bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
PROBABILISTIC HEURISTICS FOR HIERARCHICAL WEB DATA CLUSTERING
Authors: Haghir Chehreghani Morteza , Haghir Chehreghani Mostafa , Abolhassani Hassan
Published: April 2012

Clustering Web data is one important technique for extracting knowledge from the Web. In this paper, a novel method is presented to facilitate the clustering. The method determines the appropriate number of clusters and provides suitable representatives for each cluster by inference from a Bayesian network. Furthermore, by means of the Bayesian network, the contents of the Web pages are converted into vectors of lower dimensions. The method is also extended for hierarchical clustering, and a useful heuristic is developed to select a good hierarchy. The experimental results show that the clusters produced benefit from high quality.
The Role of Central Bank Transparency for Guiding Private Sector Forecasts*
Authors: Ehrmann Michael , Eijffinger Sylvester , Fratzscher Marcel
Published: April 2012

Central banks have become remarkably more transparent over the last few decades. In this paper, we study the effects of this evolution, focusing on whether enhanced central bank transparency lowers dispersion among professional forecasters of key economic variables. We use a large set of proxies for central‐bank transparency in 12 advanced economies. We find evidence for a sizeable effect (e.g., by announcing a quantified inflation objective, or by publishing inflation and output forecasts). However, there are decreasing marginal effects to increases in transparency, and the disagreement among the expectations of the general public is not affected. This suggests that there are possible limits to transparency.
CONSIDERING STANLEY HAUERWAS
Authors: Pinches Charles
Published: April 2012

After introducing the five articles that comprise this focus issue, I consider Hauerwas's claim that he is a theologian without a position. The claim has merit, I hold, since Hauerwas writes in response to what he reads, which is his way of learning it better. Moreover, he writes socially, characteristically soliciting help from his friends. As such, he purposefully makes himself accountable to those he addresses. In his later years this accountability has extended especially to the Church and to the Bible, which helps explain why Hauerwas cares so deeply about his sermons, which he takes to be his most important work.
HAUERWAS AMONG THE VIRTUES
Authors: Herdt Jennifer A.
Published: April 2012

Despite the fact that Stanley Hauerwas has not taken up many of the topics normally associated with virtue ethics, has explicitly distanced himself from the enterprise known as “virtue ethics,” and throughout his career has preferred other categories of analysis, ranging from character and agency to practices and liturgy, it is nevertheless clear that his work has had a deep and transformative impact on the recovery of virtue within Christian ethics, and that this impact has largely to do with the ways in which his thought resists normalization. This essay traces the evolution of Hauerwas's reflections on virtue and the virtues over the course of his career, with special attention to how this has been bound up with an increasingly emphatic theological particularism that has remained ambivalent between what I term “comprehensive” versus “exclusive” particularism. I argue that it is important to distinguish between these, and suggest that grasping the destructive tendencies of “exclusive” particularism should cement our commitment to shouldering the responsibilities associated with comprehensive particularism.
Rogatrix atque donatrix: the silver cover of the Berta Evangeliary (Vatican, S. Maria in Via Lata, MS. I 45) and the patronage of art by women in early medieval Rome
Authors: MARCHIORI MARIA LAURA
Published: April 2012

A luxury silver manuscript cover in the Vatican Library bearing an inscription identifying the patron as a nun named Berta offers the opportunity to investigate the patronage of art by women in early medieval Rome. The cover housed an evangeliary that served the female monastic community of SS. Ciriaco e Nicola in Via Lata founded in the tenth century by the family of Prince Alberic of Rome (d. 954). This paper argues that the cover was a product of Roman monasticism that had personal and liturgical significance for the nun Berta, who was a scion of the monastery's founding family.
The bishop and the monk: Desiderius of Vienne and the Columbanian movement
Authors: FOX YANIV
Published: April 2012

This paper analyses the uses made by hagiographers and chroniclers of the character of Desiderius of Vienne. Desiderius, a bishop in Merovingian Burgundy, was the protagonist of two seventh‐century Lives, and appears in numerous other hagiographical works and chronicles. Desiderius also figures prominently in works composed within the context of Columbanian monasticism, most notably Jonas of Bobbio's Vita Columbani. His appearance in these works paints a multifaceted picture not only of his own political activities, but also of the agendas of the hagiographers themselves, who exploited his literary image to further their ends. It is the contention of this paper that despite the frequent mentions of Desiderius in Columbanian compositions, he did not, in fact, play a part in the Columbanians' success.
Neuroanatomical correlates of the progressive supranuclear palsy corticobasal syndrome hybrid
Authors: Josephs K. A. , Eggers S. D. Z. , Jack C. R. , Whitwell J. L.
Published: April 2012

Background

The progressive supranuclear palsy syndrome (PSPS) and corticobasal syndrome (CBS) are associated with relatively specific patterns of atrophy; the former predominantly involving the brainstem, the latter frontoparietal regions. However, it has become apparent that there are subjects that meet criteria for PSPS and CBS. We refer to subjects with this presentation as Hybrids. The hybrid presentation is not rare, yet there are no studies that have assessed the neuroanatomical correlates of the hybrid syndrome to explain its occurrence.

