bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ethnic Differences in Carotid Intima-Media Thickness Between UK Children of Black African-Caribbean and White European Origin
Authors: Whincup Peter H. , Nightingale Claire M. , Owen Christopher G. , Rapala Alicja , Bhowruth Devina J. , Prescott Melanie H. , Ellins Elizabeth A. , Donin Angela S. , Masi Stefano , Rudnicka Alicja R. , Sattar Naveed , Cook Derek G. , Deanfield John E.
Published: May 2012

Background and Purpose—

UK black African-Caribbean adults have higher risks of stroke than white Europeans and have been shown to have increased carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT). We examined whether corresponding ethnic differences in cIMT were apparent in childhood and, if so, whether these could be explained by ethnic differences in cardiovascular risk markers.

Methods—

We conducted a 2-stage survey of 939 children (208 white European, 240 black African-Caribbean, 258 South Asian, 63 other Asian, 170 other ethnicity), who had a cardiovascular risk assessment and measurements of cIMT at mean ages of 9.8 and 10.8 years, respectively.

Results—

Black African-Caribbean children had a higher cIMT than white Europeans (mean difference, 0.014 mm; 95% CI, 0.008–0.021 mm;
P
<0.0001). cIMT levels in South Asian and other Asian children were however similar to those of white Europeans. Among all children, cIMT was positively associated with age, systolic and diastolic blood pressure and inversely with combined skinfold thickness and serum triglyceride. Mean triglyceride was lower among black African-Caribbeans than white Europeans; blood pressure and skinfold thickness did not differ appreciably. However, adjustment for these risk factors had little effect on the cIMT difference between black African-Caribbeans and white Europeans.

Conclusions—

UK black African-Caribbean children have higher cIMT levels in childhood; the difference is not explained by conventional cardiovascular risk markers. There may be important opportunities for early cardiovascular prevention, particularly in black African-Caribbean children.
Bevacizumab Attenuates VEGF-Induced Angiogenesis and Vascular Malformations in the Adult Mouse Brain
Authors: Walker Espen J. , Su Hua , Shen Fanxia , Degos Vincent , Amend Gregory , Jun Kristine , Young William L.
Published: May 2012

Background and Purpose—

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression is elevated in human brain arteriovenous malformations (bAVM). We have developed a bAVM model in the adult mouse by focal
Alk1
gene deletion and human VEGF stimulation. We hypothesized that once the abnormal vasculature has been established, tonic VEGF stimulation is necessary to maintain the abnormal phenotype, and VEGF antagonism by bevacizumab (Avastin) would reduce vessel density and attenuate the dysplastic vascular phenotype.

Methods—

Angiogenesis and bAVM were induced by injection of adeno-associated viral vector expressing human VEGF alone into the brain of wild-type mice or with adenoviral vector expressing Cre recombinase (Ad-Cre) into

Alk1
2f/2f

mice. Six weeks later, bevacizumab or trastuzumab (Herceptin, bevacizumab control) was administered. Vessel density, dysplasia index, vascular cell proliferation and apoptosis, and human IgG were assessed (n=6/group).

Results—

Compared with trastuzumab (15 mg/kg), administration of 5, 10, and 15 mg/kg of bevacizumab to adeno-associated viral vector expressing human VEGF treated wild-type mice reduced focal vessel density (
P
<0.05); administration of 5 mg/kg bevacizumab decreased proliferating vascular cells (
P
=0.04) and increased TUNEL-positive vascular cells (
P
=0.03). More importantly, bevacizumab (5 mg/kg) treatment reduced both vessel density (
P
=0.01) and dysplasia index (
P
=0.02) in our bAVM model. Human IgG was detected in the vessel wall and in the parenchyma in the angiogenic foci of bevacizumab-treated mice.

Conclusions—

We provide proof-of-principle that, once abnormal AVM vessels have formed, VEGF antagonism may reduce the number of dysplastic vessels and should be evaluated further as a therapeutic strategy for the human disease.
Moral Values Are Associated with Individual Differences in Regional Brain Volume
Authors: Lewis Gary J. , Kanai Ryota , Bates Timothy C. , Rees Geraint
Published: May 2012

Moral sentiment has been hypothesized to reflect evolved adaptations to social living. If so, individual differences in moral values may relate to regional variation in brain structure. We tested this hypothesis in a sample of 70 young, healthy adults examining whether differences on two major dimensions of moral values were significantly associated with regional gray matter volume. The two clusters of moral values assessed were “individualizing” (values of harm/care and fairness) and “binding” (deference to authority, in-group loyalty, and purity/sanctity). Individualizing was positively associated with left dorsomedial pFC volume and negatively associated with bilateral precuneus volume. For binding, a significant positive association was found for bilateral subcallosal gyrus and a trend to significance for the left anterior insula volume. These findings demonstrate that variation in moral sentiment reflects individual differences in brain structure and suggest a biological basis for moral sentiment, distributed across multiple brain regions.
Dopamine Agonists and the Suppression of Impulsive Motor Actions in Parkinson Disease
Authors: Wylie Scott A. , Claassen Daniel O. , Huizenga Hilde M. , Schewel Kerilyn D. , Ridderinkhof K. Richard , Bashore Theodore R. , van den Wildenberg Wery P. M.
Published: May 2012

