bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Conformity to Feminine Gender Norms in the Spanish Population
Authors: Sánchez-López Maria Pilar , Flores Isabel Cuellar , Dresch Virginia , Aparicio-Garciá Marta
Published: December 2009

In this study, the aim was to describe the adaptation of the Conformity to Feminine Norms Inventory (CFNI; Mahalik et al., 2005) for the Spanish population. The CFNI is used to assess women's conformity to feminine norms in the United States of America, from a multidimensional perspective.
The protocol of the International Test Commission was followed when adapting the inventory. The questionnaire was administered to 780 Spanish women between 18 and 59 years of age. Factor analysis revealed a similar profile to that obtained in the USA and, although it is different in some aspects,
it supports the structure proposed by the authors. The reliability data (alpha coefficient of the total scale of .87) also confirm the validity of the CFNI for use in the Spanish population.
Anger Related to Psychopathology, Temperament, and Character in Healthy Individuals – An Explorative Study
Authors: Ghazinour Mehdi , Richter Jörg
Published: December 2009

We investigated relationships between temperament, character, and anger experience, control, and expression. Police trainees (N = 103) completed the Temperament and Character Inventory (Cloninger, Przybeck, Svrakic, & Wetzel, 1994), the Symptom Checklist 90-R (SCR-90-R; Derogatis,
1994), and the State Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI-2, Spielberger, 1999). Personality scores were of greater significance compared to SCL-90-R scores for most of the STAXI-2 subscales while the scores of both personality and mental health contributed by a similar amount to trait
anger. Temperament subscales explained a much greater amount of anger expression-in variance while variance of character subscales explained more of the variance in anger V, angry reaction, state, and trait anger. Character was found to be superior to temperament in the determination of anger,
supporting a cognitively focused definition of anger.
Induced Cognitions of Love and Helpfulness to Lost Persons
Authors: Fischer-Lokou Jacques , Lamy Lubomir , Guéguen Nicolas
Published: December 2009

In a field experiment, a total of 161 male and 175 female passersby were asked to remember a love episode or, in the control condition, the memory of a piece of music. They then encountered another confederate who asked for directions. Results showed that participants previously induced
with the idea of love spent more time giving directions than did participants in the control group, and that men who retrieved the memory of a love episode were more helpful to female than to male confederates. Results are discussed in light of the gender-role theory of helping (Eagly &
Crowley, 1986).
Compensatory Neural Responses After 36 Hours of Total Sleep Deprivation and its Relationship with Executive Control Function
Authors: Shao Yongcong , Qi Jianlin , Fan Ming , Ye Enmao , Wen Bo , Bi Guohua , Yang Zheng , Miao Danmin
Published: December 2009

The neurobiological mechanisms of Total Sleep Deprivation (TSD) - induced changes in executive control function were investigated. Fourteen participants were measured by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) with the visual Go/No-go task after normal sleep and following 36 hours
of TSD. The TSD-induced positive and negative blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) signals compared with that after a normal night's sleep (NORM). The areas activated with positive BOLD signals include the superior prefrontal cortex and inferior prefrontal cortex, with negative BOLD signals
in the anterior cingulated cortex (ACC) and right lingual gyrus. Increased activation may be related to the compensatory response since more attention resources are needed to perform the Go/No-go task after 36 hours of TSD and the decreased activation in the ACC may reflect the impact of executive
control function by the TSD.
Existence of Traveling Wave Solutions for a Nonlocal Bistable Equation: An Abstract Approach
Authors: Yagisita Hiroki
Published: December 2009

We consider traveling fronts to the nonlocal bistable equation

u_t = μ \ast u– u + f(u),

where

μ

is a Borel-measure on

ℝ

with

μ(ℝ) = 1

and

f

satisfies

f(0) = f(1) = 0

, 

f< 0

in

(0, α)

and 

f > 0

in

(α, 1)

for some constant

α \in (0, 1)

. We do not assume that

μ

is absolutely continuous with respect to the Lebesgue measure. We show that there are a constant

c

and a monotone function

\phi

with

\phi(–∞) = 0

and

\phi(+∞) = 1

such that

u(t, x) := \phi(x+ct)

is a solution to the equation, provided 

f'(α) > 0

. In order to prove this result, we would develop a recursive method for abstract monotone dynamical systems and apply it to the equation.
Gauss Hypergeometric Functions, Multiple Polylogarithms, and Multiple Zeta Values
Authors: Oi Shu
Published: December 2009

In this article, we express solutions of the Gauss hypergeometric equation as a series of the multiple polylogarithms by using iterated integral. This representation is the most simple case of a semisimple representation of solutions of the formal KZ equation. Moreover, combining this representation with the connection relations of solutions of the Gauss hypergeometric equation, we obtain various relations of the multiple polylogarithms of one variable and the multiple zeta values.
On a Curvature Property of Effective Divisors and Its Application to Sheaf Cohomology
Authors: Fuse Hiroshi , Ohsawa Takeo
Published: December 2009

