bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
School Ethnic Composition and Students' Integration Outside and Inside Schools in Belgium
Authors: Van Houtte Mieke , Stevens Peter A. J.
Published: December 2009

To advance social integration, policy makers strive for the educational desegregation of immigrant students in Flemish schools. Given the lack of empirical research supporting this policy, this article examines the association between the ethnic composition of schools and native and immigrant students' interethnic friendships, social participation, and sense of belonging in school. Blau's structural theory offers the theoretical rationale for these associations and the coherence of the three indicators. Multilevel analyses of data from a 2004–05 survey of 11,872 students, 1,324 of whom were immigrant students, in a sample of 85 Flemish secondary schools demonstrate that school ethnic composition is associated with interethnic friendships and social participation for native students, but not for immigrant students, whereas socioeconomic status is decisive for immigrant students' interethnic friendships. Neither immigrants' nor natives' sense of belonging in school is associated with ethnic composition. Hence, while the findings do not provide support for either school segregation or desegregation policies aimed at improving the social integration of immigrant students, mixing schools appears to have a positive influence on the social integration of Flemish youths. The consequences of these findings for future research and social policy are discussed in the conclusions.
Informal Mentors and Education: Complementary or Compensatory Resources?
Authors: Erickson Lance D. , McDonald Steve , Elder Glen H.
Published: December 2009

Few studies have examined the impact of mentoring (developing a special relationship with a nonparental adult) on educational achievement and attainment in the general population. In addition, prior research has yet to clarify the extent to which mentoring relationships reduce inequality by enabling disadvantaged youths to compensate for the lack of social resources or to promote inequality by serving as a complementary resource for advantaged youths. The results of a nationally representative sample of youths show (1) a powerful net influence of mentors on the educational success of youths and (2) how social background and parental, peer, and personal resources condition the formation and effectiveness of mentoring relationships. The findings uncover an interesting paradox—that informal mentors may simultaneously represent compensatory and complementary resources. Youths with many resources are more likely than are other young people to have mentors, but those with few resources are likely to benefit more from having a mentor—particularly a teacher mentor—in their lives.
Greedy Institutions: The Importance of Institutional Context for Teaching in Higher Education
Authors: Wright Mary C. , Assar Nandini , Kain Edward L. , Kramer Laura , Howery Carla B. , McKinney Kathleen , Glass Becky , Atkinson Maxine
Published: December 2009

This article focuses on how the institutional contexts of colleges and universities shape these “greedy institutions.” We look at the current social, political, and economic trends affecting all postsecondary institutions, specifically the forces that encourage “greediness.” We examine the literature on structural arenas that influence teaching in higher education, including type of institution and departmental level characteristics, considering how the varied structural features of institutions and departments shape the conditions of academic life and demands placed on faculty. We identify the features of the institutional context that can help faculty manage demands on their time and enhance teaching and learning. The article closes with identification of areas for future inquiry and a challenge to sociologists to contribute to an examination of the contextual forces that shape the work lives of faculty and students.
Teaching Community Development: A Case Study in Community-Based Learning
Authors: Jakubowski Lisa Marie , Burman Patrick
Published: December 2009

The opportunities, challenges, and lessons of the pilot phase of a community development program in a small liberal arts college are presented and conceptualized in this paper. We based this program on an experiential learning model derived from Paulo Freire's critical pedagogy and Stephen Brookfield's notion of critically responsive learning. A high value is placed on students' participation, as their increasingly community-based learning enters into a fruitful dialogue with classroom knowledge and readings. Their experience of being both learner and teacher in a trusting, collaborative classroom community prepared them for their field placement. The qualities of resilience and adaptability to new needs and knowledge, modeled by their professors in class, become part of the template for their own community experiences. The qualitative data come largely from student accounts drawn from their course projects, field trips, and community journals and from the evaluations of and by the eleven participating students.
“Why Don't I Know About These Women?”: The Integration of Early Women Sociologists in Classical Theory Courses
Authors: Thomas Jan E. , Kukulan Annis
Published: December 2009

In recent years, early women sociologists such as Harriet Martineau, Ida B. Wells, and Jane Addams have begun to appear in some introductory textbooks and theory books. Usually, they appear in a box, as a sidebar, or as selected “others.” So why do we not know more about these women? Our research seeks to answer this question. Given the availability of books by and about these women, we hypothesized that one explanation might lie in the training of theory instructors. If graduate students were not exposed to the work of early women sociologists, then it seemed unlikely they would incorporate them into their own teaching, research, and analyses. To assess this theory, we collected theory syllabi from 40 graduate schools. Since we were most interested in early women sociologists, we focused our analysis on “classical” theory syllabi. Our findings indicate that Marx, Weber, and Durkheim still dominate classical theory syllabi. The writings of women were assigned on 17 percent of the syllabi in our sample. We believe this indicates a weak but visible indication that the diffusion of their work has begun.
Taking Sex Seriously: Challenges in Teaching about Sexuality
Authors: Davis Nancy J.
Published: December 2009

