bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Inside UN Climate Change Negotiations: The Copenhagen Conference
Authors: Dimitrov Radoslav S. 
Published: October 2010

AbstractUN negotiations on climate change entail a fundamental transformation of the global economy and constitute the single most important process in world politics. This is an account of the 2009 Copenhagen summit from the perspective of a government delegate. The article offers a guide to global climate negotiations, tells the story of Copenhagen from behind closed doors, and assesses the current state of global climate governance. It outlines key policy issues under negotiation, the positions and policy preferences of key countries and coalitions, the outcomes of Copenhagen, and achievements and failures in climate negotiations to date. The Copenhagen Accord is a weak agreement designed to mask the political failure of the international community to create a global climate treaty. However, climate policy around the world is making considerable progress. While the UN negotiations process is deadlocked, multilevel climate governance is thriving.
Regional employment impacts of Common Agricultural Policy measures in Eastern Germany: a difference‐in‐differences approach
Authors: Petrick Martin , Zier Patrick 
Published: October 2010

AbstractPoliticians and farm lobbyists frequently use the argument that agricultural policy is necessary to safeguard jobs in agriculture. We explore whether this is true by conducting an econometric ex post evaluation of the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in the three East German States Brandenburg, Saxony, and Saxony‐Anhalt. Whereas previous studies have employed descriptive statistics or qualitative methods and have looked at single policy instruments in isolation, we apply a difference‐in‐differences estimator to analyze the employment effects of the entire portfolio of CAP measures simultaneously. Based on panel data at the county level, we find that investment aids and transfers to less‐favored areas had a zero marginal employment effect. We present evidence that full decoupling of direct payments in 2005 led to labor shedding, as it made transfer payments independent of factor allocation. Spending on modern technologies in processing and marketing and measures aimed at the development of rural areas led to job losses in agriculture. Agrienvironmental measures, on the other hand, kept labor‐intensive technologies in production or induced them. This analysis calls into question whether an expansion of existing second pillar measures is a reasonable way to use funds modulated away from the first pillar.
Factors associated with the intention to leave among newly graduated nurses in advanced‐treatment hospitals in Japan
Authors: TOMINAGA Maki T. , MIKI Akiko 
Published: October 2010

AbstractAim:  The early resignation of newly graduated nurses (NGNs) will become a concern in Japan as the need for nurses increases. The aim of this study was to conduct an investigation using the Effort–Reward Imbalance (ERI) questionnaire to examine the effect of stressful experiences in the work environment and over‐commitment on NGNs' intention to leave and to identify the factors that were associated with their intention to leave, clarifying the appropriate times at which to conduct interventions to prevent NGNs from leaving advanced‐treatment hospitals.Methods:  Anonymous self‐administered questionnaires were distributed to all the NGNs (n = 1364) in 14 advanced‐treatment university hospitals. Questionnaires with no missing data were returned by 737 NGNs (54%). For the development of the questionnaire, we designed a framework that consisted of the factors that occur during three stages of the NGNs' transition into the workplace. The questions addressed items for individual attributes, employment and organizational characteristics, the Role Model Scale, the ERI questionnaire, two scale items for health status, and the intention to leave. In order to determine the factors that related to the dependent variables, hierarchical multiple linear regression analyses were carried out.Results:  We revealed that effort, subjective health status, role models, and effort were important factors that related to the NGNs' intention to leave, as well as their age and city size. Over‐commitment and reward were not significant factors. We also found that three subscales of the Job Readiness Scale independently related to the NGNs' intention to leave.Conclusion:  These findings can help employers, supervisors, and senior staff of advanced‐treatment university hospitals in Japan to improve their work environment in order to benefit NGNs and aid in their retention.
Effects of mental workload on nurses' visual behaviors during infusion pump operation
Authors: KATAOKA Jun , SASAKI Minako , KANDA Katsuya 
Published: October 2010

