bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Using Concept Maps and Interpretive Essays for Assessment in Mathematics
Authors: Bolte Linda A.
Published: March 2010

This study explored the use of student‐constructed concept maps in conjunction with written interpretive essays as an additional method of assessment in three undergraduate mathematics courses. The primary objectives of this study were to evaluate the benefits of using concept maps and written essays to assess the “connectedness” of students' knowledge; to measure the correlation between students' scores on the concept maps and written essays, course exams, and final grade; and to document students' perception of the effect of this approach on their mathematical knowledge. Results indicated that concept maps, when combined with written essays, are viable tools for assessing students' organization of mathematical knowledge. In addition, students perceive this approach as enhancing their mathematical knowledge.
Attitudes Toward Inquiry‐Based Teaching: Differences Between Preservice and In‐service Teachers
Authors: Damnjanovic Arta
Published: March 2010

This paper describes differences between preservice and in‐service middle school science teachers in their attitudes toward the learning and teaching of science through inquiry. Seventy‐three preservice and 90 in‐service teachers were surveyed. Separate factor analyses indicated that different factor structures were generated by preservice and in‐service teachers. In the preservice group, the factors included Nature of Science, Image of Scientists, and Characteristics of Science Teachers. Factors from in‐service teachers' responses, on the other hand, included Contemporary View of Science Teaching, Image of Scientists, and Traditional View of Science and Science Teaching. Results of the t‐tests indicated that preservice and in‐service teachers differed in their responses to 6 (out of 25) items. The pattern of those differences is best described as differences in teacher views about contemporary science and science teaching. In‐service teachers held more positive views regarding the process of inquiry and inquiry teaching than did preservice teachers.
The Cereal Box Problem Revisited
Authors: Wilkins Jesse L. M.
Published: March 2010

The Cereal Box problem is fascinating for students of ail levels. Rich in mathematical content, this problem offers students the opportunity to collect data, make conjectures, and derive mathematical models. Using Monte Carlo methods, the Cereal Box problem is investigated in this paper, using both an experimental and theoretical framework. This investigation extends previous considerations of the Cereal Box problem. Using empirical data, students can discover patterns and relationships that help them understand the origin of the theoretical solution to the problem. Building on experimental findings, a theoretical model is derived, showing that the expected solution of the Cereal Box problem is formed from the sum of successive geometric series.
Meeting the Needs of Diverse Student Populations: Comprehensive Professional Development in Science, Math, and Technology for Teachers of Students With Disabilities
Authors: Kimmel Howard , Deek Fadi P. , Farrell Mary L. , O'Shea Mark
Published: March 2010

Professional development for teachers has become a key component for reform in teaching, learning, and curriculum change. This report describes a model of professional development designed to improve the skills and knowledge of teams of special education and regular education teachers in science, mathematics, and technology instruction. The comprehensive model included summer and academic year content and methodology‐focused workshops and summer “practician” experiences. It was designed to link those factors impacting teacher practices and interventions with teachers' beliefs in instruction. The training component for teachers included opportunities for collaborative teaching, upgrading knowledge of math and science subject matter, and identifying, integrating, and practicing alternative approaches for teaching science and math that address the needs of special education students, with a focus on techniques for adapting instruction to specific disabilities. The program led to development of coping skills and persistence in the teaching of science and math for all students. As a result, strong efficacy expectations have been developed through repeated experiences of success with children in a classroom environment. Remaining issues still to be addressed include classroom management, teaching in a heterogeneous classroom, and further improvement of content expertise of teachers.
Exploring Polygon Rings
Authors: Smith Lyle R.
Published: March 2010

Some topics in mathematics are unique because they can be explored by learners from the early grades through the advanced grades. One such topic is polygon rings. As suggested in the Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. 1989), students can learn mathematics by actively engaging in the activities outlined in this article. The activities integrate problem solving, reasoning, and communication, and they offer a fascinating look at the beauty of the structure of mathematics.
The Effects on Students' Cognitive Achievement When Using the Cooperative Learning Method in Earth Science Classrooms
Authors: Chang Chun‐Yen , Mao Song‐Ling
Published: March 2010

This study investigated the effects of cooperative learning instruction versus traditional teaching methods on students' earth science achievement in secondary schools. A total of 770 ninth‐grade students enrolled in 20 sections of a required earth science course participated in this nonequivalent control group quasi‐experiment. The control groups (n= 10) received a traditional approach, while the experimental groups (n= 10) used cooperative strategies. Study results include (a) no significant differences were found between the experimental groups and the control groups when overall achievement (F= 0.13, p > .05), knowledge‐level (F= 0.12, p > .05), and comprehension‐level (F= 0.34, p > .05) test items were considered; and (b) students who worked cooperatively performed significantly better than students who worked alone on the application‐level test items (F= 4.63, p < .05). These findings suggest that cooperative‐learning strategies favor students' earth science performance at higher but not lower levels of cognitive domains in the secondary schools.
Empowering Families in Hands‐on Science Programs
Authors: Shymansky James A. , Yore Larry D. , Hand Brian M.
Published: March 2010

