bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fatal Chromobacterium violaceum septicemia in a South Indian adult
Authors: Karthik Rajiv , Pancharatnam Padmaja , Balaji Veeraraghavan
Published: October 2012

Chromobacterium violaceum is a rare human pathogen that causes potentially fatal infections especially in the tropical regions. Limited awareness about this pathogen and inappropriate antibiotic therapy are some of the factors contributing to the high mortality rate. To date there have been only eight cases reported from India of which only one is an adult. To the best of our knowledge, we report here the first case of a 40-year-old man from South India with septicemic C. Violaceum infection and septic arthritis.
Epidemiology, clinical presentation, and patterns of drug resistance of Salmonella Typhi in Karachi, Pakistan
Authors: Khan M. Imran , Soofi Sajid Bashir , Ochiai R. Leon , Khan Mohammad Jawed , Sahito Shah Muhammad , Habib Mohammad Atif , Puri Mahesh K , Von Seidlein Lorenz , Park Jin Kyung , You Young Ae , Ali Mohammad , Nizami S. Qamarudding , Acosta Camilo J , Sack Richard Bradley , Clemens John D , Bhutta Zulfiqar A
Published: October 2012

Introduction: Enteric fever remains a major public health problem in Asia. Planning appropriate preventive measures such as immunization requires a clear understanding of disease burden. We conducted a community-based surveillance for Salmonella Typhi infection in children in Karachi, Pakistan. Methodology: A de jure household census was conducted at baseline in the study setting to enumerate all individuals. A health-care facility-based passive surveillance system was used to capture episodes of fever lasting three or more 3 days in children 2 to 16 years old. Results: A total of 7,401 blood samples were collected for microbiological confirmation, out of which 189 S. Typhi and 32 S. Paratyphi A isolates were identified with estimated annual incidences of 451/100,000 (95% CI: 446 – 457) and 76/100,000 (95% CI: 74 – 78) respectively. At the time of presentation, after adjusting for age, there was an association between the duration of fever and temperature at presentation, and being infected with multidrug-resistant S. Typhi. Of 189 isolates 83 were found to be resistant to first-line antimicrobial therapy. There was no statistically significant difference in clinical presentation of blood culture sensitive and resistant S. Typhi isolates. Conclusion: Incidence of S. Typhi in children is high in urban squatter settlements of Karachi, Pakistan. Findings from this study identified duration of fever and temperature at the time of presentation as important symptoms associated with blood culture-confirmed typhoid fever. Preventive strategies such as immunization and improvements in water and sanitation conditions should be the focus of typhoid control in urban settlements of Pakistan.
Haemophilus parainfluenzae: report of an unusual cause of neonatal sepsis and a literature review
Authors: Govind Binu , Veeraraghavan Balaji , Anandan Shalini , Thomas Niranjan
Published: October 2012

Haemphilus parainfluenzae, an unusual cause of early-onset neonatal sepsis, is rarely reported. Risk factors for this serious infection include prolonged rupture of membranes, choriamnionitis, and prematurity. A high index of suspicion, proper culture techniques, and rapid species identification are needed to diagnose H. parainfluenzae sepsis. We present the first documented case from India with a review of the literature.
Analysis of Slot Allocation Strategies and their Impacts on Appointment Waiting Time in Context of Outpatient Clinics
Authors: Zhecheng Zhu
Published: October 2012

One prevailing problem in outpatient clinics with appointment systems in Singapore is that patients have to wait a long time for an available slot once they make requests. Such a long wait may negatively impact on the access to healthcare facilities, patient safety and satisfaction, etc. In recent years, such a problem is becoming worse due to the aging society and growing population. Besides the pressure of increasing demand, healthcare service providers in outpatient clinics are facing other challenges such as the complexity of patient request types, e.g., urgent or normal requests, requests for new or follow-up visit, etc. How to allocate the limited slots to meet the requirements of different requests is one of the performance measurements in outpatient clinics. In this paper, discrete event simulation is applied to study different slot allocation strategies and their impacts on waiting time. The dynamics between new visits and follow-up visits are analyzed as well.
Benefits of Different Types of Enterprise Modeling Initiatives in ICT-Enabled Process Change
Authors: Karlsen Anniken , Opdahl Andreas L.
Published: October 2012

The paper reports a study that investigates the use of enterprise modeling empirically in eight combined process change and information technology initiatives. The paper targets a need in academia and industry for knowing more about enterprise modeling in practice. The authors identify five different types of modeling initiatives by analyzing how each case combines the use of ICT, the main focus of process change, and the objectives of modeling. They identify and compare the reported benefits of enterprise modeling in each type of initiative. The authors conclude that to be able to give a qualified answer to executive management on the potential benefits of an enterprise modeling initiative, it is beneficial to identify the type of initiative in question.
Network-Based Modeling in Epidemiology
Authors: Stattner Erick , Collard Martine , Vidot Nicolas
Published: October 2012

