bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Family quality of life: adaptation to Spanish population of several family support questionnaires
Authors: Balcells‐Balcells A. , Giné C. , Guàrdia‐Olmos J. , Summers J. A.
Published: December 2010

Background The concept of family quality of life has emerged as a decisive construct in the last decades to improve the capabilities of families and to assess the outcomes of the services and supports they get. The goal of this research is to adapt three instruments to the Spanish population: the ‘Beach Center Family Quality of Life Scale’, the ‘Beach Center Family‐Professional Partnership Scale’ and the ‘Service Inventory’. These tools were originally designed by researchers from the Beach Center on Disability, University of Kansas, in order to obtain some input from the families of people with intellectual disability (ID) with regard to the attention they get from the early childhood intervention services.

Method The sample included a total of 202 families of children with ID, between 0 and 6 years old, all of them cared for at 13 early childhood intervention centres. Based on a confirmatory factorial analysis, we have explored the psychometric properties of the three scales administered to respondents. Statistical analyses were conducted with thespsssoftware version 17.0 and the EQS software version 6.1 for Structural Equation Models.

Results The results confirm that the factor structure of the ‘Beach Center Family Quality of Life Scale’, the ‘Beach Center Family‐Professional Partnership Scale’ and the ‘Service Inventory’ adapted for the Spanish population fit the factor models proposed by the authors of the surveys. Consequently, the scales are ready to be used.

Conclusions The developed measures may serve as a foundation for good decision‐making from practices and policies.
Olanzapine vs. risperidone in treating aggressive behaviours in adults with intellectual disability: a single blind study
Authors: Amore M. , Bertelli M. , Villani D. , Tamborini S. , Rossi M.
Published: December 2010

Background  Aggressive behaviour represents a frequent symptom in people with intellectual disability (PWID). Despite uncertain evidence of effectiveness, the use of antipsychotics (APs) drugs to treat aggressive behaviour is very common. Antipsychotic medication of aggressivity in PWID has recently become one of the most debated issues in mental health and the need of further research is persistently stressed by most researchers.

Aim  The present study was firstly aimed at evaluating the effectiveness (efficacy on target behaviour, safety and persistence on treatment) of new generation APs, in particular, olanzapine and risperidone in treating aggressive behaviour in PWID for who previous medication with first generation APs (FGAs) were not effective.

Methods  62 subjects with intellectual disability underwent to a 2‐arm, parallel group pragmatic trial of olanzapine and risperidone with balanced randomisation and blind assessment of outcome at 4, 8, 12, 16, 20 and 24 weeks after a switch (cross‐tapering) from a 24‐week treatment with FGAs. Aggressive behaviours were assessed by Overt Aggression Scale (OAS) and clinical outcome by Clinical Global Impression Scale. Side effects were assessed with Dosage Record and Treatment Emergent Symptoms Scale, other symptom‐specific scales, laboratory and instrumental tests.

Results  Both risperidone and olanzapine resulted to be more effective than FGAs in reducing aggressive behaviour. Repeated‐measures analysis of covariance revealed that treatment groups differed for cumulative number of aggressive episodes during the FGAs treatment, which was higher for olanzapine.

Conclusion  Our findings seem to confirm that olanzapine and risperidone can be effective in reducing aggressive behaviour in PWID. Both compounds resulted to be well tolerated, with side effects similar to those encountered in other patient populations.
‘happy on norflurazon’ (hon) mutations implicate perturbance of plastid homeostasis with activating stress acclimatization and changing nuclear gene expression in norflurazon‐treated seedlings
Authors: Saini Geetanjali , Meskauskiene Rasa , Pijacka Wioletta , Roszak Pawel , Sjögren Lars L. E. , Clarke Adrian K. , Straus Marco , Apel Klaus
Published: December 2010

Various mutant screens have been undertaken to identify constituents involved in the transmission of signals from the plastid to the nucleus. Many of these screens have been performed using carotenoid‐deficient plants grown in the presence of norflurazon (NF), an inhibitor of phytoene desaturase. NF‐treated plants are bleached and suppress the expression of nuclear genes encoding chloroplast proteins. Several genomes uncoupled (gun) mutants have been isolated that de‐repress the expression of these nuclear genes. In the present study, a genetic screen has been established that circumvents severe photo‐oxidative stress in NF‐treated plants. Under these modified screening conditions, happy on norflurazon (hon) mutants have been identified that, like gun mutants, de‐repress expression of the Lhcb gene, encoding a light‐harvesting chlorophyll protein, but, in contrast to wild‐type and gun mutants, are green in the presence of NF. hon mutations disturb plastid protein homeostasis, thereby activating plastid signaling and inducing stress acclimatization. Rather than defining constituents of a retrograde signaling pathway specifically associated with the NF‐induced suppression of nuclear gene expression, as proposed for gun, hon mutations affect Lhcb expression more indirectly prior to initiation of plastid signaling in NF‐treated seedlings. They pre‐condition seedlings by inducing stress acclimatization, thereby attenuating the impact of a subsequent NF treatment.
Cryptosporidium parvum causes gastroenteritis epidemics in the Nablus region of Palestine
Authors: Hussein Ayman S.
Published: December 2010

