bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs and the Esophageal Inflammation-Metaplasia-Adenocarcinoma Sequence
Authors: Anderson Lesley A. , Johnston Brian T. , Watson R.G. Peter , Murphy Seamus J. , Ferguson Heather R. , Comber Harry , McGuigan Jim , Reynolds John V. , Murray Liam J.
Published: May 2006

Observational studies suggest that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) reduce the risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma, but it is not known at what stage they may act in the esophageal inflammation-metaplasia-adenocarcinoma sequence. In an all-Ireland case-control study, we investigated the relationship between the use of NSAIDs and risk of reflux esophagitis, Barrett's esophagus, and esophageal adenocarcinoma. Patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma, long-segment Barrett's esophagus and population controls were recruited from throughout Ireland. Esophagitis patients were recruited from Northern Ireland only. Data were collected on known and potential risk factors for esophageal adenocarcinoma and on the use of NSAIDs, including aspirin, at least 1 year before interview. Associations between use of NSAIDs and the stages of the esophageal inflammation-metaplasia-adenocarcinoma sequence were estimated by multiple logistic regression. In total, 230 reflux esophagitis, 224 Barrett's esophagus, and 227 esophageal adenocarcinoma and 260 population controls were recruited. Use of aspirin and NSAIDs was associated with a reduced risk of Barrett's esophagus [odds ratio [OR; 95% confidence interval (95% CI)], 0.53 (0.31-0.90) and 0.40 (0.19-0.81), respectively] and esophageal adenocarcinoma [OR (95% CI), 0.57 (0.36-0.93) and 0.58 (0.31-1.08), respectively]. Barrett's esophagus and esophageal adenocarcinoma patients were less likely than controls to have used NSAIDs. Selection or recall bias may explain these results and the results of previous observational studies indicating a protective effect of NSAIDs against esophageal adenocarcinoma. If NSAIDs have a true protective effect on the esophageal inflammation-metaplasia-adenocarcinoma sequence, they may act early in the sequence. (Cancer Res 2006; 66(9): 4975-82)
Validation of Met as a Therapeutic Target in Alveolar and Embryonal Rhabdomyosarcoma
Authors: Taulli Riccardo , Scuoppo Claudio , Bersani Francesca , Accornero Paolo , Forni Paolo E. , Miretti Silvia , Grinza Alberto , Allegra Paola , Schmitt-Ney Michel , Crepaldi Tiziana , Ponzetto Carola
Published: May 2006

Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a highly malignant soft-tissue tumor of childhood deriving from skeletal muscle cells. RMS can be classified in two major histologic subtypes: embryonal (ERMS) and alveolar (ARMS), the latter being characterized by the PAX3/7-FKHR translocation. Here we first investigated whether the Met receptor, a transcriptional target of PAX3 and PAX7, has a role in PAX3-FKHR–mediated transformation. Following PAX3-FKHR transduction, Met was up-regulated in mouse embryonal fibroblasts (MEF), NIH 3T3 and C2C12 cells, and they all acquired anchorage independence. This property was lost in low serum but addition of hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor (HGF/SF) rescued soft-agar growth. Genetic proof that Met is necessary for this PAX3-FKHR–mediated effect was obtained by transducing with PAX3-FKHR MEFs derived from Met mutant (MetD/D) and wild-type (Met+/+) embryos. Only Met+/+ MEFs acquired anchorage-independent growth whereas PAX3-FKHR–transduced MetD/D cells were unable to form colonies in soft agar. To verify if Met had a role in RMS maintenance, we silenced the receptor by transducing ERMS and ARMS cell lines with an inducible lentivirus expressing an anti-Met short hairpin RNA (shRNA). Met down-regulation significantly affected RMS cells proliferation, survival, invasiveness, and anchorage-independent growth. Finally, induction of the Met-directed shRNA promoted a dramatic reduction of tumor mass in a xenograft model of RMS. Our data show that both ARMS- and ERMS-derived cell lines, in spite of the genetic drift which may have occurred in years of culture, seem to have retained an “addiction” to the Met oncogene and suggest that Met may represent a target of choice to develop novel therapeutic strategies for ARMS. (Cancer Res 2006; 66(9): 4742-9)
Combination of a Fusogenic Glycoprotein, Prodrug Activation, and Oncolytic Herpes Simplex Virus for Enhanced Local Tumor Control
Authors: Simpson Guy R. , Han Ziqun , Liu Binlei , Wang Yibing , Campbell Gregor , Coffin Robert S.
Published: May 2006

