bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A longitudinal twin study of the direction of effects between psychopathic personality and antisocial behaviour
Authors: Forsman Mats , Lichtenstein Paul , Andershed Henrik , Larsson Henrik
Published: August 2009

Background:  Antisocial behaviour may partly develop as a consequence of psychopathic personality. However, neither the direction of effects nor the aetiology of the association has previously been clarified. The aim in this study was to investigate the direction of effects between psychopathic personality and antisocial behaviour, and to investigate the genetic and environmental contribution to this association.

Method:  Twins (n = 2,255) in the Swedish Twin Study of Child and Adolescent Development were prospectively followed from adolescence to adulthood. We used a longitudinal cross‐lagged twin model to study the associations between psychopathic personality and antisocial behaviour.

Results:  Psychopathic personality in mid‐adolescence predicted antisocial behaviour in adulthood (p < .001), but not the other way around. However, bidirectional effects were found when a measure of persistent antisocial behaviour (from age 8–9 to age 16–17) was used. Psychopathic personality predicted both rule‐breaking behaviour (p < .001) and aggressive behaviour (p < .01). Genetic factors were of importance in mediating the longitudinal associations between psychopathic personality and antisocial behaviour.

Conclusions:  This study provides evidence that genetically influenced psychopathic personality is a robust predictor of adult antisocial behaviour, but also that persistent antisocial behaviour has an impact on adult psychopathic personality via genetic effects.
A predictive mathematical model of muscle forces for children with cerebral palsy
Authors: LEE SAMUEL C K , DING JUN , PROSSER LAURA A , WEXLER ANTHONY S , BINDER‐MACLEOD STUART A
Published: August 2009

Aim  The purpose of this study was to determine if our previously developed muscle model could be used to predict forces of the quadriceps femoris and triceps surae muscles of children with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy (CP).

Method  Twenty‐two children with CP (12 males, 10 females; mean age 10y, SD 2y, range 7–13y; Gross Motor Function Classification System levels II and III) participated. A physiologically based mathematical model with four free parameters is presented.

Results  For individuals with CP, the model predicted well the force profile throughout each contraction and both peak force and force–time integral responses to a wide range of stimulation frequencies (5–100Hz) and different stimulation patterns (constant‐, variable‐, and doublet‐frequency trains) both for nonfatigued and fatigued muscles.

Interpretation  The significance of this work is the insight the model can provide into the physiology of muscle in CP. Additionally, the model can potentially be applied clinically to design optimal electrical stimulation patterns for interventions to address impairments in strength and function in individuals with CP, such as functional electrical stimulation‐assisted cycling.
Translating women's human rights in a globalizing world: the spiral process in reducing gender injustice in Baroda, India
Authors: RAJARAM N. , ZARARIA VAISHALI
Published: August 2009

In this article we analyse the translation of global women's rights ideas in a local context, based on an ethnographic study of three women's organizations from Baroda, Gujarat state, India. On a macro‐level, the local social and cultural norms, the development context, and the nature and role of the state strongly shaped the translation process. Micro processes of translation depend on the organization's core activity, the actors who direct the translation and where they are culturally anchored. Translation involves meaning‐making, which consists of several simultaneous processes, including recuperation, hybridization, simplification and compartmentalization. The direction of the translation process is not linear, but resembles a spiral with ideas moving from global to local to global. Lastly, there are different types of translators, including converters, generators, conveyers, adaptors and transformers.
‘Bringing coals to Newcastle’? Human rights, civil rights and social movements in New York City
Authors: ROSEN MIHAELA ŞERBAN , YOON DIANA H.
Published: August 2009

In this article we examine the encounter between global human rights ideas and domestic discourses of civil rights and social justice, focusing on processes of translation and adaptation of women's human rights in two ethnographic sites in New York City. The first site is a citywide coalition working for the adoption of a New York City human rights ordinance. The second site is an advocacy organization working on domestic violence issues. We find that the local adoption of human rights in New York City – the ‘domestication’ of human rights – takes place in two central sites: law and social movement. We further find that the process of translation takes place unevenly in the two sites, and it is driven primarily by the actors, mechanisms and technologies in the social movement arena. Overall, we witness the emergence of a domestic human rights movement as a new counter‐hegemonic space, characterized by multiplicity in meanings, ideological heterogeneity and ambivalence from those engaged in its construction.
Effective Parameters on the Stress–Strain Curve of Nylon 66/Clay Nanocomposite Using FEM
Authors: Saadatfar M. , Afaghi Khatibi A. , Mortazavi B.
Published: August 2009

Abstract:  In recent years, the study of polymer/clay nanocomposites has attracted major research and commercial interests due to their superior mechanical and thermal properties to those of the neat polymers. Numerical modelling is an advantageous approach to understand the material behaviour. In this work a symmetric two dimensional finite element model is developed to simulate the fully exfoliated Polymer/Clay nanocomposite behaviour and evaluate its’ before stress stress–strain curve. The Nylon 66/Clay in this study has a nonlinear elastic behaviour. The influence of volume fraction and aspect ratio of clay platelet (defined as the ratio of the particle length to the particle thickness) on the tensile behaviour of exfoliated Nylon 66/clay nanocomposite is investigated with the aid of numerical simulations. Results show good agreement with experimental data from literature.
Dexrazoxane protects the heart from acute doxorubicin‐induced QT prolongation: a key role forIKs
Authors: Ducroq J , Moha ou Maati H , Guilbot S , Dilly S , Laemmel E , Pons‐Himbert C , Faivre JF , Bois P , Stücker O , Le Grand M
Published: August 2009

