bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessing Personality Traits Through Response Latencies Using Item Response Theory
Authors: Ranger Jochen , Ortner Tuulia M.
Published: March 2011

Recent studies have revealed a relation between the given response and the response latency for personality questionnaire items in the form of an inverted-U effect, which has been interpreted in light of schema-driven behavior. In general, more probable responses are given faster. In the present study, the relationship between the probability of the given response and the response latency was investigated. First, a probabilistic model was introduced describing the relationship between response latencies and a latent trait. Second, the model was applied in an empirical study: Employing items from a personality questionnaire and using data from 170 men, the probability of responses were estimated based on the Rasch model. Assuming log-normally distributed response latencies, a linear regression model was fit to the logarithmized response latencies, including the response probability as a predictor. Findings suggested that the quantities are negatively related. This relation can be used to incorporate the response latency into the estimation of trait levels. For the scales used in the study, the results showed that test information could be increased by 13% to 17% when considering response latencies.
A New Method for Estimating the Variance Overlap Between the Short and the Long Form of a Psychological Test
Authors: Pfeiffer Nils , Hagemann Dirk , Backenstrass Matthias
Published: March 2011

In response to the low standards in short form development, Smith, McCarthy, and Anderson (2000) introduced a set of guidelines for the construction and evaluation of short forms of psychological tests. One of their recommendations requires researches to show that the variance overlap between the short form and its long form is adequate. This article introduces a new method for estimating this variance overlap. Subjects are randomly assigned to four different groups that are tested with different combinations of the long and the short form. This procedure makes it possible to estimate the effects that attenuate the variance overlap between the short and the long form. By controlling for these effects, the disattenuated coefficient VO gives an unbiased estimate of the variance overlap between both instruments.
Oral Health-related Quality of Life
Authors: Sischo L. , Broder H.L.
Published: March 2011

Despite its relatively recent emergence over the past few decades, oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) has important implications for the clinical practice of dentistry and dental research. OHRQoL is a multidimensional construct that includes a subjective evaluation of the individual’s oral health, functional well-being, emotional well-being, expectations and satisfaction with care, and sense of self. It has wide-reaching applications in survey and clinical research. OHRQoL is an integral part of general health and well-being. In fact, it is recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) as an important segment of the Global Oral Health Program (2003). This paper identifies the what, why, and how of OHRQoL and presents an oral health theoretical model. The relevance of OHRQoL for dental practitioners and patients in community-based dental practices is presented. Implications for health policy and related oral health disparities are also discussed. A supplemental Appendix contains a Medline and ProQuest literature search regarding OHRQoL research from 1990-2010 by discipline and research design ( e.g., descriptive, longitudinal, clinical trial, etc.). The search identified 300 articles with a notable surge in OHRQoL research in pediatrics and orthodontics in recent years.
Serum Bone Biomarkers and Oral/Systemic Bone Loss in Humans
Authors: Payne J.B. , Stoner J.A. , Lee H.-M. , Nummikoski P.V. , Reinhardt R.A. , Golub L.M.
Published: March 2011

We recently reported that subantimicrobial-dose doxycycline (SDD) significantly reduced serum bone-resorption biomarkers in subgroups of post-menopausal women. We hypothesize that changes in serum bone biomarkers are associated not only with systemic bone mineral density (BMD) changes, but also with alveolar bone changes over time. One hundred twenty-eight eligible post-menopausal women with periodontitis and systemic osteopenia were randomly assigned to receive SDD or placebo tablets twice daily for two years, adjunctive to periodontal maintenance. Sera were analyzed for bone biomarkers. As expected, two-year changes in a serum bone biomarker were significantly associated with systemic BMD loss at the lumbar spine (osteocalcin, bone-turnover biomarker, p = 0.0002) and femoral neck (osteocalcin p = 0.0025). Two-year changes in serum osteocalcin and serum pyridinoline-crosslink fragment of type I collagen (ICTP; bone-resorption biomarker) were also significantly associated with alveolar bone density loss (p < 0.0001) and alveolar bone height loss (p = 0.0008), respectively. Thus, we have shown that serum bone biomarkers are associated with not only systemic BMD loss, but with alveolar bone loss as well. Clinical Trial Registration Information: Protocol registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT00066027.