Method

In this study of 41 subjects and controls, we utilized the technique of voxel‐based morphometry to assess both gray and white matter volume loss in six prospectively recruited Hybrids that underwent 3.0 T volumetric head magnetic resonance image scanning to determine the neuroanatomical correlates of the syndrome. We compared patterns of atrophy in three prospectively recruited groups: the Hybrid group (n = 6), a PSPS group (n = 10), and CBS group (n = 5). All 21 subjects had completed the same standardized batteries assessing cognition, and motor, behavioral, executive, oculomotor and limb praxis function.

Results

The Hybrid group showed imaging features of both PSPS and CBS, with volume loss observed in the brainstem (superior cerebellar peduncle) and cortex (medial and lateral premotor, prefrontal and motor cortex). As expected, typical patterns of loss were observed in PSPS and CBS.

Conclusions

These findings explain the neuroanatomical basis of the overlapping presenting signs and symptoms of PSPS and CBS, in Hybrids.
An Institutional Economic Analysis of Labor Unions
Authors: KAUFMAN BRUCE E.
Published: April 2012

This paper uses institutional economic theory in the line of Commons and Coase to examine the purposes, economic effects, and social welfare consequences of labor unions. Cross‐discipline and cross‐national principles of the institutional paradigm are described, the American and European literatures are briefly juxtaposed, and the subject of unions is placed in a larger paradigm context. Relative to previous studies, this paper presents the most formal and analytically developed application of institutional theory to the subject of unions. A number of new or revisionist implications are developed, as are contrasts with neoclassical‐based models.
Management, Worker Responses, and an Enterprise Trade Union in Transition
Authors: CROUCHER RICHARD , MORRISON CLAUDIO
Published: April 2012

We examine management and labor process changes in a Moldovan factory to examine their impact on the trade union as institution. Changes in management structures and work organization have hollowed out key legacies, notably the “labor collective” and informal bargaining, and evoked resistance from workers. The union is disconnected from worker resistance and is faced with major issues concerning its role. We conceptualize it as a “suspended institution.”
Acidification kinetics, physicochemical properties and sensory attributes of yoghurts prepared from mixtures of goat and buffalo milks
Authors: BEZERRA MARIA F , SOUZA DOMINGOS F S , P CORREIA ROBERTA T
Published: April 2012

Five formulations of set‐type yoghurt were produced using different caprine–bubaline milk ratios. They were investigated in regard to the acidification kinetics, yoghurt composition, rheology and sensory attributes. The acidification profile of all five experimental groups was similar, but the maximum acidification rate was higher for yoghurts of milk mixtures. The addition of buffalo milk increased total solids, fat and overall acceptance of yoghurt, besides decreasing synaeresis. Yoghurts made from caprine–bubaline milk mixtures reached good sensory scores and yoghurt prepared with 30% of goat milk and 70% of bubaline milk received the best sensory scores.
Digital image manipulation and avatar configuration: implications for inclusive classrooms
Authors: Oravec Jo Ann
Published: April 2012

This paper outlines concerns for inclusive classrooms involving personal digital image modifications and selections, as well as avatar configurations. Classroom interactions incorporate various dimensions of personal appearance; however, educators try to make them primarily about knowledge and wisdom. Students in environments where they can interact with each other face‐to‐face are constantly immersed in issues involving their exterior manifestations. However, the utilisations of digital media in the classroom and in the online delivery of instruction are providing new ways of manipulating the digitised images of individuals, as well as their characteristic patterns of speech and motion. The rising popularity of avatars in education (such as in Second Life) also provides a new spectrum of representational choices. Individuals who reconstitute their images so as to appear more ‘normal’ may achieve results that are more problematic than liberating, however. Fostering the development of manipulated images and avatars for the purposes of educational interaction can also be construed as an attempt to ‘erase’ stigma and in effect disempower individuals, especially those with disabilities. Likewise, image modification can be incorporated into bullying initiatives as part of efforts to ridicule and marginalise. In endeavours to mitigate these problems, faculty and staff can model the creative and empowering use of digital image and avatar technologies while celebrating (and not eradicating) their own idiosyncratic personal characteristics.
Ketone bodies protection against HIV‐1 Tat‐induced neurotoxicity
Authors: Hui Liang , Chen Xuesong , Bhatt Dhaval , Geiger Nicholas H. , Rosenberger Thad A. , Haughey Norman J. , Masino Susan A. , Geiger Jonathan D.
Published: April 2012

