bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Extended quasi‐likelihood with fractional polynomials in the frame of the accelerated failure time model
Authors: Yu Lili , Yu Ruifeng , Liu Liang , Chen Ding‐Geng
Published: February 2012

The accelerated failure time model is frequently used in survival analysis because of its direct physical interpretation. Semiparametric inference methods have been extensively investigated for this model. However, the accelerated failure time model and the existing inference methods assume homogeneity of the survival data after taking log‐transformation. This assumption is not always appropriate because heterogeneous data are often encountered in practice. In dealing with this heterogeneity, Yu, Yu, and Liu proposed a parametric quasi‐likelihood method by assuming a known variance function, which may not be realistic for real data. In this paper, we extend the parametric quasi‐likelihood method to semiparametric via relaxing its assumption and approximating the unknown variance function by using fractional polynomials approach. Simulations show that this novel extension performs superior to other methods in statistical properties of unbiasedness, efficiency, and correct coverage probability in finite samples. An application to real data set in primary biliary cirrhosis demonstrates the applicability of this new methodology. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Predicting analysis time in event‐driven clinical trials with event‐reporting lag
Authors: Wang Jianming , Ke Chunlei , Jiang Qi , Zhang Charlie , Snapinn Steven
Published: February 2012

For a clinical trial with a time‐to‐event primary endpoint, the rate of accrual of the event of interest determines the timing of the analysis, upon which significant resources and strategic planning depend. It is important to be able to predict the analysis time early and accurately. Currently available methods use either parametric or nonparametric models to predict the analysis time based on accumulating information about enrollment, event, and study withdrawal rates and implicitly assume that the available data are completely reported at the time of performing the prediction. This assumption, however, may not be true when it takes a certain amount of time (i.e., event‐reporting lag) for an event to be reported, in which case, the data are incomplete for prediction. Ignoring the event‐reporting lag could substantially impact the accuracy of the prediction. In this paper, we describe a general parametric model to incorporate event‐reporting lag into analysis time prediction. We develop a prediction procedure using a Bayesian method and provide detailed implementations for exponential distributions. Some simulations were performed to evaluate the performance of the proposed method. An application to an on‐going clinical trial is also described. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Optimal sensor and path selection for target tracking in wireless sensor networks
Authors: Mansouri Majdi
Published: February 2012

This paper addresses target tracking in wireless sensor networks where the nonlinear observed system is assumed to progress according to a probabilistic state space model. Thus, we propose to improve the use of the quantized variational filtering by jointly selecting the optimal candidate sensor that participates in target localization and its best communication path to the cluster head. In the current work, firstly, we select the optimal sensor in order to provide the required data of the target and to balance the energy dissipation in the wireless sensor networks. This selection is also based on the local cluster node density and their transmission power. Secondly, we select the best communication path that achieves the highest signal‐to‐noise ratio at the cluster head; then, we estimate the target position using quantized variational filtering algorithm. The best communication path is designed to reduce the communication cost, which leads to a significant reduction of energy consumption and an accurate target tracking. The optimal sensor selection is based on mutual information maximization under energy constraints, which is computed by using the target position predictive distribution provided by the quantized variational filtering algorithm. The simulation results show that the proposed method outperforms the quantized variational filtering under sensing range constraint, binary variational filtering, and the centralized quantized particle filtering. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Wernicke‐like encephalopathy during classic maple syrup urine disease decompensation
Authors: Manara R. , Del Rizzo M. , Burlina A. P. , Bordugo A. , Citton V. , Rodriguez‐Pombo P. , Ugarte M. , Burlina A. B.
Published: February 2012

We describe a new neuroradiologic picture observed during metabolic decompensation in two maple syrup urine disease (MSUD) patients that resembles Wernicke encephalopathy (WE). Clinical observations and the review of the literature regarding WE and MSUD pathophysiology prompted us to hypothesize a pathogenic link between these two disorders. Based on these findings, clinicians and neuroradiologists should be aware of MSUD as a possible predisposing factor of WE in children.
The frpB1 gene of Helicobacter pylori is regulated by iron and encodes a membrane protein capable of binding haem and haemoglobin
Authors: Carrizo-Chávez Miguel Angel , Cruz-Castañeda Areli , de Jesús Olivares-Trejo José
Published: February 2012

FrpB1 is a novel membrane protein of Helicobacter pylori that is capable of binding both haem and haemoglobin but consistently shows more affinity for haem. The mRNA levels of frpB1 were repressed by iron and lightly modulated by haem or haemoglobin. The overexpression of the frpB1 gene supported cellular growth when haem or haemoglobin were supplied as the only iron source. Three‐dimensional modelling revealed the presence of motifs necessary to bind either haem or haemoglobin. Our overall results support the idea that FrpB1 is a membrane protein of H. pylori that allows this pathogen to survive in the human stomach.
Upholding pregnant women's right to life
Authors: Cook Rebecca J. , Dickens Bernard M.
Published: February 2012

