bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Reliability and Accuracy of Two Methods for Proximal Caries Detection and Depth on Directly Visible Proximal Surfaces: An in vitro Study
Authors: Ekstrand K.R. , Luna L.E. , Promisiero L. , Cortes A. , Cuevas S. , Reyes J.F. , Torres C.E. , Martignon S.
Published: March 2011

This study aimed to determine the reliability and accuracy of the ICDAS and radiographs in detecting and estimating the depth of proximal lesions on extracted teeth. The lesions were visible to the naked eye. Three trained examiners scored a total of 132 sound/carious proximal surfaces from 106 primary teeth and 160 sound/carious proximal surfaces from 140 permanent teeth. The selected surfaces were first scored visually, using the 7 classes in the ICDAS. They were then assessed on radiographs using a 5-point classification system. Reexaminations were conducted with both scoring systems. Teeth were then sectioned and the selected surfaces histologically classified using a stereomicroscope (×5). Intrareproducibility values (weighted kappa statistics) for the ICDAS for both primary and permanent teeth were >0.9, and for the radiographs between 0.6 and 0.8. Interreproducibility values for the ICDAS were >0.85, for the radiographs >0.6. For both primary and permanent teeth, the accuracy of each examiner (Spearman’s correlation coefficient) for the ICDAS was ≧0.85, and for the radiographs ≧0.45. Corresponding data were achieved when using pooled data from the 3 examiners for both the ICDAS and the radiographs. The associations between the 2 detection methods were measured to be moderate. In particular, the ICDAS was accurate in predicting lesion depth (histologically) confined to the enamel/outer third of the dentine versus deeper lesions. This study shows that when proximal lesions are open for inspection, the ICDAS is a more reliable and accurate method than the radiograph for detecting and estimating the depth of the lesion in both primary and permanent teeth.
Dental Caries in Rats Associated with Candida albicans
Authors: Klinke T. , Guggenheim B. , Klimm W. , Thurnheer T.
Published: March 2011

In addition to occasional opportunistic colonization of the oral mucosa, Candida albicans is frequently found in carious dentin. The yeast’s potential to induce dental caries as a consequence of its pronounced ability to produce and tolerate acids was investigated. Eighty caries-active Osborne-Mendel rats were raised on an ampicillin-supplemented diet and exposed to C. albicans and/or Streptococcus mutans, except for controls. Throughout the 28-day test period, the animals were offered the modified cariogenic diet 2000a, containing 40% various sugars. Subsequently, maxillary molars were scored for plaque extent. After dissection, the mandibular molars were evaluated for smooth surface and fissure caries. Test animals exposed to C. albicans displayed considerably more advanced fissure lesions (p < 0.001) than non-exposed controls. While S. mutans yielded similar results, a combined association of C. albicans and S. mutans had no effect on occlusal caries incidence. Substituting dietary sucrose by glucose did not modify caries induction by C. albicans. However, animals fed a diet containing 20% of both sugars showed no differences to non-infected controls. Smooth surface caries was not generated by the yeast. This study provides experimental evidence that C. albicans is capable of causing occlusal caries in rats at a high rate.
Direct Measurement of the Lethal Isotherm for Radiofrequency Ablation of Myocardial Tissue
Authors: Wood Mark , Goldberg Scott , Lau Melissa , Goel Aneesh , Alexander Daniel , Han Frederick , Feinstein Shawn
Published: March 2011

Background—

The lethal isotherm for radiofrequency catheter ablation of cardiac myocardium is widely accepted to be 50°C, but this has not been directly measured. The purpose of this study was to directly measure the tissue temperature at the edge of radiofrequency lesions in real time using infrared thermal imaging.

Methods and Results—

Fifteen radiofrequency lesions of 6 to 240 seconds in duration were applied to the left ventricular surface of isolated perfused pig hearts. At the end of radiofrequency delivery, a thermal image of the tissue surface was acquired with an infrared camera. The lesion was then stained and an optical image of the lesion was obtained. The thermal and optical images were electronically merged to allow determination of the tissue temperature at the edge of the lesion at the end of radiofrequency delivery. By adjusting the temperature overlay display to conform with the edge of the radiofrequency lesion, the lethal isotherm was measured to be 60.6°C (interquartile ranges, 59.7° to 62.4°C; range, 58.1° to 64.2°C). The areas encompassed by the lesion border in the optical image and the lethal isotherm in the thermal image were statistically similar and highly correlated (Spearman ρ=0.99,
P
<0.001). The lethal isotherm temperature was not related to the duration of radiofrequency delivery or to lesion size (both
P
>0.64). The areas circumscribed by 50°C isotherms were significantly larger than the areas of the lesions on optical imaging (
P
=0.002).

