bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Correlation Between Tumor Budding and Post‐Resection Prognosis in Patients with Invasive Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Thoracic Esophagus
Authors: Nakanishi Yoshitsugu , Ohara Masanori , Doumen Hiromitsu , Kimura Noriko , Ishidate Takuzo , Kondo Satoshi
Published: December 2010

Background

Tumor budding is defined as an isolated single cancer cell or a cluster of cancer cells composed of fewer than five cells at the invasive front of a tumor. The aim of the present study was to identify correlations between tumor budding and clinicopathological factors and their impact on postoperative prognosis in invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the thoracic esophagus.

Methods

The subjects were 82 patients who underwent curative resection. The number of tumors showing budding was counted immunohistochemically based on positivity for cytokeratin (AE1/AE3) to distinguish cancer cells from inflammatory cells, and the patients were divided into low‐grade and high‐grade budding groups. High‐grade budding was defined as ≥5 budding foci per field under a 20× objective lens.

Results

One group of 36 patients (43.9%) and a second group of 46 patients (56.1%) were classified into the low‐grade and high‐grade budding groups, respectively. Patients in the high‐grade budding group had significantly larger tumor size, deeper depth of invasion, more frequent lymphatic invasion and venous invasion, as well as more lymph node metastases, than those in the low‐grade budding group. Disease‐free and overall survivals were worse in the high‐grade budding group than in the low‐grade budding group (P < 0.0001 and P = 0.0002, respectively). Three of four patients who had tumor recurrence more than 5 years postoperatively belonged to the low‐grade budding group.

Conclusions

Tumor budding appears to be an indicator of tumor growth and invasiveness. Patients with low‐grade budding are likely to have a better prognosis than those with high‐grade budding, but the tumor may recur in the late phase postoperatively in patients with low‐grade budding.
Cost‐Utility Estimation of Surgical Treatment of Pancreatic Carcinoma Aimed at Cure
Authors: Ljungman David , Lundholm Kent , Hyltander Anders
Published: December 2010

Background

Little is reported on costs for radical tumor resections of pancreatic carcinoma in relationship to adjusted quality of life survival postoperatively. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to estimate the cost utility of surgical treatment aimed at cure.

Methods

A population‐based cohort of patients with exocrine or ampullary pancreatic adenocarcinoma resected for cure in Gothenburg University Hospitals during 1998–2005 were evaluated retrospectively (n = 139). Total inpatient and outpatient healthcare costs were available for 103 patients, and health‐related quality of life (HRQL) (based on the SF‐36 Health Survey) were assessed preoperatively and postoperataively in 119 patients. Survival and utility index (SF‐36‐6D) across 5 years of postoperative follow‐up were used to achieve quality adjusted life years.

Results

Mean survival after resection was 977 days for patients with exocrine pancreatic carcinoma, with expected differences among subgroups as related to disease stage (p < 0.01), in agreement with international reports. The HRQL index was 0.65 ± 0.06 preoperatively, 0.63 ± 0.04 early postoperatively (<1 year) and 0.69 ± 0.06 at long‐term follow‐up (1–5 years) compared to 0.77 ± 0.02 in age‐matched healthy reference individuals from the Swedish population (p < 0.05). Total lifetime costs for treatments including surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy were €39,000 per patient, with a mean of 1.13 (95% Confidence Interval [CI] 0.93–1.40) QALYs across 5 years follow‐up. The cost per QALY was €35,000 (95% CI €28,026–€41,947).

Conclusions

Resection aimed at cure of pancreatic exocrine ductal carcinoma provided costs for one quality adjusted year of survival comparable to other complex surgical treatments within cost limits regarded as reasonable to bear by the Swedish health care system, as well as in several other Western countries.
Impact of nodal involvement on surgical outcomes of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma: a multicenter analysis by the Study Group for Hepatic Surgery of the Japanese Society of Hepato‐Biliary‐Pancreatic Surgery
Authors: Uchiyama Kazuhisa , Yamamoto Masakazu , Yamaue Hiroki , Ariizumi Shun‐ichi , Aoki Taku , Kokudo Norihiro , Ebata Tomoki , Nagino Masato , Ohtsuka Masayuki , Miyazaki Masaru , Tanaka Eiichi , Kondo Satoshi , Uenishi Takahiro , Kubo Shoji , Yoshida Hiroshi , Unno Michiaki , Imura Satoru , Shimada Mitsuo , Ueno Masaki , Takada Tadahiro
Published: December 2010

Background/purpose

The aim of this study was to clarify the prognostic factors of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) following hepatectomy and to examine the impact of lymph node metastasis on survival. This study was therefore carried out as a Project Study of the Japanese Society of Hepato‐Biliary‐Pancreatic Surgery.

Methods

Three hundred and forty‐one patients who underwent hepatectomy for ICC between 1995 and 2004 at the 9 institutions of the Medical University Hospitals were analyzed retrospectively. Multivariate regression analyses and a Kaplan–Meyer analysis were performed to identify prognostic factors.

Results

Pathological lymph node metastasis was one of the significant factors affecting overall survival (hazard ratio 2.10,p < 0.001) based on the multivariate analysis. Among the patients who underwent extended lymphadenectomy beyond the hepatoduodenal ligament, the median survival of 121 patients with nodal involvement was 12.2 months. Only seven patients with nodal involvement have survived for more than 4 years.

