bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Teaching and Learning Recovery
Authors: Chappel John N.
Published: December 2009

Teaching recovery is recommended for inclusion in the curriculum and clinical experiences of all health professionals. Recovery is a continuum which starts with intervention and detoxification. It extends, over years, to stable, secure, or serene sobriety. Vaillant has described the necessary conditions for this process as abstinence, substitute dependencies, behavioral and medical consequences, enhanced hope and self-esteem, and social support in the form of unambivalent relationships. The easiest way to obtain these conditions in the continuing treatment of addictive disorders is to work a 12-step program of recovery. Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) can serve as both a model for teaching and a source of valuable field experience in health professional education. The main components of working a 12-step program are attending meetings, choosing and participating in a home group, developing and using a phone list, and working the steps with the help of a sponsor. The recovery status exam is recommended as a clinical tool for monitoring and motivating patients in recovery from addictive disorders.
Physicians in Residence Program: An Evaluation of a Novel Substance Abuse Training Approach for Residents in Primary Care Specialties
Authors: Levin Frances Rudnick , Owen Patricia , Rabinowitz Edward , Pace Nicholas
Published: December 2009

This paper describes the Physicians in Residence Program (PIR), a program developed to train medical housestaff, at the Hazelden Fellowship Club, a halfway house in Manhattan. The housestaff (n = 31), who were trained at different times, heard two daily lectures by experienced physicians on diverse topics. They received training and practice in interviewing, assessment, and treatment planning. They participated in halfway house resident support groups and spent informal time interacting with Hazelden residents. Evaluation included (a) pre- and postprogram self-reports, (b) daily significant event sheets, and (c) overall program evaluation. Using paired mean t tests, the housestaff reported improvements (P < 0.001) in their interviewing and referral skills, knowledge, attitudes, and role confidence. All components of the program received ratings of “good” to “excellent” and were viewed as helpful. The highest ratings were those that included observation, practice of skills, and interactions with Hazelden residents.
Dissemination of Research Results regarding the Pharmacotherapy of Substance Abuse: Case Examples and Critical Review
Authors: Naranjo Claudio A. , Bremner Karen E.
Published: December 2009

The transfer of treatment research findings to clinical practice begins with influential dissemination. Other factors, such as availability of resources, acceptance by clinicians, and relevant (i.e., pharmaceutical) company sponsorship can ultimately determine the clinical application of a new technology. Two examples related to the pharmacotherapy of substance abuse which were experienced during our work at the Addiction Research Foundation, as well as our proposal for a dissemination model, are discussed. Alcohol withdrawal (A W) and alcoholic liver disease (ALD) are common, potentially serious clinical problems associated with alcohol abuse. Clinical trials indicated that assessment and monitoring of AW can be simplified and standardized with a valid, reliable instrument, the CIWA-A. In severe AW (CIWA-A score >25), the benzodiazepine. loading dose technique was proven to be an affective, shortened, simplified pharmacotherapy. An attempt to improve treatment of AW in rural detox centers in Ontario, Canada, was thwarted by lack of resources to perform simple clinical assessments and make decisions regarding pharmacotherapy and by reluctance to change. The CIWA-A was not adopted because, according to its guidelines, most detox center patients would be diagnosed with severe AW and would require pharmacotherapy, but dedicated and accessible physicians were not available to administer it (i.e., the problem was denied). Furthermore detox center staff were not willing to change current treatment practices (supportive care) for most severe AW patients. In the other case, in a long-term (2-year) placebo-controlled clinical trial in 310 patients, mortality from ALD was reduced by 50% with propylthiouracil (PTU), an antihyperthyroid medication. Results were published in a prestigious medical journal but misconceptions about risk of hypothyroidism and other side effects (e.g., agranulocytosis), cancellation of a multicenter trial, and lack of endorsement by hospitals and pharmaceutical companies may have deterred physicians from prescribing it. Thus, due to an inadequate marketing strategy, clinical use of PTU for ALD did not extend significantly beyond the original research institute. These two examples show that scientists must collaborate with professionals trained in techniques of dissemination and marketing in order to facilitate the transfer of research results to clinical practice. To correct this situation partially the Pharmacotherapy Research Unit, Addiction Research Foundation Clinical Research and Treatment Institute, presented a model for disseminating research results. However, due to administrative changes within the Foundation, the model has not been implemented. Efforts at research dissemination at NIDA, in the United States, seem to be developing in a more secure footing because of consistent administrative support and clear objectives.
Integrative Recovery: A Stage Paradigm
Authors: De Leon George
Published: December 2009