A total of 30 faecal samples collected from individuals admitted to a local hospital in Nablus city in Palestine with gastroenteritis symptoms, plus five faecal samples from healthy individuals living in the same area were screened for the presence of Cryptosporidium spp. by microscopic analysis using malachite green negative staining. Molecular techniques were used to confirm the microscopic identification. All 30 samples from individuals with gastroenteritis symptoms were positive by both techniques. No other parasites were found in the faecal material of patients or healthy individuals. To explore the source of the outbreak, water was collected from various reservoirs and springs that supply the city with drinking water. Al‐Qaryoon water spring was found to be contaminated with Cryptosporidium using both microscopic and molecular analysis. No other water resources were found to be contaminated. Genotyping analysis of Cryptosporidium oocysts using PCR‐RFLP technique identified the parasite as C. parvum.
Cell death induction and nitric oxide biosynthesis in white poplar (Populus alba) suspension cultures exposed to alfalfa saponins
Authors: Balestrazzi Alma , Agoni Valentina , Tava Aldo , Avato Pinarosa , Biazzi Elisa , Raimondi Elena , Macovei Anca , Carbonera Daniela
Published: December 2010

The present work reports on the biological activity of alfalfa (Medicago sativa) saponins on white poplar (Populus alba, cultivar ‘Villafranca’) cell suspension cultures. The extracts from alfalfa roots, aerial parts and seeds were characterized for their saponin content by means of thin layer chromatography (TLC) and electrospray ionisation coupled to mass spectrometry. The quantitative saponin composition from the different plant extracts was determined considering the aglycone moieties and determined by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analyses. Only soyasapogenin I was detected in the seed extract while several other saponins were found in the root and leaf extracts. Actively proliferating white poplar cell cultures were challenged with the different saponin extracts. Only alfalfa root saponins, at 50 µg ml−1, induced significant cell death rates (75.00 ± 4.90%). Different cell subpopulations with peculiar cell death morphologies were observed and the programmed cell death (PCD)/necrosis ratio was reduced at increasing saponin concentrations. Enhancement of nitric oxide (NO) production was observed in white poplar cells treated with root saponins (RSs) at 50 µg ml−1 and release of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the culture medium was also demonstrated. Saponin‐induced NO production was sensitive to sodium azide and NG‐monomethyl‐l‐arginine, two specific inhibitors of distinct pathways for NO biosynthesis in plant cells.
On being a good nurse: Reflections on the past and preparing for the future
Authors: Begley Ann M
Published: December 2010

Begley AM.International Journal of Nursing Practice2010;16: 525–532 On being a good nurse: Reflections on the past and preparing for the future

The objectives of this paper include reflecting on the attributes of the ‘good’ nurse in the past, outlining thematically the essential attributes (virtues) required by the ‘good’ nurse today and presenting an original 4‐point framework for ethics in practice. Although there is no doubt that nurses in the past were highly professional, the culture within which they practiced tended to stifle the emergence of autonomy, assertiveness, advocacy and accountability.

An original table of contemporary attributes, which is congruent with a neo Aristotelian virtue ethical approach, is arranged in themes of Intellectual and Practical Attributes, Dispositional Attributes and Moral Attributes. A framework for professional practice, the ‘Four As’ is then extrapolated from these themes. These four key professional attributes, autonomy, advocacy, accountability and assertiveness, along with the virtues listed in the themes, exemplify the ‘good’ nurse and are identified as the linchpins of modern professional ethics and good conduct.
The effect of medical emergency teams on patient outcome: A review of the literature
Authors: Laurens Natasha H , Dwyer Trudy A
Published: December 2010

Laurens NH, Dwyer TA.International Journal of Nursing Practice2010;16: 533–544 The effect of medical emergency teams on patient outcome: A review of the literature

This paper presents a review of literature on the impact of the medical emergency team (MET) on inpatient mortality, cardiopulmonary arrests or unscheduled intensive care unit (ICU) admissions. A total of 14 172 abstracts and 98 full text papers were reviewed. In total, 24 met the inclusion criteria, 2 used a cluster‐randomized controlled trial, 11 before and after, 6 retrospective analyses, 4 prospective cohorts and 1 not reported. There is moderate to strong evidence that METs are associated with decreased mortality and cardiac arrest rates, and weak evidence on its impact on ICU admission rate reductions. This evidence suffers from the flaws with only two randomized controlled trials examining differing outcome measures with differing results.

Poor methodology and failure to report both quality improvement co‐interventions and time response rates of METs, limit the strength of the evidence that METs are effective interventions for preventing mortality, code rates or unscheduled ICU admissions. Studies with improved implementation practices and evaluation of the efficacy of MET is warranted.
Nurse prescribing: A vehicle for improved collaboration, or a stumbling block to inter‐professional working?
Authors: Fisher Richard
Published: December 2010

Fisher R. International Journal of Nursing Practice 2010; 16: 579–585 Nurse prescribing: A vehicle for improved collaboration, or a stumbling block to inter‐professional working?

