bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Neuropeptide W Influences the Excitability of Neurons in the Rat Hypothalamic Arcuate Nucleus
Authors: Price Christopher J. , Samson Willis K. , Ferguson Alastair V.
Published: February 2008

Neuropeptide W (NPW) is a ligand of the recently deorphaned receptor GPR7. Intracerebroventricular injection of this peptide results in reduced serum growth hormone concentration. Using whole-cell patch clamp recordings from somatostatin (SS) neurons in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus, identified post-hoc using single-cell RT-PCR, we investigated the effects of NPW on membrane excitability. NPW application in acute slices of the arcuate nucleus resulted in the depolarization of the majority (62.5%) of the SS neurons tested, while smaller proportions of cells showed hyperpolarization or no response. Both the depolarization and hyperpolarization of arcuate SS neurons were preserved during recordings where voltage-gated sodium channels were blocked with tetrodotoxin, suggesting direct effects of NPW on the excitability of SS neurons. The observed depolarization of the majority of the SS neurons tested suggests that the central effects of NPW to inhibit growth hormone release results from activation of arcuate SS neurons, which could result in an inhibition of GHRH-releasing neurons.
Role of Smooth Muscle Cells in the Initiation and Early Progression of Atherosclerosis
Authors: Doran Amanda C. , Meller Nahum , McNamara Coleen A.
Published: February 2008

The initiation of atherosclerosis results from complex interactions of circulating factors and various cell types in the vessel wall, including endothelial cells, lymphocytes, monocytes, and smooth muscle cells (SMCs). Recent reviews highlight the role of activated endothelium and inflammatory cell recruitment in the initiation of and progression of early atherosclerosis. Yet, human autopsy studies, in vitro mechanistic studies, and in vivo correlative data suggest an important role for SMCs in the initiation of atherosclerosis. SMCs are the major producers of extracellular matrix within the vessel wall and in response to atherogenic stimuli can modify the type of matrix proteins produced. In turn, the type of matrix present can affect the lipid content of the developing plaque and the proliferative index of the cells that are adherent to it. SMCs are also capable of functions typically attributed to other cell types. Like macrophages, SMCs can express a variety of receptors for lipid uptake and can form foam-like cells, thereby participating in the early accumulation of plaque lipid. Like endothelial cells, SMCs can also express a variety of adhesion molecules such as vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 to which monocytes and lymphocytes can adhere and migrate into the vessel wall. In addition, through these adhesion molecules, SMCs can also stabilize these cells against apoptosis, thus contributing to the early cellularity of the lesion. Like many cells within the developing plaque, SMCs also produce many cytokines such as PDGF, transforming growth factor-β, IFNγ, and MCP-1, all of which contribute to the initiation and propagation of the inflammatory response to lipid. Recent advances in SMC-specific gene modulation have enhanced our ability to determine the role of SMCs in early atherogenesis.
Impact of Asymmetric Dimethylarginine on Mortality After Acute Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Zeller Marianne , Korandji Claudia , Guilland Jean-Claude , Sicard Pierre , Vergely Catherine , Lorgis Luc , Beer Jean-Claude , Duvillard Laurence , Lagrost Anne-Cécile , Moreau Daniel , Gambert Philippe , Cottin Yves , Rochette Luc
Published: February 2008

Objective—

Asymmetrical dimethylarginine (ADMA) is an endogenous competitive inhibitor of nitric oxide (NO) synthases. From a prospective cohort of patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI), we aimed to analyze the predictive value of circulating ADMA concentrations on prognosis.

Methods and Results—

Blood samples from 249 consecutive patients hospitalized for acute MI <24 hours were taken on admission. Serum levels of ADMA and its stereoisomer, symmetrical dimethylarginine (SDMA), were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography. The independent predictors of ADMA were glomerular filtration rate, female sex, and SDMA (
R
2
=0. 25). Baseline ADMA levels were higher in patients who had died than in patients who were alive at 1 year follow-up (1.23 [0.98 to 1.56] versus 0.95 [0.77 to 1.20] μmol/L,
P
<0.001). By Cox multivariate analysis, the higher tertile of ADMA (median [interquartile range]: 1.45 [1.24 to 1.70] μmol/L) was a predictor for mortality (Hazard Ratio [95% CI], 4.83 [1.59 to 14.71]), when compared to lower tertiles, even when adjusted for potential confounders, such as acute therapy, biological, and clinical factors.

