bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Why did he do it? attribution of obedience and the phenomenon of dispositional bias
Authors: Bierbrauer Günter
Published: May 2007

Two studies are reported which demonstrate the influence of perceptual or ‘perspective’ variables in mediating attribution processes. In both studies subjects first observed a re‐enactment of Milgram's (1963) experiment of obedience in which a ‘teacher’ obeys an experimenter's request to deliver dangerously high levels of shock. They were then asked to make judgements concerning the magnitude of situational forces acting upon the teacher and also to make inferences about his personality dispositions. Study I showed that passage of time can lead observers to assume more situational control when they were required to think and write about the witnessed re‐enactment of the Milgram situation compared with observers who had no time to contemplate or who were prevented from doing so. Study II did not support the notion that focus of attribution is a simple function of what one pays attention to, or a function of the differing perspectives which actors and observers employ. Both of these results seriously challenge Jones and Nisbett's (1972) contention that the differences in attribution tendencies between actors and observers arise from the difference in perspective, Moreover, considerable evidence suggests that changes in situational and dispositional attributions may not follow a simple ‘zero‐sum’ model, and that subjects seem to be unwilling to treat the two sources of control as if they were inversely correlated.
Values of British political extremists and potential extremists: A discriminant analysis
Authors: Billig Michael , Cochrane Raymond
Published: May 2007

Studied the value systems of political extremists and potential extremists, comparing them with the value systems of centrist activists and supporters. Samples of political activists from the Labour, Conservative, Communist and National Front parties were obtained, as well as samples of non‐active supporters. The non‐active supporters were defined as Potential Extremists, if they supported a centrist party as first choice, but either Communist or National Front as second choice. All subjects completed the Rokeach Value Survey. Discriminant analysis showed that the four groups of activists could be clearly distinguished on the bask of their values. However the values of the Potential Extremists did not especially resemble the values of actual National Front or Communist activists. There were value differences between the Potential Extremists and the centrist supporters; nevertheless these two groups tended to be distinguished by very different values from those which distinguished between the activists. The appeal of value symbols for different types of political involvement was discussed.
Levels of explanation in the European Journal of Social Psychology
Authors: Doise Willem
Published: May 2007

The nature of explanation in experimental social psychology is the subject of much controversy. To advance the debate, the present article provides a grid of analysis allowing a more [thorough study of experimental social psychologists] work. Four levels of explanation are distinguished as works can be seen as studying intra‐individual processes (level 1), interindividual but intra‐situational dynamics (level 2), effects of social position in a situational interaction (level 3) and intervention of general beliefs (level 4). An important characteristic of experimental work is the possibility of combining different levels of analysis in the same study, and of surpassing, in this way, the old dichotomy between [psychologizing] and [sociologizing] explanations. Experiments published in the first seven volumes of the European Journal of Social Psychology were explored within this framework.
Towards situational classification
Authors: Nascimento‐Schulze Clclia Maria
Published: May 2007

Studied the dimensionality of judgments made by groups of persons evaluating described face‐to‐face social interactions. In these interactions, three situational elements are varied systematically, to wit: topic of conversation, partner status, and purpose of interaction. Twenty female and 20 male British social studies students compared the similarity of 12 such descriptions of dyadic interaction. A Principal Component Factor Analyses indicates that two dimensions (‘constraint’, ‘involvement’) are significant, by providing a two‐subset partition of the set of adjective pairs used by the judging groups. Furthermore, a Multiple Regression Analysis identifies the situational elements which account most for the two dimensions (partner's status for ‘constraint’, topic of conversation for ‘involvement’). The results are discussed in terms of social categorization and social order rheories. Conclusions are drawn as 10 further research on the relationship between perception of social situations and patterns of behaviour.
The beholder beheld: A study of social emotionality
Authors: Semin Gün R. , Manstead A. S. R.
Published: May 2007

The study reported in this paper is concerned with social emotions. These are defined as states which are experienced either exclusively or more intensively before a real or imagined audience. It is argued that when social emotions arise as a consequence of disrupting social rules, this is because the actor in question is aware of a discrepancy between his or her self‐image, which is assumed to be neutral, and the image which he or she assumes to have conveyed to those who witness the incident, in a role‐playing experiment, subjects were presented with four situations depicting disruptions of routine activity, two of which involved rule disruption. These situations were described from one of two perspectives (actor or observer) and set in one of two social contexts (public or private). Results confirmed the main predictions, which were (1) that in the case of rule disruptions, the emotionality attributed to the actor would be greater in public than in private; (2) that dispositional ratings of the actor would reveal a discrepancy between self image and public image, and that this discrepancy would covary with the actor's emotionality; and (3) that dispositional ratings of the actor would reveal a discrepancy between public image and subjective public image.
Social stereotypes held by different occupational groups in post‐revolutionary Iran
Authors: Beattie Geoffrey W. , Agahi Cyrus , Spencer Christopher
Published: May 2007

