bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Welfare Reform and Neighborhoods: Race and Civic Participation
Authors: Jennings James
Published: July 2017

Welfare reform is weakening the social and institutional fabric of neighborhoods with relatively high levels of poverty and is, therefore, antiurban and antineighborhood policy. This article is based on an in-depth study of three Massachusetts communities that finds that welfare reform is increasing regulatory and service demand pressures in inner-city neighborhoods, thereby altering the mission, organizational capacities, and planning activities of community-based organizations. These findings support recent research that examines the problematic connections between welfare reform and race, neighborhood development, and civic participation. The emerging lesson is that the building of civic consciousness and the strengthening of institutional capacities to pursue community and economic development are ignored in the push of welfare reforms to change individual behavior. Neighborhood revitalization initiatives, as well as the call for increasing citizen participation and self-help strategies, are similarly being weakened or ignored.
A View from the Bottom: Poor People and Their Allies Respond to Welfare Reform
Authors: Baptist Willie , Bricker-Jenkins Mary
Published: July 2017

The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) is construed as simply affecting or attacking "welfare moms." The authors see welfare recipients as only the first and most visible targets of this and related welfare reform measures. The ultimate objective, the authors argue, is a downsized standard of living for the majority of Americans, justified by a restricted vision of human rights. Like the 1857 Dred Scott decision and the abolition of slavery, the PRWORA is a clarion call about the necessity of building a powerful movement to abolish poverty once and for all. Such a movement must be grounded in the unity, leadership, and widespread organization of the poor and guided by an unrestricted vision of economic human rights for all. This article describes the authors' approach to building this new movement.
Early Parent Training to Prevent Disruptive Behavior Problems and Delinquency in Children
Authors: Bernazzani Odette , Côté Catherine , Tremblay Richard E.
Published: July 2017

Early forms of disruptive behaviors in children often leading to juvenile delinquency are associated with poor parenting skills. Thus early intervention programs targeting parenting skills may have an important impact on disruptive behaviors in children. The objective of this review was to assess the impact of early parenting and home visitation programs on behavior problems and delinquency in children. Selected trials were identified using electronic databases and relevant reviews. The following selection criteria were used: (1) the intervention involved the provision of parent training to families with a child under age 3, and (2) the design was a randomized or quasi-experimental trial. Overall, of the seven trials identified, only three reported some beneficial effects on disruptive behavior or delinquency. Due to the limited number of adequately designed studies, caution is recommended in the interpretation of available results. Numerous well-designed early prevention experiments specifically targeting disruptive behaviors and delinquency should be initiated.
Effects of Correctional Boot Camps on Offending
Authors: Mackenzie Doris Layton , Wilson David B. , Kider Suzanne B.
Published: July 2017

A systematic review incorporating meta-analytic techniques of correctional boot camps studies was conducted. An intensive search identified 771 documents of which 144 were deemed potentially relevant, located, and evaluated for eligibility. In 37 documents, 29 studies were judged eligible for inclusion in the systematic review. The 29 studies resulted in 44 samples providing the primary unit of analysis. Quasi-experimental and experimental studies evaluated a residential program with a militaristic environment and compared the recidivism of participants to a comparison group receiving another correctional sanction. In 9 studies, boot camp participants had lower recidivism than did comparison groups; in 8, comparison groups had lower recidivism; and in the remaining studies, no significant differences were found. A meta-analysis found no overall significant differences in recidivism between boot camp participants and comparison samples. Further analyses indicated the results cannot be explained by differences in study methodology, offender characteristics, or boot camp program components.
Regional Differences in the Transition to Adulthood
Authors: Iacovou Maria
Published: July 2017

This article examines the living arrangements of people between ages fifteen and thirty-five in Europe and the United States. Three regional patterns emerge in Europe. In southern Europe, young people remain for extended periods in the parental home and tend to make direct transitions from living at home to (formal) marriage and parenthood. In northern Europe, youngsters leave home earlier and more commonly live alone or in cohabiting unions. The Scandinavian countries form an extreme example of northern behavior, with particularly early home leaving and high levels of nonmarital cohabitation. In the United States, there are large differences between young blacks, whites, and Hispanics. Formal marriage is as common among whites as it is in southern Europe; the extended family is common for blacks and Hispanics, and lone motherhood among young black American women far outstrips the highest rates in Europe.
Is Youth a Better Predictor of Sociopolitical Values Than Is Nationality?
Authors: Tilley James
Published: July 2017

