bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Constitutive activation of stress‐inducible genes in a brassinosteroid‐insensitive 1 (bri1) mutant results in higher tolerance to cold
Authors: Kim Sun Young , Kim Beg Hab , Lim Chan Ju , Lim Chae Oh , Nam Kyoung Hee
Published: October 2009

Many plant hormones are involved in coordinating the growth responses of plants under stress. However, not many mechanistic studies have explored how plants maintain the balance between growth and stress responses. Brassinosteroids (BRs), plant‐specific steroid hormones, affect many aspects of plant growth and development over a plant's lifetime. In this study we determined that exogenous treatment of BR helped the plant overcome the cold condition only when pretreated with less than 1 nM, and the brassinosteroid‐insensitive 1 (bri1) mutation, which results in defective BR signaling and subsequent dwarfism, generates an increased tolerance to cold. In contrast, BRI1‐overexpressing plants were more sensitive to the same stress than wild‐type. We found that the bri1 mutant and BRI1‐overexpressing transgenic plants contain higher basal level of expression of CBFs/DREB1s than wild‐type. However, representative cold stress‐related genes were regulated with the same pattern to cold in wild‐type, bri1‐9 and BRI1 overexpressing plants. To examine the global gene expression and compare the genes that show differential expression pattern in bri1‐9 and BRI1‐GFP plants other than CBFs/DREB1s, we analyzed differential mRNA expression using the cDNA microarray analysis in the absence of stress. Endogenous expression of both stress‐inducible genes as well as genes encoding transcription factors that drive the expression of stress‐inducible genes were maintained at higher levels in bri1‐9 than either in wild‐type or in BRI1 overexpressing plants. This suggests that the bri1‐9 mutant could always be alert to stresses that might be exerted at any times by constitutive activation of subsets of defense.
Reproductive barriers between two sympatric beetle species specialized on different host plants
Authors: XUE H.‐J. , MAGALHÃES S. , LI W.‐Z. , YANG X.‐K.
Published: October 2009

Knowledge on interspecific pre‐ and post‐zygotic isolation mechanisms provides insights into speciation patterns. Using crosses (F1 and backcrosses) of two closely related flea beetles species, Altica fragariae and A. viridicyanea, specialized on different hosts in sympatry, we measured: (a) the type of reproductive isolation and (b) the inheritance mode of preference and host‐specific performance, using a joint‐scaling test. Each species preferred almost exclusively its host plant, creating strong prezygotic isolation between them, and suggesting that speciation may occur at least partly in sympatry. Reproductive isolation was intrinsic between females of A. fragariae and either A. viridicyanea or F1 males, whereas the other crosses showed ecologically dependent reproductive isolation, suggesting ecological speciation. The genetic basis of preference and performance was at least partially independent, and several loci coded for preference, which limits the possibility of sympatric speciation. Hence, both ecological and intrinsic factors may contribute to speciation between these species.
Anthropometric indices as predictors of the metabolic syndrome and its components in adolescents
Authors: Jung Christian , Fischer Nicole , Fritzenwanger Michael , Figulla Hans R.
Published: October 2009

Background:  Overweight and related health problems are becoming increasingly recognized, especially in children and adolescents. For early screening, different anthropometrical measurements of obesity have been proposed to identify individuals at risk. We compared body mass index (BMI), BMI standard deviation score, waist circumference, waist‐to‐hip ratio (WHR), and waist/height ratio with respect to their power to predict the metabolic syndrome, its components and low‐grade inflammation.

Methods:  A total of 79 male Caucasian German adolescents (13–17 years) were studied. All anthropometrical measurements of obesity were recorded and blood samples drawn. Predictive power was estimated using receiver operating characteristic curves, by comparing the area under the curve (AUC).

Results:  Except for WHR, all tested anthropometrical measurements of obesity showed comparably good AUC values for correct prediction, with the highest AUC for BMI (P < 0.001, AUC = 0.885 ± 0.039). Superior prediction power was not observed for BMI standard deviation score, waist circumference, WHR or waist/height ratio. Furthermore, BMI was the best predictor of elevated C‐reactive protein levels as a marker for low‐grade inflammation (P < 0.001, AUC = 0.786 ± 0.064).

Conclusions:  In this cross‐sectional study the well‐established parameter BMI was shown to have the best predictive power to identify metabolic syndrome, its components and markers for low‐grade inflammation. Newly developed parameters did not provide superior values. Future longitudinal studies are needed to compare these anthropometrical markers in larger cohorts, incorporating different age groups and ethnic backgrounds.
Clinical guideline for male lower urinary tract symptoms
Authors: Homma Yukio , Araki Isao , Igawa Yasuhiko , Ozono Seiichiro , Gotoh Momokazu , Yamanishi Tomonori , Yokoyama Osamu , Yoshida Masaki
Published: October 2009