Abbreviations: bone mineral density (BMD), bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BSAP), computer-assisted densitometric image analysis (CADIA), confidence interval (CI), deoxypyridinoline-containing degradation fragment of the C-terminal telopeptide region of type I collagen (CTX), coefficient of variation (CV), dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA), pyridinoline-crosslink-containing degradation fragment of the C-terminal telopeptide region of type I collagen (ICTP), and subantimicrobial-dose doxycycline (SDD).
Some Things Never Change
Authors: Barone Carlo
Published: March 2011

This article examines the overall strength, the qualitative pattern, and the evolution over time of gender segregation in higher education across eight European countries. Although previous studies have focused primarily on the divide between humanistic and scientific fields, this work indicates that this divide accounts for no more than half of the association between gender and college major. The degree of gender imbalance is highly variable within scientific fields as well as within humanistic fields. We can make sense of these findings once we posit the existence of a second, equally important gender divide that can be described as the care–technical divide. Accordingly, this work develops a topological model to show that these two dimensions together account for more than 90 percent of gender segregation in the countries under study. Moreover, this model can be used to show the noticeable degree of cross-national stability in both the qualitative pattern and the overall strength of gender segregation. The empirical analyses also point to a generalized stagnation of integration of college majors in recent decades. Taken together, these results indicate that gender segregation has stabilized to an almost identical level and displays a similar qualitative pattern in several countries. This suggests that cultural forces underlying gender segregation are highly resilient, not least because they are sustained by a number of structural developments in educational and occupational institutions.
Femininity As a City Marketing Strategy
Authors: van den Berg Marguerite
Published: March 2011

Rotterdam organised the festival ‘La City’ as an entrepreneurial strategy to upgrade the city’s class position, using femininity as a tool. ‘La City’ was an attempt to introduce a new economy in Rotterdam: one that is service-based and post-industrial. Rotterdam is a former industrial city and is now trying to establish a new economy and a new spatial organisation. In this article, ‘La City’ campaign material, texts on the character of the city and interviews in local newspapers with policy-makers are analysed in the context of the urban renewal and gentrification policies of Rotterdam. This research shows how the city uses femininity as a marketing strategy to ‘cleanse’ Rotterdam of its working-class mythology as well as construing a hegemonic gender identity capable of excluding lower-class groups. Rotterdam, according to its own texts, is after bourgeois, feminine inhabitants that ‘lounge’ in ‘cocktail bars’ to replace the ‘rough’ men who worked in the harbour. ‘La City’ is one of many strategies to establish genderfication: the production of space for not only more affluent users (as gentrification is often defined), but also for specific gender notions. Genderfication is also established by practices of ‘mixing’ urban neighbourhoods and building homes for middle-class families.
Population Pharmacokinetic Model for a Novel Oral Hypoglycemic Formed In Vivo: Comparing the Use of Active Metabolite Data Alone Versus Using Data of Upstream and Downstream Metabolites
Authors: Kastrissios Helen , Walker Joseph R. , Carrothers Timothy J. , Kshirsagar Smita , Khariton Tatiana , Habtemariam Bahru , Mager Donald E. , Rohatagi Shashank
Published: March 2011

The purpose of this analysis was to develop a population pharmacokinetic model for CS‐917, an oral hypoglycemic prodrug, and its 3 metabolites. The population pharmacokinetic model was used to predict exposure of the active moiety R‐125338 and thus to identify potential CS‐917 dosage reduction criteria. The dataset included 6 phase I and IIa studies in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The pharmacokinetic profile of CS‐917 and its metabolites was described by a series of linked 1‐ and 2‐compartmental models. Simulations showed that moderate renal impairment has a clinically significant impact on exposure to R‐125338. A separate population pharmacokinetic analysis of R‐125338 alone revealed similar results. In conclusion, a population pharmacokinetic model fit to the active moiety alone yielded similar predictions and substantially reduced the analysis time compared to the more complex model developed for CS‐917 and its metabolites. Increased exposure to R‐125338 in the presence of moderate renal impairment may be an important consideration for dose selection.
Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of AR9281, an Inhibitor of Soluble Epoxide Hydrolase, in Single‐ and Multiple‐Dose Studies in Healthy Human Subjects
Authors: Chen Dawn , Whitcomb Randall , MacIntyre Euan , Tran Vinh , Do Zung N. , Sabry James , Patel Dinesh V. , Anandan Sampath K. , Gless Richard , Webb Heather K.
Published: March 2011

AR9281, a potent and selective inhibitor of soluble epoxide hydrolase (s‐EH), is in clinical development targeting hypertension and type 2 diabetes. The safety, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of AR9281 were evaluated in double‐blind, randomized, placebo‐controlled, ascending, single oral dose (10–1000 mg) and multiple dose (100–400 mg every 8 hours for 7 days) studies in healthy subjects. AR9281 was well tolerated, and no dose‐related adverse events were observed during either study. The drug was rapidly absorbed with a mean terminal half‐life ranging from 3 to 5 hours. The area under the plasma concentration—time curve increased in an approximately dose‐proportional manner up to the 500‐mg dose and exhibited a greater than dose linearity at higher doses. AR9281 directly and dose‐dependently inhibited blood s‐EH activity with 90% inhibition or greater over an 8‐hour period at the 250‐mg dose and over a 12‐hour period at the 500‐mg dose. Multiple doses of AR9281 ranging from 100 to 400 mg every 8 hours resulted in a sustained inhibition of s‐EH activity at 90% or greater during the trough. The current studies provide proof of safety and target inhibition of AR9281 in healthy subjects. AR9281 pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic characteristics support a twice‐daily or thrice‐daily dosing regimen in patients.
An evolutionary PageRank approach for journal ranking with expert judgements
Authors: Chen Yen-Liang , Chen Xiang-Han
Published: March 2011

