bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fund Flows, Performance, Managerial Career Concerns, and Risk Taking
Authors: Hu Ping , Kale Jayant R. , Pagani Marco , Subramanian Ajay
Published: April 2011

We develop a unified model of the interactions among investors, fund companies, and fund managers. We show that the interplay between a manager's incentives from her compensation structure and career concerns leads to a nonmonotonic (approximately U-shaped) relation between her risk choices and prior performance relative to her peers. Significantly outperforming (underperforming) managers are less (more) likely to be fired in the future and are also more likely to increase relative risk. Ceteris paribus, relative risk declines with the level of employment risk faced by a manager. Using a large sample of mutual fund managers, we find strong support for the hypothesized U-shaped relation between relative risk and prior performance. Our findings also highlight the importance of employment risk as the underlying driver of risk shifting by fund managers. Our theoretical model also generates additional hypotheses that link determinants of the fund flow–performance relation and managers' employment risk to their risk-taking behavior. In support, our empirical analysis shows that funds with higher expense ratios have less convex fund flow–performance relations and less convex U-shaped relations between relative risk and prior performance; funds with younger managers, who face greater employment risk, have more convex U-shaped relative risk–prior performance relations; and managers in larger fund families have lower incentives to engage in risk shifting, thereby leading to a less convex U-shaped relation.

This paper was accepted by Wei Xiong, finance.
Capacity Investment Timing by Start-ups and Established Firms in New Markets
Authors: Swinney Robert , Cachon Gérard P. , Netessine Serguei
Published: April 2011

We analyze the competitive capacity investment timing decisions of both established firms and start-ups entering new markets, which have a high degree of demand uncertainty. Firms may invest in capacity early (when uncertainty is high) or late (when uncertainty has been resolved), possibly at different costs. Established firms choose an investment timing and capacity level to maximize expected profits, whereas start-ups make those choices to maximize the probability of survival. When a start-up competes against an established firm, we find that when demand uncertainty is high and costs do not decline too severely over time, the start-up takes a leadership role and invests first in capacity, whereas the established firm follows; by contrast, when two established firms compete in an otherwise identical game, both firms invest late. We conclude that the threat of firm failure significantly impacts the dynamics of competition involving start-ups.

This paper was accepted by Yossi Aviv, operations management.
Entry and Patenting in the Software Industry
Authors: Cockburn Iain M. , MacGarvie Megan J.
Published: April 2011

To what extent are firms kept out of a market by patents covering related technologies? Do patents held by potential entrants make it easier to enter markets? We estimate the empirical relationship between market entry and patents for 27 narrowly defined categories of software products during the period 1990–2004. Controlling for demand, market structure, average patent quality, and other factors, we find that a 10% increase in the number of patents relevant to market reduces the rate of entry by 3%–8%, and this relationship intensified following expansions in the patentability of software in the mid-1990s. However, potential entrants with patent applications relevant to a market are more likely to enter it. Finally, patents appear to substitute for complementary assets in the entry process, because patents have both greater entry-deterring and entry-promoting effects for firms without prior experience in other markets.

This paper was accepted by Bruno Cassiman, business strategy.
CEO Replacement in Turnaround Situations: Executive (Mis)Fit and Its Performance Implications
Authors: Chen Guoli , Hambrick Donald C.
Published: April 2011

Countering the widely held view that chief executive officer (CEO) succession is generally beneficial in turnaround situations, we adopt an executive fit/refit logic, proposing that the implications of CEO replacement depend integrally on the incumbent's degree of misfit and the successor's degree of fit to the contextual conditions at hand. Drawing from prior turnaround research, we identify several prominent forms of CEO fit/misfit that are especially germane to troubled firms. In testing our hypotheses, we find substantial support for the fit/refit theory: troubled companies have substantially better performance to the extent that they replace incumbents who are poorly suited to the conditions at hand and when they appoint new CEOs who are well matched to those conditions. Further reaffirming the fit/refit model, we find that CEO replacement per se has no general effect on the improvement of troubled firms.
Complex Surgical Procedures: How much are they Costing your Hospital?
Authors: Westerman RW , Mostofi SB , Slack R
Published: April 2011

In a climate of tightening budgets and rising cost the pressures on those performing complex and expensive operative procedures is ever increasing. As technology advances, the true cost for complex procedures continues to spiral. Hospital trusts are dependent on adequate remuneration for such procedures yet increases in the nationally agreed tariffs have not reflected the disproportionate rises in cost.
CPTD: a new era of collaboration across the continuum of dental education
Authors: Cowpe Jonathan
Published: April 2011

The Joint Committee for Postgraduate Training in Dentistry (JCPTD) has been established to reflect the expansion of the role of its predecessor, the Joint Committee for Specialist Training in Dentistry, and now oversees arrangements and developments for both dental foundation and specialty training.
Neurosurgical trainees' perceptions of course value and study leave budgets
Authors: Metcalfe Stephen
Published: April 2011