The suppression of spontaneous motor impulses is an essential facet of cognitive control that is linked to frontal-BG circuitry. BG dysfunction caused by Parkinson disease (PD) disrupts the proficiency of action suppression, but how pharmacotherapy for PD impacts impulsive motor control is poorly understood. Dopamine agonists improve motor symptoms of PD but can also provoke impulsive–compulsive behaviors (ICB). We investigated whether dopamine agonist medication has a beneficial or detrimental effect on impulsive action control in 38 PD patients, half of whom had current ICB. Participants performed the Simon conflict task, which measures susceptibility to acting on spontaneous action impulses as well as the proficiency of suppressing these impulses. Compared with an off-agonist state, patients on their agonists were no more susceptible to reacting impulsively but were less proficient at suppressing the interference from the activation of impulsive actions. Importantly, agonist effects depended on baseline performance in the off-agonist state; more proficient suppressors off agonist experienced a reduction in suppression on agonist, whereas less-proficient suppressors off agonist showed improved suppression on agonist. Patients with active ICB were actually less susceptible to making fast, impulsive response errors than patients without ICB, suggesting that behavioral problems in this subset of patients may be less related to impulsivity in motor control. Our findings provide further evidence that dopamine agonist medication impacts specific cognitive control processes and that the direction of its effects depends on individual differences in performance off medication.
Does Vatican II Represent a U-Turn in the Catholic Church’s Teaching on Liberal Democracy?
Authors: Carr James M.
Published: May 2012

Abstract

This article analyses the attitude of the Roman Catholic Church towards liberal democracy since the nineteenth century, charting shifts in emphasis and tone under Pope Leo XIII in the late nineteenth century and under Pius XII during the Second World War. It then examines how, if at all, church teaching in this area changed during and after the Second Vatican Council. Attention is paid to the historical context and doctrinal status of these teachings. It is argued that the church position on democracy over the last two centuries is characterized by development and continuity rather than disjuncture and contradiction. This position was neither as hostile in the nineteenth century nor as sympathetic in the twentieth century as is claimed by those who regard Vatican II as a ‘U-turn’ in church teaching. Liberal democracy remains a contested terrain and the church position towards it remains one of critical dialogue.
Patrilineal or Matrilineal Genealogy in Israel after Ezra
Authors: Heger Paul
Published: May 2012

Abstract

In this exploration of rabbinic attitudes toward the patrilineal or matrilineal determination of ethnic identity, the author affirms that Ezra did not introduce the idea of matrilineal identity and that he did not expel non-Israelite women in an effort to ensure racial purity, as some scholars argue. Ezra’s goal in expelling these women and their children, despite the latter’s Jewish identity as the offspring of Jewish fathers, was to reduce pagan influences on the Israelite community by avoiding social contacts with surrounding peoples. While maintaining the patrilineal system, the rabbis determined that in a mixed marriage, children inherit their mother’s ethnicity, irrespective of her faith. This modification of the existing practice was effected in the frame of the rabbinic transition from a general “common-sense” approach to halakic decisions to a “legal sense” conceptualization. Examples from various rules support this thesis; conflicting scholarly opinions on both ethnicity and conversion issues are disputed.
Factors that Impede or Facilitate Post-Conflict Justice Mechanisms?
Authors: Rothe Dawn L. , Maggard Scott
Published: May 2012

This article provides an overview of post-conflict justice (PCJ) as well as a detailed analysis of factors that impede or facilitate the implementation of mechanisms to address the atrocities of a conflict. Grounded in an extensive new dataset, developed over the past three years, covering all conflicts in Africa between 1946 and 2009, we extend previous research by including empirical testing of previously untested assumptions and variables impacting PCJ, most notably, the role of power, politics, economics, and geo-strategic interests at the state and international political levels as well as combining previously tested variables amongst and between each other. Further, the aspects of PCJ, including conflicts where mechanisms were not deployed are included in the analysis along with those coded as symbolic in nature. We conclude by discussing the pragmatic issues associated with testing the concept of realpolitik and policy implications based on our analysis.
Vague Language That Is Rarely VagueP: A Case Study of “Thing” in L1 and L2 Discourse
Authors: Gassner Denise
Published: May 2012

