bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ubiquitin as potential cerebrospinal fluid marker of Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease
Authors: Steinacker Petra , Rist Wolfgang , Swiatek‐de‐Lange Magdalena , Lehnert Stefan , Jesse Sarah , Pabst Alice , Tumani Hayrettin , von Arnim Christine A. F. , Mitrova Eva , Kretzschmar Hans A. , Lenter Martin , Wiltfang Jens , Otto Markus
Published: October 2009

Until today, a definite diagnosis of Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (CJD) can only be made neuropathologically. At lifetime the early and differential diagnosis is often a problem. With SELDI we analyzed cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from 32 CJD patients, 32 patients having other dementive diseases and 31 non‐demented control subjects for diagnosis‐dependent protein pattern differences. In a screening set of patients, peaks that discriminate best between groups were identified. These peaks were subsequently analyzed using an independent validation set of patients. Diagnostic accuracies were compared with established markers like tau protein and 14‐3‐3‐protein. Potential marker proteins were purified and identified by LC‐MS/MS. In the validation set only one peak of 8.6 kDa out of ten in the screening set could be confirmed. This protein was identified to be ubiquitin and increased levels in CSF (but not in serum) of CJD patients were confirmed by Western blot. Ubiquitin allows the correct diagnoses of that CJD cases missed by tau protein or 14‐3‐3‐protein. We conclude that ubiquitin is a promising additional CSF biomarker for diagnosis of CJD, especially in differential diagnostically difficult cases. The selective increase of ubiquitin in CSF of CJD patients might point to an involvement of ubiquitin in pathophysiological process.
Quantitative proteomic analysis of G‐protein signalling in Stagonospora nodorum using isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification
Authors: Casey Tammy , Solomon Peter S. , Bringans Scott , Tan Kar‐Chun , Oliver Richard P. , Lipscombe Richard
Published: October 2009

The G protein α‐subunit (Gna1) in the wheat pathogen Stagonospora nodorum has previously been shown to be a critical controlling element in disease ontogeny. In this study, iTRAQ and 2‐D LC MALDI‐MS/MS have been used to characterise protein expression changes in the S. nodorum gna1 strain versus the SN15 wild‐type. A total of 1336 proteins were identified. The abundance of 49 proteins was significantly altered in the gna1 strain compared with the wild‐type. Gna1 was identified as having a significant regulatory role on primary metabolic pathways, particularly those concerned with NADPH synthesis or consumption. Mannitol dehydrogenase was up‐regulated in the gna1 strain while mannitol 1‐phosphate dehydrogenase was down‐regulated providing direct evidence of Gna1 regulation over this enigmatic pathway. Enzymatic analysis and growth assays confirmed this regulatory role. Several novel hypothetical proteins previously associated with stress and pathogen responses were identified as positively regulated by Gna1. A short‐chain dehydrogenase (Sch3) was also significantly less abundant in the gna1 strains. Sch3 was further characterised by gene disruption in S. nodorum by homologous recombination. Functional characterisation of the sch3 strains revealed their inability to sporulate in planta providing a further link to Gna1 signalling and asexual reproduction. These data add significantly to the identification of the regulatory targets of Gna1 signalling in S. nodorum and have demonstrated the utility of iTRAQ in dissecting signal transduction pathways.
Identification of complement C3f‐desArg and its derivative for acute leukemia diagnosis and minimal residual disease assessment
Authors: Liang Tingting , Wang Na , Li Wei , Li Ailing , Wang Jie , Cui Jiuwei , Liu Nian , Li Yan , Li Ling , Yang Guozi , Du ZhongHua , Li Dan , He Kun , Wang Guanjun
Published: October 2009

Therapeutic conditions for acute leukemia (AL) mainly rely on diagnosis and detection of minimal residual disease (MRD). However, no serum biomarker has been available for clinicians to make diagnosis of AL and assessment of MRD. In this study, we performed bead fractionation/MALDI‐TOF‐MS analysis on sera from patients with AL. Support vector machine algorithm was used to obtain diagnostic model that discriminated proteomic spectra of patients with AL from that of controls. Twenty‐six features with p<0.00001 had optimal discriminatory performance, with 97% sensitivity and 100% specificity. Statistical analysis revealed that two peptides with m/z 1778 and 1865 were gradually decreased in their relative intensities with increase of remission degree. Moreover, the peptide with m/z 1865 was also found to be correlated with AL types. With FT‐ICR‐MS detection, both the peptides were identified as fragments of complement C3f. Linear regression analysis showed that the combined use of them could discriminate PML/RARα positive M3 from molecular remission M3. Two fragments of complement C3f were significantly correlated with MRD levels and could be used for clinical practice in MRD assessment.
Helix propensities calculations for amino acids in alanine based peptides using Jarzynski's equality
Authors: Echeverria Ignacia , Amzel L. Mario
Published: October 2009

