bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Explaining Responsiveness in Collaboration: Administrator and Citizen Role Perceptions
Authors: Bryer Thomas A.
Published: January 2009

Between 2003 and 2006, researchers facilitated a collaborative learning process with representatives of Los Angeles neighborhood councils and officials from city agencies. In two cases, each involving a large city agency, the quality of responsiveness on the part of agency officials to participating citizens was substantially different. This study considers the reasons why agency officials differed in their responsiveness. Using an inductive qualitative and quantitative content analysis across three sources of data, the study develops theory pertaining to bureaucratic responsiveness to citizens in collaborative processes. Specifically, the case findings are generalized to theory through seven propositions for future study. The study’s key finding is that administrator and citizen perceptions of their own and the other party’s roles may influence the quality of responsive behavior in collaborative activity. The propositions identify subfactors or contingencies that may allow administrators to be more responsive to citizens in collaborative processes.
Public–Private Partnerships in Urban Infrastructures: Reconciling Private Sector Participation and Sustainability
Authors: Koppenjan Joop F. M. , Enserink Bert
Published: January 2009

The speed and scale of urbanization provide serious challenges for governments all over the world with regard to the realization, maintenance, and operation of public urban infrastructures. These infrastructures are needed to keep up with living standards and to create conditions for sustainable development. The lack of public funds and the inefficiencies of public service provision have given rise to initiatives to stimulate private parties to invest their resources in public urban infrastructures. However, private sector participation creates a whole range of new challenges. The potential benefits are countered by concerns about the compatibility of the private sector‘s focus on short‐term return on investment with the long‐term perspective needed to realize sustainability targets. On the basis of a review of literature on experiences with private sector participation in urban infrastructure projects, this article identifies governance practices that help or hinder the reconciliation of private sector participation in urban infrastructure projects with the objective to increase the sustainability of the urban environment.
Interstate Partnerships in Emergency Management: Emergency Management Assistance Compact in Response to Catastrophic Disasters
Authors: Kapucu Naim , Augustin Maria‐Elena , Garayev Vener
Published: January 2009

The Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) is a mutual aid agreement and partnership that allows states to assist one another in responding to natural and man‐made disasters, often in advance of federal disaster assistance. This article examines EMAC’s response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in order to address the significant need for analysis of emergency management at the state level. A content analysis of news reports, government documents, and reports from a number of institutions was performed to determine the volume and direction of EMAC’s performance and its transactions during the response operations. The authors find a lack of EMAC training among responders, potentially reducing communication and coordination and the efficiency and effectiveness of response operations. A network analysis assessed the relationships among the responding organizations to coordinate their emergency response operations.
Concordance Between the AmpFℓSTR® MiniFiler™ and AmpFℓSTR® Identifiler® PCR Amplification Kits in the Kuwaiti Population
Authors: Alenizi Mohammad A. , Goodwin William , Hadi Sibte , Alenizi Homod H. , Altamar Khaleda A. , Alsikel Mona S.
Published: January 2009

Abstract:  The AmpFℓSTR® MiniFiler™ polymerase chain reaction amplification kit, developed and supplied by Applied Biosystems, complements the AmpFℓSTR® Identifiler® polymerase chain reaction amplification kit (Applied Biosystems, Warrington, U.K.) by improving the success rate when profiling DNA that is degraded or contains inhibitors. Before applying the MiniFiler™ kit to casework, the profiles from 200 unrelated Kuwaitis were compared to Identifiler® profiles. Concordance was observed for 99.875% (1598 of 1600) of the compared STR loci. The two discordant profiles displayed allelic dropout: one at the D13S317 locus due to nonamplification of allele 10 in the MiniFiler™ profile, and one at the D18S51 locus due to nonamplification of allele 18 in the Identifiler® profile.
Objects, Meanings, and Role Identities: The Practices that Establish Association in the Case of Home‐Based Employment1
Authors: Lynch Karen Danna
Published: January 2009

Contemporary social theory suggests that the meaning of any object differs by how we, as social actors, respond and relate to it. The challenge for sociology lies in exploring the different strategies and practices recursively and productively embedded in these relationships. In this article, I present data from in‐depth interviews with 20 home‐based employees to illustrate how these individuals interact with familiar objects in their surroundings to form anchor points for diverse lines of conduct. Although I draw from a number of sociological theories in my analyses, I further utilize cognitive theory to outline three micro‐psychological practices (i.e., routinization, goal targeting, and emotional alignment) that respondents apply in their attempt to establish the desired association between objects and identities. In this way, the article both extends previous lines of inquiry into the relationship between objects and actors, and makes a new contribution to the growing literature on culture and cognition.
Anomie Among European Adolescents: Conceptual and Empirical Clarification of a Multilevel Sociological Concept1
Authors: Bjarnason Thoroddur
Published: January 2009

