bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Renal ACE and ACE2 Expression in Early Diabetic Rats
Authors: Moon Ju-Young , Jeong Kyung-Hwan , Lee Sang-Ho , Lee Tae-Won , Ihm Chun-Gyoo , Lim Sung Jig
Published: August 2008

Abstract
Background/Aim: The role of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE)-related carboxypeptidase-2 (ACE2) in the regulation of the renin-angiotensin system is not well characterized. This study investigated the changes in the expression of ACE and ACE2 in the kidney in early diabetic rats. Methods: Streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats were examined. The concentrations of angiotensin II in plasma, urine, and renal cortex were measured by radioimmunoassay. The mRNA expression of ACE, ACE2, angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R), and Mas receptor (MasR) in glomeruli and cortex was assessed using real-time PCR. The glomerular and cortical expression of ACE and ACE2 was assessed by immunohistochemistry. Results: For renal cortical tissue, the angiotensin II level was more intensified in the 8-week diabetic rats. Immunohistochemical experiments showed that ACE was increased, but ACE2 was decreased in the glomeruli of 8-week diabetic rats, while both ACE and ACE2 in the tubules were increased. The AT1R mRNA in the glomeruli was decreased, while the MasR mRNA was increased in 2-week diabetic rats. Conclusion: The combined effects of increased ACE and decreased ACE2 in glomeruli may be associated with the activation of the renin-angiotensin system in early diabetic rats, which is known to increase proteinuria.
Quinolone Resistance and Correlation to Other Antimicrobial Resistances in Faecal Isolates of Escherichia coli in Hong Kong
Authors: Chu Yiu Wai , Cheung Terence K.M. , Wong Chi Ho , Tsang Grand K.L. , Lee Kenwai , Lau Stephen S.Y. , Kam Kai Man
Published: August 2008

In an attempt to assess the level of quinolone resistance and its association with other antimicrobial resistance in faecal Escherichia coli isolated from routine outpatient specimens in Hong Kong, ciprofloxacin-supplemented MacConkey agar was used to screen for resistant isolates. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of the isolates was done by VITEK 2 and previous amplification-based methods were employed to characterize the genetic determinants behind some of the resistance phenotypes. One hundred and seventy-six (43%) of 409 specimens had quinolone-resistant E. coli isolated (199 isolates). Quinolone resistance was found to be associated with resistances to penicillins (>80%) and co-trimoxazole (69%). Nonsusceptibility to combinations of penicillins and clavulanic acid was above 20% and up to 50% for the aminoglycosides gentamicin and tobramycin. CTX-M-type extended-spectrum β-lactamases were found responsible for most cephalosporin resistances but the transferable quinolone resistance determinant qnrA was not detected. Our data suggested that a high percentage of E. coli isolates as part of the alleged normal intestinal microflora in humans appeared to be resistant to quinolones. Co-resistance to various other frequently used antimicrobials was also observed. Transferable genetic determinants were found to be involved in some cases.
Plasma Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor as a Peripheral Marker for the Action Mechanism of Antidepressants
Authors: Lee Hwa-Young , Kim Yong-Ku
Published: August 2008

Numerous studies have demonstrated that depression is associated with a decreased expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). BDNF shows antidepressant-like effects in animal models. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that BDNF might be a peripheral marker for the mechanism of action of antidepressant agents in humans. Thirty-two patients meeting the DSM-IV criteria for major depressive disorder and 50 normal control subjects were recruited for this study. Plasma BDNF levels and Hamilton Depression Rating Scales were measured at baseline and 6 weeks after antidepressant administration. At baseline, the mean plasma BDNF level was lower in the depressive patients (698.1 ± 537.7 pg/ml) than in the control subjects (830.7 ± 624.8 pg/ml), although the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.33). The plasma BDNF levels in depressive patients significantly increased from 698.1 ± 537.7 to 1,028.9 ± 744.5 after 6 weeks of antidepressant treatment (p = 0.01). Moreover, plasma BDNF levels were significantly increased after 6 weeks of treatment in the responder group, while there was no statistically significant change in the unresponsive group. These results suggest that the therapeutic response after antidepressant administration might be attributable to the increase in BDNF levels. BDNF may play a critical role in the action mechanism of antidepressant drugs. Further studies with a larger number of subjects are needed to verify these findings.
Corticosteroids and Redox Potential Modulate Spontaneous Contractions in Isolated Rat Ventricular Cardiomyocytes
Authors: Rossier Michel F. , Lenglet Sébastien , Vetterli Laurène , Python Magaly , Maturana Andrés
Published: August 2008

