bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Synergic effect of vitamin A and high-fat diet in adipose tissue development and nuclear receptor expression in young rats
Authors: Redonnet Anabelle , Ferrand Carine , Bairras Céline , Higueret Paul , Noël-Suberville Catherine , Cassand Pierrette , Atgié Claude
Published: April 2008

In order to study the effects of dietary lipids and vitamin A on the development of adipose tissues, young rats were submitted for 8 d to a control or to two cafeteria diets with normal (Caf) or higher (Caf+) vitamin A levels. Retinoid (retinoic acid receptor (RAR) α, RARγ, retinoid X receptor (RXR) α) and fatty acid (PPARγ) receptor mRNA was measured in the subcutaneous white adipose tissue (Swat) and in isolated mature adipocytes by RT-PCR. The stroma vascular fraction was culturedin vitroto test the capacities of the adipocyte precursors to proliferate and differentiate. The Caf diet enriched in vitamin A resulted in an increased adiposity, due to increased adipocyte hypertrophy. This was concomitant with a lower expression of RARα and RARγ mRNA ( − 34·6 and − 38·6 %) and a higher expression of PPARγ (+59 %) in the Swat and, to a less extent, in isolated adipocytes. Positive correlations were obtained between PPARγ mRNA and Swat weights and between PPARγ and RXRα mRNA. By contrast, RARγ mRNA and Swat masses were negatively correlated. The adipocyte precursors from Caf+ Swat proliferated more,in vitro, at the beginning of the culture. This difference progressively disappeared and was totally absent after 8 d of culture, but with a higher percentage of differentiated preadipocytes (+80·3 %) in the Caf+ group. In conclusion, lipids and vitamin A act synergistically on the normal growth of the adipose tissue in young rats, concomitant with an imbalance in the pattern of the nuclear receptors. These changes influence the early normal development of the endogenous adipocyte precursors.
From Class to Culture: Immigration, Recession, and Daily Ethnic Boundaries in Belgium, 1940s–1990s
Authors: Beyers Leen
Published: April 2008

Each society has myths about the successful adaptation of former migrants. Historians need to deconstruct these myths by dealing with the imagined boundaries between “indigenous” and “foreign” people that give way to them. This essay does so by comparing how children of Polish interwar immigrants and children of Italian postwar immigrants came to be seen as insiders in the Belgian Limburg mining region. Oral testimonies, associational records, and population data reveal that Poles achieved the status of industrious, adapted people around 1960, due to the equal promotion of Polish and indigenous miners' sons in the mines and to the labour migration regime which constructed Italians as unskilled outsiders. Around 1980, the industrial recession caused unemployment among young Italians. However, migration politics has, since the recession, primarily focused on culture. Moreover, European legislation constructed foreignness as non-European. Consequently, it is not class, but European culture which has turned Italians into “integrated” people.
Were Concentration Camp Prisoners Slaves?: The Possibilities and Limits of Comparative History and Global Historical Perspectives
Authors: Buggeln Marc
Published: April 2008

The author discusses the question of whether concentration camp prisoners can be characterized as slaves during the period of their intensified exploitation as forced labourers in the German war economy after 1942. Recent research has negated this question. This finding rests, however, primarily on the fact that the form of slavery practised in the southern United States was chosen as a reference system and that certain differences are posited as too absolute. The author analyses differences and similarities in selected subject areas between slavery as it was practised in the American South and the forced labour demanded of concentration camp prisoners. Subsequently, an attempt is made to explain the apparent differences and similarities from a global-historical perspective, and hypotheses towards a history of slavery in the age of globalization are elaborated. The goal here is to criticize the central positioning of slavery in the American South as the normative slavery system and to raise once again the question of the various forms of unfree labour under capitalism.
Future progress in drought tolerance in maize needs new secondary traits and cross combinations
Authors: MONNEVEUX P. , SANCHEZ C. , TIESSEN A.
Published: April 2008

The use of secondary traits such as number of ears per plant, grains per ear, the interval from anthesis to silking, leaf senescence and leaf rolling, together with management of water stress and recurrent selection, have permitted a considerable increase in drought tolerance in the CIMMYT maize source germplasm populations Drought Tolerant Population (DTP) and La Posta Sequía (LPS). Inbred lines were extracted from DTP C9 and LPS C7 cycles and then used for generating single and three-ways hybrids. These were evaluated under normal irrigation and managed drought conditions. A weak, and in some cases no longer significant, correlation was found between grain yield and the traits initially used for selection. Most prominently, the relationship between anthesis-silking interval and grain yield became much weaker in these hybrids. Conversely, significant negative correlations were found between tassel dry weight and grain yield. Three-way hybrids involving two DTP lines yielded more than those involving one only, indicating the feasibility of gene pyramiding for drought tolerance. Overall, the results suggested that the relationship between grain yield and secondary traits has been modified due to continuous selection in the LPS and DTP populations. Some long-established secondary traits have become less important, while others have become more relevant. Mean grain weight, previously not used within a drought selection index, was strongly correlated with yield in the present study. The importance of traits related to the availability in C products for the development of ears and grains are discussed. The results indicate that the traits of source organs contribute marginally to drought tolerance; variation of leaf or root traits seems to be less important than variation in tassel parameters for increasing drought tolerance. For ensuring further progress in drought tolerance in maize, the solution might reside in the manipulation of sink organs. It is therefore suggested that selection for even greater number of ears, bigger grains and smaller tassels may help to increase grain yield under water limited environments in the near future. A short discussion on the optimal choice of parental lines for developing hybrids with maximum expression of drought tolerance concludes the paper.
Sleep position and laterality of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo
Authors: Korres S G , Papadakis C E , Riga M G , Balatsouras D G , Dikeos D G , Soldatos C R
Published: April 2008

