bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Automated Registration of 3D Scans Using Geometric Features and Normalized Color Data
Authors: Gómez‐García‐Bermejo Jaime , Zalama Eduardo , Feliz Raúl
Published: August 2012

Abstract:  Laser range sensors are playing an increased role in construction. These devices are used to collect a large number of points from different locations and then, those points are registered in a common framework. This article describes a new procedure for the registration of point clouds, especially suited to the fields of architecture and cultural heritage. Often, in these fields, the registration of point clouds is subject to errors due to the fact that an important number of points do not lie on particular geometric features. In this article, an accurate and efficient approach for 3D data registration based on Iterative Closest Point (ICP) algorithm is proposed, which takes advantage of the color data acquired along with range data. Points suitable for registration are selected according to their local geometry and/or color properties, thus a significant improvement on performance convergence and processing time is obtained. The algorithm performs an automatic, on‐the‐flight estimation of the overlapping region, taking into account possible color differences produced by lighting changes through the measurement process. The proposed approach has been tested on real scanned data from cultural heritage buildings and compared to other approaches, showing a better performance in terms of automation degree, accuracy, and speed.
Symposium on Ripstein's Force and Freedom: Introduction
Authors: Owen David
Published: August 2012

This introduction provides a very brief sketch of the fundamental claims of Arthur Ripstein's Force and Freedom before locating the criticisms of his interlocutors in relation to those claims. Valentini and Sangiovanni are situated as critics of the Kantian frame, while Ronzoni and Williams are critics situated within that frame.
Kant, Ripstein and the Circle of Freedom: A Critical Note
Authors: Valentini Laura
Published: August 2012

Much contemporary political philosophy claims to be Kant‐inspired, but its aims and method differ from Kant's own. In his recent book, Force and Freedom, Arthur Ripstein advocates a more orthodox Kantian outlook, presenting it as superior to dominant (Kant‐inspired) views. The most striking feature of this outlook is its attempt to ground the whole of political morality in one right: the right to freedom, understood as the right to be independent of others’ choices. Is Ripstein's Kantian project successful? In this research note I argue that it is not. First, I suggest that Ripstein's notion of freedom is viciously circular. It is meant to ground all rights, but in fact it presupposes an account of those rights. Second, I show that—independently of its inability to ground a whole political morality—such a moralized understanding of freedom is normatively unappealing.
Politics and the Contingent: A Plea For A More Embedded Account of Freedom as Independence
Authors: Ronzoni Miriam
Published: August 2012

This contribution defends Ripstein's attempt to reconstruct Kant's political philosophy as entirely and consistently grounded on the idea of people's innate right to freedom as independence, in particular with respect to charges of circularity raised by other contributors to this symposium. However, it also argues that, if the concept of freedom as independence is to provide a foundation for a full‐blown account of political justice, a richer interpretation of it should be provided. In other words, we must be willing to make controversial and empirically informed claims about what counts as a threat to our freedom as independence under specific circumstances. We must have a more embedded account of freedom as independence, one that engages with the contingencies of politics and of the human condition.
Levetiracetam in patients with central neuropathic post‐stroke pain – a randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial
Authors: Jungehulsing G. J. , Israel H. , Safar N. , Taskin B. , Nolte C. H. , Brunecker P. , Wernecke K.‐D. , Villringer A.
Published: August 2012

Background and purpose

Central post‐stroke pain (CPSP) is a severe chronic neuropathic pain condition defined as a spontaneous pain or allodynia corresponding to a vascular lesion. It usually evolves weeks after stroke, and can distinctively impair the quality of life. Treatment is complex and mostly unsatisfactory. We hypothesized that the anti‐epileptic drug levetiracetam (LEV) improves CPSP compared with placebo. The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy and tolerability of LEV in patients with CPSP.

Methods

In a double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, crossover study design patients with CPSP lasting at least 3 months and a pain score ≥ 4 on the 11‐point Likert scale were treated over two 8‐week periods with a maximum dose up to 3000 mg LEV or placebo. Primary endpoint was a median pain lowering ≥ 2 in the final treatment week compared with the last baseline week. Secondary outcome measures comprised additional pain ratings, depression, sleep quality, quality of life and patients' global impression of change.

Results

Of 42 patients, 33 [61.5 years (40–76); 38% women] completed the study. Side effects and withdrawals were more frequent in the LEV (n = 5) group than in the placebo group (n = 1). Patients treated with LEV did not show any improvement of pain or changes in secondary outcome parameters compared with placebo.

