bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Large-Scale Model Footing Tests on Geogrid-Reinforced Foundation and Marginal Embankment Soils
Authors: Abu-Farsakh Murad , Chen Qiming , Sharma Radhey , Zhang Xiong
Published: February 2008

This paper aims at investigating the behavior of foundations on geogrid-reinforced silty clay marginal embankment soil. For this purpose, a total of six large-scale field tests were conducted using a reinforced concrete model footing with dimensions of 457 mm by 457 mm. The parameters investigated in this study included the number of reinforcement layers, the vertical spacing between layers, and the tensile modulus of reinforcement. The effect of reinforcement on the vertical stress distribution in the soil and the strain distribution along the reinforcement were also investigated. The test results showed that the inclusion of geogrid reinforcements results in increasing the soil’s bearing capacity and reducing the footing settlement. The reinforcement benefits improve with the increase in number and tensile modulus of geogrids and with the decrease in layers’ spacing. The inclusion of reinforcements helps in redistributing the applied load to a wider area. The test results also showed that the developed strain along the geogrids is directly related to the footing settlement.
Giffords Kitchen: It's a Circus
Authors: kelly ian
Published: February 2008

Giffords' Circus in England has a cult following for its retro-chic evenings in big tops, for kids of all ages who happen upon them exclusively at the Hay Literary Festival and rural beauty spots in England's West Country and Wales. Famed also is the cooking; served al fresco after the circus show, with some of the cast, and by a chef who doubles as an acrobat. Not promising in food terms? On the contrary, Giffords travelling circus restaurant is at the vanguard of modern British cuisine: locally sourced, simple, healthy and in this case wildly sociable.
On the Ideology of Nutritionism
Authors: scrinis gyorgy
Published: February 2008

This essay introduces and defines the ideology or paradigm of nutritionism, which is generally characterized by a reductive focus on the nutrient composition of food. More specifically, it is where the nutri-biochemical level of engagement with food and the body becomes the dominant way of understanding the relationship between food and bodily health, and at the expense of other levels and ways of understanding and engaging with food. Nutritionism is the dominant paradigm within nutrition science, informs much dietary advice, and has become a primary means for the engineering and marketing of food products. A number of characteristics of nutritionism are defined, including nutritional reductionism, biomarker reductionism, genetic nutritionism, the functional body, the myth of nutritional precision, the nutritional gaze, and nutritional tinkering, nutri-quantification, the erasure of qualitatative food distinctions, nutrient fetishism, the 'good and bad nutrient' discourses, nutri-commodification, and the nutricentric person. A number of types of foods and types of food marketing are also introduced and defined, including nutritionally engineered foods, transnutric foods, nutritionally marketed foods and functionally marketed foods.
Michelin in America
Authors: ferguson priscilla parkhurst
Published: February 2008

In November 2005, the venerable Michelin Guide crossed the Atlantic with its assessment of New York restaurants and hotels. Three models of food supply the context for the American reaction. The idiosyncratic judgments of the Judge, are those of critics from A.B.L. Grimod de la Reynièère in the early 19th century to reviewers and bloggers today. The next, dating from the advent of the Michelin in the 1920s, is the Tribunal, whose evaluations are the anonymous verdicts of trained inspectors. Zagat's, first published in 1979, is the Plebiscite, which tallies votes of any diner who fills out a ballot. The criticism leveled by New York media at the Michelin were inspired in part by anti-French sentiment but especially by resistance to what was perceived as an elitist, hence unwarranted cultural authority. Serving different purposes and fulfilling distinct needs, each type of guide has a place in today's volatile and fast-changing food world.
Red Gravy
Authors: roahen sara
Published: February 2008

The tradition of celebrating Saint Joseph's Day every March 19 is strong among New Orleanians at large, and especially those New Orleanians of Italian and Sicilian heritage. Altars, elaborate and modest, are erected in churches and in private homes; sesame-sprinkled, almond-flavored, and fig-filled cookies are baked by the thousands. La festa di San Giuseppe (the feast of Saint Joseph) is prepared citywide, always including meatless pasta Milanese and breadcrumb-stuffed artichokes. Lucky dried fava beans are gathered by the faithful and the superstitious, both of whom believe that keeping a lucky bean in a wallet or pocketbook will keep them in good fortune until the following March 19.

In this excerpt from Gumbo Tales: Finding My Place at the New Orleans Table, Sara Roahen describes her own experiences with New Orleans' Saint Joseph's Day customs, beginning with the story of Ernest Hansen's final trip to a Saint Joseph altar, just days before his death, and concluding with the Fagot family. Marie Fagot had worked on altars to the saint for fifty consecutive years until Hurricane Katrina and the eventual failure of the federal levee system interrupted her momentum and destroyed her Lakeview neighborhood home. In Marie's story, Roahen finds a microcosm of Katrina-related suffering, and also the inspiration to look ahead.
At Supper with Leonardo
Authors: varriano john
Published: February 2008

Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper may be the most famous dinner party of all time, yet for all its fame and familiarity, scant notice has ever been taken of the food that is set before Christ and his disciples. Only after the fresco was cleaned in 1997 has it been possible to see what for centuries had been obscured beneath the accretions of overpaint, varnish, and grime. The meal being consumed turns out to be not bread or pascal lamb as once thought, but grilled eel garnished with orange slices.

