bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Electron spin resonance studies of anisotropy in semiconducting polymeric films
Authors: Breiby Dag W. , Sato Shuichi , Samuelsen Emil J. , Mizoguchi Kenji
Published: October 2003

X‐band electron spin resonance was employed to study the structural anisotropy in several polythiophene derivatives. Because of the dominating homogeneous width, the obtained absorption spectra were Lorentzian‐shaped. Information about the structural anisotropy was obtained from the position and width of the absorption peak. Qualitatively, the anisotropy was in full agreement with earlier results from X‐ray diffraction, including a flip in molecular orientation with respect to the film substrate between solution‐cast and spin‐cast films. With the Monte Carlo technique, the spectra were fitted with a biaxial g tensor, an anisotropy parameter S, and an intrinsic width σ. The simulations showed that g could be treated as pseudo‐uniaxial, with the unique axis along the side chains rather than along the ring normal. Closed‐form analytical expressions relating g to the anisotropy were obtained and used for a quantitative assessment of the molecular anisotropy. Because the molecular g tensor for these materials was not known, a known value of S for one of the samples obtained by X‐ray diffraction was used for normalization. Fairly consistent values were obtained for both g and S. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 3011–3025, 2003
Self‐assembled supramolecular microgels: Fractal structure and aggregation mechanism
Authors: Gu Zhenyu , Patterson Gary , Cao Rong , Armitage Bruce
Published: October 2003

Multifunctional molecules were designed to produce microgels with specific structures. Both static light scattering and dynamic light scattering were employed to determine the fractal dimension of the microgels. The protein, avidin, was strongly bound to four biotin moieties. Biotin was attached covalently to specifically engineered peptide nucleic acid (PNA) oligomers. Three designed DNA oligomers self‐assembled to produce a trifunctional three‐way junction (TWJ) with single‐stranded ends that were complementary to the PNA sequence. The sizes of the supramolecular aggregates were characterized by dynamic light scattering. The fractal dimension was obtained from the angular dependence of the scattered intensity when the microgels were large enough. When the microgels were formed via cooling from a temperature above the melting point of the PNA–DNA helices, reversible structures with a fractal dimension of approximately 1.86 were formed, which is consistent with a cluster–cluster aggregation mechanism. When the microgels were formed by the slow addition of biotinylated PNA bound to the TWJ to a solution of avidin at room temperature, the observed fractal dimension approached 2.6, which is consistent with a point–cluster aggregation mechanism. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 3037–3046, 2003
Electric, dielectric, and dynamic mechanical behavior of carbon black/styrene‐butadiene‐styrene composites
Authors: Leyva María Elena , Barra Guilherme M. O. , Moreira Ana C. F. , Soares Bluma G. , Khastgir Dipak
Published: October 2003

The conductivity of styrene‐butadiene‐styrene block copolymers containing different amounts of extraconductive carbon black (CB) was investigated as a function of the mold temperature. The composites exhibited reduced percolation thresholds (between 1.0 and 2.0 vol % CB). The dynamic mechanical analysis characterization revealed that the glass‐rubber‐transition temperatures of both segments were not affected by the CB addition, although the damping of the polybutadiene phase displayed a progressive drop with an increase in the CB concentration. The normalized curves of tan δ/tan δmax (where tan δ represents the value of the loss tangent at any measurement temperature and tan δmax represents the loss tangent peak value at the corresponding temperature Tmax) versus T/Tmax (where T is the temperature and Tmax is the maximum temperature), corresponding to both polystyrene and polybutadiene phases as well as the activation energy related to the glass‐rubber‐transition process, did not present any significant change with the addition of CB. The dielectric analysis revealed the presence of two relaxation peaks in the composite containing 1.5 vol % CB, the magnitude of which was strongly influenced by the frequency, being attributed to interfacial Maxwell‐Wagner‐Sillars relaxations caused by the presence of different interfaces in the composite. The mechanical properties were not affected by the presence of CB at concentrations of up to 2.5 vol %. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 2983–2997, 2003
Interactions of glucose and polyacrylamide in solutions and gels
Authors: Livney Yoav D. , Portnaya Irina , Faupin Benjamin , Fahoum Lulu , Ramon Ory , Cohen Yachin , Mizrahi Shimon , Cogan Uri
Published: October 2003

The swelling of polyacrylamide (PAAm) gels increased with rising glucose concentrations, and so did the osmotic pressure of the soluble polymer and its intrinsic viscosity. A Flory–Huggins‐based model for the osmotic pressure of a nonionic hydrophilic polymer in a ternary solution consisting of a main solvent, a polymer, and a nondissociating low‐molecular‐weight cosolute was developed and examined. The model‐calculated values were in reasonably good agreement with experimental results for the water–PAAm–glucose system studied when PAAm–water and glucose–water interaction coefficients from the binary systems were used, and only the PAAm–glucose interaction coefficient was adjusted. Its negative value suggested a favorable interaction of glucose and PAAm, supporting the notion of glucose being a good cosolvent for PAAm. Isothermal titration microcalorimetry results showed no evidence for the binding of glucose to PAAm, but an exothermic interaction was indicated between glucose and PAAm. Microcalorimetrically determined enthalpic contributions to the Flory–Huggins interaction coefficients showed enthalpically favorable binary interactions, particularly the enthalpic component of the PAAm–glucose interaction coefficient (χH23), which was slightly negative. The enthalpically favorable interaction between glucose and PAAm may explain the increased osmotic pressure of PAAm in glucose solutions. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 3053–3063, 2003
Where are the prostate cancer genes?—A summary of eight genome wide searches
Authors: Easton Douglas F. , Schaid Daniel J. , Whittemore Alice S. , Isaacs William J.
Published: October 2003

