bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Esterase‐mediated resistance to pyrethroids in field populations of Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) from Central Africa
Authors: Achaleke Joseph , Martin Thibaud , Ghogomu Richard T , Vaissayre Maurice , Brévault Thierry
Published: July 2009

BACKGROUND: Evolution of pyrethroid resistance in the cotton bollworm Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) threatens continued cotton production in Central Africa. Dose–response bioassays were conducted on area‐wide collection of bollworm populations from major host plants, while biochemical techniques were used to evaluate basic mechanisms underlying resistance.

RESULTS: Pyrethroid resistance is primarily associated with detoxification by enhanced esterase activity. High resistance to cypermethrin (RF = 67–1771), cross‐resistance to deltamethrin (RF = 60–2972) and lack of cross‐resistance to the non‐ester pyrethroid etofenprox (RF = 2–10) were observed among H. armigera field populations and laboratory‐selected strains. Enzymatic assays showed that esterase activity, but not oxidase content or glutathione‐S‐transferase activity, was positively correlated with resistance to cypermethrin. Pretreatment with piperonyl butoxide (PBO) resulted in significant synergism with cypermethrin in 6/10 field populations, but not in the laboratory‐selected strain, indicating that additional mechanisms such as mixed‐function oxidase (MFO) may be involved in field resistance. The absence of cross‐resistance to DDT ruled out a possible target‐site modification.

CONCLUSION: Knowledge of the mechanisms involved in pyrethroid resistance and the lack of cross‐resistance to spinosad and indoxacarb is a key to devising new resistance management strategies aimed at restoring the efficacy of pyrethroid‐based programmes. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry
The importance of defects for carbon nanoribbon based electronics
Authors: Botello‐Méndez A. R. , López‐Urías F. , Cruz‐Silva E. , Sumpter B. G. , Meunier V. , Terrones M. , Terrones H.
Published: July 2009

The utilization of graphene nanoribbons for next generation nanoelectronics is commonly expected to depend on the controlled synthesis that yields a low density of defects. Edge roughness and vacancies have been shown to have a large impact on the performance of graphene nanoribbon transistors. In contrast, we show how certain defects can be used to enhance the electronic and magnetic properties of graphene nanoribbons. We explore the properties of hybrid graphene nanoribbons with armchair and zigzag features joined by an array of pentagon–heptagon structural defects. The graphene nanoribbons display an increased density of states at the Fermi level, and half metallicity in absence of external fields. (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Comparing the weak and strong gate‐coupling regimes for nanotube and graphene transistors
Authors: Heller I. , Chatoor S. , Männik J. , Zevenbergen M. A. G. , Dekker C. , Lemay S. G.
Published: July 2009

We present an experimental and theoretical comparison of the weak and strong gate‐coupling regimes that arise for carbon nanotube (CNT) and graphene field‐effect transistors (FETs) in back‐gated and liquid‐gated configuration, respectively. We find that whereas the back‐gate efficiency is suppressed for a liquid‐gated CNT FET, the back gate is still effective in case of a liquid‐gated graphene FET. We calculate the gate‐induced Fermi‐level shifts and induced charge densities. In both strong and weak coupling regimes, nonlinearities occur in the gate dependence of these parameters, which can significantly influence the electronic transport. (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Stewartia koreanaextract stimulates proliferation and migration of human endothelial cells and induces neovasculizationin vivo
Authors: Lee Tae Hoon , Lee Guy Wilhem , Kim Chan Woo , Bang Myun‐Ho , Baek Nam‐In , Kim Sung‐Hoon , Chung Dae Kyun , Kim Jiyoung
Published: July 2009

Angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels from preexisting vasculature, plays an important role in physiological and pathological processes such as embryonic development and wound healing. This study investigated the effects of methanol extracts ofStewartia koreanaleaves (SKE) on angiogenesis.Stewartia koreanasignificantly promoted the proliferation and migration of human umbilical vein endothelial cells in a dose‐dependent manner. The SKE induced endothelial cell proliferation in the range of 50 µg/mL without cytotoxicity. Treatment of HUVECs resulted in the activation of the mitogen‐activated protein kinases that was correlated with endothelial cell proliferation and migration. SKE also stimulated angiogenesis in a chick chorioallantoic membrane assay, demonstrating promotion of new blood vessel formationin vivo. Local administration of SKE onto skin punched wounds resulted in increased von Willebrand Factor antigen, indicating that it stimulated neovasculization in the wound region. The results suggest thatStewartia koreanaextracts may potentially be useful for the development of agents to accelerate vascular wound healing or to promote the growth of collateral blood vessels in ischemic tissues. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Thylakoids suppress appetite by increasing cholecystokinin resulting in lower food intake and body weight in high‐fat fed mice
Authors: Köhnke Rickard , Lindqvist Andreas , Göransson Nathanael , Emek Sinan C. , Albertsson Per‐Åke , Rehfeld Jens F. , Hultgårdh‐Nilsson Anna , Erlanson‐Albertsson Charlotte
Published: July 2009

