bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The role of religious beliefs and practices on emerging adults' perceived competencies, perceived importance ratings, and global self-worth
Authors: McNamara Barry Carolyn , Nelson Larry J.
Published: November 2008

Although religious participation declines during emerging adulthood (18 years through middle 20s), most emerging adults still claim that their religious beliefs are important to them. However, little research has been conducted to examine the role that religious beliefs and practices may play in the development of self-perceptions during emerging adulthood. This study investigated: (1) the extent to which perceived competence and importance ratings of competence varied as a function of religious beliefs and practices as well as gender; and (2) the relationship between self-discrepancies in domains of importance and global self-worth as a function of the two religious factors and gender. Findings from responses of 232 university students revealed that perceived competence, perceived importance ratings, and the effect of success or failure in domains of importance on self-worth all differed based upon both religious factors and one's gender. The results underscore the importance that religiosity plays in the development of self-processes, especially for emerging-adult women.
Prosocial behaviors in context: Examining the role of children's social companions
Authors: de Guzman Maria Rosario T. , Carlo Gustavo , Pope Edwards Carolyn
Published: November 2008

This study examines the role of immediate social companions in the prosocial behaviors of children from two cultural communities from the USA and the Philippines. Materials for this study comprised behavioral observations drawn from the Six Cultures Study — with 612 five-minute observations of 23 children (12 girls, 11 boys) from Orchard Town, MA and 570 observations of 24 children (12 girls, 12 boys) from Tarong, Philippines, ranging in age from 3 to 11 years. Data were coded for instances of prosocial behaviors, as well as characteristics of social companions (age and relationship to actor). Results revealed several interesting findings. First, frequency of children's behaviors varied as a function of the age of their social companions. Children generally directed the highest number of prosocial behaviors towards infants and toddlers, except for younger children's prosocial behaviors towards relatives which were directed mostly towards adults. Second, frequency of prosocial behaviors varied as a function of kinship, but differently for the community groups. Tarong children were generally more prosocial towards relatives, while Orchard Town children showed more prosocial behaviors towards non-relatives. Results highlight the role of immediate contexts in prosocial behaviors of children, and the value of using cross-cultural methodology to examine contextual factors in developmental processes.
Family correlates of children's social and physical aggression with peers: Negative interparental conflict strategies and parenting styles
Authors: Underwood Marion K. , Beron Kurt J. , Gentsch Joanna K. , Galperin Mikal B. , Risser Scott D.
Published: November 2008

This investigation examines whether negative interparental conflict strategies (stonewalling, triangulation, verbal aggression, and physical aggression) and parenting styles are related to social and physical aggression with peers for children followed longitudinally from age 9 to 10 (N = 256). Parents reported on negative conflict strategies and parenting styles at the beginning of the study and teachers rated children's social and physical aggression with peers when children were in the 3rd and 4th grades. Structural equation modeling demonstrated that, for girls, mothers' negative interparental conflict strategies were positively associated with both social and physical aggression with peers. Mothers' negative conflict strategies were not related to boys' social and physical aggression at school, fathers' negative conflict strategies were not related to aggression for either gender, and no relations emerged for parenting styles. These results offer partial support for a same-gender modeling hypothesis and suggest that girls' social and physical aggression at school may be related to watching mothers resolve marital disputes by engaging in triangulation, stonewalling, and verbal and physical aggression with partners.
A Note on the Stability Properties of Goodwin's Predator—Prey Model
Authors: Aguiar-Conraria Luís
Published: November 2008

Goodwin's predator—prey model is structurally unstable, with an equilibrium that is neither stable nor unstable. Ploeg showed that relaxing the hypothesis of fixed proportion technology would stabilize the equilibrium. On the other hand, Goodwin showed that the equilibrium becomes unstable when endogenous productivity growth is considered. I study the consequences of considering both effects and conclude that the stabilizing effect of a flexible technology is much stronger than the destabilizing effect of endogenizing labor productivity.
On the Temperature Measurement Bias and Time Response of an Aspirated Thermocouple in Fire Environment
Authors: Sung Chan Kim  , Hamins Anthony
Published: November 2008

To examine the uncertainty of thermocouple temperature measurements, the present study uses numerical simulations and analytical solutions to investigate the heat transfer processes associated with double shield aspirated thermocouple. This study is divided into two parts. First, 3D CFD calculations for real geometries are performed to understand the flow characteristics of double shielded aspirated thermocouples. Based on iso-thermal flow calculations for real geometry, conjugate heat transfer calculations for a 3D simplified geometry are performed to investigate the thermocouple radiative exchange errors that may be important in a fire environment. The results of the 3D heat transfer calculation are compared with algebraic solutions from a previously developed simple energy balance model and the algebraic model shows acceptable results compared to the 3D CFD model, despite its many assumptions and idealizations. A parametric study was conducted to quantify the thermocouple errors for various gas temperature and surrounding conditions. In this manner, the present study improves our understanding of the uncertainty of thermocouple temperature measurements.
A Comparative Study of Public Support for the Police
Authors: Kutnjak Ivković Sanja
Published: November 2008

