bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Preparation and Thermal and Anti‐UV Properties of Chitosan/Mica Copolymer
Authors: Huang Yih-Sheng , Yu Sheng-Haur , Sheu Yea-Ru , Huang Kuo-Shien
Published: December 2010

This experiment aims to produce a free radical while annoying the oxidizing‐reducing reagent of the ammonium persulfate and the sodium bisulfite under nitrogen, then trigger copolymerization between modified‐mica and chitosan to prepare a variety of copolymers. This experiment also aims to study the related properties of these copolymer materials. The experimental data shows that the copolymer has more thermal stability and better absorption of UV than chitosan. But the above physical properties will be less if the mica ratio in copolymer is more than 8%. On the other hand, the SEM photo of the microstructure also shows that the modified mica distributes homogeneously on the surface of the film of the copolymer.
Multispeciality Approach in the Management of Patient with Hereditary Gingival Fibromatosis: 1-Year Followup: A Case Report
Authors: Ramakrishnan T. , Kaur Manmeet
Published: December 2010

Background. Hereditary gingival fibromatosis is a fibrotic enlargement of the gingiva. It may exist as an isolated abnormality or as part of multisystem syndrome. This paper reports a case of 16-year-old male with generalized severe gingival overgrowth, involving the maxillary and mandibular arches and covering almost all teeth.Methods. Periodontal management of gingival enlargement included gingivectomy in both arches except in the lower right molar region where flap surgery was done under general anesthesia. After a 2-month followup period, orthodontic treatment was started with fixed appliances. Monthly periodontal checkups and maintainance (scaling and polishing) were scheduled to control the gingival inflammation.Results. Reevaluation of the patient of surgical treatment after two months did not show any recurrence of condition; however, minimal overgrowth was noted 1 month after the beginning of orthodontic treatment which was treated nonsurgically.Conclusions. Although the risk of recurrence is high with this condition, surgical treatment with correction of malocclusion and regular followup can provide excellent outcome as seen in this case.
A Comparative Study of Redundant Constraints Identification Methods in Linear Programming Problems
Authors: S. Paulraj , P. Sumathi
Published: December 2010

The objective function and the constraints can be formulated as linear functions of independent variables in most of the real‐world optimization problems. Linear Programming (LP) is the process of optimizing a linear function subject to a finite number of linear equality and inequality constraints. Solving linear programming problems efficiently has always been a fascinating pursuit for computer scientists and mathematicians. The computational complexity of any linear programming problem depends on the number of constraints and variables of the LP problem. Quite often large‐scale LP problems may contain many constraints which are redundant or cause infeasibility on account of inefficient formulation or some errors in data input. The presence of redundant constraints does not alter the optimal solutions(s). Nevertheless, they may consume extra computational effort. Many researchers have proposed different approaches for identifying the redundant constraints in linear programming problems. This paper compares five of such methods and discusses the efficiency of each method by solving various size LP problems and netlib problems. The algorithms of each method are coded by using a computer programming language C. The computational results are presented and analyzed in this paper.
Simple Synthesis and Characterization of Cobalt Ferrite Nanoparticles by a Thermal Treatment Method
Authors: Goodarz Naseri Mahmoud , Saion Elias B. , Abbastabar Ahangar Hossein , Shaari Abdul Halim , Hashim Mansor
Published: December 2010

Crystalline, magnetic, cobalt ferrite nanoparticles were synthesized from an aqueous solution containing metal nitrates and polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) as a capping agent by a thermal treatment followed by calcination at various temperatures from 673 to 923 K. The structural characteristics of the calcined samples were determined by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). A completed crystallization occurred at 823 and 923 K, as shown by the absence of organic absorption bands in the FT‐IR spectrum. Magnetization measurements were obtained at room temperature by using a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), which showed that the calcined samples exhibited typical magnetic behaviors.
Syntheses and Crystal Structures of Two Transition Metal Complexes (M = Mn and Co) Containing Malonate and Reduced Imino Nitroxide Radicals
Authors: Chen Jing , Zhang You-Juan , Qin Bing-Chang , Zhu Hui-Min , Zhu Yu
Published: December 2010

Two novel transition metal complexes with malonate and reduced imino nitroxide radicals, [Co(mal)(Him2-py)2] (ClO4) 1 and [Mn (mal)(Him2-py)2] (H2O) 2 (Him2-py = 1-hydroxy-2-(2′-pyridyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline) have been synthesized and their crystal structures were determined by X-ray diffraction method. During the reaction, one-electron reduction of the N–O radical moiety in IM2py has been reviewed. The structural analyses reveal that two title complexes are isostructural and crystallize in monoclinic space group C2. For the complex 1, a=17.004(9), b=10.753(5), c=9.207(5) Å with β=113.856(8)∘. For the complex 2, a=16.721(5), b=10.897(5), c=9.253(3) Å with β=120.807(6)∘. In two complexes, the coordination number around the metal ion is six, and the coordination sphere is a distorted octahedron. Two nitrogen atoms from Him2-py and two oxygen atoms from malonate are in the basal plane, and two nitrogen atoms from pyridyl rings of Him2-py at the axial position.
BAC Libraries from Wheat Chromosome 7D: Efficient Tool for Positional Cloning of Aphid Resistance Genes
Authors: Šimková Hana , Šafář Jan , Kubaláková Marie , Suchánková Pavla , Číhalíková Jarmila , Robert-Quatre Heda , Azhaguvel Perumal , Weng Yiqun , Peng Junhua , Lapitan Nora L.V. , Ma Yaqin , You Frank M. , Luo Ming-Cheng , Bartoš Jan , Doležel Jaroslav
Published: December 2010

