bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The soil chemical environment along a forest primary successional sequence on the Tanana River floodplain, interior Alaska
Authors: Marion G.M. , Cleve K. Van , Dyrness C.T. , Black C.H.
Published: July 2007

Alkaline soils exist under forest vegetation on the Tanana River floodplain of interior Alaska. The objectives of this study were to describe the soil chemical properties and to examine controls on these chemical properties along a forest primary-successional sequence. Soil saturation pastes were prepared from duplicate sites along the successional sequence representing bare alluvium (stage I), open willow (stage III), poplar–alder (stage V), and white spruce (stage VIII). Calcium, Mg, SO4, and ions responsible for alkalinity were the dominant solutes in the saturation extracts. Soil horizons were generally calcareous (CaCO3) and therefore alkaline (pH > 7.0) across the successional sequence. The CaCO3-containing soil horizons were saturated to supersaturated with respect to calcite. Many soil horizons in the plots of stages III and V from one site were saturated with respect to gypsum (CaSO4•2H2O), whereas other stages and sites were generally undersaturated. Phosphate availability in CaCO3-containing soil horizons was apparently constrained by CaCO3 solubility and the solubility products of β-tricalcium phosphate and hydroxyapatite. There was a strong positive relationship between soluble salt content and silt concentration in the early stages, suggesting that initial salt content is controlled by the texture of the alluvial material; the variation in initial texture largely accounts for the site to site variation in salts. Evaporation apparently plays a role in concentrating soluble salts at the surface during the early stages (III and V), but by the late stages (VIII), the biotic and topographic factors apparently reduce surficial evaporation. This reduction in evaporation, coupled with the production of organic acids, leads to a 42% loss of soluble salts from the soils. This study supports our original hypotheses that physical factors (texture, evaporation) are most important early in the successional sequence and that biotic factors (transpiration, acid leaching) are most important late in the successional sequence in controlling salt distribution in soils on the Tanana River floodplain.
The use of fractal dimension to improve wildland fire perimeter predictions
Authors: McAlpine R.S. , Wotton B.M
Published: July 2007

Fire managers currently use simple elliptical models to predict the perimeter of a fire when the fire starts from a single point. However, when examined closely wildland fire perimeters are highly irregular. We tested the hypothesis that a fire is actually fractal in nature and thus the true length of a fire perimeter depends on the amount of fine-edge detail included in the measurement. The amount of perimeter detail incorporated is dependent on the length of the base unit of measurement; the longer the unit, the less the perimeter detail, and the shorter the perimeter. Different forest fire suppression techniques have inherent scale characteristics that are associated with different base unit measurements of perimeter; therefore, the length of the fire perimeter is dependent on the suppression technique used. Analysis of 14 forest-fire perimeters yielded a consistent fractal dimension of 1.15, and a relationship was found to adjust predicted fire perimeter with this fractal dimension for a specific unit measurement length. The fractal length of fire fronts between two identifiable points can also be calculated given the base unit measurement of the suppression technique. This information should improve fire managers' ability to optimally dispatch suppression resources to forest fires.
Rate of spread of Armillariaostoyae in the central interior of British Columbia
Authors: Kamp Bart J. Van Der
Published: July 2007

A stem map showing the symptom status of 110-year-old Douglas-fir (Pseudotsugamenziesii (Mirb.) Franco) trees along the edge of a large Armillaria center was prepared in 1989 and the area was resurveyed in 1992. The rate of spread of Armillariaostoyae (Romagnesi) Herink during this time was 0.22 m/year. The average time from first appearance of aboveground symptoms (mainly basal resinosis) to tree death was 6 years. Small trees died more quickly than large ones.
Effects of beech bark disease on the growth of American beech (Fagusgrandifolia)
Authors: Gavin David G. , Peart David R.
Published: July 2007

We studied radial growth reduction in American beech (Fagusgrandifolia Ehrh.) in relation to the level of defect induced by beech bark disease, in second-growth and old-growth northern hardwoods stands in New Hampshire. In the second-growth stand at Moose Mountain (n = 243 trees), 1989–1990 radial growth declined significantly with increasing severity of external symptoms. The severity of external symptoms increased significantly with DBH. To examine temporal trends, internal defect induced by the disease was quantified as the percentage of growth sheath cankered in each year, by cross-sectioning a subsample of 40 trees. Internal defect first appeared in 1950, increased through 1969, then declined until a major pulse of infection in the period 1983–1987. Sectioned trees were divided into infection classes based on a cumulative measure of internal defect. Growth of severely infected trees first fell below that of uninfected trees in 1965, and was consistently lower after 1972. The growth ratio of severely infected to uninfected trees generally declined from 1960 to 1990; by 1990, growth of severely infected trees was reduced by more than 40% relative to healthy trees. This decline in the growth ratio corresponded well to the increase in cumulative internal defect in the stand, suggesting that disease stress had cumulative effects on tree vigor. The relation between beech bark disease and growth was also examined on an individual-tree basis; recent growth decline was significantly greater for trees with higher levels of internal defect. Internal defect was a better predictor of growth trends than was external defect. External defect was only moderately correlated with internal defect (r2 = 0.503). In the old-growth stand at Bartlett, N.H. (n = 40 trees) infection was quantified from external symptoms only. As in the second-growth stand, the growth of severely infected trees in the old-growth stand fell significantly below that of uninfected trees. However, significant differences in growth between uninfected and severely infected trees occurred earlier in the old-growth stand, first appearing in 1949. Delayed growth reductions in the second-growth stand may be associated with changes in shade and moisture affecting the beech scale, changes in tree physiological stress after selective logging, or changes in the density of large trees. Beech may survive long periods of infection by beech bark disease. However, our results demonstrate clearly that beech bark disease has reduced the growth of American beech in both second-growth and old-growth northern hardwoods stands for several decades.
Feasibility of alternatives to herbicides in young conifer plantations in California
Authors: McDonald Philip M. , Fiddler Gary O.
Published: July 2007