I use the data from the International Crime Victimization Survey and the World Values Survey to study the determinants of public support for the police in 28 countries. I find that the respondents' views of the police, both general confidence and specific ability to control crime, are affected by who the respondents are (gender, age) and by the quality of governance in the country in which they live. Their general views of the police also are related very strongly to what they think about other parts of the government (the armed forces, parliament, and the legal system). Their evaluations of the police ability to control crime are strongly colored by their individual experiences and contacts with the police (crime victimization, fear of crime, being asked to pay a bribe, frequency of seeing police patrols). In addition, police-related characteristics (police size, percentage of women as a measure of heterogeneity of the police, police structure) shape their opinions as well.
Local Policies for Climate Change in Japan
Authors: Sugiyama Noriko , Takeuchi Tsuneo
Published: November 2008

Local climate change policy making in Japan started in the middle of the 1990s. The national government's Global Warming Law and the Kyoto Protocol Target Achievement Plan both include expectations that the 47 prefectural and 1,800 municipal governments will formulate and implement comprehensive, plan-based programs to address greenhouse gas emissions. This study examines national and local government climate change policies. Most local governments deal with disseminating information and educating citizens about climate change and energy efficiency. The most advanced local governments, such as Tokyo and Kyoto, have used local ordinances to claim competences in energy, traffic, and other policy areas in order to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. The authors urge that a roadmap similar to the one they produced for Nagoya City to reduce its CO2 emissions by 75% compared to 1990 levels by 2050 be adopted at the national level.
Potassium Dynamics in the Epileptic Cortex: New Insights on an Old Topic
Authors: Fröhlich Flavio , Bazhenov Maxim , Iragui-Madoz Vicente , Sejnowski Terrence J.
Published: November 2008

The role of changes in the extracellular potassium concentration [K+]o in epilepsy has remained unclear. Historically, it was hypothesized that [K+] o is the causal factor for epileptic seizures. This so-called potassium accumulation hypothesis led to substantial debate but subsequently failed to find wide acceptance. However, recent studies on the pathophysiology of tissue from epileptic human patients and animal epilepsy models revealed aberrations in [K+]o regulation. Computational models of cortical circuits that include ion concentration dynamics have catalyzed a renewed interest in the role of [K+]o in epilepsy. The authors here connect classical and more recent insights on [K+] o dynamics in the cortex with the goal of providing starting points for a next generation of [K+]o research. Such research may ultimately lead to an entirely new class of antiepileptic drugs that act on the [K+]o regulation system. NEUROSCIENTIST 14(5):422—433, 2008. DOI: 10.1177/1073858408317955
Exploring the Experience of Hallucinations From a Perspective of Self: Surviving and Persevering
Authors: Jarosinski Judith M.
Published: November 2008

BACKGROUND: Despite improved treatment, little is understood about how clients view their hallucinations from a perspective of self, and few studies address the meaning of hallucinations or the relationship of hallucinations to the individual sense of being. OBJECTIVE: To understand hallucinations from an individual perspective of self. STUDY DESIGN: Heideggerian and hermeneutics-guided thematic analysis. Twelve individuals described their experiences of hallucinations. All interviews were recorded (with consent) and transcribed verbatim. RESULTS: Four themes described surviving and persevering: (a) Are they who they are? (b) a not-so-certain life; (c) finding strength in the broken places; and (d) I am still me. Although experiencing hallucinations was analogous to living with loss, participants recalled hallucinations as providing something positive in how they cared for and related to others. CONCLUSIONS: Practitioners can incorporate a language of caring that meets the needs of their clients, rather than the language of empowerment, which proved overwhelming for participants already overwhelmed by the “business of getting better.” J Am Psychiatr Nurses Assoc, 2008; 14(5), 353-362.
The contribution of figurative devices to representation of tourism images
Authors: Djafarova Elmira , Andersen Hans Christian
Published: November 2008

This article explores the changing role of figurative devices in British tourism advertising from the 1970s to 2005. The textual analysis of metaphors, puns and alliteration reveals some disadvantages in the use of these devices when addressing potential tourists. Metaphors and puns are able to influence existing textual meanings to promote a positive image of the product, but carry different degrees of ambiguity. Therefore, this complex use of linguistic devices might cause difficulties in their comprehension. Modern tourists require more explanation and information about the intangible tourism product, as consumer awareness and competence is growing rapidly. Consumers are increasingly likely to complain about misleading advertising. This might be why this study found a decrease in the amount of advertisements using metaphors over the time period investigated. When creating metaphors and puns, advertisers have to be aware of the consequential issues with their comprehension. In contrast, alliteration is a `safe' device as it still attracts consumers but does not involve any ambiguity. This study showed an increase in the use of alliteration in 2005 compared to the 1970s. This article attempts to show how the analysis of advertising texts can reveal some interesting and important issues within tourism and advertising communication, which in turn can generate further discussion.
A practitioner's report on the interactive effects of socio-demographic barriers to travel
Authors: Kattiyapornpong Uraiporn , Miller Kenneth E.
Published: November 2008

