bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology of the Hypoxia-Activated Prodrug TH-302
Authors: Meng Fanying , Evans James W. , Bhupathi Deepthi , Banica Monica , Lan Leslie , Lorente Gustavo , Duan Jian-Xin , Cai Xiaohong , Mowday Alexandra M. , Guise Christopher P. , Maroz Andrej , Anderson Robert F. , Patterson Adam V. , Stachelek Gregory C. , Glazer Peter M. , Matteucci Mark D. , Hart Charles P.
Published: December 2011

TH-302 is a 2-nitroimidazole triggered hypoxia-activated prodrug (HAP) of bromo-isophosphoramide mustard currently undergoing clinical evaluation. Here, we describe broad-spectrum activity, hypoxia-selective activation, and mechanism of action of TH-302. The concentration and time dependence of TH-302 activation was examined as a function of oxygen concentration, with reference to the prototypic HAP tirapazamine, and showed superior oxygen inhibition of cytotoxicity and much improved dose potency relative to tirapazamine. Enhanced TH-302 cytotoxicity under hypoxia was observed across 32 human cancer cell lines. One-electron reductive enzyme dependence was confirmed using cells overexpressing human NADPH:cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase and radiolytic reduction established the single-electron stoichiometry of TH-302 fragmentation (activation). Examining downstream effects of TH-302 activity, we observed hypoxia-dependent induction of γH2AX phosphorylation, DNA cross-linking, and cell-cycle arrest. We used Chinese hamster ovary cell–based DNA repair mutant cell lines and established that lines deficient in homology-dependent repair, but not lines deficient in base excision, nucleotide excision, or nonhomologous end-joining repair, exhibited marked sensitivity to TH-302 under hypoxia. Consistent with this finding, enhanced sensitivity to TH-302 was also observed in lines deficient in BRCA1, BRCA2, and FANCA. Finally, we characterized TH-302 activity in the three-dimensional tumor spheroid and multicellular layer models. TH-302 showed much enhanced potency in H460 spheroids compared with H460 monolayer cells under normoxia. Multicellular layers composed of mixtures of parental HCT116 cells and HCT116 cells engineered to express an oxygen-insensitive bacterial nitroreductase showed that TH-302 exhibits a significant bystander effect. Mol Cancer Ther; 11(3); 740–51. ©2011 AACR.
Cigarette Smoking and the Risk of Multiple Sclerosis: A Sibling Case-Control Study in Isfahan, Iran
Authors: Maghzi Amir-Hadi , Etemadifar Masoud , Heshmat-Ghahdarijani Kiyan , Moradi Vahab , Nonahal Safieh , Ghorbani Abbas , Minagar Alireza
Published: December 2011

Aims: We aimed to study the smoking habits of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and their healthy siblings in Isfahan province in Iran. Methods: MS patients registered with the Isfahan MS society database were compared to their healthy siblings who served as controls. Data regarding the smoking habits of patients and their siblings were collected using a specially designed questionnaire. Conditional logistic regression was adopted to analyze the association of smoking with the risk of MS, adjusting for age and sex. Results: There were 1,606 participants with 516 cases and 1,090 controls. After adjustments for age and sex, subjects who were ever-smokers had a significant risk of developing MS [odds ratio (OR) 2.67; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.70–4.21; p <0.001]. Past smokers (OR 8.83; 95% CI 3.98–19.60; p < 0.001) and current smokers (OR 1.84; 95% CI 1.10–3.10; p = 0.021) had a significant risk for developing MS. Disease progression (current expanded disability status scale/disease duration) was not different between smokers and nonsmokers (0.54 ±0.42 vs. 0.49 ±0.48; p = 0.61). Conclusion: Using a sibling pair method our data confirm the association between smoking and MS. A degree of confounding due to overmatching between siblings was unavoidable, but any bias would be conservative and should have lessened the effect of smoking.
A Persistent Stress Response to Impeded Axonal Transport Leads to Accumulation of Amyloid-β in the Endoplasmic Reticulum, and Is a Probable Cause of Sporadic Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Muresan Virgil , Muresan Zoia
Published: December 2011