We have previously developed an oncolytic herpes simplex virus-1 based on a clinical virus isolate, which was deleted for ICP34.5 to provide tumor selected replication and ICP47 to increase antigen presentation as well as tumor selective virus replication. A phase I/II clinical trial using a version of this virus expressing granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor has shown promising results. The work reported here aimed to develop a version of this virus in which local tumor control was further increased through the combined expression of a highly potent prodrug activating gene [yeast cytosine deaminase/uracil phospho-ribosyltransferase fusion (Fcy::Fur)] and the fusogenic glycoprotein from gibbon ape leukemia virus (GALV), which it was hoped would aid the spread of the activated prodrug through the tumor. Viruses expressing the two genes individually or in combination were constructed and tested, showing (a) GALV and/or Fcy::Fur expression did not affect virus growth; (b) GALV expression causes cell fusion and increases the tumor cell killing at least 30-fold in vitro and tumor shrinkage 5- to 10-fold in vivo; (c) additional expression of Fcy::Fur combined with 5-fluorocytosine administration improves tumor shrinkage further. These results indicate, therefore, that the combined expression of the GALV protein and Fcy::Fur provides a highly potent oncolytic virus with improved capabilities for local tumor control. It is intended to enter the GALV/Fcy::Fur expressing virus into clinical development for the treatment of tumor types, such as pancreatic or lung cancer, where local control would be anticipated to be clinically advantageous. (Cancer Res 2006; 66(9): 4835-42)
MET Overexpression Turns Human Primary Osteoblasts into Osteosarcomas
Authors: Patanè Salvatore , Avnet Sofia , Coltella Nadia , Costa Barbara , Sponza Simone , Olivero Martina , Vigna Elisa , Naldini Luigi , Baldini Nicola , Ferracini Riccardo , Corso Simona , Giordano Silvia , Comoglio Paolo M. , Di Renzo Maria Flavia
Published: May 2006

The MET oncogene was causally involved in the pathogenesis of a rare tumor, i.e., the papillary renal cell carcinoma, in which activating mutations, either germline or somatic, were identified. MET activating mutations are rarely found in other human tumors, whereas at higher frequencies, MET is amplified and/or overexpressed in sporadic tumors of specific histotypes, including osteosarcoma. In this work, we provide experimental evidence that overexpression of the MET oncogene causes and sustains the full-blown transformation of osteoblasts. Overexpression of MET, obtained by lentiviral vector–mediated gene transfer, resulted in the conversion of primary human osteoblasts into osteosarcoma cells, displaying the transformed phenotype in vitro and the distinguishing features of human osteosarcomas in vivo. These included atypical nuclei, aberrant mitoses, production of alkaline phosphatase, secretion of osteoid extracellular matrix, and striking neovascularization. Although with a lower tumorigenicity, this phenotype was superimposable to that observed after transfer of the MET gene activated by mutation. Both transformation and tumorigenesis were fully abrogated when MET expression was quenched by short-hairpin RNA or when signaling was impaired by a dominant-negative MET receptor. These data show that MET overexpression is oncogenic and that it is essential for the maintenance of the cancer phenotype. (Cancer Res 2006; 66(9): 4750-7)
Frequent Silencing of the Candidate Tumor Suppressor PCDH20 by Epigenetic Mechanism in Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancers
Authors: Imoto Issei , Izumi Hiroyuki , Yokoi Sana , Hosoda Hiroshi , Shibata Tatsuhiro , Hosoda Fumie , Ohki Misao , Hirohashi Setsuo , Inazawa Johji
Published: May 2006

Protocadherins are a major subfamily of the cadherin superfamily, but little is known about their functions and intracellular signal transduction. We identified a homozygous loss of protocadherin 20 (PCDH20, 13q21.2) in the course of a program to screen a panel of non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines (1 of 20 lines) for genomic copy number aberrations using an in-house array-based comparative genomic hybridization. PCDH20 mRNA was expressed in normal lung tissue but was not expressed in the majority of NSCLC cell lines without a homozygous deletion of this gene (10 of 19 lines, 52.6%). Expression of PCDH20 mRNA was restored in gene-silenced NSCLC cells after treatment with 5-aza 2′-deoxycytidine. The DNA methylation status of the PCDH20 CpG-rich region correlated inversely with the expression of the gene and a putative target region for methylation showed clear promoter activity in vitro. Methylation of this PCDH20 promoter was frequently observed in primary NSCLC tissues (32 of 59 tumors, 54.2%). Among our primary NSCLC cases, the methylated PCDH20 seemed to be associated with a shorter overall survival (P = 0.0140 and 0.0211 in all and stage I tumors, respectively; log-rank test), and a multivariate analysis showed that the PCDH20 methylation status was an independent prognosticator. Moreover, restoration of PCDH20 expression in NSCLC cells reduced cell numbers in colony formation and anchorage-independent assays. These results suggest that epigenetic silencing by hypermethylation of the CpG-rich promoter region of PCDH20 leads to loss of PCDH20 function, which may be a factor in the carcinogenesis of NSCLC. (Cancer Res 2006; 66(9): 4617-26)
Menin Links Estrogen Receptor Activation to Histone H3K4 Trimethylation
Authors: Dreijerink Koen M.A. , Mulder Klaas W. , Winkler G. Sebastiaan , Höppener Jo W.M. , Lips Cornelis J.M. , Timmers H.Th. Marc
Published: May 2006