This paper outlines a 10-stage recovery paradigm (6 pretreatment and 4 treatment stages), based upon the clinical and research experience with those treated in residential therapeutic communities. Various recovery-stage formulations have been described for alcoholic abusers and smokers, largely from middle- and working-class backgrounds. However, the relevance of these formulations for other chemically dependent subgroups such as those seen in therapeutic communities (TCs) remains to be clarified. Clients in these programs are chronic abusers of all substances, but mainly opiates, cocaine, crack, marijuana, and alcohol, although multiple drug use is the rule. For most, substance abuse is embedded in a larger picture of personality disorder, social deviance, disaffiliation, and personal dysfunction. Increasing numbers are unhabilitated in that they have never acquired the behavioral skills, attitudes, or values associated with socialized living. Thus, the recovery goals in the TC extend much beyond achieving and maintaining abstinence, toward developing change in lifestyles and social and personal identities. Although derived from the TC experience, the paradigm presented has relevance for other similar subgroups of substance abusers.
Substance Abuse and HIV/AIDS in Poland: Opportunities for Educational Exchange
Authors: O'Connor Patrick G. , Williams Ann B.
Published: December 2009

Since democratization, Poland has focused increased attention on the care of injection drug users. The growing epidemic of HIV in this population has heightened concerns about effective substance abuse treatment and medical care for those who are infected. A collaborative effort between Yale University and the Medical University of Gdańsk, Poland, is responding to these issues. This collaboration provides the opportunity for Polish and American faculty to share clinical treatment approaches and develop research activities investigating mutual concerns regarding care of injection-drug users with HIV infection. The addiction problem in Poland is characterized by the injection of a home-grown opioid referred to as “kompot.” Cocaine use has not been a significant problem. The primary mode of treatment in Poland is long-term residential treatment. In addition, there are ongoing efforts to decrease HIV risk through the provision of clean needles. The government and substance abuse treatment system in Poland is currently considering methadone maintenance treatment and faculty of the New Haven/Gdańsk Exchange Program have been able to contribute to that discussion.
Teaching Faculty about Substance Abuse: Evaluating Clinical Competence and Professional Development
Authors: Graham Antonnette V. , Altpeter Mary , Emmitt-Myers Stephanie , Parran Theodore V. , Zyzanski Stephen
Published: December 2009

This report describes the evaluation of a faculty development program implemented to address the deficit in physicians’ clinical and teaching competence regarding substance abuse. Participants in the university hospital program included faculty fellows from five departments. Annual, random chart audits assessed changes in rates of substance use documentation by residents supervised and not supervised by the fellows. Paired t tests assessed changes in fellows’ knowledge. The report includes results from the fellows’ program evaluations, interviews, and professional development, including publications, funding, research activities, and presentations. Charting of alcohol use by residents supervised by a faculty fellow improved significantly. Fellows also showed marked increases in knowledge and professional development. A longitudinal, interactive faculty development program is a viable means of increasing clinical and teaching skills. The required comprehensive evaluation is achieved through the use of multidimensional methods described above.
Substance Abuse: Medical Student Awareness and Clinical Skills
Authors: Wymer Antoinette , Harrington Morrill E. , Sundberg David K. , Cariaga-Lo Liza , McGann K. Patricia , Silvia Loretta Y. , Camp Larry , Dagenhart M. C. , Richards Boyd F. , Hoban J. Dennis
Published: December 2009

Medical schoob continue to be challenged to provide effective curricula in substance abuse. Our study examined the perceived exposure of medical students to substance abuse topics. We found that the majority of upper-level students indicated a high level of exposure to substance abuse topics which are considered to be core knowledge by experts. Assessment of clinical skills performance using a standardized patient case, however, indicated that students were not able to demonstrate clinical proficiency in substance abuse topics despite their high level of perceived exposure to these topics.
A background suppression chopper for the High-Flux Backscattering Spectrometer at NIST
Authors: García Sakai V. , Mamontov E. , Neumann D.A.
Published: December 2009

A characteristic of backscattering spectroscopy is the limited flux in achieving high resolution. This means that one requires a very high signal-to-noise ratio by keeping the background to a minimum. The high-flux backscattering spectrometer at the NIST Center for Neutron Research uses a phase-space transformation (PST) chopper to enhance the flux by a factor of 4.2. The chopper has six equal size sectors, alternating between open and pyrolytic graphite. The background in this spectrometer arises from neutrons from the main guide. Measurements show that neutrons which pass through an open sector of the PST chopper at the same time that the monochromatized beam passes through on its way to the sample, contribute to 60% of the background. In order to reduce this background while retaining 80% of the present neutron flux, we propose a second chopper placed between the local shutter and the entrance to the converging guide, synchronized with the PST chopper.
Embrittlement of titanium–zirconium ‘null-matrix’ alloy by deuterium
Authors: Gray E. Maca. , Bailey I.F.
Published: December 2009

Random substitutional Ti2.08Zr exhibits zero Bragg scattering and alloys with this nominal composition are therefore used to fabricate pressure cells for neutron scattering measurements. Because Ti and Zr alloys are well known to be subject to hydrogen embrittlement, the embrittlement of Ti2.001Zr by deuterium gas was investigated to assess its suitability for use in neutron diffraction experiments on samples under deuterium pressure. At 77°C, the alloy survived 15 days in 689 bar D2 with no apparent effect on mechanical properties. At 100°C, however, embrittlement was initiated by 607-bar D2, and at 200°C rapid decrepitation occurred, producing ε-(TiZr)Dx. It is therefore recommended that Ti≈2Zr should not be considered for structural use with deuterium gas above room temperature.
Credit where credit's due: plagiarism screening in scholarly publishing
Authors: MEDDINGS Kirsty
Published: November 2009

