bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gallbladder volume as a biomarker for the motilin effect in healthy volunteers and patients with functional dyspepsia
Authors: Kamerling I. M. C. , Van Haarst A. D. , De Kam M. L. , Cohen A. F. , Masclee A. A. M. , Burggraaf J.
Published: March 2004

Aim : To investigate a motilin effect on gallbladder volume in healthy volunteers and patients with functional dyspepsia.

Methods : Forty‐three healthy volunteers and 10 patients with functional dyspepsia received motilin (4 pmol.min/kg) or placebo in four separate double‐blind, randomized, placebo‐controlled, cross‐over studies. The gallbladder volume was measured by ultrasonography. Analysis of variance of the combined data of these studies was performed to investigate a motilin effect on gallbladder volume and potential differences between patients and healthy volunteers.

Results : The baseline gallbladder volume was similar for placebo and motilin treatment, as well as for patients and healthy volunteers. Motilin, compared with placebo, significantly decreased the gallbladder volume in healthy volunteers (P = 0.003) and patients (P < 0.0001). A linear concentration–response relationship was observed. The decrease in gallbladder volume by motilin was greater in patients (P = 0.03). The motilin effect was consistent between studies.

Conclusion : The interdigestive gallbladder volume is a non‐invasive end‐point for motilin activity, displaying a consistent response across studies, a clear response to motilin and a clear concentration–response relationship. However, it is less suitable as a biomarker for future pharmacological studies on motilin agonists or antagonists as the effect is probably indirect, and a relatively large study population of 27 subjects is required to demonstrate a 15% decrease in gallbladder volume. Further investigation is required to confirm altered gallbladder motility as a feature of functional dyspepsia.
Rofecoxib and early relapse of inflammatory bowel disease: an open‐label trial
Authors: Biancone L. , Tosti C. , Geremia A. , Fina D. , Petruzziello C. , Emerenziani S. , Pallone F.
Published: March 2004

Background : The safety and efficacy of selective cyclo‐oxygenase‐2 inhibitors in inflammatory bowel disease are under investigation.

Aim : To assess, in a prospective, open‐label trial, the efficacy and safety of rofecoxib (12.5 mg/day) in inflammatory bowel disease patients and controls.

Methods : The inflammatory bowel disease group included 45 inactive patients (25 Crohn's disease; 20 ulcerative colitis) with associated arthralgia. The control group included 30 dyspeptic patients. The efficacy and safety of rofecoxib were assessed in inflammatory bowel disease patients and controls before and after treatment (range, 3 days to 3 months).

Results : In inflammatory bowel disease, nine of the 45 patients (20%) required rofecoxib withdrawal due to gastrointestinal symptoms inducing clinical relapse, which subsided on drug discontinuation. The percentage of patients requiring rofecoxib discontinuation was comparable in patients with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis (20% vs. 20%), but was higher in inflammatory bowel disease patients than in controls (20% vs. 3%; P < 0.001). In inflammatory bowel disease, arthralgia relief was reported by 32 patients (71%): complete relief by eight patients (18%) and partial relief by 24 (53%). Thirteen patients (29%) reported no benefit. A comparable percentage of inflammatory bowel disease patients and controls reported arthralgia relief (71% vs. 70%).

Conclusions : Rofecoxib appears to control arthralgia in almost two‐thirds of inflammatory bowel disease patients. Side‐effects requiring drug discontinuation are observed, however, in almost one‐quarter of patients.
Diverticular disease of the colon: ethnic differences in frequency
Authors: Kang J. Y. , Dhar A. , Pollok R. , Leicester R. J. , Benson M. J. , Kumar D. , Melville D. , Neild P. J. , Tibbs C. J. , Maxwell J. D.
Published: March 2004

Background : Colonic diverticular disease is more common in Western populations than in developing countries.

Aim : To determine whether the frequency of colonic diverticular disease is different in British patients of Indian‐subcontinent Asian origin compared with other ethnic groups.

Methods : All colonoscopies performed over a 3‐year period in a London hospital were studied. Patients of Indian‐subcontinent Asian origin were identified by name.

Results : Five of 134 Indian‐subcontinent Asian males (4%) had colonic diverticular disease, compared with 278 of 1268 patients of other ethnic groups (22%; P < 0.001). Five of 91 Indian‐subcontinent Asian females (6%) had colonic diverticular disease, compared with 333 of 1486 patients of other ethnic groups (23%; P < 0.001). Although patients of Indian‐subcontinent Asian origin (54.8 ± 15.8 years) were younger than those of other ethnic groups (60.3 ± 17.8 years; P < 0.0001), the ethnic difference in the frequency of diverticular disease persisted even when age was taken into account.