Exploring a method of taming the boundary behavior of

n

-convex exhaustion functions, a curvature property of line bundles associated to effective Cartier divisors is proved. Cohomology vanishing theorems of the Serre type and the Kodaira–Nakano type are obtained as application.
Logarithmic Geometry, Minimal Free Resolutions and Toric Algebraic Stacks
Authors: Iwanari Isamu
Published: December 2009

In this paper we will introduce a certain type of morphisms of log schemes (in the sense of Fontaine, Illusie and Kato) and study their moduli. Then by applying this we define the notion of toric algebraic stacks, which may be regarded as torus emebeddings in the framework of algebraic stacks and prove some fundamental properties. Also, we study the stack-theoretic analogue of toroidal embeddings.
Comments on Coulter and Smith: Relational Ontological Commitments in Narrative Research
Authors: Clandinin D. Jean , Murphy M. Shaun
Published: December 2009

In this comment article on Coulter and Smith (2009) , the authors raise concerns that focusing exclusively on issues of representation may lead readers to misunderstandings about narrative research. The authors argue that narrative ways of thinking about the phenomena under study are interwoven with narrative research methodologies. Drawing on Dewey’s theory of experience, they discuss three features of an ontology of experience. They highlight distinctions between narrative research and other forms of qualitative inquiry, attend closely to the transition from field texts to research texts, and address the interconnections between ontological and ethical commitments. In their view, research texts need to speak to the everyday experiences of researchers and participants to arrive at an understanding of those experiences as “storied” phenomena within social, cultural, institutional, and linguistic narratives.
Does School Bullying Affect Adult Health? Population Survey of Health-Related Quality of Life and Past Victimization
Authors: Allison Stephen , Roeger Leigh , Reinfeld-Kirkman Nova
Published: December 2009

Objective: The purpose of the present study was to determine the proportion of adult South Australians who report having experienced school bullying and to examine the relationship between past victimization and adult health-related quality of life.

Method: A representative sample (n=2833) of metropolitan and country South Australian adults were asked in a face-to-face interview whether they had experienced bullying when they were at school. Health-related quality of life was measured using the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36-item health survey questions (SF-36). Regression analyses (linear and logistic) were performed, taking into account survey weights.

Results: Nearly one-fifth of adults reported having experienced bullying when they were at school. Older persons and those born overseas were less likely to report having been bullied. Those reporting that they had been bullied experienced significantly poorer mental and physical health compared to those who had not been bullied.

Conclusions: Adults commonly reported experiencing bullying while at school and these reports were associated with lower health-related quality of life in adulthood. School bullying needs further investigation as a preventable cause of mental health problems across the lifespan.
BraveHeart Begins: Pilot Results of Group Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Depression and Anxiety in Cardiac Patients
Authors: Hambridge John A. , Turner Alyna , Baker Amanda L.
Published: December 2009

Objective: In a general medical hospital with limited mental health resources, a clinical need arose for an effective treatment for depression and anxiety symptoms in cardiac rehabilitation patients.

Method: A total of 628 cardiac rehabilitation outpatients at a tertiary care centre were screened with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale at week 4 of their programme, and 182 of 558 responders (33%) scored ≥8 on the Depression and/or Anxiety subscales. A 6 week group cognitive behaviour therapy programme was developed to assist these identified patients. The resulting programme, BraveHeart, was piloted on 39 patients still experiencing significant symptoms of depression or anxiety at the end of rehabilitation. Patients were assessed at baseline, after treatment, 1 and 6 months after treatment using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the Beck Depression Inventory-II.

Results: Significant improvement in levels of depression and anxiety symptoms occurred from baseline to post-treatment assessment, and this change was maintained at 6 months, with moderate–strong effect sizes. Feedback from the group members was positive.

Conclusions: A specialized group treatment programme for cardiac patients with existing depression and anxiety was created that resulted in significant reductions in symptoms.
Nutrition Knowledge in Young Women with Eating Disorders in Australia and Singapore: A Pilot Study
Authors: Soh Nerissa Li-Wey , Touyz Stephen W. , Dobbins Timothy A. , Surgenor Lois J. , Clarke Simon , Kohn Michael R. , Lee Ee Lian , Leow Vincent , Rieger Elizabeth , Ung Ken Eng Khean , Walter Garry
Published: December 2009

Objective: The aim of the present study was to compare nutrition knowledge levels in young women with and without an eating disorder (ED) in two countries.

Method: Women with a clinical ED (n = 55) and healthy control women (n = 99) in Australia and Singapore completed a Nutritional Knowledge Questionnaire, acculturation questionnaire and demographics survey. Nutrition knowledge was analysed in terms of clinical status, cultural group, acculturation, socioeconomic status and education level.

Results: Women with EDs had greater knowledge than controls, but the magnitude of the difference was small. Greater acculturation to Western culture was associated with greater knowledge.

Conclusions: The difference in nutrition knowledge between women with and without EDs is unlikely to be of clinical importance. The findings may reflect today's ubiquitous availability of nutrition information.
Suicide in the Northern Territory, 2001–2006
Authors: Pridmore Saxby , Fujiyama Hakuei
Published: December 2009

Objective: The aim of the present study was to characterize suicide in the Northern Territory (NT) for the 6 year period 1 January 2001-31 December 2006.