J. Neurochem. (2012) 122, 382–391.

HIV‐1‐associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND) is a syndrome that ranges clinically from subtle neuropsychological impairments to profoundly disabling HIV‐associated dementia. Not only is the pathogenesis of HAND unclear, but also effective treatments are unavailable. The HIV‐1 transactivator of transcription protein (HIV‐1 Tat) is strongly implicated in the pathogenesis of HAND, in part, because of its well‐characterized ability to directly excite neurons and cause neurotoxicity. Consistent with previous findings from others, we demonstrate here that HIV‐1 Tat induced neurotoxicity, increased intracellular calcium, and disrupted a variety of mitochondria functions, such as reducing mitochondrial membrane potential, increasing levels of reactive oxygen species, and decreasing bioenergetic efficiency. Of therapeutic importance, we show that treatment of cultured neurons with ketone bodies normalized HIV‐1 Tat induced changes in levels of intracellular calcium, mitochondrial function, and neuronal cell death. Ketone bodies are normally produced in the body and serve as alternative energy substrates in tissues including brain and can cross the blood–brain barrier. Ketogenic strategies have been used clinically for treatment of neurological disorders and our current results suggest that similar strategies may also provide clinical benefits in the treatment of HAND.
Geographies of transition and the separation of lower and higher attaining pupils in the move from primary to secondary school in London
Authors: Harris Richard
Published: April 2012

Critics of education reforms in England argue they are socially and academically divisive because some groups of pupils are more able to exercise choice than others. This paper looks at the transitions made by pupils from state‐funded primary to secondary schools in London in 2008. It examines the flows from the one to the other, determining which secondary schools recruit from the same feeder primary schools and which may be said to be competing. Using a measure of ‘best in class’, evidence is found of higher and lower attaining pupils separating from each other with the former more likely to be enrolled in selective schools (unsurprisingly given they set entrance examinations) and also some types of faith school (which do not). The separations are evident between locally competing schools but with no evidence they are worsening over the period 2003 to 2008. This apparent inertia suggests the paradox of promoting school choice within a system that imposes geographical constraints upon that choice and may, as a result, simply reinforce existing social divisions.
Choosing Models for Health Care Cost Analyses: Issues of Nonlinearity and Endogeneity
Authors: Garrido Melissa M. , Deb Partha , Burgess James F. , Penrod Joan D.
Published: April 2012

Objective

To compare methods of analyzing endogenous treatment effect models for nonlinear outcomes and illustrate the impact of model specification on estimates of treatment effects such as health care costs.

Data Sources

Secondary data on cost and utilization for inpatients hospitalized in five Veterans Affairs acute care facilities in 2005–2006.

Study Design

We compare results from analyses with full information maximum simulated likelihood (FIMSL); control function (CF) approaches employing different types and functional forms for the residuals, including the special case of two‐stage residual inclusion; and two‐stage least squares (2SLS). As an example, we examine the effect of an inpatient palliative care (PC) consultation on direct costs of care per day.

Data Collection/Extraction Methods

We analyzed data for 3,389 inpatients with one or more life‐limiting diseases.

Principal Findings

The distribution of average treatment effects on the treated and local average treatment effects of a PC consultation depended on model specification. CF and FIMSL estimates were more similar to each other than to 2SLS estimates. CF estimates were sensitive to choice and functional form of residual.

Conclusions

When modeling cost or other nonlinear data with endogeneity, one should be aware of the impact of model specification and treatment effect choice on results.
The Cultural Meaning of Disaster: Remarks on Gregory Button's Work
Authors: BATOR JOANNA
Published: April 2012

After the two major nuclear disasters I have witnessed in my life, Chernobyl and Fukushima, I experienced uncertainty that seemed stronger than fear, anger or panic. In George Button's excellent work I found my personal experience of uncertainty explained as a cultural phenomenon that indeed prevails after all natural and manmade disasters. He has been studying disasters for over 30 years as an academic and a reporter. He covered and reported on, for example, the Three Mile Island nuclear disaster, the Exxon Valdes oil spill, and Hurricane Katrina. His book tells a powerful story about US disasters and their cultural aspects. However, I think that Button's research methodology and his findings can be applied to the Japanese situation as well. On the one hand, his book can serve as a warning on how not to act in the face of calamity if we want our culture to survive the suffering, and, on the other, it can serve as inspiration for domestic research on the most recent Japanese calamity. Button is interested in the way a disaster becomes a cultural, social and political phenomenon where uncertainty prevails and his focus on uncertainty as a main category seems to be a pioneering attempt that his book extends from previous studies. He focuses on uncertainty as an experience of affected people as well as the politics of uncertainty inflected in a time of calamity and finds that the two aspects are correlative.
Challenges in Counter‐disaster Measures for People with Functional Needs in Times of Disaster Following the Great East Japan Earthquake
Authors: TATSUKI SHIGEO
Published: April 2012