Conclusions—

By direct measurement, the lethal isotherm for cardiac myocardium is near 61°C for radiofrequency energy deliveries <240 seconds in duration. A 50°C isotherm overestimates lesion size. Accurate knowledge of the lethal isotherm for radiofrequency ablation is important to clinical practice as well as mathematical modeling of radiofrequency lesions.
Pop-Rock Music as Expressive Isomorphism: Blurring the National, the Exotic, and the Cosmopolitan in Popular Music
Authors: Regev Motti
Published: March 2011

Expressive isomorphism is characterized as the process through which national uniqueness is standardized so that expressive culture of various nations, or of social sectors within them, comes to consist of similar expressive forms and stylistic elements. Expanding on Meyer, the presence of pop-rock music in world culture is discussed as a major manifestation of expressive isomorphism. This is done by looking at these aspects of pop-rock music: electric instrumentation, ritual classification, ritual periodization, diffusion of styles and genres, legitimation discourses, and the emergence of ethnic rock. Following Bourdieu, a sociological account that focuses on recognition and status concludes the article.
Presidents and Parties: How Presidential Elections Shape Coordination in Legislative Elections
Authors: Hicken Allen , Stoll Heather
Published: March 2011

This article explicates the mechanisms through which presidential elections shape the legislative party system, an issue that has received little attention to date. The authors argue that presidential elections exert their influence through two distinct channels. First, they affect the incentives of candidates, voters, and parties to coordinate within electoral districts. Second and most importantly, they shape the incentives of candidates to coordinate across legislative electoral districts under a common party banner, leading to more aggregated or nationalized party systems when there are few presidential candidates. The authors find support for the relative importance of this cross-district effect using a unique data set of district-level election results from approximately 600 elections in 70 countries.
Homeless Families’ Education Networks
Authors: Miller Peter M.
Published: March 2011

Purpose: This study sought deeper understanding of how sheltered families accessed and mobilized educationally related relationships and resources during periods of homelessness. Such work is posited to be especially relevant considering that there is a growing crisis of family homelessness in the United States and school- and community-based leaders need to develop more nuanced understandings of how to meet their needs. Research Design: The study was situated in a large urban region in the eastern United States, and data were collected through surveys of 151 sheltered homeless mothers, focus group interviews with 51 homeless mothers, and analysis of a countywide homeless management information system. Data analysis was informed by Lin’s network theory of social capital, which, among other relational issues, purposefully considers embedded resources, resource accessibility, and resource mobilization. Findings: The findings revealed several significant obstacles to homeless families’ access to and mobilization of network relationships and resources. Amid these challenges, however, the leaders and structures of residential homeless serving agencies appear to play key roles in helping families develop new opportunities. Conclusions: It is suggested that shelters develop programs and philosophies of action that are consonant with their service capacities and locations. Furthermore, shelter, school, and community leaders are urged to construct systems of collaborative understanding and practice. Finally, several suggestions for future research are presented.
Child Savings Accounts: Learning from poverty reduction policies in the world
Authors: Cheung Monit , Delavega Elena
Published: March 2011

This paper addresses the potential benefits of Child Savings Accounts (CSAs) in citizen–government partnerships on poverty reduction. CSA policies from 10 countries/regions in the world with official governmental website information are analyzed in terms of purpose, target age, account opening process, benefits, contributions, match, and fund usage as possible learning lessons for the USA. All 10 countries/regions with national CSA policies target low-income or disadvantaged children through five elements: 1) seed money for children’s education funds; 2) matching fund; 3) school attendance requirements; 4) graduation as a requirement; and 5) income determination. Aversion to higher taxes may still create difficulties in funding.
Formulations for thermoplastic vulcanizates based on high density polyethylene, ethylene-propylene-diene monomer, and ground tyre rubber
Authors: Cañavate J. , Casas P. , Colom X. , Nogués F.
Published: March 2011

Thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPVs) are a specific group of the so called thermoplastic elastomers. The main characteristic is the existence of a crosslinked rubber phase obtained by dynamic vulcanization in the presence of the thermoplastic matrix. This article studies TPVs based on ground tyre rubber (GTR), high-density polyethylene, and ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber. Vulcanization is performed by a new peroxide developed to resist high temperatures and an standard one. The aim of this study is optimize the formulation in order to include GTR, while maintaining a good balance of properties in the final TPV material. The use of GTR would improve the possibilities of recovering tyre waste. A detailed study regarding the influence of each component in the final mechanical properties has been carried out. The swelling properties, ATR infrared spectroscopy, TGA, and DSC analysis indicated a high degree of crosslink and good adhesion between the matrix and the rubber phase. Morphology of the composites was assessed by scanning electron microscopy. A composite containing a combination of peroxides and 40/30/30 of HDPE, EPDM, and GTR was found to show a good balance of characteristics regarding mechanical properties, crosslinking, and adhesion between phases.
Modeling of strength and stiffness of short randomly oriented glass fiber—polypropylene composites
Authors: Taha Iman , Abdin Yasmine F.
Published: March 2011