Plagiarism is not a new problem in academic publishing, but in the age of the Internet and digital publishing it would appear that it may be a growing one. Not only is there more literature available, but it has never been easier to search online databases, publisher websites, and institutional repositories. And as the content and its availability grows, so the ability of the reviewer to have read everything in their field diminishes, and detecting unoriginal content becomes harder. In response to this problem, CrossRef has launched CrossCheck (http://www.crossref.org/crosscheck.html), a plagiarism detection service for scholarly publishers.
CrossCheck: an effective tool for detecting plagiarism
Authors: ZHANG Helen (Yuehong)
Published: November 2009

The plagiarism detection service CrossCheck has been used since October 2008 as part of the paper reviewing process for the Journal of Zhejiang University – Science (A & B). Between October 2008 and May 2009 662 papers were CrossChecked; 151 of these (around 22.8% of submitted papers) were found to contain apparently unreasonable levels of copying or self‐plagiarism, and 25.8% of these cases (39 papers) gave rise to serious suspicions of plagiarism and copyright infringement. Four types of copying or plagiarism were identified, in an attempt to reach a consensus on this type of academic misconduct.
The ‘peer reviewer as collaborator’ model for publishing
Authors: KUMAR Malhar N.
Published: November 2009

Manuscript peer review has been studied extensively and the drawbacks of the process in its current form are well known. Many alternatives to the traditional peer‐review process have been suggested; most of these focus on increasing the accountability of the reviewers. Little has been done regarding improving incentives for reviewers. Making the process more attractive to the reviewers improves the efficiency of the process and benefits everyone involved in it. It is perhaps not enough to keep harping on the altruistic values of peer review. Personal profit motives should be addressed as well. This article examines the possibility of offering co‐authorship of the manuscript to the reviewers.
21st‐century rights management: why does it matter and what is being done?
Authors: BIDE Mark , WISE Alicia
Published: November 2009

‘The answer to the machine is in the machine’ – but what is the answer? At the end of the first decade of the 21st century we are seeing an explosion of rights management issues, as well as the emergence of many products and services that may provide all – or at least some – of the solution for publishers. International standards are also in place. Strong intellectual property protection is the cornerstone of an orderly digital marketplace. That market is for content + rights. Are our rights management practices fit for purpose? In this paper we provide an overview of rights management in publishing at the start of the 21st century, a summary of what is at stake, and an overview of the challenges and opportunities that await publishers.
Whose metrics? Citation, usage and access metrics as scholarly information service
Authors: ARMBRUSTER Chris
Published: November 2009

As the Internet has enhanced the collection and provision of citation, usage, and access metrics, the challenge lies neither in the technology nor the method, but in constructing databases that deliver services of value to the scholar. The question everybody should be asking is: what kind of metric information services would serve scholars? One example is given of the systems that might well help a postdoctoral researcher.
Paying for open access? Institutional funding streams and OA publication charges
Authors: PINFIELD Stephen
Published: November 2009

An increasing number of research funders are introducing open access (OA) policies. At the same time, publishers are introducing OA publication options. Research institutions need to consider how to respond to these developments, including the possible introduction of institutionally co‐ordinated funds for payment of OA publication charges. This paper describes the international background to the issue of institutional OA funds and summarizes the current UK situation, presenting recently gathered data from UK institutions. It then reports on work carried out by the University of Nottingham to introduce and manage an institutional OA fund. Early usage data of the Nottingham fund are presented. The paper outlines lessons learned from the Nottingham experience, then goes on to suggest a number of ways in which institutions and other agencies can take developments forward.
What pharmaceutical libraries really want
Authors: NIELSEN Henning P. , VOGT Sven‐Olaf
Published: November 2009

The multiplicity of publisher business models and the restrictions of digital rights management systems greatly hamper pharmaceutical companies in the prosecution of their work. We explore the variety of ‘pharma’ needs and the reasons for them. Much progress has been made but more needs to be done. The libraries seek only to satisfy their customer needs while complying with owners' rights.
Should editors influence journal impact factors?
Authors: KRELL Frank‐Thorsten
Published: November 2009

The journal impact factor is widely used as a performance indicator for single authors (despite its unsuitably in this respect). Hence, authors are increasingly exercised if there is any sign that impact factors are being manipulated. Editors who ask authors to cite relevant papers from their own journal are accused of acting unethically. This is surprising because, besides publishers, authors are the primary beneficiaries of an increased impact factor of the journal in which they publish, and because the citation process is biased anyway. There is growing evidence that quality and relevance are not always the reasons for choosing references. Authors' biases and personal environments as well as strategic considerations are major factors. As long as an editor does not force authors to cite irrelevant papers from their own journal, I consider it as a matter of caretaking for the journal and its authors if an editor brings recent papers to the authors' attention. It would be unfair to authors and disloyal to the publisher if an editor did not try to increase the impact of his/her own journal.
Book Reviews
Authors: COX John
Published: November 2009

