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Selected AbstractsAn evidence-based iterative content trust algorithm for the credibility of online newsCONCURRENCY AND COMPUTATION: PRACTICE & EXPERIENCE, Issue 15 2009Guosun Zeng Abstract People encounter more information than they can possibly use every day. But all information is not necessarily of equal value. In many cases, certain information appears to be better, or more trustworthy, than other information. And the challenge that most people then face is to judge which information is more credible. In this paper we propose a new problem called Corroboration Trust, which studies how to find credible news events by seeking more than one source to verify information on a given topic. We design an evidence-based corroboration trust algorithm called TrustNewsFinder, which utilizes the relationships between news articles and related evidence information (person, location, time and keywords about the news). A news article is trustworthy if it provides many pieces of trustworthy evidence, and a piece of evidence is likely to be true if it is provided by many trustworthy news articles. Our experiments show that TrustNewsFinder successfully finds true events among conflicting information and identifies trustworthy news better than the popular search engines. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Security Maintenance Mediation: a technology for preventing unintended security breachesCONCURRENCY AND COMPUTATION: PRACTICE & EXPERIENCE, Issue 1 2004Roger (Buzz) KingArticle first published online: 4 DEC 200 Abstract Web-resident information is becoming ,smarter', in the sense that emerging technology will support the annotation of it with ontological terms, which will be used to locate and reuse information. This will pose a great security risk in the form of unintended breaches (as distinct from deliberate invasions). Web-resident information will be far more readily available and relevant, thus causing inadvertent releases of secure information to potentially cause it to be diffusely spread across the Internet. Then as this information is iteratively transformed and integrated with other information, it will become irretrievable and potentially used in a myriad of unpredictable ways. The problem is that ontological annotations, while making information more understandable in its original form, do not provide a means for easily capturing the complex semantics of information that has been transformed via abstraction, aggregation, and integration. This demands the development of a semantically rich way of specifying ,views' of Web information, to which security controls can be attached. Also needed is a way for users of secure information to easily and voluntarily blend,and thereby propagate,security controls as information is transformed. Information mediators designed by collaborative teams of experts are proposed as the vehicle for wrapping information, so that at each step of reuse, high-level views and their corresponding integrity controls can be made easily accessible to trusted users who will then be able to ensure their proper maintenance. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Reconciling Financial Information at Varied Levels of Aggregation,CONTEMPORARY ACCOUNTING RESEARCH, Issue 2 2004ANIL ARYA Abstract Financial statements summarize a firm's fiscal position using only a limited number of accounts. Readers often interpret financial statements in conjunction with other information, some of which may be aggregated in a different way (or not at all). This paper exploits properties of the double-entry accounting system to provide a systematic approach to reconciling diverse financial data. The key is the ability to represent the double-entry system by network flows and, thereby, access well-recognized network optimization techniques. Two specific uses are investigated: the reconciliation of audit evidence with management-prepared financial statements, and the creation of transaction-level financial ratios. [source] Synthesis and morphology of nanosized zeolite LCRYSTAL RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY, Issue 2 2010S. Sadegh Hassani Abstract AFM is a powerful tool for imaging nanoscale surface features; it provides two and three dimensional crystal structure images and other information about actual surface of zeolite crystallites. In this paper, nanosized zeolite L is synthesized in different crystallization times and a study of crystal growth of zeolite L is reported using atomic force microscopy (AFM). X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques are used for characterization of the as synthesized samples. TEM and two-dimensional AFM images indicate that the zeolite particles are in a nano-range and they have hexagonal structure. (© 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source] On the Use of the Moving Average Trading Rule to Test for Weak Form Efficiency in Capital MarketsECONOMIC NOTES, Issue 2 2008Alexandros E. Milionis The examination for the possible existence of predictive power in the moving average trading rule has been used extensively to test the hypothesis of weak form market efficiency in capital markets. This work focuses mainly on the