Objective:

The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of posterior semicircular canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo in each ear, and to assess the association between the ear affected by benign paroxysmal positional vertigo and the head-lying side during sleep onset. Based on a previous study which used objective methods to prove the preference of the elderly for the right head-lying side during sleep, we hypothesised that a predominance of the same head-lying side in benign paroxysmal positional vertigo patients may affect the pathophysiology of otoconia displacement.

Study design:

We conducted a prospective study of out-patients with posterior semicircular canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, confirmed by a positive Dix–Hallpike test.

Methods:

One hundred and forty-two patients with posterior semicircular canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo were interviewed about their past medical history, focusing on factors predisposing to benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. All patients included in the study were able to define a predominant, favourite head-lying side, right or left, during sleep onset.

Results:

The Dix–Hallpike test was found to be positive on the right side in 82 patients and positive on the left side in 54; six patients were found to be positive bilaterally. During sleep onset, 97 patients habitually laid their head on the right side and the remaining 45 laid their head on the left. The association between the affected ear and the head-lying side during sleep onset was statistically significant (p < 0.001).

Conclusions:

Our study found a predominance of right-sided benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, a subjective preference amongst patients for a right head-lying position during sleep onset, and an association between the ear affected by benign paroxysmal positional vertigo and the preferred head-lying side during sleep onset. The clinical and therapeutical implications of this observation are discussed.
The puzzle of language learning: From child's play to ‘linguaphobia’
Authors: Wray Alison
Published: April 2008

A new education policy for England, announced in Spring 2007, aims to introduce the learning of a foreign language to all children from the age of 8 by the year 2010. But there was a similar initiative in the 1960s and it didn't work then, so why should it now? This presentation explores the reasons underlying the belief that children can ‘naturally’ learn another language if they begin young enough, and considers reasons why classroom learning may not always tap into whatever natural language learning skills children have. Drawing on a range of previously published research and my own recent empirical studies, I suggest that, unless we are careful, our primary-age children will be flung into an adult-style learning approach, which they are too immature to handle. How, then, can young children's learning potential be exploited most effectively? The role of multiword sequences as a form of lexis is considered, making reference to my model of formulaic language processing e.g. Wray 2002. Consideration is given to how memorising useful wordstrings may assist children in developing a view of language knowledge that promotes effective learning.
The AILA Research Network – CLIL and Immersion Classrooms: Applied Linguistic Perspectives
Authors: Smit Ute
Published: April 2008

CLIL and Immersion Classrooms: Applied Linguistic Perspectives (www.ichm.org/clil/) is one of a number of research networks (ReNs) established under the auspices of AILA. It was founded after the first CLIL Symposium, held in Vienna in July 2005. The network connects applied linguists who focus their research interests on educational settings which make use of an additional language for teaching and learning diverse content areas and thus engage in content and language integrated learning, or CLIL. Thus, this ReN provides researchers with a platform for presenting investigations on any type of classroom-based learning undertaken in a language other than the learners' first or previous language of education. This includes not only typical immersion settings of immigrant learners being integrated into mainstream education and use of the dominant language but also, and more centrally, the more recent phenomenon of using a foreign language as the medium of instruction, which has become an increasingly popular teaching approach at all educational levels in Europe and beyond, as recent publications show (Eurydice Report 2006; Marsh & Wolff 2007; Wilkinson & Zegers 2007).
A mobile robot with autonomous climbing and descending of stairs
Authors: Ben-Tzvi Pinhas , Ito Shingo , Goldenberg Andrew A.
Published: April 2008