BACKGROUND

There is strong evidence for genetic susceptibility to prostate cancer, but most of the genes underlying this susceptibility remain to be identified.

METHODS

We reviewed the results of eight genome‐wide linkage searches based on 1,293 families with multiple cases of prostate cancer.

RESULTS

Across these studies, 11 linkage peaks with LOD scores in excess of 2 were identified. However, no chromosomal region was reported as significant at this level by more than one study and only one corresponded to a peak previously suggested by another group.

CONCLUSIONS

These results indicate that prostate cancer is genetically complex, and that combined analyses of large family sets will be required to evaluate reliably the linkage evidence. Prostate 57: 261–269, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Genome‐wide scan for linkage in finnish hereditary prostate cancer (HPC) families identifies novel susceptibility loci at 11q14 and 3p25‐26
Authors: Schleutker Johanna , Baffoe‐Bonnie Agnes B. , Gillanders Elizabeth , Kainu Tommi , Jones Mary‐Pat , Freas‐Lutz Diana , Markey Carol , Gildea Derek , Riedesel Erica , Albertus Julie , Gibbs Kenneth D. , Matikainen Mika , Koivisto Pasi A. , Tammela Teuvo , Bailey‐Wilson Joan E. , Trent Jeffrey M. , Kallioniemi Olli‐P.
Published: October 2003

BACKGROUND

In order to identify predisposition loci to hereditary prostate cancer (HPC), we performed a genome‐wide linkage analysis using samples from a genetically homogeneous population, with 13 Finnish multiplex prostate cancer families.

METHODS

Altogether 87 DNA samples were genotyped from 13 families. Logarithm‐of‐odds (LOD) scores were calculated for all autosomes using FASTLINK and GENEHUNTER designating all unaffected men and all women as unknown.

RESULTS

The highest LOD scores in the affected‐only analyses were found at 11q14, where the two‐point LOD score was 2.97 (θ = 0.0 at D11S901), GENEHUNTER heterogeneity LOD (HLOD) of 3.36, and a non‐parametric‐linkage (NPL) score of 2.67 (P = 0.008). A second positive site was at 3p25‐26, with a two‐point LOD score of 2.57 (θ = 0.01 at D3S1297), HLOD of 2.15, and NPL score of 2.27 (P = 0.02).

CONCLUSIONS

The results suggest two HPC regions in the Finnish population, which have not been reported previously and warrant further study. Prostate 57: 280–289, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Genome‐wide scan of Swedish families with hereditary prostate cancer: Suggestive evidence of linkage at 5q11.2 and 19p13.3
Authors: Wiklund Fredrik , Gillanders Elizabeth M. , Albertus Julie A. , Bergh Anders , Damber Jan‐Erik , Emanuelsson Monica , Freas‐Lutz Diana L. , Gildea Derek E. , Göransson Ingela , Jones MaryPat S. , Jonsson Björn‐Anders , Lindmark Fredrik , Markey Carol J. , Riedesel Erica L. , Stenman Elisabeth , Trent Jeffry M. , Grönberg Henrik
Published: October 2003

BACKGROUND

Prostate cancer (CaP) is a common disorder with multiple genetic and environmental factors contributing to the disease. CaP susceptibility loci can be identified through genome‐wide scans of high‐risk families.

METHODS

Allele sharing at 405 markers, distributed across the genome, among 50 families with hereditary prostate cancer, ascertained throughout Sweden, was evaluated through linkage analyses. Genotype data were analyzed utilizing multipoint parametric and non‐parametric methods.

RESULTS

Two regions provided suggestive evidence for linkage: 19p13.3 (marker D19S209, LOD = 2.91, P = 0.0001) and 5q11.2 (marker D5S407, LOD = 2.24, P = 0.0007). Additional regions with moderate evidence for linkage in the complete set of families, or stratified subsets, were observed on chromosome 1, 4, 6, 7, 8, and X.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results provide strong confirmatory evidence of linkage at 19q13.3 and 5q11.2. The lack of confirmation of linkage at several loci identified in other genome‐wide scans emphasizes the need to combine linkage data between research groups. Prostate 57: 290–297, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Genome‐wide scan of brothers: Replication and fine mapping of prostate cancer susceptibility and aggressiveness loci
Authors: Witte John S. , Suarez Brian K. , Thiel Bonnie , Lin Jennifer , Yu Adong , Banerjee Tarit K. , Burmester James K. , Casey Graham , Catalona William J.
Published: October 2003

BACKGROUND

Substantial evidence suggests that genetic factors play an important role in both the risk of prostate cancer and its biologic aggressiveness. Here we investigate prostate cancer susceptibility and aggressiveness with genome‐wide linkage analyses of affected brothers.