Jarzynski's equality (Jarzynski, Phys Rev E 1997; 56:5018 and Jarzynski, Phys Rev Lett 1997; 78:2690) relates equilibrium free energy differences between two states A and B to the work done when the system is driven repeatedly and irreversibly from an equilibrium state A to equilibrium state B. We present calculations of helix propensities using a novel procedure based on this equality. In particular, a work probability distribution is built based on combinations of multi‐step trajectories that give representative work distributions without requiring computing an unreasonable large number of trajectories between states. A small number of trajectories (15) are used to construct a distribution that contains millions of work values. This distribution is used to calculate ΔGAB using Jarsynski's equation. To apply and test this method, we used as a model system a dodeca‐alanine helix, analyzing its extension using mechanical force. This helix was used as the basis of a host guest system in which two of the 12 residues are substituted by some other amino acid (as the guests). The differences between the unfolding free energies of the substituted peptides and the all‐alanine peptide provided values for ΔΔG that can be interpreted as the helix propensities of each amino acid. Results show good correlation with the experimental measurements of Baldwin and coworkers (Chakrabartty et al., Protein Sci 1994; 3:843–852). Proteins 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Looking across industries to improve human reliability data for quantitative risk analyses
Authors: Schneider Roxy
Published: October 2009

Although meticulous work is often done to determine failure probabilities of Safety Instrumented Systems for Quantitative Risk Assessments (QRAs), the work done to determine failure probabilities of humans performing specific tasks are often less rigorously performed. Yet, human reliability data is just as important to the quality and accuracy of the QRA as non‐human failure probabilities. The problem lies in the lack of availability of statistically reliable human failure probabilities for various tasks within the process industries. This article will present and analyze the strengths and weaknesses of a variety of sources of such data. The various methods of data collection and analysis will be discussed and as will the quality and applications of each methods' data output. More specifically, emphasis will be placed on discussion of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Human Event Repository and Analysis program and the possible applicability and worth of the program to the process industries. This presentation is based on work done for the Center for Chemical Process Safety's Human Reliability Project. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Process Saf Prog, 2010
The effect of TiO2 on the microstructural and electrical properties of low voltage varistor based on (Sn,Ti)O2 ceramics
Authors: Leite D. R. , Cilense M. , Orlandi M. O. , Bueno P. R. , Longo E. , Varela J. A.
Published: October 2009

SnO2·CoO·Nb2O5 ceramics doped with TiO2 have been prepared by a conventional oxide method which focuses its application on low voltage varistors. The dopant was added in 0.5 and 1.0% molar concentrations, and the samples were investigated by X‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, current vs. voltage, and impedance measurements. The electron microscopy results showed an increase in the mean grain size of ceramics with the addition of TiO2, which is related to the effect of the dopant on the matrix. The electrical characterization showed that the addition of TiO2 in 1 mol% provides a system with a good nonlinear coefficient (8.7) and a breakdown electrical field of 617 V/cm. These results indicate that this composition can be applied as a low voltage varistor. The impedance data showed that the voltage barrier at the grain boundary is a back‐to‐back Schottky‐type, and it was demonstrated that the addition of TiO2 does not significantly modify the barrier.
Identifying the electron spin resonance of conduction electrons in alkali doped SWCNTs
Authors: Galambos M. , Fábián G. , Simon F. , Ćirić L. , Forró L. , Korecz L. , Rockenbauer A. , Koltai J. , Zólyomi V. , Rusznyák Á. , Kürti J. , Nemes N. M. , Dóra B. , Peterlik H. , Pfeiffer R. , Kuzmany H. , Pichler T.
Published: October 2009

We study the electron spin resonance (ESR) signal of pristine and potassium doped SWCNTs. We identify signals of a super‐paramagnetic background, a low intensity impurity, and of the conduction electron spin resonance (CESR). The latter only appears upon the alkali atom doping. To identify the CESR signal, we critically assess whether it could come from residual graphitic carbon, which we clearly exclude. We give accurate values for the signal intensities and the corresponding concentration of spins and for the g‐factors. The CESR signal intensity allows to determine the density of states on the SWCNT assembly.
Estimation of prediction error for survival models
Authors: Lawless Jerald F. , Yuan Yan
Published: October 2009

When statistical models are used to predict the values of unobserved random variables, loss functions are often used to quantify the accuracy of a prediction. The expected loss over some specified set of occasions is called the prediction error. This paper considers the estimation of prediction error when regression models are used to predict survival times and discusses the use of these estimates. Extending the previous work, we consider both point and confidence interval estimations of prediction error, and allow for variable selection and model misspecification. Different estimators are compared in a simulation study for an absolute relative error loss function, and results indicate that cross‐validation procedures typically produce reliable point estimates and confidence intervals, whereas model‐based estimates are sensitive to model misspecification. Links between performance measures for point predictors and for predictive distributions of survival times are also discussed. The methodology is illustrated in a medical setting involving survival after treatment for disease. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Cross‐profiling for Java processors
Authors: Binder Walter , Schoeberl Martin , Moret Philippe , Villazón Alex
Published: October 2009

