bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Qualidade da notificação de anomalias congênitas pelo Sistema de Informações sobre Nascidos Vivos (SINASC): estudo comparativo nos anos 2004 e 2007
Authors: Luquetti Daniela Varela , Koifman Rosalina Jorge
Published: September 2010

Este estudo comparou a validade dos diagnósticos de anomalias congênitas do Sistema de Informações sobre Nascidos Vivos (SINASC), em oito hospitais distribuídos em sete municípios do Brasil, totalizando 27.945 nascidos vivos em 2004 e 25.905 em 2007. Além disso, descreveu ações específicas realizadas para o aprimoramento da qualidade dos dados desse campo. Para a análise da validade, foi utilizado o Estudo Colaborativo Latino-Americano de Malformações Congênitas (ECLAMC) como padrão-ouro. Em 2004, pelo menos 40% dos casos de anomalias congênitas eram subnotificados, situação que não foi modificada em 2007. Observou-se aumento significativo na sensibilidade somente em um hospital, de 56,9% para 96,8%. Em dois hospitais, houve diminuição significativa na sensibilidade, de 62,7% para 41,7% e de 66,5% para 32,2%. Os valores preditivos positivo e negativo e especificidade permaneceram acima de 80%. Apenas duas secretarias municipais de saúde e quatro hospitais fizeram algum tipo de ação específica para a melhoria do campo 34. Os resultados apontam para a necessidade de se investir na qualidade da informação sobre anomalias congênitas no SINASC.
Choke-free flow in trapezoidal channels
Authors: Vatankhah A. R.
Published: September 2010

is very suitable to design a channel transition from the point of view of a no-choke condition. In this study, the condition of choke-free flow for two types of transitions in trapezoidal channels subject to a rise in bed elevation is considered. Based on the critical flow occurring downstream of the transition zone, the energy equation is solved with the aid of numerical methods to determine explicit equations for the maximum permitted bed rise under a given approaching regime. The presented procedure herein can also be used to determine end sill height in triangular and trapezoidal channel sections to assure hydraulic jump occurrence in stilling basins. Moreover, to determine the limits of upstream-flow depths (the choke-free regions) a suitable dimensionless specific energy equation is presented. This equation can be utilised to choose the operating ranges of upstream flow depths for choke-free flow in subcritical and supercritical upstream flow conditions. Finally energy loss in the transition zone is considered by applying it in the proposed equations.
Briefing: Discharge coefficient for sluice gates
Authors: Bagheri S. , Afzalimehr H. , Sui J.
Published: September 2010

Using the theory of potential flow, an equation has been developed to determine the discharge coefficient of a sluice gate (Cd). To assess the developed equation for Cd, 84 laboratory experiments were conducted. Comparison of Cd values determined from experiments and calculated from the proposed equation gave very good results. Comparisons between the results and those of other researchers were also carried out.
Critical and alternative directions in applied linguistics
Authors: Pennycook Alastair
Published: September 2010

Critical directions in applied linguistics can be understood in various ways. The termcriticalas it has been used incritical applied linguistics, critical discourse analysis, critical literacyand so forth, is now embedded as part of applied linguistic work, adding an overt focus on questions of power and inequality to discourse analysis, literacy or applied linguistics more generally. In this paper I will argue, however, that although critical discourse analysis and critical literacy still make claims to a territory different from their ‘non-critical’ counterparts, much of this work has become conventional and moribund. The use of the term ‘critical’ (with its problematic claims and divisions) has perhaps reached saturation level. This is not to say, however, that the basic need to bring questions of power, disparity and difference to applied linguistics is any way diminished, but rather that we may need to look in alternative directions for renewal.

Here I want to pursue two main possibilities: On the one hand, the effects of critical work have been widely felt, so that the issues and concerns raised by work in this tradition have filtered through to many parts of the field. Work today that might be deemed critical may no longer need to wear this label. On the other hand, a range of different social theories (captured in part by a series of ‘turns’) has started to shift the thinking in many domains of applied linguistics in important ways. Just as work in sociolinguistics, for example, has shifted from a central focus on variationist accounts of language to include style, identity, practices and politics more broadly, and work in bi- and multilingualism has started to question the ways in which these are framed (hence, for example, multilanguaging, polylingualism and metrolingualism), so applied linguistics has shifted from a central focus on language teaching, testing and second language acquisition to a broader and more critical conceptualization of language in social life. It has started to take on board the implications of new ‘turns’ in the social sciences (practices, sensory, somatic, postmodern, ecological, decolonial) and new influences from previously overlooked sources (queer theory, critical geography, postcolonial studies, philosophy). Critical and alternative directions in applied linguistics, therefore, may be found across a variety of domains that are engaging with notions such as language as a local practice.
Mapping Depth to Argillic Soil Horizons Using Apparent Electrical Conductivity
Authors: Sudduth Kenneth A. , Kitchen Newell R. , Myers D. Brenton , Drummond Scott T.
Published: September 2010