Recent decisions of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the Inter‐American Court of Human Rights, and the High Court of Delhi have shown how the pregnancy‐related deaths of individual women have been bases on which these authoritative tribunals have held Brazil, Paraguay, and India respectively accountable for avoidable maternal mortality not only in these cases, but also among their populations more generally. The right to life is the most fundamental of women's human rights, recognized in international human rights treaties and national laws. Failure of governments to apply their resources adequately to address, respect, and protect this right violates the law of human rights. These cases show, however, that governments may fail to allocate adequate resources to women's survival of pregnancy. Tribunals can build on the failures in individual cases to set standards of performance to which governments will legally be held to achieve safe motherhood.
Organic stable carbon isotopic composition reveals late Quaternary vegetation changes in the dune fields of northern China
Authors: Lu Huayu , Zhou Yali , Liu Weiguo , Mason Joseph
Published: February 2012

Vegetation changes during the late Quaternary in the dune fields of northern China are not well understood. We investigated organic carbon stable isotopic composition of surface soils, related mainly to the ratio of C3and C4plants, across a range of arid to subhumid climates in this region. Isotopic composition is weakly related to both temperature and moisture (multiple R2= 0.53), with the highest δ13C (greatest C4abundance) in the warm, subhumid Horqin dune field. In late Quaternary, eolian stratigraphic sections of the Mu Us and Horqin dune fields, but not in the much colder Otindag dune field, δ13C is higher in organic carbon from paleosols than in eolian sands. This contrast, most evident for paleosols recording a major early to middle Holocene phase of dune stabilization, is interpreted as evidence for expansion of C4plants due to increased effective moisture, high temperature because of high insolation, and decreased disturbance related to eolian erosion and deposition.
Dynamic Government Performance: Honeymoons and Crises of Confidence
Authors: DEWAN TORUN , MYATT DAVID P.
Published: February 2012

We use a formal theoretical framework to explore the interplay between a government's longevity and its performance. Ministers perform well when their careers are valuable; this is so when the government's duration is expected to be long; the government's survival depends on its popularity; and, finally, that popularity depends on its ministers’ performance. The feedback loop between performance and longevity means that multiple rational-expectations equilibria can arise: Ministers work hard for a popular government, but divert efforts elsewhere if they believe the government is doomed; these alternatives are both self-fulfilling prophecies. However, the presence of (perhaps small) random events that buffet the performance and popularity of a government is sufficient to pin down a unique equilibrium. We explore the dynamics that arise: A crisis of confidence involving the rapid collapse of a government's performance is sparked when a sequence of negative shocks push the popularity of the government below a unique critical threshold.
Tracing Burma's Economic Failure to Its Colonial Inheritance
Authors: Brown Ian
Published: February 2012

The extent to which the inheritance of British rule in Burma, including Burmese perceptions of that inheritance, might explain Burma's economic failure since independence is explored. Several factors came into play. One was the ferocious rejection of the economic structures of colonial rule by the Burmese. Another was the failure of Burmese entrepreneurs– who had been in a position to achieve little beyond dominance over the rice field–to emerge during the colonial period. Finally, there were the implications for independent Burma's economic options of the withdrawal of Indian capital, enterprise, and commercial experience, which had been a dominant factor in the colonial economy, at the point when Burma regained its political freedom.
Corporate Profit and Race in Central African Copper Mining, 1946–1958
Authors: Phimister Ian
Published: February 2012

The focus in the literature on the political outcomes of decolonization has resulted in neglect of the business activities that took place from the mid-1940s to the mid-1950s. Missing from existing accounts are the occasions when business turned impending political change to economic advantage. One such shift occurred in the central African copper-mining industry as, first, the promise of racial “partnership” during the short-lived Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland and then the prospect of African majority rule in Northern Rhodesia redefined the political context within which businesses operated. Rather than emphasizing the ethical considerations that influenced business attitudes, this study describes how corporate policies toward the job color bar were shaped by the copper industry's changing cost structure and profitability.
The effect of long term under- and over-feeding of sheep on milk and plasma fatty acid profiles and on insulin and leptin concentrations
Authors: Tsiplakou Eleni , Chadio Stella , Zervas George
Published: February 2012

Since sheep's milk is mainly used for cheese making and milk chemical composition and fatty acids (FA) profile affect cheese yield and quality, the objective of this study was to determine the effects of different feeding levels on milk chemical composition and FA profile, as well as on plasma FA profile, and on insulin and leptin concentrations. Twenty-four sheep were assigned to three homogeneous sub-groups. Throughout the experimental period each group was fed the same diet but in quantities which met 70% (under-feeding), 100% (control) and 130% (over-feeding) of their respective energy and crude protein requirements. The results showed that the underfed sheep had higher milk fat content compared with overfed. In blood plasma the concentrations of C18:0and C18:1in the underfed sheep were significantly higher compared with control and overfed sheep. The concentrations of leptin and insulin were significantly higher in overfed compared with underfed sheep. Underfeeding reduced the concentrations of short chain FA (SCFA) and medium chain FA (MCFA) and increased that of C18:0and mono unsaturated FA (MUFA) in sheep milk fat compared with controls and overfed. The concentrations of C18:0, long chain FA (LCFA) and monounsaturated FA (MUFA) in milk were significantly higher and those of SCFA, MCFA and saturated FA (SFA) significantly lower in the underfed compared with the overfed sheep. In conclusion, long term under- and over-feeding affected the sheep milk chemical composition and FA profile which consequently has an impact on milk products yield (cheese and yogurt) and quality (human health).
Ultra-high pressure homogenisation of milk: technological aspects of cheese-making and microbial shelf life of a starter-free fresh cheese
Authors: Zamora Anna , Ferragut Victoria , Quevedo Joan Miquel , Guamis Buenaventura , Trujillo Antonio-José
Published: February 2012