Method: Suicide death rates by area (Australia, NT), sex, and Indigenous status for the period of 2001–2006 were obtained from the National Coroners Information System through the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine. Population f gures were obtained from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Results: For this period the suicide rate of NT (21.6 per 100 000) was double the national rate ( 11 ), and the rate for NT Indigenous people (36.7) was signif cantly higher (p < 0.001) than that of NT non-Indigenous people (14.7). There was a decline in the suicide rate for Australia of −8.6%%; for NT, −6.3%%; for NT non-Indigenous, −3.3%%; and for NT Indigenous, −9.0%%. The sex difference was signif cant (p < 0.001) for both Australia and the NT with male subjects having a higher suicide rate than female subjects. With respect to age group, some evidence suggested an earlier peak for NT Indigenous compared to NT non-Indigenous people. Hanging was more common in NT than in the rest of the country and accounted for 87%% of Indigenous suicide.

Conclusion: Suicide is more common in NT than in Australia generally, and more common in NT Indigenous than NT non-Indigenous people. There is evidence of a decline in suicide rates across the board.
Darwinian Dynamics of Depression
Authors: Price John
Published: December 2009

Darwin's theory of sexual selection offers a challenge to psychology and psychiatry. We select each other, and have been doing so since social life first evolved. But who is selected and what happens to those who are not selected? What social structures have evolved to contain the unselected? What behaviours have evolved to manage the selection process? How do the selected relate to the unselected and what behaviours have evolved to manage this asymmetry in social relations? What mental states have evolved to characterize the selected and the unselected? These questions should be kept in mind when we observe and study the social structures, behaviours and mental states that we see displayed before us in all the variety of nature. It is suggested that a significant amount of current psychiatric disorder, especially depressive states and both social and generalized anxiety disorder, have evolved because they managed the processes of being unselected and de-selected, and maintained the unselected in that social role without loss of life or physical incapacity, and enabled the unselected to contribute to general social well-being.
Magnetic resonance arthrography including aber view in diagnosing partial-thickness tears of the rotator cuff: Accuracy, and inter- and intra-observer agreements
Authors: Jung Joon-Yong , Jee Won-Hee , Chun Ho Jong , Ahn Myeong Im , Kim Yang-Soo
Published: December 2009

Background: Partial-thickness tear of the rotator cuff is a common cause of shoulder pain. Magnetic resonance (MR) arthrography has been described as a useful measure to diagnose rotator cuff abnormalities.

Purpose: To determine the reliability and accuracy of MR arthrography with abduction and external rotation (ABER) view for the diagnosis of partial-thickness tears of the rotator cuff.

Material and Methods: Among patients who underwent MR arthrographies, 22 patients (12 men, 10 women; mean age 45 years) who had either partial-thickness tear or normal tendon on arthroscopy were included. MR images were independently scored by two observers for partial-thickness tears of the rotator cuff. Interobserver and intraobserver agreements for detection of partial-thickness tears of the rotator cuff were calculated by using κ coefficients. The differences in areas under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were assessed with a univariate Z-score test. Differences in sensitivity and specificity for interpretations based on different imaging series were tested for significance using the McNemar statistic.

Results: Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of each reader on MR imaging without ABER view were 83%, 90%, and 86%, and 83%, 80%, and 82%, respectively, whereas on overall interpretation including ABER view, the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of each reader were 92%, 70%, and 82%, and 92%, 80%, and 86%, respectively. Including ABER view, interobserver agreement for partial-thickness tear increased from κ=0.55 to κ=0.68. Likewise, intraobserver agreements increased from κ=0.79 and 0.53 to κ=0.81 and 0.70 for each reader, respectively. The areas under the ROC curves for each reader were 0.96 and 0.90, which were not significantly different.

Conclusion: Including ABER view in routine sequences of MR arthrography increases the sensitivity, and inter- and intraobserver agreements for detecting partial-thickness tear of rotator cuff tendon.
Older people who stutter: barriers to communication and perceptions of treatment needs
Authors: Bricker‐Katz Geraldine , Lincoln Michelle , McCabe Patricia
Published: December 2009

Background: Little is known about the experience of stuttering for people over 55 years of age. Recent research has established that the same types of stuttering behaviours, cognitions, and emotional consequences experienced during young adulthood persist into older age.

Aims: The aims were to investigate perceptions of limitations to activity and participation in a group of older people who stuttered into adulthood. A further aim was to find out their perceptions about treatment.

Methods & Procedures: This was a qualitative study involving eleven participants, eight males and three females over 55 years of age (mean age = 70.7, standard deviation = 9.13 years, range = 57.2–83.8 years) who self‐reported stuttering into adulthood. Participants were randomly assigned to two focus groups for the discussion of topic questions posed by a moderator. The discussion was video‐ and audio‐recorded, transcribed, and analysed using a comparative thematic analysis to derive emergent themes in relation to the topic questions.

