bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
HMGB1 Promotes Drug Resistance in Osteosarcoma
Authors: Huang Jun , Ni Jiangdong , Liu Ke , Yu Yan , Xie Min , Kang Rui , Vernon Philip , Cao Lizhi , Tang Daolin
Published: November 2011

Osteosarcoma is the most commonly occurring bone cancer in children and adolescents. Unfortunately, treatment failures are common due to the development of chemoresistance, for which the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we implicate the DNA-binding protein HMGB1, which also exerts immunoregulatory effects in its secreted form, in the development of drug resistance in osteosarcoma. Anticancer agents including doxorubicin, cisplatin, and methotrexate each induced HMGB1 upregulation in human osteosarcoma cells, and RNA interference–mediated knockdown of HMGB1 restored the chemosensitivity of osteosarcoma cells in vivo and in vitro. Mechanistic investigation revealed that HMGB1 increased drug resistance by inducing autophagy, an intracellular self-defense mechanism known to confer drug resistance. We found that HMGB1 bound to the autophagy regulator Beclin1 and regulated the formation of the Beclin1–PI3KC3 [PI3KC3, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase class 3] complex that facilitates autophagic progression. In addition, we found that interaction between HMGB1 and Beclin1 relied upon the autophagic complex ULK1–mAtg13–FIP200. Therefore, through its role as a regulator of autophagy, HMGB1 is a critical factor in the development of chemoresistance, and it offers a novel target for improving osteosarcoma therapy. Cancer Res; 72(1); 230–8. ©2011 AACR.
An Anti-Wnt5a Antibody Suppresses Metastasis of Gastric Cancer Cells In Vivo by Inhibiting Receptor-Mediated Endocytosis
Authors: Hanaki Hideaki , Yamamoto Hideki , Sakane Hiroshi , Matsumoto Shinji , Ohdan Hideki , Sato Akira , Kikuchi Akira
Published: November 2011

Wnt5a is a representative ligand that activates the β-catenin–independent pathway in Wnt signaling. It was reported that the expression of Wnt5a in human gastric cancer is associated with aggressiveness and poor prognosis and that knockdown of Wnt5a reduces the ability of gastric cancer cells to metastasize in nude mice. Therefore, Wnt5a and its signaling pathway might be important targets for the therapy of gastric cancer. The aim of this study was to examine whether an anti-Wnt5a antibody affects metastasis of gastric cancer cells. One anti-Wnt5a polyclonal antibody (pAb5a-5) inhibited migration and invasion activities in vitro of gastric cancer cells with a high expression level of Wnt5a. Previously, it was shown that Wnt5a induces the internalization of receptors, which is required for Wnt5a-dependent activation of Rac1. pAb5a-5 inhibited Wnt5a-dependent internalization of receptors, thereby suppressed Wnt5a-dependent activation of Rac1. Laminin γ2 is one of target genes of Wnt5a signaling and Rac1 was involved in its expression. pAb5a-5 also inhibited Wnt5a-dependent expression of laminin γ2. In an experimental liver metastasis assay, gastric cancer cells were introduced into the spleens of nude mice. Laminin γ2 was required for liver metastatic ability of gastric cancer cells in vivo. Furthermore, intraperitoneal injection of pAb5a-5 inhibited the metastatic ability of gastric cancer cells. These results suggest that an anti-Wnt5a antibody was capable of suppressing Wnt5a-dependent internalization of receptors, resulting in the prevention of metastasis of gastric cancer cells by inhibiting the activation of Rac1 and the expression of laminin γ2. Mol Cancer Ther; 11(2); 298–307. ©2011 AACR.
Short-Term Biomarker Modulation Prevention Study of Anastrozole in Women at Increased Risk for Second Primary Breast Cancer
Authors: Arun Banu , Valero Vicente , Liu Diane , Brewster Abenaa , Green Marjorie , Gutierrez-Barrera Angelica , Akar Ugur , Rivera Edgardo , Esteva Francisco J. , Buzdar Aman U. , Hortobagyi Gabriel N. , Sneige Nour
Published: November 2011

The selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERM), Tamoxifen and raloxifen reduce risk breast cancer. Patient acceptance of SERMs for breast cancer prevention is low due to toxicities. New agents with a better toxicity profile are needed. Aromatase inhibitors (AI) reduce the risk of contralateral breast cancer and risk of new breast cancer in high risk women. However, the mechanism by which AIs reduce breast risk is not known. Surrogate biomarkers are needed to evaluate the effect of preventive agents. The objective of this prospective short-term prevention study was to evaluate the effect of anastrozole on biomarkers in breast tissue and serum of women at increased risk for developing a contralateral breast cancer. Women with a history of stage I, II breast cancer who started anastrozole for standard adjuvant treatment were eligible. Patients underwent baseline fine needle aspiration of the unaffected breast and serum collection for biomarker analysis before starting anastrozole at 1 mg per oral/day and again at 6 months. Biomarkers included changes in cytology, insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), IGF-binding protein 1 (IGFBP-1), and IGFBP-3. Thirty-seven patients were enrolled. There was a significant modulation in serum IGFBP-1 levels between pre- and postsamples (P = 0.02). No change was observed in IGF-1, IGFBP-3, and breast cytology.We showed a significant modulation of IGFBP-1 levels with six months anastrozole. Anastrozole is currently being studied as a prevention agent in a large phase III trial and our results provide support for continued evaluation of IGFBP-1 as a surrogate endpoint biomarker in prospective breast chemoprevention studies. Cancer Prev Res; 5(2); 276–82. ©2011 AACR.
Are CRIS Cluster Patterns Differentially Associated With African American Enculturation and Social Distance?
Authors: Chavez-Korell Shannon , Vandiver Beverly J.
Published: November 2011