Conclusions

In the present study, preoperative carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19‐9, intrahepatic metastasis, and nodal involvement were the significant independent predictors of poor prognosis by multivariate analysis. Further prospective studies may thus be needed to confirm these findings, because this study has a limitation in that it was a retrospective study with multicenter data collection.
Genetic Risk, Perceived Risk, and Cancer Worry in Daughters of Breast Cancer Patients
Authors: Quillin John M. , Bodurtha Joann N. , McClish Donna , Wilson Diane Baer
Published: December 2010

This study explored relationships between worry, perceived risk for breast cancer, consulting a genetic counselor, having genetic testing, and genetic risk for women whose mothers had breast cancer. Analyses involved data from a community‐based phone survey of women whose mothers had breast cancer. Participants were categorized as having low, intermediate, or high genetic risk based on their reported family history, in accordance with an accepted classification scheme. The Lerman Breast Cancer Worry Scale measured worry, and participants reported their perceived lifetime likelihood of breast cancer, risk compared to others, and chance from 1 to 100. ANOVA, chi‐square, and multiple regression analyses were conducted as appropriate. One hundred‐fifty women participated. Mean age was 38 years, and 81% were Caucasian. Fifty‐two women had low, 74 had intermediate, and 24 had high genetic risk for breast cancer. There were no significant differences in worry or perceived risk by hereditary risk category. Most high‐risk women (91%) had not spoken with a genetic counselor, and no one had previous genetic testing. These findings suggest perceived risk, worry about breast cancer, and use of expert consultation do not match the genetic contribution to risk. There is a need for effectively stratifying and communicating risk in the community and providing tailored reassurance or referral for high‐risk assessment.
Ozonolysis of Canola Oil: A Study of Product Yields and Ozonolysis Kinetics in Different Solvent Systems
Authors: Omonov Tolibjon S. , Kharraz Ereddad , Curtis Jonathan M.
Published: December 2010

The use of ozonolysis has been proposed as a step in the production of vegetable‐oil‐based polyols as replacements for the equivalent petrochemicals. As part of an evaluation of the commercial viability of ozonolysis, the intermediates and products formed from the ozonolysis of canola oil using different protic and aprotic solvents and solvent mixtures were systematically studied by GC‐FID and size‐exclusion chromatography with refractive index detection (SEC‐RI). It was found that the use of an aprotic solvent (ethyl acetate) leads to the formation of oligomeric ozonolysis products whereas alcohols and/or mixtures of ethyl acetate with alcohols for the ozonolysis of canola oil do not form high molecular weight compounds. In addition, when ethyl acetate is used as the solvent, the formation of carboxylic acids is observed in the early stages of ozonolysis whereas the use of alcohols significantly reduces acid formation. As expected, extending the ozonolysis time led to extensive carboxylic acid formation, especially using ethyl acetate as a solvent. It was found that the optimum time for the complete ozonolysis of canola oil was largely independent of the solvent used for ozonolysis. However, the yield of ozonolysis products differs considerably depending on the solvents employed. Overall, a clear correlation between the ozonolysis time, product yields and the reaction exothermicity was observed.
Enhancing Communication in Surgery Through Team Training Interventions: A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Gillespie Brigid M. , Chaboyer Wendy , Murray Patrick
Published: December 2010

In surgery, up to 70% of adverse events are attributable to failures in communication. The purpose of this systematic literature review was to critically assess the results of team training interventions used in the OR. In the 12 studies that met the inclusion criteria, there were statistically significant before‐and‐after improvements in teamwork practices and in some secondary outcomes such as complication rates. Our findings suggest that team training interventions have utility in enhancing team communication and cohesion. Team training interventions that are developed in response to the nuances of the context are more likely to become embedded in clinical practice. The introduction of more complex interventions has implications for resources and staffing. Further research is needed to identify and evaluate strategies that address the sustainability of complex team training interventions across multiple OR contexts.
Safely Positioning the Surgical Patient
Authors: Van Wicklin Sharon A.
Published: December 2010

Safely Positioning the Surgical Patient Ciné‐Med, producer 2010, CD‐ROM, $135 AORN members, $270 nonmembers
The Nurse Executive's Coaching Manual
Authors: Ditore Alicia
Published: December 2010

The Nurse Executive's Coaching Manual Kimberly McNally, Liz Cunningham 2010, Sigma Theta Tau International 368 pages, $39.95 softcover
Successful Collaboration In Healthcare
Authors: Baker Donna L.
Published: December 2010

Successful Collaboration In Healthcare Colleen Stukenberg 2010, CRC Press 136 pages, $59.95 hardcover
Transforming the Healthcare Experience through the Arts
Authors: Tinkham Michelle R.
Published: December 2010

Transforming the Healthcare Experience through the Arts Blair L. Sadler, Annette Ridenour 2009, Aesthetics, Inc 225 pages, $39.95 softcover
Clinical Issues—December 2010
Authors: Burlingame Byron
Published: December 2010

This Month

Perioperative fire prevention recommendation changes

Key words: fire safety, ECRI, Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation, National Fire Protection Association, AORN Fire Safety Tool Kit.

New relative humidity standards for health care facilities

Key words: American Society of Healthcare Engineers humidity standards; National Fire Protection Agency humidity standards; safe environment of care; heating, ventilating, and air conditioning; HVAC system.

Prevention of venous stasis in outpatient settings

Key words: deep vein thrombosis prophylaxis, DVT prevention protocol.

