bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Agomelatine facilitates positive versus negative affective processing in healthy volunteer models
Authors: Harmer Catherine J , de Bodinat Christian , Dawson Gerard R , Dourish Colin T , Waldenmaier Lara , Adams Sally , Cowen Philip J , Goodwin Guy M
Published: July 2010

Agomelatine is a new antidepressant with a novel profile of pharmacological action. The clinical efficacy of agomelatine has been established in major depression, but its actions on emotional bias are unknown. Consequently, the current experimental study assessed the effect of agomelatine on emotional processing in healthy volunteers using an Emotional Test Battery shown to be sensitive to serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors. Volunteers were randomized to receive placebo, 25 mg or 50 mg of agomelatine over a 7-day period in a double-blind parallel groups design. Emotional processing ( n = 48) was assessed on the morning of day 8 using the Emotional Test Battery which included facial expression recognition, emotional memory, attentional visual probe and emotion-potentiated startle. Mood and subjective state were monitored before and during treatment. Agomelatine (25 mg) decreased subjective ratings of sadness, reduced recognition of sad facial expressions, improved positive affective memory and reduced the emotion-potentiated startle response. The results show that agomelatine has more selective effects on the processing of social facial cues than conventional antidepressants, which could contribute to less blunting of emotional experience. The study highlights the potential value of volunteer models in drug development for screening and profiling of novel antidepressants.
The Influence of Solvent Processing on Polyester Bioabsorbable Polymers
Authors: Manson Joanne , Dixon Dorian
Published: July 2010

Solvent-based methods are commonly employed for the production of polyester-based samples and coatings in both medical device production and research. The influence of solvent casting and subsequent drying time was studied using thermal analysis, spectroscopy and weight measurement for four grades of 50 : 50 poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) produced by using chloroform, dichloromethane, and acetone. The results demonstrate that solvent choice and PLGA molecular weight are critical factors in terms of solvent removal rate and maintaining sample integrity, respectively. The protocols widely employed result in high levels of residual solvent and a new protocol is presented together with solutions to commonly encountered problems.
Posttraumatic Maladaptive Beliefs Scale
Authors: Vogt Dawne S. , Shipherd Jillian C. , Resick Patricia A.
Published: July 2010

The Posttraumatic Maladaptive Beliefs Scale (PMBS) was developed to measure maladaptive beliefs about current life circumstances that may occur following trauma exposure. This scale assesses maladaptive beliefs within three domains: (a) Threat of Harm, (b) Self-Worth and Judgment, and (c) Reliability and Trustworthiness of Others. Items for the PMBS were drawn from a larger preexisting measure that assesses a wide range of personal beliefs and reactions associated with trauma exposure. The construct validity of the PMBS was assessed in two independent samples of interpersonal trauma survivors. This article provides data to support the reliability and validity of the PMBS as an instrument to assess general, rather than trauma-specific, maladaptive beliefs that have relevance for functioning in the aftermath of a traumatic event. Moreover, the measure is sensitive to changes that occur in treatment, and the length of the measure (15 items) is practical for use in clinical settings.
Dealing with Distrust and Power Dynamics: Asymmetric Relations among Stakeholders in Responsive Evaluation
Authors: Baur Vivianne E. , Van Elteren Arnold H.G. , Nierse Christi J. , Abma Tineke A.
Published: July 2010

Asymmetric relations among stakeholders create challenges in participatory evaluation processes. Power and conflict may hinder equal and genuine communication about the value of the practices evaluated. Guidelines to deal with these sociopolitical challenges are scarce and usually focus on the need for evaluators to remain distant or to handle resistance. In this article we discuss the use of a specific interpretation of responsive evaluation as an approach to foster dialogues among stakeholders in politically laden contexts. We aim to illustrate how asymmetric relations can be dealt with constructively, focusing on inclusion of marginalized groups, mutual learning and good dialogue. Two reflective case narratives are presented of responsive evaluation projects in settings with marginalized groups (client councils in elderly care and psychiatric clients with severe drug abuse). We reflect on the role of the evaluator in these contexts and discuss the justification for the active engagement of evaluators to enhance practice improvements.
Evaluation of Legislation: Skating on Thin Ice
Authors: Bussmann Werner
Published: July 2010

While parliaments and politicians increasingly call for the evaluation of legislation, the methodological implications of statutes as an evaluand have not received much interest. This article explores the challenges and methods of evaluating statutes. It describes the methodology and the costs of eight all-encompassing evaluations of statutes at Swiss federal level. It then presents approaches to evaluating statutes. A distinction is made between statutes with the aim of problem-solving and those relating to social ordering. While the former are concerned with a ‘policy’ (objectives combined with intervention instruments), the latter are concerned with the ‘basic order’, which regulates the rights and indirectly the interactions of various actors, but which does not seek a specific outcome. A good part of the legislation aimed at problem-solving can be broken down into its main components; the evaluation of these components does not necessarily differ from the evaluation of programmes. Quite often, however, this approach is not feasible for various reasons. Strategies are presented to evaluate statutes in a more comprehensive manner.
After Neo-Liberalism?
Authors: Mahon Rianne
Published: July 2010

