bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Risk Aversion, Road Choice, and the One-Armed Bandit Problem
Authors: Chancelier Jean-Philippe , De Lara Michel , de Palma André
Published: February 2007

This paper provides a theoretical analysis of advanced traveler information systems for road choice with risk-averse drivers who rationally learn over time, in a simple setting. For this purpose, we study the one-armed bandit problem where a driver selects, day after day, either a safe or a random road. Four information regimes are envisaged. The visionary driver knows beforehand, with certainty, the travel time on the random road, while the locally informed driver needs to select a road to acquire information on it. Two intermediary information regimes (fully and globally) are also envisaged. We analyze these four regimes and compare the optimal strategies and the individual benefits with respect to individual risk aversion. A numerical example also illustrates the impact of risk aversion on dynamic optimal strategies.
Nipple Discharge: A Sign of Breast Cancer?
Authors: Richards T , Hunt A , Courtney S , Umeh H
Published: February 2007

INTRODUCTION

Nipple discharge is regarded a sign of breast cancer. Type of discharge and cytology are unreliable for diagnosis. Most malignant cases have a detectable breast mass. The aim of this study was to assess the association between nipple discharge and breast cancer.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Patients who underwent operation for nipple discharge at a district general hospital (population 460,000) over a 3-year period were included. All had normal clinical, radiological and cytological examination. Operation and histopathology reports were reviewed.

RESULTS

Eighty-six patients underwent operation for nipple discharge. Median age was 54 years (range, 32–84 years). Analysis of nipple discharge revealed red blood cells (RBCs) in 35 patients (40%). At operation, 81 patients underwent radical sub-areola duct excision (Hadfield's procedure) and five microdochectomy. Histopathology reported duct ectasia in 59 patients and benign ductal papilloma in 25. Two patients had occult malignancy – DCIS (1) and LCIS (1). No invasive cancer was found.

CONCLUSIONS

Nipple discharge alone is not usually a sign of breast cancer. Occult malignancy is rare. A period of ‘watchful waiting’ may prevent patients undergoing unnecessary surgery.
Diagnostic Fine-Needle Aspiration in Postoperative Wound Infections is More Accurate at Predicting Causative Organisms than Wound Swabs
Authors: Parikh AR , Hamilton S , Sivarajan V , Withey S , Butler PEM
Published: February 2007

INTRODUCTION

Postoperative wound infections are common. Antibiotics are often prescribed empirically, usually in the absence of any microbiological sensitivity data. This study demonstrates the role of fine-needle aspiration microbiology (FNAM) in determining the causative organisms in these wounds compared to wound swabs taken from the same patients.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A total of 20 patients with clinical signs of soft tissue infection were tested using wound swabs and fine-needle aspiration.

RESULTS

Six of the wound swabs yielded a single organism but 16 out 20 of the FNAM group yielded a single organism (P = 0.002).

CONCLUSIONS

The FNAM approach allows antibiotic sensitivities to be obtained enabling specific antimicrobial therapy to be implemented early. FNAM also has a higher yield of cultures than wound swabs. Cellulitic areas can be sampled even when use of wound swabs is not possible.
Cancer Genetics Clinics and the Surgeon: A Valuable Role for Family History Screening
Authors: Williams GL , Gray J , Beynon J
Published: February 2007

INTRODUCTION

This study examines how a colorectal surgeon can use a regional cancer genetics service to deal safely and efficiently, with community referrals for colorectal cancer screening on the basis of family history.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A retrospective review of consecutive asymptomatic people with a strong family of colorectal cancer referred by the surgeon to the genetics service over a 30-month period.

RESULTS

A total of 45 people were referred by the surgeon to the cancer genetics service. Following official verification of family histories, 15 were thought to be in a low-risk category for developing colorectal cancer, 18 were moderate risk, 4 had a high-to-moderate risk and 2 satisfied the criteria for HNPCC. After official authentication, it was discovered that 20% of people had mistakenly informed the surgeon of important inaccuracies in their family history.

CONCLUSIONS

The cancer genetics service seeks to identify accurately those at increased risk of developing colorectal cancer due to their family history. It has the time, resources and expertise to verify officially a family history that cannot be properly done in a busy surgical clinic. This study shows that it can provide a valuable role for correctly identifying and counselling people who truly require screening due to their familial predisposition for colorectal cancer.
The Detection of Patients with ‘Fragility Fractures’ in Fracture Clinic – An Audit of Practice with Reference to Recent British Orthopaedic Association Guidelines
Authors: Gidwani S , Davidson N , Trigkilidas D , Blick C , Harborne R , Maurice HD
Published: February 2007

INTRODUCTION

The British Orthopaedic Association published guidelines on the care of fragility fracture patients in 2003. A section of these guidelines relates to the secondary prevention of osteoporotic fractures. The objective of this audit was to compare practice in our fracture clinic to these guidelines, and take steps to improve our practice if required.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We retrospectively audited the treatment of all 462 new patients seen in January and February 2004. Using case note analysis, 38 patients who had sustained probable fragility fractures were selected. Six months' post-injury, a telephone questionnaire was administered to confirm the nature of the injury and to find out whether the patient had been assessed, investigated or treated for osteoporosis. A second similar audit was conducted a year later after steps had been taken to improve awareness amongst the orthopaedic staff and prompt referral.