The mineralocorticoid receptor has been implicated in the development of several cardiac pathologies and could participate in the high incidence of lethal ventricular arrhythmias associated with hyperaldosteronism. We have observed previously that aldosterone markedly increases in vitro the rate of spontaneous contractions of isolated neonate rat ventricular myocytes, a putative proarrhythmogenic condition if occurring in vivo. In the present study, we investigated the effect of glucocorticoids, the involvement of the glucocorticoid receptor, and the modulation of their action by redox agents. Aldosterone and glucocorticoids exerted in vitro a similar, concentration-dependent chronotropic action on cardiomyocytes, which was mediated by both the mineralocorticoid and glucocorticoid receptors. However, the relative contribution of each receptor was different for each agonist, at each concentration. Angiotensin II induced a similar response that was entirely dependent on the activity of the glucocorticoid receptor. Corticosteroid action was modulated by the redox state of the cells, with oxidation increasing the response while reducing conditions partially preventing it. When only the mineralocorticoid receptor was functionally present in the cells, oxidation was necessary to reveal glucocorticoid action, but no obvious competition with mineralocorticoids was observed when both agonists where simultaneously present. In conclusion, corticosteroids exert a strong chronotropic action in ventricular cardiomyocytes, mediated by both the mineralocorticoid and glucocorticoid receptors and modulated by the redox state of the cell. This phenomenon is believed to be because of cell electric remodeling and could contribute in vivo to the deleterious consequence of inappropriate receptor activation, leading to increased susceptibility of patients to arrhythmias.
Molecular Mechanisms Involved in the Angiotensin-(1-7)/Mas Signaling Pathway in Cardiomyocytes
Authors: Dias-Peixoto Marco F. , Santos Robson A.S. , Gomes Enéas R.M. , Alves Márcia N.M. , Almeida Pedro W.M. , Greco Leonardo , Rosa Mariana , Fauler Beatrix , Bader Michael , Alenina Natalia , Guatimosim Silvia
Published: August 2008

Recently there has been growing evidence suggesting that beneficial effects of angiotensin-(1-7) [Ang-(1-7)] in the heart are mediated by its receptor Mas. However, the signaling pathways involved in these effects in cardiomyocytes are unknown. Here, we investigated the involvement of the Ang-(1-7)/Mas axis in NO generation and Ca
2+
handling in adult ventricular myocytes using a combination of molecular biology, intracellular Ca
2+
imaging, and confocal microscopy. Acute Ang-(1-7) treatment (10 nmol/L) leads to NO production and activates endothelial NO synthase and Akt in cardiomyocytes. Ang-(1-7)–dependent NO raise was abolished by pretreatment with A-779 (1 μmol/L). To confirm that Ang-(1-7) action is mediated by Mas, we used cardiomyocytes isolated from Mas-deficient mice. In Mas-deficient cardiomyocytes, Ang-(1-7) failed to increase NO levels. Moreover,
Mas
-ablation was accompanied by significant alterations in the proteins involved in the regulation of endothelial NO synthase activity, indicating that endothelial NO synthase and its binding partners are important effectors of the Mas-mediated pathway in cardiomyocytes. We then investigated the role of the Ang-(1-7)/Mas axis on Ca
2+
signaling. Cardiomyocytes treated with 10 nmol/L of Ang-(1-7) did not show changes in Ca
2+
-transient parameters such as peak Ca
2+
transients and kinetics of decay. Nevertheless, cardiomyocytes from Mas-deficient mice presented reduced peak and slower [Ca
2+
]
i
transients when compared with wild-type cardiomyocytes. Lower Ca
2+
ATPase of the sarcoplasmic reticulum expression levels accompanied the reduced Ca
2+
transient in Mas-deficient cardiomyocytes. Therefore, chronic
Mas
-deficiency leads to impaired Ca
2+
handling in cardiomyocytes. Collectively, these observations reveal a key role for the Ang-(1-7)/Mas axis as a modulator of cardiomyocyte function.
Kidney-Specific Induction of Heme Oxygenase-1 Prevents Angiotensin II Hypertension
Authors: Vera Trinity , Kelsen Silvia , Stec David E.
Published: August 2008

The main goal of this study was to determine whether kidney-specific induction of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) can prevent the development of angiotensin (Ang) II–dependent hypertension. To test this hypothesis, intrarenal medullary interstitial catheters were implanted into the left kidney of uninephrectomized mice. Infusion of cobalt protoporphyrin (CoPP; 250 μg/mL; at 50 μL/h for 48 hours) resulted in significant induction of HO-1 in the renal medulla when examined 2 weeks after the infusion with no induction observed in other organs, such as the heart or liver. Next, we examined the effect of renal-specific induction of HO-1 on the development of Ang II–dependent hypertension. CoPP or vehicle (0.1 mol/L NaOH [pH 8.3]) was infused as indicated above 2 days before implantation of an osmotic minipump, which delivered Ang II or saline vehicle at a rate of 1 μg/kg per minute. Mean arterial pressure was measured in conscious, unrestrained mice for 3 consecutive days starting on day 7 after implantation of the minipumps. Mean arterial pressure averaged 114±5, 122±4, 162±2, and 125±6 mm Hg in vehicle-, intrarenal medullary interstitial CoPP–, Ang II-, and Ang II + intrarenal medullary interstitial CoPP–treated mice, respectively (n=6 or 7). These results demonstrate that kidney-specific induction of HO-1 prevents the development of Ang II–dependent hypertension and that induction of HO-1 in the kidney may be the mechanism by which systemic delivery of CoPP lowers blood pressure in Ang II–dependent hypertension.
The Mother Church: Mary Baker Eddy and the Practice of Sentimentalism
Authors: Stokes Claudia
Published: August 2008

