bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Evolutionary Approach to Synthetic Biology: Zen and the Art of Creating Life
Authors: Ray Thomas S.
Published: April 2010

Our concepts of biology, evolution, and complexity are constrained by having observed only a single instance of life, life on earth. A truly comparative biology is needed to extend these concepts. Because we cannot observe life on other planets, we are left with the alternative of creating Artificial Life forms on earth. I will discuss the approach of inoculating evolution by natural selection into the medium of the digital computer. This is not a physical/chemical medium; it is a logical/informational medium. Thus, these new instances of evolution are not subject to the same physical laws as organic evolution (e.g., the laws of thermodynamics) and exist in what amounts to another universe, governed by the “physical laws” of the logic of the computer. This exercise gives us a broader perspective on what evolution is and what it does.

An evolutionary approach to synthetic biology consists of inoculating the process of evolution by natural selection into an artificial medium. Evolution is then allowed to find the natural forms of living organisms in the artificial medium. These are not models of life, but independent instances of life. This essay is intended to communicate a way of thinking about synthetic biology that leads to a particular approach: to understand and respect the natural form of the artificial medium, to facilitate the process of evolution in generating forms that are adapted to the medium, and to let evolution find forms and processes that naturally exploit the possibilities inherent in the medium. Examples are cited of synthetic biology embedded in the computational medium, where in addition to being an exercise in experimental comparative evolutionary biology, it is also a possible means of harnessing the evolutionary process for the production of complex computer software.
Learning About Life
Authors: Resnick Mitchel
Published: April 2010

The growing interest in Artificial Life is part of a broader intellectual movement toward decentralized models and metaphors. But even as decentralized ideas spread through the culture, there is a deep-seated resistance to these ideas. People have strong attachments to centralized ways of thinking: they often assume centralized control where none exists. New types of computational tools and construction kits are needed to help people move beyond this “centralized mindset.” Perhaps most important are new tools and activities for children, to help them develop new ways of looking at the world.
Levels of Functional Equivalence in Reverse Bioengineering
Authors: Harnad Stevan
Published: April 2010

Both Artificial Life and Artificial Mind are branches of what Dennett has called “reverse engineering”: Ordinary engineering attempts to build systems to meet certain functional specifications; reverse bioengineering attempts to understand how systems that have already been built by the Blind Watchmaker work. Computational modeling (virtual life) can capture the formal principles of life, perhaps predict and explain it completely, but it can no more be alive than a virtual forest fire can be hot. In itself, a computational model is just an ungrounded symbol system; no matter how closely it matches the properties of what is being modeled, it matches them only formally, with the mediation of an interpretation. Synthetic life is not open to this objection, but it is still an open question how close a functional equivalence is needed in order to capture life. Close enough to fool the Blind Watchmaker is probably close enough, but would that require molecular indistinguishability, and if so, do we really need to go that far?
Evolving Visual Routines
Authors: Johnson Michael Patrick , Maes Pattie , Darrell Trevor
Published: April 2010

Traditional machine vision assumes that the vision system recovers a complete, labeled description of the world [10]. Recently, several researchers have criticized this model and proposed an alternative model that considers perception as a distributed collection of task-specific, context-driven visual routines [1, 12]. Some of these researchers have argued that in natural living systems these visual routines are the product of natural selection [11]. So far, researchers have hand-coded task-specific visual routines for actual implementations (e.g., [3]). In this article we propose an alternative approach in which visual routines for simple tasks are created using an artificial evolution approach. We present results from a series of runs on actual camera images, in which simple routines were evolved using genetic programming techniques [7]. The results obtained are promising: The evolved routines are able to process correctly up to 93% of the test images, which is better than any algorithm we were able to write by hand.
Egrets of a Feather Flock Together
Authors: Toquenaga Yukihiko , Kajitani Isamu , Hoshino Tsutomu
Published: April 2010

Group foraging and colonial formation in avian species are examined with an artificial life (alife) model using genetic algorithms (GA) and neural networks. Horn's classical model predicts that colonial birds are more successful than territorial ones in a patchy resource environment, and the reverse is true when resources are evenly distributed. The weak point of the model is confusion between colony formation and flock foraging and implicit assumption of perfect knowledge of resource distribution by foraging birds. The authors made an alife model that realized both flock foraging and colonial formation simultaneously during evolution in a patchy environment. The reference organisms were egrets, which make colonial nests in the breeding season and colonial roosts in the nonbreeding season. In the computer model, artificial egrets used the presence of other egrets as an indicator to locate resource-rich patches in a resource-clumped environment. On the contrary, egrets were less reliant on other individuals as a source of foraging information in evenly distributed resource conditions. Colonial nesting was also induced only in a patchy environment where the foraging efficiency was always higher than the evenly distributed condition. Local enhancement played an important role in achieving colonial and flock foraging.
Studying Artificial Life Using a Simple, General Cellular Model
Authors: Sipper Moshe
Published: April 2010