Parental involvement in schools has been documented as a positive influence on children's achievement, attendance, attitudes, behavior, and graduation rate, regardless of cultural background, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status (National Parents and Teachers Association, 1998). Unfortunately, it has been difficult in today's world of working parents to get them actively involved in science, mathematics, and technology programs and to maintain this involvement in upper‐elementary and secondary schools. This study reports on the Science: Parents, Activities, and Literature project's attempt to get parents productively involved in their children's hands‐on science program. The results illustrate that (a) parents will become involved and they find their involvement a positive experience, (b) teachers appreciate parents' contributions as an instructional resource, and (c) students perceive the increased parental involvement positively.
Emerging Certifications and Teacher Preparation
Authors: Andersen Hans O.
Published: March 2010

Dr. Andersen has worked as a science education professor at Indiana University, Bloomington, since 1966. He has authored six textbooks and over 100 articles on science teacher preparation, science teaching, and science curriculum. He has served as president of the Association for the Education of Teachers in Science, as chair of the Education Section of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and as a president of the National Science Teachers Association. Among many other honors, he has received the Distinguished Teaching Award at Indiana University and Robert E. Carlton Award for Distinguished National Leadership in Science Education (NSTA).
Lessons From the Past Look to the Future
Authors: Howden Hilde
Published: March 2010

Dr. Howden is now formally retired from a long career teaching mathematics in elementary school through graduate level, editing and coauthoring mathematics textbooks, serving as District Mathematics Coordinator K‐12 for the Albuquerque, New Mexico, Public Schools, writing numerous professional articles, and participating on the writing team of the Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics. She now enjoys long walks with her dog Quincy, “becoming increasingly aware, of mathematics all around us: patterns of leaf growth, distances between consecutive veins in leaves, kinds of ant hills, snake trails in the sand, bird call patterns.” She plans to relate many such examples to mathematical patterns in the book she is currently writing.
The semisimplicity conjecture for A-motives
Authors: Stalder Nicolas
Published: March 2010

We prove the semisimplicity conjecture for A-motives over finitely generated fields K. This conjecture states that the rational Tate modules V𝔭(M) of a semisimple A-motive M are semisimple as representations of the absolute Galois group of K. This theorem is in analogy with known results for abelian varieties and Drinfeld modules, and has been sketched previously by Tamagawa. We deduce two consequences of the theorem for the algebraic monodromy groups G𝔭(M) associated to an A-motive M by Tannakian duality. The first requires no semisimplicity condition on M and states that G𝔭(M) may be identified naturally with the Zariski closure of the image of the absolute Galois group of K in the automorphism group of V𝔭(M). The second states that the connected component of G𝔭(M) is reductive if M is semisimple and has a separable endomorphism algebra.
On some generic very cuspidal representations
Authors: DeBacker Stephen , Reeder Mark
Published: March 2010

Let G be a reductive p-adic group. Given a compact-mod-center maximal torus S⊂G and sufficiently regular character χ of S, one can define, following Adler, Yu and others, a supercuspidal representation π(S,χ) of G. For S unramified, we determine when π(S,χ) is generic, and which generic characters it contains.
Forced Vibrations of a Very Slender Continuous Rotor With Geometrical Nonlinearity (Harmonic and Subharmonic Resonances)
Authors: Nagasaka Imao , Liu Jun , Ishida Yukio
Published: March 2010

When both ends of an elastic continuous rotor are supported simply by double-row self-aligning ball bearings, the geometrical nonlinearity appears due to the stiffening effect in the elongation of the rotor if the movement of the bearings in the longitudinal direction is restricted. As the rotor becomes more slender, the geometrical nonlinearity becomes stronger. In this paper, we study on unique nonlinear phenomena caused by both of the nonlinear spring characteristics and an initial axial force in the vicinity of the major critical speed ωc and twice ωc in a very slender continuous rotor. When the rotor is supported horizontally, the difference in support stiffness and the asymmetrical nonlinearity appear as a result of shifting from the equilibrium position. By the influences of the internal resonance and the initial axial force, the nonlinear resonance phenomena become very complicated. For example, the peak resonance splits into two peaks, and these two peaks leave each other and then one becomes a hard spring type while the other becomes a soft spring type, respectively. Moreover, almost periodic motions and chaotic vibrations appear. In this paper, we prove the above phenomena theoretically and experimentally.
An Evolving View of Saturn’s Dynamic Rings
Authors: Cuzzi J. N. , Burns J. A. , Charnoz S. , Clark R. N. , Colwell J. E. , Dones L. , Esposito L. W. , Filacchione G. , French R. G. , Hedman M. M. , Kempf S. , Marouf E. A. , Murray C. D. , Nicholson P. D. , Porco C. C. , Schmidt J. , Showalter M. R. , Spilker L. J. , Spitale J. N. , Srama R. , Sremčević M. , Tiscareno M. S. , Weiss J.
Published: March 2010

Saturn's Secrets Probed

The Cassini spacecraft was launched on 15 October 1997. It took it almost 7 years to reach Saturn, the second-largest planet in the solar system. After almost 6 years of observations of the series of interacting moons, rings, and magnetospheric plasmas, known as the Kronian system,

Cuzzi
et al.

