bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Leader–member exchange, organizational identification and the mediating role of job involvement for nurses
Authors: Katrinli Alev , Atabay Gulem , Gunay Gonca , Guneri Burcu
Published: September 2008

Title.  Leader‐member exchange, organizational identification and the mediating role of job involvement for nurses.

Aim.  This paper is a report of a study to explore the relationship between leader–member exchange quality and organizational identification and the mediating role of job involvement in this relationship.

Background.  As a result of the fast‐changing structures and increasing competition, healthcare organizations increasingly demand highly qualified nurses who also have positive work attitudes towards the job and the organization. Among these positive work attitudes, organizational identification affects nurses’ job performance and, in turn, the quality of care and patient satisfaction. The quality of the relationship between nurse supervisors and nurses, which is examined in the leader–member exchange context, can be an important determinant for organizational identification. This relationship is also affected by nurses’ job involvement.

Method.  The sample consisted of 148 nurses working in a private general hospital. Questionnaires, which included measures for organizational identification, level of leader–member exchange quality, job involvement and questions about the demographic characteristics of the sample, were distributed in 2007. The response rate was 87%.

Results.  A statistically significant and positive relationship was found between leader–member exchange quality and organizational identification. The results also reveal that job involvement mediates the positive effects of leader–member exchange quality on organizational identification.

Conclusion.  If nurse supervisors increase their awareness of the effects of their behaviours towards their nurses, they can increase the nurses’ performance and achieve desired results through increasing job involvement and organizational identification.
Concept analysis of self‐mutilation
Authors: Hicks K. Madalyn , Hinck Susan M.
Published: September 2008

Title.  Concept analysis of self‐mutilation.

Aim.  This paper is a report of a concept analysis to define and describe self‐mutilation.

Background.  Although there has been an increased interest in self‐mutilation, as evidenced by recent publication of opinion literature, anecdotal reports and a few clinical studies, the concept has not been well developed to guide nursing research and interventions.

Method.  Definitions and uses of self‐mutilation were obtained in a comprehensive review of the health, psychology and education literature up to April 2007 to identify the defining attributes, antecedents and consequences. Walker and Avant’s concept analysis strategy was the organizing framework.

Findings.  Self‐mutilation is the intentional act of tissue destruction with the purpose of shifting overwhelming emotional pain to a more acceptable physical pain. Antecedents of self‐mutilation are impaired coping skills and an unhealthy response to situations that cause unbearable emotional stress. Limited research suggests that risk factors for self‐mutilation may be White race, adolescent age, female sex and history of sexual abuse as a child. Although self‐mutilation allows the individual to gain control over emotions and provides a diversion from emotional pain, a release of endorphins after the physical damage that contributes to the feeling of relief supports an addictive maladaptive coping cycle of pain, relief, shame and self‐hate.

Conclusion.  The theoretical definition of the concept of self‐mutilation offers the basis for nurses to develop interventions to provide competent care when discovering injuries that are self‐inflicted.
Seasonal variation of zebra mussel susceptibility to molluscicidal agents
Authors: Costa R. , Aldridge D. C. , Moggridge G. D.
Published: September 2008

The zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha is a well‐known biofouler, having potentially serious impacts on freshwater‐dependent industries. Chemical treatment is the most popular approach to control this pest. The identification of potential peaks of increased susceptibility of the species to molluscicidal agents may provide environmental and economic benefits, allowing control to be achieved through lower toxin load.

In this study, the seasonal pattern of the tolerance of zebra mussels to three reference toxicants with distinct modes of action was recorded by conducting static bioassays. The annual profiles of dry tissue weight of a reference individual and mussels’ filtration rate were also followed.

The tolerance of the species to toxicants was found to follow a pronounced annual cycle, increasing up to 22 times between early summer and winter.

The role of temperature and filtration rate as predictors of the mussels’ susceptibility was confirmed, but there was no relation between this and the animals’ body condition. Indeed, this study contradicts the common belief that physiologically exhausted adult zebra mussels are more susceptible to chemical control measures.

Synthesis and applications. The results presented here enlarge the body of knowledge of D. polymorpha biology and may have practical implications at three levels. First, they reinforce the importance of judicious sampling while testing molluscicides against zebra mussels as well as the specification of the specimens’ collection date in toxicological studies. Secondly, they provide information that may be useful to the design of reactive chemical control strategies. In particular, they suggest that the dosage scheme in periodic treatment may be optimized to take advantage of the significant variation of a mussel's susceptibility between late spring and autumn. Finally, the outcome of this study highlights the need of taking into account the seasonality of bivalve responses in ecological risk assessment and the regulation of the discharge of chemicals into surface waters.
Aluminum‐activated citrate and malate transporters from the MATE and ALMT families function independently to confer Arabidopsis aluminum tolerance
Authors: Liu Jiping , Magalhaes Jurandir V. , Shaff Jon , Kochian Leon V.
Published: September 2008