Escalating controversy on clear-cutting, herbicides, burning, and grazing led to a research program with 40 studies, begun in 1980, that compared most of the vegetation management techniques used for enhancing growth of 1- to 3-year-old conifer seedlings. These include such direct techniques as manual manipulation, mulching, herbicides, and grazing for releasing conifer seedlings from undesirable vegetation, and several silvicultural practices (broadcast burning, group selection, genetically improved seedlings) that serve as indirect methods for reducing or avoiding vegetation problems. Manual release and mulching are effective but expensive. Herbicides are effective, applicable to almost all plant communities, and relatively inexpensive. Grazing is good for cattle and sheep, but does not significantly enhance conifer seedling growth. Utilizing the silvicultural practices noted above and emphasizing replacement vegetation show promise, but lack sufficient testing for us to evaluate feasibility. In most instances, forests cannot be managed economically without herbicides if the goal is to grow seedlings at the potential of the site and the plant community includes sprouting hardwoods and shrubs or rhizomatous forbs and ferns. If the goal is to create a forest with several age-classes and variable structure, but with slower seedling growth, longer time to harvest, and less species diversity in early seral stages, then it is possible to accomplish this without herbicides and other means of vegetation control.
Some limitations inherent to static indices of plant competition
Authors: Burton Philip J.
Published: July 2007

Various measurements of the abundance, proximity, and stature of neighbouring plants are utilized as indices of competitive intensity experienced by crop trees. These indices can be useful in assessing the desirability of vegetation control and stand thinnings, and in simulating stand development. Static competition indices, however, have fundamental limitations which should be more widely considered. Competition is usually a constraint to growth, not a determinant of growth, so any measurement of competition alone is fundamentally limited in its ability to predict individual crop tree performance. Differences in the microsite effects of competitors and the autecological responses of crop species result in wide variation in the size of the functional competitive arena, and suggest the need for distinct weightings of competitive intensity for different combinations of species and site. Site differences and weather variation, when coupled with species differences in above- and below-ground allocation, will alter the mode and intensity of competition within a stand and from year to year. The phenology of competitors and focal species will likewise alter interference patterns within a year, making one-time measurements sometimes misleading. Suggested alternatives for determining the importance and intensity of competition include the maintenance of competition-free seedlings ("phytometers") in order to gauge the competitive constraints experienced elsewhere in a plantation. Simulation models of tree growth and stand development also show promise, but they must incorporate the dynamics of noncrop vegetation development. In developing guidelines for the assessment of noncrop interference and the advisability of vegetation control, there is still a need to determine, in a generalizable manner, appropriate survey plot sizes and critical competition thresholds for different combinations of site type, crop species, and vegetation complex.
Width of sugar maple (Acersaccharum) tree rings as affected by climate
Authors: Lane C.J. , Reed D.D. , Mroz G.D. , Liechty H.O.
Published: July 2007

The effects of climate on the growth of sugar maple (Acersaccharum Marsh.) were studied at five sites along an 800-km acidic deposition gradient from Cook County, Minnesota, to Oceana County, Michigan. Fifty increment cores were taken from 25 dominant and codominant individuals at each site in the spring of 1990. Annual ring widths (1940–1989) were measured to 0.01 mm, standardized by taking the first logarithmic differences, and averaged into chronologies using the biweight mean. The five resulting chronologies were then related to climate using least squares regression techniques. The analyses indicate that temperature is associated with sugar maple growth to a greater degree than precipitation, though there were differences in the relationships among the five study sites. Growth was also found to be significantly affected by prior growing season conditions. No evidence of an overall decline or increase in sugar maple growth rates was observed over the 50-year study period.
Modeling density-related Iodgepole pine height growth, using Czarnowski's stand dynamics theory
Authors: Cieszewski C J , Bella I.E.
Published: July 2007

