bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Key Factors behind Labour Market Marginalization of Young Immigrants
Authors: Støren Liv Anne
Published: April 2011

This article studies the transition from school to work among youth with low or medium-low competence level. Youth who have proceeded to higher education are excluded from the analyses. The youth have all participated in Norwegian upper secondary education, but many have not completed their schooling. The situation of youth of non-Western origin and ethnic Norwegian youth is compared. The effects of apprenticeship experience, qualifications and state dependence on the labour market situation are examined. State dependence is understood as the effect of unemployment experience at an early career stage on future labour market opportunities. The ethnic minority youth do not have the same probability of being employed as the ethnic majority youth with the same competence and grades level. The positive effect of apprenticeship experience was less important than what was expected. Although large effects of state dependence are found, this does not explain the immigrant youth’s higher rate of being without work.
Limited Expectations? How 14–16-Year-Old Norwegians in Poor Families Look at Their Future
Authors: Sletten Mira Aaboen
Published: April 2011

Using representative survey data from the municipality of Oslo, capital of Norway, this article examines expectations about the future among 14–16-year-olds in relatively poor families. Despite Norway’s universalistic welfare policies and a period of growing economic prosperity prior to the 2006 survey, the article reveals that adolescents in poor families are more likely than other adolescents to anticipate unemployment and less often expect to own a home. Poor adolescents are also less likely to expect future happiness. A considerable portion of poor adolescents have a immigrant background, but the analyses show a non-trivial negative effect of living in a poor family even when controlling for this variable. In addition, the analyses investigate the role of selected mediating factors, namely, low academic achievement, self-perceived unpopularity among peers and attending a school with a relatively high share of poor adolescents. Low academic achievement and perceived unpopularity explain some of the relationship between poverty and low expectations, whereas school milieu has less effect.
New Life, Old Friends
Authors: Abeele Mariek Vanden , Roe Keith
Published: April 2011

Communication technologies make it possible for college freshmen to maintain their pre-college relationships, while at the same time building new relationships on campus. For American freshmen the transition to college is generally considered as a major change that involves distancing oneself from family and pre-college friends, while for Flemish freshmen the transition to college appears to be a more gradual process. Consequently, American freshmen might benefit more from using communication technologies to build new relationships, while Flemish freshmen might benefit more from using communication technologies to maintain existing relationships.

This article reports the results of a cross-cultural survey study among American ( N = 198) and Flemish freshmen ( N = 326) at the beginning of the academic year. The results indicate that both for American and Flemish freshmen calling, texting, instant messaging and emailing more frequently with one’s pre-college friends is associated with a higher sense of belongingness to a strong and supportive social network. Communicating with new college friends, however, is only associated with an increased sense of belongingness for American freshmen.
Cyberkids or divided generations? Characterising young people’s internet use in the UK with generic, continuum or typological models
Authors: Holmes John
Published: April 2011

Young people are often characterised as cyberkids in reference to an assumed intense engagement and natural affinity with the internet. This article critiques the empirical basis for such claims and explores two alternative perspectives: namely, continua of use and typologies of use. Using UK data on 12–15 year old home internet users, a series of descriptive and latent class analyses of young people’s internet use is presented. Results show there is little support for cyberkid characterisations and a proposed continuum of use is also shown to not fit the data. A three-way typology of use is instead presented which suggests a third of young home internet users make only limited use of the internet and the remaining two-thirds diverge into informational and creational/communicative users. These findings are used to argue that Mannheim’s notion of generational units may be a useful way to characterise young people’s internet use.
Human rights as risk: UK prisons and the management of risk and rights
Authors: Whitty Noel
Published: April 2011

Discourses of risk and human rights circulate on a daily basis in the UK prison sector. Little attention, however, has been devoted to the overlap between the demands of organizational risk management and Human Rights Act compliance. This article highlights how the shift towards ‘business risk’ management in prison governance has occurred alongside increased recognition of the ability of human rights to manifest as significant organizational risks (for example, legal or reputational). Three ‘rights as risk’ prisoner case studies from across the UK are used to show how human rights violations can produce both legal risk and, what I term, ‘legal risk+’. Contrary to pessimistic accounts of risk, the article concludes by calling for further scrutiny of the potential of organizational risk management to result in, or enhance, rights compliance — whereby human rights are viewed through a risk lens, and not just a rights one.
Gaining insight, changing attitudes and managing ‘risk’: Parole release decisions for women convicted of violent crimes
Authors: Hannah-Moffat Kelly , Yule Carolyn
Published: April 2011

