bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Rapid Detection of Chromosome Aneuploidies by Prenatal Interphase FISH (Fluorescence in situ Hybridization) and Its Clinical Utility in Japan
Authors: Sawa Rintaro , Hayashi Zuisei , Tanaka Tadao , Onda Takekazu , Hoshi Kazuhiko , Fukada Yukihito , Takai Yasushi , Taketani Yuji , Kubo Takeshi , Hamada Hiromi , Yoshida Koyo , Nakamura Yasushi , Okai Takashi , Sakai Masato , Kaneoka Tsuyoshi , Makino Yasuo , Aono Toshihiro , Maeda Kazuhisa , Honda Ritsuo , Okamura Hitoshi , Sago Haruhiko , Kitagawa Michihiro , Minoura Shigeki , Inaba Junichi , Terakawa Naoki , Nagata Naoki , Shimomura Katsunori , Sapeta Michael J. , Estabrooks Laurel L.
Published: May 2010

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the accuracy, informative rate, detection rate, and clinical utility of prenatal interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis of amniotic fluid samples from Japanese women.

Methods:Amniotic fluid specimens from 2,639 Japanese women were received for prenatal interphase FISH and chromosome analysis. A questionnaire was designed to evaluate FISH clinical utility by collaboration sites.

Results:Based on 2,319 tested samples, the accuracy (100%), informative (94%), and detection (87.6%) rates were all high. The accuracy (100%), informative (90.2%), and detection (90.0%) rates were also remarkable in third‐trimester pregnancies. We perceive significant advantages from this test regarding medical management and patient satisfaction.

Conclusions:This novel report shows that in Japan prenatal interphase FISH testing is highly informative and accurate, not only in second‐trimester pregnancies but also in third‐trimester pregnancies. This test provides advantages to both physicians and patients, provided that its capabilities and limitations are understood.
Plasma Homocysteine, Fasting Insulin, and Androgen Patterns among Women with Polycystic Ovaries and Infertility
Authors: Sills E. Scott , Genton Marc Georges , Perloe Mark , Schattman Glenn L. , Bralley J. Alexander , Tucker Michael J.
Published: May 2010

Objective: To measure plasma homocysteine, androgen, and insulin concentrations in women with normal and polycystic‐appearing ovaries in an infertility setting.

Methods: Among women referred for infertility evaluation (n = 54), homocysteine, androstenedione, DHEAS, total testosterone, fasting insulin/glucose and methyltetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) polymorphism status (C677T mutation) were studied. Ovaries were examined via transvaginal sonogram by one observer and scored as either normal (n = 18) or polycystic (n = 36).

Results: When polycystic ovaries were identified, mean total testosterone was significantly higher than when non‐polycystic ovaries were present (p = 0.01), although no measured androgen was outside the normal reference range in either group. Average BMI was higher in the polycystic group, but the difference was not significant (p = 0.10). We observed a trend toward higher mean fasting insulin levels in women with polycystic ovaries, but this increase did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.07). Median plasma homocysteine was identical (7.0 mmol/l) in both populations, and no study subject exceeded the current recommended maximum reference value.

Conclusions: In this population, the presence of polycystic ovaries was associated with higher serum androgens (especially total testosterone) although none of the measured androgens were above the normal range. While fasting insulin levels were also higher in this group, median plasma homocysteine levels were similar irrespective of ovarian morphology. Concomitant plasma homocysteine derangements in this population of young, lean patients with polycystic‐appearing ovaries seem unlikely. Further studies are needed to clarify the role(s) of homocysteine in human reproductive physiology.
Bilateral Jugular Venous Thromboembolism and Pulmonary Emboli in a Patient with Severe Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome
Authors: Tavmergen Erol , Özçakir Hasan Tayfun , Levi Rafael , Adakan Şaban , Ulukuş Murat , Terek Mustafa Coşan
Published: May 2010

We report here a case of severe ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome with massive ascites in a 25‐year‐old woman with a history of primary infertility after an IVF‐ET cycle. At the 9th gestational week she presented with neck pain and dyspnea and duplex Doppler sonographic examination of the neck veins revealed bilateral jugular venous thrombosis. Despite prompt administration of low‐molecular weight heparin, pulmonary emboli developed a few days later.
Successful Laparoscopic Treatment of Ileo‐cecal Endometriosis Producing Bowel Obstruction
Authors: Fujimoto Akihisa , Osuga Yutaka , Tsutsumi Osamu , Fujii Tomoyuki , Okagaki Ryugo , Taketani Yuji
Published: May 2010

Bowel endometriosis manifesting with ileus is difficult to diagnose, often requiring laparotomy for diagnosis and treatment. We report here a case of ileo‐cecal endometriosis causing bowel obstruction. A diagnosis of intestinal endometriosis with menstruation‐associated bowel symptoms was made, and the patient was successfully treated by laparoscopic ileocecal resection.
Prenatal Diagnosis of Isolated Anorectal Atresia with Colonic Perforation
Authors: Tongsong Theera , Chanprapaph Pharuhus
Published: May 2010

