bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Similarities and mutual understanding: exchange experiences in Malawi for host and guest students
Authors: Hagen L. , Munkhondya B. , Myhre K. 
Published: November 2009

Background:  A Malawian nursing college and a Norwegian university college have agreed to cooperate in facilitating clinical exchanges for nursing students at their respective institutions. This study describes the experiences of students in an innovative exchange. Norwegian and Malawian nursing students shared clinical placement in pairs of two in Malawi for 8 weeks. This study shows that both host and guest students benefit from the clinical placement as it enhances development of clinical competence.Methods:  The design of the study is phenomenological/hermeneutical. The theoretical foundation is based upon Campinha‐Bacote's model for the development of cultural competence.All participating nursing students were interviewed. Their stories provided the rationale for the three main categories that are discussed.Findings:  Students experience both similarities and differences in practice, but similarities are regarded as the stronger impression. Learning relational skills is the primary learning outcome, but learning how to nurse patients is also an important outcome. During the exchange period all students developed cultural competence. This way of organizing shared placements for guest and host students from different countries is valuable for all students. It also met the curricular demands in both countries.
Voting Equilibria in Multi‐candidate Elections
Authors: DUGGAN JOHN , SEKIYA YOJI 
Published: November 2009

AbstractWe consider a general plurality voting game with multiple candidates, where voter preferences over candidates are exogenously given. In particular, we allow for arbitrary voter indifferences, as may arise in voting subgames of citizen‐candidate or locational models of elections. We prove that the voting game admits pure strategy equilibria in undominated strategies. The proof is constructive: we exhibit an algorithm, the “best winning deviation” algorithm, that produces such an equilibrium in finite time. A byproduct of the algorithm is a simple story for how voters might learn to coordinate on such an equilibrium.
Stability of Constitutions
Authors: KULTTI KLAUS , MIETTINEN PAAVO 
Published: November 2009

AbstractConstitution is a pair of rules (s, S) that are used in a voting situation. The rule s is used to vote about the existing alternatives and the rule S is used to vote about changing the rule s to some other rule s′. We consider what kind of constitutions are likely to emerge as prominent ones if the constitutions contain more than just two rules. In a constitution that contains any number of rules the nth rule is used to decide about the n − 1 th rule. We define a notion of stability for the constitutions and show that all stable constitutions roughly contain the same rule from n = 2 onwards. This is one explanation to the casual observation that the constitutions have usually only two rules.
Time Varying and Dynamic Models for Default Risk in Consumer Loans
Authors: Crook Jonathan , Bellotti Tony 
Published: November 2009

SummaryWe review the incorporation of time varying variables into models of the risk of consumer default. Lenders typically have data which are of a panel format. This allows the inclusion of time varying covariates in models of account level default by including them in survival models, panel models or ‘correction factor’ models. The choice depends on the aim of the model and the assumptions that can be plausibly made. At the level of the portfolio, Merton-type models have incorporated macroeconomic and latent variables in mixed (factor) models and Kalman filter models whereas reduced form approaches include Markov chains and stochastic intensity models. The latter models have mainly been applied to corporate defaults and considerable scope remains for application to consumer loans.
Measuring the Usage Effects of Tying a Messenger to Windows: A Treatment Effect Approach
Authors: Lee Myoung-jae 
Published: November 2009

Summary
The US case on tying Microsoft Internet Explorer to Windows has received much attention. In Europe, a similar case of tying the Microsoft media player to Windows appeared. Recently in Korea, another similar case of tying a Microsoft messenger to Windows occurred. In the messenger tying case (as well as in the other tying cases), Microsoft’s main defence seems to be threefold: tying enhances efficiency, the Microsoft product is better or better marketed and tying is inconsequential because the user can easily download free competing products. The paper empirically addresses the third point. Korean data, used as evidence in the trial of the case, reveal that tying the Microsoft messenger to Windows increased the probability of choosing the Microsoft messenger as the main messenger by 22% for Windows Millennium and 35% for Windows XP. There is also evidence that tying shortened the duration until the Microsoft messenger is adopted by about 2–4 months, compared with the duration until the adoption of a competing messenger. Hence tying provided Microsoft with an almost instant non-trivial advantage in the messenger market ‘race’—the advantage derived from the dominant position in the operating system market.
Differences in Consumer Abstraction Levels as a Function of Risk Perception
Authors: Barrena Ramo , Sánchez Mercedes 
Published: November 2009

