bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Psychodynamic perspectives on organizational change and their relevance to Transformational Practice Development
Authors: Walsh Kenneth D , Crisp Jackie , Moss Cheryle
Published: March 2011

Walsh KD, Crisp J, Moss C. International Journal of Nursing Practice 2011; 17: 205–212

Psychodynamic perspectives on organizational change and their relevance to Transformational Practice Development

In this paper we draw on the organizational psychodynamic literature, from Menzies 1960 seminal work to contemporary writers such as Manfred Kets de Vries and Adrian Carr as well as our own experience to highlight three critical paradoxes in the psychodynamics of health services. The paper highlights that behaviour and ways of interacting are influenced by intrapersonal mechanisms; and these mechanisms are critically important in the evolution of workplace cultures, and markedly influence organizational functioning. These mechanisms (and the paradoxes they pose) need to be considered in any initiative, such as Practice Development, that seeks to engage staff in workplace reform. By better understanding the psychodynamics of the workplace, we will in turn be better able to understand the mechanisms underlying the success of Practice Development processes, use these more deliberately and develop new and better processes in order to further improve the efficacy of Transformational Practice Development as an approach to practice change.
Hypoxia‐inducible factor‐1α polymorphisms are associated with genetic aberrations in lung cancer
Authors: PUTRA ANDIKA C. , TANIMOTO KEIJI , ARIFIN MARINA , HIYAMA KEIKO
Published: March 2011

Background and objective:  The transcription factor, hypoxia‐inducible factor‐1 (HIF‐1), is a master regulator of hypoxia, including repression of DNA repair systems, resulting in genomic instability in cancer cells. The roles of the polymorphic HIF‐1α variants, C1772T (P582S) and G1790A (A588T), which are known to enhance transcriptional activity, were evaluated in lung cancers.

Methods:  HIF‐1α polymorphisms were assessed by direct sequencing in a total of 83 lung cancer patients (42 adenocarcinomas, 30 squamous cell, four adenosquamous cell and seven small cell lung carcinomas) and in 110 healthy control subjects. The relationship between these polymorphisms and the frequently observed genetic and/or epigenetic aberrations, TP53 loss of heterozygosity (LOH), 1p34 LOH, retinoblastoma‐1 (RB1) LOH, p16 inactivation and epidermal growth factor receptor aberrations, was then assessed.

Results:  There were no significant differences in genotype frequencies for either C1772T or G1790A between lung cancer patients and healthy controls. However, the frequency of the HIF1A C1772T variant allele was significantly higher in lung cancer patients with TP53 LOH (P = 0.015). Among adenocarcinoma patients, individuals with variant alleles of either polymorphism showed significantly higher frequencies of TP53 LOH (P = 0.047), 1p34 LOH (P = 0.009), or either of these (P = 0.008) in the tumours. The in vitro transcriptional activity of these HIF1A variants in A549 lung cancer cells was significantly greater than that of the wild type under either normoxic or hypoxic conditions, especially for P582S in cells containing mutant p53 (P < 0.0005 and P < 0.005, respectively).

Conclusions:  These findings indicate that functional polymorphisms in the HIF‐1α gene may have an important impact on lung carcinogenesis, especially in adenocarcinomas, possibly by increasing genomic instability.
Exploring the influence of gestalt therapy training on psychiatric nursing practice: Stories from the field
Authors: Kelly Teresa , Howie Linsey
Published: March 2011

Psychiatric nurses interested in extending their interpersonal and psychotherapeutic skills sometimes undertake postgraduate training in gestalt therapy. Little is known about how this new knowledge and psychotherapeutic skill base informs their practice. This paper presents the findings of a qualitative study that aimed to explore the influence of gestalt therapy training on psychiatric nursing practice. Within a framework of narrative inquiry, four psychiatric nurses trained in gestalt therapy were invited to tell their stories of training in a gestalt approach to therapy, and recount their experiences of how it influenced their practice. In keeping with narrative analysis methods, the research findings were presented as a collection of four stories. Eight themes were derived from a thematic analysis conducted within and across the four stories. The discussion of the themes encapsulates the similarities and differences across the storied collection, providing a community and cultural context for understanding the individual stories.
Advances in J‐integral estimation of circumferentially surface cracked pipes
Authors: CHO D.‐H. , SEO H.‐B. , KIM Y.‐J. , CHANG Y.‐S. , JHUNG M.‐J. , CHOI Y.‐H.
Published: March 2011

This paper describes enhanced J‐integral estimation schemes for pipes with circumferential semi‐elliptical cracks subjected to tensile loading, global bending and internal pressure. These schemes are given in two different forms to cover the wide ranges of geometries and material parameters; the modified GE/EPRI method and the modified reference stress method. In the former method, new plastic influence functions for fully plastic J‐integral estimation are developed based on extensive three‐dimensional finite element calculations. In the latter method, new optimized reference loads are suggested and utilized to predict the J values. To verify the feasibility of these two schemes, J‐integral values obtained from further detailed FE analyses are compared to those from the proposed schemes. Because the estimated J‐integrals agree fairly well with the detailed FE analysis results, the new solutions can be applied for accurate structural integrity assessment of different size pipes with a circumferential surface crack.
Laryngographic analysis of child‐directed speech*
Authors: Ogle Sally‐Anne , Maidment J. A.
Published: March 2011

Abstracts

This paper reports the results of a small‐scale study of mother–child interactions using electro‐laryngography to measure mean, mode and range of fundamental frequency variation. The mother‐child results are compared with those obtained from recordings of the same subjects in conversation with an adult. The methodology employed allowed statistics to be derived from very much larger samples of speech than have hitherto been used in the literature on child‐directed speech. The main findings were that measures of central tendency are higher for adult–child interactions than for adult‐adult conversations and the range of fundamental frequency greater. This expansion of the range is effected by increasing the upper limit of the range.

