bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Freshwater Security, Conflict, and Cooperation
Authors: El-Anis Imad , Smith Roy
Published: January 2013

This study examines the challenge of freshwater security faced by Israel, Jordan, and Palestine, and mechanisms for multilateral collaboration that have been developed in order to create a Red Sea–Dead Sea conduit. This article outlines the proposed conduit as a major collaborative project which hinges on the engagement of both state and non-state stakeholders. The argument presented here is that the feasibility and planning process has so far been successful and that the mechanisms for collaboration developed as part of this project are the reason why. Overall conclusions suggest that the importance of freshwater security and the agency of international state and non-state actors are largely responsible for these collaborative successes.
Making Media Commodities from Cultural Practices
Authors: Sosale Sujatha
Published: January 2013

New media technologies and their globalizing power have transformed development practices. Through a case study, I examine how local cultural practices such as traditional art forms – primarily non-monetary activities – in developing regions are brought into contemporary transactional domains through processes of digitization and integration into the Internet. These processes prompt us to consider culture as material capital, surplus value as an important marker of development, and the convergence of the concepts of labor and entrepreneurship. These considerations could challenge the assumption that global pressures are all powerful and set the agenda, and local entities are pliable, reactive, and powerless.
Forgiveness in a political context
Authors: Vandevelde Pol
Published: January 2013

In this article I examine the challenging question concerning whether communal forgiveness is possible. In order to show that it is in principle possible I articulate and then respond to two of the most powerful objections to communal forgiveness that have been formulated to date, namely: (1) the argument that only victims can forgive; and (2) the argument that forgiveness is unconditional and thus outside the scope of such things as communal or political deliberation.

I argue that communal forgiveness is a process of transformation that requires at the practical level an institutional framework in which a representative of a community can initiate the process of forgiveness, like Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu did in South Africa. Because forgiveness is a process of transformation, it cannot be assessed at the level of acts or commitments alone, but is a wager on the future that will indeed show whether the communities involved have accepted the transformation.
Restoring society to post-structuralist politics
Authors: Leggett Will
Published: January 2013

Ernesto Laclau and Chantal Mouffe’s post-Marxist analysis pushed Gramsci’s anti-determinism to its limits, embracing a post-structuralist, discourse-centred politics. Mouffe’s subsequent programme for radical democracy has sought a renewed democratic left project. While radical democracy’s post-structuralism enables important insights into political subjectivity and antagonism in contemporary democracies, it also weakens its own critical and strategic capacity. By recuperating its Gramscian heritage, radical democracy could be more theoretically and politically effective. In contrast to discourses operating in an entirely open and contingent political field, Gramscian theory offers a more realist – but non-determinist – account of the structural, enabling and constraining properties of ideologies. It also allows for a distinctive institutional space for society. Society is the site upon which political identities are articulated, and from which existing power relations are challenged. But a conception of society also points to the institutional limits to politics, notable by their absence in post-structuralism and radical democracy.
Birth Mothers’ Perspectives on Their Relationship With the Birth Father 12 to 20 Years After Adoption
Authors: French Cynthia A. , Henney Susan M. , Ayers-Lopez Susan , McRoy Ruth G. , Grotevant Harold D.
Published: January 2013

This study investigates birth mothers’ perspectives on their relationships with birth fathers after adoption placement. A total of 125 birth mothers were interviewed 12 to 20 years postplacement about the nature of their relationship with the birth father and their satisfaction with their contact with the birth father both at the time of placement and currently. These interviews were part of a larger longitudinal study of birthparents, adoptive parents, adopted persons, and adoption agency personnel. Recalling the time of the adoption placement, birth mothers reported many negative feelings about the birth father. However, by 12 to 20 years after the adoption, birth mothers were moving toward a more neutral emotional stance regarding the birth father. Most of the birth mothers do not have current contact with the birth father, and of those who do, most characterize their relationship as friendship.
‘Putting our mark on things’: The identity work of user participation in public services
Authors: Bradley Quintin
Published: January 2013

New relationships between service users and the welfare state have emerged as a result of governmental strategies of public service reform in which participation has appeared as the cure for a putative welfare dependency. A new public has been invoked in technologies of governance which have conflated responsible citizenship with participation in the marketplace and have aimed to change the behaviour of welfare service users accordingly. This paper investigates the ability of welfare service users to resist, or amend, the disciplinary intentions of these discourses, to constitute ‘counter-publics’, and to formulate their own visions of public services. Drawing on research with English social housing tenants engaged in participation with their quasi-public landlords, and applying a theoretical framework based on the work of feminist and queer theorist Judith Butler, the paper explores the behavioural effects of participation on tenants and evidences their use of consumerist and communitarian discourses to construct alternative perceptions of a ‘public’, and re-imagine their relationship with public services.
A commentary on resistance to the UK’s Work Experience programme: Capitalism, exploitation and wage work
Authors: Grover Chris , Piggott Linda
Published: January 2013

