bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Extensions of ValEncIA‐IVP for reduction of overestimation, for simulation of differential algebraic systems, and for dynamical optimization
Authors: Rauh Andreas , Auer Ekaterina , Minisini Johanna , Hofer Eberhard P.
Published: February 2008

Simulation techniques are commonly used to analyze the influence of uncertainties of initial conditions and systemparameters on the trajectories of the state variables of dynamical systems. In this context, interval arithmetic approaches are of interest. They are capable of determining guaranteed bounds of all reachable states if worst‐case bounds of the above‐mentioned uncertainties are known. Furthermore, interval algorithms ensure the correctness of numerical results in spite of rounding errors which inevitably arise if floating point operations are carried out on a computer. However, naive implementations of interval algorithms often lead to overestimation, i.e., too conservative enclosures which can make the results meaningless.

In this contribution, we summarize the basic routines of ValEncIA‐IVP which computes interval enclosures of all reachable states of dynamical systems described by ordinary differential equations ODEs. ValEncIA‐IVP, VALidation of state ENClosures using Interval Arithmetic for Initial Value Problems, can be applied to the simulation of systems with both uncertain parameters and uncertain initial conditions. Advanced techniques for reduction of overestimation are demonstrated for a simplified catalytic reactor. Afirst approach to using VanEncIA‐IVP for the simulation of sets of differential algebraic equations is outlined. Finally, an outlook on the integration of ValEncIA‐IVP in an interval arithmetic framework for computation of optimal and robust control strategies for continuous‐time processes is given. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Fast distributed bi‐directional authentication for wireless sensor networks
Authors: Fantacci Romano , Chiti Francesco , Maccari Leonardo
Published: February 2008

In this paper, we present the comparison between a distributed and a centralized authentication protocol for wireless sensor networks (WSN). We outline the difference between authentication and key‐agreement schemes and we propose a novel approach based on the use of polynomial functions to produce a distributed bi‐directional authentication. The advantages of this approach are: speed of operation that can allow multiple subsequent authentications, thus support to mobility; balanced energy consumption if compared with the imbalanced centralized approach and the prevention of partition attacks. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Security issues in massive online games
Authors: Hu Jiankun , Zambetta Fabio
Published: February 2008

In this paper, an investigation is conducted on the security issues in massive multiplayer games. A taxonomy framework for online cheating is provided. Under this proposed framework, online cheating is classified and state of the art counter‐cheating techniques are analysed with emphasis on attacks that pose a considerable challenge to the security of massive multiplayer online games. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Intraoperative Monitoring of the Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve in Thyroid Surgery
Authors: Dralle H. , Sekulla C. , Lorenz K. , Brauckhoff M. , Machens A. ,   the German IONM Study Group
Published: February 2008

Background

Recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) palsy ranks among the leading reasons for medicolegal litigation of surgeons because of its attendant reduction in quality of life. As a risk minimization tool, intraoperative nerve monitoring (IONM) has been introduced to verify RLN function integrity intraoperatively. Nevertheless, a systematic evidence‐based assessment of this novel health technology has not been performed.

Methods

The present study was based on a systematic appraisal of the literature using evidence‐based criteria.

Results

Recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy rates (RLNPR) varied widely after thyroid surgery, ranging from 0%–7.1% for transient RLN palsy to 0%–11% for permanent RLN palsy. These rates did not differ much from those reported for visual nerve identification without the use of IONM. Six studies with more than 100 nerves at risk (NAR) each evaluated RLNPR by contrasting IONM with visual nerve identification only. Recuurent laryngeal nerve palsy rates tended to be lower with IONM than without it, but this difference was not statistically significant. Six additional studies compared IONM findings with their corresponding postoperative laryngoscopic results. Those studies revealed high negative predictive values (NPV; 92%–100%), but relatively low and variable positive predictive values (PPV; 10%–90%) for IONM, limiting its utility for intraoperative RLN management.

Conclusions

Apart from navigating the surgeon through challenging anatomies, IONM may lend itself as a routine adjunct to the gold standard of visual nerve identification. To further reduce the number of false negative IONM signals, the causes underlying its relatively low PPV require additional clarification.
Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis
Authors: Takami Hiroshi E. , Miyabe Rika , Kameyama Kaori
Published: February 2008

Goiters were often associated with iodine deficiency in European mountain areas, with some goiters being quite disfiguring. However, some goiters seem not to be related to iodine deficiency. One of the types of goiter that are unrelated to iodine deficiency is the disease described by Hakaru Hashimoto in 1912. Hashimoto described it as a special characteristic of a new type of lymphomatous thyroid tumor in Japan, and this entity was recognized as an autoimmune disease of the thyroid many years later. Hashimoto published his article in a German journal because that was the scientific language of the time, and he thought that writing in German would make the work more widely available around the world. Patients with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis are usually asymptomatic, and some patients develop goiters with or without hypothyroidism. The goiters and hypothyroidism usually respond to treatment with thyroid hormone. The dose of thyroid hormone must be carefully titrated because there may be autonomous thyroid function resulting from thyroid‐stimulating antibodies despite the hypothyroid state.
Prolonged Postoperative Ileus—Definition, Risk Factors, and Predictors after Surgery
Authors: Artinyan Avo , Nunoo‐Mensah Joseph W. , Balasubramaniam Swarna , Gauderman Jim , Essani Rahila , Gonzalez‐Ruiz Claudia , Kaiser Andreas M. , Beart Robert W.
Published: February 2008

Background

Postoperative ileus (POI) remains an inevitable consequence of abdominal surgery. Although the pathogenesis of delayed gastrointestinal transit in the postoperative period has been the subject of considerable study, a clinically useful definition of what constitutes a pathologically prolonged ileus has yet to be established. The objectives of this study were to describe a definition for an abnormally prolonged ileus and to identify risk factors and predictors of prolonged ileus in patients undergoing abdominal surgery.