L'article rend compte d'une étude à petite échelle des interactions mère‐enfant à la lumière de l'électrolaryngographie, ce qui a permis de mesurer la moyenne, le mode et l'écart des variations de fréquences. Les résultats mère‐enfant sont comparés avec ceux qu'on obtient en enregistrant les měmes sujets en conversation avec un adulte. La méthodologie employée a permis d'obtenir des statistiques à partie d'échantillons de langage beaucoup plus vastes que ce qui a été utilisé jusqu'ici dans la litérature consacrée au langage qui s'adresse à l'enfant. Les résultats principaux font ressortir que les mesures de tendance centrale sont plus hautes lors d'interactions entre adultes et enfants que lors de conversations entre adultes, et que l'écart de fréquences fondamentales est plus grand. Cette expansion de l'écart s'effectue grǎce à l'accroissement de la limite supérieure de l'écart.

Die Ergebnisse einer kleinen Studie von Mutter‐Kind‐Interaktionen werden präsentiert, bei denen die Elektrolaryngographie eingesetzt wurde, um Mittelwert, Modalwert und Umfang der Grundfrequenz zu messen. Die Werte aus der Mutter‐Kind‐Interaktion werden mit den entsprechenden Werten von denselben Versuchspersonen im Gespräch mit einem Erwachsenen verglichen. Die angewandte Methodologie ermöglicht die Analyse größerer Sprachproben, als bisher in der Literatur zur kindgerichteten Sprache üblich sind. Der Hauptbefund war der, daß Mittelwert und Modalwert in der Mutter‐Kind‐Interaktion höher als im Gespräch zwischen Erwachsenen liegen und der Grundfrequenzumfang auch größer ist, und zwar als Folge der Erhöhung der oberen Grundfrequenzgrenze.
Microbial ecology and adaptation in cystic fibrosis airways
Authors: Yang Lei , Jelsbak Lars , Molin Søren
Published: March 2011

Chronic infections in the respiratory tracts of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients are important to investigate, both from medical and from fundamental ecological points of view. Cystic fibrosis respiratory tracts can be described as natural environments harbouring persisting microbial communities with Pseudomonas aeruginosa as a dominant pathogen. Various factors contribute to the complexity of this ecosystem, including community composition, dynamics and interactions, as well as heterogeneous distribution and fluctuation of components of the immune system, antibiotics and nutrients. All these elements constitute the selective forces that drive the evolution of the microbes after they migrate from the outer environment to human airways. Pseudomonas aeruginosa adapts to the new environment through genetic changes and exhibits a special lifestyle in chronic CF airways. Understanding the persistent colonization of microbial pathogens in CF patients in the context of ecology and evolution will expand our knowledge of the pathogenesis of chronic infections and improve therapeutic strategies.
Molecular phylogeny and systematics of Neotropical toucanets in the genus Aulacorhynchus (Aves, Ramphastidae)
Authors: Bonaccorso Elisa , Guayasamin Juan M. , Peterson A. Townsend , Navarro‐Sigüenza Adolfo G.
Published: March 2011

Bonaccorso, E., Guayasamin, J. M., Peterson, A. T. & Navarro‐Sigüenza, A. G. (2011). Molecular phylogeny and systematics of Neotropical toucanets in the genus Aulacorhynchus (Aves, Ramphastidae). —Zoologica Scripta, 40, 336–349.

We studied the phylogenetic relationships in the genus Aulacorhynchus, an assemblage of Neotropical toucanets distributed from Mexico south to Bolivia. Based on mitochondrial and nuclear DNA characters, we obtained a robust hypothesis of relationships for all recognized species, including good representation of distinct geographic populations. Our results support the monophyly of the genus Aulacorhynchus, but contradict previous taxonomic arrangements. The genus is made up of three major clades: the Aulacorhynchus prasinus complex, Aulacorhynchus huallagae + Aulacorhynchus coeruleicinctis, and Aulacorhynchus haematopygus + Aulacorhynchus sulcatus + Aulacorhynchus derbianus. Andean populations of A. derbianus are more closely related to A. sulcatus than to Pantepuian populations of A. derbianus, rendering A. derbianus paraphyletic. Based on the molecular phylogeny, and information on geographic distributions and morphological and behavioural characters, we review the specific status of these taxa and propose a new taxonomic arrangement within Aulacorhynchus.
Review of current varicocelectomy techniques and their outcomes
Authors: Diegidio Paul , Jhaveri Jay K. , Ghannam Suzanne , Pinkhasov Ruben , Shabsigh Ridwan , Fisch Harry
Published: March 2011

What’s known on the subject? and What does the study add?

