bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Early developments in lanthanide-based dinitrogen reduction chemistry
Authors: Evans William J , Lee David S
Published: April 2005

Although the first crystallographically characterized lanthanide dinitrogen complex was reported in 1988 with samarium, it is only in recent years that this field has expanded to include fully characterized examples for the entire series of lanthanides. The development of lanthanide dinitrogen chemistry has been aided by a series of unexpected results that present some good lessons in the development of science. This review presents a chronological account of the lanthanide dinitrogen chemistry discovered in our laboratory through the summer of 2004.Key words: lanthanides, dinitrogen, reduction, alkali metal, nitrogen fixation, diazenido.
Bert Allen and the first complex of dinitrogen
Authors: Leigh G J
Published: April 2005

A personal account is given of the effect that the report of the first dinitrogen complex by Allen and Senoff in 1965 had on people who were working in this area of nitrogen fixation.Key words: history, ruthenium, dinitrogen, ammonia, complex, serendipity.
SCHEDULING ON LARGE SCALE DISTRIBUTED PLATFORMS: FROM MODELS TO IMPLEMENTATIONS
Authors: DUTOT PIERRE-FRANÇOIS , EYRAUD LIONEL , MOUNIÉ GRÉGORY , TRYSTRAM DENIS
Published: April 2005

Today, large scale parallel systems are available at low cost, Many powerful such systems have been installed all over the world and the number of users is always increasing. The difficulty of using them efficiently is growing with the complexity of the interactions between more and more architectural constraints and the diversity of the applications. The design of efficient parallel algorithms has to be reconsidered under the influence of new parameters of such platforms (namely, cluster, grid and global computing) which are characterized by a larger number of heterogeneous processors, often organized in several hierarchical sub-systems. At each step of the evolution of the parallel processing field, researchers designed adequate computational models whose objective was to abstract the real world in order to be able to analyze the behavior of algorithms.

In this paper, we will investigate two complementary computational models that have been proposed recently: Parallel Task (PT) and Divisible Load (DL). The Parallel Task (i.e. tasks that require more than one processor for their execution) model is a promising alternative for scheduling parallel applications, especially in the case of slow communication media. The basic idea is to consider the application at a coarse level of granularity. Another way of looking at the problem (which is somehow a dual view) is the Divisible Load model where an application is considered as a collection of a large number of elementary – sequential – computing units that will be distributed among the available resources. Unlike the PT model, the DL model corresponds to a fine level of granularity. We will focus on the PT model, and discuss how to mix it with simple Divisible Load scheduling.

As the main difficulty for distributing the load among the processors (usually known as the scheduling problem) in actual systems comes from handling efficiently the communications, these two models of the problem allow us to consider them implicitly or to mask them, thus leading to more tractable problems.

We will show that in spite of the enormous complexity of the general scheduling problem on new platforms, it is still useful to study theoretical models. We will focus on the links between models and actual implementations on a regional grid with more than 500 processors.
EFFICIENT CLUSTERING FOR PARALLEL TASKS EXECUTION IN DISTRIBUTED SYSTEMS
Authors: ZOMAYA ALBERT Y. , CHAN GERARD
Published: April 2005

The scheduling problem deals with the optimal assignment of a set of tasks to processing elements in a distributed system such that the total execution time is minimized. One approach for solving the scheduling problem is task clustering. This involves assigning tasks to clusters where each cluster is run on a single processor. This paper aims to show the feasibility of using Genetic Algorithms for task clustering to solve the scheduling problem. Genetic Algorithms are robust optimization and search techniques that are used in this work to solve the task-clustering problem. The proposed approach shows great promise to solve the clustering problem for a wide range of clustering instances.
Effect of acute hyperhomocysteinemia on methylation potential of erythrocytes and on DNA methylation of lymphocytes in healthy male volunteers
Authors: Fux R. , Kloor D. , Hermes M. , Röck T. , Proksch B. , Grenz A. , Delabar U. , Bücheler R. , Igel S. , Mörike K. , Gleiter C. H. , Osswald H.
Published: April 2005

Homocysteine is a precursor of S-adenosylmethionine (AdoMet) and a metabolite of S-adenosylhomocysteine (AdoHcy). The ratio of AdoMet to AdoHcy, defined as the methylation potential (MP), indicates the flow of methyl groups within the cells. Chronic elevations of total homocysteine (tHcy) in plasma correlate with increased AdoHcy concentrations, decreased MP, and impaired DNA methylation. However, the influence of acute hyperhomocysteinemia on MP is unknown. We induced acute hyperhomocysteinemia in 14 healthy volunteers by oral administration of l-homocysteine (65.1 μmol/kg body wt) in an open, randomized, placebo-controlled two-period crossover study. The kinetics of tHcy in blood and urine, MP in blood, and global DNA methylation in lymphocytes were studied systematically during 48 h. Plasma tHcy concentrations reached a peak at 34 ± 11 min after an oral load with l-homocysteine and decreased with a half-life of 257 ± 41 min (means ± SD). Only 2.3% of the homocysteine dose were recovered in urine. AdoHcy concentrations and MP in whole blood and erythrocytes were not affected by the oral homocysteine load. Furthermore, global DNA methylation in lymphocytes did not change under these conditions. We found no difference between the genotypes of 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase in response to the homocysteine load. However, AdoMet content in erythrocytes was significantly higher in the C677T carriers (CT; n = 7) compared with the CC genotype ( n = 7). Although chronic elevation of tHcy has been shown to affect MP and DNA methylation, acute elevation of plasma tHcy above 20 μmol/l for 8 h is not sufficient to change MP and to induce DNA hypomethylation in lymphocytes.
Movement-Related Correlates of Single-Cell Activity in the Medial Mammillary Nucleus of the Rat During a Pellet-Chasing Task
Authors: Sharp Patricia E. , Turner-Williams Shawnda
Published: April 2005