We report here a case of prenatal diagnosis of isolated anorectal atresia with intrauterine colonic perforation at 34 weeks of gestation, characterized by the presence of a bilobed cystic pelvic mass with a V‐shape appearance separated from the bladder with changing features during observation. Mild ascites was also visualized. Other structures were normal on detailed ultrasound. The patient had spontaneously delivered a male infant weighing 2,100 g at 34 weeks of gestation. The infant died one day after birth, before surgical correction secondary to respiratory distress syndrome. Autopsy revealed isolated anorectal atresia, and high (supraelevator) lesions. In conclusion, the findings of bilobed cystic pelvic mass with a V‐shape were useful to diagnose anorectal atresia in this case. Prenatal ultrasound can facilitate early diagnosis and treatment.
A Comparative Study of Intraplacental Villous Arteries by Latex Cast Model in vitro and Color Doppler Flow Imaging in vivo*
Authors: Mu Junwu , Kanzaki Toru , Tomimatsu Takuji , Fukuda Hirotsugu , Fujii Eriko , Fuke Shinji , Wasada Kenshi , Takeuchi Hisaya , Murata Yuji
Published: May 2010

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine whether color Doppler sonogram can accurately depict the placental vascular structures using a latex cast model of the placental vessels, and to make a nomogram of several blood flow parameters according to the vascular structures.

Methods: First, we made 9 latex cast models of placental arteries and performed morphologic observation and measurement. Second, the comparative anatomical observation of placental vessels by color flow mapping was performed for all 9 patients from whom the latex models were made. Third, a total of 102 uncomplicated pregnant women between 18 and 40 weeks gestation were examined by color Doppler imaging. The resistance indices (RI) and peak systolic velocity (PSV) were measured.

Results: In the latex cast model of placentas, cotyledons could be differentiated by the presence of independent vascular structure units. First, second, third and fourth branches were noted in one cotyledon. Cotyledons were easily identified and counted by color Doppler imaging. Each cotyledon contained only one first branch of the intraplacental villous artery (IPVA). The number of IPVA‐1 on color Doppler imaging was equal to the number of the cotyledon calculated from the latex model. RI exhibited a negative, and PSV a positive correlation with gestational age (p < 0.05 in both cases). At any given gestational age, both RI and PSV in the peripheral arteries were significantly lower (p < 0.01) than those in the upstream arteries.

Conclusions: Color Doppler flow sonography is a valuable tool for detecting the blood flow of intraplacental villous arteries in vivo and the images agree with the vascular anatomy of placenta in vitro. These results may also provide the basic parameters for future studies of some complicated pregnancies.
ALTERNATING MONOPOLY AND TACIT COLLUSION*
Authors: Amelio Andrea , Biancini Sara
Published: May 2010

This paper considers the use of the alternating monopoly strategy (AMS) as a (tacit) collusion device. We show that firms may choose this strategy in particular environments, when other collusive strategies are also feasible. In particular, we stress how the presence of an observable move (entry), distinct from the competitive stage (price setting), can serve as a coordination device, reducing monitoring costs in incomplete information environments. The paper thus shows that AMS may be preferable to the classic market sharing strategy (MSS) and in some cases it is the only collusive equilibrium.
INNOVATION CYCLES AND LEARNING AT THE PATENT OFFICE: DOES THE EARLY PATENT GET THE DELAY?*
Authors: RÉGIBEAU PIERRE , ROCKETT KATHARINE
Published: May 2010

We study the relationship between the length of patent review and the importance of inventions. We build a simple model of the U.S. patent review process. Among the model predictions are that, controlling for a patent's position in a new technology cycle, more important innovations would be approved more quickly. Also, the approval delay is likely to decrease as an industry moves from the early stages of an innovation cycle to later stages. These predictions are in line with the evidence we obtain from a data set on U.S. patents granted in the field of genetically modified crops from 1983 to 1999. We also show that failing to account for the innovation lifecycle – as previous studies have done – is likely to bias upwards the estimates of the relationship between delay and importance.
China's Great Ascendancy and structural risks: consequences of asymmetric market liberalisation
Authors: Huang Yiping
Published: May 2010

China's great ascendancy from a poor agrarian economy to an economic superpower is unprecedented. But in the process, structural imbalances, resource inefficiency, and income inequality worsened rapidly. It is argued that the coexistence of China's extraordinary growth and serious structural risks are two sides of the same coin: asymmetric liberalisation of product and factor markets. Distortions in markets for labour, capital, land, energy, and the environment lower production costs, increase corporate profits, raise investment returns, improve the international competitiveness of Chinese goods, and therefore lift China's growth. But they also depress consumption. China needs to accelerate factor market liberalisation in order to complete the transition to a market economy and to lock the economy onto a more sustainable path.
ROBUST ESTIMATION OF SMALL‐AREA MEANS AND QUANTILES
Authors: Tzavidis Nikos , Marchetti Stefano , Chambers Ray
Published: May 2010

