bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials in Critically Ill Patients to Evaluate the Dose-Response Effect of Erythropoietin
Authors: Turaga Kiran K. , Sugimoto Jeffrey T. , Forse R. Armour
Published: September 2007

The use of erythropoietin in critically ill patients has been investigated in multiple randomized clinical trials and its role in decreasing the number of units of blood transfused has been demonstrated in some trials. A meta-analysis was conducted to determine the pooled estimate of the decrease in number of units of blood transfused with the use of erythropoietin and investigated its dose-response effect. A systematic search was performed of the MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Current Controlled Trials Register to identify randomized clinical trials investigating the role of erythropoietin in critically ill patients. Of 664 studies identified in the search, 5 randomized clinical trials met the inclusion criteria. The pooled estimate of the decrease of number of units of blood transfused was —1.64 (95% CI —2.6 to —0.67). Sensitivity analysis to establish the influence of temporal bias, quality of the study and comorbidities such as age and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score were undertaken and did not reveal a significant difference. The inclusion of studies with higher doses of erythropoietin revealed a greater decrease in the number of units of blood transfused (—2.15; 95% CI —3.06 to —1.24). Despite the limitations of a meta-analysis we believe that the use of erythropoietin significantly decreases the number of units of blood transfused per patient. Our study also reveals the possibility of a dose-response effect of erythropoietin in decreasing the number of units of blood transfused.
Indian Women in Doctoral Education in Science and Engineering
Authors: Gupta Namrata
Published: September 2007

Informal communication and interaction are integral components of the practice of science, including the doctoral process. This article argues that women are disadvantaged in the informal milieu of the higher education in science, and that this milieu is not uniform everywhere. It posits that to understand the position of women in science in South Asian countries like India, the inquiry has to be conceptualized in the specific social, historical, and institutional context. Through a questionnaire survey comparing male and female perceptions, and qualitative interviews with women, an attempt has been made to understand the nature of Indian women's problems in the informal doctoral science environment. The findings indicate that though the nature of problems appears to be similar to those faced by the women in science in the West, the specific form of biases varies, and that the cultural context molds the specific forms of discrimination. This has implications for future research and policies.
Drilling Surgeons
Authors: Prentice Rachel
Published: September 2007

Surgical training has traditionally involved a lengthy apprenticeship to a series of master surgeons, who teach medical students and residents the techniques of surgery while allowing them to work on patients in the operating room. This article examines surgical training as a structured environment that prepares students for the embodied lessons taught by a surgeon. It argues that even the most seemingly mechanical of surgical techniques contains social lessons when taught by a surgeon within the rich environment of the operating room.
Bioethics and the Global Moral Economy
Authors: Salter Brian , Salter Charlotte
Published: September 2007

The global development of human embryonic stem cell (HESC) science and its therapeutic applications are dependent on the nature of its engagement at national and international levels with key cultural values and beliefs concerning the moral status of the early human embryo. This article argues that the political need to reconcile the promise of new health technologies with the cultural costs of scientific advance, dependent in this case on the use of the human embryo, has been met by the evolution of bioethics as a political community, transnational network, and bureaucratic device. Bioethics has become the political means for the creation of a global moral economy where the trading and exchange of values is normalized and legitimated. As a result of such trading, value compromises are produced capable of legitimizing the regulatory policies necessary for maintaining public trust in the new science.
Ethnic, clinical and immunological factors in systemic lupus erythematosus and the development of lupus nephritis: results from a multi-ethnic New Zealand cohort
Authors: Burling F. , Ng J. , Thein H. , Ly J. , Marshall M.R. , Gow P.
Published: September 2007

The aim of this study was to identify risk factors for lupus nephritis including clinical, laboratory, and ethnic factors in a cohort of lupus patients in New Zealand. A retrospective study of patients from two teaching hospitals in Auckland, New Zealand. Patients were selected if they had attended as either an inpatient, or a rheumatology outpatient between 2000 and 2005. 170 patients had SLE according to ACR classification. Lupus nephritis (LN) was diagnosed according to ACR criteria. Clinical, laboratory, and ethnic data were gathered from the patient notes. Twenty-four patients had LN at diagnosis and 32 patients developed LN after diagnosis. LN was associated with serositis ( P = 0.008), cutaneous vasculitis ( P = 0.026), anaemia ( P = 0.005), CRP elevation >6 months ( P < 0.001), hypocomplementaemia >6 months ( P < 0.0001). Patients with elevated doublestranded DNA (dsDNA) (>5 × normal) were more likely to develop type IV LN ( P = 0.0096). Forty-one percent of patients were Caucasian, 12% Maori, 23% Pacific People, 16% Asian, 6% Indian. Maori patients with SLE (odds ratio (OR) = 8.47, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.11—33.96, P = 0.002), and Pacific People (OR = 3.11, 95% CI = 1.29—11.48, P = 0.014) had increased risk for developing LN. Anaemia at presentation (hazard ratio (HR) 3.2, 95% CI = 1.4—7.1, P = 0.004), and low complement >6 months (HR = 3.4, 95% CI = 1.4—8.7, P = 0.008) were independent risk factors for developing LN after SLE diagnosis. In New Zealand, Pacific People and Maori patients with SLE have a higher incidence of LN, and patients with anaemia and hypocomplementaemia are more likely to develop LN after diagnosis. Patients with high dsDNA levels are more likely to develop Type IV lupus nephritis. Lupus (2007) 16, 830—837.
Prevention of murine lupus disease in (NZB×NZW)F1 mice by sirolimus treatment
Authors: Ramos-Barrón Á. , Piñera-Haces C. , Gómez-Alamillo C. , Santiuste-Torcida I. , Ruiz J.C. , Buelta-Carrillo L. , Merino R. , de Francisco Á.L.M. , Arias M.
Published: September 2007