The social behavior of individuals is an important factor of the transmission and the evolution of many diseases. As such, epidemic studies have attempted to integrate social aspects in dissemination modeling. Since the pioneering works of Klovdahl on AIDS in 1985, epidemiological investigations and interventions increasingly focus on social networks. Significant factors of the transmission and outbreak of many infectious diseases are the structure and nature of human interactions. Network-based modeling approaches have found various applications in epidemiology as a simple yet efficient way to represent the complexity of human relationships implicated in dissemination processes. However, most results have been obtained by considering social networks as steady stage structures. Evolving networks have not been explored. The objective is first to give an overview of network-based modeling attempts in epidemiology to analyze and understand the dissemination processes with an emphasis on dynamic networks. The authors approach is designed to understand the impact of social links dynamics on epidemic spread. The authors present the results obtained by combining network evolution patterns (link creation and deletion) and a typical epidemic model. The speed of link dynamics and the infection time strongly influence the occurrence and value of the epidemic peak.
A Comparative Study of the EUREQA Tool for End-User Development
Authors: Austrem Paul G.
Published: October 2012

End-user development is a growing domain; however, few dedicated end-user development tools exist allowing end-users to incorporate their domain knowledge into software solutions. EUREQA is a design pattern driven UML class diagram modeling tool allowing end-user developers to create UML class diagram models reflecting their domain knowledge. The UML class diagram can be used as a basis for model-driven development. EUREQA was evaluated with 20 participants recording data through direct observation, screen recordings, the think-aloud protocol and semi-structured interviews. Half of the participants used EUREQA and the other half used the Microsoft Visio modeling tool. The authors found that EUREQA participants scored higher than Visio participants for this task and that skill had less effect on the EUREQA participants’ solutions. Specifically inexperienced EUREQA users struggled less when working with UML class diagram elements compared to Visio participants.
Identifying Opinion Leaders for Marketing by Analyzing Online Social Networks
Authors: Momtaz Niyoosha Jafari , Aghaie Abdollah , Alizadeh Somayeh
Published: October 2012

Recently, the impact of social networks in customer buying decision is rapidly increasing due to effectiveness in shaping public opinion. This paper helps marketers analyze social network’s members based on different characteristics and choose the best method for identifying influential people among them. Then, marketers can use these influential people as seeds to market products/services. Considering the importance of opinion leadership in social networks a comprehensive overview of existing literature has been done. Studies show, different titles (such as opinion leaders, influential people, market mavens and key players) are used to refer to the influential group in social networks whom we know as opinion leaders. The study shows all the properties presented for opinion leaders in the form of different titles are classified into three general categories including structural, relational and personal characteristics and based on studying opinion leader identification methods; appropriate parameters are extracted in a comprehensive chart to evaluate and compare these methods accurately.
Blog Influence Index
Authors: Shiratuddin Norshuhada , Hassan Shahizan , Hashim Nor Laily , Sakdan Mohd Fo’ad , Sajat Mohd Samsu
Published: October 2012

Although weblogs are a popular medium of communication, their influence on society is unclear. In particular, studies that investigate the impact and influence of blogosphere on the community and government have not been fully exploited. Such studies are important especially to the government in reshaping and realigning the policies related to new media. This article presents the outcomes of a study to identify measures on how to assess the influence of weblogs. At least four dimensions are critical for measuring weblog influence, which are recognition (number of in links and number of visitors), activity generation (number of comments and number of posts), novelty (number of out links), and credibility of a blog (number of information presentation type, number of factual errors, and number of hyperlink citations). It is hereby proposed that these dimensions make up a measure called the Blog Influence Index.
Treatment of Dientamoeba fragilis in Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Authors: Engsbro Anne Line , Stensvold C. Rune , Nielsen Henrik V. , Bytzer Peter
Published: October 2012

The role of Dientamoeba fragilis in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is incompletely known. We aimed to investigate whether eradication of D. fragilis alleviates symptoms in IBS. Twenty-five D. fragilis-positive IBS patients were treated with Metronidazole (MZ) or Tetracycline. The patients were mostly female (89%), and mean age (SD) was 35.1 (8.2) years. Microbiological response, evaluated 2 weeks post-treatment, was observed in 15 of 25 patients (60%), all by MZ. Clinical response, defined as adequate relief of symptoms, was observed in 7 of 22 patients (32%), all by MZ. In a logistic regression analysis, we found no significant association between clinical and microbiological response. This case study did not support our hypothesis of a simple association between D. fragilis and IBS. Some D. fragilis-infections were insufficiently treated by MZ. Further studies into the prevalence and effect of eradication of D. fragilis in IBS and into efficient treatments of D. fragilis are warranted.
Endemic Transmission of Visceral Leishmaniasis in Bhutan
Authors: Yangzom Thinley , Cruz Israel , Bern Caryn , Argaw Daniel , den Boer Margriet , Vélez Iván Dario , Bhattacharya Sujit K. , Molina Ricardo , Alvar Jorge
Published: October 2012