RESULTS

During the first audit period, only 5 of 38 patients who should have been assessed and investigated for osteoporosis were either referred or offered referral. This improved to 23 out of 43 patients during the second audit period.

CONCLUSIONS

Improvements in referral and assessment rates of patients at risk of further fragility fractures can be achieved relatively easily by taking steps to increase awareness amongst orthopaedic surgeons, although additional strategies and perhaps the use of automated referral systems may be required to achieve referral rates nearer 100%.
A 15-Year Longitudinal Analysis of Trends in Elective Urological Surgery – An Evidence Base for Modernising Medical Careers
Authors: Nathaniel C , Sangar VK , Payne SR
Published: February 2007

INTRODUCTION

The impact of Modernising Medical Careers on the differential need for consultant urologists and urological surgeons is as yet unknown. This study's aim was to determine what changes there had been in operative urological activity so as to predict the need for urological surgeons in the future.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A retrospective study of all elective operative urological surgery over a 15-year period was performed. The absolute numbers of patients presenting for different grades of surgery were aggregated and analysed using the Spearman's rank correlation test.

RESULTS

Aggregated data from 27,839 procedures demonstrated no change in the number of operations (r 0.01; NS) or the number of diagnostic endoscopic procedures (r 0.21; NS) carried out over the study period. There was a decrease in endoscopic surgery related to a 70% reduction in trans-urethral resection of the prostate (TURP) (r −0.89; P = <0.0001) and an increase in ureteroscopic interventions (r 0.82; P = 0.0002) for stone disease. There was no change in the amount of major surgery carried out (r −0.43; NS) over the 15 years.

CONCLUSIONS

There have been changes to the pattern of surgery urologists have provided over the last 15 years but the need for complex surgical interventions has not altered. This suggests there will be as great a need for operating surgeons in the future, as currently exists.
Postoperative Arrhythmias in General Surgical Patients
Authors: Walsh Stewart R , Tang Tjun , Wijewardena Chandana , Yarham Sahah I , Boyle Jonathan R , Gaunt Michael E
Published: February 2007

INTRODUCTION

New-onset arrhythmias are a common problem in cardiothoracic surgery. They are also common following major non-cardiac surgery. This review examines the available literature to establish the incidence and significance of new-onset arrhythmias following major non-cardiothoracic surgery.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A literature search was performed using the Medline and Pubmed databases using the terms ‘postoperative arrhythmia’, ‘peri-operative arrhythmia’, ‘atrial fibrillation/flutter’, ‘supraventricular arrhythmia/tachycardia’, ‘cardiac complications’ and ‘non-cardiothoracic surgery’. Articles were cross-referenced for additional relevant publications and reviewed for data regarding new-onset arrhythmias following major non-cardiothoracic surgery.

RESULTS

There was considerable heterogeneity in the literature regarding cardiac monitoring, types of arrhythmias considered and potential associations investigated, thus hindering interpretation. The available data suggest that new-onset arrhythmias affect about 7% of patients following major non-cardiothoracic surgery. These arrhythmias are often associated with other underlying complications.
The Treatment of Varicose Veins
Authors: Subramonia S , Lees TA
Published: February 2007

INTRODUCTION

Over the past few years, there has been a move to less invasive endoluminal methods in the treatment of lower limb varicose veins combined with a renewed interest in sclerotherapy, with the recent addition of foam sclerotherapy. The development of these new techniques has led many to question some of the more conventional teaching on the treatment of varicose veins. This review examines these new treatments for lower limb varicose veins and the current evidence for their use.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

An extensive search of available electronic and paper-based databases was performed to identify studies relevant to the treatment of varicose veins with particular emphasis on those published within the last 10 years. These were analysed by both reviewers independently.

RESULTS

There is no single method of treatment appropriate for all cases. Conventional surgery is safe and effective and is still widely practised. Whilst the new treatments may be popular with both surgeons and patients, it is important that they are carefully evaluated not only for their clinical benefits and complications when compared to existing treatments but also for their cost prior to their wider acceptance into clinical practice.
La douleur arthritique, les limites et les incapacités fonctionnelles chez les personnes âgées
Authors: Bourque Paul , Dionne Joëlle , Pakzad Sarah , Pushkar Dolores , Béland François
Published: February 2007

