bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Relationship of Hardiness and Some Other Relevant Variables to College Performance
Authors: Maddi Salvatore R. , Harvey Richard H. , Khoshaba Deborah M. , Fazel Mostafa , Resurreccion Nephthys
Published: September 2011

Although it has emerged as a factor in performance effectiveness in both working adults and college students, hardiness has also been shown to be related to other factors that may well also be related to performance effectiveness. Consequently, attempts need to be made to determine whether the relationship to performance of hardiness is anything more than a mere reflection of its relationship to these other factors. This approach, which was begun in the comparison of the relative role of hardiness, optimism, and religiosity in performance effectiveness, is continued in the present study. Specifically, the relationship to grade point average of hardiness and related variables is compared. The related variables involve attitudes toward school and a sense of life’s meaning and one’s well-being. The results confirm the expectation that hardiness is a central factor in school performance.
Examining the Role of Attention and Instruction in At-Risk Kindergarteners
Authors: Stevens Courtney , Harn Beth , Chard David J. , Currin Jeff , Parisi Danielle , Neville Helen
Published: September 2011

Several studies report that adults and adolescents with reading disabilities also experience difficulties with selective attention. In the present study, event-related brain potentials (ERPs) were used to examine the neural mechanisms of selective attention in kindergarten children at risk for reading disabilities (AR group, n = 8) or on track in early literacy skills (OT group, n = 6) across the first semester of kindergarten. The AR group also received supplemental instruction with the Early Reading Intervention (ERI). Following ERI, the AR group demonstrated improved skills on standardized early literacy measures such that there were no significant differences between the AR and OT groups at posttest or winter follow-up. Analysis of the ERP data revealed that at the start of kindergarten, the AR group displayed reduced effects of attention on sensorineural processing compared to the OT group. Following intervention, this difference between groups disappeared, with the AR group only showing improvements in the effect of attention on sensorineural processing. These data indicate that the neural mechanisms of selective attention are atypical in kindergarten children at risk for reading failure but can be improved by effective reading interventions.
The Roles of Perceived Neighborhood Disorganization, Social Cohesion, and Social Control in Urban Thai Adolescents’ Substance Use and Delinquency
Authors: Byrnes Hilary F. , Miller Brenda A. , Chamratrithirong Aphichat , Rhucharoenpornpanich Orratai , Cupp Pamela K. , Atwood Katharine A. , Fongkaew Warunee , Rosati Michael J. , Chookhare Warunee
Published: September 2011

Substance use and delinquency in Thai adolescents are growing public health concerns. Research has linked neighborhood characteristics to these outcomes, with explanations focused on neighborhood disorganization, social cohesion, and social control. This study examines the independent associations of these neighborhood constructs with Thai adolescents’ substance use and delinquency, through peer deviance, to determine which neighborhood aspects are particularly important. Families ( N = 420) with adolescents aged 13 to 14 were randomly selected from 7 districts in Bangkok, Thailand. Structural equation modeling showed that adolescents’, but not parents’, perceptions of greater disorganization were related to increased rates of both minor and serious delinquency. Surprisingly, greater neighborhood cohesion was related to greater minor delinquency. Peer deviance was unrelated to neighborhood variables. Findings can inform prevention strategies for Thai adolescents, as results suggest that neighborhoods are important for adolescent behaviors regardless of culture. Further work should help communities make use of social cohesion to benefit residents.
Reproduction of Cultural Values
Authors: Imada Toshie , Yussen Steven R.
Published: September 2011

Narratives are one of the oldest and universal forms of communication in human societies. In the present research, the authors hypothesized that narratives play an important role in the reproduction of cultural values. To test this idea, Study 1 examined the contents of stories created by American and Japanese participants for their reflection of individualistic and collectivistic values, and Study 2 examined whether information consistent with cultural values would be more likely to be retained and passed onto others. The studies found that American participants created stories that reflected individualistic values and retained more individualistic information than collectivistic information when they transmitted a story to others. In contrast, Japanese participants created stories that reflected collectivistic values and retained more collectivistic information than individualistic information when they transmitted a story to others. These findings support the idea that narrative communication is an important part of cultural reproduction mechanism.
Our Flaws Are More Human Than Yours
Authors: Koval Peter , Laham Simon M. , Haslam Nick , Bastian Brock , Whelan Jennifer A.
Published: September 2011

Four studies investigated whether people tend to see ingroup flaws as part of human nature (HN) to a greater degree than outgroup flaws. In Study 1, people preferentially ascribed high HN flaws to their ingroup relative to two outgroups. Study 2 demonstrated that flaws were rated higher on HN when attributed to the ingroup than when attributed to an outgroup, and no such difference occurred for positive traits. Study 3 replicated this humanizing ingroup flaws (HIF) effect and showed that it was (a) independent of desirability and (b) specific to the HN sense of humanness. Study 4 replicated the results of Study 3 and demonstrated that the HIF effect is amplified under ingroup identity threat. Together, these findings show that people humanize ingroup flaws and preferentially ascribe high HN flaws to the ingroup. These ingroup humanizing biases may serve a group-protective function by mitigating ingroup flaws as “only human.”
Evaluating the Applicability of a Biodegradable Osteosynthesis Plating System in the Management of Zygomatico‐Maxillary Complex Fractures
Authors: Singh Virendra , Sharma Bindu , Bhagol Amrish
Published: September 2011

Objective

The present study was undertaken to evaluate and analyze the efficacy of bioresorbable plates and screws in internal fixation of zygomatico‐maxillary complex (ZMC) fractures and to evaluate the incidence of complications associated with the procedure.

