Showing papers by "Free University of Berlin published in 2007"
11 Nov 2007
TL;DR: The extraction of the DBpedia datasets is described, and how the resulting information is published on the Web for human-andmachine-consumption and how DBpedia could serve as a nucleus for an emerging Web of open data.
Abstract: DBpedia is a community effort to extract structured information from Wikipedia and to make this information available on the Web. DBpedia allows you to ask sophisticated queries against datasets derived from Wikipedia and to link other datasets on the Web to Wikipedia data. We describe the extraction of the DBpedia datasets, and how the resulting information is published on the Web for human-andmachine-consumption. We describe some emerging applications from the DBpedia community and show how website authors can facilitate DBpedia content within their sites. Finally, we present the current status of interlinking DBpedia with other open datasets on the Web and outline how DBpedia could serve as a nucleus for an emerging Web of open data.
4,828 citations
TL;DR: This paper reviewed and discussed the empirical literature on interorganizational networks at the network level of analysis, or what is sometimes referred to as "whole" networks, and offered a discussion concerning what future directions might be taken by researchers hoping to expand this important, but understudied, topic.
1,340 citations
TL;DR: It is shown that covalently bound molecular nanostructures can be formed on a gold surface upon thermal activation of porphyrin building blocks and their subsequent chemical reaction at predefined connection points, and it is demonstrated that the topology of these nanostructure can be precisely engineered by controlling the chemical structure of the building blocks.
Abstract: The construction of electronic devices from single molecular building blocks, which possess certain functions such as switching or rectifying and are connected by atomic-scale wires on a supporting surface, is an essential goal of molecular electronics1. A key challenge is the controlled assembly of molecules into desired architectures by strong, that is, covalent, intermolecular connections2, enabling efficient electron transport3 between the molecules and providing high stability4. However, no molecular networks on surfaces ‘locked’ by covalent interactions have been reported so far. Here, we show that such covalently bound molecular nanostructures can be formed on a gold surface upon thermal activation of porphyrin building blocks and their subsequent chemical reaction at predefined connection points. We demonstrate that the topology of these nanostructures can be precisely engineered by controlling the chemical structure of the building blocks. Our results represent a versatile route for future bottom-up construction of sophisticated electronic circuits and devices, based on individual functionalized molecules.
1,177 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors focus on biochar effects on mycorrhizal associations, and examine hypotheses pertaining to four mechanisms by which biochar could influence mycRH abundance and/or functioning.
Abstract: Experiments suggest that biomass-derived black carbon (biochar) affects microbial populations and soil biogeochemistry. Both biochar and mycor- rhizal associations, ubiquitous symbioses in terrestrial ecosystems, are potentially important in various ecosystem services provided by soils, contributing to sustainable plant production, ecosystem restoration, and soil carbon sequestration and hence mitigation of global climate change. As both biochar and mycor- rhizal associations are subject to management, under- standing and exploiting interactions between them could be advantageous. Here we focus on biochar effects on mycorrhizal associations. After reviewing the experimental evidence for such effects, we critically examine hypotheses pertaining to four mechanisms by which biochar could influence mycorrhizal abundance and/or functioning. These mechanisms are (in decreas- ing order of currently available evidence supporting them): (a) alteration of soil physico-chemical proper- ties; (b) indirect effects on mycorrhizae through effects on other soil microbes; (c) plant-fungus signaling interference and detoxification of allelochemicals on biochar; and (d) provision of refugia from fungal grazers. We provide a roadmap for research aimed at testing these mechanistic hypotheses.
1,093 citations
TL;DR: The last section of this paper aims to develop an alternative approach, which aims at preserving the original merits of organizational capability and solving the rigidity issue not by integrating a dynamic dimension into the capability construct but rather by establishing a separate function (‘capability monitoring’).
Abstract: The recent discussion in the field of strategic management broadly favors the idea of dynamic capabilities in order to overcome potential rigidities of organizational capability building. The major question addressed in this paper is whether capabilities can actually be conceived as being in flux—and if so, to what extent and in which way? After briefly recapitulating the distinguishing features of organizational capabilities, path dependency, structural inertia, and commitment are identified as the main capability-rigidity drivers causing a managerial dilemma. In the search for a resolution of this dilemma different approaches of dynamic capabilities are identified and discussed. The analysis shows that the approaches suffer from inherent conceptual contradictions: the dynamization runs the risk of dissolving the original idea and strength of organizational capability building. Ultimately, capabilities would lose the strategic power attributed to them in the resource-based view. The last section of this paper therefore aims to develop an alternative approach, which aims at preserving the original merits of organizational capability and solving the rigidity issue not by integrating a dynamic dimension into the capability construct but rather by establishing a separate function (‘capability monitoring’). The suggestions mount up to a tier solution. Its logic builds on the dynamics of countervailing processes and second-level observation. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
936 citations
TL;DR: Solid lipid particulate systems such as solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN), lipid microparticles (LM) and lipospheres) seem to fulfil the requirements for an optimum particulate carrier system for therapeutic peptides, proteins and antigens.