Maps of apparent electrical conductivity [Formula: see text] of the soil profile are widely used in precision agriculture. A number of [Formula: see text] sensors are commercially available, each with a unique response function (i.e., the relative contribution of soil at each depth to the integrated [Formula: see text] reading). Our past research estimated depth to an argillic horizon (i.e., topsoil depth, TD) on claypan soils by fitting empirical equations to [Formula: see text] sensor data. The objective of this research was to determine if TD estimates could be improved by combining data from multiple [Formula: see text] sensors and by solving for TD by inverting a two-layer soil model incorporating instrument response functions. Data were obtained with three sensors having five different [Formula: see text] depth-response functions (Veris 3150 (mention of trade names or commercial products is solely for the purpose of providing specific information and does not imply recommendation or endorsement by the US Department of Agriculture or the University of Florida), Geonics EM38 vertical dipole mode, and DUALEM-2S) on two Missouri claypan-soil fields. Soil cores obtained in each field provided measured TD data for calibration and validation. Using a numerical optimization approach, response-function models were developed for [Formula: see text] variables individually and in combination. Similarly, linear regression was applied to single and multiple variables. Root mean square error of validation [Formula: see text] of single-variable TD estimates was [Formula: see text], with better results for those variables with moderately deep [Formula: see text] response functions. Results from the model-based approach were very similar to those obtained by regressing TD on [Formula: see text]. The best calibrations using multiple variables in model inversion or regression were somewhat better than those using single variables, with [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], respectively. For all approaches, highest TD errors were localized to one area of one field, possibly because soils in this area violated the model assumption of spatially homogeneous soil layer conductivity. Although these calibrations are sufficiently accurate to be useful in TD mapping, a model solution allowing layer conductivities to vary spatially should be investigated for possible improvements.
Comparison of Sampling Strategies for Characterizing Spatial Variability with Apparent Soil Electrical Conductivity Directed Soil Sampling
Authors: Corwin Dennis L. , Lesch Scott M. , Segal Eran , Skaggs Todd H. , Bradford Scott A.
Published: September 2010

Spatial variability has a profound influence on a variety of landscape-scale agricultural issues including solute transport in the vadose zone, soil quality assessment, and site-specific crop management. Directed soil sampling based on geospatial measurements of apparent soil electrical conductivity [Formula: see text] is a potential means of characterizing the spatial variability of any soil property that influences [Formula: see text] including soil salinity, water content, texture, bulk density, organic matter, and cation exchange capacity. Arguably the most significant step in the protocols for characterizing spatial variability with [Formula: see text]-directed soil sampling is the statistical sampling design, which consists of two potential approaches: model- and design-based sampling strategies such as response surface sampling design (RSSD) and stratified random sampling design (SRSD), respectively. The primary objective of this study was to compare model- and design-based sampling strategies to evaluate if one sampling strategy outperformed the other or if both strategies were equal in performance. Using three different model validation tests, the regression equation estimated from the RSSD data produced accurate and unbiased predictions of the natural log salinity levels at the independently chosen SRSD sites. Design optimality scores (i.e., D-, V-, and G-optimality criteria) indicate that the use of the RSSD design should facilitate the estimation of a more accurate regression model, i.e., the RSSD approach should allow for better model discrimination, more precise parameter estimates, and smaller prediction variances. Even though a model-based sampling design, such as RSSD, has been less prevalent in the literature, it is concluded from the comparison that there is no reason to refrain from its use and in fact warrants equal consideration.
Soil-Crop Dynamic Depth Response Determined from TDR of a Corn Silage Field Compared to EMI Measurements
Authors: Woodbury Bryan L. , Eigenberg Roger A. , Nienaber John A. , Spiehs Mindy J.
Published: September 2010

Electromagnetic induction (EMI) techniques have been used to monitor bulk seasonal soil-crop apparent electrical conductivity [Formula: see text] dynamics. Interpreting this information can be complicated by changes in the soil profile such as water content or nutrient leaching. Time domain reflectometry (TDR) measures localized soil EC; therefore, TDR can provide clarification to where in the soil profile the EC changes are taking place. The objective of this study was to determine whether surface or deep EC changes were driving the response measured by EMI during the crop season of a field amended with animal manure. Results indicate that seasonal soil-crop EC dynamics measured by EMI are primarily driven by surface [Formula: see text] changes as opposed to deeper [Formula: see text] changes. These changes appear to be the result of surface ionic dynamics caused by crop-soil interactions and not soil volumetric water content [Formula: see text], since no significant correlations were detected between [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] for any treatment, depth or dipole orientation. These findings are consistent with others who reported the EMI signal was driven primarily by changes in nitrate concentration and not by soil water content. The results of this study clarify our understanding of the soil dynamics that drive the [Formula: see text] response of a manure amended field. The ability to non-intrusively measure nutrient mineralization and crop uptake provides researchers with a powerful tool for understanding soil-crop interactions. Understanding the soil-crop dynamic will facilitate development of management practices for amending soil with manure while protecting the environment from unintended contamination.
Ten persistent myths and the realities of membrane bioreactor technology for municipal applications
Authors: Lesjean B. , Tazi-Pain A. , Thaure D. , Moeslang H. , Buisson H.
Published: September 2010

