bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
THE GOVERNANCE OF FINANCIAL REGULATORY REFORM: THE AUSTRALIAN EXPERIENCE
Authors: BAKIR CANER
Published: November 2009

The dominant perspective in the literature linking governance, globalization and public policy argues that globalization undercuts state capacity, weakening a government's ability to effectively regulate its domestic affairs. This paper shows otherwise with special reference to the Australian experience in financial regulation. It challenges the conventional wisdom that the Australian state is weak and cannot adopt anticipatory industrial policies. This paper argues that the adoption of the ‘twin peaks' model of financial regulatory arrangements is an example of the existence of government‐led steering in Australia which can adopt a proactive approach to financial regulation by steering and coordinating policy networks. ‘Governance through hierarchy’ in the financial services industry may be a function of the government's political entrepreneurship; its skill in setting and implementing an agenda; and an ability to create new policy communities and networks.
NATIONAL AGENCIES IN THE EUROPEAN ADMINISTRATIVE SPACE: GOVERNMENT DRIVEN, COMMISSION DRIVEN OR NETWORKED?
Authors: EGEBERG MORTEN , TRONDAL JARLE
Published: November 2009

In terms of national agencies in the European administrative space, case studies indicate that national governments may be partly split so that national (regulatory) agencies operate in a ‘double‐hatted’ manner when practising EU legislation, serving both ministerial departmentsandthe European Commission. Applying large‐N questionnaire data, this article follows up these studies by investigating how important various institutions are with respect to influencing national agencies when they are practising EU legislation. How discretion is exercised at this stage of the policy process is not trivial; we demonstrate that, in addition, this activity is highly contested. Our main conclusion is that implementation of EU policies at the national level is neither solely indirect via national governments (as the standard portrayal says), nor solely direct (through Commission‐driven national agencies), nor solely networked (through transnational agency clusters). Implementation is instead compound with several sources of power represented more or less simultaneously.
Moving out of IRF (Initiation‐Response‐Feedback): A Single Case Analysis
Authors: Waring Hansun Zhang
Published: November 2009

A common practice in classroom discourse is the IRF sequence (teacher initiation–student response–teacher feedback; Sinclair & Coulthard, 1975; cf. IRE in Mehan, 1979). Based on a single case analysis from an adult English as a second language (ESL) class, this article demonstrates how one ESL student manages, in close coordination with the teacher, to move out of a series of uninterrupted IRFs during a homework review activity, establishing instead a renewed participation structure that allows for student‐initiated negotiations, which her coparticipants then jointly orient to and successfully accomplish. The analysis suggests that creating negotiation‐rich opportunities is paramount not just during pair and group activities, but more critically, during teacher–whole class interactions.
Differential Functioning of Reading Subskills on the OSSLT for L1 and ELL Students: A Multidimensionality Model‐Based DBF/DIF Approach
Authors: Kim Youn‐Hee , Jang Eunice Eunhee
Published: November 2009

The increasing numbers of English language learners (ELLs) in Canadian schools pose a significant challenge to the standards‐based provincial tests used to measure proficiency levels of all students from various linguistic and cultural backgrounds. This study investigated the extent to which reading item bundles or items on the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) function differentially for Grade 10 students who speak only or mostly English at home (first language [L1] students; n = 1,969) and those whose home language is something other than English (ELL students; n = 3,675). Based on Roussos and Stout's (1996a) multidimensionality‐based DIF analysis paradigm, a variety of substantive and statistical techniques were employed: (a) content review by English as a second language (ESL) experts, (b) exploratory and confirmatory dimensionality analyses, and (c) confirmatory differential bundle functioning (DBF)/differential item functioning (DIF) procedures. The evidence gathered in the study indicated that items associated with vocabulary knowledge favored L1 students, whereas items requiring grammatical knowledge or integrated reading and writing skill favored ELL students. Instructional implications for the promotion of effective literacy education programs are discussed, as is the development of a literacy curriculum that can meet the needs of linguistically diverse learners in a multilingual context.
A Usage‐Based Account of Constituency and Reanalysis
Authors: Beckner Clay , Bybee Joan
Published: November 2009

Constituent structure is considered to be the very foundation of linguistic competence and often considered to be innate, yet we show here that it is derivable from the domain‐general processes of chunking and categorization. Using modern and diachronic corpus data, we show that the facts support a view of constituent structure as gradient (as would follow from its source in chunking and categorization) and subject to gradual changes over time. Usage factors (i.e., repetition) and semantic factors both influence chunking and categorization and, therefore, influence constituent structure. We take as our example the complex prepositions of English, for instance, on top of, in back of, and in spite of, whose internal constituent structure has been much debated. From observing strong (but not absolute) usage trends in the corpus data, we find that these complex preposition sequences display varying degrees of emerging constituency. We conclude that constituent reanalysis, like language change generally, proceeds gradually.
MISGUIDED CORPORATE VIRTUE: THE CASE AGAINST CSR, AND THE TRUE ROLE OF BUSINESS TODAY1
Authors: Henderson David
Published: November 2009

The doctrine of corporate social responsibility (CSR) has now been accepted across the world – not only by businesses and business organisations, together with an array of commentators and NGOs, but also by many governments. This is a worrying development. The doctrine rests on mistaken presumptions about recent economic developments and their implications for the role and conduct of enterprises, while putting it into effect would make the world poorer and more over‐regulated.
CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND THE COMPANIES ACT 2006
Authors: Copp Stephen F.
Published: November 2009