742 citations
TL;DR: A framework based on open systems approaches to organizations is proposed, which examines these organizational interdependencies in terms of the costs, contingencies, and complementarities of different corporate governance practices.
Abstract: This paper develops an organizational approach to corporate governance and assesses the effectiveness of corporate governance and implications for policy. Most corporate governance research focuses on a universal link between corporate governance practices (e.g. shareholder activism, board independence) and performance outcomes, but neglects how interdependences between the organization and diverse environments lead to variations in the effectiveness of different corporate governance practices. In contrast to such 'closed systems' approaches, we propose a framework based on 'open systems' approaches to organizations which examines these organizational interdependencies in terms of the costs, contingencies and complementarities of different corporate governance practices. These three sets of organizational factors are useful in analyzing the effectiveness of corporate governance in diverse organizational environments. We also explore how costs, contingencies and complementarities impact approaches to policy such as 'soft-law' or 'hard law', and their effectiveness in different contexts.
674 citations
TL;DR: The article gives an overview of the cosmetic benefits of lipid nanoparticles, that means enhancement of chemical stability of actives, film formation, controlled occlusion, skin hydration, enhanced skin bioavailability and physical stability of the lipid nanoparticle as topical formulations.
603 citations
Washington University in St. Louis1, University of Verona2, University of Oslo3, Boston Children's Hospital4, Medical University of Vienna5, University of Aberdeen6, University of Virginia7, University of Colorado Denver8, Charles University in Prague9, University of Manitoba10, Free University of Berlin11
TL;DR: This consensus report recommends strategies that include pharmacological treatment, allergen and trigger avoidance and asthma education that are recommended for clinical practice in Europe as well as in North America.
Abstract: Asthma is the leading chronic disease among children in most industrialized countries. However, the evidence base on specific aspects of pediatric asthma, including therapeutic strategies, is limited and no recent international guidelines have focused exclusively on pediatric asthma. As a result, the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology and the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology nominated expert teams to find a consensus to serve as a guideline for clinical practice in Europe as well as in North America. This consensus report recommends strategies that include pharmacological treatment, allergen and trigger avoidance and asthma education. The report is part of the PRACTALL initiative, which is endorsed by both academies.
560 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present a comparative study of financial transfers and social support in ten Western European countries based on the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) conducted in 2004.
Abstract: Summary The ‘generational contract’ is the most important and also the most contentious dimension of contemporary welfare systems. Much of the debate on how to reform it is still truncated, however, by focusing on its public dimension only, especially on pensions and health-care provisions. For a full account, the transfer of resources between adult generations in the family needs to be included as well. So far, research on family transfers has almost exclusively been limited to singlecountry studies. In this article, we present a comparative study of financial transfers and social support in ten Western European countries based on the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) conducted in 2004. Our results confirm, at the European level, the existence of a common transfer pattern. There is a net downward flow from the older to the younger generations, both by inter vivos financial transfers and by social support. Transfers from the elderly parents to their children are much more frequent and also usually much more intense than those in the opposite direction. The positive balance decreases with age but even those over the age of 70 clearly remain net givers. Our results also demonstrate that country-specific transfer patterns follow the typology of welfare regimes. Transfers from parents to children are less frequent but more intense in the Southern European countries than in the Nordic ones, with the Continental European countries being somewhere in between the two. This welfare regime effect still holds after controlling for the most relevant characteristics of the parents.
526 citations
TL;DR: The results indicate that the balance of IKK-β-dependent gene expression in the intestinal epithelium is crucial in intestinal immune homeostasis by promoting mucosal immunity and limiting chronic inflammation.