The product of the multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) tumor suppressor gene, menin, is an integral component of MLL1/MLL2 histone methyltransferase complexes specific for Lys4 of histone H3 (H3K4). We show that menin is a transcriptional coactivator of the nuclear receptors for estrogen and vitamin D. Activation of the endogenous estrogen-responsive TFF1 (pS2) gene results in promoter recruitment of menin and in elevated trimethylation of H3K4. Knockdown of menin reduces both activated TFF1 (pS2) transcription and H3K4 trimethylation. In addition, menin can directly interact with the estrogen receptor-α (ERα) in a hormone-dependent manner. The majority of disease-related MEN1 mutations prevent menin-ERα interaction. Importantly, ERα-interacting mutants are also defective in coactivator function. Our results indicate that menin is a critical link between recruitment of histone methyltransferase complexes and nuclear receptor–mediated transcription. (Cancer Res 2006; 66(9): 4929-35)
Cooperative Interactions of p53 Mutation, Telomere Dysfunction, and Chronic Liver Damage in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Progression
Authors: Farazi Paraskevi A. , Glickman Jonathan , Horner James , DePinho Ronald A.
Published: May 2006

Hepatocellular carcinoma is among the most common and lethal cancers in humans. Hepatocellular carcinoma is commonly associated with physical or functional inactivation of the p53 tumor suppressor, high levels of chromosomal instability, and disease conditions causing chronic cycles of hepatocyte death and regeneration. Mounting evidence has implicated regeneration-induced telomere erosion as a potential mechanism fueling genome instability. In mouse models of hepatocellular carcinoma, telomere dysfunction has been shown to enhance initiation of hepatic neoplasias yet constrain full malignant progression of these neoplasms possibly due to activation of a p53-dependent checkpoint and/or intolerable levels of genomic instability. Here, in a hepatocellular carcinoma–prone model brought about through toxin-induced hepatocyte injury and regeneration, we sought to determine the cooperative interactions of germ line p53 mutation and telomere dysfunction [produced by telomerase reverse transcriptase (mTERT) gene knockout]. In the setting of intact telomeres, p53 mutation had no effect on hepatocarcinogenesis, whereas in the setting of telomere dysfunction, p53 mutation enabled advanced hepatocellular carcinoma disease. Notably, there was no evidence of deletion or mutation of the wild-type p53 allele in the late generation mTert−/−p53+/− mice, suggesting that reduced levels of p53 potently enable hepatocellular carcinoma progression in the setting of telomere dysfunction. Thus, this study supports a model that, in the face of chronic liver damage, attenuated p53 function and telomere-induced chromosomal instability play critical and cooperative roles in the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma. (Cancer Res 2006; 66(9): 4766-73)
IMC-EB10, an Anti-FLT3 Monoclonal Antibody, Prolongs Survival and Reduces Nonobese Diabetic/Severe Combined Immunodeficient Engraftment of Some Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Cell Lines and Primary Leukemic Samples
Authors: Piloto Obdulio , Nguyen Bao , Huso David , Kim Kyu-Tae , Li Yiwen , Witte Larry , Hicklin Daniel J. , Brown Patrick , Small Donald
Published: May 2006

The class III receptor tyrosine kinase FLT3 is expressed on the blasts of >90% of patients with B-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemias (ALL). In addition, it is expressed at extremely high levels in ALL patients with mixed lineage leukemia rearrangements or hyperdiploidy and is sometimes mutated in these same patients. In this report, we investigate the effects of treating ALL cell lines and primary samples with human anti-FLT3 monoclonal antibodies (mAb) capable of preventing binding of FLT3 ligand. In vitro studies, examining the ability of two anti-FLT3 mAbs (IMC-EB10 and IMC-NC7) to affect FLT3 activation and downstream signaling in ALL cell lines and primary blasts, yielded variable results. FLT3 phosphorylation was consistently inhibited by IMC-NC7 treatment, but in some cell lines, IMC-EB10 actually stimulated FLT3 activation, possibly as a result of antibody-mediated receptor dimerization. Through antibody-dependent, cell-mediated cytotoxicity, such an antibody could still prove efficacious against leukemia cells in vivo. In fact, IMC-EB10 treatment significantly prolonged survival and/or reduced engraftment of several ALL cell lines and primary ALL samples in nonobese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficient (NOD/SCID) mice. This occurred even when IMC-EB10 treatment resulted in FLT3 activation in vitro. Moreover, fluorescence-activated cell sorting and PCR analysis of IMC-EB10-treated NOD/SCID mice surviving 150 days post-leukemic cell injection revealed that FLT3 immunotherapy reduced leukemic engraftment below the level of detection in these assays (<0.001%). Furthermore, in vivo IMC-EB10 treatment did not select for resistant cells, because cells surviving IMC-EB10 treatment remain sensitive to IMC-EB10 cytotoxicity upon retransplantation. In vivo studies involving either partial depletion or activation of natural killer (NK) cells show that most of the cytotoxic effect of IMC-EB10 is mediated through NK cells. Therefore, such an antibody, either naked or conjugated to radioactive isotopes or cytotoxic agents, may prove useful in the therapy of infant ALL as well as childhood and adult ALL patients whose blasts typically express FLT3. (Cancer Res 2006; 66(9): 4843-51)
Meeting Report: Exploiting the Tumor Microenvironment for Therapeutics
Authors: Melillo Giovanni , Semenza Gregg L.
Published: May 2006