The impact of arthritic pain, depression, and perceived health on functional limitations and disability in older persons is not clear. This study investigated the role of arthritic pain in functional limitations and disability in older persons. The sample consisted of 1,211 French-speaking persons aged 65 or older. Approximately 32 per cent of the subjects reported having arthritic pain, of whom 13 per cent reported considerable functional limitations. The results show that arthritic pain, age, gender, education, chronic illnesses, perceived health, and depression explained 28 per cent of the variance in functional limitations and 30 per cent of the variance in disability. The present results have implications for the prevention and management of functional limitations and disability in older persons.
Policy Changes and the Labour Force Participation of Older Workers: Evidence from Six Countries
Authors: Cooke Martin
Published: February 2007

In response to the anticipated pressures of population aging, national governments and supranational bodies such as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the European Union (EU) have promoted policies to encourage the labour force participation of older workers. The recent elimination of mandatory retirement in Ontario is an example of such a policy, and others include changes to national pension systems and changes to disability and employment insurance programs, active labour-market policies, and the promotion of phased or gradual retirement. This paper reviews the different policy approaches taken in the six countries included in the Workforce Aging in the New Economy (WANE) project, placing Canadian policy approaches in relation to those taken in Australia, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States. From the life course perspective, the policy approaches discussed here do not consider the heterogeneity of older workers' life courses or the related domains of health and family. As well, the changes made thus far do not appear likely to lead to increased labour force participation by older workers, and some may leave older workers at greater risk of low income and low-wage work.
T.P. Beatty and R.M.S. Visser, (Eds.). Thriving on an Aging Workforce: Strategies for Organizational and Systemic Change. Malabar, FL: Krieger, 2005.
Authors: McDonald Lynn
Published: February 2007

Le but de ce livre est d'aider les organismes des secteurs public et privé à se préparer aux répercussions du vieillissement de la main-d'oeuvre. Pour réaliser cet objectif, les éditeurs ont établi un groupe d'experts formé de spécialistes qui ont déterminé sept problèmes essentiels que nous avons le pouvoir de changer:recrutement et rétention, formation, perfectionnement professionnel, santé, régimes de retraite et nouvelles définitions de la retraite. Ce livre très utile comporte quatre parties et dix-huit chapitres. Les questions sont pertinentes et les solutions proposées sont raisonnables ce, compte tenu de la specificite des politiques canadiennes visant la santé et les régimes de retraite. Les idées recommandées sont particulièrement utiles pour ceux qui ont ignoré le vieillissement de la main-d'oeuvre.
Seniors and Portrayals of Intra-generational and Inter-generational Inequality in theGlobe and Mail
Authors: Rozanova Julia , Northcott Herbert C. , McDaniel Susan A.
Published: February 2007

In this article, we examine how seniors are portrayed in theGlobe and Mail. Thirty articles published in 2004 were selected and thematically analysed. Seniors were discussed in six different contexts, including family, work/retirement, community networks, scientific studies of population, social and health care policy, and social attitudes to aging. Issues pertaining to seniors were captured in three themes. The themediversity of seniorsmade visible seniors of different genders, ages, health statuses, abilities, and needs. Thesuccessful agingtheme provided positive examples of aging well but marginalized seniors who did not meet these expectations, thereby fostering intra-generational ageism. Theapocalyptic demography/inter-generational conflicttheme underscored the importance of society's support system for the elderly but raised the issue of inter-generational inequality, of presenting the elderly as a burden on younger persons in families and on society at large. Critical analyses suggested that both negative and positive newspaper portrayals of seniors might be ageist.
Andrew W. Wister. Baby Boomer Health Dynamics: How Are We Aging?. Toronto, ON: University of Toronto Press, 2005.
Authors: Wilson Kathi
Published: February 2007

Le livre d'Andrew Wister offre un examen en profondeur du vieillissement en santé de la génération du baby-boom au Canada. À l'aide d'études portant sur plus de vingt années de données sur la santé des Canadiens, Wister évalue de quelle façon les baby-boomers vieillissent en lien présente avec trois principales démensions du mode de vie (tabagisme, consommation d'alcool et exercice). Le livre présente un examen critique du paradoxe exercice obésité – même si les baby-boomers d'aujourd'hui ont des comportements relativement plus sains, le taux d'obésité et de maladies chroniques s'est accru au fil du temps. Il apporte une contribution importante aux débats existants sur la façon dont les baby-boomers vieillissent, et ses conclusions soulèvent d'importantes réflexions tant pour la recherche que pour les politiques futures.
Using Information Technology to Improve Health Quality and Safety in Community Health Centers
Authors: Calman Neil S , Kitson Kwame , Hauser Diane
Published: February 2007

Problem: Community health centers (CHCs) face a unique set of challenges and can learn much from each other as they prepare for the adoption of health information technology (HIT). Purpose: This paper presents a research agenda aimed at providing information CHCs will need to successfully implement HIT. Key Points: Community health centers must be able to evaluate whether an investment in HIT is the best way to achieve improvements in health outcomes for their communities given the limited resources and high demands they face. Community health centers need better information to guide them in selecting and implementing information technology that will result in improved health quality and safety. Guidance in optimal use of the system, particularly in the effective use of data made available through electronic health records, is needed to realize health care goals. Community health centers need to be active participants in HIT developments in their communities to ensure that their patients benefit from technological advancements that improve health care.
Inspiring Knowledge Mobilization Through a Communications Policy: The Case of a Community University Research Alliance
Authors: Jacobson Nora , Ochocka Joanna , Wise Julie , Janzen Rich
Published: February 2007

