bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Community Reintegration of Ex-Prisoners
Authors: Shinkfield Alison J. , Graffam Joseph
Published: December 2007

Community reintegration of ex-prisoners is an important issue in efforts to reduce recidivism. The present study examined the multiple, complex, and dynamic nature of variables influencing successful reintegration by assessing the type and degree of change in reintegration variables over time. Participants were 79 adult prisoners (54 male, 25 female) who completed a prerelease questionnaire 1 month before their release, which focused on prison-related variables, participant background, and anticipated conditions upon release. A postrelease questionnaire was administered to the same participants at 1-4 weeks and 3-4 months postrelease, focusing on the quality of life conditions experienced following release. Results indicate that current health ratings and several indicators of drug use were significantly different over the three measurement phases. Ratings of employment and housing stability, finance, and social support were unchanged over the postrelease period. Theoretical implications of the present investigation for reintegration theory are discussed, together with practical applications.
Rethinking Community Collaboration Through a Dialogic Lens
Authors: Heath Renee Guarriello
Published: December 2007

Community collaboration has become an influential interorganizational phenomenon that provides innovative solutions for social problems. This critical case study uses dialogic theory to investigate how collaboration stakeholders negotiate creative and democratic outcomes. Findings demonstrate how a dialogic moment, although embedded in a homogenous partnership that facilitated discursive closure, constituted meaningful organizational change. The study empirically extends the theoretical claim that diversity resides in the communication situation and reveals that collaboration practices and stakeholder models are better understood when grounded in dialogic theory.
Workplace Surveillance and Managing Privacy Boundaries
Authors: Watkins Allen Myria , Coopman Stephanie J. , Hart Joy L. , Walker Kasey L.
Published: December 2007

According to communication privacy management (CPM) theory, people manage the boundaries around information that they seek to keep private. How does this theory apply when employees are monitored electronically? Using data from 154 face-to-face interviews with employees from a range of organizations, the authors identified various ways organizations, employees, and coworkers describe electronic surveillance and the privacy expectations, boundaries, and turbulence that arise. Privacy boundaries are established during new-employee orientation when surveillance is described as coercive control, as benefiting the company, and/or as benefiting employees. Correlations exist between the surveillance-related socialization messages interviewees remember receiving and their attitudes. Although little boundary turbulence appeared, employees articulated boundaries that companies should not cross. The authors conclude that CPM theory suppositions need modification to fit the conditions of electronic surveillance.
Health Care Institutions, Communication, and Physicians' Experience of Managed Care
Authors: Barbour Joshua B. , Lammers John C.
Published: December 2007

This study uses the institutional theory of organizational communication (ITOC) to explain physicians' reactions to managed care. ITOC posits that enduring beliefs and practices both transcend and shape particular organizations and organizing. The authors find that physicians' institutional beliefs moderated the negative relationship between managed care medical practice and satisfaction. ITOC also posits that the negotiation of institutional, environmental, organizational, and individual factors occurs through communication. Controlling for these factors, communication with managed care representatives remains significantly and positively related to satisfaction. The results provide support for ITOC and macro approaches to organizational communication research and offer insights for the management of professionals in general and physicians in particular.
Two Muslim Communities
Authors: Kahera Akel Ismail
Published: December 2007

This article clarifies what Hayden has termed “space as a cultural product.” The author discusses the Islamizing of public spaces in two urban Muslim communities. The Salafiyya , a proto-Islamic movement (Community A), is at the center of a heated debate over the control for the soul of the community—the mosque. Normally this would not be a problem, but the Salafiyya heavily rely on the past in interpretating religious texts. In contrast, “Community B” demonstrates how competing visions of public space and religious practice can coexist in urban America. Their goal is to invest the neighborhood with a bona fide religious virtue through activism and social change. More broadly, the worldview of these two communities forces an examination of two disparate ways of Islamizing public spaces. Islamizing exaggerates the problems that both A and B must confront and the kinds of uncertainties that accompany cultural identity, religious legitimacy, and valorization of the word community .
The Role of Local Strategies on a Globalizing Market
Authors: Värlander Sara
Published: December 2007

Taking its stance in social embeddedness theory, this article questions the assumption that companies' adoption of the Internet implies a linear move from local embeddedness to placeless globalization. The aim of the article is to explore the role of local strategies in a multichannel service production context. In substantiating the argument, 20 in-depth interviews with managers representing the travel and banking industries are used. The article identifies six key roles of local strategies: developing a local market feel, exploiting employees' local explicit knowledge, exploiting employees' local implicit knowledge, developing relationships, using a local branding strategy, and applying a local branch design. This illustrates the way in which, in this context, the Internet has led to places being redefined and used for new strategic purposes, a process that, in the words of Lévy (1998), is referred to as a movement of reterritorialization.
A cybernetic communication model for advertising
Authors: Miles Chris
Published: December 2007

Taking as its starting point Barbara B. Stern's (1994) `A Revised Communication Model for Advertising', the article argues for the application of first-order and second-order cybernetic principles to the construction of a more multidimensional and realistic model that is able to address well-documented tensions and problems in the advertising system and provide a fresh perspective on issues connected with interactive advertising and the creative component in advertising communication. The article culminates in a radical second-order cybernetic model of advertising communication that is founded upon the relationship between various observing frames and the stabilized eigenforms (constructions of the self and others produced by an observer) that are generated in the communication process.
Psychoanalyzing kleptomania
Authors: Fullerton Ronald A.
Published: December 2007

