bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Lapatinib Activity in Premalignant Lesions and HER-2–Positive Cancer of the Breast in a Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Presurgical Trial
Authors: DeCensi Andrea , Puntoni Matteo , Pruneri Giancarlo , Guerrieri-Gonzaga Aliana , Lazzeroni Matteo , Serrano Davide , Macis Debora , Johansson Harriet , Pala Oriana , Luini Alberto , Veronesi Paolo , Galimberti Viviana , Dotti Maria Cristina , Viale Giuseppe , Bonanni Bernardo
Published: June 2011

Dual epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and HER2 targeting with the tyrosine kinase inhibitor lapatinib is approved for treating advanced HER2-positive breast cancer and can prevent estrogen receptor (ER)-negative mammary tumors in HER2 transgenic mouse models. Ki-67 labeling index (LI) has prognostic and predictive value and can be used to screen drugs' therapeutic and preventive potential in a clinical model of short-term presurgical therapy of breast cancer. We conducted a randomized, placebo-controlled trial of lapatinib (1500 mg/d) administered orally for three weeks between biopsy and surgery in 60 women with HER-2–positive breast cancer to assess lapatinib biomarker (including the primary endpoint, Ki-67 LI) and clinical activity in invasive breast cancer, adjacent ductal intraepithelial neoplasia (DIN, which comprises ductal carcinoma in situ and atypical ductal hyperplasia), and distant ductal hyperplasia without atypia (DH). Ki-67 LI increased progressively in association with disease stage, increasing in the placebo arm, for example, by medians of 3% in DH to 20% in DIN to 30% in invasive cancer. Ki-67 LI in cancer tissue decreased by a mean (±SD) of 9.3% (±34.2) in the lapatinib arm and increased by 15.1% (±30.9) in the placebo arm (P = 0.008). Compared with placebo, lapatinib reduced Ki-67 significantly more in ER-negative tumors (by 34.8%; P = 0.01) but not significantly more in ER-positive tumors (by 12.3%; P = 0.2) and reduced Ki-67 more (nonsignificantly) in cytosol PTEN-overexpressing tumors (P = 0.057). The prevalence of DIN in post-treatment surgical specimens of both arms was similar (70%–76%), with a median Ki-67 of 15% (range, 5%–35%) on lapatinib versus 20% (5%–60%) on placebo (P = 0.067). The prevalence of DH also was similar in both arms (>90%), with a median Ki-67 of 1% (1%–7%) on lapatinib versus 3% (1%–5%) on placebo (P = 0.006). Other results of lapatinib versus placebo, respectively, were as follows: Median tumor diameter at surgery of 18 mm (11 mm–57 mm) versus 24 mm (10 mm–37 mm; P = 0.009); partial response of 13.6% versus 3.7%, stable disease of 59.1% versus 40.7%, and progression of 27.3% versus 55.6% (P-trend = 0.035). In conclusion, short-term lapatinib decreased cell proliferation in DIN, DH, and invasive HER-2–positive (especially ER-negative) breast cancer, thus providing the rationale for further clinical development of lapatinib for breast cancer prevention in high-risk patients, including those with HER-2–positive DIN. Cancer Prev Res; 4(8); 1181–9. ©2011 AACR.
Outcomes following Dialysis for Acute Kidney Injury among Different Stages of Chronic Kidney Disease
Authors: Lee Po-Hung , Wu Vin-Cent , Hu Fu-Chang , Lai Chun-Fu , Chen Yung-Ming , Tsai Tun-Jun , Wu Kwan-Dun ,   on behalf of the National Taiwan University Study Group on Acute Renal Failure
Published: June 2011

Background: Information is limited regarding the outcomes of patients with preexisting chronic kidney disease (CKD) who develop dialysis-requiring acute kidney injury. Methods: 131 adult patients with advanced CKD who received emergent hemodialysis from January to June in 2002 were recruited and monitored for all-cause mortality and end-stage renal disease until the end of 2007. Results: Among patients investigated, 21 (16%) were successfully withdrawn from acute hemodialysis after an average of 8 sessions of dialysis therapy (range: 1–44). Multivariate analysis revealed that larger kidney size (odds ratio, OR = 1.755, p = 0.018), lower predialysis creatinine (OR = 0.722, p = 0.002), and non-diabetes (OR = 0.271, p = 0.037) were predictors for withdrawal. After 5 years, all patients in the non-withdrawal group remained on chronic dialysis, whereas only 8/21 (38%) patients in the withdrawal group developed end-stage renal disease. Cox’s analysis showed that age (hazard ratio, HR = 1.043, p < 0.0001), prerenal azotemia (HR = 1.040, p = 0.002), and adjusted propensity score for assigning to dialysis withdrawal (HR = 6.819, p = 0.008) were associated with mortality. Withdrawal from acute dialysis was not related to long-term mortality (p = 0.34). Conclusions: Among the advanced CKD patients, predictors of the successful weaning from acute dialysis were non-diabetes, larger kidney size and lower serum creatinine levels. The strategy of removal from emergent dialysis was not related to long-term mortality.
Age-Related Changes in Total Arterial Capacitance From Birth to Maturity in a Normotensive Population
Authors: de Simone Mary J. Roman Stephen R. Daniels GianFrancesco Mur Giovanni
Published: June 2011