Aluminum‐activated root malate and citrate exudation play an important role in plant Al tolerance. This paper characterizes AtMATE, a homolog of the recently discovered sorghum and barley Al‐tolerance genes, shown here to encode an Al‐activated citrate transporter in Arabidopsis. Together with the previously characterized Al‐activated malate transporter, AtALMT1, this discovery allowed us to examine the relationship in the same species between members of the two gene families for which Al‐tolerance genes have been identified. AtMATE is expressed primarily in roots and is induced by Al. An AtMATE T‐DNA knockdown line exhibited very low AtMATE expression and Al‐activated root citrate exudation was abolished. The AtALMT1 AtMATE double mutant lacked both Al‐activated root malate and citrate exudation and showed greater Al sensitivity than the AtALMT1 mutant. Therefore, although AtALMT1 is a major contributor to Arabidopsis Al tolerance, AtMATE also makes a significant but smaller contribution. The expression patterns of AtALMT1 and AtMATE and the profiles of Al‐activated root citrate and malate exudation are not affected by the presence or absence of the other gene. These results suggest that AtALMT1‐mediated malate exudation and AtMATE‐mediated citrate exudation evolved independently to confer Al tolerance in Arabidopsis. However, a link between regulation of expression of the two transporters in response to Al was identified through work on STOP1, a transcription factor that was previously shown to be necessary for AtALMT1 expression. Here we show that STOP1 is also required for AtMATE expression and Al‐activated citrate exudation.
TaASY1 promotes homologous chromosome interactions and is affected by deletion of Ph1
Authors: Boden Scott A. , Langridge Peter , Spangenberg German , Able Jason A.
Published: September 2008

During meiosis, chromosomes are sorted into homologous pairs as a preface to their intimate association via recombination and synapsis. However, little is known about the mechanism used to distinguish homologous chromosomes from other chromosomes present in the nucleus. Studies in wheat (Triticum aestivum) have shown that the Pairing homoeologous 1 (Ph1) locus is required to suppress interactions between genetically similar homoeologous chromosomes. Here we show that absence of Ph1 causes increased transcription of Asynapsis 1 (ASY1), a gene that encodes an axial‐element‐associated protein that is essential for synapsis and cross‐over formation in Arabidopsis and rice. Localisation of ASY1 during meiosis is also affected by deletion of Ph1. In addition, transgenic wheat mutants with decreased activity of TaASY1 display reduced synapsis during prophase I and exhibit pairing between homoeologous chromosomes at metaphase I. These results suggest that ASY1 is required to promote interactions between homologous chromosomes in bread wheat, and that Ph1 has a gene regulatory role, which is consistent with its suggested genetic identity as a Cdk‐like gene. Broader implications of this research suggest that we could use the Taasy1 mutants to assess their efficacy in alien chromatin introgression studies, as seen with the ph1b mutant.
Diurnal temperature range as a novel risk factor for COPD death
Authors: SONG Guixiang , CHEN Guohai , JIANG Lili , ZHANG Yunhui , ZHAO Naiqing , CHEN Bingheng , KAN Haidong
Published: September 2008

Background and objective:  Although the relationship between day‐to‐day temperature changes and COPD mortality is well established, it is not known whether temperature variation within one day, that is diurnal temperature range (DTR), is a risk factor for acute COPD death, independent of the absolute temperature level.

Methods:  In a time‐series study, the relationship between DTR and daily COPD mortality between 2001 and 2004 in Shanghai, China was assessed. A semi‐parametric generalized additive model was used to allow for long‐term and seasonable trends in COPD mortality, as well as variation in air pollution and weather.

Results:  There was a significant association between DTR and daily COPD mortality. A 1°C increase in the 4‐day moving average for DTR corresponded to a 1.25% (95% confidence interval: 0.35–2.15) increase in COPD mortality.

Conclusion:  These findings suggest that DTR is a novel risk factor for acute COPD death.
Bile acids induce CCN2 production through p38 MAP kinase activation in human bronchial epithelial cells: A factor contributing to airway fibrosis
Authors: PERNG Diahn‐Warng , WU Yu‐Chung , TSAI Cheng‐Chien , SU Kang‐Cheng , LIU Lung‐Yu , HSU Wen‐Hu , LEE Yu‐Chin
Published: September 2008

Background and objective:  Bile acid aspiration occurs in a variety of acute and chronic airway disorders. The consequence of bile acid aspiration and lung disease remains unclear. It was hypothesized that airway epithelium exposure to bile acids would induce fibrosis via production of connective tissue growth factor (CCN2), CCN2 is essential for transforming growth factor‐β (TGF‐β)‐induced fibrogenesis and functions as a downstream mediator of TGF‐β action on fibroblasts.

Methods:  Human bronchial epithelial cells were grown on air–liquid interface culture inserts. Cells were stimulated with the major components of bile acids, chenodeoxycholic acid (CD) and glycochenodeoxycholic acid (GCD). RT‐PCR and real‐time quantitative PCR were used to detect mRNA expression. ELISA and western blotting were used to measure protein.

Results:  CD‐stimulated airway epithelial cells produce CCN2 at both mRNA and protein levels in a dose‐dependent manner. GCD failed to increase CCN2 production. CCN2 expression occurred via activation of p38 mitogen‐activated protein (MAP) kinase and the downstream transcription factor ATF‐2. Dexamethasone and the selective p38 MAP kinase inhibitor SB203580 successfully inhibited p38 MAP kinase, ATF‐2 phosphorylation and subsequent CCN2 production. CD induced TGF‐β1 release from airway epithelium via the same signalling pathway. TGF‐β1 therefore enhanced CCN2 production in an autocrine manner.

