bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Abrupt Shift of Typhoon Activity in the Vicinity of Taiwan and Its Association with Western North Pacific–East Asian Climate Change
Authors: Tu Jien-Yi , Chou Chia , Chu Pao-Shin
Published: March 2009

Bayesian analysis is applied to detect changepoints in the time series of seasonal typhoon counts in the vicinity of Taiwan. An abrupt shift in the typhoon count series occurs in 2000. On average, 3.3 typhoons per year have been noted before 2000 (1970–99), with the rate increasing to 5.7 typhoons per year since 2000 (2000–06). This abrupt change is consistent with a northward shift of the typhoon track over the western North Pacific–East Asian region and an increase of typhoon frequency over the Taiwan–East China Sea region. The northward shift of the typhoon track tends to be associated with typhoon-enhancing environmental conditions over the western North Pacific, namely, the weakening of the western North Pacific subtropical high, the strengthening of the Asian summer monsoon trough, and the enhanced positive vorticity anomalies in the lower troposphere. Based on observational analysis and model simulations, warm sea surface temperature anomalies over the equatorial western and central Pacific appear to be a major factor contributing to a northward-shifted typhoon track.
Attribution of Projected Changes in Atmospheric Moisture Transport in the Arctic: A Self-Organizing Map Perspective
Authors: Skific Natasa , Francis Jennifer A. , Cassano John J.
Published: March 2009

Meridonal moisture transport into the Arctic derived from one simulation of the National Center for Atmospheric Research Community Climate System Model (CCSM3), spanning the periods of 1960–99, 2010–30, and 2070–89, is analyzed. The twenty-first-century simulation incorporates the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on Emission Scenarios (SRES) A2 scenario for CO2 and sulfate emissions. Modeled and observed [from the 40-yr ECMWF Re-Analysis (ERA-40)] sea level pressure (SLP) fields are classified using a neural network technique called self-organizing maps to distill a set of characteristic atmospheric circulation patterns over the region north of 60°N. Model performance is validated for the twentieth century by comparing the frequencies of occurrence of particular circulation regimes in the model to those from the ERA-40. The model successfully captures dominant SLP patterns, but differs from observations in the frequency with which certain patterns occur. The model’s twentieth-century vertical mean moisture transport profile across 70°N compares well in terms of structure but exceeds the observations by about 12% overall. By relating moisture transport to a particular circulation regime, future changes in moisture transport across 70°N are assessed and attributed to changes in frequency with which the atmosphere resides in particular SLP patterns and/or to other factors, such as changes in the meridional moisture gradient. By the late twenty-first century, the transport is projected to increase by about 21% in this model realization, with the largest contribution (32%) to the total change occurring in summer. Only about one-quarter of the annual increase is due to changes in pattern occupancy, suggesting that the majority is related to mainly thermodynamic factors. A larger poleward moisture transport likely constitutes a positive feedback on the system through related increases in latent heat release and the emission of longwave radiation to the surface.
Measurement of GCM Skill in Predicting Variables Relevant for Hydroclimatological Assessments
Authors: Johnson Fiona , Sharma Ashish
Published: March 2009

Simulations from general circulation models are now being used for a variety of studies and purposes. With up to 23 different GCMs now available, it is desirable to determine whether a specific variable from a particular model is representative of the ensemble mean, which is often assumed to indicate the likely state of that variable in the future. The answers are important for decision makers and researchers using selective model outputs for follow-on studies such as statistical downscaling, which currently assume all model outputs are simulated with equal reliability.

A skill score, termed the variable convergence score (VCS), has been derived that can be used to rank variables based on the coefficient of variation of the ensemble. The key benefit is the development of a simple methodology that allows for a quantitative assessment between different hydroclimatic variables.

The VCS methodology has been applied to the outputs of nine GCMs for eight different variables and two emission scenarios to provide a relative ranking of the variables averaged across Australia and over different climatic regions of the country. The methodology, however, would be applicable for any region or any variable of interest from GCMs.

It was found that the surface variables with the highest scores are pressure, temperature, and humidity. Regionally in Australia, models again show the best agreement in the surface pressure projections. The tropical and southwestern temperate zones show the overall highest variable convergence when all variables are considered. The desert zone shows relatively low model agreement, particularly in the projections of precipitation and specific humidity.
Social Capital, Double Embeddedness, and Mechanisms of Stability and Change
Authors: Baker Wayne , Faulkner Robert R.
Published: March 2009

The authors coin the term double embeddedness to denote the two-sided nature of communities, markets, and organizations—where social, political, and economic actions are embedded in social structure and culture. Structural embeddedness and cultural embeddedness and their interactions are variable, dynamic, and complex. The authors develop a typology based on these two forms of embeddedness, illustrating four ideal-types with examples from the United States and Europe. Two paths of stability and change in the United States are analyzed. The first is the observed decline of social capital coupled with the observed stability of shared values. The second is the hypothesized geographical polarization of values and networks, such as red versus blue states. Applying Coleman's macro—micro—macro model, it is shown that these two paths are the first and second cycles of a two-cycle model of social change. Also analyzed are some of the social mechanisms (situational, action formation, and transformational) that underlie this two-cycle model.
The Epistles of John: What's New Since Brooke's ICC in 1912?
Authors: Smith D. Moody
Published: March 2009