Background and Objective: Could a normal – but persistent – stress response to impeded axonal transport lead to late-onset Alzheimer’s disease (AD)? Our results offer an affirmative answer, suggesting a mechanism for the abnormal production of amyloid-β (Aβ), triggered by the slowed axonal transport at old age. We hypothesize that Aβ precursor protein (APP) is a sensor at the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) that detects, and signals to the nucleus, abnormalities in axonal transport. When persistently activated, due to chronically slowed-down transport, this signaling pathway leads to accumulation of Aβ within the ER. Methods and Results: We tested this hypothesis with the neuronal cell line CAD. We show that, normally, a fraction of APP is transported into neurites by recruiting kinesin-1 via the adaptor protein, Fe65. Under conditions that block kinesin-1-dependent transport, APP, Fe65 and kinesin-1 accumulate in the soma, and form a complex at the ER. This complex recruits active c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), which phosphorylates APP at Thr668. This phosphorylation increases the cleavage of APP by the amyloidogenic pathway, which generates Aβ within the ER lumen, and releases Fe65 into the cytoplasm. Part of the released Fe65 translocates into the nucleus, likely to initiate a gene transcription response to arrested transport. Prolonged arrest of kinesin-1-dependent transport could thus lead to accumulation and oligomerization of Aβ in the ER. Conclusion: These results support a model where the APP:Fe65 complex is a sensor at the ER for detecting the increased level of kinesin-1 caused by halted transport, which signals to the nucleus, while concomitantly generating an oligomerization-prone pool of Aβ in the ER. Our hypothesis could thus explain a pathogenic mechanism in AD.
Curcumins Promote Monocytic Gene Expression Related to β-Amyloid and Superoxide Dismutase Clearance
Authors: Cashman J.R. , Gagliardi S. , Lanier M. , Ghirmai S. , Abel K.J. , Fiala M.
Published: December 2011

Neurodegenerative diseases are associated with accumulation of modified proteins or peptides including amyloid-β (Aβ) in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and misfolded superoxide dismutase-1 (SOD-1) in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Clearance of Aβ or SOD-1 by the innate immune system may be important for controlling or preventing disease onset. Curcumins restore Aβ phagocytosis by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from AD patients and Aβ clearance with upregulation of key genes including MGAT3, vitamin D receptor (VDR) and Toll-like receptors (TLRs). Certain curcumins inhibit inflammatory processes of PBMCs from ALS patients. We developed an in vitro system using human monocytes from patients and monocytic cell lines (i.e. U-937, THP-1) for evaluating curcuminoid potency of innate immune cell stimulation. Bisdemethoxycurcumin and certain analogs potentiated MGAT3,VDR and TLR gene expression 3- to 300-fold in U-937 cells. The effect of curcumins on inflammation in monocytes from patients with ALS was examined. Recursive medicinal chemistry was applied to identify compounds that stimulate the innate immune system for use in the clearance of Aβ in AD and the reversal of neuroinflammation and defective SOD-1 accumulation in ALS.
Post-Stroke Carotid Ultrasound Findings from an Incident Tanzanian Population
Authors: Jusabani Ahmed , Gray William K. , Swai Mark , Walker Richard
Published: December 2011

Background: Carotid artery stenosis is not thought to be a major cause of stroke in sub-Saharan Africa, though data are limited. The aim of this study was to use Duplex ultrasonography to establish the prevalence of significant carotid artery stenosis in an incident stroke population in Tanzania. Methods: Duplex ultrasound scan was carried out on consecutive cases of stroke, in the latter part of a stroke incidence study, who survived long enough to undergo investigation. As part of the wider incidence study, demographic data, social history, medical history, levels of current disability and findings from computer tomography scan and electrocardiogram were recorded. Results: 132 incident stroke cases were identified over the whole study period, of whom 56 (42.4%) underwent Duplex ultrasound. Only 1 case (female, aged 56 years) had evidence of right internal carotid artery stenosis, with a mild degree of stenosis of around 50%. There was no evidence of stenosis of either common carotid artery or of the left internal carotid artery in any cases. Conclusions: Carotid artery stenosis was rare in our cohort and does not appear to be a significant cause of stroke in our incident cohort.
Variation in the Use of Lower Extremity Vascular Procedures for Critical Limb Ischemia
Authors: Goodney Philip P. , Travis Lori L. , Nallamothu Brahmajee K. , Holman Kerianne , Suckow Bjoern , Henke Peter K. , Lee Lucas F. , Goodman David C. , Birkmeyer John D. , Fisher Elliott S.
Published: December 2011

Background—

Many believe that variation in vascular practice may affect limb salvage rates in patients with severe peripheral arterial disease. However, the extent of variation in procedural vascular care obtained by patients with critical limb ischemia (CLI) remains unknown.

Methods and Results—

By using Medicare 2003 to 2006 data, we identified all patients with CLI who underwent major lower extremity amputation in the 306 hospital referral regions described in the Dartmouth Atlas of Healthcare. For each patient, we studied the use of lower extremity vascular procedures (open surgery or endovascular intervention) in the year before amputation. Our main outcome measure was the
intensity of
vascular care
, defined as the proportion of patients in the hospital referral region undergoing a vascular procedure in the year before amputation. Overall, 20 464 patients with CLI underwent major lower extremity amputations during the study period, and collectively underwent 25 800 vascular procedures in the year before undergoing amputation. However, these procedures were not distributed evenly: 54% of patients had no vascular procedures performed in the year before amputation, 14% underwent 1 vascular procedure, and 32% underwent >1 vascular procedure. In the regions in the lowest quintile of vascular intensity, vascular procedures were performed in 32% of patients. Conversely, in the regions in the highest quintile of vascular intensity, revascularization was performed in 58% of patients in the year before amputation (
P
<0.0001). In analyses accounting for differences in age, sex, race, and comorbidities, patients in high-intensity regions were 2.4 times as likely to undergo revascularization in the year before amputation than patients in low-intensity regions (adjusted odds ratio, 2.4; 95% CI, 2.1–2.6;
P
<0.001).