Abstract: Intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) provide a primary physical barrier against commensal and pathogenic microorganisms in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, but the influence of IECs on the development and regulation of immunity to infection is unknown1. Here we show that IEC-intrinsic IκB kinase (IKK)-β-dependent gene expression is a critical regulator of responses of dendritic cells and CD4+ T cells in the GI tract. Mice with an IEC-specific deletion of IKK-β show a reduced expression of the epithelial-cell-restricted cytokine thymic stromal lymphopoietin in the intestine and, after infection with the gut-dwelling parasite Trichuris, fail to develop a pathogen-specific CD4+ T helper type 2 (TH2) response and are unable to eradicate infection. Further, these animals show exacerbated production of dendritic-cell-derived interleukin-12/23p40 and tumour necrosis factor-α, increased levels of CD4+ T-cell-derived interferon-γ and interleukin-17, and develop severe intestinal inflammation. Blockade of proinflammatory cytokines during Trichuris infection ablates the requirement for IKK-β in IECs to promote CD4+ TH2 cell-dependent immunity, identifying an essential function for IECs in tissue-specific conditioning of dendritic cells and limiting type 1 cytokine production in the GI tract. These results indicate that the balance of IKK-β-dependent gene expression in the intestinal epithelium is crucial in intestinal immune homeostasis by promoting mucosal immunity and limiting chronic inflammation.
TL;DR: Preclinical and clinical investigations showed that the development of new metal agents with modes of action different from cisplatin is possible, and complexes with iron, cobalt, or gold central atoms have shown promising results in preclinical studies and compounds with titanium, ruthenium, or galliumcentral atoms have already been evaluated in phase I and phase II trials.
Abstract: The development of metal complexes with platinum central atoms such as cisplatin or carboplatin had an enormous impact on current cancer chemotherapy. However, the spectrum of cancers that can be treated with platinum agents is narrow and treatment efficacy suffers from side effects and resistance phenomena. These unresolved problems in platinum-based anti-cancer therapy have stimulated increased research efforts in the search for novel non platinum-containing metal species as cytostatic agents. Preclinical and clinical investigations showed that the development of new metal agents with modes of action different from cisplatin is possible. Thus, complexes with iron, cobalt, or gold central atoms have shown promising results in preclinical studies and compounds with titanium, ruthenium, or gallium central atoms have already been evaluated in phase I and phase II trials. This review covers some relevant examples of preclinical and clinical research on novel non platinum metal complexes.
TL;DR: In this article, the functional roles of social support within the stress and coping context were investigated, and it was found that the direct effect of provided support on coping needs to be mediated by received support in order to become effective.
Abstract: This article reports four longitudinal field studies and one experimental study designed to shed light on the functional roles of social support within the stress and coping context. First, the enabling hypothesis is examined that assumes a facilitating effect of support on self‐efficacy, which, in turn, promotes coping with the aftermath of cardiac surgery. Second, we discuss the support cultivation hypothesis that regards support as a mediator between self‐efficacy and various outcomes, such as depressive mood, as illustrated by a finding on the experience of macrosocial stress during the East German transition. Third, support is highlighted as a coping resource by specifying provided partner support as a predictor of patients' coping with cancer. It was found that the direct effect of provided support on coping needs to be mediated by received support in order to become effective. Fourth, coping efforts of a target person are found to be predictive of support intentions of a potential provider. The bet...
TL;DR: The hypothesis that poultry may be a vehicle or even a reservoir for human ExPEC strains and APEC potentially serve as a reservoir of virulence-associated genes for UPEC and NMEC is supported, and some ExPec strains, although of different pathotypes, may share common ancestors, and as a conclusion certain APEC subgroups have to be considered potential zoonotic agents.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors sketch out current theoretical and empirical developments in the social sciences and point toward the acute and increasing need for multidisciplinary longitudinal data covering a wide range of living conditions for both theoretical investigation and the evaluation of policy measures.
Abstract: After the introduction in Section 2, we very briefly sketch out current theoretical and empirical developments in the social sciences. In our view, they all point in the same direction: toward the acute and increasing need for multidisciplinary longitudinal data covering a wide range of living conditions and based on a multitude of variables from the social sciences for both theoretical investigation and the evaluation of policy measures. Cohort and panel studies are therefore called upon to become truly interdisciplinary tools. In Section 3, we describe the German Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP), in which we discuss recent improvements of that study which approach this ideal and point out existing shortcomings. Section 4 concludes with a discussion of potential future issues and developments for SOEP and other household panel studies.
TL;DR: It is concluded that quantitative specialization in ecological communities mirrors evolutionary trade-offs and constraints of web architecture and can be easily expanded to other types of biological interactions.
