bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A critical thinking disposition scale for nurses: short form
Authors: Hwang Shiow‐Y , Yen Miaofen , Lee Bih‐O , Huang Mei‐C , Tseng Hung‐F
Published: September 2010

Aims and objectives.  The aim of this study was to test the Chinese version of the Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory (CTDI‐CV) among nurses in Taiwan.

Background.  Critical thinking is the use of purposeful self‐regulatory judgments to identify patient’s problems and provide patient care. Critical thinking influences nurses’ decision making. To date, no inventory to understand nurse’s critical thinking disposition has been developed.

Design.  This was a survey design with a stratified random sampling to test the reliability and validity of the CTDI‐CV.

Methods.  The participants comprised 864 registered nurses who were chosen by stratified random sampling from seven hospitals in Taiwan. Data were collected through self‐administered structured questionnaires.

Results.  A new scale, short form (SF) CTDI‐CV, contains 18 items with three subscales: ‘systematic analysis’, ‘thinking within the box’ and ‘thinking out of the box’, was generated from the analysis with 44% explained variance. Cronbach’s alpha coefficients and intra‐class correlation coefficients for overall and subscale were above 0·8. Goodness‐of‐fit test for the final model of SF‐CTDI‐CV revealed an acceptable result in the overall fit (χ2/df = 4·04, p < 0·05, GFI = 0·93, AGFI = 0·91, SRMR = 0·076, RMSEA = 0·059).

Conclusion.  On the basis of these results, the SF‐CTDI‐CV is a reliable instrument for assessing critical thinking disposition for nurses.

Relevance to clinical practice.  A short and valid critical thinking instrument for nurses will facilitate critical thinking research in the clinical practice arena. When designing continuing education activities, clinical educators will be able to efficiently and effectively evaluate the quality of critical thinking among practicing nurses.
Punjabi Sikh patients’ cardiac rehabilitation experiences following myocardial infarction: a qualitative analysis
Authors: Galdas Paul M , Kang H Bindy K
Published: September 2010

Aims and objectives.  To explore the cardiac rehabilitation experiences of Punjabi Sikh patients post myocardial infarction.

Background.  Punjabi Sikh people are at significantly higher risk of mortality from myocardial infarction compared with those of European descent. Punjabi Sikh patients’ participation in cardiac rehabilitation post myocardial infarction is therefore likely to yield considerable benefits. However, uptake of cardiac rehabilitation by South Asian people has been reported to be modest. Previous investigators have seldom provided insight into experiences of Punjabi Sikh patients post myocardial infarction and the steps that can be taken to improve the appropriateness of cardiac rehabilitation programmes for this at‐risk patient group.

Design.  Interpretive qualitative design.

Method.  In‐depth interviews, based on the McGill Illness Narrative Interview schedule, with 15 Punjabi Sikh patients post myocardial infarction attending a cardiac rehabilitation programme in British Columbia, Canada, were conducted; thematic analysis using grounded theory methods of coding and constant comparative analysis was employed.

Results.  Four mutually exclusive themes emerged relating to the salient aspects of participants’ cardiac rehabilitation experience: ‘making sense of the diagnosis’, ‘practical dietary advice’, ‘ongoing interaction with peers and the multi‐disciplinary team’ and ‘transport and attendance’.

Conclusions.  The themes identified point towards some of the ingredients necessary for providing culturally appropriate cardiac rehabilitation interventions for Punjabi Sikh patients following myocardial infarction. The findings highlight the importance of providing culturally relevant rehabilitation advice about diet and lifestyle changes and providing time for ongoing dialogue with support from health care professionals and peers. The findings from this study also illustrate the need to avoid generalisations about the impact religious beliefs may have on South Asian individuals’ willingness to adhere to cardiac rehabilitation advice and make lifestyle adjustments.

Relevance to clinical practice.  This study raises awareness of some of the salient features of experiences of Punjabi Sikh patients with post myocardial infarction that can help guide nurses to provide culturally appropriate cardiac rehabilitation and coronary health promotion.
Adaptive item‐based learning environments based on the item response theory: possibilities and challenges
Authors: Wauters K. , Desmet P. , Van den Noortgate W.
Published: September 2010

The popularity of intelligent tutoring systems (ITSs) is increasing rapidly. In order to make learning environments more efficient, researchers have been exploring the possibility of an automatic adaptation of the learning environment to the learner or the context. One of the possible adaptation techniques is adaptive item sequencing by matching the difficulty of the items to the learner's knowledge level. This is already accomplished to a certain extent in adaptive testing environments, where the test is tailored to the person's ability level by means of the item response theory (IRT). Even though IRT has been a prevalent computerized adaptive test (CAT) approach for decades and applying IRT in item‐based ITSs could lead to similar advantages as in CAT (e.g. higher motivation and more efficient learning), research on the application of IRT in such learning environments is highly restricted or absent. The purpose of this paper was to explore the feasibility of applying IRT in adaptive item‐based ITSs. Therefore, we discussed the two main challenges associated with IRT application in such learning environments: the challenge of the data set and the challenge of the algorithm. We concluded that applying IRT seems to be a viable solution for adaptive item selection in item‐based ITSs provided that some modifications are implemented. Further research should shed more light on the adequacy of the proposed solutions.
Examining the technological pedagogical content knowledge of Singapore pre‐service teachers with a large‐scale survey
Authors: Koh J.H.L. , Chai C.S. , Tsai C.C.
Published: September 2010