Using data from the World Values Survey, this article examines a series of strongly held values and beliefs concerning the political and wider social world, on a cross-nationally comparative basis. Orientations such as political outlook, attitudes toward religion, political participation, social movements, women's roles, and satisfaction with life are examined. Tentative groupings of young people by country are attempted, revealing a commonality of values among the old and young in certain clusters of societies. Within these clusters, the relative magnitude of gender and age differences in attitudinal positioning are analyzed, to show how nationality and youth interact differently when examining different attitudes. It is found that young people do have common values cross-nationally, but only within certain supranational limits.
Beyond the Tobin Tax: Global Democracy and a Global Currency
Authors: Frankman Myron
Published: July 2017

The twin phenomena of erratic changes in foreign exchange rates and massive international flows of funds have been important elements in the instability of the world economy since the breakdown of the Bretton Woods system. The much-discussed Tobin Tax proposal on foreign exchange transactions is one response to these disturbances, but it addresses symptoms, not causes. James Tobin recognizes that a world currency with supporting institutions would be preferable. A world of competing currencies imposes a uniform policy template on countries in much the same way that the nineteenth-century gold standard did. The case is made here that a global currency not only offers a solution to the current impasses but also is a necessary component in the shaping of a global democracy, which will restore scope for diversity to the world's constituent parts.
Agents, Subjects, Objects, or Phantoms? Labor, the Environment, and Liberal Institutionalization
Authors: Stevis Dimitris
Published: July 2017

The liberal institutionalization of world politics has engendered a vibrant debate over its form and its content. The proposals range from those aiming at the democratization of international institutions to those that aim to modify them at the margins. This contribution proposes that the democratization of social institutions has both an internal (within an organization or sector) and an external (in relation to whole political economy) dimension. Not surprisingly, unions and environmentalists have limited influence on international institutions when compared to corporations and liberal economic ministries. There is enough evidence, however, that liberal elites are advocating the selective inclusion of liberal unionists and environmentalists at the expense of social unionists and environmentalists. In addition to other responses, social unions and environmentalists should make internal democratization a priority and should utilize domestic fora, where unions and environmentalists have more access and resources, in a manner that embeds domestic tactics within inclusive internationalist strategies.
Illegal Drugs in Colombia: From Illegal Economic Boom to Social Crisis
Authors: Thoumi Francisco E.
Published: July 2017

During the past thirty years, the illegal drug industry has marked Colombia's development. In no other country has the illegal drug industry had such dramatic social, political, and economic effects. This short article provides a synthesis of the development of the marijuana, coca-cocaine, and poppy-opium-heroin illegal industries. It studies the development of the drug cartels and marketing networks and the participation of guerrillas and paramilitary forces in the industry. The size of the illegal industry and its economic effects are also surveyed and its effects on the political system analyzed. The article ends with a discussion of the evolution of government policies and social attitudes toward the industry. The article shows that in the early years, the illegal industry was perceived by many as positive, how it evolved so that today it provides substantial funding for the country's ambiguous war, and that it is one of the main obstacles to peace.
Moving Lines and Variable Criteria: Differences/Connections between Allopathic and Alternative Medicine
Authors: Frohock Fred M.
Published: July 2017

The standard narratives of medicine recognize its origins in natural cures and in religious or spiritual discourses. The uneasy relationships of such practices (now designated as complementary or alternative medicine [CAM]) to conventional health care today can be tracked to the formation of medicine as a distinct profession based on modern science. The author accepts four statements as a framework for exploring CAM in the context of modern medicine. The first is that all versions of unconventional medicine depend for their identity on the existence of conventional medicine. The second is that the distinctions between alternative and conventional medicine are variables of time, place, and the attitudes of health care practitioners. Third, CAM today in the West occupies no sharp and distinctive category. There are instead continuums of various slopes and lengths on which types of complementary and alternative medicine are arrayed. Fourth, the turn to CAM may represent a chronic (and, to some, welcome) inclination of the human intellect to delimit the energies of material inquiries with metaphysical baselines and options.
Citizen Activism for Environmental Health: The Growth of a Powerful New Grassroots Health Movement
Authors: Gibbs Lois
Published: July 2017

The year 2003 marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Love Canal crisis, when more than 900 working-class families were relocated away from a leaking toxic waste dump and the nation awoke to the hazards of toxic chemicals in our environment. This grassroots effort demonstrated how ordinary citizens obtained power through community organizing and succeeded against great odds. The events at Love Canal sparked a new social justice movement. While traditional environmentalism has focused on protecting the natural environment using legislative and regulatory strategies, the grassroots leadership of this new movement focuses on protecting public health through building power at the local and state levels to influence federal policies. Many members of this movement believe their neighborhoods were deliberately targeted because of their economic and political weakness. As a result, this is a movement that is as much about justice and human rights as it is about public health and the environment.
Children's Environmental Health: New Gains in Science and Policy
Authors: Garg Anjali , Landrigan Philip J.
Published: July 2017

