bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Enhanced Gait-Related Improvements After Therapist- Versus Robotic-Assisted Locomotor Training in Subjects With Chronic Stroke
Authors: Hornby T. George , Campbell Donielle D. , Kahn Jennifer H. , Demott Tobey , Moore Jennifer L. , Roth Heidi R.
Published: May 2008

Background and Purpose—Locomotor training (LT) using a treadmill can improve walking ability over conventional rehabilitation in individuals with hemiparesis, although the personnel requirements often necessary to provide LT may limit its application. Robotic devices that provide consistent symmetrical assistance have been developed to facilitate LT, although their effectiveness in improving locomotor ability has not been well established.

Methods—Forty-eight ambulatory chronic stroke survivors stratified by severity of locomotor deficits completed a randomized controlled study on the effects of robotic- versus therapist-assisted LT. Both groups received 12 LT sessions for 30 minutes at similar speeds, with guided symmetrical locomotor assistance using a robotic orthosis versus manual facilitation from a single therapist using an assist-as-needed paradigm. Outcome measures included gait speed and symmetry, and clinical measures of activity and participation.

Results—Greater improvements in speed and single limb stance time on the impaired leg were observed in subjects who received therapist-assisted LT, with larger speed improvements in those with less severe gait deficits. Perceived rating of the effects of physical limitations on quality of life improved only in subjects with severe gait deficits who received therapist-assisted LT.

Conclusions—Therapist-assisted LT facilitates greater improvements in walking ability in ambulatory stroke survivors as compared to a similar dosage of robotic-assisted LT.
Working Memory Retrieval: Contributions of the Left Prefrontal Cortex, the Left Posterior Parietal Cortex, and the Hippocampus
Authors: Öztekin Ilke , McElree Brian , Staresina Bernhard P. , Davachi Lila
Published: May 2008

Functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to identify regions involved in working memory (WM) retrieval. Neural activation was examined in two WM tasks: an item recognition task, which can be mediated by a direct-access retrieval process, and a judgment of recency task that requires a serial search. Dissociations were found in the activation patterns in the hippocampus and in the left inferior frontal gyrus (LIFG) when the probe contained the most recently studied serial position (where a test probe can be matched to the contents of focal attention) compared to when it contained all other positions (where retrieval is required). The data implicate the hippocampus and the LIFG in retrieval from WM, complementing their established role in long-term memory. Results further suggest that the left posterior parietal cortex (LPPC) supports serial retrieval processes that are often required to recover temporal order information. Together, these data suggest that the LPPC, the LIFG, and the hippocampus collectively support WM retrieval. Critically, the reported findings support accounts that posit a distinction between representations maintained in and outside of focal attention, but are at odds with traditional dual-store models that assume distinct mechanisms for short- and long-term memory representations.
Characteristics of Vertical Circulation in the Convective Boundary Layer over the Huaihe River Basin in China in the Early Summer of 2004
Authors: Endo Satoshi , Shinoda Taro , Hiyama Tetsuya , Uyeda Hiroshi , Nakamura Kenji , Tanaka Hiroki , Tsuboki Kazuhisa
Published: May 2008

The purpose of this study is to clarify the characteristics of the convective boundary layer (CBL) over a humid terrestrial area, the Huaihe River basin in China, which is covered by a large, nearly flat plain with uniform farmland. Data were collected in early summer 2004 using a 32-m flux tower and a 1290-MHz wind profiler radar. When mature wheat fields or bare fields dominated (the first period), the sensible heat flux (SHF) from the land surface was nearly equal to the latent heat flux (LHF). After vegetation changed to paddy fields (the second period), the LHF was much larger than the SHF. Two clear days from the first and second periods were selected and are referred to as the dry case and wet case, respectively. For the dry case, a deep CBL developed rapidly from the early morning, and thermal updrafts in the CBL were vigorous. For the wet case, a shallow CBL developed slowly from late morning, and thermals were weak. To study the thermodynamic process in the CBL, a large-eddy simulation (LES) was conducted. The simulation adequately reproduced the surface heat flux and the CBL development for both the dry case and the wet case. For the dry case, sensible heat contributed to nearly all of the buoyancy flux. In contrast, for the wet case, heat and moisture made equal contributions. The large contribution of moisture to the buoyancy is one of the main characteristics of the CBL over humid terrestrial areas.
The Role of the Western Arabian Sea Upwelling in Indian Monsoon Rainfall Variability
Authors: Izumo Takeshi , Montégut Clémentde Boyer , Luo Jing-Jia , Behera Swadhin K. , Masson Sébastien , Yamagata Toshio
Published: May 2008

