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Examining
Kinds of Examining Terms modified by Examining Selected AbstractsWHY WAIT?: EXAMINING DELAYED WIC PARTICIPATION AMONG PREGNANT WOMENCONTEMPORARY ECONOMIC POLICY, Issue 4 2008LAURA TIEHEN Despite the benefits of prenatal participation in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), many eligible women either do not participate or begin participation late in their pregnancies. Using recent nationally representative data, we find that more disadvantaged women are more likely to access WIC and, with some notable exceptions, to participate earlier in their pregnancies. Hispanic women, especially those with language difficulties, enroll in WIC later in their pregnancies. Early WIC participation, particularly among teenagers, is less likely among women experiencing a first birth and depends on the mother's early recognition of her pregnancy. (JEL I18, I30) [source] The subepithelial gland in ants: a novel exocrine gland closely associated with the cuticle surfaceACTA ZOOLOGICA, Issue 4 2003Bruno Gobin Abstract Two glandular systems were discovered that secrete their products onto the cuticular surface in ants. The first, the subepithelial gland, was previously undescribed in ants, and is found throughout the body just beneath the epithelium. This gland consists of independent secretory units, each made up of a single gland cell and an associated duct cell that penetrates the cuticle. Its ultrastructural appearance is consistent with possible hydrocarbon production. Examining 84 ant species, the subepithelial gland was found in eight subfamilies (out of 13), although not necessarily in all species. In a single ant species, Harpegnathos saltator, it was the epithelium itself that was enlarged and functioned as a gland. The enlarged epithelial cells secrete their products directly onto the cuticle through distinct cuticular crevasses. [source] Age-related changes in dopamine transporters and accumulation of 3-nitrotyrosine in rhesus monkey midbrain dopamine neurons: Relevance in selective neuronal vulnerability to degenerationEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, Issue 12 2008N. M. Kanaan Abstract Aging is the strongest risk factor for developing Parkinson's disease (PD). There is a preferential loss of dopamine (DA) neurons in the ventral tier of the substantia nigra (vtSN) compared to the dorsal tier and ventral tegmental area (VTA) in PD. Examining age-related and region-specific differences in DA neurons represents a means of identifying factors potentially involved in vulnerability or resistance to degeneration. Nitrative stress is among the factors potentially underlying DA neuron degeneration. We studied the relationship between 3-nitrotyrosine (3NT; a marker of nitrative damage) and DA transporters [DA transporter (DAT) and vesicular monoamine transporter-2 (VMAT)] during aging in DA subregions of rhesus monkeys. The percentage of DA neurons containing 3NT increased significantly only in the vtSN with advancing age, and the vtSN had a greater percentage of 3NT-positive neurons when compared to the VTA. The relationship between 3NT and DA transporters was determined by measuring fluorescence intensity of 3NT, DAT and VMAT staining. 3NT intensity increased with advancing age in the vtSN. Increased DAT, VMAT and DAT/VMAT ratios were associated with increased 3NT in individual DA neurons. These results suggest nitrative damage accumulates in midbrain DA neurons with advancing age, an effect exacerbated in the vulnerable vtSN. The capacity of a DA neuron to accumulate more cytosolic DA, as inferred from DA transporter expression, is related to accumulation of nitrative damage. These findings are consistent with a role for aging-related accrual of nitrative damage in the selective vulnerability of vtSN neurons to degeneration in PD. [source] "OUR HOME IS DROWNING": IÑUPIAT STORYTELLING AND CLIMATE CHANGE IN POINT HOPE, ALASKA,GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW, Issue 4 2008CHIE SAKAKIBARA ABSTRACT. Contemporary storytelling among the IÑupiat of Point Hope, Alaska, is a means of coping with the unpredictable future that climate change poses. Arctic climate change impacts IÑupiat lifeways on a cultural level by threatening their homeland, their sense of place, and their respect for the bowhead whale that is the basis of their cultural identity. What I found during my fieldwork was that traditional storytelling processed environmental changes as a way of maintaining a connection to a disappearing place. In this article I describe how environmental change is culturally manifest through tales of the supernatural, particularly spirit beings or ghosts. The types of IÑupiat stories and modes of telling them reveal people's uncertainty about the future. Examining how people perceive the loss of their homeland, I argue that IÑupiat storytelling both reveals and is a response to a changing physical and spiritual landscape. [source] Examining and Explaining the Northern League's ,U-Turn' from EuropeGOVERNMENT AND OPPOSITION, Issue 3 2004Raj S. Chari Set in the context of the larger literature on regionalist parties and specifically on the Italian Northern League, this paper examines and explains why the party moved from Euro-positivism to Euroscepticism. Drawing on concepts raised in the larger comparative politics literature, five explanations of this U-turn towards Europe are evaluated. It is argued that, despite the strength of explanations that focus on the desires of party supporters, the role of public opinion, the potential influence of economic investors or the role of EU-level institutions in shaping party preferences, a