bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Examining antidepressant drug response by smoking status: why is it important and how often is it done?
Authors: Weinberger Andrea H , McKee Sherry A , Picciotto Marina R , Mazure Carolyn M
Published: December 2010

Despite an increasingly recognized relationship between depression and smoking, little is known about the degree to which treatment studies for depression consider the impact of smoking on outcomes. The aim of this study is to examine the extent to which smoking is considered in current antidepressant treatment research. We conducted a MEDLINE search of recent randomized clinical trials of pharmacotherapy for depression published between 1 January and 31 December 2007, and a search of current pharmacological intervention studies for depression using www.ClinicalTrials.gov . Only 5% of the 107 pharmacological trials for depression published in 2007 reported the smoking status of their samples. Two studies (1.9%) controlled for smoking in the analyses and no studies analyzed outcomes by smoking status. Excluding the eight studies of combined treatment for depression and nicotine dependence, no other study on www.ClinicalTrials.gov (total n = 920) reported an intention to analyze outcomes by smoking status. Emerging data link smoking and depression, however, little attention has been directed toward the effects of smoking on antidepressant treatment outcomes. Conducting research to understand how nicotine and smoking affect responsiveness to antidepressants would advance our understanding of the neurobiology of depression and the development of new and targeted treatments.
The Islands of the Blest or Fahrenheit 451. Response to Lecture by Jane Campbell
Authors: Thygesen Bente
Published: December 2010

To live on the Islands of the Blest means that the dwellers do not grow old or die but live an eternal life in a world closed and separated from the rest of the world. Is this what has happened to group analysis? Has it happened to us as group analysts? Has it happened to our groups? If this is so and we want to change it, what are we to do? Could it be that the myth might show us, I wonder? I emphasize the need for critical reflection and possible refinement of group analytic thinking and practice, as well as proper research to support this, and the need for us as group analytic societies and as practitioners to dare to take on authority marketing group analytic psychotherapy as a relevant and valuable choice of treatment. If not we may end up like the small group trying to make the culture of books and reading survive in Fahrenheit 451, the film by Truffaut. That is to me an image of desperation, anxiety and sorrow, not eternal bliss.
Patterns of Deficits in Daily Functioning and Cognitive Performance of Patients With Alzheimer Disease
Authors: Razani Jill , Bayan Stacey , Funes Cynthia , Mahmoud Nouran , Torrence Nicole , Wong Jennifer , Alessi Cathy , Josephson Karen
Published: December 2010

Previous research has identified patterns of cognitive deficits in patients with Alzheimer disease (AD), but little is known about their pattern of daily functional impairment. A total of 49 patients with AD and 52 healthy elderly controls were administered neuropsychological tests as well as the Direct Assessment of Functional Status (DAFS) test, an observation-based test of activities of daily living (ADLs). In this project, we assessed 14 separate tasks assessed by the DAFS. To analyze the data, 4 cognitive domains were created using neuropsychological composite z scores (means and standard deviation obtained from control data) for patients with AD. Results revealed that patients with AD performed worse on the memory, language, and visual-spatial relative to the executive domain. Additionally, patients with AD performed poorer than the controls on nearly all 14 DAFS tasks, with their worse performance being on the shopping-related tasks which, in part, requires memory skills. Logistic regression revealed better specificity than sensitivity classifications based on the DAFS tasks, and stepwise regression analyses indicated that cognitive domains predicted specific aspects of functional abilities. These findings suggest that patients with AD display a distinct pattern of ADLs performance, that traditional neuropsychological tests are useful in predicting daily functioning, and the DAFS has some strengths and weaknesses in classifying AD and controls.
Hedge Ratios in South African Stock Index Futures
Authors: Degiannakis Stavros , Floros Christos
Published: December 2010

This article examines hedging in South African stock index futures market. The hedge ratios are estimated by six econometric techniques: the standard OLS regression, simple and vector error correction models, the ECM with generalised autoregressive heteroskedasticity (GARCH), as well as time-varying CCC-ARCH and Diag-BEKK ARCH models. The empirical results show that the ECM-GARCH model (capturing volatility clustering) provides best hedging ratios, while CCC-ARCH is superior to OLS, ECM and VECM. We conclude that there is not a unique model specification for measuring hedge ratios. For each market (emerging and mature), a model’s comparative analysis must be conducted in order to extract the best performing model.
Bank-specific, Industry-specific and Macroeconomic Determinants of Bank Efficiency
Authors: Sufian Fadzlan , Habibullah Muzafar Shah
Published: December 2010

This paper examines the efficiency of the Thai banking sector from 1999 to 2008 by using the data envelopment analysis (DEA) method. The results indicate that inefficiency in the sector stems mainly from scale rather than pure technical efficiencies. The findings suggest that small banks are most efficient, while medium-sized banks have been the least efficient banking group. Domestic banks have been relatively more efficient than their foreign bank peers, which can be attributed largely to a higher pure technical efficiency (PTE) level. The results from the multivariate regression analysis suggest that banks with higher loans intensity and which are relatively better capitalised tend to exhibit higher efficiency levels. On the other hand, credit risk is negatively related to bank efficiency. The empirical findings suggest that the recent global financial crisis exerts a negative impact on the efficiency of Thai banks.
Fully interconnected, linear control for limit cycle walking
Authors: Solomon Joseph H , Wisse Martijn , Hartmann Mitra JZ
Published: December 2010