Brooke's commentary remains a worthwhile help in interpreting the Johannine Epistles, although it now seems conservative on such issues as authorship. Brooke entertains the possibility that the Fourth Gospel and the Epistles were written by different authors, but maintains that the arguments for that position are not strong enough to warrant abandonment of the tradition, although the author cannot be confidently identified as the son of Zebedee. Nevertheless, he is a leading figure exercising authority within a circle of churches. First John presumes the Gospel, since, for example its prologue becomes readily intelligible on the basis of the Gospel's, while the reverse is not the case. In place of common authorship of Gospel and Epistles, one may now speak of a Johannine community and, perhaps anachronistically, of a Johannine `canon' in which these documents alone functioned authoritatively. One notices the pervasive dualism, as Brooke did not, and must ask whether it poses a challenge for contemporary interpretation in a world marked by the kind of diversity which the Johannine writings seem not to tolerate. The historical circumstances of the Johannine writings may go far to explain this state of affairs. Yet the delineation of those circumstances is a matter of controversy in contemporary scholarship, and this leads back to the perennial question of the role of history and historical reconstruction in the task of interpretation.
The Impact of a Mind/Body Medicine Class on Counselor Training
Authors: Maris Judy A.
Published: March 2009

This first-person narrative explores the impact of mindfulness training in the form of qigong, yoga, and meditation on the developing clinical skills of a student in the master's-level counseling program at Montana State University. It explores the ways in which mindfulness helped the author to be more fully present in session and to tolerate both her own internal distress and the distress of her clients.
What Increases Risk and Protection for Delinquent Behaviors Among American Indian Youth?
Authors: Mmari Kristin N. , Blum Robert Wm. , Teufel-Shone Nicolette
Published: March 2009

The primary purpose of this study was to compare the risk and protective factors for delinquent behaviors among American Indian youth in three distinct tribal communities. Focus group discussions were used to gather data from elders, parents, youth workers, and youth in each tribal community. Findings showed that the key source for increasing risk and protection for delinquent behaviors among American Indian youth is the family. In particular is the protective presence of a parent and having a parent available for discussing problems. Participants also revealed how many parents lack the knowledge and confidence to discipline their children. These findings suggest a need for programs that strengthen parent-adolescent communication, parenting skills, and offer cultural teachings and sensitivity training for school personnel. Interventions also need to be specific to the cultural context and cannot assume the same risk and protective factors will apply to all American Indian youth.
Rational Choice, Social Identity, and Beliefs about Oneself
Authors: Aguiar Fernando , de Francisco Andrés
Published: March 2009

Social identity poses one of the most important challenges to rational choice theory, but rational choice theorists do not hold a common position regarding identity. On one hand, externalist rational choice ignores the concept of identity or reduces it to revealed preferences. On the other hand, internalist rational choice considers identity as a key concept in explaining social action because it permits expressive motivations to be included in the models. However, internalist theorists tend to reduce identity to desire—the desire of a person to express his or her social being. From an internalist point of view, that is, from a viewpoint in which not only desires but also beliefs play a key role in social explanations as mental entities, this article rejects externalist reductionism and proposes a redefinition of social identity as a net of beliefs about oneself, beliefs that are indexical, robust, and socially shaped.
Influence of Liver Cirrhosis on the Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics, and Safety of Tezosentan
Authors: Dingemanse Jasper , Halabi Atef , van Giersbergen Paul L. M.
Published: March 2009

This study investigates the pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and safety of the parenteral endothelin receptor antagonist tezosentan in patients with Child‐Pugh classification B/C liver impairment. Cohorts I and II consist of 5 and 11 patients, respectively, with low serum bilirubin (≤3.0 mg/dL) who receive intravenous tezosentan at 0.2 mg/h for 24 hours followed by 1.0 mg/h for 24 hours (cohort I) or 1.0 mg/h for 24 hours followed by 5.0 mg/h for 24 hours (cohort II). Cohort III (5 patients) receives the same treatment as cohort II but patients have high serum bilirubin (3.5–12 mg/dL). Each cohort includes 1 or 2 placebo patients (in total 4 patients). Compared with a historical control group of healthy subjects, the exposure to tezosentan is 3.1‐ and 8.5‐fold greater in cohorts II and III, respectively. Patients are more sensitive than healthy subjects to the pharmacodynamic effects of tezosentan, as reflected in increases in endothelin‐1 concentrations. Tezosentan is well tolerated. Decreases in blood pressure are similar in patients treated with tezosentan or placebo. Moderate/severe liver impairment is associated with increased exposure to tezosentan, which is more pronounced in patients with elevated bilirubin levels, necessitating dose reduction.
Pharmacokinetics of Dalbavancin in Patients With Renal or Hepatic Impairment
Authors: Marbury Thomas , Dowell James A. , Seltzer Elyse , Buckwalter Mary
Published: March 2009