This paper presents a new density-dependent height-growth model for lodgepole pine (Pinuscontorta var. latifolia Engelm.) in Alberta. It predicts stand top height growth as a function of present top height, breast height age, and density. The model is an extension of Czarnowski's stand dynamics theory, using an iterative height increment model with variable site and density components. Using 946 annual growth periods from permanent sample plots, the calibration shows a good fit and simulates reasonable values, even beyond the database.
VOLUME EXCLUSION FOR REDUCING COMPRESSIBILITY EFFECTS IN LATTICE BOLTZMANN MODELS
Authors: SURMAS RODRIGO , PICO CARLOS ENRIQUE , DOS SANTOS LUÍS ORLANDO EMERICH , PHILIPPI PAULO CESAR
Published: July 2007

Lattice Boltzmann (LB) models for ideal gases retrieve the Navier-Stokes equation in the incompressible limit. Nevertheless, the high values of the isothermal compressibility introduce serious drawbacks. In the simulation of liquid flows through porous media, the high pressure gradients through throats and tortuous paths produce significant errors when conventional LB models are used, especially when the interest is the transient flow. In this work a significant reduction of the isothermal compressibility is reached by adjusting the equilibrium distribution moments to those obtained imposing a van der Waals pressure-density dependence and adopting a lattice with a high number of speeds. Simulation results for the shock tube problem, the velocity step problem and the transient pressure response in a tortuous channel are presented and compared with available analytical results.
Iron absorption by Belgrade rat pups during lactation
Authors: Thompson Khristy , Molina Ramon M. , Donaghey Thomas , Brain Joseph D. , Wessling-Resnick Marianne
Published: July 2007

Divalent metal transporter-1 (DMT1) mediates dietary nonheme iron absorption. Belgrade ( b) rats have defective iron metabolism due to a mutation in the DMT1 gene. To examine the role of DMT1 in neonatal iron assimilation, b/b and b/+ pups were cross-fostered to F344 Fischer dams injected with59FeCl3twice weekly during lactation. Tissue distribution of the radioisotope in the pups was determined at weaning ( day 21). The b/b pups had blood59Fe levels significantly lower than b/+ controls but significantly higher59Fe tissue levels in heart, bone marrow, skeletal muscle, kidney, liver, spleen, stomach, and intestines. To study the pharmacokinetics of nonheme iron absorption at the time of weaning,59FeCl3was administered to 21-day-old b/b and b/+ rats by intragastric gavage. Blood59Fe levels measured 5 min to 4 h postgavage were significantly lower in b/b rats, consistent with impaired DMT1 function in intestinal iron absorption. Tissue59Fe levels were also lower in b/b rats postgavage. Combined, these data suggest that DMT1 function is not essential for iron assimilation from milk during early development in the rat.
Cerebroprotective effects of the CO-releasing molecule CORM-A1 against seizure-induced neonatal vascular injury
Authors: Zimmermann Aliz , Leffler Charles W. , Tcheranova Dilyara , Fedinec Alexander L. , Parfenova Helena
Published: July 2007

Endogenous CO, a product of heme oxygenase activity, has vasodilator and cytoprotective effects in the cerebral circulation of newborn pigs. CO-releasing molecule (CORM)-A1 (sodium boranocarbonate) is a novel, water-soluble, CO-releasing compound. We addressed the hypotheses that CORM-A1 1) can deliver CO to the brain and exert effects of CO on the cerebral microvasculature and 2) is cerebroprotective. Acute and delayed effects of topically and systemically administered CORM-A1 on cerebrovascular and systemic circulatory parameters were determined in anesthetized newborn pigs with implanted closed cranial windows. Topical application of CORM-A1 (10−7–10−5 M) to the brain produced concentration-dependent CO release and pial arteriolar dilation. Systemically administered CORM-A1 (2 mg/kg ip or iv) caused pial arteriolar dilation and increased cortical cerebrospinal fluid CO concentration. Systemic CORM-A1 did not have acute or delayed effects on blood pressure, heart rate, or blood gases. Potential cerebroprotective vascular effects of CORM-A1 (2 mg/kg ip, 30 min before seizures) were tested 2 days after bicuculline-induced epileptic seizures (late postictal period). In control piglets, seizures reduced postictal cerebrovascular responsiveness to selective physiologically relevant vasodilators (bradykinin, hemin, and isoproterenol) indicative of cerebrovascular injury. In contrast, in CORM-A1-pretreated animals, no loss of postictal cerebrovascular reactivity was observed. We conclude that systemically administered CORM-A1 delivers CO to the brain, elicits the vasodilator and cytoprotective effects of CO in the cerebral circulation, and protects the neonatal brain from cerebrovascular injury caused by epileptic seizures.
TGF-β-induced EMT: mechanisms and implications for fibrotic lung disease
Authors: Willis Brigham C. , Borok Zea
Published: July 2007