Outcomes & Results: Stuttering can impact on the lives of older people in a similar way to younger people who stutter. Participants who continued to work felt more limited by their stuttering because work involved unpredictable speaking situations with unfamiliar people. Others who had retired experienced some relief from these limitations because they were no longer required to communicate in a work context. The acceptance of stuttering was a theme expressed by some participants, and acceptance diminished the limitations because these older people were less fearful of the consequences of their stuttering. However, others remained constrained by the impact of stuttering on their communication and struggled with a fear of speaking and a fear of negative evaluation by others. They applied learnt and self‐devised techniques to assist their speech and felt that if fear of speaking was removed and their self‐confidence increased, communication might be better. They would like effective, individual, and short‐term treatment with speech–language pathologists who are knowledgeable about stuttering and sensitive to their emotional needs.

Conclusions & Implications: Older people who stutter experienced limitations to participation because of their stuttering and there are implications for their future ability to remain independent and connected to relevant people and services. Further investigation of these limitations and research into effective intervention is indicated.
Sentence repetition in adolescents with specific language impairments and autism: an investigation of complex syntax
Authors: Riches N. G. , Loucas T. , Baird G. , Charman T. , Simonoff E.
Published: December 2009

Background: Recent studies have indicated that many children with autism spectrum disorders present with language difficulties that are similar to those of children with specific language impairments, leading some to argue for similar structural deficits in these two disorders.

Aims: Repetition of sentences involving long‐distance dependencies was used to investigate complex syntax in these groups.

Methods & Procedures: Adolescents with specific language impairments (mean age = 15;3, n = 14) and autism spectrum disorders plus language impairment (autism plus language impairment; mean age = 14;8, n = 16) were recruited alongside typically developing adolescents (mean age = 14;4, n = 17). They were required to repeat sentences containing relative clauses that varied in syntactic complexity.

Outcomes & Results: The adolescents with specific language impairments presented with greater syntactic difficulties than the adolescents with autism plus language impairment, as manifested by higher error rates on the more complex object relative clauses, and a greater tendency to make syntactic changes during repetition.

Conclusions & Implications: Adolescents with specific language impairments may have more severe syntactic difficulties than adolescents with autism plus language impairment, possibly due to their short‐term memory limitations.
Reading comprehension, word decoding and spelling in girls with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) or attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD): performance and predictors
Authors: Åsberg Jakob , Kopp Svenny , Berg‐Kelly Kristina , Gillberg Christopher
Published: December 2009

Background: Difficulties with aspects of literacy are often seen in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD). The bases of the connections between these disorders and literacy difficulties are poorly understood. Furthermore, it is not clear if existing research is representative for girls.

Aims: There were three aims: (1) to compare performance in reading comprehension, word decoding, and spelling in girls with ASD (n = 20), AD/ HD (n = 36), and community girls with typical developing (girls; n = 54); (2) to assess rates of reading and writing disorders within groups; and (3) to examine the predictive value of measures of autistic and AD/HD symptomatology to reading comprehension in the whole girl sample.

Methods & Procedures: Participants were aged between 8 and 17 years, and had a full scale IQ>70. Standardized tests of literacy, oral vocabulary, and non‐verbal ability were administered. Parent ratings of degree of autistic symptomatology and both parent and teacher ratings of AD/HD symptomatology were collected for all girls.

Outcomes & Results: Girls with diagnosed ASD could not be separated significantly from typically developing girls or girls with AD/HD on average performance on any literacy test. However, among girls with ASD, 40% had at least one reading and writing disorder. Girls with AD/HD performed lower than typically developing girls in reading comprehension, word decoding, and spelling, and 56% had at least one reading and writing disorder. In regression analysis, using the total sample, both degrees of autistic and AD/HD symptomatology negatively contributed to the variance in reading comprehension after controlling for oral vocabulary, word decoding, and non‐verbal ability. Whereas AD/HD contributed to the variance in reading comprehension once autistic symptomatology was controlled for, the opposite was not true. However, a large bivariate correlation between autistic and AD/HD symptomatology somewhat complicates the interpretation of that result.

Conclusions & Implications: The findings highlight the importance of monitoring and supporting the literacy development in girls with ASD or AD/HD. Results from regression analyses suggested that word decoding and/or oral vocabulary training may not be sufficient for the girls fully to overcome difficulties in the important skill of reading comprehension.
Relationship between speech, oromotor, language and cognitive abilities in children with Down's syndrome
Authors: Cleland Joanne , Wood Sara , Hardcastle William , Wishart Jennifer , Timmins Claire
Published: December 2009

Background:Children and young people with Down's syndrome present with deficits in expressive speech and language, accompanied by strengths in vocabulary comprehension compared with non‐verbal mental age. Intelligibility is particularly low, but whether speech is delayed or disordered is a controversial topic. Most studies suggest a delay, but no studies explore the relationship between cognitive or language skills and intelligibility.

Aims:This study sought to determine whether severity of speech disorder correlates with language and cognitive level and to classify the types of errors, developmental or non‐developmental, that occur in the speech of children and adolescents with Down's syndrome.

Methods & Procedures:Fifteen children and adolescents with Down's syndrome (aged 9–18 years) were recruited. Participants completed a battery of standardized speech, language and cognitive assessments. The phonology assessment was subject to phonological and phonetic analyses. Results from each test were correlated to determine relationships.

