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Greater Influence (greater + influence)
Selected AbstractsExamining the Antecedents and Consequences of CIO Strategic Decision-Making Authority: An Empirical Study,DECISION SCIENCES, Issue 4 2008David S. Preston ABSTRACT Despite the strategic importance of information technology (IT) to contemporary firms, chief information officers (CIO) often still have varying degrees of strategic decision-making authority. In this study, we apply the theory of managerial discretion to define CIO strategic decision-making authority and argue that the CIO's level of strategic decision-making authority directly influences IT's contribution to organization performance. We also draw on the power and politics perspective in the strategic decision-making literature to identify the direct antecedents to the CIO's strategic decision-making authority. A theoretical model is presented and empirically tested using survey data collected from a cross-industry sample of 174 matched pairs of CIOs and top business executives through structural equation modeling. The results suggest that organizational climate, organizational support for IT, the CIO's structural power, the CIO's level of strategic effectiveness, and a strong partnership between the CIO and top management team directly influence the CIO's level of strategic decision-making authority within the organization. The results also suggest that the CIO's strategic decision-making authority in the organization directly influences the contribution of IT to firm performance and that effective CIOs have a greater influence on IT's contribution when provided with strategic decision-making authority. [source] Effects of the presence of the father on pup development in California mice (Peromyscus californicus)DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOBIOLOGY, Issue 3 2003Mauro L. Vieira Abstract Pup development and behavior in California mice were studied in litters housed with single mothers, or with fathers and mothers living together. Behavior of pups was recorded during a 15-min session every 2 days from 10 to 30 days of age. Physical contact, locomotion, grooming, and physical development indicators were recorded. It was found that the physical contact between siblings was greater and there was a tendency to have more contact between pup and either parent in the group in which the father was present. Finally, it was noted that the presence of the father did not affect either the first appearance of pup behavior during development or physical growth. In conclusion, the results indicate that the presence of the father had a greater influence on social contact between the different members of the litter than on pup behavioral development and physical growth. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 42: 246,251, 2003. [source] Wood distribution in neotropical forested headwater streams of La Selva, Costa RicaEARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS, Issue 9 2009Daniel Cadol Abstract Surveys of wood along 30 forested headwater stream reaches in La Selva Biological Station in north-eastern Costa Rica represent the first systematic data reported on wood loads in neotropical streams. For streams with drainage areas of 0·1,8·5 km2 and gradients of 0·2,8%, wood load ranged from 3 to 34·7 m3 wood/100 m channel and 41,612 m3 wood/ha channel. These values are within the range reported for temperate streams. The variables wood diameter/flow depth, stream power, the presence of backflooding, and channel width/depth are consistently selected as significant predictors by statistical models for wood load. These variables explain half to two-thirds of the variability in wood load. These results, along with the spatial distribution of wood with respect to the thalweg, suggest that transport processes exert a greater influence on wood loads than recruitment processes. Wood appears to be more geomorphically effective in altering bed elevations in gravel-bed reaches than in reaches with coarser or finer substrate. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Persistence of road runoff generation in a logged catchment in Peninsular MalaysiaEARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS, Issue 13 2007Alan D. Ziegler Abstract Measurements of saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) and diagnostic model simulations show that all types of logging road/trail in the 14·4 ha Bukit Tarek Experimental Catchment 3 (BTEC3) generate substantial Horton overland flow (HOF) during most storms, regardless of design and level of trafficking. Near-surface Ks(0,0·05 m) on the main logging road, skid trails and newly constructed logging terraces was less than 1, 2 and 34 mm h,1, respectively. Near-surface Ks on an abandoned skid trail in an adjacent basin was higher (62 mm h,1), owing to the development of a thin organic-rich layer on the running surface over the past 40 years. Saturated hydraulic conductivity measured at 0·25 m below the surface of all roads was not different (all <6 mm h,1) and corresponded to the Ks of the adjacent hillslope subsoil, as most roads were excavated into the regolith more than 0·5,1 m. After 40 years, only limited recovery in near-surface Ks occurred on the abandoned skid trail. This road generated HOF after the storage capacity of the upper near-surface layer was exceeded during events larger than about 20 mm. Thus, excavation into low- Ks substrate had a greater influence on the persistence of surface runoff production than did surface compaction by machinery during construction and subsequent use during logging operations. Overland flow on BTEC3 roads was also augmented by the interception of shallow subsurface flow traveling along the soil,saprolite/bedrock interface and return flow emerging from the cutbank through shallow biogenic pipes. The most feasible strategy for reducing long-term road-related impacts in BTEC3 is limiting the depth of excavation and designing a more efficient road network, including minimizing the length and connectivity of roads and skid trails. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Why Do Banks Go Abroad?,Evidence from German DataFINANCIAL MARKETS, INSTITUTIONS & INSTRUMENTS, Issue 1 2000Claudia M. Buch This paper provides empirical evidence on the determinants of foreign activities of German banks. We use regionally disaggregated panel data for the years 1981,98 and distinguish foreign direct investment from total foreign assets of domestic banks, of their foreign branches and of their subsidiaries. Foreign activities are found to be positively related to demand conditions on the local market, foreign activities of German firms, and the presence of financial centers. This supports the hypothesis that German banks follow their customers abroad. Exchange rate volatility has some negative impact. EU membership and the abolition of capital controls seem to have exerted a greater influence on foreign assets than on FDI of German banks, thus weakly supporting the hypothesis that the two are substitutes. [source] Temporal coherence of two alpine lake basins of the Colorado Front Range, U.S.A.FRESHWATER BIOLOGY, Issue 3 2000J. I. L. L. S. Baron 1. Knowledge of synchrony in trends is important to determining regional responses of lakes to disturbances such as atmospheric deposition and climate change. We explored the temporal coherence of physical and chemical characteristics of two series of mostly alpine lakes in nearby basins of the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Using year-to-year variation over a 10-year period, we asked whether lakes more similar in exposure to the atmosphere be-haved more similarly than those with greater influence of catchment or in-lake processes. 2. The Green Lakes Valley and Loch Vale Watershed are steeply incised basins with strong altitudinal gradients. There are glaciers at the heads of each catchment. The eight lakes studied are small, shallow and typically ice-covered for more than half the year. Snowmelt is the dominant hydrological event each year, flushing about 70% of the annual discharge from each lake between April and mid-July. The lakes do not thermally stratify during the period of open water. Data from these lakes included surface water temper-ature, sulphate, nitrate, calcium, silica, bicarbonate alkalinity and conductivity. 3. Coherence was estimated by Pearson's correlation coefficient between lake pairs for each of the different variables. Despite close geographical proximity, there was not a strong direct signal from climatic or atmospheric conditions across all lakes in the study. Individual lake characteristics overwhelmed regional responses. Temporal coherence was higher for lakes within each basin than between basins and was highest for nearest neighbours. 4. Among the Green Lakes, conductivity, alkalinity and temperature were temporally coherent, suggesting that these lakes were sensitive to climate fluctuations. Water tem-perature is indicative of air temperature, and conductivity and alkalinity concentrations are indicative of dilution from the amount of precipitation flushed through by snowmelt. 5. In Loch Vale, calcium, conductivity, nitrate, sulphate and alkalinity were temporally coherent, while silica and temperature were not. This suggests that external influences are attenuated by internal catchment and lake processes in Loch Vale lakes. Calcium and sulphate are primarily weathering products, but sulphate derives both from deposition and from mineral weathering. Different proportions of snowmelt versus groundwater in different years could influence summer lake concentrations. Nitrate is elevated in lake waters from atmospheric deposition, but the internal dynamics of nitrate and silica may be controlled by lake food webs. Temperature is attenuated by inconsistently different climates across altitude and glacial meltwaters. 6. It appears that, while the lakes in the two basins are topographically close, geologically and morphologically similar, and often connected by streams, only some attributes are temporally coherent. Catchment and in-lake processes influenced temporal patterns, especially for temperature, alkalinity and silica. Montane lakes with high altitudinal gradients may be particularly prone to local controls compared to systems where coherence is more obvious. [source] Phenotypic plasticity of body size at different temperatures in a planktonic rotifer: mechanisms and adaptive significanceFUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY, Issue 6 2002C. P. Stelzer Summary 1Larger body size at low temperatures is a commonly observed phenomenon in ectothermic organisms. The mechanisms that lead to this pattern and its possible adaptive significance were studied in laboratory experiments using the parthenogenetically reproducing rotifer Synchaeta pectinata. 2At low temperatures of 4 °C mean body volume was 46% larger than in individuals cultured at 12 °C. Egg volume was 35% larger in low vs high temperatures. 3Larger body size at low temperatures was caused by two mechanisms. First, when exposed to low temperatures, mothers laid larger eggs and the hatchlings of these eggs developed into larger adults (irrespective of temperature). Second, individuals cultured at low temperatures grew to a larger body size during their juvenile phase. The former mechanism had a greater influence on adult size than the latter. 4The production of larger eggs at low temperatures seemed to be due to a higher reproductive investment into individual offspring as it occurred independently of differences in maternal size. 5Life table experiments showed that offspring from small eggs (produced at high temperatures) had a significantly higher population growth rate than offspring from large eggs, when cultured at high temperatures. This was mainly due to an increase in fertility during the first days of adult life. [source] Impact of elevated carbon dioxide on the rhizosphere communities of Carex arenaria and Festuca rubraGLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, Issue 11 2007BARBARA DRIGO Abstract The increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels is predicted to stimulate plant carbon (C) fixation, potentially influencing the size, structure and function of micro- and mesofaunal communities inhabiting the rhizosphere. To assess the effects of increased atmospheric CO2 on bacterial, fungal and nematode communities in the rhizosphere, Carex arenaria (a nonmycorrhizal plant species) and Festuca rubra (a mycorrhizal plant species) were grown in three dune soils under controlled soil temperature and moisture conditions, while subjecting the aboveground compartment to defined atmospheric conditions differing in CO2 concentrations (350 and 700 ,L L,1). Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis methods were used to examine effects on the size and structure of rhizosphere communities. Multivariate analysis of community profiles showed that bacteria were most affected by elevated CO2, and fungi and nematodes to a lesser extent. The influence of elevated CO2 was plant dependent, with the mycorrhizal plant (F. rubra) exerting a greater influence on bacterial and fungal communities. Biomarker data indicated that arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) may play an important role in the observed soil community responses. Effects of elevated CO2 were also soil dependent, with greater influence observed in the more organic-rich soils, which also supported higher levels of AMF colonization. These results indicate that responses of soil-borne communities to elevated CO2 are different for bacteria, fungi and nematodes and dependent on the plant type and soil nutrient availability. [source] Factors Influencing Migraineur-Consulting Behavior in a University PopulationHEADACHE, Issue 5 2006Monica L. Skomo PharmD Objective.,The purpose of this study was to identify factors that contribute to treatment-seeking behavior in migraineurs in a large employer population. Specifically, the impact of psychographic variables, such as social support, attitudes toward medication, locus of control, and migraine-associated disability, are considered concomitantly with demographic and disease severity variables. Background.,Migraine remains an underconsulted condition. Previous explorations of demographic factors and headache characteristics have not adequately predicted migraineur physician-consulting behavior. Methods.,University employees and students experiencing headaches were interviewed by pharmacists to determine whether they suffer from migraine using the International Headache Society (IHS) criteria for migraine. Identified migraineurs were categorized into 3 groups: (1) never-consulter, (2) lapsed-consulter, and (3) current-consulter. Each group was asked to complete an instrument that assesses perceived social support (Headache Social Support Questionnaire), medication attitudes (Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire), locus of control (Headache-Specific Locus of Control Scale), and migraine-associated disability (Migraine Disability Assessment Questionnaire). Univariate (ANOVA) and multivariate (logistic regression) approaches were used to identify factors associated with migraineur-consulting behavior. Results.,A total of 100 subjects participated in the study. Eighty-two participants met IHS criteria for migraine, of whom 22 were never-consulters, 20 were lapsed-consulters, and 40 were current-consulters. The consulter groups differed on scores acquired from the Social Support Active Involvement subscale (P= .04) and the Healthcare Professional Locus of Control subscale (P= .010). The logistic regression procedures confirmed the contributions of social support and healthcare locus of control in predicting migraineur-consulting behavior. Conclusion.,Results suggest that attitudes concerning the role of healthcare professionals and the presence of a supportive social network have greater influence on migraineur-consulting behavior than do patient demographic characteristics, beliefs about medications, and migraine frequency and severity. With an understanding of the link between psychosocial variables and consulting behavior, healthcare professionals may be able to positively impact migraineur physician consultation rates, drug therapy, and quality of life. [source] Opinions of Swedish citizens, health-care politicians, administrators and doctors on rationing and health-care financingHEALTH EXPECTATIONS, Issue 2 2002Per Rosén Objective ,To compare the views of citizens and health-care decision-makers on health-care financing, the limits of public health-care, and resource allocation. Design ,A postal survey based on a randomized sample of adults taken by the national registration and stratified samples of health-care politicians, administrators, and doctors in five Swedish counties. Participants ,A total number of 1194 citizens (response rate 60%) and 427 decision-makers (response rate 69%). Results ,The general public have high expectations of public health-care, expectations that do not fit with the decision-makers' views on what should be offered. To overcome the discrepancy between demand and resources, physicians prefer increased patient fees and complementary private insurance schemes to a higher degree than do the other respondents. Physicians take a more favourable view of letting politicians on a national level exert a greater influence on resource allocation within public health-care. A majority of physicians want politicians to assume a greater responsibility for the exclusion of certain therapies or diagnoses. Most politicians, on the other hand, prefer physicians to make more rigorous decisions as to which medical indications should entitle a person to public health-care. Conclusions ,The gap between public expectations and health-care resources makes it more important to be clear about who should be accountable for resource-allocation decisions in public health-care. Significant differences between physicians' and politicians' opinions on financing and responsibility for prioritization make the question of accountability even more important. [source] Functional connectivity of default mode network components: Correlation, anticorrelation, and causalityHUMAN BRAIN MAPPING, Issue 2 2009Lucina Q. Uddin Abstract The default mode network (DMN), based in ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) and posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), exhibits higher metabolic activity at rest than during performance of externally oriented cognitive tasks. Recent studies have suggested that competitive relationships between the DMN and various task-positive networks involved in task performance are intrinsically represented in the brain in the form of strong negative correlations (anticorrelations) between spontaneous fluctuations in these networks. Most neuroimaging studies characterize the DMN as a homogenous network, thus few have examined the differential contributions of DMN components to such competitive relationships. Here, we examined functional differentiation within the DMN, with an emphasis on understanding competitive relationships between this and other networks. We used a seed correlation approach on resting-state data to assess differences in functional connectivity between these two regions and their anticorrelated networks. While the positively correlated networks for the vmPFC and PCC seeds largely overlapped, the anticorrelated networks for each showed striking differences. Activity in vmPFC negatively predicted activity in parietal visual spatial and temporal attention networks, whereas activity in PCC negatively predicted activity in prefrontal-based motor control circuits. Granger causality analyses suggest that vmPFC and PCC exert greater influence on their anticorrelated networks than the other way around, suggesting that these two default mode nodes may directly modulate activity in task-positive networks. Thus, the two major nodes comprising the DMN are differentiated with respect to the specific brain systems with which they interact, suggesting greater heterogeneity within this network than is commonly appreciated. Hum Brain Mapp, 2009. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] The relevance of organizational subculture for motivation to transfer learningHUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT QUARTERLY, Issue 4 2008Toby Marshall Egan Although human resource development practitioners and researchers emphasize organizational culture as a major contributor to employee learning and development, results from this study suggest organizational subculture has greater influence on employee-related learning motivation. The relationships among organizational culture, organizational subculture, leadership style, and motivation to transfer learning are examined in this study of 354 randomly selected health care providers from a population of 1,255 employees of three of the largest health care organizations in the United States. Study findings indicate that organizational subculture was highly associated with employee motivation to transfer learning,far higher than organizational culture overall. Supportive and innovative subcultures have clear positive relationships, while bureaucratic subcultures negatively influenced motivation to transfer learning. Findings also support the differences between leadership style types and particular subculture types in relation to motivation to transfer learning. In terms of leadership style, a consideration style had a stronger relationship to motivation to transfer learning than did structuring style. Implications for HRD research and practice are explored. [source] The comparative roles of home and host supervisors in the expatriate experienceHUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, Issue 1 2009George S. Benson Abstract This study investigates the impact of home and host supervisors on expatriate success. Using survey and archival data on 206 expatriates of a large U.S. professional services firm, we hypothesize that high-quality leader-member exchange (LMX) relationships with home and host supervisors have different outcomes. Relationships with host-country supervisors have greater influence on in-country and short-term outcomes, including adjustment and intentions to complete the assignment. Home-country supervisors, on the other hand, have a greater influence over expatriates' subjective fit with their jobs and longer-term perceptions of how the overseas assignment will impact their career. Using a separate survey of home and host supervisors at the same firm, we found that one reason that home and host supervisors infl uence expatriates differently may be because home supervisors are more likely to see professional development as a goal for expatriate assignments. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Interrelations between maternal smoking during pregnancy, birth weight and sociodemographic factors in the prediction of early cognitive abilitiesINFANT AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT, Issue 6 2006S. C. J. Huijbregts Abstract Maternal prenatal smoking, birth weight and sociodemographic factors were investigated in relation to cognitive abilities of 1544 children (aged 3.5 years) participating in the Québec Longitudinal Study of Children's Development. The Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT) was used to assess verbal ability, the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-Revised (WPPSI-R) block design test to assess visuospatial ability, and the Visually Cued Recall (VCR) task to assess short-term memory. Prenatal smoking was related to performance on the WPPSI-R, the PPVT, and the VCR, although it did not independently predict any cognitive ability after maternal education was taken into account. Birth weight was a more robust predictor of all outcome measures and independently predicted VCR-performance. Birth weight interacted significantly with family income and maternal education in predicting visuospatial ability, indicating a greater influence of birth weight under relatively poor socio-economic conditions. Parenting and family functioning mediated associations between maternal education/family income and cognitive task performance under different birth weight conditions, although there were indications for stronger effects under relatively low birth weight. We conclude that investigations of moderating and mediating effects can provide insights into which children are most at risk of cognitive impairment and might benefit most from interventions. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Flow of a third grade fluid due to an accelerated diskINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN FLUIDS, Issue 8 2010S. Asghar Abstract The magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) flow induced by non-coaxial rotation of porous disk and a third grade fluid at infinity is investigated. The disk is moving with uniform acceleration and rotating with a uniform angular velocity. Numerical solution of the governing nonlinear initial and boundary value problem is obtained. The effects of physical parameters on the velocity profiles are examined in detail. The present study shows that the constant acceleration part has a greater influence than the time part of the assumed variable velocity of the disk. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The influence of the tropical and subtropical Atlantic and Pacific Oceans on precipitation variability over Southern Central South America on seasonal time scalesINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLIMATOLOGY, Issue 4 2004Guillermo J. Berri Abstract This paper studies the temporal and spatial patterns of precipitation anomalies over southern central South America (SCSA; 22,40°S and 54,70°W), and their relationship with the sea-surface temperature (SST) variability over the surrounding tropical and subtropical Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The data include monthly precipitation from 68 weather stations in central,northern Argentina and neighbouring Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, and monthly SSTs from the NOAA dataset with a 2° resolution for the period 1961,93. We use the method of canonical correlation analysis (CCA) to study the simultaneous relationship between bi-monthly precipitation and SST variability. Before applying the CCA procedure, standardized anomalies are calculated and a prefiltering is applied by means of an empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis. Thus, the CCA input consists of 10 EOF modes of SST and between 9 and 11 modes for precipitation and their corresponding principal components, which are the minimum number of modes necessary to explain at least 80% of the variance of the corresponding field. The results show that November,December presents the most robust association between the SST and SCSA precipitation variability, especially in northeastern Argentina and southern Brazil, followed by March,April and May,June. The period January,February, in contrast, displays a weak relationship with the oceans and represents a temporal minimum of oceanic influence during the summer semester. Based on the CCA maps, we identify the different oceanic and SCSA regions, the regional averages of SST and precipitation are calculated, and linear correlation analysis are