Mechanical deep vein thrombosis (DVT) prophylaxis

Key words: deep vein thrombosis, DVT prophylaxis, mechanical DVT prophylaxis.
DNA methylation patterns in luminal breast cancers differ from non‐luminal subtypes and can identify relapse risk independent of other clinical variables
Authors: Kamalakaran Sitharthan , Varadan Vinay , Giercksky Russnes Hege E. , Levy Dan , Kendall Jude , Janevski Angel , Riggs Michael , Banerjee Nilanjana , Synnestvedt Marit , Schlichting Ellen , Kåresen Rolf , Shama Prasada K. , Rotti Harish , Rao Ramachandra , Rao Laxmi , Eric Tang Man-Hung , Satyamoorthy K. , Lucito Robert , Wigler Michael , Dimitrova Nevenka , Naume Bjorn , Borresen-Dale Anne-Lise , Hicks James B.
Published: December 2010

The diversity of breast cancers reflects variations in underlying biology and affects the clinical implications for patients. Gene expression studies have identified five major subtypes– Luminal A, Luminal B, basal‐like, ErbB2+ and Normal‐Like. We set out to determine the role of DNA methylation in subtypes by performing genome‐wide scans of CpG methylation in breast cancer samples with known expression‐based subtypes. Unsupervised hierarchical clustering using a set of most varying loci clustered the tumors into a Luminal A majority (82%) cluster, Basal‐like/ErbB2+ majority (86%) cluster and a non‐specific cluster with samples that were also inconclusive in their expression‐based subtype correlations. Contributing methylation loci were both gene associated loci (30%) and non‐gene associated (70%), suggesting subtype dependant genome‐wide alterations in the methylation landscape. The methylation patterns of significant differentially methylated genes in luminal A tumors are similar to those identified in CD24 + luminal epithelial cells and the patterns in basal‐like tumors similar to CD44 + breast progenitor cells. CpG islands in the HOXA cluster and other homeobox (IRX2, DLX2, NKX2‐2) genes were significantly more methylated in Luminal A tumors. A significant number of genes (2853, p < 0.05) exhibited expression–methylation correlation, implying possible functional effects of methylation on gene expression. Furthermore, analysis of these tumors by using follow‐up survival data identified differential methylation of islands proximal to genes involved in Cell Cycle and Proliferation (Ki‐67, UBE2C, KIF2C, HDAC4), angiogenesis (VEGF, BTG1, KLF5), cell fate commitment (SPRY1, OLIG2, LHX2 and LHX5) as having prognostic value independent of subtypes and other clinical factors.
Party-System Extremism in Majoritarian and Proportional Electoral Systems
Authors: Dow Jay K.
Published: December 2010

This study evaluates the extent of party-system extremism in thirty-one electoral democracies as a function of electoral-system proportionality. It uses data from the Comparative Studies of Electoral Systems project to estimate the extent of party-system compactness or dispersion across polities and to determine whether more proportional systems foster greater ideological divergence among parties. Electoral system characteristics most associated with party-system compactness in the ideological space are investigated. The empirics show that more proportional systems support greater ideological dispersion, while less proportional systems encourage parties to cluster nearer the centre of the electoral space. This finding is maintained in several sub-samples of national elections and does not depend on the inclusion of highly majoritarian systems (such as the United Kingdom).
Ruminal fermentation characteristics and fatty acid profile of ruminal fluid and milk of dairy cows fed flaxseed hulls supplemented with monensin
Authors: da Silva-Kazama Daniele C , Côrtes Cristiano , Kazama Ricardo , Benchaar Chaouki , Santos Geraldo T D , Zeoula Lucia M , Petit Hélène V
Published: December 2010

Flaxseed hull, a co-product obtained from flax processing, is a rich source ofn-3 fatty acids (FA) but there is little information on its value for dairy production. Monensin supplementation is known to modify biohydrogenation of FA by rumen microbes. Therefore, the main objective of the experiment was to determine the effect of feeding a combination of monensin and flaxseed hulls on ruminal fermentation characteristics and FA profile of ruminal fluid and milk. Four ruminally fistulated multiparous Holstein cows averaging 665±21 kg body weight and 190±5 d in milk were assigned to a 4×4 Latin square design (28-d experimental periods) with a 2×2 factorial arrangement of treatments. Treatments were: 1) control, neither flaxseed hulls nor monensin; 2) diet containing (dry matter basis) 19·8% flaxseed hulls; 3) diet with monensin (16 mg/kg dry matter); 4) diet containing 19·8% (dry matter basis) flaxseed hulls and 16 mg monensin/kg. Flaxseed hull supplementation decreased the acetate to propionate ratio in ruminal fluid and monensin had no effect. Concentrations oftrans-18:1 isomers (trans9,trans11,trans13/14+6/8) andcis9,12,15-18:3 in ruminal fluid and milk fat were higher and those ofcis9,12-18:2 in milk fat tended (P=0·07) to be higher for cows supplemented with flaxseed hulls than for cows fed no flaxseed hulls. Monensin had little effect on milk fatty acid profile. A combination of flaxseed hulls and monensin did not result in better milk fatty acid profile than when feeding only flaxseed hulls.
Antagonistic effect ofLactobacillusstrains againstEscherichia coliandListeria monocytogenesin milk
Authors: Aguilar Catalina , Vanegas Consuelo , Klotz Bernadette
Published: December 2010

