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Controlling
Terms modified by Controlling Selected AbstractsMAIN FACTORS CONTROLLING THE COMPOSITIONAL VARIABILITY OF SEEPAGE OILS FROM TRUJILLO STATE, WESTERN VENEZUELAJOURNAL OF PETROLEUM GEOLOGY, Issue 3 2010F. Galarraga The organic geochemistry of eighteen samples of seepage oils from Trujillo State, Western Venezuela, was investigated. These oils are probably derived from the predominantly marine Cretaceous La Luna Formation which is near peak maturity for oil generation. A range of biomarkers (n-alkanes, acyclic isoprenoids, phenanthrene and alkyl-phenanthrenes, as well as dibenzothiophene and alkyl-dibenzothiophenes) were analysed by gas chromatography - mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The seepage oils have been modified as a result of water washing and biodegradation. A first group of samples were slightly biodegraded with the partial loss of n- and iso-alkanes. Other samples fall into two groups: those that are moderately degraded, with partial depletion of acyclic isoprenoids; and those that are severely altered, as indicated by the partial or total absence of hopanes. One objective of this work was to evaluate the factors influencing the compositional differences of the three samples sets. In-situ measurements, together with the interpretation of the geochemical data, suggest that diverse factors were responsible for these variations. These included different degrees of alteration due to biodegradation and water washing, as well as differences in flow rate towards the surface. [source] A COMPUTERIZED SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING AND MEASURING GUSTATORY REACTION TIMESJOURNAL OF SENSORY STUDIES, Issue 4 2000MIGUELINA GUIRAO ABSTRACT Reaction Time (RT) procedures are widely used in cognitive and behavioral experiments. In the sensory realm RT has been traditionally applied to measure visual, auditory or motor responses. The application of the RT method to gustatory stimuli has proved to be difficult. Attempts to develop automatic control techniques have been restrained by difficulties related to the control of variables, e.g. physiochemical characteristics of chemical solutions and the procedure for stimulus presentation. In this report we describe a computer based system that was designed to measure the reaction time to taste solutions dropped on the tongue. The equipment consists of a pumping system, an interface between the computer and the pumping system, the software required to control the interface and to measure reaction time, and a push button to detect the subject's response. The system can be used as a tool for both research and evaluation tests. [source] DO MARKETS PENALIZE AGENCY CONFLICTS BETWEEN CONTROLLING AND MINORITY SHAREHOLDERS?THE DEVELOPING ECONOMIES, Issue 3 2007EVIDENCE FROM CHILE G32; G34; O16 Using a sample of Chilean listed firms with widespread presence of economic conglomerates that use pyramid structures to control affiliated companies, we find that firms where controlling shareholders have higher coincidence between cash and control rights are persistently more valued by the market. We carefully check that our results are not driven by omitted variable biases and control for reverse causation using a feature of Chilean Corporations Law that provides an exogenous instrument for ownership concentration. [source] Controlling factors of gullying in the Maracujá Catchment, southeastern BrazilEARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS, Issue 11 2005L. de A. P. Bacellar Abstract Hundreds of gullies (,voçorocas') of huge dimensions (up to 400,500 m long, 150 m wide and 50 m deep) are very common in the small Maracujá Catchment in southeastern Brazil. These erosional features, which occur with an uneven intensity throughout the area, started due to bad soil management practices at the beginning of European settlement, at the end of the 17th century, and nowadays are still evolving, but at a slower rate. As surface soils are usually very resistant to erosion, the outcrop of the more erodible basement saprolites seems to be an essential condition for their beginning. An analysis of well known erosion controlling factors was performed, aiming to explain the beginning and evolution of these gullies and to understand the reasons for their spatial distribution. Data shows that geology and, mainly, geomorphology are the main controlling factors, since gullies tend to be concentrated in basement rock areas with lower relief (domain 2) of Maracujá Catchment, mainly at the fringes of broad and flat interfluves. At the detailed scale (1:10 000), gullies are more common in amphitheatre-like headwater hollows that frequently represent upper Quaternary gullies (paleogullies), which demonstrate the recurrence of channel erosion. So, gullies occur in areas of thicker saprolites (domain 2), in places with a natural concentration of surface and underground water (hollows). Saprolites of the preserved, non-eroded hollows are usually pressurized (confined aquifer) due to a thick seal of Quaternary clay layer, in a similar configuration to the ones found in hollows of mass movement (mudflow) sites in southeastern Brazil. Therefore, the erosion of the resistant soils by human activities, such as road cuts and trenches (,valos'), or their mobilization by mudflow movements, seem to be likely mechanisms of gullying initiation. Afterwards, gullies evolve by a combination of surface and underground processes, such as wash and tunnel erosion and falls and slumps of gully walls. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Predictors of injury-related and non-injury-related mortality among veterans with alcohol use disordersADDICTION, Issue 10 2010Sylwia Fudalej ABSTRACT Aims To describe the association between alcohol use disorders (AUDs) and mortality and to examine risk factors for and all-cause, injury-related and non-injury-related mortality among those diagnosed with an AUD. Setting Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration (VHA). Participants A cohort of individuals who received health care in VHA during the fiscal year (FY) 2001 (n = 3 944 778), followed from the beginning of FY02 through the end of FY06. Measurements Demographics and medical diagnoses were obtained from VHA records. Data on mortality were obtained from the National Death Index. Findings Controlling for age, gender and race and compared to those without AUDs, individuals with AUDs were more likely to die by all causes [hazard ratio (HR) = 2.30], by injury-related (HR = 3.29) and by non-injury-related causes (HR = 2.21). Patients with AUDs died 15 years earlier than individuals without AUDs on average. Among those with AUDs, Caucasian ethnicity and all mental illness diagnoses that were assessed were associated more strongly with injury-related than non-injury-related mortality. Also among those with AUDs, individuals with medical comorbidity and older age were at higher risk for non-injury related compared to injury-related mortality. Conclusions In users of a large health-care system, a diagnosis of an AUD is associated significantly with increased likelihood of dying by injury and non-injury causes. Patients with a diagnosis of an AUD who die from injury differ significantly from those who die from other medical conditions. Prevention and intervention programs could focus separately upon selected groups with increased risk for injury or non-injury-related death. [source] Effect of isometric exercise and body scanning on cigarette cravings and withdrawal symptomsADDICTION, Issue 7 2009Michael Ussher ABSTRACT Aims To examine the acute effects of a guided relaxation routine (body scan) and isometric exercise on desire to smoke and tobacco withdrawal symptoms. Design Experimental comparison of three conditions. Participants Forty-eight individuals reporting smoking ,10 cigarettes daily. Intervention Random assignment to one of three interventions delivered via a 10-minute audio: isometric exercise (IE, n = 14), body scanning (BS, n = 18) or a reading about natural history (control group, n = 16). Interventions were delivered twice on the same day: in the laboratory, then in their ,normal' environment. Measurements Desire to smoke (primary outcome) and withdrawal symptoms were rated at pre-intervention and up to 30 minutes post-intervention. Findings Controlling for baseline scores, post-intervention desire to smoke and withdrawal symptoms were significantly lower for IE and BS groups, compared with the controls, in both environments. There were no significant differences for IE versus BS. For desire to smoke, controlling for baseline values, ratings in the laboratory were significantly lower for IE and BS versus the control up to 30 minutes post-intervention. In the normal environment, these ratings were significantly lower only up to 5 minutes post-intervention. Conclusions Brief IE and BS interventions are effective for reducing desire to smoke and withdrawal symptoms in temporarily abstaining smokers. These interventions were found to be more effective in the laboratory than in the smoker's normal environment, but this may be an artefact of there not being a sufficient ,wash-out' period between interventions. These techniques may be beneficial for managing desire to smoke and tobacco withdrawal. [source] A New Way to Improve Glass-Forming Ability by Controlling the Preparation Conditions of Bulk Metallic GlassADVANCED ENGINEERING MATERIALS, Issue 3 2010Jie Mao Abstract The effects of mold preheating temperature on the glass-forming ability of Zr64.9Al7.9Ni10.7Cu16.5 and Zr47Cu37.5Ag7.5Al8 alloys are investigated using traditional copper mold casting. It is found that there exists an optimum mold temperature for glass-forming alloy systems. For the two Zr-based alloy systems studied the optimum mold temperature is 353,K. This is explained from the perspectives of heat transfer efficiency and the wettability between liquid alloy and copper mold. [source] Synthetic Strategies for Controlling the Morphology of Proton Conducting Polymer Membranes,,FUEL CELLS, Issue 2 2005Y. Yang Abstract The nanostructure and morphology of proton conducting polymers is of considerable interest in the search for next generation materials and optimization of existing ones. Synthetic methodologies for tailoring molecular structures that promote nanoscopic phase separation of ionic and non-ionic domains, and the effect of phase separation on parameters such as proton conductivity, are considered. Rather than distinguish proton conducting polymers according to chemical class, they are categorized under sub-headings of random, block, and graft copolymers. The synthetic methodology available to access archetypal polymer structures is dependent on the nature of the monomers and restrictive compared to conventional non-ionic polymer systems. Irrespective of the methodology, ionic aggregation and phase separation are consistently found to play an important role in the proton conductivity of low ion exchange capacity,(IEC) membranes, but less of a role in high IEC membranes. Significant research is required to further develop relationships between polymer architecture, morphology, and electrolytic properties. [source] A Multifunctional Nanodevice Capable of Imaging, Magnetically Controlling, and In Situ Monitoring Drug ReleaseADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 21 2009Shang-Hsiu Hu Abstract The multifunctional nanodevice described here integrates nanoscaled imaging, targeting, and controlled drug delivery, as well as the capability to monitor, in situ, the amount of drug released from the nanodevice with single-cell resolution. The nanodevice is composed of a polymer core/single-crystal iron oxide shell nanostructure bonded to a quantum dot. It shows outstanding release and retention characteristics via an external on/off manipulation of a high-frequency magnetic field. Upon magnetic stimulation, the single-crystal iron oxide shell demonstrates formation of nanometer-sized