AbstractAim:  According to a national report on incident analysis, the mental workload that exists during the i.v. medication administration process might affect nurses' visual behavior and, thus, influence the accuracy of the process. This study examined changes in the visual behavior of nurses who operated an infusion pump under the influence of time pressure and dual tasking.Methods:  Ten nursing students, 13 experienced nurses, and nine inexperienced nurses, equipped with an eye tracker and instruments that measure the heart rate and breathing frequency, carried out an infusion pump operation in a simulated patient room under three mental workload conditions: without a mental workload, under time pressure, and while dual tasking.Results:  Under the time pressure condition, the total visual fixation duration of the procedures was shortened. The experienced and inexperienced nurse groups could shorten the tasks in order of priority but the student group could reduce the tasks only inconsistently. Dual tasking had no influence on the total fixation duration of the procedures. However, the fixation location was influenced by the dual‐tasking condition. This condition caused dispersed attention in the student and inexperienced‐nurse groups, but not in the experienced‐nurse group.Conclusion:  Time pressure appears to cause nurses to shorten the duration of infusion pump operation and to reduce the quantity of checking. Dual tasking appears to have no influence on the total visual fixation duration but causes dispersed attention, reducing the quality of checking.
Self‐management program for obesity control among middle‐aged women in Korea: A pilot study
Authors: LEE Chung Yul , LEE Hyeonkyeong , JEON Kyoung Mi , HONG Yoon Mi , PARK So Hyun 
Published: October 2010

AbstractAim:  The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a 12 week self‐management intervention program, as compared to a structured exercise intervention, for obesity control among middle‐aged women in Korea.Methods:  A quasi‐experimental study was conducted with 27 women in a self‐management group and 24 in a structured exercise group for 12 weeks. The self‐management group received interventions that included walking at a convenient time and place, keeping healthy dietary habits, group workshops, phone counseling, and mobile phone short message services. The structured exercise group received a structured exercise intervention, which involved three 1 h walking classes per week at the health center. Both groups received baseline assessments before starting the interventions and at 12 weeks. The data were analyzed by using two sample t‐tests, a paired t‐test, and the χ2‐test.Results:  After 12 weeks, there were significant changes in the health behavior, amount of body fat, and blood pressure of the participants in both intervention groups, but there was no significant difference in their body composition, blood profile, or blood pressure.Conclusion:  Both the self‐management and the structured exercise programs were effective in controlling obesity in middle‐aged obese women in Korea. However, considering the chronic nature of obesity, the self‐management program would be more beneficial, compared to the structured exercise program, as it allows people to exercise at a convenient time and place and to learn how to cope with their lifestyle barriers.
Role of internal marketing, organizational commitment, and job stress in discerning the turnover intention of Korean nurses
Authors: LEE Haejung , KIM Myoung‐Soo , YOON Jung‐A 
Published: October 2010

AbstractAim:  The purpose of this study was to examine the discriminating factors of Korean nurses' turnover intention (TI) among internal marketing (IM), organizational commitment (OC), and job stress (JS).Methods:  Nurses (n = 185) who had worked for 1–10 years were surveyed from six general hospitals in South Korea. The data were collected by using questionnaires and were analyzed with descriptive statistics and discriminant analysis.Results:  The participants were grouped into three groups, depending on the level of their TI: “low TI group” (n = 58), “moderate TI group” (n = 96), and “high TI group” (n = 31). One function significantly discriminated between the high TI and low TI groups. The function correctly classified 84.3% of the participants into the two groups and 75.3% were correctly classified in the cross‐validation. Organizational commitment was the most important factor. Job stress and the IM components of staffing–promotion, reward, management philosophy, working environment, and segmentation were significant discriminant factors of TI.Conclusion:  Based on the findings of this study, we could conclude that OC, JS, and IM play important roles in the TI of nurses. Implying a career development system as an OC management strategy, an innovative promotion policy to change conservative organizational climates and a balance of effort–reward can be considered as managerial interventions to reduce nurses' TI.
Global Osteitis Scoring Scale and chronic rhinosinusitis: a marker of revision surgery
Authors: Georgalas C. , Videler W. , Freling N. , Fokkens W. 
Published: October 2010