Mobile robots are used to operate in urban environments, for surveillance, reconnaissance, and inspection, as well as for military operations and in hazardous environments. Some are intended for exploration of only natural terrains, but others also for artificial environments, including stairways. This paper presents a mobile robot design that achieves autonomous climbing and descending of stairs. The robot uses sensors and embedded intelligence to achieve the task. The robot is a reconfigurable tracked mobile robot that has the ability to traverse obstacles by changing its track configuration. Algorithms have been further developed for conditions under which the mobile robot would halt its motion during the climbing process when at risk of flipping over. Technical problems related to the implementation of some of the robot functional attributes are presented, and proposed solutions are validated and experimentally tested. The experiments illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach to autonomous climbing and descending of stairs.
Public–Private Partnerships in the health sector: the Danish experience
Authors: VRANGBÆK* KARSTEN
Published: April 2008

This article investigates the current use of Public–Private Partnerships (PPP) in the Danish health sector based on an initial discussion of theoretical approaches that analyze PPP. The empirical analysis concludes that PPP has been used very sparsely in the Danish health sector. There are few examples of large-scale partnership projects with joint investment and risk taking, but a number of smaller partnerships such as jointly owned companies at the regional level. When defining PPP more broadly, we can identify a long tradition for various types of collaboration between public and private actors in health care in Denmark. An analysis of the regulatory environment is offered as an explanation for the limited use of PPPs in Denmark. Major political and institutional actors at the central level differ in their enthusiasm for the PPP concept, and the regulatory framework is somewhat uncertain. A number of general issues and concerns related to PPPs are also discussed. It is suggested that a risk-based framework can be useful for mapping the potential and challenges for both private and public partners. Such a framework can be used to feed into game theoretical models of pros and cons for PPP projects. In general terms, it is concluded that more empirical research is needed for the assessment of the various risk factors involved in using PPPs in health care. Most PPPs are still very young, and the evidence on performance and broader governance issues is only just emerging. Ideally, such assessments should include comparisons with a purely public alternative.
Skalen zur Erfassung der Equity in Partnerschaften (SEEP)
Authors: Rohmann Elke , Bierhoff Hans-Werner
Published: April 2008

Zusammenfassung. Die vorliegende Forschung dient der Entwicklung von Skalen zur Erfassung der Equity in Partnerschaften (SEEP), die zwischen partnerbezogenen und personbezogenen Beiträgen der Partner differenzieren. Drei Studien wurden durchgeführt (N = 302, N = 160, N = 128). Die in Studie 1 berechnete Hauptkomponentenanalyse kontrastiert eine partnerbezogene Dimension Mögen/Gefühle mit zwei personbezogenen Dimensionen: Sozialer Status und Attraktivität. Die aus diesen Dimensionen abgeleiteten Skalen weisen gute interne Konsistenzen auf. Ein starker Hinweis auf die Validität der Skalen sind die hohen Intra-Paarkorrelationen. Wie erwartet fanden wir einen kurvilinearen Zusammenhang zwischen der Skala Mögen/Gefühle und Beziehungserfolg (Glück, sexuelle Zufriedenheit und wahrgenommene Beziehungsstabilität). Hinsichtlich der beiden Skalen der personbezogenen Equity traten hingegen keine vergleichbaren Ergebnisse auf. In Studie 2 waren die Skalen in einem Retest über acht Wochen reliabel. In Studie 3 fanden wir den erwarteten kurvilinearen Zusammenhang zwischen Mögen/Gefühle und Zufriedenheit sowie mit Ärger in der Partnerschaft.
Theoretical and Methodological Considerations in the Evaluation of Patients Leaving the Emergency Room Without Receiving Medical Attention
Authors: Rebolloso Pacheco Enrique
Published: April 2008

The paper provides a thorough review of the major theories and empirical research on medical care looking at previous studies carried out with patients who leave the emergency department without medical evaluation. The model proposed by the author suggests that an association between traditional health belief model and patients' medical visits can be established. In the model it was hypothesized that whether or not a person goes to the office doctor depends upon two variables: 1) the degree to which a person perceives a personal health threat and 2) the degree to which the person perceives that this particular action reduces that threat. These two main variables affect the medical outcome (medical visit) through a series of intervening variables: general health value, health locus of control, severity of the symptoms, and benefits of the medical visit. Methodological aspects of the evaluative proposal and study limitations and implications are discussed.
Expert Psychological Testimony in the United States: A New Playing Field? 1This paper is based in part on material presented at greater length in , and .
Authors: Penrod Steven D. , Fulero Solomon M. , Cutler Brian L.
Published: April 2008

This paper examines the legal and scientific aspects of expert psychological testimony in the United States and discusses the possible implications for such testimony of a recent decision by the United States Supreme Court. We consider expert testimony on eyewitness identification issues as an illustration of the reaction of the courts to, particularly, novel scientific evidence offered in adversarial settings. First, an historical perspective on the use of expert testimony is traced with particular attention to the criteria that state and federal courts have used in determining whether to admit expert testimony. We then examine the new Supreme Court decision and discuss its implications for the use of expert eyewitness testimony. We conclude by illustrating how eyewitness research and research on jury decisionmaking is likely to assume new importance in light of new expert evidence criteria.
Shyness and Sociability: Factor Structure in a German Sample 1The results of this study were presented in part at the 6th Conference of the European Association of Personality Psychology, Groningen, The Netherlands, June 15-19, 1992.
Authors: Czeschlik Tatiana , Nürk Hans-Christoph
Published: April 2008

