bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of salinity and temperature onex situgermination of the threatened Gulf of St. Lawrence Aster,Symphyotrichum laurentianumFernald (Nesom)
Authors: HEARD STEPHEN B. , ANCHETA JUSTIN
Published: February 2011

The threatened Gulf of St. Lawrence Aster,Symphyotrichum laurentianumFernald (Nesom), is an annual coastal halophyte of the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada. We examined the effects of salinity (0–20 g/L) and temperature (16–30°C) on germination ofS. laurentianumseeds over 32 days. The time‐course of germination was significantly affected by both salinity and temperature. At lower temperatures (16°C and 23°C), germination was inhibited by salt water at days 16 and 32. However, at 30°C germination rates after 16 days were highest at an intermediate salinity, whereas after 32 days germination was uniformly high in all salinity treatments. Overall, the effect of temperature on germination was much stronger than the effect of salinity. Delays in germination resulting from exposure to salinity or from low soil temperatures could set up strong size asymmetries between seedlings ofS. laurentianumand the surrounding vegetation, leading to suppression of growing seedlings via shading. Because germination has the potential to be a significant population bottleneck for this seed‐dependent annual, conservation efforts should consider microsite suitability for germination in the management of natural populations and in the selection of sites for explants.
Parental age and child growth and development: Child health check‐up data
Authors: Iwayama Mariko , Kira Ryutaro , Kinukawa Naoko , Sakai Yasunari , Torisu Hiroyuki , Sanefuji Masafumi , Ishizaki Yoshito , Nose Yoshiaki , Matsumoto Toshimichi , Hara Toshiro
Published: February 2011

Background:  The aim of the present study was to determine whether parental age has any influence on child health.

Methods:  Well‐baby check‐up data at 1 month and at 12 months of age were used. The trends of parental age in association with growth measurements, incidence of physical and developmental abnormalities, occurrence of low birthweight, and maternal history of spontaneous abortion were analyzed.

Results:  Associations between increasing paternal age and incidence of psychomotor developmental delay at 12 months, increasing paternal and maternal age and increasing birthweight, and increasing parental age and higher incidence of history of spontaneous abortion were found. The incidence of low‐birthweight infants was significantly decreased with increasing paternal age.

Conclusions:  Not only increasing maternal age but also increasing paternal age have influences on child development and growth in the general population.
Comparison of lipid emulsions on antioxidant capacity in preterm infants receiving parenteral nutrition
Authors: Köksal Nilgün , Kavurt Ahmet V. , Çetinkaya Merih , Ozarda Yesim , Özkan Hilal
Published: February 2011

Background:  Although a variety of different lipid emulsions with varying fatty acid contents have been developed, there are some concerns about the administration of these lipid emulsions because of potential adverse effects, including oxidative stress‐related morbidity. The aim of the present study was to evaluate and compare the effects of the standard soybean oil‐based and olive oil‐based i.v. lipid emulsions (ILE) on oxidative stress, determined by total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and to investigate the safety of the use of these two emulsions in terms of biochemical indices.

Methods:  In this prospective study, premature infants were randomly assigned to two groups, each group consisting of 32 patients who received parenteral ILE of either 20% olive oil or 20% soybean oil. They were given ILE for 7 days and then were evaluated with regard to TAC.

Results:  No statistically significant difference was observed between the groups in terms of routine biochemical parameters. TAC for both groups on day 7 was significantly lower compared with that on day 0. Although the decrease in TAC within 7 days of ILE administration was greater in the soybean group compared with that in the olive oil group, it was not statistically significant.

Conclusions:  Olive oil‐based ILE exhibit similar antioxidant activity and can be used as an alternative to soybean oil‐based ILE. TAC significantly decreased in infants following administration of either lipid emulsion, and premature infants tolerated either ILE well, both biochemically and clinically.
Social normative beliefs regarding cigarette smoking in Hungarian adolescents
Authors: Page Randy M. , Piko Bettina F. , Balazs Mate A. , Struk Tamara
Published: February 2011

Background:  Hungary will continue to experience a high burden of disease and death from lung cancer and other tobacco‐induced disease unless there is a significant reduction in youth smoking. Social factors have been found to be among the most important determinants of adolescent smoking, yet few studies have investigated social normative beliefs in Hungarian youth. The purpose of the current study was to investigate three measures of smoking normative beliefs thought to influence adolescent smoking: perceived prevalence of smoking; perceived popularity of smoking among successful/elite elements of society; and perceived disapproval by friends and family.

Methods:  A cross‐sectional school‐based survey of eighth grade (n = 258) and 12th grade (n = 288) students in Mako, Hungary was conducted to assess social normative beliefs about smoking, current smoking, ever smoking, and susceptibility to smoking. The association of the normative beliefs with the smoking behavior variables was examined through logistic regression analysis, and the underlying factor structure of the normative belief items in the current sample was determined through factor analysis.

Results:  The percent of boys reporting current smoking was 40.5% in 12th grade and 27.0% in eighth grade. Among girls, the percent was 44.0% of 12th graders and 29.1% of eighth graders. Parent/peer disapproval was the most consistently associated normative belief with smoking behavior and susceptibility to smoking across both samples.