Studied how level of education and degree of contact with target groups affect stereotypes held by different occupational groups in post‐revolutionary Iran. Male university lecturers, taxi drivers and factory workers from Isfahan—25 of each—rated target groups (Americans, English, Arabs, Iranians) on 22 seven‐point trait scales. Fifteen subjects rated trait favourability. Results were analysed descriptively and by Spearman rank correlations of trait ratings across targets and trait assignments across subject groups. Stereotypes of Americans tend to be high in clarity and favourable across all three occupational groups (particularly ‘progressive’ and ‘industrious’), with the English somewhat less so. In contrast, Arabs are viewed highly unfavourable (‘lazy’, ‘happy‐go‐lucky’, ‘not industrious’). Autostereotypes are less consistent; the lecturers—educated in the West—are most unfavourable. It was concluded that low education and little personal contact lead to more extreme hetero‐stereotype, the reverse being true for (negative) autostereotype. Also, it seems that saturated media coverage does not necessarily have much effect on social stereotypes.
The elimination of visible behaviour from social interactions: Effects on verbal, nonverbal and interpersonal variables
Authors: Rimé Bernard
Published: May 2007

The study intended to test a number of implications of the alleged communicative functions of nonverbal behaviours. Four sets of specific hypotheses were defined under the general expectation of important effects of the suppression of visible behaviours from a channel of communication. Pairs of subjects were requested to interact either face‐to‐face or through a wooden screen depriving them of reciprocal visibility. Dependent variables comprised nonverbal behaviours, indices of paralinguistic, syntactic, grammatical and content aspects of the speech, and ratings of the partner and of the interpersonal situation. In spite of the number and variety of measurements, differences in line with the predictions were extremely rare. It is concluded that, better than the communicative ones, other functions such as assistance to the speech encoding processes, probably account for the abundance of nonverbal behaviours among speaking subjects.
Value connotations, perspective and self‐perception
Authors: van der Pligt Joop , Elser J. Richard
Published: May 2007

Two studies are reported in which judges rated statements concerning the non‐medical use of drugs before rating their own attitude on the issue. In study 1,185 school and 73 university students rated their own attitude on four scales chosen to manipulate the value connotations of the response language, as well as a fifth scale labelled 'extremely opposed to/extremely in favour of the non‐medical use of drugs'. As predicted by accentuation theory, judges were more prepared to describe their own position in evaluatively positive than evaluatively negative terms: thus, pro‐drug judges gave more extreme self‐ratings on a scale (P+) where the pro‐drug end was positive and the anti‐drug end was negative, whereas anti‐drug subjects gave more extreme self‐ratings on a scale (A+) where the pro‐drug end was negative and the anti‐drug end was positive. Judges overall gave more extreme self‐ratings on a scale (EP) where both ends were positively labelled than on a scale (EN) where both ends were negatively labelled. Predictions of the variable perspective model were not supported, manipulation of the range of statements presented for judgement (through exclusion of either extremely pro‐drug or extremely anti‐drug statements) had no effect on self‐rating. Study 2 generalized the findings of the first experiment. Self‐ratings obtained from 48 school students were again found to be more extreme on EP than on EN scales.
Belief congruence and racial discrimination: Review of the evidence and critical evaluation
Authors: Insko Chester A. , Nacoste Rupert W. , Moe Jeffry L.
Published: May 2007

A review of the literature pertaining to Rokeach, Smith, and Evans' (1960) belief congruence theory provided a context for discussion of some methodological and theoretical issues relating to conceptualization of the dependent variables, beliefcontent, belief discrepancy, meaningfulness of the race—belief comparison, attitude—belief feedback loops, attitude structure, and the relation between self and ideal similarity. The literature was judged supportive of a weak version of belief congruence theory which states that in those contexts in which social pressure is nonexistent or ineffective, belief is more important than race as a determinant of racial or ethnic discrimination. Evidence for a strong version of belief congruence theory (which states that in those contexts in which social pressure is nonexistent, or ineffective, belief is the only determinant of racial or ethnic discrimination) and was judged much more problematic.
Equity and equality as clues to the relationship between exchange participants
Authors: Greenberg Jerald
Published: May 2007

Subjects judged the relationship between two diners who either divided their restaurant check equally, or who paid for exactly what they ordered (i.e. divided it equitably). Relative to persons dividing the check equitably, those making equal divisions were perceived as liking each other more, having a closer relationship, being better friends, and being more likely to see each other again.
The role of social pressure, attention to the stimulus, and self‐doubt in conformity
Authors: Tesser Abraham , Campbell Jennifer , Mickler Susan
Published: May 2007