Twelve years after the first full scale municipal application in Europe of membrane bioreactor (MBR) technology, the process is now accepted as a technology of choice for wastewater treatment, and the market is showing sustained growth. However early misconceptions about the technology are persistent and false statements are commonly encountered in articles and conferences, generating unnecessary research efforts or even fuelling either fascination or scepticism with regards to the technology, which is ultimately detrimental to the perception of the process by water professionals. We try to provide some factual and rational clarifications on ten issues which are often wrongly reported about MBR technology.
Full scale membrane bioreactor treatment of hospital wastewater as forerunner for hot-spot wastewater treatment solutions in high density urban areas
Authors: Beier S. , Cramer C. , Köster S. , Mauer C. , Palmowski L. , Schröder H. Fr. , Pinnekamp J.
Published: September 2010

Membrane Bioreactors (MBR) are a very attractive option for the treatment of hospital wastewater and elimination of pharmaceuticals in high density urban areas. The present investigation showed that, depending on the substance, between 19% and 94% of the level of antibiotics found in the environment originate from hospitals. Because of their ecotoxic potential, hospital wastewaters can have a significant impact on the environment. The segregation of these wastewaters and their separate treatment at the source can reduce the entry of drugs in waterways and enable water reuse after adequate polishing treatment processes.
London Tideway Tunnels: tackling London’s Victorian legacy of combined sewer overflows
Authors: Thomas G. B. , Crawford D.
Published: September 2010

It takes a few millimetres of rainfall to cause the 34 most polluting combined sewer overflows (CSOs) to discharge into the River Thames. Currently, in a typical year, spillages to the tidal reaches of the River Thames occur about 60 times, with an estimated spill volume of 39 million cubic metres. Both the UK Government and the European Union have determined that the CSO discharges have an adverse environmental impact on fish species, introduce unacceptable aesthetics and elevate the health risks for recreational users of the Thames, with a frequency of discharge which is in breach of the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive. Studies have established that the environmental objectives can be fully met on the most cost-effective basis by completing both quality improvements to treatment works and by the provision of a storage and transfer tunnel to intercept unsatisfactory CSOs. Extensive modelling has been undertaken to develop an optimised solution. In parallel with the design development a rigorous and comprehensive site selection methodology has been established to select sites and consult stakeholders and the public on the preferred sites and scheme, with the first stage of public consultation planned for later in 2010. The London Tideway Tunnels are an essential part of the delivery of improvements to the water quality of the tidal River Thames, and this ambitious, historic scheme represents a vital strategic investment in London’s infrastructure.
Water and energy as inseparable twins for sustainable solutions
Authors: Hofman Jan , Hofman-Caris Roberta , Nederlof Maarten , Frijns Jos , van Loosdrecht Mark
Published: September 2010

Although the water cycle is only a minor contributor to the energy demand in society, it is a matter of good housekeeping to minimize the energy need within a sustainable water cycle. Wastewater treatment should not only be applied to purify the water, but also recover the energy present in this water, as well as to recover essential elements like nitrogen and phosphorus. From an energy analysis of the Dutch water cycle it is concluded that creating an energy neutral water cycle by using the heat content or by making use of the organic load of wastewater is within hands.
Investigating the mechanism of sludge reduction in activated sludge with an anaerobic side-stream reactor
Authors: Chon Dong-Hyun , Rome McNamara , Kim Hee-Sik , Park Chul
Published: September 2010

To investigate the mechanism of sludge reduction in activated sludge (AS) with an anaerobic side-stream reactor (ASSR), four AS systems with different digestion schemes were operated in the laboratory. The four systems are: a) AS+ASSR; b) AS+aerobic digester; c) AS+anaerobic digester; and d) AS with no solids wastage. The average sludge yield of AS+ASSR from two phases was 0.14 mgVSS/mgCOD, which is 22–54% less than that from the three other systems. The accounting of biomass in AS+ASSR system revealed that 50% of sludge is degraded in ASSR while the other half is degraded in the aeration basin. Furthermore, both whole sludge and centrate from ASSR led to a significant oxygen uptake in AS, indicating the importance of aerobic biodegradation in AS+ASSR system. The extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) data showed that base-extractable EPS was much smaller for AS with ASSR than with no wastage. In contrast, cation exchange resin-EPS was similar for both systems. These results indicate that degradation of base-extractable EPS accounts for the lower sludge yield in AS+ASSR, and based on the literature this organic pool is believed to be aluminium and/or iron-bound EPS. The microbial profile data suggests that recirculation in AS+ASSR selects some unique microorganisms. Further research is warranted to study their role in sludge reduction.
Biosorptive recovery of platinum from platinum group metal refining wastewaters by immobilised Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Mack C. L. , Wilhelmi B. , Duncan J. R. , Burgess J. E.
Published: September 2010