The discretion that is inherent in legal decision making creates ambiguity about the reasons for parole boards’ decisions. Although research has documented some of the factors shaping parole decisions for male prisoners, the release process for female prisoners remains largely unexplored. This study asks: What characteristics of violent female offenders and their offences do parole boards emphasize in their decision to release? We employ a multi-method approach to (1) determine the association between parole release and individual, offence and institutional characteristics, (2) clarify the issues that parole boards emphasize when determining whether a prisoner is ‘ready’ to return to the community and 3) analyse how parole board members reconcile past and unalterable factors in a woman’s criminal background with concerns about her future dangerousness by assessing her degree of insight into her crime/s, criminogenic factors and triggers and whether she has learned alternative strategies for managing her potential risk. Data from federally sentenced women in Canada suggest that a parole board’s assessment of a violent offender’s ability to ‘change’ positively emerges as a central concern in whether she will be granted parole. Despite their discretionary power, parole boards thus appear to reinforce a dominant correctional logic that requires women to take responsibility for their choices and target dynamic risk factors in order to reduce the likelihood of recidivism.
‘The piety of the gift’: Selfhood and sociality in the Egyptian Mosque Movement
Authors: Anderson Paul
Published: April 2011

This article asks what is achieved in Muslim piety movements in Cairo by reciting, listening to and discussing the Quran, by sermonizing, and by mutual moral exhortation and admonishment. I argue that what is at stake for Egyptian pietists is not only self-formation (the Foucauldian perspective privileged by Mahmood 2005), but also the achievement of a non-secular sociality. For participants in the movement, virtue is constituted primarily through social exchange and interaction (mu‘aamalaat) rather than simply through worship (‘ibaadaat) or ritual practices that discipline the self. This suggests the need to go beyond Foucauldian conceptions of ethics as self-formation. In order to understand the sociality of the contemporary piety movements in Egypt analysed by Mahmood (2005) and Hirschkind (2006), I propose a metaphor borrowed from economic anthropology: the ‘gift economy’. I characterize contemporary Egyptian piety movements as gift economies by reference to the circulation of words rather than material goods. The advantages of the ‘words as gifts’ metaphor are threefold. First, it emphasizes the way in which virtue, for Egyptian pietists, is constituted through transaction and exchange rather than through individual worship. Second, it directs attention to the ideology of language in Egyptian piety movements, whereby ethical communities form around and through the efficacy of the Quran and language that recalls the example of Prophet Muhammad. Third, it reflects the way in which urban piety movements in Egypt constitute themselves in conscious opposition to a notion of secularism (‘almana) which is associated with a commodity economy of goods, words and images experienced as morally and socially corrosive.
Playful cards, serious talk: a qualitative research technique to elicit women’s embodied experiences
Authors: Sutton Barbara
Published: April 2011

This article explores the benefits, drawbacks, and potential applications of an interviewing technique based on the use of cards printed with key research concepts related to the body. Informed by a feminist approach and a sociological interest in human embodiment, this method offered a playful way to elicit women’s embodied experiences in Argentina. The ‘concept cards’ were tangible objects that helped focus the interviewees’ attention, without being intimidating. They were also useful to address painful or sensitive topics without having to ask directly about them. They helped elucidate linkages between key topics, revealing patterns, order of relevance, contradictions, and the simultaneity of themes that are experienced in concert with each other. This method also revealed words filled with political or metaphorical significance, pointing to thorny, silenced, or contested issues. Initially conceived as an icebreaker, this simple, yet effective, technique yielded rich and complex narratives about women’s diverse bodily worlds.
Determinants of participating in Australian university student exchange programs
Authors: Daly Amanda
Published: April 2011

Outbound mobility programs such as exchange programs are one of the many strategies implemented at universities to develop graduates’ intercultural skills and international knowledge. Few Australian students participate in exchange programs. This article presents a literature review and proposes a model of the contextual and individual factors that may influence Australian students in their decision to participate in an exchange program and their choice of host destination. Implications to expand student participation and future areas of research are discussed.
Modes and models for transcending cultural differences in international classrooms
Authors: Van Hook Steven R.
Published: April 2011

Educators of international students are frequently challenged to cope with a clashing diversity of cultures in a classroom setting. This study examined what sorts of themes and images might resonate across nationalities and cultures, which could then be used as transcultural tools for international educators. The study employed mixed qualitative and quantitative methods to identify and analyze transculturally resonant images and themes. International students viewed and rated a series of video clips presented in the context of global business courses. The study findings indicate that themes and images including babies/children, animals, relationships, sports, life cycles and self-image may help evoke a positive transcultural resonance. The findings were used to design models for more effective learning in international classroom settings.
Perspectives from within: Adjunct, foreign, English-language teachers in the internationalization of Japanese universities
Authors: Whitsed Craig , Wright Peter
Published: April 2011

