bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Homeostatic Role of Toll-like Receptor 4 in the Endothelium and Heart
Authors: Harrington Louise S. , Belcher Elizabeth , Moreno Laura , Carrier Martin J. , Mitchell Jane A.
Published: January 2008

Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) is a pattern recognition receptor for lipopolysaccharide from Gram negative bacteria and thus is integral to the innate immune response in mammals. In addition, TLR4 is associated with atherosclerosis in murine models. The current study shows that blood vessels from TLR4-/- mice have an intact endothelial layer and comparable expression of nitric oxide synthase 3 protein. However, endothelium-dependent dilation in response to acetylcholine in vessels from TLR4-/- mice is greatly reduced. By contrast, endothelium-independent smooth muscle dilation in response to sodium nitroprusside in vessels from TLR4-/- mice remains intact. Furthermore, this study shows that hearts from TLR4-/- mice display signs of left ventricular dilation. In contrast to results in vessels from TLR4-/- mice, endothelium-dependent responses to acetylcholine in vessels from TLR2-/- mice remain intact. These observations illustrate a novel role for TLR4 in the homeostatic control of a functional endothelium and, thereby, cardiovascular health.
Efficacy and Safety of Bivalirudin Versus Heparins in Reduction of Cardiac Outcomes in Acute Coronary Syndrome and Percutaneous Coronary Interventions
Authors: Singh Sarabjeet , Molnar Janos , Arora Rohit
Published: January 2008

Recent data suggest that bivalirudin, a reversible direct thrombin inhibitor, may be noninferior to heparins (unfractionated heparin/low molecular weight heparin) in providing protection against cardiovascular events, with significantly fewer bleeding complications. Whether this advantage is consistent has not been fully defined. We evaluated cardiac outcomes with bivalirudin vs the heparins in management of acute coronary syndromes (ACS), including patients undergoing percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI). Formal computer-aided searches of electronic databases (MEDLINE, PubMed, Cochrane Controlled Trials Registry) were performed by scrutiny of the reference lists of trials and review articles, abstracts, meeting proceedings, and the manufacturers of direct thrombin inhibitors. Five randomized controlled trials (BAT, 1995; CACHET, 2002; REPLACE-2, 2003; REPLACE-1, 2004; and ACUITY, 2006) comparing bivalirudin to the heparins in patients with ACS, including patients undergoing PCI, were identified. The meta-analysis consisted of 25 457 patients (bivalirudin, 15 077; heparins, 10 380). The primary safety end point was major bleeding, defined as intracranial, intraocular, or retroperitoneal hemorrhage; clinically overt blood loss leading to a hemoglobin drop exceeding 3 g/dL (or 10% of hematocrit) and transfusion of 2 or more units of whole blood or packed red blood cells. The combined relative risks (RR) across all of the studies and the 95% confidence intervals of death, myocardial infarction (MI), and revascularization (bivalirudin vs heparins) were computed using the Mantel-Haenszel fixed-effect model, whereas the random-effect model was used for major bleeding. A 2-sided α error < .05 was considered to be significant. There were no significant differences in patient characteristics between the 2 groups. Compared to the heparins, the risk of death, MI, revascularization, and composite ischemic end points were similar with bivalirudin monotherapy. However, the risk of major bleeding was significantly lower with bivalirudin use (RR = 0.553; 95% CI = 0.402-0.761; P = .001). The present meta-analysis suggests that bivalirudin may be noninferior to the heparins in reducing the composite of ischemic end points. Additionally, compared to the heparins, bivalirudin monotherapy may lower the rate of major bleeding.
In Vitro Effects of Acute Amiodarone and Dronedarone on Epicardial, Endocardial, and M Cells of the Canine Ventricle
Authors: Moro Sandra , Ferreiro Marcela , Celestino Daniela , Medei Emiliano , Elizari Marcelo V. , Sicouri Serge
Published: January 2008

Amiodarone (AM) is an antiarrhythmic agent widely used in the treatment of ventricular and supraventricular arrhythmias. Dronedarone (DR) is a new compound with a pharmacological profile similar to that of AM, but iodine free. We previously demonstrated that chronic AM treatment reduces transmural dispersion of repolarization (TDR) in the canine heart. We used standard microelectrode technique to evaluate the effects of acute AM (100 µM) and DR (30 µM) on epicardial (EPI), endocardial (ENDO), and M region tissues obtained from the left ventricular wall of the canine heart. Amiodarone (100 µM, 120 min of exposure) produced little change in the action potential duration of ENDO and EPI tissues, but it shortened the action potential of M cells, especially at slow rates, leading to a decrease in TDR. Similar results were observed with DR. Acute AM (100 µM) and DR (30 µM) eliminated d-sotalol—induced early afterdepolarizations (EADs) and triggered activity in 3 of 3 and 2 of 6 M cell preparations, respectively. The reduction of TDR and the elimination of EAD-induced triggered activity differentiates AM and DR from other class III agents. These effects may explain the efficacy and low arrhythmogenicity of acute AM and suggest a potential safe use of DR as an antiarrhythmic agent.
A Study on Regression of Hypercholesterolemic Atherosclerosis in Rabbits by Flax Lignan Complex
Authors: Prasad Kailash
Published: January 2008