The Companies Act 2006 enshrines in law the concept of ‘enlightened shareholder value’, a form of corporate social responsibility, in place of a director's traditional common law duty of loyalty. This article demonstrates that the conceptual foundations of the enlightened shareholder value approach are flawed, resulting in a confusing compromise, with potentially damaging efficiency consequences.
HOW SHOULD BRITAIN'S GOVERNMENT SPENDING AND TAX BURDENS BE MEASURED? A HISTORIC PERSPECTIVE ON THE 2009 BUDGET FORECASTS
Authors: Smith David B.
Published: November 2009

The 2009 Budget projections imply that the ratio of general government expenditure to national income will rise to 53.4% in 2010, the highest ratio since World War II and 6.9% above the peak recorded in World War I. Public sector net borrowing is projected to increase from 8% of national income in 2008–09, to 14.1% in 2009–10, and 13.5% in 2011–12. There must be serious doubt whether deficits on this scale can be financed in a non‐inflationary manner, without very large capital inflows from abroad. It is hard to see why such inflows should be forthcoming now that the British economy has become so highly taxed by international standards.
QUALITATIVE EASING IN SUPPORT OF A TUMBLING FINANCIAL SYSTEM: A LOOK AT THE EUROSYSTEM'S RECENT BALANCE SHEET POLICIES
Authors: Bagus Philipp , Howden David
Published: November 2009

Attention has recently been drawn to compositional changes in the Federal Reserve System's asset holdings and in particular the deterioration of the balance sheet of the Fed in the face of the current crisis. However, an analysis of the balance sheet policies of the Eurosystem is still missing. In this article we fill this gap by analysing the Eurosystem's balance sheet during the recent subprime crisis. The calculation of certain balance sheet ratios supports the assessment that a significant decrease in the quality of money has occurred.
FOUR PROPOSITIONS ABOUT INTERNATIONAL LABOUR STANDARDS
Authors: Carden Art , Hall Joshua
Published: November 2009

International labour rights organisations pay considerable attention to the working conditions in less developed countries. For labour rights activists, labour standards such as collective bargaining rights and maternal leave promote economic progress. We argue that this perspective has the causation backwards and that it is economic development that causes the codification of improved working conditions.
ISLAMIC FINANCE AS A PROGENITOR OF VENTURE CAPITAL
Authors: Koehler Benedikt
Published: November 2009

The antecedents of corporate limited liability are commonly seen to emerge amongst medieval Italian merchant bankers in so‐called commendas, commercial arrangements combining investors and entrepreneurs. Italian merchants trading with the Levant may have adapted the Islamic concept of a risk‐sharing partnership, the qirâd, as a model. Western corporations thus may owe their origins to the influence of Islam's entrepreneurial founder, Mohammed.
Bias Avoidance: Cross‐cultural Differences in the US and Australian Academies
Authors: Bardoel E. Anne , Drago Robert , Cooper Brian , Colbeck Carol
Published: November 2009

Bias avoidance behaviour arises when individuals minimize or hide family commitments to achieve career success. Bias avoidance behaviour can be divided into productive types of behaviour that free up more time and energy for a career and unproductive ones types that involve hiding or covering up caregiving commitments. This article compares reports of bias avoidance from chemistry and English faculty in US and Australian colleges and universities. The analyses reveal behaviour in Australia that is similar to that in the USA together with some evidence of higher levels of bias avoidance among women and higher levels of unproductive bias avoidance in the Australian sample. It is concluded from this cross‐national study that bias avoidance is both pervasive and gendered across the two countries. However, cultural differences are also important and strategies to reduce bias avoidance behaviour should account for these differences.
Women, Poverty, and the Microenterprise: Context and Discourse
Authors: Strier Roni
Published: November 2009

The article discusses the claims of success of microenterprise development programmes (MDPs) in poverty reduction and gender equality. It also deals with the broader theoretical and methodological issues related to the ways in which context and discourse interact in the assessment of anti‐poverty and gender equity strategies. MDPs are considered among the most viable strategies for helping women overcome poverty and promoting gender equity. However, there has been significant debate over these claims. The relationship between business ownership, poverty reduction and gender empowerment is still to be proved. The article presents the voices of women engaged in a microenterprise (ME) from a context‐informed and discourse analysis perspective, and considers the women's insights about ME as an anti‐poverty and gender empowerment strategy. The findings show a complex picture. On one hand, the new occupational status promises a tangible alternative to multiple personal, social and gender constraints. Additionally, women in the study perceived the ME as a space for self‐definition and as an outlet for expressing their oppressed identities. On the other hand, the findings seriously challenge the capacity of the MDP strategy to promote gender equity and combat poverty among low‐income women. Implications for research and policy are discussed.
Sex ratio of multiple sclerosis and clinical phenotype
Authors: Ramagopalan S. V. , Byrnes J. K. , Orton S.‐M. , Dyment D. A. , Guimond C. , Yee I. M. , Ebers G. C. , Sadovnick A. D.
Published: November 2009