This qualitative study is part of a broader study that explored how adjunct foreign English-language teachers (AFELT) in the Japanese university sector conceptualize their role against the backdrop of internationalization. Forty-three teachers across a range of universities participated in this study. The results report on AFELT perceptions of higher education in Japan, teaching English and the role of AFELT in that context, and reveal a discontinuity between the governmental rhetoric of internationalization concerning English-language education and how this is enacted at the institutional level.
An investigation of chief administrator turnover in international schools
Authors: Benson John
Published: April 2011

This article explores chief administrator turnover in international schools. Quantitative and qualitative data from the 83 chief administrators who participated in the study suggests that the average tenure of an international school chief administrator is 3.7 years and that the main reason chief administrators leave international schools is related to school boards, although career considerations are also regarded as important. The two most common school board-related reasons given for leaving are regular changes in board composition and micro-management.
Tangible intervention: Improving the effectiveness of lighting control systems
Authors: Dugar AM , Donn MR
Published: April 2011

This paper aims to determine the characteristics of an ideal lighting control system. The notion of designing quality lighting environments that provide rich sensory experiences is used as a fundamental basis. A theoretical premise derived from the realm of interaction design for providing rich sensory experiences is put forward: It focusses on enabling tangible interaction through properties of lighting control systems. Human psycho-physiological processes are examined in order to direct the human interface with lighting controls towards tangible interaction.
A 4-Year Sequential Assessment of the Families First Edmonton Partnership
Authors: Gray Erin , Mayan Maria , Lo Sanchia , Jhangri Gian , Wilson Douglas
Published: April 2011

This article assesses the partnership functioning of Families First Edmonton, a multisectored collaborative effort formed to determine the best health and recreation service delivery model for families with low income. Partners’ evaluations of the collaborative process are examined across the formation, implementation, and maintenance stages of development. Statistical analyses of questionnaire data reveal a significant decrease in the partnership’s capacity to maximize synergy—a main indicator of a successful collaborative process—in the implementation stage of the partnership. Implications for partnership practice are addressed.
Contestation and Opportunity in Reflexivity: An Introduction
Authors: Berry Keith , Clair Robin Patric
Published: April 2011

Academic discourse on ideas and techniques of reflexivity in ethnographic research are common and essential. Less common are collections devoted entirely to this topic, and those conducted by diverse researchers who draw on distinctive intellectual values and commitments for cultural inquiry. Also strange to the literature are discussions about ethnographic reflexivity that are grounded in everyday personal and professional experiences of ethnographers, those lived but less-examined (and often contested) realities that constitute what it means to be ethnographers and do ethnography. This introduction briefly discusses this void in the literature and previews the current issue of Cultural Studies-Critical Methodologies.
Standing in the Wake: A Critical Auto/Ethnographic Exercise on Reflexivity in Three Movements
Authors: Alexander Bryant Keith
Published: April 2011

Using the metaphor of “standing in the wake” to represent a time after experience for critical reflection, this performative and autoethnographic text uses reflexivity as both the subject and the method of engagement, to explore the nature of reflexivity in ethnographic research; as well as the idiosyncratic and diverse ways in which ethnographers enact reflexivity in relation to definitional orientations and intents of ethnography itself. The essay is structured around three movements: “In the Wake of the Preconference: Per Se,” “In the Wake of Silence: Eulogies in/as Reflective Methodologies,” and “In the Wake of What’s Next: An Afterward in/ as/on Reflexivity.”
Reflexivity and Rhetorical Ethnography: From Family Farm to Orphanage and Back Again
Authors: Clair Robin Patric
Published: April 2011

In this rhetorically-driven dialectical and dialogical approach to ethnography, I explore the lives of a small-farm family to understand the essence of their cultural existence. In the unfolding of this ethnography and through reflexivity, I come to understand my own fascination with the farm family. First, I rely on thick description. Second, I reflect on identity and then on identification through dialectic and dialogic encounters with the family members to understand how they rhetorically (both strategically and tactically) create their identities. Finally, I allow that reflexivity to lead me to the connections between my recovered childhood memories of staying at an orphanage and the ways in which the farm family maintain a sense of identity and belonging to one another.
The Labor of Reflexivity
Authors: Soyini Madison D.
Published: April 2011

Reflexivity is examined as an act of labor. Employing Tami Spry and Della Pollock’s discretely different articulations of the “performative” and the “I,” reflexivity becomes a particular quality of labor that works to leave something behind, something that lingers, something that will remain long after our reflexive work takes form. What labor as reflexivity leaves behind both embraces and jettisons notions of hauntings and memories, because it contemplates its own contemplations within past and future contingencies of self and Other that are boundlessly committed to an enlivening present. Labor as reflexivity is enumerated as being constituted by materiality, futurity, and performative temporality.
Reflexive Teaching: Toward Critical Autoethnographic Practices of/in/on Pedagogy
Authors: Warren John T.
Published: April 2011