(p.
1470
) review our current understanding of Saturn's rings—the most extensive and complex in the solar system—and draw parallels with circumstellar disks.
Gombosi and Ingersoll
(p.
1476
; see the cover) review what is known about Saturn's atmosphere, ionosphere, and magnetosphere.
Mechanosensitive Self-Replication Driven by Self-Organization
Authors: Carnall Jacqui M. A. , Waudby Christopher A. , Belenguer Ana M. , Stuart Marc C. A. , Peyralans Jérôme J.-P. , Otto Sijbren
Published: March 2010

At Sixes and Sevens

Molecular synthesis and macroscopic aggregation have often been regarded as entirely separate processes. From the researcher's standpoint, once reagents have been mixed, synthesis is largely passive, whereas processes such as crystallization can be more actively manipulated.

Carnall
et al.

(p.
1502
) characterized an unusual system in which the formation of aggregated cyclic macromolecules (macrocycles) from small peptide-based building blocks was governed by intimately interdependent factors ranging from the scale of covalent bond formation all the way to micron scale fiber growth. As the macrocycles stacked against one another to form the fibers, they remained loosely bonded enough internally to incorporate or expel individual building blocks. Varying the type of mechanical force applied to the growing fibers (either through shaking or stirring the solution), alternately favored formation of either 6-membered or 7-membered covalent macrocycles.
Controlling Turbulence
Authors: McKeon Beverley J.
Published: March 2010

Injecting a fluid jet into a pipe at an optimized location can control the development of turbulent flow.
Coaxing Out Another Taste of the Sun
Authors: Kerr Richard A.
Published: March 2010

At the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, team members of the Genesis mission, which returned atomic bits of the sun and thus samples of the solar system's primordial material, confirmed their measurement of the isotopic composition of the solar wind's oxygen and reported an isotopic composition for solar-wind nitrogen.
Snapshots From the Meeting
Authors: Kerr Richard A.
Published: March 2010

Snapshots from the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference include the discovery of its first candidate bits of mineral born around distant stars and considerable progress in making sense of the odd shape of the moon.
Complement-Dependent Cytotoxicity Assay for Differentiating West Nile Virus from Japanese Encephalitis Virus Infections in Horses
Authors: Kitai Yoko , Kondo Takashi , Konishi Eiji
Published: March 2010

A complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) assay was established to measure antibodies to the West Nile virus (WNV) nonstructural protein 1 (NS1) in horses. Sera collected from a WNV-infected horse mediated lysis of WNV NS1-expressing cells in a dose-dependent manner at higher percentages than sera from a Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV)-infected horse. The percentages of specific lysis for sera diluted 1:10 to 1:80 were <19.8% (assay cutoff) for almost all of the 100 JEV-infected or uninfected horses tested, in contrast to 55 to 76% in WNV-infected horses. Experimental infection revealed that horses became anti-WNV NS1 antibody positive 10 days after WNV infection. This study demonstrated the utility of this assay for differentiating WNV from JEV infections in horses.
One-Year Duration of Immunity Induced by Vaccination with a Canine Lyme Disease Bacterin
Authors: LaFleur Rhonda L. , Callister Steven M. , Dant Jennifer C. , Jobe Dean A. , Lovrich Steven D. , Warner Thomas F. , Wasmoen Terri L. , Schell Ronald F.
Published: March 2010

Laboratory-reared beagles were vaccinated with a placebo or a bacterin comprised ofBorrelia burgdorferiS-1-10 andospA-negative/ospB-negativeB. burgdorferi50772 and challenged after 1 year withB. burgdorferi-infectedIxodes scapularisticks. For the placebo recipients, spirochetes were recovered from 9 (60%) skin biopsy specimens collected after 1 month, and the organisms persisted in the skin thereafter. Ten (67%) dogs also developed joint infection (3 dogs), lameness or synovitis (7 dogs), orB. burgdorferi-specific antibodies (8 dogs). For the vaccine recipients, spirochetes were recovered from 6 (40%) skin biopsy specimens collected after 1 month. However, subsequent biopsy specimens were negative, and the dogs failed to develop joint infection (P= 0.224), lameness/synovitis (P= 0.006), or Lyme disease-specific antibody responses (P= 0.002). The bacterin provided a high level of protection for 1 year after immunization, and the addition of the OspC-producingB. burgdorferi50772 provided enhanced protection.
Inhibition of Dengue Virus Polymerase by Blocking of the RNA Tunnel
Authors: Niyomrattanakit Pornwaratt , Chen Yen-Liang , Dong Hongping , Yin Zheng , Qing Min , Glickman J. Frasier , Lin Kai , Mueller Dieter , Voshol Hans , Lim Joanne Y. H. , Nilar Shahul , Keller Thomas H. , Shi Pei-Yong
Published: March 2010