Cheek and Buss (1981) were among the first to address explicitly the need to differentiate between ‘Shyness' and ‘Sociability', because these two constructs do not represent the opposite poles of one dimension. In this study, the ‘Shyness' and ‘Sociability' scales developed by Cheek and Buss (1981) were translated into German and administered to a sample of N = 204 students. Results showed that (i) the constructs can be separated by means of a principal components analysis (PCA) in a German sample, (ii) scale intercorrelation is low like in the US sample, (iii) convergent and divergent construct validity is supported, and (iv) gender differences can be observed in both scales.
Evaluation of the Academic Setting in Spain 1This study was financed by the University of Oviedo.
Authors: Fernández Juan , Mateo Miguel A. , Muñiz José
Published: April 2008

The conditions are investigated in which Spanish university teachers carry out their teaching and research functions. 655 teachers from the University of Oviedo took part in this study by completing the Academic Setting Evaluation Questionnaire (ASEQ). Of the three dimensions assessed in the ASEQ, Satisfaction received the lowest ratings, Social Climate was rated higher, and Relations with students was rated the highest. These results are similar to those found in two studies carried out in the academic years 1986/87 and 1989/90. Their relevance for higher education is twofold because these data can be used as a complement of those obtained by means of students' opinions, and the crossing of both types of data can facilitate decision making in order to improve the quality of the work (teaching and research) of the university institutions.
A Rorschach Analysis of Violent Murderers and Nonviolent Offenders
Authors: Coram Gregory J.
Published: April 2008

The study was designed to compare the Rorschach protocols of violent murderers with nonviolent offenders. A total of 46 convicted male felons, that is, 23 violent murderers and 23 nonviolent offenders with a mean age of 34.43 and 32.48, respectively, participated in the study. Each subject was administered a Rorschach utilizing the Exner Comprehensive System for administration, scoring, and interpretation. The two groups differed at a .01 level of significance on 7 of the 22 variables that were subjected to a one-way analysis of variance. The violent murderers had a greater distortion of perceptual accuracy and cognitive mediation. In addition, they demonstrated a higher potential for impulsivity and vulnerability to stress. Both groups had a high frequency of ambitents, T-less protocols, and difficulty with emotional modulation. Although these findings should be viewed as tentative, they provide some initial information on the differences between the groups. Further study will be needed to replicate and extend the results.
Assessment of Attention: Further Validation of the Star Counting Test
Authors: de Jong Peter F.
Published: April 2008

Two studies are presented in which the validity of the Star Counting Test (SCT), an attention test for children, was examined. In the first study the test was administered to a sample of 339 elementary school children of 9 years old. In addition, a commonly used achievement test for reading comprehension was administered and teacher-ratings of attention behavior and other classroom behaviors were gathered. Results showed that the SCT is related to teacher-ratings of attention and much weaker to other classroom behaviors. In addition, the relationship of the SCT with attention behavior could be separated from the relationship of reading comprehension with attention behavior. In the second study the SCT and a number of standard attention tests were administered to a group of children with attention problems and a group of normal controls. The performance of the latter group appeared to be better on the SCT and on standard attention tests reflecting working memory. No differences were found between the groups on attention tests that measure predominantly perceptual motor speed. In general, the results of the study tend to support the validity of the SCT.
A Factor Analysis of the Social Problem-Solving Inventory using Polychoric Correlations 1The participation of Albert Maydeu-Olivares in this research was supported by a Fulbright-La Caixa scholarship. Parts of this paper were performed by the first author as part of his doctoral dissertion at the University of Barcelona, directed by Juana Gómez Benito.
Authors: Maydeu-Olivares Albert , D'Zurilla Thomas J.
Published: April 2008

The Social Problem-Solving Inventory (SPSI; D'Zurilla & Nezu, 1990 ) is a theory-driven instrument that was designed to measure two major hypothesized components of the social problem-solving process: (1) problem orientation and (2) problem-solving proper. In the present study, factor analyses using polychoric correlations were performed on the total item pool of the SPSI and its two major scales and seven subscales to examine the construct validity of the theoretical model underlying this inventory. The results indicate that the SPSI is actually measuring two different kinds of problem orientation (positive and negative) and three different problem-solving styles (a rational/systematic problem-solving style, an impulsive/careless style, and an avoidant style).
Cognitive Assessment in Education in a Multicultural Society
Authors: Helms-Lorenz Michelle , Van de Vijver Fons J. R.
Published: April 2008