In this commentary we focus upon resistance to the UK’s Work Experience programme that aims to help the young unemployed secure paid employment. The programme hit the news headlines in February 2012 when the group, Right to Work, forced concessions from the UK’s Coalition government that removed sanctions for Work Experience conscripts who left their placement after a week. The paper critically engages with the Right to Work’s demand for ‘real jobs’, paying at least the minimum wage, suggesting that such demands are in danger of buttressing capitalist exploitation, rather than providing an alternative to it. The paper argues a more radical approach is required if the role of policies, such as Work Experience, in the societalization of capitalist accumulation is to be avoided.
Contextualising case studies in entrepreneurship: A tandem approach to conducting a longitudinal cross-country case study
Authors: Chetty Sylvie K. , Partanen Jukka , Rasmussen Erik S. , Servais Per
Published: January 2013

Using predictive and effectuation logics as a framework, this research note explains how case study research was conducted to demonstrate rigour and relevance. The study involves a longitudinal cross-country case study on small and medium-sized firm growth and networks undertaken by research teams in three countries (Finland, Denmark and New Zealand) involving 33 firms. This research note outlines the implications of this research and provides valuable guidance and reflections upon opportunities for future research regarding the conduct of contextual studies in entrepreneurship without compromising validity and reliability.
Examination of the Mechanisms Underlying Effectiveness of the Turtle Technique
Authors: Drogan Robin R. , Kern Lee
Published: January 2013

A significant number of young children exhibit challenging behaviors in preschool settings. A tiered framework of intervention has documented effectiveness in elementary and secondary schools, and recently has been extended to preschool settings. Although there is emerging research to support the effectiveness of Tier 1 (universal) and Tier 3 (intensive) interventions with young children, few studies have evaluated Tier 2 interventions. In this investigation, we examined the effects of the Turtle Technique, a Tier 2 self-control intervention, with three children ages 3 to 4 using a multiple baseline across participants design. In addition, we examined operational components of the intervention. Results showed reductions in behavior following intervention implementation; however, direct observations indicated that the children did not utilize overt techniques as taught. The findings imply that additional research is needed to determine the mechanisms responsible for behavior change as a result of the Turtle Technique.
A Consumer Satisfaction Survey of Civilly Committed Sex Offenders in Illinois
Authors: Levenson Jill S. , Prescott David S. , Jumper Shan
Published: January 2013

The purpose of this study was to obtain feedback from civilly committed sex offenders ( N = 113) about the components of treatment that they believed to be most important and helpful in preventing reoffense. Participants were also asked to rate their satisfaction with the treatment process and therapists. Victim empathy and accountability were rated as the most important elements of treatment, along with skills for preventing relapse and methods for controlling sexual arousal. There was a fairly robust correlation between client perceptions of importance and satisfaction on most treatment components. Some clients expressed concerns about respect, confidentiality, and judgmental attitudes of some therapists. Because civilly committed sex offenders are considered to be among the most likely to reoffend, strategies are discussed for engagement of this population in a meaningful process of change.
Life Support in High Age
Authors: Elstad Ingunn
Published: January 2013

This article explores how very old people in Northern Norway supported life before economic modernization, from nineteenth-century census registrations and ethnographic sources. Very few lived alone. About 80 percent were primarily supported by living with relations—family, kin, or nonkin, participating with work and experience, the majority through a retirement agreement. In the northernmost parts, where Sámi traditions of land ownership dominated, retirement was uncommon. Other very old supported life from independent work or public relief. Old women with few ties were at particular risk of destitution.
Different Meanings of ‘Knowledge as Commodity’ in the Context of Higher Education
Authors: Kauppinen Ilkka
Published: January 2013

Commodification has been and still is one of the key processes within capitalist market economies. Since the 1970s, different forms of knowledge have increasingly been subjected to this process. In this paper the commodification of knowledge in the field of higher education is defined in a broad sense as an example of the intensive enlargement of capitalism. I argue that knowledge shares some features of public goods and can be subjected to commodification both as an educational product and academic research itself. However, the simple dichotomy of public vs. private good is not nuanced enough to understand the status of knowledge within higher education. How to reconstruct this dichotomy, whether knowledge should be commodified, and how to justify one’s normative stance in this respect are three important issues for further study.
Not a Not-Animal: The Vocation to be a Human Animal Creature
Authors: Clough David
Published: January 2013