Materials and methods

Over a 12‐month period 88 patients who had abdominal surgery were retrospectively reviewed. The association of clinical factors with the duration of POI was examined with statistical tests.

Results

The mean time to commencing the consumption of unrestricted clear fluids after surgery was 2.3 ± SD 1.6 days. The median duration of POI was 5 days (median 6 days), with an interquartile range of 3–6 days. Univariate regression analysis demonstrated significant correlations between duration of POI and estimated blood loss (EBL), total surgical time, and total opiate dose (TOD) (p = 0.009, p = 0.045, and p = 0.041, respectively). Multiple regression analysis identified EBL and TOD as independent predictors of duration of POI.

Conclusions

We have identified two risk factors (EBL and TOD) that are independently associated with duration of POI. Our data suggest that with the definition of abnormal prolonged postoperative ileus as the number of days above the 3rd quartile, an ileus greater than 6 days serves as a better clinical definition of prolonged POI than 3 days, the measure that has previously been suggested.
Acute Care Surgery: The European Model
Authors: Uranues Selman , Lamont Eugenia
Published: February 2008

Background

This study was designed to determine whether there is in fact a European model of acute care surgery and to describe the different care systems in the individual European countries.

Methods

Questionnaires were sent to experts on emergency surgery in 27 European countries. The assessment of attitudes toward the emerging discipline of acute care surgery was the main outcome measure.

Results

Replies were received from at least one respondent from each of 18 countries. They indicated a high awareness of the new field of acute care surgery, although this has not yet become a recognized (sub‐)specialty in any of the countries polled. In addition, several interesting new trends were identified: for example, different approaches depending on individual political influences.

Conclusions

There is no European consensus on acute care surgery. In some central European countries, specialists qualify in general and orthopedic trauma surgery; these allrounders also perform life‐saving thoracic and neurosurgical procedures, such as emergency thoracotomies and craniotomies. The European model is not a uniform system for acute surgical care.
Distinct taxonomic position of the Madagascar stonechat (Saxicola torquatus sibilla) revealed by nucleotide sequences of mitochondrial DNA
Authors: Woog Friederike , Wink Michael , Rastegar-Pouyani Eskandar , Gonzalez Javier , Helm Barbara
Published: February 2008

Stonechats (genus Saxicola) are passerine birds with an extraordinarily large breeding distribution. Recent studies provide strong evidence that the taxon shows far greater geographic differentiation than originally suspected, with African, Siberian and European stonechats forming distinct, monophyletic groups that have been suggested to be species in their own right. Here, we present additional data on the geographic differentiation among African stonechats, Saxicola torquatus. Nucleotide sequences of the mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 and cytochrome b genes indicate that the stonechats from Eastern Madagascar (Saxicola t. sibilla) form a distinct clade and that they constitute a monophyletic group with stonechats from mainland eastern Africa (Saxicola t. axillaris) and La Réunion (Saxicola tectes). The genetic and morphological data suggest that the Madagascar stonechat is very likely to be a distinct species, Saxicola sibilla (Linnaeus 1766). However, further studies are needed to verify this. A detailed description of the plumage and various external body measurements is given.
Using Planned Adaptation to Implement Evidence‐Based Programs with New Populations
Authors: Lee Shawna J. , Altschul Inna , Mowbray Carol T.
Published: February 2008

The Interactive Systems Framework (ISF) for Dissemination and Implementation (Wandersman et al. 2008) elaborates the functions and structures that move evidence‐based programs (EBPs) from research to practice. Inherent in that process is the tension between implementing programs with fidelity and the need to tailor programs to fit the target population. We propose Planned Adaptation as one approach to resolve this tension, with the goal of guiding practitioners in adapting EBPs so that they maintain core components of program theory while taking into account the needs of particular populations. Planned Adaptation is a form of capacity building within the Prevention Support System that provides a framework to guide practitioners in adapting programs while encouraging researchers to provide information relevant to adaptation as a critical aspect of dissemination research, with the goal of promoting wider dissemination and better implementation of EBPs. We illustrate Planned Adaptation using the JOBS Program (Caplan et al. 1989), which was developed for recently laid‐off, working‐ and middle‐class workers and subsequently implemented with welfare recipients.
Unpacking Prevention Capacity: An Intersection of Research‐to‐practice Models and Community‐centered Models
Authors: Flaspohler Paul , Duffy Jennifer , Wandersman Abraham , Stillman Lindsey , Maras Melissa A.
Published: February 2008

