bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Inappropriate inspectors: Impoliteness and overpoliteness in Ian Rankin’s and Andrea Camilleri’s crime series
Authors: Paternoster Annick
Published: July 2012

This article explores evaluations of impoliteness and over-politeness in crime novel dialogues, in reference to the Pragmatics of Politeness and the Discursive Model (Locher and Watts, 2005; Watts, 2003, 2005, 2010). Metapragmatic comments, in which dialogue participants evaluate the ongoing communicative behaviour, offer important insights into the values and social norms that make up interaction. Literary dialogues, as opposed to naturally occurring conversations, have the advantage of offering numerous metapragmatic comments. This study examines police investigator dialogues that contain metapragmatic comments of impoliteness and over-politeness, concentrating on two maverick figures, Ian Rankin’s Edinburgh-based John Rebus and Andrea Camilleri’s Sicilian Salvo Montalbano, both of whose fractiousness in regards to procedural rules extends to social norms as well. The first part of the analysis looks at impoliteness, confirming the image of the maverick for whom impoliteness is fairly stereotypical. The determining factor is police rank: I find frequent institutional, that is, legitimized, and unchallenged impoliteness by those who are higher in rank. Secondly, I look at instances of over-politeness. The inspector, who readily uses insincere politeness in order to manipulate a suspect or a witness, is sceptical when evaluating politeness in others. By not commenting on impoliteness and through extensive negative evaluations of politeness, the narrator creates a protagonist who has become disenchanted with politeness and uses impoliteness as if it were normal, appropriate behaviour.
If Not “the Best of the West,” Then “Look East”
Authors: Aydarova Olena
Published: July 2012

By examining why nations borrow policy discourses, research on transfer has overlooked the implementation of transferred educational practices, models, or curricula. This study attempts to bridge this gap by examining the transfer and implementation of teacher education curricula in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Based on interviews with teacher educators and administrators and document analysis of college materials and newspaper articles, the study shows that the significant actors’ interpretations of the local culture, context, and students’ abilities play a central role in modifying, reducing, or substituting the transferred curriculum. These findings raise questions whether transfers lead to the outcomes that nations engaging in them expect to gain. The study reveals that the choice of a model deals less with the intended outcomes but more with the nation’s symbolic orientations of political and economic alliances, as well as their pursuit of power and prestige.
Developing Maternal Self-Efficacy for Feeding Preterm Babies in the Neonatal Unit
Authors: Swanson Vivien , Nicol Helen , McInnes Rhona , Cheyne Helen , Mactier Helen , Callander Elizabeth
Published: July 2012

Developing maternal self-efficacy offsets negative psychological consequences of premature birth, improving maternal well-being. We investigated women’s experiences in a neonatal unit (NNU) in Scotland in semistructured interviews with 19 primiparous mothers of preterm babies. We explored their experience of preterm birth and development of self-efficacy in infant feeding behaviors, identifying emergent and a priori themes. Women reported experiencing loss and biographical disruption in relation to mothering, loss of autonomy, and searching for normality after premature birth. Providing breast milk symbolized embodied contact with their baby and increased maternal confidence. They developed motivation, knowledge, and perseverance and perceived success from positive feedback, primarily from their baby and health professionals’ support and encouragement. Women actively constructed opportunities to develop ownership, control, and confidence in relation to interactions with their baby. We linked sources of self-efficacy with potential behavior change techniques to be used in practice to improve maternal confidence in the NNU.
Assessing Somatic, Psychosocial, and Spiritual Distress of Patients with Advanced Cancer
Authors: Fischbeck Sabine , Maier Bernd-Oliver , Reinholz Ulrike , Nehring Cornelia , Schwab Rainer , Beutel Manfred E. , Weber Martin
Published: July 2012

Objective:

For adequate distress assessment in palliative care, we developed a screening evaluation tool. Methods: Proven methods of scale construction led to a 53-item pilot form of the Advanced Cancer Patients’ Distress Scale (ACPDS). We used Hornheide Questionnaire (HQ), Palliative Outcome Scale (POS), and Minimal Documentation System (MIDOS) for validation. Advanced cancer patients (N = 168) from 3 centers for palliative medicine (aged 23-89, 51% female) filled out the questionnaire.

Results:

With a principal component analysis (PCA), we extracted 5 distress scales (emotional reactions/physical restrictions, communication deficits, negative social reactions, pain, and gastrointestinal symptoms). Internal consistencies varied between medium (.52) and very good (.88). Positive validity scores were found.