The authors examined whether Black racial identity cluster patterns, using Cross Racial Identity Scale (CRIS) scores, were differentially associated with preference for African American culture and social distance from various cultural groups. African American college students ( N = 351) completed the CRIS, an enculturation scale, and a social distance measure. Six racial identity cluster patterns were identified using cluster analysis. A one-way analysis of variance indicated that individuals with an Assimilated cluster pattern endorsed African American culture less than those with an Afrocentric or Intense Black Involvement pattern; those with a Self-Hating cluster pattern endorsed African American culture less than those with an Afrocentric pattern. A one-way multivariate analysis of variance, followed by a descriptive discriminant analysis, on the social distance measure indicated that individuals with Self-Hating and Assimilated cluster patterns preferred less social distance from Whites, Asians, and Jews than individuals with Intense Black Involvement, Afrocentric, and Immersion cluster patterns.
Work and Relationship
Authors: Lent Robert W.
Published: November 2011

In proposing a “work and relationship” perspective for vocational psychology, Richardson builds on a rich intellectual (social constructionist) tradition and offers incisive social commentary. In this reaction, the author examines several of her foci—in particular, the four-part division of life’s social contexts, her views on relationships, and her advocacy for transforming career counseling into a more holistic work/life intervention approach. While the author appreciates her perspective, he argues for the need for a more specific research agenda and for a greater effort to connect her proposals with work already initiated by researchers and theorists both within and outside of vocational psychology. The study of relational/social factors and processes is not a novel development in vocational (or other areas of) psychology. Efforts to bridge our theories and research with relevant inquiry external to the field will ensure that our contributions remain state of the art, profit from and contribute to cross-fertilization, and receive greater visibility and application.
The Denial of Paternity: Pregnancy as a Risk to the ‘Pure Relationship’
Authors: Turney Lyn
Published: November 2011

This article draws on a study of the use of genetic paternity testing in the Australian context. It uses data from interviews with women in regular or cohabitating relationships whose partners exited the relationship because of a pregnancy and subsequently denied paternity. At a broader level, it explores the fragility of paternity itself in the early 21st century within the context of unprecedented sexual freedoms and transformative changes to family formation and intimate relationships. It also locates cohabitating paternity in a broader discursive context that has seen an unparalleled demonization of mothers as potential perpetrators of ‘paternity fraud’, a neo-legal exposé of infidelity and extortion of child support that commercial DNA paternity testing purports to be able to uncover.
Territory, Ancestry and Descent: The Politics of Sickle Cell Disease
Authors: Carter Bob , Dyson Simon M
Published: November 2011

Sociologists have long questioned the naturalness and stability of ‘ethnic groups’, suggesting that a concern with how they are socially constituted is more appropriate. However, the example of genetically based medical conditions appears to challenge this by suggesting that, in certain cases, ancestry, territorial affiliation and identity may be linked objectively by genetics. The article uses the example of sickle cell disease (SCD) to examine this claim. After reviewing the difficulties associated with notions of ethnicity, the article develops an account of how SCD came to be seen as an ‘ethnic disease’, and how it came to play a major role in the stabilization of particular forms of group identity. It concludes by emphasizing the need for a critical view of popular notions of territory and group identification.
Unwilling Citizens? Muslim Young People and National Identity
Authors: Thomas Paul , Sanderson Pete
Published: November 2011

Muslim youth ‘identities’ are at the forefront of recent policy concern in the UK. The 2001 riots in northern English towns apparently revealed alienated Muslim communities living ‘parallel lives’ and failing to share British identity. Whilst highly contested, the resulting new priority of Community Cohesion and debates around ‘Britishness’ have moved forward. The 7/7 bombings and subsequent terror plots arguably confirmed the picture of Muslim youth as oppositional to British values, prompting the blaming of multiculturalism and attempts to ‘prevent violent extremism’. Such policies have offered little evidence on how Muslim young people actually view their identity. This article draws on research in Oldham and Rochdale to explore how Muslim young people understand their identifications and how this relates to understandings of national identity. In doing so, it explores the role of multiculturalism and community cohesion in the identities of young British Muslims and the implications for policy.
The Public Identities of the Black Middle Classes: Managing Race in Public Spaces
Authors: Rollock Nicola , Gillborn David , Vincent Carol , Ball Stephen
Published: November 2011

