bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Coexistence of primary squamous cell carcinoma of thyroid with classic papillary thyroid carcinoma
Authors: Eom Tae Ik , Koo Bon Yong , Kim Byung Seup , Kang Kyung Ho , Jung Seung Ku , Jun Sun‐Young , Bae Hoon Sik , Kim Lee Su
Published: November 2008

Primary squamous cell carcinoma of the thyroid gland is very rare and its histogenesis is poorly defined so far. Although there have been some cases of squamous cell carcinoma with variant types of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), the present case is the first primary squamous cell carcinoma with classic PTC to be reported. A 43‐year‐old woman presented with a 20 year history of neck mass. Neck ultrasound indicated a 6 × 4 × 3 cm large mass. The patient underwent total thyroidectomy. Histopathology indicated a well‐differentiated squamous cell carcinoma and squamous metaplasia in conjunction with classic PTC. On immunohistochemistry cytokeratin 7 was positive in papillary carcinoma and squamous metaplasia, thyroglobulin was positive only in papillary carcinoma, and p63 was positive in squamous metaplasia and squamous cell carcinoma. Postoperatively, the patient received 59.4 Gy adjuvant radiotherapy, hormonal therapy and radioactive iodine therapy. At 8 months after surgery the patient remained disease free.
Coccidioidomycosis as a rare cause of pneumonia in non‐endemic areas: A short exposure history should not be ignored
Authors: KWOK Henry K.H. , CHAN Johnny W.M. , LI Iris W.S. , CHU Stephanie Y.Y. , LAM Chak Wah
Published: November 2008

Coccidioidomycosis is endemic in the south‐western USA. Two cases of infection in travellers returning to Hong Kong are described. A previously healthy patient who had travelled to an endemic area for a short time was successfully treated with fluconazole. A second patient with comorbidities and more prolonged exposure had disseminated and eventually fatal disease, despite prolonged administration of anti‐fungal agents. Although coccidioidomycosis is a rare disease in Hong Kong, it should always be considered when there is a relevant travel history. Even a short period of travel to an endemic area should alert clinicians to this possibility when managing patients with severe pneumonia, especially those with multi‐organ involvement. On the other hand, in patients with comorbidities, even aggressive and prolonged anti‐fungal therapy may not guarantee a successful outcome.
Changes in the proteome of human bronchial epithelial cells following stimulation with leucotriene E4 and transforming growth factor‐β1
Authors: ALTRAJA Siiri , JAAMA Juta , VALK Ervin , ALTRAJA Alan
Published: November 2008

Background and objective:  Activated bronchial epithelial cells exert considerable potential to maintain a microenvironment in the airway wall that promotes airway inflammation and remodelling. Cysteinyl leucotrienes (CysLT) and transforming growth factor‐β1 (TGF‐β1) are both increased in asthmatic airways and may influence the pathophysiology of disease. However, the consequences of activation of bronchial epithelial cells by these mediators are not fully understood. A proteomic‐based approach was used to characterize the inflammatory pathways in bronchial epithelial cells after stimulation with CysLT and TGF‐β1.

Methods:  Human bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS‐2B) were stimulated with 1 ng/mL TGF‐β1 and 50 nmol/L leucotriene E4 (LTE4) for 48 h and whole‐cell lysates were subjected to two‐dimensional gel electrophoresis. Proteins showing statistically significant differential expression were identified by matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry and database searching.

Results:  Stimulation with LTE4 increased the expression of three proteins and five proteins showed decreased expression. Of the latter group, two were definitively identified as heat shock protein (Hsp90α) and stress‐70 protein. Hsp90α forms a heterocomplex with the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and a significant decrease in GR following LTE4 stimulation was confirmed. TGF‐β1 downregulated 18 intracellular proteins, including lamin A/C, glyceraldehyde‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase, protein DJ‐1, voltage‐dependent calcium channel gamma‐7 subunit, heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A2/B1 and stress‐70 protein.

Conclusions:  The current findings suggest that by downregulating GR and Hsp90α, CysLT may interfere with the action of glucocorticoids. Overall, the results confirm the complex role of bronchial epithelium in aspects of airway inflammation and remodelling.
Trends in COPD mortality and hospitalizations in countries and regions of Asia‐Pacific
Authors: TAN Wan C. , SEALE Paul , IP Mary , SHIM Young‐Soo , CHIANG Chi‐Huei , NG Tze‐Pin , ABISHEGANADAN John , CHAROENRATANAKUL Suchai , DeGUIA Teresita , MAHAYIDDIN Aziah , MANGUNNEGORO Hardiato , XU Yong‐Jian , ZHONG Nan‐Shan
Published: November 2008

Background and objective:  The growing burden of COPD in the Asia‐Pacific region supports the need for more intensive research and analysis of the epidemiology of COPD to raise awareness of the disease and its causes, to ensure the development of effective national health policies and to facilitate equitable deployment of finite health‐care resources in the prevention and management of COPD. This study estimated and compared COPD mortality and hospital morbidity rates and trends in these rates over time across countries and regions of Asia‐Pacific.