Conclusions:

Using the ACPDS may help to identify needs for palliative care interventions and enhance the quality of palliative care.
Outcome Measures of Spiritual Care in Palliative Home Care
Authors: Vermandere Mieke , De Lepeleire Jan , Van Mechelen Wouter , Warmenhoven Franca , Thoonsen Bregje , Aertgeerts Bert
Published: July 2012

The purpose of this study was to identify key outcome measures of spiritual care in palliative home care. A qualitative study was conducted with experts from 3 stakeholder groups (physicians, professional spiritual caregivers, and researchers) representing 2 countries (Belgium and The Netherlands). Three key outcome measures were identified: the extent to which the patient feels that he or she is being heard and taken seriously, the extent to which the patient experiences that there is a place for that which is insoluble, and the extent to which the patient experiences that there is a place for that which cannot be said. Further research is needed to implement and evaluate these new outcome measures.
Is Spreading Depolarization Characterized by an Abrupt, Massive Release of Gibbs Free Energy from the Human Brain Cortex?
Authors: Dreier Jens P. , Isele Thomas , Reiffurth Clemens , Offenhauser Nikolas , Kirov Sergei A. , Dahlem Markus A. , Herreras Oscar
Published: July 2012

In the evolution of the cerebral cortex, the sophisticated organization in a steady state far away from thermodynamic equilibrium has produced the side effect of two fundamental pathological network events: ictal epileptic activity and spreading depolarization. Ictal epileptic activity describes the partial disruption, and spreading depolarization describes the near-complete disruption of the physiological double Gibbs–Donnan steady state. The occurrence of ictal epileptic activity in patients has been known for decades. Recently, unequivocal electrophysiological evidence has been found in patients that spreading depolarizations occur abundantly in stroke and brain trauma. The authors propose that the ion changes can be taken to estimate relative changes in Gibbs free energy from state to state. The calculations suggest that in transitions from the physiological state to ictal epileptic activity to spreading depolarization to death, the cortex releases Gibbs free energy in a stepwise fashion. Spreading depolarization thus appears as a twilight state close to death. Consistently, electrocorticographic recordings in the core of focal ischemia or after cardiac arrest display a smooth transition from the initial spreading depolarization component to the later ultraslow negative potential, which is assumed to reflect processes in cellular death.
Between Obligation and Inspiration
Authors: Bochner Arthur P.
Published: July 2012

This story depicts a therapeutic interlude in the author’s life that took place in 1981. Trained as an experimentalist in the tradition of positivist social science, the main character comes to therapy in the middle of a crisis in meaning stirred by a growing awareness that the social sciences are increasingly devoted to triviality, disciplinary fragmentation, and the production of mountains of data devoid of concern for the serious problems and moral dilemmas of human life. Already invested in a successful career as a quantitative methodologist, the client struggles to come to terms with the conflicts he feels between the obligations that restrain him and the inspirations that arouse him. In the course of therapy, he revisits the “voices in his head”—the mentors who have influenced the direction of his work and his life—and the institutional forces that can inhibit or impede one’s desire to choose a life course consistent with who one takes one’s self to be.
Making the Data Perform
Authors: Cannon Anneliese
Published: July 2012

This article describes the analytical process of transforming a single interview into a dramatic vignette. Building on the tradition of ethnodramatic writing in the social sciences, as presented by qualitative scholars like Denzin, Mienczacowski, Saldaña, and others, the piece examines the method behind this artistically influenced mode of data presentation. It also discusses some of the affordances of ethnodrama as a way to represent research participants, particularly English learners, with nuance and subtlety. The analytical exercise culminates in a dramatic vignette titled “On the Map,” a readers’ theater-style scene between the author and an adult English learner studying in a community college.
Respondents as Interlocutors
Authors: Curato Nicole
Published: July 2012

The epistemic interview is a conversational practice, which aims to generate knowledge by subjecting respondents’ beliefs to dialectical tests of reasons. Developed by Svend Brinkmann, this model draws inspiration from Socratic dialogues where the interviewer asks confronting questions to press respondents to articulate the normative bases of their views. In this article, the author argues that Brinkmann’s model is a valuable methodological innovation but warrants further development. The author suggests that the epistemic interview can be put on a stronger methodological footing when the Socratic model is complemented by developments in democratic theory, particularly its deliberative variety. Translating deliberative democratic virtues to methodological terms addresses some of the epistemic model’s gaps, including an account of the dynamic of knowledge production and the ethical norms that govern this method. To illustrate the practice of epistemic interviewing, the author draws on her experience in interviewing junior military officers.
“There’s So Much at Stake”
Authors: Gillum Tameka L. , DiFulvio Gloria
Published: July 2012

The purpose of this study was to explore perceptions of dating violence among a sample of sexual minority youth. Focus groups were conducted as part of a larger study that surveyed 109 sexual minority youth between the ages of 18 and 24 years. Participants identified four main themes contributing to dating violence among same-sex couples: homophobia (societal and internalized); negotiating socially prescribed gender roles; assumed female connection; and other relationship issues. Such information is essential for determining the need for and content of dating violence services, including education, safety planning, and referrals for mental and physical health services for sexual minority youth.
What Happens on Tour
Authors: Thurnell-Read Thomas
Published: July 2012

