bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Consumer value conflicts surrounding ethical food purchase decisions: a focus on animal welfare
Authors: Schröder Monika J.A. , McEachern Morven G.
Published: February 2004

Ethical attitudes in relation to meat purchases were studied among urban and rural consumers in Scotland. All subjects perceived at least some ethical issues in relation to animal production systems, in particular, systems keeping animals in close confinement. Welfare‐friendly production systems were viewed as adding value to a food, but this value was not necessarily realizable to producers if purchases occurred only when foods were on special offer. Statements made by individuals were often contradictory, revealing ambivalence, unresolved value conflicts and a general lack of involvement in the nature of meat production. A number of barriers to the establishment of stable attitudes and behaviours in relation to the ethical treatment of food animals were also identified. A key finding of the study is that individuals can hold two views on animal welfare. On the one hand, they may think as citizens influencing societal standards, and on the other, as consumers at the point of purchase. As citizens, they support the notion of animals being entitled to a good life; as meat consumers, they avoid the cognitive connection with the live animal. This paper explores both the citizen–consumer relationship and purchase strategies used by consumers to resolve value conflicts. Lessons for public and commercial policy are highlighted in the context of the Curry Report (2002) which advocates more effective market segmentation where markets are finely attuned to their customers, with the development of a number of assurance schemes discussed in the article.
Consumer education in the UK: new developments in policy, strategy and implementation
Authors: Brennan Carol , Ritters Katrina
Published: February 2004

Consumer education is an integral part of the European Community's consumer policy. It plays a key role in consumer empowerment, helping consumers gain the skills, attitudes and knowledge they need to be able to gear the choices they make as consumers to their economic interests and to protect their health and safety. In its policy statement, the Directorate General for Health and Consumer Protection states that the European Community is aware that joint measures at national and Community levels should be more structured, in order to achieve maximum effectiveness. This paper aims to set out the current policy and strategic context for consumer education and empowerment in the UK; review the role of UK government bodies and other agencies concerned with developments; review recent literature; present  the  results  of  interviews  with  an  extensive  range of key stakeholders and the results of a survey of service heads for trading standards throughout the UK. It will consider implementation, partnership, resources, ideas and opportunities. The research found that the agenda for consumer education in the UK is at an interesting stage of development. The Enterprise Act 2002 gives the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) a statutory power to carry out educational activities. Consumer education is also moving up the agenda in the trading standards service. In addition, the teaching of citizenship in English schools is already stimulating new developments in consumer education. The paper will consider the need for organizations like these to work together to build on these policy developments and ensure that consumer education gains the profile it needs to influence consumer attitudes and behaviour.
Can we learn to live differently? Lessons from Going for Green: a case study of Merthyr Tydfil (South Wales)
Authors: Collins Andrea J.
Published: February 2004

Participation at the local level is an important factor in determining the success of programmes developed to achieve sustainable development. This paper is concerned with debates over the role of the individual citizen in relation to that participatory process. In particular, it focuses on the UK Governments’ citizens environmental initiative ‘Going for Green’ (GFG). Through this initiative a five‐point Green Code was developed to assist in the delivery of its sustainable development message to the general public. The initiative's overall approach to participation was based on an assumption that the primary barrier to translating environmental concern into local action was a lack of information, and that individuals would respond to messages in a similar way. As a research strategy, the case study was used to evaluate how the initiatives’ pilot Sustainable Communities Project was implemented in two comparative geographical communities in Merthyr Tydfil (South Wales). Research findings from this study have demonstrated that the case study was invaluable in terms of understanding the participatory process and experiences of broad a range of community stakeholders. Promoting a single model of participation, GFG was found to restrict the participatory process in terms of who was encouraged to participate, the scope of their participation, and those outcomes that could be achieved. This paper concludes that if significant progress is to be made in relation to achieving sustainable development, the role of the individual citizen needs to be extended beyond that of a consumer of the environment, and involve active participation in a process that is based on collective action.
Geochemical Characterization of Lapita Pottery Via Inductively Coupled Plasma–mass Spectrometry (ICP–MS)
Authors: Kennett D. J. , Anderson A. J. , Cruz M. J. , Clark G. R. , Summerhayes G. R.
Published: February 2004

We have obtained high‐resolution elemental data on Lapita ceramics (3200–2700 cal year bp) from Fiji, Tonga and New Ireland using chemistry‐based inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP–MS). These data show clear elemental distinctions between Lapita pottery manufactured in Fiji, Tonga and New Ireland, and demonstrate significant elemental variation in Fijian ceramics collected from settlements in close proximity to one another. Therefore, we anticipate that ICP–MS will become an effective technique for tracking the transfer of Lapita pottery within and between different island groups in Oceania.
A Study Of The Firing Technique Of Pottery From Kaman‐Kalehöyük, Turkey, by Synchrotron Radiation‐Induced Fluorescence X‐Ray Absorption Near‐Edge Structure (Xanes) Analysis*
Authors: Matsunaga M. , Nakai I.
Published: February 2004