This article diagnoses and critiques two ‘not-animal’ modes of theological anthropology: first, the construction of human identity on the basis of supposed evidence of human/non-human difference; second, accounts of the human that take no account of God’s other creatures. It suggests that not-animal anthropologies exhibit poor theological methodology, are based on inaccurate depictions of both humans and other animals, and result in problematic construals of what it means to be human. Instead, the article concludes, we require theological anthropologies that take as a starting point the relationship between humanity and God and recognise the animal and creaturely context of human existence.
Understanding Humanity and Disability: Probing an Ecological Perspective
Authors: Reinders Hans S.
Published: January 2013

Assuming that theological anthropologies are put to work for particular historical projects, this essay examines recent contributions in this area in view of the project of inclusion. It claims that theological arguments in support of both the end and means of inclusion neglect the fact that from the perspective of creation, inclusion is the default position, and therefore requires no argument. Disability experience is not merely something that needs to be overcome. An alternative strategy is to consider an ecological view on disability by looking at the notion of ‘weeds’ as a conceptual byproduct of human design. The essay concludes that this perspective generates different questions that enable us to think about disability in terms of the goodness of being.
The Single Individual in Ordinary Time: Theological Engagements with Sociobiology
Authors: Hall Amy Laura , Slade Kara
Published: January 2013

Søren Kierkegaard and Dietrich Bonhoeffer provide provocatively individualistic, liturgical, Jesus-centered perspectives on anthropology that accentuate the neo-Hegelian, amoral, collectivist perspectives of geneticist Francis Collins, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt, and entomologist/political philosopher E. O. Wilson. In the mix of the vagaries of scientific developments, the offense of Jesus Christ does not change, and it seems vital for Christians to testify explicitly against any worldview (economic and/or scientific) that presents human lives (whether self-given sacrificially or taken involuntarily) as the dross of a refined future. It is through the repetitive practice of Holy Communion that Christians consume the gift to see the world as gift, not for our own winning or saving.
Are Persons with Profound Intellectual Disabilities Sacramental Icons of Heavenly Life? Aquinas on Impairment
Authors: Berkman John
Published: January 2013

Although almost completely ignored, Aquinas’s account of persons with severe intellectual disabilities is key to his understanding of human persons and their salvation. Aquinas extensively addresses questions of human impairment, and for Aquinas physical and mental impairment are not nearly as important as moral or spiritual impairment. Contrary to those who focus on Aquinas’s account of rationality and suppose he thinks that a person must exercise rationality in order to be moral and in the image of God, Aquinas’s view is that persons with severe mental impairments have a distinct spiritual advantage, due to the impeccability of the gift of wisdom given them in their baptism.
Poverty, Problem Behavior, and Promise
Authors: Conradt Elisabeth , Measelle Jeffrey , Ablow Jennifer C.
Published: January 2013

Do infants reared in poverty exhibit certain physiological traits that make them susceptible to the positive and negative features of their caregiving environment? Guided by theories of differential susceptibility and biological sensitivity to context, we evaluated whether high baseline respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) operates as a susceptibility factor among infants reared in poverty ( N = 73). Baseline RSA at 5 months, the quality of the attachment relationship at 17 months, and the interaction of these two factors were included in our models as predictors of problem behavior at 17 months. Consistent with theory, results showed no significant differences in problem behavior among infants with low baseline RSA; however, infants with high baseline RSA exhibited the lowest levels of problem behavior if reared in an environment that fostered security, and they exhibited the highest levels of problem behavior if reared in an environment that fostered disorganization. These results have important implications for the psychological health of infants living in poverty.
Mind the gaps in ethical regulations of nursing research
Authors: Schrems Berta M
Published: January 2013

The introduction of and the commitment to evidence-based nursing in all care settings have led to a rapid increase of intervention and outcome-based research programs. Yet, the topics of nursing research are not only affected by interventions and outcomes but also affected by the concept of caring derived from humanistic philosophy. Considering this twofold orientation of nursing science, nuanced ethical regulations for nursing research programs are called for. In addition to the different research approaches, further arguments for ethical regulations are as follows: first, the different degrees of contextualization and the variety of participation models regarding the target groups; second, the capacities and opportunities of participants; and third, the caring relationship between nurses and research subjects. To capture these special features of nursing science, four approaches to fill the gaps in existing ethical regulations for nursing research are proposed: (a) process orientation, (b) community orientation, (c) context orientation, and (d) relation orientation.
Dealing with troubled conscience in municipal care of older people
Authors: Ericson-Lidman Eva , Strandberg Gunilla
Published: January 2013

Troubled conscience may jeopardize the health of healthcare personnel and, hence, the quality of care provided. Learning more about how personnel deal with their troubled conscience therefore seems important. The aim of this study was to describe personnel’s experiences of how they deal with troubled conscience generated in their daily work in municipal care of older people. Interviews were conducted with 20 care providers and analysed with a thematic content analysis. The findings show that in order to deal with troubled conscience, personnel dialogued with themselves and with others. They took measures in a direction they perceived to be correct, and they expressed a need for distancing and re-energizing. It is of importance to share situations that generate troubled conscience in order to find ways to deal with them. Reconsidering one’s ways of dealing with troubled conscience may give care providers an opportunity to reach consensus within themselves.
Recognizing bioethical issues and ethical qualification in nursing students and faculty in South Korea
Authors: Choe Kwisoon , Song Eunju , Kang Youngmi
Published: January 2013