Limit cycle walkers are a class of bipeds that achieve stable locomotion without enforcing full controllability throughout the gait cycle. Although limit cycle walkers produce more natural-looking and efficient gaits than bipeds that are based on other control principles such as zero moment point walking, they cannot yet achieve the stability and versatility of human locomotion. One open question is the degree of complexity required in the control algorithm to ensure reliable terrain adaptation and disturbance rejection. The present study applies a fully interconnected, linear controller to a two-dimensional, five-link walking model, achieving stable and efficient locomotion over unpredictable terrain (slopes varying between 2° and 7° and step-downs varying between 0 and 25% leg length). The results indicate that elaborate control principles are not necessarily required for stable bipedal walking.
Structural knowledge transfer by spatial abstraction for reinforcement learning agents
Authors: Frommberger Lutz , Wolter Diedrich
Published: December 2010

In this article we investigate the role of abstraction principles for knowledge transfer in agent control learning tasks. We analyze abstraction from a formal point of view and characterize three distinct facets: aspectualization, coarsening, and conceptual classification. The taxonomy we develop allows us to interrelate existing approaches to abstraction, leading to a code of practice for designing knowledge representations that support knowledge transfer. We detail how aspectualization can be utilized to achieve knowledge transfer in reinforcement learning. We propose the use of so-called structure space aspectualizable knowledge representations that explicate structural properties of the state space and present a posteriori structure space aspectualization (APSST) as a method to extract generally sensible behavior from a learned policy. This new policy can be used for knowledge transfer to support learning new tasks in different environments. Finally, we present a case study that demonstrates transfer of generally sensible navigation skills from simple simulation to a real-world robotic platform.
Social Relationships in Religious Institutions and Healthy Lifestyles
Authors: Krause Neal , Shaw Benjamin , Liang Jersey
Published: December 2010

The purpose of this study is to see if encouragement from fellow church members helps older people develop and maintain healthy lifestyles. The findings indicate that informal church-based support is associated with healthy lifestyles among older African Americans but not older Whites. In addition, the influence of support from fellow church members on health behaviors is greater for study participants who closely identify with their congregations. The results further reveal that the adoption of healthy lifestyles is not associated with support from people outside the church nor is it linked to formal programs that churches provide to encourage good health behaviors. The theoretical and practice implications of these results are discussed.
Exploring Community Health Through the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework
Authors: Barnidge Ellen K. , Baker Elizabeth A. , Motton Freda , Fitzgerald Teresa , Rose Frank
Published: December 2010

Health disparities are a major concern in the United States. Research suggests that inequitable distribution of money, power, and resources shape the circumstances for daily life and create and exacerbate health disparities. In rural communities, inequitable distribution of these structural factors seems to limit employment opportunities. The Sustainable Livelihoods framework, an economic development model, provides a conceptual framework to understand how distribution of these social, economic, and political structural factors affect employment opportunities and community health in rural America. This study uses photo-elicitation interviews, a qualitative, participatory method, to understand community members’ perceptions of how distribution of structural factors through creation and maintenance of institutional practices and policies influence employment opportunities and, ultimately, community health for African Americans living in rural Missouri.
Towards a digital adolescent society? The social structure of the Icelandic adolescent blogosphere
Authors: Bjarnason Thoroddur , Gudmundsson Birgir , Olafsson Kjartan
Published: December 2010

The adolescent production of blogs has created an adolescent public sphere that transcends both intimate circles of friends and the adolescent communities of specific schools or neighborhoods. Almost all 15—16 year old adolescents in Iceland regularly read blogs and many read blogs on a daily basis. Blogs by best friends and adolescents in the concrete adolescent community are most popular but a third of the population follows blogs that originate in the more abstract adolescent society. About three out of four girls and one out of three boys maintain their own blogpages and read blogs by other adolescents on a regular basis. Adolescents that write blogs are more involved in various activities associated with higher status in adolescent communities but lower status in the adult-controlled school community. The adolescent blogosphere may constitute an emergent digital adolescent society where inequalities in adolescent communities are reproduced.
Is there an expertise of production? The case of new media producers
Authors: Ross Philippe
Published: December 2010

The rise of Web 2.0 has prompted debates around the legitimacy and contributions of professional and amateur producers in fields such as journalism and popular culture, but it also begs the question: what is the substance of the expertise now under threat by the anonymous, amateur masses? This article extends recent debates in Science and Technology Studies (STS) on the validity of distinctions between expert and layperson to the field of new media. Drawing on a case study of a British production laboratory in educational technology, it shows how producers debate both the substance of production expertise and the reference group through which producers acquire expertise — is it technical professions that are relevant to the endeavour, or the target audience? The article stresses the latter and argues that opportunity, rather than ability, is key in the mobilization of knowledge in production, thus calling into question the distinction between expert and amateur producers.
Hematopoiesis and leukemogenesis in mice expressing oncogenic NrasG12D from the endogenous locus
Authors: Li Qing , Haigis Kevin M. , McDaniel Andrew , Harding-Theobald Emily , Kogan Scott C. , Akagi Keiko , Wong Jasmine C. Y. , Braun Benjamin S. , Wolff Linda , Jacks Tyler , Shannon Kevin
Published: December 2010