Visceral leishmaniasis was first reported in Bhutan in 2006. We conducted studies of the parasite, possible vectors and reservoirs, and leishmanin skin test and risk factor surveys in three villages. Nineteen cases were reported from seven districts. Parasite typing yielded two novel microsatellite sequences, both related to Indian L. donovani. In one case village, 40 (18.5%) of 216 participants had positive leishmanin skin test results, compared with 3 (4.2%) of 72 in the other case village and 0 of 108 in the control village. Positive results were strongly associated with the village and increasing age. None of the tested dogs were infected. Eighteen sand flies were collected, 13 Phlebotomus species and 5 Sergentomyia species; polymerase chain reaction for leishmanial DNA was negative. This assessment suggests that endemic visceral leishmaniasis transmission has occurred in diverse locations in Bhutan. Surveillance, case investigations, and further parasite, vector, and reservoir studies are needed. The potential protective impact of bed nets should be evaluated.
Deliquescence, efflorescence, and phase miscibility of mixed particles of ammonium sulfate and isoprene-derived secondary organic material
Authors: Smith M. L. , Bertram A. K. , Martin S. T.
Published: October 2012

Abstract. The hygroscopic phase transitions of ammonium sulfate mixed with isoprene-derived secondary organic material were investigated in aerosol experiments. The organic material was produced by isoprene photo-oxidation at 40% and 60% relative humidity. The low volatility fraction of the photo-oxidation products condensed onto ammonium sulfate particles. The particle-phase organic material had oxygen-to-carbon ratios of 0.67 to 0.74 (±0.2) for mass concentrations of 20 to 30 μg m−3. The deliquescence, efflorescence, and phase miscibility of the mixed particles were investigated using a dual arm tandem differential mobility analyzer. The isoprene photo-oxidation products induced deviations in behavior relative to pure ammonium sulfate. Compared to an efflorescence relative humidity (ERH) of 30 to 35% for pure ammonium sulfate, efflorescence was eliminated for aqueous particles having organic volume fractions ϵ of 0.6 and greater. Compared to a deliquescence relative humidity (DRH) of 80% for pure ammonium sulfate, the DRH steadily decreased with increasing ϵ, approaching a DRH of 40% for ϵ of 0.9. Parameterizations of the DRH(ϵ) and ERH(ϵ) curves were as follows: DRH(ϵ)= ∑i ci,d ϵi valid for 0 ≤ ϵ ≤0.86 and ERH(ϵ)= ∑ i ci,e ϵi valid for 0 ≤ ϵ ≤ 0.55 for the coefficients c0,d= 80.67, c0,e = 28.35, c1,d = −11.45, c1,e = −13.66, c2,d = 0, c2,e = 0, c3,d = 57.99, c3,e = -83.80, c4,d = −106.80, and c4,e = 0. The molecular description that is thermodynamically implied by these strongly sloped DRH(ϵ) and ERH(ϵ) curves is that the organic isoprene photo-oxidation products, the inorganic ammonium sulfate, and water form a miscible liquid phase even at low relative humidity. This phase miscibility is in contrast to the liquid-liquid separation that occurs for some other types of secondary organic material. These differences in liquid-liquid separation are consistent with a prediction recently presented in the literature that the bifurcation between liquid-liquid phase separation versus mixing depends on the oxygen-to-carbon ratio of the organic material. The conclusions are that the influence of secondary organic material on the hygroscopic properties of ammonium sulfate varies with organic composition and that the degree of oxygenation of the organic material, which is a measurable characteristic of complex organic materials, is an important variable influencing the hygroscopic properties of mixed organic-inorganic particles.
Scorched earth: how will changes in ozone deposition caused by drought affect human health and ecosystems?
Authors: Emberson L. D. , Kitwiroon N. , Beevers S. , Büker P. , Cinderby S.
Published: October 2012

Abstract. This unique study investigates the effect of ozone (O3) deposition on ground level O3 concentrations and subsequent human health and ecosystem risk under hot summer "heat wave" type meteorological events. Under such conditions, extended drought can effectively "turn off" the O3 vegetation sink leading to a substantial increase in ground level O3 concentrations. Two models that have been used for human health (the CMAQ chemical transport model) and ecosystem (the DO3SE O3 deposition model) risk assessment are combined to provide a powerful policy tool capable of novel integrated assessments of O3 risk using methods endorsed by the UNECE Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution. This study investigates 2006, a particularly hot and dry year during which a heat wave occurred during the summer across much of the UK and Europe. To understand the influence of variable O3 dry deposition three different simulations were investigated during June and July: (i) actual conditions in 2006; (ii) conditions that assume a perfect vegetation sink for O3 deposition and (iii) conditions that assume an extended drought period that reduces the vegetation sink to a minimum. The risk of O3 to human health, assessed by estimating the number of days during which running 8-h mean O3 concentrations exceeded 100 μg m−3, show that on average across the UK, there is a difference of 16 days exceedance of the threshold between the perfect sink and drought conditions. These average results hide local variation with exceedances reaching as high as 20 days in the East Midlands and Eastern UK. Estimates of acute exposure effects show that O3 removed from the atmosphere through dry deposition during the June and July period would have been responsible for approximately 460 premature deaths. Conversely, reduced O3 dry deposition will decrease the amount of O3 taken up by vegetation and, according to flux-based assessments of vegetation damage, will lead to protection from O3 across the UK. The study therefore emphasises the importance of accurate estimates of O3 deposition both for human health and ecosystem risk assessments. Extended periods of drought and heat wave type conditions are likely to occur with more frequency in coming decades, therefore understanding the importance of these effects will be crucial to inform the development of appropriate national and international policy to mitigate against the worst consequences of this air pollutant.
The role of alkalinity generation in controlling the fluxes of CO2 during exposure and inundation on tidal flats
Authors: Faber P. A. , Kessler A. J. , Bull J. K. , McKelvie I. D. , Meysman F. J. R. , Cook P. L. M.
Published: October 2012