more cogent explanation focuses on domestic-level developments. The conclusions will underscore the general implications of this research for the study of parties, particularly regionalist ones in the EU, highlighting that a party's changing stance towards supranational integrationist polices can be best understood as a consequence of its experience in a political system's electoral system. [source] Meta-Analysis Examining the Efficacy and Safety of Almotriptan in the Acute Treatment of MigraineHEADACHE, Issue 8 2007Li-Chia Chen PhD Objective.,To evaluate the comparative efficacy and safety of oral almotriptan in treating acute migraine attacks. Background.,Almotriptan is an oral selective sertonin1B/1D receptor agonist (triptan) with a high bioavailability and short half-life, developed for the treatment of migraine. In recent years, a number of randomized controlled trials have been published examining the efficacy and safety of almotriptan in the acute treatment of migraine. Methods.,Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) using a random-effects model to estimate the pooled rate ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) for the proportions of patients achieving headache relief and pain-free responses at 1 or 2 hours post-dose, sustained pain-free response at 2,24 hours post-dose, and safety outcomes (proportions of patients experiencing any adverse events, dizziness, somnolence, asthenia, and chest tightness) comparing almotriptan against placebo, other triptans, and different dosages of almotriptan. Absolute rate differences (ARDs) for 2-hour headache relief, pain free, and sustained pain free responses between almotriptan and placebo were also calculated. Results.,Eight RCTs involving 4995 patients were included in the analysis. Almotriptan 12.5 mg was significantly more effective than placebo for all efficacy outcomes (RRs ranged from 1.47 to 2.15; ARDs ranged from 0.01 to 0.28) and there were no significant differences in any of the safety outcomes. There were also no significant differences in efficacy outcomes comparing almotriptan 12.5 mg against sumatriptan 100 mg and zolmitriptan 2.5 mg, but almotriptan 12.5 mg was associated with significantly fewer adverse events than sumatriptan 100 mg (RR: 0.39, 95%CI: 0.23, 0.67). However, there was no significant difference between almotriptan and sumatriptan in terms of clinically important adverse effects, such as dizziness, somnolence, asthenia, and chest tightness. Almotriptan 12.5 mg was significantly less effective than almotriptan 25 mg for 1-hour pain-free response (RR: 0.45, 95%CI: 0.21, 0.95), but associated with significantly fewer patients experiencing adverse events (RR: 0.61, 95%CI: 0.41, 0.91) than almotriptan 25 mg. Conclusions.,Almotriptan 12.5 mg is an effective treatment for acute attacks of migraine, in particular, it has been found to be as effective as sumatriptan 100 mg and zolmitriptan 2.5 mg. The risk of adverse events associated with almotriptan 12.5 mg was similar to placebo and significantly lower than sumatriptan 100 mg. Further research is required to assess the comparative efficacy of almotriptan against other triptans. [source] Examining and identifying the determinants of travel expenditure patternsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF TOURISM RESEARCH, Issue 5 2006Youcheng Wang Abstract This study examined the effects of socio-demographic, travel-related and psychographic variables on travel expenditures. The travel expenditure categories examined include lodging, meals and restaurants, attractions and festivals, entertainment, shopping, transportation and total expenditures. The results of the study provide a more comprehensive and holistic picture in the search of travel expenditure patterns based on multiple independent variables. This study reveals that, among the three groups of variables examined, income and trip-related characteristics were the most influential variables affecting tourism expenditures. Discussions and implications are also provided based on the study results. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Examining learning in relation to the contexts of use of ICTJOURNAL OF COMPUTER ASSISTED LEARNING, Issue 3 2001A. Tolmie Abstract Although ICT resources are commonly expected to produce uniform benefits, they are necessarily employed within pre-existing contexts of educational and social activity, and the outcome in terms of both pattern of use and learning depends on how they fit in with these. As a result, the same technology or software may have unexpectedly diverse effects, according to specific setting. If the object is to exercise control over outcome, then the conditions of use need to be planned for within the design and implementation of the technology. In order to do this, it is crucial that research gathers data on how outcomes are affected by the interplay between technology and context. This raises questions about the methods that would be appropriate for the conduct and dissemination of such research. These points are discussed in relation to three studies, one each at primary, secondary and university levels of education. [source] Cultural theory in use: the intersection of structure, process and communication in business practiceJOURNAL OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS, Issue 4 2008Camille P. Schuster Examining and understanding the culture of 200+ countries to determine how business is conducted in those countries is a daunting and overwhelming prospect. By combining theories of culture, it is possible to create a Classification Of Cultures Model using Time, Task and Relationship concepts. However, this model does not suggest how to adapt when conducting business in a particular political/economic environment. Continua of cultural elements related to conducting business are created based upon structural elements, process elements and communication elements. Combining the continua with the Classification of Cultures Model creates the Global Business Process Model. This framework is a way to capture the array of cultures, identify similarities and differences in business practices, and provide a starting point for creating adaptive strategies and behaviours. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] An Exploratory Qualitative Study Examining the Social and Psychological Processes Involved in Regular Dental AttendanceJOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH DENTISTRY, Issue 1 2000Barry J. Gibson BSc, MMedSc Abstract Objective: This study aimed to provide a description of the psychosocial process involved in regular dental attendance. Methods: The study design was a qualitative cross-sectional study using unstructured and semistructured interviews and observations of regular dental visits. The study participants included 12 men and 18 women attending general dental practices and six men and four women attending an emergency dental service. The data were systematically recorded and subjected to line-by-line grounded theory coding around the main concerns of those attending the dentist. Results: The main concern of those attending for a regular dental visit was checking their oral health. The six-month recall was conceptualized as a checking cycle in six phases: recalling, responding, inducing (i), waiting, inducing (ii), and telling. The possible outcomes of the cycle were maintaining oral health, sustaining oral health, and a further checking cycle. Variations in checking cycles resulted from reordering and normalizing pressures within participants' lifestyles. Conclusions: The findings of this study suggest that people's patterns of dental attendance are similar to those of other chronic illnesses. An understanding of the dynamic psychosocial processes involved in frequent dental attendance may be achieved when further research into this phenomenon is conducted. [source] Meeting the 12 lymph node (LN) benchmark in colon cancer,JOURNAL OF SURGICAL ONCOLOGY, Issue 1 2010A. Rajput MD Abstract Background Examining ,12 LN in colon cancer has been suggested as a quality metric. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the 12 LN benchmark is achieved at NCCN centers compared to a US population-based sample. Methods Patients with stage I,III disease resected at NCCN centers were identified from a prospective database (n,=,718) and were compared to 12,845 stage I,III patients diagnosed in a SEER region. Age, gender, location, stage, number of positive nodes were compared for NCCN and SEER data in regards to number of nodes evaluated. Multivariate logistic regression models were developed to identify factors associated with evaluating 12 LNs. Results 92% of NCCN and 58% of SEER patients had ,12 LN evaluated. For patients treated at NCCN centers, factors associated with not meeting the 12 LN target were left-sided tumors, stage I disease and BMI >30. Conclusions ,12 LN are almost always evaluated in NCCN patients. In contrast, this target is achieved in 58% of SEER patients. With longer follow-up of the NCCN cohort we will be able to link this quality metric to patterns of recurrence and survival and thereby better understand whether increasing the number of nodes evaluated is a priority for cancer control. J. Surg. Oncol. 2010;102:3,9. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] In the Mirror: The Legitimation Work of GlobalizationLAW & SOCIAL INQUIRY, Issue 4 2002Susan Bibler Coutin This essay examines the legitimation work of globalization by bringing into dialogue the authors' research on immigration, finance, and intercountryadoption. It is concerned with the practices that produce, define, and preclude both movement and connection, such as "naturalizing" some border crossings while criminalizing others; denying the histories and policies that allow some parents to "choose" babies while others must abandon them; and challenging the practices through which small states tweak transnational financial systems while allowing multinational corporations privileges denied small states. Legitimation work (re)configures jurisdictionality, transparency, and sovereignty,the constructs on which debates over globalization's consequences hinge. Examining how these constructs order, include, and exclude persons, goods, and practices sheds light on the boundaries, slippages, and connections between the legitimate and the illegitimate within global processes. [source] Augmenting the Cartesian medical discourse with an understanding of the person's lifeworld, lived body, life story and social identityNURSING PHILOSOPHY, Issue 4 2009Helena Sunvisson RN PhD Abstract Using three paradigm cases of persons living with Parkinson's Disease (PD) the authors make a case for augmenting and enriching a Cartesian medical account of the pathophysiology of PD with an enriched understanding of the lived body experience of PD, the lived implications of PD for a particular person's concerns and coping with the illness. Linking and adding a thick description of the lived experience of PD can enrich caregiving imagination and attunement to the patient's possibilities, concerns and constraints. The work of Merleau-Ponty is used to articulate the middle terms of the lived experience of dwelling in a lifeworld. Examining lived experience of embodied intentionality, skilled bodily capacities as highlighted in Merleau-Ponty's non-mechanistic