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Many Forms (many + form)
Selected AbstractsPseudoparadoxical impulsivity in restrictive anorexia nervosa: A consequence of the logic of scarcityINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EATING DISORDERS, Issue 4 2002Daniel M. T. Fessler Abstract Objective To explain an apparently paradoxical pattern wherein sufferers of restrictive anorexia nervosa exhibit both rigorous self-restraint and episodic impulsivity. Method The experimental, historical, and clinical literatures were examined for evidence of psychological and behavioral changes accompanying severe dietary constriction; such changes were noted and compared with those reported to occur in anorexics. Results Increased impulsivity in association with dietary constriction is described in diverse literatures. A number of lines of evidence suggest that the serotonergic system mediates this change. Discussion Many forms of impulsivity can be understood as having once constituted fitness-enhancing responses to resource scarcity. It is suggested that an evolved psychological mechanism calibrates the individual's sensitivity to risk in light of future prospects. Self-injurious behaviors are explicable as misfirings of such a mechanism. Similarly, excessive exercising by anorexics may reflect the misdirection of reward systems that normally encourage adaptive increases in ranging behavior under conditions of scarcity. © 2002 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 31: 376,388, 2002. [source] Complementary and alternative medicine: the move into mainstream health careCLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL OPTOMETRY, Issue 2 2004Kylie O'Brien BSc (Optometry) BAppSc (Chinese Medicine) MPH The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in Australia is extensive with over 50 per cent of the Australian population using some form of complementary medicine and almost 25 per cent of Australians visiting CAM practitioners. Expenditure on CAM by Australians is significant. The scope of CAM is extremely broad and ranges from complete medical systems such as Chinese medicine to well-known therapies, such as massage and little known therapies, such as pranic healing. There is a growing focus on CAM in Australia and worldwide by a range of stakeholders including government, the World Health Organization, western medical practitioners and private health insurance companies. CAM practices may offer the potential for substantial public health gains and challenge the way that we view human beings, health and illness. Several issues are emerging that need to be addressed. They include safety and quality control of complementary medicines, issues related to integration of CAM with western medicine and standards of practice. The evidence base of forms of CAM varies considerably: some forms of CAM have developed systematically over thousands of years while others have developed much more recently and have a less convincing evidence base. Many forms of CAM are now being investigated using scientific research methodology and there are increasing examples of good research. Certain forms of CAM, including Chinese medicine in which ophthalmology is an area of clinical speciality, view the eye in a unique way. It is important to keep an open mind about CAM and give proper scrutiny to new evidence as it emerges. [source] Informed Decisions Conservation Corridors and the Spread of Infectious DiseaseCONSERVATION, Issue 2 2002Leslie Bienen Reconnecting habitat will have consequences, in many forms and on many scales. The trick is to recognize these consequences, the negative ones as well as the positive, and understand them ahead of time, and in doing so to insure that human-engineered reconnectivity does the least harm and the most good. [source] Medical and surgical therapies for alopecias in black womenDERMATOLOGIC THERAPY, Issue 2 2004Valerie D. Callender ABSTRACT:, Hair loss is a common problem that challenges the patient and clinician with a host of cosmetic, psychological and medical issues. Alopecia occurs in both men and women, and in all racial and ethnic populations, but the etiology varies considerably from group to group. In black women, many forms of alopecia are associated with hair-care practices (e.g., traction alopecia, trichorrhexis nodosa, and central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia). The use of thermal or chemical hair straightening, and hair braiding or weaving are examples of styling techniques that place African American women at high risk for various "traumatic" alopecias. Although the exact cause of these alopecias is unknown, a multifactorial etiology including both genetic and environmental factors is suspected. A careful history and physical examination, together with an acute sensitivity to the patient's perceptions (e.g., self-esteem and social problems), are critical in determining the best therapy course. Therapeutic options for these patients range from alteration of current hair grooming practices or products, to use of specific medical treatments, to hair replacement surgery. Since early intervention is often a key to preventing irreversible alopecia, the purpose of the present article is to educate the dermatologist on all aspects of therapy for hair loss in black women,including not only a discussion of the main medical and surgical therapies but also an overview of ethnic hair cosmetics, specific suggestions for alterations of hair-care practices, and recommendations for patient education and compliance. [source] Metabotropic glutamate receptor 1 activity generates persistent, N -methyl- d -aspartate receptor-dependent depression of hippocampal pyramidal cell excitabilityEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, Issue 12 2009J. P. Clement Abstract Metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) are