Although the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the World Bank are often (rightly) associated with the diffusion of ideas and practices underpinning neo-liberal globalization, a closer examination of their policy discourses over the last decade suggests that they have clearly gone beyond the brute neo-liberal prescription of welfare cuts and structural adjustment. This shift is particularly evident in their advocacy of public investment in childcare/child development programs, as ‘investing in children’ has come to be seen as a critical component of the paradigm. Different versions of this discourse, however, reflect a greater or lesser break from neo-liberal canons. This article explores such differences as they appear in the way the OECD and the World Bank have framed the need for early childhood education and care/development (ECEC).
Using Mixed Methods to Study First-Year College Impact on Liberal Arts Learning Outcomes
Authors: Seifert Tricia A. , Goodman Kathleen , King Patricia M. , Baxter Magolda Marcia B.
Published: July 2010

This study details the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data from a national multi-institutional longitudinal mixed methods study of college impact and student development of liberal arts outcomes. The authors found three sets of practices in the quantitative data that corroborated with the themes that emerged from the qualitative data: academic challenge, diversity experiences, and supportive relationships aided the transition in the first year. The authors discuss these relationships and their mechanisms for fostering student learning in the first year of college.
Spatial relationship between clay content and geophysical data
Authors: de Benedetto D. , Castrignanò A. , Sollitto D. , Modugno F.
Published: July 2010

An important attribute for soil use is clay content, because it affects the water-holding capacity and hydraulic properties of a soil. Soil surveys are time-consuming, labour-intensive and costly, while geophysical methods, such as Electromagnetic Induction (EMI) and Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), offer a non-invasive and non-destructive approach to mapping soil features. The objective of this paper is to assess the spatial relationship between clay content and geophysical data. The EMI and GPR data and soil cores were collected and analysed in a field of about 3 ha size in Rutigliano, Bari, in SE Italy. The EMI data and clay contents were interpolated using ordinary cokriging. The GPR data were pre-processed and the envelope of the filtered GPR data was used to produce 3Dmaps of the kriged estimates. The correlation with clay content was large and positive for EMI, whereas it was negative for the GPR measurement. In this work, a combination of geostatistical and statistical analysis has shown a significant correlation between the EMI and GPR observations. Estimation of the mathematical function relating these two groups of variables requires a multivariate approach of non-stationary geostatistics.
HRTEM investigation of intralayer and interlayer stacking defects and pyrophyllite interlayers in illite
Authors: Chen Tao , Wang Hejing , Mason Roger , Chen Li
Published: July 2010

Metastable authigenic 1Millite from shale of diagenetic grade has been studied using a high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM) equipped with energy-dispersive spectrometer, X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscope. The illite occurs as deformed flakes deficient in interlayer K+cations with 0.6 per half cell, and with abnormally high Al in both octahedral and tetrahedral sites. Complex structural adjustments reflecting the unusual chemical composition are observed in images of illite at near-atomic resolution. Different distances and directions of intralayer shift between the upper tetrahedral sheet and the lower tetrahedral sheet within 2:1 layers are found in this sample. Intralayer undershift structure coupled with interlayer displacement is found in a 1Millite crystal, and intralayer overshift structure coupled with no interlayer displacement is found in a 1Mdomain of a larger crystal. Two tetrahedral sheets across the interlayer region sometimes deviate from ideal positions causing interlayer displacement. Two pyrophyllite layers are found overlying a stack of ordered 1Millite layers, and are overlain by illite layers with anomalous interlayer offsets. This offset is considered to result from an increase in the lateral dimensions of the tetrahedral sheet due to anomalous high Al content. Our observation of intralayer and interlayer deficiencies indicate that authigenic illite that crystallized in the early stage of diagenesis at low temperatures tends to give rise to heterogeneous, disordered, and metastable structures.
Kurilite – Ag8Te3Se – a new mineral from the Prasolovskoe deposit, Kuril islands, Russian Federation
Authors: Kovalenker V. A. , Plotinskaya O. Yu. , Stanley C. J. , Roberts A. C. , McDonald A. M. , Cooper M. A.
Published: July 2010