The process of platinum group metal (PGM) refining can be up to 99.99% efficient at best, and although it may seem small, the amount of valuable metal lost to waste streams is appreciable enough to warrant recovery. The method currently used to remove entrained metal ions from refinery wastewaters, chemical precipitation, is not effective for selective recovery of PGMs. The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been found capable of sorbing numerous precious and base metals, and is a cheap and abundant source of biomass. In this investigation, S. cerevisiae was immobilised using polyethyleneimine and glutaraldehyde to produce a suitable sorbent, capable of high platinum uptake (150–170 mg/g) at low pH (<2). The sorption mechanism was found to be a chemical reaction, which made effective desorption impossible. When applied to PGM refinery wastewater, two key wastewater characteristics limited the success of the sorption process; high inorganic ion content and complex speciation of the platinum ions. The results proved the concept principle of platinum recovery by immobilised yeast biosorption and indicated that a more detailed understanding of the platinum speciation within the wastewater is required before biosorption can be applied. Overall, the sorption of platinum by the S. cerevisiae sorbent was demonstrated to be highly effective in principle, but the complexity of the wastewater requires that pretreatment steps be taken before the successful application of this process to industrial wastewater.
Cost optimisation and minimisation of the environmental impact through life cycle analysis of the waste water treatment plant of Bree (Belgium)
Authors: De Gussem K. , Wambecq T. , Roels J. , Fenu A. , De Gueldre G. , Van De Steene B.
Published: September 2010

An ASM2da model of the full-scale waste water plant of Bree (Belgium) has been made. It showed very good correlation with reference operational data. This basic model has been extended to include an accurate calculation of environmental footprint and operational costs (energy consumption, dosing of chemicals and sludge treatment). Two optimisation strategies were compared: lowest cost meeting the effluent consent versus lowest environmental footprint. Six optimisation scenarios have been studied, namely (i) implementation of an online control system based on ammonium and nitrate sensors, (ii) implementation of a control on MLSS concentration, (iii) evaluation of internal recirculation flow, (iv) oxygen set point, (v) installation of mixing in the aeration tank, and (vi) evaluation of nitrate setpoint for post denitrification. Both an environmental impact or Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) based approach for optimisation are able to significantly lower the cost and environmental footprint. However, the LCA approach has some advantages over cost minimisation of an existing full-scale plant. LCA tends to chose control settings that are more logic: it results in a safer operation of the plant with less risks regarding the consents. It results in a better effluent at a slightly increased cost.
Building Scholarship Capacity and Transforming Nurse Educators' Practice through Institutional Ethnography
Authors: Malinsky Lynn , DuBois Ruth , Jacquest Diane
Published: September 2010

Institutional ethnography can be viewed as a method of inquiry for nurse educators to build scholarship capacity and advance the quality of nursing practice. Within a framework of the Boyer (1990) model and the domains of academic scholarship in nursing described by the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing (2006), we discuss how a team of nurse educators participated as co-researchers in an institutional ethnographic study to examine the routine work of evaluating nursing students and discovered a contradiction between what was actually happening and what we value as nurse educators. The discovery, teaching, application, and integration dimensions of scholarship are examined for links to our emerging insights from the research and ramifications for our teaching practices. The article illuminates the expertise that developed and the transformations that happened as results of a collaborative institutional ethnography.
Trills Instead of T-Bills: It's Time to Replace Part of Government Debt with Shares in GDP
Authors: Kamstra Mark J , Shiller Robert J.
Published: September 2010

At a time of public concern about rising national debt, we should consider adapting simple lessons from corporate finance to government finance. Mark J. Kamstra of York University and Robert J. Shiller of Yale University conclude that government financing tools should include a form of equity: shares in GDP.
Heterogeneity and Learning in Labor Markets
Authors: Woodcock Simon D
Published: September 2010

I develop an equilibrium matching model where heterogeneous workers and firms learn about match quality and bargain over wages. The model generalizes Jovanovic (1979) to the case of heterogeneous workers and firms. Equilibrium wage dispersion arises due to productivity differences between workers, technological differences between firms, and heterogeneity in beliefs about match quality. Under a simple CRS technology, the equilibrium wage is additively separable in worker- and firm-specific components as well as in the posterior mean of beliefs about match quality. This parallels the person and firm effects empirical specification of Abowd et al (1999) and others. The model predicts a negative correlation between estimated person and firm effects, which is consistent with most previous empirical evidence. I estimate the equilibrium wage function and test the model's empirical predictions using linked employer-employee data from the U.S. Census Bureau. I find empirical support for many of the model's predictions and estimate that dispersion in beliefs about match quality explains over 20 percent of observed earnings variation.
Metformin Treatment May Increase Omentin-1 Levels in Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
Authors: Tan Bee K. , Adya Raghu , Farhatullah Syed , Chen Jing , Lehnert Hendrik , Randeva Harpal S.
Published: September 2010

OBJECTIVE

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is associated with the metabolic syndrome. Decreased omentin-1 levels are associated with obesity and diabetes. To study the effects of metformin treatment on omentin-1 levels in PCOS subjects and effects of omentin-1 on in vitro migration and angiogenesis.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Serum omentin-1 was measured by ELISA. Angiogenesis was assessed by studying capillary tube formation in human microvascular endothelial cells (HMEC-1) on growth factor reduced Matrigel. Endothelial cell migration assay was performed in a modified Boyden chamber. Nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) was studied by stably transfecting HMEC-1 cells with a cis-reporter plasmid containing luciferase reporter gene linked to five repeats of NF-κB binding sites. Akt phosphorylation was assessed by Western blotting.