This paper examined the profile of Singaporean pre‐service teachers in terms of their technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK). A total of 1185 pre‐service teachers were studied with a TPACK survey. An exploratory factor analysis found five distinctive constructs: technological knowledge, content knowledge, knowledge of pedagogy, knowledge of teaching with technology and knowledge from critical reflection. The participants of this study did not make conceptual distinctions between TPACK constructs such as technological content knowledge and technological pedagogical knowledge. There were some differences in their TPACK perceptions by gender. However, the influence of age and teaching level were not strong. The methodological and theoretical implications for the development of TPACK surveys were discussed.
An analytical model of non‐photorespiratory CO2 release in the light and dark in leaves of C3 species based on stoichiometric flux balance
Authors: BUCKLEY THOMAS N. , ADAMS MARK A.
Published: September 2010

Leaf respiration continues in the light but at a reduced rate. This inhibition is highly variable, and the mechanisms are poorly known, partly due to the lack of a formal model that can generate testable hypotheses. We derived an analytical model for non‐photorespiratory CO2 release by solving steady‐state supply/demand equations for ATP, NADH and NADPH, coupled to a widely used photosynthesis model. We used this model to evaluate causes for suppression of respiration by light. The model agrees with many observations, including highly variable suppression at saturating light, greater suppression in mature leaves, reduced assimilatory quotient (ratio of net CO2 and O2 exchange) concurrent with nitrate reduction and a Kok effect (discrete change in quantum yield at low light). The model predicts engagement of non‐phosphorylating pathways at moderate to high light, or concurrent with processes that yield ATP and NADH, such as fatty acid or terpenoid synthesis. Suppression of respiration is governed largely by photosynthetic adenylate balance, although photorespiratory NADH may contribute at sub‐saturating light. Key questions include the precise diel variation of anabolism and the ATP : 2e‐ ratio for photophosphorylation. Our model can focus experimental research and is a step towards a fully process‐based model of CO2 exchange.
Venom allergy in adult Swedes: a population study
Authors: Björnsson E. , Janson C. , Plaschke P. , Norrman E. , Sjöberg O.
Published: September 2010

Hymenoptera allergies are a cause of considerable morbidity. However, deaths due to insect sting constitute a health hazard that can be minimized by effective therapy. We report the results of a study of 1815 men and women, aged 20–44 years and resident in three areas of Sweden. The prevalence of sensitization to the venom allergens of honeybees and wasps was assessed by RAST. Atopy and allergic diseases were considered possible risk factors for symptom development. Of the 1815 subjects, 1399 were randomly chosen from the general population. Of the random sample, 9.3% had specific bee or wasp IgE, 1.5% reported systemic reactions to bee or wasp stings, and 0.6% had both. Sensitization to bee or wasp correlated positively with atopy (odds ratio (OR) 2.0, confidence interval (CI) 1.4–2.8, P<0.0001), male sex (OR 1.8, CI 1.3–2.5, P<0.001), and age (OR 2.0, CI 1.4–2.8, P<0.01), and negatively to living in the northernmost of the three centers (OR 0.4, CI 0.3–0.7, P<0.001). Atopy was not found to be a risk factor for systemic reactions. We conclude that the prevalence of Hymenoptera allergy in Sweden is rather low when compared with other countries. Subjects with atopy seem to have an increased risk of becoming sensitized but do not develop systemic reactions more frequently than nonatopic subjects.
Anti‐IgE autoantibodies and bee‐sting allergy
Authors: Yu Y. , de Weck A. L. , Stadler B. M. , Müller U.
Published: September 2010

Serum anti‐IgE autoantibodies (aaIgE) were investigated by dot immunobinding assay in bee‐allergic patients in comparison with nonallergic beekeepers, healthy blood donors, and atopic subjects. Elevated serum levels of aaIgE — either free or combined with IgE — were found in both bee‐allergic patients and atopic subjects as compared with beekeepers and healthy donors. With regard to a possible significance of aaIgE for the protective mechanism induced by specific allergen immunotherapy, we estimated aaIgE in bee‐allergic patients before, during, and after bee‐venom immunotherapy (BVIT) in relation to the outcome of a provocation test with a living bee (PT). During the first year of BVIT, there was no significant change in either free or combined aaIgE, but aaIgE decreased during protracted BVIT over 3–7 years. By using two monoclonal anti‐IgE antibodies with different epitope specificity (Le27 and BSW17), we were able to detect two kinds of IgE/aaIgE immune complexes. Our data show that during and after BVIT the levels of one kind of IgE‐aaIgE immune complex (the non‐BSW17 type) tended to decrease in PT‐negative patients but stayed elevated in PT‐positive patients. The levels of the other kind of immune complex (the non‐Le27 type) were similar in treatment failures and successfully treated patients. These data suggest that there are various kinds of aaIgE with different in vivo functions related to their epitope specificity. Some of them (non‐BSW17 type) might be associated with BVIT failure.
Blood eosinophils, eosinophil‐derived proteins, and leukotriene C4 generation in relation to bronchial hyperreactivity in children with atopic dermatitis
Authors: Schauer U. , Trube M. , Jäger R. , Gieler U. , Rieger C. H. L.
Published: September 2010