Dengue virus (DENV) is the most prevalent mosquito-borne viral pathogen in humans. Neither vaccine nor antiviral therapy is currently available for DENV. We report here that
N
-sulfonylanthranilic acid derivatives are allosteric inhibitors of DENV RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp). The inhibitor was identified through high-throughput screening of one million compounds using a primer extension-based RdRp assay [substrate poly(C)/oligo(G)
20
]. Chemical modification of the initial “hit” improved the compound potency to an IC
50
(that is, a concentration that inhibits 50% RdRp activity) of 0.7 μM. In addition to suppressing the primer extension-based RNA elongation, the compound also inhibited
de novo
RNA synthesis using a DENV subgenomic RNA, but at a lower potency (IC
50
of 5 μM). Remarkably, the observed anti-polymerase activity is specific to DENV RdRp; the compound did not inhibit WNV RdRp and exhibited IC
50
s of >100 μM against hepatitis C virus RdRp and human DNA polymerase α and β. UV cross-linking and mass spectrometric analysis showed that a photoreactive inhibitor could be cross-linked to Met343 within the RdRp domain of DENV NS5. On the crystal structure of DENV RdRp, Met343 is located at the entrance of RNA template tunnel. Biochemical experiments showed that the order of addition of RNA template and inhibitor during the assembly of RdRp reaction affected compound potency. Collectively, the results indicate that the compound inhibits RdRp through blocking the RNA tunnel. This study has provided direct evidence to support the hypothesis that allosteric pockets from flavivirus RdRp could be targeted for antiviral development.
Nutritional training in gastroenterology
Authors: Harvey Jacquelyn Anne Helen , Neild Penny Jane
Published: March 2010

Despite the clear importance of nutritional knowledge for health professionals, such education has long been notoriously patchy at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Gastroenterologists in particular have a special responsibility to provide advice and expertise, not only in general nutrition but also in artificial nutrition support in the setting of extreme risk of malnutrition and intestinal failure. Recently, with the restructuring of undergraduate medical teaching and the advent of modernising medical careers, curricula have been examined in detail and training programmes have become competency based. These changes, together with increasing public expectations regarding both the importance of nutrition and ability of doctors to provide advice and guidance, have provided an opportunity to reassess nutritional training at all levels of medical education. In this review, the authors consider the factors which may have hindered the progression of nutritional education for doctors, and gastroenterologists in particular, as well as the steps which have been taken in recent years to address these issues and move such training forward. There is now a real opportunity to improve the quality of nutrition training in gastroenterology. If this can be achieved, all gastroenterologists of the future, instead of shrinking from difficult nutritional issues, should be able to manage them with confidence and enthusiasm no matter what their subspecialty; indeed, an increasing proportion may become nutrition subspecialists in their own right.
Ethical issues in nutrition support: a view from the coalface
Authors: Simmonds Nicola J
Published: March 2010

Artificial nutrition and hydration continue to stimulate debate among physicians and in the wider world. This review aims to give those involved in providing nutrition support the necessary tools to be confident in making decisions in individual cases. It examines basic ethical principles and suggests a structured approach to ensure all the relevant factors are considered in making decisions. The current legal context and in particular the provisions of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 relating to nutrition support are discussed. The review concludes by applying the ethical approach suggested to some clinical examples, demonstrating the decision making process.
Clinical lesson: eosinophilic oesophagitis, a new diagnosis to swallow
Authors: Lamb C A , Kanakala V , Stirling R W , Attwood S E A
Published: March 2010

Eosinophilic oesophagitis (EoE) is a recently described condition that has gained increasing recognition over the past 5 years. Despite this, many clinicians remain unaware of EoE, often leading to diagnostic delay and therefore significant morbidity. The diagnosis of EoE should be considered in any patient with a history of intermittent or continuous dysphagia, or oesophageal food impaction. It should be strongly suspected in young patients, particularly men, presenting with dysphagia and a history of atopy. Here, three patients are presented that highlight common features of EoE. In addition, a clinical review of the worldwide literature is provided to heighten physician awareness and understanding of the condition.
NREG: old banger or new vehicle for research?
Authors: Rees Colin , Rutter Matthew
Published: March 2010

The Northern Region Endoscopy Group (NREG) is a collaborative endoscopy network. NREG provides the opportunity for clinicians across the entire Northern region to undertake high quality, clinically meaningful, health service based research. NREG research is undertaken across a wide range of endoscopy units with pooling of resources and ideas. NREG has presented a large number of abstracts and is contributing to a number of National Institute for Health Research trials. NREG is collaborating with other research teams in the UK and a number of research grants have been secured. NREG aims to make a significant contribution to the field of endoscopic research over the coming years.
SPATIOTEMPORAL PHASE SYNCHRONIZATION IN A LARGE ARRAY OF CONVECTIVE OSCILLATORS
Authors: MIRANDA MONTSERRAT A. , BURGUETE JAVIER
Published: March 2010