Positional cloning in bread wheat is a tedious task due to its huge genome size and hexaploid character. BAC libraries represent an essential tool for positional cloning. However, wheat BAC libraries comprise more than million clones, which makes their screening very laborious. Here, we present a targeted approach based on chromosome‐specific BAC libraries. Such libraries were constructed from flow‐sorted arms of wheat chromosome 7D. A library from the short arm (7DS) consisting of 49,152 clones with 113 kb insert size represented 12.1 arm equivalents whereas a library from the long arm (7DL) comprised 50,304 clones of 116 kb providing 14.9x arm coverage. The 7DS library was PCR screened with markers linked to Russian wheat aphid resistance gene DnCI2401, the 7DL library was screened by hybridization with a probe linked to greenbug resistance gene Gb3. The small number of clones combined with high coverage made the screening highly efficient and cost effective.
High IGF-IR Activity in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cell Lines and Tumorgrafts Correlates with Sensitivity to Anti–IGF-IR Therapy
Authors: Litzenburger Beate C. , Creighton Chad J. , Tsimelzon Anna , Chan Bonita T. , Hilsenbeck Susan G. , Wang Tao , Carboni Joan M. , Gottardis Marco M. , Huang Fei , Chang Jenny C. , Lewis Michael T. , Rimawi Mothaffar F. , Lee Adrian V.
Published: December 2010

Purpose: We previously reported an insulin-like growth factor (IGF) gene expression signature, based on genes induced or repressed by IGF-I, which correlated with poor prognosis in breast cancer. We tested whether the IGF signature was affected by anti–IGF-I receptor (IGF-IR) inhibitors and whether the IGF signature correlated with response to a dual anti–IGF-IR/insulin receptor (InsR) inhibitor, BMS-754807.

Experimental Design: An IGF gene expression signature was examined in human breast tumors and cell lines and changes were noted following treatment of cell lines or xenografts with anti–IGF-IR antibodies or tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Sensitivity of cells to BMS-754807 was correlated with levels of the IGF signature. Human primary tumorgrafts were analyzed for the IGF signature and IGF-IR levels and activity, and MC1 tumorgrafts were treated with BMS-754807 and chemotherapy.

Results: The IGF gene expression signature was reversed in three different models (cancer cell lines or xenografts) treated with three different anti–IGF-IR therapies. The IGF signature was present in triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC) and TNBC cell lines, which were especially sensitive to BMS-754807, and sensitivity was significantly correlated to the expression of the IGF gene signature. The TNBC primary human tumorgraft MC1 showed high levels of both expression and activity of IGF-IR and IGF gene signature score. Treatment of MC1 with BMS-754807 showed growth inhibition and, in combination with docetaxel, tumor regression occurred until no tumor was palpable. Regression was associated with reduced proliferation, increased apoptosis, and mitotic catastrophe.

Conclusions: These studies provide a clear biological rationale to test anti–IGF-IR/InsR therapy in combination with chemotherapy in patients with TNBC. Clin Cancer Res; 17(8); 2314–27. ©2011 AACR.
Race, Sex, and Age Differences in Heart Failure-Related Hospitalizations in a Southern State
Authors: Husaini Baqar A. , Mensah George A. , Sawyer Douglas , Cain Van A. , Samad Zahid , Hull Pamela C. , Levine Robert S. , Sampson Uchechukwu K.A.
Published: December 2010

Background—

Because heart failure (HF) is the final common pathway for most heart diseases, we examined its 10-year prevalence trend by race, sex, and age in Tennessee.

Methods and Results—

HF hospitalization data from the Tennessee Hospital Discharge Data System were analyzed by race, sex, and age. Rates were directly age-adjusted using the Year 2000 standard population. Adult (age 20+ years) inpatient hospitalization for primary diagnosis of HF (HFPD) increased from 4.2% in 1997 to 4.5% in 2006. Age-adjusted hospitalization for HF (per 10 000 population) rose by 11.3% (from 29.3 in 1997 to 32.6 in 2006). Parallel changes in secondary HF admissions were also noted. Age-adjusted rates were higher among blacks than whites and higher among men than women. The ratios of black to white by sex admitted with HFPD in 2006 were highest (9:1) among the youngest age categories (20 to 34 and 35 to 44 years). Furthermore, for each age category of black men below 65 years, there were higher HF admission rates than for white men in the immediate older age category. In 2006, the adjusted rate ratios for HFPD in black to white men ages 20 to 34 and 35 to 44 years were odds ratio, 4.75; 95% confidence interval, 3.29 to 6.86 and odds ratio, 5.10; 95% confidence interval, 4.15 to 6.25, respectively. Hypertension was the independent predictor of HF admissions in black men ages 20 to 34 years.