Although the functional role of the mammillary bodies has remained obscure, lesion studies suggest this structure may play a role in memory—in particular, memory for spatial information. Indeed, anatomically, the mammillary bodies are strongly interconnected with limbic system regions, such as the hipppocampal formation, which are also thought to play a role in spatial behavior. Each of these limbic regions so far investigated contains cells that signal either the momentary location and/or directional heading of an animal as it travels through space. In fact, the lateral mammillary nucleus itself contains head direction cells, and is thought to be critical for the initial calculation of this directional signal. Here, we provide an initial report on cell activity in the medial mammillary nucleus. Cells were recorded while rats performed a pellet-chasing task that has been used for much of the work on place and head direction cells. The main findings are 1) approximately 1/3 of the cells showed a temporally precise relationship to angular motion of the head, so that they differentially indicated clockwise versus counterclockwise angular motion, 2) approximately 60% of the cells showed a temporally coarse correlation with translational motion, 3) firing rate for almost all cells was strongly modulated at theta frequency, and 4) no cells showed evidence of either directional or place-related activity. These data suggest that the medial and lateral mammillary nuclei together provide the directional and trajectory information thought to be critical for generation of the spatial signals in the hippocampal region.
Influence of genetic background on daily running-wheel activity differs with aging
Authors: Turner Michael J. , Kleeberger Steven R. , Lightfoot J. Timothy
Published: April 2005

In humans, physical activity declines with age. We tested the hypothesis that genetic background and age interact to determine daily wheel-running physical activity patterns in mice. Five female mice from ten inbred strains (A/J, AKR/J, Balb/cJ, CBA/J, C3H/HeJ, C3Heb/FeJ, C57Bl/6J, C57L/J, DBA/2J, and SWR/J) were studied for 26 wk starting at 10 wk of age. All mice were housed in separate cages, each with a running wheel and magnetic sensor. Throughout the 26-wk period, age-related change in daily duration ( P < 0.0001), daily distance ( P < 0.0001), and average velocity ( P = 0.0003) differed between the inbred strains. Unlike the other strains, SWR/J mice increased their running-wheel activity throughout the 6-mo time period. Broad-sense heritability estimations for the strains across the 26-wk period ranged between 0.410 and 0.855 for the three physical activity phenotypes. Furthermore, the broad-sense heritability estimates for daily running-wheel distance differed across time and suggested an interaction between genetic background and age on physical activity in these inbred mice.
Evolution of Bower Complexity and Cerebellum Size in Bowerbirds
Authors: Day Lainy B. , Westcott David A. , Olster Deborah H.
Published: April 2005

To entice females to mate, male bowerbirds build elaborate displays (bowers). Among species, bowers range in complexity from simple arenas decorated with leaves to complex twig or grass structures decorated with myriad colored objects. To investigate the neural underpinnings of bower building, we examined the contribution of variation in volume estimates of whole brain (WB), telencephalon minus hippocampus (TH), hippocampus (Hp) and cerebellum (Cb) to explain differences in complexity of bowers among 5 species. Using independent contrasts, we found a significant relationship between bower complexity and Cb size. We did not find support for correlated evolution between bower complexity and WB, TH, or Hp volume. These results suggest that skills supported by the cerebellum (e.g., procedural learning, motor planning) contribute to explaining the variation in bower complexity across species. Given that male mating success is in part determined by female choice for bower design, our data are consistent with the hypothesis that sexual selection has driven enlargement of the cerebellum in bowerbirds.
Increased Urinary TGF-β1 and Cortical Renal GLUT1 and GLUT2 Levels: Additive Effects of Hypertension and Diabetes
Authors: Schaan Beatriz D’Agord , Irigoyen Maria Cláudia , Bertoluci Marcello C. , Gianni de Lima Nelson , Passaglia Juliana , Hermes Eduardo , Oliveira Fabio Ramos , Okamoto Maristela , Machado Ubiratan Fabres
Published: April 2005