In a quasi-1D thermal convective system consisting of a large array of nonlinearly coupled oscillators, clustering is the way to achieve a regime of mostly antiphase synchronized oscillators. This regime is characterized by a spatiotemporal doubling of traveling modes. As the dynamics is explored beyond a spatiotemporal chaos regime (STC) with weak coupling, new interacting modes emerge through a supercritical bifurcation. In this new regime, the system exhibits coherent subsystems of antiphase synchronized oscillators, which are stationary clusters following a spatiotemporal beating phenomena (ZZ regime). This regime is the result of a stronger coupling. We show from a phase mismatch model applied to each oscillator, that these phase coherent domains undergo a global phase instability, meanwhile the interactions between oscillators become nonlocal. For each value of the control parameter we find out the time-varying topology (link matrix) from the contact interactions between oscillators. The new characteristic spatiotemporal scales are extracted from the antiphase correlations at the time intervals defined by the link matrix. The interpretation of these experimental results contributes to widen the understanding of other complex systems exhibiting similar phase chaotic dynamics in 2D and 3D.
AN ALTERNATIVE EXPLANATION OF THE EFFECT OF HUMIDITY IN GECKO ADHESION: STIFFNESS REDUCTION ENHANCES ADHESION ON A ROUGH SURFACE
Authors: CHEN BIN , GAO HUAJIAN
Published: March 2010

The present study is motivated by two classes of seemingly contradicting experiments on the effect of humidity on adhesion. While one class of experiments suggests strong effect of humidity in gecko adhesion, those on micromachined surfaces indicate that the adhesion energy remains constant up to a relative humidity of 60–70% even for hydrophilic surfaces. To resolve this apparent paradox, we perform numerical simulations of the vertical peeling of a spatula pad adhered to a rough surface with periodic attachment sites. It is found that the reduction in material stiffness, which could be induced by moisture, leads to substantial increases in the pull-off force of the spatula pad, thereby providing a feasible explanation of the experimental observations.
Downregulation of Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin pathway in skeletal muscle is associated with increased REDD1 expression in response to chronic hypoxia
Authors: Favier François B. , Costes Frédéric , Defour Aurélia , Bonnefoy Régis , Lefai Etienne , Baugé Stéphane , Peinnequin André , Benoit Henri , Freyssenet Damien
Published: March 2010

Although it is well established that chronic hypoxia leads to an inexorable loss of skeletal muscle mass in healthy subjects, the underlying molecular mechanisms involved in this process are currently unknown. Skeletal muscle atrophy is also an important systemic consequence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but the role of hypoxemia in this regulation is still debated. Our general aim was to determine the molecular mechanisms involved in the regulation of skeletal muscle mass after exposure to chronic hypoxia and to test the biological relevance of our findings into the clinical context of COPD. Expression of positive and negative regulators of skeletal muscle mass were explored 1) in the soleus muscle of rats exposed to severe hypoxia (6,300 m) for 3 wk and 2) in vastus lateralis muscle of nonhypoxemic and hypoxemic COPD patients. In rodents, we observed a marked inhibition of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway together with a strong increase in regulated in development and DNA damage response 1 (REDD1) expression and in its association with 14-3-3, a mechanism known to downregulate the mTOR pathway. Importantly, REDD1 overexpression in vivo was sufficient to cause skeletal muscle fiber atrophy in normoxia. Finally, the comparative analysis of skeletal muscle in hypoxemic vs. nonhypoxemic COPD patients confirms that hypoxia causes an inhibition of the mTOR signaling pathway. We thus identify REDD1 as a negative regulator of skeletal muscle mass during chronic hypoxia. Translation of this fundamental knowledge into the clinical investigation of COPD shows the interest to develop therapeutic strategies aimed at inhibiting REDD1.
Adiposity-independent sympathetic activity in black men
Authors: Abbas Aamer , Szczepaniak Lidia S. , Tuncel Meryem , McGavock Jonathan M. , Huet Beverley , Fadel Paul J. , Wang Zhongyun , Arbique Debbie , Victor Ronald , Vongpatanasin Wanpen
Published: March 2010

Obesity is thought to lead to sympathetic overactivity as a compensatory adjustment to weight gain. However, most of the experimental support for the hypothesis has been derived from white cohorts. Our previous study in blacks indicated that sympathetic nerve activity (SNA) is closely correlated with body mass index only in women, whereas, in black men, SNA is elevated and dissociated from adiposity (Abate et al., Hypertension 38: 379–383, 2001). To further determine whether total and regional adiposity are determinants of SNA in blacks, we performed a prospective weight loss study in 12 normotensive obese black men and 9 obese black women. SNA, body mass index, and abdominal fat mass were measured before and 16 wk after hypocaloric diet. The major new findings are that, in obese black men, the dietary-induced weight loss of 11.3 ± 0.8 kg resulted in reduction in plasma leptin, insulin, and visceral abdominal fat but had no effect on SNA (from baseline of 26 ± 4 to 28 ± 3 bursts/min, P = not significant). In contrast, in black women, weight loss of 8.0 ± 0.9 kg caused similar reductions in plasma leptin, insulin, and visceral abdominal fat and led to a reduction in SNA by 40% (from baseline of 22 ± 2 to 13 ± 3 bursts/min, P < 0.05). In conclusion, these new data from this prospective study provide strong support for a major adiposity-independent sympathetic activity in black men and adiposity-related sympathetic activity in black women.
The Discovery of Novel Experimental Therapies for Inflammatory Arthritis
Authors: Malemud Charles J.
Published: March 2010