study of the variation of the moving average (MA) trading rule performance as a function of the length of the longer MA. Empirical analysis of daily data from NYSE and the Athens Stock Exchange reveal high variability of the performance of the MA trading rule as a function of the MA length and on some occasions the series of successive trading rule total returns is non-stationary. These findings have direct implications in weak form market efficiency testing. Indeed, given this high variability of the performance of the MA trading rule, by just finding out that trading rules with some specific combinations of MA lengths can or cannot beat the market, as is the case in most of the published work thus far, is not enough evidence for or against the existence of weak form market efficiency. Results also show that on average in about three out of four cases trading rule signals are false, a fact that leaves a lot of space for improved trading rule performance if trading rule signals are combined with other information (e.g. filters, or volume of trade). Finally, some evidence of enhanced trading rule performance for the shorter MA lengths was found. This enhanced performance is partly attributed to the higher probability that a trading rule signal is not a whipsaw, as well as to the larger number of days out-of-the-market which are associated with shorter MA lengths. [source] Experiments on the susceptibility of conifers to Heterobasidion annosum in Great BritainFOREST PATHOLOGY, Issue 4 2001Greig During the period 1960,71, experimental plantings were established at three sites in western Britain that were infested with Heterobasidion annosum: Ceri in mid-Wales, Lael in north-west Scotland and Red Marley in the West Midlands of England. At each site a randomized block experiment involving at least four species was supplemented with an ancillary trial of other species. In two of the experiments various treatments were applied to the previous stand of trees before or at felling, but only stump removal reduced the amount of disease in the succeeding crops. At Ceri, the incidence of H. annosum in stems removed at first thinning was: Picea sitchensis, 14%; Pseudotsuga menziesii 11%; Pinus contorta 3% and Abies procera 1%. At Lael, the figures were Larix decidua 59%; P. menziesii 51%; Chamaecyparis lawsoniana 37%; Abies amabilis 33% and Tsuga heterophylla 21%. There was negligible disease in A. procera;Abies grandis and Pinus sylvestris. At Red Marley, the incidence of disease was: P. menziesii 28%; T. heterophylla 18%; A. grandis 7%; Picea abies 1% and Pinus nigra var. maritima 0%. In the ancillary trial at Lael, the incidence of H. annosum in P. sitchensis was 55% and in P. abies 16%. The mean height of colonization by H. annosum within the diseased stems removed at first thinning at Lael (age 21,22 years) was 2.1 m for L. decidua, 1.4 m for P. sitchensis and 1.3 m for P. abies. Armillaria sp. caused mortality and decay in two of the experiments and these data are also presented. The results are discussed in relation to other information on the susceptibility of these species to H. annosum in the UK and elsewhere. Expérimentations sur la sensibilité des conifères à Heterobasidion annosum Entre 1960 et 1971, des plantations expérimentales ont été installées dans trois sites infectés par Heterobasidion annosum dans l'ouest de la Grande-Bretagne: à Ceri (centre du Pays de Galles), à Lael (nord-ouest de l'Écosse), et à Red Marley (ouest des Midlands, Angleterre). Dans chaque site, un essai en blocs randomisés comprenant au moins quatre espèces a été complété avec des espèces supplémentaires. Dans deux des essais, divers traitements ont été appliqués au peuplement antérieur ou au moment de son exploitation, mais seul l'arrachage des souches avait réduit la quantité de maladie. A Ceri, l'incidence de H. annosum dans les tiges enlevées à la première éclaircie était la suivante: Picea sitchensis, 14%; Pseudotsuga menziesii, 11%; Pinus contorta, 3% et Abies procera, 1%. A Lael: Larix decidua, 59%; Pseudotsuga menziesii, 51%; Chamaecyparis lawsoniana, 37%; Abies amabilis, 33%; Tsuga heterophylla, 21%. La maladie était négligeable chez A. procera, A. grandis et Pinus sylvestris. A Red Marley, l'incidence était la suivante: Pseudotsuga menziesii, 28%; Tsuga heterophylla, 18%; Abies grandis, 7%; Picea abies, 1% et Pinus nigra var. maritima, 0%. Chez les espèces supplémentaires à Lael, l'incidence était de 55% chez Picea sitchensis et de 16% chez P. abies. La hauteur moyenne de colonisation des tiges infectées par H. annosum, prélevées à la première éclaircie à Lael (age: 21,22 ans) était de 2,1 m chez Larix decidua, 1,4 m chez Picea sitchensis et 1,3 m chez P. abies. Armillaria sp. provoquait des mortalités et des altérations dans deux des essais et ces données sont également présentées. Les résultats sont discutés en relation avec d'autres informations sur la sensibilité de ces espèces àH. annosum au Royaume-Uni et ailleurs. Versuche zur Anfälligkeit von Nadelgehölzen gegen Heterobasidion annosum in Grossbritannien Während der Jahre 1960,71 wurden an drei Standorten im Westen Großbritanniens Versuchspflanzungen angelegt, die von Heterobasidion annosum befallen waren (Ceri in Mittelwales, Lael in Nordwest-Schottland