Conclusion—

Our study suggests that the baseline ADMA level has a strong prognostic value for mortality after MI, beyond traditional risk factors and biomarkers.
Constitutive Phosphodiesterase Activity Restricts Spontaneous Beating Rate of Cardiac Pacemaker Cells by Suppressing Local Ca
2+
Releases
Authors: Vinogradova Tatiana M. , Sirenko Syevda , Lyashkov Alexey E. , Younes Antoine , Li Yue , Zhu Weizhong , Yang Dongmei , Ruknudin Abdul M. , Spurgeon Harold , Lakatta Edward G.
Published: February 2008

Spontaneous beating of rabbit sinoatrial node cells (SANCs) is controlled by cAMP-mediated, protein kinase A–dependent local subsarcolemmal ryanodine receptor Ca
2+
releases (LCRs). LCRs activated an inward Na
+
/Ca
2+
exchange current that increases the terminal diastolic depolarization rate and, therefore, the spontaneous SANC beating rate. Basal cAMP in SANCs is elevated, suggesting that cAMP degradation by phosphodiesterases (PDEs) may be low. Surprisingly, total suppression of PDE activity with a broad-spectrum PDE inhibitor, 3′-isobutylmethylxanthine (IBMX), produced a 9-fold increase in the cAMP level, doubled cAMP-mediated, protein kinase A–dependent phospholamban phosphorylation, and increased SANC firing rate by ≈55%, indicating a high basal activity of PDEs in SANCs. A comparison of specific PDE1 to -5 inhibitors revealed that the specific PDE3 inhibitor, milrinone, accelerated spontaneous firing by ≈47% (effects of others were minor) and increased amplitude of L-type Ca
2+
current (
I
Ca,L
) by ≈46%, indicating that PDE3 was the major constitutively active PDE in the basal state. PDE-dependent control of the spontaneous SANC firing was critically dependent on subsarcolemmal LCRs, ie, PDE inhibition increased LCR amplitude and size and decreased LCR period, leading to earlier and augmented LCR Ca
2+
release, Na
+
/Ca
2+
exchange current, and an increase in the firing rate. When ryanodine receptors were disabled by ryanodine, neither IBMX nor milrinone was able to amplify LCRs, accelerate diastolic depolarization rate, or increase the SANC firing rate, despite preserved PDE inhibition–induced augmentation of
I
Ca,L
amplitude. Thus, basal constitutive PDE activation provides a novel and powerful mechanism to decrease cAMP, limit cAMP-mediated, protein kinase A–dependent increase of diastolic ryanodine receptor Ca
2+
release, and restrict the spontaneous SANC beating rate.
Kinetics of Cloud Drop Formation and Its Parameterization for Cloud and Climate Models
Authors: Khvorostyanov Vitaly I. , Curry Judith A.
Published: February 2008

To study the kinetics of drop nucleation in clouds, the integro–differential equation for integral water supersaturation in cloud is derived and analyzed. Solving the supersaturation equation with an algebraic form of the cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) activity spectrum, analytical expressions are obtained for the time tm of CCN activation process, the maximum supersaturation sm, and droplet concentration Ndr(sm), limited by the total aerosol concentration at high supersaturations. All three quantities are expressed as functions of vertical velocity and characteristics of the CCN size spectra: mean geometric radius, dispersion, and parameters of solubility. A generalized power law for the drop activation, Ndr(sm) = C(sm)sk(sm)m, is formulated that is similar in form to the Twomey power law, but both the coefficient C(sm) and index k(sm) are functions of supersaturation expressed analytically in terms of vertical velocities and CCN microphysical parameters.

A simple and economical numerical solution was developed that describes all of these characteristics without conducting numerous simulations using parcel models. An extended series of numerical experiments was performed, in which the dependencies of tm, sm, Ndr(sm), C(sm), k(sm), and several other important characteristics of activation process were studied as functions of vertical velocity and physicochemical properties of the aerosol. In particular, it is shown that a decrease in the condensation coefficient αc leads to slower CCN activation and higher maximum supersaturation and droplet concentration. Uncertainties in αc may prevent correct estimates of the direct and indirect aerosol effects on climate. The solutions and expressions for the parameters presented here can be used for parameterization of the drop activation process in cloud and climate models.
Persistent Nature of Secondary Diurnal Modes of Precipitation over Oceanic and Continental Regimes
Authors: Yang Song , Kuo Kwo-Sen , Smith Eric A.
Published: February 2008

This investigation seeks a better understanding of the assorted mechanisms controlling the global distribution of diurnal precipitation variability based on the use of the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) microwave radiometer and radar data. The horizontal distributions of precipitation’s diurnal cycle are derived from 8 yr of TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI) and Precipitation Radar (PR) measurements involving three TRMM standard rain retrieval algorithms; the resultant distributions are analyzed at various spatiotemporal scales. The results reveal both the prominent and expected late-evening (LE) to early-morning (EM) precipitation maxima over oceans and the counterpart prominent and expected mid- to late-afternoon (MLA) maxima over continents. Moreover, and not generally recognized, the results reveal a widespread distribution of secondary maxima, which generally mirror their counterpart regime’s behavior, occurring over both oceans and continents. That is, many ocean regions exhibit clear-cut secondary MLA precipitation maxima, while many continental regions exhibit just as evident secondary LE–EM maxima. This investigation is the first comprehensive study of these globally prevalent secondary maxima and their widespread nature, a type of study only made possible when the analysis procedure is applied to a high-quality global-scale precipitation dataset.