AbstractThis study investigates factors affecting consumer purchase choice (cognitive structures) in two foods with different perceived risk levels. Means‐end chain methodology is used to test for differences in the degrees of abstraction and complexity in the purchase decision process for each product. The results reveal significant differences, with more food safety issues coming into play in the case of the product associated with higher perceived risk in the past. This might suggest a non‐temporal effect on consumers’ level of risk perception in food products, with important implications for crisis management. Furthermore, logit models estimated to investigate the health impact of foods show that age and income have played a role in turning this credence attribute into a key element of consumer choice.
Etiology of small‐fiber neuropathy
Authors: Bednarik Josef , Vlckova‐Moravcova Eva , Bursova Sarka , Belobradkova Jana , Dusek Ladislav , Sommer Claudia 
Published: November 2009

AbstractThe aim of this study was to evaluate the etiology in a group of 84 patients with painful sensory neuropathy with predominant small‐fiber dysfunction (54 men and 30 women, median: 58; range: 25–83 years) recruited from a population of the South Moravian region of the Czech Republic. Involvement of small nerve fibers was verified by abnormal thermal thresholds and/or reduced intraepidermal nerve fiber densities. Motor signs or symptoms or significant clinical signs of sensory large‐fiber involvement were exclusionary; 33 patients, however, had sensory nerve conduction abnormalities. For comparison, the prevalence of risk factors was assessed in a group of 47 asymptomatic age‐ and sex‐matched controls (30 men and 17 women, median: 59; range: 29–85 years). The multivariate regression model disclosed that diabetes mellitus (odds ratio [OR] = 4.08), chronic alcoholism (OR = 5.31), and serum cholesterol levels (OR = 4.51) were the only parameters independently associated with small‐fiber involvement. No possible etiology was detected in 19 patients (22.6%). In conclusion, the spectrum of risk factors and proportion of idiopathic cases in geographically defined small‐fiber polyneuropathy sample is similar to that referred in large‐fiber polyneuropathy.
Use of Industrial By‐Products in Urban Roadway Infrastructure
Authors: Carpenter Alberta C. , Gardner Kevin H. 
Published: November 2009

SummaryIncorporating the beneficial use of industrial by‐products into the industrial ecology of an urban region as a substitute or supplement for natural aggregate can potentially reduce life cycle impacts. This article specifically looks at the utilization of industrial by‐products (IBPs) (coal ash, foundry sand, and foundry slag) as aggregate for roadway sub‐base construction for the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, urban region. The scenarios compare the use of virgin aggregate with the use of a combination of both virgin and IBP aggregate, where the aggregate material is selected based on proximity to the construction site and allows for minimization of transportation impacts. The results indicate that the use of IBPs to supplement virgin aggregate on a regional level has the potential of reducing impacts related to energy use, global warming potential, and emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO), PM10 (particulate matter—10 microns), mercury (Hg), and lead (Pb). Regional management of industrial by‐products would allow for the incorporation of these materials into the industrial ecology of a region and reduce impacts from the disposal of the IBP materials and the extraction of virgin materials and minimize the impacts from transportation. The combination of reduced economic and environmental costs provides a strong argument for state transportation agencies to develop symbiotic relationships with large IBP producers in their regions to minimize impacts associated with roadway construction and maintenance—with the additional benefit of improved management of these materials.
Hierarchical Activity Model for Risk‐Based Decision Making
Authors: Kikuchi Yasunori , Hirao Masahiko 
Published: November 2009