Fresh cheeses from pasteurised (80°C for 15 s), homogenised–pasteurised (15+3 MPa at 60°C; 80°C for 15 s) or ultra-high pressure homogenised milks (300 MPa and inlet temperature of 30°C) were produced in order to evaluate different technological aspects during cheese-making and to study their microbial shelf life. Although the coagulation properties of milk were enhanced by ultra-high pressure homogenisation (UHPH), the cheese-making properties were somewhat altered; both conventional homogenisation and UHPH of milk provoked some difficulties at cutting the curd due to crumbling and improper curd matting due to poor cohesion of the grains. Cheese-milk obtained by UHPH showed a higher microbiological quality than milk obtained by conventional treatments. Starter-free fresh cheeses made from UHPH-treated milk showed less syneresis during storage and longer microbiological shelf-life than those from conventionally treated milk samples.
The ecology and age structure of a highly pathogenic avian influenza virus outbreak in wild mute swans
Authors: PYBUS O. G. , PERRINS C. M. , CHOUDHURY B. , MANVELL R. J. , NUNEZ A. , SCHULENBURG B. , SHELDON B. C. , BROWN I. H.
Published: February 2012

The first UK epizootic of highly pathogenic (HP) H5N1 influenza in wild birds occurred in 2008, in a population of mute swans that had been the subject of ornithological study for decades. Here we use an innovative combination of ornithological, phylogenetic and immunological approaches to investigate the ecology and age structure of HP H5N1 in nature. We screened samples from swans and waterbirds using PCR and sequenced HP H5N1-positive samples. The outbreak's origin was investigated by linking bird count data with a molecular clock analysis of sampled virus sequences. We used ringing records to reconstruct the age-structure of outbreak mortality, and we estimated the age distribution of prior exposure to avian influenza. Outbreak mortality was low and all HP H5N1-positive mute swans in the affected population were <3 years old. Only the youngest age classes contained an appreciable number of individuals with no detectable antibody responses to viral nucleoprotein. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the outbreak strain circulated locally for ∼1 month before detection and arrived when the immigration rate of migrant waterbirds was highest. Our data are consistent with the hypothesis that HP H5N1 epizootics in wild swans exhibit limited mortality due to immune protection arising from previous exposure. Our study population may represent a valuable resource for investigating the natural ecology and epidemiology of avian influenza.
Age and birth cohort differences in depression in repeated cross-sectional surveys in England: the National Psychiatric Morbidity Surveys, 1993 to 2007
Authors: Spiers N. , Brugha T. S. , Bebbington P. , McManus S. , Jenkins R. , Meltzer H.
Published: February 2012

Background

The National Psychiatric Morbidity Survey (NPMS) programme was partly designed to monitor trends in mental disorders, including depression, with comparable data spanning 1993 to 2007. Findings already published from this programme suggest that concerns about increasing prevalence of common mental disorders (CMDs) may be unfounded. This article focuses on depression and tests the hypothesis that successive birth cohorts experience the same prevalence of depression as they age.

Method

We carried out a pseudo-cohort analysis of a sequence of three cross-sectional surveys of the English household population using identical diagnostic instruments. The main outcome was ICD-10 depressive episode or disorder. Secondary outcomes were the depression subscales of the Clinical Interview Schedule – Revised (CIS-R).

Results

There were 8670, 6977 and 6815 participants in 1993, 2000 and 2007 respectively. In men, the prevalence of depression increased between cohorts born in 1943–1949 and 1950–1956 [odds ratio (OR) 2.5, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.4–4.2], then remained relatively stable across subsequent cohorts. In women, there was limited evidence of change in prevalence of depression. Women born in 1957–1963, surveyed aged 44–50 years in 2007, had exceptionally high prevalence. It is not clear whether this represents a trend or a quirk of sampling.

Conclusions

There is no evidence of an increase in the prevalence of depression in male cohorts born since 1950. In women, there is limited evidence of increased prevalence. Demand for mental health services may stabilize or even fall for men.
Stability and transitions of depressive subtypes over a 2-year follow-up
Authors: Lamers F. , Rhebergen D. , Merikangas K. R. , de Jonge P. , Beekman A. T. F. , Penninx B. W. J. H.
Published: February 2012

Background

Identifying depressive subtypes is an important tool in reducing the heterogeneity of major depressive disorder. However, few studies have examined the stability of putative subtypes of depression over time.

Method

The sample included 488 persons from the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA) who had major depressive disorder at baseline and at the 2-year follow-up assessment. A latent transition analysis (LTA) was applied to examine the stability of depressive subtypes across time-points. Differences in demographic, clinical, psychosocial and health correlates between subtypes were evaluated in a subsample of persons with stable subtypes.