Flax lignan complex (FLC) isolated from flaxseed suppresses the development of hypercholesterolemic atherosclerosis. The objectives of this study were to investigate if FLC produces regression of atherosclerosis and if regression is associated with reductions in serum lipids and oxidative stress. The studies were conducted in 4 groups of rabbits: group I, control diet (2 months); group II, 0.25% cholesterol diet (2 months); group III, 0.25% cholesterol diet (2 months) followed by regular diet (4 months); and group IV, 0.25% cholesterol diet (2 months) followed by regular diet and FLC (4 months). Serum lipids and oxidative stress parameters were measured before and at various intervals thereafter on their respective diets. The aortas were removed at the end of the protocol for assessment of atherosclerotic plaques and oxidative parameters. Atherosclerosis in group II was associated with hyperlipidemia and increased oxidative stress. Atherosclerotic changes were accelerated in group III, and this was associated with reductions in serum lipids and oxidative stress. Atherosclerotic lesions in group IV were similar to group II, but significantly smaller than those in group III, and were associated with reductions in serum lipids and oxidative stress similar to that in group III. These results indicate that FLC does not produce regression but prevents the acceleration of atherosclerosis due to the removal of cholesterol in the diet. These effects of FLC are not associated with reductions in serum lipids and oxidative stress.
Comment: National Council For Adoption's Response to the Texas Safe Haven Study
Authors: Atwood Thomas C.
Published: January 2008

The author responds to a study on the effectiveness of Texas's Safe Haven law. More than 1,000 newborns nationwide have been placed safely under Safe Haven laws, and this number includes only the documented cases in 36 of the 48 states that have enacted such laws. The author agrees that further study of Safe Haven laws is needed because many states with Safe Haven policies have not accurately monitored or documented the number of infants safely relinquished, and data to measure usage and effectiveness of Safe Haven programs are lacking. In addition, states would benefit from studies of at-risk parents, which might lead to more effective messages that would reach these parents before abandonment takes place. All states with Safe Haven policies must recognize the need for increased funding of public awareness campaigns to educate residents about Safe Haven laws.
Bioinformatic analysis of the CLE signaling peptide family
Authors: Oelkers Karsten , Goffard Nicolas , Weiller Georg F , Gresshoff Peter M , Mathesius Ulrike , Frickey Tancred
Published: January 2008

Background

Plants encode a large number of leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinases. Legumes encode several LRR-RLK linked to the process of root nodule formation, the ligands of which are unknown. To identify ligands for these receptors, we used a combination of profile hidden Markov models and position-specific iterative BLAST, allowing us to detect new members of the CLV3/ESR (CLE) protein family from publicly available sequence databases.

Results

We identified 114 new members of the CLE protein family from various plant species, as well as five protein sequences containing multiple CLE domains. We were able to cluster the CLE domain proteins into 13 distinct groups based on their pairwise similarities in the primary CLE motif. In addition, we identified secondary motifs that coincide with our sequence clusters. The groupings based on the CLE motifs correlate with known biological functions of CLE signaling peptides and are analogous to groupings based on phylogenetic analysis and ectopic overexpression studies. We tested the biological function of two of the predicted CLE signaling peptides in the legume Medicago truncatula. These peptides inhibit the activity of the root apical and lateral root meristems in a manner consistent with our functional predictions based on other CLE signaling peptides clustering in the same groups.

Conclusion

Our analysis provides an identification and classification of a large number of novel potential CLE signaling peptides. The additional motifs we found could lead to future discovery of recognition sites for processing peptidases as well as predictions for receptor binding specificity.
Sepsis: rethinking the approach to clinical research
Authors: Marshall John C
Published: January 2008

The clinical syndrome of sepsis encompasses a highly heterogeneous group of clinical disorders, varying with respect to the site, bacteriology, and even presence of infection and with the clinical syndrome evolving in the host. Clinical trials of strategies to modulate the host response that mediates sepsis were first initiated 25 years ago. A continuing record of disappointment has characterized subsequent work, and only a single new therapy has been licensed for clinical use. Yet, these commercial disappointments obscure a vibrant body of new knowledge that has clarified the biology of the innate immune response whose deranged expression is responsible for sepsis and that has provided important new insights into the failings of the traditional model of clinical research in sepsis. This review highlights advances in basic biology and underlines insights from clinical research that may point to new and more effective ways of translating an understanding of innate immunity into effective treatments for a leading cause of global morbidity and mortality.
Development and reliability of a structured interview guide for
the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (SIGMA)
Authors: Williams Janet B. W. , Kobak Kenneth A.
Published: January 2008

Background

The Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) is often used in
clinical trials to select patients and to assess treatment efficacy. The
scale was originally published without suggested questions for clinicians
to use in gathering the information necessary to rate the items.
Structured and semi-structured interview guides have been found to
improve reliability with other scales.

Aims

To describe the development and test-retest reliability of a structured
interview guide for the MADRS (SIGMA).

Method

A total of 162 test-retest interviews were conducted by 81 rater pairs.
Each patient was interviewed twice, once by each rater conducting an
independent interview.