Abstract. Dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), gaseous CO2 and alkalinity fluxes from intertidal sediments were investigated during periods of exposure and inundation, using laboratory core incubations, previously published field data and reactive transport model simulations. In the incubations and previous field data, it was found that during periods of alkalinity production (attributed to the accumulation of reduced sulfur species within the sediment), the flux of DIC out of the sediment was greater during inundation than the gaseous CO2 flux during exposure by a factor of up to 1.8. This finding was supported by computational simulations which indicated that large amounts of sulfate reduction and reduced sulfur burial (FeS) induce an alkalinity flux from the sediment during high tide conditions. Model simulations also found that the amount of reactive Fe in the sediment was a major driver of net alkalinity production. Our finding that CO2 fluxes can be significantly lower than total metabolism during exposure has implications for how total metabolism is quantified on tidal flats.
Effects of dating errors on nonparametric trend analyses of speleothem time series
Authors: Mudelsee M. , Fohlmeister J. , Scholz D.
Published: October 2012

Abstract. A fundamental problem in paleoclimatology is to take fully into account the various error sources when examining proxy records with quantitative methods of statistical time series analysis. Records from dated climate archives such as speleothems add extra uncertainty from the age determination to the other sources that consist in measurement and proxy errors. This paper examines three stalagmite time series of oxygen isotopic composition (δ18O) from two caves in western Germany, the series AH-1 from the Atta Cave and the series Bu1 and Bu4 from the Bunker Cave. These records carry regional information about past changes in winter precipitation and temperature. U/Th and radiocarbon dating reveals that they cover the later part of the Holocene, the past 8.6 thousand years (ka). We analyse centennial- to millennial-scale climate trends by means of nonparametric Gasser–Müller kernel regression. Error bands around fitted trend curves are determined by combining (1) block bootstrap resampling to preserve noise properties (shape, autocorrelation) of the δ18O residuals and (2) timescale simulations (models StalAge and iscam). The timescale error influences on centennial- to millennial-scale trend estimation are not excessively large. We find a "mid-Holocene climate double-swing", from warm to cold to warm winter conditions (6.5 ka to 6.0 ka to 5.1 ka), with warm–cold amplitudes of around 0.5‰ δ18O; this finding is documented by all three records with high confidence. We also quantify the Medieval Warm Period (MWP), the Little Ice Age (LIA) and the current warmth. Our analyses cannot unequivocally support the conclusion that current regional winter climate is warmer than that during the MWP.
Estimation of forest structure metrics relevant to hydrologic modelling using coordinate transformation of airborne laser scanning data
Authors: Varhola A. , Frazer G. W. , Teti P. , Coops N. C.
Published: October 2012

Abstract. An accurate characterisation of the complex and heterogeneous forest architecture is necessary to parameterise physically-based hydrologic models that simulate precipitation interception, energy fluxes and water dynamics. While hemispherical photography has become a popular method to obtain a number of forest canopy structure metrics relevant to these processes, image acquisition is field-intensive and, therefore, difficult to apply across the landscape. In contrast, airborne laser scanning (ALS) is a remote-sensing technique increasingly used to acquire detailed information on the spatial structure of forest canopies over large, continuous areas. This study presents a novel methodology to calibrate ALS data with in situ optical hemispherical camera images to obtain traditional forest structure and solar radiation metrics. The approach minimises geometrical differences between these two techniques by transforming the Cartesian coordinates of ALS data to generate synthetic images with a polar projection directly comparable to optical photography. We demonstrate how these new coordinate-transformed ALS metrics, along with additional standard ALS variables, can be used as predictors in multiple linear regression approaches to estimate forest structure and solar radiation indices at any individual location within the extent of an ALS transect. We expect this approach to substantially reduce fieldwork costs, broaden sampling design possibilities, and improve the spatial representation of forest structure metrics directly relevant to parameterising fully-distributed hydrologic models.
Ionospheric effects of earthquakes in Japan in March 2011 obtained from observations of lightning electromagnetic radio signals
Authors: Mullayarov V. A. , Argunov V. V. , Abzaletdinova L. M. , Kozlov V. I.
Published: October 2012