Small‐area estimation techniques have typically relied on plug‐in estimation based on models containing random area effects. More recently, regression M‐quantiles have been suggested for this purpose, thus avoiding conventional Gaussian assumptions, as well as problems associated with the specification of random effects. However, the plug‐in M‐quantile estimator for the small‐area mean can be shown to be the expected value of this mean with respect to a generally biased estimator of the small‐area cumulative distribution function of the characteristic of interest. To correct this problem, we propose a general framework for robust small‐area estimation, based on representing a small‐area estimator as a functional of a predictor of this small‐area cumulative distribution function. Key advantages of this framework are that it naturally leads to integrated estimation of small‐area means and quantiles and is not restricted to M‐quantile models. We also discuss mean squared error estimation for the resulting estimators, and demonstrate the advantages of our approach through model‐based and design‐based simulations, with the latter using economic data collected in an Australian farm survey.
Cameroonian and foreign scholars’ discourse: the rhetoric of conference abstracts
Authors: NKEMLEKE DANIEL
Published: May 2010

ABSTRACT: This contribution explores rhetorical features in 207 abstracts submitted for four international conferences in Yaounde (Cameroon), Regensburg (Germany) and Birmingham (UK). Relevant text features are retrieved from the corpus via concordance software and results are discussed in the light of their frequency of occurrence. Furthermore, the abstracts are manually scanned to determine recurrent schematic patterns. Findings show that rhetorical choices and recurrent “moves” in the abstracts submitted for the Regensburg‐Birmingham conferences are more attuned to the expectations of community discourse practices than those of the Yaounde‐Cameroon conferences.
Hybrid compounding in New Zealand English
Authors: DEGANI MARTA , ONYSKO ALEXANDER
Published: May 2010

ABSTRACT:  This study investigates hybrid compound formation of Maori and English terms in present day New Zealand English (NZE). On the background of Maori and English language contact, the phenomenon of hybrid compounding emerges as a process that, on the one hand, symbolizes the vitality of the Maori element in NZE and, on the other hand, marks the integration of Maori concepts in New Zealand culture. The investigation is based on a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the most frequent Maori loans in hybrid compounds drawn from a popular New Zealand newspaper (The New Zealand Herald). While the quantitative part establishes the total number of Maori loans, their usage in hybrid compounds, and their individual productivity values, the qualitative investigation disentangles semantic referential patterns underlying the formation of hybrid compounds. This approach to analysing hybrid compounds unveils a series of referential clusters that emerge from the semantic frame of the Maori borrowings and that allow for a conceptual categorization of the hybrid compounds.
Research methods and intelligibility studies
Authors: SEWELL ANDREW
Published: May 2010

ABSTRACT:  This paper first briefly reviews the concept of intelligibility as it has been employed in both English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) and world Englishes (WE) research. It then examines the findings of the Lingua Franca Core (LFC), a list of phonological features that empirical research has shown to be important for safeguarding mutual intelligibility between non‐native speakers of English. The main point of the paper is to analyse these findings and demonstrate that many of them can be explained if three perspectives (linguistic, psycholinguistic and historical‐variationist) are taken. This demonstration aims to increase the explanatory power of the concept of intelligibility by providing some theoretical background. An implication for ELF research is that at the phonological level, internationally intelligible speakers have a large number of features in common, regardless of whether they are non‐native speakers or native speakers. An implication for WE research is that taking a variety‐based, rather than a features‐based, view of phonological variation and its connection with intelligibility is likely to be unhelpful, as intelligibility depends to some extent on the phonological features of individual speakers, rather than on the varieties per se.
Rural‐to‐Urban Commuting: Three Degrees of Integration
Authors: PARTRIDGE MARK D. , ALI KAMAR , OLFERT M. ROSE
Published: May 2010

Commuting ties between rural places of residence and urban places of employment are among the most visible forms of rural–urban integration. For some rural areas, access to urban employment is a key source of population retention and growth. However, this access varies considerably across rural areas, with distance representing a primary deterrent. In addition to distance, the size of the urban community will also influence rural‐to‐urban commuting opportunities. In this paper, using Canadian data, we empirically estimated the influence of local rural population and job growth on rural out‐commuting within the urban hierarchy. We find consistent support for the deconcentration hypothesis where population moves to rural areas for lifestyle and quality of life reasons, while retaining urban employment. Further, we find some evidence that in addition to distance from the nearest urban center being a deterrent, increased remoteness from the top of the urban hierarchy exerts a positive influence on out‐commuting. Recognition of these types of rural–urban linkages through commuting is essential in designing Canadian rural policy and targeted programs that may effectively support local rural populations. In particular, they point to the need to have reasonable transportation infrastructure for urban accessibility, which should be complemented by other “built” infrastructure to improve the livability of rural communities.
Novel EGF pathway regulators modulate C. elegans healthspan and lifespan via EGF receptor, PLC‐γ, and IP3R activation
Authors: Iwasa Hiroaki , Yu Simon , Xue Jian , Driscoll Monica
Published: May 2010

