bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Green Information Technologies and Systems: Employees’ Perceptions of Organizational Practices
Authors: Jenkin Tracy A. , McShane Lindsay , Webster Jane
Published: March 2011

In this study, we examine the extent to which employees recognize the importance of information technologies and systems (IT/S) in developing and implementing environmental initiatives. To address this question, we first review past research on this topic and draw on a framework for examining environmental motivating forces, strategies, and employee environmental orientations. We then analyze qualitative data based on in-depth interviews with employees in financial services organizations. Our aim is to develop a richer understanding of how employees currently view IT/S issues in relation to environmental sustainability and if similarities exist between different types of financial institutions. We also assess the extent to which these employee perceptions align with both actual organizational practices, as captured in interviews with information technology managers, and practices espoused by organizations, as reflected on their corporate websites. Our findings suggest that organizations are still in the infancy stage of awareness and adoption of “Green” IT/S. As a result, we identify four types of gaps: knowledge gaps, practice gaps, opportunity gaps, and knowing—doing gaps. We suggest that future research should draw on absorptive capacity, organizational learning, and social marketing theories to help align employees’ attitudes, cognitions, and behaviors and to drive environmental changes.
Firm Size Matters: An Empirical Investigation of Organizational Size and Ownership on Sustainability-Related Behaviors
Authors: Gallo Peter Jack , Christensen Lisa Jones
Published: March 2011

The phrase “corporate sustainability” is increasingly prevalent in both the industry press and management journals (Engardio, 2007; Montiel, 2008). Corporate sustainability pledges and reports are also increasingly prevalent, yet empirical studies on how top managers define and enact the construct are lacking. To address this deficiency, we investigate how firms define, support, and report their sustainability efforts. In a large sample ( N = 922) study of accounting executives at U.S.-based firms, we find evidence that organizational size, ownership, and industry are strongly related with support mechanisms and reporting of sustainability.
Geopolitical shifts, great power relations and Norway’s foreign policy
Authors: Tunsjø Øystein
Published: March 2011

This article examines how geopolitical shifts and the potential emergence of either a bipolar or multipolar system will affect the transatlantic relationship and a small state on the margins of power centres. A more Asia-centred world and a new polarity could drive a wedge into the transatlantic relationship. It is therefore explored how the US and the EU can develop hedging and risk management strategies that are complementary and take into account diverging capabilities, political structures, different threat perceptions of China and the effects of a potential new polarity. It is also noted that Norway will need a sophisticated foreign policy if it wants to approach the EU’s position related to China, while simultaneously sustaining close relations with a US that is becoming more preoccupied with China and continues to shift more of its resources towards Asia. A hedging strategy can guide Norwegian policy-makers to meet such challenges.
Worlds of our remembering
Authors: Nishimura Kuniyuki
Published: March 2011

Attempts to deal with the agent–structure problem have often resulted in the introduction of alternative forms of structuralism. Scholars have thus failed to observe the construction and reconstruction of subjectivity, which occurs as an eternal process because of the simple fact that each of us lives in his or her own time. This article attempts to provide an alternative approach to the agent–structure problem by reformulating it as an issue of identity. Especially in comparison with Lévinas, Ricoeur’s thought of memory proves helpful in grappling with the problem, not by presupposing the coherent entity of either agent or structure, but by directing our attention to the in-between. It also enables a nuanced analysis of social change, which always needs to be comprehended in its tension with the leanings toward stability. A brief analysis of the literary discourses after the Great War illustrates this point. As a whole, the article aims to recover beings’ temporality at the centre of the agent–structure problem and thus reconstruct the problem as innately unstable agents’ search for their constantly changing identity.
Smart Management in Effective Schools
Authors: Hofman W. H. Adriaan , Hofman Roelande H.
Published: March 2011

Purpose: In this study the authors focus on different (configurations of) leadership or management styles in schools for general and vocational education. Findings: Using multilevel (students and schools) analyses, strong differences in effective management styles between schools with different student populations were observed. Conclusions: The authors present a description of relevant management factors in different educational contexts.
Neighborhood Physical Features and Relationships With Neighbors
Authors: Wilkerson Amy , Carlson Nichole E. , Yen Irene H. , Michael Yvonne L.
Published: March 2011

The objective was to investigate associations between features of the physical environment and neighborliness. Measures of the physical environment, including sidewalks, front porches, traffic-calming devices, bars on windows, and the presence of litter or graffiti, were collected using a systematic audit instrument in 10 neighborhoods in Portland, Oregon. Generalized linear regression models were created to model the odds of increasing neighborliness given access to the physical-environment factors of interest. The authors observed a greater probability of higher levels of neighborliness as the total number of positive physical-environment characteristics increased (cumulative odds ratio [95% confidence interval] = 1.69 [1.16, 2.45]) and the results were unchanged after controlling for race, self-reported health, perception of safety, years of neighborhood residence, age of house, market value of house, and proportion of homeowners in neighborhood. Modifiable features of the physical environment may be one mechanism through which people can enhance neighborliness.
The Dilemmas of Peer Relationships Confronting Mathematically Gifted Female Adolescents: Nine Cases in Taiwan
Authors: Kao Chen-Yao
Published: March 2011

