bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Attention impairment in rolandic epilepsy: Systematic review
Authors: Kavros Peregrine Murphy , Clarke Tara , Strug Lisa J. , Halperin Jeffrey M. , Dorta Nelson J. , Pal Deb K.
Published: April 2008

Summary

Purpose:Conflicting evidence about impairment of attention systems and the absence of a working model of attention has contributed to lack of clarity about comorbidity of attention problems in rolandic epilepsy (RE). Impairments in distributed attention systems may inform a disease model for RE, as well as direct interventions.

Methods:We used a systematic review of the relevant literature published in English from 1990 to 2006 to evaluate impairment in attention in RE. The Mirsky and Posner models of attention were evaluated for applicability, and studies were reviewed for design, instrumentation, and congruence with the Posner model of attention.

Results:Fourteen studies were identified: seven using a cross‐sectional design (six active EEG abnormalities; one EEG remission) and seven longitudinal studies (abnormal EEGs and follow‐up until normalized). According to the Posner model of attention, 12 studies employed measures that tapped the alerting network, 11 studies the orienting network, and eight the executive network. Nearly all controlled studies demonstrated impairments in all tested attention networks. In contrast, uncontrolled studies uniformly did not demonstrate impairments. Follow‐up studies demonstrated complete or near complete resolution of attention impairments.

Discussion:The weight of evidence, defined as the majority of studies evaluated, suggests that all three attention systems are impaired in children with active centrotemporal spikes (CTS), implying a more widespread functional cortical disturbance in RE than previously held. These impairments resolve upon EEG remission, suggesting a common pathological basis to the autosomal dominant CTS trait. Sources of methodological variation are discussed with recommendations for future investigations.
Evidence‐Based Strategies for Reading Instruction of Older Students with Learning Disabilities
Authors: Roberts Greg , Torgesen Joseph K. , Boardman Alison , Scammacca Nancy
Published: April 2008

Over a quarter of 8th‐grade students and more than one‐third of 4th graders do not read well enough to understand important concepts and acquire new knowledge from grade‐level text. For students with learning disabilities, the numbers are more troubling. This article describes features of evidence‐based instruction for students who continue to struggle with reading in late elementary, middle, and high school. Recommendations are organized into 5 areas that are critical to the reading improvement of older struggling readers: (1) word study, (2) fluency, (3) vocabulary, (4) comprehension, and (5) motivation. Much of the content in this article reflects our efforts with the Special Education and Reading Strands at the National Center on Instruction, funded by the Office of Special Education Programs and the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education. Two reports, both available at http://www.centeroninstruction.org/, have particular relevance—Interventions for Adolescent Struggling Readers: A Meta‐Analysis with Implications for Practice and Academic Literacy Instruction for Adolescents: A Guidance Document from the Center on Instruction.
Writing Instruction for Adolescents with Learning Disabilities: Programs of Intervention Research
Authors: Mason Linda H. , Graham Steve
Published: April 2008

Writing performance for a large number of adolescents, with and without learning disabilities (LD), in the United States is below the level required for success in college and in the world of work. Despite the importance of writing and students' with LD documented difficulties in this academic domain, writing intervention research for adolescents with LD is not as well established as research in other domains, such as reading. Programs of research in writing interventions for adolescents with LD, nevertheless, have provided frameworks for effective instruction for these students. Adapting criteria from Graham and Perin's (2007c)Writing Next report, 40 studies across six programs of research were located for our literature review in writing instruction for adolescents with LD. Based on the findings of these studies, instruction within two levels of support for adolescents with LD are recommended.
Improved Arrhythmia Detection in Implantable Loop Recorders
Authors: BRIGNOLE MICHELE , BELLARDINE BLACK CARISSA L. , THOMSEN POUL E. BLOCH , SUTTON RICHARD , MOYA ANGEL , STADLER ROBERT W. , CAO JIAN , MESSIER MARC , HUIKURI HEIKKI V.
Published: April 2008

Introduction:
Implantable loop recorders (ILR) have an automatic arrhythmia detection feature that can be compromised by inappropriately detected episodes. This study evaluated a new ILR sensing and detection scheme for automatically detecting asystole, bradyarrhythmia, and tachyarrhythmia events, which is implemented in the next generation device (Reveal DX/XT).

Methods and Results:
The new scheme employs an automatically adjusting R‐wave sensing threshold, enhanced noise rejection, and algorithms to detect asystole, bradyarrhythmia, and tachyarrhythmia. Performance of the new algorithms was evaluated using 2,613 previously recorded, automatically detected Reveal Plus episodes from 533 patients. A total of 71.9% of episodes were inappropriately detected by the original ILR, and at least 88.6% of patients had one or more inappropriate episodes, with most inappropriate detections due to R‐wave amplitude reductions, amplifier saturation, and T‐wave oversensing. With the new scheme, inappropriate detections were reduced by 85.2% (P < 0.001), with a small reduction in the detection of appropriate episodes (1.7%, P < 0.001). The new scheme avoided inappropriate detections in 67.4% of patients that had them with the original scheme.