Kurilite, with the simplified formula, Ag8Te3Se, is a new mineral from the Prasolovskoe epithermal Au-Ag deposit, Kunashir Island, Kuril arc, Russian Federation. It occurs as aggregates up to 2 mm in size, composed of brittle xenomorphic grains, up to several μm in size, in quartz, associated with tetrahedrite, hessite, sylvanite and petzite. Kurilite is opaque, grey, with a metallic lustre and a black streak. Under plane-polarized light, kurilite is white with no observed bireflectance, cleavage, or parting observed. Under crossed polars it appears isotropic without internal reflections. Reflectance values in air and in oil, are tabulated. It has a mean VHN (25 g load) of 99.9 kg/mm2 which equates roughly to a Mohs hardness of 3. Electron microprobe analyses yield a mean composition of Ag 63.71, Au 0.29, Te 29.48, Se 5.04, S 0.07, total 98.71 wt.%. The empirical formula (based on 12 atoms) is (Ag7.97Au0.02)Σ7.99Te3.00(Se0.86Te0.12S0.03)Σ1.01. The calculated density is 7.799 g/cm3 (based on the empirical formula and unit-cell parameters refined from single-crystal data). Kurilite is rhombohedral, R3 or , a 15.80(1), c 19.57(6) Å, V 4231(12)Å3, c:a 1.2386, Z = 15. Its crystal structure remains unsolved. The seven strongest lines of the X-ray powder-diffraction pattern [d in Å (I)(hkl)] are: 3.727(20)(131), 2.996(50)(232), 2.510(30)(226,422), 2.201(100)(128,416,342), 2.152(20)(603), 2.079(30)(253), 2.046(20)(336,434). The mineral is named after the locality.
Diversifying selection and functional analysis of interleukin-4 suggests antagonism-driven evolution at receptor-binding interfaces
Authors: Koyanagi Madoka , Kerns Julie A , Chung Linda , Zhang Yan , Brown Scott , Moldoveanu Tudor , Malik Harmit S , Bix Mark
Published: July 2010

Background

Interleukin-4 (IL4) is a secreted immunoregulatory cytokine critically involved in host protection from parasitic helminths [1]. Reasoning that helminths may have evolved mechanisms to antagonize IL4 to maximize their dispersal, we explored mammalian IL4 evolution.

Results

This analysis revealed evidence of diversifying selection at 15 residues, clustered in epitopes responsible for IL4 binding to its Type I and Type II receptors. Such a striking signature of selective pressure suggested either recurrent episodes of pathogen antagonism or ligand/receptor co-evolution. To test the latter possibility, we performed detailed functional analysis of IL4 allotypes expressed by Mus musculus musculus and Mus musculus castaneus, which happen to differ at 5 residues (including three at positively selected sites) in and adjacent to the site 1 epitope that binds the IL4Rα subunit shared by the Type I and Type II IL4 receptors. We show that this intra-species variation affects the ability of IL4 neither to bind IL4 receptor alpha (IL4Rα) nor to signal biological responses through its Type I receptor.

Conclusions

Our results -- reminiscent of clustered positively selected sites revealing functionally important residues at host-virus interaction interfaces -- are consistent with IL4 having evolved to avoid recurrent pathogen antagonism, while maintaining the capacity to bind and signal through its cognate receptor. This work exposes what may be a general feature of evolutionary conflicts fought by pathogen antagonists at host protein-protein interaction interfaces involved in immune signaling: the emergence of receptor-binding ligand epitopes capable of buffering amino acid variation.
The T box regulatory element controlling expression of the class I lysyl-tRNA synthetase of Bacillus cereus strain 14579 is functional and can be partially induced by reduced charging of asparaginyl-tRNAAsn
Authors: Foy Niall , Jester Brian , Conant Gavin C , Devine Kevin M
Published: July 2010

Background

Lysyl-tRNA synthetase (LysRS) is unique within the aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase family in that both class I (LysRS1) and class II (LysRS2) enzymes exist. LysRS1 enzymes are found in Archaebacteria and some eubacteria while all other organisms have LysRS2 enzymes. All sequenced strains of Bacillus cereus (except AH820) and Bacillus thuringiensis however encode both a class I and a class II LysRS. The lysK gene (encoding LysRS1) of B. cereus strain 14579 has an associated T box element, the first reported instance of potential T box control of LysRS expression.

Results

A global study of 891 completely sequenced bacterial genomes identified T box elements associated with control of LysRS expression in only four bacterial species: B. cereus, B. thuringiensis, Symbiobacterium thermophilum and Clostridium beijerinckii. Here we investigate the T box element found in the regulatory region of the lysK gene in B. cereus strain 14579. We show that this T box element is functional, responding in a canonical manner to an increased level of uncharged tRNALys but, unusually, also responding to an increased level of uncharged tRNAAsn. We also show that B. subtilis strains with T box regulated expression of the endogenous lysS or the heterologous lysK genes are viable.

Conclusions

The T box element controlling lysK (encoding LysRS1) expression in B. cereus strain 14579 is functional, but unusually responds to depletion of charged tRNALys and tRNAAsn. This may have the advantage of making LysRS1 expression responsive to a wider range of nutritional stresses. The viability of B. subtilis strains with a single LysRS1 or LysRS2, whose expression is controlled by this T box element, makes the rarity of the occurrence of such control of LysRS expression puzzling.
Effects of myenteric denervation on extracellular matrix fibers and mast cell distribution in normal stomach and gastric lesions
Authors: Estofolete Cássia F , Botelho-Machado Carla , Taboga Sebastião R , Zucoloto Sérgio , Polli-Lopes Ana Cláudia , Gil Cristiane D
Published: July 2010

Background

In this study the effect of myenteric denervation induced by benzalconium chloride (BAC) on distribution of fibrillar components of extracellular matrix (ECM) and inflammatory cells was investigated in gastric carcinogenesis induced by N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG). Rats were divided in four experimental groups: non-denervated (I) and denervated stomach (II) without MNNG treatment; non-denervated (III) and denervated stomachs (IV) treated with MNNG. For histopathological, histochemical and stereological analysis, sections of gastric fragments were stained with Hematoxylin-Eosin, Picrosirius-Hematoxylin, Gomori reticulin, Weigert's Resorcin-Fuchsin, Toluidine Blue and Alcian-Blue/Safranin (AB-SAF).