Results

Three subtypes were identified at each time-point: a moderate subtype (prevalence T0 39%, T1 42%), a severe typical subtype (T0 30%, T1 25%), and a severe atypical subtype (T0 31%, T1 34%). The LTA showed 76% stability across the 2-year follow-up, with the greatest stability in the severe atypical class (79%). Analyses of correlates in the stable subtypes showed a predominance of women and more overweight and obesity in the severe atypical subtype, and a greater number of negative life events and higher neuroticism and functioning scores in the severe typical subtype.

Conclusions

Subtypes of major depressive disorder were found to be stable across a 2-year follow-up and to have distinct determinants, supporting the notion that the identified subtypes are clinically meaningful.
Do all schizophrenia patients need antipsychotic treatment continuously throughout their lifetime? A 20-year longitudinal study
Authors: Harrow M. , Jobe T. H. , Faull R. N.
Published: February 2012

Background

The prevailing standard of care in the field involves background assumptions about the importance of prolonged use of antipsychotic medications for all schizophrenia (SZ) patients. However, do all SZ patients need antipsychotics indefinitely? Are there factors that help to identify which SZ patients can enter into prolonged periods of recovery without antipsychotics? This 20-year longitudinal research studied these issues.

Method

A total of 139 early young psychotic patients from the Chicago Follow-up Study, including 70 patients with SZ syndromes and 69 with mood disorders, were assessed, prospectively, at the acute phase and then followed up six times over the next 20 years. Patients were assessed with standardized instruments for major symptoms, psychosocial functioning, personality, attitudinal variables, neurocognition and treatment.

Results

At each follow-up, 30–40% of SZ patients were no longer on antipsychotics. Starting at the 4.5-year follow-ups and continuing thereafter, SZ patients not on antipsychotics for prolonged periods were significantly less likely to be psychotic and experienced more periods of recovery; they also had more favorable risk and protective factors. SZ patients off antipsychotics for prolonged periods did not relapse more frequently.

Conclusions

The data indicate that not all SZ patients need treatment with antipsychotics continuously throughout their lives. SZ patients not on antipsychotics for prolonged periods are a self-selected group with better internal resources associated with greater resiliency. They have better prognostic factors, better pre-morbid developmental achievements, less vulnerability to anxiety, better neurocognitive skills, less vulnerability to psychosis and experience more periods of recovery.
Discourse context and the recognition of reduced and canonical spoken words
Authors: BROUWER SUSANNE , MITTERER HOLGER , HUETTIG FALK
Published: February 2012

In two eye-tracking experiments we examined whether wider discourse information helps the recognition of reduced pronunciations (e.g., “puter”) more than the recognition of canonical pronunciations of spoken words (e.g., “computer”). Dutch participants listened to sentences from a casual speech corpus containing canonical and reduced target words. Target word recognition was assessed by measuring eye fixation proportions to four printed words on a visual display: the target, a “reduced form” competitor, a “canonical form” competitor, and an unrelated distractor. Target sentences were presented in isolation or with a wider discourse context. Experiment 1 revealed that target recognition was facilitated by wider discourse information. It is important that the recognition of reduced forms improved significantly when preceded by strongly rather than by weakly supportive discourse contexts. This was not the case for canonical forms: listeners’ target word recognition was not dependent on the degree of supportive context. Experiment 2 showed that the differential context effects in Experiment 1 were not due to an additional amount of speaker information. Thus, these data suggest that in natural settings a strongly supportive discourse context is more important for the recognition of reduced forms than the recognition of canonical forms.
Consequentialism, Indirect Effects and Fair Trade
Authors: WALTON ANDREW
Published: February 2012

In this article I consider two consequentialist positions on whether individuals in affluent countries ought to purchase Fair Trade goods. One is a narrow argument, which asserts that individuals should purchase Fair Trade goods because this will have positive direct effects on poverty reduction, by, for example, channelling money into development. I argue that this justification is insufficient to show that individuals should purchase Fair Trade goods because individuals could achieve similar results by donating money to charity and, therefore, without purchasing Fair Trade goods. The second position has a wider focus. It notes both the direct effects of purchasing Fair Trade goods and possible indirect effects, such as the impact this might have on other individuals. I argue that certain actions, of which Fair Trade is one example, will be more likely to encourage individuals who would not otherwise contribute to poverty reduction to contribute and that this may produce additional positive value. Although space prohibits specific conclusions about Fair Trade, I note that considerations of this kind could give us reason to purchase such goods beyond those that issue from the direct effects of doing so and that, as such, they are crucial for determining whether individuals should purchase Fair Trade goods.
Left-edge deletion in English and subject omission in diaries
Authors: WEIR ANDREW
Published: February 2012