Conclusions—

Significant variation exists in the intensity of vascular care provided to patients in the year before major amputation. In some regions, patients receive intensive care, whereas in other regions, far less vascular care is provided. Future work is needed to determine the association between intensity of vascular care and limb salvage.
Introduction of the Tools for Economic Analysis of Patient Management Interventions in Heart Failure Costing Tool
Authors: Reed Shelby D. , Li Yanhong , Kamble Shital , Polsky Daniel , Graham Felicia L. , Bowers Margaret T. , Samsa Gregory P. , Paul Sara , Schulman Kevin A. , Whellan David J. , Riegel Barbara J.
Published: December 2011

Background—

Patient-centered health care interventions, such as heart failure disease management programs, are under increasing pressure to demonstrate good value. Variability in costing methods and assumptions in economic evaluations of such interventions limit the comparability of cost estimates across studies. Valid cost estimation is critical to conducting economic evaluations and for program budgeting and reimbursement negotiations.

Methods and Results—

Using sound economic principles, we developed the Tools for Economic Analysis of Patient Management Interventions in Heart Failure (TEAM-HF) Costing Tool, a spreadsheet program that can be used by researchers and health care managers to systematically generate cost estimates for economic evaluations and to inform budgetary decisions. The tool guides users on data collection and cost assignment for associated personnel, facilities, equipment, supplies, patient incentives, miscellaneous items, and start-up activities. The tool generates estimates of total program costs, cost per patient, and cost per week and presents results using both standardized and customized unit costs for side-by-side comparisons. Results from pilot testing indicated that the tool was well-formatted, easy to use, and followed a logical order. Cost estimates of a 12-week exercise training program in patients with heart failure were generated with the costing tool and were found to be consistent with estimates published in a recent study.

Conclusions—

The TEAM-HF Costing Tool could prove to be a valuable resource for researchers and health care managers to generate comprehensive cost estimates of patient-centered interventions in heart failure or other conditions for conducting high-quality economic evaluations and making well-informed health care management decisions.
Notch Activation of Jagged1 Contributes to the Assembly of the Arterial Wall
Authors: Manderfield Lauren J. , High Frances A. , Engleka Kurt A. , Liu Feiyan , Li Li , Rentschler Stacey , Epstein Jonathan A.
Published: December 2011

Background—

Notch signaling in vascular smooth muscle precursors is required for smooth muscle differentiation. Jagged1 expression on endothelium activates Notch in vascular smooth muscle precursors including those of neural crest origin to initiate the formation of a smooth muscle layer in a maturing blood vessel.

Methods and Results—

Here, we show that
Jagged1
is a direct Notch target in smooth muscle, resulting in a positive feedback loop and lateral induction that propagates a wave of smooth muscle differentiation during aortic arch artery development. In vivo, we show that Notch inhibition in cardiac neural crest impairs
Jagged1
messenger RNA expression and results in deficient smooth muscle differentiation and resultant aortic arch artery defects. Ex vivo, Jagged1 ligand activates Notch in neural crest explants and results in activation of
Jagged1
messenger RNA, a response that is blocked by Notch inhibition. We examine 15 evolutionary conserved regions within the
Jagged1
genomic locus and identify a single Notch response element within the second intron. This element contains a functional Rbp-J binding site demonstrated by luciferase reporter and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays and is sufficient to recapitulate aortic arch artery expression of
Jagged1
in transgenic mice. Loss of Jagged1 in neural crest impairs vascular smooth muscle differentiation and results in aortic arch artery defects.

Conclusions—

Taken together, these results provide a mechanism for lateral induction that allows for a multilayered smooth muscle wall to form around a nascent arterial endothelial tube and identify
Jagged1
as a direct Notch target.
Testing Measurement Invariance Using MIMIC
Authors: Kim Eun Sook , Yoon Myeongsun , Lee Taehun
Published: December 2011

Multiple-indicators multiple-causes (MIMIC) modeling is often used to test a latent group mean difference while assuming the equivalence of factor loadings and intercepts over groups. However, this study demonstrated that MIMIC was insensitive to the presence of factor loading noninvariance, which implies that factor loading invariance should be tested through other measurement invariance testing techniques. MIMIC modeling is also used for measurement invariance testing by allowing a direct path from a grouping covariate to each observed variable. This simulation study with both continuous and categorical variables investigated the performance of MIMIC in detecting noninvariant variables under various study conditions and showed that the likelihood ratio test of MIMIC with Oort adjustment not only controlled Type I error rates below the nominal level but also maintained high power across study conditions.
The last resort? Similarities and differences between contingent ‘agency’ employment practices in social work and nursing
Authors: Carey Malcolm
Published: December 2011