The theorizing of Asch and Moscovici was used as a framework for exploring the relationships among social pressure, attention to the stimulus, doubt about one's own judgment, and conformity. Male and female subjects (N = 185) were confronted either with one (low social pressure) or three (high social pressure) others who judged 12 critical pairs of noises as equal in loudness. The noises within each pair actually varied in how similar they were in loudness. High social pressure resulted in most subjects paying either little or much attention to the stimulus; low social pressure resulted in most subjects paying a moderate amount of attention to the stimulus. When social pressure was high, greater self‐doubt was associated with less attention to the stimulus; when social pressure was low, greater self‐doubt was associated with more attention to the stimulus. Conformity was positively associated with self‐doubt and negatively associated with attention to the stimulus. Social pressure increased conformity, particularly when subjects paid little attention to the stimulus. Although the results are interpreted as partially consistent with both the Asch and the Moscovici perspectives, they are not totally consistent with either.
Role‐playing as an experimental strategy in social psychology
Authors: Greenwood John Derek
Published: May 2007

It is argued that the efficacy of role playing as an experimental strategy should be assessed in terms of its ability to resolve the problems of experimentation in social psychology. Via an epistemological and methodological analysis of the laboratory experiment in social psychology, it is argued that ‘active‐experimental’ role playing constitutes a promising experimental strategy, because it can potentially overcome the fundamental experimental problem that arise in virtue of the relational nature of social psychological phenomena. It is stressed that in the end the question of the efficacy of role playing as an experimental strategy is an empirical one, but also that most empirical evaluations are inadequate for two reasons. Most of the role playing groups lack realism and involvement, and the congruence of results in role playing studies of deception experiments (whose validity is questionable) is uncritically taken as both the standard and the criterion for the efficacy of role playing. Both role playing and deception techniques should be assessed in terms of their capacity to achieve experimental realism.
The impact of social environment and sex on adolescent social values: A comparison of the kibbutz and the city in Israel
Authors: Florian Victor
Published: May 2007

The present study compares the effects of two different socialization environments—the Israeli kibbutz and the city—on the social values held by 16‐17 year‐olds. A total of 352 boys and girls, 195 porn the city and 157 porn the kibbutz, filled out a specially prepared thirteen‐item questionnaire on social values. The results revealed the existence of four factors underlying these values: self‐oriented concerns (factor 1), other‐oriented concerns (factor 2), reliance on innate spiritual capacities (factor 3), reliance on physical and productive capacities (factor 4). Significant differences on factors 1 and 3 were uncovered for the kibbutz and the city subjects, while boys and girls differed significantly on factors 2 and 4. The findings were discussed in light of the differences in educational systems between the kibbutz and the city, and in light of sex‐role differences characteristic of Western society in general.
Some comments on… ‘the measurement of social orientations in the minimal group paradigm’
Authors: Turner John C.
Published: May 2007

Bornstein et al.(1983) employ both argument and evidence to suggest that the Tajfel matrices are an inadequate measure of intergroup behaviour in the social categorization paradigm. These comments reject their criticisms, point out the potentially misleading confoundings between strategies embodied in their own measurement technique, and show that once these confoundings are taken into account, the results of their two experiments are comparable to those normally obtained by the Tajfel matrices. Some misunderstandings about the role of the MD strategy are also corrected.
The St. Pauls' riot: An explanation of the limits of crowd action in terms of a social identity model
Authors: Reicher S. D.
Published: May 2007

The paper contains a detailed study of the St. Pauls' riots of April 1980. Particular attention is paid to the limits of participation in the event and the limits of crowd action. It is argued that these limits show clear social form and cannot be explained in terms of the individualistic theories that dominate crowd psychology. Instead a model of crowd behaviour based on the social identity model is advanced to account for the observations. It is concluded that crowd behaviour is more sophisticated and creative than hitherto allowed and that the neglect of this field should be remedied.
Social comparison, similarity and ingroup favouritism‐A replication
Authors: Mummendey Amélie , Schreiber Hans‐Joachim
Published: May 2007

Studied the effects of different kinds of similarity between social groups on ingroup favouritism using a modified replication of an experiment by Turner (1978). Instead of replicating the results of Turner, the data showed just the opposite. They are discussed within the framework of social identity theory.
Classification of situations specific to field and behaviour: The context of aggressive interactions in schools
Authors: Linneweber Volker , Mummendey Amélie , Bornewasser Manfred , Löschper Gabi
Published: May 2007

Based on a social psychological concept of aggression, in which the processes of definition and judgement of acts of behaviour are credited with central meaning, the situational context of aggressive interactions was systematized for a specific field (school). It is assumed that the particular circumstances of a situation provide information for the interpretation of a particular action, and that this interpretation varies depending on these circumstances.

In the following study, norm deviation, intent and injury, are used as central criteria for judging on action as aggressive in order to establish a taxonomy of social situations, presented as verbal scenarios, that is both field‐and behaviour‐specific.

686 school children aged between 13 and 19 years participated in this study.