Performance evaluation of embedded software is essential in an early development phase so as to ensure that the software will run on the embedded device's limited computing resources. The prevailing approaches either require the deployment of the software on the embedded target, which can be tedious and may be impossible in an early development phase, or rely on simulation, which can be very slow. In this article, we introduce a customizable cross‐profiling framework for embedded Java processors, including processors featuring a method cache. The developer profiles the embedded software in the host environment, completely decoupled from the target system, on any standard Java virtual machine, but the generated profiles represent the execution time metric of the target system. Our cross‐profiling framework is based on bytecode instrumentation. We identify several pointcuts in the execution of bytecode that need to be instrumented in order to estimate the CPU cycle consumption on the target system. An evaluation using the JOP embedded Java processor as target confirms that our approach reconciles high profile accuracy with moderate overhead. Our cross‐profiling framework also enables the performance evaluation of new processor architectures before they are implemented. As a case study, we explore the performance impact of various processor design choices and optimizations, such as different cache sizes or pipeline organizations, and come up with an improved processor design that yields speedups of up to 40% on standard Java benchmarks. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Egf Receptor-Sox2-Egf Receptor Feedback Loop Positively Regulates the Self-Renewal of Neural Precursor Cells
Authors: Hu Qikuan , Zhang Lirong , Wen Jinhua , Wang Shuling , Li Meiyu , Feng Ruopeng , Yang Xiaolong , Li Lingsong
Published: October 2009

The transcriptional factor Sox2 and epidermal growth factor receptor (Egfr)-mediated signaling are both required for self-renewal of neural precursor cells (NPCs). However, the mechanism by which these factors coordinately regulate this process is largely unknown. Here we show that Egfr-mediated signaling promotes Sox2 expression, which in turn binds to the Egfr promoter and directly upregulates Egfr expression. Knockdown of Sox2 by RNA interference downregulates Egfr expression and attenuates colony formation of NPCs, whereas overexpression of Sox2 elevates Egfr expression and promotes NPC self-renewal. Moreover, the effect of Sox2 on NPC self-renewal is completely inhibited by AG1478, a specific inhibitor for Egfr; it is also inhibited by LY294002 and U0126, selective antagonists for phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (Erk1/2), respectively. Collectively, we conclude that NPC self-renewal is enhanced through a novel cellular feedback loop with mutual regulation of Egfr and Sox2.
Evaluating the effect of masonry infills on natural period of buildings with moment‐resisting frame
Authors: Barghi Mostafa , Azadbakht Mohsen
Published: October 2009

Building design codes generally provide empirical formulas for estimating the fundamental period. These formulas are developed on the basis of observed periods of real buildings during ground motion, and the period is generally expressed as a function of building height, type (frame or shear wall), etc. In this study, the fundamental period of vibration of a series of regular steel‐framed buildings is studied using finite element modelling and modal eigenvalue analysis including the effect of infill. It has been found that when the models do not include infill, the period given by the analysis is significantly longer than that predicted by the codes equation. However, when the effect of infill is included in the models, the time periods determined from eigenvalue analysis were remarkably close to those predicted by the code formulas. The finding of the study has shown us a practical way to determine the fundamental period of steel frames using rational approaches like modal analysis. After an evaluation of the results, a modified formula has been proposed for estimation of natural period of steel buildings with moment‐resisting frame system having infill. Using the proposed formula, we can estimate natural period of this kind of structural systems more accurately than the one approximated by code formula. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The relationship of ground motion hazard to the design of tall buildings
Authors: Lew Marshall
Published: October 2009

Many tall buildings in high seismic regions of the USA are being designed using performance‐based earthquake engineering (PBEE) principles under alternative design procedures. Still‐evolving PBEE design criteria for tall buildings generally require that these buildings be designed for collapse prevention due to earthquake ground motion hazard (with a long recurrence interval, on the order of 2475 years corresponding to a 2% probability of being exceeded in 50 years). Alternative design criteria for tall buildings generally specify some deviations from prescriptive building code provisions, thus allowing for greater building heights, use of high strength materials and less structural redundancy, among other things. Because of the deviations from prescriptive provisions, nonlinear response history analysis is required and earthquake time histories are required. When using probabilistic seismic hazard analysis, the ground motions developed for very rare earthquakes are generally dominated by uncertainties. There is great difficulty in identifying or developing realistic strong ground motion time histories for these rare events. In addition, accounting for source‐to‐site effects (such as basin, near‐source and directivity) becomes increasingly complex. Developing representative ground motion time histories may involve scaling or modification of actual time histories, in the time or frequency domains, to match the target spectrum. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Estimation method of tall building structure system in architecture project design
Authors: Shi Jianguang , Hua Linlin , Han Tong
Published: October 2009