Recognition of the interconnectedness of the environment and human health stimulated the sanitary reform movement of the nineteenth century, a massive effort to bring clean water, decent housing, and effective waste removal to cities in Europe and the United States. The movement achieved great gains in public health and resulted in substantial enhancement of the quality and length of human life. Paradoxically, in much of the twentieth century, the relation between the environment and human health was forgotten. The result was that little concern was given in environmental law and regulation to protecting public health. In the 1990s, a new recognition of interconnections between environment and health was established, with children's health as the focal point. This article reviews the historical relation between environmental protection and public health. It traces the separation of these two fields and focuses on the role of children's environmental health in the current rejoining of the disciplines.
Caring Labor
Authors: Himmelweit Susan
Published: July 2017

Caring has two different aspects: the motivation of caring for other people and the activity of caring for them. Furthermore, good-quality care depends on the developing relationship between a carer and the person cared for. In paid employment, however, rela tionships are usually assumed to be reduced to an exchange transaction and motivation to be simply monetary, provoking concern about whether paying for care diminishes its quality and authenticity. Similar issues have arisen in the context of emotional labor more generally. Much emotional labor, however, is of a transitory nature in which no long-term relationship is set up between worker and customer. This article argues that because of the relationship that tends to develop, paid caring may not be so different from unpaid caring. Rather, caring occupations should be seen as part of a whole class of occupations that are not fully commodified, in which workers have motivations that are not purely monetary and also care about the results of their work.
Development and Civil Society in Latin America and Asia
Authors: Ratliff William
Published: July 2017

Market reforms began in parts of Asia after World War II and led to macroeconomic policies and governance that brought rapid and fairly evenly shared growth, with an emphasis on promoting capable civil services, community involvement, and good basic education and health. For historical and cultural reasons, reforms began decades later in most of Latin America. To bypass ossified bureaucracies, operating under largely democratic governments with elements of civil societies, Latin American reforms were under strongmen, or caudillos, who undertook macroeconomic reforms due to conviction or expediency or both. The leaders used teams of technocrats who operated alongside and above preexisting bureaucracies. Reforms began first and went furthest in Chile. After case studies of Chile, Argentina, Peru, Mexico, and Venezuela, the author concludes that Latin American reforms will not really serve their people or be secure until, like the Asian reforms, they stress competent and honest governance, shared growth, and basic education and health.
Diffusion and Syncretism: The Modern Jazz Tradition
Authors: Lopes Paul
Published: July 2017

This article presents an analysis of the musical syncretism involved in the development of a modern jazz tradition in the United States in the first half of the twentieth century. It shows how a professional ethos among popular musicians during this period guided their reinterpretation and reinvention of folk, popular, and classical music practices in the creation of this music tradition. It further argues that this ethos led them, in their low-status positions as popular musicians, to affirm their legitimacy through the creation of a high-art aesthetic. In general, this study shows how the social context in the diffusion of jazz practices affected the transformation of these practices in value and form in this century.
Theorizing Diffusion: Tarde and Sorokin Revisited
Authors: Katz Elihu
Published: July 2017

This article is a call for volunteers to stand on the shoulders of Gabriel Tarde and Pitirim Sorokin, who dared to theorize the process of diffusion over a wide variety of disciplines. While all of the social sciences and humanities regularly produce case studies of diffusion, theorizing seems paralyzed. This paralysis stems from the ostensible incommensurability of diffusing items; their refusal to hold still in transit; the complexity of their interactions with the cultures, social structures, and media systems in which potential adopters are embedded; the difficulty of reconciling voluntary action and external imposition; and the lack of a disciplinary home.
On Generalized Inverse Binomial Sampling Plan
Authors: Dutta K. , Sarangi J.
Published: July 2017

In this paper the authors have settled the problem of deter- mining the conditions on p and β under which [Formula: see text] ... (0.1) (0 or integer) is a probability distribution function and have derived a very simple recurrence relation between the moments of the distribution. Further, it turns out that the Generalized Inverse Binomial (GIB) sampling plan (an irregular plan), whose boundry points are ( X, C + BX, for X ⩾ 0) is only efficient sampling plan for estimating a linear function of (1 ⁄ ( p - βq)) where β is zero or a positive integer.
Renewal Theoretic Measurement of Occupational Mobility
Authors: Mukherjee S. P. , Chattopadhyay A. K.
Published: July 2017

Stochastic Models describing occupational mobility have been suggested, among others, by Bartholomew (1967) and Ginsberg (1971, 1972a). But none of the measures of mobility based on such models can be treated as a rate of occupational mobility. The present paper offers a crude rate of occupational mobility based on renewal theory and counting process. Expressions for the mean and variance of the suggested rate have been obtained.
A Test for Bivariate Exponentiality Against Bifra Alternativeo
Authors: Basu Asit P. , Habibullah Mohamed
Published: July 2017