Taking Culture Seriously in Community Mental Health is a community-based participatory action research project in Ontario devoted to developing, pilot testing, and evaluating mental health service models grounded in the concept of "cultural empowerment." To ensure that the knowledge generated in the project is shared and used, the research collaborative places a heavy emphasis on communicating with stakeholder groups. This paper provides an overview of a communications policy designed to facilitate such sharing and use. It describes the development and key features of the policy, focusing on the broad issues of principles, authorship and acknowledgment, and planning and procedures.
Building a Research Agenda for Community Health Centers and the Medically Underserved: Meeting Proceedings
Authors: Proser Michelle , Aaron Kaytura Felix , Meyers David , Cornell Claire
Published: February 2007

The Problem: Community, migrant, and homeless health centers (CHCs) are an integral component of the nation's safety net with a proven record of success in access, quality, and cost effectiveness. Still, as CHCs face rising numbers of vulnerable patients and shrinking resources, they must continue to improve quality of care to further narrow health disparities, as well as demonstrate their cost effectiveness and value to policymakers. Purpose: CHCs, researchers, national partners, and others met in December 2005 to produce a consensus-driven research agenda that lays out research priorities for CHCs and the medically underserved. This article details the meeting process and resulting research agenda. Key Points: The meeting focused on three domains that touch on community need: health information technology (HIT), quality improvement, and cost effectiveness and value. Community representatives helped to drive research priorities. Conclusions: CHCs must continually demonstrate their efficiency and effectiveness. Accordingly, the research agenda must be continually revisited through a collaborative process.
A Vision for Progress in Community Health Partnerships
Authors: Tandon S. Darius , Phillips Karran , Bordeaux Bryan C , Bone Lee , Brown Pamela Bohrer , Cagney Kathleen A , Gary Tiffany L. , Kim Miyong , Levine David M , Price Emmanuel , Sydnor Kim Dobson , Stone Kim , Bass Eric B
Published: February 2007

Community-based participatory research (CBPR) is an increasingly used approach for conducting research to improve community health. Using Rogers' diffusion of innovations theory as a framework, it follows that future adoption of CBPR will occur if academic and community partners perceive CBPR to have greater relative advantage, compatibility, trialability, and observability, and less complexity than other research approaches. We propose that articles published in our new peer-reviewed journal—Progress in Community Health Partnerships: Research, Education, and Action (PCHP)—can influence academic and community partners' perceptions of CBPR that promote its adoption. Eight areas of scholarly activity are described that can promote health partnership research, education, and action: (1) original research, (2) work-in-progress and lessons learned, (3) policy and practice, (4) theory and methods, (5) education and training, (6) practical tools, (7) systematic reviews, and (8) community perspectives. These eight areas correspond with the eight main sections of PCHP. A brief description of each area's importance in promoting CBPR is provided along with examples of completed and ongoing work. Specific recommendations are made regarding issues, problems, and topics within each area on which CBPR work should focus. These recommendations, which present a vision for progress in community health partnerships, are based on idea generation and prioritization by a group of CBPR experts—PCHP's editors and editorial board.
Building Community Research Capacity: Process Evaluation of Community Training and Education in a Community-Based Participatory Research Program Serving a Predominately Puerto Rican Community
Authors: Tumiel-Berhalter Laurene M , Mclaughlin-Diaz Victoria , Vena John , Crespo Carlos J
Published: February 2007

Background: Education and training build community research capacity and have impact on improvements of health outcomes. Objectives: This manuscript describes the training and educational approaches to building research capacity that were utilized in a community-based participatory research program serving a Puerto Rican population and identifies barriers and strategies for overcoming them. Methods: A process evaluation identified a multitiered approach to training and education that was critical to reaching the broad community. Results: This approach included four major categories providing a continuum of education and training opportunities: networking, methods training, on-the-job experience, and community education. Participation in these opportunities supported the development of a registry, the implementation of a survey, and two published manuscripts. Barriers included the lack of a formal evaluation of the education and training components, language challenges that limited involvement of ethnic groups other than Puerto Ricans, and potential biases associated with the familiarity of the data collector and the participant. The CBPR process facilitated relationship development between the university and the community and incorporated the richness of the community experience into research design. Strategies for improvement include incorporating evaluation into every training and educational opportunity and developing measures to quantify research capacity at the individual and community levels. Conclusions: Evaluating training and education in the community allows researchers to quantify the impact of CBPR on building community research capacity.
Black Music in a Raceless Society: Afrocuban Folklore and Socialism
Authors: Moore Robin
Published: February 2007

