bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Smart combination of web measures for solving semantic similarity problems
Authors: Martinez‐Gil Jorge , Aldana‐Montes José F.
Published: September 2012

Purpose

Semantic similarity measures are very important in many computer‐related fields. Previous works on applications such as data integration, query expansion, tag refactoring or text clustering have used some semantic similarity measures in the past. Despite the usefulness of semantic similarity measures in these applications, the problem of measuring the similarity between two text expressions remains a key challenge. This paper aims to address this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

In this article, the authors propose an optimization environment to improve existing techniques that use the notion of co‐occurrence and the information available on the web to measure similarity between terms.

Findings

The experimental results using the Miller and Charles and Gracia and Mena benchmark datasets show that the proposed approach is able to outperform classic probabilistic web‐based algorithms by a wide margin.

Originality/value

This paper presents two main contributions. The authors propose a novel technique that beats classic probabilistic techniques for measuring semantic similarity between terms. This new technique consists of using not only a search engine for computing web page counts, but a smart combination of several popular web search engines. The approach is evaluated on the Miller and Charles and Gracia and Mena benchmark datasets and compared with existing probabilistic web extraction techniques.
Mediation of TV advertising to children
Authors: Soni Pavleen , Singh Raghbir
Published: September 2012

Purpose

Parents are seen to mediate media behavior of their children to protect them from negative and undesirable effects of advertising. In doing so, they either restrict TV viewing by children or actively discuss ad content with children. The nature of mediation strategy to be used depends upon the age of their children. The purpose of this study is to uncover the nature of mediation strategies used by mothers of younger and older children in India. The findings and implications of the study are further discussed.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from three cities of Punjab state of India – Amritsar, Jalandhar and Ludhiana and its capital city of Chandigarh during the period November 2010 to June 2011. The mothers were the basic sampling unit for the present study as they are seen to be the primary caregivers for children. Parents of children in eight schools (two from each city), were approached through the schools. The children were asked to take the questionnaire home and get it filled by their mother. Parental mediation of food advertising was measured through a parental advertising mediation scale developed by Valkenburg et al.

Findings

The results of the present study reveal that mothers of Indian children resort to mediation of ads in general and food ads in particular. The nature of mediation is also governed by age of children. Mothers of older children primarily use active advertising mediation and mothers of younger children use restrictive mediation strategies. It is also seen that mothers mediate the exposure of food ads more strongly in younger children as compared to older children.

Originality/value

Although vast literature exists about parental mediation of advertising to children, hardly any study has been conducted in India to investigate the nature of parental mediation of advertising to children. The present study adds to the existing literature by delving into this aspect in the Indian settings. More so, as age of children is witnessed to affect nature of parental mediation, this study also sheds light on the way parents in India mediate exposure of children to TV ads.
Hurricane reconstruction in the United States Gulf Coast
Authors: Tatum Mark C. , Terrell Frank
Published: September 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study construction companies performing reconstruction to better understand the positive and negative effects of hurricanes on the construction industry.

Design/methodology/approach

Construction companies with hurricane reconstruction experience in gulf coast states were surveyed to obtain information about their activities from 1999 to 2008. A wide range of company sizes were represented in the collected data, from less than 15 to more than 100 employees, and from less than five to more than 100 million dollars in annual work volume. Specific points investigated include how hurricane reconstruction affects profitability, scheduling, estimating accuracy, and volume of business (both short term and subsequent). Other factors examined were labour availability, labour costs, material prices, material availability and how insurance company involvement impacted work progress.

Findings

While the rewards of additional work are obvious, this study found that labour shortages, availability of materials, and issues with insurance companies are the main risks construction companies face. Construction companies should have a hurricane construction plan to capitalize fully on so much opportunity. The plan should include contingency pricing to combat the rise in job costs, a geographic region to work into keep from getting over extended, a strong labour force, and a plan for displaced employees. A plan will help mitigate risk and increase the probability of success.

Originality/value

This paper should provide useful information for contractors, government entities and others who are involved with reconstruction efforts after unpredictable disasters, particularly hurricanes.
Strategies for the effective engagement of multi‐national construction enterprises in post‐disaster building and infrastructure projects
Authors: Haigh Richard , Sutton Richard
Published: September 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify what strategies and mechanisms might be utilised to achieve an effective level of participation by multi‐national construction enterprises in post‐disaster recovery efforts.

Design/methodology/approach

An exploratory qualitative research methodology has been utilised. A total of 28 interviews were conducted. The respondents were from multi‐national construction enterprises, international and national humanitarian agencies, construction industry professional organisations, and national government agencies related to disaster management.

Findings

The findings suggest that there is great potential for using the resources of multi‐national construction enterprise resources to fill the professional resource gap in post‐disaster recovery. The best method for achieving this engagement is less clear. Although there are concerns about construction enterprises engaging with a more strategic outlook, there is also recognition that explicit and transparent arrangements would alleviate many of these concerns.

