bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mechanical Unfolding of a Homopolymer Globule: Applied Force versus Applied Deformation
Authors: Polotsky Alexey A. , Smolyakova Elizaveta E. , Borisov Oleg V. , Birshtein Tatiana M.
Published: November 2010

We propose the quantitative mean‐field theory of mechanical unfolding of a globule formed by long flexible homopolymer chain collapsed in poor solvent and subjected to an extensional force We show that with an increase in the applied force the globule unfolds as a whole without formation of an intermediate state. The value of the threshold force and the corresponding jump in the distance between chain ends increase with a deterioration of the solvent quality and / or with an increase in the degree of polymerization. This way of globule unfolding is compared with that in the D‐ensemble, when the distance between chain ends is imposed.
Fast switching immobilized photochromic dyes
Authors: Malic Nino , Campbell Jonathan A. , Ali Abdelselam S. , Francis Craig L. , Evans Richard A.
Published: November 2010

A novel photochromic dye conjugate architecture is described, which allows both covalent tethering to a polymeric host matrix and fast photochromic switching. The new conjugates consist of a photochromic dye covalently bound to two different substituents via a Y‐branching linker (hetero Y‐branching), one being a polymerizable methacrylate moiety and the other a soft (low Tg) poly(dimethylsiloxane) oligomer. The novel conjugates gave faster photochromic decoloration in the host lens matrix compared with the electronically equivalent nonmatrix‐bound and unconjugated parent control dyes. In addition, further acceleration of fade speed kinetics was observed with a longer linker between photochromic dye and methacrylate moiety. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011
The toughness amplification map of poly(vinyl chloride) and its cellulose acetate‐compatibilized starch alloys containing core/shell rubber particles: Possible transition to super‐toughening
Authors: Pourrahimi A. M. , Mohammadi N. , Javadi A.
Published: November 2010

Toughening amplification of the neat poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) and its reinforced version containing 25 phr of the cellulose acetate (CA)‐compatibilized starch using methyl methacrylate‐butadiene‐styrene (MBS) core–shell particles was studied. The room temperature measured impact strength of the PVC showed mild increase up to 10 wt % with the addition of MBS particles. Then, the toughness enhanced discontinuously to super‐tough plateau regime. The room temperature measured impact strength of PVC containing 20 phr of MBS particles, however, was reduced by as much as 95% when it was filled with 25 phr of the CA‐compatibilized starch. In addition, the brittle–ductile transition (BDT) of the toughened PVC increased from 0 to 60 °C because of its reinforcement, even though the matrix number density of the core/shell particles remained almost constant. The decline in the impact strength and the rise in the BDT of the hybrid PVC system were attributed to the decrease in the shear deformable matrix and shear deformation propagation rate despite the increase in the process zone size. Maximum impact strength of the hybrid system at 60 °C (its BDT) increased to about 25% of the toughened PVC at its BDT (0 °C). The toughness amplification correlation of the toughened and hybrid PVC systems with their process zones fractional stress volumes under the impact load showed three regimes: quasi‐tough, transition, and super‐tough, which were superimposable on literature data regarding hybrid nylon 66 systems. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2010
Fabricating single silicon quantum rods for repeatable single dot photoluminescence measurements
Authors: Bruhn Benjamin , Sangghaleh Fatemeh , Linnros Jan
Published: November 2010

A fabrication method for a matrix pattern of laterally separated silicon quantum rods was developed, consisting of a three‐step recipe utilizing electron beam lithography (EBL), reactive ion etching (RIE), and oxidation. Photoluminescence (PL) measurements – images, spectra, and blinking – verified that the presented method results in a high number of luminescing single silicon quantum rods in well defined positions on the sample. These are suitable for single dot spectroscopy and repeatable measurements, even using different measurement methods and instruments.

magnified image

Colorized scanning electron microscope images of undulating silicon nanowalls for controlled single quantum rod fabrication.
Deblur of radially variant blurred image for single lens system
Authors: Zhang Yupeng , Ueda Toshitsugu
Published: November 2010

This paper introduces a method to deblur a radially blurred image which is created by a single lens imaging system. Single lens imaging system does not create stronger lens aberrations around the center of an image, but stronger around the outside. One obvious phenomenon caused by this is the radially increased blurring effect along the radial line. Researchers have already studied one kind of radial blur caused by vertical motion between camera and object, but few have studied on the radial blur caused by inherent defect of a single lens system. Because of the radially variant property, a method is proposed in this paper that carries out the deconvolution using Polar coordinate system for both image and point spread functions (PSFs) converted from Cartesian coordinate system. By doing this the deblurring becomes a regular spatially invariant (SI) linear mathematical model for each circled region in the image that has same radial distance from the image center. Simulation results suggest the proposed method visually obtained the best deblurred image quality using four PSFs applied to four SI regions compared to deblurred images by other simulation conditions. However, segmenting the blurred image into more than four regions is undesirable because of the high β/n ratio. © 2010 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Lead exposure in pheochromocytoma cells induces persistent changes in amyloid precursor protein gene methylation patterns
Authors: Li Yuan‐Yuan , Chen Tian , Wan Yanjian , Xu Shun‐qing
Published: November 2010