This essay examines how a revolutionary leadership hoping to build a classless and ââcolorblindââ society struggled to deï¬ne policy toward forms of music in the black community that implicitly emphasized cultural and/or racial difference. It discusses musical life during the early revolutionary period in which drumming traditions ï¬ourished, focusing on Pedro Izquierdo, Enrique Bonne, and the Conjunto Folklórico Nacional as examples of well-known groups and artists. Later sections describe decreasing opportunities for such performance in the late 1960s, and a more recent resurgence. The presentation of occasional folkloric drumming events for the public in formal, staged contexts served for a time both to support such traditions and to limit their dissemination more broadly. Furthermore, the ostensibly raceless vision of the revolutionary leadership, while contributing to equality, limited discussion of racial concerns as well as the study and promotion of African culture. Analysis focuses primarily on secular traditions rather than sacred repertoire. Resumen Este ensayo considera como una jefatura revolucionaria aspirando crear una sociedad sin clases y sin divisiones raciales luchó para deï¬nir su política hacia formas de música en la comunidad negra que implícitamente enfatizaba diferencia cultural/racial. El ensayo examina la vida musical durante los primeros años de la revolución cubana en los cuales la música y baile afrocubanos ï¬orearon, enfocándose en Pedro Izquierdo, Enrique Bonne, y el Conjunto Folklórico Nacional como ejemplos de conocidos grupos y/o artistas. Las siguientes secciones documentan la diminución de oportunidades profesionales para los músicos folklóricos a partir de 1968, y luego un resurgimiento de las mismas. La presentación ocasional de música folklórica percutiva para el público en contextos formales sirvió por un tiempo tanto de apoyar esos géneros como de limitar su difusion más ampliamente. Por lo tanto, la visión ostensiblemente ââciega a la razaââ de los líderes revolucionarios, mientras contribuyó a la igualdad, limitaba la discusión de inquietudes raciales del pueblo, tanto como el estudio y promoción de la cultura afrocubana. El análisis se concentra mayormente en tradiciones laicos en vez de sagrados.
La temporalidad del canon: la narrativa y la poesía en Cuba
Authors: Pancrazio James J
Published: February 2007

Resumen Este ensayo se enfoca en el reciente debate sobre el canon literario en los estudios cubanos. Por tratarse de modos de pensamiento, autoridad y reconocimiento académico, este debate abarca cuestiones que van más allá de la literatura misma. Más bien, el debate sobre el canon linda con la ï¬losofía en la medida en que plantea una exploración de la experiencia del ser en el tiempo y el espacio. En lugar de centrarse en las cuestiones de cuáles escritores y cuáles obras deben incluirse en el canon, este ensayo pretende esbozar una relación entre temporalidad y canonicidad. Es decir, que la temporalidad insular es distinta a las de otras naciones precisamente porque no se articula como narrativa sino más bien como una instancia poética cortada del telar del tiempo. En lugar de articular una historia a base de secuencias y causalidades, la temporalidad canónica de la isla se estructura a base la instancia aislada en el devenir que se subsume en la unicidad temporal. El intento de este ensayo es el de ubicar las perspectivas del reciente debate en las dos temporalidades que constituyen la cultura cubana. This essay focuses on the recent debate on the literary canon in Cuban studies. Because the debate deals with modes of thought, authority, and academic recognition, it encompasses questions that extend beyond the ï¬eld of literature itself. Rather, the debate over the canon borders on philosophy insofar as it proposes an exploration of the self in time and space. In place of centering on the questions of which writers and works should or should not be included in the canon, this essay seeks to describe a relationship between temporality and canonicity. That is, the insular temporality is different from that of other nations precisely because it is not articulated as a narrative but rather as a poetic instance cut from the fabric of time. In place of articulating a history based on sequences and causalities, the islandâs canonic sense of time is structured on the base of the isolated incident in the passage of time that is subsumed in a single sense of time. This articleâs intent is to place the perspectives in the recent debate in the two notions of time that constitute Cuban culture.
La ciudad como espacio de tortura en La carne de Rene y Pequeñas maniobras de Virgilio Piñera
Authors: Wolfenzon Carolyn
Published: February 2007