Conclusions

LEV is not effective in treatment for CPSP. The mode of action of LEV does not exert an analgesic effect in chronic CPSP.
Using CRANID to test the population affinity of known crania
Authors: Kallenberger Lauren , Pilbrow Varsha
Published: August 2012

CRANID is a statistical program used to infer the source population of a cranium of unknown origin by comparing its cranial dimensions with a worldwide craniometric database. It has great potential for estimating ancestry in archaeological, forensic and repatriation cases. In this paper we test the validity of CRANID in classifying crania of known geographic origin. Twenty‐three crania of known geographic origin but unknown sex were selected from the osteological collections of the University of Melbourne. Only 18 crania showed good statistical match with the CRANID database. Without considering accuracy of sex allocation, 11 crania were accurately classified into major geographic regions and nine were correctly classified to geographically closest available reference populations. Four of the five crania with poor statistical match were nonetheless correctly allocated to major geographical regions, although none was accurately assigned to geographically closest reference samples. We conclude that if sex allocations are overlooked, CRANID can accurately assign 39% of specimens to geographically closest matching reference samples and 48% to major geographic regions. Better source population representation may improve goodness of fit, but known sex‐differentiated samples are needed to further test the utility of CRANID.
The interplay between expressed parental anxiety and infant behavioural inhibition predicts infant avoidance in a social referencing paradigm
Authors: Aktar Evin , Majdandžić Mirjana , de Vente Wieke , Bögels Susan M.
Published: August 2012

Background:  Anxiety aggregates in families. Environmental factors, such as modelling of anxious behaviours, are assumed to play a causal role in the development of child anxiety. We investigated the predictive value of paternal and maternal anxiety (lifetime anxiety disorders and expressed parental anxiety) on infants’ fear and avoidance during encounters with social and nonsocial novel stimuli in a social referencing (SR) paradigm.

Methods:  A total of 122 12‐month‐old infants participated in this study separately with their fathers and mothers (parents with lifetime: social anxiety disorders [n = 47], other types of anxiety disorders [n = 33], comorbid social and other types of anxiety disorders [n = 52] and without anxiety disorders [n = 112]). Infants were confronted with a stranger and a mechanical dinosaur as novel stimuli in two SR situations. Infants’ avoidance as well as fear and parents’ expressed anxiety were observed. Infants’ behavioural inhibition (BI) was separately observed in structured tasks.

Results:  Parental lifetime anxiety disorders did not significantly predict infant fear or avoidance. Expressed parental anxiety interacted with BI to significantly predict infant avoidance, revealing a positive association between expressed parental anxiety and infant avoidance among infants with moderate‐to‐high BI. The association between infant avoidance and expressed parental anxiety was not significantly different for mothers and fathers, pointing to an equally important role of fathers at this young age. Infant fear was significantly predicted by infant BI, but not by expressed parental anxiety.

Conclusions:  Infants with a temperamental disposition for anxiety (BI) may learn from both paternal and maternal anxious signals and become avoidant towards novelty when their parents express anxiety. This link between expressed parental anxiety and infant avoidance for moderate‐to‐high BI children, that seems to hold across contexts and to be independent of lifetime parental anxiety disorders, may be a mechanism explaining early intergenerational transmission of anxiety.
Acceptability and potential effectiveness of a foot drop stimulator in children and adolescents with cerebral palsy
Authors: PROSSER LAURA A , CURATALO LINDSEY A , ALTER KATHARINE E , DAMIANO DIANE L
Published: August 2012

Aim  Ankle–foot orthoses are the standard of care for foot drop in cerebral palsy (CP), but may overly constrain ankle movement and limit function in those with mild CP. Functional electrical stimulation (FES) may be a less restrictive and more effective alternative, but has rarely been used in CP. The primary objective of this study was to conduct the first trial in CP examining the acceptability and clinical effectiveness of a novel, commercially available device that delivers FES to stimulate ankle dorsiflexion.

Method  Twenty‐one individuals were enrolled (Gross Motor Function Classification System [GMFCS] levels I and II, mean age 13y 2mo). Gait analyses in FES and non‐FES conditions were performed at two walking speeds over a 4 month period of device use. Measures included ankle kinematics and spatiotemporal variables. Differences between conditions were revealed using repeated measures multivariate analyses of variance.

Results  Nineteen individuals (nine females, 10 males; mean age 12y 11mo, range 7y 5mo to 19y 11mo; 11 at GMFCS level I, eight at level II) completed the FES intervention, with all but one choosing to continue using FES beyond that phase. Average daily use was 5.6 hours (SD 2.3). Improved dorsiflexion was observed during swing (mean and peak) and at foot–floor contact, with partial preservation of ankle plantarflexion at toe‐off when using the FES at self‐selected and fast walking speeds. Gait speed was unchanged.

Interpretation  This FES device was well accepted and effective for foot drop in those with mild gait impairments from CP.
Deletion of glutamate dehydrogenase 1 (Glud1) in the central nervous system affects glutamate handling without altering synaptic transmission
Authors: Frigerio Francesca , Karaca Melis , De Roo Mathias , Mlynárik Vladimír , Skytt Dorte M. , Carobbio Stefania , Pajęcka Kamilla , Waagepetersen Helle S. , Gruetter Rolf , Muller Dominique , Maechler Pierre
Published: August 2012

Glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH), encoded by GLUD1, participates in the breakdown and synthesis of glutamate, the main excitatory neurotransmitter. In the CNS, besides its primary signaling function, glutamate is also at the crossroad of metabolic and neurotransmitter pathways. Importance of brain GDH was questioned here by generation of CNS‐specific GDH‐null mice (CnsGlud1−/−); which were viable, fertile and without apparent behavioral problems. GDH immunoreactivity as well as enzymatic activity were absent in Cns‐Glud1−/− brains. Immunohistochemical analyses on brain sections revealed that the pyramidal cells of control animals were positive for GDH, whereas the labeling was absent in hippocampal sections of Cns‐Glud1−/− mice. Electrophysiological recordings showed that deletion of GDH within the CNS did not alter synaptic transmission in standard conditions. Cns‐Glud1−/− mice exhibited deficient oxidative catabolism of glutamate in astrocytes, showing that GDH is required for Krebs cycle pathway. As revealed by NMR studies, brain glutamate levels remained unchanged, whereas glutamine levels were increased. This pattern was favored by up‐regulation of astrocyte‐type glutamate and glutamine transporters and of glutamine synthetase. Present data show that the lack of GDH in the CNS modifies the metabolic handling of glutamate without altering synaptic transmission.
Early mitochondrial abnormalities in hippocampal neurons cultured from Fmr1 pre‐mutation mouse model
Authors: Kaplan Eitan S. , Cao Zhengyu , Hulsizer Susan , Tassone Flora , Berman Robert F. , Hagerman Paul J. , Pessah Isaac N.
Published: August 2012

Pre‐mutation CGG repeat expansions (55–200 CGG repeats; pre‐CGG) within the fragile‐X mental retardation 1 (FMR1) gene cause fragile‐X‐associated tremor/ataxia syndrome in humans. Defects in neuronal morphology, early migration, and electrophysiological activity have been described despite appreciable expression of fragile‐X mental retardation protein (FMRP) in a pre‐CGG knock‐in (KI) mouse model. The triggers that initiate and promote pre‐CGG neuronal dysfunction are not understood. The absence of FMRP in a Drosophila model of fragile‐X syndrome was shown to increase axonal transport of mitochondria. In this study, we show that dissociated hippocampal neuronal culture from pre‐CGG KI mice (average 170 CGG repeats) express 42.6% of the FMRP levels and 3.8‐fold higher Fmr1 mRNA than that measured in wild‐type neurons at 4 days in vitro. Pre‐CGG hippocampal neurons show abnormalities in the number, mobility, and metabolic function of mitochondria at this early stage of differentiation. Pre‐CGG hippocampal neurites contained significantly fewer mitochondria and greatly reduced mitochondria mobility. In addition, pre‐CGG neurons had higher rates of basal oxygen consumption and proton leak. We conclude that deficits in mitochondrial trafficking and metabolic function occur despite the presence of appreciable FMRP expression and may contribute to the early pathophysiology in pre‐CGG carriers and to the risk of developing clinical fragile‐X‐associated tremor/ataxia syndrome.
Early Impact of the Affordable Care Act on Health Insurance Coverage of Young Adults
Authors: Cantor Joel C. , Monheit Alan C. , DeLia Derek , Lloyd Kristen
Published: August 2012

Research Objective

To evaluate one of the first implemented provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), which permits young adults up to age 26 to enroll as dependents on a parent's private health plan. Nearly one‐in‐three young adults lacked coverage before the ACA.

Study Design, Methods, and Data

Data from the Current Population Survey 2005–2011 are used to estimate linear probability models within a difference‐in‐differences framework to estimate how the ACA affected coverage of eligible young adults compared to slightly older adults. Multivariate models control for individual characteristics, economic trends, and prior state‐dependent coverage laws.

Principal Findings

This ACA provision led to a rapid and substantial increase in the share of young adults with dependent coverage and a reduction in their uninsured rate in the early months of implementation. Models accounting for prior state dependent expansions suggest greater policy impact in 2010 among young adults who were also eligible under a state law.

Conclusions and Implications

ACA‐dependent coverage expansion represents a rare public policy success in the effort to cover the uninsured. Still, this policy may have later unintended consequences for premiums for alternative forms of coverage and employer‐offered rates for young adult workers.
Agriculture’s Inter‐industry Linkages, Aggregation Bias and Rural Policy Reforms
Authors: Lindberg G. , Midmore P. , Surry Y.
Published: August 2012

As agricultural policy reform and its effects have become increasingly territorialised, analyses that attempt to explain or predict impacts need to be both more localised and to identify spill‐over effects. Local and regional general equilibrium approaches have become increasingly popular because they can extend predictions of policy shocks obtainable from partial equilibrium sectoral models to identify the wider effects. However, agriculture is usually described as a single sector in input–output accounts, whereas policy shocks that affect constituent commodities with differential impacts will have inter‐industry effects that are different to those implied by average input–output coefficients. Regionalisation of aggregated input–output tables adds further to these difficulties. The objective of this study is to develop a practical method for dealing with these problems. It describes the theoretical basis of aggregation bias and shows how it can be measured, in two contrasting case study regions in the UK and Sweden. Having established that this is a significant issue, a simple but effective procedure is demonstrated, based on additional information on variable costs, which transforms policy shocks from a direct change in agricultural output to that transmitted to the suppliers of inputs. This method provides an impact close to that which could be calculated if the general equilibrium system had indeed been disaggregated, and supports use of this approach in impact studies where insufficient time or funding are available for complete disaggregation of an agricultural sector’s regional accounts.
Structural Change of European Dairy Farms – A Cross‐Regional Analysis
Authors: Zimmermann Andrea , Heckelei Thomas
Published: August 2012

