bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Optimization for image transmission over varying channel with MCMC
Authors: Wu Xiaobin , Cao Lei , Goggans Paul
Published: August 2012

Existing work in media transmission generally assumes that the channel condition is stationary. However, communication channels are often varying with time in practice. Adaptive design needs frequent feedback for channel updates, which is often impractical due to the complexity and delay. In this article, we design the unequal error protection for image transmission over noisy varying channels based on their distribution functions. Since the channel effect must be marginalized in order to find the appropriate rate allocation, the optimization problem is very complex. We propose to solve this problem using the Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method. The cost function is first mapped into a multi-variable probability distribution. Then, with the “detailed balance”, MCMC is designed to generate samples from the mapped stationary probability distribution so that the optimal solution is the one that gives the lowest data distortion. We also show that the rate allocation design considering the channel probability function works better than the design considering the mean value of the channel.
Direct path detection using multipath interference cancelation for communication-based positioning system
Authors: Yang Jiaxin , Wang Xianbin , Park Sung Ik , Kim Heung Mook
Published: August 2012

Recent development in wireless communication-based positioning technology brings significant challenge of detecting the weak signal component arriving from the direct propagation path for time-of-arrival (TOA)-based approach. Due to the common obstruction of the direct propagation path in dense multipath environments, identification of the weak direct path in these environments can be very difficult via the classical correlation-based estimator in the presence of interference from significant later arriving multipath components. A new direct path detection scheme using the multipath interference cancelation is presented in this article. For data communication purpose, an iterative estimator with improved accuracy for joint channel and data estimation is first developed; based on which, the interference of multipath components are reconstructed and subtracted from the original received signal. With the aid of the detected data, an enhanced preamble is formulated. The accuracy of direct path detection is substantially improved by using the correlation between the multipath interference-suppressed signal and the enhanced preamble. Semi-analytical expression of the performance of the iterative estimator is derived. The analysis enables the system to determine an automatic stopping criterion to reduce the computational complexity of the iterative process. The performance of the direct path detection is also analyzed in terms of the signal-to-interference-noise ratio (SINR) and compared with that of the conventional approach. Computer simulation results show the superiority of the proposed direct path detection. The accuracy of the positioning system using the proposed method is also evaluated in dense multipath environments.
Molecular correlates and prognostic significance of SATB1 expression in colorectal cancer
Authors: Nodin Björn , Johannesson Henrik , Wangefjord Sakarias , O’Connor Darran P , Lindquist Kajsa Ericson , Uhlén Mathias , Jirström Karin , Eberhard Jakob
Published: August 2012

Background

Special AT-rich sequence-binding protein 1 (SATB1) is a global gene regulator that has been reported to confer malignant behavior and associate with poor prognosis in several cancer forms. SATB1 expression has been demonstrated to correlate with unfavourable tumour characteristics in rectal cancer, but its association with clinical outcome in colorectal cancer (CRC) remains unclear. In this study, we examined the prognostic impact of SATB1 expression in CRC, and its association with important molecular characteristics; i.e. beta-catenin overexpression, microsatellite instability (MSI) screening status, and SATB2 expression.

Methods

Immunohistochemical expression of SATB1 and beta-catenin was assessed in tissue microarrays with tumours from 529 incident CRC cases in the prospective population-based Malmö Diet and Cancer Study, previously analysed for SATB2 expression and MSI screening status. Spearmans Rho and Chi-Square tests were used to explore correlations between SATB1 expression, clinicopathological and investigative parameters. Kaplan Meier analysis and Cox proportional hazards modelling were used to explore the impact of SATB1 expression on cancer specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS).

Results

SATB1 was expressed in 222 (42%) CRC cases and negative, or sparsely expressed, in adjacent colorectal mucosa (n = 16). SATB1 expression was significantly associated with microsatellite stable tumours (p < 0.001), beta-catenin overexpression (p < 0.001) and SATB2 expression (p < 0.001). While not prognostic in the full cohort, SATB1 expression was significantly associated with poor prognosis in SATB2 negative tumours (HR = 2.63; 95% CI 1.46-4.71; pinteraction = 0.011 for CSS and HR = 2.31; 95% CI 1.32-4.04; pinteraction = 0.015 for OS), remaining significant in multivariable analysis.

Conclusions

The results of this study demonstrate that SATB1 expression in CRC is significantly associated with beta-catenin overexpression, microsatellite stability and SATB2 expression. Furthermore, SATB1 expression is a factor of poor prognosis in SATB2 negative tumours. Altogether, these data indicate an important role for SATB1 in colorectal carcinogenesis and suggest prognostically antagonistic effects of SATB1 and SATB2. The mechanistic basis for these observations warrants further study.