Conclusion : There is a lower frequency of colonic diverticular disease in Indian‐subcontinent Asians presenting for colonoscopy, compared with other ethnic groups. This cannot be explained by sex or age differences. Our findings require confirmation, but may provide opportunities for research into the aetiology of colonic diverticular disease.
Long‐term oral branched chain amino acids in patients undergoing chemoembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma: a randomized trial
Authors: Poon R. T.‐P. , Yu W.‐C. , Fan S.‐T. , Wong J.
Published: March 2004

Background : Patients undergoing transarterial chemoembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma have advanced tumour or severe cirrhosis and frequently have associated protein‐calorie malnutrition. The role of nutritional supplements for such patients is unclear.

Aim : To investigate, in a randomized controlled trial, any benefit of the long‐term administration of branched chain amino acids in patients undergoing chemoembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Methods : Forty‐one patients received oral branched chain amino acids for up to four courses of chemoembolization and 43 patients did not receive any nutritional supplement. Morbidity, liver function, nutritional status, quality of life and long‐term survival were compared between the two groups.

Results : The administration of branched chain amino acids resulted in a lower morbidity rate compared with the control group (17.1% vs. 37.2%, P = 0.039). In particular, the group given branched chain amino acids showed a significantly lower rate of ascites (7.3% vs. 23.2%, P = 0.043) and peripheral oedema (9.8% vs. 27.9%, P = 0.034). Significantly higher serum albumin, lower bilirubin and a better quality of life were observed after chemoembolization in the group given branched chain amino acids. However, there was no significant difference in survival between the two groups.

Conclusions : Nutritional supplementation with oral branched chain amino acids is beneficial in increasing the serum albumin level, reducing the morbidity and improving the quality of life in patients undergoing chemoembolization for inoperable hepatocellular carcinoma.
‘How come I don’t get asked no questions?’ Researching ‘hard to reach’ children and teenagers
Authors: Curtis Katherine , Roberts Helen , Copperman Jeanette , Downie Anna , Liabo Kristin
Published: March 2004

This article discusses two related areas of research practice with children and young people that have received less attention in the literature than they might. The first is working with children and teenagers for whom the traditional, discursive nature of interview‐based research is less accessible. The second is the disinclination of researchers to report on difficulties in the research process. As researchers, we scanned the literature for assistance for some of the problems we encountered, with little reward. In describing everyday problems  (and  some  of  our  – still  developing  – solutions)  we  hope to encourage more dialogue on the uncomfortable realities of the research process, and how we might improve research practice, making it a more fruitful exercise for researchers, and a more enjoyable one for children and teenagers.
Families on the brink: the effectiveness of family support services
Authors: Statham June , Holtermann Sally
Published: March 2004

This paper presents findings from a study of the costs and effectiveness of family support services offered to 40 families with a high level of need, in two neighbouring local authorities in North Wales. It describes the level and type of services offered by different agencies in each of the authorities, estimates the costs of these services, and assesses outcomes for the families receiving them after three months. Information is also provided about families’ experience of the support they received, and the kind of help they would have liked.

Parents’ well‐being and family functioning were found to improve over the intervention period in both authorities, although only to a limited extent. Improvements were greater among those who were living with partners, and less among families identified by social workers as having financial difficulties or problems with drug or alcohol abuse. Respondents who rated their problems as very severe showed less improvement. The pattern of service provision and the costs involved turned out to be similar in both authorities, so it was not possible to reach conclusions about the relationship between services and outcomes. However, a number of themes emerging from the data are discussed, including the role of day care services in supporting families with young children, the impact of poverty and deprivation on parents’ ability to provide good care for their children, and the importance of an interagency response to children's and parents’ needs. The article also includes a discussion of problems encountered in undertaking comparative outcomes‐based research and cost‐effectiveness analyses in the social welfare field.
An evaluation of an innovative audiotape method for keeping social care staff up to date with the latest research findings
Authors: Hagell Ann , Spencer Liz
Published: March 2004

A small scale exploratory evaluation of an innovative way (using audiotapes) of keeping social care staff informed about research findings is described. The research was mainly qualitative in style, and explored (i) the extent to which the audiotapes raised knowledge about issues at an individual level, and (ii) subsequent changes in agency practice in terms of discussing and sharing literature‐based information over a period of several months. The study was undertaken in four social services departments in England. A total of 29 social care staff answered an initial questionnaire before exposure to the tape itself. Following exposure, four focus groups involving a total of 25 social care staff were undertaken to reveal their attitudes to the content and style of presentation. Finally, three months later, 20 of the original 25 social care staff answered a further round of questions on subsequent use of the tapes as part of practice development. Results generally revealed that social care staff responded well to more informal, conversational styles of presentation on the tape but were critical where a more formal ‘lecture style’ was adopted. Their uptake of research messages was very driven by the specific demands of their own individual work role. Broader relevance for disseminating research results to social care staff is discussed.
Research Review: Teenage pregnancy and motherhood: the contribution of support
Authors: Bunting Lisa , McAuley Colette
Published: March 2004

