bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Basics for Building and Maintaining Incentive Plans at Smaller Firms
Authors: Moniz James
Published: July 2010

This article examines the development of a comprehensive executive compensation plan, highlighting the steps necessary to best ensure a successful “ownership mentality” program. It further addresses indicators of an unsuccessful program, the need to periodically reevaluate and modify programs, and how a poor economic climate affects a program.
Plan Administration Sourcing: The Deutsche Post DHL Story
Authors: Jereb Christopher , von Schönfels Constantin , Schmalhofer Andreas , Sorensen Arthur
Published: July 2010

In 2009, Deutsche Post DHL introduced a global equity-based reward scheme. Following the design of the new scheme, a project team was set up with the task of selecting an appropriate service provider prior to implementing the global rollout of a new administration system. The key objectives of the sourcing project were to find the right share plan provider and solution at a reasonable cost. Topics that are covered in this article include the setup and organization of the sourcing project, description of the methods and tools used, screening and evaluation of relevant service providers, including respective solutions and competencies. Furthermore, the generated fee schedule and pricing negotiations are illustrated and lessons learned are detailed.
Annual Incentive Plan Formula Considerations
Authors: Ellig Bruce R.
Published: July 2010

This article describes both deductible and nondeductible bonus formulas, including a review of the economic profit type deductible plans. This is followed with a review of shareholder protection formulas. Following these formulas, desired objectives are set, the number of participants is identified and desired payouts drive creation of a fund formula which will either be a target or no-target plan. The plan is tested based on assumptions about performance factors. Finally, a decision is made as to whether or not there will be divisional funds in addition to a corporate formula and whether carryovers will be allowed.
Sex, Truths, and Audiotape: Anonymity and the Ethics of Exposure in Public Ethnography
Authors: Stein Arlene
Published: July 2010

This article discusses ethical issues confronted in The Stranger Next Door, my ethnographic study of a small town divided by a local ballot initiative against gay/lesbian civil rights. Seeking to intervene in public debates about the issue, I wrote a book that was broadly accessible, painting vivid portraits of local activists engaged in this conflict. When the pseudonymous community was “outed” by a review in the statewide newspaper, rightwing activists became incensed, and charged me with compromising their anonymity, among other offenses. Years later, as I reflect upon these accusations, I recognize that some of them have some credence. While public sociological work cannot and should not seek to avoid controversy, I question whether the quest for anonymity in ethnographic research always serves the interests of researchers and their subjects of study.
Temperature Management in Acute Neurologic Injury
Authors: Liu-DeRyke Xi , Saely Suprat , Rhoney Denise H
Published: July 2010

Therapeutic hypothermia is becoming an important intervention following acute neurologic injury despite inconclusive results concerning efficacy. This enthusiasm primarily stems from a lack of other effective interventions in this population. With the increase in the use of therapeutic hypothermia, several practical issues must be considered when initiating this intervention. Clinical pharmacists can play an important role in anticipating and addressing some complications such as shivering, slow drug metabolism, and infection. This review will discuss the available literature concerning the efficacy of therapeutic hypothermia in various neurologic injuries, as well as the most common adverse events associated with it.
Electoral Competition When Some Candidates Lie and Others Pander
Authors: Huang Haifeng
Published: July 2010

In this paper we analyze a two-candidate electoral competition in which a candidate can either lie about his private policy preference in order to get elected, or pander to post-election external influences in choosing a policy to implement. Both the pre-election announcement and post-election implementation are a candidate’s strategic choices. We show that, in equilibrium, different types of candidates can cluster at different points around the median voter position, as long as the pandering type and the lying type coexist in the candidate pool. The pooling of all types of candidates at the median voter position is also an equilibrium. Thus, despite pressure towards the median (as all candidates want to win the election), both convergence and divergence in candidate announcements are normal outcomes of electoral competition.
Proportional Representation and Strategic Voters
Authors: Slinko Arkadii , White Shaun
Published: July 2010

The goal of this paper is to examine the incentives to vote insincerely, other than those created by rounding, faced by voters in systems of proportional representation (PR). We rigorously investigate two models of voter behaviour. The first model assumes that a voter is primarily interested in the distribution of seats in the post-election parliament (seat maximizer) while the second considers a voter who is concerned with the distribution of power in it (power maximizer). We show that under pure PR, seat maximizers do not have any incentives to manipulate, which justifies the Bowler and Lanoue (1992) claim, and that such incentives for seat maximizers appear with the introduction of a threshold. We show that, even in the absence of a threshold, there will always exist circumstances where a power maximizer would have an incentive to vote insincerely. We demonstrate that her incentives to make an insincere vote depend on her attitude towards uncertainty. The introduction of a threshold creates new and stronger opportunities for strategic voters regardless of their attitude towards uncertainty. Finally we discuss the overshooting/undershooting phenomenon, when either too many or too few like-minded voters attempt to manipulate. We use the two models to explain voters’ behaviour at the 2005 New Zealand general election and demonstrate that rounding creates not only incentives but also disincentives for strategic voting.
Power Sharing and Reform Capacity
Authors: Lindvall Johannes
Published: July 2010