RESULTS

Serum omentin-1 was significantly lower in PCOS women (P < 0.05). After 6 months of metformin treatment, there was a significant increase in serum omentin-1 (P < 0.01). Importantly, changes in hs-CRP were significantly negatively correlated with changes in serum omentin-1 (P = 0.036). In vitro migration and angiogenesis were significantly increased in serum from PCOS women (P < 0.01) compared with matched control subjects; these effects were significantly attenuated by metformin treatment (P < 0.01) plausibly through the regulation of omentin-1 levels via NF-κB and Akt pathways. CRP and VEGF induced in vitro migration, and angiogenesis was significantly decreased by omentin-1.

CONCLUSIONS

Increases in omentin-1 levels may play a role but are not sufficient to explain the decreased inflammatory and angiogenic effects of sera from metformin-treated PCOS women.
Identification of Autoantibody-Negative Autoimmune Type 2 Diabetic Patients
Authors: Brooks-Worrell Barbara M. , Reichow Jessica L. , Goel Amit , Ismail Heba , Palmer Jerry P.
Published: September 2010

OBJECTIVE

Islet autoimmunity has long been recognized in the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes and is becoming increasingly acknowledged as a component in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes. Islet reactive T cells and autoantibodies have been demonstrated in type 1 diabetes, whereas islet autoimmunity in type 2 diabetes has been limited to islet autoantibodies. In this study, we investigated whether islet reactive T cells might also be present in type 2 diabetic patients and how islet reactive T cells correlate with β-cell function.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Adult phenotypic type 2 diabetic patients (n = 36) were screened for islet reactive T-cell responses using cellular immunoblotting and five islet autoantibodies (islet cell antibody, GADA, insulin autoantibody, insulinoma-associated protein-2 autoantibody, and zinc transporter autoantibody).

RESULTS

We identified four subgroups of adult phenotypic type 2 diabetic patients based on their immunological status (Ab−T−, Ab+T−, Ab−T+, and Ab+T+). The Ab−T+ type 2 diabetic patients demonstrated T-cell responses similar to those of the Ab+T+ type 2 diabetic patients. Data were adjusted for BMI, insulin resistance, and duration of diabetes. Significant differences (P < 0.02) were observed among groups for fasting and glucagon-stimulated C-peptide responses. T-cell responses to islet proteins were also demonstrated to fluctuate less than autoantibody responses.

CONCLUSIONS

We have identified a group of adult autoimmune phenotypic type 2 diabetic patients who are Ab−T+ and thus would not be detected using autoantibody testing alone. We conclude that islet autoimmunity may be more prevalent in adult phenotypic type 2 diabetic patients than previously estimated.
Metabolic Syndrome, Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging, and Cognition
Authors: Cavalieri Margherita , Ropele Stefan , Petrovic Katja , Pluta-Fuerst Aga , Homayoon Nina , Enzinger Christian , Grazer Anja , Katschnig Petra , Schwingenschuh Petra , Berghold Andrea , Schmidt Reinhold
Published: September 2010

OBJECTIVE

We explored cognitive impairment in metabolic syndrome in relation to brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

We studied 819 participants free of clinical stroke and dementia of the population-based Austrian Stroke Prevention Study who had undergone brain MRI, neuropsychological testing, and a risk factor assessment relevant to National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III criteria–defined metabolic syndrome. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) was also determined.

RESULTS

Of 819 subjects, 232 (28.3%) had metabolic syndrome. They performed worse than those without metabolic syndrome on cognitive tests assessing memory and executive functioning after adjustment for possible confounders. Stratification by sex demonstrated that metabolic syndrome was related to cognitive dysfunction in men but not in women. Only in men was an increasing number of metabolic syndrome components associated with worse cognitive performance. MRI showed no significant differences in focal ischemic lesions and brain volume between subjects with and without metabolic syndrome, and MRI abnormalities failed to explain impaired cognition. Cognitive performance was most affected in male subjects with metabolic syndrome who also had high hs-CRP levels.

CONCLUSIONS

Metabolic syndrome exerts detrimental effects on memory and executive functioning in community-dwelling subjects who have not had a clinical stroke or do not have dementia. Men are more affected than women, particularly if they have high inflammatory markers. MRI-detected brain abnormalities do not play a crucial role in these relationships.
Impact of BMI and the Metabolic Syndrome on the Risk of Diabetes in Middle-Aged Men
Authors: Ärnlöv Johan , Sundström Johan , Ingelsson Erik , Lind Lars
Published: September 2010

OBJECTIVE

The existence of an obese subgroup with a healthy metabolic profile and low diabetes risk has been proposed; yet long-term data are lacking. We aimed to investigate associations between combinations of BMI categories and metabolic syndrome and risk of type 2 diabetes in middle-aged men.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

At age 50, cardiovascular risk factors were assessed in 1,675 participants without diabetes in the community-based Uppsala Longitudinal Study of Adult Men (ULSAM) study. According to BMI/metabolic syndrome status, they were categorized as normal weight (BMI <25 kg/m2) without metabolic syndrome (National Cholesterol Education Program criteria, n = 853), normal weight with metabolic syndrome (n = 60), overweight (BMI 25–30 kg/m2) without metabolic syndrome (n = 557), overweight with metabolic syndrome (n = 117), obese (BMI >30 kg/m2) without metabolic syndrome (n = 28), and obese with metabolic syndrome (n = 60). We investigated the associations between BMI/metabolic syndrome categories at baseline and diabetes incidence.