The question is raised whether instruments used for cognitive assessment in educational settings such as school achievement tests and intelligence tests are adequate for a multicultural society. Empirical studies often show that migrant pupils score consistently lower on these tests than native pupils. Various factors are discussed that can challenge the equivalence (and hence, the comparability) of the test scores obtained in these groups such as intergroup differences in verbal skills, in cultural values and norms, and in test-wiseness. Commonly applied remedies to enhance the suitability of cognitive tests are discussed: adaptation of existing tests, the use of different norms, statistical and linguistic procedures to correct for item bias, and the development of new tests. Conclusions and implications are discussed.
Recent Developments in the Assessment and Diagnosis of Child Psychopathology
Authors: Verhulst Frank C.
Published: April 2008

In this article, recent developments in the assessment and diagnosis of child psychopathology are discussed with an emphasis on standardized methodologies that provide data that can be scored on empirically derived groupings of problems that tend to co-occur. Assessment methodologies are highlighted that especially take account of the following three basic characteristics of child psychopathology: (1) the quantitative nature of child psychopathology; (2) the role of developmental differences in the occurrence of problem behaviors, and (3) the need for multiple informants. Cross-cultural research is needed to test the applicability of assessment procedures across different settings as well as the generalizability of taxonomic constructs. Assessments of children in different cultures can be compared or pooled to arrive at a multicultural knowledge base which may be much stronger than knowledge based on only one culture. It is essential to avoid assuming that data from any single source reveal the significance of particular problems. Instead, comprehensive assessment of psychopathology requires coordination of multisource data using a multiaxial assessment approach.
Recent Developments in the Clinical Assessment of Personality Disorders
Authors: Widiger Thomas A. , Axelrod Seth R.
Published: April 2008

Each of the latest editions of the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders has given special attention to the diagnosis of personality disorders. However, the assessment of personality disorders is among the most problematic and controversial of the mental disorders. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the major issues in the assessment of personality disorders, and to provide suggestions for their resolution. Issues that are covered include the differentiation of personality disorders from other mental disorders, from other personality disorders, and from normal personality functioning. We also discuss alternative instruments for the assessment of personality disorders, focusing in particular on various self-report inventories and semistructured interviews.
The Italian Version of the Affective Gottschalk-Gleser Content Analysis Scales: A Step Toward Concurrent Validation
Authors: Suslow Thomas , Battacchi Marco W. , Renna Margherita
Published: April 2008

A first approach to the validation of the Italian version of the Gottschalk-Gleser Content Analysis Scales of Anxiety and Hostility is presented. To assess the validity of the Affective Content Analysis Scales the Gottschalk-Gleser standard procedure for obtaining verbal samples was followed and concurrently self-report measurements of comparable emotional constructs were applied. A short form of the Differential Emotions Scale (DES) was administered three times to 50 university students to measure the emotional state before as well as after speech sampling and the affectivity associated with the narrated life event. To investigate whether the Gottschalk-Gleser Affect Scales measure emotional traits the State-Trait-Anxiety-Inventory, an S-R Inventory of Anxiety, the Shame-Guilt Scale ( Battacchi, Codispoti, & Marano, 1994 ) and the Irritability Scale ( Caprara, Borgogni, Cinanni, di Giandomenico, & Passerini, 1985 ) were applied. Though the correlations between the measures were generally low, evidence of convergent validity emerged for the Gottschalk-Gleser Total Anxiety Scale, the anxiety subscales Guilt Anxiety and Shame Anxiety (that seem to measure an anxiety pattern consisting of several basic emotions) and for the hostility subscale Overt Outward Hostility. The correlational data indicate that the Gottschalk-Gleser Affect Scales assess emotional traits as well as emotional states.
The Evolution of Some Rorschach Variables in Portuguese Children
Authors: Silva Danilo R. , Novo Rosa , Prazeres Nina
Published: April 2008

Previous studies have drawn attention to the occurrence of important differences between the mean scores of some Rorschach variables in Portuguese samples and the normative data published by Exner. The present paper shows the evolution in the scores of 13 Rorschach variables, during the first four school years, from protocols of a sample of 22 children of both sexes. The results obtained are consistent with those found before. The authors discuss the meaning of these differences and formulate some considerations on eventual implications, both practical and theoretical, for the use of the American Comprehensive System norms in Portugal and other countries.
Behavioral Assessment of Social Interactions in Natural Settings
Authors: Santoyo Carlos
Published: April 2008

The present paper deals with behavioral assessment of social interaction in natural settings. The design of observational systems that allow the identification of the direction, contents, quality and social agents involved in a social interchange is an aim of social interaction assessment and research. In the first part a description of a system of behavioral observation of social interaction is presented. This system permits the identification of the above mentioned aspects. Secondly a strategy for the behavioral assessment of social skills is described. This strategy is based on the consequences and effects of social interaction, and it is supported by three basic processes: social effectiveness, social responsiveness and reciprocity.
Effects of a Cooperative Game Program on Socio-affective Relations and Group Cooperation Capacity
Authors: Garaigordobil Maite , Maganto Carmen , Etxeberría Juan
Published: April 2008

