bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Long-Term Postoperative Interferon Therapy on Intrahepatic Recurrence and Survival Rate after Resection of Hepatitis C Virus-Related Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Nishiguchi Shuhei , Tamori Akihiro , Kubo Shoji
Published: March 2005

Objective: This study was aimed at evaluating the effects of interferon (IFN)-α on survival rate after resection of hepatocellular carcinoma. Methods: In a randomized, controlled trial by the University Hospital, Medical Center and affiliated hospital in Osaka, Japan, 30 men were after surgery randomly allocated to an IFN-α group (15 patients) and to a control group. Patients in the IFN group received 6 MIU of IFN-α intramuscularly daily for 2 weeks, then three times a week for 14 weeks, and finally twice a week for 88 weeks. The incidence of recurrence and survival rate were then studied. Results: The response to IFN was sustained viral response (SVR) in 2 patients, biochemical response (BR) in 6, partial response (PR) in 5, and no response (NR) in 2. In the control, 8 of the 15 patients demonstrated continuous abnormally high levels of ALT. At the end point of the study, intrahepatic recurrence was detected in 9 of the IFN group and in 13 of the control (p = 0.065, log-rank test). The cumulative survival rate was higher in the IFN group than in the controls (p = 0.041). Conclusion: Postoperative IFN therapy improves the outcome after resection of hepatitis C virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma.
BRCA1 Gene Expression in Breast Cancer in Kuwait: Correlation with Prognostic Parameters
Authors: Amirrad M. , Al-Mulla F. , Varadharaj G. , John B. , Saji T. , Anim J.T.
Published: March 2005

Objectives: This study assessed the BRCA1 gene expression in breast cancer in Kuwait, and compared it with other known prognostic factors for the disease. Materials and Methods: Forty-eight random samples of archival paraffin-embedded breast cancer tissues were studied for BRCA1 gene expression. Immunohistochemical method utilizing antibodies against different epitopes on the BRCA1 protein was used to study BRCA1 protein expression. In addition, for 29 patients, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction was used to detect BRCA1 mRNA expression. BRCA1 expression was correlated with age, histological type and grade of breast cancer, estrogen and progesterone receptor status, and C-erbB-2 expression. Results: No demonstrable BRCA1 mRNA and protein expression was found in 79 and 83% of the breast cancer tissues, respectively. A positive relationship was demonstrated between lack of BRCA1 (mRNA and protein) expression and high histological grade, negative estrogen and progesterone receptor status, and overexpression of C-erbB-2 in the breast cancer tissues. Conclusions: The study demonstrated lack of BRCA1 gene expression (mRNA and protein) in the majority of breast cancers in Kuwait and confirmed the inverse relationship between BRCA1 expression and parameters that determine poor prognosis in breast cancer.
Distribution of Apolipoprotein E Alleles in the Omani Population
Authors: Al-Yahyaee Said Ali S. , Al-Kindi Mohammed Nasser , Al-Bahrani Ali Hassan
Published: March 2005

Objective: To estimate the apolipoprotein E (apo E) allele distribution in the Omani population and to compare them with those of other populations. Subjects and Methods: One hundred and sixty-two healthy Omanis of Arab Bedouin origin were genotyped by polymerase chain reaction followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism. Results: The apo E allele frequencies were: ε2, 0.052; ε3, 0.886; ε4, 0.062. This pattern of distribution, characterized by the lowest ε4 and among the highest ε3 allele frequencies in the world, was very similar to that of Arabs, Southern Europeans of the Mediterranean basin, Indians, and Japanese populations. Conclusion: The results indicate that the allelic distribution of apo E in healthy Omanis is characterized by low Apo ε4 and high ε3 allele frequencies similar to those of other Arab, Southern European, Japanese and Indian populations. The homogeneous distribution of apo E alleles in this group of populations might have been influenced by diet and/or genetic admixture.
Contrast Media Extravasation: Manual versus Power Injector
Authors: Sinan Tareq , Al-Khawari Hanaa , Chishti Fayaz A. , Al Saeed Osama M. , Sheikh Mehraj
Published: March 2005

Objective: To compare the incidence and complications of extravasation of low-osmolar nonionic contrast media, injected manually and by the automatic power injector (API). Subjects and Methods: Three thousand five hundred and sixty patients underwent contrast-enhanced abdominal and thoracic computerized tomography scan in the Department of Clinical Radiology, Al-Amiri Hospital, Kuwait, between June 1998 and De cember 2002. These patients were prospectively analyzed for contrast media extravasation, its relation to injection rate, cannula insertion and gauge and its complications. 920 patients were administered low-osmolar nonionic contrast media (Ultravist 300, Omni Paque 240 or 300) intravenously by manual injection and 2,640 patients by automatic power injector. Results: Of the 3,560 patients contrast media extravasation occurred in 11 (0.3%). The symptoms were observed in 9 patients (0.3%) in the API group and 2 patients (0.2%) in the manual injection group, respectively. None of the patients had any soft tissue injury. Conclusion: The incidence of contrast media extravasation is not significantly increased by the use of the API. Low-osmolar nonionic contrast media extravasation resulting from the use of API does not cause any morbidity.
Luteal Phase Support in in vitro Fertilization: Meta-Analysis of Randomized Trials
Authors: Nosarka Saleema , Kruger Thinus , Siebert Igno , Grové Debbie
Published: March 2005