In this autoethnographically informed article, I propose an ethic of reflexive practice that teachers might/should engage in; such practice moves from “what I believe about teaching” to “why I believe what I believe about teaching.” Here, reflexive autoethnography serves not only as the method of my article but also as a potential method for developing reflexive pedagogical practices. Such work, I would argue, enables more critically informed pedagogical philosophies that translate importantly to actual classroom choices.
Discursive Reflexivity in the Ethnography of Communication: Cultural Discourse Analysis
Authors: Carbaugh Donal , Nuciforo Elena V. , Molina-Markham Elizabeth , van Over Brion
Published: April 2011

This article is a creative reconstruction of reflexivity as it operates for some practitioners of the ethnography of communication. Our central concern is conceptualized as “discursive reflexivity”; with that concept, we foreground communication both as primary data and as our primary theoretical concern. As a result, we treat reflexivity as a process of metacommunication, that is, as a reflexive process of using discourse at one level to discuss discourse on another. Following current and past research, we explore how dimensions of discursive reflexivity differently configure into five types of ethnographic practice, these being theoretical, descriptive, interpretive, comparative, and critical inquiry. Each is discussed as analytically distinct from the others, yet all coalesce experientially or, in other words, all coexist in one’s experience as an ethnographer. Relationships are discussed between discursive reflexivity and self-reflexivity, including various modes of ethnographic reporting and future directions for inquiry.
Gray or For Colored Girls Who Are Tired of Chasing Rainbows: Race and Reflexivity
Authors: Boylorn Robin M.
Published: April 2011

Reflexivity interrogates the cause and effect of self-awareness and self-reference in qualitative work. This article uses reflexivity to resolve the meaning and implications that race has on ethnographic research. The author argues that race automatically and inevitably influences research, therefore conscious race reflexivity is a useful tool for auto/ ethnographic work. Even when race is not named out loud, it is germane to how an ethnographic project will be conceptualized, interpreted, and completed. By using examples from ethnographic studies that concentrate on race and excerpts from personal experiences, the author names the reflexive stories “race stories” and identifies the analytic reflections that follow, “gray spaces,” to reference and demonstrate the subjective and synergistic role of race in reflexive research.
Dialoguing Difference in Joint Ethnographic Research: Reflections on Religion, Sexuality, and Race
Authors: Hill Theon E. , Holyoak Isaac Clarke
Published: April 2011

In this essay, we build on the relationship between autoethnography and reflexivity by blending traditional practices of ethnography—thick description, emphasis on theory, etc.—with innovative methods such as first-person narrative, dialogue, and rhetorical collage. In doing so, we highlight the layered nature of the relationship between researchers. Our experience suggests that dialogue functioned reflexively on multiple levels, allowing tensions in our relationship to surface. Differences in our personalities and persons (i.e., religion, sexual orientation, skin color, academic experience) that were muted in our everyday academic environments emerged while working in the field. In particular, the tensions of the field disrupted previous narratives, requiring a new narrative for the continuation of the research project and creation of a friendship. Overall, we argue that reflexivity allows us to navigate the tensions inherent in our relationship and arrive at a new place of mutual understanding within our differences.
Labor Pains in the Academy
Authors: Tillmann Lisa M.
Published: April 2011

This piece offers autoethnographic reflections on crossroads to which many academics come: whether to seek (or postpone or avoid) parenthood and when. The author deeply explores the personal (her own trajectories from daughter and sister to potential mother and from graduate student to full professor) to reflect on structural constraints associated with graduate education, the academic job market, and institutional policies and politics.
Beyond risk theory: Experiential knowledge and ‘knowing otherwise’
Authors: Walklate Sandra , Mythen Gabe
Published: April 2011

The central purpose of this article is to trace the conflicting co-existence of three narratives in relation to the ‘risk society’ and the practices that it engenders. The first of these narratives is theoretical: the problems and possibilities of the risk society thesis. The second is practical: how the concept of risk has been translated into policy and practice in the form of risk assessment tools for both ‘at risk’ offenders and ‘at risk’ victims. The focus in this narrative will be on criminal justice responses to violence in general with particular emphasis on responses to partner violence. The third narrative focuses on ‘real lives’: the experiential. Here attention will be paid to what is it that is, or is not, captured by the first two narratives. The concern will be to illustrate the extent to which the discordance that can be found between these three narratives reveals much about the risks of politics and the politics of risk.
Boys’ zone stories: Perspectives from a young men’s prison
Authors: Earle Rod
Published: April 2011