Prescribing by community nurses is established practice in the UK National Health Service. Although much has been written about the technical aspects of prescribing, little published work addresses the ways in which prescribing might affect relationships. Part of a PhD project set in southern England, this ethnographic project used semistructured interviews with a purposive sample of district nurses (n = 17), staff nurses (n = 4), pharmacists (n = 2) and a general practitioner to investigate the real world of nurse prescribing. Using theories of domination, power and legitimacy from Weber and Foucault, this paper sets out to demonstrate that despite government efforts to encourage collaborative working, power relationships still play an important part in some areas of practice. Analysis, building from Morrell's notion of naïve functionalism, reveals strategies used by actors in community practice to manage such relationships.
Constant slip rate during the late Quaternary along the Sulu He segment of the Altyn Tagh Fault near Changma, Gansu, China
Authors: Seong Yeong Bae , Kang Hee Cheol , Ree Jin‐Han , Yi Chaolu , Yoon Hyeon
Published: December 2010

The question of whether millennial‐scale geological slip rates are consistent with decade‐scale geodetic slip rates is of great importance in evaluating the nature of continental deformation within the Tibetan Plateau. We determined the time‐averaged slip rate of the Sulu He segment of the Altyn Tagh Fault, near Changma in Gansu Province, China, based on geomorphic analysis, remote sensing data, and cosmogenic 10Be surface‐exposure age dating. Quaternary alluvial fan deposits in the study area (Qf1, Qf2, Qf3) are displaced by left‐lateral movement along the Altyn Tagh Fault. Because of the large accumulated displacement of these fans, some of them have become disconnected from the fan apexes that are directly linked to the debris‐source areas in the piedmont of the Qilian Shan to the south. The total minimum offsets are estimated to be about 429 ± 41 m for Qf1, about 130 ± 10 m for Qf2, and 32 ± 1 m for Qf3. The 10Be surface‐exposure ages obtained for Qf1 and Qf2 are 100–112 ka and 31–43 ka, respectively. Accordingly, the slip rate since the period of Qf1 and Qf2 depositions is calculated to have been about 3.7 mm/yr.
Total anomalous pulmonary vein drainage: Report of an autopsy case associated with atresia of the common pulmonary vein and left superior pulmonary vein
Authors: Yamada Sohsuke , Hisaoka Masanori , Wang Ke‐Yong , Ding Yan , Guo Xin , Shimajiri Shohei , Matsumoto Hayato , Shirakawa Yoshitsugu , Sasaguri Yasuyuki
Published: December 2010

We describe the clinicopathological features of a case of total anomalous pulmonary vein drainage (TAPVD) associated with atresia of the common pulmonary vein (ACPV). A male Japanese infant born at 37 weeks of gestation demonstrated apnea and severe respiratory acidosis immediately after delivery. The patient died of hypoxemic respiratory failure 6 days after birth despite the initiation of artificial ventilation and administration of a surfactant. Autopsy showed the bilateral inferior pulmonary veins joined with a blind confluence, representing ACPV, accompanied by atresia of the left superior pulmonary vein. Moreover, the anomalous and small right superior pulmonary vein drained into the superior vena cava, consistent with partial and supracardiac type TAPVD. A histological examination of the lungs exhibited diffuse dilation of the lymphatic channels in the peribronchial, interlobular, hilar and focally, subpleural areas. The channels were lined with flattened endothelium which was immunohistochemically positive for D2‐40. These findings conformed to a secondary form of pulmonary lymphangiectasis due to the congenital cardiovascular anomalies, including TAPVD and ACPV. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first case of TAPVD associated with ACPV, atresia of left superior pulmonary vein and pulmonary lymphangiectasis.
Superior mesenteric artery syndrome: Risk factor for duodenal involvement in Henoch–Schönlein purpura
Authors: Harada Tomonori , Kaneko Tetsuji , Ito Shuichi , Hataya Hiroshi , Nariai Akiyoshi , Mori Masaaki , Yokota Shumpei
Published: December 2010

Background:  The anatomical location of the third portion of the duodenum is between the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) and the abdominal aorta (AA). When the aorto‐mesenteric angle (AMA) is small and the aorto‐mesenteric distance (AMD) is short, the duodenum becomes tightly compressed between these two blood vessels. Severe compression can obstruct the duodenum, resulting in vomiting and abdominal pain. This clinical condition is termed superior mesenteric artery syndrome (SMA syndrome). The duodenum is frequently affected in Henoch–Schönlein purpura (HSP). The aim of the present study was to verify that duodenal anatomy mimicking SMA syndrome is a risk factor for duodenal involvement and abdominal pain in HSP.

Methods:  A prospective case–control study involving 12 HSP patients compared with 48 age‐ and sex‐matched children (controls) was conducted. Bowel abnormalities were defined as thickened wall >3 mm and paralytic ileus detected on ultrasound. AMA, AMD and obesity index (OI) were compared between the two groups on Mann–Whitney testing. The correlation between duodenal bowel abnormalities and SMA syndrome was examined using Fisher's exact test.