Capacity is a complex construct that lacks definitional clarity. Little has been done to define capacity, explicate components of capacity, or explore the development of capacity in prevention. This article represents an attempt to operationalize capacity and distinguish among types and levels of capacity as they relate to dissemination and implementation through the use of a taxonomy of capacity. The development of the taxonomy was informed by the capacity literature from two divergent models in the field: research‐to‐practice (RTP) models and community‐centered (CC) models. While these models differ in perspective and focus, both emphasize the importance of capacity to the dissemination and sustainability of prevention innovations. Based on the review of the literature, the taxonomy differentiates the concepts of capacity among two dimensions: level (individual, organizational, and community levels) and type (general capacity and innovation‐specific capacity). The proposed taxonomy can aid in understanding the concept of capacity and developing methods to support the implementation and sustainability of prevention efforts in novel settings.
On Similarity Coefficients for 2×2 Tables and Correction for Chance
Authors: Warrens Matthijs J.
Published: February 2008

This paper studies correction for chance in coefficients that are linear functions of the observed proportion of agreement. The paper unifies and extends various results on correction for chance in the literature. A specific class of coefficients is used to illustrate the results derived in this paper. Coefficients in this class, e.g. the simple matching coefficient and the Dice/Sørenson coefficient, become equivalent after correction for chance, irrespective of what expectation is used. The coefficients become either Cohen’s kappa, Scott’s pi, Mak’s rho, Goodman and Kruskal’s lambda, or Hamann’s eta, depending on what expectation is considered appropriate. Both a multicategorical generalization and a multivariate generalization are discussed.
The Social Division of Welfare Surveillance
Authors: HENMAN PAUL , MARSTON GREG
Published: February 2008

Electronic surveillance has grown rapidly in recent years. Despite this, surveillance practices and their social products are yet to receive serious attention in the academic field of social policy. Extending Titmuss’ classical articulation of the social division of welfare, this article develops the notion of the social division of welfare surveillance to point to the way in which surveillance, compliance burdens and risk management unevenly operate within society. The implications for reinforcing social divisions and critical social policy analysis are discussed.
Between Ideas, Institutions and Interests: Analysing Third Way Welfare Reform Programmes in Germany and the United Kingdom
Authors: HUDSON JOHN , HWANG GYU-JIN , KÜHNER STEFAN
Published: February 2008

This article examines the policy detail of welfare state reform agendas in two countries in which self-proclaimed ‘Third Way’ governments have been in power – Germany and the United Kingdom – in order to explore the competing influences on social policy of an ostensibly common set of ideas and contrasting institutionalised policy legacies. In so doing, it assesses the analytic utility of Bevir and Rhodes’ ideationally rooted interpretive approach against institutionally rooted claims of path dependency. It concludes that while the interpretive approach rightly stresses the need for a stronger focus on ideas as an explanation for policy change, the detail of actual Third Way policy reforms can only be understood from within the two nations’ institutionalised policy legacies. In addition, it argues that policy networks have had a considerable influence on reform trajectories too. The article advocates a closer synthesis of perspectives centred around ideas, interests and institutions in order to further our understanding of processes of policy change.
The Public Administration of Politics, or What Political Science Could Learn from Public Administration
Authors: Meier Kenneth J.
Published: February 2008

The purpose of the John Gaus Award and Lectureship is to recognize “scholarship in the joint tradition of political science and public administration.” That tradition has a long and honorable history. Many of the presidents of the American Political Science Association were scholars of public administration (Frank J. Goodnow, Woodrow Wilson, W. W. Willoughby, Leonard White, Luther Gulick, Pendleton Herring, Emmette S. Redford, Carl J. Friedrich, James Q. Wilson, and Matthew Holden, Jr.) and several others made contributions to the literature (V. O. Key, Jr., Charles S. Hyneman, Robert A. Dahl, Aaron Wildavsky, and Elinor Ostrom). Yet a visitor from another planet studying political science and public administration might conclude that these tribes have evolved into two distinct species. Prepared for presentation as the John Gaus Distinguished Lecture, American Political Science Association Annual Meeting, September 1, 2006, Philadelphia. I would like to thank Paul Brace, George Krause, Alisa Hicklin, Larry O'Toole, Jim Rogers, and Michael Thies for their assistance.
The 2006 Mexican Election and Its Aftermath: Editor's
Introduction
Authors: Klesner Joseph L.
Published: February 2008

Competition came to Mexico's new democracy with unexpected fury
in the nation's 2006 presidential election. Until recently Mexico was
the bastion of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), where
opposition parties could rarely hope to gain half as many votes as the
PRI. But in the July 2 presidential election, Felipe Calderón of
the National Action Party (PAN) edged Ándres Manuel López
Obrador of the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD) by a mere 233,831
votes, or 0.58% of the more than 41.5 million cast. The PRI's
candidate, Roberto Madrazo, finished a distant third. Calderón took
this razor-thin margin after a fiercely competitive campaign marked by
lavish media spending and the use of negative attack ads. López
Obrador has contested the outcome from the time the polls closed until the
present, calling his supporters into the streets on several occasions to
put pressure on the electoral authorities to recount the votes; staging an
“election by acclamation” in which those present at a rally on
Mexico's Independence Day “elected” López Obrador
by a show of hands; and holding an “inauguration” ceremony on
November 20, the anniversary of the onset of the Mexican Revolution. While
López Obrador challenged the preliminary outcome, Calderón
had to wait patiently until the Federal Electoral Tribunal (TRIFE)
declared him elected on September 5, fully two months after the ballots
had been cast.
How Did We Get Here? Mexican Democracy after the 2006
Elections
Authors: Lawson Chappell
Published: February 2008