Virtual slides

The virtual slide(s) for this article can be found here:http://www.diagnosticpathology.diagnomx.eu/vs/1922643082772076
Distribution and viability of spermatozoa in the canine female genital tract during post-ovulatory oocyte maturation
Authors: Karre Inga , Meyer-Lindenberg Andrea , Urhausen Carola , Beineke Andreas , Meinecke Burkhard , Piechotta Marion , Beyerbach Martin , Günzel-Apel Anne-Rose
Published: August 2012

Background

Unlike other domestic mammals, in which metaphase-II oocytes are ovulated, canine ovulation is characterized by the release of primary oocytes, which may take 12 to up to 36 hours. Further 60 hours are needed for maturation to secondary oocytes which then remain fertile for about 48 hours. Oestrus takes 7 to 10 days on average and may start as early as a week before ovulation. This together with the prolonged process of post-ovulatory oocyte maturation requires an according longevity of spermatozoa in the female genital tract in order to provide a population of fertile sperm when oocytes have matured to fertilizability. Therefore the distribution and viability of spermatozoa in the bitch genital tract was examined during post-ovulatory oocyte maturation.

Methods

Thirteen beagle bitches were inseminated on the day of sonographically verified ovulation with pooled semen of two beagle dogs containing one billion progressively motile spermatozoa. Ovariohysterectomy was performed two days later (group 1, n = 6) and four days later (group 2, n = 7). The oviduct and uterine horn of one side were flushed separately and the flushing’s were checked for the presence of gametes. The oviducts including the utero-tubal junction and the uterine horns, both the flushed and unflushed, were histologically examined for sperm distribution.

Results

The total number of spermatozoa recovered by flushing was low and evaluation of viability was limited. Prophase-I oocytes were collected from oviduct flushing in group 1, whereas unfertilized metaphase-II oocytes were detected in group 2. From day 2 to day 4 after ovulation a significant decrease in the percentage of glands containing sperm (P<0.05) and a marked reduction of the mean sperm number in uterine horn glands were observed. A concomitant diminution of spermatozoa was indicated in the utero-tubal junction accompanied by a slight increase in sperm numbers in the mid oviduct.

Conclusions

Oocyte maturation to metaphase-II stage is accompanied by a continuous sperm detachment and elimination in the uterine horns. Entrance of spermatozoa into the caudal oviduct seems to be steadily controlled by the utero-tubal junction thus providing a selected sperm population to be shifted towards the site of fertilization when oocyte maturation is completed.
Cost-effectiveness of adding-on new antiepileptic drugs to conventional regimens in controlling intractable seizures in children
Authors: Gharibnaseri Zahra , Kebriaeezadeh Abbas , Nikfar Shekoufeh , Zamani Gholamreza , Abdollahiasl Akbar
Published: August 2012

Background and purpose of the study

Intractable seizures are a subgroup of epileptic disorders challenging the physicians’ skills to become controlled. Showing resistance towards common pharmacotherapy, they demand newer antiepileptic drugs acquired at higher costs. 0.06% of children around the world are estimated to suffer from epilepsy and its consequences. The aim of the present study has been to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of these drugs in the treatment of intractable seizures in children.

Methods

Clinical and cost data were collected from medical and cost records preserved at a neurologist office and a referral pharmacy respectively. Based on the new AED which are accessible in Iran, regimens were categorized into eight groups. The first group consisting of conventional AEDs was considered as comparator and the effectiveness of other groups was compared with it. Incremental Cost-effectiveness Ratio (ICER) of adding-on each new antiepileptic drug was calculated in terms of Rials per consequence (Rls/consq) and compared with each other. Furthermore ICER of the regimens was compared with the GDP per capita (Gross Domestic Product) of the year (2010).

Results

the ICER of the adding-on regimens range from negative values for Gabapentin, Levetiracetam and Zonisamide to low values for Lamotrigine (~ 6.4 million Rials/consequence [mil Rls/consq]) and Oxcarbazepine (~7.7 mil Rls/consq) and followed by high values for Topiramate (~21 mil Rls/consq) and Vigabatrin (~43.7 mil Rls/consq) considering the three months of remaining on regimen. By increasing the limit of remaining time to six months, the previously mentioned regimens persist on negative values. However Oxcarbazepine (~28.7 mil Rls/consq) and Lamotrigine (~13.8 mil Rls/consq) show a steep increase. Topiramate (~23.6 mil Rls/consq) displays a less change. Opposite to other regimens, the ICER value of Vigabatrin (~17.26 mil Rls/consq) has shown an important increase.

Major conclusions

Adding-on new antiepileptics to conventional regimens are cost-effective and justified considering the GDP per capita.
Piper betle-mediated green synthesis of biocompatible gold nanoparticles
Authors: Punuri Jayasekhar Babu , Sharma Pragya , Sibyala Saranya , Tamuli Ranjan , Bora Utpal
Published: August 2012