conducted. The periods with greater association between the oceans and SCSA precipitation are November,December and May,June. During November,December, every selected region over SCSA reflects the influence of several oceanic regions, whereas during May,June only a few regions show a direct association with the oceans. The Pacific Ocean regions have a greater influence and are more widespread over SCSA; the Atlantic Ocean regions have an influence only over the northwestern and the southeastern parts of SCSA. In general, the relationship with the equatorial and tropical Atlantic and Pacific Oceans is of the type warm,wet/cold,dry, whereas the subtropical regions of both oceans show the opposite relationship, i.e. warm,dry/cold,wet. Copyright © 2004 Royal Meteorological Society [source] Model explaining the predisposition to donate blood from the social marketing perspectiveINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NONPROFIT & VOLUNTARY SECTOR MARKETING, Issue 3 2009Asunción Beerli-Palacio The purpose of this research is to develop a model of the explanatory factors that determine the predisposition to donate blood in order to improve the effectiveness of donor recruitment and retention programs. A personal survey was conducted on a sample of 303 potential donors between 18 and 60 years old and from both sexes, who are resident in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Spain) and have either never donated blood or not donated in the last 3 years. The findings lead us to say that the predisposition to donate blood is positively influenced by the information that the potential donor has about the requirements to become a donor, and by the motivations to donate blood. It is negatively influenced by the inhibiting factor of fear of the extraction procedure and its after-effects. However, prior experience as a donor and links with reference groups who are donors do not have any direct influence on the predisposition. These findings suggest that it is necessary (1) to design communication campaigns in which information and education are the goals, and which aim to make donation a habit; (2) to clarify to society the need for blood donation and to describe the process of donation in order to eliminate those inhibitors linked to fear and the perception of risks; (3) to design advertising campaigns focused on rational messages since information exercises a greater influence on the predisposition to donate than motivations linked to altruism; (4) to recommend that no great efforts be made to recapture previous donors, since experience is not a direct antecedent of the predisposition to donate but an indirect antecedent via information and (5) to stimulate word-of-mouth among reference groups using member-get-member programs whereby current donors bring new donors to the system. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Epidemiology of low back pain in the United Arab EmiratesINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RHEUMATIC DISEASES, Issue 3 2004Abdulbari BENER Abstract Aims:, Low back pain (LBP), a common presenting problem in general practice in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has received increasing attention in recent decades. We seek to investigate the prevalence of LBP and associated risk factors among people living in the typically hot, humid desert environment of the UAE. Methods:, A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted. The setting was the Primary Health Care (PHC) Clinics in Al-Ain, UAE. The subjects were a multistage stratified sample of 1304 UAE nationals, 15,70 years of age, who attended PHC clinics for any reason. All subjects were invited to participate. The questionnaire used in the survey is a modified version of the Roland-Morris scale for evaluating low back pain. The questionnaires were administered during face-to-face interviews conducted in Arabic by qualified nurses. Results:, Of the total 1304 subject, 1103 (84.5%) living in both urban and rural areas agreed to participate and responded to the study; 586 (53.1%) were men and 517 (46.9%) women. The mean ages and SD of the subjects were 34.9 ± 13.4 years for the men and 33.5 ± 11.8 years for the women. The prevalence of LBP in the present study was 64.6% (95% CI = 60.7,68.5). The results revealed that there were statistically significant differences between men and women with respect to LBP and body mass index (BMI) (P < 0.001), marital status (P < 0.001), occupational status (P < 0.001), housing condition (P < 0.001), and smoking habits (P < 0.001). Back pain had a greater influence on the lifestyle habits of the women than men. Stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that only BMI (OR = 2.54, 95% CI = 2.30,281; P < 0.001), prolonged standing (OR = 6.22, 95% CI = 4.01,9.67; P < 0.0001), weakness in leg (OR = 2.11, 95% CI = 1.16,3.85; P = 0.0142), lifting heavy weights (OR = 6.34, 95% CI = 4.09,9.84; P = 0.019) regular exercise (OR = 12.47, 95% CI = 7.50,20.71; P < 0.001) and smoking habits (OR = 1.61, 95% CI = 1.08,2.38; P < 0.05) had a significant effect on the presence of LBP in these patients. Conclusions:, The study showed that the prevalence of back-related disability was higher among women than men in the UAE. Also, low socio-economic status and adverse lifestyle habits may constitute risk factors and predictors of LBP. [source] Structure of Macroinvertebrate Communities in Relation to Environmental Variables in a Subtropical Asian River SystemINTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF HYDROBIOLOGY, Issue 1 2010Xiao-Ming Jiang Abstract Subtropical Asian rivers support a highly diverse array of benthic macroinvertebrates. Yet, their biodiversity and functionality has been poorly investigated. We choose the Chishui River system, one of the largest un-dammed, first level branches upstream of the Yangtze River, China, to: 1) determine the spatial pattern of macroinvertebrate diversity and community structure, and 2) examine the influence of variables at local habitat and basin scales on the distribution of macroinvertebrate communities. Samples were collected from 43 sites in spring of 2007. After Canonical Correspondence Analysis, two basin and five habitat variables were found to be significant predictors of the macroinvertebrate community structure. Variance partitioning analysis showed that habitat physical variables had a greater influence than other environmental variables in macroinvertebrate community, which suggested that preserving habitat, especially upstream, should be strongly considered in biological conservation. (© 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source] Combating "Cults" and "Brainwashing" in the United States and Western Europe: A Comment on Richardson and Introvigne's ReportJOURNAL FOR THE SCIENTIFIC STUDY OF RELIGION, Issue 2 2001Thomas Robbins The surge of harsh