bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Context Analysis of Neolithic Cygnus Petroglyphs at Lake Onega
Authors: Vieira Vincent
Published: June 2010

Swan images (Cygnus sp.) are the most common symbols at petroglyph sites on the eastern shore of Lake Onega, northwest Russia, where rock engraving most likely occurred around the mid-Neolithic period. At some sites they constitute over 60 per cent of all glyphs and they are the only glyph type common to all sites. The abundance of swan symbols at a given Onega site correlates most strongly with the abundance of cervids (mostly elk). There are even partially superimposed elk–swan engravings where part of one animal contributes to the other's body. There is evidence that, during the mid-Neolithic, early sites at Lake Onega were submerged by rising water levels, most probably coinciding with a period of climatic cooling. By that point, new petroglyph sites had been created further north by the Vodla river. Here swan images are larger and more abundant and other glyphs (such as solar/lunar) are absent. It is suggested that the swan was a supernatural symbol. Its prominence at the more recent Vodla sites may be indicative of greater importance being given to this species in the context of environmental change and an associated greater struggle for survival. Thus, the swan symbol may have been perceived by the local Neolithic Finno-Ugric people as an agent for the intended reversal or control of such external challenges, and selected from a pre-existing mythological framework based on its associated traits and perceived powers.
THE TWO INTERPRETATIONS OF THE BEVERIDGE–NELSON DECOMPOSITION
Authors: Morley James C.
Published: June 2010

The Beveridge–Nelson decomposition calculates trend and cycle for an integrated time series. However, there are two ways to interpret the results from the decomposition. One interpretation is that the optimal long-run forecast (minus any deterministic drift) used to calculate the Beveridge–Nelson trend corresponds to an estimate of an unobserved permanent component. The other interpretation is that the optimal long-run forecast defines an observable permanent component. This paper examines some issues surrounding these two interpretations and provides empirical support for interpreting the Beveridge–Nelson trend as an estimate when considering macroeconomic data.
Bacterial morphologies supporting cometary panspermia: a reappraisal
Authors: Wickramasinghe Chandra
Published: June 2010

It is nearly 30 years since the first decisive evidence of microbial morphologies in carbonaceous chondrites was discovered and reported by Hans Dieter Pflug. In addition to morphology, other data, notably laser mass spectroscopy, served to confirm the identification of such structures as putative bacterial fossils. Recent examinations of cometary dust collected in the stratosphere and further studies of carbonaceous meteorites reaffirm the presence of putative microbial fossils. Since carbonaceous chondrites (particularly Type 1 chondrites) are thought to be extinct comets the data reviewed in this article provide strong support for theories of cometary panspermia.
Eppendorfer Familientherapiestudie bei jungen Drogenabhängigen
Authors: Schindler Andreas , Sack Peter-Michael , Gemeinhardt Brigitte , Küstner Udo , Thomasius Rainer
Published: June 2010

Hintergrund: Die Eppendorfer Familientherapie (EFT; Thomasius, 2004 ) ist eine abstinenzorientierte, nicht-substituierende ambulante Frühintervention, die Elemente systemischer, lösungsorientierter und strukturell-strategischer Ansätze integriert. Methodik: Eine Stichprobe von N = 86 Familien mit einem drogenabhängigen Jugendlichen oder jungem Erwachsenen (14–25 Jahre) wurde in einem «prä–post»-Design mit Zwei-Jahres-Katamnese untersucht. Die Ergebnisse wurden mit den Daten entsprechender Referenzgruppen und einer in einer therapeutischen Gemeinschaft (TG) behandelten Vergleichsgruppe (N = 38) verglichen. Ergebnisse: Beide Behandlungsformen verbesserten den Suchtstatus, die psychische Symptombelastung und die familiären Beziehungen bei den Therapiebeendern. Zur Katamnese waren die Ergebnisse stabil oder zeigten weitere Verbesserungen. Die EFT erreichte eine Haltequote von 72 % (TG: 37 %). Schlussfolgerungen: Die Studie weist darauf hin, dass systemisch-familientherapeutische Ansätze auch bei jungen Drogenabhängigen in Deutschland erfolgreich eingesetzt werden können.
Systemische Therapie bei Substanzstörungen
Authors: Schindler Andreas , von Sydow Kirsten , Beher Stefan , Schweitzer-Rothers Jochen , Retzlaff Rüdiger
Published: June 2010

Fragestellung: Nach der Anerkennung der ST durch den Wissenschaftlichen Beirat Psychotherapie (2009 ) stellt sich die Frage, wie die ST im ausdifferenzierten deutschen Suchthilfesystem stärker genutzt werden kann. Methodik: Dieser einleitende Artikel gibt einen kurzen Überblick über die Entwicklung und die evidenzbasierten Varianten der Systemischen Therapie (ST) im Bereich der Substanzstörungen. Ergebnisse: Die ST ist ein psychotherapeutisches Verfahren, das psychische Störungen in ihrem interaktionellen Kontext versteht und behandelt. Sie beschäftigt sich bereits seit über 40 Jahren mit der Therapie von Substanzstörungen, ausgehend von den frühen strukturell-strategischen Ansätzen über das klassisch systemische Mailänder Modell und lösungsorientierte Ansätze bis zu den in den letzten Jahren in den USA evaluierten ST-«Marken» wie Multidimensional Family Therapy, Multisystemic Therapy, Functional Family Therapy oder Brief Strategic Family Therapy. Schlussfolgerung: Die ST hat eine Vielzahl therapeutischer Konzepte zur Behandlung von Substanzstörungen entwickelt, die im deutschen Suchthilfesystem noch unzureichend genutzt werden.
Being Drunk to Have Fun or to Forget Problems?
Authors: Kuntsche Emmanuel , Knibbe Ronald , Engels Rutger , Gmel Gerhard
Published: June 2010