und Red Marley im westlichen Mittelland von England). An jedem Standort wurde ein randomisierter Blockversuch mit mindestens vier Baumarten angelegt. Ergänzend wurden zusätzliche Arten getestet. Auf zwei Versuchsflächen wurden unterschiedliche Behandlungen des Vorbestandes bzw. der Fläche durchgeführt. Das Auftreten der Krankheit im Folgebestand konnte nur durch die Rodung der Stümpfe reduziert werden. In Ceri wurden bei den in der ersten Durchforstung entnommenen Stämmen folgende Infektionshäufigkeiten festgestellt: Picea sitchensis 14%, Pseudotsuga menziesii 11%, Pinus contorta 3% und Abies procera 1%. In Lael ergab sich folgendes Bild: Larix decidua 59%, Pseudotsuga menziesii 51%, Chamaecyparis lawsoniana 37%, Abies amabilis 33% und Tsuga heterophylla 21%. Der Befall von Abies grandis, A. procera and Pinus sylvestris war vernachlässigbar gering. In Red Marley betrug die Infektionshäufigkeit bei Pseudotsuga menziesii 28%, bei Tsuga heterophylla 18%, Abies grandis 7%, Picea abies 1% und Pinus nigra var. maritima 0%. In dem Ergänzungsversuch in Lael waren Picea sitchensis zu 55% und P. abies zu 16% von H. annosum infiziert. Die mittlere Höhe der Ausbreitung von H. annosum in den erkrankten Stämmen, die bei der ersten Durchforstung entfernt wurden, betrug in Lael (Alter 21,22 Jahre) 2,1 m bei Larix decidua, 1,4 m bei Picea sitchensis und 1,3 m bei P. abies. Auch Armillaria sp. verursachte Mortalität und Fäule. Diese Daten werden ebenfalls präsentiert. Die Ergebnisse werden im Vergleich mit der verfügbaren Information zur Anfälligkeit dieser Baumarten diskutiert. [source] Clinical methods for the evaluation of endothelial function , a focus on resistance arteriesFUNDAMENTAL & CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY, Issue 3 2006Robinson Joannides Abstract Endothelial dysfunction is a key event in the pathophysiology of cardiovascular diseases and appears as a strong independent predictor of cardiovascular events. In this context, biological evaluation of endothelial circulating markers can be helpful. However, functional tests using pharmacological stimuli appear more specific for the study of resistance arteries. These methods consist in the evaluation of the endothelium-dependent changes in regional vascular flow in response to local infusion of substances that act through endothelial receptors without modification of systemic arterial pressure and in comparison with a non endothelium-dependent relaxation. Flow is measured by Doppler and intravascular ultrasound in coronary circulation, laser Doppler in skin and by venous occlusion plethysmography in peripheral muscular arteries. Similar studies can be performed ex vivo using isolated resistance arteries obtained from fat subcutaneous biopsies. In addition, other information can be obtained from reactive hyperemia and the study of the flow-mediated dilatation of conduit arteries to enable a selective and comprehensive approach of the heterogeneity of endothelial function in pathophysiology. [source] The Impact of Private Insurance Coverage on Veterans' Use of VA Care: Insurance and Selection EffectsHEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH, Issue 1p1 2008Yujing Shen Objective. To examine private insurance coverage and its impact on use of Veterans Health Administration (VA) care among VA enrollees without Medicare coverage. Data Sources. The 1999 National Health Survey of Veteran Enrollees merged with VA administrative data, with other information drawn from American Hospital Association data and the Area Resource File. Study Design. We modeled VA enrollees' decision of having private insurance coverage and its impact on use of VA care controlling for sociodemographic information, patients' health status, VA priority status and access to VA and non-VA alternatives. We estimated the true impact of insurance on the use of VA care by teasing out potential selection bias. Bias came from two sources: a security selection effect (sicker enrollees purchase private insurance for extra security and use more VA and non-VA care) and a preference selection effect (VA enrollees who prefer non-VA care may purchase private insurance and use less VA care). Principal Findings. VA enrollees with private insurance coverage were less likely to use VA care. Security selection dominated preference selection and naïve models that did not control for selection effects consistently underestimated the insurance effect. Conclusions. Our results indicate that prior research, which has not controlled for insurance selection effects, may have underestimated the potential impact of any private insurance policy change, which may in turn affect VA enrollees' private insurance coverage and consequently their use of VA care. From the decline in private insurance coverage from 1999 to 2002, we projected an increase of 29,400 patients and 158 million dollars for VA health care services. [source] Imputation of SF-12 Health Scores for Respondents with Partially Missing DataHEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH, Issue 3 2005Honghu Liu Objective. To create an efficient imputation algorithm for imputing the SF-12 physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS) scores when patients have one to eleven SF-12 