Researchers have viewed constraints as a subset of reasons for not engaging in a particular behavior. This study investigates the impact of two-way interactions between age, income, and life stage (forming groups of more and less constrained respondents) on dependent variables comprising intentions held by Australian residents to travel intrastate, interstate or overseas for a vacation. A representative sample of 49,105 Australian respondents is utilized. Binary logistic regression is used to profile respondents who intend to take a domestic or an overseas holiday of more than three days duration. This paper finds that the interactions between the constraint variables of age, income and life stage are important in explaining travel preferences. Constraint groups are then formed by combining the important constraint variables. There are significant levels of vacation travel by even the most constrained groups as well as significant amounts of non-travel by the least constrained sectors of our society. Marketing insights and recommendations are provided for the most constrained travel group and the least constrained travel group.
Proteolytic inactivation of tissue factor pathway inhibitor by bacterial omptins
Authors: Yun Thomas H. , Cott Jessica E. , Tapping Richard I. , Slauch James M. , Morrissey James H.
Published: November 2008

The immune response to infection includes activation of the blood clotting system, leading to extravascular fibrin deposition to limit the spread of invasive microorganisms. Some bacteria have evolved mechanisms to counteract this host response. Pla, a member of the omptin family of Gram-negative bacterial proteases, promotes the invasiveness of the plague bacterium, Yersinia pestis, by activating plasminogen to plasmin to digest fibrin. We now show that the endogenous anticoagulant tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) is also highly sensitive to proteolysis by Pla and its orthologs OmpT in Escherichia coli and PgtE in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. Using gene deletions, we demonstrate that bacterial inactivation of TFPI requires omptin expression. TFPI inactivation is mediated by proteolysis since Western blot analysis showed that TFPI cleavage correlated with loss of anticoagulant function in clotting assays. Rates of TFPI inactivation were much higher than rates of plasminogen activation, indicating that TFPI is a better substrate for omptins. We hypothesize that TFPI has evolved sensitivity to proteolytic inactivation by bacterial omptins to potentiate procoagulant responses to bacterial infection. This may contribute to the hemostatic imbalance in disseminated intravascular coagulation and other coagulopathies accompanying severe sepsis.
Linking gene regulation and the exo-metabolome: A comparative transcriptomics approach to identify genes that impact on the production of volatile aroma compounds in yeast
Authors: Rossouw Debra , Næs Tormod , Bauer Florian F
Published: November 2008

Background

'Omics' tools provide novel opportunities for system-wide analysis of complex cellular functions. Secondary metabolism is an example of a complex network of biochemical pathways, which, although well mapped from a biochemical point of view, is not well understood with regards to its physiological roles and genetic and biochemical regulation. Many of the metabolites produced by this network such as higher alcohols and esters are significant aroma impact compounds in fermentation products, and different yeast strains are known to produce highly divergent aroma profiles. Here, we investigated whether we can predict the impact of specific genes of known or unknown function on this metabolic network by combining whole transcriptome and partial exo-metabolome analysis.

Results

For this purpose, the gene expression levels of five different industrial wine yeast strains that produce divergent aroma profiles were established at three different time points of alcoholic fermentation in synthetic wine must. A matrix of gene expression data was generated and integrated with the concentrations of volatile aroma compounds measured at the same time points. This relatively unbiased approach to the study of volatile aroma compounds enabled us to identify candidate genes for aroma profile modification. Five of these genes, namelyYMR210W,BAT1,AAD10,AAD14andACS1were selected for overexpression in commercial wine yeast, VIN13. Analysis of the data show a statistically significant correlation between the changes in the exo-metabome of the overexpressing strains and the changes that were predicted based on the unbiased alignment of transcriptomic and exo-metabolomic data.

Conclusion

The data suggest that a comparative transcriptomics and metabolomics approach can be used to identify the metabolic impacts of the expression of individual genes in complex systems, and the amenability of transcriptomic data to direct applications of biotechnological relevance.
Important prognostic factors for the long-term survival of lung cancer subjects in Taiwan
Authors: Chiang Tai-An , Chen Ping-Ho , Wu Pei-Fen , Wang Tsu-Nai , Chang Po-Ya , Ko Albert Min-Shan , Huang Ming-Shyan , Ko Ying-Chin
Published: November 2008

Background

This study used a large-scale cancer database in determination of prognostic factors for the survival of lung cancer subjects in Taiwan.

Methods

Total of 24,910 subjects diagnosed with lung cancer was analysed. Survival estimates by Kaplan-Meier methods. Cox proportional-hazards model estimated the death risk (hazard ratio (HR)) for various prognostic factors.