Fe K‐XANES spectra of a series of pottery sherds excavated from the archaeological site of Kaman‐Kalehöyük, Turkey, were measured to reveal the firing technique of the pottery. The analysis disclosed relationships among the chemical form of the iron, the firing conditions and the colour of the pottery. The pottery referred to as ‘Grey Ware’ found at this site was classified into two groups according to the chemical form of the iron. Also, it was revealed that the Iron Age pottery referred to as ‘Cream Ware’ was produced first under reducing conditions, and then fired under oxidizing conditions.
Liquid compositions from low‐pressure experimental melting of pelitic rock from Morton Pass, Wyoming, USA
Authors: Grant J. A.
Published: February 2004

Low‐pressure crystal‐liquid equilibria in pelitic compositions are important in the formation of low‐pressure, high‐temperature migmatites and in the crystallization of peraluminous leucogranites and S‐type granites and their volcanic equivalents. This paper provides data from vapour‐present melting of cordierite‐bearing pelitic assemblages and augments published data from vapour‐present and vapour‐absent melting of peraluminous compositions, much of which is at higher pressures. Starting material for the experiments was a pelitic rock from Morton Pass, Wyoming, with the major assemblage quartz‐K feldspar‐biotite‐cordierite, approximately in the system KFMASH. A greater range in starting materials was obtained by addition of quartz and sillimanite to aliquots of this rock. Sixty‐one experiments were carried out in cold‐seal apparatus at pressures of 1–3.5 kbar (particularly 2 kbar) and temperatures from 700 to 840 °C, with and without the addition of water. In the vapour‐present liquidus relations at 2 kbar near the beginning of melting, the sequence of reactions with increasing temperature is: Qtz + Kfs + Crd + Sil + Spl + V = L; Qtz + Kfs + Crd + Spl + Ilm + V = Bt + L; and Qtz + Bt + V = Crd + Opx + Ilm + L. Vapour‐absent melting starts at about 800 °C with a reaction of the form Qtz + Bt = Kfs + Crd + Opx + Ilm + L. Between approximately 1–3 kbar the congruent melting reaction is biotite‐absent, and biotite is produced by incongruent melting, in contrast to higher‐pressure equilibria. Low pressure melts from pelitic compositions are dominated by Qtz‐Kfs‐Crd. Glasses at 820–840 °C have calculated modes of approximately Qtz42Kfs46Crd12. Granites or granitic leucosomes with more than 10–15% cordierite should be suspected of containing residual cordierite. The low‐pressure glasses are quite similar to the higher‐pressure glasses from the literature. However, XMg increases from about 0.1–0.3 with increasing pressure from 1 to 10 kbar, and the low‐temperature low‐pressure glasses are the most Fe‐rich of all the experimental glasses from pelitic compositions.
Pro‐ and retrogradeP–Tevolution of granulites of the Beit Bridge Complex (Limpopo Belt, South Africa): constraints from quantitative phase diagrams and geotectonic implications
Authors: Zeh A. , Klemd R. , Buhlmann S. , Barton J. M.
Published: February 2004

Interpretations based on quantitative phase diagrams in the system CaO–Na2O–K2O–TiO2–MnO–FeO–MgO–Al2O3–SiO2–H2O indicate that mineral assemblages, zonations and microstructures observed in migmatitic rocks from the Beit Bridge Complex (Messina area, Limpopo Belt) formed along a clockwiseP–Tpath. That path displays a progradeP–Tincrease from 600 °C/7.0 kbar to 780 °C/9–10 kbar (pressure peak) and 820 °C/8 kbar (thermal peak), followed by aP–Tdecrease to 600 °C/4 kbar. The data used to construct theP–Tpath were derived from three samples of migmatitic gneiss from a restricted area, each of which has a distinct bulk composition: (1) a K, Al‐rich garnet–biotite–cordierite–sillimanite–K‐feldspar–plagioclase–quartz–graphite gneiss (2) a K‐poor, Al‐rich garnet–biotite–staurolite–cordierite–kyanite–sillimanite–plagioclase–quartz–rutile gneiss, and (3) a K, Al‐poor, Fe‐rich garnet–orthopyroxene–biotite–chlorite–plagioclase–quartz–rutile–ilmenite gneiss. Preservation of continuous prograde garnet growth zonation demonstrates that the pro‐ and retrogradeP–Tevolution of the gneisses must have been rapid, occurring during a single orogenic cycle. These petrological findings in combination with existing geochronological and structural data show that granulite facies metamorphism of the Beit Bridge metasedimentary rocks resulted from an orogenic event during the Palaeoproterozoic (c. 2.0 Ga), caused by oblique collision between the Kaapvaal and Zimbabwe Cratons. Abbreviations followKretz (1983).
Risk factors for HCV infection among blood donors confirmed to be positive for the presence of HCV RNA and not reactive for the presence of anti‐HCV
Authors: Orton S.L. , Stramer S.L. , Dodd R.Y. , Alter M.J.
Published: February 2004

BACKGROUND: In 1999, NAT of blood donations was implemented to detect “window‐period” infections. Blood donors who have confirmed NAT results positive for the presence of HCV in the absence of anti‐HCV are likely to have been recently infected. Of over 26.8 million donations tested between March 3, 1999, and March 31, 2003, 810 were HCV‐reactive by NAT. A subset of these donors was assessed for recent exposure risk.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: All anti‐HCV– blood donors with reactive, unconfirmed HCV NAT results were invited to participate in a study that included an extensive demographic and risk questionnaire. Confirmed HCV+ cases were compared to HCV– (falsely positive) controls for histories of potential risk factors during the 6 months before donation.