This paper aims to provide a critical analysis of the role of support in teenage motherhood. Family, partner and peer support are considered and literature emanating from both the USA and UK is reviewed. In summary the research literature indicates that family support is particularly important to teenage mothers and has been found to have a positive influence on parenting behaviours and practices. However, the mother–daughter relationship is not always a straightforward one and conflict between the two can diminish some of the positive impact. The research on partner support highlights how support from fathers and/or other male partners has been linked with improved financial and psychological outcomes for teenage mothers as well as having a positive influence on parenting behaviours. There is also evidence to suggest that support from partners may become increasingly important to teenage mothers over time and can be a valuable source of socializing participation and positive feedback. While the research available on peer support is much more limited it suggests that the emotional support of peers is perceived as being important by teenage mothers. Current research findings suggest that families, partners and peers tend to provide different, but complementary, forms of support for teenage mothers which, on the whole, appear to contribute to more positive outcomes for this group.
Family therapy and anthropology: a case for emotions
Authors: Krause Inga‐Britt
Published: March 2004

The idea that emotions are socially constructed challenges traditional views in both family therapy and anthropology and also opens the possibility for further collaboration. This paper reviews the traditional position of orthodox family therapy theory with respect to motivation and emotions. It argues that a social constructionist position can build on original family therapy insights about the connectedness of family members and offer a view which transcends mind‐body dualism. Bateson's concept of ethos is seen as a forerunner of this view and, with the increasing interest in meaning and cross‐cultural issues, Bateson's ideas deserve renewed attention. Implications of a social constructionist view of emotions for family therapists are outlined.
Child protection dilemmas in a ‘not‐existing’ pattern of abuse
Authors: Reder Peter , Duncan Sylvia , Gray Moira
Published: March 2004

Three cases from a larger review of child abuse inquiry reports are discussed. The abuse the children suffered is termed ‘not‐existing’ because they had been shut away until they perished. Interaction between the children's caretakers and the child protection professionals is examined within a revised framework of the double‐bind.
‘Informal polygamy’: a suitable case for treatment?
Authors: Rivett Mark , Street Eddy
Published: March 2004

The authors describe an atypical family structure which they term ‘informal polygamy’ and give two examples from their therapeutic practice. They go on to outline a number of dilemmas in helping such families, including whether such a family structure is more usefully viewed as transitional or stable.
Families in China: an undervalued resource for mental health?
Authors: Pearson Veronica
Published: March 2004

This article is based on 37 interviews with patients and family members in a psychiatric hospital in Hubei, the People's Republic of China. The main goal was to investigate the explanatory models that families used in understanding the causes of mental illness. Case material is provided to illustrate some of the issues concerning family dynamics and problems. Families use a holistic framework for understanding psychiatric disturbance. Doctors’ explanatory framework is largely medical and they show no interest in family relationships. Equally, families make it clear that they need more information and support from medical practitioners, which is not forthcoming.
HIV/AIDS and the family: a review of research in the first decade
Authors: Bor Robert , Miller Riva , Goldman Eleanor
Published: March 2004

Most studies of the psychosocial implications of HIV/AIDS have been focused on the individual. This paper reviews the small but growing body of research into the impact of HIV/AIDS on the family system. Special reference is made to definitions of the family, same‐sex relationships and the African family. The impact of HIV/AIDS on the family is discussed in terms of social stigma, isolation and secrecy, stress and coping, social support, communication and disclosure, responses to illness, and changing structure and roles in families. It is anticipated that in the 1990s, the study of the family will become a dominant topic in HIV/AIDS‐related research.
Medical family therapy: an emerging arena for family therapy
Authors: Doherty William J. , McDaniel Susan H. , Hepworth Jeri
Published: March 2004

This paper describes an important recent development in American family therapy. Medical family therapy uses a biopsychosocial systems model to work with families who have a member with a chronic illness or disability. The authors maintain that family therapy has tended to embrace the mind–body split and to view itself too narrowly as a mental health specialty. Medical family therapists work collaboratively with physicians and other health professionals to help families achieve a sense of agency and communion in facing some of the greatest challenges that life brings.
Audit and family systems consultation: evaluation of practice at a child and family centre
Authors: Carr Alan , McDonnell Dermot , Owen Penny
Published: March 2004