It has been suggested that lead (Pb) exposure in early life may increase amyloid precursor protein (APP) expression and promote the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease in old age. The current study examined whether the DNA methylation patterns of APP gene in rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells changed after Pb acetate exposure. Undifferentiated PC12 cells were exposed to three doses of Pb acetate (50, 250, and 500 nM) and one control for 2 days or 1 week. The methylation patterns of APP promoter and global DNA methylation were analyzed. The DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) expression and the level of amyloid β peptide (Aβ) were also investigated. The results showed that the exposure of the three concentrations of Pb acetate could make the APP promoter hypomethylated. The global DNA methylation level and the expression of DNMT1 were changed in the 500 nM group after 2 days exposure and in the 250 and 500 nM group after 7 days exposure. Thus, Pb may exert neurotoxic effects through mechanisms that alter the global and promoter methylation patterns of APP gene. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol, 2012.
Preoperative Breast Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Controversies Arising in the Quest to Evaluate Clinical Benefit
Authors: Causer Petrina A.
Published: November 2010

Breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is indisputably the highest sensitivity test available to detect breast cancer, revealing more extensive cancer in the ipsilateral and otherwise occult cancer in the contralateral breasts when used before surgery. The use of preoperative breast MRI has become somewhat controversial, because the clinical benefit of the heightened detection provided by MRI has been questioned in the context of multidisciplinary breast cancer treatment, relatively low local recurrence, and metachronous contralateral cancer rates. Also, MRI detection rates have been compared with the high rates reported in the pathology literature. The emerging clinical outcome literature is showing conflicting results to demonstrating actual overall benefit. Critical review of this literature reveals several misconceptions about MRI detection rates and limitations of many of the published outcome studies to date, which render the results not necessarily generalizable to contemporary optimized breast MRI practices. This article addresses some of the misconceptions raised by critics, provides a critical review of the clinical outcome literature, reviews patient subgroups anticipated to have the highest yield when using preoperative MRI, makes recommendations for optimizing breast MRI practice, and suggests areas for potential future research.
Environmental sensing by chromatin: An epigenetic contribution to evolutionary change
Authors: Turner Bryan M.
Published: November 2010

Chromatin structure and function are regulated by families of protein‐modifying enzymes that are sensitive to a variety of metabolic and environmental agents. These enzymes, and proteins that read the modifications they maintain, constitute a system by which environmental agents, such as chemical toxins and dietary components, can directly regulate patterns of gene expression. This review describes this environmental sensing system from an evolutionary perspective. It is proposed that persistent environmentally‐induced changes in gene expression patterns can cause changes in phenotype that are acted upon by natural selection, and that epigenetic processes can potentially play central roles in evolution.
Exploring internal and external supply chain linkages: Evidence from the field
Authors: Barratt Mark , Barratt Ruth
Published: November 2010

In their pursuit of improved operational performance, organizations in supply chains have sought to develop external information‐based linkages with their customers and vendors. Has this course of action been at the expense of developing similar internal information‐based linkages? This research explores the specific roles of internal and external information‐based linkages in achieving improved operational performance. Based on a single case study that comprises a supply chain containing twenty‐four internal and fourteen external linkages this research develops a series of propositions. We find that the individual internal linkages may be useful for extending externally derived visibility, and for addressing to some extent, “structural holes” in the supply chain. Additionally, to extend visibility across the entire supply chain, organizations need to recognize the combining role of internal and external information‐based linkages. Finally we offer some thoughts for future research in this area.
Best practice interventions: Short‐term impact and long‐term outcomes
Authors: Done Adrian , Voss Chris , Rytter Niels Gorm
Published: November 2010

This paper uses empirical field research to examine whether short‐term best practice interventions (BPIs) can lead to improvements that are sustained in the long term. In addition, this research investigates the implied conflict between striving for short‐term results and achieving long‐term development of capabilities. It also examines the tension between the lack of resources of the typical small and medium sized enterprise (SME) users of BPIs and the time required to develop a critical mass of capability. A longitudinal case‐based study of eight SME contexts examined BPI outcomes and factors leading to short‐ and long‐term success and sustaining best practices. The research identifies factors related to the intervention context, implementation and change‐agent approach. The data indicate that in resource‐limited SMEs BPIs are limited in their ability to develop adequate capability for long‐term change.
The development and application of a process model for R&D project management in a high tech firm: A field study
Authors: Verma Devesh , Mishra Anant , Sinha Kingshuk K.
Published: November 2010