With the advent of Modernising Medical Careers (MMC) in 2007 neurosurgery adopted 'run-through' training, whereby trainees apply to a neurosurgical rotation that takes them through from foundation training to its completion and the award of the Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT). This is in contrast to the post-MMC training programmes for the rest of the surgical specialties, in which trainees apply to a core surgical training (CST) rotation, followed by open competition after their second core training (CT2) year for appointment into a specialty training (ST) rotation in the surgical specialty of their choice.
CORESS: raising the profile
Authors: Towell Elaine
Published: April 2011

An elderly patient was admitted for day-case surgery to excise a lipoma from the back of her neck under local anaesthesia. The patient was placed prone; the operation site was cleaned with an alcohol-based skin preparation and draped. The patient was given mild sedation and oxygen through nasal cannulae. It appears that the disinfectant solution had pooled in the patient's hair because when diathermy was applied to cauterise a small wound-edge bleeding point, the patient's head was suddenly engulfed in flames. The fire was rapidly extinguished but left small burns to one ear and loss of a large portion of hair.
The Counterfeiters : Seeking Moral Lessons from a Holocaust Thriller
Authors: Wauchope Mary
Published: April 2011

The Counterfeiters joins a small group of films in which characters are faced with the "choiceless choices" of "gray zone" situations. Its characters must decide whether to assist the Nazis in a counterfeiting operation or sacrifice themselves for the greater good. While suspense is generated in the film through debates among the characters about their moral decisions, the director has fit the story into a thriller genre format and acknowledged his intention to provide universal messages for a contemporary audience. This has given the film wide appeal and earned it the 2008 Oscar for Best Foreign Film. However, The Counterfeiters ultimately allows its thriller action plot to overshadow the moral issues it addresses, so that in the end its contribution to the ongoing dialog in film about morality and the Holocaust is compromised.
Frühe Belege für den Umlaut von ahd. /u/, /ō/ und /ū/
Authors: Gütter Adolf
Published: April 2011

The twelve names from 827 to 957 with umlaut of OHG /u/, /ō/ and /ū/ (ten place names, one river name and one brook name) which are dealt with in the article prove that umlaut of vowels other than OHG /a/ existed long before the end of the 10th century (Notker). Nine of these names are found in original documents, among them the two oldest and most important, the place names Puirron 827 and Puillacha 828. Both testify to the existence of the phonemes // and /ü/ in Old High German as early as the third decade of the 9th century. A detailed investigation of the oldest names together with the fact that the primary umlaut of /a/ is documented from around 750 leads to the conclusion that in Old High German in the 8th century, particularly in the first half, a process of palatalization of all velar vowels and diphthongs before i, ī, j in the following syllable was in progress.
Detection of HOXA9 gene methylation in tumor tissues and induced sputum samples from primary lung cancer patients
Authors: Hwang Sang-Hyun , Kim Ki Uk , Kim Ji-Eun , Kim Hyung-Hoi , Lee Min Ki , Lee Chang Hun , Lee Sang-Yull , Oh TaeJeong , An Sungwhan
Published: April 2011

Background: Lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer deaths. Unfortunately, no effective early screening modality exists for lung cancer. We aimed to evaluate the prevalence of HOXA9 promoter methylation in tissue and induced sputum samples from Korean patients with lung cancer.

Methods: Using pyrosequencing, HOXA9 methylation was analyzed for 40 pairs of primary lung cancer and normal tissues and 185 induced sputum specimens, including 76 patients with lung cancer.

Results: The methylation of HOXA9 in lung cancer tissue was significantly higher compared with normal tissues (67.4%±17.6% vs. 23.6%±10.3%, respectively; p<0.001). With a cut-off of >45.6% of HOXA9 gene methylation in tissues, the sensitivity was 90.5% and the specificity was 97.5%. In induced sputum specimens, the HOXA9 gene in lung cancer patients was significantly more hypermethylated compared with patients with benign lung diseases and the healthy group (23.4%±15.9%, 14.9%±7.9%, and 9.7%±5.0%, respectively; p<0.001).

Conclusions: The HOXA9 gene was hypermethylated in 32 of 40 tumors (80%), especially in early stages of lung cancer. HOXA9 methylation could be a potential biomarker to aid early detection and prognosis.
Modulation of fear memory by retrieval and extinction: a clue for memory deconsolidation
Authors: Hong Ingie , Kim Jeongyeon , Song Beomjong , Park Sungmo , Lee Junuk , Kim Jihye , An Bobae , Lee Sukwon , Choi Sukwoo
Published: April 2011