Results:  AMA, AMD and OI were significantly smaller in the HSP patients (P < 0.001, 0.003 and 0.026, respectively). All HSP patients, but only 10 controls, met the ultrasound diagnostic criteria for SMA syndrome (100% vs 20.8%, P < 0.001).

Conclusions:  Duodenal compression by SMA against the AA, which mimics SMA syndrome, may lead to duodenal bowel abnormalities with abdominal pain in thin children with HSP.
The Political Role of Service Delivery in State‐Building: Exploring the Relevance of European History for Developing Countries
Authors: Van de Walle Steven , Scott Zoe
Published: December 2010

Concerns about failed and fragile states have put state‐ and nation‐building firmly on the academic and policy agenda, but the crucial role of public services in this process has remained underexplored. The 1960s and ‘70s generated a substantial set of literature that is largely missing from current writing. It identified state penetration, standardisation and accommodation as key processes in the state‐ and nation‐building sequence. This article analyses these three processes in Western Europe in the seventeenth to nineteenth centuries, and the role of public services therein, to explore how they may help us to understand the success and failure of state‐ and nation‐building in developing countries and fragile states.
From Commoditisation to De‐commoditisation … and Back Again: Discussing the Role of Sustainability Standards for Agricultural Products
Authors: Daviron Benoit , Vagneron Isabelle
Published: December 2010

Sustainability standards are flooding global agricultural markets. Standards, however, are not new. This article analyses, from a historical perspective, the implications of the transition from traditional to sustainability standards in the commoditisation/de‐commoditisation process. It shows how early standards contributed to the construction of the category of primary commodities and how, after a short attempt at de‐commoditisation (with the early fair‐trade and organic standards), sustainability standards are tending towards re‐commoditisation.
Aid, Institutions and Governance: What Have We Learned?
Authors: Booth David
Published: December 2010

Understanding of the relationship between institutions and economic progress made major headway in the 1990s. Since 2000 the pace of intellectual advance has been stepped up, with fresh thinking especially on governance systems and the role of aid. This article illustrates these propositions with special reference to relevant contributions to DPR over the period. Three particular topics are addressed: the rise and transformation of institutional theory; aid, governance and ‘country ownership’; and the terms on which donors can contribute to the facilitation of institutional change. The article introduces a theme issue which celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Overseas Development Institute by reprinting nine of the highlighted DPR articles.
Politics and Growth
Authors: Williams Gareth , Duncan Alex , Landell‐Mills Pierre , Unsworth Sue
Published: December 2010

Theories of growth have made progress in understanding the mechanisms of growth in economic terms. However, there is less understanding of the political processes that enable or obstruct these mechanisms. This article provides a four‐stage framework to clarify and analyse the connections between politics and growth: (i) discussing the basic conditions essential for growth; (ii) suggesting that whether or not these conditions emerge depends on specific forms of public‐private interaction; (iii) linking these relationships to the incentives facing those in political power and investors; and (iv) considering the factors at country level that may help to push incentives in a pro‐growth direction.
Generalised and Particularistic Thinking in Policy Analysis and Practice: The Case of Governance Reform in South Africa
Authors: Frödin Olle
Published: December 2010

This article is concerned with the relationship between generalised and particularistic knowledge in the context of policy‐making and policy analysis. It argues that it is problematic to assume that a reform model will generate similar outcomes across a wide variety of contexts. It presents a conceptual framework, including the concepts of transaction domain and domain consensus, that enables context‐sensitive analyses. The argument is exemplified by South Africa's introduction in the 1990s of an Integrated Development Planning model, based on British reform experience and various international public‐management models. With a case study of such planning in Lukhanji Municipality in the Eastern Cape Province, it illustrates how the conceptual framework may be used in policy research and analysis.
Going with the Grain in African Development?
Authors: Kelsall Tim
Published: December 2010

In view of the disappointing performance of the Good Governance agenda in Africa, policy‐makers are asking whether better results could be obtained with approaches that attempt to ‘work with the grain’ of African societies. This article explores what this might mean. It identifies a core set of beliefs and values – concerning power, accountability and social morality – that have proved extremely durable and remain powerful drivers of behaviour across sub‐Saharan Africa. It finds that, in general, Western institutions sit ill with these traditions. The question is, therefore, how to redirect development efforts so that they stop working against, and start to build upon, the extant notions of moral obligation and interpersonal accountability in the region.
Developing equivalent Chinese and English scale‐point labels for rating scales used in survey research
Authors: Au Wing‐tung , Rohrmann Bernd , Taylor Paul , Ho Jane Ming‐chun , Yeung Siu‐wai
Published: December 2010