Recent progress in understanding the role of the tumor microenvironment in cancer progression was the subject of the 2nd International Tumor Metabolism Summit entitled “Exploiting the Tumor Microenvironment for Therapeutics,” a meeting held at Palazzo Ducale in Genoa, Italy, October 7 to 8, 2005. One of the major conceptual advances in oncology over the last decade has been the appreciation that all major aspects of cancer biology are influenced by the tumor microenvironment. Two important means by which cancer cells adapt to their microenvironment are by reprogramming cellular glucose/energy metabolism to use pathways that generate ATP in the absence of O2 and by stimulating angiogenesis to increase O2 delivery. These responses are principally mediated at the transcriptional level by hypoxia-inducible factor-1. This meeting emphasized the complexity of the tumor microenvironment and opportunities for therapeutic intervention by targeting transcriptional and metabolic pathways that are activated during cancer progression. A better understanding of the crosstalk between signaling pathways and metabolic alterations that contribute to the cancer phenotype may provide insights leading to the development of novel therapeutic strategies. (Cancer Res 2006; 66(9): 4558-60)
Dysregulated Human Myeloid Nuclear Differentiation Antigen Expression in Myelodysplastic Syndromes: Evidence for a Role in Apoptosis
Authors: Briggs Robert C. , Shults Keith E. , Flye Leanne A. , McClintock-Treep Sara A. , Jagasia Madan H. , Goodman Stacey A. , Boulos Fouad I. , Jacobberger James W. , Stelzer Greg T. , Head David R.
Published: May 2006

Reduced levels of human myeloid nuclear differentiation antigen (MNDA) gene transcripts have been detected in both familial and sporadic cases of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Numerous reports implicate elevated apoptosis/programmed cell death and death ligands and their receptors in the pathogenesis of MDS. MNDA and related proteins contain the pyrin domain that functions in signaling associated with programmed cell death and inflammation. We tested the hypothesis that MNDA is involved in the regulation of programmed cell death in human myeloid hematopoietic cells. Clones of K562 cells (MNDA-null) that expressed ectopic MNDA protein were established using retroviral transduction. MNDA-expressing K562 clones were resistant to tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL)–induced apoptosis, but were not protected from programmed cell death induced with genotoxic agents or H2O2. MNDA protein expression assessed in control and intermediate and high-grade MDS marrows showed several patterns of aberrant reduced MNDA. These variable patterns of dysregulated MNDA expression may relate to the variable pathophysiology of MDS. We propose that MNDA has a role regulating programmed cell death in myeloid progenitor cells, and that its down-regulation in MDS is related to granulocyte-macrophage progenitor cell sensitivity to TRAIL-induced programmed cell death. (Cancer Res 2006; 66(9): 4645-51)
Loss, Survival, and Redemption
Authors: Hunter Andrea G. , Friend Christian A. , Murphy S. Yvette , Rollins Alethea , Williams-Wheeler Meeshay , Laughinghouse Janzelean
Published: May 2006

Using an interpretivist approach, this article explores young African American men’s (n = 20) reflections on coming of age and the meanings of father loss. Based on focus groups, the authors found that it was through autobiographical narratives of loss, survival, and redemption that young men positioned themselves ideologically and constructed the type of man they wanted to become. These emergent narratives reflect the complex ways young men worked out the meaning of father loss and the defining intragenerational and intergenerational lessons about manhood learned from their relationships with fathers and others. Within these narratives, young men also constructed both wanted and unwanted possible selves and evoked the discursive tropes of respectable manhood and deadbeat daddies.
Parent-Adolescent Processes and Reduced Risk for Delinquency
Authors: Cota-Robles Sonia , Gamble Wendy
Published: May 2006

Using a U.S. sample of 454 adolescents of Mexican descent from two-parent families, this study investigated the roles of parental monitoring and parent-adolescent attachment in reducing the risk for delinquency for Mexican American adolescents and found that these parent-adolescent processes, particularly with regard to the mother and the adolescent, were related to a reduced risk for delinquency. This study also investigated the role of gender as a moderator in the effect of parent-adolescent processes on delinquency. Results indicated that gender moderated the relationship between mother-adolescent attachment and delinquency; further investigation demonstrated that mother-adolescent attachment was related to a reduced risk for delinquency for boys; the relationship between mother-adolescent attachment and delinquency risk was less apparent for girls.
Sex and Self-Control Theory
Authors: Higgins George E. , Tewksbury Richard
Published: May 2006

This study examines the distribution differences across sexes in key measures of self-control theory and differences in a causal model. Using cross-sectional data from juveniles (n = 1,500), the study shows mean-level differences in many of the self-control, risky behavior, and delinquency measures. Structural equation modeling findings support Gottfredson and Hirschi’s causal model for males and females. However, multiple-groups structural equation modeling findings support the theory that differences in the measures and causal model are present for both sexes.
Nonprofits as Social Capital and Agents in the Public Policy Process: Toward a New Paradigm
Authors: Bryce Herrington J.
Published: May 2006

