ability to accumulate information acquired from different visual feature dimensions suggests that the superior IPS may be a flexible information storage device, consistent with the involvement of the parietal cortex in a variety of other cognitive tasks. These results also bring new understanding to the object benefit reported in behavioral VSTM studies and provide new insights into solving the binding problem in the brain.
“Our Beloved Cherokee”: A Naturalistic Study of Cherokee Preschool Language Immersion
Authors: Peter Lizette
Published: October 2007

This article contributes to our knowledge of endangered language revitalization by offering a case study of a Cherokee Nation (CN) preschool immersion program named Tsalagi Ageyui, “Our Beloved Cherokee.” A naturalistic inquiry into the micro‐ and macrosociocultural dimensions of reversing Cherokee language shift reveals that, of all CN language programs, Tsalagi Ageyui holds the greatest potential to increase intergenerational, mother‐tongue transmission in the home, family, neighborhood, and community.
Navigating Contradictory Communities of Practice in Learning to Teach for Social Justice
Authors: Flores Maria Timmons
Published: October 2007

In this article, I explore the contradictions that four new teachers experienced as their commitments to social justice collide with urban school culture. Framed within Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger's (1999) theory of situated learning and development concepts of identity, practice, and relationships illustrate how teachers' ideals are challenged as socializing features of two communities of practice—the universities and schools—intersect in new teachers' development. This research contributes empirical evidence of the application of critical multicultural teacher preparation into practice, a cultural representation of how educational inequities are reproduced or disrupted in the situated contexts of urban schools, an application of Lave and Wenger's theory of Legitimate Peripheral Participation that incorporates formal and informal education across multiple activity settings, and a call for collaborative communities of practice that support teachers' situated learning in creating transformative practices.
Water and Land: Asian Americans and the U.S. West
Authors: Fujita-Rony Dorothy
Published: October 2007

What happens when we examine U.S. West history from the vantage point of Asian Americans moving back and forth across the Pacific and consider a perspective shaped by both land and water? This article underscores the importance of the Pacific Ocean as a space for historical inquiry, by addressing the formation and migration of Asian American communities in and around the Pacific, particularly in the context of the considerable military, economic, and political dominance of the United States in the Pacific region.
Journeys for Peace and Liberation: Third World Internationalism and Radical Orientalism during the U.S. War in Vietnam
Authors: Wu Judy Tzu-Chun
Published: October 2007

This article introduces a forthcoming book project that examines the international travels of American antiwar activists during the U.S. War in Vietnam. Specifically, it explores how going beyond the nation's borders fostered and solidified a sense of internationalism, a conviction of political solidarity, with Third World nations among U.S. radicals of varying backgrounds. This study builds on recent trends in Asian American history and contributes to the scholarship on social movements during the “long decade” of the 1960s by providing a transnational, racially comparative, and gendered analysis of political activism. It also introduces the concept of “radical Orientalism” to describe the ways in which Americans of varying racial backgrounds perceived, imagined, and understood Asia, its culture, and its peoples as sources of political inspiration.
Commentary: Widening the Lens and Rethinking Asian American History
Authors: BENDER THOMAS
Published: October 2007

The new research here reported is extending Asian American and American history into the Pacific, complementing recent Atlantic world studies. Such extension fundamentally challenges the dominant east-west movement of American history. These essays offer (or reveal the need for) greater conceptual clarity in defining terms in the field and the scope of the field's international dimensions. This new work highlights the importance of including a comparative aspect of transnational and global approaches to American history. While Pacific-wide or global developments may share a common history, there are also very specific local histories that demand distinction and invite comparison. Collectively, the essays gathered together suggest a more capacious definition of the field.
Channel Tunnel Rail Link section 2: King's Cross lands
Authors: Gardner Ian , Smart Tim
Published: October 2007