Background/Aim: Diabetes and mesangial stretch caused by hypertension increase mesangial matrix deposition which is induced by local production of transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1). Both conditions are associated with cortical GLUT1 overexpression. We evaluated the effect of genetically determined hypertension and its association with diabetes on urinary TGF-β1 and cortical GLUT1 and GLUT2 expression. Methods: We studied Wistar-Kyoto rats (controls, C) and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), weighing ∼210 g, 30 days after the injection of streptozotocin (diabetic, D) or citrate buffer (10 C, 9 SHR, 12 C-D and 15 SHR-D). Twenty-four-hour urine was collected for glucose, albumin, and TGF-β1 determinations. Catheters were implanted into the femoral artery to measure the arterial blood pressure in conscious animals 1 day later. Then GLUT1 and GLUT2 protein levels (Western blotting) in renal cortex and medulla were evaluated. Results: The cortical GLUT1 levels were 5, 2, and 7 times higher in SHR, C-D, and SHR-D groups versus C group (p < 0.05); the GLUT2 contents were 1.5, 1.8, and 2.3 times higher in SHR, C-D and SHR-D groups versus C group (p < 0.05). The urinary TGF-β1 level was elevated by diabetes and diabetes and hypertension, but not by hypertension alone: 1.39 ± 0.2, 2.34 ± 0.6, 18.2 ± 3.2, and 28.8 ± 7.6 ng/24 h, respectively, in C, SHR, C-D, and SHR-D groups (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Diabetes, hypertension, and especially their association increase the renal cortical GLUT1 and GLUT2 levels. The magnitude of GLUT1 overexpression caused by hypertension is higher than that induced by diabetes alone. The impact on urinary TGF-β1 occurs when diabetes and hypertension are associated, suggesting an effect that is triggered in the presence of GLUT1 overexpression and hyperglycemia.
Inter-Rater Reliability of Delirium Rating Scales
Authors: Bhat Ravi , Rockwood Kenneth
Published: April 2005

Delirium continues to be under-recognized despite use of rating scales with apparently high inter-rater reliability. We analyzed the inter-reliability data of published rating scales for delirium using a standard questionnaire to evaluate if the inter-rater reliability was assessed rigorously. Most studies employed a heterogeneous group of cognitively disordered elderly, however other aspects of inter-rater reliability estimation were less than rigorous. This suggests that the reported reliability may be spuriously high, which may have implications on the ability of clinicians to discriminate delirium from other causes of cognitive impairment in practice. The methodology of assessing inter-rater reliability of delirium scales needs to improve and reliability should be evaluated when the settings of administration change substantially.
Altered Ca2+ Homeostasis in Human Uremic Skeletal Muscle: Possible Involvement of cADPR in Elevation of Intracellular Resting [Ca2+]
Authors: López José R. , Mijares Alfredo , Rojas Bianca , Linares Nancy , Allen Paul D. , Shtifman Alexander
Published: April 2005

Background: Patients with chronic renal failure may develop muscle weakness and fatigability due to disorders of skeletal muscle function, collectively known as the uremic myopathy. Cyclic adenosine diphosphate-ribose (cADPR), an endogenous metabolite of β-NAD+, activates Ca2+ release from intracellular stores in vertebrate and invertebrate cells. The current study investigated the possible role of cADPR in uremic myopathy. Methods: We have examined the effect of cADPR on myoplasmic resting Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) in skeletal muscle obtained from control subjects and uremic patients (UP). [Ca2+]i was measuredusing double-barreled Ca2+-selective microelectrodes in muscle fibers, prior to and after microinjections of cADPR. Results: Resting [Ca2+]i was elevated in UP fibers compared with fibers obtained from control subjects. Removal of extracellular Ca2+, or incubation of cells with nifedipine, did not modify [Ca2+]i in UP or control fibers. Microinjection of cADPR produced an elevation of [Ca2+]i in both groups of cells. This elevation was not mediated by Ca2+ influx, or inhibited by heparin or ryanodine. [cADPR]i was determined to be higher in muscle fibers from UP compared to those from the control subjects. Incubation of cells with 8-bromo-cADPR, a cADPR antagonist, partially reduced [Ca2+]i in UP muscle fibers and blocked the cADPR-elicited elevation in [Ca2+]i in both groups of muscle cells. Conclusion: Skeletal muscles of the UP exhibit chronic elevation of [Ca2+]i that can be partially reduced by application of 8-bromo-cADPR. cADPR was able to mobilize Ca2+ from intracellular stores, by a mechanism that is independent of ryanodine or inositol trisphosphate receptors. It can be postulated that an alteration in the cADPR-signaling pathway may exist in skeletal muscle of the patients suffering from uremic myopathy.
Gideon—ein Anti-Held? Ein Beitrag zur Auseinandersetzung mit dem sog. 'flawed-hero approach' Am Beispiel Von Jdc. Vi 36–40
Authors: Scherer Andreas
Published: April 2005