Abstract. Manifestations of disturbances in the lower ionosphere caused by a complex series of earthquakes (the strong earthquakes with M = 7.3 and M = 9 – known as M9 Tohoku EQ – and the subsequent aftershocks) that occurred near the Japanese island of Honshu have been considered with the use of monitoring measurements of the amplitude of lightning electromagnetic signals (atmospherics) received at Yakutsk. Some data of one-point lightning location systems have been compared with the data of the WWLLN network. The analysis of hourly values variation of the atmospheric amplitude passing over the earthquake epicenters shows that during the initial period (the strong earthquakes on 9 March and 11 March) a typical pattern of variations was observed. It was manifested in the increased amplitude after both earthquakes. There were also possible precursors in the form of the increase in amplitude 12–14 days before the events. Though the focuses of these earthquakes were very close to each other, the registration of both precursors may indicate that both of the lithospheric processes developed to a certain extent independently. During all the days of the atmospheric amplitude enhancement the quasi-periodic variation trains were recorded. Together with the delay of earthquake effects relative to the time of the events, they may testify in favor of transferring the energy of lithospheric processes into the lower ionosphere by means of atmospheric gravity waves.
Sensitivity of Greenland Ice Sheet surface mass balance to surface albedo parameterization: a study with a regional climate model
Authors: van Angelen J. H. , Lenaerts J. T. M. , Lhermitte S. , Fettweis X. , Kuipers Munneke P. , van den Broeke M. R. , van Meijgaard E. , Smeets C. J. P. P.
Published: October 2012

Abstract. We present a sensitivity study of the surface mass balance (SMB) of the Greenland Ice Sheet, as modeled using a regional atmospheric climate model, to various parameter settings in the albedo scheme. The snow albedo scheme uses grain size as a prognostic variable and further depends on cloud cover, solar zenith angle and black carbon concentration. For the control experiment the overestimation of absorbed shortwave radiation (+6%) at the K-transect (west Greenland) for the period 2004–2009 is considerably reduced compared to the previous density-dependent albedo scheme (+22%). To simulate realistic snow albedo values, a small concentration of black carbon is needed, which has strongest impact on melt in the accumulation area. A background ice albedo field derived from MODIS imagery improves the agreement between the modeled and observed SMB gradient along the K-transect. The effect of enhanced meltwater retention and refreezing is a decrease of the albedo due to an increase in snow grain size. As a secondary effect of refreezing the snowpack is heated, enhancing melt and further lowering the albedo. Especially in a warmer climate this process is important, since it reduces the refreezing potential of the firn layer that covers the Greenland Ice Sheet.
Masked and Unmasked Priming Effects as a Function of Semantic Relatedness and Associative Strength
Authors: Sánchez-Casas Rosa , Ferré Pilar , Demestre Josep , García-Chico Teófilo , García-Albea José E.
Published: October 2012

The study presented in this paper aimed to investigate the pattern of semantic priming effects, under masked and unmasked conditions, in the lexical decision task, manipulating type of semantic relation and associative strength. Three different kinds of word relations were examined in two experiments: only-semantically related words [e.g., codo (elbow)-rodilla (knee)] and semantic/associative related words with strong [e.g., mesa (table)-silla (chair) and weak association strength [e.g., sapo (toad)-rana (frog)]. In Experiment 1 a masked priming procedure was used with a prime duration of 56 ms, and in Experiment 2, the prime was presented unmasked for 150 ms. The results showed that there were masked priming effects with strong associates, but no evidence of these effects was found with weak associates or only-semantic related word pairs. When the prime was presented unmasked, the three types of relations produced significant priming effects and they were not influenced by association strength.
The Role of Perceptual Information in Familiarity-Based Scene Recognition
Authors: Pitarque Alfonso , Sáez Belén
Published: October 2012

A method to analyze the role of familiarity in recognizing pictures of everyday scenes is introduced. The idea is to manipulate two within-subjects conditions: an experimental condition where the scenes repeat perceptual information (e.g. buildings and/or vehicles) and a control condition. The results show the two conditions did not differ in terms of hit rates, but in the experimental condition there were significantly fewer false alarms, yielding better results, which supports the findings of past research studies that have used verbal materials. This perceptual facilitation was maintained throughout a week-long retention interval. Finally, a detailed analysis of this facilitation shows it was due to a significant reduction in false alarms on know judgments, emphasizing familiarity's role in explaining this effect.
Impulsivity, Intelligence, and Discriminating Reinforcement Contingencies in a Fixed-Ratio 3 Schedule
Authors: Bleda José Héctor Lozano , Nieto Miguel Ángel Pérez
Published: October 2012