In this paper I argue that reform capacity, defined as the extent to which political institutions facilitate the adoption of socially efficient reforms, is not primarily determined by the number of veto players in the political system, but by the availability of institutional mechanisms that allow political agents to solve commitment problems associated with bargaining over reform. Specifically, I argue that power sharing is compatible with high reform capacity if policy areas involved in package deals are all controlled by the central government (or whatever level of government makes the reform), and if the ‘losers’ are confident that they will remain veto players in the future.
Is the decline of ice on Kilimanjaro unprecedented in the Holocene?
Authors: Kaser Georg , Mölg Thomas , Cullen Nicolas J. , Hardy Douglas R. , Winkler Michael
Published: July 2010

Glaciers on Kilimanjaro’s highest peak, Kibo, are currently regarded as a persistent feature of the Holocene. Here we synthesize all available measurements, observations, and our understanding of current processes on Kibo — gained from intensive research over the past decade — to formulate an alternative hypothesis about the age of these ice fields. This suggests a shorter, discontinuous history of the tabular-shaped glaciers on Kibo’s plateau, where typical ‘life cycles’ of the ice may last only a few hundred years. If life cycles overlap, they are likely the cause of the observed steps in the plateau glaciers. Thus, it is likely that ice has come and gone repeatedly on Kibo’s summit plateau, throughout the Holocene. Such a cyclicity is supported by lake-derived proxy records.
Technical Efficiency and Productivity Growth of Saudi Banks
Authors: Akhtar Mohammad Hanif
Published: July 2010

This article is an attempt to calculate the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA)efficiency scores and productivity indices of banks in Saudi Arabia. Our DEA results indicate that technical inefficiency emerges from both scale as well as pure technical inefficiencies. The results on Malmquist Productivity Index (MPI)reflect an improvement in average productivity of banks. However, the major source of productivity gain was the efficiency change relative to technological change. The banks in the Kingdom appear to have succeeded in catching up with the best performance, even though the average scores on technical efficiency (TE)stood beyond optimality. Implications of the study reveal that countries like Saudi Arabia need to accelerate and diversify resource mobilization efforts extensively, suggesting banks to go beyond deposits as the main source of resource mobilization. The existing monopolistic type of banking sector needs to be transformed into a competitive one, enabling banks to look for optimality and competitiveness simultaneously. There is also a need to diversify the sources of gross domestic product (GDP)both nationally and internationally. This would immune the banking system from the swings emerging through changes in the oil prices and quotas.
Implementing IT in SCM—Understanding the Challenges
Authors: Mehrotra Ankit
Published: July 2010

Technology offers the potential to change supply chain networks and processes to reduce non-value adding time spent and to support alternative ways of working. An efficient supply chain network can offer substantial improvements in productivity and in customer satisfaction by making available online, real-time information networked around the organization, giving full supply chain visibility. Thus, information is shared within and between the organization and decisions are made on the basis of this shared information. The technology needed to promote and support change, be it large or small, strategic or operational, if used appropriately offers the chance to improve supply chain, in turn, leading to increased productivity and profitability. However, despite the benefits associated with it, implementation of this technology is not always easy.

The present study has been undertaken to understand the challenges faced in implementing information technology (IT)in supply chain management (SCM)and logistics. The study was conducted using the survey method. Data was collected through a structured questionnaire from a sample of 80 Indian companies. Perception map and discriminant analysis were used as the tools of analysis.
An Institutional Ethnography of Nurses’ Stress
Authors: McGibbon Elizabeth , Peter Elizabeth , Gallop Ruth
Published: July 2010

There are three main conceptualizations of nurses’ stress: occupational stress, moral distress, and traumatization (compassion fatigue, secondary traumatic stress, vicarious trauma). Although we have learned a great deal from these fields, some of them lack important contextual aspects of nurses’ practice, such as the gendered nature of the workforce and the nature of the work, including bodily caring. The purpose of this study was to reformulate the nature of stress in nursing, with attention to important contextual aspects of nurses’ practice. Smith’s sociological frame of institutional ethnography was used to explicate the social organization of nurses’ stress. Data collection methods included in-depth interviews, participant observation, and focus groups with pediatric intensive care nurses. Data analysis focused on the social organization of nurses’ stress, including negotiating power-based hierarchies and articulating the patient to the system. The article concludes with recommendations for addressing nurses’ stress through a more critical and contextual analysis.
Abnormal Immunoexpression of Cell Adhesion Molecules (CAMs) in Cervical Cancer
Authors: Toro de Méndez Morelva , Bosch Antonio Llombart
Published: July 2010