The journal ranking problem has drawn a great deal of attention from researchers in various fields due to its importance in the evaluation of academic performance. Most previous studies solved the problem with either a subjective approach, based on expert survey metrics, or an objective approach, based on citation-based metrics. Since both have their own advantages and disadvantages, and since they are usually complementary, this work proposes a brand new approach that integrates the two. In this work, we propose the Evolutionary PageRank algorithm, which first uses the PageRank algorithm to evaluate journal prestige and then uses the Multi-Objective Particle Swarm Optimization to balance citation analysis and expert opinion. Experiments evaluating ranking quality were carried out with citation records and experts’ surveys to show the effectiveness of the proposed method. The results indicate that the proposed method can improve PageRank journal ranking results.
Catalogue of EQ-5D Scores for the United Kingdom
Authors: Sullivan Patrick W. , Slejko Julia F. , Sculpher Mark J. , Ghushchyan Vahram
Published: March 2011

Background. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has issued guidance on cost-effectiveness analyses, suggesting that preference-based health-related quality of life (HRQL) weights or utilities be based on UK community preferences, preferably using the EQ-5D; ideally all analyses would use the same system for deriving HRQL weights, to encourage consistency and comparability across analyses. Development of a catalogue of EQ-5D scores for a range of health conditions based on UK preferences would help achieve many of these goals. Objective. To provide a UK-based catalogue of EQ-5D index scores. Methods. Methods were consistent with the previously published catalogue of EQ-5D scores for the US. Community-based UK preferences were applied to EQ-5D descriptive questionnaire responses in the US-based Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS). Ordinary least squares (OLS), Tobit, and censored least absolute deviations (CLAD) regression methods were used to estimate the ‘marginal disutility’ of each condition controlling for covariates. Results. Pooled MEPS files (2000-2003) resulted in 79,522 individuals with complete EQ-5D scores. Marginal disutilities for 135 chronic ICD-9 and 100 CCC codes are provided. Unadjusted descriptive statistics including mean, median, 25th and 75th percentiles are also reported. Conclusion. This research provides community-based EQ-5D index scores for a wide variety of chronic conditions that can be used to estimate QALYs in cost-effectiveness analyses in the UK. Although using EQ-5D questionnaire responses from the US-based MEPS is less than ideal, the estimates approximate HRQL guidelines by NICE and provide an easily accessible“off-the-shelf” resource for cost-effectiveness and publichealth applications.
Spring Chill
Authors: Bland Ben
Published: March 2011

After a short-lived taste of online freedom, Vietnam’s bloggers continue to be the victims of a government crackdown. Ben Bland reports
Surviving Lukashenko
Authors: Kirchick James
Published: March 2011

To work as a journalist in Belarus takes courage and ingenuity. James Kirchick looks at the climate for alternative media in the aftermath of the elections
Taming Cyberspace
Authors: Morozov Evgeny
Published: March 2011

As the US government pushes for increased surveillance online, Evgeny Morozov considers the political interests at stake in bringing the internet under control
Open Secrets
Authors: Soldatov Andrei , Borogan Irina
Published: March 2011

The workings of the Russian secret services are now available online in unprecedented detail. Andrei Soldatov and Irina Borogan report
Selective Memories
Authors: Ugresic Dubravka
Published: March 2011

In Croatia, Yugoslavia is a dirty word and libraries purged of communist literature. Dubravka Ugresic considers the politics of cultural amnesia
Thai Trials
Authors: Klangnarong Supinya
Published: March 2011

The internet has become an important forum for dissent in Thailand and the latest casualty in an increasingly divided society, says Supinya Klangnarong
Storm in a Haystack
Authors: O'Brien Danny
Published: March 2011

Keeping secrets can be dangerous. Danny O’Brien tells the cautionary tale of an anti-censorship program that didn’t live up to its spin
Making Sense, Making Good, or Making Meaning? Cognitive Distortions as Targets of Change in Offender Treatment
Authors: Friestad Christine
Published: March 2011

Most structured sex-offender programs are based on a cognitive-behavioural model of behaviour change. Within this overarching theoretical paradigm, extensive use of cognitive distortions is seen as a central core symptom among sex offenders. However, the literature on cognitive distortions lacks a clear and consistent definition of the term. It is unclear whether cognitive distortions are consciously employed excuses or unconscious processes serving to protect the offender from feelings of guilt or shame. In this article, the dominant cognitive-behavioural interpretation of cognitive distortions is contrasted with two alternative interpretations. One is based on an attributional perspective and the notion of attributional biases. The other explanation is based on a narrative approach focusing on the action elements of cognitive distortions, that is, as something people do rather than something they have. Clinical implications of these alternative conceptualizations are discussed and illustrated throughout by a case example.
Ongoing Positive Effect of Platelet-Rich Plasma Versus Corticosteroid Injection in Lateral Epicondylitis
Authors: Gosens Taco , Peerbooms Joost C. , van Laar Wilbert , den Oudsten Brenda L.
Published: March 2011

Background: Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has been shown to be a general stimulation for repair and 1-year results showed promising success percentages.