Thylakoids are membranes isolated from plant chloroplasts which have previously been shown to inhibit pancreatic lipase/colipase catalysed hydrolysis of fat in vitro and induce short‐term satiety in vivo. The purpose of the present study was to examine if dietary supplementation of thylakoids could affect food intake and body weight during long‐term feeding in mice. Female apolipoprotein E‐deficient mice were fed a high‐fat diet containing 41% of fat by energy with and without thylakoids for 100 days. Mice fed the thylakoid‐enriched diet had suppressed food intake, body weight gain and body fat compared with the high‐fat fed control mice. Reduced serum glucose, serum triglyceride and serum free fatty acid levels were found in the thylakoid‐treated animals. The satiety hormone cholecystokinin was elevated, suggesting this hormone mediates satiety. Leptin levels were reduced, reflecting a decreased fat mass. There was no sign of desensitization in the animals treated with thylakoids. The results suggest that thylakoids are useful to suppress appetite and body weight gain when supplemented to a high‐fat food during long‐term feeding. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Analgesic and antiinflammatory activity ofMorinda citrifoliaL. (Noni) fruit
Authors: Basar Simla , Uhlenhut Klaus , Högger Petra , Schöne Florian , Westendorf Johannes
Published: July 2009

M. citrifoliais a tropical plant with a long tradition of medicinal use in Polynesia and tropical parts of eastern Asia and Australia. One of its favorite uses is the treatment of painful inflammatory conditions, such as arthritis. The analgesic activity of Noni fruit puree on mice was investigated using the hot plate test. A 10% solution of freeze concentrated Noni fruit puree in the drinking water of mice reduced the pain sensitivity comparably to the central analgesic drug tramadol. This effect was only partly reversed by the application of the morphine antagonist naloxone. An alcohol extract of noni fruit puree also caused an inhibition of MMP‐9 release from human monocytes after stimulation with LPS. This effect was comparable to hydrocortisone (10−5m). The findings suggest that preparations of noni fruits are effective in decreasing pain and joint destruction caused by arthritis. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Screening of some kenyan medicinal plants for antibacterial activity
Authors: Wagate Cyrus G. , Mbaria James M. , Gakuya Daniel W. , Nanyingi Mark O. , Kareru P. G. , Njuguna Anne , Gitahi Nduhiu , Macharia James K. , Njonge Francis K.
Published: July 2009

Eleven medicinal plants used by traditional healers in Machakos and Kitui District were screened, namely: Ajuga remota Benth, Aloe secundiflora Engl, Amaranthus hybridus L, Cassia didymobotrya Fes, Croton macrostachyus Del, Entada leptostachya Harms, Erythrina abyssinica DC, Harrisonia abyssinica Oliv, Schkuhria pinnata O. Ktze, Terminalia kilimandscharica Engl and Ziziphus abyssinica Hochst for potential antibacterial activity against four medically important bacterial strains, namely: Bacillus cereus ATCC 11778, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Micrococcus lutea ATCC 9341 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853. The antibacterial activity of methanol extracts was determined as the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). The plant extracts were more active against Gram‐positive (G+) than Gram‐negative (G−) bacteria. The positive controls were streptomycin and benzylpenicillin for G− and G+ bacteria, respectively, both had a significant MIC at <1 mg/mL. The most susceptible bacteria were B. cereus, followed by M. lutea, while the most resistant bacteria were Ps. aeruginosa, followed by E. coli. The present study supports the use of these plants by the herbalists in the management of bacterial ailments. H. abyssinica and T. kilimandscharica showed the best antibacterial activity; hence these plants can be further subjected to phytochemical and pharmacological evaluation. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
An Optimal Self‐Pruning Neural Network and Nonlinear Descriptor Selection in QSAR
Authors: Burden Frank R. , Winkler David A.
Published: July 2009

Feature selection is an important but still poorly solved problem in QSAR modeling. We employ a Bayesian regularized neural network with a sparse Laplacian prior as an efficient method for supervised feature selection, and robust parsimonious nonlinear QSAR modeling. The method simultaneously selects the most relevant descriptors for model, and automatically prunes the neural network to have the architecture with optimum prediction ability. We illustrate the advantages of the method using a suite of diverse data sets, and compare the results obtained by the new method against those obtained by alternative contemporary methods.
Range and strength of intermolecular forces for van der Waals complexes of the type H2Xn‐Rg, with X = O, S and n = 1,2
Authors: Barreto Patrícia R. P. , Palazzetti F. , Grossi G. , Lombardi A. , Maciel G. S. , Vilela A. F. A.
Published: July 2009