Section 2 of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link – now known as High Speed 1 – emerges from tunnels at the north-east corner of King's Cross lands in London and then sweeps across into St Pancras station at the south west. This paper reports on the major rail network that has been constructed in ‘area 100’ to enable train services to approach the extended St Pancras station, and also interconnect with other railway networks, thus facilitating high-speed rail services north of London. It describes the engineering objectives and the civil and railway construction works needed to achieve this complex railway network.
Channel Tunnel Rail Link section 2: procurement and contract strategy
Authors: Attridge Mike , Tamber Harpal
Published: October 2007

This paper describes the procurement and contracting strategies adopted for the majority of section 2 of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, now renamed High Speed 1, plus Eurostar's new depot at Temple Mills and the fit-out works at Stratford and Ebbsfleet international stations. The paper demonstrates that the successful delivery of the project started with adopting the most appropriate contracting strategy commensurate with the level of design development completed at the time of tender, and the client's attitude to risk. Various options of the NEC Engineering and Construction Contract were used throughout.
Channel Tunnel Rail Link section 2: project controls
Authors: Kelly Mike , Edmunds Mike
Published: October 2007

The success of the £5·8 billion, nine-year Channel Tunnel Rail Link – now renamed High Speed 1 – in terms of cost and programme is a testament to the sophisticated control mechanisms which were put in place by the client, project manager and the contractors. These project controls continued to be improved and refined during the second section of the project and have given senior management the tools to make timely decisions on key project issues.
A Computer-Based Approach for Deriving and Measuring Individual and Team Knowledge Structure from Essay Questions
Authors: Clariana Roy B. , Wallace Patricia
Published: October 2007

This proof-of-concept investigation describes a computer-based approach for deriving the knowledge structure of individuals and of groups from their written essays, and considers the convergent criterion-related validity of the computer-based scores relative to human rater essay scores and multiple-choice test scores. After completing a classroom-based course, undergraduate participants in a sophomore-level management course completed a 100-item multiple-choice final examination and then answered an extended-response essay question comparing four management theories. The essays were quantified with ALA-Reader software applying both sentence-wise and linear lexical aggregate approaches, and then analyzed with Pathfinder KNOT software. The linear aggregate approach was a better measure of essay content structure relative to the sentence-wise approach, with significant Spearman correlations of 0.60 and 0.45 with the human rater essay scores. The group network representations of low and high performing students were reasonable and straightforward to interpret, with the high group being more similar to the expert, and the low and high groups more similar to each other than to the expert. Suggestions for further research are provided.
The Impact of Professional Development on Teacher Learning, Practice and Leadership Skills: A Study on the Integration of Technology in the Teaching of Writing
Authors: Scott Patricia , Mouza Chrystalla
Published: October 2007

This study reports on the design, implementation, and outcomes of a research-based professional development program aimed at helping teachers integrate technology in the teaching of writing. The program was funded by the National Writing Project (NWP), a pioneer professional development model for teachers of writing across the United States. Specifically, the study investigates the ways in which key features of the professional development program influenced teacher knowledge, practices, beliefs, and leadership skills with regard to the role of technology in the teaching of writing. Findings of the study indicated that the program had a positive impact on four aspects of teacher learning: (a) acquisition of new knowledge, (b) application of technology into the teaching of writing, (c) beliefs toward using technology in writing, and (d) opportunities for exercising leadership roles. Findings from this work have important implications for professional development designers, as well as school and district personnel directly involved in the design and implementation of technology professional development programs for teachers that target specific content areas.
Comparing Strategies for Teaching Abstract Concepts in an Online Tutorial
Authors: Fox Eric J. , Sullivan Howard J.
Published: October 2007

The purpose of this study was to compare traditional classification training for a set of abstract concepts with multiple-relations training consisting of inference practice and the use of a content diagram. To examine this, 200 undergraduate and graduate psychology students completed a Web-based tutorial covering the abstract concepts of a psychological theory of language and cognition. All participants received the same core instructional content and practice activities varied by experimental condition: some participants received classification training, some received multiple-relations training, some received a combination of both, and some received neither. Performance on a posttest with three subsections was evaluated. Participants who received classification training were significantly better at identifying new instances of the concepts than participants who did not. Neither classification training nor multiple-relations training had a significant effect on ability to identify concept definitions or answer application questions. Implications for the development of instruction for abstract concepts are discussed.
Bereavement: An Incomplete Rite of Passage
Authors: Hunter Jennifer
Published: October 2007