The current work studied four types of binary antagonist/pathogen bacterial culture system, in order to determine the effect of interaction between two strains ofLactobacillus plantarumand two food-borne pathogens,Listeria monocytogenesandEscherichia coli, in whole UHT milk at 37°C. To determine the type of interaction between the two bacterial populations in co-cultures and to evaluate the antagonistic activity of the lactic acid bacteria (LAB) on the pathogenic bacteria, the growth curves, the kinetic parameters, and the pH profiles of mono- and co-cultures were compared. TheLb. plantarumstrains showed different bacteriocin-like inhibitory substance (BLIS) production, auto- and co-inducible. The antibacterial effect of neutralized supernatants of mono and co-cultures harvested at different times of incubation was assessed in order to establish the presence of bacteriocin-like inhibitory-substances (BLIS) and their possible relation to the growth inhibition of the pathogen. The LAB reduced the growth ofEsch. coliand ofList. monocytogenesby 4 and ∼5 log cycles, respectively and influenced other growth kinetic parameters, such as μmaxand lag phase, in the different binary combinations. The growth of the LAB was not relevantly altered by simultaneous growth with the pathogenic strains showing an interaction of amensalism. The pattern of inhibition exerted by the LAB on the pathogens was different;Lb. plantarumLB279 inhibited the growth ofList. monocytogenesmore effectively than that ofEsch. coli. The behaviour ofEsch. coliin co-culture withLb. plantarumWS4174 suggested the presence of metabolic crowding in the mechanism of growth suppression. This exploratory study showed the complexity and specific particularities of the inhibition phenomena between bacterial communities.
Similarity of the streamwise velocity component in very-rough-wall channel flow
Authors: BIRCH DAVID M. , MORRISON JONATHAN F.
Published: December 2010

The streamwise velocity component is studied in fully developed turbulent channel flow for two very rough surfaces and a smooth surface at comparable Reynolds numbers. One rough surface comprises sparse and isotropic grit with a highly non-Gaussian distribution. The other is a uniform mesh consisting of twisted rectangular elements which form a diamond pattern. The mean roughness heights (±) the standard deviation) are, respectively, about 76(±42) and 145(±150) wall units. The flow is shown to be two-dimensional and fully developed up to the fourth-order moment of velocity. The mean velocity profile over the grit surface exhibits self-similarity (in the form of a logarithmic law) within the limited range of 0.04≤y/h≤0.06, but the profile over the mesh surface does not, even though the mean velocity deficit and higher moments (up to the fourth order) all exhibit outer scaling over both surfaces. The distinction between self-similarity and outer similarity is clarified and the importance of the former is explained. The wake strength is shown to increase slightly over the grit surface but decrease over the mesh surface. The latter result is contrary to recent measurements in rough-wall boundary layers. Single- and two-point velocity correlations reveal the presence of large-scale streamwise structures with circulation in the plane orthogonal to the mean velocity. Spanwise correlation length scales are significantly larger than corresponding ones for both internal and external smooth-wall flows.
Sentence interpretation in bilingual speakers of English and Dutch
Authors: Mcdonald Janet L.
Published: December 2010

Speakers of English and Dutch vary in how strongly they use various syntactic (e.g., word order, prepositions, case inflection) and semantic (e.g., noun animacy) cues to interpret native language sentences. For example, in simple NVN sentences, English speakers rely heavily on word order, while Dutch speakers rely on case inflection. This paper compares the cue usage of English/Dutch and Dutch/English bilinguals with varying amounts of second language exposure to that of native speaker control groups. For all constructions tested, dative constructions, simple NVN sentences, and relative clauses, it was found that with increasing exposure, cue usage in the second language gradually shifts from that appropriate to the first language to that appropriate to the second. A model of cue learning originally proposed to account for monolingual data is found to be compatible with the learning pattern exhibited by bilinguals.
Sentence interpretation strategies in adult Dutch–English bilinguals
Authors: Kilborn Kerry , Cooreman Ann
Published: December 2010

This study is concerned with the probabilistic nature of processing strategies in bilingual speakers of Dutch and English. We used a sentence interpretation task designed to set up various “coalitions” and “competitions” among a restricted set of grammatical entities (i.e., word order, animacy, agreement). Performance in English paralleled that in Dutch in large measure, but where it diverged it approached performance on similar tasks by English monolinguals (Bates et al., 1982). These findings are interpreted on the basis of the “competition model,” a probabilistic theory of grammatical processing which provides a formalism for explaining what it means for a second language user to be “between” languages.
The recruitment of early retirees: a vignette study of the factors that affect managers' decisions
Authors: KARPINSKA KASIA , HENKENS KÈNE , SCHIPPERS JOOP
Published: December 2010

Retirement is characterised as a dynamic process that has several different outcomes, from early retirement to re-entry to the labour force. Recent studies of the Dutch population show that a substantial number of early retirees re-enter the workforce after early retirement, but others do not succeed even though they want to return to paid work. An often-named reason for their failures is bias in the selection process. This raises the questions as to what restrictions do early retirees face in the labour market and what are the characteristics that enhance or limit their hiring chances? The aim of this study was to identify the individual and organisational characteristics that influence managers' hiring decisions, and for the purpose a vignette study among Dutch managers and business students was conducted. Profiles of hypothetical early retirees were presented to the respondents who were then asked to make decisions whether of not to employ the individual. The results show that hiring early retirees is of low priority to both managers and students, and depends to a large extent on organisational factors (such as personnel shortages) and the age of the retiree. The findings suggest that despite equal opportunities policies, age discrimination is still present on the Dutch labour market and that managers generally hinder the re-employment of workers approaching the retirement age.
A review of recent research (2000–2008) on applied linguistics and language teaching with specific reference to L2 Spanish
Authors: Antón Marta
Published: December 2010