This research studies the effects of a friendly and cooperative game-program on child socio-affective relations and group cooperation capacity, between ages 6 and 7. For this purpose 125 experimental subjects were compared with 53 control subjects, using a pretest-intervention-posttest design. The intervention consisted of 22 play sessions carried out during one academic year. Each session lasted between 60 and 90 minutes, in which 4 or 5 game activities took place. The 54 games in the program encouraged the children to take part, accept others, co-operate, and share as well as to develop their symbolic play and to enjoy themselves. Results show that the program induced the experimental subjects toward positive changes in the socio-affective relations within the groups, as well as group cooperation capacity.
Invited Report: A Tale of Two Surveys - A Comparison Between Results of Two Opinion Surveys
Authors: Bomholt Niels L.
Published: April 2008

Opinion surveys were conducted in two associations, one European,the other international, both dealing with psychological assessment. A comparison of results shows many parallels, but also a number of differences in opinions concerning the respective associations, and just as each of the surveys may provide ideas for future initiatives, the comparison might invite thoughts concerning future cooperation.
Vulnerable Personality in Depression: Investigating Commonality in the Search for Unification
Authors: Carrillo Jesús M. , Rojo Nieves , Staats Arthur W.
Published: April 2008

The present paper examines three models of personality and behavior - the dispositional approach, represented by the CEP questionnaire (Pinillos), the adjustment approach (represented by the Bell questionnaire) and the behavioral approach (represented by the PES scale of MacPhyllamy and Lewinsohn) - with respect to the prediction of depression. The specific results show that variables from the first two are good predictors of depression and that the PES scale from the behavioral approach is a weaker predictor. Second, the position is taken that there are unrecognized relationships among different psychological tests and the present study investigates such relationships among the three scales as they are used in the prediction of depression. The relationships found are analyzed in a unifying theory that calls for additional studies of the interrelationships of tests in prediction for the purpose of organizing the field's excessive diversity in tests and theories and of elaborating the theory.
A Replication Study of the Structure of the Adolescent Coping Scale: Multiple Forms and Applications of a Self-Report Inventory in a Counselling and Research Context
Authors: Frydenberg Erica , Lewis Ramon
Published: April 2008

This paper reports two independent studies designed to investigate the reliability and validity of the Long and the Short Form of the Adolescent Coping Scale (ACS). Since we have found from our research that much of an individual's behaviour is situation-specific there is a Specific Form of the ACS which allows for the measurement of responses to a particular self-nominated (or administrator-nominated) concern. However, it is also clear that an individual's choice of coping strategies is, to a large extent, consistent regardless of the nature of the concern. Thus, there is a General Form of the instrument which addresses how an individual copes with concerns in general. The two sets of data reported, utilising the General and the Specific Form (in a Long and Short format), show the value of utilising separately 18 coping scales when measuring adolescent coping strategies. The reliability, validity and empirical distinctiveness of each scale is demonstrated. Nevertheless, factor analyses reported here show that there is some benefit to be gained from considering three coping styles comprising combinations of between four and seven coping strategies. The use of coping styles is particularly relevant when the Short Form of the ACS has been administered. The justification of the use of the different forms of the scale in both educational and clinical contexts, is discussed. The instrument provides an individual or group coping profile which can be used by respondents to guide them in the self-directed change of the coping repertoire.
Children's Test-Taking Behaviors: A Review of Literature, Case Study, and Research on Turkish Children
Authors: Oakland Thomas , Gulek Cengiz , Glutting Joseph
Published: April 2008

The administration of individually administered measures has been a common practice in psychology for more than 100 years. Observations of test behaviors acquired under these conditions enhance our understanding of behavior and enable us to evaluate the quality of test data. This article reviews research related to test behaviors with children and youth, describes two models for their use, discusses psychometric data associated with one standardized measure of test behaviors, the Guide to the Assessment of Test Session Behavior, and presents a case study. One research study using the GATSB with children in Turkey also is presented.
Self-Referent Thoughts in Exercise: The Self-Perception in Exercise Questionnaire
Authors: Sorensen Marit
Published: April 2008

Adherence to lifestyle changes - beginning to exercise, for example - is assumed to be mediated by self-referent thoughts. This paper describes a pilot study and three studies conducted to develop and validate a questionnaire for adults to determine their self-perceptions related to health-oriented exercise. The pilot study identified items pertinent to the domains considered important in this context, and began the process of selecting items. Study 2 examined the factor structure, reduced the number of items, determined the internal consistency of the factors, and explored the discriminative validity of the questionnaire as to physical activity level and gender. Four factors with a total of 24 items were accepted, measuring mastery of exercise, body perception, social comfort/discomfort in the exercise setting, and perception of fitness. All subscales had acceptable internal consistencies. Preliminary validity was demonstrated by confirming hypothesized differences in scores as to gender, age, and physical activity level. The third study examined and demonstrated convergent validity with similar existing subscales. The fourth study examined an English-language version of the questionnaire, confirming the existence of the factors and providing preliminary psychometric evidence of the viability of the questionnaire.
Tests and Professional Ethics and Values in European Psychologists
Authors: Koene Casper J.
Published: April 2008