A bereavement ritual observed during anthropological fieldwork in Peru gives basis to this article which asserts that bereavement has become an incomplete rite of passage. The article reviews the role of ritual and rites of passage, examines other anthropologic examples of death and bereavement rituals, and identifies the lack of post-funeral ritual for many bereaved individuals in the United States. While funerary rituals which end with the funeral and burial of the dead are helpful in providing immediate structure for the bereaved, they are not congruent with the long-term emotional needs and reconstruction of meaning within grief. The author acknowledges value of both private ritual and reunions of the community of mourners, and recommends that bereavement counselors and/or the funeral industry offer to help bereaved construct a “ritual of remembrance and new meaning” after time has allowed them to move along in meaning reconstruction processes of making sense, finding benefits, and identity change.
Variants in the Fat Mass–and Obesity-Associated (FTO) Gene Are Not Associated With Obesity in a Chinese Han Population
Authors: Li Huaixing , Wu Ying , Loos Ruth J.F. , Hu Frank B. , Liu Yong , Wang Jing , Yu Zhijie , Lin Xu
Published: October 2007

OBJECTIVE— Recently, genome-wide association studies have provided evidence that several common variants within the fat mass–and obesity-associated (FTO) gene were significantly associated with obesity in populations of European origin. However, their effects in other ethnic populations remain to be elucidated.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS— In this study, we examined the association between three FTO variants (rs8050136, rs9939609, and rs9930506) and obesity and related traits in a population-based study of 3,210 unrelated Chinese Han subjects from Shanghai and Beijing. In secondary analyses, we also tested for association with type 2 diabetes and related traits. Logistics regression and generalized linear models were used to test for additive and dominant effects of the risk alleles.

RESULTS— The minor allele frequencies of rs8050136, rs9939609, and rs9930506 in our population (0.12, 0.12, and 0.20, respectively) were substantially lower than those observed for populations of European descent (e.g., for CEU population of HapMap: 0.45, 0.48, and 0.45, respectively). Despite our study being sufficiently powered to detect effects similar to those previously reported, none of the FTO SNPs were found to be associated with obesity, overweight, BMI, waist circumference, or body fat percentage. In addition, none of the SNPs exhibited significant associations with fasting levels of plasma glucose, A1C, insulin, or β-cell function (estimated via homeostasis model assessment) under either an additive or a dominant model in the quantitative trait analyses. Analyses stratified by sex or geographical region did not change these observations.

CONCLUSIONS— Our data do not support that the FTO common variants are major contributors of obesity or type 2 diabetes in the Chinese Han population.
Weight-Loss Pharmacotherapy: A Brief Review
Authors: Huizinga Mary Margaret
Published: October 2007

IN BRIEF

The medical treatment of obesity is aimed at decreasing appetite,alterating absorption of calories, and increasing thermogenesis. Two agents are available for the long-term treatment of obesity: sibutramine, a centrally acting anorectic agent, and orlistat, which blocks the absorption of fat by inhibiting the enzyme lipase. Agents approved for short-term treatment include the central anorectic agents phentermine and diethylpropion. Other agents,including endocannabinoid system antagonists, anti-epileptic agents, and combination therapies, are under investigation.
Magnetoreception in microorganisms and fungi
Authors: Pazur Alexander , Schimek Christine , Galland Paul
Published: October 2007