Originality/value

The value of building partnerships with the private sector is slowly being realised, but it remains a niche phenomenon and more research is required. This study provides a better understanding of the nature and extent of the relationship between multi‐national construction enterprises and efforts to reconstruct buildings and infrastructure following a disaster.
Board evaluation in the top Nordic football clubs
Authors: Brunzell Tor , Söderman Sten
Published: September 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study if and how the evaluation of the boards in the top Nordic male football clubs affects the boards’ composition and work.

Design/methodology/approach

The study includes all the clubs in the two top divisions in each of the five Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden). The study makes use of a questionnaire where 66 (out of 145) chairmen answer 17 questions concerning the board composition and work on a five‐point Likert‐scale.

Findings

The responses were related to whether the board is annually evaluated or not. Descriptive statistics demonstrates that more than half of the clubs have an annual board evaluation. Most common is that the Chairman performs the evaluation himself/herself with help from designated board members; the evaluation being performed through informal discussions. A total of 44 clubs have a nominee committee. Almost all of the clubs transfer the result of the board evaluation to its nominee committee, most commonly verbally. Furthermore, results show that board evaluation has a significant positive effect on the following functions of football boards: review of business plan, strategy, objective and budget; discussion on short‐term development; discussion on long‐term development; and work efficiency.

Originality/value

The results of this study are consistent with a similar study of listed Nordic companies. The main difference between the results of the two studies is that clubs, unlike publicly listed companies, almost always perform the evaluation through internal interviews rarely using external consultants and individual anonymous questionnaires.
The innovativeness of family firms through the economic cycle
Authors: Llach Josep , Marquès Pilar , Bikfalvi Andrea , Simon Alexandra , Kraus Sascha
Published: September 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to understand whether the innovative effort of organizations increases or decreases over time, especially when the competitive environment is changing, as has been the case in the current economic downturn. For this reason, the objective of this article is to gauge the possible differences in innovative behaviour between family firms (FFs) and non‐family firms (NFFs) when the business environment becomes increasingly hostile.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach is a natural experiment study, which the authors use to analyse the possible differential behaviour of FFs in the recession context in contrast to the previous growth context. The empirical data for the present study were compiled through the Spanish sub‐sample of the European Manufacturing Survey's (EMS) 2006 and 2009 editions. To test the hypothesis the paper uses a matched‐pairs method that increases the comparability of the available data.

Findings

Family firms have a significant higher reduction of R&D in comparison to nonfamily firms. But contrary to some of the hypotheses, the other innovation dimensions have no significant differences, although most results indicate that family firms systematically and generally reduce their innovation more than NFFs.

Originality/value

This research contains two original features. First, the authors have been able to analyse the change in innovation behaviour of a comparable set of FFs and NFFs. The second relevant feature is the analysis of the specific interaction of FFs’ differential traits with the different types of innovation. The availability of detailed empirical data on innovation adoption enabled this study and is also one of its contributions. This research has also value since the results can be read as a challenge to existing approaches on the preferences and nature of FFs that have either a positive or negative effect on innovation.
An investigational ovarian stimulation protocol increased significantly the psychological burden in women with premature ovarian failure
Authors: AWWAD JOHNNY T. , GHAZEERI GHINA S. , HANNOUN ANTOINE , ISAACSON KEITH , ABOU‐ABDALLAH MICHEL , FARRA CHANTAL G.
Published: September 2012

Objective. To assess the psychological impact (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale) of an investigational ovarian stimulation protocol in women with premature ovarian failure (POF). Design. Prospective longitudinal study. Population. Ten women with POF. Methods. Women with idiopathic POF were placed on three consecutive treatment cycles consisting of gonadotropin ovarian stimulation after estrogen priming, gonadotropin‐releasing hormone agonist pituitary desensitization, and corticosteroid immune suppression. Results. Median anxiety and depression scores increased significantly from baseline following three consecutive treatment cycles from 4.0 (range 2.0–8.0) to 11.0 (range 10.0–14.0) (p‐value 0.041) and from 1.5 (range 0–6.0) to 9.0 (range 7.0–10.0) (p‐value 0.039), respectively. There were nine “probable” anxiety (90%) and three “probable” depression (30%) cases on the final treatment cycle compared with none (0%) on baseline (p‐value 0.004 and 0.250, respectively). Conclusions. The use of investigational ovarian stimulation protocols in women with idiopathic POF was associated with excessive psychological strain. Women with POF should be cautioned against the potentially harmful aspect of similar treatments of unproven benefit.
Design, Synthesis, Structure–Activity Relationships, and Docking Studies of 1‐(γ‐1,2,3‐Triazol Substituted Prolyl)‐(S)‐3,3‐Difluoropyrrolidines as a Novel Series of Potent and Selective Dipeptidyl Peptidase‐4 Inhibitors
Authors: Zhang Lei , Su Mingbo , Li Jingya , Ji Xun , Wang Jiang , Li Zeng , Li Jia , Liu Hong
Published: September 2012

Dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 inhibitors hold great potential for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. A series of 1‐(γ‐1,2,3‐triazol substituted prolyl)‐(S)‐3,3‐difluoropyrrolidines were designed, synthesized, and evaluated as novel dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 inhibitors. Most of the compounds exhibited good in vitro potency against dipeptidyl peptidase‐4. Among these, compounds 7j, 7q, and 7s displayed good dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 activity and excellent selectivity versus other proteases including dipeptidyl peptidase‐8, dipeptidyl peptidase‐9, and FAP. The possible binding modes of compounds 7j, 7q, and 7s with dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 were also explored by molecular docking simulation.
The diverse identity of angiogenic monocytes
Authors: Favre Julie , Terborg Negisti , Horrevoets Anton J. G.
Published: September 2012

Eur J Clin Invest 2012

Background  The role of bone marrow–derived cells in stimulating angiogenesis, vascular repair or remodelling has been well established, but the nature of the circulating angiogenic cells is still controversial.

Design  The existing literature on different cell types that contribute to angiogenesis in multiple pathologies, most notably ischaemic and tumour angiogenesis, is reviewed, with a focus on subtypes of angiogenic mononuclear cells and their local recruitment and activation.

Results  A large number of different cells of myeloid origin support angiogenesis without incorporating permanently into the newly formed vessel, which distinguishes these circulating angiogenic cells (CAC) from endothelial progenitor cells (EPC). Although CAC frequently express individual endothelial markers, they all share multiple characteristics of monocytes and only express a limited set of discriminative surface markers in the circulation. When cultured ex vivo, or surrounding the angiogenic vessel in vivo, however, many of them acquire similar additional markers, making their discrimination in situ difficult.

Conclusion  Different subsets of monocytes show angiogenic properties, but the distinct microenvironment, in vitro or in vivo, is needed for the development of their pro‐angiogenic function.
Development of two reverse transcription‐PCR methods to detect living pinewood nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, in wood
Authors: Leal I. , Foord B. , Allen E. , Campion C. , Rott M. , Green M.
Published: September 2012

Pinewood nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, is an inhabitant of native pine species of North America, where its presence in trees is non‐pathogenic. By contrast, the introduction of this nematode to forests overseas has devastated some pine stands and is recognized as a pest of phytosanitary concern by some countries' National Plant Protection Organizations. The ability to detect B. xylophilus in internationally traded wood products is crucial to reduce the spread of this organism. Current molecular techniques for the detection of B. xylophilus rely on the presence of genomic DNA and thus will detect both living and dead nematodes without differentiation. The detection of dead nematodes could lead to unnecessary trade disruption. Therefore, accurate techniques for the detection of and differentiation between live and dead B. xylophilus are critical. We have developed an endpoint RT‐PCR assay and a SYBR Green 1 real‐time RT‐PCR assay, both of which selectively identify living pinewood nematode by detecting the presence of Hsp70 mRNA as a viability marker. Both of these assays may help overcome or resolve disputes involving the detection of pinewood nematode at the port of entry and can also be used to evaluate the efficiency of wood treatment procedures.
Fluid control on low‐temperature mineral formation in volcanic rocks of Kahrizak, Iran
Authors: KOUSEHLAR M. , WEISENBERGER T. B. , TUTTI F. , MIRNEJAD H.
Published: September 2012

The Kahrizak volcanic field, south Tehran, in Iran, is composed dominantly of basalt and basaltic andesite that experienced variable degrees of alteration because of the low‐grade metamorphism (stage I) and hydrothermal activity (stage II). Stage I alteration, which occurred in response to the burial of volcanic rocks and their interaction with heated groundwater, is characterized by the formation of low‐temperature zeolite facies minerals in vesicles consisting mainly of fine‐grained mafic phyllosilicate (smectite, chlorite/smectite mixed layer) and zeolites (thomsonite, chabazite, gonnardite, natrolite, analcime, heulandite, and mordenite). Stage II mineralization occurred because of the activity of hydrothermal fluids that formed large crystals of heulandite, stilbite, mesolite/scolecite, natrolite, and analcime along with quartz and calcite in cavities and fractures. The elements necessary for the formation of alteration minerals (i.e. zeolites and mafic phyllosilicates) in Kahrizak were derived from the hydrolysis of olivine and volcanic glass as well as the alteration of plagioclase. Various mineral assemblages formed during stages I and II reflect changes in temperature, pressure, and fluid composition. The change from mafic phyllosilicates to zeolites species is caused by the decrease in Mg and Fe relative to Ca fluid activities. Zeolite assemblages of stage I, known to be formed at lower temperatures, show the general sequential order from older to younger: chabazite, thomsonite, gonnardite, and natrolite. This sequence is consistent with a hypothetical fluid evolution path with increasing Na+ relative to Ca2+ activity. The change to stage II, which consists of zeolites species (stilbite, scolecite, natrolite, mesolite, analcime, and heulandite) that formed at higher temperatures, can be attributed to a temperature increase and fluid influx caused by hydrothermal activity related to a later magmatic event in the region.
Revascularization for a necrotic immature permanent lateral incisor: a case report and literature review
Authors: Kottoor Jojo , Velmurugan Natanasabapathy
Published: September 2012

Background

Revascularization is a valuable treatment in immature necrotic teeth that allows the continuation of root development.