Improving health of the rapidly growing aging population is a critical medical, social, and economic goal. Identification of genes that modulate healthspan, the period of mid‐life vigor that precedes significant functional decline, will be an essential part of the effort to design anti‐aging therapies. Because locomotory decline in humans is a major contributor to frailty and loss of independence and because slowing of movement is a conserved feature of aging across phyla, we screened for genetic interventions that extend locomotory healthspan of Caenorhabditis elegans. From a group of 54 genes previously noted to encode secreted proteins similar in sequence to extracellular domains of insulin receptor, we identified two genes for which RNAi knockdown delayed age‐associated locomotory decline, conferring a high performance in advanced age phenotype (Hpa). Unexpectedly, we found that hpa‐1 and hpa‐2 act through the EGF pathway, rather than the insulin signaling pathway, to control systemic healthspan benefits without detectable developmental consequences. Further analysis revealed a potent role of EGF signaling, acting via downstream phospholipase C‐γplc‐3 and inositol‐3‐phosphate receptor itr‐1, to promote healthy aging associated with low lipofuscin levels, enhanced physical performance, and extended lifespan. This study identifies HPA‐1 and HPA‐2 as novel negative regulators of EGF signaling and constitutes the first report of EGF signaling as a major pathway for healthy aging. Our data raise the possibility that EGF family members should be investigated for similar activities in higher organisms.
Value of leads V4R and CM5 in the detection of coronary artery disease during exercise electrocardiographic test
Authors: Puurtinen Merja , Nieminen Tuomo , Kähönen Mika , Lehtimäki Terho , Lehtinen Rami , Nikus Kjell , Hyttinen Jari , Viik Jari
Published: May 2010

The usefulness of the right precordial unipolar leads and the value of the bipolar lead CM5 in the detection of coronary artery disease (CAD) with exercise electrocardiographic (ECG) test are not well documented. The objective of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of leads V4R and CM5. The study population comprised 579 patients referred for a bicycle exercise ECG test in the Finnish Cardiovascular Study. Patients were divided into three groups: angiographically proven CAD (CAD, n = 255), no CAD by angiography (NoCAD, n = 126), and low likelihood of CAD (LLC, n = 198). The maximum ST‐segment depression at peak exercise was used as a parameter, and the diagnostic accuracy of different leads was assessed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Sensitivity and specificity values at a cut‐off criterion of −0·10 mV ST‐segment, 1‐mm ST depression, were determined. According to the results, incorporating lead V4R with the standard leads decreased the ROC area from 0·71 to 0·69 (comparison CAD versus LLC) and from 0·55 to 0·53 (comparison CAD versus NoCAD) and had no effect on sensitivity or specificity. Adding lead CM5 to the standard leads did not affect the ROC area but increased the sensitivity and decreased the specificity. In conclusion, the use of right precordial lead V4R along with the standard 12‐lead system does not improve the performance of the exercise ECG in diagnosing CAD. Adding lead CM5 to the standard leads increases the sensitivity but does not change the overall diagnostic performance.
Phase equilibria and metamorphic evolution of glaucophane‐bearing UHP eclogites from the Western Dabieshan Terrane, Central China
Authors: WEI C. J. , LI Y. J. , YU Y. , ZHANG J. S.
Published: May 2010

Glaucophane‐bearing ultrahigh pressure (UHP) eclogites from the western Dabieshan terrane consist of garnet, omphacite, glaucophane, kyanite, epidote, phengite, quartz/coesite and rutile with or without talc and paragonite. Some garnet porphyroblasts exhibit a core–mantle zoning profile with slight increase in pyrope content and minor or slight decrease in grossular and a mantle–rim zoning profile characterized by a pronounced increase in pyrope and rapid decrease in grossular. Omphacite is usually zoned with a core–rim decrease in j(o) [=Na/(Ca + Na)]. Glaucophane occurs as porphyroblasts in some samples and contains inclusions of garnet, omphacite and epidote. Pseudosections calculated in the NCKMnFMASHO system for five representative samples, combined with petrographic observations suggest that the UHP eclogites record four stages of metamorphism. (i) The prograde stage, on the basis of modelling of garnet zoning and inclusions in garnet, involves P–T vectors dominated by heating with a slight increase in pressure, suggesting an early slow subduction process, and P–T vectors dominated by a pronounced increase in pressure and slight heating, pointing to a late fast subduction process. The prograde metamorphism is predominated by dehydration of glaucophane and, to a lesser extent, chlorite, epidote and paragonite, releasing ∼27 wt% water that was bound in the hydrous minerals. (ii) The peak stage is represented by garnet rim compositions with maximum pyrope and minimum grossular contents, and P–T conditions of 28.2–31.8 kbar and 605–613 °C, with the modelled peak‐stage mineral assemblage mostly involving garnet + omphacite + lawsonite + talc + phengite + coesite ± glaucophane ± kyanite. (iii) The early decompression stage is characterized by dehydration of lawsonite, releasing ∼70–90 wt% water bound in the peak mineral assemblages, which results in the growth of glaucophane, j(o) decrease in omphacite and formation of epidote. And, (iv) The late retrograde stage is characterized by the mineral assemblage of hornblendic amphibole + epidote + albite/oligoclase + quartz developed in the margins or strongly foliated domains of eclogite blocks due to fluid infiltration at P–T conditions of 5–10 kbar and 500–580 °C. The proposed metamorphic stages for the UHP eclogites are consistent with the petrological observations, but considerably different from those presented in the previous studies.
Managing Multiple Facets of Risk in New Product Alliances*
Authors: Lee Ruby P. , Johnson Jean L.
Published: May 2010

