bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Influence of food‐web structure on the biodegradability of lake sediment
Authors: HARRAULT LOÏC , ALLARD BEATRICE , DANGER MICHAEL , MAUNOURY‐DANGER FLORENCE , GUILPART ALEXIS , LACROIX GERARD
Published: September 2012

1. Sediment plays a key role in internal nutrient cycling and eutrophication in lakes. However, studies focusing on the efficiency of the biomanipulation techniques for improving the control of primary producers have rarely examined the effects of changes in food‐web structure on the sediment biochemical composition and biodegradability.

2. In a 1‐year experiment conducted in large replicated mesocosms, we tested how the absence or presence of a zooplanktivorous fish (roach, Rutilus rutilus) affected the elemental composition and the potential biodegradability of recently deposited sediment in a eutrophic system. The potential biodegradability of these sediments was assessed in laboratory microcosms by measuring the production of CO2 during 44‐day incubations.

3. The potential biodegradability of recently deposited sediment from the fish treatment was 60% higher than that from the fishless treatment. This higher biodegradability was corroborated by a higher annual loss of sediment in fish enclosures (36%) than in fishless ones (16%). Annual losses of carbon, nitrogen and organic phosphorous were higher for sediment from fish enclosures.

4. Carbon and nitrogen contents of sediment were higher for the fish treatment. In contrast, the sediment C/N ratio, one of the proxies used to estimate sediment biodegradability, did not differ between treatments. No relationship was observed between elemental composition of sediment and its potential biodegradability. This latter appeared to be more probably dependent on the biochemical composition of the sediment and especially on the content of labile compounds such as proteins, sugars and polyunsaturated fatty acids. The use of sterols as biomarkers revealed an important degradation by microorganisms of 1‐year‐old sediment from both fish and fishless treatments.

5. Our results revealed that fish biomanipulations might favour clear water states not only through a stronger top–down control on phytoplankton but also through a lower biodegradability of sediment reducing internal nutrient cycling.
Anthropology and addiction: an historical review
Authors: Singer Merrill
Published: September 2012

Aims This paper reviews the world anthropology of drugs and alcohol use literature, identifying key issues addressed by anthropologists, methods and theoretical models in use, trends in focus over time and future directions.

Methods Papers and books that comprise the literature were identified through computer search using the keywords: ethnography of drug use (and variants, e.g. drug ethnography, qualitative approaches in drug research), ethnography of drinking, anthropology and drug use, and anthropology and drinking. Search engines included Google Scholar, EBSCOHost, AnthroSource and PubMed. Identified sources were read and integrated into the review.

Results and Conclusions The literature search identified a rich and growing literature on the anthropology of drinking and drug use. The research and published literature on the anthropology of drug use has grown and diversified since the 1970s, found acceptance in the wider multi‐disciplinary domain of alcohol and drug studies and developed beyond the socio‐cultural model to include life‐style, critical medical anthropology and experiential explanatory models. Anthropological research has helped to shape the field of addiction science, e.g. ethnographic studies show that the lived worlds and self‐identities of drug users have cultural order and socially constructed purpose and meaning, and experiential research shows that some addictions or aspects of addictions can be affirmative, creative and sustainable, at least at the individual level. The human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome pandemic has significantly increased anthropological research on drug‐related issues world‐wide.
Home enteral tube feeding in children with inherited metabolic disorders: a review of long‐term carer knowledge and technique
Authors: Evans S. , Preston F. , Daly A. , Ashmore C. , Holden C. , MacDonald A.
Published: September 2012

How to cite this article
 Evans S., Preston F., Daly A., Ashmore C., Holden C. & MacDonald A. (2012) Home enteral tube feeding in inherited metabolic disorders children: a review of long‐term carer knowledge and technique. J Hum Nutr Diet.

Background:  Home enteral tube feeding (HETF) is commonly used in children with inherited metabolic disorders (IMD). It is unclear how caregiver knowledge and their safety in using tube feeding techniques changes over time.

Methods:  Caregivers of children with IMD on HETF from one UK IMD centre had annual interviews over 3 years using a structured questionnaire and observation to assess HETF knowledge and safety techniques.

Results:  Thirty‐two caregivers of IMD children (median age 5.3 years; range 0.3–13.6 years) were studied. Seventy‐eight percent (n = 25) of subjects had been on HETF for >5 years. Over 3 years, many caregivers’ HETF techniques deteriorated: accurate feed ingredient measurement decreased from 36% to 11%; correct flushing of tubes decreased from 56% to 44%; checking tube position as recommended decreased from 72% to 56%; and correct hand washing decreased from 38% to 25%. Despite improvements, knowledge of some aspects remained poorly understood: dangers of incorrect tube placement increased from 41% to 56%; correct position for night feeding increased from 38% to 56%; and feed ingredient storage decreased from 87% to 38%.