The characteristics of the secondary maxima are mapped and described on global grids using an innovative clock-face format, while a current study that is to be published at a later date provides physically based explanations of the seasonal regional distributions of the secondary maxima. In addition to a primary “explicit” maxima identification scheme, a secondary “Fourier decomposition” maxima identification scheme is used as a cross-check to examine the amplitude and phase properties of the multimodal maxima. Accordingly, the advantages and ambiguities resulting from the use of a Fourier harmonic analysis are investigated.
Diurnal Variation of Downslope Winds in Owens Valley during the Sierra Rotor Experiment
Authors: Jiang Qingfang , Doyle James D.
Published: February 2008

The impact of diurnal forcing on a downslope wind event that occurred in Owens Valley in California during the Sierra Rotors Project (SRP) in the spring of 2004 has been examined based on observational analysis and diagnosis of numerical simulations. The observations indicate that while the upstream flow was characterized by persistent westerlies at and above the mountaintop level the cross-valley winds in Owens Valley exhibited strong diurnal variation. The numerical simulations using the Coupled Ocean–Atmosphere Mesoscale Prediction System (COAMPS) capture many of the observed salient features and indicate that the in-valley flow evolved among three states during a diurnal cycle. Before sunrise, moderate downslope winds were confined to the western slope of Owens Valley (shallow penetration state). Surface heating after sunrise weakened the downslope winds and mountain waves and eventually led to the decoupling of the well-mixed valley air from the westerlies aloft around local noon (decoupled state). The westerlies plunged into the valley in the afternoon and propagated across the valley floor (in-valley westerly state). After sunset, the westerlies within the valley retreated toward the western slope, where the downslope winds persisted throughout the night.
Bringing Public Opinion and Electoral Politics Back In: Explaining the Fate of “Clintonomics” and Its Contemporary Relevance
Authors: Shoch James
Published: February 2008

In 1992, Bill Clinton won the presidency committed to an ambitious program of “public investment.” Yet the plan Clinton submitted to the Democrat-controlled Congress in early 1993 was sharply scaled back in favor of an emphasis on reducing the federal budget deficit. Congress then made further deep cuts in Clinton's plan. This Democratic retreat from public investment would continue throughout the remainder of Clinton's presidency. In this article, I argue that the fate of “Clintonomics” was due mainly to public opinion and electoral politics . In an epilogue, I examine the implications of this episode for the new intra-Democratic debate over public investment.
Institutions and Institutional Purpose: Continuity and Change in East Asian Social Policy
Authors: Peng Ito , Wong Joseph
Published: February 2008

Drawing on theories of institutional evolution, this article contends that despite the centrality of occupationally based social insurance in postwar Korea and Taiwan (and thus the impression of institutional continuity), the welfare state has in fact deepened considerably. The analysis is structured around three distinct eras of social policy reform in Korea and Taiwan: the developmental state, democratic transition, and postindustrialism. The authors contend that during each of these eras, the institutional purposes of social policy were altered to meet certain socioeconomic objectives. New institutional purposes were grafted onto the prevailing social insurance model, changing the outcomes of social policy. The developmental state era was productivist in purpose, democratic reform during the 1980s reoriented social insurance toward universalist and redistributive principles, and the post-1997 era refocused social insurance to meet the imperatives of flexible labor markets, demographic shifts, and economic globalization.
Telling the Difference: Guerrillas and Paramilitaries in the Colombian War
Authors: Gutiérrez Sanín Francisco
Published: February 2008

The effort to build a political economy of war without politics is finding its limits. The question now is what comes next. How to put politics back in? This article compares systematically two non-state armed groups that participate in the Colombian conflict, the main guerrilla (FARC) and the paramilitary. It shows that despite their similar financial bases, they appear to exhibit systematic differences— regarding both their social composition and their internal/external behavior—and claims that the key to understanding them is the set of organizational devices that each group crafts in its process of survival and growth. All this suggests that a main tenet of the early political economy of war, that all non-state armed groups can be understood as being strategically identical, is flawed. It also poses a classificatory challenge.
A Smoothing Cohort Model in Age–Period–Cohort Analysis With Applications to Homicide Arrest Rates and Lung Cancer Mortality Rates
Authors: Fu Wenjiang J.
Published: February 2008

This article considers the effects of age, period, and cohort in social studies and chronic disease epidemiology through age–period–cohort (APC) analysis. These factors are linearly dependent; thus, the multiple classification model, a regression model that takes these factors as covariates in APC analysis, suffers from an identifiability problem with multiple estimators. A data set of homicide arrest rates is used to illustrate the problem. A smoothing cohort model is proposed that allows flexible structure of the effects for age, period, and cohort and avoids the identifiability problem. Results are provided for the consistency of estimation of model intercept and age effects as the number of periods goes to infinity under a mild bounded cohort condition. This also leads to consistent estimation for period and cohort effects. Analyses of homicide arrest rate and lung cancer mortality rate data demonstrate that the smoothing cohort model yields unique parameter estimation with sensible trend interpretation.
Defensiveness Versus Remediation: Self-Theories and Modes of Self-Esteem Maintenance
Authors: Nussbaum A. David , Dweck Carol S.
Published: February 2008