Case Report

This article describes the successful revascularization treatment of an immature maxillary lateral incisor that was initially diagnosed with apical periodontitis. The tooth was asymptomatic and functional clinically and radiographically during the follow‐up period of 5 years.

Conclusion

The follow‐up showed evidence of progressive thickening of the dentinal walls, development of root length and apical closure. The article also discusses the currently available literature regarding revascularization of immature permanent teeth.
HLA population genetics: a Lebanese population
Authors: Cano Pedro , Testi Manuela , Andreani Marco , Khoriaty Evelyne , Monsef Jad Bou , Galluccio Tiziana , Troiano Maria , Fernandez‐Vina Marcelo , Inati Adlette
Published: September 2012

Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) typing was done in 426 Lebanese subjects of 88 families, in which 347 haplotypes were identified. The A, B, C, DRB1, DRB3/4/5, DQB1 and DPB1 loci were typed at high resolution. This study shows that information theory, as originally developed by Claude Shannon in 1948, provides a promising theoretical foundation to study the population genetics of a genetic system like HLA.

Although Lebanese carry HLA alleles found in other populations, the association of these alleles into haplotypes is quite unique. Comparisons are made with the main ethnic groups. Two haplotypes well represented in the Lebanese population are not identified in any global population: L1 = {A*26:01:01 ‐ B*35:01:01:01‐ C*04:01:01:01‐ DRB1*16:01:01 ‐ DRB5*02:02 ‐ DQB1*05:02:01} and L2 = {A*02:02 ‐ B*41:01‐ C*17:01:01:01 ‐DRB1*11:04:01 ‐ DRB3*02:02:01:01‐ DQB1*03:01:01:01}.

By studying linkage disequilibrium in two blocks at a time, with the division of the blocks at different levels in consecutive cycles, conserved haplotypes in full linkage disequilibrium come to light, such as {A*26:01:01‐ B*35:01:01:01 ‐ C*04:01:01:01 ‐ DRB1*16:01:01 ‐ DRB5*02:02 ‐ DQB1*05:02:01‐ DPB1*03:01:01} and {A*33:01:01 ‐ B*14:02:01 ‐ C*08:02:01 ‐ DRB1*01:02:01‐ DQB1*05:01:01:01 ‐ DPB1*04:01:01:01}.
Older people's exclusion from healthcare services in Nepal: An analysis of the political economy of development aid, domestic policy and research
Authors: Sharma Bhattarai Lok P
Published: September 2012

The objective of this review was to contribute to the discussion on older people's access to healthcare in developing countries. Relevant research findings, survey reports, policy papers and planning documents were critically reviewed, placing a particular focus on their relevance in understanding issues of access, equity and justice. A number of factors are identified for their roles on the issue; that is, place of residence, economic factors/poverty, cultural stigma, situation and impact of research, and the prevalent policy framework in health and the approach of development assistance adopted by donor communities. In order to make healthcare facilities equitable for older people, the identified factors need to be addressed at different levels – at local policy work, in the allocation of funding for health service research and in designing overseas development work. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2013; 13: 243–249.
ON THE EQUIVALENCE OF SOME INDICES OF SIMILARITY: IMPLICATION FOR BINARY PRESENCE/ABSENCE DATA
Authors: Albatineh Ahmed N. , Khan Hafiz M.R. , Niewiadomska‐Bugaj Magdalena
Published: September 2012

Cohen’s kappa, a special case of the weighted kappa, is a chance‐corrected index used extensively to quantify inter‐rater agreement in validation and reliability studies. In this paper, it is shown that in inter‐rater agreement for 2 × 2 tables, for two raters having the same number of opposite ratings, the weighted kappa, Cohen’s kappa, Peirce, Yule, Maxwell and Pilliner and Fleiss indices are identical. This implies that the weights in the weighted kappa are less important under such assumptions. Equivalently, it is shown that for two partitions of the same data set, resulting from two clustering algorithms having the same number of clusters with equal cluster sizes, these similarity indices are identical. Hence, an important characterisation is formulated relating equal numbers of clusters with the same cluster sizes to the presence/absence of a trait in a reliability study. Two numerical examples that exemplify the implication of this relationship are presented.
Moral Philosophers Are Moral Experts! A Reply to David Archard
Authors: Gordon John‐Stewart
Published: September 2012