Conclusions:  The HETF techniques of caregivers of children with IMD declined over time. Caregivers need to understand that HETF, particularly in IMD, is a serious procedure associated with life‐threatening risks. Poor HETF practices may cause feed contamination, incorrect feed concentration, feed intolerance, aspiration, peritonitis and even metabolic decompensation. HETF skills should be reassessed annually, with compulsory retraining if basic ‘core’ HETF competencies are not demonstrated.
Resistance to changing practice from pro re nata prescriptions to patient group directions in acute mental health settings
Authors: PRICE O. , BAKER J. A.
Published: September 2012

Accessible summary

Poor practice associated with pro re nata (PRN) prescriptions in mental health is common and has serious health consequences for mental health service users.

Patient group directions (PGDs) are structured prescribing protocols which increase nurses' accountability for practice associated with the supply of medicines and may improve practice in this area.

Attempts to replace PRN with the PGD throughout two mental health trusts were met with significant resistance by registered mental health nurses. The reasons for this were associated with anxieties over increased responsibility for practice, concerns related to the ‘medicalization’ of the nursing role and the increased paperwork associated with the PGD.

Poor practice associated with pro re nata (PRN) prescriptions in mental health is known to be common and can increase the risk of serious and potentially fatal side effects. A contributing factor to poor practice is the lack of a clear chain of accountability between the decision to prescribe and administer PRN prescriptions. To address this problem, a patient group direction (PGD) for acute behavioural disturbance (lorazepam 0.5–2 mg) and staff training materials were developed. The intention was to replace PRN prescriptions with the PGD in two mental health trusts. One of the potential benefits of this would be the removal of the contribution of PRN to high and combined dose antipsychotic prescriptions. This proposal, however, was met with significant resistance in both trusts and did not replace PRN as a result. A series of interviews and focus groups were conducted with 16 RMNs working in the two trusts, to explore the reasons why the PGD was met with resistance. Senior nurses perceived resistance to be associated with anxieties over increased responsibility for decision making. Junior nurses reported concerns regarding the medicalization of the nursing role, the paperwork associated with the PGD and the training approach used. Future efforts to implement PGDs in mental health settings must carefully consider the methods for engaging effectively with participating organizations, in terms of managing change and completing the necessary groundwork for successful implementation.
The effect of cognitive behavioural psycho‐education on premenstrual syndrome and related symptoms
Authors: TAGHIZADEH Z. , SHIRMOHAMMADI M. , FEIZI A. , ARBABI M.
Published: September 2012

Accessible summary

As the emerging of PMS and related symptoms is at the onset of reproductive age, interventions related to it should focus on adolescents as a high risk group.

As a result of current study researchers can use high schools as an appropriate setting for counselling and education especially in developing countries by the healthcare providers.

Interventions aiming to modify and promote lifestyle include changes in diet and physical activity pattern can alleviate symptoms appropriately.

Stress management strategies are main part of interventions regarding psychological symptoms of PMS (somatization, anxiety and hostility).

According to this study some psychological symptoms (such as depression and interpersonal sensitivity) may need more professional intervention.

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a distressing group of symptoms related to menstrual cycle during reproductive age. Its substantial burden on daily function and quality of life, particularly on mental aspects, was to the impetus for this study with the aim of determining the effectiveness of a psycho‐educational package on premenstrual syndrome and related symptoms. In a randomized clinical trial, 123 (17–19‐year‐old) adolescent girls with PMS were randomized to psycho‐educational intervention (including 62 subjects) and control (including 61) groups. The participants completed a demographic questionnaire, premenstrual syndrome symptom daily record scale and the Symptom Checklist‐90‐Revised (SCL‐90‐R). A paired and two independent samples t‐test and chi‐squared test were used for analysing data using spss statistical package. At the end of the study there was statistically significant decrease in severity of total PMS in intervention compared with control group (P < 0.001). Also, a significant difference in somatization, anxiety and hostility was observed between two groups (P < 0.05). However, depression marginally decreased (P < 0.1) in intervention group, and interpersonal sensitivity was not statistically different between intervention and control groups. Intervention alleviated the severity of PMS and related somatization, anxiety and hostility, yet it could not change the severity of depression and interpersonal sensitivity.
Anaphylactic reaction to probiotics. Cow’s milk and hen’s egg allergens in probiotic compounds
Authors: Martín‐Muñoz María Flora , Fortuni Monserrat , Caminoa Magdalena , Belver Teresa , Quirce Santiago , Caballero Teresa
Published: September 2012

To cite this article: Martín‐Muñoz MF, Fortuni M, Caminoa M, Belver T, Quirce S, Caballero T. Anaphylactic reaction to probiotics. Cow’s milk and hen’s egg allergens in probiotic compounds. Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2012: 23: 778–784.

Background:  Probiotics are used in the treatment of allergic diseases. We investigated the safety of probiotics for subjects with food allergy.