Sirolimus is a new immunosuppressive drug used to avoid allograft rejection. The immunosuppressive effect of sirolimus is due to inhibition of the mammalian target of rapamycin, necessary for the proliferation and clonal expansion of activated T-cells. Because T-cells play a central role in the pathogenesis of autoimmune disease developed in (NZB×NZW)F1 mice, we evaluated the therapeutic use of sirolimus in such mice. (NZB×NZW)F1 female mice received 1mg/kg/day of sirolimus from 12 to 37 weeks of age. The development of autoimmune disease was evaluated by measuring the serum levels of auto-antibodies (autoAbs) and their immunoglobulin isotypes, prevalence of glomerulonephritis and mortality rates. Sirolimus directly inhibited production of autoAbs, glomerular deposits of immunoglobulins and development of proteinuria; also the survival of these mice was prolonged. Our results demonstrate the beneficial effects of sirolimus in preventing the development of lupus disease in (NZB×NZW)F1 female mice. Lupus (2007) 16, 775—781.
Adjunctive plasma exchanges to treat neuropsychiatric lupus: a retrospective study on 10 patients
Authors: Bartolucci P. , Bréchignac S. , Cohen P. , Le Guern V. , Guillevin L.
Published: September 2007

Neuropsychiatric manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus (NPSLE) are among the main causes of morbidity and mortality attributed to lupus activity. Conventional NPSLE treatment combines CS and immunosuppressants, but some symptoms do not respond. We retrospectively evaluated the adjunction of plasma exchanges (PE) to treat 13 NPSLE flares occurring in 10 patients (mean age, 30 years) between 1989 and 2002. NP manifestations were the first SLE symptoms for seven patients, with a mean of 3.2 NP manifestations/flare. All patients received CS and cyclophosphamide pulses. A mean of 15 PE/flare were performed. All patients improved within a mean of 3 (median: 2.5; range: 1.5—8) weeks thereafter. Complete remissions of 7/13 flares were obtained within a mean of 7 (median: 4; range: 2—22) weeks. Partial remissions were achieved for the remaining six flares, characterized by new NP manifestations during three and insufficient control of the others. Other SLE manifestations regressed for all patients with the mean European consensus lupus activity measurement score declining from pretreatment 6.9 to 1.2. A regimen combining CS, cyclophosphamide and PE is effective against severe NPSLE, with acceptable toxicity. Lupus (2007) 16, 817—822.
Marked inflammation in catastrophic longitudinal myelitis associated with systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Heinlein A.C. , Gertner E.
Published: September 2007

Catastrophic longitudinal myelitis is an extremely rare neurologic manifestation of collagen vascular disease, described heretofore in 11 cases of SLE and 1 of Sjogren's Syndrome. This report documents markedly abnormal and worsening CSF findings on sequential CSF examinations over a period of three days (WBC >1500 cells/μL, >80% neutrophils, markedly elevated protein, and extremely low glucose levels) in the absence of infection. These abnormalities cleared rapidly with institution of immunosuppressive therapy so that a third CSF exam done within three days revealed almost complete normalization of CSF values. These findings suggest that in some cases of CLM a strong inflammatory component may be present, while in others, other pathogenic factors may predominate. Lupus (2007) 16, 823—826.
Impact of hypertension and hyperhomocysteinemia on arterial thrombosis in primary antiphospholipid syndrome
Authors: de Souza A.W.S. , Silva N.P. , de Carvalho J.F. , D'Almeida V. , Noguti M.A.E. , Sato E.I.
Published: September 2007

The aim of this study was to evaluate traditional risk factors for coronary artery disease (CAD), homocysteine, anti-oxidized low-density lipoprotein (anti-oxLDL), anti-lipoprotein lipase (anti-LPL) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) in patients with primary anti-phospholipid syndrome (APS), furthermore verify possible association among these variables and arterial thrombosis. Thirty-eight women with primary APS and 30 age-and-sex-matched controls were evaluated. Patients presented higher-LDL and triglycerides levels and lower-HDL levels than controls. Anti-LPL antibodies were not detected in both groups. The mean number of risk factors was higher in patients than in controls ( P = 0.030). Anti-oxLDL antibodies, homocysteine and ET-1 mean levels were similar between groups, but abnormal homocysteine levels were found only among primary APS patients ( P = 0.031). Hypertension and the presence of at least one risk factor for CAD were more prevalent in patients with arterial involvement than those without. Homocysteine levels and mean number of risk factors for CAD were significantly higher in patients with arterial thrombosis than controls. In a multivariate analysis hypertension was the only independently associated with arterial thrombosis (OR 14.8, 95% CI = 2.1—100.0, P = 0.006). This study showed that in primary APS patients other risk factors besides anti-phospholipid antibodies contribute for the occurrence of arterial events and the most important factor was hypertension. Lupus (2007) 16, 782—787.
Clinical and serological follow-up of 71 patients with anti-mitochondrial type 5 antibodies
Authors: Andrejevic S. , Bonaci-Nikolic B. , Sefik-Bukilica M. , Petrovic R.
Published: September 2007