Results

The intraclass correlation for total score between raters using the SIGMA
was r = 0.93, P < 0.0001. All ten
items had good to excellent interrater reliability.

Conclusions

Use of the SIGMA can result in high reliability of MADRS scores in
evaluating patients with depression.
Cortical activation in alexithymia as a response to emotional
stimuli
Authors: Karlsson Hasse , Näätänen Petri , Stenman Hanna
Published: January 2008

Background

Alexithymia has been shown to be related to many psychiatric and somatic
illnesses. Aberrant emotion processing in the brain may underlie several
psychiatric disorders. However, little is known about the neurobiological
underpinnings of alexithymia.

Aims

To determine the way in which the brain processes emotion in
alexithymia.

Method

The participants were 10 healthy women with alexithymia and 11 healthy
women without this condition, recruited into the study on the basis of
their scores on the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale. Four films were
projected on a video screen to induce each of three emotional conditions
(neutral, amusement, sadness). The brain areas activated during emotional
stimuli in the alexithymia group were compared with those activated in
the non-alexithymia group. Scans of the distribution of
[15O]H2O were acquired using a positron emission
tomography (PET) scanner operated in three-dimensional mode.

Results

In response to emotional stimuli participants with alexithymia activated
more parts of their sensory and motor cortices and insula, especially on
the left side, and less of their anterior cingulate, compared with the
control group.

Conclusions

Women with alexithymia seem to over-activate their ‘bodily’ brain
regions, implying a different mode of emotion processing. This may be
related to their tendency to experience physical symptoms.
Neural correlates of reward in autism
Authors: Schmitz Nicole , Rubia Katya , van Amelsvoort Therese , Daly Eileen , Smith Anna , Murphy Declan G. M.
Published: January 2008

Background

Lack of social interaction, which is characteristically seen in people with autistic-spectrum disorder, may be caused by malfunctioning of the frontostriatal reward systems. However, no reportedin vivobrain imaging studies have investigated reward mechanisms in autistic-spectrum disorder.

Aims

To investigate functional brain activation during reward feedback in people with autistic-spectrum disorder and control individuals.

Method

We used event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging to examine the neural substrates of monetary reward in individuals with autistic-spectrum disorder and matched controls.

Results

When rewarded, individuals with autism compared with control individuals showed significantly greater brain activation in the left anterior cingulate gyrus. In addition, activation of this region was negatively correlated with social interaction as measured by the Autism Diagnostic Interview.

Conclusions

In people with autistic-spectrum disorder, achieving reward is associated with significant differences in the activation of areas known to be responsible for attention and arousal, and this may partially underpin some deficits in social behaviour.
Pivotal roles for eomesodermin during axis formation,epithelium-to-mesenchyme transition and endoderm specification in the mouse
Authors: Arnold Sebastian J. , Hofmann Ulf K. , Bikoff Elizabeth K. , Robertson Elizabeth J.
Published: January 2008

The T-box transcription factor eomesodermin (Eomes) has been implicated as an important component in germ layer induction and patterning in vertebrate embryos. In the mouse, Eomes is essential for development of the trophectoderm lineage and Eomes loss-of-function mutants arrest at implantation. Here, we have used a novel Eomes conditional allele to test Eomes functions in the embryo proper. Eomes-deficient embryos express both Fgf8 and its downstream target Snail at normal levels but surprisingly fail to downregulate E-cadherin. Eomes functional loss thus efficiently and profoundly blocks EMT and concomitant mesoderm delamination. Marker analysis as well as fate-mapping and chimera studies demonstrate for the first time that Eomes is required for specification of the definitive endoderm lineage. We also describe developmental abnormalities in Eomes/Nodaldouble heterozygotes, and demonstrate that these phenotypes reflect Eomes and Nodal interactions in different tissue sites. Collectively, our experiments establish that Eomes is a key regulator of anteroposterior axis formation, EMT and definitive endoderm specification in the mouse.
Optimal production, maintenance, and warranty strategies for item sold with rebate combination warranty
Authors: Giri B. C. , Chakraborty T
Published: January 2008

In this paper, a decision model is developed for an imperfect production system in which the demand for a product is assumed to be influenced by the warranty period offered to the customer. The production process may shift from an ‘in-control’ state to an ‘out-of-control’ state at any random time at which point non-conforming items are produced. To assess the state of the production process, periodic inspections are carried out during each production run. At the time of inspection, if the process is found to be in the ‘out-of-control’ state then restoration is done; otherwise, preventive maintenance is performed. The proposed model is formulated under a general process shift distribution and a rebate combination warranty. The expected cost per unit item is taken as the criterion for optimality. Some analytical results of the model are derived with restrictions. The optimal decisions (i.e. the optimal number of inspections, the optimal production time, and the optimal warranty period offered to the customer) are obtained numerically and the sensitivity of some model parameters is examined in a numerical example.
Imperfect repair policies under two-dimensional warranty
Authors: Yun W. Y. , Kang K. M.
Published: January 2008