Conclusions:  Youth smoking prevention programs should consider assessing and taking into account normative beliefs and develop strategies that provide accurate information about the actual prevalence of smoking, the types of individuals who smoke, and approval/disapproval of smoking by parents and peers.
Association of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia with uridine diphosphate‐glucuronosyltransferase 1A1 gene polymorphisms: Meta‐analysis
Authors: Long Jun , Zhang Shaofang , Fang Xiaoyan , Luo Yuyuan , Liu Jiebo
Published: February 2011

Background:  Recent reports have suggested that genetic factors, including mutations in the coding region or promoter of uridine diphosphate‐glucuronosyltransferase 1A1 (UGT1A1) may increase the risk of development of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia, but the relationship has not been evaluated on systematic review or meta‐analysis.

Methods:  A meta‐analysis of observational studies reporting effect estimates and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) was conducted on the association between UGT1A1 polymorphisms and neonatal hyperbilirubinemia.

Results:  A total of 27 eligible studies were identified. In total, 17 studies focused on the association of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia with UGT1A1 Gly71Arg polymorphisms, which indicated that these polymorphisms were associated with an increased risk of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia (A/A+G/A vs G/G: odds ratio [OR], 2.70; P= 0.00; 95%CI: 2.22–3.29; I2= 0.0%; Pheterogeneity= 0.55). Subgroup analyses by ethnicity validated this correlation in Asian, but not in Caucasian, populations (OR, 1.74; P= 0.10; 95%CI: 0.90–3.35; I2= 0.00%; Pheterogeneity= 0.67). Furthermore, 18 studies focused on the association of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia with UGT1A1 TATA promoter polymorphisms. These studies concluded that TATA promoter variants were not associated with an increased risk of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia (7/7 + 6/7 vs 6/6: OR, 1.13; P= 0.23; 95%CI: 0.93–1.37; I2= 80.0%; Pheterogeneity= 0.00).

Conclusion:  UGT1A1 Gly71Arg polymorphisms are a risk factor for developing neonatal hyperbilirubinemia in Asian, but not Caucasian, subjects. UGT1A1 TATA promoter polymorphisms were not associated with an increased risk of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia in Asian subjects, but results from the Caucasian population were conflicting and require further epidemiological investigation.
Survey of Japanese pediatricians on vaccination of children with neurological disorders
Authors: Tanabe Takuya , Tagawa Tetsuzo , Arai Hiroshi , Imaishi Hidenori , Uno Risa , Tanaka Junko , Nagai Toshisaburou , Nishida Masaru , Awaya Yutaka , Maekawa Kihei
Published: February 2011

Background:  Primary care physicians in Japan are often unwilling to vaccinate children with neurological disorders. The aim of the present study was to determine the state of vaccination in children who are severely handicapped and/or have convulsive disorders, in order to increase the vaccination rate in this patient population.

Methods:  Six hundred and eighty pediatricians belonging to Osaka Shonika Ikai were asked to answer a questionnaire, and 359 doctors responded.

Results:  Two hundred and thirty‐four doctors consulted for febrile seizures (Fs), 190 for epilepsy and 145 for conditions affecting severely handicapped children, responded that they refused to vaccinate. The reasons for reluctance to vaccinate these children were short interval since the last seizure, including febrile (226 doctors) and epileptic (121 doctors) seizures. It was especially likely that a child with a past history of status epilepticus would be refused vaccination. Primary care doctors are very cautious about the indications for vaccination, especially the inoculation of live vaccines, because they often induce post‐vaccination fever‐associated convulsions. Intractable daily epileptic seizures was the most common reason for refusal to vaccinate severely handicapped children. Examples of inadequate decision‐making as regards the indications for vaccination were: “need more than 6 months observation since last seizure whether Fs or epileptic”, “need EEG examination for Fs”, “contraindication because of low bodyweight and/or chronic wheezing in severely handicapped children”.

Conclusions:  There is a need to provide correct information about the adverse effects of vaccination and for greater cooperation between primary care doctors and pediatric neurologists.
Length of site‐specific positive surgical margins as a risk factor for biochemical recurrence following radical prostatectomy
Authors: Hsu Mark , Chang Steven L , Ferrari Michelle , Nolley Rosalie , Presti Jr Joseph C , Brooks James D
Published: February 2011

Objectives:  Positive surgical margins (PSM) have been associated with biochemical recurrence (BCR) after radical prostatectomy, but the significance of PSM length and location are debated. We assessed the impact of PSM lengths at specific locations for BCR in an open radical prostatectomy series.

Methods:  Detailed clinical and pathological data were collected from 117 post‐prostatectomy patients with PSM from 1984 to 2004 at our institution. PSM locations were classified as apex, mid‐gland, base, bladder neck, and anterior fibromuscular region with lengths measured at each site. Aggregate PSM length was obtained by summing lengths of all PSM areas in contact with the inked surface. BCR was defined as serum prostate specific antigen level 0.2 ng/mL or greater. Cox proportional hazards regression analyses of PSM lengths were conducted either as a continuous or categorical variable relative to location as a predictor of BCR.