Antimitochondrial M5 type antibodies (AMA M5) have been described in patients with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), thrombocytopenia and autoimmune hemolytic anemia. The aim of this study was to describe the clinical and immunological characteristics of a series of patients with AMA M5. We analyzed 71 patients with AMA M5 seen consecutively at our centres during the last 8 years. The clinical and immunological characteristics of diseases expression were compared with 70 consecutive disease control patients without AMA M5. Compared with the control group, AMA M5 positive patients presented higher prevalence of false positive VDRL test ( P < 0.001) and thrombocytopenia ( P = 0.002) with lower levels of anti-β2 glycoprotein I antibodies. In AMA M5 patients (56 female, 15 male) a heterogeneous group of disorders were found. Twenty-seven (38%) patients fulfilled the Sapporo criteria for the classification of the APS. Laboratory criteria were met in 55 (77.5%), and clinical criteria in 31 (43.7%) patients. Six patients initially presented with non-criteria features of APS during follow-up period developed APS. Younger patients with AMA M5 should be carefully observed for the development of APS, even in the absence of serological criteria, while elderly must be screened for monoclonal gammopathy and hematological disorders. Lupus (2007) 16, 788—793.
Pernicious anemia in a young man with systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Benjilali L. , Tazi-Mezalek Z. , Harmouche H. , Lebbar K. , Aouni M. , Adnaoui M. , Maaouni A.
Published: September 2007

Association of pernicious anemia and systemic lupus erythematosus is rare, although both diseases are autoimmune origin. We describe the case of a 40-year old man with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) who developed pernicious anemia. The cobalamin deficiency was revealed by macrocytic pancytopenia. After 1 month of vitamin B12 treatment, hemoglobin and white blood cell count remain normal but thrombocytopenia persists and was considered as immunologic from SLE origin requiring corticosteroids. Lupus (2007) 16, 827—829.
Transiently positive anticardiolipin antibodies and risk of thrombosis in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Martinez-Berriotxoa Agustin , Ruiz-Irastorza Guillermo , Egurbide Maria-Victoria , Garmendia Maider , Gabriel Erdozain Jose , Villar Irama , Aguirre Ciriaco
Published: September 2007

Fluctuations in the titers of anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL) have been reported in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients, but their relation with thrombosis is not completely understood. Prospective inception cohort of 237 patients with SLE (American College of Rheumatology criteria). Positivity for antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) was defined according to Sapporo criteria. aCL was defined as persistently positive when more than two-thirds of the determinations were positive during follow-up. Patients were classified into four groups: A [positive lupus anticoagulant (LA)], B (negative LA and persistently positive aCL), C (negative LA and transiently positive aCL) and D (negative LA and aCL). Of these 237 patients, 211 (89%) patients were women. Median age at diagnosis and follow-up were 32 (2—78) and 10 (1—31) years, respectively; 33 (13.9%), 23 (9.7%), 42 (17.7%) and 139 (58.6%) patients were classified in groups A, B, C and D, respectively. Thirty (12.6%) and 23 (9.7%) patients suffered arterial and venous thrombotic events, respectively. Adjusted risk for arterial thrombosis was increased in groups A [odds ratio (OR) 15.69, 95% confidential interval (CI) 4.79—51.42, P < 0.001] and B (OR 7.63, 95% CI 2.00—29.08, P = 0.003), but not in group C when compared with group D. Adjusted risk of venous thrombosis was increased in group A (OR 4.24, 95% CI 1.36—13.20, P = 0.013), but not in groups B or C when compared with group D. Risk of thrombosis is not increased in SLE patients with negative LA and transiently positive aCL, even fulfilling Sapporo laboratory criteria, when compared with aPL-negative SLE patients. Lupus (2007) 16, 810—816.
The Impact of Volunteering in Hospice Palliative Care
Authors: Claxton-Oldfield Stephen , Claxton-Oldfield Jane
Published: September 2007