We present a statistical procedure to test whether a life distribution belongs to a class of bivariate exponential distributions with exponential minimum against the alteroative that it is bivariate increasing failure rate average (BIFRA).
Another Proof of a Condition of Balancedness in a Connected Block Design
Authors: Sathe Y. S.
Published: July 2017

The proof that a necessary and sufficient condition for a connected block design to be balanced is all the non-zero characteristic roots of the C-matrix of the design are equal requires spectral decomposition of C-matrix. Rao (1958). In this note another proof of the same result is obtained without using spectral decomposition.
UMVUE of Reliability and its Variance in Two­Parameter Exponential LIEE Testing Model
Authors: Shah S.M. , Jani P. N.
Published: July 2017

Expressions for (I) the uniformly minimum variance unbiased estimator (UMVUE) of reliability and (ii) UMVUE of the variance of U MVUE of reliability in semples from two­parameter exponential life testing model are derived here.
A Note on Test for Coefficient of Variation
Authors: Rao K. Aruna , Bhatta A.R.S.
Published: July 2017

In this paper we deal with large sample test for coefficient of variation when the observations come from a normal population. Such large sample tests are based on normal approximation for sample coefficient of variation. When the sa mple size is small or moderate, the normal approximation may not be accurate in the sense that the attained level of the test Is not close to the nominal level. Following Bhattacharya and Ghosh (1978), we obtain valid Edgeworth expansion for sample coefficient of variation to O(n-1) under simple null hypo thesis and contiguous alternative hypothesis. This helps one to determine the critical region such that attained level of significance is closer to the normal level and the power function is more accurate.
Higher Associate Cyclical Association Scheme and Orthogonal Factorial Structure
Authors: Adhikary Basudeb , Saha Tapas K.
Published: July 2017

Cotter, John and Smith (1973) proposed a class of inter-effect orthogonal designs which we shall refer to as Ω-structure. We have established that a necessary and sufficient condition for a block design to have Ω-structure is that the levels of first ( n-1) factors give a block design having higher associate cyclic association scheme. while the block design given by the levels of the n-th factor satisfy K-structure [ Mukherjee (1979)] for single-factor experiment. Structure of the design when all the n factors give a block design having higher associate cyclical association scheme has also been discussed. We have further identified higher associate cyclic partially balanced incomplete block designs as a class of block designs having orthogonal factorial strueture.
Some Second Order Response Surface Designs in Equal Sized Blocks
Authors: Das A. D.
Published: July 2017

Application of response surface designs in field plot experiments is limited for want of suitable layout in manageable design points split into blocks of equal and practicable size. Keeping this end in view, some second order response surface (SORS) designs in suitable blocks have been suggested in this article. In the end, a list of SORS block designs for v factors (5⩽ v⩽10) having k⩽16 is appended.
An Alternative Approach to the Anova Problem
Authors: Chatterjee Shoutir Kishore , Samanta Sisir Kumar
Published: July 2017

When the hypothesis of equality of means of several univariate homoscedastic normal populations from which independent samples are available, is rejected on the basis of the ANOV A F-test, the populations have to be divided into disjoint groups such that within each group the populations are all same. For any such division a natural index of correctness of the grouping is defined and a procedure is proposed such that it leads to the choice of a division for which the true index does not fall below a stipulated threshold at a given level of confidence. The procedure is illustrated through some numerical examples.
Change Points with Linear Trend in Exponential Family Distribution
Authors: Habibi Reza
Published: July 2017

This paper considers the change point problem with linear trend in independent exponential family distributed random variables. It is interested to test if all random variables are identically distributed against there is a linear trend change at an unknown period of time among parameters of distribution of random variables. Testing procedures, which are considered, are two likelihood ratio-type approaches and the usual likelihood ratio approach. The test statistics are derived and their asymptotic behaviors are studied. Next, the power of three tests are compared and the conclusions are given . Testing procedures are studied in well-known distributions of exponential family. A real data example is also considered. This paper extends the Gupta and Ramanayake (2001) work in exponential distribution to the exponential family distribution.
Torque Relaxation and Torsional Energy in Crêpe Yarn
Authors: Steinberger R. L.
Published: July 2017

Earlier work has shown that there is a relation between the character of the pebble in rayon crêpe and the untwisting torque exerted by the yarn when wetted. In the present paper the torsional internal energy in twisted viscose yarn is investigated in detail. The torque released when thrown and set yarn is wetted is found to be independent of the commercial variation in filament number and twist. In twisting a parallel filament yam the resisting torque due solely to internal stresses is directly proportional to the turns twist, and the corresponding torsional internal energy increases as the square of the twist. The relaxation of torque follows a simple law, the same for both the dry and wet conditions except for the conslants of the equations. The torque falls Off directly as the logarithm of the time. An explanation for the formation of kinks is given.
Alcohol Policy Issues for Indigenous People in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand
Authors: Brady Maggie
Published: July 2017