Material and methods:  Labels of probiotics commercially available in Spain were examined to assess their content of cow’s milk or hen’s egg. Skin prick tests with these compounds (20 mg/ml) were performed in five children allergic to cow’s milk, five children allergic to hen’s white egg, and five control subjects non‐allergic to food. Three serum pools: I (positive‐specific IgE to cow’s milk and hen’s egg white proteins), II (positive‐specific IgE to cow’s milk and negative to hen’s egg white proteins), and III (negative‐specific IgE to cow’s milk and positive to hen’s egg white proteins) were used to detect cow’s milk and hen’s egg white allergens in probiotics. ImmunoCAP® (Phadia), in‐house ELISA, SDS‐PAGE immunoblotting, and inhibition studies of these assays were performed. Proteins were quantified by enzyme‐immunoassay.

Results:  Eleven probiotics were studied. No label advertised about egg content, eight labels warned about lactose, lactic acid or cow’s milk, one label claimed to be milk‐free, and two gave no information. Cow’s milk proteins were detected, by at least one lab technique, in 10/11 probiotics, three over 2.5 mg/kg (21, 52, 112 mg/kg). Hen’s egg white proteins were detected in 3/11 probiotics, only one had more than 2.5 mg/kg (47 mg/kg).

Conclusion:  Probiotic compounds may contain hidden allergens of food and may not be safe for subjects with allergy to cow’s milk or hen’s egg.
Specific oral tolerance induction with raw hen’s egg in children with very severe egg allergy: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Dello Iacono Iride , Tripodi Salvatore , Calvani Mauro , Panetta Valentina , Verga Maria Carmela , Miceli Sopo Stefano
Published: September 2012

To cite this article: Dello Iacono I, Tripodi S, Calvani M, Panetta V, Verga MC, Miceli Sopo S. Specific oral tolerance induction with raw hen’s egg in children with very severe egg allergy: A randomized controlled trial. Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2012: 00.

Background:  Treatment of severe egg allergy is avoidance of hen’s egg (HE) and carrying self‐injectable epinephrine. Specific oral tolerance induction (SOTI) seems a promising alternative treatment. However, some aspects of SOTI are still considered experimental.

Methods:  We evaluated the efficacy and safety of an original 6‐month SOTI protocol in children with very severe HE allergy using raw HE emulsion. Twenty children (age range: 5–11 yr) were randomized equally into a SOTI treatment group and a control group. The treatment group started SOTI and underwent a second challenge 6 months later. Control children were kept on an egg‐free diet for 6 months and then underwent a second challenge.

Results:  After 6 months, 9/10 children of the SOTI group (90%) achieved partial tolerance (at least 10 ml, but <40 ml of raw HE emulsion, in a single dose) and 1 (10%) was able to tolerate only 5 ml (no tolerance). After 6 months, nine control children tested positive to the second challenge at a dose ≤0.9 ml of raw HE emulsion, and one reacted to 1.8 ml (SOTI vs. control group p < 0.0001). All children in the SOTI group had side effects, but no child had a grade 5 reaction according to the Sampson grading.

Conclusion:  Six months of SOTI with raw HE emulsion resulted in partial tolerance, with regular intake, in a significant percentage of children with severe egg allergy.
Pharmacodynamic effects of the oral glucokinase activator AZD6370 after single doses in healthy volunteers assessed with euglycaemic clamp
Authors: Sjöstrand M. , Ericsson H. , Hartford M. , Norjavaara E. , Eriksson J. W.
Published: September 2012

Aims

This study evaluated the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamic effects of the glucokinase activator (GKA) AZD6370 in non‐diabetic subjects, using the euglycaemic clamp to avoid the risk of hypoglycaemia.

Methods

Oral single ascending doses of AZD6370 10–650 mg or subcutaneous short‐acting insulin 4 or 12 U were given to healthy fasting subjects. AZD6370 safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics were assessed. Pharmacodynamic effects on serum (S)‐insulin and glucose infusion rate (GIR) were investigated with euglycaemic clamp. AZD6370 10–20 mg was also assessed when taken with food without euglycaemic clamp.

Results

AZD6370 was well tolerated and no safety concerns were raised. AZD6370 was rapidly absorbed and eliminated, and plasma concentration was proportional to dose. Both S‐insulin and GIR increased following AZD6370 administration. The observed increase in GIR correlated with increasing AZD6370 area under the plasma concentration vs. time curve, demonstrating a dose‐concentration‐dependent pharmacodynamic effect. AZD6370 at doses of 50 and 80 mg had similar effects to short‐acting insulin 4 U on peripheral S‐insulin levels but greater effects on GIR, suggesting an effect beyond the increase of peripheral S‐insulin levels at lower doses. In the food interaction part of the study, performed without euglycaemic clamp, dose escalation was stopped at a low dose (20 mg) because of hypoglycaemia.