The relationship between varicocele and infertility is well established, and several surgical and radiological techniques for varicocelectomy are currently used in practice. The postoperative benefits of the surgery is also well established. The AUA has set forth guidelines on the evaluation and indications for treatment of varicocele; however, to date, there is no consensus as to which surgical technique should be considered the gold standard.

This paper evaluates the current methods in practice and evaluates them based on specific and stringent criteria. All surgical and radiological methods that are frequently used were included. We suggest that by using either of the two microsurgical techniques, inguinal or subinguinal, that there would be better outcomes across all parameters postoperatively with better long term outcomes. We also investigated several new techniques and made recommendations for further research.

OBJECTIVES

To review all the various techniques and their results and efficiencies to provide practicing urologists with some guidance for choice of technique

To discuss improvements of varicocelectomy techniques in the last 15 years and their impact on results of surgery.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A PubMed English literature review of literature from 1995 to present.

RESULTS

Pregnancy rates were highest with microsurgical subinguinal technique

Varicocele recurrence rates were lowest with microsurgical subinguinal technique

Hydrocele formation rates were lowest with microsurgical inguinal technique

Surgical complications were highest in the laparoscopic technique

Varicocelectomy by itself or in conjunction with IVF is cost effective

CONCLUSIONS

Microsurgical subinguinal or microsurgical inguinal techniques offer best outcomes

Varicocelectomy is a cost effective treatment modality for infertility

Further research is needed to explore new developments in varicocelectomy
IL‐23 gene therapy for mouse bladder tumour cell lines
Authors: Kuramoto Tomomi , Fujii Reona , Nagai Hiroshi , Belladonna Maria Laura , Yoshimoto Takayuki , Kohjimoto Yasuo , Inagaki Takeshi , Hara Isao
Published: March 2011

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the antitumour effects of IL‐23 gene transfer into mouse bladder carcinoma (MBT2) cells.

To investigate the mechanisms underlying the subsequent constitutive secrection of IL‐23 by the MBT2 cells

MATERIALS AND METHODS

An expression vector containing IL‐23 gene was introduced into MBT2 cells by liposome‐mediated gene transfer, and secretion of IL‐23 was confirmed by ELISA.

The in vivo antitumour effect of IL‐23‐secreting MBT2 cells (MBT2/IL‐23) was examined by injecting the cells into syngeneic C3H mice.

A tumour vaccination study using mitomycin C (MMC)‐treated IL‐23‐secreting MBT2 cells was carried out, and the usefulness of in vivo CD25 depletion for an additional vaccine effect was also investigated.

The mechanisms underlying the antitumour effects were investigated by antibody depletion of CD8 or CD4 T cells, or natural killer cells, and cells infiltrating the tumour sites in vivo were assessed using immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS

Stable transformants transduced with MBT2/IL‐23 secreted IL‐23 into the culture supernatant.

Genetically engineered IL‐23‐secreting MBT2 cells were rejected in syngeneic mice.

MBT2/IL‐23‐vaccinated mice inhibited the tumour growth of parental MBT2 cells injected at a distant site and this vaccine effect was enhanced by combination with in vivo CD25 depletion by an antibody.

The main effector cells for the direct antitumour effect of MBT2/IL‐23 were CD8 T cells, which was shown by in vivo depletion and immunohistochemical study.

CONCLUSIONS

IL‐23‐secreting MBT2 cells were rejected in syngeneic mice by the activation of CD8 T cells.

MMC‐treated MBT2/IL‐23 can have a tumour vaccine effect for parental MBT2 cells, and this effect was enhanced by combination with in vivo CD25 depletion.
DOES CHINA'S RURAL COOPERATIVE MEDICAL SYSTEM ACHIEVE ITS GOALS? EVIDENCE FROM THE CHINA HEALTH SURVEILLANCE BASELINE SURVEY IN 2001
Authors: LU CHUNLING , LIU YUANLI , SHEN JIAN
Published: March 2011

The Chinese government is in the process of providing health insurance to the uninsured rural population by expanding the rural Cooperative Medical System (CMS) to every rural county. Using the China Health Surveillance Baseline Survey in 2001, we conducted a case study on two CMS pilot programs and investigated whether or not enrolling in these CMS pilot programs has led to an increase in health care utilization and a decrease in the likelihood of catastrophic health spending for rural residents. Matched data sets are produced using propensity score and the instrumental variable (IV) method is used. We have found that the CMS pilot programs have had a significant and positive effect on the probability of seeking medical care and the number of visits. However, the CMS programs did not seem to have had a significant impact on households' out‐of‐pocket health expenditure and on reducing catastrophic spending. The findings generated from the matched data are consistent with those obtained from the full set of data and those obtained from the IV method. (JEL I18)
SOME NEW EVIDENCE ON COMPETITION IN PAYDAY LENDING MARKETS
Authors: STANGO VICTOR
Published: March 2011