The goal of this study was to examine the impact of hospice palliative care work on volunteers' lives. In-depth interviews were conducted with 23 direct-patient care volunteers. More than half of the volunteers became involved in hospice palliative care because of their own experiences with family members and/or friends who have died. Most of the volunteers reported that they were different now or had changed in some way since they have been volunteering (e.g., they had grown in some way, have learned how to keep things in perspective). In addition, most of the volunteers felt that their outlook on life had changed since they started volunteering (e.g., they were more accepting of death, and they learned the importance of living one day at a time). Volunteers reported doing a number of different things to prevent compassion fatigue or burnout (e.g., reading a book, listening to music, talking to others, and taking time off from volunteering). Most of the volunteers said that they would tell anyone who might be thinking of volunteering in hospice palliative care that it is a very rewarding activity and/or that they should try it. Finally, many of the volunteers offered suggestions for doing things differently in their programs.
Traumatic Distress and Positive Changes in Advanced Cancer Patients
Authors: Mystakidou Kyriaki , Parpa Efi , Tsilika Eleni , Pathiaki Maria , Galanos Antonis , Vlahos Lambros
Published: September 2007

This study investigated the traumatic distress and posttraumatic growth in 58 advanced cancer patients receiving palliative treatment in a Pain Relief and Palliative Care Unit. The patients completed the Greek version of the Impact of Events Scale-Revised and the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory. Statistically significant associations were found among Impact of Events Scale-RevisedGreek “Relating to Others” ( r = 0.311, P = .017), “New Possibilities” ( r = 0.248, P = .050), and “Appreciation of Life” ( r = 0.419, P = .001), and the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory scores ( r = 0.323, P = .013). Similarly, “Appreciation of Life” correlated significantly with “Avoidance” ( r = 0.318, P = .015), “Intrusion” ( r = 0.365, P = .005), and “Hyperarousal” ( r = 0.398, P = .002). Statistically significant associations were also found between “Relating to Others” and “Intrusion” ( r = 0.414, P = .001). The study concluded that in advanced cancer patients, the higher the impact event, the more improvement in their relationships with others, enhanced life appreciation, and more positive consequences after trauma.
Maggot Debridement Therapy in the Palliative Setting
Authors: Steenvoorde Pascal , van Doorn Louk P. , Jacobi Cathrien E. , Oskam Jacques
Published: September 2007

Success rates of Maggot Debridement Therapy (MDT) differ, but range from 70% to 80%. In this article it is argued that wound closure is not always feasible and is not always the aim of the treatment. A patient is described in whom the intent of MDT was not wound closure, but infection removal, reduction of odor, and eventually prevention of a below knee amputation. This succeeded: the pain was diminished, the odor reduced, and the wound showed signs of healing. Still the patient died. In maggot literature, as with other wound treatments, outcome is recorded as closed or as failed. In our opinion, MDT has other indications besides wound closure.
Should Family Members Be Present During Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation? A Review of the Literature
Authors: Critchell C. Dana , Marik Paul E.
Published: September 2007

During resuscitation, family members are often escorted out of the room for fear of immediate and long-term consequences to the family, the patient, and the physician. However, mounting evidence suggests that family presence during resuscitation could, in fact, be beneficial. The Emergency Nurses Association and the American Heart Association endorse family-witnessed resuscitation and the development of hospital policies to facilitate this process. However, the opinions on family-witnessed resuscitation vary widely, and few hospitals in the United States have developed formal policies on the presence of families during cardiopulmonary resuscitation. In this article, we review the current status of family-witnessed resuscitation and provide recommendations on the development of hospital policies for family-witnessed resuscitation.
Responding to Managers' Learning Needs in an Edge-of-Chaos Environment: Insights From Ireland
Authors: Buckley Finian , Monks Kathy
Published: September 2007

This article considers some of the challenges faced by managers operating in rapidly changing “edge of chaos” organizations and assesses whether postgraduate education can be designed to engender the abilities and skills required in such environments. In particular, can a management development process be aligned with an educational process in order to emphasize the individual self-development and reflective capability that is crucial in rapid-change situations? The discussion of these issues is framed around the learning achieved in the design and delivery in Ireland of a postgraduate program for experienced human resource managers. The outcomes of the program suggest that it is possible to incorporate management development processes into an executive education program and that this approach has positive outcomes at individual, group, and organizational levels of learning.
The Effectiveness of University-Level Management Consulting Courses
Authors: Richter Ansgar , Schmidt Sascha L.
Published: September 2007

The authors analyze the effectiveness of consulting courses in raising the self-efficacy of participants to cope with the kinds of tasks typically faced by entry-level management consultants. Using data from self-evaluation questionnaires completed by 130 students in three types of consulting courses, the authors find that these courses are significantly more effective than a nonconsulting course used for control purposes. Prior research has shown self-efficacy to be positively related to task performance and to other desirable outcome measures. Therefore, academic institutions can make an important contribution to preparing their graduates for their later roles as managers and consultants by raising self-efficacy through course offerings in relevant areas.
Let's Make Special Issues “Special” Once Again
Authors: Priem Richard L.
Published: September 2007

The author revisits the issue of possible unintended consequences from special issue proliferation, in light of Mowday's and McKinley's responses, and then comments on their suggestions concerning the driving forces that may have led to so many special issues. The author especially emphasizes how the effects of both consequences and antecedents might differ when special issues are commissioned by the most prestigious journals versus less prestigious or niche journals.
Vertical Integration as an Explanation for the Creation of Special Journal Issues
Authors: Mowday Richard T.
Published: September 2007