Purpose: This trial was undertaken to determine the effectiveness of PRP compared with corticosteroid injections in patients with chronic lateral epicondylitis with a 2-year follow-up.

Study Design: Randomized controlled trial; Level of evidence, 1.

Methods: The trial was conducted in 2 Dutch teaching hospitals. One hundred patients with chronic lateral epicondylitis were randomly assigned to a leukocyte-enriched PRP group (n = 51) or the corticosteroid group (n = 49). Randomization and allocation to the trial group were carried out by a central computer system. Patients received either a corticosteroid injection or an autologous platelet concentrate injection through a peppering needling technique. The primary analysis included visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores and Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) outcome scores.

Results: The PRP group was more often successfully treated than the corticosteroid group ( P < .0001). Success was defined as a reduction of 25% on VAS or DASH scores without a reintervention after 2 years. When baseline VAS and DASH scores were compared with the scores at 2-year follow-up, both groups significantly improved across time (intention-to-treat principle). However, the DASH scores of the corticosteroid group returned to baseline levels, while those of the PRP group significantly improved (as-treated principle). There were no complications related to the use of PRP.

Conclusion: Treatment of patients with chronic lateral epicondylitis with PRP reduces pain and increases function significantly, exceeding the effect of corticosteroid injection even after a follow-up of 2 years. Future decisions for application of PRP for lateral epicondylitis should be confirmed by further follow-up from this trial and should take into account possible costs and harms as well as benefits.
Social Support and Change in Depression Among Older Adults in Taiwan
Authors: Zimmer Zachary , Chen Fen-Fang
Published: March 2011

This study investigates the association between social support and change in depression among older adults in Taiwan. Data are from an islandwide representative longitudinal study. The study sample includes 3,686 Taiwanese aged 50+ who completed a baseline survey and survived a 3-year follow-up period. Social support was measured by using indexes representing dimensions of tangible support, perceived emotional support, and support satisfaction. Two change in depression outcomes were constructed using a modified version of the CES-D. Results indicated that social support is a robust predictor of change in depression among those not depressed at baseline but is less consequential among those already in a state of depression. Support satisfaction is more strongly related to the outcomes than other dimensions. The discussion places the results within the Taiwanese context and provides policy implications.
Cyberbullying: The New Era of Bullying
Authors: Wade Ann , Beran Tanya
Published: March 2011

Bullying involves a powerful person intentionally harming a less powerful person repeatedly. With advances in technology, students are finding new methods of bullying, including sending harassing emails, instant messages, text messages, and personal pictures to others. Although school bullying has been studied since the 1970s, relatively little is known about students’ experiences of cyberbullying. The present study explored the prevalence of cyberbullying while also examining sex and grade differences. Results showed that a substantial proportion of students in Grades 6, 7, 10, and 11 are involved in cyberbullying: Girls are more likely than boys to be the targets of cyberbullying, and cyberbullying declines in high school. Despite significant findings, the magnitude of these group differences is small. Implications for interventions are discussed.
The School Short-Form Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory: Revised and Improved
Authors: Hills Peter R. , Francis Leslie J. , Jennings Penelope
Published: March 2011

The school short form of the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inv entory is a widely used measure of children’s global self-esteem. Unlike the full-length scale, howev er, it has been generally understood that the short form does not allow differentiation between the major indiv idual sources of self-esteem. The present study has examined the internal structure of the school short form by exploratory and confirmatory analysis on data prov ided by 3,056 adolescents between the ages of 13 and 15 years and has demonstrated that after the remov al of 6 redundant items, the newly rev ised scale not only possesses improv ed psychometric properties but also contains three clear factors that correspond to personal self-esteem and self-esteem deriv ed from parents and peers, respectiv ely. The presentation of a rev ised v ersion of the school short form of the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inv entory that is psychometrically robust and demonstrates three clear subscales will allow clearer distinctions to be made among the sources of children’s self-esteem in future studies.
Response to Intervention in Canada: Definitions, the Evidence Base, and Future Directions
Authors: McIntosh Kent , MacKay Leslie D. , Andreou Theresa , Brown Jacqueline A. , Mathews Susanna , Gietz Carmen , Bennett Joanna L.
Published: March 2011