Conclusions—

The higher occurrence of HF among young adults in general, particularly among young black men, highlights the need for prevention by identifying modifiable biological and social determinants to reduce cardiovascular health disparities in this vulnerable group.
Multilevel Motivation and Engagement: Assessing Construct Validity Across Students and Schools
Authors: Martin Andrew J. , Malmberg Lars-Erik , Liem Gregory Arief D.
Published: December 2010

Statistical biases associated with single-level analyses underscore the importance of partitioning variance/covariance matrices into individual and group levels. From a multilevel perspective based on data from 21,579 students in 58 high schools, the present study assesses the multilevel factor structure of motivation and engagement with a particular focus on a recently developed instrument (the Motivation and Engagement Scale—High School; MES-HS) shown in a wide variety of contexts to reflect sound student-level psychometric properties. Multilevel (or hierarchical linear) confirmatory factor analysis using Mplus demonstrated that at student and school levels, the hypothesized framework comprised sound factor structure. Multilevel invariance tests further demonstrated that key parameters were invariant across student and school levels. Results also showed that first and higher order factor correlations were in hypothesized directions and broadly parallel at student and school levels. Taken together, the MES-HS target factors and the framework from which they emanate demonstrate sound multilevel psychometric properties.
Parent Report of ADHD Symptoms of Early Adolescents: A Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Disruptive Behavior Disorders Scale
Authors: Van Eck Kathryn , Finney Sara J. , Evans Steven W.
Published: December 2010

The Disruptive Behavior Disorders (DBD) scale includes the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.) criteria for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), oppositional defiant disorder, and conduct disorder. This study examined only the ADHD items of the DBD scale. This scale is frequently used for assessing parent- and teacher-reported ADHD symptoms. Although some research on teacher report exists, little is known about the factor structure of parent-reported ADHD for this scale, particularly for early adolescents. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to assess the fit of a priori specified, theoretically based models of ADHD. Participants were 250 parents of early adolescents ( M = 12 years, SD = 1.53), who completed the ADHD items of the DBD scale. A two-factor model of hyperactivity/ impulsivity and inattention provided the best fit to item responses, but localized areas of misfit were present. Alternate wording for a few items was proposed. Implications of the findings and directions for future research are discussed.
A Brief Report on How Impossible Scores Affect Smoothing and Equating
Authors: Puhan Gautam , von Davier Alina A. , Gupta Shaloo
Published: December 2010

Equating under the external anchor design is frequently conducted using scaled scores on the anchor test. However, scaled scores often lead to the unique problem of creating zero frequencies in the score distribution because there may not always be a one-to-one correspondence between raw and scaled scores. For example, raw scores of 17 and 18 may correspond to scaled scores of 150 and 153, thereby creating zero frequencies for scaled scores of 151 and 152. These gaps in the frequency distribution may adversely affect smoothing and equating. This study examines the effect of these zero frequencies on log-linear smoothing of score distributions and final equating results. Results suggest that although smoothing is significantly affected by the presence of these zero frequencies, the impact on the actual equating results is minimal.
Personality disorders: Prevalence and demography at a psychiatric outpatient in North India
Authors: Gupta Swapnil , Mattoo Surendra Kumar
Published: December 2010

Background: Even though personality disorders are common among psychiatric populations, the data from India on their prevalence and demography are sparse.

Aim: To profile the prevalence and demography of personality disorders in North India.

Methods: The retrospective study was based on patients attending the outpatient of a general hospital psychiatric centre in North India between June 1996 and June 2006. The specified data were collected from the case records of those receiving a primary or comorbid ICD-10 diagnosis of a personality disorder.

Results: Personality disorders had a prevalence of 1.07%, with a preponderance of those aged 21–40 years (69.4%), men (64.9%), employed and students (37.3% and 32.8% respectively), unmarried (56%), graduates and undergraduates (27.6% each), and referred by the family (68.7%). The most common personality disorders were anxious-avoidant and borderline. Compared with the anxious-avoidant group, the borderline group was younger (mean age 24.44 vs 29.66 years) and had a preponderance of females (60% vs 27.1%).