This article describes the three major challenges that were identified and their possible solutions are proposed in counter‐disaster measures for “people with functional needs in times of disaster (PFND)” following the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. First, recent developments in preparedness measures for PFND in Japan have been uncritically relying on the assumption that hazard maps represent “correct” estimates of future hazardous events, which are based on the maximum probable event (MPrE) framework. In reality, however, a maximum possible event (MPoE) has occurred in the Tōhoku regions. This has tremendous implications for fundamentally re‐thinking the entire hazard estimation process from a MPrE to MPoE framework. Second, counter‐disaster measures for PFND have focused mainly on warning and neighborhood‐based evacuation assistance activities. Needs for shelters and temporary housing units that were specially designated for PFND arose following the earthquake. However, their provisions were neither systematic nor universal due to the lack of pre‐planning. More detailed guidelines for specially designated shelter and temporary housing operations need to be developed in order to address this issue. Third, people with disabilities (PWD) became invisible in shelters and communities or in the eyes of local government administrators. This was due to the fact that a majority of PWD did not ask for help in evacuation shelters because they felt general shelters were not “barrier free” and were unresponsive to their functional needs. Furthermore, many local government administrators felt hesitant to release their PFND registry to non‐governmental and self‐help organizations that were eager to check the whereabouts and current situations of PWD. This was due to the fear of breaking the Personal Information Protection Bylaw despite the fact that the bylaw provided exceptional conditions, where the onset of disaster was clearly one of these exceptional conditions. Further elaboration and education on the use of personal information of PFND during a disaster period is needed among public and local government administrators.
The Mental Health Status of Indonesian Candidates Leaving for Japan under the Japan–Indonesia Economic Partnership Agreement: After the Great East Japan Earthquake
Authors: OHARA‐HIRANO YUKO
Published: April 2012

The goal of this study was to find predictors of the mental health status of the fourth batch of Indonesian candidates coming to Japan under the Japan–Indonesia Economic Partnership Agreement, 4 months after the Great East Japan Earthquake. A four‐page‐long questionnaire was developed and distributed to the fourth batch of Indonesian candidates, who wished to go to Japan under the above agreement, at the venue of an intensive Japanese language course held in Depok, West Java, Indonesia, in July 2011. Seventy‐six percent of the respondents were female. The average age was 24.7 (standard deviation [SD] 2.8) years old. Forty‐nine percent of the respondents answered that they were very worried or somewhat worried about the aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake. The mean Score of Knowledge about Japan, including knowledge about the working and living environments in Japan, was 53.3 and ranged from 20 to 80 (SD 7.3) points. The average score of the General Health Questionnaire, which was used as a marker of the mental health status in this study, was 36.1 (SD 4.2) points. The result of a multivariate analysis showed that the Score of Knowledge about Japan was significantly correlated to the General Health Questionnaire score (β=−.234, P < 0.05), but the degree of worry about the earthquake was not. The result indicated that knowledge about the actual living and working conditions in Japan is a major indicator of the mental health of the candidates, but not their worry concerning the earthquake.
Death, Modernity and Monuments: The Realities Expressed in the Monuments of the Hanshin–Awaji Earthquake*
Authors: IMAI NOBUO
Published: April 2012

Many monuments have been constructed to commemorate the Hanshin–Awaji earthquake. If a memorial represents the need to reaffirm one's ties to “a world,” each monument is supposed to provide an image of that “world.” An analysis of the monuments shows that they are greatly influenced by the character of the various organizations and groups that constructed them. Therefore, the monuments almost appear to be linked to the duties or functions of these groups. However, two realities appeared across these organizations. At first, there is a pattern in the monuments to mourn the death of those with whom one in familiar. It expresses a spiritual feeling about death. Second, we often find the word “we” in the monuments. The word “we” expresses reality in a homogeneous space. Although each reality does not correspond to a particular type of group or organization, they cannot be expressed simultaneously in the one monument. The result of the research shows that the two realities are constituted through different means.
A prototype approach to understanding sexual intimacy through its relationship to intimacy
Authors: Birnie‐Porter Carolyn , Lydon John E.
Published: April 2012

The nature of sexual intimacy using lay conceptions (i.e., prototypes) of intimacy and sexual intimacy has been explored. In Study 1, participants listed the features of sexual intimacy and intimacy. In Study 2, centrality ratings of these features were obtained. Although the 2 prototypes were very similar, they each had unique central attributes. In Study 3, central features of both concepts were found to be more salient in memory than peripheral features. Finally, in Study 4, the endorsement of central intimacy and sexual intimacy attributes in real romantic relationships were associated with relationship quality and sexual well‐being, respectively. The nature and function of sexual intimacy is discussed, and it has been concluded that sexual intimacy is best conceptualized as a subtype of intimacy.
Bringing the Media in: Newspaper Readership and Human Rights*
Authors: Clark Rob
Published: April 2012

Cross‐national studies examining human rights outcomes have seldom considered the role of the news media. This is unfortunate, as a large body of work in media studies suggests that the news industry effectively educates citizens, shapes public attitudes, and stimulates political action. I juxtapose these two literatures in a cross‐national context to examine the print media’s impact on a state’s human rights performance. First, examining micro‐level evidence from the World Values Survey, I show that an individual’s level of media consumption, including newspaper readership, is positively associated with participation in human rights organizations. Next, I present macro‐level evidence regarding the aggregate effect of a society’s newspaper readership on its human rights record. Analyzing an unbalanced dataset with a maximum of 459 observations across 138 countries covering four waves during the 1980–2000 period, I use ordered probit regression to examine the relationship between a state’s newspaper readership and its Amnesty International rating. I find that newspaper readership exerts strong, positive effects on a state’s human rights practices net of other standard predictors and temporal/regional controls. Moreover, the effect of readership is robust to a number of alternative specifications that address concerns with ceiling effects, measurement bias, influential observations, sample composition, mediation, endogeneity, and the impact of alternative forms of media consumption (i.e., the Internet and television).
The usefulness of immunohistochemistry to differentiate between nasal carcinoma and lymphoma in cats: 140 cases (1986–2000)
Authors: Nagata K. , Lamb M. , Goldschmidt M. H. , Duda L. , Walton R. M.
Published: April 2012