This article explores a new, universal, and theoretically inclusive approach to understanding the performance and purpose of nonprofit organizations in today’s world. This approach envisions the nonprofit organization as a social capital asset and agent in a specific relationship to the public. This relationship is depicted in a principal-agent paradigm and the performance is in the public policy process. The public policy arena is the nonprofit’s analogy of the firm’s marketplace. Nonprofits do more than fill in for market or government failures. They also regulate, facilitate, assist, and modify markets and play a significant role in every aspect of public policy, that is, from determining party platforms to the implementation of policies. In the public policy process, they have a comparative advantage as agents of citizens and firms.
Constructing Civil Society: Citizen Associations in Israel in the 1950s
Authors: Kabalo Paula
Published: May 2006

Following Michael Walzer’s civil society argument, this article examines the primary relationship that developed between the Israeli government and citizen associations during Israel’s first years of independence. The article describes the role that citizen associations played in advancing an open discussion about the right of association within the context of a young, inexperienced democracy. The desire for freedom of association on the part of Israel’s citizens challenged the government’s tendency to restrict this right and played a key role in defining the limits of government intervention in the individual’s affairs. The research offers a different approach to the democratic effects of associations and shows that initiative to establish new associations, and an open discussion of their legal framework, should be considered as part of the democratization process in a new state.
The Larger They Get: The Changing Size Distributions of Private Human Service Organizations
Authors: Tucker David J. , Sommerfeld David H.
Published: May 2006

Although systematic studies on trends in the size distributions of private human service organizations do not exist, most observers assume that the dominant trend parallels that of the U.S. economy’s movement to a higher proportion of smaller organizations. This article investigates this assumption and finds evidence that calls its validity into question. Explanations of the trend to larger organizations are offered, and it is suggested that more attention needs to be given to the repercussions of the presence in the private human services sector of higher numbers of large organizations.
Nonprofit Fund-Raising in Competitive Donor Markets
Authors: Thornton Jeremy
Published: May 2006

Fund-raising expenditures represent an important strategic decision for nonprofit managers in the face of scarced on or resources. Privately, nonprofit managers weigh the trade-off between reaching new donors and increasing the implicit price of output to its constituents. Socially, competition among nonprofit firms for donations may produce an excessive level of fund-raising. This article empirically examines nonprofit fund-raising decisions, privately and socially, under varying market conditions. Analysis of financial data reveals that as markets become more competitive, nonprofits follow their private incentives by reducing their fund-raising expenditures. However, the author finds evidence that, collectively, nonprofits may spend an inefficiently high share of their revenues on fund-raising. As such, the author offers alternatives to the common practice of collective fund-raising through institutions such as the United Way. Implications of the study include increasing price transparency to improve market discipline or raising legal and financial barriers to entry.
Worker Motivations, Job Satisfaction, and Loyalty in Public and Nonprofit Social Services
Authors: Borzaga Carlo , Tortia Ermanno
Published: May 2006

Exploiting a unique data set created in 1999 on a sample of 228 public, nonprofit, and for-profit organizations operating in the social service sector, and on 2,066 workers, the article tests whether workers’ satisfaction and loyalty to the organization is influenced by workers’ motivations and by the incentive mixes offered by different organizational forms. As for satisfaction, intrinsic and relational attitudes toward work exert the greatest influence, whereas workers motivated by economic interests are less satisfied. As for loyalty to the organization, satisfaction with economic and process-related aspects of the job appear to have the greatest impact. The behavior of nonprofit organizations, which form the largest part of the sample, is consistent with these results. The specific strength of their incentive mix is represented by worker involvement and other process-related aspects of the job. By contrast, workers in public bodies are the least satisfied, higher monetary incentives notwithstanding.
Community Foundation Performance: Bridging Community Resources and Needs
Authors: Guo Chao , Brown William A.
Published: May 2006

This study draws on organizational ecology perspective to explore the environmental and organizational factors associated with the performance of community foundations. Performance was conceptualized as fiscal efficiency and grant-making performance. Analysis was conducted on a national survey of 117 community foundations. Results revealed that increased organizational density was positively associated with fiscal efficiency but negatively associated to grant-making performance. Specialist foundations (i.e., foundations that serve a smaller sized community and those with smaller asset size) outperformed their generalist counterparts in fiscal efficiency and grant-making performance. The percentage of unrestricted funds was negatively associated with fiscal efficiency but not grant-making generosity. Board performance was positively associated with fiscal efficiency but not grant-making generosity.
The Relationship Between Group Cohesion, Group Norms, and Perceived Social Loafing in Soccer Teams
Authors: Høigaard Rune , Säfvenbom Reidar , Tønnessen Finn Egil
Published: May 2006