Study Design

Case series with planned data collection.

Setting

Pt BD Sharma University of Health Sciences.

Subject and Methods

A total of 14 patients with isolated ZMC fractures were included, and exclusion of grossly comminuted, pathological, and infected fractures was done. Open reduction internal fixation was done with biodegradable plates and screws. All patients were reviewed clinically and radiographically at regular follow‐up. Occlusion, stability of fracture segments, anesthesia or paresthesia of the infraorbital nerve region, and various complications were assessed periodically.

Results

Fourteen patients with 34 fracture sites were included in the study. Intraoperatively, there were 2 incidences of screw head fracture. As observed clinically, there was complete stability of fracture segments, and no maxillomandibular fixation was required postoperatively. Paresthesia of the infraorbital nerve was present in 5 patients, but the sensation recovered completely in the first 3 months after surgery. The mean pain score was 3 on a visual analogue scale. In 1 case, ectropion developed, and dehiscence occurred in another patient in the early postoperative period. Postoperative radiographs were evaluated for the accuracy of fracture reduction and stability of fixation.

Conclusion

The biodegradable osteosynthesis system exhibits adequate strength and has negligible complications. This system is technique sensitive with satisfactory results in the management of mild to moderately displaced ZMC fractures.
Tonsillectomy
Authors: Wilson Janet A. , Steen I. Nick , Lock Catherine A. , Eccles Martin P. , Carrie Sean , Clarke Ray , Kubba Haytham , Raine Chris H. , Zarod Andrew , Bond John
Published: September 2011

Objective

To compare the estimated cost‐effectiveness of childhood (adeno)tonsillectomy vs medical therapy for recurrent sore throats from the intention‐to‐treat (ITT) analysis of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) with that modeled on the recorded timing of surgical interventions as observed in all participants irrespective of their original group allocation.

Study Design

A pragmatic RCT (trial) with a parallel nonrandomized patient preference group (cohort) of (adeno)tonsillectomy vs medical therapy.

Setting

Five secondary care UK otolaryngology departments.

Subjects and Methods

Eligible children, aged 4 to 15 years, were enrolled to the trial (268) or cohort (461) groups. Outcomes included sore throat diaries, quality of life, and general practice consultations. The RCT protocol ITT analysis was compared with an as‐treated analysis incorporating the cohort group, modeled to reflect the timing of tonsillectomy and the differential switch rates among the original groups.

Results

>In the RCT ITT analysis, tonsillectomy saved 3.5 sore throats, whereas the as‐treated model suggested an average reduction of more than 8 sore throats in 2 years for surgery within 10 weeks of consultation, falling to only 3.5 twelve months later due to the spontaneous improvement in the medical therapy group.

Conclusion

In eligible UK school‐age children, tonsillectomy can save up to 8 sore throats at a reasonable cost, if performed promptly. Further prospective data collection, accounting for baseline and per‐trial preferences and choice, is urgently needed.
Informing, engaging, mobilizing or interacting: Searching for a European model of web campaigning
Authors: Lilleker Darren G , Koc-Michalska Karolina , Schweitzer Eva Johanna , Jacunski Michal , Jackson Nigel , Vedel Thierry
Published: September 2011

This study presents data from content analyses of the websites of all parties that stood in the 2009 European parliamentary elections in France, Germany, Great Britain and Poland. It cross-nationally examines the main functions of the websites, the adoption of Web 1.0 and Web 2.0 features, and the political and cultural factors that determine parties’ online communication. The findings show that while the main website function varies across countries, Web 1.0 is still the dominant mode of campaigning. Moreover, offline inequalities within and between nations determine differences in parties’ individual online strategies: specifically, major parties in states with long histories of democracy and EU membership lead the way and offer more interactive and innovative modes of campaigning. On the other hand, minor parties, particularly in Poland, remain in a more Web 1.0, information-heavy mode of communication. This supports the so-called normalization thesis on both the meso and the macro level.
On-line frequency adaptation and movement imitation for rhythmic robotic tasks
Authors: Petrič Tadej , Gams Andrej , Ijspeert Auke Jan , Žlajpah Leon
Published: September 2011