The article explores the premarital all-male stag tour made by groups of British men to an Eastern European city as a homosocial bonding ritual. Homosocial groups help sustain hegemonic masculinity and play a significant role in establishing accepted forms of masculinity. Male friendships have been characterized as lacking in intimacy and typically channeled through alternative social relations such as competition. The article draws on qualitative data from participant observation with stag tour groups. Although bonding through shared activities and overt expressions of heterosexuality are common to stag tourist behavior, groups were seen as largely noncompetitive. Expressions of intimacy and emotion were frequent and a high value was placed on group cohesion and fostering a sense of togetherness. The performance of a loss of homosocial friendship was apparent and this links to wider social changes in men’s lives. This suggests both the significance of men’s friendships and possible patterns of change.
Drinking toward Manhood
Authors: Hinote Brian P. , Webber Gretchen R.
Published: July 2012

Existing research extensively documents the health crisis in Russia and the former Soviet Union. In this article, the authors examine what historical factors set the stage for these trends and, perhaps more importantly, their origins. Specifically, the authors analyze Russian history, culture, and state ideology to explore the connections between masculinities and alcohol and to apply existing sociological theories of gender to this unique social context. The authors employ the concept of hegemonic masculinity to examine the historical dimensions of working-class drinking and its impact on Russian men’s health. The authors also identify one of the important origins of men’s harmful drinking practices by focusing on the historical construction and enactment of masculinities in two prominent social fields—the tavern and the workplace. The authors’ focus upon Russian history and culture emphasizes the sociohistorical factors associated with negative drinking patterns, and consequent health problems, among men in this part of the world.
Schore’s Regulation Theory
Authors: Weber Ashley M. , Harrison Tondi M. , Steward Deborah K.
Published: July 2012

Premature infants confront numerous physiologic and environmental stressors in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) that have the potential to permanently alter their neurodevelopment. Schore’s regulation theory postulates that positive maternal–infant interactions can shape the infant’s developmental outcomes through inducing mechanistic changes in brain structure and function. The purposes of this article are to explain the regulation of infant neurobiological processes during interactions between mothers and healthy infants in the context of Schore’s theory, to identify threats to these processes for premature infants, and to propose principles of clinical practice and areas of research necessary to establish a supportive environment and prevent or reduce maladaptive consequences for these vulnerable infants. A premature birth results in the disruption of neurodevelopment at a critical time. Chronic exposure to stressors related to the NICU environment overwhelms immature physiologic and stress systems, resulting in significant allostatic load, as measured by long-term neurodevelopmental impairments in the premature infant. Positive maternal–infant interactions during NICU hospitalization and beyond have the potential to reduce neurologic deficits and maximize positive neurodevelopmental outcomes in premature infants. The quality of the maternal–infant interaction is affected not only by the infant’s developing neurobiology but also by the mother’s responses to the stressors surrounding a premature birth and mothering an infant in the NICU environment. Nurses can empower mothers to overcome these stressors, promote sensitive interactions with their infants, and facilitate neurodevelopment. Research is critically needed to develop and test nursing interventions directed at assisting mothers in supporting optimal neurodevelopment for their infants.
The missing links of the European gender mainstreaming approach: Assessing work–family reconciliation policies in the Italian Mezzogiorno
Authors: Marra Mita
Published: July 2012

This article examines how the EU gender mainstreaming approach has addressed work and family reconciliation across Southern Italian regions, to foster a more egalitarian and socially inclusive development. Drawing upon a survey of women of different socioeconomic backgrounds and in-depth interviewing of regional policy-makers, this article assesses what gender equality policies do and don’t do for work–family reconciliation within the Italian Mezzogiorno. Findings show that while poor women may be stigmatized as inadequate mothers, middle-class women are pushed to join men in employment and civic sphere at the expense of caring. As both public and private caring supply is underdeveloped and unevenly guaranteed between protected and unprotected workers, women may be constrained to reduce their participation in the labour market. Traditional gendered family roles and power relations within the household may further discourage women to work, form and maintain a family.
Withdrawal of fingolimod treatment for relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis: report of six cases
Authors: Hakiki Bahia , Portaccio Emilio , Giannini Marta , Razzolini Lorenzo , Pastò Luisa , Amato Maria Pia
Published: July 2012

The objective of this article is to report our experience on fingolimod suspension in multiple sclerosis patients. We evaluated clinical and magnetic resonance (MR) outcomes in six patients after fingolimod discontinuation. Within three months from fingolimod suspension, five subjects returned to pre-treatment disease activity; one patient, however, exhibited a clear rebound of clinical and MR activity. Our findings suggest that clinical and MR outcomes after fingolimod suspension can vary among patients. Systematic collection of clinical, laboratory and imaging data is highly advisable to identify subjects who are at higher risk of rebound and to define effective management strategies in these subjects.
Factors influencing intra-party democracy and membership rights
Authors: Kabasakal Mehmet
Published: July 2012