Anomie is a complex, dynamic concept that refers simultaneously to a social state and an individual state of mind. Generations of sociologists have attempted to clarify, extend, and measure the concept at various levels of analysis. This article summarizes these developments around the twin concepts of exteriority and constraint. Exteriority refers to experiencing the social world as an objective, predictable reality, while constraint refers to the extent to which one experiences a personal commitment to the demands and expectations of society. The Anomie Scale of Exteriority and Constraint (ASEC) is presented and tested across various psychological and social outcomes among adolescents in 18 European countries. Exteriority is found to be primarily associated with more depression and less self‐esteem, while constraint is associated with a lower probability of daily smoking, illicit drug use, truancy, and suicide attempts. Societal anomie is higher in eastern European countries and it has a strong negative correlation with GDP per capita and a marginally positive correlation with GDP growth. Societal anomie is also associated with higher baseline levels of depression, self‐esteem, and illicit drug use. These results lend strong support to the theoretical construct of anomie as exteriority and constraint.
Governance, Organization, and Democracy on the Internet: The Iron Law and the Evolution of Wikipedia
Authors: Konieczny Piotr
Published: January 2009

This study examines whether the Iron Law of Oligarchy exists in Wikipedia by analyzing how a key policy of the website regarding verifiability evolved into its current form. The study describes the decision‐making processes of Wikipedia and shows that there are many factors preventing or slowing the development of oligarchy on Wikipedia. The study provides data advancing theoretical concepts related to the Iron Law of Oligarchy and the evolution of virtual communities and organizations; results and knowledge gained can also improve Wikipedia policies related to verifiability. Michels wrote: “who says organization, says oligarchy.” I argue that we should follow this with a caveat: “who says wiki‐organization, says no to oligarchy.”
Gang Leader for a Day: A Rogue Sociologist Takes to the Streets
Authors: Clampet‐Lundquist Susan
Published: January 2009

This essay offers reflections on Sudhir Venkatesh's book Gang Leader for a Day:
Gang Leader for a Day: A Rogue Sociologist Takes to the Streets
Authors: Charles Camille Zubrinsky
Published: January 2009

This essay offers reflections on Sudhir Venkatesh's book Gang Leader for a Day:
Gang Leader for a Day: A Response to the Critics
Authors: Venkatesh Sudhir
Published: January 2009

This essay provides a response to Clampet‐Lundquist, Charles, and Young's comments on my book Gang Leader for a Day:
Depressive relapse during lithium treatment associated with increased serum thyroid‐stimulating hormone: results from two placebo‐controlled bipolar I maintenance studies
Authors: Frye M. A. , Yatham L. , Ketter T. A. , Goldberg J. , Suppes T. , Calabrese J. R. , Bowden C. L. , Bourne E. , Bahn R. S. , Adams B.
Published: January 2009

Objective:  To assess the relationship between depressive relapse and change in thyroid function in an exploratory post hoc analysis from a controlled maintenance evaluation of bipolar I disorder.

Method:  Mean thyroid‐stimulating hormone (TSH) and outcome data were pooled from two 18‐month, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, maintenance studies of lamotrigine and lithium monotherapy. A post hoc analysis of 109 subjects (n = 55 lamotrigine, n = 32 lithium, n = 22 placebo) with serum TSH values at screening and either week 52 (±14 days) or study drop‐out was conducted.

Results:  Lithium‐treated subjects who required an intervention for a depressive episode had a significantly higher adjusted mean TSH level (4.4 μIU/ml) compared with lithium‐treated subjects who did not require intervention for a depressive episode (2.4 μIU/ml).

Conclusion:  Lithium‐related changes in thyroid function are clinically relevant and should be carefully monitored in the maintenance phase of bipolar disorder to maximize mood stability and minimize the risk of subsyndromal or syndromal depressive relapse.
Localized eosinophilic (Langerhans' cell) granuloma of the lower lip. A lesion that may cause diagnostic error
Authors: Val‐Bernal José Fernando , González‐Vela María Carmen , Sánchez‐Santolino Sergio , González‐López Marcos A.
Published: January 2009

Eosinophilic (Langerhans' cell) granuloma is most common in children and is unusual in the elderly. A cutaneous lesion as the sole manifestation of adult Langerhans' cell histiocytosis is rare. We report an 81‐year‐old man who presented with a noduloulcerative lesion on the lower lip. A punch biopsy suggested a lymphoepithelioma‐like carcinoma. In the absence of immunohistochemistry, the large pale cells with atypical lobular nuclei and patent nucleoli, with an overlying ulceration, were interpreted as carcinoma cells. Definitive diagnosis was established after complete resection of the lesion aided with the use of immunohistochemistry. The proliferating cells were S100, CD1a and CD207 (langerin) positive and cytokeratin, epithelial membrane antigen, CD15, CD30, melan A and carcinoembryonic antigen negative. To our knowledge, eosinophilic (Langerhans’ cell) granuloma of the lip has not been described. The case constituted a diagnostic challenge because of its unusual clinical presentation and its histopathological similarity to certain other benign and malignant entities. Because there was no other organ involved, the patient was treated with complete surgical excision without recurrence or other organ involvement in the 4‐month follow‐up period. Labial eosinophilic (Langerhans’ cell) granuloma should be considered in the histological differential diagnosis in cases with atypical polymorphous infiltrates including large pale cells.
c‐Met signaling promotes IL‐6‐induced myeloma cell proliferation
Authors: Hov Håkon , Tian Erming , Holien Toril , Holt Randi Utne , Våtsveen Thea K. , Fagerli Unn‐Merete , Waage Anders , Børset Magne , Sundan Anders
Published: January 2009

Objectives:  Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is a constituent of the myeloma microenvironment and is elevated in sera from myeloma patients compared to healthy individuals. Increased levels of serum HGF predict a poor prognosis. It has previously been shown by us and others HGF can act as a growth factor to myeloma cells in vitro although these effects have been moderate. We therefore wanted to investigate if HGF could influence the effects of interleukin (IL)‐6.