Some of the major outstanding problems in biology are related to issues of emergence and evolution. These include: (a) how populations of organisms traverse their adaptive landscapes; (b) what the relation between adaptedness and fitness is; and (c) the formation of multicellular organisms from basic units or cells. In this article we study these issues using a model that is both general and simple. The system, derived from the CA (cellular automata) model, consists of a two-dimensional grid of interacting organisms that may evolve over time. We first present designed multicellular organisms that display several interesting behaviors, including reproduction, growth, and mobility. We then turn our attention to evolution in various environments, including an environment in which competition for space occurs, an IPD (Iterated Prisoner's Dilemma) environment, an environment of spatial niches, and an environment of temporal niches. One of the advantages of artificial life (AL) models is the opportunities they offer in performing in-depth studies of the evolutionary process. This is accomplished in our case by observing not only phenotypic effects but also such measures as fitness, operability, energy and the genescape. Our work sheds light on the problems raised above, and offers a possible path toward the long-term, two-fold goal of ALife research: (a) increasing our understanding of biology, and (b) enhancing our understanding of artificial models, thereby providing us with the ability to improve their performance.
Plant-Herbivore Coevolution in a Spatially and Genetically Explicit Model
Authors: Hartvigsen Gregg , Starmer William T.
Published: April 2010

A coevolutionary model was developed to test interactions between diploid plants and herbivores using genetic algorithms on a spatial lattice. Simulated plants carried defensive genes and herbivores carried genes coding for resistance (metabolism of herbivore defense) in gene-for-gene synchrony. Collectively these genes are referred to as defensive/resistance genes (DR-genes). Genes were linked on chromosomes. Regulatory genes modified both dominance at these DR loci and the tradeoff cost involved in producing either defense or resistance. We tested the effects of varying a) the number of DR-loci, b) the ratio of the number of herbivore:plant generations, c) the shape (square vs. long and thin) and function (torus vs. island) of the lattice, and d) herbivore encounter rate on plant progeny dispersal distance.

Increasing both the number of DR-genes and the ratio of herbivore:plant generations caused a tighter coevolutionary response between plants and herbivores. Plant defense was highly sensitive to herbivory but not to increasing encounter rates. Plant DR-genes were selectively disadvantageous with only one lucus but selectively favored with two or more loci. Increasing the number of herbivore:plant generations caused increased fluctuations in herbivore resistance gene frequencies and a decrease in the lag time in herbivore response to changes in plant defensive gene frequencies. The relationship between heterotroph and autotroph DR-genes increased exponentially with increasing numbers of DR-loci. This relationship suggests that autotrophs benefit from increased diversity of defense that causes a relative increase in cost for the heterotrophs. The shape of the lattice interacted with lattice function, resulting in high species persistence on wraparound habitats and the greatest extinction likelihood on rectangular islands. Low to moderate herbivore encounter rates increased plant progeny dispersal distance while high herbivore encounter rates tended to reduce dispersal distance. The frequencies of genes coding for plant defense and herbivore resistance were dynamic for thousands of generations, despite the homogeneous lattice. This interaction may increase extinction probabilities in fragmented habitats.
Eco-Grammar Systems: A Grammatical Framework for Studying Lifelike Interactions
Authors: Csuhaj-Varjú Erzsébet , Kelemen Jozef , Kelemenová Alica , Păun Gheorghe
Published: April 2010

A formal framework for studying systems made up of a community of agents and their environment is proposed. The suggested model, technically based on the theory of formal grammars and called an eco-grammar system, captures some common features of ecological, economic, social, and collective robotic systems.

The article contains an informal presentation as well as the formal definition of the model, presents some properties of variants of eco-grammar systems, and discusses the emergence of important lifelike features such as birth and death. Emphasis is put on results with relevance for artificial life. Some recent developments are also briefly reported.
The Ontological Basis of Strong Artificial Life
Authors: Olson Eric T.
Published: April 2010

This article concerns the claim that it is possible to create living organisms, not merely models that represent organisms, simply by programming computers (“virtual” strong alife). I ask what sort of things these computer-generated organisms are supposed to be (where are they, and what are they made of?). I consider four possible answers to this question: (a) The organisms are abstract complexes of pure information; (b) they are material objects made of bits of computer hardware; (c) they are physical processes going on inside the computer; and (d) they are denizens of an entire artificial world, different from our own, that the programmer creates. I argue that (a) could not be right, that (c) collapses into (b), and that (d) would make strong alife either absurd or uninteresting. Thus, “virtual” strong alife amounts to the claim that, by programming a computer, one can literally bring bits of its hardware to life.
From Classical Models of Morphogenesis to Agent-Based Models of Pattern Formation
Authors: Bonabeau Eric
Published: April 2010