In his article ‘Why Moral Philosophers Are Not and Should Not Be Moral Experts’ David Archard attempts to show that his argument from common‐sense morality is more convincing than other competing arguments in the debate. I examine his main line of argumentation and eventually refute his main argument in my reply.
The Substance View: A Critique (Part 2)
Authors: Lovering Rob
Published: September 2012

In my initial critique of the substance view, I raised reductio‐style objections to the substance view's conclusion that the standard human fetus has the same intrinsic value and moral standing as the standard adult human being, among others. In this follow‐up critique, I raise objections to some of the premises invoked in support of this conclusion. I begin by briefly presenting the substance view as well as its defense. (For a more thorough presentation, see the first part of my critique.) I then raise objections to three claims involved in the substance view's defense: the claim that the standard human fetus's intrinsic value and moral standing is a function of its potentiality; the claim that the standard human fetus's intrinsic value and moral standing is a function of its essential properties; and the claim that it is the possession of the basic potential for rational moral agency that best accounts for the wrongness of killing the standard human fetus, among others.
The Skies of Dante and Our Skies: A Response to Ilham Dilman
Authors: Diamond Cora
Published: September 2012

The philosophical image of a “universe of discourse” can be misleading in the suggestions it carries about how to read Wittgenstein and how to approach the topic of the relation between language and reality. That is what I try to show by examining Ilham Dilman's discussion of medieval cosmology. I sketch an alternative account of the relation between medieval beliefs about the heavens and our astronomical beliefs, and I consider in detail the disagreement between the two accounts.
Peter Winch on Political Authority and Political Culture
Authors: Lagerspetz Olli
Published: September 2012

Peter Winch, in his political philosophy, wanted to rethink the concepts of political authority, legitimacy and political culture, with a starting point in Wittgensteinian ideas. This essay brings together Winch's thoughts on political authority. Developing insights from Wittgenstein's work on certainty, Winch emphasised the unstated background behind any normative stand concerning authority. Ideas of legitimacy and civil society are formed within historically specific political cultures. In the 1990s, Winch was increasingly inclined to emphasise disagreement, which was related to his developing views on understanding, logic and reasoning. This development is traced, in part, on the basis of unpublished lecture notes.
R. F. Holland
Authors: Gaita Raimond
Published: September 2012

My tribute to R. F. Holland focuses on what he calls “absolute goodness.” I try to explain what he means by it and how it connects with the common belief that moral absolutism entails that some acts must not be done “whatever the consequences.” I argue that Holland believes that this sense of absolute value should be understood in the light of a conception of the kind he develops of absolute goodness; that he is right to believe that “absolute ethics” (his expression) conflicts with the nature of politics, but that he is wrong to believe that consequentialism is the ethics of politics. Holland believes that it is important to an adequate discussion of absolute ethics and politics to acknowledge that there are things a saints would find morally impossible to do. I defend him against the charger that this begs all the important questions, and I argue further that it is important to understand, even when thinking about politics, that there are things that only a saint could do.
Polity Size and Local Political Trust: A Quasi‐experiment Using Municipal Mergers in Denmark
Authors: Hansen Sune Welling
Published: September 2012

This article examines the relationship between polity size and political trust in local government for which two schools of thought offer opposing expectations. The theoretical disagreement has received considerable attention and this article contributes with a dynamic perspective of how changes in polity size affect changes in citizens' political trust on the input‐side of local government. The case examined is the recent municipal mergers in Denmark which were implemented on 1 January 2007. The article reports an analysis of a panel based on a repeated survey of Danish citizens using an untreated control group design with pre‐test and post‐test. A quasi‐experimental difference‐in‐difference identification strategy is used to obtain the effect of municipal size on local political trust. The results show that changes in municipal size negatively affect local political trust, which is consistent with the expectation from the political economy theory that political trust tends to decrease with the size of the polity.
The use of boundary objects to enhance interprofessional collaboration: integrating complementary medicine in a hospital setting
Authors: Keshet Yael , Ben‐Arye Eran , Schiff Elad
Published: September 2012

Because of the inherent complexity of human health, the provision of good quality patient care requires collaboration in multidisciplinary teams. Integrative healthcare provides a unique setting for the study of interprofessional collaboration in the context of power disparities. The research objective was to examine which means and mechanisms were used to facilitate interprofessional collaboration when integrating complementary medicine (CM) into a hospital’s surgical department. Throughout 2010 we conducted a qualitative study in an Israeli public hospital’s surgical department, using observations and 30 in‐depth interviews with managers, surgeons, physicians, nurses, patients and CM practitioners. The sociological concepts of boundary actor and boundary object and the context of power relations served as a framework for this research. This article contributes to the field of interprofessional collaborative care research by: analysing types of collaboration inhibitors – epistemological and social‐structural gaps; pointing to boundary actors who establish interprofessional collaboration in an integrative hospital setting and noting the boundary objects they use; and comparing collaboration levels. The collaboration between CM practitioners and the department’s staff is a loosely coupled system. When coordination was achieved, reaching profound agreements seemed of lesser importance to the parties. Closer collaboration and cross‐fertilisation were found among CM practitioners.
A review on the extensive skin benefits of mineral oil
Authors: Rawlings A. V. , Lombard K. J.
Published: September 2012