The role of nursing faculty members in charge of ethics education is important. Although all nursing students receive the same bioethics education, their experiences differ, related to ethical qualification, which depends on the personal socialization process. This Korean study aimed to provide nursing faculty members with the basic data to help them develop as bioethics experts and provide nursing students with knowledge to improve their ethical decision-making abilities. We used a survey design to assess recognition of bioethical issues and ethical qualification in nursing students and faculty members. A total of 1225 undergraduate students and 140 faculty members participated in this study. The results revealed that nursing students and nursing faculty members generally understood the seriousness of various bioethical issues and both considered the most serious issue to concern abortion. Ethical behavior can be improved by education, and accordingly, nursing ethics should be a mandatory subject, rather than an elective one.
Modifying the torque–angle behavior of rotary shape memory alloy actuators through axial loading: A semi-analytical study of combined tension–torsion behavior
Authors: Taheri Andani Masood , Alipour Amin , Eshghinejad Ahmadreza , Elahinia Mohammad
Published: January 2013

In this article, a semi-analytical modeling approach is presented to study the pseudoelastic response of shape memory alloy rods and tubes subjected to combined tension–torsion loading states. A three-dimensional phenomenological shape memory alloy constitutive model is used to obtain the corresponding two-dimensional constitutive relations. The rod is partitioned into a finite number of narrow annular regions, and the equilibrium equations are found in each region for both loading and unloading paths. The derived equations are then solved based on an iterative algorithm. A set of experiments is conducted on a shape memory alloy thin-walled tube, and the results are then used to evaluate the performance of the modeling approach. Several numerical examples along with a finite element analysis are finally presented to demonstrate the capabilities of the proposed method. Using this approach, it is possible to design active biomedical devices with shape memory alloy actuators under combined loading conditions.
Special Education in Singapore
Authors: Poon Kenneth , Musti-Ra Shobana , Wettasinghe Marissa
Published: January 2013

Contemporary descriptions of service delivery for children with disabilities in Singapore have highlighted the presence of a dual education system, with mainstream education at one end and special education schools at the other. In this article, we present a background and brief history of how special education evolved in Singapore. Current programs and practices available for students with disabilities and some future directions are also discussed.
Growing Through Service
Authors: Bartolome Sarah J.
Published: January 2013

The purpose of this case study was to explore the experiences of undergraduates enrolled in a music education fundamentals course featuring a significant service-learning component. In addition to attending weekly class meetings, students provided 30 minutes a week of classroom support for teachers at a preschool center serving students with and without disabilities. Student reflective writings collected throughout the semester, formal observations, and semistructured interviews with students, cooperating teachers, and the principal formed the pool of data. The data set was analyzed for themes relating to the perceived benefits of the service-learning experience, the undergraduates’ perceptions of children with disabilities, and undergraduates’ attitudes toward civic engagement. The value of service-learning projects, and the effect of these experiences on the learning and personal growth of undergraduate music education majors are discussed in an effort to augment a growing understanding of the role of service-learning in the preparation of preservice music educators.
A Description of Mixed Group Validation
Authors: Jewsbury Paul A. , Bowden Stephen C.
Published: January 2013

Mixed group validation (MGV) is a statistical model for estimating the diagnostic accuracy of tests. Unlike the more common approach to estimating criterion-related validity, known group validation (KGV), MGV does not require a perfect external validity criterion. The present article describes MGV by (a) specifying both the standard error associated with MGV validity estimates and the effect of assumption violation, (b) recommending required sample sizes under various study conditions, (c) evaluating whether assumption violation can be identified, and (d) providing a simulated example of an MGV with imperfect base rate estimates. It is concluded that MGV will always have a wider margin of error than KGV, MGV performs best when the research design approximates a KGV design, the effect of assumption violation depends on the severity of the assumption violation and also the value of the base rates, and that assumption violation may only be detected in severe cases.
Risk Factors for Father–Daughter Incest
Authors: Stroebel Sandra S. , Kuo Shih-Ya , O’Keefe Stephen L. , Beard Keith W. , Swindell Sam , Kommor Martin J.
Published: January 2013