Methods:  Data consistent with standard definitions of COPD (ICD‐9/ICD‐10) for the period 1991–2004 were obtained from national health statistics agencies. For countries/regions with complete national mortality and hospitalization data (Australia, Pacific Canada (British Columbia, Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan), annual age‐standardized mortality and hospitalization rates were calculated for men and women aged ≥ 40 years. Negative binomial regression modelling was used to estimate rate ratios for country/region, gender and age differences and general trends over time.

Results:  Mortality rates per 10 000 population ranged 6.4–9.2 in men, 2.1–3.5 in women and 3.7–5.3 overall in 2003. Corresponding ranges for morbidity were 32.6–334.7, 21.2–129 and 28.1–207.3 per 10 000. Trend analysis of data since 1997 produced annual percentage changes in mortality versus hospitalization of −4.4% versus −0.7% in Australia, −3.6% versus 7.5% in Pacific Canada (British Columbia), −7.15% versus −5.6% in Hong Kong and −2.9% versus −4.2% in Taiwan.

Conclusions:  In Asia‐Pacific, overall mortality and morbidity rates are high and trends in mortality and morbidity vary between countries/regions. Differences in rates and trends for men and women most likely reflect the different trends in historical and prevalent smoking profiles for COPD in the different countries and regions.
Does early pulmonary rehabilitation reduce acute health‐care utilization in COPD patients admitted with an exacerbation? A randomized controlled study
Authors: EATON Tam , YOUNG Pam , FERGUSSON Wendy , MOODIE Lisa , ZENG Irene , O'KANE Fiona , GOOD Nichola , RHODES Leanne , POOLE Phillippa , KOLBE John
Published: November 2008

Background and objective:  In COPD, hospital admissions and readmissions account for the majority of health‐care costs. The aim of this prospective randomized controlled study was to determine if early pulmonary rehabilitation, commenced as an inpatient and continued after discharge, reduced acute health‐care utilization.

Methods:  Consecutive COPD patients (n = 397), admitted with an exacerbation, were screened: 228 satisfied the eligibility criteria, of whom 97 consented to randomization to rehabilitation or usual care. Both intention‐to‐treat and per‐protocol analyses are reported with adherence being defined a priori as participation in at least 75% of rehabilitation sessions.

Results:  The participants were elderly with severe impairment of pulmonary function, poor health‐related quality of life and high COPD‐related morbidity. The rehabilitation group demonstrated a 23% (95% CI: 11–36%) risk of readmission at 3 months, with attendees having a 16% (95% CI: 0–32%) risk compared with 32% (95% CI: 19–45%) for usual care. These differences were not significant. There were a total of 79 COPD‐related readmission days (1.7 per patient, 95% CI: 0.6–2.7, P = 0.19) in the rehabilitation group, compared with 25 (1.3 per patient, 95% CI: 0–3.1, P = 0.17) for the attendees and 209 (4.2 per patient, 95% CI: 1.7–6.7) for usual care. The BMI, airflow obstruction, dyspnoea and exercise capacity index showed a non‐significant trend to greater improvement among attendees compared with those receiving usual care (5.5 (2.3) and 5.6 (2.7) at baseline, improving to 3.7 (1.9) and 4.5 (2.5), respectively, at 3 months). No adverse effects were identified.

Conclusions:  Early inpatient–outpatient rehabilitation for COPD patients admitted with an exacerbation was feasible and safe, and was associated with a non‐significant trend towards reduced acute health‐care utilization.
New insights into pneumococcal disease
Authors: FELDMAN Charles , ANDERSON Ronald
Published: November 2008

Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) remains a common cause of disease and death throughout the world. Despite considerable research into various aspects of this infection, there still remain a number of unresolved issues, as well as considerable ongoing controversies, particularly with regard to its optimal management. Among the risk factors for pneumococcal pneumonia, cigarette smoking has been shown to play a major role, more recently among HIV‐infected individuals. Considerable recent research has focused on determining the role of the various protein virulence factors in disease pathogenesis. Among the ongoing controversies has been an appreciation of the true impact of antimicrobial resistance on the outcome of pneumococcal infections, as well an understanding of the role of combination antibiotic therapy in the more severely ill hospitalized cases. An important advance in the prevention of pneumococcal infections has been the introduction of the pneumococcal protein conjugate vaccine.
Quality, clinical influence and tolerance of computed tomography enteroclysis in patients with suspected small bowel disease
Authors: Moss A. , Parrish F. J. , Irving P. M. , Haines M. L. , Gibson P. R.
Published: November 2008

Background:  Computed tomography enteroclysis (CTE) may be superior to other small bowel imaging techniques, detecting subtle mucosal lesions and extraluminal pathology. This study aimed to define the technical success, clinical influence and tolerance of CTE in patients with suspected small bowel disease.

Methods:  CTE scans of 42 consecutive patients (aged 21–78 years, 12 men) were reviewed by a single radiologist for technical adequacy and diagnosis. A panel of gastroenterologists reviewed clinical information. At a telephone interview, tolerance of CTE was graded numerically from 1 (unbearable) to 10 (excellent) and descriptively as unbearable, fair, good or excellent.