items missing. Study Setting. Primary data collection was performed between 1996 and 1998. Study Design. Multi-pattern regression was conducted to impute the scores using only available SF-12 items (simple model), and then supplemented by demographics, smoking status and comorbidity (enhanced model) to increase the accuracy. A cut point of missing SF-12 items was determined for using the simple or the enhanced model. The algorithm was validated through simulation. Data Collection. Thirty-thousand-three-hundred and eight patients from 63 physician groups were surveyed for a quality of care study in 1996, which collected the SF-12 and other information. The patients were classified as "chronic" patients if they reported that they had diabetes, heart disease, asthma/chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or low back pain. A follow-up survey was conducted in 1998. Principal Findings. Thirty-one percent of the patients missed at least one SF-12 item. Means of variance of prediction and standard errors of the mean imputed scores increased with the number of missing SF-12 items. Correlations between the observed and the imputed scores derived from the enhanced models were consistently higher than those derived from the simple model and the increments were significant for patients with ,6 missing SF-12 items (p<.03). Conclusion. Missing SF-12 items are prevalent and lead to reduced analytical power. Regression-based multi-pattern imputation using the available SF-12 items is efficient and can produce good estimates of the scores. The enhancement from the additional patient information can significantly improve the accuracy of the imputed scores for patients with ,6 items missing, leading to estimated scores that are as accurate as that of patients with <6 missing items. [source] Pesticide use and colorectal cancer risk in the agricultural health studyINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER, Issue 2 2007Won Jin Lee Abstract We investigated the relationship between agricultural pesticides and colorectal cancer incidence in the Agricultural Health Study. A total of 56,813 pesticide applicators with no prior history of colorectal cancer were included in this analysis. Detailed pesticide exposure and other information were obtained from self-administered questionnaires completed at the time of enrollment (1993,1997). Cancer incidence was determined through population-based cancer registries from enrollment through December 31, 2002. A total of 305 incident colorectal cancers (212 colon, 93 rectum) were diagnosed during the study period, 1993,2002. Although most of the 50 pesticides studied were not associated with colorectal cancer risk, chlorpyrifos use showed significant exposure response trend (p for trend = 0.008) for rectal cancer, rising to a 2.7-fold (95% confidence interval: 1.2,6.4) increased risk in the highest exposure category. Aldicarb was associated with a significantly increased risk of colon cancer (p for trend = 0.001), based on a small number of exposed cases, with the highest exposure category resulting in a 4.1-fold increased risk (95% confidence interval: 1.3,12.8). In contrast, dichlorophenoxyacetic acid showed a significant inverse association with colon cancer but the association was not monotonic. Our findings should be interpreted cautiously since the literature suggesting that pesticides are related to colorectal cancer is limited. Nonetheless the possibility of an association between exposure to certain pesticides and incidence of colorectal cancer among pesticide applicators deserves further evaluation. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Ease of reading of mandatory information on Canadian food product labelsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CONSUMER STUDIES, Issue 4 2009Mary Alton Mackey Abstract Food product labels present individual product information, safety, nutrition, electronic inventory, container and environmental information, in various formats, languages and images. Some information is mandatory; much is promotional. The food label is an essential tool for regulators of safe food handling, nutrition policy and fair competition. Mandatory information on food labels in Canada is required to be presented in both English and French, readily discernable, prominently displayed and legible. This study examines the ease of finding and reading of mandatory label components on selected Canadian food products. A validated typographical scoring system assessed the lists of ingredients on a purposive sample of 100 food labels representing foods in all groups in Canada's Food Guide. Seven percent of the ingredient lists were easy to read; 26% were difficult to read and 67% were very difficult to read. Well-educated resourceful readers in consumer focus groups examined food labels for key elements that influence ease of finding and reading information. Focus groups and typographical scoring identified: colour contrast, case, print style, print size, space between the lines, reverse print, organization, justification, type of surface, hyphenation and print reproduction as factors that affect ease of reading. Print that curves around a container, lack of paragraphing or point form organization make