Based on challenges with the traditional model of school psychology, response to intervention (RTI) has been advanced as a model of special education eligibility decision making and service delivery that may address the drawbacks of the traditional models of assessment and result in improved outcomes for students. In this article, the RTI model is described, and the research base describing its rationale and outcomes is reviewed. Finally, a description of how RTI has been and can continue to be adopted and researched in Canada is provided.
Band-Aids and Bullhorns
Authors: Gardiner Christine , Urada Darren , Anglin M. Douglas
Published: March 2011

California voters had high hopes when they passed the Substance Abuse and Crime Prevention Act of 2000 (SACPA, a.k.a. Proposition 36). The law, one of the most extensive diversion-to-treatment laws to date, was intended to divert and treat 36,000 drug offenders annually. Unfortunately the law has not lived up to voter or practitioner expectations. Insufficient funding derailed the legislation by making it impossible to provide offenders either appropriate substance abuse treatment or adequate probation supervision. Stakeholders expressed consternation with aspects of the legislation that, in their view, led to SACPA being less successful than it could have been. Specifically, the universal application of the treatment-in-lieu-of-incarceration law forced stakeholders to accommodate offenders unmotivated-to-change and unsuitable for many treatment settings; and prohibiting shock incarceration removed a deterrent to violating program rules. Based on information gathered through stakeholder surveys and interviews, four policy recommendations are offered to improve the effectiveness of SACPA.
Variations in Family System Boundaries
Authors: Distelberg Brian John , Blow Adrian
Published: March 2011

Literature focused on the strength of the boundary around the family system has often provided mixed advice with some suggesting a rigid boundary and others suggesting a diffuse boundary. This study argues that these conflicting findings are due to the limitation of underlying research methods. This study employs a mixed method design that incorporates qualitative data, social network analysis, and multilevel modeling to categorize family businesses into three distinct boundary strength categories. Findings from this study suggest that extremes in boundary strengths provide unique challenges for family businesses. This study also identifies the impact of various levels of boundary strength on nonfamily employees.
The Impact of Family Involvement on the R&D Intensity of Publicly Traded Firms
Authors: Muñoz-Bullón Fernando , Sanchez-Bueno Maria J.
Published: March 2011

This study examines the impact of family involvement in ownership and control on firms’ R&D intensity, relying on panel data on publicly held firms in Canada over the 2004 to 2009 time period. The literature on the link between family firms and R&D is unclear: although some characteristics may promote R&D intensity in family firms, others factors may have a negative effect. Thus, the authors propose a theoretical framework whereby differences in R&D intensity between family and nonfamily firms are explained based on key conditions, including time horizon, agency costs, resource endowment, or risk-taking behavior. The findings of this study show that publicly traded family firms in Canada record lower R&D intensity compared with nonfamily firms and, therefore, support one side of the previous literature over the other.
Do Cash Transfers Crowd Out Community Investment in Public Goods? Lessons from a Field Experiment on Health Education
Authors: de Hoop Thomas , van Kempen Luuk , Fort Ricardo
Published: March 2011

This article discusses voluntary contributions to health education in Peru, using a new experimental setup to identify voluntary contributions to local public goods. The experiment enables individuals to contribute to a health education meeting facilitated by an NGO, which they know will only be organized if the cumulative investment level exceeds a certain threshold value. In contrast to expectations of aid distributors, individuals contributed a substantial amount of money, despite the supposed long-term nature of the benefits. The result suggests that donor paternalism, undermining the agency of beneficiaries to exercise control over funds, is not always necessary to guarantee investment in local public goods. We explore multiple interpretations, suggesting that “unaccounted for” short-term benefits from participation as well as liquidity and paternalistic altruism add to explaining the relatively high investment. More in general, the article shows the potential for using experimental research methods in the area of nonprofit management.
The con man as model organism: the methodological roots of Erving Goffman’s dramaturgical self
Authors: Pettit Michael
Published: March 2011

This article offers a historical analysis of the relationship between the practice of participant-observation among American sociologists and Erving Goffman’s dramaturgical model of the self. He was a social scientist who privileged ethnography in the field over the laboratory experiment, the survey questionnaire, or the mental test. His goal was a natural history of communication among humans. Rather than rely upon standardizing technologies for measurement, Goffman tried to obtain accurate recordings of human behavior through secretive observations. During the 1950s, he conducted three major studies as a participant-observer, disguised from those studied through insincere performances. As originally presented, his dramaturgical theory did not draw upon the theater as the governing metaphor, but rather the confidence game. It is suggested that Goffman’s writings exemplify what Gerd Gigerenzer calls the tools-to-theories heuristic. Goffman’s depiction of the confidence man’s behavior closely mirrored how he and his fellow sociologists described the practice of participant-observation. Both were represented as embedded and attentive yet coolly detached observers skilled at playing different roles as the situation necessitated. The similarities between his own professional behavior and the activities of the confidence man may have suggested to Goffman the latter as a model for human nature.
Dialogic Argumentation as a Vehicle for Developing Young Adolescents’ Thinking
Authors: Kuhn Deanna , Crowell Amanda
Published: March 2011

