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Careful Analysis (careful + analysis)
Selected AbstractsElectromagnetic fields in a steel-cased boreholeGEOPHYSICAL PROSPECTING, Issue 1 2005Ki Ha Lee ABSTRACT The development of an electromagnetic numerical modelling scheme for a magnetic dipole in an arbitrary casing segment in an inhomogeneous conductivity background has been difficult, due to the very high electrical conductivity and magnetic permeability contrasts between the steel casing and the background medium. To investigate the effect of steel casing efficiently, we have developed an accurate but simple finite-element modelling scheme to simulate electromagnetic fields in a medium of cylindrically symmetric conductivity structures. In order to preserve the cylindrical symmetry in the resulting electromagnetic fields, a horizontal loop current source is used throughout. One of the main advantages of the approach is that the problem is scalar when formulated using the azimuthal electric field, even if the casing is both electrically conductive and magnetically permeable. Field calculations have been made inside the cased borehole as well as in another borehole which is not cased. Careful analyses of the numerical modelling results indicate that the anomaly observed in a cross-borehole configuration is sensitive enough to be used for tomographic imaging. [source] Maternal smoking during pregnancy: a comparison between concurrent and retrospective self-reportsPAEDIATRIC & PERINATAL EPIDEMIOLOGY, Issue 2 2008Ann Post Summary Retrospective reports of smoking in pregnancy are of importance for clinical or scientific purposes. Careful analyses of stability and accuracy of recalled behaviour are, therefore, needed. In 1998, the mothers of 2369 pre-teens born in Sweden retrospectively reported their smoking behaviour during the first trimester of the index pregnancy. We matched these reports with those recorded by midwives at the beginning of the index pregnancy, using information from the Swedish Medical Birth Registry. Using this registry as gold standard, the sensitivity and specificity of the retrospective reports containing any smoking were 83.9% and 92.8% respectively, but the sensitivity was low for daily smoking, 56.0%. Of the 222 discordant reports, 19.0% were due to mothers recalling daily smoking which was not reported at the time of pregnancy, and 42% were due to failure to recall smoking reported at the time of pregnancy, while the remaining 39% retrospectively reported occasional smoking, whereas they were registered as non-daily smokers when pregnant. Retrospective recall of pregnancy smoking is fairly stable over time. [source] Finding evolutionary relations beyond superfamilies: Fold-based superfamiliesPROTEIN SCIENCE, Issue 10 2003Keiko Matsuda Abstract Superfamily classifications are based variably on similarity of sequences, global folds, local structures, or functions. We have examined the possibility of defining superfamilies purely from the viewpoint of the global fold/function relationship. For this purpose, we first classified protein domains according to the ,-sheet topology. We then introduced the concept of kinship relations among the classified ,-sheet topology by assuming that the major elementary event leading to creation of a new ,-sheet topology is either an addition or deletion of one ,-strand at the edge of an existing ,-sheet during the molecular evolution. Based on this kinship relation, a network of protein domains was constructed so that the distance between a pair of domains represents the number of evolutionary events that lead one from the other domain. We then mapped on it all known domains with a specific core chemical function (here taken, as an example, that involving ATP or its analogs). Careful analyses revealed that the domains are found distributed on the network as >20 mutually disjointed clusters. The proteins in each cluster are defined to form a fold-based superfamily. The results indicate that >20 ATP-binding protein superfamilies have been invented independently in the process of molecular evolution, and the conservative evolutionary diffusion of global folds and functions is the origin of the relationship between them. [source] The ,Terrible Wednesday' of Pentecost: Confronting Urban and Princely Discourses in the Bruges Rebellion of 1436,1438HISTORY, Issue 305 2007JAN DUMOLYN On 22 May 1437 a violent disturbance of the social order occurred in Bruges. Philip the Good, duke of Burgundy, only narrowly escaped with his life, while Jean de Villiers, lord of L'Isle-Adam, was killed. Contradictory and competing accounts of these events have survived which illustrate princely and urban discourses on the Bruges rebellion of 1436,8. Careful analysis of these sources reveals that the social and political struggles between the centralizing dukes of Burgundy and their powerful and autonomous Flemish cities reflected a discursive struggle for the representation of political events. [source] Molecular and clinical heterogeneity in CLCN7-dependent osteopetrosis: report of 20 novel mutations,HUMAN MUTATION, Issue 1 2010Alessandra Pangrazio Abstract The "Osteopetroses" are genetic diseases whose clinical picture is caused by a defect in bone resorption by osteoclasts. Three main forms can be distinguished on the basis of severity, age of onset and means of inheritance: the dominant benign, the intermediate and the recessive severe form. While several genes have been involved in the pathogenesis of the different types of osteopetroses, the CLCN7 gene has drawn the attention of many researchers, as mutations within this gene are associated with very different phenotypes. We report here the characterization of 25 unpublished patients which has resulted in the identification of 20 novel mutations, including 11 missense mutations, 6 causing premature termination, 1 small deletion and 2 putative splice site defects. Careful analysis of clinical and molecular data led us to several conclusions. First, intermediate osteopetrosis is not homogeneous, since it can comprise both severe dominant forms with an early onset and recessive ones without central nervous system involvement. Second, the appropriateness of haematopoietic stem cell transplantation in CLCN7-dependent ARO patients has to be carefully evaluated and exhaustive CNS examination is strongly suggested, as transplantation can almost completely cure the disease in situations where no primary neurological symptoms are present. Finally, the analysis of this largest cohort of CLCN7-dependent ARO patients together with some ADO II families allowed us to draw preliminary genotype-phenotype correlations suggesting that haploinsufficiency is not the mechanism causing ADO II. The availability of biochemical assays to characterize ClC-7 function will help to confirm this hypothesis. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Acceleration-Dependent Left Bundle Branch Block with Severe Left Ventricular Dyssynchrony Results in Acute Heart Failure: Are There More Patients Who Benefit from Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy?JOURNAL OF CARDIOVASCULAR ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 1 2006KATJA ZEPPENFELD M.D. Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) has been proposed to improve hemodynamics in patients with heart failure and left bundle branch block (LBBB) by resynchronization of left ventricular (LV) dyssynchrony. The current report concerns a patient with narrow QRS complex without LV dyssynchrony who experienced an acute exacerbation of heart failure following exercise. Careful analysis revealed that an increase of heart rate induced acceleration-dependent LBBB with severe LV dyssynchrony and mitral regurgitation followed by acute heart failure and hemodynamic collapse. CRT prevented these adverse reactions. Accordingly, optimal evaluation for CRT may include testing for LV dyssynchrony during exercise. [source] Estimating the direct costs of social conflicts: Road blockings in Bolivia,JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, Issue 7 2009Bruno De Borger Abstract Social conflicts are a serious obstacle to economic growth in many Latin American societies, affecting economic activity both in the short and the long run. The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, we develop a methodology to estimate the direct, short-run impact of frequently occurring exponents of local conflicts, such as road blockings, on economic activity. The methodology is based on using high frequency (daily) data to estimate the relation between a proxy for economic activity and the occurrence of road blockings. Careful analysis of impulse-response functions traces the effect of such local social conflicts on economic activity. This information is combined with the aggregate annual time series relation between gross domestic product (GDP) and the high frequency proxy for economic activity to estimate the direct cost of local social conflicts for the economy as a whole. Second, we apply the proposed methodology to analyse the direct economic costs of road blockings in Bolivia, using detailed daily information for the year 2003. The results show that these costs are large. Stronger institutions are a critical factor in reducing the prevalence of such conflicts and to avoid the huge economic costs that they imply. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Cost-effectiveness analysis at the development phase of a potential health technology: examples based on tissue engineering of bladder and urethraJOURNAL OF TISSUE ENGINEERING AND REGENERATIVE MEDICINE, Issue 5 2007Helen McAteer Abstract Objectives: We demonstrate the use of health economics to guide investment decisions in regenerative medicine. Our examples are based on proposed tissue engineering applications in the urinary tract. We show that health economics have a role in strengthening the supply side, not just the demand side of the health economy. Methods: We reviewed the epidemiology and treatment of the clinical conditions where TE of urothelium may be considered using literature identified from a range of sources including electronic databases, article bibliographies and references, online articles and expert opinion in the field. Results: Careful analysis of current best treatment suggested that urethral defects and bladder resection for cancer offered the most propitious applications of TE. The headroom for engineered urethral tissue was estimated at £186. This is unlikely to be large enough to support the launch of a TE product populated with viable cells. The headroom for TE bladder, on the other hand, was estimated at around £16 268. However, the market size is limited reducing potential profitability. Conclusions: The Headroom Method can help inform instrumental decisions concerning new treatments without having to build a complex model with very wide parameter uncertainty. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] A historical analysis of the relationship between encephalitis lethargica and postencephalitic parkinsonism: A complex rather than a direct relationship,MOVEMENT DISORDERS, Issue 9 2010Joel A. Vilensky PhD Abstract Postencephalitic parkinsonism has been considered unique among disorders with parkinsonian features because it is believed to have a unitary etiology associated with the virus that presumably caused encephalitis lethargica. Careful analysis of the historical record, however, suggests that this relationship is more complex than commonly perceived. In most cases, the diagnosis of acute encephalitis lethargica was made post hoc, and virtually any catarrh-like illness was considered to have represented encephalitis lethargica, often after an oral history-taking that was undoubtedly subject to patient recall and physician bias. Also, postencephalitic parkinsonism and oculogyric crises were not recognized as sequelae to encephalitis lethargica until well after other sequelae such as movement disorders and mental disturbances had been identified (see previous paper). We suggest here that the relationship between encephalitis lethargica and postencephalitic parkinsonism is not simplistic, i.e., encephalitis lethargica was not solely responsible for the etiology of postencephalitic parkinsonism, thus aligning the latter with most other parkinsonian disorders that are now believed to have multiple causes. © 2010 Movement Disorder Society [source] Framework for availability characterization by analyzing outage durationsBELL LABS TECHNICAL JOURNAL, Issue 3 2006Eric J. Bauer Telecommunications service providers that maintain their own networks tend to be very good at diagnosing and