This article is a critical historical exploration of psychoanalytic theory about, and treatment of, kleptomania, an extreme form of consumer misbehavior characterized by impulse-control and obsessive-compulsive disorders. Kleptomania attracted the attention of two generations of key psychoanalytic theorists, who often developed brief suggestions made by Freud. In its heyday, from the 1920s through 1950s, psychoanalytic theory dominated all discussion of kleptomania, and psychoanalytic therapy was the preferred way to treat kleptomaniacs, whether referred by courts or their own troubled families. After 1960, as psychoanalysts showed less interest in kleptomania, and as psychoanalysis lost influence in psychiatric thought, especially in the United States, other approaches to kleptomania came to the fore, but psychoanalytic theory made an enduring contribution towards understanding kleptomania.
Towards evidence-based marketing: the case of childhood obesity
Authors: Stead Martine , McDermott Laura , Hastings Gerard
Published: December 2007

Contentious commodities such as tobacco, alcohol and fatty foods are bringing marketing under scrutiny from consumers and policymakers. Yet there is little agreement on whether marketing is harmful to society. Systematic review (SR), a methodology derived from clinical medicine, offers marketers a tool for providing resolution and allowing policymakers to proceed with greater confidence. This article describes how SR methods were applied for the first time to a marketing problem — the effects of food promotion to children. The review withstood scrutiny and its findings were formally ratified by government bodies and policymakers, demonstrating that SR methods can transfer from clinical research to marketing.
Ain't misbehavin' — consumption in a moralized brandscape
Authors: Salzer-Mörling Miriam , Strannegård Lars
Published: December 2007

How can one explain the phenomenon that a consumer is able to protest against worker exploitation in the third world outside a Nike outlet and a day later walk in and buy a pair of shoes from the same outlet? In this article we try to conceptualize how consumers handle the expressive and functional aspects of brands in a moralized brandscape. By introducing the idea of `de-coupling', we suggest that both the production and the consumption of brands rest on a logic where the functional and expressive values are separated from one and another. This implies that consumption is not merely an expressive activity operating on the sign level, but rather that consumption must be understood as an intricate play where the relationship between brand image and buying behaviour needs to be further explored.
The concept of perceived value: a systematic review of the research
Authors: Sánchez-Fernández Raquel , Iniesta-Bonillo M. Ángeles
Published: December 2007

The purpose of this article is to present a systematic review of the extensive research that has been conducted on the conceptualization of perceived value. The major conclusions of the present study are: (i) that both uni-dimensional and multi-dimensional models of value have their roles to play in providing simplified (uni-dimensional) and complex (multi-dimensional) understandings of the concept; (ii) that the nature of perceived value is complex and multi-dimensional; (iii) that the concept of perceived value implies an interaction between a consumer and a product; (iv) that value is relative by virtue of its comparative, personal, and situational nature; and (v) that value is preferential, perceptual, and cognitive-affective in nature. By organizing and synthesizing the major research streams and the individual studies within them, the present study thus provides a comprehensive framework for future studies of the dimensionality of perceived value.
Drug Trafficking and Ethnic Minorities in Western Europe
Authors: Paoli Letizia , Reuter Peter
Published: December 2007

Popular media as well as law enforcement agencies throughout Europe routinely identify members of ethnic minorities, and recent migrants in particular, as responsible for selling a large proportion of the illegal drugs that are consumed in Europe. Examination of the existing and modest research literature, as well as a careful reading of the official data, does indeed indicate that certain sectors of the drug market are dominated by a small number of specific immigrant groups. Turkish and Albanian ethnic groups largely control the importation, high-level trafficking and open-air retailing of heroin; Colombian groups dominate the importation of cocaine. However, there are other major sectors of the drug market, notably those for cannabis and synthetic drugs, in which native populations seem to be more important. We offer an explanation for this configuration in terms of the advantages conferred on specific immigrant groups by tighter connections to source and transhipment countries as well as by the lesser ability of police to gain cooperation within those immigrants' communities in the consuming countries.
Traffickers and Trafficking in Southern and Eastern Europe
Authors: Surtees Rebecca
Published: December 2007

This paper describes patterns of trafficking from and within South-Eastern Europe, with particular attention to traffickers and their activities. This helps to determine the most effective methods of tackling these grave crimes through the strategic use of the criminal justice system. To date, attention has primarily been paid to victims of trafficking — who they are and what makes them vulnerable — in an effort to develop counter-trafficking interventions. To complement these studies of victims, studies of traffickers and their operations are also required. There is a need to address traffickers' behaviour through more effective law enforcement and through legal, social and economic reforms that will cause them to reassess the economic benefits of pursuing this strategy.
Criminal Careers in Organized Crime and Social Opportunity Structure
Authors: Kleemans Edward R. , de Poot Christianne J.
Published: December 2007