Conclusion:  Early intervention to stop these processes may be useful in preventing fibrogenesis in chronic airway diseases associated with bile acid exposure.
Antiviral therapy for respiratory tract infections
Authors: WONG Samson S.Y. , YUEN Kwok‐Yung
Published: September 2008

Viruses are important pathogens causing respiratory tract infections both in the community and health‐care facility settings. They are extremely common causes of morbidity in the competent hosts and some are associated with significant mortality in the compromised individuals. With wider application of molecular techniques, novel viruses are being described and old viruses are found to have new significance in different epidemiological and clinical settings. Some of these emerging pathogens may have the potential to cause pandemics or global spread of a severe disease, as exemplified by severe acute respiratory syndrome and avian influenza. Antiviral therapy of viral respiratory infections is often unnecessary in the competent hosts because most of them are self‐limiting and effective agents are not always available. In the immunocompromised individuals or for infections caused by highly pathogenic viruses, such as avian influenza viruses (AIV), antiviral treatment is highly desirable, despite the fact that many of the agents may not have undergone stringent clinical trials. In immunocompetent hosts, antiviral therapy can be stopped early because adaptive immune response can usually be mounted within 5–14 days. However, the duration of antiviral therapy in immunosuppressed hosts depends on clinical and radiological resolution, the degree and duration of immunosuppression, and therefore maintenance therapy is sometimes needed after the initial response. Immunotherapy and immunoprophylaxis appear to be promising directions for future research. Appropriate and targeted immunomodulation may play an important adjunctive role in some of these infections by limiting the extent of end‐organ damage and multi‐organ failure in some fulminant infections.
Cognitive and linguistic skills in Swedish children with cochlear implants – measures of accuracy and latency as indicators of development
Authors: WASS MALIN , IBERTSSON TINA , LYXELL BJÖRN , SAHLÉN BIRGITTA , HÄLLGREN MATHIAS , LARSBY BIRGITTA , MÄKI‐TORKKO ELINA
Published: September 2008

The purpose of the present study was to examine working memory (WM) capacity, lexical access and phonological skills in 19 children with cochlear implants (CI) (5;7–13;4 years of age) attending grades 0–2, 4, 5 and 6 and to compare their performance with 56 children with normal hearing. Their performance was also studied in relation to demographic factors. The findings indicate that children with CI had visuospatial WM capacities equivalent to the comparison group. They had lower performance levels on most of the other cognitive tests. Significant differences between the groups were not found in all grades and a number of children with CI performed within 1 SD of the mean of their respective grade‐matched comparison group on most of the cognitive measures. The differences between the groups were particularly prominent in tasks of phonological WM. The results are discussed with respect to the effects of cochlear implants on cognitive development.
Visual attention capacity: A review of TVA‐based patient studies
Authors: HABEKOST THOMAS , STARRFELT RANDI
Published: September 2008

Psychophysical studies have identified two distinct limitations of visual attention capacity: processing speed and apprehension span. Using a simple test, these cognitive factors can be analyzed by Bundesen's Theory of Visual Attention (TVA). The method has strong specificity and sensitivity, and measurements are highly reliable. As the method is theoretically founded, it also has high validity. TVA‐based assessment has recently been used to investigate a broad range of neuropsychological and neurological conditions. We present the method, including the experimental paradigm and practical guidelines to patient testing, and review existing TVA‐based patient studies organized by lesion anatomy. Lesions in three anatomical regions affect visual capacity: The parietal lobes, frontal cortex and basal ganglia, and extrastriate cortex. Visual capacity thus depends on large, bilaterally distributed anatomical networks that include several regions outside the visual system. The two visual capacity parameters are functionally separable, but seem to rely on largely overlapping brain areas.
Expert judgment in cases of alleged child sexual abuse: Clinicians’ sensitivity to suggestive influences, pre‐existing beliefs and base rate estimates
Authors: FINNILÄ‐TUOHIMAA KATARINA , SANTTILA PEKKA , SAINIO MIKAEL , NIEMI PEKKA , SANDNABBA KENNETH
Published: September 2008

Clinicians’ expertise in child sexual abuse (CSA) cases was explored by giving a questionnaire covering clinical experience, self‐evaluated expertise, beliefs and attitudes about CSA and a trial material concerning CSA to 320 child mental health professionals. In the material the suggestiveness of the interview with the child was varied and one condition did not contain any interview transcript. Participants were sensitive to the presence of leading questions but not to the presence of other suggestive techniques and not to the possibility that suggestive techniques could have been used when no interview transcripts were included. Experience only affected sensitivity to leading questions. Strong attitudes and beliefs lessened the sensitivity to leading questions and made participants more prone to wanting the case to be prosecuted when other suggestive influences than leading questions were present. Practical implications of the results will be discussed.
The Problem That Is Global Warming: Introduction
Authors: HAINES FIONA , REICHMAN NANCY
Published: September 2008