This study is intended as a continuation of previous experimental and theoretical works on the systems H2O‐Rg, H2S‐Rg, H2O2‐Rg, and H2S2‐Rg, where Rg = He, Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe. For the H2O‐Rg and H2S‐Rg systems, molecular and atomic polarizabilities have been calculated and from them, using phenomenological correlation formulas modeling the dispersion‐repulsion (van der Waals) forces, the isotropic interaction parameters have been determined and compared with experimental data from this laboratory. For the H2O2‐Rg and H2S2‐Rg systems, the molecular polarizabilities have been calculated and used in correlation formulas to predict well depths and positions of van der Waals forces and a comparison made with the corresponding potential energy surfaces calculated in previous works. The approach correctly predicts the interaction parameters, except for H2O and H2O2 with the heavier rare gases. The correlation formulas have been then extended to include an attractive induction contribution accounting for the interaction between the permanent molecular dipole moment and the instantaneous induced atomic dipole moment, to improve the predicted parameters for H2O and H2O2‐Ar, Kr and Xe. The agreement with experimental and theoretical data is improved but the predicted data still underestimate the interaction. This is probably due to the presence of a significant non van der Waals contribution to the interaction for the heavier gases, as suggested by analogy with the previously studied water‐Rg case. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2010
Influence of oxygen vibrational excitation on HS + O2 reactive collisions
Authors: Garrido Juan de Dios , Nascimento Marco Antonio Chaer , Ballester Maikel Yusat
Published: July 2009

The title reaction is studied in the frame of quasiclassical trajectory method using a previously reported global potential energy surface for the ground electronic state of HSO2. To assert the role of vibrational excitation in molecular oxygen, specific calculations at some vibrational quantum states were carried out. To take into account the zero point energy leakage of the classical calculations, a passive method, Internal Energy Quantum Mechanical Threshold is used. HSO + O are the most formed set of products. Total reactive cross‐sections are calculated and fitted to models in the studied energy range. Analytical expression for rate coefficients are reported as well. A comparison of reactivities when vibrational energy is deposited either in O2 or in HS is also presented. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2010
Electrodynamical and quantum‐chemical approaches to modeling the electrochemical and catalytic processes on metals, metal alloys, and semiconductors
Authors: Glushkov A. V. , Kondratenko P. A. , Lepikh Ya. I. , Fedchuk A. P. , Lovett L. , Svinarenko A. A.
Published: July 2009

A problem of the catalytic activity definition for metals, binary metallic alloys, and semiconductor materials is considered within new quantum mechanical and electrodynamics approach in the electron theory of catalysis. The quantitative link between the electron structure parameters of the materials and their catalytic activity on example of simple model reactions of the following type are found: H = H+ + e, O2 + e− = O. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2009
Tracking periodic signals for a class of uncertain nonlinear systems
Authors: Yang Zaiyue , Chan C. W.
Published: July 2009

In this paper, a conditional learning control (CLC) is proposed to track periodic signals for a class of nonlinear systems with unknown dynamics. The main advantage of the CLC over the conventional iterative learning control is that monotonic convergence of the control sequence in the iteration domain is achieved, as the CLC ensures the learning is based on the steady‐state output, and hence the effect of the vanishing and unknown transient output is minimized. Following this result, the convergence of the tracking errors is obtained. Further, the optimal setting of the learning gains can be obtained in a min–max sense. A simulation example is presented to illustrate the performance and implementation of the CLC. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Importance and seasonal availability of terrestrial invertebrates as prey for juvenile salmonids in floodplain spring brooks of the Kol River (Kamchatka, Russian Federation)
Authors: Eberle Lorri C. , Stanford Jack A.
Published: July 2009

Energy and resource fluxes between terrestrial and aquatic habitats of river flood plains can have reciprocal influences on food webs. Floodplain spring brooks may contain high densities (>1 m−2) of juvenile fish even when aquatic food resources appear to be low. A likely explanation is the allochthonous energy subsidy from riparian vegetation (e.g. leaves, invertebrates). To quantify this relationship in a rich salmon river ecosystem, we measured the temporal and spatial flux of terrestrial invertebrate and aquatic food resources in relation to diets of the two most abundant salmonid species in two spring brooks within early (<20 years) and late (>50 years) successional riparia on an expansive coastal flood plain of the Kol River, Kamchatka.

Standing crops of benthic invertebrates and density of drifting invertebrates (dry mass) were fairly low (<4 g m−2 and <1 mg m−3, respectively) at both sites, but annual average terrestrial invertebrate input among sites was 22.2 ±  0.1 mg m−2 day−1. On average 68% of the coho salmon diet was of terrestrial origin, contrasting with 13% for Dolly Varden char at both sites, thus showing resource partitioning. Diet varied temporally and spatially with prey availability. Specifically, larvae of a weevil (Curculionidae) feeding on willow catkins were a dominant diet item for coho in the spring but only at the early successional site; Dolly Varden also ate these weevils but aquatic invertebrates continued to dominate their diets, further demonstrating behavioural segregation. The results show the importance of channel‐floodplain connectivity to management and conservation of salmon rivers. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Testing treatment effects in unconfounded studies under model misspecification: Logistic regression, discretization, and their combination
Authors: Cangul M. Z. , Chretien Y. R. , Gutman R. , Rubin D. B.
Published: July 2009

Logistic regression is commonly used to test for treatment effects in observational studies. If the distribution of a continuous covariate differs between treated and control populations, logistic regression yields an invalid hypothesis test even in an uncounfounded study if the link is not logistic. This flaw is not corrected by the commonly used technique of discretizing the covariate into intervals. A valid test can be obtained by discretization followed by regression adjustment within each interval. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The nature of partnering experience and the gains from alliances
Authors: Gulati Ranjay , Lavie Dovev , Singh Harbir
Published: July 2009