Prevention programs in adolescence are particularly effective if they target homogeneous risk groups of adolescents who share a combination of particular needs and problems. The present work aims to identify and classify risky single-occasion drinking (RSOD) adolescents according to their motivation to engage in drinking. An easy-to-use coding procedure was developed. It was validated by means of cluster analyses and structural equation modeling based on two randomly selected subsamples of a nationally representative sample of 2,449 12- to 18-year-old RSOD students in Switzerland. Results revealed that the coding procedure classified RSOD adolescents as either enhancement drinkers or coping drinkers. The high concordance (Sample A: κ = .88, Sample B: κ = .90) with the results of the cluster analyses demonstrated the convergent validity of the coding classification. The fact that enhancement drinkers in both subsamples were found to go out more frequently in the evenings and to have more satisfactory social relationships, as well as a higher proportion of drinking peers and a lower likelihood to drink at home than coping drinkers demonstrates the concurrent validity of the classification. To conclude, the coding procedure appears to be a valid, reliable, and easy-to-use tool that can help better adapt prevention activities to adolescent risky drinking motives.
Validation of the Arabic Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression (CES-D) Scale in a Lebanese Community Sample
Authors: Kazarian Shahe S. , Taher Dana
Published: June 2010

The factor structure of the 20-items Arabic Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale (Arabic CES-D) and its relationship to theoretically grounded psychosocial and sociodemographic risk factors were examined in a community sample of Lebanese adults (n = 435). Two factors, Depressed Affect and Lack of Positive Affect, were empirically derived, correlating r = .35 with each other and r = .96 and r = .59, respectively, with Arabic CES-D global scores. Depressed Affect scores but not Lack of Positive Affect scores were associated with level of education and marital status but not with gender. Also, Depressed Affect scores in the collectivist Lebanese context were more strongly correlated with avoidant attachment scores than anxious attachment scores (r = .47 and r = .24, respectively; z = 3.68, p < .0001), whereas Lack of Positive Affect scores were not significantly higher in their correlation with avoidant and anxious attachment scores (r = .29 and r = .18, respectively; z = 1.62, ns). In addition, Depressed Affect scores correlated more strongly than Lack of Positive Affect scores with avoidant attachment scores but not with anxious attachment scores. These findings suggest that the Arabic CES-D scale likely taps two distinct aspects of mental health, namely, depression and well-being, such that their correlates need to be identified separately, and that the Lebanese depressed mind is undifferentiated with respect to psychological, somatic, and interpersonal expressions of depression. Finally, we discuss the implications of the findings for the use of the Arabic CES-D in the Arab world and for the universality of the Arab depressed mind.
Predictors and Consequences of Daily Goal Adaptation
Authors: König Cornelius J. , van Eerde Wendelien , Burch Anita
Published: June 2010

Efficient self-regulation has been argued to consist of more than just setting goals and tenaciously pursuing them – it also requires that people adapt their goals to changing circumstances. Although previous studies have already focused on interindividual differences in goal disengagement (one aspect of goal adaptation), so far, no study has looked at predictors and consequences of daily work goal adaptation. As predicted, daily goal adaptation was related to the amount of unplanned tasks and the extent to which the time needed for tasks was underestimated. However, unlike previous research on goal disengagement, daily goal adaptation had a negative (and not a positive) effect on well-being and subjective productivity. It is suggested that the emotional aspect of goal adaptation/goal disengagement needs more research attention.
Effects of Social Desirability Scores on Hiring Judgments
Authors: Christiansen Neil D. , Rozek Renee F. , Burns Gary
Published: June 2010

Practitioners (N = 160) working in the area of selection and assessment read descriptions of a managerial position and the assessment profiles of two hypothetical candidates who were finalists for the job. Embedded in the profiles were scores on a battery of cognitive and personality tests that included information on socially desirable responding such that there were no social desirability (SD) scores provided, differing SD scores, or elevated SD scores for both candidates. Ratings indicated that elevated SD scores were used as personality information to infer that candidates were less candid and sincere individuals. Candidates with elevated SD scores were judged to be less hirable, and less weight was given to the personality assessment. Despite this, even when SD scores were elevated, personality test results had more influence on hiring judgments than scores on the cognitive tests. Implications are discussed in the context of research that had failed to show SD scores are useful for facilitating hiring decisions or adjusting trait scores.
Beyond the Demand-Control Model
Authors: Bakker Arnold B. , van Veldhoven Marc , Xanthopoulou Despoina
Published: June 2010