By using a multivariate analysis procedure, groups of situations were identified in which similar judgements of a particular action emerged. Both typical judgement patterns and corresponding situation characteristics were used in the interpretation of the resulting situation taxonomy.
When modesty fails: The social impact of group‐effacing attributions following success or failure
Authors: Bond Michael H. , Chiu Chi‐Kwan , Wan Kwok‐Choi
Published: May 2007

This study explored how group members perceived a fellow group member who made either group‐serving or group‐effacing attributions following success or failure. Forty male undergraduates from the Chinese University co‐operated in pairs with a confederate on a demanding group task. After learning that their group's performance had exceeded or failed to meet a standard, the subjects heard their confederate‐partner make group‐effacing or group‐serving attributions. As predicted, subjects evaluated the group‐serving partners more highly (p < 0.05). Preference for group‐enhancing members was discussed as a pancultural response arising from the interdependence of group members. Given the process of social categorization, group members rise or fall together and are therefore socialized to support their group.
The relationship between higher order models and everyday conceptions of personality
Authors: Semin G. R. , Chassein J.
Published: May 2007

Two studies are reported. The first one is concerned with an examination of the degree to which higher order models of personality differ from everyday social representations of personality. The second study consists in an analysis of intersubjective variations in the organization of everyday personality theories through an examination of the semantic field in which trait terms are represented. It is argued that hypothetico‐deductive models of personality rely primarily on ordinary language descriptions of persons and do not constitute higher order models. Further, it is suggested that the development of such models relies primarily on a linguistic context, rather than extralinguistic considerations to social interaction in which person terms feature centrally. The two studies provide empirical support for both contentions. Finally, a cross‐cultural comparison of the semantic representation of trait terms is provided.
Choosing situations for a purpose
Authors: Gorta Angela
Published: May 2007

Within the literature, in theoretical discussions individuals are conceptualized as agents, capable of choosing and planning their actions. Situations are open to definition and may be construed differently by different individuals. On the other hand, the majority of studies of situations treat them as concrete givens with specific properties merely waiting to be discovered. The present paper attempts to explore the possibility of empirically treating individuals as agents, capable of choosing and planning their actions and of treating situations as being open to definition. It focuses on the choice of settings to fulfil different goals and on aspects of the setting considered salient once the goal is specified.

The two studies described in this paper have illustrated that there is some consensus in the way people choose settings for different goals and that different uses of the setting lead to different aspects of the setting being considered salient. The high consensus with which two different groups of subjects, performing slightly different tasks, associated goals and settings suggests that there is some shared, at least subcultural, knowledge concerning the appropriate places in which to achieve specific goals. Individuals enter settings for specific purposes. Individuals entering a particular setting for different purposes tend to report using the setting in different ways. Both the goal and the particular setting affect the aspects of the setting considered relevant to the goal; neither the goal nor the setting alone is sufficient.
Ordinary explanation in conversation: Causal structures and their defence
Authors: Antaki Charles
Published: May 2007

It is argued that the social context of ordinary explanations encourages them to be more complex than single attributions, and to be defended by a variety of rhetorical devices.

Explanations of personally‐relevant political events were collected from articulate respondents in a setting allowing conversational freedom. Structural analysis showed that single‐cause explanations were rare. Modestly elaborate causal networks were used, and personal, group and societal attributions tended to appear at different points in their structure. Rhetorical analysis of how explainers conversationally defended causal structures showed that they used claims about the descriptions of events, data supporting their claims and warrants in virtue of which their arguments were valid. Qualitative analysis suggests that explainers use data to exemplify rather than induce, and explainers use either data or warrant in defence of a claim, but not both.
The growing field of nonverbal behaviour: A review of twelve books on nonverbal behaviour and nonverbal communication
Authors: Rimé Bernard
Published: May 2007

This book review covers two monographs and ten edited books, mostly psychological in orientation and centered on current research questions about nonverbal behaviour or nonverbal communication. The edited books comprised 213 contributors. In each case, the reader is informed about the origin of the book, its main emphasis, the kind of topics covered, the nature of the material presented (whether theoretical discussions, reviews of research, research reports…), its general interest, and the type of readers who would mostly benefit of it. The material has been organized into five classes: Books of readings, introductory books, books on methods, specific dimensions, and specific topics.
Attributional self‐presentation and information available to the audience
Authors: van Knippenberg Ad , Koelen Maria
Published: May 2007

Public ability attributions of public task performance were investigated as a function of test performance (high or low), task performance (high or low), and the availability of information about test performance to the audience (audience informed or audience not informed). The results were largely in agreement with self‐presentation expectations, Ability attributions concerning public task performance addressed to an audience which was not informed about test results, were found to be strongly self‐serving, although they were also influenced by consistency of test and task performance. In ability attributions directed at an informed audience, self‐serving biases were completely absent, the attributions being in accordance with the consistency or inconsistency of test and task performances.
Preference for decision structures in a social dilemma situation
Authors: Rutte C. G. , Wilke H. A. M.
Published: May 2007