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a process whereby fully differentiated epithelial cells undergo transition to a mesenchymal phenotype giving rise to fibroblasts and myofibroblasts, is increasingly recognized as playing an important role in repair and scar formation following epithelial injury. The extent to which this process contributes to fibrosis following injury in the lung is a subject of active investigation. Recently, it was demonstrated that transforming growth factor (TGF)-β induces EMT in alveolar epithelial cells (AEC) in vitro and in vivo, and epithelial and mesenchymal markers have been colocalized to hyperplastic type II (AT2) cells in lung tissue from patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), suggesting that AEC may exhibit extreme plasticity and serve as a source of fibroblasts and/or myofibroblasts in lung fibrosis. In this review, we describe the characteristic features of EMT and its mechanistic underpinnings. We further describe the contribution of EMT to fibrosis in adult tissues following injury, focusing especially on the critical role of TGF-β and its downstream mediators in this process. Finally, we highlight recent descriptions of EMT in the lung and the potential implications of this process for the treatment of fibrotic lung disease. Treatment for fibrosis of the lung in diseases such as IPF has heretofore focused largely on amelioration of potential inciting processes such as inflammation. It is hoped that this review will stimulate further consideration of the cellular mechanisms of fibrogenesis in the lung and especially the role of the epithelium in this process, potentially leading to innovative avenues of investigation and treatment.
Lung antioxidant enzymes are regulated by development and increased pulmonary blood flow
Authors: Sharma Shruti , Grobe Albert C. , Wiseman Dean A. , Kumar Sanjiv , Englaish Manal , Najwer Ida , Benavidez Eileen , Oishi Peter , Azakie Anthony , Fineman Jeffrey R. , Black Stephen M.
Published: July 2007

Increasing data suggest that oxidative stress, due to an increased production of reactive oxygen species and/or a decrease in antioxidants, is involved in the pathophysiology of pulmonary hypertension. Several antioxidant systems regulate the presence of oxidant species in vivo, and of primary interest are the superoxide dismutases (SOD) and catalase. However, little is known about the expression of antioxidant enzymes during the development of pulmonary hypertension. This study uses our lamb model of increased postnatal pulmonary blood flow, secondary to in utero aortopulmonary graft placement (shunt lambs), to investigate the expression patterns as well as activities of antioxidant enzymes during the early development of pulmonary hypertension. Protein levels of catalase, SOD1, SOD2, and SOD3 were evaluated by Western blot, and the activities of catalase and SOD were also quantified. In control lambs, protein expression and activities of catalase and SOD2 increased postnatally ( P < 0.05). However, SOD1 and SOD3 protein levels did not change. In shunt lambs, catalase, SOD1, and SOD2 protein levels all increased over the first 8 wk of life ( P < 0.05). However, SOD3 did not change. This was associated with an increase in the activities of catalase and SOD2 ( P < 0.05). Compared with control lambs, catalase and SOD2 protein levels were decreased in 2-wk-old shunt lambs and this was associated with increased levels of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and superoxide ( P < 0.05). Developmentally superoxide but not H2O2 levels significantly increased in both shunt and control lambs with levels being significantly higher in shunt compared with control lambs at 2 and 4 but not 8 wk. These data suggest that the antioxidant enzyme systems are dynamically regulated postnatally, and this regulation is altered during the development of pulmonary hypertension secondary to increased pulmonary blood flow. An increased understanding of these alterations may have important therapeutic implications for the treatment of pulmonary hypertension secondary to increased pulmonary blood flow.
Bleeding After Circumcision in a Newborn Receiving Sildenafil
Authors: Gamboa David , Robbins Daniel , Saba Ziad
Published: July 2007

This report describes a case of bleeding as a complication of circumcision in a 2-week-old infant being treated with sildenafil for persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn. The vasodilatory effects of sildenafil on the penile vasculature may have contributed to the postoperative bleeding in this patient.
Superior Vena Cava Perforation in a Child from a Lawnmower Projectile
Authors: McKamie Wesley A. , Schmitz Michael L. , Johnson Charles E. , Ray Trenda , Sanford Garrett B. , Dyamenahalli Umesh , Imamura Michiaki
Published: July 2007

Lawnmowers are one of the most frequent causes of mutilating injuries to children. The majority of accidents are caused by negligence of the operator. Most injuries of this type are caused by direct contact with the spinning blade and, less frequently, by projectiles propelled by the blade. Such projectiles usually produce bruises, but can penetrate skin and soft tissues. This report presents a 6-year-old child who suffered a small, outwardly insignificant puncture wound of the chest from a lawnmower-propelled projectile who presented with fever and chest pain the following day. The diagnostic work up and treatment of this deceptively life-threatening wound are discussed.
The Political Economy of High Income Taxation
Authors: Ganghof Steffen
Published: July 2007

Denmark's income tax burden as the percentage of GDP is larger than the total tax burden of the United States, and it has increased further after 1980. How can this be explained, given increasing tax competition and widespread views that strong reliance on regressive taxes was conducive to building and maintaining large tax and welfare states? The article highlights three factors: First, large income taxes are feasible if the capital tax burden is moderated within the income tax. Second, the effective capital income tax burden that had developed up to the early 1980s was extremely low so that subsequent tax reforms could cut marginal tax rates on mobile types of capital income while increasing tax revenue. Third, drastic changes in the legal structure of the income tax and stability in aggregate tax policy outcomes were facilitated by proportional representation and legislative majority rule.
Government Responsiveness and Political Competition in Comparative Perspective
Authors: Binzer Hobolt Sara , Klemmensen Robert
Published: July 2007