Esta reseña presenta una visión general de los estudios sobre español como segunda lengua en contextos educativos. La temática y el ámbito geográfico es amplio a fin de captar la diversidad de alumnos y contextos de aprendizaje de español L2 a sólo dos décadas de que la enseñanza de este idioma adquiriera ímpetu a nivel global. Los alumnos tradicionales de segunda lengua o lengua extranjera, hablantes de herencia, inmigrantes y niños indígenas presentan una variedad de contextos de investigación que contribuye y expande las disciplinas de enseñanza y aprendizaje de segunda lengua/lengua extranjera, lingüística aplicada y sociolingüística. Siguiendo tendencias iniciadas en años anteriores en adquisición de segunda lengua, y en relación con investigaciones sobre otros idiomas, los temas principales en este periodo reciente han sido la adquisición y enseñanza del sistema lingüístico, procesos de aprendizaje y su contexto social. La reseña se organiza temáticamente según estas categorías principales.

This review presents a broad picture of recent work on L2 Spanish1in educational contexts. The thematic and geographic scope of the review is wide, in order to capture the diversity of learners and learning contexts of L2 Spanish, just two decades after teaching and learning the language gained impetus worldwide. Traditional second or foreign language learners, heritage learners, immigrants and indigenous children provide a variety of contexts for research that builds on and expands the fields of second and foreign language learning and teaching, applied linguistics and sociolinguistics. Continuing the trend from previous years in SLA, and in connection with research on learners of other languages, main themes in this time period have been the acquisition and teaching of the language system, learning processes, and social contexts of learning. The review is organized thematically according to these main categories.
Second Language Research Forum Colloquia 2009
Authors: Hansen Lynne
Published: December 2010

Presented at the Second Language Research Forum, Michigan State University, USA; 30 October 2009

Recent years have brought increasing attention to studies of language acquisition in a country where the language is spoken, as opposed to formal language study in classrooms. Research on language learners in immersion contexts is important, as the question of whether study abroad is valuable is still somewhat controversial among researchers (DeKeyser 2007; Sunderman & Kroll 2009). In the introduction to a pioneering volume on language study abroad, Freed (1995, pp. 17–18) noted that a vital question concerns the relative linguistic benefits of a summer, a semester or a year in the foreign environment. Our purpose in this colloquium, which was organized by Lynne Hansen, was to introduce a new line of research which allows comparisons of L2 attainment over these exposure times as well as longer periods. Tens of thousands of young missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (also known as the LDS or Mormon Church), advanced speakers of some fifty languages, return home annually after two years of language learning abroad. This natural sample of learners, in its relative uniformity of learner characteristics and learning contexts, allows for the control of variables in SLA research which can be problematic in studies of more heterogeneous groups.
Promoting teacher–learner autonomy through and beyond initial language teacher education
Authors: Ushioda Ema , Smith Richard , Mann Steve , Brown Peter
Published: December 2010

With the growing international market for pre-experience MA in ELT/TESOL programmes, a key curriculum design issue is how to help students develop as learners of teaching through and beyond their formal academic studies. We report here on our attempts at the University of Warwick to address this issue, and consider wider implications for research and practice in initial language teacher education. At the Centre for Applied Linguistics at the University of Warwick, we run a suite of MA programmes for English language teaching professionals from around the world. Most of these courses are for students with prior teaching experience, but our MA in English Language Studies and Methods (ELSM) programme is designed for students with less than two years’ experience and, in fact, the majority enrol straight after completing their undergraduate studies in their home countries.
Contributions of phonetic token variability and word-type frequency to phonological representations
Authors: RICHTSMEIER PETER , GERKEN LOUANN , OHALA DIANE
Published: December 2010

The experiments here build on the widely reported finding that children are most accurate when producing phonotactic sequences with high ambient-language frequency. What remains controversial is a description of the input that children must be tracking for this effect to arise. We present a series of experiments that compare two ambient-language properties, token and type frequency, as they contribute to phonotactic learning. Token frequency is the raw number of exposures children have to a particular pattern; type frequency refers to a count of abstract entities, such as unique words. Our results suggest that children's production accuracy is most sensitive to a combination of type and token frequency: children were able to generalize a target phonotactic sequence to a new word when familiarized with multiple word-types across tokens from multiple talkers, but not when presented with either word-types with no talker variability or multiple talker-tokens of a single word.
Morphological Confocal Microscopy in Arthropods and the Enhancement of Autofluorescence after Proteinase K Extraction
Authors: Valdecasas Antonio G. , Abad Angela
Published: December 2010