To assess the relation among eosinophil‐related variables in the peripheral blood, bronchial hyperreactivity, and the presence of atopic dermatitis in children aged 5–14 years, we studied 11 patients with atopic dermatitis alone, six with asthma and atopic dermatitis, 12 with asthma alone, and 12 healthy controls. Eosinophil counts, levels of eosinophil cationic protein, and the capacity of eosinophils to generate leukotriene (LT) C4, as well as bronchial hyperreactivity and a severity score for atopic dermatitis, were determined. Eosinophil variables were significantly higher in both patient groups with atopic dermatitis than in normal controls. In particular, ionophore A 23187 LTC4 generation was higher in patients with atopic dermatitis alone (median 82, range 25–273 ng/106 cells) and patients with combined asthma and atopic dermatitis (median 68, range 32–583 ng/106 cells) than in normal controls (median 9, range 1–67 ng/106 cells). However, there was no difference between the group of atopic dermatitis patients with asthma and without asthma. We conclude that eosinophil variables in the peripheral blood are mainly influenced by the presence of atopic dermatitis, and not the presence and the severity of asthma in patients with both asthma and atopic dermatitis.
Purification of egg‐white allergens
Authors: Ebbehø K. , Dahl A. M. , Frøkiær H. , Nørgaard A. , Poulsen L. K. , Barkholt V.
Published: September 2010

Purification procedures for the four egg‐white proteins ovomucoid, ovotransferrin, ovalbumin, and lysozyme are presented with reference to mechanistic studies at epitope levels of allergic reactions to these proteins. The applied procedures resulted in four preparations containing less than 0.1% contaminating proteins each. The purified protein preparations were characterized by SDS—PAGE and by crossed Immunoelectrophoresis with polyclonal antibodies raised against an egg‐white extract or the purified proteins. The necessity of these well‐characterized proteins in studies on allergic reactions was shown by testing human sera in immunoblots of lysozyme, and by immunoblots of ovomucoid probing with antibodies against the proteins.
Housing and house‐dust mites
Authors: de Andrade A. Dornelas , Birnbaum J. , Lanteaume A. , Izard J. L. , Corget P. , Artillan M. F. , Toumi M. , Vervloet D. , Charpin D.
Published: September 2010

Because the mite‐allergen content in homes is highly variable even in the same geographic area, we tried to determine which variables influence mite infestation. We evaluated mite‐allergen content in bedding relative to housing conditions and living habits. This cross‐sectional study included 108 homes. Housing conditions were assessed by an architect and living habits by a researcher specialized in social and family economics. Group I allergen level was measured on the mattress dust with monoclonal antibodies, and relative humidity (RH) was monitored in the bedroom during a 2‐week period. Homes with low RH did have low mite‐allergen content. In contrast, homes with intermediate RH levels had very variable mite‐allergen content. Using analysis of variance and a logistic regression analysis, we were unable to identify any variable predictive of mite‐allergen content. Thus, factors other than relative humidity seem to influence mite infestation. Moreover, the absence of association between mite infestation and ventilation rate might be accounted for by the gentle climate in our area with notable outdoor RH.
Nasal histamine challenge in nonallergic and allergic subjects evaluated by acoustic rhinometry
Authors: Hilberg O. , Grymer L. F. , Pedersen O. F.
Published: September 2010

Nasal patency shows spontaneous variations but is influenced by a number of factors like exercise and allergic conditions. Nasal histamine challenge has been used to define nasal hypersensitivity. We have applied acoustic rhinometry as a new objective method to study the spontaneous variations of the nasal mucosa and its response to histamine challenge in 12 nonallergic subjects and 12 subjects with nasal allergy to pollen, but out of the pollen season. Measurements of the minimum cross‐sectional area and the volume of the nasal cavities were done every 15 min for 6 h. More pronounced spontaneous variations, defined by the coefficient of variation of the measurements, were encountered in the allergic than in the nonallergic subjects, especially with regard to the minimum cross‐sectional areas in the nasal cavities (P < 0.02). Allergic subjects showed increased sensitivity to histamine, as compared with nonallergic subjects, during low‐concentration (0.1%) challenge (P < 0.05) and a prolonged effect of histamine challenge (P = 0.01). Antihistamine (cetirizine) had a significant effect on the histamine‐induced symptoms and decrease of nasal dimensions during histamine challenge, but no significant effect on pollen‐induced changes. In the allergic group, the decrease in minimum area during allergen provocation correlated with the level of specific IgE (r = 0.81; P = 0.0015).
Occupational allergy caused by spathe flower (Spathiphyllum wallisii)
Authors: Kanerva L. , Mäkinen‐Kiljunen S. , Kiistala R. , Granlund H.
Published: September 2010