Resumen Este artículo entabla un diálogo entre dos novelas de Virgilio Piñera: La carne de René (1952) y Pequeñas maniobras (1963). En ellas la ciudad (aunque descrita de manera borrosa y fragmentaria) cobra una presencia asï¬xiante y opresiva que determina la conducta de los personajes. La actitud de ambos protagonistas -- René en La carne de René y Sebastián en Pequeñas maniobras -- es la de dos disidentes que luchan por sobrevivir desde dentro de la sociedad que los margina y condena. Esta lucha se concretiza en dos estrategias aparentemente antagónicas. René se deï¬ne como un león y lucha abiertamente por transformar el sistema que lo acosa intentando modiï¬car sus leyes; Sebastián, por el contrario, adopta la estrategia del lagarto en una inacción que tiene como objetivo reducir al absurdo la lógica progresista de su sociedad. A pesar de que ambas actitudes son distintas, propongo entenderlas como una reacción necesaria para la supervivencia de dos outsiders en una ciudad que intenta incorporarlos. El terror que sienten estos dos protagonistas en su cotidiano desplazamiento por la ciudad es análogo al que siente un hombre sometido a una cámara de tortura. Piñera parece sugerirnos que el desplazamiento por la ciudad moderna es tortuoso: en esta analogía, la ciudad ocuparía el lugar de la cámara de torturas. In this article I propose a dialogue between two novels of Virgilio Piñera: La carne de René (1952) and Pequeñas maniobras (1963). In both novels the city, even though its description is blurred and in fragments, is a central presence in that it determines the behavior of the two characters. The attitude of both protagonists -- René in La carne de René and Sebastián in Pequeñas maniobras -- is that of a dissidence that ï¬ghts from inside society to survive, even though this society marginalizes them. This ï¬ght comes alive in two strategies which appear to be opposite: René deï¬nes himself as a lion and ï¬ghts overtly to transform the system that condemns him, and tries to change the laws that validate it; Sebastian, on the contrary, adopts the strategy of a lizard and remains inactive in the face of accusations because he wants to reduce the progressive logic of his society to absurdity. Even though these attitudes are different, I propose to understand them as necessary reactions for the survival of outsiders in a city that ï¬ghts to incorporate them into its logic. The panic the protagonists feel in their routine displacement in the city is similar to the fear a man feels in a torture chamber. Piñera is trying to suggest that movement through the city is tortuous: in this analogy, the city itself occupies the place of the cámara de tortura.
Should i stay or should i go? The impact of age norms on leaving home
Authors: Billari Francesco C. , Liefbroer Aart C.
Published: February 2007

This article studies the association between social norms and the timing of leaving home. Although largely overlooked by most recent studies on leaving home, life-course theory suggests that age norms and age grading influence life-course decisions in general and leaving home in particular. We use Fishbein and Ajzen’s model of “reasoned behavior” to integrate this strand of research with the more individualistic view that dominates current thinking. Using data from a Dutch panel survey, we use a Cox regression model with a control for sample selection to estimate the association between perceived age norms and the timing of leaving home. We show that perceived opinions of parents are associated with the actual timing of leaving the parental home but that societal norms and friends’ norms concerning the timing of leaving home are not. In addition, the timing of leaving home is also associated with the perceived costs and benefits of leaving home and with the perceived housing market situation.
Orphans and schooling in Africa: A longitudinal analysis
Authors: Evans David K. , Miguel Edward
Published: February 2007

AIDS deaths could have a major impact on economic development by affecting the human capital accumulation of the next generation. We estimate the impact of parent death on primary school participation using an unusual five-year panel data set of over 20,000 Kenyan children. There is a substantial decrease in school participation following a parent death and a smaller drop before the death (presumably due to pre-death morbidity). Estimated impacts are smaller in specifications without individual fixed effects, suggesting that estimates based on cross-sectional data are biased toward zero. Effects are largest for children whose mothers died and, in a novel finding, for those with low baseline academic performance.
The long-term effects of poor childhood health: An assessment and application of retrospective reports
Authors: Haas Steven A.
Published: February 2007

This study assesses retrospective childhood health reports and examines childhood health as a predictor of adult health. The results suggest that such reports are of reasonable reliability as to warrant their judicious use in population research. They also demonstrate a large positive relationship between childhood and adult health. Compared with excellent, very good, or good childhood health, poor childhood health is associated with more than three times greater odds of having poor adult self-rated health and twice the risk of a work-limiting disability or a chronic health condition. These associations are independent of childhood and current socioeconomic position and healthrelated risk behaviors.
Gender differences in the link between childhood socioeconomic conditions and heart attack risk in adulthood
Authors: Hamil-Luker Jenifer , O’Rand Angela M.
Published: February 2007

A growing body of evidence shows that childhood socioeconomic status (SES) is predictive of disease risk in later life, with those from the most disadvantaged backgrounds more likely to experience poor adult-health outcomes. Most of these studies, however, are based on middle-aged male populations and pay insufficient attention to the pathways between childhood risks and specific adult disorders. This article examines gender differences in the link between childhood SES and heart attack risk trajectories and the mechanisms by which early environments affect future disease risk. By using methods that model both latent and path-specific influences, we identify heterogeneity in early life conditions and human, social, and health capital in adulthood that contribute to diverse heart attack risk trajectories between and among men and women as they age into their 60s and 70s. We find that key risk factors for heart attack operate differently for men and women. For men, childhood SES does not differentiate those at low, increasing, and high risk for heart attack. In contrast, women who grew up without a father and/or under adverse economic conditions are the most likely to experience elevated risk for heart attack, even after we adjust for the unequal distribution of working and living conditions, social relationships, access to health care, and adult lifestyle behaviors that influence health outcomes.
Social networks and HIV/AIDS risk perceptions
Authors: Kohler Hans-Peter , Behrman Jere R. , Watkins Susan C.
Published: February 2007