In this paper we present a novel method to obtain the basic frequency of an unknown periodic signal with an arbitrary waveform, which can work online with no additional signal processing or logical operations. The method originates from non-linear dynamical systems for frequency extraction, which are based on adaptive frequency oscillators in a feedback loop. In previous work, we had developed a method that could extract separate frequency components by using several adaptive frequency oscillators in a loop, but that method required a logical algorithm to identify the basic frequency. The novel method presented here uses a Fourier series representation in the feedback loop combined with a single oscillator. In this way it can extract the frequency and the phase of an unknown periodic signal in real time and without any additional signal processing or preprocessing. The method determines the Fourier series coefficients and can be used for dynamic Fourier series implementation. The proposed method can be used for the control of rhythmic robotic tasks, where only the extraction of the basic frequency is crucial. For demonstration several highly non-linear and dynamic periodic robotic tasks are shown, including also a task where an electromyography (EMG) signal is used in a feedback loop.
Gender and sexuality I
Authors: Brown Michael
Published: September 2011

This review considers how recent geographies of sexualities have attended to intersectionality. It documents the unevenness in attention across gender, race, class, age, (dis)ability and religion. Gender and race have received far more attention than others. A series of anxieties is thus raised by this inequity: which and how many intersections are considered, the ironic consequences of those choices, the multiple registers in which these dilemmas occur, and the consequences for other geographies of identity.
E-waste management challenges in Iran: presenting some strategies for improvement of current conditions
Authors: Taghipour Hassan , Nowrouz Parviz , Jafarabadi Mohamad Asghari , Nazari Jalil , Hashemi Ahmad Asl , Mosaferi Mohammad , Dehghanzadeh Reza
Published: September 2011

E-waste is one of the fastest-growing waste streams in Iran, owing to an increase in consumption of electrical and electronic equipment. Nevertheless, as is the case in some other countries, E-waste management has not received sufficient attention. For the successful implementation of any waste management plan (including an E-waste management plan), the availability of sufficient and accurate information on the quantities and composition of the waste generated and on current management conditions is a fundamental prerequisite. At present, in Iran, there is no available and accurate information that describes the characteristics and generation rate of E-waste or the actual practice of management and handling of the waste. For this initial study, eight electronic products were selected for the determination of their E-waste generation rate in the country, and two cities, Tehran and Tabriz, were selected for assessment of the current condition of E-waste management. The study found that the amount of E-waste generation in the country for the eight selected electronic items alone was 115 286, 112 914 and 115 151 metric tons in 2008, 2009 and 2010, respectively. Of the types of electronic items included in the study, televisions, with an average of 42.42%, and PCs, with an average of 32.66% accounted for the greatest proportions of the total mass of E-waste generated during 2008–2010. Currently, despite the fact that primary legislation for E-waste management (as part of general waste legislation) exists in Iran, this primary legislation has not yet been implemented. In practical terms, there is no definite policy or plan for the allocation of funds to prepare suitable equipment and facilities for the management and recycling of E-waste at the end of the products’ useful life. Proposed improvements in current conditions are identified, first by considering other countries’ experiences and then suggesting specific practical policies, rules, and regulations that should be established and applied to all levels of E-waste management. One of the most attractive E-waste management policies is an extended producer responsibility (EPR) programme in combination with a training programme at different levels of society. An approach consisting of a mandated product take back is proposed for implementing EPR in Iran. Meanwhile, the Health Ministry and the Environmental Protection Agency should strictly supervise E-waste collection, storage, and recycling and/or disposal, and the Trade and Industry Ministries must have more control over the import and production of electronic goods.
Upgrading of a co-digestion plant by implementation of a hydrolysis stage
Authors: Blank Andreas , Hoffmann Erhard
Published: September 2011

An existing co-digestion plant needed to be rehabilitated after a 20 year operational period. This was planned to be done in sequence by halving the digester volume for a period of 1.5 years. The aim of the present study was to improve the performance of the halved co-digestion capacity by implementing an upstream thermal hydrolysis reactor or an ultrasonic pre-treatment of the substrates. The results of the ultrasonic bench-scale batch experiments showed that an ultrasonic pre-treatment of the co-substrates ‘municipal bio-waste suspension and excess activated sludge led to disintegration efficiencies of up to 51%. However, treating kitchen-waste and primary sludge in the same manner was not promising as the disintegration yields were rather low. The results of the hydrolysis bench-scale batch experiments showed that the optimal boundary conditions for the hydrolysis reactor were a hydrolysis temperature of about 42 °C at a retention time of 24 h. The results of the continuous two-stage experiments showed that it was possible to reduce the retention time in the second stage to about 24% and to increase the biogas yield to about 12.8 %, and the methane yield to about 28% as a result of the implementation of the hydrolysis reactor in the existing system. After the rehabilitation of the existing digesters it was possible to raise the daily substrate input to the two existing digesters from 312 to 495 m3 day−1 with an upstream hydrolysis reactor volume of only 474 m3.
Congenital Dysplastic Microcephaly and Hypoplasia of the Brainstem and Cerebellum With Diffuse Intracranial Calcification
Authors: Nakamura Kazuyuki , Kato Mitsuhiro , Sasaki Ayako , Kanai Masayo , Hayasaka Kiyoshi
Published: September 2011