Clin. Otolaryngol. 2010, 35, 455–461Objectives:  Determine the incidence and severity of osteitis in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis using a new Global Osteitis Scoring Scale.Design:  Validation and prospective case–control study.Setting:  Academic Tertiary Otolaryngology Department (Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam).Participants:  A prospective series of 102 patients undergoing a computed tomography (CT) sinuses as part of their evaluation for chronic rhinosinusitis between January and May 2008 (study group) and an age‐ and gender‐matched control group of 68 non‐rhinosinusitis patients. Seventy‐eight of the chronic rhinosinusitis patients completed the nasal subset of the RhinoSinusitis Outcome Measure (RSOM‐31) and visual analogue scales. Their CT scans were assessed for osteitis using a newly developed Global Osteitis Scoring Scale. A subsample of 35 scans were additionally scored by a second otolaryngologist and a radiologist.Main outcome measures:  Global Osteitis Scoring Scale.Results:  The interrater variability of Global Osteitis Scoring Scale was low (average intraclass correlation coefficient: 0.94). Forty per cent of the chronic rhinosinusitis group and none of the control group had evidence of clinically significant osteitis. In the chronic rhinosinusitis group (102 patients), the severity of osteitis was correlated with Lund–Mackay (L–M) score (P < 0.001), duration of symptoms (P < 0.01) and previous surgery (P < 0.001), rising in incidence with increasing number of previous operations. There was no association between osteitis and age, gender, smoking, co‐existing asthma, allergy or Sumpter’s triad. Additionally, there was no correlation between osteitis and symptom burden including headache, facial pain and nasal subset score of the RhinoSinusitis Outcome Measure.Conclusion:  In patients with recalcitrant chronic rhinosinusitis who have undergone multiple surgeries in the past, the incidence of osteitis can be as high as 64%. It does not seem to be associated with more troublesome symptoms; however, it is strongly associated with previous sinus surgery, which may be a manifestation of a shared endpoint (underlying recalcitrant disease).
Monitoring of pathogenic and non‐pathogenic Fusarium oxysporum strains during tomato plant infection
Authors: Validov Shamil Z. , Kamilova Faina D. , Lugtenberg Ben J. J. 
Published: October 2010

SummaryMonitoring of pathogenic strains of Fusarium oxysporum (Fox), which cause wilt and rots on agricultural and ornamental plants, is important for predicting disease outbreaks. Since both pathogenic and non‐pathogenic strains of Fox are ubiquitous and are able to colonize plant roots, detection of Fox DNA in plant material is not the ultimate proof of an ongoing infection which would cause damage to the plant. We followed the colonization of tomato plants by strains Fox f. sp. radicis‐lycopersici ZUM2407 (a tomato foot and root rot pathogen), Fox f. sp. radicis‐cucumerinum V03‐2g (a cucumber root rot pathogen) and Fox Fo47 (a well‐known non‐pathogenic biocontrol strain). We determined fungal DNA concentrations in tomato plantlets by quantitative PCR (qPCR) with primers complementary to the intergenic spacer region (IGS) of these three Fox strains. Two weeks after inoculation of tomato seedlings with these Fox strains, the DNA concentration of Forl ZUM2407 was five times higher than that of the non‐compatible pathogen Forc V03‐2g and 10 times higher than that of Fo47. In 3‐week‐old plantlets the concentration of Forl ZUM2407 DNA was at least 10 times higher than those of the other strains. The fungal DNA concentration, as determined by qPCR, appeared to be in good agreement with data of the score of visible symptoms of tomato foot and root rot obtained 3 weeks after inoculation of tomato with Forl ZUM2407. Our results show that targeting of the multicopy ribosomal operon results in a highly sensitive qPCR reaction for the detection of Fox DNA. Since formae speciales of Fox cannot be distinguished by comparison of ribosomal operons, detection of Fox DNA is not evidence of plant infection by a compatible pathogen. Nevertheless, the observed difference in levels of plant colonization between pathogenic and non‐pathogenic strains strongly suggests that a concentration of Fox DNA in plant material above the threshold level of 0.005% is due to proliferation of pathogenic Fox.
Comparative genomics of Lactobacillus
Authors: Kant Ravi , Blom Jochen , Palva Airi , Siezen Roland J. , de Vos Willem M. 
Published: October 2010