Current Models of Digital Scholarly Communication: Results of an Investigation Conducted by Ithaka for the Association of Research Libraries Nancy L. Maron and K. Kirby Smith Washington, DC, Association of Research Libraries, 2008, 49 pp. Online only: http://www.arl.org/bm∼doc/current‐models‐report.pdf
Book Reviews
Authors: ROWLAND Fytton
Published: November 2009

Information Science in Transition Edited by Alan Gilchrist London, Facet Publishing, 2009, 256 pp. ISBN 9781856046930, £49.95, hbk (£39.96 to CILIP members)
Book Reviews
Authors: BALKWILL Richard
Published: November 2009

International Copyright Law and Policy Silke von Lewinski Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2008, 678 pp. ISBN 9780199207206, £85, hbk
Book Reviews
Authors: DAY Sarah
Published: November 2009

Digital Consumers: Reshaping the Information Profession Edited by David Nicholas and Ian Rowlands London, Facet Publishing 2008, 240 pp. ISBN 9781856046510, £39.95, hbk
Ecological adaptation determines functional mammalian olfactory subgenomes
Authors: Hayden Sara , Bekaert Michaël , Crider Tess A. , Mariani Stefano , Murphy William J. , Teeling Emma C.
Published: December 2009

The ability to smell is governed by the largest gene family in mammalian genomes, the olfactory receptor (OR) genes. Although these genes are well annotated in the finished human and mouse genomes, we still do not understand which receptors bind specific odorants or how they fully function. Previous comparative studies have been taxonomically limited and mostly focused on the percentage of OR pseudogenes within species. No study has investigated the adaptive changes of functional OR gene families across phylogenetically and ecologically diverse mammals. To determine the extent to which OR gene repertoires have been influenced by habitat, sensory specialization, and other ecological traits, to better understand the functional importance of specific OR gene families and thus the odorants they bind, we compared the functional OR gene repertoires from 50 mammalian genomes. We amplified more than 2000 OR genes in aquatic, semi-aquatic, and flying mammals and coupled these data with 48,000 OR genes from mostly terrestrial mammals, extracted from genomic projects. Phylogenomic, Bayesian assignment, and principle component analyses partitioned species by ecotype (aquatic, semi-aquatic, terrestrial, flying) rather than phylogenetic relatedness, and identified OR families important for each habitat. Functional OR gene repertoires were reduced independently in the multiple origins of aquatic mammals and were significantly divergent in bats. We reject recent neutralist views of olfactory subgenome evolution and correlate specific OR gene families with physiological requirements, a preliminary step toward unraveling the relationship between specific odors and respective OR gene families.
Genome-wide dynamics of replication timing revealed by in vitro models of mouse embryogenesis
Authors: Hiratani Ichiro , Ryba Tyrone , Itoh Mari , Rathjen Joy , Kulik Michael , Papp Bernadett , Fussner Eden , Bazett-Jones David P. , Plath Kathrin , Dalton Stephen , Rathjen Peter D. , Gilbert David M.
Published: December 2009

Differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) is accompanied by changes in replication timing. To explore the relationship between replication timing and cell fate transitions, we constructed genome-wide replication-timing profiles of 22 independent mouse cell lines representing 10 stages of early mouse development, and transcription profiles for seven of these stages. Replication profiles were cell-type specific, with 45% of the genome exhibiting significant changes at some point during development that were generally coordinated with changes in transcription. Comparison of early and late epiblast cell culture models revealed a set of early-to-late replication switches completed at a stage equivalent to the post-implantation epiblast, prior to germ layer specification and down-regulation of key pluripotency transcription factors [POU5F1 (also known as OCT4)/NANOG/SOX2] and coinciding with the emergence of compact chromatin near the nuclear periphery. These changes were maintained in all subsequent lineages (lineage-independent) and involved a group of irreversibly down-regulated genes, at least some of which were repositioned closer to the nuclear periphery. Importantly, many genomic regions of partially reprogrammed induced pluripotent stem cells (piPSCs) failed to re-establish ESC-specific replication-timing and transcription programs. These regions were enriched for lineage-independent early-to-late changes, which in female cells included the inactive X chromosome. Together, these results constitute a comprehensive “fate map” of replication-timing changes during early mouse development. Moreover, they support a model in which a distinct set of replication domains undergoes a form of “autosomal Lyonization” in the epiblast that is difficult to reprogram and coincides with an epigenetic commitment to differentiation prior to germ layer specification.
Throughput Optimal Distributed Power Control of Stochastic Wireless Networks
Authors: Xi Yufang , Yeh Edmund M.
Published: December 2009

The maximum differential backlog (MDB), or “backpressure” control policy of Tassiulas and Ephremides has been shown to adaptively maximize the stable throughput of multihop wireless networks with random traffic arrivals and queueing. The practical implementation of the MDB policy in wireless networks with mutually interfering links, however, requires the development of distributed optimization algorithms. Within the context of code-division multiple-access (CDMA)-based multihop wireless networks, we develop a set of node-based scaled gradient projection power control algorithms which solves the MDB optimization problem based on the high-signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) approximation of link capacities using low communication overhead. We investigate the impact of the high-SINR approximation and the nonnegligible convergence time required by the power control algorithms on the throughput region achievable by the iterative MDB policy. We show that the policy can achieve at least the stability region induced by the high-SINR capacity region.
Duration of clinical reactivity in cow's milk allergy is associated with levels of specific immunoglobulin G4 and immunoglobulin A antibodies to β‐lactoglobulin
Authors: Savilahti E. M. , Saarinen K. M. , Savilahti E.
Published: December 2009

Background
The development of tolerance in IgE‐mediated allergies has been associated with lower cow's milk (CM)‐specific IgE levels, increasing levels of specific IgG4 and, more contestably, IgA.