Occupational allergy caused by plants is seldom reported although it is probably relatively common. We report on a 22‐year‐old male atopic caretaker of plants who developed IgE‐mediated allergic rhinitis, laryngitis, pharyngitis, and contact and generalized urticaria caused by exposure to spathe flower (Spathiphyllum wallisii) while he was working for a firm that supplied plants to offices. He also had an asthmatic attack at work, but in bronchial provocation tests conducted 8 months after he had stopped doing the work in question, he developed rhinoconjunctivitis, pharyngitis, and laryngitis, but exhibited neither bronchial reaction nor fall in PEF values. Prick tests with spathe flower gave 3 + reactions for exudates from the flower, pollen, stem, and leaves. He also had several positive reactions to fruits, vegetables, and spices, but not to natural rubber latex. The radioallergosorbent test with spathe flower was positive (3.4 PRU/ml, close to class 3). In protein staining with SDS—PAGE, one heavy band was detected at about 14 kDa, and other faint bands were visible on both sides. Six faint bands were detected at the mol. mass range of 30–67 kDa. In IgE immunoblotting, one heavy band was detected at about 14 kDa. The patient became symptomless after he had ceased working with plants.
The novel protease inhibitor SRD441 ointment is not effective in the treatment of adult subjects with atopic dermatitis: results of a randomized, vehicle‐controlled study
Authors: Foelster Holst R. , Reitamo S. , Yankova R. , Worm M. , Kadurina M. , Thaci K. , Bieber T. , Tsankov N. , Enk A. , Luger T. , Duffy M. , Tansley R.
Published: September 2010

To cite this article: Foelster Holst R, Reitamo S, Yankova R, Worm M, Kadurina M, Thaci K, Bieber T, Tsankov N, Enk A, Luger T, Duffy M, Tansley R. The novel protease inhibitor SRD441 ointment is not effective in the treatment of adult subjects with atopic dermatitis: results of a randomized, vehicle‐controlled study. Allergy 2010; 65: 1594–1599.

Background:  There is evidence that excessive protease activity in the skin is an important factor in the development of atopic dermatitis. SRD44 is a topically formulated novel protease inhibitor that selectively inhibits Staphylococcal‐derived aureolysin and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs).

Methods:  This was a double‐blind, vehicle‐controlled randomized trial conducted in thirteen hospital dermatology outpatient clinics in Germany (9), Bulgaria (3) and Finland (1). Ninety‐three out of 103 screened adult subjects with confirmed atopic dermatitis affecting ≤20% of body surface area, with an IGA score of 2 or 3 at randomization were randomized following a washout period to either SRD441 ointment or matching vehicle twice daily for 28 days. The primary efficacy endpoint was the clearance of Atopic dermatitis (AD score of 0 or 1 IGA) at Day 21. Secondary endpoints included measures of SCORing Atopic Dermatitis, pruritus self‐assessment, rescue medication use and occurrence of new exacerbations. A range of safety and tolerance endpoints were included.

Results:  There were no significant treatment differences in IGA success rates at Day 21 (SRD441 ointment, 11.1%; vehicle ointment, 12.5%; P = 1.000). Evaluation of secondary efficacy variables revealed no clinical or important statistical differences between treatment groups. Eighteen subjects (19.4%) discontinued the study drug because of an AE (seven subjects [15.6%] in the SRD441 group and 11 subjects [22.9%] in the vehicle group). Twenty‐seven subjects (60.0%) in the SRD441 group and 34 subjects (70.8%) in the vehicle group reported an adverse event (AE).

Conclusions:  SRD441 ointment did not demonstrate efficacy in the treatment of atopic dermatitis raising questions on the effectiveness of MMPs as a target for the treatment of atopic dermatitis. NCT00882245.
BK viremia surveillance after kidney transplant: single‐center experience during a change from cyclosporine‐to lower‐dose tacrolimus‐based primary immunosuppression regimen
Authors: Geddes C.C. , Gunson R. , Mazonakis E. , Wan R. , Thomson L. , Clancy M. , Carman W.F.
Published: September 2010

C.C. Geddes, R. Gunson, E. Mazonakis, R. Wan, L. Thomson, M. Clancy, W.F. Carman. BK viremia surveillance after kidney transplant: single‐center experience during a change from cyclosporine‐to lower‐dose tacrolimus‐based primary immunosuppression regimen. Transpl Infect Dis 2011:13:109–116. All rights reserved

Background.The aim was to report our experience of BK viremia surveillance after kidney transplant during a period of change from cyclosporine (CyA)‐to lower‐dose tacrolimus (Tac)‐based primary immunosuppression regimens.

Methods.In a prospective single‐center observational cohort study, 68 consecutive patients received renal transplant during the period when we used a CyA‐based primary immunosuppression regimen and 66 after we changed to a lower‐dose Tac‐based regimen. Testing for BK viremia by quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay was performed at least monthly for a minimum of 1 year.

Results.Thirty‐nine (29.1%) patients developed BK viremia and 2 (1.5%) developed BK nephropathy. The actuarial time to BK viremia was shorter in patients receiving CyA/mycophenolate mofetil (MMF)/prednisolone (Pred) compared with Tac/MMF/Pred (P=0.04) and primary immunosuppression with CyA/MMF/Pred was the only independent predictor of BK viremia (hazard ratio 1.95;P=0.047). Comparing patients who experienced BK viremia and those who did not, there was no difference in incidence of acute rejection (20.5% vs. 25.3%;P=0.56) or estimated glomerular filtration rate at 12 months (48.8 vs. 49.9 mL/min/1.73 m2), but the incidence of ureteric stenosis was higher (10.3% vs. 1.1%;P=0.01).