Synopsis

This review was initially prepared in 2011 before Professor Johann Wiechers tragically passed away. It has been updated and is being published in his memory. It discusses the importance of mineral oil and its benefits to skin. Its source, structure, properties and efficacy are discussed. Mineral oil has been shown to improve skin softness and barrier function better than some other emollients using the gas‐bearing dynamometer and standard water vapour transmission testing as well as in vivo studies showing its effects on suppressing transepidermal water loss (TEWL). It has also been subjected to the rigour of the newer in vivo confocal microscopic measurements now used for testing the performance of moisturizers by following the swelling characteristics of the stratum corneum and been found favourable compared with many vegetable oils. Its introduction as a cosmetic oil was in the late 1800s, and still today, it is used as one of the main components of moisturizers, a true testament to its cost to efficacy window. Naturally, it has physical effects on the stratum corneum, but it is expected that these will translate into biological effects simply through its mechanism of hydrating and occluding the stratum corneum from which many benefits are derived.
Genomic dissection of small RNAs in wild rice (Oryza rufipogon): lessons for rice domestication
Authors: Wang Yu , Bai Xuefei , Yan Chenghai , Gui Yiejie , Wei Xinghua , Zhu Qian‐Hao , Guo Longbiao , Fan Longjiang
Published: September 2012

The lack of a MIRNA set and genome sequence of wild rice (Oryza rufipogon) has prevented us from determining the role of MIRNA genes in rice domestication.

In this study, a genome, three small RNA populations and a degradome of O. rufipogon were sequenced by Illumina platform and the expression levels of microRNAs (miRNAs) were investigated by miRNA chips.

A de novo O. rufipogon genome was assembled using c. 55× coverage of raw sequencing data and a total of 387 MIRNAs were identified in the O. rufipogon genome based on c. 5.2 million unique small RNA reads from three different tissues of O. rufipogon. Of these, O. rufipogon MIRNAs, 259 were not found in the cultivated rice, suggesting a loss of these MIRNAs in the cultivated rice. We also found that 48 MIRNAs were novel in the cultivated rice, suggesting that they were potential targets of domestication selection. Some miRNAs showed significant expression differences between wild and cultivated rice, suggesting that expression of miRNA could also be a target of domestication, as demonstrated for the miR164 family.

Our results illustrated that MIRNA genes, like protein‐coding genes, might have been significantly shaped during rice domestication and could be one of the driving forces that contributed to rice domestication.
Toward an understanding of the emotion‐modulated startle eyeblink reflex: The case of anger
Authors: Peterson Carly K. , Harmon‐Jones Eddie
Published: September 2012

Three studies investigated the effect of angering pictures on the startle eyeblink response, based on anger's unique identity as an approach‐oriented negative affect. In Study 1, eyeblinks to startling noise probes during angering and neutral pictures did not differ, despite angering pictures being rated higher on arousal and anger and more negative in valence. Study 2 replicated Study 1; also, dysphoric participants exhibited potentiated eyeblinks to probes during angering pictures much like those to probes during fear/disgust stimuli. A follow‐up study revealed that dysphoric participants rated angering pictures higher in fear. Study 3 again found that eyeblinks to probes during angering and neutral pictures did not differ. Taken together, these results suggest that probes during angering stimuli elicit eyeblinks much like those during neutral stimuli, perhaps due to the competing influences of arousal, valence, and motivation on the startle eyeblink reflex.
Ethics Education in Research Involving Human Beings in Undergraduate Medicine Curriculum in Brazil
Authors: Novaes Maria Rita Garbi , Guilhem Dirce , Barragan Elena , Mennin Stewart
Published: September 2012

Introduction

The Brazilian national curriculum guidelines for undergraduate medicine courses inspired and influenced the groundwork for knowledge acquisition, skills development and the perception of ethical values in the context of professional conduct.

Objective

The evaluation of ethics education in research involving human beings in undergraduate medicine curriculum in Brazil, both in courses with active learning processes and in those with traditional lecture learning methodologies.

Methods

Curricula and teaching projects of 175 Brazilian medical schools were analyzed using a retrospective historical and descriptive exploratory cohort study. Thirty one medical schools were excluded from the study because of incomplete information or a refusal to participate. Active research for information from institutional sites and documents was guided by terms based on 69 DeCS/MeSH descriptors. Curriculum information was correlated with educational models of learning such as active learning methodologies, tutorial discussions with integrated curriculum into core modules, and traditional lecture learning methodologies for large classes organized by disciplines and reviewed by occurrence frequency of ethical themes and average hourly load per semester.