Conclusion: The prevalence of personality disorders among the psychiatric outpatients was low compared to most of the research literature reporting clinically diagnosed personality disorders. The differences between the borderline and anxious-avoidant personality disorder subjects were largely explained by interrelated demographic variables.
Epigenetic Mechanisms in Inflammation
Authors: Bayarsaihan D.
Published: December 2010

Epigenetic modifications occur in response to environmental changes and play a fundamental role in gene expression following environmental stimuli. Major epigenetic events include methylation and acetylation of histones and regulatory factors, DNA methylation, and small non-coding RNAs. Diet, pollution, infections, and other environmental factors have profound effects on epigenetic modifications and trigger susceptibility to diseases. Despite a growing body of literature addressing the role of the environment on gene expression, very little is known about the epigenetic pathways involved in the modulation of inflammatory and anti-inflammatory genes. This review summarizes the current knowledge about epigenetic control mechanisms during the inflammatory response.
Executive Functions as Predictors of Math Learning Disabilities
Authors: Toll Sylke W. M. , Van der Ven Sanne H.G. , Kroesbergen Evelyn H. , Van Luit Johannes E.H.
Published: December 2010

In the past years, an increasing number of studies have investigated executive functions as predictors of individual differences in mathematical abilities. The present longitudinal study was designed to investigate whether the executive functions shifting, inhibition, and working memory differ between low achieving and typically achieving children and whether these executive functions can be seen as precursors to math learning disabilities in children. Furthermore, the predictive value of working memory ability compared to preparatory mathematical abilities was examined. Two classifications were made based on (persistent) mathematical ability in first and second grade. Repeated measures analyses and discriminant analyses were used to investigate which functions predicted group membership best. Group differences in performance were found on one inhibition and three working memory tasks. The working memory tasks predicted math learning disabilities, even over and above the predictive value of preparatory mathematical abilities.
Yes or No Minister: The Importance of the Politician-Senior Civil Servant Dyad in Irish Prison Policy
Authors: Rogan Mary
Published: December 2010

Irish prison policy is notable for the absence of an ideological agenda driving its direction and content. This article examines the impact of the relationship between Minister for Justice, the member of Cabinet responsible for the criminal justice system and prisons in Ireland, and the most senior civil servant within that Department, in the creation of this policy landscape. The Minister-Secretary General dyad in the area of Irish prison policy during the early 1960s is explored in order to assess the importance of this relationship in the formation of prison policy. This period was one of the few in Irish penal history when momentum to change the prison system was evident. The article draws on emerging scholarship on policy analysis within criminology. It suggests that engagement with the policy-making process can provide meaningful data to explain the nature of criminal justice policy.
“Nobody’s Pretending That It’s Ideal”: Conflict, Women, and Imprisonment in Northern Ireland
Authors: Moore Linda
Published: December 2010

Based on primary qualitative research with women prisoners in Northern Ireland (conducted for the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission by the author with Professor Phil Scraton 1, Professor of Criminology, School of Law, Queens University Belfast), this article documents the serious and persistent breaches of international rights standards experienced by incarcerated women and the continued impact of the violent political conflict in the North on women’s penal regimes. Feminist authors have commented on the gendered nature of the state’s punishment of politically motivated women in Armagh prison during the years of conflict and have also discussed the ways in which women prisoners used their bodies as weapons of resistance. It is argued here that the failure of the authorities to effectively tackle the historical and current breaches of women prisoners’ rights as part of the process of transition to a more peaceful society has allowed the continuation of control and punishment-oriented regimes for “ordinary” women prisoners. The article explores the state’s failure to reform the women’s prison system in Northern Ireland in the face of successive critical reports from regional, national, and international inspection and “watchdog” bodies that have recommended the establishment of a new “rights-based” women’s prison unit alongside the development of a gender-specific strategy and policies. The article concludes by assessing the current opportunities for change.
In the Homes of Others: Exploring New Sites and Methods When Investigating the Doings of Gender, Class and Ethnicity
Authors: Widerberg Karin
Published: December 2010

What role does the experience of being in and observing other people’s homes play in the forming of gender, class and ethnic identities and family aspirations? And how can it be explored? Using written memory stories as illustrations, it is argued in this article that by taking the perspective of the child, the door is opened to other important sites for learning acts of gender, class and ethnicity. It is further argued that use of alternative methods and approaches can facilitate an exploration that not only expands the domains of family research but also transforms the resulting knowledge. The form of the ar ticle — presenting the stories first and their methodological genesis afterwards — is intended to support this argument.
Wives’ Part-time Employment and Marital Stability in Great Britain, West Germany and the United States
Authors: Cooke Lynn Prince , Gash Vanessa
Published: December 2010

Many hail wives’ part-time employment as a work—family balance strategy, but theories offer competing predictions as to the effects of wives’ employment on relationship stability. We use panel data to test these competing hypotheses among recent cohorts of first-married couples in Great Britain, West Germany 1 and the United States. We find effects of wives’ employment on marital stability var y across the countries. In West Germany with its high-quality part-time employment, couples where the wife works part time are significantly more stable. In the more liberal British and US labour markets, neither wives’ part- nor full-time employment significantly alters divorce risk. In the United States, however, mothers working part time have significantly lower divorce risk. West German and British husbands’ unemployment proves more detrimental to marital stability than wives’ employment. These results highlight the impor tance of the socioeconomic context in structuring the optimal employment participation of both partners.
Conceiving and Negotiating Reproductive Relationships: Lesbians and Gay Men Forming Families with Children
Authors: Dempsey Deborah
Published: December 2010