Abstract
We evaluated the effect of body growth and aging on the ratio of echocardiographic (Teichholz) stroke volume to pulse pressure (SV/PP ratio) in 373 normal-weight, normotensive children to adolescents (1 day to 17 years old; 166 girls, 87 nonwhite) and 393 normal adults (17 to 85 years old; 164 women, 112 nonwhite). Stroke volume increased with age in children (
r
=.64,
P
<.0001) and was stable in adults; pulse pressure decreased slightly with age in children (
r
=−.10,
P
=.06) and increased in adults (
r
=.29,
P
<.0001). As a consequence, SV/PP ratio increased with age in children (
r
=.51,
P
<.0001) and decreased in adults (
r
=−.18,
P
=.0004). To control for changes in body size that influence the size of the arterial tree, we used ANCOVA to adjust SV/PP for body size. Body size–adjusted SV/PP ratio was no longer related to age in children, whereas the negative relation with aging in adults remained statistically significant (
r
=−.19,
P
<.0002). Heart rate was negatively related to SV/PP ratio in both children and adolescents and adults, but this relation did not influence the relation with age. In multivariate analysis, high SV/PP ratio was predicted by greater height (
P
<.002) and weight (
P
<.04) and nonwhite race (
P
<.001) in children and adolescents and by younger age (
P
<.0001), greater weight (
P
<.0001), and low heart rate (
P
<.001) in adults. Sex did not enter the regression models. Thus, (1) SV/PP ratio is a measure of increasing capacity of the arterial tree during growth, whereas it depends on arterial compliance during adulthood through old age; (2) arterial compliance decreases progressively with aging; (3) the apparent difference between males and females might be due to their different body sizes.
The Changing Shape of Metropolitan America
Authors: Landis John
Published: June 2011

In the same way that rural towns gave way to cities in the middle of the nineteenth century, cities gave way to metropolitan areas in the middle of the twentieth century. Today, the United States is overwhelmingly metropolitan. Using tabular and spatial data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the Department of Labor, and the U.S. Geological Survey, this article explores metropolitan population, employment, and urban settlement trends since 1990. The first part of the article compares intermetropolitan changes in population and employment in 1990, 2000, and 2007. The second part considers the changing intrametropolitan distribution of population and households between 1990 and 2000 and of employment between 1994 and 2003. Finally, the third part explores changes in density and urban land cover between 1990 (or 1992) and 2000 (or 2001). These findings are reported by geographic region, metropolitan area size, and metropolitan gateway status.
Demographic Forces and Turning Points in the American City, 1950-2040
Authors: Myers Dowell , Pitkin John
Published: June 2011

The effects of two major demographic forces are traced between 1950 and 2040: the formation and aging of the baby boom generation and the reduction and subsequent return of large-scale immigration. These forces combine to mark several major turning points essential for understanding the changing urban condition. These include the depopulation of “gray areas” that spurred urban renewal in the 1950s, the gentrification initiated in the 1970s, and the collapse of apartment construction in the 1990s followed by its recovery in the 2000s. Looking forward, the authors address the substantial impact of settled immigrants who are now upwardly mobile. Finally, the authors consider the impacts of the sell-off of housing by the aging of the massive baby boom generation that is anticipated to take place beginning in 2020 and discuss whether the expected housing glut can be absorbed by a relatively smaller and less advantaged younger generation in the 2040s.
Making Infrastructure Competitive in an Urban World
Authors: Zimmerman Rae
Published: June 2011

The infrastructure of the future provides the opportunity for new innovations to meet the constantly changing and diversified needs of cities. Some of the relatively more recent needs are using renewable resources, protecting infrastructure and its users against natural hazards, reducing environmental threats including global warming, enhancing safety and security, and providing an overall high-performing service for infrastructure users. Given that resources to support these additional financial needs and services are limited, this article will examine ways in which cities can address the demands of these new emerging areas synergistically as well as through more traditional investments. In particular, traditional investment areas for upgrading urban infrastructure to meet “state-of-good-repair” benchmarks are presented for energy, transportation, and water as a foundation for conceptualizing how these new demands might alter, yet dovetail with, traditional investment.
Those Who Choose and Those Who Don’t: Social Background and College Orientation
Authors: Grodsky Eric , Riegle-Crumb Catherine
Published: June 2011