Background and purpose: In a longitudinal population‐based dataset of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), we have previously observed a substantial increase in the female to male sex ratio in Canada over the last 50 years. Here, we aimed to determine whether this change in sex ratio is related to the clinical course of MS. Methods: We calculated sex ratios by birth year in 11 868 patients with relapsing–remitting (RR) MS and 2825 patients with primary progressive (PP) MS identified as part of the Canadian Collaborative Project on the Genetic Susceptibility to MS.  Results: Year of birth was a significant predictor for sex ratio in RR MS (P < 0.0001, χ2 = 21.2; Spearman’s rank correlation r = 0.67), but not for PP MS (P = 0.44, χ2 = 0.6; Spearman’s rank correlation r = 0.11). Conclusions: An increase in the number of female RR MS patients over time accounts for the increasing sex ratio of MS. This has implications for pathogenesis, for assessment of clinical trial results and for disease prevention. The factors underlying the selective increase in MS in females need to be uncovered.
The implication of nigrostriatal dopaminergic degeneration in the pathogenesis of REM sleep behavior disorder
Authors: Kim Y. K. , Yoon I‐Y. , Kim J‐M. , Jeong S‐H. , Kim K. W. , Shin Y‐K. , Kim B. S. , Kim S. E.
Published: November 2009

Background and purpose:  The pathogenesis of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is not clear despite its frequent association with Parkinson’s disease (PD). We investigated whether the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system is involved in the development of idiopathic RBD.

Methods:  Fourteen patients with RBD, 14 patients with PD and 12 normal controls were included in the study. The diagnosis of RBD was confirmed on polysomnography. All the participants performed single‐photon emission computed tomography imaging 3 h after injection of [123I]FP‐CIT. During REM sleep of the RBD patients, each 30‐s epoch was rated as ‘tonic’ when there was at least 50% of tonically maintained chin electromyography (EMG) activity in the epoch. Phasic EMG activities were calculated as the percentage of 3‐s mini‐epoch containing phasic EMG events (leg and chin, separately).

Results:  The RBD patients showed a trend of lower binding in the striatum than the normal controls (P = 0.07), and the significance was revealed in the putamen (P = 0.02). However, in 11 individual cases of the 14 RBD patients, the dopamine transporter (DAT) densities in the putamen still remained within the normal range. In the RBD patients, there was no correlation between EMG activities and DAT densities.

Conclusions:  Nigrostriatal dopaminergic degeneration could be a part of the pathogenesis of RBD, but not essential for the development of RBD. The lack of correlation between RBD severity and DAT densities suggests that another pathogenic process not related to nigrostriatal dopaminergic transmission may be implicated in RBD.
Individual‐based ecology of coastal birds
Authors: Stillman Richard A. , Goss‐Custard John D.
Published: November 2009

Conservation objectives for non‐breeding coastal birds (shorebirds and wildfowl) are determined from their population size at coastal sites. To advise coastal managers, models must predict quantitatively the effects of environmental change on population size or the demographic rates (mortality and reproduction) that determine it. As habitat association models and depletion models are not able to do this, we developed an approach that has produced such predictions thereby enabling policy makers to make evidence‐based decisions. Our conceptual framework is individual‐based ecology, in which populations are viewed as having properties (e.g. size) that arise from the traits (e.g. behaviour, physiology) and interactions of their constituent individuals. The link between individuals and populations is made through individual‐based models (IBMs) that follow the fitness‐maximising decisions of individuals and predict population‐level consequences (e.g. mortality rate) from the fates of these individuals. Our first IBM was for oystercatchersHaematopus ostralegusand accurately predicted their density‐dependent mortality. Subsequently, IBMs were developed for several shorebird and wildfowl species at several European sites, and were shown to predict accurately overwinter mortality, and the foraging behaviour from which predictions are derived. They have been used to predict the effect on survival in coastal birds of sea level rise, habitat loss, wind farm development, shellfishing and human disturbance. This review emphasises the wider applicability of the approach, and identifies other systems to which it could be applied. We view the IBM approach as a very useful contribution to the general problem of how to advance ecology to the point where we can routinely make meaningful predictions of how populations respond to environmental change.
Down‐regulation of serum gonadotropins is as effective as estrogen replacement at improving menopause‐associated cognitive deficits
Authors: Bryan Kathryn J. , Mudd Joseph C. , Richardson Sandy L. , Chang Jaewon , Lee Hyoung‐gon , Zhu Xiongwei , Smith Mark A. , Casadesus Gemma
Published: November 2009

J. Neurochem. (2010) 112, 870–881.

Declining levels of estrogen in women result in increases in gonadotropins such as luteinizing hormone (LH) through loss of feedback inhibition. LH, like estrogen, is modulated by hormone replacement therapy. However, the role of post‐menopausal gonadotropin increases on cognition has not been evaluated. Here, we demonstrate that the down‐regulation of ovariectomy‐driven LH elevations using the gonadotropin releasing hormone super‐analogue, leuprolide acetate, improves cognitive function in the Morris water maze and Y‐maze tests in the absence of E2. Furthermore, our data suggest that these effects are independent of the modulation of estrogen receptors α and β, or activation of CYP19 and StAR, associated with the production of endogenous E2. Importantly, pathways associated with improved cognition such as CaMKII and GluR1‐Ser831 are up‐regulated by leuprolide treatment but not by chronic long‐term E2 replacement suggesting independent cognition‐modulating properties. Our findings suggest that down‐regulation of gonadotropins is as effective as E2 in modulating cognition but likely acts through different molecular mechanisms. These findings provide a potential novel protective strategy to treat menopause/age‐related cognitive decline and/or prevent the development of AD.
The fibroblast growth factor receptor substrate 3 adapter is a developmentally regulated microtubule‐associated protein expressed in migrating and differentiated neurons
Authors: Hryciw Todd , MacDonald James I. S. , Phillips Renée , Seah Claudia , Pasternak Stephen , Meakin Susan O.
Published: November 2009