Global warming poses significant challenges to society at every level, evading easy definitions that would make the usual instrumental approaches to policymaking and regulation a relatively straightforward task. The embeddedness of the carbon economy in contemporary methods of industrialization and development means that climate protection is at once a problem of environment, the global economy, and human rights. It requires us to understand the strengths and limitations of a regulatory approach, to tease apart the intricacies of international law and governance to find ways to turn economic, legal, and cultural norms toward creating climate justice. Sector specific approaches to dealing with human rights and refugees, as well as international relations based on interstate relations, also have limitations. These include insufficient capacity to appreciate the differentiated responsibility of various actors in the creation of this ecological crisis as well as creating obstacles in finding appropriate ways to motivate those with the most ability to reduce our impact on the climate. Mutual reinforcement and “virtuous” arbitrage across fragmented regulatory regimes might create new synergies with potentially positive transformative effects for climate protection. To achieve this, the development and maintenance of legitimacy is central. The articles in this edition tackle these issues and, taken as a whole, provide a springboard for future scholarship.
Turnpike trusts and property income: new evidence on the effects of transport improvements and legislation in eighteenth‐century England1
Authors: BOGART DAN
Published: September 2008

Numerous Acts of Parliament changed the financing of transport infrastructure in eighteenth‐century England. This paper examines the economic effects of turnpike acts, which greatly improved road infrastructure by introducing tolls. It shows that turnpike trusts increased property income in local areas by at least 20 per cent. The findings shed light on why local property owners promoted and managed turnpikes. They also show that turnpike trusts accounted for at least 20 per cent of the total growth in real land rents between 1690 and 1815, and added at least 1.65 per cent to national income in 1815.
Market structure and the coal cartel in early nineteenth‐century England1
Authors: TAN ELAINE S.
Published: September 2008

Using counterfactual competitive prices, the effect of the north‐east coal cartel on prices is estimated at 13–17 per cent between 1816 and 1845. Non‐cartel producers were highly responsive to price changes, and their threat to the cartel was made credible by market integration facilitated by canals. The spread of railways had little impact on the cartel's market power. Highly inelastic demand and responsive supply from other regions meant that deadweight losses from the cartel were insignificant throughout this period.
Industrial districts and manufacturing linkages: Chicago's printing industry, 1880–19501
Authors: LEWIS ROBERT
Published: September 2008

In this article, it is argued that the North American industrial district was a metropolitan‐centred one that drew extensively on regional resources, skills, capital, and information. The Chicago printing industry between 1880 and 1950 is used as a case study to demonstrate that industries were linked at various scales: from the factory district to the metropolis and the region. A wide range of sources (manufacturing censuses, government reports, industrial journals, bankruptcy records) is employed to establish how the intricate set of relations and transactions formed metropolitan industrial districts.
Time and Work–Life Balance: The Roles of ‘Temporal Customization’ and ‘Life Temporality’
Authors: Roberts Emma
Published: September 2008

This article poses a challenge to the orthodox binary, conceptualization of work–life balance only made possible by relying on the widespread ‘clock time’ worldview, which understands employment practices in terms of the basic time = money equation. In particular, it is the balance metaphor which relies on a quantification of both work and life in order to make sense and can therefore be seen to be based on an understanding of time as a measurable and value‐able unit. This article seeks to begin the exercise of examining the concept of work–life balance through a broader concept of the temporal dimension than simply limited quantitative notions. Two temporal themes are reported from a study which identified employees who had customized their working pattern to suit the various and multi‐dimensional facets of their lifestyles and thereby successfully improved their work–life balance. Participants in this study demonstrated that an improved work–life balance is more about a mind‐set that refuses to be dominated by a work temporality and is determined to create ‘me time’ rather than e.g. simply choosing a four day week or a part‐time job. It is argued that the notion of work–life balance is more usefully conceptualized within a broader notion of ‘livingscapes’ which contain both elements of work and life and that as researchers, our challenge must be to reflect the complexity of this weave within our analyses of individuals’ work–life balance.
Time, Stress and Intellectual Engagement in Academic Work: Exploring Gender Difference
Authors: Menzies Heather , Newson Janice
Published: September 2008

This article is based on a pilot study that examines the effects of recent organizational and public policy changes on Canadian academics' work practices and academic culture. It explores the differences between the use of online technologies by women and male academics in managing these effects. It interprets the complex and often contradictory findings of the study through the lens of time theorization, and speculates about the broader cultural implications of academics' changing work practices, including the possibility of a gestalt shift in the identity of the university, less as a site of research and reflection on society and increasingly as a productive and efficient part of the economy.
The use of agricultural, open and forest habitats by juvenile Mauritius Kestrels Falco punctatus
Authors: BURGESS MALCOLM D. , BLACK RICHARD A. , NICOLL MALCOLM A. C. , JONES CARL G. , NORRIS KEN
Published: September 2008