Empirical research on the decision to attend college is predicated largely on the assumption that students make conscious, utility-maximizing decisions about their educational careers. For many students this may not be the case; in fact, the authors find that a large share of students assume from a young age that they will attend college, exhibiting what might be called a college-going habitus. Consistent with critical arguments about how social class is reproduced, the authors find that white, native-born children of college-educated parents are more likely to take college for granted than their less advantaged peers. Students with a college-going habitus are more likely than others to apply to a four-year college by spring of their senior year in high school. Although social origin accounts for some of the association between habitus and college application, both advantaged and disadvantaged students appear to benefit from a college-going habitus.
Policy Transparency and College Enrollment: Did the Texas Top Ten Percent Law Broaden Access to the Public Flagships?
Authors: Long Mark C. , Saenz Victor , Tienda Marta
Published: June 2011

By guaranteeing college admission to all students who graduate in the top 10 percent of their high school class, Texas H.B. 588 replaced an opaque de facto practice of admitting nearly all top 10 percent graduates with a transparent de jure policy that required public institutions to admit all applicants eligible for the guarantee. The new admission regime sent a clear message to students attending high schools that previously sent few students to the Texas flagships. Using 18 years of administrative data to examine sending patterns, we find a sizeable decrease in the concentration of flagship enrollees originating from select feeder schools and growing shares of enrollees originating from high schools located in rural areas, small towns, and midsize cities, as well as from schools with concentrations of poor and minority students. For new sending schools, we find substantial year-to-year persistence in sending behavior, which increased after the top 10 percent policy was implemented.
Viewing Low-Income Fathers’ Ties to Families through a Cultural Lens: Insights for Research and Policy
Authors: Waller Maureen R.
Published: June 2011

Policy makers have become increasingly interested in addressing the cultural dimensions of child support, “responsible fatherhood,” and marriage in poor communities. However, policy studies have primarily focused on identifying economic determinants of these issues, with a substantial amount of variation in their statistical models left unexplained. This article draws on in-depth interviews the author conducted with disadvantaged mothers and fathers to illustrate how a systematic investigation into the meaning of low-income men’s ties to families may fill in or provide alternative explanations for some important questions related to paternal involvement. In particular, it suggests that analyzing fathers’ relationships through a cultural lens may not only reveal new information about the meaning of their emotional involvement, informal support, care of children, and conflicts with mothers which future policy studies should consider but may also inform policy initiatives by reducing the risk that they will be misdirected or have unintended consequences for poor families.
Pioneers and Followers: Migrant Selectivity and the Development of U.S. Migration Streams in Latin America
Authors: Lindstrom David P. , López Ramírez Adriana
Published: June 2011

The authors present a method for dividing the historical development of community migration streams into an initial period and a subsequent takeoff stage with the purpose of systemically differentiating pioneer migrants from follower migrants. The analysis is organized around five basic research questions. First, can we empirically identify a juncture point in the historical development of community-based migration that marks the transition from an initial stage of low levels of migration and gradual growth into a takeoff stage in which the prevalence of migration grows at a more accelerated rate? Second, does this juncture point exist at roughly similar migration prevalence levels across communities? Third, are first-time migrants in the initial stage (pioneers) different from first-time migrants in the takeoff stage (followers)? Fourth, what is the nature of this migrant selectivity? Finally, does the nature and degree of pioneer selectivity vary across country migration streams?
The Cumulative Causation of International Migration in Latin America
Authors: Fussell Elizabeth
Published: June 2011

The theory of the cumulative causation of migration posits that as migratory experience grows within a sending community, the likelihood that other community members will initiate a migratory trip increases. This diffusion is expected to vary across time and place according to differences in the mechanisms guiding this behavior. The author compares the effect of the prevalence of migratory experience on the likelihood that adult men would take a first U.S. trip between 1965 and 2001 from the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Puerto Rico. Both the consistencies and inconsistencies among countries suggest that the cumulative causation of migration is an important dynamic in perpetuating migration, although it does not contribute equally to all migration streams. In all countries except Nicaragua, as more members of a community gain U.S. migration experience, other nonmigrant community members are increasingly likely to take a first U.S. trip. In Nicaragua, U.S. migration was mainly driven by the Contra War and U.S. political asylum extended during that time.
Assessing Human Capital Transferability into the U.S. Labor Market among Latino Immigrants to the United States
Authors: Flores Nadia Y.
Published: June 2011

Scholars have questioned whether international migrants from Latin America are able to transfer their levels of education into the U.S. labor market. In this article, the author examines the data from the Latin American Migration Project for Guatemala, Mexico, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua to observe the ability of each of the immigrant groups to convert prior education into occupational attainments within the U.S. labor market. Results show intercountry differences in the ability of the immigrants to translate educational attainments into occupational outcomes. Nicaraguans are by far the most educated and are much better able to translate home country schooling into highly skilled U.S. occupations. However, findings reveal that Nicaraguans have received more of an occupational benefit from having legal documents. The author argues that in addition to divergent patterns of educational selectivity, the contrasting treatment of Nicaraguans and Mexicans by U.S. immigration law seems to be responsible, at least in part, for their very different positions in the U.S. labor market.
Undocumented Migration from Latin America in an Era of Rising U.S. Enforcement
Authors: Massey Douglas S. , Riosmena Fernando
Published: June 2011

