bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
School Competition and Efficiency with Publicly Funded Catholic Schools
Authors: Card David , Dooley Martin D , Payne A. Abigail
Published: October 2010

We study competition between two publicly funded school systems in Ontario, Canada: one that is open to all students, and one that is restricted to children of Catholic backgrounds. A simple model of competition between the competing systems predicts greater effort by school managers in areas with more Catholic families who are willing to switch systems. Consistent with this insight, we find significant effects of competitive pressure on test score gains between third and sixth grade. Our estimates imply that extending competition to all students would raise average test scores in sixth grade by 6 percent to 8 percent of a standard deviation. (JEL I21, I22, H75, Z12)
(Over)insuring Modest Risks
Authors: Sydnor Justin
Published: October 2010

Despite the large literature on anomalies in risky choice, very little research has explored the relevance of these insights in real insurance markets. This paper uses new data on consumers' choices of deductibles for home insurance to provide evidence that a surprising level of risk aversion over modest stakes is a reality in the market. Most customers purchase low deductibles despite costs significantly above the expected value. Fitting these choices to a standard model of risk aversion yields implausibly large measures of risk parameters. Potential explanations and the implications of these results for understanding the market for insurance are discussed. (JEL D14, D81, G21, G22)
The Importance of Being Wanted
Authors: Do Quy-Toan , Phung Tung D
Published: October 2010

We identify birth wantedness as a source of better child outcomes. In Vietnam, the year of birth is widely believed to determine success. As a result, cohorts born in auspicious years are 12 percent larger. Comparing siblings with one another, those of auspicious cohorts are found to have two extra months of schooling. The Vietnamese horoscope being gender-specific, this difference will be shown to be driven by birth planning. Children born in auspicious years are more likely to have been planned, thus benefitting from a more favorable growth environment. (JEL J12, J13, O15, P23, Z13)
Trade Adjustment and Human Capital Investments: Evidence from Indian Tariff Reform
Authors: Edmonds Eric V , Pavcnik Nina , Topalova Petia
Published: October 2010

Does trade policy influence schooling and child labor in low-income countries? We examine this question in the context of India's 1991 tariff reforms. While schooling increased and child labor declined in rural India in the 1990s, these trends are attenuated in districts with employment concentrated in industries losing tariff protection. As the loss of protection causes a relative rise in poverty in affected districts, families reduce schooling to save schooling costs. Girls disproportionately bear the burden of helping their families cope with poverty. (JEL F13, F16, I21, J13, J82, O15, O19)
Time-Tradeoff Sequences for Analyzing Discounting and Time Inconsistency
Authors: Attema Arthur E. , Bleichrodt Han , Rohde Kirsten I. M. , Wakker Peter P.
Published: October 2010

This paper introduces time-tradeoff (TTO) sequences as a general tool to analyze intertemporal choice. We give several applications. For empirical purposes, we can measure discount functions without requiring any measurement of or assumption about utility. We can quantitatively measure time inconsistencies and simplify their qualitative tests. TTO sequences can be administered and analyzed very easily, using only pencil and paper. For theoretical purposes, we use TTO sequences to axiomatize (quasi-)hyperbolic discount functions. We demonstrate the feasibility of measuring TTO sequences in an experiment, in which we tested the axiomatizations. Our findings suggest rejections of several currently popular discount functions and call for the development of new ones. It is especially desirable that such discount functions can accommodate increasing impatience.
Prediction Markets: Alternative Mechanisms for Complex Environments with Few Traders
Authors: Healy Paul J. , Linardi Sera , Lowery J. Richard , Ledyard John O.
Published: October 2010

Double auction prediction markets have proven successful in large-scale applications such as elections and sporting events. Consequently, several large corporations have adopted these markets for smaller-scale internal applications where information may be complex and the number of traders is small. Using laboratory experiments, we test the performance of the double auction in complex environments with few traders and compare it to three alternative mechanisms. When information is complex we find that an iterated poll (or Delphi method) outperforms the double auction mechanism. We present five behavioral observations that may explain why the poll performs better in these settings.
Network-Independent Partner Selection and the Evolution of Innovation Networks
Authors: Baum Joel A. C. , Cowan Robin , Jonard Nicolas
Published: October 2010

Empirical research on strategic alliances has focused on the idea that partners are selected on the basis of social capital considerations. In this paper we emphasize instead the role of complementary knowledge stocks and knowledge dynamics, which have received surprisingly limited attention relative to social capital as forces behind the formation and dynamics of innovation networks. To marshal evidence in this regard, we design a simple model of partner selection in which firms ally for the purpose of learning and innovating, and in doing so create an industry network. We abstract completely from network-based structural and strategic motives for partner selection and focus instead on the idea that firms' knowledge bases must “fit” for joint learning and innovation to be possible, and thus for an alliance to be feasible. The striking result is that, despite containing no social capital considerations, this simple model replicates the firm conduct, network structure, and contingent effects of network position on performance observed and discussed in the empirical literature.
The efficacy of chemical adjuvants on giant-cell tumour of bone
Authors: Gortzak Y. , Kandel R. , Deheshi B. , Werier J. , Turcotte R. E. , Ferguson P. C. , Wunder J. S.
Published: October 2010

Various chemicals are commonly used as adjuvant treatment to surgery for giant-cell tumour (GCT) of bone. The comparative effect of these solutions on the cells of GCT is not known. In this study we evaluated the cytotoxic effect of sterile water, 95% ethanol, 5% phenol, 3% hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and 50% zinc chloride (ZnCI2) on GCT monolayer tumour cultures which were established from six patients. The DNA content, the metabolic activity and the viability of the cultured samples of tumour cells were assessed at various times up to 120 hours after their exposure to these solutions.