Conventional and biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs have revolutionized the medical therapy of inflammatory arthritis. However, it remains unclear as to what can be done to treat immune-mediated chronic inflammation after patients become refractory to these therapies or develop serious side-effects and/or infections forcing drug withdrawal. Because of these concerns it is imperative that novel targets be continuously identified and experimental strategies designed to test potential arthritis interventions in vitro, but more importantly, in well-validated animal models of inflammatory arthritis. Over the past few years, sphingosine-1-phosphate, interleukin-7 receptor, spleen tyrosine kinase, extracellular signal-regulated kinase, mitogen-activated protein kinase 5/p38 kinase regulated/activated protein kinase, micro-RNAs, tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis inducing ligand and the polyubiquitin-proteasome pathway were identified as promising novel targets for potential antiarthritis drug development. Indeed several experimental compounds alter the biological activity of these targets and have shown clinical efficacy in animal models of arthritis. A few of them have even entered the first phase of human clinical trials.
A Priori “Imprinting” of General Relativity Itself on Some Tests of It?
Authors: Iorio Lorenzo
Published: March 2010

We investigate the effect of possible a priori “imprinting” effects of general
relativity itself on satellite/spacecraft‐based tests of it. We deal with some performed or proposed time‐delay ranging experiments in the sun′s gravitational field. It turns out that the “imprint” of general relativity on the Astronomical Unit and the solar gravitational constant GM⊙, not solved for in the so far performed spacecraft‐based time‐delay tests, induces an a priori bias of the order of
10−6 in typical solar system ranging experiments aimed to measure the space curvature PPN parameter γ. It is too small by one order of magnitude to be of concern for the performed Cassini experiment, but it would affect future planned or proposed tests aiming to reach a 10−7–10−9 accuracy in determining γ.
Segmenting into Adequate Units for Automatic Recognition of Emotion-Related Episodes: A Speech-Based Approach
Authors: Batliner Anton , Seppi Dino , Steidl Stefan , Schuller Björn
Published: March 2010

We deal with the topic of segmenting emotion-related (emotional/affective) episodes into adequate units for analysis and automatic processing/classification—a topic that has not been addressed adequately so far. We concentrate on speech and illustrate promising approaches by using a database with children's emotional speech. We argue in favour of the word as basic unit and map sequences of words on both syntactic and ‘‘emotionally consistent” chunks and report classification performances for an exhaustive modelling of our data by mapping word-based paralinguistic emotion labels onto three classes representing valence (positive, neutral, negative), and onto a fourth rest (garbage) class.
P300 and the Stroop Effect in Overweight Minority Adolescents
Authors: Bauer Lance O. , Kaplan Richard F. , Hesselbrock Victor M.
Published: March 2010

Aim: The goal was to examine the relationship between a risk factor for poor cognitive control and a health outcome of growing public significance – an excess body mass – among adolescents. Methods: To this end, 109 adolescents aged 14–20 years were recruited and assigned to 1 of 4 groups defined by the crossing of the absence versus presence of a parental history (PH) of externalizing disorders with a body mass index (BMI) percentile (BMIP) <85 versus ≧85. The principal measure estimating cognitive control was the P300 event-related electroencephalographic response recorded during the Stroop task. Results: The analyses revealed a synergistic interaction between BMIP rank, PH and trial type: the increase in P300 latency and the decrease in response accuracy, elicited by the presence of interfering information, were markedly greater in high-BMIP subjects with a PH of externalizing disorders than in the other subject groups. Analyses of a later component, the N450, previously associated with the Stroop interference effect, revealed no effect of BMI or PH. Conclusions: We conclude that subjects with both a PH of externalizing disorders and an excess BMI constitute a unique group that is less able to resolve cognitive conflict than others. The excessive delay in P300 evoked by conflicting response demands in these subjects may be a marker of a heritable factor that increases risk for both excess body mass and substance use disorders.
Size of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Epidemic Associated with Cadaveric Dura Transplantation
Authors: Tanaka Shiro , Fukushima Masanori
Published: March 2010

Background: Ongoing surveillance following the 1996 Japanese nationwide survey on dural-graft-associated Creutz- feldt-Jakob disease (d-CJD) has found that, of all d-CJD cases occurring globally, most patients were identified in Japan. Despite wide recognition that the epidemic is the consequence of shortcomings in the regulation of organ transplantation and the tardy decision-making by the Japanese health ministry, the size of the d-CJD epidemic remains unknown. Methods: To estimate the overall size of the d-CJD epidemic, a mathematical model was constructed using data on 132 d-CJD patients from the Japanese nationwide surveillance system from 1996 to 2008. Results: Our bayesian model predicted the size of the epidemic to be 163 patients (95% bayesian credible set: 147–183), suggesting that the probability of observing a total of 200 d-CJD patients in the future is low. Further, using a model which included a hypothetical 1987 ban on the use of dura mater, we estimated that the number of patients developing d-CJD would have been between 82 and 122, had Japan acted sooner to counteract the influx of tainted grafts. Conclusion: From a public health point of view, minimizing the number of patients exposed should be the highest priority in stemming future epidemics.
Cognitive Impairment and Associated Factors among the Elderly in the Shanghai Suburb: Findings from a Low-Education Population
Authors: Yao Yu-Hui , Xu Rui-Fang , Tang Hui-Dong , Jiang Guo-Xin , Wang Ying , Wang Gang , Chen Sheng-Di , Cheng Qi
Published: March 2010