A critical question in the policy debate about payday lending is whether other financial institutions can plausibly provide attractive and lower‐priced substitutes for standard payday loans. I present several new pieces of evidence addressing the question, focusing on whether credit unions, which are often held as the strongest potential competitors to payday lenders, do (or might) viably compete in the payday loan market. National payday loan offerings by credit unions show that very few credit unions currently offer payday loans. Credit union industry reports suggest that those credit unions offering such loans seem unwilling or unable to undercut substantially the prevailing prices set by payday lenders. Those industry reports also reveal that lower‐priced credit union loans generally ration riskier borrowers out of the market by imposing greater restrictions on approval and repayment; risk‐adjusted prices for credit union payday loans may not be lower at all. Survey evidence suggests that most current payday borrowers prefer higher‐priced but less restrictive standard payday loans to lower‐priced but more restrictive alternatives offered by credit unions. The combined demand‐ and supply‐side evidence suggests that one should not expect credit unions (or by extension banks) to offer lower‐priced, higher‐quality alternatives for consumers who currently use payday loans. (JEL G2, L0, L5)
KNOWLEDGE CAPITAL, INTERNATIONAL TRADE, AND FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT: A SECTORAL ANALYSIS
Authors: AWOKUSE TITUS O. , MASKUS KEITH E. , AN YITING
Published: March 2011

The knowledge‐capital (KC) model of multinational enterprises (MNEs) is now a widely adopted empirical approach to explain the location and production decisions of global firms based on both horizontal and vertical motivations. Although most of the existing studies have focused on highly aggregated national data, we extend this model to sectoral data consisting of broad manufacturing industries and explicitly account for the dynamic nature of international investment data. The empirical results from a dynamic panel data analysis indicate that the predictions of the KC model regarding MNE behavior vary by the type of industry. Production processes in electronics and transportation equipment are more characterized by efficient vertical specialization of research and development activities and assembly, whereas other sectors display more complex motivations. (JEL F14, F23, L23)
INFORMATION, INSTITUTIONS, AND BANKING SECTOR DEVELOPMENT IN WEST AFRICA
Authors: DEMETRIADES PANICOS , FIELDING DAVID
Published: March 2011

Using a new West African panel data set, we provide evidence on the determinants of individual banks' loans and assets in some of the poorest countries in the world. Higher loan default rates reduce both the loans to assets ratio and the volume of assets. However, the size of these effects is sensitive to bank age and ownership structure. Younger, private, domestically owned banks are most affected, suggesting that such banks face the most severe informational disadvantages. Very old government‐owned banks benefit from high default rates. We also explore how the quality of governance impacts on loans and assets. (JEL G21, O16)
The global relationship between climate, net primary production and the diet of spiders
Authors: Birkhofer Klaus , Wolters Volkmar
Published: March 2011

Aim We compiled data on prey utilization of spiders at a global scale to better understand the relationship between current climate or net primary production (NPP) and diet breadth, evenness and composition in spiders. We test whether the productivity and the diversity–climatic‐stability (DCS) hypotheses focusing on diversity patterns may also explain global patterns in prey utilization by web‐building and cursorial spiders.

Location A global dataset of 95 data points from semi‐natural and natural terrestrial habitats spanning 41.3° S to 56.1° N.

Methods We collected data on spider prey (29 groups, mostly order‐level invertebrate taxa) through extensive literature research to identify the relationship between climatic conditions and NPP and spider diets based on 66 studies of prey composition in 82 spider species.

Results The number of prey groups in spider diets was positively related to NPP, after accounting for differences in sampling effort in the original studies. In general, diet breadth was significantly higher for spider species in tropical environments. Prey individuals in spider diets were more evenly distributed among different prey groups in warmer environments with lower fluctuations in precipitation. Collembola and other spiders were more common prey for spiders with a cursorial hunting mode. Myriapoda and Collembola were more common prey in cooler climates with more stable precipitation, whereas Isoptera, Lepidoptera, Psocoptera and Coleoptera showed the opposite pattern.

Main conclusions The positive relationship between diet breadth and NPP and the negative relationship between prey evenness and seasonality in precipitation support the productivity and the DCS hypotheses, respectively. This effect on global patterns of invertebrate predator–prey interactions suggests that trophic interactions between spiders and their prey are sensitive to climatic conditions. Climatic conditions may not only affect spider community composition, but also considerably alter the functional role of these abundant invertebrate predators in terrestrial ecosystems.
Global pattern and local variation in species–area relationships
Authors: Sólymos Péter , Lele Subhash R.
Published: March 2011

Aim  We conducted a meta‐analysis of species–area relationships (SARs) by combining several data sets and important covariates such as types of islands, taxonomic groups, latitude and spatial extent, in a hierarchical model framework to study global pattern and local variation in SARs and its consequences for prediction.

Location  One thousand nine hundred and eighteen islands from 94 SAR studies from around the world.

Methods  We developed a generalization of the power‐law SAR model, the HSARX model, which allows: (1) the inclusion of multiple focal parameters (intercept, slope, within‐study variance), (2) use of multiple effect modifiers based on a collection of SAR studies, and (3) modelling of the between‐ and within‐study variability.