Abstract:  This article is a shortened version of the clinical guideline for lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), which has been developed in Japan for symptomatic men aged 50 years and over irrespective of presumed diagnoses. The guideline was formed on the PubMed database between 1995 and 2007 and other relevant sources. The causes of male LUTS are diverse and attributable to diseases/dysfunctions of the lower urinary tract, prostate, nervous system, and other organ systems, with benign prostatic hyperplasia, bladder dysfunction, polyuria, and their combination being most common. The mandatory assessment should comprise medical history, physical examination, urinalysis, and measurement of serum prostate‐specific antigen. Symptom and quality of life questionnaires, bladder diary, residual urine measurement, urine cytology, urine culture, measurement of serum creatinine, and urinary tract ultrasonography would be optional tests. The Core Lower Urinary Tract Symptom Score Questionnaire may be useful in quickly capturing important symptoms. Severe symptoms, pain symptoms, and other clinical problems would indicate urological referral. One should be careful not to overlook underlying diseases such as infection or malignancy. The treatment should be initiated with conservative therapy and/or medicine such as α1‐blockers. Treatment with anticholinergic agents should be reserved only for urologists, considering the risk of urinary retention. The present guideline should help urologists and especially non‐urologists treat men with LUTS.
Dynamic marine protected areas can improve the resilience of coral reef systems
Authors: Game Edward T. , Bode Michael , McDonald‐Madden Eve , Grantham Hedley S. , Possingham Hugh P.
Published: October 2009

Ecology Letters (2009) 12: 1336–1346

Marine Protected Areas are usually static, permanently closed areas. There are, however, both social and ecological reasons to adopt dynamic closures, where reserves move through time. Using a general theoretical framework, we investigate whether dynamic closures can improve the mean biomass of herbivorous fishes on reef systems, thereby enhancing resilience to undesirable phase‐shifts. At current levels of reservation (10–30%), moving protection between all reefs in a system is unlikely to improve herbivore biomass, but can lead to a more even distribution of biomass. However, if protected areas are rotated among an appropriate subset of the entire reef system (e.g. rotating 10 protected areas between only 20 reefs in a 100 reef system), dynamic closures always lead to increased mean herbivore biomass. The management strategy that will achieve the highest mean herbivore biomass depends on both the trajectories and rates of population recovery and decline. Given the current large‐scale threats to coral reefs, the ability of dynamic marine protected areas to achieve conservation goals deserves more attention.
Linking dispersal, immigration and scale in the neutral theory of biodiversity
Authors: Chisholm Ryan A. , Lichstein Jeremy W.
Published: October 2009

Ecology Letters (2009) 12: 1385–1393

In the classic spatially implicit formulation of Hubbell’s neutral theory of biodiversity a local community receives immigrants from a metacommunity operating on a relatively slow timescale, and dispersal into the local community is governed by an immigration parameter m. A current problem with neutral theory is that m lacks a clear biological interpretation. Here, we derive analytical expressions that relate the immigration parameter m to the geometry of the plot defining the local community and the parameters of a dispersal kernel. Our results facilitate more rigorous and extensive tests of the neutral theory: we conduct a test of neutral theory by comparing estimates of m derived from fits to empirical species abundance distributions to those derived from dispersal kernels and find acceptable correspondence; and we generate a new prediction of neutral theory by investigating how the shapes of species abundance distributions change theoretically as the spatial scale of observation changes. We also discuss how our main analytical results can be used to assess the error in the mean‐field approximations associated with spatially implicit formulations of neutral theory.
Consumer‐resource theory predicts dynamic transitions between outcomes of interspecific interactions
Authors: Nathaniel Holland J. , DeAngelis Donald L.
Published: October 2009

Ecology Letters(2009) 12: 1357–1366

Interactions between two populations are often defined by their interaction outcomes; that is, the positive, neutral, or negative effects of species on one another. Yet, signs of outcomes are not absolute, but vary with the biotic and abiotic contexts of interactions. Here, we develop a general theory for transitions between outcomes based on consumer–resource (C–R) interactions in which one or both species exploit the other as a resource. Simple models of C–R interactions revealed multiple equilibria, including one for species coexistence and others for extinction of one or both species, indicating that species’ densities alone could determine the fate of interactions. All possible outcomes [(+ +), (+ −), (−−), (+ 0), (− 0), (0 0)] of species coexistence emerged merely through changes in parameter values of C–R interactions, indicating that variation in C–R interactions resulting from biotic and abiotic conditions could determine shifts in outcomes. These results suggest that C–R interactions can provide a broad mechanism for understanding context‐ and density‐dependent transitions between interaction outcomes.
Diversity of human colonic butyrate‐producing bacteria revealed by analysis of the butyryl‐CoA:acetate CoA‐transferase gene
Authors: Louis Petra , Young Pauline , Holtrop Grietje , Flint Harry J.
Published: October 2009