METHODS

We first undertook a new genome‐wide linkage study of 259 brothers with prostate cancer. Our analyses tested whether the proportion of marker alleles shared by brothers was correlated with disease status or Gleason score. To further clarify 11 linkage regions observed here or previously, we genotyped and analyzed an additional 101 finely spaced markers in the 259 men, and in 594 previously studied brothers, allowing for a pooled genome‐wide analysis of 853 affected brothers.

RESULTS

In the new study, we detected linkage to prostate cancer on chromosome 16q23 (P = 0.009), replicating previous results, and to chromosome 11q24 (P = 0.001). In the pooled analysis, the 16q23 linkage was strengthened (P = 0.0005), as was our previous linkage to chromosome 16p (P = 0.0001), and we detected linkage to chromosome 2q32 (P = 0.009). When evaluating Gleason score, our new study detected linkage to chromosome 7q32 (P = 0.0009), again replicating previous results, and to chromosomes 5p15 (P = 0.003), 9q34 (P = 0.009), 10q26 (P = 0.03), and 18p11 (P = 0.02). In the pooled analysis of Gleason score, we observed stronger linkage to chromosome 7q32 (P = 0.0002), but slightly weaker linkage to chromosomes 5q33 (P = 0.005) and 19q13 (P = 0.009) than previously reported. In addition, the new linkages to chromosomes 10q26 and 18p11 were strengthened (P = 0.0002 and P = 0.002, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Our results provide compelling evidence for loci harboring prostate cancer susceptibility and tumor aggressiveness genes, especially on chromosomes 16q23 and 7q32. Prostate 57: 298–308, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Genomic scan of 254 hereditary prostate cancer families
Authors: Janer Marta , Friedrichsen Danielle M. , Stanford Janet L. , Badzioch Michael D. , Kolb Suzanne , Deutsch Kerry , Peters Mette A. , Goode Ellen L. , Welti Russ , DeFrance Hawkins B. , Iwasaki Lori , Li Sarah , Hood Leroy , Ostrander Elaine A. , Jarvik Gail P.
Published: October 2003

Hereditary prostate cancer (HPC) is a genetically heterogeneous disease, complicating efforts to map and clone susceptibility loci. We have used stratification of a large dataset of 254 HPC families in an effort to improve power to detect HPC loci and to understand what types of family features may improve locus identification. The strongest result is that of a dominant locus at 6p22.3 (heterogeneity LOD (HLOD) = 2.51), the evidence for which is increased by consideration of the age of PC onset (HLOD = 3.43 in 214 families with median age‐of‐onset 56–72 years) and co‐occurrence of primary brain cancer (HLOD = 2.34 in 21 families) in the families. Additional regions for which we observe modest evidence for linkage include chromosome 7q and 17p. Only weak evidence of several previously implicated HPC regions is detected. These analyses support the existence of multiple HPC loci, whose presence may be best identified by analyses of large, including pooled, datasets which consider locus heterogeneity. Prostate 57: 308–319, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Genome‐wide scan for prostate cancer susceptibility genes in the Johns Hopkins hereditary prostate cancer families
Authors: Xu Jianfeng , Gillanders Elizabeth M. , Isaacs Sarah D. , Chang Bao‐li , Wiley Kathy E. , Zheng S. Lilly , Jones MaryPat , Gildea Derek , Riedesel Erica , Albertus Julie , Freas‐Lutz Diana , Markey Carol , Meyers Deborah A. , Walsh Patrick C. , Trent Jeffrey M. , Isaacs William B.
Published: October 2003

BACKGROUND

Although the subject of intensive study, the genetic influences responsible for familial clustering of prostate cancer remain largely unidentified. Genome‐wide scans for linkage in prostate cancer families can be used to systematically search for genes capable of affecting risk for the disease.

METHODS

All available family members from 188 families, each having at least three first‐degree relatives affected with prostate cancer, were genotyped at 406 markers distributed across the genome at average intervals of less than 10 cM. Genotype data was analyzed using primarily a non‐parametric, multipoint approach, although parametric analyses were performed as well.

RESULTS

The strongest evidence for linkage was observed at D4S1615, at 4q21 (LOD of 2.8, P = 0.0002). Two other regions had LOD scores over 2.0: at 9q34 (marker D9S1826, LOD = 2.17, P = 0.0008) and at 2q23 (marker D2S151, LOD = 2.03, P = 0.001). An additional 12 regions had LOD scores over 1.0, including markers at 1q24‐25 and 7q22 having scores >1.6. Stratifying the linkage results by age of diagnosis indicated that the linkages to chromosomes 2 and 4 were strongest in families with early and late ages of diagnosis, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data implicate several new loci as harboring prostate cancer susceptibility genes, and provide confirmatory evidence of linkage at several loci identified previously in other genome‐wide scans, including the three regions (4q21, 9q34, and 2q23) with strongest evidence for prostate cancer linkage. These data also emphasize the need to combine linkage data from large numbers of prostate cancer families in efforts to effectively address the extensive heterogeneity that characterizes genetic aspects of this disease. Prostate 57: 320–325, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Genome linkage screen for prostate cancer susceptibility loci: Results from the Mayo Clinic familial prostate cancer study
Authors: Cunningham Julie M. , McDonnell Shannon K. , Marks Angela , Hebbring Scott , Anderson Sarah A. , Peterson Brett J. , Slager Susan , French Amy , Blute Michael L. , Schaid Daniel J. , Thibodeau Stephen N.
Published: October 2003

Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers among men and has long been recognized to occur in familial clusters. Brothers and sons of affected men have a twofold to threefold increased risk of developing prostate cancer. However, identification of genetic susceptibility loci for prostate cancer has been extremely difficult. Several putative loci identified by genetic linkage have been reported to exist on chromosomes 1 (HPC1, PCAP, and CAPB), X (HPCX), 17 (HPC2), and 20 (HPC20), with genes RNASEL (HPC1) and ELAC2 (HPC2) tentatively defined. In this study, we report our genome linkage scan in 160 prostate cancer families, using the ABI Prism Linkage Mapping Set Version 2 with 402 microsatellite markers. The most significant linkage was found for chromosome 20, with a recessive model heterogeneity LOD score (HLOD) of 4.77, and a model‐free LOD score (LOD − ZLR) of 3.46 for the entire group of pedigrees. Linkage for chromosome 20 was most prominent among families with a late age of diagnosis (average age at diagnosis ≥ 66 years; maximum LOD − ZLR = 2.82), with <5 affected family members (LOD − ZLR = 3.02), with presence of hereditary prostate cancer (LOD − ZLR = 2.81), or with no male‐to‐male transmission of disease (LOD − ZLR = 3.84). No other chromosome showed significant evidence for linkage. However, chromosomes 6 and X showed suggestive results, with maximum LOD − ZLR values of 1.38 and 1.36, respectively. Subset analyses suggest additional chromosomal regions worth further follow‐up. Prostate 57: 335–346, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Defining regulatory elements in the human KAI1 (CD 82) metastasis suppressor gene
Authors: Gao Allen C. , Lou Wei , Dong Jin‐Tang , Barrett J. Carl , Danielpour David , Isaacs John T.
Published: October 2003

The human KAI1 metastasis suppressor gene encodes for a 267 amino acid plasma membrane glycoprotein, which has four transmembrane domains and one large and one small extracellular domain. Plasma membrane expression of KAI1 is downregulated during the progression of several cancers to a metastatic state, including prostate, lung, and pancreatic cancers. To elucidate the mechanisms for this downregulation, an understanding of its transcriptional regulation is critical. Therefore, a set of luciferase reporter gene plasmid constructs were generated containing various 5′ flanking regions to the transcription initiation site, with or without the first exon and a portion of the first intron of the KAI1 gene. These constructs were transfected into a series of normal and malignant prostate cell lines as well as fibroblasts and the resultant luciferase activities used to define the regulatory elements for expression of the KAI1 gene. Using this approach, the minimal KAI1 promoter was found to be 0.5 kb in size and contains two regions. The first region includes the 197 bp 5′ to the transcription initiation site and the second region includes the first exon and a portion of first intron (i.e., +1 to +351 bp). This combined region result in positively regulated strong, but not epithelial specific, luciferase expression. In addition to this minimal promoter element from −197 to +351 bp, there is a second regulatory element further upstream (i.e., −735 to −197 bp), which negatively regulates luciferase expression. Additional studies of Marreiros et al. (Gene 302:155, 2003) have documented that a third regulatory element even further 5′ (i.e., −922 to −846 bp) encodes an enhancer for the KAI1 gene. Prostate 57: 256–260, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Estimation of kinetic parameters in graphical analysis of PET imaging data
Authors: Ogden R. Todd
Published: October 2003

Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging is a useful tool for quantifying various aspects of the distribution of neuroreceptors throughout the human brain in vivo. A typical analysis consists of applying a pharmacokinetic model to the data, estimating the parameters of the model using non‐linear least squares methods, then taking the appropriate function of estimated model parameters as a final estimate of the parameter(s) of interest. As an alternative for fitting these models, it has been shown previously that taking a particular transformation of the data results in two variables that have a linear relationship, and that the slope of this linear relationship is the parameter of primary interest. However, estimating the slope using ordinary least squares (OLS) regression results in a large negative bias. By rearranging the terms in the relationship, the problem may be reformed to allow direct application of standard estimation principles. Estimators resulting from this approach are shown via simulation to have better estimation properties as compared to the OLS estimators. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Measuring explained variation in linear mixed effects models
Authors: Xu Ronghui
Published: October 2003