Conclusions:
The new sensing and detection scheme is expected to substantially reduce the occurrence of inappropriately detected episodes, relative to that of the original ILR.
Does Morality Policy Exist? Testing a Basic Assumption
Authors: Mooney Christopher Z. , Schuldt Richard G.
Published: April 2008

Does morality policy exist? A growing body of scholarship has examined the ways that the politics of so‐called “morality policy” (e.g., abortion regulation, same‐sex marriage policy, and capital punishment) differ from the politics of other types of policy. In this literature, morality policies are assumed to be distinctive in that they generate conflicts of basic moral values, do not lend themselves to compromise, and are widely salient and technically simple. Using an email survey of morality policy scholars and a telephone survey of just over seven hundred Illinois residents in 2005, we test this assumption. We find that citizen responses about these policies vary along three of these four characteristics, just as morality policy scholars predicted. Thus, morality policies do exist, as assumed by these scholars. Our analysis also suggests some potentially fruitful avenues for future research on morality policy and other policy typologies.
The Politics of Crisis Policymaking: Chernobyl and Swedish Nuclear Energy Policy
Authors: Nohrstedt Daniel
Published: April 2008

Public policy scholars often accentuate the key role of crises in explaining policy change; however, much empirical work still remains to be done in order to explain crisis‐induced policy outcomes. This article explores the prediction of the Advocacy Coalition Framework that stable coalitions and impediments to learning reduce the likelihood for policy change after a crisis. Strategic action is emphasized as a supplementary variable focusing on the role of political motivations in post‐crisis policymaking. Sweden's decision not to accelerate the nuclear power phaseout following the 1986 Chernobyl disaster provides a case study to assess the utility of these explanations. Findings corroborate theoretical expectations about stable minority coalitions, cast doubts over the presumed rigidity of policy core beliefs, and emphasize strategic action and cognitive heuristics as important motivations for policy choice. The article concludes by outlining three sector‐specific variables (ideological salience, level of conflict, and previous crisis experiences) that add to the explanation of crisis‐induced policy outcomes.
School Choice as a Latent Variable: Estimating the “Complier Average Causal Effect” of Vouchers in Charlotte
Authors: Cowen Joshua M.
Published: April 2008

Randomized field trials of school voucher policy interventions face major statistical hurdles in the measurement of a voucher effect on student achievement. Selection bias undermines the benefits of randomization when the treatment, a random offer of a voucher, is declined by participants who systematically differ from those who accept. This article argues that the complier average causal effect (CACE) is the parameter of interest in voucher evaluations. As an example, the CACE is estimated using data from a small, one‐year field trial of vouchers in Charlotte, NC. In this estimation, voucher impacts in Charlotte are positive, but appear to be moderated by the probability of compliance. For math achievement, maximum likelihood CACE estimates are smaller and insignificant compared to intention to treat and instrumental variable estimates of mean treatment effects.
Arp11 Affects Dynein–Dynactin Interaction and is Essential for Dynein Function in Aspergillus nidulans
Authors: Zhang Jun , Wang Liqin , Zhuang Lei , Huo Liang , Musa Shamsideen , Li Shihe , Xiang Xin
Published: April 2008

The dynactin complex contains proteins including p150 that interacts with cytoplasmic dynein and an actin‐related protein Arp1 that forms a minifilament. Proteins including Arp11 and p62 locate at the pointed end of the Arp1 filament, but their biochemical functions are unclear (Schroer TA. Dynactin. Annu Rev Cell Dev Biol 2004;20:759–779). In Aspergillus nidulans, loss of Arp11 or p62 causes the same nuclear distribution (nud) defect displayed by dynein mutants, indicating that these pointed‐end proteins are essential for dynein function. We constructed a strain with S‐tagged p150 of dynactin that allows us to pull down components of the dynactin and dynein complexes. Surprisingly, while the ratio of pulled‐down Arp1 to S‐p150 in Arp11‐depleted cells is clearly lower than that in wild‐type cells, the ratio of pulled‐down dynein to S‐p150 is significantly higher. We further show that the enhanced dynein–dynactin interaction in Arp11‐depleted cells is also present in the soluble fraction and therefore is not dependent upon the affinity of these proteins to the membrane. We suggest that loss of the pointed‐end proteins alters the Arp1 filament in a way that affects the conformation of p150 required for its proper interaction with the dynein motor.
Eosinophilic ulcer of the oral mucosa: a distinct entity or a non‐specific reactive pattern?
Authors: Segura S , Pujol RM
Published: April 2008

Eosinophilic ulcer of the oral mucosa (EUOM) is an uncommon self‐limited oral condition that clinically manifests as a solitary ulceration with elevated indurate borders affecting the tongue, buccal mucosa or lip. Microscopically, it is characterized by a polymorphic inflammatory infiltrate with a prominent polymorphonuclear eosinophilic component extending deep into the submucosa, underlying muscle and salivary glands. Large mononuclear cells probably corresponding to histiocytes, myofibroblasts or activated lymphoid cells are also frequently observed. The exact pathogenetic mechanisms implicated in the development of EUOM are poorly understood; however, the possibility that trauma may play a role in its development has been often postulated. Since its original description, the possibility that EUOM could be either considered an individualized disorder or a non‐specific reactive pattern secondary to several stimuli has been discussed. EOUM may show some overlapping features with some entities such as atypical histiocytic granuloma, mucosal angiolymphoid hyperplasia with eosinophilia, and Kimura disease. The clinical and histopathological features and the differential diagnosis of EUOM are reviewed and its existence as a distinct disease discussed.
Structural bases for recognition of Anp32/LANP proteins
Authors: de Chiara Cesira , Menon Rajesh P. , Pastore Annalisa
Published: April 2008