In R&D organizations of high tech firms, multiple R&D projects are executed concurrently and timeliness of project completion – i.e., developing the right products at the right times – is a matter of serious concern. Given that the priority of R&D projects and the interdependencies between the projects in a high tech firm change dynamically, high tech R&D project management is a complex and challenging endeavor. To improve the understanding and management of high tech R&D projects, this paper reports the findings of a field study where we, first, develop and empirically estimate a model that relates project priority over time with the generative mechanisms of market pull and technical challenge associated with R&D projects. Next, we develop and demonstrate the application of a process model within which the time‐varying project priority model is embedded. The process model makes it possible to allocate fixed resources among competing projects with time‐varying interdependencies, thereby improving the timeliness of project completion. This research was conducted in collaboration with a major U.S. high tech firm. The corporate R&D center of the firm served as the research setting for the field study. We present an application of the process model to delineate the evolution of the R&D organization with the merger of its (technology driven) parent firm with another (market driven) high tech manufacturing firm. The application of the process model generates theoretical insights that are used to develop testable propositions. Implications of the study findings and directions for future research are discussed.
Toward a theory of managing context in Six Sigma process‐improvement projects: An action research investigation⋆
Authors: Nair Anand , Malhotra Manoj K. , Ahire Sanjay L.
Published: November 2010

In this paper, field studies, extant literature, and domain knowledge are used to develop a theory of managing context in Six Sigma process‐improvement projects. By means of a participatory action research investigation involving ten projects in manufacturing and service firms, this paper examines the interrelationship among project context, elements, and success. Rich text‐based information for each project was analyzed for the underlying patterns and relationships using the NVIVO 8 qualitative data analysis software package. The insights gained from this in‐depth field investigation are presented in the form of 12 inductively derived research propositions that, when taken together, uniquely contribute to context‐based theory‐building in this area.
The Identity Maintenance Work of Family Members of Persons with Alzheimer's Disease
Authors: MacRae Hazel
Published: November 2010

Drawing on a qualitative study of families' experience with Alzheimer's disease, this paper examines family members' reaction to identity transformation or loss of self in the afflicted loved one, using a symbolic interactionist perspective. The findings show that family members find this aspect of the disease emotionally stressful. Refusing to let go of what remains of the loved one's former self, they employ a number of strategies in an effort to protect her/his social and self-identity. These strategies include concealing information, medicalizing inappropriate behaviour, fostering independence, managing appearance, and perceiving selectively.
Would I Share a Home with an Elderly Parent? Exploring Ethnocultural Diversity and Intergenerational Support Relations during Young Adulthood
Authors: Mitchell Barbara A.
Published: November 2010

This paper provides an exploratory analysis of ethnocultural diversity and intergenerational support, examining factors that shape the attitudes of young adults toward sharing a home with an elderly parent. Data are drawn from a random sample of 565 young adults aged 19 to 35 living in the Greater Vancouver Regional District, whose primary ethnic identity is as members of one of three groups: British-, Chinese-, and Indo-Canadian. Utilizing a comparative, cross-cultural approach and logistic regression procedures, the study found the likelihood of young adults' expressing favourable attitudes to caregiving to be influenced by several factors associated with collectivistic systems of caregiving. Noteworthy is the finding that, after controlling for ethnocultural and socio-demographic factors, the best predictor of co-residence attitudes is the quality of a child's relationship with her/his mother. Findings are discussed with regard to their implications for intergenerational relations and support for aging families.
La recherche avec les groupes d'entraide: les difficultés méthodologiques et les défis
Authors: Lavoie Francine , Dufort Francine
Published: November 2010

The objective of this paper is to review the difficulties associated with measuring self-help groups for what they are, and the methodology used. This report identifies issues inherent to research on self-help groups for the elderly. Elderly group participants sharing a common problem and meeting to discuss it without the benefit of professional support will, without doubt, become a more and more prevalent resource for use in the future. Consequently, it is imperative to ascertain which questions the researchers should be asking. Three research objectives are described: descriptive studies, process examination and the assessment of outcomes considered relevant to self-help groups. The discussion addresses three types of objects under study: the group participants, the group itself and the interorganizational ties established by the group, particularly in dealing with health service agencies.
Improving Attitudes Toward Elderly People: Evaluation of an Intervention Program for Adolescents
Authors: Dooley Stephen , Frankel B. Gail
Published: November 2010

In an experimental evaluation of a “friendly visitor” type of program in which adolescents visited senior citizens, it was found that general attitudes toward elderly people (measured by the Semantic Differential developed by Rosencranz and McNevin) improved following weekly contact with specific elderly persons. One of the weaknesses in research on this type of intervention has been the assumption that the quality of the contact was uniform, and the impact of quality was rarely assessed. In the present study, the perceived quality of the experience was found to have a significant impact on improving attitudes. Programs such as the one evaluated here can, therefore, have two outcomes: the provision of service to elderly individuals and the change of negative attitudes toward elderly people.
Perceived Cognitive Ability of Young and Old Targets
Authors: Hendrick Jennifer J. , Jane Knox V. , Gekoski William L. , Dyne Kate J.
Published: November 2010