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between group cohesion, group norms, and perceived social loafing among 118 soccer players playing junior league in Norway. Each player completed a questionnaire assessing group cohesion (task cohesion and social cohesion), team norms (productive norms, role involvement, and social support norms), and perceived social loafing. As predicted, all cohesion- and team-norm subscales were negatively correlated with perceived social loafing. Furthermore, the results showed that the players’ attraction to their team’s task as well as their perception of the productive- and social-support norm predicted perceptions of social loafing. A significant three-way interaction between task cohesion, social cohesion, and performance norm emerged. The analysis showed that the combination of high social cohesion, low task cohesion, and low team norms seems to underlie perceptions of social loafing.
The Influence of Time and Task Demonstrability on Decision-Making in Computer-Mediated and Face-to-Face Groups
Authors: Campbell Jamonn , Stasser Garold
Published: May 2006

Decision-making groups tend to favor the introduction and use of shared over unshared information, often leading teams to make suboptimal decisions. This study examined the influence of time (restricted vs. ample) and perceptions of task demonstrability (solve vs. judge) on information sampling and decision quality in computer-mediated and face-to-face groups. Three-person face-to-face and computer-mediated groups were asked to read about a fictional murder investigation and to determine which of the three suspects was the guilty individual. The results indicated that the computer-mediated groups, who were given a solve set of instructions and ample time to discuss the task, had the highest solution rates. Analyses of the computer-mediated discussion logs indicated that the solve groups who were given extended time repeated and recalled more unshared information.
The Sky’s the Limit: An Activity for Teaching Project Management
Authors: Cook Lori S. , Olson John R.
Published: May 2006

This article describes an experiential learning activity (ELA) for illustrating foundational project-management principles. The activity simulates a “real world” application of a project-management scenario requiring teams to plan, design, and build structures to achieve stated objectives within a limited time frame. ELAs provide students with a common shared experience that serves as a building block to facilitate higher levels of learning. The article provides an overview of the exercise, detailed instructions for classroom integrations and evidence of effectiveness. The activity may be adapted for use in a variety of course settings to emphasize various learning objectives within a course.
Using Conflict-Management Surveys to Extricate Research Out of the “Ivory Tower”: An Experiential Learning Exercise
Authors: Anakwe Uzoamaka P. , Purohit Yasmin S.
Published: May 2006

Management scholars have encouraged newer approaches to management education combining cognitive lessons with active experiential activities. This article describes how surveys, originally intended for collecting conflict-management data, can be introduced in the classroom to catalyze a deeper understanding of conflict. This article exemplifies advances in management education paradigms using a data collection instrument to promote experiential classroom learning. It focuses on helping educators step out of their responsibilities as researchers and build bridges between their research and teaching roles. The article provides all information vis-à-vis the conflict-management activity: the survey, exercise guidelines, and detailed debriefing notes including PowerPoint supplements.
Communicating Forest Management Science and Practices through Visualized and Animated Media Approaches to Community Presentations
Authors: Zimmerman Donald E. , Akerelrea Carol , Smith Jane Kapler , O’Keefe Garrett J.
Published: May 2006

Natural-resource managers have used a variety of computer-mediated presentation methods to communicate management practices to diverse publics. We explored the effects of visualizing and animating predictions from mathematical models in computerized presentations explaining forest succession (forest growth and change through time), fire behavior, and management options. In an experimental design using purposive samples, rural-mountain, town, and student groups gained substantial information from both the visualized, animated presentation and the nonvisualized, nonanimated presentation. Mountain residents gained significantly more information from the visualized and animated presentation than from the nonvisualized and nonanimated presentation.
Comparing Academic Hyperlink Structures with Journal Publishing in Korea
Authors: Kim Hyo , Park Han Woo , Thelwall Mike
Published: May 2006

This article describes the structure of academic hyperlinks embedded in universities’ Web sites hosted in Korea and examines the relationship between the structure of this hyperlink network and the journal publishing of universities. Studying the two phenomena together helps in understanding the changing process of communication created and sustained through traditional and emerging communication media. Four groups with distinctive features were identified. One group (A) was composed of members who had the highest efficiency in terms of the structural whole concept, and they had received the highest number of hyperlinks with other universities. The first group (A) showed high numbers of out-links toward two other groups (C and D). However, one group (C) had a relatively significant number of links to other members in the same group (within-group links), while the other group (D) did not. Analysis confirmed that hyperlink creation and reception correlate with authorship, indicating that expanding one’s research identity via hyper-links might be an indicator of the productiveness of researchers and research institutes.
Regulatory Perspectives on Pharmacogenomics: A Review of the Literature on Key Issues Faced by the United States Food and Drug Administration
Authors: Phillips Kathryn A. , Van Bebber Stephanie L.
Published: May 2006

Pharmacogenomics (PGx), the use of genetic information to individualize drug therapy, is an immediate and important application of the Human Genome Project. The advent of PGx presents challenges to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in pursuing its mandate of protecting public health and safety. The authors conducted a review of academic, industry, and government literature using a technology diffusion framework to identify issues faced by the FDA relevant to the application of PGx. Two hundred and ten articles were reviewed. Key issues were categorized as rationale and structure for PGx regulation, regulation of PGx-based testing technologies, regulation of applications in clinical settings, regulation of data, and regulation of product life cycles. This review identifies issues faced by the FDA with respect to PGx, which the FDA is addressing through several initiatives. It also illustrates the complex issues involved in developing, implementing, and adopting new technologies.
Hospital Inpatient Costs for Adults with Multiple Chronic Conditions
Authors: Friedman Bernard , Jiang H. Joanna , Elixhauser Anne , Segal Andrew
Published: May 2006