There has been a scarcity of research studies addressing the dilemmas of peer relationships confronting gifted adolescent females. In this study, the peer relationships of nine mathematically gifted adolescent females living in Taiwan are explored using a qualitative multicase study. Data analysis revealed six compelling themes: a proclivity for aloneness, indifference to popularity, better rapport with gifted peers, preference for self-contained gifted classes, preference for gifted classes with a majority of boys, and more attachment to family than to friends. Inconsistencies with extant literature offer an opportunity to contemplate the socioemotional issues of mathematically gifted adolescent females from new angles.

Putting the Research to Use

The results of this study provide some insights into serving the needs of gifted girls. It is important for gifted girls to interact well with peers. However, they also need opportunities to learn to work and play alone, which are beneficial for their development of intrapersonal intelligence. Besides, schools should meet their need to meet and work with other gifted students with similar interests and values. When decisions are made about grouping options, the decisions should be based on the results of empirical studies and also on gifted girls’ voice. In addition, some gifted girls may feel torn between their indignation at the gender inequality still existing in the current society and their greater willingness to work with their male peers. They should be assured that it is all right to have this kind of inner conflict and that inner conflict can provide impetus for growth.
Single-Subject Research in Gifted Education
Authors: Simonsen Brandi , Little Catherine A.
Published: March 2011

Single-subject research (SSR) is an experimental research tradition that is well established in other fields (e.g., special education, behavior analysis) but has rarely been applied to topics in gifted education. In this Methodological Brief, Brandi Simonsen and Catherine A. Little from the University of Connecticut highlight the key features of SSR, describe typical SSR designs, and present examples to illustrate how each design could be applied to topics in gifted education.
African American Students’ Reactions to Benjamin Cooke’s “Nonverbal Communication Among Afro-Americans: An Initial Classification”
Authors: Greene Deric M. , Stewart Felicia R.
Published: March 2011

The nonverbal communication behavior of Black people continues to take new forms as time progresses. In Kochman’s 1972 book, Rappin’ and Stylin’ Out: Communication in Urban Black America, Benjamin Cooke introduced an initial classification and code of nonverbal behaviors among people of African descent. In this study, students react to Cooke’s study conducted in the late 1960s by commenting on Cooke’s initial findings in comparison to nonverbal behaviors practiced among Black people as of late. Respondents suggest that while differences and variations exist between the expression of nonverbal behaviors exhibited by the original group studied and people recently observed, there yet remains a similarity in the cultural significance and motivation behind the displays.
Presentation of a virtual power plant environment and its application with combined first-principle and data-driven models intended for the diagnostics of a power plant – Part 2
Authors: Barszcz Tomasz , Czop Piotr
Published: March 2011

This work aims to present and discuss the architecture and application aspects of the Virtual Power Plant (VPP) environment, a tool created for the purpose of the modeling, simulation, data management, and visualization of power plant systems. The VPP environment is based on a general-purpose simulation package that provides a framework for incorporating a broad variety of models, ranging from real-time models to detailed models that require off-line execution. The VPP, as a tool, opens up the possibility to develop, test, and validate the feasibility of new software and hardware components within simulated operational scenarios. An original approach to tuning a first-principle model using the example of a feedwater heater by means of a parameter estimation technique is presented, along with a case study of modeling a 225 MW coal-fired power unit. The objectives are as follows: (i) develop a tuning method for this model; (ii) propose key indicators of feedwater heater performance using a model-based approach; and finally (iii) automate the calculation process of the indicators.
Rapid synthesis of high-level architecture-based heterogeneous simulation: a model-based integration approach
Authors: Hemingway Graham , Neema Himanshu , Nine Harmon , Sztipanovits Janos , Karsai Gabor
Published: March 2011

Virtual evaluation of complex command and control concepts demands the use of heterogeneous simulation environments. Development challenges include how to integrate multiple simulation engines with varying semantics and how to integrate simulation models and manage the complex interactions between them. While existing simulation frameworks may provide many of the required run-time services needed to coordinate among multiple simulation engines, they lack an overarching integration approach that connects and relates the interoperability of heterogeneous domain models and their interactions. This paper outlines some of the challenges encountered in developing a command and control simulation environment and discusses our use of the Generic Modeling Environment tool suite to create a model-based integration approach that allows for rapid synthesis of complex high-level architecture-based simulation environments.
Subject-Matter Experts in Urban Schools
Authors: Ye Li , Varelas Maria , Guajardo Raphael
Published: March 2011