An extremely large body of theoretical work exists on pattern formation, but very few experimental results have confirmed the relevance of theoretical models. It is argued in this article that the notion of agent-based pattern formation, which is introduced and exemplified, can serve as a basis to study pattern formation in nature, especially because pattern-forming systems based on agents are (relatively) more easily amenable to experimental observations. Moreover, understanding agent-based pattern formation is a necessary step if one wishes to design distributed artificial pattern-forming systems. But, to achieve this goal, a theory of agent-based pattern formation is needed. This article suggests that it can certainly be derived from existing theories of pattern formation.
Emergence of Collective Strategies in a Prey-Predator Game Model
Authors: Nishimura Shin I. , Ikegami Takashi
Published: April 2010

The emergence of collective strategies in a prey-predator system is studied. We use the term “collective” in the sense of the collective motion of defense or attack often found in behaviors of animal grotips. In our prey-predator system, both prey and predators move around on a two-dimensional plane, interacting by playing a game; predators can score by touching the backside of a prey. Thresholds are assumed for the scores of both prey and predators. The species with the higher scores can reproduce more, and that with the lower scores will be diminished. As a result, strategies as collective motions are observed; these consist of rotating cluster motions, line formations, disordered but one-way marching, and random swarming. In particular, the strategy of random swarming encourages symbiosis in the sense that it is associated with a low extinction probability for the whole system.
Manipulation of Length and Lexicality Localizes the Functional Neuroanatomy of Phonological Processing in Adult Readers
Authors: Church Jessica A. , Balota David A. , Petersen Steven E. , Schlaggar Bradley L.
Published: April 2010

In a previous study of single word reading, regions in the left supramarginal gyrus and left angular gyrus showed positive BOLD activity in children but significantly less activity in adults for high-frequency words [Church, J. A., Coalson, R. S., Lugar, H. M., Petersen, S. E., & Schlaggar, B. L. A developmental fMRI study of reading and repetition reveals changes in phonological and visual mechanisms over age. Cerebral Cortex, 18, 2054–2065, 2008]. This developmental decrease may reflect decreased reliance on phonological processing for familiar stimuli in adults. Therefore, in the present study, variables thought to influence phonological demand (string length and lexicality) were manipulated. Length and lexicality effects in the brain were explored using both ROI and whole-brain approaches. In the ROI analysis, the supramarginal and angular regions from the previous study were applied to this study. The supramarginal region showed a significant positive effect of length, consistent with a role in phonological processing, whereas the angular region showed only negative deflections from baseline with a strong effect of lexicality and other weaker effects. At the whole-brain level, varying effects of length and lexicality and their interactions were observed in 85 regions throughout the brain. The application of hierarchical clustering analysis to the BOLD time course data derived from these regions revealed seven clusters, with potentially revealing anatomical locations. Of note, a left angular gyrus region was the sole constituent of one cluster. Taken together, these findings in adult readers (1) provide support for a widespread set of brain regions affected by lexical variables, (2) corroborate a role for phonological processing in the left supramarginal gyrus, and (3) do not support a strong role for phonological processing in the left angular gyrus.
Experiencing Sexually Objectifying Environments: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Moffitt Lauren B. , Szymanski Dawn M.
Published: April 2010

Research examining the tenets of objectification theory has given little attention to increasing scholars’ understanding of specific environments and subcultures, such as beauty pageants, cheerleading, and cocktail waitressing, that exist within U.S. culture where sexual objectification of women is encouraged, promoted, and socially sanctioned. The purpose of this qualitative study was to provide an in-depth, descriptive contextual understanding of the experiences of 11 women who work in a sexually objectifying restaurant environment. Data classification via the constant comparative method resulted in nine themes: reasons for involvement, ambivalence, counterfeit intimacy, sexual objectification, resistance strategies, power, negative relationships with women, changes over time, and judgment. Corresponding subthemes are also described, and interpretation is provided in light of the relevant literature.
Using Cochran’s Z Statistic to Test the Kernel-Smoothed Item Response Function Differences Between Focal and Reference Groups
Authors: Yinggan Zheng  , Gierl Mark J. , Ying Cui
Published: April 2010

This study combined the kernel smoothing procedure and a nonparametric differential item functioning statistic-Cochran’s Z-to statistically test the difference between the kernel-smoothed item response functions for reference and focal groups. Simulation studies were conducted to investigate the Type I error and power of the proposed kernel-smoothed Cochran’s Z. For the purpose of comparison, the Type I error and power rates with no correction and with regression correction were also include in the simulation. The results of this study suggest the Type I error and power performance of Cochran’s Z improved when kernel smoothing was applied.
Evaluating Pretest Effects in Pre–Post Studies
Authors: Kim Eun Sook , Willson Victor L.
Published: April 2010