anti-cultism in parts of Europe may be generally contextualized in terms of recent spectacular violence involving new movements as well as globalization, which transplants esoteric, aggressive movements to societies with antithetical values. The notion of "brainwashing" as an anti-cult rationale was pioneered by American activists but is now more influential in continental Western Europe than in the United States due in part to the greater influence of secular humanism, the greater European tendency toward activist, paternalist government, the shock of the Solar Temple killings, American deference to religious "free exercise," and problems of national unity and cultural assimilation in Europe that enhance distrust of what are perceived as alien spiritual imports. Nevertheless, the legal climate regarding religious movements may conceivably become less favorable in the United States. In general the "brainwashing" controversy has been characterized by pervasive confusions of fact and interpretation and of process and outcome. [source] The Relationship Between Leg Power and Physical Performance in Mobility-Limited Older PeopleJOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 3 2002Jonathan F. Bean Md MS OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of leg power and leg strength on the physical performance of community-dwelling mobility-limited older people. DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from a 12-week randomized controlled exercise-intervention study. SETTING: Exercise laboratory within the Department of Health Science of an urban university. PARTICIPANTS: Forty-five community-dwelling mobility-limited people (34 women, 11 men), aged 65 to 83. MEASUREMENTS: Health status, depression, cognition, physical activity, and falls efficacy; physiological measures of lower extremity strength and power; and measures of physical performance. RESULTS: Through bivariate analyses, leg power was significantly associated with physical performance as measured by stair-climb time, chair-stand time, tandem gait, habitual gait, maximal gait, and the short physical performance battery describing between 12% and 45% of the variance (R2). Although leg power and leg strength were greatly correlated (r = .89) in a comparison of bivariate analyses of strength or power with physical performance, leg power modeled up to 8% more of the variance for five of six physical performance measures. Despite limitations in sample size, it appeared that, through quadratic modeling, the influence of leg power on physical performance was curvilinear. Using separate multivariate analyses, partial R2 values for leg power and leg strength were compared, demonstrating that leg power accounted for 2% to 8% more of the variance with all measures of physical performance. CONCLUSION: Leg power is an important factor influencing the physical performance of mobility-limited older people. Although related to strength, it is a separate attribute that may exert a greater influence on physical performance. These findings have important implications for clinicians practicing geriatric rehabilitation. J Am Geriatr Soc 50:461,467, 2002. [source] Comparative changes in adult vs. juvenile survival affecting population trends of African ungulatesJOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY, Issue 4 2005NORMAN OWEN-SMITH Summary 1Among large mammalian herbivores, juvenile survival tends to vary widely and may thus have a greater influence on population dynamics than the relatively constant survival rates typical of adults. However, previous studies yielding stage-specific survival rates have been mostly on temperate zone ungulates and in environments lacking large predators. 2Annual censuses coupled with assessments of population structure enabled annual survival rates to be estimated for the juvenile, yearling and adult segments of nine ungulate species in South Africa's Kruger National Park. Four of these populations persisted at high abundance after initial increases (zebra, wildebeest, impala and giraffe), while five showed progressive declines during the latter part of the study period (kudu, waterbuck, warthog, sable antelope and tsessebe). 3The magnitude of the reduction in adult survival between periods showing contrasting population trends was similar to or greater than the corresponding change in juvenile survival for five of the nine species. Accordingly alterations in population phase, from increasing to stable or stable to declining, were brought about mostly through reduced survival within the adult segment. Elevated predation risk may have been responsible. 4Estimates were derived of the relative survival rates of juveniles, yearlings and adult segments associated with zero population growth, and the survival differential between adult males and females, for all nine species. Stage-specific survival rates appeared dependent on body mass, but with some anomalies. The sex difference in adult survival showed no obvious relation with sexual size dimorphism. 5For large mammalian herbivores, assessments of relative elasticities of stage-specific survival rates on population growth are problematic for several reasons. Sensitivity to corresponding increments in either survival or mortality rates provides a better basis for ecological or adaptive interpretation. Survival rates of adults seem to vary more over multiyear periods compared with mainly annual fluctuations in juvenile survival. More studies are needed on tropical species and in environments retaining large predators to support generalizations about factors influencing ungulate life-history patterns. [source] Patterns of reproductive effort and success in birds: path analyses of long-term data from European ducksJOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY, Issue 2 2002Peter Blums Summary 1We tested ecological hypotheses about timing of breeding and reproductive effort in birds, by analysing > 15-year data sets for individually marked females in three species of Latvian ducks (northern shoveler, tufted duck, common pochard). 2Duckling survival and recruitment declined with advancing hatch date in pochard and tufted duck, after controlling for effects of female age and other factors with path analysis, a novel finding which indicates that fitness advantages associated with early hatching extended beyond the prefledging period. Logistic regression analysis suggested further that individual duckling prefledging survival was moderate in the earliest phase of the breeding season, greatest in mid-season and lowest later on. 3However, selection acting against early hatched ducklings was surpassed by strong directional selection favouring recruitment of the earliest hatching females. The absolute and relative numbers of female recruits produced by a breeding female declined sharply with advancing hatch date in all species. 