Continuing the dialogue about the use of special issues by journals in the field of management, this commentary focuses on McKinley's belief that the creation of special issues was motivated by the desire of journal editors to influence the flow of submissions to their journal and is thus a form of vertical integration. The author largely agrees with McKinley's belief but thinks that the analogy to vertical integration may be a bit of a stretch. If journal editors want to get serious about vertical integration, though, the author has several suggestions that might help them.
The Multiple Logics of Conformity and Contrarianism: The Problem With Investment Banks and Bankers
Authors: Vit Gregory B.
Published: September 2007

The pressures of conformity within a highly institutionalized organizational field such as corporate and investment banking in the United States are formidable. Coercive, cognitive, and normative pressures often move the herd in the same direction. Paradoxically, each firm believes it is unique and can manage future strategic actions, as it collectively runs off a cliff. This process is not bound in time or space, as researchers grounded in experience have suggested that costly financial bubbles have been common to banking organizational fields in both recent and ancient history. This override of learning may possibly be explained by mutually reinforcing institutional and organizational logics and processes. The author also argues that an awareness of the underlying conformist logics of financial mania, institutional, and configuration theory may explain why some organizations manage to be nonconformist or contrarian. These different firms observe this reliance on powerful multiple logics of conformity and resist them intendedly and unintendedly. The author calls this process contrarianism.
The Board of Directors as a Social Network
Authors: Harris Dawn A. , Helfat Constance E.
Published: September 2007

Decisions by boards of directors can have a critical impact on the success or failure of a firm. These decisions range from the hiring and firing of a CEO to market entry and exit to the way in which a firm reports accounting profits and losses. In seeking to understand boards of directors more fully, we have come to think that we need a more complete picture of intraboard relationships among directors, including but not limited to relationships with the CEO, because these relationships affect critical decisions for the firm. The authors propose that the study of boards of directors could benefit by using a conceptual lens that scholars have yet to apply to this setting—that of the board as a social network unto itself.
Method or Madness
Authors: Conklin Thomas A.
Published: September 2007

This article reviews the research method of phenomenology and its use in understanding human experience. This is conceptualized in the context of a research study performed with nine participants and their experience of finding their “calling.” Their experiences are used as the medium through which Husserl's method is explored. Questions and concerns about this alternative and nontraditional approach to creating and understanding new social knowledge are considered. Reflexivity and the researcher's psychological integrity in application of the method are explored.
Competitive Advantage Revisited: Michael Porter on Strategy and Competitiveness
Authors: Stonehouse George , Snowdon Brian
Published: September 2007

Strategic management is constantly evolving as both an academic discipline and as a reflection of management practice. This article, based on a recent interview with Michael Porter, assesses his contribution to the development of the discipline in the context of the advances that have taken place since the publication of his seminal work Competitive Strategy in 1980. The authors conclude that Porter has made major lasting contributions to strategy, increasing both its academic rigor and its accessibility to managers. The article and interview place Porter's work at the center of the development of strategic management in terms of the provision of practical analytical frameworks, transforming it into a recognized and recognizable field of academic study and management practice. This feat of transformation has not been equaled before or since, so that 25 years after his first seminal contribution, Porter's work continues to provide remarkable insights into the nature of competition and strategy.
The Bauhaus and the Business School
Authors: Volkmann Christina , De Cock Christian
Published: September 2007

We offer here a case history of one of the 20th century's most famous organizations: The Bauhaus. In mapping various tensions and contradictions running through the Bauhaus we endeavour to provide a richer texture to the debates on the future of the business school which have become increasingly prominent in the field of management and organization studies. While we explore possible analogies between the Bauhaus and today's business schools, it is this very exploration which we intend to scrutinize at the same time. Our objective is not to mine the Bauhaus as something that existed in the past and whose principles (whatever they are now deemed to be) we can shape into a convenient, handy tool for current management teaching. In looking closely at the Bauhaus example we also detect the pitfalls of tracing straightforward equivalence. Our piece is intended to revitalize the somewhat stale discourse on the future of the business school; it is not offered as a final, one-size-fits-all solution.
Whither the MBA? Or the Withering of MBAs?
Authors: Welsh M. Ann , Dehler Gordon E.
Published: September 2007

This article employs a critical realist perspective to contextualize management education, including the MBA, and facilitate debate on the prospects for its reinvention. Two decades of substantive management education critique has not resulted in any fundamental change in models of content and process used to educate managers. We argue this is a matter of ontology and discuss the advantages of critical realist ontology for addressing this issue. A critical realist analysis identifies the generative mechanisms at work that both necessitate and constrain reinvention. We argue that one generative mechanism in particular, a legitimation crisis, could ultimately lead to the transformation of management education. This is explored systemically at the institutional, programmatic and pedagogical levels.
Relation between anxiety, depression and locus of control of patients with multiple sclerosis
Authors: Vuger-Kovačić D. , Gregurek R. , Kovačić D. , Vuger T. , Kalenić B.
Published: September 2007