NRAS is frequently mutated in hematologic malignancies. We generated Mx1-Cre, Lox-STOP-Lox (LSL)-NrasG12D mice to comprehensively analyze the phenotypic, cellular, and biochemical consequences of endogenous oncogenic Nras expression in hematopoietic cells. Here we show that Mx1-Cre, LSL-NrasG12D mice develop an indolent myeloproliferative disorder but ultimately die of a diverse spectrum of hematologic cancers. Expressing mutant Nras in hematopoietic tissues alters the distribution of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell populations, and Nras mutant progenitors show distinct responses to cytokine growth factors. Injecting Mx1-Cre, LSL-NrasG12D mice with the MOL4070LTR retrovirus causes acute myeloid leukemia that faithfully recapitulates many aspects of human NRAS-associated leukemias, including cooperation with deregulated Evi1 expression. The disease phenotype in Mx1-Cre, LSL-NrasG12D mice is attenuated compared with Mx1-Cre, LSL-KrasG12D mice, which die of aggressive myeloproliferative disorder by 4 months of age. We found that endogenous KrasG12D expression results in markedly elevated Ras protein expression and Ras-GTP levels in Mac1+ cells, whereas Mx1-Cre, LSL-NrasG12D mice show much lower Ras protein and Ras-GTP levels. Together, these studies establish a robust and tractable system for interrogating the differential properties of oncogenic Ras proteins in primary cells, for identifying candidate cooperating genes, and for testing novel therapeutic strategies.
CD97 antibody depletes granulocytes in mice under conditions of acute inflammation via a Fc receptor-dependent mechanism
Authors: Veninga Henrike , de Groot Dorien M , McCloskey Natalie , Owens Bronwyn M , Dessing Mark C , Verbeek J Sjef , Nourshargh Sussan , van Eenennaam Hans , Boots Annemieke M , Hamann Jörg
Published: December 2010

Antibodies to the pan-leukocyte adhesion-GPCR CD97 efficiently block neutrophil recruitment in mice, thereby reducing antibacterial host defense, inflammatory disease, and hematopoietic stem cell mobilization. Here, we investigated the working mechanism of the CD97 antibody 1B2. Applying sterile models of inflammation, intravital microscopy, and mice deficient for the CD97L CD55, the complement component C3, or the FcR common γ-chain, we show that 1B2 acts in vivo independent of ligand-binding interference by depleting PMN granulocytes in bone marrow and blood. Granulocyte depletion with 1B2 involved FcR but not complement activation and was associated with increased serum levels of TNF and other proinflammatory cytokines. Notably, depletion of granulocytes by CD97 antibody required acute inflammation, suggesting a mechanism of conditional, antibody-mediated granulocytopenia.
Islam and the Myth of Literalism
Authors: Habib M. A. R.
Published: December 2010

One of the central concerns of Islamic scholars today is the need to engage in a rereading of the various “texts” that form the core of Islamic doctrine and practice: the Qur'an; the Sunna, or example of the prophet Muhammad; the hadith, or sayings of the prophet; the tradition of Shar`iah, or Islamic law; and other crucial concepts such as ijtihad or independent reasoning and ijma' or consensus.

This essay will argue that the so-called fundamentalist versions of Islam are burdened by a literalism that has no grounding and no sanction in the sacred texts of Islam. The myth of literalism has long been exploded by various branches of philosophy and literary-cultural theory. The fundamentalists posit a primordial—and mythical—“literal” meaning of the Qur'an that has never in fact been articulated. The so-called fundamentalists wish to ignore both history and the necessity of interpretation. In contrast, the Qur'an itself and the other various apparatuses of Islamic interpretation (hadith, et cetera) explicitly acknowledge their own use of metaphor and figurative speech. This essay will argue that the meanings attributable to Qur'anic passages are a product of interpretation and historically accumulated exegesis. The rereading of the sacred texts of Islam, from perspectives enriched by both the history of Islamic thought and more recent modes of literary-cultural theory, is one of the most urgent tasks facing the twenty-first century.
Roughness in elastohydrodynamic contacts
Authors: Hooke C J , Li K Y
Published: December 2010

Surface roughness can reduce the life of any elastohydrodynamically lubricated (EHL) component. However, the process is complex with details of the operating conditions, relative surface slip, fluid rheology, as well as surface topography influencing the behaviour. Because of this, it is unlikely than any generally applicable rules will be found which can be used to relate surface roughness to life. Instead, an approach that enabled rapid predictions of the contact pressures and clearances stresses in EHL contacts was developed by the authors and is extended here to include the calculation of the subsurface stresses.
Bone grafting, orthopaedic biomaterials, and the clinical need for bone engineering
Authors: Brydone A S , Meek D , Maclaine S
Published: December 2010