Objective: To determine if luteal phase support improves the pregnancy rate in in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles. Design: A meta-analysis of randomized trials of luteal phase support was carried out with the main outcome measure being the pregnancy rate per cycle. Results: Fifty-nine trials were evaluated. Eighteen trials met the inclusion criteria. Five main themes were identified: human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) versus progesterone; progesterone versus progesterone and hCG; progesterone versus placebo; hCG versus placebo, and hCG versus progesterone versus no support. Conclusion: Luteal phase support is definitely indicated in IVF treatment cycles. This meta-analysis favored hCG above progesterone as luteal phase support with respect to pregnancy rates. Further prospective randomized trials are needed to determine a definite consensus with respect to the duration of luteal phase support in IVF cycles.
Using Remifentanil and Sufentanil in Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery to Improve Surgical Conditions
Authors: Manola M. , De Luca E. , Moscillo L. , Mastella A.
Published: March 2005

The purpose of the study was to compare three types of general anesthesia for functional endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) with controlled hypotension measuring the quality of visibility of the surgical field and the blood loss during the operation. Seventy-one patients underwent endoscopic ethmoidectomy bilaterally for nasal polyposis and/or chronic sinusitis. The patients were divided into three groups according to the type of anesthesia they had: group A (sufentanil/sevoflurane), group B (remifentanil/propofol), and group C (fentanyl/isoflurane). The mean estimated blood loss for group A was 117.83 ml, for group B it was 100.5 ml and for group C it was 198.89 ml. The average quality of visibility of the surgical field was 1.57 for group A, 1.3 for group B and 2.79 for group C. The quantity of blood loss (p < 0.01) and the visibility of the surgical field (p < 0.001) demonstrated a difference among the three groups. Remifentanil and sufentanil during functional ESS enable controlled hypotension and a general improvement in surgical conditions.
Association of Right Ventricular Dilatation with Bilateral Pulmonary Embolism, Pulmonary Embolism in a Main Pulmonary Artery and Lobar, Segmental and Subsegmental Pulmonary Embolism in 190 Patients with Acute Pulmonary Embolism
Authors: Sukhija Rishi , Aronow Wilbert S. , Yalamanchili Kiran , Lee Jooyun , McClung John A. , Levy James A. , Belkin Robert N.
Published: March 2005

Background: Acute pulmonary embolism (PE) may result in right ventricular (RV) pressure overload with a dilated RV which can be diagnosed by two-dimensional echocardiography. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed in 190 unselected patients who had acute PE documented by contrast-enhanced spiral computed tomographic scanning. The 190 patients included 104 women and 86 men, mean age 58 ± 15 years. Results: RV dilatation was present in 45 of 70 patients (64%) with bilateral PE, in 19 of 120 patients (16%) without bilateral PE, in 42 of 47 patients (89%) with main pulmonary artery embolism, in 34 of 84 patients (40%) with lobar PE, in 16 of 70 patients (23%) with segmental PE and in 6 of 36 patients (17%) with subsegmental PE; p < 0.001 comparing bilateral with no bilateral PE and main pulmonary artery embolism with no main pulmonary artery embolism, with lobar, segmental and subsegmental PE; p < 0.025 comparing lobar with segmental PE, and p < 0.02 comparing lobar with subsegmental PE. Conclusion: The prevalence of RV dilatation is highest in patients with main pulmonary artery embolism or bilateral pulmonary artery embolism; furthermore, the prevalence of RV dilatation is higher in patients with lobar PE than in patients with segmental or subsegmental PE.
Cloning and Expression of the Olea europaea Allergen Ole e 5, the Pollen Cu/Zn Superoxide Dismutase
Authors: Butteroni Cinzia , Afferni Claudia , Barletta Bianca , Iacovacci Patrizia , Corinti Silvia , Brunetto Barbara , Tinghino Raffaella , Ariano Renato , Panzani Raphael C. , Pini Carlo , Di Felice Gabriella
Published: March 2005