Rating scales are the most frequently‐used response tool in surveys, and the scale levels are commonly described with words [verbal scale‐point labels (VSPL)]. In this study, Chinese VSPL were identified which employ five‐point scales that are psychometrically equivalent to English VSPL. In several bilingual studies, a total of 61 Chinese and 44 English items addressing intensity, frequency, and agreement rating modalities were tested. For each VSPL, three aspects were measured: position between minimum and maximum, familiarity, and appeal. The correspondence between pertinent Chinese and English words was also assessed. Based on these findings, we recommend specific VSPL that are best‐suited for achieving equivalence between Chinese and English in rating scales.
Definitions of bullying: Age and sex differences in a Turkish sample
Authors: Ucanok Zehra , Smith Peter K. , Karasoy Durdu Sertkaya
Published: December 2010

The aim of the present study was to investigate the meaning profile of the Turkish term ‘zorbalık’, which is considered the most similar to the English word ‘bullying’, and of five other terms in Turkish that describe bullying‐like behaviours. We used the cartoon methodology of a previous study, but with an expanded task of 40 stick‐figure cartoons. These cartoons were shown to 124 students (70 girls and 54 boys), in fourth grade (M = 9.3 years) and eighth grade (M = 13.3 years). Our findings indicated four major clusters: neutral or non‐aggressive, physically aggressive, verbally aggressive, and social exclusion, with the physically‐aggressive cluster splitting into two clusters, physical bullying and other physical aggression, in the older students.
Savouring and perceived job performance in positive psychology: Moderating role of positive affectivity
Authors: Lin Chia‐Wu , Chen Shu‐Ling , Wang Ruei‐Yang
Published: December 2010

Building on the research in positive psychology, the current study examines the impact of employee savouring on building perceived job performance and tested the extent to which an individual positive affectivity moderated the relationship of savouring and job performance. Using survey responses from 357 salespeople in six Taiwanese insurance companies, the results of hierarchical regression analyses show that savouring is positively related to perceived job performance. In addition, the relationship between savouring and perceived job performance was moderated by employees' positive affectivity. The implications of these results and the limitations of the research are discussed.
Effect of screen size on multimedia vocabulary learning
Authors: Kim Daesang , Kim Dong‐Joong
Published: December 2010

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of three different screen sizes (small, medium and large) and two types of multimedia instruction (text only and text with pictorial annotation) on vocabulary learning. One hundred thirty‐five Korean middle school students learning English as a foreign language were randomly distributed into six groups and were given a pretest, a self‐study multimedia instruction, a posttest and a retention test online. The pretest, posttest and retention test were identical and included 30 vocabulary questions. Results show that the large screen multimedia instruction helped the students to learn English vocabulary more effectively than the small screen instruction as demonstrated on both the posttest and retention test. However, there was little difference in vocabulary learning between the text‐only and text‐with‐pictorial annotation instructions. Although visual perception can be influenced by each learner's expectations and knowledge, using a smaller screen for instruction causes more challenges for learners to perceive and comprehend vocabulary learning.
Measurement Error Correction by Exploiting Gene–Environment Independence in Family‐Based Case–Control Studies
Authors: GUOLO ANNAMARIA
Published: December 2010

Abstract.  Family‐based case–control designs are commonly used in epidemiological studies for evaluating the role of genetic susceptibility and environmental exposure to risk factors in the etiology of rare diseases. Within this framework, it is often reasonable to assume genetic susceptibility and environmental exposure being conditionally independent of each other within families in the source population. We focus on this setting to explore the situation of measurement error affecting the assessment of the environmental exposure. We correct for measurement error through a likelihood‐based method. We exploit a conditional likelihood approach to relate the probability of disease to the genetic and the environmental risk factors. We show that this approach provides less biased and more efficient results than that based on logistic regression. Regression calibration, instead, provides severely biased estimators of the parameters. The comparison of the correction methods is performed through simulation, under common measurement error structures.
CARR: a scalable solution for network packet classification
Authors: Li Wei , Zheng Weibin , Lin Juanjuan , Guan Xiaohong , Li Ling , Chaudhry Sohail S. , Wang Pan , Liu Yanping
Published: December 2010

Modern Internet routers have to handle a large number of packet classification rules, which requires classification schemes to be scalable both in time and space. In this paper, we present a scalable packet classification algorithm that is developed by combining two new concepts to the well‐known bit vector (BV) scheme. We propose a range search method based on a cache‐aware tree (CATree) which makes full use of processor's cache line to reduce the number of dynamic random access memory (DRAM) accesses. Theoretically, the number of DRAM accesses of CATree is about log(m+1) times lower than that of the widely used binary search algorithm, where m is the number of keys in a single cache line. Based on our computational results on a set of 1024 keys, the CATree algorithm is 36% faster than binary search algorithm and the performance is better when applied to a larger set of keys. In addition, we develop a rule re‐arrangement algorithm to reduce the bitmap space of BV. With this re‐arrangement, the rules for the same action may be assigned an identical priority. This reduces the number of priorities as well as the memory space of the bitmap. Furthermore, this also reduces the number of memory accesses and hence, increases the CPU cache utilization. With CATree and rule re‐arrangement, the cache‐aware bit vector with rule re‐arrangement algorithm achieves better performance in comparison with the regular BV scheme, both in space and time. In our experiments, the proposed algorithm reduces the bitmap memory space of a practical set of firewall rules by two orders of magnitude and is 91% faster than the regular BV.
Reflections on the Unique Response of Brazil to the Financial Crisis and its Urban Impact
Authors: FERNANDES ANA CRISTINA , NOVY ANDREAS
Published: December 2010