This study was concerned with examining relation between anxiety, depression and locus of control (LC) in Croatian multiple sclerosis (MS) patients in order to determine an indication for psychotherapeutic intervention. The participants were 457 MS patients attending central state medical rehabilitation program at Varaždinske Toplice, asked to fill in the locus of control inventory and Crown-Crisp Experiential Index (CCEI) questioner of personality in the clinical setting. In order to determine whether locus of control changes along natural course of MS, patients were grouped according to the duration of the disease: less than five years, five to 10 years and more than 10 years. The results demonstrated that 405 (88.6%) MS patients exhibited external locus of control while 52 (11.4%) had internal locus of control. Moreover, as the disease progressed, locus of control shifted more to externality. Analysis of gathered data confirms connectivity of external locus of control with anxiety and depression. Results of anxiety and depression level on CCEI questionnaire show continuously increased values regardless on duration of illness. Croatian MS patients like other chronically ill externally oriented patients' show more maladaptive behaviour, which has been strongly linked to anxiety and depression and this, is indication for psychotherapeutic support. Multiple Sclerosis 2007; 13: 1065—1067. http://msj.sagepub.com
Within-session practice effect on paced auditory serial addition test in multiple sclerosis
Authors: Nagels G. , D'hooghe M.B. , Kos D. , Engelborghs S. , De Deyn P.P.
Published: September 2007

The paced auditory serial addition test (PASAT) is increasingly used in multiple sclerosis (MS) studies. Since these studies rely on repeated assessments with relatively short inter-test intervals, practice effects can be a confounding factor. We examined intra-session PASAT practice effects in 70 relapsing remitting (RR) and 40 secondary progressive (SP) patients. The average number of correct answers increased from 39.6 ± 11.7 in the first PASAT run to 43.8 ± 11.4 in the second run for the RR group, and from 39.1 ± 11.6 to 41.8 ± 13.3 in the SP group. PASAT scores showed a consistent decrease when comparing the second half of each test to the first half for both patient groups, and for both runs. Items for which the answer was a number greater than 9 had the same discrimination ability as other test items, but were significantly more difficult. A simulation of `single-button' responses supported the use of the simplified scoring method which is currently used in fMRI studies. Our results demonstrate a within-session PASAT practice effect in MS, as well as a fatigability effect for both patient groups.
Working-age persons with multiple sclerosis and access to disease-modifying medications
Authors: Iezzoni L.I. , Ngo L.H. , Kinkel R.P.
Published: September 2007

US residents can face serious financial barriers to obtaining prescription medications, including disease-modifying medications for multiple sclerosis (MS). We conducted 30-min telephone surveys with 983 persons with MS nationwide, 21—64 years old, to explore how financial and health insurance concerns affect access to services including MS drugs. Almost everyone (96.3%) had some health insurance. Multivariable logistic regression analyses accounted for demographic, disease and insurance characteristics. Only 10.8% of those <40 years old had never received disease-modifying medications, compared with 41.1% of persons aged 60—64. Among the uninsured, 36.8% reported having never taken these medications, compared with 21.2% of persons with health insurance. Adjusted odds ratio (95% CI) of using these drugs in prior 12 months among the uninsured (compared with insured persons) was 0.28 (0.08, 0.95). Just over 16% of persons with public health plans reported that their insurer initially denied coverage for MS medication. When asked about MS medications in general, 22.3% reported having not filled prescriptions, skipping doses or splitting pills because of cost concerns; 22.4% worried `a lot' about getting MS medications when they needed them. Substantial fractions of persons with MS confront financial and health plan-related barriers to obtaining MS drugs. Multiple Sclerosis 2008; 14: 112—122. http://msj.sagepub.com
Cognitive abilities as predictors of safety to drive in people with multiple sclerosis
Authors: Lincoln N.B. , Radford K.A.
Published: September 2007

Cognitive impairments resulting from multiple sclerosis (MS) may affect driving performance. The purpose was to determine whether cognitive tests predict safety to drive in people with MS. Participants were recruited from people referred to Derby Regional Mobility Centre for assessment of their fitness to drive. They were assessed on tests of cognitive abilities related to driving including: the Stroke Drivers Screening Assessment, Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test, Stroop, Motor Impersistence and Adult Memory and Information Processing Battery (AMIPB). Participants' safety to drive on the public road was tested by an approved driving instructor blind to the results of the cognitive assessment. There were 34 participants with MS, 17 were men, mean age 46 (SD 10.4) years. Safe and unsafe drivers were compared. Significant differences were found on tests of executive function (Road Sign Recognition, P < 0.01), visual memory (Design Learning Interference, P < 0.05) Information Processing (AMIPB Task A, P < 0.05 and B, P < 0.05), concentration (Dot Cancellation false positive errors, P < 0.01) and visuospatial abilities (AMIPB Figure copy). An equation was generated using discriminant function analysis with an overall predictive accuracy of 88% (Sensitivity for pass 90%, Specificity 90%). Cognitive abilities were predictors of safety to drive in people with MS.
Cerebrospinal fluid brain specific proteins in relation to nitric oxide metabolites during relapse of multiple sclerosis
Authors: Rejdak K. , Petzold A. , Stelmasiak Z. , Giovannoni G.
Published: September 2007