Conclusion

The euglycaemic clamp was successfully used to avoid hypoglycaemia and to demonstrate pharmacodynamic effects, that is, markedly increased insulin secretion and glucose utilisation, following administration of AZD6370 in healthy fasting subjects. In addition to the effect on pancreatic insulin secretion, the data support an extra‐pancreatic (hepatic) component of GKA action.
“A Crime Against Humanity Arguably Without Parallel in European History”: Genocide and the “Politics” of Victimhood in Western Narratives of the Ukrainian Holodomor
Authors: Moore Rebekah
Published: September 2012

In the West, discussion about the Holodomor— the name given to the Ukrainian experience of the deadly famine which spread across several regions of the Soviet Union between 1932 and 1933 — has proved to be highly contentious.1 Much of the debate has focused on the genocidal “status” of the famine in Ukraine, with sharp divisions between the particular “schools” of thought. While many scholars have concluded that the famine was not a genocide, a significant body of literature has emerged which argues the opposite. In arguing for this genocidal interpretation, certain narratives about the Holodomor have developed which highlight important concerns about the “politics” of genocide and victimhood. One historian has suggested that “the word genocide has to be applied to the Ukrainian famine, the Holodomor”, otherwise “the word genocide loses all useful meaning”.2 The definitional parameters of the term are highly contested, however, and precisely what qualifies as “genocide” remains controversial. Furthermore, the discourse surrounding the Holodomor raises questions concerning the “attractiveness” of this classification, and the desire, as one commentator has phrased the issue, to “benefit from history” through claiming a particular type of victimisation.3 This paper will explore the nature of these “politics” and how they have found expression in the genocidal interpretation of the Holodomor. Overall, it cautions against allowing the agendas of the present to obfuscate ongoing efforts to adequately and appropriately come to terms with past atrocity.
Without a Family: Public Order, Social Welfare and Street Children in the Wartime Soviet Union
Authors: Kucherenko Olga
Published: September 2012

Homeless and delinquent children presented a serious problem for public order in the Soviet Union during the Second World War. Even though on paper the government was committed to re‐socialisation of street children, in practice it was a low priority for the state, busy fighting a war. The state's interventionist policies were more about exercising control over the population than protecting the children from the hardships of war. Inattentive to the consequences of its actions, the system not only undermined its own child welfare programme by producing additional orphans and displaced children, but also continued to spawn street urchins and delinquents through poor administration of criminal justice, the criminalisation of labour violations and the ineffective management of local resources. As a result, not only did the Stalinist state fail to live up to the image of an “extended family”, it had taken upon itself, but it also enacted some of the most abusive policies in the history of Soviet child welfare, sending out public volunteers to clean up the mess afterwards.
Preschoolers’ engagement with reading behaviours: a statistical discourse analysis of peer buddy‐reading interactions
Authors: Christ Tanya , Ming Chiu Ming , Wang X. Christine
Published: September 2012

Developing reading behaviours in early childhood is essential for later reading comprehension. This study explored how peer buddy reading could potentially support emergent readers’ engagement with reading behaviours. Across 40 buddy‐reading events, 14 preschoolers (ages 4.0–5.5 years) produced 1,359 conversation turns, which were coded for a variety of reading behaviours including comprehension, thematic vocabulary use and concepts about print. Using statistical discourse analysis, we examined how children's engagement with reading behaviours was related to their buddies’ engagement with reading behaviours in subsequent conversation turns during buddy‐reading events. Findings suggest that some of preschoolers’ reading behaviours, such as literal text representation, inferential text interpretation, character development and comprehension monitoring were related to their buddies’ engagement with reading behaviours; others, such as vocabulary and concepts about print, were not. Implications include that buddy reading can be used to support preschoolers’ engagement with some reading behaviours, such as certain aspects of comprehension.
Multinational Exposure and the Quality of New Chinese Exports
Authors: Swenson Deborah L. , Chen Huiya
Published: September 2012

We exploit information on the geographic, product and trader characteristics of China's 1997–2009 exports to examine how the evolving city‐industry presence of multinational firms influenced the quality, frequency and survival of new export transactions by private Chinese firms. Our results show that own‐industry multinational firm contact was associated with more frequent, higher‐valued, and longer‐lasting new trade transactions. These effects appear to arise from beneficial multinational spillovers, rather than selection effects due to increased multinational competition, as increases in own‐industry or other multinational presence were also associated with an increase in the number of trade transactions introduced by private Chinese firms.
Estimating the efficiency of Portuguese hospitals using an appropriate production technology
Authors: Marques Rui Cunha , Carvalho Pedro
Published: September 2012

This paper investigates the production technology of Portuguese hospitals using various statistical tests and highlights the importance of technology assessment before efficiency estimates are done. Two different models were considered, one based on monetary units and another on quantities for a 4‐year period (2005–2008). An analysis involving all observations (all years) simultaneously led to the conclusion that the technologies of the Portuguese hospitals are globally nonincreasing returns to scale for a confidence interval of 95%. Based on this technology, we found significant inefficiency levels in the Portuguese hospitals. We also concluded that most groups of hospitals had improvements in the studied period and, on average, both models prove that single hospitals and those located in the North were the most efficient. An analysis of returns to scale seems to indicate that hospitals should reach an optimal scale by reducing their cost levels and increasing their assets.
Thermal regeneration of spent coal‐based activated carbon using carbon dioxide: process optimisation, Methylene Blue decolorisation isotherms and kinetics
Authors: Duan Xin‐Hui , Srinivasa Kannan Chandrasekar , Qu Wen‐Wen , Wang Xin , Peng Jin‐Hui , Zhang Li‐Bo , Xia Hong‐Ying
Published: September 2012