Objective
We investigated whether specific antibody responses to CM proteins differ over time between patients who recovered from cow's milk allergy (CMA) by the age of 3 years and those who developed tolerance only after the age of 8 years.

Methods
The study population comprised of 83 patients with IgE‐mediated CMA. They belonged to a cohort of 6209 healthy, full‐term infants followed prospectively for the emergence of CMA. Serum samples were available at diagnosis (median age 7 months), 1 year later (median 19 months) and at follow‐up (median 8.5 years). Age‐matched control subjects with no history of CMA (n=76) participated in the follow‐up. Serum levels of IgE antibodies to CM were measured using UniCAP. Levels of IgA, IgG1 and IgG4 antibodies to β‐lactoglobulin and α‐casein were measured using ELISA.

Results
Patients with persistent CMA at the age of 8 years (n=18 at diagnosis, n=16 at later time‐points) had higher CM‐specific IgE levels at all three time‐points (P<0.001) compared with patients who became tolerant by 3 years (n=55 at diagnosis, n=54 a year later, n=40 at follow‐up). They had lower serum IgA levels to β‐lactoglobulin at diagnosis (P=0.01), and lower IgG4 levels to β‐lactoglobulin (P=0.04) and α‐casein (P=0.05) at follow‐up.

Conclusion
High CM‐specific IgE levels predict the persistence of CMA. Development of tolerance is associated with elevated levels of β‐lactoglobulin‐specific serum IgA at the time of diagnosis, and later increasing specific IgG4 levels to β‐lactoglobulin and α‐casein.

Cite this as: E. M. Savilahti, K. M. Saarinen and E. Savilahti, Clinical & Experimental Allergy, 2010 (40) 251–256.
Poromas and porokeratosis in a patient treated for solid-organ and haematological malignancies
Authors: Sherman V. , Reed J. , Hollowood K. , Littlewood T. , Burge S. M.
Published: December 2009

We describe a patient with previous solid-organ (testicular, oesophageal) and haematological (acute myeloid leukaemia) malignancies, in whom chronic cutaneous graft-versus-host disease was complicated by poromas and porokeratosis. Chemotherapy, total body irradiation, longstanding immunosuppression and ultraviolet radiation may all have played a part in the pathogenesis of the skin tumours.
Relationship of impairment induced by intracellular S‐adenosylhomocysteine accumulation with DNA methylation in human umbilical vein endothelial cells treated with 3‐deazaadenosine
Authors: Yu Xiaoping , Ling Wenhua , Mi Mantian
Published: December 2009

The aim of this study was to estimate the relationship of endothelial dysfunction induced by intracellular S‐adenosylhomocysteine (SAH) accumulation and DNA methylation in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). The isolated HUVEC were incubated with 3‐deazaadenosine (DZA) to induce experimental intracellular SAH accumulation. The impairment of HUVEC function was assessed by changes in morphology and proliferative ability. The expression of DNA methyltransferase‐1 (DNMT1) and the atherosclerosis related genes [oestrogen receptor‐alpha (ER‐α), extracellular superoxide dismutase (EC‐SOD) and monocyte chemoattractant protein‐1 (MCP‐1)] were analysed using quantitative real‐time PCR. Global DNA methylated status was measured using the cytosine extension assay. The methylated patterns of ER‐α, EC‐SOD and MCP‐1 genes were determined with methylation‐specific PCR. We found that DZA administration increased intracellular SAH levels progressively and simultaneously decreased Hcy content in medium. Moreover, the supplementation induced HUVEC apoptosis, inhibited proliferation ability and DNMT1 mRNA expression (P < 0.05) and furthermore reduced global DNA methylation status (P < 0.05). Correlation analysis showed the presence of a negative correlation between intracellular SAH concentration, proliferative ability, and expression of ER‐α, EC‐SOD, and DNMT1 (r = −0.89, −0.86, −0.92 and −0.88 respectively, P < 0.001); and a positive correlation with MCP‐1 expression and DNA [3H]‐dCTP incorporation (r = 0.89 and 0.93 respectively, P < 0.001). Our results showed that endothelial dysfunction induced by intracellular SAH accumulation is mediated by regulating the expression of atherosclerosis related genes in HUVEC, which is not related with gene promoter methylated patterns, but may be associated with altered global DNA hypomethylated status. These findings suggest that SAH can act as the potential molecular biological marker in the promotion of atherogenesis.
Oral sensorial complaints, salivary flow rate and mucosal lesions in the institutionalized elderly
Authors: GLAZAR I. , UREK M. M. , BRUMINI G. , PEZELJ‐RIBARIC S.
Published: December 2009