Results

The prognostic indicators associated with a higher risk of lung cancer deaths are male gender (males versus females; HR = 1.07, 95% confidence intervals (CI): 1.03–1.11), males diagnosed in later periods (shown in 1991–1994 versus 1987–1990; HR = 1.13), older age at diagnosis, large cell carcinoma (LCC)/small cell carcinoma (SCC), and supportive care therapy over chemotherapy. The overall 5-year survival rate for lung cancer death was significantly poorer for males (21.3%) than females (23.6%). Subjects with squamous cell carcinoma (SQCC) and treatment by surgical resection alone had better prognosis. We find surgical resections to markedly increase 5-year survival rate from LCC, decreased risk of death from LCC, and no improved survival from SCC.

Conclusion

Gender and clinical characteristics (i.e. diagnostic period, diagnostic age, histological type and treatment modality) play important roles in determining lung cancer survival.
Improvement in health-related quality of life in osteoporosis patients treated with teriparatide
Authors: Lau Arthur N , Ali Sammy H , Sawka Anna M , Thabane Lehana , Papaioannou Alexandra , Gafni Amiram , Adachi Jonathan D
Published: November 2008

Background

Individuals with osteoporosis and recent vertebral fractures suffer from pain and impaired health-related quality of life (HRQL). To determine whether patients with osteoporosis treated with teriparatide experienced improvement in HRQL and pain symptoms after several months of therapy.

Methods

We retrospectively studied a sample of osteoporosis patients treated with teriparatide in a Canadian rheumatology practice. We included patients that received teriparatide therapy with baseline and follow-up Mini-Osteoporosis Quality of Life Questionnaire (OQLQ) data. Follow-up data was measured at three or six months. We used a paired Student's t-test to compare baseline and follow-up measurements for each of the questionnaire's ten questions (five domains). Statistical analysis was also repeated to only include patients who suffered a prior vertebral fracture.

Results

57 patients were included in the study, including 47 women. The mean age was 63.8 years (standard deviation 12.1 years). About sixty five percent (37/57) had previously sustained one or more osteoporotic fractures and about 38.6% (22/57) had suffered a prior vertebral fracture. About 44% (25/57) of individuals were taking one or more types of pain medications regularly prior to starting therapy. At follow-up, significant improvements were observed in the OQLQ domains of pain symptoms. This was seen when all patients on teriparatide were included, and also when only patients with prior vertebral fractures were included. There was also an improvement in emotional functioning, relating to fear of falling at 3 months follow-up (p = 0.019). Respondents also reported improvement in the domain of activities of daily living, relating to vacuuming at 6 months follow-up (p = 0.036), and an improvement in the leisure domain, relating to ease of traveling in the prior vertebral fracture population at 3 months follow-up (p = 0.012). However, there was no significant improvement observed in the domains of physical functioning. Participants also reported a decrease in need for pain medications, with 26% (15/57) requiring analgesics at the time of follow-up.

Conclusion

Teriparatide use may be associated with improvements in HRQL in osteoporosis patients, in particular alleviation of pain symptoms. These results were especially evident in patients with a history of vertebral fractures. These findings should be confirmed in larger prospective studies with a suitable control group.
Review on solving the inverse problem in EEG source analysis
Authors: Grech Roberta , Cassar Tracey , Muscat Joseph , Camilleri Kenneth P , Fabri Simon G , Zervakis Michalis , Xanthopoulos Petros , Sakkalis Vangelis , Vanrumste Bart
Published: November 2008

In this primer, we give a review of the inverse problem for EEG source localization. This is intended for the researchers new in the field to get insight in the state-of-the-art techniques used to find approximate solutions of the brain sources giving rise to a scalp potential recording. Furthermore, a review of the performance results of the different techniques is provided to compare these different inverse solutions. The authors also include the results of a Monte-Carlo analysis which they performed to compare four non parametric algorithms and hence contribute to what is presently recorded in the literature. An extensive list of references to the work of other researchers is also provided.

This paper starts off with a mathematical description of the inverse problem and proceeds to discuss the two main categories of methods which were developed to solve the EEG inverse problem, mainly the non parametric and parametric methods. The main difference between the two is to whether a fixed number of dipoles is assumed a priori or not. Various techniques falling within these categories are described including minimum norm estimates and their generalizations, LORETA, sLORETA, VARETA, S-MAP, ST-MAP, Backus-Gilbert, LAURA, Shrinking LORETA FOCUSS (SLF), SSLOFO and ALF for non parametric methods and beamforming techniques, BESA, subspace techniques such as MUSIC and methods derived from it, FINES, simulated annealing and computational intelligence algorithms for parametric methods. From a review of the performance of these techniques as documented in the literature, one could conclude that in most cases the LORETA solution gives satisfactory results. In situations involving clusters of dipoles, higher resolution algorithms such as MUSIC or FINES are however preferred. Imposing reliable biophysical and psychological constraints, as done by LAURA has given superior results. The Monte-Carlo analysis performed, comparing WMN, LORETA, sLORETA and SLF, for different noise levels and different simulated source depths has shown that for single source localization, regularized sLORETA gives the best solution in terms of both localization error and ghost sources. Furthermore the computationally intensive solution given by SLF was not found to give any additional benefits under such simulated conditions.
Near Infrared Spectroscopic Characterisation of Secondary Structure Content of Proteins
Authors: Hsu Leon N. , Lin Tanya P. , Sane Samir U.
Published: November 2008