Equal cytotoxicity to the GCT monolayer culture was observed for 95% ethanol, 5% phenol, 3% H2O2 and 50% ZnCI2. The treated samples showed significant reductions in DNA content and metabolic activity 24 hours after treatment and this was sustained for up to 120 hours. The samples treated with sterile water showed an initial decline in DNA content and viability 24 hours after treatment, but the surviving cells were viable and had proliferated. No multinucleated cell formation was seen in these cultures.

These results suggest that the use of chemical adjuvants other than water could help improve local control in the treatment of GCT of bone.
The concentration of antibiotic in fresh-frozen bone graft
Authors: Chang Y. , Shih H.-N. , Chen D. W. , Lee M. S. , Ueng S. W. N. , Hsieh P.-H.
Published: October 2010

We investigated the antibiotic concentration in fresh-frozen femoral head allografts harvested from two groups of living donors. Ten samples were collected from patients with osteoarthritis of the hip and ten from those with a fracture of the neck of the femur scheduled for primary arthroplasty. Cefazolin (1 g) was administered as a pre-operative prophylactic antibiotic. After storage at −80°C for two weeks the pattern of release of cefazolin from morsellised femoral heads was evaluated by an in vitro broth elution assay using high-performance liquid chromatography. The bioactivity of the bone was further determined with an agar disc diffusion and standardised tube dilution bioassay. The results indicated that the fresh-frozen femoral heads contained cefazolin. The morsellised bone released cefazolin for up to four days. The concentration of cefazolin was significantly higher in the heads from patients with osteoarthritis of the hip than in those with a fracture. Also, in bioassays the bone showed inhibitory effects against bacteria.

We concluded that allografts of morsellised bone from the femoral head harvested from patients undergoing arthroplasty of the hip contained cefazolin, which had been administered pre-operatively and they exhibited inhibitory effects against bacteria in vitro.
Defining synaesthesia
Authors: Simner Julia
Published: October 2010

Studies investigating developmental synaesthesia have sought to describe a number of qualities that might capture in behavioural terms the defining characteristics of this unusual phenomenon. The task of generating a definition is made more difficult by the fact that any description of synaesthesia must be broad enough to capture the 61 different variants of the condition already reported to date. Given these difficulties, the current literature now contains a number of conflicting assumptions about the nature of this condition. Here, I attempt to address several of these divisive areas from a set of contemporary definitions. I present evidence that might argue against previous claims that synaesthesia is (a) a ‘merging of the senses’, which (b) gives rise to consistent synaesthetic associations over time, with (c) synaesthetic associations that are spatially extended. I then investigate the possible benefits of moving from a behavioural definition to a neurobiological one and explore the ways in which this might force a rethink about the potential outermost boundaries of this fascinating condition.
A Bee's-Eye View on Nietzsche's Genealogy of Morals
Authors: Georgsson Peter
Published: October 2010

Nietzsche's On the Genealogy of Morals is a singularly enigmatic book. Here I propose a reading that construes the book first and foremost as a tool to help us realize something about our personal morality. First, I argue that the rationalisation of the true origin of values, which according to Nietzsche is inherent in Occidental morality, constitutes an obstacle to Nietzsche's communicating his insights about theprevaling morality. Therefore he needs a strategy that makes the reader find out some of the main points for himself. I argue, further, that in the preface to On the Genealogy of Morals the reader is directed to observing his own reactions when reading the text. The first stage of Nietzsche s special strategy is thereby in place, consisting infixing the reader's attention to himself and then provoking the relevant experiences. At the end of the paper I present an outline of how to read the book in this light.
Type 1 and type 2 iodothyronine deiodinases in the thyroid gland of patients with 3,5,3′-triiodothyronine-predominant Graves' disease
Authors: Ito Mitsuru , Toyoda Nagaoki , Nomura Emiko , Takamura Yuuki , Amino Nobuyuki , Iwasaka Toshiji , Takamatsu Junta , Miyauchi Akira , Nishikawa Mitsushige
Published: October 2010

Objective

3,5,3′-triiodothyronine-predominant Graves' disease (T3-P-GD) is characterized by a persistently high serum T3 level and normal or even lower serum thyroxine (T4) level during antithyroid drug therapy. The source of this high serum T3 level has not been clarified. Our objective was to evaluate the contribution of type 1 and type 2 iodothyronine deiodinase (D1 (or DIO1) and D2 (or DIO2) respectively) in the thyroid gland to the high serum T3 level in T3-P-GD.

Methods

We measured the activity and mRNA level of both D1 and D2 in the thyroid tissues of patients with T3-P-GD (n=13) and common-type GD (CT-GD) (n=18) who had been treated with methimazole up until thyroidectomy.