Methods:  Myeloma cell lines and primary samples were tested for the combined effects of IL‐6 and HGF in inducing DNA synthesis and migration. Expression levels of c‐Met protein were analysed by Western blotting and flow cytometry. Signaling pathways were examined by Western blotting using phosphospecific antibodies and a Ras‐GTP pull down assay.

Results:  HGF potentiated IL‐6‐induced growth in human myeloma cell lines and in purified primary myeloma cells. There was also cooperation between HGF and IL‐6 in induction of migration. There seemed to be two explanations for this synergy. IL‐6‐treatment increased the expression of c‐Met making cells HGF responsive, and IL‐6 was dependent on c‐Met signaling in activating both Ras and p44/42 MAPK by a mechanism involving the tyrosine phosphatase Shp2.

Conclusions:  The results indicate that besides from being a myeloma growth factor alone, HGF can also potentiate the effects of IL‐6 in myeloma proliferation and migration. Thus, c‐Met signaling could be a target for therapy of multiple myeloma.
Do seeds sense each other? Testing for density‐dependent germination in desert perennial plants
Authors: Tielbörger Katja , Prasse Rüdiger
Published: January 2009

The timing of seedling emergence may strongly affect fitness in competitive environments. Therefore, selection should favour mechanisms that allow sensing neighbours prior to emergence. We tested whether or not germination is affected by density and identity of neighbouring seeds or seedlings of desert perennial plants. Based on theory, we predicted that germination fractions are independent of neighbouring seeds, that germination is accelerated in dense interspecific neighbourhoods, and neighbour effects are caused by seedlings, not by seeds. We examined germination fraction and timing of four naturally coexisting sandy desert perennial species in low versus high seed densities in both intra‐ and interspecific neighbourhoods, and with and without removal of newly emerged seedlings. Neighbours accelerated germination independent of density and this pattern was apparently caused by the presence of early emerging seedlings. Germination fractions were lower in high seed densities even when neighbours did not germinate, indicating that seeds were able to sense each other prior to emergence. Early germination may be adaptive because fast emerging seedlings may gain a competitive edge over slow emerging ones. However, since seeds that did not germinate died, delayed germination may only be advantageous for mother plants when sib competition is intense. Another key finding was a competitive hierarchy with late successional species germinating faster and inhibiting germination of pioneer species. This indicates that successional processes may be directed as early as during germination.
An evaluation of the neuroprotective effects of melatonin in an in vitro experimental model of age‐induced neuronal apoptosis
Authors: Tajes Orduña Marta , Pelegrí Gabalda Carme , Vilaplana Hortensi Jordi , Pallàs LLiberia Mercè , Camins Espuny Antoni
Published: January 2009

Abstract:  The neuroprotective effects of melatonin in an experimental model of aging‐induced apoptosis have been examined. Cerebellar granule neurons show characteristics of apoptosis after 17 days in culture (DV). The addition of melatonin to neuronal cell cultures (100–500 μm) resulted in neuroprotective and antiapoptotic effects, which were revealed by nuclear condensed cell counting. In a thorough analysis by Western‐blot of the potential pathways responsible for melatonin’s neuroprotective effects, we found an increase in the activation of prosurvival Akt. Subsequently GSK3β inhibition and an increase in p‐FOXO1 phosphorylation occurred. In this model of aging, apoptosis was associated with an elevated DNA damage, as demonstrated by an increase in the activation of ataxia telangiectasia muted (ATM). Subsequently, downstream targets such as p53 were activated. Furthermore, the process of DNA damage was coupled to an increase in the expression of certain proteins involved in cell cycle regulation; these were cyclin D and the proapoptotic transcription factor E2F‐1. We conclude that the antiapoptotic effects of melatonin were mediated by two potential mechanisms: by increasing the activity of prosurvival pathways via Akt and by the prevention of DNA damage (via ATM inhibition) followed by the reduction of cell cycle re‐entry.
Pineal melatonin acts as a circadian zeitgeber and growth factor in chick astrocytes
Authors: Paulose Jiffin K. , Peters Jennifer L. , Karaganis Stephen P. , Cassone Vincent M.
Published: January 2009