Background: Recombinant DNA technology does provide pure, well-defined and reproducible products to be used for clinical purposes, by cloning and expressing the cDNA of allergens present in a specific extract. Ole e 5 is a pollen allergen of Olea europaea with an IgE-binding frequency of about 35%, which has been identified as a superoxide dismutase (SOD). The aim of this study was to clone the cDNA of Ole e 5, to express Ole e 5 in Escherichia coli and to characterize its immunoreactivity. Methods: cDNA of Ole e 5 was amplified by nested 3′-RACE PCR and cloned in pGEX vector 6P expression vector. After sequencing of some clones and homology analysis, the rOle e 5 was produced in an E. coli strain as a fusion protein with GST and purified. Then, the protein immunoreactivity was evaluated by patients’ IgE binding (ELISA, ELISA inhibition, and immunoblotting) and by rabbit anti-rOle e 5 binding (immunoblotting and immunoblotting inhibition). Results: The sequence analysis of Ole e 5 cDNA confirmed that Ole e 5 is a Cu/Zn SOD, with an identity from 90 to 80% with SOD from other species. rOle e 5 was recognized by IgE from 39% of olive pollen-allergic patients tested; moreover, this binding was inhibited by the olive pollen extract. An anti-rOle e 5 antiserum raised in rabbit strongly reacted with a natural component of about 16-kDa molecular weight present in the olive pollen extract; moreover, this binding was inhibited by the recombinant protein. Conclusions: Ole e 5 is the first Cu/Zn SOD identified as an allergen in a pollen source. Due to the widespread presence of this enzyme, rOle e 5 allergen, cloned and expressed in a complete form in E. coli, could represent a good tool to investigate the allergen cross-reactivity between O. europaea pollen and other allergenic sources, such as plant foods and other pollens.
Symptoms of Asthma and the Home Environment. The ISAAC I and III Cross-Sectional Surveys in Münster, Germany
Authors: Behrens T. , Maziak W. , Weiland S.K. , Rzehak P. , Siebert E. , Keil U.
Published: March 2005

Background: The indoor home environment has been shown to be associated with the presence of respiratory symptoms and atopic disease. Methods: Two cross-sectional surveys (1995–2000) were conducted, using data from the ISAAC phase I and III surveys, collected in Münster, Germany (n = 6,996, response 81.8%). We analyzed the prevalence ratio (PR) for several indoor exposures and asthma-related outcomes in 6- to 7-year-old children, adjusting for potential confounders. Results: Positive associations were observed regarding exposure to molds, environmental tobacco smoke, cooking with gas and space heating with fossil fuels, but most associations were not statistically significant. Surprisingly, presence of a carpet was negatively associated with most respiratory conditions. When restricting the analysis to participants without avoidance of a carpet due to a history of atopic disease, the protective associations disappeared. Mostly, present pet ownership did not show positive associations with respiratory symptoms. However, ownership at different times in life revealed positive associations, particularly in regard to birds owned in the first year of life (PR 1.51, 95% CI 1.11–2.06, for sleep disturbance due to wheeze and PR 1.28, 95% CI 1.01–1.63, for wheeze during the last 12 months, respectively). Conclusions: Only few indoor factors were positively associated with the studied outcomes. The change of associations in participants that reported allergy-related avoidance of carpets suggests that the observed effects are a result of asthmatics’ changed behavior. The effect of allergy-related change in behavior and the results observed concerning the ownership of pets at different ages underline the need of establishing a precise temporal relationship between disease and exposure.
Management of Severe Refractory Adult Autoimmune Enteropathy with Infliximab and Tacrolimus
Authors: von Hahn Thomas , Stopik Dieter , Koch Martin , Wiedenmann Bertram , Dignass Axel
Published: March 2005

Introduction: Autoimmune enteropathy (AIE) is a rare cause of intractable diarrhea in infancy. A variant with onset in adulthood has recently been described. The immune mechanisms underlying AIE are unclear and the experience in the management of adult AIE is very limited. Case Report: A 19-year-old male patient with massive refractory diarrhea and significant weight loss was diagnosed with AIE. He did not improve with corticosteroid and azathioprine treatment and was then treated successfully with infliximab. The response to treatment was rapid and complete. Because of a severe life-threatening hypersensitivity reaction during the 4th infliximab dose, infliximab had to be discontinued and therapy with tacrolimus was initiated. A complete clinical remission has since been maintained. Conclusion: Both infliximab and tacrolimus may provide a therapeutic alternative in patients with adult refractory AIE.
Cough Headache and Thoracic Inlet Valvular Competence in Uremia
Authors: Chuang Yu-Ming , Hu Han-Haw
Published: March 2005

Cough headache is a transient headache upon coughing, bending, stooping, or lifting in the absence of intracranial lesions. Reports show that incompetent jugular venous valve and cerebrospinal fluid hypervolemia are contributing factors. Headache is a common complaint of uremia patients. We conducted a clinical-radiological correlation study on 15 uremia patients with headache and central venous thrombosis. Thirteen patients were diagnosed to have benign cough headache (BCH); the others were diagnosed with chronic tension type headache. Venogram disclosed either internal jugular or vertebral venous regurgitation in the BCH group. Acquired thoracic inlet valvular incompetence might contribute to BCH.
Small-Scale Structure of Strongly Stratified Turbulence
Authors: Rehmann Chris R. , Hwang Jin Hwan
Published: March 2005