On July 2, 2006, Mexican voters elected National Action Party (PAN)
candidate Felipe Calderón as the next president of Mexico.
Calderón's victory was extremely narrow; he won under 36% of
the total vote and less that 0.6% more than his leftist rival,
Andrés Manuel López Obrador. This potentially problematic
situation was aggravated by López Obrador's decision to
challenge Calderón's victory, both in the courts and in the
streets. López Obrador's protest campaign culminated on
September 16, when tens of thousands of his followers gathered in downtown
Mexico City to acclaim him “legitimate president” of Mexico.
Meanwhile, in the legislature, leaders of López Obrador's
Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD) oscillated between hints that
they would collaborate with Calderón's administration and
signs that they would adopt a posture of untrammeled hostility.
Collaboration and Institutional Endurance in U.S. Water Policy
Authors: Gerlak Andrea K. , Heikkila Tanya
Published: February 2008

Collaborative institutions, which involve the collective decision-making by multiple political agencies, communities, and stakeholders, are becoming increasingly important for addressing policy dilemmas that are not bound within a single jurisdiction. This is especially true in the environmental arena (Wondolleck and Yaffee 2000; Karkkainen 2002; Koontz et al. 2004; Lubell 2004; McKinney and Harmon 2004; Brick et al. 2001; Sabel et al. 2000). In the water management field, for instance, Sabatier, Weible, and Ficker (2005) have argued that the growth of collaborative efforts among small watersheds is so widespread that it has become a new paradigm of management. A considerable body of policy research, particularly on watershed management, has begun to examine the factors that support the emergence of collaborative environmental governance (Lubell et al. 2002; Blomquist 1992; Ostrom 1990). Understanding what factors affect the performance of collaborative institutions has also become an emerging theme in this scholarship (Sabatier, Leach, Lubell, and Pelkey 2005; Leach, Pelkey, and Sabatier 2002; Conley and Moote 2003; Innes and Booher 1999). Empirically and methodologically however, what is often missing from research on collaborative institutions is a clearer picture of what factors support the endurance of collaborative institutions over time.
European Anti-Americanism and Choices for a European Defense
Policy
Authors: Ray Leonard , Johnston Gregory
Published: February 2008

Since the end of World War II, a strong transatlantic partnership has
been a cornerstone of Western geopolitical strategy. This does not mean
that transatlantic relations have always been cordial. The North Atlantic
Treaty Organization (NATO) was beset by periodic crises and disagreement
throughout the Cold War and into the 1990s. Recent disagreements centered
on the deployment of intermediate-range nuclear missiles in Europe during
the 1980s, and on NATO involvement in the former Yugoslavia during the
1990s. In the immediate aftermath of the terrorist attacks of September
11, 2001, NATO enjoyed a brief resurgence as its member nations voted
unanimously to activate their mutual defense commitments under the North
Atlantic Treaty (see Kaplan 2004). However, this
was soon eclipsed by the subsequent dispute over U.S.-led military
intervention in Iraq, the rancor rising out of which has struck such
seasoned observers as Henry Kissinger and Colin Powell as being an order
of magnitude worse than from past NATO crises (cited in Pond 2004, ix). Kaplan (2004, ix)
describes it as a “near death” experience that threatened
“to dissolve an entity that had survived over half a century.”
Others argue that the alliance can and should be “saved” from
a crisis that “need not be terminal to the political vitality of
Atlanticism” (Hodge 2004, x). We suggest
that this diplomatic crisis is doubled by a crisis in European confidence
in the U.S. which may also be of unprecedented magnitude, and of some
duration.
The Political Science 400: A 20-Year Update
Authors: Masuoka Natalie , Grofman Bernard , Feld Scott L.
Published: February 2008

This essay is the first of a planned three-part series dealing with
quantitative indicators of continuity and change in the political science
discipline, focusing on the period since 1960. The series is inspired by
the work of Somit and Tanenhaus (1967) which
presented reputational rankings of both departments and individuals. For
this series of essays, we created a unique database in which we recorded
cumulative citation counts between 1960–2005 for all regular faculty
members of U.S. Ph.D.-granting institutions ca. 2002. In addition to
identifying the department at which the individuals in this data set are
presently employed, we have also collected information on their date of
Ph.D. and the institution from which their Ph.D. was awarded. The authors would like to thank Robert Axelrod,
Nathaniel Beck, Russell Dalton, James Fowler, Ronald Inglehart, Margaret
Levi, Michael Lewis-Beck, Jean Oi, Dorothy Solinger, Don Wittman, and the
anonymous reviewers of PS for their helpful feedback and
corrections. We are also indebted to the bibliographic assistance of
Clover Behrend-Gethard, and to the inspiration of Hans-Dieter
Klingemann's pioneering work. Any errors presented in this paper are
the sole responsibility of the authors. The authors welcome corrections to
the data that is presented in this series. Comments and corrections can be
sent to Bgrofman@uci.edu.
Participation by Women in the 2006 APSA Annual Meeting
Authors: Gruberg Martin
Published: February 2008