Among the thousands of pages of notes that Leonardo made over the course of his lifetime are a dozen grocery receipts that call for "peppered bread, eels, and apricots" among other things. This article attempts to relate the meal depicted in the Last Supper to Leonardo's own dining habits as well to a recipe given in the most influential cookbook of the period, Platina's On Right Pleasure and Good Health (1470). That Leonardo owned a copy of this book and even expressed admiration for its author is cited as evidence that the Last Supper foreswore conventional iconography in order to depict the nouvelle cuisine of his day.
Reaping the Faith
Authors: koenig leah
Published: February 2008

This article explores the connections between the Islamic faith, farming, and ethical eating through the lives of two Muslim farmers (Zaid and Haifa Kurdieh) in upstate New York. It focuses on the concept of Tayyib, which some Muslims view as a mandate to eat sustainably and healthily, and compares Tayyib with the significantly more widespread Muslim eating mandate, Halal. It traces the history of faith and farming throughout other religious traditions including Judaism and Christianity. Additionally, it touches upon Zaid and Haifa's struggles to secure visas for Muslim farm workers from Jordan and Egypt to work as apprentices on their farm.
Barry Frydlender's Pitzutziya
Authors: rothschild adam
Published: February 2008

After becoming disillusioned with the shortcomings of his medium, Israeli artist Barry Frydlender gave up on photography in the early nineties. Following a hiatus, he became one of the first to utilize breakthroughs in digital technology. Embracing the inability of conventional photography to convey a true story or a whole reality, Frydlender began to create his own. Pitzutziya, a work from 2002, depicts a small Tel Aviv convenience store, stocked with everything from local seeds and nuts to imported packaged food and liquor. By photographing the scene piece by piece over a period of time and later digitally composing a large seamless whole, Frydlender transforms the everyday into the essential. The myriad products and the two young women appearing in the picture, create an allegorical history of the state of Israel, addressing issues of ethnicity, demographics, and economics.
Historiography and Complexities
Authors: Weisethaunet Hans
Published: February 2008

The article examines key issues in attempts to construct popular music and popular music histories in terms of nationality and ‘national’ identity. Moving from historiographical issues to an in-depth discussion of the uses and problems of ‘nation’ as an overriding category in music history writing, it draws on a number of theoretical sources, including historiography, social theory, popular music studies, music anthropology, postcolonial theory, and current questions in cultural theory concerning globalization and cosmopolitanism. As pointed out by Homi Bhabha and others, our understanding of ‘nation’ “is by nature ambivalent” (Bhabha 1990). The article brings into debate issues from the author’s study of music criticism in the USA, UK and the Nordic countries, and examples ranging from West-African popular music, to ideas of ‘Nordic’ jazz and journalistic and academic struggles to construct popular music as ‘American’ in the US. Why is music so easily and ubiquitously taken to represent something ‘national’? In order to account for music’s relevance in the proximity of history, the author argues that it is necessary to broaden the horizon of these writing strategies and be critical and reflexive about the ‘nation-building’ project, common linear narratives within such histories and the mythological tropes that colour these writings.
New Voices, New Challenges, and New Opportunities in the Study of Hindu Traditions
Authors: Pintchman Tracy
Published: February 2008

In recent decades, a great deal of attention has been devoted to critiquing nineteenth and early twentieth century Indological work and its Orientalist assumptions, distortions, and biases. These processes of self-reflection have produced crucial methodological and theoretical revision and have propelled us into an academic era of ‘posts’, including post-colonial and post-Orientalist alongside post-modern. This essay contemplates what has risen from the ashes of previous generations of Western Indological discourse and where these ‘posts’ seem to have led us with respect to academic research on Hindu traditions. What kinds of changes have taken place during the last two or three decades, and what new opportunities might they present for the future? What trends have emerged, and what do they suggest about what we have been constructing, and might fruitfully construct in the future, out of all these posts? What might be the present and near future state of Hindu studies in Western academic settings?
Does the Age Make the King or the King Make the Age? Exploring the Relationship between the King and the Yugas in the Mahabharata
Authors: Thomas Lynn
Published: February 2008

This article explores different ways in which the assertion that the king makes the age can be understood. It begins by examining the seemingly obvious interpretation of these statements as metaphors to stress the importance of the king, and points out that there are a number of conceptual and textual problems with this. The remainder of the article goes on to explore the possibility that they may have been intended literally. The surprisingly frequent presentations of the idea in the Mahabharata are examined in more detail, and these are then contextualized against a broader understanding of the king’s role and the nature of time found there and in earlier texts. The dichotomy between ‘temporal’ yugas and ‘royal’ yugas that underpins a reading of the statement as metaphor is also examined, and found not to be viable. The article concludes that it is highly probable that the assertion that the king is responsible for the yuga was intended literally, at least in the early stages of the idea, and that this concept reflects the complex understanding of both the king, and time, found in the early Indian texts.
The Global Diffusion and Westernization of Neo-Hindu Movements
Authors: Altglas Veronique
Published: February 2008