Drawing on data from a two-year ESRC-funded project into The Educational Strategies of the Black Middle Classes, 1 this article examines how middle class blacks negotiate survival in a society marked by race and class discrimination. It considers respondents’ school experiences, marked as they are by incidents of Othering and racism and explores both the processes by which they came to an awareness of their status as racially minoritized and how they made sense of and managed such incidents. The majority of our respondents have made the transition from working class to middle class during their lifetimes. It is argued that these early formative experiences of racism and this class transition have facilitated the development of a complex set of capitals upon which middle class blacks are able to draw in order to signal their class identity to white others therefore minimizing the probability of racial discrimination.
Falling back into Gender? Men’s Narratives and Practices around First-time Fatherhood
Authors: Miller Tina
Published: November 2011

This article explores men’s articulations and practices of gender through transition to first-time fatherhood. Using qualitative longitudinal data, men’s antenatal intentions and postnatal practices are explored in this study which replicates earlier research on motherhood. The contemporary context in the UK is one where paternity leave, discourses of caring masculinities and more public displays of fathering involvement appear to offer new possibilities for men. But data analysis shows that whilst opportunities to disrupt gender norms are initially imagined, longer term practices can confirm ‘patriarchal habits’. The findings illuminate gender being done and undone, at times simultaneously, as the exhaustion and hard work of new parenting is encountered. A retreat into normative behaviours can be a path of least resistance as experiences unfold in an arena where men are found to have available to them a wider repertoire of discursive storylines. Optimistically, some changes in fathering involvement are discernible.
Contestation and Enregisterment in Ohio’s Imagined Dialects
Authors: Campbell-Kibler Kathryn
Published: November 2011

This article examines the contestation of a partially enregistered variety, namely, the “Cleveland accent” or “northern accent” in Ohio. Speaker perceptions of language variation within Ohio were collected from eighty-nine visitors to a science museum in Columbus, Ohio. Participant responses reflect Ohio’s complex dialect situation, dividing the northern and southern areas of the state out from a purportedly neutral, normative center. Accent-free speakers are positioned in central Ohio cities and presented as racially unmarked, while Southern, rural speakers and African American, young, urban speakers are presented as stigmatized and linguistically deficient Others. This stigma contrasts strikingly with the value-free discussion of otherwise unmarked speakers in northern Ohio, whose language differences, when noted, are presented less negatively, marked as less widely known, and, in some cases, downplayed as idiosyncratic variation. These results suggest that, for Ohio speakers, the North Midland/Inland North boundary is incompletely enregistered and would therefore be a promising site for the examination of enregisterment in progress and of the strategies speakers use to try to counter potential enregisterment.
Increasing Social Conservatism in the Pakistan Army
Authors: Fair C. Christine
Published: November 2011

This essay interrogates popular beliefs about Islamization of the Pakistan Army officer corps and the polity from which the army recruits. It first assembles and synthesizes the extant secondary literature on Islamization of Pakistan generally, and the army in particular. As access to the Pakistan Army diminished after 1990 when numerous US sanctions on Pakistan limited defense cooperation and other forms of bilateral engagements, this secondary literature is generally truncated to 1990. To expand what is known about the Pakistan Army, this essay next presents the results of an ongoing quantitative analysis of district-level officer recruitment (and retirement) data. This ecological study finds that, as recently as 2002, districts that produce army officers are actually more socially liberal and urban than is commonly believed. This essay discusses the implications of the changes in the officer corps and concludes with a call for a robust research agenda on the Pakistan Army.
Passion, Power, and Political Conflict
Authors: Spicer Michael W.
Published: November 2011

This article discusses the ideas of John Trenchard and Thomas Gordon, as set forth in Cato’s Letters, and explores their implications for American constitutionalism and public administration. The article examines their views on the role of human passions in politics and how conflicts among such passions might be constructively harnessed to protect freedom. It is argued here that Cato’s Letters advanced an agonistic view of democratic governance, one echoed by the founders of the Constitution, in which conflicts among contesting groups, each motivated by their particular passions, serve to promote responsible governance. Therefore, if we truly wish to legitimate public administration in our constitutional practices, we must accept and, to a significant extent, embrace the conflict and contestation that these practices engender.
Revolution, rupture, rhetoric
Authors: Fleming Chris , O’Carroll John
Published: November 2011

This article traces certain rhetorics of knowledge-change as well as a few models of such change. In particular, it focuses on models that emphasize novelty and sudden transformation. To this end, the works of Thomas Kuhn, and the debates surrounding his celebrated modeling of the paradigm, are explored. Having established – at least in an illustrative fashion – the role of novelty in Kuhn’s philosophy of science, we then look more briefly at the mid-career work of Michel Foucault (his Order of Things and the Archaeology of Knowledge), and the debate between Jürgen Habermas and Jean-François Lyotard to find (in Foucault’s case) analogies with the earlier models and debates surrounding Popper and Kuhn, and then (in the Habermas/Lyotard discussion), to see how revolutionary and reactionary status count in assigning value to models of knowledge. In all these inquiries, we seek less to criticize particular theorists (that has already been done) than to understand a dominant strand of understanding of knowledge and knowledge-change in the contemporary academy.
Ototoxicity of Intratympanic Docusate Sodium and Mineral Oil in the Guinea Pig
Authors: Nader Marc‐Elie , Saliba Issam
Published: November 2011

Objectives

(1) To evaluate the ototoxic potential of docusate sodium and mineral oil and (2) to compare the cerumenolytic properties of these agents to water and a commercially available product.