TL;DR: These findings provide the first example of a functional gene analysis in songbirds and suggest that normal auditory-guided vocal motor learning requires FoxP2, which is essential for developing the full articulatory power of human language.
Abstract: The gene encoding the forkhead box transcription factor, FOXP2, is essential for developing the full articulatory power of human language. Mutations of FOXP2 cause developmental verbal dyspraxia (DVD), a speech and language disorder that compromises the fluent production of words and the correct use and comprehension of grammar. FOXP2 patients have structural and functional abnormalities in the striatum of the basal ganglia, which also express high levels of FOXP2. Since human speech and learned vocalizations in songbirds bear behavioral and neural parallels, songbirds provide a genuine model for investigating the basic principles of speech and its pathologies. In zebra finch Area X, a basal ganglia structure necessary for song learning, FoxP2 expression increases during the time when song learning occurs. Here, we used lentivirus-mediated RNA interference (RNAi) to reduce FoxP2 levels in Area X during song development. Knockdown of FoxP2 resulted in an incomplete and inaccurate imitation of tutor song. Inaccurate vocal imitation was already evident early during song ontogeny and persisted into adulthood. The acoustic structure and the duration of adult song syllables were abnormally variable, similar to word production in children with DVD. Our findings provide the first example of a functional gene analysis in songbirds and suggest that normal auditory-guided vocal motor learning requires FoxP2.
TL;DR: It is proposed that when the fragments of Gondwanaland were separated by the plume, the penetration of their lithospheric roots into the asthenosphere were important in determining their speed, thus permitting faster motion due to ridge push or slab pull.
Abstract: The breakup of the supercontinent Gondwanaland into Africa, Antarctica, Australia and India about 140 million years ago, and consequently the opening of the Indian Ocean, is thought to have been caused by heating of the lithosphere from below by a large plume whose relicts are now the Marion, Kerguelen and Reunion plumes. Plate reconstructions based on palaeomagnetic data suggest that the Indian plate attained a very high speed (18-20 cm yr(-1) during the late Cretaceous period) subsequent to its breakup from Gondwanaland, and then slowed to approximately 5 cm yr(-1) after the continental collision with Asia approximately 50 Myr ago. The Australian and African plates moved comparatively less distance and at much lower speeds of 2-4 cm yr(-1) (refs 3-5). Antarctica remained almost stationary. This mobility makes India unique among the fragments of Gondwanaland. Here we propose that when the fragments of Gondwanaland were separated by the plume, the penetration of their lithospheric roots into the asthenosphere were important in determining their speed. We estimated the thickness of the lithospheric plates of the different fragments of Gondwanaland around the Indian Ocean by using the shear-wave receiver function technique. We found that the fragment of Gondwanaland with clearly the thinnest lithosphere is India. The lithospheric roots in South Africa, Australia and Antarctica are between 180 and 300 km deep, whereas the Indian lithosphere extends only about 100 km deep. We infer that the plume that partitioned Gondwanaland may have also melted the lower half of the Indian lithosphere, thus permitting faster motion due to ridge push or slab pull.
TL;DR: Hfq is involved in the expression and secretion of virulence factors in the facultative intracellular pathogen, Salmonella typhimurium, and appears to cause a chronic activation of the RpoE‐mediated envelope stress response which is likely due to a misregulation of membrane protein expression.
Abstract: The RNA chaperone, Hfq, plays a diverse role in bacterial physiology beyond its original role as a host factor required for replication of Qβ RNA bacteriophage. In this study, we show that Hfq is involved in the expression and secretion of virulence factors in the facultative intracellular pathogen, Salmonella typhimurium. A Salmonella hfq deletion strain is highly attenuated in mice after both oral and intraperitoneal infection, and shows a severe defect in invasion of epithelial cells and a growth defect in both epithelial cells and macrophages in vitro. Surprisingly, we find that these phenotypes are largely independent of the previously reported requirement of Hfq for expression of the stationary phase sigma factor, RpoS. Our results implicate Hfq as a key regulator of multiple aspects of virulence including regulation of motility and outer membrane protein (OmpD) expression in addition to invasion and intracellular growth. These pleiotropic effects are suggested to involve a network of regulatory small non-coding RNAs, placing Hfq at the centre of post-transcriptional regulation of virulence gene expression in Salmonella. In addition, the hfq mutation appears to cause a chronic activation of the RpoE-mediated envelope stress response which is likely due to a misregulation of membrane protein expression.