Understanding the determinants of individuals’ perceptions of their risk of becoming infected with HIV and their perceptions of acceptable strategies of prevention is an essential step toward curtailing the spread of this disease. We focus in this article on learning and decision-making about AIDS in the context of high uncertainty about the disease and appropriate behavioral responses. We argue that social interactions are important for both. Using longitudinal survey data from rural Kenya and Malawi, we test this hypothesis. We investigate whether social interactions—and especially the extent to which social network partners perceive themselves to be at risk—exert causal influences on respondents’ risk perceptions and on one approach to prevention, spousal communication about the threat of AIDS to the couple and their children. The study explicitly allows for the possibility that important characteristics, such as unobserved preferences or community characteristics, determine not only the outcomes of interest but also the size and composition of networks. The most important empirical result is that social networks have significant and substantial effects on risk perceptions and the adoption of new behaviors even after we control for unobserved factors.
Child gender and father involvement in fragile families
Authors: Lundberg Shelly , McLanahan Sara , Rose Elaina
Published: February 2007

In this article, we use data from the first two waves of the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study to examine the effects of child gender on father involvement and to determine if gender effects differ by parents’ marital status. We examine several indicators of father involvement, including whether the father acknowledges “ownership” of the child, whether the parents live together when the child is one year old, and whether the father provides financial support when the child is one year old. We find some evidence that child gender is associated with unmarried father involvement around the time of the child’s birth: sons born to unmarried parents are more likely than daughters to receive the father’s surname, especially if the mother has no other children. However, one year after birth, we find very little evidence that child gender is related to parents’ living arrangements or the amount of time or money fathers invest in their children. In contrast, and consistent with previous research, fathers who are married when their child is born are more likely to live with a son than with a daughter one year after birth. This pattern supports an interpretation of child gender effects based on parental beliefs about the importance of fathers for the long-term development of sons.
Child support and father-child contact: Testing reciprocal pathways
Authors: Nepomnyaschy Lenna
Published: February 2007

I use three waves of panel data to examine the relationship between child support payments and fathers’ contact with their nonmarital children. I disaggregate support into fathers’ formal and informal payments and incorporate cross-lagged effects models to identify the direction of causality between payments and contact. After including the behavior from the prior wave (lagged term) and a rich set of family characteristics, I find a marginally significant effect of paying formally at Time 1 on the likelihood of contact at Time 2 but no effect of contact at Time 1 on formal payments at Time 2. In the first examination of the relationship between informal support and father-child contact, I find a strong, positive reciprocal relationship between the likelihood and frequency of father-child contact and the likelihood and amount of informal support, with slightly stronger and more consistent effects of contact on payments than of payments on contact.
Genetic Structure Analysis of Three Hispanic Populations from Costa Rica, Mexico, and the Southwestern United States Using Y-Chromosome STR Markers and mtDNA Sequences
Authors: Campos-Sánchez Rebeca , Barrantes Ramiro , Silva Sandra Honorato da , Escamilla Michael , Ontiveros Alfonso , Nicolini Humberto , Mendoza Ricardo , Muñoz Rodrigo A , Raventos Henriette
Published: February 2007

Two hundred seventeen male subjects from Costa Rica, Mexico, and the Hispanic population of the southwestern United States were studied. Twelve Y-chromosome STRs and the HVSI sequence of the mtDNA were analyzed to describe their genetic structure and to compare maternal and paternal lineages. All subjects are part of two NIMH-funded studies to localize schizophrenia susceptibility genes in Hispanic populations of Mexican and Central American ancestry. We showed that these three populations are similar in their internal genetic characteristics, as revealed by analyses of mtDNA and Y-chromosome STR diversity. These populations are related through their maternal lineage in a stronger way than through their paternal lineage, because a higher number of shared haplotypes and polymorphisms are seen in the mtDNA (compared to Y-chromosome STRs). These results provide evidence of previous contact between the three populations and shared histories. An analysis of molecular variance revealed no genetic differentiation for the mtDNA for the three populations, but differentiation was detected in the Y-chromosome STRs. Genetic distance analysis showed that the three populations are closely related, probably as a result of migration between close neighbors, as indicated by shared haplotypes and their demographic histories. This relationship could be an important common feature for genetic studies in Latin American and Hispanic populations.
The Irregular Aesthetic of The Blazing-World
Authors: Fletcher Angus
Published: February 2007

While Robert Boyle and Thomas Hobbes fretted about the irregularity of nature, Margaret Cavendish celebrated it, leading many scholars to claim that she distanced herself from her male contemporaries by denying the existence of natural hierarchies. This article suggests, however, that her interest in irregularity aligns her with Lucy Hay and other noblewomen who argued that women's physiology made them natural rulers. Like Hay, the empress of The Blazing-World empowers herself by exploiting male anxieties about women's irregular bodies. Cavendish, moreover, asserts her own authority through a prose aesthetic intended to inspire a discomfited awe at her ungoverned fancy.
Milton's Serpent and the Birth of Pagan Error
Authors: Harding Pitt
Published: February 2007