This article discusses deletion in spoken and written English. It notes that subjects are frequently dropped both in informal spoken English (Napoli 1982; Zwicky & Pullum 1983b) and in certain registers of written English such as diaries (Haegeman 1990, 1997, 2007; Haegeman & Ihsane 1999, 2001). The article argues in favour of Napoli's phonological analysis of left-edge deletion in spoken English, and provides a formalisation of Napoli's account in the framework of Selkirk's (1995, 2001, 2011) optimality-theoretic analysis of syntax–phonology mapping. A comparison is drawn with the case of subject drop in the diary register. Due to the difference in surface distribution of the phenomenon between the spoken and written cases, the analysis cannot transfer directly. However, I suggest that, combined with arguments made by Haegeman (2002) for a sentence-medial position for modifiers in written English, the phonological analysis can account for a large subset of the diary drop cases.
Widespread decreases in cortical muscarinic receptors in a subset of people with schizophrenia
Authors: Gibbons Andrew Stuart , Scarr Elizabeth , Boer Simone , Money Tammie , Jeon Won-Je , Felder Chris , Dean Brian
Published: February 2012

These studies were undertaken to investigate the selectivity of cortical muscarinic receptor radioligand binding in muscarinic M1 and M4 receptor knockout mice and to determine whether a marked decrease in [3H]pirenzepine binding in Brodmann's area (BA) 9 from a subset of people with schizophrenia was predictive of decreased muscarinic receptors in other central nervous system (CNS) regions. Our data show that, under the conditions used, [3H]pirenzepine binding was highly selective for the muscarinic M1 receptor whereas both [3H]AF-DX 386 and [3H]4DAMP had less discriminatory power. In addition, the data suggest that a marked decrease in [3H]pirenzepine binding in BA 9 from a subset of people with schizophrenia is predictive of decreases in muscarinic receptors in other CNS regions. However, there were some region-specific decreases in muscarinic receptors in tissue from people with schizophrenia who were outside this subset. These data add to a growing body of evidence suggesting there are widespread decreases in muscarinic receptors in the CNS of some subjects with schizophrenia, as demonstrated by neuroimaging. Our data have implications for understanding the potential clinical utility of drugs directed at the orthosteric and allosteric sites of muscarinic receptors to treat schizophrenia.
Riskanter Alkoholkonsum bei Patienten in ambulanter Psychotherapie
Authors: Arndt Antina , Andor Tanja , Rist Fred
Published: February 2012

Zusammenfassung. Theoretischer Hintergrund: Bei ca. 20% der deutschen Bevölkerung ist der Alkoholkonsum als riskant einzustufen. Alkoholkonsum birgt Gesundheitsrisiken und beeinflusst emotionale und kognitive Prozesse. Fragestellung: Wie häufig ist riskanter Alkoholkonsum bei ambulanten Psychotherapiepatienten? Hängt er mit Diagnosen und Symptomen der Patienten zusammen und beeinflusst er die Wirksamkeit der Psychotherapie? Methode: Bei 254 ambulanten Psychotherapiepatienten mit affektiver- oder Angststörung wurden Prädiktoren riskanten Konsums ermittelt. Konsumstabilität und die Auswirkungen auf den Therapieprozess wurden bei N = 183 Personen untersucht. Ergebnisse: Ca. jeder vierte Psychotherapiepatient konsumierte riskante Mengen von Alkohol. Prädiktoren waren Geschlecht, Komorbidität und Ausgangsbelastung in der SCL-90-R. Ein negativer Einfluss auf das Therapieergebnis wurde nur bei depressiven Männern festgestellt. Nur ca. 1/3 der Patienten reduziert den Alkoholkonsum im Verlauf der Therapie. Schlussfolgerungen: Riskanter Alkoholkonsum ist bei Psychotherapiepatienten kaum häufiger als in der Allgemeinbevölkerung. Ohne alkoholspezifische Kurzinterventionen bleibt der Alkoholkonsum mehrheitlich unverändert.
Praxisübergreifende Dokumentation der Ergebnisqualität ambulanter Psychotherapie in Bayern
Authors: Steffanowski Andrés , Kramer Dietmar , Fembacher Andrea , Glahn Esther M. , Bruckmayer Ellen , von Heymann Friedrich , Kriz David , Pfaffinger Irmgard , Wittmann Werner W.
Published: February 2012

Zusammenfassung. In der Pilotstudie QS-PSY-BAY wurde durch 217 Therapeuten eine Methode zur einrichtungs- und fachrichtungsübergreifenden Qualitätssicherung in der ambulanten psychotherapeutischen Versorgung an 1.696 Patienten erfolgreich erprobt. Es kam eine einheitliche elektronische Dokumentation zur Erfassung und Rückmeldung von Behandlungsparametern und des Behandlungserfolges zum Einsatz. Der individuelle Therapieverlauf wurde im Kontext anonymisierter Vergleichsgruppen mit gleicher Hauptdiagnose grafisch dargestellt. Der Studiendatensatz lässt sich zur Beantwortung von Fragen der Versorgungsforschung nutzen. Die Patienten weisen zu Therapiebeginn im Durchschnitt eine deutliche Beeinträchtigung ihres gesundheitlichen Befindens auf. Jeder zweite Patient wird aufgrund einer depressiven Störung behandelt. Die Prä-Post-Effektgröße der abgeschlossenen Therapien erreicht einen Wert von 1,57 und ist in der Ein-Jahres-Katamnese stabil. Bei Berücksichtigung des Drop-Outs nach Intent-To-Treat-Methodik beträgt die konservativ korrigierte Effektgröße 0,97. Damit haben die im Projekt evaluierten Behandlungen eine ausgezeichnete Ergebnisqualität, was die Bedeutung der ambulanten Psychotherapie für die Gesundheitsversorgung in Zeiten einer allgemeinen Zunahme psychischer Erkrankungen unterstreicht.
Media Representation of Gender Patterns of Suicide in Taiwan
Authors: Chen Ying-Yeh , Yip Paul S. F. , Tsai Chi-Wei , Fan Hsiang-Fang
Published: February 2012