Summary  The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of oral sensorial complaints, salivary flow rate and oral mucosal lesions in the institutionalized and non‐institutionalized elderly. The study included 280 institutionalized and 61 non‐ institutionalized elderly people. Dry mouth, burning mouth sensations, taste disturbances, salivary flow rate and oral mucosal lesions were assessed and compared between groups. A greater number of the institutionalized elderly had dry mouth (P = 0·001) and taste disturbance (P = 0·035) compared to non‐institutionalized elderly. The institutionalized elderly also had significantly lower salivary flow rate (P < 0·0001). Positive correlation was found between salivary flow rate and perception of dry mouth in the institutionalized elderly (rs = 0·26; P < 0·05), as well as in the non‐institutionalized elderly (rs = 0·35; P < 0·05). Moreover, positive correlation was observed between salivary flow rate and the sensation of burning mouth in the institutionalized elderly (rs = 0·13; P < 0·05) and non‐institutionalized elderly (rs = 0·31; P < 0·05). The number of institutionalized elderly people with oral mucosal diseases was higher compared with non‐institutionalized ones (P = 0·01). The most common oral mucosal lesions in both groups were related to wearing dentures. It can be concluded that the institutionalized elderly are significantly affected with oral sensorial complaints, including dry mouth and taste disturbance, as well as decreased salivary flow rate and oral mucosal diseases compared with the non‐institutionalized elderly.
Fracture resistance of roots prosthetically restored with intra‐radicular posts of different lengths
Authors: CECCHIN D. , FARINA A.‐P. , GUERREIRO C.‐A.‐M. , CARLINI‐JÚNIOR B.
Published: December 2009

Summary  The purpose of this study was to assess the fracture resistance of roots that were prosthetically restored with intra‐radicular posts of different lengths. Forty‐five bovine incisors were sectioned 17 mm from their apices, endodontically treated and randomly divided into three experimental groups: GI, fibreglass posts luted at a depth of 12 mm; GII, 8 mm and GIII, 4 mm. All posts were luted with dual resin cement. Resin composite cores were prepared with standardized measurements, and all teeth were restored with metal crowns. The samples were submitted to the fracture resistance test in a universal testing machine, at an angle of 135° and speed of 0·5 mm min−1, until fracture occurred. The data, in MPa, were submitted to the analysis of variance (anova) followed by Tukey’s test (α = 0·01). No statistically significant difference (P > 0·01) was found between GI (129·72 ± 12·14) and GII (154·3 ± 12·08), which presented the highest fracture resistance values. Group GIII (100·5 ± 8·07) showed lower fracture resistance (P < 0·01) when compared with GI and GII. Within the limitations of this study, it was concluded that the post lengths influenced the fracture resistance of prosthetically restored roots. These results suggest that it is not necessary to perform excessive intra‐radicular post‐space preparation to improve the fracture resistance of roots.
Asset allocation and age effects in retirement savings choices
Authors: Gerrans Paul , Clark‐Murphy Marilyn , Speelman Craig
Published: December 2009

We examine the asset allocation decisions of members of three large Australian retirement savings funds. Superannuation Guarantee legislation in 1992 made Australian employees compulsory investors by requiring employers to contribute a fixed proportion of earnings to a superannuation fund on behalf of employees. A majority of these employees can choose an investment strategy for these contributions. We examine how actual investment strategy and asset allocation choices of members change with age in view of the conventional wisdom that individuals allocate less to risky assets as they age and investments theory which provides conflicting advice on the issue.
Capital gains taxation and shareholder wealth in takeovers
Authors: Bugeja Martin , Da Silva Rosa Raymond
Published: December 2009

Before December 1999, the capital gains of shareholders who sold their shares into Australian takeovers have been taxable irrespective of payment method. Subsequently, shareholders can elect to rollover capital gains in equity takeovers. We examine the effect of this change on the association between target shareholder capital gains and bidder and target firm shareholder wealth. The results indicate that prior to the regulatory change, cash consideration results in higher target shareholder returns for non‐taxation reasons. After the introduction of capital gains tax rollover relief, we find that target and acquiring firm shareholders earn lower returns when cash consideration is offered to shareholders with greater capital gains.
SecondSkin: An interactive method for appearance transfer
Authors: Van Den Hengely A. , Sale D. , Dick A. R.
Published: December 2009

SecondSkin estimates an appearance model for an object visible in a video sequence, without the need for complex interaction or any calibration apparatus. This model can then be transferred to other objects, allowing a non‐expert user to insert a synthetic object into a real video sequence so that its appearance matches that of an existing object, and changes appropriately throughout the sequence. As the method does not require any prior knowledge about the scene, the lighting conditions, or the camera, it is applicable to video which was not captured with this purpose in mind. However, this lack of prior knowledge precludes the recovery of separate lighting and surface reflectance information. The SecondSkin appearance model therefore combines these factors. The appearance model does require a dominant light‐source direction, which we estimate via a novel process involving a small amount of user interaction. The resulting model estimate provides exactly the information required to transfer the appearance of the original object to new geometry composited into the same video sequence.
Image‐to‐Geometry Registration: a Mutual Information Method exploiting Illumination‐related Geometric Properties
Authors: Corsini Massimiliano , Dellepiane Matteo , Ponchio Federico , Scopigno Roberto
Published: December 2009