The Indian summer monsoon rainfall has complex, regionally heterogeneous, interannual variations with huge socioeconomic impacts, but the underlying mechanisms remain uncertain. The upwelling along the Somalia and Oman coasts starts in late spring, peaks during the summer monsoon, and strongly cools the sea surface temperature (SST) in the western Arabian Sea. They restrict the westward extent of the Indian Ocean warm pool, which is the main moisture source for the monsoon rainfall. Thus, variations of the Somalia–Oman upwelling can have significant impacts on the moisture transport toward India. Here the authors use both observations and an advanced coupled atmosphere–ocean general circulation model to show that a decrease in upwelling strengthens monsoon rainfall along the west coast of India by increasing the SST along the Somalia–Oman coasts, and thus local evaporation and water vapor transport toward the Indian Western Ghats (mountains). Further observational analysis reveals that such decreases in upwelling are caused by anomalously weak southwesterly winds in late spring over the Arabian Sea that are due to warm SST/increased precipitation anomalies over the Seychelles–Chagos thermocline ridge of the southwestern Indian Ocean (and vice versa for years with strong upwelling/weak west Indian summer monsoon rainfall). The latter SST/precipitation anomalies are often related to El Niño conditions and the strength of the Indonesian–Australian monsoon during the previous winter. This sheds new light on the ability to forecast the poorly predicted Indian monsoon rainfall on a regional scale, helped by a proper ocean observing/forecasting system in the western tropical Indian Ocean.
Global Climate Model Performance over Alaska and Greenland
Authors: Walsh John E. , Chapman William L. , Romanovsky Vladimir , Christensen Jens H. , Stendel Martin
Published: May 2008

The performance of a set of 15 global climate models used in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project is evaluated for Alaska and Greenland, and compared with the performance over broader pan-Arctic and Northern Hemisphere extratropical domains. Root-mean-square errors relative to the 1958–2000 climatology of the 40-yr ECMWF Re-Analysis (ERA-40) are summed over the seasonal cycles of three variables: surface air temperature, precipitation, and sea level pressure. The specific models that perform best over the larger domains tend to be the ones that perform best over Alaska and Greenland. The rankings of the models are largely unchanged when the bias of each model’s climatological annual mean is removed prior to the error calculation for the individual models. The annual mean biases typically account for about half of the models’ root-mean-square errors. However, the root-mean-square errors of the models are generally much larger than the biases of the composite output, indicating that the systematic errors differ considerably among the models. There is a tendency for the models with smaller errors to simulate a larger greenhouse warming over the Arctic, as well as larger increases of Arctic precipitation and decreases of Arctic sea level pressure, when greenhouse gas concentrations are increased. Because several models have substantially smaller systematic errors than the other models, the differences in greenhouse projections imply that the choice of a subset of models may offer a viable approach to narrowing the uncertainty and obtaining more robust estimates of future climate change in regions such as Alaska, Greenland, and the broader Arctic.
The Prediction of Delinquency among Immigrant and Non-Immigrant Youth
Authors: Schmitt-Rodermund Eva , Silbereisen Rainer K.
Published: May 2008

Using a cross-sectional data set of 837 male adolescents (346 local Germans, 375 ethnic German immigrants from the countries of the Former Soviet Union (average length of residence = 7.6 years), 52 first-generation (= foreign born, average length of residence = 9.2 years) and 64 second-generation immigrants (= born in Germany) from other origins such as Turkey, Former Yugoslavia or Afghanistan) aged 15.4 years, this article brings together acculturation research with research on behavior problems in non-immigrant youth. Male immigrants reported higher numbers of delinquent acts pursued in the last 12 months than local boys. First-generation immigrants from mostly Muslim backgrounds show the highest amount of problem behavior. In spite of these differences, comparisons of structural equation models show that the prediction of delinquency is about the same (delinquent beliefs and friends, clique membership, parental monitoring, and language problems) for all four groups. Applying stepwise regression analyses, most of the culture-related variance in boys' delinquency is explained by the same set of predictors with delinquent beliefs and parental violence being the most powerful markers for the differences between the groups. The discussion sheds light on the living situation of immigrant youth in Germany and why delinquent beliefs may be of central importance to understanding the differences between local and immigrant youth.
A Comparison of African-Caribbean and White European Young Adults' Conceptions of Schizophrenia Symptoms and the Diagnostic Label
Authors: Stone L. , Finlay W.M.L.
Published: May 2008

Background: Discrepancies in the experiences of different ethnic groups in mental health services exist, such as in the persistently higher rates of schizophrenia diagnosis found among the African-Caribbean population compared to the white European population in the UK. Some hypotheses consider whether this is due to greater stigmatizing attitudes to mental illness in the African-Caribbean community, leading individuals to avoid treatment-seeking and an increased incidence of schizophrenia. This study aimed to investigate recognition and evaluation of schizophrenic symptoms across African-Caribbean and white European individuals.

Method: One hundred and twenty eight adult students from London colleges completed a questionnaire assessing stigma beliefs, evaluation of symptoms as mental illness and help-seeking beliefs, in response to symptom vignettes.