The leucine‐rich repeat acidic nuclear protein (Anp32a/LANP) belongs to a family of evolutionarily‐conserved phosphoproteins involved in a complex network of protein–protein interactions. In an effort to understand the cellular role, we have investigated the mode of interaction of Anp32a with its partners. As a prerequisite, we solved the structure in solution of the evolutionarily conserved N‐terminal leucine‐rich repeat (LRR) domain and modeled its interactions with other proteins, taking PP2A as a paradigmatic example. The interaction between the Anp32a LRR domain and the AXH domain of ataxin‐1 was probed experimentally. The two isolated and unmodified domains bind with very weak (millimolar) affinity, thus suggesting the necessity either for an additional partner (e.g. other regions of either or both proteins or a third molecule) or for a post‐translational modification. Finally, we identified by two‐hybrid screening a new partner of the LRR domain, i.e. the microtubule plus‐end tracking protein Clip 170/Restin, known to regulate the dynamic properties of microtubules and to be associated with severe human pathologies.
Pathways and products for the metabolism of vitamin D3 by cytochrome P450scc
Authors: Tuckey Robert C. , Li Wei , Zjawiony Jordan K. , Zmijewski Michal A. , Nguyen Minh N. , Sweatman Trevor , Miller Duane , Slominski Andrzej
Published: April 2008

Cytochrome P450scc (CYP11A1) can hydroxylate vitamin D3 to produce 20‐hydroxyvitamin D3 and other poorly characterized hydroxylated products. The present study aimed to identify all the products of vitamin D3 metabolism by P450scc, as well as the pathways leading to their formation. Besides 20‐hydroxyvitamin D3, other major metabolites of vitamin D3 were a dihydroxyvitamin D3 and a trihydroxyvitamin D3 product. The dihydroxyvitamin D3 was clearly identified as 20,23‐dihydroxyvitamin D3 by NMR, in contrast to previous reports that postulated hydroxyl groups in positions 20 and 22. NMR of the trihydroxy product identified it as 17α,20,23‐trihydroxyvitamin D3. This product could be directly produced by P450scc acting on 20,23‐dihydroxyvitamin D3, confirming that hydroxyl groups are present at positions 20 and 23. Three minor products of D3 metabolism by P450scc were identified by MS and by examining their subsequent metabolism by P450scc. These products were 23‐hydroxyvitamin D3, 17α‐hydroxyvitamin D3 and 17α,20‐dihydroxyvitamin D3 and arise from the three P450scc‐catalysed hydroxylations occurring in a different order. We conclude that the major pathway of vitamin D3 metabolism by P450scc is: vitamin D3 → 20‐hydroxyvitamin D3 → 20,23‐dihydroxyvitamin D3 → 17α,20,23‐trihydroxyvitamin D3. The major products dissociate from the P450scc active site and accumulate at a concentration well above the P450scc concentration. Our new identification of the major dihydroxyvitamin D3 product as 20,23‐dihydroxyvitamin D3, rather than 20,22‐dihydroxyvitamin D3, explains why there is no cleavage of the vitamin D3 side chain, unlike the metabolism of cholesterol by P450scc.
Bioimaging of the unbalanced expression of microRNA9 and microRNA9* during the neuronal differentiation of P19 cells
Authors: Ko Mee Hyang , Kim Soonhag , Hwang Do Won , Ko Hae Young , Kim Young Ha , Lee Dong Soo
Published: April 2008

Generally, the 3′‐end of the duplex microRNA (miR) precursor (pre‐miR) is known to be stable in vivo and serve as a mature form of miR. However, both the 3′‐end (miR9) and 5′‐end (miR9*) of a brain‐specific miR9 have been shown to function biologically in brain development. In this study, real‐time PCR analysis and in vitro/in vivo bioluminescent imaging demonstrated that the upstream region of a primary miR9‐1 (pri‐miR9‐1) can be used to monitor the highly expressed pattern of endogenous pri‐miR9‐1 during neurogenesis, and that the Luciferase reporter gene can image the unequal expression patterns of miR9 and miR9* seen during the neuronal differentiation of P19 cells. This demonstrates that our bioimaging system can be used to study the participation of miRs in the regulation of neuronal differentiation.
Risk Factors for Female Sexual Dysfunction in the General Population: Exploring Factors Associated with Low Sexual Function and Sexual Distress
Authors: Hayes Richard D. , Dennerstein Lorraine , Bennett Catherine M. , Sidat Mohsin , Gurrin Lyle C. , Fairley Christopher K.
Published: April 2008

Introduction

No previous population-based studies have used validated instruments to measure female sexual dysfunction (FSD) in Australian women across a broad age range.

Aim

To estimate prevalence and explore factors associated with the components of FSD.

Main Outcome Measures

Sexual Function Questionnaire measured low sexual function. Female Sexual Distress Scale measured sexual distress.

Methods

Multivariate analysis of postal survey data from a random sample of 356 women aged 20–70 years.