RESULTS: Recent injection drug use (IDU) was independently associated with HCV infection (29.2% vs. 0% of cases vs. controls, p < 0.001). In addition, likely sources were identified for three other cases (4.6%), including occupational exposure, sexual contact with an HCV‐infected partner (who was an IDU), and perinatal exposure, none of which was known to the donors at the time of donation. Incarceration was independently associated with HCV infection among the group not reporting IDU and after removal of the three donors with likely sources of risk (14.6% vs. 1.3% of cases vs. controls, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS: A likely risk, primarily IDU, was found for 43 percent of HCV+ donors whose infections were identified solely by NAT. Because the maximum efficiency of the donor history questions may have been reached, NAT will continue to be an important measure to interdict recently infected blood donors.
Retention of cellular properties of PBPCs following liquid storage and cryopreservation
Authors: Moroff Gary , Seetharaman Shalini , Kurtz James W. , Greco Nicholas J. , Mullen Michael D. , Lane Thomas A. , Law Ping
Published: February 2004

BACKGROUND: G–CSF‐mobilized PBPCs are routinely cryopreserved within 24 hours of collection. The ability to hold PBPCs for extended time would offer increased flexibility for patients and hospitals. Retention of PBPC properties following overnight shipping, extended liquid storage at 1 to 6°C, and cryopreservation was evaluated.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: PBPCs were stored in liquid at 1 to 6°C up to 3 days, with and without shipping, and then cryopreserved in HES (6%), DMSO (5%), and HSA (4%). Thawed samples were assayed after two procedures, on dilution and after dilution and washing. Nucleated cells, viability, CD34+ cell number, committed progenitor colonies, and long‐term culture‐initiating cells were measured.

RESULTS: CD34+ cell number, committed colony‐forming cells, and long‐term culture‐initiating cells were essentially maintained when samples were stored in liquid for 1, 2, or 3 days before cryopreservation or after thawing and dilution. Nevertheless, significant (p < 0.05, paired t test) losses in total nucleated cell numbers were observed if thawed PBPC samples were washed before assay.

CONCLUSION: PBPCs can be maintained at 1 to 6°C for up to 3 days and can be cryopreserved after extended storage with properties minimally altered. Dilution alone, without centrifugation and washing, of thawed PBPC samples is a satisfactory procedure for preparing samples for in vitro assays.
Clinical significance of anti‐Jra: report of two cases and review of the literature
Authors: Kwon MeeAe Y. , Su Leon , Arndt Patricia A. , Garratty George , Blackall Douglas P.
Published: February 2004

BACKGROUND: Jra is a high‐frequency antigen seen in all populations, but the clinical significance of Jra antibodies is incompletely understood. Two cases are reported in which patients with anti‐Jra received incompatible transfusions.

CASE REPORTS: A 69‐year‐old Japanese man had anti‐K and anti‐Jra. Despite multiple transfusions of Jr(a+), K– RBCs, his clinical course remained stable without evidence of hemolysis. A 45‐year‐old Japanese woman with anti‐Jra was transfused with two units of Jr(a+) RBCs without clinical evidence of hemolysis. However, the same patient received an additional unit of Jr(a+) RBCs 1 week after the initial transfusions and, within 6 hours of transfusion, developed signs and symptoms of an acute hemolytic transfusion reaction.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Routine serologic methods were used to study the patients’ RBCs and plasma. A monocyte monolayer assay (MMA) was used to determine the potential clinical significance of the anti‐Jra, where reactivity (R) greater than 5 percent indicates potential clinical significance.

RESULTS: The anti‐Jra in the first case had a pretransfusion titer of 32 with a MMA result of 3.3 percent R. No clinical or laboratory evidence of hemolysis was seen after transfusion of 4 units of Jr(a+), K– RBCs. The anti‐Jra in the second case had a pretransfusion titer of 32 with a MMA result of 24.5 percent R. This patient developed an acute hemolytic reaction after transfusion of Jr(a+) RBCs.

CONCLUSION: Anti‐Jra can be clinically significant as demonstrated by acute hemolysis in the second case. The MMA accurately predicted the clinical outcome of each case and appears to be a useful tool in predicting the biologic behavior of anti‐Jra.
Pediatric large‐volume leukapheresis: a single institution experience with heparin versus citrate‐based anticoagulant regimens
Authors: Bolan Charles D. , Yau Yu Ying , Cullis Herbert C. , Horwitz Mitchell E. , Mackall Crystal L. , John Barrett A. , Malech Harry L. , Rehak Nadja N. , Wayne Alan S. , Leitman Susan F.
Published: February 2004

BACKGROUND: Anticoagulant‐associated toxicity may exert significant effects on the safety and efficacy of large‐volume leukapheresis (LVL) in children, however, few studies specifically address management of this issue.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Seventy‐four consecutive LVL procedures (mean, 4 blood volumes processed) in children weighing less than or equal to 30 kg (minimum, 10.9 kg) were analyzed. The first 21 procedures were evaluated retrospectively; 11 used heparin alone (Group I) and 10 used heparin plus reduced‐dose ACD‐A (whole blood to anticoagulant ratio ≥20:1) (Group II). The next 53 procedures were evaluated prospectively and used full‐dose ACD‐A (whole blood to anticoagulant ratio ≤13:1), intravenous divalent cation prophylaxis and no heparin; 11 used calcium alone (Group III) followed by 42 with calcium plus magnesium (Group IV).