RESULTS

After 20 years, 160 participants had developed diabetes. In logistic regression models adjusting for age, smoking, and physical activity, increased risks for diabetes were observed in the normal weight with metabolic syndrome (odds ratio 3.28 [95% CI] 1.38–7.81; P = 0.007), overweight without metabolic syndrome (3.49 [2.26–5.42]; P < 0.001), overweight with metabolic syndrome (7.77 [4.44–13.62]; P < 0.001), obese without metabolic syndrome (11.72 [4.88–28.16]; P < 0.001), and obese with metabolic syndrome (10.06 [5.19–19.51]; P < 0.001) categories compared with the normal weight without metabolic syndrome category.

CONCLUSIONS

Overweight or obese men without metabolic syndrome were at increased risk for diabetes. Our data provide further evidence that overweight and obesity in the absence of the metabolic syndrome should not be considered a harmless condition.
Radiocarbon Age and Geochemistry of the Infillings of Small Closed Depressions from Western Polesie (Poland Se, Ukraine Nw)
Authors: Dobrowolski Radosław , Ziółek Marta , Bałaga Krystyna , Melke Jerzy , Bogucki Andrij
Published: September 2010

In this paper we report the results of interdisciplinary investigations of deposits filling small closed depressions in the Western Polesie region. There were reconstructed the environmental changes and the main evolution phases of four morphometrically similar forms (=research sites) situated in the Lublin and Volhynia parts of the Polesie region. The gathered sedimentological, chronostratigraphical, palynological and geochemical data evidence great lithological (peats, gyttja, calcareous tufa) and age (Late Glacial, Neoholocene) differences between the deposits filling individual forms and indirectly suggest their karstic origin.
Chronology of the Last Deglaciation in the Southeastern Baltic Region on the Basis of Recent OSL Dates
Authors: Raukas Anto , Stankowski Wojciech , Zelčs Vitālijs , Šinkunas Petras
Published: September 2010

The study of the deglaciation chronology in the south-eastern Baltic Region belonging to the outer zone of the last Pleistocene glaciation has a long history. The Finnish investigator H. Hausen (1913) who worked in the north-western portion of the East-European Plain at the beginning of the 20th century was the first to attempt a reconstruction of the course of glacial retreat during the last glaciation. At that time investigators had no physical dating methods and the time scale based on varvometric method, introduced by the Swedish geologist G. de Geer (1912) who divided the deglaciation history of Scandinavia into Daniglacial, Gotiglacial and Finiglacial, each of which had different palaeoglaciological conditions. During last decades different dating methods, including 14C, ESR, luminescence methods and 10Be techniques have been used, but they could not help essentially improve the existing stratigraphical charts and many problems of topical interest in the history of deglaciation have not been solved yet. During last years the first two authors have studied the suitability of OSL method for the geochronological purposes, paying the most attention to the waterlaid sediments. In the first step they have found the most promising genetical varieties of glaciofluvial sediments (glaciofluvial deltas and sandurs) and in this paper they widened the study area to all three Baltic states with close cooperation with Latvian and Lithuanian colleagues. The obtained results demonstrated, that not all mineral grains in the uppermost glaciofluvial and glaciolacustrine sediments were fully bleached during the last deglaciation. Probably the older sediments also influenced to the luminescence results. It means, that stratigraphic conclusions based on single dates or their small sets are inadmissible and in each case luminiscence dating requires a verification using other methods.
Marx Back in Schools: Multicultural Education as a Tool of a Better Society
Authors: Danišková Zuzana
Published: September 2010

Marx opäť v školách: Multikultúrna výchova ako nástroj lepšej spoločnosti
Cross-cultural Research of Cognitive Processes in a Work of Michael Cole
Authors: Seidlová-Málková Gabriela , Bartlová Adéla
Published: September 2010

Interkulturní výzkum poznávacích procesů v díle Michaela Colea
Curricular Reform in Slovakia in a Comparative Context
Authors: Kresila Juraj
Published: September 2010

Reforma kurikula na Slovensku v komparatívnom kontexte
Ad Moral and Pedagogical Aspects of Durkheim's Understanding of Socialization
Authors: Strouhal Martin
Published: September 2010

K morálním a pedagogickým aspektům Durkheimova pojetí socializace
Organized Autonomous Networks
Authors: Milani Carlo
Published: September 2010

Drawing on the work of Gilbert Simondon, this article explores the creative, subversive potential of organized autonomous networks through an examination of the possibilities and pitfalls of a collective, net-based practice of writing.
Power, Secrecy, Paranoia: Technologies of Governance and the Structure of Rule
Authors: Bach Jonathan
Published: September 2010