Results and Discussion: African-Caribbean participants indicated less stigmatizing beliefs towards both the symptoms and diagnostic label of schizophrenia compared to the white European participants. White European participants were more likely to label vignettes as implying `mental illness' and also more likely to recommend professional health treatment. These results are inconsistent with a hypothesis that on average African-Caribbean people stigmatize schizophrenia more than white European people. While white European participants' beliefs were more likely to follow a western model of mental illness, African-Caribbean participants were more likely to have alternative beliefs. The influence of racial discrimination, mental illness knowledge and societal structures are discussed.
Financial Crises and the Prospects for Recession1
Authors: Barrell Ray , Hurst Ian
Published: May 2008

Crises have a common shape but not always common consequences, as Barrell and Davis (2005) discuss. Asset bubbles are associated with the run-up to most crises and regulators should respond, taking an asset bubble as a signal of a need for precautionary action. It is easy to say that fundamentals have changed an asset market, and hard to spot a bubble. It is also common to suggest that interest rate policy should be set to constrain bubbles such as those in housing markets in recent years. Not only is it difficult for the central bank to use interest rates to constrain a bubble, it is also inappropriate if inflation is under control. It is for the financial market regulator, which may or may not be in the central bank, to respond to the bubble and strengthen its precautionary measures designed to raise lending standards.
Prospects for the Uk Economy
Authors: Barrell Ray , Kirby Simon
Published: May 2008

The UK economy has perhaps reached its most precarious position in over a decade because of global financial market developments. It is all but undeniable that GDP growth reached its zenith in 2007. The UK has been reasonably adept at weathering previous global storms over those ten years, partly through the fortuitous use of fiscal policy. However, the unfolding news on the current shocks to the UK economy suggests that they will be more difficult to offset than others seen since 1997.
Effects of Foreign Ownership On Innovation Activities: Empirical Evidence for Twelve European Countries
Authors: Falk Martin
Published: May 2008

In the present study we investigate the relationship between foreign ownership and innovation activities using the firmlevel data of the third Community Innovation Survey (CIS) covering twelve European countries. Probit estimates based on 28,000 firms' observations show that foreign-owned firms are more innovative than domestic firms, particularly in the New EU Member States. However, results from the Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition of the differences in the percentage of innovating firms between foreign-owned and domestic firms reveals that the differences are mainly due to the different firm characteristics rather than the differences in coefficients. In particular, the dominance of foreign-owned firms in the largest firm size group is the main factor contributing to the gap in the percentage of innovators between foreign-owned firms and domestic firms. Furthermore, using the fractional logit model, we find that in the New EU Member states, foreign ownership has a positive and significant impact on the share of market novelties as well as on the share of new products in turnover. In this case, the results from the Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition analysis indicate that the ownership difference in the share of innovative sales is not due to the differences in the observed firms' characteristics.
Age Stereotypes in the Workplace: Common Stereotypes, Moderators, and Future Research Directions†
Authors: Posthuma Richard A. , Campion Michael A.
Published: May 2008

The authors identify, analyze, and summarize prior research from 117 research articles and books that deal with age stereotypes in the workplace. They discover and report the most prevalent and well-supported findings that have implications for human resource management. These findings are described in terms of prevalent age stereotypes that occur in work settings, evidence refuting age stereotypes, and moderators of age stereotypes. The authors provide recommendations for practice and future research.
The effects of socio-technical enablers on knowledge sharing: an exploratory examination
Authors: Sue Young Choi  , Young Sik Kang  , Lee Heeseok
Published: May 2008

Recently, the need for knowledge management has been drastically increasing so organizations may meet the high level of dynamic, complex business change and uncertainty. In particular, knowledge sharing has been recognized as a critical process through which organizational knowledge can be utilized. For successful knowledge sharing, companies need to capitalize on various socio-technical enablers. The primary objective of this paper is to provide a better understanding of how these enablers can affect knowledge sharing intention and behavior, and explore practical implications for knowledge sharing. For this purpose, the paper proposes a theoretical model to investigate these enablers from a socio-technical perspective. PLS (Partial Least Square) analysis was employed to validate the model. This field study involves 164 users. Furthermore, interviews with experts were investigated for practical implications. Our analysis reveals that social enablers such as trust and reward mechanisms are more important than technical support in isolation for facilitating knowledge sharing.
The role of information competencies and skills in learning to abstract
Authors: Pinto Maria , Doucet Anne-Vinciane , Fernández-Ramos Andrés
Published: May 2008

The ability to abstract information is a basic competency in today's knowledge society, characterized by the mass diffusion of information and the need to manage and access it effectively. Yet abstracting is not an easy task, and requires a specific learning process. This paper examines the process of abstracting information from the perspective of competencies and skills-based learning of students of information and documentation. The competencies and skills necessary in this process, which are drawn from European sources on library science and documentation, are identified by analysing in detail the various stages and processes involved in writing an abstract. The general skills required for the whole process, as well as the specific skills for each stage, are determined. Guidelines and recommendations are put forward to facilitate the learning of these skills in the context of abstracting.
Pharmacological Effects of Nicotine on Norepinephrine Metabolism in Rat Brown Adipose Tissue: Relevance to Nicotinic Therapies for Smoking Cessation
Authors: Brees Dominique J. , Elwell Michael R. , Tingley F. David , Sands Steven B. , Jakowski Amy B. , Shen Amy C. , Cai Jenny Hon , Finkelstein Martin B.
Published: May 2008