Lesbian and gay parented families are often viewed through the lens of ‘families of choice’, which assumes they are self-reflexive and innovative in structure. In recent years, some lesbians and gay men have informally negotiated reproductive relationships with friends or acquaintances. The varied kinship assumptions underpinning such relationships are the focus of this article. Three main approaches to family formation are identified: ‘standard donor’, ‘social solidarity’ and ‘co-parenting’. I argue that a continuum of kinship intentions is evident in these different approaches, and that the degree of innovation and convention needs to be unpacked, particularly with regard to the status of friendship as kinship. I comment on the persistent appeal of co-habiting coupledom as the basis for parenting and the perceived asymmetry between biological motherhood and fatherhood. In conceptualizing and negotiating reproductive relationships, lesbians and gay men may accept or reconfigure the assumptions characteristic of heteronormative clinical assisted reproductive technology (ART) conventions.
Religion and Peacemaking: A Conceptualization
Authors: Brewer John D. , Higgins Gareth I. , Teeney Francis
Published: December 2010

Despite the associations with conflict, religion is also a site of reconciliation. The limited literature on this, however, is constrained by its case study approach. This article seeks to establish a conceptual framework for theorizing the relationship between religion and peacemaking in conflict societies where religion is perceived to be part of the problem. The key to this is civil society and the four socially strategic spaces that religious groups can occupy within civil society and by means of which they can play a role as ‘bridging social capital’ in peace processes. However, religious peacemaking is mediated by the wider civil-society/state nexus. This shows itself in two sets of variables that simultaneously constrain and facilitate the relationship between religion and peacebuilding. We illustrate the framework with evidence from several examples in order to show how comparative analysis simultaneously illuminates case studies.
Sociological Epistemology: Durkheim’s Paradox and Dorothy E. Smith’s Actuality
Authors: Hart Randle J. , McKinnon Andrew
Published: December 2010

Emile Durkheim first outlined the problem of the categories for sociologists after Kant: how do we acknowledge the socially constituted nature of all knowledge and yet still make claims about social reality? In Durkheim’s late work he identifies two opposite responses to this problem: empiricism, which denies the problem; and idealism (or constructionism), which finds it difficult to talk about anything beyond our conceptions of social conceptions. In this article we argue that the sociological work of Dorothy E. Smith provides a better solution to this problem than Durkheim does. Her work provides a useful map for studying social ‘actuality’ without succumbing either to relativism or to naïve realism, all the while maintaining the possibility of telling the truth about the actual social world.
Family Displays and Personal Lives
Authors: James Allison , Curtis Penny
Published: December 2010

In this article we explore how Finch’s (2007) concept of display might illuminate the new sociology of personal life as set out by Smart (2007). Drawing on narratives of family life and eating practices, from both parents and children, the article considers how these work as tools of family display. For some families, displays are used to affirm an idiosyncratic sense of their family through drawing on particular cultural motifs of ‘family’. For other families, practices of display work to smooth over challenges from within. Displays can also be more normative, confirming wider hegemonic models of what the family is. Thus, while displays — and therefore ideas of family — do take different forms, nonetheless they also demonstrate that, as Smart suggests, people’s personal lives need always to be understood as embedded in particular social and cultural worlds, rather than a function of lone, autonomous individuals.
Imagining a Gendered Future: Children’s Essays from the National Child Development Study in 1969
Authors: Elliott Jane
Published: December 2010

This article uses material from a large sample of 11-year-old children’s essays about their imagined lives at age 25 to explore the ways in which these children constructed a gendered identity and gendered future. These essays were written in 1969 as part of the National Child Development Study. The article provides a preliminary quantitative analysis of the themes within the children’s essays and how these were patterned by gender and social class. It then goes on to consider the ways in which the children used gender as a resource to establish and maintain their own narrated identities. This article, therefore, aims to go beyond a simple description of the differences in the style and content of essays written by boys and girls from different social class backgrounds to conduct analysis which adopts the spirit of recent work on the performance of gender and class.
Out of Sight, Out of Mind: Family Resemblances in Lesbian Donor Conception
Authors: Nordqvist Petra
Published: December 2010

Family resemblances and connectedness constitute a recent interest in sociological debate. This article seeks to build on and expand this debate by empirically exploring the meaning of physical family resemblances in the context of lesbian donor conception. This constitutes a neglected area as previous studies primarily explore gamete donation and physical resemblances in the context of heterosexual assisted conception. Considerably less attention has been paid to the specific dynamics inherent to lesbian donor conception. The article draws on a qualitative study comprising 25 lesbian couples in England and Wales with experiences of pursuing both self-arranged and clinical donor conception in the context of a lesbian couple relationship. Building on work in the area of kin, connectedness and family resemblance, this article argues that seeking resemblances can be as much about creating distance as connectedness in the context of lesbian couple donor conception.
The Advent of the ‘EasyJet Priest’: Dilemmas of Polish Catholic Integration in the UK
Authors: Trzebiatowska Marta
Published: December 2010