In the first of two experiments designed to investigate perceived cognitive abilities of young and old targets, 80 female undergraduates estimated the performance of either a young or an old target on several subtests from the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS; Wechsler, 1955). Experiment 2, with 120 respondents, extended Experiment 1 to include respondent sex and target sex variables, and additional WAIS subtests. The results of the two experiments suggest a highly differentiated view of cognitive abilities. On subtests related primarily to memory and psychomotor speed, the old targets were seen as less cognitively able than the young targets. On a subtest assessing practical judgment and common sense old targets were seen as superior to young targets. On subtests assessing computational abilities and logical abstractive thinking no reliable target age differences were found. Neither target sex nor respondent sex played a substantial role in target age perceptions. Compared to available norms estimates xvere unrealistically generous, particularly in the case of older adults. However the pattern of estimates across cognitive abilities reflected, to a substantial degree, the age-related differences in the norms.
Serial Employment and Skinny Government: Reforming Caring and Sharing Among Generations
Authors: McDaniel Susan A.
Published: November 2010

Ce document s'est posé comme défi d'examiner les données démographiques qui sous-tendent l'adoption de mesures sociales dans un Canada vieillissant en fonction du sexe, de la famille et des générations. Après un bref coup d'oeil sur les changements et les défis auxquels doit faire face le pays et un rapprochement avec ce qui se produit aux États-Unis et dans quelques pays d'Europe sur le même plan, on a introduit le concept analytique des «cycles de dépendance et de responsabilités de la vie» pour examiner le déplacement des fondements de sécurité en regard des générations (concentration sur six cohortes) et, plus particulièrement, les conséquences de l'adoption de nouvelles mesures sociales visant les aînés, sur les femmes, les défavorisés et les aînés démunis.
Getting There: Mapping the Gendered Geography of Caregiving to Elderly Relatives
Authors: Hallman Bonnie C. , Joseph Alun E.
Published: November 2010

Cet article poursuit une analyse déjà effectuée sur les soins aux membres âgés de la famille (Joseph & Hallman, 1996), en examinant de plus près les incidences de temps et de distance entre ceux qui soignent et les personnes âgées qui reçoivent les soins. Nous posons l'hypothèse qu'une étude plus approfondie d'un comportement social fortement axé sur le sexe (soins aux personnes âgées) et d'un fonctionnement distinct sur le plan du temps et de l'espace fera ressortir des comportements éminemment différents entre les hommes et les femmes. L'analyse des données provenant de deux enquêtes connexes du Réseau canadien de recherche sur le vieillissement laisse entendre que les soignants, hommes ou femmes, fournissent une assistance dans des contextes d'espace-temps différents. Les femmes font preuve d'un engagement plus grand lorsqu'elles dispensent des soins et voyagent afin de fournir une assistance. Elles adoptent un comportement défiant la distance qui se traduit par le recours au déménagement pour modifier l'espace-temps et améliorer les soins. À l'opposé, les hommes qui dispensent des soins sont plus sensibles aux limites imposées par l'espace-temps et auront moins souvent recours au déplacement des aîné(e)s soigné(e)s. Cet article se termine par une discussion, inspirée de commentaires de soignants, et portant sur les effets négatifs de l'engagement auprès de personnes âgées, surtout sur les effets perçus du temps pour les autres relations familiales.
The Older Cyclist: Anthropometric, Physiological, and Psychosocial Changes Observed During a Trans-Canada Cycle Tour
Authors: Mittleman Karen , Crawford Susan , Holliday Stephen , Gutman Gloria , Bhakthan Gordon
Published: November 2010

A group of Canadian senior citizens (n = 22) who bicycled 7700 km across Canada, from Victoria, B.C. to St. Johns, Newfoundland, over 100 days in the summer of 1983 were the subjects of this study. Each was tested on three occasions: 2 days prior to commencement of the tour, at the geographical mid-point of the tour and within 2 days of tour completion. Comprehensive anthropometric data were collected along with evaluation of fitness and blood chemistry on all three testing occasions. Participants were also asked a series of questions designed to ascertain positive and negative psycho-social experiences and to assess their anxiety level. Generally the cyclists reated well to the tour, exhibiting objective evidence of increased fitness in the absence of negative physical or psychological changes. Self-report data indicated that subjects generally enjoyed the tour, felt their endurance had increased, and perceived other improvements such as increased self-confidence, reduced anxiety, and improved appetite.
Validité de la Mesure de l'Indépendance Fonctionnelle (MIF) pour les personnes âgées suivies en réadapation
Authors: Demers Louise , Giroux Francine
Published: November 2010

