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Kinds of Far Terms modified by Far Selected AbstractsTHE APPLE DOESN'T FALL FAR FROM THE TREE (OR DOES IT?): INTERGENERATIONAL PATTERNS OF ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR,THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CRIMINOLOGY 2008 SUTHERLAND ADDRESS,CRIMINOLOGY, Issue 2 2009TERENCE P. THORNBERRY There is a growing literature on intergenerational studies of antisocial behavior and a growing understanding of the unique contributions they are likely to make. At the same time, the field has yet to agree on core design features for intergenerational study. In this article, I propose a set of defining design elements that all intergenerational studies should meet and I discuss the advantages of these studies for enhancing our understanding of the onset and course of delinquent careers. I then use data from the ongoing Rochester Intergenerational Study to illustrate these points and the potential yield of intergenerational studies. In particular, I examine intergenerational continuities in antisocial behavior and school disengagement, test the cycle of violence hypothesis to see whether a history of maltreatment increases the likelihood of perpetration of maltreatment, and estimate a structural equation model to help identify mediating pathways that link parents and children with respect to antisocial behavior. [source] Phytotoxicity assay for seed production using Brassica rapa L.INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT, Issue 4 2010David Olszyk Abstract Although pesticide drift can affect crop yield adversely, current plant testing protocols emphasize only the potential impacts on vegetative plant growth. The present study was conducted to determine whether a plant species with a short life cycle, such as Brassica rapa L. Wisconsin Fast Plants®, can be used to indicate potential effects on seed production of herbicides applied at relatively low levels (e.g., low field application rates [FAR]). The effects of ,0.1,×,FAR of aminopyralid, cloransulam, glyphosate, primisulfuron, or sulfometuron applied 14 d after emergence (DAE), were evaluated for B. rapa grown in mineral soil in pots under greenhouse conditions. Effects were expressed as the effective concentration of the herbicide producing a 25% reduction in a response (EC25) based on nonlinear regression. Brassica rapa seed dry weight was reduced by sulfometuron at an EC25 of 0.00014,×,a field application rate (FAR) of 53,g active ingredient (a.i.) ha,1, primisulfuron at 0.008 (experiment 1) or 0.0050 (experiment 2),×,FAR of 40,g,a.i.,ha,1, cloransulam at 0.022,×,FAR of 18,g,a.i.,ha,1, glyphosate at 0.0399,×,FAR of 834,g,a.i.,ha,1, and by aminopyralid at 0.005,×,FAR of 123,g,a.i.,ha,1, but only for 1 of 2 experiments. Reduced seed production occurred at less than the FAR that reduced shoot dry weight with sulfometuron and primisulfuron, whereas neither aminopyralid, cloransulam, nor glyphosate affected shoot dry weight. A short life cycle form of B. rapa could be used to indicate reduced seed production with plants grown only 1 week longer (,35,DAE) than as the current vegetative vigor test for nontarget herbicide effects on plants. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2010;6:725,734. © 2010 SETAC [source] A ground-level ozone forecasting model for Santiago, ChileJOURNAL OF FORECASTING, Issue 6 2002Héctor Jorquera Abstract A physically based model for ground-level ozone forecasting is evaluated for Santiago, Chile. The model predicts the daily peak ozone concentration, with the daily rise of air temperature as input variable; weekends and rainy days appear as interventions. This model was used to analyse historical data, using the Linear Transfer Function/Finite Impulse Response (LTF/FIR) formalism; the Simultaneous Transfer Function (STF) method was used to analyse several monitoring stations together. Model evaluation showed a good forecasting performance across stations,for low and high ozone impacts,with power of detection (POD) values between 70 and 100%, Heidke's Skill Scores between 40% and 70% and low false alarm rates (FAR). The model consistently outperforms a pure persistence forecast. Model performance was not sensitive to different implementation options. The model performance degrades for two- and three-days ahead forecast, but is still acceptable for the purpose of developing an environmental warning system at Santiago. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] IPCC and palaeoclimate , an evolving story?,JOURNAL OF QUATERNARY SCIENCE, Issue 1 2010Chris J. Caseldine Abstract The introductory comments to the Special Issue: IPCC and palaeoclimate, concentrate on considering how the role of palaeoclimate research has evolved over the two decades of IPCC Reports. There have been significant changes in the nature and prominence of palaeoclimate research examined with the Fourth Assessment Report (FAR) representing a major step in giving such research a high profile. The implications of this for future palaeoclimate research are briefly reviewed. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Functional Coefficient Autoregressive Models: Estimation and Tests of HypothesesJOURNAL OF TIME SERIES ANALYSIS, Issue 2 2001Rong Chen In this paper, we study nonparametric estimation and hypothesis testing procedures for the functional coefficient AR (FAR) models of the form Xt=f1(Xt,d)Xt, 1+ ... +fp(Xt,d)Xt,p+,t, first proposed by Chen and Tsay (1993). As a direct generalization of the linear AR model, the FAR model is a rich class of models that includes many useful parametric nonlinear time series models such as the threshold AR models of Tong (1983) and exponential AR models of Haggan and Ozaki (1981). We propose a local linear estimation procedure for estimating the coefficient functions and study its asymptotic properties. In addition, we propose two testing procedures. The first one tests whether all the coefficient functions are constant, i.e. whether the process is linear. The second one tests if all the coefficient functions are continuous, i.e. if any threshold type of nonlinearity presents in the process. The results of some simulation studies as well as a real example are presented. [source] THE MOUNTAINS ARE HIGH AND THE EMPEROR IS FAR AWAY: SANCTITY OF CONTRACT IN CHINAAMERICAN BUSINESS LAW JOURNAL, Issue 3 2003Patricia Pattison First page of article [source] Influence of Sample Preparation, Staining Procedure and Analysis Conditions on Bull Sperm Head Morphometry using the Morphology Analyser Integrated Visual Optical SystemREPRODUCTION IN DOMESTIC ANIMALS, Issue 5 2001A Boersma The importance of standardizing the procedures of sample and slide preparation for computer-assisted morphologic analysis has been emphasized in human and veterinary andrology. The purpose of this study was to optimize slide preparation (dilution grade and sperm washing), staining procedures and analysis conditions (colour of light source and objective magnification) for the morphometric analysis of bull spermatozoa using the Hamilton Thorne morphology analyzer integrated visual optical system (IVOS). For experiment 1, one ejaculate was collected from one bull and diluted to 200 000,300 000 spermatozoa/,l. Slides were prepared and stained using seven different procedures: rapid Papanicolaou (PAP), rapid Papanicolaou with prolonged staining times (PAP+), Diff-Quik (DIF), haematoxylin (HEM), Farelly (FAR), Spermac (SPER) and the modified GZIN (MGZIN) staining. All slides were analysed using a Hamilton Thorne Morphology Analyser IVOS equipped alternatively with a red, green or blue light source, and a 40× or 100× oil immersion objective. Recognition and digitization errors as well as morphometric parameters were determined. The IVOS was unable to detect DIF-stained spermatozoa. The GZIN and the SPER staining as well as the blue light source led to unsatisfactory results. Among the staining methods examined, the FAR, HEM, PAP+, and PAP staining, preferably in combination with the green light source, and the 40× objective yielded optimal results concerning sperm recognition and digitization. The 100× objective did not allow reliable analysis of the sperm heads because of a frequently appearing digitization error. For experiment 2, three ejaculates were collected from each of three bulls and diluted to five dilution grades (100 000,500 000 spermatozoa/,l). An aliquot of each dilution grade was washed additionally. The percentage of correctly digitized sperm heads decreased with increasing spermatozoal concentration. However, the evaluation speed increased. The range of 200 000,300 000 spermatozoa/,l appeared to be a reasonable compromise for both criteria. Sperm washing failed to further improve the analysis results. Sperm head dimensions were influenced significantly by all variations of the methods in both experiments. In conclusion, using the proposed methods, the IVOS allows precise and reliable morphometric analyses of bull spermatozoa. The consistent application of these procedures may lead to an inter-laboratory standardization and to further establishment of generally accepted morphometric criteria used in human andrology (e.g. World Health Organisation or strict criteria). [source] "THE FARTHER REACHES OF HUMAN TIME": RETROSPECT ON CARL SAUER AS PREHISTORIAN,GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW, Issue 4 2002DAVID R. HARRIS ABSTRACT. Carl Ortwin Sauer (1889,1975) is widely regarded as one of the most influential geographers of the twentieth century, admired particularly for his studies in cultural and historical geography. His contribution to the study of prehistory is less widely acknowledged, but, between 1944 and 1962, he published a series of speculative yet scholarly papers that contain many prescient insights into humanity's remote past and the relationships of our ancestors to the environments they occupied,and modified. In this essay, based on the Carl O. Sauer Memorial Lecture given at the University of California, Berkeley, in October 2001, I reflect on Sauer's contribution to the science of prehistory by examining, in the light of recent advances in knowledge, two major themes of Sauer's work: the early dispersal of Homo sapiens in the Old World, and the origins and prehistoric spread of agriculture. [source] Local Participation in Natural Resource Monitoring: a Characterization of ApproachesCONSERVATION BIOLOGY, Issue 1 2009FINN DANIELSEN conservación; evaluación de la biodiversidad; esquemas de monitoreo; intereses locales; manejo de recursos naturales Abstract:,The monitoring of trends in the status