Results:  Good or optimal distension of small bowel was achieved in 98%. The entire small bowel was imaged in 88%. Eighteen patients had a normal small bowel, whereas 12 (29%) had active small bowel Crohn disease, 4 intussusception, 3 small bowel diverticula and 7 having other diagnoses. Mesenteric lymphadenopathy was evident in 11 and fat stranding in 5. CTE resulted in a new or altered diagnosis in 13 (31%) patients and identified more extensive Crohn disease in a further 8 (19%). A change in management plan was instituted in 18 (43%) patients, with subsequent clinically significant improvement in 12. 33 (85%) described the procedure as ‘fair’ or ‘unbearable’ rather than ‘good’ or ‘excellent’. The median tolerance score was 3 out of 10.

Conclusion:  CTE provided high‐quality images in nearly all patients and had an effect on diagnosis, management or outcome in most, but was not well tolerated.
Frequently discordant results from therapeutic drug monitoring for digoxin: clinical confusion for the prescriber
Authors: Rogers N. M. , Jones T. E. , Morris R. G.
Published: November 2008

Background: Digoxin remains a commonly prescribed medication for the treatment of congestive cardiac failure or atrial tachyarrhythmias. Its utility is offset by its narrow therapeutic index requiring regular blood concentration monitoring. Recent evidence suggests that a lower therapeutic range (0.5–0.8 µg/L, or 0.6–1.0 nmol/L) is associated with reduced mortality in patients with congestive cardiac failure. Therapeutic drug monitoring for digoxin is carried out by immunoassays that are well established in routine clinical practice. Laboratories using different immunoassays may be involved in monitoring individual patients throughout the protracted course of therapy. These results should be concordant to ensure consistent dose individualization and optimum clinical management. We have investigated the discordance in digoxin measurements involving five different laboratories across the Adelaide metropolitan area.

Methods: Aliquots from routine digoxin samples (n= 261) were analysed by accredited laboratories using commercially available immunoassays.

Results: The results showed that 119 (46%) of 261 samples were so varied that a different clinical outcome was indicated when reviewed by the treating physician. The differences between the highest and lowest readings from any one sample were also substantial, with 45% of the measurements exceeding 0.3 µg/L.

Conclusions: Our study shows the considerable variation in the routine monitoring of digoxin. This makes therapeutic drug monitoring difficult to interpret and complicates clinical management when treating physicians are endeavouring to avoid toxicity and optimize dosing. These results raise a significant concern for the quality of therapeutic drug monitoring of digoxin and have direct repercussions on patient care.
Relationship between intensity of physical activity and health‐related quality of life in Portuguese institutionalized elderly
Authors: Lobo Alexandrina , Santos Paula , Carvalho Joana , Mota Jorge
Published: November 2008

Aims:  Health‐related quality of life (HRQOL) is considered to be the key goal for health promotion in older people. This study explores the relationship between HRQOL and objectively measured intensity of physical activity (PA) in institutionalized older adults. The analysis of the PA patterns of the subjects in relation to recommended levels of PA was also performed.

Methods:  One hundred and eighty‐five residents of long‐term care homes aged 65 years or more, volunteered for this study. The Medical Outcome Study Short Form 36‐Item health survey (MOS SF‐36) questionnaires and the uni‐axial MTI Actigraph were used to assess HRQOL and PA, respectively. Participants were classified as less active, reasonably active and more active by tertile of moderated physical activity (MPA).

Results:  (i) The men represented a greater number of counts/h and min of MPA in all the tertile groups; (ii) men from the less active group had a significantly higher body mass index; (iii) women came third and exhibited less total activity even though they used this time in more intense activities; (iv) there was a higher significant correlation between MPA, physical function and negative association with body pain in relation to the time of institutionalization in both sexes but was more strongly visible in men; and (v) only men presented a significant positive association with physical health, mental health and vitality.

Conclusion:  Any intensity of PA seems to be better than no activity for HRQOL, but MPA confers greater benefits for the perception of physical function and body pain in the case of institutionalized elderly persons.
Proposing indicators for the development of nursing care quality in Iran
Authors: Pazargadi M. , Tafreshi M.Z. , Abedsaeedi Z. , Majd H.A. , Lankshear A.J.
Published: November 2008

Background:  Nursing has come a long way in developing frameworks for the delivery of high‐quality care; however, it is still grappling with identifying key performance indicators and defining the patient outcomes that are directly or indirectly affected by nurses.

Objective:  The study aimed to determine performance quality indicators in nursing care based on the healthcare system in Iran.

Methods:  A descriptive exploratory study was conducted and 220 nurses from seven provinces in Iran were selected by quota sampling. A questionnaire including 97 indicators in seven categories was developed to collect data and respondents were asked to rate each indicator for importance, scientific acceptability and feasibility of implementation.