Political parties are considered to be vital elements of political life in modern democracies, and whether in democratic regimes they maintain democratic mechanisms within their own organizations and structures has been an intriguing topic. The most important issue is which factors influence the internal democracy in parties. This article examines the relationship between functioning of democracy in parties and party leadership, candidate selection mechanisms, membership systems, policy formulation systems and communication channels. In addition to the commonly used indicators of intra-party democracy in three areas – the leader’s power and control, nomination process and determining policy preferences – this article deals with the process of membership recruitment and membership rights. It analyses the factors that influence intra-party democracy in Turkey focusing on the multiparty period after 1946 by giving examples from the political parties and previous research results.
Psychosocial risk assessment: French validation of the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ)
Authors: Dupret Emilie , Bocéréan Christine , Teherani Mardjane , Feltrin Martine , Pejtersen Jan Hyld
Published: July 2012

Aims:

This study presents a French version of the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ) and analyses its psychometric properties for the purpose of validation. The questionnaire assesses psychosocial risk factors at work. The French questionnaire (derived from the Danish short version) is composed of 32 items grouped into 17 scales measuring five domains and eight additional questions assessing aggressive behaviour at work.

Method:

The questionnaire was administered to 935 employees of a large firm in the Parisian area.

Results:

All psychometric analyses performed (internal consistency of the scales, exploratory factor analysis, concurrent validity analysis) gave satisfactory results and demonstrated the validity of the French COPSOQ.

Conclusions:

A new questionnaire is now available in French. A large body of data is currently being gathered in view of comparing occupations and types of firms using this new instrument.
Does the school food environment influence the dietary behaviours of Norwegian 11-year-olds? The HEIA study
Authors: Gebremariam Mekdes K. , Andersen Lene F. , Bjelland Mona , Klepp Knut-Inge , Totland Torunn H. , Bergh Ingunn H. , Lien Nanna
Published: July 2012

Aims: The aim of the study is to investigate the influence of the school food environment on the dietary behaviours of 11-year-old Norwegian children in elementary schools. Methods: Baseline data from a school-based intervention study: the Health In Adolescents study was used. A total of 1425 11-year-old children from 35 schools from the eastern part of Norway were included. School administrators provided information on the physical, political, and sociocultural school food environment and students reported their intake of fruits, vegetables, sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB), and snacks. Multilevel modelling was used to assess the school-level variance in dietary behaviours and to investigate the association of school food environmental factors with these dietary behaviours. Results: After adjustment for student characteristics, the school level accounted for a small proportion (1.1%–3.0%) of the variance in the dietary behaviours investigated. None of the investigated school food environmental factors were found to be related to the children’s reported intake of fruits, vegetables, snacks or SSB. Conclusions: Most of the variance in the dietary behaviours investigated was at the personal level. Thus in this sample, the investigated school-level factors do not appear to exert a strong influence on the dietary behaviours of children. Longitudinal studies using validated measures of the school food environment are needed.
Experimental and numerical study of the resistance component interactions of catamarans
Authors: Jamaluddin A , Utama IKAP , Widodo B , Molland AF
Published: July 2012

The paper presents the results of experimental and numerical investigations into the calm water resistance characteristics of slender catamarans and the interference effects of hull separation. The model hull forms comprise modern symmetrical catamaran hulls with lateral separation. A series of tests were conducted in a towing tank with lateral separation of the hulls of Sc/L = 0.2 – 0.4 and speeds corresponding to Froude number up to 0.65. Tests were carried out in a low speed wind tunnel to determine viscous interference effects between the hulls. Numerical computational fluid dynamics modelling was also used to estimate interference effects on the resistance components. It was found that the experimental and numerical investigations were in excellent agreement and provide satisfactory estimates of the resistance components. Results in the paper offer some practical data and further insight into wave and viscous interference effects.
Boosting circadian rhythms with lighting: A model driven approach
Authors: Barroso A , den Brinker B
Published: July 2012

We describe a model-based strategy for defining an optimal lighting schedule for strengthening the circadian rhythms of patients in intensive care units as a means of reducing delirium rates in hospitals. The effect of different lighting schedules on the amplitude of the circadian rhythms was assessed via computer simulations using a model of the circadian system. The simulation results show a large boost of the amplitude of circadian rhythms when the photoperiod is within the 6 h–16 h duration range at relatively modest light levels. It is concluded that a fast recovery of endogenous circadian rhythm can be supported by daily light pulses of about 6 h without necessarily causing visual discomfort to subjects.
Effects of a Physical Activity Behavior Change Intervention on Inflammation and Related Health Outcomes in Breast Cancer Survivors
Authors: Rogers Laura Q. , Fogleman Amanda , Trammell Rita , Hopkins-Price Patricia , Vicari Sandy , Rao Krishna , Edson Billie , Verhulst Steven , Courneya Kerry S. , Hoelzer Karen
Published: July 2012