of species or habitats is routine in developed countries, where it is funded by the state or large nongovernmental organizations and often involves large numbers of skilled amateur volunteers. Far less monitoring of natural resources takes place in developing countries, where state agencies have small budgets, there are fewer skilled professionals or amateurs, and socioeconomic conditions prevent development of a culture of volunteerism. The resulting lack of knowledge about trends in species and habitats presents a serious challenge for detecting, understanding, and reversing declines in natural resource values. International environmental agreements require signatories undertake systematic monitoring of their natural resources, but no system exists to guide the development and expansion of monitoring schemes. To help develop such a protocol, we suggest a typology of monitoring categories, defined by their degree of local participation, ranging from no local involvement with monitoring undertaken by professional researchers to an entirely local effort with monitoring undertaken by local people. We assessed the strengths and weaknesses of each monitoring category and the potential of each to be sustainable in developed or developing countries. Locally based monitoring is particularly relevant in developing countries, where it can lead to rapid decisions to solve the key threats affecting natural resources, can empower local communities to better manage their resources, and can refine sustainable-use strategies to improve local livelihoods. Nevertheless, we recognize that the accuracy and precision of the monitoring undertaken by local communities in different situations needs further study and field protocols need to be further developed to get the best from the unrealized potential of this approach. A challenge to conservation biologists is to identify and establish the monitoring system most relevant to a particular situation and to develop methods to integrate outputs from across the spectrum of monitoring schemes to produce wider indices of natural resources that capture the strengths of each. Resumen:,El monitoreo de tendencias en el estatus de especies o hábitats es rutinario en los países desarrollados, donde es financiado por el estado o por grandes organizaciones no gubernamentales y a menudo involucra a grandes números de voluntarios amateurs competentes. El monitoreo de recursos naturales es menos intenso en los países en desarrollo, donde las agencias estatales tienen presupuestos pequeños, hay menos profesionales o amateurs competentes y las condiciones socioeconómicas limitan el desarrollo de una cultura de voluntariado. La consecuente falta de conocimientos sobre las tendencias de las especies y los hábitats presenta un serio reto para la detección, entendimiento y reversión de las declinaciones de los recursos naturales. Los tratados ambientales internacionales requieren que los signatarios realicen monitoreos sistemáticos de sus recursos naturales, pero no existe un sistema para guiar el desarrollo y la expansión de los esquemas de monitoreo. Para ayudar al desarrollo de tal protocolo, sugerimos una tipología de categorías de monitoreo, definidas por el nivel de participación local, desde ningún involucramiento local con el monitoreo realizado por investigadores profesionales hasta un esfuerzo completamente local con el monitoreo llevado a cabo por habitantes locales. Evaluamos las fortalezas y debilidades de cada categoría de monitoreo, así como su sustentabilidad potencial en países desarrollados o en desarrollo. El monitoreo basado localmente es particularmente relevante en los países en desarrollo, donde puede llevar a decisiones rápidas para resolver amenazas clave sobre sus recursos naturales, puede facultar a las comunidades locales para un mejor manejo de sus recursos naturales y puede refinar las estrategias de uso sustentable para mejorar la forma de vida local. Sin embargo, reconocemos que la precisión y exactitud del monitoreo llevado a cabo por comunidades locales en situaciones diferentes requiere de mayor estudio y los protocolos de campo requieren de mayor desarrollo para obtener lo mejor del potencial de este método. Un reto para los biólogos de la conservación es la identificación y establecimiento del sistema de monitoreo más relevante para la situación particular, así como el desarrollo de métodos para integrar los resultados de una gama de esquemas de monitoreo para producir índices de recursos naturales más amplios que capturen las fortalezas de cada uno. [source] African elephants: the effect of property rights and political stabilityCONTEMPORARY ECONOMIC POLICY, Issue 1 2000MA. McPherson African elephant populations have declined by more than 50% over the past 20 years. International outrage over the slaughter led to a worldwide ban on ivory sales beginning in 1989, despite the objections of many economists and scientists, and of several southern African countries that have established systems of property rights over elephants. Far from declining, elephant populations in many of these countries have increased to levels at or above the carrying capacity of the ecosystem. This article estimates the determinants of changes in elephant populations in 35 African countries over several time periods. The authors