involved in many forms of neuronal plasticity. In the hippocampus, they have well-defined roles in long-lasting forms of both synaptic and intrinsic plasticity. Here, we describe a novel form of long-lasting intrinsic plasticity that we call (S)-3,5-dihydroxyphenylglycine (DHPG)-mediated long-term depression of excitability (DHPG-LDE), and which is generated following transient pharmacological activation of group I mGluRs. In extracellular recordings from hippocampal slices, DHPG-LDE was expressed as a long-lasting depression of antidromic compound action potentials (cAPs) in CA1 or CA3 cells following a 4-min exposure to the group I mGluR agonist (S)-DHPG. A similar phenomenon was also seen for orthodromic fibre volleys evoked in CA3 axons. In single-cell recordings from CA1 pyramids, DHPG-LDE was manifest as persistent failures in antidromic action potential generation. DHPG-LDE was blocked by (S)-(+)- a -amino-4-carboxy-2-methylbenzeneacetic acid (LY367385), an antagonist of mGluR1, but not 2-methyl-6-(phenylethynyl)pyridine hydrochloride (MPEP), an mGluR5 inhibitor. Although insensitive to antagonists of ,-amino-3-hydroxyl-5-methyl-4-isoxazole-propionate/kainate and ,-aminobutyric acidA receptors, DHPG-LDE was blocked by antagonists of N -methyl- d -aspartate (NMDA) receptors. Similarly, in single-cell recordings, DHPG-mediated antidromic spike failures were eliminated by NMDA receptor antagonism. Long after (S)-DHPG washout, DHPG-LDE was reversed by mGluR1 antagonism. A 4-min application of (S)-DHPG also produced an NMDA receptor-dependent persistent depolarization of CA1 pyramidal cells. This depolarization was not solely responsible for DHPG-LDE, because a similar level of depolarization elicited by raising extracellular K+ increased the amplitude of the cAP. DHPG-LDE did not involve HCN channels or protein synthesis, but was eliminated by blockers of protein kinase C or tyrosine phosphatases. [source] Region-specific changes in sympathetic nerve activity in angiotensin II,salt hypertension in the ratEXPERIMENTAL PHYSIOLOGY, Issue 1 2010John W. Osborn It is now well accepted that many forms of experimental hypertension and human essential hypertension are caused by increased activity of the sympathetic nervous system. However, the role of region-specific changes in sympathetic nerve activity (SNA) in the pathogenesis of hypertension has been difficult to determine because methods for chronic measurement of SNA in conscious animals have not been available. We have recently combined indirect, and continuous and chronic direct, assessment of region-specific SNA to characterize hypertension produced by administration of angiotensin II (Ang II) to rats consuming a high-salt diet (Ang II,salt hypertension). Angiotensin II increases whole-body noradrenaline (NA) spillover and depressor responses to ganglionic blockade in rats consuming a high-salt diet, but not in rats on a normal-salt diet. Despite this evidence for increased ,whole-body SNA' in Ang II,salt hypertensive rats, renal SNA is decreased in this model and renal denervation does not attenuate the steady-state level of arterial pressure. In addition, neither lumbar SNA, which largely targets skeletal muscle, nor hindlimb NA spillover is changed from control levels in Ang II,salt hypertensive rats. However, surgical denervation of the splanchnic vascular bed attenuates/abolishes the increase in arterial pressure and total peripheral resistance, as well as the decrease in vascular capacitance, observed in Ang II,salt hypertensive rats. We hypothesize that the ,sympathetic signature' of Ang II,salt hypertension is characterized by increased splanchnic SNA, no change in skeletal muscle SNA and decreased renal SNA, and this sympathetic signature creates unique haemodynamic changes capable of producing sustained hypertension. [source] RESEARCH ARTICLE: Fungicidal activity of amiodarone is tightly coupled to calcium influxFEMS YEAST RESEARCH, Issue 3 2008Sabina Muend Abstract The antiarrhythmic drug amiodarone has microbicidal activity against fungi, bacteria and protozoa. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, amiodarone triggers an immediate burst of cytosolic Ca2+, followed by cell death markers. Ca2+ transients are a common response to many forms of environmental insults and toxic compounds, including osmotic and pH shock, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and high levels of mating pheromone. Downstream signaling events involving calmodulin, calcineurin and the transcription factor Crz1 are critical in mediating cell survival in response to stress. In this study we asked whether amiodarone induced Ca2+ influx was beneficial, toxic or a bystander effect unrelated to the fungicidal effect of the drug. We show that downregulation of Ca2+ channel activity in stationary phase cells correlates with increased resistance to amiodarone. In actively growing cells, extracellular Ca2+ modulated the size and shape of the Ca2+ transient and directly influenced amiodarone toxicity. Paradoxically, protection was achieved both by removal of external Ca2+ or by adding high levels of CaCl2 (10 mM) to block the drug induced Ca2+ burst. Our results support a model in which the fungicidal activity of amiodarone is mediated by Ca2+ stress, and highlight the pathway of Ca2+ mediated cell death as a promising target for antifungal drug development. [source] Linking ecological theory with stream restorationFRESHWATER BIOLOGY, Issue 4 2007P. S. LAKE Summary 1. Faced with widespread degradation of riverine ecosystems, stream restoration has greatly increased. Such restoration is rarely planned and executed with inputs from ecological theory. In this paper, we seek to identify principles from ecological theory that have been, or could be, used to guide stream restoration. 