The small-scale structure of turbulence subjected to strong stratification is analyzed with rapid distortion theory to evaluate the performance of formulas for predicting dissipation of turbulent kinetic energy and dissipation of scalar variance. The approach is restricted to weak turbulence in strong stratification, like that in the thermocline or the abyssal ocean. Flows with and without mean shear are considered. For unsheared turbulence, the small scales are axisymmetric about the vertical axis, as others have previously assumed. The calculations here complement and extend previous work because they can be used to compute errors in dissipation estimates, develop simpler formulas, and examine the effects of shear and other parameters. For example, effects of the initial conditions can be significant. For sheared turbulence, the small-scale velocity and buoyancy fields are neither isotropic nor axisymmetric about the vertical axis. Although dissipation formulas based on isotropy work relatively well for unsheared turbulence, some can be incorrect by more than a factor of 3 for sheared turbulence. However, if the mean flow direction can be identified, then a simple and useful dissipation formula can be proposed.
Formulation of the Viscoplastic Behavior of Epoxy-Glass Fiber Composites
Authors: Kontou E. , Kallimanis A.
Published: March 2005

The tensile behavior of epoxy-glass fiber composites is examined experimentally and theoretically, in terms of a 3-D viscoplastic model, appropriate for material anisotropy. For the kinematic description, the multiplicative decomposition of the deformation gradient tensor has been used, while a flow rule for an orthotropic material, based on a dyadic of vectors parallel to the material axes, is introduced. Moreover, a functional form expressing the rate of plastic deformation, developed for polymeric materials in earlier works, is applied in the case of polymeric composites. A satisfactory agreement with the experimental results of the off-axis specimens is found, while the strain rate effect is described in terms of a scaling rule, valid in the viscoplasticity.
Why and How to Evaluate the Creditworthiness of SMEs’ Business Partners
Authors: Čančer Vesna , Knez-Riedl JoŽica
Published: March 2005

In addition to external ratings, an increasing number of enterprises are evaluating creditworthiness by themselves, especially when it comes to short-term decisions. This article presents a method for developing internal ratings to best select among the business partners of a firm. As this is a very complex goal, the Analytic Hierarchy Process is applied, in which the problem is approached step by step. Managers’ and experts’ judgements are taken into consideration when structuring the problem. Since qualitative factors come into play, special attention is given to determining not only quantitative but also qualitative criteria. Their importance is also assessed. The applicability of this method (especially in small and medium-sized enterprises) is discussed and introduced via a practical case from a small Slovenian enterprise.
Researching Entrepreneurship through Phenomenological Inquiry
Authors: Cope Jason
Published: March 2005

In recent years, the study of entrepreneurship and small business has witnessed an emerging body of research that operates within an interpretive paradigm. In contributing to this research tradition, this article explicates an interpretive, phenomenological form of inquiry, described by Thompson et al. (1989) as the ‘phenomenological interview’. Particular attention is paid to the ontological and epistemological foundations of this qualitative approach, illustrating the evolution from philosophy to methodology. The article demonstrates how a phenomenological commitment to research translates into a set of issues that provide the methodological context for these in-depth, unstructured interviews. The application of this method is then demonstrated with reference to case study research conducted with six practising entrepreneurs, which utilized phenomenological interviews as the primary research tool. The article concludes with a discussion of some important caveats that surround the use of the phenomenological interview.
Reading the Seams
Authors: Leveen Adriane
Published: March 2005

‘Reading the Seams’ investigates the ways in which particular critics respond to the interplay in the Torah between independent materials and thefinal form of the text. After tracing different positions on the question, threeexamples from the Torah illustrate startling shifts in topic, contradictions and/or fragments of tradition. By paying attention both to the peculiarities of the compositional history and the redaction of the Torah, one not onlybecomes accustomed to these aspects of the text but grows to recognize theways in which they invite the reader to make sense of them. Reading Torahin parts and as a whole is not only a literarily rewarding and satisfyingapproach but also a fruitful and necessary one.
Some Results of a Structural Semiotic Analysis of the Story of Judah and Tamar
Authors: Sharon Diane M.
Published: March 2005

This study applies one phase of the structural semiotic analysis refined by J. Calloud from the work of A. Greimas to the story of Judah and Tamar in Genesis 38. The work focuses on the analytical steps making up the morphological analysis of the text, addressing the patterns, or structures, underlying the level of narrative plot. Morphological analysis is concerned with finding the tension between the positive and negative narrative programs embodiedin the text, thereby revealing cultural values embedded in the narrative.Aspects of the biblical view of coercion are thus revealed by this analysis.
Fade and Recovery Behavior of Non-Asbestos Organic (NAO) Composite Friction Materials based on Combinations of Rock Fibers and Organic Fibers
Authors: Satapathy B. K. , Bijwe J.
Published: March 2005

Non-asbestos organic composite friction materials are increasingly used in automotive brake disc pads and clutch facing applications. Loss in braking effectiveness at elevated temperatures (300-400°C) because of reduction in friction coefficient (μ) and the revival of the same at lower temperatures is referred to as fade and recovery, respectively. The present paper deals with the role of binary combination of volcanic rock fibers (either basalt or Lapinus) and organic fibers (either aramid or PAN) on the fade and recovery behavior of friction composites. The fade-recovery behavior of four composites was evaluated following ECE R-90 regulation. The μ-performance, μ-fade, and μ-recovery were significantly influenced by the type of fiber combinations. It was observed that among the rock fibers, basalt was more effective to boost the performance μ than the Lapinus. In the case of organic fibers, aramid was more effective than the PAN in this aspect. The Lapinus fiber-based composites showed higher resistance to wear and friction-fade than the composites based on basalt fiber. The aramid and Lapinus fibers imparted higher resistance to fade and wear than the PAN and basalt fibers, whereas the overall recovery response of the PAN fiber-based composites was higher than the others. Worn surface analysis by SEM has proved to be useful in understanding the wear behavior of the composites.
Experimental landfill caps for semi-arid and arid climates
Authors: Blight Geoffrey E. , Fourie Andries B.
Published: March 2005