This article draws from a literature-based survey to detail some of the similarities and differences regarding the use of agency employees within social work and nursing. Empirical evidence suggests that risks tend to outweigh any benefits following any over-reliance upon ‘flexible’ labour. However, greater regulation of such staff has gradually emerged.
Students “at Risk”
Authors: James Carl E.
Published: December 2011

This article examines how stereotypes operate in the social construction of African Canadian males as “at risk” students. Cultural analysis and critical race theory are used to explain how the stereotypes of the youth as immigrant, fatherless, troublemaker, athlete, and underachiever contribute to their racialization and marginalization that in turn structure their learning processes, social opportunities, life chances, and educational outcomes. The article concludes by suggesting that addressing the stereotypes is not only a task for educators but also for society as a whole.
Pluralising the sociology of India
Authors: Vasavi A.R.
Published: December 2011

Focusing on the gaps in the practice, methodologies, pedagogies, and texts related to the ‘Sociology of India’, this article locates key problems in the theoretical and methodological orientation of the discipline, analyses the tensions within and between the varied institutions responsible for the production of sociological knowledge, and notes the absence of linkages between the discipline and the larger society and nation. The article provides three sug-gestions to pluralise the discipline: facilitating wider and more diverse themes and issues in research including encouraging studies of the ‘vicinity’; developing and deploying multiple methodologies to study and represent a range of issues; and integrating Indian language writings into the pedagogical, textual, and theoretical apparatus of the discipline.
Value Pluralism and the Problem of Judgment
Authors: Zerilli Linda M. G.
Published: December 2011

This essay examines the significantly different approaches of John Rawls and Hannah Arendt to the problem of judgment in democratic theory and practice.
Studies on the flame retardant, mechanical and thermal properties of ternary magnesium hydroxide/clay/EVA nanocomposites
Authors: Ahamad A. , Patil C. B. , Mahulikar P. P. , Hundiwale D. G. , Gite V. V.
Published: December 2011

Ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA) nanocomposites were prepared by melt blending of EVA with nano-sized magnesium hydroxide [Mg(OH)2] and modified montmorilonite clay. Nano Mg(OH)2 was synthesized in the laboratory by matrix-mediated growth and controlled technique. Particle size of Mg(OH)2 crystals was performed using X-ray diffraction technique and was found to be in nanometer range. Ternary EVA, clay and Mg(OH)2 nanocomposites were prepared by melt blending using Brabender Plastograph EC. The prepared samples were characterized by flame test, tensile tests and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Morphological study of the composites was studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Flame retardant properties of samples were significantly improved in the EVA/clay/Mg(OH)2 nanocomposites without losing its mechanical properties. Ternary system showed better thermal, flame retardant and mechanical properties compared with nanocomposites of EVA filled only with the nano Mg(OH)2.
Detection and material identification of loose particles inside the aerospace power supply via stochastic resonance and LVQ network
Authors: Wang Shujuan , Chen Rui , Zhang Long , Wang Shicheng
Published: December 2011

The detection of loose particles inside an aerospace power supply is important to improve the reliability of the whole space system. This paper investigates the detection and material identification of loose particles within an aerospace power supply based on the particle impact noise detection (PIND) test. A stochastic resonance algorithm is employed to detect the presence of tiny particles. A learning vector quantization (LVQ)-based material identification method is proposed. Finally, experiments are conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed technique. Experimental results show that the accuracies of particle detection and material identification are above 90% and 80%, respectively, which meets end-user requirements.
Regional dynamical modeling and control of flow problems under unmeasurable and non-constant viscosity
Authors: Erbil Türker Nazmi , Kasnakoğlu Coşku
Published: December 2011

In this paper a novel approach to the modeling and control of flow problems is considered. The main extension over existing methods is the ability to handle a local region of interest, and the capability to deal with the fluid viscosity being non-constant and unmeasurable. For the modeling part, first a number of snapshots of the fluid flow process at different viscosity values are obtained by computational fluid dynamics simulations of the Navier–Stokes equations governing the flow. Wavelet transform, thresholding and reconstruction are applied to these snapshots and it is seen that the flow process can be represented with acceptable accuracy using only the approximation coefficients of the wavelet transform. The support of the basis functions are selected to tightly cover the desired region of interest so that the flow dynamics outside the desired region do not affect the model significantly. Subspace system identification methods are used to fit a low-dimensional dynamical system model to the approximation coefficients, which yields a set of linear time invariant models, one for each breakpoint viscosity. A single uncertain model is built to capture all of the models in this set, and a robust controller is designed for this uncertain model using D-K iteration. The technique is illustrated on a sample flow configuration on a square domain where the input affects the system through the boundary conditions.
Self-Monitoring of Blood Glucose
Authors: Hortensius Johanna , van der Bijl Jaap J. , Kleefstra Nanne , Houweling Sebatiaan T. , Bilo Henk J. G.
Published: December 2011

Purpose

This study investigated the advice given by diabetes educators in Europe, and the daily practice of Dutch patients with diabetes regarding the use of the first or second drop of blood and other aspects concerning self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG).