Teaching a course that is about sexuality but also about larger cultural themes, social processes, and political struggles poses many challenges. These include: 1) choosing readings from a sexuality literature that is ever-expanding; 2) negotiating student expectations that the course will focus on the sexual behavior of individuals when much of it is on sexual ideologies and sexual regimes; 3) allowing multiple voices to be heard in class, not just those of sexual libertines, sexual extraverts, and those with nonstigmatized sexual identities; 4) creating a safe classroom climate that allows personal disclosures about sexuality; 5) navigating the emotional intensity of discussing sexual violence and other issues cloaked in normativity, anxiety, and pain; 6) balancing student interest in the local with attention to the historical, comparative, and global; and 7) underscoring the potential for change in sexual scripts, sexual violence, and sexual regimes. This article explores these challenges and some strategies to address them.
Teaching Scholarship During The 1990s: A Study of Authorship in Teaching Sociology
Authors: Marx Jonathan , Eckberg Douglas
Published: December 2009

While the scholarship of teaching has risen in prominence in the past few decades, little is presently known about the structure of knowledge creation and dissemination in that area of scholarship. Such basic facts as the characteristics of programs that perform and publish the research (e.g., B.A., M.A., or Ph.D.), or the identities of specific schools that are leaders in teaching scholarship remain undocumented. This article explores the topic through counts of articles and notes published in a major outlet in the scholarship of teaching, Teaching Sociology, during the decade of the 1990s. We address the following: (1) Does publication of teaching scholarship vary by the type of degree program (e.g., B.A., M.A., and Ph.D.) or by other characteristics? (2) Are some institutions centers of teaching scholarship? (3) How wide is the scope of teaching scholarship across the nation's departments? Overall, we find that a variety of sociology departments have established records of teaching publishing. Yet, some departments are leaders and appear to create a climate favorable to teaching scholarship.

Jonathan Marx is professor of sociology at Winthrop University where he teaches courses in research methods, education, sport, organizations, and health. His most recent publications vary from a social history of science fairs to an examination of final gift exchange among the elderly.

Douglas Eckberg is professor of sociology and Chair of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Winthrop University. He teaches a variety of courses and is convinced that research methods is the most fundamental course for developing critical thinking in students. He will be taking a sabbatical from teaching next year to pursue his strongest research interest–historical (nineteenth-century) southern homicide.
Articulation of Goals and Means in Sociology Courses: What We Can Learn from Syllabi
Authors: Grauerholz Liz , Gibson Greg
Published: December 2009

This paper examines the articulation of goals and means of sociological instruction in course syllabi. Three questions guide this inquiry. First, do sociology instructors articulate common learning goals? Second, what pedagogical means do instructors commonly employ to meet these goals? Third, to what extent have sociology instructors incorporated the recommendations presented in Liberal Learning and the Sociology Major (Eberts et al. 1990) and in its updated version (McKinney et al. 2004)? To answer these questions, we analyzed syllabi from 418 courses published by the American Sociological Association's Teaching Resource Center. We found that aside from coursespecific goals, most syllabi shared only a few general, abstract goals in common. The pedagogical methods or requirements of students tended to be fairly traditional (readings, writing, and exams). Requirements that required more active types of learning were less common. While these goals and means do seem to reflect what sociologists consider to be important, they do not correspond closely to the American Sociological Association's Taskforce on the Undergraduate Major's recommendations for the sociology major.
Group Quizzes: An Extension of the Collaborative Learning Process
Authors: Slusser Suzanne R. , Erickson Rebecca J.
Published: December 2009

Research has documented that collaborative learning groups improve student learning and increase the likelihood that students will have positive attitudes about both the subject matter and their peers. However, researchers know much less about how collaborative learning groups may influence student behavior and the extent to which their utility extends to testing as well as projects and papers. In an effort to address these gaps, we used quasi-experimental and survey data to examine the effects of collaborative testing on Introduction to Sociology students' learning, behavior, and attitudes. Findings indicate that collaborative testing improved students' behavior and attitudes. In comparison to a control group, students who participated in collaborative testing reported completing more of their assigned readings and had improved attitudes toward their learning, the testing process, and sociology.
Coverage and Representations of Sexuality in Introductory Sociology Textbooks
Authors: Suarez Alicia E. , Balaji Alexandra
Published: December 2009

Mirroring increased cultural and disciplinary attention to sexuality, many introductory sociology textbooks have begun to include coverage of the topic. Our study first assesses the extent of textual coverage of sexuality in a sample of 38 introductory textbooks published after 2000. Secondly, we focus on 14 textbooks with a sexuality chapter and/or textbooks with more than the average textual coverage of sexuality. We find that the emergent “core” of the sociology of sexuality centers on sex research, historical and cross-cultural trends in sexuality, media representations, gender and sexuality, homosexuality and society, and sexual violence. These textbooks vary widely in their attention to the intersection of race, class and sexuality and theoretical applications. We find lingering heteronormativity, homogenization of homosexuality, and problematic representations of non-normative sexuality within the chapters. We conclude with comments on the relevance of these findings and offer some suggestions to ensure that coverage of sexuality better reflects scholarship and discourse within the discipline.
Sisyphus had it Easy
Authors: Dandaneau Steven P.
Published: December 2009

