bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Payments for Ecosystem Services as a Framework for Community‐Based Conservation in Northern Tanzania
Authors: NELSON FRED , FOLEY CHARLES , FOLEY LARA S. , LEPOSO ABRAHAM , LOURE EDWARD , PETERSON DAVID , PETERSON MIKE , PETERSON THAD , SACHEDINA HASSAN , WILLIAMS ANDREW
Published: January 2010

Abstract:  Payments for ecosystem services (PES) are an increasingly promoted approach to conservation. These approaches seek to develop financial mechanisms that create economic incentives for the maintenance of ecosystems and associated biodiversity by rewarding those who are responsible for provision of ecological services. There are, however, few cases in which such schemes have been used as a strategy for conserving wildlife in developing countries and very few operational examples of such schemes of any sort in sub‐Saharan Africa. In savannah ecosystems, large mammal populations generally depend on seasonal use of extensive areas and are widely declining as a result of habitat loss, overexploitation, and policies that limit local benefits from wildlife. Community‐based conservation strategies seek to create local incentives for conserving wildlife, but often have limited impact as a result of persistent institutional barriers that limit local rights and economic benefits. In northern Tanzania, a consortium of tourism operators is attempting to address these challenges through an agreement with a village that possesses part of a key wildlife dispersal area outside Tarangire National Park. The operators pay the community to enforce voluntary restrictions on agricultural cultivation and permanent settlement in a defined area of land. The initiative represents a potentially cost‐effective framework for community‐based conservation in an ecologically important area and is helping to reconcile historically conflicting local and national interests relative to land tenure, pastoralist livelihoods, and conservation. Wider adaptation of payments for ecosystem services approaches to settings where sustaining wildlife populations depends on local stewardship may help address current challenges facing conservation outside state‐protected areas in savannah ecosystems in sub‐Saharan Africa and other parts of the world.
Biodiversity Differences between Managed and Unmanaged Forests: Meta‐Analysis of Species Richness in Europe
Authors: PAILLET YOAN , BERGÈS LAURENT , HJÄLTÉN JOAKIM , ÓDOR PÉTER , AVON CATHERINE , BERNHARDT‐RÖMERMANN MARKUS , BIJLSMA RIENK‐JAN , DE BRUYN LUC , FUHR MARC , GRANDIN ULF , KANKA ROBERT , LUNDIN LARS , LUQUE SANDRA , MAGURA TIBOR , MATESANZ SILVIA , MÉSZÁROS ILONA , SEBASTIÀ M.‐TERESA , SCHMIDT WOLFGANG , STANDOVÁR TIBOR , TÓTHMÉRÉSZ BÉLA , UOTILA ANNELI , VALLADARES FERNANDO , VELLAK KAI , VIRTANEN RISTO
Published: January 2010

Abstract: Past and present pressures on forest resources have led to a drastic decrease in the surface area of unmanaged forests in Europe. Changes in forest structure, composition, and dynamics inevitably lead to changes in the biodiversity of forest‐dwelling species. The possible biodiversity gains and losses due to forest management (i.e., anthropogenic pressures related to direct forest resource use), however, have never been assessed at a pan‐European scale. We used meta‐analysis to review 49 published papers containing 120 individual comparisons of species richness between unmanaged and managed forests throughout Europe. We explored the response of different taxonomic groups and the variability of their response with respect to time since abandonment and intensity of forest management. Species richness was slightly higher in unmanaged than in managed forests. Species dependent on forest cover continuity, deadwood, and large trees (bryophytes, lichens, fungi, saproxylic beetles) and carabids were negatively affected by forest management. In contrast, vascular plant species were favored. The response for birds was heterogeneous and probably depended more on factors such as landscape patterns. The global difference in species richness between unmanaged and managed forests increased with time since abandonment and indicated a gradual recovery of biodiversity. Clearcut forests in which the composition of tree species changed had the strongest effect on species richness, but the effects of different types of management on taxa could not be assessed in a robust way because of low numbers of replications in the management‐intensity classes. Our results show that some taxa are more affected by forestry than others, but there is a need for research into poorly studied species groups in Europe and in particular locations. Our meta‐analysis supports the need for a coordinated European research network to study and monitor the biodiversity of different taxa in managed and unmanaged forests.
Clinical consequences of iron overload from chronic red blood cell transfusions, its diagnosis, and its management by chelation therapy
Authors: Shander Aryeh , Sazama Kathleen
Published: January 2010

Iron overload from chronic transfusion therapy can be extremely toxic. Excess transfusional iron is deposited in the liver, heart, and other organs as free iron, which can cause organ dysfunction and damage over time. Increased awareness of the risk of iron overload in patients requiring chronic transfusion therapy is needed, and such patients should be screened for hyperferritinemia. Those with serial serum ferritin levels exceeding 1000 ng/mL and a total infused red blood cell volume of 120 mL/kg of body weight or more should be treated with chelation therapy and then monitored to ensure that treatment adequately reduces iron levels.
Improved mouse models for the study of treatment modalities for immune‐mediated platelet destruction
Authors: Katsman Yulia , Foo Alison H. , Leontyev Danila , Branch Donald R.
Published: January 2010