The trend of forming alliances to develop new products continues; however, many of these new product alliances fail. As such we explore how key risk types intrinsic in new product alliances, performance, relational, and knowledge appropriation risks, influence alliance success. Further, we theorize that different alliance governance mechanisms can reduce the negative impact of risks on alliance success. To disentangle possible heterogeneous factors across firms that may affect the interplay of risk assessments and the use of governance mechanisms, we employ latent class regression analysis on survey data collected from 128 new product alliance firms and find support for a two‐regime solution. Longer alliance relationships and lower technological turbulence are factors for some firms (regime one), while the opposite are factors for other firms (regime two). These two regimes show different patterns in the interplay of risk assessments and governance for alliance success. Our theory and results support viewing risk as a multiple‐factor concept and by understanding the different impacts of the risk types in new product alliances and how governance mechanisms mitigate such effects, we aid managers' decision making regarding the balance of contractual versus normative governance in new product alliances. Understanding the heterogeneous factors inherent in these complex relationships enables managers to understand the conditions in which various governance mechanisms promote new product alliance success.
On Decisions for Integration Implementation: An Examination of Complementarities Between Product‐Process Technology Integration and Supply Chain Integration
Authors: Narasimhan Ram , Swink Morgan , Viswanathan Sridhar
Published: May 2010

Research has shown that both product‐process technology (PPT) integration and supply chain integration efforts produce operational benefits, yet synergies between these types of integration are not well understood. This article empirically examines strategic customer integration and supplier integration as complementary activities for PPT integration, with the aim of helping manufacturing plant managers to intelligently implement mutually supportive types of integration. We set two conditions for establishing complementarity: (i) one type of strategic integration must positively influence the adoption of another and (ii) the two types of strategic integration must exhibit a synergistic fit with respect to manufacturing plant capabilities. We test these conditions using survey results representing 224 manufacturing plants. The findings show positive complementarities between PPT integration and supplier integration with respect to quality, delivery, and process flexibility. Also, positive complementarities exist between PPT integration and customer integration with respect to quality and new product flexibility. The results extend the emerging theory of strategic value chain integration and provide guidance to manufacturing managers who wish to assemble strategic integration policies.
Removal of neutrophil gelatinase‐associated lipocalin by extracorporeal therapies
Authors: BOBEK Ilona , GONG Dehua , DE CAL Massimo , CRUZ Dinna , CHIONH Chang Y. , HAAPIO Mikko , SONI Sachin S. , NALESSO Federico , LENTINI Paolo , GARZOTTO Francesco , CORRADI Valentina , RONCO Claudio
Published: May 2010

Neutrophil gelatinase‐associated lipocalin (NGAL) protein is an early biomarker for acute kidney injury (AKI). It is unknown if extracorporeal therapies (EC) have an effect on circulating NGAL levels. This study was designed to describe the kinetics of NGAL molecule in different EC techniques and to evaluate NGAL clearance in different operational conditions. A mock hemofiltration (HF) and hemoperfusion (HP) setup was used. NGAL was added to the blood reservoir and then measured at 30‐minute intervals from arterial, venous, and ultrafiltrate (UF) lines. Removal kinetics and NGAL sieving coefficient were calculated. In our experiments, baseline NGAL concentration averaged 452 μg/L. There was a consistent downward trend throughout the experiment. NGAL concentration in the UF was between 80 and 90 μg/L, though it showed a slight increase in the second hour. The sieving coefficient of NGAL ranged from 0.2 to 0.4 during HF and it appeared to increase with time, suggesting an initial effect of membrane adsorption. HP proved clearly that there was adsorption of NGAL by the membrane and the point of saturation occured at approximately 60 minutes from the start of circulation. Our evaluation demonstrates that NGAL can be adsorbed and ultrafiltrated with polysulfone membranes. This should be taken into consideration when using NGAL as an AKI biomarker in patients undergoing EC circulation.
Conflict, Cooperation, and Facework inContrastoVerbal Duels
Authors: Pagliai Valentina
Published: May 2010

TuscanContrastoverbal duels reveal a subtly complex relationship between conflict and cooperation, and between face and insults. In these duels, the performers use their arguing skills to debate the politics and morality of contemporary Italy, calling attention to contradictions. The artists cooperate in building disagreement and heightening wider social conflicts, while insults may contribute to a successful performance, thus enhancing face. The study of these duels requires a rethinking of concepts such as facework, politeness, cooperation, and conflict. Here, I argue that what counts as face depends upon both the context and the audience, and that conceptualizations of face, (im)politeness, cooperation, and conflict are at least partially ideological. [verbal duels,Contrasto, politeness and impoliteness, facework, Italy]
DOES ETHICAL THEORY HAVE A PLACE IN POST‐KOHLBERGIAN MORAL PSYCHOLOGY?
Authors: Maxwell Bruce
Published: May 2010