2. In attempts to re-establish populations, knowledge of the species' life history, habitat template and spatio-temporal scope is critical. In many cases dispersal will be a critical process in maintaining viable populations at the landscape scale, and special attention should be given to the unique geometry of stream systems 3. One way by which organisms survive natural disturbances is by the use of refugia, many forms of which may have been lost with degradation. Restoring refugia may therefore be critical to survival of target populations, particularly in facilitating resilience to ongoing anthropogenic disturbance regimes. 4. Restoring connectivity, especially longitudinal connectivity, has been a major restoration goal. In restoring lateral connectivity there has been an increasing awareness of the riparian zone as a critical transition zone between streams and their catchments. 5. Increased knowledge of food web structure , bottom-up versus top-down control, trophic cascades and subsidies , are yet to be applied to stream restoration efforts. 6. In restoration, species are drawn from the regional species pool. Having overcome dispersal and environmental constraints (filters), species persistence may be governed by local internal dynamics, which are referred to as assembly rules. 7. While restoration projects often define goals and endpoints, the succession pathways and mechanisms (e.g. facilitation) by which these may be achieved are rarely considered. This occurs in spite of a large of body of general theory on which to draw. 8. Stream restoration has neglected ecosystem processes. The concept that increasing biodiversity increases ecosystem functioning is very relevant to stream restoration. Whether biodiversity affects ecosystem processes, such as decomposition, in streams is equivocal. 9. Considering the spatial scale of restoration projects is critical to success. Success is more likely with large-scale projects, but they will often be infeasible in terms of the available resources and conflicts of interest. Small-scale restoration may remedy specific problems. In general, restoration should occur at the appropriate spatial scale such that restoration is not reversed by the prevailing disturbance regime. 10. The effectiveness and predictability of stream ecosystem restoration will improve with an increased understanding of the processes by which ecosystems develop and are maintained. Ideas from general ecological theory can clearly be better incorporated into stream restoration projects. This will provide a twofold benefit in providing an opportunity both to improve restoration outcomes and to test ecological theory. [source] ,I Can't Put a Smiley Face On': Working-Class Masculinity, Emotional Labour and Service Work in the ,New Economy'GENDER, WORK & ORGANISATION, Issue 3 2009Darren Nixon The growth of the ,service economy' has coincided with the large-scale detachment from the labour market of low-skilled men. Yet little research has explored exactly what it is about service work that is leading such men to drop out of the labour market during periods of sustained service sector employment growth. Based on interviews with 35 unemployed low-skilled men, this article explores the men's attitudes to entry-level service work and suggests that such work requires skills, dispositions and demeanours that are antithetical to the masculine working-class habitus. This antipathy is manifest in a reluctance to engage in emotional labour and appear deferential in the service encounter and in the rejection of many forms of low-skilled service work as a future source of employment. [source] The Equality Deficit: Protection against Discrimination on the Grounds of Sexual Orientation in EmploymentGENDER, WORK & ORGANISATION, Issue 4 2001Nicole Busby The provisions of UK law offer no specific protection to gay men and lesbians suffering discrimination in the workplace on the grounds of sexual orientation. Such discrimination may take many forms and can result in ,fair' dismissal in certain circumstances. This article considers the degree of legal protection available under current provisions and investigates possible sources for the development of specific anti-discrimination legislation. It is concluded that, despite the application of certain aspects of employment law, the level of protection afforded to this group of workers amounts to an equality deficit in comparison to the legal redress available to those discriminated against on other grounds. Although the development of human rights legislation may have some application in this context, the combination of institutionalized discrimination and wider public policy concerns suggest that the introduction of specific legislation aimed at eliminating such discrimination in the United Kingdom is still some way off. [source] An Exchange for All Things?GEOGRAPHICAL RESEARCH, Issue 1 2001An Inquiry into the Scholarship of Fire Fire was once considered a founding element and an informing principle for analysis of the world. Today it is neither. Its study resides primarily in those countries that have both public lands, which hold fire, and scientific institutions, with which to study it. In particular, forestry has long claimed fire as a speciality and continues to harbour the most practical experience regarding it. In fact, fire may deserve better, and can give more. A case, not entirely whimsical, can be made for a programme of ,fire studies' that could span the many forms of scholarship that share an interest in humanity's species monopoly over fire's manipulation. [source] Current and Future Trends of Climatic Extremes in SwitzerlandGEOGRAPHY COMPASS (ELECTRONIC), Issue 4 2007Martin Beniston This article provides an overview of extreme climatic events that are a feature of current and future climate that require full understanding if they are to be assessed in terms of social and economic costs. A