physiology opens new therapeutic, coping and caregiving possibilities. Matching temporal rhythms can decrease the stress of being assisted with activities of daily living. For example, caregivers and patients alike can be taught strategies for extending their lived bodily capacities by altering rhythms, by shifting hyperactivity to different parts of the body and other strategies that change the perceptual experience associated with walking in different environment. A medical account of the pathophysiology of PD is nessessary and useful, but not sufficient for designing caregiving in ways that enrich and extend the existential skills of dwelling of persons with PD. The dominance of mechanistic physiology makes caregivers assume that it is the ,real discourse' about the disease, causing researchers and caregivers alike to overlook the equally real lived experience of the patient which requires different descriptive discourses and different sources of understanding. Lack of dialogue between the two discourses is tragic for patients because caregivers need both in order to provide attuned, effective caregiving. [source] Bureaucratic Decisions and the Composition of the Lower CourtsAMERICAN JOURNAL OF POLITICAL SCIENCE, Issue 2 2003Brandice Canes-Wrone I delineate necessary conditions for the ideological composition of the federal courts to influence bureaucratic decisions independently of lawsuits and test for the relationship with data on the implementation of wetlands policy. Examining 18,331 decisions by the Army Corps of Engineers over whether to issue a permit for the development of wetlands between 1988 and 1996, I analyze whether these decisions were influenced by the composition of the appellate and district courts. The results indicate that judicial ideology significantly affects bureaucratic decision making. Specifically, a standard deviation increase in the liberalism of the lower courts decreases the probability that the Corps will grant a permit by 14%, which is comparable to the effects of long-recognized determinants of administrative behavior. [source] Annotation: Recent Research Examining the Role of Peer Relationships in the Development of PsychopathologyTHE JOURNAL OF CHILD PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHIATRY AND ALLIED DISCIPLINES, Issue 5 2001Kirby Deater-Deckard This Annotation highlights recent research on the role of peer group and friendship factors in the development of psychopathology in childhood and adolescence. Several processes are considered, including peer rejection (e.g., exclusion and victimization), social withdrawal and avoidance of peer interaction, and the socialization of deviant behavior and internalizing problems. The mediating influences of several proximal components are examined, including cognitive-perceptual factors and emotion regulation. In addition, the moderating ifluences of close friendship, age, gender, ethnicity, and group norms are considered. Several promising avenues for future directions in research are highlighted, including the examination of heterogeneity in developmental processes, further investigation of gender-based norms, and the application of multi-level modeling techniques and gene-environment process models. [source] ORIGINAL RESEARCH,BASIC SCIENCE: A Prospective Study Examining the Anatomic Distribution of Nerve Density in the Human VaginaTHE JOURNAL OF SEXUAL MEDICINE, Issue 6 2006Rachel Pauls MD ABSTRACT Introduction., Women possess sufficient vaginal innervation such that tactile stimulation of the vagina can lead to orgasm. However, there are few anatomic studies that have characterized the distribution of nerves throughout the human vagina. Aim., The aim of this prospective study was to better characterize the anatomic distribution of nerves in the adult human vagina. A secondary aim was to assess whether vaginal innervation correlates with the subject's demographic information and sexual function. Methods., Full-thickness biopsies of anterior and posterior vagina (proximal and distal), cuff, and cervix were taken during surgery in a standardized manner. Specimens were prepared with hematoxylin and eosin, and S100 protein immunoperoxidase. The total number of nerves in each specimen was quantified. Enrolled patients completed a validated sexual function questionnaire (Female Sexual Function Index, FSFI) preoperatively. Main Outcome Measures., A description of vaginal innervation by location and an assessment of vaginal innervation in association with the subject's demographic information and sexual function. Results., Twenty-one patients completed this study, yielding 110 biopsy specimens. Vaginal innervation was somewhat regular, with no site consistently demonstrating the highest nerve density. Nerves were located throughout the vagina, including apex and cervix. No significant differences were noted in vaginal innervation based on various demographic factors, including age, vaginal maturation index, stage of prolapse, number of vaginal deliveries, or previous hysterectomy. There were no correlations between vaginal nerve quantity and FSFI domain and overall scores. Fifty-seven percent of the subjects had female sexual dysfunction; when compared to those without dysfunction, there were no significant differences in total or site-specific nerves. Conclusions., In a prospective study, vaginal nerves were located regularly throughout the anterior and posterior vagina, proximally and distally, including apex and cervix. There was no vaginal location with increased nerve density. Vaginal innervation was not associated with demographic information or sexual function. Pauls R, Mutema G, Segal J, Silva WA, Kleeman S, Dryfhout V, and