Architecture project design is a key stage to tall building design because its structure form, structure system and main member dimension may be determined, and the possibility to influence construction cost may attain 70–80% in this stage. Based on building conditions in architecture project design, such as building function, storeys, height, length/width ratio, height/width ratio, floor height and the maximum wind pressure, seismic intensity and site type, one of the estimation methods for building structure behaviour under these combined action is presented. In this method, every storey in the building is taken as a macro‐element. The member in the building, such as beams, columns, walls and slabs, are included in the macro‐element. Considering the contribution of each member, the macro‐element stiffness is established for each storey. Then, the estimation analysis of the building structure is carried out following the finite element method. Comparing the analysis results, such as internal force and storey deformation with the usual analysis method, it is known that this estimation analysis method can be used to estimate the behaviour of the building structure system in architecture project design. It is also a useful tool to architects and structure engineers in estimating the applicability of the structure system. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
New deterministic and stochastic simulation models for non‐isotropic scattering mobile‐to‐mobile Rayleigh fading channels
Authors: Cheng Xiang , Wang Cheng‐Xiang , Laurenson David I. , Salous Sana , Vasilakos Athanasios V.
Published: October 2009

For the practical simulation and performance evaluation of mobile‐to‐mobile (M2M) communication systems, it is desirable to develop accurate M2M channel simulation models for more realistic scenarios of non‐isotropic scattering. In this paper, by using a ‘double‐ring’ concept to describe M2M non‐isotropic scattering environments, we propose new deterministic and stochastic sum‐of‐sinusoids (SoS) based simulation models. The proposed simulation models extensively consider the distributions of the angle of arrival (AoA) and the angle of departure (AoD), and thus provide a good approximation to the desired statistical properties of the reference model. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Medium access control in vehicularad hocnetworks
Authors: Leng Supeng , Fu Huirong , Wang Qing , Zhang Yan
Published: October 2009

The distinguishing properties of VehicularAd hocwireless Networks (VANETs) strongly challenge the design of Medium Access Control (MAC) protocols, which are responsible for the medium access coordination among active vehicles, as well as the accommodation of both driving safety applications and non‐safety applications. In this paper, we focus on a comprehensive survey of VANET MAC schemes by integrating various related issues and challenges. Our analysis not only deepens the understanding of MAC techniques in VANETs but also presents the key ideas and potential directions for future research in this area. In order to significantly improve the communication performance of VANETs, more research efforts on MAC techniques must be made for optimizing multichannel coordination and allocation approaches, enhancing the Quality of Service (QoS) capability, and combating the hidden terminal problem, broadcast storm problem and even ACK (acknowledgment) explosion problem. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Mechanochemical Synthesis of New Coordination Polymers with Acetylenedicarboxylate as Bridging Ligand
Authors: Stein Irena , Ruschewitz Uwe
Published: October 2009

CaADC (1) and Mg(ADC)(H2O)2 (2) were synthesized by grinding Ca(CH3COO)2 and Mg(CH3COO)2·4H2O with acetylenedicarboxylic acid (H2ADC) in an agate mortar. After careful heating for two hours in an argon atmosphere at moderate temperatures, 50 °C and 70 °C, respectively, polycrystalline materials of good crystallinity were obtained. The crystal structures of 1 and 2 were solved and refined from X‐ray powder diffraction data. In the course of the structural refinement it turned out that 1 and 2 are isotypic to SrADC(I41/amd, Z = 4) and Mn(ADC)(H2O)2 (I2/a, Z = 4). In both compounds metal cations are connected by bridging ADC2– ligands to form a 3D coordination network. Thermoanalytical investigations show that CaADC decomposes above 50 °C, whereas for Mg(ADC)(H2O)2 a mass loss of approx. 33 % is observed above 150 °C. The loss of one water molecule as well as a decarboxylation is very likely. The remaining residue is amorphous to X‐rays.
Surgical Education in Brazil
Authors: Ferreira Eugênio Américo Bueno , Rasslan Samir
Published: October 2009

Background

The surgical residency was implemented in Brazil in 1944. Gradually, several programs were created under the auspices of the National Committee of Medical Residency (Comissão Nacional de Residência). A candidate for a residency program is submitted to a selection process in various institutions. One of the greatest obstacles to medical education in Brazil is that the number of graduate students is much larger than the number of available vacancies. As a consequence, they end up looking for other alternatives to their professional training, and these cannot offer the same results as a formal residency. Regarding the current residency program in surgery, Brazil has roughly 200 general surgery programs, which offer 1,040 vacancies yearly.