J. Neurochem. (2009) 112, 924–939.

Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) mediated signaling is essential to many aspects of neural development. Activated FGF receptors signal primarily through the FGF receptor substrate (Frs) adapters, which include Frs2/Frs2α and Frs3/Frs2β. While some studies suggest that Frs3 can compensate for the loss of Frs2 in transfected cells, the lack of an effective Frs3 specific antibody has prevented efforts to determine the role(s) of the endogenous protein. To this end, we have generated a Frs3 specific antibody and have characterized the pattern of Frs3 expression in the developing nervous system, its subcellular localization as well as its biochemical properties. We demonstrate that Frs3 is expressed at low levels in the ventricular zone of developing cortex, between E12 and E15, and it co‐localizes with nestin and acetylated α‐tubulin in radial processes in the ventricular/subventricular zones as well as with βIII tubulin in differentiated cortical neurons. Subcellular fractionation studies demonstrate that endogenous Frs3 is both soluble and plasma membrane associated while Frs3 expressed in 293T cells associates exclusively with lipid rafts. Lastly, we demonstrate that neuronal Frs3 binds microtubules comparable to the microtubule‐associated protein, MAP2, while Frs2 does not. Collectively, these data suggest that neuronal Frs3 functions as a novel microtubule binding protein and they provide the first biochemical evidence that neuronal Frs3 is functionally distinct from Frs2/Frs2α.
Nerve growth factor activation of the TrkA receptor induces cell death, by macropinocytosis, in medulloblastoma Daoy cells
Authors: Li Chunhui , MacDonald James I. S. , Hryciw Todd , Meakin Susan O.
Published: November 2009

J. Neurochem. (2009) 112, 882–899.

Ectopic expression of the TrkA receptor tyrosine kinase in tumors of the nervous system can mediate nerve growth factor (NGF)‐dependent cell death by apoptosis and /or autophagy. Herein, we demonstrate that TrkA can also induce cell death in medulloblastoma Daoy cells by a caspase‐independent mechanism that involves the hyperstimulation of macropinocytosis. Specifically, NGF‐stimulates the uptake of AlexaFluor546‐dextran into lysosome‐associated membrane protein‐1 positive vacuoles which fuse with microtubule associated protein light chain 3 (LC3) positive autophagosomes, to form large intracellular vacuoles (> 1 μm), which then fuse with lysotracker positive lysosomes. While LC3 cleavage and the appearance of LC3 positive vacuoles suggest the induction of autophagy, siRNA reduced expression of four proteins essential to autophagy (beclin‐1, Atg5, LC3 and Atg9) neither blocks NGF‐induced vacuole formation nor cell death. TrkA activated cell death does not require p38, JNK or Erk1/2 kinases but does require activation of class III PI‐3 kinase and is blocked by the casein kinase 1 (CK1) inhibitor, D4476. This inhibitor does not interfere with TrkA activation but does block NGF‐dependent AlexaFluor546‐dextran uptake and CK1 dependent phosphorylation of β‐catenin. Collectively, these data demonstrate that TrkA stimulates cell death by a novel mechanism involving CK1‐dependent hyperstimulation of macropinocytosis.
Designing Response Categories of Agreement Scales for Cross‐national Surveys in East Asia: The Approach of the Japanese General Social Surveys
Authors: Shishido Kuniaki , Iwai Noriko , Yasuda Tokio
Published: November 2009

The existing cross‐national surveys use various types of scales including 2‐point, 3‐point, 4‐point, and 5‐point scales, and the translations of response statements vary depending on responsible organizations even within the same country. This paper examines how differences in response categories of the agreement scale may impact the distribution of responses in cross‐national surveys and reports the strategies for designing the agreement scale for the East Asian Social Survey (EASS) project. Among the four EASS countries and region, the response pattern of the Japanese is somewhat different from that of Taiwanese, Korean, and Chinese people; the Japanese prefer to give a mid‐point or close‐to‐the‐middle response instead of a definite expression of agreement or disagreement. Social surveys in Japan often handle this tendency by avoiding the use of strong adverbs and excluding mid‐point and off‐scale options from agreement scales. Based on examinations of existing surveys results and conducting pretests, the following strategies to ensure procedural equivalence as well as interpretive equivalence in the EASS project were contrived: (i) The agreement scale was designed to have a sufficient variability in response distributions for all countries and the region; a 7‐point scale with the adverb “strongly” at both ends and a mid‐point was adopted. (ii) The translations of response statements as well as questions for all teams were carefully checked and adjusted through several languages.
Vulnerability and Resilience of Tropical Forest Species to Land‐Use Change
Authors: STORK NIGEL E. , CODDINGTON JONATHAN A. , COLWELL ROBERT K. , CHAZDON ROBIN L. , DICK CHRISTOPHER W. , PERES CARLOS A. , SLOAN SEAN , WILLIS KATHY
Published: November 2009