Knowledge of tropical raptor habitat use is limited and yet a thorough understanding is vital when trying to conserve endangered species. We used a well studied, reintroduced population of the vulnerable Mauritius Kestrel Falco punctatus to investigate habitat preferences in a modified landscape. We constructed a high resolution digital habitat map and radiotracked 13 juvenile Kestrels to quantify habitat preferences. We distinguished seven habitat types in our study area and tracked Kestrels from 71 to 130 days old during which they dispersed from their natal territory and settled within a home‐range after reaching independence. Mean home‐range size was 0.95 km2 characterized by a bimodal pattern of intensity around the natal site and post‐independence home‐range. Compositional analysis showed that home‐ranges were located non‐randomly with respect to habitat but there was no evidence to suggest differential use of habitats within home‐ranges. Native and semi‐invaded forest and grassland were consistently preferred, whereas agriculture was used significantly less than other habitats. No difference was found between the available length of edge dividing native forest and grassland within a home‐range when compared to that available within a 2.35‐km buffer around their nest‐site, based on the maximum distance a juvenile was found to disperse. Repeating the analysis in three dimensions gave very similar results. Our results suggest that Mauritius Kestrels are not obligate forest dwellers as was once thought but can also exploit open habitats such as grassland. Kestrels may be using isolated mature trees within grassland as vantage points for hunting in the same way as they use the natural stratified forest structure. We suggest that the avoidance of agriculture is partly due to a lack of such vantage points. The conservation importance of forest degradation and agricultural encroachment is highlighted and comparisons with the habitat preferences of other tropical falcons are discussed.
GRIESBACHIAN AND DIENERIAN (EARLY TRIASSIC) AMMONOID FAUNAS FROM NORTHWESTERN GUANGXI AND SOUTHERN GUIZHOU (SOUTH CHINA)
Authors: BRÜHWILER THOMAS , BRAYARD ARNAUD , BUCHER HUGO , GUODUN KUANG
Published: September 2008

Abstract:  Intensive sampling of the Luolou (northwestern Guangxi) and the Daye (southern Guizhou) Formations in South China leads to the recognition of a regional Griesbachian and Dienerian ammonoid succession for this key palaeobiogeographical area. The new biostratigraphical sequence comprises the upper Griesbachian ‘Ophiceras beds’ and the lower Dienerian ‘Proptychites candidus beds’, which are separated from the uppermost Dienerian ‘Clypites beds’ by an unfossiliferous interval. These faunas contain some taxa with wide geographic distribution (e.g. Ambites, Pleurambites, Pleurogyronites, Proptychites candidus), thus facilitating correlation with faunal successions from other regions (i.e. British Columbia, Canadian Arctic, Himalayas and South Primorye). Two new genera (Jieshaniceras and Shangganites) and three new species (Anotoceras subtabulatus, Pleurambites radiatus and Shangganites shangganense) are described.
A NEWPALAEOCTOPUS(CEPHALOPODA: COLEOIDEA) FROM THE LATE CRETACEOUS OF VALLECILLO, NORTH‐EASTERN MEXICO, AND IMPLICATIONS FOR THE EVOLUTION OF OCTOPODA
Authors: FUCHS DIRK , IFRIM CHRISTINA , STINNESBECK WOLFGANG
Published: September 2008

Abstract: Palaeoctopus pelagicussp. nov. is described from the early Turonian Vallecillo Limestone in north‐eastern Mexico. The species represents the first record of a fossil octopod from the Americas and the second species of the genusPalaeoctopus. The holotype and only known specimen preserves one half of an originally bipartite gladius vestige. Soft parts are not preserved. The gladius vestige is distinguished fromP. newboldifrom the Santonian Limestone of Lebanon by the arrangement of fields, striation and reinforcements. The new material supports previous ideas suggesting that the paired stylets of modern Octopoda evolved through gradual reduction of aTeudopsis‐like gladius via a transitional stage similar toPalaeoctopus. The origin of Octopoda and Cirroctopoda likely dates back to a period between the Toarcian (180 Ma) and the early Turonian (93 Ma). Palaeoecological conditions in the Vallecillo ocean suggest thatP. pelagicussp. nov. inhabited the pelagic shelf. Hostile low oxygen conditions on the sea floor exclude a benthic mode of life forP. pelagicussp. nov.
A SKULL OF THE GIANT BONY‐TOOTHED BIRDDASORNIS(AVES: PELAGORNITHIDAE) FROM THE LOWER EOCENE OF THE ISLE OF SHEPPEY
Authors: MAYR GERALD
Published: September 2008

Abstract: The first substantial skull of a very large Paleogene bony‐toothed bird (Pelagornithidae) is described from the Lower Eocene London Clay of the Isle of Sheppey in England. The specimen is assigned toDasornis emuinus(Bowerbank), based on a taxonomic revision of the large London Clay Pelagornithidae. Very large bony‐toothed birds from the London Clay were known previously from fragmentary remains of non‐comparable skeletal elements only, andDasornis londinensisOwen,Argillornis emuinus(Bowerbank),A. longipennisOwen, andNeptuniavis mirandaHarrison and Walker are considered junior synonyms ofD. emuinus. The new specimen allows a definitive assignment ofDasornisto the Pelagornithidae and documents that this taxon closely resembles other bony‐toothed birds in cranial morphology. It is hypothesized that giant size (i.e. a wingspan above 4 m) evolved only once within Pelagornithidae and thatDasornis emuinusis the sister taxon of the giant Neogene bony‐toothed birds, which share a derived wing morphology.
A NEW SPINICAUDATAN GENUS (CRUSTACEA: ‘CONCHOSTRACA’) FROM THE LATE CRETACEOUS OF MADAGASCAR
Authors: STIGALL ALYCIA L. , HARTMAN JOSEPH H.
Published: September 2008