This article presents a method to evaluate pretest effects on posttest scores in the absence of an un-pretested control group using published results of pretesting effects due to Willson and Putnam. Confidence intervals around the expected theoretical gain due to pretesting are computed, and observed gains or differential gains are compared with the original reported results. Examples from the American Educational Research Journal and the Journal of Educational Psychology are presented that illustrate both support for the original interpretation and evidence for reinterpretation of the results as statistically significant or nonsignificant opposite to the original conclusion. Implications for using the results of meta-analyses in substantive research are discussed.
Conditions that do not Reach the Threshold for Mental Disorder in Spanish Psychiatric Outpatients: Prevalence, Treatment and Management
Authors: Ortiz-Lobo Alberto , García-Moratalla Beatriz , Lozano-Serrano Carolina , De La Mata-Ruiz Iván , Rodríguez-Salvanés Francisco
Published: April 2010

Background: In recent years there has been controversy around the treatment demands of people who, without meeting diagnostic criteria for a mental disorder, have certain symptoms and are referred to mental health professionals.

Aims: To determine the prevalence of individuals assessed by mental health service, referred from primary care, who do not meet the diagnosis criteria of mental disorders according to ICD-10. To analyze the medical treatment given to these individuals, measured by the indication for discharge or follow-up and by the pharmacological intervention decided in the first interview, as well as the associated variables.

Method: Design: descriptive study. Scope: urban area. Population: all patients referred to the Salamanca mental health service during a year, without any exclusion ( n = 1,187). Variables: sociodemographics; clinical and health service utilization gathered through clinical interview, GHQ-28, SCL-90-R and an expectations scale.

Results: Of the 1,004 patients who attended interview, 24.4% (CI 95%: 21.6—27.0) did not present any diagnosable mental disorder (Z codes); they constitute the body of this study. 50.8% of these were referred from primary care with a psychotropic drug treatment already prescribed. Any drug intervention (addition, suspension or modification) was performed in 37.2% of the cases by the mental health service. Regardless of the treatment indicated, 52% were discharged after the first interview.

Conclusions: The prevalence of patients who failed to reach diagnostic criteria for a mental disorder in this health service is similar to other studies, in spite of the filter provided by primary care. Many individuals without a diagnosable mental disorder received treatment both in primary care and in the mental health service.
‘Learn to Write Well’: The China Hands and the Communist-Ification of Diplomatic Reporting
Authors: Gurman Hannah
Published: April 2010

The China Hands — the US Foreign Service officers who served in China during the second world war — have been portrayed as both villains and tragic heroes of US diplomatic and Cold War history. As villains, they deliberately ‘lost’ China to the communists in 1949. As tragic heroes, they proposed wise alternatives to US policy in Asia: alternatives that might have pre-empted the war in Vietnam. Rather than render judgment on the recommendation to cooperate with the Chinese communists, this article considers instead the medium through which this recommendation was made, namely diplomatic reporting. A focus on the two most vilified and heroized of the China Hands, Jack Service and John Davies, demonstrates the importance of the evolving tradition of Foreign Service reporting to the rise of the China Hands during the war. It also reveals how, after 1949, the anti-communist attack on the China Hands focused not only on the immediate recommendations of the China Hands, but also on the tradition and practice of diplomatic reporting, thereby suggesting that the medium was itself associated with communism. The effects of this conflation outlasted the internal policy debate to which the China Hands' reports properly belonged.
The Prisoner of War Question and the Beginnings of Collaboration: The Franco-German Agreement of 16 November 1940
Authors: Scheck Raffael
Published: April 2010

This article discusses the connections between collaboration and the prisoner of war question in the early Vichy period by tracing the evolution of the Franco-German agreement of 16 November 1940 and its repercussions on French POWs. Based on the Scapini Papers and French and German archival materials, the article argues that the agreement happened in the context of a voluntary policy of collaboration initiated by the Vichy authorities, who hoped that collaboration would trigger German concessions on the POW question, but did not push collaboration to ease the fate of the POWs. Hitler likely offered the agreement as a concession that would allow Vichy to demonstrate to the French public an apparent success of collaboration, detracting from some hostile German measures that occurred at the same time. Vichy took the bait because it hoped to win over the French POWs in Germany to Pétainist ideology and because it was eager to bolster its own legitimacy. But humanitarian considerations also played a role in the French consent to this agreement, which to some extent can be seen as preventive collaboration. Plausibly, the agreement and the framework it established, despite undeniable dangers, represented a lesser evil for the French POWs.
Till Death Us Do Part and the BBC: Racial Politics and the British Working Classes 1965–75
Authors: Schaffer Gavin
Published: April 2010

Historians have struggled to unpick the complex relationship between the British working classes and heightened Commonwealth immigration to postwar Britain and have tended to explain the development of racial politics in this period in terms of the agenda of the Conservative Party and broader forces of the political right. Within this historical analysis, Labour's position has been less clear. This article argues that an analysis of Johnny Speight's BBC comedy series Till Death Us Do Part informs historical discussion about changing racial sensibilities within the Labour Party and its working-class constituencies.