This is the 35th year that I have been monitoring
participation by women at our Annual Meeting. These PS reports
have documented the ascent of women in our profession. While some are
sanguine in believing that women have achieved sufficient advancement and
that my annual assessments are no longer necessary, there was a plenary
roundtable at the 2006 meeting with a premise that there is still a
problem of continuing underrepresentation in the discipline (see Table
1).
Biography of Robert Axelrod
Authors: Ostrom Elinor
Published: February 2008

It is a great honor for the American Political Science Association to
have Robert Axelrod as our current president. Axelrod combines a devotion
to rigorous science as well as a deep concern with policy issues,
particularly those of international peace and the threat of nuclear war.
His fascination and distress about threats to peace is a major source of
the fantastic energy he has brought to his work. Simultaneously, his
insistence on rigorous exploration on the processes that enhance
cooperation in complex settings has ensured that his theoretical
breakthroughs have been widely recognized across the social sciences as
well as in biology and computer sciences. I
wish to thank Michael Cohen, Robert Keohane, Rick Riolo, Robert Putnam,
Carl Simon, and Leigh Tesfatsion for their input and comments on this
biographical essay and Nicole Todd and Patty Lezotte for their help in
preparing this essay.
Herbert McClosky
Authors: Polsby Nelson W.
Published: February 2008

Herbert McClosky, professor of political science emeritus at the
University of California, Berkeley, died on March 13, 2006, of pneumonia
and complications of Parkinson's disease in Oakland, California. He
was 89 years old.
Global Videoconferencing as a Tool for Internationalizing Our
Classrooms
Authors: Martin Pamela L.
Published: February 2008

We are sitting in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and they are sitting
in Cumbayá, Ecuador, and we are discussing the inequalities of
globalization. In Quito, over 150,000 people are protesting in front of
the Presidential Palace with signs reading, “Basta con la
dictadura!” (Enough with the dictatorship!), furious over
then-President Lucio Gutierrez's controversial dismissal of the
country's Supreme Court. Meanwhile, back in Myrtle Beach, we're
witnessing events live through video footage my students shot while in
Quito participating in the protests. Political demonstrations like this
are common in the less developed world, but they seldom translate this
vividly into a globalization classroom. At Coastal Carolina University and
La Universidad San Francisco de Quito, however, images like this and
conversations about such dramatic daily events are made possible by a
videoconference link between the two universities that facilitates a
semester-long class on globalization.
Global APSA: An Institutional Perspective
Authors: Ingebritsen Christine
Published: February 2008

As the University of Washington prepared for the arrival of Dr. Paul
Farmer, a global health doctor and the subject of the campus common book,
Mountains Beyond Mountains (New York: Random House, 2003), a team
of faculty, administrators, and community leaders promoted ideas of global
citizenship both on and off the territorial boundaries of the campus. The
book, selected for its resonance with issues of general interest to the
campus (interdisciplinary approaches, student engagement, a new global
health initiative, the power of ideas, the role of entrepreneurship, and
the capacity for non-state actors in world politics to shape agendas), had
acquired a following more like a social movement than an administrative
initiative. Coffee shops adjoining the campus featured copies of the book,
and honors students coordinated and invited faculty members to come to
evening discussion sessions. As University of Washington Professor
Jonathan Mayer commented, “I have seen this book change careers and
change lives.”
The tip of the iceberg: laptop music and the information-technological transformation of music
Authors: Grossmann Rolf
Published: February 2008

Understanding laptop music requires more than a new perspective on the configuration of a ‘weareable computer and an audio interface’ as a musical instrument for performance. It combines the strategies and traditions of electronic media-related music composition of the twentieth century, like reproductive music, electronic music, computer music and Net music in a single, digital, multi-purpose device originally designed for business and multimedia applications. Consequently, what we hear is mostly not a genuine laptop music, but one facet of the information-technological transformation of music that has been the result of the digital integration of these established traditions. This article gives an overview of the aesthetic implications of these traditions and with respect to laptop performance and musical style.
Efficiency and Equity Considerations in the Employment of Health Care Assistants and Support Workers
Authors: Thornley Carole
Published: February 2008

A major policy plank in health and social care involves rebalancing ‘skillmix’ or occupational grademix to effect cost efficiency savings. In line with this, there has been a large expansion in recent years in the employment of care assistants/support workers. This article focuses on the largest employment area for these occupations – healthcare. It draws upon commissioned research projects to detail the context for the introduction of these new grades, to highlight issues in practice and usage to date, and to analyse tensions between policy objectives around efficiency and equity in the employment of these workers.
Intimate Partner Violence in the United States: An Ecological Approach to Prevention and Treatment
Authors: Shobe Marcia A. , Dienemann Jacqueline
Published: February 2008