Abstract: A new spinicaudatan genus and species,Ethmosestheria mahajangaensisgen. et sp. nov., is described from the Anembalemba Member (Upper Cretaceous, Maastrichtian) of the Maevarano Formation, Mahajanga Basin, Madagascar. This is the first spinicaudatan reported from the post‐Triassic Mesozoic of Madagascar. The new species is assigned to the family Antronestheriidae based on the cavernous or sievelike ornamentation on the carapace. Of well‐documented Mesozoic spinicaudatan genera,Ethmosestheria mahajangaensisis most closely related toAntronestheriaChen and Hudson from the Great Estuarine Group (Jurassic) of Scotland. However, relatively poor documentation of the ornamentation of most Gondwanan Mesozoic spinicaudatan species precludes detailed comparison among taxa.Ethmosestheria mahajangaensisexhibits ontogenetic trends in carapace growth: a change in carapace outline from subcircular/subelliptical to elliptical, and from very wide juvenile growth bands to narrow adult growth bands. Ornamentation style, however, does not vary with ontogeny.Ethmosestheria mahajangaensisindividuals lived in temporary pools in a broad channel‐belt system within a semiarid environment; preserved desiccation structures on carapaces indicate seasonal drying out of pools within the river system. Specimens ofEthmosestheria mahajangaensisare preserved with exquisite detail in debris flow deposits; these are the first spinicaudatans reported from debris flow deposits. These deposits also contain a varied vertebrate fauna, including dinosaurs, crocodyliforms, turtles, and frogs. Rapid entombment of the spinicaudatan carapaces likely promoted early fossil diagenesis leading to highly detailed preservation.
A new species of Acynodon (Crocodylia) from the upper cretaceous (Santonian–Campanian) of Villaggio del Pescatore, Italy
Authors: DELFINO MASSIMO , MARTIN JEREMY E. , BUFFETAUT ERIC
Published: September 2008

Abstract:  The new species Acynodon  adriaticus is described on the basis of remains from the Santonian–Campanian of Villaggio del Pescatore (Trieste, NE Italy). This species differs in several cranial features from Acynodon  iberoccitanus, the only other Acynodon species whose cranial osteology is known in detail. The absence of maxillary and dentary caniniform teeth coupled with the presence of enlarged molariform teeth suggests that Acynodon probably fed on slowly moving hard‐shelled prey. Moreover, the new materials reveal for the first time the morphology of some postcranial elements of Acynodon: in particular, medial‐most paravertebral osteoderms that are characterized by two keels. A new cladistic phylogenetic analysis resolves the previously reported polytomy among the basal Globidonta: Acynodon is recognized as the most primitive globidontan. This genus may represent the geologically oldest known globidontan. The fact that Acynodon has been found only in Europe and that the outgroup of Globidonta, the Diplocynodontinae, is mainly known from Europe, suggests that globidontans may have originated in Europe and not in North America as previously supposed.
RECONSTRUCTION OF AN APPARATUS OF NEOSTRACHANOGNATHUS TAHOENSIS FROM ORITATE, JAPAN AND SPECIES OF NEOSTRACHANOGNATHUS FROM OMAN
Authors: AGEMATSU SACHIKO , ORCHARD MICHAEL J. , SASHIDA KATSUO
Published: September 2008

Abstract:  The apparatus of an Early Triassic conodont Neostrachanognathus tahoensisKoike, 1998 from Oritate, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, and a species of Neostrachanognathus from Oman were reconstructed. On the basis of five natural assemblages from the Oritate area, the three‐dimensional apparatus model of N. tahoensis is interpreted as bilaterally symmetrical and composed of 14 elements consisting of pairs of P1, P2, P3, S1, S2, S3, and S4 elements. The P1 and P2 elements are coniform elements, the P3 elements are digyrate forms, and the S elements are bipennate ramiforms. The S elements are arranged rostrally in the apparatus and the pairs of the P1, P2, and P3 elements are subvertically arranged caudally and ventrally to the S array. One of the natural assemblages was formed by rostrocaudal collapse of the apparatus on the sea floor, whereas the other assemblages indicate that conodont animals came to rest nearly parallel with the substrate prior to burial. A collection of isolated elements from Jabal Safra, Oman, includes a second species of Neostrachanognathus with a comparable apparatus.
ADDITIONAL SPECIMENS OF SUDAMERICID (GONDWANATHERIA) MAMMALS FROM THE EARLY PALEOCENE OF ARGENTINA
Authors: GUROVICH YAMILA
Published: September 2008

Abstract: The extinct, Cretaceous–Paleogene Gondwanatherians have previously been considered to be early xenarthrans, multituberculates and more recently Mammaliaincertae sedis. However, the phylogenetic relationships of Gondwanatheria have yet to be resolved. In this paper, additional dental specimens of the gondwanatherianSudamerica ameghinoifrom the Early Paleocene Salamanca Formation of Argentina are described. These specimens provide additional information on Gondwanatheria affinities, sudamericid morphology and help support earlier hypotheses onSudamericadental formula and tooth categories. Sudamericid dental functional morphology and body mass estimates, based on measurements of isolated teeth, are inferred. Dental morphology such as hypsodonty, enamel microstructure and crown features do support a robust clade for Sudamericidae.
Political Opposition in Civil Society: An Analysis of the Interactions of Secular and Religious Associations in Algeria and Jordan
Authors: Cavatorta Francesco , Elananza Azzam
Published: September 2008