TL;DR: The Mars Express high-resolution stereo camera (HRSC) as discussed by the authors is a push-broom scanning instrument with nine CCD line detectors mounted in parallel on a focal plane, its unique feature is the ability to obtain near-simultaneous imaging data at high resolution, with along-track triple stereo, four colors and five different phase angles.
TL;DR: An algorithm for the automatic computation of global parameterizations on arbitrary simplicial 2‐manifolds, whose parameter lines are guided by a given frame field, for example, by principal curvature frames is introduced.
Abstract: We introduce an algorithm for the automatic computation of global parameterizations on arbitrary simplicial 2manifolds, whose parameter lines are guided by a given frame field, for example, by principal curvature frames. The parameter lines are globally continuous and allow a remeshing of the surface into quadrilaterals. The algorithm converts a given frame field into a single vector field on a branched covering of the 2-manifold and generates an integrable vector field by a Hodge decomposition on the covering space. Except for an optional smoothing and alignment of the initial frame field, the algorithm is fully automatic and generates high quality quadrilateral meshes.
TL;DR: The Fe magnetic moment can be rotated along directions in plane as well as out of plane by a magnetization reversal of the substrate, thereby opening up an avenue for spin-dependent molecular electronics.
Abstract: To realize molecular spintronic devices, it is important to externally control the magnetization of a molecular magnet. One class of materials particularly promising as building blocks for molecular electronic devices is the paramagnetic porphyrin molecule in contact with a metallic substrate. Here, we study the structural orientation and the magnetic coupling of in-situ-sublimated Fe porphyrin molecules on ferromagnetic Ni and Co films on Cu(100). Our studies involve X-ray absorption spectroscopy and X-ray magnetic circular dichroism experiments. In a combined experimental and computational study we demonstrate that owing to an indirect, superexchange interaction between Fe atoms in the molecules and atoms in the substrate (Co or Ni) the paramagnetic molecules can be made to order ferromagnetically. The Fe magnetic moment can be rotated along directions in plane as well as out of plane by a magnetization reversal of the substrate, thereby opening up an avenue for spin-dependent molecular electronics.
TL;DR: It is demonstrated that Arabidopsis cryptochrome activation by blue light can be inhibited by green light in vivo consistent with a change of the cofactor redox state, and results indicate that cry1 activation via blue light initiates formation of a flavosemiquinone signaling state that can be converted bygreen light to an inactive form.
TL;DR: The mechanisms for the regulation of the levels of the proposed endovanilloids, as well as their TRPV1-mediated pharmacological actions in vitro and in vivo, are discussed and the possible pathological conditions in which endovanillsoids, acting at sometimes aberrantly expressed TRPv1 receptors, might play a role are outlined.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors show how complementary assets raise the need for strategic direction by a firm's top management, and how these assets magnify internal incentive problems and their management has an impact on the innovativeness of a firm.
Abstract: In the resource-based view of strategy and in evolutionary economics, complementary assets play a crucial role in explaining sustainable competitive advantages and innovations. Despite the apparent importance of complementary assets for the understanding of corporate strategy, their creation and the associated managerial problems have been much less discussed. We believe this to be a major weakness in the strategic theory of the firm. Interestingly, problems of coordination and cooperation are center stage in the contract-based theories of the firm, and we try to integrate some of their insights into a resource-based perspective. Specifically, we show how complementary assets raise the need for strategic direction by a firm's top management. Moreover, complementary assets magnify internal incentive problems, and their management has an impact on the innovativeness of a firm. Lastly, complementary assets play a crucial role in the internal appropriation of innovative rents. We demonstrate the fruitfulness of our integrated framework by relating some of our findings to the literature on corporate strategy, industry evolution, and organizational structures. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
TL;DR: TfR1 is a cellular receptor for New World haemorrhagic fever arenaviruses, and a specific, high-affinity association between transferrin receptor 1 (TFR1) and the entry glycoprotein (GP) of Machupo virus is shown.