Study Design

Prospective animal study.

Setting

Docusate sodium and mineral oil are being used to dissolve cerumen plugs. Their ototoxicity has never been assessed.

Methods

Nineteen guinea pigs represented 38 ears, which formed 4 groups. Each group was injected with an intratympanic solution once a week for 4 weeks. Group 1 was injected with a negative control solution of saline, group 2 with docusate sodium, group 3 with a positive control solution of gentamicin, and group 4 with mineral oil. Auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) were recorded before any procedure and 1 week after the final injections. Cochleas were analyzed under scanning electron microscopy. The cerumenolytic properties of water, docusate sodium, mineral oil, and cerumol were evaluated.

Results

There was no significant ABR threshold increase for saline or mineral oil. Gentamicin and docusate sodium caused a significant threshold increase that averaged 51.9 dB and 44.9 dB over all the frequencies (P <. 001). Electron microscopy could not be performed on the cochleas treated by docusate sodium because of very severe osteitis. All of the agents tested seemed to be effective cerumenolytics compared with no treatment, but water was significantly more effective compared with any of the other tested products (P <. 001).

Conclusion

Docusate sodium was severely ototoxic, and its use should be discouraged. Mineral oil was not ototoxic. Water seemed to be the most effective cerumenolytic agent.
Prevalence, Characteristics, and Management of Swallowing Disorders following Cerebellopontine Angle Surgery
Authors: Starmer Heather M. , Best Simon R. , Agrawal Yuri , Chien Wade W. , Hillel Alexander T. , Francis Howard W. , Tamargo Rafael J. , Akst Lee M.
Published: November 2011

Objective

To describe swallowing disorders encountered after cerebellopontine angle surgery and to explore variables associated with increased incidence of postoperative dysphagia.

Study Design

Case series with chart review.

Setting

Single academic medical institution.

Subjects and Methods

Chart review of 181 consecutive patients undergoing surgical excision of cerebellopontine angle pathology from January 2008 to December 2010 at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. Presence and characteristics of dysphagia were determined by review of speech pathologist reports. Other clinical variables were extracted from the electronic medical record, and statistical analyses were applied to determine factors associated with postoperative dysphagia.

Results

Immediate postoperative dysphagia was identified in 57 of 181 patients (31%). Oral, oropharyngeal, and pharyngeal deficits accounted for 51%, 37%, and 12% of dysphagic symptoms, respectively. Facial nerve weakness in the immediate postoperative period was noted in 91% of dysphagic subjects compared with 43% of those without. Mean House‐Brackmann score for dysphagic individuals was 4 compared with 2 in the nondysphagic group. Diet alterations were required for 65% of dysphagic individuals, and an additional 9% required tube feeding. Common findings during videofluoroscopic swallowing studies were pharyngeal residue, reduced pharyngeal constriction, and anterior bolus loss. Abnormal penetration‐aspiration scores (≥3) were found in 59% of those undergoing videofluoroscopic swallow studies.

Conclusions

Oral and pharyngeal swallowing deficits are commonly encountered after cerebellopontine angle surgery. Consultation with the speech‐language pathologist appears most critical for any individuals demonstrating postoperative cranial nerve dysfunction, particularly for those with evidence of facial nerve weakness. Early consultation may help to manage short‐ and long‐term functional difficulties.
Intratympanic Treatment of Intractable Unilateral Ménière Disease
Authors: Casani Augusto Pietro , Piaggi Paolo , Cerchiai Niccolò , Seccia Veronica , Sellari Franceschini Stefano , Dallan Iacopo
Published: November 2011

Objective

To determine the efficacy and safety of low‐dose intratympanic gentamicin (ITG) compared with intratympanic dexamethasone (ITD) in patients with intractable unilateral Ménière disease (MD).

Study Design

Open prospective randomized controlled study.

Setting

Tertiary referral center.

Subjects and Methods

Sixty patients affected by definite unilateral MD were enrolled between January 1, 2007, and June 30, 2008. Thirty‐two patients were treated with a buffered gentamicin solution injected in the middle ear (maximum of 2 injections); 28 patients were treated with ITD (4 mg/mL, 3 injections at intervals of 1 every 3 days). Mean outcome measurements consisted of control of vertigo attacks, pure tone average (PTA), speech discrimination score, functional disability score, and statistical analysis using repeated measures analysis of variance.