This essay concerns paranoia's apocalyptic implications when harnessed by the state. It argues that current characterizations of paranoia as either resistance to globalization or a lay critique of Enlightenment ideals do not obviate paranoia's destructive dynamics in the service of state power. Paranoia remains a political phenomenon that calls for analysis at the level of the structure of rule. The essay explores one approach to paranoia as a political category through an ideal-typical model drawn from Elias Canetti's classic 1960 text Crowds and Power. It concludes with a discussion on how technology mediates between power and secrecy, forming a key nexus in the exploration of politics and paranoia.
Cyber-Libertarianism 2.0: A Discourse Theory/Critical Political Economy Examination
Authors: Dahlberg Lincoln
Published: September 2010

Cyber-libertarian discourse has recently made a “come-back” in popular technology and academic discussions about the democratic potential of “Web 2.0.” here, becoming a digital citizen means becoming an autonomous and creative “do-it-yourself citizen-consumer.” This paper identifies some of the limits of this “cyber-libertarian 2.0” discourse. It does so first by drawing upon post-Marxist discourse theory to outline the central elements of the discourse, and second by contrasting the cyber-libertarian understanding of “the situation” with a critical political economy reading that draws upon Debord's theory of “the spectacle.” The comparative analysis is structured by way of the normative categories “liberty,” “equality,” and “the demos,” which both discourses embrace in different ways when speaking of digitally enabled democracy. The critical political economy reading identifies a range of factors limiting the extension of democracy through Web 2.0, factors that are not taken into account by the cyber-libertarian discourse. Identifying such factors provides a starting point for a critical exploration of how democracy can be extended through the Internet. In conclusion, lines for such exploration are suggested, specifically in relation to a radical conception of democracy.
MCMC Sampling for a Multilevel Model With Nonindependent Residuals Within and Between Cluster Units
Authors: Browne William , Goldstein Harvey
Published: September 2010

In this article, we discuss the effect of removing the independence assumptions between the residuals in two-level random effect models. We first consider removing the independence between the Level 2 residuals and instead assume that the vector of all residuals at the cluster level follows a general multivariate normal distribution. We demonstrate how this assumption can allow us to fit higher levels of clustering and school competition effects via an example from education. We then consider removing the assumption of independence between Level 1 residuals within clusters. We show how this extension can allow time series type models. Both normal and binary responses are considered.
Legacy, Influence and Keeping the Distance: Two Grandfathers, Three Stories
Authors: Lesperance Duane
Published: September 2010

With the population older and healthier than in previous generations, it is anticipated that grandparents may be an important relationship for many children. Perhaps because grandmothers often have a more central role with their grandchildren, grandfathers are often overlooked by researchers. As such, we know little about what being a grandfather means to this current generation of men. Using narrative research methods, I interviewed two men who are each four years into being a grandfather. Although both men's narratives reflect themes related to legacy and influence, both men spoke about the impact of their awareness of child sexual abuse in their relating with their grandchildren. This issue is explored for the potential barriers this may uniquely have in the grandfather-grandchildren relationship.
Contesting Essentialist Theories of Patriarchal Relations: Evolutionary Psychology and the Denial of History
Authors: Crane-Seeber Jesse , Crane Betsy
Published: September 2010

This essay emerges from an ongoing mother-son dialogue about contemporary gender relations and their genesis in the history of patriarchy. In order to reframe patriarchy as a relational construct, rather than a simple group-based oppression, a performative notion of identities grounds the paper. It offers a critique of the body of literature that has developed under the broad heading of “evolutionary psychology,” insisting that gendered relations are not outcomes of genetic selection, divine mandate, or historical inevitability. An antidotal, millennia-spanning history of gender is offered as an epistemically and politically preferable explanation for patriarchal relations.
“Just Getting Off”: The Inseparability of Ejaculation and Hegemonic Masculinity
Authors: Johnson Michael
Published: September 2010

This paper offers the notion of the “ejaculation imperative” to describe the theoretical and pragmatic processes by which physiological ejaculation becomes intrinsically inseparable from discourses of time, sexual performance and social expectations. By applying theories about male bodies originated by Susan Bordo and Lenore Tiefer and while expanding on Judith Halberstam's concept of “queering” repronormative time, I illustrate the complex negotiations social actors play in the development of hegemonic notions of masculinity through the ejaculation response. By offering this critique, this paper attempts to complexify the seemingly “natural” relationships drawn about physiological sexual performativity and what it means to be male in contemporary US society.
« Violon ». La tentative de suicide d'une adolescente : travail de deuil et sublimation
Authors: Morhain Émilie , Morhain Yves
Published: September 2010

Résumé Les auteurs abordent la problématique de la tentative de suicide d’une adolescente en lien à « une mère » défaillante dans sa qualité d’investissement, avec pour conséquence la constitution d’un trou dans la relation d’objet. La tension conflictuelle entre l’attrait objectal et la préservation narcissique a trouvé à s’exprimer par l’acte et le corps chez cette adolescente en grande souffrance identitaire. Dans une tentative de colmater les brèches narcissiques provoquées par les défaillances de l’objet précoce, le recours à un objet d’addiction (violon) – entre accordage et accrochage –, a permis à cette adolescente d’éviter de se confronter à la perte, au vide en soi, et de mettre à distance tout autre investissement qui pouvait être menaçant pour son intégrité psychique. Les auteurs montrent comment une psychothérapie à médiation va favoriser l’engagement de cette adolescente dans un travail de troc et de deuil en appui sur la sublimation.
L'adolescent savant : penser la mort pour rêver d'amour
Authors: Weismann-Arcache Catherine
Published: September 2010