Conclusions.Our data demonstrate a lower incidence of BK viremia in patients on lower‐dose Tac compared with CyA‐based primary immunosuppression in contrast to previous studies, and provide further support for the association between BK virus and ureteric complications.
Coherence analysis of local field potentials in the subthalamic nucleus: differences in parkinsonian rest and postural tremor
Authors: Reck Christiane , Himmel Matthias , Florin Esther , Maarouf Mohammad , Sturm Volker , Wojtecki Lars , Schnitzler Alfons , Fink Gereon R. , Timmermann Lars
Published: September 2010

Implantation of electrodes in the subthalamic nucleus (STN) for deep brain stimulation is a well‐established method to ameliorate motor symptoms in patients suffering from Parkinson’s disease (PD). This study investigated the pathophysiology of rest and postural tremor in PD. In 14 patients with PD, we recorded intraoperatively local field potentials (LFPs) in the STN (at different recording depths) and electromyographic signals (EMGs) of the contralateral forearm. Using coherence analysis we analysed tremor epochs both at rest and hold conditions in patients of the akinetic‐rigid or of the tremor‐dominant PD subtype. Data analysis revealed significant LFP–EMG coherence during periods of rest and postural tremor. However, strong differences between both tremor types were observed: local maxima (cluster) of rest and postural tremor did not match. Additionally, during rest tremor coherence occurred significantly more frequently at single tremor frequency than at double tremor frequency in tremor‐dominant as well as in akinetic‐rigid patients. In contrast, during postural tremor in patients with akinetic‐rigid PD coherence was predominantly at double tremor frequency. The data suggest a specific topography of ‘tremor clusters’ for rest and postural tremor. Furthermore, we presume that the same tremor mechanisms exist in patients with tremor‐dominant and akinetic‐rigid PD, but to different degrees.
Putative γ‐aminobutyric acid neurons in the ventral tegmental area have a similar pattern of plasticity as dopamine neurons during appetitive and aversive learning
Authors: Kim Yun‐Bok , Matthews Marguerite , Moghaddam Bita
Published: September 2010

Dopamine influences affective, motor and cognitive processing, and multiple forms of learning and memory. This multifaceted functionality, which operates across long temporal windows, is broader than the narrow and temporally constrained role often ascribed to dopamine neurons as reward prediction error detectors. Given the modulatory nature of dopamine neurotransmission, that dopamine release is activated by both aversive and appetitive stimuli, and that dopamine receptors are often localized extrasynaptically, a role for dopamine in transmitting precise error signals has been questioned. Here we recorded from ventral tegmental area (VTA) neurons, while exposing rats to novel stimuli that were predictive of an appetitive or aversive outcome in the same behavioral session. The VTA contains dopamine and γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) neurons that project to striatal and cortical regions and are strongly implicated in learning and affective processing. The response of VTA neurons, regardless of whether they had putative dopamine or GABA waveforms, transformed flexibly as animals learned to associate novel stimuli from different sensory modalities to appetitive or aversive outcomes. Learning the appetitive association led to larger excitatory VTA responses, whereas acquiring the aversive association led to a biphasic response of brief excitation followed by sustained inhibition. These responses shifted rapidly as outcome contingencies changed. These data suggest that VTA neurons interface sensory information with representational memory of aversive and appetitive events. This pattern of plasticity was not selective for putative dopamine neurons and generalized to other cells, suggesting that the temporally precise information transfer from the VTA may be mediated by faster acting GABA neurons.
Acute genetic perturbation of exocyst function in the rat calyx of Held impedes structural maturation, but spares synaptic transmission
Authors: Schwenger Darius B. , Kuner Thomas
Published: September 2010

The exocyst is an octameric protein complex mediating polarized secretion by tethering vesicles to target membranes. In non‐vertebrate neurons, the exocyst has been associated with constitutive membrane addition at growth cones and nerve terminals, but its function in synaptic vesicle trafficking at mammalian nerve terminals remains unclear. Here, we examined the role of the exocyst complex in immature postnatal day (P)13 and mature P21 rat calyces of Held. Exo70, an exocyst subunit conferring membrane anchoring of the complex, was tagged with green fluorescent protein (GFP) and overexpressed as a full‐length subunit or as a dominant‐negative C‐terminally truncated variant (Exo70ΔC) disrupting membrane targeting. In vivo expression of the Exo70 subunits in the calyx was achieved by stereotaxic adeno‐associated virus‐mediated gene transfer into globular bushy cells of the rat ventral cochlear nucleus at P2. Overexpression of dominant‐negative Exo70ΔC, but not full‐length Exo70, decreased the structural complexity and volume of calyces, as assayed by confocal microscopy and three‐dimensional reconstructions. The distribution of active zones and synaptic vesicles remained unaffected. Neither perturbation changed the characteristics of spontaneous and evoked neurotransmitter release, short‐term depression or recovery from depression. Together, these data suggest that in central mammalian synapses, the exocyst complex mediates the addition of membrane during postnatal presynaptic maturation, but does not function as a tethering complex in local recycling of vesicles within the synaptic vesicle cycle.
Regulatory exaptation of the catabolite repression protein (Crp)–cAMP system in Pseudomonas putida
Authors: Milanesio Paola , Arce‐Rodríguez Alejandro , Muñoz Amalia , Calles Belén , de Lorenzo Víctor
Published: September 2010