Method and results

The surgical residency program lasts 2 years with rotation in various surgical specialties, which is a requirement for the following years in specific specialties. The 1,040 who are enrolled in the first 2 years of a residency in surgery take a new examination to continue their training. Here, there are only 573 vacancies; therefore, 45% of the newly trained surgeons start a practice or become apprentices. The 573 residents who move on to further education then pass 2 years in basic general surgery at an institution and continue in the same or are transferred to another department. The next training period should be 2 or 3 years, depending on the specialty. The General Surgery program lasts 4 years: two initial basic years and two more years of training in elective, emergency, and trauma surgery and intensive care. The objective is to become competent in the diagnosis and treatment of the most common diseases that affect the community.

Conclusions

Medical entities in specialties have their own selection process to grant the title of specialist. The Brazilian College of Surgeons (Colégio Brasileiro de Cirurgiões) is responsible for granting the title “general surgeon,” following the model of the American Board of Surgery.
Non‐Evaporative Solvent Recovery Step in Deacidification of Used Frying Oil as Biodiesel Feedstock by Methanol Extraction
Authors: Tunc Meliz Fatma , Gurbuz Hale , Türkay Selma Zeynep
Published: October 2009

An alternative deacidification process combining a liquid–liquid extraction with a non‐evaporative solvent recovery step was proposed for preparing used frying oil (UFO) as biodiesel feedstock. The liquid–liquid extraction step using methanol was simulated for obtaining refined UFO with a final residual free fatty acids (FFA) content ≤ 1%. Solvent recovery step of the process, which is based on the precipitation of FFA with Ca(OH)2 as insoluble calcium soaps, was investigated experimentally. With the aim of maximizing the FFA removal from the methanol extract, the influence of process variables such as FFA concentration in the extract phase, Ca(OH)2 amount, stirring rate and temperature were investigated by using model extract phases. Complete removal of FFA was achieved in 30, 20, and 15 min, from the extract phases containing 3.86, 7.78, and 11.58 wt% FFA, respectively, when the precipitation was carried out at a temperature of 65 °C, stirring rate of 250 rpm and by using 18 times the stoichiometric Ca(OH)2 amount. The precipitate quickly settled down due to the agglomeration, thereby provided an efficient and easy separation of the methanol from the solids. Provided the final residual content of FFA in methanol was too low, recovered methanol can be recycled for more FFA extraction. Although the suggested process offers a feasible method for preparing UFO as biodiesel feedstock, the effect of other decomposition products in UFO must be investigated in depth for using such a process on an industrial scale.
Qualitatively distinct phenotypes in the design space of biochemical systems
Authors: Savageau Michael A. , Fasani Rick A.
Published: October 2009

Although characterization of the genotype has undergone revolutionary advances as a result of the successful genome projects, the chasm between our understanding of a fully characterized gene sequence and the phenotypic repertoire of the organism is as broad and deep as it was in the pre‐genomic era. There are two fundamental unsolved problems that provide the context for the challenges in relating genotype to phenotype. We address one of these and describe a generic method for constructing a system design space in which qualitatively distinct phenotypes can be identified and counted, their relative fitness analyzed and compared, and their tolerance to change measured.
Two types of cis‐acting elements control the abaxial epidermis‐specific transcription of the MIR165a and MIR166a genes
Authors: Yao Xiaozhen , Wang Hua , Li Hong , Yuan Zhenhuan , Li Fupeng , Yang Li , Huang Hai
Published: October 2009

During leaf development, polarity formation is critical for leaf morphogenesis and functions. This process is regulated by several components including two microRNAs, miR165 and 166, which negatively regulate transcription factor genes PHABULOSA, PHAVOLUTA and REVOLUTA. Although miR165 and 166 are known to be accumulated in the abaxial leaf domain, how this pattern is determined is largely unknown. Here we report that the MIR165a and 166a genes are predominantly transcribed in the abaxial epidermis, and this transcript distribution pattern is controlled by two types of cis‐acting elements. Our results suggest a model for the polar accumulation of MIR165 and 166 transcripts.
Diverse Women's Beliefs About Weight Gain in Pregnancy
Authors: Groth Susan W. , Kearney Margaret H.
Published: October 2009

This research was conducted to describe ethnically diverse new mothers' perceptions of gestational weight gain. Forty‐nine low‐income women of diverse racial and ethnic origins who birthed an infant within the past year completed a semistructured interview in a pediatric clinic waiting room. The interviews were designed to elicit views on gestational weight gain, including expectations and perceived consequences. Data were analyzed using content analysis techniques. Women believed that others like themselves were concerned about pregnancy weight gain. Many focused on the effects of insufficient pregnancy weight gain on the infant but were not aware of the infant risks of excessive gain. Several had inaccurate knowledge of appropriate gestational weight gain, and many suggested an amount below the current recommendations. One‐third of the women believed women will weigh more following pregnancy, yet others assumed that even with excessive weight gain there would be a return to prepregnant weight following pregnancy. Pregnancy‐related weight gain is disturbing to women. Health care providers have the opportunity to intervene by acknowledging these concerns and providing information and support to help women make positive choices and achieve appropriate weight gain.
Evidence‐Based Approaches to Managing Nausea and Vomiting in Early Pregnancy
Authors: King Tekoa L. , Murphy Patricia Aikins
Published: October 2009