This audit of practice at a child and family centre included a 16‐month case note review covering 319 cases, a postal survey of 45 families and an interview survey of ten GPs who typically referred cases to the centre. The audit furnished information from three different perspectives on the referral process, the consultation process, and outcome for clients attending the centre. The referral rate was about one new case per day and peak referral times were the beginning of the autumn and winter school terms. Almost half the referrals came from GPs; the remainder were largely from Paediatrics, Education and Social Services. Most clients were seen within two months. Half of the families referred had serious psychosocial difficulties including multiple problem members, multi‐problem children, multi‐agency involvement, psycho‐educational difficulties, child protection problems or child placement difficulties. The majority of cases received six hours of consultation. Families where child abuse had occurred or families containing a multi‐problem adolescent received a more intensive service. Between a half and three‐quarters of cases had positive outcomes as rated by staff and parents. The service was viewed by GPs to be highly satisfactory. On the negative side, many parents felt ill‐prepared for the consultation process and most children did not enjoy the experience.
Psychosocial functioning in families of Australian adolescent schoolchildren involved in bully/victim problems
Authors: Rigby Ken
Published: March 2004

The paper examines the relationship between family functioning and the involvement of adolescent schoolchildren in bully/victim problems at school. Australian high school students between the ages of 13 and 16 years completed a Family Functioning in Adolescence Questionnaire (FFAQ) as a measure of the psychosocial well‐being of their families. Students were also categorized on the basis of self‐reports as bullies (9%), victims (11%), bully/victims (2%) and others (78%). The families of adolescent bullies were found to be functioning less well than others on the FFAQ, as also were the families of female but not male victims. Results for sub‐groups of schoolchildren are examined with respect to specific dimensions of family functioning, and the implications of differences for family therapy are discussed.
Family estrangement: parents and children who ‘lose touch’
Authors: Jerrome Dorothy
Published: March 2004

Evidence of emotional distance between elderly parents and their adult children is taken from an anthropological study of ageing and family life. Two case studies drawn from a series of life history interviews illustrate the complex relationship between personal development, family relationships, culture and social structure. Unsatisfactory relationships are explained in terms of changing psychological needs through the life course, the cultural emphasis on independence and related values, the feminine tilt in family life, and the structure of in‐law relationships. The complex interplay of these factors has implications for therapy with families experiencing estrangement.
Using video life reviews with older adults
Authors: Hargrave Terry D.
Published: March 2004

Reminiscence by elderly people, known as life review (Butler, 1963), has been widely used as a therapeutic technique. This paper discusses a study with fifteen ageing families in which a therapist assisted the ageing member in producing a videotaped vignette from the life review. The resulting video life reviews were found to be an effective tool in helping the ageing family in ‘re‐storying’ the past events with new narrative and meaning. Three predominant themes were identified: (1) historical and evaluative reviews, (2) transition reviews, and (3) reviews dealing with emotional pain. Also discussed are the reactions of the ageing families to the video life reviews, the therapeutic uses of the technique, and format suggestions for therapists.
Response‐ability: therapist's ‘I’ and role
Authors: Haber Russell
Published: March 2004

The professional therapist, like an actor, has a role. Inside, in between, and beyond the role is a person without a clearly defined script in the therapeutic interview. This paper looks at the interplay between the therapist's role and personhood. As with the professional actor, the T can be an effective consultant to the role. The ‘I’ or visceral responses of the therapist can increase the therapist's sensitivity to the family members' emotional experience in the familial and therapeutic relationships. This information can help the therapist be more ‘response‐able’– a position where the therapist is more flexible and ‘able to respond’ to the emotional experience of the family interview. Thus, by increasing therapeutic options, the interface between the ‘I’ and the role can help the therapist be more professionally ethical and ‘responsible’.
Brief therapy in adult psychiatry
Authors: Macdonald Alasdair J.
Published: March 2004

Forty‐one of forty‐four referrals to a multidisciplinary team providing brief therapy in adult psychiatry were followed up after one year. Questionnaires were sent to attenders and their general practitioners. A good outcome was reported in 29 cases (70%) while four cases (10%) were worse. Good outcome was linked with more therapy sessions and having specific goals for treatment. Lower social class did not predict poor outcome, unlike other forms of psychotherapy. Benefit was not linked to age, sex, place of residence, duration of problem, source of referral, those attending, inpatient status or lapse from treatment. Longstanding problems did slightly less well. The ‘worse’ group were younger and all four were female. Training of the team took place during therapy at little extra cost without any detriment to outcome. These findings have implications for the team's approach and for the provision of psychotherapy services in general.
The Reflecting Team approach: convergent results of two exploratory studies
Authors: Höger Christoph , Temme Marita , Reiter Ludwig , Steiner Egbert
Published: March 2004