A retrospective evaluation of 232 feline nasal biopsies initially diagnosed as either carcinoma or lymphoma was performed by two pathologists. One or both pathologists disagreed with the original diagnosis in 15 cases (7%), 14 of which had original diagnoses of carcinoma. Out of the 232 cases, 140, including the disputed ones, were subjected to immunohistochemical staining with epithelial and lymphoid markers. Immunohistochemical staining of the 15 disputed cases showed that the original diagnoses were incorrect in 67% (10/15), unverified in 13% (2/15) and correct in 20% (3/15). Among the consensual diagnoses, immunohistochemistry revealed that 3% (4/125) of diagnoses were unverified because they did not stain for any of the markers evaluated. This report demonstrates the importance of immunohistochemistry in establishing a correct histologic diagnosis for nasal neoplasms in cats.
Comparing Substance Use Monitoring and Treatment Variations among Physician Health Programs
Authors: Brooks Elizabeth , Early Sarah R. , Gundersen Doris C. , Shore Jay H. , Gendel Michael H.
Published: April 2012

There is growing evidence that physician health programs (PHPs) are an important component in physicians’ recovery from substance disorders, although we do not know how variations in treatment and monitoring affect physician recovery. This study was designed to understand how programmatic differences impact clients’ overall program completion. This study was part of a larger investigation, the Blueprint Project, which evaluated outcomes for clients enrolled in PHPs nationally. Here we compared physicians presenting to a Colorado‐based PHP for substance use to a nationally based referent, contrasting treatment, monitoring, and outcomes (Colorado n = 72, National n = 730). The samples were similar demographically although more Colorado physicians were polysubstance users. We found variations in treatment and monitoring patterns with Colorado physicians participating in more types of primary treatment and monitoring services and were allowed to work more at some point during monitoring. There was greater relapse among Colorado physicians, but these differences disappeared when we controlled for prior treatment. The great majority of clients in both samples showed successful recovery. This data provides a foundation on which to understand population characteristics, contractual differences, and outcome variations among PHPs and serves to inform internal PHP programmatic structures and regulatory agencies. (Am J Addict 2012;00:1–8)
Effects of River‐Flow Regulation on Anuran Occupancy and Abundance in Riparian Zones
Authors: ESKEW EVAN A. , PRICE STEVEN J. , DORCAS MICHAEL E.
Published: April 2012

Abstract:  The natural flow regimes of rivers worldwide have been heavily altered through anthropogenic activities, and dams in particular have a pervasive effect on riverine ecosystems. Flow‐regulation effects of dams negatively affect species diversity and abundance of a variety of aquatic animals, including invertebrates and fishes. However, the effects on semiaquatic animals are relatively unknown. We conducted anuran calling surveys at 42 study locations along the Broad and Pacolet Rivers in South Carolina to address the potential effects of flow regulation by damming on anuran occupancy and abundance. We estimated occupancy and abundance with Program PRESENCE. Models incorporated distance upstream and downstream from the nearest dam as covariates and urbanization pressure as an alternative stressor. Distance from dam was associated with occupancy of 2 of the 9 anuran species in our analyses and with abundance of 6 species. In all cases, distance downstream from nearest dam was a better predictor of occupancy and abundance than distance upstream from nearest dam. For all but one species, distance downstream from nearest dam was positively correlated with both occupancy and abundance. Reduced occupancy and abundance of anurans likely resulted from downstream alterations in flow regime associated with damming, which can lead to reduced area of riparian wetlands that serve as anuran breeding habitat. Our results showed that damming has a strong negative effect on multiple anuran species across large spatial extents and suggest that flow regulation can affect semiaquatic animals occupying riparian zones.
Print Reading in General Education Kindergarten Classrooms: What Does It Look Like for Students At‐risk for Reading Difficulties?
Authors: Kent Shawn C. , Wanzek Jeanne , Al Otaiba Stephanie
Published: April 2012

The purpose of this study was to examine the amount of time spent actively engaged in reading sounds, words, and connected text for students at‐risk for reading difficulties in the first formal grade of reading instruction, kindergarten. Observational data of 109 kindergarten students at high‐risk for later reading difficulties were collected during general education reading instruction across the school year. Findings revealed students read orally for just over 1 minute during their reading instruction with approximately equal time spent reading sounds, words, or connected text. Implications of these results for early reading instruction and intervention for students at‐risk for reading difficulties or disabilities are presented.
Left ventricular mass index and aortic arch calcification score are independent mortality predictors of maintenance hemodialysis patients
Authors: Liu Sha , Zhang Dong‐Liang , Guo Wang , Cui Wen‐Ying , Liu Wen‐Hu
Published: April 2012