This paper presents the main findings of quantitative and qualitative research into the criminal careers of about 1000 offenders who were involved in 80 extensively analysed cases of organized crime. The paper analyses how and when offenders become known to the criminal justice authorities, studies in depth the criminal careers of `starters' and analyses in detail the criminal careers of (ring)leaders and `nodal' offenders. Because social ties play an important role in organized crime, the paper emphasizes that the social opportunity structure, defined as social ties providing access to profitable criminal opportunities, is extremely important for explaining involvement in organized crime. It explains why certain offenders `progress' to certain types of organized crime whereas others become involved only later on in life. Social opportunity structure may also explain interesting phenomena such as `late starters' — people without any appreciable criminal history — and people in conventional jobs who switch careers.
Holy Warriors
Authors: Silke Andrew
Published: December 2007

This paper aims to provide an overview of the psychology of individuals who join and engage in terrorism, and in particular of individuals who engage in jihadi-motivated terrorism such as that carried out by al-Qaeda and its affiliates. Based on the most reliable available evidence, this paper gives an account of the psychology and motivations of such individuals and the processes that facilitate and develop violent radicalization.
N-acetylcysteine prevents HIV gp 120-related damage of human cultured astrocytes: correlation with glutamine synthase dysfunction
Authors: Visalli Valeria , Muscoli Carolina , Sacco Iolanda , Sculco Francesca , Palma Ernesto , Costa Nicola , Colica Carmela , Rotiroti Domenicantonio , Mollace Vincenzo
Published: December 2007

Background

HIV envelope gp 120 glycoprotein is released during active HIV infection of brain macrophages thereby generating inflammation and oxidative stress which contribute to the development of the AIDS-Dementia Complex (ADC). Gp120 has also been found capable to generate excitotoxic effect on brain tissue via enhancement of glutamatergic neurotransmission, leading to neuronal and astroglial damage, though the mechanism is still to be better understood.

Here we investigated on the effect of N-acetylcysteine (NAC), on gp120-induced damage in human cultured astroglial cells and the possible contribution of gp120-related reacting oxygen species (ROS) in the imbalanced activity of glutamine synthase (GS), the enzyme that metabolizes glutamate into glutamine within astroglial cells playing a neuroprotective role in brain disorders.

Results

Incubation of Lipari human cultured astroglial cells with gp 120 (0.1–10 nM) produced a significant reduction of astroglial cell viability and apoptosis as evaluated by TUNEL reaction and flow cytometric analysis (FACS). This effect was accompanied by lipid peroxidation as detected by means of malondialdehyde assay (MDA). In addition, gp 120 reduced both glutamine concentration in astroglial cell supernatants and GS expression as detected by immunocytochemistry and western blotting analysis. Pre-treatment of cells with NAC (0.5–5 mM), dose-dependently antagonised astroglial apoptotic cell death induced by gp 120, an effect accompanied by significant attenuation of MDA accumulation. Furthermore, both effects were closely associated with a significant recovery of glutamine levels in cell supernatants and by GS expression, thus suggesting that overproduction of free radicals might contribute in gp 120-related dysfunction of GS in astroglial cells.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the present experiments demonstrate that gp 120 is toxic to astroglial cells, an effect accompanied by lipid peroxidation and by altered glutamine release. All the effects of gp120 on astroglial cells were counteracted by NAC thus suggesting a novel and potentially useful approach in the treatment of glutammatergic disorders found in HAD patients.
Single-drug therapy or selective decontamination of the digestive tract as antifungal prophylaxis in critically ill patients: a systematic review
Authors: van Till JW Olivier , van Ruler Oddeke , Lamme Bas , Weber Roy JP , Reitsma Johannes B , Boermeester Marja A
Published: December 2007

Introduction

The objective of this study was to determine and compare the effectiveness of different prophylactic antifungal therapies in critically ill patients on the incidence of yeast colonisation, infection, candidemia, and hospital mortality.

Methods

A systematic review was conducted of prospective trials including adult non-neutropenic patients, comparing single-drug antifungal prophylaxis (SAP) or selective decontamination of the digestive tract (SDD) with controls and with each other.

Results

Thirty-three studies were included (11 SAP and 22 SDD; 5,529 patients). Compared with control groups, both SAP and SDD reduced the incidence of yeast colonisation (SAP: odds ratio [OR] 0.38, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.20 to 0.70; SDD: OR 0.12, 95% CI 0.05 to 0.29) and infection (SAP: OR 0.54, 95% CI 0.39 to 0.75; SDD: OR 0.29, 95% CI 0.18 to 0.45). Treatment effects were significantly larger in SDD trials than in SAP trials. The incidence of candidemia was reduced by SAP (OR 0.32, 95% CI 0.12 to 0.82) but not by SDD (OR 0.59, 95% CI 0.25 to 1.40). In-hospital mortality was reduced predominantly by SDD (OR 0.73, 95% CI 0.59 to 0.93, numbers needed to treat 15; SAP: OR 0.80, 95% CI 0.64 to 1.00). Effectiveness of prophylaxis reduced with an increased proportion of included surgical patients.