Results:  Of the initial 220 distributed questionnaires, 74% (n = 119) nurse managers and 26% (n = 42) expert nurses (total: n = 161) returned questionnaires (73% response rate). The mean scores for all categories showed that the most of the indicators were important and scientifically acceptable (mean > 2.40), but difficult to implement in hospitals (mean < 2.15). An analysis using ANOVA showed that there were no significant differences between seven categories for the ‘importance’ aspect, but there were significant differences between ‘time and quality of care’ and ‘job satisfaction’, for ‘scientific acceptability’ (P = 0.004) and significant differences between most of categories for ‘feasibility of implication’(P = 0.000).

Conclusion:  The researchers have proposed the most significant nursing quality indicators for the clinical setting in Iran. These indicators would be useful for nurse managers as a first step to assess the quality of nursing care in hospitals.
An unending challenge: How official decisions have influenced the teaching of nursing in Norway
Authors: Mathisen J. , Bastoe L‐K. H.
Published: November 2008

Background:  Over a period of more than 50 years, there have been huge changes in nursing education in Norway owing to large numbers of political and other official resolutions.

Aim:  To evaluate how these decisions have had influence upon the role of the nurse teacher.

Methods:  The contents of political documents, government‐sponsored curricula and articles in The Norwegian Nurse Organization's journal Sykepleien were analysed.

Findings:  The main findings are structured into two periods. During the period from 1950 to 1979, nurse education was strongly bound by official detailed terms for the curriculum, and the role of the teacher was ruled by these regulations. In the next period, from 1980 to the present, the situation in nursing education changed. From now on, the teachers had to develop the curricula based on more general plans and regulations. During these years, the numbers of students increased dramatically, and there also was tremendous pressure on nurse teachers to undertake further qualifications and to do scientific work. At the same time, the teachers had to fulfil their duties in teaching and supervising the students, and support their supervisors in clinical practice.

Conclusion:  The role of the nurse teachers in Norway has, in many ways, been driven by many different interests and they are still struggling to meet the different demands made upon them.
Nutritional patterns of Korean diabetic patients: an exploratory study
Authors: Lee H. , Kim M. , Daly B.J.
Published: November 2008

Background:  Although much is known about the relationship of dietary intake to glycemic and lipid control in persons with diabetes, most previous studies have been conducted with patients in Western countries. Koreans have quite different dietary patterns to Westerners.

Purpose:  To analyse nutritional intake in relation to serum glucose and lipids among Koreans with diabetes.

Methods:  A descriptive correlational design was used. A total of 154 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus were recruited from 10 outpatient clinics in Korea. Actual dietary intake was measured by 24‐hour dietary recall in a face‐to‐face interview. Glucose and lipid profiles were measured by serum analysis.

Results:  Most Korean diabetic patients reported inappropriate levels of total energy and insufficient calcium intake. low‐protein intake was related to high serum glucose and high‐fat intake was related to serum high‐density lipoprotein.

Conclusion:  This study revealed a significant deviation from recommended daily allowances in the nutritional intake of Korean diabetic patients and emphasizes that dietary teaching and counselling must be tailored to clients' specific cultures and ethnic backgrounds.
Barriers to, and facilitators of post‐operative pain management in Iranian nursing: a qualitative research study
Authors: Rejeh N. , Ahmadi F. , Mohammadi E. , Anoosheh M. , Kazemnejad A.
Published: November 2008

Background:  Unrelieved post‐operative pain continues to be a major clinical challenge, despite advances in management. Although nurses have embraced a crucial role in pain management, its extent is often limited in Iranian nursing practice.

Aim:  To determine Iranian nurses' perceptions of the barriers and facilitators influencing their management of post‐operative pain.

Methods:  This study was qualitative with 26 participant nurses. Data were obtained through semi‐structured serial interviews and analysed using the content analysis method.

Findings:  Several themes emerged to describe the factors that hindered or facilitated post‐operative pain management. These were grouped into two main themes: (1) barriers to pain management after surgery with subgroups such as powerlessness, policies and rules of organization, physicians leading practice, time constraints, limited communication, interruption of activities relating to pain, and (2) factors that facilitated post‐operative pain management that included the nurse–patient relationship, nurses' responsibility, the physician as a colleague, and nurses' knowledge and skills.

Conclusion:  Postoperative pain management in Iran is contextually complex, and may be controversial. Participants believed that in this context accurate pain management is difficult for nurses due to the barriers mentioned. Therefore, nurses make decisions and act as a patient comforter for pain after surgery because of the barriers to effective pain management.
Symptoms and strategies in heart failure in Turkey
Authors: Oguz S. , Enç N.
Published: November 2008

Background:  Patients with heart failure can live longer and achieve a better quality of life by learning about the symptoms and management of the disease and about associated changes required in the lifestyle and by controlling symptoms.

Objectives:  The objective of this study was to determine the symptoms experienced by patients with heart failure and to identify the strategies they use in the management of the disease.