The genome of the soil bacterium Pseudomonas putida KT2440 encodes singular orthologues of genes crp (encoding the catabolite repression protein, Crp) and cyaA (adenylate cyclase) of Escherichia coli. The levels of cAMP formed by P. putida cells were below detection with a Dictyostelium biosensor in vivo. The cyaAP.putida gene was transcribed in vivo but failed to complement the lack of maltose consumption of a cyaA mutant of E. coli, thereby indicating that cyaAP.putida was poorly translated or rendered non‐functional in the heterologous host. Yet, generation of cAMP by CyaAP.putida could be verified by expressing the cyaAP.putida gene in a hypersensitive E. coli strain. On the other hand, the crpP.putida gene restored the metabolic capacities of an equivalent crp mutant of E. coli, but not in a double crp/cyaA strain, suggesting that the ability to regulate such functions required cAMP. In order to clarify the breadth of the Crp/cAMP system in P. putida, crp and cyaA mutants were generated and passed through a battery of phenotypic tests for recognition of gross metabolic properties and stress‐endurance abilities. These assays revealed that the loss of each gene led in most (but not all) cases to the same phenotypic behaviour, indicating a concerted functionality. Unexpectedly, none of the mutations affected the panel of carbon compounds that can be used by P. putida as growth substrates, the mutants being impaired only in the use of various dipeptides as N sources. Furthermore, the lack of crp or cyaA had little influence on the gross growth fingerprinting of the cells. The poor physiological profile of the Crp–cAMP system of P. putida when compared with E. coli exposes a case of regulatory exaptation, i.e. the process through which a property evolved for a particular function is co‐opted for a new use.
Hicksian Income in the Conceptual Framework
Authors: BROMWICH MICHAEL , MACVE RICHARD , SUNDER SHYAM
Published: September 2010

In seeking to replace accounting conventions by concepts in the pursuit of principles‐based standards, the FASB/IASB joint project on the conceptual framework has grounded its approach on a well‐known definition of income by Hicks. We welcome the use of theories by accounting standard setters and practitioners, if theories are considered in their entirety. Cherry‐picking parts of a theory to serve the immediate aims of standard setters risks distortion. Misunderstanding and misinterpretation of the selected elements of a theory increase the distortion even more. We argue that the Boards have selectively picked from, misquoted, misunderstood and misapplied Hicksian concepts of income. We explore some alternative approaches to income suggested by Hicks and by other writers, and their relevance to current debates over the Boards' conceptual framework and standards. Our conclusions about how accounting concepts and conventions should be related differ from those of the Boards. Executive stock options (ESOs) provide an illustrative case study.
EFFECTS OF A CHILD'S DISABILITY ON AFFECTED FEMALE'S LABOUR SUPPLY IN AUSTRALIA
Authors: LU ZENG‐HUA , ZUO ALEC
Published: September 2010

Australia has experienced a growing rate of child disability, with the rate of 3.7 per cent in 1998 increasing to 4.3 per cent in 2003 for children aged under four years and from 9.5 per cent to 10 per cent for children aged five to 14 years in the same period. However, surprisingly no study has examined the economic effects of child disability in the Australian context. This paper attempts to quantify the link between a child's disability and the work behaviour of the female in the affected family. Our findings provide empirical justifications for the current policy linking the severity level of child disability to the assessment of eligibility for Carer Payment (Child). We also found that child disability has different impacts on the labour market activities of married women and non‐married women. It appears that child disability imposes a greater hardship on non‐married women than on married women in terms of work choice decision. Once non‐married women manage to enter the labour force, they may have to stay on to work as usual even if they have a disabled child, because they may not have other family members to turn to for help as married women do.
ESTIMATING IMPORT AND EXPORT DEMAND ELASTICITIES FOR MAURITIUS AND SOUTH AFRICA
Authors: NARAYAN SEEMA , NARAYAN PARESH KUMAR
Published: September 2010

In this paper, we re‐estimate the import and the export demand functions for Mauritius and South Africa using time series data. We use the bounds tests for cointegration and find evidence of a long‐run relationship between import demand, income and prices for both countries. Our long run elasticities reveal that domestic income and relative prices have significant effects on the import demand for both countries, with income being the most important determinant. Furthermore, we find that while South Africa's export demand is not responsive to relative prices or income; for Mauritius income is statistically significant.
Expansion, Suspicion and the Development of the International Committee of the Red Cross: 1939–45
Authors: Crossland James
Published: September 2010

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has often been maligned for its actions, or lack thereof, during the Second World War. In particular the Committee has been criticised for its apparent inability to compromise its mandate to provide impartial and non‐politicised relief. This article discusses some of the problems of this interpretation of ICRC history by showing that, contrary to the image of the ICRC as a “well‐meaning amateur”, the Committee responded to the challenges of the Second World War with a series of bold initiatives that were crucial to the organisation's long‐term development. Not only did these initiatives improve the success of the ICRC's humanitarian mission, but they also stand as testament to an organisation that, though devoid of diplomatic status and political power, was able to conduct its work whilst being restricted by the policies of belligerent governments and the physical dangers of total war.
Fragment‐Parallel Composite and Filter
Authors: Patney Anjul , Tzeng Stanley , Owens John D.
Published: September 2010