Background: Extensive media reporting of suicide events has been indicated as a contributing factor to the upsurge in suicide rates in Taiwan in the past decade. Aims: The study compares gender differences in sociodemographic profiles and method of suicide selectively reported in the newspapers and all suicide cases registered in official death records. It also identifies gender differences in media reports of suicides. Methods: Articles reporting suicide news from four major newspapers in Taiwan (China Times, United Daily, Liberty Times, and Apple Daily) in 2009 were retrieved and analyzed. Gender differences in sociodemographic profiles of suicides reported in the newspapers and official records of all suicide deaths were compared. Any gender differences in newspaper depictions of contributing factors of suicide and situations surrounding the suicidal acts were compared. Results: Newspapers in Taiwan tended to overreport unusual methods of suicide among men and extended suicide among women. The reasons for suicide in men were more frequently portrayed as work-related or after legal problems, whereas in women suicide was more frequently framed as due to mental illness or relationship problems. The news media tended to underreport mental illness as a reason for suicide in men. Limitation: The analysis was based solely on news reporting in the four major newspapers during the year 2009. Conclusions: Media representation of suicide generally follow societal-gendered assumptions of acceptable/unacceptable behaviors. Media professionals should be more careful and responsible in reporting suicide news and avoid any gender bias in their framing of suicide stories. Sensitive rather than sensational reporting should be promoted in order not to reinforce the myths of suicides in the community.
Self-Injurious Behavior vs. Nonsuicidal Self-Injury
Authors: Bloom Christopher M. , Holly Shareen , Miller Adam M. P.
Published: February 2012

Background: Historically, the field of self-injury has distinguished between the behaviors exhibited among individuals with a developmental disability (self-injurious behaviors; SIB) and those present within a normative population (nonsuicidal self-injury; NSSI),which typically result as a response to perceived stress. More recently, however, conclusions about NSSI have been drawn from lines of animal research aimed at examining the neurobiological mechanisms of SIB. Despite some functional similarity between SIB and NSSI, no empirical investigation has provided precedent for the application of SIB-targeted animal research as justification for pharmacological interventions in populations demonstrating NSSI. Aims: The present study examined this question directly, by simulating an animal model of SIB in rodents injected with pemoline and systematically manipulating stress conditions in order to monitor rates of self-injury. Methods: Sham controls and experimental animals injected with pemoline (200 mg/kg) were assigned to either a low stress (discriminated positive reinforcement) or high stress (discriminated avoidance) group and compared on the dependent measures of self-inflicted injury prevalence and severity. Results: The manipulation of stress conditions did not impact the rate of self-injury demonstrated by the rats. The results do not support a model of stress-induced SIB in rodents. Conclusions: Current findings provide evidence for caution in the development of pharmacotherapies of NSSI in human populations based on CNS stimulant models. Theoretical implications are discussed with respect to antecedent factors such as preinjury arousal level and environmental stress.
Detection of Sex Differential Item Functioning in the Cornell Critical Thinking Test
Authors: French Brian F. , Hand Brian , Therrien William J. , Valdivia Vazquez Juan Antonio
Published: February 2012

Critical thinking (CT) can be described as the conscious process a person does to explore a situation or a problem from different perspectives. Accurate measurement of CT skills, especially across subgroups, depends in part on the measurement properties of an instrument being invariant or similar across those groups. The assessment of item-level invariance is a critical component of building a validity argument to ensure that scores on the Cornell Critical Thinking Test (CCTT) have similar meanings across groups. We used logistic regression to examine differential item functioning by sex in the CCTT-Form X. Results suggest that the items function similarly across boys and girls with only 5.6% (4) of items displaying DIF. This implies that any mean differences observed are not a function of a lack of measurement invariance and supports the validity of the inferences drawn when comparing boys and girls on scores on the CCTT.
Complex waves on periodic arrays of lossy and lossless permeable spheres: 2. Numerical results
Authors: Shore Robert A. , Yaghjian Arthur D.
Published: February 2012

This is the second part of a two‐part series dealing with complex dipolar waves propagating along the axes of 1D, 2D and 3D infinite periodic arrays of small lossless and lossy permeable spheres. Shore and Yaghjian (2012) provide the theory of the complex waves and the dispersion (k–β) equations for their propagation constants. In this paper we present and discuss representative dispersion diagrams for arrays of magnetodielectric spheres (spheres with appreciable permittivity and permeability), diamond spheres, and silver nanospheres.
Obama Announces Science Education Goal at White House Science Fair
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: February 2012