Conclusion

Antifungal prophylaxis (SAP or SDD) is effective in reducing yeast colonisation and infections across a range of critically ill patients. Indirect comparisons suggest that SDD is more effective in reducing yeast-related outcomes, except for candidemia.
The inhibitory collagen receptor LAIR-1 (CD305)
Authors: Meyaard Linde
Published: December 2007

The immune system protects the body from invaders such as viruses and bacteria. Immune cells must be activated in the correct context to function properly. It is critical that the receptors, costimulatory molecules, and cytokines that orchestrate this activation are carefully regulated to prevent uncontrolled inflammation and autoimmunity. Inhibitory receptors play an important role in regulation of immune cell function, usually upon interaction with ligands present on other cells. In contrast, the function of the inhibitory leukocyte-associated Ig-like receptor (LAIR)-1 can be regulated by extracellular matrix collagens. LAIR-1 is expressed on most cells of the immune system, and its function has been studied on multiple cell types. This review summarizes current literature about LAIR-1, a receptor that potentially is able to regulate multiple steps of an immune response.
Randomized, Controlled Trial of Acupuncture for the Treatment of Hot Flashes in Breast Cancer Patients
Authors: Deng Gary , Vickers Andrew J. , Yeung K. Simon , D'Andrea Gabriella M. , Xiao Han , Heerdt Alexandra S. , Sugarman Steven , Troso-Sandoval Tiffany , Seidman Andrew D. , Hudis Clifford A. , Cassileth Barrie R.
Published: December 2007

Purpose

To determine the immediate and long-term effects of true acupuncture versus sham acupuncture on hot flash frequency in women with breast cancer.

Patients and Methods

Seventy-two women with breast cancer experiencing three or more hot flashes per day were randomly assigned to receive either true or sham acupuncture. Interventions were given twice weekly for 4 consecutive weeks. Hot flash frequency was evaluated at baseline, at 6 weeks, and at 6 months after initiation of treatment. Patients initially randomly assigned to the sham group were crossed over to true acupuncture starting at week 7.

Results

The mean number of hot flashes per day was reduced from 8.7 (standard deviation [SD], 3.9) to 6.2 (SD, 4.2) in the true acupuncture group and from 10.0 (SD, 6.1) to 7.6 (SD, 5.7) in the sham group. True acupuncture was associated with 0.8 fewer hot flashes per day than sham at 6 weeks, but the difference did not reach statistical significance (95% CI, −0.7 to 2.4; P = .3). When participants in the sham acupuncture group were crossed over to true acupuncture, a further reduction in the frequency of hot flashes was seen. This reduction in hot flash frequency persisted for up to 6 months after the completion of treatment.

Conclusion

Hot flash frequency in breast cancer patients was reduced following acupuncture. However, when compared with sham acupuncture, the reduction by the acupuncture regimen as provided in the current study did not reach statistical significance. We cannot exclude the possibility that a longer and more intense acupuncture intervention could produce a larger reduction of these symptoms.
Nonrandomized Comparison of Primary Chemotherapy and Retroperitoneal Lymph Node Dissection for Clinical Stage IIA and IIB Nonseminomatous Germ Cell Testicular Cancer
Authors: Stephenson Andrew J. , Bosl George J. , Motzer Robert J. , Bajorin Dean F. , Stasi Jason P. , Sheinfeld Joel
Published: December 2007

Purpose

Patients with clinical stage (CS) IIA and IIB nonseminomatous germ cell tumor (NSGCT) with adenopathy more than 2 cm, multiple masses, elevated serum tumor markers, or disease outside the primary landing zone have increasingly been recommended to receive primary chemotherapy over time at our institution. The impact of these selection factors on the outcome of patients managed primarily by retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND) or chemotherapy was examined.

Patients and Methods

Between 1989 and 2002, 252 patients with CS IIA and IIB NSGCT were referred to our institution for initial management, of whom 136 underwent RPLND and 116 received chemotherapy and postchemotherapy RPLND. Patient information was obtained from a prospective RPLND database.

Results

Proportionately more patients received chemotherapy over time (22% in 1989 to 1993 v 68% in 1999 to 2002), and the relapse-free survival (RFS) subsequently improved from 84% (1989 to 1998) to 98% (1999 to 2002; P = .004) without increasing the proportion who received any chemotherapy (70% v 79%; P = .16). By increasingly selecting patients with adverse features for primary chemotherapy, the RFS after RPLND improved from 78% to 100% (P = .019), but rates of pathologic stage II and retroperitoneal teratoma were unaffected. Retroperitoneal histology and RFS did not change over time for chemotherapy patients. Primary chemotherapy was associated with improved RFS compared with RPLND (98% v 79%; P < .001), but disease-specific survival did not differ significantly (100% v 98%; P = .3).

Conclusion

Patient selection factors have significantly improved the outcome of patients with CS IIA and IIB NSGCT without substantially increasing the proportion of patients exposed to chemotherapy.
Meta-Analysis of Hepatic Arterial Infusion for Unresectable Liver Metastases From Colorectal Cancer: The End of an Era?
Authors: Mocellin Simone , Pilati Pierluigi , Lise Mario , Nitti Donato
Published: December 2007

Purpose

The treatment of unresectable liver-confined metastatic disease from colorectal cancer (CRC) is a challenging issue. Although locoregional treatments such as hepatic arterial infusion (HAI) claim the advantage of delivering higher doses of anticancer agents directly into the affected organ, the benefit in terms of overall survival (OS) is unclear. We quantitatively summarized the results of randomized controlled trials (RCT) comparing HAI with systemic chemotherapy (SCT).