This study presents an approach toward better understanding of the mechanical behavior of short discontinuous randomly oriented fiber-reinforced composites. Due to their expanded use, the combination of polypropylene (PP) matrix and glass fibers (GFs) was chosen as an example of an injection-molded short fiber system to represent the complex class of materials. Based on the systematic evaluation of available mathematical models for the estimation of mechanical behavior, in addition to the analysis of microscopic observations, improved models for the prediction of composite stiffness and strength were developed. The models developed in this study, take into consideration several aspects that are found in a nonperfect composite, such as fiber length, preparation and orientation, fiber—matrix bonding, and processing conditions. The new models show a good description of the actual behavior, not only for the GF—PP system under consideration, but also for various other short-fiber polymer composites cited by the literature, such as carbon and natural fiber systems.
The Institutional Design of Riparian Treaties
Authors: Tir Jaroslav , Stinnett Douglas M.
Published: March 2011

International agreements governing rivers vary considerably in whether they contain institutional provisions for joint monitoring, conflict resolution, enforcement, and/or the delegation of authority to intergovernmental organizations. This article develops an explanation for why some river management treaties include more institutional provisions while others contain fewer, if any. The authors argue that certain types of issues related to river use—water quantity, water quality, and navigation—tend to be difficult to manage and prone to noncompliance. When forming treaties to address these specific issues, states will be more likely to include institutional provisions. The authors test the link between these river use issues and institutional design using a data set of 315 river treaties signed since 1950. The results show that highly contentious issues—and in particular water quantity and navigation—have a greater effect on the institutional design of river treaties than contextual and power politics factors.
Covert or Convenient? Evolution of Terror Attack Networks
Authors: Helfstein Scott , Wright Dominick
Published: March 2011

The concept of networks has become synonymous with terrorism in recent years. Despite the abundance of material engaging the concept of terrorist networks, there is a paucity of research that applies analytic network methods to the empirical study of observed data. This article fills that void by comparing two arguments about terror network structure using a newly released attack network data set. One account suggests that terrorists purposefully structure their networks to maximize operational security (OPSEC) by minimizing connections, while an alternate proposition relies on findings in network sciences showing that many networks have a few well-connected individuals (referred to as scale-free structure). Empirical analysis of six evolving attack networks produces results contradicting both assertions. This article then looks beyond structure to examine whether there are any causal relationships between network characteristics and output, specifically attack casualties. The article concludes by examining possible drivers of network structure and pertinent policy implications.
Are Parrots CRAVED? An Analysis of Parrot Poaching in Mexico
Authors: Pires Stephen , Clarke Ronald V.
Published: March 2011

Poaching significantly contributes to the endangerment of protected wildlife but has rarely been studied by criminologists. This study examines whether CRAVED, a general model of theft choices drawn from routine activity and rational choice theory, can help to explain parrot poaching. It correlates estimates of the numbers poached for the 22 species of Mexican parrots with measures of CRAVED components (concealable, removable, available, valuable, enjoyable, and disposable). Widely available species and those whose chicks are easily removable from the nest are more commonly poached, a pattern suggesting that most poachers are opportunistic villagers. More valuable/disposable and more enjoyable species are rarely taken because few remain in the wild after being heavily poached for export in the 1980s. Apart from helping to explain parrot poaching and consider conservation options, the application of CRAVED suggested a possible contribution to understanding theft choices. This was that “abundant” and “accessible” might replace “available.”
Do We Know a Successful Teacher When We See One? Experiments in the Identification of Effective Teachers
Authors: Strong Michael , Gargani John , Hacifazlioğlu Özge
Published: March 2011

The authors report on three experiments designed to (a) test under increasingly more favorable conditions whether judges can correctly rate teachers of known ability to raise student achievement, (b) inquire about what criteria judges use when making their evaluations, and (c) determine which criteria are most predictive of a teacher’s effectiveness. All three experiments resulted in high agreement among judges but low ability to identify effective teachers. Certain items on the established measure that are related to instructional behavior did reliably predict teacher effectiveness. The authors conclude that (a) judges, no matter how experienced, are unable to identify successful teachers; (b) certain cognitive operations may be contributing to this outcome; (c) it is desirable and possible to develop a new measure that does produce accurate predictions of a teacher’s ability to raise student achievement test scores.
Developing a Framework for Assessing the Socioeconomic Impacts of Museums
Authors: Bryan Jane , Munday Max , Bevins Richard
Published: March 2011