We examine the conditions under which the prior partnering experience of firms contributes to value creation in their new alliances. We propose that prior experience with the same partners, that is, ‘partner‐specific experience,’ provides greater benefits than ‘general partnering experience’ that encompasses all prior alliances with any partner. We further explore some of the boundary conditions for the effects of partner‐specific experience. We suggest that the effect of partner‐specific experience on value creation in alliances is moderated by the extent to which the assets of the new partner differ from those of the firm's prior partners. We also propose that the firm's own technological and financial resources increase the benefits of partner‐specific experience. Finally, we predict that the value of partner‐specific experience will increase under high levels of firm‐specific uncertainty. We test these hypotheses with comprehensive longitudinal multi‐industry data on joint ventures formed among Fortune 300 firms between 1987 and 1996. Based on stock market returns to joint venture announcements, the results provide support for the contingent value of partnering experience. The implications for managing alliances and advancing organizational learning are discussed. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Photoresponsive Crosslinked Hyperbranched Polyglycerols as Smart Nanocarriers for Guest Binding and Controlled Release
Authors: Burakowska Ewelina , Zimmerman Steven C. , Haag Rainer
Published: July 2009

A convenient methodology for the synthesis of photolabile crosslinked hyperbranched polyglycerol nanocapsules is presented. These nanocarriers selectively and efficiently bind ionic guest molecules. The stability of the host–guest complexes formed depends on the counterion of the guest molecules. Moreover, the control over guest binding can be achieved by modification of the polymer building blocks, in particular the outer shell. In addition, photo‐triggered degradation of the nanocarrier leads to efficient release of encapsulated guest molecules. This approach, using photolabile dendritic nanocarriers to bind and release guest molecules, is of particular relevance for biomedical applications where selective guest binding and controlled release are crucial.
Comparison of models for evolution of X‐ray satellite lines
Authors: Mukoyama T. , Uda M. , Kövér L.
Published: July 2009

Evolution of the KL X‐ray satellite line was studied. Four theoretical models based on the adiabatic approximation were fitted to the experimental data for the intensity ratio of the satellite line relative to the diagram line for Fe and Zn as a function of incident photon energy. The Thomas, the Vatai, the Roy and the modified Roy (Roy2) models were considered. Comparison of these four models was made for the case of inner‐shell electron transitions and their difference was clarified. The reason that the models developed for bound–bound transitions can give satisfactory results for bound‐free transitions is discussed. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Phyllites used as waterproofing layer materials for greenhouses crops in Spain: multivariate statistical analysis applied to their classification based on X‐ray fluorescence analysis
Authors: Garzón E. , García‐Rodríguez I. G. , Ruiz‐Conde A. , Sánchez‐Soto P. J.
Published: July 2009

The results are presented for the chemical characterization carried out with 53 raw material samples with phyllosilicates from outcrops located between the provinces of Almería and Granada (SE Spain) in order to use them as waterproof layers under the floors of greenhouses. For this purpose, the samples have been studied by these techniques: X‐Ray Diffraction (XRD), X‐Ray Fluorescence (WDXRF), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), chemical analysis by energy‐dispersive X‐Ray detection (EDX), and thermogravimetry. To isolate groups of phyllite samples with similar chemical profiles and correlations between the samples, the WDXRF data (11 chemical elements) have been processed using the methodology of exploratory multivariate statistical analyses: cluster analysis, main‐component analysis, and discriminating canon analysis. This study was performed as a screening test and as a means of finding similarities and correlations among all 53 phyllite samples, allowing the isolation of groups of phyllite samples with similar chemical profiles. The results indicate that the 53 phyllite samples can be divided into two main groups. The first group is subdivided into two subgroups (1 and 2), one of which includes most of the samples. The latter is further classified into three blocks with the same chemical composition. This allows to search for the raw material with potentially the best waterproof characteristics within the five groups. The classification is of validity as a screening test for subsequent experimental determinations concerning the physical properties of these samples. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Synthesis, Crystal Structure and Bond Situation of [Co7Se7Cp3(CO)4] (Cp = Cyclopentadienyl)
Authors: Koenig Sven , Fenske Dieter , Weigend Florian
Published: July 2009

The reaction of Se(SiMe3)2 with [CpCo(CO)2] (Cp = cyclopentadienyl) led to the formation of the new chalkogenido‐bridged cobalt cluster compound [Co7Se7Cp3(CO)4] (1). The compound crystallizes as dark violet needles that are suitable for X‐ray structural analysis. Space group P21/n, monoclinic; Z = 4; lattice dimensions /Å: a = 10.321(2), b = 15.860(3), c = 18.436(4); β = 100.57(3)°; V = 2966.7(10) Å3; R1 = 0.0411. The molecular structure of the compound features a distorted hexagonal prism. The bond situation was investigated by density functional calculations and subsequent transformation to localized molecular orbitals.
Population structure affected by excess gene flow in self‐pollinating Elymus nutans and E. burchan‐buddae (Triticeae: Poaceae)
Authors: Yan Xue‐Bing , Guo Yu‐Xia , Liu Fa‐Yang , Zhao Chong , Liu Quan‐Lan , Lu Bao‐Rong
Published: July 2009