This study investigated the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of ferritin, S100B as biomarkers for glial activation and NfHSM135 — a biomarker of axonal damage — in relation to nitric oxide (NO) metabolites: nitrate and nitrite (NOx) during acute multiple sclerosis (MS) relapse. Thirty-four relapsing—remitting MS (RR-MS) patients during acute relapse and 12 controls were enrolled. Patients were assessed on Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) and underwent lumbar puncture within two weeks following relapse. Twenty patients were available for further follow-up and were assessed on EDSS 6—8 weeks since the relapse onset. The CSF NOx ( P < 0.0001), NfHSM135 ( P = 0.01) and S100B ( P = 0.009) but not ferritin ( P > 0.05) were significantly raised in MS group. There was a significant correlation between CSF ferritin and S100B in RR-MS group ( P = 0.004). CSF NOx did not correlate with S100B and ferritin in study groups. RR-MS patients with detectable NfHSM135 levels had higher NOx compared with subjects having undetectable NfHSM135 ( P = 0.03). In the follow-up study, raised baseline levels of NOx ( P = 0.016) or NfHSM135 ( P = 0.04) inversely correlated with the clinical recovery grade expressed as relative EDSS change between baseline and follow-up. In conclusion, NO metabolites were increased and because of their correlation with a biomarker of axonal degeneration (neurofilaments) and a measure for clinical disability (EDSS), relapse-related nitrosative stress is likely to be relevant to the development of sustained disability in an individual patient. Multiple Sclerosis 2008; 14: 59—66. http://msj.sagepub.com
Performance, Status and Hybridity in a Pakistani Red-Light District: The Cultural Production of the Courtesan
Authors: Brown Louise
Published: September 2007

Prostitution is a cultural practice, and the purchase and sale of sex take diverse forms. This article uses ethnographic research to examine elite prostitution within Heera Mandi, the traditional red-light district of Lahore, Pakistan, and demonstrates that the signifiers of status for elite tawa'if (courtesans) have altered as their client base has changed. Traditionally portrayed as the carriers of culture, the contemporary tawa'if is frequently lamented as debased and divorced from her heritage and skills in the performing arts. This article argues that contemporary courtesan culture still requires significant investment in cultural capital and social skills, but that these have taken new forms. The globalization of prostitution and the hybridization of cultures are shown to influence the performance of the courtesan, particularly in the mujra — the singing and dancing show. Today's tawa'if is argued to be a cultural production, a woman who uses her cultural, social and sexual capital in performances that negotiate hierarchies both within and outside the brothel quarter.
Marketing Sex: US Legal Brothels and Late Capitalist Consumption
Authors: Brents Barbara G. , Hausbeck Kathryn
Published: September 2007

Recent scholarship has begun to examine the effects late capitalist economic structures and cultural practices have on sexuality. What effect do recent shifts have on various parts of the global sex industry? To answer this question, we examine one local institutional site of consumption, the legalized brothel industry in the US state of Nevada. We argue that the brothel industry in Nevada is beginning to use similar marketing strategies and business forms to other tourist service industries. The brothels are also increasingly selling individualized, interactive touristic experiences. We conclude that it is no longer useful to examine the sex industry as generalized `other' to mainstream businesses. It is imperative to study local sex industry sites to examine how late capitalist forms of consumption might have an impact on the sale of sex, especially in comparison with expanding global touristic service industries.
Rent-Boys, Barflies, and Kept Men: Men Involved in Sex with Men for Compensation in Prague
Authors: Hall Timothy M.
Published: September 2007

Since the Velvet Revolution in 1989, the Czech Republic (epitomized for westerners by Prague) has acquired a reputation for sexual liberalism and has become a major destination for tourists from developed countries seeking sexual opportunities. Little attention from policy or social theory perspectives has focused on Czech males involved in commercial sex. Drawing on the author's larger ethnographic project on gay identities in Prague, this article looks at the experiences of gayidentified men in Prague involved in homosexual commercial sex and some of the problems they face, and considers the relationship of compensated sex to other aspects of local gay scenes.
Thinking Critically about Strip Club Research
Authors: Frank Katherine
Published: September 2007

This article explores two interrelated issues in the exotic dance literature: (1) claims that research on strip clubs is virgin, unstudied territory, and not taken seriously, and (2) the unrelenting focus on negotiations of power between men and women in the clubs. It argues that the study of commercial sex — and here specifically of exotic dance — is itself culturally informed. Thus, there has been a great deal of studying in strip clubs, but less exploration of the ways that these venues, and those of us who study them, are implicated in larger social, cultural, political, economic, and intimate relationships, processes, and patterns of meaning. A cultural approach to the study of strip clubs (Agustín, 2005) opens our investigation of these important sites of sexual-economic exchange in theoretically innovative and timely ways.
Questioning Solidarity: Outreach with Migrants Who Sell Sex
Authors: Agustín Laura María
Published: September 2007