Procedures to study the molecular and morphological characteristics of microscopic organisms are often incompatible with each other. Therein, the realization of alternatives that make the characterization of these features compatible and simultaneously permit the deposition of the original material as a voucher sample into a reference collection is one of the foremost goals of biodiversity studies. In this study, we show that genomic extraction does not necessarily compromise the detailed study of the external morphology of microscopic organisms, and to do so, we used a group of aquatic mites (Acari, Hydrachnidia) as a test group. Hydrachnidia morphology is difficult to study when specimens have been stored in pure ethanol; however, proteinase K extraction leaves them flexible and easy to dissect, while, at the same time, maintaining all of their diagnostic features intact. Furthermore, autofluorescence is significantly enhanced after proteinase extraction. Our study was conducted with aquatic mites that were stored in absolute ethanol in the field and processed for DNA extraction using a Qiagen QIAamp minikit. Before and after molecular extraction, a laser scanning confocal microscopy morphological examination was carried out.
Bedeutung funktioneller psychophysiologischer Methoden in der Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie
Authors: Albrecht Björn , Uebel Henrik , Brandeis Daniel , Banaschewski Tobias
Published: December 2010

Die psychophysiologische Erforschung der kindlichen Entwicklung sowie der psychischen Störungen im Kindes- und Jugendalter hat erhebliche Fortschritte zu verzeichnen. So gelang es mit Methoden der kognitiven Neurowissenschaften, insbesondere der Elektroenzephalographie und Magnetresonanztomographie, aber auch durch Betrachtung peripherer physiologischer Parameter, die physiologische Basis verschiedener kognitiver Prozesse wie Aufmerksamkeit, Gedächtnis, Lernen und Sprache im Hinblick auf Störungen der kindlichen Entwicklung einschließlich psychiatrischer Erkrankungen besser zu verstehen. Die gewonnenen Erkenntnisse ermöglichen es, Therapien zu evaluieren und weiter zu verbessern, sowie neue Therapieformen zu entwickeln. In der folgenden selektiven Übersichtsarbeit sollen psychophysiologische, insbesondere elektrophysiologische Methoden in ihrer Bedeutung für kinder und jugendpsychiatrische Fragestellungen vorgestellt und diskutiert werden.
Neurofeedback-Training bei Kindern mit Aufmerksamkeitsdefizit-/ Hyperaktivitätsstörung (ADHS)
Authors: Gevensleben Holger , Moll Gunther H. , Heinrich Hartmut
Published: December 2010

Im Rahmen einer multizentrischen, randomisierten, kontrollierten Studie evaluierten wir die klinische Wirksamkeit eines Neurofeedback-Trainings (NF) bei Kindern mit einer Aufmerksamkeitsdefizit-/Hyperaktivitätsstörung (ADHS) und untersuchten die einem erfolgreichen Training zugrunde liegenden neurophysiologischen Wirkmechanismen. Als Vergleichstraining diente ein computergestütztes Aufmerksamkeitstraining, das dem Setting des Neurofeedback-Trainings in den wesentlichen Anforderungen und Rahmenbedingungen angeglichen war. Auf Verhaltensebene (Eltern- und Lehrerbeurteilung) zeigte sich das NF-Training nach Trainingsende dem Kontrolltraining sowohl hinsichtlich der ADHS-Kernsymptomatik als auch in assoziierten Bereichen überlegen. Für das Hauptzielkriterium (Verbesserung im FBB-HKS Gesamtwert) ergab sich eine mittlere Effektstärke (von 0.6). Sechs Monate nach Trainingsende (follow-up) konnte das gleiche Ergebnismuster gefunden werden. Die Ergebnisse legen somit den Schluss nahe, dass NF einen klinisch wirksamen Therapiebaustein zur Behandlung von Kindern mit ADHS darstellt. Auf neurophysiologischer Ebene (EEG; ereignisbezogene Potentiale, EPs) konnten für die beiden Neurofeedback-Protokolle Theta/Beta-Training und Training langsamer kortikaler Potentiale spezifische Effekte aufgezeigt werden. So war für das Theta/Beta-Training beispielsweise die Abnahme der Theta-Aktivität mit einer Reduzierung der ADHS-Symptomatik assoziiert. Für das SCP-Training wurde u. a. im Attention Network Test eine Erhöhung der kontingenten negativen Variation beobachtet, die die mobilisierten Ressourcen bei Vorbereitungsprozessen widerspiegelt. EEG- und EP-basierte Prädiktorvariablen konnten ermittelt werden. Der vorliegende Artikel bietet einen Gesamtüberblick über die in verschiedenen Publikationen unserer Arbeitsgruppe beschriebenen Ergebnisse der Studie und zeigt zukünftige Fragestellungen auf.
Ambulante und teilstationäre Jugendhilfe-Maßnahmen
Authors: Rücker Stefan , Petermann Ulrike , Büttner Peter , Petermann Franz
Published: December 2010