The ability to respond to magnetic fields is ubiquitous among the five kingdoms of organisms. Apart from the mechanisms that are at work in bacterial magnetotaxis, none of the innumerable magnetobiological effects are as yet completely understood in terms of their underlying physical principles. Physical theories on magnetoreception, which draw on classical electrodynamics as well as on quantum electrodynamics, have greatly advanced during the past twenty years, and provide a basis for biological experimentation. This review places major emphasis on theories, and magnetobiological effects that occur in response to weak and moderate magnetic fields, and that are not related to magnetotaxis and magnetosomes. While knowledge relating to bacterial magnetotaxis has advanced considerably during the past 27 years, the biology of other magnetic effects has remained largely on a phenomenological level, a fact that is partly due to a lack of model organisms and model responses; and in great part also to the circumstance that the biological community at large takes little notice of the field, and in particular of the available physical theories. We review the known magnetobiological effects for bacteria, protists and fungi, and try to show how the variegated empirical material could be approached in the framework of the available physical models.
Why Did Employment and Earnings Rise among Lone Mothers in Canada during the 1980s and 1990s?
Authors: Myles John , Hou Feng , Picot Garnett , Myers Karen
Published: October 2007

Employment rates and earnings among Canadian lone mothers have improved significantly since 1980. Using microdata from the Census of Canada, we show that these changes were mainly the result of two major demographic developments: the postwar revolution in women's educational attainment, and the aging of the "baby boom" which amplified the effect of rising levels of educational attainment. Most of these gains, moreover, went to older lone mothers. While changes in the social policy environment were undoubtedly a contributing factor, their potential explanatory contribution is comparatively modest relative to these large demographic shifts. Since the demographic drivers underlying these gains are now nearing maturity, future gains from this source are likely to be modest by comparison.
Home‐range characteristics and the influence of seasonality on female reproduction in white‐handed gibbons (Hylobates lar) at Khao Yai National Park, Thailand
Authors: Savini Tommaso , Boesch Christophe , Reichard Ulrich H.
Published: October 2007

A three‐year (2001–2003) study was carried out on the home range characteristics of seven wild white‐handed gibbon (Hylobates lar) groups focusing on the spatio‐temporal distribution of food resources at Khao Yai National Park in northeastern Thailand. These results were combined with 23 years (1980–2003) of reproductive performance data on seven females from the same focal groups. Reproductive performance was equal among females with regard to birth, weaning and maturation ratios, and independent of variation in food availability. Offspring mortality, however, was significantly positively correlated with home‐range size. In addition, there was an increase in offspring mortality just after weaning, suggesting that the increase in the daily distance traveled by juveniles contributed to this mortality. Conceptions clustered during the first half of the year when food production was at its peak, which presumably allowed females to accumulate sufficient body reserves to resume ovarian cycling. Our results place Khao Yai gibbons closer to Cercopithecidae than great apes in terms of the temporal pattern of reproductive events, though gestation, lactation, inter‐birth interval, and offspring maturation are considerably longer in gibbons, placing them closer to the other apes. Our findings underline the unique phylogenetic position of these small‐bodied apes in terms of reproductive patterns in primates. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2008. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Nicotine reduces levodopa‐induced dyskinesias in lesioned monkeys
Authors: Quik Maryka , Cox Heather , Parameswaran Neeraja , O'Leary Kathryn , Langston J. William , Di Monte Donato
Published: October 2007

Objective

Levodopa, the gold standard for Parkinson's disease treatment, is associated with debilitating abnormal involuntary movements or dyskinesias, for which few treatments are currently available. Studies have implicated numerous neurotransmitters in the development of levodopa‐induced dyskinesias. However, the cholinergic system has received little attention despite an extensive overlap between dopaminergic terminals and cholinergic interneurons in the striatum and the well‐known ability of nicotine to stimulate striatal dopamine release. Our objective, therefore, was to determine whether nicotine treatment reduced levodopa‐induced dyskinesias.

Methods

The effect of nicotine (provided in the drinking water) was determined on dyskinesias induced by levodopa (5mg/kg twice daily by oral gavage) in 1‐methyl‐4‐phenyl‐1,2,3,6‐tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)–treated monkeys.