reading difficult; text blocks at right angles to each other make comparisons difficult; separation of the nutrition facts table from the list of ingredients makes decision making tedious. Inadequate spacing between lines of print creates problems for readers of English and exacerbates problems for readers of French. Words placed over illustrations, busy backgrounds or watermarks increase reading difficulty. Hazard statements, instructions and storage information imbedded in other information without added space or appropriate heading is difficult to find and read. Canadian consumers echo consumers in 28 European countries who find label information difficult to find and to read and want clear guidelines/regulations on the placement and the typography of mandatory food label components [source] On the binary quality of recognition and the inconsequentiality of further knowledge: two critical tests of the recognition heuristicJOURNAL OF BEHAVIORAL DECISION MAKING, Issue 4 2006Ben R. Newell Abstract The recognition heuristic is claimed to be distinguished from notions of availability and fluency through its categorical or "binary" treatment of information and the "inconsequentiality" of further knowledge to inferences based on recognition. Using the city-size task of Goldstein and Gigerenzer (2002) we demonstrate that: (1) increasing the validity of other information in the environment decreases the reliance on recognition; (2) cities that are both recognized and have other information known about them (e.g. they have a soccer team) are chosen more often than those which are simply recognized; and (3) there is a negative correlation between the time taken to identify a city and the proportion of times it is selected as the larger of a pair. None of these results is predicted by the process model of the recognition heuristic. The implication of the results for the distinction between the recognition, availability and fluency heuristics is discussed. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] An Integrative Model of Mobile Phone AppropriationJOURNAL OF COMPUTER-MEDIATED COMMUNICATION, Issue 3 2008Werner Wirth The evolution of mobile communication devices and services has taken up a dynamic that makes any prognosis in the field almost impossible. Whereas part of this dynamic may remain inscrutable, we believe that a much higher degree of explanation can be achieved by systematically paying closer attention to the process of appropriation. To seize upon this potential, we present an integrative model to analyze mobile phone appropriation (the "MPA model"). The model is based on existing theoretical approaches of the quantitative "adoption" paradigm (namely, Innovation Diffusion Theory and Theory of Planned Behavior) as well as the mostly qualitative research paradigm devoted to "appropriation" (Cultural studies and Frame Analysis), with the Uses-and-Gratifications approach playing a role on both sides. The model has been developed, operationalized and empirically applied in the context of mobile phone appropriation; however, with certain modifications it can be adapted to other information and communications technology (ICT) innovations. Résumé An Integrative Model of Mobile Phone Appropriation The evolution of mobile communication devices and services has taken up a dynamic that makes any prognosis in the field almost impossible. Whereas part of this dynamic may remain inscrutable, we believe that a much higher degree of explanation can be achieved by systematically paying closer attention to the process of appropriation. To seize upon this potential, we present an integrative model to analyze mobile phone appropriation (the "MPA model"). The model is based on existing theoretical approaches of the quantitative "adoption" paradigm (namely, Innovation Diffusion Theory and Theory of Planned Behavior) as well as the mostly qualitative research paradigm devoted to "appropriation" (Cultural studies and Frame Analysis), with the Uses-and-Gratifications approach playing a role on both sides. The model has been developed, operationalized and empirically applied in the context of mobile phone appropriation; however, with certain modifications it can be adapted to other information and communications technology (ICT) innovations. ZhaiYao [source] Estimates of human immunodeficiency virus prevalence and proportion diagnosed based on Bayesian multiparameter synthesis of surveillance dataJOURNAL OF THE ROYAL STATISTICAL SOCIETY: SERIES A (STATISTICS IN SOCIETY), Issue 3 2008A. Goubar Summary., Estimates of the number of prevalent human immunodeficiency virus infections are used in England and Wales to monitor development of the human immunodeficiency virus,acquired immune deficiency syndrome epidemic and for planning purposes. The population is split into risk groups, and estimates of risk group size and of risk group prevalence and diagnosis rates are combined to derive estimates of the number of undiagnosed infections and of the overall number of infected individuals. In traditional approaches, each risk group size, prevalence or diagnosis rate parameter must be informed by just one summary statistic. Yet a rich array of surveillance and other data is available, providing information on