Results

Ninety‐five medical schools used traditional learning methodologies. The ten most frequent ethical themes were: 1 – ethics in research (26); 2 – ethical procedures and advanced technology (46); 3 – ethic‐professional conduct (413). Over 80% of schools using active learning methodologies had between 50 and 100 hours of scheduled curriculum time devoted to ethical themes whereas more than 60% of traditional learning methodology schools devoted less than 50 hours in curriculum time to ethical themes.

Conclusion

The data indicates that medical schools that employ more active learning methodologies provide more attention and time to ethical themes than schools with traditional discipline‐based methodologies. Given the importance of ethical issues in contemporary medical education, these findings are significant for curriculum change and modification plans in the future of Brazilian medical education.
NICE CG83 – rehabilitation after critical illness: implementation across a network
Authors: Cotton Karen
Published: September 2012

Background: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) Clinical Guideline (CG) 83: Rehabilitation after Critical Illness was published to focus attention on a group of patients who can potentially endure a multitude of physical and non‐physical complications following a serious illness. Historically the sequelae of critical illness have not been adequately assessed or managed despite growing knowledge in this area of health care.

Aim: To share the lessons learned during the ongoing implementation of NICE CG83 across five hospitals within one critical care network in a single county.

Design: The critical care network director appointed a passionate and experienced champion to examine the current position within each hospital, make recommendations and provide expert knowledge and practical assistance to improve the rehabilitation of patients in accordance with the NICE guideline. The ‘Quick wins' were successfully addressed to encourage the implementation process whilst allowing time for new services and processes to be developed.

Results: Success was achieved by addressing the patient, relative and inter‐professional communication issues as a network. All hospitals introduced discharge booklets and improved their discharge information and then chose different strategies to address the recommendations of the guideline in the most effective way possible. Strategies such as early intervention physiotherapy, the assessment and management of delirium, follow‐up clinics and outpatient rehabilitation classes were among those implemented.

Conclusion: This paper outlines the processes developed, the difficulties encountered and showcases the valuable work that has been achieved.

Relevance to clinical practice: Increasingly, hospitals have an obligation to comply with NICE guidelines for the benefit of patients. Rehabilitation following critical illness is important for patients to regain their former or best possible quality of life in a timely manner.
Altered risk‐aversion and risk‐taking behaviour in patients with Alzheimer's disease
Authors: HA Juwon , KIM Eun‐Jin , LIM Sewon , SHIN Dong‐Won , KANG Yeo‐Jin , BAE Seung‐Min , YOON Hyung‐Kun , OH Kang‐Seob
Published: September 2012

Aim:  Normal individuals are risk averse for decisions framed as gains but risk taking for decisions framed as losses. This framing effect is supposed to be attenuated in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients. We investigated the effects of highlighting rewards versus highlighting punishments on the risky decision‐making of AD patients.

Method:  Fourteen mild to moderate AD patients (Mini‐Mental Status Examination score, 11–23; Clinical Dementia Rating, 1–2) and 16 healthy volunteers were recruited for the study. Subjects completed a computerized task on risky decision‐making in which mathematically equivalent dilemmas were presented in terms of opportunities to gain monetary rewards (‘positive frame’) or avoid suffering losses (‘negative frame’).

Results:  As expected, AD patients chose more risky options under the positive frame than the negative frame, contrary to the control group (Z =−2.671, P= 0.007). The normal difference in the distribution of risky choices between positively and negatively framed dilemmas was significantly reduced in the AD group after we adjusted for years of education, mean age and depression (F= 5.321, P= 0.030). Deliberation time did not differ significantly between the two groups.

Conclusion:  These results suggest that AD patients making high‐risk choices is associated with attenuated sensitivity to the emotional frames that highlight rewards or punishments, possibly reflecting altered evaluations of prospective gains and losses.
Efficacy of a high dosage of donepezil for Alzheimer's disease as examined by single‐photon emission computed tomography imaging
Authors: KANAYA Kiyoshi
Published: September 2012

Background:  The efficacy of donepezil 10 mg/day against Alzheimer's disease (AD) was examined, with a primary focus on changes in cerebral blood flow (CBF) as determined by single‐photon emission computed tomography imaging.

Methods:  The subjects were 24 outpatients who had been diagnosed with probable AD, which had progressed to advanced AD. Mini‐Mental State Examination and Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale (ADAS) scores were determined before and after the donepezil dosage increase. 99mTc‐ethylcysteinate dimer single‐photon emission computed tomography was performed to evaluate changes in CBF. Then, a comparative study evaluated changes after the donepezil dosage increased.