This article explores aspects of young men’s gender identities as they serve time in an English Young Offender Institution. Based on qualitative research, the article discusses three dimensions of the way the young men talk about their lives, inside and outside prison. It is argued that the evocation of a specific condition of being ‘ on road’ is linked to forms of youthful masculine collectivity, ‘ my boys’, which valorize pre-modern forms of martial masculinity. These two themes converge in the pre-eminence of ‘ postcode pride’, the salience of ‘the local’ in the young men’s accounts of themselves. These aspects of the young men’s experience are explored with reference to other recent research findings on young men’s experience of ‘gang’ activity and living on the social margins.
Custody or community? Exploring the boundaries of public punitiveness in England and Wales
Authors: Roberts Julian V. , Hough Mike
Published: April 2011

Determining the factors which make a difference between a custodial sentence and a community penalty is one of the most challenging decisions for sentencers. Little research to date has explored the nature of public reaction to mitigating factors and the circumstances which may justify imposition of a community penalty even though the custodial threshold has been crossed. This article reports findings from a representative survey of the British public. Respondents were asked a series of questions designed to explore public reaction to sentencing cases at the custodial threshold. Public opinion polls suggest that the public respond punitively at sentencing, and have little sympathy for mitigating factors relating to the offender. In a series of questions, using experimental manipulations, respondents demonstrated considerable flexibility when sentencing cases near the custodial threshold. Significant support emerged for a wide range of mitigating factors at sentencing. The strength of public support for custody as a sanction was also explored by providing respondents who had imposed a term of imprisonment a possible alternative community penalty. Significant proportions of respondents found the alternative acceptable, even for relatively serious offences.
How much does a Pennington lock add to strength of a tendon repair?
Authors: Wu Y. F. , Tang J. B.
Published: April 2011

Pennington advocated adding locking components to the Kessler-type repair to increase the repair strength, but did not actually test the repairs with this lock. Subsequent investigators have extensively cited that a Pennington lock is beneficial to the gain of repair strength. Thirty-three tendons were used to determine the exact strength differences between two grasping Kessler repairs and a Kessler repair with Pennington locks complemented with running peripheral suture. Two types of grasping repairs only had slightly lower resistance to gap formation compared with the repair with Pennington locks, and their ultimate strengths were not significantly different. We also compared the strength of four-strand Kessler repair with and without Pennington locks using 20 tendons, and found no difference in either gapping or ultimate strength. We conclude that a Pennington lock adds only a little to the capacity to gap resistance of a repair, but does not increase the ultimate strength.
Shoulder arthrodesis in adult brachial plexus injury: what is the optimal position?
Authors: Sousa R. , Pereira A. , Massada M. , Trigueiros M. , Lemos R. , Silva C.
Published: April 2011

Brachial plexus injuries are a major indication for shoulder arthrodesis. However, there is no consensus concerning the optimal position of the glenohumeral joint for fusion. Between 1997 and 2008, 19 shoulder arthrodeses were performed using pelvic reconstruction plates. The radiographic and functional characteristics of 13 patients of mean age 46 years were examined at a mean of 101 months after arthrodesis. Arthrodeses showed 30° mean angle of abduction, 32° forward flexion and 44° internal rotation of the humerus with respect to the scapula. Abduction >35° and forward flexion ≥30°seem to offer slightly better functional results. Internal rotation ≤45° significantly relates to better ability of the hand to reach the face ( p = 0.012). Neither abduction >35° nor forward flexion ≥30° showed a higher prevalence of periscapular pain. Abduction around 35° and forward flexion around 30° are needed for good functional results. Internal rotation should not exceed 45°.
Hospital acquired rotavirus infections: burden in Canadian paediatric hospitals
Authors: Le Saux Nicole , Bettinger Julie , Halperin Scott , Vaudry Wendy , Scheifele David ,   Canadian Immunization Monitoring Program, Active (IMPACT)
Published: April 2011

Rotavirus infections are one of the most common hospital acquired infections in pediatric hospitals. Laboratory confirmed hospital acquired rotavirus infections from 12 pediatric hospitals in Canada were documented for a 3 year period, 2005-7. Overall, hospital acquired infections represented one quarter of all rotavirus hospitalizations for an annual rate of 0.45 per 1000 hospital days with a peak of 0.68 per 1,000 hospital days between December and May. Approximately 8% developed symptoms <72 hours after hospital discharge and required admission to hospital for management of rotavirus infection. Sixty percent of cases were less than 1 year of age and 75% had underlying medical illnesses. Given the licensure and increasing use of rotavirus vaccines, baseline data on the incidence and epidemiology of hospital acquired rotavirus infections will be useful in order to determine the potential impact of vaccination on hospital acquired rotavirus.
First Metatarsophalangeal Joint Interpositional Arthroplasty Using a Meniscus Allograft for the Treatment of Advanced Hallux Rigidus
Authors: DelaCruz Eugene L. , Johnson Adam R. , Clair Benjamin L.
Published: April 2011