The Functional Independence Measure (FIM) was developed to assess the burden of care of persons receiving rehabilitation services in regard to self-care activities and social and cognitive skills. Until now, no study has evaluated the validity of the FIM with the elderly without distinction of diagnosis. The purpose of this study was to examine the MIF's factorial structure using a principal components analysis. As a secondary goal, the predictive validity and the internal consistency of the instrument were also examined. Data collected from 120 subjects generated a solution consisting of three factors accounting for 67.6 per cent of the total variance. The first factor (46.6%) represents the handicap concept, the second factor (14.7%) measures disability and the third factor (6.3%) represents disability with a major component of physical involvement of lower extremities. The results of this analysis confirm the multidimensional structure of the FIM and reveal the possibility of a third factor for the elderly. With this population, internal consistency of the instrument, obtained from admission and discharge data, is estimated at 0.92 and 0.96 with Cronbach's alpha. Total FIM score at discharge as well as items related to the handicap factor as measured on admission allow us to correctly predict place of discharge in a proportion of 72.9 per cent of the cases. These results indicate that the FIM bears an interesting potential for measuring rehabilitation outcomes for the elderly.
Autonomy and Advance Directives
Authors: Boetzkes Elisabeth
Published: November 2010

L'auteur de cet article soutient que la prise de décisions par les aînés à propos de la nature future des soins de la santé qui leur sont destinés devrait être accueillie avee scepticisme étant donné qu'elle se produit dans un contexte de coercition prononcée. Une telle coercition existe quand il y a déséquilibre des pouvoirs et une dépendence entre les groupes, quand les attentes sociales influencent excessivement les décisions et quand les stérérotypes négatifs résultent en une faible estime de soi. Des cas parallèles, caractérisés par une coercition prononcée, sont présentés. Plutôt que de conclure que les aînés ne peuvent jamais prendre volontairement de décisions, l'auteur suggère d'éliminer ce scepticisme en établissant l'authenticité des désirs motivant leurs choix en matière de soins de santé. Trois théories de désirs authentiques sont examinées, puis considérées inadéquates, mais une quatrième, soit « l'approche autobiographique, » qui exige que nous révélions les métaphores personnelles de la vie et du vieillissement des aînés, est jugée plus prometteuse.
Prevalence and Risk Factors of Hypothyroidism: Findings from the Canadian Study of Health and Aging
Authors: Krueger Paul D. , Raina Parminder , Braun E. Anne , Patterson Christopher , Chambers Larry W.
Published: November 2010

Cette recherche visait à déterminer la prévalence et les facteurs de risque de l'hypothyroïdie primaire, dans un échantillonnage d'aîné(e)s canadien(ne)s.L'Étude sur la santé et le vieillissement au Canada(ESVC) portait sur les aîné(e)s vivant à la maison et dans des établissements de soins de longue durée (n= 10,263). On a effectué un examen clinique de 2 014 aîné(e)s et on a mesuré les niveaux de TRH de 1415 d'entre eux. On a divisé les dix provinces canadiennes en cinq régions géographiques (Atlantique, Québec, Ontario, Prairies et Colombie-Britannique). On a retenu seulement ceux qui avaient subi un examen clinique (n= 2 914). Les aîné(e)s souffrant d'hypothyroïdie étaient ceux qui prenaient des hormone substitutives ou les aîné(e)s dont le degré de TRH était supérieur à 10 mU/L. On a estimé à 9,6 pour cent le nombre d'aîné(e)s souffrant d'hypothyroïdie; 5,1 pour cent n'étaient pas soignés de façon appropriée et 2,1 pour cent n'étaient pas du tout soignés. L'âge, le sexe, les antécédents culturels, l'origine géographique et le lieu de résidence constituaient des facteurs de risque de l'hypothyroïdie. On a conclu que l'hypothyroïdie est un problèms inherent à ce groupe.
Anthropometric Indices and Their Correlates in Cognitively-Intact and Elderly Canadians with Dementia
Authors: Shatenstein Bryna , Kergoat Marie-Jeanne , Nadon Sylvie
Published: November 2010

Les mesures anthropométriques reflètent l'état nutritionnel. Cette recherche a examiné les données provenant de Canadien(ne)s âgé(e)s ayant participé à la première phase de l'Étude sur la santé et le vieillissement au Canada (CSHA-1). Le poids et la taille furent mesurés chez 1 464 personnes vivant dans la communauté et 963 individus en institution. Les sujets institutionnalisés avaient un poids corporel inférieur à ceux vivant en communauté (59,1 ± 13,8 kg. vs. 65,1 ± 14,1 kg.); ils étaient plus petits (160,4 ± 10.1 cm vs. 162,6 ± 10 cm), et leur IMC étaient plus bas (23,3 ± 5,0 vs. 24,6 ± 4,5) (p< .001). Les valeurs anthropométriques furent plus basses chez les femmes, et diminuaient progressivement avec l'âge. Les Québécois avaient une taille plus petite et un poids corporel inférieur à ceux des Canadiens vivant ailleurs. Les mesures anthropométriques ont diminué suivant le diagnostic cognitif, en allant de normal, à «deficit cognitif sans démence» (CIND), à dément; les participants atteints de la démence de type Alzheimer avaient les poids corporels les plus bas. Les facteurs associés au poids corporel étaient différents parmi les participants vivant dans la communauté et en institution.
Bone Measurement, Physical Activity and the Aging Skeleton
Authors: McCulloch Robert G.
Published: November 2010