The United States EPA Subtitle D municipal solid waste landfill requirements specify that the permeability of a cap to a landfill be no greater than the permeability of the underliner. In recent years the concept of the evapotranspirative (ET) cap has been developed in which the cap is designed to store all rain infiltration and re-evapotranspire it during dry weather. Concern at the long period required for landfilled municipal solid waste to decompose and stabilize in arid and semi-arid climates has led to an extension of the concept of the ET cap. With the infiltrate-stabilize-evapotranspire (ISE) cap, rain infiltration during wet weather is permitted to enter the underlying waste, thus accelerating the decomposition and stabilization process. Excess infiltration is then removed from both waste and cap by evaporation during dry weather. The paper describes the construction and operation of two sets of experimental ISE caps, one in a winter rainfall semi-arid climate, and the other in a summer rainfall semi-arid climate. Observation of the rainfall, soil evaporation and amount of water stored in the caps has allowed water balances to be constructed for caps of various thicknesses. These observations show that the ISE concept is viable. In the limit, when there is insufficient rainfall to infiltrate the waste, an ISE cap operates as an ET cap.
Locating the Semiotic Power of Multimodality
Authors: Hull Glynda A. , Nelson Mark Evan
Published: March 2005

This article reports research that attempts to characterize what is powerful about digital multimodal texts. Building from recent theoretical work on understanding the workings and implications of multimodal communication, the authors call for a continuing empirical investigation into the roles that digital multimodal texts play in real-world contexts, and they offer one example of how such investigations might be approached. Drawing on data from the practice of multimedia digital storytelling, specifically a piece titled “Lyfe-N-Rhyme,” created by Oakland, California, artist Randy Young (accessible at http://www.oaklanddusty.org/videos.php), the authors detail the method and results of a fine-grained multimodal analysis, revealing semiotic relationships between and among different, copresent modes. It is in these relationships, the authors argue, that the expressive power of multimodality resides.
Psychosocial Intimacy and Identity
Authors: Montgomery Marilyn J.
Published: March 2005

Age and gender differences in patterns of behavior and experience, cognitive beliefs, affective involvement, and psychosocial functioning in romantic relationships were observed in 473 adolescents and emerging adults (ages 12-24). Older adolescents indicated more dating experiences, times in love, passion, identity, and intimacy. They also reported more commitment-related romantic beliefs but less romantic idealization. Across all grades, females indicated fewer times in love and less tendency to believe in love at first sight but greater intimacy and self-consciousness. In addition, predictions of psychosocial intimacy were examined. For both males and females, greater intimacy was associated with less self-consciousness but more passion, commitment-related beliefs, and psychosocial identity. Implications for creating empirically based resources for facilitating positive development in adolescents’ interpersonal lives are discussed.
A Comparison of Two Approaches for Facilitating Identity Exploration Processes in Emerging Adults
Authors: Schwartz Seth J. , Kurtines William M. , Montgomery Marilyn J.
Published: March 2005

This article, using a controlled design, reports the results of an exploratory study to investigate the impact of two types of intervention strategies (cognitively vs. emotionally focused) on two types of identity processes (self-construction and self-discovery) in a culturally diverse sample of 90 emerging adult university students. A quasi experimental design was used to evaluate the relative impact of the cognitively focused self-construction and emotionally focused self-discovery strategies. Quantitative and qualitative results indicated that cognitively focused intervention strategies were most efficacious in affecting self-constructive identity processes, whereas emotionally focused intervention strategies were most efficacious in affecting self-discovery identity processes. This pattern of differential effects suggests that programs intended to broadly affect identity development should include both types of intervention strategies and should target both self-constructive and self-discovery processes.
Context and Identity Formation
Authors: Schachter Elli P.
Published: March 2005

This article examines the possible implications of reintegrating the concept of context into identity theory. Through the analysis of a case study of one individual attempting to form an identity within the larger juxtaposed sociocultural contexts of premodernity, modernity, and postmodernity, the article demonstrates how diversity of sociocultural context is reflected not only in identity content but also in identity structure, suggesting multiple diverse identity structures and developmental trajectories. Erikson’s concept of identity configuration is reintroduced as a concept that can deal with the diversity and dynamics of the identity of the individual-in-context. The article claims that identity development should be redefined as the configuration of identity elements in a goal-oriented structure negotiated and co-constructed within context.
Psychopathy, Treatment Change, and Recidivism in High-Risk, High-Need Sexual Offenders
Authors: Looman Jan , Abracen Jeffrey , Serin Ralph , Marquis Peter
Published: March 2005