Retrospective data from 2,034 female participants, provided anonymously using a computer-assisted self-interview, were used to identify risk factors for father–daughter incest (FDI). A total of 51 participants had reported having experienced FDI. The risk factors identified within the nuclear family by the multiple logistic regression analysis included the following: (a) Having parents whose relationship included verbal or physical fighting or brutality increased the likelihood of FDI by approximately 5 times; (b) families accepting father–daughter nudity as measured by a scale with values ranging from 0 to 4 increased the likelihood of FDI by approximately 2 times for each unit value increase of 1 above 0; (c) demonstrating maternal affection protected against FDI. The likelihood of being a victim of FDI was highest if the participant’s mother never kissed or hugged her; it decreased by 0.44 for a 1-unit increase in affection and by 0.19 times for a 2-unit increase; and (d) being in homes headed by single-parent mothers or where divorce or death of the father had resulted in a man other than the biological father living in the home increased the risk of FDI by approximately 3.2 times. The results were consistent with the idea that FDI in many families was the cumulative result of a circular pattern of interactions, a finding that has implications for treatment of the perpetrator, the victim, and the families. The data also suggested it may be possible to design an information program for parents that will result in reducing the risk of FDI in families implementing the program’s recommendations.
Spurious Results in the Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Organizational Research
Authors: Braun Michael T. , Kuljanin Goran , DeShon Richard P.
Published: January 2013

Organizational scientists increasingly focus on the dynamics of human behavior through longitudinal and event sampling methodologies. Random coefficient modeling such as hierarchical linear modeling and latent growth modeling is the dominant analytical method for longitudinal data. These models require that the covariance matrix of the errors is time invariant. Unfortunately, if unmeasured or unpredictable influences (i.e., unmeasured variables) consistently impact the dynamic process under investigation, the error term can become time-dependent. If random coefficient modeling is used to analyze data with time-dependent errors, then a serious inflation of Type I error rates, known as spurious regression, is observed. Monte Carlo simulation results from several common random coefficient models are presented to highlight the scope and severity of the problem, focusing on the potential mistaken inferences researchers can make. An analytic strategy is proposed to aid researchers in determining the underlying structure of the error covariance matrix, and alternative statistical techniques are given to analyze data that may contain a time-dependent error term.
Voters and Candidates of the Future: The Intention of Electoral Participation among Adolescents in 22 European Countries
Authors: Hooghe Marc , Dassonneville Ruth
Published: January 2013

Within the literature there is a growing concern about lower voter turnout rates among young-age cohorts. In this article we investigate the reported willingness to vote among 72,466 14-year-old adolescents from 22 European countries, who took part in the International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS) 2009. Results indicate that the willingness to vote remains quite elevated among this age group, but with a clear gender division. While girls are more likely to state that they will vote, boys are more likely to see themselves as future election candidates. An open classroom climate at school contributes to the willingness to vote in future elections. The elements that are known to have an effect on the turnout level of adults, however, do not have a significant impact on the intention to vote among adolescents. This would suggest that the observed lower turnout rate among younger people cannot just be attributed to an alleged lack of political motivation among adolescents, and that therefore other elements will have to be taken into account if we want to explain this downward trend.
Is the high-involvement worker precarious or opportunistic? Hierarchical ambiguities in late capitalism
Authors: Ekman Susanne
Published: January 2013

This article addresses the recent trend in critical organization theory and sociological literature to regard employees in creative and high-involvement work as precarious. It does so by tapping into the perennial debate about control and ambiguity in organization studies. Its main contribution is to expand the focus on workers as objects of control to exercisers of control. Drawing on ethnographic material from the creative knowledge work sector, the article argues that structural and discursive developments in late capitalism generate a specific form of ambiguity which is mobilized by both managers and employees in attempts to exploit and control the counterpart. Through careful analysis of hierarchical interactions, it shows how it is highly contextual whether managers or employees come out as ‘winners’ in the game of influence and domination. This means that the study of worker precariousness needs to be combined with the study of its flip side, namely worker opportunism.
The state and civil society in Post-Soviet Russia: The development of a Russian-style civil society
Authors: Ljubownikow Sergej , Crotty Jo , Rodgers Peter W.
Published: January 2013

This article examines the development of civil society in Russia. We argue that cultural and societal norms, which developed during the Soviet period, have continued to shape civil society arrangements in the post-Soviet period. We examine how parallel to recent changes in Russia’s economic, political and legal environment, shifts in Russia’s contemporary civil society arrangements have occurred. We argue that, similar to a Russian-style democracy and market economy, Russian-style civil society arrangements are clearly emerging. These changes are explained by the cultural–historic legacies of both the Soviet Union and the subsequent peculiarities of Russia’s economic, social and political transformations since the collapse of the Soviet Union. In this Russian variant of civil society, its agents have developed and continue to maintain strong and dependent relationships on the state.
Visualizing offscreen elements of node-link diagrams
Authors: Frisch Mathias , Dachselt Raimund
Published: January 2013