parameters and on functions of parameters, and raising the possibility of inconsistency between sources of evidence in some parts of the parameter space. We develop a Bayesian framework for synthesis of surveillance and other information, implemented through Markov chain Monte Carlo methods. The sources of data are found to be inconsistent under their accepted interpretation, but the inconsistencies can be resolved by introducing additional ,bias adjustment' parameters. The best-fitting model incorporates a hierarchical structure to spread information more evenly over the parameter space. We suggest that multiparameter evidence synthesis opens new avenues in epidemiology based on the coherent summary of available data, assessment of consistency and bias modelling. [source] Adolescent quality of life: A school-based cohort study in Western AustraliaPEDIATRICS INTERNATIONAL, Issue 6 2003Lynn B. Meuleners AbstractBackground:,Quality of life (QOL) has received increasing attention in pediatrics medicine recently. Improving QOL is the primary justification for many interventions, medications and therapies. The present study is a school-based longitudinal study which aims to investigate the factors affecting QOL of adolescents in Western Australia over a 6-month period. Methods:,A generic self-reported questionnaire was administered twice to participants from 20 schools in Perth at 6 months apart. In addition to QOL scores and physical health status, demographic and other information was also collected. For the cohort of 363 students who participated in the initial survey, 300 of them completed the second questionnaire. Results:,A significant change in QOL score between baseline and 6 months was observed. Results from fitting a hierarchical mixed regression model indicated that 55% of the variation in QOL was due to differences between individuals, and was significantly associated with age, control, opportunities and perceptions of physical health, while the remaining variance component could be attributed to within-individual changes. Improved control and opportunities appeared to have a significant positive impact on QOL, whereas increasing age and deterioration in physical health had the opposite effect. Conclusions:,The hierarchical regression analysis has enabled valid inferences to be made based on the observed longitudinal data. Perceptions of physical health, age, control and opportunities available are related to adolescent QOL. The findings have implications on evidence-based practices and childhood health issues. [source] Action Spectrum Conversion Factors that Change Erythemally Weighted to Previtamin D3 -weighted UV Doses,PHOTOCHEMISTRY & PHOTOBIOLOGY, Issue 5 2008Stanley J. Pope Many solar UV measurements, either terrestrial or personal, weight the raw data by the erythemal action spectrum. However, a problem arises when one tries to estimate the benefit of vitamin D3 production based on erythemally weighted outdoor doses, like those measured by calibrated R-B meters or polysulphone badges, because the differences between action spectra give dissimilar values. While both action spectra peak in the UVB region, the erythemal action spectrum continues throughout the UVA region while the previtamin D3 action spectrum stops near that boundary. When one uses the previtamin D3 action spectrum to weight the solar spectra (Deff), one gets a different contribution in W m,2 than what the erythemally weighted data predicts (Eeff). Thus, to do proper benefit assessments, one must incorporate action spectrum conversion factors (ASCF) into the calculations to change erythemally weighted to previtamin D3 -weighted doses. To date, all benefit assessments for vitamin D3 production in human skin from outdoor exposures are overestimates because they did not account for the different contributions of each action spectrum with changing solar zenith angle and ozone and they did not account for body geometry. Here we describe how to normalize the ratios of the effective irradiances (Deff/Eeff) to get ASCF that change erythemally weighted to previtamin D3 -weighted doses. We also give the ASCF for each season of the year in the northern hemisphere every 5° from 30°N to 60°N, based on ozone values. These ASCF, along with geometry conversion factors and other information, can give better vitamin D3 estimates from erythemally weighted outdoor doses. [source] Toward quantifying the usage costs of human immunity: Altered metabolic rates and hormone levels during acute immune activation in menAMERICAN JOURNAL OF HUMAN BIOLOGY, Issue 4 2010Michael P. Muehlenbein There is a paucity of data on the energetic demands of human immune functions, despite the fact that both clinical medicine and evolutionary biology would benefit from further clarification of these costs. To better understand the energetic requirements of mounting a mild immune response, as well as some of the major hormonal changes underlying these metabolic changes, we examined changes in resting metabolic rate (RMR) and hormones during and after respiratory tract infection in young adult men. An epidemiologic passive detection design was used to recruit 25 nonfebrile subjects naturally infected with respiratory tract pathogens. Symptomology, percent