Physical, sexual, verbal and economic abuse, also known as Intimate Partner Violence (IPV), comprise a major public health problem. IPV risk factors include poverty, stress, substance use, depression, and history of child maltreatment. Protective factors include human capital (functional health and work competencies/qualifications), social capital (formal/informal relationships and resources) and financial capital (income and assets). Traditional IPV initiatives focus on increasing social capital by changing the cognition and/or behaviour of victims or perpetrators and increasing legal sanctions and supportive resources. The proposed Asset Model of IPV Resolution extends the current model to include an ecological approach to the prevention and resolution of IPV. In addition to human and social capital development, the authors suggest financial capital development through Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) as one social policy initiative to support women at risk of or women who experience IPV.
Withering the Citizen, Managing the Consumer: Complaints in Healthcare Settings
Authors: Allsop Judith , Jones Kathryn
Published: February 2008

This paper considers concepts of citizenship and consumerism in light of complaints about healthcare, which have risen since the early1990s, due to a greater willingness by the healthcare user to complain, and also the reforms in complaint systems. The narrow legal model for dealing with complaints has been replaced by a managerial model based on corporate sector practice that views complaint handling as a way of retaining customers and organisational learning. The managerial model has proved difficult to embed into the English NHS and has been superposed with a centralised regulatory system that aims to manage performance while also being responsible for reviewing, complaints and being responsive to complainants. It is argued that this may have positive consequences in terms of improving healthcare quality but more negatively, the promotion of consumerism within complaints processes has led to a loss of the right to due process and public accountability.
Effects of solar wind dynamic pressure and preconditioning on large geomagnetic storms
Authors: Xie H. , Gopalswamy N. , St. Cyr O. C. , Yashiro S.
Published: February 2008

We investigate the effects of solar wind dynamic pressure, Pdyn, and preconditioning in 88 large magnetic storms (Dst < −100 nT) occurring during solar cycle 23. We have developed an improved model of the Dst profile, based on a modified Burton equation, where additional effects of Pdyn and diminished Dst pressure‐correction have been taking into account. On the average, our model predicts the Dst peak values within 9% of observations and gives an overall RMS error of 11%, which is an improvement over those models whose injection functions only depend on the solar wind electric field. The results demonstrate that there is an increase in the Dst peak value when there is a large enhancement of Pdyn during the main phase of a storm. The average increase of the storm intensity is estimated to be 26% for 15 storms with the max (Pdyn) > 15 nPa. We find that the preconditioning in multi‐step Dst storms plays no significant role in strengthening the storm intensity, but increases the storm duration.
In situ measurements of the evolution of young sea ice
Authors: Notz Dirk , Worster M. Grae
Published: February 2008

We present data from in situ measurements of the salinity evolution of young sea ice in the Arctic. The measurements were carried out with very high vertical and temporal resolution over the course of a few days until the ice had reached a thickness of around 20 cm. The measured bulk salinity profiles show that during ice growth, sea‐ice salinity is continuous across the ice‐ocean interface and that there is no instantaneous loss of salt at the advancing front. Measured salt fluxes emanating from the ice are as high as 90 g m−2 h−1 during the first few hours of new ice formation and are roughly half as large during later stages of the experiments. The bulk salinity within the ice decreases continuously with time from the ocean water salinity to a near–steady state value of around 4 parts per thousand (ppt). These results are interpreted with ideas from mushy layer theory using a Rayleigh number to analyze gravity drainage as the driving mechanism for the observed salt loss. In our experiments, gravity drainage occurs for a critical Rayleigh number of around 10, in close agreement with earlier theoretical and experimental studies.
Determination of the seasonal mass balance of four Alpine glaciers since 1865
Authors: Huss M. , Bauder A. , Funk M. , Hock R.
Published: February 2008

Alpine glaciers have suffered major losses of ice in the last century. We compute spatially distributed seasonal mass balances of four glaciers in the Swiss Alps (Grosser Aletschgletscher, Rhonegletscher, Griesgletscher and Silvrettagletscher) for the period 1865 to 2006. The mass balance model is forced by daily air temperature and precipitation data compiled from various long‐term data series. The model is calibrated using ice volume changes derived from five to nine high‐resolution digital elevation models, annual discharge data and a newly compiled data set of more than 4000 in situ measurements of mass balance covering different subperiods. The cumulative mass balances over the 142 year period vary between −35 and −97 m revealing a considerable mass loss. There is no significant trend in winter balances, whereas summer balances display important fluctuations. The rate of mass loss in the 1940s was higher than in the last decade. Our approach combines different types of field data with mass balance modeling to resolve decadal scale ice volume change observations to seasonal and spatially distributed mass balance series. The results contribute to a better understanding of the climatic forcing on Alpine glaciers in the last century.
Homocysteine, S-adenosylmethionine and S-adenosylhomocysteine are associated with retinal microvascular abnormalities: the Hoorn Study
Authors: Van Hecke Manon V. , Dekker Jacqueline M. , Nijpels Giel , Teerlink Tom , Jakobs Cornelis , Stolk Ronald P. , Heine Rob J. , Bouter Lex M. , Polak Bettine C.P. , Stehouwer Coen D.A.
Published: February 2008