This study among 12,359 employees working in 148 organizations tested the interaction hypothesis of the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model. Accordingly, employees endorse most positive work attitudes (task enjoyment and organizational commitment) when job demands and job resources are both high. Results of moderated structural equation modeling analyses provided strong support for the hypothesis: 15 of the 16 hypothesized interactions were significant for task enjoyment and 13 of the 16 interactions were significant for organizational commitment. Job resources (skill utilization, learning opportunities, autonomy, colleague support, leader support, performance feedback, participation in decision making, and career opportunities) predicted task enjoyment and organizational commitment particularly under conditions of high job demands (workload and emotional demands). These findings clearly expand the Demand-Control model and support the JD-R model. Moreover, the results illustrate what managers can do to secure employee well-being.
Perceived Organizational Support, Organizational Identification, and Employee Outcomes
Authors: Edwards Martin R. , Peccei Riccardo
Published: June 2010

This study involves a multifoci analysis of antecedents and outcomes of organizational identification (OID), within a dual-organizational identity context. We investigate links between perceived organizational support (POS), OID, organizational involvement, and turnover intention with 736 employees from a UK National Health Service (NHS) Trust. Using Structural Equation Models (SEM), we analyzed models using the Trust and the NHS as organizational foci. With both Trust and NHS foci, POS had a positive effect on identification which, in turn, predicted both outcomes. Organizational support showed a direct and an indirect effect on outcomes through OID. Generally the effects were foci specific, though limited downward crossfoci effects were found.
Diary Studies in Organizational Research
Authors: Ohly Sandra , Sonnentag Sabine , Niessen Cornelia , Zapf Dieter
Published: June 2010

In recent years, researchers in work and organizational psychology have increasingly become interested in short-term processes and everyday experiences of working individuals. Diaries provide the necessary means to examine these processes. Although diary studies have become more popular in recent years, researchers not familiar with this method still find it difficult to get access to the required knowledge. In this paper, we provide an introduction to this method of data collection. Using two diary study examples, we discuss methodological issues researchers face when planning a diary study, examine recent methodological developments, and give practical recommendations. Topics covered include different types of diary studies, the research questions to be examined, compliance and the issue of missing data, sample size, and issues of analyses.
When Does Voice Have to be More Than Only Listening? Procedural Justice Effects as a Function of Confident Leadership
Authors: De Cremer David , Wubben Maarten
Published: June 2010

The present research examined how voice procedures and leader confidence affect participants’ negative emotions and willingness to withdraw. It was predicted that receiving voice would be valued out of instrumental concerns, but only when the enacting leader was high in confidence. Two laboratory experiments indeed showed an interaction between type of voice (pre-decisional vs. post-decisional) and leader’s confidence (low vs. high) on participants’ negative emotions and willingness to withdraw. In particular, post-decision voice only led to more negative responses than did pre-decision voice when the enacting leader was high in confidence. Negative emotions mediated this interaction effect of type of voice on willingness to withdraw. Implications for integrating the leadership and procedural justice literatures are discussed.
Sprite discharges on Venus and Jupiter‐like planets: A laboratory investigation
Authors: Dubrovin D. , Nijdam S. , van Veldhuizen E. M. , Ebert U. , Yair Y. , Price C.
Published: June 2010

Large sprite discharges at high atmospheric altitudes have been found to be physically similar to small streamer discharges in air at sea level density. Based on this understanding, we investigate possible sprite discharges on Venus or Jupiter‐like planets through laboratory experiments on streamers in appropriate CO2‐N2 and H2‐He mixtures. First, the scaling laws are experimentally confirmed by varying the density of the planetary gasses. Then, streamer diameters, velocities, and overall morphology are investigated for sprites on Venus and Jupiter; they are quite similar to those on Earth, but light emissions in the visible range are fainter by 2 orders of magnitude. The discharge spectra are measured; they are dominated by the minority species N2 on Venus and by the majority species H2 on Jupiter‐like planets. The spectrum of a fully developed spark on Venus is measured. We show that this spectrum is significantly different from the expected sprite spectrum.
Mesospheric wave signatures and equatorial plasma bubbles: A case study
Authors: Taori A. , Makela J. J. , Taylor M.
Published: June 2010

Simultaneous monitoring of mesospheric and thermospheric airglow emissions over low latitudes in the Pacific sector is utilized to study the signatures of mesospheric waves during equatorial spread F events as characterized by their optical signature in the thermospheric airglow layer, equatorial plasma bubbles (EPBs). Two case studies are presented, each consisting of two consecutive nights, one on which EPBs were observed and the other without EPBs. Significant differences are observed in mesospheric wave growth during EPB nights compared to the nights when no EPBs were observed. It is also found that short‐period gravity waves with periods less than 3 h exhibited larger wave growth between the OH and O2 emission altitudes during the nights when EPBs were observed. The observed mesospheric wave signatures are discussed in connection with the causative mechanisms for EPBs.
Selective preservation of old organic carbon fluvially released from sub‐Arctic soils
Authors: Vonk Jorien E. , van Dongen Bart E. , Gustafsson Örjan
Published: June 2010