This essay explores the reasons for the reduced negative effects of the 2008 global financial crisis on Brazil and its cities by applying an analysis that connects these urban effects with the national dynamics. Despite substantial variation within the country, reduced impact can be credited to the response to the crisis by the current Lula administration and to features of the country's urbanization process. First, universal redistributive social programmes, together with an enlarged domestic market, better insertion in the global economy, prudential regulation and a stable fiscal situation, have put the country in a comfortable position to react to the crisis by adopting countercyclical policies. Second, given the advanced urbanization in Brazil, social and active macroeconomic policies have produced decisive and specific effects on the urban fabric. Recent processes of inland urbanization have created new areas of regional and urban dynamics, thus the impact of the crisis on cities has not only been mild, affecting the most industrialized and internationally oriented metropolises hardest, but has also become an opportunity for strengthening urban areas through active macroeconomic and social policies and helping foster a more decentralized national urban network, thereby leading to stronger links between social inclusion and territorial cohesion.

Les effets négatifs de la crise financière mondiale de 2008 ont été moins forts au Brésil et dans ses villes. Pour en établir les raisons, une analyse associe ces répercussions sur le plan urbain et les dynamiques nationales. Malgré une variation considérable au niveau national, l'impact réduit peut être attribuéà la réaction du gouvernement Lula face à la crise et aux caractéristiques du processus d'urbanisation brésilien. D'abord, ses programmes sociaux universels de redistribution, ainsi que son marché intérieur en expansion, sa meilleure insertion dans l'économie mondiale, sa réglementation prudentielle et sa situation fiscale stable, ont donné au pays une position confortable pour réagir à la crise en adoptant des politiques anticycliques. Ensuite, du fait de l'urbanisation avancée du Brésil, les politiques sociales et macro‐économiques actives ont eu des effets décisifs et spécifiques sur le tissu urbain. Des projets d'urbanisation récents dans les provinces intérieures ont créé des tremplins régionaux et urbains. Ainsi, la crise n'a pas seulement eu un impact modéré sur les villes, en frappant surtout les métropoles les plus industrialisées et orientées à l'international, elle s'est aussi transformée en une occasion de renforcer les zones urbaines grâce à des politiques sociales et macro‐économiques dynamiques et de contribuer à un réseau urbain national plus décentralisé, débouchant sur des rapports plus solides entre inclusion sociale et cohésion territoriale.
UV irradiation‐induced zinc dissociation from commercial zinc oxide sunscreen and its action in human epidermal keratinocytes
Authors: Martorano Lisa M , Stork Christian J , Li Yang V
Published: December 2010

Zinc oxide (ZnO) is an active ingredient in sunscreen owing to its properties of broadly filtering the ultraviolet (UV) light spectrum and it is used to protect against the carcinogenic and photodamaging effects of solar radiation on the skin. This study investigated the dissociation of zinc (Zn2+) from ZnO in commercial sunscreens under ultraviolet type B light (UVB) irradiation and assessed the cytotoxicity of Zn2+ accumulation in human epidermal keratinocytes (HEK). Using Zn2+ fluorescent microscopy, we observed a significant increase in Zn2+ when ZnO sunscreens were irradiated by UVB light. The amount of Zn2+ increase was dependent on both the irradiation intensity as well as on the ZnO concentration. A reduction in cell viability as a function of ZnO concentration was observed with cytotoxic assays. In a real‐time cytotoxicity assay using propidium iodide, the treatment of UVB‐irradiated ZnO sunscreen caused a late‐ or delayed‐type cytotoxicity in HEK. The addition of a Zn2+ chelator provided a protective effect against cellular death in all assays. Furthermore, Zn2+ was found to induce the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in HEK. Our data suggest that UVB irradiation produces an increase in Zn2+ dissociation in ZnO sunscreen and, consequently, the accumulation of free or labile Zn2+ from sunscreen causes cytotoxicity and oxidative stress.
Treatment of procedure‐related postinflammatory hyperpigmentation using 1064‐nm Q‐switched Nd:YAG laser with low fluence in Asian patients: report of five cases
Authors: Kim Sangeun , Cho Kyeong‐hun
Published: December 2010

Postinflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) developing after cosmetic procedures, such as chemical peeling and laser therapies, are always a concern, especially in Asians. Some cases of PIH tend to be spontaneously regressed; however, certain forms of PIH need to be treated with several therapeutic attempts, including bleaching creams, several kinds of Q‐switched lasers, and erbium‐doped fractional photothermolysis system, with various treatment outcomes. A 1064‐nm Q‐switched Nd:YAG laser with low‐fluence therapy is easily applicable, and the therapeutic trial in our case was revealed to have minimal downtime without post‐therapy bleeding or crust formation; the post‐therapy erythema spontaneously resolved within a few hours. The 1064‐nm Q‐switched Nd:YAG laser with low‐fluence treatment should be considered in the treatment of PIH caused by procedures like laser surgery and chemical peeling in Asian patients.
Adult attachment styles and stressor severity as moderators of the coping sequence
Authors: HOLMBERG DIANE , LOMORE CHRISTINE D. , TAKACS TRISTA A. , PRICE E. LISA
Published: December 2010