Abstract: The transferrin receptor 1 (TfR1) has been identified as the cellular receptor for four New World arenaviruses — the Junin, Machupo, Guanarito and Sabia viruses. This class of arenaviruses is important because they cause fatal haemorrhagic fevers. Treating cultured cells with an antibody against TfR1 blocks viral entry and replication. Antibodies that limit arenavirus replication without interfering with host iron metabolism may be effective in controlling outbreaks of New World haemorrhagic fever. At least five arenaviruses cause viral haemorrhagic fevers in humans. Lassa virus, an Old World arenavirus, uses the cellular receptor α-dystroglycan to infect cells1. Machupo, Guanarito, Junin and Sabia viruses are New World haemorrhagic fever viruses that do not use α-dystroglycan2. Here we show a specific, high-affinity association between transferrin receptor 1 (TfR1) and the entry glycoprotein (GP) of Machupo virus. Expression of human TfR1, but not human transferrin receptor 2, in hamster cell lines markedly enhanced the infection of viruses pseudotyped with the GP of Machupo, Guanarito and Junin viruses, but not with those of Lassa or lymphocytic choriomeningitis viruses. An anti-TfR1 antibody efficiently inhibited the replication of Machupo, Guanarito, Junin and Sabia viruses, but not that of Lassa virus. Iron depletion of culture medium enhanced, and iron supplementation decreased, the efficiency of infection by Junin and Machupo but not Lassa pseudoviruses. These data indicate that TfR1 is a cellular receptor for New World haemorrhagic fever arenaviruses.
TL;DR: It is shown theoretically by computer-aided simulation, and for the first time experimentally in mice, that targeted aerosol delivery to the lung can be achieved with aerosol droplets comprising superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles—so-called nanomagnetosols—in combination with a target-directed magnetic gradient field.
Abstract: The inhalation of medical aerosols is widely used for the treatment of lung disorders such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cystic fibrosis, respiratory infection and, more recently, lung cancer Targeted aerosol delivery to the affected lung tissue may improve therapeutic efficiency and minimize unwanted side effects Despite enormous progress in optimizing aerosol delivery to the lung, targeted aerosol delivery to specific lung regions other than the airways or the lung periphery has not been adequately achieved to date Here, we show theoretically by computer-aided simulation, and for the first time experimentally in mice, that targeted aerosol delivery to the lung can be achieved with aerosol droplets comprising superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles--so-called nanomagnetosols--in combination with a target-directed magnetic gradient field We suggest that nanomagnetosols may be useful for treating localized lung disease, by targeting foci of bacterial infection or tumour nodules
TL;DR: The theoretical design of the laser pulse to transfer an initial state to a given final state can be achieved with the help of quantum optimal control theory (QOCT).
Abstract: The control of quantum dynamics via specially tailored laser pulses is a long-standing goal in physics and chemistry. Partly, this dream has come true, as sophisticated pulse-shaping experiments allow us to coherently control product ratios of chemical reactions. The theoretical design of the laser pulse to transfer an initial state to a given final state can be achieved with the help of quantum optimal control theory (QOCT). This tutorial provides an introduction to QOCT. It shows how the control equations defining such an optimal pulse follow from the variation of a properly defined functional. We explain the most successful schemes to solve these control equations and show how to incorporate additional constraints in the pulse design. The algorithms are then applied to simple quantum systems and the obtained pulses are analysed. Besides the traditional final-time control methods, the tutorial also presents an algorithm and an example to handle time-dependent control targets.
TL;DR: Self-efficacy and planning seemed to be functional as proximal predictors of health behaviors, whereas health risk perception appeared to be a negligible factor when predicting health behaviors.
Abstract: Background: Adoption and maintenance of health behaviors are often poorly predicted by behavioral intentions. To bridge the gap between intentions and behavior, strategic planning and recovery self-efficacy have been suggested as proximal predictors.Purpose: The aim was to examine the usefulness of a prediction model that includes planning and self-efficacy as postintentional mediator variables.Methods: Four longitudinal studies were conducted on dental flossing (Study I, N = 157), seat belt use (Study II, N = 298), dietary behaviors (Study III, N = 700), and physical activity (Study IV, N = 365). Dental flossing and seat belt use were assessed in students by paper-and-pencil questionnaires, whereas dietary behavior and physical activity inventories were presented to the general public in the internet.Results: By structural equation modeling, it was found that one common model fits all four data sets well. Results differed in terms of variance accounted for, but the overall patterns of estimated parameters were similar across samples.Conclusions: Self-efficacy and planning seemed to be functional as proximal predictors of health behaviors, whereas health risk perception appeared to be a negligible factor. When predicting health behaviors, self-regulatory variables should be used in addition to the behavioral intention.
TL;DR: It is proposed that cell types with dual sensory-neurosecretory properties were the starting point for the evolution of neurosecretory brain centers in Bilateria.