For repairable items, the manufacturer is required to rectify all item failures through minimal repair, replacement, and imperfect repair should failures occur within the period specified in the warranty. In this paper, a new warranty servicing strategy is examined, considering imperfect repair with a two-dimensional warranty where the failed item is imperfectly repaired when it fails for the first time in a specified period of the warranty and all other failures are repaired minimally. The optimal servicing strategy is obtained to minimize the total expected warranty servicing cost. The proposed repair policy is compared numerically with existing strategies reported in the literature.
Reliability of capacitated mobile ad hoc networks
Authors: Cook J. L. , Ramirez-Marquez J. E.
Published: January 2008

Ad hoc networking is used for the flexibility it provides. Its dynamic topology allows employment of the mobile ad hoc wireless network (MAWN) without groundwork because no infrastructure is required. However, these distinctive attributes of ad hoc networking do not conform to a key assumption under which most existing network reliability methods are founded; that network connectivity is known a priori. Therefore, ad hoc networking requires new network reliability assessment methods. Based on the unique characteristics of ad hoc networks, previous research has been focused on the development of methods that consider the probabilistic formation of the network topology and how to embed mobility models within a reliability approximation technique. This paper provides further advances in the area of MAWN reliability by removing the previous assumptions that link status is solely determined by node separation distance, resulting in a binary link behaviour. This paper proposes the use of a mathematical model for link capacity combined with a Monte Carlo simulation of the demand upon each link and each node's mobility. This new extension provides the ability to consider additional design parameters and their impact on reliability.
Impacts of repair state residence time distributions in an electric power generating capacity adequacy assessment
Authors: Huang D , Billinton R
Published: January 2008

The primary function of an electric power system is to satisfy the load requirement as economically as possible with an acceptable assurance of continuity and quality. A generating capacity adequacy evaluation involves the determination of the total system generation required to satisfy the load requirement. In these studies, a generating unit is usually represented by a two-state model in which the unit is either available or unavailable for service. These models are valid representations for base load units but do not adequately represent intermittent operating units used to meet peak load conditions. The two-state model for a base load unit has been extended to a four-state peaking unit model that is widely used in practice. The generating unit state residence time distributions in these models are assumed to be exponential in form in virtually all practical system studies. This may not be a valid assumption for the repair state in some situations. A sequential Monte Carlo simulation technique is utilized to incorporate Weibull distributed generating unit state residence times in the two-state and four-state models. The effects on the adequacy indices and the adequacy index distributions are illustrated by application to two practical test systems.
Projected Cost-effectiveness of New Vaccines for Adolescents in the United States
Authors: Ortega-Sanchez Ismael R. , Lee Grace M. , Jacobs R. Jake , Prosser Lisa A. , Molinari Noelle-Angelique , Zhang Xinzhi , Baine William B. , McCauley Mary M. , Miller Ted ,   for the Working Group on Leading Economic Issues for New Vaccine for Adolescents
Published: January 2008

BACKGROUND. Economic assessments that guide policy making on immunizations are becoming increasingly important in light of new and anticipated vaccines for adolescents. However, important considerations that limit the utility of these assessments, such as the diversity of approaches used, are often overlooked and should be better understood.

OBJECTIVE. Our goal was to examine economic studies of adolescent vaccines and compare cost-effectiveness outcomes among studies on a particular vaccine, across adolescent vaccines, and between new adolescent vaccines versus vaccines that are recommended for young children.

METHODS. A systematic review of economic studies on immunizations for adolescents was conducted. Studies were identified by searching the Medline, Embase, and EconLit databases. Each study was reviewed for appropriateness of model design, baseline setup, sensitivity analyses, and input variables (ie, epidemiologic, clinical, cost, and quality-of-life impact). For comparison, the cost-effectiveness outcomes reported in key studies on vaccines for younger children were selected.

RESULTS. Vaccines for healthy adolescents were consistently found to be more costly than the health care or societal cost savings they produced and, in general, were less cost-effective than vaccines for younger children. Among the new vaccines, pertussis and human papillomavirus vaccines were more cost-effective than meningococcal vaccines. Including herd-immunity benefits in studies significantly improved the cost-effectiveness estimates for new vaccines. Differences in measurements or assumptions limited further comparisons.

CONCLUSION. Although using the new adolescent vaccines is unlikely to be cost-saving, vaccination programs will result in sizable health benefits.
Intertidal Habitat Use, Population Characteristics, Movement, and Exploitation of Striped Bass in the Inner Bay of Fundy, Canada
Authors: Rulifson Roger A. , McKenna Sean A. , Dadswell Michael J.
Published: January 2008