Results  The global pattern in the SAR was the average of local SARs and had wide confidence intervals. The global SAR slope was 0.228 with 90% confidence limits of 0.059 and 0.412. The intercept, slope and within‐study variability of local SARs showed great heterogeneity as a result of the interaction of modifying covariates. Confidence intervals for these SAR parameters were narrower when other covariates in addition to area were accounted for, thus increasing the accuracy of the predictions for species richness. The significant effect of latitude and the interaction of latitude, taxa and island type on the SAR slope indicated that the ‘typical’ latitudinal diversity gradient can be reversed in isolated systems.

Main conclusions  The power‐law relationship underlying the HSARX model provides a good fit for non‐nested SARs across vastly different spatial scales by taking into account other covariates. The HSARX framework allows researchers to explore the complex interactions among SAR parameters and modifying variables, to explicitly study the scale dependence, and to make robust predictions on multiple levels (island, study, global) with associated prediction intervals. From a prediction perspective, it is not the global pattern but the local variation that matters.
Bio‐ORACLE: a global environmental dataset for marine species distribution modelling
Authors: Tyberghein Lennert , Verbruggen Heroen , Pauly Klaas , Troupin Charles , Mineur Frederic , De Clerck Olivier
Published: March 2011

Aim  The oceans harbour a great diversity of organisms whose distribution and ecological preferences are often poorly understood. Species distribution modelling (SDM) could improve our knowledge and inform marine ecosystem management and conservation. Although marine environmental data are available from various sources, there are currently no user‐friendly, high‐resolution global datasets designed for SDM applications. This study aims to fill this gap by assembling a comprehensive, uniform, high‐resolution and readily usable package of global environmental rasters.

Location  Global, marine.

Methods  We compiled global coverage data, e.g. satellite‐based and in situ measured data, representing various aspects of the marine environment relevant for species distributions. Rasters were assembled at a resolution of 5 arcmin (c. 9.2 km) and a uniform landmask was applied. The utility of the dataset was evaluated by maximum entropy SDM of the invasive seaweed Codium fragile ssp. fragile.

Results  We present Bio‐ORACLE (ocean rasters for analysis of climate and environment), a global dataset consisting of 23 geophysical, biotic and climate rasters. This user‐friendly data package for marine species distribution modelling is available for download at http://www.bio‐oracle.ugent.be. The high predictive power of the distribution model of C. fragile ssp. fragile clearly illustrates the potential of the data package for SDM of shallow‐water marine organisms.

Main conclusions  The availability of this global environmental data package has the potential to stimulate marine SDM. The high predictive success of the presence‐only model of a notorious invasive seaweed shows that the information contained in Bio‐ORACLE can be informative about marine distributions and permits building highly accurate species distribution models.
Coping with Workplace Ostracism: The Roles of Ingratiation and Political Skill in Employee Psychological Distress
Authors: Wu Long‐Zeng , Yim Frederick Hong‐kit , Kwan Ho Kwong , Zhang Xiaomeng
Published: March 2011

abstract

The study reported here examined the relationship between workplace ostracism and employee psychological distress (i.e. job tension, emotional exhaustion, and depressed mood at work) by focusing on the joint moderating effects of ingratiation and political skill. Data from a two‐wave survey of 215 employees in two oil and gas firms in China indicated that as predicted, workplace ostracism was positively related to psychological distress. Moreover, the findings showed that when employee political skill was high, ingratiation neutralized the relationship between workplace ostracism and psychological distress, but when it was low, ingratiation exacerbated the relationship.
Evidence for motor planning in monkeys: rhesus macaques select efficient grips when transporting spoons
Authors: Nelson Eliza L. , Berthier Neil E. , Metevier Christina M. , Novak Melinda A.
Published: March 2011

McCarty and colleagues (1999) developed the elevated spoon task to measure motor planning in human infants. In this task, a spoon containing food was placed on an elevated apparatus that supported both ends of the spoon. The handle was oriented to the left or right on different trials. We presented naïve adult rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) with the elevated spoon problem, and observed how monkeys learned the affordances of spoons over sessions. Strikingly, monkeys developed two different strategies for efficient spoon transport in just 12 to 36 trials. In subsequent testing with a novel double bowl spoon approximately 1 year later, monkeys demonstrated that they were attending to the baited spoon bowl and continued to select efficient grips for transporting the spoon. Monkey data were contrasted with previous studies in human infants using a perception‐action perspective in an effort to understand the fundamentals of tool use and motor planning that may be common in the development of these abilities across species and their origins in human behavior.
Socioeconomic gradients and child development in a very low income population: evidence from Madagascar
Authors: Fernald Lia C.H. , Weber Ann , Galasso Emanuela , Ratsifandrihamanana Lisy
Published: March 2011