Introduction: Doxorubicin, an anthracycline widely used in the treatment of a broad range of tumours, causes acute QT prolongation. Dexrazoxane has been shown to prevent the QT prolongation induced by another anthracycline, epirubicin, but has not yet been reported to prevent that induced by doxorubicin. Thus, the present study was designed to test whether the acute QT effects induced by doxorubicin could be blocked by dexrazoxane and to explore the mechanism. Results were compared with those obtained with a reference human ether‐a‐go‐go (hERG) channel blocker, moxifloxacin.

Methods: The effects of moxifloxacin (100 µM) and doxorubicin (30 µM), with or without dexrazoxane (from 3 to 30 µM), have been evaluated on the QTc interval in guinea‐pig isolated hearts and onIKr(rapid component of the delayed rectifier current) andIKs(slow component of the delayed rectifier current) currents stably expressed in human embryonic kidney 293 cells.

Results: Moxifloxacin (100 µM), a potent hERG blocker, prolonged QTc by 22%, and this effect was not prevented by dexrazoxane. Doxorubicin (30 µM) also prolonged QTc by 13%, did not significantly block hERG channels and specifically inhibitedIKs(IC50: 4.78 µM). Dexrazoxane significantly reduced the doxorubicin‐induced QTc prolongation and prevented doxorubicin‐induced inhibition ofIKs.

Conclusion and implications: Doxorubicin acutely prolonged the QT interval in guinea‐pig heart by selectiveIKsblockade. This effect was prevented by dexrazoxane. This result is important because it illustrates the danger of neglectingIKsin favour of hERG screening alone, for early preclinical testing for possible induction of torsade de pointes.

This article is part of a themed section on QT safety. To view this issue visithttp://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/121548564/issueyear?year=2010
Targeting PPAR receptors in the airway for the treatment of inflammatory lung disease
Authors: Belvisi Maria G , Mitchell Jane A
Published: August 2009

Peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptors (PPARs) are ligand‐activated transcription factors that belong to the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily. PPARγ regulates several metabolic pathways by binding to sequence‐specific PPAR response elements in the promoter region of genes involved in lipid biosynthesis and glucose metabolism. However, more recently PPARγ, PPARα and PPARβ/δ agonists have been demonstrated to exhibit anti‐inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties thus opening up new avenues for research. The actions of PPARγ and PPARα activation are thought to be due to their ability to down regulate pro‐inflammatory gene expression and inflammatory cell functions, and as such makes them an attractive target for novel drug intervention. Interestingly, PPARβ/δ has been shown to be involved in wound healing, angiogenesis, lipid metabolism and thrombosis. In this review we will focus on the data describing the beneficial effects of these ligands in the airway and in the pulmonary vasculature and in vivo in animal models of allergic and occupational asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and pulmonary fibrosis. A clinical trial is underway to examine the effect of rosiglitazone in asthma patients and the outcome of this trial is awaited with much anticipation. In conclusion, PPARs are novel targets for lung disease and continued work with these ligands may result in a potential new treatment for chronic inflammatory lung diseases.

This article is part of a themed issue on Mediators and Receptors in the Resolution of Inflammation. To view this issue visit http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/121548564/issueyear?year=2009
Acting and actio in the sermons of Lancelot Andrewes
Authors: Wesley John
Published: August 2009

This paper considers the interaction between performance and interpretation in the sermons of Lancelot Andrewes, and presents his pulpit oratory as a drama whose choreographed movements served the protean demands of impersonation as well as the revelation of meaning. Several recent studies have pointed to the shared cultural and religious functions of the pulpit and stage in Renaissance England, but this article focuses on their shared actions. The physical skills in delivery, or actio, so crucial to persuasion were first taught to Andrewes through academic drama, and I find this fusion of acting and learning reproduced in his sermons. So, in the concluding analysis of a 1602 sermon, an attempt is made to describe how an Andrewes performance might have looked, the speculation for which relies on the relationship between gesture and emotion that informs the craft of both actors and orators. It is suggested that the preacher's movements are inseparable not only from exegetical strategies, but also from the process of emotional discovery that guides and inspires belief.
PROGRESS IN UREMIC TOXIN RESEARCH: Protein‐Bound Toxins—Update 2009
Authors: Jourde‐Chiche Noémie , Dou Laetitia , Cerini Claire , Dignat‐George Françoise , Vanholder Raymond , Brunet Philippe
Published: August 2009