Results

BAC denervation causes an increase in the frequency of reticular and elastic fibers in the denervated (group II) compared to the non-denervated stomachs (group I). The treatment of the animals with MNNG induced the development of adenocarcinomas in non-denervated and denervated stomachs (groups III and IV, respectively) with a notable increase in the relative volume of the stroma, the frequency of reticular fibers and the inflammatory infiltrate that was more intense in group IV. An increase in the frequency of elastic fibers was observed in adenocarcinomas of denervated (group IV) compared to the non-denervated stomachs (group III) that showed degradation of these fibers. The development of lesions (groups III and IV) was also associated with an increase in the mast cell population, especially AB and AB-SAF positives, the latter mainly in the denervated group IV.

Conclusions

The results show a strong association in the morphological alteration of the ECM fibrillar components, the increased density of mast cells and the development of tumors induced by MNNG in the non-denervated rat stomach or denervated by BAC. This suggests that the study of extracellular and intracellular components of tumor microenvironment contributes to understanding of tumor biology by action of myenteric denervation.
Treatment of a femoral shaft fracture in a patient with congenital hip disease: a case report
Authors: Tsakotos George A , Koutsostathis Stefanos D , Macheras George A
Published: July 2010

Introduction

We present a rare case of two concomitant morbidities treated in one operation. To our knowledge, this is the first report of its kind in the literature.

Case presentation

A 57-year-old Greek woman was admitted to the emergency department having sustained a spiral mid-shaft femoral fracture. She also suffered from an ipsilateral hip congenital dysplasia with ankylosed hip joint due to severe arthritis. She was treated with a total hip arthroplasty using a long stem performing as an intramedullary nail.

Conclusion

We undertook a complex operative treatment of both co-morbidities in a one stage procedure with a satisfactory clinical result.
Subfertility Linked to Combined Luteal Insufficiency and Uterine Progesterone Resistance
Authors: Konno Toshihiro , Graham Amanda R. , Rempel Lea A. , Ho-Chen Jennifer K. , Alam S. M. Khorshed , Bu Pengli , Rumi M. A. Karim , Soares Michael J.
Published: July 2010

Early pregnancy loss is common and can be caused by a range of factors. The Brown Norway (BN) rat exhibits reproductive dysfunction characterized by small litter size and pregnancy failure and represents a model for investigating early pregnancy loss. In this study, we investigated the establishment of pregnancy in the BN rat and gained insight into mechanisms causing its subfertility. Early stages of BN uteroplacental organization are unique. The BN primordial placenta is restricted in its development and correlates with limited BN uterine decidual development. BN uterine decidua was shown to be both structurally and functionally distinct and correlated with decreased circulating progesterone (P4) levels. Ovarian anomalies were also apparent in BN rats and included decreased ovulation rates and decreased transcript levels for some steroidogenic enzymes. Attempts to rescue the BN uterine decidual phenotype with steroid hormone therapy were ineffective. BN uteri were shown to exhibit reduced responsiveness to P4 but not to 17β-estradiol. P4 resistance was associated with decreased transcript levels for the P4 receptor (Pgr), a P4 receptor chaperone (Fkbp4), and P4 receptor coactivators (Ncoa1 and Ncoa2). In summary, the BN rat exhibits luteal insufficiency and uterine P4 resistance, which profoundly affects its ability to reproduce.
Functional full-term placentas formed from parthenogenetic embryos using serial nuclear transfer
Authors: Hikichi Takafusa , Ohta Hiroshi , Wakayama Sayaka , Wakayama Teruhiko
Published: July 2010

Mammalian parthenogenetic embryos invariably die in mid-gestation from imprinted gene defects and placental hypoplasia. Based on chimera experiments, trophoblastic proliferation is supposed to be inhibited in the absence of a male genome. Here, we show that parthenogenetic mouse embryonic cell nuclei can be reprogrammed by serial rounds of nuclear transfer without using any genetic modification. The durations of survival in uteri of cloned foetuses derived from green fluorescent protein (GFP)-labelled parthenogenetic cell nuclei were extended with repeated nuclear transfers. After five repeats, live cloned foetuses were obtained up to day 14.5 of gestation; however, they did not survive longer even when we repeated nuclear transfer up to nine times. All foetuses showed intestinal herniation and possessed well-expanded large placentas. When embryonic stem (ES) cells derived from fertilised embryos were aggregated with the cloned embryos, full-term offspring with large placentas were obtained from the chimeric embryos. Those placentas were derived from parthenogenetic cell nuclei, judging from GFP expression. The patterns of imprinted gene expression and methylation status were similar to their parthenogenetic origin, except for Peg10, which showed the same level as in the normal placenta. These results suggest that there is a limitation for foetal development in the ability to reprogramme imprinted genes by repeated rounds of nuclear transfer. However, the placentas of parthenogenetic embryos can escape epigenetic regulation when developed using nuclear transfer techniques and can support foetal development to full gestation.
Contracting for Infrequent Restoration and Recovery of Mission-Critical Systems
Authors: Kim Sang-Hyun , Cohen Morris A. , Netessine Serguei , Veeraraghavan Senthil
Published: July 2010