Seed‐mediated gene flow can considerably affect population genetic structure of strictly self‐pollinating species, but little is known on the extent and nature of such gene flow among pastoral plant populations. Molecular fingerprints provide a powerful tool to address the relevant issues. Genetic structure of 22 populations of two self‐pollinating pasture species, Elymus nutans and E. burchan‐buddae, collected from various altitudes of the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau was studied using fluorescence‐based amplified fragment length polymorphism technique. Analysis of molecular variance revealed 42.97% and 37.63% among‐population variation for the two Elymus species, respectively, indicating that the majority of the total variation presented within populations. This result contradicts the common genetic variation pattern for a selfing plant species: lower genetic variation within populations. Further analysis suggested higher level of gene flow among populations within the same region than among different regions across the sampled area for the two Elymus species. STRUCTURE analyses of the Elymus populations indicated an evident admixture genetic structure, particularly among neighboring populations from the same region, supporting the hypothesis of considerable seed dispersal among populations. The excess within‐region gene flow of E. nutans and E. burchan‐buddae might be caused by grazing animals that promote seed dispersal when moved around the pastoral lands during foraging. The among‐population gene flow promulgated by grazing animals may promote the maintenance of genetic diversity in the pasture species, particularly in small and fragmented populations within a given region.
Determination of Trace Nickel in Hydrogenated Cottonseed Oil by Pressurized Bomb Acid Digestion and Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrometry Detection
Authors: Liu Jianbo , Zhang Gai , Meng Zuchao , Qiao Bo
Published: July 2009

Abstracts

A pressurized polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) bomb method for the digestion of trace nickel in hydrogenated cottonseed oil prior to its determination by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) has been developed. Currently, the methods outlined in United States Pharmacopeial 28 (USP28) and British Pharmacopeial (BP2003) methods are recommended as the official methods for analyzing nickel in hydrogenated cottonseed oil. However, when using these methods, the samples were easily tarnished during sample pretreatment when using a silica crucible. In contrast, when using a platinum crucible, hydrogenated cottonseed oil acting as a reducing material may react with the platinum and destroy the crucible. In order to avoid the tarnish with a silica crucible and the risk when using platinum, the technology of a pressurized PTFE bomb method was applied in the digestion of nickel in hydrogenated cottonseed oil. The results showed that hydrogenated cottonseed oil can be digested completely by the optimal combinations of HCl (0.1 mL) and HNO3 (0.5 mL). The digested solution was investigated using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry.
3′‐Untranslated region of doublecortin mRNA is a binding target of the Musashi1 RNA‐binding protein
Authors: Horisawa Kenichi , Imai Takao , Okano Hideyuki , Yanagawa Hiroshi
Published: July 2009

Musashi1 (Msi1) is an RNA‐binding protein that is highly expressed in neural stem cells, and is considered to be a stemness factor. A known function of Msi1 is translational repression of specifically bound mRNAs. Although the basic mechanism and some target RNAs have been reported, further survey of interactors is necessary to understand the integrated function of Msi1. By screening using an mRNA display technique, we found that doublecortin (dcx) mRNA is a specific binding target of Msi1 in vitro. We confirmed that Msil repressed translation of a luciferase reporter gene linked to the selected 3′‐untranslated region fragment of dcx in Neuro2A cells.
Changes for the New AMA Guides to Impairment Ratings, 6th Edition: Implications and Applications for Physician Disability Evaluations
Authors: Rondinelli Robert D.
Published: July 2009

Objective

U.S. Disability Systems share a common procedural approach to the determination of disability for purposes of compensation. The structural and anatomical consequences of the injury or disease are defined and measured according to medical impairment, which is used to estimate the individual's loss in terms of their capacity to perform activities of daily living (ADLs) and, presumptively, their losses in terms of vocational and non‐vocational pursuits and quality of life. The physician is traditionally empowered to rate the severity of impairment in terms of a percentage loss to the “whole person” and according to criteria specific to each disability system. Often, the impairment percentage so derived, then is directly translated into a monetary sum for purposes of compensating these losses. The AMA periodically publishes and updates a physician impairment rating guide (the AMA Guides). The 6th Edition, published in 2008, incorporates the definitions and terminology of the ICF and provides a simple means of assessment of ADLs as part of the rating process. It also has shifted the ratings criteria towards a diagnosis‐based approach, ostensibly to improve inter‐rater consistency and reliability.

Conclusion

Further work is needed to refine and validate ADL‐based functional assessment tools applicable to medical impairment ratings, and to demonstrate the levels of consistency and reliability of the new rating method. Of equal importance, operational standardization across systems is also needed to enable common criteria and metrics to be developed and applied when determining the non‐medical aspects of disability according to vocational and non‐vocational pursuits and quality of life. Impairment ratings cannot be optimally designed to serve as the singular determinant of, nor be held solely accountable for, the disability awards.
Prospective Evaluation of the Clinical Prediction of Electrodiagnostic Results in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Authors: Lo Julian K. , Finestone Hillel M. , Gilbert Ken
Published: July 2009

Objective

To develop a unique clinical prediction point‐score system for the diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and to prospectively evaluate this clinical rule to determine its ability to predict electrodiagnostic results.