Background. The goal of this pilot study was to determine the magnitude and direction of intervention effect sizes for inflammatory-related serum markers and relevant health outcomes among breast cancer survivors (BCSs) receiving a physical activity behavior change intervention compared with usual care. Methods. This randomized controlled trial enrolled 28 stage I, II, or IIIA BCSs who were post–primary treatment and not regular exercisers. Participants were assigned to either a 3-month physical activity behavior change intervention group (ING) or usual care group (UCG). Intervention included supervised aerobic (150 weekly minutes, moderate-intensity) and resistance (2 sessions per week) exercise that gradually shifted to home-based exercise. Outcomes were assessed at baseline and 3 months. Results. Cardiorespiratory fitness significantly improved in the ING versus the UCG (between-group difference = 3.8 mL/kg/min; d = 1.1; P = .015). Self-reported sleep latency was significantly reduced in the ING versus the UCG (between group difference = −0.5; d = −1.2; P = .02) as was serum leptin (between-group difference = −9.0 ng/mL; d = −1.0; P = .031). Small to medium nonsignificant negative effect sizes were noted for interleukin (IL)-10 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and ratios of IL-6 to IL-10, IL-8 to IL-10, and TNF-α to IL-10, whereas nonsignificant positive effect sizes were noted for IL-6 and high-molecular-weight adiponectin. Conclusions. Physical activity behavior change interventions in BCSs can achieve large effect size changes for several health outcomes. Although effect sizes for inflammatory markers were often small and not significant, changes were in the hypothesized direction for all except IL-6 and IL-10.
Context Matters
Authors: Kelley Elizabeth , Kelloway E. Kevin
Published: July 2012

Managers are increasingly required to lead individuals they rarely, if ever, see, but most leadership research still assumes frequent face-to-face interaction. To explore these relationships, the authors used a web-based survey ( n = 402) and structural equation modeling techniques to determine the fit of a proposed model of leadership in both remote and proximal environments. The authors used four previously identified contextual elements: perceptions of control, prior knowledge of leader, unplanned communication, and regularly scheduled communication with leader. The findings suggest that in the remote environment, perceptions of transformational leadership mediate the relationship between these elements and individual outcomes. The same model does not fit the proximal environment, suggesting that being managed proximally differs significantly from being managed remotely and that this difference resides in the context.
Patient Satisfaction Influenced by Interpersonal Treatment and Communication for African American Men
Authors: Moore Angelo D. , Hamilton Jill B. , Knafl George J. , Godley P.A. , Carpenter William R. , Bensen Jeannette T. , Mohler James L. , Mishel Merle
Published: July 2012

The purpose of this study was to determine if a particular set of health behaviors of health care providers and African American men (AAM) influence patient satisfaction from the AAM’s perspective. This descriptive, correlational study consisted of 505 AAM in North Carolina diagnosed with prostate cancer and enrolled in the North Carolina–Louisiana Prostate Cancer Project (PCaP). Analyses consisted of bivariate analyses and multiple regression. Patient-to-provider communication, interpersonal treatment, and provider-to-patient communication accounted for 45% ( p ≤ .0001) of the variability in patient satisfaction. Interpersonal treatment (provider focusing on the patient) explained the greatest amount ( F = 313.53, R2 = .39) of patient satisfaction. Since interpersonal treatment focuses on the patient and demonstrated to be the strongest predictor in patient satisfaction, it is noteworthy to consider the emphasis that should be placed on patient-centered care. In addition, knowing important variables positively affecting patient satisfaction provides useful information for developing appropriate interventions to improve AAM health care experiences.
Reconnecting the King with his head: The fall and resurrection of the state in criminological theory
Authors: Hallsworth Simon , Lea John
Published: July 2012

This article examines the relation between criminology and the state in the postwar period. The article begins by looking at the role of the criminologist in the emerging welfare state. Here the state was regarded as benevolent, while the task of the criminologist was to help guide penal policy along benevolent lines. We then chart the development of a more critical approach to the state, now conceived as an authoritarian formation by critical theorists who no longer considered themselves insiders. We then trace a range of forces that worked to marginalise the state now increasingly viewed as irrelevant. These include the triumph of neoliberalism, the reception of Foucault’s work and globalisation theory on mainstream criminological thinking. We conclude by drawing attention to the reality of a post-welfare, neoliberal order, in which the state never went away, and profile recent attempts to theorise its nature. In the context of societies where state power is omnipresent in our lives, we suggest the time has now arrived when we need to reconnect the body of the King with his decapitated head.
How public is public criminology?
Authors: Ruggiero Vincenzo
Published: July 2012

A variety of opinions and observations about public sociology are reviewed in this paper, which then examines how criminology (as a branch of sociology) has reacted to the call to ‘go public’. Dilemmas, potential strengths and manifest weaknesses are brought to light. These, it will be argued, are mostly due to the peculiar disciplinary position of criminology, an area of enquiry which, by claiming improbable independence from sociology, is forced to neglect those very sociological concepts that would indeed make it more ‘public’.
What’s Left? The prospects for social democratic criminology
Authors: Reiner Robert
Published: July 2012