Protein‐bound uremic retention solutes constitute a group whose common characteristic is their difficult removal by dialysis. In 2003, the EUTox group described 25 protein‐bound solutes. They comprised six advanced glycation end products (AGE), four phenols (including p‐cresol), six indoles (including indoxylsulfate), two hippurates, three polyamines, and two peptides, homocysteine and 3‐carboxy‐4‐methyl‐5‐propyl‐2‐furanpropionic acid (CMPF). As then, three new compounds have been added to the list: phenylacetic acid, dinucleoside polyphosphates, and IL‐18. During the last years, protein‐bound compounds have been identified as some of the main toxins involved in vascular lesions of chronic kidney disease. The removal of these solutes by conventional hemodialysis (HD) is low because only the free fraction of the solute is available for diffusion. The increase in the convective part with hemodiafiltration improves the performance of depuration but convection only applies to the free fraction and its benefit is limited. One possibility to improve the removal of a protein‐bound solute would be to stimulate its dissociation from the binding protein. This could be obtained in experiments by setting the dialysate flow rate and the dialyzer mass transfer area coefficient (KoA) at much higher levels than the plasma flow rate, or by adding to the dialysate a sorbent such as activated charcoal or albumin. In the future, specific adsorbents may be developed. Today, the only possibility is to use approaches such as daily HD and long HD which could allow better equilibration between extravascular and vascular compartments and consequently result in greater removal of protein‐bound compounds.
PROGRESS IN UREMIC TOXIN RESEARCH: Adiponectin in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease
Authors: Adamczak Marcin , Chudek Jerzy , Więcek Andrzej
Published: August 2009

Adiponectin is one of many so called “adipokines”—cytokines, chemokines, growth factors, and complement proteins secreted by adipose tissue—that can affect the function of other organs. This antiatherogenic and insulin‐sensitizing polypeptide is eliminated from the circulation mostly by the kidneys. Thus, in patients with chronic kidney disease, adiponectin accumulates in the circulation; its plasma concentration is approximately three times higher in end stage kidney disease than in healthy subjects. As no biological consequences of these unusually high adiponectin concentrations have been demonstrated, this polypeptide cannot be considered as a uremic toxin. On the contrary, inadequately low instead of high plasma adiponectin concentration is recognized as a new nontraditional risk factor of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in these patients. This review summarizes the causes and clinical consequences of adiponectin accumulation in the circulation of patients with chronic kidney disease.
Progress in Uremic Toxin Research: Genetics/Genomics in Chronic Kidney Disease—Towards Personalized Medicine?
Authors: Luttropp Karin , Lindholm Bengt , Carrero Juan Jesus , Glorieux Griet , Schepers Eva , Vanholder Raymond , Schalling Martin , Stenvinkel Peter , Nordfors Louise
Published: August 2009

The progression rate of chronic kidney disease (CKD) to its terminal stage, end‐stage renal disease (ESRD), and the development and severity of various complications, are at least indirectly influenced by genetic—and epigenetic—factors. For years, scientists have held out hope that the rapidly evolving field of genetics could transform medical diagnosis and treatment, moving beyond a trial‐and‐error approach towards “personalized medicine.” Indeed, there are now signs that the role of genetics and the pursuit of “personalized medicine” in medical care will be a priority for governments during years to come. But the vision of individualized treatment based on a patient’s genetic makeup and other biological markers has yet to materialize in the field of CKD and ESRD. As the toxic uremic environment may render CKD patients more sensitive to the effects of genetic variants, it is likely that genetic factors could be of special importance in this high‐risk population. Therefore, outcome in the CKD population may be improved by establishing individual genetic/epigenetic profiles, thus enabling physicians to design an individualized therapeutic strategy. Personalized medicine based on a more individualized therapy could be applied in, for example, pharmacotherapy (CYP genes), dialysis therapy, and nutritional and lifestyle modifications.
Application of the Kessner and Kotelchuck Prenatal Care Adequacy Indices in a Preterm Birth Population
Authors: Bloch Joan Rosen , Dawley Katy , Suplee Patricia Dunphy
Published: August 2009

ABSTRACT
Objectives: Healthy People 2010 goals to eliminate racial and ethnic health disparities that persist in the utilization of prenatal care (PNC) highlight the importance of measuring PNC as a variable in maternal and infant health outcomes research. These disparities are significantly correlated to adverse infant outcomes in preterm birth (PTB), a leading cause of infant mortality and life‐long morbidity. Currently the most extensively used PNC adequacy indices (Kessner and Kotelchuck) were developed to measure outcomes in populations consisting mostly of full‐term births. It is unclear whether these PNC adequacy indices are reliable when pregnancy is truncated due to PTB (<37 weeks). This paper compares and demonstrates how they can be applied in a specific PTB cohort.

Design and Sample: This secondary analysis of a nested case‐control study compares Kessner and Kotelchuck adequacy scores of 367 mothers of PTB infants.

Results: There were significant differences in the rating of PNC inadequacy ( p<.001) depending on the PNC adequacy index used.

Conclusion: Critical evaluation is warranted before using these PNC adequacy indices in future public health nursing and PTB research.
The Environmental Health Engagement Profile: What People Think and Do About Environmental Health
Authors: Dixon Jane K. , Hendrickson Karrie C. , Ercolano Elizabeth , Quackenbush Robi , Dixon John P.
Published: August 2009

ABSTRACT
Objectives: To develop and validate the Environmental Health Engagement Profile (EHEP)—an instrument for assessing the way people engage with environmental health issues, including people's experience of environmental health hazards, the assumptions concerning the risks involved, and the actions taken either individually or collectively in their communities.