Results

In the ITG group at 2‐year follow‐up, complete control of vertigo (class A) was achieved in 26 patients (81%) and substantial control of vertigo (class B) in 4 patients (12.5%). In the ITD group, class A was achieved in 12 (43%), and class B in 5 (18%) patients. In the gentamicin group, 4 patients showed a reduction in PTA of ≥10 dB. In the ITD group, PTA was unchanged or slightly improved in 16 patients (belonging to class A‐B) and worse in 12.

Conclusions

Low‐dose ITG achieved better outcome than ITD in the control of vertigo attacks in patients suffering from unilateral MD, with a very low incidence of hearing deterioration. ITD offers poorer vertigo control rate, and hearing preservation is achieved only in cases with no vertigo recurrences.
The effects of coping strategies on PTSD in victims of a terror attack and their spouses
Authors: Gilbar Ora , Weinberg Michael , Gil Sharon
Published: November 2011

Objectives: The study examined the effect of victims’ and spouses’ coping strategies on PTSD in victim-spouse dyads, using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM).Method: A total of 72 dyads consisting of injured victims who were exposed to terror attacks, and their spouses who were not injured, participated in the study based on lists prepared by the “One Family” organization in Israel. PTSD symptoms were assessed using PSS-SR, and coping strategies (emotion-focused and problem-focused) were assessed by means of the COPE measure.Results: The APIM model showed that spouse’s emotion-focused coping impacted victim’s and spouse’s PTSD, and victim’s gender impacted spouse’s PTSD.Conclusions: Spousal emotion-focused coping is a significant factor in both victims’ and spouses’ PTSD, while problem-focused coping is not.
Grassroots groups and poor women’s empowerment in rural India
Authors: Subramaniam Mangala
Published: November 2011

Organizing grassroots groups, particularly among the deeply disadvantaged may require initial facilitation through a leader. This article suggests that such facilitative leadership will adopt a diffused form with increased participation and involvement of members in groups. Thereafter, members are less likely to rely on the facilitative leader for decision-making or collective action. Based on primary data from sanghas organized as grassroots groups through the Mahila Samakhya Karnataka (MSK) program in rural India, the article examines the effects of group characteristics; structure and leadership; and individual participation on the political-cultural empowerment of members. The analyses suggest that older bureaucratic grassroots groups are more likely to be empowering for women members. Members’ involvement in the process of creating, setting up and adopting rules and procedures is significant for change within the family and the community, particularly for the poor illiterate dalit women in this case.
The adoption of women and gender as development assistance priorities: An event history analysis of world polity effects
Authors: Swiss Liam
Published: November 2011

Growing similarity of development assistance policy and reference to emerging global consensus on development issues has been a striking trend in the foreign aid community in recent years. This article uses event history techniques to undertake an exploratory analysis and test world polity effects on the spread of gender and development policies and institutional structures among 22 aid donors of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s Development Assistance Committee from 1968 through 2003. Findings point to the influence of other donors, international civil society, international treaties and conferences as strong determinants of the homogenization of development assistance policy and the adoption of gender policies by donor organizations.
Crime reporting behavior and Black’s Behavior of Law
Authors: Kuo Shih-Ya , Cuvelier Steven J , Sheu Chuen-Jim , Chang Kuang-Ming
Published: November 2011

This study seeks to extend the theoretical explanation of victims’ crime reporting behavior to a social-structural framework by partially using Black’s Behavior of Law theory in a non-western context. Black’s theory of law postulated that police reporting varied according to five aspects of social life: stratification, morphology, culture, organization and social control. Drawing on the most recent victimization survey conducted in Taiwan, this study focuses on victim reporting of assault, robbery and larceny. Some findings replicated the expectations proposed by Black’s propositions, but others were contrary to expectations. Female robbery victims reported to the police approximately three times more than males. The plausible reason might involve the notion of relational distance taken from Black’s morphology perspective. It was also found that the severity of infraction was positively related to crime reporting. The coexistence of a strong effect of the variable ‘crime seriousness’ and the statistical significance of Black’s social dimensions might imply that Black’s theory has value in forming the broad social context of social action but is insufficient as an explanation of individual behavior.
Multi-scalar globalization and political governance: Lessons from negotiations over Colombia’s Poverty and Inequality Reduction Strategy, 2006–2015
Authors: González Chavarría Alexander
Published: November 2011

Drawing on an analysis of negotiations between the Colombian government and international donors over Colombia’s Poverty and Inequality Reduction Strategy, this article describes the normative, institutional and technical patterns that configure a political governance structure within the international cooperation and development system. The article argues that this structure works as an interface that integrates global governance processes aimed at the regulation of global risks (e.g. poverty and inequality) into national political systems in aid-receiving countries. This case study suggests that the shape of this governance structure leads to a form of ‘agreed violation’ of sovereignty that can be defined and analysed as an instance of the ‘emergent formations of multi-scalar globalization’, to which the sociology of globalization refers. However, this interpretation necessitates a fine-tuning of the sociology of globalization’s understanding of governance, which is discussed in this article.
Professions in a globalizing world: Towards a transnational sociology of the professions
Authors: Faulconbridge James R , Muzio Daniel
Published: November 2011