In a two-year carcinogenicity study with administration of high doses of the partial nicotinic agonist varenicline (recently approved for smoking cessation), mediastinal hibernomas occurred in three male rats. To investigate potential mechanisms for partial and full nicotinic agonists to contribute to development of hibernomas, the effects of nicotine on rat brown adipose tissue (BAT) were studied. Male and female rats were administered nicotine at doses of 0, 0.3, and 1 mg/kg subcutaneously for fourteen days. Intrathoracic (mediastinal periaortic and mediastinal perithymic) BAT and interscapular BAT were examined microscopically, and determinations of uncoupling protein-1 (UCP-1) expression and norepinephrine (NE) content were made. Additionally, NE turnover was measured in mediastinal periaortic and perithymic BAT. Nicotine (1 mg/kg) administration resulted in decreased vacuolation only in mediastinal periaortic and mediastinal perithymic BAT of males and elevated UCP-1 in mediastinal periaortic BAT of males and females. Increased NE content occurred only in mediastinal periaortic BAT of males given 0.3 and 1 mg/kg doses, whereas NE turnover was decreased in both males and females given 1 mg/kg. Together, these data demonstrate that nicotine primarily affects mediastinal BAT in male rats, consistent with the gender and location of the hibernomas observed in the two-year carcinogenicity study.
Spermatid Head Retention as a Marker of 2,5-Hexanedione-induced Testicular Toxicity in the Rat
Authors: Bryant Bronwyn H. , Yamasaki Hideki , Sandrof Moses A. , Boekelheide Kim
Published: May 2008

Histopathological analysis is a basic methodology for assessing testicular injury after exposure to candidate therapeutics or toxicants. One possible injury response in rat testis is the failure of step 19 spermatids to spermiate. Such spermatids are transported toward the basement membrane, where they are retained for degradation by Sertoli cells. In control rats, these retained spermatid heads (RSH) were observed at Stages IX–XII. Exposure to the Sertoli cell toxicant, 2,5-hexanedione (HD), for eighteen days at 0.08%–1.0% in drinking water resulted in a dose-dependent increase in the number of RSH at Stages IX–XII (no observed effect level [NOEL], 0.14%). To explore the dynamics of spermatid head retention, rats were treated with 0.33% or 1% HD for various durations and RSH were assessed across all stages. After 0.33% HD exposure for eighteen days, there were more RSH present in Stage IX–XII tubules compared to control. Numbers of RSH dropped back to control levels after four weeks of recovery after the eighteen-day exposure. Exposure of rats to 1% HD for eighteen days resulted in markedly elevated numbers of RSH at Stages IX–II/III. There was no evidence of other histopathological alterations. These data identify RSH as a sensitive histopathological marker of testicular toxicity for subacute HD exposure.
Gene Profiling in the Livers of Wild-type and PPARα-Null Mice Exposed to Perfluorooctanoic Acid
Authors: Rosen Mitchell B. , Abbott Barbara D. , Wolf Douglas C. , Corton J. Christopher , Wood Carmen R. , Schmid Judith E. , Das Kaberi P. , Zehr Robert D. , Blair Eric T. , Lau Christopher
Published: May 2008

Health concerns have been raised because perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is commonly found in the environment and can be detected in humans. In rodents, PFOA is a carcinogen and a developmental toxicant. PFOA is a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) activator; however, PFOA is capable of inducing heptomegaly in the PPARα-null mouse. To study the mechanism associated with PFOA toxicity, wild-type and PPARα-null mice were orally dosed for 7 days with PFOA (1 or 3 mg/kg) or the PPARα agonist Wy14,643 (50 mg/kg). Gene expression was evaluated using commercial microarrays. In wild-type mice, PFOA and Wy14,643 induced changes consistent with activation of PPARα. PFOA-treated wild-type mice deviated from Wy14,643-exposed mice with respect to genes involved in xenobiotic metabolism. In PFOA-treated null mice, changes were observed in transcripts related to fatty acid metabolism, inflammation, xenobiotic metabolism, and cell cycle regulation. Hence, a component of the PFOA response was found to be independent of PPARα. Although the signaling pathways responsible for these effects are not readily apparent, overlapping gene regulation by additional PPAR isoforms could account for changes related to fatty acid metabolism and inflammation, whereas regulation of xenobiotic metabolizing genes is suggestive of constitutive androstane receptor activation.
Human Hepatocytes Can Repopulate Mouse Liver: Histopathology of the Liver in Human Hepatocyte-Transplanted Chimeric Mice and Toxicologic Responses to Acetaminophen
Authors: Sato Yasushi , Yamada Hiroshi , Iwasaki Kazuhide , Tateno Chise , Yokoi Tsuyoshi , Yoshizato Katsutoshi , Horii Ikuo
Published: May 2008