Spent coal‐based activated carbon from the silicon industry has been used as raw material for the regeneration of activated carbon, with carbon dioxide as the regenerating agent. The regeneration process was optimised using response surface methodology and the optimum regeneration conditions were: regeneration temperature 985 °C; regeneration time 120 min; and carbon dioxide flow rate of 600 ml/min. The iodine number and yield of the activated carbon obtained under the optimum regeneration conditions were 1071 mg/g and 67%, with a Brunauer–Emmet–Teller surface area of 1270 m2/g and pore volume of 0.91 cm3/g. The regenerated carbon was tested for the removal of Methylene Blue dyes. The maximum adsorption capacity was found to be 395 mg/g and the equilibrium data fitted to the Langmuir isotherm model. The kinetic data indicated that the best fit corresponds to the pseudo‐second‐order kinetic model.
Helicobacter pylori and Nonmalignant Diseases
Authors: Shmuely Haim , Katicic Miroslava , Filipec Kanizaj Tajana , Niv Yaron
Published: September 2012

The incidence of peptic ulcer disease has declined over the last few decades, particularly in Western populations, most likely as a result of the decrease in Helicobacter pylori infection and the widespread use of proton‐pump inhibitors (PPI) in patients with dyspepsia. The hospital admission rate for uncomplicated duodenal and gastric ulcers has significantly decreased worldwide. In contrast, admissions for complicated ulcer disease, such as bleeding peptic ulcers and perforation, remained relatively stable. Prophylactic H. pylori eradication was found to be associated with a reduced risk of both gastric and duodenal ulcers and their complications, including bleeding in chronic users of nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs. The recent Helicobacter Eradication Relief of Dyspeptic Symptoms trial presented important data relating to symptoms and quality of life of H. pylori‐positive patients with functional dyspepsia (FD) and also demonstrated significant benefits from eradication compared with the control group. The new Asian consensus report on FD recommended that dyspepsia accompanied by H. pylori infection should be considered a separate disease entity from FD and that H. pylori infection should be eradicated before diagnosing FD. The association of H. pylori with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is still controversial. Treatment for H. pylori does not seem to increase GERD symptoms or reflux esophagitis. However, documented eradication of H. pylori appears to significantly improve GERD symptoms. Additional long‐term intervention studies are needed to provide more information on which to base clinical decisions.
Helicobacter pylori in Pediatrics
Authors: Homan Matjaž , Hojsak Iva , Kolaček Sanja
Published: September 2012

This review summarizes important pediatric studies published from April 2011 up to March 2012. Proteomics profile of ulcerogenic Helicobacter pylori strains was defined in the most interesting study of the last year. The antigen stool test is becoming the “gold standard” in prevalence studies, and according to the last epidemiologic studies, the prevalence of H. pylori infection in childhood is not decreasing any more in the developed world. The resistance rate of H. pylori strains is high in children. Therefore, among other important issues concerning H. pylori in pediatrics, guidelines published by ESPGHAN and NASPGHAN last year also recommended culture and susceptibility testing before first‐line treatment in areas with high or unknown antibiotic resistance rates.
Helicobacter spp. Other than H. pylori
Authors: Rossi Mirko , Hänninen Marja‐Liisa
Published: September 2012

Significant advances have been made over the last 12 months in the understanding of the biology of non‐H. pylori Helicobacter species (NHPH). Several studies have investigated the association between NHPH and human disease, including Crohn's disease, lithiasis, liver disease, coronary disease, gastritis, and pyoderma gangrenosum‐like ulcers. Novel Helicobacter taxa were identified in new vertebrate hosts, and new methodologies in the fields of identification of Helicobacter spp. and evaluation of antibiotic resistance were described. The genome of the first human‐derived gastric NHPH strain (Helicobacter bizzozeronii CIII‐1) was sequenced, and several studies elucidated functions of different genes in NHPH. A number of important investigations regarding pathogenesis and immunopathobiology of NHPH infections have been published including the description of a new urease in Helicobacter mustelae. Finally, the effects of the gut microbiota and probiotics on NHPH infections were investigated.
An Initial Investigation of Sexual Minority Youth Involvement in School‐Based Extracurricular Activities
Authors: Toomey Russell B. , Russell Stephen T.
Published: September 2012

Sexual minority youth are at risk for negative school‐based experiences and poor academic outcomes. Yet, little is known about their experiences in positive school‐based contexts. Using the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (1,214 sexual minority and 11,427 heterosexual participants), this study compared participation rates in, predictors of, and outcomes associated with three types of school‐based extracurricular activities—sports, arts, and school clubs—by sexual orientation and gender. Findings revealed several significant sexual orientation and gender differences in participation rates in school‐based sports, clubs, and arts activities. Furthermore, findings suggested that the outcomes associated with extracurricular activity involvement do not differ by sexual orientation and gender; however, predictors of participation in these domains varied across groups.
Psychology and Globalization: Understanding a Complex Relationship
Authors: Marsella Anthony
Published: September 2012