Results

Low desire was more likely to occur in women in relationships for 20–29 years (odds ratio 3.7, 95% confidence intervals 1.1–12.8) and less likely in women reporting greater satisfaction with their partner as a lover (0.3, 0.1–0.9) or who placed greater importance on sex (0.1, 0.03–0.3). Low genital arousal was more likely among women who were perimenopausal (4.4, 1.2–15.7), postmenopausal (5.3, 1.6–17.7), or depressed (2.5, 1.1–5.3), and was less likely in women taking hormone therapy (0.2, 0.04–0.7), more educated (0.5, 0.3–0.96), in their 30s (0.2, 0.1–0.7) or 40s (0.2, 0.1–0.7), or placed greater importance on sex (0.2, 0.05–0.5). Low orgasmic function was less likely in women who were in their 30s (0.3, 0.1–0.8) or who placed greater importance on sex (0.3, 0.1–0.7). Sexual distress was positively associated with depression (3.1, 1.2–7.8) and was inversely associated with better communication of sexual needs (0.2, 0.05–0.5). Results were adjusted for other covariates including age, psychological, socioeconomic, physiological, and relationship factors.

Conclusions

Relationship factors were more important to low desire than age or menopause, whereas physiological and psychological factors were more important to low genital arousal and low orgasmic function than relationship factors. Sexual distress was associated with both psychological and relationship factors.
Two Challenges for the Classification of Sexual Dysfunction
Authors: Mitchell Kirstin , Graham Cynthia A.
Published: April 2008

Introduction

The current classification of sexual function (in particular, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, DSM-IV) has lately attracted significant criticism at both research and clinical levels. Despite this, there has been a reluctance to return to the drawing board. Instead, attempts to improve the system have been marginal, constrained by the need to secure professional consensus, the desire for continuity with traditional categories, and the emphasis on diagnostic agreement (reliability).

Aim

In this article, we examine two key challenges currently faced by the DSM: how to effectively acknowledge the relational context of sexual problems and how to avoid pathologizing normal variation.

Results

We raise some possible new directions, such as ways in which relational processes could be integrated into the current system, and possibilities for introducing a dimensional rather than a categorical model of sexual function.

Conclusions

We argue that if the next version of DSM (version V) is to avoid the weaknesses inherent in the present system, then a return to the drawing board is precisely what is required.
A pilot study of the efficacy of residuum lodges for managing sediment delivery to impoundment reservoirs
Authors: Kay Paul , Armstrong Alona , McDonald Adrian , Parsons Daniel , Best Jim , Peakall Jeff , Walker Andrew , Foulger Miles , Gledhill Sarah , Tillotson Martin
Published: April 2008

Residuum lodges comprise small dams constructed on feeder streams immediately before they enter a reservoir, behind which ponds form, where sediment is deposited. Despite their construction on many impoundment reservoirs (IRE) and catchwaters, little research has previously investigated their efficacy at removing sediments from feeder streams. The current pilot study has, therefore, been carried out at an IRE supplying Halifax, West Yorkshire, UK, where a residuum lodge was recently cleaned out. Sediment concentrations reaching the reservoir were reduced by up to 42% although no certain impacts were noted on the other water quality variables that were measured. Moreover, it was found that the clearance operation did not result in the release of excessive quantities of sediment into the reservoir. It was estimated that the cleared residuum lodge would take 12 years to refill. A survey of other residuum lodges in the Yorkshire region showed there to be considerable differences in their remaining capacities.
Family Farms Are Still Around: Time to Invert the Old Agrarian Question
Authors: Brookfield Harold
Published: April 2008

Family farming is far from dead, in either the developed or developing countries. Family farms need to be qualitatively defined, with both family management and substantial labour input being central elements. The ‘agrarian question’ has been largely about their disappearance and replacement by capitalist farms, or subsumption by agribusiness, but they have competed successfully with capitalist farms for a long period. In modern times, the economies of scale are largely captured by farms within the normal family‐operated range. Pluriactivity is not only a means by which otherwise uneconomic farms survive; it is also a means of enlarging income and opportunity as farms can be managed with less labour. The adaptability and efficiency that family farmers have demonstrated continue. It is time that the old agrarian question was inverted to ask how and why family farming survives, and why it will continue to do so.
Tourism Geographies,Tourist Studiesand the Turn towardsMobilities
Authors: Hannam Kevin
Published: April 2008

Tourism is frequently acclaimed as one of the world's largest and most pervasive industries. Research into tourism has grown rapidly in recent years with many new books and journals appearing. In particular, this article notes that perhaps three new journals have marked the coming of age of tourism‐related research, namely,Tourism Geographies,Tourist Studiesand finallyMobilities. While a great deal of other research has been published in books and journals and indeed many other new tourism journals have been started, this article utilises the start of these journals as benchmarks for a theoretical engagement with tourism research. This article thus begins by reviewing research into tourism geographies and focuses on work that has examined destination branding in the face of globalising processes. The article goes on to review research that has been concerned primarily with host–guest interactions in terms of tourist studies. Indeed, both residents and tourist's performances have been the focus of much contemporary research particularly by researchers who have begun to view tourism as increasingly constitutive of everyday life rather than being simply an escape from it. Finally, it is argued that the concept of mobilities helps us to understand global tourism in the context of other social and spatial travel processes.
Potential of Oregano Essential Oil and MAP to Extend the Shelf Life of Fresh Swordfish: A Comparative Study with Ice Storage
Authors: Giatrakou V. , Kykkidou S. , Papavergou A. , Kontominas M.G. , Savvaidis I.N.
Published: April 2008