Objective: Our purpose was to investigate the prevalence of cognitive impairment and associated factors among elderly people in the Shanghai suburb. Methods: A population-based survey was conducted for people aged 60 years and over in a community of 2 towns (Huaxin and Xujing) in Qingpu district, located in the western suburb of Shanghai. Face-to-face interviews were carried out to collect relevant information with prepared questionnaires. The Chinese version of the Mini-Mental State Examination was used to screen subjects with cognitive impairment, and the criteria of cognitive impairment were adjusted for education level. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to evaluate factors putatively associated with cognitive impairment. Results: There were 2,809 subjects (1,010 men and 1,799 women) aged 60 years and over (mean: 70.6, SD: 6.6) included in the study, and 198 people (42 men and 156 women) had cognitive impairment, with a prevalence of 7.0% (95% CI: 6.1–7.9) for both genders, 4.2% (95% CI: 3.6–4.8) for men and 8.7% (95% CI: 8.0–9.4) for women among the elderly. The prevalence rates of cognitive impairment increased with age. Although a number of factors were found to be significantly associated with the risk of cognitive impairment from the univariate analysis, only age (OR: 2.245, 95% CI: 1.755–2.872) and preferring a nonsalty diet (OR: 0.647, 95% CI: 0.460–0.912) were left in the final model of multivariate logistic regression analysis. Conclusion: The prevalence of cognitive impairment among the elderly in the Shanghai suburb is relatively high, compared with that previously reported from other areas in China, but lower than that from western countries. Factors associated with cognitive impairment need to be further investigated in the future.
Circadian Clocks and Vascular Function
Authors: Paschos Georgios K. , FitzGerald Garret A.
Published: March 2010

Abstract
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The circadian clock regulates many aspects of physiology, including cardiovascular function. Internal oscillators exist in endothelial, smooth muscle cells, and fibroblasts of the vasculature. Vascular tone and thrombus formation, 2 key elements of vascular function with regard to adverse cardiovascular events, exhibit diurnal rhythmicity. In this review, we describe changes in vascular function that result from genetic disruption of discrete elements of the circadian clock.
Ogbu Kalu and Africa’s Christianity: A Tribute
Authors: Clarke Clifton R.
Published: March 2010

In this review article some of the key ideas presented in the scholarship of Ogbu Kalu on African Christianity generally, and African Pentecostalism specifically, are discussed. The review commends Professor Kalu for broadening the historiography of Pentecostalism beyond North America and Europe to global phenomena with multiple access points. It further praises Kalu for pioneering the role of cultural moorings upon the shape of African Christianity. The review however highlights the limitations of a purely contextual and historiographical approach, and invites the discourse to participate in the broader global historical and theological Pentecostal conversation.
The Prophecy and Passion of al-Hārit b. Sa'īd al-Kaddāb: Narrating a Religious Movement from the Caliphate of 'Abd al-Malik b. Marwān
Authors: Anthony Sean
Published: March 2010

This study examines the historical reports on the 'false prophet (kaddāb)' known as al-Hāritb. Sa'īd from both a historical and literary perspective. From the historical perspective, I investigate how a Syrian mawlā began a prophetic movement in the Umayyad mosque of Damascus during the caliphate of 'Abd al-Malik, which subsequently spread throughout the caliph's army. My study then follows the second phase of al-Hārit's career in which he flees Damascus to initiate an underground movement in Jerusalem where, once uncovered and captured, the would-be prophet is crucified on a cross. By examining al-Hārit's alleged associations and followers, such as Umm al-Dardā' al-Suġrā and Ġaylān al-Dimašqī, I attempt to gauge the scope and subsequent influence of al-Hārit's brief prophetic career. From the literary perspective, my study argues that one of the principal transmitters of the ahbār on al-Hārit's prophetic career, Abū Bakr b. Abī Haytama (d. 279/892), considerably doctored the early accounts in order to fashion a parodic, expanded narrative largely of his own making. I thus contend that Ibn Abī Haytama, by culling tropes and anecdotes from sīra- and qisas-material on the lives of Muhammad and Jesus, constructed a biography of al-Hārit that cast him as a farcical version of a genuine prophet.
Dialects of Written Arabic: Syntactic differences in the treatment of object pronouns in Egyptian and Levantine newspapers
Authors: Wilmsen David
Published: March 2010

Despite the notion that written Arabic is invariable across the Arab world, a few researchers, using large corpora to discover patterns of usage, have demonstrated regional differences in Arabic writing. While most such research has focussed upon the lexicon, this corpus-based study examines a syntactic difference between Egyptian and Levantine writing: the treatment of object pronouns. A search of an entire year of writing in regional newspapers found that Levantine writers tend to use the free object pronoun iyyā-, placing the direct object after the indirect, about twice as often as Egyptian writers do, who for their part prefer to place the direct object before the indirect. A proposed reason for this is that the free object pronoun is used to mark the direct object in spoken Levantine vernaculars but not in Egyptian. This seems to indicate that local spoken vernaculars exert a fundamental influence on writing.
Michael of Rhodes and the Birth of the Mariner’s Manual
Authors: Stahl Alan M.
Published: March 2010