Design and Sample: This instrument development study was conducted in an urban area with varying levels of health‐related environmental concerns. First, qualitative interviews with 41 residents informed development of items. Next, the items were evaluated by 28 expert reviewers. Finally, validity was assessed from responses of 433 residents who completed the instrument and other measures by telephone interview.

Measures: For assessing validity of EHEP, data were also collected concerning demographic characteristics, social involvements, goodness of life, and self‐ratings of health.

Results: Through factor analysis, 5 subscales were identified—named Pollution Sensitivity Scale (α=.91), Pollution‐Causes‐Illness Scale (α=.84), Pollution Acceptance Scale (α=.67), Community Environment Action Scale (α=.79), and Personal Environmental Action Scale (α=.63). Patterns of correlations of these scales with age, and measures of odor sensitivity, social involvement, and goodness of life provided evidence of construct validity.

Conclusions: These results provide beginning evidence for the reliability and validity of the EHEP. Thus, public health nurses and others may use this instrument to assess people's concerns about environmental health, and resulting actions—and to support strategies for advising people and communities on protecting their health.
Translation and Testing of the Cardiac Diet Self‐Efficacy Scale for Use With Taiwanese Older Adults
Authors: Chen Su‐Hui , Shao Jung‐Hua
Published: August 2009

ABSTRACT Objectives:The purposes of this investigation were to translate the Cardiac Diet Self‐Efficacy (CDSE) scale from English to Mandarin Chinese and to test the validity, reliability, and feasibility of the translated scale in a sample of Taiwanese older adults.

Design and Sample:This study used a methodological design to translate the CDSE based on the Brislin's model: (1) translation from source language (SL) of English to the target language (TL) of Chinese, (2) evaluation of Chinese version, (3) blind back translation from Chinese to English, (4) comparison of original and back‐translated English versions, and (5) evaluation of the translated scale by a committee of bilingual Taiwanese experts. The translated CDSE scale was tested with 156 community‐dwelling Taiwanese older adults, and any problems occurring during the administration of the scale were documented.

Results and Conclusions:The validity and reliability of the Chinese version of CDSE scale were acceptable. However, the validity of items may have been impacted by differences in culture, language, and educational levels between English‐speaking and Chinese‐speaking populations. These findings suggest the need for further methodological study to evaluate and refine translation tools to resolve differences in culture, language, and educational levels between SL and TL.
An Open Letter to Public Health Nurses
Authors: Salmon Marla E.
Published: August 2009

ABSTRACT
Public health nursing celebrated its 100th anniversary in 1993. In a guest editorial for Public Health Nursing Dr. Marla Salmon, then director of the Division of Nursing, Bureau of Health Professions, U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, wrote a “retrospective vision” in which she projected the roles that American public health nurses would play in 21st century health care reform. The picture she painted was highly optimistic and 16 years later the profession has yet to realize the accomplishments Salmon envisioned: a more visible leadership in directing health policy, creation of systems that expand public health department roles in both direct and indirect services, cooperation among agencies, and empowerment of the communities and individuals served by the public health care system. As she saw it, the period between 1893 and 1993 was a prelude to the coming of age of public health nursing as a specialty. She cautioned that those who practice public health nursing between 1993 and 2093 are responsible for authoring the next volume of history through their own actions. This historical reprint originally appeared in the December 1993 issue of Public Health Nursing.
Headache as a Stressor: Dysfunctional versus Adaptive Coping Styles
Authors: Lake III Alvin E.
Published: August 2009

The common stressor faced by all headache sufferers is the headache itself. Dysfunctional headache coping styles can be classified as sensitizing (hypervigilance and anticipation, catastrophizing, hyperempathy) or minimizing (alexithymia, stoic denial, anger suppression). Dysfunctional coping often takes place in an interpersonal context (theater of pain), marked by excessive pain behavior and embellishment, catastrophizing and hypervigilance in the family, stoicism and misinterpretation of pain, pain language as a substitute for emotional expression, or enabling of disability and pseudo‐coping. More adaptive coping styles include balanced use of distraction and body awareness, strategic proactive coping, balanced interpersonal discussion of pain, and pain acceptance. In addition to headache‐related research on coping styles, this article reviews relevant studies from neuroimaging, non‐headache chronic pain disorders, and clinical experience in a comprehensive, multidisciplinary headache center.
Bounds for Right Tails of Deterministic and Stochastic Sums of Random Variables
Authors: Darkiewicz Grzegorz , Deelstra Griselda , Dhaene Jan , Hoedemakers Tom , Vanmaele Michèle
Published: August 2009

Abstract

We investigate lower and upper bounds for right tails (stop‐loss premiums) of deterministic and stochastic sums of nonindependent random variables. The bounds are derived using the concepts of comonotonicity, convex order, and conditioning. The performance of the presented approximations is investigated numerically for individual life annuity contracts as well as for life annuity portfolios, where mortality is modeled by Makeham's law, whereas investment returns are modeled by a Brownian motion process.
Restoring the Rule of Law to Public Administration: What Frank Goodnow Got Right and Leonard White Didn't
Authors: Lynn Laurence E.
Published: August 2009