Indian gurus continue today to be successful in attracting western disciples in India as well as disseminating their teachings all around the world, which seems to corroborate Colin Campbell’s interpretation of these cultural changes as a process of the easternization of the West. The aim of this article is to address this thesis, drawing on research undertaken in France and Britain on two neo-Hindu movements: Sivananda Centres and Siddha Yoga. Two aspects will be covered: the diffusion process of these organizations that became transnational, and their reception by the host cultures. The inescapable conclusion is that cultural encounter, adaptive strategies to national contexts, innovating ways of transmitting the teachings and simplification of the doctrines contribute to the transformation of neo-Hindu teachings as they spread transnationally. The reinterpretations and the selective approach of neo-Hindu teachings is extremely revealing of pervading attitudes regarding religion in modern societies: religious individualism, inner-worldly orientations, relativism and subjectivism about beliefs, and pragmatism. Thus one can assume that the diffusion of movements like Siddha Yoga and the Sivananda Centres probably tells us more about religious attitudes in western societies today, than about Hinduism itself.
Defining Hinduism: A Reader, edited by J. E. Llewellyn
Authors: Taylor Kathleen
Published: February 2008

Defining Hinduism: A Reader, edited by J. E. Llewellyn. London: Equinox Publishing, 2005. x + 227 pp., £17.99. ISBN 1-904768-73-3 (pb).
Safe Disposal of One Million Barrels of NORM in Louisiana Through Slurry Fracture Injection
Authors: Reed A. C. , Mathews J. L. , Bruno M. S. , Olmstead S. E.
Published: February 2008

During the past 50 years, storage pits and adjacent land around the Bay Marchand facility near Port Fourchon, Louisiana, had accumulated large deposits of non-hazardous drilling and production waste containing naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM). This material primarily included drill cuttings, drilling mud, produced sand, saltwater, pipe scale, crude oil and precipitates. To remediate this site, Chevron chose to re-inject the material into the deep subsurface through on-site Slurry Fracture Injection (SFI). This process provided greater environmental security than alternative surface pit or landfill disposal, and at much lower cost than off-site transport and disposal options.

More than 1 million barrels of pit soil and canal bottoms was safely disposed into a single well during two years of injection concluding in March 2000. Solid waste was mixed with water to create a slurry and injected down-hole above formation parting pressure into a weakly consolidated sandstone formation at depths from 4400 to 5000 feet. Injection operations were episodic, generally taking place for 11 hours per day, 5 days per week. This allowed formation pressure to decline each day to initial reservoir pressure. The project was designed and extensively monitored to maintain and verify containment within the permitted interval. Downhole pressure was continuously monitored, allowing analysis of daily fall-off pressure. Waste containment was confirmed through a combination of shut-in pressure analysis, periodic step-rate tests, and periodic gamma logs and temperature surveys.

In addition to improved environmental protection provided by this technology, the on-site operation was a fraction of offsite disposal costs to Chevron. This paper describes the project design and permitting, injection operations, containment monitoring and analysis, and project economics.
Transgenic Mice Overexpressing Neuropeptide Y in Noradrenergic Neurons
Authors: Ruohonen Suvi T. , Pesonen Ullamari , Moritz Niko , Kaipio Katja , Röyttä Matias , Koulu Markku , Savontaus Eriika
Published: February 2008

OBJECTIVE—A functional polymorphism leucine 7 proline in the human neuropeptide Y (NPY) gene leading to increased NPY release from sympathetic nerves is associated with traits of metabolic syndrome. Although hypothalamic NPY neurons play an established role in promoting positive energy balance, the role of NPY colocalized with norepinephrine in sympathetic nervous system and brain noradrenergic neurons remains obscure.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—To clarify the role of NPY in noradrenergic neurons, we generated a transgenic mouse overexpressing NPY under dopamine–β-hydroxylase promoter and characterized the metabolic phenotype of the OE-NPYDβH mouse.

RESULTS—NPY levels are increased by 1.3-fold in adrenal glands and 1.8-fold in the brainstem but not in the hypothalamus in OE-NPYDβH mice. They display increased white adipose tissue mass and cellularity and liver triglyceride accumulation without hyperphagia or increased body weight. Hyperinsulinemia and impaired glucose tolerance develop by the age of 6 months in the OE-NPYDβH mice. Furthermore, circulating ghrelin is significantly increased in comparison with wild-type mice.

CONCLUSIONS—The present study shows that even a moderate increase in NPY levels in noradrenergic neurons leads to disturbances in glucose and lipid metabolism. The OE-NPYDβH mouse is an interesting new model to investigate the pathophysiology of some key components of the cluster of abnormalities characterizing the metabolic syndrome.
Rab GTPase-Activating Protein AS160 Is a Major Downstream Effector of Protein Kinase B/Akt Signaling in Pancreatic β-Cells
Authors: Bouzakri Karim , Ribaux Pascale , Tomas Alejandra , Parnaud Geraldine , Rickenbach Katharina , Halban Philippe A.
Published: February 2008

OBJECTIVE— Protein kinase B/Akt plays a central role in β-cells, but little is known regarding downstream Akt substrates in these cells. Recently, Rab GTPase-activating protein AS160, a substrate of Akt, was shown to be involved in insulin modulation of GLUT4 trafficking in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression and potential role of AS160 in β-cells.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS— AS160 mRNA expression was measured in mouse and human islets and fluorescence-activated cell sorted β-cells and compared in islets from control subjects versus individuals with type 2 diabetes. For knockdown experiments, transformed mouse insulin-secreting MIN6B1 cells were transfected with pSUPER-GFP plasmid encoding a small hairpin RNA against insulin receptor substrate (IRS)-2, AS160, or a negative control. Primary mouse islet cells were transfected with AS160 small interfering RNA.