The Book of Michael of Rhodes, recently discovered and edited, stands near the beginning of a series of compilations of nautical information stretching from the fourteenth century into the modern age. It was written in the Venetian language by a non-noble sailor, apparently of Greek origin, who served aboard Venetian galleys from 1401 through 1443. This essay explores the composition of the manuscript in the context of the maritime life of fifteenth-century Venice and the individual who wrote it and discusses the other Venetian maritime manuals that preceded it or appear to derive from it.
French Childhood Sociology
Authors: Sirota Régine
Published: March 2010

French Speaking childhood sociology emerged slowly at the end of the 1990s, through a critical analysis of the notion of socialization. It is still a fragmented field combining all the social sciences. Within the framework of a ‘return to the actor’, marked by interpretative theories and symbolic interactionism, some sociologists of education played an important part in this rediscovery, paying attention to ‘pupilhood’ ( métier d’élève), and then to the métier d’enfant. The new status of the child in modernity was thus scrutinized within the framework of theories of individualism. The main research trends are: a reflexive view of expert discourses, the child as a social actor, social policies and childhood and children’s culture. From the ‘king child’ to the ‘child as a victim’, the political, juridical and media scene is constantly fuelled by a number of heated debates about the new figures of childhood, the child of desire, the child as problem, the child at risk, or the dangerous child. The article ends with series of challenges for the future of the sociology of childhood.
Childhood in German Sociology and Society
Authors: Zeiher Helga
Published: March 2010

The emergence and progression of childhood sociological research and theorizing in Germany over the last three decades are outlined in the article, thereby showing a growing variety of sociological approaches and publication activities, a development towards international cooperation and institutionalization within the German Association of Sociology. The prevalence of two main orientations is focused on. These are, first, an emphasis on children’s agency and self-determinacy, which is characterized by its specific origins in both German postwar history and particular subject-orientated education and socialization concepts; and second, a strong interest in and concern for recent social changes which can be observed in theorizing and research on issues such as the positioning of childhood in the generational order, children’s welfare policies, urban environments, the media and market, intergenerational relationships and the formation of identity.
Childhood Sociology in Ten Countries
Authors: Bühler-Niederberger Doris
Published: March 2010

This article gives an overview of the preceding set of reports on the global state of the art of the sociology of childhood in Australia, Brazil, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Romania, the UK and the USA. Intensive sociological research on children has had a relatively short history, but in that time it has become an important contribution to the analysis of society. It has the capacity to serve as an x-ray or a magnifying glass, or just to provide an additional perspective in analysing social processes. It is clear from all the reports that sociological research and its social background are interdependent. Although childhood sociology has always been internationally oriented, there is a variety of themes and approaches and different emphases placed on particular topics in the different countries. Such differences can be traced back to the social definitions of childhood characterizing the respective societies. For almost all of the countries, however, there is only a weak connection between sociological research concerning children and the core domains of sociology. Some recommendations for future research development are outlined.
Generalizing Dubins Curves: Minimum-time Sequences of Body-fixed Rotations and Translations in the Plane
Authors: Furtuna Andrei A. , Balkcom Devin J.
Published: March 2010

In this paper we present the minimum-time sequences of rotations and translations that connect two configurations of a rigid body in the plane. The configuration of the body is its position and orientation, given by (x , y, θ ) coordinates, and the rotations and translations are velocities (x , y, θ ) that are constant in the frame of the robot. There are no obstacles in the plane. We completely describe the structure of the fastest trajectories, and present a polynomial-time algorithm that, given a set of rotation and translation controls, enumerates a finite set of structures of optimal trajectories. These trajectories are a generalization of the well-known Dubins and Reeds—Shepp curves, which describe the shortest paths for steered cars in the plane.
Exodus and Asylum: Uncovering the Relationship between Biblical Law and Narrative
Authors: Burnside Jonathan P.
Published: March 2010

This article argues that there is a close relationship between biblical law and narrative regarding the subject of asylum. It contends that the narrative of Moses finding refuge from Pharaoh in Exod. 2.11-22 is repeated on a much larger scale in Exodus 14—15 and that Israel’s flight from Egypt into the desert of Sinai can be seen, inter alia, as a large-scale example of asylum-seeking. It also argues that there are key structural similarities between these two narratives of asylum and the biblical laws of asylum (Exod. 21.12-14; Num. 35.9-34; Deut. 19.1-13). This finding has several implications for the study of biblical law. It suggests that the biblical laws of asylum are best understood as ‘paradigm cases’ that draw on the Exodus narratives as part of their social construction. It also helps to explain why the biblical laws of asylum are typically concerned with flight from accusations of homicide, rather than other forms of asylum-seeking commonly found in the ancient Near East. Israel saw itself, not simply as a nation of escaped slaves, but also as a nation of successful asylum-seekers.