SummaryFor the practical implementation of the assessment of environmental impact, actual procedures and data requirements should be clarified so that industrial decision makers understand them. Researchers should consider local risks related to processes and environmental impact throughout the life cycle of products simultaneously to supervise these adverse effects appropriately. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a useful tool for quantifying the potential impact associated with a product life cycle. Risk assessment (RA) is a widely used tool for identifying chemical risks in a specific situation. In this study, we integrate LCA and RA for risk‐based decision making by devising a hierarchical activity model using the type‐zero method of integrated definition language (IDEF0). The IDEF0 activity modeling language has been applied to connect activities with information flows. Process generation, evaluation, and decision making are logically defined and visualized in the activity model with the required information. The activities, information flows, and their acquisitions are revealed, with a focus on which data should be collected by on‐site engineers. A case study is conducted on designing a metal cleaning process reducing chemical risks due to the use of a cleansing agent. LCA and RA are executed and applied effectively on the basis of integrated objective settings and interpretation. The proposed activity model can be used as a foundation to incorporate such assessments into actual business models.
The Disparities in the Electrogram Voltage Measurement During Atrial Fibrillation and Sinus Rhythm
Authors: CHANG CHIEN‐JUNG , LIN YENN‐JIANG , HIGA SATOSHI , CHANG SHIH‐LIN , LO LI‐WEI , TUAN TA‐CHUAN , HU YU‐FENG , UDYAVAR AMEYA R. , TANG WEI‐HUA , TSAI WEN‐CHIN , HUANG SHIN‐YU , TUNG NGUYEN‐HUU , SUENARI KAZUYOSHI , TSAO HSUAN‐MING , CHEN SHIH‐ANN 
Published: November 2009

Unipolar Electrogram Voltage in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation. Introduction: The peak electrogram voltage is a typical metric applied at each site for voltage mapping. However, the peak amplitude depends on the direction and complexity of the wavefront propagation. The root‐mean‐square (RMS) measure of the amplitude is a temporal integral that represents the steady‐state value. The objective of this study was to investigate the disparities between the electrogram voltage during SR and AF by using 2 recording modalities: the conventional peak voltage and an RMS measurement.
Methods and Results:
This study enrolled 20 patients (age = 59 ± 13) with paroxysmal AF undergoing catheter ablation guided by Ensite array. The unipolar electrogram voltage during SR and AF (7 seconds in duration) was obtained from the same sites, and labeled by the 3‐dimensional (3D) geometry. Overall 1,200 electrograms were analyzed from equally distributed mapping sites in the left atrium. A point‐by‐point comparison of the unipolar peak negative voltage (PNV) showed less agreement (Bland and Altman test: 10.4% outside 2 standard deviations, and intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC]= 0.64). The RMS voltage demonstrated agreement between SR and AF for all sites (BA test: 5.9% of the sites, and the ICC = 0.81). The probability of predicting a low‐voltage during AF using the voltage during SR was significantly lower when using the PNV measurement compared to that when using the RMS voltage (15% vs 61%, P < 0.05).
Conclusion:
The peak electrogram unipolar voltage during AF did not represent the voltage during SR. The RMS amplitude may be an alternative metric for voltage mapping to characterize the myocardial substrate. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 21, pp. 393–398, April 2010)
A Korean experience with chronic actinic dermatitis during an 18‐year period: meteorological and photoimmunological aspects
Authors: Choi Kyu‐Won , Lee Chae‐Young , Lee Yeong‐Kyu , Kim Young‐Hun , Kim Ki‐Ho 
Published: November 2009

Background and purpose: The authors noted that chronic actinic dermatitis (CAD) increased in connection with increased sun exposure and believed that there may be a correlation between the two. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between increased sun exposure and CAD. We also applied a clinical severity scoring system to determine the correlation with various laboratory parameters.Materials and methods: We investigated trends in sun exposure in Pusan during an 18‐year period. We conducted photopatch/patch testing in 51 CAD patients. We also determined the total IgE, percentage of eosinophils, and chemokine receptor profiles in the peripheral blood and analyzed correlations between laboratory data and the clinical severity of CAD.Results: A close correlation was demonstrated between the number of CAD patients and increased sun exposure. Positive patch test reactions and positive photopatch reactions were observed in 35 and 41 of the 51 tested patients, respectively. The total IgE levels were higher in the severe group than in the others. CCR4 expression increased in parallel with clinical severity.Conclusion: Korean patients may have increased susceptibility to CAD with increased sun exposure. We believe that the majority of the CAD patients tested had photoallergy and contact allergy. The clinical severity seemed to correlate well with the total IgE level and CCR4 expression.
Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy for ultraviolet A protection factor measurement: correlation studies between in vitro and in vivo measurements
Authors: Ruvolo Jr Eduardo , Chu Melissa , Grossman Florence , Cole Curtis , Kollias Nik 
Published: November 2009