review is made of the type of events that are important in mid-latitudes, with examples taken from the heat waves, floods and wind-storms that have affected Switzerland during the twentieth century. Regional climate model results are also presented for a scenario conducted over Europe. These simulations suggest that there may be significant shifts in the frequency and intensity of many forms of extremes as a warmer global climate progressively replaces current climate. In view of the potential losses in human, economic and environmental terms, extreme events and their future evolution need to carefully assessed in order to formulate appropriate adaptation strategies aimed at minimizing the negative impacts that extremes are capable of generating. [source] Transformative Education and its Potential for Changing the Lives of Children in Disempowering ContextsIDS BULLETIN, Issue 1 2009Felix Bivens For millions of children around the world, disempowerment is not just a part of life , it becomes their life, to the point where any alternative way of living may be unimaginable to them. Intergenerational transmission (IGT) of inequality is deeply embedded, even where education is available; this leads us to question whether many forms of education, experienced by children who are already disempowered, may further entrench that condition by reproducing the norms, values and drivers within society that have brought about this disempowerment in the first place. In this article we explore the extent to which access to good-quality, transformative education has a key role to play in overcoming IGT of marginalised children and their communities, with positive outcomes not only for the individuals themselves but also for wider social processes. [source] KEYNOTE ADDRESS Ku80-deletion causes early ageing and suppresses cancerJOURNAL OF ANIMAL PHYSIOLOGY AND NUTRITION, Issue 2 2009P. Hasty Ageing is widespread cellular decline resulting in a loss of fitness that is both pleiotropic and stochastic and influenced by both genetics and environment. As a result the fundamental underling causes of ageing are diverse and controversial. One potential ageing target is nuclear DNA, as it is a permanent blueprint that controls cellular processes. Thus, DNA replication and genome maintenance are highly regulated events that ensure faithful reproduction and maintenance of the blueprint and these pathways assure sufficient longevity for reproduction and survival of the species. As a consequence, imperfections or defects in maintaining the genome may contribute to ageing. Therefore, genome maintenance pathways are longevity-assurance mechanisms that sustain an organism long enough to reproduce and propagate. Chief among these mechanisms are those that respond to damaged DNA. There are two basics responses to genomic damage: DNA repair and cell cycle checkpoints. Both are considered to be tumour suppressors and are categorized as either caretakers or gatekeepers, respectively. Interestingly, observations of human and mouse pre-mature ageing models suggest these anti-tumour pathways impact the ageing process. Caretakers suppress cancer by repairing DNA damage caused by defects in replication or by a variety of agents including endogenously produced reactive by-products of oxygen metabolism and exogenous agents naturally encountered in our environment. As a consequence DNA is subject to a variety of insults that cause a diverse range of lesions and phenotypic outcomes. There are many forms of DNA damage including base lesions and double-strand breaks (DSBs) with the latter being more toxic. Cancer-causing chromosomal rearrangements may result if DSBs are not repaired properly. Additionally, an accumulation of these rearrangements may contribute to ageing since they increase in some cell types as humans and mice age. Furthermore, early ageing models suggest that defects in repairing DSBs lead to early ageing in humans and mice. Non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) is an important pathway for repairing DNA DSBs and is considered a caretaker. The Ku heterodimer (composed of Ku70 and Ku80) binds to DNA ends to initiate NHEJ, and defects in either Ku70 or Ku80 lead to increased levels of DNA DSBs and chromosomal rearrangements, leading many to believe Ku is a caretaker. Ku-mutant mice display increased GCRs, but without increased cancer. Instead, these mice show early ageing and shortened life span. Thus, Ku's role as a caretaker is uncertain as the low cancer levels may be due to Ku80-deletion or, instead, the low cancer levels may simply be a consequence of the shortened life span that prohibits sufficient time for tumours to develop. Gatekeepers respond to DNA damage by halting the cell cycle long enough for the DNA to be repaired. If the damage is irreparable, gatekeepers induce either apoptosis or senescence. These responses are deleterious to the cell but protect the organism from cancer as one potential outcome of genetic mutations is uncontrolled proliferation. p53 is critical for checkpoints and is the best-known gatekeeper because it is mutated in over half of all cancers. In addition, p53 activity influences many aspects of the Ku-mutant phenotype suggesting that Ku-deletion leads to persistent p53-mediated responses and presenting the possibility that low cancer levels and early ageing are caused by elevated gatekeeper responses. Our hypothesis is that Ku-mutant mice exhibit low cancer levels and, perhaps, ageing due to persistent p53-mediated responses to inefficiently repaired DNA. To test this hypothesis, Ku80-mutant mice were crossed to cancer-prone mice with either non-functional or functional gatekeeper responses. Ku80-mutant mice were crossed to p53-mutant mice to determine if Ku80-deletion exacerbates oncogenesis when gatekeeper responses are diminished. Ku80-mutant mice deleted for p53 exhibit