The role of museums as agents of culture, education and even nationhood is widely recognised. However, the potential for museums to contribute to regeneration processes is also important. Urban development literature has demonstrated the importance of creative capital in economic development processes. Then, evaluating museums in economic terms, covering issues including visitor numbers and resulting tourism consumption, provides only a partial indication of museum ‘value’. This paper reports research undertaken with Amgueddfa Cymru—National Museum Wales to establish the economic impact of museums, but which also developed a conceptual framework to assess other elements of museum contribution. In particular, the paper picks up on research challenges on the need to test critically how far culture can be at the heart of local regeneration. The paper also addresses a challenge from the literature that a wider group of stakeholders might be involved in establishing the ‘value’ of services emanating from museums.
The contribution of age and reading instruction to oral narrative and pre-reading skills
Authors: Suggate Sebastian P. , Schaughency Elizabeth A. , Reese Elaine
Published: March 2011

Research suggests children beginning school around age five years show similar long-term reading achievement as children who start later, at seven years. To shed light on this phenomenon, this article presents cross-sectional data examining the oral narrative, phonemic awareness and non-word decoding skills of three groups of children at the beginning of state schooling (age 5), the beginning of Waldorf schooling (age 7) and children who attended state schooling, but were of a similar age to the Waldorf sample (age 7) ( N = 103). Key covariates of receptive vocabulary, home literacy environment, sex, ethnicity and maternal education were included. Analyses suggested language development – including story memory and narrative quality and phoneme awareness – improved with age but not length of formal schooling. Conversely, non-word decoding skills improved with formal schooling, but not age. These findings add to the literature supporting separate skill clusters of language and decoding skills, with potentially different contributors to their development.
Clarifying the role of joint attention in early word learning
Authors: Scofield Jason , Behrend Douglas A.
Published: March 2011

Four studies examined whether two-year-olds could successfully learn a novel word in conditions in which joint attention was not present. Study 1 examined whether children could learn a novel word while the speaker, but not the child, attended to the target object. Study 2 examined whether children could learn a novel word while the child, but not the speaker, attended to the target object. Study 3 examined whether children could learn a novel word while the child and the speaker attended to two different target objects. Study 4 examined whether children could learn a novel word while neither the child nor the speaker attended to the target object. Findings showed that successful word learning occurred in each of the four studies. These results suggest that joint attention may play an important, though not a necessary, role in young children’s word learning.
Articles in child L2 English: When L1 and L2 acquisition meet at the interface
Authors: Zdorenko Tatiana , Paradis Johanne
Published: March 2011

In this study, the authors investigate the acquisition of the article system of English as a phenomenon at the interface between morphosyntax and semantics. L1 acquisition studies have found that children make mistakes in article use until they are at least four years old or possibly older. Also, adult L2 acquisition studies have reported that learners of English often have consistent difficulty in the use of articles until very late stages of acquisition. This study sought to understand whether child L2 learners would display acquisition patterns similar to child L1 for the English article system. The authors analyzed article use in L2 children from four L1 backgrounds: Mandarin/Cantonese Chinese, Hindi/Urdu/Punjabi, Arabic, and Spanish. The findings of the study indicate that the interface domain of the article system is indeed problematic for child L2 learners. The authors found that all L1 groups had difficulty acquiring the semantic aspect of the phenomenon. In the no-article L1 groups, the acquisition of the morphosyntactic aspect of article use showed the effect of L1 in the form of article omissions. Transfer of the mapping of the feature [−definite] onto indefinite article forms from L1s did not take place in the Arabic and Spanish L1 groups, indicating that L1 transfer in child L2 acquisition is limited. Comparing the findings with those of the previous studies of child L1 and adult L2 acquisition, the authors conclude that the predominant trends in children’s article acquisition were developmental rather than transfer-based. This finding in particular highlights the special status of L2 children as a unique learner population.
The Interrelationships Among Informal Institutions, Formal Institutions, and Inward Foreign Direct Investment
Authors: Holmes R. Michael , Miller Toyah , Hitt Michael A. , Salmador M. Paz
Published: March 2011

This research contributes to institutional theory by examining the influence of informal institutions on formal institutions and the effects of formal institutions on inward foreign direct investment. In particular, the authors integrate prior research from multiple disciplines to identify and to examine the roles of a country’s formal regulatory, political, and economic institutions. The results suggest that the country’s informal institutions, in the form of the cultural dimensions of collectivism and future orientation, shape the country’s formal institutions. In turn, each of the three formal institutions affects the country’s level of inward foreign direct investment differently. To facilitate future research, the authors also provide a set of measures for formal institutions in 50 countries.
The Internal and External Networks of Knowledge-Intensive Teams
Authors: Chung Yunhyung , Jackson Susan E.
Published: March 2011