Outcome & Results:Individuals with Down's syndrome present with deficits in receptive and expressive language that are not wholly accounted for by their cognitive delay. Receptive vocabulary is a strength in comparison with expressive and receptive language skills, but it was unclear from the findings whether it is more advanced compared with non‐verbal cognitive skills. The majority of speech errors were developmental in nature, but all of the children with Down's syndrome showed at least one atypical or non‐developmental speech error.

Conclusions & Implications:Children with Down's syndrome present with speech disorders characterized by atypical, and often unusual, errors alongside many developmental errors. A lack of correlation between speech and cognition or language measures suggests that the speech disorder in Down's syndrome is not simply due to cognitive delay. Better differential diagnosis of speech disorders in Down's syndrome is required, allowing interventions to target the specific disorder in each individual.
Issues in developing valid assessments of speech pathology students' performance in the workplace
Authors: McAllister Sue , Lincoln Michelle , Ferguson Alison , McAllister Lindy
Published: December 2009

Background: Workplace‐based learning is a critical component of professional preparation in speech pathology. A validated assessment of this learning is seen to be ‘the gold standard’, but it is difficult to develop because of design and validation issues. These issues include the role and nature of judgement in assessment, challenges in measuring quality, and the relationship between assessment and learning. Valid assessment of workplace‐based performance needs to capture the development of competence over time and account for both occupation specific and generic competencies.

Aims: This paper reviews important conceptual issues in the design of valid and reliable workplace‐based assessments of competence including assessment content, process, impact on learning, measurement issues, and validation strategies. It then goes on to share what has been learned about quality assessment and validation of a workplace‐based performance assessment using competency‐based ratings. The outcomes of a four‐year national development and validation of an assessment tool are described.

Methods & Procedures: A literature review of issues in conceptualizing, designing, and validating workplace‐based assessments was conducted. Key factors to consider in the design of a new tool were identified and built into the cycle of design, trialling, and data analysis in the validation stages of the development process.

Outcomes & Results: This paper provides an accessible overview of factors to consider in the design and validation of workplace‐based assessment tools. It presents strategies used in the development and national validation of a tool COMPASS®, used in an every speech pathology programme in Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore. The paper also describes Rasch analysis, a model‐based statistical approach which is useful for establishing validity and reliability of assessment tools.

Conclusions & Implications: Through careful attention to conceptual and design issues in the development and trialling of workplace‐based assessments, it has been possible to develop the world's first valid and reliable national assessment tool for the assessment of performance in speech pathology.
Developmental complexity of the stimuli included in mispronunciation detection tasks
Authors: McNeill Brigid C. , Hesketh Anne
Published: December 2009

Background: Phonological representations are important for speech and literacy development. Mispronunciation detection tasks have been proposed as an appropriate measure of phonological representations for children with speech disorder. There has been limited analysis, however, of the developmental complexity of task stimuli. Further, the tasks have not been used widely with typical populations.

Aims: The study aimed to examine the developmental progression of children's performance on a mispronunciation detection task, to evaluate the complexity of the task's stimuli, and to analyse the association between task performance and other skills important for literacy success.

Methods & Procedures: A cross‐sectional design was used to compare the mispronunciation detection performance of monolingual children within mainstream classrooms aged 4;0–4;5 (n = 26), 4;6–5;0 (n = 49), and 5;1–5;6 (n = 64). Comparison of the complexity of vowel mismatches, single consonant mismatches, consonant deletion mismatches, and consonant transposition mismatches was conducted.

Outcomes & Results: Children in the youngest age group were outperformed by the older age groups in the phonological representation task. Fine‐grained mismatches were more difficult to detect than coarse‐grained mismatches. There was a trend for vowel substitutions to be the most difficult mismatch to detect. Performance in the mispronunciation detection task was moderately correlated with the children's receptive vocabulary, speech, phonological awareness, and letter knowledge skills.

Conclusions & Implications: Mismatch type must be taken into account when designing mispronunciation detection tasks. Access to segmental phonological representations is related to speech, language, and letter knowledge in children from mainstream classrooms.
The Pathology of Freedom: An Essay on Non-Identification
Authors: Anders Günther (Stern) , Translated by Katharine Wolfe
Published: December 2009

In the twenty-second series of The Logic of Sense, Gilles Deleuze references a remarkable essay by Günther (Stern) Anders. Anders’ essay, translated here as ‘The Pathology of Freedom’, addresses the sickness and health of our negotiation with the negative anthropological condition of ‘not being cut out for the world’.
Alcoholism and Intimate Partner Violence: Effects on Children’s Psychosocial Adjustment
Authors: Klostermann Keith , Kelley Michelle L.
Published: December 2009