Results:  Multivariate analyses demonstrated that as a continuous variable, PSM length at the anterior fibromuscular region (Hazard ratio [HR] = 1.17; P = 0.027) and bladder neck (HR = 1.29; P = 0.046) were significant predictors for BCR. As a categorical variable, PSM length ≥ 2 mm at the anterior fibromuscular area was significant for BCR (HR = 3.02; P = 0.036). Increasing Gleason grade and positive lymph node status were also found to be significant independent predictors for BCR.

Conclusion:  PSM length at the anterior fibromuscular region (continuous and categorical) and the bladder neck (continuous) was significantly associated with BCR. Site‐specific PSM length, along with Gleason grade and lymph node status, can be predictive of BCR and assist in risk stratification of patients with PSM following radical prostatectomy.
Impact of robot‐assisted radical prostatectomy on health‐related quality of life in patients with lower urinary tract symptoms
Authors: Choi Eun Yong , Jeong Jeongyun , Kang Dong Il , Johnson Kelly , Ercolani Matt , Jang Thomas , Lee Dong Hyeon , Kim Wun‐Jae , Kim Isaac Yi
Published: February 2011

Objective:  Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are a common complaint in patients with prostate cancer. We attempted to elucidate the effect of robot‐assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) on patients having different preoperative LUTS severity through analysis of postoperative health‐related quality of life.

Methods:  From 1/2006 to 9/2009, over 500 patients underwent RARP at our institution. Preoperative American Urologic Association Symptom Score (AUA‐SS), preoperative Sexual Health Inventory for Men, and postoperative Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite were available in 183 of them. These patients were divided into three subgroups based on their AUA‐SS as follows: mild AUA‐SS (score 0–7) group, moderate AUA‐SS (8–19) group, and severe AUA‐SS (20–35) group.

Results:  Of the 183 men, 94 (51.4%), 70 (38.2%), and 19 (10.4%) were in the mild, moderate, and severe group, respectively. In the comparison of Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite domain subscales with mean score, only urinary domain had significant differences among subgroups. Patients with high preoperative LUTS persistently showed a statistical trend for decreased urinary function (P = 0.056) and suffered more from urinary bother postoperatively (P < 0.01). In the analysis of urinary bother items, all items except “bleeding with urination” showed statistically significant differences among the subgroups (P < 0.05).

Conclusions:  Even after RARP, patients with severe preoperative LUTS continue to have significant symptoms postoperatively. In analyzing urinary bother items, all LUTS items, including dysuria, storage symptoms, and postmicturition or voiding symptoms, were higher in patients with high preoperative AUA‐SS.
Sequencing PDX1 (insulin promoter factor 1) in 1788 UK individuals found 5% had a low frequency coding variant, but these variants are not associated with Type 2 diabetes
Authors: Edghill E. L. , Khamis A. , Weedon M. N. , Walker M. , Hitman G. A. , McCarthy M. I. , Owen K. R. , Ellard S. , T Hattersley A. , Frayling T. M.
Published: February 2011

Diabet. Med. 28, 681–684 (2011)

Aim  Genome‐wide association studies have identified > 30 common variants associated with Type 2 diabetes (> 5% minor allele frequency). These variants have small effects on individual risk and do not account for a large proportion of the heritable component of the disease. Monogenic forms of diabetes are caused by mutations that occur in < 1:2000 individuals and follow strict patterns of inheritance. In contrast, the role of low frequency genetic variants (minor allele frequency 0.1–5%) in Type 2 diabetes is not known. The aim of this study was to assess the role of low frequency PDX1 (also called IPF1) variants in Type 2 diabetes.

Methods  We sequenced the coding and flanking intronic regions of PDX1 in 910 patients with Type 2 diabetes and 878 control subjects.

Results  We identified a total of 26 variants that occurred in 5.3% of individuals, 14 of which occurred once. Only D76N occurred in > 1%. We found no difference in carrier frequency between patients (5.7%) and control subjects (5.0%) (P = 0.46). There were also no differences between patients and control subjects when analyses were limited to subsets of variants. The strongest subset were those variants in the DNA binding domain where all five variants identified were only found in patients (P = 0.06).

Conclusion  Approximately 5% of UK individuals carry a PDX1 variant, but there is no evidence that these variants, either individually or cumulatively, predispose to Type 2 diabetes. Further studies will need to consider strategies to assess the role of multiple variants that occur in < 1 in 1000 individuals.
Lower cardiorespiratory fitness in children with Type 1 diabetes
Authors: Williams B. K. , Guelfi K. J. , Jones T. W. , Davis E. A.
Published: February 2011

Diabet. Med. 28, 1005–1007 (2011)

Aims  The present study aimed to compare cardiorespiratory fitness levels in children with and without Type 1 diabetes. In addition, the relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness and a range of physical and clinical factors was investigated.