Here, we report the novel use of the ethonolic leaf extract of Piper betle for gold nanoparticle (AuNP) synthesis. The successful formation of AuNPs was confirmed by UV-visible spectroscopy, and different parameters such as leaf extract concentration (2%), gold salt concentration (0.5 mM), and time (18 s) were optimized. The synthesized AuNPs were characterized with different biophysical techniques such as transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). TEM experiments showed that nanoparticles were of various shapes and sizes ranging from 10 to 35 nm. FT-IR spectroscopy revealed that AuNPs were functionalized with biomolecules that have primary amine group –NH2, carbonyl group, –OH groups, and other stabilizing functional groups. EDX showed the presence of the elements on the surface of the AuNPs. FT-IR and EDX together confirmed the presence of biomolecules bounded on the AuNPs. Cytotoxicity of the AuNPs was tested on HeLa and MCF-7 cancer cell lines, and they were found to be nontoxic, indicating their biocompatibility. Thus, synthesized AuNPs have potential for use in various biomedical applications.
Supply chain network design problem for a new market opportunity in an agile manufacturing system
Authors: Babazadeh Reza , Razmi Jafar , Ghodsi Reza
Published: August 2012

The characteristics of today's competitive environment, such as the speed with which products are designed, manufactured, and distributed, and the need for higher responsiveness and lower operational cost, are forcing companies to search for innovative ways to do business. The concept of agile manufacturing has been proposed in response to these challenges for companies. This paper copes with the strategic and tactical level decisions in agile supply chain network design. An efficient mixed-integer linear programming model that is able to consider the key characteristics of agile supply chain such as direct shipments, outsourcing, different transportation modes, discount, alliance (process and information integration) between opened facilities, and maximum waiting time of customers for deliveries is developed. In addition, in the proposed model, the capacity of facilities is determined as decision variables, which are often assumed to be fixed. Computational results illustrate that the proposed model can be applied as a power tool in agile supply chain network design as well as in the integration of strategic decisions with tactical decisions.
Single-hole imaging using borehole gravity gradiometry
Authors: Rim Hyoungrea , Li Yaoguo
Published: August 2012

We study the feasibility of imaging density variations away from boreholes using gravity gradient measurements in a single borehole. The objective is to develop numerical interpretation tools and to understand the utility and limitations of borehole gravity gradiometry in anticipation of the development of such instruments for the exploration and production of minerals, oil, and gas. We develop an analytic solution for directly locating discrete off-hole mass anomalies and apply a generalized inverse approach to image anomalous density distribution. In the analytic approach, we solve for the distance and direction angles to a point source using the multiple components of the gravity gradient tensor from a set of observations in a single borehole; and then apply this approach to the scenarios of prismatic sources. In the generalized inverse approach, we invert multiple gradient tensor components to construct 3D density contrast distributions around the borehole. As few as two independent gravity gradient components in a single borehole can be used to locate and image isolated anomalous density bodies.
Maternal Lipid Profile During Early Pregnancy and Pregnancy Complications and Outcomes: The ABCD Study
Authors: Vrijkotte Tanja G. M. , Krukziener Náthalie , Hutten Barbara A. , Vollebregt Karlijn C. , van Eijsden Manon , Twickler Marcel B.
Published: August 2012

Context:

Elevated lipid levels during late pregnancy are associated with complications and adverse outcome for both mother and newborn. However, it is inconclusive whether a disturbed lipid profile during early pregnancy has similar negative associations.

Objective:

Our objective was to investigate whether nonfasting maternal total cholesterol and triglyceride levels during early pregnancy are associated with six major adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Methods:

Data were derived from the Amsterdam Born Children and Their Development (ABCD) cohort study. Random blood samples of nonfasting total cholesterol and triglyceride levels were determined during early gestation (median = 13, interquartile range = 12–14 wk). Outcome measures were pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH), preeclampsia, preterm birth, small/large for gestational age (SGA/LGA), and child loss. Only nondiabetic women with singleton deliveries were included; the baseline sample consisted of 4008 women. Analysis for PIH and preeclampsia were performed in nulliparous women only (n = 2037).

Results:

Mean (sd) triglyceride and total cholesterol levels were 1.33 (0.55) and 4.98 (0.87) mmol/liter, respectively. The incidence of pregnancy complications and perinatal outcomes were as follows: PIH, 4.9%; preeclampsia, 3.7%; preterm birth, 5.3%; SGA, 9.3%; LGA, 9.3%; and child loss, 1.4%. After adjustments, every unit increase in triglycerides was linearly associated with an increased risk of PIH [odds ratio (OR) = 1.60, P = 0.021], preeclampsia (OR = 1.69, P = 0.018), LGA (OR = 1.48, P < 0.001), and induced preterm delivery (OR = 1.69, P = 0.006). No associations were found for SGA or child loss. Total cholesterol was not associated with any of the outcome measures.

Conclusions:

Elevated maternal triglyceride levels measured during early pregnancy are associated with pregnancy complications and adverse pregnancy outcomes. These results suggest that future lifestyle programs in women of reproductive age with a focus on lowering triglyceride levels (i.e. diet, weight reduction, and physical activity) may help to prevent hypertensive complications during pregnancy and adverse birth outcomes.
High-Dose Vitamin D Intervention in Infants—Effects on Vitamin D Status, Calcium Homeostasis, and Bone Strength
Authors: Holmlund-Suila Elisa , Viljakainen Heli , Hytinantti Timo , Lamberg-Allardt Christel , Andersson Sture , Mäkitie Outi
Published: August 2012

Context:

Guidelines in Finland recommend 10 μg of vitamin D3 daily for all infants. Recent observations suggest that this may be insufficient to maintain optimal serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (S-25-OHD).

