bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Anterior Cruciate Ligament Tear Rate Varies by Race in Professional Women's Basketball
Authors: Trojian Thomas H. , Collins Seamus
Published: February 2006

Background

Female basketball players are more likely to tear their anterior cruciate ligament than are their male counterparts. Many causes are postulated for the difference observed in the rate of anterior cruciate ligament tears between genders. However, little is known about the differences in tears within gender.

Hypothesis

The rate of anterior cruciate ligament tears is different in White European American female basketball players and non-White European American players.

Study Design

Cohort study (Prevalence); Level of evidence, 2.

Methods

The authors investigated the differences in anterior cruciate ligament tears by risk exposure in women of different racial or ethnic backgrounds playing in the Women's National Basketball Association for the 1999 through 2003 seasons. Using the injury surveillance data from the Women's National Basketball Association, the authors compared anterior cruciate ligament injuries in White European American and non-White European American players to determine differences in the rate of anterior cruciate ligament tears between racial groups.

Results

The anterior cruciate ligament tear rate for White European American players was 0.45 per 1000 athletic exposures, whereas for non-White European American players (black or African American, Hispanic, and Asian players) the rate was 0.07. The odds ratio of anterior cruciate ligament tears in White European American versus non-White European American players was 6.55 (95% confidence interval, 1.35-31.73).

Conclusion

Our retrospective study shows that the anterior cruciate ligament tear rate for White European American players was 0.45 per 1000 athletic exposures, whereas tear rates in the Women's National Basketball Association vary by racial group, with White European American players having more than 6 times the anterior cruciate ligament tear rate of other ethnic groups combined. Further prospective studies of athletes are needed to validate this finding and shed light on possible reasons.
Low-Intensity Pulsed Ultrasound Accelerates and a Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drug Delays Knee Ligament Healing
Authors: Warden Stuart J. , Avin Keith G. , Beck Erin M. , DeWolf Marie E. , Hagemeier Molly A. , Martin Kristin M.
Published: February 2006

Background

Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used to treat ligament injuries; however, their individual and combined effects are not established.

Hypotheses

Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound accelerates ligament healing, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug delays healing, and the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug inhibits the beneficial effect of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound.

Study Design

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods

Sixty adult rats underwent bilateral transection of their knee medial collateral ligaments. Animals were divided into 2 drug groups and treated 5 d/wk with celecoxib (5 mg/kg) mixed in a vehicle solution (NSAID group) or vehicle alone (VEH group). One to 3 hours after drug administration, all animals were treated with unilateral active low-intensity pulsed ultrasound and contralateral inactive low-intensity pulsed ultrasound. Equal numbers of animals from each drug group were mechanically tested at 2 weeks (n = 14/group), 4 weeks (n = 8/group), and 12 weeks (n = 8/group) after injury.

Results

Ultrasound and drug intervention did not interact to influence ligament mechanical properties at any time point. After 2 weeks of intervention, ligaments treated with active low-intensity pulsed ultrasound were 34.2% stronger, 27.0% stiffer, and could absorb 54.4% more energy before failure than could ligaments treated with inactive low-intensity pulsed ultrasound, whereas ligaments from the NSAID group could absorb 33.3% less energy than could ligaments from the VEH group. There were no ultrasound or drug effects after 4 and 12 weeks of intervention.

Conclusions

Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound accelerated but did not improve ligament healing, whereas the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug delayed but did not impair healing. When used in combination, the beneficial low-intensity pulsed ultrasound effect was cancelled by the detrimental nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug effect.

Clinical Relevance

Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound after ligament injury may facilitate earlier return to activity, whereas nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may elevate early reinjury risk.
Identity and Conflict: Ties that Bind and Differences that Divide
Authors: Gartzke Erik , Gleditsch Kristian Skrede
Published: February 2006

Conventional wisdom suggests that cultural differences make conflict more likely. Culture can unite and divide, but there exists little agreement among scholars over how identity forms among states, what distinctions are most salient, and when conflict is more likely. Researchers have tended to ‘confirm’ the role of identity in an ex post facto fashion, looking only at actual conflicts with cultural differences, without considering the opportunities for conflict among groups. We address a series of problems with existing conceptions of identity and ethnicity. We distinguish between shared and different culture by religion, language, and ethnicity. Rather than equating states with just the dominant groups, we also consider how relations involving secondary groups present in other states can give rise to conflict. We examine empirically the relationship between cultural similarities and differences and international dispute behavior in the post-World War II era. Our results suggest that culture and identity influence dispute patterns, but in ways that run counter to conventional beliefs. We find little evidence that conflict is more common between states where the dominant groups come from different cultural affiliations. If anything, our results suggest that violence is more likely among states with similar cultural ties, even when controlling for other determinants of conflict. Moreover, dyads where a group is politically privileged in one state but a minority in another tend to be particularly conflict prone. We conclude with suggestions for reorienting the study of identity and conflict in more constructive ways than the clash of civilization thesis.
Re-engaging disaffected pupils in learning: insights for policy and practice®
Authors: Riley Kathryn , Ellis Steve , Weinstock Wendy , Tarrant Jim , Hallmond Sherry
Published: February 2006