Methods  Eighty‐eight children with Type 1 diabetes aged 5–14 years completed a submaximal step test of cardiorespiratory fitness. Sixty‐two of these children were successfully matched to control subjects without diabetes based on age, sex and anthropometrics for comparison. In addition, the relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness and a range of physical and clinical variables was assessed in the children with diabetes.

Results  The heart rate response to exercise was higher in children with Type 1 diabetes, indicating reduced cardiorespiratory fitness levels compared with control subjects. Both gender and glycaemic control (HbA1c) were significantly associated with cardiorespiratory fitness, with female sex and poorer glycaemic control associated with reduced fitness.

Conclusions  Future research should investigate whether the reduced fitness in children with Type 1 diabetes is attributable to lower physical activity levels, or physiological changes resulting from the diabetes pathology itself.
Agreement and reasons for disagreement between photographic and hospital biomicroscopy grading of diabetic retinopathy
Authors: Sallam A. , Scanlon P. H. , Stratton I. M. , Jones V. , Martin C. N. , Brelen M. , Johnston R. L.
Published: February 2011

Diabet. Med. 28, 741–746 (2011)

Aims  To compare agreement level and identify reasons for disagreement between grading of mydriatic digital photographs in a diabetic retinopathy screening service and hospital eye service biomicroscopy grading.

Methods  Structured examination findings leading to automatically calculated National Screening Committee grades recorded on an electronic medical record system in the hospital eye service at the first clinic visit after diabetic retinopathy screening service referral between April 2006 and November 2007 were retrospectively compared with the grade at the screening visit that prompted referral. In cases of disagreement, screening images were reviewed.

Results  Data on 452 eyes (226 patients) were analysed. For retinopathy, hospital eye service slit‐lamp biomicroscopy grades were: R0 (no diabetic retinopathy) in 63 eyes; R1 (background retinopathy) in 251eyes; R2 (pre‐proliferative) in 129 eyes and R3 (proliferative) in nine eyes. Diabetic retinopathy screening service grades were in agreement in 350 eyes (77.4%), showed a lower grade in 59 eyes and a higher grade in 43. Agreement was moderate (κ = 0.60). The most common reason for disagreement was overgrading of R1 by clinicians. Hospital eye service biomicroscopy maculopathy grades were: M0 (no maculopathy) in 366 eyes and M1 (maculopathy) in 86 eyes. Diabetic retinopathy screening service grades were in agreement in 327 eyes (72.3%), showed a lower grading in five eyes and a higher grade in 120 eyes. Agreement was moderate (κ = 0.41). The commonest cause for disagreement was clinicians failing to identify fine macular exudates.

Conclusions  This study of routine clinical services demonstrates moderate agreement between non‐medical grading of mydriatic digital retinal photography images and hospital slit‐lamp biomicroscopy grading of patients referred with diabetic retinopathy. The majority of errors in grading were attributable to errors by hospital doctors, usually in the direction of under‐grading which could be a potential source of clinical risk if treatment is delayed.
Education in the Lisbon Strategy: assessment and prospects
Authors: Pépin Luce
Published: February 2011

Since its formal inception in 1976, EU cooperation in the field of education has known a number of major landmarks: the launch of the Erasmus programme in 1987, the inclusion of education for the first time in the Treaty (Maastricht, 1992) and, last but not least, the role given to education and training in the new EU 10‐year economic and social strategy launched in Lisbon in 2000. The article explains why the inclusion of education in the Lisbon strategy was a major step forward and one that occurred in the logic of previous developments. 10 years later, and in an historical perspective, the author presents an assessment that is mitigated — although globally positive — , underlining not only the role played by the Lisbon strategy in relaunching and consolidating EU education cooperation, but also the weak implementation and ownership at national level that hindered its success. At the dawn of the recently launched new strategy for the next 10 years (EU 2020), she highlights the challenges to be met to close the gap between policy ambitions and implementation.
The OECD PISA Study as a Soft Power in Education? Lessons from Switzerland and the US
Authors: Bieber Tonia , Martens Kerstin
Published: February 2011

Although originally created for economic purposes, the Organisation for Economic Co‐Operation and Development (OECD) has increasingly gained weight in education policy in recent years and is now regarded as an international authority in the field, particularly through its ‘Programme for International Student Assessment’ (PISA), which was highly esteemed in many countries and enabled diverse domestic education reforms. OECD derived a variety of policy recommendations from the PISA results. However, which of these were implemented at the national level and how OECD was able to achieve an impact on its member states have not yet been analysed in sufficient depth. To answer these questions, we analyse which OECD recommendations were reflected in Switzerland and the US. As their reception differs across countries, we assess under which conditions policy convergence towards the OECD ‘model’ took place. Then we elaborate on the governance mechanisms that caused policy convergence. We show that in Switzerland PISA's platform for transnational communication enabled policy learning at the expert level, thus leading to a rather high degree of policy convergence. This was not the case in the US, where PISA was regarded only as one of many studies assessing the performance of education systems.
Education for Democracy: reasons and strategies
Authors: Edelstein Wolfgang
Published: February 2011

According to social scientists Herfried Münkler in Germany and Colin Crouch in England, major developments in Western industrial societies — individualism, increasing social complexity, globalisation — present serious threats to basic requirements of stable societies and expose democracy to the corrosion of its socio‐moral resources such as social trust and civic commitment to the public good. In order to grow and to flourish, the competences and capabilities that constitute these resources require systematic cultivation through educational processes.The school is the only institution that can provide the appropriate experience of a democratic life to all members of society. At present, however, schools are generally far from this goal.