Three open‐label studies assessed the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of intravenous dalbavancin in patients with hepatic or renal impairment, including patients with end‐stage renal disease (ESRD) receiving dialysis. In each study, 4 to 10 patients with mild, moderate, or severe impairment and age‐, sex‐, and weight‐matched controls were administered either a single dose (500 or 1000 mg) or 2 doses (1000 mg followed by 500 mg 1 week apart) of dalbavancin. Dalbavancin exposures were not increased due to mild renal impairment. The mean area under the concentration‐time curve from time 0 to infinity (AUC0‐∞) values were approximately 50% higher in patients with moderate renal impairment or ESRD and 100% higher in patients with severe renal impairment. Dose adjustment is not considered necessary in patients with mild or moderate renal impairment or for patients with ESRD receiving hemodialysis; however, a lower dose of dalbavancin (750 mg followed 1 week later by 375 mg) may be considered for patients with severe renal impairment (creatinine clearance <30 mL/min). AUC0‐∞ values were similar in patients with mild hepatic impairment and were about 27% to 36% lower in patients with moderate to severe hepatic impairment compared with controls. No dosage adjustment is recommended in patients with any degree of hepatic impairment. Dalbavancin was well tolerated in all impairment groups.
Effect of CP‐690,550, an Orally Active Janus Kinase Inhibitor, on Renal Function in Healthy Adult Volunteers
Authors: Lawendy Nervin , Krishnaswami Sriram , Wang Rong , Gruben David , Cannon Courtney , Swan Suzanne , Chan Gary
Published: March 2009

CP‐690,550 is a Janus kinase inhibitor being developed to prevent allograft rejection and treat several autoimmune diseases. This study examines the effect of multiple doses of CP‐690,550 on renal function in healthy volunteers. Thirty‐four volunteers are randomized in a 2:1 ratio in a double‐blinded manner to receive CP‐690,550 15 mg twice daily or placebo twice daily for 14 days. Volunteers are confined in‐house to receive a controlled regimen of water intake and sodium intake of 4 to 5 g/d. The effect of CP‐690,550 on glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is measured by iohexol serum clearance, effective renal plasma flow (ERPF) by para‐aminohippuric acid (PAH) urinary clearance, and creatinine clearance by 24‐hour urine collection on day 1 (predose) and day 15. Steady‐state pharmacokinetics and tolerability are assessed. Comparing the day 15 and day 1 (predose) values shows that geometric mean ratios for iohexol serum clearance, PAH urinary clearance, and creatinine clearance are 0.995, 0.925, and 0.948, respectively. When adjusted for the corresponding placebo day ratios, the geometric mean ratios are 1.09, 0.978, and 1.05, respectively. CP‐690,550 is well tolerated. These findings indicate that CP‐690,550 does not affect GFR, ERPF, or creatinine clearance in healthy volunteers.
Virtual Reality Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Public Speaking Anxiety
Authors: Wallach Helene S. , Safir Marilyn P. , Bar-Zvi Margalit
Published: March 2009

Public speaking anxiety (PSA) is a common phobia. Although cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is preferred, difficulties arise with the exposure component (lack of therapist control, patient's inability to imagine, self-flooding, loss of confidentiality resulting from public exposure). Virtual reality CBT (VRCBT) enables a high degree of therapist control, thus overcoming these difficulties. This study examined whether VRCBT is an alternative to CBT. Participants with PSA were randomly assigned to VRCBT (28 participants), CBT (30 participants), and wait list control (WLC; 30 participants). VRCBT and CBT were significantly more effective than WLC in anxiety reduction on four of five anxiety measures, and on subject's self-rating of anxiety during a behavioral task. No significant differences were found on observer ratings of the behavioral task. However, twice as many participants dropped out from CBT than from VRCBT. Our results demonstrated that VRCBT is an effective and brief treatment regimen, equal to CBT.
Booster Sessions Enhance the Long-Term Effectiveness of Spaced Retrieval in Older Adults with Probable Alzheimer's Disease
Authors: Cherry Katie E. , Hawley Karri S. , Jackson Erin M. , Boudreaux Emily O.
Published: March 2009

Six older adults with probable Alzheimer's disease (AD) were trained to recall a name—face association using the spaced retrieval technique. In this study, we retested these persons in a 6-month follow-up program. For half of the participants, three booster sessions were administered at 6, 12, and 18 weeks after original training to promote long-term retention of the name— face association. Results yielded a mnemonic benefit of the booster sessions at retest. Participants were successful in transferring this association to the actual person in the target photograph. These data confirmed the positive effect of spaced retrieval on recall of a name—face association over a 6-month interval. Implications for memory remediation in cognitively impaired older adults are considered.
The Book of Job and the Origins of Judaism
Authors: Sanders James A.
Published: March 2009