In the aftermath of Poland’s entrance into the EU in 2004, it is estimated that over half a million Polish migrants entered the UK. Their visibility in the public sphere has attracted interest from social scientists, yet relatively little attention has been paid to the issue of religious integration of Catholic Poles living in Britain. Drawing on a qualitative research project, this article explores the consequences of the encounter between Polish and indigenous Catholics. Using Pierre Bourdieu’s concept of the ‘religious field’, the conflict between the newcomers and the locals is shown to be caused by a mismatch between Polish Catholic habitus and British religious context. While for British Catholics their religion is ‘universal’, for Polish migrants Catholicism symbolizes their national culture, which makes them resistant to religious integration.
What Motivates Swedish Soldiers to Participate in Peacekeeping Missions: Research Note
Authors: Hedlund Erik
Published: December 2010

During the last ten years, the Swedish Armed Forces has undergone a transformation in its shift toward worldwide peacekeeping operations. Subsequently, the Swedish government is moving away from conscription to an all-voluntary recruitment system. This transition may lead to substantial challenges in recruiting new soldiers for the Armed Forces as well as for peacekeeping operations. A key to successful recruitment is understanding what motivates young men and women to participate in peacekeeping operations. This research note addresses questions about what motivated Swedish peacekeeping soldiers to join the 5th mission to Liberia and the 14th mission to Kosovo in 2006. Fabrizio Battistelli’s motivation typology, paleomodern, modern, and postmodern, is used in the analysis. The results show that all three motives were represented but that postmodern motives were by far the most common motivator.
Married to the Military: Military-Family Relations in the Israel Defense Forces
Authors: Eran-Jona Meytal
Published: December 2010

Twenty years after the last research was conducted on military families in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), this study explores gender arrangements in families of male and female career military personnel as viewed by their civilian spouses. The research objective was to analyze the differences in attitudes toward family life and examine the differences in work—family practices among the IDF’s career servicemen and women. The findings indicate that the IDF’s heavy demands on career personnel, regardless of gender lead to the construction of family and couple arrangements that deviate from the norm in civilian Israeli-Jewish families of similar characteristics. For the servicemen, this demand creates a ‘‘traditional’’ role division model that places the entire burden of family work on their wives; for the servicewomen the same demands create a relatively ‘‘egalitarian’’ role division model, by placing more of the burden of ‘‘family chores’’ on their husbands.
Fighting for Knowledge: Developing Learning Systems in the Australian Army
Authors: O'Toole Paddy , Talbot Steven
Published: December 2010

This article reports on an investigation that contributes to the understanding of social and organizational learning in the military. Data were collected through a series of focus groups with over 150 Army personnel in the Australian Army. Analysis revealed that perceived learning opportunities were shaped, enabled, and constrained by a variety of social, cultural, structural, and process-related imperatives. This was manifested through two learning systems: (1) a formal learning system directly managed by the organization and (2) an informal system that was fostered through strong social networks and driven by the organizational culture. From this investigation, we posit a social theory of learning, which encompasses sharing knowledge and experience through social interaction. This article concludes by arguing that the learning systems approach taken in this article is a useful and practical method of evaluating the organizational learning mechanisms in a military organization.
Clinical Guidelines and Practice
Authors: Hoare Derek J. , Hall Deborah A.
Published: December 2010

Subjective tinnitus is an enigmatic and chronic condition that is predominantly managed as symptomatic. Little high-level evidence exists for the efficacy and specificity of the various tinnitus management strategies currently used, and this is reflected in documents that aim to guide clinicians. As a consequence, there are clear gaps in evidence-based practice linking diagnosis to the most effective management strategies as well as a general lack of consensus about which are appropriate strategies for assessment and management. Several guidelines have been produced from research efforts and from expert opinion. All recommend standardization of assessment and a range of management options but do not yet provide a means to link the two. The authors call for clinicians, scientists, and policy makers to work together to address this barrier to good practice.
Levels of Evidence: A Reply to Berger and Knoll
Authors: Gugiu P. Cristian , Gugiu Mihaiela Ristei
Published: December 2010

Although a randomized controlled trial (RCT) provides the strongest level of evidence when properly conducted, it is by no means the only research design capable of supporting causal claims. As discussed in Gugiu and Gugiu, numerous non-RCTs are able to produce valid and reliable results, providing they can establish approximately equivalent treatment groups at baseline. The purpose of this article is to respond to the issues raised by Berger and Knoll.
Biocompatibility and pathways of initial complement pathway activation with Phisio- and PMEA-coated cardiopulmonary bypass circuits during open-heart surgery
Authors: Thiara AS , Mollnes TE , Videm V. , Andersen VY , Svennevig K. , Kolset SO , Fiane AE
Published: December 2010