De nombreuses recherches sur l'ostéoporose ont récemment été axées sur la prévention de la diminution de la densité osseuse à un âge avancé. Chercheurs et cliniciens peuvent maintenant mesurer avec précision les effets des thérapies et des traitements de prévention sur le squelette. L'activité physique régulière est donc suggérée comme étant l'une des mesures importantes au maintien de la densité osseuse et à la prévention de l'ostéoporose. Cet article passe en revue les techniques quantitatives permettant d'évaluer la densité osseuse et donne un aperçu des récentes enquêtes transversales et longitudinales reliées aux bienfaits possibles de l'activité physique sur le squelette vieillissant.
Appropriation spatiale et territoriale de la chambre en maison de retraite
Authors: Rioux Liliane , Fouquereau Evelyne
Published: November 2010

This exploratory survey aimed at determining the spatial and territorial factors used by elderly people when entering an old people's home and illustrating how these variables could be referred to two spatial and territorial appropriation processes. One hundred and two residents were asked to describe their rooms and to fill in a life satisfaction rating scale adapted by Blais, Vallerand, Pelletier and Brière (1989). The findings highlighted two distinct appropriation processes, that is to say a spatial appropriation-disappropriation process and a territorial disappropriation-reappropriation one. The respective predictors of these two processes are on the one hand the life satisfaction ratio, age and sex; and on the other hand the representation the elderly person has of his/her own autonomy as well as the evaluation of the gap between the elderly person's satisfaction with his/her past and present life.
Temperature control of seed germination in Fritillaria tubiformis subsp. moggridgei (Liliaceae) a rare endemic of the South-west Alps
Authors: Carasso Valentina , Hay Fiona R. , Probert Robin J. , Mucciarelli Marco
Published: November 2010

Fritillaria tubiformis subsp. moggridgei (Liliaceae) is a rare, endemic species that inhabits open mountains and alpine grasslands of the Ligurian Alps. At the time of seed dispersal, the underdeveloped embryos were 27% the length of the seed. Here we report the results of laboratory experiments carried out to determine the temperature preferences for embryo growth and radicle emergence. Embryo growth commenced immediately after sowing at 4°C. Once the embryo had grown the length of the seed, the radicle emerged. The time required for embryo growth and radicle emergence was longer when seeds were placed through a seasonal sequence of temperatures, commencing with late summer (10/20°C), compared with seeds immediately placed at a temperature to simulate winter conditions (4°C). Prematurely transferring seeds from winter to spring temperatures (5/10°C) also slowed the progress of germination. Radicle emergence did not occur at 10 or − 5°C and less than 20% germination occurred in seeds placed at constant 0°C. Addition of gibberellic acid (GA3) did not promote embryo growth of seeds placed at 20°C. Overall, the temperature preferences for embryo growth and subsequent radicle emergence are such that, in situ, seed germination may occur during the winter under snow cover or at the end of winter to coincide with snow melt and warming temperatures.
For a Relational Musicology: Music and Interdisciplinarity, Beyond the Practice Turn
Authors: Born Georgina
Published: November 2010

What would contemporary music scholarship look like if it was no longer imprinted with the disciplinary assumptions, boundaries and divisions inherited from the last century? This article proposes that a generative model for future music studies would take the form of a relational musicology. The model is drawn from the author's work; but signs of an incipient relational musicology are found scattered across recent research in musicology, ethnomusicology, and jazz and popular music studies. In support of such a development, the article calls for a reconfiguration of the boundaries between the subdisciplines of music study – notably musicology, ethnomusicology, music sociology and popular music studies – so as to render problematic the music/social opposition and achieve a new interdisciplinary settlement, one that launches the study of music onto new epistemological and ontological terrain. In proposing this direction, the article points to the limits of the vision of interdisciplinarity in music research that is more often articulated, one that – in the guise of a turn to practice or performance – sutures together the historically inclined, humanities model of musicology with the micro-social, musicologically inclined aspects of ethnomusicology. The article suggests, moreover, that this vision obscures other sources of renewal in music scholarship: those deriving from anthropology, social theory and history, and how they infuse the recent work gathered under the rubric of a relational musicology. As an alternative to the practice turn, a future direction is proposed that entails an expanded analytics of the social, cultural, material and temporal in music. The last part of the article takes the comparativist dimension of a relational musicology to four topics: questions of the social, technology, temporality and ontology.
Relocating the Thirteenth-Century Refrain: Intertextuality, Authority and Origins
Authors: Saltzstein Jennifer
Published: November 2010