Method

During a diabetes conference in 2009, 96 European diabetes educators (including 46 Dutch educators) completed a single-item questionnaire about the use of the first or second drop of blood for glucose monitoring. A self-reported questionnaire with 20 questions about performing SMBG was filled out by 111 patients from an outpatient diabetes clinic of a Dutch hospital.

Results

Patients were advised to wash their hands with water and soap and use the first drop of blood by 89% of the Dutch and 72% of other European diabetes educators, while 58% of the patients reported to do this. When the patient cannot wash the hands, 85% of the Dutch and 52% of the other European educators advised to use the second drop of blood, while 26% of the patients reported always using the first drop without washing hands. Always using the side of the fingertip and using the lancet once, as advised in guidelines, was reported by only 41% and 55% of the patients, respectively.

Conclusions

There is no general agreement between professionals regarding the advice on aspects concerning SMBG. Patients also reported different acts in daily practice. Developing uniform international SMBG guidelines, education, and repeated evaluation of the process of collecting an accurate blood sample are needed.
Agentic and Communal Traits and Health
Authors: Helgeson Vicki S. , Palladino Dianne K.
Published: December 2011

The authors examined whether agentic and communal traits are associated with relationship and health outcomes among adolescents with and without diabetes. They interviewed 263 teens (average age 12; 132 Type 1 diabetes; 131 healthy) on an annual basis for 5 years. The authors measured agency, communion, unmitigated agency, and unmitigated communion as well as parent and peer relationship quality, psychological distress, and diabetes health. In concurrent and lagged multilevel models, unmitigated communion and unmitigated agency were associated with poor relationship outcomes and greater psychological distress for those with and without diabetes. In lagged analyses, unmitigated communion predicted deterioration in diabetes health. Communion and agency were associated with positive relationship and health outcomes, with the former being stronger than the latter. These results underscore the need to focus on unmitigated agency and unmitigated communion when studying the implications of personality for health during adolescence.
Intentions of Older Homebound Women With Regard to Reaching Help Quickly
Authors: Porter Eileen J. , Ganong Lawrence H. , Matsuda Sandy
Published: December 2011

The purposes of this longitudinal phenomenological study were to describe intentions of older women relative to reaching help quickly (RHQ), to place those intentions in personal–social context, and to compare intentions of subscribers to a personal emergency response system (PERS) and nonsubscribers. The 40 participants were aged 85 or older, resided alone, and needed help to leave home. Two contextual features (“recognizing my risk of being unable to RHQ” and “recognizing my need for a RHQ device to sustain myself”) were basic to two phenomena (“negotiating reliance on people to reach quickly if I need help” and “reducing my risk of being unable to RHQ”). There was greater variation in intentions and context within each of the two naturally occurring groups (subscribers and nonsubscribers) than between them. Practitioners cannot assume that women intend to use available RHQ devices in specific situations; preventive nursing involves proactive exploration of intentions relative to RHQ.
Inequalities, images and insights for policy and research
Authors: Fink Janet , Lomax Helen
Published: December 2011

Drawing upon a growing interest in the impact of visual culture and the use of visual data within the health and social sciences, the introduction to this interdisciplinary collection of papers examines what visual methodologies and visual ‘evidence’ can bring to the study of social inequalities. It sets out the specific contributions by authors in order to identify their different methodological approaches, theoretical interests and analytical concerns and to explore the implications and possibilities of their visual methodologies for those researching and working in the policy arena. With a particular emphasis on the dialogues between context, text and image, the paper highlights the insights generated by the collection into the forms and experiences of inequality that have shaped and continue to shape societies, communities, families and individual lives. It also suggests how the visual might contribute to extending understanding of the ways social inequalities are imagined, constituted and reinforced.
Back to school from a holiday in the slums!: Images, words and inequalities
Authors: Grosvenor Ian , Hall Alison
Published: December 2011

In the late 1960s and early 1970s SHELTER produced a series of campaign pamphlets aimed at raising public awareness of homelessness in the United Kingdom. Back to school from a holiday in the slums! was one such pamphlet which, using a mixture of photographic images and oral testimony, posed a series of questions about the relationship between living in unfit and overcrowded housing and poor educational performance. The school environment was ‘a change and a comfort’ for children living in slums, but school teachers and social workers were asked if such children had any chance of success as they came each day ‘from housing conditions so oppressive that their capacity for education … [was] severely restricted’. On the basis of these interviews SHELTER concluded that their childhood was ‘a time of lost opportunity’. Back to school from a holiday in the slums! is used in this article to explore the dialogue between the image and the word and the representation of inequalities.
School choice and the commodification of education: A visual approach to school brochures and websites
Authors: Wilkins Andrew
Published: December 2011