The purpose of this study was to examine the immunoexpression of cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) E-cadherin, CD44s, and CD44v3 in cervical cancer and compare it with that in benign exo-endocervical tissue. In all, 81 cervical cancer biopsy specimens and 22 benign controls were included. Primary monoclonal antibodies NHC-38, F10-44-2, and 3G5 for E-cadherin, CD44s, and CD44v3 were used, respectively. Statistical significance was evaluated by the χ2 test. Antigen expression was significantly different in cervical cancer specimens compared with controls, showing marked decrease in membrane expression: E-cadherin, 6.5% and 77.3% ( P < .000); CD44s, 3.9% and 81.8% ( P < .000); and CD44v3, 0% and 81.8% ( P < .000), respectively. The immunoexpression was significantly heterogeneous in carcinomas ( P < .034) and adenocarcinomas ( P < .000) for E-cadherin and CD44s. For CD44v3, no case of cancer showed immunostaining in membranes. These findings reaffirm that cell adhesion is markedly altered in cervical cancer. The authors suggest that these proteins could serve as markers for invasive cervical neoplasia.
Paraganglia Mimicking Metastatic Seminomatous Tumor
Authors: Xiao Guang-Qian , Mccash Samuel , Unger Pamela D.
Published: July 2010

Two cases are presented in which microscopic groups of retroperitoneal paraganglionic cells simulated metastatic seminomatous tumor. Both patients had histories of mixed testicular germ cell tumor with abdominal metastases and had been treated with chemotherapy. Persistent retroperitoneal disease was favored on follow-up imaging studies. Subsequent retroperitoneal lymph node dissection disclosed multifocal epithelioid cell groups with clear/vacuolated cytoplasm in the fibroconnective and adipose tissue, ranging from 1.0 to 3.0 mm in size. These cell groups were initially interpreted as recurrent metastatic seminoma, but were later reinterpreted as paraganglionic cells, which were confirmed by immunohistochemical analysis. The pathologic features for distinguishing paraganglionic cells from metastatic seminoma are discussed. Awareness of the presence of paraganglia and their distinction from metastatic disease is of practical importance in avoiding an overdiagnosis of malignancy and assuring proper patient management.
The Expression of Enteric Nerve Markers and Nerve Innervation in Total Colonic Aganglionosis
Authors: Yanlei Huang  , Anupama Basnet , Shan Zheng  , Xianmin Xiao  , Lian Chen
Published: July 2010

Objective. To study differences in the expression of various nerve markers between total colonic aganglionosis (TCA) and common-segment-type Hirschsprung’s disease (HD) using immunohistochemistry. Methods. All-layer colon and ileum specimens were extracted from 18 patients diagnosed with TCA and treated at the Children’s Hospital of Fudan University between January 1996 and December 2005. The reference group consisted of 10 cases each of common-segment-type HD and anorectal malformations (ARMs). Immunohistochemical comparison was conducted on the expression levels of the enteric nerve markers protein gene product 9.5 (PGP9.5), S-100 protein, neuron-specific enolase (NSE), and peripherin. Results. There were no statistically significant differences in expression of PGP9.5, S-100 protein, NSE, and peripherin in ganglionic intestinal sections from the TCA group, HD group, or ARM group ( P > .05). A few mature and immature ganglion cells were observed in the transitional sections from the TCA group, and expression levels of the nerve markers were lower than in the HD group ( P < .01). Ganglion cells were found in the far-end intestinal section in none of the 18 cases of TCA, where thick nerve trunks were fewer and nerve marker expression levels were lower than in the HD group ( P < .01), most evidently in the cases of PGP9.5. Conclusions . The study revealed evident differences in the positive expression of nerve markers in the enteric sections when TCA and common-segment HD were compared, indicating differences in enteric nerve innervation in these conditions.
Pediatric Renal Cryptococcosis: Novel Manifestations in the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome Era
Authors: Ramdial Pratistadevi K. , Sing Yetish , Deonarain Julian , Bhimma Rajendra , Chotey Nivesh , Sewram Vikash
Published: July 2010

Pediatric cryptococcosis has been documented in various organs, but pediatric renal cryptococcosis (RC) remains undocumented to date. The authors report RC in 2 children with AIDS, 7 and 9 years of age, with proteinuria. Both patients, on antiretroviral therapy (ARV) for 28 (patient 1) and 54 (patient 2) weeks each, had secured viral immunosuppression, but immune restoration was realized by patient 1 only. Cryptococcal immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS) was diagnosed on the renal biopsy from patient 1 based on the clinicopathological profile and the presence of segmental glomerular and an interstitial lymphoplasmacytic and granulomatous reaction to Cryptococcus neoformans, with a predominance of capsule-deficient fungal forms. The renal biopsy from patient 2 demonstrated typical HIV-associated nephropathy with focal intratubular and interstitial C neoformans yeasts. Pediatric AIDS-associated renal disease must be expanded to include RC and cryptococcal IRIS, and the kidney must be included as a potential sentinel site of IRIS.
Characterization of Epithelial Apoptosis in Biopsies of Small-Bowel Allografts Using Cleaved Caspase 3 Immunostaining
Authors: Talmon Geoffrey A. , Saigh Quinn M. , DiMaio Dominick , Wisecarver James L. , Radio Stanley J.
Published: July 2010