The Sociological Imagination is among the most recognized books in the history of American Sociology. Yet, the sociological imagination as such, a radical form of self-consciousness, is not commonly well understood nor easily acquired. This essay examines the challenges thus faced by instructors who seek to accurately impart what Mills meant by his famous neologism and the even stiffer challenge for those struggling to instill the sociological imagination in their students. Two pertinent examples of creative and probably productive pedagogy are discussed, Maurice R. Stein's “Sociology of Birth & Death” at Brandeis University and Brian Rich's senior seminar in sociology at Transylvania University. The essay concludes with advice for the instructor in pursuit of fidelity to Mills's original argument and guidance vis-à-vis the typical constraints encountered in today's classrooms.
Practicing Sociological Imagination Through Writing Sociological Autobiography
Authors: Kebede Alem
Published: December 2009

Sociological imagination is a quality of mind that cannot be adopted by simply teaching students its discursive assumptions. Rather, it is a disposition, in competition with other forms of sensibility, which can be acquired only when it is practiced. Adhering to this important pedagogical assumption, students were assigned to write their sociological autobiography. While in the process of establishing a connection between their biography and social history, students were encouraged to narrate their life stories using sociological language. After completing the project, they were asked to comment on their work. Student responses show the positive dimensions involved (including unintended therapeutic consequences) and the major hurdles that they experienced in executing the assignment. In the latter case, the major problem was writing a sociological autobiography qualitatively distinct from what might be referred to as “plain autobiography.” Results reinforce the idea that sociological instruction is better handled when sociological imagination is viewed as a linguistic habitus which serves both as a medium of communication and an intellectual instrument of looking at the social world.
Theoretical Traditions and the Modeling of Sexual Harassment within Organizations: The Military as Data
Authors: Sibley Butler John , Schmidtke James M.
Published: December 2009

The purpose of this article is to examine issues of sexual harassment within the context of military organizations. Three theoretical traditions are brought together to explain the dynamics of sexual harassment. The organizational model (which emphasizes structure), the sociocultural model (which emphasizes the traditional sex role socialization of men and women), and the attraction model (which emphasizes the nature of men and women for relationship creation) are juxtaposed with literature-driven independent variables. The authors’ conclusion suggests that all models make a contribution to the understanding of sexual harassment. The article also suggests which behaviors organizations can be proactive about as well as those that are difficult to manage.
Sublingual administration of fentanyl to cancer patients is an effective treatment for breakthrough pain: results from a randomized phase II study
Authors: Lennernäs Bo , Frank-Lissbrant Ingela , Lennernäs Hans , Kälkner Karl Mikael , Derrick Rob , Howell Julian
Published: December 2009

In this study we evaluated the efficacy and tolerability of sublingual fentanyl (SLF) for breakthrough pain (BTP) in adult opioid-tolerant cancer patients. Patients received one dose of placebo, SLF 100, 200 and 400 μg in random order at four pain episodes. The primary efficacy endpoint was pain intensity difference (PID) from baseline. Twenty-seven patients received study medication. Overall PID increased significantly with SLF 400 μg versus placebo (8.57 mm, p <0.0001). Improvements were statistically different from placebo at 15 min (p = 0.005). SLF 100 and 200 μg showed a numerical trend towards improved pain relief. A dose that gave a clinically important reduction in pain (PID > 20 mm) was identified by 95% of patients. Reduced use of rescue medication (p < 0.001, SLF 400 μg) and improved global assessment of treatment (p = 0.0146, SLF 400 μg) confirmed these differences as clinically important. Nausea and dizziness were the most common treatment-related adverse effects. SLF appears to be a fast, effective and well-tolerated treatment for BTP.
Symptom severity and distress in advanced cancer
Authors: Kirkova Jordanka , Walsh Declan , Rybicki Lisa , Davis Mellar P , Aktas Aynur , Tao Jin  , Homsi Jade
Published: December 2009

We determined the relationship between symptom severity and distress for multiple cancer symptoms, and examined patient demographic influences on severity and distress in advanced cancer. A Cochran—Armitage trend test determined whether symptom distress increased with severity. Chi-square, Fisher’s exact test and logistic regression analysis examined moderate/severe (‘clinically important’) and distressful symptoms by age (≤65 versus >65), gender, primary site group, and ECOG performance status. Forty-six symptoms were analyzed in 181 individuals. More than 50% of individuals with clinically important symptoms rated them as distressful. The median percentage of individuals with mild but still distressful symptoms was 25%, with a range of 0% (bad dreams) to 73% (sore mouth). In both univariate and multivariate analysis, younger (≤65 years) patients, females, and those with poor performance status had more clinically important and a higher prevalence of distressful symptoms (only anxiety was more frequently distressful to older individuals). Clinically important symptoms and two of those considered distressful varied by primary site group. After control for severity, symptom distress did not differ by primary site group. The prevalence of distress increased with greater symptom severity. Younger individuals, those with poor performance status, and females had greater symptom severity and distress. Mild symptoms were often distressful. After adjustment for severity, age, gender, and performance status all influenced symptom distress.
On-site production of crude glucoamylase for kitchen waste hydrolysis
Authors: Xiao Qiang Wang  , Qun Hui Wang  , Ying Ying Liu  , Hong Zhi Ma
Published: December 2009