Objective:

The aim of the study was to evaluate effects of various vitamin D doses and determine a dose ensuring S-25-OHD of at least 80 nmol/liter in infants without signs of vitamin D excess.

Design:

We conducted a randomized double-blind intervention study. Cord blood was obtained at birth for S-25-OHD; 113 infants were randomized to receive vitamin D3 10, 30, or 40 μg/d from age 2 wk to 3 months.

Setting:

An investigator-initiated study was performed in a single maternity hospital in Helsinki, Finland.

Main Outcome Measures:

S-25-OHD, calcium homeostasis, and skeletal characteristics were evaluated with peripheral quantitative computed tomography at age 3 months.

Results:

Baseline S-25-OHD was similar in all three groups (median, 53 nmol/liter). At 3 months, the mean S-25-OHD values were 88, 124, and 153 nmol/liter, and the minimum values were 46, 57, and 86 nmol/liter in the groups receiving 10, 30, and 40 μg (ANOVA; P < 0.001). No hypercalcemia occurred; plasma calcium, serum PTH, and urine calcium excretion was similar between the groups. Peripheral quantitative computed tomography showed a trend toward larger tibial total bone and cortical bone area with higher vitamin D doses.

Conclusion:

Vitamin D3 supplementation with up to 40 μg/d from age 2 wk to 3 months was safe and caused no hypercalcemia or hypercalciuria. The 40-μg dose maintained S-25-OHD above 80 nmol/liter in all infants. More extensive and longer intervention studies are necessary to assess long-term effects.
John Neal, American Romance, and International Romanticism
Authors: Gilmore Paul
Published: August 2012

In this essay, Gilmore argues that examining the largely forgotten early romances of John Neal within a transatlantic framework leads to a reconsideration of our understanding of romanticism in the United States. Focusing on Randolph (1823) and Logan (1822), he draws parallels between Neal’s criticism and fiction and the writings of European romantics such as Friedrich Schlegel and Percy Bysshe Shelley. In doing so, Gilmore contends that Neal provides an alternative understanding of the politics, history, and poetics of romanticism and the romance in the United States. Over the past century, the followers of F. O. Matthiessen and Richard Chase and their New Americanist critics have tended to describe romanticism and the romance in terms of an idealistic retreat into nature or aesthetic form. Furthermore, both mid-twentieth-century critics and later revisionists emphasized a national dimension to American romanticism and the American romance, either as epitomizing a distinctly American literature or as reinforcing or contesting dominant conceptions of the United States. In contrast, he argues that placing the romance, particularly as espoused and practiced by John Neal, at the center of our examination of romanticism in the United States foregrounds the importance of an international literary and sociocultural framework. In this light, romanticism appears less an ideological retreat from modernity or a nationalistic vehicle than a transnational, dialectical engagement with modernity’s atomization of the individual.
The “Plain Facts” of Fine Paper in “The Paradise of Bachelors and the Tartarus of Maids”
Authors: Thompson Graham
Published: August 2012

Thompson’s essay intervenes in conversations about mid-nineteenth-century authorship and print culture by distinguishing between the economy of paper and the economy of print. He argues that critical treatments of Melville’s work, and particularly “The Paradise of Bachelors and the Tartarus of Maids” (1855), have not adequately attended to the material economy of paper that existed for Melville before the cycle of literary publication, distribution, and circulation began. Living in the important papermaking region of rural west Massachusetts allowed Melville to experience the raw materials of that economic sector not as a distant or vicarious consumer but, following his visit to the Old Berkshire Mill in Dalton in the winter of 1851, as a specialized purchaser. Instead of treating paper as a metonym of literary-market exchange, then, Thompson’s essay examines Melville’s experience and imagining of this raw material—literally avant la lettre—as a way of better understanding the economy of a substance whose manufactured sizes (folio, octavo, and duodecimo) he had already used to classify whales in Moby-Dick and on which his recalcitrant copyist, Bartleby, refuses to write.
Literatures of Exile and Return: Jack Kerouac and Quebec
Authors: Melehy Hassan
Published: August 2012

Melehy’s essay explores Jack Kerouac’s relationship to the Québécois diaspora of which his Massachusetts family was a part, his experience of English as a foreign language, and how these inform his aesthetics. Melehy situates the discussion in debates on multilingualism in the study of American literature as well as theories of minor literature and translation. He demonstrates that Kerouac’s realism involves an effort to bring into dominant US representation many aspects of the diaspora that were ideologically hidden. Part of this consideration is the reception of Kerouac in Quebec as a major literary figure who made immense contributions to reflections on hybrid North American identity. In the appreciation of Kerouac by Quebec novelist and critic Victor-Lévy Beaulieu, the author shows that early critical dismissals of Kerouac in the United States were closely connected to the aesthetic problems he raised in his work that were specific to his awareness of the diaspora. Melehy then turns his attention to some of Kerouac’s lesser-known novels, especially two that focus mainly on French-Canadian culture and identity, Dr. Sax (1959) and Satori in Paris (1966). Proceeding to a commentary of a Québécois rewriting of Kerouac, Jacques Poulin’s 1984 Volkswagen Blues, Melehy demonstrates this novel’s exploration of North American identities in connection with Quebec and the role of literature in mapping them. The conclusion assesses Kerouac’s contribution to American literature as a meditation on transnational, translingual identity.
Light Interference (LI) as a possible stressor altering HSP70 and its gene expression levels in brain and liver tissues of Golden Spiny Mice
Authors: Ashkenazi Lilach , Haim Abraham
Published: August 2012