RESULTS— AS160 was expressed in human and mouse pancreatic β-cells and phosphorylated after glucose stimulation. AS160 mRNA expression was downregulated in pancreatic islets from individuals with type 2 diabetes. In MIN6B1 cells, glucose induced phosphorylation of Akt and AS160, and this was mediated by insulin receptor/IRS-2/phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase independently of changes in cytosolic Ca2+. Knockdown of AS160 resulted in increased basal insulin secretion, whereas glucose-stimulated insulin release was abolished. Furthermore, β-cells with decreased AS160 showed increased apoptosis and loss of glucose-induced proliferation.

CONCLUSIONS— This study shows for the first time that AS160, previously recognized as a key player in insulin signaling in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue, is also a major effector of protein kinase B/Akt signaling in the β-cell.
Anemia in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease
Authors: O'Mara Neeta Bahal
Published: February 2008

In Brief

Diabetes is one of the most common causes of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Anemia is a frequent complication of CKD. This article reviews the treatment of anemia in patients with CKD. Topics include the prevalence of anemia in this population, causes and impact of anemia in these patients, target hemoglobin goals, treatment and monitoring, and causes of hyporesponse to anemia treatment.
Secondary Hyperparathyroidism and Chronic Kidney Disease
Authors: Tomasello Sarah
Published: February 2008

In Brief

Secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) describes a complex alteration in bone and mineral metabolism that occurs as a direct result of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Bone disease, a well-recognized complication of SHPT,represents only a small concern in light of the evidence that correlates SHPT with cardiovascular disease and an increased risk of morbidity and mortality in patients with CKD. Patients with mild CKD may be asymptomatic and therefore may not be identified until the pathology of SHPT has begun. Identifying patients at risk and evaluating for SHPT is imperative because early intervention may slow or arrest the progression of both bone and cardiac disease. Dietary concerns, pharmacotherapy, and patient adherence are all important considerations in creating a successful treatment plan.
Practice Implications of What Couples Tell Us About Type 2 Diabetes Management
Authors: Beverly Elizabeth , Wray Linda A. , Miller Carla K.
Published: February 2008

Diabetes is a significant and growing chronic health problem in the United States. Substantial research has documented the consistently strong link between social relationships and health. With respect to diabetes, social relationships, and particularly marriage or cohabitation, have been shown to mediate lifestyle and medical surveillance behaviors, glycemic control, and other health outcomes. Further exploration of the marital or cohabiting relationship may be especially relevant to clinicians and educators because the self-care regimen often involves spouses or significant others. With this in mind, the purpose of this study was to listen to and draw conclusions from what couples tell us about managing daily life with type 2 diabetes. Analyses revealed four core themes: educate yourselves, talk about the disease, work together, and be your own advocate. This qualitative study provided a unique perspective on couples' needs for care, which have important implications for the health community in acknowledging the spousal or cohabiting relationship in the management of diabetes.
Canine and human factors related to dog bite injuries
Authors: Shuler Carrie M. , DeBess Emilio E. , Lapidus Jodi A. , Hedberg Katrina
Published: February 2008

Objective—To identify physical traits of biting dogs and characteristics of injured persons and dog owners associated with bite situations for use in public health prevention activities.

Design—Retrospective cohort study.

Study Population—Licensed dog and dog bite report data from June 30, 2002, to July 1, 2003, that were obtained from Animal Control Services of Multnomah County, Oregon.

Procedures—To determine the canine and human factors associated with dog bite injuries, the number of bites, dog and injured person characteristics, and the overall canine population were evaluated. Dog owner characteristics at the block group level were defined by use of geographic information system software through 2000 census information based on place of residence.

Results—During the study period, 636 dog bites were reported to Animal Control Services, and 47,526 dogs were licensed in Multnomah County. Risk factors associated with biting dogs included breed (terrier, working, herding, and nonsporting breeds), being a sexually intact male, and purebred status. Male children aged 5 to 9 years had the highest rate of injury (178 bites/100,000 children). Biting dogs were more likely than nonbiting dogs to live in neighborhoods where the residents' median incomes were less than the county median income value ($41,278).

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Dog bites continue to be a source of preventable injury. Prevention programs should target owners of sexually intact male and purebred dogs and owners who live in lower income neighborhoods.
Cardiac output and other hemodynamic variables in anesthetized dogs undergoing laparotomy because of abdominal neoplasia
Authors: Wagner Ann E. , Miyake Yukari
Published: February 2008

Objective—To measure cardiac output and other hemodynamic variables in anesthetized dogs undergoing laparotomy because of abdominal neoplasia.