Our objectives were to document and examine socioeconomic gradients across a comprehensive set of child development measures in a population living in extreme poverty, and to interpret these gradients in light of findings from the neuroscience literature. We assessed a nationally representative sample of 3–6‐year‐old children (n = 1332) from 150 communities of Madagascar using standard tests of development. We found that children whose families were in the top wealth quintile or whose mothers had secondary education performed significantly better across almost all measures of cognitive and language development and had better linear growth compared with children of women in the lowest wealth quintile or women with no education. These differences between children of low and high socioeconomic position were greatest for receptive language, working memory, and memory of phrases. The mean difference in the scores between children in the highest and lowest socioeconomic status categories doubled between age 3 and age 6, and the biggest gaps across socioeconomic position by age 6 were in receptive language and sustained attention. Our results suggest that even within the context of extreme poverty, there are strong associations between family socioeconomic status and child development outcomes among preschool children, and that the language and executive function domains exhibit the largest gradients.
What’s mine is mine: twelve‐month‐olds use possessive pronouns to identify referents
Authors: Saylor Megan M. , Ganea Patricia A. , Vázquez Maria D.
Published: March 2011

This research investigated 12‐month‐olds’ ability to use person‐specific language to determine to which of several absent things a person is referring. Infants were introduced to two experimenters who played separately with a different ball. One researcher asked infants to retrieve her object when both balls were hidden. Infants selected the correct object when researchers used the pronoun my, but failed to do so when the was used. The present research provides the first evidence of 12‐month‐olds’ comprehension of possessive pronouns and indicates that infants use person‐specific language to resolve reference.
Inference for Epidemics with Three Levels of Mixing: Methodology and Application to a Measles Outbreak
Authors: BRITTON TOM , KYPRAIOS THEODORE , O'NEILL PHILIP D.
Published: March 2011

Abstract. A stochastic epidemic model is defined in which each individual belongs to a household, a secondary grouping (typically school or workplace) and also the community as a whole. Moreover, infectious contacts take place in these three settings according to potentially different rates. For this model, we consider how different kinds of data can be used to estimate the infection rate parameters with a view to understanding what can and cannot be inferred. Among other things we find that temporal data can be of considerable inferential benefit compared with final size data, that the degree of heterogeneity in the data can have a considerable effect on inference for non‐household transmission, and that inferences can be materially different from those obtained from a model with only two levels of mixing. We illustrate our findings by analysing a highly detailed dataset concerning a measles outbreak in Hagelloch, Germany.
Confluent Form of the Multistep ɛ‐Algorithm, and the Relevant Integrable System
Authors: Brezinski Claude , He Yi , Hu Xing‐Biao , Sun Jian‐Qing , Tam Hon‐Wah
Published: March 2011

In this paper, the confluent form of the multistep ɛ‐algorithm is proposed. The molecule solution of this system is derived by using determinantal identities. A new continuous prediction algorithm based on this confluent form is constructed. It also shows that this algorithm is a special case of the extended Lotka–Volterra system.
Rousseau on Dependence and the Formation of Political Society
Authors: James David
Published: March 2011

Abstract: I explore Rousseau's account of the problem of dependence by means of an analysis of the distinction he makes between dependence on things and dependence on men. With reference to his Second Discourse, I argue that dependence on things alone exists only in the case of primitive man in the earliest stages of the state of nature, while dependence on men is more properly to be understood as dependence on other human beings as mediated by dependence on things. I go on to argue that in the light of Rousseau's account of dependence and his description in the Second Discourse of a spontaneous dependence and inequality generating process, there is a significant problem with his solution to the problem of dependence on other human beings proposed in the Social Contract. This problem can be understood in terms of the relation of the idea of will to that of necessity, and I suggest that Rousseau was himself aware of it.
Disease severity evaluation among dermatological out‐patients: a comparison between the assessments of patients and physicians
Authors: Tabolli S. , Sampogna F. , Pagliarello C. , Paradisi A. , Spagnoli A. , Abeni D.
Published: March 2011

Background  The assessment of a patient’s disease severity is an essential component in the formulation of treatment strategies.

Objectives  To compare disease severity assessment by patients and by physicians, and to describe the possible discrepancies between them.

Methods  For each patient, we obtained the Physician Global Assessment (PhGA) and the Patient Global Assessment (PtGA). Data were completed for 2.578 patients. Sixty‐one physicians participated in the study. We calculated the agreement between PtGA and PhGA scores using the weighted kappa statistics; a multinomial logistic regression was performed to assess the risk of disagreement considering both patient and physician variables.

Results  Differences in the percentages of severity level, identified by patients and by physicians, were always statistically significant (P < 0.05). Overall, the weighted Cohen’s kappa was in the range of 0.09–0.34, depending on the diseases. Gender differences between patients and physicians did not influence the agreement. In the multinomial model female patients (OR = 1.38; 95% CI, 1.07–1.77), patients with higher educational levels (OR = 2.71; 95% CI, 2.12–3.46), and patients with impaired quality of life (OR = 1.56; 95% CI 1.23–1.97) had a higher risk to be underestimated for their disease severity by physicians, independently by physician gender and experience.

Conclusions  Combining the subjective report with the objective severity assessment of the lesions, dermatologists may reach a better determination of how severity of disease is perceived by their patients and how they feel about the effectiveness of treatment. PtGA and PhGA might be considered in routine clinical assessments and not only for research activities.
Efficacy of tumour necrosis factor‐α antagonists in aphthous ulceration: review of published individual patient data
Authors: O’Neill I.D.
Published: March 2011

Background  Severe aphthous ulceration may require systemic immunosuppressive or immunomodulatory therapy, but a small subset of patients remains resistant to or intolerant of these agents. Although use of TNF‐α antagonists in aphthous ulceration is increasingly reported, the current evidence base for use is weak and evaluation of individual cases may provide the best available data to support such use.