Argumentive reasoning skills are featured in the new K–12 Common Standards (Common Core State Standards Initiative, 2010), yet with little said about their nature or how to instill them. Distinguishing reasoning skills from writing skills, we report on a multiyear intervention that used electronically conducted dialogues on social issues as the medium to develop argumentive reasoning skills in two cohorts of young adolescents. Intervention groups demonstrated transfer of the dialogic activity to two individual essays on new topics; argument quality for these groups exceeded that of comparison groups who participated in an intervention involving the more face-valid activity of extensive essay writing practice, along with whole-class discussion. The intervention group also demonstrated greater awareness of the relevance of evidence to argument. The dialogic method thus appears to be a viable one for developing cognitive skills that the comparison-group data show do not routinely develop during this age period.
Sclerotia as indicators of mid-Holocene tree-limit altitude, Colorado Front Range, USA
Authors: Benedict James B.
Published: March 2011

Studies in the Front Range of north-central Colorado have shown that sclerotia of Cenococcum geophilum, a common ectomycorrhizal fungus, are larger beneath spruce-fir-forest and tree-island vegetation than beneath tundra grasses and herbs. The presence, in alpine-tundra soils, of C. geophilum sclerotia with median diameters that approach or exceed 1.0 mm is evidence that tree limit formerly stood higher than it does today. A sediment sample collected 116 m above tree limit on Rowe Mountain, in Rocky Mountain National Park, contained charred sclerotia with a median diameter of 1.1 mm. Wood-charcoal particles too large to have been transported by wind were associated. Radiocarbon dates of 4770 ± 25 yr BP (charred sclerotia) and 4900 ± 15 yr BP (charred spruce twig) apply to the wildfire that destroyed forest or tree-island vegetation at this locality. Lack of evidence for post-fire regeneration suggests that growing-season temperatures had already begun to decline from elevated middle Holocene levels.
Speleothem records of changes in tropical hydrology over the Holocene and possible implications for atmospheric methane
Authors: Burns Stephen J.
Published: March 2011

Recent speleothem records from the tropics of both hemispheres document a gradual decrease in the intensity of the monsoons in the Northern Hemisphere and increase in the Southern Hemisphere monsoons over the Holocene. These changes are a direct response of the monsoons to precession-driven insolation variability. With regard to atmospheric methane, this shift should result in a decrease in Northern Hemisphere tropical methane emissions and increase in Southern Hemisphere emissions. It is plausible that that overall tropical methane production experienced a minimum in the mid-Holocene because of decreased seasonality in rainfall at the margins of the tropics. Changes in tropical methane production alone might, therefore, explain many of the characteristics of Holocene methane concentrations and isotopic chemistry.
1000 years of environmental change and human impact at Stóra-Mörk, southern Iceland: A multiproxy study of a dynamic and vulnerable landscape
Authors: Vickers Kim , Erlendsson Egill , Church Mike J. , Edwards Kevin J. , Bending Joanna
Published: March 2011

Multiproxy pollen, sediment, plant macrofossil and subfossil insect analyses are used to explore environmental change at Stóra-Mörk in southern Iceland between ad 500 and 1500. Previous palaeoecological studies in Iceland have indicated that vegetation and landscape change rapidly succeeded the initial settlement of the island around ad 871, with strong environmental consequences. However, recent high-resolution studies in western and northern Iceland suggest that the timing and amplitude of these changes may be less uniform than previously assumed. The palaeoecological evidence from Stóra-Mörk shows an initially muted anthropogenic signal. Before the early tenth century, the area was characterized by damp birch and willow woodland. Large-scale human impact did not begin until after ad 920 when a change in land use to grazing and crop production is observed in the pollen, insect and plant macrofossil records. Shifts in vegetation and insect taxa and in aeolian deposition indicate that this activity resulted in woodland reduction, increased soil instability, eutrophication and land surface drying. The relatively late appearance of large-scale human impact at Stóra-Mörk is consistent with the tenth-century farm establishment suggested by the historical record, and the delay in settlement at the location may relate to an initial avoidance of labour-intensive woodland clearance and/or management of woodland resources. This paper adds to the emerging body of evidence that suggests that the scale and timing of the initial effect of the human presence on Icelandic environments was influenced by complex and varied climatic, landscape, vegetational and cultural factors.
Interleukin-6 promotes arthritis and joint deformation in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Eilertsen GØ , Nikolaisen C , Becker-Merok A , Nossent JC
Published: March 2011