Firms that rely on functioning mission-critical equipment for their businesses cannot afford significant operational downtime due to system disruptions. To minimize the impact of disruptions, a proper incentive mechanism has to be in place so that the suppliers provide prompt restoration and recovery services to the customer. A widely adopted incentive mechanism is performance-based contracting (PBC), in which suppliers receive compensation based on realized system uptime. A key obstacle is that disruptions occur infrequently, making it very expensive for a supplier to commit the necessary resources for recovery because they will be idle most of the time. In this paper, we show that designing a successful PBC creates nontrivial challenges that are unique to this environment. Namely, because of the infrequent and random nature of disruptions, a seemingly innocuous choice of performance measures used in contracts may create unexpected incentives, resulting in counterintuitive optimal behavior. We compare the efficiencies of two widely used contracts, one based on sample-average downtime and the other based on cumulative downtime, and identify the supplier's ability to influence the frequency of disruptions as an important factor in determining which contract performs better. We also show that implementing PBC may create high agency cost when equipment is very reliable. This counterintuitive situation arises because the realized downtimes from which the customer might intuit about the supplier's capacity investment are highly uncertain when there are not many samples of downtimes, i.e., when disruptions occur rarely.
Strategies to Fight Ad-Sponsored Rivals
Authors: Casadesus-Masanell Ramon , Zhu Feng
Published: July 2010

We analyze the optimal strategy of a high-quality incumbent that faces a low-quality ad-sponsored competitor. In addition to competing through adjustments of tactical variables such as price or the number of ads a product carries, we allow the incumbent to consider changes in its business model. We consider four alternative business models: a subscription-based model; an ad-sponsored model; a mixed model in which the incumbent offers a product that is both subscription based and ad sponsored; and a dual model in which the incumbent offers two products, one based on the ad-sponsored model and the other based on the mixed business model. We show that the optimal response to an ad-sponsored rival often entails business model reconfigurations. We also find that when there is an ad-sponsored entrant, the incumbent is more likely to prefer to compete through the subscription-based or the ad-sponsored model, rather than the mixed or the dual model, because of cannibalization and endogenous vertical differentiation concerns. We discuss how our study helps improve our understanding of notions of strategy, business model, and tactics in the field of strategy.
The World Is Not Small for Everyone: Inequity in Searching for Knowledge in Organizations
Authors: Singh Jasjit , Hansen Morten T. , Podolny Joel M.
Published: July 2010

We explore why some employees may be at a disadvantage in searching for information in organizations. The “small-world” argument in social network theory emphasizes that people are, on average, only a few connections away from the information they seek. However, we argue that such a network structure does not benefit everyone: some employees may have longer search paths in locating knowledge in an organization—their world may be large. We theorize that this disadvantage is the result of more than just an inferior network position. Instead, two mechanisms—periphery status and homophily—jointly operate to aggravate the inefficiency of search for knowledge. Employees who belong to the periphery of an organization because of their minority gender status, lower tenure, or poor connectedness have limited awareness of who knows what and a lower ability to seek help from others best suited to guide the search. When they start a search chain, they are likely to engage in homophilous search by contacting colleagues like themselves, thus contacting others who also belong to the periphery. To search effectively, employees on the periphery need to engage in heterophilous search behaviors by crossing social boundaries. We find support for these arguments in a network field experiment consisting of 381 unfolding search chains in a large multinational professional services firm. The framework helps explain employees' unequal access to the knowledge they seek, a poorly understood yet important type of organizational inequity in an information economy.
Gendering politics and policy in transitions to democracy: Chile and South Africa
Authors: Waylen Georgina
Published: July 2010

Through a detailed comparison of two contrasting case studies – Chile and South Africa – this article explores two questions that are key to furthering our understanding of how politics and policies are gendered in third-wave transitions to democracy. First, why was it that some of the most active women’s movements were unable to translate the importance of their pre-transition activism into greater gains in the post-transition period? Second, what are the possible explanations for the differences in gendered outcomes in different contexts and what factors account for these variations? Through detailed empirical analysis, this article shows the ways in which women’s political activism can, under certain conditions, interact with political institutions to produce gender-positive policy outcomes, for example in the areas of gender quotas and domestic violence legislation.
Gendering constitutional change and policy outcomes: substantive representation and domestic violence policy in Scotland
Authors: Mackay Fiona
Published: July 2010

Scotland bears many hallmarks of a case of successful feminist constitutional activism: high levels of women’s descriptive representation in the devolved parliament and a gender-inclusive institutional design mutually reinforced one another, opening up the political process. In this article domestic violence policy is examined in order to address the question as to whether political devolution has led to positive gender outcomes, in respect of substantive gains for women. The actors, institutions and outcomes of Scottish initiatives (1998–2007) are traced and it is argued that policies have been distinctive in the UK with respect to timing, framing and approach. Domestic violence, therefore, provides a striking case where devolution ‘has made a difference’ to the substantive representation of women, with positive – albeit fragile – outcomes.
Immigrant children's peer acceptance and victimization in kindergarten: The role of local language competence
Authors: von Grünigen Renate , Perren Sonja , Nägele Christof , Alsaker Françoise D.
Published: July 2010

The study investigates peer acceptance and victimization of immigrant and Swiss children in kindergarten classes. Our first aim is to compare peer acceptance and victimization of Swiss and immigrant children. Secondly, we explore the role of their local language competences (LLCs).