This article summarizes findings from an ongoing research and development project, ‘Re-engaging disaffected pupils in learning’, which involves troubled and troublesome students in five London schools, all in challenging urban contexts. It outlines the project’s approach, key features of which include: involving the students themselves as change agents; enabling them to experience learning in an active outdoor education environment; creating time and opportunities for staff to work with their students in new ways; and developing strategies which will remove some of the barriers to learning for disaffected students. The article reviews the impact of the project to date, particularly the ways in which involving pupils in a new learning environment - an outdoor education experience - can transform their views about themselves as learners. It also offers a broader analysis of the implications of developing a change strategy designed to re-engage marginalized pupils from urban schools in learning.
What is ‘specialist’ about a specialist department in a Specialist School? A case study focusing on dilemmas and contradictions in the ‘partnership’ requirements®
Authors: Sinkinson Anne
Published: February 2006

It is a condition of being a Specialist School that the named departmental specialist(s) develop(s) or extend(s) partnerships with other schools, within and outside the school’s age phase. This article describes and analyses the partnerships forged by the mathematics department of one of the first cohort of specialist mathematics and computing colleges over the first two years of its designation as a Specialist School. Benefits and constraints are highlighted and compared with existing findings from other research into Specialist Schools and with work which focuses on school improvement. Reflections upon this qualitative study of staff perspectives and experiences, which form the basis of a subsequent study exploring practice recommendations based on analysis of more cases, are offered which may help inform decision-making and policy implementation in other schools considering applying for specialist status.
Development of school-based in-service training under the Indonesian Mathematics and Science Teacher Education Project®
Authors: Saito Eisuke , Hendayana Sumar , Imansyah Harun , Ibrohim  , Isamu Kuboki , Hideharu Tachibana
Published: February 2006

This article aims to investigate how to involve the entire school in in-service training (INSET) by means of a case study. It examines the cases in the Indonesian Mathematics and Science Teacher Education Project (IMSTEP). The results suggest that great emphasis be placed on various factors in order to develop INSET in the Indonesian context, particularly as a school-based training programme. First, the function of key persons is important. They are capable of initiating informal, yet genuine, sharing of experiences with their colleagues. Thus, the principal’s commitment is essential. Depending on the principal’s support and facilitation, the informal sharing of experiences can develop into a movement of professional development for teachers throughout the entire school. Furthermore, the collegial interests are also important. In the lesson study implemented under INSET, it is necessary for participants to cultivate the attitudes of mutual learning.
Debond Detection using Embedded Piezoelectric Elements for Reinforced Concrete Structures - Part II: Analysis and Algorithm
Authors: Wu Fan , Chang Fu-Kuo
Published: February 2006

An investigation to detect debond in steel-reinforced concrete (RC) using built-in piezoelectric elements has been conducted. Results of the experimental work are presented in Part I of the study. In Part II, numerical solutions using a finite element method are applied to simulate the test results. Parametric studies are performed to evaluate the behavior of the sensor response to the various types of RC structures with debonding damage. Based on the extensive parametric studies, a debond detection algorithm for RC structures is established.
Crack Detection in a Concrete Beam using Two Different Camera Techniques
Authors: Lecompte D. , Vantomme J. , Sol H.
Published: February 2006

The study presents an application of two different optical measurement techniques for the detection of cracks at the surface of a realistically sized concrete beam subjected to flexural loading conditions. Both techniques provide displacement measurements in a discrete number of points on the surface. Based on these displacement fields, deformations are calculated by means of the Green-Lagrange strain expression. The study deals with the relationship between cracks and the concept of deformation and it examines which of the two methods presented appears to be the most suitable for crack prediction or detection. The study shows that it is possible to detect the appearance and evolution of cracks, even before the cracks become visually detectable, with both methods and reveals their complementarities.
Stress Drop and Stress Redistribution in Concrete Quantified Over Time by the b-value Analysis
Authors: Kurz Jochen H. , Finck Florian , Grosse Christian U. , Reinhardt Hans-Wolf
Published: February 2006

Stress redistribution and stress drop often coincide with fracture processes. The two experiments that were chosen for our b-value analysis generate failure processes with the corresponding stress drops and stress redistributions. Using acoustic emission analysis, the acoustic waves emitted from the different fracture areas are recorded. The cumulative frequency-magnitude distribution, which leads to the b-value, was originally used in seismology to characterize earthquake populations. Concerning acoustic emissions, the b-value decreases with increasing stress levels. Therefore, it was possible to determine the start of the arise of macro-cracks over time using the b-value analysis. Furthermore, a possible application in a monitoring procedure is suggested.
Use of the Delphi sorting technique to establish a core sexual history
Authors: Tideman Robin , Pitts Marian , Fairley Christopher K
Published: February 2006