A human hepatocyte-transplanted chimeric mouse has been established by transplantation of human hepatocytes to urokinase-type plasminogen activator transgenic/severe combined immunodeficiency (uPA+/+/SCID) mice. These chimeric mice have various amounts of human hepatocytes that proliferate extensively and progressively replace mouse hepatocytes. In the chimeric liver, hepatic cords and sinusoid-like structures were observed. The human hepatocytes expressed human albumin, human cytochrome P450 enzymes, and human transporter proteins. Furthermore, electron microscopic analysis demonstrated bile canaliculi associated with human hepatocytes in the chimeric mouse livers. These results indicate that the chimeric mouse livers contain functionally intact and differentiated human hepatocytes. Additionally, the toxicologic response of hepatocytes to acetaminophen (APAP) administration was compared in normal and chimeric mouse livers. Following 1,400 mg/kg APAP, mild hepatocellular degeneration was observed in the human hepatocyte areas in the chimeric mice, compared with severe centrilobular hepatocellular necrosis in the ICR mouse livers. In conclusion, these chimeric livers contain functionally differentiated human hepatocytes, and are less susceptible to APAP toxicity, compared to ICR mice.
Lung Toxicity of 16 Fine Particles on Intratracheal Instillation in a Bioassay Model Using F344 Male Rats
Authors: Yokohira Masanao , Kuno Toshiya , Yamakawa Keiko , Hosokawa Kyoko , Matsuda Yoko , Hashimoto Nozomi , Suzuki Satoshi , Saoo Kousuke , Imaida Katsumi
Published: May 2008

We have developed a bioassay model to estimate toxicity of fine particles in the lungs at an early stage after intratracheal instillation ( Yokohira et al. 2005 ; Yokohira et al. 2007 ). The present experiment was conducted to improve the model by estimating appropriate doses based on dose-dependent toxicity of instilled quartz (4 mg to 0 mg) as a positive control and assessing the impact of powdered particles without suspension (Experiment 1). In addition, examination of the toxicity of a series of particles was performed with the developed bioassay (Experiments 2A, 2B, and 2C). The materials chosen were sixteen particles, including nanoparticles and diesel powder. Histopathological and immunohistochemical analysis of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) were performed after exposure of the lungs.

A dose of 2 mg quartz suspended in 0.2 mL saline was suggested to be most appropriate for sensitive detection of acute and subchronic inflammatory changes. Although some materials, including nanoparticles, demonstrated toxicity that was too strong for sensitive assessment, the ranking order could be given as follows: CuO > quartz > neutralized Na2PdCl4 > NiO > hydrotalcite > MnO2 > diesel > titanium dioxide (in Experiment 2B) > β-cyclodextrin > diesel standard > titanium dioxide (in Experiment 2A) > CaCO3.
Neurotoxic Effects of Zoniporide: A Selective Inhibitor of the Na+/H+Exchanger Isoform 1
Authors: Pettersen John C. , Chouinard Luc , Kerlin Roy L. , Groom Simon N. , Botts Suzanne , Arezzo Joseph C. , Boucher Mary A. , Frazier Donald E. , Buchholz Allan R.
Published: May 2008

Zoniporide, an inhibitor of the Na+-H+exchanger-1, was administered by continuous intravenous infusion to rats and dogs for up to 1 month. In 1-month studies, histological and functional changes were observed in select portions of the peripheral nervous system; however, these findings were not detected in 2-week studies at similar or higher doses. In the 1-month rat study, there was dose-dependent, minimal, focal, or multifocal nerve fiber (axonal) degeneration in the spinal cord and/or sciatic nerve. In a follow-up rat study, findings included slowing of caudal nerve conduction velocity and axonal degeneration in the spinal cord (dorsal funiculus), dorsal roots, dorsal root ganglia (DRG), radial, sciatic, and tibial nerves. In the 1-month dog study, there was impairment of the patellar reflex and associated postural reaction changes, minimal to marked proximal nerve fiber degeneration in the DRG, and minimal nerve fiber degeneration in the dorsal roots and funiculi of the spinal cord. Minimal nerve fiber degeneration of equivocal significance was noted in various peripheral nerves. Taken together, these findings were consistent with a specific effect on peripheral sensory nerve fibers. These studies demonstrated that zoniporide produces clinical, electrophysiologic, and microscopic evidence of peripheral sensory axonopathy and establishes the importance of careful preclinical evaluation of neurological function.
Generation Gaps in Attitudes Toward Sexist/Nonsexist Language
Authors: Parks Janet B. , Roberton Mary Ann
Published: May 2008

This study of attitudes toward sexist/nonsexist language reveals generation gaps in a sample of 18- to 87-year-olds ( N = 370). On average, participants are undecided about the merits of inclusive language, but older participants are more supportive than 18- to 22-year-olds. Attitudes toward women are a significant predictor of attitudes toward sexist/nonsexist language in all age—gender groups. Education is a stronger predictor than age; perspective-taking ability and gender self-esteem are each significant predictors for one age—gender group.
Processing Person Descriptions
Authors: Krolak-Schwerdt Sabine , Junker Nadine , Roth Rainer , Wintermantel Margret
Published: May 2008