Memories are fragile and easily forgotten at first, but after a consolidation period of hours to weeks, are inscribed in our brains as stable traces, no longer vulnerable to conventional amnesic treatments. Retrieval of a memory renders it labile, akin to the early stages of consolidation. This phenomenon has been explored as memory reactivation, in the sense that the memory is temporarily ‘deconsolidated’, allowing a short time window for amnesic intervention. This window closes again after reconsolidation, which restores the stability of the memory. In contrast to this ‘transient deconsolidation’ and the short-spanned amnesic effects of consolidation blockers, some specific treatments can disrupt even consolidated memory, leading to apparent amnesia. We propose the term ‘amnesic deconsolidation’ to describe such processes that lead to disruption of consolidated memory and/or consolidated memory traces. We review studies of these ‘amnesic deconsolidation’ treatments that enhance memory extinction, alleviate relapse, and reverse learning-induced plasticity. The transient deconsolidation that memory retrieval induces and the amnesic deconsolidation that these regimes induce both seem to dislodge a component that stabilizes consolidated memory. Characterizing this component, at both molecular and network levels, will provide a key to developing clinical treatments for memory-related disorders and to defining the consolidated memory trace.
The Each Child Study: Systematic Screening for Autism Spectrum Disorders in a Pediatric Setting
Authors: Miller Judith S. , Gabrielsen Terisa , Villalobos Michele , Alleman Rebecca , Wahmhoff Natalie , Carbone Paul S. , Segura Brandon
Published: April 2011

OBJECTIVE:

The goal of this study was to investigate the feasibility and outcome of a systematic autism screening process for all toddlers (aged 14–30 months) in a large, community-based pediatric practice.

METHODS:

All toddlers who presented to the clinic during the 6-month screening period were eligible. We used 2 screening questionnaires and allowed physicians to refer directly to capture as many children as possible. Receptionists and medical assistants distributed and collected screening questionnaires; research staff did all scoring and follow-up, either by telephone or in person when indicated.

RESULTS:

We obtained a high rate of screening (80% of eligible children). Of the 796 children screened, 3 had already been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD); an additional 10 children who showed signs of early ASD that warranted further evaluation or intervention were identified. Formal screening measures identified more children with ASD than did clinical judgment or caregiver concerns; however, no single method (ie, questionnaire, caregiver concerns, provider concerns) identified all children with signs of early ASD. We had excellent participation from racially and ethnically diverse families, including Spanish-speaking families. Thirty-two percent of the children who were screened did not present for a well-child visit during the study period and were screened at a sick visit, follow-up visit, or injection appointment.

CONCLUSIONS:

A partnership between pediatricians and autism specialists resulted in effective, systematic autism screening. Future studies should examine how to create effective systems of care.
Knowledge and Practice of Prechewing/Prewarming Food by HIV-Infected Women
Authors: Gaur Aditya H. , Freimanis-Hance Laura , Dominguez Kenneth , Mitchell Charles , Menezes Jacqueline , Mussi-Pinhata Marisa M. , Peixoto Mario F. , Alarcon Jorge , Coelho Debora F. , Read Jennifer S.
Published: April 2011

OBJECTIVE:

HIV transmission has been associated with offering a child food prechewed by an HIV-infected caregiver. We assessed awareness of prechewing and oral prewarming of food by an adult before offering it to a child among HIV-infected pregnant women and clinical investigators in 3 Latin American countries.

METHODS:

HIV-infected pregnant women at 12 sites (Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development International Site Development Initiative Perinatal Longitudinal Study in Latin American Countries, a prospective cohort trial) in Argentina, Brazil, and Peru were administered a screening survey about prechewing/prewarming of infant foods and cautioned against these feeding practices. Survey responses were analyzed, overall, and stratified according to country.

RESULTS:

Of the 401 HIV-infected pregnant women interviewed, 34% had heard about prechewing (50% from Argentina, 32% from Brazil, and 36% from Peru), 23% knew someone who prechewed food for infants, and 4% had prechewed food in the past. Seventeen percent had heard about oral prewarming of food, 13% knew someone who prewarmed food for infants, and 3% had prewarmed food for an infant in the past. Women who reported knowing someone who prechewed were more likely to also know someone who prewarmed food (P < .0001). Few site investigators anticipated that their patients would be aware of these practices.

CONCLUSIONS:

Prechewing food, a potential risk factor for HIV transmission, and orally prewarming food, which has not been associated with HIV transmission but might expose a child to blood from an HIV-infected adult, are not uncommon practices in Latin America. Both practices should be further investigated. Site investigator responses underscore that health care providers could be missing information about cultural practices that patients may not report unless specifically asked.
Are Parents of Young Children Practicing Healthy Nutrition and Physical Activity Behaviors?
Authors: Berge Jerica M. , Larson Nicole , Bauer Katherine W. , Neumark-Sztainer Dianne
Published: April 2011

BACKGROUND:

Although parenthood is a common life event in early adulthood, little is known about whether parenthood is associated with weight and weight-related health behaviors, including dietary intake and physical activity.

OBJECTIVE:

In this article we examine whether parents of young children (aged ≤5 years) report different dietary intake, physical activity, and BMIs compared with young adults without children.

METHODS:

Data for this analysis were drawn from the second and third waves of Project EAT (Eating and Activity in Teens and Young Adults), a longitudinal population-based cohort study. Young adults (838 women, 682 men) from diverse ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds were included. Gender-stratified linear regression models were used to examine associations between parental status and dietary intake, hours of physical activity, and BMI. Results were adjusted for each health behavior outcome level 5 years earlier (time 2).