Striped bass Morone saxatilis were sampled from intertidal weirs in Minas Basin and Cobequid Bay, Bay of Fundy, to determine tidal behavior, population characteristics, movements, and exploitation. During 1985 and 1986, 1,864 striped bass ranging from 69 to more than 600 mm in fork length were captured in three commercial weirs from May to December along the north shore of Minas Basin and Cobequid Bay. Catches were lowest during early summer and highest in late summer and fall. Catches were greatest when low tide occurred from dusk to midnight (1800‐2400 hours), a second peak being observed when low tide occurred from dawn to late morning. Largest weir catches at a clear‐water site (Minas Basin) were associated with spring tides (0.5‐0.9 m above mean low water [MLW]), but at turbid water sites (Cobequid Bay) the best catches were during neap tides (1.0‐1.7 m above MLW). The largest striped bass were captured from June to August (280‐610 mm), but age‐0 (69‐94‐mm) and age‐1 (141‐240‐mm) fish dominated the catches in September and October. A total of 1,431 striped bass were marked: 1,163 in 1985 and 268 in 1986. The recapture rate was 21.3% for fish released in 1985 and 8.9% for those released in 1986; 55.8% were recreational recaptures, and 44.2% came from commercial fisheries. The mean day of recapture from all sources (recreational and commercial) in marine waters of the Bay of Fundy was September 3, but for striped bass recaptured in local, freshwater overwintering sites it was May 21. The average distance moved for striped bass recaptured in Minas Basin and local watersheds was 55 km, and for long‐distance movement it was 780 km. Tags were returned from Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Virginia. All tag returns from outside Minas Basin were from fish larger than 390 mm at time of release. The fastest travel time was 17.8 km/d by a fish recaptured in Rhode Island 45 d after release. Our findings demonstrate that the striped bass frequenting Minas Basin and Cobequid Bay each summer consist of a portion that overwinters in freshwater around the Bay of Fundy and a portion that migrates southward along the eastern coast of the United States.
Geochemical Signatures in Otoliths Record Natal Origins of American Shad
Authors: Walther Benjamin D. , Thorrold Simon R. , Olney John E.
Published: January 2008

Population connectivity is a critical component in the life history dynamics of anadromous fishes and in the persistence of local populations. We used geochemical signatures in the otoliths of American shadAlosa sapidissimato determine natal origins and estimate rates of straying among river‐specific populations along the U.S. Atlantic coast. Stable isotope (δ13C, δ18O and87Sr:86Sr) and elemental (Mg: Ca, Mn: Ca, Sr: Ca and Ba: Ca) signatures in otoliths of juvenile American shad from rivers from Georgia to New Hampshire varied significantly, allowing for an average of 91% cross‐validated accuracy when classifying individual fish to their natal rivers. We also found significant interannual variability in the geochemical signatures from several rivers, due largely to differences in δ18O values among years. We then used the ground‐truthed geochemical signatures in the otoliths of juvenile American shad to identify the natal origins of spawning adults in the York River system in Virginia. Approximately 6% of the spawning adults collected in the York River were strays from other rivers. Of the remaining fish, 79% were spawned in the Mattaponi River and 21% in the Pamunkey River. The combined results of this and other recent studies suggest that although most American shad spawning in the York River were homing to their natal river, there was much less fidelity to individual tributaries. Small‐scale straying could allow fish spawned in the Mattaponi River to subsidize spawning in the Pamunkey River, which has experienced persistent recruitment failure.
Aspectos histopatológicos da adenomiose em úteros bovinos nas diferentes fases do ciclo estral
Authors: Moreira L. , Carvalho E.C.Q. , Caldas-Bussiere M.C.
Published: January 2008

Relacionaram-se as características da adenomiose com as fases do ciclo estral em 61 peças de úteros de bovinos colhidas em matadouros. A adenomiose foi classificada em superficial e profunda. A fase do ciclo estral foi estimada pela morfologia, pela coloração e pela vascularização do corpo lúteo e presença ou não de folículos ovarianos maiores que 8mm. Os animais que estavam em anestro (n=11) apresentaram a menor ocorrência de adenomiose (8,2%), e os que estavam na fase lútea média (n=21), a maior (31,0%). Nas fases lútea inicial (n=13) e folicular (n=16) as ocorrências foram semelhantes, 18,0 e 22,9%, respectivamente. A maior porcentagem de adenomiose profunda ocorreu nas fases lútea inicial e média, 45,0 e 47,4%, respectivamente, e durante o anestro e a fase folicular foram de 20,0 e 14,3%, respectivamente. Os resultados sugerem que a fase do ciclo estral influencia na ocorrência de adenomiose e no grau de infiltração miometrial das glândulas endometriais.
Nas teias da economia: o papel das redes sociais e da reciprocidade nos processos locais de desenvolvimento
Authors: Radomsky Guilherme , Schneider Sergio
Published: January 2008

O trabalho aborda o tema das redes sociais de trabalho sob o ângulo das relações de reciprocidade. A partir de um estudo de caso no município de Veranópolis, Rio Grande do Sul, o artigo procura compreender a importância das relações de reciprocidade para a constituição de redes de trabalho ligadas a comerciantes, a indústrias de fusão de aços e a indústrias de calçados e artigos esportivos. Pretende-se demonstrar que, apesar de uma origem social comum, as diferentes redes de trabalho apresentam distintas características no que diz respeito a formas de trabalho, modo de operação e regulação da concorrência entre os empreendimentos. No caso estudado, o conjunto de relações em rede é responsável pelo dinamismo do mercado de trabalho e pela diferenciação da economia local, uma vez que articula os atores que compõem o tecido social e exerce efeitos relevantes para o desenvolvimento do território como um todo.
A homossexualidade e a perspectiva foucaultiana
Authors: Madlener Francis , Dinis Nilson Fernandes
Published: January 2008