repairing equipment failures. Careful analysis of service providers' own trouble ticket data can reveal actual failure rates, failure modes, failure footprints, and outage duration information. As trouble tickets inherently include both small capacity-loss events and fast switchover,which may ordinarily be excluded from TL9000 calculations, as well as planned/scheduled downtime, this offers a holistic view of product availability. This paper presents a taxonomy for analyzing these downtime events and guidance on both extracting salient product attributes from the data and on using the data to calibrate both unplanned and planned downtime models. © 2006 Lucent Technologies Inc. [source] Notching up another pathwayBIOESSAYS, Issue 5 2002Keith Brennan The Notch proteins play a vital role in cell fate decisions in both invertebrate and vertebrate development. Careful analysis of this role has led to a model of signalling downstream of these receptors, via the CSL (CBF1, Suppressor of Hairless, Lag-1) family of transcription factors. There have been suggestions, however, that Notch can signal through other pathways. In the current paper, Ramain et al.1 provide compelling evidence for Notch signalling through a CSL-independent pathway and they demonstrate that the cytoplasmic protein, Deltex, is required for this signal. In addition, they show that Wnt signalling may regulate this Deltex-dependent signal. BioEssays 24:405,410, 2002. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Rock magnetism and paleomagnetic stratigraphy of forearc sediments of the Japan Trench, ODP Sites 1150 and 1151ISLAND ARC, Issue 1 2004Toshiya Kanamatsu Abstract Magnetic measurements were carried out to investigate rock magnetic properties and paleomagnetic directions of late and middle Miocene sediments recovered from the land side of the Japan Trench during the Ocean Drilling Program Leg 186. Because the low coercive component in natural remanent magnetization (NRM) normalized by anhysteretic remanent magnetization shows that the drilling-induced magnetization is severe in the sections obtained by the advanced hydraulic piston coring method, careful analyses of demagnetization of NRM using the ,demagnetization plane' were carried out to decompose the direction and intensity. Magnetostratigraphic correlation down to the upper Miocene, supplemented by biostratigraphic data, revealed that the sedimentation rates are characterized by drastic changes, with the early Pliocene having the highest rate. This high sedimentation rate is related to the subsidence of the southern deep-sea terrace of the Japan Trench. [source] Congressional Response to Mandate ElectionsAMERICAN JOURNAL OF POLITICAL SCIENCE, Issue 3 2003David A. M. Peterson Elections from time to time are widely believed to carry a mandate, to express a message about changed policy preferences of the electorate. Whatever the accuracy of such beliefs,a matter about which we are skeptical,perceptions of a mandate should affect the behavior of actors in government. Politicians lack the scholarly luxury of waiting for careful analyses. They must act in the months following elections. We postulate that many will act as if the mandate perceptions were true, veering away from their normal voting patterns. This is driven by election results and interpretations that undermine old calculations about what voters want. As the flow of information gradually changes these perceptions, and the election becomes more distant, members of Congress return to their normal position. We first ask, how would members observe an emerging consensus of mandate? And then we model the duration of the change in behavior in an event-history framework. That permits a depiction of important movements of the median member and, from this, inferences about policy impact. [source] Activity-based restorative therapies: Concepts and applications in spinal cord injury-related neurorehabilitationDEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES RESEARCH REVIEW, Issue 2 2009Cristina L. Sadowsky Abstract Physical rehabilitation following spinal cord injury-related paralysis has traditionally focused on teaching compensatory techniques, thus enabling the individual to achieve day-to-day function despite significant neurological deficits. But the concept of an irreparable central nervous system (CNS) is slowly being replaced with evidence related to CNS plasticity, repair, and regeneration, all related to persistently maintaining appropriate levels of neurological activity both below and above the area where the damage occurred. It is now possible to envision functional repair of the nervous system by implementing rehabilitative interventions. Making the transition from "bench to bedside" requires careful analysis of existing basic science evidence, strategic focus of clinical research, and pragmatic implementation of new therapeutic tools. Activity, defined as both function specific motor task and exercise appears to be a necessity for optimization of functional, metabolic, and neurological status in chronic paralysis. Crafting a comprehensive rehabilitative intervention focused on functional improvement through neurological gains seems logical. The terms activity-based restorative therapies, activity-based therapies, and activity-based rehabilitation have been coined in the last 10 years to describe a new fundamental approach to deficits induced by neurological paralysis. The goal of this approach is to achieve activation of the neurological levels located both above and below the injury level using rehabilitation therapies. This article reviews basic and clinical science evidence pertaining to implementation of physical activity and exercise as a therapeutic tool in the management of chronic spinal cord-related neurological paralysis. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. Dev Disabil Res Rev 2009;15:112,116. [source] EXPERIENCES OF SELF-EXPANDABLE METALLIC STENT FOR COLORECTAL OBSTRUCTIONS: 70 CASESDIGESTIVE ENDOSCOPY, Issue 2004Yoshihisa Saida ABSTRACT Clinical utilization of self-expandable metallic stent (EMS) endoprosthesis has come later for colorectal diseases than for other lesions. Recently, EMS has been used for palliative insertions for strictures caused by malignant diseases or as a ,bridge to surgery' for obstructive colorectal cancers, with good clinical results increasingly reported in many western countries. Its application for benign strictures has been reported, but we believe that the surgical indications require more careful analysis because of the absence of data concerning long-term prognosis. The advantage of this technique in the treatment of colorectal strictures is that it limits invasiveness, such as in palliative or temporary stoma creation, thereby improving patient quality-of-life. Therefore, we believe that EMS endoprosthesis will play a key role in this field. We are awaiting the introduction of the metallic stent for the colon and the associated kit, as well as the Japanese government's approval for reimbursement for this procedure. [source] Competition Among Banks, Capital Requirements and International SpilloversECONOMIC NOTES, Issue 3 2001Viral V. Acharya The design of prudential bank capital requirements interacts with the industrial organization of the banking sector, in particular, with the level of competition among banks. Increased competition leads to excessive risk-taking by banks which may have to be counteracted by tighter capital requirements. When capital requirements are internationally uniform but the levels of competition among banks in different countries are not, international spillovers arise on financial integration of these countries. This result begs a more careful analysis of the effect of financial liberalization on the stability of banking sectors in emerging countries. It also calls into question the merits of employing uniform capital requirements across countries that diverge in the industrial organization of their banking sectors. (J.E.L.: G21, G28, G38, F36, E58, D62) [source] Where to now with carbon monoxide poisoning?EMERGENCY MEDICINE AUSTRALASIA, Issue 2 2004Carlos D Scheinkestel Abstract The controversy regarding the role of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) in the treatment of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning has been re-ignited following the publication of a further randomized controlled trial by Weaver et al., the results of which appear to conflict with our findings. Comparative analysis suggests that the apparent outcome differences may be secondary to the design, analysis and interpretation of the results of the two studies. Following careful analysis of these two papers and further results from a study by Raphael et al on 385 CO-poisoned patients, we can still find no convincing evidence favouring HBO therapy. Pending further research to determine optimal oxygen therapy for CO-poisoning, current therapy should involve stratifying patients for risk of a poor outcome. This stratification may be aided by the evolving availability of biochemical markers of brain injury and the finding that patients with transient loss of consciousness and poor performance on neuropsychological tests of the supervisory attention system are at higher risk of neuropsychological sequelae. We propose that those patients most at risk be admitted and receive more prolonged normobaric oxygen therapy whilst those with more minor CO-poisoning should be provided with normobaric oxygen of no less than 6 h duration and certainly until sign and symptom free. [source] Discussion on ,Personality psychology as a truly behavioural science' by R. Michael FurrEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PERSONALITY, Issue 5 2009Article first published online: 14 JUL 200 Yes We Can! A Plea for Direct Behavioural Observation in Personality Research MITJA D. BACK and BORIS EGLOFF Department of Psychology, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Germany mback@uni-leipzig.de Furr's target paper (this issue) is thought to enhance the standing of personality psychology as a truly behavioural science. We wholeheartedly agree with this goal. In our comment we argue for more specific and ambitious requirements for behavioural personality research. Specifically, we show why behaviour should be observed directly. Moreover, we illustratively describe potentially interesting approaches in behavioural personality research: lens model analyses, the observation of multiple behaviours in diverse experimentally created situations and the observation of behaviour in real life. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. The Categories of Behaviour Should be Clearly Defined PETER BORKENAU Department of Psychology, Martin-Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Germany p.borkenau@psych.uni-halle.de The target paper is helpful by clarifying the terminology as well as the strengths and weaknesses of several approaches to collect behavioural data. Insufficiently considered, however, is the clarity of the categories being used for the coding of behaviour. Evidence is reported showing that interjudge agreement for retrospective and even concurrent codings of behaviour does not execeed interjudge agreement for personality traits if the categories being used for the coding of behaviour are not clearly defined. By contrast, if the behaviour to be registered is unambiguously defined, interjudge agreement may be almost perfect. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Behaviour Functions in Personality Psychology PHILIP J. CORR Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK Philip.Corr@btopenworld.com Furr's target paper highlights the importance, yet under-representation, of behaviour in published articles in personality psychology. Whilst agreeing with most of his points, I remain unclear as to how behaviour (as specifically defined by Furr) relates to other forms of psychological data (e.g. cognitive task performance). In addition, it is not clear how the functions of behaviour are to be decided: different behaviours may serve the same function; and identical behaviours may serve different functions. To clarify these points, methodological and theoretical aspects of Furr's proposal would benefit from delineation. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. On the Difference Between Experience-Sampling Self-Reports and Other Self-Reports WILLIAM FLEESON Department of Psychology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, USA fleesonW@wfu.edu Furr's fair but evaluative consideration of the strengths and weaknesses of behavioural assessment methods is a great service to the field. As part of his consideration, Furr makes a subtle and sophisticated distinction between different self-report methods. It is easy to dismiss all self-reports as poor measures, because some are poor. In contrast, Furr points out that the immediacy of the self-reports of behaviour in experience-sampling make experience-sampling one of the three strongest methods for assessing behaviour. This comment supports his conclusion, by arguing that ESM greatly diminishes one the three major problems afflicting self-reports,lack of knowledge,and because direct observations also suffer from the other two major problems afflicting self-reports. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. What and Where is ,Behaviour' in Personality Psychology? LAURA A. KING and JASON TRENT Department of Psychology, University of Missouri, Columbia, USA kingla@missouri.edu Furr is to be lauded for presenting a coherent and persuasive case for the lack of behavioural data in personality psychology. While agreeing wholeheartedly that personality psychology could benefit from greater inclusion of behavioural variables, here we question two aspects of Furr's analysis, first his definition of behaviour and second, his evidence that behaviour is under-appreciated in personality psychology. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Naturalistic Observation of Daily Behaviour in Personality Psychology MATTHIAS R. MEHL Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA mehl@email.arizona.edu This comment highlights naturalistic observation as a specific method within Furr's (this issue) cluster direct behavioural observation and discusses the Electronically Activated Recorder (EAR) as a naturalistic observation sampling method that can be used in relatively large, nomothetic studies. Naturalistic observation with a method such as the EAR can inform researchers' understanding of personality in its relationship to daily behaviour in two important ways. It can help calibrate personality effects against act-frequencies of real-world behaviour and provide ecological, behavioural personality criteria that are independent of self-report. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Measuring Behaviour D. S. MOSKOWITZ and JENNIFER J. RUSSELL Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada dsm@psych.mcgill.ca Furr (this issue) provides an illuminating comparison of the strengths and weaknesses of various methods for assessing behaviour. In the selection of a method for assessing behaviour, there should be a careful analysis of the definition of the behaviour and the purpose of assessment. This commentary clarifies and expands upon some points concerning the suitability of experience sampling measures, referred to as Intensive Repeated Measurements in Naturalistic Settings (IRM-NS). IRM-NS measures are particularly useful for constructing measures of differing levels of specificity or generality, for providing individual difference measures which can be associated with multiple layers of contextual variables, and for providing measures capable of reflecting variability and distributional features of behaviour. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Behaviours, Non-Behaviours and Self-Reports SAMPO V. PAUNONEN Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada paunonen@uwo.ca Furr's (this issue) thoughtful analysis of the contemporary body of research in personality psychology has led him to two conclusions: our science does not do enough to study real, observable behaviours; and, when it does, too often it relies on ,weak' methods based on retrospective self-reports of behaviour. In reply, I note that many researchers are interested in going beyond the study of individual behaviours to the behaviour trends embodied in personality traits; and the self-report of behaviour, using well-validated personality questionnaires, is often the best measurement option. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. An Ethological Perspective on How to Define and Study Behaviour LARS PENKE Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK lars.penke@ed.ac.uk While Furr (this issue) makes many important contributions to the study of behaviour, his definition of behaviour is somewhat questionable and also lacks a broader theoretical frame. I provide some historical and theoretical background on the study of behaviour in psychology and biology, from which I conclude that a general definition of behaviour might be out of reach. However, psychological research can gain from adding a functional perspective on behaviour in the tradition of Tinbergens's four questions, which takes long-term outcomes and fitness consequences of behaviours into account. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. What is a Behaviour? MARCO PERUGINI Faculty of Psychology, University of Milan,Bicocca, Milan, Italy marco.perugini@unimib.it The target paper proposes an interesting framework to classify behaviour as well as a convincing plea to use it more often in personality research. However, besides some potential issues in the definition of what is a behaviour, the application of the proposed definition to specific cases is at times inconsistent. I argue that this is because Furr attempts to provide a theory-free definition yet he implicitly uses theoretical considerations when applying the definition to specific cases. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Is Personality Really the Study of Behaviour? MICHAEL D. ROBINSON Department of Psychology, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, USA Michael.D.Robinson@ndsu.edu Furr (this issue) contends that behavioural studies of personality are particularly important, have been under-appreciated, and should be privileged in the future. The present commentary instead suggests that personality psychology has more value as an integrative science rather than one that narrowly pursues a behavioural agenda. Cognition, emotion, motivation, the self-concept and the structure of personality are important topics regardless of their possible links to behaviour. Indeed, the ultimate goal of personality psychology is to understanding individual difference functioning broadly considered rather than behaviour narrowly considered. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Linking Personality and Behaviour Based on Theory MANFRED SCHMITT Department of Psychology, University of Koblenz-Landau, Landau, Germany schmittm@uni-landau.de My comments on Furr's (this issue) target paper ,Personality as a Truly Behavioural Science' are meant to complement his behavioural taxonomy and sharpen some of the presumptions and conclusions of his analysis. First, I argue that the relevance of behaviour for our field depends on how we define personality. Second, I propose that every taxonomy of behaviour should be grounded in theory. The quality of behavioural data does not only depend on the validity of the measures we use. It also depends on how well behavioural data reflect theoretical assumptions on the causal factors and mechanisms that shape behaviour. Third, I suggest that the quality of personality theories, personality research and behavioural data will profit from ideas about the psychological processes and mechanisms that link personality and behaviour. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. The Apparent Objectivity of Behaviour is Illusory RYNE A. SHERMAN, CHRISTOPHER S. NAVE and DAVID C. FUNDER Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA funder@ucr.edu It is often presumed that objective measures of behaviour (e.g. counts of the number of smiles) are more scientific than more subjective measures of behaviour (e.g. ratings of the degree to which a person behaved in a cheerful manner). We contend that the apparent objectivity of any behavioural measure is illusory. First, the reliability of more subjective measures of behaviour is often strikingly similar to the reliabilities of so-called objective measures. Further, a growing body of literature suggests that subjective measures of behaviour provide more valid measures of psychological constructs of interest. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Personality and Behaviour: A Neglected Opportunity? LIAD UZIEL and ROY F. BAUMEISTER Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA Baumeister@psy.fsu.edu Personality psychology has neglected the study of behaviour. Furr's efforts to provide a stricter definition of behaviour will not solve the problem, although they may be helpful in other ways. His articulation of various research strategies for studying behaviour will be more helpful for enabling personality psychology to contribute important insights and principles about behaviour. The neglect of behaviour may have roots in how personality psychologists define the mission of their field, but expanding that mission to encompass behaviour would be a positive step. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Interface Modifications of InAs Quantum-Dots Solids and their Effects on FET PerformanceADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 6 2010Michal Soreni-Harari Abstract InAs nanocrystals field-effect transistors with an ON/OFF ratio of 105 are reported. By tailoring the interface regions in the active layer step-by-step, the evolution of the ON/OFF ratio can be followed from approximately 5 all the way to around 105. The formation of a semiconducting solid from colloidal nanocrystals is achieved through targeted design of the nanocrystal,nanocrystal interaction. The manipulation characteristics of the nanocrystal interfaces include the matrix surrounding the inorganic core, the interparticle distance, and the order of nanocrystals in the 3D array. Through careful analysis of device characteristics following each treatment, the effect of each on the physical properties of the films are able to be verified. The enhanced performance is related to interparticle spacing, reduction in sub-gap states, and better electronic order (lower , parameter). Films with enhanced charge transport qualities retain their quantum-confined characteristics throughout the procedure, thus making them useful for optoelectronic applications. [source] Wettability alteration of caprock minerals by carbon dioxideGEOFLUIDS (ELECTRONIC), Issue 2 2007P. CHIQUET Abstract One of the critical factors that control the efficiency of CO2 geological storage process in aquifers and hydrocarbon reservoirs is the capillary-sealing potential of the caprock. This potential can be expressed in terms of the maximum reservoir overpressure that the brine-saturated caprock can sustain, i.e. of the CO2 capillary entry pressure. It is controlled by the brine/CO2 interfacial tension, the water-wettability of caprock minerals, and the pore size distribution within the caprock. By means of contact angle measurements, experimental evidence was obtained showing that the water-wettability of mica and quartz is altered in the presence of CO2 under pressures typical of geological storage conditions. The alteration is more pronounced in the case of mica. Both minerals are representative of shaly caprocks and are strongly water-wet in the presence of hydrocarbons. A careful analysis of the available literature data on breakthrough pressure measurements in caprock samples confirms the existence of a wettability alteration by dense CO2, both in shaly and in evaporitic caprocks. The consequences of this effect on the maximum CO2 storage pressure and on CO2 storage capacity in the underground reservoir are discussed. For hydrocarbon reservoirs that were initially close to capillary leakage, the maximum allowable CO2 storage pressure is only a fraction of the initial reservoir pressure. [source] Solvothermal Synthesis, Cathodoluminescence, and Field-Emission Properties of Pure and N-Doped ZnO NanobulletsADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 1 2009Ujjal K. Gautam Abstract Homogenous crystallization in solution, in the absence of external influences, is expected to lead to growth that is symmetric at least in two opposite facets. Such was not the case when we attempted to synthesize ZnO nanostructures by employing a solvothermal technique. The reaction product, instead, consisted of bullet-shaped tiny single crystals with an abrupt hexagonal base and a sharp tip. A careful analysis of the product and the intermediate states of the synthesis reveals that one of the reaction intermediates with sheet-like morphology acts as a self-sacrificing template and induces such unexpected and novel growth. The synthesis was further extended to dope the nanobullets with nitrogen as previous studies showed this can induce p-type behavior in