Additional results from Rutte and Wilke's (1984) study are presented. In the context of a social dilemma situation two variables were manipulated: use and variance. Preference for various decision structures is the issue of the present paper. It appeared that a large majority structure and an unanimity structure were mast preferred. A small majority structure and a structure in which each decides for him/herself were intermediately preferred. Whereas a structure in which one person, a leader, decides for all was least preferred. Further analysis of these data suggested that only the latter two decision structures were influenced by the use and variance manipulations.
Social representations in the ordinary explanation of a ‘riot’
Authors: Litton Ian , Potter Jonathan
Published: May 2007

This paper critically examines the notion of social representations by way of a systematic analysis of media and participants' accounts of the St Pauls street disturbances of 1980. The analysis concentrates on two major explanatory categories which appear in the accounts: (A) ‘race’; (B) ‘government cuts and amenities’. In each case it is possible to distinguish three different levels of consensus between accounts: (i) particular explanatory schemata can be recognized as available but treated as mistaken; (ii) particular explanatory schemata can be recognized as relevant and adopted to explain the particular events, although in different ways; (iii) particular schemata can be adopted and used to explain events in the same way. The flexible meaning of these categories is highlighted along with the recurrent reference to alternative explanations. These findings raise problems for the suggestion that social representations minimize conflict and create ‘consensual universes’, and question the straightforward relationship between social representations and identifiable social groups. In conclusion the need is identified for a more detailed analysis of the language in which social representations are couched, and the relationship they bear to different contexts of use.
Stimulating the demand for dental care: An application of Ajzen and Fishbein's theory of reasoned action
Authors: Hoogstraten Joh. , De Haan W. , Ter Horst G.
Published: May 2007

Ajzen and Fishbein's attitude‐behaviour model was applied to the problem of stimulating the demand for dental care, Subjects were 329 members of Amsterdam health insurance companies. They had not received regular dental treatment and/or a certificate of dental fitness for at least two and a half years. Applying for treatment and acquiring a dental certificate were the behavioural measures. The effectiveness of the communication based on Ajzen and Fishbein's model was compared with the effectiveness of messages based on the Health‐Belief model and the notion that knowledge of Rights and Obligations is a prerequisite for seeking dental care. Results lend support to the validity of the Ajzen and Fishbein model. Relationships between the components of the model are moderate to strong, both before and after subjects were exposed to the message. The message proved effective in changing beliefs about seeking dental treatment. Ajzen and Fishbein's claim that their approach has exclusive merits, however, was refuted. A differential effectiveness of the three messages was absent. In all, 47.4 per cent applied for treatment. No control subjects applied. Fifteen months later 70 per cent of the applicants had obtained a dental certificate. Contrary to our expectations, a condition of no‐message application‐form‐ only proved equally effective as the message conditions.
Volatile metabolites of Pistacia atlantica Desf. from Greece
Authors: Tzakou Olga , Bazos Ioannis , Yannitsaros Artemios
Published: May 2007

The essential oils of leaves (from male and female plants), unripe fruits and leaf‐buds of different samples of Pistacia atlantica collected from Greek East Aegean islands (Kalimnos and Lesvos) were analysed by GC–MS and GC. Qualitative and quantitative differences among the samples and different organs of the plant were observed. The oils were rich in monoterpenes. The main components in the leaf oil from the female plants were myrcene (17.8%, 24.8%) and terpinen‐4‐ol (11.6%, 6.0%) in the Kalimnos and Lesvos samples, respectively, while in the leaf oil from the male plants terpinen‐4‐ol (17.3% Kalimnos) and p‐mentha‐1(7),8‐diene (41.1%, Lesvos) were the dominant constituents. The major components in unripe fruits were terpinen‐4‐ol (25.7%, 8.9%), myrcene (20.2%, 34.5%) and sabinene (14.9%, 19.5%). In the leaf‐buds oils sabinene (52.1%) and α‐pinene (11.6%) were the main constituents in the Kalimnos sample, while in the Lesvos sample the major constituent was p‐mentha‐1(7),8‐diene (42.4%). Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Quality of life in dementia: a 2‐year follow‐up study
Authors: Missotten Pierre , Ylieff Michel , Di Notte David , Paquay Louis , De Lepeleire Jan , Buntinx Frank , Fontaine Ovide
Published: May 2007

Objectives

To examine the evolution of quality of life (QOL) in demented subjects at base‐line, one and 2 years later and to determine clinical variables associated with QOL.

Method

Longitudinal study of a cohort of 127 subjects living at home or in a long‐term care institution. A QOL measure (Alzheimer Disease Related Quality of Life; ADRQL) was administered three times. In addition, several clinical instruments (MMSE, IADL, ADL and CDR/M) were also administered.