SummaryThe genus Lactobacillus includes a diverse group of bacteria consisting of many species that are associated with fermentations of plants, meat or milk. In addition, various lactobacilli are natural inhabitants of the intestinal tract of humans and other animals. Finally, several Lactobacillus strains are marketed as probiotics as their consumption can confer a health benefit to host. Presently, 154 Lactobacillus species are known and a growing fraction of these are subject to draft genome sequencing. However, complete genome sequences are needed to provide a platform for detailed genomic comparisons. Therefore, we selected a total of 20 genomes of various Lactobacillus strains for which complete genomic sequences have been reported. These genomes had sizes varying from 1.8 to 3.3 Mb and other characteristic features, such as G+C content that ranged from 33% to 51%. The Lactobacillus pan genome was found to consist of approximately 14 000 protein‐encoding genes while all 20 genomes shared a total of 383 sets of orthologous genes that defined the Lactobacillus core genome (LCG). Based on advanced phylogeny of the proteins encoded by this LCG, we grouped the 20 strains into three main groups and defined core group genes present in all genomes of a single group, signature group genes shared in all genomes of one group but absent in all other Lactobacillus genomes, and Group‐specific ORFans present in core group genes of one group and absent in all other complete genomes. The latter are of specific value in defining the different groups of genomes. The study provides a platform for present individual comparisons as well as future analysis of new Lactobacillus genomes.
A simple method for in situ‐labelling with 15N and 13C of grassland plant species by foliar brushing
Authors: Putz Birgit , Drapela Thomas , Wanek Wolfgang , Schmidt Olaf , Frank Thomas , Zaller Johann G. 
Published: October 2010

Summary 1. Labelling plants with 15N and 13C stable isotopes usually require cultivation of plants in isotopically enriched soil and gas‐tight labelling chambers ‐ both approaches are not suitable if one aims to investigate in situ species interactions in real plant communities. 2. In this greenhouse experiment, we tested a labelling method in which dual‐labelled (15N, 13C) urea solution is brushed directly onto leaves of twelve temperate grassland species representing grasses, non‐leguminous forbs and legumes. 3. Across all plant species, shoots (15N: 0·145; 13C: 0·090 atom percent excess, APE) and roots (15N: 0·051; 13C: 0·023 APE) were significantly enriched after five daily labelling events. Generally, isotopic enrichments were significantly higher in shoots than in roots. No clear pattern of absolute isotopic enrichment was observed between plant functional groups; however, grasses showed a more even allocation between shoots and roots than forbs and legumes. Isotopic enrichment levels after 4 weeks were lower, higher or unchanged compared to those of week one and varied between species or plant parts. 4. Considering the consistent enrichment levels and simplicity of this method, we conclude that it can be applied widely in ecological studies of above‐belowground plant–plant or plant–animal interactions even in real plant communities.
Theta Method Dynamics
Authors: Barclay Graeme J. , Griffiths David F. , Higham Desmond J. 
Published: October 2010

AbstractLong-term solutions of the theta method applied to scalar nonlinear differential equations are studied in this paper. In the case where the equation has a stable steady state, lower bounds on the basin of non-oscillatory, monotonic attraction for the theta method are derived. Spurious period two solutions are then analysed. Under mild assumptions, precise results are obtained concerning the generic nature and stability of these solutions for small timesteps. Particular problem classes are studied, and direct connections are made between the existence and stability of period two solutions and the dynamics of the theta method. The analysis is extended to a wide class of semi-discretized partial differential equations. Numerical examples are given.
Primes in Sequences Associated to Polynomials (After Lehmer)
Authors: Einsiedler Manfred , Everest Graham , Ward Thomas 
Published: October 2010