Previous analyses of dairy farm structural change focus on the variation over time in one or a small number of regions. We present an EU‐15 cross‐regional analysis of the development of dairy farm numbers in different size classes over the period 1995–2005. Our purpose is to measure the explanatory relevance and effect of key factors suggested in the theoretical and empirical literature on structural change. Apart from the unprecedented scope, the underlying Markov chain analysis also contributes by combining observed transitions in micro (farm level) data with macro (sector level) data on farm numbers. Results show widely significant impacts of most considered explanatory variables, but also reflect and illuminate the complexity of the underlying processes.
P‐glycoprotein and multidrug resistance‐associated protein 2 are oppositely altered in brain of rats with thioacetamide‐induced acute liver failure
Authors: Jin Shi , Wang Xin‐Ting , Liu Li , Yao Dan , Liu Can , Zhang Mian , Guo Hai‐Fang , Liu Xiao‐Dong
Published: August 2012

Background

P‐glycoprotein (P‐GP) and multidrug resistance‐associated protein 2 (MRP2) are involved in transport of many drugs across blood–brain barrier (BBB). The function and expression of P‐GP and MRP2 may be modulated by different pathologies. Acute liver failure (ALF) was reported to impair BBB function, resulting in the increased BBB permeability.

Aims

We investigated whether ALF altered function and expression of P‐GP and MRP2 in brain of thioacetamide‐induced ALF rats.

Methods

ALF was induced by intraperitoneal injection of thioacetamide (300 mg/kg) for 2 days with a 24‐h interval. The rats were used for experiments at 6, 12 and 24 h after the second administration. P‐GP and MRP2 function in brain were determined using the brain‐to‐plasma ratios of corresponding substrates (rhodamine 123 and vincristine for P‐GP; sulfobromophthalein and dinitrophenyl‐S‐glutathione for MRP2). Evans blue was used for examining the BBB integrity. Western blot was accomplished to determine P‐GP and MRP2 protein expression.

Results

The brain‐to‐plasma ratios of rhodamine 123 and vincristine were significantly increased in ALF‐6 h rats and almost returned to normal levels in ALF‐24 h rats, whereas those of sulfobromophthalein and dinitrophenyl‐S‐glutathione were decreased in all ALF rats. Western blot results showed that ALF decreased brain P‐GP levels at 6 and 12 h, whereas increased MRP2 levels at 6, 12 and 24 h. No significant difference of Evans blue concentrations in brain was found among the four groups.

Conclusions

Function and expression of P‐GP and MRP2 in brain of thioacetamide‐induced ALF rats were oppositely altered.
Textile with immobilised nano titanium dioxide for repeated discoloration of CI Reactive Black 5 under UV‐A
Authors: Montazer Majid , Hashemikia Samaneh
Published: August 2012

A commercially available catalyst with high photocatalytic activity (Degussa p‐25) was immobilised on a comparatively inexpensive substrate that included cotton/polyester knitted fabric by citric acid under sonication. Scanning electron microscopy and energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy analysis revealed the presence of nano titanium dioxide on the surface of the fabric. Discoloration of CI Reactive Black 5 in aqueous solution was successfully carried out by adding a piece of nano titanium dioxide‐treated fabric into the dye solution under UV‐A irradiation. The ultraviolet–visible spectra indicated complete discoloration of CI Reactive Black 5 dye solutions. CI Reactive Black 5 solution, along with electrolytes including sodium sulphate and calcium carbonate, was also successfully discoloured with lower efficiency. Further, the photocatalytic properties of the nano titanium dioxide‐immobilised fabric did not change after dye solution discoloration and it was used several times for discoloration of the same solutions. The proposed system can be developed on a large scale.
Efficacy of a Modified Sequential Therapy Including Bismuth Subcitrate as First‐Line Therapy to Eradicate Helicobacter pylori in a Turkish Population
Authors: Uygun Ahmet , OZEL A. Melih , Sivri Bulent , Polat Zulfikar , Genç Halil , Sakin Yusuf Serdar , Çelebi Gürkan , Uygur‐Bayramiçli Oya , Erçin Cemal Nuri , Kadayifçi Abdurrahman , Emer Ozdes , Gunal Armagan , Bagci Sait
Published: August 2012

Background

Eradication rates of Helicobacter pylori with standard triple therapy are not satisfactory. Sequential therapy is an alternative method to overcome this problem.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to assess efficacy of a modified sequential therapy with the addition of a bismuth preparation, as first‐line treatment in the eradication of H. pylori infection.

Materials and Methods

One hundred and forty‐two H. pylori‐positive patients were included in the study. Patients were given a 14‐day sequential therapy program consisting of pantoprazole, 40 mg (b.i.d. for 14 days); colloidal bismuth subcitrate, 300 mg 4 (two tablets before breakfast and dinner, for 14 days); amoxicillin, 1 g (b.i.d.for the first 7 days); tetracycline, 500 mg (q.i.d. for the second 7 days); and metronidazole, 500 mg (t.i.d. for the second 7 days). Eradication was tested by urea breath test (UBT) 6 weeks after completion of treatment.