Available data have consistently pointed up the failure of U.S. policies to reduce undocumented migration from Latin America. To shed light on the reasons for this failure, we estimated a series of dynamic models of undocumented entry into and exit from the United States. Our estimates suggest that undocumented migration is grounded more in mechanisms posited by social capital theory and the new economics of labor migration rather than neoclassical economics. As a result, U.S. efforts to increase the costs of undocumented entry and reduce the benefits of undocumented labor have proven unsuccessful given the widespread access of Latin Americans to migrant networks. The main effect of U.S. enforcement efforts has been to reduce the circularity of Latin American migration.
Future of Innovation in the Federal Statistical System
Authors: Habermann Hermann
Published: June 2011

A healthy and vigorous program for innovation is fundamental to provide for the nation’s statistical needs. Innovation in federal statistics is a broad-spectrum subject and ranges from the traditional subjects to those less usually considered, such as new approaches to bridging the interface between users and statisticians. Innovation in the federal statistical system is influenced by three forces: the need for more focused and higher-quality innovation, the gap between emerging data visualization and communications technologies, and the maturation of the information technology discipline. This article suggests that there are structural changes that should be made to the current federal statistical system to ensure that innovation is fostered. In particular, a new focus on systemwide research and informatics is needed—a Center for Innovation.
The Federal Statistical System: The Local Government Perspective
Authors: Salvo Joseph J. , Lobo Arun Peter
Published: June 2011

Federal data are crucial to state and local governments, enabling them to assess the level of need in a community, to establish appropriate funding levels for programs, and to implement programs in a cost-effective manner. This article first demonstrates how data from the decennial census and American Community Survey have been used by a local government—New York City’s—to identify and target the population eligible for public health insurance but not enrolled. It then examines critical data issues that need to be resolved if local governments are to continue to receive data of the highest quality.
Federal Statistics in the Policy making Process
Authors: Orszag Peter R.
Published: June 2011

Federal statistics are integral to the adequate evaluation of public policy planning and performance in the United States. The Obama administration has determined that empirical science, including statistics, will be at the foundation of the president’s policy agenda. However, to be useful, federal statistics must be reliable, relevant, timely, and unbiased, and the departments that produce them must be adequately funded. In this age of austerity, policies must be scrutinized for their efficiency, reach, and effectiveness. Furthermore, each department within the federal government must embrace the need for increased utilization of technology and innovation. This article lays out the need for increased utilization of statistical research of public policy; moreover, this utilization is exemplified by highlighting several FY 2010 budgetary decisions made in the policy areas of health and education.
Children and the Rights of Citizens: Nondomination and Intergenerational Justice
Authors: Bohman James
Published: June 2011

The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) emphasizes the importance of the temporal dimension of childhood and children’s need for special protection. Such protection is necessary because of their susceptibility to domination, especially intergenerational domination. The same is true for past and future generations, where such domination includes the domination of and by the current generation of children, especially around intergenerational, public goods important for a good human life. Such an account of intergenerational justice captures the focus of the CRC’s Preamble on improving the quality of the lives of children.
Children in the United States of America: A Statistical Portrait by Race-Ethnicity, Immigrant Origins, and Language
Authors: Hernandez Donald J. , Denton Nancy A. , Blanchard Victoria L.
Published: June 2011

The rights that the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) enumerates include the rights to (1) an adequate standard of living, (2) an education directed toward the development of the child’s fullest potential, (3) the highest attainable standard of health, and (4) the child’s own cultural identity and use of his or her own language. The CRC states that these rights shall be ensured regardless of various statuses of children, including race, ethnic origin, national origin, and language. This article presents a statistical baseline for assessing the diversity of children in the United States with regard to these statuses, presents results for statistical indicators of well-being for children distinguished by these statuses, and discusses public policies to reduce inequalities relevant to these rights.
The “Obama Effect” and White Racial Attitudes
Authors: Welch Susan , Sigelman Lee
Published: June 2011

To what extent did the presidential candidacy and election of Barack Obama affect whites’ more general perceptions of African Americans? Responses to survey questions in which respondents were asked to place blacks on scales running from “stupid” to “intelligent” and from “lazy” to “hardworking” revealed that whites’ views of blacks’ intelligence and work ethic have become somewhat more positive, though whites continued to be rated higher on these attributes than were blacks. The fact that negative stereotypes of blacks were least pronounced among younger whites implies that these stereotypes will continue to fade in the future. These data do not constitute proof positive of an “Obama effect” on whites’ racial attitudes, but they are largely consistent with that idea.
Thinking about Crime: Race and Lay Accounts of Lawbreaking Behavior
Authors: Thompson Victor R. , Bobo Lawrence D.
Published: June 2011