Congenital microcephaly with intracranial calcification is a rare condition presented in heterogeneous diseases. Here, we report the case of a 1-year-old boy with severe congenital microcephaly and diffuse calcification. Neuroimaging studies showed a diffuse simplified gyral pattern; a very thin cortex; ventricular dilatation; very small basal ganglia, thalamus, and brainstem; and cerebellar hypoplasia with diffuse calcification. Clinical features of intrauterine infections, such as neonatal jaundice, hepatomegaly, and thrombocytopenia, were not found. Serological tests, cultures, and polymerase chain reaction analysis were negative for viral infections. The etiology of pseudo–toxoplasmosis, rubella, cytomegalovirus, and herpes simplex syndrome is still unknown. This study describes the most severe form of pseudo–toxoplasmosis, rubella, cytomegalovirus, and herpes simplex syndrome reported to date, with the patient showing microcephaly and calcification or band-like intracranial calcification with simplified gyration and polymirogyria.
Unusual Case of Relapsing and Remitting Rash With Progressive Motor Sensory Neuropathy and Spinal Cord Atrophy
Authors: Blackburn Joanna S. , Kuntz Nancy L. , Grimason Michele , Wainwright Mark S.
Published: September 2011

The authors report a case of a 7-year-old girl with a progressive sensorimotor peripheral neuropathy with acute relapses associated with a desquamating purpuric rash, alopecia, and spinal cord atrophy. Distinctive features include systemic involvement with alopecia and rash, peripheral nervous system involvement with relapsing and remitting sensorimotor neuropathy, and central nervous system involvement with episodes of dystonic posturing and spinal cord atrophy. Extensive diagnostic evaluation for known causes of skin manifestations associated with peripheral neuropathy has failed to identify a cause for this patient’s condition. The authors discuss the case as an approach to the differential diagnosis and to highlight unusual features of this yet to be identified clinical entity.
Late Infantile Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis and Dopamine Deficiency
Authors: Le Ngoc Minh D. , Parikh Sumit
Published: September 2011

Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis is a severe neurodegenerative lysosomal storage disorder. Gamma-aminobutyric acid and glutamate deficiency have been reported with CLN1, CLN3, and CLN6. Isolated biopterin/neopterin without dopamine deficiency has been reported in 1 patient with a CLN2 mutation. This report describes a patient with a CLN2 mutation with symptomatic biopterin and dopamine deficiency. A 4-year-old boy presented with intractable epilepsy and developmental regression starting 1 year previously. His exam showed retinopathy, scanning speech, dysmetria, and ataxic fenestrating gait with stooped posture. Electroencephalogram showed generalized spikes with occipital spikes on slow photic stimulation. Brain magnetic resonance images 1 year apart showed significant diffuse atrophy. CLN2 gene sequencing showed pathogenic compound heterozygous mutations. Cerebrospinal fluid neurotransmitters showed low homovanillic acid and tetrahydrobiopterin. Levodopa-carbidopa resulted in dramatic improvement of gait. Dopamine/biopterin deficiency is a possible secondary manifestation of CLN2 mutations. Levodopa and dopamine agonists might be useful in treating these secondary abnormalities and improving quality of life in these patients.
Central Nervous System Herpes Simplex Virus Infection in Afebrile Children With Seizures
Authors: Majumdar Indrajit , Hartley-McAndrew Michelle E. , Weinstock Arie L.
Published: September 2011

Central nervous system herpes simplex virus infection is suspected in patients presenting with acute-onset seizures and lethargy. The potential neurologic sequelae from untreated herpes infection can prompt empirical acyclovir therapy, even in afebrile subjects. The objectives of this study were to determine the frequency of central nervous system herpes simplex virus infection in children presenting with afebrile seizures and to assess the need for empirical acyclovir therapy. Clinical and laboratory data of children with acute-onset afebrile seizures and children with central nervous system herpes simplex virus infection were compared. Polymerase chain reaction and viral cultures of the cerebrospinal fluid for herpes simplex virus infection were negative in all subjects with afebrile seizures; 32.7% of these subjects were empirically treated with acyclovir. In conclusion, central nervous system herpes simplex virus infection is uncommon in children presenting with afebrile seizures, and acyclovir therapy is rarely necessary in subjects with normal neurologic examination and cerebrospinal fluid analysis.
A Triangular Model for Diagnosis and Management of Preschool ADHD: Symptom or Syndrome?
Authors: Zuckerman Jay , Diamond Gary , Shuper Avinoam
Published: September 2011