Butyrate‐producing bacteria play an important role in the human colon, supplying energy to the gut epithelium and regulating host cell responses. In order to explore the diversity and culturability of this functional group, we designed degenerate primers to amplify butyryl‐CoA:acetate CoA‐transferase sequences from faecal samples provided by 10 healthy volunteers. Eighty‐eight per cent of amplified sequences showed > 98% DNA sequence identity to CoA‐transferases from cultured butyrate‐producing bacteria, and these fell into 12 operational taxonomic units (OTUs). The four most prevalent OTUs corresponded toEubacterium rectale,Roseburia faecis,Eubacterium halliiand an unnamed cultured species SS2/1. The remaining 12% of sequences, however, belonged to 20 OTUs that are assumed to come from uncultured butyrate‐producing strains. Samples taken after ingestion of inulin showed significant (P = 0.019) increases inFaecalibacterium prausnitzii. Because several of the dominant butyrate producers differ in their DNA % G+C content, analysis of thermal melt curves obtained for PCR amplicons of the butyryl‐CoA:acetate CoA‐transferase gene provides a convenient and rapid qualitative assessment of the major butyrate producing groups present in a given sample. This type of analysis therefore provides an excellent source of information on functionally important groups within the colonic microbial community.
BANK CAPITAL REQUIREMENTS, BUSINESS CYCLE FLUCTUATIONS AND THE BASEL ACCORDS: A SYNTHESIS
Authors: Drumond Ines
Published: October 2009

Abstract In order to survey the mechanisms through which the introduction of Basel II bank capital requirements is likely to accentuate the procyclical tendencies of banking, this paper brings together the theoretical literature on the bank capital channel of propagation of exogenous shocks and the literature on the regulatory framework of capital requirements under the Basel Accords. We conclude that the theoretical models that revisit the bank capital channel under the new accord generally support the Basel II procyclicality hypothesis and that the magnitude of the procyclical effects essentially depends on (i) the composition of banks' asset portfolios, (ii) the approach adopted by banks to compute their minimum capital requirements, (iii) the nature of the rating system used by banks, (iv) the view adopted concerning how credit risk evolves through time, (v) the capital buffers over the regulatory minimum held by the banking institutions, (vi) the improvements in credit risk management and (vii) the supervisor and market intervention under Basel II. The recent events and instability in financial markets all over the world have led the procyclicality issue to enter the agendas of several political international fora and some measures to mitigate procyclicality are being put forward. The bank capital channel literature should now play an important role in evaluating their effectiveness.
Resilience Comes of Age: Defining Features in Later Adulthood
Authors: Ong Anthony D. , Bergeman C. S. , Boker Steven M.
Published: October 2009

ABSTRACT
Historically, resilience research has been largely the purview of developmental investigators dealing with early childhood and adolescence. This research primarily focused on at‐risk children who were exposed to significant and severe life adversities (e.g., extreme poverty, parental mental illness, community violence). The study of resilience in adulthood and later life, by comparison, remains largely understudied. In this article, we describe a program of research on adulthood resilience. We begin with a selective review of the broad literature on resilience, giving emphasis to the major approaches, empirical findings, and guiding principles that characterize prior studies. We then summarize our own approach to the phenomenon of resilience and illustrate select parts of our previous and ongoing studies of older adults. Findings from this research add to the growing body of empirical evidence suggesting that resilience is a common phenomenon that emerges from the coordinated orchestration of basic human adaptive processes.
Measuring the Performance of Acquisitions: An Empirical Investigation Using Multiple Criteria
Authors: Papadakis Vassilis M. , Thanos Ioannis C.
Published: October 2009

The performance of corporate acquisitions is a popular research topic. Researchers have employed various criteria in their attempt to evaluate acquisition performance. This paper replicates and extends a previous study by investigating the comparability of the three most widely used measures of acquisition performance, namely accounting‐based measures, cumulative abnormal returns and managers' subjective assessments, in a non‐Anglo Saxon setting. Empirical testing is based on a sample of 50 domestic acquisitions carried out by Greek firms. Overall, results from the three measures indicate failure rates from 50% to 60%. However, the most impressive finding stems from the comparison (correlation analysis) of the alternative measures. Accounting‐based measures are positively correlated to managers' subjective assessments. Contrarily, cumulative abnormal returns are not correlated to either accounting‐based measures or managers' subjective assessments. This lack of statistically significant relationships between the performance criteria may provide a plausible basis for explaining some of the contradictory results often reported in the mergers and acquisitions literature. In light of these findings, we discuss their implications for both theory and practice and suggest ideas for future research.
Investigating the Moderating Effects of Leader–Member Exchange in the Psychological Contract Breach–Employee Performance Relationship: A Test of Two Competing Perspectives
Authors: Restubog Simon Lloyd D. , Bordia Prashant , Tang Robert L. , Krebs Scott A.
Published: October 2009

Leader–member exchange (LMX) has been characterized as a form of social support capable of buffering the effects of negative work experiences. However, employees with high‐quality relationships with leaders in the organization may have stronger negative reactions when psychological contracts are breached. Thus, while a social support perspective would suggest that LMX minimizes the adverse impact of psychological contract breach on employee performance, a betrayal perspective proposes that high LMX would aggravate the negative effects. Using cross‐sectional and longitudinal research designs, results across three samples provided support for the betrayal perspective. That is, breach had a stronger negative relationship with organizational citizenship behaviours and in‐role performance under conditions of high LMX. Implications of these results and future research directions are discussed.
The Lockean Case for Religious Tolerance: The Social Contract and the Irrationality of Persecution
Authors: Pevnick Ryan
Published: October 2009