As subjects of the parental right to choose (DES, 1988), parents are called upon to fulfil certain duties and responsibilities when choosing a secondary school for their child, with the expectation that they might navigate the school system ‘successfully’ and become ‘better informed consumers’ (DCSF, 2008). To comply with these rules of citizenship parents are encouraged to make use of a variety of information on schools as part of a realistic and informed choice, one that is consummate with their role as consumer-citizens. Such ‘cognitive mapping’ is evident in school brochures and websites where choice is assembled on the basis of visual iconography and narrative terrains. This leads to a consideration of how choice is visually mediated and communicated through the circulation of symbols and the structure of narratives. To explain these phenomena, I analyse and compare the ways in which two all-girls faith secondary schools attempt to (further) define themselves, culturally, historically and pedagogically, in a crowded field of choice. I conclude the paper with a discussion of the benefits and insights generated through a visually orientated approach to the study of school choice.
Seeing colour in black and white: The role of the visual in diversifying historical narratives at sites of English heritage
Authors: Bressey Caroline
Published: December 2011

This paper will focus on the place of black history in heritage sites in England and discuss how visual methodologies can be used to develop a more inclusive approach to heritage. It will argue that visual archives, from portraits of the aristocracy to asylum portraits, are an essential part of the research process for heritage site staff who are assessing how they connect to (potential) visitors. The paper highlights examples that illustrate the advantages and disadvantages of using the visual record for historical recovery and suggests how visual methodologies can be used to encourage greater participation with historic environments.
The dilemma of the European Union’s Roma policy
Authors: McGarry Aidan
Published: December 2011

Roma are one of the most discriminated and marginalized groups in the European Union (EU). The EU has emerged as a potential ally for the transnational Roma community as it possesses normative power when espousing values such as inclusion, yet is able to elaborate policy at a supranational level which has supremacy over domestic policy. Thus far EU Roma policy has failed to address the complex issues facing Roma owing to inadequate policy interventions. This can be explained by the policy choices open to the EU which appear to be built on diametrically opposed foundations, posing a dilemma for EU policy-makers. This article focuses on the redistribution/recognition dilemma which EU institutions must negotiate in order to address economic and cultural injustices. For their part, transnational Roma activists have demanded the creation of an EU Roma Strategy which could address the needs and interests of Roma across the Union.
Caretelization revisited and the lessons of Southern Cross
Authors: Scourfield Peter
Published: December 2011

‘Caretelization’ is a term coined to describe the process, in a substantially privatized care home sector, whereby large corporate providers have gained greater market share through the process of mergers, acquisitions and takeovers. It has been argued that this process has reduced choice and weakened accountability for older people as consumers and local authorities as commissioners. The care regulator has also had difficulty in keeping up with complex and changing ownership patterns. In an earlier article it was predicted that with market concentration likely to increase, such problems would intensify. Prompted by the market failure of Britain’s largest private care home provider, Southern Cross, in 2011, this commentary reflects on the perils of relying on a privatized and marketized system of care homes for vulnerable older people, particularly as the regulator appears powerless to take effective action in such circumstances.
Visualizing risk: Health, gender and the ageing body
Authors: Martin Wendy
Published: December 2011

The promotion of ‘active’ ageing in later life has been a key development in recent health and social care policy. These changes not only challenge the prevalent view of old age as an inevitable process of biological decline but also signify the tendency of lay and expert discourses to increasingly use the notion of risk. At the same time, older people’s social identities need to be negotiated in the context of positive ( active) and negative ( passive) images of ageing. This paper reports findings from a study that explored visual images associated with health, risk and well-being targeted at people aged 50 years and over. Two key themes emerged: (1) Active Ageing: which included images of being active through physical activity, group activities, the promotion of paid and unpaid work, and images of learning opportunities in later life, such as computing; and (2) Health, Risk and Dependency: which included visual images of health risks, everyday risks associated with safety and security, and images of embodied dependencies, such as the use of mobility aids and informal/formal care relationships. Perceptions of risk were heightened by intersecting images of domestic space with symbols of risk, danger and alarm. Gender, ageing and the body were further intertwined within these visual images, with men more likely to be portrayed as active and the women as dependent, at risk and passive. The paper concludes by highlighting the significance of these findings for policy and social care services, in particular, the ways that visual images not only reflect and reproduce social differences, but can influence our bodily conduct and perceptions of risk in everyday life.
Early Adolescent and Peer Drinking Homogeneity
Authors: Farhat Tilda , Simons-Morton Bruce G. , Kokkevi Anna , Van der Sluijs Winfried , Fotiou Anastasios , Kuntsche Emmanuel
Published: December 2011