Abstract:  Melatonin is rhythmically synthesized and released by the avian pineal gland and retina during the night, targeting an array of tissues and affecting a variety of physiological and behavioral processes. Among these targets, astrocytes express two melatonin receptor subtypes in vitro, the Mel1A and Mel1C receptors, which play a role in regulating metabolic activity and calcium homeostasis in these cells. Molecular characterization of chick astrocytes has revealed the expression of orthologs of the mammalian clock genes including clock, cry1, cry2, per2, and per3. To test the hypothesis that pineal melatonin entrains molecular clockworks in downstream cells, we asked whether coculturing astrocytes with pinealocytes or administration of exogenous melatonin cycles would entrain metabolic rhythms of 2‐deoxy [14C]‐glucose (2DG] uptake and/or clock gene expression in cultured astrocytes. Rhythmic secretion of melatonin from light‐entrained pinealocytes in coculture as well as cyclic administration of exogenous melatonin entrained rhythms of 2DG uptake and expression of Gallus per2 (gper2) and/or gper3, but not of gcry1 mRNA. Surprisingly, melatonin also caused a dose‐dependent increase in mitotic activity of astrocytes, both in coculture and when administered exogenously. The observation that melatonin stimulates mitotic activity in diencephalic astrocytes suggests a trophic role of the hormone in brain development. The data suggest a dual role for melatonin in avian astrocytes: synchronization of rhythmic processes in these cells and regulation of growth and differentiation. These two processes may or may not be mutually exclusive.
Chemical stress by different agents affects the melatonin content of barley roots
Authors: Arnao Marino B. , Hernández‐Ruiz Josefa
Published: January 2009

Abstract:  The presence of melatonin (N‐acetyl‐5‐methoxytryptamine) in plants has been clearly demonstrated. However, while this indoleamine has been intensively studied in animals, especially in mammals, the same is not true in the case of plants, where one of the most interesting aspects is its possible role as antioxidative molecule in physiological processes. Some data reflect the possible protective role that melatonin may exert in some stress situations such as ultraviolet (UV)‐radiation, induced senescence and copper stress. The present work was designed to establish how the melatonin content changes in plants as a result of chemically induced stress. For this, barley plants were exposed in different treatments to the chemical‐stress agents: sodium chloride, zinc sulphate or hydrogen peroxide. After different times, the content of melatonin in treated roots and control roots were determined using liquid chromatography (LC) with time‐of‐flight/mass spectrometry and LC with fluorescence detection for identification and quantification, respectively. The data show that the melatonin content in roots increased due to stress, reaching up to six times the melatonin content of control roots. Induction was time dependent, while hydrogen peroxide (10 mm) and zinc sulphate (1 mm) were the most effective inducers. The capacity of roots to absorb melatonin from soil was also studied. The data establish, for first time, that the chemical‐stress agents assayed can induce the biosynthesis of melatonin in barley roots and produce a significant increase in their melatonin content. Such an increase in melatonin probably plays an important antioxidative role in the defense against chemically induced stress and other abiotic/biotic stresses.
Identification of proteins differentially expressed by melatonin treatment in cerebral ischemic injury – a proteomics approach
Authors: Sung Jin‐Hee , Cho Eun‐Hae , Kim Myeong‐Ok , Koh Phil‐Ok
Published: January 2009

Abstract:  We previously reported that melatonin protects neuronal cells against ischemic brain damage. In this study, we identified proteins that were differentially expressed by melatonin treatment during ischemic brain injury. Rats were subjected to cerebral ischemia by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Adult male rats were treated with melatonin (5 mg/kg) or vehicle prior to MCAO and brains were collected at 24 hr after MCAO. Proteins derived from the cerebral cortex were analyzed using two‐dimensional gel electrophoresis. Protein spots with a greater than 2.5‐fold change in intensity were identified by mass spectrometry. Among these proteins, γ‐enolase, stathmin, thioredoxin, peroxiredoxin‐6, hippocalcin, protein phosphatase 2A, adenosylhomocysteinase, ubiquitin carboxy‐terminal hydrolase L1, and NAD‐specific isocitrate dehydrogenase subunit α were significantly decreased in the vehicle‐treated group in comparison to the melatonin‐treated group. The identified proteins consist of cell differentiation and stabilization proteins, as well as an antioxidant enzyme. In contrast, dehydroprimidinase‐related protein 2 (DRP‐2), a target of protein oxidation in neurodegeneration, was significantly increased in vehicle‐treated animals, while melatonin prevented the injury‐induced increase of DRP‐2. Thus, the results of this study suggest that melatonin prevents cell death resulting from ischemic brain injury and that its neuroprotective effects are mediated by both the up‐ and down‐regulation of various proteins.
Molecular characterization and gene disruption of mouse lysosomal putative serine carboxypeptidase 1
Authors: Kollmann Katrin , Damme Markus , Deuschl Florian , Kahle Jörg , D’Hooge Rudi , Lüllmann‐Rauch Renate , Lübke Torben
Published: January 2009