Recently developed tools of intertextual analysis show that the dialogues in the Book of Job were in effect echoes of major debates in the early to middle Persian Period about the worth and responsibility of the individual in the new Judaism scattering throughout the empire. They expose the fallacy of the “conservative” tendency to apply past truth literally or statically to new realities without first making the necessary adjustments needed to address new problems. The earlier prophetic and deuteronomic arguments why Israel and Judah had been destroyed still served well to explain the national disaster, but the truth of them had to be refocused to apply to the new situation of individual experiences in widely dispersed Judaism. The Joban dialogues may thus have served as guide for Early Jewish debates about the role of the past when contemporized to the present, the critical function of canon.
The Effects of Prosocial Video Games on Prosocial Behaviors: International Evidence From Correlational, Longitudinal, and Experimental Studies
Authors: Gentile Douglas A. , Anderson Craig A. , Yukawa Shintaro , Ihori Nobuko , Saleem Muniba , Lim Kam Ming  , Shibuya Akiko , Liau Albert K. , Khoo Angeline , Bushman Brad J. , Rowell Huesmann L. , Sakamoto Akira
Published: March 2009

Although dozens of studies have documented a relationship between violent video games and aggressive behaviors, very little attention has been paid to potential effects of prosocial games. Theoretically, games in which game characters help and support each other in nonviolent ways should increase both short-term and long-term prosocial behaviors. We report three studies conducted in three countries with three age groups to test this hypothesis. In the correlational study, Singaporean middle-school students who played more prosocial games behaved more prosocially. In the two longitudinal samples of Japanese children and adolescents, prosocial game play predicted later increases in prosocial behavior. In the experimental study, U.S. undergraduates randomly assigned to play prosocial games behaved more prosocially toward another student. These similar results across different methodologies, ages, and cultures provide robust evidence of a prosocial game content effect, and they provide support for the General Learning Model.
Accessing and Citing In-Press Journal of Management Articles: The Role of OnlineFirst and the Digital Object Identifier
Authors: Ford Deborah K. , Guidry Brett
Published: March 2009

This article provides helpful information to researchers, students, and authors who wish to find and cite in-press articles in the Journal of Management ( JOM). Any manuscript that has survived the review process innately possesses relevant information, and having access to these articles in their final form the moment they are ready for publication holds obvious benefits. Reading in-press articles helps researchers keep abreast of current findings and the latest advances in the field. Citing in-press articles encourages the advancement of research and demonstrates up-to-date knowledge of the subject matter. In addition, these most current documents are essential when evaluating the potential contribution of a given article. Although the review process helps to determine whether or not submitted articles provide meaningful contributions, evaluating new concepts in the context of research that has already been accepted for publication assures that each new submission significantly advances the field.
The effects of group members' personalities on a test taker's L2 group oral discussion test scores
Authors: Ockey Gary J.
Published: March 2009

The second language group oral is a test of second language speaking proficiency, in which a group of three or more English language learners discuss an assigned topic without interaction with interlocutors. Concerns expressed about the extent to which test takers' personal characteristics affect the scores of others in the group have limited its attractiveness. This study investigates the degree to which assertive and non-assertive test takers' scores are affected by the levels of assertiveness of their group members. The sample of test takers was Japanese first year university students who were studying English in Japan. The students took the revised NEO-PI-R (Costa & McCrae, 1992; Shimanoka et al., 2002), a group oral test, and PhonePass SET-10 (Ordinate, 2004). Two separate MANCOVA analyses were conducted, one designed to determine the extent to which assertive test takers' scores are affected by the levels of assertiveness of group members (N = 112), and one designed to determine the extent to which non-assertive test takers' scores are affected by the levels of assertiveness of group members (N = 113). The analyses indicated that assertive test takers were assigned higher scores than expected when grouped with only non-assertive test takers and lower scores than expected when grouped with only assertive test takers, while the study failed to find an effect for grouping based on assertiveness for non-assertive test takers' scores. The findings of the study suggest that when the group oral is used, rater-training sessions should include guidance on how to evaluate a test taker in the context of the group in which the test taker is assessed and assign scores that are not based on a comparison of proficiencies of group members.
A meta-analysis of test format effects on reading and listening test performance: Focus on multiple-choice and open-ended formats
Authors: In'nami Yo , Koizumi Rie
Published: March 2009

A meta-analysis was conducted on the effects of multiple-choice and open-ended formats on L1 reading, L2 reading, and L2 listening test performance. Fifty-six data sources located in an extensive search of the literature were the basis for the estimates of the mean effect sizes of test format effects. The results using the mixed effects model of meta-analysis indicate that multiple-choice formats are easier than open-ended formats in L1 reading and L2 listening, with the degree of format effect ranging from small to large in L1 reading and medium to large in L2 listening. Overall, format effects in L2 reading are not found, although multiple-choice formats are found to be easier than open-ended formats when any one of the following four conditions is met: the studies involve between-subjects designs, random assignment, stem-equivalent items, or learners with a high L2 proficiency level. Format effects favoring multiple-choice formats across the three domains are consistently observed when studies employ between-subjects designs, random assignment, or stem-equivalent items.
Diagnostic assessment of writing: A comparison of two rating scales
Authors: Knoch Ute
Published: March 2009