Research conducted in academic contexts suggests a moderating effect of impulsive behavior on the relationship between aptitude and achievement. According to these studies, intelligence scores being equal, higher levels of impulsivity have an adverse effect on achievement (Helmers, Young, & Pihl, 1995; Vigil-Colet & Morales-Vives, 2005; Zeidner, 1995). The present study aims to contrast the aforementioned moderator effect in the context of a discriminant learning task, carried out under a fixed-ratio 3 reinforcement schedule. To that end, an impulsive behavioral pattern was identified in a sample of 1,600 participants' task execution based on response rate and latency. Said pattern was consistent and stable across several trials and can be ascribed to subjects' interactive style (Hernández, 2000). The observed interaction effect supports the hypothesis that impulsivity has a moderating effect on the aptitude-achievement relationship, highlighting how it impacts achievement differentially depending on the subject's level of aptitude.
Symbolic and Non-Symbolic Number Magnitude Processing in Children with Developmental Dyscalculia
Authors: Cañizares Danilka Castro , Crespo Vivian Reigosa , Alemañy Eduardo González
Published: October 2012

The aim of this study was to evaluate if children with Developmental Dyscalculia (DD) exhibit a general deficit in magnitude representations or a specific deficit in the connection of symbolic representations with the corresponding analogous magnitudes. DD was diagnosed using a timed arithmetic task. The experimental magnitude comparison tasks were presented in non-symbolic and symbolic formats. DD and typically developing (TD) children showed similar numerical distance and size congruity effects. However, DD children performed significantly slower in the symbolic task. These results are consistent with the access deficit hypothesis, according to which DD children's deficits are caused by difficulties accessing magnitude information from numerical symbols rather than in processing numerosities per se.
Executive Attention and Personality Variables in Patients with Frontal Lobe Damage
Authors: Rodríguez-Bailón María , Triviño Mónica , Lupiáñez Juan
Published: October 2012

Executive Control is required to deal with novel situations or when an action plan is needed. This study aimed to highlight the executive attention deficits of patients with frontal lobe damage. To do so, the ANT-I task (Attention Network Test-Interactions) was administered for the first time to a group of 9 patients with frontal damage caused by traumatic brain injury (TBI) and a matched control group. This task made it possible to measure the three attentional networks proposed by Posner and Dehaene (1994) and their interactions. Results on the alerting and orienting networks did not show any significant differences between the groups. However, a significant effect of group on the executive control network was observed. In addition, participants' personality was assessed with a clinical inventory (the Millon Personality Inventory) that showed a significant positive correlation between borderline personality disorder and the conflict index. These results suggest that frontal lobe damage causes an exclusive impairment in the conflict resolution network that is related to personality traits characterized by a lack of behavioral control. More research will be necessary to study this causal relationship.
Profiles of Maternal Care Observed in a Group of Brazilian Mothers: an Exploratory Study
Authors: Seidl-de-Moura Maria Lucia , de Souza Altay L. , Oliva Angela Donato , Vieira Mauro Luis , Lordelo Eulina , Tokumaru Rosana Suemi , Bandeira Tatiana Targino Alves
Published: October 2012

The aim of this study is to characterize profiles of maternal care in a sample of Brazilian mothers, using a culturalbiological perspective. Participants were 315 women who had at least one child younger than six years-old. They were selected from six Brazilian states. In each state, two groups of mothers were studied, one from the capital and one from a small city. They were interviewed and answered scales on allocentrism, social support, adult attachment, and practices of childcare. Mothers' characteristics, the type of context (capital vs. small city), and reported childcare practices were used in a Tree analysis. A Correspondence analysis was performed using the four clusters obtained and mothers' answers regarding their youngest child. Univariate GLM analyses were performed to compare mothers in the four clusters in terms of their scores on the different scales. Four maternal profiles presenting distinctive patterns of association between mothers' characteristics and care practices displayed to the youngest child were identified. We conclude that maternal care is a multi-determined phenomenon and that the method employed in this study can give insights into how the combination of diverse social-biological factors can result in a set of childcare practices.
Attachment, Emotion Regulation and Coping in Portuguese Emerging Adults: A Test of a Mediation Hypothesis
Authors: Cabral Joana , Matos Paula M. , Beyers Wim , Soenens Bart
Published: October 2012

Although the quality of parent-adolescent emotional bonds has consistently been proposed as a major influence on young adult's psycho-emotional functioning, the precise means by which these bonds either facilitate or impede adaptive coping are not well-understood. In an effort to advance this inquiry, the present study examined interrelationships among measures of parental attachment, emotion regulation processes, and preferred coping strategies within a sample of 942 college freshmen. Structural Equation Modelling was used to test whether the link between attachment to parents and the use of particular coping strategies is mediated by differences in emotion regulation mechanisms. As hypothesized, differences in attachment to parents predicted differences in the use of emotion regulation mechanisms and coping strategies. More specifically, having a close emotional bond, feeling supported in autonomy processes and having (moderately) low levels of separation anxiety toward parents predict more constructive emotion regulation mechanisms and coping strategies. Additionally emotion regulation was found to (partly or totally) mediate the association between attachment and coping.
Substance use in Portuguese and Spanish Adolescents: Highlights from Differences, Similarities and Moderating Effects
Authors: Simões Celeste , Matos Margarida Gaspar , Moreno Carmen , Rivera Francisco , Batista-Foguet Joan M. , Simons-Morton Bruce
Published: October 2012