The retinoid‐inducible serine carboxypeptidase 1 (Scpep1; formerly RISC) is a lysosomal matrix protein that was initially identified in a screen for genes induced by retinoic acid. Recently, it has been spotlighted by several proteome analyses of the lysosomal compartment, but its cellular function and properties remain unknown to date. In this study, Scpep1 from mice was analysed with regard to its intracellular processing into a mature dimer consisting of a 35 kDa N‐terminal fragment and a so far unknown 18 kDa C‐terminal fragment and the glycosylation status of the mature Scpep1 fragment. Although Scpep1 shares notable homology and a number of structural hallmarks with the well‐described lysosomal carboxypeptidase protective protein/cathepsin A, the purified recombinant 55 kDa precursor and the homogenates of Scpep1‐overexpressing cells do not show proteolytic activity or increased serine carboxypeptidase activity towards artificial serine carboxypeptidase substrates. Hence, we disrupted the Scpep1 gene in mice by a gene trap cassette, resulting in a Scpep1/β‐galactosidase/neomycin phosphotransferase fusion protein. The fusion protein is devoid of the C‐terminal half of Scpep1, including two amino acids of the assumed catalytic triad which is indispensable for its predicted serine carboxypeptidase activity. However, Scpep1‐deficient mice were viable and fertile, and did not exhibit either lysosomal storage or reduced lysosomal SC activity under any tested condition.
Flexural Strength Evaluation of Nonconstant Thickness Ceramic Floorings by Means of the Finite‐Element Method
Authors: Defez Beatriz , Peris‐Fajarnés Guillermo , Tortajada Ignacio , Brusola Fernando , Morillas Samuel
Published: January 2009

The ceramic tile industry has become an extremely competitive sector. The entry of new Asian and South American manufacturers into the market is shifting the leadership in production and exports from the traditional clusters of Europe to China, Turkey, and Brazil. In this uncertain environment, enterprises should raise the quality and cut costs by means of new products and processes. Ceramic tiles lightened by carving of a deep back relief could give rise to a generation of new, efficient products. These tiles could be manufactured with fewer raw materials than the traditional ones, which may lead to saving of weight and energy. Additionally, a lighter final product improves working conditions on the shopfloor and at the building site. Nevertheless, lightened tiles are structurally different from traditional ones, and so is their mechanical behavior. Because tiles are constructive elements, it is necessary to know their response under typical loads and assure fulfillment of the valid standards.

This paper aims at evaluating the flexural strength (R) of lightened ceramic floorings using solid three‐dimensional modelling and the finite‐element method, establishing a new formula for the application of the international standard ISO 10545 “Ceramic Tiles.” In order to achieve this objective, one reference model and 48 different relief versions were designed, which underwent a simplified computational simulation of the bending test. In accordance with the Rankine criterion, the maximal stresses of each version were calculated, as much as their distribution. Next, we correlated the results defining a new parameter called “normalized thickness,” defined as the thickness that a carved tile should have to behave as a traditional flooring under flexion. This parameter allowed the adjustment of the international standard ISO 10545 to this kind of a product, facilitating their certification and therefore their real introduction in the market. Finally, thanks to the collaboration of the company Keros Cerámica S. A., it was verified that the methodology used was appropriate.
Simulation Strategy of the Final Dimension in the Glass Pressing Process
Authors: Zhou Huamin , Zhang Yun , Liu Fen , Li Jianhui
Published: January 2009

The simulation of the final dimension in the glass pressing process is presented in this paper, in which the part contraction and mold deformation are considered as important factors. A thermorheologically simple thermoviscoelastic material model is used to calculate the residual stress. The model for the analysis of contraction is proposed based on the theory of shells, as an assembly of flat elements. The numerical model for the mold deformation is based on a three‐dimensional thermoelastic boundary element formulation. Finally, an application example of the picture tube panel is used to verify the presented models and simulation methods.
Development of a Low‐cost Polymerase Chain Reaction‐based Method for Studying Differentially Expressed Genes in Developing Rice Leaves
Authors: Fung Yin‐Wan Wendy , Chow Hoi Yee , Law Tik Wan , Dong Biao , Kwan Hoi Shan
Published: January 2009

Gene expression studies are important for revealing gene functions putatively involved in biological processes. We were interested in identifying differentially expressed genes during leaf development in rice. We combined the RNA arbitrarily primed‐polymerase chain reaction (RAP‐PCR) and dot blot hybridization methods to screen a rice leaf primordium cDNA library. Three developmental stages during vegetative growth were examined. The cDNA clones showing different hybridization patterns were further analyzed and verified. Here we demonstrate that the combination of RAP‐PCR and dot blot hybridization could provide an efficient and relatively low‐cost cDNA library screening approach to discover genes not previously known to be associated with leaf development in rice. We believe that the findings described here will help to elucidate the molecular mechanism(s) underlying the developmental processes of rice leaf.
Measuring Children’s Self‐Efficacy and Proxy Efficacy Related to Fruit and Vegetable Consumption
Authors: Geller Karly S. , Dzewaltowski David A. , Rosenkranz Richard R. , Karteroliotis Konstantinos
Published: January 2009

BACKGROUND:  Social cognitive theory describes self‐efficacy and proxy efficacy as influences on fruit and vegetable consumption (FVC). Proxy efficacy was defined as a child’s confidence in his or her skills and abilities to get others to act in one’s interests to provide fruit and vegetable (FV) opportunities. The purpose of this study was to develop a scale assessing children’s self‐efficacy and proxy efficacy for FVC at after‐school programs and at home.

METHODS:  Elementary‐aged children (n = 184) attending 7 after‐school programs completed a self‐efficacy questionnaire relevant to FVC. Questionnaire validity was investigated with exploratory factor analysis and mixed‐model analysis of covariance. Internal consistency reliability and readability were also assessed.