Kitchen waste from dining rooms accounts for a considerable proportion of municipal solid garbage, and economical recycle ways are needed to be developed. This study investigated glucoamylase production from kitchen waste and the feasibility of kitchen waste hydrolysis by the crude enzymes produced. The key problems of high water content and poor porosity in kitchen waste for glucoamylase production under solid-state fermentation could be solved readily by the addition of corn stover or paddy husk. As a support medium, corn stover was better than paddy husk. Smashed kitchen waste (sKW) mixed with corn stover in the ratio of 3.75 : 1 (dry basis) produced 1838 U g-1 of glucoamylase by Aspergillus niger UV-60 within 96 h. The enzyme productivity from kitchen waste was over two-fold higher than that from wheat bran with additional nutrients. Without any recovery treatment, the produced glucoamylase could be used directly to hydrolyse sKW slurry. The optimum enzyme dose 8% (crude enzyme/kichen waste, w/w) was not too big, and was sufficient to hydrolyse 10% (dry basis) sKW slurry to produce a maximum amount of reducing sugar of 55.4 g L-1.
Effect of kaolin addition on the performance of controlled low-strength material using industrial waste incineration bottom ash
Authors: Naganathan Sivakumar , Hashim Abdul Razak  , Siti Nadzriah Abdul Hamid
Published: December 2009

Incineration of industrial waste produces large quantities of bottom ash which are normally sent to secured landfill, but is not a sustainable solution. Use of bottom ash in engineering applications will contribute to sustainability and generate revenue. One way of using the industrial waste incineration bottom ash is in controlled low-strength material (CLSM). Use of bottom ash in CLSM has problems related to bleeding and excessive strength development and so an additive has to be used to control bleeding and strength development. The main objective of this research is to study the effect of kaolin addition on the performance of CLSM made using industrial waste incineration bottom ash. CLSM mixes were made with bottom ash, cement, and refined kaolin. Various tests were performed on the CLSM in fresh and hardened states including compressive strength, water absorption, California bearing ratio (CBR) and the tests for concentration of leachable substances on the bleed and leachate. The compressive strength of CLSM tested ranged from 0.11 to 9.86 MPa. CBR values ranged from 6 to 46, and water absorption values from 12 to 36%. It was shown that the addition of kaolin delayed the initial setting time of CLSM mixtures, reduced bleeding, lowered the compressive strength, and increased the values of water absorption, sorption, and initial surface absorption. The CLSM tested did not have corrosivity. It was shown that the hardened CLSM was non hazardous, and the addition of kaolin increased the concentration of heavy metals and salts in the bleed and leachate.
Evaluation of biological landfill leachate treatment incorporating struvite precipitation and powdered activated carbon addition
Authors: Jaafarzadeh Nematallah , Jorfi Sahand , Roshanak Rezaei Kalantary  , Hashempour Yalda , Reza Darvishi Cheshme Soltani
Published: December 2009

Direct application of aerobic biodegradation for leachate treatment is not feasible due to high concentrations of nitrogen and chemical oxygen demand. Several potential leachate treatment schemes incorporating struvite precipitation as pretreatment and two types of activated sludge processes (conventional activated sludge and batch decant reactor (intermittent cycle extended aeration system [ICEAS process]) with and without addition of powdered activated carbon (PAC) were evaluated in this study. The hydraulic retention times (HRT) of 6 h and 12 h were applied in the biological stages of each process. Treatment schemes incorporating PAC addition showed acceptable results. In the conventional activated sludge process, total chemical oxygen demand (TCOD), soluble chemical oxygen demand (SCOD), NH3, and P removal rates were 87, 84, 98.3, and 94%, respectively, with HRT of 6 h and 95.8, 95.1, 99.1, and 98.7% with HRT of 12 h. For the ICEAS process, removal rates were 89.3, 87.9, 98.2, and 94% with HRT of 6 h and 95.8, 95, 99.2, and 98.7% with HRT of 12 h. On the basis of these results, it can be concluded that struvite precipitation, followed by activated sludge process with PAC addition, can be a strong alternative leachate treatment, achieving the standards set for effluent discharges to receiving waters.
Synergistic Flame-retardant Effects of Aluminum Oxide with Layered Double Hydroxides in EVA/LDH Composites
Authors: Chuanmei Jiao  , Xilei Chen  , Jun Zhang
Published: December 2009