This study examined the normative temporal sequence of the coping process and whether stressor severity or adult attachment styles moderated that sequence. Participants (N = 75) described a minor or a major stressor. They were given a stack of index cards, representing coping strategies from five different domains. They selected strategies they had employed and sorted them into the order used. Overall, support from partner was one of the first coping techniques used. Adult attachment styles moderated the coping sequence. For major stressors, dismissing attachment predicted later use of support seeking from partner and earlier use of distancing coping, while preoccupied attachment predicted earlier use of emotion‐focused coping.
Sticks and stones may break my bones: Protective factors for the effects of perceived discrimination on social competence in adolescence
Authors: MYRICK SHANNON E. , MARTORELL GABRIELA A.
Published: December 2010

Adolescents are developing in an increasingly diverse society requiring sophisticated and flexible social skills for effective negotiation of social environments. Developing these social skills effectively has important implications for adolescents, especially those of diverse ethnic backgrounds. This study investigated social competence in minority and nonminority adolescents from the perspective of an integrated and context‐specific model of development (C. Garcia Coll et al., 1996). The relationships among perceived discrimination, attachment, ethnic identity, and social competence were explored in 320 middle school students using questionnaire methodology. Perceived discrimination was found to be negatively related to social competence in all participants and attachment was found to be a buffering factor, but only in minority adolescents. The findings support a unique developmental context of minority and nonminority youth and highlight the need for continuing research on constructs such as attachment and ethnic identity that may be influential in outcomes such as social competence.
Popular Fiction and the ‘Emotional Turn’: The Case of Women in Late Victorian Britain
Authors: Crozier‐De Rosa Sharon
Published: December 2010

Many within the history profession today consider that we are experiencing an ‘emotional turn’, a perception that has been spurred by a recent proliferation of research centres and outpouring of publications exploring the concept of emotion. Interest in this field looks likely to grow, although there are methodological challenges that have yet to be overcome, as, of course, there are with any newly emerging field of study. One main concern is source material. Attempting to access such an elusive and intensely subjective area of historical inquiry as emotions requires seeking out new sources, as well as returning to old ones with a fresh eye, with new questions in mind. In the specific realm of the emotional lives of women living in Victorian and Edwardian Britain, fiction proves a promising source – popular fiction especially. This is due to the fact that this was the era that ushered in the modern bestseller, novels that more often than not explored the everyday and the emotional, novels that were thought to have been ‘devoured’ by women in particular. This essay plots recent developments in the burgeoning area of emotions history, as well as those that have taken place in relation to the use of fiction as evidence in a history of women’s interior lives. It argues that, at this point in the development of emotions history, when questions of methodology, interdisciplinarity and sources are being addressed more widely, consideration should be given to popular fiction as a readily available pathway, if not an uncomplicated one, into the emotions of the past.
African Hip Hop and Politics of Change in an Era of Rapid Globalization
Authors: Ntarangwi Mwenda
Published: December 2010

African hip hop has emerged as a forum that allows youth to critically participate in the continent’s development and ideological processes in this era of rapid globalization. Arguing that a large proportion of youth in Africa are now involved in various forms of resistance and contestation of social and political practices and processes, I show that with the shrinking role of the state in providing social services due to global economic changes African hip hop has become a platform for challenging current ways of living and the reimagining of a new world. Taking the advantage of spaces created by market‐driven economic structures, African youth are consistently thrusting themselves in the public space commenting on politics, economics, and culture in ways that were unimaginable in the last two decades of the 20th century. With examples from multiple countries in Africa, this paper shows how youth in Africa are participating in the shaping of the political and economic futures.
Textile applications of photochromic dyes. Part 1: establishment of a methodology for evaluation of photochromic textiles using traditional colour measurement instrumentation
Authors: Little Anna F , Christie Robert M
Published: December 2010

Commercial photochromic dyes change rapidly and reversibly from colourless to coloured when activated by ultraviolet irradiation. This paper contributes towards the growing interest in the development of chromic textiles for creative design, functional or smart purposes. The optimisation of a methodology to evaluate the colouristic properties of photochromic textiles using traditional ultraviolet illumination source and colour measurement equipment is described. The experimental factors requiring careful control, including temperature and the time interval between ultraviolet irradiation and measurement, are identified. On the basis of a statistical evaluation of validity, a consistent, reproducible semi‐quantitative methodology is described, which is appropriate for evaluation of the performance of commercial photochromic dyes applied to textiles, a detailed investigation of which will form the basis of subsequent papers in this series.
Polymer‐ and wax‐based monoconcentrate predispersed pigments in the colouring of plastics
Authors: Deshmukh Suresh P , Parmar Mahindra B , Rao Ashok C , Wadhwa Varinder
Published: December 2010