early onset and high levels of two forms of cancer: pro-B cell lymphoma and medulloblastoma, thus supporting the hypothesis. Ku80-mutant mice were also crossed to APCMIN mice to determine if Ku80-deletion ameliorates oncogenesis gatekeeper responses are intact. APCMIN mice exhibit high levels of intestinal adenomas and adenocarcinomas but have normal p53-mediated responses to DNA damage. APCMIN mice, deleted for Ku80, exhibit about 67% fewer tumours than APCMIN mice with Ku80. Thus, deletion of Ku80 suppresses tumour formation, again supporting the hypothesis. Ku80-mutant cells and tissues were tested for p53-mediated DNA damage responses, levels of DNA damage, and mutations. Ku80-mutant fibroblasts exhibit elevated levels of p53-mediated DNA damage responses that increase p21-mediated cellular senescence. In addition, there are elevated levels DNA damage as seen by increased 53BP1 foci and elevated levels of chromosomal rearrangements. Thus, these data support the hypothesis that Ku80-deletion reduces tumors by elevating DNA damage gatekeeper responses to inefficiently repaired DNA. These data also support the possibility that the Ku80-mutant ageing phenotype is also due to elevated gatekeeper responses. [source] Progenitor cells in vascular diseaseJOURNAL OF CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR MEDICINE, Issue 3 2005Neil Roberts Abstract Stem cell research has the potential to provide solutions to many chronic diseases via the field of regeneration therapy. In vascular biology, endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) have been identified as contributing to angiogenesis and hence have therapeutic potential to revascularise ischaemic tissues. EPCs have also been shown to endothelialise vascular grafts and therefore may contribute to endothelial maintenance. EPC number has been shown to be reduced in patients with cardiovascular disease, leading to speculation that atherosclerosis may be caused by a consumptive loss of endothelial repair capacity. Animal experiments have shown that EPCs reendothelialise injured vessels and that this reduces neointimal formation, confirming that EPCs have an atheroprotective effect. Smooth muscle cell accumulation in the neointimal space is characteristic of many forms of atherosclerosis, however the source of these cells is now thought to be from smooth muscle progenitor cells (SMPCs) rather than the adjacent media. There is evidence for the presence of SMPCs in the adventitia of animals and that SMPCs circulate in human blood. There is also data to support SMPCs contributing to neointimal formation but their origin remains unknown. This article will review the roles of EPCs and SMPCs in the development of vascular disease by examining experimental data from in vitro studies, animal models of atherosclerosis and clinical studies. [source] Executive cognitive functioning and the recognition of facial expressions of emotion in incarcerated violent offenders, non-violent offenders, and controlsAGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR, Issue 5 2007Peter N.S. Hoaken Violence is a social problem that carries enormous costs; however, our understanding of its etiology is quite limited. A large body of research exists, which suggests a relationship between abnormalities of the frontal lobe and aggression; as a result, many researchers have implicated deficits in so-called "executive function" as an antecedent to aggressive behaviour. Another possibility is that violence may be related to problems interpreting facial expressions of emotion, a deficit associated with many forms of psychopathology, and an ability linked to the prefrontal cortex. The current study investigated performance on measures of executive function and on a facial-affect recognition task in 20 violent offenders, 20 non-violent offenders, and 20 controls. In support of our hypotheses, both offender groups performed significantly more poorly on measures of executive function relative to controls. In addition, violent offenders were significantly poorer on the facial-affect recognition task than either of the other two groups. Interestingly, scores on these measures were significantly correlated, with executive deficits associated with difficulties accurately interpreting facial affect. The implications of these results are discussed in terms of a broader understanding of violent behaviour. Aggr. Behav. 33:412,421, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Retrospective accounts of recurrent parental physical abuse as a predictor of adult laboratory-induced aggressionAGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR, Issue 3 2004Brian K. Moe Abstract Child abuse has been frequently associated with adult aggression in its many forms. The Point Subtraction Aggression Paradigm (PSAP) is a popular laboratory-based procedure derived from the retaliatory responses of participants engaged in a monetary-reinforced computer game. PSAP responses have been found to discriminate between participants with and without violent, antisocial, substance abuse, and even contact-sport athletic histories. The present study provided an initial test of the sensitivity of the PSAP and the Overt Aggression Scale (OAS) in discriminating between college students (n=28) with and without reported histories of recurrent physical abuse as defined by incidents of being pushed, shoved, struck, punched, or threatened with physical violence by a parent more than once every six weeks over 15 years of upbringing. PSAP responses were substantially higher (d=2.1) among participants reporting histories of recurrent parental physical abuse, with 46% (as opposed to 0% for controls) of these individuals generating PSAP responses in excess of 400 (average found for violent parolees). Group differences on the OAS were also considerable (>1 SD). Larger factorial designs examining relationships between a range of developmental variables (e.g., domestic abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, parental divorce, family climate, etc.) and adult PSAP responding may help advance present knowledge regarding the impact of childhood adversity on psychological development. Aggr. Behav. 