Near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy was investigated as a non-destructive and rapid method to characterise the secondary structures of proteins in solid state. The absorption spectra of 11 reference proteins (0-46% α-helix, 6-73% β-sheet) were obtained using an Antaris NIR Analyser and quantitatively analysed using a chemometric software program to correlate the NIR spectral data to the secondary structure content obtained from X-ray crystallography and Raman spectroscopy. Simple linear regression analyses of the normalised second derivative NIR spectra indicated that 6289 cm−1 ( R2 = 0.99, RMSEC = 2.6) and 4602 cm−1 ( R2 = 0.96, RMSEC = 5.6) were highly sensitive wave number regions for β-sheet structure and the calibration models were highly predictive for three additional proteins which served as external validation standards (average error 2% and 3%, respectively). The second derivative NIR spectra at 4602 cm−1 was also found to be sensitive to α-helical content ( R2 = 0.93, RMSEC = 5.8) and predictive of the validation standards (average error 6%). The results demonstrate the potential of NIR spectroscopy as a rapid and non-invasive tool for quantification of secondary structure content of proteins in solid state.
Development of near Infrared Analysis of Faeces to Estimate Non-Grass Proportions in Diets Selected by Cattle Grazing Tropical Pastures
Authors: Coates David B. , Dixon Rob M.
Published: November 2008

Grass (monocots) and non-grass (dicots) proportions in ruminant diets are important nutritionally because the non-grasses are usually higher in nutritive value, particularly protein, than the grasses, especially in tropical pastures. For ruminants grazing tropical pastures where the grasses are C4 species and most non-grasses are C3 species, the ratio of 13C/12C in diet and faeces, measured as δ13C‰, is proportional to dietary non-grass%. This paper describes the development of a faecal near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy calibration equation for predicting faecal δ13C from which dietary grass and non-grass proportions can be calculated. Calibration development used cattle faeces derived from diets containing only C3 non-grass and C4 grass components, and a series of expansion and validation steps was employed to develop robustness and predictive reliability. The final calibration equation contained 1637 samples and faecal δ13C range (‰) of [12.27]–[27.65]. Calibration statistics were: standard error of calibration (SEC) of 0.78, standard error of cross-validation (SECV) of 0.80, standard deviation ( SD) of reference values of 3.11 and R2 of 0.94. Validation statistics for the final calibration equation applied to 60 samples were: standard error of prediction ( SEP) of 0.87, bias of −0.15, R2 of 0.92 and RPD of 3.16. The calibration equation was also tested on faeces from diets containing C4 non-grass species or temperate C3 grass species. Faecal δ13C predictions indicated that the spectral basis of the calibration was not related to 13C/12C ratios per se but to consistent differences between grasses and non-grasses in chemical composition and that the differences were modified by photosynthetic pathway. Thus, although the calibration equation could not be used to make valid faecal δ13C predictions when the diet contained either C3 grass or C4 non-grass, it could be used to make useful estimates of dietary non-grass proportions. It could also be used to make useful estimates of non-grass in mixed C3 grass/non-grass diets by applying a modified formula to calculate non-grass from predicted faecal δ13C. The development of a robust faecal-NIR calibration equation for estimating non-grass proportions in the diets of grazing cattle demonstrated a novel and useful application of NIR spectroscopy in agriculture.
The Architectural Development of the Historic Masjids in Cairo and its Acoustical Impact
Authors: Oldham D. J. , Elkhateeb A.
Published: November 2008

This work examines the acoustical characteristics of the four patterns that represent the architectural development of the historic Masjids (Mosques) in Cairo: the semi-closed Rewaq pattern; the semi-closed Iwan pattern; the closed Iwan pattern and the closed simple geometrical pattern. Detailed architectural and acoustical analyses were performed on samples collected through a comprehensive historical survey of Masjids that were built between the ninth and eighteenth centuries. The architectural analysis included consideration of: room area; volume; shape; form; finishing materials; roof type and room aspect ratio. The acoustical analysis involved the application of geometrical acoustics using the RAYNOISE program ver3.1 to investigate the acoustical qualities of two Mamluk Masjids. The acoustics of two other Masjids are also briefly discussed.