4Unlike previous studies, an hypothesized intraspecific trade-off between duckling mass and brood size was detected, being very robust in two of three species. 5Unexpectedly, female age effects on recruitment were manifested only indirectly by several pathways, the most important being the earlier hatching dates of older females. Size-adjusted body mass (i.e. condition index) was positively related to reproductive success, and was 2,8-fold more influential than female size (indexed by wing length). 6Overall, fecundity-independent variables (e.g. hatching date, weather, indices of duckling production and habitat quality) generally had 2,10 times greater influence on recruitment rates than did fecundity-dependent variables such as female size or condition, duckling mass and brood size, suggesting a critical role for external environmental factors vs. individual female-specific traits in the recruitment process. [source] Determinants of inselberg floras in arid Nama Karoo landscapesJOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY, Issue 10 2001Antje Burke Aim This study investigated the relationship between inselberg floras in floristic and functional terms and their correlation with environmental variables at macro-scale and landscape level. Location Four inselberg landscapes in Namibia's arid Nama Karoo in southern Africa were selected. Methods Plant surveys were undertaken over a 3-year period and species composition, growth form and dispersal spectra were used as measures for floristic and functional composition. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) was employed as the main tool to explain the perceived patterns. Results Regarding floristic affinities, inselberg floras formed distinct groups per study area and thus geographical position, with strong correlations between inselbergs within a particular study area. Neither growth form nor dispersal spectra closely resembled the pattern that emerged in the ordination of floristic composition. The influence of geographical position lessened when functional rather than floristic measures were introduced in the analysis. Main conclusions (1) On landscape and macro-scale, floristic composition of inselberg floras was largely determined by geographical position, geology, elevation, habitat diversity, rock outcrop in the surrounding and surface area of inselbergs. (2) Environmental variables operating at landscape level had greater influence on functional composition than on floristic composition. (3) Stochastic variables were more important in shaping the flora of these arid Nama Karoo inselbergs than deterministic processes such as niche relations and competition. [source] Proarrhythmia as a Class Effect of Quinolones: Increased Dispersion of Repolarization and Triangulation of Action Potential Predict Torsades de PointesJOURNAL OF CARDIOVASCULAR ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 6 2007PETER MILBERG M.D. Background: Numerous noncardiovascular drugs prolong repolarization and thereby increase the risk for patients to develop life-threatening tachyarrhythmias of the torsade de pointes (TdP) type. The development of TdP is an individual, patient-specific response to a repolarization-prolonging drug, depending on the repolarization reserve. The aim of the present study was to analyze the underlying mechanisms that discriminate hearts that will develop TdP from hearts that will not develop TdP. We therefore investigated the group of quinolone antibiotics that reduce repolarization reserve via IKr blockade in an intact heart model of proarrhythmia. Methods and Results: In 47 Langendorff-perfused, AV-blocked rabbit hearts, ciprofloxacin (n = 10), ofloxacin (n = 14), levofloxacin (n = 10), and moxifloxacin (n = 13) in concentrations from 100 ,M to 1,000 ,M were infused. Eight monophasic action potentials (MAPs) and an ECG were recorded simultaneously. After incremental pacing at cycle lengths from 900 ms to 300 ms to compare the action potential duration, potassium concentration was lowered to provoke TdP. All antibiotics led to a significant increase in QT interval and MAP duration, and exhibited reverse-use dependence. Eight simultaneously recorded MAPs demonstrated an increase in dispersion of repolarization in the presence of all antibiotics. MAP triangulation (ratio: MAP90/50) and fluctuation of consecutive action potentials were increased for all tested drugs at high concentrations. In the presence of low potassium concentration, all quinolones led to TdP: ciprofloxacin, 4 out of 10 (40%); ofloxacin, 3 out of 14 (21%); moxifloxacin, 9 out of 13 (69%); and levofloxacin, 2 out of 10 (20%). Hearts that developed TdP demonstrated a significant greater influence on dispersion of repolarization and on triangulation as compared with hearts without TdP. Conclusion: Quinolone antibiotics may be proarrhythmic due to a significant effect on myocardial repolarization. The individual response of a heart to develop TdP in this experimental model is characterized by a greater effect on dispersion of repolarization and on triangulation of action potential as compared with hearts that do not develop TdP. [source] Effects of density and ontogeny on size and growth ranks of three competing tree speciesJOURNAL OF ECOLOGY, Issue 2 2009Suzanne B. Boyden Summary 1Rank reversals in species performance are theoretically important for structuring communities, maintaining diversity and determining the course of forest succession. Species growth ranks can change with ontogeny or in different microenvironments, but interactions between ontogeny and the environment are not well-understood because of the lack of long-term forest competition studies. While early differences in growth among species may reflect intrinsic differences in shade-tolerance and physiology, ontogenetic trends in growth and variation in neighbourhood density and composition may change or even reverse early patterns of growth rankings. 2We experimentally studied spatial and temporal patterns of species interactions and growth for three northern tree species: Larix laricina, Picea mariana and Pinus strobus. We compared species size and growth rankings over an 11-year period, for different species mixtures planted at four density levels in north-eastern Minnesota, USA. 3The benefits of different growth strategies changed with ontogeny and density leading to reversals in the size rank of competing species over time and space. High-density stands promoted dominance and resource pre-emption by L. laricina, whereas lower-density stands favoured gradual accumulation of biomass and eventual dominance by P. strobus. In the absence of strong neighbour competition, ontogenetic trends in growth had greater influence on growth patterns. 