The allusions surrounding the serpent in Paradise Lost foreshadow certain classical values that were denounced by Christian apologists such as Lactantius. The serpent tempts Eve to self-deification, while allusions to Roman tradition presage a pagan view of heroism and divine wrath. The acrostic spelling Satan's name, imitating that of Mars in the Aeneid, is headed by the name Scipio, whose martial exploits Lactantius deplored. Thus Milton appropriates the rhetoric directed by the early church against imperial Rome, deepening the historical dimension of an epic vitally concerned with cultural origins.
Trope and Truth in The Pilgrim's Progress
Authors: Machosky Brenda
Published: February 2007

In beginning his "Apology" for The Pilgrim's Progress, John Bunyan claims that he did not intend to write an allegory but "fell suddenly" into it. The implication is that the fallen human condition is itself an allegory. The Fall is a fall into an allegorical world. By writing an allegory of a spiritual pilgrimage as if it were a journey in the actual world, Bunyan suggests that the only way to escape the allegorical world (that is the actual world) is through allegory, and thus allegory itself becomes a pilgrimage.
Anamorphosis and the Religious Subject of George Herbert's "Coloss. 3.3."
Authors: Song Eric B
Published: February 2007

This essay argues that Herbert's "Coloss. 3.3." can best be understood by comparing the poem's visual effect to the technique of anamorphosis. Like anamorphic art, Herbert's poem fragments any single viewing perspective in order to reveal the temporal and spatial limits of human existence. However, whereas anamorphic paintings (such as Holbein's The Ambassadors) inscribe mortality and doubt upon the viewer, Herbert's poem explores the anamorphic potential of written text to impart a communal experience of religious truth that transcends the limits of the self.
Flying “Cholo”: Incas, Airplanes, and the Construction of Andean Modernity in 1920s Cuzco, Peru
Authors: Hiatt Willie
Published: February 2007

The public euphoria for pilot Alejandro Velasco Astete’s flight from the capital city of Lima to his hometown of Cuzco, Peru, in 1925 was surpassed only by the anguish over his death in a crash a month later. Residents in the former Inca capital shared the almost universal fascination with flight that two years later transformed Charles Lindbergh into an international celebrity after his electrifying Atlantic crossing. Aviation promised integration for a Peruvian city that resided nearly two miles up in the thin Andean air and lay several days’ journey by train and steamship from Lima. Flight in the indigenous region carried symbolic capital for intellectuals and public officials who bristled at their perceived racial inferiority and resented political, economic, and cultural marginalization by Lima. So when a Quechua-speaking pilot of Inca nobility and Spanish ancestry stepped down from an Italian-made biplane onto Cuzco soil in 1925, elite observers hailed him as nothing less than an Andean superman. Newspapers breathlessly described the authentic sierran blood, vitality, masculinity, and skill of the first Peruvian to make the treacherous if not suicidal flight across the Andes. Elites were convinced this “modern” sierran man and his mastery of the science and technology of aviation were undeniable proof Cuzco belonged at the vanguard of the ethnically and geographically divided Peruvian nation.
Interactive Effects of Appeals, Arguments, and Competition across North American and Chinese Cultures
Authors: Teng Lefa , Laroche Michel
Published: February 2007

Using data from actual consumers in North America and China, this research analyzes the interactive effects of appeals and arguments in a competitive environment. The theoretical basis for this study is that contrast effects are most likely to occur when consumers experience advertisements with distinct culture-laden advertising appeals and comparable arguments. The findings indicate that a culturally congruent appeal and a strong argument embedded in an advertisement may create more favorable responses when competing advertisements contain culturally incongruent appeals and neutral arguments than when competing advertisements contain culturally congruent appeals and neutral arguments.
Endogenous Opportunism in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises’ Foreign Subsidiaries: Classification and Research Propositions
Authors: Obadia Claude , Vida Irena
Published: February 2007

This study examines the phenomenon of opportunism as a key factor behind international market-entry failure of small and medium-sized enterprises that use integrated modes of entry. The authors analyze field data generated from small and medium-sized enterprises using principles of grounded theory methodology. The inductive process identified various forms, types, and categories of intrafirm opportunistic behaviors. The classification process leads to research propositions pertaining to the antecedents and outcomes of endogenous opportunism.
Collaborative and Iterative Translation: An Alternative Approach to Back Translation
Authors: Douglas Susan P. , Craig C. Samuel
Published: February 2007

Back translation is the technique most commonly used to check the accuracy of translation in survey research. Although it results in a direct or literal translation, it does not address issues of conceptual equivalence. Furthermore, if it is not combined with pretesting, it does not address issues of comprehension and meaning to the respondent. This article discusses some of the problems of relying exclusively on back translation in isolation. It suggests the use of a collaborative, iterative approach for translating questionnaires for international marketing research.