polycrystal domains of varying orientation. This allows a variation between retention and slow release of the drug. Further stimulation causes permanent rupturing of the shell, causing release of the drug in a burst-like manner. The quantum dot bonded to the nanodevice provides optical information for in situ monitoring of the drug release through use of a magnetic field. Remote control drug release from the nanodevice in a cancerous cell line (HeLa) was successfully accomplished using the same induction scenario. When nanodevices equipped with quantum dots are taken into cancerous cells, they are able to provide real-time drug dose information through a corresponding variation in emission spectrum. The nanodevice designed in this study has achieved its potential as a cell-based drug-delivery system for therapeutic applications. [source] Tuning the Energy Level and Photophysical and Electroluminescent Properties of Heavy Metal Complexes by Controlling the Ligation of the Metal with the Carbon of the Carbazole Unit,ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 4 2007L. Yang Abstract Four novel IrIII and PtII complexes with cyclometalated ligands bearing a carbazole framework are prepared and characterized by elemental analysis, NMR spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies of complexes 1, 3, and 4 reveal that the 3- or 2-position C atom of the carbazole unit coordinates to the metal center. The difference in the ligation position results in significant shifts in the emission spectra with the changes in wavelength being 84,nm for the Ir complexes and 63,nm for the Pt complexes. The electrochemical behavior and photophysical properties of the complexes are investigated, and correlate well with the results of density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Electroluminescent devices with a configuration of ITO/NPB/CBP:dopant/BCP/AlQ3/LiF/Al can attain very high efficiencies. [source] Controlling and Testing the Fracture Strength of Silicon on the MesoscaleJOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CERAMIC SOCIETY, Issue 6 2000Kuo-Shen Chen Strength characterizations and supporting analysis of mesoscale biaxial flexure and radiused hub flexure single-crystal silicon specimens are presented. The Weibull reference strengths of planar biaxial flexure specimens were found to lie in the range 1.2 to 4.6 GPa. The local strength at stress concentrations was obtained by testing radiused hub flexure specimens. For the case of deep reactive ion-etched specimens the strength at fillet radii was found to be significantly lower than that measured on planar specimens. This result prompted the introduction of an additional isotropic etch after the deep reactive ion etch step to recover the strength in such regions. The mechanical test results reported herein have important implications for the development of highly stressed microfabricated structures. The sensitivity of the mechanical strength to etching technique must be accounted for in the structural design cycle, particularly with regard to the selection of fabrication processes. The scatter of data measured in the mechanical tests clearly illustrated the need to use a probabilistic design approach. Weibull statistics may be the appropriate means to describe the data, although a simple two-parameter Weibull model only provides a moderately good fit to the experimental data reported in this study. [source] Factors Controlling the Abundance and Size Distribution of the Phototrophic Ciliate Myrionecta rubra in Open Waters of the North AtlanticTHE JOURNAL OF EUKARYOTIC MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 5 2008DAVID J. S. MONTAGNES ABSTRACT. Myrionecta rubra, a ubiquitous planktonic ciliate, has received much attention due to its wide distribution, occurrence as a red tide organism, and unusual cryptophyte endosymbiont. Although well studied in coastal waters, M. rubra is poorly examined in the open ocean. In the Irminger Basin, North Atlantic, the abundance of M. rubra was 0,5 cells/ml, which is low compared with that found in coastal areas. Distinct patchiness (100 km) was revealed by geostatistical analysis. Multiple regression indicated there was little relationship between M. rubra abundance and a number of environmental factors, with the exception of temperature and phytoplankton biomass, which influenced abundance in the spring. We also improve on studies that indicate distinct size classes of M. rubra; we statistically recognise four significantly distinct width classes (5,16, 12,23, 18,27, 21,33 ,m), which decrease in abundance with increasing size. A multinomial logistic regression revealed the main variable correlated with this size distribution was ambient nitrate concentration. Finally, we propose a hypothesis for the distribution of sizes, involving nutrients, feeding, and dividing of the endosymbiont. [source] Spatially Resolved Catalysis for Controlling the Morphology of Polymer Particles,ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE, Issue 35 2009Till Diesing Zwei in einem: Ein Replikationseffekt ermöglicht die Bildung von Kern-Schale-Partikeln in einem einzigen Olefinpolymerisationsschritt durch simultanes Nutzen räumlich getrennter Metallocenkatalysatoren, die auf einem anorganisch-organischen Träger immobilisiert sind (siehe Bild). Katalysator,A befand sich ausschließlich im anorganischen Kern, Katalysator,B dagegen in der organischen Schale. [source] The Meaning of the Turning Point of the Index of Motor Current Amplitude Curve in Controlling a Continuous Flow Pump or Evaluation of Left Ventricular FunctionARTIFICIAL ORGANS, Issue 3 2003G.J. Endo It is the goal of this section to publish material that provides information regarding specific issues, aspects of artificial organ application, approach, philosophy, suggestions, and/or thoughts for the future Abstract: In this series, we investigated the meaning of the t-point of index of motor current amplitude (ICA) curve from a point of view of flow rate on in vitro and