This paper reviews the literature on alcohol consumption, alcohol-related problems, and national and local policy issues for indigenous people in four developed countries (United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand). The growth of domestic self-determination and self-management policies within these countries has had an impact on the relationships between these groups and their national governments, which raises a number of questions regarding the influence of national alcohol policies on indigenous citizens. National “native” policies as well as discriminatory alcohol prohibitions have had long-standing effects, influencing indigenous responses to contemporary interventions in alcohol misuse. While national alcohol policies have had mixed impact, indigenous groups have focused on their own attempts at control, which emphasize local controls over supply; these are particularly prevalent in the far north of Canada and in Australia. Local control policies have been well evaluated in Australia, providing an evidence-based grounding for further interventions.
What Kind of Science for What Kind of Decision? The Discourse on a Danish Heroin Maintenance Experiment
Authors: Jepsen Jørgen
Published: July 2017

Following the reports on the Swiss heroin trials, Denmark has experienced a lengthy discourse on a possible Danish heroin experiment. Opponents have criticized the Swiss experiments on methodological grounds: they do not live up to rigid standards of scientific stringency, primarily the demands for a randomized clinical experiment (RCE). The article analyzes the basis for the Danish discourse, maintaining that the RCE design is not adequate for the relevant research questions. Instead, other types of scientific analyses might be applied, e.g., based upon self-selection. It is maintained that the scientific appearance of the discourse is in reality a disguise for moralistic political viewpoints, influenced by the war-on-drugs thinking, which is opposed to any harm-reduction measures that might raise fundamental questions about repressive drug policy. The background for the outcome of the Danish heroin discourse—as opposed to the Swiss and the Dutch—is analyzed in terms of differences in influences and ideology of the national medical “establishments.”
The Use of Alcohol and Cannabis in Non-Professional Rock Bands in Finland
Authors: Grønnerød Jarna Soilevuo
Published: July 2017

Using interviews and observations, this article analyzes the practices and meanings of drinking and cannabis use among 32 Finnish non-professional young adult rock musicians, mostly male, in the late J 990s. The practices of drinking and marijuana use are described in certain social contexts, thus showing how substance use and music-making coexist and intertwine. The results illustrate a tight and complex, yet contradictory, connection between music-making and substances. Drinking is experienced as an unavoidable part of amateur band life. The article also presents a brief review of studies of substance use among popular musicians and of research on non-professional rock musicians. Although these two fields have remained relatively separate, it is argued that a closer connection between them would provide new, more complex insights into the everday life of musicians and into gendered processes in rock music.
Can Alcohol Expectancies and Attributions Explain Western Europe's North–South Gradient in Alcohol's Role in Violence?
Authors: Room Robin , Bullock Sandra
Published: July 2017

Recent time-series analyses provide further support to the idea of a north–south gradient in Western Europe in alcohol's role in homicide. Differences in drunken comportment have long been hypothesized as part of the explanation. Five items about expectations about alcohol's role in violence, and the potential excuse-value of intoxication, were asked of 1,000 adults in an RDD survey in each of six countries: Finland, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Italy. The results were not in the expected direction. Finnish respondents were more likely than others to value not showing any effects after drinking. Italian, French and British respondents were the most likely to believe that getting drunk leads to violence. Italian, German and British respondents were most likely to believe that friends should forgive and forget after drunken anger, and Italians and British were the most likely to excuse behavior because of drunkenness. The results are discussed, and the interplay of the items, and within-population variations in responses to them, are explored comparatively in the six national samples.
Beyond “Subculture” in the Ethnography of Illicit Drug Use
Authors: Moore David
Published: July 2017

“Subculture” has been an important conceptual and methodological tool in the ethnographic study of drug use and drug-related harm, particularly heavy drug use among marginalized populations. When researching those whose drug use is less all-consuming, however, this concept does not serve us so well. What term or terms might provide a better framework for the investigation of more intermittent drug use? I explore this question through attention to material gathered during three years of ethnographic research with drug users in Perth, Western Australia. I characterize my units of analysis as social “scenes” oriented around sets of practices. These scenes are located on urban “pathways.” Drug ethnographers need to reorient themselves, no longer seeking to describe and analyze normative subcultural values, beliefs and behaviors but rather focusing on the diverse nature of some drug scenes and their constitutive practices. It may be time to retire “subculture” in the study of certain contexts of drug use.
The Ambiguous Excuse: Attributing Violence to Intoxication—Young Swedes about the Excuse Value of Alcohol
Authors: Tryggvesson Kalle
Published: July 2017