O dispositivo da sexualidade produziu prescrição de normas que interferem na constituição das identidades sexuais dos sujeitos, sejam eles/elas hetero ou homossexuais. Deve-se refletir de que forma esse processo ocorre e quais prejuízos pode trazer para uma experiência que poderia ser criadora de novas formas de relações. Assim Foucault questiona mesmo a luta dos movimentos homossexuais e seus referenciais identitários excludentes. Busca-se, com este trabalho, trazer uma reflexão acerca do dispositivo da sexualidade, sua influência nas relações homossexuais, bem como as possibilidades de superação dos atuais padrões sociais e sexuais na direção de novas estéticas da existência.
Níveis de lisina digestível da ração e temperatura ambiente para frangos de corte em crescimento
Authors: Siqueira Jefferson Costa de , Oliveira Rita Flávia Miranda de , Donzele Juarez Lopes , Cecon Paulo Roberto , Balbino Eric Márcio , Oliveira Will Pereira de
Published: January 2008

Este estudo foi conduzido para avaliar os efeitos dos níveis de lisina digestível da ração e da temperatura ambiente sobre o desempenho e as características de carcaça de frangos de corte dos 22 a 42 dias de idade. Foram utilizados 672 frangos Ross®, machos, com peso médio de 726 g, em delineamento inteiramente casualizado segundo arranjo fatorial 4 × 4, com seis repetições de sete aves. Os frangos foram mantidos nas temperaturas de 18,5; 21,1; 24,5 e 27,0ºC e foram alimentados com rações com diferentes níveis de lisina digestível (0,934; 1,009; 1,084 e 1,159%). Não houve interação temperatura ambiente × níveis de lisina da ração para as variáveis estudadas. O consumo de ração (CR) e o ganho de peso (GP) não foram influenciados pelos níveis de lisina. O consumo de ração reduziu linearmente com a temperatura ambiente e o ganho de peso aumentou até a temperatura estimada de 21,5ºC. A conversão alimentar melhorou até o nível estimado de 1,085% de lisina digestível. Os pesos de carcaça (PC), peito com osso (PPO), coxa (PCX) e sobrecoxa (PSCX) aumentaram até as temperaturas estimadas de 21,9; 21,0; 22,7 e 23,7ºC, respectivamente. Os rendimentos de carcaça (RC), coxa (RCX) e sobrecoxa (RSCX) aumentaram, enquanto o peso do peito sem osso (PPSO) e os rendimentos de peito com osso (RPO) e sem osso (RPSO) reduziram linearmente com a temperatura ambiente. O PCX e o RCX aumentaram, mas o RSCX reduziu linearmente com os níveis de lisina da ração. O PC, PPO, PSCX, RC, RPO e o RPSO não foram influenciados pelos níveis de lisina. A temperatura ambiente no intervalo de 18,5 e 27,0ºC não influenciou as exigências de lisina das aves. A condição para melhor conversão alimentar no período de 22 a 42 dias foi obtida com o nível de 1,085% de lisina digestível na ração e com a temperatura ambiente estimada de 23,3ºC.
Austrolebias varzeae, a new annual fish from the upper rio Uruguay basin, southern Brazil (Cyprinodontiformes: Rivulidae)
Authors: Costa Wilson J. E. M. , Reis Roberto E. , Behr Everton R.
Published: January 2008

Austrolebias varzeae n. sp. is described from rio da Várzea floodplains, upper rio Uruguay basin, southern Brazil. It seems to be closely related to A. carvalhoi (Myers), with which it shares a similar color pattern of male and an apomorphic morphology of the autopalatine. The new species differs from A. carvalhoi by having more anal-fin rays in males and more caudal-fin rays. Austrolebias varzeae is distinguished from all other species of the genus by a unique color pattern, in which there are three distinctively darker and narrower bars on the anterior portion of male flank. Putative close relationships between A. varzeae and A. carvalhoi suggest a closely related biogeographic history between upper Uruguay and upper Iguaçu River basins, corroborated by a biogeographic pattern of the anablepid genus Jenynsia.
Gender Differences in Smoking and Cessation Behaviors Among Young Adults After Implementation of Local Comprehensive Tobacco Control
Authors: Ellis Jennifer A. , Perl Sarah B. , Davis Karen , Vichinsky Laura
Published: January 2008

Objectives. We sought to study gender differences in young adult smoking declines and enrollment in populationwide cessation services.

Methods. The New York City (NYC) Department of Health and Mental Hygiene implemented populationwide cessation programs to distribute free nicotine replacement therapy (NRT); demographic data were collected from enrollees. Smoking prevalence was assessed using data from the Community Health Survey, an annual population-based survey.

Results. Between 2002 and 2005, smoking among young adults in NYC declined from 23.8% to 18.8%, which was explained entirely by a 41.8% decline among young adult women (23.2% to 13.5); prevalence remained at 24% among young adult men. More young adult women enrolled in cessation services than did men, although once enrolled, the likelihood of using NRT was high among both groups.