RESULTS:  The questionnaire assessed 4 constructs: self‐efficacy expectations for fruit consumption, self‐efficacy expectations for vegetable consumption, proxy efficacy to influence parents to make FV available, and proxy efficacy to influence after‐school staff to make FV available. Children perceiving FV opportunities in after‐school had greater self‐efficacy expectations for FVC and greater proxy efficacy to influence after‐school staff compared to students who did not perceive FV opportunities. Children attending schools of higher socioeconomic status (SES) and less diversity were more confident they could influence their parents to make FV available than students attending lower SES and less diverse schools. Adequate internal consistency and test‐retest reliabilities were established.

CONCLUSIONS:  Self‐efficacy is a multicomponent construct that can be assessed in children using the reliable and valid instrument evaluated by the current study.
Threatened species on the menu? Towards sustainable seafood use in zoos and aquariums
Authors: KOLDEWEY H. J. , ATKINSON J. , DEBNEY A.
Published: January 2009

All zoos and aquariums use seafood to a greater or lesser extent, served in restaurants and cafes, and as an important component of animal feed. The majority of their millions of visitors are also seafood consumers. The sustainability of seafood supplies is of major concern: almost 70% of ocean fisheries are either fully exploited or overfished. Approximately 95% of the world's marine production depends on coastal ecosystems, such as estuaries, salt marshes, shallow bays and wetlands, mangroves, coral reefs and sea‐grass beds, which are vulnerable to destructive fishing practices. Food webs have also been severely disrupted. However, fishing is still central to the livelihood and food security of 200 million people, especially in the developing world, with one in five people dependent on fish as their primary source of protein. This paper outlines a number of sustainable seafood initiatives that have been developed by aquariums and conservation organizations. We encourage zoos and aquariums to evaluate their seafood usage, to use available information to inform and increase the sustainability of their consumption, and to encourage changes in the behaviour of their visitors as seafood consumers.
Power, Place, and Militarism: Toward a Comparative Geographic Analysis of Militarization
Authors: Bernazzoli Richelle M. , Flint Colin
Published: January 2009

The topics of militarism and militarization have acquired a position of prominence in geography, and the social sciences, in general, in recent years. This article begins by reviewing some of the major contributions to the study of war, peace, militarism, and militarization. Subsequently, it discusses three major strands of literature in geography and related fields: those of theories of place, cultural hegemony, and the ideological content of militarism. The interconnections between these bodies of literature are explored throughout the article. In summary, we posit that the ideology of militarism is best conceptualized as a form of cultural or ideological hegemony, the production of which relies on the social construction of places. To analyze the interacting processes of militarization and the construction of place, we argue for grounded studies of militarism and militarization and propose a place‐based, comparative framework.
Monitoring Drought: An Evaluation of Meteorological Drought Indices
Authors: Quiring Steven M.
Published: January 2009

A uniform method for defining, monitoring and quantifying the severity of drought conditions does not exist. This article introduces some of the tools (e.g. drought indices) that are commonly used in the United States to monitor meteorological drought, describes the strengths and weaknesses of these tools, and makes recommendations about which ones are the most appropriate for measuring and monitoring meteorological drought. The literature and the qualitative drought index evaluation both suggest that the Standardized Precipitation Index and deciles/percentiles are the most suitable for monitoring meteorological drought.
Using Impedance Cardiography to Detect Subclinical Cardiovascular Disease in Women With Multiple Risk Factors: A Pilot Study
Authors: DeMarzo Arthur P.
Published: January 2009

Early detection of cardiovascular disease (CVD) could initiate appropriate treatment and prevent progression. This study used impedance cardiography (ICG) waveform analysis with postural change to detect functional CVD in women older than 40 years with no history of CVD and ≥2 of the following risk factors: cigarette smoking, poor diet, physical inactivity, central adiposity, family history of premature CVD, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. A study group of 32 women underwent ICG in standing and supine positions. An age‐matched control group had 20 women with an active lifestyle, no risk factors, and no history of CVD. All women in the control group had normal ICG data. All women in the study group had some abnormal ICG data, with 28 (87.5%) having multiple ICG abnormalities. ICG data indicated that 13 (40.6%) had ventricular dysfunction, 14 (43.8%) had high vascular resistive load, and 30 (93.8%) had elevated vascular pulsatile load. The data suggest that subclinical CVD, detectable by ICG, is prevalent in women older than 40 years with multiple risk factors. Abnormal ICG results could expedite the initiation of customized treatment as part of a preventive approach to CVD.
Low‐Density Lipoprotein Reduction and Magnitude of Cardiovascular Risk Reduction
Authors: Rahilly‐Tierney Catherine R. , Lawler Elizabeth V. , Scranton Richard E. , Michael Gaziano J.
Published: January 2009