Background. The diagnosis of acute cellular rejection (ACR) in small-bowel allograft biopsies depends in part on quantification of crypt apoptotic bodies (ABs). The definition of ABs varies between authors. Recently, immunoperoxidase stains specific for apoptotic material have been used in paraffin-embedded tissue. The aim was to characterize AB morphology and quantify ABs using immunoperoxidase and hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. Methods. Allograft biopsies with diagnoses of negative for ACR, indeterminate for ACR, and mild ACR were selected. Sections were stained for cleaved caspase 3 (CC3). The number of ABs per 10 crypt epithelial cells was compared by H&E and CC3 staining. Results. A total of 39 cases (15 negative, 12 indeterminate, 12 mild ACR) were obtained. CC3 staining revealed that ABs varied from well-developed “classical” exploding crypt cells to intraepithelial clusters of basophilic material. In 61%, the number detected by CC3 was higher than on H&E stains (mean 4.30 and 3.56; P < .002), with good overall correlation. With the latter definition, AB numbers by H&E were significantly higher in most cases (72%), with the diagnosis of mild ACR being downgraded in 50% if only classical ABs were counted. Conclusions. ABs have a range of morphology in biopsies of intestinal allografts, and H&E identifies the majority. The results suggest that AB counts should include basophilic clusters.
Validation of Measures of Biosocial Precursors to Borderline Personality Disorder: Childhood Emotional Vulnerability and Environmental Invalidation
Authors: Sauer Shannon E. , Baer Ruth A.
Published: July 2010

Linehan’s biosocial theory suggests that borderline personality disorder (BPD) results from a transaction of two childhood precursors: emotional vulnerability and an invalidating environment. Until recently, few empirical studies have explored relationships between these theoretical precursors and symptoms of the disorder. Psychometrically sound assessment tools are essential to this area of research. The present study examined psychometric characteristics of recently developed self-report measures of childhood emotional vulnerability and parental invalidation. A large sample of undergraduates completed these measures; parent reports were collected to examine agreement between young adults’ and parents’ recollections of their emotional style in childhood and the parenting they received. Both measures were internally consistent, showed clear factor structures, and were significantly correlated with BPD features and related constructs. In addition, both showed modest, yet significant agreement between participants’ and parents’ reports. Overall, this study supports the utility of these measures of childhood emotional vulnerability and environmental invalidation.
The Value of Item Response Theory in Clinical Assessment: A Review
Authors: Thomas Michael L.
Published: July 2010

Item response theory (IRT) and related latent variable models represent modern psychometric theory, the successor to classical test theory in psychological assessment. Although IRT has become prevalent in the measurement of ability and achievement, its contributions to clinical domains have been less extensive. Applications of IRT to clinical assessment are reviewed to appraise its current and potential value. Benefits of IRT include comprehensive analyses and reduction of measurement error, creation of computer adaptive tests, meaningful scaling of latent variables, objective calibration and equating, evaluation of test and item bias, greater accuracy in the assessment of change due to therapeutic intervention, and evaluation of model and person fit. The theory may soon reinvent the manner in which tests are selected, developed, and scored. Although challenges remain to the widespread implementation of IRT, its application to clinical assessment holds great promise. Recommendations for research, test development, and clinical practice are provided.
Multimethod, Multi-informant Agreement, and Positive Predictive Value in the Identification of Child Anxiety Disorders Using the SCAS and ADIS-C
Authors: Brown-Jacobsen Amy M. , Wallace Dustin P. , Whiteside Stephen P. H.
Published: July 2010

The current study sought to provide practical information for the clinical use of child and parent reports of child anxiety symptoms by investigating agreement between parent, child, and clinician as well as the predictive value of this information. Examining 88 anxious children and their parents, the study compared agreement by correlating parent and child responses on the Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale (SCAS); comparing parent and child responses to clinician data operationalized through continuous and dichotomous variables from the Anxiety Disorder Interview Schedule for Children; and examining the relative clinical utility of parent and child reports on the SCAS in terms of positive and negative predictive value. Results indicated that parent and child agreement on the SCAS was moderate to high for most anxiety disorder symptoms and that both were generally consistent with clinician impressions. Moreover, both child and parent provided unique information to the diagnostic process.
Effect of Medium Composition and Kinetic Studies on Extracellular and Intracellular Production of L-asparaginase from Pectobacterium carotovorum
Authors: Arrivukkarasan S. , Muthusivaramapandian M. , Aravindan R. , Viruthagiri T.
Published: July 2010

Microbial L-asparaginase occupies a prominent place among biocatalysts owing to their ability to catalyze the reaction that hydrolyze the asparagine molecule. Effect of various medium components on the production of L-asparaginase in submerged fermentation by Pectobacterium carotovorum was studied for optimal nutrient requirements. Six different media compositions were tested for the L-asparaginase production keeping fermentation conditions constant at temperature 30 °C, initial pH 7.0 and agitation speed of 120 rpm. Maximum intracellular and extracellular L-asparaginase activity was obtained in the medium containing tryptone, yeast extract, monosodium glutamate, K2HPO4 and L-asparagine. These medium components were further optimized by central composite experimental design using response surface methodology. Maximum intracellular and extracellular L-asparaginase activity of 2.282 U/mL and 0.587 U/mL were obtained respectively at the late logarithmic phase in optimized media. Unstructured kinetic models were used to describe the cell growth and product formation kinetics. The unstructured models predicted the cell growth and product formation profile accurately with high coefficient of determination.
Temperature and Ultra Low Oxygen Effects and Involvement of Ethylene in Chilling Injury of ‘Rojo Brillante’ Persimmon Fruit
Authors: Orihuel-Iranzo B. , Miranda M. , Zacarías L. , Lafuente M.T.
Published: July 2010