Lay or commonsense accounts of the origins of criminal behavior may play a key role in sustaining a strong public appetite for harsh criminal justice policies and undergird large black-white differences in opinion in this domain. Using data from the nationally representative Race, Crime, and Public Opinion project’s 2001 survey, the authors develop an explanatory mode typology for accounts of involvement in criminal behavior. These include both individualistic and structural accounts of behavior in addition to a mixed-mode category. The authors identify key differences in the demographic and sociopolitical bases of the attributional types and find significant race differences in these attributional types. Attributions strongly affect how individuals wish to see public policy respond to the problem of crime and explain a small but significant fraction of the black-white difference in crime policy views.
On the Meaning, Measurement, and Implications of Racial Resentment
Authors: Carmines Edward G. , Sniderman Paul M. , Easter Beth C.
Published: June 2011

A new racism, it is claimed, has become a dominant feature of contemporary American politics. According to the theory’s originators, the new racism has largely replaced the old racism, which was based on the alleged biological inferiority of blacks. The new racism, referred to as “symbolic racism” or, more recently, “racial resentment,” by contrast, is defined as a conjunction of anti-black feelings and American moral traditionalism. According to its proponents, this new racism now structures and dominates the racial thinking of whites generally. Howard Schuman has suggested, however, that the index used to measure racial resentment may be fundamentally flawed because it may be conflated with the measurement of attitudes toward racial policies. The authors’ analysis supports Schuman’s suggestion. They conclude that racial resentment is not a valid measure of racism, which raises questions about the extent to which a new racism now dominates the thinking of white Americans.
Racial Discrimination, Interpretation, and Legitimation at Work
Authors: Light Ryan , Roscigno Vincent J. , Kalev Alexandra
Published: June 2011

Research on race stratification and employment usually implies discrimination as a key mechanism in race stratification, although few if any analyses bring attitudes, employee-employer interpretations, and established discriminatory behavior into a singular analysis. In this article, the authors do so and offer a relational account of how discrimination operates, drawing on a large sample of verified racial discrimination cases. Building on racial stratification literature and theory on “color-blind” racism, the analyses focus on employee and employer interpretations and then use dyadic analyses coupled with qualitative case immersion to shed light on the relational nature of discrimination and how employers justify such conduct. Findings highlight significant interpersonal disjunctures in descriptions of common events as well as the ways in which employers evoke broad organizational and societal ideals of meritocracy— ideals that often fall by the wayside in concrete decision-making pertaining to and in evaluation of minority employees.
Whites’ Racial Policy Attitudes in the Twenty-First Century: The Continuing Significance of Racial Resentment
Authors: Tuch Steven A. , Hughes Michael
Published: June 2011

A topic of long-standing interest in racial attitudes research is whites’ support for principles of racial equality on one hand coupled with their intransigence on policies designed to redress that inequality on the other. Much has been written on possible explanations of this “principle-policy gap” and what the gap reveals about the state of contemporary American race relations. In this article, the authors provide an update and partial replication of their 1996 study of whites’ views of racial policies in what has been referred to as our post-racial society. Using both General Social Survey and American National Election Survey data, the authors assess the current state of whites’ racial policy attitudes and the factors that shape those attitudes and consider whether any meaningful change has occurred in recent decades. Among the explanations of the principle-policy gap that the authors examine, one stands out as especially powerful: racial resentment, a variant of stratification ideology that focuses on the role of racial individualism in shaping white resistance to meaningful policy change. Moreover, the authors find no evidence that whites’ racial policy views have changed since the 1980s.
The Relationship Contexts of Young Disadvantaged Men
Authors: Tach Laura , Edin Kathryn
Published: June 2011

Recent improvements in data collection offer unprecedented insight into the romantic partnerships of disadvantaged men, revealing higher levels of instability, complexity, and commitment than previously understood. Young disadvantaged men are often involved in casual romantic relationships that result in pregnancy. When this occurs, most men remain involved with the mother, are optimistic about the future of their relationships, and are committed to their children. Economic disadvantage, incarceration, conflict, and mistrust undermine the stability of these relationships, however, and most end within several years after the birth. New romantic relationships begin shortly thereafter, creating complex family structures. We know less about the patterns of interaction between couples that produce unstable partnerships or about the nature of romantic relationships that do not involve children. With our growing understanding of the presence of fathers in nonmarital households, policy-makers must adapt their policies to support, rather than undermine, these fragile unions.
Place-Bound Jobs at the Intersection of Policy and Management: Comparing Employer Practices in U.S. and Canadian Chain Restaurants
Authors: Haley-Lock Anna
Published: June 2011