Conclusions. Among young adults, women have been responsive to comprehensive tobacco control, but men require more-intensive strategies. Population-wide NRT distribution can be effective with young adults overall; however, additional resources need to be devoted to identifying successful outreach strategies for young adult men.
Treat or Treatment: A Qualitative Study Analyzing Patients’ Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Authors: Bishop Felicity L. , Yardley Lucy , Lewith George T.
Published: January 2008

Objectives. We analyzed how patients use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and examined how patients’ perspectives relate to existing, expert-led taxonomies.

Methods. We conducted semistructured interviews with 46 people who used CAM in southern England, then performed a qualitative thematic analysis of the interviews.

Results. CAM appeared to be used in 4 different ways: as treats, and as alternative, complementary, or conventional treatments. Treats were portrayed as personal luxuries, not directed at an identified health need. Systematic differences in the context, anticipated benefits, and implications for financial justification were revealed when nonmedical therapies were viewed and used as alternative, complementary, or conventional treatments. Specific CAM practices were viewed and used in different ways by different participants.

Conclusions. Some participants used CAM practices as a personal luxury, not as a health care technology. This is incongruent with existing expert-led taxonomies. Physicians and researchers need to be aware that patients’ views of what constitutes CAM can differ radically from their own. They should choose their terminology carefully to initiate meaningful dialogue with their patients and research participants.
Improving Tertiary Student Outcomes in the First Year of Study: What Your Students May Not Tell You
Authors: Dewart Bonnie , Rowan Linda
Published: January 2008

There has been increased interest in retention and completion with regard to tertiary student outcomes in relation to students' successful completion of their study and what influences this. In New Zealand, the government through the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) has made it clear that it expects institutions to meet retention and completion benchmarks or face reductions in funding. An added challenge in this climate is that mass education and open entry, with the focus on participation, have brought an increasingly diverse student population into tertiary education (Prebble, Hargraves, Leach, Naidoo, Suddaby, & Zepke, 2005). The Teaching and Learning Research Initiative (TLRI) two year project, that UCOL has been involved in, set out to identify ways institutions and their staffs can improve retention rates. It addressed the question: “What can New Zealand Tertiary Education Institutions and their teachers do to adapt their current processes and practices to improve retention, persistence and completion of diverse students in their first year?” (Zepke, Leach, & Prebble, 2004). This article will first explain the origins for the research based on the best evidence synthesis and the importance of the term adaptation. It will then summarize the results for UCOL from the data gathering instruments: a questionnaire for students and another for teachers; interviews with both students and administrators; and focus groups for both students and teachers. UCOL was one of seven participating Tertiary Education Institutions (TEIs). While we are only able to talk about what we learned for UCOL, the results will have application beyond one institution. What students tell us, and what we do with that information, will help us to ensure that student success is supported at all levels of the institution.
Mentoring Students: Conceptualizing and Validating the Multi-Dimensions of a Support System
Authors: Nora Amaury , Crisp Gloria
Published: January 2008

Many students do not receive the adequate academic and social support during their enrollment in a higher education institution that could positively impact their abilities to succeed in college (Astin, 1984; Hurtado & Carter, 1997; Nora, 1987; Pascarella & Terenzini, 1991). These support systems can be viewed as providing a holistic mentoring experience to students. Because of the many possible benefits to be derived from mentoring, the study of effective mentoring of undergraduates is paramount. Unfortunately, the utility of existing mentoring studies is limited due to definitional, methodological, and theoretical flaws (Jacobi, 1991). The purpose of the present study was to identify the multi-dimensions associated with mentoring through a proposed conceptual framework. Four major domains were identified in the literature: 1) psychological or emotional support, 2) goal setting and career paths, 3) academic subject knowledge support, and 4) the existence of a role model. Secondary data were analyzed from a sample of 200 students at a two-year institution in the south-central area of the United States in the 1997 academic year. Three statistically reliable latent variables (educational/career goal-setting and appraisal, emotional and psychological support, academic subject knowledge support aimed at advancing a student's knowledge relevant to their chosen field) were identified as comprising the mentoring experiences of the survey participants. Findings suggest that mentoring programs aimed at providing experiences designed to assist students in adjusting to college life and becoming fully engaged in classroom and out-of-class activities should focus on providing support for the latent variables identified.
Do Fines for Violating Possessionuse-Purchase Laws Reduce Youth Tobacco Use?
Authors: Jason Leonard A. , Hunt Yvonne , Pokorny Steven B. , Gadiraju Praveena , Adams Monica , Schoeny Michael
Published: January 2008

The present brief report followed children exposed to consequences for violating Purchase, Use, and Possession (PUP) laws over time to assess changes in their smoking status. Youth in 24 towns were surveyed once a year for 3 years, and rates of tobacco use for those fined for PUP law violations were assessed. Of those who were given a ticket for a PUP law violation, 35 (39%) reported not smoking during year 1. Students in grade 7 were more likely to have quit smoking (84%) than those in grade 8 (35%), grade 9 (32%), or grade 10 (21%). For the two follow-up years, 45% and 41% reported not smoking. Assuming those who attrited were smokers, it is possible that about 15% to 24% of the original sample of children cited actually quit smoking over the follow-up period. The implications of these findings are discussed.
Creativity and E-Advertising: A Qualitative Study of Art Directors' Creative Processes
Authors: Fourquet-Courbet Marie-Pierre , Courbet Didier , Vanhuele Marc
Published: January 2008