Résumé À partir d’une recherche longitudinale portant sur les enfants et adolescents à haut potentiel, je souhaite évoquer le parcours de deux « nourrissons savants » devenus des « adolescents savants », et leur rapport à la traumatophilie et à la mort. Je développerai deux vignettes cliniques : l’une concerne l’enfance et l’adolescence de Blaise Pascal et sa passion mathématique ; l’autre est une étude longitudinale qui rapporte la passion amoureuse vécue par Ariane, une jeune fille surdouée rencontrée à huit ans et quatorze ans. Traumatismes par excès et traumatismes par défaut fabriqueront nourrissons et adolescents savants, ce sera ma première hypothèse. Ma deuxième hypothèse concerne le mouvement traumatophilique qui vient forcer, voire violenter le processus de séparation : chez l’adolescent savant, la passion amoureuse fait l’économie de la séparation.
Un cas particulier de « pari » à l'adolescence : quelques aspects de la prise de risques vis-à-vis du VIH chez des adolescents et jeunes adultes gays
Authors: Sauvagnat François , Bonny Pierre
Published: September 2010

Résumé Des entretiens semi-directifs puis libres proposés à des sujets utilisant des sites de rencontre gays ont permis de repérer un certain nombre de particularités des types de paris inconscients, engageant leur fantasmatique propre ainsi que l’histoire familiale, concomitants de la prise de risques ayant conduit à une infection par le virus HIV. Ces entretiens ont également permis à certains des sujets les ayant acceptés un meilleur repérage de leurs choix vitaux, et une relativisation des conclusions ayant déterminé partiellement leur prise de risques.
Figures d'adolescents martyrs et meutriers chez Mishima Yukio
Authors: Condamin Christine
Published: September 2010

Résumé L’auteur propose la mise en correspondance des nombreux adolescents martyrs et meurtriers de l’œuvre de l’écrivain Mishima avec sa vie, amenant une réflexion sur le masochisme et le sadisme compris comme l’après-coup d’expériences traumatiques précoces. Tant que Mishima a réussi à sublimer en réalisant une œuvre littéraire, le masochisme a pu être utilisé comme « gardien de vie » dans une tentative de dépassement du trauma et dans l’après-coup, porteur d’un message qui cherchait à s’élaborer, cependant l’écrivain semble avoir été ensuite débordé par le potentiel de destruction des pulsions de mort désintriquées, emporté par un masochisme mortifère jusqu’à faire œuvre de disparition, sans avoir pu panser les blessures narcissiques primordiales, ni la carence d’objet primaire.
Le suicide à l'adolescence Édouard Levé, anatomie d'un suicide
Authors: Laufer Laurie
Published: September 2010

Résumé Un suicide est un acte énigmatique. C’est un acte hors sens, in-sensé. Qu’est-ce qui fait qu’un sujet ne peut sortir de l’aporie de l’alternative : « la bourse ou la vie » ? Comment dépasser la question de ce choix impossible ? L’être ou le sens ? É. Levé s’est suicidé après avoir écrit un livre qui s’est intitulé Suicide et qui relatait le suicide d’un de ses amis d’adolescence. À travers son livre il tente d’éclairer le mystère même de l’existence et du double qui rejaillit comme un écho imaginaire. Ne serait-ce pas d’ailleurs l’une des questions du suicide ?
Stratégies d'immortalité
Authors: Triandafillidis Alexandra
Published: September 2010

Résumé La création et l’investissement d’une image de soi à venir semblent nécessaires, à l’adolescent et à l’adulte, pour être (considérés comme) « normaux ». Autrement dit, ce qu’il est convenu d’appeler « projet » a un rôle central dans la vie psychique. Ce travail se propose de montrer que, si le projet est toujours à considérer comme « stratégie d’immortalité », sa fonction se trouve radicalement modifiée par la rencontre de l’adolescent avec le « mortifère » de la mort.
La littératie sans l'école : à la recherche des effets intellectuels de l'écriture
Authors: Scribner Sylvia , Cole Michael
Published: September 2010

La relation entre littératie et scolarisation a fait l’objet de multiples débats. Dans ces discussions, la littératie est considérée comme un indice et un accélérateur du développement intellectuel, particulièrement lorsqu’elle est associée à la scolarisation. Dans le présent article, Sylvia Scribner et Michael Cole questionnent de nombreuses généralisations portant sur les conséquences de la littératie et plaident pour l’étude de ses usages dans différents contextes sociaux. L’observation d’adultes non scolarisés mais alphabétisés chez les Vaï, une population du Libéria qui a inventé un système d’écriture syllabique pour représenter sa propre langue, leur permet de distinguer les effets de l’alphabétisation de ceux de la scolarisation.