Methods

To date, 10 RCTs have been published, for a total of 1,277 patients enrolled. For tumor response rates, relative risks (RR) and their 95% CIs were obtained from raw data; for OS, hazard ratios (HRs) and their 95% CIs were extrapolated from the Kaplan-Meier survival curves.

Results

HAI regimens were based on floxuridine (FUDR) in nine of 10 RCTs, whereas in one RCT, fluorouracil (FU) + leucovorin was used. SCT consisted of FUDR, FU, FU + leucovorin, or a miscellany of FU and best supportive care in three, one, four, and two studies, respectively. Pooling the data, tumor response rate was 42.9% and 18.4% for HAI and SCT, respectively (RR = 2.26; 95% CI, 1.80 to 2.84; P < .0001). Mean weighted median OS times were 15.9 and 12.4 months for HAI and SCT, respectively; the meta-risk of death was not statistically different between the two study groups (HR = 0.90; 95% CI, 0.76 to 1.07; P = .24).

Conclusion

Currently available evidence does not support the clinical or investigational use of fluoropyrimidine-based HAI alone for the treatment of patients with unresectable CRC liver metastases, at least as a first-line therapy.
Lung Cancer in Elderly Patients: An Analysis of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Database
Authors: Owonikoko Taofeek K. , Ragin Camille C. , Belani Chandra P. , Oton Ana B. , Gooding William E. , Taioli Emanuela , Ramalingam Suresh S.
Published: December 2007

Purpose

To study the burden and outcome of lung cancer in the elderly, particularly for patients aged 80 years and older.

Patients and Methods

The national Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database was analyzed for lung cancer outcomes during the period 1988 to 2003. A comparison was carried out between patients with lung cancer 80 years and older, 70 to 79 years, and younger than 70 years for demographics; stage distribution; 5-year relative survival; and survival based on histology, sex, race, stage, and treatment. The temporal trends in survival during the years 1988 to 1997 and 1998 to 2003 were also analyzed.

Results

Of 316,682 patients eligible for the analysis, 45,912 (14%) were 80 years or older (ie, very elderly); 103,963 (33%) were 70 to 79 years; and 166,807 (53%) were younger than 70 years. The distribution by stage and histology was comparable for all the three groups. Overall survival rate at 5 years was lower in the very elderly (7.4% v 12.3% v 15.5%; P < .0001) across sex, histologic subtypes, stages, and racial categories. Patients aged 80 years or older were less likely to receive local therapy (no surgery or radiation) than younger patients (47% v 28% and 19% for the age subgroups ≥ 80 years, 70 to 79 years, and < 70 years, respectively). Overall outcomes for patients who underwent surgical therapy or radiation were comparable across the three age groups. In general, survival outcomes for the subgroup aged 70 to 79 years were similar to those of the subgroup aged 80 years and older who received single modality local therapy.

Conclusion

Patients 80 years or older account for 14% (70 years or older accounted for 47%) of all lung cancers, are less likely to be subjected to surgery or radiation, and have inferior outcomes when compared with younger patients.
Determining Prognosis in Patients With Pancreatic Endocrine Neoplasms: Can the WHO Classification System Be Simplified?
Authors: Ferrone Cristina R. , Tang Laura H. , Tomlinson James , Gonen Mithat , Hochwald Steven N. , Brennan Murray F. , Klimstra David S. , Allen Peter J.
Published: December 2007

Purpose

The WHO classification for well-differentiated pancreatic endocrine neoplasms (PENs) incorporates both stage and grade. This study compares the prognostic value of a simplified staging and grading system with the WHO system in a large single-institution study.

Patients and Methods

A prospective database (1982 to 2005) identified 183 patients who underwent operative treatment for PENs. Tumors were staged (< 2 cm primary, ≥ 2 cm primary, or metastases) and graded (low grade: no necrosis and < two mitoses/50 high-powered fields [HPF]; or intermediate grade: necrosis and/or ≥ two mitoses/50 HPF) with a simplified schema. Influence of stage and grade on recurrence and disease-specific survival (DSS) was determined. Prognostic strength was assessed with the concordance index (CI).

Results

Median age of the 183 patients was 56 years, and 53% were women. Median follow-up time was 44 months (range, 1 to 226 months). Classification identified 28 patients (15%) with WHO 1.1 disease, 74 (41%) with 1.2 disease, and 81 (44%) with 2.0 disease. Classification by stage identified 35 patients (19%) with tumors less than 2 cm, 96 (52%) with tumors ≥ 2 cm, and 52 (29%) with nodal or distant metastases. Tumors were low grade in 102 patients (56%). Earlier stage tumors were more likely to be low grade (< 2 cm, 83%; ≥ 2 cm, 61%; metastases, 28%; P < .001). The WHO classification, tumor stage, and grade were associated with 5-year DSS (P < .001). Tumors ≥ 2 cm or metastases are stratified by grade (5-year DSS rate for low v intermediate grade: ≥ 2 cm, 97% v 80%, respectively; P < .001; metastases, 93% v 62%, respectively; P = .05). The CI was 0.72 for WHO, 0.71 for stage, 0.66 for grade, and 0.76 for stage combined with grade.