Governments in democratic systems are expected to respond to the issue preferences of citizens. Yet we have a limited understanding of the factors that cause levels of responsiveness to vary across time and between countries. In this article, the authors suggest that political contestation is the primary mechanism driving policy responsiveness and that this, in turn, is mediated by political institutions and government popularity. To test this proposition, the authors analyze the responsiveness of executive policy promises (speeches) and policy actions (public expenditure) in Britain, Denmark, and the United States in the period from 1970 to 2005. These time-series analyses show that higher levels of political contestation are associated with more responsive executives.
Parliamentary Cycles and Party Switching in Legislatures
Authors: Mershon Carol , Shvetsova Olga
Published: July 2007

This article examines politicians' changes of party labels during the life of a legislature. The authors view a legislator's choice of party as a strategic decision recurring throughout the parliamentary cycle. In their approach, individuals are open to switching parties as they pursue goals specific to the stage in the parliamentary cycle. Analyzing Italy and Russia, they identify among legislators in both countries patterns of heightened switching for office benefits, policy advantage, and vote seeking at distinctive moments in the parliamentary cycle. The commonalities across the two systems provide compelling support for their theoretical framework. The evidence also points to a midterm peak in switching in both countries. Differences appear, however, in the timing of preelectoral positioning—contrasts that the authors attribute to differences in the degree of party system institutionalization, the age of the democratic regimes, and thus the information available to players in electoral politics.
Using Childhood Memory Elicitation to Gain Insights into a Brand at a Crossroads
Authors: Braun-LaTour Kathryn A. , LaTour Michael S.
Published: July 2007

The regional In-N-Out burger chain is at a crossroads. With the passing of its matriarch, a new generation of owners is considering speeding up the company's growth, franchising the company, and expanding its product to a national audience. The question is, How will existing customers respond to the chain's expansion? In this context, the childhood memory elicitation method allows researchers to understand how consumers initially formed their relationships with a brand (or product). The age at which consumers formed a relationship with In-N-Out affects their view of the prospective expansion. Those who formed an early attachment were comfortable with expansion plans, but those who became attached as adolescents considered the expansion to be a violation of their view of the company as their trendy, exclusive club. The authors discuss the results specifically for the In-N-Out situation and more generally for other companies looking for methods or measurements to augment their research toolkit.
Facilitating Elementary Principals' Support for Instructional Teacher Leadership
Authors: Mangin Melinda M.
Published: July 2007

Purpose: This exploratory study examines conditions that lead elementary principals to support the work of school-based instructional teacher leaders. The study asks, How do principals' knowledge of teacher leadership and their interaction with teacher leaders contribute to principals' support for teacher leadership? And, How might district communication structures influence principal support?

Research Methods: Data collected in 2003-2004 came from five districts, four of which were low− socioeconomic status districts. Interviews with 15 principals, 12 math teacher leaders, and six supervisors focused on the nature and scope of the teacher leader's work and the role of the principal and/or supervisor with regard to the teacher leader.

Findings: The study provides evidence of a link between principals' knowledge of the position, their interaction with teacher leaders, and their support for teacher leadership. The research further demonstrates that districts can influence principals' level of support for teacher leaders by increasing communication about the role.

Implications: Evidence suggests that districts should build principals' knowledge of teacher leadership and foster principal-teacher leader interaction as a way to promote support. A second implication is the need for further research on other conditions that can influence principals' support.
Synthesis and Formulation of Zinc-strengthened Calcium Phosphate Polycarboxylate Cements
Authors: Xie Dong , Wang Guigui , Chung Il-Doo
Published: July 2007

A novel zinc-strengthened calcium phosphate polycarboxylate cement modified with amino acid has been developed. Synthesis of glass fillers and monomers as well as polymers and formulation of the cements are described. The effects of silanization, sintering, glass composition, grafting ratio of the methacrylate groups, molecular weight, tartaric acid and polymer content on compressive strength and curing time were investigated. The results show that both silanization and sintering of glass improved compressive strength and extended curing time. An appropriate ratio balance between zinc oxide and hydroxyapatite and between polymer, comonomer and water gave the best mechanical performance. With increasing grafting ratio and molecular weight compressive strength increased. With increasing polymer content and tartaric acid the curing time increased. The curing time decreased with increasing grafting ratio and molecular weight. It is concluded that this experimental cement has shown great potential as a bioactive cement for dental and orthopedic applications, based on its inherent compositions and mechanical strengths.
Dealing With Cultural Diversity
Authors: Brug Peary , Verkuyten Maykel
Published: July 2007