Design—Prospective case series.

Animals—8 dogs with splenic or hepatic tumors.

Procedures—Dogs were anesthetized and underwent abdominal laparotomy. End-tidal isoflurane concentration, heart rate, arterial blood pressures, cardiac output, arterial pH, blood gas partial pressures, PCV, and plasma total protein concentration were measured at set intervals before, during, and after surgery. Cardiac index, stroke index, and systemic vascular resistance index were calculated.

Results—End-tidal isoflurane concentration was lowest before and after surgery. Heart rate did not change significantly throughout the anesthetic period. Arterial blood pressures and systemic vascular resistance index were highest shortly after surgery began; cardiac index and stroke volume index did not change significantly during surgery but increased significantly after surgery ended.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Results suggested that in dogs undergoing laparotomy because of abdominal neoplasia, changes in arterial blood pressures were not necessarily indicative of qualitatively similar changes in cardiac index.
Prevalence of hemangiosarcoma in anemic dogs with a splenic mass and hemoperitoneum requiring a transfusion: 71 cases (2003–2005)
Authors: Hammond Tara N. , Pesillo-Crosby S. Anna
Published: February 2008

Objective—To determine prevalence of splenic hemangiosarcoma in anemic dogs with a splenic mass and hemoperitoneum requiring a transfusion and to identify factors that could differentiate between dogs with hemangiosarcoma and dogs with other splenic masses at the time of hospital admission.

Design—Retrospective case series.

Animals—71 dogs.

Procedures—Medical records, blood bank logs, and histologic reports of dogs with a splenic mass and hemoperitoneum that required a transfusion between 2003 and 2005 were reviewed. Dogs that received a transfusion of packed RBCs, were splenectomized, and had a definitive histologic diagnosis were included.

Results—Signalment of dogs was similar to that in other reports. Malignant splenic neoplasia was identified in 54 of 71 (76.1%) dogs, whereas 17 of 71 (23.9%) dogs had a benign splenic lesion. Of 54 dogs with malignant splenic neoplasia, 50 (92.6% [70.4% of all dogs]) had splenic hemangiosarcoma. In addition, dogs with splenic hemangiosarcoma had significantly lower total solids (TS) concentrations and platelet counts at admission. Finally, hemoperitoneum was strongly associated with a diagnosis of splenic hemangiosarcoma.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—In this clinical population of dogs, prevalence of hemangiosarcoma was higher than in other studies. Dogs with hemangiosarcoma in this study had significantly lower TS concentrations and platelet counts at the time of admission, compared with values for dogs with other splenic masses. No other markers were useful in differentiating dogs with hemangiosarcoma. It is important to discuss the prevalence of and poor prognosis associated with hemangiosarcoma with owners when they are contemplating whether to proceed with treatment.
Assessment of necropsy findings in sled dogs that died during Iditarod Trail sled dog races: 23 cases (1994–2006)
Authors: Dennis Michelle M. , Nelson Stuart N. , Cantor Glenn H. , Mosier Derek A. , Blake John E. , Basaraba Randall J.
Published: February 2008

Objective—To describe the character and frequency of causes of death and associated lesions in long-distance racing sled dogs.

Design—Retrospective case series.

Animals—23 dogs.

Procedures—Medical records of dogs that died during or soon after competition in the Iditarod Trail sled dog races (1994 through 2006) were examined for findings of gross necropsy and histologic evaluation of tissue samples. From the data, descriptive and comparative statistics were obtained.

Results—Recognized causes of death included aspiration of gastric contents (n = 4), aspiration pneumonia (4), acute blood loss secondary to gastric ulceration (3), and sled dog myopathy (2). A cause of death was not established for 7 dogs. Prevalent lesions among the study population included rhabdomyolysis (n = 15), enteritis (10), gastritis (10), aspiration pneumonia (8), and gastric ulceration (8). All dogs with aspiration pneumonia had concurrent gastric mucosal lesions. Subjective biventricular cardiac hypertrophy was evident in most dogs; other lesions detected frequently included centrilobular hepatic fibrosis, gastric dilatation, and mild cardiac myodegeneration and necrosis.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Unexpected death is a rare event among conditioned sled dogs during competition in endurance races. Potentially life-threatening conditions of dogs that are associated with periods of long-distance physical exertion include aspiration pneumonia, gastric mucosal lesions, and severe rhabdomyolysis. Dogs that develop clinical signs suggestive of these conditions should be excluded from strenuous activities. Epidemiologic investigations are required to clarify the risk for death associated with these lesions in dogs competing in endurance races.
Use of cecal bypass via side-to-side ileocolic anastomosis without ileal transection for treatment of cecocolic intussusception in three horses
Authors: Lores Marcos , Ortenburger Arthur I.
Published: February 2008

Case Description—3 horses were evaluated for signs of colic; cecocolic intussusception was detected.

Clinical Findings—Abnormalities detected included diminished intestinal sounds, inflammatory leukogram, dehydration, unremarkable findings via rectal palpation, and ultrasonographic evidence of large intestine intussusception. Laparotomy revealed cecocolic intussusception.