Amplified climate warming in the Arctic may cause thaw‐remobilization of its large soil organic carbon (SOC) pool. Here we assess the remobilization and preservation of old SOC by the watershed‐integrated radiocarbon signature of molecular SOC markers released from northernmost Scandinavia. The radiocarbon analyses revealed a remarkable fractionation for identical vascular plant markers (∼420‰ or ∼6000 14C years) upon settling from surface water to the underlying sediments. From this, we infer fluvial export of two SOC pools; a young surface peat component, and an old deep mineral soil component. The young pool exists as an easily degradable humic suspension, while the old pool is matrix protected from degradation and ballasted for preferential settling. The two soil types with highest OC in Arctic permafrost evidently exhibit different susceptibilities to degradation. Hence, a significant part of the thaw‐released OC may simply be fluvially relocated to sediments instead of being emitted to the atmosphere.
A ‘rare biosphere’ microorganism contributes to sulfate reduction in a peatland
Authors: Pester Michael , Bittner Norbert , Deevong Pinsurang , Wagner Michael , Loy Alexander
Published: June 2010

Methane emission from peatlands contributes substantially to global warming but is significantly reduced by sulfate reduction, which is fuelled by globally increasing aerial sulfur pollution. However, the biology behind sulfate reduction in terrestrial ecosystems is not well understood and the key players for this process as well as their abundance remained unidentified. Comparative 16S rRNA gene stable isotope probing (SIP) in the presence and absence of sulfate indicated that a Desulfosporosinus species, which constitutes only 0.006% of the total microbial community 16S rRNA genes, is an important sulfate reducer in a long-term experimental peatland field site. Parallel SIP using dsrAB (encoding subunit A and B of the dissimilatory (bi)sulfite reductase) identified no additional sulfate reducers under the conditions tested. For the identified Desulfosporosinus species a high cell-specific sulfate reduction rate of up to 341 fmol SO42− cell−1 day−1 was estimated. Thus, the small Desulfosporosinus population has the potential to reduce sulfate in situ at a rate of 4.0–36.8 nmol (g soil w. wt.)−1 day−1, sufficient to account for a considerable part of sulfate reduction in the peat soil. Modeling of sulfate diffusion to such highly active cells identified no limitation in sulfate supply even at bulk concentrations as low as 10 μm. Collectively, these data show that the identified Desulfosporosinus species, despite being a member of the ‘rare biosphere’, contributes to an important biogeochemical process that diverts the carbon flow in peatlands from methane to CO2 and, thus, alters their contribution to global warming.
[FeFe]-hydrogenase in Yellowstone National Park: evidence for dispersal limitation and phylogenetic niche conservatism
Authors: Boyd Eric S , Hamilton Trinity L , Spear John R , Lavin Matthew , Peters John W
Published: June 2010

Hydrogen (H2) has an important role in the anaerobic degradation of organic carbon and is the basis for many syntrophic interactions that commonly occur in microbial communities. Little is known, however, with regard to the biotic and/or abiotic factors that control the distribution and phylogenetic diversity of organisms which produce H2 in microbial communities. In this study, we examined the [FeFe]-hydrogenase gene (hydA) as a proxy for fermentative bacterial H2 production along physical and chemical gradients in various geothermal springs in Yellowstone National Park (YNP), WY, USA. The distribution of hydA in YNP geothermal springs was constrained by pH to environments co-inhabited by oxygenic phototrophs and to environments predicted to have low inputs of abiotic H2. The individual HydA asssemblages from YNP springs were more closely related when compared with randomly assembled communities, which suggests ecological filtering. Model selection approaches revealed that geographic distance was the best explanatory variable to predict the phylogenetic relatedness of HydA communities. This evinces the dispersal limitation imposed by the geothermal spring environment on HydA phylogenetic diversity even at small spatial scales. pH differences between sites is the second highest ranked explanatory variable of HydA phylogenetic relatedness, which suggests that the ecology related to pH imposes strong phylogenetic niche conservatism. Collectively, these results indicate that pH has imposed strong niche conservatism on fermentative bacteria and that, within a narrow pH realm, YNP springs are dispersal limited with respect to fermentative bacterial communities.
Experimental tests of the bacterial distance–decay relationship
Authors: Bell Thomas
Published: June 2010

Community similarity declines with increasing geographic distance if species tend to be locally adapted or if they are dispersal limited. The distance–decay of similarity has been shown for bacteria previously, but distinguishing between these competing mechanisms is difficult from observational surveys. I found little evidence of a relationship between geographic distance and similarity in community composition in an aquatic bacterial community. When bacterial colonization occurred into initially identical sterile microcosms across a woodland, a strong distance–decay relationship was observed after 28 days, implying that dispersal limitation created a strong pattern in these communities in the absence of environmental differences. This conclusion was not supported by the results of a reciprocal transplant experiment. When microcosms at the extremities of the study area were transplanted to the opposite end of the study area, the communities converged on the community composition at the site to which they were transplanted. This convergence did not depend on whether colonization into the microcosms was prevented, implying a minor role for dispersal limitation over these spatial and temporal scales. Additional manipulations of colonization rates were consistent with the hypothesis that dispersal limitation structured these communities over short time scales (a few days), but that dispersal limitation had a minor role over longer time scales (>7 days).
Relevance of a crenarchaeotal subcluster related to Candidatus Nitrosopumilus maritimus to ammonia oxidation in the suboxic zone of the central Baltic Sea
Authors: Labrenz Matthias , Sintes Eva , Toetzke Falko , Zumsteg Anita , Herndl Gerhard J , Seidler Marleen , Jürgens Klaus
Published: June 2010