RESULTS:

Results indicate that although many dietary behaviors were the same between parents and nonparents, mothers reported greater consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, total energy, and percent saturated fat compared with women without children. Both mothers and fathers had lower amounts of physical activity compared with nonparents. Mothers had higher mean BMIs than women without children. No difference was observed in BMIs between fathers and men without children.

CONCLUSIONS:

Our findings suggest that pediatricians and health care providers may want to consider discussing dietary intake and physical activity with new parents to identify ways to engage in healthful behaviors given the daily demands of parenthood, both to improve parents' own health and to help them model healthful behavior for their children.
Evaluation of Immunization Rates and Safety Among Children With Inborn Errors of Metabolism
Authors: Klein Nicola P. , Aukes Laurie , Lee Janelle , Fireman Bruce , Shapira Stuart K. , Slade Barbara , Baxter Roger , Summar Marshall
Published: April 2011

BACKGROUND:

Children with inherited metabolic disorders are a potential high-risk group for vaccine-preventable diseases, yet information regarding immunization rates and vaccine safety within this population is limited.

METHODS:

Using Northern California Kaiser Permanente's electronic medical record, we identified children with inborn errors of metabolism from 1990 to 2007. We assessed immunization rates among infants with inborn errors of metabolism born at Northern California Kaiser Permanente matched to healthy infants (1 to 20), comparing both vaccines received by 2 years of age and age at vaccination. We assessed postvaccination adverse events among children up to 18 years old with inborn errors of metabolism, separately comparing emergency-department visits and hospitalizations during postvaccine days 0 to 30 (primary) and days 0 to 14 (secondary).

RESULTS:

Comparing infants with inborn errors of metabolism (n = 77) versus matched control subjects (n = 1540), similar proportions were up to date for vaccines at 2 years of age, and there was no evidence of delay in receipt of recommended vaccines during the first year. Vaccination of children with inborn errors of metabolism (n = 271) was not associated with any significant increase in emergency-department visits or hospitalizations during the 30 days after vaccination. Secondary analyses suggested that there may be increased rates of hospitalizations 2 weeks after vaccination for the sickest 1- to 4-year-old children.

CONCLUSIONS:

Children with inborn errors of metabolism at Northern California Kaiser Permanente received vaccines on the same immunization schedule as healthy infants. Immunization was not associated with increased risk for serious adverse events during the month after vaccination, providing overall reassurance that routine vaccination of children with inborn errors of metabolism does not result in adverse effects.
Defect Engineering for Graphene Tunable Doping
Authors: Medina Henry , Lin Yung-Chang , Chiu Po-Wen
Published: April 2011

Here we describe a doping approach that enables selective and variable doping on graphene. The doping level reflected in the successive shift of the Raman G mode can be progressively changed by varying the coverage of molecular adsorption on graphene. We make use of lattice defects which serve as anchor groups for the non-covalent functionalization on graphene to enhance molecule adsorption on defective sites at the elevated processing temperatures and also orbital overlap between graphene and adsorbates (melamine). Low density of defects, which can be monitored by seeing the intensity ratio of the D to G mode in the Raman spectra, was generated by exposing graphene to short Ar plasma pulses, followed by dopant adsorption. The controllable creation of defects makes the precise doping on graphene feasible. Systematic characterizations by Raman scattering show that holes are transferred to graphene, with the doping level depending on the surface coverage of melamine. The charge transfer is also identified by the downshift of the charge neutrality point in the transfer characteristics.
Postoperative Radiotherapy for Resected Pathological Stage IIIA–N2 Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Retrospective Study of 221 Cases from a Single Institution
Authors: Dai Honghai , Hui Zhouguang , Ji Wei , Liang Jun , Lu Jima , Ou Guangfei , Zhou Zongmei , Feng Qinfu , Xiao Zefen , Chen Dongfu , Zhang Hongxing , Yin Weibo , He Jie , Wang Luhua
Published: April 2011

Learning Objectives

After completing this course, the reader will be able to: Describe the present clinical practice and controversies regarding the use of PORT in resected pIIIA-pN2 NSCLC.Evaluate the effect of PORT on overall survival and on tumor control in this subgroup of patients.

CME This article is available for continuing medical education credit at CME.TheOncologist.com

Background.

For patients with resected pathological stage IIIA–N2 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the role of postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) is not well defined. In this single-institutional study, we re-evaluated the effect of PORT on overall survival (OS) as well as tumor control in this subgroup of patients.

Methods.

In 2003–2005, 221 consecutive patients with resected pathological stage IIIA–N2 NSCLC at our institution were retrospectively analyzed in an institutional review board–approved study. The effect of PORT on OS, cancer-specific survival (CSS), and disease-free survival (DFS) was evaluated using the Kaplan–Meier method and log-rank tests. The impact of PORT on locoregional control and distant metastasis was also analyzed.

Results.

Compared with the control, patients treated with PORT had a significantly longer OS time (χ2, 3.966; p = .046) and DFS interval (χ2, 6.891; p = .009), as well as a trend toward a longer CSS duration (χ2, 3.486; p = .062). Patients treated with PORT also had a significantly higher locoregional recurrence-free survival rate (χ2, 5.048; p = .025) as well as distant metastasis-free survival rate (χ2, 11.248; p = .001). Multivariate analyses showed that PORT was significantly associated with a longer OS duration (p = .000).