Objectives  The aim of this study was to review all published data on the use of TNF‐α antagonists in patients with severe aphthous ulceration refractory to systemic agents and discusses this in the context of any possible benefits that may guide any future use.

Methods  A comprehensive search on MEDLINE and EMBASE from 1995 to 2010 was performed using pre‐defined search terms, with articles included if they met specific criteria.

Results  Sixteen cases from individual case reports or small case‐series in which use of TNF‐α antagonists in aphthous ulceration were identified in which details of previous systemic therapy and use of subsequent adjunctive therapy were available. Agents with reported success in resolving active ulceration and reducing ulcer recurrence were infliximab, etanercept and adalimumab.

Conclusions  Evidence for efficacy of TNF‐α antagonists in aphthous ulceration infection is limited. Such data suggest that in patients with severe aphthous ulceration TNF‐α antagonists have some efficacy in inducing ulcer resolution and reducing recurrence. These agents may represent an option in severe refractory aphthosis, although in the absence of controlled studies, caution is advocated if use is to be considered.
Moderate correlation between quality of life and disease activity in adult patients with atopic dermatitis
Authors: Haeck I.M. , ten Berge O. , van Velsen S.G.A. , de Bruin‐Weller M.S. , Bruijnzeel‐Koomen C.A.F.M. , Knol M.J.
Published: March 2011

Background  Studies assessing the relationship between disease activity and quality of life (QoL) in adults with atopic dermatitis (AD), before and after therapy are lacking. The relation between disease activity and QoL in AD patients was evaluated before (t = 0) and after 6 weeks (t = 6) of treatment with cyclosporin 5 mg/kg.

Methods  In 54 patients with severe AD, disease activity was assessed using objective Scoring Atopic Dermatitis index (SCORAD), Six Area Six Sign Atopic Dermatitis (SASSAD), ‘rule of nines’ extent score and serum levels of thymus and activation‐regulated chemokine (TARC). Patients filled out the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI). To study the relation between disease activity and QoL, correlations were calculated and regression analysis was performed.

Results  At t = 0 there was a small, non‐significant correlation between the DLQI and the objective SCORAD, ‘rule of nines’ or serum TARC levels. At t = 6 the objective SCORAD, serum TARC and the ‘rule of nines’ score showed moderate and significant correlations with the DLQI (r = 0.34, P = 0.02; r = 0.31, P = 0.03; r = 0.49, P < 0.001). An individual’s improvement in disease activity (objective SCORAD, SASSAD and ‘rule of nines’) with 10 points was associated with an improvement of 1.3, 1.5 and 1.1 points respectively in DLQI.

Conclusions  Disease activity correlated better with QoL when disease activity was less severe and disease extent (‘rule of nines’) correlated better with QoL than disease severity. An individual’s improvement of 10 points in disease activity was accompanied by only a small improvement in QoL. Other factors than disease activity may influence QoL in patients with AD.
Toll‐like receptors and skin
Authors: Ermertcan A.T. , Öztürk F. , Gündüz K.
Published: March 2011

Toll‐like receptors are important pattern recognition receptors which have key roles in both innate and adaptive immune responses. They are strongly associated with the pathogenesis of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Furthermore, Toll‐like receptors have also been implicated in the pathogenesis of several skin diseases such as skin infections, psoriasis, acne vulgaris, lichen planus, Behçet’s disease, leprosy, syphilis, Lyme disease, atopic dermatitis and allergic contact dermatitis, mycosis fungoides, non‐melanoma skin cancers and melanoma. In this manuscript, the structure and functions of Toll‐like receptors in immune responses, their impact on skin diseases and recent advances on therapeutic usage have been reviewed.
Using personal construct theory to explore self‐image with adolescents with learning disabilities
Authors: Thomas Samantha , Butler Richard , Hare Dougal Julian , Green David
Published: March 2011

Accessible summary

Sometimes it can be hard for young people to explain to their teachers and supporters how they see themselves and what is important to them.

This research different questions and drawings to ask young people with learning disabilities how they described themselves.

The young people in this study found the questions and drawings helped them to share ideas about themselves with other people.

A young person’s construct of self can be fundamental to their psychological well being (Glick 1999; Emler 2001). However limited research has been conducted in the United Kingdom to explore self‐image with adolescents with learning disabilities. Previous studies have demonstrated the effective use of personal construct theory with children (Maxwell 2006) and adults with learning disabilities (Hare 1997) and this paper proposes that personal construct elicitation methods can be used to help adolescents with learning disabilities communicate and share their self‐constructs. Four personal construct elicitation methods were used successfully to support students to discuss constructs of self, suggesting that personal construct theory can be used to guide an exploration of self‐image with adolescents with learning disabilities. The students in this study construed their self‐image hierarchically using psychological constructs over nine different dimensions of self.
Understanding the mental health needs of pupils with severe learning disabilities in an inner city local authority
Authors: Hackett Latha , Theodosiou Louise , Bond Caroline , Blackburn Claire , Lever Rachel
Published: March 2011

Accessible summary

We wanted to find out how many children and young people with learning disabilities in our local authority also have mental health difficulties.