The present study investigated 154 consecutive admissions to the Regional Treatment Center (Ontario) Sex Offender Treatment Program with reference to psychopathy and outcome. Ratings of treatment behavior, as well as clinical judgments as to whether risk was reduced, were coded based on treatment reports. With reference to Psychopathy Checklist-revised (PCL-R) scores, survival analyses indicated that high scorers recidivated at significantly higher rates than low scorers. However, offenders who received high PCL-R scores and lower scores on measures of treatment behavior recidivated at the same rate as low scorers on the PCL-R. Furthermore, among high PCL-R offenders, those rated as lower risk at post treatment in fact reoffended at a lower rate than those whose risk was rated as unchanged, although this difference failed to reach significance. Findings are discussed in light of the clinical and research literature.
Weekly Community Interviews With High-Risk Participants
Authors: Schubert Carol A. , Mulvey Edward P. , Lidz Charles W. , Gardner William P. , Skeem Jennifer L.
Published: March 2005

To address several key questions in social science research, repeated interviews of individuals drawn from difficult populations are required. This article describes an approach for addressing the challenges associated with longitudinal interview studies, including locating research participants, obtaining reliable and valid interview data over time, and retaining participants across the course of the study. We applied this approach to conduct a study designed to identify changeable risk factors for violence among high-risk people with mental illness. To successfully conduct weekly interviews of these individuals in the community across a 6-month period, we developed a flexible and personalized interview format; carefully selected, trained, and supervised staff; and developed incentives to maximize participant retention. Each of these three steps is discussed as a guide for future longitudinal studies that involve interviewing difficult populations.
Fighting Words
Authors: Cloud Dana L.
Published: March 2005

This article performs a narrative analysis of a newsletter published over a period of 2 years by locked-out workers during an industrial conflict. The analysis of a unique archive of worker documents points to the significance of battle metaphors and their shifting deployment over time. Early in the lockout, Staley workers rhetorically constructed themselves as warriors fighting a heroic battle. However, later in the struggle as defeat approached, the role descriptions in the newsletter emphasized the workers’ victim, refugee, and martyr status. The analysis of workers’ narratives is situated in this study in the context of narrative studies, critical organizational communication studies, and social movement studies.
Communicating Social Health
Authors: Farrell Angele , Geist-Martin Patricia
Published: March 2005

An estimated 78% of U.S. employees say that work is their biggest source of stress. The effects of stress often result in employees taking sick days and rising workers compensation claims. Consequently, companies are developing wellness campaigns to address the problems arising from stress. Physical and mental health predominate in these programs with little attention paid to employees’ social health—the quality of their network of professional and personal relationships. This research examines employees’ perceptions of social health in one organization that has committed itself to workplace wellness. The results reveal three patterns or processes of social health: building camaraderie with peers, communing with superiors, and reconnecting with family. All processes of social health at work are negotiated through communication within organizational and personal communities. A Model of Working Well is offered as a foundation for futureresearchonorganizationalhealthideologiesandindividualhealthidentities.
Causation
Authors: Gerring John
Published: March 2005

This paper offers four main arguments about the nature of causation in the social sciences. First, contrary to most recent work, I argue that there is a unitary conception of causation: a cause raises the probability of an event. This understanding of causation, borrowed from but not wedded to Bayesian inference, provides common semantic ground on which to base a reconstruction of causation. I argue, second, that rather than thinking about causation as a series of discrete types or distinct rules we ought to re-conceptualize this complex form of argument as a set of logical criteria applying to all arguments that are causal in nature (following the foregoing definition), across fields and across methods. Here, it is helpful to distinguish between the formal properties of a causal argument and the methods by which such an argument might be tested, the research design. Sixteen criteria apply to the former and seven criteria apply to the latter, as I show in the body of the paper. In summary, causation in the social sciences is both more diverse and more unified than has generally been recognized.
Unleashing Humphrys or Paxo is a democratic service
Authors: Marr Andrew
Published: March 2005

In a special section devoted to the forthcoming general election, the British Journalism Review examines the roles of broadcasting, the press and politicians in the high-profile climax of the democratic process. To begin, Bill Hagerty interviewed three prominent television journalists who will be in the front line of the BBC's election coverage. Andrew Marr, political editor of the BBC, began as a reporter on The Scotsman and eventually edited The Independent before moving into television. Presenter and interviewer Jeremy Paxman worked as a reporter on Tonight and Panorama before joining Newsnight in 1989. Peter Snow, Newsnight's first anchor and a co-presenter for the BBC on election night, covered his first general election, as a reporter for ITN, in 1964.
‘Tongues as of Fire’: Judgment as a Function of Glossolalia in Luke’s Thought
Authors: Charette Blaine
Published: March 2005