As part of a project about Swedish youths' expectations and experiences concerning behavior while intoxicated, eight focus-group interviews were conducted (mean age: 19 years; total number of participants: 47). The article focuses on young people's attitudes and beliefs about alcohol and violence, with a special focus on their experiences and beliefs regarding alcohol as an explanation and an excuse for violent behavior. The respondents said they believed that alcohol has a crucial role in the origin of violence. On the one hand, there was strong agreement that alcohol was not a good excuse for participating in violence, but, on the other hand, they said alcohol often was used as an excuse for acts of violence, and that it worked. The excuse value of alcohol was also indicated in several ways: Alcohol involvement sometimes reduced the severity of an act, and alcohol sometimes also helped to normalize a person engaged in violence.
Alcohol Prevention in the Swedish Workplace—Who Cares?
Authors: Eriksson Mimmi , Olsson Börje , Osberg Johanna
Published: July 2017

In this article we discuss what interest, and whose interest, there is in working with alcohol and drug prevention in workplaces. As the Swedish alcohol policy has weakened, alternative ways for primary prevention are sought. Public reports have pointed out the workplace as one arena for prevention that could compensate for the government's diminishing alcohol control. Will this work? What conditions are necessary in order to work successfully with these issues in a corporate environment? Several studies have suggested that there is little interest in working with prevention in workplaces, and this study supports this finding. This study involved interviews at 16 companies in Sweden with personnel managers, employees (in focus groups), union representatives, and in some cases the company's health care department. In a preliminary stage the findings verified our hypothesis that the overall interest in primary prevention in reality is not that strong. The participants in the study believed that the responsibility lies in intervention when the alcohol or drug problem has arisen, and there is really not much the company can do to prevent people from using alcohol or drugs.
The Role of Research in the Development of U.S. Federal Alcohol Control Policy
Authors: Johnson Suzanne P. , Greenfield Thomas K. , Giesbrecht Norman , Kaskutas Lee A. , Anglin Lise
Published: July 2017

In the development of federal alcohol control policy, is research used merely to inform policymakers and the public, or to persuade them? Is it critical to the enactment of public policy, or is it an afterthought? To answer these questions, we analyzed in-depth interviews with federal alcohol policy community members, including those of the executive and legislative branches, interest group representatives, advocates, and media professionals. A snowball sampling strategy was used to collect 64 interviews. Informants were asked to respond in free narrative to questions about the role of research in policymaking generally and in instances known to the informant personally. Interview data were coded for demographics and content was analyzed. We also examined governmental documents pertaining to policies mentioned by subjects. Respondents perceived scientific information as only one of many levers relevant to the policymaking process, its role significantly constrained by rules governing policymaking strategy.
Public Opinion on Alcohol Policy: A Review of U.S. Research
Authors: Greenfield Thomas K. , Johnson Suzanne P. , Giesbrecht Norman
Published: July 2017

Public opinion on alcohol policy has received little research attention until recently, although a coherent research agenda in this area holds promise of a better understanding of the public health policymaking process. This paper reviews and critiques the major analyses of policy opinion in the United States, discusses national support for specific policy options, and addresses trends in policy opinion. The dynamics of policy opinion are complex, allowing for few generalizations. Environmentally based alcohol policies receive mixed levels of public support, and, overall, support decreased somewhat throughout the early 1990s. Recommendations for continued monitoring and improved assessment of policy opinions are made.
Teen Drug Sellers—An International Study of Segregated Drug Markets and Related Violence
Authors: Korf Dirk J. , Brochu Serge , Benschop Annemieke , Harrison Lana D. , Erickson Patricia G.
Published: July 2017

This study explores patterns of drug dealing in a multi-site sample of detained youth. Data are derived from the Drugs, Alcohol, Violence International (DAVI) study of male and female adolescents between the ages of 14–17 in four metropolitan areas: Amsterdam (The Netherlands), Montreal (Canada), Philadelphia (US), and Toronto (Canada). In a sample of 764 juvenile detainees, 60% overall reported predetention involvement in selling drugs, but this varied by site: 35% in Amsterdam, 61% in Philadelphia, 68% in Montreal, and 77% in Toronto. Typically, respondents were mostly selling drugs to friends and acquaintances. Cluster analysis revealed that teen drug sellers in our sample, despite the fact that many of them are involved in the sale of a variety of drugs, tend to specialize into three types of segregated markets: cannabis sellers, party drug sellers, and street drug sellers. Cannabis sellers are predominantly involved in selling marihuana and/or hashish, have relatively low transactions and sales, and violence is less common. Party drug sellers are distinguished by selling substances like ecstasy, powder cocaine, and amphetamines, and have high rates of violence. Street drug sellers' specialties are crack and heroin, and violence though common, is less prevalent than among the party drug sellers. These three types were found in all sites in our study, but were not equally prevalent across sites.
Measurement of lifetime exposure to alcohol: data quality of a self-administered questionnaire and impact on risk assessment
Authors: Lemmens Paul H. , Volovics Lex , Haan Ypie De
Published: July 2017