“The Mother Church” analyzes the influence of literary sentimentalism on the writings and doctrine of Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of Christian Science. Having attempted a career as a sentimental poet in her early life, Eddy imported sentimental notions of motherhood and parent-child separation into Christian Science belief and iconography.
Deriving the Surface Soil Heat Flux from Observed Soil Temperature and Soil Heat Flux Profiles Using a Variational Data Assimilation Approach
Authors: Ronda R. J. , Bosveld F. C.
Published: August 2008

A novel approach to infer surface soil heat fluxes from measured profiles of soil temperature, soil heat flux, and observations of the vegetation canopy temperature and the incoming shortwave radiation is evaluated for the Cabauw measurement facility in the Netherlands. The approach is a variational data assimilation approach that uses the applied measurements to optimize, on a daily basis, parameter values of a model that describes the heat transport between the vegetation canopy and the surface and within the soil column. Insertion of error characteristics that either are inferred from the field data themselves or are derived from literature leads to valid estimates of the cost function for about 100 days in 2003. The approach gives values of the model parameters that compare well to values derived from the literature, although values for the soil conductivity and the volumetric heat capacity of the soil start to differ from the literature values at the end of 2003, possibly because of specific soil characteristics and the extreme dryness of the summer of 2003. The model gives estimates of the surface soil heat flux that compare well to estimates using the currently operational lambda approach, provided that the latter is adapted to account for the disturbance of the soil heat flux at the locations of the heat flux plates. Only when the surface soil heat flux is very small or very large does the new approach give estimates of the surface soil heat flux that differ from those obtained with the lambda approach.
A Surrogate Ensemble Study of Climate Reconstruction Methods: Stochasticity and Robustness
Authors: Christiansen Bo , Schmith T. , Thejll P.
Published: August 2008

Reconstruction of the earth’s surface temperature from proxy data is an important task because of the need to compare recent changes with past variability. However, the statistical properties and robustness of climate reconstruction methods are not well known, which has led to a heated discussion about the quality of published reconstructions. In this paper a systematic study of the properties of reconstruction methods is presented. The methods include both direct hemispheric-mean reconstructions and field reconstructions, including reconstructions based on canonical regression and regularized expectation maximization algorithms. The study will be based on temperature fields where the target of the reconstructions is known. In particular, the focus will be on how well the reconstructions reproduce low-frequency variability, biases, and trends.

A climate simulation from an ocean–atmosphere general circulation model of the period a.d. 1500–1999, including both natural and anthropogenic forcings, is used. However, reconstructions include a large element of stochasticity, and to draw robust statistical interferences, reconstructions of a large ensemble of realistic temperature fields are needed. To this end a novel technique has been developed to generate surrogate fields with the same temporal and spatial characteristics as the original surface temperature field from the climate model. Pseudoproxies are generated by degrading a number of gridbox time series. The number of pseudoproxies and the relation between the pseudoproxies and the underlying temperature field are determined realistically from Mann et al.

It is found that all reconstruction methods contain a large element of stochasticity, and it is not possible to compare the methods and draw conclusions from a single or a few realizations. This means that very different results can be obtained using the same reconstruction method on different surrogate fields. This might explain some of the recently published divergent results.

Also found is that the amplitude of the low-frequency variability in general is underestimated. All methods systematically give large biases and underestimate both trends and the amplitude of the low-frequency variability. The underestimation is typically 20%–50%. The shape of the low-frequency variability, however, is well reconstructed in general.

Some potential in validating the methods on independent data is found. However, to gain information about the reconstructions’ ability to capture the preindustrial level it is necessary to consider the average level in the validation period and not the year-to-year correlations. The influence on the reconstructions of the number of proxies, the type of noise used to generate the proxies, the strength of the variability, as well as the effect of detrending the data prior to the calibration is also reported.
Marginal Sea Overflows and the Upper Ocean Interaction
Authors: Kida Shinichiro , Yang Jiayan , Price James F.
Published: August 2008

Marginal sea overflows and the overlying upper ocean are coupled in the vertical by two distinct mechanisms—by an interfacial mass flux from the upper ocean to the overflow layer that accompanies entrainment and by a divergent eddy flux associated with baroclinic instability. Because both mechanisms tend to be localized in space, the resulting upper ocean circulation can be characterized as a β plume for which the relevant background potential vorticity is set by the slope of the topography, that is, a topographic β plume.

The entrainment-driven topographic β plume consists of a single gyre that is aligned along isobaths. The circulation is cyclonic within the upper ocean (water columns are stretched). The transport within one branch of the topographic β plume may exceed the entrainment flux by a factor of 2 or more.