The lack of effective political parties is one of the dominant characteristics of modern Arab polities. The role of opposition to the authoritarian regimes is therefore left to a number of civil society organizations. This study examines the interactions among such groups in the context of the traditional transition paradigm and it analyses specifically how religious and secular organizations operate and interact. The empirical evidence shows that such groups, far from attempting any serious coalition-building to make common demands for democracy on the regime, have a competitive relationship because of their ideological differences and conflicting policy preferences. This strengthens authoritarian rule even in the absence of popular legitimacy. The article focuses its attention on Algeria and Jordan.
Orgasmic Headache Responsive to Greater Occipital Nerve Blockade
Authors: Selekler Macit , Kutlu Ayse , Dundar Gulmine
Published: September 2008

We present a male with headache related to sexual activity. An injection of steroid and local anesthetic combination was applied to the greater occipital nerve of the symptomatic site. The orgasmic headache stopped after the procedure.
How a System Backfires: Dynamics of Redundancy Problems in Security
Authors: Ghaffarzadegan Navid
Published: September 2008

Increasing attention is being paid to reliability, safety, and security issues in social systems. Scott Sagan examined why more security forces (a redundancy solution) may lead to less security.(1) He discussed how such a solution can backfire due to three major issues (i.e., “common‐mode error,”“social shirking,” and “overcompensation”). In this article, using Sagan's hypotheses, we simulate and analyze a simple and generic security system as more guards are added to the system. Simulation results support two of Sagan's hypotheses. More specifically, the results show that “common‐mode error” causes the system to backfire, and “social shirking” leads to an inefficient system while exacerbating the common‐mode error's effect. Simulation results show that “overcompensation” has no effect of backfiring, but it leads the system to a critical state in which it can easily be affected by the common‐mode error. Furthermore, the simulation results make us question the importance of the initial power of adversaries (e.g., terrorists) as the results show that, for any exogenous level of adversary power, the system endogenously overcompensates to a level that makes the system more susceptible to being attacked.
Are Adult Patients More Tolerant of Treatment Risks Than Parents of Juvenile Patients?
Authors: Johnson F. Reed , Özdemir Semra , Mansfield Carol , Hass Steven , Siegel Corey A. , Sands Bruce E.
Published: September 2008

Understanding patient‐specific differences in risk tolerance for new treatments that offer improved efficacy can assist in making difficult regulatory and clinical decisions for new treatments that offer both the potential for greater effectiveness in relieving disease symptoms, but also risks of disabling or fatal side effects. The aim of this study is to elicit benefit‐risk trade‐off preferences for hypothetical treatments with varying efficacy and risk levels using a stated‐choice (SC) survey. We derive estimates of “maximum acceptable risk” (MAR) that can help decisionmakers identify welfare‐enhancing alternatives. In the case of children, parent caregivers are responsible for treatment decisions and their risk tolerance may be quite different than adult patients' own tolerance for treatment‐related risks. We estimated and compared the willingness of Crohn's disease (CD) patients and parents of juvenile CD patients to accept serious adverse event (SAE) risks in exchange for symptom relief. The analyzed data were from 345 patients over the age of 18 and 150 parents of children under the age of 18. The estimation results provide strong evidence that adult patients and parents of juvenile patients are willing to accept tradeoffs between treatment efficacy and risks of SAEs. Parents of juvenile CD patients are about as risk tolerant for their children as adult CD patients are for themselves for improved treatment efficacy. SC surveys provide a systematic method for eliciting preferences for benefit‐risk tradeoffs. Understanding patients' own risk perceptions and their willingness to accept risks in return for treatment benefits can help inform risk management decision making.
Atomistic Simulation of Y‐Doped α‐Alumina Interfaces
Authors: Galmarini Sandra , Aschauer Ulrich , Bowen Paul , Parker Stephen C.
Published: September 2008

The exact mechanism of creep resistance enhancement due to yttrium (Y) doping in α‐alumina is still subject to speculation, although it is known that dopants segregate strongly to grain boundaries. The current work applies atomistic simulation techniques to the study of segregation to a reasonable number of interfaces in Y‐doped α‐alumina. Y is shown to segregate stronger to surfaces than grain boundaries and to form ordered structures at the interfaces, which may decrease diffusion coefficients. These Y‐ordered regions may act as nucleation sites for YAG precipitates particularly for rapid sintering techniques.
Synthesis and Crystal Structure of a New Layered Carbide ZrAl8C7
Authors: Iwata Tomoyuki , Sugiura Keita , Hashimoto Shinobu , Fukuda Koichiro
Published: September 2008

A new ternary layered carbide, ZrAl8C7, has been synthesized and characterized by X‐ray powder diffraction. The crystal structure was determined using direct methods, and further refined by the Rietveld method. The crystal is trigonal (space groupR3m, Z=3) with lattice dimensionsa=0.332842(2) nm,c=5.78221(2) nm, andV=0.554754(4) nm3. The sample prepared was composed mainly of ZrAl8C7with a small amount of ZrAl4C4. These two types of carbides have been found to form a homologous series with the general formula (ZrC)mAl8C6, wherem=1 and 2. They show comparable intergrowth structures consisting of [ZrmCm+1] layers separated by [Al8C7] layers.
Rapid Formation of Mono‐Dispersed Hydroxyapatite Nanorods with Narrow‐Size Distribution via Microwave Irradiation
Authors: Lak Aidin , Mazloumi Mahyar , Mohajerani Matin Sadat , Zanganeh Saeid , Shayegh Mohammad Reza , Kajbafvala Amir , Arami Hamed , Sadrnezhaad Seyed Khatiboleslam
Published: September 2008