As the population ages, the number of operations performed on bone is expected to increase. Diseases such as arthritis, tumours, and trauma can lead to defects in the skeleton requiring an operation to replace or restore the lost bone. Surgeons can use autografts, allografts, and/or bone graft substitutes to restore areas of bone loss. Surgical implants are also used in addition or in isolation to replace the diseased bone. This review considers the application of available bone grafts in different clinical settings. It also discusses recently introduced bioactive biomaterials and highlights the clinical difficulties and technological deficiencies that exist in our current surgical practice.
Bioactive composites for bone tissue engineering
Authors: Tanner K E
Published: December 2010

One of the major challenges for bone tissue engineering is the production of a suitable scaffold material. In this review the currently available composite material options are considered and the methods of production and assessing the scaffolds are also discussed. The production routes range from the use of porogens to produce the porosity through to controlled deposition methods. The testing regimes include mechanical testing of the produced materials through to in vivo testing of the scaffolds. While the ideal scaffold material has not yet been produced, progress is being made.
Transferable belief model for reliability analysis of systems with data uncertainties and failure dependencies
Authors: Sallak M , Schön W , Aguirre F
Published: December 2010

Dealing with uncertainty adds a further level of complexity to problems of reliability analysis. The uncertainties which impact reliability studies usually involve incomplete or imprecise reliability data and complex failure dependencies. This paper proposes an original methodology based on the transferable belief model (TBM) to include failure dependencies between components in the evaluation of the reliability of the whole system, given both epistemic and aleatory uncertainties. First, based on expert opinion and experimental data, basic probability assignments (BPAs) are assigned to reliability data components. TBM operations are then used to obtain the reliability of the whole system, for series, parallel, series–parallel, parallel–series, and bridge configurations. Implicit, explicit, and discounting approaches are presented for taking account of failure dependencies. Finally, the proposed model is applied to take into account common cause failures (CCFs) in a case study.
A Multifaceted Approach to Historic District Interpretation in Georgia
Authors: Aylworth Stephanie
Published: December 2010

There are many different approaches to the study of historic districts and buildings. This essay suggests utilizing a multifaceted approach, which provides a greater capacity for interpretation and augments current efforts to document, preserve, and promote historic commercial districts. This approach would shift the study of the commercial building from a problem of classifying and interpreting architectural features to the understanding of the motivations for building the district and eventually understanding the economic role that each building contributed to the district. The City of Douglasville's commercial historic district is examined as a case study in the context of late nineteenth-century “New South” ideology.
Sticky History: Connecting Historians with the Public
Authors: Babal Marianne
Published: December 2010

Public historians have long been putting history to work in meaningful ways, cultivating collaborative opportunities, building partnerships, and engaging with the public. In times of economic uncertainty, communicating the relevance of history and the work of historians is more important than ever. This article suggests ways to apply marketing communication principles to connect public historians with their audience. This article is a revised version of the presidential address delivered March 13, 2010 at the National Council on Public History's annual meeting in Portland, Oregon. Marking the thirtieth anniversary of the incorporation of NCPH, it recaps the origins and evolution of the organization over three decades, and proposes an action plan for its growth into the future.
Desafios da pós-graduação em saúde humana no Brasil
Authors: Guimarães Reinaldo
Published: December 2010

Discute-se o reconhecimento do crescente papel de demandas e atores extra-acadêmicos na dinâmica da formação de recursos humanos para o mercado e, em particular, para a pesquisa. Sua atuação em sinergia com o movimento de amadurecimento do sistema setorial de inovação em saúde e com as prioridades do Sistema Único de Saúde também é discutida. É analisada a adequação da metodologia do processo de avaliação da Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior a essas tendências. De maneira geral, isso significa agregar novos indicadores de produtividade tecnológica e social aos critérios predominantemente acadêmicos já existentes. Discute a continuidade e o aprofundamento das iniciativas em curso no sentido de admitir novos formatos de programas e cursos de pós-graduação, cursos customizados a demandas do mercado extra-acadêmico, entre outros, sejam sociais ou tecnológico-empresariais, bem como o aprofundamento das iniciativas para o estímulo aos estágios pós-doutorais, escassos no Brasil.
Óbitos e internações por tuberculose não notificados no município do Rio de Janeiro
Authors: Sousa Ludmilla Monfort Oliveira , Pinheiro Rejane Sobrino
Published: December 2010