Hallux rigidus is a progressive disorder of the first metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint. The disorder is characterized by a loss of range of motion, degenerative changes, and pain within the joint. In later stages of the disease, the surgical procedure of choice is arthrodesis of the joint. Recently, salvage procedures of the first MTP joint using soft tissue interposition has gained popularity. In this retrospective review of 12 patients (13 total procedures) who had late-stage hallux rigidus, we evaluated the effectiveness of a newly proposed salvage procedure using a cadaver meniscus allograft for interposition. First MTP joint dorsiflexion improved from 15.77° ( range, 5° -30° ) preoperatively to 47.77° (range, 40° -57°; P < .0001). AOFAS (American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society) scores improved from 52.54 points (range, 35-69 points) preoperatively to 90.01 points (range, 82-95 points; P < .0001), with all patients showing improvement. The mean length of follow-up for this study was 16.46 months (range, 5-26 months) with no complications being recorded. The results show that cadaver meniscus allograft interposition is a viable procedure for end-stage hallux rigidus. Level of evidence: therapeutic, level III: retrospective review.
Complications of the Weil Osteotomy
Authors: Highlander Peter , VonHerbulis Eric , Gonzalez Aldo , Britt Joshua , Buchman Jacqueline
Published: April 2011

Introduction . The Weil osteotomy is commonly used for multiple forefoot pathologies yielding metatarsalgia. Despite its common use, the Weil osteotomy is associated with a high complication rate. Methods . A literature review was undertaken with predetermined criteria. To maximize the articles for review, prospective and retrospective studies were considered as well as multiple indications. Seventeen articles qualified for analysis, and study format, patient demographics, surgical indication, and complication rates were documented. The data obtained were totaled and evaluated for trends. Results . Details of 1131 Weil osteotomies are reported. The most commonly reported complication of the Weil osteotomy was floating toe, reported in 233 cases, with an overall occurrence of 36%. Recurrence was reported in 15% of the cases. Transfer metatarsalgia was reported in 7% of the cases, whereas delayed union, non-union, and malunion were collectively reported in 3% of the cases. Discussion . There is no consensus regarding utilization of the Weil osteotomy with prophylactic surgery, plantar plate repair, and adjunctive interphalangeal arthrodesis. These variables may alter complication rates and provide new avenues for research.
Online Support Intervention for Adolescents With Asthma and Allergies
Authors: Stewart Miriam , Masuda Jeffrey R. , Letourneau Nicole , Anderson Sharon , Cicutto Lisa , McGhan Shawna , Watt Susan
Published: April 2011

Objectives. To determine appropriate components and contents of an online peer support intervention for young adolescents and to evaluate intervention processes, perceived benefits, and satisfaction with the intervention.

Methods. Three months of support were provided through synchronous chat, e-mail exchange, instant messaging, and bulletin boards. Online support group sessions were facilitated by trained peer mentors (older youth/young adults with asthma and allergies) and health professionals. Participant use of online options was tracked (eg, log-ons, e-mails, chat minutes). Qualitative data were elicited from peer mentor reports, online support group chat transcripts, project coordinators’ field notes, peer mentor exit interviews, and adolescent telephone interviews.

Results. Almost all adolescents were satisfied with this online support intervention. Topics discussed in the support groups were pertinent to their educational and support needs. Peer mentors provided emotional, affirmation, and information support. Participants appreciated opportunities for social comparison and reciprocal exchange of support with peers.

Conclusion and implications. A major contribution was documentation of the complex intervention ingredients and processes through qualitative and quantitative methods that elicited diverse stakeholders’ perspectives. This strategy enables adaptation and integration into practice. Adolescents who benefited most felt isolated, suggesting the importance of targeting vulnerable youth for support programs.
The GTPase-activating protein ARAP3 regulates chemotaxis and adhesion-dependent processes in neutrophils
Authors: Gambardella Laure , Anderson Karen E. , Nussbaum Claudia , Segonds-Pichon Anne , Margarido Tânia , Norton Laura , Ludwig Thomas , Sperandio Markus , Hawkins Phillip T. , Stephens Len , Vermeren Sonja
Published: April 2011

Neutrophils form a vital part of the innate immune response, but at the same time their inappropriate activation contributes to autoimmune diseases. Many molecular components are involved in fine-tuning neutrophil function. We report here the first characterization of the role of ARAP3, a PI3K and Rap-regulated GTPase-activating protein for RhoA and Arf6 in murine neutrophils. We show that neutrophils lacking ARAP3 are preactivated in vitro and in vivo, exhibiting increased β2 integrin affinity and avidity. ARAP3-deficient neutrophils are hyperresponsive in several adhesion-dependent situations in vitro, including the formation of reactive oxygen species, adhesion, spreading, and granule release. ARAP3-deficient cells adhere more firmly under flow conditions in vitro and to the vessel wall in vivo. Finally, loss of ARAP3 interferes with integrin-dependent neutrophil chemotaxis. The results of the present study suggest an important function of ARAP3 downstream of Rap. By modulating β2 integrin activity, ARAP3 guards neutrophils in their quiescent state unless activated.
Long-term follow-up of a comparison of nonmyeloablative allografting with autografting for newly diagnosed myeloma
Authors: Giaccone Luisa , Storer Barry , Patriarca Francesca , Rotta Marcello , Sorasio Roberto , Allione Bernardino , Carnevale-Schianca Fabrizio , Festuccia Moreno , Brunello Lucia , Omedè Paola , Bringhen Sara , Aglietta Massimo , Levis Alessandro , Mordini Nicola , Gallamini Andrea , Fanin Renato , Massaia Massimo , Palumbo Antonio , Ciccone Giovannino , Storb Rainer , Gooley Ted A. , Boccadoro Mario , Bruno Benedetto
Published: April 2011