find that, controlling for other factors, countries with property rights systems of community wildlife programs have more rapid elephant population growth rates than do those countries that do not. Political instability and the absence of representative governments significantly lower elephant growth rates. [source] Imitation Is Far More Than the Sincerest of Flattery: The Mimetic Power of Spirit Possession in Rajasthan, IndiaCULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY, Issue 1 2002Jeffrey G. Snodgrass First page of article [source] A Bridge Too Far?ENGLISH IN EDUCATION, Issue 2 2001Floppy Fail the Apprentice Reader, How Biff, Kipper Abstract This article is the result of a re-examination of reading scheme books. Taking a literary perspective, the implied reader was investigated in the most popular scheme, The Oxford Reading nee, in order to ascertain how the reader is constructed by the text. It is argued that such texts covertly construct a passive, struggling reader. As such, this has important implications for the National Literacy Strategy, particularly in the selection of texts for Guided Reading. Summary Reading scheme books are designed to bridge the gap between the oral language of the child and the literary language of the book. What is considered important is a recognisable primary world. There is little dialogue yet the language is supposed to reflect that of the child. Short simple sentences devoid of cohesive devices are considered easier to read because the apprentice reader is deemed not to have stamina. Key words such as nouns and verbs are emphasised and little attention is paid to rhythm, hence few elisions and much repetition. As such the reading scheme does not reflect the language of the child for there is little colloquial expression and the lack of literary features actually makes the text very difficult to read. Implied is a reader who is going to find the whole process difficult and has little to bring to the text. On the other hand the children's literature analysed enjoys a variety of narratives and subject matter yet all support the apprentice reader. Such literary texts employ cohesive devices, the third person has a sense of telling with echoes of the oral tradition while those in first person offer a sense of a teller close to the reader. Direct speech is used, which acts as a bridge from the oral to the literary world. The reader is being guided and helped and not left to struggle. Ironically, it is the literary text that offers more support than the supposedly carefully constructed reading scheme. Furthermore, it can be seen that the reading scheme examined constructs a passive reader to whom things happen. The construction of childhood itself is without joy, excitement and wonder. There is a dullness in the text and a dullness in the characters and the plot that constructs a negative view of reading and a negative construction of the child. The model in Figure 1 summarises the difference between the two types of text: Clearly this has implications for texts selected for pupils to read in the National Literacy Strategy, particularly for Guided Reading. There is no shortage in the UK of appropriate, well-written and superbly illustrated children's books that challenge, support and create an interest in literature. It remains a mystery why the dull reading scheme still has such a strong place in the primary classroom. [source] Sexual and Religious Politics in Book I of Spenser's Faerie QueeneENGLISH LITERARY RENAISSANCE, Issue 2 2004Harry Berger Jr. Recent criticism that professes to be gender-sensitive and post-new-historicist still refuses to entertain the possibility that The Faerie Queene might distance itself from the misogyny embedded in the spectrum of Reformation discourses from the Puritan to the Papist pole. But Spenser could have found and reacted to misogyny not only in the religious polemics of his century but also in the intertextual archive of precursors to which The Faerie Queene so richly alludes. The problematic treatment of woman in Book 1 is not ingenuous, peripheral, nor accidental. Far from merely participating in the misogynist metaphorics of religious polemics, Book 1 performs a critique of it. Spenser shows how the male protagonist's fear and loathing of himself gets displaced to female scapegoats,Error, Duessa, Lucifera, Night,and how Una reinforces this evasive process of self-correction. In the episodes of Una's adventure with the lion (canto 3) and the house of Pride (canto 4), Book 1 interrogates both romance conventions and anti-papist allegory. [source] Does a critical mass exist?EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF POLITICAL RESEARCH, Issue 2 2002A comparative analysis of women's legislative representation since 1950 It has often been argued theoretically that a ,critical mass,' ranging from 10 to 35 per cent women, is needed before major changes in legislative institutions, behaviour, policy priorities and policy voting occurs. This paper examines one of the less-explored dimensions of the critical mass concept: Is there a process by which women reaching a critical mass of the legislature accelerates the election of further women? Using data from the Inter-Parliamentary Union and International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, we analyze