John Locke's non-religious arguments for tolerance are often seen as inadequate. He is criticized for: (1) failing to give reasons in support of a strict separation between the roles of church and state; and (2) wrongly insisting that the coercion of belief is irrational. I argue that once we understand Locke's arguments for tolerance within the context of his social contract framework, his non-sectarian arguments can circumvent such criticisms. Lockean arguments for tolerance are thus stronger than typically supposed.
It Takes Two to Fight in School, Too: A Social Relations Model of the Psychometric Properties and Relative Variance of Dyadic Aggression and Victimization in Middle School
Authors: Card Noel A. , Hodges Ernest V. E.
Published: October 2009

Aggressive behavior has been well studied in terms of interindividual differences among aggressors and victims, but has been understudied, especially within naturalistic contexts, in terms of aggressor–victim relationships. The social relations model (SRM) is a powerful conceptual and analytic tool for studying dyadic phenomena, and we describe the use of multivariate SRM to study aggression. Boys and girls (N = 210) in middle schools (sixth and seventh grades) completed a newly created dyadic aggression and victimization inventory (DAVI). Results support the reliability and validity of the DAVI in assessing inter‐individual and inter‐dyadic differences in aggression and victimization. Occurrences of aggression were accounted for primarily by inter‐dyadic variability, indicating the importance of considering aggressor–victim relationships. We discuss the implications of this relationship focus for future research and intervention efforts.
Cycles of Innovation in Managing Academic Workloads
Authors: Barrett Lucinda , Barrett Peter
Published: October 2009

Complexity and demands within higher education are seen to be rising and one response to this has been a movement towards the adoption of more formal approaches to workload management. The objectives of these systems revolve around improving equity in allocations and achieving a more efficient and transparent use of resources. This article draws from the work of a partnership of 12 diverse universities to illustrate, through case studies, a school‐driven and a centrally led development for managing workloads. This activity is then explored through the concept of convergent and divergent activity occurring progressively at different organisational levels, and around ideas about the dynamic relationship between continuity and change that this will involve. We suggest that although the initial focus of activity may seem important, ultimately viable systems involve a negotiated balance between central and local requirements.
A longitudinal study of depressiveness in children in public care
Authors: Bulat Linda Rajhvajn
Published: October 2009

Rajhvajn Bulat L. A longitudinal study of depressiveness in children in public care

Int J Soc Welfare 2010: 19: 412–423 © 2009 The Author, Journal compilation © 2009 Blackwell Publishing Ltd and the International Journal of Social Welfare.

The aim of this article is to analyse the challenges involved when making longitudinal observations of depressiveness in children raised in public care. The first measurement comprised 375 children from children's homes and foster families; however, most of the results are based on an analysis of the 139 children who participated in both parts of the research. We used the Child Depression Inventory and the anxiety/depression subscales of Youth Self Report and Child Behaviour Checklist as measures of depressiveness. The comparison of results from the first and second measurements showed that depressiveness in children in public care decreased over time. Children who grew up in children homes were, in the first measurement, more depressed than those living in foster families, but after five years that difference had disappeared. Furthermore, decrease in depressiveness is predominantly associated with less frequent delinquent, aggressive or hyperactive behaviour, less withdrawal and better control over uncomfortable emotions.
Partnerships for Demolition: The Governance of Urban Renewal in East Germany's Shrinking Cities
Authors: BERNT MATTHIAS
Published: October 2009

Recent discussions of urban governance have emphasized a trend towards the ‘entrepreneurialization’ of local politics. This model has been intensively discussed and well documented. However, although this concept has been well tested in economically prosperous locations, less attention has been paid to the situation in marginalized regions characterized by a weak economy and a declining population. Taking eastern Germany as an example of a socio‐economic context marked by deindustrialization and population decline, the article discusses three main aspects of local governance arrangements under such conditions. First ‘coping with decline’ has become a more important issue in local politics than ‘entrepreneurial’ growth‐strategies. Second, successful public–private coalition‐building is severely complicated. Third, local politics are more dependent on resources from the national government than on private investment, lending greater significance to the national level and resulting in ‘grant coalitions’ rather than ‘growth coalitions’. The article focuses on these different experiences and discusses their implications for the analysis of urban governance.