The sample was drawn from kindergartens in communities in the German‐speaking part of Switzerland. A representative sample of 568 boys and 522 girls (mean age 5.8 years) took part in the research. Teachers completed questionnaires on children's victimization, bullying, and LLC. The nationality background of parents was indicated by teachers and parents. To assess peer acceptance, a peer nomination method was used.

Immigrant children showed less acceptance by peers and were more often victimized than their Swiss peers. There was a significant interaction effect for LLC and national background of mothers, showing that LLC was positively associated with peer acceptance for children of an immigrant background but not for Swiss children. Furthermore, peer acceptance mediated the effect of national background of mothers on victimization. Results are discussed in terms of the need to improve immigrant children's LLC.
Book Review
Authors: Weir Martin
Published: July 2010

Investigative psychology: Offender profiling and the analysis of criminal action

D. Canter and D. Youngs Chichester: Wiley, 2009. 470 pp. Price: U/K. ISBN: 978‐0‐470‐02397‐6
Imagining Community: Language and Literacy in Hisaye Yamamoto's "Seventeen Syllables"
Authors: Mullins Maire
Published: July 2010

The significance of language and literacy in "Seventeen Syllables" as a means of disrupting and transforming modes of apprehension has not been fully examined. Yamamoto's emphasis on crossgenerational language and cultural acquisition in the Japanese American community lends itself especially well to an analysis that incorporates Mary Louise Pratt's ideas about language as "a device, precisely, for imagining community." Pratt's ideas help to illuminate the situation that occurs at the end of "Seventeen Syllables" when Tome Hayashi forges community with her daughter Rosie through the story of her illicit past and the violence, heartbreak, and constriction of her present.
Some reflections on Antonioni, sound and the silence of La notte
Authors: Nardelli Matilde
Published: July 2010

Michelangelo Antonioni is usually extolled as a director essentially concerned with the visual image. However, Antonioni was as interested in the aural as he was in the visual aspect of his films, and this article addresses this neglected area of discussion by considering what we may
call Antonioni's acoustic turn of the early 1960s. With L'avventura (1960), in fact, the soundtrack of Antonioni's films changes quite radically, as extra-diegetic music is drastically decreased and his films become ostensibly more silent. La notte (1961) deserves particular
attention in this respect. This film articulates a manifesto of the director's evolving thoughts on sound and silence, while, at the same time, helping to reveal how contemporaneous innovations in the field of sound recording above all, the introduction of magnetic tape and experimentations
in the field of music, particularly those of the musique concrte movement and John Cage, contributed to the shaping of such thoughts.
Working with Hitch
Authors: Brand Neil
Published: July 2010

Although Alfred Hitchcock's 1929 film Blackmail was released in both sound and silent versions, it is the sound version that is most familiar to modern audiences. Composer Neil Brand was commissioned to provide a score for the silent version and in this essay he reflects on the
problems and the pleasures of creating a score that can reach modern audiences and enhance the intensity and the ambiguity of Hitchcock's masterpiece.
Simulating and Characterizing Agricultural Ground Applications for Soil VOC Deposition Studies
Authors: Fritz Bradley K. , Hoffmann W. Clint , Rohde Arlean , Warren Christopher , Faulkner William Brock
Published: July 2010

Reactive volatile organic compounds (VOCs) play a major role in the formation of photochemical oxidants in the atmosphere by reacting with oxides of nitrogen and solar ultraviolet energy producing ozone, which is a criteria pollutant regulated under the National Ambient Air Quality Standards. The United States is one of the most agriculturally productive countries in the world due in part to the use of chemical pesticides that consist of active ingredients that are typically non-volatile or semi-VOCs and inert ingredients such as solvents, emulsifiers, and diluents that may also be volatile. Presently, the VOC determination of emission factors from agricultural pesticide applications assumes that all of the inert VOC ingredients volatilize. This research focuses on the development of a laboratory methodology for applying agricultural spray formulations in accurate and measurable levels to support VOC deposition onto and loss from soil surfaces. Adapting a laboratory spray table system with a modified spray and deposition sampling scheme resulted in repeatable spray applications, with the deposition pattern being mapped across the treatment area. These mapped deposition values allow for measurements from soil samples to be correlated with actual spray deposition. This methodology provides for a rapid and repeatable means for surveying VOC deposition and losses from a variety of spray formulations under varying spray rates and spray droplet sizes.
The Microstructural Aspect of the Ductile-to-Brittle Transition of Tin-Based Lead-Free Solders
Authors: Lambrinou Konstantina , Engelmaier Werner
Published: July 2010