This paper presents results of two exploratory investigations concerning the effectiveness of the Reflecting Team (RT) approach, conducted in Vienna and in Gottingen. Fifty‐nine families/couples participated in the RT approach in the two outpatient settings. Follow‐up reports from 35 families – obtained on average 15 months after closure – indicated that this model may be considered effective as well as efficient: two thirds of all clients (who made up a heterogeneous group with regard to diagnostic criteria and stage of development of the identified patient) reported symptom improvement, and about 80% said they were very satisfied; these results were obtained with a fairly small number of sessions.
Governance in Democratic Member‐Based Organisations
Authors: Spear Roger
Published: March 2004

AbstractThis paper considers issues of governance in democratic member‐based organisations (DMOs), such as co‐operatives and mutual societies. It examines the processes whereby members’ interests are mediated through the democratic process, and the board; and it explores some of the factors influencing the power of managers. It goes on to argue that the system of governance in DMOs in their institutional context runs the risks of managers becoming powerful and entrenched in poorly performing social economy organisations, unless countervailing measures are adopted.
Governance of the Mondragon Corporación Cooperativa
Authors: Bakaikoa Baleren , Errasti Anjel , Begiristain Agurtzane
Published: March 2004

Abstract This article examines the governance of the Mondragon Cooperative Corporation (MCC) within the context of the expanding globalisation process. After a brief introduction about globalisation and cooperative degeneration theories, the first part of the paper begins by giving a brief description of MCC and examining its current situation. In the second part, we analyse the governing structure of the nucleus of MCC, i.e., the MCC Congress, the Standing Committee and the General Council. The third part is about the different types of employment generated by MCC and the participation of employees in management. The paper ends up with a discussion of the organisational implications of our results.
Gender, Ideology and Issue Preference: Is There such a Thing as a Political Women's Interest in Britain?
Authors: Campbell Rosie
Published: March 2004

This article is not intended as a comprehensive study of gender and attitude in Britain. Neither is it a thorough analysis of gender and vote in Britain. It is, however, designed to ascertain whether there is any evidence to suggest that men and women might think about politics in different ways. Mainstream measures of ideology are examined and it is asked whether they can be applied equally to both sexes and also whether issues that might be defined as being especially important to women, such as health and education, provide more powerful explanations of women's voting choices than men's.
Getting on or Getting By? Women, Social Capital and Political Participation
Authors: Lowndes Vivien
Published: March 2004

This article considers the utility of the concept of social capital in explaining differences in patterns of political participation among women and men, with particular reference to local politics and governance in Britain. It investigates whether women have access to the same quantity of social capital as men, whether their social capital is of the same type, and whether they use their social capital in the same way as men. Taking forward the ‘capital’ analogy, the article looks at how rich women are, and the extent to which they invest their social capital in political activity. As well as providing new insights into women's political behaviour, the analysis illuminates key issues for the broader social capital debate—regarding the distribution of social capital within communities, and the nature of the link between networks of sociability and patterns of political engagement.
Thinking About Making a Difference
Authors: Puwar Nirmal
Published: March 2004

This article works across disciplines: politics, geography and social and cultural theory. Issues of space and body are brought to bear on how we think about the question ‘making a difference’. By considering difference in terms of the socio-spatial impact of the presence of hitherto socially excluded groups, such as women and racialised minorities, the gendered and racialised nature of the body politic and most specifically its ‘elite’ positions is brought into focus. The co-existence of women and ‘black’ and Asian MPs in Westminster demonstrates how these ‘groups’ are both historically and conceptually ‘space invaders’. This positionality underlies a series of social processes which illustrate how their very presence is a disruption as well as a continual negotiation. While accepting the agnostic perspective that there are ‘no guarantees’ that the arrival of these ‘new’ bodies will articulate a different politics, in terms of policy outcomes and political debate, this article asserts that the sociological terms of their presence deserves in-depth attention.
New Labour, Gender Mainstreaming and the Women and Equality Unit
Authors: Squires Judith , Wickham-Jones Mark
Published: March 2004

New Labour's approach to gender mainstreaming is perhaps best exemplified through the work of the Women and Equality Unit (WEU). In this article we chart the development of the Unit and varied initiatives in which it has been involved and provide a preliminary assessment of the Unit's work. We start with a discussion of Labour's approach to mainstreaming. This provides a context for a profile of the work of the Women's Unit (WU) between 1997 and 2001 and its successor the WEU, between 2001 and 2002. We consider the work of the Units in relation to the government's reforms to the policy-making process, focusing upon location, issue territory and connectivity. Using these three criteria our appraisal of the work of the WEU draws attention to three issues: firstly, the institutional uncertainty surrounding the status of the Unit; secondly, the degree to which the remit of the Unit has been unlike that of other cross-cutting units in addressing a broad gender agenda rather than specific policy areas, but that this is now shifting with the increasing focus on economic issues; and thirdly, the extent to which the Unit is reliant on non-feminist actors within the decision-making elite to help pursue its aims. We will suggest that the Unit may have made a small, but significant, contribution to the development of gender mainstreaming processes. Its contribution has been greatest where gender equality policies coincide with government priorities. Its contribution to the process of mainstreaming gendered perspectives into all policy-making is much harder to discern.
Emotion Regulation as a Scientific Construct: Methodological Challenges and Directions for Child Development Research
Authors: Cole Pamela M. , Martin Sarah E. , Dennis Tracy A.
Published: March 2004