Light at Night (LAN) and light interference (LI) are part of modern life, which disrupt the natural light/dark cycle, causing alteration at physiological and molecular levels, partly by suppressing melatonin (MLT) secretion at night. Heat shock proteins (HSP) are activated by various stressors. We assessed HSP70 changes and gene expression in brain tissue (BT) and hepatic tissue (HT) of Golden spiny mice (Acomys russatus), acclimated to LI for 2(sLI), 7 (mLI) and 21(lLI) nights. The effect of MLT treatment on LI-mice was also assessed. HSP70 levels increased in BT and HT after sLI, while after mLI and lLI, HSP70 decreased to basic levels. Changes in HSP70 levels as a response to MLT occurred after sLI only in the HT. However, hsp70 expression following sLI increased in BT, but not in HT. MLT treatment and sLI caused decrease in hsp70 levels in BT and increase in hsp70 in HT. sLI-acclimation elicited stress response in A. russatus as expressed by increased HSP70 levels and gene expression. Longer acclimation decreases protein and gene expression to their basic levels. We conclude, that for BT and HT of A. russatus LI is a short-termed stressor, our results also revealed that A. russatus can acclimate to LI, possibly because of its circadian system plasticity, which allows it to behave both as a nocturnal and as a diurnal rodent. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study showing the effect of LI as a stressor on the cellular level, by activating HSP70.
Activated platelet-derived microparticle numbers are elevated in patients with severe fungal (Candida albicans) sepsis
Authors: Woth Gábor , Tőkés-Füzesi Margit , Magyarlaki Tamás , Kovács Gábor L , Vermes István , Mühl Diana
Published: August 2012

Background

The treatment of severe sepsis highly depends on the identification of bacteria or fungi from blood and/or other body materials. Although widely available blood culturing and risk assessment scores are not completely reliable, current guidelines do not recommend the wide empirical use of antifungal medications based on questionable benefit or possible side-effects. We aimed to test whether platelet-derived microparticle (MP) measurements can improve the early detection of the infective agent behind sepsis.

Methods

Thirty-three consecutive severe septic patients from our university intensive care unit were included in our prospective study. MP number and surface antigen characteristics were followed by flow cytometry on days 1 (admission), 3 and 5. For microbiological identification, various specimens were collected on admission and in case of overall status deterioration.

Results

On admission, septic patients showed elevated annexin V and constitutive platelet marker (CD41)-positive MP numbers compared with volunteers. Mixed fungal septic patients showed significantly elevated annexin V and CD41-positive particle numbers on day 1 ( P < 0.05) compared with the non-fungal septic group. Adhesive platelet marker (CD42a) harbouring vesicles were negligible in the non-fungal group, while fungal septic patients showed significantly elevated numbers in all measurements ( P < 0.01). Particles from activated platelets (PAC1) had elevated numbers in the first and fifth study days compared with non-fungal septic patients ( P < 0.05).

Conclusions

The measurement of CD42a- and PAC1-positive microparticles may provide important additional information which can help to improve the early instalment of antifungal therapy of severe septic patients.
Intelligence Compensation Theory: A Critical Examination of the Negative Relationship Between Conscientiousness and Fluid and Crystallised Intelligence
Authors: Wood Paul , Englert Paul
Published: August 2012

This study investigates the negative relationship between fluid and crystallised intelligence and Conscientiousness subfactors within the New Zealand workplace. Fluid and crystallised intelligence were assessed via the General Reasoning Test Battery 2 (GRT2; N = 1629). Two personality inventories were employed: The Fifteen-Factor Questionnaire (15FQ; N = 546), and the Occupational Personality Profile (OPP; N = 1083). 15FQ subfactors of Conscientious and Disciplined negatively correlated with fluid and crystallised intelligence. OPP subfactors of Detail-Conscious and Conformity also negatively correlated with fluid and crystallised intelligence. Subfactors for both personality measures correlated more strongly with crystallised than fluid intelligence. This finding is contrary to an earlier finding that Conscientiousness negatively correlates with fluid, but not crystallised intelligence (Moutafi, Furnham, & Paltiel, 2004). An explanation for this difference is discussed and the Intelligence Compensation Theory is introduced as an explanation for the observed relationships.
Errors, Feedback, Learning and Performance
Authors: Gardner Dianne , Wood Robert
Published: August 2012