Over the past few decades, masterbatch production has been increasing year by year. Pigments are used primarily in masterbatches because of their ability to impart colour or opacity to a matrix. The effectiveness of pigments depends not only on their intrinsic ability to absorb or scatter light, but also, importantly, on the dispersiblity and distribution of the pigments that can be achieved in plastics. Nowadays, stringent environmental as well as excellent quality controls are making inevitable the use of non‐dusty monoconcentrated predispersed pigments for the production of masterbatches for the colouring of plastics. Commercially, for the most part, two types of monoconcentrated predispersed pigments are being used for the colouring of thermoplastic masterbatches. These are polymer‐ and wax‐based predispersed pigments. This study has been undertaken to provide a comparison of the colouring properties of polymer‐ and wax‐based monoconcentrated predispersed pigments. Four commercially used organic pigments have been selected. Both types of monoconcentrate predispersed pigments have been developed on a co‐rotating twin‐screw compounding extruder with a length/diameter ratio of 44. A detailed analysis on the comparison of the colouring properties is presented. Results indicate that good colour properties are achieved when operating conditions are optimised.
Use of lipoprotein lipase in the improvement of some properties of wool fabrics
Authors: El‐Sayed Wafaa , Nofal Reem , El‐Sayed Hosam
Published: December 2010

Wool fabrics were pretreated with hydrogen peroxide in the presence of different stabilisers; namely, sodium silicate, magnesium sulphate and imino disuccinic acid sodium salt. The effect of stabiliser type and concentration on the properties of the treated wool were studied. Imino disuccinic acid sodium salt was found to be the most effective stabiliser for hydrogen peroxide when added to the bleaching bath of wool fabric. The effect of after‐treatment of the pre‐oxidised wool fabric with commercially produced lipoprotein lipase enzyme on its dyeability with acid and reactive dyes, as well as on some of its physico‐mechanical properties, was assessed. Chemical and microscopic analyses were conducted to assess changes in the chemical composition of wool treated with this system. Wool fabrics treated with hydrogen peroxide/imino disuccinic acid sodium salt/lipoprotein lipase enzyme exhibit improved wettability and, hence, dyeability with both acid and reactive dyes, as well as enhanced resistance to felting shrinkage and pilling, without severe deterioration in the fabric’s inherent properties.
Studies on silk fabric dyed with a hemicyanine dye
Authors: Qin Chuanxiang , Chen Dawei , Tang Ren‐cheng , Huang Yanlin , Wang Xiaomei , Chen Guoqiang
Published: December 2010

Silk fabric was dyed with a hemicyanine dye, DHEASPBr‐C4, to create the fluorescent silk fabric in this article. The study initially focuses on the dyeing properties of the dyed silk fabric, followed by the reflectance and emission spectra. The results show that the sorption isotherms are the Langmuir type and the dyed silk fabrics using DHEASPBr‐C4 have an obvious fluorescent effect in the spectral range 570–720 nm, while their peak locations of ca. 590 nm in the emission spectra are under the excitation of 365 nm. Finally, the CIE coordinates of the dyed silk fabric are discussed in order to investigate further potential applications.
Platelet‐white blood cell (WBC) interaction, WBC apoptosis, and procoagulant activity in stored red blood cells
Authors: Keating Friederike K. , Butenas Saulius , Fung Mark K. , Schneider David J.
Published: December 2010

BACKGROUND: Nonleukoreduced units of red blood cells (RBCs) contain activated platelets (PLTs) that interact with white blood cells (WBCs) and may promote inflammation and thrombosis in the recipient. The aim of this study was to characterize PLT‐WBC interactions (PLT‐WBC aggregates [PLAs]), WBC apoptosis, WBC death, and the development of procoagulant activity in RBCs during storage.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: RBCs were prepared from volunteer donor blood and stored. Samples were analyzed with flow cytometry between Days 1 and 15 to measure PLT‐monocyte aggregate (PMA) and PLT‐neutrophil aggregate (PNA) formation, WBC apoptosis (annexin V binding), and cell death (binding of 7‐aminoactinomycin D). Procoagulant activity in the supernatant of four RBC preparations was assessed between Days 1 and 39 using a clotting assay with and without the addition of an inhibitory anti‐tissue factor (TF) antibody, αTF‐5.

RESULTS: PLA formation was extensive and maximal on Day 3 of storage (PNA, 23 ± 13%; PMA, 93 ± 4%; n = 6). Apoptosis was progressive throughout storage, with 95 ± 4% of neutrophils and 73 ± 19% of monocytes binding annexin V on Day 15. Cell death became measurable after apoptosis. Procoagulant activity was observed in all RBCs but with varying temporal patterns. It was partially TF dependent and removed with high‐speed centrifugation, suggestive of an association with microparticles.

CONCLUSION: The activation of PLTs during the storage of RBCs induces PLA formation that precedes WBC apoptosis and death. Procoagulant activity, likely associated with microparticles derived from apoptotic WBCs, may contribute to adverse effects of stored, nonleukoreduced RBCs.