Abstract: We provide a cross‐taxon and historical analysis of what makes tropical forest species vulnerable to extinction. Several traits have been important for species survival in the recent and distant geological past, including seed dormancy and vegetative growth in plants, small body size in mammals, and vagility in insects. For major past catastrophes, such as the five mass extinction events, large range size and vagility or dispersal were key to species survival. Traits that make some species more vulnerable to extinction are consistent across time scales. Terrestrial organisms, particularly animals, are more extinction prone than marine organisms. Plants that persist through dramatic changes often reproduce vegetatively and possess mechanisms of die back. Synergistic interactions between current anthropogenic threats, such as logging, fire, hunting, pests and diseases, and climate change are frequent. Rising temperatures threaten all organisms, perhaps particularly tropical organisms adapted to small temperature ranges and isolated by distance from suitable future climates. Mutualist species and trophic specialists may also be more threatened because of such range‐shift gaps. Phylogenetically specialized groups may be collectively more prone to extinction than generalists. Characterization of tropical forest species’ vulnerability to anthropogenic change is constrained by complex interactions among threats and by both taxonomic and ecological impediments, including gross undersampling of biotas and poor understanding of the spatial patterns of taxa at all scales.
Hurricane Katrina and Perinatal Health
Authors: Harville Emily W. , Xiong Xu , Buekens Pierre
Published: November 2009

We review the literature on the effects of Hurricane Katrina on perinatal health, and providing data from our own research on pregnant and postpartum women. After Katrina, obstetric, prenatal, and neonatal care was compromised in the short term, but increases in adverse birth outcomes such as preterm birth, low birthweight, and maternal complications were mostly limited to highly exposed women. Both pregnant and postpartum women had rates of post‐traumatic stress disorder similar to, or lower than, others exposed to Katrina, and rates of depression similar to other pregnant and postpartum populations. Health behaviors, such as smoking and breastfeeding, may have been somewhat negatively affected by the disaster, whereas effects on nutrition were likely associated with limited time, money, and food choices, and indicated by both weight gain and loss. We conclude that, with a few specific exceptions, postdisaster concerns and health outcomes for pregnant and postpartum women were similar to those of other people exposed to Hurricane Katrina. In such situations, disaster planners and researchers should focus on providing care and support for the normal concerns of the peripartum period, such as breastfeeding, depression, and smoking cessation. Contraception needs to be available for those who do not want to become pregnant. Although additional physical and mental health care needs to be provided for the most severely exposed women and their babies, many women are capable of surviving and thriving in postdisaster environments.
Clinical Real‐Time Monitoring of Gaseous Microemboli in Pediatric Cardiopulmonary Bypass
Authors: Wang Shigang , Woitas Karl , Clark J. Brian , Myers John L. , Ündar Akif
Published: November 2009

We describe the occurrence and distribution of gaseous microemboli with real‐time monitoring in a pediatric cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) circuit and in the cerebral circulation of patients using the Emboli Detection and Classification (EDAC) system and transcranial Doppler (TCD). Four patients (weights 3.2–13.8 kg) were studied. EDAC monitors were located on the venous line and on the postfilter arterial line to measure gaseous microemboli in the CPB circuit. TCD was used to measure high‐intensity transient signals (HITS) in the middle cerebral artery. Before the initiation of CPB, EDAC detected gaseous microemboli in two cases when giving volume through the arterial line. At the initiation of CPB, gross air appeared in the venous line and gaseous microemboli were detected in the arterial line in all patients. EDAC detected a total of 3192–14 699 gaseous microemboli in the arterial line during the whole CPB period, more than 99% of which were smaller than 40 microns. After cessation of CPB, EDAC detected gaseous microemboli in the arterial line in all cases. The TCD detected HITS in two cases (25 and 315), and detected no HITS in two cases. We observed that the venous line acted as a principal source of gaseous microemboli, particularly when using vacuum‐assisted venous drainage, and that a significant number of these gaseous microemboli smaller than 40 microns were subsequently transferred to the patient. Using EDAC and TCD together could strengthen the monitoring of gaseous microemboli in the extracorporeal circuit and cerebral circulation.
THE SHORT‐TERM EFFECT OF IRRADIANCE ON THE PHOTOSYNTHETIC PROPERTIES OF ANTARCTIC FAST‐ICE MICROALGAL COMMUNITIES1
Authors: Ryan Ken G. , Cowie Rebecca O. M. , Liggins Elizabeth , McNaughtan Daniel , Martin Andrew , Davy Simon K.
Published: November 2009

Although sea‐ice represents a harsh physicochemical environment with steep gradients in temperature, light, and salinity, diverse microbial communities are present within the ice matrix. We describe here the photosynthetic responses of sea‐ice microalgae to varying irradiances. Rapid light curves (RLCs) were generated using pulse amplitude fluorometry and used to derive photosynthetic yield (ΦPSII), photosynthetic efficiency (α), and the irradiance (Ek) at which relative electron transport rate (rETR) saturates. Surface brine algae from near the surface and bottom‐ice algae were exposed to a range of irradiances from 7 to 262 μmol photons · m−2 · s−1. In surface brine algae, ΦPSII and α remained constant at all irradiances, and rETRmax peaked at 151 μmol photons · m−2 · s−1, indicating these algae are well acclimated to the irradiances to which they are normally exposed. In contrast, ΦPSII, α, and rETRmax in bottom‐ice algae reduced when exposed to irradiances >26 μmol photons · m−2 · s−1, indicating a high degree of shade acclimation. In addition, the previous light history had no significant effect on the photosynthetic capacity of bottom‐ice algae whether cells were gradually exposed to target irradiances over a 12 h period or were exposed immediately (light shocked). These findings indicate that bottom‐ice algae are photoinhibited in a dose‐dependent manner, while surface brine algae tolerate higher irradiances. Our study shows that sea‐ice algae are able to adjust to changes in irradiance rapidly, and this ability to acclimate may facilitate survival and subsequent long‐term acclimation to the postmelt light regime of the Southern Ocean.
Chronic Naltrexone Treatment and Ethanol Responsivity in Outbred Rats
Authors: Hill Katherine G. , Sable Helen J. K. , Ferraro III Frank M. , Kiefer Stephen W.
Published: November 2009