BACKGROUND: We found when using a mouse model of immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) that platelet (PLT) nadir could not be maintained in the face of daily PLT antibody, making interpretation of treatment modalities difficult. This finding was documented to be at least in part due to increased thrombopoiesis as a result of a compensated thrombocytolytic state. Thus, it was important to develop an improved mouse model of human ITP so as to maintain PLT nadir over time.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: To maintain PLT nadir, we have developed two mouse models. One model uses single‐dose sublethal total body gamma irradiation (TBI) in combination with daily low‐dose PLT antibody administration while the second model uses escalation of the dose of PLT antibody over time. Both models maintain PLT nadir and allow for the study of treatment modalities without interference by marrow compensation.

RESULTS: Surprisingly, intravenous immune globulin (IVIG) shows no efficacy when using the TBI combination model but works well using the dose‐escalation mouse model. In contrast, anti‐TER‐119 shows efficacy using either mouse model. Our results indicate that the mechanism of action of IVIG requires a functional marrow and/or involves a radiosensitive regulatory cell. However, IVIG works using the dose‐escalation model without TBI and the increase in PLT counts correlates directly with reticulated PLTs suggesting that the IVIG mechanism involves effects on megakaryopoiesis/thrombopoiesis.

CONCLUSIONS: These mouse models should be useful for investigators wishing to maintain PLT nadir over prolonged periods of time for the study of mechanism and efficacy of various treatments for ITP.
Human herpesvirus 8 genomes and seroprevalence in United States blood donors
Authors: Qu Lirong , Jenkins Frank , Triulzi Darrell J.
Published: January 2010

BACKGROUND: Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV‐8) is a gamma‐herpesvirus that causes Kaposi's sarcoma. The prevalence of HHV‐8 genomes in US blood donors has not been systemically studied.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: A sensitive and quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was used to detect HHV‐8 DNA from purified CD19+ B lymphocytes from randomly selected US whole blood donors. Cellular target for the GAPDH gene was used to quantify cell‐equivalent DNA. HHV‐8 PCR was run in duplicate for each donor specimen along with an HHV‐8 genomic copy standard. HHV‐8 antibodies were detected by an indirect immunofluorescence assay.

RESULTS: Specimens were obtained from 962 blood donors. DNA from more than 3 × 105 B‐cell equivalents were obtained from 684 donors. No HHV‐8 DNA was detected from any of the blood donor specimens. For the 684 donors, HHV‐8 genomes were not detected in the DNA equivalent of 3 × 105 to 6 × 105 CD19+ B cells with real‐time PCR, which has a detection limit of eight copies (95% confidence interval, 0‐3/684). Negative results from the remaining 220 donors were potentially confounded by insufficient input DNA into the PCR procedures. Antibodies to HHV‐8 were detected in 7.3% (70/962) of the donors. HHV‐8 genomes were not detected from 40 of 70 HHV‐8–seropositive donor B‐cell DNA samples.

CONCLUSION: The results indicate that the prevalence of detectable HHV‐8 genomes in healthy blood donors is very low.
Feasibility study of a screening assay that identifies the abnormal prion protein PrPTSE in plasma: initial results with 20,000 samples
Authors: Guntz Philippe , Walter Christine , Schosseler Patricia , Morel Pascal , Coste Joliette , Cazenave Jean‐Pierre
Published: January 2010

BACKGROUND: It is likely that transmission of variant Creutzfeldt‐Jakob disease (vCJD) occurs by transfusion and that the candidate infectious agent (PrPTSE) is present in small concentrations in the blood of infected donors in the asymptomatic phase of the disease. A new blood screening assay has been developed to detect PrPTSE in citrated plasma samples.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Three regional Blood Transfusion Establishments (ETS) in France (ETS Alsace, ETS Bourgogne Franche‐Comté, and ETS Pyrénées‐Méditerranée) will screen 60,000 plasma samples (20,000 in each ETS) over a time period of approximately 9 to 12 months.

RESULTS: Results provided in this report are those of the first testing site in Strasbourg, Alsace. The preliminary results have demonstrated an initial specificity of 97.60%. Upon repeat testing the specificity rate achieved 99.90% (20 repeat‐positive samples). Based on the known epidemiology of vCJD in France, it is likely that the repeat‐reactive samples are not true‐positives.