The value of feedback about errors when learning a novel computer-based task was explored in two studies. The first study examined the optimal level of information to be provided in feedback about errors. The second study examined whether framing errors positively as opportunities to learn (which encourages error tolerance) or negatively as hindrances to learning (which encourages error avoidance) facilitated learning and performance. Both studies used a computer-based simulation of a management decision-making task. In the first study there were three feedback conditions: outcome feedback alone, outcome feedback plus error signal feedback, and outcome feedback plus corrective feedback. Corrective feedback produced better performance than error signal and outcome feedback but learning did not differ across the three conditions. Corrective feedback also facilitated the use of systematic exploration which was positively associated with performance and learning. Learners' self-efficacy moderated the effects of error feedback: learners with high self-efficacy showed high levels of performance in all conditions but for those with low self-efficacy, detailed corrective feedback was essential for learning. The second study explored the effects of positive vs. negative error framing and corrective vs. signal error feedback in a 2 × 2 design. Positive error framing produced more unsystematic exploration and worse performance than negative error framing. Positive error framing helped those with low self-efficacy but for those with higher self-efficacy it was of more value to frame errors negatively. The implications of the interactions between error framing, error feedback and learner characteristics are discussed along with implications for the study of error management, a positive error framing technique.
The Revised Transactional Model (RTM) of Occupational Stress and Coping: An Improved Process Approach
Authors: Goh Yong Wah , Sawang Sukanlaya , Oei Tian P.S.
Published: August 2012

Despite more than three decades of research, there is a limited understanding of the transactional process of appraisal, stress and coping. This has led to calls for more focused research on the entire process that underlies these variables. To date, there remains a paucity of such research. The present study examined Lazarus and Folkman's (1984) transactional model of stress and coping. One hundred and twenty nine Australian participants with full time employment (i.e., nurses and administration employees) were recruited. There were 49 male (age mean = 34, SD = 10.51) and 80 female (age mean = 36, SD = 10.31) participants. The analysis of three path models indicated that in addition to the original paths, which were found in Lazarus and Folkman's transactional model (primary appraisal→secondary appraisal→stress→coping), there were also direct links between primary appraisal and stress level time one and between stress level time one to stress level time two. This study has provided additional insights into the transactional process that will extend our understanding of how individuals appraise, cope and experience occupational stress.
A Methodological Approach to Developing a Measure of the Psychological Contract for Managers
Authors: Cable Donald A.J.
Published: August 2012

With a focus on a specific employment group this research attempted to add to the knowledge on the content of the psychological contract. Structured interviews with 35 managers generated 651 responses relating to the content of their psychological contracts. Analysis of those responses resulted in the development of an initial two-component measure of the contract. One component (23 items) included the managers' expectations relating to the organisation's obligations. The other component (16 items) included the managers' obligations relating to the perceived organisation's expectations. Validation of the measure was based on a questionnaire completed by 124 managers. Participants considered all items to be important aspects of the contract. Participants also rated as high the obligation of each party to meet the expectations of the other. Factor analysis of the measure revealed two factors in each component which, in line with previous research, were termed relational obligations and transactional obligations. A robust methodology is proposed for continuing research into the content of the psychological work contract.
Organisational Culture and the Use of Work–Life Balance Initiatives: Influence on Work Attitudes and Work–Life Conflict
Authors: Webber Mardi , Sarris Aspa , Bessell Max
Published: August 2012

The study examined attitudes toward work–life balance (WLB) using survey data from 292 employees in an Australian university. Organisational culture, as it relates to how and when employees can use WLB initiatives, was investigated. In particular, the study examined employees' differing perceptions of organisational culture within a single organisation, with particular reference to: managerial support of WLB initiatives, career consequences of using WLB initiatives, organisational time expectations that may interfere with non-work activities, and the level of employee control over workload and when employees can take time off. As predicted, perceptions of managerial support of WLB initiatives were related to initiative use; however, overall initiative use was not related to perceived career consequences (e.g. using initiatives will damage one's career progress), organisational time expectations (e.g., long working hours), or levels of employee control (e.g., employee control over workload). Results showed that perceptions of a supportive organisational culture were positively related to organisational commitment and negatively related to work–life conflict and employees' intentions to leave. Further, the study results show that employees' perception of organisational culture was more strongly associated with the outcomes (e.g., work attitudes, work–life conflict) than the number of WLB initiatives used by employees.
Managing Emergencies: Key Competencies for Incident Management Teams
Authors: Hayes Peter A.J. , Omodei Mary M.
Published: August 2012

Each year Australian fire and land management agencies deploy Incident Management Teams (IMTs) to manage bushfires. An important question is: what are the key competencies required for IMT personnel? Recent research in high reliability organisations suggests that teamwork-related competencies are likely to be most important because incident management depends critically upon interdependent team members, often operating in dynamic, uncertain, time pressured, and high stakes environments. This study used semi-structured interviews with experienced IMT personnel (N = 15) to identify 12 key competencies important for bushfire IMT roles. Analysis of 30 bushfire incidents described by interviewees confirmed that three competencies (a) interpersonal and communication skills, (b) leadership, and (c) IMT procedural knowledge were central. Potential implications for organisational decision making in emergency contexts in general are outlined.
A Critical Examination of the Internal Consistency of Competencies Assessed Across Multiple Methods
Authors: Englert Paul , Jackson Duncan J. R. , van Gelderen Marco
Published: August 2012