Two experiments investigate the processing of person descriptions that consist of a number of statements about the characteristics of a person. In one condition, each statement refers to a single person attribute and in the other condition, causal (e.g., because) and additive (e.g., and) conjunctions are introduced to verbally link the statements. In a free recall experiment, it is found that the introduction of verbal links enhances participants' memory for the presented information. A self-paced reading-time experiment shows that the comprehension of person information is significantly facilitated by the introduction of verbal links. Furthermore, the results are due to the introduction of causal conjunctions. The findings are discussed in terms of their implications for social cognition research and social-psychological issues of language.
Developing an information management strategy
Authors: Waldron Martin
Published: May 2008

All too often organizations have a fragmented approach to Information Management Documents/data is duplicated in many places and users are expected to enter the same information many times. Developing an Information Management Strategy is the foundation stone that should be in place before considering cost justifying or implementing Electronic Document and Records Management System (EDRMS).
Narrative enquiry: A way to get organizations (and the people in them) talking and acting differently
Authors: Corney Paul , Ward Victoria
Published: May 2008

This article imagines a `factional' client in the transport sector. It covers in some detail, in an annotated table, the individual parts of an intervention to enquire into (and catalyze change through the process of enquiring into) the technical, practical and cultural conditions surrounding records and filing in the client. It concludes by considering what might be narratively distinctive about the methods we have applied and, more generally, with a reflection on the issues facing the narrative enquirer. The article is part of an ongoing enquiry by Sparknow. In other essays and research papers, we will be considering knowledge work and the knowledge worker; negative space and its role in knowledge transfer; and the role of museums, libraries and archives in creating narrative coherence, past, present and future, in the 21st century organization. Throughout, we are holding in mind two questions: How can individual and collective relationships to the collections of the organization combat inertia and indifference? What role can collections, and the interaction of people with them, play in the organization as a living system of knowledge transfer?
Away from prying eyes? The urban geographies of `adult entertainment'
Authors: Hubbard Phil , Matthews Roger , Scoular Jane , Agustín Laura
Published: May 2008

Most towns and cities in the UK and USA possess a number of venues offering sexually orientated entertainment in the form of exotic dance, striptease or lap dancing. Traditionally subject to moral and legal censure, the majority of these sex-related businesses have tended to be situated in marginal urban spaces. As such, their increasing visibility in more mainstream spaces of urban nightlife raises important questions about the sexual and gender geographies that characterize the contemporary city. In this paper we accordingly locate the phenomena of adult entertainment at the convergence of geographic debates concerning the evening economy, urban gentrification and the gendered consumption of urban space. We conclude that these sites are worthy of investigation not only in and of themselves, but also because their shifting location reveals much about the forms of heterosexuality and homosociality normalized in the contemporary city.
Continuum Dual-scale Modeling of Liquid Composite Molding Processes
Authors: Wang Y. , Moatamedi M. , Grove S.M.
Published: May 2008

In this study, a comprehensive continuum dual-scale model has been developed for LCM processes for woven fiber reinforcements. This model incorporates the main flow mechanisms involved, including mass exchange between dual-scale porosities, micro-diffusion within fiber tows between neighboring repeating unit cells (RUCs), and the capillary effect within fiber tows. Macro-and micro-flows are simulated at the same numerical scale. A sink and a source term are introduced into the two different scaled flows to couple them together. An unsaturated flow model is adopted to describe micro-diffusion within fiber tows between neighboring RUCs. The physics of the sink/ source term is modelled according to the impregnation of tows within a RUC. Two models developed in soil physics have been adopted to evaluate the capillary effect and the partially saturated permeability within fiber tows. A finite element method is employed to solve the governing equations, and a simple implicit time integration method is suggested. A 1D RTM example has been modeled. The modeling results indicate that all of the three main mechanisms have significant influences on the LCM processes, but the mass exchange between the dual porosities plays a dominate role, particularly under high injection rates.
Vibration Response of 3-D Space Accessible Sandwich Composite
Authors: Vaidya A.S. , Uddin N. , Vaidya U.K.
Published: May 2008

A 3-D sandwich composite comprising of E-glass core piles which are woven to the facesheets is considered in this work. This arrangement creates interstitial spaces in the core which can be used for foam infusion for sound/vibration damping, fluid storage, or for routing wires or inserts, in addition to providing strength. The vibroacoustic response of such multi-functional materials has received little attention and is an important issue when the structure witnesses mechanical vibrations. This article presents the vibration related studies carried out on the 3-D sandwich composite, infused with SC-15 resin. The frequency response function (FRF) and the damping ratios are the parameters of interest for this study. In this study the experimental data is presented for the unfoamed (as received) core configuration and the core filled with the polyurethane (PUR) foam. The average damping ratio of the unfoamed sandwich panel was found to be 0.55%. An increase of 150% in the damping ratio was observed for the PUR foam filled panels for a 77% increase in weight when compared to an unfoamed sandwich panel. Use of vibration as a non-destructive damage detection technique is demonstrated for beam specimens damaged by flexural loading. A reduction of 35% in the resonant frequency and 193% increase in the damping ratio was observed for approximately 6% core damage of the sandwich composite.
Production and Characterization of Alginate Microcapsules Produced by a Vibrational Encapsulation Device
Authors: Mazzitelli S. , Tosi A. , Balestra C. , Nastruzzi C. , Luca G. , Mancuso F. , Calafiore R. , Calvitti M.
Published: May 2008