in vivo studies. On mock circulation loop and left ventricular assist device (LVAD),equipped pigs, we detected the t-point and compared the pump flow at the t-point with the simultaneous cardiac output. The pump flow at the t-point showed high correlation against the simultaneous cardiac output for in vitro or in vivo study. By detection of the t-point of the ICA curve and measuring or estimating the pump flow at t-point, the cardiac output may be assessed without any sensor in various cardiac conditions. [source] Controlling and Motivating the Workforce: Evidence from the Banking Industry in the Late Nineteenth and Early Twentieth CenturiesAUSTRALIAN ECONOMIC HISTORY REVIEW, Issue 3 2000Andrew J. SeltzerArticle first published online: 18 DEC 200 Large banks have a considerable advantage over their smaller rivals because they are better able to diversify their portfolios. However, to achieve this advantage they must overcome agency problems associated with delegating decision making to non-owner employees. This paper uses evidence from the Union Bank of Australia to examine mechanisms used to monitor and motivate workers. Monitoring took the form of rigorous screening, beginning with the hiring process and continuing with frequent performance evaluations. Workers were also given strict rules of behaviour and incentives to supply effort in the form of seniority-based wages, performance-based promotions, and a generous pension plan. [source] Significant paternal contribution to the risk of small for gestational ageBJOG : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS & GYNAECOLOGY, Issue 2 2005Delphine Jaquet Objective The aim of this study is to investigate both maternal and paternal contributions in the familial aggregation of small for gestational age. Design Nested case,control study. Setting Metropolitan area of Haguenau, France. Population Data were drawn from a French population-based maternity registry. After selection, 256 cases born either small for gestational age or average for gestational age were included. Methods Controlling for known pregnancy-related risk factors, logistic regression models were used to determine the risk of the child being small for gestational age, given that the mother, father or both were small for gestational age, and to examine interactions between maternal small for gestational age and pregnancy risk factors. Main outcome measures Specifically, we investigate to what extent having either or both parents born small for gestational age increases the risk of small for gestational age in their offspring, after controlling for the established risk factors of small for gestational age and maternal and paternal characteristics. We also explore the extent to which the intergenerational predictors of small for gestational age may modify the effect of current pregnancy-related risk factors. Results The risk of a small for gestational age offspring was 4.7 times greater for mothers and 3.5 times greater for fathers who were small for gestational age, compared with average for gestational age counterparts. Furthermore, the risk of a small for gestational age offspring was 16.3 times greater when both parents were small for gestational age. No significant interactions between maternal small for gestational age and maternal smoking, hypertension or parity were observed. Conclusion These results indicate that small for gestational age in both mother and father significantly influences the risk of their offspring being small for gestational age. While previous research has indicated that the birth outcome of the mother is an important determinant of the birth outcome of her offspring, these data indicate that the birth outcome of the father plays an equally critical role in determining fetal growth, strongly suggesting a genetic component in the familial aggregation of small for gestational age. [source] Induction and Inhibition of Preferential Enrichment by Controlling the Mode of the Polymorphic Transition with Seed CrystalsCHEMISTRY - A EUROPEAN JOURNAL, Issue 13 2006Rui Tamura Prof. Abstract Both induction and inhibition of "preferential enrichment", an unusual symmetry-breaking enantiomeric-resolution phenomenon observed upon simple recrystallization of a certain kind of racemic crystals from organic solvents, have been successfully achieved by controlling the mode of the polymorphic transition during crystallization with appropriate seed crystals. Such control of the polymorphic transition can be interpreted in terms of a novel phenomenon consisting of 1) the adsorption of prenucleation aggregates, 2) the heterogeneous nucleation and crystal growth of a metastable crystalline form, and 3) the subsequent polymorphic transition into the more stable form; these three processes occur on the same surface of a seed crystal. We refer to this phenomenon as an "epitaxial transition", which has been confirmed by means of in situ attenuated total reflection (ATR) FTIR spectroscopy in solution and the solid state, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements of the deposited crystals, and X-ray crystallographic analysis of the single crystals or the direct-space approach employing the Monte Carlo method with the Rietveld refinement for the structure solution from the powder X-ray diffraction data. [source] Comparative analysis of the within-population genetic structure in wild cherry (Prunus avium L.) at the self-incompatibility locus and nuclear microsatellitesMOLECULAR ECOLOGY, Issue 11 2006SILVIO SCHUELER Abstract Gametophytic self-incompatibility (SI) systems in plants exhibit high polymorphism at the SI controlling S -locus because individuals with rare alleles have a higher probability to successfully pollinate other plants than individuals with more frequent alleles. This process, referred to as frequency-dependent selection, is expected to shape number, frequency distribution, and spatial distribution of self-incompatibility alleles in natural populations. We investigated the genetic diversity