Although the rule of law is universally regarded as a fundamental principle of democratic governance, the field of public administration continues to exhibit the “anti‐legal temper” that emerged in the 1920s, when Leonard White's managerialism largely displaced Frank Goodnow's emphasis on the intimacy of law and administration. Although administrative law is a distinguished subfield of scholarship and practice within public administration, the consensus view within the profession seems to be that law is one of many constraints on administrative discretion rather than its source, a challenge to administrative leadership rather than its guiding principle. In addition to unacceptably narrowing the range of values infusing public administration, such a view undermines the profession's ability to contribute to the design of our governance arrangements at a time when constitutional institutions are being seriously challenged. To fulfill its constitutional role, public administration must commit itself to the rule of law as an institution that secures its legitimacy.
Pandemic Influenza Planning: An Extraordinary Ethical Dilemma for Local Government Officials
Authors: French P. Edward , Raymond Eric S.
Published: August 2009

The possibility of an influenza pandemic occurring within the next two decades is very real; the role of local governments in comprehensive preparation for this global threat is crucial. The federal government has provided broad guidelines for state and local officials who are ultimately responsible for emergency response and lifesaving services, vaccination and antiviral use, and the provision of other critical support. Much of this influenza pandemic preparedness has occurred under conditions of uncertainty, and these government actions may have unprecedented legal and ethical implications. This study evaluates the pandemic influenza policies of eight large U.S. cities to determine how Department of Health and Human Services recommendations with ethical and legal implications have been addressed. The authors find that several important aspects of these guidelines are vague in many plans, and input from key stakeholders is inadequate.
Chrik Poortman: A World Bank Professional
Authors: Yi‐chong Xu , Weller Patrick
Published: August 2009

Chrik Poortman, an international civil servant, worked for the World Bank for more than three decades. This profile uses his career and experiences to illustrate the functions and roles played by World Bank staff at each level of its “flat” hierarchy and the capacities needed to face challenges that are unique to their ilk. Each section explores a different range of functions, including working as a country director, working as a vice president, and working as a member of the World Bank's senior management team.
The Complementarity View: Exploring a Continuum in Political—Administrative Relations
Authors: Demir Tansu
Published: August 2009

The politics–administration dichotomy has drawn criticism from contemporary public administration scholars largely because of its lack of descriptive accuracy and particular normative inclinations. In their search for an alternative model to the dichotomy, some scholars developed what is widely known today as complementarity. Although this emerging view received an enthusiastic welcome from many scholars and practitioners, more research has yet to be done to address its conceptual and empirical shortcomings. Using survey data collected from a nationwide sample of city managers, this study explores empirical foundations of the complementarity view of the politics–administration relationship. Specifically, the author first identifies a politics–management continuum based on a review of public administration literature on the complementarity view and then analyzes survey data to see whether the relationship between elected officials and public administrators is characterized by complementarity. The results of the analysis generally support the complementarity view, in that the responses of city managers mostly parallel the idea of a continuum in elected official–public administrator relationships, a continuum that moves from politics on one end to management on the other end, with various policy and administration activities in the middle. This paper aims to make a conceptual and empirical contribution to an important question in public administration.
Putting Together the Publicness Puzzle: A Framework for Realized Publicness
Authors: Moulton Stephanie
Published: August 2009

In light of the blurring between sectors, it is critical not only to understand public organizations, but also to identify factors that contribute to the achievement of public outcomes across sectors. To what extent does organizational “publicness” lend insight to understanding and managing for public outcomes? By integrating the theory of dimensional publicness with recent work on public values, this analysis presents a framework that defines realized publicness as public outcomes predicted in part by institutions embodying public values. Based on insights from neo‐institutional theory, managing for public outcomes, or managing publicness, requires attention to the combined effects of regulative, associative, and cultural‐cognitive public value institutions. This analysis concludes with a timely application of the realized publicness framework to mortgage lending, demonstrating the importance of conceptualizing influences from diverse types of public value institutions when evaluating a particular initiative, such as the Community Reinvestment Act, and mortgage outcomes.
Green Tape and Public Employee Rule Abidance: Why Organizational Rule Attributes Matter
Authors: DeHart‐Davis Leisha
Published: August 2009

Ever since Max Weber identified formal rules as one attribute of bureaucratic organizations, scholars have uncovered a range of cooperative and uncooperative behavioral responses to organizational rules. The question for public management theory and practice is how to design and execute organizational rules in ways that elicit cooperation rather than resistance. Green tape, a theory of effective rules, provides one answer to this question. Green tape theory argues that the cooperation of stakeholders—individuals who comply with, explain, or enforce rules—depends on the presence of five rule attributes. This article tests the relationship between these attributes and stakeholder rule abidance using mail survey data obtained from the employees of four cities in a Midwestern state. The results indicate that employee perceptions of four of the five theoretical green tape attributes are correlated with higher rule abidance. Thus, stakeholder perceptions of organizational rules appear to matter because they alter the extent of cooperation in rule implementation.
Building a New Democracy in Ukraine: The Unacknowledged Issue of Ethnic and Linguistic Diversity in Public Administration Education and Training
Authors: Kolisnichenko Natalya , Rosenbaum Allan
Published: August 2009