Fragestellung: In der vorliegenden Studie wird die langfristige Wirksamkeit ambulanter und teilstationärer Jugendhilfe-Maßnahmen untersucht. Dazu werden die Entwicklungen im Bereich des allgemeinen Belastungsausmaßes, expansiver Verhaltensprobleme, emotionaler Probleme sowie der Ressourcenaktivierung ausgewertet. Zudem gehen Fragen zur Ausbildungssituation, Legalbewährung und zum Substanzmissbrauch der Jugendlichen in die Analysen ein. Methodik: Anhand quantitativer Daten aus drei Erhebungszeitpunkten werden die Entwicklungsverläufe ehemals durch die Jugendhilfe betreuter Kinder, Jugendliche und ihrer Familien (N = 59) betrachtet. Ergebnisse: Zunächst ließen sich am Hilfebeginn drei Gruppen mit signifikant unterschiedlichen Belastungsausmaßen (niedrig-, mittel- und hochbelastet) bestimmen. Dabei wurde angenommen, dass die Hilfen in stärkerem Maße niedriger belastete Kinder und Jugendliche erreichen. Es konnte aufgezeigt werden, dass am Hilfebeginn stärker belastete Kinder und Jugendliche auch drei Jahre nach dem Hilfeende signifikant höhere Problembelastungen sowie familiäre Belastungen aufweisen; für Verhaltensprobleme liegen zwischen den Gruppen jedoch keine signifikanten Unterschiede vor. Schlussfolgerungen: Dies verweist auf eine unabhängig vom Belastungsausmaß langfristige Wirksamkeit von Jugendhilfe-Maßnahmen.
Research Participation Experiences of Informants of Suicide and Control Cases
Authors: Wong Paul W. C. , Chan Wincy S. C. , Beh Philip S. L. , Yau Fiona W. S. , Yip Paul S. F. , Hawton Keith
Published: December 2010

Background: Ethical issues have been raised about using the psychological autopsy approach in the study of suicide. The impact on informants of control cases who participated in case-control psychological autopsy studies has not been investigated. Aims: (1) To investigate whether informants of suicide cases recruited by two approaches (coroners’ court and public mortuaries) respond differently to the initial contact by the research team. (2) To explore the reactions, reasons for participation, and comments of both the informants of suicide and control cases to psychological autopsy interviews. (3) To investigate the impact of the interviews on informants of suicide cases about a month after the interviews. Methods: A self-report questionnaire was used for the informants of both suicide and control cases. Telephone follow-up interviews were conducted with the informants of suicide cases. Results: The majority of the informants of suicide cases, regardless of the initial route of contact, as well as the control cases were positive about being approached to take part in the study. A minority of informants of suicide and control cases found the experience of talking about their family member to be more upsetting than expected. The telephone follow-up interviews showed that none of the informants of suicide cases reported being distressed by the psychological autopsy interviews. Limitations: The acceptance rate for our original psychological autopsy study was modest. Conclusions: The findings of this study are useful for future participants and researchers in measuring the potential benefits and risks of participating in similar sensitive research. Psychological autopsy interviews may be utilized as an active engagement approach to reach out to the people bereaved by suicide, especially in places where the postvention work is underdeveloped.
The Judgment of Future Suicide-Related Behavior
Authors: Karver Marc S. , Tarquini Sarah J. , Caporino Nicole E.
Published: December 2010

Background: Judging whether a youth is at risk for suicide-related behavior (SRB) is considered an extremely challenging task. There are only few studies of helpline counselors, and little is known about their ability to accurately determine the level of risk for SRB. Aims: To examine whether helpline counselors can agree on judgments of risk for SRB, and whether their judgments are consistent with youths’ actual behavior in a 6-month period following intake. Methods: 34 helpline counselors, recruited from three helplines, were studied. Information was collected on their judgments of risk for SRB for each of 45 youths over a 6-month period following initial intake. Results: Contrary to expectations, the counselors had a high rate of agreement (k = .56), and their risk judgments could be used quite successfully (80.0% correct classification) in identifying youths who later engaged in SRB. Conclusions: Unlike most other groups represented in the decision-making literature, helpline counselors agree and are accurate in their judgments of risk for SRB. Our findings suggest that it might be beneficial to apply some of the procedures used to train helpline clinicians to other types of clinicians. Further studies of helpline clinicians are suggested.
Suicide Prevention Public Service Announcements
Authors: Klimes-Dougan Bonnie , Lee Chih-Yuan Steven
Published: December 2010

Background: Determining optimal methods for preventing suicide continues to be an elusive goal. Aims: The study examines benefits and possible untoward effects of public service announcements (PSAs) for young adults. Methods: Young adult participants (N = 279) were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: (a) a billboard simulation, (b) a 30-s TV ad simulation, and (c) a no-information condition. Results: Largely replicating a study previously conducted with adolescents, the results provided some evidence of the benefit of the simulated TV ad (e. g., increased knowledge, perceived as useful), but it also provided some evidence of untoward effects for the billboard (e. g., viewers were less likely to endorse help-seeking strategies, normative beliefs were altered for high-risk participants). Conclusions: These results are preliminary but nevertheless highlight the need for carefully researching existing messages prior to market diffusion, so that the well-intended efforts of preventionists can meet their desired goals.
Evolution of the spectrum of solar wind velocity fluctuations from 0.3 to 5 AU
Authors: Roberts D. Aaron
Published: December 2010

Recent work has shown that at 1 AU from the Sun, the power spectrum of the solar wind magnetic field has the −5/3 spectral slope expected for Kolmogorov turbulence but that the velocity has closer to a −3/2 spectrum. This paper traces the changes in solar wind velocity spectra from 0.3 to 5 AU using data from the Helios and Ulysses spacecraft to show that this is a transient stage in solar wind evolution. The spectrum of the velocity is found to be flatter than that of the magnetic field for the higher frequencies examined for all cases until the slopes become equal (at −5/3) well past 1 AU when the wind is relatively non‐Alfvénic. In some respects, in particular in the evolution of the frequency at which the spectrum changes from flatter at larger scales to a “turbulent” spectrum at smaller scales, the velocity field evolves more rapidly than the magnetic, and this is associated with the dominance of the magnetic energy over the kinetic at “inertial range” scales. The speed of the flow is argued to be largely unrelated to the spectral slopes, consistent with previous work, whereas high Alfvénicity appears to slow the spectral evolution, as expected from theory. This study shows that, for the solar wind, the idea of a simple “inertial range” with uniform spectral properties is not realistic, and new phenomenologies will be needed to capture the true situation. It is also noted that a flattening of the velocity spectrum often occurs at small scales.
Decline and partial rebound of the Labrador Current 1993–2004: Monitoring ocean currents from altimetric and conductivity‐temperature‐depth data
Authors: Han Guoqi , Ohashi Kyoko , Chen Nancy , Myers Paul G. , Nunes Nuno , Fischer Jürgen
Published: December 2010