Karram M. A prospective study examining the anatomic distribution of nerve density in the human vagina. J Sex Med 2006;3:979,987. [source] Intellectual Property Rights in the Making: The Evolution of Intellectual Property Provisions in US Free Trade Agreements and Access to MedicineTHE JOURNAL OF WORLD INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, Issue 5 2007Gaëlle P. Krikorian Examining 14 US free trade agreements (FTAs), this article presents a text analysis of their intellectual property (IP) provisions with reference to patents and data protection. For each type of provision present in a given FTA, a "unit of protection" is assigned in that category. This method allows us to estimate the evolution in protection for each type of provision, both relative to the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights standard and from one agreement to the next. The analysis reveals a global increase in IP rights (IPR) protection, as the agreements get more stringent and specific provisions get more intricate and complex. But it also shows that the increase of IPR protection is not strictly linear over time and that some variation does exist in the outcomes of the negotiations. Nevertheless, IPR is clearly on the rise, and close comparative analysis of the different texts sheds light on the process of the setting of these new standards. Ultimately, this analysis provides a snapshot of the challenges that will soon be brought to bear on the policies on access to medicine in developing countries. [source] On the economics of agricultural production,AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL & RESOURCE ECONOMICS, Issue 4 2008Jean-Paul Chavas Agriculture is in the business of using ecosystem services to produce food. Examining how agro-ecosystems function provides useful insights into the economics of agriculture. Of special interest are the presence and nature of scale effects, complementarity effects and convexity effects in ecosystem functioning. Implications for agricultural productivity and the economics of agriculture are evaluated. At the farm level, this helps to better understand the current trend toward greater specialisation. Current challenges for agricultural contracts, markets and policy are explored. [source] Examining ,Tunnel Vision' in Australian PPPs: Rationales, Rhetoric, Risks and ,Rogues'AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION, Issue 2010Judy Johnston This article examines Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) in Australia, and particularly those associated with major economic infrastructure development. Methodologically, the article relies on a qualitative case study approach, based on research initially supported by the Australian Research Council (Johnston and Gudergan 2005-2007) and continuing. Of special interest is the failure of the Cross-City Tunnel tollway in Sydney which is used to illustrate critical issues. The article finds that while Australian governments enjoy an international reputation for PPP success, there remains a number of fundamental pitfalls that need to be addressed if future PPPs are to uphold the public interest. Problems created through the unpredictability, especially for business, of the political environment and arrangements in which PPPs take place appear to be particularly significant. [source] A Mesolevel Communicative Model of CollaborationCOMMUNICATION THEORY, Issue 3 2008Joann Keyton Generally theorized and empirically examined as an organization phenomenon, collaboration may be more productively explored from a mesolevel model that simultaneously addresses group, organizational, and public frames. Examining how individuals communicate in those frames revealed four discursive productions of collaboration, which were previously undertheorized. Thus, we propose a communicative model that details the simultaneously occurring communication at multiple levels that gives rise to the emergence and effectiveness of collaborating talk. In this model, communication is no longer described as one of the component(s) of collaboration; communication is elevated to the essence of collaboration. Working from observations and records of a 9-month interorganizational collaboration, this article develops a mesolevel communicative model of collaboration and demonstrates that the bulk of collaborative communication occurs at the team level,indeed, the level where relationships among individuals and organizations is revealed and acted upon. Résumé Un modèle communicationnel de la collaboration à moyenne échelle Bien qu'elle soit généralement théorisée et examinée empiriquement en tant que phénomène organisationnel, la collaboration pourrait être explorée de façon plus productive à partir d,un modèle à moyenne échelle qui s'intéresse simultanément aux cadres de groupe, aux cadres organisationnels ainsi qu,aux cadres publics. Un examen de la façon dont les individus communiquent dans ces cadres a révélé quatre productions discursives de collaboration dont la théorisation était jusqu'à aujourd,hui très faible. Ainsi, nous proposons un modèle communicationnel exposant en détail la communication à plusieurs niveaux qui se produit simultanément et qui met en évidence l'émergence et l,efficacité des discussions de collaboration. Dans ce modèle, la communication n'est plus décrite comme l,une des composantes de la collaboration : elle est élevée au statut d'essence de la collaboration. À partir d,observations et d'enregistrements d,une collaboration interorganisationnelle de neuf mois, cet article développe un modèle communicationnel de la collaboration à moyenne échelle et démontre que la majeure partie de la communication de collaboration