4Species interactions affected the productivity of mixed stands vs. monocultures. Species generally grew more in monoculture than when planted with P. strobus at low density, or with L. laricina at high density. Only L. laricina and P. mariana showed potential for greater overall productivity, or over-yielding, when planted together than alone, probably because of improved resource uptake by the highly stratified canopy. 5Synthesis. Density predictably determined whether size-asymmetric growth or ontogenetic growth trends would drive early establishment and growth patterns. Variation in vertical and horizontal structure that results from early competitive dynamics can influence the successional trajectory or character of the mature forest. This study extends previous efforts to identify the causes of rank reversals in communities and understand the importance of temporal changes beyond the early years of seedling establishment. [source] Organic versus conventional management in an apple orchard: effects of fertilization and tree-row management on ground-dwelling predaceous arthropodsAGRICULTURAL AND FOREST ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 2 2009M. Miñarro Abstract 1,Organic and conventional management of apple orchards may have a different effect on arthropod communities. 2,We conducted a 3-year study to assess the effect of two strategies of fertilizer treatment (organic versus chemical) and three tree-row management systems (straw mulching, tillage and herbicide) on activity-density and biodiversity of epigeic predators. Ground beetles (Carabidae), rove beetles (Staphylinidae), ants (Formicidae) and spiders (Araneae) were sampled monthly with pitfall traps in the same apple orchard during 2003, 2004 and 2005. 3,A total of 4978 individuals were collected. Carabids (56.8% of the total catches) were the most abundant taxonomic group, followed by spiders (20.7%), ants (14.8%) and rove beetles (7.7%). Tree-row management had a greater influence on predator catches than fertilizer treatment. Total predator catches were lower under the mulch. Mulching also reduced carabid abundance, but increased staphylinid catches. 4,Tree row management also had a significant effect on biodiversity parameters. Species richness did not significantly differ among treatments for ants, spiders or the total catches, but was higher on herbicide-treated plots for carabids and on mulched plots for staphylinids. Shannon,Wiener's diversity index was significantly greater in the mulched and herbicide treated plots for total predators and carabids. For staphylinids, this index was significantly greater on the mulched plots. Fertilizer application strategy only influenced the species richness of rove beetles, which was greater in the chemically-treated plots. 5,The results showed that a change from conventional to organic fertilizer treatment of apple trees may be performed without differential effects on predator activity-density or biodiversity. However, a change from herbicide treatment to mulching or mechanical weed control may be significant, depending on the taxonomic group. [source] Women's family power and gender preference in Minya, EgyptJOURNAL OF MARRIAGE AND FAMILY, Issue 2 2005Kathryn M. Yount Structural and ideational theories are adapted to explore the influence of women's resources and ideational exposures on their family power and gender preferences in Minya, Egypt. Data from a household survey of 2,226 married women aged 15,54 years show that residence with marital kin decreases women's family power. Women in endogamous marriages have greater family power than women in nonendogamous marriages but still tend to prefer sons. Educated women report weaker son preference and greater influence in decisions but still tend to prefer sons. The positive association of women's education, paid work, and urban residence with a variable measuring girl or equal preference and family power suggests that selected resources and ideational exposures may improve girls' well-being in Minya. [source] MPs and web technologies: an untapped opportunity?JOURNAL OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS, Issue 2 2003Nigel Jackson Abstract MPs have not previously been assigned a major role in electoral campaigning, being considered only one element of a political party's ,marketing' tools for winning votes. Evidence now suggests that the relationship between MPs and their constituents is changing. The concept of ,constituency service' implies that individual MPs can have a much greater influence on local voters and so possibly buck national trends. At the same time the concept of the ,permanent campaign' is transforming political campaigning whereby the political elite needs ever-greater control of the tools used to provide messages to voters. The internet is a potential battleground between MPs who want greater control of their own local campaigning and the party elite who want to ensure a consistent, coherent and controlled message. The Internet is a new addition to the campaigning armoury, yet the focus so far has been on e-government, e-democracy and election campaigns. By concentrating on how and why MPs use their websites this paper considers whether MPs have fully understood and utilised this new medium. Key questions include whether their websites are ,sticky', interactive and a means of creating a targeted message. The findings of this detailed study of MPs' websites show that apart from a few pioneers, MPs have not progressed beyond using the Internet as ,shovelware' , the vast majority view their website as an electronic brochure and not a new form of two-way communication. Copyright © 2003 Henry Stewart Publications [source] QUALITY OF LIFE OF GREEK PATIENTS WITH END STAGE RENAL DISEASE UNDERGOING HAEMODIALYSISJOURNAL OF RENAL CARE, Issue 3 2010Maria Kastrouni RN SUMMARY An evaluation of the quality of life of patients with end stage kidney disease undergoing haemodialysis in the Greek population was conducted to understand whether this quality could be improved. Comparisons were made with a similar study conducted in United States in regards to the effects of kidney disease in daily life, burden of kidney disease, work status, cognitive function, quality of social interaction, sexual function, social support, physical functioning, role physical on daily routine, pain, general health perceptions, role emotional, emotional well being, social function and energy/fatigue. Any differences are discussed and analysed. Sexual problems were found to be more prominent in this study, but the emotional status has greater influence in quality of life in the US study. The results were more positive in Greece with respect to dialysis staff encouragement, patient satisfaction, as well as acceptance and the understanding of illness. The results from our study reflect the differences of the health care systems in various countries as well as population-related beliefs and values. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||