OBJETIVO: Analisar a subnotificação de óbitos e internações por tuberculose no Sistema de Informação de Agravos de Notificação (Sinan). MÉTODOS: Foram selecionados os óbitos do Sistema de Informação sobre Mortalidade (SIM) com tuberculose como causa básica ou associada e as internações do Sistema de Informações Hospitalares do Sistema Único de Saúde (SIH/SUS) com causa principal ou secundária tuberculose de residentes no município do Rio de Janeiro em 2004. Foi realizada associação probabilística das bases de dados do SIM e SIH-SUS com a do Sinan, referentes aos anos de 2002 a 2004. RESULTADOS: Dos 542 óbitos por tuberculose no período, 234 (43,2%) não foram registrados no Sinan nos dois anos anteriores. Das 1.079 internações, 238 (22,1%) não foram notificadas. Foram relacionados às internações 71 óbitos: 47 ocorreram durante a internação por tuberculose, 24 após a internação. Sete não foram notificados no Sinan. Os idosos tiveram 1,6 vez (IC95% 1,074;2,516) a chance de não notificação dos mais jovens, e pessoas com nível superior ou mais escolaridade tiveram 3,6 vezes a chance (IC95% 1,384;11,022) daqueles com nenhum ano de estudo de não serem notificadas. Os menores de 15 anos tiveram 4,8 vezes a chance (IC95% 2,757;8,452) de não notificação daqueles entre 15 e 59 anos. Algumas divisões regionais de saúde apresentaram percentual de óbitos não notificados acima de 50% e esse percentual variou entre 37,8% e 12,7% para internações. CONCLUSÕES: Os dados sugerem problemas na detecção de casos e apontam barreiras de acesso ao tratamento oportuno e adequado e falhas na qualidade do sistema de informação, com diferenças entre as regiões do município.
Regionalização e dinâmica política do federalismo sanitário brasileiro
Authors: Dourado Daniel de Araujo , Elias Paulo Eduardo Mangeon
Published: December 2010

Examinaram-se implicações da estrutura federativa brasileira no processo de regionalização de ações e serviços de saúde do Sistema Único de Saúde, considerando que o planejamento regional de saúde no Brasil deve realizar-se no contexto das relações intergovernamentais que expressam o federalismo cooperativo no âmbito sanitário. A análise foi baseada numa abordagem diacrônica do federalismo sanitário brasileiro, reconhecendo dois períodos de desenvolvimento, a descentralização e a regionalização. Explorou-se o planejamento regional do Sistema Único de Saúde à luz do referencial teórico do federalismo. Conclui-se que há necessidade de relativa centralização desse processo no nível das Comissões Intergestores Bipartite, para o exercício da coordenação federativa, e que é imprescindível formalizar espaços de dissenso nos Colegiados de Gestão Regional e nas próprias Comissões Intergestores, para efetivar a construção política consensual na regionalização da saúde.
Focused Principal Component Analysis: a graphical method for exploring dietary patterns
Authors: Canuto Raquel , Camey Suzi , Gigante Denise P. , Menezes Ana M. B. , Olinto Maria Teresa Anselmo
Published: December 2010

The aim of the present study was to introduce Focused Principal Component Analysis (FPCA) as a novel exploratory method for providing insight into dietary patterns that emerge based on a given characteristic of the sample. To demonstrate the use of FPCA, we used a database of 1,968 adults. Food intake was obtained using a food frequency questionnaire covering 26 food items. The focus variables used for analysis were age, income, and schooling. All analyses were carried out using R software. The graphs generated show evidence of socioeconomic inequities in dietary patterns. Intake of whole-wheat foods, fruit, and vegetables was positively correlated with income and schooling, whereas for refined cereals, animal fats (lard), and white bread this correlation was negative. Age was inversely associated with intake of fast-food and processed foods and directly associated with a pattern that included fruit, green salads, and other vegetables. In an easy and direct fashion, FPCA allowed us to visualize dietary patterns based on a given focus variable.
"Sua casinha é meu palácio": por uma concepção dialógica de referenciação
Authors: Alves Filho Francisco
Published: December 2010

Muito se tem falado acerca da inconsistência da noção de referente empírico e da necessidade de se adotar uma concepção processual da referenciação. Contudo, a perspectiva processual apresenta inconsistências por não adotar uma metodologia que analise efetivamente o discurso e por não perceber o caráter dialético envolvendo a instabilidade e a estabilidade referencial. O objetivo deste artigo é discutir as relações entre as noções de dialogismo e referenciação buscando investigar em que medida se pode dizer que a referenciação tem essencialmente uma natureza dialógica. A análise realizada busca correlacionar as escolhas léxico-gramaticais para referir as vozes sociais que as orientam, de modo a se poder explicar efetivamente os objetos de discurso. O estudo indica que a noção de instabilidade referencial pode ser mais bem compreendida se vista em correlação à noção de estabilidade referencial, uma vez que mudanças léxico-gramaticais encontradas nos textos podem indicar tanto instabilidade como estabilidade referencial.
Analysis of the grand assembly area, Drydocks World – Dubai
Authors: Lees A. , Rampuri M. , Perdikou S.
Published: December 2010

Maximum working loads in the existing grand assembly area at Drydocks World – Dubai have been increased following three-dimensional finite-element analysis of the large ground-bearing slab and underlying carbonate sand. To obtain good calibration data, precise monitoring of the slab was undertaken during live launch operations using automated total station and precise levelling techniques. The uncertainty in these measurements was much improved at night in the absence of solar radiation and heat shimmer effects. The monitoring data revealed a higher stiffness of the carbonate sands than expected, which was the main reason for allowing working loads to be increased. It is recommended that more research be undertaken into the engineering properties of the calcareous soils of this region in order to develop more efficient geotechnical designs.
High connectivity among locally adapted populations of a marine fish (Menidia menidia)
Authors: Clarke Lora M. , Munch Stephan B. , Thorrold Simon R. , Conover David O.
Published: December 2010