The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between homocysteine and homocysteine metabolism components and retinal microvascular disorders in subjects with and without Type 2 diabetes. In this population-based study of 256 participants, aged 60–85 years, we determined total plasma homocysteine, SAM (S-adenosylmethionine) and SAH (S-adenosylhomocysteine) in plasma and erythrocytes, total folate in serum and erythrocytes, 5-MTHF (5-methyltetrahydrofolate), and vitamins B12 and B6. Participants were examined ophthalmologically by means of indirect funduscopy and two-field 45 ° fundus photography, and were graded for retinopathy and retinal sclerotic vessel abnormalities. A computer-assisted method was used to measure retinal vessel diameters. Total plasma homocysteine was inversely associated with retinal arteriolar diameters {standardized β, −0.20 [95% CI (confidence interval), −0.33 to −0.07]} or a decrease of 3.78 μm CRAEs (central retinal arteriolar equivalents) per 1 S.D. increase in homocysteine level (=4.6 μmol/l). In addition, the SAM/SAH ratio in plasma was inversely associated with retinal sclerotic vessel abnormalities and retinopathy [odds ratios, 0.61 (95% CI, 0.39–0.96) and 0.50 (95% CI, 0.30–0.83) per 1 S.D. respectively]. The associations were independent of age, sex, glucose tolerance status, other homocysteine metabolism components and cardiovascular risk factors. In conclusion, the results of the present study support the concept that total plasma homocysteine and a low SAM/SAH ratio in plasma, which may reflect reduced transmethylation reactions, may contribute to the pathogenesis of (retinal) microangiopathy.
Clinical significance of chemosensitivity in chronic heart failure: influence on neurohormonal derangement, Cheyne–Stokes respiration and arrhythmias
Authors: Giannoni Alberto , Emdin Michele , Poletti Roberta , Bramanti Francesca , Prontera Concetta , Piepoli Massimo , Passino Claudio
Published: February 2008

Increased chemosensitivity has been observed in HF (heart failure) and, in order to clarify its pathophysiological and clinical relevance, the aim of the present study was to investigate its impact on neurohormonal balance, breathing pattern, response to exercise and arrhythmic profile. A total of 60 patients with chronic HF [age, 66±1 years; LVEF (left ventricular ejection fraction), 31±1%; values are means±S.E.M.] underwent assessment of HVR (hypoxic ventilatory response) and HCVR (hypercapnic ventilatory response), neurohormonal evaluation, cardiopulmonary test, 24-h ECG monitoring, and assessment of CSR (Cheyne–Stokes respiration) by diurnal and nocturnal polygraphy. A total of 60% of patients had enhanced chemosensitivity. Those with enhanced chemosensitivity to both hypoxia and hypercapnia (i.e. HVR and HCVR), compared with those with normal chemosensitivity, had significantly (all P<0.01) higher noradrenaline (norepinephrine) and BNP (B-type natriuretic peptide) levels, higher prevalence of daytime and night-time CSR, worse NYHA (New York Heart Association) class and ventilatory efficiency [higher V̇E (minute ventilation)/V̇CO2 (carbon dioxide output) slope], and a higher incidence of chronic atrial fibrillation and paroxysmal non-sustained ventricular tachycardia, but no difference in left ventricular volumes or LVEF. A direct correlation was found between HVR or HCVR and noradrenaline (R=0.40 and R=0.37 respectively; P<0.01), BNP (R=0.40, P<0.01), N-terminal pro-BNP (R=0.37 and R=0.41 respectively, P<0.01), apnoea/hypopnoea index (R=0.57 and R=0.59 respectively, P<0.001) and V̇E/V̇CO2 slope (R=0.42 and R=0.50 respectively, P<0.001). Finally, by multivariate analysis, HCVR was shown to be an independent predictor of both daytime and night-time CSR. In conclusion, increased chemosensitivity to hypoxia and hypercapnia, particularly when combined, is associated with neurohormonal impairment, worse ventilatory efficiency, CSR and a higher incidence of arrhythmias, and probably plays a central pathophysiological role in patients with HF.
Targeting vessels to treat hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Romanque Pamela , Piguet Anne-Christine , Dufour Jean-François
Published: February 2008

The process of blood vessel proliferation, known as angiogenesis, is essential during embryonic development and organogenesis. In adult life, it participates in normal tissue repair, wound healing, and cyclical growth of the corpus luteum and the endometrium. Crucial as it is, angiogenesis can become pathological, and abnormal angiogenesis contributes to the pathogenesis of inflammatory and neoplasic diseases. The present review highlights the evidence for the role of angiogenesis in HCC (hepatocellular carcinoma) and discusses the increasing importance of inhibitors of angiogenesis in HCC therapy.
Fossil Myrtaceae from the Early Miocene of southern New Zealand
Authors: Pole Mike , Dawson John , Denton Trish
Published: February 2008