Measurement of alcohol consumption in epidemiologic research is usually limited to “current” drinking status, pertaining to consumption during a short reference period prior to baseline measurement. Use of such an indicator in the assessment of health risks can lead to biased results. It is therefore important (a) to measure exposure to alcohol over a longer period of time and (b) to evaluate possible effects different measures have on risk assessment. In the paper results are presented of a comparison of a standard lifetime drinking history interview and a self-administered mailed questionnaire, which can be used in large-scale prospective studies. In the second part, the data on lifetime consumption were used to simulate the effect that use of a lifetime consumption indicator instead of a current consumption indicator would have on an assumed J-shape risk curve. Our results show that dose-response relationships will be affected when the correlation between current and lifetime consumption drops below .50.
Positional Role Changes and Drinking Patterns: Results of a Longitudinal Study
Authors: Paradis Catherine , Demers Andrée , Nadeau Louise
Published: July 2017

This study of heavily drinking males in the general population assesses the effect of positional role changes on drinking behaviors. The data are derived from a longitudinal study over a three-year period (1992–1995) of a representative sample of 617 male heavy drinkers from the Quebec (Canada) adult population. Three types of positional roles have been examined: employment, marital, and parental status. This study examined two dimensions of the drinking pattern: the annual frequency of drinking and the annual frequency of five drinks or more on a single occasion. Standard multiple regression analyses were conducted independently for each dimension of the drinking patterns. Results indicated that baseline annual frequency and baseline annual frequency of five drinks or more per occasion were the main predictors of both drinking patterns under study. Furthermore, positional role changes contributed to explain the Δ1992–1995 annual frequency of drinking, but marginally. Men who reported a child's birth between 1992 and 1995 reduced their annual frequency of drinking, while men who reported being unemployed in 1992 and in 1995 increased their annual frequency of drinking. Further research should take into account the qualitative aspects of positional roles.
Long‐Term Follow‐Up of Cartilaginous Tumors of the Larynx
Authors: Thomé Robert , Thomé Daniela Curti , De La Cortina Rodrigo A. C.
Published: July 2017

BACKGROUND:

Cartilaginous tumors of the larynx are uncommon. A literature review disclosed approximately 250 cases since 1816; the cricoid cartilage is the most common site. The rarity of these tumors has made for limited experience and, as a consequence, our knowledge is incomplete.

OBJECTIVE:

To report surgical results as well as long‐term follow‐up on 6 patients with cartilaginous tumors of the larynx.

DESIGN:

A 28‐year retrospective study with the patients followed‐up from 6 to 28 years (average, 17.8 years).

METHODS:

Six adult white male patients with cartilaginous tumors of the larynx: 4 low‐grade chondrosarcoma (1 of the thyroid and 3 of the cricoid) and 2 chondroma of the cricoid. Surgical treatment included total laryngectomy of the thyroid and 1 of the cricoid chondrosarcoma, and conservation surgery of the other 4 cricoid tumors: the 2 patients with chondrosarcoma had total resection of the cricoid cartilage with thyrotracheal anastomosis, and the 2 patients with chondroma had local tumor resection using a laryngofissure approach.

RESULTS:

The margins of the specimen were negative for tumor in the 6 patients. On follow‐up, none of the patients had regional or distant metastasis or tumor‐related death. One of the patients with cricoid chondrosarcoma developed recurrence 8 years after conservation surgery, and required a total laryngectomy for salvage. Survival rate rumor‐free at S years was 100% and at 10 years 67%, co‐morbidity being responsible for the decrease in survival rate.

CONCLUSIONS:

Based on this small series of patients, the long‐term follow‐up of benign and low‐grade malignant tumors suggests that the surgical approach and prognosis does not depend on histologic distinction and, importantly, underdiagnosed malignancy on tumor sampling and recurrent chondrosarcoma, managed with salvage surgery, have no adverse impact on patient survival. Total resection of the cricoid cartilage with thyrotracheal anastomosis over a stent proved an alternative surgical technique in chondrosarcoma who otherwise would have been treated by total laryngectomy.
Pentoxifylline Effects on Acute and Late Complications after Radiotherapy in Rabbit
Authors: Aygenc Erdinc , Celikkanat Serdar , Bilgili Hasan , Aksaray Ferdi , Orhun Sibel , Kaymakci Mustafa , Ozdem Cafer
Published: July 2017