Recent scholarly investigations concerning the judges narratives tend towards a socalled 'flawed-hero approach'. Especially Gideon has been interpreted as a somewhat ambiguous figure. W. Bluedorn has argued that in Judg. vi 36–40 Gideon wants to cheat YHWH by forcing him to serve Gideon's own selfish desires. Contrary to Bluedorn's view it can be shown, that Gideon is honestly longing for guidance. He needs to be assured of his divine mission, without denying YHWH's sovereignty.
The Fourfold Structure of Job: Variations on a Theme
Authors: Patrick James E.
Published: April 2005

This paper explores further the suggestion of Steinmann that the book of Job displays a consistent preference for fourfold structuring. After restricting the corpus of text to material belonging to the 'narrator', which includes the speech ascriptions introducing each speaker, attention is turned to four different areas. Regular groupings of four are discerned first in the narrative material of the Prologue, introduction to Elihu, and Epilogue, next in the speech ascriptions introducing the speeches of Job, Elihu, and YHWH, then in the speech ascriptions of the dialogue between Job and his three friends, and finally in the book as a whole. Comparisons are then drawn with other typological numbers and with the structure of the speeches themselves, followed by general conclusions concerning the composition of Job.
Matthew 28:1-6 as Temporally Conflated Text: Temporal-Spatial Collapse in the Gospel of Matthew
Authors: Waters Kenneth L.
Published: April 2005

Matthew 28:1-6 is a temporally conflated text. The past events of the earthquake and angelophany are pulled forward and wedged between the contemporaneous events of the women’s arrival and their encounter with the angel. The effect is a recapitulando or flashback to a scene that occurred before the women arrived; the purpose is to expedite the story line by merging the literary past with the literary present. Matthew therefore agrees with the other gospel writers that the tomb of Jesus was already opened when one or more of the women arrived on the scene.
The Development of Cable Television in East Asian Countries
Authors: Oba Goro , Chan-Olmsted Sylvia M.
Published: April 2005

This study assesses the country-specific factors that might influence the development of cable television in 10 East Asian countries. Specifically, the authors reviewed the cable markets and their economic, regulatory, technological, consumer, supporting and substitution environments for the countries of China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand. It was found that the penetration of cable television and the corresponding market structure, conduct and performance in these countries vary tremendously. While Taiwan has the most developed cable industry with a concentrated market, an active cable advertising sector, low subscription rates and programming packages of most channels, Indonesia has the lowest penetrated cable market, a concentrated industry, an almost non-existent advertising sector and average subscription rates and channel choices. In addition, the regulation/policy, technology, consumer, supporting and substitution factors seem to play an important role in the development of cable television in these countries.
A Global Hypothesis for Women in Journalism and Mass Communications
Authors: Rush Ramona R. , Oukrop Carol E. , Sarikakis Katharine
Published: April 2005

This article examines the status of women in communications industries and on university faculties. It specifically tests the Ratio of Recurrent and Reinforced Residuum or R3 hypothesis, as developed by Rush and colleagues in the early 1980s. The R3 hypothesis predicts that the percentage of women in the communications industries and on university faculties will follow the ratio residing around a 1/4:3/4 or 1/3:2/3 proportion females to males. This article presents data from a nationwide US survey and compares them to data from global surveys and UN reports. The evidence is overwhelming and shows the relevance and validity of the R3 hypothesis across different socioeconomic and cultural contexts. The article argues that the ratio is the outcome of systemic discrimination that operates at multiple levels. The obstacles to achieving equality in the academy as well as media industries are discussed and suggestions for breaking out of the R3 ratio are included.
Multiple Proximities between Television Genres and Audiences
Authors: La Pastina Antonio C. , Straubhaar Joseph D.
Published: April 2005

How can a Mexican telenovela be more attractive to viewers in Brazil than a nationally produced telenovela? This seems to be the question posed by the increasing transnational flow of cultural products. Most of the data indicate that viewers prefer locally produced programs. Nevertheless, some of the transnational success of Latin American telenovelas abroad seems to question this truism. This article argues that audience preferences are formed within the overall trend toward cultural proximity within both national and cultural-linguistic boundaries. However, within this logic of cultural proximity, other forces also apply. It is important to understand cultural proximity working not only at the national and supranational levels but also at the subnational and regional spheres. With this in mind, the authors first examine the attraction or proximity of genres, from the virtually global attraction of melodrama, as a macro genre, to subgenres within the telenovela. Second, they discuss the sense of shared historical experience of specific groups within nations and how this particular form of proximity might operate at the reception level.
Theorizing the Micro-politics of Resistance: New Public Management and Managerial Identities in the UK Public Services
Authors: Thomas Robyn , Davies Annette
Published: April 2005