Philosophers tend to assume that theoretical frameworks in psychology suffer from conceptual confusion and that any influence that philosophy might have on psychology should be positive. Going against this grain, Dan Lapsley and Darcia Narváez attribute the Kohlbergian paradigm's current state of marginalization within psychology to Lawrence Kohlberg's use of ethical theory in his model of cognitive moral development. Post‐Kohlbergian conceptions of moral psychology, they advance, should be wary of theoretical constructs derived from folk morality, refuse philosophical starting points, and seek integration with literatures in psychology, not philosophy. In this essay, Bruce Maxwell considers and rejects Lapsley and Narváez's diagnosis. The Kohlbergian paradigm's restricted conception of the moral domain is the result of a selective reading of one tendency in ethical theorizing (Kantianism). The idea that moral psychology may find shelter from normative criticism by avoiding ethics‐derived models overlooks the deeper continuity between “ethical theory” and “psychological theory.”

The confusion and barrenness of psychology is not to be explained by calling it a “young science”; its state is not comparable with that of physics, for instance, in its beginnings. (Rather with that of certain branches of mathematics. Set theory.) For in psychology there are experimental methods and conceptual confusion. (As in the other case conceptual confusion and methods of proof.)

The existence of the experimental method makes us think we have the means of solving the problems which trouble us; though problem and method pass one another by.1
ABANDONING THEORETICAL FORTRESSES: POSSIBILITIES FOR INTERACTION
Authors: Proefriedt William
Published: May 2010

In this review essay, William Proefriedt argues that it may be possible to reformulate three apparently irreconcilable stances in a manner that would allow more interaction among the elements championed within each stance. The arguments addressed are (1) the argument for the efficacy of educational reform; (2) the argument that social and economic realities decisively undercut the efficacy of educational reform; and (3) the argument that the heritability of IQ is dramatically more determinative of individuals' school and economic success than any set of school policies and practices. Proefriedt seeks to examine these positions as they have been developed in Linda Darling‐Hammond et al.'s Powerful Learning: What We Know About Teaching for Understanding, Richard Rothstein's Class and Schools: Using Social, Economic, and Educational Reform to Close the Black‐White Achievement Gap, and Charles Murray's Real Education: Four Simple Truths for Bringing America's Schools Back to Reality. He concludes that the three analyses under consideration can be formulated so that each might serve to complement the strengths and correct the deficiencies of the others, thus yielding a broader explanatory scheme that could lead to wiser policies.
Intimate partner violence against Japanese and non‐Japanese women in Japan: A cross‐sectional study in the perinatal setting
Authors: INAMI Eriko , KATAOKA Yaeko , ETO Hiromi , HORIUCHI Shigeko
Published: May 2010

Aim: To identify the prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) against Japanese women (JW) and non‐Japanese women (NJW) in a perinatal setting. Additional purposes were to identify the associated factors of IPV, describe the characteristics of IPV against NJW, and assess the acceptability of the Violence Against Women Screen (VAWS) instrument as a screening tool.

Methods: A cross‐sectional survey was conducted from September to November 2007 in an urban hospital maternity clinic in Tokyo, Japan. Women who attended the maternity clinic received the VAWS instrument, which was translated into four languages (Japanese with Kanji and Hiragana, English, Chinese, and Tagalog) and was used to identify IPV.

Results: A total of 400 women participated in the study: 357 were JW and 43 were NJW. The prevalence rate of IPV among the JW was 31.4% and 21.4% among the NJW. There was no statistical significance between the two groups. A multiple logistic regression with adjusted odds ratio identified two associated factors for IPV: being multipara and previous experience of physical violence from a partner.

Conclusion: The prevalence of IPV was not statistically different among JW and NJW. Screening for IPV, early intervention, and support should be expanded in hospitals and maternity clinics in Japan.
Antisense‐mediated Depletion of Tomato Endoplasmic Reticulum Omega‐3 Fatty Acid Desaturase Enhances Thermal Tolerance
Authors: Wang Hua‐Sen , Yu Chao , Tang Xian‐Feng , Wang Li‐Yan , Dong Xun‐Chun , Meng Qing‐Wei
Published: May 2010

An endoplasmic reticulum‐localized tomato ω‐3 fatty acid desaturase gene (LeFAD3) was isolated. The antisense tomato plants were obtained under the control of the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter (35S‐CaMV). Northern blot analysis confirmed that the expression of LeFAD3 was inhibited in the tomato genome. Levels of 18:3 decreased and correspondingly levels of 18:2 increased in total lipids of leaves and roots. After heat stress, the fresh weight of the aerial parts of antisense transgenic plants was higher than that of the wild type (WT) plants. The membrane system ultrastructure of chloroplasts in leaf cells and all of the subcellular organelles in the root tips of transgenic plants remained more intact than those of WT. Relative electric conductivity increased less in transgenic plants than in WT. Under heat stress, the maximal photochemical efficiency of photosystem II (Fv/Fm) and the O2 evolution rate decreased more in WT than in transgenic plants. These results suggested that the depletion of LeFAD3 increased the saturation of fatty acids and alleviated high temperature stress.
Use of anthropometric techniques in dietetic practice
Authors: LAI Janice M. , KING Susannah J. , WALKER Karen Z.
Published: May 2010

Aim:  To survey the use of anthropometry by dietitians.