The present research was conducted among ethnic minority and majority youth in the Netherlands, examining the endorsement of four models for dealing with multiculturalism: mosaic, melting pot, assimilation, and segregation. Results showed that, compared to the majority group, minorities were more in favor of the mosaic model and less in favor of assimilation. Furthermore, endorsement of the models was related to beliefs about equality, national cohesion and group identification. Among both groups, the former measure was positively related to endorsement of the mosaic and melting-pot models, and negatively to the assimilation and segregation models. The importance of national cohesion was positively related to assimilation and negatively to the mosaic model, but more strongly among the majority group. In addition, for the minority group, group identification was positively related to the mosaic model and negatively to assimilation. For the majority group, these associations were, respectively, negatively and positively related.
Measuring Offender Attributes and Engagement in Treatment Using the Client Evaluation of Self and Treatment
Authors: Garner Bryan R. , Knight Kevin , Flynn Patrick M. , Morey Janis T. , Simpson D. Dwayne
Published: July 2007

Monitoring drug-abuse-treatment delivery and progress requires the use of validated instruments to measure client motivation, psychosocial and cognitive functioning, and other treatment-process dynamics. As part of the National Institute on Drug Abuse Criminal Justice Drug Abuse Treatment Studies project for examining client-performance indicators for treatment of correctional populations, this study examined psychometric properties of the Criminal Justice Client Evaluation of Self and Treatment (CJ CEST). The sample included 3,266 offenders from 26 corrections-based treatment programs located in six states. Overall, the client assessment demonstrated good reliabilities evaluated at the individual and program levels and in test—retest administrations. In addition, evidence for construct validity was favorable. It is concluded that the CJ CEST is a brief yet comprehensive instrument that effectively and efficiently measures client needs and functioning at intake and also is appropriate for use during treatment to monitor progress over time in corrections-based drug-treatment programs.
Mothers' Experience Supporting Life Adjustment in Children With T1DM
Authors: Lin Hsin-Pin , Mu Pei-Fan , Lee Yann-Jinn
Published: July 2007

The purpose of this study was to use a phenomenological approach to explore the essential structure of mothers' life experience when helping their first- to third-grade children with Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) make life adjustments at school. Twelve mothers whose children had been diagnosed with T1DM participated in this study at a teaching hospital in Taipei, Taiwan. Study results revealed six themes and identified the presence of various dynamic relationships between T1DM symptoms, the children's development, and collaborative self-care.
Factors Associated With the Self-Reported Health Status of Female Caregivers of AIDS Patients
Authors: Kipp Walter , Matukala Nkosi Thomas
Published: July 2007

A cross-sectional study was conducted on women who were family caregivers of spouses with AIDS, living in the Bumbu Zone, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. Eighty caregivers were randomly selected from a client visitation list of the home-based care program for AIDS patients. A semistructured questionnaire was used in face-to-face interviews. A self-reported health status score was calculated using five items from the questionnaire. The self-reported health of female caregivers indicates poor health. Lower caregiver health is associated with lower income, rented accommodation, little support, and stigmatization of the caregiver by relatives.
Comparing Incarcerated and Community-Dwelling Older Men's Health
Authors: Loeb Susan J. , Steffensmeier Darrell , Lawrence Frank
Published: July 2007

The purpose of this study is to compare incarcerated and community-dwelling older men's self-efficacy for health management, health-promotion behaviors, and health status. Social cognitive theory was the guiding framework. A sample of 51 incarcerated and 33 community men (age 50 and older) were surveyed. Frequencies and independent samples t tests were computed. Inmates reported significantly less participation in health-promotion behaviors ( p < .01) and attended fewer programs ( p < .05). The two groups did not demonstrate significant differences in self-efficacy or health status. The latter finding is important because the community men were on average 15 years older. Finding that prisoners attended significantly fewer programs and engaged less often in health-promoting behaviors may be because of lack of availability or awareness of programs to build self-care skills, perceptions that there is not much they can do about their health, a knowledge deficit in regard to health, or insufficient motivation.
Hope and Spiritual Well-Being in Adolescents With Cancer
Authors: Hendricks-Ferguson Verna
Published: July 2007

This study examines the relationships of hope and spiritual well-being (SWB)— and its dimensions, religious well-being (RWB) and existential well-being (EWB)—to time since diagnosis among adolescents with cancer. A descriptive cross-sectional design was used. The sample of 78 adolescents diagnosed with cancer was recruited from two pediatric oncology clinics. Adolescents in the first two time periods reported significantly higher levels of SWB, RWB, and EWB than those in subsequent time periods. Hope did not significantly vary over time. Hence, time since diagnosis may influence adolescents' levels of SWB and its dimensions during the cancer experience. Adolescents' use of SWB, RWB, and EWB as coping resources should be examined in longitudinal studies from diagnosis through survivorship.
Including African Americans in Health Care Research
Authors: Topp Robert , Newman Jamie L. , Jones Veronnie F.
Published: July 2007

The inclusion of minority populations, particularly African Americans (AAs), in health care research has been and continues to be challenging. Including AAs in health care research will address the health disparities observed between Caucasian and AA populations and may reduce the disparities in disease incidence and prevalence between these groups. To include more AAs in health care research, the research team must strive to build relationships, linkages, and mutual respect with the target AA community they wish to study.
A Survey of Sports Medicine Physicians regarding Psychological Issues in Patient-Athletes
Authors: Mann Barton J. , Grana William A. , Indelicato Peter A. , O'Neill Daniel F. , George Steven Z.
Published: July 2007

Purpose

To determine the extent to which sports medicine physicians encounter and discuss psychological issues among athletes they treat and to evaluate physicians’ perceptions of the availability and efficacy of sport psychologists and other mental health resources.