The effects of storage temperature, inhibition of ethylene action by treatment with 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) and ultra low oxygen (ULO) atmosphere on chilling injury (CI), fruit firmness and ethylene production in the astringent ‘Rojo Brillante’ persimmon fruit were investigated. CI symptoms were manifested as a very dramatic loss of firmness after fruit transfer from cold storage to shelf-life conditions (18 °C). During cold storage, fruit softening appeared more rapidly in fruit stored at the intermediate temperature of 10 °C than at 1°C or 14.5 °C. Ethylene production increased with storage time at the chilling temperature (1 °C) but a sharp increase took place upon fruit transfer from 1 °C to ambient temperature. This ethylene increase was accompanied by a loss of fruit firmness associated with chilling damage development. A pre-treatment with the competitive inhibitor of ethylene action 1-MCP, at 1 μL/L, reduced firmness loss and mitigated CI damage but considerably increased ethylene production in fruit transferred to shelf-life conditions after a prolonged cold storage period. Collectively, these results suggest a role of ethylene in the reduction of flesh firmness and consequently in the induction of CI in persimmon fruit. Moreover, ethylene exerts a negative feedback regulation of cold-induced ethylene biosynthesis. Storage of ‘Rojo Brillante’ persimmon fruit under ULO (1.3—1.8% O2, v/v) atmosphere did not affect the incidence of CI but reduced fruit astringency, suggesting that ULO may be an alternative postharvest storage system for ‘Rojo Brillante’ persimmon fruit.
Characterization of a Spray-Dried Soymilk Powder and Changes Observed During Storage
Authors: Osthoff G. , Hugo A. , van Wyk P. , de Wit M. , Meyer S.
Published: July 2010

Physical characterization of a soymilk powder was carried out by electron microscopy. Chemical characterization was analyzed by proximate analysis, mineral composition by atomic absorption spectrometry, fatty acid composition by gas chromatography and protein composition by electrophoresis. The powder consists of large granules of 60—80 μm, which may be hollow, with smaller granules of 10—20 μm attached to them. Powder particles are covered by a layer of fat. During storage at 25 °C fat is spreading over the surface, while at —12 °C the fat is contracting. This change affected chemical stability, resulting in high level of fat oxidation when stored at 4 °C or 25 °C as well as a decrease in unsaturated fatty acids. Storage also affected the chemical properties of the re-constituted soymilk; the pH of a 12% soy powder suspension increased from 6.68±0.05 to 7.06±0.08 after 12 months of storage. Storage temperature did not affect the pH of the suspension and this change could also not be ascribed to protein aggregation.
Rapid Determination of Docosahexaenoic Acid in Powdered Oil by Near-Infrared Spectroscopy
Authors: Yang Meiyan  , Li Jing  , Nie Shaoping  , Hu Jielun  , Yu Qiang  , Xie Mingyong  , Xiong Hua  , Deng Zeyuan  , Zheng Weiwan
Published: July 2010

Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) was used as a rapid and nondestructive method to determine the content of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in powdered oil samples. A total of 82 samples were scanned in the diffuse reflectance mode by Nicolet 5700 FTIR spectrometer and the reference values for DHA was measured by gas chromatography. Calibration equations were developed using partial least-squares regression (PLS) with internal cross-validation. Samples were split in two sets, one set used as calibration (n = 66) whereas the remaining samples (n=16) were used as validation set. Two mathematical treatments (first and second derivative), none (log(1/R)) and standard normal variate as scatter corrections and Savitzky—Golay smoothing were explored. To decide upon the number of PLS factors included in the PLS model, the model with the lowest root mean square error of cross-validation (RMSECV=0.44) for the validation set is chosen. The correlation coefficient (r) between the predicted and the reference results which used as an evaluation parameter for the models is 0.968. The root mean square error of prediction of the final model is 0.59. The results reported in this article demonstrate that FT-NIR measurements can serve as a rapid method to determine DHA in powdered oil.
Becoming a pastor
Authors: Lauterbach Karen
Published: July 2010

Ghana, like a number of other African countries, witnesses an increasing number of smaller independent Pentecostal churches founded by young pastors. These young pastors engage in pastoral careers as a way to achieve social mobility. It is an attractive career path for many young people as it offers opportunities of ascending religious and social hierarchies in a situation where the more conventional modes of achieving success, through education and employment as civil servant, are decreasing.