Till Death Us Do Part was one of the most popular and controversial programmes of its generation. The story focused on the working-class Garnett family and specifically on the anti-hero Alf Garnett, played by Warren Mitchell. Speight claimed that he utilized this character to explode popular prejudices and attack the British class system. Whilst the relationship between Speight and his character was somewhat more complicated, this article argues that Till Death Us Do Part does offer critical insight into the political and social dynamics of the British working classes and ultimately can enhance historical understanding of British race relations in this period.
Quantized filtering of linear stochastic systems
Authors: Keyou You  , Lihua Xie  , Shuli Sun  , Wendong Xiao
Published: April 2010

In this paper we investigate a general multi-level quantized filter of linear stochastic systems. For a given multi-level quantization and under the Gaussian assumption on the predicted density, a quantized innovations filter that achieves the minimum mean square error is derived. The filter is given in terms of quantization thresholds and a simple modified Riccati difference equation. By optimizing the filtering error covariance with respect to quantization thresholds, the associated optimal thresholds and the corresponding filter are obtained. Furthermore, the convergence of the filter to the standard Kalman filter is established. We also discuss the design of a robust minimax quantized filter when the innovation covariance is not exactly known. Simulation and experimental results illustrate the effectiveness and advantages of the proposed quantized filter.
Graphical analysis of robust stability for systems with parametric uncertainty: an overview
Authors: Matušů Radek , Prokop Roman
Published: April 2010

Systems with parametric uncertainty play an important role in both the theory and practical applications of robust control. They are described by the mathematical model containing parameters that are not precisely known, but the values thereof lie within given intervals. This type of uncertainty can arise during the control of real processes, eg, as a consequence of modelling effort, imprecise measuring or the influence of certain external conditions. The number of robust stability analysis techniques has been developed during the previous years of research interest. However, many of them are highly specialized only for specific types of uncertainty structure. This paper offers an overview of illustrative examples aimed at usage of a universal graphical approach to robust stability analysis for systems with parametric uncertainty. The investigation method is based mainly on the combination of the value set concept and the zero exclusion condition, which is greatly advantageous especially for more complicated problems.
Robust H ∞ control for a class of uncertain switched systems using delta operator
Authors: Zhengrong Xiang  , Ronghao Wang
Published: April 2010

This paper considers the problem of stability and robust H∞ stabilization for a class of uncertain switched systems using the delta operator. Based on multiple Lyapunov function method, a sufficient condition for the existence of stability of the delta operator switched system is presented, and the design approach to robust H∞ state feedback controller is addressed. The proposed controller can robustly stabilize the uncertain delta operator switched system, and also guarantee H∞ performance of the closed-loop system for all admissible parameter perturbations. The solution to the controller is formulated in the form of a set of linear matrix inequalities. A numerical example is provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the developed method.
Thirty years of International Journal of Behavioral Development: Scope, internationality, and impact since its inception
Authors: Schui Gabriel , Krampen Günter
Published: April 2010

The article presents 30-year bibliometrical results on trends in the scope, internationality, and impact of the International Journal of Behavioral Development (IJBD) from its inception in 1978 to 2007. Bibliometric data were collected using the databases PsycINFO and Social Science Citation Index (SSCI), and the IJBD itself. In comparison to other journals on developmental psychology, the special features of IJBD include its frequent publications of research on mother—child relations, childhood development, cross-cultural studies, and longitudinal studies, an increasing multinationality of authorships (from 52 countries) and citations as well as increasing international citation rates (impact) since 1990. Uncitedness of articles published in IJBD is comparably low. The h-index for all articles published in IJBD between 1978 and 2007 ranges between 8 and 27.
The Political Economy of the Human Right to Water
Authors: Couret Branco Manuel , Damião Henriques Pedro
Published: April 2010

This paper concerns the role played by mainstream economics in the unequal assertion of people’s right to clean water. First of all there is a conflict between satisfying wants and asserting rights. Second there is also a contradiction between aiming at maximizing social utility and ensuring rights. Finally, the market being considered the default regulation institution, the human right to water is hindered because markets are both inefficient in reaching universal coverage and unaccountable.

JEL Codes: A13, B40, I30
The Political Nexus between Water and Economics in Brazil: A Critique of Recent Policy Reforms
Authors: Ioris Antonio A. R.
Published: April 2010

The reform of water policies in Brazil has involved a combination of regulatory norms and economic-incentive instruments. Nonetheless, contrary to its formal objectives, the process has largely failed to prevent widespread environmental impacts and growing spatial and sectoral conflicts. The main reason for such failures is the perverse influence of market rationality, which is particularly evident in the reorganization of the public sector, the quantification of the monetary value of water, and the payment for environmental services.