This work concerns a novel study in the field of image‐to‐geometry registration. Our approach takes inspiration from medical imaging, in particular from multi‐modal image registration. Most of the algorithms developed in this domain, where the images to register come from different sensors (CT, X‐ray, PET), are based on Mutual Information, a statistical measure of non‐linear correlation between two data sources. The main idea is to use mutual information as a similarity measure between the image to be registered and renderings of the model geometry, in order to drive the registration in an iterative optimization framework. We demonstrate that some illumination‐related geometric properties, such as surface normals, ambient occlusion and reflection directions can be used for this purpose. After a comprehensive analysis of such properties we propose a way to combine these sources of information in order to improve the performance of our automatic registration algorithm. The proposed approach can robustly cover a wide range of real cases and can be easily extended.
Approximate on‐Surface Distance Computation using Quasi‐Developable Charts
Authors: Torchelsen Rafael P. , Pinto Francisco , Bastos Rui , Comba João L. D.
Published: December 2009

There is a vast number of applications that require distance field computation over triangular meshes. State‐of‐the‐art algorithms have quadratic or sub‐quadratic worst‐case complexity, making them impractical for interactive applications. While most of the research on this subject has been focused on reducing the computation complexity of the algorithms, in this work we propose an approximate algorithm that achieves similar results working in lower resolutions of the input meshes. The creation of lower resolution meshes is the essence of our proposal. The idea is to identify regions on the input mesh that can be unfolded into planar regions with minimal area distortion (i.e. quasi‐developable charts). Once charts are computed, their interior is re‐triangulated to reduce the number of triangles, which results in a collection of simplified charts that we call a base mesh. Due to the properties of quasi‐developable regions, we are able to compute distance fields over the base mesh instead of over the input mesh. This reduces the memory footprint and data processed for distance computations, which is the bottleneck of these algorithms. We present results that are one order of magnitude faster than current exact solutions, with low approximation errors.
Simulating Gaseous Fluids with Low and High Speeds
Authors: Gao Yue , Li Chen‐Feng , Hu Shi‐Min , Barsky Brian A.
Published: December 2009

Gaseous fluids may move slowly, as smoke does, or at high speed, such as occurs with explosions. High‐speed gas flow is always accompanied by low‐speed gas flow, which produces rich visual details in the fluid motion. Realistic visualization involves a complex dynamic flow field with both low and high speed fluid behavior. In computer graphics, algorithms to simulate gaseous fluids address either the low speed case or the high speed case, but no algorithm handles both efficiently. With the aim of providing visually pleasing results, we present a hybrid algorithm that efficiently captures the essential physics of both low‐ and high‐speed gaseous fluids. We model the low speed gaseous fluids by a grid approach and use a particle approach for the high speed gaseous fluids. In addition, we propose a physically sound method to connect the particle model to the grid model. By exploiting complementary strengths and avoiding weaknesses of the grid and particle approaches, we produce some animation examples and analyze their computational performance to demonstrate the effectiveness of the new hybrid method.
A Shape‐Preserving Approach to Image Resizing
Authors: Zhang Guo‐Xin , Cheng Ming‐Ming , Hu Shi‐Min , Martin Ralph R.
Published: December 2009

We present a novel image resizing method which attempts to ensure that important local regions undergo a geometric similarity transformation, and at the same time, to preserve image edge structure. To accomplish this, we define handles to describe both local regions and image edges, and assign a weight for each handle based on an importance map for the source image. Inspired by conformal energy, which is widely used in geometry processing, we construct a novel quadratic distortion energy to measure the shape distortion for each handle. The resizing result is obtained by minimizing the weighted sum of the quadratic distortion energies of all handles. Compared to previous methods, our method allows distortion to be diffused better in all directions, and important image edges are well‐preserved. The method is efficient, and offers a closed form solution.
The Dual‐microfacet Model for Capturing Thin Transparent Slabs
Authors: Dai Qiang , Wang Jiaping , Liu Yiming , Snyder John , Wu Enhua , Guo Baining
Published: December 2009

We present a new model, called the dual‐microfacet, for those materials such as paper and plastic formed by a thin, transparent slab lying between two surfaces of spatially varying roughness. Light transmission through the slab is represented by a microfacet‐based BTDF which tabulates the microfacet's normal distribution (NDF) as a function of surface location. Though the material is bounded by two surfaces of different roughness, we approximate light transmission through it by a virtual slab determined by a single spatially‐varying NDF. This enables efficient capturing of spatially variant transparent slices. We describe a device for measuring this model over a flat sample by shining light from a CRT behind it and capturing a sequence of images from a single view. Our method captures both angular and spatial variation in the BTDF and provides a good match to measured materials.
Fast, Sub‐pixel Antialiased Shadow Maps
Authors: Pan Minghao , Wang Rui , Chen Weifeng , Zhou Kun , Bao Hujun
Published: December 2009