Marine pelagic redoxclines are areas of enhanced biogeochemical cycling inhabited by distinct functional groups of prokaryotes. In this study, the diversity and abundance of archaeal and bacterial nitrifying populations throughout a pelagic redoxcline in the central Baltic Sea were examined using a suite of molecular methods. 16S rRNA/rRNA gene as well as bacterial and archaeal amoA mRNA/amoA gene fingerprints and clone libraries revealed that the putative nitrifying assemblages consisted solely of one crenarchaeotal subcluster, named GD2, which was closely related to Candidatus Nitrosopumilus maritimus. Neither distinct differences between transcript- and gene-based fingerprints nor pronounced differences in the crenarchaeotal composition throughout the whole redoxcline were detected. The abundance of this GD2 subgroup, as determined by the oligonucleotide probe Cren537 and the newly developed and more specific probe Cren679 showed that GD2 and total crenarchaeotal cell numbers were nearly identical throughout the redoxcline. The highest GD2 abundance (2.3 × 105 cells ml−1) occurred in the suboxic zone, accounting for around 26% of total prokaryotic cells. Below the chemocline, GD2 abundance was relatively stable (1.5–1.9 × 105 cells ml−1). Archaeal amoA expression was detected only in the putative nitrification zone and formed a narrow band in the suboxic layer, where ammonium, oxygen, nitrate, nitrite and phosphate concentrations were below 5 μmol l−1. To our knowledge this is the first study to show the dominance of only one crenarchaeotal nitrifying key cluster in a natural habitat. The metabolic properties and survival mechanisms present in this cluster inside and outside the nitrification zone remain to be determined.
Will ocean acidification affect marine microbes?
Authors: Joint Ian , Doney Scott C , Karl David M
Published: June 2010

The pH of the surface ocean is changing as a result of increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2), and there are concerns about potential impacts of lower pH and associated alterations in seawater carbonate chemistry on the biogeochemical processes in the ocean. However, it is important to place these changes within the context of pH in the present-day ocean, which is not constant; it varies systematically with season, depth and along productivity gradients. Yet this natural variability in pH has rarely been considered in assessments of the effect of ocean acidification on marine microbes. Surface pH can change as a consequence of microbial utilization and production of carbon dioxide, and to a lesser extent other microbially mediated processes such as nitrification. Useful comparisons can be made with microbes in other aquatic environments that readily accommodate very large and rapid pH change. For example, in many freshwater lakes, pH changes that are orders of magnitude greater than those projected for the twenty second century oceans can occur over periods of hours. Marine and freshwater assemblages have always experienced variable pH conditions. Therefore, an appropriate null hypothesis may be, until evidence is obtained to the contrary, that major biogeochemical processes in the oceans other than calcification will not be fundamentally different under future higher CO2/lower pH conditions.
Intermuscular Adipose Tissue and Metabolic Associations in HIV Infection
Authors: Scherzer Rebecca , Shen Wei , Heymsfield Steven B. , Lewis Cora E. , Kotler Donald P. , Punyanitya Mark , Bacchetti Peter , Shlipak Michael G. , Grunfeld Carl ,   For the Study of Fat Redistribution and Metabolic Change in HIV Infection (FRAM)
Published: June 2010

Intermuscular adipose tissue (IMAT) is associated with metabolic abnormalities similar to those associated with visceral adipose tissue (VAT). Increased IMAT has been found in obese human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)‐infected women. We hypothesized that IMAT, like VAT, would be similar or increased in HIV‐infected persons compared with healthy controls, despite decreases in subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) found in HIV infection. In the second FRAM (Study of Fat Redistribution and Metabolic Change in HIV infection) exam, we studied 425 HIV‐infected subjects and 211 controls (from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults study) who had regional AT and skeletal muscle (SM) measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Multivariable linear regression identified factors associated with IMAT and its association with metabolites. Total IMAT was 51% lower in HIV‐infected participants compared with controls (P = 0.003). The HIV effect was attenuated after multivariable adjustment (to −28%, P < 0.0001 in men and −3.6%, P = 0.70 in women). Higher quantities of leg SAT, upper‐trunk SAT, and VAT were associated with higher IMAT in HIV‐infected participants, with weaker associations in controls. Stavudine use was associated with lower IMAT and SAT, but showed little relationship with VAT. In multivariable analyses, regional IMAT was associated with insulin resistance and triglycerides (TGs). Contrary to expectation, IMAT is not increased in HIV infection; after controlling for demographics, lifestyle, VAT, SAT, and SM, HIV+ men have lower IMAT compared with controls, whereas values for women are similar. Stavudine exposure is associated with both decreased IMAT and SAT, suggesting that IMAT shares cellular origins with SAT.
Identification of Three Novel Genetic Variants in the Melanocortin‐3 Receptor of Obese Children
Authors: Zegers Doreen , Beckers Sigri , de Freitas Fenna , Peeters Armand V. , Mertens Ilse L. , Verhulst Stijn L. , Rooman Raoul P. , Timmermans Jean‐Pierre , Desager Kristine N. , Massa Guy , van Gaal Luc F. , van Hul Wim
Published: June 2010