How people maintain and repair their self-esteem has been a topic of widespread interest. In this article, the authors ask, What determines whether people will use direct, remedial actions, or defensive actions? In three studies, they tested the hypothesis that a belief in fixed intelligence (entity theory) would produce defensiveness, whereas a belief in improvable intelligence (incremental theory) would foster remediation. In each study, participants assigned to the entity condition opted for defensive self-esteem repair (downward comparison in Studies 1 and 3; a tutorial on already mastered material in Study 2), but those in the incremental condition opted for self-improvement (upward comparison in Studies 1 and 3; a tutorial on unmastered material in Study 2). Experiment 3 also linked these strategies to self-esteem repair; remedial strategies were the most effective in recovering lost self-esteem for those in the incremental condition, whereas defensive strategies were most effective for those in the entity condition.
The 150-year history of English language assessment in Japanese education
Authors: Sasaki Miyuki
Published: February 2008

In the present study I describe the 150-year history of school-based English language assessment in Japan. The history is divided into four major periods according to the purposes of English language education set by the government in the different periods: (1) 1860 to 1945, when English was first introduced and taught in schools mainly for elite classes; (2) 1945 to 1970, when English became part of the compulsory education for the first time; (3) 1970 to 1990 when English began to be regarded as the most effective means to communicate with foreign people in the rapidly shrinking world; and (4) 1990 to the present, when several innovative policies have been introduced into classroom measurement systems. I describe how assessment practices for English education at schools in each of these periods were and still are affected by various factors, including political, economic, and demographic changes in society, as well as academic paradigm shifts in the fields of education and applied linguistics.
English language assessment in Hong Kong: A survey of practices, developments and issues
Authors: Qian David D.
Published: February 2008

English has been an official language of Hong Kong since it was first introduced to the region in the 1840s. Since then, its influence has invariably been strong and remains so even after 1997, when the sovereignty of the region was returned to China. This special background of English in Hong Kong heavily influences the policy and practices of English language assessment in the region. The present article starts with a survey of the status of the English language in Hong Kong and then reviews major English-language tests that are considered to be having a significant impact on Hong Kong society and its education system. Reviewed in the article are tests developed or imported for assessing students in primary and secondary schools and tertiary institutions, as well as tests that assess the English proficiency of English language school-teachers and the general workforce in Hong Kong. In particular, the article provides insights into the recent evolution of Hong Kong's English language assessment at various levels and for different purposes amidst the region's changing socio-political and socio-educational contexts. In anticipating the future of English language assessment, the article considers some pressing issues arising from the implementation of new testing and assessment procedures in the region.
Testing of English in India: A developing concept
Authors: Ramanathan Hema
Published: February 2008

English is the associate official language in India and serves as a unifying force in this multilingual country. The teaching of English in K-12 settings focuses on the skills of reading and writing. Listening and speaking skills are not awarded much time, if any, in most classrooms or test settings; only two Boards of Examinations mandate their inclusion. This status is sustained by factors such as large classes, teachers' inadequate command of English, and the lack of easy access to support materials and facilities. Most exams are summative; very few private schools offer and use formative tests for diagnostic and instructional purposes. The Boards of Education to which the schools are affiliated involve teachers in the setting and grading of exams at all levels. Issues that need attention prior to instituting large-scale testing reform are teacher competency in English, grade inflation, and securing conditions for internal assessment in a high-stakes testing environment. A major fall-out of these changes may be the legitimization of Indian English.
Issues and trends in language testing and assessment in Thailand
Authors: Prapphal Kanchana
Published: February 2008

This paper aims to present an overview of language testing in Thailand. Language testing practices in the past are also reviewed. Attention is paid to the washback effects of language tests, the use of language tests in school admissions, questions of test validity, the emergence of standardized tests, the influence of societal values on testing practices, the use of computers and technology in language testing, and the success or failure of policy implementation. Also reviewed are the following new trends of language testing and assessment in Thailand: human resources development and professional certification, the integration of IT and English teaching and testing, quality assurance and English assessment, learner autonomy and self-assessment, and advanced technology and innovations in language assessment.
Null objects in second language acquisition: grammatical vs. performance models
Authors: Zyzik Eve C.
Published: February 2008

Null direct objects provide a favourable testing ground for grammatical and performance models of argument omission. This article examines both types of models in order to determine which gives a more plausible account of the second language data. The data were collected from second language (L2) learners of Spanish by means of four oral production tasks and a grammaticality judgement task. The results reveal that null objects in oral production are rare events limited to pragmatically appropriate contexts, that is, when the referent is easily recoverable from preceding discourse. The results of the grammaticality judgement task indicate that beginning level learners frequently accept sentences containing null objects with specific antecedents, while more proficient learners categorically reject such argument omissions. It is suggested that lower proficiency learners may rely primarily on semantic strategies in parsing and evaluating sentences, while advanced learners are more sensitive to syntactic violations. A performance account is ultimately adopted to explain the data given the lack of a clear null object stage in development, the presence of self-corrections, and the discourse-constrained nature of object omissions.
Review article: The imaging of what in the multilingual mind?
Authors: de Bot Kees
Published: February 2008