JEL codes: Q25, Q28, Q, 56
Enhanced solubilization and anaerobic biodegradability of source-separated kitchen waste by microwave pre-treatment
Authors: Marin Juan , Kennedy Kevin J , Eskicioglu Cigdem
Published: April 2010

Results from an investigation of the effect of high temperature and pressure microwave (MW) pre-treatment of source-separated kitchen waste (SSKW) are presented. MW pre-treatment to a temperature of 175°C (1 min holding time) at a heating rate of 7.9°C min-1, enhanced SSKW solubilization by 40% in comparison with control; yielding higher soluble chemical oxygen demand (sCOD), total sugars and proteins concentrations in the soluble phase (<45 μm). Batch biochemical methane potential tests (BMP) at 33°C, indicated an enhanced anaerobic biodegradability compared to non-pretreated samples. However, the comparative analysis of semi-continuous anaerobic digesters performance for pre-treated and non-treated SSKW, indicated that MW pre-treatment was successful at solids retention times (SRT) higher than 25 days, showing not only a robust performance in terms of volatile solids (VS) and total chemical oxygen demand (TCOD) removals (6 and 5% gain, respectively, in comparison with control). Effluent dewaterability was also enhanced by MW pre-treatment, showing a 20% increase for the best operation conditions. The study of biomass activity revealed the production of difficult to degrade compounds during pre-treatment conditions and also served as a tool to monitor reactor performance deterioration.
Profiles of Personal Resiliency in Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Inpatients
Authors: Kumar Geetha , Steer Robert A. , Gulab Nazli A.
Published: April 2010

To ascertain whether children and adolescents whose ages ranged from 9 to 17 years described distinct profiles of personal resiliency, the Resiliency Scales for Children and Adolescents (RSCA) were administered to 100 youth who were admitted to an inpatient psychiatric unit and were diagnosed with various DSM-IV-TR disorders along with the Beck Youth Inventories of Emotional and Social Impairment (BYI-II). Four profiles based on the RSCA Sense of Self-Mastery, Sense of Relatedness, and Emotional Reactivity scales were identified by a k-means nonhierarchical cluster analysis. The profiles were not differentiated with respect to sex, age, being Caucasian, or diagnoses, but were discriminated with respect to different levels of self-reported symptoms as measured by the BYI-II scales. The results were discussed as suggesting that different profiles of personal resiliency should be considered when treating psychiatric inpatients.
“Can There Be Such a Delightful Feeling as This?” Variations of Sexual Scripts in Finnish Girls’ Narratives
Authors: Suvivuo Pia , Tossavainen Kerttu , Kontula Osmo
Published: April 2010

This study examined what kinds of sexual scripts were found in Finnish girls’ narratives, what elements those scripts included and how different scripts were associated with sexually risky behavior. The data were comprised of the narratives of 173 14 - 15-year-old girls regarding their experiences in sexually motivating situations. The narratives were analyzed using inductive content analysis. Besides the traditional romantic script, there are rational and experience-seeking scripts as well as the scripts of desire and postponing available to young girls to weigh and adapt in their lives. Implementation of emotion-based scripts often included risks of unprotected intercourse and losing self-control. The variety of these scripts is challenging in sex education, and is discussed in this paper.
Deaths involving natural gas inhalation
Authors: Maryam Akhgari , Elham Bazmi
Published: April 2010

Death due to gas inhalation is accidental or suicidal. Natural gas can be a cause of death as a result of oxygen replacement in the atmosphere. Three male victims who were killed from gas inhalation are described in this study. One 19-year-old man attempted suicide using a combination of plastic bag suffocation and natural gas tube in his mouth. The other victim (24 years old man) attempted suicide by natural gas inhalation, and the cause of death of the third victim was inhalation of the vapor from a furnace that contained crude oil or gasoline. Methanol was detected in blood and liver samples by headspace gas chromatography (HSGC) and headspace gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HSGCMS). Carboxyhemoglobin (CO-Hb) and other drugs and poisons were not detected in blood and liver samples.
Cortical and Subcortical Abnormalities in Late-Onset Depression With History of Suicide Attempts Investigated With MRI and Voxel-Based Morphometry
Authors: Hwang Jen-Ping , Lee Tien-Wen , Tsai Shi-Jen , Chen Tai-Jui , Yang Chen-Hong , Lirng Jiing-Feng , Tsai Chia-Fen
Published: April 2010