We generalize the well‐knownR2measure for linear regression to linear mixed effects models. Our work was motivated by a cluster‐randomized study conducted by the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group, to compare two different versions of informed consent document. We quantify the variation in the response that is explained by the covariates under the linear mixed model, and study three types of measures to estimate such quantities. The first type of measures make direct use of the estimated variances; the second type of measures use residual sums of squares in analogy to the linear regression; the third type of measures are based on the Kullback–Leibler information gain. All the measures can be easily obtained from software programs that fit linear mixed models. We study the performance of the measures through Monte Carlo simulations, and illustrate the usefulness of the measures on data sets. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The roles of birth inputs and outputs in predicting health, behaviour and test scores in early childhood
Authors: Li Kai , Poirier Dale J.
Published: October 2003

The goal of this study is to address directly the predictive value of birth inputs and outputs, particularly birth weight, for measures of early childhood development in a simultaneous equations modelling framework. Strikingly, birth outputs have virtually no structural/causal effects on early childhood developmental outcomes, and only maternal smoking and drinking during pregnancy have some effects on child height. Not surprisingly, family child‐rearing environment has sizeable negative and positive effects on a behavioural problems index and a mathematics/reading test score, respectively, and a mildly surprising negative effect on child height. Despite little evidence of a structural/causal effect of birth weight on early childhood developmental outcomes, our results demonstrate that birth weight nonetheless has strong predictive effects on early childhood outcomes. Furthermore, these effects are largely invariant to whether family child‐rearing environment is taken into account. Family child‐rearing environment has both structural and predictive effects on early childhood outcomes, but they are largely orthogonal and in addition to the effects of birth weight. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Nestedness of beliefs: Examining a prospective elementary teacher's belief system about science teaching and learning
Authors: Bryan Lynn A.
Published: October 2003

This study, conducted from a constructivist perspective, examined the belief system of a prospective elementary teacher (Barbara) about science teaching and learning as she developed professional knowledge within the context of reflective science teacher education. From an analysis of interviews, observation, and written documents, I constructed a profile of Barbara's beliefs that consisted of three foundational and three dualistic beliefs. Her foundational beliefs concerned (a) the value of science and science teaching, (b) the nature of scientific concepts and goals of science instruction, and (c) control in the science classroom. Barbara held dualistic beliefs about (a) how children learn science, (b) the science students' role, and (c) the science teacher's role. Her dualistic beliefs formed two contradictory nests of beliefs. One nest, grounded in lifelong science learner experiences, reflected a didactic teaching orientation and predominantly guided her practice. The second nest, not well grounded in experience, embraced a hands‐on approach and predominantly guided her vision of practice. The findings accentuate the complexity and nestedness of teachers' belief systems and underscore the significance of identifying prospective teachers' beliefs, espoused and enacted, for designing teacher preparation programs. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 40: 835–868, 2003
Emergence, flexibility, and stabilization of language in a physics classroom
Authors: Roth Wolff‐Michael , Duit Reinders
Published: October 2003

Learning physics is a complex phenomenon. In this article, we use concepts from the theory of nonlinear systems to study the development of language in classroom science in an experimental unit on chaos theory in a German 10th‐grade physics classroom. In ongoing activity, the explanations students developed for phenomena emerged through interactive stabilization and material constraints on the interpretive flexibility of material (artifacts) and discursive representations (talk). Interpretive flexibility both enables novel understandings and differences between private and common public use of these representations. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 40: 869–897, 2003
Supporting inquiry learning by promoting normative understanding of multivariable causality
Authors: Keselman Alla
Published: October 2003

Early adolescents may lack the cognitive and metacognitive skills necessary for effective inquiry learning. In particular, they are likely to have a nonnormative mental model of multivariable causality in which effects of individual variables are neither additive nor consistent. Described here is a software‐based intervention designed to facilitate students' metalevel and performance‐level inquiry skills by enhancing their understanding of multivariable causality. Relative to an exploration‐only group, sixth graders who practiced predicting an outcome (earthquake risk) based on multiple factors demonstrated increased attention to evidence, improved metalevel appreciation of effective strategies, and a trend toward consistent use of a controlled comparison strategy. Sixth graders who also received explicit instruction in making predictions based on multiple factors showed additional improvement in their ability to compare multiple instances as a basis for inferences and constructed the most accurate knowledge of the system. Gains were maintained in transfer tasks. The cognitive skills and metalevel understanding examined here are essential to inquiry learning. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 40: 898–921, 2003
Integrating pharmacology topics in high school biology and chemistry classes improves performance
Authors: Schwartz‐Bloom Rochelle D. , Halpin Myra J.
Published: October 2003

Although numerous programs have been developed for Grade Kindergarten through 12 science education, evaluation has been difficult owing to the inherent problems conducting controlled experiments in the typical classroom. Using a rigorous experimental design, we developed and tested a novel program containing a series of pharmacology modules (e.g., drug abuse) to help high school students learn basic principles in biology and chemistry. High school biology and chemistry teachers were recruited for the study and they attended a 1‐week workshop to learn how to integrate pharmacology into their teaching. Working with university pharmacology faculty, they also developed classroom activities. The following year, teachers field‐tested the pharmacology modules in their classrooms. Students in classrooms using the pharmacology topics scored significantly higher on a multiple choice test of basic biology and chemistry concepts compared with controls. Very large effect sizes (up to 1.27 standard deviations) were obtained when teachers used as many as four modules. In addition, biology students increased performance on chemistry questions and chemistry students increased performance on biology questions. Substantial gains in achievement may be made when high school students are taught science using topics that are interesting and relevant to their own lives. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 40: 922–938, 2003
The Motivations of Domiciliary Care Providers in England: New Concepts, New Findings
Authors: KENDALL JEREMY , MATOšEVIC TIHANA , FORDER JULIEN , KNAPP MARTIN , HARDY BRIAN , WARE PATRICIA
Published: October 2003