This paper investigates the use of “vague language” (Channell, 1994) in English L1 and L2 speaker discourse. In particular, the item “thing”, which is used about 2.5 times more often by the L1 than the L2 speakers, is analysed in job interviews in Australia. Since “thing” has been termed “vague language” this paper will first provide a theoretical discussion of the notion of vagueness with a special focus on “thing”. The discussion of vagueness is mainly based on the “underdeterminacy thesis” (Carston, 1988, 2002; Atlas, 2005) and is, thus, closely linked to explicature construction and the notion of saturation. The theoretical discussion will lead to a definition of vagueness as a pragmatic hearer based phenomenon (vaguenessP) which will be applied to an analysis of “thing” in the L1 and L2 employment interview data collected. The analysis will show that “thing” is used differently by the two populations with regards to the notion of vaguenessPbut also with respect to the saturation requirement of this item. While the analysis shows that “thing” is not inherently vagueP, some instances of “thing” in the L2 data do seem to introduce the phenomenon of vaguenessP. Furthermore, the preference of L1 and L2 speakers for different saturation processes has an influence on the effect achieved by “thing”.
A Decade of Antarctic Science Support Through Amps
Authors: Powers Jordan G. , Manning Kevin W. , Bromwich David H. , Cassano John J. , Cayette Arthur M.
Published: May 2012

The Antarctic Mesoscale Prediction System (AMPS) is a real-time numerical weather prediction (NWP) system covering Antarctica that has served a remarkable range of groups and activities for a decade. It employs the Weather Research and Forecasting model (WRF) on varying-resolution grids to generate numerical guidance in a variety of tailored products. While its priority mission has been to support the forecasters of the U.S. Antarctic Program, AMPS has evolved to assist a host of scientific and logistical needs for an international user base. The AMPS effort has advanced polar NWP and Antarctic science and looks to continue this into another decade. To inform those with Antarctic scientific and logistical interests and needs, the history, applications, and capabilities of AMPS are discussed.
Factors Associated with Decadal Variability in Great Plains Summertime Surface Temperatures
Authors: Weaver Scott J.
Published: May 2012

Decadal variability of summertime Great Plains surface temperature is probed from the perspective of the Great Plains low-level jet (GPLLJ). GPLLJ variability modes 2 and 5 are shown to be most influential on the evolution and magnitude of Great Plains surface temperature anomalies over the latter half of the twentieth century, including the development of the summertime warming hole and are further linked to the Pacific decadal oscillation (PDO) and Atlantic multidecadal oscillation (AMO), respectively. The connection between GPLLJ variability and Great Plains surface temperature is strongest when the PDO and AMO are oppositely phased, and in the case of the warming hole, a preference for a positive (negative) PDO (AMO).

The influence of remote SST variability on the central U.S. warming hole is broadly consistent with previous modeling studies. However, the pivotal role that GPLLJ variability plays in linking the hemispheric-wide SST variability (through the AMO and PDO) to the regional warming hole is an expanded and clarified perspective. These findings unify the results of recent studies from the U.S. Climate Variability and Predictability (CLIVAR) Drought Working Group and have implications for decadal climate prediction efforts.
Does Nudging Squelch the Extremes in Regional Climate Modeling?
Authors: Otte Tanya L. , Nolte Christopher G. , Otte Martin J. , Bowden Jared H.
Published: May 2012

An important question in regional climate downscaling is whether to constrain (nudge) the interior of the limited-area domain toward the larger-scale driving fields. Prior research has demonstrated that interior nudging can increase the skill of regional climate predictions originating from historical data. However, there is concern that nudging may also inhibit the regional model’s ability to properly develop and simulate mesoscale features, which may reduce the value added from downscaling by altering the representation of local climate extremes. Extreme climate events can result in large economic losses and human casualties, and regional climate downscaling is one method for projecting how climate change scenarios will affect extreme events locally. In this study, the effects of interior nudging are explored on the downscaled simulation of temperature and precipitation extremes. Multidecadal, continuous Weather Research and Forecasting model simulations of the contiguous United States are performed using coarse reanalysis fields as proxies for global climate model fields. The results demonstrate that applying interior nudging improves the accuracy of simulated monthly means, variability, and extremes over the multidecadal period. The results in this case indicate that interior nudging does not inappropriately squelch the prediction of temperature and precipitation extremes and is essential for simulating extreme events that are faithful in space and time to the driving large-scale fields.
Continental-Scale Basin Water Storage Variation from Global and Dynamically Downscaled Atmospheric Water Budgets in Comparison with GRACE-Derived Observations
Authors: Fersch Benjamin , Kunstmann Harald , Bárdossy András , Devaraju Balaji , Sneeuw Nico
Published: May 2012

Since 2002, the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) has provided gravity-derived observations of variations in the terrestrial water storage. Because of the lack of suitable direct observations of large-scale water storage changes, a validation of the GRACE observations remains difficult. An approach that allows the evaluation of terrestrial water storage variations from GRACE by a comparison with those derived from aerologic water budgets using the atmospheric moisture flux divergence is presented. In addition to reanalysis products from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts and the National Centers for Environmental Prediction, high-resolution regional atmospheric simulations were produced with the Weather Research and Forecast modeling system (WRF) and validated against globally gridded observational data of precipitation and 2-m temperature. The study encompasses six different climatic and hydrographic regions: the Amazon basin, the catchments of Lena and Yenisei, central Australia, the Sahara, the Chad depression, and the Niger. Atmospheric-related uncertainty bounds based on the range of the ensemble of estimated terrestrial water storage variations were computed using different configurations of the regional climate model WRF and different global reanalyses. Atmospheric-related uncertainty ranges with those originating from the GRACE products of GeoForschungsZentrum Potsdam, the Center for Space Research, and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory were also compared. It is shown that dynamically downscaled atmospheric fields are able to add value to global reanalyses, depending on the geographical location of the considered catchments. Global and downscaled atmospheric water budgets are in reasonable agreement (r ≈ 0.7 − 0.9) with GRACE-derived terrestrial mass variations. However, atmospheric- and satellite-based approaches show shortcomings for regions with small storage change rates (<20–25 mm month−1).
The Human Rights of Migrant Workers
Authors: Ruhs Martin
Published: May 2012