The melanocortin‐3 receptor (MC3R), a G‐protein‐coupled receptor expressed in the hypothalamus, is a key component of the leptin‐melanocortin pathway that regulates energy homeostasis. It is suggested that an MC3R defect leads to an increased feed efficiency, by which nutrients are partitioned preferentially into fat. In this study, we hypothesized that early‐onset obesity could be induced by mutations in MC3R. To investigate this hypothesis, we screened the entire coding region of the MC3R gene for mutations in obese subjects. A total of 404 overweight and obese children and adolescents, 86 severely obese adults (BMI ≥40 kg/m2), and 150 normal‐weight control adults were included. Besides three synonymous coding variations in the MC3R gene (S69S, L95L, I226I), we were able to identify three novel heterozygous, nonsynonymous, coding mutations (N128S, V211I, L299V) in three unrelated obese children. None of these mutations were found in any of the control subjects. Functional studies assessing localization and signaling properties of the mutant receptors provided proof for impaired function of the L299V mutated receptor, whereas no conclusive evidence for functional impairment of the N128S and V211I mutated receptors could be established. First, these results provide supporting evidence for a role of the MC3R gene in the pathogenesis of obesity in a small subset of patients. Second, they show that caution is called for the interpretation of newly discovered mutations in MC3R.
Cognitive Interference From Food Cues in Weight Loss Maintainers, Normal Weight, and Obese Individuals
Authors: Phelan Suzanne , Hassenstab Jason , McCaffery Jeanne M. , Sweet Lawrence , Raynor Hollie A. , Cohen Ronald A. , Wing Rena R.
Published: June 2010

Much attention has been paid to the behavioral characteristics of successful weight loss maintenance, but less is known about the cognitive processes that underlie this process. The purpose of this study was to investigate cognitive interference from food‐related cues in long‐term weight loss maintainers (WLM; N = 15) as compared with normal weight (NW; N = 19) and obese (OB; N = 14) controls. A Food Stroop paradigm was used to determine whether successful WLM differed from controls in both the speed and accuracy of color naming words for low‐calorie and high‐calorie foods. A significant group × condition interaction for reaction time was observed (P = 0.04). In post hoc analyses, no significant differences in reaction time across the three groups were observed for the low‐calorie foods (P = 0.66). However, for the high‐calorie foods, WLM showed a significantly slower reaction time than the NW (0.04) and OB (0.009) groups (885 ± 17.6, 834 ± 15.8, 816 ± 18.3 ms, respectively). No significant group differences were seen for number of correct trials in 45 s (P = 0.12). The differential interference among WLM did not appear to generalize to other types of distracters (i.e., nonfood). Overall, findings from this study suggest that WLM differ from OB and NW controls in their cognitive responses to high‐calorie food cues. Future research is needed to better understand why this bias exists and whether and how interventions can change cognitive processes to better facilitate long‐term weight control.
Association Between Cardiovascular Health and Hearing Function: Pure-Tone and Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emission Measures
Authors: Hutchinson Kathleen M. , Alessio Helaine , Baiduc Rachael R.
Published: June 2010

Purpose

A reduction in hearing sensitivity is often considered to be a normal age-related change. Recent studies have revisited prior ways of thinking about sensory changes over time, uncovering health variables other than age that play a significant role in sensory changes.

Method

In this cross-sectional study, cardiovascular (CV) health, pure-tone thresholds at 1000 to 4000 Hz, and distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs), with and without contralateral noise, were measured in 101 participants age 10–78 years.

Results

Persons in the “old” age category (49–78 years) had worse pure-tone hearing sensitivity and DPOAEs than persons in the younger age categories (p< .05), affirming an age effect. Although hearing decline occurred in all persons in all CV fitness categories of every age group, those with low CV fitness in the old age group had significantly worse pure-tone hearing at 2000 and 4000 Hz (p<.05). Otoacoustic emission measurements were better for the old high-fit group but not significantly influenced by CV fitness level across age groups.

Conclusions

Results of the current study elucidate the potentially positive impact of CV health on hearing sensitivity over time. This finding was particularly robust among older adults.
Quality of Life in Children With Unilateral Hearing Loss: A Pilot Study
Authors: Borton Sarah A. , Mauze Elizabeth , Lieu Judith E. C.
Published: June 2010

Purpose

The objective of this pilot study was to investigate the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of children with unilateral hearing loss (UHL).

Method

The study was conducted in 2 stages among children age 6–17 years. In Stage 1, the authors conducted focus groups of children with UHL and their parents to elicit perceptions of how UHL affected the lives of these children. In Stage 2, a generic pediatric quality of life survey was used to measure HRQOL quantitatively in children with normal hearing, UHL, and bilateral hearing loss. Participants were recruited from the clinical and research populations of an academic otolaryngology department.