Many behaviors with lasting health impact are initiated in adolescence. Substance use is one such behavior. To analyse the factors involved in adolescent substance use among Portuguese and Spanish boys and girls, an explanatory model was developed using structural equations modelling. The model proposes that the impact of social contexts (family, friends, classmates and teachers) on substance use (tobacco, alcohol and illicit drugs) is mediated by perceptions of well-being (psychological symptoms, well-being and school satisfaction). Data on 1589 Portuguese (mean age = 13.27,SD=. 59) and 4191 Spanish adolescents (mean age= 13.21;SD=.47) who took part in the HBSC/WHO survey were analysed. The model fits the data of each country (CFI >.90; RMSEA < .03) and the majority of the relationships proposed in the model have been as expected for both samples. The relations with a major effect, for both countries, were: the negative effect of family on psychological symptoms and the positive effect of family on subjective well-being; the negative effect of classmates on psychological symptoms; the positive effect of teachers on school satisfaction; the effect of psychological symptoms (negative) and school satisfaction (positive) on well-being; the negative effect of school satisfaction on tobacco and alcohol use; and the positive effect of tobacco on alcohol use, and alcohol use on cannabis. For each of the dependent factors studied (tobacco, alcohol and illicit drugs), the levels of explained variance varied between 9% (for tobacco use) and 46% (for alcohol use). Some non-invariant paths were obtained in country comparisons, controlling for gender. In multivariate analyses the paths from tobacco use to cannabis and from alcohol to cannabis were significant, but much stronger for Spanish girls than Portuguese girls.
A Correlational and Predictive Study of Creativity and Personality of College Students
Authors: Baquedano María Teresa Sanz de Acedo , Lizarraga María Luisa Sanz de Acedo
Published: October 2012

The goals of this study were to examine the relationship between creativity and personality, to identify what personality variables better predict creativity, and to determine whether significant differences exist among them in relation to gender. The research was conducted with a sample of 87 students at the Universidad Pública de Navarra, Spain. We administered the Creative Intelligence Test (CREA), which provides a cognitive measure for creativity and the Situational Personality Questionnaire (SPQ), which is composed of 15 personality features. Positive and significant correlations between creativity and independence, cognitive control, and tolerance personality scales were found. Negative and significant correlations between creativity and anxious, dominant, and aggressive personalities were also found. Moreover, four personality variables that positively predicted creativity (efficacy, independence, cognitive control, and integrity-honesty) and another four that negatively predicted creativity (emotional stability, anxiety, dominance, and leadership) were identified. The results did not show significant differences in creativity and personality in relation to gender, except in self-concept and in social adjustment. In conclusion, the results from this study can potentially be used to expand the types of features that support creative personalities.
The Impact of Helping Behavior on Outgroup Infrahumanization
Authors: Delgado Naira , Betancor Verónica , Rodríguez-Pérez Armando , Ariño Eva
Published: October 2012

Infrahumanization research has verified that in intergroup contexts, there is a strong tendency to attribute secondary emotions, which are uniquely human, to the ingroup, while limiting that attribution in outgroups. Experiments have shown it to be as common as ingroup bias. However, it is not yet known what characteristics may mitigate this trend. This paper presents two studies. The first analyzes the impact of helping behavior on attributions of human traits to two fictitious groups. The second study's objective was to determine if members of the Spanish ingroup would infrahumanize an Ethiopian outgroup less when that outgroup performs prosocial behavior towards another group. Infrahumanization was determined by a lexical decision task, using the names of ingroup and outgroup members as priming. The results demonstrate that describing a fictitious group in altruistic terms increases their human profile (experiment one) and reduces infrahumanization (experiment two).
Dynamic Criteria: a Longitudinal Analysis of Professional Basketball Players' Outcomes
Authors: García-Izquierdo Antonio León , Ramos-Villagrasa Pedro José , Navarro José
Published: October 2012

This paper describes the fluctuations of temporal criteria dynamics in the context of professional sport. Specifically, we try to verify the underlying deterministic patterns in the outcomes of professional basketball players. We use a longitudinal approach based on the analysis of the outcomes of 94 basketball players over ten years, covering practically players' entire career development. Time series were analyzed with techniques derived from nonlinear dynamical systems theory. These techniques analyze the underlying patterns in outcomes without previous shape assumptions (linear or nonlinear). These techniques are capable of detecting an intermediate situation between randomness and determinism, called chaos. So they are very useful for the study of dynamic criteria in organizations. We have found most players (88.30%) have a deterministic pattern in their outcomes, and most cases are chaotic (81.92%). Players with chaotic patterns have higher outcomes than players with linear patterns. Moreover, players with power forward and center positions achieve better results than other players. The high number of chaotic patterns found suggests caution when appraising individual outcomes, when coaches try to find the appropriate combination of players to design a competitive team, and other personnel decisions. Management efforts must be made to assume this uncertainty.
Reciprocity of Temporary and Permanent Workers: an Exploratory Study in an Industrial Company
Authors: Lopes Silvia , Chambel Maria José
Published: October 2012