Debate about the United States’ minimum wage spiked several years ago at a time when its role in influencing employment conditions had become complicated by firms’ increasing use of job outsourcing and “offshoring.” Yet the latter labor strategies are not obviously applicable to employment revolving around in-person transactions between workers and customers, or “place-bound” work. Such jobs present an opportunity for studying human resource management, and the capacity of public policy to shape it, when policy may be at its most influential over employer practices. The current article considers such a case, investigating how minimum wage rates, other public policies and programs associated with work, and firms’ human resource practices interact in the place-bound position of restaurant waiter. Using new data collected from managers of a sample of 21 sites of two low-end, full-service restaurant chains, the author examined the relationships between management practices for wages and tips, fringe benefits, and staffing and scheduling and the public policy contexts in which they were embedded in suburban Seattle, Chicago, and Vancouver, British Columbia. The author found that employer practices varied by geographic area as a product of contrasts in public regulation of employers as well as supports to workers and families; that employer practices varied between the two chains, independent of geographic location; and that those practices were often poised to have dramatic impacts on waiters’ income and benefits access. The author concludes by discussing some of the limitations of and prospects for applying public tools to promote the quality of private, hourly jobs.
Prevalence and Risk Distribution of Residual Dyslipidemia in Statin-Treated Patients in Greece
Authors: Liberopoulos Evangelos , Vlasserou Fotini , Mitrogianni Zoe , Papageorgantas Ioannis , Elisaf Moses
Published: June 2011

Many statin-treated patients are not achieving treatment goals and are at risk of cardiovascular (CV) disease. We report the results of patients enrolled in an observational study in Greece, which estimated the residual lipid abnormalities in statin-treated patients. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), and triglyceride concentrations were recorded in patients receiving statin therapy for ≥3 months, classified by CV risk according to European Society of Cardiology guidelines. Sixty-three percent of statin-treated patients had an LDL-c not at goal. Low-risk patients were more likely to have an LDL-c not at goal compared with high-risk patients (67.3% vs 61.0%, respectively). They were also less likely to have low HDL-c levels and elevated triglyceride levels compared with high-risk patients. Smoking and sedentary lifestyle were not associated with dyslipidemia in this population. Approximately two thirds of statin-treated patients in Greece are not reaching target/normal lipid levels and could benefit from improved lipid management.
Ankle–Brachial Index as an Indicator of Arterial Stiffness in Patients Without Peripheral Artery Disease
Authors: Rabkin Simon W. , Chan Siu Him , Sweeney Colleen
Published: June 2011

We tested the hypothesis that the Ankle-Brachial Index (ABI) in patients without peripheral arterial disease ([PAD] ABI > 1.0) is an indicator of arterial stiffness. Fifty-five patients had measurement of carotid pulse wave contour, pulse wave velocity (PWV), and ABI. Vascular stiffness as assessed by augmentation index (AIx) showed a significant ( P = .002) inverse correlation with ABI. Dichotomizing ABI into groups above and below the median showed that persons with a lower ABI, >1.0 to 1.5 (n = 27) had a significantly ( P < .01) higher AIx than those with a higher ABI > 1.5 (n = 28). In contrast, vascular stiffness assessed by brachial-ankle or carotid femoral PWV did not correlate with ABI. In summary, ABI is an indicator of arterial stiffness assessed by AIx. Vascular changes detected by AIx are not the same as those detected by PWV. Assessment of ABI may have utility in cardiovascular risk assessment in patients without PAD.
Clustering of risk behaviours among African American adults
Authors: Baruth M , Addy CL , Wilcox S , Dowda M
Published: June 2011

Objectives:

Individuals may engage in more than one risk behaviour at any given time. The extent to which risk behaviours cluster among African American adults has been largely unexplored. This study examined the prevalence and clustering of three risk behaviours among African American church members: smoking; low moderate-to-vigorous intensity leisure time physical activity (leisure MVPA); and low fruit and vegetable consumption.

Design:

Cross-sectional study.

Setting:

African Methodist Episcopal churches in South Carolina.

Method:

Participants self-reported leisure MVPA, fruit and vegetable consumption and smoking. The prevalence of single and multiple risk behaviours was computed. To examine whether risk behaviours clustered, a series of hierarchical log-linear models (SAS CATMOD) were fitted to the observed counts.

Results:

Of the 1123 participants, 7.0% smoked, 56.0% engaged in <150 minutes/week of leisure MVPA and 76.8% consumed <5 servings/day of fruit and vegetables; 11.8% of the sample had no risk behaviours, 39.5% had one, 45.7% had two and 2.9% had all three. The most common risk behaviour cluster was low leisure MVPA and low fruit and vegetable consumption (42.1%). Results from the log-linear models showed dependence among low fruit and vegetable consumption and low leisure MVPA, independent of smoking status.