The independent sector domiciliary care market has always been an integral part of the social care system in England, but has become especially important in recent years. Its smooth running is crucial for the delivery of an effective community care policy. This paper argues that the motivations of these providers is an important aspect of this system's functioning, and derives a typology which captures the most important ingredients which theory and practice suggest should be taken into account in this regard. Four provider types are identified; they can be labelled satisfied team players; demoralised isolates; ambivalence-experiencing go-getters; and ambivalence-experiencing quiet lifers. The categories reflect both the balance of intrinsic and extrinsic motivations, and these providers' situational contexts, including the nature of the relationships developed with local authority purchasers. The latter exert exceptional power and influence in social care markets in England.
Key Parameters in Policy Design: The Case of Intrinsic Motivation
Authors: JONES PHILIP , CULLIS JOHN
Published: October 2003

An important consideration when designing social policy is the expected response of individuals to new taxes and expenditures. Response is predictable when individuals are assumed to optimise instrumentally. However, the extent to which instrumental behaviour can be deemed ‘representative’ has been questioned. Behavioural experiments reveal that individuals rely more heavily on low-cost signals and heuristics than on an optimising calculus. When costs and benefits are not easy to discern the consequences of action are difficult to estimate and perceptions of the intrinsic value of action assume greater relevance. Such considerations are particularly apposite when social policy affects altruism. In this paper the proposition is that policy signals impact on motivation systematically. Policy can have a greater (or lesser) impact than anticipated by instrumental response to the sum of its parts. Two examples prove illustrative. The first considers institutional reform and the supply of ‘merit wants’. The second focuses on recent proposals to nurture the voluntary charitable sector. In both cases, policy expectations based only on instrumental response prove misleading; the impact of policy signals on perceptions of the intrinsic value of action cannot be ignored.
The Politics of Policy Resistance: Reconstructing Higher Education in Kosovo
Authors: Bache Ian , Taylor Andrew
Published: October 2003

This article considers attempts to incorporate lessons and transfer policies from Britain in the reconstruction of Higher Education in Kosovo after 1999. In doing so, it employs aspects of the lesson-drawing framework developed by Rose (1991 and 2001) and the related concepts of policy transfer and policy diffusion. Drawing on contributions from anthropology and democratization studies, we suggest development of the public policy frameworks for lesson drawing and policy transfer in circumstances characterised by asymmetric interdependence, in which the tactics and strategies of policy resistance by ‘subordinate’ recipient actors can be crucial. This article details the nature of policy resistance and sets out hypotheses for future research.
Do Political Factors Matter for Health Care Expenditure? A Comparative Study of Swiss Cantons
Authors: Vatter Adrian , Rüefli Christian
Published: October 2003

This study presents an empirical investigation of differences in health care expenditure between the 26 federal entities of Switzerland in the 1990s. So far, demand and supply-related factors have dominated the debate, while political determinants have largely been neglected. Here, they will be assessed together with the usual indicators on the basis of a cross-sectional analysis of both public and private health care spending. It will be shown that no approach represents the whole truth, but each one a grain of it. Demand for health care is clearly a function of socio-economic factors. On the supply side, it is mainly the number of practitioners and the overall level of provision that drive costs. Finally, from the political factors, general state interventionism is decisive – though only so far as public spending is concerned.
Pathways to early retirement: structure and agency in decision-making among British civil servants
Authors: HIGGS PAUL , MEIN GILL , FERRIE JANE , HYDE MARTIN , NAZROO JAMES
Published: October 2003

The context of this paper is the changing nature of later life in the United Kingdom. It examines some of the broader issues of early retirement. While there has been considerable debate about the restructuring of employment during the latter part of the 20th century which led to a shake-out of older workers from the labour force, less attention has been given to those who take voluntary early retirement. Given the importance of early retirement to the economy and to social policy, it is important to find out how individuals make retirement decisions. The paper examines the results of a semi-structured interview study of the decisions made by a purposively drawn sample of British civil servants who are participants in the Whitehall II study. The sample included participants who chose early retirement and those who did not. From the interview data, ideal types of possible routes into retirement have been constructed. Illustrating these ideal types, individual life histories are drawn upon to show how responses to the issues surrounding retirement feature in people's lives. It is argued that decisions about early retirement are not made in a vacuum, neither are they free from pressures or inducements. Some are to do with organisational restructuring, some are about financial offers, and some are influenced by the opportunities for leisure and self-fulfilment that early retirement offers. The paper concludes by arguing that early retirement needs to be studied as a process involving the interplay between structure and agency.
Social gerontology in France: historical trends and recent developments
Authors: OGG JIM , GORGEON CATHERINE
Published: October 2003