Parents and teachers of children and young people attending two schools for children with severe learning disabilities were asked to complete the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire.

We found that children and young people with learning disabilities were more likely to have mental health difficulties than most other groups of children and young people.

This information has been used to make suggestions for improving local services.

To plan the effective delivery of local services, it is important to find out the extent to which children with learning disabilities are perceived as experiencing difficulties such as finding it hard to behave or make friends, or being overactive. Having obtained ethical approval, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire was sent to 178 parents and teachers of children attending one primary and one secondary school for children with severe learning disabilities. One hundred and forty‐eight teacher’s questionnaires and 70 parent’s questionnaires were returned. Teachers thought that over one‐third of pupils (39.2%) had serious difficulties; parents thought that about half of children (55.7%) had serious difficulties. These results are similar to some previous studies in the United Kingdom. To help plan effective service delivery, the report has been shared with the schools and local services for children. Teachers are also being encouraged to learn more about mental health problems and services that children can use to help their mental health.
A Molecular‐Based Estimation of the Prevalence of Hypophosphatasia in the European Population
Authors: Mornet Etienne , Yvard Alice , Taillandier Agnes , Fauvert Delphine , Simon‐Bouy Brigitte
Published: March 2011

The prevalence of hypophosphatasia (HP), a rare metabolic disorder due to loss‐of‐function mutations in the ALPL gene, has never been estimated in the European population. Only one published study evaluated the incidence of severe HP at 1/100,000 in Canada 53 years ago. Moderate forms of hypophosphatasia (mHP), including HP with moderate bone features and the mildest form odontohypophosphatasia, reflect both recessive and dominant inheritance, and are therefore expected to be more frequent than severe forms of HP. Here we estimated both the prevalences of severe and mHP in European populations. The prevalence of severe HP was estimated at 1/300,000 on the basis of the number of cases tested in our laboratory and originating from France during the period 2000–2009. The prevalence of mHP was then estimated by using the proportion of dominant mutations among severe alleles and by estimating the penetrance of the disease in heterozygotes for dominant mutations. According to a genetic model with four alleles resulting in 10 distinct genotypes, the prevalence of dominant mHP in the European population was estimated to be 1/6370, pointing out that mHP is much more frequent than severe HP.
Upper limb function and deformity in cerebral palsy: a review of classification systems
Authors: MCCONNELL KAREN , JOHNSTON LINDA , KERR CLAIRE
Published: March 2011

Aim To review classification systems for the upper limb in children with cerebral palsy (CP), and evaluate their validity, reliability, and clinical utility to make recommendations for clinical practice and future research.

Method We comprehensively searched electronic databases to identify upper limb classification tools and associated evidence of psychometric testing. Two independent reviewers assessed the quality of the psychometric studies, and rated the clinical utility of each system using previously published tools.

Results Eighteen classification systems were eligible for inclusion, with two primary functions: classification of function or deformity. Published evidence of psychometric testing was available for fewer than half of the identified systems. Reliability studies were frequently limited by sample size, rater blinding, representativeness, and the number of observers. The Manual Ability Classification System (MACS) demonstrated content validity and interrater reliability. The original and modified House functional, House thumb, swan‐neck, and Zancolli systems had evidence of reliability; the modified House functional system also demonstrated criterion‐related validity.

Interpretation This review supports the use of the MACS and modified House functional system to classify upper limb function in children with CP. Similarly, the House thumb and Zancolli systems are recommended to classify thumb, and hand and wrist deformity respectively.
The age of anxiety: role of animal models of anxiolytic action in drug discovery
Authors: Cryan John F , Sweeney Fabian F
Published: March 2011

Anxiety disorders are common, serious and a growing health problem worldwide. However, the causative factors, aetiology and underlying mechanisms of anxiety disorders, as for most psychiatric disorders, remain relatively poorly understood. Animal models are an important aid in giving insight into the aetiology, neurobiology and, ultimately, the therapy of human anxiety disorders. The approach, however, is challenged with a number of complexities. In particular, the heterogeneous nature of anxiety disorders in humans coupled with the associated multifaceted and descriptive diagnostic criteria, creates challenges in both animal modelling and in clinical research. In this paper, we describe some of the more widely used approaches for assessing the anxiolytic activity of known and potential therapeutic agents. These include ethological, conflict‐based, hyponeophagia, vocalization‐based, physiological and cognitive‐based paradigms. Developments in the characterization of translational models are also summarized, as are the challenges facing researchers in their drug discovery efforts in developing new anxiolytic drugs, not least the ever‐shifting clinical conceptualization of anxiety disorders. In conclusion, to date, although animal models of anxiety have relatively good validity, anxiolytic drugs with novel mechanisms have been slow to emerge. It is clear that a better alignment of the interactions between basic and clinical scientists is needed if this is to change.

LINKED ARTICLES This article is part of a themed issue on Translational Neuropharmacology. To view the other articles in this issue visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.2011.164.issue‐4