Soft tissue damages after radiotherapy are an uncommon but serious complication. Late damage after radiation is the principal dose‐limiting factor in radiation therapy today and is dependent on vascular pathology as a result of radiation. Pentoxifylline is a methylxanthine derivative that produces dose‐related improvement in blood flow, lower blood viscosity, improved erythrocyte flexibility, and increased tissue oxygen levels. An agent that increases blood flow and tissue oxygen content may contribute to enhanced healing of soft tissue pathology. Sixteen adult New Zealand rabbits were separated into 2 groups and inspected for 30 weeks after radiation. We noted acute and chronic reactions and pathologic changes in different regions of the head and neck of rabbits. The prophylactic administration of pentoxifylline in the postirradiation period can reduce late soft tissue pathology, but it does not affect acute radiation reactions.
High‐Resolution CT Scanning and Auditory Brain Stem Response in Congenital Aural Atresia: Patient Selection and Surgical Correlation
Authors: Jahrsdoerfer Robert A. , Yeakley Joel W. , Hall James W. , Robbins K. Thomas , Gray Lincoln C.
Published: July 2017

Thirty patients with congenital aural atresia underwent CT scanning and/or auditory brain stem response (ABR) testing in a 20‐month period. Eighteen patients had unilateral atresia and 12 had bilateral atresia. Twelve patients subsequently had surgery for repair of their atresia. CT scanning was not electively done until the patient was at least 2 years of age, while ABR testing was often performed in the first few months of life. Nineteen patients had CT scanning and 27 had ABR testing. The CT technique was found to offer specific advantages not previously observed in other methods of radiographic evaluation: (1) the course of the facial nerve was more easily traced and (2) the presence (or absence) of a stapes was more easily noted. The ABR was measured for monaural air‐conduction as well as mastoid‐placement bone conduction click stimuli; simultaneous multielectrode two‐ or four‐channel recordings were employed. With this measuring technique it was not only possible to enhance wave I detection but, more important, the laterality of ABR wave I could be noted.
Lymphoscintigraphy of the Neck
Authors: Blakeslee Don B. , Becker Gary D. , Simpson George T. , Patten David H. , Sprengelmeyer James
Published: July 2017

Lymph node Imaging has been helpful In managing patients with lymphoma, melanoma, and breast cancer. To evaluate 38 patients with head and neck cancers, 99mTC minicolloid was injected adjacent to the tumor and into a similar area on the uninvolved side. Lymphoscintigraphy of the neck was performed at 3‐ and 5‐hour intervals after injection and bilateral cervical lymphatic drainage was observed. Each patient then underwent a neck dissection. The pathologic node findings were then correlated with the neck scans. Results confirmed that cervical lymphatic drainage is unpredictable in 50% of the patients once the channels are involved with metastatic disease. Lymphoscintigraphy is not a reliable method of detecting early metastatic cervical carcinoma.
Attempts to Suppress Tinnitus with Transcutaneous Electrical Stimulation
Authors: Vernon Jack A. , Fenwick James A.
Published: July 2017

Various electrical stimuli were tested for their ability to suppress or relieve severe tinnitus. Stimulation was applied transdermally by electrodes placed on the preauricular and postauricular regions and on the two mastoids. Of the 50 patients tested, only 14 (28%) obtained relief that met the criterion of a reduction in the tinnitus by 40% or more. When relief was obtained, it usually extended for several hours into the poststimulation period. There was only one positive response (2%) In the placebo trial, which was administered to all patients. It was concluded that transdermal electrical stimulation such as that used in this research Is not a practical therapeutic procedure for the relief of tinnitus.
Retrolabyrinthine Vestibular Neurectomy with Simultaneous Monitoring of Eighth Nerve and Brain Stem Auditory Evoked Potentials
Authors: Silverstein Herbert , McDaniel Alan , Wazen Jack , Norrell Horace
Published: July 2017

We have used retrolabyrinthine vestibular neurectomy In 36 of 49 cases as the primary surgical procedure to relieve vertigo. Most of the patients (46 of 49) had Meniere's disease. Results indicate that 71% (35 of 49) of the patients had no vertigo after the operation, while 22% (11 of 49) had much Improvement. Hearing was maintained within 20 dB of the preoperative level in 78% (38 of 49) of the patients. During surgery in the last 23 patients, direct nerve potentials were recorded from the middle ear promontory and the intracranial cochlear nerve. Brain stem auditory evoked responses were simultaneously recorded in the last 10 patients. It appears that the intraoperative direct cochlear nerve potentials can be used as a sensitive monitor of trauma to the cochlear nerve during and after vestibular neurectomy. If the latency of the eighth nerve action potential changes less than 0.3 msec and the waveform does not change after vestibular neurectomy, there is an excellent chance that hearing at 1 month after surgery will be within 15 dB of the level before surgery. The retrolabyrinthine vestibular neurectomy has replaced the middle fossa vestibular neurectomy and the endolymphatic subarachnoid shunt procedure in our clinic.