Nausea and vomiting in pregnancy is a continuum that ranges from mild discomfort to significant morbidity. Systematic assessment with the use of the Pregnancy‐Unique Quantification of Emesis/Nausea (PUQE) index and timely treatment using evidence‐based protocols can decrease the time that many women spend using treatment recommendations that are inadequate. This article reviews the epidemiology of nausea and vomiting in pregnancy, use of the PUQE index, and the evidence for specific nonpharmacologic and pharmacologic treatment regimens. A protocol for clinical management is presented.
Public policy and genomic science: Managing dynamic change
Authors: Mintrom Michael , Williams Claire
Published: October 2009

Developments in genomic science and its applications raise significant public policy issues. Restrictive governance regimes can inhibit progress that has the potential to significantly enhance social and economic outcomes. But permissive regimes run the risk of mistakes, inappropriate management practices, and accidents having costly effects on human populations, various agricultural activities, and ecosystems. This article provides an overview of genomic science. We survey public policy issues raised by this science and how existing public policy models and approaches have been used to consider and address them. Issues covered include the quality of the science, non-human applications, human applications, and social impacts. From here, attention turns to challenges posed both at the conceptual and practical level that are expected to promote further policy learning. We consider the need for effective oversight and regulatory regimes, and greater transparency and participation in decision-making. The article also introduces the other contributions to this theme issue of Policy and Society.
Cross‐Cultural Medical Education in the United States: Key Principles and Experiences
Authors: Betancourt Joseph R. , Cervantes Marina C.
Published: October 2009

The field of cross‐cultural care focuses on the ability to communicate effectively and provide quality health care to patients from diverse sociocultural backgrounds. In recent years, medical schools in the United States have increasingly recognized the growing importance of incorporating cross‐cultural curricula into medical education. Cross‐cultural medical education in the United States has emerged for four reasons: (1) the need for providers to have the skills to care for a diverse patient population; (2) the link between effective communication and health outcomes; (3) the presence of racial/ethnic disparities that are, in part, due to poor communication across cultures; and (4) medical school accreditation requirements. There are three major approaches to cross‐cultural education: (1) the cultural sensitivity/awareness approach that focuses on attitudes; (2) the multicultural/categorical approach that focuses on knowledge; and (3) the cross‐cultural approach that focuses on skills. The patient‐based approach to cross‐cultural care combines these three concepts into a framework that can be used to care for any patient, anytime, anywhere. Ultimately, if cross‐cultural medical education is to evolve, students must believe it is important and understand that the categorical approach can lead to stereotyping; it should be taught using patient cases and highlighting clinical applications; it should be embedded in a longitudinal, developmentally appropriate fashion; and it should be integrated into the larger curriculum whenever possible. At the Harvard Medical School, we have tried to apply all of these lessons to our work, and we have started to develop a strategic integration process where we try to raise awareness, impart knowledge, and teach cross‐cultural skills over the 4 years of schooling.
Using Medical Students to Enhance Curricular Integration of Cross‐Cultural Content
Authors: Shields Helen M. , Nambudiri Vinod E. , Leffler Daniel A. , Akileswaran Chitra , Gurrola Edith R. , Jimenez Rachel , Saltzman Amy , Samuel Peter A. , Wong Kara , White Augustus A. , Hafler Janet P. , Hayward Jane N. , Pelletier Stephen R. , O'Farrell Richard P. , Blanco Paola G. , Kappler Steven M. , Llerena‐Quinn Roxana
Published: October 2009

We hypothesized that an interested medical student group would be helpful in reviewing tutorial cases and giving relevant feedback on the curricular integration of cross‐cultural content using case triggers in a preclinical gastrointestinal pathophysiology course. Self‐selected student leaders (n = 9) reviewed pre‐existing problem‐based learning tutorial cases (n = 3) with cross‐cultural triggers, and provided narrative feedback to course faculty. The cases were modified and used for the entire class in the following 2 years. Participating course students' comments and teaching faculty feedback were also noted. Outcomes were a change in case content, student global evaluations of the course, and self‐reported faculty comfort with teaching the cases. All three tutorial cases were reviewed by a separate group of 2–3 students. Major and minor revisions were made to each case based on the student feedback. These cases were used in 2007 and 2008 and were the major change to the course during that time. Overall course evaluation scores improved significantly from 2006 to 2008 (p = 0.000). Tutors (n = 22 in 2007; n = 23 in 2008) expressed relief during tutor meetings that students had reviewed the cases. A general framework for eliciting student feedback on problem‐based cases was developed. Student feedback, consisting of self‐selected students' case reviews and solicited course and tutor comments, added value to a curricular reform to improve the integration of cross‐cultural content into a problem‐based learning curriculum. Our study underscores the fundamental link between teachers and students as partners in curricular development.
Infusing Cultural Competence Training into the Curriculum: Describing the Development of Culturally Sensitive Training on Dementia Communication
Authors: Davis Boyd H. , Smith Mary K.
Published: October 2009