The fall of the Soviet empire and the transition to democracy that has taken place in Central and Eastern Europe (and elsewhere) during the past three decades has focused new attention on both the processes of, and the issues involved in, democratic institution building. These experiences have shown that issues of linguistic and ethnic difference are often key elements in such matters. Ukraine, a country of considerable strategic importance, has struggled with both the transition to democracy and the relative roles of the Ukrainian and Russian languages in the task of nation‐state building. This article examines the emergence of linguistic conflicts in Ukrainian government and public policy and explores, through a survey of higher education institutions, its impact on the preparation of the next generation of the nation's public administrators. The article concludes by explaining why the impact of this politically divisive issue has been more modest than might have been expected.
What Local Policy Makers Should Know about Urban Road Charging: Lessons from Worldwide Experience
Authors: Albalate Daniel , Bel Germè
Published: August 2009

Congestion costs are emerging as one of the most important challenges faced by metropolitan planners and transport authorities in developed economies. In the United States, these costs were as high as $78 billion in 2005 and are growing as a result of rapid increases in travel delays. In order to solve the current and severe levels of congestion, the U.S. Department of Transportation has recently started a program to initiate congestion pricing in five metropolitan areas. In this context, it is important to identify factors that influence successful implementation, as well as the problems or difficulties associated with charging projects. The authors review, synthesize, and analyze worldwide experience with urban road charging in order to extract lessons for policy makers who are considering the implementation of congestion pricing projects and for those who are interested in the introduction of traffic management tools to regulate entrance to city centers.
New Observations on the Choreotrich Ciliate Strombidinopsis acuminata Fauré‐Fremiet 1924, and Comparison with Strombidinopsis jeokjo Jeong et al., 2004
Authors: KIM YOUNG‐OK , KIM SUN YOUNG , LEE WOO‐JIN , CHOI JOONG KI
Published: August 2009

ABSTRACT. A choreotrich ciliate collected in waters off Geoje Island, on the eastern coast of the South Sea of the southern coastal water of Korea was morphologically and biometrically investigated through observations of permanent preparations after protargol impregnations. Morphological data and ciliary patterns indicated that the ciliate should be identified as Strombidinopsis acuminata based on the number of somatic kineties. The vertical distribution of the population abundance was also examined in relation to environmental conditions: higher abundances occurred in surface water with higher temperature (22–23 °C), lower salinity (32 psu), and higher concentration (ca 10 μg/L) of chlorophyll a. The 18S rRNA gene of specimens from clonal cultures isolated from natural assemblages was sequenced. While this isolate of S. acuminata is closer to Strombidinopsis jeokjo (99.6–99.8%) than other isolates of S. acuminata (<99.0%), monophyly of S. acuminata was not rejected by the AU test. We discuss the discordance between morphological and molecular data for Strombidinopsis. In order to confirm the species level of the Strombidinopsis specimens, additional information is required based on genealogical analyses of multiple loci.
Periodontal disease progression in subjects with orofacial clefts over a 25‐year follow‐up period
Authors: Huynh‐Ba Guy , Brägger Urs , Zwahlen Marcel , Lang Niklaus P. , Salvi Giovanni E.
Published: August 2009

Aims:To assess rates of periodontal disease progression in subjects with cleft lip, alveolus and palate (CLAP) over a 25‐year period without regular maintenance care in a specialist setting and to compare those with those of subjects without alveolar clefts, i.e. cleft lip (CL) or cleft palate (CP).

Material and Methods:Ten subjects with CLAP and 10 subjects with CL/CP were examined in 1979, 1987, 1993 and 2004. Probing pocket depth (PPD), clinical attachment level (CAL), bleeding on probing (BoP) and plaque control record (PCR) scores were recorded in all 20 subjects.

Results:High plaque and BoP scores were recorded at all examinations in both groups. Over 25 years, a statistically significant loss of mean full‐mouth CAL of 1.52 ± 0.12 mm (SD) and 1.66 ± 0.15 mm occurred in the CLAP and CL/CP group respectively (p<0.05). A statistically significant increase (p<0.05) in mean full‐mouth PPD of 0.35 ± 0.12 mm was observed in the CL/CP group, whereas only a trend for a mean full‐mouth increase in PPD of 0.09 ± 0.11 mm was observed in the CLAP group. In subjects with CLAP, a statistically significant increase (p<0.05) in PPD of 0.92 ± 1.13 mm at cleft sites was observed compared with that of 0.17 ± 0.76 mm at control sites. With respect to CAL, the loss at the corresponding sites amounted to 2.71 ± 1.46 and to 2.27 ± 1.62 mm, respectively (p=0.36).