This article offers national estimates of the proportions of hospital inpatient cases and cost for adult, nonmaternal patients who have multiple chronic conditions. The authors employ a refined classification of chronic versus acute conditions, collapsed to no more than one condition per distinct category of condition. The number of different chronic conditions provides a simple measure of complexity, differing from measures of severity of illness that pertain to a particular episode of treatment. A multivariate regression finds that the number of chronic conditions is an independent influence on hospital cost per case, controlling for other key determinants. Patients with complex illness (e.g., 3+ or 5+ chronic conditions) have a disproportionately large effect on hospital cost per year. The identification of patients in the hospital with complex illness can help in targeting new covered services in a health plan or in risk adjusting health plan premiums. Current policies and demonstrations for the Medicare program may not be sufficient to address complex illness.
Nursing Home Consumer Complaints and Quality of Care: A National View
Authors: Stevenson David G.
Published: May 2006

This study uses 5 years of national data on investigated nursing home complaints (1998-2002) to evaluate whether complaints might be used to assess nursing home quality of care. On-Line Survey Certification and Reporting (OSCAR) data are used to evaluate the association between consumer complaints, facility and resident characteristics, and other nursing home quality measures. The analyses are undertaken in the context of considerable cross-state variation in nursing home complaint processes and rates. Complaints varied across facility characteristics in ways consistent with the nursing home quality literature. Complaints were significantly positively associated with survey deficiencies and the presence of serious survey deficiencies, and significantly negatively associated with nurse and nurse aide staffing. Complaints performance was significantly predictive of survey deficiencies at subsequent inspections. This study presents the first national evidence for using consumer complaints to assess nursing home quality of care. Despite limitations, nursing home complaints appear to offer a real-time signal of quality concerns.
Toward the Creation of an Institutional Logic for the Management of Hospitals: Efficiency in the Early Nineteen Hundreds
Authors: Arndt Margarete , Bigelow Barbara
Published: May 2006

This research focuses on the creation of an institutional logic—efficiency—and on its organizing principles of standardization and business practices through a study of the American Hospital Association and its publication, the Modern Hospital. In the early years of the 20th century, efficiency began to emerge as a first institutional logic for the management of hospitals. The term was defined broadly, encompassing not only economy but also quality and breadth of services, as well as access to care. This early emphasis on efficiency foreshadowed three issues that affect health policy and hospital management to this day: the pressure on hospitals to introduce new technology while containing cost, the assumption that hospitals should act like businesses, and the practice of offering large hospitals as the model for other providers.
Résumé Writing in Russia and the Newly Independent States
Authors: Bowen Betsy , Sapp David Alan , Sargsyan Nelly
Published: May 2006

This article examines the teaching of résumé writing at one university in Russia and several institutions in the Newly Independent States (NIS). The authors explore challenges including variable cultural norms for written versus oral communication, severe financial and material hardship in the educational sector, cultural discomfort with the norms of U.S. business writing, issues related to the transition from Soviet-style socialism to Western-style capitalism, and other historical factors that shape expectations for business communication in Russia and the NIS. Recommendations to business writing and communication faculty conclude the article.
Decision Making in Traffic Stop Encounters: A Multivariate Analysis of Police Behavior
Authors: Schafer Joseph A. , Carter David L. , Katz-Bannister Andra J. , Wells William M.
Published: May 2006

In recent years, there has been a growth in public concern over police decision-making practices during traffic enforcement. Catch phrases such as “racial profiling,” “driving while Black,” and “driving while brown” typify the public’s concern that race and ethnicity have undue influence on police discretion. This study analyzes traffic stop data from a medium-sized midwestern community to better understand this facet of police behavior. Although the authors contend that “proving” racial profiling may be outside of current empirical capabilities, useful insights can still be obtained by examining broader aspects of traffic enforcement behaviors. The analysis indicated that race was powerful in shaping police decision-making patterns, but so were gender, age, and situational considerations. A number of implications for research and policy emerging from the analysis are discussed.
Determinants of Constables’ Perceptions of Community Support in Three Developing Nations
Authors: Bennett Richard R. , Morabito Melissa Schaefer
Published: May 2006

This research seeks to explore the factors that affect community support of the police as perceived by constables in three developing Caribbean nations: Jamaica, Barbados, and Trinidad and Tobago. Constables in these nations were surveyed on a variety of law enforcement issues including their judgments about citizen support and cooperation for the activities necessary to produce effective community policing. It is hypothesized that constables’ perceptions of public support are determined by individual, situational, organizational, and national factors. A multivariate conceptual model is constructed based on U.S. research and analyzed using regression analysis. Overall, the findings indicate that organizational and especially national factors influence such perceptions. Within-nation analyses reveal interesting differences in the factors that influence whether a community is seen by officers as supportive of their work.
Continuing professional development for psychiatrists: CPD and training
Authors: Bouch Joe
Published: May 2006