Within the last two decades, globalization has emerged as one of the most popular topics for study among the social sciences. In contrast, however, to other social science disciplines that immediately grasped the importance of globalization as a trans‐disciplinary macro‐level concept capable of describing, explaining, and predicting social phenomena, globalization has not yet achieved widespread popularity in psychology. This article discusses the concept of globalization, its emergence, definitions, meanings, consequences, and critical implications for psychology.
The What, Why, Who, and How of Globalization: What is Psychology to Do?
Authors: Prilleltensky Isaac
Published: September 2012

Globalization is an amorphous construct that requires demarcation. To do that, I attempt to answer the what, who, why and how of globalization. The first question consists of three elements: people, products, and processes. The second question contains two parts: by whom and for whom. The third answer consists of an agentic response and a socio‐historical one. Finally, the last question contains several answers, ranging from the psychological to the political. The second part of the paper deals with the implications of globalization for psychology. I call on psychology to embrace (a) an ecological and multidimensional view of well‐being, (b) an ecological and multidimensional view of justice, and (c) a systematic approach to personal, organizational, and societal change. These changes will be more likely if psychology renounced its support for the societal status quo.
Relationship between Self‐Report and Proxy Ratings on Assessed Personal Quality of Life‐Related Outcomes
Authors: Claes Claudia , Vandevelde Stijn , Van Hove Geert , van Loon Jos , Verschelden Griet , Schalock Robert
Published: September 2012

Quality of life scores obtained from self‐reports might not be the same as those obtained from a family member or direct support staff. The purpose of the two studies reported in this article was to evaluate further the impact on quality of life scores of self‐report vs. proxy ratings. The Personal Outcomes Scale was administered to persons with an intellectual disability. The self‐report version, as well as the direct observation version, was administered. In the use of the direct observation form, direct support staff and family members acted as respondents. Study 1, which evaluated the consistency between self‐report and direct observation data using support staff as proxy respondents, found significant mean differences between the two respondent groups in three quality of life domains and an acceptable level of internal consistency for both self‐report and direct observation strategies. Study 2, which evaluated the difference between self‐report (by the client) and proxy ratings (of the same individual) using direct observation interviews with family and support staff as respondents, found some differences between client and staff ratings but no significant differences between client and family ratings. Correlations between respondent group scores fell within the “good category.” The authors noted the need for methodological pluralism in quality of life assessment, the importance of self‐report by persons with intellectual disability, and the need to develop better and more reliably user‐friendly strategies to evaluate quality of life outcomes for those individuals who either do not or cannot respond for themselves.
Risk and the limits of governance: Exploring varied patterns of risk‐based governance acrossEurope
Authors: Rothstein Henry , Borraz Olivier , Huber Michael
Published: September 2012

Risk‐based approaches to governance are widely promoted as universally applicable foundations for improving the quality, efficiency, and rationality of governance across policy domains. Premised on the idea that governance cannot eliminate all adverse outcomes, these approaches provide a method for establishing priorities and allocating scarce resources, and, in so doing, rationalise the limits of what governance interventions can, and should, achieve. Yet cursory observation suggests that risk‐based approaches have spread unevenly across countries. Based on a comparison of theUK,France, andGermany, this article explores the ways in which, and why, such approaches have “colonised” governance regimes in theUK, but have had much more limited application inFrance andGermany. We argue that the institutionally patterned adoption of risk‐based governance across these three countries is related to how entrenched governance norms and accountability structures within their national polities handle both the identification and acceptance of adverse governance outcomes.
Time series analysis of interdependent phases of the electricity industry in South Korea
Authors: Heshmati Almas , Kim Yeonhak
Published: September 2012

This study specifies and estimates a model to investigate the relationship between different phases of the electricity industry and market. These include the generation, transmission, distribution and demand segments. Common variables that explain these segments are identified and their effects estimated. Korean time series data from the period 1961 to 2008 are considered for the empirical analysis. In the study, a series of steps is conducted. First, using cointegration and causality tests, the relationships between the variables of interest are established. Second, each phase is specified as a function of its determinants. Third, the phases are then estimated as an interdependent recursive system. By using the predicted values of variables from the previous phases, a possible endogeneity problem is avoided. Fourth, a model for the forecast is specified and estimated, and the future demand predicted. Finally, based on the results, policy guidelines are suggested to improve the market structure of the industry, and measures are proposed to achieve the stated goals of the industry and market.
MEASURING THE IMPACT OF EDUCATIONAL INTERVENTIONS ON THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF ACADEMIC DEVELOPMENT STUDENTS IN SECOND‐YEAR MICROECONOMICS
Authors: SMITH LEONARD C. , RANCHHOD VIMAL
Published: September 2012