In this review article it is argued that while the number of neuro-imaging (NI) studies on multilingual processing has exploded over the last few years, the contribution of such studies to enhance our understanding of the process of multilingual processing has not been very substantial. There are problems on various levels, which include the following issues: ownership of the field of NI and multilingualism, whether relevant background characteristics are assessed adequately, whether we consider variation as a problem or a source of information, what NI tells us about multilingual development, whether the native speaker is the norm in NI research, the added value of NI data, what information NI provides, and what the contribution of NI research is to theories about the multilingual brain. The conclusion is that as yet NI has not fulfilled the high expectations raised by the technical progress and the large number of studies that have been carried out.
Compassion and Indifference: The Attitude of the English Legal System Toward Ellen Harper and Selina Wadge, Who Killed Their Offspring in the 1870s
Authors: Hager Tamar
Published: February 2008

This article reconstructs the evasive tales of two lower-class rural English mothers, Ellen Harper and Selina Wadge, who killed their offspring in the 1870s. Investigating depositions, other legal documents prepared for their trials, and reports of inquests and trial proceedings (when existent) in local and national newspapers, it interprets incoherent remnants of their life stories and through them the attitude of the English legal system toward mothers who killed their offspring in the late nineteenth century. Selina's and Ellen's personal experiences are related in concrete detail and read in the light of contemporary policies, laws, rules, and norms concerning, for example, motherhood, poverty, reproduction, sexuality, and demography. Reconstructing the concealed stories of two marginalized poor mothers, this article reilluminates the way in which England's middle-class mind-set, implicit policies, norms, and regulations influenced the legal system's decision making and dominated the degenerating, poverty-stricken life of oppressed lower-class mothers.
Childhood and Adolescence in Early Modern Malta (1565-1632)
Authors: Buttigieg Emanuel
Published: February 2008

The aim of this article is to provide insight into the lives of children and adolescents who lived on the Maltese archipelago between 1565 and 1632, a period of significant change for both the people of Malta and their overlords, the Knights Hospitaller of St. John the Baptist. In this study, there is an equal concern with “childhood” and “adolescence” as a set of ideas, and with “children” and “adolescents” as people with experiences, for neither has been looked at before. Such a focus reflects current historiographical debates but is also a consequence of the nature of the sources used here, that is, the court records of the Magna Curia Castellaniae (the secular law court) and the Tribunal of the Roman Inquisition. Ideas about young people and their life experiences were forged through a multifarious interaction among gender, age, religion, law, work, and violence.
Men and Women Fighting Side By Side: Examples From an English Town, 1653-1781
Authors: Warner Jessica , Riviere Janine , Graham Kathryn
Published: February 2008

Just fewer than 5 percent (369 out of 7,590) of all reported assaults in early modern Portsmouth, England, had male as well as female defendants. The majority of these fights (250) ranged spouses against their mutual enemies, but a significant minority also included other household members. These fights are also distinguished by having an unusually high percentage of male victims (58 percent, compared to 48 percent for the records as a whole). Although the presence of men emboldened women to confront people whom they might ordinarily evade, it also had a dampening effect on their level of violence, which was lower, as a rule, than it was for women who fought on their own or alongside other women.
Marriage, Social Status, and Family Succession in Medieval Korea (Thirteenth-Fifteenth Centuries)
Authors: Lee Sangkuk , Park Hyunjoon
Published: February 2008

Despite their significance for historical demographic research, a major limitation of Chinese genealogies is the relative lack of information on daughters, their husbands, and their descendants, which prevents an examination of how the boundary of family was extended through the marriage network. To fill this “hole” in Chinese genealogies, we use the genealogy of the Andong Kwôn clan, published in 1476, the oldest existing genealogy in Korea. Interestingly, more than 90 percent of those recorded in this Korean genealogy belong to the son-in-law line, revealing the importance of marriage networks for family formation until the late fifteenth century. By looking at the specific families that Andong Kwôn's daughters married into and the occupational titles of their husbands, we explore specific ways in which the family boundary was expanded to include the son-in-law lines.
An Analysis of Early Numeracy Curriculum-Based Measurement
Authors: Clarke Ben , Baker Scott , Smolkowski Keith , Chard David J.
Published: February 2008

Three important features to examine for measures used to systematically monitor progress over time are (a) technical features of static scores, (b) technical features of slope, and (c) instructional utility. The purpose of this study was to investigate the technical features of slope of four early numeracy curriculum-based measures administered to kindergarten students. Approximately 200 students were assessed at the beginning and end of the school year, and a subset of students ( n = 55) was assessed three additional times during the year. Growth curve analysis was used to model growth over time. The contribution of slope to explaining variance on a criterion measure was examined for the curriculum-based measures that fit a linear growth pattern. Implications are discussed regarding monitoring progress in early mathematics.
Making Connections in Mathematics
Authors: Ketterlin-Geller Leanne R. , Chard David J. , Fien Hank
Published: February 2008