This study explored how two mathematics/science subject-matter experts (Fellows) conceptualized urban classrooms and the students they worked with for a year, how they negotiated academic achievement with cultural and sociopolitical competence, and how their identities as educators were co-constructed and enacted. Using grounded theory, Fellows’ weekly journals were analyzed using Ladson-Billing’s three tenets of culturally relevant pedagogy. The Fellows’ journeys point to the formation and presence of a prevalent tenet in their identities as urban educators, to the difficulty of integrating all three tenets, and to the tensions that educators experience as they try to become sociopolitically critical.
A New Era in the Preparation of Teachers for Urban Schools
Authors: Bales Barbara L. , Saffold Felicia
Published: March 2011

Disconnects between the demographics of teacher candidates and the students attending today’s public urban schools are well documented. At the same time, research points to the educational value of linking students’ lived experiences to their classroom learning. This article presents the research-based findings of faculty who implemented a field-based “pedagogy lab” in an urban-focused, collaborative teacher education program. The lab offered teacher candidates deliberate opportunities to interrogate their ethnicity, gender, and social class then use that knowledge to enhance various disciplinary-based instructional activities for PK-12 pupils. The findings suggest new ways of preparing teachers for the children attending urban schools.
Efficacy of Antidepressants as Analgesics: A Review
Authors: Dharmshaktu Pinky , Tayal Vandana , Kalra Bhupinder Singh
Published: March 2011

Persistent pain disorders are usually not adequately alleviated by nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs or other simple analgesics. Use of antidepressants as adjuvant therapy for the control of persistent pain is currently being practiced in disorders such as fibromyalgia, neuropathic pain, rheumatoid conditions, low back pain, and headache. This review describes the various mechanisms of analgesic activity of antidepressants along with their efficacy and tolerability profiles. Meta‐analyses and clinical studies of these agents were retrieved through the use of MEDLINE, Google scholar, and Cochrane databases. Antidepressants are effective in both neuropathic and non‐neuropathic pain and have diverse mechanisms independent of their antidepressant effects. Tricyclic antidepressants (amitryptiline, nortryptiline, desipramine) are effective compounds in the treatment of neuropathic pain, fibromyalgia, low back pain, and headaches. Studies are ongoing for the dual serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (duloxetine, venlafaxine) in several persistent pain conditions and these may be recommended in neuropathic pain, migraines, and fibromyalgia. Evidence suggests that although the analgesic effects of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (fluoxetine, paroxetine, citalopram) are limited and inconsistent, yet they have a superior tolerability profile compared with tricyclic antidepressants.
Influence of Different Proton Pump Inhibitors on Activity of Cytochrome P450 Assessed by [13C]‐Aminopyrine Breath Test
Authors: Kodaira Chise , Uchida Shinya , Yamade Mihoko , Nishino Masafumi , Ikuma Mutsuhiro , Namiki Noriyuki , Sugimoto Mitsushige , Watanabe Hiroshi , Hishida Akira , Furuta Takahisa
Published: March 2011

Aminopyrine is metabolized by cytochrome P450 (CYP) in the liver. The investigators evaluated influences of different PPIs on CYP activity as assessed by the [13C]‐aminopyrine breath test ([13C]‐ABT). Subjects were 15 healthy volunteers with different CYP2C19 status (5 rapid metabolizers [RMs], 5 intermediate metabolizers [IMs], and 5 poor metabolizers [PMs]). Breath samples were collected before and every 15 to 30 minutes for 3 hours after oral ingestion of [13C]‐aminopyrine 100 mg on day 8 of each of the following regimens: control; omeprazole 20 mg and 80 mg, lansoprazole 30 mg, and rabeprazole 20 mg. Changes in carbon isotope ratios in carbon dioxide (13CO2/12CO2) in breath samples were measured by infrared spectrometry and expressed as delta‐over‐baseline (DOB) ratios (‰). Mean areas under the curve of DOB from 0 to 3 h (AUC0–3h of DOB) were significantly decreased by omeprazole 20 mg and lansoprazole 30 mg but not by rabeprazole 20 mg. Conversely, higher PPI dose (ie, omeprazole 80 mg) seemed to further decrease AUC0–3h of DOB in RMs but increased it in PMs. Omeprazole and lansoprazole at the standard doses inhibit CYP activity but rabeprazole does not, whereas high‐dose omeprazole seems to induce CYPs.
Modeling Dyadic Effects in the Associations Between Relational Uncertainty, Sexual Communication, and Sexual Satisfaction for Husbands and Wives
Authors: Theiss Jennifer A.
Published: March 2011

This study models the individual and dyadic associations between relational uncertainty, indirect communication about sexual intimacy, and sexual satisfaction within marital relationships. A sample of 220 married couples completed questionnaires about their sexual relationship, and hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling (SEM). Results indicate that (a) relational uncertainty is positively associated with indirect communication about sexual intimacy for both husbands and wives, (b) indirect sexual communication is negatively associated with husbands’ and wives’ own sexual satisfaction, (c) husbands’ and wives’ sexual satisfaction and indirectness about sexual intimacy are positively associated, and (d) husbands’ and wives’ indirect communication about sexual intimacy are negatively associated with their spouse’s sexual satisfaction. The results are discussed in terms of their implications for understanding the dynamics of sexual intimacy within marriage.
Social Support Networks and Expectations for Aging in Place and Moving
Authors: Tang Fengyan , Lee Yeonjung
Published: March 2011