This article presents theoretical and empirical analysis of the micro-politics of resistance. We theorize resistance at the level of meanings and subjectivities, drawing attention to the multidirectional and generative effects in identity construction. We address two shortcomings present in much of the theorizing of resistance, namely, the conceptualizing of resistance as a set of actions and behaviours, and the narrow conception of resistance as a reaction to repressive power. Focusing on the UK public services, we draw from texts generated within interviews with public service professionals in the police, social services and secondary education to explore the meanings individuals ascribe to the discourse of New Public Management (NPM) and their positioning within these meanings. The analysis contributes to the study of organizations in three respects. First, it offers a more detailed and varied understanding of resistance that can account for different motivations and ways in which individuals struggle to transform meanings. Second, drawing on specific cases, it illustrates the process of the micro-politics of resistance. Third, it presents an empirically grounded understanding of the character and conduct of NPM that can accommodate greater complexity and nuance.
Street culture
Authors: Lewandowski Joseph D.
Published: April 2005

This article develops a sociological reading of Walter Benjamin’s ‘Arcades Project’, or Passagen-werk. Specifically, the essay seeks to make explicit Benjamin’s non-dualistic account of structure and agency in the urban milieu. I characterize this account as the ‘dialectic of urbanism’, and argue that one of the central insights of Benjamin’s Passagen-werk is that it locates an emergent and innovative cultural form - a distinctive ‘street culture’ or jointly shared way of modern urban life - within haussmannizing techniques of architectural administration and spatial domination. In the modern metropolis, Benjamin sees a new kind of collective - an embedded and effervescent sociocultural group held together not by the functionalist imperatives of capitalist urban planning but by an improvisational mode of street life.
Enlightened relativism
Authors: Sikka Sonia
Published: April 2005

Johann Gottfried Herder has been described as the founder of cultural relativism within the German philosophical tradition, which would make him the starting-point for one thread in the pattern of ideas leading to the Nazi disaster. More recently, some scholars have rejected this interpretation, arguing that Herder actually supported the universalist values of the Enlightenment. I argue that Herder’s position is actually a complex, and laudable, blend of universalism and relativism. It includes: (1) the presumption of a set of basic human goods, upon which some universal criteria for ethical judgements may be founded: and, (2) the view that human practices, values and beliefs must be interpreted within their social context, and that the happiness and virtue of individuals can only be measured in relation to their specific values, being a function of their capacity to satisfy their desires and to live up to their ideals.
Speaking Over and Above the Plot
Authors: Evans David T.
Published: April 2005

The relationship between opera and gay subcultures (especially male), lifestyle practices and consumerism has been noted by cultural critics and musicologists - the former in affirmative terms, the latter largely hostile. This article explores this relationship initially through a review of the existing literature before concentrating on the striking affinities in the discursive construction of both cultural forms. In the modern era, both opera and homosexuality have been stigmatized and marginalized in their respective rationalizing ‘scientific’ domains: musicology and sexology. Both have been authoritatively declared unhealthy, both reconstructed out of the distinctive repressions of Victorianism, both subsequently searching for inclusion and legitimacy.
In vitro Cytotoxicity of Amorphous Calcium Phosphate Composites
Authors: Simon C. G. , Antonucci J. M. , Liu D. W. , Skrtic D.
Published: April 2005

Calcium phosphate-based biomaterials are being increasingly used as bone substitutes in dentistry and in reconstructive and orthopedic applications because of their good biocompatibility, osteoconductivity and/or bone-bonding properties. In this study, the in vitro cytotoxicity of the amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP) filler, the copolymer matrix derived from the polymerization of a resin system and the corresponding ACP composite was analyzed utilizing cell culture techniques. The photo cured polymer was derived from an activated resin comprised of an ethoxylated bisphenol A dimethacrylate, urethane dimethacrylate, triethylene glycol dimethacrylate, and 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate. The resin was admixed with a zirconia-ACP filler to prepare the composite. Specimens were extracted in media overnight and then MC3T3-E1 osteoblast-like cells were cultured in the extracts for 3 days. Cytoxicity was evaluated by phase contrast microscopy and an enzymatic assay for mitochondrial dehydrogenase activity (Wst-1). Cellular response to the experimental ACP composite was compared to the cellular response of commercially available light-cure orthodontic adhesive. In addition to the cytotoxicity testing the ion release profiles of ACP composites was determined. Furthermore, a degree of vinyl conversion (DVC) attained in the experimental composite and in the commercial control was compared. No adverse response regarding cell morphology and/or viability was observed with ACP composites compared to the unfilled copolymers or to the commercial adhesives. Sustained release of potentially remineralizing calcium and phosphate ions and favorable DVC of these composites confirms their value in a variety of dental and possibly orthopedic applications where anti-demineralizing/remineralizing efficacy is the primary goal.
Against Integration
Authors: Derksen Maarten
Published: April 2005

A lack of integration is often identified as a fundamental problem in psychology and the social sciences. It is thought that only through increased cooperation among the various disciplines and sub-disciplines, and integration of their different theoretical approaches, can psychology and the social sciences make real progress. An increasing number of psychologists have recently been proposing that the theory of evolution must be accepted as the foundation of all the sciences that deal with human beings, including their behaviour and culture. I argue, however, that the ideal of integration is based on a mistaken idea of natural science as a seamless whole. Moreover, the close connection between language and mind entails the need for a different approach to behaviour and culture than the one offered by evolutionary psychology. Rather than to seek integration, psychology and the social sciences need to make the existing pluralism more productive. I argue that the concept of boundaries offers a good starting-point for reflecting on disciplinary diversity.
Real Perspectival Selves
Authors: Martin Jack
Published: April 2005