This article describes strategies for providing the experience of schools as democratic lifeworlds from an early age: classroom councils as tools for democratic self government and sites for sociomoral learning; projects of service learning in the community which can be successfully organized by these councils; and early experiences of civic engagement in community contexts as part of democratic classroom practice.
Ping Pong: competing leadership for reform in EU higher education 1998–2006
Authors: Corbett Anne
Published: February 2011

How effective is EU cooperation in higher education? This article treats the issue as one of effectiveness in policy‐making. What are the policy ideas which the EU wishes to feed into a policy domain where it has to operate largely through political cooperation and a modest degree of incentive funding? What outcomes are possible? The question is of interest since Europe has two processes which aim for a better regional integration of higher education in order to boost the quality of European higher education and to make a global impact. These are the world‐ famous Bologna Process and the EU process to drive Europe's universities to make better use of their interlinked roles of education, research and innovation, part of a larger strategy (EU 2020, Lisbon) for European Union growth to support employment, productivity and social cohesion. Building on the theoretical insights of an institutionalist literature concerned with the dynamics of European policy‐making in the knowledge domain (Maassen & Olsen, 2007; Gornitzka, 2006, 2010) and complementary theories of historical institutionalism (Pierson, 2003, Thelen, 2003) and agenda setting (Kingdon, 1995), this article examines policy‐making on higher education cooperation in the European arena since the Treaty of Maastricht in 1992. It seeks answers to two questions. Why did the Bologna Process dominate the agenda from 1999 to 2004? How did the European Commission acquire the power to shape the issue of European higher education cooperation? Rejecting simple spillover explanations, it theorises in terms of policy entrepreneurship why the EU has latterly been effective in shaping European cooperation in higher education.
The Human Rights Approach to Education in International Organisations
Authors: Hüfner Klaus
Published: February 2011

In this article, the work of three international governmental organisations (IGOs) dealing with human rights will be discussed, namely the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)1 and the Council of Europe (CoE). In the first section, the main characteristics of the three IGOs in terms of similarities and differences will be elaborated. Then, their human rights approach to education will be described, dealing with the legal foundations. In the final section, the different strategies of implementation based on both their official mission statements and their present strategy papers will be evaluated under the heading ‘competition vs. cooperation’.
Education at OECD: recent themes and recommendations
Authors: Istance David
Published: February 2011

The aim of this article is to provide an introduction to the work of OECD in the field of education through its recent projects and reports. It makes no pretence to be exhaustive. It relies heavily on published results of international reviews and comparisons where relatively clear messages have been identified, rather than single country analyses, or clarification pieces, or project plans. The article also offers an introduction to OECD, both generally and to the work on Early Childhood and Care; Schooling — Investments, Organisation, and Learners; Transitions beyond Initial Education; Higher Education; Lifelong Learning and Adults; Outcomes, Benefits and Returns to Education; Equity and Equality of Opportunity; and Innovation and Knowledge Management. A brief assessment of broader changes concludes the article.
Public Accountability of Transnational Private Regulation: Chimera or Reality?
Authors: Curtin Deirdre , Senden Linda
Published: February 2011

The legitimacy of transnational private regulation is contested where authority is exercised by private actors adopting rules and being involved in processes of implementation and enforcement. We eschew a general discussion of legitimacy in this context in favour of the more manageable sub‐component, ‘accountability’. Drawing on the work of political scientists, we conceptualize public accountability both as a virtue and as a mechanism and explore its relevance with regard to transnational private regulation as opposed to its normal habitat, public regulation and authority. This article highlights the relevance and potential of accountability from both a democratic and a constitutional perspective to the realm of transnational private regulation.
UNSELF‐CONSCIOUS CONTROL: BROADENING THE NOTION OF CONTROL THROUGH EXPERIENCES OF FLOW ANDWU‐WEI
Authors: De Prycker Valérie
Published: February 2011

Abstract. This paper both clarifies and broadens the notion of control and its relation to the self. By discussing instances of skillful absorption from different cultural backgrounds, I argue that the notion of control is not as closely related to self‐consciousness as is often suggested. Experiences of flow andwu‐weiexemplify a nonself‐conscious though personal type of control. The intercultural occurrence of this type of behavioral control demonstrates its robustness, and questions two long‐held intuitions about the relation between self‐consciousness and the experience of control. The first intuition holds that the conscious self initiates and controls actions, thoughts, and feelings. The second is the view that losing this self‐conscious type of control is a negative and upsetting experience. By focusing on “the paradox of control” in these experiences of skillful absorption, I argue that a feeling of control can occur without a self that narratively claims control. Furthermore, this type of control can be a very positive and pleasurable experience. Therefore, the common views of the notion of control are in need of broader conceptualization and further refinement.
A THEOLOGIAN'S TYPOLOGY FOR SCIENCE AND RELIGION
Authors: Zehnder David J.
Published: February 2011