Methods:  The study was carried out with 64 (53.3%) of patients diagnosed with chronic heart failure [functional class (II–III)] who had been admitted to the cardiology polyclinic. The patients had to be literate and conscious, and had to voluntarily accept to participate in the study. Data were gathered by a questionnaire. The patients were interviewed face to face with the researcher in the polyclinic. Data were evaluated by percentage values, averages and chi‐square.

Results:  Symptoms identified in the subjects were fatigue in 67.2%, dyspnoea in 60.9% and palpitation in 59.4% of respondents. A statistically significant difference was noted between men and women in the case of fatigue (P = 0.039), with this symptom having a stronger restricting effect on the daily activities of men compared with women. A significant difference between men and women was also observed for the management of dyspnoea (P = 0.004), preferred approach for avoiding this symptom being resting for men, while using medication and oxygen for women.

Conclusion:  Fatigue was found to be the most common symptom experienced by the subjects, followed by dyspnoea, palpitation and oedema, respectively. A significant difference between men and women was noted in approaches for reducing symptoms.
Money Laundering and Globalization
Authors: Alldridge Peter
Published: November 2008

The article traces the various imperatives generated by the combination of the money laundering panic of the late 1990s with the advent of globalization. If there is to be an attempt legally to regulate laundering, it (laundering) must be a relatively serious offence, and consequently the anticipated harm must be something other than complicity. The regulatory framework must aspire to being universal and watertight, and (because otherwise the policing costs would be too great) the professions must be recruited to that endeavour. Laundering must be one of the driving forces of international cooperation in criminal justice and thus a force for the homogenization of criminal justice systems.
The Pragmatics of Legal Language
Authors: MARMOR ANDREI
Published: November 2008

The purpose of this essay is to explore some of the main pragmatic aspects of communication within the legal context. It will be argued that in some crucial respects, the pragmatics of legal language is unique, involving considerations that are not typically present in ordinary conversational contexts. In particular, certain normative considerations that are typically settled in a regular conversational context are unresolved and potentially contentious in the legal case. On the other hand, the essay also argues that a careful distinction between various pragmatic aspects of language use enables us to offer some generalizations about types of pragmatic enrichment that could be taken to form, or not to form, part of what is actually determined by legal expressions.
The Pluralistic Universe of Law: Towards a Neo‐Classical Legal Pragmatism*
Authors: HAACK SUSAN
Published: November 2008

After a brief sketch of the history of philosophical pragmatism generally, and of legal pragmatism specifically (section 1), this paper develops a new, neo‐classical legal pragmatism: a theory of law drawing in part on Holmes, but also on ideas from the classical pragmatist tradition in philosophy. Main themes are the “pluralistic universe” of law (section 2); the evolution of legal systems (section 3); the place of logic in the law (section 4); and the relation of law and morality (section 5).
Making a home during crisis: Post‐tsunami recovery in a context of war, Sri Lanka
Authors: Brun Cathrine , Lund Ragnhild
Published: November 2008

This paper provides insights into the dynamic linkages between the ongoing construction of houses for people displaced by war and disaster, conceptions of homemaking and processes of recovery and reconstruction in the post‐tsunami context in Sri Lanka. In so doing, it also uncovers the dilemmas and ambiguities that are embedded in the recovery process. A case from Eastern Province, Sri Lanka illustrates how recovery works in local areas are driven by various stakeholders from outside, whose negotiations and power, voices and preferences, both independently and collectively, define the scope for homemaking processes. Our findings recommend that debates of ‘building back better’ following such disasters should embody an understanding of houses as political, cultural, social and economic constructs, and be cognizant of the wider processes of homemaking.
Practitioner as poet in researching the literacy world of students with special educational needs: a preliminary encounter
Authors: ISSITT MARGARET
Published: November 2008

In this article the author, as a practitioner, discusses the poetry she wrote by adapting the actual words and phrases of students with special educational needs in a research study to investigate their literacy acquisition. The poetic text gave an insight into the concerns the students had and the difficulties they were encountering and also the way that the student recognised the value of the teacher. The participation of a practitioner in writing poetry in this context has the potential to give him/her an in‐depth knowledge that will result in self‐reflection and also be a valuable contribution to educational debate within the school or college.
Experience of completing a PhD: a student's perspective
Authors: WOLSTENHOLME CAROL
Published: November 2008

This article describes the experiences of a student who undertakes a period of intensive research for a doctorate whilst still being employed as a teacher working with children with special educational needs. Carol Wolstenholme gives an ‘insider glimpse’ into the challenges and opportunities presented to her as a teacher‐researcher and offers readers a personalised reflection on both her chosen research topic and the process of obtaining an advanced qualification in special educational needs.
Coconstrual and Narrow Syntax
Authors: Safir Ken
Published: November 2008