De récentes discussions sur la gouvernance urbaine ont mis en évidence une tendance ‘entrepreneuriale’ de la politique locale. Ce modèle a été largement analysé et documenté. Toutefois, même si ce concept a été mis à l'épreuve sur des sites d'économie prospère, on s'est moins intéresséà la situation dans des régions marginalisées caractérisées par une économie faible et une population en déclin. Prenant l'Allemagne de l'Est comme exemple de contexte socio‐économique marqué par la désindustrialisation et le déclin démographique, l'article y examine trois grands aspects des dispositifs de gouvernance locale. Premièrement, ‘gérer le déclin’ est devenu une priorité de la politique locale plus prégnante que les stratégies de croissance ‘entrepreneuriales’. Deuxièmement, les coalitions public‐privé performantes sont extrêmement difficiles à constituer. Troisièmement, la politique locale dépend davantage des ressources gouvernementales nationales que de l'investissement privé, ce qui confère une prédominance au niveau national et génère des ‘coalitions de subventionnement’ au lieu de ‘coalitions de croissance’. En s'intéressant à ces différentes expériences, l'article examine leurs implications dans l'analyse de la gouvernance urbaine.
The Contribution of Regional Networks to Innovation and Challenges for Regional Policy
Authors: GELLYNCK XAVIER , VERMEIRE BERT
Published: October 2009

In this article regional networking is defined as the set of interactions between companies and a diversity of regional partners by which the company acquires vital external resources. Previous research illustrates the positive effect of regional networking on innovation in the agribusiness sector. Furthermore, the embedded nature of networks and external resources opens opportunities for regional policymakers to enhance innovation and hence regional economic performance. Building further upon this vast literature and by interviewing food companies in a Belgian subregion, this article explores two research questions: first, the contribution of regional networking to different innovation types; second, whether, as regional policymakers aim at reinforcing these regional networks, differences in attitude towards public network support exist between the innovation classes. The discussion relates our findings to contemporary insights into the learning economy. We advocate a more targeted approach towards particular subgroups with respect to their behaviour in networking and their innovation capacity. In particular, the group of ‘followers’ is identified as a target group requiring appropriate support.

Cet article présente les réseaux régionaux comme un ensemble d'interactions entre des sociétés et tout un éventail de partenaires régionaux à travers lesquels l'entreprise acquiert des ressources externes essentielles. Des recherches antérieures ont montré l'incidence positive des réseaux régionaux sur l'innovation dans l'agro‐industrie. En outre, réseaux et ressources externes étant par nature imbriqués, ils offrent aux décideurs d'actions régionales la possibilité de stimuler l'innovation, donc les performances de l'économie régionale. À partir de ces publications et d'entretiens dans des sociétés agroalimentaires d'une région belge, cette étude s'intéresse à deux aspects: d'une part, comment les réseaux régionaux contribuent aux divers types d'innovation; d'autre part, s'il existe, entre les catégories d'innovation, des différences d'attitude à l'égard du soutien public aux réseaux, les décideurs d'actions régionales cherchant à consolider ces derniers. L'article relie les résultats de l'étude aux perspectives contemporaines sur l'économie apprenante. Il préconise une approche plus ciblée vers certains sous‐groupes en fonction de leur comportement dans les réseaux et de leur capacité d'innovation. Il identifie notamment le groupe des ‘suiveurs’ comme cible nécessitant des mesures d'aide appropriées.
Photoepilation with variable pulsed light in non‐facial body areas: evaluation of efficacy and safety
Authors: Holzer G , Nahavandi H , Neumann R , Knobler R
Published: October 2009

Background  Variable Pulsed Light (VPL™) is a new intensity pulse light (IPL) system. We evaluated VPL for safety and long‐term efficacy in non‐facial hair removal.

Study design/material and methods  The Variable Pulsed Light [VPL™ System (Energist Limited, UK), 610–950 nm] system was used for the removal of unwanted non‐facial dark pigmented body hair in 42 volunteers (40 females, two males, age: 18–43 years, mean: 30.4 ± 7.4 years) with Fitzpatrick skin phototype (SPT) II (33.3%), III (38.1%) and IV (28.6%), and brown (43.8%) or black (56.2%) fine (19.0%), medium (47.6%) or coarse (9.4%) body hair. Minimum follow‐up period was 12 months (mean: 13.14 ± 2.38). Treatment parameters were as follows: number × duration of micropulses: 15 × 5–15 × 7 ms, pulse delay: 1–8 ms, fluence: 30–45 J/cm2.

Results  Very good (≥76% hair reduction) and good treatment efficacies (hair reduction: 51–75%) were observed in the majority of treated patients (n = 18; 42.9%; n = 14; 33.3% respectively), four patients (9.5%) had only moderate (hair reduction: 26–50%) and six (14.3%) patients had no (hair reduction ≤25%) treatment response. Side‐effects (reversible erythema, leukotrichia) were sparse. More favourable long‐term therapy outcomes were observed for higher SPT (III and IV), medium or coarse black hair and younger patients.

Conclusion  The VPL™ System is a relatively efficient and safe treatment for long‐term hair removal. Higher SPT (III and IV) with black and medium to coarse hair, and younger age of the patients appear to be factors of significant importance predicting long‐term efficacy.
Treatment of nail psoriasis with adalimumab: an open label unblinded study
Authors: Rigopoulos D , Gregoriou S , Lazaridou E , Belyayeva E , Apalla Z , Makris M , Katsambas A , Ioannides D
Published: October 2009

Background  Despite numerous advances in the therapeutic management of cutaneous psoriasis, there is a lack of standardized therapeutic regimens for psoriatic nail disease.