Monitoring and understanding of Labrador Current variability is important because it is intimately linked to the meridional overturning circulation and the marine ecosystem off northeast North America. Nevertheless, knowledge of its decadal variability is inadequate because of scarcity of current meter data. By using a novel synthesis of satellite altimetry with conductivity‐temperature‐depth (CTD) data, we assess the Labrador Current variability north of the Hamilton Bank (56°N) over 1993–2004. Our analysis shows a decline of the surface‐to‐bottom transport of current by 6.3 ± 1.5 Sv (1 Sv = 106 m3 s−1) in the 1990s (significant at the 99% confidence level) and a likely partial rebound of 3.2 ± 1.7 Sv in the early 2000s (significant at the 89% confidence level only). The inferred multiyear changes in the Labrador Current transport seem to be primarily barotropic and positively correlated (at the 99% level) with the North Atlantic Oscillation at zero lag implying a fast response of the regional circulation to the atmospheric forcing variability. The results compare favorably with direct current measurements and recent model‐based findings on the multiyear variability of the subpolar gyre and its underlying mechanisms. The study demonstrates the feasibility of combining altimetry and CTD data for assessing the climatic variability of the boundary currents.
Emissions from main propulsion engine on container ship at sea
Authors: Agrawal Harshit , Welch William A. , Henningsen Svend , Miller J. Wayne , Cocker David R.
Published: December 2010

Emission measurements were made for major gases and PM2.5 mass for a post PanaMax Class container vessel operating on heavy fuel oil at sea. Additional measurements were made for PM composition, elemental and organic carbon, select hydrocarbons, including PAHs, carbonyls, and n‐alkanes. The testing followed the International Standard Organization protocols for emission measurements and operating test cycle. Results showed the weighted emission factor for NOx and PM2.5 were 19.77 ± 0.28 and 2.40 ± 0.05 g/kWh, respectively. The study provided a rare opportunity to repeat measurements made three years earlier on the same vessel. Emission factors of CO2 and NOx closely matched the earlier values, suggesting a low deterioration factor. Results showed the black carbon emission factor was 0.007 ± 0.001 g/kWh, an important metric for determining the radiative forcing contribution of marine engines.
Effect of soil temperature and soil water content on fine root turnover rate in a California mixed conifer ecosystem
Authors: Kitajima Kuni , Anderson Kurt E. , Allen Michael F.
Published: December 2010

Measurement of fine root production and turnover rate, the reciprocal of mean life span of a root population, is crucial to the understanding of the carbon cycle of an ecosystem as fine roots account for up to 30% of global terrestrial net primary production. Our goal was to characterize fine root production, mortality, standing crop, and turnover rate in a Mediterranean climate. Using simulations, we established that our sampling interval must be less than monthly to keep the turnover rate error to less than 10%. Adhering to this interval, we measured fine root turnover rate by mark‐recapture modeling methods and compared predicted with observed turnover rates. The best selected model indicated that these rates were a function of diameter, length, soil temperature, and soil water content. Turnover rate increased with decreasing diameter and length and increasing soil temperature and soil water content. We found a yearly pattern of hysteresis between fine root production, mortality, and turnover rate relative to soil temperature. This was explained by soil temperature‐moisture hysteresis using our best selected model. Production and turnover rate were greater in spring to early summer when both soil temperature and soil moisture were high, resulting in a seasonal variation of belowground net primary production. We suggest that this behavior could be a result of fine roots' strategy to cope with a limited growing season of a semiarid Mediterranean climate.
Dispersive tsunami of the 2010 Chile earthquake recorded by the high‐sampling‐rate ocean‐bottom pressure gauges
Authors: Saito Tatsuhiko , Matsuzawa Takanori , Obara Kazushige , Baba Toshitaka
Published: December 2010

Cabled ocean‐bottom pressure gauges deployed offshore Japan recorded the pressure change associated with the 2010 Chile earthquake tsunami over a wider frequency range than that of coastal tide gauges or hydrophones. Although it was difficult to recognize the dispersive features in the original records, the spectrograms clearly showed wave dispersion. A low‐frequency tsunami (∼1 mHz) arrived after an elapsed time of 24 hr from the earthquake origin time, while a high‐frequency tsunami (∼9 mHz) arrived after an elapsed time of 48 hr. The arrival times can be explained by assuming a constant water depth of 4 km. However, the calculated waveform does not correctly reproduce the number of wave packets appearing in the observations. Cabled ocean‐bottom pressure gauges deployed offshore can record broadband tsunami signals reflecting the wide‐wavenumber‐range spatial spectrum for sea‐bottom deformation caused by the earthquake.