Conclusion

Accurate prognostic information can be obtained by combining tumor size and metastases with simple grading information based on necrosis and mitotic rate.
Expression of Interferon (IFN)-Stimulated Genes in Extrauterine Tissues during Early Pregnancy in Sheep Is the Consequence of Endocrine IFN-τ Release from the Uterine Vein
Authors: Oliveira João F. , Henkes Luiz E. , Ashley Ryan L. , Purcell Scott H. , Smirnova Natalia P. , Veeramachaneni D. N. Rao , Anthony Russell V. , Hansen Thomas R.
Published: December 2007

The ruminant conceptus synthesizes and secretes interferon (IFN)-τ, which presumably acts via an intrauterine paracrine mechanism to signal maternal recognition of pregnancy. The aims of this study were to determine whether IFN-stimulated genes (ISG) such as ISG15 and OAS-1 are differentially expressed in blood cells circulating in the uterus of ewes; whether extrauterine components of the reproductive tract such as the corpus luteum (CL) also express mRNA for these ISG, and whether antiviral activity is greater in uterine vein than in uterine artery during early pregnancy. The concentrations of mRNA for both ISG were significantly greater (P < 0.0001) in endometrium and jugular blood of 15-d pregnant ewes than in nonpregnant ewes. ISG15 and OAS-1 mRNA concentrations were also greater (P < 0.05) in CL from 15-d pregnant ewes than in nonpregnant ewes. Immunohistochemistry revealed intense staining for ISG15 in large luteal cells on d 15 of pregnancy. Blood cells from uterine artery and vein of 15-d pregnant ewes had similar ISG15 and OAS-1 mRNA concentrations, suggesting that these cells were not conditioned by IFN-τ within the uterus. By using an antiviral assay, uterine venous blood was found to contain 500- to 1000-fold higher concentrations of bioactive IFN-τ than in uterine arterial blood on d 15 of pregnancy. It is concluded that uterine vein releases IFN-τ, which induces ISG in extrauterine tissues such as the CL during the time of maternal recognition of pregnancy.
Uteroplacental Insufficiency after Bilateral Uterine Artery Ligation in the Rat: Impact on Postnatal Glucose and Lipid Metabolism and Evidence for Metabolic Programming of the Offspring by Sham Operation
Authors: Nüsken Kai-Dietrich , Dötsch Jörg , Rauh Manfred , Rascher Wolfgang , Schneider Holm
Published: December 2007

Ligation of the uterine arteries (LIG) in rats serves as a model of intrauterine growth restriction and subsequent developmental programming of impaired glucose tolerance, hyperinsulinemia, and adiposity in the offspring. Its impact on lipid metabolism has been less well investigated. We compared parameters of glucose and lipid metabolism and glucocorticoid levels in the offspring of dams that underwent either LIG or sham operation (SOP) with those of untreated controls. Blood parameters including insulin, leptin, and visfatin as well as body weight, food intake, and creatinine clearance were recorded up to an age of 30 wk. Glucose tolerance tests were performed, and both leptin and visfatin expression in liver, muscle, and epididymal and mesenteric fat was quantified by RT-PCR. After catch-up growth, weight gain of all groups was similar, despite lower food intake of the LIG rats. LIG offspring showed impaired glucose tolerance from the age of 15 wk as well as elevated glycosylated hemoglobin and corticosterone levels. However, the body fat content of both LIG and SOP animals increased relative to controls, and both showed elevated triglyceride, total cholesterol, and leptin levels as well as a reduced proportion of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Thus, use of the LIG model requires both SOP and untreated controls. Although only LIG is associated with impaired glucose tolerance, pathogenic programming of the lipid metabolism can also be induced by SOP. Visfatin does not appear to be involved in the disturbed glucose metabolism after intrauterine growth restriction and may represent only a marker of fat accumulation.
Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Stimulates Trophoblast Invasion through Extracellularly Regulated Kinase and AKT Signaling
Authors: Prast Johanna , Saleh Leila , Husslein Heinrich , Sonderegger Stefan , Helmer Hanns , Knöfler Martin
Published: December 2007

Chorionic gonadotropin (CG) is indispensable for human pregnancy because it controls implantation, decidualization, and placental development. However, its particular role in the differentiation process of invasive trophoblasts has not been fully unraveled. Here we demonstrate that the hormone promotes trophoblast invasion and migration in different trophoblast model systems. RT-PCR and Western blot analyses revealed expression of the LH/CG receptor in trophoblast cell lines and different trophoblast primary cultures. In vitro, CG increased migration and invasion of trophoblastic SGHPL-5 cells through uncoated and Matrigel-coated transwells, respectively. The hormone also increased migration of first-trimester villous explant cultures on collagen I. Proliferation of the trophoblast cell line and villous explant cultures measured by cumulative cell numbers and in situ 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine labeling, respectively, was unaffected by CG. Addition of the hormone activated ERK-1/2 and AKT in SGHPL-5 cells and pure, extravillous trophoblasts. Inhibition of MAPK kinase/ERK and phosphatidylinositide 3-kinase/AKT blocked phosphorylation of the kinases and attenuated CG-dependent invasion of SGHPL-5 cells. Similarly, the inhibitors decreased hormone-stimulated migration in villous explant cultures. Western blot analyses and gelatin zymography suggested that CG increased matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 protein levels and activity in both culture systems. Inhibition of ERK or AKT diminished CG-induced MMP-2 expression. In summary, the data demonstrate that CG promotes trophoblast invasion and migration through activation of ERK and AKT signaling involving their downstream effector MMP-2. Because the increase of CG during the first trimester of pregnancy correlates with rising trophoblast motility, the hormone could be a critical regulator of the early invasion process.
Astressin B, a Nonselective Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone Receptor Antagonist, Prevents the Inhibitory Effect of Ghrelin on Luteinizing Hormone Pulse Frequency in the Ovariectomized Rhesus Monkey
Authors: Vulliémoz Nicolas R , Xiao Ennian , Xia-Zhang Linna , Rivier Jean , Ferin Michel
Published: December 2007