Results of the computer simulations showed that the semi-closed Rewaq pattern has the most problematic acoustic environment due to its enormous volume and the use of massive pillars that tend to confine the sound rays in a limited area around the source. The semi-closed Iwan pattern yields the best acoustical qualities relative to the other three patterns with high values of speech SPL (65-70dB(A)) and a D50 value that is equates to speech intelligibility of 70% or higher. In the closed Iwan pattern, only the worshipers in the Qibla Iwan experience a good acoustic environment whereas the other worshipers may experience some difficulties in hearing and understanding clearly the voice of the Imam. The closed simple pattern has fair acoustical qualities with most of the worshipers receiving a speech SPL equal to or higher than 50dB(A). This is due to its excessive height and the resulting long distance travelled by the rays reflected from the ceiling (about 42m) before reaching the plane of the worshipers. This results in their intensity being severely diminished. The three patterns for which simulations were carried out all have long reverberation times (RT) at the low and mid frequencies. This long RT is considered appropriate for the spiritual nature of these places and in addition in some cases it helps in increasing the speech SPL in the room.
Measurement the Noise Reduction of Doubly Curved Composite Sandwich Structures
Authors: Tang Wing-Cheong
Published: November 2008

Traditional single-layer panels are typically made of a thin metal or plastic and are often unsuitable for an interior finish because thin limp panels do not have enough resistance to combined acoustic-thermal loading. For medium and low frequencies, panels usually require a relatively large absorber thickness and weight. The sound absorber presented is a composite sandwich panel with an air gap between a comparatively stiff thick panel and a flexible thin plate. Under thermal loading, the flexible thin plate is buckled. When suitably adjusted to a particular curvature, an increase in stiffness is obtained which can increase the sound insulation by up to 27 dB between 250 Hz and 500 Hz.
Correlations of the Acoustic Fields of Mudejar-Gothic Churches
Authors: Galindo Miguel , Girón Sara , Zamarreño Teófilo
Published: November 2008

This paper studies the statistical correlations between monaural acoustic parameters with themselves and with architectural parameters from an acoustical survey undertaken in 12 Mudejar-Gothic churches in Seville, southern Spain. Objective room-acoustic parameters have been measured using impulse response analysis through a maximum-length-sequence measurement system in each church. Measurements cover time parameters (reverberation time, early decay time); levels (sound strength); energy-based parameters (centre time, clarity for speech, clarity, definition, early lateral energy fraction); and speech intelligibility (rapid speech transmission index) and the analysis takes into account both spatially averaged values and individual positions. The aim of the study is to identify the main architectural factors that have relevant influence on the acoustic fields of the churches, and the minimum number of room acoustic parameters which are able to describe adequately this acoustic field, thus the possible excess of information is evaluated. Significant correlations have been found that, in the best cases, correspond to fits using pairs of independent variables instead of one single variable. The best option to describe the six subjective attributes of sound perception in these buildings consists of three acoustic parameters formed by two different pairs plus the early lateral energy fraction.
Cognition and Renewal: Comparing CEO and Organizational Effects on Incumbent Adaptation to Technical Change
Authors: Eggers J. P. , Kaplan Sarah
Published: November 2008

We investigate the conditions under which managerial cognition affects the timing of incumbent entry into a radical new technological market. We address this question using a longitudinal study of communications technology firms entering the fiber-optics product market. Using a hazard rate model, we investigate the relevance of cognition based on the direction of CEO attention. We find that attention toward the emerging technology and the affected industry is associated with faster entry, and attention to existing technologies is associated with slower progress. Second, we assess the extent to which the effect of cognition is dependent upon the levels of relevant organizational factors and find that CEO attention to the emerging technology may amplify the effects of industry orientation. Managerial cognition is important in understanding organizational outcomes, and considering both the direction of cognition and its interaction with organizational factors provides a more nuanced view of entry behavior. These results contribute to the literatures on incumbent response to technical change and new product development by suggesting that context-specific managerial cognition has a separate and important influence on the degree and direction of strategic renewal. We argue that managerial cognition is therefore a dynamic managerial capability that can shape adaptation by established firms.
Reference Population and Marathon Runner Sera Assessed by Highly Sensitive Cardiac Troponin T and Commercial Cardiac Troponin T and I Assays
Authors: Mingels Alma , Jacobs Leo , Michielsen Etienne , Swaanenburg Joost , Wodzig Will , van Dieijen-Visser Marja
Published: November 2008

Background: Endurance exercise can increase cardiac troponin (cTn) concentrations as high as those seen in cases of minor myocardial infarction. The inability of most cTn assays to reliably quantify cTn at very low concentrations complicates a thorough data analysis, and the clinical implications of such increases remain unclear. The application of recently developed highly sensitive cTn immunoassays may help resolve these problems.

Methods: We evaluated the precommercial highly sensitive cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) assay from Roche Diagnostics and the Architect cardiac troponin I (cTnI-Architect) assay from Abbott Diagnostics by testing samples from a reference population of 546 individuals and a cohort of 85 marathon runners. We also measured the samples with the current commercial cTnT assay for comparison.