Results

Thyroidal D1 activity in patients with T3-P-GD (492.7±201.3 pmol/mg prot per h) was significantly higher (P<0.05) than that in patients with CT-GD (320.7±151.9 pmol/mg prot per h). On the other hand, thyroidal D2 activity in patients with T3-P-GD (823.9±596.4 fmol/mg prot per h) was markedly higher (P<0.005) than that in patients with CT-GD (194.8±131.6 fmol/mg prot per h). There was a significant correlation between the thyroidal D1 activity in patients with T3-P-GD and CT-GD and the serum FT3-to-FT4 ratio (r=0.370, P<0.05). Moreover, there was a strong correlation between the thyroidal D2 activity in those patients and the serum FT3-to-FT4 ratio (r=0.676, P<0.001).

Conclusions

Our results suggest that the increment of thyroidal deiodinase activity, namely D1 and especially D2 activities, may be responsible for the higher serum FT3-to-FT4 ratio in T3-P-GD.
The Yeast Mating-Type Switching Mechanism: A Memoir
Authors: Klar Amar J S
Published: October 2010

It has been 33 years since I first presented results of genetic experiments that established the gene transposition model as the mechanism of mating-type switching in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) Yeast Genetics meeting in August 1977. Over two decades ago the Genetics Perspectives editors solicited a perspective on my participation in the studies that deciphered the mechanism of mating-type switching and revealed the phenomenon of gene silencing in yeast. Although flattered at the time, I thought that preparation of such an article called for a more seasoned researcher who had benefitted from seeing his contributions stand the test of time. Now realizing that our discovery of the transposition of a mutation from the HMα locus into the MAT (mating type) locus has provided the genetic evidence that established the gene transposition model, and having witnessed our conclusions confirmed by subsequent molecular studies, I decided that perhaps this is a good time to recount the chronology of events as they unfolded for me decades ago.
Loss of Productivity due to Depression among Korean Employees
Authors: Lee Young‐Mi
Published: October 2010

Loss of Productivity due to Depression among Korean Employees: Young‐Mi Lee. Department of Nursing, Hanbuk University, Korea

Objectives

The aim of this study was to investigate the difference in productivity between those who are depressed and those who are not.

Methods

A cross‐sectional study of depressive and non‐depressive employees at a workplace was performed. Data was collected between April and June 2008 through self‐reported questionnaires including the Stanford Presenteeism Scale. One thousand employees participated in this study. Inappropriate responses including missing data or non‐relevant responses were excluded. Finally, data of 612 subjects was analyzed using the SPSS program.

Results

The productivity of employees with depression was lower than that of employees without depression. The difference in productivity loss due to impaired presenteeism was significantly different between the two groups, but the productivity loss due to absenteeism was not.

Conclusions

From the results of this study, we can deduce that depression among employees leads to productivity loss. Therefore, we must consider the management of depression in the workplace and improve the activities of occupational nurses and doctors during the mental health screening of employees.
Newborn Care Training of Midwives and Neonatal and Perinatal Mortality Rates in a Developing Country
Authors: Carlo Waldemar A. , McClure Elizabeth M. , Chomba Elwyn , Chakraborty Hrishikesh , Hartwell Tyler , Harris Hillary , Lincetto Ornella , Wright Linda L.
Published: October 2010

OBJECTIVE:

This study was designed to test the hypothesis that 2 training programs would reduce incrementally 7-day neonatal mortality rates for low-risk institutional deliveries.

METHODS:

Using a train-the-trainer model, certified research midwives sequentially trained the midwives who performed deliveries in low-risk, first-level, urban, community health clinics in 2 cities in Zambia in the protocol and data collection, in the World Health Organization Essential Newborn Care (ENC) course (universal precautions and cleanliness, routine neonatal care, resuscitation, thermoregulation, breastfeeding, kangaroo care, care of small infants, and common illnesses), and in the American Academy of Pediatrics Neonatal Resuscitation Program (in-depth basic resuscitation). Data were collected during 3 periods, after implementation of each training course.

RESULTS:

A total of 71 689 neonates were enrolled in the 3 study periods. All-cause, 7-day neonatal mortality rates decreased from 11.5 deaths per 1000 live births to 6.8 deaths per 1000 live births after ENC training (relative risk: 0.59 [95% confidence interval: 0.48–0.77]; P < .001), because of decreases in rates of deaths attributable to birth asphyxia and infection. Perinatal mortality rates but not stillbirth rates decreased. The 7-day neonatal mortality rate was decreased further after Neonatal Resuscitation Program training, after correction for loss to follow-up monitoring.

CONCLUSIONS:

ENC training for midwives reduced 7-day neonatal mortality rates in low-risk clinics. Additional in-depth basic training in neonatal resuscitation may reduce mortality rates further.
Early Intervention Improves Cognitive Outcomes for Preterm Infants: Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Nordhov S. Marianne , Rønning John A. , Dahl Lauritz B. , Ulvund Stein Erik , Tunby Jorunn , Kaaresen Per Ivar
Published: October 2010

OBJECTIVE:

The goal was to examine the effectiveness of an early intervention on cognitive and motor outcomes at corrected ages of 3 and 5 years for children with birth weights (BWs) of <2000 g.