The objective of this study was to develop a core sexual history to be used as a supplementary tool to assist sexual health physicians assess new clients attending a sexual health centre. Eight experts in sexual health medicine employed the Delphi technique and sexual history items from a previous study to generate a core sexual history. The core history contained 15 questions for men and women, with three additional specific questions for men and five for women. The current state of the clients' sexual health was explored (rather than a client's history of sexual behaviour) and three months (compared with 12 months and lifetime) came out strongly as the preferred timeframe for asking clients' behavioural questions. This core history may be useful in many clinics in Australia and New Zealand as its development was based on expert clinical experience of respected authorities within the field of sexual health medicine.
Genital elephantiasis and sexually transmitted infections – revisited
Authors: Gupta Somesh , Ajith C , Kanwar Amrinder J , Sehgal Virendra N , Kumar Bhushan , Mete Uttam
Published: February 2006

Genital elephantiasis is an important medical problem in the tropics. It usually affects young and productive age group, and is associated with physical disability and extreme mental anguish. The majority of cases are due to filariasis; however, a small but significant proportion of patients develop genital elephantiasis due to bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs), mainly lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV) and donovanosis. STI-related genital elephantiasis should be differentiated from elephantiasis due to other causes, including filariasis, tuberculosis, haematological malignancies, iatrogenic, or dermatological diseases. Laboratory investigations like microscopy of tissue smear and nucleic acid amplification test for donovanosis, and serology and polymerase chain reaction for LGV may help in the diagnosis, but in endemic areas, in the absence of laboratory facilities, diagnosis largely depends on clinical characteristics. The causative agent of LGV, Chlamydia trachomatis serovar L1–L3, is a lymphotropic organism which leads to the development of thrombolymphangitis and perilymphangitis, and lymphadenitis. Long-standing oedema, fibrosis and lymphogranulomatous infiltration result in the final picture of elephantiasis. Elephantiasis in donovanosis is mainly due to constriction of the lymphatics which are trapped in the chronic granulomatous inflammatory response generated by the causative agent, Calymmatobacterium (Klebsiella) granulomatis. The LGV-associated genital elephantiasis should be treated with a prolonged course of doxycycline given orally, while donovanosis should be treated with azithromycin or trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole combination given for a minimum of three weeks. Genital elephantiasis is not completely reversible with medical therapy alone and often needs to be reduced surgically.
The collectivity of sexual behaviour
Authors: Cohen D A , Farley T A , Mason K , Ridgeway G
Published: February 2006

Human behaviour can be viewed as a collective phenomenon, determined partly by the group to which individuals belong. Collectivities of health behaviour have been found in alcohol consumption, hypertension, obesity, mental illness, and sodium intake in that the average level of risk is associated with the percentage of individuals at extremely high risk.

The goal was to investigate whether sexual behaviour may be collectively determined. A cross-sectional US survey was conducted.

Across 45 states, the mean number of lifetime sex partners excluding persons with >10, >20, and >40 lifetime partners was strongly associated with the proportion with >10, > 20 and > 40 lifetime sex partners, respectively, among men and women.

Sexual activity may represent collectively determined behaviour. If so, interventions to reduce high-risk sexual behaviour to prevent HIV or sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) may be more effective if they address the entire population, rather than target only those at the extremes of risk.
Willingness to participate in HIV vaccine research in a peri-urban South African community
Authors: Smit J , Middelkoop K , Myer L , Seedat S , Bekker L-G , Stein D J
Published: February 2006

Research on willingness to participate in HIV vaccine trials is important in preparations for HIV vaccine research, but there are few data from sub-Saharan Africa. We interviewed 198 individuals in a peri-urban South African community immediately after enrolment into an HIV vaccine preparedness study on their willingness to participate in hypothetical vaccine trials. Overall 23% of participants ( n = 46) said that they would be willing to participate in an HIV vaccine trial. Willingness was associated with increasing age, male gender, and increasing knowledge about vaccines generally and HIV vaccines specifically. In multivariate analysis, a 1-unit increase in HIV vaccine knowledge score was associated with a 10-fold increase in willingness to participate (adjusted odds ratio, 10.72, 95% confidence intervals: 4.40–26.12). These results suggest that while willingness to participate in HIV vaccine trials is relatively low in this setting, educational campaigns may have a substantial impact on individuals' willingness to participate in research.
Diagnosis and prognosis of early rheumatoid arthritis, with special emphasis on laboratory analysis
Authors: Mierau Rudolf , Genth Ekkehard
Published: February 2006

Diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is mainly based on clinical criteria of symmetric polyarthritis of the hands and feet, with morning stiffness lasting usually more than 1h. Autoantibodies typical for RA, i.e., rheumatoid factors and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide, and measurements of inflammation add more specific information, especially for early diagnosis, where clinical presentation may be oligosymptomatic involving only a few joints. These laboratory parameters are also relevant for prognosis of disease persistence, functional impairment and radiological progression.
Laboratory network of excellence: enhancing patient safety and service effectiveness
Authors: Plebani Mario , Ceriotti Ferruccio , Messeri Gianni , Ottomano Cosimo , Pansini Nicola , Bonini Pierangelo
Published: February 2006