The synergistic effects of aluminum oxide (Al2O3) with layered double hydroxides (LDH) in ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer/LDH (EVA/LDH) composites have been studied using limiting oxygen index, UL-94 tests, and cone calorimeter test (CCT). The results from the UL-94 tests show that the Al2O3 can act as flame-retardant synergistic additive in EVA/LDH composites, and 2 phr Al2O3 can raise UL rating from V-1 to V-0 at 120 phr loadings of additives. The CCT data indicated that the addition of Al2O3 in EVA/LDH system can greatly reduce the heat release rate, mass loss rate, and the production rate of carbon monoxide.
James Petras, Scholar and Revolutionary: An Appreciation
Authors: Veltmeyer Henry
Published: December 2009

James Petras is one of the most important sociologists of the 20th century, having made significant contributions to a critical Marxist tradition in sociological and political analysis. This essay provides an overview and appreciation of James Petras’s writings and the body of his work over the past 40 years, as well as an introduction to the other articles in this special issue of Critical Sociology. All of these articles were written to honour James Petras’s contributions to the formation of a critical tradition in sociological analysis.
Autonomy, control and job advancement
Authors: McKie Linda , Hogg Gill , Airey Laura , Backett-Milburn Kathryn , Rew Zoe
Published: December 2009

Food retail is a major employer and growth sector. It is one in which gender segregation is evident with many shops reliant on part-time low paid women employees. Most of these employees are trying to combine care responsibilities and paid work. This research note explores findings from 55 interviews with women working in nine food retail businesses in Scotland. Analysis illustrates the ways shop assistants maximize their control over time to ensure that unpaid family and care work can be prioritized. By contrast supervisors find promotion brings constraints on time and autonomy.
Owners and managers
Authors: Clark Ian
Published: December 2009

The ‘disconnected capitalism’ thesis constructs an argument that structural tendencies within capital markets disrupt established patterns of relations between employers and labour. This ar ticle develops this argument by conceptualizing how the ‘private-equity business model’ (PEBM) further diffuses these connections and trends.This diffusion is so extensive that the interests of owners are now paramount in all types of business system to the relative exclusion of other stakeholders. The article defines and explains the term ‘PEBM’ and identifies the theoretical importance of management in managerial capitalism. The ar ticle then goes on to outline how the PEBM disconnects the evaluation of institutional capability and managerial discretion at firm level from the economics of information and direct ownership interests at business system level.
Cardiac autonomic profile in rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Aydemir M. , Yazisiz V. , Basarici I. , Avci AB , Erbasan F. , Belgi A. , Terzioglu E.
Published: December 2009

Neurological involvement is a well-documented issue in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, little is known about the involvement of the autonomic nervous system. This study was conducted to investigate autonomic nervous system dysfunction in patients with RA and SLE. Twenty-six RA patients, 38 SLE patients and 40 healthy controls were recruited from our in- and out-patient departments. Heart rate variability (HRV) parameters (the power of the high- [HF] and low-frequency [LF] band of haemodynamic time series, the ratio between low- and high-frequency components [LF/HF ratio], the power spectral density), baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) and beat-to-beat blood pressures were assessed by a novel non-invasive haemodynamic monitoring tool (Task Force Monitor® [TFM], CNSystems Medizintechnik GmbH, Graz, Austria). Autonomic nervous system dysfunction was determined according to classical Ewing autonomic test battery. Furthermore, we implemented a secondary autonomic test score by modifying the Ewing test battery with additional criteria. Both the classical and modified Ewing test batteries have revealed that the frequencies of autonomic neuropathy were significantly higher in patient groups compared with controls (p < 0.001). Evaluation by TFM revealed that deterioration of sophisticated autonomic parameters (such as HRV and BRS) were more pronounced in the patient groups compared with controls. There was a significant association between BRS and Ewing test scores and abnormal BRS results were more frequent in patients with autonomic dysfunction according to Ewing test batteries. No relation was found between autonomic neuropathy and disease duration, disease activity and autoantibody positivity. Consequently, we believe that further large-scale studies investigating cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy in rheumatic diseases should be carried out to verify our findings and manifest clinical consequences beyond these results. Lupus (2010) 19, 255—261.
Interdisciplinary Geriatric and Palliative Care Team Narratives: Collaboration Practices and Barriers
Authors: Goldsmith Joy , Wittenberg-Lyles Elaine , Rodriguez Dariela , Sanchez-Reilly Sandra
Published: December 2009

Despite the development and implementation of team training models in geriatrics and palliative care, little attention has been paid to the nature and process of teamwork. Geriatrics and palliative care in the clinical setting offer an interdisciplinary approach structured to meet the comprehensive needs of a patient and his or her family. Fellowship members of an interdisciplinary geriatric and palliative care team participated in semistructured interviews. Team members represented social work, chaplaincy, psychology, nursing, and medicine. A functional narrative analysis revealed four themes: voice of the lifeworld, caregiver teamwork, alone on a team, and storying disciplinary communication. The content-ordering function of narratives revealed a divergence in team members’ conceptualization of teamwork and team effectiveness, and group ordering of narratives documented the collaborative nature of teams. The study findings demonstrate the potential for narratives as a pedagogical tool in team training, highlighting the benefits of reflective practice for improving teamwork and sustainability.
Sustaining Self: The Lived Experience of Transition to Long-Term Ventilation
Authors: Briscoe Winnifred P. , Woodgate Roberta L.
Published: December 2009