Visual representations of node-link diagrams are very important for the software development process. In many situations, large diagrams have to be explored, whereby diagram elements of interest are often clipped from the viewport and are therefore not visible. Thus, in state-of-the-art modeling tools, navigation is accompanied by time-consuming panning and zooming. One solution to this problem is offscreen visualization techniques. Usually, they indicate the existence and direction of clipped elements by overlays at the border of the viewport. In this article, we contribute the application of offscreen visualization techniques to the domain of node-link diagrams in general and to Unified Modeling Language class diagrams in particular. The basic idea of our approach is to represent offscreen nodes by proxy elements located within an interactive border region around the viewport. The proxies show information of the associated offscreen nodes and can be used to quickly navigate to the respective node. In addition, we contribute techniques that preserve the routing of edges during panning and zooming and present strategies to make our approach scalable to large diagrams. We conducted a formative pilot study of our first prototype. Based on the observations made during the evaluation, we suggest how particular techniques should be combined. Finally, we ran a user evaluation to compare our technique with a traditional zoom+pan interface. The results showed that our approach is significantly faster for exploring relationships within diagrams than state-of-the-art interfaces. We also found that the offscreen visualization combined with an additional overview window did not improve the orientation within an unknown diagram. However, an overview should be offered as a cognitive support.

CR categories:

D.2.2 [Software Engineering]: Design Tools and Techniques— User Interface; H.5.2 [Information Interfaces and Presentation]: User Interfaces— Graphical User Interfaces

General terms:

Design, Human Factors
Hunger and Obesity
Authors: Hou Su-I
Published: January 2013

The Hunger and Obesity workshop, organized by the Institute of Medicine, examined the relationship between food insecurity and the obesity pandemic that the United States is facing today. The workshop brought together a diverse group of experts and discussed these issues among special subpopulation groups, examined variables through a socioecological model, suggested effective government programs demonstrating positive impact, proposed key research questions, methods, and measures, and also pointed to research gaps for future works. Health promotion practitioners and researchers, either new or experienced, could gain a broader perspective on important current issues surrounding obesity and food insecurity. This workshop summary pdf file is free and can be downloaded from http://www.nap.edu/catalog/13102.html .
A Randomized Controlled Trial of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Women With Early-Stage Breast Cancer Receiving Radiotherapy
Authors: Henderson Virginia P. , Massion Ann O. , Clemow Lynn , Hurley Thomas G. , Druker Susan , Hébert James R.
Published: January 2013

Purpose. To testthe relative effectiveness of a mindfulness-based stress reduction program (MBSR) compared with a nutrition education intervention (NEP) and usual care (UC) in women with newly diagnosed early-stage breast cancer (BrCA)undergoing radiotherapy. Methods. Datawere available from a randomized controlled trialof 172 women, 20 to 65 years old, with stage I or II BrCA. Data from women completing the 8-week MBSR program plus 3 additional sessions focuses on special needs associated with BrCA were compared to women receiving attention control NEP and UC. Follow-up was performed at 3 post-intervention points: 4 months, and 1 and 2 years. Standardized, validated self-administered questionnaires were used to assess psychosocial variables. Descriptive analyses compared women by randomization assignment. Regression analyses, incorporating both intention-to-treat and post hoc multivariable approaches, were used to control for potential confounding variables. Results. A subset of 120 women underwent radiotherapy; 77 completed treatment prior to the study, and 40 had radiotherapy during the MBSR intervention. Women who actively received radiotherapy (art) while participating in the MBSR intervention (MBSR-art) experienced a significant (P < .05) improvement in 16 psychosocial variables compared with the NEP-art, UC-art, or both at 4 months. These included health-related, BrCA-specific quality of life and psychosocial coping, which were the primary outcomes, and secondary measures, including meaningfulness, helplessness, cognitive avoidance, depression, paranoid ideation, hostility, anxiety, global severity, anxious preoccupation, and emotional control. Conclusions. MBSR appears to facilitate psychosocial adjustment in BrCA patients receiving radiotherapy, suggesting applicability for MBSR as adjunctive therapy in oncological practice.
Laparoscopy Decreases the Laparotomy Rate in Hemodynamically Stable Patients With Blunt Abdominal Trauma
Authors: Lee Po-Chu , Lo Chiao , Wu Jiann-Ming , Lin Keng-Li , Lin Heng-Fu , Ko Wen-Je
Published: January 2013