The authors examined the relationship between the magnitude of low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL‐C) reduction and the magnitude of cardiovascular risk reduction. From the Veterans Integrated Service Network 1 databases, the authors selected 54,611 patients with prevalent ischemic heart disease, peripheral vascular disease or diabetes mellitus, and ≥2 documented LDL‐C levels who were followed between 1997 and 2006. The outcome was defined as acute myocardial infarction or revascularization. Preoutcome LDL‐C reduction was categorized as follows: <10 mg/dL, reference; ≥10 but <40 mg/dL, small reduction; ≥40 but <70 mg/dL, moderate reduction; ≥70 mg/dL, large reduction. Proportional hazards were used to determine the hazard ratio for the outcome for each LDL‐C reduction category compared with the reference. Results revealed a graded relationship between the magnitude of reduction in LDL‐C and cardiovascular risk reduction. Stratified analyses demonstrated these findings to be robust regardless of initial LDL‐C levels or whether patients achieved “target” final LDL‐C values of <100 mg/dL.
Beauty Work: Individual and Institutional Rewards, the Reproduction of Gender, and Questions of Agency
Authors: Kwan Samantha , Trautner Mary Nell
Published: January 2009

Physical attractiveness is associated with a number of positive outcomes, including employment benefits such as hiring, wages, and promotion, and is correlated with social and personal rewards such as work satisfaction, positive perceptions of others, and higher self‐esteem. As a result, individuals perform various forms of beauty work, thus reproducing and strengthening a social system that privileges youth and attractiveness. In this article, we explore the beauty work practices that people perform. We begin with an examination of the cultural context in which beauty work occurs, including the individual, social, and institutional rewards accompanying physical attractiveness, and then review the practices themselves. Because these rewards and practices contribute in part to the reproduction of social relations and norms, we then turn to the gender dimensions of beauty work, along with its unique racial embodiment. Throughout, we raise the issue of individual agency in beauty work. Finally, we conclude with suggestions for future research.
Art, Nationalism and War: Political Futurism in Italy (1909–1944)
Authors: Conversi Dr Daniele
Published: January 2009

Futurism was launched as a revolutionary, iconoclastic movement encompassing the arts, politics and society. It rejected all ties with the past and preached with missionary zeal the advent of a new man and the total reconstruction of society. Despite its powerful impact on Italian politics, the importance of Futurism has scarcely been addressed in the social sciences. Yet, it continues to attract the interest of historians, literary critics and art historians. In fact, the major methodological hindrance for a more articulated research remains the latter's unchallenged hegemony, with their selective propensity to eulogistic accounts. The result is the neglect of Futurism's political dimension as a fully fledged nationalist movement. Aiming to redress this imbalance, the article analyzes Futurist politics through the movement's actions, proclaims and manifestos. It distinguishes early Futurism's anti‐establishment ultra‐nationalism (1909–1915) from the more institutionalized ‘muscular’ patriotism adopted after its merger with Fascism (1924–1944). In a global context of mounting nationalist state‐building and spiralling inter‐state rivalries, Italy's unitary, homogenizing nationalism provided a congenial matrix for the advent of war‐mongering patriotism and irredentism. Here, Futurism found an ideal structure of political opportunities, in which it could articulate its unique repertoire of action. The futurists’ peculiar talent in ‘manufacturing consent’ through the media was put to test in their marketing of war as adventurous boundary‐building enterprise, a vision subsequently appropriated by Fascism.
From Culture to Connection: Internet Community Studies
Authors: Cavanagh Allison
Published: January 2009

Research into Internet communities and online behaviour constituted one of the earliest and most dynamic fields of interest in the new field of Internet studies. Studies focused a range of issues including understanding how social order was possible in mediated environments, the social and political dimensions of community, the impacts that online communities could have on their offline counterparts. At the same time, studies of Internet community provided Internet studies more generally with methodological innovations and new means of examining the new electronic worlds that had opened up. However, Internet community studies have been a victim of its own success to the extent that it has recently become fractured into a number of specialist arenas. As a consequence, the field has become both narrower and dominated by intractable problematics. However, recent research offers a new and revitalised agenda, focusing around the altering political status of community and new, and pressing questions have been opened up for the study of online community.
Agency as a Sociological Variable: A Preliminary Model of Individuals, Situations, and the Life Course
Authors: Hitlin Steven , Long Charisse
Published: January 2009

This paper reviews social psychological measures that might usefully be employed within sociological treatments of human agency. Sociologists have engaged both (a) the structural constraints and opportunities that channel individual action and (b) the subjective sense individuals develop reflecting beliefs about their ability to affect those structures and their life courses. We briefly spell out the well‐trod agency vs. structure debate before exploring six concepts that have or could be used in organizing and theorizing empirical research on the subjective version of agency: self‐efficacy, locus of control, personal control, mastery, planful competence, and ego‐depletion/self‐control. For each concept, we provide brief descriptions and representative findings. Taking a life course perspective, we briefly sketch out a series of concerns that scholars engaging in the agency concept should take into account.
Deconstructing urban flood damages: increasing the expressiveness of flood damage models combining a high level of detail with a broad attribute set
Authors: Veerbeek W. , Zevenbergen C.
Published: January 2009