30:217,228, 2004. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Testing Features of Graphical DIF: Application of a Regression Correction to Three Nonparametric Statistical TestsJOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL MEASUREMENT, Issue 4 2006Daniel M. Bolt Inspection of differential item functioning (DIF) in translated test items can be informed by graphical comparisons of item response functions (IRFs) across translated forms. Due to the many forms of DIF that can emerge in such analyses, it is important to develop statistical tests that can confirm various characteristics of DIF when present. Traditional nonparametric tests of DIF (Mantel-Haenszel, SIBTEST) are not designed to test for the presence of nonuniform or local DIF, while common probability difference (P-DIF) tests (e.g., SIBTEST) do not optimize power in testing for uniform DIF, and thus may be less useful in the context of graphical DIF analyses. In this article, modifications of three alternative nonparametric statistical tests for DIF, Fisher's ,2test, Cochran's Z test, and Goodman's U test (Marascuilo & Slaughter, 1981), are investigated for these purposes. A simulation study demonstrates the effectiveness of a regression correction procedure in improving the statistical performance of the tests when using an internal test score as the matching criterion. Simulation power and real data analyses demonstrate the unique information provided by these alternative methods compared to SIBTEST and Mantel-Haenszel in confirming various forms of DIF in translated tests. [source] A critical essay on professional development in dietetics through a process of reflection and clinical supervisionJOURNAL OF HUMAN NUTRITION & DIETETICS, Issue 5 2000S. Burton Background The concept of clinical supervision is well known within the nursing profession though numerous definitions and theoretical models proposed for implementation have led to a degree of confusion. The debate within dietetics is just beginning, with the recent formation of a BDA working group seeking to clarify clinical supervision for the profession. Aims This essay provides an overview of clinical supervision together with reflection which is considered to be integral to the process and proposes that clinical supervision can provide a vehicle for supporting continuous professional development for all dietitans. It is perhaps unfortunate that the descriptive ,clinical' is used throughout the literature as this often leads to an incorrect assumption that the scope of the process is limited to acute services. However, as patient care takes many forms within a range of environments, the broader meaning of ,clinical' as pertaining to ,patient care' needs to be acknowledged. Caution in choosing a model for the profession is advised, as any model needs to fit the practice and not vice versa. [source] The Ghrelin/Obestatin Balance in the Physiological and Pathological Control of Growth Hormone Secretion, Body Composition and Food IntakeJOURNAL OF NEUROENDOCRINOLOGY, Issue 7 2010R. Hassouna Ghrelin and obestatin are two gastrointestinal peptides obtained by post-translational processing of a common precursor, preproghrelin. Ghrelin is an orexigenic and adipogenic peptide and a potent growth hormone secretagogue (GHS) modified by the enzyme ghrelin- O -acyl-transferase to bind and activate its receptor, the GHS-R. The ghrelin/GHS-R pathway is complex and the effects of ghrelin on GH secretion, adiposity and food intake appear to be relayed by distinct mechanisms involving different transduction signals and constitutive activity for the GH-R, different cofactors as modulators of endogenous ghrelin signalling and/or alternative ghrelin receptors. The discovery of obestatin in 2005 brought an additional level of complexity to this fascinating system. Obestatin was initially identified as an anorexigenic peptide and as the cognate ligand for GPR39, but its effect on food intake and its ability to activate GPR39 are still controversial. Although several teams failed to reproduce the anorexigenic actions of obestatin, this peptide has been shown to antagonise GH secretion and food intake induced by ghrelin and could be an interesting pharmacological tool to counteract the actions of ghrelin. Ghrelin and obestatin immunoreactivities are recovered in the blood with an ultradian pulsatility and their concentrations in plasma vary with the nutritional status of the body. It is still a matter of debate whether both hormones are regulated by independent mechanisms and whether obestatin is a physiologically relevant peptide. Nevertheless, a significant number of studies show that the ghrelin/obestatin ratio is modified in anorexia nervosa and obesity. This suggests that the ghrelin/obestatin balance could be essential to adapt the body's response to nutritional challenges. Although measuring ghrelin and obestatin in plasma is challenging because many forms of the peptides circulate, more sensitive and selective assays to detect the different preproghrelin-derived peptides are being developed and may be the key to obtaining a better understanding of their roles in different physiological and pathological conditions. [source] CLIMATE IMPACTS ON URBAN WATER RESOURCES IN THE SOUTHWES THE IMPORTANCE OF CONTEXT,JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN WATER RESOURCES ASSOCIATION, Issue 2 2000Barbara J. Morehouse ABSTRACT: Stresses on water resources in the Southwest take many forms and emanate from many different sources, among which are complex institutional