This paper analyses the fate of social democratic sensibility in thinking about crime and criminal justice that prevailed for most of the 20th century, until a profound rupture in culture, political economy, crime and criminal justice. The paper proposes an ideal-type of social democratic criminology, and contrasts it with the law-and-order perspective that displaced it after the 1970s. The sources and consequences of this seismic shift are analysed and evaluated. Finally, following the fracturing of the last forty years’ neoliberal hegemony in the wake of the 2008 financial crash, it considers the prospects of a revival of the social democratic perspective in criminological thinking.
Generativity and balance in leadership
Authors: Ghislieri Chiara , Gatti Paola
Published: July 2012

The ability to transform followers into new leaders is an important task for leadership, as it guarantees organizational continuity and generativity. At the same time, however, it is a challenge that too often goes unanswered. In particular, research data emphasize that intergenerational transfer is highly critical in Italy: the number of elderly entrepreneurs, executives and top managers, for example, has increased significantly in recent years. This article presents a theoretical reflection on this issue, and has four main goals: to introduce the Italian leadership situation; to describe and understand the ‘dark side of leadership’ with particular attention to narcissism in leadership; to identify the main elements which can promote ‘generative leadership’ in organizational contexts (i.e. in this paper, a leadership based on the idea of generativity developed by Erik Erikson in 1968 ), highlighting the ability to achieve balance in leadership as a core aspect; and to provide suggestions about leadership training and development programmes, with a special focus on mentoring and coaching.
Antonio Gramsci: The fascist leadership as modern reactionary Caeserism and the novelty of the corporative State
Authors: Santoro Lorenzo
Published: July 2012

Antonio Gramsci’s detention in fascist jails from 1926 to 1937 forced him to see, in a very unpleasant way, the full affirmation of fascism in the vital ganglia of the country. During this pivotal period Gramsci developed a complex analysis of fascism's approach to leadership. He addressed Mussolini’s charisma in relation to the unique aspects of the fascist regime as a corporative system, a feature that was fostered by the mobilization of the petit-bourgeoisie and the depoliticization of the masses. Gramsci refuted Michels’ thesis about charisma and developed his own autonomous path of research, applying Max Weber's study on German militarism in new contexts. It may not be possible to identify a definitive analysis of fascism by Gramsci, but two different visions come to light in the Prison Notebooks, both of which highlight Mussolini's leadership as essential to grasp the idea of fascism as a weak regime or – conversely – as a new state able to ‘Americanize’ the European system of production.
The cultural dimensions of Italian leadership: Power distance, uncertainty avoidance and masculinity from an American perspective
Authors: Tavanti Marco
Published: July 2012

This article provides a cultural analysis of Italian leadership from a cross-cultural perspective. Americans view Italian leaders with cultural lenses and stereotypes often exaggerated by the media. Effective cross-cultural, business and international relations with Italians and Italian descendants require awareness of the true cultural dimensions beyond stereotypes and media portraits. Through the examination of Geert Hofstede’s cultural dimensions and the Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness (GLOBE studies), this study reviews the cultural dimensions called power distance, uncertainty avoidance and masculinity in relation to Italian leadership. From a cross-cultural and American standpoint, the author provides a cultural analysis of globally recognized Italian cultural dimensions that explain and enlighten more effective leadership practice and communication across borders and cultures.
Academic Self-Concept and Learning Strategies
Authors: McInerney Dennis M. , Cheng Rebecca Wing-yi , Mok Magdalena Mo Ching , Lam Amy Kwok Hap
Published: July 2012

This study examined the prediction of academic self-concept (English and Mathematics) and learning strategies (deep and surface), and their direction of effect, on academic achievement (English and Mathematics) of 8,354 students from 16 secondary schools in Hong Kong. Two competing models were tested to ascertain the direction of effect: Model A posited the effect of academic self-concept on learning strategies, whereas Model B posited the effect of learning strategies on academic self-concept. Structural equation modeling indicated that the data fit both models adequately, although Model B was found to have more applied heuristic value for practitioners than Model A because intervention is easier for learning strategies than self-concept. Further investigation also supported the reciprocal relationship between academic self-concept and academic achievement. The findings suggest that academic self-concept, learning strategies, and academic achievement have reciprocal relationships with each other.
Gifted Students’ Perceptions of the Regular Classes and Pull-Out Programs in South Korea
Authors: Yang Yang , Gentry Marcia , Choi Young Owan
Published: July 2012

This study examined the reliability and validity evidence of using the translated version of My Class Activities with South Korean elementary students, and differences between gifted and general students’ perceptions of their regular classes and gifted students’ perceptions of the pull-out program and their regular classes. Confirmatory factor analysis and multiple-indicator multiple-cause modeling were used to examine the validity evidence of using the instrument with South Korean students and differences in students’ perceived class activities. Results revealed that the instrument, with one item removed, could be an effective tool to use with South Korean elementary students. Gifted students had more positive perceptions of the regular classes than their general peers and perceived their pull-out classes more positively than their regular classes.
Understanding Sports Preparticipation Cardiovascular Screening Recommendations
Authors: Bultas Margaret W.
Published: July 2012