Objective  An open, non‐randomized, unblinded study was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of adalimumab in the treatment of nail psoriasis.

Patients/methods  Seven patients suffering from severe plaque‐type psoriasis and 14 with psoriatic arthritis and cutaneous psoriasis with concomitant nail involvement were enrolled into the study. The applied dose regimen of adalimumab was the same as the one recommended for cutaneous psoriasis. Outcome measures were assessed at baseline and at weeks 12 and 24 using the Nail Psoriasis Severity Index (NAPSI). Patients also filled in a Greek translation of the international onychomycosis‐specific questionnaire to assess the impact of the nail improvement on their quality of life.

Results  All 21 patients completed the study and were eligible for statistical analysis. Significant improvement was recorded after the eighth injection. Mean NAPSI (NAPSIm) at baseline was 10.57 ± 1.21 for the fingernails and 14.57 ± 2.50 for the toenails in patients with just cutaneous psoriasis and 23.86 ± 2.00 for the fingernails and 29.29 ± 2.87 for the toenails in patients with psoriatic arthritis. NAPSIm at week 12 was 5.57 ± 0.78 for the fingernails and 9.57 ± 2.17 for the toenails in patients with just cutaneous psoriasis and 12.86 ± 1.05 for the fingernails and 19.21 ± 2.07 for the toenails in patients with psoriatic arthritis. NAPSIm after 24 weeks of treatment was 1.57 ± 0.20 for the fingernails and 4.14 ± 1.58 for the toenails in patients with cutaneous psoriasis and 3.23 ± 0.32 for the figernails and 10.00 ± 1.40 for the toenails in patients with psoriatic arthritis. Treatment was well tolerated with minimal and temporary side‐effects limited to the site of injection. All patients were satisfied, while marked improvement in their quality of life was recorded based on the reduction of the scores obtained from the international quality of life questionnaire.

Conclusions  Despite the lack of a control group, our results demonstrate a beneficial effect of adalimumab on psoriatic nail disease.
The Psychological Impact of Violence on Staff Working with Adults with Intellectual Disabilities
Authors: Howard Ruth , Rose John , Levenson Victor
Published: October 2009

Background  Staff in intellectual disability services can experience high levels of violence, which may lead to burnout. Staff burnout may result in poorer quality services. Previous research has suggested that factors such as fear of violence, self‐efficacy and staff support moderate the impact of violence on burnout.

Aims  The research explores the relationship between levels of violence, with fear of violence, self‐efficacy, staff support and burnout.

Method  A survey exploring levels of violence, fear of violence, burnout, self‐efficacy and staff support was completed by 44 care staff in a medium‐secure setting with a high incidence of violence, and 38 care staff in community settings with a low incidence of violence.

Results  Medium‐secure staff reported significantly lower fear of violence and higher self‐efficacy compared with community staff. Increased burnout significantly correlated with increased perceived exposure to physical violence and reduced staff support. Self‐efficacy demonstrated a significant moderator relationship with levels of violence and burnout. Higher threats of violence significantly correlated with lower fear of violence.

Conclusion  Services which are organized to manage violence may be better placed to support staff experiencing violence. Fear of violence may decrease with exposure to violence, perhaps due to increased self‐efficacy. Training and support for staff may increase self‐efficacy, thus reducing burnout. Longitudinal research is needed to increase understanding of the relationship between violence and burnout.
Self‐Harm Among People with Intellectual Disabilities Living in Secure Service Provision: A Qualitative Exploration
Authors: Brown Jessica , Beail Nigel
Published: October 2009

Background  Research into self‐harm among people with intellectual disabilities has focused predominantly on high frequency internally maladaptive behaviour among people whose disability is severe or profound. Research into different forms of self‐harm, such as cutting or burning the skin, found in those with mild intellectual disabilities; especially those living in secure accommodation, has largely been neglected, although there has been recognition of its impact on individuals and staff working in this field. This study aimed to address this issue through exploration of the experiences and understanding of self‐harm among people with intellectual disabilities living in secure accommodation. A second aim was to explore experiences of interventions associated with this behaviour.

Method and Results  Semi‐structured interviews were carried out with nine people who self harm, have intellectual disabilities and had been placed in secure accommodation. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis yielded three master themes. The first related to the interpersonal context of self‐harm and included sub themes relating to past experiences of abuse and loss, and current issues of control and protection. The second master theme related to the emotional experience of self‐harm, which varied throughout the process of self‐harm and was characterized by anger, frustration, hopelessness, relief, guilt and regret. The third master theme related to the management of self‐harm. Participants had experience of helpful individual and collaborative strategies, as well as interventions that were experienced as controlling, unhelpful or ridiculing.