The psychological self has been dismissed by some scientific naturalists and social constructionists as either illusory or fictitious. Arguments against strong forms of naturalism and constructionism that would deny the reality of the self are presented. More positively, the self is conceptualized as an embodied first-person perspective (an ‘I’) and understanding (a ‘me’), and a theory of its development during ontogenesis is presented. Following further discussion about the ‘reality status’ of the self thus understood, it is concluded that such a self is a legitimate target for expanded forms of psychological inquiry.
The Quantitative Imperative vs the Imperative of Presuppositions
Authors: Niaz Mansoor
Published: April 2005

The role of empirical evidence is generally considered to be crucial for accepting or rejecting a theory in both the natural sciences and psychology, which has led to the formulation of the quantitative imperative. It is argued that despite the dominance and popularity of the quantitative imperative, the history of science shows that scientific progress has frequently involved a confrontation between the quantitative imperative and the imperative of presuppositions. In order to formulate his law of gravitation, Newton inevitably resorted to idealization based on a hypothesis, that is, a transaction between the quantitative data and the imperative of presuppositions. Similarly, in psychology, both Piaget and Pascual-Leone invoked Galilean-style idealizations in order to develop their research programs. It is concluded that if research in psychology had been entirely under the influence of the quantitative imperative, both Piaget and Pascual-Leone’s theories would have long been falsified and forgotten.
The Meaning of the Quantitative Imperative
Authors: Michell Joel
Published: April 2005

In situating the quantitative imperative opposite the ‘imperative of presuppositions’ in a number of cases taken from the history of science, Niaz (2005) has moved from my understanding of the quantitative imperative (Michell, 2003) to one of his own construction. This might cause confusion if the different understandings of this term are not clearly distinguished. Given that imperatives are always only a mask for undisclosed interests and that, as a consequence, it can be misleading to treat any historical instance of an imperative in abstraction from the interests driving it, two senses of the quantitative imperative can always be distinguished: a narrow sense, which is the imperative in abstraction; and a broad sense, which is the imperative masking a specific set of interests in a particular historical episode. In this latter sense, in the historical episode that I have investigated, the quantitative imperative is a political campaign protecting a scientistic image of psychology and packaging psychological tests as methods of scientific measurement.
Reading nano: the public interest in nanotechnology as reflected in purchase patterns of books
Authors: Schummer Joachim
Published: April 2005

Owing to a rapidly growing public interest in nanotechnology, people are increasingly buying various books to inform themselves about nanotechnology. This paper tries to measure the public interest in nanotechnology and its relation to the public interest in other fields of knowledge by applying a new method. I combine formal network analysis of co-purchase book data with traditional content analysis. The method is successful in identifying the books that the public reads to be informed about nanotechnology, and in distinguishing between different kinds and classes of books and thereby between different interest foci and readerships and their relations. The results suggest that nanotechnology is for many their first intense contact with science and technology and that they read a great variety of different kinds of books. Rather than choose general introductions to current research written by scientists or science journalists, readers focus on forecasting and visionary literature including business guides, written by software entrepreneurs and business consultants. Unlike expert readers, who connect nanotechnology to other fields of science and engineering, the broader public connects it to visions about dissolving the human/machine distinction. Although the distinction between non-fiction and science fiction is still important for readers, border-crossing authors increasingly blur it.
Attitudes towards genetics: a case study among Brazilian high school students
Authors: Massarani Luisa , Moreira Ildeu de Castro
Published: April 2005

The objective of our study was to investigate young people’s attitudes towards modern genetics and biotechnology. Quantitative and qualitative studies were conducted among high school students in Rio de Janeiro. These included a survey of students in nine public and private schools as well as focus groups for a complementary analysis of their attitudes and perceptions with respect to these subjects. We observed that, in general, students are relatively well informed about some of the main issues related to the applications of genetics. In their assessment of the utility, the potential risks, and the need for encouragement of the different techniques used in genetic manipulation, they were able to make clear distinctions between the different purposes of each technique. Most students believed that transgenic food could be useful and that it should be encouraged, but they were also aware that there were risks involved. Furthermore, the students were strongly supportive of the labeling of transgenic food.
Investigating Indicators for Measuring the Health and Social Impact of Sport and Recreation Programs in Australian Indigenous Communities
Authors: Cunningham Joan , Beneforti Mary
Published: April 2005