and the spatial genetic structure within a Prunus avium population at two contrasting gene loci: nuclear microsatellites and the S -locus. The S -locus revealed a higher diversity (15 alleles) than the eight microsatellites (4,12 alleles). Although the frequency distribution of S -alleles differed significantly from the expected equal distribution, the S -locus showed a higher evenness than the microsatellites (Shannon's evenness index for the S -locus: E = 0.91; for the microsatellites: E = 0.48,0.83). Also, highly significant deviations from neutrality were found for the S -locus whereas only minor deviations were found for two of eight microsatellites. A comparison of the frequency distribution of S -alleles in three age-cohorts revealed no significant differences, suggesting that different levels of selection acting on the S -locus or on S- linked sites might also affect the distribution and dynamics of S -alleles. Autocorrelation analysis revealed a weak but significant spatial genetic structure for the multilocus average of the microsatellites and for the S -locus, but could not ascertain differences in the extent of spatial genetic structure between these locus types. An indirect estimate of gene dispersal, which was obtained to explain this spatial genetic pattern, indicated high levels of gene dispersal within our population (,g = 106 m). This high gene dispersal, which may be partly due to the self-incompatibility system itself, aids the effective gene flow of the microsatellites, thereby decreasing the contrast between the neutral microsatellites and the S -locus. [source] Dynamics of soil erosion rates and controlling factors in the Northern Ethiopian Highlands , towards a sediment budgetEARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS, Issue 5 2008Jan Nyssen Abstract This paper analyses the factors that control rates and extent of soil erosion processes in the 199 ha May Zegzeg catchment near Hagere Selam in the Tigray Highlands (Northern Ethiopia). This catchment, characterized by high elevations (2100,2650 m a.s.l.) and a subhorizontal structural relief, is typical for the Northern Ethiopian Highlands. Soil loss rates due to various erosion processes, as well as sediment yield rates and rates of sediment deposition within the catchment (essentially induced by recent soil conservation activities), were measured using a range of geomorphological methods. The area-weighted average rate of soil erosion by water in the catchment, measured over four years (1998,2001), is 14·8 t ha,1 y,1, which accounts for 98% of the change in potential energy of the landscape. Considering these soil loss rates by water, 28% is due to gully erosion. Other geomorphic processes, such as tillage erosion and rock fragment displacement by gravity and livestock trampling, are also important, either within certain land units, or for their impact on agricultural productivity. Estimated mean sediment deposition rate within the catchment equals 9·2 t ha,1 y,1. Calculated sediment yield (5·6 t ha,1 y,1) is similar to sediment yield measured in nearby catchments. Seventy-four percent of total soil loss by sheet and rill erosion is trapped in exclosures and behind stone bunds. The anthropogenic factor is dominant in controlling present-day erosion processes in the Northern Ethiopian Highlands. Human activities have led to an overall increase in erosion process intensities, but, through targeted interventions, rural society is now well on the way to control and reverse the degradation processes, as can be demonstrated through the sediment budget. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] A micropillar-integrated smart microfluidic device for specific capture and sorting of cellsELECTROPHORESIS, Issue 24 2007Yan-Jun Liu Abstract An integrated smart microfluidic device consisting of nickel micropillars, microvalves, and microchannels was developed for specific capture and sorting of cells. A regular hexagonal array of nickel micropillars was integrated on the bottom of a microchannel by standard photolithography, which can generate strong induced magnetic field gradients under an external magnetic field to efficiently trap superparamagnetic beads (SPMBs) in a flowing stream, forming a bed with sufficient magnetic beads as a capture zone. Fluids could be manipulated by programmed controlling the integrated air-pressure-actuated microvalves, based on which in situ bio-functionalization of SPMBs trapped in the capture zone was realized by covalent attachment of specific proteins directly to their surface on the integrated microfluidic device. In this case, only small volumes of protein solutions (62.5,nL in the capture zone; 375,nL in total volume needed to fill the device from inlet A to the intersection of outlet channels F and G) can meet the need for protein! The newly designed microfluidic device reduced greatly chemical and biological reagent consumption and simplified drastically tedious manual handling. Based on the specific interaction between wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) and N -acetylglucosamine on the cell membrane, A549 cancer cells were effectively captured and sorted on the microfluidic device. Capture efficiency ranged from 62 to 74%. The integrated microfluidic device provides a reliable technique for cell sorting. [source] Methamphetamine precursor regulation: are we controlling or diverting the drug problem?ADDICTION, Issue 4 2008REBECCA MCKETIN No abstract is available for this article. [source] Sociocultural Variation in Mothers' Control over Children's BehaviorETHOS, Issue 1 2004Associate Professor Tiia Tulviste Prior findings of strict control of middle-class Estonian mothers have not been consistent with middle-class parent,child interaction patterns reported in other studies. The current study sought to find out to what degree the tendency to be more controlling toward children can be explained by the Estonian mothers' own experience of growing up in a totalitarian society. With this aim, measures of