By exploring the careers of young pastors, the article discusses how this particular group of youth are innovative and entrepreneurial in the sense that they create spaces, where they can build up status and where this status is socially recognized. At the same time the young pastors are dependent on more senior pastors in order to make a career. This points to the importance of approaching youth from the perspective of generational dynamics. The argument is that in order to become successful pastors, young people have to engage in complex relations of dependency and at the same time be innovative. A religious setting, like the small independent Pentecostal churches, enables young people to be involved in and transcend these generational relations by drawing on powerful religious repertoires of invoking and claiming access to divine powers.
Mungiki as youth movement
Authors: Rasmussen Jacob
Published: July 2010

Like many other African countries, Kenya has a large and growing youth population. Some of the youths are mobilized into militant and political networks; one of these is the Mungiki movement. The article explores Mungiki’s combination of politics, religion and Kikuyu traditions. Using the examples of snuff tobacco, revolutionary talk and generational exclusion, it is argued that one way of understanding the connection between the various elements is to look at specific youth practices that cut across apparently separate activities. This reveals that youth in the Mungiki discourse is a highly gendered concept.
The ethics of child-soldiering in the Congo
Authors: Hoffmann Kasper
Published: July 2010

In cutting-edge conflict theory, ‘young men’ are framed as a potential source of violence and insecurity in underdeveloped countries, especially in the so-called ‘failed states’. Supposedly, ‘young men’ bereft of socio-economic opportunities constitute a dangerous sub-population which can easily be recruited by ‘Spoilers’, or warlords when the pursuit of personal gain through the use of violence is rational; that is, in situations where the state has failed and therefore has no monopoly over the means of violence. Drawing on fieldwork among the Maï-Maï of South Kivu, I challenge the notion that the young fighters of the Maï-Maï were easily lured into the militias because they lacked other exit strategies. Recruitment actually followed a much more complex pattern. The young Maï-Maï fighters were either forcefully recruited or joined voluntarily for one or more of the following reasons: in order to exact vengeance on the ‘enemy’, for personal protection; to fight for national liberation; to protect a given community; for the right to enjoy the spoils of modernity; and to recast a disempowered and humiliated self into a vigorous and virile subject. In this article, therefore, I argue that recruitment into a non-state armed group was a question of ethics instead of the machinations of a universal instinct secretly at work.
Daylight in atrium buildings: Geometric shape and vertical sky components
Authors: Du J. , Sharples S.
Published: July 2010

This study investigated the impact of well geometry on vertical sky components in atria with square and rectangular forms under a CIE standard overcast sky. By comparing scale model measurements and analytical theory the vertical sky components, calculated using Radiance, were validated. More simulated data of vertical sky components for a very wide range of atrium geometries are given. From the results the attenuation of the vertical sky component on the wall of a square atrium is explained and some empirical functions are derived. In addition, the results from atrium models with rectangular floor plans show the relationships between the vertical sky component and the plan aspect ratio. Some guidelines for design are presented.
Non-LDL-related dyslipidaemia and coronary risk: a case-control study
Authors: Assmann Gerd , Cullen Paul , Schulte Helmut
Published: July 2010

To assess the non-LDL-C-related dyslipidaemia risk of MI, 823 men aged 23 to 65 with a first MI were compared with 823 MI-free PROCAM controls matched for sex, age, smoking, DM, BP and LDL-C. Overall, the odds of MI in men with HDL-C < 1.15 mmol/L were 2.6 times those of men with HDL-C ≥ 1.15 mmol/L, and the odds of MI in men with triglycerides ≥ 1.71 mmol/L were 1.4 times those of men with lower triglycerides. If LDL-C was < 2.58 mmol/L, relative MI odds attributed to HDL-C < 1.15 mmol/L increased to 3.4, while relative odds attributed to triglycerides ≥ 1.71 mmol/L increased to 2.6; men in this LDL category with HDL-C < 1.15 mmol/L and/or triglycerides ≥ 1.71 mmol/L displayed an MI odds ratio of 5.0. MI risk associated with low HDL-C and/or high triglycerides is substantial, particularly if LDL-C is low.
Trait Voting in U.S. Senate Elections
Authors: Hayes Danny
Published: July 2010

Assessments of candidates’ personal attributes are known to affect vote choice in presidential elections, but little work has explored trait perceptions and trait voting in congressional contests. In this article, I examine the role of candidate traits in U.S. Senate campaigns, drawing on unique survey data from the 2006 midterms. I find that voters’ evaluations of candidate qualities are less influenced by party stereotypes than in presidential elections and are strongly related to whether a candidate is an incumbent. And just as in campaigns for the White House, trait perceptions affect vote choice. But sitting Senators hold trait advantages that incumbent presidents do not necessarily receive, which makes leadership a particularly influential attribute in Senate races. In addition, trait voting is not contingent on campaign intensity and is strongest among the least politically aware citizens. In general, the results provide evidence for the applicability of presidential trait theories to congressional elections but show that incumbency and political awareness condition their effects in Senate contests.
The Lifecycle of Public Policy: An Event History Analysis of Repeals to Landmark Legislative Enactments, 1951-2006
Authors: Ragusa Jordan Michael
Published: July 2010