A project was undertaken in 2002 on behalf of the Australian Sports Commission to identify potential indicators of health and social outcomes from sport and recreation programs in Indigenous communities in Australia. The project consisted of three stages: 1) a literature review to identify specific indicators of potential relevance in the Indigenous Australian context; 2) discussions with key members of three Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory to identify community expectations and experiences of sport and recreation programs; and 3) consultation with relevant stakeholders to determine the potential usefulness and appropriateness of the indicators identified in the first two stages. A number of indicators are proposed for immediate testing and refinement, while others are recommended for future development.
African American Athletes’ Experiences of Race in Sport
Authors: Lawrence Suzanne Malia
Published: April 2005

This study is a qualitative exploration of male and female African American athletes’ experiences of race and race discrimination with regard to specific incidents that occurred during their athletic careers. Eight African American athletes from different competitive levels and sports were interviewed to obtain a deeper understanding of their experiences of race and race discrimination and the role it played in their careers. The interviews revealed five themes that were identified as: ‘being hurt’, ‘outrage and shock’, ‘team togetherness’, ‘being empowered’, and ‘differences’.
Continuous Suboptimal Control with Partial State Feedback
Authors: Cai Guo-Ping , Lim C. W.
Published: April 2005

It is well known that the classical optimal control method requires availability of all state variables of the controlled system for control feedback. This requires a measurable system, namely that all state variables may be obtained by measurement of sensors or by estimation of observers. However, some state variables in control feedback actually have a small effect on control performance. Neglecting these state variables does not greatly affect the performance of control. In this paper, we investigate a continuous suboptimal control method with partial-state feedback. First, the state variables with significant effect on the performance of control are determined using second-order sensitivity (i.e. second-order derivative of performance index with respect to control gain). Then, the suboptimal controller is designed utilizing only the determined state variables. Numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the application of the proposed control algorithm. It is shown that the relative importance of each state variable can be indicated clearly by the second-order sensitivity. The suboptimal control method presented is effective in reducing maximum responses of the structure. Furthermore, the continuous suboptimal control method may achieve almost the same level of control effectiveness as the discrete suboptimal control method.
Smart Spring Impedance Control Algorithm for Helicopter Blade Harmonic Vibration Suppression
Authors: Chen Yong , Wickramasinghe Viresh , Zimcik David
Published: April 2005

In this paper, an adaptive impedance control algorithm is developed for the Smart Spring to suppress helicopter rotor vibration through individual blade control. The harmonic frequencies of the blade response were estimated using parametric methods, which were used to synthesize the reference signal. Multiple equivalent notches were formed at corresponding frequencies to selectively suppress the blade vibration modes. To improve the adaptability of the algorithm, an on-line control path identification method is presented. The algorithm was implemented on a MATLAB xPC platform using the hardware-in-the-loop concept. Closed-loop experiments, conducted using a fixed helicopter blade section in both shaker and wind tunnel tests, have achieved significant vibration suppressions. Experimental results demonstrate that the algorithm, which is able to select the blade vibration modes and track the variations in vibration due to changes in flight condition, is promising for helicopter individual blade control applications.
Effect of Moisture Content and Screw Speed on the Physical Chemical Properties of an Extruded Crab-based Snack
Authors: Obatolu V. A. , Skonberg D. I. , Camire M. E. , Dougherty M. P.
Published: April 2005

Crab processing generates by-products that could be used in new value-added products to decrease processing waste and increase profits. In this product development study, the effects of moisture content and screw speed on physical properties and composition of an extruded crab-based snack product were investigated. Corn meal was fortified with 10% ground crab leg and passed through a twin-screw extruder using moisture contents of 25% and 30% and screw speeds of 200, 250 and 300rpm for a total of six treatments, extruded in duplicate. Screw speed and moisture content had a significant (p 0.05) influence on moisture content, expansion ratio, crunchiness and L-value of the extrudate while protein, fat, ash and mineral were not significantly (p 0.05) affected. As screw speed increased, moisture content and bulk density of the extrudates decreased. The snack product extruded at 25% moisture content and 300rpm had significantly different (p 0.05) physical properties compared to all other treatments. Increases in torque and melting temperature were observed for higher screw speed and lower extruding moisture content.
Relationship Between the Subjective and Objective Assessment of Pork M. semimembranosus and Classification of Further Processed Pork Quality
Authors: McDonagh C. , Troy D. J. , Kerry J. P. , Mullen A. M.
Published: April 2005

Pale, soft, exudative (PSE) pork poses many problems for ham processors with the colour and texture of the final product being of major concern. As visual assessment is the primary, and often the only, method used by these producers, they require objective methods of assessing the quality of the raw material prior to production of hams. This study was conducted to establish the relationship between objective colour measurements and subjective (visual) methods of assessing pork meat quality and to ascertain the ability of objective colour measurements (CIE L* and percentage reflectance) to accurately segregate porcine muscles according to quality, prior to ham production. Pork topsides (M. semi-membranosus and M. adductor) were visually assessed by experienced industry personnel, from a large ham producing company, as being ‘pale’ (n 489) or ‘good’ (n 625) in colour. CIE L* and percentage reflectance (%R) were then recorded on all muscles. Pearson’s correlation coefficients confirmed a significant relationship between visually assessed meat and both L* (r 0.71) and reflectance (r 0.71). CIE L* above 57 and%R below 43% correctly classified 75% of the ‘pale’ topsides. CIE L* below 53 and%R above 53% correctly classified 75% of the ‘good’ topsides. Muscles were processed and colour, texture, sliceability and water holding capacity of the resulting ham products were determined. Hams produced using ‘pale’ topsides had significantly higher (p 0.001) CIE L* and b* values and lower%R (p 0.001), moisture content (p 0.001) and water holding capacity (p 0.05). The textural characteristics of the hams were significantly different (p 0.05) and those produced using ‘good’ meat had greater cohesiveness, chewiness, gumminess and springiness. This study indicates that these objective methods may have potential in the classification of topsides prior to ham processing.
Conservation of Balance in the Size of Parties
Authors: Taagepera Rein
Published: April 2005