Results

Of the 142 patients included, 131 completed the study. “Per‐protocol” and “intention‐to‐treat” analyses revealed high eradication rates in this group (92.0–95% CI, 87.2–96.8%, and 81.0–95% CI, 74.5–87.4%, respectively). There was no relation to sex and age with this modified sequential therapy. Compliance was satisfactory (11 patients – four women and seven men were unavailable for follow‐up), and side effects were minimal (six patients had to stop treatment – metronidazole‐related facial swelling and numbness on the face and hands in two patients; tetracycline‐related fever and epigastric pain and nausea and vomiting in two patients; and amoxicillin‐related diarrhea and vaginal discharge in two patients). These side effects were reversible and resolved after the cessation of the related medication.

Conclusions

This 14‐day modified sequential treatment, including bismuth, achieves a significantly high eradication rates in patients with H. pylori infection, with five satisfactory patient compliance and minor side effects.
The Public Health Nursing Role in Elder Neglect in Assisted Living Facilities
Authors: Phillips Linda R. , Ziminski Carolyn
Published: August 2012

Objective

Assisted living facilities (ALFs) are a highly unregulated segment of health care serving a large group of vulnerable elders. The purpose of this study was to examine the scope of neglect and neglect‐related outcomes in ALFs and to determine whether citations given by state inspectors for certain institutional practices and staff inadequacies were associated with neglect.

Design and Sample

Exploratory descriptive. Citations given during routine inspections and narrative reports of complaint investigations written by Arizona state surveyors in 165 ALFs.

Measures

Database that included citations and allegations for the selected facilities.

Results

Neglect was related to numerous poor outcomes, including injury, emergency department visits, and relocation. Citations related to staff attitudes and inappropriate staffing were associated with more neglect. Data suggest that facilities with citations with enforcement actions had less neglect.

Conclusions

Public health nurses working with older adults residing in ALFs and working in communities that have ALFS need to be aware of the problem of neglect and its related outcomes and their role in public policy and education. Public health nurses working as facility inspectors need to be sensitive to the relationship of institutional practices and staff inadequacies and neglect.
Substance Use, Gender, Socioeconomic Status and Metabolic Syndrome among Adults in Taiwan
Authors: Ni Lee‐Fen , Dai Yu‐Tzu , Su Ta‐Chen , Hu Wen‐Yu
Published: August 2012

Objectives

This study had two purposes: (1) To explore the mediating effects of substance use—as indicated by alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking, and betel‐nut chewing—on the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and metabolic syndrome; and (2) to examine the way gender moderates any mediating effects of substance use.

Design and Sample

Secondary analyses were conducted on a cross‐sectional national dataset. The data from 3,107 males and 3,081 females of Taiwanese were analyzed.

Measures

The prevalence of metabolic syndrome, education level, occupation, age, body weight, body height, and behaviors were collected.

Results

In male subjects, SES had no direct effect on metabolic syndrome; however, cigarette smoking and betel‐nut chewing, but not alcohol consumption, were found to have mediating effects on SES and metabolic syndrome. In females, SES was found to have a direct effect on metabolic syndrome; however, substance use had no mediating effects on the relationship between SES and metabolic syndrome. These differences, in males and females indicated that the mediating effect of substance use on the relationship between SES and metabolic syndrome is moderated by gender.

Conclusions

Our study suggests that health care providers may need to provide gender‐specific health promotion programs to prevent metabolic syndrome.
Prescription Drug Abuse as a Public Health Problem in Ohio: A Case Report
Authors: Winstanley Erin L. , Gay Joe , Roberts Lisa , Moseley Judi , Hall Orman , Christine Beeghly B. , Winhusen Theresa , Somoza Eugene
Published: August 2012

Prescription drug overdose is the leading cause of injury death in Ohio, as well as in 16 other states. Responding to the prescription drug epidemic is particularly challenging given the fragmentation of the health care system and that the consequences of addiction span across systems that have not historically collaborated. This case study reports on how Ohio is responding to the prescription drug epidemic by developing cross‐system collaboration from local public health nurses to the Governor's office. In summary, legal and regulatory policies can be implemented relatively quickly whereas changing the substance abuse treatment infrastructure requires significant financial investments.
Health Promotores' Perceptions of their Communities' Health Needs, Knowledge, and Resource Needs in Rural Nicaragua
Authors: McDermott‐Levy Ruth , Weatherbie Katherine
Published: August 2012

Objectives

This study was conducted to determine rural Nicaraguan health promotores' perceptions of their community's health problems, their self‐identified learning needs, and resource needs. Despite the valuable contributions of promotores, there is limited research regarding unpaid volunteer promotores' perceptions of their needs in providing care to remote communities.

Design and Sample

A qualitative descriptive study of 13 unpaid, volunteer promotores in Waslala, Nicaragua, was conducted.

Measures

Data were collected during individual interviews with seven promotores and two focus groups with 13 promotores. Data were analyzed by reading verbatim transcripts repeatedly and establishing general themes. Promotores confirmed the findings.