Conclusions:When stringent and well‐defined supportive periodontal therapy was not provided, subjects with orofacial clefts were at high risk for periodontal disease progression. Over 25 years, alveolar cleft sites tended to have more periodontal tissue destruction compared with control sites.
Plasma antioxidant responses and oxidative stress following a soccer game in elite female players
Authors: Andersson H. , Karlsen A. , Blomhoff R. , Raastad T. , Kadi F.
Published: August 2009

We aimed to investigate markers of oxidative stress and levels of endogenous and dietary antioxidants in 16 elite female soccer players in response to a 90‐min game (average intensity 82±3% HRpeak). Blood samples were taken before, immediately and 21 h after the game. Plasma‐oxidized glutathione, the ratio of reduced to oxidized glutathione (GSH:GSSG) and lipid peroxidation measured by d‐ROMs were used as markers of oxidative stress. Plasma endogenous [uric acid, total glutathione (TGSH)] and dietary antioxidants (α‐tocopherol, ascorbic acid, total carotenoids and polyphenols) were analyzed using liquid chromatography and the Folin–Ciocalteu method. Exercise induced an acute increase (P<0.05) in GSSG, uric acid, TGSH, α‐tocopherol, and ascorbic acid. In parallel, the GSH:GSSG ratio and polyphenols decreased (P<0.05). GSSG, GSH:GSSG ratio, uric acid, TGSH, and ascorbic acid returned to baseline at 21 h, while polyphenols and α‐tocopherol remained altered. Total carotenoids increased above baseline only at 21 h (P<0.05). Lipid peroxidation, measured by d‐ROMs, remained unchanged throughout the study. Thus, intermittent exercise in well‐trained female athletes induces a transient increase in GSSG and a decrease in the GSH:GSSG ratio, which is effectively balanced by the recruitment of both endogenous and dietary antioxidants, resulting in the absence of lipid peroxidation measured by d‐ROMs.
A systematic review of the association between physical activity and colorectal cancer risk
Authors: Spence R. R. , Heesch K. C. , Brown W. J.
Published: August 2009

This review evaluated the strength of the evidence for a causal relationship between physical activity (PA) and colorectal cancer (CRC). A systematic review of databases through February 2008 was conducted to identify studies that assessed the association between total or recreational PA and incidence or mortality of CRC (including CRC, rectal cancer, colon cancer, and proximal or distal colon cancer). Studies were evaluated for significant associations between PA and risk of CRC endpoints and for evidence of dose–response relationships in the highest quality studies. Twenty cohort studies were evaluated; 11 were high‐quality. Fifty percent of all studies and 64% of highest quality studies reported at least one significant association between PA and risk of a CRC endpoint (P<0.05). However, only 28% of all analyses (31% of analyses of highest quality studies) were significant (P<0.05). Only 40% of analyses of highest quality studies resulted in a significant P for trend (P<0.05); however, a non‐significant inverse linear association between PA and colon cancer risk was apparent. Heterogeneity in the evidence from all studies and from the highest quality studies was evident. Evidence from cohort studies is not sufficient to claim a convincing relationship exists between PA and CRC risk.
Prospective ultramorphological characterization of human hair by optical coherence tomography
Authors: Velasco Maria Valéria Robles , Baby André Rolim , Sarruf Fernanda Daud , Kaneko Telma Mary , Samad Ricardo Elgul , Vieira Júnior Nilson Dias , De Freitas Anderson Zanardi
Published: August 2009

Background/purpose: The continuous advancement in cosmetic science has led to an increasing demand for the development of non‐invasive, reliable scientific techniques directed toward claim substantiation, which is of utmost relevance, to obtain data regarding the efficacy and safety of cosmetic products.

Methods: In this work, we used the optical coherence tomography (OCT) technique to produce in vitro transversal section‐images of human hair. We also compared the OCT signal before and after chemical treatment with an 18% w/w ammonium thioglycolate solution.

Results: The mean diameter of the medulla was 29±7 μm and the hair diameter was 122±16 μm in our samples of standard Afro‐ethnic hair. A three‐dimensional (3D) image was constructed starting from 601 cross‐sectional images (slices). Each slice was taken in steps of 6.0 μm at eight frames per second, and the entire 3D image was constructed in 60 s.

Conclusion: It was possible to identify, using the A‐scan protocol, the principal structures: the cuticle, cortex and medulla. After chemical treatment, it was not possible to identify the main structures of hair fiber due to index matching promoted by deleterious action of the chemical agent.
Development of a novel method for quantitative evaluation of sensory skin irritation inhibitors
Authors: Lee Eunyoung , An Susun , Lee Tae Ryong , Kim Han Kon
Published: August 2009

Background/aims: Sensory skin irritation is regarded as one of the most serious side effects of cosmetic use. Thus, it is desirable to develop good inhibitors of sensory skin irritation. However, it is difficult to quantify the effect of sensory skin irritation inhibitors.

Methods: We investigated the possibility of using an electrical current perception threshold (CPT) measurement for the quantitative evaluation of these inhibitors. We divided study populations into stinger and non‐stinger groups based on their response to 5% lactic acid and assessed CPT values at 2000, 250, and 5 Hz on the cheek. Stingers showed significantly lower CPT values than non‐stingers did at 250 and 5 Hz. We also measured CPT values before and after the application of nine materials with inhibitory effects on sensory skin irritation. To investigate the relationship between the change in CPT values and the effect of each material in the clinical stinging test, we conducted the stinging test with the test materials in a 5% lactic acid solution and with a 5% lactic acid solution (positive control).