In this article the current state of professional ethics in Europe, more specifically with respect to assessment and testing, is discussed. It is shown that, in comparison to other places, the development in Europe of professional ethics for psychologists has a more general character than elsewhere, and that the professional conduct, inasmuch as it concerns assessment and testing, must be viewed in a broader context. The article includes reflections not only on the state of ethics, as laid down in codes of ethics, but also reflections on some critical issues as well as on some empirical findings on the evaluation of unethical conduct.
Long‐term runoff database, Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed, Arizona, United States
Authors: Stone Jeffry J. , Nichols Mary H. , Goodrich David C. , Buono Jared
Published: April 2008

Runoff measurement at the semiarid Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed began in the middle 1950s with five critical depth flumes. Since that time, the measurement network has evolved to include measurement structures on 11 large watersheds (2.27–149 km2), 8 medium watersheds (0.35–1.60 km2), and 11 small watersheds (0.0018–0.59 km2). The ephemeral nature of runoff, high‐flow velocities, and high‐sediment concentrations in the flow led to the development of the Walnut Gulch supercritical flume used on the large watersheds and the Smith supercritical flume used on the small watersheds. The period of record considered good to excellent ranges from 26 to 47 years. In 1999, the original analog recording systems were augmented with digital recorders. Runoff occurs at Walnut Gulch primarily as a result of convective thunderstorms during the months of July through September. Runoff volume and flow duration are correlated with drainage area as a result of the limited areal extent of runoff producing rainfall and transmission losses or infiltration of the flood wave into the channel alluvium. Runoff records including hydrographs and summary data are available in several formats via a Web interface at http://www.tucson.ars.ag.gov/dap/.
CHAMP observations of global gravity wave fields in the troposphere and stratosphere
Authors: Namboothiri S. P. , Jiang J. H. , Kishore P. , Igarashi K. , Ao C. O. , Romans L. J.
Published: April 2008

This paper presents the analysis of 56 months of CHAMP (Challenging Minisatellite Payload) RO (radio occultation) temperature profiles to study the global gravity wave fields in the troposphere and lower stratosphere. The relatively new GPS (Global Positioning System) RO technique is suitable for global monitoring and provides high vertical resolution, long‐term stability, and opportunity of all‐weather viewing. The CHAMP data set analyzed in this paper is the largest RO data set used for the investigation of global structure of gravity waves. The analysis also makes use of the global radiosonde data provided by the British Atmospheric Data Centre (BADC). First, the global winter temperature pattern and temperature fluctuations in the troposphere and lower stratosphere are discussed. The global structure of gravity wave variances in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere for the summer and winter seasons indicate the dominance in the tropical region. The analysis reveals that the maximum potential energy (Ep) is observed around the equator with considerable longitudinal variation. Comparison of the wave energy derived from the CHAMP and radiosonde data sets for the low‐latitude region (20°S–20°N) shows good similarity. The observed vertical wave number power spectra were compared with a model spectrum. The low‐latitude power spectra show considerable similarities with the model spectrum. However, the disparity increases in the midlatitude or high‐latitude sectors; particularly, in the high latitudes the observed spectral power is much underestimated for longer wavelengths. The results demonstrate the usefulness of GPS RO data in determining the global gravity wave fields.
A relationship between ion balance and the chemical compounds of salt inclusions found in the Greenland Ice Core Project and Dome Fuji ice cores
Authors: Iizuka Yoshinori , Horikawa Shinichiro , Sakurai Toshimitsu , Johnson Sigfus , Dahl‐Jensen Dorthe , Steffensen Jørgen Peder , Hondoh Takeo
Published: April 2008

We have proposed a method of deducing the chemical compounds found in deep polar ice cores by analyzing the balance between six major ions (Cl−, NO3−, SO42−, Na+, Mg2+, and Ca2+). The method is demonstrated for the Holocene and last glacial maximum regions of the Dome Fuji and GRIP ice cores. The dominant compounds depend only on the ion balance and the sequence of chemical reactions. In priority order, the principle salts are calcium sulfate, other sulfates, nitrate, chloride, and carbonate. The chemical abundances deduced by this method agree well with the results of Raman spectroscopy on individual salt inclusions. The abundances in the ice cores are shown to reflect differences in climatic periods (the acidic environment of the Holocene versus the reductive environment of the last glacial maximum) and regional conditions (the marine environment of Antarctica versus the continental environment of Greenland).
Characterization and modeling of spatial variability in a complex alluvial aquifer: Implications on solute transport
Authors: Sun Alexander Y. , Ritzi Robert W. , Sims Darrell W.
Published: April 2008