Treatment and Outcome—Cecal bypass via side-to-side ileocolic anastomosis without ileal transection was performed in each horse by use of an intraluminal anastomosis stapler device. Postoperative complications were minimal, and all horses recovered rapidly and were clinically normal at > 12 months after surgery.

Clinical Relevance—Cecal bypass via side-to-side ileocolic anastomosis without ileal transection seemed to offer 2 potential advantages over traditional surgical techniques for treating this condition. The risk of abdominal contamination was far less than with techniques in which the colotomy is needed to enable resection of the cecum or techniques in which the ileum is transected. Also, it was technically simpler to perform because there was no need to transect the ileum, oversew the ileal stump, perform cecal resection, or close the mesenteric space created by relocating the jejunal stump to the right ventral colon.
Evaluation of iron status in lemurs by analysis of serum iron and ferritin concentrations, total iron-binding capacity, and transferrin saturation
Authors: Williams Cathy V. , Junge Randall E. , Stalis Ilse H.
Published: February 2008

Objective—To assess serum iron and ferritin concentrations, total iron-binding capacity, and transferrin saturation as indicators of iron metabolic status in 3 genera of lemurs and determine whether these variables are useful for screening for iron overload.

Design—Cross-sectional study.

Animals—11 ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta), 11 black lemurs (Eulemur macaco macaco), and 11 red-ruffed lemurs (Varecia rubra).

Procedures—Blood samples were collected weekly for 3 weeks and assayed for serum iron and ferritin concentrations and total iron-binding capacity. Liver biopsy specimens were evaluated histologically and assayed for total iron, nonheme iron, and trace mineral concentrations. Deposition of iron was scored on Prussian blue–stained slides.

Results—Hepatic iron content ranged from 497 to 12,800 Pg/g dry weight (median, 2,165 Pg/g). Differences were seen in mean hepatic iron content across genera, with ruffed lemurs having the highest concentrations and ring-tailed lemurs having the lowest. Iron accumulation in the liver was mild, and cellular pathologic changes associated with iron storage disease were not detected in any lemur. Ferritin concentration was the only variable that correlated significantly with hepatic iron content in all 3 genera of lemurs; however, both transferrin saturation and serum iron concentration were correlated with hepatic iron concentration in ring-tailed and ruffed lemurs.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Serum ferritin concentration was the only variable that was consistently correlated with hepatic iron content in all 3 genera. Mean hepatic iron content varied across genera, suggesting that the propensity for lemurs to develop iron overload in captivity may vary across taxa.
Perseveration of the Partial Reinforcement Effect in Extinction with Rats over Two Phases of Extinction and Two Stages of Continuous Reinforcement
Authors: Calef Richard S. , Choban Michael C. , Glenney Katherine R. , Calef Ruth A. , Schmitt Erik , Hinte Sarah , Clegg Megan , Kraynok Joseph E. , Richards Sallie D.
Published: February 2008

One group of 10 male albino rats was given partial reinforcement while the other 10 rats received continuous reinforcement in a straight alley. Subjects then experienced five consecutive stages of Extinction 1, Continuous Reinforcement 1, Extinction 2, Continuous Reinforcement 2, and finally, Extinction 3. Analysis showed the partial reinforcement effect in extinction was sustained over two stages of extinction and two stages of continuous reinforcement, since subjects receiving partial reinforcement ran faster than rats given continuous reinforcement throughout all three of the extinction periods. The results seem to support those of Amsel's (1967) and Capaldi's (1967) theoretical formulations of the partial reinforcement effect in extinction.
Adolescent Personality and Two Measures of Response Inconsistency
Authors: Dawson K. A. , Schuerger J. M.
Published: February 2008

This study examined the relationship between the Response Inconsistency Scale (RINC) of the Adolescent Personality Questionnaire and the Variable Response Inconsistency Scale (VRIN) of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory for Adolescents (MMPI-A) in a group of 62 participants. RINC and VRIN were positively correlated .30 ( p<.01). Additionally, both scales were correlated with five broad personality scales available from the Adolescent Personality Questionnaire. Scores on both inconsistency scales correlated negatively with those on Extraversion, Independence, and Self-control (but the latter two not significantly).
Digit Ratio (2D:4D) in Twins: Heritability Estimates and Evidence for a Masculinized Trait Expression in Women from opposite-Sex Pairs
Authors: Voracek Martin , Dressler Stefan G.
Published: February 2008