Patterns of connectivity are important in understanding the geographic scale of local adaptation in marine populations. While natural selection can lead to local adaptation, high connectivity can diminish the potential for such adaptation to occur. Connectivity, defined as the exchange of individuals among subpopulations, is presumed to be significant in most marine species due to life histories that include widely dispersive stages. However, evidence of local adaptation in marine species, such the Atlantic silverside,Menidia menidia, raises questions concerning the degree of connectivity. We examined geochemical signatures in the otoliths, or ear bones, of adult Atlantic silversides collected in 11 locations along the northeastern coast of the United States from New Jersey to Maine in 2004 and eight locations in 2005 using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP‐MS) and isotope ratio monitoring mass spectrometry (irm‐MS). These signatures were then compared to baseline signatures of juvenile fish of known origin to determine natal origin of these adult fish. We then estimated migration distances and the degree of mixing from these data. In both years, fish generally had the highest probability of originating from the same location in which they were captured (0.01–0.80), but evidence of mixing throughout the sample area was present. Furthermore, adultM. menidiaexhibit highly dispersive behavior with some fish migrating over 700 km. The probability of adult fish returning to natal areas differed between years, with the probability being, on average, 0.2 higher in the second year. These findings demonstrate that marine species with largely open populations are capable of local adaptation despite apparently high gene flow.
Evidence of dispersal limitation in soil microorganisms: Isolation reduces species richness on mycorrhizal tree islands
Authors: Peay Kabir G. , Garbelotto Matteo , Bruns Thomas D.
Published: December 2010

Dispersal limitation plays an important role in a number of equilibrium and nonequilibrium theories about community ecology. In this study we use the framework of island biogeography to look for evidence of dispersal limitation in ectomycorrhizal fungal assemblages on “tree islands,” patches of host trees located in a non‐host vegetation matrix. Because of the potentially strong effects of island area on species richness and immigration, we chose to control island size by sampling tree islands consisting of a single host individual. Richness on tree islands was high, with estimates ranging up to 42 species of ectomycorrhizal fungi associating with a single host individual. Species richness decreased significantly with increasing isolation of tree islands, with our regression predicting a 50% decrease in species richness when tree islands are located distances of ∼1 km from large patches of contiguous forests. Despite the fact that fungal fruit bodies produce large numbers of spores with high potential for long‐distance travel, these results suggest that dispersal limitation is significant in ectomycorrhizal assemblages. There were no discernible effects of isolation or environment on the species identity of tree island fungal colonists. In contrast to the highly predictable patterns of tree island colonization we observed in a previous study on early successional forests, we suggest that over longer time periods the community assembly process becomes more dominated by stochastic immigration and local extinction events.
“We, the AIDS people. . .”: How Antiretroviral Therapy Enables Zimbabweans Living With HIV/AIDS to Cope With Stigma
Authors: Campbell Catherine , Skovdal Morten , Madanhire Claudius , Mugurungi Owen , Gregson Simon , Nyamukapa Constance
Published: December 2010

We studied the impact of antiretroviral treatment availability on HIV/AIDS stigma through interviews with 118 antiretroviral treatment users, HIV/AIDS caregivers, and nurses in Zimbabwe. Treatment enables positive social and economic participation through which users can begin to reconstruct their shattered sense of social value. However, stigma remains strong, and antiretroviral treatment users remain mired in conflictual symbolic relationships between the HIV/AIDS people and the untested. To date, the restoration of users' own sense of self-worth through treatment has not reduced fear and sexual embarrassment in framing community responses to people living with HIV/AIDS. Much remains to be learned about the complex interaction of economic and psychosocial dimensions of poverty, treatment availability, and conservative sexual moralities in driving HIV/AIDS stigma in specific settings.
Does the Body Know Best? Psychophysiological Reactivity to Perceived versus Imagined Childhood Events
Authors: Krackow Elisa , Rabenhorst Mandy
Published: December 2010

Investigations of the ability to distinguish real from imagined events can inform the mechanisms by which false memories are created. We examined psychophysiological reactivity while participants ( N = 53) narrated childhood events that they had experienced (according to their previous report) or that they denied having experienced but had imagined. Two types of events were narrated, emotional and neutral. Results show that participants rated experienced events as more vivid than imagined events and events the authors intended to be emotional as more emotional than events the authors intended to be neutral. Although there were no significant differences on the heart rate and skin conductance measures, both experienced and imagined events produced significant increases in reactivity in comparison to baseline measures. Implications for the creation of false memories are discussed.
Multiple Styles of Self-Control Predict College Students' Alcohol Consumption
Authors: Kunzendorf Robert G. , Turgiss Jenny , Benson Jillian , Ostler Colleen , Walsh Erin , Sawyer Rachel , Deschenes Deana
Published: December 2010