This study investigated the relationship of social support networks with expectations for aging in place and moving in a sample of relatively healthy, community-dwelling adults ( N = 4,611). Results indicated that those with aging in place expectation and those with moving expectation were comparable in sociodemographics, self-rated health, and social support networks. Knowledge of home- and community-based services (HCBS) availability was associated with respondents reporting an older age at which they expected regular help and moving. When compared with those who did not offer an age prediction, knowledge of HCBS availability, information sources for personal care, and social activity engagement were important in understanding the choices of age ranges at which respondents expected to age in place and to move. Findings point to the importance of expanding social support networks, providing opportunities for social activity, and strengthening information networks with the emphasis on targeting older adults and their caregivers.
Similar opportunities, different responses: Explaining the divergent patterns of development between Taiwan and South Korea
Authors: Hsieh Michelle F
Published: March 2011

Taiwan and Korea are said to have shared many similarities during the postwar period (e.g. Japanese colonial legacy and postwar geopolitics), but most importantly, both countries are presented as showcases of the theory of the developmental state. The similarities imply a convergence in their development path during the postwar period, yet Taiwan and Korea have evolved very different patterns in organizing economic activities to compete internationally. What explains these differences despite the similarities? The arguments in this article are threefold. First, the differences lie in industrial organization. Second, the article demonstrates how such differences shape different paths of interaction with the world economy in Taiwan and Korea through a comparative case study of the bicycle industry. Lastly, it is argued that the origin of the differences has to do with the variations in the existing social structures that gave rise to different state— society relationships, and subsequently yielded divergent paths of development.
Integrating diversity across the LIS curriculum: An exploratory study of instructors’ perceptions and practices online
Authors: Mehra Bharat , Olson Hope A. , Ahmad Suzana
Published: March 2011

This paper reports on research into how to introduce diversity across the library and information science (LIS) curriculum and best practices for its implementation online. An anonymous online questionnaire sent to instructors teaching both online and face-to-face courses gathered insights into their attitudes and practices through questions concerning two topics: how they think diversity should be represented and what techniques they believe work. The exploratory analysis of quantitative data (with select qualitative open-ended feedback) serves as the basis for development of a framework for action based on best practices taking into consideration the attitudes and perceptions that inform current practice. Future research will test that framework.
Parliamentary library and research services in the 21st century: A Delphi study
Authors: Missingham Roxanne
Published: March 2011

IFLA provides the opportunity through its sections and conferences for libraries around the world to share ideas and experiences. This article reports on a study using the Delphi method which identified key challenges for library and research services for parliaments. The participants in the study were leading innovators in and thinkers in these services who are active IFLA members. The context for the study is changing expectations of citizens for engagement with parliament and their representatives and new technologies which enable greater access to parliament. The study found that these this new environment meant that members of parliament expected library and research services to support them in new ways, and to assist the parliament adopt new technologies. There are competitors to the traditional services of library and research services, however the values, skills and expertise of library and research services can be recognised and enhanced in the online environment. Fundamental challenges exist to innovate within constrained budgets, and to assess our investments to ensure that members of parliament and citizens are better informed.
Deformation and fracture behavior of treated f ly ash-f illed polycarbonate-toughened epoxy resin composites
Authors: Shetty Ravindra Rama  , Rai S.K.
Published: March 2011

Thermoset/thermoplastic blends, namely diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A/polycarbonate (epoxy/PC) system, with different weight percentages of PC, were cured using aliphatic curing agent triethylene tetramine (TETA) and mechanical properties of the cured resin were studied. Further, series of silane coupling agent treated fly ash in 6 wt% PC/epoxy resin blend matrix cured with TETA were prepared by hand lay-up method. Variation in deformation behavior in the form of mechanical properties namely, tensile, flexural, compression, and impact behaviors with filler content was evaluated. Fractographic study of blends and composites using SEM was investigated.
Effect of micro-surface defect on tribological property of UHMWPE
Authors: Hongtao Liu  , Shoufan Cao  , Shirong Ge
Published: March 2011

The article studied the friction and wear properties of UHMWPE when the surface was probed with micro-defect. The results indicated that the friction coefficient decreased when the micro-defect holes were gradually distributed on the friction surface uniformly. That was mainly because the uniform micro-defect holes formed regular texture, increasing the balance of friction and wear. The wear loss of UHMWPE decreased gradually with the increase of the amount of micro-defect holes, and there was a good linear relationship between them. When the friction surface was filled with uniformly distributed micro-defect holes, not only the wear loss decreased, but also wear debris with ideal size distribution was obtained. So, the theoretical and experimental basis was provided for the idea of the surface texturization of artificial arthrosis.
Oxidative damage induced in Vicia faba by coke plant wastewater
Authors: Yuxiang Liu  , Yongkang Lv
Published: March 2011