Administration of ghrelin, a key peptide in the regulation of energy homeostasis, has been shown to decrease LH pulse frequency while concomitantly elevating cortisol levels. Because increased endogenous CRH release in stress is associated with an inhibition of reproductive function, we have tested here whether the pulsatile LH decrease after ghrelin may reflect an activated hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and be prevented by a CRH antagonist. After a 3-h baseline LH pulse frequency monitoring, five adult ovariectomized rhesus monkeys received a 5-h saline (protocol 1) or ghrelin (100-μg bolus followed by 100 μg/h, protocol 2) infusion. In protocols 3 and 4, animals were given astressin B, a nonspecific CRH receptor antagonist (0.45 mg/kg im) 90 min before ghrelin or saline infusion. Blood samples were taken every 15 min for LH measurements, whereas cortisol and GH were measured every 45 min. Mean LH pulse frequency during the 5-h ghrelin infusion was significantly lower than in all other treatments (P < 0.05) and when compared with the baseline period (P < 0.05). Pretreatment with astressin B prevented the decrease. Ghrelin stimulated cortisol and GH secretion, whereas astressin B pretreatment prevented the cortisol, but not the GH, release. Our data indicate that CRH release mediates the inhibitory effect of ghrelin on LH pulse frequency and suggest that the inhibitory impact of an insufficient energy balance on reproductive function may in part be mediated by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.
Hoxc10 and Hoxd10 regulate mouse columnar, divisional and motor pool identity of lumbar motoneurons
Authors: Wu Yuanyuan , Wang Guoying , Scott Sheryl A. , Capecchi Mario R.
Published: December 2007

A central question in neural development is how the broad diversity of neurons is generated in the vertebrate CNS. We have investigated the function of Hoxc10 and Hoxd10 in mouse lumbar motoneuron development. We show that Hoxc10 and Hoxd10 are initially expressed in most newly generated lumbar motoneurons, but subsequently become restricted to the lateral division of the lateral motor column (lLMC). Disruption of Hoxc10 and Hoxd10 caused severe hindlimb locomotor defects. Motoneurons in rostral lumbar segments were found to adopt the phenotype of thoracic motoneurons. More caudally the lLMC and dorsal-projecting axons were missing, yet most hindlimb muscles were innervated. The loss of the lLMC was not due to decreased production of motoneuron precursors or increased apoptosis. Instead, presumptive lLMC neurons failed to migrate to their normal position, and did not differentiate into other motoneurons or interneurons. Together, these results show that Hoxc10 and Hoxd10 play key roles in establishing lumbar motoneuron columnar, divisional and motor pool identity.
Unmarried Mothers, Social Deprivation and Child Separation
Authors: Holman Robert
Published: December 2007

The rise in the number of illegitimate births reached a peak of 69,928 in 1967 in England and Wales (6,663 in Scotland). Subsequently, numbers have steadied to between 8 and 8.5 per cent of all live births. Crellin, Pringle and West’s examination of all births during a set period suggests that about 68 per cent of illegitimate births are to unmarried mothers living alone. Using the 1971 Census, the Department of Health and Social Security (DHSS) estimated that 90,000 unmarried lone mothers were caring for 120,000 children under the age of 16. Given these figures it is not surprising that unmarried mothers have attracted the attention of social workers and researchers, not to mention that of the public at large. During the 1950s studies were interested in the causes of illegitimacy. The following decade witnessed the development of casework skills for unmarried mothers, particularly in regard to helping them determine the future placements of their children. Both these foci tended to draw general conclusions from clinical samples. Subsequently, research developed by studying more representative groups of unmarried mothers and by examining their social as well as psychological deprivations.
Territorial Justice and Local Autonomy: Loan Sanctions in the Personal Social Services
Authors: Judge Ken
Published: December 2007

The allocation of publicly-provided goods and services between competing claims is a familiar problem in the economics of public finance. Yet, despite the scarcity of resources in relation to the demand for them in the social services, it is a topic which has attracted less attention from specialists in social policy than it merits. This paper is intended to fill one of the gaps by considering the distribution of key sector capital expenditure between Local Authority Social Services in England. This is a fertile area of study because, despite the growth in recent years of a substantial literature on variations in the provision of health and personal social services and demands for greater geographical equality, there remains insufficient detailed analysis of the economic and politico-administrative process of resource allocation in that area of the public sector. Because of the paucity of published material and the constraints of space the main focus here will be limited to a consideration of the framework of capital expenditure, an analysis of the allocation process and efforts to reform the system of distribution.
Differences between Suburban Republicans and Democrats
Authors: Lee Robert D.
Published: December 2007

The main argument against partisan politics at the loca11evel has been that parties contribute little to sorting out issues and candidates. Since presumably there is no Democratic method of maintaining streets or Republican approach to collecting garbage, it has been contended that nonpartisanship would be preferable to any system which attempted to differentiate local political candidates on the basis of their national party labels. A related topic of debate has been the extent to which the suburbs–through some mysterious alchemy–convert Democrats into Republicans. This issue has tended to concentrate on suburban voting patterns in state and national elections. The question arises, then, as to whether suburban Republicans and Democrats do in fact subscribe to differing views related to local government. Are there real differences on local matters among partisan voters in suburban areas or are party labels more related to state and national issues? In the following article, we examine suburban Republicans and Democrats in terms of their socio-economic characteristics and then their attitudes toward various governmental concerns.