It is widely recognized that alcoholism and relationship violence often have serious consequences for adults; however, children living with alcoholic parents are susceptible to the deleterious familial environments these caregivers frequently create. Given the prevalence of IPV among patients entering substance abuse treatment, coupled with the negative familial consequences associated with these types of behavior, this review explores what have been, to this point, two divergent lines of research: (a) the effects of parental alcoholism on children, and (b) the effects of children’s exposure to intimate partner violence. In this article, the interrelationship between alcoholism and IPV is examined, with an emphasis on the developmental impact of these behaviors (individually and together) on children living in the home and offers recommendations for future research directions.
Real-Time Accumulative Computation Motion Detectors
Authors: Fernández-Caballero Antonio , López María Teresa , Castillo José Carlos , Maldonado-Bascón Saturnino
Published: December 2009

The neurally inspired accumulative computation (AC) method and its application to motion detection have been introduced in the past years. This paper revisits the fact that many researchers have explored the relationship between neural networks and finite state machines. Indeed, finite state machines constitute the best characterized computational model, whereas artificial neural networks have become a very successful tool for modeling and problem solving. The article shows how to reach real-time performance after using a model described as a finite state machine. This paper introduces two steps towards that direction: (a) A simplification of the general AC method is performed by formally transforming it into a finite state machine. (b) A hardware implementation in FPGA of such a designed AC module, as well as an 8-AC motion detector, providing promising performance results. We also offer two case studies of the use of AC motion detectors in surveillance applications, namely infrared-based people segmentation and color-based people tracking, respectively.
Fluorescence Polarization Immunoassay of Mycotoxins: A Review
Authors: Maragos Chris
Published: December 2009

Immunoassays are routinely used in the screening of commodities and foods for fungal toxins (mycotoxins). Demands to increase speed and lower costs have lead to continued improvements in such assays. Because many reported mycotoxins are low molecular weight (below 1 kDa), immunoassays for their detection have generally been constructed in competitive heterogeneous formats. An exception is fluorescence polarization immunoassay (FPIA), a homogeneous format that does not require the separation of bound and free labels (tracer). The potential for rapid, solution phase, immunoassays has been realized in the development of FPIA for many of the major groups of mycotoxins, including aflatoxins, fumonisins, group B trichothecenes (primarily deoxynivalenol), ochratoxin A, and zearalenone. This review describes the basic principles of FPIA and summarizes recent research in this area with regard to mycotoxins.
A Wearable System to Assist Walking of Parkinson´s Disease Patients
Authors: Plotnik M. , Roggen D. , Giladi N. , Hausdorff J. M. , Tröster G. , Bächlin M.
Published: December 2009

Background: About 50% of the patients with advanced Parkinson’s disease (PD) suffer from freezing of gait (FOG), which is a sudden and transient inability to walk. It often causes falls, interferes with daily activities and significantly impairs quality of life. Because gait deficits in PD patients are often resistant to pharmacologic treatment, effective non-pharmacologic treatments are of special interest.

Objectives: The goal of our study is to evaluate the concept of a wearable device that can obtain real-time gait data, processes them and provides asistance based on pre-determined specifications.

Methods: We developed a real-time wearable FOG detection system that automatically provides a cueing sound when FOG is detected and which stays until the subject resumes walking. We evaluated our wearable assistive technology in a study with 10 PD patients. Over eight hours of data was recorded and a questionnaire was filled out by each patient.

Results: Two hundred and thirty-seven FOG events have been identified by professional physiotherapists in a post-hoc video analysis. The device detected the FOG events online with a sensitivity of 73.1% and a specificity of 81.6% on a 0.5 sec frame-based evaluation.

Conclusions: With this study we show that online assistive feedback for PD patients is possible. We present and discuss the patients’ and physiotherapists’ perspectives on wear-abilty and performance of the wearable assistant as well as their gait performance when using the assistant and point out the next research steps. Our results demonstrate the benefit of such a context-aware system and motivate further studies.
Perceptions of Select Registered Nurses of the Continuing Competence Program of the Saskatchewan Registered Nurses' Association
Authors: Bassendowski Sandra , Petrucka Pammla
Published: December 2009

Nursing is a self-regulating profession, and most professional nursing jurisdictions across Canada have undertaken the creation of Continuing Competence Programs (CCPs), with the goals of promoting good nursing practice, encouraging continuous learning, contributing to the quality of nursing practice, and optimizing client outcomes. Most CCPs call for a professional portfolio to collect, synthesize, and analyze professional experiences, including documentation of peer feedback and preparation of a learning plan. In the province of Saskatchewan, Canada, there is a self-reflective tool that enables registered nurses to self-rate their achievement of a set of foundational competencies. This article explores the perceptions that select registered nurses have about the CCP in Saskatchewan and how their view of the degree of professional control (as assessed through locus of control) that they have affects their perspective about the outcomes of the program. The study was designed to assess how perceived locus of control was related to how registered nurses view the implementation of the CCP in Saskatchewan.