With student participants in the second annual White House Science Fair as a backdrop, President Barack Obama announced on 7 February programs to help prepare new math and science teachers and to meet a new goal of having 1 million more U.S. college graduates in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) over the next decade than there would be at the current graduation rate. That goal is outlined in a report entitled “Engage to excel,” by the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), released the same day. Obama also announced several other initiatives, including a $22 million private‐sector investment, led by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, to invest in STEM teacher training. After he toured the science fair projects, Obama said the science fair students “inspire” him. “What impresses me so much is not just how smart you are, but it's the fact that you recognize you've got a responsibility to use your talents in service of something bigger than yourselves,” he said. What these young people are doing is “going to make a bigger difference in the life of our country over the long term than just about anything,” adding, “We've got to emphasize how important this is and recognize these incredible young people who are doing that that I couldn't even imagine thinking about at fifth grade or eighth grade or in high school.”
Waste recycling primary source of energy in deep ocean
Authors: Schultz Colin
Published: February 2012

In the dark reaches of the deep ocean, far from the photosynthesizing plants and plankton that fuel life in the surface waters, ecosystems survive on chemical energy. Decades of research on the life that clusters around deep‐sea hydrothermal vents has hinted at the importance of light‐free food webs, but a recent analysis by Middelburg suggests that another system—waste recycling—could be the dominant pillar of life on the abyssal plains. The realization was a result of the author's attempt to calculate the importance of chemoautotrophy to the carbon cycles of different ocean regions. levels increase rates of denitrification and methanogenesis, thus increasing gas production rates. The authors also found that methane bubbles surpass diffused nitrous oxide in terms of global warming potential, which they suggest could warrant a rethinking of the importance of streams and rivers to global warming. (Journal of Geophysical Research‐Biogeosciences, doi:10.1029/2011JG001656, 2011)
Greenland's pronounced glacier retreat not irreversible
Authors: Schultz Colin
Published: February 2012

In recent decades, the combined forces of climate warming and short‐term variability have forced the massive glaciers that blanket Greenland into retreat, with some scientists worrying that deglaciation could become irreversible. The short history of detailed glacier observations, however, makes pinning the ice loss to either short‐term dynamics or long‐term change difficult. Research by Young et al. detailing the effects of two bouts of sudden and temporary cooling during an otherwise warm phase in Greenland's climate history could help answer that question by showing just how heavy a hand short‐term variability can have in dictating glacier dynamics. Along the western edge of Greenland the massive Jakobshavn Isbræ glacier reaches out to the coast, its outflow dropping icebergs into Baffin Bay during the summer months. Flanking the glacier's tongue are the Tasiussaq and Marrait moraines—piles of rock marking the glacier's former extent. Researchers suspected the moraines were tied to two periods of abrupt cooling that hit Greenland 9300 and 8200 years ago, and that association was reinforced by the authors' radiocarbon and beryllium isotope analyses of the area surrounding the moraines. Beryllium‐10 forms when cosmic radiation travels through the atmosphere and strikes the Earth's surface, with surface rock concentrations indicating how long it has been ice‐free.
Geological evidence for prior earthquakes near Tokyo
Authors: Balcerak Ernie
Published: February 2012

In 1923 a magnitude 7.9 earthquake devastated the Tokyo area, resulting in more than 100,000 deaths. About 200 years earlier, in 1703, a magnitude 8.2 earthquake struck the same region, causing more than 10,000 deaths. These earthquakes, which occurred just south of the area hit by the March 2011 Tohoku earthquake, were produced by slip on the boundary between the subducting Philippine Sea plate and the overlying plate. To estimate the average recurrence time between earthquakes in this region, and thus learn more about earthquake hazard, scientists need to know when earthquakes occurred before 1703. There are few historical documents describing earlier earthquakes, though some records indicate that earthquakes occurred in 1293 and 1433.
Direct three‐dimensional imaging of polar ionospheric structures with the Resolute Bay Incoherent Scatter Radar
Authors: Dahlgren H. , Semeter J. L. , Hosokawa K. , Nicolls M. J. , Butler T. W. , Johnsen M. G. , Shiokawa K. , Heinselman C.
Published: February 2012

Ionospheric plasma density structures in the dayside F‐region of the polar cap are commonly occurring events, but adequate measurements of their formation and evolution have been sparse. With the advent of the advanced modular incoherent scatter radar RISR‐N (Resolute Bay Incoherent Scatter Radar) it is now possible for the first time to study the temporal evolution of the plasma properties in the polar cap region in three dimensions, with a spatial resolution of tens of kilometers, from which the plasma rest frame can be experimentally established. We demonstrate the strength of the diagnostic with observations from an event of enhanced plasma density observed over Resolute Bay in December 2009. A colocated all‐sky imager showed faint 630.0 and 557.7 nm emission corresponding to the plasma enhancements, and the structures could be traced back to a formation region in the open/closed field line boundary. This new plasma imaging technique will provide important information on the mechanisms controlling the structuring in the high latitude ionosphere.
Ligand-activated PPARδ inhibits UVB-induced senescence of human keratinocytes via PTEN-mediated inhibition of superoxide production
Authors: Ham Sun Ah , Hwang Jung Seok , Yoo Taesik , Lee Hanna , Kang Eun Sil , Park Chankyu , Oh Jae-Wook , Lee Hoon Taek , Min Gyesik , Kim Jin-Hoi , Seo Han Geuk
Published: February 2012