We present a strategy for parallelizing the composite and filter operations suitable for an order‐independent rendering pipeline implemented on a modern graphics processor. Conventionally, this task is parallelized across pixels/subpixels, but serialized along individual depth layers. However, our technique extends the domain of parallelization to individual fragments (samples), avoiding a serial dependence on the number of depth layers, which can be a constraint for scenes with high depth complexity. As a result, our technique scales with the number of fragments and can sustain a consistent and predictable throughput in scenes with both low and high depth complexity, including those with a high variability of depth complexity within a single frame. We demonstrate composite/filter performance in excess of 50M fragments/sec for scenes with more than 1500 semi‐transparent layers.
Real‐Time Concurrent Linked List Construction on the GPU
Authors: Yang Jason C. , Hensley Justin , Grün Holger , Thibieroz Nicolas
Published: September 2010

We introduce a method to dynamically construct highly concurrent linked lists on modern graphics processors. Once constructed, these data structures can be used to implement a host of algorithms useful in creating complex rendering effects in real time. We present a straightforward way to create these linked lists using generic atomic operations available in APIs such as OpenGL 4.0 and DirectX 11. We also describe several possible applications of our algorithm. One example uses per‐pixel linked lists for order‐independent transparency; as a consequence, we are able to directly implement fully programmable blending, which frees developers from the restrictions imposed by current graphics APIs. The second uses linked lists to implement real‐time indirect shadows.
Fast Estimation and Rendering of Indirect Highlights
Authors: Laurijssen J. , Wang R. , Dutré Ph. , Brown B.J.
Published: September 2010

This paper proposes a method for efficiently rendering indirect highlights. Indirect highlights are caused by the primary light source reflecting off two or more glossy surfaces. Accurately simulating such highlights is important to convey the realistic appearance of materials such as chrome and shiny metal. Our method models the glossy BRDF at a surface point as a directional distribution, using a spherical von Mises‐Fisher (vMF) distribution. As our main contribution, we merge multiple vMFs into a combined multimodal distribution. This effectively creates a filtered radiance response function, allowing us to efficiently estimate indirect highlights. We demonstrate our method in a near‐interactive application for rendering scenes with highly glossy objects. Our results produce realistic reflections under both local and environment lighting.
Compressive estimation for signal integration in rendering
Authors: Sen Pradeep , Darabi Soheil
Published: September 2010

In rendering applications, we are often faced with the problem of computing the integral of an unknown function. Typical approaches used to estimate these integrals are often based on Monte Carlo methods that slowly converge to the correct answer after many point samples have been taken. In this work, we study this problem under the framework of compressed sensing and reach the conclusion that if the signal is sparse in a transform domain, we can evaluate the integral accurately using a small set of point samples without requiring the lengthy iterations of Monte Carlo approaches. We demonstrate the usefulness of our framework by proposing novel algorithms to address two problems in computer graphics: image antialiasing and motion blur. We show that we can use our framework to generate good results with fewer samples than is possible with traditional approaches.
A Layered Particle‐Based Fluid Model for Real‐Time Rendering of Water
Authors: Bagar Florian , Scherzer Daniel , Wimmer Michael
Published: September 2010

We present a physically based real‐time water simulation and rendering method that brings volumetric foam to the real‐time domain, significantly increasing the realism of dynamic fluids. We do this by combining a particle‐based fluid model that is capable of accounting for the formation of foam with a layered rendering approach that is able to account for the volumetric properties of water and foam. Foam formation is simulated through Weber number thresholding. For rendering, we approximate the resulting water and foam volumes by storing their respective boundary surfaces in depth maps. This allows us to calculate the attenuation of light rays that pass through these volumes very efficiently. We also introduce an adaptive curvature flow filter that produces consistent fluid surfaces from particles independent of the viewing distance.
On the Effective Dimension of Light Transport
Authors: Lessig Christian , Fiume Eugene
Published: September 2010

Light transport is often characterized within a high‐dimensional space although practitioners have long known that it commonly behaves as a much lower‐dimensional phenomenon. We study theeffective dimensionof light transport over a neighborhood on the scene manifold and show that under plausible assumptions the dimensionality is characterized by the spectrum of the spatio‐spectral concentration problem. This allows us to improve existing estimates for the dimension in computer graphics using a more insightful derivation and for the first time we obtain optimal representations. The relevance of our results for existing rendering applications is discussed.
BendyLights: Artistic Control of Direct Illumination by Curving Light Rays
Authors: Kerr William B. , Pellacini Fabio , Denning Jonathan D.
Published: September 2010