Results: Although the hs-cTnT and cTnI-Architect assays were capable of measuring cTn concentrations at low concentrations (<0.01 μg/L), only the hs-cTnT assay demonstrated a CV of <10% at the 99th percentile of the reference population and a near-gaussian distribution of the measurements. After a marathon, 86% of the runners had cTnT concentrations greater than the 99th percentile with the hs-cTnT assay, whereas only 45% of the runners showed increased concentrations with the current cTnT assay. cTn concentrations remained significantly increased the day after the marathon. A multiple regression analysis demonstrated marathon experience and age to be significant predictors of postmarathon cTn concentrations (P < 0.05).

Conclusions: The hs-cTnT assay was the only assay tested with a performance capability sufficient to detect cTn concentrations in healthy individuals. The number of runners with increased cTn concentrations after a marathon depends highly on an assay’s limit of detection (LOD). The assay with the lowest LOD, the hs-cTnT assay, showed that almost all runners had increased cTn concentrations. The clinical implications of these findings require further investigation.
Bartók and the Berlin school of ethnomusicology
Authors: Lampert Vera
Published: November 2008

There is a great affinity between Bartók’s scholarly works and that of the members of the Berlin Phonogramm-Archiv — established in 1900 and considered as the cradle of the discipline of ethnomusicology — both in their methods and philosophical outlook. Several publications of the Berlin scholars are extant in Bartók’s library. They exerted significant influence on Bartók’s folkloristic output, from the methods of transcription and analysis, to the publication of folk material. Bartók also had personal connections with two of the members of the school. He contacted the director of the institution, Erich von Hornbostel, in 1912, wanting to take part in the galvanoplastic preservation and exchange program, introduced in Berlin a few years earlier. Only ten of Bartók’s cylinders could be processed before the war broke out, putting an end to this effort. A few years later Hornbostel took on the publishing of Bartók’s monograph,
Volksmusik der Rumänen von Maramureş
in the series
Sammelbände der vergleichenden Musikwissenschaft
. Bartók also met and corresponded with another outstanding member of the Berlin School of Ethnomusicology, Robert Lachmann, the chairman of the committee on sound recordings, in the work of which Bartók also participated in 1932 at the Congress of Arab Music in Cairo.
Histological Inflammatory Responses in the Placenta and Early Neonatal Brain Injury
Authors: Zanardo Vincenzo , Vedovato Stefania , Suppiej Agnese , Trevisanuto Daniele , Migliore Mauro , Di Venosa Benedetta , Chiarelli Silvia
Published: November 2008

We investigated the relationship between the severity of histological inflammatory responses in the placenta, chorionic plate, and umbilical cord in conjunction with the intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) risk in premature infants. Clinical data were prospectively collected for 287 consecutive premature neonates born before 32 completed weeks of gestation and admitted to the level III neonatal intensive care unit of the Department of Pediatrics at Padua University from January 1999 to December 2004. Placental histology for histological chorioamnionitis (HCA) was graded and scored according to Redline and others. The diagnosis of IVH (grades I–IV) was graded according to Volpe's classification. Among the placentas of the 287 preterm examined infants, 68 (23.6%) were diagnosed with acute HCA. Overall incidence of IVH was 11.8%. Of 68 preterm neonates with HCA, 11 developed IVH (16.1%). Maternal HCA at the higher grades and stages increased the risk of IVH: 7 (64%) of the 11 preterm infants with maternal HCA grade 3 developed IVH (RR; 95% CI 2.05; 1.1–3.6) and 8 (73%) of the 11 preterm neonates with stage 3 developed IVH (RR; 95% CI 1.59; 1.0–2.5). Conversely, fetal inflammation was not associated with an increased risk of IVH. In conclusion, the IVH risk in preterm infants at less than 32 gestation weeks is significantly associated with severe grade and stage maternal HCA inflammatory scores.
The Prevalence of Psychiatric Disorder in Rural School Children
Authors: Connell H. M. , Irvine L. , Rodney J.
Published: November 2008

The multidetermined nature of psychiatric disorder in childhood calls for a detailed assessment of the individual and his family, and often a team approach to treatment. Since this involves contact with the family over a period of time the delivery of this type of service to children living in remote areas under conditions of geographical isolation can present considerable difficulty. A survey of 10- and 11-year-old children from the far West of Queensland showed a prevalence rate for psychiatric disorder of 10% among those whose parents were willing to complete a questionnaire and attend the child's school for interview. Although this is lower than rates obtained for children living in towns on the East coast and in metropolitan Brisbane it still represents a sizeable group of children who require psychiatric help in areas where presently none is available. A method of family assessment and treatment for country children evolved by the psychiatric unit of a metropolitan children's hospital, shows the remoteness of home need not preclude the disturbed child from psychiatric expertise, although facilities must be augmented if children from an often forgotten sector of the Australian population are to be covered adequately.
The Statutory Definition of a Mentally ILL Person in N.S.W. 1958–1983
Authors: Shea Peter B.
Published: November 2008