The need for training in cultural sensitivity and cultural competence exists at every level of medical care. This discussion reports on an interdisciplinary project to infuse cultural competence training in dementia communication care into nursing and nurse assistant training. We describe the core curriculum and its subsequent cross‐cultural and linguistic adaptations to meet multiple educational and training needs of language‐challenged learners, and discuss implications for others developing cross‐disciplinary curricula.
Closing the Deal: Negotiating Civil Rights Legislation
Authors: JEONG GYUNG-HO , MILLER GARY J. , SENED ITAI
Published: October 2009

Our investigation of the Senate politics of four major civil rights acts indicates that they did not result from winning coalitions bulldozing helpless minorities, nor did they result from some unpredictable chaotic process. These critical bills were the result of a flexible, multidimensional coalition-building process that proceeded by offering amendments carefully constructed to split off pivotal members of the winning coalition. Ideal point estimates of U.S. senators reveal that this coalitional negotiation process led to outcomes at some distance from the first choice of the winning coalition, testimony to significant compromise, both in early proposals and in refinements. This negotiation process resulted in outcomes apparently constrained by the boundaries of the uncovered set (McKelvey 1986; Miller 1980). “Closing the deal” in the U.S. Senate meant finding an outcome that could withstand robust attacks on pivotal coalition members—and that meant finding an outcome in the uncovered set.
MPs for Sale? Returns to Office in Postwar British Politics
Authors: EGGERS ANDREW C. , HAINMUELLER JENS
Published: October 2009

Many recent studies show that firms profit from connections to influential politicians, but less is known about how much politicians financially benefit from wielding political influence. We estimate the returns to serving in Parliament, using original data on the estates of recently deceased British politicians. Applying both matching and a regression discontinuity design to compare Members of Parliament (MPs) with parliamentary candidates who narrowly lost, we find that serving in office almost doubled the wealth of Conservative MPs, but had no discernible financial benefits for Labour MPs. Conservative MPs profited from office largely through lucrative outside employment they acquired as a result of their political positions; we show that gaining a seat in Parliament more than tripled the probability that a Conservative politician would later serve as a director of a publicly traded firm—enough to account for a sizable portion of the wealth differential. We suggest that Labour MPs did not profit from office largely because trade unions collectively exerted sufficient control over the party and its MPs to prevent members from selling their services to other clients.
Environmental consequences of modern production agriculture: How can alternative agriculture address these issues and concerns?
Authors: Papendick Robert I. , Elliott Lloyd F. , Dahlgren Robert B.
Published: October 2009

Modern large-scale conventional agriculture with intensive monoculture and row-cropping practices often results in unacceptable soil erosion and runoff and in associated losses of nutrients and pesticides. It also adversely affects wildlife. Sediment from erosion is the greatest pollutant of surface water in the United States and is a major carrier of agrichemicals into the water system. Conservation tillage practices can significantly reduce soil losses in modern production systems, but pollution of surface and groundwaters from runoff and associated potential for increased use of pesticides may still present a hazard. Erosion can be reduced to tolerable levels by the use of crop rotations, meadow crops, and mulch tillage, as commonly used in alternative agriculture. These cultural practices also result in diversity in crop types and in smaller fields, with possible benefit to many wildlife species. Chemical threats to the environment and to wildlife are reduced because synthetic chemicals are used sparingly or not at all.
The role of sustainable agriculture in improving the safety and quality of the food supply
Authors: Clancy Katherine L.
Published: October 2009

Agricultural and health policies are not integrated in the U.S. despite their obvious similarities and linkages. Sustainable agriculture can undoubtedly play an important role in joining the two sectors; however, before this can occur research is needed to answer questions in many areas. Some consumer concerns regarding the safety of the food supply can be abated through the use of sustainable practices in food production and processing which can lessen exposure to toxic contaminants and conserve resources. Among the farming issues considered here are pesticide toxicities and their synergistic interactions, yields, storability, nutrient quality, nitrates, mycotoxins, and antibiotics used in meat production. The manipulation of commodities during processing is also addressed, including the intense refining of grains, fortification and vitamin supplementation, imitation food, and food additives. Analogies between production and processing operations are drawn and specific research needs identified.
The economic implications of organic farming
Authors: Cacek Terry , Langner Linda L.
Published: October 2009