ZnO, which is technologically complementary to the naturally occurring n-type ZnO. Herein, a soft-chemical approach is used for the first time for this purpose, which is otherwise accomplished with high-temperature techniques. Cathodoluminesce (CL) investigations reveal stable optical behavior within a pure nanobullet. On the other hand, the CL spectra derived from the surfaces and the cores of the doped samples are different, pointing at a N-rich core. Finally, even though N-doped ZnO is known to have high electrical conductivity, the study now demonstrates that the field-emission properties of ZnO can also be greatly enhanced by means of N doping. [source] Centralization and Decentralization in Administration and Politics: Assessing Territorial Dimensions of Authority and PowerGOVERNANCE, Issue 1 2001Paul D. Hutchcroft Throughout the world, diverse countries are implementing programs of decentralization as a means of promoting both democratic and developmental objectives. Unfortunately, however, scholarship has yet to offer a comprehensive framework within which to assess and reform central-local relations. This article seeks to overcome the "division of labor" that has long separated analyses of administrative and political structures, and to provide stronger conceptual vocabulary for describing and analyzing the complexities of centralization and decentralization in both administration and politics. After developing two distinct continua of administrative and political centralization/decentralization, the paper then combines them in a single matrix able to highlight the wide range of strategies and outcomes that emerge from the complex interplay of the two spheres. Depending on where a country lies within the matrix, it is argued, strategies of decentralization may do more harm than good. Strategies of devolution are especially problematic in settings with strong local bosses, and should never be attempted without careful analysis of the preexisting character of central-local ties. [source] Newly developed basis sets for density functional calculationsJOURNAL OF COMPUTATIONAL CHEMISTRY, Issue 2 2005S. Chiodo Abstract Optimized contracted Gaussian basis sets of double-zeta valence polarized (DZVP) quality for first-row transition metals are presented. The DZVP functions were optimized using the PWP86 generalized gradient approximation (GGA) functional and the B3LYP hybrid functional. For a careful analysis of the basis sets performance the transition metal atoms and cations excitation energies were calculated and compared with the experimental ones. The calculated values were also compared with those obtained using the previously available DZVP basis sets developed at the local-density functional level. Because the new basis sets work better than the previous ones, possible reasons of this behavior are analyzed. The newly developed basis sets also provide a good estimation of other atomic properties such as ionization energies. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem 26: 175,183, 2005 [source] Specific force field parameters determination for the hybrid ab initio QM/MM LSCF methodJOURNAL OF COMPUTATIONAL CHEMISTRY, Issue 6 2002Nicolas Ferré Abstract The pure quantum mechanics method, called Local Self-Consistent Field (LSCF), that allows to optimize a wave function within the constraint that some predefined spinorbitals are kept frozen, is discussed. These spinorbitals can be of any shape, and their occupation numbers can be 0 or 1. Any post-Hartree,Fock method, based on the restricted or unrestricted Hartree,Fock Slater determinant, and Kohn,Sham-based DFT method are available. The LSCF method is easily applied to hybrid quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) procedure where the quantum and the classical parts are covalently bonded. The complete methodology of our hybrid QM/MM scheme is detailed for studies of macromolecular systems. Not only the energy but also the gradients are derived; thus, the full geometry optimization of the whole system is feasible. We show that only specific force field parameters are needed for a correct description of the molecule, they are given for some general chemical bonds. A careful analysis of the errors induced by the use of molecular mechanics in hybrid computation show that a general procedure can be derived to obtain accurate results at low computation effort. The methodology is applied to the structure determination of the crambin protein and to Menshutkin reactions between primary amines and chloromethane. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem 23: 610,624, 2002 [source] Structural characterization of hexoses and pentoses using lead cationization.JOURNAL OF MASS SPECTROMETRY (INCORP BIOLOGICAL MASS SPECTROMETRY), Issue 4 2002An electrospray ionization, tandem mass spectrometric study Abstract The analytical potential of the complexation of isomeric underivatized hexoses (D -glucose, D -galactose, D -mannose, D -talose, D -fructose), methylglycosides (1- O -methyl-,- D -glucose and 1- O -methyl-,- D -glucose) and pentoses (D -ribose, D -xylose, D -arabinose and D -lyxose) by Pb2+ ions, was investigated by electrospray ionization and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). Pb2+ ions react mainly with monosaccharides by proton abstraction to generate [Pb(monosaccharide)m , H]+ ions (m = 1,3). At low cone voltage, a less abundant series of doubly charged ions of general formula [Pb(monosaccharide)n]2+ is also observed. The maximum number n of monosaccharides surrounding a single Pb2+ ion depends on the metal : monosaccharide ratio. Our study shows that MS/MS experiments have to be performed to differentiate Pb2+ -coordinated monosaccharides. Upon collision, [Pb(monosaccharide) , H]+ species mainly dissociate according to cross-ring cleavages, leading to the elimination of CnH2nOn neutrals. The various fragmentation processes observed allow the C(1), C(2) and C(4) stereocenters of aldohexoses to be characterized, and also a clear distinction aldoses and fructose. Furthermore, careful analysis of tandem mass spectra also leads to successful aldopentose distinction. Lead cationization combined with MS/MS therefore appears particularly useful to identify underivatized monosaccharides. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Existence of a critical carbon number in the aging of a wax-oil gelAICHE JOURNAL, Issue 9 2001Probjot Singh A fundamental study was carried out to understand the aging (or hardening) of the wax-oil gels formed in the subsea pipelines during the flow of crude oil from offshore wells to shore. The aging process is a counterdiffusion phenomenon where there exists a critical carbon number (CCN), and wax molecules with carbon numbers greater than the CCN diffuse into the gel matrices and vice versa. Using a careful analysis of carbon number distributions of gel deposits, collected from a cold finger after various deposition time intervals, the CCN for the wax-oil system was obtained. A mathematical model, based on a modified version of UNIQUAC model, was developed to predict the CCN for wax-oil systems. The size of the interaction units for n-alkanes in the solid-phase UNIQUAC model was found to be a strong function of the mean carbon number in the solid phase. [source] Polarized Raman scattering and phase transition studies of n -diethylenediammonium monohydrogenmonophosphate dihydrateJOURNAL OF RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY, Issue 12 2006S. Elleuch Abstract Polarized Raman scattering studies at room temperature were carried out on N -diethylenediammonium monohydrogenmonophosphate dihydrate single crystal samples, abbreviated N -DDHP. An assignment of the normal modes is proposed based on group theory analysis and correlations with previous data reported for other homologous hydrogen-bonded systems. A careful analysis of the vibrational spectra shows that the assignment of the fundamental vibrational modes can be done based on phosphate, organic and water group vibrations. In addition, differential scanning calorimetry measurement and a Raman spectroscopic study at several temperatures in the range 100,300 K are presented. The occurrence of a low-temperature phase transition near 220 K is well evidenced. From the temperature-dependence behavior of some internal and external modes, this transition is interpreted by an order,disorder transition which involves the structural modifications of both anion and cation groups. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] AGING-RELATED INFLUENCES ON ACTIVITY PATTERNS IN THE SUPRAHYOID MUSCLES DURING SWALLOWING: PRELIMINARY ANALYSISJOURNAL OF SENSORY STUDIES, Issue 4 2007YOZO MIYAOKA ABSTRACT Swallowing-related muscle activity patterns were compared between an elderly group and young and middle-aged groups to evaluate whether aging affects activity patterns of swallowing-related muscles. A new technique for evaluation of muscular activity patterns (TP technique) was used for the suprahyoid (SH) muscles during swallowing of ordinary agar and gelatin in the three groups (five subjects each). The evaluations for these test foods in the elderly group were similar to those in the young and middle-aged groups, and statistical examination showed no significant differences among the three groups. In addition, other evaluations based on the TP technique (InP, which were calculated by subtracting the preceding TP,10 values from TP) in the elderly group differed in part from those of the other two groups for gelatin. The present results suggest that the overall activity pattern of swallowing-related muscles is basically preserved in the elderly, but slight, partial changes occur with age. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS An aging society may increase the demand for production of special foods adjusted to some of the elderly. To respond to this demand, we need careful analysis of the characteristics of chewing and swallowing functions of the elderly. The present study showed slight and partial changes in the activity patterns of swallowing-related muscles with age and that the "TP technique" the authors developed was useful to detect the changes. The detection suggests that the analysis of activity patterns with our technique can help designs for production of foods specially for the elderly. [source] Detecting Technological Catch-Up in Economic ConvergenceMETROECONOMICA, Issue 2-3 2003Francesco Pigliaru We address the problem of measuring, in the absence of reliable indices of technology levels, how much of the convergence we observe is due to convergence in technology or in capital,labour ratios. We first develop a growth model where technology accumulation in lagging economies depends on their propensity to innovate and on technological spillovers, with convergence due both to capital-deepening and to technological diffusion. Then we study the transitional dynamics of the model to show how to discriminate empirically between the following three hypotheses: (i) convergence is due to capital-deepening with technology levels uniform across economies, as in Mankiw, Romer and Weil; (ii) convergence is due to capital-deepening with stationary differences in individual technologies, as in Islam; (iii) convergence is due to both technological catch-up and capital-deepening. Our main findings are as follows. First, we show that it may be difficult to distinguish between hypotheses (ii) and (iii) in cross-section or panel data. This problem has often been overlooked in the empirical literature on convergence. Second, we suggest how the problem can be overcome by noting that hypothesis (iii) does (and hypothesis (ii) does not) imply that the initial differences in technology levels may tend to decrease over time. A careful analysis of the fixed-effects estimates obtained by means of panel data methodology proposed in Islam should allow researchers to discriminate between the two competing hypotheses. [source] Vaccine-based approaches to squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neckORAL DISEASES, Issue 1 2007X Zhang Vaccine-based approaches for the treatment of advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck have achieved very limited success. Improvement in vaccine efficacy for both diseases control and survival is predicated on a careful analysis of the root causes for successes and failures to date. In this review, we analyse the utility and limitations of select protective and therapeutic vaccine strategies for tumour prevention and therapy. Based on this characterisation, we define potential directions which are meritorious of future study. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||