Conclusions.

PORT can significantly improve the survival of patients with resected pathological stage IIIA–N2 NSCLC. A prospective randomized multicenter clinical trial is ongoing.
Follicular Adenoma and Carcinoma of the Thyroid Gland
Authors: McHenry Christopher R. , Phitayakorn Roy
Published: April 2011

Learning Objectives

After completing this course, the reader will be able to: Discuss the differentiation of follicular adenoma from follicular carcinoma.Explain novel developments in the diagnosis and treatment of follicular carcinoma.

CME This article is available for continuing medical education credit at CME.TheOncologist.com

Follicular neoplasms of the thyroid gland include benign follicular adenoma and follicular carcinoma. Currently, a follicular carcinoma cannot be distinguished from a follicular adenoma based on cytologic, sonographic, or clinical features alone. The pathogenesis of follicular carcinoma may be related to iodine deficiency and various oncogene and/or microRNA activation. Advances in molecular testing for genetic mutations may soon allow for preoperative differentiation of follicular carcinoma from follicular adenoma. Until then, a patient with a follicular neoplasm should undergo a diagnostic thyroid lobectomy and isthmusectomy, which is definitive treatment for a benign follicular adenoma or a minimally invasive follicular cancer. Additional therapy is necessary for invasive follicular carcinoma including completion thyroidectomy, postoperative radioactive iodine ablation, whole body scanning, and thyrotropin suppressive doses of thyroid hormone. Less than 10% of patients with follicular carcinoma will have lymph node metastases, and a compartment-oriented neck dissection is reserved for patients with macroscopic disease. Regular follow-up includes history and physical examination, cervical ultrasound and serum TSH, and thyroglobulin and antithyroglobulin antibody levels. Other imaging studies are reserved for patients with an elevated serum thyroglobulin level and a negative cervical ultrasound. Systemic metastases most commonly involve the lung and bone and less commonly the brain, liver, and skin. Microscopic metastases are treated with high doses of radioactive iodine. Isolated macroscopic metastases can be resected with an improvement in survival. The overall ten-year survival for patients with minimally invasive follicular carcinoma is 98% compared with 80% in patients with invasive follicular carcinoma.
Sympatric Alouatta seniculus and Cebus capucinus in an Andean forest fragment in Colombia: a survey of population density
Authors: Duque Néstor Roncancio , Gómez-Posada Carolina
Published: April 2011

Due to human activities, the Colombian Andean forests have lost about 85% of their original cover and very few species of primates persist in these fragmented landscapes. In the Western Cordillera, we evaluated the population density of Alouatta seniculus and Cebus capucinus by line transect census methodology, in a pre-montane isolated forest fragment of 559 ha, between 1200 to 1700 m of altitude. This is one of the few localities where the two species coexist naturally and the first study of their abundance in this cordillera. As we expected according to their diet and strategies, howlers had a higher density, 169 indv/km2 and an abundance of ~943 individuals. By contrast, the capuchins had a lower density, 13.5 ind/km2 with a population of ~76 individuals. Despite contrasting abundance, both species’ conservation in this isolated fragment will depend on landscape-level management to decrease isolation and increase habitat availability in the long term.
Nectar feeding on an exotic tree (Grevillea robusta) by Alouatta caraya and its possible role in flower pollination
Authors: Pavé Romina , Peker Silvana M. , Raño Mariana , Orjuela Carolina Ramírez , Zunino Gabriel E. , Kowalewski Martin M.
Published: April 2011

No abstract
Yeasts isolated from Alouatta palliata, Ateles geoffroyi, Cebus capucinus and Saimiri oerstedii (Primates: Cebidae)
Authors: Gross Norma , Castro Juan Diego , Guerrero Olga , Chinchilla Misael , Sánchez Ronald , Gutiérrez-Espeleta Gustavo
Published: April 2011

No abstract
On the identification of Callicebus cupreus and Callicebus brunneus
Authors: Vermeer Jan
Published: April 2011

No abstract
Sleep tree use by white-faced capuchins (Cebus capucinus): implications for differences in seedling composition
Authors: Valenta Kim , Klemens Jeffrey A. , Fedigan Linda M.
Published: April 2011

No abstract
Demography and conservation status for the critically endangered mexican howler monkey (Alouatta palliata mexicana) in the southern part of Los Tuxtlas Biosphere Reserve, Veracruz, Mexico
Authors: Juarez Eric Isaí Ameca , Luna Ernesto Rodríguez , Mace Georgina M.
Published: April 2011