This article addresses two questions: First, what explains the very low level of ratifications of the international legal instruments for the protection of the rights of migrant workers? Second, what are the implications for research and policy debates on the rights of migrant workers in practice? The author argues that the key reason for the underratification and limited effectiveness of international migrant rights conventions relates to the perceived and/or real consequences (different types of costs and benefits) of extending rights to migrants for the national interests (however defined) of nation-states. In addition to their intrinsic value, the rights of migrant workers play an important instrumental role in shaping the outcomes of international labor migration for receiving countries, migrants, and their countries of origin. Migrant rights are in practice a core component of nation-states’ labor immigration policies, which involve decisions on the number and type of migrants to be admitted as well as their rights after admission. Consequently, migrant rights cannot be studied in isolation of admission policy, in terms of both positive and normative analysis. To understand why, when, and how countries restrict migrant workers’ rights, and to discuss what rights migrant workers should have, one needs to consider the potential interrelationships between migrant rights, on one hand, and national policies for admitting migrant workers, on the other hand. This opens up a new and important research agenda that has thus far remained largely unexplored.
China’s Emergence as a Global Nanotech Player: Lessons for Countries in Transition
Authors: Bhattacharya Sujit , Bhati Madhulika
Published: May 2012

Nanotechnology is developing as a strategic branch of science and engineering in the twenty-first century, a key technology that can fundamentally restructure the technologies currently used in varied industries. Nanotechnology appeals to developing economies as it can provide novel interventions in areas that are of pressing concern such as the environment, water purification, agriculture, energy and so on. Thus, it becomes important to assess the extent to which developing countries are creating capacity in this technology and whether it is providing a ‘window of opportunity’ for them to ‘catch up’ with the developed world. This study highlights the significant achievements by China in capacity creation which is already showing tangible outcomes. Government-affiliated research institutes and universities are playing a leading role in this endeavour and developing novel partnerships particularly with foreign firms. Through the lens of nanotechnology development, the study examines China’s policies, strategies and governance that are helping it to create capacity and make a strong assertion at the global stage in a high-technology area. The study discusses the lessons from China for other emerging economies that are trying to ‘catch up’ using technological intervention.
Hindustan as a Geographic and Political Concept in Qing Sources, 1700–1800
Authors: Mosca Matthew W.
Published: May 2012

This article examines Chinese and Manchu-language sources on Sino-Indian contact during the 18th century, concentrating on those—chiefly produced on the basis of intelligence arriving via Xinjiang—that describe ‘Hindustan’. During the 18th century, ‘Hindustan’ was an evolving political and geographic concept for Qing observers. At first used in Chinese transliteration primarily by a small cohort of Chinese Muslim scholars, the term rose to prominence during the empire’s westward expansion in the 1750s. In subsequent decades, geographers, officials, and even the Qianlong Emperor analysed its name, location, historical identity and other characteristics. A central issue in these debates was the relationship between newly-prominent ‘Hindustan’ and older conceptions of ‘India’. The intersection of geographic terms and concepts from multiple linguistic and cultural backgrounds, central to interpretations of ‘Hindustan’, was a general feature in the formation of geographic worldviews during the era of Qing expansion, and an important element shaping Chinese understandings of India in the relatively neglected period between 1650 and 1850.
Reading and comprehension levels in a sample of urban, low-income persons
Authors: Delgado Cheryl , Weitzel Marilyn
Published: May 2012

Objective:

Because health literacy is related to healthcare outcomes, this study looked at reading and comprehension levels in a sample of urban, low-income persons.

Design:

This was a descriptive exploration of reading comprehension levels, controlled for medical problems that could impact on vision and therefore ability to read.

Setting:

Ninety persons were recruited in the waiting areas of a healthcare provider serving the homeless and urban poor.

Method:

Visual acuity and blood pressures were obtained and for diabetic patients measures of glycaemic control were recorded. Reading and comprehension was tested with the Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT) 4 standardized assessment. Limited demographic data was obtained. Descriptive and frequency statistics were calculated as well as Pearson r coefficients.

Results:

Results indicated that most participants were healthy or had well controlled conditions. No health parameters were significantly related to reading/comprehension scores. Reading and comprehension scores were lower than standardized norms with mean reading just under grade 10 and comprehension at mid-ninth grade. The mean composite scores placed them in the lower 30th percentile of readers. Women scored below men in all areas.