In this study, the authors examined the effects of two supplemental interventions on the mathematics achievement of low-performing intermediate-grade students. A conceptually based intervention designed to reteach fundamental mathematics was evaluated along with an intervention designed to provide extended time in the context of the core curriculum and aligned with the general education classroom's daily instruction. After a 16-week intervention with 51 low-performing fifth-grade students, the authors found that the students in both intervention groups outperformed students in the control group on a measure of mathematics achievement. On a state accountability measure in mathematics, students in the extended core group performed better than other students. Implications for instructional decision making and supplemental interventions are discussed.
Mathematics Intervention for First- and Second-Grade Students With Mathematics Difficulties
Authors: Bryant Diane Pedrotty , Bryant Brian R. , Gersten Russell , Scammacca Nancy , Chavez Melissa M.
Published: February 2008

This study sought to examine the effects of Tier 2 intervention in a multitiered model on the performance of first- and second-grade students who were identified as having mathematics difficulties. A regression discontinuity design was utilized. Participants included 126 (Tier 2, n = 26) first graders and 140 (Tier 2, n = 25) second graders. Tier 2 students received 15-min intervention booster lessons for 18 weeks in early mathematics skills and concepts. Results showed a significant intervention effect for second-grade Tier 2 students on the Texas Early Mathematics Inventories—Progress Monitoring (TEMI-PM) total standard score. The effect was not significant for first-grade Tier 2 students.
The Social Impacts of Wetland Mitigation Policies in the United States
Authors: BenDor Todd , Brozović Nicholas , Pallathucheril Varkki George
Published: February 2008

Concern over the threat to wetlands from urban development has increased with rising levels of suburbanization. This article provides an extensive overview of the literature on the history and structure of U.S. wetland conservation policy. The authors focus on regulations that permit wetland destruction in return for mitigation of wetland damage and highlight concerns that current wetland mitigation policies may lead to the redistribution of wetland benefits among specific population groups. Researchers and planners have yet to construct systems that enable them to answer a very basic question : Does wetland mitigation contribute to social disparity and inequity? The authors outline a data collec tion framework for use in determining if and how social disparities may occur during mitigation. They also discuss the use of spatial and temporal preference measures as a tool for addressing these considerations. Finally, they discuss how recent Supreme Court limitations on federal jurisdiction over wetlands may alter the roles and responsibilities of planners, arguing that these new roles may provide the opportunity for planners to fully incorporate social considerations into mitigation decisions.
Female Sex Offenders
Authors: Strickland Susan M.
Published: February 2008

Few studies have investigated the characteristics of female sex offenders and factors and/or causes of female deviance. Research to date has been descriptive in nature, with few comparison studies. Using a correlational design and three valid instruments, female sexual offenders and a matched group of female nonsexual offenders are compared in the areas of personality disorders, chemical dependency, childhood trauma, sexual trauma, emotional neediness, cognitive distortions, and social competence. A sample of 130 incarcerated females, 60 sex offenders, and 70 nonsexual offenders is used. Significant results are found in the areas of total childhood trauma and severity of sexual abuse suffered and social and sexual adequacy. No differences are found in abuse of substances, personality disorders, emotional neediness, or cognitive distortions.
The Impact of Racial Slurs and Racism on the Perceptions and Punishment of Violent Crime
Authors: Saucier Donald A. , Hockett Jericho M. , Wallenberg Andrew S.
Published: February 2008

When a crime is committed by an individual of one race against an individual of another race, there is the possibility that the crime is a hate crime. Legislation often mandates harsher penalties for perpetrators convicted of crimes determined to be hate crimes, yet this determination is difficult to make. This study used vignettes of violent crimes to examine how the races of the perpetrators and victims, the severity of the assault, and the use of racial slurs by the perpetrators would affect perceptions of the crimes as “hate crimes,” victim blaming, and sentencing recommendations. Results showed that each of these factors affected participants' perceptions and punishments of violent crime. Participants' levels of racism were an additional factor. These results contribute to the understanding of how crimes in which the perpetrator's and victim's races differ are perceived.
Risk for Postpartum Depression, Breastfeeding Practices, and Mammary Gland Permeability
Authors: Flores-Quijano María Eugenia , Córdova Armando , Contreras-Ramírez Veronica , Farias-Hernández Liliana , Cruz Tolentino Mari , Casanueva Esther
Published: February 2008