CONCLUSION: The screening assay was studied in terms of specificity and practicality and was found to be suitable for use in routine testing of blood donations. However, throughput must be enhanced by automation of the assay, and traceability would be improved if automated systems were used to distribute and identify samples.
High antibody level: an accurate serologic marker of viremia in asymptomatic people with hepatitis C infection
Authors: Contreras Ana M. , Ochoa‐Jiménez Rodolfo J. , Celis Alfredo , Méndez Claudia , Olivares Laura , Rebolledo Claudia E. , Hernandez‐Lugo Isabel , Aguirre‐Zavala Ana I. , Jiménez‐Méndez Ricardo , Chung Raymond T.
Published: January 2010

BACKGROUND:The screening and diagnosis of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is initiated by testing for antibody to HCV (anti‐HCV). A positive anti‐HCV test in blood donors represents ongoing infection in only a variable proportion of individuals. Because a high anti‐HCV level has been associated with viremia, a study was conducted to determine whether a high antibody level is an accurate serologic marker for viremia in asymptomatic anti‐HCV–positive persons.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS:In a diagnostic test study, we included 856 anti‐HCV–positive blood donors in a blood bank at Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, between 2002 and 2007. A third‐generation amplified chemiluminescence assay (ChLIA HCV) was used to detect anti‐HCV. A positive result of the qualitative nucleic acid test (HCV RNA) was considered the gold standard for viremia.

RESULTS:By receiver operating characteristic analysis, the signal‐to‐cutoff (S/CO) ratio of 20 or more was chosen as optimal to identify viremia and so was defined as high anti‐HCV level. There was a significant difference in the proportion of viremia between subjects with high antibody level and those with lower levels (93.7% vs. 1.8%, respectively; p < 0.001). A high antibody level showed a sensitivity for viremia of 96.6% (95% confidence interval [CI], 93.8%‐98.1%), a specificity of 96.6%(95% CI, 94.8%‐97.8%), and a likelihood ratio of 28.6 (95% CI, 18.4%‐44.6%).

CONCLUSION:A high antibody level (S/CO ratio ≥20 by ChLIA HCV) clearly divides the viremic from the nonviremic blood donors and functions as an accurate serologic marker to guide the use of routine HCV RNA testing to confirm hepatitis C infection.
DIIIa and DIII Type 5 are encoded by the same allele and are associated with altered RHCE*ce alleles: clinical implications
Authors: Westhoff Connie M. , Vege Sunitha , Halter‐Hipsky Christine , Whorley Trina , Hue‐Roye Kim , Lomas‐Francis Christine , Reid Marion E.
Published: January 2010

BACKGROUND: The partial D phenotype DIIIa was originally reported to be associated with 455A>C in Exon 3, 602C>G in Exon 4, and 667T>G in Exon 5. Other alleles with these changes were subsequently identified and designated DIII Types 5, 6, and 7, as they had additional alterations. The observation that DNA samples associated with the DIIIa phenotype had more changes than those originally reported motivated us to reanalyze the DIIIa probands (BP and DJ) from the original study. We also studied additional DIIIa samples to clarify the RHD background and establish the associated RHCE.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Hemagglutination testing was performed by standard methods. RHD and RHCE were analyzed by combinations of polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism, exon‐specific sequencing, cloning, or direct sequencing of Rh‐cDNAs.

RESULTS: The RHD alleles from BP, DJ, and 58 additional DIIIa samples had the three reported nucleotide changes as well as 186G>T, 410C>T, and 819G>A. The DIIIa allele was associated with several altered RHCE*ce‐alleles, the prominent one being ceS (48C, 733G, 1006T).

CONCLUSION: The DIIIa phenotype is associated with six RHD changes, five of which encode amino acid changes, and partial DIIIa and DIII Type 5 are encoded by the same RHD allele. In all samples, RHD*DIIIa was inherited with altered RHCE*ce. Patients with partial DIIIa are at risk for production of alloanti‐D, but they are also at risk for alloanti‐e, ‐c, or antibodies to high‐prevalence Rh antigens if there is no conventional RHCE*ce in trans. Among 39 patients studied, 16 had alloanti‐D and 27 had alloanti‐e or anti‐hrB.
What Is Important on the Job? Differences Across Gender, Perspective, and Job Level1
Authors: Frame Mark C. , Roberto Katherine J. , Schwab Ashleigh E. , Harris Celesta Taylor
Published: January 2010

The importance ratings of job competency dimensions on a 360‐degree feedback instrument were examined. We hypothesized that men (incumbents and bosses) would rate agentic behaviors higher in importance than would women, and that women (incumbents and bosses) would rate communal behaviors higher in importance than would men. Differences were found for men and women across rating sources and across job level (organizational position). The present findings suggest that men and women incumbents view different factors as important for their jobs and that people in higher level jobs place more importance on agentic behaviors than do those in lower level positions, and people in lower level jobs place more importance on communal behaviors than do those in higher level positions.
Making Sense of Work Life: A Structural Model of Burnout
Authors: Leiter Michael P. , Gascón Santiago , Martínez‐Jarreta Begoña
Published: January 2010

Hospital‐based nurses (N = 832) and doctors (N = 603) in northern and eastern Spain completed a survey of job burnout, areas of work life, and management issues. Analysis of the results provides support for a mediation model of burnout that depicts employees' energy, involvement, and efficacy as intermediary experiences between their experiences of work life and their evaluations of organizational change. The key element of this model is its focus on employees' capacity to influence their work environments toward greater conformity with their core values. The model considers 3 aspects of that capacity: decision‐making participation, organizational justice, and supervisory relationships. The analysis supports this model and emphasizes a central role for first‐line supervisors in employees' experiences of work life.
Does Outcome Favorability Affect Procedural Fairness as a Result of Self‐Serving Attributions?
Authors: Francis‐Gladney Laura , Magner Nace R. , Welker Robert B.
Published: January 2010