Background. This study evaluated the use of laparoscopy in hemodynamically stable patients with blunt abdominal trauma. Methods. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of hemodynamically stable blunt abdominal trauma patients. Patients admitted from July 1, 2003, to June 30, 2006 (prior to the adoption of laparoscopy for patients with blunt abdominal trauma) were categorized as group A. Patients admitted from July 1, 2007, to June 30, 2010, when laparoscopy was included in the algorithm for the management of blunt abdominal trauma, were categorized as group B. Results. There were 47 patients in group A and 57 patients in group B. There were no significant differences in demographic characteristics, injury severity score, and injuries requiring surgical intervention between the groups (all, P > .05). Patients in group B had a shorter hospital stay (11 days vs 21 days, P < .001) and shorter ICU stay (0 [0, 1] days vs 0 [0, 9] days, P = .029). In group A, 6 of 47 patients (12.8%) underwent a nontherapeutic laparotomy. In contrast, 9 of 57 patients (15.8%) in group B avoided a nontherapeutic laparotomy because no significant intra-abdominal findings warranting an intervention were disclosed by laparoscopy. The incidence of laparotomy for patients with significant injuries in group B was lower than in group A (4.2% vs 100.0%; P < .001). There was no difference in the complication rate between the groups. Conclusions. Laparoscopy is feasible and safe for the diagnosis and treatment of hemodynamically stable patients with blunt abdominal trauma and can reduce the laparotomy rate.
Assessment of the presence of independent flexor digitorum superficialis function in the small fingers of professional string players: Is this an example of natural selection?
Authors: Godwin Y. , Wheble G. A. C. , Feig C.
Published: January 2013

This study estimated the prevalence of independent flexor digitorum superficialis function in the small fingers of 90 violin and viola players. The hypothesis tested was that the independent digital movements required in this population would select out those with absent flexor digitorum superficialis function. Professional string players were tested clinically, using standard and modified tests, for flexor digitorum superficialis function. Two additional physical tests were applied: the gap and stretch tests. These tests assess ring finger movement once the small finger is placed and the instrument is held in the chin-hold position. A statistically significant reduction in the prevalence of absent flexor digitorum superficialis function was confirmed in the musicians compared with a control group and published meta-analysis. This suggests that independent flexor digitorum superficialis function is important for professional musicians playing at an elite level.
Erythropoiesis and globin switching in compound Klf1::Bcl11a mutant mice
Authors: Esteghamat Fatemehsadat , Gillemans Nynke , Bilic Ivan , van den Akker Emile , Cantù Ileana , van Gent Teus , Klingmüller Ursula , van Lom Kirsten , von Lindern Marieke , Grosveld Frank , Bryn van Dijk Thamar , Busslinger Meinrad , Philipsen Sjaak
Published: January 2013

Key Points

Our data support an important role for the KLF1-BCL11A axis in erythroid maturation and hemoglobin switching. In adults, gamma-globin levels decline in Bcl11a and Klf1::Bcl11a mutants, suggesting an additional layer of gamma-globin silencing.
Who is the better donor for older hematopoietic transplant recipients: an older-aged sibling or a young, matched unrelated volunteer?
Authors: Alousi Amin M. , Le-Rademacher Jennifer , Saliba Rima M. , Appelbaum Frederick R. , Artz Andrew , Benjamin Jonathan , Devine Steven M. , Kan Fangyu , Laughlin Mary J. , Lazarus Hillard M. , Liesveld Jane , Perales Miguel-Angel , Maziarz Richard T. , Sabloff Mitchell , Waller Edmund K. , Eapen Mary , Champlin Richard E.
Published: January 2013

Key Points

HLA-matched siblings are better than HLA-matched unrelated donors for patients with good performance scores Survival rates are comparable after HLA-matched sibling and unrelated donor transplantations for patients with poor performance scores
Mutations in GATA2 cause human NK cell deficiency with specific loss of the CD56bright subset
Authors: Mace Emily M. , Hsu Amy P. , Monaco-Shawver Linda , Makedonas George , Rosen Joshua B. , Dropulic Lesia , Cohen Jeffrey I. , Frenkel Eugene P. , Bagwell John C. , Sullivan John L. , Biron Christine A. , Spalding Christine , Zerbe Christa S. , Uzel Gulbu , Holland Steven M. , Orange Jordan S.
Published: January 2013

Key Points

Mutations in GATA2 are a cause of human NK cell deficiency. GATA2 is required for human NK cell maturation, specifically maintenance of the CD56bright subset.
Time from diagnosis to intensive chemotherapy initiation does not adversely impact the outcome of patients with acute myeloid leukemia
Authors: Bertoli Sarah , Bérard Emilie , Huguet Françoise , Huynh Anne , Tavitian Suzanne , Vergez François , Dobbelstein Sophie , Dastugue Nicole , Mansat-De Mas Véronique , Delabesse Eric , Duchayne Eliane , Demur Cécile , Sarry Audrey , Lauwers-Cances Valérie , Laurent Guy , Attal Michel , Récher Christian
Published: January 2013