The second-to-fourth digit ratio (2D:4D) is sexually dimorphic in humans, such that men on average have a lower 2D:4D than women. This somatic trait has been proposed as a biomarker for the organizational (permanent) effects of prenatal testosterone on the brain and behavior. Over the past few years, an accumulating research program has shown 2D:4D to be related to a multitude of sex-dependent, hormonally influenced psychological and behavioral traits. The present study investigated the 2D:4D ratio of 44 men and 70 women from 36 identical and 21 fraternal twin pairs. Both basic and advanced approaches for estimating heritability concordantly suggested that the trait is substantially heritable. The best-fitting structural equation model indicated that the contributions to individual differences in 2D:4D are 81% additively genetic, 19% nonshared environmental, and 0% shared environmental. Supplemental analyses showed that, consistent with a prediction from sex-hormone transfer theory, women from opposite-sex fraternal twin pairs had significantly lower (more male-typical) 2D:4D than women from same-sex fraternal twin pairs. Directions for research are discussed, such as investigating possible influences of the sex chromosomes on the expression of 2D:4D. Further family studies will be needed to test whether the transmission mode of 2D:4D is consistent with X-linked or Y-linked inheritance. The study of sex chromosome aberrations should indicate whether the presence of additional X or Y chromosomes is associated with 2D:4D levels.
Perceived Importance, Enjoyment, and Anxiety as Correlates of Computer Attitudes
Authors: Teo Timothy
Published: February 2008

A sample of 138 students was assessed for their computer attitudes using a Likert-type questionnaire with three subscales: Computer Importance, Computer Enjoyment, and Computer Anxiety. An overall positive attitude towards computers was found. Multivariate analysis of variance revealed no significant differences in computer attitudes by gender although male students reported more positive attitudes towards computers than female students. Implications for educators include managing the perceptions of students that the computers are useful for learning purposes, in addition to using them for leisure and entertainment.
Laying the Foundations of Well Being: A Creative Psycho-Educational Program for Young Children
Authors: Zafiropoulou Maria , Thanou Angeliki
Published: February 2008

Dysfunctional cognitive schemata and pessimistic explanatory styles are usually held responsible for some of the commonest features of depressed mood such as feelings of meaninglessness, resignation, and underachievement which seem to affect even young children. This pilot study investigates the applicability and efficacy of an interactive, creative psycho-educational program for preschoolers that aims at enhancing mastery and shaping optimistic explanatory styles. Twenty preschoolers participated in once-a-week hourly sessions which took place in their school and lasted for one school year. The intervention consisted of several playful tasks and novel creative activities specially designed to meet the needs and abilities of preschoolers, while satisfying the objectives of the school curriculum. The tasks were based on the principles of cognitive behaviour theory. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of our results support the efficacy of the intervention for preschoolers.
College Students' Motivations for Money and Subjective Well-Being
Authors: Robak Rostyslaw W. , Chiffriller Sheila H. , Zappone Melinda C.
Published: February 2008

Previous research indicates that, while making money is important to college students, it is negatively correlated with subjective well-being. This study asked 157 undergraduate business and psychology students about the importance of making money, their motives for doing so, and several dimensions of subjective well-being: satisfaction with life, self-actualization, and mood/affect. Making money remains very important to college students. Being motivated to make money was not globally related to subjective well-being, but wanting to make money to help others, to feel secure, and to feel proud of oneself were predictive of happiness or subjective well-being. Motives such as comparing oneself favorably to others, spending impulsively, and overcoming self-doubt were not correlated with subjective well-being. Business students appeared more motivated to make money than other students and also to have more negative affect.
Treatment of Acute Mania with Ambient Air Anionization: Variants of Climactic Heat Stress and Serotonin Syndrome
Authors: Giannini A. James , Melemis Steven , Giannini Jocelyn D. , Giannini Juliette N.
Published: February 2008

High concentrations of ambient anions (O2−) were used to augment treatment for 20 acutely manic male patients. Anions were produced by an anion generator in a sealed room. A double-blind crossover design was used, and responses were evaluated with the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale by 2 blinded raters. This produced a significant antimanic effect: total rating scores declined with anion treatment. Presham and postsham total scores for these 5 were 31.3 and 31.6, respectively. Pretreatment and posttreatment total scores were 31.6 and 26.3, respectively. Previous research indicates a role for serotonin in producing this antimanic effect.
Topiramate Attenuates a Transient Learning Deficit after Lesions Inducing Intracerebral Hemorrhage
Authors: McDaniel William F. , Sawitsky Alexandra Sondra , Vick Kara E.
Published: February 2008

28 male Long-Evans rats prepared with lesions of the middle cerebral artery displayed deficits in spatial navigational learning in a simple version of the Morris Water Maze task not seen in animals prepared with the same injury but administered 4 treatments with topiramate after surgery.
Preliminary Examination of International Students' Adjustment and Loneliness Related to Electronic Communications
Authors: Smith Timothy B. , Shwalb David A.
Published: February 2008

Electronic communication, e.g., e-mail, internet, may facilitate international students' adjustment through contacts maintained in their native country. In the present study, the scores of 45 international students on a measure of adjustment and the Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale were significantly associated with their electronic communications involving their native country, but not with general internet or e-mail use. International students' scores on the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure were positively correlated with amount of contact with people in their native country but not with scores on measures of adjustment or loneliness.
A Study of the Test of Supervisory Skills
Authors: Gamble Louis G. , Burke Tracie , Prien Kristin O. , Prien Erich P. , Goodstein Leonard D.
Published: February 2008