se produit à l'échelle du groupe, niveau où les relations entre les individus et les organisations se révèlent et sont mises à exécution. Abstract Ein Meso-Ebenen-Kommunikationsmodell der Zusammenarbeit Theoretisch und empirisch im Allgemeinen als ein Organisationsphänomen betrachtet, kann Zusammenarbeit auch ertragbringend von einer Meso-Ebene untersucht werden, die gleichzeitig Gruppen, Organisation und öffentliche Rahmen anspricht. Die Untersuchung, wie Personen in diesen Rahmen kommunizieren zeigte 4 diskursive Entstehungsarten von Zusammenarbeit, welche vorher nicht ausreichend theoretisch betrachtet wurden. Daher schlagen wir ein Kommunikationsmodell vor, welches die gleichzeitig auftretende Kommunikation auf verschiedenen Ebenen als Ursache für das Vorkommen und die Effektivität von gemeinschaftlicher Unterhaltung genau beschreibt. In diesem Modell wird Kommunikation gerade nicht als eine Komponente von Zusammenarbeit betrachtet; vielmehr wird Kommunikation zur Essenz von Zusammenarbeit erhoben. Auf Basis von Beobachtungen und Protokollen einer 9-Monate dauernden Zusammenarbeit erarbeitet dieser Artikel ein Meso-Ebenen-Kommunikationsmodell der Zusammenarbeit und zeigt, dass sich der Hauptteil kollaborativer Kommunikation auf der Team-Ebene ereignet , und damit auf der Ebene, wo sich Beziehungen zwischen Individuen und Organisationen zeigen und handlungsleitend sind. Resumen Un Modelo de Colaboración Comunicativa de Nivel Intermedio Generalmente teorizada y empíricamente examinada como un fenómeno organizacional, la colaboración puede ser explorada más productivamente desde un modelo de nivel intermedio que trate simultáneamente los marcos grupales, organizacionales y públicos. Examinando cómo los individuos comunican estos marcos reveló 4 producciones de discurso de colaboración, que no fueron previamente teorizados. Así, proponemos un modelo comunicativo que detalla la comunicación simultánea en múltiples niveles que da surgimiento y efectividad a la conversación colaboradora. En este modelo la comunicación ya no es descripta como uno de los componente(s) de la colaboración; la comunicación es elevada a la esencia de la colaboración. Trabajando con 9 meses de observaciones y registros de una colaboración inter-organizacional, este ensayo desarrolla un modelo comunicativo de la colaboración de nivel intermedio y demuestra que el volumen de la comunicación colaborativa ocurre a nivel grupal,efectivamente, el nivel donde las relaciones entre los individuos y las organizaciones son reveladas y puestas en efecto. ZhaiYao Yo yak [source] Physiological and biochemical analyses of microcystin-RR toxicity to the cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatusENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY, Issue 6 2004Zhi-quan Hu Abstract Freshwater Microcystis may form dense blooms in eutrophic lakes. It is known to produce a family of related cyclic hepatopeptides (microcystins, MC) that constitute a threat to aquatic ecosystems. Most toxicological studies of microcystins have focused on aquatic animals and plants, with few examining the possible effects of microcystins on phytoplankton. In this study we chose the unicellular Synechococcus elongatus (one of the most studied and geographically most widely distributed cyanobacteria in the picoplankton) as the test material and investigated the biological parameters: growth, pigment (chlorophyll-a, phycocyanin), photosynthetic activity, nitrate reductase activity, and protein and carbohydrate content. The results revealed that microcystin-RR concentrations above 100 ,g · L,1 significantly inhibited the growth of Synechococcus elongatus. In addition, a change in color of the toxin-treated algae (chlorosis) was observed in the experiments. Furthermore, MC-RR markedly inhibited the synthesis of the pigments chlorophyll-a and phycocyanin. A drastic reduction in photochemical efficiency of PSII (Fv/Fm) was found after a 96-h incubation. Changes in protein and carbohydrate concentrations and in nitrate reductase activity also were observed during the exposure period. This study aimed to evaluate the mechanisms of microcystin toxicity on a cyanobacterium, according to the physiological and biochemical responses of Synechococcus elongatus to different doses of microcystin-RR. The ecological role of microcystins as an allelopathic substance also is discussed in the article. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 19: 571,577, 2004. [source] Effects of terrestrial pollutants on insect parasitoids,ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 6 2009Casey D. Butler Abstract Parasitoids are important organisms in the regulation of insect herbivores in natural, urban, and agricultural ecosystems. The impact of pollutants acting on parasitoids has not been extensively reviewed. This prompted us to propose a falsifiable null hypothesis (pollutants have no effects on parasitoids) and two alternative hypotheses (pollution negatively or positively affects parasitoids) to assess in the available literature the effects of pollutants acting on parasitoids. We found 26 studies examining 39 biological systems that met our criteria for inclusion. Of these studies, 18 of the 39 biological systems (46.2%) supported the null hypothesis while 18 (46.2%) supported the first alternative hypothesis in which pollutants exhibited negative effects on parasitoids. Only a small percentage of the studies (7.6%, 3 of 39) supported the second alternative hypothesis suggesting that pollutants had positive effects on parasitoids. We provide a synthesis of the available data by pollution type, summarize trends for different pollutants, and suggest future areas of