The present study investigated toxic impacts of coke plant wastewater over a concentration gradient of COD Cr 40-640 mg/l on malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD) in roots and leaves of Vicia faba. MDA levels and SOD activities were significantly increased at all concentrations both in roots and leaves of Vicia faba; CAT and POD activities were significantly enhanced in roots at low concentrations and were significantly decreased at high concentrations (CODCr 320 and 640 mg/l for CAT; COD Cr 640 mg/l for POD). In leaves, CAT and POD activities remained enhanced at all concentration and did not show significant difference at COD Cr 640 mg/l for CAT and CODCr 40, 640 mg/l for POD. These results suggest that coke plant wastewater can cause oxidative damage in roots and leaves of Vicia faba and root enzymes seemed more sensitive to the wastewater.
Exploring Potential Consequences of Job Involvement Among Jail Staff
Authors: Paoline Eugene A. , Lambert Eric G.
Published: March 2011

Jail staff who harbor negative attitudes toward their jobs can be detrimental for the functional operation of the organization. Presumably, personnel who are more involved with their work should have lower levels of stress and higher levels of job satisfaction and organizational commitment, compared with those who are not involved. The current study examined the effects of job involvement on job stress, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment at a large county jail system in Florida. Based on multivariate analyses of staff survey data, the results revealed that job involvement was negatively related to job stress and positively related to both job satisfaction and organizational commitment. The implications of these findings for correctional research and practice are also considered.
Women Disrupting a Marginalized Identity: Subverting the Parolee Identity through Narrative
Authors: Opsal Tara D.
Published: March 2011

This article uses in-depth interviews to examine the identity work of forty-three women newly released from prison who live in their communities under the supervision of parole. Drawing on hegemonic cultural characters and storylines, the women utilize three narrative strategies that provide them with an opportunity to confront their stigmatized identity and recast their past, present, and future selves on their own terms. By resisting the stigma associated with a felon identity, disassociating from their past drug- and alcohol-using selves, and identifying as good mothers, the women refashion and reaffirm their identities by aligning with conventionality.
Helping Friends and the Homeless Milieu: Social Capital and the Utility of Street Peers
Authors: Stablein Timothy
Published: March 2011

In this article, the author draws upon ethnographic data from a group of homeless and housed youth and young adults who congregated in one city square in the northeastern United States. The author applies social capital theories to understand the positive and negative aspects of street life for each group involved. In this setting, participants found commonalities and befriended one another. By maintaining and nurturing these ties, each group expanded their access to both practical and symbolic resources and provided one another with affective supports, which alleviated feelings of alienation and isolation. Participants benefited in multiple ways by participating, but also placed themselves in potentially harmful and problematic situations as a result. The author explores the utility as well as consequences of extended social ties made through these subgroup affiliations to understand the nuances of social capital and the role of diversified peer groups within homeless street settings.
Are We More Moral Than We Think?
Authors: Teper Rimma , Inzlicht Michael , Page-Gould Elizabeth
Published: March 2011

Can people accurately predict how they will act in a moral dilemma? Our research suggests that in some situations, they cannot, and that emotions play a pivotal role in this dissociation between behavior and forecasting. In the current experiment, individuals in a moral action condition cheated significantly less on a math task than participants in a forecasting condition predicted they themselves would cheat. Furthermore, we found that participants in the action condition displayed significantly more physiological arousal, as measured by preejection period, skin conductance response (SCR), and respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), and that the underestimation effect was mediated by SCR and RSA together. This research suggests that the affective arousal present during real-life moral dilemmas may not be fully engaged during moral forecasting, and that this may account for the moral forecasting errors that individuals make. This research has the potential to inform past work in the field of moral psychology, which has largely ignored actual behavior.
Popular Consensus
Authors: Lewandowsky Stephan
Published: March 2011

Most climate experts agree that human carbon dioxide emissions cause anthropogenic global warming (AGW), reflected in increased global temperatures during every decade since 1970. Nonetheless, some public figures have claimed that AGW stopped in 1998. In a large experiment ( N = 200), participants extrapolated global climate data, presented graphically either as share prices or as temperatures. Irrespective of their attitudes toward AGW, and irrespective of presentation format, people judged the trend to be increasing. These results suggest that presentation of climate data can counter claims that AGW has stopped.
PPARγ expression is increased in systemic lupus erythematosus patients and represses CD40/CD40L signaling pathway
Authors: Oxer DS , Godoy LC , Borba E , Lima-Salgado T , Passos LA , Laurindo I , Kubo S , Barbeiro DF , Fernandes D , Laurindo FR , Velasco IT , Curi R , Bonfa E , Souza HP
Published: March 2011