Emotion regulation has emerged as a popular topic, but there is doubt about its viability as a scientific construct. This article identifies conceptual and methodological challenges in this area of study and describes exemplar studies that provide a substantive basis for inferring emotion regulation. On the basis of those studies, 4 methods are described that provide compelling evidence for emotion regulation: independent measurement of activated emotion and purported regulatory processes; analysis of temporal relations; measurement across contrasting conditions; and multiple, convergent measures. By offering this perspective, this article aims to engage thoughtful debate and critical analysis, with the goal of increasing methodological rigor and advancing an understanding of emotion regulation as a scientific construct.
Emotion and Cognition: An Intricately Bound Developmental Process
Authors: Bell Martha Ann , Wolfe Christy D.
Published: March 2004

Regulatory aspects of development can best be understood by research that conceptualizes relations between cognition and emotion. The neural mechanisms associated with regulatory processes may be the same as those associated with higher order cognitive processes. Thus, from a developmental cognitive neuroscience perspective, emotion and cognition are dynamically linked and work together to process information and execute action. This article highlights the authors' recent efforts at integrating emotion regulation and cognitive processing during the first year of life by focusing on the methodological criteria outlined by Cole, Martin, and Dennis (this issue), and it discusses the idea that emotion and cognition are an intricately bound developmental process.
Emotion Regulation in the Brain: Conceptual Issues and Directions for Developmental Research
Authors: Lewis Marc D. , Stieben Jim
Published: March 2004

Emotion regulation cannot be temporally distinguished from emotion in the brain, but activation patterns in prefrontal cortex appear to mediate cognitive control during emotion episodes. Frontal event‐related potentials (ERPs) can tap cognitive control hypothetically mediated by the anterior cingulate cortex, and developmentalists have used these to differentiate age, individual, and emotion‐valence factors. Extending this approach, the present article outlines a research strategy for studying emotion regulation in children by combining emotion induction with a go/no‐go task known to produce frontal ERPs. Preliminary results indicate that medial‐frontal ERP amplitudes diminish with age but become more sensitive to anxiety, and internalizing children show higher amplitudes than noninternalizing children, especially when anxious. These results may reflect age and individual differences in the effortful regulation of negative emotion.
Different Kinds of Information Affect Word Learning in the Preschool Years: The Case of Part‐Term Learning
Authors: Saylor Megan M. , Sabbagh Mark A.
Published: March 2004

Two studies investigated how preschool children's interpretations of novel words as names for parts of objects were affected by 3 kinds of information: (a) whole object familiarity, (b) whole part juxtaposition, and (c) syntactic information indicating possession. Study 1 tested 3‐ to 4‐year‐olds and found that although there was evidence that all information affected children's part‐term interpretations to some extent, they were most systematic when provided with 2 or more kinds of information. Study 2 adapted the procedure for use with 2.5‐year‐olds and found the same general pattern of results. Variations across studies were found that may reflect changes in how different kinds of information affect word learning with development.
Behavioral Measurement of Remembering Phenomenologies: So Simple a Child Can Do It
Authors: Brainerd C. J. , Holliday R. E. , Reyna V. F.
Published: March 2004

Two remembering phenomenologies, vivid recollection and vague familiarity, have been extensively studied in adults using introspective self‐report tasks, such as remember–know. Because such tasks are beyond the capabilities of young children, there is no database on how these phenomenologies first develop and what factors affect them. In experiments with 5‐ to 14‐year‐olds, a child‐appropriate behavioral methodology (conjoint recognition) was used to measure these phenomenologies. For both true and false memory, there were marked age increases in vivid recollective experiences, coupled with only slight increases in vague familiarity experiences. Thus, there is a vague‐to‐vivid developmental shift in the mental states that accompany remembering, a finding that is predicted by fuzzy‐trace theory's explanation of recollection and familiarity.
“If It Happened, I Would Remember It”: Strategic Use of Event Memorability in the Rejection of False Autobiographical Events
Authors: Ghetti Simona , Alexander Kristen Weede
Published: March 2004