Overflows are likely to be baroclinically unstable, especially near the strait. This creates eddy variability in both the upper ocean and overflow layers and a flux of momentum and energy in the vertical. In the time mean, the eddies accompanying baroclinic instability set up a double-gyre circulation in the upper ocean, an eddy-driven topographic β plume. In regions where baroclinic instability is growing, the momentum flux from the overflow into the upper ocean acts as a drag on the overflow and causes the overflow to descend the slope at a steeper angle than what would arise from bottom friction alone.

Numerical model experiments suggest that the Faroe Bank Channel overflow should be the most prominent example of an eddy-driven topographic β plume and that the resulting upper-layer transport should be comparable to that of the overflow. The overflow-layer eddies that accompany baroclinic instability are analogous to those observed in moored array data. In contrast, the upper layer of the Mediterranean overflow is likely to be dominated more by an entrainment-driven topographic β plume. The difference arises because entrainment occurs at a much shallower location for the Mediterranean case and the background potential vorticity gradient of the upper ocean is much larger.
“You Could Be Doing Brain Surgery”: Gifted Girls Becoming Teachers
Authors: Willard-Holt Colleen
Published: August 2008

This qualitative study focuses on messages to gifted girls about their choice of a career in teaching. Participants consisted of 18 female teachers identified as gifted. The methodology consisted of semistructured interviews and focus group discussions. Findings indicate that messages of discouragement toward a career in teaching were more numerous and more emphatic than were messages of encouragement. Despite this, these participants were content with and remained committed to teaching careers for the foreseeable future. Participants also mentioned a variety of ways in which their giftedness interacted with their teaching, for their own benefit and that of their students. Recommendations for counselors, teachers, and parents include providing information about the entire range of career options and carefully matching career pathways with the student's interests and dreams rather than the adult's preconceived notions of success or prestige.

Putting the Research to Use: There is little question that our society desperately needs teachers who are gifted. Yet gifted students who express an interest in a teaching career are often discouraged by family members, friends, teachers, and counselors. Although it is appropriate to encourage gifted students to pursue careers that might be perceived by society as more prestigious than teaching, it is counterproductive to guide students into careers inconsistent with their interests and values. By the time they are in high school, students who are interested in teaching have often sought out opportunities to interact with children and have engaged in activities such as playing school. These activities indicate the desire to teach, a desire that should be taken seriously. As Delisle (1998, p. 21) put it, “My hope is that . . . we will lecture less and listen more, giving academic and career guidance based upon individual interest patterns rather than preordained societal benchmarks of success.” In addition, students should engage in discussions regarding ways in which their intellectual talents may be challenged in teaching to the benefit of all.
Denunciations, clemency and conflict resolution in the French Basque Country (1917—1944)
Authors: Ott Sandra
Published: August 2008

During the interwar years, under Vichy rule and German occupation, French Basques upheld a longstanding right to judge their fellow citizens and to address wrongdoing that threatened stability and order in their conservative, Catholic moral community. In the province of Xiberoa, that dual community-based right underpinned the wish of Xiberoans to manage their own justice and intra-community conflicts, in certain circumstances, without intervention from the state and its representatives. This article examines cases when local holders of civic and moral authority chose, or were forced, to seek legal justice and to resolve conflict through authorities external to their moral community. The small, industrial town of Maule provides a local focus for exploring the management of justice and intra-community conflict by Basque notables, who made strategic use of information about wrongdoing to protect their moral community from internal and external harm, embodied by the communists in their midst.
Tip-Collection Strategies, Service Guarantees, and Consumer Evaluations of Group Package Tours
Authors: Tsaur Sheng-Hshiung , Wang Chih-Hung
Published: August 2008

Signaling theory proposes that consumers use signals, such as price and guarantee, sent by firms to form impressions of quality. Several tip-collection strategies and types of service guarantee are employed by travel agencies as pricing strategies and marketing tools, but empirical evidence for the effects of these strategies and guarantees on consumers' pre-purchase evaluation is lacking. This study employed a 2×3 between-subjects factorial design—with two tip-collection strategies (tipping by participants and included) and three types of service guarantee (none, attribute-specific, and full satisfaction)—to elucidate these effects. The results indicate that a group package tour (GPT) with a tips-included strategy and full satisfaction guarantee was preferred by our subjects because of higher expected service quality and willingness to buy, and the lower perceived risk. Research implications and future research directions are also discussed.
Valuation of information assets on the balance sheet
Authors: Wilson Richard M. S. , Stenson Joan A.
Published: August 2008

The perspective taken in this article reflects two particular angles: it adopts an international focus rather than a UK focus — especially with regard to regulatory issues influencing the inclusion of information assets in financial reports; and it recognizes that there are reasons other than meeting statutory/ regulatory requirements which support the recognition (if not always the valuation) of information assets in the management of organizations — commercial and otherwise. The article proceeds by considering the recognition and approaches to the valuation of intangible assets in general, following which it homes in on information assets as a particular category of intangible assets, and concludes with a discussion of the attributes of information that give rise to its value as an asset.
Demystifying Chinese guanxi networks
Authors: Ben Chan
Published: August 2008