Long-term mechanical ventilation (LTMV) is used to support growing numbers of children and adults who develop chronic respiratory failure. The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to explore the subjective meaning of the experience of transition from spontaneous breathing to reliance on LTMV. In-depth, audiorecorded interviews of 11 ventilated individuals living in a western Canadian province were transcribed and analyzed. The transition journey was revealed to be a time of psychological, physical, and spiritual challenge. “Sustaining self ” was revealed as the essence of ventilator users’ transition experience. Findings underscore the complex nature of transition to technological reliance, illuminating the need for increased health professional knowledge and understanding of the symptom experience and management options for individuals living with chronic respiratory failure. Strategies to support individuals’ sense of self as they journey to a life reliant on LTMV are required.
Functional Analysis of Effective and Affective Space Setting for Industrial Design Programs in Nigerian Higher Institutions
Authors: Fadamiro J.A. , Akinbogun T.L.
Published: December 2009

Space setting relates to the environment designed and created as a workplace for a group, which affects individuals and evokes some behavioral response from them. This paper analyzes the role of sensory receptors in the interaction between people and their environment in the particular case of Industrial Design Programs in tertiary institutions. It recommends that planners and architects in collaboration with industrial designers must make concerted efforts in the planning and design of the space setting that reflects trainees’ needs. It is expected that good design of such spaces will nurture and enhance the academic performance, social, physical and psychological growth, and development of the trainees.
An Assessment of Airborne Fungi Exposure Risk Level in Air-conditioned Offices
Authors: Wong L.T. , Chan W.Y. , Mui K.W. , Hui P.S.
Published: December 2009

The exposure to airborne fungi has not been included in many regular indoor air quality (IAQ) assessments of air-conditioned (A/C) offices. This study examined the feasibility of using a proposed relative index of fungal exposure (RIFE) as a quantitative measure to specify the enclosure effect of an indoor environment in 82 Hong Kong A/C offices. The airborne fungi count ranged from 2 to 92CFU·m -3. Yeast, Aspergillus, Cladosporium, and Penicillium were reported as dominant in the offices. The RIFE of Yeast, Aspergillus, and Penicillium were 1.26, 1.21, and 1.02, respectively, and it would confirm a higher indoor exposure risk relative to that of outdoors. The RIFE of the common outdoor fungi Cladosporium was 0.48. This study presents a useful index for IAQ assessment regarding relative risk exposure of airborne fungi in A/C offices.
Exposure to PM1 in a Machine Shop
Authors: Demou Evangelia , Mutamba Gyula , Wyss Franziska , Hellweg Stefanie
Published: December 2009

Sub-micron particle exposure, workers’ time-activity patterns, particle dose, and risk scenarios were investigated in a university machine shop. Sub-micron number (PN 1) and mass (PM1) concentrations, PM10 concentrations, and micro-environmental conditions were recorded simultaneously over two spatial zones. Average measured number concentration of PN1 was 13,100 ± 1,940 #·cm—3. Average PM1 and PM10 concentrations were 0.03 ± 0.03 mg·m—3 and 0.16 ± 0.12 mg·m —3, respectively. Turning lathes, boring machines, welding, and the presence of workers were all emission sources. Additionally, short-term exposures to high number concentrations were observed. As no thresholds for PM1 exist, current PM2.5 and PM10 limit values were used to estimate risk quotients. Risk quotients of near-field exposure for PM1 and PM10 mass concentrations ranged from 0.6 to 3.2. Daily particle dose ranged from 7.2 to 22·10 8 #·(kg—1 body-weight·8 h —1-shift), while total uptake of the measured particle mass concentrations led to average doses of 3.6 μg·kg— 1 bw·8 h—1 -shift for PM1 and 21 μg·kg—1 bw·8 h—1-shift for PM10, respectively.
Concentrations and Strengths of Formaldehyde and Acetaldehyde in Office Buildings in Bangkok, Thailand
Authors: Ongwandee Maneerat , Moonrinta Rathakheth , Panyametheekul Sirima , Tangbanluekal Chalongkwan , Morrison Glenn
Published: December 2009

Exposure to aldehydes can have adverse health effects. Formaldehyde, the most abundant airborne aldehyde, is also a human carcinogen. This study investigated concentrations and strengths of formaldehyde and acetaldehyde in 12 office buildings in Bangkok, Thailand. Sampling was conducted during March and April 2008. Air samples were collected at ∼0.7—0.9 L · min—1 using cartridges filled with dinitrophenylhydrazine coated silica gel. The cartridge incorporated an ozone scrubber to prevent aldehyde losses on the silica gel surface. Samples were then desorbed by acetonitrile and analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography. Air exchange rates were estimated from the difference between indoor and outdoor carbon dioxide levels. A one-compartment mass balance model was used to estimate indoor source strengths. Results showed that the mean indoor concentrations of formaldehyde and acetaldehyde were 35.5 and 17.1 μg · m–3 respectively, while the outdoor concentra- tions were 10.1 and 7.9 μg · m–3, respectively. The estimated mean indoor strengths of formaldehyde and acetaldehyde were 15.3 and 5.8 mg · h–1, respect- ively. Indoor–outdoor (I/O) relationships showed that the I/O ratios were 3.5 for formaldehyde and 5.7 for acetaldehyde, suggesting that indoor sources are more important contributors to the indoor levels than outdoor sources such as infiltration of vehicle exhaust.
I write, therefore I am: texts in the city
Authors: Carrington Victoria
Published: December 2009