In a situation indicating possible pseudo‐participation, we examined whether outcome favorability affects perceived procedural fairness and resentment as a result of self‐serving attributions for outcomes. Laboratory participants received a production target that was either substantially above (i.e., unfavorable outcome) or substantially below (i.e., favorable outcome) a target they had voiced to a supervisor. As hypothesized, outcome favorability was related to procedural fairness (positively) and resentment (negatively) among participants who lacked persuasive evidence of pseudo‐participation. In support of the idea that these effects were a result of self‐serving attributions, rather than instrumental concerns, they did not emerge among participants who had persuasive evidence of pseudo‐participation.
Mentoring Global Dual‐Career Couples: A Social Learning Perspective
Authors: Harvey Michael , Napier Nancy K. , Moeller Miriam , Williams Laura A.
Published: January 2010

This paper explores the dimensions and means to implement a global dual‐career expatriate couple mentoring program. The rationale is that learning from an experienced mentor mitigates the complexity of global assignments, leading to more successful completion of overseas assignments. We explored the impact of such mentoring programs on “nontraditional” global managers, along with their trailing spouses. Social learning theory was used as the foundation for the development of such a mentoring program. To add to the contextual understanding of global assignments imposed on global dual‐career couples, we explored the effectiveness of mentoring by investigating temporal (before, during, after expatriation) and gender‐related dimensions. Further, we analyzed the level of mentor involvement (personal, organizational, and professional) regarding psychosocial and career development.
Choosing the best foraging microhabitats: individual skills constrain the choices of dunlins Calidris alpina
Authors: Santos Carlos D. , Palmeirim Jorge M. , Granadeiro José P.
Published: January 2010

Estuarine mudflats, among the most important foraging grounds for waders during the non‐breeding season, consist of complex mosaics of shallow pools and dry areas during low tide. In this study, we carried out close‐range focal observations to determine foraging parameters of dunlins Calidris alpina, foraging in the mudflat microhabitats of the Tagus estuary, Portugal. Birds foraging in wet patches mostly targeted the siphons of the bivalve Scrobicularia plana, while in dry patches they mostly fed on mudsnails Hydrobia ulvae. Surface visibility of prey, rather than their abundance in the sediment, explained the microhabitat‐related differences in prey selection. Birds using dry patches obtained 40% less energy intake than those using wet patches, still many extensively used this poor microhabitat. Because siphons retract quickly when the sediment is disturbed, birds often failed to catch them. We found that birds that were less efficient in capturing siphons in wet patches tended to spend more time foraging on mudsnails in dry patches. This suggests that lack of skills in siphon cropping represents a major foraging constraint for dunlins wintering in the Tagus estuary. It may even cause them to forage during high tide in order to achieve their daily energetic requirements.
Complex migration and the development of genetic structure in subdivided populations: an example from Caribbean coral reef ecosystems
Authors: Kool Johnathan T. , Paris Claire B. , Andréfouët Serge , Cowen Robert K.
Published: January 2010

A matrix‐based projection model is used in conjunction with the results of a coupled bio‐physical dispersal model to examine the spread of alleles through subdivided populations over time, and the associated development of genetic structural patterns. Applying this approach, it becomes possible to quantitatively evaluate the contribution of spatially explicit migration towards patterns of genetic structure observed in the field. To provide a concrete example, the model was used to examine genetic dispersal between coral reef patches of the Caribbean. Using generic life‐history parameters, the model shows the formation of a strong genetic break between eastern and western patches, as well as the development of a gradient along the length of the Bahamian archipelago, corresponding with evidence previously collected for coral and fish species. The data also suggest that Jamaica and the Cayman Islands are important stepping stones between the reefs of the northern Caribbean (Hispaniola and the Bahamas) and the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef. The model provides an effective means of evaluating regional‐scale genetic connectivity through time and identifying natural clusters of genetic exchange.
INDIVIDUAL ACADEMIC FREEDOM AND APROFESSIONAL ACTS
Authors: Andreescu Liviu
Published: January 2010

In this essay, Liviu Andreescu examines the question of whether a certain category of aprofessional acts by academics (in particular, political speech) deserves protection against academic sanctions under the principle of academic freedom. Andreescu discusses two alternative views of academic freedom (the extensive and the restrictive) providing different answers to the question. He then examines some of the arguments advanced by the proponents of the more recent, restrictive theory of academic freedom against the broader, traditional theory, which in recent times has been on the defensive. Andreescu ultimately suggests that the choice between the two definitions of academic freedom is a question of sound policy in specific institutional contexts, rather than a matter of conceptual consistency.
REASON AND CULTURE IN COSMOPOLITAN EDUCATION
Authors: Waks Leonard J.
Published: January 2010