Guanxi referrals help identify potential business partners. Through guanxi networks, businesses can establish favourable and mutually beneficial relationships vital to business success. Guanxi carries assumed knowledge of trust and facilitates business references. It is the construct of `face' that underpins this trust. The high degree of trust in guanxi networks facilitates the flow of strategic information and knowledge, further adding value to business. This article illustrates through case studies how guanxi relationships are formed and how knowledge in guanxi networks can benefit business. The case studies are drawn from experiences of three Europe-based Chinese business directors.
Strategic Compensation
Authors: Davis Trenton J. , Gabris Gerald T.
Published: August 2008

Given that continued pressure will be levied on public sector organizations to provide higher levels of service while maintaining low costs, the importance of considering an organization's relative position in the regional labor market should not be understated. Using efficiency wage theory as a theoretical foundation, this research examines the use of market-clearing wages as a tool for strategic compensation in the public sector. Two separate survey instruments were distributed to municipalities in the Chicago suburban metropolitan area: a salary and fringe benefits survey and a reputational service quality (RSQ) questionnaire. The primary finding of this research indicates that efficiency wage rates are a significant predictor of increased reputational service quality, suggesting that municipal organizations may be able to leverage their reputation as a tool for increasing economic development and attracting more affluent residents to the community.
Twenty Years of Mandatory Arrest
Authors: Phillips Scott W. , Sobol James J.
Published: August 2008

More than 20 years ago, state legislation began moving toward a mandatory arrest approach for police officers who handle domestic violence. It is expected that officers have shifted from an “underenforcement” orientation toward proenforcement. To examine this hypothesis, this study integrated elements of New York State domestic violence legislation into vignettes. Officers from one large department in New York State completed surveys with multiple vignettes. More than 80% of the officers were likely or very likely to arrest in all vignettes. Arrest was more likely when there was a visible injury, when there was an order of protection, and when the suspect was disrespectful. The victim’s preference for no arrest is not significant in officers’ decision making. Policy implications and directions for additional research are discussed.
WE-AMBLE: a Workflow Engine To Manage Awareness in Collaborative Grid Environments
Authors: Herrero Pilar , Bosque José Luis , Salvadores Manuel , Pérez María S.
Published: August 2008

Grid computing shares heterogeneous resources in dynamic service-based environments. This kind of system has the major advantage of enabling rapid composition of distributed applications. However, equilibrating the amount of work assigned to each of the nodes in a grid environment is a complex problem, even more so than for other kinds of parallel systems. In this paper, we present a new extension and reinterpretation of one of the most successful models of awareness in Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW), called the Spatial Model of Interaction (SMI), which manages awareness of interaction through a set of key concepts, to manage task delivery in collaborative distributed systems. This model, called AMBLE (Awareness Model for Balancing the Load in Collaborative Grid Environments), also applies some theoretical principles and theories of multi-agent systems to create a collaborative and cooperative environment that provides autonomous, efficient and independent management of resources available in a grid environment. WE-AMBLE, a Workflow Engine to manage awareness in collaborative grid environments through the AMBLE concepts, provides a workflow engine to manage different levels of awareness, allowing different virtual organizations to share computational resources based on open protocols and interfaces.
WS-RF Workflow in Triana
Authors: Harrison Andrew , Taylor Ian , Wang Ian , Shields Matthew
Published: August 2008

This paper describes the integration of WS-RF functionality into the graphical workflow enactment engine Triana. The motivation for our work is the belief that standardized communication models as represented by the numerous Web services related specifications will enrich the semantic content of service intercommunication and are likely to achieve widespread adoption. These two features will help to facilitate the kind of dynamic binding of services advocated by Service Oriented Architectures. Furthermore we maintain that exposing the capabilities offered by these specifications to the end user in a simple and intuitive manner is essential if they are to be used intelligently and flexibly, particularly when the specifications do not address the functional semantics of a service as is the case with WS-RF. We examine the possibilities that WS-RF offers to workflow creation and execution, particularly how it enables a number of optimizations which are useful in scientific workflows to be performed in a standardized manner, and describe the visual interpretation of WS-RF, the underlying technologies that enable this interpretation as well as issues arising from the integration of WS-RF into Triana.
A Workflow Engine-Driven SOA-Based Cooperative Computing Paradigm in Grid Environments
Authors: Wanchun Dou  , Jinjun Chen  , Jianxun Liu  , Cheung S.C. , Guihai Chen  , Shaokun Fan
Published: August 2008