RESULTS: Seventy‐four LVL (56 PBPC and 18 MNC) collections were performed in 38 subjects. One donor in Group I experienced a significant groin hematoma at the site of line placement. One donor each in Groups III and IV had mild paresthesias. Despite a mean citrate infusion rate of 2.6 mg per kg per minute, mean postapheresis serum potassium and ionized magnesium and calcium concentrations in Group IV declined by only 9, 8, and 4 percent, respectively, and stable levels of these variables were maintained 24 hours later. Postapheresis PLT counts declined significantly from baseline preapheresis levels in all groups (mean, 52% decrease).

CONCLUSIONS: Use of full‐dose citrate anticoagulant with prophylactic intravenous divalent cation infusion offers an effective and safe approach to management of anticoagulant‐related toxicity in children undergoing LVL.
Wildfire Management in the United States: The Evolution of a Policy Failure
Authors: Busenberg George
Published: February 2004

Wildland fires constitute a major crisis in American environmental policy, a crisis created by a longstanding policy failure. This article explores the political processes that generated and reinforced this policy failure over time. The concepts of bounded rationality, punctuated equilibria, and self‐ reinforcing mechanisms are applied to study the evolution of American wildfire policy between 1905 and the present. This study finds that a self‐defeating wildfire suppression policy was established in the period 1905 through 1911, and subsequently reinforced for more than five decades. This policy did not include a complementary program to counteract the gradual accumulation of flammable organic materials (fuels) that occurred in many ecosystems when fires were suppressed. The resulting fuel accumulations have greatly increased the risk of damaging, high‐intensity wildfires in a range of American wildlands. A combination of fire suppression and fuel reduction programs will be needed to manage this risk in the future.
“The World Changed Today”: Agenda‐Setting and Policy Change in the Wake of the September 11 Terrorist Attacks
Authors: Birkland Thomas A.
Published: February 2004

The September 11 terrorist attacks constitute a focusing event that have been said to have “changed everything” in America. However, the literature on focusing events, policy change, and the policy process suggests that the “windows of opportunity” opened by focusing events like the September 11 attacks do not automatically equate to policy change. This paper considers whether and to what extent the agenda and policies have changed as a result of the attacks. While the events of September 11 provided the impetus for change, the threat of terrorism was already well established in the policy stream, and September 11 only threw open the window of opportunity for policy change based, in large part, on preexisting ideas; many of these ideas were enacted. And in the case of aviation security, some innovation is evident in the area of cockpit security.
Coastal Oil Pollution: Spills, Crisis, and Policy Change1
Authors: Kurtz Rick S.
Published: February 2004

The federal government's adoption of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 represented a radical statutory departure from past policy. Coastal oil spill control provisions that had languished for decades within the industry‐friendly confines of a few select congressional subcommittees suddenly became law. Much popular belief credits the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill crisis for bringing about this radical policy change. Closer examination reveals that postcrisis policy change is much more complex. Crisis events intermingle with other short‐ and long‐term factors that either inhibit or support dramatic change. This study analyzes change within the coastal spill arena over several decades. Particular attention is given to crisis episodes, periods identified with a major catastrophe or a successive series of attention‐getting spills over a brief time. Analysis finds that crises can play an instrumental role in eliciting change.
Enron, a Perceived Crisis in Public Confidence, and the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002
Authors: Cigler Allan J.
Published: February 2004

In the spring of 2002 Congress passed and President Bush signed the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA), the first major piece of campaign reform legislation since the early 1970s. While momentum for reform had been growing since the mid‐1990s, without the Enron scandal and its potential threat to public officials, additional support to overcome the procedural barriers and opposition from the Republican leadership in both the House and Senate would have been difficult to overcome. In addition, Bush Administration ties to Enron had the effect of demobilizing the president on the issue, making it virtually impossible for him to veto a bill he fundamentally opposed. The Enron scandal provided the “window of opportunity” needed by reform‐oriented elites to pass a controversial and far‐ranging law that was not a high priority on the public's agenda. The end result is a law, pending a Supreme Court ruling on its constitutionality, that has the potential to alter fundamentally how electoral campaigns are funded and conducted.
Colorectal xanthomas with polypoid lesion: Report of 25 cases
Authors: NAKASONO MASAHIKO , HIROKAWA MITSUYOSHI , MUGURUMA NAOKI , OKAHISA TOSHIYA , OKAMURA SEISUKE , ITO SUSUMU , MIYAMOTO HIROSHI , WADA SATOSHI , FUKUDA TAMOTSU , SANO TOSHIAKI
Published: February 2004