Clinical laboratories have undergone major changes due to technological progress and economic pressure. While costs of laboratory testing continue to be the dominant issue within the healthcare service worldwide, quality, effectiveness and impact on outcomes are also emerging as critical value-added features. Five Italian laboratories are therefore promoting a network of excellence by investigating markers of effectiveness of laboratory services and sharing their experience of using them in clinical practice. In the present study we report preliminary data on indicators of quality in all phases of the so-called total testing process, the key to evaluating all phases of the total testing process, including the appropriateness of test requests and data interpretation. Initial findings in evaluating pre-analytical causes of specimen rejection in three different laboratories and the effects of introducing three laboratory clinical guidelines are reported. These data should stimulate debate in the scientific community and encourage more clinical laboratories to use the same indicators to improve clinical effectiveness and clinical outcomes within the healthcare service.
Actual levels of soy phytoestrogens in children correlate with thyroid laboratory parameters
Authors: Milerová Jana , Čeřovská Jarmila , Zamrazil Václav , Bílek Radovan , Lapčík Oldřich , Hampl Richard
Published: February 2006

Thyroid hormones and thyroid autoantibodies, along with serum concentrations of two phytoestrogens of the isoflavone series, daidzein and genistein, were measured in 268 children without overt thyroid diseases, screened for iodine deficiency in one region of the Czech Republic. Since both phytoestrogens have been reported to inhibit thyroid hormone biosynthesis and in high concentrations to exert goitrogenic effects, we investigated whether their presence in the circulation could influence thyroid hormone function in a population where soy consumption is not common. Correlation analysis revealed a significant positive association of genistein with thyroglobulin autoantibodies and a negative correlation with thyroid volume. Multiple regression analysis of the relationships between actual phytoestrogen levels and measured thyroid parameters revealed only a weak but significant association between genistein and thyroid variables. Higher levels of free thyroxine were found in a subgroup of 36 children who ate soy food in the previous 24h. In conclusion, only modest association was found between actual phytoestrogen levels and parameters of thyroid function. On the other hand, even small differences in soy phytoestrogen intake may influence thyroid function, which could be important when iodine intake is insufficient.
Analytical performance and clinical efficacy for cardiovascular risk estimation of an Olympus immunoturbidimetric high-sensitivity C-reactive protein assay
Authors: Jovičić Snežana , Ignjatović Svetlana , Dajak Marijana , Majkić-Singh Nada
Published: February 2006

Increased C-reactive protein (CRP) concentration within the reference interval (<10.0mg/L) is a strong predictor of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in apparently healthy adults. Cutoff points for use of CRP in estimating CVD risk are <1, 1–3 and >3mg/L for low, average and high relative risk, respectively. For measuring CRP concentrations to assess cardiovascular risk, high-sensitivity CRP (hsCRP) assays have been developed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the analytical performance and clinical efficacy for cardiovascular risk estimation of the Olympus immunoturbidimetric latex CRP assay (sensitive application). The comparative method used was the CardioPhase* hsCRP assay, approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in CVD risk assessment. The imprecision of the Olympus hsCRP assay in the concentration range 0.2–10.0mg/L was 0.38–8.16% within runs and 3.75–9.63% between runs. For method comparison studies, 194 fresh serum samples were selected to cover the interval 0.15–10.0mg/L CRP. Comparison of the Dade Behring and Olympus methods was performed using weighted Deming regression analysis (slope 0.99mg/L, intercept 0.002mg/L, S
Dynamic Modulus Testing of Thin Pavement Cores
Authors: Pellinen TK , Xiao S , Raval SY
Published: February 2006

A novel method of testing thin surface cores using the dynamic (complex) modulus test is proposed that utilizes composite mechanics theory. Rectangular specimens are sawed from the round surface layer cores, and the sawed blocks are simply stacked horizontally without bonding. Two hydrostone caps are made to provide flat and smooth loading ends, as well as to restrain the blocks from moving during loading. Two Linear Vertical Differential Transformers are attached 180° apart to the flat uniform side of the horizontally stacked cores to obtain the strain response without measuring over the joint of the cores. The advantage of this approach over the diametral loading mode, used for resilient modulus testing, is that it provides homogenous testing conditions, which gives direct access to stress and strain and, therefore, constitutive equations.
Science and exile: David Bohm, the cold war, and a new interpretation of quantum mechanics
Authors: FREIRE OLIVAL
Published: February 2006