Results

Waslalan promotores described a synergy of traditional folk health beliefs and natural practices along with use of modern medications while working to meet the health needs of their communities. Without much formal training, the promotores used public health strategies to influence health behaviors and address health disparities in the communities they serve. Serving their communities and God were their motivation in their work.

Conclusions

Recommendations include supporting efforts to meet promotores' needs regarding community health education with messages from community leaders and nurses, finding methods to financially compensate promotores, and including promotores in health program planning and evaluation.
Monetary Policy Rules Work and Discretion Doesn’t: A Tale of Two Eras
Authors: TAYLOR JOHN B.
Published: August 2012

This lecture examines monetary policy during the past three decades. It documents two contrasting eras: first a Rules‐Based Era from 1985 to 2003 and second an Ad Hoc Era from 2003 to the present. During the Rules‐Based Era, monetary policy, in broad terms, followed a predictable systemic approach, and economic performance was generally good. During the Ad Hoc Era, monetary policy is best described as a “discretion of authorities” approach, and economic performance was decidedly poor. By considering alternative explanations of this policy–performance correlation and examining corroborating evidence, the lecture concludes that rules‐based policies have clear advantages over discretion.
Realized and Optimal Monetary Policy Rules in an Estimated Markov‐Switching DSGE Model of the United Kingdom
Authors: CHEN XIAOSHAN , MACDONALD RONALD
Published: August 2012

This paper investigates underlying changes in the UK economy over the past 35 years using a small open economy dynamic stochastic general equilibrium model. Using Bayesian analysis, we find UK monetary policy, nominal price rigidity and exogenous shocks, are all subject to regime shifts. A model incorporating these changes is used to estimate the realized monetary policy and derive the optimal monetary policy rule for the United Kingdom. This allows us to assess the effectiveness of the realized policy in terms of stabilizing economic fluctuations, and, in turn, provide an indication of whether there is room for the monetary authorities to further improve their policies.
Return Dependence and the Limits of Product Diversification in Financial Firms
Authors: FOMBY THOMAS B. , GUNTHER JEFFERY W. , HU JIAN
Published: August 2012

Copula‐GARCH models indicate dependence between bank returns and those to insurance underwriting, securities brokerage, and mortgage finance increased during the recent crisis. In contrast, dependence between banks and the broader market was little changed. The crisis‐related jump in return dependence within the financial services sector was greatest for banks that had previously appeared the most independent. Larger banks were also especially prone to increased dependence. These findings raise doubts about the ability of financial conglomerates to diversify effectively and highlight the need for policy progress in methods for resolving such institutions should they become illiquid or insolvent.
Imperfect Competition in Bank Retail Markets, Deposit and Loan Rate Dynamics, and Incomplete Pass Through
Authors: KOPECKY KENNETH J. , VAN HOOSE DAVID D.
Published: August 2012

This paper examines determinants of pass through from the market interest rate to bank retail deposit and loan rates. A dynamic adjustment cost model with imperfect competition implies that these rates depend on own lagged values and on lagged, current, and expected future values of the security rate. Greater competition in retail markets reduces the impact of lagged and expected rates on current retail rates while raising the effect of the current security rate, yielding greater pass through. These results have important implications for both the specifications used in empirical work and biases introduced into estimates of pass‐through effects.
Sectoral Comovement, Monetary Policy Shocks, and Input–Output Structure
Authors: SUDO NAO
Published: August 2012

The comovement of output across the sector producing nondurables (i.e., nondurable goods and services) and the sector producing durables is well established in the monetary business cycle literature. However, standard sticky‐price models that incorporate sectoral heterogeneity in price stickiness (i.e., sticky nondurables prices and flexible durables prices) cannot generate this feature. We argue that an input–output (I–O) structure provides a solution to this problem. Here, we develop a two‐sector model with an I–O structure, which is calibrated to the U.S. economy. In the model, each sector’s output affects those of the others by acting as an intermediate input. This connection between the sectors provides a channel through which sectoral comovement is induced.
Money: A Market Microstructure Approach
Authors: KRUEGER MALTE
Published: August 2012

The new monetary economics predicts that deregulation and financial innovation will lead to a moneyless world. This paper uses a market microstructure approach to show that a common medium of exchange that serves as unit of account will remain a necessary instrument to reduce transaction costs. This finding is supported by empirical evidence from foreign exchange markets.
Does the Political Environment Matter? Arab‐American Representation and September 11th
Authors: Fine Jeffrey A. , Aziz Nadia N.
Published: August 2012

Objectives

Studies of minority representation customarily focus on groups whose social position remains steady over the time period in question. We consider whether and how Arab‐American representation shifted following September 11th as the group's social status changed rapidly.

Methods

We analyze the determinants of Senate voting alongside the Arab‐American Institute from 2000 to 2008. We employ ordinary least square (OLS) regression models that account for the time series cross‐sectional (TSCS) nature of our panel data.

Results

Our findings suggest that Arab‐American representation significantly declined in the wake of September 11th, both among Democratic and Republican senators. As the political environment improved over time, representation slowly rose in subsequent years.

