bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Improved Affinity of a Human Anti-Entamoeba histolyticaGal/GalNAc Lectin Fab Fragment by a Single Amino Acid Modification of the Light Chain
Authors: Tachibana Hiroshi , Matsumoto Naohisa , Cheng Xun-Jia , Tsukamoto Hideo , Yoshihara Eisaku
Published: November 2004

We previously produced, inEscherichia coli, a human monoclonal antibody Fab fragment, CP33, specific for the galactose- andN-acetyl-d-galactosamine-inhibitable lectin ofEntamoeba histolytica. To prepare antibodies with a higher affinity to the lectin, recombination PCR was used to exchange Ser91and Arg96in the third complementarity-determining region of the light chain with other amino acids. The screening of 200 clones of each exchange by an indirect fluorescent antibody test showed that 14 clones for Ser91and nine clones for Arg96reacted strongly withE. histolyticatrophozoites. Sequence analyses revealed that the substituted amino acids at Ser91were Ala in five clones, Gly in three clones, Pro in two clones, and Val in two clones, while the amino acid at position 96 was substituted with Leu in three clones. The remaining eight clones exhibited no amino acid change at position 91 or 96. These mutant Fab fragments were purified and subjected to a surface plasmon resonance assay to measure the affinity of these proteins to the cysteine-rich domain of lectin. Pro or Gly substitution for Ser91caused an increased affinity of the Fab, but substitution with Ala or Val did not. The replacement of Arg96with Leu did not affect affinity. These results demonstrate that modification of antibody genes by recombination PCR is a useful method for affinity maturation and that amino acid substitution at position 91 yields Fabs with increased affinity for the lectin.
Evaluation of an In Vitro Assay for Gamma Interferon Production in Response to
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Infections
Authors: Taggart Edward W. , Hill Harry R. , Ruegner Roland G. , Martins Thomas B. , Litwin Christine M.
Published: November 2004

The tuberculin skin test (TST) is the “gold standard” for detecting infection with
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
. We compared the TST using purified protein derivative to the QuantiFERON-TB test (QFT). Two groups were examined. Group 1 individuals (
n
= 66) (low risk) were at low risk for exposure to
M. tuberculosis
and were not
Mycobacterium bovis
BCG vaccinated. Group 2 (
n
= 29) include individuals who were likely to have been exposed to a high prevalence of
M. tuberculosis
infections and were BCG vaccinated. Group 1 individuals were given a TST. Group 2 individuals were not given a TST because of possible adverse reactions. A 10- to 15-mm indurated area 48 h after TST was considered positive. A positive QFT result was defined as a significant gamma interferon response to
M. tuberculosis
antigen,
Mycobacterium avium
antigen, and a nonspecific mitogen stimulus and no response in the negative control. In group 1, 60 of 66 individuals (90.9%) were negative by both methods, and 1 person was positive by both methods. There was one QFT-negative, TST-positive case, one QFT-positive, TST-negative case, and three conditional QFT-positive, TST-negative cases. In group 2, 12 of 29 (41.4%) were positive by QFT and considered likely to be TST positive because of prior BCG vaccination. QFT testing in our low-risk group resulted in an agreement of 96.8%, a sensitivity of 50%, and a specificity of 98.4% compared with TST results. QFT testing with TST in low-risk groups can aid in the detection of latent
M. tuberculosis
infections.
Establishing Phenotypic Features Associated with Morbidity in Human T-Cell Lymphotropic Virus Type 1 Infection
Authors: Brito-Melo G. E. A. , Souza J. G. , Barbosa-Stancioli E. F. , Carneiro-Proietti A. B. F. , Catalan-Soares B. , Ribas J. G. , Thorum G. W. , Rocha R. D. R. , Martins-Filho O. A.
Published: November 2004