Abstract:  A 1991 article by psychologist John D. Carter offers an underdeveloped insight that typologies for relating science and religion might be fruitfully formulated in discipline‐specific perspectives. This essay thus covers a specifically theological perspective only briefly outlined in Carter, and it expands four models that theologians have used to relate religion and science. This essay renames these models and expands their implications, especially for addressing the behavioral sciences. (1) The contrarian model generally opposes science, (2) the apologetic makes theology congenial to science, (3) the correlational holds both disciplines in tension, and (4) the synthetic attempts a grand unification of them. Arguing from the theologian's perspective, this essay is intended to demonstrate that different models/methods for relating science and religion are really reflections of deeper religious attitudes and argues that the task for which a method is employed ultimately determines its adequacy within that attitude's constraints.
EDITORIAL OVERVIEW
Authors: Teske John A.
Published: February 2011

Abstract.  Concepts of individual autonomy underlie much of contemporary self‐understanding, including the institutions and ways of living in modern societies. These concepts of autonomy are complex, even contradictory, and may present problems for our future. This overview sketches the narrative arc of a collection of papers addressing these topics. While autonomy and individuality are not fictions, neither do what we take to be individuality or autonomy have an unchanging reality. We are both influenced by and have an influence upon how these concepts are understood and used, and their implications for our history, our morality, our religious life, and the future of our relationships and our communities.
AGENCY, FREEDOM, AND THE BLESSINGS OF OPACITY
Authors: Laurenson Edwin C.
Published: February 2011

Abstract:  How can the decisions of “autonomous” individuals provide a rationale for freedom and self‐governance if a mechanical and causal sense of the self leads us to question the foundational nature of the individual? If most of our decisions originate in brain function below the level of consciousness, we live in a virtual world produced by mechanisms outside our control, arising from transparent self‐models of which we are not aware. “Opacity,” the gift of not perceiving directly, of not automatically believing what we are experiencing, is precisely what makes it possible for us to question our first‐person perspectives. While we do not have direct access to the mechanisms that give rise to our sense of ourselves, our investigation can make it possible for us to analyze and understand those very mechanisms consciously. The deployment of that knowledge in the act of decision making and the infinite regress of interacting conscious individuals underlies our existential freedom.
THE ENIGMA OF I‐CONSCIOUSNESS
Authors: Balslev Anindita N.
Published: February 2011

Abstract.  Does reflection on the phenomenon of I‐consciousness only lead to a reaffirmation that what is closest to us is furthest from our understanding? This enigmatic theme has been addressed in Indian and Western philosophical traditions from various perspectives, with different intents. Why do philosophers disagree while accounting for this phenomenon, although they seem to generally accept the indubitability of I‐consciousness? The discussion focuses on the kind of philosophical issues that are raised and how differently these are dealt with. In the process, the reader will be acquainted with various types of analyses from the history of Indian thought, where one comes across many renditions of contrasting views about “Self” as a well as of “No‐Self.” The focus is in how these enquiries gradually assume not only epistemological and metaphysical but also important ethico‐religious dimensions. Beginning with naturalistic interpretations in the Indian context, it will be outlined why mainstream traditions reject naturalism as an explanatory model.
EXTERNALISM, RELATIONAL SELVES, AND REDEMPTIVE RELATIONSHIPS
Authors: Teske John A.
Published: February 2011

Abstract. The dangerous level of individuality in contemporary Western culture is informed by a conception of mind, self, and soul as internal to the central nervous system. The historical development of this view has produced a bounded and self‐contained individual at odds with communal life. Happily, scientific and philosophical studies of mind are coming to view the human mind as embodied, enactive, encultured, and embedded in social and technical networks, and as a construction not limited to the boundaries of the individual organism. Mental phenomena are hybrids of events in the head and events in the world to which they are often coupled, not least of which are with other people. There are mutual and reciprocal implications of this externalism for a number of religious themes. Our understanding of redemption might better be bound to our relationships with others, including our bodies and our sexuality, rather than to a private, individual relationship with the sacred.
BRUTE FACTS, THE NECESSITY OF IDENTITY, AND THE IDENTITY OF INDISCERNIBLES
Authors: CROSS CHARLES B.
Published: February 2011

In ‘Two Spheres, Twenty Spheres, and the Identity of Indiscernibles,’ Della Rocca argues that any counterexample to the PII would involve ‘a brute fact of non‐identity [. . .] not grounded in any qualitative difference.’ I respond that Adams's so‐called Continuity Argument against the PII does not postulate qualitatively inexplicable brute facts of identity or non‐identity if understood in the context of Kripkean modality. One upshot is that if the PII is understood to quantify over modal as well as non‐modal properties, the qualitative explicability of numerical distinctness requires not the PII but a principle of the identity of necessary indiscernibles.
Associations of objectively measured physical activity with daily mood ratings and psychophysiological stress responses in women
Authors: Poole Lydia , Steptoe Andrew , Wawrzyniak Andrew J. , Bostock Sophie , Mitchell Ellen S. , Hamer Mark
Published: February 2011