Before the introduction of new drugs, we designed a trial where treatment of newly diagnosed myeloma patients was based on the presence or absence of HLA-identical siblings. First-line treatments included a cytoreductive autograft followed by a nonmyeloablative allograft or a second melphalan-based autograft. Here, we report long-term clinical outcomes and discuss them in the light of the recent remarkable advancements in the treatment of myeloma. After a median follow-up of 7 years, median overall survival (OS) was not reached (P = .001) and event-free survival (EFS) was 2.8 years (P = .005) for 80 patients with HLA-identical siblings and 4.25 and 2.4 years for 82 without, respectively. Median OS was not reached (P = .02) and EFS was 39 months (P = .02) in the 58 patients who received a nonmyeloablative allograft whereas OS was 5.3 years and EFS 33 months in the 46 who received 2 high-dose melphalan autografts. Among patients who reached complete remission in these 2 cohorts, 53% and 19% are in continuous complete remission. Among relapsed patients rescued with “new drugs,” median OS from the start of salvage therapy was not reached and was 1.7 (P = .01) years, respectively. Allografting conferred a long-term survival and disease-free advantage over standard autografting in this comparative study.
Lipid rafts enriched in monosialylGb5Cer carrying the stage-specific embryonic antigen-4 epitope are involved in development of mouse preimplantation embryos at cleavage stage
Authors: Sato Ban , Katagiri Yohko U , Miyado Kenji , Okino Nozomu , Ito Makoto , Akutsu Hidenori , Okita Hajime , Umezawa Akihiro , Fujimoto Junichiro , Toshimori Kiyotaka , Kiyokawa Nobutaka
Published: April 2011

Background

Lipid rafts enriched in glycosphingolipids (GSLs), cholesterol and signaling molecules play an essential role not only for signal transduction started by ligand binding, but for intracellular events such as organization of actin, intracellular traffic and cell polarity, but their functions in cleavage division of preimplantation embryos are not well known.

Results

Here we show that monosialylGb5Cer (MSGb5Cer)-enriched raft domains are involved in development during the cleavage stage of mouse preimplantation embryos. MSGb5Cer preferentially localizes at the interfaces between blastomeres in mouse preimplantation embryos. Live-imaging analysis revealed that MSGb5Cer localizes in cleavage furrows during cytokinesis, and that by accumulating at the interfaces, it thickens them. Depletion of cholesterol from the cell membrane with methyl-beta-cyclodextrin (MbCD) reduced the expression of MSGb5Cer and stopped cleavage. Extensive accumulation of MSGb5Cer at the interfaces by cross-linking with anti-MSGb5Cer Mab (6E2) caused F-actin to aggregate at the interfaces and suppressed the localization of E-cadherin at the interfaces, which resulted in the cessation of cleavage. In addition, suppression of actin polymerization with cytochalasin D (CCD) decreased the accumulation of MSGb5Cer at the interfaces. In E-cadherin-targeted embryos, the MSGb5Cer-enriched raft membrane domains accumulated heterotopically.

Conclusions

These results indicate that MSGb5Cer-enriched raft membrane domains participate in cytokinesis in a close cooperation with the cortical actin network and the distribution of E-cadherin.
Genetic diversity and demographic instability in Riftia pachyptilatubeworms from eastern Pacific hydrothermal vents
Authors: Coykendall D Katharine , Johnson Shannon B , Karl Stephen A , Lutz Richard A , Vrijenhoek Robert C
Published: April 2011

Background

Deep-sea hydrothermal vent animals occupy patchy and ephemeral habitats supported by chemosynthetic primary production. Volcanic and tectonic activities controlling the turnover of these habitats contribute to demographic instability that erodes genetic variation within and among colonies of these animals. We examined DNA sequences from one mitochondrial and three nuclear gene loci to assess genetic diversity in the siboglinid tubeworm,Riftia pachyptila, a widely distributed constituent of vents along the East Pacific Rise and Galápagos Rift.