The underlying mechanisms for the subsets of self-limiting, intermittent or chronic and deforming arthritis in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are not well understood. We performed a cross-sectional analysis of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-2, IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α) and joint status in 47 SLE patients (79% females, age 42 years, disease duration 8.6 years). All cytokines levels were significantly elevated in SLE patients compared with controls, but only IL-2 and IL-8 levels were higher than in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. SLE patients with ongoing synovitis (19%) and joint deformities (11%) had increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), IL-6 and anti-dsDNA Ab levels. IL-6 levels correlated with ESR, anti-dsDNA Ab and haemoglobin, but not with C-reactive protein levels. Arthritis constitutes a considerable burden of disease in SLE over time, and joint deformations are associated with longstanding disease and arthritis flare rates. IL-6 is a potential biomarker and therapeutic target in the prevention of joint damage in SLE arthritis.
Assessing the Institutional Legitimacy of Research and Technology Organisations in South Korea
Authors: Cho Hyun-Dae , Lee Byung-Heon , Sung Tae-Kyung , Kim Sun-Woo
Published: March 2011

This article examines the institutional legitimacy of public Research and Technology Organisations (RTOs) in South Korea (Korea hereafter), a catching-up economy. It reports the results of content analysis carried out on 200 articles, columns and interviews appearing in major Korean newspapers from February 1998 to October 2008 to assess the degree of institutional legitimacy that Korean RTOs enjoy. The results indicate that these RTOs have not achieved sufficient institutional legitimacy to maintain organisational sustainability. Not only have the governance and management systems of these organisations changed following each election of a new government in Korea, but the results also reveal discrepancies in opinions of RTOs amongst government policymakers, RTO researchers/managers, and opinion leaders in the country’s science and technology societies. Periodic policy direction inconsistencies are also identified. Taken together, these factors have hindered the institutional legitimacy of Korean RTOs. Drawing on the results of this analysis, this article suggests new policy directions for increasing the institutional legitimacy of RTOs in catching up and developing countries
Public Research and Technology Organisations in Transition—The Case of Finland
Authors: Loikkanen Torsti , Hyytinen Kirsi , Konttinen Jari
Published: March 2011

National innovation systems and policies are confronted by many interrelated factors, including large socio-economic structural problems, globalisation, pressure to provide public research funding and changes in research communities driven by the Mode 2 paradigm. These changes challenge sectoral public research organisations (PROs). The role of universities and other policy organisations in innovation policy has been studied at length but there has been little investigation of PROs, despite their significance in developed and developing economies. This article fills this gap by exploring PROs in Finland, an open, industrialised and export-dependent economy. It draws several conclusions about the current state and future prospects of PROs in Finland. PROs are in transition in terms of their organisational, managerial and funding structures and their role in the internationalising national innovation system. Their rationale, legitimacy and strategies are also changing due to national innovation driven missions and internationalisation strategies. All PROs in Finland now engage in international cooperation. However, despite increasing funding from international sources and the globalisation of many aspects, PROs are still national organisations subject to national policies and governed by national bodies. Finnish PROs need to redefine their strategies at the international and European levels without forgetting their national role.
The Internationalisation of Research and Technology Organisations (RTOs)—Conceptual Notions and Illustrative Examples from European RTOs in China
Authors: Berger Martin , Hofer Reinhold
Published: March 2011

Recently, the internationalisation of business R&D has received much attention. Much less attention has been paid to another group of actors within national systems of innovation, namely, non-university research and technology organisations (RTOs). The article aims to conceptualise this highly diverse sector and to ascertain how its characteristics influence the internationalisation propensity of RTOs. The close relationship of RTOs with governments and their policies is seen as the most important aspect. The article presents the motives and strategies for R&D internationalisation of both the business and academic sectors, which together feed into the strategic considerations of RTOs. In addition, it provides (secondary) empirical evidence of RTO internationalisation activities and enriches the empirical foundation by providing qualitative insights from interviews with five European RTOs with representative offices in China. The focus on China is justified by its high level of ambition, investment and recent achievements in science and technology, and the great amount of R&D-related foreign direct investment in recent years. We conclude by drawing a tentative comparison of the internationalisation processes of enterprises and RTOs.
Non-linear model-based estimation of quadratic and cubic damping mechanisms governing the dynamics of a chaotic spherical pendulum
Authors: Gottlieb O , Habib G
Published: March 2011

We investigate the non-linear damping mechanisms that govern the dynamics of a chaotic spherical pendulum. We reproduce the conditions of the celebrated chaotic experiment of Tritton (1986) , and identify the bifurcation regions that correspond to periodic, quasi-periodic and chaotic-like response. Construction of the pendulum frequency and damping backbone curves from free vibration decay data reveal the existence of non-negligible non-linear damping. A non-linear model-based estimation procedure enables extraction of both quadratic and cubic damping coefficients which are deduced from a non-linear Rayleigh-type gradient dissipation function. Comparison of experimental results with solutions obtained via numerical analysis of the strongly non-linear pendulum model, augmented by the estimated damping mechanisms, sheds light on the possible cause of documented discrepancies in similar whirling systems between measurements and theoretical predictions obtained from models with only linear damping.
Free vibration analysis of initially deflected stiffened plates for various boundary conditions
Authors: Mitra Anirban , Sahoo Prasanta , Saha Kashinath
Published: March 2011