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common, well-defined, developmental disorder with a recognized genetic-neurologic basis. Studies report pathogenic involvement of the dopaminergic and serotonergic pathways. Its presentation in the preschool years is variable and can be mistaken for other common behavioral and developmental problems. The aim of this work is to propose an interactive “triangular model” based on the temperamental-genetic, emotional-behavioral, and developmental-genetic pathways of ADHD to explain the evolution of the clinical picture and serve as a guide to appropriate management, particularly in the preschool years. The model can also be used in parental counseling. This article describes 3 illustrative cases of preschool children with hyperactive and inattentive behaviors who were diagnosed with ADHD by standardized developmental and psychological batteries and followed at 2 child developmental centers. By applying the model, treatment could be targeted at the predominant area of difficulty for each child.
Novel Mutations in the C-Terminal Region of the MECP2 Gene in Tunisian Rett Syndrome Patients
Authors: Fendri-Kriaa Nourhene , Rouissi Aida , Ghorbel Rania , Mkaouar-Rebai Emna , Belguith Neila , Gouider-Khouja Naziha , Fakhfakh Faiza
Published: September 2011

Rett syndrome (RTT), an X-linked dominant neurodevelopmental disorder in females, is caused mainly by de novo mutations in the methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 gene ( MECP2). Rett patients present an apparently normal psychomotor development during the first 6 to 18 months of life. Thereafter, they show a short period of developmental stagnation followed by a rapid regression in language and motor development. In the present study, we performed a mutational analysis of the MECP2 gene in 2 typical Rett syndrome patients and in 1 atypical Rett syndrome girl. The results showed the presence of 3 de novo point mutations in the C-terminal region: 2 novel mutations: c.1065C>A (p.S355R) and c.1030C>G (p.R344G) in the 2 typical Rett syndrome girls, but also the c.996C>T (p.S332S) mutation first described in the atypical Rett syndrome patient.
The Turkish Version of the Breastfeeding Attrition Prediction Tool
Authors: Karayağız Muslu Gonca , Basbakkal Zümrüt , Janke Jill
Published: September 2011

This study demonstrates that the original English version of the Breastfeeding Attrition Prediction Tool (BAPT) was successfully adapted to Turkey, as methodologically demonstrated here. The results of this study show that the Turkish version of the BAPT is similar to the original version and that it can be used with Turkish women to identify mothers who may be at high risk of weaning prematurely.
Acceptance by the Public of the Virtual Delivery of Public Services
Authors: Hoefnagel Ruud , Oerlemans Leon , Goedee John
Published: September 2011

Little is known about the determinants of acceptance by the general public of virtual delivery of governmental services. The authors conduct an empirical study of the factors that influence the willingness of individuals to consent to a para-authentic virtual experience with a public sector employee as part of the delivery of a public service. This study is based on the theory of social presence and on the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT). The authors test these hypotheses using 224 questionnaires completed by persons who have filed a police report using synchronous video-mediated communication (VMC). This multiple regression analysis shows that four variables are likely to predict willingness to use virtual interaction as a part of the delivery of a public service: performance expectations, social presence, social influence, and anxiety. Two findings were especially interesting. First, affective predictors, as opposed to cognitive predictors, were found to be of increasing importance for the acceptance by the public of virtual service delivery. Second, social presence emerged as the strongest affective predictor. This study’s empirical findings support the a priori assumption that affective predictors, as opposed to cognitive predictors, are relatively more important in predicting the intention to use virtual technologies, when contrasted with conventional technologies.
Interpreting and Applying CYP450 Genomic Test Results to Psychotropic Medications
Authors: Caley Charles F.
Published: September 2011

The promises of personalized medicine have health care professionals and the public at large in great anticipation of the idea that understanding a patient’s genetic composition will provide clear answers to their treatment needs. For many practitioners in mental health care, there has been a question about whether or not CYP450 genetic polymorphisms can reliably inform psychotropic treatment response and tolerability. Unfortunately, the published evidence addressing this issue is mixed with only some researchers finding a positive correlation between a patient’s inherited metabolizer status and either response or tolerability to a specific medication or a therapeutic class of medications. Despite this mixed evidence, clinical practitioners have started genotyping CYP450 enzymes for some of their patients with the hope that these data may shed some light on difficult treatment decisions. This review will focus on the metabolism of psychotropics and important aspects of understanding the genomics of the cytochrome P450 enzymes 2C9, 2C19, and 2D6. Additionally this review will illustrate sample laboratory reports from 4 different laboratories which test for CYP450 genomics and then finally provide 3 different case scenarios which illustrate a process that pharmacists can use when applying genomic laboratory data to patient care.
The Use of Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Mental Illness
Authors: Gören Jessica L. , Tewksbury Ashley T.
Published: September 2011