Late-onset major depression is thought to have a biological (vascular) basis, which could be a result of brain structure change. Vascular lesions can affect both the gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM), while most previous studies addressed WM abnormality. This study explored the disease- and symptom (history of suicide attempt) -related GM morphometry in elderly male patients with late-onset depression. A total of 70 patients with depression admitted to our geriatric psychiatric ward were investigated, and 26 age-matched males were recruited as controls. We used T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to obtain cerebral structural information and adopted voxel-based morphometry (VBM) to investigate brain volume change related to disease (depression vs control) and symptom (depression with history of suicide attempt vs depression without history of suicide attempt). Late-onset depression was associated with smaller volumes in several regions of GM (insula and the posterior cingulate region) and WM (subcallosal cingulate cortex, floor of lateral ventricles, parahippocampal region, insula, and the cerebellum). Compared with nonsuicidal counterpart, suicidal depression was associated with decreased GM and WM volume in the frontal, parietal, and temporal regions, and the insula, lentiform nucleus, midbrain, and the cerebellum. Marked regional volume reduction was noticed at dorsal medial prefrontal cortex. Our results demonstrate that the development of suicidal behaviors in major depression is related to widespread but discrete volume reduction in several cortical and subcortical structures, fitting with the hypothesis that decreased cerebral volume in certain regions renders biological susceptibility to attempt suicide during depressive states.
Differences in Sleep Complaints in Adults With Varying Levels of Bed Days Residing in Extended Care Facilities for Chronic Disease Management
Authors: Fox Mary T. , Sidani Souraya , Brooks Dina
Published: April 2010

This cohort study examined differences in perceived insomnia and daytime sleepiness in 67 adults residing in extended care facilities for chronic disease management who had varying levels of bed days. One bed day was defined as spending 24 hours in bed. Planned pairwise comparisons, using Bonferroni adjustment, were made between participants who spent 0 ( n = 21), 2 to 4 ( n = 23), and 5 to 7 ( n = 23) days in bed during 1 week of monitoring. Participants who spent 5 to 7 days in bed had significantly greater insomnia than those who spent 2 to 4 days in bed. No group differences were found in daytime sleepiness. Based on the findings, nurses may assess subjective insomnia and explore sleep hygiene strategies, such as increasing time out of bed with patients who have high levels of 5 to 7 bed days.
Gender Differences in Occupational Attitudes Among Slovak Police
Authors: Sun Ivan Y. , Wasileski Gabriela
Published: April 2010

Gender differences in policing have drawn some research attention over the past three decades. Very little, however, is known about the possible attitudinal distinctions between female and male police officers in non—English-speaking countries. This study seeks to make a contribution to this line of research by analyzing attitudinal differences between male and female officers in Slovakia. Using survey data collected from 250 police officers in several Slovak police regions, this research empirically assesses male and female officers’ attitudes toward police role, community policing, and work obstacles. The results indicate that Slovak female and male officers do not differ much in their attitudes toward police roles and community policing. Slovak female officers are more likely to report having limited promotion opportunity but less likely to express higher levels of work—family conflict than their male counterparts. Implications for policy and future research are discussed.
Interspecies Differences and Extracellular Calcium Dependence in the Vasorelaxing Effect of Cromakalim in Isolated Human, Porcine, and Canine Coronary Arteries
Authors: Pataricza János , Krassói Irén , Ambrus Nora , Bitay Miklós , Varró András , Papp Julius Gyula
Published: April 2010

Coronary arteries isolated from human, porcine, and canine hearts were depolarized with potassium chloride and relaxed by cromakalim (0.0125-10.0 μmol/L) at low (1.5 mmol/L) and high (7.5 mmol/L) extracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]o). At low [Ca2+]o, cromakalim (1 μmol/L) relaxed the coronary arteries with the order of porcine > canine > human. Fifty percent effective concentrations of cromakalim revealed the same order: 0.15 μmol/L in porcine, 0.36 μmol/L in canine, and 3.91 μmol/L in human coronary arteries. High [Ca2+]osignificantly enhanced the relaxing effect and decreased the potency of cromakalim in porcine and human but not in canine coronary arteries. In human coronary arteries, precontracted with the prostaglandin analogue (U46619), high [Ca2+]oenhanced the effect of 0.1 μmol/L cromakalim more efficiently in the presence than in the absence of endothelium. It appears that the coronary dilating effect of cromakalim largely depends on the species and is modulated by [Ca2+]o,with a partly endothelium dependent manner.
Review Article: The New Concept of Interventional Heart Failure Therapy—Part 1: Electrical Therapy, Treatment of CAD, Fluid Removal, and Ventricular Support
Authors: Thompson Keith A. , Philip Kiran J. , Barbagelata Alejandro , Schwarz Ernst R.
Published: April 2010

Congestive heart failure is a chronic and debilitating disease responsible for high cardiac morbidity and mortality in the world and is associated with more than 290 000 deaths in the United States each year. Recent advances in heart failure therapy target many of the mechanical and structural aspects of heart failure that are not addressed by drug-based therapies; these include abnormalities in electrical conduction, coronary artery or valvular architecture, and in ventricular size and shape. To target these abnormalities, newer therapies have largely been mechanical and device-based in nature and can be collectively described as interventional therapy. Interventional therapy includes the use of interventional medical therapy, electrical-based devices to augment ventricular function, catheterization-based devices for the treatment of underlying coronary artery disease and valvular disease, machines for the removal of excess fluid, mechanical pumps to assist the ventricles, surgical techniques aimed at reshaping the ventricles, the use of tissue therapies such as stem cell transplantation or complete heart transplant, palliative care, and self-care. This article is the first in a 2-part series that will review interventional heart failure therapy and present the most recent data supporting its use.
A Cautionary Note on Modeling Multitrait-Multirater Data Arising From Ill-Structured Measurement Designs
Authors: Putka Dan J. , Lance Charles E. , Le Huy , McCloy Rodney A.
Published: April 2010