Monodispersed single‐crystal hydroxyapatite (HAp) nanorods with nearly uniform diameters and lengths of, respectively, about 25 and 100 nm were rapidly synthesized using a template‐free and convenient microwave irradiation method. Precipitation of HAp occurred directly in a calcium‐phosphate precursor solution containing ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) as a capping agent and using microwave irradiation of 900 W power and 2.45 GHz frequency as the heating source. Transmission electron microscopy observations revealed that faceted surfaces and narrow‐size distribution were two interesting features of the HAp nanorods obtained. The selected area electron diffraction pattern of the nanorods obtained clearly confirmed their single crystalline nature and the growth along the basal (001) planes. Furthermore, the formation mechanism of HAp nanorods was clearly proposed, identifying the influences of EDTA and microwaves in the growth process.
Trends in the prevalence of low birth weight in Okinawa, Japan: a public health perspective
Authors: Hokama T , Binns C
Published: September 2008

Aim: To review the trends in low birth weight (LBW) in Japan and Okinawa and to discuss the public health implications of the trend.

Methods: The statistical records of Japan and the Okinawa prefecture were reviewed to observe secular trends of LBW incidence rate and other health indicators. Literature researches were undertaken of English and Japanese language publications to complete the review.

Results: The LBW rate in Japan declined until the 1970s, reaching a low point for the whole country in 1978–1979 when it was 5.2% (7.2% in Okinawa). In Okinawa the proportion of LBW declined from 8.1% in 1973 to 7.2 in 1978. Since 1980 the LBW rate has steadily increased to its current level of 9.3% in Japan and 10.9% in Okinawa. During this period, the prematurity rate has not increased and other indicators of child health have continued to improve.

Conclusion: Japan is unique among developed countries in that the LBW rate has almost doubled in the past three decades and the rate in Okinawa is 20% greater than the mainland. The health costs of this trend include the neonatal care of LBW infants and the increased risk of chronic disease in later life.
An Examination of the Interface between Context and Theory Applied to the Study of Chinese Organizations
Authors: Whetten David A.
Published: September 2008

This paper expands recent appeals for more context sensitive organizational research to include organizational theory. It does this by systematically examining the interface between theory and context, characterized herein as contextualizing theory (theories in context) and theorizing about context (theories of context). The results of this analysis challenge recent criticisms of Chinese organizational scholarship for relying too much on Western theory. As an alternative to discontinuing the practice of cross-context theory borrowing, ways of making this borrowing more context sensitive are explored. The use of context effects to explain organizational phenomena, as well as their essential contribution to all forms of cross-context scholarship, is also examined. In addition, specific suggestions are offered for overcoming the obstacles facing scholars engaged in cross-context theorizing, especially scholars in new research contexts interested in using and improving ‘mainstream’ theory.
The Lost Boys of Sudan: Ambiguous Loss, Search for Family, and Reestablishing Relationships With Family Members*
Authors: Luster Tom , Qin Desiree B. , Bates Laura , Johnson Deborah J. , Rana Meenal
Published: September 2008

Abstract: The Lost Boys of Sudan were separated from their families by civil war and subsequently lived in 3 other countries—Ethiopia, Kenya, and the United States. In‐depth interviews were conducted with 10 refugees who located surviving family members in Sudan after an average separation of 13.7 years. The interviews probed their experiences of ambiguous loss, relationships in the refugee camps, the search for family, and reestablishing relationships with family members living on another continent. With guidance from elders, peer groups functioned as surrogate families until the youth reestablished relationships with surviving members of their biological families.
Coparenting Relationships After Divorce: Variations by Type of Marital Violence and Fathers’ Role Differentiation*
Authors: Hardesty Jennifer L. , Khaw Lyndal , Chung Grace H. , Martin Jennifer M.
Published: September 2008

Abstract: Using grounded theory methods, we examined coparenting relationships for 25 divorced mothers who experienced violence during their marriages. How well former husbands were able to differentiate, or keep separate, their parental and spousal roles emerged as central to coparenting dynamics and was partly related to type of marital violence. Linking differentiation to types of martial violence advances our theoretical understanding of variations in coparenting relationships after divorce. Results can be used to more effectively match divorcing parents with appropriate interventions.
Agency and Error in Young Adults’ Stories of Sexual Decision Making
Authors: Allen Katherine R. , Husser Erica K. , Stone Dana J. , Jordal Christian E.
Published: September 2008

Abstract:We conducted a qualitative analysis of 148 college students’ written comments about themselves as sexual decision makers. Most participants described experiences in which they were actively engaged in decision‐making processes of “waiting it out” to “working it out.” The four patterns were (a) I am in control, (b) I am experimenting and learning, (c) I am struggling but growing, and (d) I have been irresponsible. The diverse ways in which young adults perceive themselves as sexual decision makers and actors reveals multiple contexts for promoting healthy sexual development through parental socialization, education, and research.