Using a sample of 56 science research teams, the authors examined (a) the relationships between qualities of team internal and external networks and team performance and (b) the moderating impact of task routineness on these relationships. The authors argued that the mixed empirical results of past studies investigating the relationship between internal networks and performance may be due partly to variations in task routineness and partly to the presence of curvilinear relationships between network qualities and team performance. Using an objective measure of team performance, the results revealed support for both explanations. The authors found an inverted-U relationship between internal trust relationship strength and team performance and a positive linear relationship between external work relationship strength and team performance. Furthermore, task routineness moderated these relationships, as predicted. Future scholarship and practice may be advanced by attending to the boundary conditions under which strong internal and external team networks are likely to be beneficial to the performance of knowledge-intensive teams.
Someone to Look Up To
Authors: Jordan Jennifer , Brown Michael E. , Treviño Linda K. , Finkelstein Sydney
Published: March 2011

Despite a business environment that highlights the importance of executives’ ethical leadership, the individual antecedents of ethical leadership remain largely unknown. In this study, the authors propose that follower perceptions of ethical leadership depend on the executive leader’s cognitive moral development (CMD) and, more importantly, on the relationship between executive leader and follower CMD. In a sample of 143 leader–follower dyads, the authors find a direct positive relationship between leader CMD and perceptions of ethical leadership. Using polynomial regression, they find that ethical leadership is maximized when the leader’s CMD diverges from and is greater than the follower’s CMD. The authors explain these findings using a social learning theory framework. Leaders who are more advanced ethical reasoners relative to their followers are likely to stand out as salient ethical role models whose ethics-related communication and behavior attract followers’ attention. The authors discuss the research and practical implications of these findings.
An Intergroup Investigation of Disparaging Humor
Authors: Abrams Jessica R. , Bippus Amy
Published: March 2011

This article takes an intergroup approach to studying disparaging humor. Specifically, this study tests the in-group favoritism/out-group rejection tenet of social identity theory in the context of disparaging gender-based jokes. The experiment manipulated the number of jokes men and women read about their gender and the opposite gender, and then measured joke funniness, in- and out-group typicality, and collective self-esteem. The findings revealed that both men and women exhibited in-group bias by rating jokes about the opposite gender funnier and more typical than jokes about their own gender, although only the findings for women were significant. Women’s evaluations of male-targeted joke(s) were particularly affected by the number of jokes they read. Explained from a social identity theory perspective, the findings underscore how jokes contribute to intergroup division and the utility of intergroup theory in understanding the social cognitive processes of jokes.
Media Discourse on Globalization in China: A Social—Psychological Analysis
Authors: Sik Hung Ng  , Jiawen Ye  , Lee Chin-Chuan
Published: March 2011

China’s economic liberalization reforms and quest for global status have raised concerns over ideological inconsistencies (the adoption of market economy is discrepant from China’s avowed belief in socialism) and image problems (the world that China wants to embrace perceives her as a menace). Official media discourse makes frequent reference to globalization and uses it to manage the inconsistencies and to bolster China’s global image. These discursive functions, though related to media discourse’s meaning-making functions, are sufficiently distinct from the latter to merit their own analysis. This article provides a theoretical discussion of the functions derived from social—psychological research on inconsistency justification and intergroup relations, with illustrative examples from relevant articles published in the People’s Daily between 1996 and 2006.
Performance Measures and Parental Satisfaction With New York City Schools
Authors: Charbonneau Étienne , Van Ryzin Gregg G.
Published: March 2011

The public administration literature has consistently questioned the validity of satisfaction surveys as a measure of government performance, particularly in comparison with more objective official measures. The authors examine this objective-subjective debate using unique data from a large survey distributed to nearly 1 million parents of children in the New York City public schools along with officially reported measures of school performance for about 900 schools. Their results suggest that the official measures of school performance are significant and important predictors of aggregate parental satisfaction, even after controlling for school and student characteristics. They conclude that public school parents form their satisfaction judgment in ways that correspond fairly closely with officially measured school performance. The results can also be interpreted as suggesting that the official performance measures reflect, at least in part, aspects of public schooling that matter to parents.
Understanding Affective Organizational Commitment
Authors: Stazyk Edmund C. , Pandey Sanjay K. , Wright Bradley E.
Published: March 2011