ABSTRACT:  The present study evaluated the effect of modified atmosphere packaging (MAP, 5% O2/50% CO2/45% N2; treatment M), the addition of oregano oil (0.1%, v/w; treatment AO) as a natural preservative, as well as their combination (treatment MO) on the quality and shelf life extension of fresh Mediterranean swordfish fillets during a refrigerated storage (4 °C) period of 18 d. Simultaneously, swordfish fillets were stored under aerobic conditions (control treatment A, 4 °C) and on ice (usual commercial method of preservation, treatment I, 0 °C). Among the 5 treatments examined in the present study, the most effective one to inhibit the microbial and sensory spoilage proved to be the MO treatment, achieving a shelf life extension of 8 to 9 d. The dominant bacteria in the microflora of swordfish, irrespective of treatment, were the Pseudomonads and the H2S‐producing bacteria, while both lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and the Enterobacteriaceae produced the lowest populations in swordfish samples kept on ice. Among the chemical indices examined, thiobarbituric acid (TBA) values showed no specific trend of lipid oxidation for swordfish, irrespective of treatment. Final trimethylamine nitrogen (TMA‐N) and total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB‐N) values for treatments, A, AO, M, and MO ranged between 1.33 and 14.29 mg N/100 g and 14.11 to 55.52 mg N/100 g, respectively, whereas for I samples they remained almost unchanged during storage. Sensory analysis (taste attribute) correlated well with microbiological analysis, indicating a shelf life of approximately 5 to 6 d for control, 10 to 11 d for AO, 12 d for I, 13 d for M, and 14 d for MO samples.
Persistence of Context Effects after Training and with Intensity References
Authors: Olabi A. , Lawless H.T.
Published: April 2008

ABSTRACT:  Products will be judged as weaker in intensity when presented in a series with stronger items and stronger in intensity when presented with weaker items. This is a context effect known as simple contrast. Four groups of panelists were tested for the appearance and persistence of simple contrast effects in judgments of sweetness intensity. One group received training with intensity references, 1 group received a reference standard in each test, 1 group received both training and intensity references, and 1 group received neither training nor any references. In spite of extensive training and the presence of reference standards, the contrast effects were persistent. Training with intensity standards, as sometimes done in descriptive analysis, may not be sufficient to protect against shifts in judgments when products are judged in different contexts.
Benefit Finding and Physical Health: Positive Psychological Changes and Enhanced Allostasis
Authors: Bower Julienne E. , Low Carissa A. , Moskowitz Judith Tedlie , Sepah Saviz , Epel Elissa
Published: April 2008

Many individuals who undergo stressful life events report that they have derived some positive benefit from the experience. Although the majority of research on benefit finding has focused on its psychological correlates, there is intriguing evidence that benefit finding may also have effects on physical health. In this paper, we review the emerging literature on benefit finding and physical health and present an integrative model in which we identify specific psychological and physiological pathways through which benefit finding may influence physical health outcomes. In particular, we consider the hypothesis that benefit finding may involve changes in a number of psychological domains – namely, changes in appraisal and coping processes, relationships, goals and priorities, and positive affect – that lead to a state of enhanced allostasis, buffering against negative effects of catabolic stress responses and promoting activity in restorative physiological systems. Empirical evidence for this model is reviewed, focusing on studies that have examined positive psychological constructs relevant to benefit finding and their effects on stress reactivity, recovery, and habituation, as well as restorative processes.
Skill Level, Self‐Views and Self‐Theories as Sources of Error in Self‐Assessment
Authors: Ehrlinger Joyce
Published: April 2008

People's impressions of the quality of their performances are often surprisingly inaccurate. In this paper, I discuss three specific factors that contribute to error in self‐assessment. First, at a most basic level, individuals must possess a certain level of knowledge to simply distinguish weak from strong performances. Thus, a lack of skill can contribute to erroneous self‐assessments. Second, even those who possess skill might rely on the wrong information to evaluate their performances. I discuss how relying on preexisting self‐views can lead estimates of one's performance astray. Third, I discuss how motivational forces can play an indirect role in overconfidence. In particular, theories of intelligence that inspire people to think well of themselves also inspire behaviors that contribute to overconfident impressions of how well one has performed on a task. Finally, I discuss how we can draw on this research to improve accuracy in self‐assessments.
Towards a Critical Social Psychological Account of National Sentiments: Patriotism and Nationalism Revisited
Authors: Sapountzis Antonis
Published: April 2008

In the social sciences and in social psychology as well, a distinction is often drawn between two different types of national sentiments. The first one is frequently represented as defensive and positive and it is termed patriotism, while the second one is considered a negative one that potentially has destructive consequences and it is termed nationalism. Within social psychology there have been attempts to map the differences between these different types of national sentiments and to discover the various factors that seem to be associated with them. Some critical social psychologists have adopted a different perspective, arguing that we should regard patriotism and nationalism as an ideological dilemma people face when they talk about nations. This approach allows researchers to examine the way the ideology of nationhood is represented in common sense as well as the specific aspects of national ideology in each country.
Defensive Pessimism, Anxiety, and the Complexity of Evaluating Self‐Regulation
Authors: Norem Julie K.
Published: April 2008