The optimization, through a Design of Experiments (DoE) approach, of a microencapsulation procedure for isolated neonatal porcine islets (NPI) is described. The applied method is based on the generation of monodisperse droplets by a vibrational nozzle. An alginate/polyornithine encapsulation procedure, developed and validated in our laboratory for almost a decade, was used to embody pancreatic islets. We analyzed different experimental parameters including frequency of vibration, amplitude of vibration, polymer pumping rate, and distance between the nozzle and the gelling bath. We produced calcium—alginate gel microbeads with excellent morphological characteristics as well as a very narrow size distribution. The automatically produced microcapsules did not alter morphology, viability and functional properties of the enveloped NPI. The optimization of this automatic procedure may provide a novel approach to obtain a large number of batches possibly suitable for large scale production of immunoisolated NPI for in vivo cell transplantation procedures in humans.
Foucault and Spinoza: philosophies of immanence and the decentred political subject
Authors: Juniper James , Jose Jim
Published: May 2008

Deleuze has suggested that Spinoza and Foucault share common concerns, particularly the notion of immanence and their mutual hostility to theories of subjective intentionality and contract-based theories of state power. This article explores these shared concerns. On the one hand Foucault's view of governmentality and its re-theorization of power, sovereignty and resistance provide insights into how humans are constituted as individualized subjects and how populations are formed as subject to specific regimes or mentalities of government. On the other, Spinoza was concerned with how humans organized themselves into communities capable of self-government. In particular, his idea of immanent causality was crucial because central to his ideas of freedom and power. We argue that Spinoza's approach to power and causality prefigures ideas developed by Foucault in his theory of governmentality, especially with respect to his biopolitical rethinking of power and resistance.
Psychobiology, sex research and chimpanzees: philanthropic foundation support for the behavioral sciences at Yale University, 1923—41
Authors: Biehn Kersten Jacobson
Published: May 2008

Behavioral science research in American universities was promoted and influenced by philanthropic foundations. In the 1920s and 1930s, Rockefeller philanthropies in particular financed behavioral science research projects that promised to fulfill their mandates to `improve mankind', mandates that foundation officers transformed into an informal, loosely defined human engineering effort. Controlling behavior, especially sexual and social `dysfunction', was a major priority. The behavioral scientists at Yale University, led by president James R. Angell and `psychobiologist' Robert M. Yerkes, tapped into foundation largesse by crafting research programs that promised to contribute to the `welfare of mankind' through the investigation and control of sexual and social behavior. Foundation officers supported Yerkes' primate research because they accepted his premise that analyzing chimpanzee sexual behavior would yield valuable insights into the evolutionary underpinnings of human development and would thus give investigators the necessary information to ameliorate dysfunction. Between 1925 and 1940, philanthropic foundations contributed approximately $7 million to support the Yale Institute of Human Relations and the affiliated Yerkes Laboratories of Primate Biology. Yet, disappointment with the results of the Yale appropriations ultimately contributed to foundation officers turning away from behavioral sciences and toward biological sciences as they continued their efforts to improve mankind through human engineering. This article examines the interaction between foundation officers and Yale behavioral scientists to illustrate how scientific entrepreneurs successfully crafted rationales about human sexuality to solicit funds, how philanthropic foundation officers became enmeshed in the behavioral science research projects that they funded, and how a cooperative human engineering effort at Yale developed in the 1920s and unraveled in the 1930s.
Changing psychologies in the transition from industrial society to consumer society
Authors: Brinkmann Svend
Published: May 2008

Psychologists have traditionally been reluctant to investigate not just the historical nature of their subject matter — humans as acting, thinking and feeling beings — but even more so the historical nature of their discipline, its theories and practices. In this article, I will try to take seriously the historical transformation in the West from industrial society to consumer society. After having introduced these socio-economic designations, I shall try to illustrate how the transformation relates to changes in significant societal practices with a particular attention to education and work. Since its inception, psychology has been deeply involved in the management of human beings in and through these practices, and considerable changes have taken place in the dominant psychologies with the change from industrial to consumer society. I interpret psychoanalysis and behaviourism as psychologies of industrial society, and humanistic psychology and the more recent wave of social constructionism as psychologies of consumer society. With shifting psychologies also come shifting life problems and pathologies, which I briefly address.
Modern mass aberration: Hermann Broch and the problem of irrationality
Authors: Borch Christian
Published: May 2008