The conservation status of the Mexican howler monkey in core zone III of Los Tuxtlas Biosphere Reserve, Veracruz, Mexico, is uncertain. Here, we provide the first set of demographic data of Alouatta palliata mexicana in the southern sector of the core zone III by using two different methods: line transect and sweep census. A total of twenty-six individuals divided in 6 groups were registered inhabiting the continuous forest, with a mean group size of 4 (± 0.5) individuals and a range of 3 to 6 individuals. The density of the animals for the study site was 0.04 howler monkeys/ha. Conversely, no individuals were found in any of the fragments surveyed within the buffer zone. Overall, field research showed a much lower density than was expected, suggesting historical and/or contemporary factors may be directly and/or indirectly affecting the persistence of the howlers in the area. New studies focused on the environmental changes caused by natural or anthropogenic factors will be of great aid in future management interventions and viability assessments of the population.
Cambios demograficos en poblaciones de primates de la region sur de Los Tuxtlas, Mexico: analisis longitudinal 1985–2008
Authors: García Brenda Solórzano , Luna Ernesto Rodríguez
Published: April 2011

Este análisis se basa en el censo de las poblaciones de primates realizado en la porción sureste de la Reserva de Biosfera Los Tuxtlas, México. Los datos demográficos obtenidos en 2008 son comparados con los reportados en 1985, con la finalidad de identificar las tendencias poblacionales de los primates en esta región. Se encontraron 12 fragmentos ocupados con un total de 37 individuos de Alouatta palliata mexicana y 68 individuos de Ateles geoffroyi vellerosus. El tamaño de la población total de primates en esta zona es muy similar al reportado para finales de la década de los 80s. Sin embargo, se encontró un aumento en la densidad ecológica y una disminución en la proporción de hembras y de inmaduros en los grupos de ambas especies de primates. Lo anterior puede considerarse como el inicio de procesos de declive demográfico en las poblaciones de primates en esta región, lo que puede ser consecuencia de una reducción en la calidad y cantidad de hábitat. Como medida conservacionista se sugiere aumentar la conectividad entre fragmentos de vegetación conservada, dentro de una estrategia que comprenda la compleja dinámica territorial de esta región.
Does Meditation Play an Integral Role in Achieving High-Level Wellness as Defined by Travis and Ryan (2004)?
Authors: Albrecht Nicole J
Published: April 2011

In the emerging discipline of wellness, Travis and Ryan (2004) develop a dynamic theory of wellness that while not explicitly stated takes a systems theory approach to health and wellness. As a result, their theory of wellness resonates with many of the concepts and ideals experienced through a meditation practice. It is with this congruence in mind that the current paper explores whether there is any relationship between meditation and high-level wellness and if meditation techniques play an integral role in helping to achieve enhanced levels of wellness. A wide range of research across disciplines is reviewed, and despite controversies in the methodology employed to test meditations efficacy, it is readily apparent that numerous benefits or wellness outcomes are derived from a meditation practice. However, it is doubtful that meditation is the only path to deliver high-level wellness, other means existsome that may be a function of the natural human condition.
Being The New York Times: the Political Behaviour of a Newspaper
Authors: Puglisi Riccardo
Published: April 2011

I analyse a dataset of news from The New York Times, from 1946 to 1997. Controlling for the activity of the incumbent president and the U.S. Congress across issues, I find that during a presidential campaign, The New York Times gives more emphasis to topics on which the Democratic party is perceived as more competent (civil rights, health care, labor and social welfare) when the incumbent president is a Republican. This is consistent with the hypothesis that The New York Times has a Democratic partisanship, with some “anti-incumbent” aspects, in that—during a presidential campaign—it gives more emphasis to issues over which the (Republican) incumbent is weak. To the extent that the interest of readers across issues is not systematically related with the political affiliation of the incumbent president and the election cycle, the observed changes in news coverage are consistent with The New York Times departing from demand-driven news coverage. In fact, I show that these findings are robust to controlling for Gallup data on the most important problem facing the country, which I use as a proxy for issue tastes of Times’ readers.
Effect of benzocyclobutadieno-annelation on cyclic conjugation in fluoranthene congeners
Authors: Gutman Ivan , Furtula Boris , Balaban Alexandru
Published: April 2011

Earlier studies revealed that benzo-annelation has a peculiar effect on the intensity of cyclic conjugation in the five-membered ring of fluoranthene congeners. Now, the analogous effect of benzocyclobutadieno-annelation was examined and it was found show it is opposite to the effect of benzo-annelation: A benzocyclobutadiene fragment in angular (resp. linear) position with regard to the five-membered ring, decreases (resp. increases) the intensity of cyclic conjugation in the five-membered ring.
The anisotropy of perceived distance: The eyes story
Authors: Toskovic Oliver
Published: April 2011

The aim of this study is to determine whether the eye position shift changes
perceived distance, that is, whether kinesthetic information from eye muscles
affects distance perception. Two experiments were done, in a dark room
(reduced-cue situation), with 27 participants, psychology undergraduates.
Participants had a task to match distances of three stimuli, on three viewing
directions, 0, 30 and 60 deg rees relative to the body. Head and body of
participants were fixed, and they changed viewing directions only by moving
their eyes. Stimuli were 7cm
The effect of music background on the emotional appraisal of film sequences
Authors: Pavlovic Ivanka , Markovic Slobodan
Published: April 2011