Conclusion:

Participants in this study had reading and comprehension levels at beginning high school level. They may have difficulty understanding healthcare hand-outs and instructions. Healthcare information sources should be written at levels comprehensible to clients, and alternative methods of information dissemination should be considered.
Human Rights as Paradox and Equivocation in Contexts of Adivasi (original dweller) Dispossession in India
Authors: Kapoor Dip
Published: May 2012

This paper advances the proposition that a dialectical appreciation of the politics of state-institutionalized human rights in colonial and neoliberal hegemonic (imperial) contexts helps to shed light on why Adivasi facing development displacement and dispossession are unlikely to advance their political and existential interests through recourse to an estatized human rights mechanism embedded in global and national political and economic structures imbricated in the historical projects of colonialism and imperialism (globalization of capitalism). Adivasi social movement inspired ‘human rights’ (and related conceptions) informed by an anti-colonial/imperial project that transgress these trajectories continue to provide the primary political impetus for asserting the continued place of Adivasi (see Kapoor, 2011 for an elaboration on such assertions). The paper is informed by funded research into ‘Learning in Adivasi social movements in eastern India’ (2006–2009), the author’s relationship with Adivasi and rural movements/activism in this region since the early 1990s, and secondary literature addressing the politics of human rights in Adivasi contexts of development displacement and dispossession.
Radical Thinking in South Africa’s Age of Retreat
Authors: Helliker Kirk , Vale Peter
Published: May 2012

This article traces the rise and fall of radical praxis in South Africa and offers a critique of the prevailing practices of former Marxists under post-apartheid conditions. Western Marxism emerged in the 1970s in South Africa and Marxist activists became deeply involved in the liberation movements. With the unravelling of apartheid, the main liberation forces made a social pact with capitalist forces and former Marxists embraced a statist project. In the context of the rise of ‘new’ social movements, radical thinking of a more Libertarian kind is emerging in contemporary South Africa.
Strength prediction of braided composite plates with lateral holes by a finite element-based point stress criterion
Authors: Hwan Chung-Li , Tsai K-H , Chiu Chang-Hsuan , Huang YS
Published: May 2012

Up to now, the notched strengths of composite plates with lateral cutouts cannot be predicted by the point stress criterion because of no analytical solutions available. In this study, this problem is tackled by a finite element-based point stress criterion. In this approach, the stress distribution of a braided composite plate with two semi-circular holes is first obtained by a finite element analysis, in which the experimental notched strength is applied at the boundary of the finite element model. Secondly, the point stress criterion is used to find the characteristic length for each plate with different size of hole by an interpolation of the finite element analysis results. The characteristic length is then expressed as an empirical function of the hole size as well as the width of the plate. Finally, the notched strengths of composite plates are predicted based on the empirical function and the finite element analysis results incorporated with the principle of superposition in elasticity. It is shown that the predicted notched strengths of composite plates with two lateral semi-circular holes by this new methodology agree well with the experimental results.
A research on sound insulation characteristics and processing of the embedded and co-cured composite damping structures
Authors: Liang Sen , Xiu Yaoyao , Wang Hui
Published: May 2012

According to the designable mechanical characteristics of composite structure, the ingredients of viscoelastic damping material is developed by synthetically considering the vulcanization characteristics of viscoelastic materials and the cure behaviours of epoxy resins, and 5231/EW180B glass cloth prepreg is presented here to manufacture the embedded and co-cured composite damping structure (ECCDS). A secondary vulcanization method of viscoelastic material is investigated to fabricate the experimental specimens of ECCDS. The co-cured processing of the composite material embedding viscoelastic damping membrane is explored according to the glass fabric/epoxy composite cure cycle. By using a standing wave tube method, sound insulation performance of the composite damping structure is firstly studied and compared with the composite material without the damping layer. The conclusion indicates that ECCDS has a very strong potential to insulate sound.
The role of solid content of adhesive and panel density on the dimensional stability and mechanical properties of particleboard
Authors: Sarı Bünyamin , Nemli Gökay , Baharoğlu Mehmet , Bardak Selahattin , Zekoviç Emir
Published: May 2012

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of the panel density and solid content of adhesive on the physical (thickness swelling) and mechanical properties (modulus of rupture, modulus of elasticity, and internal bonding strength) of particleboard composite. For the changing panel density, two different target densities (0.60 and 0.65 g/cm3), three different hot pressing pressures (20, 25, and 30 kg/cm2), two different shelling ratios (35% and 45%), and two different surface coating materials (at 70 and 90 g/m2 grammage) were applied during the manufacturing of test panels. Increasing pressure improved all the properties of particleboard. However, applying lower or higher pressure level than required and necessary level negatively affected the thickness of the panels. Shelling ratio was found to be effective on the mechanical and physical properties of particleboard. Increasing panel density improved the strength properties and thickness swelling after 2 h immersion. However, high panel density negatively affected the thickness swelling after 24 h immersion. Coating of particleboard surfaces caused superior mechanical, except for internal bond strength, and physical properties. Melamine-impregnated paper grammage significantly improved the modulus of rupture, modulus of elasticity, and thickness swelling. Increasing paper grammage improved these properties. However, internal bond strength was not affected by paper grammage. Decreasing solid content of adhesive in the surface layers significantly improved all the properties of particleboard composite.
Ethnicity and Contemporary American Culture
Authors: Vargas Jose H. , Kemmelmeier Markus
Published: May 2012