For 11 years the N.S.W. mental health legislation was under review. The new legislation was finally enacted in 1983. Several different committees worked on the development of the legislation over the 11-year period. Two government departments, the Department of Health and the Attorney-General's Department, were involved in the preparation of the legislation. As a result, many parts of the Act represent an uneasy compromise between the medical-humanitarian and legal points of view. The process of development of the definition of a mentally ill person, which is traced in this article, exemplifies this. Features of the new definition are critically reviewed and potential problems discussed.
A Factor Analytic Study of the 60-Item General Health Questionnaire in Australian Community and General Practice Settings
Authors: Burvill P. W. , Knuiman M. W. , Finlay-Jones R. A.
Published: November 2008

A factor analytic study of responses to a 60-item General Health Questionnaire of people in general practice and in the community in Perth, Western Australia, was performed. Five identified factors, accounting for 46% of the variance, were very similar to factors identified in an English general practice study but differed from two published Australian studies. The statistic of a relative GHQ profile was generated to compare these factors in various sets of data. There was no significant difference between the relative GHQ profile in the community and general practice data or between demographic factors such as sex, social class and country of birth. The major positive finding was of an excess of overtly psychological factors in ‘cases’ compared with an excess of more physical factors in ‘non-cases’.
The Elderly who Live Alone Their Mental Health and Social Relationships
Authors: Henderson A. S. , Scott Ruth , Kay D. W. K.
Published: November 2008

In a community survey of the elderly in Hobart, persons who lived alone were compared to those who lived with others. Those who lived alone were more often widows and had had more education. They had markedly fewer close relationships but as much other social interaction. They reported that their personal networks were as adequate as other elderly persons, yet they experienced much more loneliness. They had no higher a prevalence of depressive disorders or dementia on DSM-III criteria, but they did have a higher frequency of neurotic depression and some depressive symptoms, of which loneliness was one. Contrary to what might intuitively be expected, the elderly who live alone may not be a group at increased risk for formal psychiatric morbidity. Instead, they may have a moderate excess of dysphoric symptoms.
Pathological Gamblers are Neither Impulsive Nor Sensation—Seekers
Authors: Allcock Clive C. , Grace David M.
Published: November 2008

Ten pathological gamblers, ten alcoholics, ten heroin addicts and twenty five non-patients were compared using Zuckerman's Sensation Seeking Scale (SSS) and Barratt's Impulsivity Scale (BIS). The pathological gamblers did not differ from the non-patient group on either measure. Drug addicts scored significantly higher and alcoholics significantly lower than the pathological gamblers and the non-patient group on the SSS, while drug addicts scored significantly higher than the other groups on the BIS. The difficulties in defining impulsivity are discussed. It is suggested that the classification of pathological gambling as a disorder of impulse control should be reconsidered.
Infection following deep brain stimulator implantation performed in the conventional versus magnetic resonance imaging–equipped operating room
Authors: Gorgulho Alessandra , Juillard Catherine , Uslan Daniel Z. , Tajik Katayoun , Aurasteh Poorang , Behnke Eric , Pegues David , De Salles Antonio A. F.
Published: November 2008

Object

Risk factors for deep brain stimulator (DBS) infection are poorly defined. Because DBS implants are not frequently performed in the MR imaging–equipped operating room (OR), no specific data about infection of DBS implants performed in the MR imaging environment are available in the literature. In this study the authors focus on the incidence of infection in patients undergoing surgery in the conventional versus MR imaging–equipped OR.

Methods

To identify cases of DBS-associated infection, the authors performed a retrospective cohort study with nested case-control analysis of all patients undergoing DBS implantation at the University of California Los Angeles Medical Center. Cases of DBS infection were identified using standardized clinical and microbiological criteria.

Results

Between January 1998 and September 2003, 228 DBSs were implanted. Forty-seven operations (20.6%) were performed in the conventional OR and 181 (79.4%) in the MR imaging–equipped OR. There was definite infection in 13 cases (5.7%) and possible infection in 7 cases (3%), for an overall infection rate of 8.7% (20 of 228 cases). There was no significant difference in infection rates in the conventional (7 [14.89%] of 47) versus MR imaging–equipped OR (13 [7.18%] of 181) (p = 0.7). Staphylococcus aureus was isolated in 62% of cases. Twelve of 13 confirmed cases underwent complete hardware removal. On case-control analysis, younger age (≤ 58.5 years) was a significant predictor of DBS infection (odds ratio 3.4, p = 0.027)

Conclusions

Infection is a serious complication of DBS implantation and commonly requires device removal for cure. The authors found that DBS implantation can be safely performed in MR imaging–equipped suites, possibly allowing improved lead placement. Young age was associated with an increased risk of DBS infection.