The grid has been proposed as a promising service-oriented platform for increasingly complex cooperative computing. The platforms of service-oriented grids are often Web-based where participants collaborate to achieve a common goal by sharing scarce Web-Based Computational/ Computing Resources (WBCR). To share the WBCR effectively is a challenging problem in boundary-spanning grid environments, particularly when these resources are subject to both static and dynamic usage. To set up the certificate-based usage policy described in this paper, we first explore a workflow engine-driven SOA-based resource access control mechanism. Then, aiming at setting up a cooperative computing paradigm from the resource sharing perspective, an infrastructure derived from a specific project of SOA&EDSCCE (SOA-Based&Engine-Driven Structured Cooperative Computing Environment) is proposed for promoting its cooperative computing in grid environment based on the control disciplines and the WBCR usage policy. The main contributions of this paper are twofold: 1) a workflow engine-driven SOA-based WBCR sharing mechanism is presented in accordance with to the certificate-based usage policy; and 2) a specific infrastructure of cooperative computing is put forward for the collaboration based on the WBCR sharing mechanism.
'Feeling' Risk and Seeing Solutions
Authors: Das Enny , de Wit John B.F. , Vet Raymond , Frijns Tom
Published: August 2008

This study assessed cognitive and affective predictors of intention to obtain vaccination against the hepatitis B virus (HBV) among men who have sex with men (MSM), based on leading social cognitive models of health behavior. The key predictors of vaccination intention were perceived risk of contracting HBV, expectancies regarding the outcome of vaccination, and the interaction between risk perception and outcome expectancies. Negative affect increased risk perceptions, which, in turn, positively affected vaccination intention. It is concluded that MSM should feel they are at risk for HBV, and see solutions to this risk.
Differences in Eating Style between Overweight and Normal-Weight Youngsters
Authors: Braet Caroline , Claus Line , Goossens Lien , Moens Ellen , Van Vlierberghe Leen , Soetens Barbara
Published: August 2008

Differences in eating styles between overweight and normal-weight youngsters were investigated with a child version of the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ). Subjects were children ( n = 1458; M: 10.1; SD = 1.3) and adolescents ( n = 1016; M: 14.9; SD =1.5). Overweight adolescent girls scored high on emotional eating while overweight adolescent boys displayed more external eating. In overweight children, already 10.5 per cent displayed emotional eating and 38.4 per cent reported external eating. All overweight youngsters reported restrained attitudes. Eating styles were positively associated with indicators of eating pathology. The results suggest the use of appropriate norms that take into account the child's age, gender and overweight status.
Impact of Risk Information on Perceived Colorectal Cancer Risk
Authors: Robb Kathryn A. , Miles Anne , Campbell John , Evans Philip , Wardle Jane
Published: August 2008

The study sought to modify comparative optimism about colorectal cancer in a community sample using a method of providing risk information found to be effective in a laboratory setting. The 3185 adults from General Practice lists were randomized to three groups: (1) control—no information; (2) risk information leaflet; (3) risk and screening information leaflet. Significant comparative optimism and high numeric estimates of absolute risk were found. Risk factor information did not reduce optimistic beliefs nor modify estimates of risk. Interest in screening was high overall and not influenced by the information. Comparatively optimistic risk perceptions appear resistant to change in community settings.
On Subjective Well-being and Quality of Life
Authors: Camfield Laura , Skevington Suzanne M.
Published: August 2008

We integrate the multi-disciplinary fields of quality of life (QoL) and well-being (WB) and appraise the impacts of health factors. Theoretical and methodological limitations are discussed and new conceptual and technical advances identified, These are informed by cross-cultural and community perspectives. Following a definitional review, social inequalities, and links with happiness are examined. Demographic, experiential and personal factors are outlined. Implications for poverty research are addressed. As the concept of SWB recently converged with the longstanding international QoL definition (WHOQOL Group, 1995), we discuss the separate need for SWB. Future collaborative conceptual and pragmatic research is recommended.
Physical Health Status in Relation to Self-Forgiveness and Other-Forgiveness in Healthy College Students
Authors: Wilson Tobi , Milosevic Aleks , Carroll Michelle , Hart Kenneth , Hibbard Stephen
Published: August 2008

We extended prior research on the medical health-correlates of forgiving others by examining the relationship between self-forgiveness, other-forgiveness and health. Results derived from a cross-sectional survey of 266 healthy undergraduates showed that these dimensions of forgiveness were positively related to perceived physical health. Regression analysis revealed that self-forgiveness uniquely predicted a significant amount of variance in perceived physical health, and predicted more variance than did other-forgiveness. These results are discussed in light of the limitations of the current study and directions for future research.
Test—retest stability of the Pain Catastrophizing Scale and the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia in Chronic Pain over a Longer Period of Time
Authors: Lamé Inge E. , Peters Madelon L. , Kessels Alfons G. , Van Kleef Maarten , Patijn Jacob
Published: August 2008

The objective of this study was to investigate the test—retest stability of the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia (TSK) and their subscales in chronic pain patients over relatively long period of times like those that are most often seen in clinical practice. Fifty non-malignant chronic pain patients filled out the PCS and TSK twice with a mean interval between testing of 52 days. Both assessment instruments showed sufficient test—retest stability, even with long time intervals between testing.
Measuring Mammography and Breast Cancer Beliefs in African American Women
Authors: Champion Victoria L. , Monahan Patrick O. , Springston Jeffery K. , Russell Kathleen , Zollinger Terrell W. , Saywell Robert M. , Maraj Maltie
Published: August 2008