Defensive pessimism is a motivated cognitive strategy that helps people manage their anxiety and pursue their goals. Individuals who use defensive pessimism set low expectations, and play through extensive mental simulations of possible outcomes as they prepare for goal‐relevant tasks and situations. Research on a variety of phenomena, from self‐handicapping to stereotype threat, demonstrates the potential effectiveness of defensive pessimism as a self‐regulation strategy. Review of this research provides an illustration of the complexity of self‐regulation efforts, because understanding how and why defensive pessimism works requires an integrated understanding the role of traits, motivations, and self structures within the individual, the resultant goals toward which strategies are directed, and the particular constraints of different situations and cultural contexts.
Regulatory Fit and Persuasion: Basic Principles and Remaining Questions
Authors: Cesario Joseph , Higgins E. Tory , Scholer Abigail A.
Published: April 2008

How can researchers and practitioners use regulatory fit theory to increase the effectiveness of their attempts to change attitudes and behavior? In this article, we extract from the literature a set of basic processes by which fit can influence persuasion and describe different methods for inducing fit. Regulatory fit can influence persuasion by: (i) making message recipients feel right during message reception; (ii) increasing recipients’ strength of engagement with the message, which contributes to processing fluency; and (iii) influencing elaboration likelihood. Integral methods induce fit within the persuasion situation (as with framing of message arguments, source delivery style, and decision means), whereas incidental methods induce fit independent of the persuasion situation. We discuss common difficulties researchers may encounter with these techniques, and clarify existing confusions about regulatory fit and regulatory focus theory. Throughout, we highlight important questions that must be addressed to attain a complete understanding of regulatory fit.
Designing Health Communications: Harnessing the Power of Affect, Imagery, and Self‐Regulation
Authors: Cameron Linda D. , Chan Carina K. Y.
Published: April 2008

We review recent advances in self‐regulation theory and research, highlighting implications for communication strategies aimed at persuading individuals to adopt health‐protective behaviors. We focus on the role of affect and imagery processes in health persuasion, reviewing research on how fear arousal and imagery influence health information processing and decision‐making. Despite ongoing controversy over the use of fear‐arousing appeals, considerable empirical evidence supports their efficacy. Such threat appeals can backfire, however, if they fail to address key aspects of self‐regulation processes. Research on the cognitive and emotional influences of imagery and other concrete‐perceptual stimuli points to strategies for integrating them into health persuasion efforts. Mental simulation techniques represent another promising avenue for communications aimed at fostering health behavior change. New directions of inquiry include research on appeals that arouse emotions other than fear (e.g., positive emotions), more nuanced applications of fear arousal in communications, and applications for computer‐based and Internet communications.
Group Membership as a ‘Frame of Reference’ for Interpersonal Comparison
Authors: Leach Colin Wayne , Vliek Michael L. W.
Published: April 2008

Although individuals may view themselves as part of a group (e.g., couple, a family, or a nationality) when comparing to others, most contemporary theory and research in psychology focuses on the interpersonal comparisons that individuals make to other individuals. The prevailing view is quite individually oriented as it emphasizes the closeness between individuals as the most important basis of interpersonal comparison. However, membership in a meaningful ‘reference group’ typically frames interpersonal comparison, even where individuals do not consciously attend to the group. This makes individuals especially likely to make interpersonal comparisons to other members of their reference group and for these comparisons to be especially affecting psychologically. These are the central tenets of reference group theory (Hyman, 1942; Merton, 1957). In this paper, we use reference group theory to highlight the role of group membership in what otherwise appear to be individually oriented interpersonal comparisons.
A Social Psychology of Cultural Dynamics: Examining How Cultures Are Formed, Maintained, and Transformed
Authors: Kashima Yoshihisa
Published: April 2008

Social psychological research on culture has mainly focused on differences in psychological processes between cultural groups. However, in the globalizing world today, a complementary approach to culture, a social psychology of culturaldynamics, is emerging as a critical research program. Adopting a neo‐diffusionist meta‐theory of culture, it regards culture as emerging from the processes of cultural transmission in situated social activities, and examines the dynamics involved in the formation, maintenance, and transformation of culture over time. The paper reviews recent research on culture in this perspective and makes suggestions about future directions.
Small‐Group Research in Social Psychology: Topics and Trends over Time
Authors: Wittenbaum Gwen M. , Moreland Richard L.
Published: April 2008

Research on small groups has a long history within social psychology. Unfortunately, interest in studying social processes within small groups has diminished over time despite predictions of its resurgence. Moreland, Hogg, and Hains (1994) computed an index of interest in small groups in the major social psychology journals between 1975 and 1993, finding an increase in the mid 1980s and early 1990s. This increase was due largely to the influence of European and social cognition approaches, which do not focus on intragroup processes. We replicated their procedures through 2006 and found that these trends have persisted. Over half of the group‐related research published from 1975 to 2006 involved intergroup relations (e.g., social identity, stereotyping), whereas other topic areas (i.e., group composition, structure, performance, conflict, and ecology) that involve intragroup processes were largely ignored. The implications of these trends for the fields of small groups and social psychology are discussed.
Absolute Other: Lacan's ‘Big Other’ as Adjunct to Critical Social Psychological Analysis?
Authors: Hook Derek
Published: April 2008