The first stage in the policy lifecycle—creation—has garnered significant attention while the final stage—repeal—has received scarcely any. To reconcile this imbalance, an extensive data set recording repeals to landmark laws enacted from 1951 to 2006 was complied. Event history analysis yields three significant results. First, the incidence of repeal exhibits a regular pattern characterized by an increasing hazard immediately after enactment followed by institutionalization and a monotonically declining hazard. Second, divided government has a complementary effect on the policy process, simultaneously constraining lawmakers from reversing enacted policies while effecting more durable legislation over the long term. Thus, the negative effects of divided government on policy production are offset by a decrease in policy repeal. Third, polarization has a curvilinear effect on the risk of repeal. Moderate polarization facilitates coalition formation when enacting repeals while polarized and depolarized periods have an attenuating effect.
Psychological Well-Being Among Fathers of Children With and Without Disabilities: The Role of Family Cohesion, Adaptability, and Paternal Self-Efficacy
Authors: Boyraz Güler , Sayger Thomas V.
Published: July 2010

The purpose of this study was to examine the role of family cohesion, adaptability, and paternal self-efficacy in psychological well-being of fathers of children with and without disabilities and whether the effects of these variables on psychological well-being were the same for both groups of fathers. In addition, the potential differences in perceived well-being between the two groups of fathers were examined. Sixty-three fathers of children with disabilities and 217 fathers of typically developing children participated in this study. Fathers of children with disabilities scored significantly higher on the self-acceptance dimension of psychological well-being compared with fathers of children without disabilities. After controlling for the demographic factors, family cohesion and paternal self-efficacy significantly and positively predicted well-being of fathers; the effects of these variables on well-being were the same for both groups of fathers.
Hormone therapy in the management of prostate cancer: evidence-based approaches
Authors: Gomella Leonard G. , Singh Jaspreet , Lallas Costas , Trabulsi Edouard J.
Published: July 2010

Hormonal therapy has been the standard for advanced prostate cancer for over 60 years. Recently, the utility of androgen ablation through various means has been demonstrated for earlier stages of disease. In particular, the strongest evidence to date involves the use of hormonal therapy in combination with radiation therapy. In this article we review the basic concepts in hormonal ablation for prostate cancer and review the evidence-based studies that support the use of hormonal therapy in early stage prostate cancer.
Do Happy Employees Really Mean Happy Customers? Or Is There More to the Equation?
Authors: Garlick Rick
Published: July 2010

The long-established perception that happy employees are necessary for happy customers certainly holds true in the hospitality industry. However, simply making employees happy is not sufficient to ensure the best possible customer experience. Instead, managers must go beyond employee attitudes and work toward making all associates feel that they are members of a team, well trained, and given appropriate tools and policies to provide the best possible customer service. Managers must form and lead this team of well-trained employees, making clear that every person’s effort is essential to the operation’s success.
Review: Hydroxyoctadecadienoic acids: novel regulators of macrophage differentiation and atherogenesis
Authors: Vangaveti Venkat , Baune Bernhard T. , Kennedy R. Lee
Published: July 2010

Hydroxyoctadecadienoic acids (HODEs) are stable oxidation products of linoleic acid, the generation of which is increased where oxidative stress is increased, such as in diabetes. In early atherosclerosis, 13-HODE is generated in macrophages by 15-lipoxygenase-1. This enhances protective mechanisms through peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-γ activation leading to increased clearance of lipid and lipid-laden cells from the arterial wall. In later atherosclerosis, both 9-HODE and 13-HODE are generated nonenzymatically. At this stage, early protective mechanisms are overwhelmed and pro-inflammatory effects of 9-HODE, acting through the receptor GPR132, and increased apoptosis predominate leading to a fragile, acellular plaque. Increased HODE levels thus contribute to atherosclerosis progression and the risk of clinical events such as myocardial infarction or stroke. Better understanding of the role of HODEs may lead to new pharmacologic approaches to modulate their production or action, and therefore lessen the burden of atherosclerotic disease in high-risk patients.
Surgical Treatment of Severe Complications Caused by Transcatheter Closure of Ventricular Septal Defects
Authors: Zhao Bijun , Jin Zhenxiao , Deng Chao , Yang Jian , Duan Weixun , Yi Dinghua
Published: July 2010

The objective was to report the surgical results following failed transcatheter intervention for closure of ventricular septal defects (VSDs). This study is a retrospective analysis of patients (n = 9) from Xijing Hospital (Xi’an, China) with failed transcatheter intervention for VSDs who subsequently underwent open heart surgery. Five patients experienced complications during transcatheter intervention, including third-degree atrioventricular block (III° AVB) (n = 2), aortic incompetence (n = 2), or tricuspid incompetence (n = 1). The devices were immediately removed in the catheterization laboratory followed by open heart surgery to repair VSDs. Four patients experienced complications after transcatheter intervention; one patient’s device was displaced into the right ventricle, and 3 patients had III° AVB. These patients underwent surgery to retrieve the devices and to repair VSDs. All cardiac surgery was performed under general anesthesia and under cardiopulmonary bypass. Postoperatively, all patients recovered uneventfully with no deaths or complications. The patients with III° AVB after device implantation recovered sinus rhythm postoperatively, and tricuspid apparatus injuries were surgically repaired with valvuloplasty. Transcatheter interventional VSD closure is safe and effective, but only under the conditions of strict patient selection, proper technique, and device application. Once severe complications are observed and diagnosed, devices should be retrieved immediately, and open heart surgery should be performed to avoid further injury.
Pulmonary Artery Banding
Authors: D’Alfonso Alessandro , Quarti Andrea , Colaneri Massimo , Baldinelli Alessandra , Pozzi Marco
Published: July 2010