In supervisory selection and development it is important to assess individuals' supervisory competencies. In a field study, the Test of Supervisory Skills was validated against a surrogate criterion of supervisory performance, based upon position classification and supervisory experience. Subjects ( N = 2,406), workers and applicants of both sexes, were recruited from multiple sources, tested, and the data analyzed to evaluate the usefulness of the test in human resource management applications. Both the current and prior results show significant relationships between scores on this test and various criteria of supervisory performance.
Anhedonia and Suicide: A 6.5-Yr. Follow-up Study of Patients Hospitalised for a Suicide Attempt
Authors: Loas Gwenolé
Published: February 2008

This was a prospective follow-up study of suicidal patients to assess the association of anhedonia, depression, and completed suicides. Survival analysis as well as Cox's regression makes it possible to weigh the influence of variables. A cohort of 106 patients (81 women, 25 men, M age = 33 yr., SD=9.9) admitted to medical or surgical departments after a suicide attempt was followed during a 6.5-yr. mean observation period. In total, 6.7% of patients completed suicide. High proportion of male subjects (71.4%) and low anhedonia, assessed on the Physical Anhedonia Scale, decreased survival time of the cohort and characterized subjects who deceased by suicide. These results suggested that the people who completed suicide were characterized by low anhedonia. Further research is needed on people who attempt suicide and present with specific psychiatric diagnoses.
Adult Attachment and Declining Birthrates
Authors: Draper Thomas W. , Holman Thomas B. , White Whitney , Grandy Shannon
Published: February 2008

Attachment scores for 658 young adults living in the USA were obtained using the Experiences in Close Relationships scale. The participants came from a subsample of the RELATE data set, who had also filled out the adult attachment measure. Those young adults living in Utah County, Utah, an area of the country with a higher than normal birthrate (88% members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), also had higher than average adult attachment scores. While the methodology was not sufficient to assess causal direction nor eliminate the possibility of unidentified influences, an undiscussed psychological factor, adult attachment, may play a role in the numerical declines observed among nonimmigrant communities in the USA and Europe.
Bioethical Issues in Biostatistical Consulting: Development of a Survey
Authors: Wang Min Qi , Katz Ralph V. , Howard Donna , Harris B. Michelle , Yan Fang
Published: February 2008

To develop a survey, the Bioethical Issues in Biostatistical Consulting Questionnaire, for investigating bioethical issues in analysis, a comprehensive literature review was conducted to specify areas of bioethics. Through a focus group study and the evaluation by 10 biostatisticians, the questionnaire was constructed. Validation must involve a panel of experts. Now, test-retest reliability and factor analysis should be conducted on a group of eligible subjects.
Implementing a Pilot Program of Advanced Directives in Nursing Homes
Authors: Chovan William L.
Published: February 2008

This project focused on employing a comprehensive advance directive, called Five Wishes, that is suited to a process-oriented approach emphasizing a discussion of personal, social, and emotional needs in end-of-life care. With findings of a limited number of advance directives completed, the traditional explanation of the ‘onset of progressive deterioration’ among the residents is offered. Residents with low sense of self-efficacy is suggested as another explanation and one worthy of further research.
Conspiracy Thinking and State-Trait Anxiety in Young Polish Adults
Authors: Grzesiak-Feldman Monika
Published: February 2008

The relationships among conspiracy thinking and state and trait anxiety were examined with 118 high school students who were assessed using the Conspiracy Beliefs Scale and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Among boys there was a positive correlation between scores on A-Trait and the conspiracy thinking ( r =.39) whereas among girls there was a negative correlation between these scores ( r = −.32).
Convergent and Discriminant Validity of the Marital Disillusionment Scale
Authors: Niehuis Sylvia
Published: February 2008

The Marital Disillusionment Scale, together with measures of divorce proneness, marital disaffection, work addiction, sensation seeking, intimacy, and marital satisfaction (using the subscales Marital Disharmony and Disaffection), was administered to 116 married people (42 men, 74 women) in a university town in the western USA. Scores on the Marital Disillusionment Scale had significant positive correlations with scores on the Marital Instability Scale ( r = .54), the Marital Disaffection Scale ( r = .72), and the two subscales Disharmony ( r = .53) and Disaffection ( r = .75) of the Marital Satisfaction Inventory. Scores for the Marital Disillusionment Scale were negatively correlated with those for the Personal Assessment of Intimacy in Relationships Inventory ( r = −.65) but were not significantly associated with scores for the Work Addiction Risk Test and the Brief Sensation Seeking Scale. The results support the convergent and discriminant validity of the Marital Disillusionment Scale.
A Proof for Rhiel's Range Estimator of the Coefficient of Variation for Skewed Distributions
Authors: Rhiel G. Steven
Published: February 2008

In this research study is proof that the coefficient of variation ( CVhigh-low) calculated from the highest and lowest values in a set of data is applicable to specific skewed distributions with varying means and standard deviations. Earlier Rhiel provided values for dn, the standardized mean range, and an, an adjustment for bias in the range estimator of μ. These values are used in estimating the coefficient of variation from the range for skewed distributions. The dn and an values were specified for specific skewed distributions with a fixed mean and standard deviation. In this proof it is shown that the dn and an values are applicable for the specific skewed distributions when the mean and standard deviation can take on differing values. This will give the researcher confidence in using this statistic for skewed distributions regardless of the mean and standard deviation.