The aim of this study was to examine associations of objectively measured physical activity with daily mood ratings and psychophysiological stress responses. We recruited 40 healthy females (aged 28.7 ± 6.1 yrs) who completed a once‐a‐day mood rating scale for 7 days, along with a 7‐day assessment of physical activity using accelerometers and psychophysiological stress testing. The findings suggest that levels of physical activity as measured using an accelerometer are associated with both depressive symptoms over the past 2 weeks (CES‐D) (r=−.33, p=.038) and with daily positive emotional style (r=.49, p=.001). The relationship between physical activity and positive emotional style remained after controlling for age, body mass index, and negative emotional style (t=3.31, p=.002). Physical activity was not related to any psychophysiological stress responses.
Mediators of the relationship between socioeconomic status and allostatic load in the Chicago Health, Aging, and Social Relations Study (CHASRS)
Authors: Hawkley Louise C. , Lavelle Leah A. , Berntson Gary G. , Cacioppo John T.
Published: February 2011

Low socioeconomic status (SES) has been associated with higher levels of allostatic load (AL). Posited mechanisms for this association include stress, personality, psychosocial variables, coping, social networks, and health behaviors. This study examines whether these variables explain the SES‐AL relationship in a population‐based sample of 208 51‐ to 69‐year‐old White, Black, and Hispanic adults in the Chicago Health, Aging, and Social Relations Study. AL was based on nine markers of physiological dysregulation. SES was inversely associated with a composite measure of AL; hostility and poor sleep quality helped to explain the association between AL and SES. Factor analyses revealed four AL components corresponding to the bodily systems of interest. SES was significantly associated with two AL components, suggesting that the effects of SES on physiological dysregulation are specific to certain systems in a middle to early old‐age population.
An ERP study of cognitive architecture and the insertion of mental processes: Donders revisited
Authors: Vidal Franck , Burle Boris , Grapperon Jacques , Hasbroucq Thierry
Published: February 2011

In his seminal paper, Donders proposed that Choice reaction time (RT) tasks differ from Go/No‐go RT tasks only by the insertion of a response decision operation. We evaluated this possibility by comparing the time course of Laplacian‐transformed ERPs, recorded over the primary (M1s) and supplementary motor areas (SMAs) in a Choice and in a Go/No‐go task. Laplacian‐transformed ERPs showed that a component that develops over the SMAs during the RT of Choice tasks vanishes in our Go/No‐go task. This indicates that a process, absent in the Go/No‐go task, was “inserted” in the Choice task. The Choice versus Go/No‐go manipulation also modified the motor command: the activity recorded over M1s and the delay separating EMG onset from response completion depended on the nature of the task. This indicates that, although a process was inserted in the Choice task, it was not “purely” inserted, contrary to Donders' initial assumption.
Correlation of various light source quality indices with the colour discrimination capacity
Authors: Cordero Eduardo M , Pardo Pedro J , Pérez Ángel L , Suero María
Published: February 2011

The quality of a light source can be measured against various criteria – colour rendering, durability, etc. Another criterion is the quality of the colour of the objects it illuminates. Traditionally, this aspect has been associated almost exclusively with that of colour rendering, but the emergence of new light‐emitting diode technology light sources has led to its being re‐examined. In particular, questions have been raised as to whether colour quality can be calculated by a single measure. Instead, it seems a multidimensional index might better cover such concepts as colour rendering, colour discrimination, harmony, etc. The present work describes a visual colour discrimination experiment whose results corroborate the existence of a multidimensional index, even although some of the parameters commonly used to describe the quality of a light source might be correlated with each other.
Responses of Salt Marsh Ecosystems to Mosquito Control Management Practices along the Atlantic Coast (U.S.A.)
Authors: James‐Pirri Mary‐Jane , Erwin R. Michael , Prosser Diann J. , Taylor Janith D.
Published: February 2011

Open marsh water management (OMWM) of salt marshes modifies grid‐ditched marshes by creating permanent ponds and radial ditches in the high marsh that reduce mosquito production and enhance fish predation on mosquitoes. It is preferable to using pesticides to control salt marsh mosquito production and is commonly presented as a restoration or habitat enhancement tool for grid‐ditched salt marshes. Monitoring of nekton, vegetation, groundwater level, soil salinity, and bird communities before and after OMWM at 11 (six treatment and five reference sites) Atlantic Coast (U.S.A.) salt marshes revealed high variability within and among differing OMWM techniques (ditch‐plugging, reengineering of sill ditches, and the creation of ponds and radial ditches). At three marshes, the dominant nekton shifted from fish (primarily Fundulidae species) to shrimp (Palaemonidae species) after manipulations and shrimp density increased at other treatment sites. Vegetation changed at only two sites, one with construction equipment impacts (not desired) and one with a decrease in woody vegetation along existing ditches (desired). One marsh had lower groundwater level and soil salinity, and bird use, although variable, was often unrelated to OMWM manipulations. The potential effects of OMWM manipulations on non‐target salt marsh resources need to be carefully considered by resource planners when managing marshes for mosquito control.
Native and Non‐Native Community Assembly through Edaphic Manipulation: Implications for Habitat Creation and Restoration
Authors: Bonebrake Timothy C. , Navratil Ryan T. , Boggs Carol L. , Fendorf Scott , Field Christopher B. , Ehrlich Paul R.
Published: February 2011