Alderson (2005) suggests that diagnostic tests should identify strengths and weaknesses in learners' use of language and focus on specific elements rather than global abilities. However, rating scales used in performance assessment have been repeatedly criticized for being imprecise and therefore often resulting in holistic marking by raters (Weigle, 2002). The aim of this study is to compare two rating scales for writing in an EAP context; one `a priori' developed scale with less specific descriptors of the kind commonly used in proficiency tests and one empirically developed scale with detailed level descriptors. The validation process involved 10 trained raters applying both sets of descriptors to the rating of 100 writing scripts yielded from a large-scale diagnostic assessment administered to both native and non-native speakers of English at a large university. A quantitative comparison of rater behaviour was undertaken using FACETS. Questionnaires and interviews were administered to elicit the raters' perceptions of the efficacy of the two types of scales. The results indicate that rater reliability was substantially higher and that raters were able to better distinguish between different aspects of writing when the more detailed descriptors were used. Rater feedback also showed a preference for the more detailed scale. The findings are discussed in terms of their implications for rater training and rating scale development.
Do people with acquired brain impairment benefit from additional therapy specifically directed at the hand? A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Ross Leo F , Harvey Lisa A , Lannin Natasha A
Published: March 2009

Objective: To determine the benefits of additional therapy specifically directed at the hand in people with acquired brain impairment.

Design: An assessor-blinded randomized controlled trial.

Setting: Rehabilitation hospital.

Participants: A sample of 39 adults with hand impairment following stroke (90%) or traumatic brain injury (10%). The median (interquartile) time since injury was 1.6 months (0.5—3.5 months).

Intervention: The experimental group (n = 20) received an additional one-hour session of task-specific motor training for the hand five times a week over a six-week period. The training was administered on a one-to-one basis. The control group (n = 19) received standard care which consisted of 10 minutes of hand therapy three times a week. Both groups continued to receive therapy directed at the shoulder and elbow.

Outcome measures: Primary outcomes were the Action Research Arm and Summed Manual Muscle Tests measured at the beginning and end of the six-week period.

Results: The mean (SD) Action Research Arm Test values for experimental participants improved from the beginning to the end of study from 10 points (15) to 21 points (23) and the equivalent values for the Summed Manual Muscle Test improved from 35% (33) to 49% (35). There were similar improvements in control participants. The mean between-group differences for the Action Research Arm and Summed Manual Muscle Tests were -6 points (95% confidence interval (CI), -20 to 8) and 3% (95% CI, -10 to 16), respectively.

Conclusion: Hand and overall arm function of all participants improved over the six-week period, however there was not a clear benefit from providing additional hand therapy.
Different Photoperiods Affect Proliferation of Lymphocytes but Not Expression of Cellular, Humoral, or Innate Immunity in Hamsters
Authors: Zhou Shaoyuan , Cagampang Felino R. A. , Stirland J. Anne , Loudon Andrew S. I. , Hopkins Stephen J.
Published: March 2009

In seasonal mammals, photoperiod change is associated with a suite of alterations in physiology. It has recently been proposed that the immune response is one of the systems regulated by changes in photoperiod, although this hypothesis has not been rigorously challenged by assays of functional immune responses. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that photoperiod modulates immune responsiveness in Syrian ( Mesocricetus auratus) and Siberian ( Phodopus sungorus) hamsters. Consistent with previously reported data, short-day-housed (SD) animals exhibited a significant increase in lymph node cell (LNC) numbers and increased cellular proliferation in response to the polyclonal mitogen concanavalin Acompared to long-day-housed (LD) animals. In contrast, LNC numbers from intact or gonadectomized SD animals that had been sensitized with the antigen dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB) exhibited a reduced ex vivo proliferative response and reduced production of interleukin-6 (IL-6) compared to LD animals. In vivo studies of the contact hypersensitivity response of animals that had previously been sensitized, and subsequently challenged, with DNFB were similar in SD and LD animals, as was the proliferative activity of LNC recovered from these animals. There were also no photoperiodic differences in the antidinitrophenyl antibody response of animals sensitized with DNFB, or the anti–sheep red blood cell (srbc) response of animals immunized with srbc. Furthermore, no differences could be detected in the activity of natural killer cells from spleens of LD and SD Siberian hamsters, or in lipopolysaccharide-induced IL-6 production by LD and SD Syrian hamsters in vivo. Thus, although photoperiod is able to influence factors regulating the gross number and non-antigen-specific proliferation of lymphocytes in seasonally breeding mammals, day length does not directly influence activation of an effective immune response. The authors conclude, therefore, that expression of the immune response is not directly modified or compromised by photoperiod in these seasonally breeding hamster species.
Comparison of Tools for Nutrition Assessment and Screening for Predicting the Development of Complications in Orthopedic Surgery
Authors: Ozkalkanli Murat Y. , Ozkalkanli Dila Tuna , Katircioglu Kaan , Savaci Serdar
Published: March 2009