METHODS:

A randomized controlled trial of a modified version of the Mother-Infant Transaction Program was performed. Outcomes were assessed with the Bayley Scales of Infant Development II and the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-Revised at 3 and 5 years, respectively. McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities and the grooved pegboard test were used to test motor outcomes at 5 years.

RESULTS:

A total of 146 infants were assigned randomly (intervention group: 72 infants; control group: 74 infants). The mean BWs were 1396 ± 429 g for the intervention group and 1381 ± 436 g for the control group. After adjustment for maternal education, a nonsignificant difference in Mental Developmental Index scores at 3 years of 4.5 points (95% confidence interval: −0.3 to 9.3 points) in favor of the intervention group was found, whereas the intervention effect on full-scale IQ scores at 5 years was 6.4 points (95% confidence interval: 0.6–12.2 points). Significantly more children in the intervention group had IQ scores of ≥85 at 3 and 5 years. There were no differences between the groups with respect to motor outcomes.

CONCLUSION:

This modified version of the Mother-Infant Transaction Program improved cognitive outcomes at corrected age of 5 years for children with BWs of <2000 g.
Children's Screen Viewing is Related to Psychological Difficulties Irrespective of Physical Activity
Authors: Page Angie S. , Cooper Ashley R. , Griew Pippa , Jago Russell
Published: October 2010

OBJECTIVE:

We hypothesized that greater screen use would be associated with greater psychological difficulties and that children with high levels of screen entertainment use and low levels of physical activity would have the most-negative psychological profiles.

METHODS:

Participants were 1013 children (age, mean ± SD: 10.95 ± 0.41 years), who self-reported average daily television hours and computer use and completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Sedentary time (minutes per day with <100 cpm) and moderate/vigorous physical activity (MVPA) (minutes with ≥2000 cpm) were measured by using accelerometers. Multivariate regression models examined the association between television viewing, computer use, sedentary time, and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire scores, with adjustment for MVPA, age, gender, level of deprivation, and pubertal status.

RESULTS:

Greater television and computer use were related to higher psychological difficulty scores after adjustment for MVPA, sedentary time, and confounders. However, sedentary time was inversely related to psychological difficulties after adjustment. Children who spent >2 hours per day watching television or using a computer were at increased risk of high levels of psychological difficulties (television, odds ratio [OR]: 1.61 [95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.20–2.15]; computer, OR: 1.59 [95% CI: 1.32–1.91]), and this risk increased if the children also failed to meet physical activity guidelines (television, OR: 1.70 [95% CI: 1.09–2.61]; computer, OR: 1.81 [95% CI: 1.02–3.20]).

CONCLUSION:

Both television viewing and computer use are important independent targets for intervention for optimal well-being for children, irrespective of levels of MVPA or overall sedentary time.
Clinical Utility of the Vanderbilt ADHD Rating Scale for Ruling Out Comorbid Learning Disorders
Authors: Langberg Joshua M. , Vaughn Aaron J. , Brinkman William B. , Froehlich Tanya , Epstein Jeffery N.
Published: October 2010

OBJECTIVE:

The goal was to examine the clinical utility of using the Vanderbilt Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Rating Scale (VARS) to determine when to refer children with ADHD for learningdisorder (LD) evaluations.

METHODS:

A total of 128 stimulant-naive children with ADHD, 7 to 11 years of age, were included in the study. The parents and teachers of 128 children with diagnosed ADHD completed the VARS. The reading, numerical operations, and spelling subtests from the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test, Second Edition, were used to identify children with a comorbid LD. We examined the predictive validity and clinical utility of the VARS performance items for ruling in/out the presence of a comorbid LD.

RESULTS:

Thirty-eight percent of the samples met the criteria for a comorbid LD. A cutoff score of 7.5 for the sum of the VARS parent and teacher reading items had excellent clinical utility for ruling out both reading and spelling LDs. Cutoff scores of 4 for the VARS teacher reading and writing items had excellent utility for ruling out comorbid reading and spelling LDs, respectively. None of the VARS performance items effectively identified or ruled out math LDs.

CONCLUSION:

The VARS performance items should be used with an interview about school functioning and a review of school records to rule out the presence of a comorbid reading or spelling LD for children with diagnosed ADHD.
Different Approaches to Habitat Surveys Can Impact Fisheries Management and Conservation Decisions
Authors: Al-Chokhachy Robert , Roper Brett B.
Published: October 2010

We illustrate how the variability in data collected within and among habitat sampling protocols can profoundly affect the interpretation of habitat quality and quantity, along with the development of habitat-to-fish population metrics. We input data collected from two standardized survey techniques, as well as data collected using one standardized technique with multiple crews, into empirically-based relationships and found the variability in estimates of habitat data resulted in 1-50% differences in predictions of Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) egg-to-fry survival rates. Estimates of percent pool habitat collected via different protocols resulted in up to a 3.5-fold difference in juvenile trout abundance. We also found substantial differences in the geomorphic relationships between large woody debris (LWD) and the frequency of pools when using data collected by different protocols. We illustrate how the precision of estimates of LWD and pool frequency can substantially affect data-crosswalk opportunities between habitat data collected via different protocols. The effects of the variability in habitat assessments illustrated here highlights the importance of standardized, well-documented protocols, adequate training of field crews collecting habitat data, and the need to evaluate potential bias and error.