Although intervention trials have demonstrated significant improvement in mammography adherence for African American women, many of the current measurement tools used in these interventions have not been assessed for validity and reliability in ethnic minorities. This study assessed the validity and reliability of Health Belief Model (HBM) variables that are often the target of mammography interventions. Scale validity and reliability was assessed for HBM scales in a sample of 344 low-income African American women. Validity was supported through exploratory factor analysis and theoretical prediction of relationships. Internal consistency reliability was .73 or above for all scales.
Graphical exploration of network meta-analysis data: the use of multidimensional scaling
Authors: Chung Hyoju , Lumley Thomas
Published: August 2008

Background Evidence synthesis is increasingly being used to compare more than two treatments from multiple randomized trials. In a network of randomized comparisons, direct (head-to-head) evidence might be inconsistent with indirect evidence. However, the issue of potential incoherence of the network is not taken into account in statistical models with fixed treatment effects only, which are commonly employed in practice.

Purpose We present a graphical method to summarize a network of randomized comparisons and to examine the incoherence of the network, without making any distributional assumptions.

Methods At each treatment-pair level, the inverse variance method is used to pool results from multiple studies. We consider the magnitude of pairwise treatment contrasts as a measure of pairwise dissimilarity. We summarize a network of randomized comparisons as a dissimilarity matrix, and then apply weighted multidimensional scaling to the dissimilarity matrix. The weights are chosen according to the inverse variance method. We show that, with this weighting scheme, 1D multidimensional scaling configuration is closely related to a fixed effect model. Therefore, our interest is to explore a departure from 1D constraint.

Results Two-dimensional multidimensional scaling configuration is useful to explore the incoherence of the network. Our method is illustrated with two published datasets.

Limitations The weighting scheme in our multidimensional scaling setting is chosen to be optimal for independent treatment pairs. Pairwise differences within a multi-arm trial are correlated to one another and intrinsically coherent. Thus our weighting scheme may not apply to data with large numbers of multi-arm trials.

Conclusions Multidimensional scaling provides a useful tool for investigators to visualize the network of randomized comparisons and to assess incoherence of the network. Clinical Trials 2008; 5: 301—307. http://ctj.sagepub.com
Determining optimal sample sizes for multi-stage randomized clinical trials using value of information methods
Authors: Willan Andrew , Kowgier Matthew
Published: August 2008

Background Traditional sample size calculations for randomized clinical trials depend on somewhat arbitrarily chosen factors, such as Type I and II errors. An effectiveness trial (otherwise known as a pragmatic trial or management trial) is essentially an effort to inform decision-making, i.e., should treatment be adopted over standard? Taking a societal perspective and using Bayesian decision theory, Willan and Pinto (Stat. Med. 2005; 24:1791-1806 and Stat. Med. 2006; 25:720) show how to determine the sample size that maximizes the expected net gain, i.e., the difference between the cost of doing the trial and the value of the information gained from the results.

Methods These methods are extended to include multi-stage adaptive designs, with a solution given for a two-stage design. The methods are applied to two examples.

Results As demonstrated by the two examples, substantial increases in the expected net gain (ENG) can be realized by using multi-stage adaptive designs based on expected value of information methods. In addition, the expected sample size and total cost may be reduced.

Limitations Exact solutions have been provided for the two-stage design. Solutions for higher-order designs may prove to be prohibitively complex and approximate solutions may be required.

Conclusions The use of multi-stage adaptive designs for randomized clinical trials based on expected value of sample information methods leads to substantial gains in the ENG and reductions in the expected sample size and total cost. Clinical Trials 2008; 5: 289-300. http://ctj.sagepub.com
Feasibility of randomized controlled trials on seclusion and mechanical restraint
Authors: Bergk Jan , Einsiedler Beate , Steinert Tilman
Published: August 2008

Background In psychiatry seclusion and mechanical restraint are most commonly used in the management of violence and self-directed aggression. Both interventions are considered as efficacious and indispensable. Yet, these measures can have deleterious effects on patients. The least restrictive alternative is recommended. Evidence about what kind of intervention is least restrictive is only scarcely available. Up to now, no randomized controlled trial (RCT) on this subject has been conducted.

Purpose To describe ethical, methodological and legal problems of RCTs on coercive interventions and to suggest possible solutions.

Methods Literature research on possible study designs, ethical considerations and legal regulations was conducted in PubMed.