In the early 1950s the American physicist David Bohm (1917-1992) produced a new interpretation of quantum mechanics and had to flee from McCarthyism. Rejected at Princeton, he moved to São Paulo. This article focuses on the reception of his early papers on the causal interpretation, his Brazilian exile, and the culture of physics surrounding the foundations of quantum mechanics. It weighs the strength of the Copenhagen interpretation, discusses the presentation of the foundations of quantum mechanics in the training of physicists, describes the results Bohm and his collaborators achieved. It also compares the reception of Bohm's ideas with that of Hugh Everett's interpretation. The cultural context of physics had a more significant influence on the reception of Bohm's ideas than the McCarthyist climate.
From white elephant to Nobel Prize: Dennis Gabor's wavefront reconstruction
Authors: JOHNSTON SEAN F.
Published: February 2006

Dennis Gabor devised a novel concept for optical imaging in 1947 that went by a variety of names over the following decade: holoscopy, wavefront reconstruction, interference microscopy, diffraction microscopy, and Gaboroscopy. A well-connected and creative research engineer, Gabor worked actively to develop, publicize and exploit his concept, but the scheme failed to capture the interest of many researchers. Gabor's theory was repeatedly deemed unintuitive and baffling and his technique of dubious practicality and limited applicability. By the late 1950s, Gabor's subject had been assessed by its handful of practitioners to be a white elephant. Nevertheless, other researchers in America and Russia later rehabilitated the project. What had been judged a failure was recast as a success during the 1960s as the foundation of the new and distinct subject of holography. This re-evaluation gained the Nobel Prize for Physics for Gabor in 1971. This paper focuses on the difficulties experienced in constructing a meaningful subject, a practical application, and a viable technical community from Gabor's ideas during the decade 1947-1957.
The politics of phosphorus-32: A cold war fable based on fact
Authors: KRIGE JOHN
Published: February 2006

In July 1949, and again in January 1950 the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission shipped useful amounts of the short-lived isotope phosphorus-32 to a sanatorium in Trieste, Italy. They were used to treat a patient who had a particularly malignant kind of brain tumor. This distribution of isotopes abroad for medical and research purposes was hotly contested by Commissioner Lewis Strauss, and led to a bruising confrontation between him and J. Robert Oppenheimer. This paper describes the debates surrounding the foreign isotope program inside the Commission and in the U.S. Congress. In parallel, it presents an imagined, but factually-based story of the impact of isotope therapy on the patient and his doctor in Trieste, a city on the Italian-Yugoslavian border that was at the heart of the cold war struggle for influence between the U.S. and the USSR. It weaves together the history of science, institutional history, diplomatic history, and cultural history into a fable that draws attention to the importance of the peaceful atom for winning hearts and minds for the West. The polemics surrounding the distribution of isotopes to foreign countries may have irreversibly soured relationships between Oppenheimer and Strauss, and played into the scientist's loss of his security clearance. But, as those who supported the program argued, it was an important instrument for projecting a positive image of America among a scientifc elite abroad, and for consolidating its alliance with friendly nations in the early years of the cold war—or so the fable goes.
“Monkeying with the Bible”: Edgar J. Goodspeed'sAmerican Translation
Authors: Bryan Bademan R.
Published: February 2006

Devotion to the Bible remains an underappreciated aspect of American religious life partly because it fails to generate controversy. This essay opens a window onto America's relationship with the Bible by exploring a controversial moment in the history of the Bible in America: the public reception of University of Chicago professor Edgar J. Goodspeed'sAmerican Translation(1923). Initially, at least, most Americans flatly rejected Goodspeed's impeccably credentialed attempt to cast the language of the Bible in contemporary “American” English. Accusations of the professor's irreligion, bad taste, vulgarity, and crass modernity emerged from nearly every quarter of the Protestant establishment (with the exception of some card-carrying theological modernists), testifying to a widespread but unexplored attachment to the notion of a traditional Bible in the early twentieth century. By examining this barrage of reaction, “Monkeying with the Bible” argues that Protestants, along with some others in 1920s America, believed that traditional biblical language was among the forces that helped stabilize the development of American civilization.
The Effect of Parental Marital Quality on Young Adults' Attitudes toward Divorce
Authors: Kapinus Carolyn A.
Published: February 2006

Using the theory of reasoned action and social learning theory, this article examines the influence of young adults' assessments of parents' marital quality on attitudes toward divorce while controlling for the effect of parents' views. Findings indicate that young adults who believe that their parents should end their marriage are more likely to have positive views of divorce and are less likely to share parents' attitudes. Furthermore, control variables have different effects on sons' and daughters' attitudes. Specifically, daughters who feel their parents should divorce, who do not report feeling close to their fathers, and whose parents espouse tolerant views of divorce are more likely to have positive attitudes toward divorce. Sons who feel their parents should divorce, whose parents report tolerant views of divorce, and who are not married are more likely to espouse positive attitudes toward divorce. The implications for how perceptions of parents' marital outcomes may influence offspring's marital quality and likelihood of divorce are discussed.
Orthodox and Inclusive Masculinity: Competing Masculinities among Heterosexual Men in a Feminized Terrain
Authors: Anderson Eric
Published: February 2006