Abstract.  This essay argues that antecedent‐anaphor and bound‐variable relations (coconstrual relations) are formed outside of narrow syntax by an interpretive component that exploits the structures built by minimalist architecture. It is demonstrated that attempts to reduce coconstrual to the tree‐building operations of narrow syntax (Agree, feature theory, Merge and its subcase, Remerge) do not succeed in dispensing with conditions that evaluate constructed trees and thus such accounts offer no conceptual advantage. Instead it is established that syntactically sensitive coconstrual relations must be interpreted from the output of narrow syntax, but are not expressed within narrow syntax at all. This result unburdens narrow syntax of a class of relations that bring theoretical and empirical complications, while providing a more elegant account of coconstrual in a broader conception of the interpretive interface.
Virtues and Vices of Relativism
Authors: Schofer Jonathan Wyn
Published: November 2008

comment

▪ Subject:

“Judging Others: History, Ethics, and the Purposes of Comparison”

Aaron Stalnaker

Journal of Religious Ethics 36.3 (September 2008)

▪ From:

Jonathan Wyn Schofer

Harvard Divinity School

45 Francis Avenue

Cambridge, MA 02138
Association between HIV infection and attenuated diurnal blood pressure rhythm in untreated hypertensive individuals*
Authors: Baekken M , Os I , Stenehjem A , Sandvik L , Oektedalen O
Published: November 2008

Objective

Hypertensive cardiovascular complications are more closely associated with ambulatory blood pressure (ABP), particularly the attenuated diurnal blood pressure (BP) rhythm (i.e. a fall in systolic blood pressure <10% during the night compared with the day), than with casual BP. The aim of the study was to assess the ABP pattern in an HIV‐infected cohort in which hypertension was newly diagnosed.

Methods

ABP over 24 h was compared between 77 newly diagnosed, untreated hypertensive HIV‐positive individuals and 76 HIV‐uninfected untreated hypertensive controls.

Results

More HIV‐infected subjects had an attenuated ABP rhythm with a reduced nocturnal fall than HIV‐negative hypertensive control subjects (60 vs. 33%, respectively; P=0.001). The dipping pattern was observed despite newly diagnosed hypertension, a low prevalence of microalbuminuria, and the absence of signs of overt kidney disease. Furthermore, the prevalence of nondipping in the HIV‐infected subjects was independent of combination antiretroviral treatment. Multiple logistic regression analysis with dipping pattern as the dependent variable showed that HIV status was an independent predictor of nondipping BP [P=0.002; odds ratio (OR) 0.33; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.17–0.66]; casual SBP (P=0.37; OR 1.001; 95% CI 0.99–1.04) and microalbuminuria (P=0.39; OR 1.56; 95% CI 0.57–4.28) were not associated with dipping pattern.

Conclusions

The prevalence of a nondipping BP pattern in HIV‐infected subjects with newly diagnosed hypertension who had not received antihypertensive treatment was high and significantly greater than in hypertensive control subjects.
Bank Charges and the Core Exemption: Office of Fair Trading v Abbey National Plc
Authors: Macdonald Elizabeth
Published: November 2008

Consideration is given to the treatment of the core exemption in Regulation 6(2) of the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999 in Office of Fair Trading v Abbey National Bank. Certain aspects of the approach taken to the general limitation of the exemption to terms in plain intelligible language are looked at, before the scope of Regulation 6(2)(b) itself is addressed.
‘Light Weapons’ and the Dynamics of Art 47 EU – The EC's Armoury of Ever Expanding Competences
Authors: Herlin‐Karnell Ester
Published: November 2008

This case note analyses the constitutional scope of the recent Luxembourg ruling of Light weapons and small arms, Case 91/05, Commission v Council delivered on 20 May 2008 (Grand Chamber).
MISSING THE WOOD FOR THE TREES A CRITIQUE OF PROUDFOOT'S EXPLANATORY REDUCTION OF RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE
Authors: KARUVELIL GEORGE
Published: November 2008

It is common for scholars sympathetic to religion – from Friedrich Schleiermacher to the present – to describe the modern critics of religious experience as reductionist. By this they mean these critics do not respect religion for what it is; they rather ‘attempt to assimilate religion to nonreligious phenomena’,1 say, primitive science or metaphysics. Needless to say, these scholars consider this incorrect.

Into this scene strides Wayne Proudfoot. In his award‐winning book Religious Experience2 he sets out to scrutinize this accusation and rehabilitate the modern critics. He dismisses this accusation as a protective strategy to render religious claims immune to rational critique. His rehabilitation program is based on a distinction he draws between two kinds of reduction – descriptive and explanatory. This distinction has so caught the imagination of philosophers that it has found its way into textbooks.3 On the other hand, the book is also controversial; needless to say, its claims are problematic for believers.

The purpose of my paper is not to offer a comprehensive critique of his book, but only of his methodology, or the lack thereof, where methodology is understood as an integrated set of tools used for inquiry. I argue that although he proposes description and explanation as appropriate instruments for the study of religious experience, the two do not constitute a methodology, because his descriptions play no role in his explanations; rather, both go their separate ways. I argue that explanation must be guided by description. Moreover, I distinguish three kinds of inquiry, each calling for a different kind of description. The kind of description Proudfoot recommends is appropriate for genetic inquiry into how particular experiences came about, but not for a conceptual inquiry into the constitutive elements of religious experience. He knows lots of trees (particular experiences), but misses the wood (the nature of religious experience). Thus my title.