J Contin Educ Nurs
2009;40(12):553–559.
Total lipids and fatty acid profile in the liver of wild and farmed Catla catla fish
Authors: Hassan Muhammad , Shahid Chatha Shahzad Ali , Tahira Ismat , Hussain Bilal
Published: December 2009

This experimental work was aimed to study the moisture content, total lipids and fatty acid profile in the liver of wild and farmed freshwater major carp Catla catla of three different weight categories designated as W1 (601-900g), W2 (901- 1200)g and W3 (1201-1500g). Seven fish specimens of each of the three weight categories of wild and farmed Catla catla were obtained from Trimu Head, Jhang and Fish Hatchery, Satiana Road and Faisalabad, respectively. The fish were dissected to remove the liver and after weighing, liver samples were prepared and subjected to chemical analysis. Wild Catla catla liver had a significantly (p < 0.05) higher moisture content as compared to the farmed species. Farmed Catla catla deposited significantly (p < 0.05) higher lipid contents in liver. Proportions of saturated fatty acids varied irregularly in the lipids of the liver from both wild and farmed Catla catla. Saturated fatty acids C12:0, C14:0, C16:0, C18:0, C20:0 and C22:0 were identified with considerable percentages in the liver of Catla catla from both habitats and monounsaturated fatty acid C18:1 was found in considerable amounts in the liver of both major carp. Polyunsaturated fatty acids such as C18:3 (n-6) and C20: 2 (n-6) were detected in the liver of the wild fish of W2 and W3 and was similar in the W3 weight category of the farmed species.
Supplementing female rats with DHA-lysophosphatidylcholine increases docosahexaenoic acid and acetylcholine contents in the brain and improves the memory and learning capabilities of the pups.
Authors: Valenzuela A. , Nieto S. , Sanhueza J. , Morgado N. , Rojas I. , Zañartu P.
Published: December 2009

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is supplied to the foetus and newborn through the mother from their own reserves and their diet. No consensus about the best form to supplement DHA has been established. We propose that DHAcontaining lysophosphatidylcholine (DHA-LPC), obtained from DHA-rich eggs may be a suitable form of DHA and choline (the precursor of acetylcholine) supplementation. We evaluated the effectiveness of DHA-LPC to increase DHA and acetylcholine concentration in the brain of pups born from female rats supplemented with DHA-LPC before and during pregnancy. We also evaluated the effect of DHA supplementation on learning and memory capabilities of pups through the Skinner test for operant conditioning. Female Wistar rats received 40-day supplementation of DHA-LPC (8 mg DHA/kg b.w/daily.), before and during pregnancy. After delivery, plasma, erythrocyte, liver, and adipose tissue DHA and plasma choline were analyzed. Brains from 60 day-old pups separated into frontal cortex, cerebellum, striatum, hippocampus, and occipital cortex, were assessed for DHA, acetylcholine, and acetylcholine transferase (CAT) activity. Pups were subjected to the Skinner box test. DHA-LPC supplementation produces higher choline and liver DHA contents in the mother’s plasma and increases the pups’ DHA and acetylcholine in the cerebellum and hippocampus. CAT was not modified by supplementation. The Skinner test shows that pups born from DHA-LPC supplemented mothers exhibit better scores of learning and memory than the controls. Conclusion: DHA-LPC may be an adequate form for DHA supplementation during the perinatal period.
Fatty acid composition and antioxidant activity of oils from two cultivars of Cantaloupe extracted by supercritical fluid extraction
Authors: Ismail Maznah , Mariod Abdalbasit , Bagalkotkar Gururaj , Sy Ling Hoe
Published: December 2009

The effect of supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) fractionation of three oil fractions (1st, 2nd, 3rd fraction) on the fatty acid composition and antioxidant activity of oils from two cultivars of cantaloupe were investigated. Rock melon oil (RMO) and Golden Langkawi oil (GLO) were extracted using SFE and the major fatty acids for both cultivars were linoleic, oleic, palmitic, and stearic acid. The SFA decreased from 15.78 to 14.14% in RMO 1st fraction, and MUFA decreased from 18.30 to 16.56% in RMO 2nd fraction, while PUFA increased from 65.9 to 69.30% in RMO 3rd fraction. On the other hand SFA decreased from 16.35 to 13.91% in GLO 1st fraction, and MUFA decreased from 17.50 to 15.57% in GLO 2nd fraction, while PUFA increased from 66.15 to 70.52% in GLO 3rd fraction. The different fractions of the two oils showed high antioxidant activity in reducing the oxidation of β-carotene in beta-carotene bleaching assay (BCB) and the quenching of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH).
Antioxidant activity of wild edible plants in the Black Sea Region of Turkey
Authors: Özen Tevfik
Published: December 2009

The antioxidative activity of the 80% ethanol extract obtained from eleven commonly consumed wild edible plants was determined according to the phosphomolybdenum method, reducing power, metal chelating, superoxide anion and free radical scavenging activity and compared to standard compounds such as butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and trolox. Total phenolic compounds, flavonoids, and anthocyanins in the extracts were also measured. Trachystemon orientalis, Vaccinium mrytillus, Rumex acetosella Polygonum amphibium, Beta vulgaris, and Similax Excelsa had the highest antioxidant capacities. Overall results showed that these plants can serve as good sources of bioactive polyphenols in the human diet and can be regarded as good candidates for nutritional supplement formulations due to their high concentrations of total phenolic compounds, flavonoids and anthocyanins as well as their strong antioxidant activity.
Medio siglo de cambios paisajísticos en la montaña mediterránea. Percepción y valoración social del paisaje en la alta Garrotxa (Girona)
Authors: Vila Subirós J. , Ribas Palom A. , Varga Linde D. , Llausàs Pascual A.
Published: December 2009