The present research investigated the link between perceived event memorability and false‐event rejection. In 2 studies, event salience, plausibility, and recency were manipulated. Study 1 showed that high‐salience events elicited higher memorability ratings than low‐salience events for 5‐, 7‐, 9‐year‐olds and adults. Plausibility and recency affected only 9‐year‐olds' and adults' judgments. Study 2 demonstrated that younger versus older children and adults were less likely to reject false events, and that older children and adults were more likely to reject false events based on salience than were younger children. High‐recency false events were more likely to be rejected than low‐recency false events. Consistent with prediction, recency moderated the effect of salience. The development of metamemorial awareness and rejection strategies is discussed.
Understanding Perspectives and Emotions in Contract Violation: Development of Deontic and Moral Reasoning
Authors: Keller Monika , Gummerum Michaela , Tien Wang Xiao , Lindsey Samuel
Published: March 2004

Children between the ages of 3 and 10 years were presented with a set of pictures representing a contract with bilateral cheating options between a parent and child (Study 1) and between 2 peers (Study 2). The children had to (a) evaluate which situations violated the contract when the relevant information was presented, (b) anticipate the feelings of the violator and the victim, and (c) infer possible contract violation from 2 different perspectives when relevant information was covered. Results show that logical inferences about contract violation differ according to the type of task. Negative feelings attributed to the violator were dependent on age and type of relationship, revealing a content‐sensitive codevelopment of cognitive abilities and moral reasoning in young children.
Walking and motoring: fitness and the social organisation of movement
Authors: Freund Peter , Martin George
Published: March 2004

Abstract  This essay applies the approach of the relational model to the quotidian modes of contemporary movement, walking and motoring, in order to analyse fitness. The social model of disability provides a tool for de‐individualising fitness discourse, as well as for embedding fitness within sociomaterial and cultural contexts. Fitness, or ‘being able to’, is seen as an outcome of the interpenetrations and interactions of mind‐bodies moving within their environments. The analysis indicates that the social model has general relevance for the sociology of health and illness. Here, it is extended beyond the study of disability to encompass fitness. In future, the social model may prove fruitful in the analysis of other socially situated conditions as well.
Demystifying disability: a review of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health
Authors: Imrie Rob
Published: March 2004

Abstract  The paper describes and evaluates the theoretical underpinnings of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), and develops the proposition that its conceptual framework provides a coherent, if uneven, guide through the competing conceptions of disability. To date, however, there has been little evaluation of the theoretical efficacy of the ICF. In seeking to redress this, the paper develops the argument that the ICF fails to specify, in any detail, the content of some of its main claims about the nature of impairment and disability. This has the potential to limit its capacity to educate and influence users about the relational nature of disability. The paper develops the contention that three parts of the ICF require further conceptual clarification and development: (a) (re)defining the nature of impairment; (b) specifying the content of biopsychosocial theory; and (c) clarifying the meaning and implications of universalisation as a principle for guiding the development of disability policies.
Women's experiences of cervical cellular changes: an unintentional transition from health to liminality?
Authors: Forss Anette , Tishelman Carol , Widmark Catarina , Sachs Lisbeth
Published: March 2004

Abstract  Cervical cancer screening is a preventive intervention directed towards women to both detect cervical cancer and identify those at risk for developing this disease. It has been argued that participation in screening programmes and early detection situations may lead to new kinds of sickness experiences. This article is based on qualitative phenomenological hermeneutical analysis of interviews with women who have received abnormal Pap smear test results through a population‐based outreach screening programme in urban Sweden. The aim of this article is to illuminate the meaning, for the participating women, of the lived experience of receiving notification about an abnormal Pap smear result. The data are presented in terms of two themes: Pap smear for routine and recurrent confirmation of health and unexpected and ambiguous communication about Pap smear results. The findings are discussed as an unintentional transition from confirmation of health to liminality. Whereas medical diagnosis has been discussed as structuring the inchoate, an abnormal Pap smear did not create order for the interviewed women. On the contrary, the notification of an abnormal Pap smear created disorder as the women had expected to be confirmed as healthy but instead neither health nor disease were confirmed or excluded. Even ‘simple’ technology is shown to have an ontological dimension, with the ability to transform daily taken‐for‐grantedness of ourselves as primarily healthy to (potentially) unhealthy.
A grief ignored: narratives of pregnancy loss from a male perspective
Authors: McCreight Bernadette Susan
Published: March 2004