The paper is divided into three parts. First is a brief presentation of Proudfoot's thesis. A second part analyses three different kinds of inquiry; it shows that genetic and epistemic explanations are logically independent and irreducible one to another. These different types of inquiry call for distinct types of description, and these descriptions in turn guide the explanation that will be considered satisfactory. The context‐sensitivity of descriptions, and their relation to explanation is dealt with in the final part. Let us start with Proudfoot's contention.
Health and Psychiatric Disparities in Children with Cognitive and Developmental Delays: Implications for Health Policy in Quebec
Authors: Nachshen Jennifer S. , Martin‐Storey Alexa , Campisi Lisa , Stack Dale , Schwartzman Alex , Serbin Lisa
Published: November 2008

Background  Previous research on psychiatric and health disparities according to level of cognitive functioning has focused on adults within an American healthcare context. The current study compares children with and without cognitive and developmental delays in Quebec, Canada, using physician billing data from a longitudinal study of low‐income, francophone families. Canada is an ideal context for studying medical billing data as its equal access healthcare system removes many socioeconomic biases.

Methods  A large sample (n = 1050) of children is used to describe psychiatric and health disparities, as well as differences in Ambulatory Care Sensitive (ACS) conditions and primary healthcare, between children with (n = 107) and without (n = 943) diagnoses in their billing history indicative of delays.

Results  The findings demonstrated a relatively high level of psychiatric diagnoses for children with delays. However, no difference was found between children with and without delays in regard to emergency room visits and hospitalizations for ACS conditions and primary healthcare.

Conclusions  The findings suggest that, within a universal healthcare system, disparities in primary healthcare may not emerge until adulthood in individuals with delay status.
Controlled Collaboration in Disaster and Crisis Management in the Netherlands, History and Practice of an Overestimated and Underestimated Concept
Authors: Scholtens Astrid
Published: November 2008

In the Netherlands disaster and crisis management is a local responsibility. The official point of view is that this asks for central controlled collaboration. Authority to enforce this is legally given to the mayor and a dedicated operational leader. Practice however shows that during the acute phase of a disaster or crisis that central controlled coordination cannot be achieved. In this article it is shown that control over the collaboration in the acute phase of a disaster or crisis can only be accomplished in an indirect way via controlled collaboration in the preparatory phase. Practice however shows that in the preparatory phase collaboration of organizations involved in disaster or crisis management is not enforced but based on voluntary actions of these organizations.
Comparing Sexual Harassment Subtypes Among Black and White Women by Military Rank: Double Jeopardy, the Jezebel, and the Cult of True Womanhood
Authors: Buchanan NiCole T. , Settles Isis H. , Woods Krystle C.
Published: November 2008

Drawing upon feminist analyses of double jeopardy and the cult of true womanhood, we examine race, rank, sexual harassment frequency, and psychological distress for Black and White female military personnel ( N = 7,714). Results indicated that White women reported more overall sexual harassment, gender harassment, and crude behavior, whereas Black women reported more unwanted sexual attention and sexual coercion; enlisted women reported higher rates of each subtype than officers. Black enlistees reported more sexual coercion than White enlistees, and enlistees reported more than officers, but there were no racial differences across officers. Black women reported more psychological distress following gender harassment than White women, and enlisted women reported more distress following gender harassment, unwanted sexual attention, and sexual coercion than officers. Although Black officers were less distressed at low levels of sexual coercion, as coercion became more frequent, their distress increased significantly, and at high levels, all groups were similarly distressed.
Examining The Job-Related, Psychological, and Physical Outcomes of Workplace Sexual Harassment: A Meta-Analytic Review
Authors: Chan Darius K-S , Chow Suk Yee , Lam Chun Bun , Cheung Shu Fai
Published: November 2008

This study was designed to examine the job-related, psychological, and physical outcomes of sexual harassment in the workplace. Using a meta-analytic approach, we analyzed findings from 49 primary studies, with a total sample size of 89,382, to obtain estimates of the population mean effect size of the association between sexual harassment and job-related outcomes (e.g., job satisfaction and organizational commitment), psychological outcomes (e.g., well-being and distress), and physical outcomes (e.g., health satisfaction and physical symptoms). Moderator analyses were also conducted to examine whether gender, age (below 40 years vs. greater than or equal to 40 years), and type of measure (a “direct question” approach vs. “behavioral list” approach) moderate the strength of these associations. Meta-analytic results confirm that sexual harassment experiences are negatively associated with job-related outcomes, psychological health, and physical health conditions. In addition, our moderator analyses reveal that the strength of these associations was moderated by the mean age of the samples and the type of measure used in the primary studies. Conceptual and applied implications of these findings are discussed.
Through the Lens of Race: Black and White Women's Perceptions of Womanhood
Authors: Settles Isis H. , Pratt-Hyatt Jennifer S. , Buchanan NiCole T.
Published: November 2008