The mass theory of the Austrian novelist and philosopher Hermann Broch has been virtually ignored in social theory. However, the recent theoretical interest in crowds makes it pertinent to scrutinize this part of his work. This article presents and examines the fundamental architecture of Broch's Massenwahntheorie, its historical context and how it may contribute to contemporary social theory. Specifically, Broch's insistence on the irrational dimensions of human behaviour is analysed as well as his emphasis on psychological anxiety in modern society. It is argued that both aspects may point beyond the specific context of his writings and illuminate important general aspects of social and political life.
The contingent valuation method in public libraries
Authors: Chung Hye-Kyung
Published: May 2008

This study aims to present a new model measuring the economic value of public libraries, combining the dissonance minimizing (DM) and information bias minimizing (IBM) format in the contingent valuation (CV) surveys. The possible biases which are tied to the conventional CV surveys are reviewed. An empirical study is presented to compare the model with the conventional CVM and DM +IBM format. A cost—benefit analysis is used as a tool to determine if the benefit of public libraries outweighs the cost incurred in providing the services. The study conducts a case study in a public library to demonstrate how public libraries could apply the approach to their local studies.
Radial Glia Cells in the Developing Human Brain
Authors: Howard Brian M. , Zhicheng Mo  , Filipovic Radmila , Moore Anna R. , Antic Srdjan D. , Zecevic Nada
Published: May 2008

Human radial glia (RG) share many of the features described in rodents, but also have a number of characteristics unique to the human brain. Results obtained from different mammalian species including human and non-human primates reveal differences in the involvement of RG in neurogenesis and oligodendrogenesis and in the timing of the initial expression of typical RG immunomarkers. A common problem in studying the human brain is that experimental procedures using modern molecular and genetic methods, such as in vivo transduction with retroviruses or creation of knockout or transgenic mutants, are not possible. Nevertheless, abundant and valuable information about the development of the human brain has been revealed using postmortem human material. Additionally, a combination and spectrum of in vitro techniques are used to gain knowledge about normal developmental processes in the human brain, including better understanding of RG as progenitor cells. Molecular and functional characterization of multipotent progenitors, such as RG, is important for future cell replacement therapies in neurological and psychiatric disorders, which are often resistant to conventional treatments. The protracted time of development and larger size of the human brain could provide insight into processes that may go unnoticed in the much smaller rodent cortex, which develops over a much shorter period. With that in mind, we summarize results on the role of RG in the human fetal brain. NEUROSCIENTIST 14(5):459—473, 2008. DOI: 10.1177/1073858407313512
Health emigration: a challenge in paediatric oncology
Authors: Massimo Luisa M. , Wiley Thomas J. , Caprino Daniela
Published: May 2008

For the past 10 years European states have experienced an increasing flow of emigrating families from developing countries seeking better medical care for their sick children. For Italian paediatricians this has become a new challenge, considering the cultural differences in customs regarding the illness. The onset of a life-threatening disease has a strong impact on the family. The natural bond between the patient and the family must be preserved and strengthened; parents should be encouraged to entertain their child during hospitalization. The inclusion of art therapy may facilitate communication, especially for children of a different language and culture. This approach can help medical staff to understand better both the child's and the parents' anxieties and feelings. This article discusses facets of the now well-known phenomenon of `health emigration', that is, when a family searches abroad in the hope of finding the most advanced medical treatment possible for their sick child.
The Role of Human Resource Development Competencies in Facilitating Effective Crisis Communication
Authors: Reilly Anne H.
Published: May 2008

The problem and the solution. Effective crisis communication is one of the key components of effective crisis management, and this article describes key human resource development (HRD) competencies that facilitate crisis communication. Research from organization development, crisis management, and crisis communication is used to provide an integrated framework for studying crisis communication that emphasizes the role of HRD in coping with crises. A repertoire of techniques for crisis communication is provided, together with recommendations for companies seeking to enhance their firms' crisis management capacities through communication. Implications for HRD practice, theory, and research are provided.
The Risk in Exercise Training
Authors: Foster Carl , Porcari John P. , Battista Rebecca A. , Udermann Brian , Wright Glenn , Lucia Alejandro
Published: May 2008

Although exercise training is unequivocally of benefit relative to the risk of cardiovascular disease, there is a definable risk of complications during exercise training. In younger individuals, the risk is almost exclusively related to the presence of congenital abnormalities, whereas in older (∼40 years) individuals, the risk is largely related to atherosclerotic disease. In both groups, the risk of the underlying pathology leading to clinical presentation is increased by higher intensity exercise. In older individuals, preexercise screening is of potential benefit but is not generally well done. Exercise prescription should favor lower intensity exercise during the early weeks of an exercise program. Subjective methods, which do not rely on the results of an exercise test, including the Rating of Perceived Exertion and the Talk Test, are to be recommended because preliminary exercise testing is performed inconsistently. There are inadequate data regarding the spontaneous exercise training intensity in both healthy individuals and patients.