Abstract This paper, utilising a narrative approach, aims to describe the experiences of men whose partner had experienced pregnancy loss, based on data from Northern Ireland. The methodology was based upon observation within pregnancy loss self‐help groups and in‐depth interviews with 14 men who attended the groups. The study also included interviews with 32 midwives and nurses, with the intention of examining attitudes within the medical context towards bereaved fathers. The impact of pregnancy loss on male partners has been largely overlooked in academic research. When a baby dies before birth the loss can be devastating for fathers yet, very often, the world that surrounds them tends to discount their loss, and emotional support and cultural rituals that are normally available to other bereaved individuals are often absent for this group of men. Previous research has shown that men are expected to be emotionally strong in order to support their partner. The present study will show that the perception that men have only a supportive role in pregnancy loss is unjustified, as it ignores the actual life‐world experiences of the men, and the meanings they attach to their loss, in what may be a very personal emotional tragedy for them where they have limited support available. The study uncovered several recurring themes including self‐blame; loss of identity; and the need to appear strong and hide feelings of grief and anger. There is consideration of the need for hospital staff and the wider community to acknowledge the male partner's grief as being a valid response to the bereavement suffered.
Cosmopolitical Realism: On the Distinction between Cosmopolitanism in Philosophy and the Social Sciences
Authors: Beck Ulrich
Published: March 2004

Abstract In the article I outline a wide range of challenges, both normative and analytical, that the rise of globalism represents for the social sciences. In the first part, a distinction is drawn between ‘normative’ or ‘philosophical’ cosmopolitanism on the one hand and an analytical‐empirical social science cosmopolitanism, which is no longer contained by thinking in national categories, on the other. From such a perspective we can observe the growing interdependence and interconnection of social actors across national boundaries, more often than not as a side effect of actions that are not meant to be ‘cosmopolitan’ in the normative sense. In the second part I focus on the opposition between methodological nationalism and the actual cosmopolitanization of reality and outline the various errors of the former. In the third and final part of the article I outline a research programme of a ‘cosmopolitan social science’ around four topics: first, the rise of a global public arena resulting from the reactions to the unintended side effects (risks) of modernization; second, a cosmopolitan perspective allows us to go beyond International Relations and to analyse a multitude of interconnections not only between states but also between actors on other levels; third, a denationalized social science can research into the global inequalities that are hidden by the traditional focus on national inequality and its legitimation; finally, everyday or banal cosmopolitanism on the level of cultural consumption and media representation leads to a growing awareness of the relativity of one's own social position and culture in the global arena.
Making Global Society: Friendship Networks among Transnational Professionals in the Building Design Industry
Authors: Kennedy Paul
Published: March 2004

Abstract Little is currently known about the nature and wider implications of transnationalism among professionals, despite the fact that companies are increasingly establishing overseas business links, seeking foreign contracts and obliging professional employees to work overseas for long periods of time. Focusing on the research generated by a small study of mainly architects and engineers who had worked abroad at some time in the building design industry in this article I explore their transnational experiences and the factors that enabled them to construct viable friendship networks extending over time and into global life. These experiences are briefly contrasted with the social processes constructed by migrants and others operating in transnational social space. Though professionals appear to lack the clear sense of collective unity, the pre‐existing identity and/or the same sense of membership and organization as other types of transnational communities may exhibit, these networks nevertheless demonstrated a high degree of sociality and affectivity and a capacity to generate further transnational relationships. They also revealed a strongly postnational orientation arising from the conjunction of a unique combination of shared factors especially age, emotional deprivation, location and the nature of overseas work.
Diaspora, Community and Communication: Internet Use in Transnational Haiti
Authors: Parham Angel Adams
Published: March 2004

Abstract With its capacity to link many people interactively across great distances, the Internet seems to be the ultimate tool for dispersed ethnic groups wishing to sustain identity in an ‘alien’ land and work in solidarity with those facing challenges at ‘home’. Some theorists speak of the creation of diasporic public spheres arising from creative use of Internet technologies. Nevertheless, scholars working in this area rarely embed their analyses within existing work on the public sphere. In the present study I use insights from public sphere theory to evaluate participants' use of a Haiti Global Village forum. After examining Haiti Global Village, I conclude that such forums offer needed space for civic deliberation and provide a valuable infrastructure for networking. Participants' difficulty in translating these assets into an off‐line project, however, highlights the importance of place‐based social ties. Consideration of the experience of other Haitian forums reinforces the importance of such ties.
Cheap Calls: The Social Glue of Migrant Transnationalism
Authors: Vertovec Steven
Published: March 2004

Abstract Although globalization has usually been associated with advanced communications technology, arguably nothing has facilitated global linkage more than the boom in ordinary, cheap international telephone calls. Low‐cost calls serve as a kind of social glue connecting small‐scale social formations across the globe. In this article I present recent data on the rapid growth and diffusion of telephone traffic and describe the proliferation of prepaid phonecards. Second, I outline the commercial, social and geographical ramifications of this explosion in transnational communication.