Results

ADRQL data analysis did not reveal significant modifications of QOL over the 2‐year period, whereas results from clinical instruments showed a significant deterioration. On the group, the variations of ADRQL scores were limited, with some improvement after the first year followed by some deterioration after the second year. On the other hand, ADRQL scores fluctuated every year by at least 10 points for more than 50% of subjects. With dementia evolution, it was observed that the clinical variables were more strongly correlated with ADRQL scores and were more significant predictors. This varied from 5.9% (MMSE) in 2002 to 40.01% in 2004 (MMSE and CDR/M).

Conclusions

QOL did not develop in a strictly linear manner following the deterioration of clinical state. This suggests that the evolution of QOL is also determined by other variables relating to the physical and social environment of the patients. Their role seems particularly important for the mild to moderate stages of dementia. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Group reminiscence therapy for cognitive and affective function of demented elderly in Taiwan
Authors: Wang Jing‐Jy
Published: May 2007

Background

Elderly people with cognitive impairments are often associated with depressed mood and are heavy consumers in both medical services and need in caregivers. Reminiscence is believed to be effective in improving the cognition and mood of demented people.

Objectives

This study tested the hypothesis that structured group reminiscence therapy can prevent the progression of cognitive impairment and enhance affective function in the cognitively impaired elderly.

Methods

A randomized controlled trial (RCT) based on a two group pre‐ and post‐test design was used. The experimental subjects underwent eight group sessions, one session per week. The measurements were performed using Mini‐Mental State Examination (MMSE), Geriatric Depression Scale short form (GDS‐SF), and Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia (CSDD).

Results

The sample consisted of 102 subjects, with 51 in the experimental group and 51 in the control group. Results demonstrated that the intervention significantly affected cognitive function and affective function as measured by MMSE and CSDD (p = 0.015 and 0.026), indicating that the cognitive function of the experimental subjects increased and their depressive symptoms diminished following intervention.

Conclusion

Participation in reminiscence activities can be a positive and valuable experience for demented older persons. Consequently, the development of a structured care program for elderly persons with cognitive impairment and the need for long‐term care is essential. Thus, health providers in long‐term care facilities should be trained in reminiscence group therapy, and to be able to deliver such a program to the targeted group. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Acute stress disorder in older, middle‐aged and younger adults in reaction to the second Lebanon war
Authors: Cohen Miri
Published: May 2007

Objectives

To compare rate of acute stress disorder (ASD) and intensity of acute stress symptoms (ASS) in younger, middle‐aged and older Israeli citizens exposed to missile attacks during the second Lebanon war.

Method

A telephone survey of a random sample of residents in the northern area of Israel was conducted in July 2006, during the third week of Lebanon war. Respondents were divided into groups aged 18–40, 41–69 and 70+. ASD and ASS were measured by the Acute Stress Interview questionnaire and by war‐related exposure variables and demographic data.

Results

Exposure variables were similar in the three age groups. Older respondents reported lower intensity of ASS and obtained lower means for each of the symptoms criteria than the young adults, while the middle‐aged adults were in between the younger and the older group. ASD criteria were met by 13.2% of the younger, 4.7% of middle‐aged and 4.3% of older respondents (p > 0.05), and subsyndromal ASD was found in 20.5%, 14.1% and 4.4% (p < 0.05) respectively. Twenty‐two percent of ASS variance was explained by younger age, female gender and higher perceived proximity to missile falling.

Conclusions

Older adults reacted to the war situation with lower level of acute stress symptoms. Long‐term effects of war on different age groups should be further studied. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Runoff estimation for an ungauged catchment using geomorphological instantaneous unit hydrograph (GIUH) models
Authors: Kumar Rakesh , Chatterjee C. , Singh R. D. , Lohani A. K. , Kumar Sanjay
Published: May 2007

A geomorphological instantaneous unit hydrograph (GIUH) is derived from the geomorphological characteristics of a catchment and it is related to the parameters of the Clark instantaneous unit hydrograph (IUH) model as well as the Nash IUH model for deriving its complete shape. The developed GIUH based Clark and Nash models are applied for simulation of the direct surface run‐off (DSRO) hydrographs for ten rainfall‐runoff events of the Ajay catchment up to the Sarath gauging site of eastern India. The geomorphological characteristics of the Ajay catchment are evaluated using the GIS package, Integrated Land and Water Information System (ILWIS). The performances of the GIUH based Clark and Nash models in simulating the DSRO hydrographs are compared with the Clark IUH model option of HEC‐1 package and the Nash IUH model, using some commonly used objective functions. The DSRO hydrographs are computed with reasonable accuracy by the GIUH based Clark and Nash models, which simulate the DSRO hydrographs of the catchment considering it to be ungauged. Inter comparison of the performances of the GIUH based Clark and Nash models shows that the DSRO hydrographs are estimated with comparable accuracy by both the models. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Toward a simple real‐time control system for efficient management of furrow irrigation
Authors: Khatri Kanya L. , Smith R. J.
Published: May 2007