UV radiation-mediated photodamage to the skin has been implicated in premature aging and photoaging-related skin cancer and melanoma. Little is known about the cellular events that underlie premature senescence, or how to impede these events. In the present study we demonstrate that PPARδ (peroxisome-proliferator-activated receptor δ) regulates UVB-induced premature senescence of normal keratinocytes. Activation of PPARδ by GW501516, a specific ligand of PPARδ, significantly attenuated UVB-mediated generation of ROS (reactive oxygen species) and suppressed senescence of human keratinocytes. Ligand-activated PPARδ up-regulated the expression of PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted on chromosome 10) and suppressed the PI3K (phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase)/Akt pathway. Concomitantly, translocation of Rac1 to the plasma membrane, which leads to the activation of NADPH oxidases and generation of ROS, was significantly attenuated. siRNA (small interfering RNA)-mediated knockdown of PTEN abrogated the effects of PPARδ on cellular senescence, on PI3K/Akt/Rac1 signalling and on generation of ROS in keratinocytes exposed to UVB. Finally, when HR-1 hairless mice were treated with GW501516 before exposure to UVB, the number of senescent cells in the skin was significantly reduced. Thus ligand-activated PPARδ confers resistance to UVB-induced cellular senescence by up-regulating PTEN and thereby modulating PI3K/Akt/Rac1 signalling to reduce ROS generation in keratinocytes.
Effect of P to B concentration ratio on soft magnetic properties in FeSiBPCu nanocrystalline alloys
Authors: Kong Fanli , Men He , Liu Tiancheng , Shen Baolong
Published: February 2012

The effects of P to B concentration ratio on magnetic properties and microstructure in annealed Fe82.65Si2B14−xPxCu1.35 (x = 1−6) soft magnetic alloys prepared by melt spinning were investigated. The proper substitution of B with P was found to be effective in decreasing grain size in the alloys annealed at 793 K for 120 s. The coercive force Hc markedly decreases from 67.1 to 1.1 A/m and the saturation magnetic flux density Bs shows a slightly decreasing trend with increasing P content from x = 1 to 5. The nanocrystalline Fe82.65Si2B9P5Cu1.35 alloy, with an average grain size of 15 nm, shows a combination of high Bs and excellent soft magnetic properties.
Roadmap for the design of a superconducting electron cyclotron resonance ion source for Spiral2
Authors: Thuillier T. , Angot J. , Barué C. , Canet C. , Lamy T. , Lehérissier P. , Lemagnen F. , Maunoury L. , Peaucelle C.
Published: February 2012

A review of today achieved A/Q = 3 heavy ions beams is proposed. The daily operation A/Q = 3 ion beam intensities expected at Spiral2 are at the limit or above best record 3rd generation electron cyclotron resonance ion source (ECRIS) intensities. The necessity to build a new fully superconducting to fulfill these requirements is outlined. A discussion on the volume of the future source is proposed and the minimum value of 12 liters is derived. An analysis of the x-ray absorption superconducting ECRIS is presented based on VENUS experimental data and geometry. This study underlines the necessity to include a complete x-ray study at the time of source conception. The specifications foreseen for the new ECRIS are presented, followed with the roadmap for the design.
Unusual magnetization characteristics of Fe-Ni films with graded composition
Authors: Malkinski Leszek M. , Eskandari Rahmatollah , Fogel April L. , Min Seonggi
Published: February 2012

Thin films of Fe-Ni with graded composition have been deposited on a Si (001) substrate at room temperature by co-sputtering of Fe and Ni with variable rates of the constituting elements. The composition of the films was changing linearly across the thickness from Fe80Ni20 to Fe6Ni94. Five samples were studied with the thickness of 30, 50, 100, 150, and 200 nm. The hysteresis loops measured with the field applied in the film plane had square shape and the coercivity was varying from 11 to 22 Oe. However, the loops for the field perpendicular to the film plane displayed unusual shapes consisting of a double-step hysteresis loop at low fields and unhysteretic part at higher fields. The size of the steps varied with the thickness of the film. The most likely source of the double step hysteretic curves was identified as magnetostrictive stresses at the film/substrate interface. This was evidenced by the disappearance of the second hysteresis step after annealing at 200 °C for 1 h and significant changes of the hysteresis loops when the same structure was deposited starting from Fe-rich or Ni-rich compositions at the substrate.
Nanostructure and oxide phase distribution in Co36-40Fe64-60 electrodeposited films for magnetic field sensors
Authors: Elhalawaty S. , Carpenter R. W. , George J. , Brankovic S. R.
Published: February 2012

Co36-40Fe64-60 films were electrodeposited on Cu/Si substrates from electrolytes containing variable amounts of Fe3+, to control the film’s oxygen content. The films were body centered cubic with grain sizes of 10 to 20 nm. Analytical electron microscopy was used to determine oxygen distributions and bonding states in the films. Intergranular trivalent Fe2O3 was distributed along grain boundaries in the films with highest oxygen content. A lower volume fraction of intragranular FeO particles were observed in low oxygen content films. Intergranular Fe3+ oxide increased the coercivity and magnetoresistance and reduced the mass saturation magnetization relative to the low oxygen content films.