El despoblamiento rural y el abandono de la actividad agraria han originado una intensa transformación de los paisajes característicos de las montañas mediterráneas. Una dinámica marcada por un intenso proceso de incremento de la superficie forestal en detrimento de las zonas dedicadas a la ganadería y a la agricultura. Este proceso, que repercute en aspectos tan variados como la pérdida de biodiversidad y patrimonio cultural o la proliferación de incendios forestales, puede ser cartografiado, cuantificado y caracterizado con una gran exactitud gracias a la cartografía digital, los sistemas de información geográfica y los índices de paisaje. ¿Pero cuál es la percepción y la valoración de estos cambios por parte de los agentes sociales involucrados en la gestión de estos territorios? En este artículo se intenta dar respuesta a esta pregunta en el espacio protegido del Alta Garrotxa (Girona), donde se pone de manifiesto una elevada coincidencia entre las dinámicas del paisaje y la percepción de estas dinámicas por parte de los agentes sociales. En cambio la valoración social de estos cambios y las perspectivas de futuro generan opiniones diversas y a menudo contradictorias que ilustran las dificultades de gestión existentes
Expression of Soluble Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1 in Human Monocyte-Derived Mature Dendritic Cells Contributes to Their Antiangiogenic Property
Authors: Kishuku Masatoshi , Nishioka Yasuhiko , Abe Shinji , Kishi Jun , Ogino Hirokazu , Aono Yoshinori , Azuma Momoyo , Kinoshita Katsuhiro , Rentsenhand Batmungh , Makino Hideki , Ranjan Priya , Minakuchi Kazuo , Sone Saburo
Published: December 2009

The soluble form of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-1 (sVEGFR-1) is produced from endothelial cells by alternative splicing of VEGFR-1 mRNA, and can inhibit angiogenesis by blocking the biological effects of VEGF. In this study, we show the expression of a large amount of sVEGFR-1 in human monocyte-derived mature dendritic cells (mDCs). As compared with monocytes and immature DCs, mDCs generated by TNF-α or soluble CD40L with IFN-γ, but not LPS or other stimuli, preferentially produce sVEGFR-1. We also detected the mRNA of sVEGFR-1 generated by alternative splicing of VEGFR-1 mRNA in mDCs induced by TNF-α. The production of sVEGFR-1 showed a distinct contrast to those of VEGF in each DC matured with various stimuli. The supernatant of DCs matured with TNF-α or soluble CD40L with IFN-γ showed inhibition of the tube formation of HUVECs, which was neutralized by anti-VEGFR-1 Ab, indicating that sVEGFR-1 secreted from mDCs was biologically active. Interestingly, the supernatant of mDCs generated with LPS increased HUVEC capillary-like formation in vitro. The ratio of sVEGFR-1 to VEGF clearly reflected the net angiogenic property of mDCs. Administration of mDCs induced by TNF-α into the s.c. tumor of PC-14 cells implanted in SCID mice demonstrated the inhibition of tumor growth via reduction of the number of CD31-positive vessels, indicating their in vivo antiangiogenic potential. These results suggest that sVEGFR-1 produced by mDCs contribute to their antiangiogenic property, and the ratio of sVEGFR-1 to VEGF might be a useful tool for evaluating their ability to regulate angiogenesis mediated by VEGF.
Neuronal IκB Kinase β Protects Mice from Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis by Mediating Neuroprotective and Immunosuppressive Effects in the Central Nervous System
Authors: Emmanouil Mary , Taoufik Era , Tseveleki Vivian , Vamvakas Sotiris-Spyros , Tselios Theodore , Karin Michael , Lassmann Hans , Probert Lesley
Published: December 2009

Some aspects of CNS-directed autoimmunity in multiple sclerosis are modeled in mice by immunization with myelin Ags where tissue damage is driven by myelin-reactive Th1 and Th17 effector lymphocytes. Whether the CNS plays an active role in controlling such autoimmune diseases is unknown. We used mice in which IκB kinase β was deleted from Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent kinase IIα-expressing neurons (nIKKβKO) to investigate the contribution of neuronal NF-κB to the development of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein 35–55-induced experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. We show that nIKKβKO mice developed a severe, nonresolving disease with increased axon loss compared with controls and this was associated with significantly reduced CNS production of neuroprotective factors (vascular endothelial growth factor, CSF1-R, and FLIP) and increased production of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-6, TNF, IL-12, IL-17, and CD30L) and chemokines. The isolation of CNS-infiltrating monocytes revealed greater numbers of CD4+ T cells, reduced numbers of NK1.1+ cells, and a selective accumulation of Th1 cells in nIKKβKO CNS from early in the disease. Our results show that neurons play an important role in determining the quality and outcome of CNS immune responses, specifically that neuronal IκB kinase β is required for neuroprotection, suppression of inflammation, limitation of Th1 lymphocyte accumulation, and enhancement of NK cell recruitment in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis-affected CNS and stress the importance of neuroprotective strategies for the treatment of multiple sclerosis.