Major change is currently occurring in psychiatric training. This editorial explores some of the implications for consultants and CPD. CPD policy and the fit with appraisal and revalidation are discussed. Consultant involvement in training is considered, including consultants' roles as trainers and their involvement in ‘post-CCT training’.
Alcohol use disorders in elderly people: fact or fiction?
Authors: Dar Karim
Published: May 2006

The number of older people is increasing in populations throughout the world. Alcohol use disorders in elderly people are a common but underrecognised problem associated with major physical and psychological health problems. Owing to the negative attitudes and inadequate training of healthcare professionals, alcohol misuse is not always being detected or effectively treated. Current diagnostic criteria and common screening instruments for alcohol use disorders may not be appropriate for elderly people. Older people are as likely to benefit from treatment as younger people and the basic principles of treatment are much the same. Better integrated and outreach services are needed. Training of healthcare professionals in this area and pragmatic research should be prioritised to improve detection, treatment and service provision for this vulnerable and neglected population.
How to win the hearts and minds of students in psychiatry
Authors: El-Sayeh Hany George , Budd Simon , Waller Robert , Holmes John
Published: May 2006

Psychiatry in the UK and in many other countries is facing a fundamental crisis in attracting new graduates. This poorly understood problem may be related to negative undergraduate experiences. Many clinicians have learnt through an ‘apprenticeship’ model and few are formally taught how to teach students in a modern clinical setting. Learning theory provides useful models for learning and teaching that can improve undergraduate clinical experiences. A variety of means are available to help teaching clinicians apply these theories, including self-help using published literature and gaining teaching qualifications. As the majority of modern undergraduate psychiatry teaching occurs during clinical placements, the incorporated techniques will need to be sensitive to the teaching environment. Application of these principles to day-to-day teaching practice may help to reverse the current staff shortages.
Talking liberties: John Rawls's theory of justice and psychiatric practice
Authors: Ikkos George , Boardman Jed , Zigmond Tony
Published: May 2006

Scarcity of resources compared with need results in resource-allocation decisions that will have a beneficent effect on some clinical populations and will be detrimental to others. Political philosophy, through theories of social justice, aims to establish generally applicable principles to guide such decision-making. We introduce here the work of the foremost liberal political philosopher of the second half of the 20th century, John Rawls. As well as having implications for resource allocation, John Rawls's work is of relevance to law and ethics in clinical practice, especially for psychiatrists, who often work with vulnerable, disadvantaged and stigmatised people.
The welfare state: justice or theft?
Authors: Sarkar Sameer P.
Published: May 2006

John Rawls's theory of justice has been embraced by both the political left and the right, albeit for different reasons. This commentary points out some caveats regarding Rawls's theory as applied to healthcare in general and psychiatry in particular. An alternative political philosophy, the theory of ‘entitlement justice’ as advanced by Nozick, is presented and it is argued that this has more real-life relevance for healthcare ethics than the Rawlsian theory of distributive justice. The reader is invited to determine which theory, if either, is the best fit for psychiatry. The article concludes with some thoughts on the limits to autonomy that mental illness imposes and likens it to the concept of ‘interstitial autonomy’.
The neuropsychiatry of multiple sclerosis
Authors: Jefferies Kate
Published: May 2006

Multiple sclerosis is the most common disabling neurological illness affecting young and middle-aged adults. Although attention has tended to focus mainly on its neurological manifestations, reports of the presence of neuropsychiatric symptoms date back to the writings of Charcot in 1877. This article details the neuropsychiatric sequelae of multiple sclerosis and the evidence base for available treatments.
Global analysis of the transcriptional network controllingXenopusendoderm formation
Authors: Sinner Débora , Kirilenko Pavel , Rankin Scott , Wei Eric , Howard Laura , Kofron Matthew , Heasman Janet , Woodland Hugh R. , Zorn Aaron M.
Published: May 2006

A conserved molecular pathway has emerged controlling endoderm formation in Xenopus zebrafish and mice. Key genes in this pathway include Nodal ligands and transcription factors of the Mix-like paired homeodomain class,Gata4-6 zinc-finger factors and Sox17 HMG domain proteins. Although a linear epistatic pathway has been proposed, the precise hierarchical relationships between these factors and their downstream targets are largely unresolved. Here, we have used a combination of microarray analysis and loss-of-function experiments to examine the global regulatory network controlling Xenopus endoderm formation. We identified over 300 transcripts enriched in the gastrula endoderm, including most of the known endoderm regulators and over a hundred uncharacterized genes. Surprisingly only 10% of the endoderm transcriptome is regulated as predicted by the current linear model. We find that Nodal genes, Mixer and Sox17 have both shared and distinct sets of downstream targets, and that a number of unexpected autoregulatory loops exist between Sox17 and Gata4-6, between Sox17 and Bix1/Bix2/Bix4, and between Sox17 and Xnr4. Furthermore, we find that Mixer does not function primarily via Sox17 as previously proposed. These data provides new insight into the complexity of endoderm formation and will serve as valuable resource for establishing a complete endoderm gene regulatory network.