Design

Retrospective case control to develop the clinical point‐score system and then prospective diagnostic study with blind comparison to electrodiagnostic results.

Setting

Community‐based electrodiagnostic laboratory.

Patients

A total of 348 subjects referred to the electrodiagnostic laboratory with a clinical suspicion of CTS to develop the clinical point‐score system and then a different population of 278 subjects referred to the electrodiagnostic laboratory over a 1‐year period with a clinical suspicion of CTS to prospectively evaluate the ability of the clinical rule to predict electrodiagnostic results.

Main Outcome Measures

Clinical point‐score system results were compared with the electrodiagnostic results for CTS, which served as the primary outcome measure.

Results

A “weighted” point‐score system was developed from 9 clinical variables including: gender, duration of symptoms, presence of wrist pain (negative predictor), presence of neck pain (negative predictor), nocturnal symptoms, presence of thenar atrophy, abductor pollicis brevis weakness, median sensory symptoms, and results of pinprick sensation examination. The prospective evaluation indicated that the clinical point‐score rule, overall, performed moderately in predicting electrodiagnostic results (receiver operator characteristic curve = 0.80). The clinical point score was most predictive in a small subset of subjects with very high scores. However, in most subjects, the clinical point score could not accurately predict electrodiagnostic outcome in CTS, particularly in subjects with middle to low clinical point scores.

Conclusions

The developed clinical point‐score rule was most predictive in subjects with high point score; however, the majority of the referrals to the electrodiagnostic laboratory indicated that the electrodiagnostic studies provided additional, independent information beyond what could be obtained by the clinical point score.
Hooker’s Consequentialism and the Depth of Moral Experience
Authors: Wall Edmund
Published: July 2009

ABSTRACT: In Ideal Code, Real World, Brad Hooker seeks to offer a version of ideal rule consequentialism that is immune from standard criticisms. I will attempt to challenge Hooker’s ideal rule-consequentialist theory by arguing that there are philosophical problems at the ultimate foundation of his maximizing consequentialist and pluralist approach toward well-being and other basic goods. I find that no amount of revision is likely to insulate his approach from standard criticisms. I suggest that any maximizing rule-consequentialist approach toward well-being, taken in a rich and pluralist sense, is likely to fall prey to standard criticisms. In later work, Hooker drops ideal rule consequentialism in favor of an incremental rule-consequentialist approach. That piecemeal approach is also challenged in this paper.
Out-Kanting Rawls: An Argument for Responsibility-Sensitive Theories of Justice from an Autonomy-Based Account of Normativity
Authors: Dekker Teun J.
Published: July 2009

ABSTRACT: When considering normative concepts, such as distributive justice, one must consider both the question how concepts can have normative force and which particular conceptions of these concepts have this normative force. In this article I consider the view that the human capacity for autonomy accounts for normativity, and argue that adopting this view commits one to a responsibility-sensitive theory of distributive justice. This conclusion puts me directly at odds with the work of John Rawls, who derives his responsibility-insensitive difference principle from a similar account of autonomy. However, I argue that such an argument would be based on a mischaracterisation of what is significant about the human capacity for autonomy.
‘A Sublime Treasure of Pretious Manuscripts’: the Schultens's legacy in the Leiden University Library and the elusive purchase of 1806
Authors: VROLIJK ARNOUD
Published: July 2009

Using university archives and library catalogues as well as letters and diaries belonging to the Schultens, a Dutch family that produced three generations of outstanding Arabists in the 18th Century, this article looks at the circumstances surrounding the purchase of some annotated dictionaries and manuscripts by Leiden University Library.
Mongol Siege Warfare on the Banks of the Euphrates and the Question of Gunpowder (1260–1312)
Authors: RAPHAEL KATE
Published: July 2009

This article discusses the Mongol approach to warfare, then goes on to consider the Mongols' conversion to the notion that they would have to develop a siege train, since walled cities cannot easily be taken by a cavalry charge. The contribution of Chinese siege engineers is discussed, and there is a survey of Chinese siege techniques as they evolved before the Mongol period. The author considers the evidence for the use of inflammable materials, and then moves to the question of gunpowder. The widespread (not quite universal) consensus that the Chinese used gunpowder is discussed, and then attention moves to Hulegu's expedition to western Asia in the 1250s. It is pointed out that none of the major sources seems to imply the use of anything that might be construed as gunpowder technology during those campaigns. Lastly, the author considers, in some detail, sieges conducted by the Ilkhanid Mongols against Mamluk border strongholds during the succeeding decades, drawing attention to and explaining those sieges' increasing lack of success.
Saroj Nalini Arambam Parratt (1933–2008)
Authors: PARRATT JOHN
Published: July 2009