For parties of unequal seat shares ( s i), the widely used effective number of parties ( N = 1/Σ s i2) offers an equivalent in equal-sized parties, but it needs a supplement to express the imbalance in actual shares. This is akin to supplementing the mean with the standard deviation. A suitable ‘index of balance’ is b = -log s 1 /log p, where s 1 is the largest share and p is the number of seat-winning parties. It can range from 0 (utter imbalance) to 1 (perfect equality of all parties). In most individual countries, the median balance is between 0.4 and 0.6, and the worldwide median balance is close to 0.50 for any number of seat-winning parties except 2, in line with a simple logical model. Independent of electoral systems used, a rule of conservation emerges: the median product of the largest party’s fractional share and the square root of the number of seat-winning parties is conserved: s 1 p 0.5 = 1. The worldwide median for 603 elections is within 2 percent of 1.00.
Evidence-based Decision Making: Enhancing Systematic Reviews of Program Evaluation Results in Europe
Authors: Shadish William R. , Chacón-Moscoso Salvador , Sánchez-Meca Julio
Published: April 2005

Over the last 25 years, meta-analysis has been widely used to study the effects of practical treatment interventions in fields ranging from psychology and education to medicine and public health. The present article first describes the impact of meta-analysis. The article then presents a description of some preliminary results of a study of the main design characteristics of published interventions in Europe. In order to foster both better experimental designs and more systematic reviews in the European context, and to promote collaboration between different countries and research groups, the authors then describe and discuss the Campbell Collaboration (C2), a new international organization aimed at fostering public policies and practices based on systematic reviews of high-quality evidence. Though there is some overlap between the work of the Campbell Collaboration and its sibling organization the Cochrane Collaboration, Campbell focuses more on systematic reviews in the social, behavioral and educational areas. Reviewers in those areas encounter difficulties over the use of non-randomized designs, difficulties in effect-size computation, and the need for new computer software to better serve the needs of meta-analytic reviews in the social sciences.
The Interaction between Young People with Atypical Gender Identity Organization and their Peers
Authors: Wilson Ian , Griffin Christine , Wren Bernadette
Published: April 2005

This exploratory study involved the qualitative analysis of the responses of eight children with atypical gender identity organization to open-ended questions about their experiences of secondary school. The aim was to develop an understanding of these young people’s interaction with their peers. It became apparent that all but one of the participants had been bullied. In this context, participants reported difficulties in developing friendships, although each participant received support from at least one of their peers. Given the hostile school environment participants did not necessarily talk to these individuals about their experiences in relation to their gender identity. The clinical implications for working with young people on a developing gender identity, and the impact on their mental health, are considered.
A Stage Model of Blood Donor Behaviour: Assessing Volunteer Behaviour
Authors: Ferguson Eamonn , Chandler Susie
Published: April 2005

Are there valid stages to explain blood donor behaviour? Three studies (event contingent diary, interview and psychometric) are reported that address this question. Stage and process constructs from the transtheoretical model (TTM), past behaviour and intentions are measured. The qualitative studies demonstrated that blood donors describe their behaviour using TTM constructs. The psychometric study identified: (1) groupings of blood donors consistent with Ferguson’s (1996) stage predictions; (2) TTM constructs varied meaningfully as a function of these groupings; (3) associations within clusters indicated qualitatively distinct stages; and (4) TTM constructs showed incremental validity over intentions with respect to past behaviour.
The Fight for ‘Health-related Normality’: A Qualitative Study of the Experiences of Individuals Living with Established Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
Authors: Hall Nicola J. , Rubin Gregory P. , Dougall Audrey , Hungin A. P. S. , Neely Joanne
Published: April 2005

This article reports on the experiences of individuals living with IBD and identifies a range of coping strategies used by them. Qualitative data from 15 individual interviews and three focus groups were analysed using a grounded theory approach. The main focus is on the emergent core concept of ‘health-related normality’. A theoretical framework is proposed to explain how individuals with IBD assess their health-related normality, their fight to maintain it and their need to retain the appearance of normality to others. It is concluded that individuals maintain their health-related normality along certain time and context sensitive continuums rather than fitting into a distinct typology.