Results Corresponding to the procedures in emergency medicine informed consent can be obtained after the intervention when the patients are capable again. Informed consent refers only to participation in an interview and utilization of data. Randomization can be ethically approved, if exclusion criteria for randomization are defined. A comprehensive cohort study seems to be the most practicable study design. As primary outcome variable an assessment of subjective experiences of the patients' restrictions to human rights. Clinical Trials 2008; 5: 356—363. http://ctjsagepub.com
The Hip Impact Protection Project: design and methods
Authors: Barton Bruce A , Birge Stanley J , Magaziner Jay , Zimmerman Sheryl , Ball Linda , Brown Kathleen M , Kiel Douglas P
Published: August 2008

Background Nearly 340,000 hip fractures occur each year in the U.S. With current demographic trends, the number of hip fractures is expected to double at least in the next 40 years.

Purpose The Hip Impact Protection Project (HIP PRO) was designed to investigate the efficacy and safety of hip protectors in an elderly nursing home population. This paper describes the innovative clustered matched-pair research design used in HIP PRO to overcome the inherent limitations of clustered randomization.

Methods Three clinical centers recruited 37 nursing homes to participate in HIP PRO. They were randomized so that the participating residents in that home received hip protectors for either the right or left hip. Informed consent was obtained from either the resident or the resident's responsible party. The target sample size was 580 residents with replacement if they dropped out, had a hip fracture, or died. One of the advantages of the HIP PRO study design was that each resident was his/her own case and control, eliminating imbalances, and there was no confusion over which residents wore pads (or on which hip).

Limitations Generalizability of the findings may be limited. Adherence was higher in this study than in other studies because of: (1) the use of a run-in period, (2) staff incentives, and (3) the frequency of adherence assessments. The use of a single pad is not analogous to pad use in the real world and may have caused unanticipated changes in behavior. Fall assessment was not feasible, limiting the ability to analyze fractures as a function of falls. Finally, hip protector designs continue to evolve so that the results generated using this pad may not be applicable to other pad designs. However, information about factors related to adherence will be useful for future studies.

Conclusions The clustered matched-pair study design avoided the major problem with previous cluster-randomized investigations of this question — unbalanced risk factors between the experimental group and the control group. Because each resident served as his/her own control, the effects of unbalanced risk factors on treatment effect were virtually eliminated. In addition, the use of frequent adherence assessments allowed us to study the effect of various demographic and environmental factors on adherence, which was vital for the assessment of efficacy. Clinical Trials 2008; 5: 347—355. http://ctj.sagepub.com
The quotation marks have a certain importance: Prospects for a 'memory studies'
Authors: Brown Steven D.
Published: August 2008

There are parallels between the emergence of 'memory studies' as a domain of enquiry and the development of 'sexuality studies'. Both confront the difficulty of engaging with a central referent whose historical, cultural and ontological status is indeterminate. Reviewing a selection of articles from the first issue of Memory Studies, three sets of obstacles to be addressed in the area are identified. First, there is the difficulty of arriving at a common conception of memory. It is suggested that inclusive support for rival and conflicting conceptions may be appropriate. Second, the common interdisciplinary dilemma of creating links between distinct levels of analysis is particularly acute. Transversal concepts and links may be more productive here. Third, there is the challenge of building academic community across disciplines and traditions. Rather than seek to substantivize 'memory' further, the notion of mediation is offered in its place as the basis for such a community-to-come.
Forgetting and remembering in psychology: Commentary on Paul Connerton's `Seven Types of Forgetting' (2008)
Authors: Erdelyi Matthew Hugh
Published: August 2008

In this commentary, I compare psychology's treatment of forgetting, especially the works of Ebbinghaus, Bartlett, Ballard, Freud, and modern researchers, to Connerton's approach. I suggest that as the stimuli have become more complex (moving from nonsense syllables and lists of words to stories and real-life events, as found, for example, in clinical and forensic settings), memory theory in psychology becomes increasingly constructivist and motivational, and converges in significant respects with historical-sociological formulations of forgetting, such as Connerton's.
How many types of forgetting? Comments on Connerton (2008)
Authors: Wessel Ineke , Moulds Michelle L.
Published: August 2008

In his Memory Studies article `Seven Types of Forgetting', Connerton argues that forgetting on a cultural level is not a unitary phenomenon and that at least seven distinct types can be distinguished. In this commentary, we explore the potential utility of an alternative conceptualization from a psychology perspective. More specifically, we consider how a theoretical framework on individual autobiographical memory may be employed as a metaphor for exploring Connerton's ideas about the forgetting of cultural groups. This metaphor concentrates on commonalities rather than differences between the types of forgetting proposed.
Placing journalism inside memory — and memory studies
Authors: Kitch Carolyn
Published: August 2008

This article contends that it is important for scholars to ask what it matters that certain memory stories are told in journalistic prose and format and are received by audiences as `news'. Yet it also suggests that we must understand that journalism works within (not apart from) other cultural memory forms, and that it constructs memory not just with regard to discrete events, but across time and place. Finally, considering parallel debates across disciplines, this article is a call to reassess our definitions of legitimate subjects of study. It argues that scholars should pay attention to forms of journalism beyond elite news organizations and to recognize that journalism is a site of memory construction not only about shocking events, but also about everyday life. Indeed, if we expand our definitions of journalism and of memory, we broaden the relevance and the uses of journalism in memory studies.