Little attention has been paid to colorectal xanthoma. To clarify the clinical and pathological features of colorectal xanthoma, we report 28 colorectal xanthomas biopsied from 25 patients. All were composed of typical xanthoma cells and showed polypoid configuration. Median age of the patients was 64 years and there were 15 men and 10 women. Diabetes mellitus, constipation, and hyperlipidemia were found in two, one, and seven patients, respectively. Seventeen (60.7%) of the 28 polyps were located in the sigmoid colon and the remaining 11 in the rectum. Twenty‐three polyps (82.1%) were sessile. Twelve (60.0%) of twenty polyps that were recorded were reddish in color. Only two polyps revealed a yellowish tone. Microscopically, foamy cells were present in the lamina propria, but the submucosa did not contain foamy cells. Immunohistochemically, the foamy cells invariably expressed extensive positivity for CD68. The colonic glands showed a deformity in the case with moderate to intense density of the foamy cells. The surface epithelium showed a hyperplastic change in 22 (78.6%) xanthomas. The colonic glands in four xanthomas were also associated with hyperplastic changes. The basement membrane of the surface epithelium was often thickened. Cell debris and proliferation of the capillaries were observed just below the surface epithelium in 19 (67.9%) and 22 (78.6%) xanthomas, respectively. Previous mucosal minute injury was suggested as the pathogenesis of colorectal xanthomas. Colorectal xanthomas were not identical to gastric and esophageal xanthoma, endoscopically or microscopically. We prefer the term “xanthomatous polyp” rather than xanthoma in the colorectal region. They may be regarded as a novel type of colorectal non‐neoplastic polyp.
Histo‐blood group ABO antigen in oral potentially malignant lesions and squamous cell carcinoma – genotypic and phenotypic characterization
Authors: GAO SHAN , BENNETT ERIK PAUL , REIBEL JESPER , CHEN XINCHUN , CHRISTENSEN MARIA ELISABETH , KROGDAHL ANNELISE , DABELSTEEN ERIK
Published: February 2004

Loss of histo‐blood group A/B antigens is frequent in oral cancer. It is unclear whether this alteration is due to loss of the chromosomal region encoding the genes. The aim was to investigate genotypic alterations in the ABO locus in oral potentially malignant lesions and carcinomas. Seventy‐three cases which expressed A/B antigen in normal epithelium by immunohistochemical (IHC) staining were investigated. Both tumour and normal cells were collected from paraffin‐embedded tissue by laser microdissection. DNA was extracted and analysed by PCR coupled with restricted digestion analysis in order to establish the ABO genotype. Total and patchy loss of A/B antigen expression was found in 24/32 carcinomas, 6/7 leukoplakias with severe dysplasia, 12/17 leukoplakias with mild and moderate dysplasia, and 6/17 leukoplakias without dysplasia. Specific A/B allele loss was found in 8/24 cases with carcinoma and 3/24 cases with mild and moderate dysplasia by genotyping analysis. O allele loss was found in 10 cases involving all four groups. In patients with heterozygous genotypes, A/B allelic loss by genotyping analysis was always followed by loss of A/B antigen expression by IHC staining. Loss of A/B antigen expression in tissues which had intact ABO alleles was, however, found and may be explained by other genetic and epigenetic changes.
A comparative study of the allergenic potency of wild‐type and glyphosate‐tolerant gene‐modified soybean cultivars
Authors: STEN EVA , SKOV PER STAHL , ANDERSEN SVEN B. , TORP ANNA MARIA , OLESEN ANNETTE , BINDSLEV‐JENSEN ULLA , LARS K. BINDSLEV‐JENSEN , BINDSLEV‐JENSEN CARSTEN
Published: February 2004

A large proportion of soybean cultivars grown in the USA are now genetically modified varieties and concern has been raised about the safety of these products for consumers. A study of the impact on allergenic potency in soybeans, comparable except for the newly introduced gene (CP4 EPSPS), was performed using soybean‐sensitized patients. The allergenicity of 18 different (10 GM and 8 WT) soybean extracts was examined blindly by the following three methods: A) Sera from patients with specific IgE against soybean were used to determine concentrations inducing 50% RAST inhibition; B) Histamine release induced by the extracts was examined using blood from sensitized patients; C) SPT was performed on sensitized patients with all 18 extracts. All three methods showed variations in the allergenic potency between the individual extracts but allergenic potential was not affected by presence of the transgene. By using standard in vitro methods and SPT for determination of allergenicity we were not able to detect any significant difference in the allergenic potency between GM and WT soybeans.
Adenoma of the esophagus with intracytoplasmic mucoid bodies
Authors: LINDBOE C.F. , MATRE J. , NESLAND J. M.
Published: February 2004

We report a tubular adenoma of the esophagus in a 79–year‐old man. The tumour had progressed to an intramucosal carcinoma at follow‐up 6 months later. The adenoma displayed a peculiar and heterogeneous histological picture with non‐dysplastic and cystic areas alternating with those of a typical tubular adenoma. The tumour revealed a strong and diffuse expression of cytokeratin 7 and basal cell cytokeratin, whereas cytokeratin 20 was focally positive only. The most remarkable finding, however, was the demonstration of intracytoplasmic inclusion‐like mucoid bodies of the epithelial cells in a small area of the adenomatous component. These inclusions stained PAS positive and alcian blue negative, and electron microscopy revealed a homogeneous structure without viral‐like particles.
Accelerated decline in Helicobacter pylori seroprevalence rate during the screen and treat project in Vammala, Finland, as demonstrated in 29‐ to 45‐year‐old pregnant women
Authors: REHNBERG‐LAIHO LEENA , SALOMAA ANNIINA , RAUTELIN HILPI , KOSKELA PENTTI , SARNA SEPPO , KOSUNEN TIMO U.
Published: February 2004