The increasing use of temporary work prompts the need to understand to what degree workers with this type of contract differ from permanent workers as to the relationship they establish with the organization they work for. This study used a sample of temporary workers (N = 78) and permanent workers (N = 196) within the same company of electronics in Portugal. The results show that, regardless of the type of contract, the perception of human resource practices was related to the perception of psychological contract fulfillment by the company. Additionally and according to the norm of reciprocity, we verified that when workers thought the company was fulfilling its obligations they responded favorably showing more affective commitment towards the company. However, we found differences between these two groups of workers: for the permanent performance appraisal, training and rewards were human resources practices that were significantly related to psychological contract fulfillment, while for the temporary ones there weren't any specific practices that had a significant relationship with that variable. The practical implications of these findings for the management of temporary workers are discussed.
The Roles of Constraint-Based and Dedication-Based Influences on User's Continued Online Shopping Behavior
Authors: Chang Su-Chao , Chou Chi-Min
Published: October 2012

The objective of this study was to determine empirically the role of constraint-based and dedication-based influences as drivers of the intention to continue using online shopping websites. Constraint-based influences consist of two variables: trust and perceived switching costs. Dedication-based influences consist of three variables: satisfaction, perceived usefulness, and trust. The current results indicate that both constraint-based and dedication-based influences are important drivers of the intention to continue using online shopping websites. The data also shows that trust has the strongest total effect on online shoppers' intention to continue using online shopping websites. In addition, the results indicate that the antecedents of constraint-based influences, technical bonds (e.g., perceived operational competence and perceived website interactivity) and social bonds (e.g., perceived relationship investment, community building, and intimacy) have indirect positive effects on the intention to continue using online shopping websites. Based on these findings, this research suggests that online shopping websites should build constraint-based and dedication-based influences to enhance user's continued online shopping behaviors simultaneously.
Well-Being and Prejudice toward Obese People in Women at Risk to Develop Eating Disorders
Authors: Magallares Alejandro
Published: October 2012

The literature has found that eating disorders (ED) patients usually have a depression and anxiety diagnosis. However, not many investigations have studied the relationship between ED and well-being. One of the main problems of patients with ED is their body image. These individuals usually see themselves too big but there are not many investigations that focus on how these patients see people with real weight problems. For this reason in this study it is analyzed how women in risk to develop ED see obese people. 456 female students were selected. It was found that women with high scores in the different subscales of the Eating Attitudes Test 26 (EAT-26; dieting, bulimia and oral control) had lower well-being (both subjective and psychological) and worse attitudes toward obese people (measured with Antifat Attitudes Test, AFA, Beliefs About Obese People Scale, BAOP, and Attitudes Toward Obese People Scale, ATOP) compared with women with low scores in the EAT-26.
Portuguese Adolescents: the Importance of Parents and Peer Groups in Positive Health
Authors: Tomé Gina , de Matos Margarida Gaspar , Camacho Inês , Simões Celeste , Diniz José Alves
Published: October 2012

The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of peer groups and parents on adolescents' health. It was examined how communication relationships with peer groups and parents affect youngsters life satisfaction, sadness, irritability, being nervous, fear and troubles in falling asleep. The sample was comprised of individuals that participated in the study in continental Portugal, integrating the European study HBSC – Health Behavior in School – aged Children. The study was made during January 2006 and included a total of 4,877 students attending the 6th, 8thand 10thgrades from Portuguese public schools, with an average age of 14 years of age. The instrument used was the HBSC questionnaire. The results showed that adolescents' health is influenced by their relationship with their parents and peers. When the communication with both is easy, youngsters are more satisfied with life and have less health negative symptoms. When compared with peers, parents influence positively the adolescents' health..
Professionals' Criteria for Detecting and Reporting Child Sexual Abuse
Authors: Ortega Eva González , Baz Begoña Orgaz , Sánchez Félix López
Published: October 2012

Professionals who are likely to come into contact with children play an essential role in the protection of children, thus we aimed to study the criteria they use to identify and report child sexual abuse cases. Based on the Factorial Survey design, we presented 974 Spanish (90%) and Latin American professionals from six fields (Psychology, Social Services, Education, Health, Law and Security) with hypothetical situations of sexual interaction with minors (systematically varying the type of sexual act, the child's and the other person's sex and age, the use of coercion and the type of strategy employed to involve the child), in order to examine their perception of abuse and willingness to report. According to results, the factors or criteria that most impact assessments are age asymmetry and use of coercion. Specifically, professionals are significantly more likely to perceive abuse and intend to report it if the other person involved in the interaction is much older than the minor and/or uses a coercive strategy, especially force, drugs or blackmail. Another relevant criterion is the type of sexual act, since acts involving intercourse, digital penetration or oral sex are significantly more likely to be deemed as abuse and reported.