AbstractIn a paper of 1933, D. H. Lehmer continued Pierce's study of integral sequences associated to polynomials generalizing the Mersenne sequence. He developed divisibility criteria, and suggested that prime apparition in these sequences — or in closely related sequences — would be denser if the polynomials were close to cyclotomic, using a natural measure of closeness.We review briefly some of the main developments since Lehmer's paper, and report on further computational work on these sequences. In particular, we use Mossinghoff's collection of polynomials with smallest known measure to assemble evidence for the distribution of primes in these sequences predicted by standard heuristic arguments.The calculations lend weight to standard conjectures about Mersenne primes, and the use of polynomials with small measure permits much larger numbers of primes to be generated than in the Mersenne case.
A Constructive Analysis of a Proof that the Numerical Range is Convex
Authors: Bridges Douglas , Havea Robin 
Published: October 2010

AbstractIt is shown where the classical proof of the convexity of the numerical range of an operator on a Hilbert space breaks down by using principles that are not valid in intuitionistic logic. Those breakdowns are then repaired, as far as possible, to provide constructive versions of the convexity theorem. Finally, it is shown that our results are the best possible in a constructive setting.
Computational Aspects of Classifying Singularities
Authors: Kirk N. P. 
Published: October 2010

AbstractA Maple package which performs the symbolic algebra central to problems in local singularity theory is described. This is a generalisation of previous projects, which dealt only with problems in elementary catastrophe theory. Applications to specific problems are described, and a survey given of the powerful techniques from singularity theory that are used by the package. A description of the underlying algorithm is given, and some of the more important computational aspects discussed. The package, user manual and installation instructions are available in the appendices to this article.
Influenza and Meningococcal Vaccinations Are Effective in Healthy Subjects Treated with the Interleukin-1β-Blocking Antibody Canakinumab: Results of an Open-Label, Parallel Group, Randomized, Single-Center Study
Authors: Chioato A. , Noseda E. , Felix S. D. , Stevens M. , Del Giudice G. , Fitoussi S. , Kleinschmidt A. 
Published: October 2010

ABSTRACT

The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of influenza and meningococcal vaccines in healthy subjects exposed to the anti-interleukin-1β (anti-IL-1β) monoclonal antibody canakinumab. This was an open-label, parallel group, randomized, single-center study of healthy subjects (aged 18 to 45 years). At baseline, antibody (Ab) titers were measured and subjects were randomized (1:1) to a single 300-mg canakinumab dose administered subcutaneously (s.c.) or received no treatment (control group). After 2 weeks, subjects were treated with inactivated, unadjuvanted influenza and conjugated group C meningococcal (MenC) vaccines, administered intramuscularly (i.m.). The primary efficacy variable was the response (≥2-fold increase in Ab titer in ≥2 of 3 influenza virus strains) after 4 weeks in subjects treated with canakinumab compared to the control group. Secondary efficacy variables were the antibody response to vaccines at different thresholds and time points. Fifty-one of 112 subjects screened were randomized to canakinumab (
n
= 25) or the control group (
n
= 26). Antibody responses to vaccinations measured against different influenza virus strains and one MenC strain at 4 weeks were comparable in the canakinumab and control groups. The primary efficacy variable, the response to influenza vaccination (≥2-fold increase in Ab titer in ≥2 of 3 serotypes) at 4 weeks, was shown in 24/25 subjects in the canakinumab group compared to 25/25 subjects in the control group. Antibody responses remained comparable in the two groups at the different time points assessed. Headache was the most frequently reported adverse event. No deaths or serious adverse events were reported during the study. We concluded that a single dose of 300 mg canakinumab s.c. does not affect the induction or persistence of antibody responses after vaccination with unadjuvanted influenza or alum-adjuvanted MenC vaccines in healthy subjects.