en el presente trabajo se ilustra cómo la variabilidad en la toma de datos con diferentes protocolos de muestreo, aplicados dentro y entre distintos hábitats, puede afectar sustancialmente la interpretación de la calidad y cantidad del hábitat y el desarrollo de medidas que sirven para relacionan las distintas poblaciones de peces con su hábitat particular. Se utilizaron datos obtenidos mediante dos técnicas estandarizadas de muestreo así como también datos provenientes de una técnica que involucra la participación de distintas tripulaciones en una embarcación. Se encontró que la variación en la toma de datos relativos al hábitat produjo diferencias de entre 1% y 50% en la predicción de las tasas de supervivencia de huevos del salmón Chinook (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha). Así mismo, los estimados del porcentaje de hábitat muestreado mediante distintos protocolos resultó en diferencias de hasta 3.5 veces en la abundancia de juveniles de trucha. También se encontraron diferencias notables en las relaciones geomórficas entre los escombros grandes de madera (EGM) y la frecuencia de las parcelas de hábitat al usar datos colectados con diferentes protocolos de muestreo. Los efectos que aquí se ilustran sobre la variabilidad en las evaluaciones del hábitat, indican la importancia de protocolos de muestreo estandarizados y bien documentados, el entrenamiento adecuado de tripulaciones en el campo y la necesidad de evaluar potenciales sesgos y errores.
Potential Impacts of Docks on Littoral Habitats in Minnesota Lakes
Authors: Radomski Paul , Bergquist Lyn A. , Duval Michael , Williquett Andrew
Published: October 2010

To understand the potential impacts of docks on lake shoreline habitat, an inventory of docks across north-central Minnesota was undertaken and full build-out projections were simulated. Lakes were selected randomly from three lake development classifications (lake class), which define statewide minimum development standards for Minnesota. The three lake classes, in order of increasing restrictions for development, are general development, recreational development, and natural environment. Docks were pervasive along shores for many lakes. Over 14% of the shoreline and 3% of the littoral zone were estimated to be impacted by docks. Build-out scenarios estimated that up to half of the shoreline and 14% of the littoral zone could be impacted with future development. Shoreline development policies may need to be revised to address impacts to fish habitat and recreational surface water use.

Con el propósito de comprender los impactos potenciales que tienen los muelles sobre los hábitats que se encuentran en las orillas de los lagos, se realizó un inventario de los muelles existentes a lo largo de la parte nortecentral de Minnesota y se simularon proyecciones completas de construcción. Los lagos se eligieron al azar a partir de tres clasificaciones de desarrollo de lagos (tipo de lago) en las que se definen estándares estatales mínimos de desarrollo para Minnesota. Los tres tipos de lago, en orden ascendente según las restricciones de desarrollo, son: general, recreativo y de ambiente natural. Se observaron persistentemente muelles a lo largo de la orilla de varios lagos. Se estimó que más del 14% de la orilla y 3% de la zona litoral se encuentra impactada por los muelles. De acuerdo a las simulaciones se estimó que más de la mitad de las orillas y el 14% de la zona litoral puede verse impactada por desarrollos en el futuro. Es posible que las políticas de desarrollo costero deban revisarse detenidamente con el propósito de atender el impacto sobre el hábitat de los peces y el uso del agua con fines recreativos.
Clinical and epidemiological characterization of dengue hemorrhagic fever cases in northeastern, Brazil
Authors: Cavalcanti Luciano Pamplona de Góes , Coelho Ivo Castelo Branco , Vilar Dina Cortez Lima Feitosa , Holanda Susana Glória Silveira , Escóssia Kiliana Nogueira Farias da , Souza-Santos Reinaldo
Published: October 2010

INTRODUCTION: The dengue hemorrhagic dengue (DHF) remains an important public health problem in Brazil. The objective of this study was to analyze the epidemiological characteristics of DHF cases during the 2003 epidemic in Ceará. METHODS: Suspected DHF cases with onset of symptoms between January and December 2003 were investigated. RESULTS: 37,964 classic dengue cases and 291 DHF cases were reported. Among the cases discarded, 75.5% were serologically positive but did not meet the criteria recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). The DHF patients' median age was 30 years (2 - 88). Among the hemorrhagic manifestations, petechiae were the most (32.6%) frequent. Cases of gastrointestinal bleeding, ascites, pericardial pleural effusion, hepatomegaly, hypotension and shock showed higher risk of progression to death (p <0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The introduction of a new serotype (DENV-3) in Ceará, which encountered a susceptible population and high vector density, may have been the primary agent responsible for the magnitude of the epidemic. Timely and appropriate medical care, along with an organized care structure are essential for reducing its lethality.
Lafayette's Impossible Princess: On (Not) Making Literary History
Authors: Paige Nicholas
Published: October 2010