Methods:  Respondents to an anonymous online survey were recruited from the dietetic workforce in Victoria, Australia. The survey recorded demographic information, category of dietetic practice and client type. Questions were also asked about use and confidence in taking anthropometric measures and about enablers and barriers for this within dietetic practice.

Results:  The 151 dietitians who completed the survey resembled the wider Victorian dietetic workforce. Most (93%) considered anthropometry an important tool. Body weight and height were measures most commonly taken. Over 30% used surrogate measures for height such as ulna length. Other measures including circumferences, knee height, sitting height and skinfold thicknesses were taken infrequently. Factors facilitating use of anthropometry were prior experience; training; a mobile consenting client and/or the availability of clear procedures or protocols. Barriers to taking circumferences and skinfold thicknesses included lack of confidence, time and support from senior colleagues. Most respondents indicated the need for additional training in anthropometry.

Conclusions:  The practice of anthropometry in accordance with practice guidelines would be improved by strengthening professional training and the provision of more supportive, well‐resourced systems.
Nutrition screening process for patients in an acute public hospital servicing an elderly, culturally diverse population
Authors: FREW Elizabeth , SEQUEIRA Jennifer , CANT Robyn
Published: May 2010

Aim:  To develop a process for malnutrition screening for adult multi‐day inpatients in an acute public hospital with a large, elderly, multicultural population and streamline referrals to match current workforce resources.

Method:  Admitted patients were screened over five months in 2008 using the Malnutrition Screening Tool. For any patient who was unable to communicate because of their medical condition or where an English language barrier existed, an observational item was added and applied to identify ‘frail’ or ‘underweight’ appearance. Patients identified using the frail item were assessed for malnutrition by dietitians using Subjective Global Assessment.

Results:  Of 3033 patients (72% of admissions) screened using Malnutrition Screening Tool, 16.5% were at risk of malnutrition. A further 6.5% were deemed at risk using the frail item. The mean age of all at‐risk patients was 71 ± 23 years; 57% were females. Of patients screened, 10% experienced communication barriers. With systematic screening, referral of patients increased by 39%. Dietitians assessed 95 patients identified by the frail item using Subjective Global Assessment; and 58% were confirmed as malnourished.

Conclusion:  The study identified a proportion of acute hospital patients for whom nutrition screening using Malnutrition Screening Tool was difficult because of limited applicability if a patient was unable to communicate. Use of the Malnutrition Screening Tool modified by an additional frail/underweight observation was practical in a systematic nutrition screening process and assisted the containment of dietitians' workloads. Further research is warranted to develop or modify a subjective tool valid for the screening of all targeted hospital patients.
Nutrition risk screening in community‐living older people attending medical or falls prevention services
Authors: WATSON Sally , ZHANG Zhongxian (Katherine) , WILKINSON Tim J.
Published: May 2010

Aim:  To identify the prevalence of nutrition risk among community‐living older people in Christchurch, New Zealand and to establish the frequently occurring risk factors for poor nutrition.

Methods:  A convenience sample of 152 community‐living older people was recruited from five medical centres and a falls prevention service. Interview in the home included nutrition risk assessment as measured by the Seniors in the Community: Risk Evaluation for Eating and Nutrition questionnaire. All participants at nutrition risk were either provided dietary advice at the time of interview or offered referral to a nutrition‐related intervention.

Results:  Of the participants, 23% (n = 35) were ‘at risk’ of poor nutrition and 31% (n = 47) were ‘at high risk’. The four frequently occurring risk factors for those ‘at high risk’ were: unintentional weight change (79%), eating alone (72%), perception of own weight (68%) and low milk product intake (66%).

Conclusion:  Seniors in the Community: Risk Evaluation for Eating and Nutrition questionnaire identified that approximately half of a sample of community‐living older people in Christchurch were at risk of poor nutrition. The implications of low scores on the nutrition risk screening questionnaire deserve further exploration.
Surgical correction of rectovaginal fistula in mares and subsequent fertility
Authors: Jalim SL , McKinnon AO
Published: May 2010

Objective To evaluate the fertility of mares bred at various intervals relative to surgical management of rectovaginal fistula (RVF).

Materials and Methods Surgical repair of RVF was performed in 28 mares at variable times relative to foaling (30 days to 24 months) and also relative to rebreeding (same cycle or delayed). Postoperative fertility was then evaluated.

Results Two mares were already pregnant at the time of surgery and 20 of 23 mares (87%) that were bred immediately prior to or following surgery conceived from their first service. When mares were bred in the same cycle as surgery, the next cycle following surgery or in the following breeding season after surgery the pregnancy rate was 5/5, 5/6 and 10/12, respectively, and the foaling rates were 4/5, 4/6 and 7/12. The two mares already pregnant at the time of surgery foaled successfully.