Study Design

Cross-sectional study.

Methods

A survey was sent via e-mail to all physician members of 4 prominent sports medicine professional associations: the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, American College of Sports Medicine, American Medical Society for Sports Medicine, and American Osteopathic Academy of Sports Medicine.

Results

The extent to which respondents discuss psychological issues with athletes varied by subspecialty and by specific issues assessed. Fears about reinjury, fears related to surgery, and lack of patience with recovery/rehabilitation were the 3 most common injury-related topics discussed with patient-athletes. The 3 most common non—injury-related topics discussed were stress/pressure, anxiety, and burnout. Family practitioners were more likely to discuss injury-related psychological issues than were orthopaedic surgeons. Orthopaedic surgeons reported the lowest frequencies of discussing non—injury-related psychological issues. Only 19% of all respondents indicated there were adequate numbers of sport psychologists and other mental health professionals in their geographical area to treat the needs of athletes. Three quarters of respondents reported they rarely or never referred athletes to sport psychologists for injury-related issues, and two thirds indicated they rarely or never referred athletes to sport psychologists for non—injury-related problems. Respondents rated sport psychologists and athletic trainers/physical therapists to be moderately effective in working with athletes regarding psychological problems.

Conclusion

Sports medicine physicians frequently encounter psychological issues with patient-athletes. There is a need for tools to facilitate assessment of these problems as well as greater communication between the mental health community and sports medicine physicians. In addition, knowledge of and access to professionals who are specifically trained to deal with the sometimes unique psychological needs of athletes should be improved.
Market-Based Disparities in Foster Care Service Provision
Authors: McBeath Bowen , Meezan William
Published: July 2007

Objective : This study examines in-agency and out-of-agency service provision to a sample of 243 foster children and their families. Method : Data come from a longitudinal study of 243 foster children and families served by non-profit agencies that were operating under either a performance-based, managed care purchase-of-service contract or a fee-for-service reimbursement mechanism. Results : Children and families served by agencies with performance-based, managed care contracts receive fewer of three of five types of services than those served by agencies reimbursed through fee-for-service contracts. Conclusions : Results suggest that performance-based, managed care contracting is related to suppressed service provision and may lead to service disparities between foster children and families served under different market environments.
Octopamine-Mediated Neuronal Plasticity in Honeybees: Implications for Olfactory Dysfunction in Humans
Authors: Farooqui Tahira
Published: July 2007

Biogenic amines, such as norepinephrine (in vertebrates) and octopamine (in invertebrates), have structural and functional similarities. These amines play crucial roles in animal behavior by modifying the synaptic output of relevant neurons. Increased levels of norepinephrine in the olfactory bulb preferentially increase mitral cell excitatory responses to olfactory nerve inputs, suggesting its critical role in modulating olfactory function including memory formation and/or recall of specific olfactory memories. Increased levels of octopamine in the antennal lobe play an important role in a reinforcement pathway involved in olfactory learning and memory in honeybees. Similar to adrenergic receptors in the human brain, activation of octopaminergic receptors in the honeybee brain induces specific second messenger pathways that change protein phosphorylation and/or gene expression, altering the activity and/or abundance of proteins responsible for neuronal signaling leading to changes in olfactory behavior. The author's studies in honeybees Apis mellifera indicate that oxidative stress plays a major role in olfactory dysfunction. A similar mechanism has been proposed for olfactory abnormalities in patients of Alzheimer disease and Parkinson disease. Due to similarities in cellular and molecular processes, which govern neuronal plasticity in humans and honeybees, the author proposes that the honeybee can be used as a potential and relatively simple model system for understanding human olfactory dysfunction during aging and in neurodegenerative diseases. NEUROSCIENTIST 13(4):304—322, 2007. DOI: 10.1177/1073858407303676
Bipolar Disorder and Epilepsy: A Bidirectional Relation? Neurobiological Underpinnings, Current Hypotheses, and Future Research Directions
Authors: Mazza Marianna , Di Nicola Marco , Marca Giacomo Della , Janiri Luigi , Bria Pietro , Mazza Salvatore
Published: July 2007