Seven parataxa of Myrtaceae leaf cuticle and one associated leaf are described from Early Miocene sediments of the Manuherikia Group, Central Otago, and the Gore Lignite Measures of Southland. These include two or perhaps three species of Syzygium as well as Metrosideros, possibly the extant New Zealand M. diffusa. The most widespread species is a Syzygium, which appears to have dominated low-diversity vegetation of which the conifer Retrophyllum was also a part. Capsules of Metrosideros subgenus Mearnsia are also illustrated.
T cell expression of MyD88 is required for resistance toToxoplasma gondii
Authors: LaRosa David F. , Stumhofer Jason S. , Gelman Andrew E. , Rahman Adeeb H. , Taylor Devon K. , Hunter Christopher A. , Turka Laurence A.
Published: February 2008

Resistance toToxoplasma gondiidepends on dendritic cells to recognize this pathogen and secrete IL-12, in turn promoting IFN-γ production from responding T cells. The adaptor protein, myeloid differentiation primary-response gene 88 (MyD88), is important for most Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling, as well as IL-1R/IL-18R signals. There is considerable evidence that MyD88 is required for the innate sensing ofT. gondiiand IL-12 responses. AlthoughMyd88−/−mice challenged withT. gondiihave defective IL-12 and Th1 effector responses and succumb to disease, administration of IL-12 toMyd88−/−mice partially restores the Th1 response and yet fails to prolong survival. This finding suggested that MyD88 may mediate signals within T cells important for resistance to this pathogen. To evaluate the role of MyD88 in T cells under noncompetitive conditions, bone marrow chimeras were generated, in which the T cells lacked MyD88, but MyD88-dependent innate immune responses were intact. Upon challenge withT. gondii, these chimeric mice were more susceptible to disease, developing severe toxoplasmic encephalitis and succumbing within 30 days. Splenocytes and brain mononuclear cells isolated from infected chimeric mice produced less IFN-γ when cultured with aT. gondii-derived antigen. The increase in susceptibility observed was independent of signals via the IL-1R and IL-18R, suggesting a role for TLRs in MyD88-mediated T cell responses toT. gondii. These observations show that, in addition to a role for MyD88 in innate responses, T cell expression of MyD88 is necessary for prolonged resistance to a pathogen.
A SPIKE1 signaling complex controls actin-dependent cell morphogenesis through the heteromeric WAVE and ARP2/3 complexes
Authors: Basu Dipanwita , Le Jie , Zakharova Taya , Mallery Eileen L. , Szymanski Daniel B.
Published: February 2008

During morphogenesis, the actin cytoskeleton mediates cell-shape change in response to growth signals. In plants, actin filaments organize the cytoplasm in regions of polarized growth, and the filamentous arrays can be highly dynamic. Small GTPase signaling proteins termed Rho of plants (ROP)/RAC control actin polymerization. ROPs cycle between inactive GDP-bound and active GTP-bound forms, and it is the active form that interacts with effector proteins to mediate cytoskeletal rearrangement and cell-shape change. A class of proteins termed guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) generate GTP–ROP and positively regulate ROP signaling. However, in almost all experimental systems, it has proven difficult to unravel the complex signaling pathways from GEFs to the proteins that nucleate actin filaments. In this article, we show that the DOCK family protein SPIKE1 (SPK1) is a GEF, and that one function of SPK1 is to control actin polymerization via two heteromeric complexes termed WAVE and actin-related protein (ARP) 2/3. The genetic pathway was constructed by using a combination of highly informative
spk1
alleles and detailed analyses of
spk1
,
wave
, and
arp2
/
3
single and double mutants. Remarkably, we find that in addition to providing GEF activity, SPK1 associates with WAVE complex proteins and may spatially organize signaling. Our results describe a unique regulatory scheme for ARP2/3 regulation in cells, one that can be tested for widespread use in other multicellular organisms.
Urocortin2 inhibits tumor growth via effects on vascularization and cell proliferation
Authors: Hao Zhengrong , Huang Yan , Cleman Jake , Jovin Ion S. , Vale Wylie W. , Bale Tracy L. , Giordano Frank J.
Published: February 2008

The corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) receptor CRFR2 is expressed widely in peripheral tissues and in the vasculature, although its functional roles in those tissues have only recently begun to be elucidated. Previously we found that genetic deletion of CRFR2 resulted in profound postnatal hypervascularization in mice, characterized by both an increase in total vessel number and a dramatic increase in vessel diameter. These data strongly suggested that ligands for CRFR2 act to limit tissue vascularity, perhaps as a counterbalance to factors that promote neovascularization. Urocortin 2 (Ucn2) is a specific ligand for the CRFR2. We hypothesized that activation of CRFR2 by Ucn2 might thus suppress tumor vascularization and consequently limit tumor growth. Here, we show that viral-mediated expression of Ucn2 strikingly inhibits the growth and vascularization of Lewis Lung Carcinoma Cell (LLCC) tumorsin vivo. Further, we found that this effect on tumor growth inhibition was independent of whether exposure to Ucn2 occurred before or after establishment of measurable tumors.In vitro, Ucn2 directly inhibited the proliferation of LLCC, suggesting that the tumor-suppressing effects of CRFR2 activation involve a dual mechanism of both a direct inhibition of tumor cell cycling and the suppression of tumor vascularization. These results establish that Ucn2 inhibits tumor growth, suggesting a potential therapeutic role for CRFR2 ligands in clinical malignancies.