A randomized open-heart surgery study comprising 30 patients was undertaken to compare the biocompatibility of Phisio-(phosphorylcholine) and PMEA-(poly-2-methoxyethyl acrylate) coated cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) circuits and to assess the initial complement pathway activation during open-heart surgery. Blood samples were obtained at five time points, from the start of surgery to 24 hours postoperatively. The following analyses were performed: haemoglobin, lactate dehydrogenase, leukocyte and platelet counts, myeloperoxidase and neutrophil-activating peptide-2, thrombin-anti-thrombin complexes, syndecan-1 and the complement activation products C1rs-C1-inhibitor complexes, C4bc, C3bc, C3bBbP and the terminal complement complex (TCC). No significant inter-group difference was found in any parameters, except for the concentration of TCC which was moderately lower in the PMEA group at termination of CPB. Complement activation during open-heart surgery was mainly mediated through the alternative pathway. In conclusion, PMEA- and Phisio-coated circuits displayed similar biocompatibility with respect to inflammatory and haemostatic responses during and after open-heart surgery.
Increased preoperative thrombin generation and low protein S level associated with unfavorable postoperative hemodynamics after coronary artery bypass grafting
Authors: Raivio Peter M , Lassila Riitta , Kuitunen Anne H , Eriksson Heidi , Suojaranta-Ylinen Raili T , Petäjä Jari
Published: December 2010

In a previous study, preoperative levels of activated protein C (APC) were associated with unfavorable postoperative hemodynamics after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Protein C is activated by thrombin. Protein S, the cofactor of activated protein C, has activated protein C-independent anticoagulant activity and cytoprotective effects. Therefore, the objective of this study was to test whether preoperative, baseline levels of either thrombin or protein S were associated with hemodynamic performance or markers of myocardial damage after CABG. One hundred patients undergoing elective on-pump CABG were prospectively studied. Prothrombin fragment F1+2 (a marker of thrombin generation) and free protein S were measured preoperatively and cardiac index, systemic vascular resistance index (SVRI), and pulmonary vascular resistance index (PVRI) were measured serially thereafter at fixed time points. Cardiac biomarkers CK-MBm and TnT were measured postoperatively. There was an inverse correlation between preoperative F1+2 and free protein S levels (r= —0.30, p=0.003). High preoperative F1+2 and low preoperative protein S levels were associated with a less favorable hemodynamic profile postoperatively. Patients with F1+2 in the highest decile (≥0.85 nmol/l) and patients with preoperative protein S in the lowest decile (≤63%) had lower CI values, and higher pulmonary and systemic vascular resistance index values postoperatively than comparison patients. Preoperative F1+2 or protein S did not correlate with postoperative cardiac biomarker levels. Baseline activation of coagulation and the balance between pro-coagulant and anti-coagulant factors preoperatively might have implications for postoperative hemodynamic recovery after CABG.
Transfusion of shed mediastinal blood reduces the use of allogenic blood transfusion without increasing complications
Authors: Folkersen Lars , Tang Mariann , Grunnet Niels , Jakobsen Carl-Johan
Published: December 2010

Background: Reduced use of allogenic blood components is a key issue in cardiac surgery. Several methods to conserve blood have been used; reinfusion of shed mediastinal blood (RSMB) has found widespread acceptance, but the efficacy and safety are still debated. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of RSMB on the use of allogenic blood components and selected complications. Material and methods: Six hundred and twenty-three consecutive cardiac surgery patients in three successive periods, of whom patients in the middle period did not receive RSMB due to manufacturer delivery problems, were evaluated. Patients and procedures were characterized by EuroSCORE. Prospective collected data were: units of transfused allogenic blood, fresh frozen plasma (FFP) and platelets, postoperative blood loss and postoperative complications such as dialysis, re-operation due to bleeding, sternal infection and stroke. Length of stay in ICU was used as a general indicator of perioperative complications. Results: The number of patients receiving allogenic blood in periods with RSMB was significantly lower (36.5% versus 54.9%, p<0.005), while no difference was seen in FFP and platelets. The average number of transfused blood units was lower in patients receiving RSMB (2.07 versus 3.41, p=0.029), while FFP (1.34 versus 2.01, p=0.11) and platelets (0.58 versus 0.95, p=0.05) were not statistically significantly different. Postoperative bleeding was lower (759 versus 967 ml, p=0.032) in the periods with RSMB. Conclusion : Patients receiving RSMB were less transfused with allogenic blood and had less postoperative drainage, while the frequency of observed postoperative complications was not different from patients who did not receive RSMB.
The impact of balanced hydroxylethyl starch cardiopulmonary bypass priming solution on the fibrin part of clot formation: ex vivo rotation thromboelastometry
Authors: Appelman Marly H , van Barneveld Lerau J M , Romijn Johannes W A , Vonk Alexander B A , Boer Christa
Published: December 2010

Introduction: Balanced colloidal priming solutions are supposed to further minimize the effects of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) on haemostasis as compared to gelatin-based preparations. This exploratory study investigated whether clot formation, in particular the fibrin part of the clot, is less altered by a modern balanced HES solution as compared to a gelatin-based priming solution.