Purpose: This article will summarize the current evidence on the effects of omega-3 fatty acids on prevention and treatment of mental illness. Background: Omega-3 fatty acids are involved in many physiologic processes. Since they cannot be made de novo in the body, they are considered essential nutrients. As the Western diet evolved, dietary intake of fatty acids has shifted to increased omega-6 fatty acids and decreased omega-3 fatty acids intake. These changes have been correlated with numerous differences in prevalence and course of mental illnesses. Methods: A MEDLINE search from 1966 to December 2010 was completed to identify studies comparing changes in symptoms, functioning, other outcomes, and/or side effects in patients treated with omega-3 fatty acids for mental illness. The studies were reviewed and reported by specific psychiatric disorder studied. Conclusions: Omega-3 fatty acids play a role in many biologic functions. Epidemiologic data implicate omega-3 fatty acid deficiencies in many mental illnesses. Data are most robust for omega-3 fatty acids' role in affective disorders. However, data are conflicting, negative, or absent for most mental illnesses.
The Protective Effect of Neighborhood Composition on Increasing Frailty Among Older Mexican Americans
Authors: Aranda María P. , Ray Laura A. , Snih Soham Al , Ottenbacher Kenneth J. , Markides Kyriakos S.
Published: September 2011

Objective: Little is known about the nature of the frailty syndrome in older Hispanics who are projected to be the largest minority older population by 2050. The authors examine prospectively the relationship between medical, psychosocial, and neighborhood factors and increasing frailty in a community-dwelling sample of Mexican Americans older than 75 years. Method: Based on a modified version of the Cardiovascular Health Study Frailty Index, the authors examine 2-year follow-up data from the Hispanic Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly (H-EPESE) to ascertain the rates and determinants of increasing frailty among 2,069 Mexican American adults 75+ years of age at baseline. Results: Respondents at risk of increasing frailty live in a less ethnically dense Mexican-American neighborhood, are older, do not have private insurance or Medicare, have higher levels of medical conditions, have lower levels of cognitive functioning, and report less positive affect. Discussion: Personal as well as neighborhood characteristics confer protective effects on individual health in this representative, well-characterized sample of older Mexican Americans. Potential mechanisms that may be implicated in the protective effect of ethnically homogenous communities are discussed.
Biobehavioral Aspects of Health and Aging Among People of Mexican Origin
Authors: Whitfield Keith E. , Angel Jacqueline L. , Wong Rebeca
Published: September 2011

There is a growing interest in developing a deeper level of understanding of the complex phenomena that make up the aging process. Efforts to pursue questions using a multivariate and ecologically valid approaches that include biological and behavioral factors have led to significant advances in our knowledge. This special issue presents a collection of papers that represent this “biobehavioral” perspective. Little is known concerning the biobehavioral aspects of Hispanic health and there is a dearth of systematic study of how individual biological factors interact with the environmental and cultural factors to affect health outcomes among the swiftly growing older population of Mexican origin, a subgroup of older minorities that exhibits unique morbidity and mortality patterns. The group of papers here represents important contributions to understanding the health consequences in later life for individuals of Mexican descent and addresses several areas of interest including but not limited to diabetes, cognitive impairment, metabolic syndrome, frailty, socio-economic status and contextual factors that impact health. The papers presented here use interesting and useful transdisciplinary approaches that increase our knowledge of health processes in older people of Mexican descent. This special issue also provides excellent examples of the critical linkages between biological variables broadly defined and traditional social stratification, social inequalities, and social justice and the ways in which they interact. The papers taken together suggest that the processes involved in aging and health are complex, particularly in people of Mexican descent, and requires the understanding of mechanisms at multiple causes and levels of analysis.
Factors influencing public risk–benefit considerations of nanotechnology: Assessing the effects of mass media, interpersonal communication, and elaborative processing
Authors: Ho Shirley S. , Scheufele Dietram A. , Corley Elizabeth A.
Published: September 2011

This study examines the influence of mass media, interpersonal communication, and elaborative processing on public perception of benefits and risks of nanotechnology, based on a large-scale nationally representative telephone survey of U.S. adult citizens. Results indicate that cognitive processes in the form of news elaboration had a significant positive main effect on benefits outweigh risks perception. The influences of attention to science in newspapers, attention to science news on television, and interpersonal communication about science on public perception of benefits outweigh risks were moderated by elaborative processing, after controlling for socio-demographic variables, religious beliefs, trust in scientists, and scientific knowledge. The findings highlight the importance of elaborative processing when it comes to understanding how the mass media differentially influence public benefits outweigh risks perception of emerging technologies. Specifically, high elaborative processing emphasizes higher levels of perceived benefits outweigh risks than low elaborative processing. This study explores explanations for this phenomenon and offers implications for future research and policy.
The Commodification of Pollution and a Preemptive Double Movement in Environmental Governance
Authors: Mariola Matt J.
Published: September 2011

The management of environmental pollution has traditionally been accomplished via the regulatory power of the state, but more recently the rise of a new, market-based form of governance has been observed. This article examines the sector of water quality trading, in which caps are placed on surface water pollution and polluters can purchase “offset credits” from farms or other polluters who are under their cap. Using a content analysis of program case studies and federal and state trading rules, the author analyzes this emergent form of environmental governance using an expanded Polanyian framework that he terms the preemptive double movement. Instead of the state reacting to the dangers of a new market form after the fact, here the state uses its existing authority to constrain the market so that further environmental damage does not result. The author describes eight specific regulatory mechanisms that illustrate this preemptive double movement at work.
Climate Change, Adaptation, and Vulnerability
Authors: McLaughlin Paul
Published: September 2011