Competency models represent a popular concept that is widely applied in such areas as human resource selection, performance management, employee development, and job analysis. Despite widespread popularity and applied use, little is known about the measurement properties of competencies and whether they can reasonably be used to provide meaningful feedback or as a basis for employment decisions. The present study evaluated the internal consistency of multimethod competency scores obtained from a developmental assessment centre. A total of 214 managers participated in this study. Results suggested that there was virtually no support for the idea that multimethod-derived competencies could be regarded as meaningful, internally consistent, underlying characteristics. The article argues that competency models that employ multimethod approaches merely provide a semantic framework for conveying the complexity of a person specification, a framework which is qualitative not quantitative. These findings are discussed in relation to their implications for behavioral assessment in employment.
„Das Zeitalter des Aischylos ist angebrochen, mein Lieber“. Wagner, Bakunin, Słowacki über die griechische Tragödie und die schöpferische Zerstörung
Authors: Mrugalski Michał
Published: August 2012

The present paper is an endeavor to formulate the tertium comparationis between the “time of Aeschylus”, when the Greek tragedy came into being, and the time of Juliusz Słowacki, in whose poem we find the title comparison, or the identification of the two epochs. The tragic potential lies in the habitus where Słowacki and his contemporaries wrote and acted, i.e. in the way the people interacted in order to negotiate the answers to the events that had happened to them or that they had provoked. The best way to hem the inherent tragic of Słowacki’s habitus in is to recall the epoch’s pre-scenes (Urszenen) and to extract their intrinsic theory, i.e. the logics of praxis that defines the acts of the actors. The most promising seems to be the theory of tragedy: both the one explicitly expressed by the mentioned authors, heroes of the pre-scenes, and the implicit one. The Greek tragedy served our actors as an ideal fulfillment of the then theory’s assumptions: it spanned a realm in which a word actually was an action.

The three heroes of our pre-scenes – their relations intertwine until they create a web with which to catch the tertium comparationis – also emphasized the destructive, rebellious nature of Greek tragedy and its theory. In it, a destructive potential of art is supposed to appear for the first time in history; the very potential will become later a vital part of modern art’s organon and will eventually influence the aesthetics of the new total politics in the 20th Century.

The present paper comprises four major sections: in the first one, the author contemplates the concurrence of the theory and the praxis in the pre-scenes and eventually extracts the most characteristic elements of the scenes, so that he may articulate these extracted terms’ oppositions and identifications that shaped the late romantic theory of tragedy, and of action. In the second part, the author concentrates on a particular identification: that of creation with destruction. In the third part, the author turns to the privileged object of these destructive-creative actions of ancient and future tragedy – the law. In the last part, the planned totality of the new tragedy is demonstrated, as the new tragedy is supposed to create a new form of sociality, a new organic social system.
Sprachliche Besonderheiten der ersten ukrainischen Emigrationswelle in Brasilien (Anfang des XX. Jh.)
Authors: Höfinghoff Marina
Published: August 2012

This study is dedicated to the peculiarities of the language spoken by Ukrainian immigrants to Brazil, by tracing their regional origin, when they immigrated, and where they settled, as well as describing organized public life of the Ukrainian community in that country. The paper systematizes the data about the Ukrainian immigrants (at the beginning of the 20th century) and touches on the influence of the Brazilian environment on Ukrainian communities.The study, which is based on Ukrainian mass-media in Brazil, affords a detailed analysis of the language of these publications – its morphology, grammar and lexical base – and shows how the Ukrainian language spoken in Brazil at the time retained – trough its dialectal features – its complex and heterogeneous nature.
The Experience of Music in Congenital Amusia
Authors: Omigie Diana , Müllensiefen Daniel , Stewart Lauren
Published: August 2012

individuals with congenital amusia have difficulty recognizing and discriminating melodies. While much research has focused on the perceptual deficits of congenital amusics, the extent to which these deficits have an impact on the ability to engage with and appreciate music remains unexplored. The current study used experience sampling methodology to identify distinct patterns of music-related behavior in individuals with amusia and matched controls. Cluster analysis was used to group individuals according to the similarity of their behavior, regardless of their status as amusic or control. This yielded a two-cluster solution: one cluster comprising 59% of the amusic sample and 6% of controls and the other comprising 41% of the amusic sample and 94% of controls. Comparisons of the two clusters in terms of specific aspects of music listening behavior revealed differences in levels of music engagement and appreciation. Further comparisons provided support for the existence of amusic subgroups showing distinct attitudes toward music. The findings are discussed in relation to social, contextual, and demographic factors.
On Musical Dissonance
Authors: Johnson-Laird Phil N. , Kang Olivia E. , Leong Yuan Chang
Published: August 2012