Arambam Saroj Nalini was born in Imphal, in the then princely state of Manipur, on June 2nd 1933. Her father was a well-known and respected educationalist and government officer. During the war years he was posted to Jiribam, where she received her first education, and later transferred to a convent school in Haflong. She proceeded to Calcutta University, where she became the first Meetei woman to obtain BA and MA degrees, majoring in Philosophy. While in Calcutta she enjoyed close friendship with Christian Naga students, and converted to Christianity. She was baptised at the Lower Circular Road Baptist church, whose minister, Walter Corlett had himself served in Imphal during the war years. The Christian faith was to become a dominant influence on her future life. She came to Britain in the late 1950s to study theology, and obtained a Bachelor of Divinity degree from London University in 1961. Shortly after she married John Parratt. When their desire to work in India was frustrated they decided to work elsewhere in the developing world, initially in Nigeria, where Saroj became a tutor in philosophy at the University of Ile-Ife. When her husband was offered a research fellowship by the Australian National University she enrolled for a PhD in the Department of Asian Studies there, under the supervision of the eminent indologist A.L.Basham. Despite the frequent absences of her husband on field work in Papua-New Guinea and having to care for three young children, the bulk of the thesis was completed before she returned to Manipur for further extended field work in 1972. The doctorate was awarded three years later, one of her examiners being Professor Suniti Kumar Chatterji, who (unusually for the time) himself had a deep interest in India's north-eastern region. Her thesis was published in 1980 (Firma KLM, Calcutta) as The Religion of Manipur. It marked the beginning of a new phase in writing on Manipur by its rigorous application of critical methodology both in the collection and in the analysis of field data, and had considerable influence on younger Meetei scholars.
ON PSEUDOMONOTONE SET-VALUED MAPPINGS IN TOPOLOGICAL VECTOR SPACES
Authors: FARAJZADEH A. P.
Published: July 2009

In this paper we extend results of Inoan and Kolumban on pseudomonotone set-valued mappings to topological vector spaces. An application is made to a variational inequality problem.
IMAGES OF BLACK AMERICANS
Authors: Fiske Susan T. , Bergsieker Hilary B. , Russell Ann Marie , Williams Lyle
Published: July 2009

Images of Black Americans are becoming remarkably diverse, enabling Barack Obama to defy simple-minded stereotypes and succeed. Understood through the Stereotype Content Model's demonstrably fundamental trait dimensions of perceived warmth and competence, images of Black Americans show three relevant patterns. Stereotyping by omission allows non-Blacks to accentuate the positive, excluding any lingering negativity but implying it by its absence; specifically, describing Black Americans as gregarious and passionate suggests warmth but ignores competence and implies its lack. Obama's credentials prevented him from being cast as incompetent, though the experience debate continued. His legendary calm and passionate charisma saved him on the warmth dimension. Social class subtypes for Black Americans differentiate dramatically between low-income Blacks and Black professionals, among both non-Black and Black samples. Obama clearly fit the moderately warm, highly competent Black-professional subtype. Finally, the campaign's events (and nonevents) allowed voter habituation to overcome non-Blacks' automatic emotional vigilance to Black Americans.
ABLACKMAN IN THEWHITEHOUSE?
Authors: Parker Christopher S. , Sawyer Mark Q. , Towler Christopher
Published: July 2009

Race and patriotism were recurring themes during the 2008 presidential campaign that were used to highlight differences between Barack Obama and his opponents. Yet we know little about how racism and patriotism ultimately affected support for Obama among Whites. Appeals to working-class Whites, a lot of which were thinly veiled allusions to Obama's race and perceived lack of patriotism, also figured prominently in the campaign. Accordingly, this paper explores how racism and patriotism shaped support for Obama, as well as the extent to which the effect of each is moderated by class. We find that rising symbolic racism dampened his support among Whites, as did patriotism. Moreover, we find the effects of patriotism on support for Obama were contingent upon class.
CAN THE NEW COMMANDER IN CHIEF SUSTAIN HIS ALL-VOLUNTEER STANDING ARMY?
Authors: Burch Traci
Published: July 2009

During his campaign, Barack Obama inspired record numbers of Americans to donate their time and money to his electoral efforts. Now that the campaign is over, can Obama sustain this civic engagement as he begins to govern? This paper examines the possibilities for sustaining Obama's electoral mobilization, introducing new data from fieldwork conducted from September 2008 to Election Day 2008 in Atlanta, Georgia; Chicago, Illinois; and Charlotte, North Carolina. The data include staff interviews and observations of canvassing, rallies, and other get-out-the-vote efforts of the local Obama and McCain campaigns, the local Democratic and Republican Parties, and various nonprofit groups in each city. Based on these data it is clear that each city was characterized by excitement and heightened activity; however, the number of activities and the strength of the grassroots organization varied across the cities according to national electoral imperatives in ways that should affect the potential for future mobilization. As such, sustaining the mobilization of Obama's supporters faces several hurdles: campaign staff and volunteers in many cities were drawn from outside the community, tensions arose between local grassroots organizations and the campaign over resources and issue focus, and the extremely large amounts of money needed to finance the mobilization were not distributed evenly across cities and states.
RACE-BASED CONSIDERATIONS AND THE OBAMA VOTE
Authors: Ramakrishnan S. Karthick , Wong Janelle , Lee Taeku , Junn Jane
Published: July 2009