The branch of literary history occupied with generic evolution customarily views masterworks as the drivers of formal change: their success causes later writers to follow their innovations. This article considers the case of the comtesse de Lafayette's La princesse de Clèves, which broke from received Aristotelian ideas on the use of history by focusing on an invented heroine; because the princess was invented, she blocked traditional reading strategies and allowed instead for readerly identification. It is tempting to conclude from this that the novel's innovations made it a harbinger of the future, an ancestor of the nineteenth-century novel. Yet writers of Lafayette's time did not follow her cue, and no trail leads from the princesse de Clèves to later fictive protagonists. Theories of literary evolution must take into account that in many cases there may be no reassuring causal relation between masterworks and broader literary practice.
Afterword: Turning Back to Literature
Authors: Caruth Cathy
Published: October 2010

Three times I rushed, and my heart urged me to hold her, and three times she flew from my hands like a shadow or even a dream.

—Homer, The Odyssey 11.206–08.

To speak of the future of literary criticism is always to speak of the future of literature, which is a mode of language and an institution whose very being essentially touches on the possibility and fragility of its own future. “The fragility of literature,” as Richard Klein suggests, “its susceptibility to being lost,” is at the heart of all literary writing, which emerges from the absence of a “real referent” and thus sustains itself through its reference to other texts, to the archive of literary writing that is made up of figures and other literary articulations that allow us to read. Klein reminds us, citing Jacques Derrida, that literary texts may always disappear: not only because they may be forgotten but also because they are susceptible to the erasure of the archive, to apocalyptic destruction, and to the collective loss of the knowledge of how to read—as a result of new modes of media saturation or, I would add, through the collapse of readability in the age of what Hannah Arendt calls “the modern lie” (“Truth” 253). The force and fragility of literature and of literary criticism are bound up with the possible disappearance of the literary archive, which we implicitly confront in reading literature and in pursuing its forms and thoughts as literary critics.
Haunted (by the) Gospel: Theology, Trauma, and Literary Theory in the Twenty-First Century
Authors: Rambo Shelly
Published: October 2010

At the end of the twentieth century, the expansion of trauma from a therapeutic concept to a way of theorizing about the ruptures of history and memory had, in Geoffrey Hartman's words, added a “displaced evangelical intensity” to literary studies (293). The literary turn to trauma highlighted an ethical dimension to practices of writing, reading, and interpretation; texts were then freighted by violence, called to witness the horrors of history, challenging claims to the clarity and accessibility of words and narrative. Hartman conveys his hesitations about this turn by invoking a religious term—“evangelical”—which is etymologically related togospel, or “good news.” His concern about an infusion of religious zeal into the study of literature may enact a critical refutation of the historical erasure of Jewish origins by Christian claims to “good news.”
Adapting to the Image and Resisting It: On Filming Literature and a Possible World for Literary Studies
Authors: Balfour Ian
Published: October 2010

Predicting any future—or futures—for literary criticism is a risky business, perhaps all the more so now that the relation of literature to its others is arguably subject to greater and faster changes than ever before. The changes to come in literary criticism will be determined by transformations in literature proper as well as by any number of forces outside literature. By changes “within” literature we cannot mean simply those to contemporary or recent literature, whose canons—to say nothing of what exceeds these canons—are far from settled. The literary past continues to change even if every given text endlessly repeats itself like a broken record. For an authoritative formulation of this position, one need not turn to some outré poststructuralist or to Walter Benjamin's contention that even the dead are not “safe” from the reaches of the present (“On the Concept” 391). One can appeal to the sober, usually conservative thinking of T. S. Eliot:

The existing monuments form an ideal order among themselves, which is modified by the introduction of the new (the really new) work of art among them. The existing order is complete before the new work arrives; for order to persist after the supervention of novelty, the whole existing order must be, if ever so slightly, altered; and so the relations, proportions, values of each work of art toward the whole are readjusted; and this is conformity between the old and the new. Whoever has approved this idea of order, of the form of European, of English literature, will not find it preposterous that the past should be altered by the present as much as the present is directed by the past. (38)
Kleene's Amazing Second Recursion Theorem
Authors: Moschovakis Yiannis N.
Published: October 2010

This little gem is stated unbilled and proved (completely) in the last two lines of §2 of the short note Kleene [1938]. In modern notation, with all the hypotheses stated explicitly and in a strong (uniform) form, it reads as follows:

SecondRecursionTheorem(SRT). Fix a set V ⊆ ℕ,and suppose that for each natural number nϵ ℕ = {0, 1, 2, …}, φn: ℕ1+n⇀ Vis a recursive partial function of (1 + n) arguments with values in V so thatthe standard assumptions(a)and(b)hold with

.

(a)Every n-ary recursive partial function with values in V isfor some e.

(b)For all m, n, there is a recursive function: Nm+1→ ℕ such that

.

Then, for every recursive, partial function fof (1+m+n) arguments with values in V, there is a total recursive functionof m arguments such that

Proof. Fixeϵ ℕ such thatand let.