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a heterogeneous disease involving several immune cell types and pro-inflammatory signals, including the one triggered by binding of CD40L to the receptor CD40. Peroxisome-proliferator activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) is a transcription factor with anti-inflammatory properties. Here we investigated whether CD40 and PPARγ could exert opposite effects in the immune response and the possible implications for SLE. Increased PPARγ mRNA levels were detected by real-time PCR in patients with active SLE, compared to patients with inactive SLE PPARγ/GAPDH mRNA = 2.21 ± 0.49 vs. 0.57 ± 0.14, respectively ( p < 0.05) or patients with infectious diseases and healthy subjects ( p < 0.05). This finding was independent of the corticosteroid therapy. We further explored these observations in human THP1 and in SLE patient-derived macrophages, where activation of CD40 by CD40L promoted augmented PPARγ gene transcription compared to non-stimulated cells (PPARγ/GAPDH mRNA = 1.14 ± 0.38 vs. 0.14 ± 0.01, respectively; p < 0.05). This phenomenon occurred specifically upon CD40 activation, since lipopolysaccharide treatment did not induce a similar response. In addition, increased activity of PPARγ was also detected after CD40 activation, since higher PPARγ-dependent transcription of CD36 transcription was observed. Furthermore, CD40L-stimulated transcription of CD80 gene was elevated in cells treated with PPARγ-specific small interfering RNA (small interfering RNA, siRNA) compared to cells treated with CD40L alone (CD80/GAPDH mRNA = 0.11 ± 0.04 vs. 0.05 ± 0.02, respectively; p < 0.05), suggesting a regulatory role for PPARγ on the CD40/CD40L pathway. Altogether, our findings outline a novel mechanism through which PPARγ regulates the inflammatory signal initiated by activation of CD40, with important implications for the understanding of immunological mechanisms underlying SLE and the development of new treatment strategies.
Recurrent atrial fibrillation after high-dose methylprednisolone therapy in a girl with lupus-associated hemophagocytic syndrome
Authors: Yamamura K , Ohga S , Nishiyama K , Doi T , Tsutsumi Y , Ikeda K , Fujishima A , Takada H , Hara T
Published: March 2011

Hemophagocytic syndrome (HPS) is a serious complication of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). A 15-year-old female with lupus-nephritis developed HPS. Bone marrow study showed florid thrombophagocytosis. There was no associated infection. High-dose methylprednisolone therapy ameliorated HPS. However, atrial fibrillation (Af) repeated after the infusion and required direct-current cardioversion. No underlying diseases were found in the heart and endocrine system. Chest roentgenogram and echocardiography were normal. Electrocardiogram showed slightly prolonged PR interval in sinus rhythm. Af occurred at high circulating levels of interferon-γ and interleukin (IL)-10, but not IL-6, IL-2, tumor necrosis factor-α, C-reactive protein or catecholamines. This is the first observation that high-dose corticosteroid induced Af in a case of lupus-HPS. Af is unusual in SLE children without cardiac disease, while conduction defect occurs associated with lupus-myocarditis. Lupus-HPS may be an aggressive SLE subset with cardiac involvement. High-dose corticosteroid infusion controls lupus activity, but could disclose the cardiac stress in lupus-HPS patients.
Evaluation of Health Insurance and Claim Process at Tertiary Care Hospital, Mangalore
Authors: Anchan Pravitha S. , Jathanna Roopalekha , Marla Amitha
Published: March 2011

The study was carried out with the objectives to study and understand the current claim process of existing health insurance schemes, to identify the barriers in the claim process at the hospital level and to study the consumer awareness and satisfaction in health insurance. Method employed was cross-sectional study with convenient sampling, data included time analysis format and validated questionnaire. Results showed Sampoorna Suraksha had more claims followed by Yeshasvini. Overall there is a delay in query justification followed by preauthorisation, preparation and faxing. Policyholders were not fully aware about health insurance, 50 per cent of policyholders knew what Third Party Administrator (TPA) means and consumers were not fully satisfied with health insurance. Overall claim process was partially smooth. Acquainted person and convenience in availing made consumers purchase health insurance policy. As conclusion, standards have to be set with standard timings for each process. Some mechanisms have to be undertaken, which will help making consumers aware about various intricacies of insurance plans. An effort has to be made to determine what healthcare customers need, tailoring their services. Distribution channels have a direct impact on the insurers’ market image. There is widespread recognition of the need for qualified trained sales force to serve the increasingly discerning insurance buyers.
Media’s Law
Authors: Liang Lawrence
Published: March 2011

This article explores the relationship between law, aesthetics, and film theory with a particular focus on how affective relations and intensities define the encounter between law and cinema. It considers the longer history through which law has come to deny the significance of emotions, sense-perception, aesthetic discernment, and sexuality in its deliberations. It challenges such a disavowal in several ways, by pointing to how such considerations are manifest in the law’s self-presentation, in its codes and judgments, and its production of sexually charged renditions of the obscenities it sets out to police. This reframing of law and legal experience draws upon and seeks to contribute to recent developments in film theory that highlight affective and bodily dimensions of film experience over questions of representation.
Genre Mixing as Creative Fabrication
Authors: Prasad M. Madhava
Published: March 2011