In the 2008 presidential primaries, Barack Obama seemed to have a problem connecting with Asian American voters, as he lost heavily to Hillary Clinton in states such as California and New Jersey. Many speculated that race-based considerations played a significant role in Asian Americans' overwhelming support for Clinton over Obama, with conjectures built on a limited set of aggregate exit poll data from three states. Race may also have accounted for the high proportion of Asian Americans who in polls said they were undecided heading into the November election. In this article, we analyze the importance of race-based considerations in the Asian American vote, after controlling for other factors such as partisanship, issue preferences, age, and gender. We rely on the National Asian American Survey, a large-scale telephone survey of Asian American voters conducted mostly in the fall of 2008, with interviews in eight languages and with sizable numbers of respondents from the six largest national-origin groups. We find that race-based considerations do indeed help explain the Asian American vote in 2008. Respondents who failed to see political commonality between Asian Americans and Blacks were less likely to vote for Obama in the primary, although other factors, such as age and gender, played a more significant role. Finally, the role of race-based considerations paled in comparison to party identification and issue preferences in the general election, suggesting that election contexts can play an important role in shaping whether or not race is relevant to vote choice.
PERSONALITY AND IDEOLOGY AS DETERMINANTS OF CANDIDATE PREFERENCES AND “OBAMA CONVERSION” IN THE 2008 U.S. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
Authors: Jost John T. , West Tessa V. , Gosling Samuel D.
Published: July 2009

We conducted a longitudinal study involving 734 college students over a three-month period that included the 2008 U.S. presidential election. The study investigated factors such as respondents' personality characteristics and ideological proclivities in predicting perceptions of the major candidates and both stability and change in voting preferences for Barack Obama and John McCain. Previous research on personality and political orientation suggests that Openness to New Experiences is positively associated with liberal political preferences, whereas Conscientiousness is positively associated with conservative preferences; we replicated these results in the context of the current study. Several ideological factors also predicted conversion to Obama's candidacy. These included respondents' degree of self-reported liberalism, perceptions of their parents as liberal (versus conservative), and lower scores on measures of authoritarianism and political system justification (i.e., support for the prevailing system of electoral politics and government). The effects of Openness and Conscientiousness on candidate preferences were statistically mediated by ideological variables, providing further evidence that general predispositions exist that link personality and political orientation, and these are likely to play a significant role in electoral politics. Implications for the integration of “top-down” (institutional) and “bottom-up” (psychological) approaches to the study of political behavior are discussed.
JUST DO IT
Authors: Winant Howard
Published: July 2009

President-elect Barack Obama will take office after a campaign that was pathbreaking on many levels. The argument here, necessarily somewhat speculative, is that Obama's management of his racial identity and of racial politics is roughly predictive of his soon-to-begin management of executive power in the United States. Obama is characterized as a “practical idealist,” a true pragmatist in the deeply grounded, philosophical (as opposed to vulgar) sense of that term. Attention is directed to the way Obama has handled or may be likely to handle the racial politics of the election itself, the ongoing realities of structural racism in the United States and the problem of exercising executive power in an endemically racial state, the role of race in national politics, and the role of race in global politics. The uniqueness of this new administration—headed by a preternaturally skilled and intellectually prepared Black politician—is not chiefly located in the symbolism of Obama's Blackness, important as that is. Rather it is Obama's formation as a Black intellectual and politician that may be expected to guide his thought and action in the White House.
BARACK OBAMA AND THE FUTURE OF AMERICAN RACIAL POLITICS
Authors: Smith Rogers M. , King Desmond S.
Published: July 2009

In 2008, following a campaign in which racial issues were largely absent, Americans elected their first Black president. This article argues that Obama's election does not signal the dawn of a postracial era in U.S. politics. Rather, it reflects the current structure of racial politics in the United States—a division between those who favor color-blind policies and seek to keep racial discussions out of politics, and those who favor race-conscious measures and whose policies are often political liabilities. The Obama campaign sought to win support from both camps. Only if pervasive material racial inequalities are reduced can such a strategy succeed in the long run.
Helicon waves in the magnetotail
Authors: Lakhina G. S. , Sharma A. S. , Papadopoulos K.
Published: July 2009

The helicon modes are studied in Earth's magnetotail using the Harris sheet as a model of its equilibrium. The plasma sheet is divided into two regions: In region 1 both the electrons and the ions are treated as magnetized, whereas in region 2 the electrons are treated as magnetized but the ions are unmagnetized. The eigenmode equation for the low‐frequency, parallel propagating right‐hand polarized modes is solved for the two cases, namely, (1) the uniform regions and (2) the inhomogeneous case. The eigenvalues and the eigenfunctions are obtained for the symmetric and antisymmmetric helicon modes. The case of uniform regions predicts lower frequencies for both the symmetric and antisymmetric modes than that of the inhomogeneous case. For typical plasma sheet parameters, the wave frequencies are found to be in the range of ∼(1–50) mHz for the symmetric modes, and ∼(5–100) mHz for the antisymmetric helicon modes. The wavelengths (along x direction) associated with the helicon modes are in the range of ∼(0.3–9) RE. The antisymmetric mode does not allow flux crossing across the neutral sheet axis. The symmetric helicon mode does allow flux crossing leading to the change in the magnetic topology, and thus, it must involve reconnection.