Proponents of a telemetrically adjustable pulmonary artery band (PAB) device have cited simplified postoperative management and shortened length of stay as advantages associated with that technology. This report concerns a recent experience with both conventional pulmonary artery banding (conv-PAB) and the telemetrically adjustable PAB FloWatch (FW-PAB). From January 2005 through December 2008, 19 consecutive infants underwent either conv-PAB (8 patients, mean age 3.5 months, mean weight 4.1 kg) or FW-PAB (11 patients, mean age 2.6 months, mean weight 3.1 kg). Indications for PAB were left ventricular retraining (1 patient in FW-PAB), palliation prior to biventricular repair (7 patients in conv-PAB and 10 in FW-PAB group), and staged univentricular repair (1 patient in conv-PAB). In-hospital mortality was 0%. In the FW-PAB group, 1 FloWatch device was removed because of hemodynamic compromise related to the bulk of the device. There were no major complications in the conv-PAB group and no differences between groups with respect to postoperative ventilation time or length of stay in the intensive care unit or in hospital. In the FW-PAB group, a mean of 3.1 ± 1.7 regulations per patient were undertaken. Of the regulations, 85% (29/34) were adjustments to tighten the device, and 15% (5/34) were to loosen it. During follow-up, 8 patients underwent intracardiac repair and pulmonary artery debanding: 4 in the conv-PAB group and 4 in the FW-PAB group. The course of patients in both groups after PAB were similar. Major differences in length of stay and resource utilization were not apparent.
Management of Complete Atrioventricular Canal Defect With Aortic Arch Obstruction
Authors: Hraška Viktor , Walters Henry L.
Published: July 2010

Patients with complete atrioventricular canal defect and aortic arch obstruction represent a particular challenge for management. The incidence is rare, so surgical experience is limited. A reasonable treatment option for newborns and young infants with competent atrioventricular valves is the staged approach, with the arch obstruction repaired first, followed at an appropriate interval by repair of the complete atrioventricular canal defect. If there is a significant degree of atrioventricular valve regurgitation, the primary single-stage correction of both aortic arch obstruction and the intracardiac malformation should be undertaken, irrespective of age. It remains to be seen whether this surgical strategy can be adopted for the entire spectrum of atrioventricular canal defect associated with arch obstruction.
Mitral Annular Growth in Children Following Early Mechanical Mitral Valve Replacement
Authors: Durham Lucian A. , Burkhart Harold M. , Dearani Joseph A. , Puga Francisco J. , O’Leary Patrick W. , Schaff Hartzell V.
Published: July 2010

Irreparable mitral pathology may lead to early mitral valve replacement (MVR) in children. Often, a small mechanical prosthesis (<23 mm) is required, raising concerns about annular growth in patients who may eventually require subsequent mitral valve re-replacement (MVRR). The aim of this study was to evaluate interval mitral annular growth in this cohort. Between January 1972 and December 2006, 164 children underwent MVR with a mechanical prosthesis; 110 of these children (median age, 4 years; range, 7 days to 14 years) received a small mechanical prosthesis (<23 mm). The most common diagnoses were congenital mitral stenosis (10%), regurgitation (46%), and left atrioventricular valve dysfunction after previous atrioventricular septal defect repair (44%). The cohort was analyzed for age, body surface area (BSA), prosthesis size, and Z score at the time of MVR and MVRR. At the time of MVR, 78 patients had a BSA of 0.77 ± 0.06 m2, had an annular size of 24 ± 0.62 mm ( Z score, 2.91 ± 0.23), and ultimately did not require MVRR. Another cohort, who eventually did require MVRR (n = 24), had an initial BSA at the time of MVR of 0.62 ± 0.05 m2 ( P = NS vs MVR only) and an annular size of 20 ± 0.49 mm ( Z score, 1.85 ± 0.22) ( P = .008 vs MVR only). In the interval between MVR and MVRR (7.8 ± 1.1 years), BSA increased to 1.12 ± 0.07 m2, and annulus size increased to 24 ± 0.47 mm ( Z score, 1.80 ± 0.28). These data suggest growth of the mitral annulus following MVR with a small mechanical prosthesis, as evidenced by an unchanged Z score in the setting of normal interval increase in BSA. Additionally, there was a statistically significant difference in initial Z scores between the cohorts requiring MVRR and those who have not needed re-replacement, suggesting that the feasibility of placement of a slightly larger prosthesis may be associated with a decreased need for MVRR.