We will abuse notation and write ž; rather than ž() whenm= 0, so that (1) takes the simpler form

in this case (and the proof sets ž =S(e, e)).
Serious Psychological Distress and Diabetes Care among California Adults
Authors: Williams Summer L. , Haskard-Zolnierek Kelly B. , Banta Jim E. , Haviland Mark G. , Dimatteo M. Robin , Anderson Donald L. , Werner Leonard S.
Published: October 2010

Objective:

To evaluate three aspects of diabetes care (foot checks, eye examinations, and hemoglobin AlC checks by a physician) among California adults with Type 2 diabetes and serious psychological distress (SPD).

Method:

Data were from the population-based 2005 California Health Interview Survey. Estimates were that in 2005, 1,516,171 Californians (5.75% of all adults) had a physician-given diabetes diagnosis, and of those, 108,621 (7.16%) had co-morbid SPD.

Results:

Among Californians with Type 2 diabetes, SPD was associated with fewer physician foot checks (odds ratio = 0.56, 95% Confidence Interval = 0.32 to 0.97) but not with fewer eye examinations or hemoglobin AlC checks.

Conclusions:

The findings highlight a specific area—foot complication evaluation and prevention—for improving the quality of diabetes care among adult Californians with Type 2 diabetes and SPD.
Prevalence of Depression among Mothers of Young Children in Honduras
Authors: Wulsin Lawson , Somoza Eugene , Heck Jeffery , Bauer Leah
Published: October 2010

Objective:

Maternal depression is a substantial problem that has negative consequences on the health of both mother and child. Little research has been done on the prevalence of maternal depression in the developing world. This study aims to estimate the prevalence of current depression among mothers in Honduras and identify demographic predictors of depression in this sample.

Methods:

A modified Spanish version of the PHQ-9 and a demographic questionnaire were administered by trained interviewers to 415 rural and urban women aged 15–66 who had children between 1 and 10 years old.

Results:

Prevalence of current major depressive syndrome was 17.6%. Mild depressive symptoms were detected in 52% of the sample. The estimated prevalence of current major depressive syndrome in the urban sample (19%) was not significantly greater than in the rural sample (16%, p = 0.49). None of the demographic variables measured, including age, number of children, or marital status predicted major depression in this sample.

Conclusions:

Maternal depression occurred at a high rate in this sample of Honduran women. The estimated prevalence rates in this study are similar to rates of maternal depression in studies of mothers in other Latin American countries, as well as in samples of mothers on Medicaid in the United States. Further study is needed to confirm and extend these findings, and to identify predictors of maternal depression in this population.
Community-Based Co-Morbidity of Depression and Chronic Physical Illnesses in Hong Kong
Authors: Lee Sing , Ling Yee , Tsang Adley
Published: October 2010

Objective:

To examine the co-morbidity of depression and chronic physical illnesses in a representative sample of Hong Kong Chinese.

Methods:

Five thousand and four participants aged 18–65 years completed a structured telephone interview on major depressive episode (MDE) and eight chronic physical illnesses.

Results:

21.5% ( N = 1078) of respondents had any physical illness in the previous 1 year. Twelve-month MDE was found in 15% ( N = 162) of these physically ill respondents and was significantly associated with physical illnesses (OR: 2.56, 95% CI: 2.07–3.16, p < 0.001). Number of co-morbid physical illnesses had an incremental association with the risk of MDE.

Conclusion:

Co-morbidity of depression and chronic physical illnesses is common in Hong Kong as in Western countries. This speaks to the need for evidence-based practice that encompasses models of integrated care in Hong Kong.
Forecasting Control of State Governments and Redistricting Authority After the 2010 Elections
Authors: Klarner Carl
Published: October 2010

This article makes forecasts for the 2010 state legislative and gubernatorial elections. These forecasts indicate the Republicans will add control of 15 legislative chambers and nine governors offices, leaving them with 51 chambers and 32 governorships. Forecasts about the extent of redistricting authority by the Democratic and Republican parties indicate the Republicans will have authority over 125 U.S. House seats, while the Democrats will have authority over 62. In a chamber level analysis of 2,141 legislative and a state level analysis of 758 gubernatorial elections, four national forces are used in predicting election outcomes from 1950 to present: presidential approval, change in per capita income, midterm loss, and the percentage of respondents who say they will vote for a Democrat for the U.S. House. The differential effect of these forces in states with the straight-ticket option is also taken into account. Monte Carlo simulation that takes into account states different rules regarding redistricting authority is then utilized to assess how many U.S. House seats the Democratic and Republican parties will control.
Moisture Dependent Physical Properties of Grape Seeds
Authors: Milani Jafar , Moetamedzadegan Ali
Published: October 2010