Social gerontology, as a distinct discipline, has been slower to develop in France than in Anglo-Saxon countries. Gerontological discourses have been dominated by the medical and physical sciences. At the same time, France has a long tradition of research on ageing that incorporates important social dimensions, particularly in demographic and economic fields. Current developments include research on pensions and related issues such as early-retirement or older people in the labour force; inter-generational relations or family solidarity; disabled elderly people and caring; and ageing among ethnic minority populations. These developments point in the direction of co-ordinated, multi-disciplinary approaches to the life course and ageing in the future.
Vegetation greenness impacts on maximum and minimum temperatures in northeast Colorado
Authors: Hanamean J R , Pielke R A , Castro C L , Ojima D S , Reed B C , Gao Z
Published: October 2003

The impact of vegetation on the microclimate has not been adequately considered in the analysis of temperature forecasting and modelling. To fill part of this gap, the following study was undertaken.

A daily 850–700 mb layer mean temperature, computed from the National Center for Environmental Prediction‐National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP‐NCAR) reanalysis, and satellite‐derived greenness values, as defined by NDVI (Normalised Difference Vegetation Index), were correlated with surface maximum and minimum temperatures at six sites in northeast Colorado for the years 1989–98. The NDVI values, representing landscape greenness, act as a proxy for latent heat partitioning via transpiration. These sites encompass a wide array of environments, from irrigated‐urban to short‐grass prairie. The explained variance (r2 value) of surface maximum and minimum temperature by only the 850–700 mb layer mean temperature was subtracted from the corresponding explained variance by the 850–700 mb layer mean temperature and NDVI values. The subtraction shows that by including NDVI values in the analysis, the r2 values, and thus the degree of explanation of the surface temperatures, increase by a mean of 6% for the maxima and 8% for the minima over the period March–October. At most sites, there is a seasonal dependence in the explained variance of the maximum temperatures because of the seasonal cycle of plant growth and senescence. Between individual sites, the highest increase in explained variance occurred at the site with the least amount of anthropogenic influence. This work suggests the vegetation state needs to be included as a factor in surface temperature forecasting, numerical modeling, and climate change assessments. Copyright © 2003 Royal Meteorological Society
The use of a cloud resolving model in the development and evaluation of a probabilistic forecasting algorithm for convective gusts
Authors: Gray M E B
Published: October 2003

A Cloud Resolving Model (CRM) is used to simulate the showery convective activity that occurred over the United Kingdom on 13 April 1999, which was notable for observations of strong gusts. Simulations based on radiosonde profiles from both Herstmonceux and Hemsby are shown to give good agreement with available observations for this case. In particular, there is good agreement with the observed cloud top heights, precipitation amount and type, and strength of convective gusts. An algorithm to predict the maximum convective gust strength is shown to be consistent with values measured from the model. Further analysis of the model gust strengths shows that they could be approximated to a Gaussian distribution and that the mean and standard deviation of the Gaussian can be related to the maximum gust strength and the mean wind. A simple algorithm for predicting the probability distribution of the gust strengths measured in the model gives reasonable qualitative agreement with the measured probabilities and it is suggested that this demonstrates the utility of the CRM in developing and evaluating probabilistic forecasting tools for convective weather. Copyright © 2003 Royal Meteorological Society
Forcing, instability and equivalent potential vorticity in a Midwest USA convective snowstorm
Authors: Halcomb Christopher E , Market Patrick S
Published: October 2003

This paper investigates a case of convective snow that was observed with an occluded‐type cyclone. Cross‐section and plan‐view analyses show that convection resulted from the release of elevated, potential instability by isentropic uplift associated with an easterly trowal airstream (a western extension of the warm conveyor belt) located between 700 and 850 hPa. Forcing for ascent was supplied by low‐level frontogenesis, as well as an intensifying 500hPa tropopause fold and its associated potential vorticity anomaly. The latter not only provided a source of very cold, dense air, but also was responsible for lower tropospheric cyclogenesis and subsequent trowal generation. Copyright © 2003 Royal Meteorological Society
System and chaos in English spelling: the case of the voiceless palato-alveolar fricative
Authors: ROLLINGS ANDREW
Published: October 2003

This article explores the orthographic labyrinth surrounding the phoneme often spelt , and looks for a path or network of paths through it. The aim is to offer a microcosm of what is still lacking in the literature, namely a highly detailed and explanatory account of all spellings of all phonemes, in which the various factors that have affected spellings (and more interestingly their relationships with spoken forms) are granted their importance. The purpose of such a full account would be to facilitate better understanding of how the orthography functions, which should in turn be of interest to linguists and teachers.