Chemical and physical (abiotic) conditions can be determining factors of community assembly and invasibility, but can this observation be used as a practical tool for habitat creation? Serpentine soils, in particular, have three abiotic components thought to confer invasion resistance: a low Ca:Mg ratio, low water‐retention capacity, and high concentrations of heavy metals. Consequently, not only do some serpentine‐adapted native plants persist only on serpentine soils, but also the community members that depend upon those plants become dependent upon serpentine as well. In an effort to provide additional habitat for the threatened and serpentine‐restricted Bay checkerspot butterfly (Euphydryas editha bayensis), we experimentally altered a non‐serpentine site to mimic the abiotic conditions of serpentine. Attempts to lower the Ca:Mg ratio of soils through the addition of MgSO4were unsuccessful. We then altered soil depth through the addition of gravel beds to determine the effects of water stress on native and non‐native community composition. We found that shallow soils had lower water content and correspondingly had significantly lower non‐native species richness and cover. The results present promising means, but also cautionary information, for habitat creation efforts and demonstrate the possible utility of edaphic manipulation in abating non‐native plant invasions. None of the experimental plots supported communities capable of sustainingE. edithapopulations, emphasizing that the manipulation of physical conditions is only likely to be successful in coordination with other restoration techniques.
Monitoring Reading Growth: Goal Setting, Measurement Frequency, and Methods of Evaluation
Authors: Jenkins Joseph , Terjeson Kari J.
Published: February 2011

This study examined effects of goal setting, frequency of progress monitoring, and method of evaluating progress on the number of instructional change prompts generated by reading–curriculum–based measurements (CBM). Participants were 31 high–incidence special education students in grades 2–6 selected from 8 schools. Following baseline measurements, researchers administered grade–level CBM passages every 2 weeks for 8 weeks. Comparisons included 3 goal levels (0.5, 1.0, or 1.5 word growth per week), 3 monitoring/evaluation schedules (every 2, 4, or 8 weeks), and 2 methods for evaluating progress (points below the aim line or slope). Overall, more ambitious goals, less frequent monitoring, and using slope to evaluate progress generated more instructional change prompts. Results favored less frequent monitoring and using slope to evaluate progress.
State of the art in non‐invasive imaging of cutaneous melanoma
Authors: Smith Louise , MacNeil Sheila
Published: February 2011

Background: This review focuses on looking at recent developments in the non‐invasive imaging of skin, in particular at how such imaging may be used at present or in the future to detect cutaneous melanoma.

Methods: A MEDLINE search was performed for papers using imaging techniques to evaluate cutaneous melanoma, including melanoma metastasis.

Results: Nine different techniques were found: dermoscopy, confocal laser scanning microscopy (including multiphoton microscopy), optical coherence tomography, high frequency ultrasound, positron emission tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and Fourier, Raman, and photoacoustic spectroscopies. This review contrasts the effectiveness of these techniques when seeking to image melanomas in skin.

Conclusions: Despite the variety of techniques available for detecting melanoma, there remains a critical need for a high‐resolution technique to answer the question of whether tumours have invaded through the basement membrane.
Digital image analysis of facial erythema over time in persons with varied skin pigmentation
Authors: Whitmer Kyra , Barford Brian , Turner Mathew , Sullivan David , Sommers Marilyn
Published: February 2011

Background/purpose: Selected chemotherapeutic agents used for the treatment of cancer are known to cause skin toxicities. One group of agents, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors, characteristically precipitates an acneform rash. Currently, no standard of care exists for the management of the rash resulting from EGFR inhibitors. In order to objectively evaluate any management strategy, a method to quantify the rash is required. The purpose of this paper is to describe a method to quantify the erythema of a facial rash through the use of digital photography and image analysis.

Methods: A Canfield OMNIA System using a Canon PowerShot Pro1 camera was used to obtain high‐resolution digital images of facial rashes. Digital images were recorded in Joint Photographic Experts Group format, corrected for brightness and white balance and color. A method was developed to analyze digital images of erythema independent of the range of skin pigmentation.

Results: Two examples are given to illustrate the method developed and its utility.

Conclusion: An inexpensive and portable method is described for objectively monitoring the development of facial erythema in subjects of the full range of skin pigmentation. This method can be used clinically to examine the development and resolution of facial rash erythema in response to treatment.