The potential preventability of serious helicobacter‐associated diseases – especially gastric cancer – has evoked interest in eradicating this pathogen from the population. We assessed the efficacy of the pioneering screen and treat intervention project in Vammala by studying helicobacter seroprevalence in pregnant women representing the normal population. Consecutive maternity clinic samples from native Finnish females at five different localities in 1995 (n=701) and 2000 (n=772) were investigated for class IgG H. pylori antibodies by enzyme immunoassay (Pyloriset EIA‐G III, Orion Diagnostica, Espoo, Finland). In Vammala the change in helicobacter seroprevalence was ‐13%‐units (between 1995 and 2000; p=0.0125, chi‐square test) in ≥29‐year‐old females, +1.6%‐units (difference statistically non‐significant) in <29‐year‐old females, and –5.5%‐units (difference statistically non‐significant) in the whole study population. In the four reference localities studied, all the corresponding changes remained statistically non‐significant. Thus, in Vammala the programme applied accelerated the decline of helicobacter infections in 29‐ to 45‐year‐old females and in 2000 the seroprevalence rate had also become significantly lower than that of the four reference communities combined (7.6% versus 13.5%, respectively, p=0.0433, chi‐square test). The final outcome of the intervention project, i.e. the long‐term effect of this decline on gastric cancer and peptic ulcer disease, remains to be evaluated.
Induction of cystic forms by different stress conditions in Borrelia burgdorferi
Authors: MURGIA R. , CINCO M.
Published: February 2004

Cystic forms of Borrelia burgdorferi might represent a low metabolic activity state or phase of B. burgdorferi cells that allows the spirochete to survive in a hostile environment until conditions are favourable to multiply again. In this study we evaluated the rate of cyst formation induced by oxidative stress, pH variations, and heating, reconversion of cysts to vegetative forms, and some aspects of their metabolic activity. We observed cyst formation in the presence of extreme pH values, and at high temperature, but the best production of cystic forms was observed in the presence of H2O2. When transferred to BSK II medium, the cystic forms reconverted to spirochetes in relation to their age and type of induction treatment. Furthermore, we demonstrated a low metabolic activity of cystic forms by measuring amino acid incorporation. Overall, these data suggest that the phenomenon of conversion to cysts by B. burgdorferi provides a limited survival potential. This short‐term survival, however, gives borreliae an additional chance to overcome unfavourable environmental conditions.
The Wards of Public Guardians: Voices of the Unbefriended*
Authors: Teaster Pamela B.
Published: February 2004

This study sought to understand the perspective of public guardianship wards (e.g., adults reduced to the legal status of a minor child), for whom public guardians, through court authority, should act as a concerned family member regarding the wards' decision making. Grounded in democratic theory, four research questions guided this investigation: How satisfied are the wards of public guardians? To what extent do wards perceive that public guardians uphold the ethical values of autonomy and dignity when working on their behalf? How are public guardians responsive to and representative of their clients? What is the nature of guardian‐ward interactions? Data from ward interviews, participant observation, case files, and agency documents were used. Qualitative analysis revealed that wards came from a variety of backgrounds, had feelings of loneliness and fear, and did not understand or were not necessarily satisfied with the efforts of their public guardians.
Cooperative Learning as One Approach to Teaching Family Law*
Authors: Henderson Tammy L. , Martin Kasey J.
Published: February 2004

We identified appropriate family law content and a pedagogical vehicle to support instructors interested in teaching family law to students of family studies and human development programs. Additionally, we provide instructors with an overview of a family law course, a detailed model syllabus, strategies, and model assignments for using cooperative learning as the core pedagogy. We review the pedagogical value of cooperative learning in general and give specific cooperative assignments for our readers. The course model is designed to improve students' critical thinking, team building, and problem‐solving skills toward understanding the intersection of families and the law.
Participation Patterns in Home‐Based Family Support Programs: Ethnic Variations*
Authors: McCurdy Karen , Gannon Robin A. , Daro Deborah
Published: February 2004

This study investigated the relationship between ethnicity and retention among families participating in a national network of home‐based family support programs. Using archival data collected on 224 African American, 227 European American, and 219 Latino American mothers of newborns and 153 home visitors, multivariate analyses indicate greater participation by African American and Latino parents as compared with European American parents. Retention predictors vary by ethnicity. Strategies to form a supportive parent‐provider alliance are discussed.
Parental Visiting, Conflicting Allegiances, and Emotional and Behavioral Problems Among Foster Children*
Authors: Leathers Sonya J.
Published: February 2004