Conclusions:

Church members who engaged in low levels of leisure MVPA were more likely to have low fruit and vegetable consumption, regardless of smoking status. These findings suggest that these two behaviours should not be considered in isolation from one another when developing behaviour change interventions; interventions targeting both behaviours may be more effective.
Decentralization, Democratization, and Health: The Philippine Experiment
Authors: Langran Irene V
Published: June 2011

In 1991, the Philippines joined a growing list of countries that reformed health planning through decentralization. Reformers viewed decentralization as a tool that would solve multiple problems, leading to more meaningful democracy and more effective health planning. Today, nearly two decades after the passage of decentralization legislation, questions about the effectiveness of the reforms persist. Inadequate financing, inequity, and a lack of meaningful participation remain challenges, in many ways mirroring broader weaknesses of Philippine democracy. These concerns pose questions regarding the nature of contemporary decentralization, democratization, and health planning and whether these three strategies are indeed mutually enforcing.
A semi-empirical model for density gradient in microcellular thermoplastic foams
Authors: Mohyeddin Ali , Fereidoon Abdolhosein
Published: June 2011

In microcellular plastics, produced by the solid-state batch method, an integral solid skin and a core with graded porosity can be created by allowing absorbed gas to diffuse from the surface of a saturated specimen prior to foaming. In this article a semi-empirical model is proposed to predict the local density of microcellular foam as a function of dissolved gas concentration. To this end, Henry’s law is applied on available experimental data for polystyrene—nitrogen system. The resultant spatial variation of mass density would be interesting for analyzing engineering structures made of microcellular plastics.
Two-Stage Screening for Math Problem-Solving Difficulty Using Dynamic Assessment of Algebraic Learning
Authors: Fuchs Lynn S. , Compton Donald L. , Fuchs Douglas , Hollenbeck Kurstin N. , Hamlett Carol L. , Seethaler Pamela M.
Published: June 2011

The purpose of this study was to explore the utility of a dynamic assessment (DA) of algebraic learning in predicting third graders’ development of mathematics word-problem difficulty. In the fall, 122 third-grade students were assessed on a test of math word-problem skill and DA of algebraic learning. In the spring, they were assessed on word-problem performance. Logistic regression was conducted to contrast two models. One relied exclusively on the fall test of math word-problem skill to predict word-problem difficulty on the spring outcome (less than the 25th percentile). The second model relied on a combination of the fall test of math word-problem skill and the fall DA to predict the same outcome. Holding sensitivity at 87.5%, the universal screener alone resulted in a high proportion of false positives, which was practically reduced when DA was included in the prediction model. Findings are discussed in terms of a two-stage process for screening students within a responsiveness-to-intervention prevention model.
Electro-mechanical properties of friction spun conductive hybrid yarns made of carbon filaments for composites
Authors: Mir Mohammad Badrul Hasan  , Diestel Olaf , Cherif Chokri
Published: June 2011

Textile-reinforced composites are a leading trend in lightweight structure design. The demand for additional function integration in lightweight structures made from textile-reinforced composites is growing rapidly. This article reports on the production of functional yarns made with friction spinning using carbon filament yarn as the core component and polypropylene fibres as the sheath component. The suitability of these yarns was tested with regards to mechanical properties for use in textile-reinforced thermoplastic composites. Their ability to perform additional functions such as structural health monitoring and signal transfer was also tested. Differences in the electro-mechanical and mechanical properties of hybrid yarns made from different types of carbon filament yarn core and polypropylene sheath were investigated with respect to different spinning parameters used to produce the yarns. Optimum processing parameters have been suggested that improve the functional properties of these yarns.
An objective method to characterize moisture management properties of disposable diapers
Authors: Fenye Meng  , Ng Sau Fun Frency , Hui Chi Leung Patrick , Li Y. , Hu JY
Published: June 2011

This study provides an objective test method to characterize the dynamic moisture management properties of disposable diapers by the Moisture Management Tester (MMT), which is developed to evaluate moisture transport properties of textiles in multi-directions. The MMT device can record the textile liquid transfer process dynamically and quantitatively, and the result is displayed by the figure of the moisture content change with test time elapsing. Six indices are specially extracted from the measurement curves, and five of them are selected finally to describe and predict the liquid moisture transfer properties of diapers more effectively. Moreover, measurement results showed that, except the pump time to the index of wetting time, all of the defined indices have significant correlation with diaper types and the liquid pump time level, and the extracted indices are sensitive enough to the variance of diaper types and pump time level. Therefore, the objective test method with MMT and the extracted indices can be used to characterize the moisture management properties of disposable diapers.
Prediction method for clothing pressure distribution by the numerical approach: attention to deformation by the extension of knitted fabric
Authors: Ishimaru Sonoko , Isogai Yumiko , Matsui Mariko , Furuichi Kenji , Nonomura Chisato , Yokoyama Atsushi
Published: June 2011