this question for 20 industrialized democracies over a period of half a century, longer than any other relevant research. Descriptive results indicate that gains in women's representation have been incremental rather than a critical mass accelerating the election of women to legislatures. In a multivariate analysis of the percentage of women in the lower house of the legislature, the critical mass is tested against established explanations of women's gains in seats: institutional rules, egalitarian political culture, political parties and economic development. Of two measures of the critical mass theory, one has no impact and the second results in only a small increase in women's gains. Far from being clearly demonstrated, critical mass theories need empirical testing. [source] Metamaterials: How Far Are We from Making Metamaterials by Self-Organization?ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 7 2010The Microstructure of Highly Anisotropic Particles with an SRR-Like Geometry (Adv. Funct. As part of ongoing efforts to create metamaterials by engineered self-organization using solidification of eutectics, D. A. Pawlak et al. report on page 1116 the fabrication of a fractal material with split-tubes mimicking (in cross section) the famous split-ring resonators (SRRs). The latter, when made of metal, are the basic element of a structure showing negative refractive index. This article shows that metallo-dielectric structures can be fabricated. The method employed has high potential for manufacturing materials with various functionalities. [source] How Far Are We from Making Metamaterials by Self-Organization?ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 7 2010The Microstructure of Highly Anisotropic Particles with an SRR-Like Geometry Abstract Metamaterials offer new unusual electromagnetic properties, which have already been demonstrated, and many postulated new functionalities are yet to be realized. Currently, however, metamaterials are mostly limited by narrow band behavior, high losses, and limitation in making genuinely 3D materials. In order to overcome these problems an overlap between metamaterial concepts and materials science is necessary. Engineered self-organization is presented as a future approach to metamaterial manufacturing. Using directional solidification of eutectics, the first experimental realization of self-organized particles with a split-ring resonator-like cross section is demonstrated. This unusual morphology/microstructure of the eutectic composite has a fractal character. With the use of TEM and XRD the clear influence of the atomic crystal arrangement on the microstructure geometry is presented. The materials obtained present very high anisotropy and can be obtained in large pieces. Metallodielectric structures can be created by etching and filling the space with metal. The next steps in the development of self-organized materials exhibiting unusual properties are discussed. [source] ARCHITECTURAL GEOGRAPHIES OF THE AIRPORT BALCONY: MOBILITY, SENSATION AND THE THEATRE OF FLIGHTGEOGRAFISKA ANNALER SERIES B: HUMAN GEOGRAPHY, Issue 1 2008Peter Adey ABSTRACT. Contemporary studies within the apparent ,mobility turn' focus upon airports as sites indicative of our mobile world, yet they tend to forgo investigations of the contextual architectural geographies that shape and inflect these mobilities. This paper examines the relationship between the architecture of the airport balcony and practices of seeing. While recent scholarship has taken airports to be incredible symbolizers of power and places of heightened visual scrutiny, the paper explores how through the architectural mediation of seeing, early airports were designed to instil specific inspirations, beliefs and messages within the airport user , constructing a new and modern experience. Far from a blank space evacuated of social presence and meaning, the paper investigates how airport design interacts with and shapes social experience. By examining the mobile practices and experiences of inhabiting the airport balcony, the paper advances conceptualizations of moving and seeing by complicating their practice as ,collective individuations' of social, architectural and sensual engagements, registers, and percepts. [source] ,Erkenntnistheoretische Maschinen': Questions about the Sublime in the Work of Raoul SchrottGERMAN LIFE AND LETTERS, Issue 2 2002Karen Leeder This paper examines a new mode in recent German poetry. Far from the poetry influenced by the recent re-emergence of ,pop' culture, or the ,Alltagssprache' and ,simple Storys' of much recent writing from the former GDR, a number of poets have concerned themselves with modern science, particularly quantum mechanics and optics. These are among some of the most significant young poets of recent years (Thomas Kling, Franz Josef Czernin, Barbara Köhler, Durs Grünbein, Raoul Schrott etc.), figuring something which might be dubbed a contemporary of the ,poeta doctus'. This new discourse is interesting enough in itself, as poetry and science have, in the twentieth century at least, often been thought to be diametrically opposed. However, closer examination of this work, particularly that of Raoul Schrott (b. 1964), an ,emerging' and, paradoxically, already very distinguished writer, reveals that poetry and