The argument advanced in this paper is that the Pentecost language event signals judgment as well as blessing. The reference to ‘tongues as of fire’ in Luke’s description of Pentecost portends judgment. This is consistent both with Luke’s use of the image of fire elsewhere and with the very character of Pentecost as an eschatological event. The judgment in view is directed against those who fail to respond appropriately to the word of God present in the redemptive revelation centered in Jesus. The positive response of obedient disciples results in their experience of the baptism with the Holy Spirit. At the same time, the language of ‘another tongue’ that characterizes this experience serves to demonstrate the divine judgment that has come upon the disobedient.
‘Function to Function’: Reinventing the Oil of Influence in African Pentecostalism
Authors: Asamoah-Gyadu J.
Published: March 2005

This paper explores the practices, teachings, positive benefits, problematic aspects and perils associated with anointing with oil in recent African Pentecostal/charismatic ministries and churches. With particular focus upon the author’s first-hand encounters with these phenomena in Ghana and Nigeria, various anointing practices and teachings are commended and critiqued in terms of biblical precedents and sacramental theological insights.
Baptized in Spirit—An Eschatological Concept: A Response to Norbert Baumert and his Interlocutors
Authors: Hocken Peter
Published: March 2005

This response to Baumert (see JPT 12.2) agrees with many of his criticisms of the dominant understandings of Spirit-baptism found among Pentecostals and Catholic scholars such as Montague and McDonnell. In particular, the author appreciates Baumert’s historical analysis, distinguishing current usage of this term from that in the New Testament. However, he finds Baumert’s position too individualistic and unable to do justice to the full challenge of the Pentecostal and charismatic movements to the whole Church. Hocken suggests that the language of Spirit-baptism in the New Testament is essentially eschatological, and that the Pentecostal decision to use this terminology was more prophetic than exegetical. He proposes that an eschatological understanding of Spirit-baptism both does justice to the full reality of the twentieth-century movements of the Spirit and avoids the problems inherent in the prevailing theological interpretations.
Examining the Impact of the Family Violence Option on Women's Efforts to Leave Welfare
Authors: Hetling Andrea , Born Catherine E.
Published: March 2005

Objective: The establishment of the Family Violence Option (FVO) in 1997 was met with some controversy, as critics believed waivers from time limit and work requirements would hinder women's ability to leave welfare and find employment. Method: Using administrative and interview data from Maryland, multivariate equations analyze if domestic violence disclosure, administrative documentation, or waiver use had a statistically significant affect on one year employment and welfare use outcomes of individuals. Results: Waiver holders did not differ fromnonvictims, but victims who are not documented received fewer months of welfare and earned less income. Conclusions: Findings do not indicate that FVOwaivers encourage women to stay on welfare longer. However, the poor outcomes of undocumented victims indicate that some individuals may be slipping through the cracks of a well-intentioned policy.
Modeling of Stone-impact Resistance of Monolithic Glass Ply Using Continuum Damage Mechanics
Authors: Sun Xin , Khaleel Mohammad A. , Davies Richard W.
Published: March 2005

The stone-impact resistance of a monolithic glass ply is studied using a combined experimental and computational approach. Instrumented stone-impact tests are first carried out in a controlled environment. Explicit finite element analyses are then used to simulate the interactions of the indentor and the glass layer during the impact event, and a continuum damage mechanics (CDM) model is used to describe the constitutive behavior of glass. The experimentally measured strain histories for low-velocity impact serves as validation of the modeling procedures. Next, stair-stepping impact experiments are performed with two indenter sizes on two glass ply thicknesses, and the test results are used to calibrate the critical stress parameters used in the CDM constitutive model. The purpose of this study is to establish the modeling procedures and the CDM critical stress parameters under impact loading conditions. The modeling procedures and the CDM model will be used in our future studies to predict through-thickness damage evolution patterns for different laminated windshield designs in automotive applications.
Thermal Bridges in Vacuum-insulated Building Façades
Authors: Schwab Hubert , Stark Cornelia , Wachtel Johannes , Ebert Hans-Peter , Fricke Jochen
Published: March 2005

In architecture, the outstandingly low thermal conductivity of vacuum insulation panels (VIPs) of 4 103 W/(m K) allows to realize thin thermal insulation layers. Typical U-values are 0.2 W/(m2 K) for a 2 cm-thick VIP. On the other hand, with vacuum-insulated faç ades the relative effect of thermal bridges is much stronger than that for conventionally insulated buildings. In this work, different thermal bridges are investigated. Especially with VIPs with laminated Al foils (here the aluminum foil is 8 mm thick and laminated on both sides with plastic foils of 15 mm PET and 50 mm PE), strong thermal bridges around the perimeter of the VIPs occur. Also the mounting system can have a strong negative effect on the thermal performance of VIP-insulated walls. As our calculations show, the effect of the thermal bridge depends strongly on the thermal contact of the VIPs with the wall. Therefore, it is necessary to optimize every vacuum-insulated construction in order to make the best use of the low thermal conductivity of VIPs. As an example, we describe how VIPs were effectively integrated into a renovated gable faç ade and into a new ultra-low energy timber building.
A Comparison of Gastric and Rectal CO₂ in Cardiac Surgery Patients
Authors: Fisher Elaine M. , Kerr Mary E. , Hoffman Leslie A. , Steiner Richard P. , Baranek Robert A.
Published: March 2005