In general, clothing pressure is measured using a sensor set on the surface of a human body or dummy, and it is not possible to measure clothing pressure without the sewing process. We have developed a numerical-analysis-based technique to simulate clothing pressure without having to sew the cloth into clothes. We presupposed that clothing made of knitted fabric was applied to a mannequin in close contact with its surface. Based on this simulation, this paper proposes a model for fabric deformation, by extension applicable to large deformation, with anisotropy and non-linearity taken into account. In this model, the fabric is separated into isotropic and anisotropic elements, and non-linearity is assigned to both the isotropic and anisotropic elements. Furthermore, to use this model, we propose a method for fitting the knitted fabric tightly to a human body model while sewing the knitted fabric model reflecting the paper pattern. To prevent excessive extension of the knitted fabric model reflecting the paper pattern during the process of fitting, we adopted the two-step fitting method involving application of the fabric to a temporary human body model (intermediary) followed by its application to a formal human body model. The clothing pressure values calculated with this method were very close to the actually measured values using a rigid mannequin.
Perceived Stress and Avoidant Coping Moderate Disordered Gambling Among Emerging Adults in Vietnam
Authors: Lostutter Ty W. , Larimer Mary E. , Neighbors Clayton , Kaljee Linda M.
Published: June 2011

Gambling research conducted in Asia has been limited, despite a continued growth of the gambling industry within the region. Outside Asia, research suggests emerging adults have high rates of gambling behavior and experience serious consequences. The current study examines gambling behavior within an emerging adult (ages 16-24) population in Vietnam. The study evaluates gambling and tests a moderation model of stress and coping in relation to gambling. The rate of disordered gambling in this sample using the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS, 3+) is 15%, slightly higher in comparison to samples of similar aged youth in other countries. Results also indicate avoidant coping moderated the relationship between gambling frequency and gambling problems, such that frequency was more strongly associated with gambling problems among individuals higher in avoidant coping. Etiological and epidemiological implications are discussed in the context of a developmental perspective on disordered gambling among Vietnamese emerging adults.
Two Approaches for Using Multiple Anchors in NEAT Equating
Authors: Moses Tim , Deng Weiling , Zhang Yu-Li
Published: June 2011

Nonequivalent groups with anchor test (NEAT) equating functions that use a single anchor can have accuracy problems when the groups are extremely different and/or when the anchor weakly correlates with the tests being equated. Proposals have been made to address these issues by incorporating more than one anchor into NEAT equating functions. These proposals have not been extensively considered or comparatively evaluated. This study evaluates two proposed approaches for incorporating more than one anchor into NEAT equating functions, poststratification and missing data imputation. The approaches are studied and compared in an example of equating mixed format tests where the use of multiple equating is expected to improve equating. The results show that both approaches produced nearly equivalent equating results but that the poststratification approach has some flexibility and accuracy advantages over imputation in terms of standard errors.
Jackson and Schuler (1985) Revisited: A Meta-Analysis of the Relationships Between Role Ambiguity, Role Conflict, and Job Performance
Authors: Tubre Travis C. , Collins Judith M.
Published: June 2011

We conducted a meta-analysis of correlations between role ambiguity and job performance and role conflict and job performance. Previous meta-analyses of these role constructs and performance relationships (e.g., Jackson & Schuler, 1985) were limited by small sample sizes and sparse reporting of reliability estimates in primary studies. The present study used a comprehensive database with a larger sample size and a distribution of interrater reliabilities to extend the previous findings. We also tested moderator hypotheses proposed but not conducted by Jackson and Schuler. Results revealed a negative relationship (r52.21) between role ambiguity and job performance with moderating influences due to job type and rating source. A negligible relationship (r52.07) was observed for role conflict and job performance, a finding consistent across job types and rating sources. Conclusions were that role ambiguity ought not to be dismissed as an unimportant variable in the job performance domain.
The Role of Time in Theory and Theory Building
Authors: George Jennifer M. , Jones Gareth R.
Published: June 2011

Although time has been included in theory and theory building as a boundary condition, this paper argues that time can and should play a more important role because it can change the ontological description and meaning of a theoretical construct and of the relationships between constructs. We suggest that theorists explicitly incorporate multiple aspects of temporality into the “what, how, and why” building blocks of their theories. First, we describe six important time dimensions that we propose are especially relevant to theory building about people, groups, and organizations: the past, future, and present and the subjective experience of time; time aggregations; duration of steady states and rates of change; incremental versus discontinuous change; frequency, rhythms, and cycles; and spirals and intensity. Second, we put forward a series of time-related questions that can serve as a guide or template for improving theory building through the incorporation of temporality into the what, how, and why of theories. Third, we propose how temporality can be incorporated into theorizing, viewed from a process standpoint. Lastly, we demonstrate how the explicit incorporation of time into theoretical analyses may not only lead to better theorizing and theories but also shed light on ongoing debates in the organizational literature.
Career-relevant learning and development, worker age, and beliefs about self-efficacy for development
Authors: Maurer Todd J.
Published: June 2011

While employee continuous learning is increasing in importance and labor markets are tightening, the average age of workers is also increasing. But older workers may not participate in learning and development activities as much as younger workers. This paper explores an important and under-recognized factor that may contribute to this age effect: a decline in self-confidence (or self-efficacy) for career-relevant learning and skill development with age. The review explores various factors in an organizational setting which might lead to reduced self-confidence for learning, and subsequently, lower participation in learning/development activities. Suggestions for managing older workers and for research on this topic are offered.