Fuhrer noted that graffiti are announcements of one’s identity, a kind of testimonial to one’s existence in a work of anonymity: ‘I write, therefore I am.’ However, graffiti is often understood to be at best an art form, at worst vandalism. This article is about graffiti, where ‘savage’ writing is inscribed onto the walls of our cities (Lefebvre) and argues that graffiti represents forms of text that directly challenge presumptions of private ownership and corporate power, that draw our attention to the materiality and spatiality of the city, and that act to create what Giddens, Beck et al. and Beck have called narratives of the self. The article suggests that graffiti has much to tell us about the ways in which broader global contexts impact on how we use textual practices to construct narratives about ourselves and our communities in everyday local sites.
Solving the mystery: the ‘renal cysts and diabetes syndrome’
Authors: Swaminathan Krishnan , Henderson Claire , Robertson Linda , Campbell Ian W
Published: December 2009

Diabetologists and non-specialist physicians have traditionally focused on treatment rather than diagnosis in the management of diabetes. The diagnosis of type 1 or type 2 diabetes in a busy admissions unit or a diabetes clinic is usually based on biochemical diagnostic criteria, age at onset, body mass index and the presence or absence of ketoacidosis. More challenging for the clinician is to utilise clinical skills and knowledge to detect monogenic diabetes, which has important consequences in terms of prognosis, treatment and family screening. We report an interesting case of monogenic diabetes, which solved the mystery behind a puzzling sequence of events that was a great source of confusion for the physician and concern for the patient.
Another Dodecade: A Dialectic Model of the Decentred Universe of Jeremiah Studies 1996—2008
Authors: Carroll Claire E.
Published: December 2009

In the years since the publication of Robert Carroll’s ‘Surplus Meaning and the Conflict of Interpretations: A Dodecade of Jeremiah Studies (1984—95)’, in Currents 4 in 1996, major paradigm shifts in biblical studies have resulted in an unprecedented level of innovation. Increased engagements with the element of chaos in the text and the resultant innovative encounters with this problematic scriptural material include influential contributions from philosophy, cultural and literary theories. The present review surveys the current state of the field of Jeremiah studies by tracing the impact of post-structuralist methodologies of decentring on ways of thinking about and engaging with Jeremiah. It argues that in the aftermath of the widely acknowledged end of the hegemony of historical-criticism as the dominant paradigm of biblical interpretation articulated by Perdue as ‘the collapse of history’, Jeremiah studies has taken on the shape and nature of a dialectic between the principles of order and chaos.
Role of ADAM and ADAMTS metalloproteinases in airway diseases
Authors: Paulissen Genevieve , Rocks Natacha , Gueders Maud M , Crahay Celine , Quesada-Calvo Florence , Bekaert Sandrine , Hacha Jonathan , El Hour Mehdi , Foidart Jean-Michel , Noel Agnes , Cataldo Didier D
Published: December 2009

Lungs are exposed to the outside environment and therefore to toxic and infectious agents or allergens. This may lead to permanent activation of innate immune response elements. A
Disintegrin And Metalloproteinases (ADAMs) and ADAMs with Thrombospondin motifs (ADAMTS) are proteinases closely related to Matrix Metalloproteinases (MMPs). These multifaceted molecules bear metalloproteinase and disintegrin domains endowing them with features of both proteinases and adhesion molecules. Proteinases of the ADAM family are associated to various physiological and pathological processes and display a wide spectrum of biological effects encompassing cell fusion, cell adhesion, "shedding process", cleavage of various substrates from the extracellular matrix, growth factors or cytokines... This review will focus on the putative roles of ADAM/ADAMTS proteinases in airway diseases such as asthma and COPD.
Data mining of enzymes using specific peptides
Authors: Weingart Uri , Lavi Yair , Horn David
Published: December 2009

Background

Predicting the function of a protein from its sequence is a long-standing challenge of bioinformatic research, typically addressed using either sequence-similarity or sequence-motifs. We employ the novel motif method that consists of Specific Peptides (SPs) that are unique to specific branches of the Enzyme Commission (EC) functional classification. We devise the Data Mining of Enzymes (DME) methodology that allows for searching SPs on arbitrary proteins, determining from its sequence whether a protein is an enzyme and what the enzyme's EC classification is.