In a cross-sectional study, 163 breastfeeding women completed the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), a questionnaire on demographics and infant feeding and hand-expressed breast milk for Na and K quantification, between 2 and 12 weeks postpartum. Forty women (24.5%) had an EPDS score compatible with the risk of a depressive episode, and 63 (41%) did not feel confident about breastfeeding. These 2 variables were significantly correlated to each other and individually correlated to breastfeeding exclusiveness. Weeks postpartum was correlated to breastfeeding exclusiveness and Na:K in milk (all P < .001). A logistic regression model showed that supplementation increased the risk of high Na:K in milk by 209%, whereas a longer time postpartum lowered the risk for mammary gland permeability. This study suggests that postpartum depression and low breastfeeding confidence, which may be present concomitantly, are associated with increased mammary gland permeability, only to the extent in which depression dissuades the mother from exclusive breastfeeding. J Hum Lact. 24(1):50-57.
Electronic Health Records in an Outpatient Breastfeeding Medicine Clinic
Authors: List Betsy A. , Ballard Jeanne L. , Langworthy Kathleen S. , Vincent Alicia M. , Riddle Sarah W. , Tamayo Olga W. , Geraghty Sheela R.
Published: February 2008

The Institute of Medicine has issued a call for the implementation of computer-based patient records. The purpose of this overview is to describe the content developed for an electronic health record in an outpatient breastfeeding medicine clinic at a pediatric health care facility. Additional features of the computer system, including electronic prescriptions, printed patient handouts, and follow-up telephone notes, utilized in this setting are also described. As more hospital systems and outpatient offices adopt electronic medical record systems, the authors recommend that lactation personnel work with administrators and computer professionals at their institution to incorporate the special needs of an outpatient lactation clinic into their system. J Hum Lact. 24(1):58-68.
Breastfeeding and Infant Illness in Low-Income, Minority Women: A Prospective Cohort Study of the Dose-Response Relationship
Authors: Freeman Katherine , Bonuck Karen A. , Trombley Michelle
Published: February 2008

The authors' objective was to determine whether cumulative weekly breastfeeding duration by 13 weeks was associated with infant otitis media, respiratory and gastrointestinal illness, and total illness visits up to 12 months. The authors performed a secondary analysis of data from a randomized clinical trial of low-income, primarily Hispanic and Black women enrolled from 2 medical center affiliated clinics. “Breastfeeding sensitive” (BFS) outpatient and emergency room (ER) visit data for the above illnesses were obtained for 255 mother/infant dyads. Outcome measures were unadjusted and adjusted rates of outpatient and ER visits with sick and BFS diagnoses. The authors found no significant associations between breastfeeding intensity and infant visits for otitis media, respiratory and gastrointestinal illness, or total illness visits. In this low-income, multiethnic sample, breastfeeding intensity was not associated with infant health service use, in contrast to other evidence-based reports. Low exclusive breastfeeding rates and lack of coverage for health visits may be reasons for this finding. J Hum Lact. 24(1):14-22.
Ethnic Variation in Infant-Feeding Practices in the Netherlands and Weight Gain at 4 Months
Authors: Bulk-Bunschoten Anneke M. W. , Pasker-de Jong Pieternel C. M. , van Wouwe Jacobus P. , de Groot Cornelis J.
Published: February 2008

This prospective study of 4438 infants (0-4 months) examined differences in infant-feeding patterns in relation to the ethnic origin of their mothers, based on the mother's native language: Dutch (87%), Turkish (4%), Moroccan (3%), other European languages (3%), and various other languages (4%). Breastfeeding at birth varied between 75% and 94%. Dutch and Moroccan mothers breastfed for a shorter period (32% and 37% at 4 months, respectively) than did Turkish mothers and mothers with a native European language other than Dutch (47% and 51% at 4 months, respectively; P < .001). Of all mothers, 71% started exclusive breastfeeding at birth, and 21% continued exclusive breastfeeding for at least 4 months. The reasons why mothers discontinued breastfeeding (both exclusive breastfeeding and breastfeeding) were generally infant related. The average weight gain between birth and day 133 was 3.45, 3.87, and 3.69 kg for Dutch, Turkish, and Moroccan infants, respectively. Weight gain was influenced by ethnicity of the mothers and exclusive breastfeeding. J Hum Lact. 24(1):42-49.
Case Study Revisiting the Association Between Breastfeeding and Postpartum Depression
Authors: Sharma Verinder , Corpse Cynthia S.
Published: February 2008

Recent studies have focused on the impact of postpartum depression on breastfeeding; however, the role of breastfeeding and weaning in the onset of postpartum depression has not been adequately studied. This article describes the case of a woman who had 3 episodes of major depression, each following closely the cessation of breastfeeding. The clinical and research implications of the association between weaning and the onset of postnatal depression are discussed. J Hum Lact. 24(1):77-79.
Exploration of Guilt Among Mothers Who Do Not Breastfeed: The Physician's Role
Authors: Labbok Miriam
Published: February 2008

Physicians commonly state the concern that, if they promote breastfeeding, they may “impose guilt upon those who do not breastfeed.” This article explores the genesis of this fear, who may benefit from this construct, and the terminology of guilt, shame, and loss. The article also explores the responsibility for both lactation failure and associated shame, considering the roles and responsibilities of physicians, the media, and society as a whole. An alternative construct for the guilt is offered, based on the consideration that the woman experiences lack of breastfeeding as a loss at some level, conscious or subconscious, and whether the choice to not breastfeed is her decision or imposed. Proposed approaches for acting to prevent and to treat shame and guilt are presented. J Hum Lact. 24(1):80-84.
A Phenomenological Analysis of the Experience of Receiving a Diagnosis and Treatment of ADHD in Adulthood
Authors: Young Susan , Gray Katie , Bramham Jessica
Published: February 2008