The area chosen for collection of data was the lower portion of Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The county is in the southeastern section of the state, bordering Philadelphia and Trenton, New Jersey.
Open issues of stability for the inverse conductivity problem
Authors: Alessandrini G.
Published: December 2007

We review the state of the art and the current open problems regarding the stability of the inverse boundary value problem of Calderón, also known as the inverse conductivity problem or EIT.
Book Review
Authors: Hart Kimberly
Published: December 2007

Nostalgia for the Modern: State Secularism and Everyday Politics in Turkey. Esra Özyürek. Durham, NC: Duke University Press. 2006. 227 pages. ISBN: 0822338955.
Book Reviews
Authors: Anagnostopoulos Aris
Published: December 2007

The Empty Cradle of Democracy: Sex, Abortion, and Nationalism in Modern Greece. Alexandra Halkias. Durham, NC: Duke University Press. 2004. 440 pages. ISBN: 0822333236.
Book Reviews
Authors: New William
Published: December 2007

Cultural Intimacy: Social Poetics in the Nation‐State (2nd Edition). Michael Herzfeld. Routledge. 2004. 296 pages. ISBN‐10 0415947405.
Book Reviews
Authors: Cellarius Barbara A.
Published: December 2007

Wild Capitalism: Environmental Activists and Post‐Socialist Political Ecology in Hungary. Krista Harper. Boulder, CO: Columbia University Press/East European Monographs. 2006. 160 pages. 0880335920.
Book Reviews
Authors: Akalin Ayse
Published: December 2007

The Pedagogical State: Education and the Politics of National Culture in post‐1980 Turkey. Sam Kaplan. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. 2006. 280 pages. 10:0804754330.
Childhood Adversity: A Review of Measurement Instruments
Authors: Burgermeister Diane
Published: December 2007

Measurement instruments are needed to stimulate research on the long-term outcomes of childhood adversity. Therefore, the purpose of this review was to locate, describe, and assess instruments to measure retrospective perceptions of childhood adversity. An electronic search of instruments was conducted using a combination of keywords that included child maltreatment, child trauma, and childhood stressful events. Nine instruments were located and described according to format, definition of childhood adversity as measured by the instrument, characteristics of the sample used in development and testing, reliability and validity evidence, and feasibility for use. Six out of the nine instruments were suitable for investigators who require a comprehensive measure of childhood adversity. Corroboration with independent sources and use of randomized samples are needed to improve upon reports of validity.
Psychometric Assessment of the Postpartum Depression Predictors Inventory–Revised
Authors: Records Kathie , Rice Michael , Beck Cheryl Tatano
Published: December 2007

Identification of women at risk for postpartum depression requires reliable and valid assessment indices. The purpose of this article is to describe the psychometric properties of the Postpartum Depression Predictors Inventory–Revised (PDPI-R). Psychometric assessment of the PDPI-R was conducted in conjunction with the Centers for Epidemiologic Studies Depressed Mood Scale, and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, using data from 139 pregnant women who were followed for 8 months after birth. The prenatal PDPI-R demonstrated concept, concurrent, and predictive validity. The postpartum PDPI-R demonstrated concurrent validity. Factor analysis revealed four underlying factors that did not match the original conceptualization of the instrument. Reliability of the total score resulting from the factor analysis was .83. Initial support for the reliability and validity of the PDPI-R was indicated.
Interpretation of the Change in Optimal Salinity With Overall Surfactant Concentration
Authors: Hirasaki George J.
Published: December 2007

Background. For chemical flooding formulations, optimal salinity changes with overall surfactant concentration when the phase behavior is observed in test tubes. Applying these observations to the mathematical simulator is questionable because chromatographic mechanisms during displacement through porous media result in different compositions.

Purpose. This work sought the mechanism for the observed change so that calculated optimal salinity can be expressed through the appropriate intensive variable rather than overall surfactant concentration.

Method. Association of the alcohol has been described by partition coefficients for distribution of the alcohol among brine, oil, and surfactant. The alcohol was isopropanol (IPA), 1-butanol (NBA), or tertiary amyl alcohol (TAA) in the systems in which they were included and was used to represent a disulfonate in the system with Petrostep® petroleum sulfonate.

Association of sodium and divalent ions with surfactant has been described by the Donnan equilibrium model, which experimental observations show can be applied to microemulsions as well as to micelles.

Conclusions. For the seven systems investigated, the change in optimal salinity is a function of (1) the alcohol associated with the surfactant and (2) the divalent ion fraction of the associated counterions.