Field investigations of stratified alluvial deposits suggest that they can give rise to a hierarchy of permeability modes across scales, corresponding to a hierarchy of sedimentary unit types and thus may lead to enhanced plume spread in such media. In this work, we model the sedimentary architecture of the alluvium deposits in Fortymile Wash, Nevada, using a hierarchical transition probability geostatistical approach. The alluvial aquifer comprises a segment of the groundwater flow pathway from the potential high‐level nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada to the downstream accessible environment and may be a natural barrier to radionuclide migration. Thus our main goal is to quantify the impact of spatial variability in the alluvium on solute transport. The alluvial aquifer is a gravel‐dominated braid‐belt deposit, having lower‐permeability paleosols interstratified with higher‐permeability gravel‐bar deposits. A three‐dimensional hierarchical hydrofacies model is developed through fusion of multiple geologic data types and sources. Markov chain models of transition probabilities are employed to represent complex patterns of spatial variability at each hierarchical level in a geostatistical fashion and to impose realistic constraints to such variations through conditioning on existing data. The link between the alluvium spatial variability and solute dispersion at different spatiotemporal scales is demonstrated using the stochastic‐Lagrangian transport theory. We show that the longitudinal macrodispersivity can be on the order of hundreds to thousands of meters, and it may not reach its asymptotic value until after 1,000 years of traveltime.
Applying stable isotope probing of phospholipid fatty acids and rRNA in a Chinese rice field to study activity and composition of the methanotrophic bacterial communities in situ
Authors: Qiu Qiongfen , Noll Matthias , Abraham Wolf-Rainer , Lu Yahai , Conrad Ralf
Published: April 2008

Methanotrophs in the rhizosphere play an important role in global climate change since they attenuate methane emission from rice field ecosystems into the atmosphere. Most of the CH4 is emitted via transport through the plant gas vascular system. We used this transport for stable isotope probing (SIP) of the methanotrophs in the rhizosphere under field conditions and pulse-labelled rice plants in a Chinese rice field with CH4 (99% 13C) for 7 days. The rate of 13CH4 loss rate during 13C application was comparable to the CH4 oxidation rate measured by the difluoromethane inhibition technique. The methanotrophic communities on the roots and in the rhizospheric soil were analyzed by terminal-restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP), cloning and sequencing of the particulate methane monooxygenase (pmoA) gene. Populations of type I methanotrophs were larger than those of type II. Both methane oxidation rates and composition of methanotrophic communities suggested that there was little difference between urea-fertilized and unfertilized fields. SIP of phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA-SIP) and rRNA (RNA-SIP) were used to analyze the metabolically active methanotrophic community in rhizospheric soil. PLFA of type I compared with type II methanotrophs was labelled more strongly with 13C, reaching a maximum of 6.8 atom-%. T-RFLP analysis and cloning/sequencing of 16S rRNA genes showed that methanotrophs, especially of type I, were slightly enriched in the ‘heavy’ fractions. Our results indicate that CH4 oxidation in the rice rhizosphere under in situ conditions is mainly due to type I methanotrophs.
Impact of Social Support Intensity on Walking in the Severely Obese: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Authors: Hemmingsson Erik , Hellénius Mai‐Lis , Ekelund Ulf , Bergström Jakob , Rössner Stephan
Published: April 2008

Objective: There are few established methods for promoting physical activity (PA) in the severely obese. Because social support is a potential method for promoting PA, we compared mean steps/day during 18 weeks in severely obese outpatients receiving either standard support (SS) or added support (AS).

Methods and Procedures: Eighty severely obese outpatients from an obesity clinic were invited; 66 provided written consent, 55 were randomized, and 42 were included in final analyses (9 men, 33 women; age 44.4 ± 13.1 years; BMI 41.9 ± 5.5 kg/m2). All participants received a pedometer and a walking promotion booklet. In addition to SS, the AS group received ten 2‐h group counseling sessions aimed at increasing weekly accumulated steps, every second week during the study. Each participant was asked to complete a 7‐day walking diary every second week (10 observations).

Results: Baseline steps/day was 6,912 for the AS group and 5,311 for the SS group (P = 0.023). Data at 18 weeks showed that the AS group recorded 10,136 steps/day and the SS group 6,118 steps/day (P = 0.024). There was no allocation × time interaction (P = 0.46). During the follow‐up period as a whole, the AS group recorded 1,794 more steps/day than the SS group (P = 0.0074).

Discussion: The AS group recorded more steps/day than the SS group, reaching a mean level of ∼10,000 steps/day. However, the nonsignificant interaction between allocation × time suggests that this difference was present already at baseline and did not increase during follow‐up.