This study proposes and tests a model of affective organizational commitment that seeks to capture aspects of the unique institutional context of public organizations. An analysis of survey data from seven public sector organizations suggests external control increases organizational goal ambiguity and two types of bureaucratic red tape, which, in turn, negatively affects affective commitment. Although personnel red tape has a direct adverse impact on affective commitment, procurement red tape is not found to have a significant effect. Organizational goal ambiguity’s influence on affective organizational commitment, however, is mediated through its effect on centralization and role ambiguity. The study concludes with a discussion of the implications of these relationships and possible explanations for instances when findings are not consistent with expectations.
Form of Government Still Matters
Authors: Nelson Kimberly L. , Svara James H.
Published: March 2011

Using data on the adoption of e-government, reinventing government, and strategic practices, and the Nelson and Svara (2010) typology of municipal government form, the authors investigate the characteristics of municipal governments that are related to the implementation of innovative practices. The authors find that higher innovation rates are associated with council-manager governments—both with and without an elected mayor, higher population, greater growth, lower unemployment, sunbelt location, and higher population density. Controlling for all other variables, form of government (and variations within form) account for the greatest explanation of the adoption of innovative practices in municipalities. The authors conclude that form of government remains an important variable to consider when investigating local government management and performance.
Perceived Parental Attachment, Personality Characteristics, and Cognition in Male Incest
Authors: Lu Yi-Ching , Lung For-Wey
Published: March 2011

The aim of this study was to investigate the multiple pathways of perceived child-rearing practices, cognitive-executive functions, and personality characteristics in incest and other sexual offenders. The participants consisted of 217 male sexual offenders who were in custody in southern Taiwan. Participants were divided into two groups of 25 incest and 192 nonincest sexual offenders. The incest offenders tended to be less extraverted and worse in abstract reasoning ability, and to have more perseverative thinking, and perceived less parental care than other sexual offenders. Moreover, the structural equation model showed that the effect of parental care on the type of sexual offense is mediated by cognitive-executive functions and personality traits. This finding suggests that the personality traits, cognitive function, and parental attachment of incest offenders differ from other sexual offenders. This result can be a helpful reference in sexual-offender intervention programs for relapse prevention.
Coping Strategies as Moderators of the Relation Between Individual Race-Related Stress and Mental Health Symptoms for African American Women
Authors: Greer Tawanda M.
Published: March 2011

The purpose of this investigation was to examine coping strategies as moderators of the relationship between individual race-related stress and mental health symptoms among a sample of 128 African American women. Coping strategies refer to efforts used to resolve problems and those used to manage, endure, or alleviate distress. Culture-specific strategies were examined in the current study (i.e., efforts that are commonly used by members of a cultural group). Culture-specific efforts were hypothesized to influence the severity of psychological symptoms associated with individual race-related stress, such that frequent use of culture-specific efforts would lessen the strength of the relationship between race-related stress and psychological symptoms. Moderated hierarchical regression analyses revealed that high use of ritual-centered strategies to address race-related stress was related to severe anxiety and interpersonal sensitivity. No moderating effect of coping strategies was found for depression, obsessive-compulsion, and somatization symptoms. The findings suggest that African American women may inadvertently utilize coping efforts that serve to increase the severity of psychological symptoms related to individual race-related stress. Mental health professionals should explore underlying emotions related to coping efforts utilized to address race-related stress among African American women.
Family Structure as a Social Context for Family Conflict
Authors: Spohn Ryan E. , Kurtz Don L.
Published: March 2011

Two major themes in the delinquency literature are the roles of family structure and childhood victimization. Combining these two lines of research, the current project examines the unique contribution of family structure and victimization on the serious delinquency of a nationally representative sample of adolescents. In addition, we examine whether the form of families serves to condition the relationship between victimization and delinquency. Past research indicates that abuse is more likely to occur in two-parent families of a “mixed” form, specifically in the presence of a live-in boyfriend or stepfather. However, little is known regarding the impact of victimization on delinquency across different types of family structure. Guided by a theoretical framework acknowledging that notions of justice influence the experience of victimization, our analyses indicate that, although victimization is more likely to occur in nonintact two-parent families, victimization is more likely to result in serious delinquency in intact families and single-parent families.
Heavy metal contamination of surface soil in electronic waste dismantling area: site investigation and source-apportionment analysis
Authors: Jinhui Li  , Huabo Duan  , Pixing Shi
Published: March 2011