Conclusions

We show that the quality of Arab‐American representation declined after September 11th despite no significant change in either their size or in electoral outcomes. We also show that broad theories of minority representation apply to even small ethnic groups, as the determinants of Arab‐American representation parallel those of African Americans and Latinos.
The Impact of a Pledge Request and the Promise of Publicity: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Charitable Donations
Authors: Cotterill Sarah , John Peter , Richardson Liz
Published: August 2012

Objective

This study investigates whether asking people to make a pledge causes them to donate to a charitable cause and whether the promise of public recognition increases the effectiveness of the request.

Method

A randomized controlled trial in Manchester, United Kingdom, where households were sent letters asking them to donate a book for school libraries in South Africa.

Results

People who are asked to make a pledge and offered local public recognition are more likely to make a book donation than the control group. The combination of requesting a pledge and offering publicity raises book donations from 7.3 percent to 8.9 percent of households, an effect size of 22 percent. Asking people to pledge alone, without the promise of publicity has no statistically significant impact on giving.

Conclusion

Combining a pledge request and the promise of local publicity increases individual charitable donations.
The Sociology of International Migration: Where We Have Been; Where Do We Go from Here?1
Authors: Kasinitz Philip
Published: August 2012

Controversies about international migration expose the changing structure of and underlying assumptions about societal membership in many nations. The sociology of international migration has emerged as an increasingly important subfield over the past decade in large part because it has tended to move beyond more narrow economic and demographic problems and has begun to address this fundamentally sociological issue. In the future it will be particularly important that sociologists pay attention to how demographically changing societies define who is and is not a member. As such, legal status and the role of the state has become critically important.
Fiction Over Facts: How Competing Narrative Forms Explain Policy in a New Immigration Destination1
Authors: Stewart Julie
Published: August 2012

U.S. immigration has changed dramatically in the last 20 years: immigrants have increasingly gravitated toward “new destinations” and a growing portion are undocumented. In the absence of federal comprehensive immigration reform, states are proposing a patchwork of laws. While some laws encourage immigrant integration, most seek restriction. To understand this trend, this article analyzes Utah as a new immigration destination, exploring its transformation from an inclusive to a restrictive state. It focuses on a major debate: whether to allow unauthorized residents legal driving privileges. Because Utah initiated this law earlier than most, it leads this debate. To explain its evolution, this article analyzes 10 years of legislative debates and articles published on this law. Building on the narrative studies literature, I find that both sides of the immigration debate utilized a public safety and well‐being narrative. However, supporters of the driver license law relied on a “lower mimetic” narrative, characterized by logic and factual arguments. In contrast, their opponents wove a compelling, “apocalyptic” narrative to criticize the law. This narrative indelibly linked immigration to the dangers of crime and terrorism and thus paved the way for the passage of one of the most restrictive immigration laws in the United States.
Ethnic Community and Ethnic Boundaries in a “Sauce‐Scented Neighborhood”1
Authors: Smajda Jon , Gerteis Joseph
Published: August 2012

This article investigates the problem of ethnic boundary making in a changing context. Our case is Boston’s North End, a historically Italian neighborhood undergoing changes to its social and physical environment, making the ethnic definition of neighborhood identity and belonging more difficult though not less salient. Consequently, participants in the workings of the neighborhood—residents, business owners, politicians—face challenges of both boundary placement (who is Italian and who is not?), as well as cultural content (what does it mean to be “Italian”?). Rather than viewing Italian ethnicity as simply weakening over time, we argue that the North End shows ethnicity is in a stage of category divergence, where the still‐dominant ethnic identity is juxtaposed not against another ethnic out‐group, but at various times against boundaries of class and race, commercial and community values, even city political boundaries. Drawing on ethnographic research and in‐depth interviews, we describe three group identity frames that illustrate these processes and reveal how Italian ethnicity continues to animate discourse and action in the neighborhood.
Volunteer Work and Hedonic, Eudemonic, and Social Well‐Being
Authors: Son Joonmo , Wilson John
Published: August 2012

Using two waves of panel data from the National Survey of Midlife in the United States (MIDUS), we examine the relationship between volunteer work and three dimensions of well‐being: hedonic (e.g., positive mood), eudemonic (e.g., purpose in life), and social (e.g., feeling of belonging to the community). We test for the effects of volunteering measured as a binary and a continuous variable. Results show that volunteering enhances eudemonic and social well‐being (but not hedonic well‐being) although the number of hours contributed makes no difference. Conversely, people who have greater hedonic, eudemonic, and social well‐being are more likely to volunteer and, in the case of hedonic and eudemonic well‐being, volunteer more hours.
From the Freak Show to the Living Room: Cultural Representations of Dwarfism and Obesity1
Authors: Backstrom Laura
Published: August 2012