School nurses have the responsibility of maintaining the medical files of middle- and high-school athletes. This includes collecting and monitoring the sports preparticipation physical exam. Sudden cardiac death is the leading cause of death in young athletes and, therefore, is one of the primary reasons that competitive athletes undergo sports preparticipation physical exams. Although there is no governing body that has established mandates regarding the nature and scope of this physical exam, the American Heart Association (AHA) has recommendations for cardiovascular screening for competitive athletes. However, these recommendations are not always included on the preparticipation physical exam form and it is not always clear if the health care provider completing the form screened the athlete using these recommendations. Therefore, it is important that school nurses not only be knowledgeable of the AHA recommendations but also consider advocating for their school districts to include these recommendations on the physical exam form if they are not currently.
Adolescent Suicide Prevention in a School Setting
Authors: Johnson Lisa A. , Parsons Mary E.
Published: July 2012

Suicide is a major public health problem. Nationally, suicide is the third leading cause of death for adolescents. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to initiate and evaluate a gatekeeper suicide-prevention program within a local school system targeting faculty and staff without a medical or psychology background who interact regularly with middle- and high-school students. Following the implementation of this program, evaluation of increased knowledge related to adolescent suicide prevention was completed. All participants completed a pretest and posttest, and results indicate that the staff members’ knowledge about identification of risk factors, behavioral responses to suicidal students, and knowledge of community resources were increased. This project highlights the need for planned and sustainable education and training for faculty and school staff who regularly interact with adolescents. Additionally, the importance of continued monitoring, training, and advocating for suicide prevention programming is noted.
Interactions Between Alternative Therapies and Mental Health Services in Public Hospitals of Argentina
Authors: Saizar Mercedes , Korman Guido
Published: July 2012

In this article, the authors describe the phenomenon of therapeutic complementarity between alternatives therapies and biomedicine in public hospitals of Buenos Aires (Argentina). They contextualize the phenomenon in a global and local field. Features specific to Argentina make this phenomenon interesting. The first of these is that biomedicine is the only type of medicine that is legally authorized to act on the body; nevertheless, alternative practices have flourished not only in the private health sector but also in the public hospitals run by the state. A second feature refers to the alternative practices in the Mental Health Area that bring about a singular interaction between two different therapeutic models. Based on a qualitative study in public hospitals, the authors look into the reasons that generate the phenomenon, underlining the forms in which it expresses itself and the complexity of a field under construction that implies the resignification of the concepts related to health and disease.
Transplanted bone marrow mononuclear cells and MSCs impart clinical benefit to children with osteogenesis imperfecta through different mechanisms
Authors: Otsuru Satoru , Gordon Patricia L. , Shimono Kengo , Jethva Reena , Marino Roberta , Phillips Charlotte L. , Hofmann Ted J. , Veronesi Elena , Dominici Massimo , Iwamoto Masahiro , Horwitz Edwin M.
Published: July 2012

Transplantation of whole bone marrow (BMT) as well as ex vivo–expanded mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) leads to striking clinical benefits in children with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI); however, the underlying mechanism of these cell therapies has not been elucidated. Here, we show that non–(plastic)–adherent bone marrow cells (NABMCs) are more potent osteoprogenitors than MSCs in mice. Translating these findings to the clinic, a T cell–depleted marrow mononuclear cell boost (> 99.99% NABMC) given to children with OI who had previously undergone BMT resulted in marked growth acceleration in a subset of patients, unambiguously indicating the therapeutic potential of bone marrow cells for these patients. Then, in a murine model of OI, we demonstrated that as the donor NABMCs differentiate to osteoblasts, they contribute normal collagen to the bone matrix. In contrast, MSCs do not substantially engraft in bone, but secrete a soluble mediator that indirectly stimulates growth, data which provide the underlying mechanism of our prior clinical trial of MSC therapy for children with OI. Collectively, our data indicate that both NABMCs and MSCs constitute effective cell therapy for OI, but exert their clinical impact by different, complementary mechanisms. The study is registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00187018.
Mechanisms of resistance to high and low linear energy transfer radiation in myeloid leukemia cells
Authors: Haro Kurtis J. , Scott Andrew C. , Scheinberg David A.
Published: July 2012

Low linear energy transfer (LET) ionizing radiation (IR) is an important form of therapy for acute leukemias administered externally or as radioimmunotherapy. IR is also a potential source of DNA damage. High LET IR produces structurally different forms of DNA damage and has emerged as potential treatment of metastatic and hematopoietic malignancies. Therefore, understanding mechanisms of resistance is valuable. We created stable myeloid leukemia HL60 cell clones radioresistant to either γ-rays or α-particles to understand possible mechanisms in radioresistance. Cross-resistance to each type of IR was observed, but resistance to clustered, complex α-particle damage was substantially lower than to equivalent doses of γ-rays. The resistant phenotype was driven by changes in: apoptosis; late G2/M checkpoint accumulation that was indicative of increased genomic instability; stronger dependence on homology-directed repair; and more robust repair of DNA double-strand breaks and sublethal-type damage induced by γ-rays, but not by α-particles. The more potent cytotoxicity of α-particles warrants their continued investigation as therapies for leukemia and other cancers.
The pathway of cell dismantling during programmed cell death in lace plant (Aponogeton madagascariensis) leaves
Authors: Wertman Jaime , Lord Christina EN , Dauphinee Adrian N , Gunawardena Arunika HLAN
Published: July 2012