The dismantling and disposal of electronic waste (e-waste) in developing countries is causing increasing concern because of its impacts on the environment and risks to human health. Heavy-metal concentrations in the surface soils of Guiyu (Guangdong Province, China) were monitored to determine the status of heavy-metal contamination on e-waste dismantling area with a more than 20 years history. Two metalloids and nine metals were selected for investigation. This paper also attempts to compare the data among a variety of e-waste dismantling areas, after reviewing a number of heavy-metal contamination-related studies in such areas in China over the past decade. In addition, source apportionment of heavy metal in the surface soil of these areas has been analysed. Both the MSW open-burning sites probably contained invaluable e-waste and abandoned sites formerly involved in informal recycling activities are the new sources of soil-based environmental pollution in Guiyu. Although printed circuit board waste is thought to be the main source of heavy-metal emissions during e-waste processing, requirement is necessary to soundly manage the plastic separated from e-waste, which mostly contains heavy metals and other toxic substances.
Exploring the Unknown
Authors: Chang Wei-Wen , Chen Cheng-Hui Lucy , Huang Yu-Fu , Yuan Yu-Hsi
Published: March 2011

Empirical studies have found that participation in international service increases learners’ intercultural competence, language skills, appreciation of cultural differences, and tolerance for ambiguity. While previous studies suggest that international service experience is potentially transformative in nature, the present study examined international service experience and explored the factors that encourage transformation. Based on transformative learning and social psychology, the theoretical framework of the present study included three perspectives: environment–person interaction, schema adjustment, and the Johari Window. Data were obtained from 10 international service participants by observation, semistructured interviews, and written documents. Analysis of the data identified three components that enhanced transformation through environment–person interaction in cross-cultural settings: exploring the unknown world, relearning from the basic levels, and the unknown self revealed.
Education Policy, Practice, and Power
Authors: Heimans Stephen
Published: March 2011

This article, drawing especially but not exclusively on Bourdieu’s work on practice and its relationships with habitus, capital, and field, argues for a perspective on policy, as informed by and as practice, and applies it across all elements of the policy cycle. It is argued that a practice perspective captures well the economies of power in policy in its various contexts. A conception of policy as practice also provides analytical resources to account for the dynamic nature of the production and movement of policy ideas and their resemiotization, as they are pulled into and used in, and for, education policy.
Is Max Mosley right on privacy?
Authors: Melville-Brown Amber
Published: March 2011

A prominent media lawyer writes that the injunction - not necessarily of the super kind - is an essential tool if the right to privacy is to be protected. Sometimes the media does have to be kept in check and currently injunctions are the only way to do so, says Amber Melville-Brown.
Downsizing? Not on the politics beat
Authors: Kavanagh Trevor
Published: March 2011

Journalism students should take note, writes eminent former political editor Trevor Kavanagh: there is one area of the trade that is still stimulating and flourishing. Despite cut-backs elsewhere, the number of political journalists in the Palace of Westminster is actually increasing.
The right to know is not absolute
Authors: Haines Joe
Published: March 2011

'Dissenting voice' Joe Haines points out that WikiLeaks content is unsifted and its release is generally anarchic in intent. Forms of censorship are accepted in areas such as courts, defamation law, even editorial restraint. The cry of press freedom can be the last refuge of a scoundrel short of an argument. A result of the flood - rather than leak - of disclosures has been permanent damage to relations between politicians, public and media.
Who will protect us?
Authors: Soley Clive
Published: March 2011

Public figures of all kinds will become more reluctant to speak honestly in private or to commit themselves to writing. Clive Soley argues that a new regulatory body could balance media freedom and responsibility.
Decline and fall guys
Authors: Leapman Michael
Published: March 2011

Michael Leapman on Tom Rachman's The Imperfectionists; and Jess Walter's The Financial Lives of the Poets.
Hot gossiper
Authors: Callan Paul
Published: March 2011

Paul Callan on Tim Willis's Nigel Dempster and the Death of Discretion.
Book Review: Tarting up the old Lady
Authors: Soames Emma
Published: March 2011

Emma Soames on Rachel Johnson's A Diary of The Lady: My first year as Editor.
The original madmen
Authors: Leslie Ann
Published: March 2011

Ann Leslie on Mort Rosenblum's Little Bunch of Madmen: Elements of Global Reporting.
Morphometry of buccal mucosal cells in fluorosis – A new paradigm
Authors: Rao S Madusudan , Sherlin H J , Anuja N , Pratibha R , Priya P , Chandrasekar T
Published: March 2011

Study background: Fluorosis is one of the manifestations of chronic poisoning from long-term exposure to high levels of fluoride. An estimated 62 million people in 17 states in India are affected with dental and skeletal fluorosis. Objective: To evaluate the cytological morphology of exfoliated oral mucosal cells among various stages of fluorosis patients compared with controls. Design and methods: Exfoliative cytology PAP-stained smears of 21 cases of fluorosis and 21 controls subjected to morphometric analysis using image Proplus software. For the assessment parameters like maximum and minimum diameter of the nucleus, cell and perimeter of the cell and nucleus were considered. Results: An increase in maximum and minimum diameter of nucleus, perimeter of nucleus and cell in cases when compared to controls. Conclusions: Fluorosis induces oxidative stress, DNA damage and apoptosis which can be the reasons for the increase in the nuclear size and decrease in the cell size. Community dental and medical programmes should be stringently implemented in fluorosis-endemic areas, to create awareness regarding the toxic effects of fluoride to the body, especially within the oro-facial region.
MONOPOLY and Critical Theory
Authors: Paino Maria , Chin Jeffrey
Published: March 2011