This article reconceptualizes current analyses of adaptation and vulnerability to climate change within an evolutionary theory of social change premised on the concept of a socially constructed adaptive landscape. The latter describes a negotiated and contested fitness terrain. Individual and corporate actors simultaneously adapt to and actively manipulate this terrain by using alternative collective action frames, mobilizing resources, and creating or exploiting political opportunities in order to legitimate or delegitimate social structures and their associated technologies at various levels of analysis. Adaptation is conceptualized as occurring through homeostatic, developmental, rational choice, and populational mechanisms. Vulnerability results from the adaptive failure of social structures sustaining individual and collective health, livelihood, and well-being. This framework combines organizational sociologists’ insights into structure–environment interaction; constructionists’ attention to agency, language, culture, and values; and political ecologists’ concerns with power, inequality, and processes of marginalization.
Cognitive components of social capital and mental health status among older adults: A population-based cross-sectional study
Authors: Forsman Anna K. , Nyqvist Fredrica , Wahlbeck Kristian
Published: September 2011

Aims: To determine the associations between the cognitive aspects of social capital and mental health status in older adults. Methods: Data on older people (65 years of age or older, n = 1,102) were retrieved from a general population mental health survey conducted in Finland in 2008. The response rate was 61%. The associations between self-reported depression (measured by the Composite International Diagnostic Interview Short Form, CIDI-SF) or psychological distress (measured by the General Health Questionnaire, GHQ-12) and perceived social support, sense of belonging, and trust were tested by logistic regression analyses. Results: For the cognitive social capital indicators, difficult access to help from neighbours showed a significant association with depression. Furthermore, not having people to count on, experiencing a lack of concern from other people, and feeling mistrust towards other people were all significantly associated with psychological distress. Conclusions: Links between mental health and cognitive social capital indicate that social support and trust may be important factors to consider when developing interventions to promote mental health and prevent mental disorders among older adults.
A liberal theory of asylum
Authors: Lamey Andy
Published: September 2011

Hannah Arendt argued that refugees pose a major problem for liberalism. Most liberal theorists endorse the idea of human rights. At the same time, liberalism takes the existence of sovereign states for granted. When large numbers of people petition a liberal state for asylum, Arendt argued, these two commitments will come into conflict. An unwavering respect for human rights would mean that no refugee is ever turned away. Being sovereign, however, allows states to control their borders. States supposedly committed to human rights will thus often violate the rights of refugees by denying them entry. I attempt to defend liberalism from Arendt’s criticism by outlining a rights-based model of asylum that is enforceable by sovereign states. This approach avoids the question of what border-enforcement measures, if any, are defensible at the level of ideal justice, and instead seeks to outline a framework of refugee rights that can be realized in a world in which migration controls are a fact of life. Central to my argument is a distinction between the place where a person is recognized as a rights-bearing agent and the potentially different place where he or she exercises those rights.
Producing Norm Talk of Fact-based Case Recording in Interviews With Emergency Social Workers
Authors: Räsänen Jenni-Mari
Published: September 2011

This article, based on an ethnomethodological study in a Finnish regional emergency social work service, focuses on emergency social workers’ interview accounts regarding case recording. In this context, the IT-based case recording and transferring of information and responsibilities between the actors are emphasized. By means of analysis it is shown how social workers account for and prefer recording information which they call ‘factual’. They also account for the distinguishing of facts from other information, without clear explication of what facts actually are. However, there is also negotiation of the norm of ‘fact-based’ case recording in terms of the things that are not yet certain, but which are important for further understanding and handling of the client’s case. The analysis leads to the conclusion that awareness of the constructive and negotiable nature of facts should be taken into account and the apparently obvious nature of ‘facts’ regarding the production, recording, reading and transferring of a case, particularly in the context of regional emergency social work, should be challenged and studied in yet more detail.
Using comparative perspective rapid ethnography in international case studies: Strengths and challenges
Authors: Baines Donna , Cunningham Ian
Published: September 2011

Using data collected as part of a larger, four country, international comparative study, the challenges and strengths of rapid ethnography (RE) are explored. To deepen and enhance the study, in each case study (nine completed to date) an insider is paired with an outsider researcher in order to draw on a comparative perspective from the researcher team involved in each individual case study, as well as across the four countries and nine studies. The article concludes that because of its strengths and rapid turnaround, RE provides a way for international comparative studies to continue despite sharp decreases in research funding and, in our case, produced important insights for those seeking to understand and derail the seemingly unstoppable impacts of neoliberalism and managerialism in social service delivery.
Facebook as a Tool for Producing Sociality and Connectivity
Authors: van Dijck José
Published: September 2011