In this essay, Leonard Waks reviews three recent books on cosmopolitan education: Kwame Anthony Appiah's Cosmopolitanism: Ethics in a World of Strangers; Neil Burtonwood's Cultural Diversity, Liberal Pluralism, and Schools: Isaiah Berlin and Education; and Thomas Popkewitz's Cosmopolitanism and the Age of School Reform: Science, Education and Making Society by Making the Child. Each of the three books challenges cosmopolitan universalism. Appiah argues that universal principles do not help us understand how members of distinct cultural groups can flourish in close proximity. Burtonwood adds that the expression of these principles in conflict situations can offend and humiliate illiberal groups and render them culturally reactive, inventing restrictive ideals of cultural “purity” that block cosmopolitan harmony. Popkewitz argues that the cosmopolitan premise of enlightenment for all imposes civilizing disciplines on those the dominant groups perceive as “others,” disciplines that render them abject. Taken together, the three books provide important planks in a comprehensive critique of cosmopolitan universalism as a philosophy of education.
Alternative splicing: role of pseudoexons in human disease and potential therapeutic strategies
Authors: Dhir Ashish , Buratti Emanuele
Published: January 2010

What makes a nucleotide sequence an exon (or an intron) is a question that still lacks a satisfactory answer. Indeed, most eukaryotic genes are full of sequences that look like perfect exons, but which are nonetheless ignored by the splicing machinery (hence the name ‘pseudoexons’). The existence of these pseudoexons has been known since the earliest days of splicing research, but until recently the tendency has been to view them as an interesting, but rather rare, curiosity. In recent years, however, the importance of pseudoexons in regulating splicing processes has been steadily revalued. Even more importantly, clinically oriented screening studies that search for splicing mutations are beginning to uncover a situation where aberrant pseudoexon inclusion as a cause of human disease is more frequent than previously thought. Here we aim to provide a review of the mechanisms that lead to pseudoexon activation in human genes and how the various cis‐ and trans‐acting cellular factors regulate their inclusion. Moreover, we list the potential therapeutic approaches that are being tested with the aim of inhibiting their inclusion in the final mRNA molecules.
Alternative splicing: global insights
Authors: Hallegger Martina , Llorian Miriam , Smith Christopher W. J.
Published: January 2010

Following the original reports of pre‐mRNA splicing in 1977, it was quickly realized that splicing together of different combinations of splice sites – alternative splicing– allows individual genes to generate more than one mRNA isoform. The full extent of alternative splicing only began to be revealed once large‐scale genome and transcriptome sequencing projects began, rapidly revealing that alternative splicing is the rule rather than the exception. Recent technical innovations have facilitated the investigation of alternative splicing at a global scale. Splice‐sensitive microarray platforms and deep sequencing allow quantitative profiling of very large numbers of alternative splicing events, whereas global analysis of the targets of RNA binding proteins reveals the regulatory networks involved in post‐transcriptional gene control. Combined with sophisticated computational analysis, these new approaches are beginning to reveal the so‐called ‘RNA code’ that underlies tissue and developmentally regulated alternative splicing, and that can be disrupted by disease‐causing mutations.
A Path‐Analytic Model of Self‐Determination Theory in a Physical Activity Context
Authors: Barbeau Ashlee , Sweet Shane N. , Fortier Michelle
Published: January 2010

This study examines Self‐Determination Theory (SDT) in a physical activity context, using a prospective design to predict leisure time physical activity. We expected need satisfaction and self‐determined motivation to predict physical activity 1 month later. One hundred sixteen undergraduate students completed two questionnaires, 1 month after the other. As anticipated, a path analysis revealed the proposed model to fit the data. Specifically, each psychological need positively predicted self‐determined motivation, and competence negatively predicted nonself‐determined motivation. Self‐determined motivation was then found to predict physical activity 1 month later, while nonself‐determined motivation was not a significant predictor. These findings support the theoretical model proposed by SDT and the implications of these findings are discussed.
The Concomitant Use of Physician Diagnosis and the Comprehensive Muscular Activity Profile (CMAP): Significant Implications for Case Closure, Costs, and Pain Ratings of Patient's With Musculoskeletal Injuries
Authors: Gatchel Robert J. , Theodore Brian R.
Published: January 2010

The degree of physical impairment, often due to a soft‐tissue injury, is an important first step in evaluating musculoskeletal pain disorders in a workers' compensation population. The Comprehensive Muscular Activity Profile (CMAP) is a recent innovation for measuring such soft tissue injuries. A total of 114 consecutive patients with musculoskeletal pain claims were evaluated by medical examination and CMAP administration. Results indicated a 6.8 times increase in the odds of case closure when there was concordance between CMAP results and the physician's independent diagnoses. There was also a significant reduction of overall medical costs after the CMAP was conducted. These preliminary findings indicate good clinical utility for the CMAP. Implications and additional interpretations of these results are discussed.
Shedding the Pounds but not the Stigma: Negative Attributions as a Function of a Target's Method of Weight Loss
Authors: Mattingly Brent A. , Stambush Mark A. , Hill Ashley E.
Published: January 2010