research. [source] Learned Recognition of Intraspecific Predators in Larval Long-Toed Salamanders Ambystoma macrodactylumETHOLOGY, Issue 6 2001Erica L. Wildy The ability of prey to detect predators and respond accordingly is critical to their survival. The use of chemical cues by animals in predator detection has been widely documented. In many cases, predator recognition is facilitated by the release of alarm cues from conspecific victims. Alarm cues elicit anti-predator behavior in many species, which can reduce their risk of being attacked. It has been previously demonstrated that adult long-toed salamanders, Ambystoma macrodactylum, exhibit an alarm response to chemical cues from injured conspecifics. However, whether this response exists in the larval stage of this species and whether it is an innate or a learned condition is unknown. In the current study, we examined the alarm response of naïve (i.e. lab-reared) larval long-toed salamanders. We conducted a series of behavioral trials during which we quantified the level of activity and spatial avoidance of hungry and satiated focal larvae to water conditioned by an injured conspecific, a cannibal that had recently been fed a conspecific or a non-cannibal that was recently fed a diet of Tubifex worms. Focal larvae neither reduced their activity nor spatially avoided the area of the stimulus in either treatment when satiated, and exhibited increased activity towards the cannibal stimulus when hungry. We regard this latter behavior as a feeding response. Together these results suggest that an anti-predator response to injured conspecifics and to cannibalistic conspecifics is absent in naïve larvae. Previous studies have shown that experienced wild captured salamanders do show a response to cannibalistic conspecifics. Therefore, we conducted an additional experiment examining whether larvae can learn to exhibit anti-predator behavior in response to cues from cannibalized conspecifics. We exposed larvae to visual, chemical and tactile cues of stimulus animals that were actively foraging on conspecifics (experienced) or a diet of Tubifex (naïve treatment). In subsequent behavioral treatments, experienced larvae significantly reduced their activity compared to naive larvae in response to chemical cues of cannibals that had recently consumed conspecifics. We suggest that this behavior is a response to alarm cues released by consumed conspecifics that may have labeled the cannibal. Furthermore, over time, interactions with cannibals may cause potential prey larvae to learn to avoid cannibals regardless of their recent diet. [source] Bridging Psychiatric and Anthropological Approaches: The Case of "Nerves" in the United StatesETHOS, Issue 3 2009Britt Dahlberg Psychiatrists and anthropologists have taken distinct analytic approaches when confronted with differences between emic and etic models for distress: psychiatrists have translated folk models into diagnostic categories whereas anthropologists have emphasized culture-specific meanings of illness. The rift between psychiatric and anthropological research keeps "individual disease" and "culture" disconnected and thus hinders the study of interrelationships between mental health and culture. In this article we bridge psychiatric and anthropological approaches by using cultural models to explore the experience of nerves among 27 older primary care patients from Baltimore, Maryland. We suggest that cultural models of distress arise in response to personal experiences, and in turn, shape those experiences. Shifting research from a focus on comparing content of emic and etic concepts, to examining how these social realities and concepts are coconstructed, may resolve epistemological and ontological debates surrounding differences between emic and etic concepts, and improve understanding of the interrelationships between culture and health. ["nerves," cultural models, metaphor, psychiatry, embodiment] [source] Punishment as restoration of group and offender values following a transgression: value consensus through symbolic labelling and offender reformEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 3 2009Tyler G. Okimoto Justice theory has suggested that transgressions pose a threat to the shared values that underlie broken rules or laws, suggesting that in order to address concerns over the values violated by an offence, perceived consensus regarding those values must be reaffirmed. However, little empirical research has been conducted examining how legal responses can address those value concerns. In the current research we argue that punishments, as a common response to injustice, can reaffirm perceived value consensus through two routes: (1) by symbolically labelling the offence as against group values, thus reinforcing values towards observers and (2) by attempting to reform the offender, thus reinforcing values towards the offender. Consistent with this argument, three empirical studies showed that the public and inclusive nature of punishment helps restore a perceived value consensus as such characteristics facilitate these two processes. Moreover, these characteristics had a positive effect on perceived punishment appropriateness particularly when value concerns were heightened. These findings implicate symbolic labelling and offender reform as two processes by which punishments can restore the perception of value consensus and suggest that these processes are integral to justice restoration through punishment when value consensus is a dominant concern. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Arbitrage and Abuse of Rights in the EC Legal SystemEUROPEAN LAW JOURNAL, Issue 3 2008Pierre Schammo Its aim is to explain the concepts, describe their relationship and identify the legal and policy issues which they raise within the EC legal system. Arbitrage and abuse figure prominently in the ECJ's case-law, especially on the freedom of movement. In its more recent case-law, the ECJ has adopted a more developed approach to abuse of rights by laying down a two-prong test. This article seeks to draw legal and policy conclusions by examining inter alia the virtues and vices of the EC doctrine of abuse of rights. [source] Evidence on Value Creation in the Financial Services Industries through the Use of Joint Ventures and Strategic AlliancesFINANCIAL REVIEW, Issue 2 2003Kimberly C. Gleason G21/G29/G14 Abstract While an extensive body of literature has examined merger, acquisition, and consolidation activity in commercial banks and other financial services firms, little attention has been paid to examining how these institutions use the cooperative activities of joint ventures and strategic alliances to accomplish their growth objectives. We analyze the effects of the use of joint ventures and strategic alliances by a sample of firms in the banking, investment services, and insurance industries. Our results show that commercial banks, investment services firms, and insurance companies experience significant abnormal returns of 0.66% on average when they announce their participation in a joint venture or strategic alliance. These abnormal returns are significantly positive across the four strategic motives of domestic, international, horizontal, and diversifying cooperative activities. Using a matched sample, we also show that our sample firms enjoy significant, positive, abnormal returns for holding periods of six, 12, and 18 months after the announcement of the cooperative activity. [source] Corporate Governance, Board Diversity, and Firm ValueFINANCIAL REVIEW, Issue 1 2003David A. Carter This study examines the relationship between board diversity and firm value for Fortune 1000 firms. Board diversity is defined as the percentage of women, African Americans, Asians, and Hispanics on the board of directors. This research is important because it presents the first empirical evidence examining whether board diversity is associated with improved financial value. After controlling for size, industry, and other corporate governance measures, we find significant positive relationships between the fraction of women or minorities on the board and firm value. We also find that the proportion of women and minorities on boards increases with firm size and board size, but decreases as the number of insiders increases. [source] The recognition and description of knapped lithic artifacts in thin sectionGEOARCHAEOLOGY: AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL, Issue 2 2010Diego E. Angelucci Stone tools occur quite frequently in sediment and soil thin sections, yet their micromorphological characteristics have not been explicitly defined in the literature. The aim of this paper is to define the criteria for the identification and description of knapped lithic artifacts composed of flint and quartzite by examining and comparing thin sections from prehistoric sites and petrographic thin sections obtained from lithic artifacts. The main characteristics that allow the micromorphologist to identify a knapped lithic artifact, besides its composition, grain size, and alteration degree, are: the tabular or platy shape; the angularity; the smooth surface; the prominent and regular boundary. Some examples taken from prehistoric sites in southern Europe show the reliability of these criteria for the recognition of stone tools in thin sections. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Posterior cingulate activation during moral dilemma in adolescentsHUMAN BRAIN MAPPING, Issue 8 2008Jesus Pujol Abstract Neuroimaging research examining correlates of adolescent behavioral maturation has focused largely on issues related to higher cognitive development. Currently few studies have explored neural correlates of emotional reactivity in adolescent groups. In this study, we sought to examine the nature of posterior cingulate activation during situations of moral dilemma in normal adolescents. We focused on this region because of emerging evidence that suggests its role in emotionally self-relevant mental processing. Ten healthy teenagers, aged from 14 to 16 years, underwent three fMRI sequences designed to examine (i) brain responses during moral dilemma; (ii) brain responses during passive viewing of the moral dilemma outcome; and (iii); "deactivation" during a simple cognitive task compared with resting-state activity. Our main finding was that during moral dilemma, all subjects showed significant activation of the posterior cingulate cortex, and more variable activation of the medial frontal cortex and angular gyrus. Interestingly, these findings were replicated in each subject using the passive viewing task, suggesting that the previous pattern was not specific to moral reasoning or decision making. Finally, six of the ten subjects showed deactivation of the same posterior cingulate region during the cognitive task, indicating some commonality of function between posterior cingulate activity during moral dilemmas and rest. We propose that these posterior cingulate changes may relate to basic neuronal activities associated with processing self-relevant emotional stimuli. Given the high single-subject reproducibility of posterior cingulate activations, our findings may contribute to further characterize adolescent emotional reactivity in developmental neuroimaging studies. Hum Brain Mapp, 2008. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||