science can be understood as pro-foundly analogous; particularly in their use of metaphor. Fascinatingly, the contemporary discourse of science is set alongside classical (mythological) models in his work. They are both understood as finally hopeless projects to humanise the vast indifference of the universe: ,ein anderes sich in die leere/sagen'. The poem as ,epistemological machine' is set to interrogate the places where those human maps, models and vocabularies fail. The real territory of Schrott's work is thus revealed , in Hotels (1995), in essays, in four works of recent prose, and especially in Tropen (1998) , to be the boundaries of perception ,sub limes, where the models of human understanding fall away and point beyond themselves to an experience of the ,sublime'. [source] FELLOW CITIZENS AND IMPERIAL SUBJECTS: CONQUEST AND SOVEREIGNTY IN EUROPE'S OVERSEAS EMPIRESHISTORY AND THEORY, Issue 4 2005ANTHONY PAGDEN ABSTRACT This article traces the association between the European overseas empires and the concept of sovereignty, arguing that, ever since the days of Cicero,if not earlier,Europeans had clung to the idea that there was a close association between a people and the territory it happened to occupy. This made it necessary to think of an "empire" as a unity,an "immense body," to use Tacitus's phrase,that would embrace all its subjects under a single sovereign. By the end of the eighteenth century it had become possible, in this way, to speak of "empires of liberty" that would operate for the ultimate benefit of all their "citizens," freeing them from previous tyrannical rulers and bringing them under the protection of more benign regimes. In such empires sovereignty could only ever be, as it had become in Europe, undivided. The collapse of Europe's "first" empires in the Americas, however, was followed rapidly by Napoleon's attempt to create a new kind of Empire in Europe. The ultimate, and costly, failure of this project led many, Benjamin Constant among them, to believe that the age of empires was now over and had been replaced by the age of commerce. But what in fact succeeded Napoleon was the modern European state system, which attempted not to replace empire by trade, as Constant had hoped, but to create a new kind of empire, one that sought to minimize domination and settlement, and to make a sharp distinction between imperial ruler and imperial subject. In this kind of empire, sovereignty could only be "divided." Various kinds of divided rule were thus devised in the nineteenth century. Far, however, from being an improvement on the past, this ultimately resulted in,or at least contributed greatly to,the emergence of the largely fictional and inevitably unstable societies that after the final collapse of the European empires became the new states of the "developing world." [source] Newly available treatments for psoriatic arthritis and their impact on skin psoriasisINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 3 2003Hassan Galadari Abstract Far from being a "benign" arthropathy, as it was initially characterized, psoriatic arthritis (PsA) affects approximately 0.2% of the US population and can be associated with considerable joint damage, symptomatology, and quality of life impairment. PsA shares many characteristics with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and new, rationally designed drugs that are effective in RA also are proving active in PsA. Two such drugs, etanercept and infliximab, target tumor necrosis factor (TNF), a key component of the inflammatory response. This review discusses the rationale for and experience with the use of these agents in PsA. Etanercept is a dimeric fusion protein that binds specifically to TNF, blocking its interaction with cell surface TNF receptors. Infliximab is a chimeric (murine/human) monoclonal antibody that binds to TNF and inhibits its binding to its receptor. A randomized placebo-controlled trial of etanercept in PsA found statistically significant benefits for this agent in measures of arthritic activity and psoriatic severity. There have been anecdotal reports of the efficacy of infliximab in PsA, but results from controlled clinical trials of this agent in PsA have not been reported. TNF inhibitors represent new therapeutic options for patients with PsA. The potential advantages of treatment with etanercept and infliximab early in the disease course are discussed. [source] Truth-telling, honesty and compassion: A virtue-based exploration of a dilemma in practiceINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NURSING PRACTICE, Issue 5 2008Ann M Begley In this paper a discussion of the strengths of a virtue-based approach to ethics in nursing is discussed. Virtue ethics is often depicted as vague and lacking in any convincing application to the reality of practice. It is argued that exploring issues from a virtue perspective offers the possibility of a sensitive moral response which is grounded in the context of the client and his family. Far from being vague, virtue ethics offers guidance in practice, but this guidance acknowledges the complexity of individual lives as opposed to the impartiality and abstract nature of traditional moral theory, rules and principles. The vehicle for discussion is a case in practice. The position presented here is that