Conclusions Excellent fertility can be achieved following surgical repair of RVF and our results suggest that delaying breeding until the following breeding season is not necessary. In addition, breeding in the same cycle as the surgical repair is a previously unreported technique that should be considered to maintain normal fertility and a yearly foaling interval.
Reduced risk of acute poisoning in Australian cattle from used motor oils after introduction of lead‐free petrol
Authors: Burren BG , Reichmann KG , McKenzie RA
Published: May 2010

Lead (Pb) poisoning of cattle has been relatively common in Australia and sump oil has been identified as an important cause of Pb toxicity for cattle because they seem to have a tendency to drink it. Lead‐free petrol has been available in Australia since 1975, so the aim of this study was to assess the current risk to cattle from drinking used automotive oils. Sump or gear box oil was collected from 56 vehicles being serviced. The low levels of Pb found suggest that the removal of leaded petrol from the Australian market as a public health measure has benefited cattle by eliminating the risk of acute poisoning from used engine oil.
The incidence of malaria and the comparison of hematological and biochemical indices of Plasmodium falciparum‐parasitemic and aparasitemic sickle cell disease (SCD) patients
Authors: NSIAH K. , DZOGBEFIA V. P. , ANSONG D. , BOATENG H. , OCLOO D. , OSEI‐FREMPONG E. , KENA FREMPONG N. , OSEI AKOTO A.
Published: May 2010

Hemolytic anemia is common in sickle cell disease (SCD), but the course and extent differ, depending on genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors. In the malaria‐endemic tropical environment, some vulnerable subjects would be infected and the impact of infection would vary. Therefore, this study was to find malaria incidence and the associated changes in some laboratory indices in 330 SCD subjects. Following blood smear preparation for falciparum detection, hematological and biochemical indices were measured for a comparison of parasitemic and age‐matched, genotype‐matched, and sex‐matched nonparasitemics. For sixty‐nine parasitemics, constituting about 21% of all subjects studied, and sixty‐six matched nonparasitemics, hematological indices (hemoglobin, white‐cell count, red‐cell count, mean cellular volume, reticulocyte count, and HbF) as well as biochemical indices (LDH, total bilirubin, AST, and ALT) were determined. For all quantities, except the reticulocyte count (12.3% ± 12.4% for parasitemics and 23.6% ± 17.7% for nonparasitemics), no statistically significant differences were observed. Classification of both cohorts according to their genotypes showed some intergenotypic differences for hemoglobin and WBC counts. Mathematical modeling of the reticulocyte counts shows the distribution in the parasitemics followed an exponential pattern, while the nonparasitemic showed a polynomial distribution, with each model characterized by an equation of best fit. The study has shown about 21% incidence of parasitemia. All differences in the indices can be seen as normal variations, unattributable to the malaria infection. However, the lower reticulocyte count in the parasitemic is a reflection of lowered erythropoietic activity because of the infection.
Bioactive Compounds from Marine Bacteria and Fungi
Authors: Debbab Abdessamad , Aly Amal H. , Lin Wen H. , Proksch Peter
Published: May 2010

Marine bacteria and fungi are of considerable importance as new promising sources of a huge number of biologically active products. Some of these marine species live in a stressful habitat, under cold, lightless and high pressure conditions. Surprisingly, a large number of species with high diversity survive under such conditions and produce fascinating and structurally complex natural products. Up till now, only a small number of microorganisms have been investigated for bioactive metabolites, yet a huge number of active substances with some of them featuring unique structural skeletons have been isolated. This review covers new biologically active natural products published recently (2007–09) and highlights the chemical potential of marine microorganisms, with focus on bioactive products as well as on their mechanisms of action.
Coping Strategies and Relapse of Substance Abusers: A Case Study of the Therapeutic Community Program in Indonesia
Authors: Fahrudin Adi , Nurdin Dede
Published: May 2010

The present study examined the ability of people with substance‐dependence problems to cope with stressful events and refrain from resuming alcohol drinking and the use of drugs. This study specifically examined the length of time that substance abusing‐residents spent in a state‐owned, residential‐based therapeutic community program at Lembang‐Bandung, West Java, Indonesia. A study sample of 68 residents completed a questionnaire with four sections. The results of this study showed no significant differences in the scores rating the coping behavior of the residents according to the length of stay in the program. This study also found no significant differences in the Coping Behavioral Inventory scores of the residents according to the level scores of total Coping Strategy Inventory. It is important for social workers to understand the relationship between the length of stay of residents and their ability to cope so that they can effectively engage in intervention work with individuals with substance‐dependence issues who participate in the therapeutic community.
Canada's IMF executive director
Authors: Momani Bessma
Published: May 2010

Abstract:This article provides empirical evidence of the autonomy and agenda‐setting capabilities of Canada's International Monetary Fund executive director in Washington, D.C., for further theoretical debate. Little is known about this position in the public service. This article seeks to assess the degree of autonomy of Canadian directors from Ottawa, the nature of the IMF's agenda items proposed by Canada's executive directors, and, most importantly, whether these agenda items originate from the Department of Finance and the Bank of Canada or from the directors' office in Washington directly. The author also seeks to better understand the hiring and recruitment of Canada's IMF executive directors.