Critical care nurses assess and treat clinical conditions associated with inadequate oxygenation. Changes in regional organ (gut) blood flow are believed to occur in response to a decrease in oxygenation. Although the stomach is a widely accepted monitoring site, there are multiple methodological and measurement issues associated with the gastric environment that limit the accuracy of P CO2 detection. The rectum may provide nurses with an alternative site for monitoring changes in PCO2 without the limitations associated with gastric monitoring. This pilot study used a repeated measures design to examine changes in gastric and rectal PCO2 during elective coronary artery bypass grafting with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and in the immediate 4-hr postoperative period in 26 subjects. The systemic indicators explained little variation in the regional indicators during protocol. A comparison of rectal and gastric PCO2 revealed no statistically significant differences in the direction or magnitude of change over any phase of cardiac surgery (baseline, CPB, post-CPB). A reduction in both rectal and gastric PCO2 occurred during CPB, and both values trended upward during the post-CPB phase. However, poor correlation and agreement was found between the measures of PCO2 at the two sites. Although clinically important, the cause is unclear. Possible explanations include variation in CO2 production between the gastric and rectal site, differences in sensitivity of the two monitoring instruments, or the absence of hemodynamic complications, which limited the extent of change in PCO2. Further investigation using patients with more profound changes in oxygenation are needed to identify response patterns and possible mechanisms.
Diagnosing the male steroid user: drug use, body image and disordered masculinity
Authors: Keane Helen
Published: March 2005

As steroid use has gained prominence as a dangerous form of substance abuse, two main sets of discourses have been deployed to investigate and ameliorate this emerging public health threat. This article examines these two discursive frameworks and their constitution of the male steroid user as psychologically disordered, drawing on a range of medical and psychological literature. The first framework understands steroid use as a form of illicit drug use, and constitutes the steroid user as an antisocial and excessively masculine subject. The second locates steroid use within the field of body image disorder, producing the steroid user as a damaged and feminized male, a vivid example of masculinity in crisis. Both of these approaches tend to elide the specificity of steroid use and its associated bodily practices in their eagerness to form it into an easily comprehended entity which can be targeted by medical and legal governance.
Understanding variations in exposure to social stress
Authors: Turner Heather A. , Turner R. Jay
Published: March 2005

Although exposure to stress is a central component of the stress process paradigm, little research has explicitly sought to identify antecedents of stress exposure. Based on a probability sample of 1393 adults aged 18-55 residing in Toronto, Canada, this research examines the effects of social status, past adversity, social and personal resources and history of mental disorder on recent exposure to stress. Consistent with earlier findings, results indicate that younger adults, divorced individuals and those with lower socioeconomic status, experience greater levels of social stress. Although respondent’s history of major depressive disorder was related to all types of stress exposure, past cumulative adversity was the most powerful predictor of both total current stress (operant burden) and the subsequent onset of life events, independent of other antecedents. Findings suggest that the onset of chronic stress is more affected by personal characteristics, such as emotional reliance and disorder history, than is onset of life events. Implications of these findings are discussed.
Occurrence and Characteristics of Moisture Damage in Residential Buildings as a Function of Occupant and Engineer Observations
Authors: Haverinen-Shaughnessy Ulla , Hyvärinen Anne , Pekkanen Juha , Nevalainen Aino , Husman Tuula , Korppi Matti , Halla-aho Juho , Koivisto Jari , Moschandreas Demetrios
Published: March 2005

Questionnaires collected from occupants and visual inspections have been used to assess exposure related to moisture damage in buildings. Aims of this study were to find out if observations of moisture damage made by occupants were different from observations made by an independent inspector, and if inspectors’ observations were independent of the observing inspector. Interviewer-administered questionnaires were collected from occupants of 363 residences; subsequently, the buildings were inspected by a civil engineer. A second examination was done in 15 buildings by another engineer with similar training and work experience. The questionnaire collected from the occupants included the same items as the inspectors’ checklists related to occurrence of moisture damage, visible mould growth and odours. The inspectors collected additional data including moisture and temperature measurements and estimated size of damage. The inspector observed more damage sites than the occupants, and the overall agreement between the inspector and the occupants was poor (average 0.23). On the other hand, the agreement between the 2 inspectors was higher (average 0.41). Overall, the results suggest that studies related to moisture damage in buildings should preferably include standardised inspections by trained staff.
Effect of Air Supply Temperature on the Performance of Displacement Ventilation (Part I) - Thermal Comfort
Authors: Lin Zhang , Chow T. T. , Tsang C. F. , Chan L. S. , Fong K. F.
Published: March 2005

The effect of the air supply temperature on the performance of a displacement ventilation (DV) system has been investigated. The study looks into the case of a typical office building in Hong Kong, under local thermal environment and airflow conditions. These are characterised by the high cooling load density, which commonly occurs in Hong Kong. The lower supply temperatures were found to result in higher draft effects, yet increasing temperatures leads to an increase in the predicted percentage of dissatisfied people (PPD). The DV system was found to provide acceptable thermal comfort at certain air supply temperatures. The levels of PPD could be marginal should the parameters of the system not be optimised.