This article investigates whether social media in general—using Facebook as an example—warrant identification of a new public sphere, another private sphere, or a different corporate sphere, as some scholars have argued. It is argued that social media platforms neither warrant a recalibration of Habermas’ public sphere, nor a conscious blending of spheres. Rather, social media platforms form a contested space where private, public and corporate interests compete to produce new norms of sociality and connectivity. In order to understand the dynamics of social media, it is not enough to revamp existing social theory of networks, to polish up legal frames, or to reintroduce political-economic schemes. We need to connect these theories and come up with an analytical model that accounts for the complexities of the various interests interpenetrating the new space of mediated communication.
Donor-specific anti-HLA antibodies predict outcome in double umbilical cord blood transplantation
Authors: Cutler Corey , Kim Haesook T. , Sun Lixian , Sese Doreen , Glotzbecker Brett , Armand Philippe , Koreth John , Ho Vincent , Alyea Edwin , Ballen Karen , Ritz Jerome , Soiffer Robert J. , Milford Edgar , Antin Joseph H.
Published: September 2011

Using a uniform detection method for donor-specific anti-HLA antibodies (DSAs), we sought to determine the effect of preformed DSAs on outcomes in double umbilical cord blood transplantation. DSAs were associated with an increased incidence of graft failure (5.5% vs 18.2% vs 57.1% for none, single, or dual DSA positivity; P = .0001), prolongation of the time to neutrophil engraftment (21 vs 29 days for none vs any DSA; P = .04), and excess 100-day mortality or relapse (23.6% vs 36.4% vs 71.4% for none, single, or dual DSA positivity; P = .01). The intensity of DSA reactivity was correlated with graft failure (median of mean fluorescent intensity 17 650 vs 1 850; P = .039). There was inferior long-term progression-free and overall survival when comparing patients with DSAs against both umbilical cord blood units to those without DSAs (3-year progression-free survival, 0% vs 33.5%, P = .004; 3-year overall survival 0% vs 45.0%, P = .04). We conclude that identification of preformed DSAs in umbilical cord blood recipients should be performed and that the use of umbilical cord blood units where preformed host DSAs exist should be avoided.
The phylogenomic analysis of the anaphase promoting complex and its targets points to complex and modern-like control of the cell cycle in the last common ancestor of eukaryotes
Authors: Eme Laura , Trilles Aurélie , Moreira David , Brochier-Armanet Céline
Published: September 2011

Background

The Anaphase Promoting Complex or Cyclosome (APC/C) is the largest member of the ubiquitin ligase [E3] family. It plays a crucial role in the control of the cell cycle and cell proliferation by mediating the proteolysis of key components by the proteasome. APC/C is made of a dozen subunits that assemble into a large complex of ~1.5 MDa, which interacts with various cofactors and targets.

Results

Using comparative genomic and phylogenetic approaches, we showed that 24 out of 37 known APC/C subunits, adaptors/co-activators and main targets, were already present in the Last Eukaryotic Common Ancestor (LECA) and were well conserved to a few exceptions in all present-day eukaryotic lineages. The phylogenetic analysis of the 24 components inferred to be present in LECA showed that they contain a reliable phylogenetic signal to reconstruct the phylogeny of the domain Eucarya.

Conclusions

Taken together our analyses indicated that LECA had a complex and highly controlled modern-like cell cycle. Moreover, we showed that, despite what is generally assumed, proteins involved in housekeeping cellular functions may be a good complement to informational genes to study the phylogeny of eukaryotes.
A deletion of FGFR2 creating a chimeric IIIb/IIIc exon in a child with Apert syndrome
Authors: Fenwick Aimee L , Bowdin Sarah C , Klatt Regan EM , Wilkie Andrew OM
Published: September 2011

Background

Signalling by fibroblast growth factor receptor type 2 (FGFR2) normally involves a tissue-specific alternative splice choice between two exons (IIIb and IIIc), which generates two receptor isoforms (FGFR2b and FGFR2c respectively) with differing repertoires of FGF-binding specificity. Here we describe a unique chimeric IIIb/c exon in a patient with Apert syndrome, generated by a non-allelic homologous recombination event.

Case Presentation

We present a child with Apert syndrome in whom routine genetic testing had excluded theFGFR2missense mutations commonly associated with this disorder. The patient was found to harbour a heterozygous 1372 bp deletion betweenFGFR2exons IIIb and IIIc, apparently originating from recombination between 13 bp of identical DNA sequence present in both exons. The rearrangement was not present in the unaffected parents.

Conclusions

Based on the known pathogenesis of Apert syndrome, the chimeric FGFR2 protein is predicted to act in a dominant gain-of-function manner. This is likely to result from its expression in mesenchymal tissues, where retention of most of the residues essential for FGFR2b binding activity would result in autocrine activation. This report adds to the repertoire of rare cases of Apert syndrome for which a pathogenesis based on atypicalFGFR2rearrangements can be demonstrated.