maternal controlling attitudes and actual verbal control of children were employed in a second country with a similar history of Soviet occupation,Latvia, and compared with previous data on Estonian, Finnish, and Swedish mono- and bicultural mothers. The questionnaire data revealed that Estonian (including Swedish,Estonian) and Latvian mothers placed higher emphasis on controlling children than did Finnish and Swedish mothers. At the same time, in their real-life interactions, only Estonian mothers living in Estonia exhibited a highly directive conversational style. Finally, the discussion focuses on possible reasons for cultural variability in maternal controlling attitudes and actual control of children. [source] The N -acetylglutamate synthase/N -acetylglutamate kinase metabolon of Saccharomyces cerevisiae allows co-ordinated feedback regulation of the first two steps in arginine biosynthesisFEBS JOURNAL, Issue 5 2003Katia Pauwels In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which uses the nonlinear pathway of arginine biosynthesis, the first two enzymes, N -acetylglutamate synthase (NAGS) and N -acetylglutamate kinase (NAGK), are controlled by feedback inhibition. We have previously shown that NAGS and NAGK associate in a complex, essential to synthase activity and protein level [Abadjieva, A., Pauwels, K., Hilven, P. & Crabeel, M. (2001) J. Biol. Chem.276, 42869,42880]. The NAGKs of ascomycetes possess, in addition to the catalytic domain that is shared by all other NAGKs and whose structure has been determined, a C-terminal domain of unknown function and structure. Exploring the role of these two domains in the synthase/kinase interaction, we demonstrate that the ascomycete-specific domain is required to maintain synthase activity and protein level. Previous results had suggested a participation of the third enzyme of the pathway, N -acetylglutamylphosphate reductase, in the metabolon. Here, genetic analyses conducted in yeast at physiological level, or in a heterologous background, clearly demonstrate that the reductase is dispensable for synthase activity and protein level. Most importantly, we show that the arginine feedback regulation of the NAGS and NAGK enzymes is mutually interdependent. First, the kinase becomes less sensitive to arginine feedback inhibition in the absence of the synthase. Second, and as in Neurospora crassa, in a yeast kinase mutant resistant to arginine feedback inhibition, the synthase becomes feedback resistant concomitantly. We conclude that the NAGS/NAGK metabolon promotes the co-ordination of the catalytic activities and feedback regulation of the first two, flux controlling, enzymes of the arginine pathway. [source] Does free complementary health insurance help the poor to access health care?HEALTH ECONOMICS, Issue 2 2008Evidence from France Abstract The French government introduced a ,free complementary health insurance plan' in 2000, which covers most of the out-of-pocket payments faced by the poorest 10% of French residents. This plan was designed to help the non-elderly poor to access health care. To assess the impact of the introduction of the plan on its beneficiaries, we use a longitudinal data set to compare, for the same individual, the evolution of his/her expenditures before-and-after enrolment in the plan. This before-and-after analysis allows us to remove most of the spuriousness due to individual heterogeneity. We also use information on past coverage in a difference-in-difference analysis to evaluate the impact of specific benefits associated with the plan. We attempt at controlling for changes other than enrolment through a difference-in-difference analysis within the eligible (rather than enrolled) population. Our main result is the plan's lack of an overall effect on utilization. This result is likely attributable to the fact that those who were enrolled automatically in the free plan (the majority of enrollees), already benefited from a relatively generous plan. The significant effect among those who enrolled voluntarily in the free plan was likely driven by those with no previous complementary coverage. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The effects of pay and job satisfaction on the labour supply of hospital consultantsHEALTH ECONOMICS, Issue 12 2007Divine Ikenwilo Abstract There is little evidence about the responsiveness of doctors' labour supply to changes in pay. Given substantial increases in NHS expenditure, new national contracts for hospital doctors and general practitioners that involve increases in pay, and the gradual imposition of a ceiling on hours worked through the European Working Time Directive, knowledge of the size of labour supply elasticities is crucial in examining the effects of these major changes. This paper estimates a modified labour supply model for hospital consultants, using data from a survey of consultants in Scotland. Rigidities in wage setting within the NHS mean that the usual specification of the labour supply model is extended by the inclusion of job quality (job satisfaction) in the equation explaining the optimal number of hours worked. Generalised Method of Moments estimation is used to account for the endogeneity of both earnings and job quality. Our results confirm the importance of pay and non-pay factors on the supply of labour by consultants. The results are sensitive to the exclusion of job quality and show a slight underestimation of the uncompensated earnings elasticity (of 0.09) without controlling for the effect of job quality, and 0.12 when we controlled for job quality. Pay increases in the new contract for consultants will only result in small increases in hours worked. Small and non-significant elasticity estimates at higher quantiles in the distribution of hours suggest that any increases in hours worked are more likely for consultants who work part time. Those currently working above the median number of hours are much less responsive to changes in earnings. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Parental representations and subclinical changes in postpartum moodINFANT MENTAL HEALTH JOURNAL, Issue 3 2007Linda C. Mayes Parents commonly experience a depressed mood in the immediate postpartum period, and a smaller proportion experience clinical postpartum depression. Among other factors, mental representations of early parenting experience appear to contribute to the development of major depressive disorder. The present study examines the role of mental representations of early parenting in subclinical fluctuations of parental mood in the peripartum period. Forty-one middle-class mothers and thirty-six fathers were interviewed on three occasions from late in their pregnancy until three months postpartum. Ratings of social support and past history of depression were obtained along with ratings of parents' perceptions of their early parenting experiences. Parents' perception of their own maternal care was significantly predictive of peripartum fluctuations in mood. Parents who perceived their own mothers as less caring showed more dysphoria at 8 months gestation, and at 2 weeks and 3 months postpartum. Perceptions of maternal protectiveness or fathers' caring and protectiveness were not related to prenatal or postpartum mood fluctuations. Both mothers and fathers who perceived their mothers as affectionless and/or controlling were more likely to experience fluctuations in mood in the peripartum period. A past history of one or more episodes of major depression and ratings of perceived social support were also associated with more peripartum mood fluctuation. These findings suggest that early parenting experiences set the threshold for how vulnerable parents are in the peripartum period to the depressive costs of engaging with a new infant. [source] Recent Progress in Polymer Solar Cells: Manipulation of Polymer:Fullerene Morphology and the Formation of Efficient Inverted Polymer Solar CellsADVANCED MATERIALS, Issue 14-15 2009Li-Min Chen Abstract Polymer morphology has proven to be extremely important in determining the optoelectronic properties in polymer-based devices. The understanding and manipulation of polymer morphology has been the focus of electronic and optoelectronic polymer-device research. In this article, recent advances in the understanding and controlling of polymer morphology are reviewed with respect to the solvent selection and various annealing processes. We also review the mixed-solvent effects on the dynamics of film evolution in selected polymer-blend systems, which facilitate the formation of optimal percolation paths and therefore provide a simple approach to improve photovoltaic performance. Recently, the occurrence of vertical phase separation has been found in some polymer:fullerene bulk heterojunctions.1,3 The origin and applications of this inhomogeneous distribution of the polymer donor and fullerene acceptor are addressed. The current status and device physics of the inverted structure solar cells is also reviewed, including the advantage of utilizing the spontaneous vertical phase separation, which provides a promising alternative to the conventional structure for obtaining higher device performance. [source] Prognostic relevance of TGF-,1 and PAI-1 in cervical cancerINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER, Issue 6 2004Suzanne Hazelbag Abstract Cervical carcinoma is a human papilloma virus (HPV)-related immunogenic type of malignancy, in which escape of the tumor from the hosts' immune response is thought to play an important role in carcinogenesis. The multifunctional cytokine transforming growth factor-,1 (TGF-,1) is involved in immunosuppression, stroma and extracellular matrix formation and controlling (epithelial) cell growth. The plasminogen activating (PA) system plays a key role in the cascade of tumor-associated proteolysis leading to extracellular matrix degradation and stromal invasion. Changes in expression of components of this system, including plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), have been associated with poor prognosis in a variety of solid tumors. The present study was undertaken to assess the role of both components on relapse, survival and other clinicopathologic parameters in cervical cancer. The expression of TGF-,1 mRNA in 108 paraffin-embedded cervical carcinomas was detected by mRNA in situ hybridization. Immunohistochemistry was used to investigate the expression of PAI-1 protein. The presence of cytoplasmatic TGF-,1 mRNA in tumor cells was not significantly correlated with the other clinicopathologic parameters investigated or with a worse (disease-free) survival. Expression of the PAI-1 protein in tumor cells was strongly correlated with worse overall and disease-free survival, in addition to well-known prognostic parameters such as lymph node metastasis, depth of tumor infiltration, tumor size and vasoinvasion. In the multivariate analysis, PAI-1 turned out to be a strong independent prognostic factor. In a subgroup of patients without lymph node metastases, PAI-1 was predictive for worse survival and relapse of disease, too. Our results show that the (enhanced) expression of PAI-1 by carcinoma cells is correlated with worse (overall and disease-free) survival of patients with cancer of the uterine cervix. The expression of TGF-,1 in itself is not associated with worse survival in these patients. Although simultaneous presence of the 2 factors was observed in all tumors, induction of PAI-1 by TGF-,1 could not be demonstrated in our group of cervical carcinomas. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Human Rights of Migrants: Challenges of the New DecadeINTERNATIONAL MIGRATION, Issue 6 2001Patrick A. Taran This review summarizes main trends, issues, debates, actors and initiatives regarding recognition and extension of protection of the human rights of migrants. Its premise is that the rule of law and universal notions of human rights are essential foundations for democratic society and social peace. Evidence demonstrates that violations of migrants' human rights are so widespread and commonplace that they are a defining feature of international migration today. About 150 million persons live outside their countries; in many States, legal application of human rights norms to non-citizens is inadequate or seriously deficient, especially regarding irregular migrants. Extensive hostility against, abuse of and violence towards migrants and other non-nationals has become much more visible worldwide in recent years. Research, documentation and analysis of the character and extent of problems and of effective remedies remain minimal. Resistance to recognition of migrants' rights is bound up in exploitation of migrants in marginal, low status, inadequately regulated or illegal sectors of economic activity. Unauthorized migrants are often treated as a reserve of flexible labour, outside the protection of labour safety, health, minimum wage and other standards, and easily deportable. Evidence on globalization points to worsening migration pressures in many parts of the world. Processes integral to globalization have intensified disruptive effects of modernization and capitalist development, contributing to economic insecurity and displacement for many. Extension of principles in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights culminated in the 1990 International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families. With little attention, progress in ratifications was very slow until two years ago. A global campaign revived attention; entry into force is likely in 2001. Comparative analysis notes that ILO migrant worker Conventions have generally achieved objectives but States have resisted adoption of any standards on treatment of non-nationals. A counter-offensive against human rights as universal, indivisible and inalienable underlies resistance to extension of human rights protection to migrants. A parallel trend is deliberate association of migration and migrants with criminality. Trafficking has emerged as a global theme contextualizing migration in a framework of combatting organized crime and criminality, subordinating human rights protections to control and anti-crime measures. Intergovernmental cooperation on migration "management" is expanding rapidly, with functioning regional intergovernmental consultative processes in all regions, generally focused on strengthening inter-state cooperation in controlling and preventing irregular migration through improved border controls, information sharing, return agreements and other measures. Efforts to defend human rights of migrants and combat xenophobia remain fragmented, limited in impact and starved of resources. Nonetheless, NGOs in all regions provide orientation, services and assistance to migrants, public education and advocating respect for migrants rights and dignity. Several international initiatives now highlight migrant protection concerns, notably the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights of Migrants, the Global Campaign promoting the 1990 UN Convention, UN General Assembly proclamation of International Migrants Day, the 2001 World Conference Against Racism and Xenophobia, anti-discrimination activity by ILO, and training by IOM. Suggestions to governments emphasize the need to define comprehensive, coordinated migration policy and practice based on economic, social and development concerns rather than reactive control measures to ensure beneficial migration, social harmony, and dignified treatment of nationals and non-nationals. NGOs, businesses, trade unions, and religious groups are urged to advocate respect for international standards, professionalize services and capacities, take leadership in opposing xenophobic behaviour, and join international initiatives. Need for increased attention to migrants rights initiatives and inter-agency cooperation by international organizations is also noted. [source] From neuroanatomy to gene therapy: searching for new ways to manipulate the supraspinal endogenous pain modulatory systemJOURNAL OF ANATOMY, Issue 2 2007I. Tavares Abstract The endogenous pain modulatory system is a complex network of brain areas that control nociceptive transmission at the spinal cord by inhibitory and facilitatory actions. The balance between these actions ensures effective modulation of acute pain, while during chronic pain the pronociceptive effects appear to prevail. The mechanisms underlying this imbalance were studied as to the role of two medullary components of the pain modulatory system: the dorsal reticular nucleus and the caudal ventrolateral medulla, which function primarily as pronociceptive and antinociceptive centres, respectively. Both areas are connected with the spinal dorsal horn by closed reciprocal loops. In the spino-dorsal reticular nucleus loop, the ascending branch is strongly inhibited by spinal GABAergic neurons, which may act as a buffering system of the dorsal reticular nucleus-centred amplifying effect. In the spino-caudal ventrolateral medulla loop, the ascending branch is under potent excitation of substance P (SP) released from primary afferents, which is likely to trigger the intense descending inhibition detected in acute pain. During chronic pain, the activity in the lateral reticular formation of the caudal ventrolateral medulla changes, so that the action of the caudal ventrolateral medulla upon SP-responsive spinal neurons shifts from inhibitory to excitatory. The mechanisms of this modulatory shift are unknown but probably relate to the decresed expression of µ-opioid, ,-opioid and GABAB receptors. Normalizing receptor expression in the caudal ventrolateral medulla or controlling noci-evoked activity at the dorsal reticular nucleus or caudal ventrolateral medulla by interfering with neurotransmitter release is now possible by the use of gene therapy, an approach that stands out as a unique tool to manipulate the supraspinal endogenous pain control system. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||