Conclusion  Emerging themes are considered in relation to the wider‐self‐harm literature and current psychotherapeutic models. A number of limitations to the study are noted and the use of this methodology with people with intellectual disabilities was discussed.
Action and reaction of host and pathogen during Fusarium head blight disease
Authors: Walter Stephanie , Nicholson Paul , Doohan Fiona M.
Published: October 2009

TheFusarium species Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium culmorum, which are responsible for Fusarium head blight (FHB) disease, reduce world‐wide cereal crop yield and, as a consequence of their mycotoxin production in cereal grain, impact on both human and animal health. Their study is greatly promoted by the availability of the genomic sequence of F. graminearum and transcriptomic resources for both F. graminearum and its cereal hosts. Functional genomic, proteomic and metabolomic studies, in combination with targeted mutagenesis or transgenic studies, are unravelling the complex mechanisms involved in Fusarium infection, penetration and colonization of host tissues, and host avoidance thereof. This review illuminates and integrates emerging knowledge regarding the molecular crosstalk between Fusarium and its small‐grain cereal hosts. An understanding of the complexity of the host–pathogen interactions will be instrumental in designing new efficient strategies for the control of FHB disease.
Memory impairment in children with language impairment
Authors: BAIRD GILLIAN , DWORZYNSKI KATHARINA , SLONIMS VICKY , SIMONOFF EMILY
Published: October 2009

Aim  The aim of this study was to assess whether any memory impairment co‐occuring with language impairment is global, affecting both verbal and visual domains, or domain specific.

Method  Visual and verbal memory, learning, and processing speed were assessed in children aged 6 years to 16 years 11 months (mean 9y 9m, SD 2y 6mo) with current, resolved, and no language impairment using the Wide Range Assessment of Memory and Learning (WRAML), a standardized memory and learning test for children, and the Children’s Test of Non‐Word Repetition (CNRep), a test of phonological short‐term memory. Fifty‐one children (38 males, 13 females) with current speech and language impairment from 49 families were compared with 13 siblings (11 males, 2 females) with a past history of language impairment and 26 (15 males, 11 females) who had never had language impairment.

Results  Children with current language impairment showed impairment in all verbal memory measures compared with children who had never had language impairment, and these impairments were still evident in children with a past history of learning impairment. Visual memory and learning were not impaired compared with children who had never had language impairment. The severity of verbal memory impairment correlated with the degree of language impairment.

Interpretation  We concluded that in language impairment there is domain specificity of memory impairment affecting verbal processing.
Hand function in relation to brain lesions and corticomotor‐projection pattern in children with unilateral cerebral palsy
Authors: HOLMSTRÖM LINDA , VOLLMER BRIGITTE , TEDROFF KRISTINA , ISLAM MOMINUL , PERSSON JONAS KE , KITS ANNIKA , FORSSBERG HANS , ELIASSON ANN‐CHRISTIN
Published: October 2009

Aim  To investigate relationships between hand function, brain lesions, and corticomotor projections in children with unilateral cerebral palsy (CP).

Method  The study included 17 children (nine males, eight females; mean age 11.4 [SD 2.4] range 7–16y), with unilateral CP at Gross Motor Function Classification System level I and Manual Ability Classification System level I or II. Hand function was assessed with the Box and Blocks test and Assisting Hand Assessment (AHA). Conventional structural magnetic resonance images were assessed visually for type, location, and extent of brain lesions. Single‐pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) provided information on organization of corticomotor projections.

Results  The most favourable hand function was seen in children who had white‐matter damage of immaturity with mild white‐matter loss and contralateral motor projections. Children with ipsilateral projections had the most impaired function. Nevertheless, in this subgroup a range of ability was seen (AHA 29–59%). Motor‐projection patterns appeared to be influenced by lesion extent and location, but not by lesion type.

Interpretation  Combining information from structural magnetic resonance images and TMS can improve prediction of hand function. A wide variation in hand function was seen within all motor‐projection patterns. Although the most impaired hand function was seen in the ipsilateral motor‐projection group, some children in this group had fairly good ability. Such information is important for treatment planning.
Callers’ perceptions of receiving advice via a medical care help line
Authors: Ström Mayvor , Marklund Bertil , Hildingh Cathrine
Published: October 2009

Background:  Telephone consultations with specially trained nurses are becoming an increasingly common form of care.

Aim:  To describe patients’ perceptions of receiving advice via a medical care help line.

Results:  The patients perceived the help line as a professional, reliable and easily accessible asset in everyday life, that self‐care is promoted through personal advice and that the help line is a partner with whom one can discuss reflections and feelings. It is also a kind of ‘back up’. The advice service is perceived as satisfactory when the nurse is calm, friendly, confirming and shows respect. Compliance and acceptance are enhanced when patients feel involved in the decision‐making process. The fact that the service is easily accessible is perceived as simple and time saving.

Conclusions:  Seen from the patient’s perspective, the telephone contact with the help line is a simple, easily accessible and secure alternative that is appreciated and used. Caring encounters gave rise to feelings, influenced by the agreement between one’s own needs and expectations, the encounter between human beings and the care provided. More in‐depth studies is needed focusing on the patient’s perspective and characterizes of the caring encounter over the telephone.