Results:  After the donepezil dosage increase, adverse effects associated with gastrointestinal symptoms were observed in one patient, and irritability was observed in three. The average Mini‐Mental State Examination score changed from15.25 ± 6.24 to 14.67 ± 6.07; significant changes were not observed. Seventeen subjects were evaluated with the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale‐cognitive subscale. After the dosage increase, the average subscale score decreased from 24.52 ± 13.39 to 21.56 ± 9.14, and significant improvement was observed (P= 0.021). With respect to changes in the CBF, the values of all three indicators decreased after the higher dosage increased CBF. However, no significant differences were observed in CBF. Analysis performed after the donepezil dosage increase revealed significant increases in CBF in the right occipital and temporal lobes, left temporal lobe, right parietal lobe, and both parts of the posterior cerebellum.

Conclusion:  Increasing the donepezil dosage from 5 mg/day to 10 mg/day is effective for the treatment of AD.
Does Ricardian Equivalence Hold When Expectations Are Not Rational?
Authors: EVANS GEORGE W. , HONKAPOHJA SEPPO , MITRA KAUSHIK
Published: September 2012

This paper considers the Ricardian Equivalence proposition when expectations are not rational and are instead formed using adaptive learning rules. We show that Ricardian Equivalence continues to hold provided suitable additional conditions on learning dynamics are satisfied. However, new cases of failure can also emerge under learning. In particular, for Ricardian Equivalence to obtain, agents’ expectations must not depend on government’s financial variables under deficit financing.
How Do Nominal and Real Rigidities Interact? A Tale of the Second Best
Authors: DUVAL ROMAIN , VOGEL LUKAS
Published: September 2012

This paper analyzes the importance of real wage rigidities, in particular through their interaction with price stickiness, in a New Keynesian model. Real wage rigidities result from a combination of staggered wage setting and partial indexation of nonreset wages to past inflation. Blanchard and Galí (2007) show real rigidities to introduce a trade‐off between stabilizing inflation and the welfare‐relevant output gap. The present paper complements their findings by showing that the welfare costs of real rigidities can be substantial compared to nominal frictions. In a typical “tale of the second best,” we also show that in the presence of real wage rigidities, higher price stickiness can be welfare enhancing.
Job Stress and Dyadic Synchrony in Police Marriages: A Preliminary Investigation
Authors: Roberts Nicole A. , Leonard Rachel C. , Butler Emily A. , Levenson Robert W. , Kanter Jonathan W.
Published: September 2012

Despite reports documenting adverse effects of stress on police marriages, few empirical studies focus on actual emotional behaviors of officers and spouses. In this preliminary investigation, 17 male police officers and their nonpolice wives completed daily stress diaries for 1 week and then participated in a laboratory‐based discussion about their respective days. Conversations were video‐recorded and coded for specific emotional behaviors reflectinghostilityandaffection,which are strong predictors of marital outcomes. We examined associations between officers' job stress (per diaries and the Police Stress Survey) and couples' emotional behavior (mean levels and behavioral synchrony) using a dyadic repeated measures design capitalizing on the large number of observations available for each couple (1020 observations). When officers reported more job stress, they showed less hostility, less synchrony with their wives' hostility, and more synchrony with their wives' affection; their wives showed greater synchrony with officers' hostility and less synchrony with officers' affection. Therefore, for officers, greater job stress was associated with less behavioral negativity, potentially less attunement to wives' negativity, but potentiallygreaterattunement to wives' affection—perhaps a compensatory strategy or attempt to buffer their marriage from stress. These attempts may be less effective, however, if, as our synchrony findings may suggest, wives are focusing on officers' hostility rather than affection. Although it will be important to replicate these results given the small sample, our findings reveal that patterns of behavioral synchrony may be a key means to better understand how job stress exacts a toll on police marriages.
The Development of Family Alliance From Pregnancy to Toddlerhood and Child Outcomes at 5 Years
Authors: Favez Nicolas , Lopes Francesco , Bernard Mathieu , Frascarolo France , Lavanchy Scaiola Chloe , Corboz‐Warnery Antoinette , Fivaz‐Depeursinge Elisabeth
Published: September 2012

This article presents a longitudinal study of the development of “family alliance” from pregnancy to toddlerhood in a community sample, as well as its links with the emotional and cognitive development of the child at age 5 years. Family alliance is defined as the quality of the interactive coordination between family members. We consider that the alliance constitutes a context for the child to learn emotion regulation and to develop an understanding of inner states. Family interactions (N = 38) were observed at the 5th month of pregnancy and at 3, 9, and 18 months after birth in a standardized situation of observation (Lausanne Trilogue Play). Marital satisfaction and child temperament were assessed through self‐reported questionnaires. Several outcomes of the child at age 5 years were measured: theory of mind performances, predominant emotional themes in pretend play, internalized and externalized symptoms. Results show that (a) three patterns of evolution of family alliance occur: “high stable” (n = 19), “high to low” (n = 10), and “low stable” (n = 9); (b) a high stable alliance is predictive of better outcomes in children at age 5 years, especially regarding theory of mind; (c) the temperament of the child is predictive of child outcomes; and (d) an interaction effect occurs between family alliance and temperament. These results highlight the importance of both family‐level and individual‐level variables for understanding individual differences in the social and cognitive development of children.