Lacanian theory offers a series of promising conceptualization – amongst then the notion of the ‘big Other’– which, despite their obvious analytical value, have been curiously neglected by critical social psychology. This paper concerns itself with an overview of this concept of the ‘big Other’ particularly in reference to how it may benefit critical social psychological analyses. The explanatory value of this notion is introduced via a series of Lacanian paradoxes (the Other as vanishing‐point of inter‐subjectivity that cannot itself be subjectivized; the Other as simultaneously ‘inside’ and ‘outside’; the Other as both embodiment of the social substance and yet also the site of the unconscious). I then move on to show how this notion opens conceptual opportunities for social psychological conceptualizations of the formation of the social. I close by demonstrating what the ‘big Other’ offers critical social psychological analyses of power.
Media Studies 2.0? Binge Drinking and Why Audiences Still Matter
Authors: Ruddock Andy
Published: April 2008

The idea of ‘audience’ no longer appears to suit media studies. Conceiving the public as sponges for information and entertainment may have worked in the television age. But not so the computer, mobile phone, iPod era. Increasingly, it appears that the public amuse and inform themselves, using media to create and circulate their own content. This presents media scholars with a considerable challenge, as outlined in David Gauntlett's announcement of ‘Media Studies 2.0’. One goal of the new discipline is to dispense with ‘audience’ as a meaningful category. This essay will argue that this is a rhetorical shift only possible because of audience research. Additionally, in describing a study of young student drinkers, the essay will argue that traditional, ‘receiver’ definitions of audience offer an important means for the public to enter policy debates on binge culture. Abandoning audience thus also means ignoring media issues that the public feel are important.
Older Adults and Their Vulnerabilities to the Exposure of Violence
Authors: Peguero Anthony A. , Lauck Amanda M.
Published: April 2008

According to US Census Bureau projections, there will be an estimated 72 million people over the age of 65 in the USA by the year 2030. Exposure to violence and crime victimization has serious physical, emotional, mental, and economic consequences for the growing older population in the USA. It should thus come as no surprise that much sociological attention has focused more on examining the correlates of violence for the older American population. We intend to provide an overview of the typologies, empirical research, and the pertinent factors associated with older people and their exposure to violence. We then discuss necessity to further research and our understanding of the important social problem of the exposure of violence for older people in the USA. In conclusion, implications of research findings of how to address the vulnerabilities of older people in relationship to their exposure to violence are discussed.
Consent and Informed Consent: Their Ongoing Evolutions in Clinical Care and Research on Humans
Authors: Mazur Dennis J.
Published: April 2008

The dual concepts of ‘consent’ and ‘informed consent’ continue to have three evolutions. The primary evolution of consent in the patient–physician relationship began in Great Britain in 1767 in the British case, Slater v. Baker and Stapleton, in the judge‐made law of consent. The term ‘informed consent’ within the patient–physician relationship entered the judicial lexicon in the 1957 California appellate case, Salgo v. Leland Stanford Junior University. In its second evolution within research on humans following the Nuremberg trials that included experimental atrocities on humans, there is a key focus on clarifying the purpose of research and specifying the reasons for the need for an even more extensive risk disclosure to individuals considering volunteering for study participation. This second evolution continues with the further refinement of the Declaration of Helsinki and, within the USA, a focus on the Belmont Report. In its third evolution in research in the social science, there has been a recognition of problems with informed consent to questionnaire research. When questionnaires involve patients with moderate or severe posttraumatic stress disorder or abused individuals, there needs to be intense consideration focused on how to best protect the participants with these conditions during the questionnaire study.
The Sociology of Expertise: The Distribution of Social Fluency
Authors: Evans Robert
Published: April 2008

Expert knowledge is an essential component of modern society. It is also a potentially difficult topic for sociology because of the importance sociology attaches to culture and context. The sociology of science has emphasised the continuity between scientific expertise and more traditional forms of knowledge. Whilst this suggests an increasing ‘democratisation of expertise’ is desirable, it also risks erasing the idea of expertise itself. This might be particularly detrimental for sociology as it restricts the role of sociological inquiry to examining how expert status is attributed rather than understanding what expertise is. This paper describes these developments and contrasts them with other approaches in which expertise appears less important. It concludes by setting out a new approach to expertise that respects the role of culture in generating knowledge but, by stressing the importance of socialisation and experience, argues for a more nuanced conception of expertise as both real and unequally distributed.
Gendered Organizations: Progress and Prospects
Authors: Britton Dana M. , Logan Laura
Published: April 2008

In this paper, we explore the context for the emergence of a theory of gendered organizations and define the basic features of the approach, noting the explosion of scholarship in the area and the now firmly established trend toward understanding gender, race, class, and sexuality as aspects of social structures. We focus on three of the most important emerging areas in research on gendered organizations: the study of intersectionality, the increasing emphasis on the importance of organizational context, and the exploration of mechanisms for organizational change. We conclude by briefly noting prospects for the further development of research on gendered organizations.
Role of TRPV1 channels in renal haemodynamics and function in Dahl salt‐sensitive hypertensive rats
Authors: Li Jianping , Wang Donna H.
Published: April 2008