Solving aliasing artifacts is an essential problem in shadow mapping approaches. Many works have been proposed, however, most of them focused on removing the texel‐level aliasing that results from the limited resolution of shadow maps. Little work has been done to solve the pixel‐level shadow aliasing that is produced by the rasterization on the screen plane. In this paper, we propose a fast, sub‐pixel antialiased shadowing algorithm to solve the pixel aliasing problem. Our work is based on the alias‐free shadow maps, which is capable of computing accurate per‐pixel shadow, and only incurs little cost to extend to sub‐pixel accuracy. Instead of direct supersampling the screen space, we take facets to approximate pixels in shadow testing. The shadowed area of one facet is rapidly evaluated by projecting blocker geometry onto a supersampled 2D occlusion mask with bitmasks fusion. It provides a sub‐pixel occlusion sampling so as to capture fine shadow details and features. Furthermore, we introduce the silhouette mask map that limits visibility evaluation to pixels only on the silhouette, which greatly reduces the computation cost. Our algorithm runs entirely on the GPU, achieving real‐time performance and is an order of magnitude faster than the brute‐force supersampling method to produce comparable 32× antialiased shadows.
Mesh Segmentation Refinement
Authors: Kaplansky Lotan , Tal Ayellet
Published: December 2009

This paper proposes a method for refining existing mesh segmentations, employing a novel extension of the active contour approach to meshes. Given a segmentation, produced either by an automatic segmentation method or interactively, our algorithm propagates the segment boundaries to more appropriate locations. In addition, unlike most segmentation algorithms, our method allows the boundaries to pass through the mesh faces, resulting in smoother curves, particularly visible on coarse meshes. The method is also capable of changing the number of segments, by enabling splitting and merging of boundary curves during the process. Finally, by changing the propagation rules, it is possible to segment the mesh by a variety of criteria, for instance geometric‐meaningful segmentations, texture‐based segmentations, or constriction‐based segmentations.
Incorporating Sectoral Structure into Shift–Share Analysis
Authors: MÁRQUEZ MIGUEL A. , RAMAJO JULIÁN , HEWINGS GEOFFREY J. D.
Published: December 2009

The objective of this article is to present a new way to incorporate the sectoral dimension within the components of regional growth provided by the traditional shift–share analysis. The new methodology elaborates the way that the dynamics of a specific sector in a region are influenced by the performance of other sectors, the latter decomposed between national, structural, and differential effects. To illustrate this extension of the shift–share method, an application is provided using data for the Spanish region of Extremadura for the period 1990–2004. The results highlight how these new components can shed new insights into the analysis of sectoral and regional economic growth processes.
Urban versus Rural Firms: Does Location Affect Labor Demand?
Authors: HUIBAN JEAN‐PIERRE
Published: December 2009

A dynamic labor demand model is developed and estimated on 1,719 French firms in the food industries, observed over the period 1990–1997. Both descriptive statistics and estimation results (including GMM estimations) show that labor demand and its determinants vary according to firm location. Rural areas are characterized by a low adjustment speed and great sensitivity of labor demand to the labor cost. Peri‐urban areas benefit from important economies of scale effects and from technological spillovers. Urban firms are faced with a decline in employment levels, which is mostly due to a faster adjustment of employment to the level of activity. The trade‐off between agglomeration and congestion forces may explain the respective situations of both urban and periurban areas. However, the relative inertia that appears in rural areas may be analyzed in a different way, by considering the smaller number of potential opportunities that exist in these areas.
SANTU MOFOKENG, PHOTOGRAPHS: “THE VIOLENCE IS IN THE KNOWING”
Authors: HAYES PATRICIA
Published: December 2009

Born in 1956, Santu Mofokeng formed part of the Afrapix Collective that engaged in exposé and documentary photography of anti‐apartheid resistance and social conditions during the 1980s in South Africa. However, Mofokeng was an increasingly important internal critic of mainstream photojournalism, and of the ways black South Africans were represented in the bigger international picture economy during the political struggle. Eschewing scenes of violence and the third‐party view of white‐on‐black brutality in particular, he began his profound explorations of the everyday and spiritual dimensions of African life, both in the city and in the countryside. His formal techniques favor “fictions” that contain smoke, mist, and other matters and techniques that occlude rather than expose. Using angularity and ambivalence, he also ruptures realist expectations and allows space for the uncanny and the supernatural. He works with the notion of seriti (a northern seSotho term encompassing aura, shadow, power, essence, and many other things). The essay follows strands in Mofokeng's writings and statements in relation to certain of his photographs, most recently repositioned in the substantial 2007 exhibition Invoice, to argue that he has pushed for a desecularization and Africanization of photography from the 1980s to the present. In more recent work the scourge of apartheid has been replaced by the HIV/AIDS virus, a mutation of nature, exacerbating the spiritual insecurities of many people in post‐apartheid South Africa. The essay concludes that Mofokeng's work poses a critique of the parallel paradigms of Marxist‐influenced social history and documentary photography in 1980s South Africa, both still highly influential, by attempting to reinsert aura (seriti) into photography and by highlighting what secular Marxism has concealed and proscribed.