Using in-depth interviews and participant observation from sixty-eight male cheerleaders and four selected cheerleading teams, this research examines the construction of masculinity among college-age heterosexual male cheerleaders. Whereas previous studies of men in feminized terrain have shown that hegemonic processes of dominance and subordination influence most men to bolster their masculinity through an approximation of orthodox masculine requisites, this research finds that heterosexual men in collegiate cheerleading today exhibit two forms of normative masculinity. One form retains most tenets of orthodox masculine construction, whereas the other is shown to be more inclusive. Men who subscribe to this inclusive form of masculinity do not respond to their transgression into feminized terrain in the same manner as has been shown in other investigations of men in feminized arenas because they are shown to accept feminine behavior and homosexuality among men. The emergence of this more inclusive form of masculinity is attributed to many factors, including the structure of the sport, the reduction of cultural, institutional, and organizational homophobia, and the resocialization of men into a gender-integrated sport.
Harnessing and Challenging Hegemony: The U.S. Peace Movement after 9/11
Authors: Maney Gregory M. , Woehrle Lynne M. , Coy Patrick G.
Published: February 2006

This article examines how U.S. peace movement organizations (PMOs) sought discursively to overcome cultural and political obstacles to mass mobilization after September 11, 2001. Quantitative and qualitative methods are blended to analyze the official statements of nine U.S. PMOs. Three factors influencing framing are considered: the cultural context, the political context, and oppositional identities. The events of 9/11 presented discursive and emotional opportunities for PMOs to harness hegemony by drawing on resonant ideas, conforming to emotional norms, and linking strong emotions to opposing war and repression. Legitimated political closure in the aftermath of 9/11 also encouraged PMOs to harness hegemony by arguing that consensus for war and repression presented threats to civil liberties and democracy. Oppositional identities rooted in consciousness of structural inequalities encouraged PMOs to challenge hegemony, however, by highlighting the costs of war and repression of minority groups. This article advances our understanding of how interrelated cultural and political processes affect framing.
Quantum Dot‐based Energy Transfer: Perspectives and Potential for Applications in Photodynamic Therapy
Authors: Samia Anna C. S. , Dayal Smita , Burda Clemens
Published: February 2006

Quantum dots have emerged as an important class of material that offers great promise to a diverse range of applications ranging from energy conversion to biomedicine. Here, we review the potential of using quantum dots and quantum dot conjugates as sensitizers for photodynamic therapy (PDT). The photophysics of singlet oxygen generation in relation to quantum dot‐based energy transfer is discussed and the possibility of using quantum dots as photosensitizer in PDT is assessed, including their current limitations to applications in biological systems. The biggest advantage of quantum dots over molecular photosensitizers that comes into perspective is their tunable optical properties and surface chemistries. Recent developments in the preparation and photophysical characterization of quantum dot energy transfer processes are also presented in this review, to provide insights on the future direction of quantum dot‐based photosensitization studies from the viewpoint of our ongoing research.
An Appropriate Way to Switch from the Individual Risk Model to the Collective One
Authors: Kuon S. , Radtke M. , Reich A.
Published: February 2006

For some time now, the convenient and fast calculability of collective risk models using the Panjer-algorithm has been a well-known fact, and indeed practitioners almost always make use of collective risk models in their daily numerical computations. In doing so, a standard link has been preferred for relating such calculations to the underlying heterogeneous risk portfolio and to the approximation of the aggregate claims distribution function in the individual risk model. In this procedure until now, the approximation quality of the collective risk model upon which such calculations are based is unknown.

It is proved that the approximation error which arises does not converge to zero if the risk portfolio in question continues to grow. Therefore, necessary and sufficient conditions are derived in order to obtain well-adjusted collective risk models which supply convergent approximations. Moreover, it is shown how in practical situations the previous natural link between the individual and the collective risk model can easily be modified to improve its calculation accuracy. A numerical example elucidates this.
Predictive Stop-Loss Premiums
Authors: Hürlimann Werner
Published: February 2006

Based on a representation of the aggregate claims random variable as linear combination of counting random variables, a linear multivariate Bayesian model of risk theory is defined. In case of the classical risk theoretical assumptions, that is conditional Poisson likelihood counting variates and Gamma structural density, the model is shown to identify with a Bayesian version of the collective model of risk theory. An interesting multivariate credibility formula for the predictive mean is derived. A new type of recursive algorithm, called three-stage nested recursive scheme, allows to evaluate the predictive density and associated predictive stop-loss premiums in an effective way.
An Application of Exponential Dispersion Models in Premium Rating
Authors: Renshaw A. E.
Published: February 2006

A practical method of allowing for covariates in compound Poisson modelling distributions is discussed.
A Note on Random Survivorship Group Benefits
Authors: Ramsay Colin M.
Published: February 2006