A number of studies have demonstrated that affective disorders in epilepsy represent a common psychiatric comorbidity; however, most of the classic neuropsychiatric literature focuses on depression, which is actually prominent, but little is known about bipolar depression, and very little about mania, in epilepsy. Biochemical, structural, and functional abnormalities in primary bipolar disorder could also occur secondary to seizure disorders. The kindling paradigm, invoked as a model for understanding seizure disorders, has also been applied to the episodic nature of bipolar disorder. In bipolar patients, changes in second-messenger systems, such as G-proteins, phosphatidylinositol, protein kinase C, myristoylated alanine-rich C kinase substrate, or calcium activity have been described, along with changes in c-fos expression. Common mechanisms at the level of ion channels might include the antikindling and the calcium-antagonistic and potassium outward current-modulating properties of antiepileptic drugs. All these lines of research appear to be converging on a richer understanding of neurobiological underpinnings between bipolar disorder and epilepsy. Mania, which is the other side of the coin in affective disorders, may represent a privileged window into the neurobiology of mood regulation and the neurobiology of epilepsy itself. Future research on intracellular mechanisms might become decisive for a better understanding of the similarities between these two disorders. NEUROSCIENTIST 13(4):392—404, 2007. DOI: 10.1177/1073858407301117
Taking the Long View: From Evidence to Policy
Authors: Dailey Maureen
Published: July 2007

The Fourth Annual Conference of State Nursing Workforce Centers took place on April 27-28, 2006, in Jersey City, New Jersey. This is a summation of participant's activities at the workforce centers conference, including information regarding the North Carolina Center for Nursing, Legislative Leadership Immersion Institute, George Mason University, Colleagues in Caring, and the New Jersey Collaborative Center for Nursing. Key topics discussed included critical analysis of the national workforce issues such as shortage (supply and demand), work regarding nursing satisfaction, turnover, and workforce issues' impact on patient outcomes. In addition, nursing practice and work design were discussed, along with national and local policy issues, including successful strategies for nurse policy advocacy and communication of nursing needs and potential problem solutions to multiple stakeholders. This article summarizes the highlights of this important conference.
Lessons Learned From 2 Patients With Multidrug-Resistant HIV-1 Infection Successfully Treated With a Darunavir-Containing Antiretroviral Treatment Regimen
Authors: Colebunders Robert , Vlieghe Erika , Maniewski Ula , Schepens Tom , Hollanders Els , Gheuens Eric , De Roo Ann
Published: July 2007

The authors describe 2 patients with life-threatening multidrug-resistant HIV-1 infection who responded very well to a treatment regimen containing darunavir and enfuvirtide. They discuss the availability of several new treatment options such as darunavir, etravirine, integrase, and CCR5 inhibitors for patients with multidrug-resistant viruses.
How Prostate Cancer Support Groups Do and Do Not Survive: British Columbian Perspectives
Authors: Oliffe John L. , Halpin Michael , Bottorff Joan L. , Hislop T. Gregory , McKenzie Michael , Mroz Lawrence
Published: July 2007

Many prostate cancer support groups (PCSGs) have formed in North America during the past decade, yet their operation or factors influencing sustainability are poorly understood. This article reports micro (intragroup), meso (intergroup), and macro (group/structure) analyses drawn from the fieldwork and participant observations conducted for an ethnographic study of PCSGs based in British Columbia, Canada. The findings indicate that effective group leadership is integral to group sustainability and the recruitment and retention of attendees. At the meso level, intergroup connections and communication were often informal; however, the primary purpose of all the PCSGs was to provide information and support to men and their families. Many PCSGs were uncertain how formal associations with cancer fund-raising societies would influence group effectiveness. Macro issues such as prostate cancer activism resided with individual group “champions” through activities coordinated by provincial and national PCSG organizations. However, activism did not guarantee group sustainability. The study findings reveal why some groups flourish while others appear untenable, and form the basis for discussion about how PCSG sustainability might be best achieved.
Rapidly induced, T-cell–independent xenoantibody production is mediated by marginal zone B cells and requires help from NK cells
Authors: Li Shengqiao , Yan Yehong , Lin Yuan , Bullens Dominique M. , Rutgeerts Omer , Goebels Jozef , Segers Constant , Boon Louis , Kasran Ahmad , De Vos Rita , Dewolf-Peeters Christiane , Waer Mark , Billiau An D.
Published: July 2007

Xenoantibody production directed at a wide variety of T lymphocyte–dependent and T lymphocyte–independent xenoantigens remains the major immunologic obstacle for successful xenotransplantation. The B lymphocyte subpopulations and their helper factors, involved in T-cell–independent xenoantibody production are only partially understood, and their identification will contribute to the clinical applicability of xenotransplantation. Here we show, using models involving T-cell–deficient athymic recipient mice, that rapidly induced, T-cell–independent xenoantibody production is mediated by marginal zone B lymphocytes and requires help from natural killer (NK) cells. This collaboration neither required NK-cell–mediated IFN-γ production, nor NK-cell–mediated cytolytic killing of xenogeneic target cells. The T-cell–independent IgM xenoantibody response could be partially suppressed by CD40L blockade.