Background: Malnutrition in hospitalized patients is a significant problem. The purpose of this study was to compare 2 assessment tools—the Nutritional Risk Screening 2002 (NRS 2002) and subjective global assessment (SGA)—in predicting development of complications in patients undergoing orthopedic surgery. Methods: Nutrition status was assessed by the SGA, and nutrition screening was performed using the NRS 2002 in 256 consecutively admitted patients scheduled for orthopedic surgery. Additional information recorded for all patients included age, gender, body mass index, and American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status. Patient outcomes (postoperative complications), mortality rate, and length of hospital stay (LOS) were investigated. Results: Malnourished or nutritionally at‐risk patients were significantly older than nonmalnourished or not at‐risk patients according to the SGA and NRS 2002. Also, ASA physical status was correlated with malnutrition or malnutrition risk. Malnourished and at‐risk patients in both the SGA and NRS 2002 groups showed longer LOS and higher morbidity and mortality rates. Sensitivity was 50% with the SGA and 69% with the NRS 2002; specificity was 77% with the SGA and 80% with the NRS 2002. Agreement between 2 methods was 0.672. The odds ratio for the association between malnutrition or risk of malnutrition and the occurrence of complications was 3.5 (1.7–7.1) for the SGA and 4.1 (2.0–8.5) for NRS 2002. Conclusions: Age and ASA physical status are risk factors for malnutrition. In patients undergoing orthopedic surgery, NRS 2002 predicted development of complications better than the SGA. Malnutrition also increased length of hospital stay.
Chemopreventive Role of Fruits and Vegetables in Oropharyngeal Cancer
Authors: Davidson Patricia G. , Touger‐Decker Riva
Published: March 2009

Oropharyngeal cancer is associated with lifestyle factors, including tobacco use, dietary habits, and alcohol consumption. Oropharyngeal cancers are one of the 10 most common types of cancers worldwide, and it is estimated that oropharyngeal cancers will have affected 30,990 men and women in the United States with a total of 7430 deaths in 2008. The National Cancer Institute defines chemoprevention as “the use of drugs, vitamins, or other agents to try to reduce the risk of, or delay the development or reccurrence of, cancer.” Chemopreventive agents such as antioxidants are derived from dietary sources, including fruits and vegetables. This review addresses the chemopreventive role of dietary intake of fruits and vegetables in the development of oropharyngeal cancers. It focuses on the variability of the incidence of oropharyngeal cancers and possible reasons behind this phenomenon as it relates to dietary factors, specifically fruits and vegetables.
Methods for the Assessment of Gastric Emptying in Critically Ill, Enterally Fed Adults
Authors: Moreira Telma V. , McQuiggan Margaret
Published: March 2009

Critically ill patients may experience delayed gastric emptying. Patients receiving enteral feeding are monitored closely to detect a delay of gastric emptying, assess feeding tolerance, and prevent aspiration pneumonia. The most common practice for assessing gastric emptying is to measure the aspirated gastric residual volume; however, this is an unreliable method that lacks standardization, fails to differentiate normal digestive secretions from enteral formula, and results in unnecessary interruptions of enteral nutrition. The aim of this review is to identify an alternative method to assess gastric emptying, which should be reliable, sensitive, harmless, feasible, and inexpensive. Several techniques are discussed: scintigraphy, paracetamol absorption test, breath tests, refractometry, ultrasound, and gastric impedance monitoring. Refractometry seems to be the most appropriate tool for the regular assessment of enteral nutrition; however, standardization and validation of this method are needed before it can be routinely used to monitor critically ill patients receiving enteral nutrition.
Review of A Large Clinical Series: Coronary Angiography Predicts Improved Outcome Following Cardiac Arrest: Propensity-adjusted Analysis
Authors: Reynolds Joshua C. , Callaway Clifton W. , El Khoudary Samar R. , Moore Charity G. , Alvarez René J. , Rittenberger Jon C.
Published: March 2009

Objectives: Determine if clinical parameters of resuscitated patients predict coronary angiography (CATH) performance and if receiving CATH after cardiac arrest is associated with outcome. Introduction: CATH is associated with survival in patients suffering out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) from ventricular fibrillation or ventricular tachycardia(VF/VT). Its effect on outcome in other cohorts is unknown. Methods: Chart review of resuscitated cardiac arrest patients between 2005 and 2007. Exclusion criteria: immediate withdrawal of care, hemodynamic collapse, or neurologic exam under sedation. Clinical parameters included Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) arrest location, presenting rhythm, age, and acute ischemic ECG changes (new left bundle branch block or ST-elevation myocardial infarction-STEMI). Logistic regression identified clinical parameters predicting CATH. The association between CATH and good outcome (discharge home or to acute rehabilitation facility) was determined using logistic regression adjusting for likelihood of receiving CATH via propensity score. Result: Of the 241 patients, 96 (40%) received CATH. Significant disease (≥70% stenosis) of ≥1 coronary arteries was identified in 69% of patients including 57% of patients without acute ischemic ECG changes. Unadjusted predictors of CATH were sex, method of arrival, OHCA, presenting rhythm, acute ischemic ECG changes, and GCS. Propensity adjusted logistic regression demonstrated an association between CATH and good outcome (OR 2.16; 95% CI 1.12, 4.19; P < 0.02). Conclusion: CATH is more likely to be performed in certain patients and identifies a significant number of high-grade stenoses in this population. Receiving CATH was independently associated with good outcome.
Decompressive Surgery for Severe Brain Edema
Authors: Diedler Jennifer , Sykora Marek , Blatow Maria , Jüttler Eric , Unterberg Andreas , Hacke Werner
Published: March 2009