The United States is one of the most culturally diverse societies. Research has documented numerous differences in cultural orientations across U.S. ethnic/racial groups. But with continual intergroup interactions and increasing influxes of non–European Americans, it remains unclear to what extent these cultural differences persist in the long term. Via meta-analysis, we compared African, Asian, Latino, and European Americans on horizontal–vertical individualism–collectivism. There were no ethnic/racial differences in the mean scores of both variants of collectivism, although European Americans were higher in vertical individualism than African Americans and Latino Americans. Longitudinal analyses pointed to evidence of a convergence of cultural orientations, but analyses of the intercorrelations between the four dimensions of individualism–collectivism revealed noticeable group differences. The discussion elaborates on processes that may promote cultural convergence. Remarks are also made with regard to the persistent cultural, political, and economic group differences that are evident in the meanings and compatibility of different value dimensions.
The Socio-Educational Model of Music Motivation
Authors: MacIntyre Peter D. , Potter Gillian K. , Burns Jillian N.
Published: May 2012

The well-established socio-educational model of second language learning motivation developed by R. C. Gardner was adapted and applied to study instrumental music learning motivation. The similarities between music and language suggested that the adaptation might lead to new insights in the study of music motivation. At the heart of the proposed model is a multifaceted description of the relationships among motivation, attitudes, anxiety, support from others, perceived competence, and achievement. A sample of 107 high school band students was selected to participate in this study. Results of a path analysis of questionnaire responses indicate that the adapted and expanded socio-educational model fit very well with the present data and described key motivational structures. The key support for motivation to learn was supplied by integrativeness (an interest in taking on the characteristics of musicians, positive attitudes toward learning instruments, and an interest in music learning), plus attitudes toward the learning situation (music teacher and course).
Pharmacokinetics of Modified‐Release Prednisone Tablets in Healthy Subjects and Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: Derendorf Hartmut , Ruebsamen Klaus , Clarke Lynsey , Schaeffler Achim , Kirwan John R.
Published: May 2012

In rheumatoid arthritis (RA), nocturnal release of proinflammatory cytokines is not adequately counteracted by endogenous glucocorticoid and is associated with symptoms of morning stiffness and pain. Taking exogenous glucocorticoid during the night reduces morning stiffness significantly more than treatment at the conventional time in the morning, although waking to take tablets is unacceptable for patients. Modified‐release prednisone tablets were developed to allow administration at bedtime for programmed delivery of glucocorticoid during the night. Single‐center crossover studies were conducted, each in ≥24 healthy subjects, to compare the pharmacokinetics of a single 5‐mg oral dose of modified‐release prednisone and conventional prednisone, as well as the effect of food on bioavailability [Correction added May 23, 2013 after online publication: in the full article HTML only, the ≤ symbol was used instead of the ≥ symbol in the preceding sentence. The PDF was correct.]. There was no substantial difference in pharmacokinetic parameters of the formulations apart from the programmed delay in release of glucocorticoid from the modified‐release tablets (Cmax 97%, AUC0‐∞ 101%, 90% confidence intervals within the requisite range for bioequivalence). Administration after a full or light meal did not affect pharmacokinetic characteristics, but bioavailability was reduced under fasted conditions. Pharmacokinetic evaluation in 9 patients with RA confirmed that modified‐release prednisone tablets taken at bedtime (around 22:00 h) with or after an evening meal result in programmed release of glucocorticoid 4 to 6 hours after intake.
Happiness as a Motivator
Authors: Haase Claudia M. , Poulin Michael J. , Heckhausen Jutta
Published: May 2012

What motivates individuals to invest time and effort and overcome obstacles (i.e., strive for primary control) when pursuing important goals? We propose that positive affect predicts primary control striving for career and educational goals, and we explore the mediating role of control beliefs. In Study 1, positive affect predicted primary control striving for career goals in a two-wave longitudinal study of a U.S. sample. In Study 2, positive affect predicted primary control striving for career and educational goals and objective career outcomes in a six-wave longitudinal study of a German sample. Control beliefs partially mediated the longitudinal associations with primary control striving. Thus, when individuals experience positive affect, they become more motivated to invest time and effort, and overcome obstacles when pursuing their goals, in part because they believe they have more control over attaining their goals.
Second-Generation Yemeni American Women at the Turn of the Century: Between Individual Aspirations and Communal Commitments
Authors: al-Huraibi Nahla , Konradi Amanda
Published: May 2012