body fat, RMR, salivary testosterone and cortisol, and other information were collected at a minimum of three time points during and after convalescence. Comparisons of the differences in RMR, testosterone, and cortisol between sampling days within individual cases were made using paired t -tests. Participants experienced 8% higher RMR during illness, and a subset of these men experienced a mean increase greater than 14%. The participants also experienced 10% lower testosterone levels during illness, and a subset of these participants experienced a mean decrease of 30%, although cortisol levels did not change significantly. These results document elevated RMR following natural pathogen exposure in adult humans, demonstrating that even mild immune reactions can elicit significant increases in energy expenditure. Understanding the costs of immunity and the immunomodulatory actions of hormones are central to understanding the role of immunity in human life history evolution. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Implication of Ariaal sexual mixing on gonorrheaAMERICAN JOURNAL OF HUMAN BIOLOGY, Issue 3 2005C. Connell McCluskey Recent research on sexual mixing in populations of sub-Saharan Africa raises the question as to whether STDs can persist in these populations without the presence of a core group. A mathematical model is constructed for the spread of gonorrhea among the Ariaal population of Northern Kenya. A formula for the basic reproduction number R0 (the expected number of secondary infections caused by a single new infective introduced into a susceptible population) is determined for this population in the absence of a core group. Survey data taken in 2003 on sexual behavior from the Ariaal population are used in the model which is formulated for their age-set system including four subpopulations: single and married, female and male. Parameters derived from the data, and other information from sub-Saharan Africa are used to estimate R0. Results indicate that, even with the elevating effect of the age-set system, the disease should die out since R0 < 1. Thus, the persistence of gonorrhea in the population must be due to factors not included in the model, for example, a core group of commercial sex workers or concurrent partnerships. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 17:293,301, 2005. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Biometry and the IBS,Strength through DiversityBIOMETRICS, Issue 1 2009Andrew Mead Summary The International Biometric Society (IBS) brings together members from a diversity of cultural backgrounds, organized into geographically based Regions and National Groups, and covering a diverse range of interests, in terms of both methodological topics and application areas. We briefly reflect on how the historical development of our science, society, and international conferences reflects this diversity, with a focus on the history of the British and Irish Region of the IBS. Then, by considering the cultural/geographical diversity of the society, and the scientific diversity of the society and biometricians, we identify both some strengths of the society (diverse topics for meetings arranged across the world, application of biometrical methods to diverse application areas, management of the society by members from a diversity of backgrounds) and also some current challenges (electronic delivery of journals and other information, the diversity of application areas addressed by members of the society, improving links with the scientific societies of those who motivate our research). Finally, we illustrate the diversity of scientific problems that each of us face in our roles as biometricians. [source] Characteristics of environmental reporters on the OM Stockholm exchangeBUSINESS STRATEGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT, Issue 5 2002Pontus Cerin External validation of company environmental performance is normally based on corporate environmental reports, due to the lack of other information. Critics of these reports, however, claim that these are no more than public relations exercises, consisting mainly of wordy descriptions and glossy pictures. It is therefore important to turn the spotlight on the real character of the companies behind the reports. Fewer than 10% of the companies listed on the OM Stockholm Exchange, however, provide documented environmental reports on the Internet (DERI) annually. The highest DERI percentages are found among those industry sectors that began reporting some ten years ago. Data from the Dow Jones Country Index Sweden shows that DERI producers have an average market capitalization some six times greater than non-producers. Moreover, the DERI producers emitted twice as much CO2 per turnover as the non-DERI producers. The fact that less than half of the companies on the OM Stockholm Exchange presented CO2 emission data somewhat weakens the conclusions on emissions. The fact that 60% of the DERI producers could not provide complete CO2 emission data for their companies does say something concrete about the usefulness of current DERIs as a tool for externally determining company environmental performance characteristics. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||