Globalization has significant implications for the professions, with the societies and the regulators around them changing and the realities of professional work in large organizations taking on increasingly transnational dimensions. However, while there is no lack of empirical studies of the globalization of individual professions and firms, the implications of processes of globalization, reregulation and governmental rescaling for neo-Weberian sociologies of the professions has not received the same attention. This article seeks to rectify this gap in knowledge by developing a transnational neo-Weberian sociology of the professions that takes account of the rescaling of the world that the professions inhabit and the important new research questions generated about the multi-scalar influences on the forms of regulation, power and legitimacy that underlie professional projects.
Willingness to Intervene in Bullying Episodes Among Middle School Students
Authors: Espelage Dorothy , Green Harold , Polanin Joshua
Published: November 2011

This study examined the associations among gender, empathy, attitudes toward bullying, willingness to intervene, and bullying within peer groups in a sample of sixth and seventh-grade students ( N = 346; M Age = 12.22 years). Peer groups were identified via social network analysis using NEGOPY (Richards, 1995) and peer-group predictors were evaluated with multilevel modeling. Male peer-group willingness to intervene results indicated significant between-group variation (i.e., high ICC). Perspective-taking was associated with greater willingness to intervene within male peer groups after controlling for initial levels of willingness to intervene. Greater bullying perpetration within one’s peer group was highly predictive of less individual willingness to intervene. For females, willingness to intervene scores was not dependent on friendship group. This study suggests that bullying prevention programs that encourage students to intervene on behalf of victims might be efficacious for male students with friends who bully others at low rates.
Endogenous Patient Responses and the Consistency Principle in Cost-Effectiveness Analysis
Authors: Liu Liqun , Rettenmaier Andrew J. , Saving Thomas R.
Published: November 2011

In addition to incurring direct treatment costs and generating direct health benefits that improve longevity and/or health-related quality of life, medical interventions often have further or “unrelated” financial and health impacts, raising the issue of what costs and effects should be included in calculating the cost-effectiveness ratio of an intervention. The “consistency principle” in medical cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) requires that one include both the cost and the utility benefit of a change (in medical expenditures, consumption, or leisure) caused by an intervention or neither of them. By distinguishing between exogenous changes directly brought about by an intervention and endogenous patient responses to the exogenous changes, and within a lifetime utility maximization framework, this article addresses 2 questions related to the consistency principle: 1) how to choose among alternative internally consistent exclusion/inclusion rules, and 2) what to do with survival consumption costs and earnings. It finds that, for an endogenous change, excluding or including both the cost and the utility benefit of the change does not alter cost-effectiveness results. Further, in agreement with the consistency principle, welfare maximization implies that consumption costs and earnings during the extended life directly caused by an intervention should be included in CEA.
Community Reintegration of Sex Offenders of Children in New Zealand
Authors: Russell Gemma , Seymour Fred , Lambie Ian
Published: November 2011

Reintegration of offenders following incarceration is most successful if matched to the needs of offenders, victims, and the community. This study explored child sex offenders’ expectations for and experiences of reintegration into the community. A longitudinal design was used in which semistructured interviews covered issues identified in the literature as being related to reintegration. Nine offenders were interviewed within 1 week prior to release, 3 months post release, and 6 months post release. Interviews were analysed using thematic analyses producing six key themes. The interviews revealed that most of the participants feared their release from prison into the community and once released struggled to live in society. Overall, reintegration planning was simplistic and aimed primarily to manage risk factors rather than promote reintegration. Those participants who reported most satisfaction with their adjustment following release had more comprehensive reintegration plans, which enabled them to visualise what life would be like after release.
Profile of an American Amateur Rugby Union Sevens Series
Authors: Lopez Victor , Galano Gregory J. , Black Christopher M. , Gupta Arun T. , James Douglas E. , Kelleher Kristen M. , Allen Answorth A.
Published: November 2011

Background: Rugby union will enter the Olympic arena as Rugby Sevens in 2016.

Purpose: To investigate the injury rate, injury type, and nature of injuries sustained in an amateur American rugby union sevens tournament series.

Study Design: Descriptive epidemiology study.

Methods: The rate, demographics, and characteristics of injury were evaluated in 1536 rugby union sevens players, from 128 sides, competing in 4 amateur 1-day tournaments in a USA Rugby local area rugby union.

Results: Forty-eight injuries occurred over 4 tournaments, for an injury rate of 55.4 injuries per 1000 playing hours. Head and neck injuries were most common (33.3% of injuries), followed by upper extremity (31.3%), trunk (18.8%), lower extremity (14.6%), and physiologic injuries (2.1%). The most common type of injury was ligament sprain (25.0%); followed by concussion (14.6%), hematoma/contusion (12.5%), muscle strain (10.4%), and abrasion (8.3%). Tackling was the most common mechanism of injury (74.5%). Males were injured at a significantly higher rate than females (RR, 7.5, P < .01), but no significant difference was observed based on player position ( P = .08).