This work focuses on specific aspects of the ductile-to-brittle transition in the fracture behavior of tin-based lead-free solders. This transition is essentially associated with the crystal structure of β-Sn, which is the main constituent of these solders. Moreover, the transition is affected by many factors, including the ambient temperature, the applied strain rate, the mechanical constraint, and certain solder microstructural features such as the shape, size, and spatial distribution of intermetallic particles. Since the mechanical constraint in the solder is related with the specimen dimensions, this work compares the fracture behavior of two different sizes of specimens made of tin-based solders: Rectangular beams and solder joints. Both types of specimens were tested in impact, while the produced fracture surfaces were studied using scanning electron microscopy. The detailed fractography analysis allowed the correlation of the overall solder fracture behavior with certain features in the solder microstructure. This study used also the additional insight into the embrittlement mechanism of tin-based solders to explain previous results from the thermal cycling of eutectic tin-lead solder joints.
Avaliação de cicatrizes cutâneas: apresentação de um método quantitativo
Authors: Vidigal Fernando Mendonça , Petroianu Andy
Published: July 2010

OBJETIVO:Descrever um método objetivo de avaliação das cicatrizes cutâneas com base em critérios quantificados e compará-lo com avaliação subjetiva do cirurgião e do paciente. MÉTODOS: Foram analisados prospectivamente 136 pacientes submetidos à operações abdominais e inguinais. As cicatrizes foram avaliadas seis meses após o procedimento cirúrgico por meio da medida das alterações encontradas (alargamento, hipertrofia e retração). Essas cicatrizes foram classificadas em quatro tipos objetivos (A, B, C e D) e 10 subjetivos do cirurgião e do paciente (escore de 1 a 10). As classificações foram comparadas entre si. RESULTADOS: A avaliação subjetiva do cirurgião mostrou diferença entre os grupos 1 e 2 (p = 0,021) e 2 e 3B (p = 0,011). Na avaliação dos pacientes não houve diferença entre os grupos (p = 0,283). Em todos os grupos a avaliação do paciente foi mais satisfatória. A avaliação objetiva mostrou melhores resultados nos grupos 1 e 3B, sem diferença significativa. O método utilizado na avaliação objetiva foi eficaz e os valores médios atribuídos pelo cirurgião às cicatrizes dos tipos A, B, C e D foram diferentes entre si (p < 0,001). CONCLUSÃO: A avaliação pelo método quantitativo foi adequada para classificar cicatrizes cirúrgicas. Esse método esteve mais de acordo com a realidade do que a impressão subjetiva apoiada em satisfação com o resultado obtido.
Morfologia dos órgãos genitais masculinos do Jurará Kinosternon scorpioides (Chelonia: Kinosternidae)
Authors: Carvalho Rafael Cardoso , Oliveira Sâmia Clara Rodrigues de , Bombonato Pedro Primo , Oliveira Antonia Santos , Sousa Alana Lislea de
Published: July 2010

Kinosternon scorpioides é uma pequena tartaruga semi-aquática, típica de água doce, de distribuição geográfica bastante diversificada, encontrada no estado do Maranhão, onde é denominada de jurará ou muçuã. Sua carne é uma excelente fonte de proteína e a despeito da legislação vigente, é comercializado nas praias e feiras da cidade de São Luís e consumido nos restaurantes sob a forma de farofa servida em casquinha. Os órgãos genitais do macho foram estudados visando fornecer dados morfológicos da própria espécie, que poderão ser utilizados na biologia reprodutiva voltada para ações de preservação em cativeiro. Compõe-se a amostra de 10 machos adultos, obtidos mediante apreensões do IBAMA-MA (Proc. nº 020.12.002400/99-31, licença nº 002/01), os quais foram eutanaziados conforme normas do Comitê de Ética do Curso de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Estadual do Maranhão. A cavidade celomática foi aberta e os órgãos fixados em solução aquosa de formaldeído 10%, e posteriormente dissecados. Os testículos possuem formato ovóide e coloração amarelo-ouro. Os epidídimos convolutos estavam aderidos dorsalmente à superfície medial dos testículos, terminando em um pequeno ducto deferente. Os ductos deferentes não forma-ram nenhuma ampola distinta, abrindo-se na cloaca. O pênis sulcado, localizado no assoalho da cloaca, estendeu-se até a cauda, composto de raíz, corpo e glande. A morfologia dos órgãos reprodutivos destes animais assemelha-se aos de outras tartarugas, sugerindo uma morfologia conservada entre as tartarugas.
Estrutura e celularidade de meniscos frescos de coelhos (Oryctolagus cuniculus) preservados em glicerina
Authors: Vilela Liana M. , Del Carlo Ricardo J. , Silva João Carlos P. da , Da Matta Sérgio Luís P. , Rodrigues Mauricio Correia D. , Monteiro Betânia S. , Martinez Mastoby Miguel M. , Reis Amanda Maria S. , Machado Daniel P. Dias , Lopes Liliane R.
Published: July 2010