Many farmers are turning to organic or “low input” farming as a strategy for economic survival. Several comparisons of actual grain farms in the central and northern states showed that organic farming equals or exceeds conventional farming in economic performance. These findings are supported by studies that used yield data from research plots as inputs to economic models. However, models that relied more heavily on hypothetical data showed an economic disadvantage for organic farming. This may have been a result of the failure of the hypothetical models to incorporate valid assumptions on conservation and efficient utilization of water, nutrients, fuel, labor, and capital. Established organic farmers are less vulnerable to natural and economic risks than conventional farmers because their systems are more diversified. They also are less able, however, to take advantage of income tax deductions. Future trends in commodity prices, input prices, pollution regulation, and research can be expected to have mixed effects on conventional and organic farmers, but the net impact will probably favor organic farmers. On a macroeconomic (i.e. national) scale, conversion to organic farming would have many benefits. It would reduce federal costs for supporting commodity prices, reduce depletion of fossil fuels, reduce the social costs associated with erosion, improve fish and wildlife habitats, and insure the productivity of the land for future generations. However, widespread conversion to organic farming would have an undesirable impact on the balance of trade. Future research on the economics of organic farming at the farm or microeconomics level should be directed at horticultural crops, southern latitudes, marketing, and the process of conversion from conventional to organic farming. Future macroeconomic research should quantify the social benefits described above, enabling decision makers to compare organic farming with other policy options.
Developing policy for a resource-conserving agriculture: The Food Security Act of 1985 in perspective
Authors: Guither Harold D.
Published: October 2009

The Food Security Act of 1985 in odible land. The sodbuster provision will protect reserve acreage from future exploitation. Bid procedures should provide the most cost effective way to move the largest acreage into the reserve. Buying land to place it into the reserve will not be possible if the restrictions in thelaw are properly enforced.
Rotations: The key to farm success
Authors: Vogelsberg John
Published: October 2009

Editor's note: At conferences with a focus on scientific and political information about alternative agriculture, the live stories of how individual farmers “made the switch” from chemical intensive to low-chemical farming help us to stay in touch with the issues as the farmer sees them. At the IAA symposium, Kansas farmer John Vogelsberg told the story of his choice to make that transition, delighting the audience with his dry humor, warmth, and wisdom. Following are excerpts from his reflections.
Alternative production systems to reduce nitrates in ground water
Authors: Papendick Robert I. , Elliott Lloyd F. , Power James F.
Published: October 2009

Evidence indicates a strong positive relationship between increases in nitrogen fertilizer use on cropland and nitrate concentrations in shallow ground water. This raises concern about the fate and efficiency of nitrogen fertilizer with current farming practices. Approximately 50 percent of the nitrogen fertilizer applied may be recovered by agronomic crops and 35 percent or less removed in the harvested grain of a crop such as corn. The residual nitrogen is subject to loss by several processes, one being leaching from the crop root zone. Alternative production systems that provide ground water protection must give attention to improved management of nitrogen fertilizer and to practices that minimize the need for nitrogen fertilizer and reduce soil nitrate concentrations. Most important in nitrogen fertilizer management is to more closely match nitrogen availability in the soil with crop needs and to avoid over-fertilization. Nitrogen fertilizer use can be reduced by alternate cropping of low and high nitrogen-demanding crops, use of legumes in the crop rotation to fix nitrogen, and proper use of manures, crop residues, and other organic wastes. Residual nitrates in soil can be reduced by use of cover crops, nitrogen-scavenging crops in the rotation, and alternating shallow and deep-rooted crops. Conservation tillage alone as used with many conventional cropping systems will probably not change the current status of nitrate leaching. Practices used by organic farmers should be carefully studied as possible approaches for ground water protection and adaptation into conservation tillage systems for conserving soil and water resources.
Agriculture and ground water quality: A public policy perspective
Authors: Abdalla Charles W. , Libby Lawrence W.
Published: October 2009

Agricultural production is an important source of ground water contamination in many regions of the U.S. Ground water contamination is the unintended side effect of actions by economic agents pursuing their interests within the legal framework established by current public policy. Under existing policy, agricultural producers do not have changes as noted to consider off-site effects of their decisions on ground water supplies. Given these policy rules, producers can be expected to cause such damage until their rights and obligations are adjusted by policy. The farmer is simply responding in a predictable manner to opportunities existing within the economic system. Possible rationales for government action to protect ground water quality include: 1) the existence of “third party” effects in the form of off-site damages associated with degraded water supplies; 2) overuse of an “open-access” resource; 3) society's desire to make conservative ground water management decisions to avoid the risks of contamination; and 4) individuals' demands for ground water protection even though they may not expect to directly benefit. Alternative policy instruments for ground water protection include taxes, subsidies, regulations and prohibitions, education, and public spending. Different policy approaches are being employed to address agricultural contamination of ground water. One policy approach emphasizes producers ' lack of accurate information and appropriate decision-making, and recommends educating farmers about how their profits can be increased by improved decisions regarding inputs. A second approach is to change the rules and incentives to compel or induce producers to act in a way that improves ground water quality. If ground water quality follows the pattern of most public issues, effective policies will be developed only as the cost of failing to act becomes known. Research and delivery of information on the costs of ground water protection and the costs of not protecting ground water are likely to be key factors affecting the formation of future ground water quality policies.