The human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is the causative agent of HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HT). Although it is widely believed that virus infection and host immune response are involved in the pathogenic mechanisms, the role of the immune system in the development and/or maintenance of HT remains unknown. We performed an analysis of the peripheral blood leukocyte phenotype for two different subcohorts of HTLV-1-infected individuals to verify the existence of similar immunological alterations, possible laboratory markers for HT. The leukocyte population balance, the activation status of the T lymphocytes, and the cellular migratory potential of T lymphocytes, monocytes, and neutrophils were evaluated in the peripheral blood of HTLV-1-infected individuals classified as asymptomatic individuals, oligosymptomatic individuals, and individuals with HT. Data analysis demonstrated that a decreased percentage of B cells, resulting in an increased T cell/B cell ratio and an increase in the CD8+HLA-DR+T lymphocytes, exclusively in the HT group could be identified in both subcohorts, suggesting its possible use as a potential immunological marker for HT for use in the laboratory. Moreover, analysis of likelihood ratios showed that if an HTLV-1-infected individual demonstrated B-cell percentages lower than 7.0%, a T cell/B cell ratio higher than 11, or a percentage of CD8+HLA-DR+T lymphocytes higher than 70.0%, this individual would have, respectively, a 12-, 13-, or 22-times-greater chance of belonging to the HT group. Based on these data, we propose that the T cell/B cell ratios and percentages of circulating B cells and activated CD8+T lymphocytes in HTLV-1-infected patients are important immunological indicators which could help clinicians monitor HTLV-1 infection and differentiate the HT group from the asymptomatic and oligosymptomatic groups.
Serological Method Using Recombinant S2 Protein To Differentiate Equine Infectious Anemia Virus (EIAV)-Infected and EIAV-Vaccinated Horses
Authors: Jin Sha , Issel Charles J. , Montelaro Ronald C.
Published: November 2004

We recently reported a highly protective attenuated live virus vaccine for equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) based on a proviral construct (EIAV
UK
ΔS2) with a genetically engineered mutation in the viral S2 gene that eliminates expression of this accessory protein. While the EIAV
UK
ΔS2 vaccine provides protection from detectable infection by experimental challenge with highly virulent virus, the potential for commercial application of this vaccine is complicated by the fact that horses inoculated with the EIAV
UK
ΔS2 vaccine strain become seropositive in various reference diagnostic assays based on detection of antibodies to virion core or envelope proteins. To address this issue, we describe here the development and optimization of a new serologic EIAV diagnostic enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to detect serum antibodies to the EIAV S2 protein that are produced in infected horses but not in horses inoculated with the EIAV
UK
ΔS2 vaccine virus. The test S2 protein antigen was developed using the S2 gene sequence from the EIAV
UK
strain of virus and a series of modifications to facilitate production and purification of the diagnostic antigen, designated HS2G. Using this HS2G as antigen, we describe the development of an affinity ELISA that provides a sensitive and specific detection of S2-specific serum antibodies in experimentally and field-infected horses (22 of 24), without detectable reactivity with immune serum from uninfected (12 of 12) or vaccinated (29 of 29) horses. These data indicate that the S2-based diagnostic ELISA has the potential to accurately differentiate horses infected with EIAV from horses inoculated with an attenuated EIAV vaccine strain with a mutant S2 gene.
Structural and Immunological Characteristics of Chronically Inflamed Adenotonsillar Tissue in Childhood
Authors: Passàli Desiderio , Damiani Valerio , Passàli Giulio Cesare , Passàli Francesco Maria , Boccazzi Antonio , Bellussi Luisa
Published: November 2004

Recurrent or chronic adenotonsillar infections mainly affect children and frequently involve otherwise healthy subjects. Therefore, having excluded systemic immunological deficiencies, this disease may be due to a local dysfunction of the epithelial structures at either the rhino or oropharyngeal level. The aim of the present investigation was to analyze structural and immunological aspects of tonsils and adenoids in subjects who underwent adenotonsillectomy because of recurrent inflammatory episodes with fever. Histological studies and analyses of the cytokine patterns were carried out in palatine tonsils and adenoid samples from 105 patients who underwent adenoidectomy and bilateral extracapsular tonsillectomy for chronic inflammatory hypertrophy of these organs; 46 of the 105 cases examined presented hyperkeratosis of the crypt epithelium; in the remaining 59, the epithelium was hyperplastic with no signs of keratosis. Scanning electron microscopy revealed a continuous epithelial surface of polygon-shaped flattened cells with fissures towards the cryptic depressions. Titration of interleukin-1β and tumor necrosis factor alpha in serum and tissues demonstrated higher concentrations in the adenotonsillar specimens, whereas the rise in interleukin-6 was more modest.
Reduction of Hepatitis C Virus NS5A Hyperphosphorylation by Selective Inhibition of Cellular Kinases Activates Viral RNA Replication in Cell Culture
Authors: Neddermann Petra , Quintavalle Manuela , Di Pietro Chiara , Clementi Angelica , Cerretani Mauro , Altamura Sergio , Bartholomew Linda , De Francesco Raffaele
Published: November 2004