Consider a group ofnindependent lives agexwhere each life puts § 1 in a fund at time 0. The fund earns interest at ratei, and at the end oftyears the accumulated value of the fund is divided equally among the survivors. The traditional approach to calculating the expected lump sum benefit per survivor from the initial group ofnlives is based on the concept of a deterministic survivorship group. This approach ignores the stochastic nature of the survivorship process. In reality, the benefit per survivor is actually a random variable with an expected value which depends on the first inverse moment of a positive binomial random variable. Using Grab's and Savage's (1954) recursive formula for the first inverse moment, it is shown that the traditional approach yields a fairly accurate approximation to the solution even when one assumes a random number of survivors.
The Incidence of Risk under Credit Insurance
Authors: Taylor Greg
Published: February 2006

The incidence of risk under a credit insurance policy depends on the original term of the policy and the policy duration at which the incidence of risk is considered. Section 3 of the paper describes the procedure used to fit a bivariate function to this incidence. Section 4 gives the numerical detail of this model. Section 5 makes a comparison of the model with the data from which it was developed. Section 6 adds some general comments.
Improved Error Bounds for Bertram's Method
Authors: Sundt Bjørn
Published: February 2006

In an earlier note the present author deduced bounds for the approximation error of stop loss premiums when the aggregate claims distribution is calculated by a method introduced by Bertram. From the error bounds of the stop loss premiums we deduced bounds for the approximation error of the cumulative distribution and the discrete density of the aggregate claims. In the present note we shall improve the bounds for the cumulative distribution and the discrete density.
Investigation of antimicrobial use and the impact of antimicrobial use guidelines in a small animal veterinary teaching hospital: 1995–2004
Authors: Weese J. Scott
Published: February 2006

Objective—To evaluate patterns of antimicrobial use and the impact of antimicrobial use guidelines at a small animal veterinary teaching hospital.

Design—Retrospective study.

Sample Population—All antimicrobial prescriptions for dogs and cats admitted to the hospital in 1995 through 2004.

Procedure—Pharmacy records were reviewed, and antimicrobial prescriptions for all dogs and cats admitted during the study period were recorded. Amounts of individual drugs dispensed directly to the intensive care and surgical units were determined. Changes in antimicrobial use during the study period were assessed; changes in antimicrobial use patterns in 2000 through 2004 were evaluated to assess the impact of implementation of antimicrobial use guidelines in 2001.

Results—There was a significant decrease in prescriptions/1,000 admissions during the study period. From 1995 to 2004, the use of first-generation cephalosporins, fluoroquinolones, penicillins, and trimethoprim-sulfonamides decreased, whereas the use of metronidazole increased. The use of first-generation cephalosporins, fluoroquinolones, and penicillins decreased from 2000 to 2004. First-line drugs accounted for 90.7% of prescriptions during the study period. The use of third-line drugs decreased from 2000 to 2004.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Characterization of antimicrobial use is an important step in defining and evaluating the prudent use of antimicrobials. Whereas the true effect of antimicrobial use guidelines is unclear, these results suggest that the guidelines may have had an effect on antimicrobial prescription patterns in this small animal veterinary teaching hospital. Analysis of objective data regarding antimicrobial use and changes in antimicrobial use patterns over time is important in veterinary practices.
Long-term persistence of multi–drug-resistant Salmonella enterica serovar Newport in two dairy herds
Authors: Cobbold Rowland N. , Rice Daniel H. , Davis Margaret A. , Besser Thomas E. , Hancock Dale D.
Published: February 2006

Objective—To evaluate the association between maintaining joint hospital and maternity pens and persistence of multi–drug-resistant (MDR) Salmonella enterica serovar Newport on 2 dairy farms.

Design—Observational study.

Sample Population—Feces and environmental samples from 2 dairy herds.

Procedure—Herds were monitored for fecal shedding of S enterica Newport after outbreaks of clinical disease. Fecal and environmental samples were collected approximately monthly from pens housing sick cows and calving cows and from pens containing lactating cows. Cattle shedding the organism were tested serially on subsequent visits to determine carrier status. One farm was resampled after initiation of interventional procedures, including separation of hospital and maternity pens. Isolates were characterized via serotyping, determination of antimicrobial resistance phenotype, detection of the CMY-2 gene, and DNA fingerprinting.

Results—The prevalence (32.4% and 33.3% on farms A and B, respectively) of isolating Salmonella from samples from joint hospital-maternity pens was significantly higher than the prevalence in samples from pens housing preparturient cows (0.8%, both farms) and postparturient cows on Farm B (8.8%). Multi–drug-resistant Salmonella Newport was isolated in high numbers from bedding material, feed refusals, lagoon slurry, and milk filters. One cow excreted the organism for 190 days. Interventional procedures yielded significant reductions in the prevalences of isolating the organism from fecal and environmental samples. Most isolates were of the C2 serogroup and were resistant to third-generation cephalosporins.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Management practices may be effective at reducing the persistence of MDR Salmonella spp in dairy herds, thus mitigating animal and public health risk.
Highly Stereoselective Semihydrogenation of Alkynes Promoted by Nickel(0) Nanoparticles
Authors: Alonso Francisco , Osante Iñaki , Yus Miguel
Published: February 2006