psychoacoustic theories of dissonance often follow Helmholtz and attribute it to partials (fundamental frequencies or overtones) near enough in frequency to affect the same region of the basilar membrane and therefore to cause roughness, i.e., rapid beating. In contrast, tonal theories attribute dissonance to violations of harmonic principles embodied in Western music. We propose a dual-process theory that embeds roughness within tonal principles. The theory predicts the robust increasing trend in the dissonance of triads: major < minor < diminished < augmented. Previous experiments used too few chords for a comprehensive test of the theory, and so Experiment 1 examined the rated dissonance of all 55 possible three-note chords, and Experiment 2 examined a representative sample of 48 of the possible four-note chords. The participants' ratings concurred reliably and corroborated the dual-process theory. Experiment 3 showed that, as the theory predicts, consonant chords are rated as less dissonant when they occur in a tonal sequence (the cycle of fifths) than in a random sequence, whereas this manipulation has no reliable effect on dissonant chords outside common musical practice.
Neurologic Disorders Among Pediatric Deaths Associated With the 2009 Pandemic Influenza
Authors: Blanton Lenee , Peacock Georgina , Cox Chad , Jhung Michael , Finelli Lyn , Moore Cynthia
Published: August 2012

OBJECTIVE:

The goal of this study was to describe reported influenza A (H1N1)pdm09 virus (pH1N1)-associated deaths in children with underlying neurologic disorders.

METHODS:

The study compared demographic characteristics, clinical course, and location of death of pH1N1-associated deaths among children with and without underlying neurologic disorders reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

RESULTS:

Of 336 pH1N1-associated pediatric deaths with information on underlying conditions, 227 (68%) children had at least 1 underlying condition that conferred an increased risk of complications of influenza. Neurologic disorders were most frequently reported (146 of 227 [64%]), and, of those disorders, neurodevelopmental disorders such as cerebral palsy and intellectual disability were most common. Children with neurologic disorders were older (P = .02), had a significantly longer duration of illness from onset to death (P < .01), and were more likely to die in the hospital versus at home or in the emergency department (P < .01) compared with children without underlying medical conditions. Many children with neurologic disorders had additional risk factors for influenza-related complications, especially pulmonary disorders (48%). Children without underlying conditions were significantly more likely to have a positive result from a sterile-site bacterial culture than were those with an underlying neurologic disorder (P < .01).

CONCLUSIONS:

Neurologic disorders were reported in nearly two-thirds of pH1N1-associated pediatric deaths with an underlying medical condition. Because of the potential for severe outcomes, children with underlying neurologic disorders should receive influenza vaccine and be treated early and aggressively if they develop influenza-like illness.
A rede política canavieira e seus recursos de poder em Goiás
Authors: Picanço Filho Artêmio Ferreira , Marin Joel Orlando Bevilaqua
Published: August 2012

Neste artigo, são analisados a rede política canavieira goiana, os recursos de poder de seus agentes e as assimetrias de informações geradas nas relações contratuais. Os dados de campo foram obtidos por meio de entrevistas semiestruturadas e levantamento documental. As agroindústrias canavieiras detêm recursos de poder econômico, político, tecnológico e jurídico, que geram assimetrias de informações, na cadeia produtiva da cana-de-açúcar em Goiás. As assimetrias de informações dificultam o cumprimento dos contratos agrários e o atendimento às reivindicações dos produtores e suas entidades de representação.
Cancer Patient Disclosure and Patient-Doctor Communication of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use: A Systematic Review
Authors: Davis Esther L. , Oh Byeongsang , Butow Phyllis N. , Mullan Barbara A. , Clarke Stephen
Published: August 2012

Learning Objectives

After completing this course, the reader will be able to: Discuss the danger inherent in nondisclosure of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use due to the potential for herb- or vitamin-drug interactions with conventional treatment.Explain the need for greater patient-doctor communication about CAM use in oncology settings in order to maintain patient safety and wellbeing.

CME This article is available for continuing medical education credit at CME.TheOncologist.com

Objective.

To explore the nondisclosure of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use among cancer patients, including reasons for and outcomes from nondisclosure of CAM use, within the context of patient-doctor communication.

Method.

A systematic review was conducted exploring investigations surrounding the communication of CAM use for patients with cancer published until August 2011.

Results.

A total of 21 studies were located, which reported a prevalence of CAM use among patients with cancer ranging between 11% and 95%; of these patients, 20% to 77% did not disclose their CAM use. The main reasons for nondisclosure were the doctor's lack of inquiry; patient's anticipation of the doctor's disapproval, disinterest, or inability to help; and patient's perception that disclosure of CAM use is irrelevant to their conventional care. There is some evidence to suggest that patient-doctor communication about the use of CAM was associated with an enhanced patient-doctor relationship and higher patient satisfaction.

Conclusions.

Although the use of CAM by patients with cancer is high, patients frequently fail to disclose its use to their health professionals for reasons emanating from both sides of the dyadic patient-doctor relationship. Because a substantial proportion of patients with cancer may use CAM and there is potential for herb- or vitamin-drug interactions, further research in patient-doctor communication about CAM is necessary to maintain patient safety and wellbeing. The development of effective interventions to improve the disclosure of CAM use should be an integral part of this future research.