In computer cinematography, artists routinely use non‐physical lighting models to achieve desired appearances. This paper presentsBendyLights, a non‐physical lighting model where light travels nonlinearly along splines, allowing artists to control light direction and shadow position at different points in the scene independently. Since the light deformation is smoothly defined at all world‐space positions, the resulting non‐physical lighting effects remain spatially consistent, avoiding the frequent incongruences of many non‐physical models.BendyLightsare controlled simply by reshaping splines, using familiar interfaces, and require very few parameters.BendyLightcontrol points can be keyframed to support animated lighting effects. We demonstrateBendyLightsboth in a realtime rendering system for editing and a production renderer for final rendering, where we show thatBendyLightscan also be used with global illumination.
Interactive Editing of Lighting and Materials using a Bivariate BRDF Representation
Authors: Sitthi‐Amorn Pitchaya , Romeiro Fabiano , Zickler Todd , Lawrence Jason
Published: September 2010

We present a new Precomputed Radiance Transfer (PRT) algorithm based on a two dimensional representation of isotropic BRDFs. Our approach involves precomputing matrices that allow quickly mapping environment lighting, which is represented in the global coordinate system, and the surface BRDFs, which are represented in a bivariate domain, to the local hemisphere at a surface location where the reflection integral is evaluated. When the lighting and BRDFs are represented in a wavelet basis, these rotation matrices are sparse and can be efficiently stored and combined with pre‐computed visibility at run‐time. Compared to prior techniques that also precompute wavelet rotation matrices, our method allows full control over the lighting and materials due to the way the BRDF is represented. Furthermore, this bivariate parameterization preserves sharp specular peaks and grazing effects that are attenuated in conventional parameterizations. We demonstrate a prototype rendering system that achieves real‐time framerates while lighting and materials are edited.
A PCA Decomposition for Real‐time BRDF Editing and Relighting with Global Illumination
Authors: Nguyen Chuong H. , Kyung Min‐Ho , Lee Joo‐Haeng , Nam Seung‐Woo
Published: September 2010

We propose a novel rendering method which supports interactive BRDF editing as well as relighting on a 3D scene. For interactive BRDF editing, we linearize an analytic BRDF model with basis BRDFs obtained from a principal component analysis. For each basis BRDF, the radiance transfer is precomputed and stored in vector form. In rendering time, illumination of a point is computed by multiplying the radiance transfer vectors of the basis BRDFs by the incoming radiance from gather samples and then linearly combining the results weighted by user‐controlled parameters. To improve the level of accuracy, a set of sub‐area samples associated with a gather sample refines the glossy reflection of the geometric details without increasing the precomputation time. We demonstrate this program with a number of examples to verify the real‐time performance of relighting and BRDF editing on 3D scenes with complex lighting and geometry.
Grammar‐based Encoding of Facades
Authors: Haegler Simon , Wonka Peter , Arisona Stefan Müller , Van Gool Luc , Müller Pascal
Published: September 2010

In this paper we propose a real‐time rendering approach for procedural cities. Our first contribution is a new lightweight grammar representation that compactly encodes facade structures and allows fast per‐pixel access. We call this grammarF‐shade. Our second contribution is a prototype rendering system that renders an urban model from the compact representation directly on the GPU. Our suggested approach explores an interesting connection from procedural modeling to real‐time rendering. Evaluating procedural descriptions at render time uses less memory than the generation of intermediate geometry. This enables us to render large urban models directly from GPU memory.
Invisible Seams
Authors: Ray Nicolas , Nivoliers Vincent , Lefebvre Sylvain , Lévy Bruno
Published: September 2010

Surface materials are commonly described by attributes stored in textures (for instance, color, normal, or displacement). Interpolation during texture lookup provides a continuous value field everywhere on the surface, except at the chart boundaries where visible discontinuities appear. We propose a solution to make these seams invisible, while still outputting a standard texture atlas. Our method relies on recent advances in quad remeshing using global parameterization to produce a set of texture coordinates aligning texel grids across chart boundaries. This property makes it possible to ensure that the interpolated value fields on both sides of a chart boundary precisely match, making all seams invisible. However, this requirement on the uv coordinates needs to be complemented by a set of constraints on the colors stored in the texels. We propose an algorithm solving for all the necessary constraints between texel values, including through different magnification modes (nearest, bilinear, biquadratic and bicubic), and across facets using different texture resolutions. In the typical case of bilinear magnification and uniform resolution, none of the texels appearing on the surface are constrained. Our approach also ensures perfect continuity across several MIP‐mapping levels.
A Dynamic Noise Primitive for Coherent Stylization
Authors: Bénard P. , Lagae A. , Vangorp P. , Lefebvre S. , Drettakis G. , Thollot J.
Published: September 2010

We present a new solution for temporal coherence in non‐photorealistic rendering (NPR) of animations. Given the conflicting goals of preserving the 2D aspect of the style and the 3D scene motion, any such solution is a tradeoff. We observe that primitive‐based methods in NPR can be seen as texture‐based methods when using large numbers of primitives, leading to our key insight, namely that this process is similar to sparse convolution noise in procedural texturing. Consequently, we present a new primitive for NPR based on Gabor noise, that preserves the 2D aspect of noise, conveys the 3D motion of the scene, and is temporally continuous. We can thus use standard techniques from procedural texturing to create various styles, which we show for interactive NPR applications. We also present a user study to evaluate this and existing solutions, and to provide more insight in the trade‐off implied by temporal coherence. The results of the study indicate that maintaining coherent motion is important, but also that our new solution provides a good compromise between the 2D aspect of the style and 3D motion.