No presente estudo foi avaliada a arquitetura tecidual, a população celular, assim como a integridade e a distribuição dos tipos celulares em meniscos frescos de coelhos e preservados em glicerina 98%. Foram analisados meniscos mediais de coelhos recém abatidos, que foram distribuídos em três grupos: o grupo MF (n=7), composto por meniscos frescos, correspondeu ao grupo controle; o grupo MG (n=7), composto por meniscos preservados em glicerina 98%, por 30 dias, e o grupo MR (n=7), por meniscos preservados em glicerina 98% e reidratados em NaCl 0,9%, por 12 horas. Em todos os meniscos foram identificados e quantificados os diferentes tipos celulares: fibroblastos/fibrócitos e condrócitos. A população celular foi estatisticamente semelhante nos três grupos de meniscos, sendo que os meniscos preservados, grupos MG e MR, apresentaram menor intensidade de coloração e retração das fibras colágenas, diminuição de volume e maior intensidade de coloração dos núcleos (condensação da cromatina), em relação aos meniscos frescos (MF), caracterizando o fenômeno de lise celular. A matriz fibrocartilaginosa dos meniscos preservados revelou- se bem preservada mantendo a arquitetura tecidual dos meniscos. Conclui-se que a glicerina 98% é uma opção de meio de preservação para meniscos objetivando aloenxerto, com matriz colágena desvitalizada.
Distribution of collagen types I, III, and IV in gastric tissue of marmosets (Callithrix spp., Callitrichidae: Primates)
Authors: Mello Marcela F.V. de , Pissinatti Alcides , Ferreira Ana M.R.
Published: July 2010

Extracellular matrix (ECM) components such as fibrillar collagens play a fundamental role in wound repair and have also been studied in association with the gastric ulcer healing process in gastroenterology. Nevertheless, there have been no studies in the literature to date regarding the description and characterization of ECM components, neither in normal nor in injured gastric tissue of primate species. The objective of this study was to investigate the expression of gastric collagen types I, III, and IV in marmosets (Callithrix sp.). Histological specimens from the stomach of 6 Callithrix jacchus, 12 C. kuhli, and 12 C. geoffroyi were evaluated. The specimens were immunostained with anti-types I and III collagen polyclonal antibodies and anti-type IV collagen monoclonal antibody. Collagen types I and III were detected in the submucosa and lamina propria between the mucosal glands while collagen type IV was detected in the muscularis mucosae, muscular layers, blood vessels, and gastric mucosa between the mucosal glands. It is hoped that these findings can contribute to future studies on the gastric extracellular matrix components in primates and to comparative studies in the area of gastroenterology.
Avaliação da qualidade de vida em pacientes submetidos à ressecção colorretal por via laparoscópica ou aberta em período pós-operatório inicial
Authors: Oliveira Teon Augusto Noronha de , Queiroz Fábio Lopes de , Lacerda-Filho Antônio , Mansur Eliane Sander , Carmona Maria Zuleime , Resende Marcelo Santos , Lamounier Paulo César de Carvalho , Paiva Rodrigo de Almeida , Alves Filho Valdivino
Published: July 2010

INTRODUÇÃO: A publicação de estudos controlados e metanálises que evidenciaram a segurança, a efetividade e a equivalência oncológica da abordagem laparoscópica com relação aos procedimentos abertos, fez com que a cirurgia colorretal minimamente invasiva fosse adotada por um número crescente de serviços em todo o mundo. O objetivo desse estudo foi avaliar se há diferenças na qualidade de vida dos pacientes no período pós-operatório inicial de cirurgias colorretais laparoscópicas e convencionais. PACIENTES E MÉTODO: Trata-se de um estudo prospectivo observacional sobre qualidade de vida, envolvendo pacientes submetidos à cirurgia colorretal laparoscópica e convencional. No período de maio a novembro de 2008, 42 pacientes submetidos à cirurgia colorretal foram acompanhados desde a cirurgia até o 60º DPO. Os questionários foram aplicados no 3º, 7º e 30º dias de pós-operatório e as respostas obtidas constituíram o banco de dados a ser analisado. A análise estatística consistiu em análise descritiva do escore do estado global de saúde, dos escores funcionais e de sintomas do questionário EORTC/QLQ 30, tendo sido utilizado os testes de Shapiro-Wilk, Mann-Whitney e t de Student. O nível de significância (a) considerado foi de 0,05. RESULTADOS: Houve predominância de pacientes do sexo feminino (57,1%), com uma média de idade de 61,5 anos. Foi detectada diferença significativa do escore "estado global de saúde" no 30º dia de pós-operatório, com valores de 75,0 e 58,3 para as cirurgias laparoscópicas e abertas, respectivamente (p = 0,005). Com relação à função física, assim como na análise das demais funções (desempenho, emocional, cognitiva e social), sintomas (fadiga, náusea, dor, dispnéia, insônia, apetite, constipação) e dificuldades financeiras, não foram observadas diferenças significativas. CONCLUSÃO: Os resultados demonstraram que os pacientes submetidos à cirurgia colorretal por via laparoscópica apresentaram melhor qualidade de vida ao final do primeiro mês de pós-operatório, quando comparados com os pacientes submetidos à cirurgia aberta.