A simple real‐time control system for furrow irrigation is proposed that predicts the infiltration characteristic of the soil in real time using data measured during an irrigation event, simulates the irrigation, and determines the optimum time to cut‐off for that irrigation. The basis of the system is a new method for estimating the soil infiltration characteristic under furrow irrigation, previously developed by the authors, that uses a model infiltration curve, and a scaling process to predict the infiltration characteristic for each furrow and each irrigation event. Using the new method, infiltration parameters were calculated for two different fields. The SIRMOD simulation model was then used to simulate irrigation performance under different model strategies. These were framed to assess the feasibility of, and demonstrate the gains from, the real‐time control strategy. The simulation results showed that the system is feasible. The scaled infiltration gave predictions of the irrigation performance comparable to the measured performance, clearly establishing the suitability of this method for use in real‐time control. The results further indicated that under simple real‐time control the irrigation performance for the two fields could be greatly improved with reductions in the total volume of water applied to the two fields of 20 and 60% respectively, indicating the scale of benefits that can be achieved in the irrigation sector by implementing simple real‐time control. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Injectable, in situ forming poly(propylene fumarate)‐based ocular drug delivery systems
Authors: Ueda H. , Hacker M.C. , Haesslein A. , Jo S. , Ammon D.M. , Borazjani R.N. , Kunzler J.F. , Salamone J.C. , Mikos A.G.
Published: May 2007

This study sought to develop an injectable formulation for long‐term ocular delivery of fluocinolone acetonide (FA) by dissolving the anti‐inflammatory drug and the biodegradable polymer poly(propylene fumarate) (PPF) in the biocompatible, water‐miscible, organic solvent N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidone (NMP). Upon injection of the solution into an aqueous environment, a FA‐loaded PPF matrix is precipitated in situ through the diffusion/extraction of NMP into surrounding aqueous fluids. Fabrication of the matrices and in vitro release studies were performed in phosphate buffered saline at 37°C. Drug loadings up to 5% were achieved. High performance liquid chromatography was employed to determine the released amount of FA. The effects of drug loading, PPF content of the injectable formulation, and additional photo‐crosslinking of the matrix surface were investigated. Overall, FA release was sustained in vitro over up to 400 days. After an initial burst release of 22 to 68% of initial FA loading, controlled drug release driven by diffusion and bulk erosion was observed. Drug release rates in a therapeutic range were demonstrated. Release kinetics were found to be dependent on drug loading, formulation PPF content, and extent of surface crosslinking. The results suggest that injectable, in situ formed PPF matrices are promising candidates for the formulation of long‐term, controlled delivery devices for intraocular drug delivery. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res 2007
Dynamical modeling of the electrochemical process to remove Cr (VI) from wastewaters in a tubular reactor
Authors: Martinez Sergio A , Rodriguez Miriam G
Published: May 2007

This work is aimed at obtaining and calibrating a dynamical model of the electrochemical reduction of Cr(VI) in a tubular continuous reactor with a spiral wire shaped anode at different conditions of pH (1.0 to 2.0) and residence times. An industrial wastewater sampled from a Mexican electroplating industry with about 1000 mg dm−3 of Cr(VI) was used for the experiments. It was found that pH exerts a strong influence on the performance of electrochemical reduction of Cr(VI). Thus at a wastewater influent pH = 1.0 and a residence time in the reactor of 38.5 min it is possible to reduce the Cr(VI) concentration from 1000 to 0.37 mg dm−3. However at an influent pH higher than 1.5, an effluent Cr(VI) concentration lower than 0.5 mg dm−3 cannot be obtained. A more complete dynamic model was applied incorporating pH and the dispersion effects that affect the electrochemical Cr(VI) removal. The model, which adequately describes the performance of the electrochemical process, can be used to optimize the performance of this kind of reactor with more reliability. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry
Specific UV photodissociation of tyrosyl‐containing peptides in multistage mass spectrometry
Authors: Joly Laure , Antoine Rodolphe , Broyer Michel , Dugourd Philippe , Lemoine Jérôme
Published: May 2007