This study examined associations between perceived peer and adolescent alcohol use in European and North American countries. Self-reported monthly alcohol use and adolescents’ report of their peers’ alcohol use were assessed in nationally representative samples of students aged 11.5 and 13.5 years ( n = 11,277) in Greece, Scotland, Switzerland, and the United States who participated in the 2005/2006 Health Behavior in School-Aged Children survey. Cross-national associations between perceived peer and adolescent alcohol use were examined using logistic regressions and interactions by gender and country. Perceived peer and adolescent alcohol use were positively associated in all countries, but the association was notably weaker in Greece than in Scotland (boys), and in Greece compared to Switzerland (girls). Further examination of the underlying processes that explain stronger and weaker associations between perceived peer and adolescent alcohol use in some settings could guide the development of effective, culture-specific interventions.
Social Anxiety and Adolescents’ Friendships
Authors: Biggs Bridget K. , Vernberg Eric M. , Wu Yelena P.
Published: December 2011

Research indicates social anxiety is associated with lower friendship quality, but little is known about the underlying mechanisms. This 2-month longitudinal study examined social withdrawal as a mediator of the social anxiety–friendship quality link in a sample of 214 adolescents ( Mage = 13.1 years, SD = .73) that included an oversampling of adolescents recently relocated to the community ( n = 155). Findings provided preliminary support for the hypothesized models, in which social anxiety is associated with social withdrawal, which in turn is related to lower companionship and intimacy in adolescents’ friendships. Analyses testing whether relocation to a new community intensifies these associations indicated additive, but not multiplicative, effects of social anxiety and relocation on friendship companionship and intimacy. Implications include the importance of increasing socially anxious youths’ social engagement and skills with friends as well as with less familiar peers.
Policy Implications of Adjusting Randomized Trial Data for Economic Evaluations
Authors: Campos Nicole G. , Castle Philip E. , Schiffman Mark , Kim Jane J.
Published: December 2011

Background. Although the randomized controlled trial (RCT) is widely considered the most reliable method for evaluation of health care interventions, challenges to both internal and external validity exist. Thus, the efficacy of an intervention in a trial setting does not necessarily represent the real-world performance that decision makers seek to inform comparative effectiveness studies and economic evaluations. Methods. Using data from the ASCUS-LSIL Triage Study (ALTS), we performed a simplified economic evaluation of age-based management strategies to detect cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 3 (CIN3) among women who were referred to the study with low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL). We used data from the trial itself to adjust for 1) potential lead time bias and random error that led to variation in the observed prevalence of CIN3 by study arm and 2) potential ascertainment bias among providers in the most aggressive management arm. Results. We found that using unadjusted RCT data may result in counterintuitive cost-effectiveness results when random error and/or bias are present. Following adjustment, the rank order of management strategies changed for 2 of the 3 age groups we considered. Conclusions. Decision analysts need to examine study design, available trial data, and cost-effectiveness results closely in order to detect evidence of potential bias. Adjustment for random error and bias in RCTs may yield different policy conclusions relative to unadjusted trial data.
Pathology Methods for the Evaluation of Embryonic and Perinatal Developmental Defects and Lethality in Genetically Engineered Mice
Authors: Ward J. M. , Elmore S. A. , Foley J. F.
Published: December 2011

The normal embryonic development of organs and other tissues in mice and all species is preprogrammed by genes. Inactivation of a gene involved in any stage of normal embryonic development can have severe consequences leading to embryonic or postnatal developmental defects and lethality. Pathology methods are reviewed for evaluating normal and abnormal placenta and embryo, especially after E12.5. These methods include pathology protocols for necropsy and histopathology in addition to references that will provide additional knowledge for embryo assessment including histology atlases and advanced embryo imaging techniques.
Morphological and Immunohistochemical Characterization of Sarcomatous Tumors in Wild-Type and Genetically Engineered Mice
Authors: Rehg J. E. , Ward J. M.
Published: December 2011

Malignant soft tissue tumors are commonly observed in wild-type and gene-targeted mice. These tumors have different degrees of differentiation, cellularity, cellular atypia, nuclear pleomorphism, normal and abnormal mitosis, and giant tumor cells with enlarged polylobulated nuclei. They are often diagnosed as pleomorphic sarcoma, undifferentiated sarcoma, fibrosarcoma, malignant fibrous histiocytoma, sarcoma, or sarcoma, not otherwise specified. Pleomorphic sarcomas have no morphological differentiation toward a differentiated mesenchymal or other tumor type in hematoxylin and eosin–stained sections. With the use of immunohistochemistry, human and mouse, tumors associated with these broad nonspecific diagnoses can often be demonstrated to be of a specific cellular lineage. With mouse models being used to delineate the molecular mechanisms, pathogenesis, and cellular origin of human sarcomas, it will be necessary to correlate the morphological and cellular lineage and the molecular profiles of the pleomorphic tumors associated with these mouse models. The results presented here show that with the use of immunohistochemistry, the cellular lineage of many mouse tumors with pleomorphic features can be determined.
Establishing a Laboratory Animal Model From a Transgenic Animal
Authors: Urano K. , Tamaoki N. , Nomura T.
Published: December 2011