An interpretive analysis of qualitative interviews with 33 creators of advertising banners for the Internet, combined with retrospective protocols on the creation process, reveals that they hold implicit theories about the potential impact of their work on different audiences. These audiences intervene in the form of intraindividual imaginary dialogue partners who, throughout the creative process, give their reactions to the message being created. Creation and evaluation are therefore intertwined and not, as the literature on creativity has suggested, two sequential steps of the creative process.
Relationship of Personal Cognitive Schemas to the Labeling of a Profound Emotional Experience as Religious-Mystical or Aesthetic
Authors: Stange Ken , Taylor Shelley
Published: January 2008

Subjective experiences of profound religious-mystical and aesthetic experiences share common characteristics, suggesting that apparent differences between them may reflect a person's individual cognitive schema. Six characteristics common to descriptions of religious-mystical and aesthetic experiences were distinguished. A questionnaire was designed to determine the following: 1) the extent to which participants were religiously oriented, and engaged with art; 2) if participants had experienced a profound religious-mystical and a profound aesthetic experience, and 3) had experienced events with six characteristics common to descriptions of profound aesthetic and religious-mystical experiences. Of 487 respondents, 391 met the criteria for having had a profound experience. A significant relationship was found between individuals' personal cognitive schema (religious or artistic) and their labeling of similar profound experiences.
Erotic, Pornographic, or Obscene: Factors Influencing the Perception of Photographs of the Nude
Authors: McDowall Joseph J.
Published: January 2008

Considerable attention has been directed in the literature to exploring the pornographic or obscene nature of images depicting sexual content, however relatively few studies have attempted to investigate possible desirable aspects of such material by discriminating between these concepts and the erotic. This study required 37 female and 22 male visual arts students to complete two measures of their visual aesthetic response and their sexual interest and orientation before applying a semantic differential to reveal differences in individuals' understanding of the concepts erotic, pornographic, and obscene. They then rated 150 color and monochrome photographs depicting single and multiple female and male nudes in terms of how erotic, pornographic, or obscene they were perceived to be, and how much liking and pleasingness they elicited in the viewers. Erotic as a concept clearly was differentiated from the others by association with positive descriptors (e.g., dynamic, strong, emotional, relevant, tasteful, good), with pornographic characterised as more superficial (e.g., transparent, repetitive, physical) and obscene being the most unusual and disturbing. Participants gave more variable responses in their erotic ratings of images compared with pornographic and obscene. Significant sex-of-viewer differences were observed. Females found most content erotic except explicit images of two males that were rated most obscene; males rated images containing only males of little erotic interest. In future research, more consideration needs to be given to image content before it can be deemed pornographic and its likely effects on the viewer assumed.
Out of Place: Mediating Health and Social Care in Ontario's Long-Term Care Sector
Authors: Daly Tamara
Published: January 2008

The paper discusses two reforms in Ontario's long-term care. The first is the commercialization of home care as a result of the implementation of a “managed competition” delivery model. The second is the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care's privileging of “health care” over “social care” through changes to which types of home care and home support services receive public funding. It addresses the effects of these reforms on the state–non-profit relationship, and the shifting balance between public funding of health and social care. At a program level, and with few exceptions, homemaking services have been cut from home care, and home support services are more medicalized. With these changes, growing numbers of people no longer eligible to receive publicly funded home care services look for other alternatives: they draw available resources from home support, they draw on family and friend networks, they hire privately and pay out of pocket, they leave home and enter an institution, or they do without.
Estimating the Impact of Seat Belt Use on Traffic Fatalities: Empirical Evidence from Canada
Authors: Sen Anindya , Mizzen Brent
Published: January 2008

This study contributes to the literature by using provincial data in Canada between 1980 and 1996 to analyze the effect of seat belt use on traffic fatalities. Empirical estimates from first stage instrumental-variables regressions suggest that the enactment of mandatory seat belt laws is significantly associated with an increase in average seat belt use, while corresponding estimates from second stage regressions imply that a 1 percent increase in average seat belt use is correlated with a 0.17–0.21 percent drop in vehicle-occupant fatalities. These results suggest that roughly 17 percent of the observed decline in vehicle-occupant fatalities is attributable to the enactment of mandatory seat belt legislation and the corresponding increase in seat belt use.
An Isolationist Politician in an Internationalist Era: Senator Henrik Shipstead of Minnesota and the United Nations, 1945–1946
Authors: Lemelin Bernard
Published: January 2008

Abstract:

On 28 July 1945, Republican Henrik Shipstead of Minnesota was one of only two members of the US Senate to vote against the United Nations Charter. The politician objected to the famous document that had emerged from the San Francisco conference on several grounds. It must be noted, in addition, that he was spokesman for a state that still counted, during the Truman era, its contingent of individuals and organizations receptive to the isolationist creed. However, isolationism no longer appeared as a dominant force in post-war Minnesota politics: the internationalist sentiment, as elsewhere in the Middle West, was clearly on the rise in this quickly growing industrialized and urbanized North Star state. Consequently, Shipstead, who always took pride in his opposition to American adherence to the United Nations, had virtually no chance of winning the 1946 Republican primary election.