This article provides a revisionist account of thirteenth-century refrain use, challenging the presumed connection between the refrain and oral song traditions. The distribution patterns in the surviving sources reveal no strong connection between refrain use and the rondet, the song genre often posited as the refrain's point of origin. Further, a significant corpus of refrains circulated only within the motet repertory, independently of monophonic song. Close comparison of refrain concordances in surviving sources reveals careful attention on the part of composers and scribes to the preservation of their melodic identity. Together, these findings suggest new contexts for understanding the refrain. The author relocates refrain use within clerical practices of quotation, particularly auctoritas, exploring case studies in which refrains are interpreted exegetically. In motets, chansons avec des refrains and a vernacular translation of Ovid's Ars amatoria, refrains are treated as sources of vernacular knowledge and objects of commentary.
Death and Life in J. S. Bach's Cantata Ich habe genung (BWV 82)
Authors: Varwig Bettina
Published: November 2010

Using the famous death-themed Cantata 82 as a case study, this article offers a model for situating J. S. Bach's cantata output in the wider cultural sphere of early eighteenth-century Leipzig life. Looking beyond the immediate and well-studied liturgical and theological contexts, the article reconstructs a broader range of associations that Bach's music may have evoked for his contemporary listeners, drawing out allusions to operatic topics, popular fears of deadly diseases, fictions of heavenly music and macabre dances of death. By locating the question of musical meaning in the interpretative space between the piece and its historical listeners, the article offers an alternative to conventional hermeneutic approaches that view Bach's cantatas as conveying a singular and clearly audible message of Lutheran doctrine.
‘Between Moscow and New York’: Richard Strauss's Die ägyptische Helena in Cultural-Historical Context
Authors: Graydon Philip
Published: November 2010

This article offers a contextual reading of Hugo von Hofmannsthal's and Richard Strauss's 1927 opera Die ägyptische Helena. For Hofmannsthal and Strauss, the marital rift between Menelas and Helena caused by her infidelity operated as the symbolic manifestation of a similar schism in pan-Germanic politics, society and the arts – thus highlighting the concomitant necessity for unity through recognition and celebration of a common culture. By recasting the story of Menelas's and Helena's homeward journey from Troy in order to create an aesthetic answer to the problems of the present, Hofmannsthal and Strauss pointed to the distinct similarities between the Trojan War and the recent conflict that had completely changed the political, geographical and social landscape in Europe. As this article demonstrates, Die ägyptische Helena stands as an artwork both expressly aware and uniquely representative of its historical moment through a multi-faceted literary and musical referentiality inherently characteristic of its creators.
Allegations of serious professional misconduct: An analysis of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy's Article 4.6 cases, 1998–2007
Authors: Symons Clare , Khele Suky , Rogers Jack , Turner Judith , Wheeler Sue
Published: November 2010

Background: A three‐stage independent audit of complaints made to the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy was conducted. The second stage is discussed in this paper. Primary objective: This project set out to examine complaints made under the Article 4.6 process, which allows the Association to respond swiftly to serious allegations of misconduct. The main aim was to gain a detailed picture of who complains, who is complained against, and the outcomes of such complaints. Method: Information from these cases was entered into a database to produce descriptive statistics. Main outcomes and results: A total of 91 cases covering the period from 1998–2007 were identified. Figures have been combined with totals from the first stage of the audit and show that the total number of complaints received represents less than two complaints for every 1000 members per year. Conclusions: Male members of the Association are over‐represented in the complaints and the majority of complaints are brought by people who are themselves involved in counselling. Further research into complaints made to other UK counselling and psychotherapy organisations is recommended as is research examining what prevents members of the public from making complaints.
A qualitative study of psychodynamic and cognitive behavioural therapists’ conceptualisations of medically unexplained symptoms in their clients
Authors: Luca Maria
Published: November 2010

Aim: This study explored therapists’ conceptualisations of their psychodynamic and cognitive behavioural therapies with clients with medically unexplained symptoms. Method: 12 semi‐structured interviews were conducted with experienced psychotherapists, recruited from two National Health Service departments. Interview transcripts were analysed using grounded theory. Findings: Conceptualisations fell into two categories: (1) informal, bottom‐up practice driven; (2) formal, top‐down theory driven. In the former, therapists from both modalities shared experiential conceptualisations. In the latter, they shared some conceptualisations while retaining others from their theoretical training. Discussion: Therapists conceptualise using inherited theoretical concepts from their respective professional trainings, by developing experiential concepts of their own, and by borrowing and integrating theoretical concepts from other theoretical orientations.
The relationship between therapeutic engagement, cognitive errors, and coping action patterns: An exploratory study
Authors: Lewandowski M. , D'iuso D. , Blake E. , Fitzpatrick M. , Drapeau M.
Published: November 2010

Aim: This exploratory study examined the relationship between clients’ involvement in therapy and their cognitive errors (CE) and coping action patterns (CAP). Method: Therapy sessions from N = 26 clients were rated for CE and CP using the CE and CAP methods. Client involvement was measured with the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, as well as the . Results: The CEs’ ‘magnification of the negative or minimisation of the positive’ and ‘labelling’ were associated with measures of affective therapeutic engagement. The coping styles ‘negotiation’, ‘opposition’, ‘submission’, ‘isolation’, ‘support seeking’, ‘information seeking’, ‘delegation’, and ‘escape’ were found to be associated with affective and behavioural dimensions of therapeutic involvement. Conclusions: These findings provide preliminary supporting evidence that CE and CP are related to the extent to which clients engage in the work of therapy. Implications for researchers and therapists are discussed.
Action-related objects influence the distribution of visuospatial attention
Authors: Roberts Katherine L. , Humphreys Glyn W.
Published: November 2010