Results

Genetic differentiation (FST) among populations increased with geographical distances, as expected under a linear stepping-stone model of dispersal. Low levels of DNA sequence diversity occurred at all four loci, allowing us to exclude the hypothesis that an idiosyncratic selective sweep eliminated mitochondrial diversity alone. Total gene diversity declined with tectonic spreading rates. The southernmost populations, which are subjected to superfast spreading rates and high probabilities of extinction, are relatively homogenous genetically.

Conclusions

Compared to other vent species, DNA sequence diversity is extremely low inR. pachyptila. Though its dispersal abilities appear to be effective, the low diversity, particularly in southern hemisphere populations, is consistent with frequent local extinction and (re)colonization events.
Randomized controlled phase I/II study to investigate immune stimulatory effects by low dose radiotherapy in primarily operable pancreatic cancer
Authors: Timke Carmen , Winnenthal Hubertus Schmitz , Klug Felix , Roeder Falk FF , Bonertz Andreas , Reissfelder Christoph , Rochet Nathalie , Koch Moritz , Tjaden Christine , Buechler Markus W , Debus Juergen , Werner Jens , Beckhove Philipp , Weitz Jürgen , Huber Peter E
Published: April 2011

Background

The efficiencies of T cell based immunotherapies are affected by insufficient migration and activation of tumor specific effector T cells in the tumor. Accumulating evidence exists on the ability of ionizing radiation to modify the tumor microenvironment and generate inflammation. The aim of this phase I/II clinical trial is to evaluate whether low dose single fraction radiotherapy can improve T cell associated antitumor immune response in patients with pancreatic cancer.

Methods/Design

This trial has been designed as an investigator initiated; prospective randomised, 4-armed, controlled Phase I/II trial. Patients who are candidates for resection of pancreatic cancer will be randomized into 4 arms. A total of 40 patients will be enrolled. The patients receive 0 Gy, 0.5 Gy, 2 Gy or 5 Gy radiation precisely targeted to their pancreatic carcinoma. Radiation will be delivered by external beam radiotherapy using a 6 MV Linac with IMRT technique 48 h prior to the surgical resection. The primary objective is the determination of an active local external beam radiation dose, leading to tumor infiltrating T cells as a surrogate parameter for antitumor activity. Secondary objectives include local tumor control and recurrence patterns, survival, radiogenic treatment toxicity and postoperative morbidity and mortality, as well as quality of life. Further, frequencies of tumor reactive T cells in blood and bone marrow as well as whole blood cell transcriptomics and plasma-proteomics will be correlated with clinical outcome. An interim analysis will be performed after the enrolment of 20 patients for safety reasons. The evaluation of the primary endpoint will start four weeks after the last patient's enrolment.

Discussion

This trial will answer the question whether a low dose radiotherapy localized to the pancreatic tumor only can increase the number of tumor infiltrating T cells and thus potentially enhance the antitumor immune response. The study will also investigate the prognostic and predictive value of radiation-induced T cell activity along with transcriptomic and proteomic data with respect to clinical outcome.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov - NCT01027221
Breastfeeding and the risk for diarrhea morbidity and mortality
Authors: Lamberti Laura M , Fischer Walker Christa L , Noiman Adi , Victora Cesar , Black Robert E
Published: April 2011

Background

Lack of exclusive breastfeeding among infants 0-5 months of age and no breastfeeding among children 6-23 months of age are associated with increased diarrhea morbidity and mortality in developing countries. We estimate the protective effects conferred by varying levels of breastfeeding exposure against diarrhea incidence, diarrhea prevalence, diarrhea mortality, all-cause mortality, and hospitalization for diarrhea illness.

Methods

We systematically reviewed all literature published from 1980 to 2009 assessing levels of suboptimal breastfeeding as a risk factor for selected diarrhea morbidity and mortality outcomes. We conducted random effects meta-analyses to generate pooled relative risks by outcome and age category.

Results

We found a large body of evidence for the protective effects of breastfeeding against diarrhea incidence, prevalence, hospitalizations, diarrhea mortality, and all-cause mortality. The results of random effects meta-analyses of eighteen included studies indicated varying degrees of protection across levels of breastfeeding exposure with the greatest protection conferred by exclusive breastfeeding among infants 0-5 months of age and by any breastfeeding among infants and young children 6-23 months of age. Specifically, not breastfeeding resulted in an excess risk of diarrhea mortality in comparison to exclusive breastfeeding among infants 0-5 months of age (RR: 10.52) and to any breastfeeding among children aged 6-23 months (RR: 2.18).

Conclusions

Our findings support the current WHO recommendation for exclusive breastfeeding during the first 6 months of life as a key child survival intervention. Our findings also highlight the importance of breastfeeding to protect against diarrhea-specific morbidity and mortality throughout the first 2 years of life.