Key Points

The prognostic impact of time from diagnosis to treatment in AML is offset by other factors such as age, secondary AML, or genetic abnormalities. Waiting a short period of time to characterize leukemias better and design adapted treatments at diagnosis seems possible.
Leukemic transformation by the MLL-AF6 fusion oncogene requires the H3K79 methyltransferase Dot1l
Authors: Deshpande Aniruddha J. , Chen Liying , Fazio Maurizio , Sinha Amit U. , Bernt Kathrin M. , Banka Deepti , Dias Stuart , Chang Jenny , Olhava Edward J. , Daigle Scott R. , Richon Victoria M. , Pollock Roy M. , Armstrong Scott A.
Published: January 2013

Key Points

Our study demonstrates aberrant genome-wide deposition of histone 3 lysine 79 dimethylation on MLL-target genes in MLL-AF6–driven leukemia cells. We provide evidence that leukemia cells bearing the MLL-AF6 fusion are sensitive to genetic and pharmacologic DOT1L inhibition.
Differential requirement for Hoxa9 in the development and differentiation of B, NK, and DC-lineage cells from Flt3+ multipotential progenitors
Authors: Gwin Kimberly , Dolence Joseph J , Shapiro Mariya B , Medina Kay L
Published: January 2013

Hoxa9 is a homeodomain transcription factor important for the generation of Flt3+hiIL-7R- lymphoid biased-multipotential progenitors, Flt3+IL-7R+ common lymphoid progenitors (CLPs), and B cell precursors (BCP) in bone marrow (BM). In addition to B-cell, Flt3+IL-7R+ CLPs possess NK and DC developmental potentials, although DCs arise from Flt3+IL-7R- myeloid progenitors as well. In this study, we investigated the requirement for Hoxa9, from Flt3+ or Flt3- progenitor subsets, in the development of NK and DC lineage cells in BM. Flt3+IL-7R+Ly6D- CLPs and their Flt3+IL-7R+Ly6D+ B lineage-restricted progeny (BLP) were significantly reduced inhoxa9−/−mice. Interestingly, the reduction in Flt3+IL-7R+ CLPs inhoxa9−/−mice had no impact on the generation of NK precursor (NKP) subsets, the differentiation of NKP into mature NK cells, or NK homeostasis. Similarly, percentages and numbers of common dendritic progenitors (CDP), as well as their plasmacytoid or conventional dendritic cell progeny inhoxa9−/−mice were comparable to wildtype. These findings reveal distinct requirements for Hoxa9 or Hoxa9/Flt3 molecular circuits in regulation of B versus NK and DC development in BM.
Ozagrel hydrochloride, a selective thromboxane A2 synthase inhibitor, alleviates liver injury induced by acetaminophen overdose in mice
Authors: Tomishima Yoshiro , Ishitsuka Yoichi , Matsunaga Naoya , Nagatome Minako , Furusho Hirokazu , Irikura Mitsuru , Ohdo Shigehiro , Irie Tetsumi
Published: January 2013

Background

Overdosed acetaminophen (paracetamol, N-acetyl-p-aminophenol; APAP) causes severe liver injury. We examined the effects of ozagrel, a selective thromboxane A2 (TXA2) synthase inhibitor, on liver injury induced by APAP overdose in mice.

Methods

Hepatotoxicity was induced to ICR male mice by an intraperitoneal injection with APAP (330 mg/kg). The effects of ozagrel (200 mg/kg) treatment 30 min after the APAP injection were evaluated with mortality, serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels and hepatic changes, including histopathology, DNA fragmentation, mRNA expression and total glutathione contents. The impact of ozagrel (0.001-1 mg/mL) on cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) activity in mouse hepatic microsome was examined. RLC-16 cells, a rat hepatocytes cell line, were exposed to 0.25 mM N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine (NAPQI), a hepatotoxic metabolite of APAP. In this model, the cytoprotective effects of ozagrel (1–100 muM) were evaluated by the WST-1 cell viability assay.

Results

Ozagel treatment significantly attenuated higher mortality, elevated serum alanine aminotransferase levels, excessive hepatic centrilobular necrosis, hemorrhaging and DNA fragmentation, as well as increase in plasma 2,3-dinor thromboxane B2 levels induced by APAP injection. Ozagrel also inhibited the hepatic expression of cell death-related mRNAs induced by APAP, such as jun oncogene, FBJ osteosarcoma oncogene (fos) and C/EBP homologous protein (chop), but did not suppress B-cell lymphoma 2-like protein11 (bim) expression and hepatic total glutathione depletion. These results show ozagrel can inhibit not all hepatic changes but can reduce the hepatic necrosis. Ozagrel had little impact on CYP2E1 activity involving the NAPQI production. In addition, ozagrel significantly attenuated cell injury induced by NAPQI in RLC-16.

Conclusions

We demonstrate that the TXA2 synthase inhibitor, ozagrel, dramatically alleviates liver injury induced by APAP in mice, and suggest that it is a promising therapeutic candidate for the treatment of APAP-induced liver injury.