Objectives: The objectives are to explore the experience of living with a person who has undergone a process of diagnosis in his or her adult years and to examine, from the partner's perspective, how diagnosis and treatment with medication affects the ADHD patients' understanding of themselves, their behavior, and their relationships with others. Method: Participants were the partners of eight patients who had been diagnosed with ADHD in adulthood. Semistructured interviews were conducted, and the data were analyzed according to interpretative phenomenological analysis. Results: Three master themes emerged from the analysis: perceptions of inadequacy of the ADHD partner, emotional impact of diagnosis, and medication not a panacea. Conclusion: Results indicate a need for psychological treatment to be provided to clients following diagnosis. Information leaflets for partners will also help partners' ability to facilitate their own knowledge and understanding, which in turn will help them better support their AD/HD partners. (J. of Att. Dis. 2009; 12(4) 299-307)
Neuropsychological Functioning in Subgroups of Children With and Without Social Perception Deficits and/or Hyperactivity—Impulsivity
Authors: Schafer Vickie , Semrud-Clikeman Margaret
Published: February 2008

Objective: The purpose of this study is to ascertain whether there are differences among groups of children based on their social perception skills in visual perception and fluid reasoning to assist in more effective intervention planning. Method: A total of 80 children were grouped on the basis of their performance on a social perception measure (Child and Adolescent Social Perception) and the presence or absence of hyperactive—impulsive behaviors. They were administered a battery of tests to determine whether the groups differed in their visual perceptual skills and fluid reasoning abilities. Results: The groups with poor social perception significantly differed from groups with intact social perception on the Rey-O and Fluid Reasoning but not on the Judgment of Line Orientation or the Developmental Test of Visual Motor Integration. Conclusion: A subgroup of children with ADHD demonstrates poor social perception skills and accompanying deficits in complex visual perception and fluid reasoning. (J. of Att. Dis. 2008; 12(2) 177-190)
Consistency on the PGA Tour
Authors: Hood Matthew
Published: February 2008

Consistency is sought after by professional golfers and commended by analysts, but tournament theory predicts that inconsistency is beneficial when the reward scheme is top heavy. Simulating a typical tournament and adjusting each player's standard deviation, the author finds that all players earn more prize money and win more tournaments when they are less consistent—even with a slightly worse average score. Players are found to have some control over the variability of their scores: playing safer with a substantial lead and playing riskier when in danger of missing the cut. Inconsistency is not appreciated, but it is rewarding.
Decision-Making Involvement Scale for Individuals With Dementia and Family Caregivers
Authors: Menne Heather L. , Tucke Shandra S. , Whitlatch Carol J. , Feinberg Lynn Friss
Published: February 2008

This report describes the development and preliminary psychometric properties of the Decision-Making Involvement Scale for individuals with dementia and family caregivers. Data were collected from 217 individuals with dementia and their respective caregivers. Principal axis factor analysis, Kendall τ, and Pearson correlations were used to determine the Decision-Making Involvement Scale's psychometric properties, mean differences of caregiver and individual with dementia, and the relationship between scores of Decision-Making Involvement Scale and measures of well-being. Analyses support a reliable, 1-factor solution of the Decision-Making Involvement Scale for both individuals with dementia and caregivers. Socio-demographic, impairment, and well-being variables are differentially related to the perceptions of how involved the individual with dementia is in decision making. The Decision-Making Involvement Scale provides useful information about daily decision making of an individual with dementia, and it shows promise as a means for understanding the relationship between decision-making involvement and well-being of individuals with dementia and caregivers.
Nursing Home Characteristics Related to Medicare Costs for Residents With and Without Dementia
Authors: Zimmerman Sheryl , Gruber-Baldini Ann L. , Hebel J. Richard , Burton Lynda , Boockvar Kenneth , Taler George , Quinn Charlene C. , Magaziner Jay
Published: February 2008

Objectives. To evaluate the relationship of nursing home characteristics to Medicare costs overall and by dementia status. Design. New admissions followed for 2 years. Setting. Random stratified sample of 55 Maryland nursing homes. Participants. Sample of 1257 residents. Measures. Records, interview, and observation. Results. Medicare costs were lower in facilities that have a better environmental quality, hospice beds, and more food service workers; costs were higher in hospital-based facilities and those that have a higher Medicaid case mix, X-ray, and some specified types of staff. Across all characteristics, costs for residents with dementia were consistently two-thirds the cost of other residents. Discussion. In terms of dementia status, resident characteristics drive Medicare costs, as opposed to facility characteristics. Using alternative residential settings for individuals with dementia may increase Medicare costs of nursing home residents and Medicare costs of residents with dementia who are cared for in settings less able to attend to medical needs.