To analyze predictive factors for all‐cause mortality, cardiovascular (CV) mortality, nonfatal CV events (CVE) in maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients, and to compare the effects of standard hemodialysis (HD) and online hemodiafiltration (HDF) on these factors and outcomes. A total of 333 MHD patients were prospectively followed up for 50 ± 15 months and all‐cause death, CV death and CVE were registered. At the baseline, demographic, clinical, and laboratory data of the whole population were recorded. Then, patients were stratified into two groups according to the dialysis modalities, HD (n = 268) and HDF (n = 65). At the end of 6th month, clinical and laboratory data were recorded again. The predictive factors at baseline for all‐cause mortality, CV mortality, and CVE were analyzed by Cox regression. The effects of HD and HDF on these factors at the 6th month and long‐term outcomes were compared by t‐test and Kaplan–Meier method, respectively. Age, gender, left ventricular mass index (LVMI), aortic arch calcification score (AoACS), hemoglobin (Hb) <10 g/dL, and ferritin >500 ng/mL maintained independent associations with all‐cause mortality. C‐reactive protein (CRP), LVMI, AoACS, and Hb <10 g/dL were associated with CV mortality. Prior cardiovascular disease (CVD), AoACS and LVMI were independent predictors of nonfatal CVE. Higher body mass index (BMI), body weight, total serum cholesterol, Hb concentration, and lower CRP level, LVMI, and AoACS were found in patients on HDF at the end of the 6th month. Improved outcomes with longer survival time for all‐cause mortality, CV mortality, and CVE were found in HDF group. Age, gender, LVMI, AoACS, Hb, and ferritin were predictors of all‐cause mortality in MHD patients. CRP, LVMI, AoACS, and Hb were associated with CV mortality. Prior CVD, AoACS, and LVMI were independent predictors of nonfatal CVE. HDF could improve BMI, body weight, total serum cholesterol, Hb, CRP, LVMI, AoACS, and long‐term outcomes, including all‐cause mortality, CV mortality, and CVE.
Relation Between Grain Boundary Structure and Electrical Degradation in Zinc Oxide Varistors
Authors: Takada Masayuki , Sato Yuuki , Yoshikado Shinzo
Published: April 2012

The electrical characteristics of zinc oxide (ZnO) varistors are closely correlated with the state of impurities, such as Bi2O3, at grain boundaries. To clarify the distributions of these impurities, the fracture surface of a Bi–Mn–Co–Sb–Si‐added ZnO varistor was observed and characterized using scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X‐ray spectrometry, and back‐scattered electron detection. It was found that depositing Bi2O3 as an additive yielded two different shapes, spot like and sheetlike, on the surface of the grain boundary fracture for the Bi–Mn–Co–Sb–Si‐added ZnO varistor. By the dissolution of SiO2 in Bi2O3, the surface tension of Bi2O3 decreased and the sheetlike Bi2O3 deposit increased, whereas the spot like Bi2O3 deposit decreased. Moreover, when the sample was annealed at 700°C, a compound of Bi and excess Zn formed a uniform thin deposit or moved to triple points, since the surface free energy (surface tension) decreased. The main factor responsible for the improvement in resistance to electrical degradation by the addition of SiO2 or by annealing is the increase in the surface area of the ZnO grains by the sheetlike deposit of Bi2O3, since this deposit hinders the movement of oxide ions or Zn2+ ions across the grain boundaries under an applied voltage.
Non‐random segregation of an autosomal gene in males of the flea beetle, Phyllotreta nemorum: implications for colonization of a novel host plant
Authors: Nielsen Jens Kvist
Published: April 2012

The flea beetle, Phyllotreta nemorum (L.) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Alticinae), is currently expanding its host plant range in Europe. The ability to utilize a novel host plant, Barbarea vulgaris R. Br. (Brassicaceae), is controlled by major dominant genes named R‐genes. The present study used extensive crossing experiments to illustrate a peculiar mode of inheritance of the R‐gene in a population from Delemont (Switzerland). When resistant males from Delemont are mated with recessive females from a laboratory line, the female F1 offspring contains the R‐allele and is able to utilize B. vulgaris, whereas the male offspring contains the r‐allele and is unable to utilize the plant. This outcome suggests X‐linkage of the R‐gene, but further crossing experiments demonstrated that this was not the case. When the R‐gene is present in offspring from males from a laboratory line that originates from Taastrup (Denmark), it is transmitted to female and male offspring in equal proportions as a normal autosomal gene. The results demonstrate a polymorphism in segregation patterns of an autosomal R‐gene in P. nemorum males. Males from Delemont contain a factor which causes non‐random segregation of the R‐gene (NRS‐factor). This factor is inherited patrilineally (from fathers to sons). Males with the NRS‐factor transmit the R‐gene to their female offspring, whereas males without the NRS‐factor transmit the R‐gene to female and male offspring in equal proportions. Various models for the non‐random segregation of autosomes in P. nemorum males are discussed – e.g., fusions between autosomes and sex chromosomes, and genomic imprinting. The implications of various modes of inheritance of R‐genes for the ability of P. nemorum populations to colonize novel patches of B. vulgaris are discussed.
Processes of psoriasis health care in Germany – long‐term analysis of data from the statutory health insurances
Authors: Augustin Matthias , Glaeske Gerd , Schäfer Ines , Rustenbach Stephan Jeff , Hoer Ariane , Radtke Marc Alexander
Published: April 2012