Two hundred thirty-nine college students were administered Higgins' Revised Self-Control Scale, Huang, DeJong, Schneider, and Towvim's Composite Drinking Scale, and our own Multiple Styles of Self-Control Scale. Greater amounts of alcohol consumption were associated with two styles of self-control—Sociopathic and Consequence-Oriented styles—and lesser amounts of drinking were associated with 2 more of the 14 styles under study—Suppressive and Self-Soothing styles. These findings suggest that the most effective way to negate an impulse is to weaken the impulse itself—through either suppression or self-soothing—and that the least effective way is to try rationally to counteract the impulse by thinking about the consequences of giving in to it.
Modeling of the AC/HF/DC converter with power factor correction
Authors: Bogdan Antoni
Published: December 2010

Modeling of theAC/HF/DCconverter with power factor correction

In this paper, the power factor correction system consisted of: bridge converter, parallel resonant circuit, high frequency transformer, diode rectifier andLFCFfilter is presented. This system is controlled by a pulse density modulation method and the principle of its operation is based on the boost technique. The modeling approach is illustrated by an example usingAC/HF/DCconverter. Verification of the derived model is provided, which demonstrated the validity of the proposed approach.
Coupling electromagnetic (FE) models to multidomain simulator to analyse eletrical drives and complex control systems
Authors: Jagieła Mariusz , Garbiec Tomasz
Published: December 2010

Coupling electromagnetic (FE) models to multidomain simulator to analyse eletrical drives and complex control systems

This work presents the co-simulation approach to the analysis of control systems containing detailed models of electromagnetic and electromechanical converters. In this method of analysis the attention is paid to the whole system and not only to its electromagnetic part. The latter is described by equations resulted from the two-dimensional finite element discretisation of the Maxwell equations, and is coupled weakly with the remaining part of the system. The simulation is carried out in Matlab/Simulink environment wherein the coupling is realised through the S-function. Example results regarding simulation of the operation of the control system of an electrical machine and the operation of a power electronic converter are presented and compared with available reference data.
Sensitive and selective spectrophotometric assay of doxycycline hyclate in pharmaceuticals using Folin-Ciocalteu reagent
Authors: Ramesh Pavagada , Basavaiah Kanakapura , Rajendraprasad Nagaraju
Published: December 2010

Sensitive and selective spectrophotometric assay of doxycycline hyclate in pharmaceuticals using Folin-Ciocalteu reagent

A spectrophotometric method for the determination of doxycycline (DOX) is described. The method is based on the formation of blue colored chromogen due to reduction of tungstate and/or molybdate in Folin-Ciocalteu (F-C) reagent by DOX in alkaline medium. The colored species has an absorption maximum at 770 nm and the system obeys Beer's law over the concentration range 0.75-12.0 μg mL-1DOX. The apparent molar absorptivity is 2.78 × 104L mol-1cm-1. The limit of quantification and detection values are reported to be 0.20 and 0.08 μg mL-1, respectively. Over the linear range applicable, the accuracy and precision of the method were evaluated on intra-day and inter-day basis. The reported mean accuracy value was 101.0 ± 1.7 %, the relative error was ≤ 2.7 % and the relative standard deviation was ≤ 2.5 %. Application of the proposed method to bulk powder and commercial pharmaceutical tablets is also presented. No significant difference was obtained between the results of the proposed method and the official BP method. The procedure described in this paper is simple, rapid, accurate and precise.
Development of a selective biopharmaceutical from Herpes simplex virus type 1 glycoproteins E and I for blocking antibody mediated neutralization of oncolytic viruses
Authors: Bucurescu Septimiu
Published: December 2010

Development of a selective biopharmaceutical from Herpes simplex virus type 1 glycoproteins E and I for blocking antibody mediated neutralization of oncolytic viruses

Future cancer therapies will be molecular cures. They will correct, block or destroy cancer cells by targeting molecular changes that lead to carcinogenesis. Destroying cancer cells can be done using oncolytic viruses. By blocking antibody mediated neutralization of oncolytic viruses, Herpes simplex virus type 1 glycoproteins E and I could be used in the adjuvant treatment of cancer for improving the chances of oncolytic viruses to kill cancer cells in vivo.
Lest We Forget: Free-Thought and the Environment
Authors: Jones Kile
Published: December 2010

Lest We Forget: Free-Thought and the Environment

In the world of modern theology, specifically Western theology, there has been a tendency to knit together religion and morality. It is partially because much work in theology is done with the assumption that since God exists God must care about human intentions and actions. The existence of God and religion, as the public manifestation of shared philosophical and moral beliefs, has been thought to impart moral awareness and behavior, as well as ground morality. Many modern theologians have given voice to sentiments like these. They equate irreligion with iniquity, freethinking with depravity, and atheism with apathy about the world, human life, and morality. This essay challenges such positions by arguing for the validity of naturalistic accounts of morality. It shows how such accounts can be applied to the treatment of our environment as well as give us the motivation to do so. From David Hume to Paul Kurtz a history of freethought is drawn and the human reasons for protecting and conserving our environment are examined.
Revision of Historical and Current Distribution of Pholiurus Pannonicus (Host.) Trin. in Slovakia
Authors: Eliáš Pavol , Dítě Daniel , Grulich Vít , Šuvada Róbert
Published: December 2010