Overweight individuals are perceived as possessing several negative attributes, which often leads them to attempt to lose weight. The current research examined if method of weight loss influences participants' attributions and perceptions of a formerly overweight target individual. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: weight loss via diet/exercise, weight loss via surgery, or control (no description of weight loss). Results indicated that, in general, the surgery targets were perceived more negatively than the diet/exercise targets. Moreover, diet/exercise targets were perceived as being less healthy, and, for female participants, more responsible for their weight than control targets. These data suggest that individuals who lose weight are still prone to the negative attributions associated with the overweight.
Platforming: Evolving the Paradigm of Branding
Authors: Jacobs Valerie
Published: January 2010

As a design forecaster, valerie Jacobs observes a divide between how designers see their role in brand building and how people actually experience and use brands. She suggests that creating “platforms” that customers can resonate with rather than simply buy into will carry brands beyond mere product status and into the new cultures of the future.
Women's Livelihoods, Global Markets and Citizenship
Authors: Thekkudan Julie , Tandon Rajesh
Published: January 2010

The underlying assumption of the economic integration epitomised by globalisation was that it would lead to greater economic participation and an enhancement of livelihood opportunities, which in turn would have positive impacts on citizens and their practice of citizenship. This integration would open new spaces and create new mechanisms for interaction between various actors in governance processes. Economic participation in the global economy manifests in two principal ways: the export of local products for global marketing through multinational corporations (MNCs), or the local marketing of goods that are globally produced by MNCs. Both models have the potential to increase livelihood opportunities for the poor and those hitherto excluded from the market. If the second model is followed, what avenues for market integration might create more sustainable livelihoods for rural women? Can this model provide a sustainable source of income for such women? As rural women are integrated into global markets, what are the implications for their identities? Do they see themselves as an integral part of the global marketplace, with important links to the global economy? Or do they continue to maintain local, regional or maybe national identities? When these women claim rights, to whom do they turn? Do they ask governments to mediate on their behalf? Do they consider the medium of their integration, the MNCs, as their obligator? What kinds of organising efforts evolve for such claim‐making purposes? This paper attempts to answer these questions through an analysis of Project Shakti, an initiative of Hindustan Unilever Limited, promoted by the Indian government.
University Natural History Museums: The Public Education Mission
Authors: Macfadden Bruce J. , Camp Betty Dunckel
Published: January 2010

University‐based natural history museums are specialized cultural institutions that serve diverse constituencies. On one hand, these museums promote scientific research and collections through the work of curators and students and must advance the universities' missions. On the other hand, they must provide exhibition and public programs for the local community, or if they are a state museum, serve the citizens of the entire state through these activities. The challenge for university‐based natural history museums is to achieve a balance among their activities and services, given available resources. In the twenty‐first century, university natural history museums must further adapt by promoting social awareness of topics such as biodiversity and fostering learning in informal and formal settings. The Florida Museum of Natural History, an official State museum located at the University of Florida, is a prime example of a comprehensive university museum with a broad spectrum of programs that promote and enhance learning activities.
Coming of Age: A National Study of Adult Museum Programs
Authors: Sachatello‐Sawyer Bonnie , Fellenz Robert
Published: January 2010

The Education Department at the Museum of the Rockies and the Kellogg Center for Adult Learning Research at Montana State University conducted a national study of adult museum programs from 1996–1999. A total of 508 adult program participants, 75 instructors, and 143 planners of adult programs in museums were interviewed either via telephone or in person. The study sought to answer three questions: (1) From participants' perspectives, what constitutes an excellent museum program for adults? (2) What teaching strategies are employed in successful and innovative museum programs? and (3) Does the informal learning environment of a museum offer anything unique to the adult learning experience? This research effort is one example of how university museums advance our understanding of informal education theory and its application to practice.
Audience Research Informs Strategic Planning in Two Art Museums
Authors: Soren Barbara J.
Published: January 2010

Abstract  This article describes how two art museums have used the results of audience research for institution‐wide planning. Results and outcomes are reported from a visitor audit at the Tate Gallery (now Tate Britain), and from a survey of Black cultural tourists and local African Americans visiting The Art Institute of Chicago. A follow‐up interview five years later with the head of communications at the Tate Gallery highlights how exhibit developers and museum staff used visitor feedback and response to improve visitor care, and ultimately visitor experience. A conference presentation a year after the audience research was conducted at the Art Institute and an exhibition two years following are indications of the extent to which the African American audience research project had an institutional impact. The article concludes with a review of helpful methods and suggestions for other institutions.
Value‐Added Consulting: Teaching Clients How to Fish
Authors: Fischer Daryl
Published: January 2010