Background/purpose: Assessing the ultraviolet (UVA) protection factor of sunscreen formulations has been discussed for the past 20 years. The purpose of this study is to correlate the measurements of the UVA protection factor value (PFA value) via in vivo diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) and to compare this method with the in vitro method of measuring the PFA value, as well as with the in vivo persistent pigment darkening (PPD) and PFA methodologies.Methods: The UVA protection factor via DRS technique was assessed in two clinical studies. The first study was performed in 12 subjects and the second one consisting of 10 subjects. All subjects in these studies had Fitzpatrick skin phototypes II–IV. DRS measurements were performed using a SkinScan spectrofluorimeter (Spex SkinScan, Yvon Horiba). The in vitro PFA measurements were performed using Labsphere™ UV‐1000s UV Transmission Analyzer.Results: The results obtained from the non‐invasive DRS studies were used to correlate with the in vitro testing and with the in vivo PFA/PPD multicenter study. A positive relationship (regression coefficient r2=0.90) of PFA values was found between in vitro PFA testing and the in vivo DRS testing. There was also a very good correlation (regression coefficient r2=0.99) between the in vivo PFA/PPD values and UVA protection factor obtained from the DRS method.Conclusion: This paper presents studies using the DRS technique to assess the UVA protection factor in different sunscreen formulae correlating with in vitro and in vivo PFA/PPD values. It is a fast method, non‐invasive and does not involve any subject irradiation. The technique is a good estimator for the in vivo UVA protection factor as well as a way to assess, in vivo, the photostability of sunscreen formulation in the UVA.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE: A Prospective Case–Control Study Analyzes 12 Thrombophilic Gene Mutations in Turkish Couples with Recurrent Pregnancy Loss
Authors: Yenicesu Gonca Imir , Cetin Meral , Ozdemir Ozturk , Cetin Ali , Ozen Filiz , Yenicesu Cem , Yildiz Caglar , Kocak Nadir 
Published: November 2009

Citation Yenicesu GI, Cetin M, Ozdemir O, Cetin A, Ozen F, Yenicesu C, Yildiz C, Kocak N. A prospective case–control study analyzes 12 thrombophilic gene mutations in Turkish couples with recurrent pregnancy loss. Am J Reprod Immunol 2010; 63: 126–136Problem  Recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) is a heterogeneous disorder. The contribution of specific thrombophilic genes to the pathophysiology of RPL has remained controversial. We evaluated the prevalences of 12 thrombophilic gene mutations among homogenous Caucasian couples with RPL and fertiles.Method of study  This was a prospective case–control study evaluating 272 women with RPL and 152 of their male partners, and a control group of 56 fertile couples. We investigated mutations including FV Leiden, factor V H1299R, factor II prothrombin G20210A, F XIII V34L, β‐fibrinogen −455G>A, plasminogen activator inhibitor‐1, GPIIIa L33P (HPA‐1 a/b L33P), MTHFR C677T, MTHFR A1298C, ACE I/D, Apo B R3500Q, and Apo E.Results  Overall, heterozygous mutations of FV Leiden, FXIII V34L, GPIIIa L33P, Apo E4, and prothrombin G20210A and homozygous mutations of PAI‐1and MTHFR C677T were associated with RPL. There was no meaningful association between RPL and other studied genes.Conclusion  In contrast to the other mutations and polymorphisms, FV Leiden, FXIII V34L, GPIIIa L33P, Apo E, prothrombin G20210A, PAI‐1 and MTHFR C677T gene mutations may help to identify the couples at risk for recurrent pregnancy loss.
Disruption of N‐linked glycosylation enhances ubiquitin‐mediated proteasomal degradation of the human ATP‐binding cassette transporter ABCG2
Authors: Nakagawa Hiroshi , Wakabayashi‐Nakao Kanako , Tamura Ai , Toyoda Yu , Koshiba Shoko , Ishikawa Toshihisa 
Published: November 2009