Results

The focus groups revealed that the children with UHL experienced barriers due to their hearing loss but learned to adapt. Quantitatively, statistically significant differences between groups were not observed on the 3 main HRQOL scales (Total, Psychosocial, and Physical). Children with UHL had a significantly larger variance on the social functioning score than children with normal hearing and bilateral hearing loss.

Conclusions

UHL may affect the HRQOL of children; this possibility should be included when counseling parents. However, further research is warranted to determine whether the authors' findings are generalizable to other children with UHL.
Survey of College Students' MP3 Listening: Habits, Safety Issues, Attitudes, and Education
Authors: Hoover Alicia , Krishnamurti Sridhar
Published: June 2010

Purpose

To survey listening habits and attitudes of typical college students who use MP3 players and to investigate possible safety issues related to MP3 player listening.

Method

College students who were frequent MP3 player users (
N
= 428) filled out a 30-item online survey. Specific areas probed by the present survey included frequency and duration of MP3 player use, MP3 player volume levels used, types of earphones used, typical environments in which MP3 player was worn, specific activities related to safety while listening to MP3 players, and attitudes toward MP3 player use.

Results

The majority of listeners wore MP3 players for less than 2 hr daily at safe volume levels. About one third of respondents reported being distracted while wearing an MP3 player, and more than one third of listeners experienced soreness in their ears after a listening session. About one third of respondents reported occasionally using their MP3 players at maximum volume levels. Listeners indicated willingness to (a) reduce volume levels, (b) decrease listening duration, and (c) buy specialized earphones to conserve their hearing.

Conclusion

The study found concerns regarding the occasional use of MP3 players at full volume and reduced environmental awareness among some college student users.
The Influence of Cardiovascular Health on Peripheral and Central Auditory Function in Adults: A Research Review
Authors: Hull Raymond H. , Kerschen Stacy R.
Published: June 2010

Purpose

This article provides a comparative review of research that has been conducted over the past 60+ years on the influence of cardiovascular health on the function of the peripheral and central auditory systems, and findings on the influence of improvements in cardiovascular health on those same systems.

Method

Research spanning the past 6 decades reviewed for this article has both hypothesized and confirmed the cardiovascular system’s effects on the peripheral and central auditory systems. A review of the influence of the cardiovascular system is presented in this article, and a potential new avenue for auditory rehabilitation is postulated. The review presented in this article does not represent all studies conducted in the topic area but does provide an in-depth look into this fascinating area of research.

Conclusions

The negative influence of impaired cardiovascular health on both the peripheral and central auditory system and the potential positive influence of improved cardiovascular health on these same systems have been found through a sizable body of research that has been conducted over more than 6 decades. The most significant positive relationship between improved cardiovascular health and improvements in those auditory systems has been found among older adults. If that relationship continues to be confirmed, then a potential new avenue for auditory rehabilitation on behalf of adults who possess impaired auditory function may be discovered.
Auditory Processing Disorder and Speech Perception Problems in Noise: Finding the Underlying Origin
Authors: Lagacé Josée , Jutras Benoît , Gagné Jean-Pierre
Published: June 2010

Purpose

A hallmark listening problem of individuals presenting with auditory processing disorder (APD) is their poor recognition of speech in noise. The underlying perceptual problem of the listening difficulties in unfavorable listening conditions is unknown. The objective of this article was to demonstrate theoretically how to determine whether the speech recognition problems are related to an auditory dysfunction, a language-based dysfunction, or a combination of both.

Method

Tests such as the Speech Perception in Noise (SPIN) test allow the exploration of the auditory and language-based functions involved in speech perception in noise, which is not possible with most other speech-in-noise tests. Psychometric functions illustrating results from hypothetical groups of individuals with APD on the SPIN test are presented. This approach makes it possible to postulate about the origin of the speech perception problems in noise.

Conclusion

APD is a complex and heterogeneous disorder for which the underlying deficit is currently unclear. Because of their design, SPIN-like tests can potentially be used to identify the nature of the deficits underlying problems with speech perception in noise for this population. A better understanding of the difficulties with speech perception in noise experienced by many listeners with APD should lead to more efficient intervention programs.
Establishing Interdisciplinary Collaborations for International Education
Authors: Hagstrom Fran
Published: June 2010

This article describes the development of an interdisciplinary study abroad course for undergraduate students in health care. Involvement was needed from various university programs and faculty, including the Honors College, the Office of Study Abroad, and faculty members from five disciplines and two colleges. The roles of all participants in the process for developing international study are described and examined. The approach used in this program was applied in an interdisciplinary health perspective that included speech-language pathology. Both the program and lessons learned are provided for other universities seeking transnational expansions within and beyond Communication Sciences and Disorders programs.
Education and Training in Two Nations: Sri Lanka and the United States
Authors: Wijesinghe Thilanka
Published: June 2010

This article grounds international education in the vision of the Fulbright Exchange Program. The personal, professional, and community impact of completing degrees in a home country and in the United States is discussed from the perspective of international program development and training.
Dysphagia After Radiotherapy for Head and Neck Cancer: Etiology, Clinical Presentation, and Efficacy of Current Treatments
Authors: Langmore Susan E. , Krisciunas Gintas P.
Published: June 2010

After radiation therapy (RT) or chemoradiation (CRT) therapy for head and neck cancer, some patients develop significant swallowing problems. This complication is thought to be a result of radiation induced damage and chronic alteration of tissues whereby the body reacts to the radiation by producing fibrosis. In some persons, this healing process seems to go awry, thus causing excess fibrosis and dysphagia. The major problem faced by patients with dysphagia is stiffness of tissue and underlying muscle weakness, causing reduced bolus clearance; hence, food is much more problematic than liquids. In fact, aspiration is rare unless the dysphagia is severe.