Background: To evaluate health care provision for psoriasis patients, and to better allocate resources, precise knowledge of the health care situation is essential. The goal of this study is to analyze prescription behavior and resource utilization for psoriasis patients in Germany.

Methods: We performed a secondary analysis of routinely collected psoriasis data from 2004–2007 from members of a nationwide statutory health insurance company (Gmünder Ersatzkasse). A descriptive analysis was done on physician care, hospitalizations, and medications and related costs. Results: 34,728 of the 913,145 continuously insured patients were diagnosed with psoriasis (one‐year prevalence: 2.3–2.5%). At the time of the initial diagnosis, 68% of patients were treated by a dermatologist and 28% by a general practitioner (GP). Over the next 21 months, the proportion of patients seen by a dermatologist decreased to 22% and the proportion seen by a GP increased to around 70%. 15.2% of patients were absent at least once from work. 79.5% received prescriptions with an average cost of € 135 per patient per year. 97.5% of patients received topical therapy; 11% got systemic therapies. Biologics were given to about 0.1% of patients. Significant differences in prescription behavior were seen between regions and physician groups. Conclusion: Psoriasis is an important economic and medical issue. The majority of insured patients take prescription therapies. Dermatologists are most often the first health care provider.
Cognitive Structures in Women with Sexual Dysfunction: The Role of Early Maladaptive Schemas
Authors: Oliveira Cátia , Nobre Pedro J.
Published: April 2012

Introduction

Cognitive schemas are often related to psychological problems. However, the role of these structures within sexual problems is not yet well established.

Aim

The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence and importance of early maladaptive schemas on women's sexual functioning and cognitive schemas activated in response to negative sexual events.

Methods

A total of 228 women participated in the study: a control sample of 167 women without sexual problems, a subclinical sample of 37 women with low sexual functioning, and a clinical sample of 24 women with sexual dysfunction.

Main Outcome Measures

Participants completed several self-reported measures: the Schema Questionnaire, the Questionnaire of Cognitive Schema Activation in Sexual Context, the Brief Symptom Inventory, the Beck Depression Inventory, and the Female Sexual Function Index.

Results

Findings indicated that women with sexual dysfunction presented significantly more early maladaptive schemas from the Impaired Autonomy and Performance domain, particularly failure (P < 0.001, η2 = 0.08), dependence/incompetence (P < 0.05, η2 = 0.03), and vulnerability to danger (P < 0.05, η2 = 0.04). Additionally, in response to negative sexual events, women with sexual dysfunction presented significantly higher scores on incompetence (P < 0.001, η2 = 0.16), self-depreciation (P < 0.01, η2 = 0.05), and difference/loneliness (P < 0.01, η2 = 0.05) schemas.

Conclusions

Results supported differences between women with and without sexual problems regarding cognitive factors. This may have implications for the knowledge, assessment, and treatment of sexual dysfunction in women.
Use of adjuvant chemotherapy in stage C (III) rectal cancer: Comparison of data from matched patients in a teaching hospital's clinico‐pathological database
Authors: KHO Patricia , CHAPUIS Pierre H. , BEALE Philip , BOKEY Les , DENT Owen F , CLARKE Stephen
Published: April 2012

Aims:  Controversy continues regarding the treatment of patients with resectable rectal cancer, particularly in regard to the effects of adjuvant therapies on long‐term survival. The benefits of adjuvant chemotherapy alone in patients with stage III rectal cancer after curative resection remain unclear. The aim of this study was to compare the overall survival of patients who had received adjuvant chemotherapy after resection of a stage III rectal cancer (111 patients) with the survival of a historical control group who had surgery alone before chemotherapy was introduced (129 patients).

Methods:  Treatment and outcomes data were drawn from a prospective hospital registry of consecutive patients who had a resection for stage III rectal cancer.

Results:  The estimated Kaplan–Meier overall 5‐year survival rate in patients who received chemotherapy (68.7%, 95% CI 58.3–77.1%, log‐rank P < 0.001) was improved compared with the historical controls (40.5%, 95% CI 31.4–49.5%, log–rank P < 0.001 ). No systematic differences between the treated and control group were found.