Background:  Acute naltrexone treatment in rats produces significant alterations in ethanol palatability (increase in the aversiveness of the solution) and ethanol consumption during tests of restricted access (decrease in consumption). The effects of chronic naltrexone exposure, accomplished by implantation of osmotic mini‐pumps, were examined in the present study.

Methods:  Rats were surgically implanted with intraoral fistulae for taste reactivity testing. The animals were given 2 bottles (distilled water and 10% ethanol, v/v) for 3, 2‐week phases: Pre‐Drug, Drug, and Post‐Drug. After the Pre‐Drug phase, rats were assigned to groups (counterbalanced based on ethanol intake) and implanted with a mini‐pump containing saline, 7.5 mg/kg/d naltrexone, or 15 mg/kg/d naltrexone. The pumps were removed 2 weeks later. During each 2‐week phase, taste reactivity tests with 10% ethanol were conducted at 1, 7, and 14 days (a total of 9 reactivity tests).

Results:  The 7.5 mg/kg/d dose produced only minor effects on 10% ethanol reactivity and consumption during the Drug phase. The 15 mg/kg/d naltrexone dose generally shifted taste reactivity responding to 10% ethanol in a negative direction and produced a transient decrease in ethanol consumption. The 15 mg/kg/d group significantly increased ethanol consumption beyond the level of consumption by the Saline group when the pumps were removed, although the increase was delayed 48 hours. By the end of the Post‐Drug period, this naltrexone group returned to control levels of ethanol consumption.

Conclusions:  Chronic naltrexone treatment at 15 mg/kg/d significantly decreased the palatability of a 10% ethanol solution, an effect seen even after drug withdrawal. Naltrexone had a minor effect on ethanol consumption during treatment but did decrease overall levels of fluid consumption. The significant increase in ethanol consumption postdrug by the high‐dose naltrexone group, presumably due to receptor up‐regulation during treatment, is important and understanding this effect and developing means of overcoming it within a clinical practice would be useful goals.
A Comparison of Two Single‐Item Screeners for Hazardous Drinking and Alcohol Use Disorder
Authors: Dawson Deborah A. , Pulay Attila J. , Grant Bridget F.
Published: November 2009

Background:  There is increasing interest in and physician support for the use of single‐item screeners for problem drinking.

Methods:  In a representative sample of U.S. adults (n = 43,093) and within selected subgroups, past‐year frequency of drinking 5+/4+ drinks and maximum drinks consumed on any day were evaluated as screeners for past‐year alcohol dependence, any alcohol use disorder (AUD), and any AUD or hazardous drinking, using standard measures of screening performance. AUDs were defined according to DSM‐IV criteria. Hazardous drinking was defined as consuming >14 drinks/wk or 5+ drinks on any day for men and >7 drinks/wk or 4+ drinks on any day for women.

Results:  Optimal cutpoints for both screeners varied across population subgroups, and these variations should be taken into account in order to maximize screening performance. At the optimal cutpoints for the total population, the sensitivity and specificity of maximum drinks were 89% and 82% for dependence at ≥5 drinks, 90% and 79% for any AUD at ≥4 drinks, and 90% and 96% for any AUD or hazardous drinking at ≥4 drinks. Comparable values of sensitivity and specificity for 5+/4+ frequency were 90% and 83% at ≥3 times a year, 87% and 82% at ≥once a year, and 88% and 100% at ≥once a year, respectively. Specificity was lower when only past‐year drinkers were considered. The 5+/4+ frequency screener yielded fairly low sensitivity in predicting alcohol problems among the elderly and among Blacks. Results supported a past‐year reference period for frequency of 5+/4+ drinks and substantiated gender‐ and age‐specific thresholds for defining risk drinking.

Conclusions:  Both of the single‐item screeners performed nearly on a par with the AUDIT‐C and have potential for use in primary and emergency care settings.
Alterations in Brain Glucose Utilization Accompanying Elevations in Blood Ethanol and Acetate Concentrations in the Rat
Authors: Pawlosky Robert J. , Kashiwaya Yoshihiro , Srivastava Shireesh , King Michael T. , Crutchfield Calvin , Volkow Nora , Kunos George , Li Ting‐Kai , Veech Richard L.
Published: November 2009

Background:  Previous studies in humans have shown that alcohol consumption decreased the rate of brain glucose utilization. We investigated whether the major metabolite of ethanol, acetate, could account for this observation by providing an alternate to glucose as an energy substrate for brain and the metabolic consequences of that shift.