A new method for the highly stereoselective cis‐semihydrogenation of internal alkynes is described based on in situ generated Ni(0) nanoparticles and molecular hydrogen. This reduction system also allows the semihydrogenation of terminal alkynes.
HFIP‐induced structures and assemblies of the peptides from the transmembrane domain 4 of membrane protein Nramp1
Authors: Xue Rong , Wang Shuo , Wang Chunyu , Zhu Tao , Li Fei , Sun Hongzhe
Published: February 2006

Membrane protein Nramp1 (natural resistance‐associated macrophage protein 1) is a pH‐dependent divalent metal cation transporter that regulates macrophage activation in infectious and autoimmune diseases. A naturally occurring glycine to aspartic acid substitution at position 169 (G169D) within the transmembrane domain 4 (TM4) of Nramp1 makes mice susceptible to Leishmania donovani, Salmonella typhimurium, and Mycobacterium bovis. Here we present a structural and self‐assembling study on two synthetic 24‐residue peptides, corresponding to TM4 of mouse Nramp1 and its G169D mutant, respectively, in 1,1,1,3,3,3‐hexafluoroisopropanol‐d2 (HFIP‐d2) aqueous solution by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The results show that amphipathic α‐helical structures are formed from residue Ile173 to Tyr187 for the wild‐type peptide and from Trp168 to Tyr187 for the G169D mutant, respectively. The segment of the N‐terminus from Leu167 to Leu172 is poorly structured for the wild‐type peptide, whereas it is well defined for the G169D mutant. Both peptides aggregate to form a tetramer and the monomeric peptides in peptide bundles are structurally and orientationally similar. The intermolecular interactions in assemblies could be stronger in the C‐terminal regions related to residues Phe180–Leu184 than those in the central helical segments for both peptides. The G169D mutation may change the size of the opening on the termini of assembly. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers (Pept Sci) 84: 329–339, 2006

This article was originally published online as an accepted preprint. The “Published Online” date corresponds to the preprint version. You can request a copy of the preprint by emailing the Biopolymers editorial office at biopolymers@wiley.com
Plant Ontology (PO): a controlled vocabulary of plant structures and growth stages
Authors: Jaiswal Pankaj , Avraham Shulamit , Ilic Katica , Kellogg Elizabeth A , McCouch Susan , Pujar Anuradha , Reiser Leonore , Rhee Seung Y , Sachs Martin M. , Schaeffer Mary , Stein Lincoln , Stevens Peter , Vincent Leszek , Ware Doreen , Zapata Felipe
Published: February 2006

The Plant Ontology Consortium (POC) (www.plantontology.org) is a collaborative effort among several plant databases and experts in plant systematics, botany and genomics. A primary goal of the POC is to develop simple yet robust and extensible controlled vocabularies that accurately reflect the biology of plant structures and developmental stages. These provide a network of vocabularies linked by relationships (ontology) to facilitate queries that cut across datasets within a database or between multiple databases. The current version of the ontology integrates diverse vocabularies used to describe Arabidopsis, maize and rice (Oryza sp.) anatomy, morphology and growth stages. Using the ontology browser, over 3500 gene annotations from three species‐specific databases, The Arabidopsis Information Resource (TAIR) for Arabidopsis, Gramene for rice and MaizeGDB for maize, can now be queried and retrieved. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Ferrite Sr3NdFe3O9: An Original Intergrowth Between the Brownmillerite and K2NiF4‐Type Structures.
Authors: Barrier N. , Pelloquin D. , Nguyen N. , Giot M. , Bouree F. , Raveau B.
Published: February 2006

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 200 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract, please click on HTML or PDF.
Syntheses and Crystal Structures of Ln2As4O9 (Ln: Nd, Sm): Oxo‐Arsenates(III) According to Ln4(As2O5)2 (As4O8) Exhibiting the Cyclic As4O84‐ Anion.
Authors: Ben Hamida Makram , Warns Christin , Wickleder Mathias S.
Published: February 2006

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 200 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract, please click on HTML or PDF.
Crystal Structure Elucidation of Anhydrous Rb2[Pt(CN)4] from X‐Ray Powder Diffraction Data.
Authors: Muehle Claus , Karpov Andrey , Jansen Martin
Published: February 2006

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 200 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract, please click on HTML or PDF.
A Solution—Precursor Synthesis of Carbon‐Coated LiFePO4 for Li‐Ion Cells.
Authors: Spong Alan D. , Vitins Girts , Owen John R.
Published: February 2006

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 200 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract, please click on HTML or PDF.
Hydrogenation Properties of Mg/Mg2Ni0.8Cr0.2 Composites Containing TiO2 Nanoparticles.
Authors: Wang X. L. , Tu J. P. , Zhang X. B. , Chen C. P. , Zhao X. B.
Published: February 2006

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 200 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract, please click on HTML or PDF.
Low‐Temperature Solution Synthesis of Nanocrystalline Binary Intermetallic Compounds Using the Polyol Process.
Authors: Cable Robert E. , Schaak Raymond E.
Published: February 2006

ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 200 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract, please click on HTML or PDF.