Climate change increases uncertainty regarding the frequency and severity of flood events, posing new challenges for urban areas often located along major rivers. Current flood damage assessment methods often ignore the level of differentiation found in the urban fabric; their level of detail is too coarse and limits possibilities of tailor‐made solutions based on refined insights on the severity, distribution and horizon of expected impacts. As part of the Urban Flood Management project for the city of Dordrecht, the Netherlands, a flood damage assessment model was developed using a substantially higher level of detail than used in current practice. The model incorporates methods of analysis linking the spatial distribution of flood damages, flood damage composition, age of the building stock and a range of other attributes to gain a comprehensive view on the financial consequences of urban flooding. The output provides a foundation for integration of flood proofing schemes into urban development and/or redevelopment.
Risky places in the Netherlands: a first approximation for floods
Authors: De Bruijn K.M. , Klijn F.
Published: January 2009

Flood risk maps are considered useful tools for flood risk management including spatial planning. In the Netherlands, flood risk is usually assessed for large geographical units: at the dike‐ring scale. However, within dike rings differences in flood risk are large. Maps that provide information on flood risks and on aspects of flood risks on a more detailed spatial scale are relevant for prioritising flood control measures or land‐use planning. The research reported in this paper, therefore, aims at mapping flood risks on a more detailed scale. This paper focuses on the identification of risky places in the Netherlands, i.e. places where many fatalities may be expected due to flooding, because they are both hazardous and vulnerable. The method distinguishes factors that determine the likelihood and number of fatalities into hazard factors and vulnerability and exposure factors. The places that have the highest risk level are the risky places.
Microsatellite DNA markers for three toad‐headed lizard species (Phrynocephalus vlangalii, P. przewalskii and P. guttatus)
Authors: ZHAN AIBIN , FU JINZHONG
Published: January 2009

To assess the impact of natural landscapes on the population structure of lizards, 10 polymorphic microsatellite DNA markers were developed for the Qinghai toad‐headed lizard, Phrynocephalus vlangalii. The number of alleles at these informative loci ranged from four to 28. The novel markers and those previously developed for Phrynocephalus przewalskii were cross‐tested among three toad‐headed lizard species P. vlangalii, P. przewalskii and P. guttatus. A high cross‐utility rate of more than 58% was observed among these three species. These markers are expected to be useful tools for taxonomic considerations as well as population genetic analysis and future conservation management.
Isolation of ten tetranucleotide microsatellite loci in the Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe)
Authors: KUDERNATSCH DAGMAR , WEIS‐DOOTZ TANJA , SEGELBACHER GERNOT
Published: January 2009

We isolated 10 polymorphic microsatellite DNA loci from the Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe) and optimized these for future studies in population genetics and behavioural ecology. The loci were screened for polymorphism using 107 individuals from one population in Germany. The primers amplified loci with high numbers of alleles ranging from two to 20 alleles per locus.
Isolation and characterization of 23 microsatellite loci in the yellow tang, Zebrasoma flavescens (Pisces: Acanthuridae)
Authors: CHRISTIE MARK R. , EBLE JEFF A.
Published: January 2009

Twenty‐three microsatellites were isolated from the yellow tang (Zebrasoma flavescens), an ecologically and commercially important reef fish. Genetic diversity was assessed in 90 adults collected from Honokohau, Hawaii. The number of alleles per locus varied from four to 29 (mean = 13.8) and observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.15 to 0.94 (mean = 0.70) and from 0.29 to 0.93 (mean = 0.81), respectively. Eight loci exhibited significant departure from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium due to the presence of null alleles. Exact tests showed no evidence of genotypic disequilibrium between loci. Overall, loci were well resolved, easy to score and highly polymorphic.
Development of nine new microsatellite loci for the American beaver,Castor canadensis(Rodentia: Castoridae), and cross‐species amplification in the European beaver,Castor fiber
Authors: PELZ‐SERRANO KARLA , MUNGUIA‐VEGA ADRIAN , PIAGGIO ANTOINETTE J. , NEUBAUM MELISSA , MUNCLINGER PAVEL , PÁRTL ADAM , VAN RIPER III CHARLES , CULVER MELANIE
Published: January 2009

We developed nine new nuclear dinucleotide microsatellite loci forCastor canadensis. All loci were polymorphic, except for one. The number of alleles ranged from two to four and from five to 12 in populations from Arizona and Wisconsin, respectively. Average heterozygosity ranged from 0.13 to 0.86 per locus. Since cross‐species amplification inCastor fiberwas successful only in four loci, we tested also nine recently publishedC. canadensisloci in the Eurasian species. Eight of the published loci amplified; however, three were monomorphic. The number of alleles was lower inC. fiberthan inC. canadensisat all loci tested.
Isolation and characterization of nine polymorphic microsatellite loci of the kelp greenling, Hexagrammos decagrammus, a temperate reef fish
Authors: FREIWALD JAN , STEWART NATHAN L. , YATES DEVONA C. , BERNARDI GIACOMO
Published: January 2009

Nine polymorphic microsatellite loci were developed and characterized for the temperate reef fish species, Hexagrammos decagrammus (kelp greenling). The number of alleles varied from three to 22 in a sample of 22 individuals from one population. Expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.354 to 0.979. These microsatellites allow us to investigate reproductive success of individuals, alternative mating strategies as well as population structure and metapopulation dynamics of this species.