Decompressive surgery has since long been a promising therapeutic approach for patients with acute severe brain injury at risk to develop severe brain edema. The underlying rationale of removing part of the cranium is to create space for the expanding brain to prevent secondary damage to vital brain tissue. However, until recently, randomized controlled trials that demonstrate the efficacy of decompressive surgery or benefit for outcome were missing. This has changed since the results of 3 randomized trials on hemicraniectomy in malignant infarction of the middle cerebral artery have been published in 2007. In this article, the current evidence for decompressive surgery in the treatment of cerebral ischemia, intracranial hemorrhage, traumatic brain injury, inflammatory diseases, or severe metabolic derangements is reviewed. Although there is increasing evidence for the efficacy of decompressive surgery in reducing intracranial pressure and even mortality, a critical point remains the definition of good or acceptable outcome.
Does an Offender’s Age Have an Effect on Sentence Length?
Authors: Wu Jawjeong , Spohn Cassia
Published: March 2009

Research exploring the effects of an offender’s age on unwarranted sentencing disparity has produced conflicting and inconclusive results. Some studies concluded that age was inversely correlated with sentencing severity, whereas others found a positive association. Still others found no significant impact of age on sentencing differentials or that age had a curvilinear effect. Given these inconsistencies, the present research uses meta-analytic methodology to assess empirical findings from a body of sentencing studies. In particular, this research focuses on the imposition of sentence length. Findings from this meta-analysis reveal that the age of the offender has no effect on the length of the prison term and that the strength of the association between the two variables is extremely weak. The homogeneity analysis indicates that variability in effect sizes across contrasts is not due simply to sampling error. A number of moderators related to sample and analytic characteristics account for the differences in effect sizes.
The Politics of Public Spending in Post-Communist Countries
Authors: Careja Romana , Emmenegger Patrick
Published: March 2009

A growing body of literature documents that under the economic and social pressures accompanying the post-communist transformations, governments in Central and Eastern European countries have been forced to change their spending habits. However, because most of these findings are based only on case studies or comparisons of a very small number of countries, it is difficult to observe to what extent the post-communist countries' development patterns share commonalities or develop in unique ways. This article explores in a quantitative comparative framework the effects of government composition, globalization, political institutions, and socioeconomic factors on total public, public social, and public education expenditures in twelve nation states. The authors find that the party composition of government has the most robust effect, in that left incumbency is positively correlated with total public and social expenditures. This result indicates that in this sense, post-communist countries are similar to Western democratic ones. The authors find only mixed results regarding the effects of globalization on public spending. This might suggest that globalization does not have a direct effect on the spending policies of these countries, but rather is mediated by domestic contexts.
APOE Alleles in Parkinson Disease and Their Relationship to Cognitive Decline: A Population-based, Longitudinal Study
Authors: Kurz Martin Wilhelm , Dekomien Gabriele , Nilsen Odd Bjarte , Larsen Jan Petter , Aarsland Dag , Alves Guido
Published: March 2009

Apolipoprotein E gene alleles have been linked to various cardiovascular and neurodegenerative disorders. There have been conflicting reports of associations between Apolipoprotein E alleles and Parkinson disease and Parkinson disease dementia. To investigate the role of Apolipoprotein E alleles in Parkinson disease and Parkinson disease dementia, we have determined Apolipoprotein E genotypes in a group of patients with Parkinson disease (n = 95) and compared them with those of healthy control participants (n = 73). Additionally, in 64 longitudinally followed patients with Parkinson disease, the allele types were correlated to development and progression of dementia and to time from onset of Parkinson disease to dementia using multivariate and survival analyses. The Apolipoprotein E e4e4 genotype was more common in patients with Parkinson disease (7.4%) than in healthy controls (1.4%; P = .03). No significant associations between the Apolipoprotein E genotype and development and progression of dementia or time to dementia were found. More studies with larger Parkinson disease samples are warranted.
Symbolic Exploitation and the Social Dialectic of Desire
Authors: Cassano Graham
Published: March 2009

Utilizing the work of Thorstein Veblen, I argue that the interrogation of `symbolic exploitation' should be of pressing concern to sociologists who hope to end economic exploitation. Contesting economic exploitation must begin with the destruction of traditional sovereign action patterns of desire that ensnare agents. Such a work of destruction must simultaneously be a work of construction, the construction of counter-hegemonic cultures of solidarity that reject the normative systems of status distribution associated with pecuniary capitalism. With this self-recognition on the part of the laboring classes, the end of economic exploitation becomes both palpable and possible.
Finance Capital, Neo-Liberalism and Critical Institutionalism
Authors: Krier Dan
Published: March 2009