Despite fascination with Muslim, and especially Arab, women s influence and priorities in the United States, the majority of studies focused on Islam and gender have missed their voices. This study highlights the narratives of 20 Yemeni-American second-generation women who described their unique ways of belonging to two cultures. This study found that religious women who practiced hijab challenged biased gender practices within their communities by bringing to light progressive notions in Islam. Moreover, and through expanding their roles inside and outside their families, they crafted a balance between achieving as individuals and maintaining communal bonds. In doing so, they gained self-confidence and critical family support to go beyond the local community's narrow “boarders” (and low expectations for women) and pursue academic, economic and political empowerment in the mainstream. In short, in the latter part of the 20th century and early 21th century, our Yemeni respondents developed hybridized identities as a result of multiple processes: their understanding of Islam, the isolated history of Yemen, chain migration patterns to the US from Yemen, the dynamics of the Southend enclave in Detroit, MI, as well as multicultural spaces that had previously opened in the mainstream American institutions in Detroit.
Education, Citizenship, and African American Community in Nineteenth-Century Cincinnati: Issues of Social, Cultural, and Human Capital
Authors: Anderson M. Christine , Bertaux Nancy E.
Published: May 2012

In Cincinnati, Ohio, the history of the social and economic status of blacks as it relates to educational and civic participation have received attention from a number of scholars, especially with respect to the nineteenth century. In this article, the authors focus on human, social, and cultural capital as a conceptual framework for understanding this history. The authors find that the interconnections between human, social, and cultural capital in these real-world circumstances were complex and significant. The authors find evidence of the social and cultural capital developed by African Americans in nineteenth-century Cincinnati in their schools and organizations as well as their narrative of their own historical past. Nevertheless, the authors also find that maintaining social and cultural capital was an ongoing individual and collective struggle for blacks in the city. The conclusions about cultural, social, and human capital in Cincinnati’s nineteenth-century African American community are linked to our understanding of the significance of African American migration from the South and emphasize the creative responses of African Americans, even in the face of extraordinary constraints that made it difficult to sustain institutional continuity.
Social Integration and Religious Identity Expression among Dutch Muslims
Authors: Maliepaard Mieke , Phalet Karen
Published: May 2012

Against the background of contrasting religious versus secular norms in immigrant communities and in Dutch society, this study examines how religious identity expression is related to the social integration of Dutch Muslims within (a) Turkish or Moroccan minority groups and (b) Dutch majority groups. Using nationally representative survey data (N = 2,027), we distinguish religious identification from religious practice (worship and dietary practices) and assertion (support for the role of religion in politics and society) as different forms of religious expression. Structural equation models confirm that minority group contact supports and, conversely, majority group contact suppresses religious practice and assertion. In line with religion as social identity, this result is partly because Dutch Muslims with more minority contacts identify more strongly with their religion, whereas those with more majority contacts identify less strongly. As found in a social capital approach, social integration also directly influences religious expression, especially within the most cohesive Turkish minority group.
Who is the author of The Point of View? Issues of authorship in the posthumous Kierkegaard
Authors: Westfall Joseph
Published: May 2012

Kierkegaard scholars have made much of Kierkegaard’s posthumously published The Point of View for My Work as an Author, and the work does seem to provide a key to interpreting Kierkegaard’s infamous authorial difficulties – not the least of which is the meaning of pseudonymity in his work. Considerations of the book’s authorship itself are, however, exceptionally rare. In this article, I open an inquiry into issues of authorship that arise within the work, both in terms of what The Point of View has to say about the Kierkegaardian authorship, and also in terms of how (and by whom) the book is itself authored. I propose that The Point of View brings authorship to the fore as a philosophical issue and, contrary to the consensus view, I argue that – despite the fact that the book was clearly written by Søren Kierkegaard – the book’s author cannot be identified.
Cognition and recognition
Authors: Strydom Piet
Published: May 2012

While concurring with Honneth’s reconstruction of reification as a form of forgetfulness, this article questions the way in which he arrives at that conclusion as well as the conceptual status he ascribes to recognition – the instance with reference to which reification is exhibited as distortion or deformation. It argues, first, that Honneth’s dualistic mode of argumentation falls behind the left-Hegelian tradition which he himself seeks to revitalize, thus causing a serious architectonic problem; and, second, that while polemicizing strongly against the cognitive approach, he at crucial points actually reverts to the very resources made available by that mode of thinking. Being the central concern of the article, this latter aspect is treated as the cognitive problem in his work, especially in his Tanner Lectures.
Social philosophy
Authors: Pedersen Jørgen
Published: May 2012