UV photodissociation (UVPD) at 262 nm has been carried out on protonated tyrosyl‐containing peptides formed by trypsin digestion of apo‐transferrin. Under UVPD, the main event is the fragmentation of the Cα–Cβ bond of the tyrosyl residues leading to a radical ion 107 Da below the precursor ion. The dissociation rate of this specific cleavage appears to be strongly dependent on the peptide sequence and is more prominent on the singly protonated species than on the doubly protonated state. The fragmentation spectra resulting from collisional activation of the protonated even‐electron native peptides and of the odd‐electron radical species prepared by UVPD are dominated by y‐type backbone cleavages. A comparison of their respective y‐ion pattern shows complementarities since the combination of both increases the sequence coverage of the peptide sequence. The specific detection of the neutral loss of 107 Da from peptides witnesses the content of at least one tyrosyl residue and, though preliminary, is proposed as a potential new filtering strategy during protein database searching. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Holocene coastal environmental changes on the periphery of an area of glacio‐isostatic uplift: an example from Scapa Bay, Orkney, UK
Authors: de la Vega‐Leinert A. C. , Smith D. E. , Jones R. L.
Published: May 2007

The first detailed investigation of a deep, coastal, sedimentary basin in Orkney reveals a complex Holocene history of back‐barrier morphodynamics. At Scapa Bay, the sea flooded a freshwater marsh after ca. 9400 yr BP at ca. −5.4 m OD. Before ca. 7800 BP, abundant sediment from nearby cliffs was mobilised inland into a series of gravel barriers across the valley mouth. By ca. 7500 BP, direct marine influence was restricted in the back‐barrier area, although saltmarsh persisted until ca. 5900 BP. By then, at least four gravel ridges had enclosed the backing lagoon, where freshwater inputs became dominant. As terrestrial sediments filled the basin, another freshwater marsh developed. The multiple barrier complex demonstrates progradation resulting from continuous sediment supply in a sheltered embayment. The progressively rising height of the barrier crests seawards probably resulted from a combination of factors such as barrier morphodynamics, increased storminess and long‐term rising relative sea levels. The dominant vegetation surrounding Scapa Bay changed from open grassland to scrub ca. 9400 BP, then to deciduous woodland ca. 7800 BP, and to dwarf‐shrub heath ca. 2600 BP, the latter probably a response to a combination of climate change and human activity. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Optimum kinetic performance of open‐tubular separations in microfluidic devices
Authors: Eghbali Hamed , Desmet Gert
Published: May 2007

A survey is made of the different factors contributing to the kinetic performance of open‐tubular separation channels. Being representative for most of the channels used in microfluidic devices, the main focus is on channels with a rectangular format. Kinetic plots of t0/N2 versus N are established to allow for a visual selection of the ideal channel format and dimensions. These plots for example show that in the pressure‐driven mode a channel with a flat‐rectangular crosssection (top and bottom wall covered by a retentive layer) can always yield slightly faster (some 15%) separations than a cylindrical capillary, provided the channel depth is optimized. If the channel depth is fixed, the optimal w/d‐ratio depends on the required plate number. In electrically driven flows, the situation is reversed and rectangular channels with a small width are to be preferred, and the cylindrical capillary format becomes the best format.
Analysing resilience in dryland agro‐ecosystems: a case study of the Makanya catchment in Tanzania over the past 50 years
Authors: Enfors E. I. , Gordon L. J.
Published: May 2007

Dryland agro‐ecosystems in sub‐Saharan Africa provide the resource base for some of the fasted growing populations today. However, rainfall variability and poor soils make these systems inherently vulnerable, and land degradation reduces their capacity to cope with disturbances. In this paper we propose a theoretical framework for interpreting dynamics and resilience in such systems, where two aggregate variables, the agricultural soil water index and the ecosystem insurance capacity, are particularly important. We apply the framework to the case of the Makanya catchment in Tanzania and conclude that the studied area has moved towards an increasingly degraded state, where ecosystem services other than food have been lost, over the past 50 years. Three main drivers behind this are identified; a) institutional changes affecting strategies for natural resource management, b) increased dry‐spell frequency, and c) high population growth. We suggest that the reason for the dramatic effects is that these changes occurred simultaneously, reducing the adaptive capacity of the local population. However, several trends in the area today indicate that there is a window of opportunity for positive change. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Meshless Modeling of pH‐Sensitive Hydrogels Subjected to Coupled pH and Electric Field Stimuli: Young Modulus Effects and Case Studies
Authors: Li Hua , Ng Teng Yong , Yew Yong Kin , Lam Khin Yong
Published: May 2007

The effect of Young's modulus on the behavior of pH‐sensitive hydrogels is studied when subjected to coupled stimuli of solution pH and externally applied electric field. The study is the first instance for coupled stimuli numerical analysis of the hydrogels, in which a multieffect‐coupling pH‐stimulus (MECpH) model is presented. The model considers ionic diffusion, electric potential, and large mechanical deformation. A correlation between diffusive hydrogen ion and charge groups fixed onto the hydrogel polymeric chains by the Langmuir absorption isotherm is incorporated into the model. To validate the model, the computed results by the meshless Hermite‐Cloud technique are compared well with experimental data available from the literature. Then several case studies are conducted for the swelling hydrogel immersed in buffered solution subject to applied electric voltage, especially for the Young modulus effects on the volume variations of the hydrogels.

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