This paper analyses the impact of educational interventions made in the first‐ and second‐year microeconomics courses on academic development students' final mark in the second‐year course. It also addresses issues of methodology, specification, and statistical analysis with respect to other studies in the field. The results suggest that the educational interventions in the first‐year had a positive impact on the academic performance of the academic development cohort, relative to the mainstream cohort for the first period (2000‐2002). The results also suggest that the educational interventions introduced in the second period (2003‐2005), in the form of voluntary workshops, improved the academic performance of the academic development and mainstream cohorts.
NO‐ARBITRAGE ONE‐FACTOR MODELS OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN TERM STRUCTURE OF INTEREST RATES
Authors: ALING PETER , HASSAN SHAKILL
Published: September 2012

Short‐term interest rate processes determine the term structure of interest rates in an arbitrage‐free market and are central to the valuation of interest rate derivatives. We obtain parameter estimates and compare the empirical fit of alternative one‐factor continuous‐time processes for the South African short‐term interest rate (and hence of arbitrage‐free term structure models) using Gaussian estimation methods. We find support only for diffusions where the interest rate volatility is moderately sensitive to the level of the interest rate. Other common models with restrictions that either preclude this effect, or restrict it to be too high, do not fit the data. Differences in the specification of the drift function have no evident effect on model performance.
REVISITING THE EFFICIENT MARKET HYPOTHESIS FOR AFRICAN COUNTRIES: PANEL SURKSS TEST WITH A FOURIER FUNCTION
Authors: ZHANG DONGXIANG , WU TSUI‐CHIH , CHANG TSANGYAO , LEE CHIA‐HAO
Published: September 2012

This study applies the panel seeming unrelated regression of the Kapetanios‐Shin‐Snell (SURKSS) test with a Fourier function to investigate the time‐series properties of stock prices in five African countries (i.e. Egypt, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa and Tunisia) over the period of January 2000–April 2011. The empirical results from the univariate unit root and panel‐based unit root tests indicate that unit root hypothesis can not be rejected for these five countries under study. However, results from the panel SURKSS test with a Fourier function indicate that unit root hypothesis can be rejected for Egypt and Morocco, two countries under study. Our results indicate that the weak‐form efficient market hypothesis holds in the other three countries, namely, Kenya, South Africa and Tunisia.
INFRASTRUCTURE QUALITY AND MANUFACTURING EXPORTS IN AFRICA: A FIRM‐LEVEL ANALYSIS
Authors: MOYO BUSANI
Published: September 2012

Using bilateral trade flow models, a body of empirical work has documented how geography and infrastructure variables affect trade performance. However, in this paper, we apply censored regression models like the Tobit and Probit on firm‐level manufacturing data from 10 African countries, and results suggest that inadequate infrastructure in the form of customs, transport, electricity and water negatively affects export intensity and participation. Owning a generator and private water source also appear to have a significant impact on exports. This, therefore, means that firms can minimise the impact of power and water disruption on production, and hence trade by installing these alternative energy and water sources.
Development of natural tolerance and induced desensitization in cow’s milk allergy
Authors: Savilahti Emma M. , Savilahti Erkki
Published: September 2012

Cow’s milk allergy (CMA) affects 2–3% of infants. It resolves in the great majority spontaneously during childhood. CMA encompasses a spectrum of clinical and immunologic characteristics. Non‐IgE‐mediated allergy typically resolves earlier than IgE‐mediated allergy. The most documented prognostic characteristic is that intense‐specific IgE response predicts persistence of CMA. Low serum levels of cow’s milk (CM)‐specific IgG4 are also associated with persistent CMA. Natural development of tolerance involves an immunologic shift where Th2 responses diminish, and Th1 as well as T regulatory cell responses strengthen. Accordingly, specific IgE levels decrease and specific IgG4, possibly also IgA, levels increase in serum. Specific oral immunotherapy (OIT) with CM induces desensitization in most cases where spontaneous recovery has not yet occurred. Data on long‐term tolerance induction are still scarce. According to current research data, the immunologic changes induced by OIT resemble those seen during natural development of tolerance.
Zariski chambers on surfaces of high Picard number
Authors: Bauer Thomas , Schmitz David
Published: September 2012

We present an improved algorithm for the computation of Zariski chambers on algebraic surfaces. The new algorithm significantly outperforms the currently available method and therefore allows us to treat surfaces of high Picard number, where huge numbers of chambers occur. As an application, we efficiently compute the number of chambers supported by the lines on the Segre–Schur quartic.
Extracting Quantitative Information on Pipe Wall Damage in Absence of Clear Signals From Defect
Authors: Shelke Amit , Amjad Umar , Vasiljevic Milos , Kundu Tribikram , Grill Wolfgang
Published: September 2012