In this study the effects of musical background on the emotional appraisal of
film sequences was investigated. Four pairs of polar emotions defined in
Plutchik?s model were used as basic emotional qualities: joy-sadness,
anticipation-surprise, fear-anger, and trust disgust. In the preliminary
study eight film sequences and eight music themes were selected as the best
representatives of all eight Plutchik?s emotions. In the main experiment the
participant judged the emotional qualities of film-music combinations on
eight seven-point scales. Half of the combinations were congruent (e.g.
joyful film - joyful music), and half were incongruent (e.g. joyful film -
sad music). Results have shown that visual information (film) had greater
effects on the emotion appraisal than auditory information (music). The
modulation effects of music background depend on emotional qualities. In some
incongruent combinations (joysadness) the modulations in the expected
directions were obtained (e.g. joyful music reduces the sadness of a sad
film), in some cases (anger-fear) no modulation effects were obtained, and in
some cases (trust-disgust, anticipation-surprise) the modulation effects were
in an unexpected direction (e.g. trustful music increased the appraisal of
disgust of a disgusting film). These results suggest that the appraisals of
conjoint effects of emotions depend on the medium (film masks the music) and
emotional quality (three types of modulation effects).
Interpreting genesis: A note on artistic invention and the Byzantine illuminated letter
Authors: Maayan-Fanar Emma
Published: April 2011

The article explores iconography of the illuminated initial letters in the
Byzantine tenth century Homilies of John Chrysostom and other authors with
special reference to Oxford, Bodl. lib., Auct. T. 3.3. It is argued that
pictorial initials composed of human figures and human-animal combats
function as detailed visual interpretations of the written text, displaying
at the same time artistic uniqueness and imagination.
Steatite icon with the Deposition at the monastery of Iveron on Mount Athos
Authors: Liakos Dimitrios
Published: April 2011

This paper deals with a steatite icon of the Deposition, which is enshrined
in the sacristy of Iveron monastery. The icon consists of two parts, one
rectangular of light grey-greenish colour, with a smooth surface, and one
arched of a darker colouring, porous texture and a rougher surface. The
rectangular, older part of the icon is a fragment of a twelfth century icon
from which the lower left angle and fragments of the right and upper side
are lost. The fracture of this twelfth century icon led to its restitution
which took place in the fourteenth century (the arched part), as it appears
by the stylistic data and the inscriptions. At the same time the icon was
embedded in the wooden panel.
On the trail of the lost frescoes of Zica
Authors: Vojvodic Dragan
Published: April 2011

This paper, the first in a series with the same name, represents an attempt
at studying, on the basis of old research documentation, primarily drawings
and photographs, the destroyed parts of the wall painting of Zica and to
check the descriptions and interpretations of previous researchers.
Notes from the church of the Virgin at the island of Mali grad
Authors: Cvetkovski Saso
Published: April 2011

In this text the unknown parts of the wall paintings from the Church of the
Virgin at the island of Mali Grad (The Great Prespa Lake) are analyzed: the
figure of a monk praying to St. Paraskeve, on the southern wall of the nave,
as well as the painting on the southern fa?ade with the depictions of St.
George on horseback, the Virgin as Empress enthroned, and the bust of two
saints, St. Paraskeve and St. Nicholas. The monk is identified with the
hegoumenos Jona, mentioned in the donor?s inscription dating from 1369.
The fresco of the Virgin Hodegetria in the church of the Transfiguration in Ilyina street, Novgorod, and its artistic sources
Authors: Carevskaja Tat'jana
Published: April 2011

The paper examines the iconography and style of the fresco-icon on the
fa?ade of the Church of the Transfiguration in Ilyina Street. The fresco is
considered to be one of the crucial artworks of Novgorod from the second
half of the fourteenth century, and, is probably connected with the work of
a southern Slav artist. The possible explanation for the co-existence of the
fresco-icon, which was originally part of the decoration of the church's
western narthex, and the decoration from 1378, the author of which was
Theophanes the Greek, as well as the stylistic and colouristic differences
between the fresco-icon and the decoration of the core part of the church,
may lie in the circumstances caused by a fire in 1385. Those circumstances
led to the renewal of the damaged fresco by artists who appeared in Novgorod
during the final decade of the fourteenth century, when Theophanes the Greek
had, most likely, already left the city.
The depiction of the Virgin with the Christ in a niche on the western façade of the Church of the Transfiguration in Novgorod and the question of the painter's origin
Authors: Starodubcev Tatjana
Published: April 2011

The paper deals with a presentation of the Virgin with the Christ Child, in
the niche above the archivolt of the western portal of the Church of the
Transfiguration, in Novgorod. The fresco is assumed to have belonged to the
painted ensemble in the church narthex, none of which has survived. It is
also believed that like Theophanes the Greek, who headed the group painting
the naos in the church, the zographos who worked on the decoration of the
narthex, had arrived from Constantinople.
It's Not Kids’ Play!
Authors: Baxter Stacey
Published: April 2011