While compensatory treatment for dysphagia post C/RT is helpful, it is not rehabilitative. More permanent rehabilitative approaches use exercise regiments along with stretching. Massage, lymphedema therapy and electrical stimulation are sensory based or externally based treatments that also are employed, but less frequently. Unfortunately, the efficacy of most treatment approaches is limited, and randomized clinical trials urgently are needed to guide clinicians who work with this population.
Study of anticlastic deformation in a silicon crystal for channeling experiments
Authors: Guidi V. , Lanzoni L. , Mazzolari A.
Published: June 2010

Anticlastic deformation (AD) is an established mechanical property of isotropic solid bodies, which has been recently used to steer particle beams through channeling in Si crystals. An analysis of AD in an anisotropic material, such as Si, has been worked out with particular emphasis to the cases used in channeling experiments. Both a theoretical model and finite element simulations were developed and compared to experimental data achieved by optical profilometry on bent Si crystals. A quantifier of the extent of AD, namely the ratio between primary and secondary curvature radii, has been found to be orientation dependent and determined analytically. The realistic case of crystal bending by a mechanical holder has been studied for applications. We addressed the case of the holder with a crystal at the energy currently under operation in the CERN super proton synchrotron and its possible extension to higher energy cases such as for the large hadron collider. Anisotropy-driven torsion of the crystal was investigated, determining a limitation to the portion of the crystal suitable for channeling. The geometry of the jaws clamping the crystal was considered too.
Suppression of surface recombination in InP/GaAsSb double heterojunction bipolar transistors with InP–InAlAs composite emitter
Authors: Ng Chai Wah , Wang Hong
Published: June 2010

In this work, a detailed study on the surface recombination in InP/GaAsSb double heterojunction bipolar transistors (DHBTs) with an InP–InAlAs composite emitter was carried out. The experimental data clearly revealed that the surface recombination was effectively suppressed by using InP–InAlAs composite emitter in the devices. At a low collector current density JC, a reduction in the normalized emitter periphery surface recombination current KB_surf of by a factor of 50 was observed. The physical mechanisms responsible for the surface recombination in the InP/GaAsSb DHBTs with an InP–InAlAs composite emitter were examined by characterization of the temperature-dependent KB_surf. The results demonstrate the great potential for aggressive scaling of GaAsSb DHBTs by using an InP–InAlAs composite emitter configuration.
Hole transport and photoluminescence in Mg-doped InN
Authors: Miller N. , Ager J. W. , Smith H. M. , Mayer M. A. , Yu K. M. , Haller E. E. , Walukiewicz W. , Schaff W. J. , Gallinat C. , Koblmüller G. , Speck J. S.
Published: June 2010

Hole conductivity and photoluminescence (PL) were studied in Mg-doped InN films grown by molecular beam epitaxy. Because surface electron accumulation interferes with carrier type determination by electrical measurements, the nature of the majority carriers in the bulk of the films was determined using thermopower measurements. Mg concentrations in a “window” from approximately 3×1017 to 1×1019 cm−3 produce hole-conducting, p-type films as evidenced by a positive Seebeck coefficient. This conclusion is supported by electrolyte-based capacitance voltage measurements and by changes in the overall mobility observed by Hall effect, both of which are consistent with a change from surface accumulation on an n-type film to surface inversion on a p-type film. The observed Seebeck coefficients are understood in terms of a parallel conduction model with contributions from surface and bulk regions. In partially compensated films with Mg concentrations below the window region, two peaks are observed in PL at 672 meV and at 603 meV. They are attributed to band-to-band and band-to-acceptor transitions, respectively, and an acceptor binding energy of ∼70 meV is deduced. In hole-conducting films with Mg concentrations in the window region, no PL is observed; this is attributed to electron trapping by deep states which are empty for Fermi levels close to the valence band edge.
U(1)-invariant membranes: The geometric formulation, Abel, and pendulum differential equations
Authors: Zheltukhin A. A. , Trzetrzelewski M.
Published: June 2010

The geometric approach to study the dynamics of U(1)-invariant membranes is developed. The approach reveals an important role of the Abel nonlinear differential equation of the first type with variable coefficients depending on time and one of the membrane extendedness parameters. The general solution of the Abel equation is constructed. Exact solutions of the whole system of membrane equations in the D=5 Minkowski space-time are found and classified. It is shown that if the radial component of the membrane world vector is only time dependent, then the dynamics is described by the pendulum equation.