It has been well established that guided waves are sensitive to structural damages encountered on their path of propagation and for this reason this technique is very efficient for distinguishing defective structural components from defect-free ones. Although the guided wave technique can identify a specimen having a distribution of defects, detecting and quantifying a small defect on its path from a long distance, as required for structural health monitoring (SHM) applications, is not an easy task for the guided wave inspection technique even today, especially when the transducers cannot come in direct contact with the pipe wall. The current technological challenges for pipe inspection by generating guided waves using noncontact transducers are to detect a small defect on the pipe wall and estimate its location and size from a long distance when the reflected signal from the defect cannot be clearly identified as is the case for low frequency guided waves that can propagate long distances. Electro-magnetic acoustic transducers (EMATs) are used here to generate guided waves in the pipe by the noncontact technique. This paper shows how small a defect in a pipe wall can be detected and its location and dimension can be estimated using relatively low frequency guided waves generated and received by EMATs even when the defect signal is not clearly visible in the time history plot because various wave modes reflected from the defect and pipe ends overlap.
Improved Incremental J-Integral Equations for Determining Crack Growth Resistance Curves
Authors: Zhu Xian-Kui
Published: September 2012

The J-integral resistance curve is the most important material properties in fracture mechanics that is often used for structural integrity assessment. ASTM E1820 is a commonly accepted fracture toughness test standard for measuring the critical value of J-integral at the onset of ductile fracture and J-R curve during ductile crack tearing. The recommended test procedure is the elastic unloading compliance method. For a stationary crack, the J-integral is simply calculated from the area under the load-displacement record using the η-factor equation. For a growing crack, the J-integral is calculated using the incremental equation proposed by Ernst et al. (1981, “Estimations on J-integral and Tearing Modulus T From a Single Specimen Test Record,” Fracture Mechanics: Thirteenth Conference, ASTM STP 743, pp. 476–502) to consider the crack growth correction. For the purpose of obtaining accurate J-integral values, ASTM E1820 requires small and uniform crack growth increments in a J-R curve test. In order to allow larger crack growth increments in an unloading compliance test, an improved J-integral estimation is needed. Based on the numerical integration techniques of forward rectangular, backward rectangular, and trapezoidal rules, three incremental J-integral equations are developed. It demonstrates that the current ASTM E1820 procedure is similar to the forward rectangular result, and the existing Garwood equation is similar to the backward rectangular result. The trapezoidal result has a higher accuracy than the other two, and thus it is proposed as a new formula to increase the accuracy of a J-R curve when a larger crack growth increment is used in testing. An analytic approach is then developed and used to evaluate the accuracy of the proposed incremental equations using single-edge bending and compact tension specimens for different hardening materials. It is followed by an experimental evaluation using actual fracture test data for HY80 steel. The results show that the proposed incremental J-integral equations can obtain much improved results of J-R curves for larger crack growth increments and are more accurate than the present ASTM E1820 equation.
Optimization of Pipe Repair Sleeve Design
Authors: Arif A. F. M. , Al-Nassar Yaqoub N. , Al-Qahtani Hussain , Khan Shafique M. A. , Anis Muhammad , Eleiche A. M. , Inam Muhammad , Al-Nasri Nadhir I. , Al-Muslim Hussain M.
Published: September 2012

For the repair of pipeline defects, repair sleeves are the most widely used method in petrochemical industry. The objective of this work was to optimize the thickness of nonpressure containing repair sleeve, by refining the existing design practice. Laboratory studies involving instrumentation of small-scaled repair sleeve system coupled with finite element analysis were carried out to refine the design procedure and optimize the thickness of the sleeve. Using a unified approach for finite element modeling, including failure pressure estimation and simulation of sleeve installation pressure, 24 cases ranging from 6 to 60 in. nominal diameter were investigated. In this paper, the details of the optimization approach used in this investigation are presented.
Equivalent CTOD Ratio β for Engineering Assessment of CTOD Correction for Constraint Loss
Authors: Ohata Mitsuru , Minami Fumiyoshi
Published: September 2012

The critical CTOD δWP for structural components associated with plastic constraint loss in case of the brittle fracture over small-scale yielding condition can be corrected from CTOD fracture toughness δ by means of the “equivalent CTOD ratio β” defined as δ/δWP, which is based on the Weibull stress criterion. In this study, taking the case of specific wide plate components subjected to uni-axial tensile load, the effect on β is analyzed taking account of Weibull shape parameter m, loading level, constraint effect that can be influenced by material work-hardening and crack type/size in structural components, etc., and volumetric effect. It is found that the β-value is almost constant beyond the applied CTOD level that is lower than CTOD of small-scale yielding limit (SSY-limit) for 25 mm thick toughness specimen. From an engineering point of view, the β-value at the CTOD level of 0.01 mm is used in the whole loading range beyond SSY-limit CTOD, which provides to some extent conservative measure of fracture toughness of structural components. The defined β is found to decrease with increasing Weibull shape parameter m and yield-to-tensile ratio YR of steel for all type of wide plates concerned. The crack length effect on β is quasi-theoretically formulated, which can convert the β for the wide plate with reference crack size to β for target crack size. These β and quasi-theoretical equations for the correction of crack size effect can be utilized for estimating the CTOD for wide plate in consideration of constraint loss effect without numerical calculation of the Weibull stress.