This article examines how cultural representations of deviant bodies vary based on historically informed narratives of bodily stigma. Using content analysis of 40 episodes of reality television programming, I contrast cultural representations of dwarfism and obesity. Over time, dwarfism became constructed as an identity project with the aim of bodily acceptance, whereas obesity became regarded as a body project with the goal of body transformation through weight loss. The mostly positive historical characterizations of dwarfs allowed them to easily adopt the tenets of the disability rights movement as they evolved from freak show performances to television as an educational platform. They have adopted a social model of disability, positive social identity, self‐acceptance, and full social participation. By contrast, the past and contemporary representations of obesity have been overwhelmingly negative. Obese freak show performers were openly mocked, and classifying obesity as a disability has not yet gained traction as a civil rights movement. Instead, obesity is viewed through the lens of individual responsibility and limits of social participation are emphasized. Body modification through weight loss constructs an identity based on self‐change. Generally, this article suggests that cultural representations as de‐stigmatization projects are enabled or constrained by historical factors and the nature of the bodily stigma.
Cohabiting Men’s Preferences for and Roles in Determining the Outcomes of Unexpected Pregnancies1
Authors: Miller Amanda J.
Published: August 2012

Growing numbers of men are fathering children within cohabiting unions. However, we know little about their desires for and preferred roles in making fertility decisions. To address this gap, I use data from 61 in‐depth interviews with working‐ and middle‐class cohabiting men to examine their stated preferences should their partners experience an unplanned pregnancy. For some men, the decision appears to be a relatively stable personal or political one, but most draw on their current relationships and/or financial or maturational situations when noting their desires. A subsample of 22 men from this group who have experienced pregnancies is used to explore men’s actual roles in negotiating whether a conception was terminated or carried to term. Despite the fact that most men would like to have input into decisions to abort or carry a pregnancy to term, the majority were not actually involved in making decisions with their partners (especially the decision to abort) when pregnancies occurred. Results are interpreted in light of social class differences in family formation processes.
Weber Was Right: Death, Taxes, Working Capital, and the Excessive Propensity for Accumulation
Authors: Weaver Dorothy Chandler , Fry Phyllis
Published: August 2012

It turns out that Max Weber was on to something when he suggested that it was not natural or automatic that wealthy individuals invest their capital rather than keep it or spend it on themselves. Patterns of economic growth and capital investment in the United States over the last century indicate that in general some inducement or pressure is necessary to convince those who control money to risk it rather than hoard it.
Inactivation of Pde8b enhances memory, motor performance, and protects against age‐induced motor coordination decay
Authors: Tsai L.‐C. L. , Chan G. C.‐K. , Nangle S. N. , Shimizu‐Albergine M. , Jones G. L. , Storm D. R. , Beavo J. A. , Zweifel L. S.
Published: August 2012

Phosphodiesterases (PDEs) are critical regulatory enzymes in cyclic nucleotide signaling. PDEs have diverse expression patterns within the central nervous system (CNS), show differing affinities for cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), and regulate a vast array of behaviors. Here, we investigated the expression profile of the PDE8 gene family members Pde8a and Pde8b in the mouse brain. We find that Pde8a expression is largely absent in the CNS; by contrast, Pde8b is expressed in select regions of the hippocampus, ventral striatum, and cerebellum. Behavioral analysis of mice with Pde8b gene inactivation (PDE8B KO) demonstrate an enhancement in contextual fear, spatial memory, performance in an appetitive instrumental conditioning task, motor‐coordination, and have an attenuation of age‐induced motor coordination decline. In addition to improvements observed in select behaviors, we find basal anxiety levels to be increased in PDE8B KO mice. These findings indicate that selective antagonism of PDE8B may be an attractive target for enhancement of cognitive and motor functions; however, possible alterations in affective state will need to be weighed against potential therapeutic value.
Time‐coordinated prevalence of extracellular HGF, FGF2 and TGF‐β3 in crush‐injured skeletal muscle
Authors: DO Mai‐Khoi Q. , SUZUKI Takahiro , GERELT Borjigin , SATO Yusuke , MIZUNOYA Wataru , NAKAMURA Mako , IKEUCHI Yoshihide , ANDERSON Judy E. , TATSUMI Ryuichi
Published: August 2012

Successful regeneration and remodeling of neuromuscular junctions are critical for restoring functional capacities and properties of skeletal muscle after damage, and axon‐guidance molecules may be involved in the signaling that regulates such restoration. Recently, we found that early‐differentiated satellite cells up‐regulate a secreted neural chemorepellent Sema3A upon in vivo muscle‐crush injury. The study also revealed that Sema3A expression is up‐regulated in primary satellite‐cell cultures in response to hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF2) and is prevented by transforming growth factor (TGF)‐β2, 3. In order to verify the physiological significance of this regulation in vitro, the present study was designed to estimate the time‐course of extracellular HGF, FGF2 and TGF‐β3 concentrations after crush‐injury of Gastrocnemius muscle in the rat lower hind‐limb, using a combination of a non‐homogenization/non‐spin extraction of extracellular wound fluids and enhanced chemiluminescence–Western blotting analyses. Results clearly demonstrated that active HGF and FGF2 are prevalent in 2–8 days post‐crush, whereas active TGF‐β3 increases after 12 days, providing a better understanding of the time‐coordinated levels of HGF, FGF2 and TGF‐β3 that drive regulation of Sema3A expression during regenerative intramuscular moto‐neuritogenesis.