arrangements, significant areal and temporal climatic variability, and high urban growth rates. Further challenges to managing supply and demand in this water-scarce region are posed by environmental, social, and legal differences within and between the individual urban areas. Analysis of the sensitivity of the urban water sector in the Southwest to climatic variability requires careful consideration of these factors. Such analysis, in turn, provides an essential foundation for effective evaluation of the region's sensitivity to longer term climate change. [source] Biplots of compositional dataJOURNAL OF THE ROYAL STATISTICAL SOCIETY: SERIES C (APPLIED STATISTICS), Issue 4 2002John Aitchison Summary. The singular value decomposition and its interpretation as a linear biplot have proved to be a powerful tool for analysing many forms of multivariate data. Here we adapt biplot methodology to the specific case of compositional data consisting of positive vectors each of which is constrained to have unit sum. These relative variation biplots have properties relating to the special features of compositional data: the study of ratios, subcompositions and models of compositional relationships. The methodology is applied to a data set consisting of six-part colour compositions in 22 abstract paintings, showing how the singular value decomposition can achieve an accurate biplot of the colour ratios and how possible models interrelating the colours can be diagnosed. [source] Resolving the Anti-Antievolutionism Dilemma: A Brief for Relational Evolutionary Thinking in AnthropologyAMERICAN ANTHROPOLOGIST, Issue 2 2009Emily Schultz ABSTRACT Anthropologists often disagree about whether, or in what ways, anthropology is "evolutionary." Anthropologists defending accounts of primate or human biological development and evolution that conflict with mainstream "neo-Darwinian" thinking have sometimes been called "creationists" or have been accused of being "antiscience." As a result, many cultural anthropologists struggle with an "anti-antievolutionism" dilemma: they are more comfortable opposing the critics of evolutionary biology, broadly conceived, than they are defending mainstream evolutionary views with which they disagree. Evolutionary theory, however, comes in many forms. Relational evolutionary approaches such as Developmental Systems Theory, niche construction, and autopoiesis,natural drift augment mainstream evolutionary thinking in ways that should prove attractive to many anthropologists who wish to affirm evolution but are dissatisfied with current "neo-Darwinian" hegemony. Relational evolutionary thinking moves evolutionary discussion away from reductionism and sterile nature,nurture debates and promises to enable fresh approaches to a range of problems across the subfields of anthropology. [Keywords: evolutionary anthropology, Developmental Systems Theory, niche construction, autopoeisis, natural drift] [source] Collaboration in foundation grantor-grantee relationshipsNONPROFIT MANAGEMENT & LEADERSHIP, Issue 1 2008Kent D. Fairfield Foundations take many forms and wield widespread influence within the nonprofit sector. One aspect of foundations that has received limited research attention is the relationship between the foundation and the grantee. Some authors have encouraged a reframing of this relationship to be more one of equals, where each party brings attributes valuable to the other and where collaboration can germinate and produce more effective philanthropy. This exploratory study suggests that the quality of these relationships varies widely and that it is often difficult to form collaborative ones. It identifies some of the earmarks of fruitful relationships and suggests some ways to replicate those successes. I hate foundation officers,they're all jerks! ,Experienced nonprofit executive We care about these [nonprofit] organizations,it is through them that we do our work. ,Senior foundation program officer [source] Gender equality or patriarchal dividend: Structural change in Turkish nursingNURSING & HEALTH SCIENCES, Issue 2 2008Elizabeth Herdman rn, bsocsc Abstract Turkey is attempting to join the European Union and is facing pressure to eliminate many forms of discrimination, including discrimination based on gender. In keeping with these aims, in early 2007 the Turkish government changed the law to permit Turkish men to become nurses. Given that Turkey is a highly patriarchal society and that occupational segregation by sex is a persistent feature, it is important to examine the potential outcome of the legislative changes. The aim of this paper is to explore the paradoxical potential for Turkish female nurses to experience increased discrimination in a system that is restructured by legislation to be non-discriminatory. [source] 1.,Globalization and Violence: The Challenge to EthicsAMERICAN JOURNAL OF ECONOMICS AND SOCIOLOGY, Issue 1 2009Edward Demenchonok Despite its many benefits, globalization has proven to harbor a good deal of violence. This is not only a matter of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction inaugurated by the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, but includes many forms of indirect or "structural violence" resulting from the routine of economic and political institutions on the global scale. In this essay, the multifaceted phenomena of violence are approached from the standpoint of ethics. The prevailing political thinking associated with "realism" fails to address the problems of militarism and of hegemonic unilateralism. In contrast, many philosophers are critically rethinking the problem of global violence from different ethical perspectives. Despite sharing similar concerns, philosophers nevertheless differ over the role of philosophical reflection and the potentials of reason. These differences appear in two contrasting approaches