A preliminary attempt is made here to explore genre tectonics as a field of study in Indian film history. The article proposes that in the Indian context, generic shifts might have historical significance. In the context of the reasonably well documented history of genres in India, the article takes up three instances of genre mixing which show evidence of the industry using this fabricatory technique to deal with problems arising out of the socio-historical setting of the 1950s. While some instances of such activity bear witness to social change and the rise of new ideologies (thus constituting tectonic activity responding to such changes), others show the industry employing its resources to remake genres in a struggle to wrest the cultural space occupied by the theater. The article aims to demonstrate the usefulness of this approach for the study of India’s pluriform cinema.
The Many Passages of Sound
Authors: George Joppan
Published: March 2011

This archival essay on early sound cinema in India brings together advertisements for film and film equipment, and various contemporary editorials and essays from film periodicals. It uses these materials to sketch key conflicts and discourses that surrounded the emergence of the talkies, especially around the function of foreign equipment salesmen, agents and technicians, the development of indigenous manufactures, and the shifting connotations of sound in cinema.
The symptom appraisal of breast cancer in the context of an intimate relationship
Authors: Fergus Karen , Fitzgerald Barbara , Granek Leeat , Clemons Mark , Zalany Lynn , Eisen Andrea
Published: March 2011

The purpose of this qualitative investigation was to understand how a self-detected breast abnormality is experienced within the context of an intimate relationship. Of specific interest were spousal interactions that influenced (facilitated or impeded) timely presentation for medical evaluation. Fourteen women who were in a relationship at the time of symptom discovery and seven of their male partners were interviewed. Interview transcripts were analyzed using the grounded theory method. Tenuous Knowing and Spiral of Disclosure defined two main processes that a woman negotiated within herself in relation to her partner upon discovery of a breast change.
Intestinal disaccharidase activity in patients with autism
Authors: Kushak Rafail I. , Lauwers Gregory Y. , Winter Harland S. , Buie Timothy M.
Published: March 2011

Intestinal disaccharidase activities were measured in 199 individuals with autism to determine the frequency of enzyme deficiency. All patients had duodenal biopsies that were evaluated morphologically and assayed for lactase, sucrase, and maltase activity. Frequency of lactase deficiency was 58% in autistic children ≤ 5 years old and 65% in older patients. As would be expected, patients with autism at age 5 > years demonstrated significant decline in lactase activity (24%, p = .02) in comparison with ≤ 5 years old autistic patients. Boys ≤ 5 years old with autism had 1.7 fold lower lactase activity than girls with autism ( p = .02). Only 6% of autistic patients had intestinal inflammation. Lactase deficiency not associated with intestinal inflammation or injury is common in autistic children and may contribute to abdominal discomfort, pain and observed aberrant behavior. Most autistic children with lactose intolerance are not identified by clinical history.
Ingroup identification as a moderator of racial bias in a shoot–no shoot decision task
Authors: Kenworthy Jared B. , Barden Melisa A. , Diamond Steven , del Carmen Alejandro
Published: March 2011

In this experiment, group identification is examined as a potential moderator of the documented racial bias in a shoot–no shoot paradigm. Target race (Black or White) was manipulated within-subjects, and (White) participants’ strength of racial ingroup identification was employed as a continuous predictor. Using signal detection analyses, it was found that the criterion to shoot Black targets decreased as an increasing function of racial ingroup identification. This relationship held even after controlling for gender, social dominance orientation, a measure of cultural stereotyping, and the amount of contact with Blacks. Theoretical implications are discussed.
Randomized Controlled Study of Home-Based Treadmill Training for Ambulatory Children With Spina Bifida
Authors: de Groot Janke F. , Takken Tim , van Brussel Marco , Gooskens Rob , Schoenmakers Marja , Versteeg Chantal , Vanhees Luc , Helders Paul
Published: March 2011

Background. Many ambulatory children with spina bifida (SB) decline in their walking despite stable or even improved motor function. Objective. The authors evaluated the effects of a home-based treadmill training program on both ambulatory function and aerobic fitness. Methods. This randomized clinical trial of 34 ambulatory children with SB allocated 18 to supervised treadmill training for 12 weeks at home and 14 to usual care. Patients in home training exercised twice a week at an intensity of 66% of HRpeak (peak heart rate) and gradually progressed from 70% to 140% of their individual walking speed. Main outcome measures were obtained at baseline, after intervention, and 3 months postintervention. Ambulation was measured using the 6-minute walk test (6MWT), during which gross energy consumption (ECSgross) and energy cost were calculated. Maximal exercise capacity was measured using an incremental treadmill test. Both VO2peak and speedpeak were recorded as outcome parameters. Results. After training, significant changes were seen between the groups for 6MWT ( P = .002; d = 1.08), speedpeak ( P = .001; d = 1.14), VO2peak ( P = .034; d = 0.78), and ECSgross ( P = .004; d = 1.01). Long-term effects were recorded for 6MWT ( P = .003; η = 0.34), speedpeak ( P = .003; η = 0.35), and ECSgross ( P = .014; η = 0.29) but not for VO2peak. Conclusion. A home-based, progressive treadmill training program for ambulatory children with SB has a large long-term effect on ambulation, with a moderate short-term effect on VO2peak.
A Longitudinal Analysis of Positive Psychological Constructs and Emotions on Stress, Anxiety, and Well-Being
Authors: Avey James B. , Wernsing Tara S. , Mhatre Ketan H.
Published: March 2011