Free vibration analysis of initially deflected stiffened plates subjected to uniformly distributed loading with different flexural boundary conditions involving simply supported and clamped ends and zero displacement in-plane boundary conditions has been presented. A domain decomposition technique depending on the number, orientation and location of the stiffeners is employed to ensure sufficient number of computation points around the stiffeners. Geometric non-linearity arising out of large deflection is accounted for by consideration of non-linear strain-displacement relations. Mathematical formulation is based on a variational form of energy principle, and a solution technique, where static analysis serves as the basis for the subsequent dynamic study, is followed. The results are validated with the published results of other researchers. The dynamic behavior has been presented in the form of backbone curves in a dimensionless frequency-amplitude plane. Vibration mode shapes along with contour plots are provided in a few cases.
The PhaSeal® system: Impact of its use on workplace contamination and duration of chemotherapy preparation
Authors: Favier B , Labrosse H , Gilles-Afchain L , Cropet C , Perol D , Chaumard N , Latour JF , Hild P
Published: March 2011

Purpose. The primary objective of this study was to compare the levels of environmental contamination before and after the introduction of PhaSeal® (closed-system drug transfer device) in two hospital pharmacies. Our secondary objective was to assess the impact of the device on the duration of drug preparation compared to procedures involving the use of needles and syringes.

Methods. The study involved two French hospitals, which prepared antineoplastic chemotherapy using a biological safety cabinet and an isolator. Five skilled pharmacy technicians at each hospital prepared a total of 100 chemotherapy preparations using the standard procedure and 100 using the PhaSeal® system. To control for possible contamination occurring in the course of the procedure, we used fluorescein which becomes fluorescent when exposed to UV light. To reply the second objective, we timed the duration of the different steps of the manipulation.

Results. Our findings showed a major reduction in the contamination of the work environment when using the PhaSeal® system for drug preparation. Reduction rates higher than 93% were obtained, whatever the type of protection used. On the duration of preparation, our results indicate that this duration would be approximately 1 h longer for the preparation of 100 samples.

Conclusion. In conclusion, this study clearly establishes the benefit of using PhaSeal® for protecting the staff members who work with hazardous agents. It also indicates that the duration of drug preparation is not impacted by the use of the system.
International interdependence and regulatory power: Authority, mobility, and markets
Authors: Newman Abraham L. , Posner Elliot
Published: March 2011

This article revisits a fundamental question of international political economy: when does cross-border economic interdependence become a source of power. The view that economic interdependence is a source of potential power, not just mutual benefits, has a long lineage traceable to political realism, organizational economics, Ricardian trade theory, and structural Marxism, and researchers typically focus on preferred causal variables in isolation. Despite important contributions, little attention has been paid to understanding the interactions of multiple perspectives on asymmetric interdependence, or to making sense of contradictory expectations of the various models. As a consequence scholars engaged in globalization debates, such as those about policy convergence or private actor governance, frequently talk past one another. To deduce expectations about the relationship between power and interdependence, we build a model synthesizing standard approaches that analyze the effects of market size and market scope separately, and then add the critical variable of jurisdictional boundaries. By decoupling geography and authority, our analysis produces a respecification of classic interdependence models and advances core international political economy debates concerning power dynamics in a globalized economy.
Factionalism in multi-level contexts
Authors: Verge Tània , Gómez Raúl
Published: March 2011

This article provides a dynamic framework through which factionalism can be examined and the circumstances of individual parties compared in multi-level contexts. We discuss the interaction between factionalism and party structure by setting out a model of factional organization dependent on the tolerance of host parties to dissent and their degree of vertical integration, their combination yielding four possible strategies for opposition factions: centralized, inter-layered, multi-layered and decentralized. We also consider what implications there are for the party’s dominant coalition in episodes of high factionalism. These act as a catalyst for the modification of party rules that regulate dissent and vertical distribution of power. The hypotheses developed are tested on four Spanish political parties that differ on the autonomy of regional branches and factions, the competitive position in the party system and factionalism type – more policy or more patronage-oriented.
Being the opposition in contemporary Russia
Authors: Levintova Ekaterina
Published: March 2011

Did the ideological discourse of the KPRF, the communist successor party in post-Communist Russia, evolve in the same direction as the identity and discourse of the majority of ex-communist parties in Eastern and Central Europe which now embrace social democracy? In particular, did the KPRF’s Marxist–Leninist and nationalist–socialist rhetoric change with time as the political climate for its functioning as the only viable Russian opposition party continued to deteriorate? This question is addressed through content analysis of public documents and internal party documents, which reveals that the latter are considerably more liberal and democratic in tone than the former.