Methods:  Rats were infused with solutions of sodium acetate, ethanol, or saline containing 13C‐2‐glucose as a tracer elevating the blood ethanol (BEC) and blood acetate (BAcC) concentrations. After an hour, blood was sampled and the brains of animals were removed by freeze blowing. Tissue samples were analyzed for the intermediates of glucose metabolism, Krebs’ cycle, acyl‐coenzyme A (CoA) compounds, and amino acids.

Results:  Mean peak BEC and BAcC were approximately 25 and 0.8 mM, respectively, in ethanol‐infused animals. Peak blood BAcC increased to 12 mM in acetate‐infused animals. Both ethanol and acetate infused animals had a lower uptake of 13C‐glucose into the brain compared to controls and the concentration of brain 13C‐glucose‐6‐phosphate varied inversely with the BAcC. There were higher concentrations of brain malonyl‐CoA and somewhat lower levels of free Mg2+ in ethanol‐treated animals compared to saline controls. In acetate‐infused animals the concentrations of brain lactate, α‐ketoglutarate, and fumarate were higher. Moreover, the free cytosolic [NAD+]/[NADH] was lower, the free mitochondrial [NAD+]/[NADH] and [CoQ]/[CoQH2] were oxidized and the ΔG′ of ATP lowered by acetate infusion from −61.4 kJ to −59.9 kJ/mol.

Conclusions:  Animals with elevated levels of blood ethanol or acetate had decreased 13C‐glucose uptake into the brain. In acetate‐infused animals elevated BAcC were associated with a decrease in 13C‐glucose phosphorylation. The co‐ordinate decrease in free cytosolic NAD, oxidation of mitochondrial NAD and Q couples and the decrease in ΔG′ of ATP was similar to administration of uncoupling agents indicating that the metabolism of acetate in brain caused the mitochondrial voltage dependent pore to form.
Yes We Did! Basking in Reflected Glory and Cutting Off Reflected Failure in the 2008 Presidential Election
Authors: Miller Chris B.
Published: November 2009

In two studies, the tendency to Bask in Reflected Glory (BIRG) or Cut Off Reflected Failure (CORF) was examined in the context of the 2008 presidential election. Experiment 1, a field study, found that yard or window signs endorsing successful Democratic candidate Barack Obama were displayed longer than signs endorsing his opponent. Experiment 2 utilized a survey methodology to explore moderators of the BIRG effect implied by prior research. Self‐esteem was shown to moderate CORF, such that individuals with lower self‐esteem distanced themselves from the unsuccessful presidential candidate. Other moderators consistent with the cognitive consistency basis of BIRG, strength of identification and self‐serving attributions, were not. Reasons for these findings are discussed, and future directions for research on BIRG are proposed.
Evaluación de Calidad en Ensayos Clínicos: Consideraciones para la Investigación de Resultados en la Medicina Intervencional contra el Dolor*
Authors: Hartrick Craig T.
Published: November 2009

La evaluación de calidad en ensayos clínicos involucra múltiples consideraciones. Mientras que es obligatorio cumplir con las pautas de la Buena Práctica Clínica y asimismo con las normas de la Conferencia Internacional sobre Armonización, una serie de factores adicionales contribuyen a la calidad total de un informe de prueba. Principal entre dichos factores es la selección de una hipótesis comprobable de prueba. Se necesita una hipótesis que sea novedosa, interesante, factible, ética y relevante. La metodología utilizada para evaluar la hipótesis se debe delinear con suficiente detalle y documentación para asegurar su reproducibilidad y transparencia. Esto es esencial para interpretar los resultados y para evaluar su aplicabilidad en la práctica clínica. Aunque los ensayos controlados aleatorizados (ECA) actualmente representan el estándar metodológico para asegurar la calidad de diseño de las pruebas de investigación, su valor se limita por no poder simular adecuadamente la práctica clínica. En particular con respecto a las terapias intervencionales, los diseños ECA sufren de problemas científicos y éticos. Pruebas observacionales bien diseñadas pueden superar algunos de estos incovenientes, pero generalmente requieren poblaciones de prueba muy numerosas. Modernos avances tecnológicos en comunicación hacen posible el mejor agrupamiento de datos y la institución de nuevas normas para la investigación intervencional del dolor.
Investigación Clínica de Técnicas Intervencionales de Manejo del Dolor: Perspectiva de un Epidemiólogo/Ensayista
Authors: Taylor Rod
Published: November 2009

A diferencia de las terapias farmacológicas, las terapias intervencionales contra el dolor comprenden la compleja interacción entre el técnico clínico (“el operador”), el procedimiento clínico, y el equipo/aparato médico. Es fundamental entender dicha interacción para apreciar los desafíos que presenta el diseño de ensayos clínicos para procedimientos Intervencionales contra el dolor crónico. El presente artículo resume la evolución de la evidencia que requieren quines toman las decisiones y quienes pagan los servicios de salud para definir sus políticas, examina los retos específicos que se presentan en el diseño de ensayos clínicos de procedimientos intervencionales, y perfila posibles soluciones de diseño que respondan a estos retos.
Pathways Triple P‐Positive Parenting Program: Effects on Parent‐Child Relationships and Child Behavior Problems
Authors: WIGGINS TAMERA L. , SOFRONOFF KATE , SANDERS MATTHEW R.
Published: November 2009