Conclusion:  This study has shown improved survival after adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with stage III rectal cancer as compared with historical controls treated by surgery alone. Hence, there could be subsets of patients whom when treated with surgery in a specialized surgical unit, may benefit from chemotherapy and spared the toxicities of adjuvant radiotherapy. This should be explored further in a cooperative trial group setting.
Statistical learning of speech, not music, in congenital amusia
Authors: Peretz Isabelle , Saffran Jenny , Schön Daniele , Gosselin Nathalie
Published: April 2012

The acquisition of both speech and music uses general principles: learners extract statistical regularities present in the environment. Yet, individuals who suffer from congenital amusia (commonly called tone‐deafness) have experienced lifelong difficulties in acquiring basic musical skills, while their language abilities appear essentially intact. One possible account for this dissociation between music and speech is that amusics lack normal experience with music. If given appropriate exposure, amusics might be able to acquire basic musical abilities. To test this possibility, a group of 11 adults with congenital amusia, and their matched controls, were exposed to a continuous stream of syllables or tones for 21‐minute. Their task was to try to identify three‐syllable nonsense words or three‐tone motifs having an identical statistical structure. The results of five experiments show that amusics can learn novel words as easily as controls, whereas they systematically fail on musical materials. Thus, inappropriate musical exposure cannot fully account for the musical disorder. Implications of the results for the domain specificity of statistical learning are discussed.
Tempo mediates the involvement of motor areas in beat perception
Authors: McAuley J. Devin , Henry Molly J. , Tkach Jean
Published: April 2012

Increasing evidence shows that the neural circuits involved in beat perception overlap with motor circuitry even in the absence of overt movement. This study investigated effects of tempo on beat‐based processing by combining functional magnetic resonance imaging with a perceptual timing paradigm where participants made simple temporal judgments about short rhythmic sequences. Of central interest were judgments about ambiguous test rhythms where the perceived direction of a timing deviation (“speeding up” vs. “slowing down”) depended on the induction of an implied beat. Successful beat induction was reduced when the implied beat was at a slower tempo (1,500 ms) than when it was at a faster tempo (600 ms). Decreased beat induction was accompanied by decreased functional activity in the basal ganglia, premotor and supplementary motor regions, and thalamus. Findings support the conclusion that rhythms presented at a slow tempo reduce involvement of a striato–thalamo–cortico network in beat‐based processing.
Changes in neuromagnetic beta‐band oscillation after music‐supported stroke rehabilitation
Authors: Fujioka Takako , Ween Jon Erik , Jamali Shahab , Stuss Donald T. , Ross Bernhard
Published: April 2012

Precise timing of sound is crucial in music for both performing and listening. Indeed, listening to rhythmic sound sequences activates not only the auditory system but also the sensorimotor system. Previously, we showed the significance of neural beta‐band oscillations (15–30 Hz) for the timing processing that involves such auditory–motor coordination. Thus, we hypothesized that motor rehabilitation training incorporating music playing will stimulate and enhance auditory–motor interaction in stroke patients. We examined three chronic patients who received Music‐Supported Therapy following the protocols practiced by Schneider. Neuromagnetic beta‐band activity was remarkably alike during passive listening to a metronome and during finger tapping, with or without the metronome, for either the paretic or nonparetic hand, suggesting a shared mechanism of the beta modulation. In the listening task, the magnitude of the beta decrease after the tone onset was more pronounced at the posttraining time point and was accompanied by improved arm and hand skills. The present case data give insight into the neural underpinnings of rehabilitation with music making and rhythmic auditory stimulation.
Effects of mono‐ and bicultural experiences on auditory perception
Authors: Wong Patrick C.M. , Chan Alice H.D. , Margulis Elizabeth H.
Published: April 2012

The auditory system functions in the context of everyday life and the cultural environment in which we live. Although cultural‐invariant, universal principles certainly contribute to sound processing, cultural factors play a role as well. In this review paper, we discuss two potential sources of cultural influence on auditory perception. We term the first type bottom–up, and use it to refer to the way that increased exposure to particular kinds of sound could shape our auditory and auditory–neural responses. The second type we term top–down, and use it to refer to the way our cultural upbringing broadly shapes how we think, which may in turn have an impact on how we perceive the world. An important consideration regarding cultural influences is that many individuals grow up with exposure to environmental stimulations of more than one culture. In our discussion, we will consider both mono‐ and bicultural experiences.
Atypical hemispheric asymmetry in the arcuate fasciculus of completely nonverbal children with autism
Authors: Wan Catherine Y. , Marchina Sarah , Norton Andrea , Schlaug Gottfried
Published: April 2012

Despite the fact that as many as 25% of the children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders are nonverbal, surprisingly little research has been conducted on this population. In particular, the mechanisms that underlie their absence of speech remain unknown. Using diffusion tensor imaging, we compared the structure of a language‐related white matter tract (the arcuate fasciculus, AF) in five completely nonverbal children with autism to that of typically developing children. We found that, as a group, the nonverbal children did not show the expected left–right AF asymmetry—rather, four of the five nonverbal children actually showed the reversed pattern. It is possible that this unusual pattern of asymmetry may underlie some of the severe language deficits commonly found in autism, particularly in children whose speech fails to develop. Furthermore, novel interventions (such as auditory‐motor mapping training) designed to engage brain regions that are connected via the AF may have important clinical potential for facilitating expressive language in nonverbal children with autism.