Efficient replication of hepatitis C virus (HCV) subgenomic RNA in cell culture requires the introduction of adaptive mutations. In this report we describe a system which enables efficient replication of the Con1 subgenomic replicon in Huh7 cells without the introduction of adaptive mutations. The starting hypothesis was that high amounts of the NS5A hyperphosphorylated form, p58, inhibit replication and that reduction of p58 by inhibition of specific kinase(s) below a certain threshold enables HCV replication. Upon screening of a panel of kinase inhibitors, we selected three compounds which inhibited NS5A phosphorylation in vitro and the formation of NS5A p58 in cell culture. Cells, transfected with the HCV Con1 wild-type sequence, support HCV RNA replication upon addition of any of the three compounds. The effect of the kinase inhibitors was found to be synergistic with coadaptive mutations in NS3. This is the first direct demonstration that the presence of high amounts of NS5A-p58 causes inhibition of HCV RNA replication in cell culture and that this inhibition can be relieved by kinase inhibitors.
SPECTRAL ASYMPTOTICS OF THE LAPLACE OPERATOR ON MANIFOLDS WITH CYLINDRICAL ENDS
Authors: PARNOVSKI L.B.
Published: November 2004

Let M be an n-dimensional manifold with cylindrical ends. We consider the sum of the counting functions of the discrete (Nd(λ)) and continuous spectra of M, the latter beingdefined as [Formula: see text] where T(ν) is the scattering matrix and µ1 is the first eigenvalue of the cylinder’s section. Using the modification of the Colin de Verdière cut-off Laplacian, we prove the followingasymptotic formula: [Formula: see text] where |M0| is the regularized volume of |M|, and Cn is the Weyl constant.
TYPE I INTERFERONS (α/β) IN IMMUNITY AND AUTOIMMUNITY
Authors: Theofilopoulos Argyrios N. , Baccala Roberto , Beutler Bruce , Kono Dwight H.
Published: November 2004

▪ Abstract  The significance of type I interferons (IFN-α/β) in biology and medicine renders research on their activities continuously relevant to our understanding of normal and abnormal (auto) immune responses. This relevance is bolstered by discoveries that unambiguously establish IFN-α/β, among the multitude of cytokines, as dominant in defining qualitative and quantitative characteristics of innate and adaptive immune processes. Recent advances elucidating the biology of these key cytokines include better definition of their complex signaling pathways, determination of their importance in modifying the effects of other cytokines, the role of Toll-like receptors in their induction, their major cellular producers, and their broad and diverse impact on both cellular and humoral immune responses. Consequently, the role of IFN-α/β in the pathogenesis of autoimmunity remains at the forefront of scientific inquiry and has begun to illuminate the mechanisms by which these molecules promote or inhibit systemic and organ-specific autoimmune diseases.
RYDBERG WAVEPACKETS IN MOLECULES: From Observation to Control
Authors: Fielding H.H.
Published: November 2004

▪ Abstract  Significant advances in laser technology have led to an increasing interest in the time evolution of Rydberg wavepackets as a means to understanding, and ultimately controlling, quantum phenomena. Rydberg wavepackets in molecules are particularly interesting as they possess many of the dynamical complications of large molecules, such as nonadiabatic coupling between the various degrees of freedom, yet they remain tractable experimentally and theoretically. This review explains in detail how the method of interfering wavepackets can be applied to observe and control Rydberg wavepackets in molecules; it discusses the achievements to date and the possibilities for the future.
Control of respiration and bioenergetics during muscle contraction
Authors: Chung Youngran , Molé Paul A. , Sailasuta Napapon , Tran Tuan Khanh , Hurd Ralph , Jue Thomas
Published: November 2004