Abstract  With shrinking resources and expanding agendas, more and more museums are relying on consultants to provide expertise when time and resources are critical. Consultants can also provide another benefit that has not been widely discussed within the museum community: professional development opportunities. For museum staff members the process of working side by side with consultants can create valuable learning experiences that multiply the value of consulting fees. When consultants collaborate with their clients they may serve as coaches, partners, mentors, questioners or change agents. This article gives examples of each model and suggests which are best suited to different types of projects, team configurations, staff experience levels and project timelines. It also discusses the kinds of institutional investment museums must make in order to realize this potential for capacity building. Planning and budgeting for value‐added consulting means not only setting aside money for fees, but also budgeting time and resources for collaboration between staff and consultants.
A Consideration of Museum Education Collections: Theory and Application
Authors: Macfarlan Shane J.
Published: January 2010

Abstract  This article addresses problems associated with museum education collections. Museum education collections are used to provide visitors with opportunities to handle museum objects. These collections are primarily composed of objects that are damaged, lack provenance, or do not fit the scope of the collection. Sometimes, these collections are displayed haphazardly and their interpretation may lack thematic context. Some museum education collections are not being utilized to their fullest educational capacity. The application of cognitive, exhibition, and collections management theories can alleviate some problems with museum education collections. A critique of the education collection at the Lubbock Lake Landmark is presented as a case study of these problems and some of the potential solutions to them. The study can be used as a template by other museums to solve similar problems in their education collections.
Categorizing Urban Tasks: Functions of Museums In the Post‐Industrial City
Authors: Kirchberg Volker
Published: January 2010

This article is a result of a comprehensive and international literature review of corresponding sociological and urban studies publications on functions of museums in a city. A two‐dimensional taxonomy of functions is presented. In the first dimension, cities are considered in physical space (here labeled as Firstspace), mental space (Secondspace), and political space (Thirdspace). In the second dimension, museum functions are dichotomized in manifest functions that are intended and openly propagated, and latent functions that are hidden from the public and often unintended. This article will list examples for museum functions in First‐, Second‐, and Thirdspace from Europe and America. Museums shape cities, and are themselves shaped by cities in multiple ways.
CULTURE and culture at the Royal Ontario Museum: Anthropology Meets Marketing, Part 1
Authors: McCracken Grant
Published: January 2010

The museum in the contemporary era imports from the nineteenth century a venerable idea: that the first responsibility of a public art museum is to enlighten and improve its visitors, morally, socially, and politically. Yet visitors often seem to have arrived from another planet, bringing with them their own cultural meanings and agendas. A series of two articles presents ethnographic data, anthropological analysis, and a marketing perspective to suggest why the visitors' points of view may seem vertiginously strange to museum personnel. This article, Part One, characterizes the conflict between host and guest as the outcome of two competing models of culture: “preferment” and “transformation.” In a subsequent issue ofCurator, Part Two will examine the influence of consumer culture on these models, and offer strategies for rapprochement.
Museums and Indigenous People in Australia: A Review of Previous Possessions, New Obligations: Policies for Museums in Australia and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples
Authors: Sullivan Tim , Kelly Lynda , Gordon Phil
Published: January 2010

Previous Possessions, New Obligations was launched by Museums Australia Inc. in 1993, the International Year for the World's Indigenous People, as a policy framework to guide the development of relationships between museums in Australia and Indigenous Australians. The policy was based on consultation with Indigenous people to develop protocols, policies and procedures for more sensitive collection management and for including Indigenous people in research and public programs; and to address issues of governance. It expressed the values that would underpin new relationships between museums in Australia and Indigenous Australians.

An evaluation of the policy was conducted in 2000 in a collaboration between the Australian Museum Audience Research Centre, Sydney, and Museums Australia Inc., Canberra. The evaluation found that the policy had substantially met its goals, particularly in establishing the primary rights of Indigenous people to control their cultural material in museum collections. However, a range of substantially new issues emerged which require new policy responses and initiatives.
Gaining Visitor Consent for Research II: Improving the Posted‐Sign Method
Authors: Gutwill Joshua P.
Published: January 2010

One method for studying visitors in museums is to audiotape their conversations while videotaping their behavior. Many researchers inform visitors of such recordings by posting signs in the areas under scrutiny. An earlier study tested the assumption that visitors notice, read, and understand such posted signs (Gutwill 2003). Interviews revealed that 75 percent of visitors leaving a recording area had read and understood the signs. The current article describes our attempt to increase this percentage by placing additional signs on the exhibit elements being used, as well as on the camera itself. Interviews of 200 adult visitors found that 99 percent of them knew they had been recorded. We provide details of the improved method for posting signs to inform visitors of recordings.
Interpreting Apartheid: Visitors' Perceptions of the District Six Museum
Authors: Ballantyne Roy
Published: January 2010

This paper builds on and extends the conceptualization of “hot” interpretation (Ballantyne and Uzzell 1993) by presenting empirical data regarding visitors' perceptions of the District Six Museum in Cape Town, South Africa. The study examines visitors' reasons for visiting, expectations of the visit, responses to the visit, and suggestions for change, in relation to the differing needs of previous residents, local and international visitors. Results of the study are discussed in terms of the need to facilitate connections between interpretive content and visitors' previous experiences and knowledge. The paper considers issues of hot interpretation when a community museum increasingly attracts national and international visitors.
Curatorship as Social Practice
Authors: Kreps Christina
Published: January 2010