This study tests the hypothesis that dysfunction of transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 (TRPV1) channels occurs and contributes to the decrease in the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and sodium/water excretion in Dahl salt‐sensitive hypertensive rats. Recirculating Krebs–Henseleit buffer added with inulin was perfused at a constant flow in the isolated kidneys of Dahl salt‐sensitive (DS) or Dahl salt‐resistant (DR) rats fed a high‐salt (HS) or low‐salt (LS) diet for 3 weeks. Perfusion pressures (PP) were pre‐adjusted to three levels (∼100, ∼150 or ∼190 mmHg) with or without phenylephrine. Capsaicin, a selective TRPV1 agonist, in the presence or absence of capsazepine, a selective TRPV1 antagonist, was perfused. Basal GFR, urine flow rate (UFR) and Na+excretion (UNaV) were significantly lower in DS‐HS than in DR‐HS, DS‐LS and DR‐LS rats. Capsaicin caused pressure‐dependent decreases in PP and increases in GFR, UFR andUNaVin all groups, with less magnitude of decreases in PP and increases in GFR, UFR andUNaVin DS‐HS than in DR‐HS, DS‐LS and DR‐LS rats. Capsazepine completely blocked the effect of capsaicin on PP, GFR, UFR andUNaVin all groups. Thus, these results show that TRPV1 function is impaired in the kidney of DS rats fed a high‐salt diet, which may contribute to the decrease in GFR and renal excretory function in DS rats in the face of salt challenge.
Modulation of the control of muscle sympathetic nerve activity during incremental leg cycling
Authors: Ichinose Masashi , Saito Mitsuru , Fujii Naoto , Ogawa Takeshi , Hayashi Keiji , Kondo Narihiko , Nishiyasu Takeshi
Published: April 2008

We tested the hypotheses that arterial baroreflex (ABR) control over muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) in humans does not remain constant throughout a bout of leg cycling ranging in intensity from very mild to exhausting. ABR control over MSNA (burst incidence, burst strength and total MSNA) was evaluated by analysing the relationship between beat‐to‐beat spontaneous variations in diastolic arterial pressure (DAP) and MSNA in 15 healthy subjects at rest and during leg cycling in a seated position at five workloads: very mild (10 W), mild (82 ± 5.0 W), moderate (126 ± 10.2 W), heavy (156 ± 14.3 W), and exhausting (190 ± 21.2 W). The workload was incremented every 6 min. The linear relationships between DAP and MSNA variables were significantly shifted downward during very mild exercise, but then shifted progressively upward as exercise intensity increased. During heavy and exhausting exercise, moreover, the DAP–MSNA relationships were also significantly shifted rightward from the resting relationship. The sensitivity of ABR control over burst incidence and total MSNA was significantly lower during very mild exercise than during rest, and the sensitivity of the burst incidence control remained lower than the resting level at all higher exercise intensities. By contrast, the sensitivity of the total MSNA control recovered to the resting level during mild and moderate exercise, and was significantly increased during heavy and exhausting exercise (versus rest). We conclude that, in humans, ABR control over MSNA is not uniform throughout a leg cycling exercise protocol in which intensity was varied from very mild to exhausting. We suggest that this non‐uniformity of ABR function is one of the mechanisms by which sympathetic and cardiovascular responses are matched to the exercise intensity.
Non‐selective β‐adrenergic blockade prevents reduction of the cerebral metabolic ratio during exhaustive exercise in humans
Authors: Larsen Thomas Seifert , Rasmussen Peter , Overgaard Morten , Secher Niels H. , Nielsen Henning B.
Published: April 2008

Intense exercise decreases the cerebral metabolic ratio of oxygen to carbohydrates [O2/(glucose +½lactate)], but whether this ratio is influenced by adrenergic stimulation is not known. In eight males, incremental cycle ergometry increased arterial lactate to 15.3 ± 4.2 mm (mean ±s.d.) and the arterial–jugular venous (a–v) difference from −0.02 ± 0.03 mm at rest to 1.0 ± 0.5 mm (P < 0.05). The a–v difference for glucose increased from 0.7 ± 0.3 to 0.9 ± 0.1 mm (P < 0.05) at exhaustion and the cerebral metabolic ratio decreased from 5.5 ± 1.4 to 3.0 ± 0.3 (P < 0.01). Administration of a non‐selective β‐adrenergic (β1+β2) receptor antagonist (propranolol) reduced heart rate (69 ± 8 to 58 ± 6 beats min−1) and exercise capacity (239 ± 42 to 209 ± 31 W; P < 0.05) with arterial lactate reaching 9.4 ± 3.6 mm. During exercise with propranolol, the increase in a–v lactate difference (to 0.5 ± 0.5 mm; P < 0.05) was attenuated and the a–v glucose difference and the cerebral metabolic ratio remained at levels similar to those at rest. Together with the previous finding that the cerebral metabolic ratio is unaffected during exercise with administration of the β1‐receptor antagonist metropolol, the present results suggest that the cerebral metabolic ratio decreases in response to a β2‐receptor mechanism.