Conclusion: Injuries are common among American amateur rugby athletes, with a substantial proportion involving the head and neck region.

Clinical Relevance: Understanding injury patterns in an American rugby union will be important for formulating future injury prevention, assessment, and treatment protocols.
Investigation of inflammatory response at blood–poly (2-methoxyethyl acrylate) (PMEA) interface in vivo via scanning tunneling microscope
Authors: Kocakulak Mustafa , Koçum İ. Cengiz , Ayhan Hakan
Published: November 2011

The effects of an amphiphilic polymer coating of poly(2-methoxyethyl acrylate) (PMEA) on immunoglobulin adsorption and leukocyte adhesion were investigated. Forty patients were operated on using noncoated and PMEA-coated oxygenator fibers; leukocyte counts adhered onto the noncoated and coated fibers. It appears that the adsorbed immunoglobulin on noncoated fiber surfaces plays a role in leukocyte adhesion and complement activation by an alternative pathway, while the PMEA coating reduced the complement activation on the oxygenator hollow fibers. The biomaterial and blood interaction at the interface could potentially be used as an indicator for predicting the artificial devices long-term clinical performance.
Community Conversations
Authors: Trainor Audrey A. , Carter Erik W. , Swedeen Beth , Pickett Kelly
Published: November 2011

Although early work experiences can impart a number of benefits to adolescents with disabilities, few students have meaningful access to these opportunities. The authors examined “community conversations” to build capacity and interest in expanding employment opportunities. Events were held in seven different communities and used the World Café process ( Brown & Isaacs, 2005 ) to facilitate asset-based identification of localized next steps. Observations, analyses of surveys completed by the 239 community members who attended, and examination of artifacts suggested that the events offer a promising avenue for identifying solutions, building social capital, and increasing employment opportunities. The authors offer recommendations for drawing on this approach to harness and build the capacity of communities to support youth in transition, along with directions for future research.
Liberal Democracy and National Security: Continuities in the Bush and Obama Administrations
Authors: Romano Silvina M.
Published: November 2011

The antiterrorist policy of the George W. Bush Administration established a relationship between democracy and security that implied the limitation of the former as a necessary condition for the achievement of the latter. This strategy led to the diminishing of the basic liberties promoted by liberal democracy through legal means with the putative objective of guaranteeing the ‘security’ of American citizens. A key starting point of these policies can be found in undercover operations carried out abroad by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Department of State at the beginning of the Cold War. This article focuses on the continuities and ruptures between the official discourse of the G. W. Bush Administration and that of the first years of the Cold War, focusing on the realist and liberal patterns present in those discourses. This leads to an analysis of the relationship between democracy and national security under the antiterrorist policy implemented by the G. W. Bush government, approached from a power elite perspective. The aggressive foreign and homeland policies of the US government were based upon a booming military–industrial pole, closely bound to free market expansionism and liberal democracy as key dimensions in the reproduction of capitalism. Included in this consideration are the 2002 and 2006 National Security Strategies, the Patriot Act (2001), and the Domestic Security Enhancement Act (2003) (or ‘Patriot Act II’) put in place by the G.W. Bush Administration, as well as the National Security Strategy (2009) established by President Obama.
Trends in Utilization of Management Strategies for Newly Diagnosed Atrial Fibrillation Patients in the United States
Authors: Kashyap Arpit , Li Chenghui
Published: November 2011

Objective: To describe the trend in atrial fibrillation (AF) treatment strategies in newly diagnosed AF patients between 1999 and 2008. Methods: The study was a retrospective cohort study of commercial health plans claims data. Newly diagnosed adult AF patients with ≥1 claim for an AF-related intervention within 12 months of diagnosis were identified. Based on initial treatment, patients were classified into pharmacotherapy or nonpharmacotherapy groups. Pharmacotherapy group was subcategorized into rate-control or rhythm-control groups. Linear regression to assess linear trend and multinomial logistic regression to evaluate factors associated with treatment choice were conducted. Results: Three thousand ninety-four newly diagnosed AF patients were identified. Eighty percent of these patients were initiated on pharmacotherapy with the majority (84%) receiving rate-control medications only. Relative distribution of the 3 treatment groups remained similar over the study period. However, within the rate-control group, the use of beta blockers increased significantly ( P < .001). Treatment with nonpharmacotherapy over rate-control medications was higher in males but lower in patients aged ≥80 (relative risk ratio [RRR]: 1.67, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.27-2.20 and RRR: 0.48, 95% CI: 0.30-0.77, respectively). Having stroke and congestive heart failure significantly affected the treatment choice between nonpharmacotherapy and rate-control medications. Conclusion: Medication therapy, especially rate-control strategies, remains the preferred initial therapy of choice.
Near-time-optimal tracking controller design for an automotive electromechanical brake
Authors: Lee C F , Manzie C
Published: November 2011