This study examined the effects of Pathways Triple P (PTP), an early intervention program designed to promote positive parent‐child relationships. Sixty parents met the inclusion criteria of borderline to clinically significant relationship disturbance and child emotional and behavioral problems. They were randomly allocated into PTP or a wait‐list (WL) control group. PTP was delivered in a group format for 9 weeks and consisted of parent skills training and cognitive behavior therapy targeting negative attributions for child behavior. Significant intervention effects were found for improving parent‐child relationships and reducing behavior problems with gains maintained at 3‐month follow‐up. Limitations of the study and implications for future research are discussed.
Percutaneous and Mucocutaneous Exposures in Nursing Students: An Italian Observational Study
Authors: Petrucci Cristina , Alvaro Rosaria , Cicolini Giancarlo , Cerone Marina Pisegna , Lancia Loreto
Published: November 2009

Purpose: To investigate occupational exposures to biological material potentially infected by blood‐borne viruses in nursing student population during the course years.

Design and Methods: An observational retrospective study was designed. Data were collected in May 2007. Two‐thousand‐two‐hundred‐fifteen nursing students from the 3 years of degree course were enrolled in the four Italian universities. A structured questionnaire was constructed and was given out unannounced to nursing students in four universities on a randomly chosen day. The likelihood of association between nursing student exposure and certain assumed risk factors was measured.

Findings: The exposure risk is associated with each study year of nursing students. Specifically, the probability of accidental exposure is reduced significantly with the increase of clinical skills during the training period. The risk for exposure in the 1st year students appears significantly higher than in those of the next years (odds ratio [OR] 1.465; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.105–1.943). Data highlighted a gradual increase of bio‐safety knowledge in nursing students from the 1st to the 3rd years of study. However, a statistically significant association exists only between awareness of a correct use of gloves and exposure risk (OR 0.435; 95%CI 0.227–0.834). Mucocutaneous exposures are more frequent than percutaneous exposures (62.2%), and the hollow‐bore needle is the device most often involved. In 42.5% of cases, accidental exposures occurred when nursing students are working alone in a medical ward or surgery area.

Conclusions: During their clinical training, nursing students can encounter a real risk for percutaneous and mucocutaneous exposures to blood potentially infected with blood‐borne viruses. However, this risk is reduced with an increase in clinical skills.

Clinical Relevance: Results show that some new strategies are necessary for exposure risk reduction such as development of simulation laboratories for nursing practice and the adequate presence of tutors in clinical training education.
Strategies and Criteria for Clinical Decision Making in Critical Care Nurses: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Ramezani‐Badr Farhad , Nasrabadi Alireza Nikbakht , Yekta Zohre Parsa , Taleghani Fariba
Published: November 2009

Purpose: To explore the reasoning strategies and criteria for clinical decision making used by Iranian critical care nurses.

Design and Methods: In this qualitative descriptive study, 14 critical care nurses from four educational hospitals affiliated with Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS) participated. Data were collected through semistructured in‐depth interviews. Content analysis was used to analyze the data. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed concurrently with the data collection.

Findings: Three main themes emerged concerning the reasoning strategies: intuition, recognizing similar situations, and hypothesis testing. Three other main themes emerged regarding the participants' criteria for clinical decision making: the patients' risk‐benefits, organizational necessities, and complementary sources of information.

Conclusions: The findings of this study provided a deep understanding of the reasoning strategies and criteria used by Iranian critical care nurses regarding their clinical decision making. Participants demonstrated use of a range of reasoning strategies and criteria. The cause for using different decision‐making strategies and criteria was not entirely clear and may have been related to different patients’ situations, nurses’ knowledge and their previous experiences, interdisciplinary professional relationships, and kinds of decisions included determining the patient's problems, selecting appropriate care, and deciding whether or not to perform decisions of care.

Clinical Relevance: Deeper understanding of how nurses make decisions in the stressful environment of the critical care units provide useful information to facilitate making more efficient decisions as well as promoting the outcomes of independent and collaborative nursing care interventions.
Psychometric Evaluation of the Chinese Version of the Diabetes Coping Measure Scale
Authors: Huang Min‐Feng , Courtney Mary , Edwards Helen , McDowell Jan
Published: November 2009

Purpose: To evaluate the psychometric properties of a Chinese version of the Diabetes Coping Measure scale (DCM‐C).

Methods: A self‐administered questionnaire was completed by 205 people with type 2 diabetes from the endocrine outpatient departments of three hospitals in Taiwan. Confirmatory factor analysis, criterion validity, and internal consistency reliability were conducted to evaluate the psychometric properties of the DCM‐C.

Findings: Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed a four‐factor structure (χ2/df ratio = 1.351, good of fit index (GFI) = .904, comparitive fit index (CFI) = .902, root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = .041). The DCM‐C was significantly associated with hemoglobin A1c and diabetes self‐care behaviors. Internal consistency reliability of the total DCM‐C scale was .74. Cronbach's alpha coefficients for each subscale of the DCM‐C ranged from .37 (tackling spirit) to .66 (diabetes integration).

Conclusions: The DCM‐C demonstrated satisfactory reliability and validity to determine the use of diabetes coping strategies. The tackling spirit dimension needs further refinement when applying this scale to Chinese populations with diabetes.

Clinical Relevance: Healthcare providers who treat Chinese people with diabetes can use the DCM‐C to implement an early determination of diabetes coping strategies.