associated with postmodern philosophy and discourse ethics. In the analysis of discourse ethics, attention is paid to Karl-Otto Apel's attempt of philosophically grounding a macroethics of planetary co-responsibility. At the heart of the essay is the analysis of the problem of violence, including terrorism, by Jürgen Habermas, who explains the phenomenon of violence in terms of the theory of communicative action as the breakdown of communication. Jacques Derrida's deconstruction of the notion of "terrorism" also is analyzed. According to the principle of discourse ethics, all conflicts between human beings ought to be settled in a way free of violence, through discourses and negotiations. These philosophers conclude that the reliance on force does not solve social and global problems, including those that are the source of violence. The only viable alternative is the "dialogical" multilateral relations of peaceful coexistence and cooperation among the nations for solving social and global problems. They emphasize the necessity of strengthening the international rule of law and institutions, such as a reformed United Nations. [source] Unearthing Paul Auster's PoetryORBIS LITERARUM, Issue 5 2009James Peacock Little critical attention has been paid to Paul Auster's poetry. Reviewers of the recent Collected Poems tended to treat the work as an archaeological curiosity, as evidence of a young writer struggling to find the voice which would eventually allow him to write his more commercially and critically successful novels. This article argues for the intrinsic merits of the poems, and explores the ways in which Auster's verse deals with the question of the poet's relationship with the past. The past, these poems show, takes many forms: it includes Auster's literary ancestors, but also the national past and Native American civilisations. [source] Evidence-Based Medicine and Clinical Trials in Pain Practice and OrthopedicsPAIN PRACTICE, Issue 4 2005Ludger Gerdesmeyer MD Abstract: Medical practices should be based on scientific findings pursuant to the rules of evidence-based medicine. Quality standards for interventional pain therapy and orthopedic clinical studies have been lacking. As a result, the efficacy of many forms of therapy is insufficiently documented, making the level of evidence low. This article identifies common deficiencies in the conduct of clinical trials, as well as limitations in conducting randomized controlled studies. Recommendations for improvement are provided. The discussion provides the clinically active physician with interpretation aids for the evaluation of meta-analyses, supports personal evidence-based decisions, and reviews the most important principles for planning and conducting of experimental clinical studies. Current examples in the literature verify the implementation of these principles and present current findings in accordance with evidence-based medicine (EBM) criteria. In spite of an increasing emergence of EBM-based studies, we conclude that the number of well-designed, high quality, controlled studies conducted in accordance with the guidelines of Good Clinical Practice examining interventional pain therapy and orthopedic clinical studies remains unacceptably low. [source] Neural mechanisms of cutaneous nociceptive pain. (Department of Neurology, University of Würzburg, Germany) Clin J Pain 2000;16:S131,S138.PAIN PRACTICE, Issue 2 2001Martin Koltzenburg: Acute mechanical, thermal, and chemically induced pains in the skin are signaled by a set of specific nociceptive afferents, which encode the magnitude of the perceived pain by their discharge intensity. After tissue injury or inflammation, a number of changes in their properties of the primary afferent occur parallel to profound changes in the central nervous system. Primary hyperalgesia (within the area of tissue injury) is best explained by changes of the properties of primary nociceptive afferents, whereas secondary hyperalgesia (increased pain sensitivity outside the area of tissue injury) critically requires functional changes in the central nervous system. Collectively, these changes are the basis for many forms of hyperalgesia that can present clinically as incident pain. Knowledge of the various types of hyperalgesia and their underlying mechanisms is required for better treatment of this challenging aspect of chronic pain. [source] Suppression of experimental lupus nephritis by aberrant expression of the soluble E-selectin genePATHOLOGY INTERNATIONAL, Issue 3 2002Satoru Takahashi Circulating leukocytes, particularly neutrophils and monocytes, are important effector cells in the induction of many forms of glomerulonephritis. Adhesion molecules, especially selectins, are also thought to be critical for the development of this disease. We examined the possible suppressive effect of soluble E-selectin on the development of experimental lupus nephritis induced by the injection of a hybridoma clone (2B11.3) derived from an MRL/MpJ- lpr/lpr lupus mouse. This clone produces IgG3 antibodies that induce severe proliferative glomerulonephritis resembling lupus nephritis when injected into normal mice. Transgenic mice with a soluble E-selectin gene were injected intraperitoneally with the hybridoma cells and histopathologically examined on day 15. As a result, the development of glomerulonephritis was significantly suppressed. This suppression was characterized by fewer inflammatory cell infiltrates, compared with non-transgenic litter mates, despite the fact that there were no remarkable differences in immunoglobulin deposits or expression of E-selectin between the two groups. These findings suggest that by controlling inflammatory cell infiltration, soluble E-selectin plays a preventative role in the development of a particular type of lupus nephritis. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||