A state-constrained, robust near-time-optimal clamp force tracking controller for an automotive electromechanical brake is presented. The proposed hybrid control structure consists of two switching control laws that handle tracking of rate-bounded references in the presence of state constraints. The responsive tracking utilizes an approximated time-optimal switching curve as a sliding manifold, while state constraints are handled by a linearizing–stabilizing feedback controller. The hybrid controller is proven to asymptotically track the reference in the presence of unknown but bounded time-varying disturbances and modelling errors. Implementation and validation of the proposed controller on a prototype electromechanical brake enables favourable performance comparisons with existing servo control architectures to be obtained.
Holocene development of multiple dune generations in the northeast Rub’ al-Khali, United Arab Emirates
Authors: Atkinson Oliver A.C. , Thomas David S.G. , Goudie Andrew S. , Parker Adrian G.
Published: November 2011

It has been hypothesised that in sand seas where multiple dune generations occur, each generation represents a distinct terrestrial response to contrasting palaeoatmospheric circulation conditions (Lancaster N, Kocurek G, Singhvi A, Pandey V, Deynoux M, Ghienne J-F et al. (2002) Late Pleistocene and Holocene dune activity and wind regimes in the western Sahara Desert of Mauritania. Geology 30: 991–994). However, reconstructing dunefield accumulation and preservation chronologies has often utilised a limited suite of samples because of the difficulties realised in accessing unconsolidated aeolian sands, which has limited the capacity to test this hypothesis. In the eastern United Arab Emirates, artificial excavation for quarrying and construction have generated a unique opportunity to examine and sample the internal structures of dune systems, and to generate data to test the hypothesis of dune generational development. This paper presents new data and chronologies from a multigenerational analysis of dune accumulation in the northeast dunefield of the Rub’ al-Khali. A complex developmental history during the Holocene is revealed, which does not fully conform to the notion of each dune generation forming in distinct palaeoclimatic phases, since the age ranges represented in the accumulation of secondary dunes is also found within a longer suite of accumulation ages from the underlying megaridges.
Early rice exploitation in the lower Yangzi valley: What are we missing?
Authors: Crawford GW
Published: November 2011

Recent interpretations of the archaeology of domesticated rice evolution and the development of agriculture in the Lower Yangzi Valley are being informed by new genetic, palaeoenvironmental, archaeological and archaeobotanical data. This paper explores current views on early rice production in the region and attempts to expand the discourse to provoke exploration of new and modified questions. Rice-specific botanical through large-scale ecological issues and causality are examined. This paper argues that understanding rice domestication and production, although important, should not be the exclusive goal of research on early agriculture in the Yangzi Valley. Despite the preliminary nature of the investigations at Kuahuqiao ( c. 8000–7000 cal. BP), evidence of resource management, and potential domesticated resources or their ancestors that includes pig ( Sus scrofa), peach ( Prunus persica), apricot ( P. armeniaca), Japanese apricot ( P. mume), foxnut ( Euryale ferox) and water chestnut ( Trapa spp.) underscore the need to broaden the scope of inquiry on early food/resource production. The complexities of the archaeological and environmental record in the Yangzi valley indicate that nuanced, complex explanations for rice domestication and agricultural origins rather than deterministic, single cause explanations are necessary in order to move forward.
“Turning to One’s Own World”
Authors: de la Cuesta-Benjumea Carmen , Donet-Montagut Teresa , Galiana-Gómez de Cádiz Maria José
Published: November 2011

Purpose: Although past research has focused on the coping strategies of family caregivers, how immigrant caregivers cope with the demands of caregiving remains unknown. This study examines the strategies immigrant caregivers use to relieve the burden of care. Method: A qualitative study based on 17 immigrant women caregivers using purposive and snowball sampling was done. Semistructured interviews and testimonies were obtained and analyzed using grounded theory procedures. Findings: Turning to one’s world describes how caregivers seek relief from the burden of care. They escape virtually, go to a private place, make those they care for their own, and decide to go home. These mechanisms enable them to escape from the world of caregiving in which they find themselves. Discussion and Conclusions: Findings reveal the significance of family connections and networks for immigrants to achieve burden relief. Implications for Practice: The importance of promoting positive working environments and raising awareness about immigrant caregivers’ need for rest.
Transitions To and From Self- Employment Among Older People With Disabilities in Europe
Authors: Pagán-Rodríguez Ricardo
Published: November 2011

This paper analyses the labor-market transitions among older people with disabilities in Europe as compared to their non-disabled counterparts. Particular attention is paid to the workers’ transitions to and from self-employment. Using data from the two first waves (2004 and 2007) of a panel data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), we estimate employment transition matrices for disabled and non-disabled individuals aged 50 years or over, taking into account the possible transitions in disability status that individuals may experience throughout our panel data. The results show that older people with disabilities (especially females) who are self-employed in 2004 are less likely to remain in the same labor status three years later. In contrast, transitions from self-employment to “out of labor force” were relatively higher for disabled individuals as compared to non-disabled ones. In addition, the results vary when we take into consideration the disability trajectories. Areas of future research and policy recommendations are given.