Classical critical institutionalism is compared to recent `neo-instititutionalism' in economics, sociology and organizational studies. Both approaches developed during a regime change within capitalism, crisis periods of economic change and destabilized relationships between capitalist sectors and social institutions. Unlike mainstream economics, institutional approaches map these changing connections between capitalist sectors (finance and industrial capital, for instance) and between economic and social institutions. The critical institutionalists were much more critical of society, mainstream economics and finance capital as a destructive force, a stance that has continuing utility for the analysis of global capitalism and neo-liberal finance capital. The new institutionalists, while uncritically positivist and administrative in their orientation to the capitalist system, have nevertheless devised useful concepts and theories of economic organization and structure. A new, condensed critical institutionalism is needed to better analyze neo-liberal finance capital in this era of globalization.
Suspected Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome During Quetiapine-Clozapine Cross-Titration
Authors: Stoner Steven C. , Berry Amy
Published: March 2009

Neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) is a physiologic phenomenon that has been associated with the use of both first- and second-generation antipsychotics resultant to their ability to block dopamine blockade in the basal ganglia and hypothalamic regions of the brain. The typical reaction involves the presentation of muscle rigidity, changes in mental status, temperature elevation, labile blood pressure, and elevations in creatinine kinase and white blood cell counts. The reaction is most often reported early in the course of therapy but is well documented to have the potential to occur at any point in time. Untreated NMS can be fatal, often from secondary causes such as deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. Treatment involves immediate discontinuation of the offending agent, supportive therapy of clinical symptoms, and may include the use of the skeletal muscle relaxant, dantrolene sodium, or the dopaminergic agents bromocriptine or amantadine. In this case, we present a patient who developed symptoms of NMS during the cross-taper and conversion from quetiapine to clozapine. The patient was treated for NMS; however, his clinical diagnosis was never able to be definitively determined as he was initially evaluated for septicemia and later treated for suspected bacterial infection with antibiotics, and clozapine-associated side effects cannot be ruled-out as a contributing source to the clinical presentation. The estimated Naranjo Scale score for this case report is 3.
Temple Themes and Ethical Formation in the Sermon On the Mount
Authors: Welch John W.
Published: March 2009

The Sermon on the Mount is a coherent text, consistently drawing on words, expressions, and sacred values that were principally at home in the Old Testament Psalms and in the spiritual functions of the Temple of Jerusalem. Noticing these powerful allusions and understanding the moral authority that they would have conveyed to the ears of its earliest listeners opens insights into the ability of the Sermon on the Mount to communicate an authoritative moral vision, to engender a shared community ethic, and to instill a firm commitment to its ethical imperatives. No text is more important or has had more influence on the history and character of Christianity than the Sermon on the Mount. The mystery of the Temple offers important keys for hearing the rhetorical voice of the Sermon and unlocking its enduring and everlasting potency in ethical formation.
Moral Law, Privative Evil and Christian Realism: Reconsidering Milbank`s `The Poverty of Niebuhrianism'
Authors: Burk John K.
Published: March 2009

This paper responds to John Milbank's essay, `The Poverty of Niebuhrianism' in The Word Made Strange , in which Milbank critiques Reinhold Niebuhr's Christian realism for reliance on Stoic natural law thinking and its deficiency in regard to original sin. While Milbank rightly detects naturalism in Christian realism, this naturalism is inaccurately identified as Stoic in conception. Additionally, more detailed analysis of Niebuhr's thought reveals similarities between Niebuhr and Milbank on original sin, as this article seeks to demonstrate.
Synthesis and Characterization of Isophthalic Polyesters and Copolyesters based on 2,4-Dihydroxybenzophenone and 4,4’-(hexafluoroisopropylidene)diphenol
Authors: Cardeña-Vazquez Miriam C. , Aguilar-Vega Manuel , Carrera-Figueiras Cristian
Published: March 2009

Two aromatic isophthalic polyesters and three copolyesters were synthesized by interfacial polycondensation using 2,4-dihydroxybenzophenone (2,4-DBP) and 4,4'-(hexafluoroisopropylidene)diphenol (HFD) with isophthaloyl chloride (ISO). All polymers were soluble in common chlorinated solvents. These aromatic polyesters and copolyesters were characterized by infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Their thermal, dynamic mechanical and physical properties were also determined. The glass transition temperature, onset of decomposition, and thermal stability of the homopolymer, poly(hexafluoroisopropilydene)isophthalate (HFD/ISO), were higher than those of homopolymer poly(2,4-benzophenone)isophthalate (2,4-DBP/ISO). The thermal properties of the copolyesters HFD/ ISO-co-DBP/ISO depend upon the amounts of HFD/ISO moiety present in the copolymer. Physical properties of the copolyesters were intermediate between those of the homopolyesters and depend upon the concentration of comonomers present in the copolyester.