In accounting for the orthographic complexities concerning /∫/, reference is made to phonological matters such as palatalization and underlying forms, and also to general ones such as position in word, following phonemes and language of origin of loanwords. Rules are given, using formulaic notation, and exceptional spellings are listed and commented on.
Estimating breeding population size of the red‐crested pochard (Netta rufina) in the Camargue (southern France) taking into account detection probability: implications for conservation
Authors: Defos du Rau Pierre , Barbraud Christophe , Mondain‐Monval Jean‐Yves
Published: October 2003

The red‐crested pochard (Netta rufina), a Eurasian diving duck, has seen its numbers declining and has received strong conservation concern. Data on population size and rate of decline are required to establish management plans, none of which is available for this species. Here we present the first population size estimate taking into account detection probability and habitat use in the Camargue, southern France. A non‐random sample of 33 lakes was used to estimate detection probability from point‐counts. Detectability was low, with only 57.5% of individual broods detected. A random sample of 37 lakes was then used to estimate brood densities. Adjusted densities (taking into account detection probability) were 0.1106 broods per ha of reedbed. Adjusted densities were extrapolated to the entire surface area of reedbeds in the Camargue estimated from a GIS to obtain abundance estimates of the brood population. A minimum estimate of 559 breeding pairs was obtained (95% confidence interval: 436–855). This estimate is much higher than previous ones (80–100 pairs for the Camargue, 250 pairs for France), and indicates strong underestimation of the population size when not taking into account detectability. Our results suggest that the red‐crested pochard may require a reassessment of its conservation status for France and Europe. They further suggest that taking detection probability into account in population estimates of other cryptic species, and notably those of conservation concern, may help clarify their conservation status and may even affect the setting of conservation priorities.
Real‐time and retrospective forcing in the North American Land Data Assimilation System (NLDAS) project
Authors: Cosgrove Brian A. , Lohmann Dag , Mitchell Kenneth E. , Houser Paul R. , Wood Eric F. , Schaake John C. , Robock Alan , Marshall Curtis , Sheffield Justin , Duan Qingyun , Luo Lifeng , Higgins R. Wayne , Pinker Rachel T. , Tarpley J. Dan , Meng Jesse
Published: October 2003

The accuracy of forcing data greatly impacts the ability of land surface models (LSMs) to produce realistic simulations of land surface processes. With this in mind, the multi‐institutional North American Land Data Assimilation System (NLDAS) project has produced retrospective (1996–2002) and real‐time (1999–present) data sets to support its LSM modeling activities. Featuring 0.125° spatial resolution, hourly temporal resolution, nine primary forcing fields, and six secondary validation/model development fields, each data set is based on a backbone of Eta Data Assimilation System/Eta data and is supplemented with observation‐based precipitation and radiation data. Hourly observation‐based precipitation data are derived from a combination of daily National Center for Environmental Prediction Climate Prediction Center (CPC) gauge‐based precipitation analyses and hourly National Weather Service Doppler radar‐based (WSR‐88D) precipitation analyses, wherein the hourly radar‐based analyses are used to temporally disaggregate the daily CPC analyses. NLDAS observation‐based shortwave values are derived from Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite radiation data processed at the University of Maryland and at the National Environmental Satellite Data and Information Service. Extensive quality control and validation efforts have been conducted on the NLDAS forcing data sets, and favorable comparisons have taken place with Oklahoma Mesonet, Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program/cloud and radiation test bed, and Surface Radiation observation data. The real‐time forcing data set is constantly evolving to make use of the latest advances in forcing‐related data sets, and all of the real‐time and retrospective data are available online at http://ldas.gsfc.nasa.gov for visualization and downloading in both full and subset forms.
Medium‐frequency radar studies of gravity‐wave seasonal variations over Hawaii (22°N, 160°W)
Authors: Gavrilov Nikolai M. , Riggin Dennis M. , Fritts David C.
Published: October 2003

Using simple numerical filters, estimates of wind variances with period bands of 0.1 to 1 hour and 1 to 5 hours have been derived from data taken with the medium‐frequency radar on the island of Kauai, Hawaii (22°N, 160°W). The observations cover altitudes of 70 to 90 km and extend over the years 1990–2000. The results show seasonal and interannual variations of the wind variances, which can be attributed to atmospheric gravity waves. The mean zonal wind has mainly an annual variation below an altitude of ∼83 km and a semiannual variation above. The gravity waves have maximum intensity at the solstices below ∼83 km, but at higher altitudes the times of the maxima shift to the equinoxes. Numerical simulations suggest this behavior results from the dependence of gravity‐wave generation and propagation on the background wind and temperature.
Climate characteristics of ozone over Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Ye Zhuojia , Xu Yongfu
Published: October 2003

By objectively analyzing the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer data during the period from November 1978 to March 2000 a persistent low of total column ozone (TCO) over the Tibetan Plateau (TOL) is confirmed, with the maximum intensity occurring in May and the minimum intensity occurring in January. Among others, two main reasons for the generation of the TOL are that the plateau is a high geographic surface and it is an elevated heat source associated with thermally forced circulations. The latter seems to play a more important role than the former. The annual oscillations of the TCO over the plateau are closely in phase with but considerably weaker than the plateau's corresponding zonal mean. The interannual trend of the TCO over the plateau is similar to the global mean and very similar to its corresponding zonal mean. These analyses suggest that although a significant and permanent TOL exists, the TCO over the plateau does not show an anomalous behavior with respect to annual and interannual trends.