Transgenic animal models have been used in small numbers in gene function studies in vivo for a period of time, but more recently, the use of a single transgenic animal model has been approved as a second species, 6-month alternative (to the routine 2-year, 2-animal model) used in short-term carcinogenicity studies for generating regulatory application data of new drugs. This article addresses many of the issues associated with the creation and use of one of these transgenic models, the rasH2 mouse, for regulatory science. The discussion includes strategies for mass producing mice with the same stable phenotype, including constructing the transgene, choosing a founder mouse, and controlling both the transgene and background genes; strategies for developing the model for regulatory science, including measurements of carcinogen susceptibility, stability of a large-scale production system, and monitoring for uniform carcinogenicity responses; and finally, efficient use of the transgenic animal model on study. Approximately 20% of mouse carcinogenicity studies for new drug applications in the United States currently use transgenic models, typically the rasH2 mouse. The rasH2 mouse could contribute to animal welfare by reducing the numbers of animals used as well as reducing the cost of carcinogenicity studies. A better understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of the transgenic rasH2 mouse will result in greater and more efficient use of this animal model in the future.
Review of Risk Assessment Instruments for Juvenile Sex Offenders
Authors: Hempel Inge , Buck Nicole , Cima Maaike , van Marle Hjalmar
Published: December 2011

Risk assessment is considered to be a key element in the prevention of recidivism among juvenile sex offenders (JSOs), often by imposing long-term consequences based on that assessment. The authors reviewed the literature on the predictive accuracy of six well-known risk assessment instruments used to appraise risk among JSOs: the Juvenile Sex Offender Assessment Protocol-II (J-SOAP-II), Juvenile Sexual Offence Recidivism Risk Assessment Tool-II (J-SORRAT-II), Estimate of Risk of Adolescent Sexual Offence Recidivism (ERASOR), Juvenile Risk Assessment Scale (JRAS), Structured Assessment of Violent Risk in Youth (SAVRY), and Hare Psychopathy Checklist:Youth Version (PCL:YV). Through a systematic search, 19 studies were reviewed. Studies showed differences in the predictive accuracies for general, violent, and sexual recidivism, and none of the instruments showed unequivocal positive results in predicting future offending. Not unexpectedly, the accuracy of the SAVRY and PCL:YV appeared to be weaker for sexual recidivism compared with specialized tools such as the J-SOAP-II or the ERASOR. Because of the rapid development of juveniles, it is questionable to impose long-term restrictions based on a risk assessment only. New challenges in improving risk assessment are discussed.
The Role of Skin Color on Hispanic Women’s Perceptions of Attractiveness
Authors: Stephens Dionne P. , Fernández Paula
Published: December 2011

This study relies on qualitative methods to investigate Hispanic women’s skin color perceptions. The primary goal is to identify the relevance of these perceptions on their beliefs about their own physical attractiveness. Thirty-four self-identified White-Hispanic women attending a large Hispanic Serving Institution in the southeastern United States were interviewed for this study. Unlike previous research findings on Hispanic women’s skin color preferences, findings identified a “tan” skin color as preferred; pale skin was viewed as “plain” and unattractive. This preference was associated with four themes about physical attractiveness: (1) desirability among their peer groups, (2) increased value in dating contexts, (3) sexual appeal to men, and (4) marker of Hispanic identity in social contexts. Findings from this study are important for those researchers addressing identity development and relationship issues among Hispanic populations in the United States.
Pressure loss reduction of a Borda–Carnot sudden expansion applying a passive flow control method
Authors: Lukács E , Régert T
Published: December 2011

The reduction of the pressure loss, applying a passive flow control method, was investigated in a three-dimensional, square cross-sectioned Borda–Carnot sudden expansion, representing a frequent element of pipe systems. The flow control elements were mini-flaps, placed on the edge of the step of the sudden expansion, forming a mini-diffuser. The angle of the mini-flaps, relative to the main flow direction, was changed, an optimum angle for reducing the pressure loss was found. The global flow parameters were determined based on static pressure measurements, while details of the velocity and turbulent intensity field were examined using Laser Doppler Velocimetry. Further analysis of the flow field, for different setups, was carried out by Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes computational fluid dynamic calculations. The method can be readily applied in practice with very low-investment costs and can enhance the efficiency of power generation and air conditioning systems as well.
Goldberg’s brain and the sex/gender distinction
Authors: van Ommen Clifford , van Deventer Vasi
Published: December 2011

The sex/gender binary has proven to be a profoundly useful conceptual distinction in the furthering of the feminist project. It has also been a controversial opposition that has given rise to an ongoing and productive debate. In this article we utilise neuroscience, specifically a text by the neuropsychologist Elkhonon Goldberg, to trouble this binary in the hope of furthering the critical project. We argue that a cautious negotiation with the biological may be theoretically and politically productive. By taking seriously Goldberg’s notions of functional-morphological and corporeal-environmental intimacy in reading his claim of distinct gender-based cognitive styles it is possible to glimpse the variation of sex itself. This, we argue, demonstrates both the limits of binaries and celebrations of difference and reveals the complexity which we have to negotiate in the search for emancipatory change.