Marketers are interested in the knowledge, opinions, attitudes and behaviours of today's young consumers. This paper explores the nature of child-orientated survey research by means of an unstructured observational study. A total of 376 children between the ages of 7 and 12 participated in a study that examined consumer knowledge and behaviour. Participant's behaviour was observed during the questionnaire administration process with four primary issues being noted: group management, peer interaction, the ability to maintain interest and the desire to be ‘correct’. When using a self-completed questionnaire, it is suggested that the administration group size should be limited to eight children, questionnaire length should be limited to approximately 100 items or 10 to 15 minutes' completion time, and questionnaires should be collected immediately after completion.
Improving Response Rates in Web Surveys with Default Setting: The Effects of Default on Web Survey Participation and Permission
Authors: Jin Liyin
Published: April 2011

Researchers are increasingly using internet instruments such as email and online surveys as data-collection methods. However, web survey response rates are fairly low, which threatens the efficiency of web surveys. To use web surveys to gather data effectively, it is thus critical to improve the response rate of participants without compromising the low-cost advantage of this approach. The goal of this study is to explore the effects of default settings on consumers' web survey participation with a series of online field experiments. The findings are as follows. First, default settings affect respondents' choice of online survey participation. Compared with the ‘no default’ condition, nearly 25% more respondents chose to take a longer survey when ‘taking longer survey’ was set as the default option. Second, survey length influences respondents' willingness to participate in a future survey. Respondents who took longer surveys were more likely to accept an invitation to participate in a future survey. Third, default settings and survey length create a significant interaction effect that drives participation. Default effects are stronger when respondents have participated in a short survey instead of a long one. Finally, in the context of a web-based survey, default settings change both consumer participation and email invitations permission rates due to the ‘trade-off aversion’ principle.
In Search of the Sources of Brand Personality
Authors: Maehle Natalia , Supphellen Magne
Published: April 2011

Since Aaker's (1997) seminal article, in which a general measurement scale of brand personality was developed and tested, research on brand personality has burgeoned. However, there are still important gaps in the literature. The primary focus of previous studies has been either on understanding the effects of brand personality or on measurement issues. There is little research on how brand personalities are formed, a fundamental issue for marketers. To fill this gap, we identify in two studies the potential sources of brand personality, and assess their relevance for forming different brand personality dimensions. The pattern of results across studies provides a general framework for selecting the most relevant sources for each of five dimensions of the Aaker's brand personality concept: sincerity, competence, sophistication, excitement and ruggedness.
Blood Plasma Metabolic Profile of Aberdeen Angus Bulls during Postnatal Ontogenesis
Authors: Pavlík Aleš , Jelínek Pavel , Matějíček Martin , Illek Josef
Published: April 2011

Selected indicators for the metabolic profile of blood plasma in 22 Aberdeen Angus bulls reared by the extensive method were monitored during postnatal development (from 4 to 564 days of age), including total proteins, albumin, urea, creatinine, glucose, cholesterol, triacylglycerols, bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, tyroxin, triiodothyronine, calcium, inorganic phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, sodium, chlorides, copper, zinc and iron. In assessing the relationship of age to the indicators of the internal environment, values of correlation coefficients for total proteins (r = –0.70;p< 0.01), albumin (r = –0.56;p< 0.01), urea (r = –0.73;p< 0.01), glucose (r = –0.38;p< 0.01) and triiodothyronine (r = –0.82;p< 0.01) were established. Significant relationships were shown between the temperature of the external environment and the amount of total proteins (r = –0.38;p< 0.01), urea concentration (r = –0.41;p< 0.01), ALP (r = 0.58;p< 0.01) and ALT (r = 0.45;p< 0.01) activity. Temperature also showed a significant impact on the concentration of P (r = 0.57;p< 0.01), K (r = –0.69;p< 0.01) and Zn (r = 0.33;p< 0.01). The work yields important information on changes in the indicators of the metabolic profile of the blood plasma of bulls during postnatal development under defined nutritional and temperature conditions that can be used as reference values for evaluating health status as well as nutrition level.
Electrocardiography may be a useful tool in the diagnosis of early mild canine heartworm disease
Authors: Onyango Edward M.
Published: April 2011

This study was carried out to determine the usefulness of standard electrocardiography for the diagnosis of early canine heartworm disease. Baseline electrocardiograms were recorded in 12 dogs. Thirty artificial Dirofilaria immitis worms were inserted in the pulmonary artery of each dog. New electrocardiograms were recorded on days 1-4, 7, 14, 21, 28 and 35 after insertion of worms. A significant attenuation of amplitude of Q wave in lead I was recorded on days 1-4, 7, 14, 21, 28 and 35; of R wave in lead II on days 21, 28 and 35; and of S wave in lead aVR on days 7, 14, 21, 28 and 35. Duration of the QRS complex in lead AVF was significantly prolonged on day 14. In 41.6% of the dogs, right axis deviation was recorded. These results suggest that for a dog whose normal baseline standard electrocardiogram is known, a comparison of the QRS complex of the baseline with those of subsequent standard electrocardiograms may suggest early canine heartworm disease when there is an attenuation of amplitude of Q wave in lead I, R wave in lead II and S wave in lead aVR. An additional indication can be right axis deviation.