Social philosophy is a somewhat broad and imprecise term. In this article I discuss the social philosophy of Habermas, Foucault and Honneth, arguing that the latter’s work is an interesting, but not unproblematic, conception of the discipline. Following Habermas and Honneth, I argue that social philosophy should be reconstructive, but incorporate insights from Foucault. Specifically, reconstructive social philosophy can be both normative and descriptive, and at the same time establish a dialectical relationship between philosophy and the social sciences, thus fulfilling the ambition for social philosophy originally put forward by Horkheimer. The thesis I defend in this article is that reconstructive social philosophy in Habermasian or Honnethian fashion has the resources available to accomplish this ambitious task.
Age-Dependent Carcinogenic Susceptibility in Rat Liver Is Related to Potential of Gap Junctional Intercellular Communication
Authors: Naiki-Ito Aya , Kato Hiroyuki , Asamoto Makoto , Naiki Taku , Shirai Tomoyuki
Published: May 2012

Connexin 32 (Cx32) is a major gap junction protein in the liver. The authors previously demonstrated that transgenic rats carrying a dominant negative mutant of Cx32 (Cx32ΔTg) have much decreased capacity for gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) and increased susceptibility to diethylnitrosamine (DEN)–induced hepatocarcinogenesis as compared to littermate wild-type (wt) rats. To evaluate the age-dependent susceptibility to DEN-induced hepatocarcinogenesis and alteration of GJIC function, male Cx32ΔTg and wt rats at 10, 30, or 85 weeks old were given a single intraperitoneal administration of DEN (40 mg/rat) and sacrificed 12 weeks later. The number and area of glutathione S-transferase placental form (GST-P)–positive preneoplastic foci were significantly increased in the liver of 10- and 30-wk-old Cx32ΔTg rats compared with age-matched wt. However, in the 85-wk-old rats, both Cx32ΔTg and wt rats had similarly large number and area of GST-P-positive foci, and the difference was not significant. Interestingly, function of hepatic GJIC was reduced and protein and mRNA expression of Cx32 were decreased with aging in wt rats. These results suggest that a decline of hepatic intercellular communication through gap junction results in increased susceptibility to DEN-induced hepatocarcinogenesis in aged rats.
Nordic paths from welfare to workfare: Danish, Swedish and Finnish labour market reforms in comparison
Authors: Kananen Johannes
Published: May 2012

This article engages in a dynamic comparative analysis of key labour market reforms in Denmark, Sweden and Finland from the early 1990s to the 2000s. During this period traditional egalitarian and collectivist elements of Nordic social insurance were reshaped by workfare reforms. The ways in which the principle of workfare changed the content of Nordic collectivist social insurance are compared along five dimensions. According to the interpretation suggested in the light of the comparison, the traditional egalitarian and collectivist Nordic social order has not been replaced by an increased scope for autonomy. Instead, workfare reforms have contributed to an understanding of obligations in terms of obedience and to the establishment of social order through control mechanisms. The degree of changes varies, so that Swedish and Danish workfare reforms appear to have retained some of the traditional egalitarian aspects. As a contrast, Finnish reforms appear to be toughest for individual benefit recipients introducing strong control of unwanted behaviour.
Fast object localization and pose estimation in heavy clutter for robotic bin picking
Authors: Liu Ming-Yu , Tuzel Oncel , Veeraraghavan Ashok , Taguchi Yuichi , Marks Tim K , Chellappa Rama
Published: May 2012

We present a practical vision-based robotic bin-picking system that performs detection and three-dimensional pose estimation of objects in an unstructured bin using a novel camera design, picks up parts from the bin, and performs error detection and pose correction while the part is in the gripper. Two main innovations enable our system to achieve real-time robust and accurate operation. First, we use a multi-flash camera that extracts robust depth edges. Second, we introduce an efficient shape-matching algorithm called fast directional chamfer matching (FDCM), which is used to reliably detect objects and estimate their poses. FDCM improves the accuracy of chamfer matching by including edge orientation. It also achieves massive improvements in matching speed using line-segment approximations of edges, a three-dimensional distance transform, and directional integral images. We empirically show that these speedups, combined with the use of bounds in the spatial and hypothesis domains, give the algorithm sublinear computational complexity. We also apply our FDCM method to other applications in the context of deformable and articulated shape matching. In addition to significantly improving upon the accuracy of previous chamfer matching methods in all of the evaluated applications, FDCM is up to two orders of magnitude faster than the previous methods.
Image and animation display with multiple mobile robots
Authors: Alonso-Mora Javier , Breitenmoser Andreas , Rufli Martin , Siegwart Roland , Beardsley Paul
Published: May 2012

In this article we present a novel display that is created using a group of mobile robots. In contrast to traditional displays that are based on a fixed grid of pixels, such as a screen or a projection, this work describes a display in which each pixel is a mobile robot of controllable color. Pixels become mobile entities, and their positioning and motion are used to produce a novel experience. The system input is a single image or an animation created by an artist. The first stage is to generate physical goal configurations and robot colors to optimally represent the input imagery with the available number of robots. The run-time system includes goal assignment, path planning and local reciprocal collision avoidance, to guarantee smooth, fast and oscillation-free motion between images. The algorithms scale to very large robot swarms and extend to a wide range of robot kinematics. Experimental evaluation is done for two different physical swarms of size 14 and 50 differentially driven robots, and for simulations with 1,000 robot pixels.