Results: There was a positive correlation between the change in CPT values and the inhibitory effect that each material had on the stinging test.

Conclusion: The change in CPT values can be used for the quantitative evaluation of sensory skin irritation inhibitors .
Maternal IgG anti‐A and anti‐B titres predict outcome in ABO‐incompatibility in the neonate
Authors: Bakkeheim Egil , Bergerud Unni , Schmidt‐Melbye Anne‐Christine , Akkök Çiğdem Akalin , Liestøl Knut , Fugelseth Drude , Lindemann Rolf
Published: August 2009

Aim:  To evaluate predictors for risk of severe hyperbilirubinaemia and kernicterus in ABO‐incompatible neonates with emphasize on maternal IgG anti‐A/‐B titres.

Methods:  Blood group O women in labour at Oslo University Hospital, Ullevål, were included in the years 2004–2006. Offspring with blood group A or B had direct antiglobulin test performed and IgG anti‐A/‐B levels measured in maternal plasma. Blood group A or B infants developing severe hyperbilirubinaemia, received in addition to phototherapy, immunoglobulin treatment and/or exchange transfusion (EXT).

Results:  Of 253 neonates, 61.3% had blood group O, 29.6% blood group A and 9.1% blood group B. Twenty neonates with blood group A or B received at least one immunoglobulin treatment. In multivariate analysis, maternal antibody‐titres were the only significant predictors for immunoglobulin treatment (p < 0.0001), EXTs (p < 0.05) and duration of phototherapy (p < 0.0001). The need for invasive treatment increased sharply for antibody titres ≥512. Receiver operating characteristic analyses demonstrated that titres ≥512 had a sensitivity of 90% and a specificity of 72% for predicting immunoglobulin treatment and thus severe hyperbilirubinaemia.

Conclusion:  Maternal IgG anti‐A/‐B titres contribute to the prediction of risk of severe hyperbilirubinaemia in ABO‐incompatible neonates, in addition to blood‐grouping and direct antiglobulin‐testing, especially following early discharge after delivery.
Thalamic infarct presenting as apparent life‐threatening event in infants
Authors: Gupta Sachin , Fernandez Daphin , Siddiqui Ata , Lin Jean‐Pierre , Garside Lydia , Lim Ming
Published: August 2009

Thalamic infarction with distinct manifestations is well‐described in adults but less well‐delineated in children. We report two infants who presented with an apparent life‐threatening event (ALTE) with very early magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) demonstrating a unilateral thalamic infarction. Subsequent MRI demonstrated bilateral changes in the brain stem and basal ganglia, which were in keeping with profound hypoxic ischaemic injury. We propose the thalamic infarction to be the primary event precipitating a profound hypoxic ischaemic injury as an alternative explanation to the neuroimaging observation.

Conclusion:  Thalamic infraction may have a causal role in ALTE. Early and appropriate neuroimaging is required to detect these changes.
Darwin, Mendel and the Evolution of Evolution
Authors: Reese R. Allan
Published: August 2009

The history of science is full of myths. Darwin has his fair share; but Gregor Mendel, his fellow scientist and contemporary, has suffered even more. R. Allan Reese disentangles what we like to believe about Mendel from what we should believe—and finds a modern species whose origin was not by conventional evolution.
Distance Sampling: Estimating Animal Density
Authors: Marques Tiago
Published: August 2009

All too often we hear in the news statements like “there are, at most, a few hundred individuals left of this endangered species” or “there is small hope for the persistence of this population given that so few are left”. How do scientists count animals to make such statements?Tiago Marques explains the concepts and pitfalls of distance sampling—one of the most widely used methods for estimating animal populations.
Shakespeare’s Actors
Authors: Astington John H.
Published: August 2009

Recent work on actors and acting companies in Shakespeare’s time has produced some changes of emphasis in view. A complete understanding of the range and complexity of provincial touring has accompanied a continuing examination of the professional theatre of London. New research into actors’ lives and their professional relationships has added to our sense of their place in the contemporary social and economic order, while renewed study of apprentices and younger actors has suggested a new understanding of their importance within the troupes. The current essay presents a view of some significant recent scholarship, and suggests some opportunities for further research.
Structural polymorphism of the mannose‐binding lectin 2 (MBL2 ) gene in HCV‐infected patients with a serological marker for thyroid autoimmunity
Authors: Melo F. M. , Vasconcelos L. R. S. , Silva B. S. , Moura P. , Cavalcanti M. S. M. , Pereira L. M. M. B. , Lacerda H. R.
Published: August 2009

We studied the association of the mannose‐binding lectin‐2 (MBL2) polymorphism with anti‐thyroid antibodies (ATA) in hepatitis C virus (HCV)‐infected Brazilian patients (n = 162) and 124 healthy volunteers screened for ATA. Our results showed that patients with ATA had higher frequency of genotype 00 than controls. MBL may play a role as disease modifier in HCV infection.