Results

Nicotine pretreatment reduced peak and total levodopa‐induced dyskinesias in levodopa‐naive monkeys over an 8‐week period, with a decrease in total dyskinesias of about 50%. A crossover study was then done in which levodopa‐treated monkeys originally receiving vehicle were administered nicotine, whereas the levodopa‐treated animals initially receiving nicotine were placed on vehicle. Nicotine treatment to levodopa‐primed monkeys led to an approximately 35% reduction in total dyskinesias that lasted for at least 8 weeks, at which time the study was ended. In contrast, a significant increase in levodopa‐induced dyskinesias was observed in the group of animals that had previously received nicotine and were then switched to vehicle. Nicotine treatment did not appear to affect the antiparkinsonian action of levodopa.

Interpretation

These data suggest that nicotine or selective nicotinic agonists may represent a useful treatment strategy to reduce levodopa‐induced dyskinesias. Ann Neurol 2007
Effects of interfacial adhesion on properties of polypropylene/Wollastonite composites
Authors: Chen Minjie , Wan Chaoying , Shou Wenjuan , Zhang Yinxi , Zhang Yong , Zhang Jianmin
Published: October 2007

Wollastonite reinforced polypropylene (PP/CaSiO3) composites were prepared by melt extrusion. A silane coupling agent and a maleic anhydride grafted PP (PP‐g‐MA) were used to increase the interfacial adhesion between the filler and the matrix. The increased adhesion observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) resulted in improved mechanical properties. A model was applied to describe the relationship between the interfacial adhesion and tensile properties of PP/CaSiO3 composites. There is stronger interfacial adhesion between silane‐treated CaSiO3 and polymer matrix containing PP‐g‐MA as a modifier. Results of dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA) showed that stronger interfacial adhesion led to higher storage modulus. The influence of CaSiO3 particles on the crystallization of PP was studied by using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The introduction of CaSiO3 particles does not affect the crystallization temperature and crystallinity of PP matrix significantly. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008
Firm strategy and the Canadian Voluntary Climate Challenge and Registry (VCR)
Authors: Brouhle Keith , Harrington Donna Ramirez
Published: October 2007

The Canadian VCR is a climate change mitigation program that relies on firms' desire to signal environmental responsibility to external stakeholders through voluntary information disclosure. We analyze indicators of strategic behavior through three measures of engagement with the VCR program (annual participation behavior, quality of action plans and repeat participation), and test for differences in these measures among firms subjected to different regulatory climates that arise over time, across provinces and across economic sectors. Our findings suggest an increased perception of a regulatory threat in later years, as evidenced by an increase in participation rates, higher quality of action plans and higher rates of repeat participation. We also find higher levels of engagement with the VCR program in provinces with large petroleum (Alberta) and manufacturing (Ontario) industries and that have established provincial level greenhouse gas reporting mechanisms, and in certain sectors such as petroleum, electric utilities and to some extent services. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.
‘Came hell and high water’: the intersection of Hurricane Katrina, the news media, race and poverty
Authors: Voorhees Courte C. W. , Vick John , Perkins Douglas D.
Published: October 2007

The mass devastation and suffering left in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in the US Gulf Coast brought the intersection of media and community into sharp focus. The news media played a pivotal role in almost every aspect of the disaster and its aftermath, and was harshly criticized for its depiction of minorities and for sensationalizing a human and environmental disaster. The literature suggests that media often represents minorities in a negative light, ultimately reinforcing existing social inequalities. This paper examines the portrayal of minority groups in the media during and after the storm. Data were coded from news media broadcasts to determine the nature of minority representation. Interviews were conducted with individuals from New Orleans who survived the disaster to understand issues related to media trust, the accuracy of media reports and perception of the media's portrayal of minorities. The results indicate that minorities are disproportionately shown in a passive or ‘victim’ role and are rarely shown in positions of expertize. Further, storm survivors indicated a misrepresentation of minorities in media coverage of the disaster, as well as reporting low levels of media trust and accuracy. The broader implications of these findings in relation to media reinforcement of social inequities and media responsibility are discussed. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.