Two studies were conducted including one involving a longitudinal research design to understand better the influential role of the positive psychological capacities of hope, efficacy, optimism, resilience, as well as positive emotions on individual stress, anxiety, and well-being. Study 1 ( N = 1,316) was conducted to validate a hypothesized relationship between the positive capacities and well-being. Next, in Study 2 ( N = 172), data were collected from participants at 12 points in time over 4 months and random coefficient modeling was used to test hypotheses between variables in a cognitive mediational theoretical framework. Results suggest positive psychological capacities can be a source of positive emotions. In addition, positive emotions and stress mediate the relationship between positive psychological capacities and well-being. A discussion of implications and future research conclude the article.
A Multilevel Systems Model of Leadership
Authors: Kinicki Angelo J. , Jacobson Kathryn J. L. , Galvin Benjamin M. , Prussia Gregory E.
Published: March 2011

This study uses a control theory to develop a multilevel systems model of leadership. The model outlines the processes that senior leaders can use to influence others across hierarchical levels of management and clarifies the mechanisms that link leadership across levels of management—goal cascading, alignment, and the bypass channel of communication. The authors discuss leadership behaviors needed to effectively influence others across a cybernetic process of leadership. Embedded within the multilevel systems model of leadership is a micro-level cybernetic model that focuses on the temporal process that leaders use to influence individuals in the pursuit of goal achievement.
Towards a Blended Model of Leadership for School-based Collaborations
Authors: Coleman Andrew
Published: March 2011

Interest in collaborative working has grown enormously in the last 20 years, driven by the view that partnership working may improve efficiency and add value in outcomes. As a result, collaborative working is an unavoidable feature of the 21st-century school and a consistent part of government policy for the provision of services to children. However, remarkably little research has been undertaken into the nature of leadership required to maximize the potential of such partnership based working within this context. This article outlines the findings from original research, supported by the National College for Leadership of Schools and Children’s Services, into the nature of effective collaborative leadership in schools. It finds that the demands of such leadership are markedly different from those associated with traditional models, which view the school in isolation. In response to this, it outlines a multi-dimensional model for leadership, which draws on elements of a range of existing leadership models, including authentic, relational, distributed, political and constitutive leadership. This article concludes by stating that it is only through the utilization of a blended form of leadership (Collinson and Collinson, 2006) that school leaders are able to effectively realize the potential collaborative advantage associated with partnerships working. In doing so, it highlights the significance of day-to-day leadership activity, stating that effective collaborative leadership is rooted in a focus on the mundane rather than a preoccupation with the extraordinary aspects of this role.
Successful transgastric pancreaticography and endoscopic ultrasound-guided drainage of a disconnected pancreatic tail syndrome
Authors: Will Uwe , Fueldner Frank , Goldmann Bernhard , Mueller Anne-Kathrin , Wanzar Igor , Meyer Frank
Published: March 2011

Objectives: We aim to demonstrate that endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided transgastric pancreaticography/drainage of the pancreatic duct is feasible and successful in healing a persisting pancreaticocutaneous fistula.

Methods: By means of a case report, we describe the following alternative therapeutic procedure. A 76-year-old male had: (1) 10 surgical interventions because of necrotizing acute pancreatitis with a persisting pancreaticocutaneous fistula (volume 200–300 ml/day); (2) an unsuccessful attempt of transpapillary drainage (disrupted duct after necrosectomy). He then underwent a EUS-guided transluminal pancreaticography/drainage of the pancreatic duct. A transgastric puncture was performed followed by, insertion of a guide wire into the dilated tail segment, and expansion of the gastropancreaticostomy using a 10-Fr retriever. A 10-Fr Amsterdam prosthesis was then placed through the guide wire.

Results: The procedure was both a technical and clinical success as indicated by fistula occlusion and sufficient internal drainage of the pancreatic juice via the gastropancreaticostomy. No severe complications such as bleeding, perforation stent occlusion or migration were observed during the 15-month follow-up.

Conclusions: Transgastric pancreaticography and EUS-guided drainage of the enlarged pancreatic duct are elegant and feasible alternative options for the treatment of specific pancreatic lesions such as persisting pancreaticocutaneous fistula (complication after necrotizing pancreatitis), after pancreatic resective surgery, chronic pancreatitis and anomaly of the congenital pancreatic or postoperative gastrointestinal anatomy. Moreover, the procedure may represent a valid tool to avoid surgery and more invasive interventions.