This article examines changes that have been taking place in the museum world over the past several decades—changes that have been transforming the social practice of curatorship in museums. We are seeing the emergence of more holistic, integrated and culturally relative approaches to curatorial work that acknowledge the relationships among objects, people, and society, and explore these relationships in social and cultural contexts. Through cross‐cultural comparison, curating can be seen as a form of social practice linked to specific kinds of relationships between people and objects as well as to wider social structures and contexts. This approach allows us to transcend debates over whether or not museums and curatorial work should be either object‐ or people‐focused. One approach cannot be separated from the other.
Interactivity: Moving Beyond Terminology
Authors: Adams Marianna , Luke Jessica , Moussouri Theano
Published: January 2010

Abstract  Museum professionals strive to provide meaningful experiences for visitors. Meaningful experiences are those that provide choice and control in the exploration of ideas, concepts, and objects. In many cases, these experiences occur through an interactive component. Although a number of studies have focused on interactives in museums, the field would benefit from an intensive look at how visitors perceive of and learn from these experiences. Discussion about this topic has been sidetracked by conversations about the terminology that describes this type of experience. Drawing upon studies conducted in this area, this paper looks at the role of interactives in museums by exploring three broad themes: clarity of purpose and underlying assumptions; design factors; and social engagement and learning. In conclusion, suggestions are offered for ways that these studies might inform the development of interactive experiences.
Strategies for the Curiosity‐Driven Museum Visitor
Authors: Rounds Jay
Published: January 2010

Tracking studies show that museum visitors typically view only 20 to 40 percent of an exhibition. Current literature states that this partial use sub‐optimizes the educational benefit gained by the visitor, and that skilled visitors view an exhibition comprehensively and systematically. Contrary to that viewpoint, this paper argues that partial use of exhibitions is an intelligent and effective strategy for the visitor whose goal is to have curiosity piqued and satisfied. By using analytical approaches derived from “optimal foraging theory” in ecology, this paper demonstrates that the curiosity‐driven visitor seeks to maximize the Total Interest Value of his or her museum visit. Such visitors use a set of simple heuristics to find and focus attention only on exhibit elements with high interest value and low search costs. Their selective use of exhibit elements results in greater achievement of their own goals than would be gained by using the exhibition comprehensively.
Learning from Culture: The Importance of the Museums and Galleries Education Program (Phase I) in England
Authors: Hooper‐Greenhill Eilean
Published: January 2010

Abstract  During 1999–2002, the British government invested £3 million (roughly $5.5 million) in an unprecedented set of initiatives that explored the potential of museums and galleries for educating students in novel and compelling ways. The Museums and Galleries Education Program (Phase 1), or MGEP1, consisted of 65 projects linking schools and museums of all kinds. Projects took many forms and were spread across England, reaching students between the ages of 5 and 16. They also enlisted the talents and energies of creative professionals, such as artists and media producers, and involved parents, community members, and museum workers. This paper describes MGEP1, gives a “before and after” picture of museums and education in England, and assesses the program's impact. Learning outcomes for pupils and teachers are discussed, and the importance for museum education policy and practice is outlined.
The Making of “America on the Move” at the National Museum of American History
Authors: Lubar Steven
Published: January 2010

This case study examines the curatorial challenges of producing a very large exhibition at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History from 1999 to 2003. This is an insider's look at how a cross‐functional exhibition team worked to produce a compelling new exhibition. Among the issues addressed are: development of a theme; choice and use of artifacts; presentation organization and techniques; issues of truth, authenticity and accuracy in history exhibitions; and practical issues of exhibition team organization and contract management.
Books
Authors: Chapin Mary Weaver
Published: January 2010

American Gothic: The Life of America's Most Famous Painting: Steven Biel

American Gothic: The Biography of Grant Wood as American Masterpiece by Thomus Hoving
Aerospace Museums: A Question of Balance
Authors: Crouch Tom D.
Published: January 2010

Abstract  While rooted in a tradition stretching back to the late eighteenth century, aerospace museums have enjoyed a period of extraordinary growth over the past three decades. Throughout this period, they have struggled to achieve a balance between their role as “shrines” that celebrate, memorialize and inspire, and “schools” that can help visitors to better understand the complex nature of technological change and its impact on the world. A survey of exhibitions that have sought to portray the history of flight as something more than a story of unalloyed progress, or that depart from traditional master narratives focusing solely on achievement and valor, provides both examples of success and cautionary lessons. If museums of flight are to present a useful and historically accurate portrait of the aerospace enterprise, they must continue the struggle to achieve a balance between these sometimes competing goals.
Fifty Museum Years, and Then Some
Authors: Freudenheim Tom L.
Published: January 2010

Abstract  The money worm has burrowed into museum foundations in the last five decades, weakening structures already challenged by power politics, relevancy issues, and contemporary anxieties. Half a century ago, however, museums were an amenity, a benign pleasure—and free! Here is a personal recollection of a collective journey, in which progress might best be measured by what can't be measured.