Revision of Historical and Current Distribution ofPholiurus Pannonicus(Host.) Trin. in Slovakia

Historical and current occurrence of the obligate halophytePholiurus pannonicuswas studied in Slovakia during the period 2003-2009. The species had been occurring in the Podunajská nížina Lowland and the Východoslovenská nížina Lowland; 30 localities were found in total. Recently the number of localities has decreased markedly and the species was confirmed only in the Podunajská nížina Lowland. We documented only seven localities during the study. Therefore, we confirmed thatPholiurus pannonicusbelongs to the critically endangered plants of Slovak flora.
Oak forest vegetation in the northern part of the Štiavnické vrchy Mts (Central Slovakia)
Authors: Slezák Michal , Petrášová Anna
Published: December 2010

Oak forest vegetation in the northern part of the Štiavnické vrchy Mts (Central Slovakia)

The phytosociological research of the oak forest vegetation was carried out in the northern part of the Štiavnické vrchy Mts (Central Slovakia) using the standard Zürich-Montpellier approach. The data set consisting of 41 phytosociological relevés was obtained by the authors in two vegetation seasons in 2008 and 2009. The numerical classification and the ordination methods were applied to determine the main vegetation types and to explain the structure of the vegetation-environmental data matrix, respectively. Four associations within two classes were distinguished:Luzulo albidae-Quercetum petraeaeHilitzer 1932, typical for shallow, mineral-poor and acidic soils,Melico uniflorae-Quercetum petraeaeGergely 1962 occuring on mesic stands with skeletal and deeper soils,Poo nemoralis-Quercetum dalechampiiŠomšák et Háberová 1979 developing on moderately canopyopened stands in the submontane belt,Sorbo torminalis-QuercetumSvoboda ex Blažková 1962 growing on moderately acidic substrates in drier regions. The major environmental gradients responsible for variation in forest species composition was associated with soil nutrient and soil reaction following the Ellenberg indicator values as well as the measured environmental variables (C/N-ratio and soil acidity). Special attention was given to the discussion on species composition and site ecology.
European Inclusive Physical Education Training
Authors: Kudláček Martin , Ješina Ondřej , Flannagan Pat
Published: December 2010

European Inclusive Physical Education Training

The purpose of this presentation is to introduce the outcomes of the project European Inclusive Physical Education Training (EIPET; LLP/LdV/TOI/2007/IRL-502). The project aims to tackle difficulties that arise associated with the inclusion of children with disabilities into general education; and associated current deficiencies in initial and continued physical education teacher training to deal with same. The purpose of this article is to describe job specific functions, which general PE teachers can face in inclusive physical education, and related professional competencies, which teachers should acquire in their pre-service or in-service training. The functional map was developed based on the model of service delivery titled PAPTECA to reflect systematic step in teaching children with disabilities in inclusive PE. We will discuss the implication of functional map and competence framework for teacher preparation programs in light of presented barriers and facilitators of inclusive physical education. We will provide practical examples of modules and courses build on the EIPET theoretical framework. We will discuss the possibilities and limitations related to the theoretical principles, practical training and practicum experiences working with persons with disabilities as part of EIPET module (introductory APA courses).
Information Technology and Organizational Effectiveness: Re-evaluation of the Radical Transformations 1980-2010
Authors: Sääksjärvi Markku
Published: December 2010

Information Technology and Organizational Effectiveness: Re-evaluation of the Radical Transformations 1980-2010

The idea of this paper is to review and summarize the complex interplay between information technology (IT) and organization in stages that impacted radically both the organizational structure and the evolution of effectiveness and economic performance. We could identify five major stages where the underlying technology, the typical organizational structure, and the criteria of performance or business success changed, increasing the complexity of evaluation models proposed. It seemed that the effectiveness impacts of IT escalated from the individual to the team level, from the organizational to the virtual ecosystem level, and from the corporate to the national or global level. Therefore, the IT productivity paradox could not be refuted until 2003.
The Influence of Socio-Economic Factors upon Public Health on the Example of Podkarpackie Voivodship
Authors: Kretowicz Paweł
Published: December 2010

The Influence of Socio-Economic Factors upon Public Health on the Example of Podkarpackie Voivodship

This study concentrates on intraregional disparities in health and spatial distribution of socio-economic factors that may affect health outcomes. The example of Podkarpackie voivodship rural and urban areas provides viable evidence for at least the partial importance of socio-economic variables in explaining intraregional health disparities. A total of eight factors that influence hospitalization rate were distinguished for urban and rural areas. Global regression models were created using the socioeconomic factors, which succeeded in explaining a considerable amount of variation in hospitalization rates both in urban and rural areas. Unfortunately, these models failed to explain local health determinants and so more sophisticated statistical models are necessary in order to fully understand intraregional health disparities.