This study was carried out to determine the effect of moisture content on some physical properties of grape seed. Seven levels of moisture content varying from 12.26 to 24.61% (w.b.) were considered in this study. Length, width, thickness, geometric mean diameter, sphericity and 1000 seed mass increased by 2.58%, 3.63%, 8.36%, 4.78%, 2.14%, and 22.62%, respectively, with the increase of moisture content. Bulk and true density increased from 469.3 to 546.3 kg/m3 and 1058.7 to 1159.3 kg/m3, respectively, while porosity decreased from 55.67 to 52.87%. The angle of repose increased from 21.79 to 29.65° with the increase of moisture content. The hardness decreased from 58.72 to 23.34 N with increase in moisture content. The static coefficient of friction of seeds was determined on concrete, galvanized iron, plywood and glass sheets at various moisture contents. The highest and lowest static coefficients of friction were observed on concrete and glass sheet, respectively.
Nasal Carriage of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus Is Associated with Higher All-Cause Mortality in Hemodialysis Patients
Authors: Lai Chun-Fu , Liao Chun-Hsing , Pai Mei-Fen , Chu Fang-Yeh , Hsu Shih-Ping , Chen Hung-Yuan , Yang Ju-Yeh , Chiu Yen-Ling , Peng Yu-Sen , Chang Shan-Chwen , Hung Kuan-Yu , Tsai Tun-Jun , Wu Kwan-Dun
Published: October 2010

Background and objectives

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) nasal carriage is a recognized risk factor for subsequent endogenous infections. However, the association between MRSA carriage and patient survival in hemodialysis patients has not been established.

Design, setting, participants, & measurements

In March 2007, this prospective cohort study enrolled 306 outpatients under maintenance hemodialysis from a hospital-based dialysis center in Taiwan. They received two consecutive weekly nasal swab cultures at the beginning of the study. Patients having at least one positive culture of MRSA were defined as MRSA carriers. Subjects were followed up until December 31, 2008. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality. Main secondary outcomes were infection-related mortality and morbidity.

Results

We identified 29 MRSA carriers (9.48%) at study entry. After a median of 613 days of follow-up, Kaplan-Meier analysis showed significant survival differences between MRSA carriers and noncarriers (log-rank P = 0.02). Compared with noncarriers, MRSA carriers had a 2.46-fold increased risk of dying from any cause, after adjusting for covariates at the start of follow-up. The adjusted hazard ratios of infection-related mortality and occurrence of subsequent S. aureus infection in carriers were 4.99 and 4.31, respectively.

Conclusions

A major limitation is the relatively small sample size of MRSA carriers. Nevertheless, we demonstrated that there may be an association between MRSA nasal carriage and poor clinical outcomes in an outpatient hemodialysis population. This underscores the need for routine surveillance of MRSA nasal carriage and should alert the physicians of a group at high risk of morbidity and mortality.
Influence of the way of synthesis of poly(methyl methacrylate) in the presence of surface modified TiO2 nanoparticles on the properties of obtained nanocomposites
Authors: Dzunuzovic Enis , Marinovic-Cincovic Milena , Dzunuzovic Jasna , Jeremic Katarina , Nedeljkovic Jovan
Published: October 2010

Incorporation of inorganic nanoparticles can significantly affect the
properties of the polymer matrix. The properties of polymer nanocomposites
depend on the type of incorporated nanoparticles, their size and shape, their
concentration, and interactions with the polymer matrix. Homogeneity of
polymer nanocomposites is influenced very much by the preparation method. In
this study, TiO2 nanoparticles surface modified with 6-palmitate ascorbic
acid (6-PAA) were incapsulated in poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) by in situ
radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate initiated by
2,2'-azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN). The surface modification of the TiO2
nanoparticles was achieved by the formation of a charge transfer complex
between TiO2 nanoparticles and 6-palmitate ascorbic acid. The radical
polymerization of MMA in the presence of TiO2-PAA nanoparticles was conducted
in solution (PMMA/TiO2-PAA-R), in bulk (PMMA/TiO2-PAA-M) or in suspension
(PMMA/TiO2-PAA-S). The main purpose of this study was to investigate the
influence of the preparation method on the molar masses and thermal
properties of PMMA/TiO2-PAA nanocomposite. It was obtained that molar masses
of PMMA extracted from the composites had smaller values compared to molar
masses of pure PMMA synthesized in the same manner, which indicated that
TiO2-PAA nanoparticles affected the reaction of termination. Thermal
properties were investigated by DSC and TGA. The values of glass transition
temperature, Tg, were influenced by the way the radical polymerization was
conducted, even in the case of the pure PMMA. The Tg of composite samples was
always smaller than the value of the corresponding PMMA sample and the
smallest value was obtained for PMMA/TiO2-PAA-M since they contained the
largest amount of low molar mass residue. The TGA results showed that thermal
and thermooxidative stability of polymer composites obtained in solution and
in suspension was better than for the pure PMMA obtained in the same way.
Some problems of integrating the landscape planning into the spatial and environmental planning in Serbia
Authors: Micic-Maksin Marija
Published: October 2010

A short review has been given of Serbian spatial and environmental planning, and in particular of relevant legislation. Attention has been paid to the landscape treatment within legislative grounds, and correspondingly in planning practice. Few assumptions have been made, upon the lack of methodological and integrated approach to the landscape protection and management. Strategic plans (spatial and town master plans), sectoral plans and policies (for soil, forestry etc) have been reviewed in attempt to verify the stated assumptions. The problems of landscape and open green space protection and maintenance have been brought up. In reference to the EU recommendations, legislation and instruments have been investigated regarding the entrenchment of the landscape concept and landscape planning into the spatial, environmental and related sectoral planning. Prior to the landscape concept implementation is the survey and establishment of regional landscape diversification so as to differentiate regional approaches to landscape planning.