Background

Developmentally regulated programmed cell death (PCD) is the controlled death of cells that occurs throughout the life cycle of both plants and animals. The lace plant (Aponogeton madagascariensis) forms perforations between longitudinal and transverse veins in spaces known as areoles, via developmental PCD; cell death begins in the center of these areoles and develops towards the margin, creating a gradient of PCD. This gradient was examined using both long- and short-term live cell imaging, in addition to histochemical staining, in order to establish the order of cellular events that occur during PCD.

Results

The first visible change observed was the reduction in anthocyanin pigmentation, followed by initial chloroplast changes and the bundling of actin microfilaments. At this stage, an increased number of transvacuolar strands (TVS) was evident. Perhaps concurrently with this, increased numbers of vesicles, small mitochondrial aggregates, and perinuclear accumulation of both chloroplasts and mitochondria were observed. The invagination of the tonoplast membrane and the presence of vesicles, both containing organelle materials, suggested evidence for both micro- and macro-autophagy, respectively. Mitochondrial aggregates, as well as individual chloroplasts were subsequently seen undergoing Brownian motion in the vacuole. Following these changes, fragmentation of nuclear DNA, breakdown of actin microfilaments and early cell wall changes were detected. The vacuole then swelled, causing nuclear displacement towards the plasma membrane (PM) and tonoplast rupture followed closely, indicating mega-autophagy. Subsequent to tonoplast rupture, cessation of Brownian motion occurred, as well as the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm), nuclear shrinkage and PM collapse. Timing from tonoplast rupture to PM collapse was approximately 20 minutes. The entire process from initial chlorophyll reduction to PM collapse took approximately 48 hours. Approximately six hours following PM collapse, cell wall disappearance began and was nearly complete within 24 hours.

Conclusion

Results showed that a consistent sequence of events occurred during the remodelling of lace plant leaves, which provides an excellent system to study developmental PCD in vivo. These findings can be used to compare and contrast with other developmental PCD examples in plants.
Left ventricular hypertrabeculation/noncompaction with epilepsy, other heart defects, minor facial anomalies and new copy number variants
Authors: Nagel Bert , Gruber-Sedlmayr Ursula , Uhrig Sabine , Stöllberger Claudia , Klopocki Eva , Finsterer Josef
Published: July 2012

Background

Left ventricular hypertrabeculation/noncompaction (LVHT) is a cardiac abnormality of unknown etiology which has been described in children as well as in adults with and without chromosomal aberrations. LVHT has been reported in association with various cardiac and extracardiac abnormalities like epilepsy and facial dysmorphism.

Case presentation

A unique combination of LVHT, atrial septal defect, pulmonary valve stenosis, aortic stenosis, epilepsy and minor facial anomalies is presented in a 5.5 years old girl. Microarray-based genomic hybridization (array-CGH) detected six previously not described copy number variants (CNVs) inherited from a clinically unaffected father and minimally affected mother, thus, most likely, not clinically significant but rare benign variants.

Conclusions

Despite this complex phenotype de novo microdeletions or microduplications were not detected by array CGH. Further investigations, such as whole exome sequencing, could reveal point mutations and small indels as the possible cause.
Intraneural metastasis of gastric carcinoma leads to sciatic nerve palsy
Authors: Ichikawa Jiro , Matsumoto Seiichi , Shimoji Takashi , Tanizawa Taisuke , Gokita Tabu , Hayakawa Keiko , Aoki Kaoru , Ina Saori , Kanda Hiroaki
Published: July 2012

Background

Soft tissue metastases, in particular intraneural metastasis, from any carcinomas seldom occur. To our knowledge, no case of sciatic nerve palsy due to intraneural metastasis of gastric carcinoma is reported in the literature.

Case presentation

A case is reported of a 82-year old woman with sciatic nerve palsy with intraneural metastasis of gastric carcinoma. Although she had undergone partial gastrectomy with T2b, N0, M0 two years ago and primary site was cured, she developed sciatic nerve palsy from the carcinoma metastasis directly to the nerve. Operative resection and Histological examination revealed poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma, the same as her primary site adenocarcinoma.

Conclusions

Sciatica is usually caused by a herniated disc or spinal canal stenosis. Sciatic nerve palsy may be caused by nondiscogenic etiologies that may be either intrapelvic or extrapelvic. It is important to image the entire course of the nerve to distinguish these etiologies quickly. The longer the nerve compression the less likely a palsy will recover. Surgery is a good intervention that simultaneously obtains a tissue diagnosis and decompresses the nerve.