This study tested the hypothesis that frequent parental visiting is associated with foster children's conflicting allegiances to foster families and biological parents among a random sample of 199 young adolescents placed in family foster care for longer than 1 year. Conflicting allegiances were expected to be associated with emotional and behavioral disturbance. Results are consistent with the hypothesis that frequent visitation is potentially difficult for foster children because of the loyalty conflicts that might accompany frequent visiting. These results suggest that interventions designed to reduce loyalty conflicts might improve the adaptation of high‐risk foster children.
Dimensions of Mothers' and Fathers' Differential Treatment of Siblings: Links With Adolescents' Sex‐Typed Personal Qualities*
Authors: Tucker Corinna Jenkins , McHale Susan M. , Crouter Ann C.
Published: February 2004

We explored mothers' and fathers' differential treatment (PDT) of their adolescent offspring in five domains (privileges, chores, affection, discipline, and temporal involvement) and examined how siblings' personal qualities were associated with PDT. Participants were 188 families with first‐ and secondborn adolescents. Equal treatment was the modal parental style except for privileges and discipline. Even where equal treatment was normative a substantial proportion of parents reported differential treatment. Further, the similarity of the nature of parents' differential treatment varied by domain. Sex was associated with parents' differential temporal involvement. Sex‐typed personal qualities were related to parents' differential discipline. Both sex and sex‐typed personal characteristics were linked to differential affection. Privileges and chores were associated with age and birth order.
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Premarital Prevention Programs: A Meta‐Analytic Review of Outcome Research
Authors: Carroll Jason S. , Doherty William J.
Published: February 2004

We present a comprehensive, meta‐analytic review and critical evaluation of outcome research pertaining to the effectiveness of premarital prevention programs. Results revealed that the mean effect size for premarital programs was .80, which means that the average person who participated in a premarital prevention program was significantly better off afterwards than 79% of people who did not participate. Stated differently, the average participant in a premarital program tends to experience about a 30% increase in measures of outcome success. Our findings suggest that premarital prevention programs are generally effective in producing immediate and short‐term gains in interpersonal skills and overall relationship quality and that these improvements are significantly better than nonintervention couples in these areas. However, because of a lack of extended follow‐up research, conclusions about long‐term effectiveness remain elusive. We propose implications for future research, education, and policy.
The Family Life Education Needs of Midlife and Older Adults*
Authors: Ballard Sharon M. , Morris Michael Lane
Published: February 2004

Using a life course perspective, we report the findings from a needs assessment for midlife and older adults regarding family life education. A sample of 264 adults aged 50 and older indicated interest in 29 family life education topics. The highest rated topics were nutrition and health, fitness and exercise, and positive aspects of aging. Overall, results from age and gender comparisons suggested that midlife adults (50–64) were more interested in family life education topics than were older adults (65+) and that women were more interested than men.
Influence of Child and Family Factors on Judicial Decisions in Contested Custody Cases*
Authors: Wallace Sara R. , Koerner Susan Silverberg
Published: February 2004

To explore how child and family factors influence judicial decision making in contested custody cases, 18 family court judges participated in a semistructured interview that tapped (a) child and family factors considered relevant in determining child custody and (b) how these factors influence custody decisions. Judges cited a variety of factors as being influential, including the child's age and developmental status, the child's wishes regarding the custody arrangement, the child's stability, parental fitness, the history of the parent–child relationships, which parent has been the primary caregiver, each parent's willingness to foster the child's relationship with the other parent, and extrafamilial support. Results from a content analysis reflect the manner in which these factors influence judicial decision making. Emergent themes were identified based on four overarching factors.
Reconciling Divergent Perspectives: Judith Wallerstein, Quantitative Family Research, and Children of Divorce
Authors: Amato Paul R.
Published: February 2004

Although Judith Wallerstein's research on children with divorced parents has been influential, many quantitative family scholars have criticized her methods and conclusions. Wallerstein claims that children with divorced parents often reach adulthood as psychologically troubled individuals who find it difficult to maintain stable and satisfying relationships with others. Consistent with Wallerstein's claims, quantitative research suggests that parental divorce increases the risk of experiencing psychological problems, having a discordant marriage, seeing one's own marriage end in divorce, and having weak ties to parents (especially fathers) in adulthood. The accumulated evidence, however, reveals that the estimated effects of divorce are not as strong as Wallerstein appears to claim. I provide examples from the Marital Instability Over the Life Course study to illustrate the magnitude of divorce effects. I conclude with a call for a rapprochement between Wallerstein and her critics.
Adult Children and Their Fathers: Relationship Changes 20 Years After Parental Divorce*
Authors: Ahrons Constance R. , Tanner Jennifer L.
Published: February 2004

Adult children's reports of relationship changes with their fathers were examined 20 years after their parents' divorce. Data were drawn from interviews with 173 adult children from the Binuclear Family Study about their perceptions of their parents' divorce and its long‐term impact. Findings indicated that most adult children felt that their relationships with their fathers had either improved or remained stable over time. Custody did not directly affect reported changes in the quality of their relationship with their fathers; however, increased interparental conflict, early father remarriage, and low father involvement in the early postdivorce years were associated with worsening relationships over time. Those who reported that their relationships with their fathers got worse also reported poorer quality relationships with their stepmothers, stepsiblings, and paternal grandparents.
Children's Adjustment Following Divorce: Risk and Resilience Perspectives
Authors: Kelly Joan B. , Emery Robert E.
Published: February 2004