The intersection of race and gender may create unique experiences for Black and White women in terms of work, family, domestic roles, and interpersonal relationships. Dissimilar gender-role norms may foster different perceptions of gender for these two groups of women. In the current study, we examined similarities and differences in Black and White women's perceptions of their gender using qualitative focus group methodology and grounded theory data analysis. The results identified five themes that were common to Black and White women: Gender-Based Mistreatment, Perceived Advantage, Friendships and Community, Caretaking, and Work and Family Options. One additional theme, Inner Strength, emerged only for Black women. Although many of the broad perceptions of womanhood were similar for Black and White women, analysis of the content within each theme highlighted important differences. We discuss the results in terms of how they may reflect socio-historical factors, gender discrimination, stereotypes, and gender-role norms.
INEQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITIES VS. INEQUALITY OF OUTCOMES: ARE WESTERN SOCIETIES ALL ALIKE?
Authors: Lefranc Arnaud , Pistolesi Nicolas , Trannoy Alain
Published: November 2008

This paper analyzes the relationship between income inequality and inequality of opportunities for income acquisition in nine developed countries during the 1990s. Equality of opportunity is defined as the situation where income distributions conditional on social origin cannot be ranked according to stochastic dominance criteria. We measure social origin by parental education and occupation and use the database built by Roemer et al. (2003). Stochastic dominance is assessed using nonparametric statistical tests. Our results indicate strong disparities in the degree of equality of opportunity across countries and a strong correlation between inequality of outcomes and inequality of opportunity. The U.S. and Italy show up as the most unequal countries in terms of both outcome and opportunity. At the opposite extreme, income distributions conditional on social origin are almost the same in Scandinavian countries even before any redistributive policy. We complement the ordinal comparison by resorting to an original scalar “Gini” index of opportunities, which can be decomposed into a risk and a return component. In our sample, inequality of opportunity is mostly driven by differences in mean income conditional on social origin, and differences in risk compensate the return element in most countries.
MEASURING SUB‐NATIONAL INCOME POVERTY BY USING A SMALL AREA MULTIVARIATE APPROACH
Authors: Fabrizi Enrico , Ferrante Maria Rosaria , Pacei Silvia
Published: November 2008

The present paper proposes a statistical strategy for the analysis of regional disparities in income poverty. For the EU countries, information on individual income has been collected until now by the European Community Household Panel survey, which only yields reliable estimates for very large regions within countries. In order to obtain reliable estimates for some of the poverty indicators suggested by the Laeken Council at the sub‐national level, we suggest the adoption of a multivariate small area estimation approach which enables us to reduce estimate variability. We concentrate on Italy, the country with the lowest degree of regional cohesion within the EU. Results show that disparity cannot be reduced to the so‐called “North–South divide,” with the “poor” South separated from the “affluent” North, as both these macro‐regions display large internal differences in terms of both poverty level and income inequality. The strategy we propose could also be adopted in order to measure poverty in other European regions, using information produced by the new EU Survey on Income and Living Conditions, which is replacing the European Community Household Panel.
A NEW LOOK AT THE WEALTH ADEQUACY OF OLDER U.S. HOUSEHOLDS
Authors: Love David A. , Smith Paul A. , McNair Lucy C.
Published: November 2008

We examine the current wealth adequacy of older U.S. households using the 1998–2006 waves of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). We find that the median older U.S. household is reasonably well situated, with a ratio of comprehensive net wealth to present value poverty‐line wealth of about 3.9 in 2006. About 18 percent of households, however, have less wealth than would be needed to generate 150 percent of poverty‐line income over their expected future lifetimes. We see similar patterns of wealth adequacy when we examine ratios of annualized comprehensive wealth to pre‐retirement earnings. Comparing the leading edge of the baby boomers in 2006 to households of the same age in 1998, we find that the baby boomers show slightly less wealth, in real terms, than their elders did, but still appear to have adequate resources at the median. Moreover, we find a rising age profile of annualized wealth, even within households over time and after controlling for other factors, suggesting that older households are not spending their wealth as quickly as their survival probabilities are falling.
Tricalcaria Han gen. nov., a remarkable new genus with three hind‐tibial spurs belonging to the tribe Trichopterygini, with description of a new species from China (Lepidoptera: Geometridae: Larentiinae)
Authors: XUE Dayong , WU Chunguang , HAN Hongxiang
Published: November 2008

Tricalcaria Han gen. nov. and its type species Tricalcaria stueningi Han sp. nov. are described from China. Morphological characters, including those of the male and female genitalia, are figured. The main diagnostic characters of Tricalcaria are: hind tibia with three spurs in both male and female; ventral margin of costal protrusion bearing a series of long, hook‐like, sclerotized setae in the male genitalia; female papilla analis modified and bearing over part of its surface broad blade‐like sclerotized setae. The wing pattern, venation, and genitalia of this genus are compared with those of the most closely related genera, Tristeirometa Holloway, 1997, Hypocometa Warren, 1896, and Phthonoloba Warren, 1893. Tribal placement is discussed, with the conclusion that the new genus should be placed in the tribe Trichopterygini.