Methods: CPB priming solutions containing 60% gelatin (Gelofusin®) or balanced HES starch (100% or 60% Tetraspan®) were mixed with blood samples from healthy volunteers and compared with respect to their impact on clotting time (CT), alpha angle, maximum clot firmness (MCF), and fibrinogen, using thromboelastometry.

Results: The 100% and 60% HES priming solutions significantly increased the EXTEM CT from 66 ± 9 s to 82 ± 19 and 83 ± 13, respectively (both P<0.05 vs. baseline). The speed of solid clot formation decreased significantly for all priming solutions compared with baseline values. The INTEM MCF decreased from 59 ± 4 mm to 47 ± 4, 44 ± 4 and 43 ± 3 mm, whereas the EXTEM MCF decreased from 57 ± 4 mm to 51 ± 4, 51 ± 4 and 50 ± 4 mm after dilution with 60% gelatin, 100% HES or 60% HES priming solution, respectively (all P<0.01 vs. baseline). The priming solutions containing HES induced the largest decrease in MCF attributed to fibrinogen from 12 ± 3 mm to 4 ± 4 mm and 3 ± 2 mm (both P<0.05) for the 100% and mixed priming solution, respectively.

Conclusions: Ex vivo rotation thromboelastometry did not reveal the expected preservation of coagulation parameters, in particular the fibrin part of clot formation, by a balanced HES priming solution.
Links Among Home Literacy Environment, Literacy Interest, and Emergent Literacy Skills in Preschoolers At Risk for Reading Difficulties
Authors: Baroody Alison E. , Diamond Karen E.
Published: December 2010

Researchers have suggested that children who are interested in literacy activities and voluntarily engage in them are likely to become better readers than children with less literacy interest. Literacy interest, along with engaging literacy activities and responsive teaching, are important components in children’s early literacy experiences. This study examines associations among children’s self-reported literacy interest, their parents’ reports of home literacy environment (HLE), and their code-related skills. Overall, literacy interest was related to code-related skills (i.e., letter–word identification and alphabet knowledge). HLE was not related to code-related skills. Further analyses reveal different patterns of relations among interest and code-related skills for children with low receptive language scores compared to their peers with age-level receptive language scores. These results suggest that taking advantage of individual children’s interests as well as planning activities that are likely to be interesting may be effective strategies for promoting children’s learning of important school readiness skills.
Gender, disembodiment and vocation: Exploring the unmentionables of British academic life
Authors: Mills David , Berg Mette Louise
Published: December 2010

Anthropologists have developed an important corpus of work on embodiment and social agency. But what of the academic bodies involved in the production and reproduction of these ideas? Is an institutional habitus of scholarly disembodiment one consequence of contemporary academic practice? Drawing on research and our own experiences, we describe what we see as the ‘disembodied vocationalism’ fostered by departmental and institutional cultures. Using the case of social anthropology we explore the gendered expectations and silences that continue to exist within British universities.
The culture of Mexican migration
Authors: Wilson Tamar Diana
Published: December 2010

In an attempt to develop a definition of the Mexican ‘culture of migration’, the long history of migration within Mexico and across the US—Mexico border is summarized and definitions of culture explored. It is found that internal migration within greater Mexico has been common since at least the time of the Conquest. The culture of Mexican migration is seen to rest on attitudes and norms sanctioning the maintenance of reciprocity networks, the establishment of compadrazgo relationships, and the furtherance of religious practices, all of which aid migrants, first, to migrate and, second, in their adaptation at their destination.
The Unique Role of Sleep Quality in Older Adults’ Psychological Well-Being
Authors: Hanson Bridget L. , Ruthig Joelle C.
Published: December 2010

Previous research has established a link between sleep quality and psychological well-being in older adults. However, no research to date has investigated this relationship in the context of other factors known to influence both sleep and psychological well-being. Among a sample of 489 independently living older adults (ages 60 to 98), the current study examined the association between sleep quality and psychological well-being (positive emotions, negative emotions, depression) while controlling for individual differences in factors known to affect sleep: physical health, stress, physical activity, functional ability, and demographics. Multiple linear regression models showed that both better current sleep quality and better comparative sleep quality (from middle to older adulthood) predicted better psychological well-being. Implications include interventions to improve sleep quality in older adults.
A Comparison of Postsecondary Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Enrollment for Students With and Without Disabilities
Authors: Lee Ahlam
Published: December 2010

The author examined enrollment differences at postsecondary institutions between students with and without disabilities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors to investigate the extent to which students with disabilities, compared with their counterparts, pursue highly demanded STEM careers that require postsecondary STEM degrees. Using the data extracted from the National Longitudinal Transition Study—2 and the Educational Longitudinal Study of 2002, the author uncovered three major findings: (a) Students with disabilities are more likely to select STEM majors in college than are students without disabilities, (b) substantially more students with disabilities enroll in STEM majors at 2-year colleges than do students without disabilities, and (c) for both cohorts, the enrollment proportion of female students is significantly lower than that of male students in STEM majors. These comparison analyses signify the importance of different learning processes and career advising tailored to the needs of different individuals.