Previous studies have shown that attention is drawn to the location of manipulable objects and is distributed across pairs of objects that are positioned for action. Here, we investigate whether central, action-related objects can cue attention to peripheral targets. Experiment 1 compared the effect of uninformative arrow and object cues on a letter discrimination task. Arrow cues led to spatial-cueing benefits across a range of stimulus onset asynchronies (SOAs: 0 ms, 120 ms, 400 ms), but object-cueing benefits were slow to build and were only significant at the 400-ms SOA. Similar results were found in Experiment 2, in which the targets were objects that could be either congruent or incongruent with the cue (e.g., screwdriver and screw versus screwdriver and glass). Cueing benefits were not influenced by the congruence between the cue and target, suggesting that the cueing effects reflected the action implied by the central object, not the interaction between the objects. For Experiment 3 participants decided whether the cue and target objects were related. Here, the interaction between congruent (but not incongruent) targets led to significant cueing/positioning benefits at all three SOAs. Reduced cueing benefits were obtained in all three experiments when the object cue did not portray a legitimate action (e.g., a bottle pointing towards an upper location, since a bottle cannot pour upwards), suggesting that it is the perceived action that is critical, rather than the structural properties of individual objects. The data suggest that affordance for action modulates the allocation of visual attention.
The influence of athletic experience and kinematic information on skill-relevant affordance perception
Authors: Weast Julie A. , Shockley Kevin , Riley Michael A.
Published: November 2010

Humans can perceive affordances both for themselves and for others, and affordance perception is a function of perceptual–motor experience involved in playing a sport. Two experiments investigated the enhanced affordance perception of athletes. In Experiment 1, basketball players and nonbasketball players provided perceptual reports for sports-relevant (maximum standing-reach and reach-with-jump heights) and non-sports-relevant (maximum sitting height) affordances for self and other. Basketball players were more accurate at perceiving maximum reach-with-jump for another person than were nonbasketball players, but were no better at perceiving maximum reach or sitting heights. Experiment 2 investigated the informational basis for this enhanced perceptual ability of basketball players by evaluating whether kinematics inform perceivers about action-scaled (e.g., force-production dependent), but not body-scaled (i.e., geometrically determined), affordances for others, and whether basketball experience enhances sensitivity to kinematic information. Only basketball players improved at perceiving an action-scaled affordance (maximum reach-with-jump), but not body-scaled affordances (maximum standing-reach and sit) with exposure to kinematic information, suggesting that action-scaled affordances may be specified by kinematic information to which athletes are already attuned by virtue of their sport experience.
No commonality between attentional capture and attentional blink
Authors: Kawahara Jun I. , Kihara Ken
Published: November 2010

Visual search for a unique target is impaired when a salient distractor is presented (attentional capture). This phenomenon is said to occur because attention is diverted to a distractor before it reaches the target. Similarly, perception of the second of two targets embedded in a rapid stream of nontargets is impaired, suggesting attentional deprivation due to the processing of the first target (attentional blink). We examined whether these phenomena emerge from a common underlying attentional mechanism by using correlation studies. If these phenomena share a common foundation, the magnitude of these deficits should show within-subject correlations. Participants ( N = 135) revealed significant attentional deficits during spatial and temporal capture and the attentional blink tasks. However, no significant correlation was found among these tasks. Experiment 2 ( N = 95) replicated this finding using the same procedure as that used in Experiment 1 but included another attentional blink task that required spatial switching between the two targets. Strong correlations emerged only between the two attentional blink tasks (with/without spatial switching). The present results suggest that attentional deficits during spatial and temporal capture and the attentional blink tasks reflect different aspects of attention.
A dynamic data structure for flexible molecular maintenance and informatics
Authors: Bajaj Chandrajit , Chowdhury Rezaul Alam , Rasheed Muhibur
Published: November 2010

Motivation: We present the ‘Dynamic Packing Grid’ (DPG), a neighborhood data structure for maintaining and manipulating flexible molecules and assemblies, for efficient computation of binding affinities in drug design or in molecular dynamics calculations.

Results:  DPG can efficiently maintain the molecular surface using only linear space and supports quasi-constant time insertion, deletion and movement (i.e. updates) of atoms or groups of atoms. DPG also supports constant time neighborhood queries from arbitrary points. Our results for maintenance of molecular surface and polarization energy computations using DPG exhibit marked improvement in time and space requirements.

Availability:  http://www.cs.utexas.edu/~bajaj/cvc/software/DPG.shtml

Contact:  bajaj@cs.utexas.edu

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.