The empirical literature on the longer‐term adjustment of children of divorce is reviewed from the perspective of (a) the stressors and elevated risks that divorce presents for children and (b) protective factors associated with better adjustment. The resiliency demonstrated by the majority of children is discussed, as are controversies regarding the adjustment of adult children of divorce. A third dimension of children's responses to divorce, that of lingering painful memories, is distinguished from pathology in order to add a useful complement to risk and resilience perspectives. The potential benefits of using an increasingly differentiated body of divorce research to shape the content of interventions, such as divorce education, by designing programs that focus on known risk factors for children and that assist parents to institute more protective behaviors that may enhance children's longer‐term adjustment is discussed.
The Social Construction of the Divorce “Problem”: Morality, Child Victims, and the Politics of Gender
Authors: Coltrane Scott , Adams Michele
Published: February 2004

Although divorce rates have been stable or dropping for two decades, Americans seem anxious about the state of marriage. Drawing on the sociology of knowledge and a social constructionist approach to the study of social problems, we examine reasons for this collective anxiety, documenting how the divorce “problem” has been framed by organizations promoting conservative family values. We examine the history of divorce and identify social contexts associated with cyclical claims that divorce reflects a breakdown of the moral order. In the contemporary context, we examine how social science experts are used to portray children as victims of divorce and how such images legitimate the political objectives of specific interest groups and mask underlying issues of gender inequality.
Payoffs and Pitfalls of Listening to Children
Authors: Warshak Richard A.
Published: February 2004

Children's perspectives can enlighten decisions regarding custody and parenting plans, but different opinions exist about how best to involve children in the decision‐making process. This article discusses why most procedures for soliciting children's preferences do not reliably elicit information on their best interests and do not give children a meaningful voice in decision making. Instead, these procedures provide children with forums in which to takes sides in their parents' disputes. In addition to hearing an individual child's voice, decision makers can use the collective voice of children, as revealed in research on such topics as joint custody, overnight stays, and relocation to help understand what children might say about these issues with the hindsight of maturity and in the absence of parental pressure, loyalty conflicts, inhibitions, and limitations in perspective and articulation.
Changing the Legacy of Divorce: Evidence From Prevention Programs and Future Directions*
Authors: Haine Rachel A. , Sandler Irwin N. , Wolchik Sharlene A. , Tein Jenn‐Yun , Dawson‐McClure Spring R.
Published: February 2004

This paper has two primary objectives. The first is to assess the current status of efforts to prevent mental health problems in children of divorce by highlighting the importance of using theory in the design and evaluation of prevention programs and by reviewing the empirical research on the efficacy of programs to improve outcomes for children of divorce. The second objective is to propose two future directions for advancing theory‐based preventive interventions for children of divorce: (a) improving our understanding of the theoretical mechanisms underlying prevention program effects, and (b) bridging the gap between the current evidence of program efficacy and the development of a public health strategy to reduce the negative outcomes experienced by children of divorce.
Radiating Messages: An International Perspective
Authors: Walker Janet
Published: February 2004

Studies that radiated negative messages about the detrimental impacts of divorce on children prompted urgent calls in the United Kingdom for a reinstatement of traditional family values. A careful review of the evidence confirms that although the effects of divorce are real, care should be taken to avoid exaggeration. This has moved the debate forward from one centered on finding ways to save marriages at all costs to one centered on providing better support, advice, and information to parents and children to help them deal with the complexities associated with parental separation and establish a different kind of family life in which the quality of relationships is a key factor.
Activation of c‐fos in GABAergic neurones in the preoptic area during sleep and in response to sleep deprivation
Authors: Gong Hui , McGinty Dennis , Guzman‐Marin Ruben , Chew Keng‐Tee , Stewart Darya , Szymusiak Ronald
Published: February 2004

Neurones in the median preoptic nucleus (MnPN) and the ventrolateral preoptic area (vlPOA) express immunoreactivity for c‐Fos protein following sustained sleep, and display elevated discharge rates during both non‐REM and REM sleep compared to waking. We evaluated the hypothesis that MnPN and vlPOA sleep‐active neurones are GABAergic by combining staining for c‐Fos protein with staining for glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD). In a group of six rats exhibiting spontaneous total sleep times averaging 82.2 ± 5.1% of the 2 h immediately prior to death, >75% of MnPN neurones that were Fos‐immunoreactive (IR) were also GAD‐IR. Similar results were obtained in the vlPOA. In a group of 11 rats exhibiting spontaneous sleep times ranging from 20 to 92%, the number of Fos + GAD‐IR neurones in MnPN and vlPOA was positively correlated with total sleep time. Compared to control animals, Fos + GAD‐IR cell counts in the MnPN were significantly elevated in rats that were sleep deprived for 24 h and permitted 2 h of recovery sleep. These findings demonstrate that a majority of MnPN and vlPOA neurones that express Fos‐IR during sustained spontaneous sleep are GABAergic. They also demonstrate that sleep deprivation is associated with increased activation of GABAergic neurones in the MnPN and vlPOA.