Relevance to clinical nursing:  Improved understanding of the patient’s perspective on the care provided leads to increased staff satisfaction and motivation. Care encounters over the phone are common today for nurses and their well‐being at work is beneficial for both themselves and the care they provide and thereby for the patients.
Foregrounding technology over politics? Media framings of federal elections in Malaysia
Authors: Smeltzer Sandra , Lepawsky Josh
Published: October 2009

Mainstream and alternative media play an important role in circulating powerful narratives within and often beyond a country's borders. This article specifically examines how Malaysia's media have framed the relationship between information and communication technologies (ICTs) and the country's electoral process. To this end, the authors conducted a content analysis of selected domestic mainstream and alternative media sources for two weeks before and two weeks after Malaysia's last three federal elections – 1999, 2004 and 2008 – to gauge how coverage has changed over time with shifts in the local political landscape and growing ICT access and usage.
The Financial Crisis, Systemic Risk, and the Future of Insurance Regulation
Authors: Harrington Scott E.
Published: October 2009

Abstract

This article considers the role of American International Group (AIG) and the insurance sector in the 2007–2009 financial crisis and the implications for insurance regulation. Following an overview of the causes of the crisis, I explore the events and policies that contributed to federal government intervention to prevent bankruptcy of AIG and the scope of federal assistance to AIG. I discuss the extent to which insurance in general poses systemic risk and whether a systemic risk regulator is desirable for insurers or other nonbank financial institutions. The last two sections of the article address the financial crisis's implications for proposed optional and/or mandatory federal chartering and regulation of insurers and for insurance regulation in general.
A Citation Analysis of Risk, Insurance, and Actuarial Research: 2001 Through 2005
Authors: Colquitt L. Lee , Sommer David W. , Ferguson William L.
Published: October 2009

Abstract

The bibliographies of 17 risk journals were evaluated to determine the relative influence of these risk journals on risk, insurance, and actuarial research published during the years 2001 through 2005. Tables are provided that show the frequency with which each of these journals cites itself and the other sample journals. The journals are ranked, within two groups (risk and insurance group and actuarial group), based on their total influence (total citations including and excluding self‐citations) and their per article influence (per article citations including and excluding self‐citations). Finally, the most frequently cited articles from each risk journal are reported.
Synthesis, Ferroelectric and Electrooptic Properties of Transparent Crystallized Glasses with SrxBa1−xNb2O6 Nanocrystals
Authors: Yamazawa Tomoya , Honma Tsuyoshi , Suematsu Hisayuki , Komatsu Takayuki
Published: October 2009

Crystallized glasses consisting of SrxBa1−xNb2O6 (SBN) nanocrystals (x=0.5, 0.61, and 0.62) with a tetragonal tungsten–bronze structure are synthesized using a conventional glass crystallization technique in xSrO–(32−x)BaO–32Nb2O5–36B2O3 glasses with x=16, 19.5, and 24. Nanocrystals of Sr0.5Ba0.5Nb2O6, Sr0.61Ba0.39Nb2O6, and Sr0.62Ba0.38Nb2O6 are found to have rod‐like shapes with an average diameter of 20–40 nm as determined from X‐ray diffraction analyses and transmission electron microscope observations and to exhibit ferroelectricities as deduced from the presence of hysteresis in polarization–electric field curves. Although the optical transparency of crystallized glasses in the visible region decreases along with the formation of SBN nanocrystals, optical transparencies (sample thickness: ∼1 mm, transmittance: ∼80%) are observed at the wavelength of 1.55 μm. Electrooptic activity was confirmed for the crystallized glasses with SBN nanocrystals, indicating that the present study would be a step for active optical device applications in glass‐related materials consisting of SBN nanocrystals.
Applied psychometrics in clinical psychiatry: the pharmacopsychometric triangle
Authors: Bech P.
Published: October 2009

Objective:  To consider applied psychometrics in psychiatry as a discipline focusing on pharmacopsychology rather than psychopharmacology as illustrated by the pharmacopsychometric triangle.

Method:  The pharmacopsychological dimensions of clinically valid effects of drugs (antianxiety, antidepressive, antimanic, and antipsychotic), of clinically unwanted effects of these drugs, and the patients’ own subjective perception of the balance between wanted and unwanted effects are analysed using rating scales assessed by modern psychometric tests (item response theory models)

Results:  Symptom rating scales fulfilling the item response theory models have been shown to be psychometrically valid outcome scales as their total scores are sufficient statistics for demonstrating dose–response relationship within the various classes of antianxiety, antidepressive, antimanic or antipsychotic drugs. The total scores of side‐effect rating scales are, however, not sufficient statistics, implying that each symptom has to be analysed individually. Self‐rating scales with very few items appear to be sufficient statistics when measuring the patients’ own perception of quality of life.

Conclusion:  Applied psychometrics in psychiatry have been found to cover a pharmacopsychometric triangle illustrating the measurements of wanted and unwanted effects of pharmacotherapeutic drugs as well as health‐related quality of life.