The human ATP‐binding cassette (ABC) transporter, ABCG2 (BCRP/MXR/ABCP), is a plasma membrane protein containing intramolecular and intermolecular disulfide bonds and an N‐linked glycan at Asn596. We have recently reported that the intramolecular disulfide bond is a critical checkpoint for determining the degradation fates of ABCG2. In the present study, we aimed to analyze quantitatively the impact of the N‐linked glycan on the protein stability of ABCG2. For this purpose, we incorporated one single copy of ABCG2 cDNA into a designated site of genomic DNA in Flp‐In‐293 cells to stably express ABCG2 or its variant proteins. When ABCG2 wild type‐expressing cells were incubated with various N‐linked glycosylation inhibitors, tunicamycin profoundly suppressed the protein expression level of ABCG2 and, accordingly, reduced the ABCG2‐mediated cellular resistance to the cancer chemotherapeutic SN‐38. When Asn596 was converted to Gln596, the resulting variant protein was not glycosylated, and its protein level was about one‐third of the wild type level in Flp‐In‐293 cells. Treatment with MG132, a proteasome inhibitor, increased the level of the variant protein. Immunoblotting with anti‐ubiquitin IgG1k after immunoprecipitation of ABCG2 revealed that the N596Q protein was ubiquitinated at levels that were significantly enhanced by treatment with MG132. Immunofluorescence microscopy demonstrated that treatment with MG132 increased the level of ABCG2 N596Q protein both in intracellular compartments and in the plasma membrane. In conclusion, we propose that the N‐linked glycan at Asn596 is important for stabilizing de novo‐synthesized ABCG2 and that disruption of this linkage results in protein destabilization and enhanced ubiquitin‐mediated proteasomal degradation.Structured digital abstract
MINT‐7265522, MINT‐7265536: ABCG2 (uniprotkb:Q9UNQ0) physically interacts (MI:0915) with Ubiquitin (uniprotkb:P62988) by anti bait coimmunoprecipitation (MI:0006)
Synthesis: Land Transitions in the Tropics
Authors: Uriarte María , Schneider Laura , Rudel Thomas K. 
Published: November 2009

ABSTRACTLand cover transformations in the tropics are not limited to deforestation; they include other complex transitions such as agricultural and urban expansion, pasture development, and secondary vegetation regrowth. Understanding the causes and extent of these highly variable and complex transitions requires close collaboration between biological, physical, and social scientists. Here we address three critical issues in the study of land transitions: (1) What methodological and socioecological criteria should be used for characterizing land cover categories and transformations? Results from case studies presented here call for the creation of continuous land cover classes that allow for detection of disturbance and human use dynamics and consideration of socioeconomic and biophysical criteria in characterizing and monitoring land transitions. (2) What are the most promising theoretical frameworks? Successful theoretical frameworks must bridge disciplinary boundaries, and encompass multiple spatial, temporal, and political scales. (3) Are regime shifts, constraints, and resilience of land transformations in the tropics predictable? Resilience of land use systems requires a feedback loop between ecological constraints and management decisions. This loop may be broken by policies, migration, and flow of capital from global commodity markets. In addition, land transformations may lead to novel interactions between land‐use and natural disturbance leading to unpredictable regime shifts in ecosystems. Planning for sustainable patterns of land use requires some understanding of these regime transformations.
Passerine Pollination of Rhodoleia championii (Hamamelidaceae) in Subtropical China
Authors: Gu Lei , Luo Zhonglai , Zhang Dianxiang , Renner Susanne S. 
Published: November 2009

ABSTRACTThe pollination ecology and breeding system of the Hamamelidaceae tree species Rhodoleia championii were studied in an evergreen broad‐leaved forest in Nankunshan National Forest in Guangdong Province in China. Rhodoleia championii produces lipid‐rich pollen grains and dilute nectar (averaging 0.7 mL/d and 9% sugar), with nectar production peaking before 0800 h; the species is self‐incompatible and does not set seed asexually. Seven species of nectar‐foraging birds visited the inflorescences, with the most common visitors being Japanese white‐eyes (Zosterops japonicus, Zosteropidae) and fork‐tailed sunbirds (Aethopyga christinae, Nectariniidae). Bumblebees and honeybees played limited roles as pollinators. As documented by fossils from Europe, the Rhodoleia stem lineage dates back at least to the Paleocene. Bird pollination, however, is unlikely to have evolved before the Oligocene when sunbirds arrived in Europe, and pollination by Z. japonicus cannot be much older than 250,000 million years ago, when Z. japonicus diverged from its closest relative.