The authors illustrate a problem with confirmatory factor analysis (CFA)-based strategies to model disaggregated multitrait—multirater (MTMR) data—the potential to find markedly different results with the same sample of ratees simply as a result of how one selects and identifies raters within the data set one has gathered for analysis. Using performance ratings gathered as part of a large criterion-related validation study, the authors show how such differences manifest themselves in several ways including variation in (a) covariance matrices that serve as input for the modeling effort, (b) model convergence, (c) admissibility of solutions, (d) overall model fit, (e) model parameter estimates, and (f) model selection. Implications of this study for past research and recommendations for future CFA-based MTMR modeling efforts are discussed.
Industrial and Human Ruins of Postcommunist Europe
Authors: Pusca Anca
Published: April 2010

With the former industrial cities of Eastern Europe in ruin—once the pillars of these economies— the attention of both investors and academics has shifted toward capital cities and their new political and economic potential fueled by the rise of new governments and new foreign direct investment. The failed attempts to privatize many of these former industrial spaces has left entire cities in ruin and despair, forgotten by all but artists and preservationists, who see these spaces not only as aesthetically inspiring but also as charged with redemptive potential. This article puts forward an alternative exploration of the Eastern European postcommunist transition through these ruined spaces, arguing that the aesthetic dimension of change is key to understanding the human impact of the transition. Focusing on two former industrial sites—the Hunedoara Ironworks in Romania and the Vitkovice Ironworks in the Czech Republic—the article seeks to understand the rhetorical and material relationship between these ruined spaces and the workers who once inhabited them as well as the effect that different practices of representation—mainly photography—and preservation have had on these spaces.
Game Information, Local Heroes, and Their Effect on Attendance: The Case of the Japanese Baseball League
Authors: Yamamura Eiji
Published: April 2010

In the Japanese Professional Baseball League (JPBL), the starting pitcher is announced prior to the game in the Pacific League (PL) but not in the Central League (CL). The author attempts to investigate how the release of information concerning a starting pitcher prior to the game affects attendance. The author’s major findings are (a) In the PL, the salary (and overall number of wins) of the home team’s starting pitcher is positively related to attendance, while that of the visiting team is not. (b) In the CL, neither the salary (or the overall number of wins) of the home team’s starting pitcher nor that of the visiting team affect attendance.
Experimental Measurement and Prediction of Thermal Resistance in Paratrooper Clothing
Authors: Indu Shekar R. , Kotresh T.M. , Subbulakshmi M.S. , Vijayalakshmi S.N. , Patanaik Asis , Anandjiwala Rajesh D.
Published: April 2010

Combat free fall (CFF) paratrooper’s protective clothing comprising of nonwoven fabric, combinations of inherently flame retardant Nomex ® fabric, and cotton fabric are studied under simulated conditions (wind velocity) of conduction using Thermolabo-II technique. Theoretical predictions of thermal resistance using mathematical modeling have also been carried out by taking into consideration important parameters that affect the functional performance. The results showed that nonwoven insulating fabrics exhibit high thermal resistance in dry contact method under moderate wind velocity and the values predicted by modeling confirm the same.
Processing and Property Relationship of Polypropylene Monofilaments Containing Nanoclay
Authors: Selver Erdem , Adanur Sabit
Published: April 2010

This study focuses on combining traditional polymeric materials with nanoclays to engineer new composite monofilaments for nontraditional industries using extrusion process. Polypropylene/nanoclay composite monofilaments were produced using single screw extruder, and the structure and properties of new monofilaments were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), XRay diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FT-IR), thermal gravimetric analyzer (TGA), differential scanning calorimeter, and Instron universal testing machine. Composite monofilaments were prepared at different weight percentage of nanoclay (1%, 2%, and 3%) and compatabilizer (10%, 15%, and 20%) contents. The results showed that the amount of the nanoclay and compatabilizer affected the formation and final properties of the new monofilaments. It was observed that tensile stress of composite monofilament decreased compared to pure polypropylene monofilament. Melting temperature and degree of crystallinity were not affected much; however, there was significant increase at decomposition temperature of composite polypropylene monofilaments.
Singing It the Way She Hears It
Authors: Holman Jones Stacy
Published: April 2010

This introduction situates this special issue on Music and Performance Studies, providing a framework for the analysis of music through the lens of performance studies and offering a preview of the articles in the collection.