in taking account of the salient features of each individual case, withholding the truth from adults with a life threatening illness can be justified for compassionate reasons. [source] Radio resource management across multiple protocol layers in satellite networks: a tutorial overviewINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS AND NETWORKING, Issue 5 2005Paolo Barsocchi Abstract Satellite transmissions have an important role in telephone communications, television broadcasting, computer communications, maritime navigation, and military command and control. Moreover, in many situations they may be the only possible communication set-up. Trends in telecommunications indicate that four major growth market/service areas are messaging and navigation services (wireless and satellite), mobility services (wireless and satellite), video delivery services (cable and satellite), and interactive multimedia services (fibre/cable, satellite). When using geostationary satellites (GEO), the long propagation delay may have great impact, given the end-to-end delay user's requirements of relevant applications; moreover, atmospheric conditions may seriously affect data transmission. Since satellite bandwidth is a relatively scarce resource compared to the terrestrial one (e.g. in optical transport networks), and the environment is harsher, resource management of the radio segment plays an important role in the system's efficiency and economy. The radio resource management (RMM) entity is responsible for the utilization of the air interface resources, and covers power control, handover, admission control, congestion control, bandwidth allocation, and packet scheduling. RRM functions are crucial for the best possible utilization of the capacity. RRM functions can be implemented in different ways, thus having an impact on the overall system efficiency. This tutorial aims to provide an overview of satellite transmission aspects at various OSI layers, with emphasis on the MAC layer; some cross-layer solutions for bandwidth allocation are also indicated. Far from being an exhaustive survey (mainly due to the extensive nature of the subject), it offers the readers an extensive bibliography, which could be used for further research on specific aspects. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Faith as Self-Understanding: Towards a Post-Barthian Appreciation of Rudolf BultmannINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY, Issue 1 2008BENJAMIN MYERS Following Barth's critique, contemporary theologians have argued that Bultmann's concept of faith as self-understanding undermines the reality of God and reduces theology to anthropology. This article argues that such arguments rest on a misreading of Bultmann. Far from anthropologizing theological knowledge, Bultmann identifies faith with self-understanding precisely in order to maintain the distinctiveness of God's reality. According to Bultmann, the locus of all true knowledge of God is the living christological event of divine,human encounter in which God is both related to and differentiated from humanity. This conception of God and faith remains relevant, and it offers valuable resources to theological reflection today. [source] The New Law of War: Legitimizing Hi,Tech and Infrastructural ViolenceINTERNATIONAL STUDIES QUARTERLY, Issue 3 2002Thomas W. Smith This article examines how humanitarian laws of war have been recast in light of a new generation of hi,tech weapons and innovations in strategic theory. Far from falling into disuse, humanitarian law is invoked more frequently than ever to confer legitimacy on military action. New legal interpretations, diminished ad bellum rules, and an expansive view of military necessity are coalescing in a regime of legal warfare that licenses hi,tech states to launch wars as long as their conduct is deemed just. The ascendance of technical legalism has undercut customary restraints on the use of armed force and has opened a legal chasm between technological haves and have,nots. Most striking is the use of legal language to justify the erosion of distinctions between soldiers and civilians and to legitimize collateral damage. Hi,tech warfare has dramatically curbed immediate civilian casualties, yet the law sanctions infrastructural campaigns that harm long,term public health and human rights in ways that are now clear. [source] How Far to Reduce Blood Pressure in Patients With Diabetes,Even After ACCORD, Questions RemainJOURNAL OF CLINICAL HYPERTENSION, Issue 5 2010Michael Weber MD No abstract is available for this article. [source] Preparing for "diastole": Advanced training opportunities for academic hospitalistsJOURNAL OF HOSPITAL MEDICINE, Issue 6 2006Vineet Arora MD Abstract Academic hospital medicine can be described as comprising periods of "systole," during which hospitalists provide clinical care, and periods of "diastole," the portion of a hospitalist's time spent in nonclinical activities. Far from being a period of relaxation, diastole is an active component of a hospitalist's work, the time devoted to the pursuit of career advancement. This period is a critical opportunity for career development in terms of medical research, education, quality improvement, or administration. An appropriate balance of systole and diastole may potentially prevent burnout and allow hospitalists opportunities to focus on academic advancement. Although an increasing number of residency graduates opt for a career in academic hospital medicine, few are prepared for the period of diastole. This article describes several career options in academic hospital medicine, specifically, opportunities in education, research, quality improvement, and administrative opportunities. By informing future hospitalists about the career opportunities within academic hospital medicine possible through managing their diastolic time, we hope that future generations of trainees will be better prepared to enter this field. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2006;1:368,377. © 2006 Society of Hospital Medicine. [source] Signaling in Political Budget Cycles: How Far Are You Willing to Go?JOURNAL OF PUBLIC ECONOMIC THEORY, Issue 2 2005JORGE MIGUEL STREB A key assumption in the literature on political cycles with rational voters and opportunistic politicians is that opportunism is common knowledge. In this framework, political cycles have been interpreted as a signal of competency. However, if opportunism is not common knowledge, cycles may no longer indicate competency, but rather opportunism. This is because highly opportunistic incumbents are willing to go farther to be reelected. Since political cycles require discretionality to reallocate budget items, a decrease of discretionality curbs cycles. It may also make elections more effective at selecting competent incumbents. [source] How Far Could Free Religious Thinking Go?JOURNAL OF RELIGIOUS HISTORY, Issue 4 2008The Case of Johann Rudolf Werdmüller, Zurich 165 In 1658, Johann(es) Rudolf Werdmüller, a renowned Zurich general and diplomat, was accused of blasphemy. As it referred to essential religious matters, the accusation had a considerable public impact. The court files of the case provide evidence of wider battles over the desirability and nature of religious tolerance. Instead of narrating a case story this analysis suggests a different approach to the history of religion. The sources are not taken as documents expressing a discursive system of philosophical points of view and their appearance in religious polemics. Rather, the court files stand for specific speech acts, i.e. verbal performances in the linguistic sense. Thus, Werdmüller's example is taken to demonstrate that those considered to be blasphemers in the era of confessionalisation did not simply express religious scepticism in the form of "discourses," nor did they rebel against authority figures or resort to forms of magic. Rather, they provoked their society, discussed religious matters, entertained their audience and competed wittingly with those interested in religious issues. In conclusion, it is proposed that the history of religion should not be confined to a history of ideas and religious doctrines but should integrate linguistic approaches. [source] Microstructure,Dielectric Properties Relationship in Ba0.6Sr0.4TiO3,Mg2SiO4,Al2O3 Composite CeramicsJOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CERAMIC SOCIETY, Issue 1 2010Ying Chen 0.60Ba0.6Sr0.4TiO3(BST),(0.40,x)Mg2SiO4(MS),xAl2O3 (x=0, 0.5, 3, 5wt%) composite ceramics exhibit excellent characteristics suitable for tunable device applications. With increasing amount of Al, the dielectric peak can be quantitatively broadened and suppressed; the "phase transition temperature"Tc or (Tm) shifts to a lower temperature. Meanwhile, the tunability is still high in a wider temperature range. Far from Tc, pyroelectric effects are observed by using the Byer and Roundy technology and Slim polarization hysteresis loops are observed under high ac dielectric field at 10Hz. These proved the existence of spontaneous polarization in certain possible orientations in a broad temperature range above Tc in the paraelectric medium and reveal why 0.60BST,(0.40,x)MS,xAl2O3 have such remarkable dielectric nonlinearity. [source] A model for quantitative evaluation of an end-to-end question-answering systemJOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR INFORMATION SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, Issue 8 2007Nina Wacholder We describe a procedure for quantitative evaluation of interactive question-answering systems and illustrate it with application to the High-Quality Interactive Question-Answering (HITIQA) system. Our objectives were (a) to design a method to realistically and reliably assess interactive question-answering systems by comparing the quality of reports produced using different systems, (b) to conduct a pilot test of this method, and (c) to perform a formative evaluation of the HITIQA system. Far more important than the specific information gathered from this pilot evaluation is the development of (a) a protocol for evaluating an emerging technology, (b) reusable assessment instruments, and (c) the knowledge gained in conducting the evaluation. We conclude that this method, which uses a surprisingly small number of subjects and does not rely on predetermined relevance judgments, measures the impact of system change on work produced by users. Therefore this method can be used to compare the product of interactive systems that use different underlying technologies. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||