Sex-industry culture includes large numbers of people offering to help people selling sex. Outreach, a concept developed to take health products and services to hard-to-reach groups, involves complicated cultural interactions. As with others who apply governmental technologies, social figures inventing and carrying out outreach projects often justify their actions without reference to what the `needy' actually need, relying instead on discourses of solidarity, empowerment, self-esteem and social inclusion. Narratives of scenes from outreach with migrants who sell sex in Spain provide an opportunity to examine and question aspects of a social project usually considered transparently benign but which can be more than a little troublesome.
Markets, market-making and marketing
Authors: Araujo Luis
Published: September 2007

Recent debates in economic sociology have moved away from a critique to homo economicus to a focus on how market exchange is formalized and abstracted from social relations. Rather than dwell on the disparities between the formalism and the practice of market exchange, the work of Michel Callon and associates focuses on the calculating agencies that enable the creation and operation of markets. This article provides a critical examination of these ideas and argues that they have important implications for marketing theory, namely in terms of a shift from exchange as events to markets as institutions. Rather than regarding marketing practices as operating within pre-defined markets, we argue that marketing practices have a performative role in helping to create the phenomena they purportedly describe.
Scene Composition and Justice for Women
Authors: Cavender Gray , Jurik Nancy
Published: September 2007

This article examines the ways in which the visuals of the British made-for-television series Prime Suspect portray the main character, Detective Chief Superintendent (DCS) Jane Tennison, and her struggles to produce justice in the male-dominated field of policing. The authors demonstrate how the film's visuals convey sensitivity to the socially marginalized by placing Tennison's body in the locations of the victims whose deaths she investigates. The authors also argue that the often-graphic Prime Suspect visuals offer the possibility of sensitizing viewers to the plight of marginalized populations and the victimization of women. Tennison's connection to the victims and relentless pursuit of justice despite official discouragement provide an example of a progressive moral fiction; the program exposes the structural conditions that promote violence and victimization and offers encouragement to battle these obstacles.
Looking Beyond Caged Heat
Authors: Cecil Dawn K.
Published: September 2007

Female prisoners are an invisible correctional population; thus, media images are critical in shaping people's understanding of this social issue. Although research has examined how Hollywood depicts female prisoners, it has not delved into images found in reality-based programs. This study examined documentaries, televised news magazines, and talk shows to determine how these programs portray this incarcerated population and to identify how the issue is framed. Findings indicate that although some of the critical issues facing incarcerated women are presented, these programs still highlight factors that excite viewers, including violence and sex, thereby creating a sensationalized and damaging image of women behind bars.
An Exploratory Analysis of Victim Precipitation Among Men and Women Arrested for Intimate Partner Violence
Authors: Muftić Lisa R. , Bouffard Leana Allen , Bouffard Jeffrey A.
Published: September 2007

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a complex social problem that has produced a wide variety of explanations. However, few studies have explored what, if any, role victim precipitation plays in IPV. Victim precipitation is generally defined as behavior by the victim that initiates the subsequent behavior of the victimizer; however, studies using this concept have often been accused of subtle and overt victim blaming. Distinguishing victim precipitation from victim blaming, this study explores the utility of victim precipitation in understanding contextual differences in men's and women's use of violence in intimate relationships and police use of dual arrest in IPV incidents. Results suggest that victim precipitation plays an important role in understanding incidents of IPV, especially in cases involving dual arrest.
Stalking in the Context of Intimate Partner Abuse
Authors: Melton Heather C.
Published: September 2007

This article explores stalking in the context of intimate partner abuse (IPA) using qualitative data. In-depth interviews were conducted with 21 women who experienced stalking and violence from male partners. Findings include an exploration of the relationships between the motivations for stalking, the behaviors utilized, and the impacts of the behaviors for the victims.
Interaction between Hck and HIV-1 Nef negatively regulates cell surface expression of M-CSF receptor
Authors: Hiyoshi Masateru , Suzu Shinya , Yoshidomi Yuka , Hassan Ranya , Harada Hideki , Sakashita Naomi , Akari Hirofumi , Motoyoshi Kazuo , Okada Seiji
Published: September 2007

Nef is a multifunctional pathogenetic protein of HIV-1, the interaction of which with Hck, a Src tyrosine kinase highly expressed in macrophages, has been shown to be responsible for the development of AIDS. However, how the Nef-Hck interaction leads to the functional aberration of macrophages is poorly understood. We recently showed that Nef markedly inhibited the activity of macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF), a primary cytokine for macrophages. Here, we show that the inhibitory effect of Nef is due to the Hck-dependent down-regulation of the cell surface expression of M-CSF receptor Fms. In the presence of Hck, Nef induced the accumulation of an immature under–N-glycosylated Fms at the Golgi, thereby down-regulating Fms. The activation of Hck by the direct interaction with Nef was indispensable for the down-regulation. Unexpectedly, the accumulation of the active Hck at the Golgi where Nef prelocalized was likely to be another critical determinant of the function of Nef, because the expression of the constitutive-active forms of Hck alone did not fully down-regulate Fms. These results suggest that Nef perturbs the intracellular maturation and the trafficking of nascent Fms, through a unique mechanism that required both the activation of Hck and the aberrant spatial regulation of the active Hck.