In this article, the authors demonstrate how they modified a well-known game to use it as an educational simulation to help students understand difficult material, specifically critical theory. The goals for the simulation focus on improving the comprehension levels of critical theory for students in a course on the Sociology of Deviance, although lessons about inequality are inescapable. This article uses a modified version of the board game MONOPOLY, in an undergraduate deviance class ( N = 39). The results are based on responses to an assessment and performance in the class through participation in a written work. The results show that students appear to have an improved grasp of critical theory and display higher levels of confidence when discussing critical theory in class after completing the simulation.
Platelet Indices in Patients With Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
Authors: Varol Ercan , Uysal Bayram Ali , Ozaydin Mehmet
Published: March 2011

Background: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a chronic progressive disease characterized by persistent elevation of pulmonary artery pressure. Vasoconstriction, remodeling, and thrombosis cause increased pulmonary vascular resistance and pressure. Previous studies have demonstrated that platelet activation occurs in patients with PAH. Our aim was to assess the mean platelet volume (MPV), an indicator of platelet activation in patients with PAH. Patients and Method: The study group consisted of 22 patients with PAH. An age-, gender-, and body mass index–matched control group was composed of 25 healthy volunteers. All patients underwent physical examination, echocardiography, and diagnostic cardiac catheterization. We measured serum MPV values and platelet counts in patients with PAH and control participant. Results: MPV was significantly higher among the patients with PAH when compared with control group (8.68 ± 0.87 vs 8.02 ± 0.68 fl, respectively; P = .006). Conclusion: We have shown that MPV was elevated in patients with PAH.
Transplantation of Ex Vivo Expanded Bone Marrow-Derived Endothelial Progenitor Cells Enhances Chronic Venous Thrombus Resolution and Recanalization
Authors: Meng Qingyou , Li Xiaoqiang , Yu Xiaobin , Lei Fengrui , Jiang Kun , Li Chuanyong
Published: March 2011

Background: Preclinical and clinical studies indicated that endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) enhanced blood vessel formation in many clinical situations. However, whether transplantation of EPCs would enhance chronic venous thrombus recanalization and resolution is unknown. Methods: Mononuclear cells were isolated from bone marrow of immature rats by density gradient centrifugation, cultured, and then transplanted into inferior vena cava of rats with experimentally induced thrombi. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), messenger RNA (mRNA), and protein expression levels were measured through real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting of thrombi and adjacent caval walls 14 days following transplantation. Results: Transplantation of bone marrow-derived EPCs led to an increase in VEGF, bFGF, mRNA, and protein expression. In addition, transplantation of bone marrow-derived EPCs also resulted in reduced thrombus size and increased neovascularization in the specimen. Conclusions: Transplanted bone marrow-derived EPCs may be a therapeutic option for treating deep venous thrombosis.
Plasma Thrombin-Activatable Fibrinolysis Inhibitor Levels Are not Associated With Glucose Intolerance and Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Women With Previous Gestational Diabetes
Authors: Akinci Baris , Celtik Aygul , Yener Serkan , Genc Sinan , Tunali Sunay , Yuksel Faize , Ozcan Mehmet Ali , Secil Mustafa , Yesil Sena
Published: March 2011

We aimed to determine plasma thrombin-activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI) antigen levels in women with previous gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and to evaluate the possible association of plasma TAFI with glucose intolerance and markers of subclinical atherosclerosis. This cross-sectional study was performed in 111 women with previous GDM and 60 controls. Glucose intolerance was evaluated. Homeostasis model assessment score was calculated. Circulating lipids, interleukin-6, matrix metalloproteinase-1, fibrinogen, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, and TAFI antigen levels were assayed. Carotid intima media thickness (IMT) was measured. Women with previous GDM had increased levels of atherosclerosis markers and carotid IMT. On the other hand, plasma TAFI antigen levels were similar ( P = .395). Thrombin-activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor was not associated with the indices of insulin resistance, glucose intolerance, markers of atherosclerosis, and carotid IMT. Our data demonstrated that plasma TAFI was not altered in women with previous GDM. TAFI was not associated with glucose intolerance and subclinical atherosclerosis.