Results

We extract novel SP sets from Swiss-Prot enzyme data. Using a training set of July 2006, and test sets of July 2008, we find that the predictive power of SPs, both for true-positives (enzymes) and true-negatives (non-enzymes), depends on the coverage length of all SP matches (the number of amino-acids matched on the protein sequence). DME is quite different from BLAST. Comparing the two on an enzyme test set of July 2008, we find that DME has lower recall. On the other hand, DME can provide predictions for proteins regarded by BLAST as having low homologies with known enzymes, thus supplying complementary information. We test our method on a set of proteins belonging to 10 bacteria, dated July 2008, establishing the usefulness of the coverage-length cutoff to determine true-negatives. Moreover, sifting through our predictions we find that some of them have been substantiated by Swiss-Prot annotations by July 2009. Finally we extract, for production purposes, a novel SP set trained on all Swiss-Prot enzymes as of July 2009. This new set increases considerably the recall of DME. The new SP set is being applied to three metagenomes: Sargasso Sea with over 1,000,000 proteins, producing predictions of over 220,000 enzymes, and two human gut metagenomes. The outcome of these analyses can be characterized by the enzymatic profile of the metagenomes, describing the relative numbers of enzymes observed for different EC categories.

Conclusions

Employing SPs for predicting enzymatic activity of proteins works well once one utilizes coverage-length criteria. In our analysis, L ≥ 7 has led to highly accurate results.
Activation of Retinoid X Receptor increases dopamine cell survival in models for Parkinson's disease
Authors: Friling Stina , Bergsland Maria , Kjellander Susanna
Published: December 2009

Background

Parkinson's disease (PD) is caused by degeneration of dopamine (DA) neurons in the ventral midbrain (vMB) and results in severely disturbed regulation of movement. The disease inflicts considerable suffering for the affected and their families. Today, the opportunities for pharmacological treatment are meager and new technologies are needed. Previous studies have indicated that activation of the nuclear receptor Retinoid X Receptor (RXR) provides trophic support for DA neurons. Detailed investigations of these neurotrophic effects have been hampered by the lack of readily available DA neuronsin vitro. The aim of this study was to further describe the potential neurotrophic actions of RXR ligands and, for this and future purposes, develop a suitablein vitro-platform using mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs).

Results

We studied the potential neurotrophic effects of the RXR ligand LG100268 (LG268) and the RXR-Nurr1 ligand XCT0139508 (XCT) in neuronal cultures derived from rat primary vMB and mESCs. RXR ligands protect DA neurons from stress, such as that induced by the PD-modeling toxin 6-hydroxy dopamine (6-OHDA) and hypoxia, but not from stress induced by oxidative hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) or the excitotoxic agent kainic acid (KA). The neurotrophic effect is selective for DA neurons. DA neurons from rat primary vMB and mESCs behaved similarly, but the mESC-derived cultures contained a much higher fraction of DA cells and thus provided more accessible experimental conditions.

Conclusions

RXR ligands rescue DA neurons from degeneration caused by the PD simulating 6-OHDA as well as hypoxia. Thus, RXR is a novel promising target for PD research. mESC-derived DA cells provide a valid and accessiblein vitro-platform for studying PD inducing toxins and potential trophic agents.
ECRG4 is a candidate tumor suppressor gene frequently hypermethylated in colorectal carcinoma and glioma
Authors: Götze Silke , Feldhaus Valeska , Traska Thilo , Wolter Marietta , Reifenberger Guido , Tannapfel Andrea , Kuhnen Cornelius , Martin Dirk , Müller Oliver , Sievers Sonja
Published: December 2009

Background

Cancer cells display widespread changes in DNA methylation that may lead to genetic instability by global hypomethylation and aberrant silencing of tumor suppressor genes by focal hypermethylation. In turn, altered DNA methylation patterns have been used to identify putative tumor suppressor genes.

Methods

In a methylation screening approach, we identified ECRG4 as a differentially methylated gene. We analyzed different cancer cells for ECRG4 promoter methylation by COBRA and bisulfite sequencing. Gene expression analysis was carried out by semi-quantitative RT-PCR. The ECRG4 coding region was cloned and transfected into colorectal carcinoma cells. Cell growth was assessed by MTT and BrdU assays. ECRG4 localization was analyzed by fluorescence microscopy and Western blotting after transfection of an ECRG4-eGFP fusion gene.

Results

We found a high frequency of ECRG4 promoter methylation in various cancer cell lines. Remarkably, aberrant methylation of ECRG4 was also found in primary human tumor tissues, including samples from colorectal carcinoma and from malignant gliomas. ECRG4 hypermethylation associated strongly with transcriptional silencing and its expression could be re-activated in vitro by demethylating treatment with 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine. Overexpression of ECRG4 in colorectal carcinoma cells led to a significant decrease in cell growth. In transfected cells, ECRG4 protein was detectable within the Golgi secretion machinery as well as in the culture medium.

Conclusions

ECRG4 is silenced via promoter hypermethylation in different types of human cancer cells. Its gene product may act as inhibitor of cell proliferation in colorectal carcinoma cells and may play a role as extracellular signaling molecule.