1H-NMR experiments have determined intracellular O2 consumption (V̇o2) with oxymyoglobin (MbO2) desaturation kinetics in human calf muscle during plantar flexion exercise at 0.75, 0.92, and 1.17 Hz with a constant load. At the onset of muscle contraction, myoglobin (Mb) desaturates rapidly. The desaturation rate constant of ∼30 s reflects the intracellular V̇o2. Although Mb desaturates quickly with a similar time constant at all workload levels, its final steady-state level differs. As work increases, the final steady-state cellular Po2 decreases progressively. After Mb desaturation has reached a steady state, however, V̇o2 continues to rise. On the basis of current respiratory control models, the analysis in the present report reveals two distinct V̇o2 phases: an ADP-independent phase at the onset of contraction and an ADP-dependent phase after Mb has reached a steady state. In contrast to the accepted view, the initial intracellular V̇o2 shows that oxidative phosphorylation can support up to 36% of the energy cost, a significantly higher fraction than expected. Partitioning of the energy flux shows that a 31% nonoxidative component exists and responds to the dynamic energy utilization-restoration cycle (which lasts for only milliseconds) as postulated in the glycogen shunt theory. The present study offers perspectives on the regulation of respiration, bioenergetics, and Mb function during muscle contraction.
Adrenomedullin enhances therapeutic potency of bone marrow transplantation for myocardial infarction in rats
Authors: Fujii Takafumi , Nagaya Noritoshi , Iwase Takashi , Murakami Shinsuke , Miyahara Yoshinori , Nishigami Kazuhiro , Ishibashi-Ueda Hatsue , Shirai Mikiyasu , Itoh Takefumi , Ishino Kozo , Sano Shunji , Kangawa Kenji , Mori Hidezo
Published: November 2004

Adrenomedullin (AM), a potent vasodilator, induces angiogenesis and inhibits cell apoptosis through the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt pathway. Transplantation of bone marrow-derived mononuclear cells (MNC) induces angiogenesis. We investigated whether infusion of AM enhances the therapeutic potency of MNC transplantation in a rat model of myocardial infarction. Immediately after coronary ligation, bone marrow-derived MNC (5 × 106 cells) were injected into the ischemic myocardium, followed by subcutaneous administration of 0.05 μg·kg−1·min−1 AM (AM-MNC group) or saline (MNC group) for 3 days. Another two groups of rats received subcutaneous administration of AM alone (AM group) or saline (control group). Hemodynamic and histological analyses were performed 4 wk after treatment. Cardiac infarct size was significantly smaller in the MNC and AM groups than in the control group. A combination of AM infusion and MNC transplantation demonstrated a further decrease in infarct size. Left ventricular (LV) maximum change in pressure over time and LV fractional shortening were significantly improved only in the AM-MNC group. AM significantly increased capillary density in ischemic myocardium, suggesting the angiogenic potency of AM. AM infusion plus MNC transplantation demonstrated a further increase in capillary density compared with AM or MNC alone. Although MNC apoptosis was frequently observed 72 h after transplantation, AM markedly decreased the number of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling-positive cells among the transplanted MNC. In conclusion, AM enhanced the angiogenic potency of MNC transplantation and improved cardiac function in rats with myocardial infarction. This beneficial effect may be mediated partly by the angiogenic property of AM itself and by its antiapoptotic effect on MNC.
Spatial Reconstruction of Trajectories of an Array of Recording Microelectrodes
Authors: Naselaris Thomas , Merchant Hugo , Amirikian Bagrat , Georgopoulos Apostolos P.
Published: November 2004

We present a method for estimating the locations of sites visited by an array of microelectrodes. The method relies on visualization of tracks made by electrodes coated in a fluorescent dye. These tracks are used to estimate the parameters of a simple geometrical model that generates coordinates for each recording site. We describe several ways to measure the error of this procedure and present experimental results from recordings in the motor cortex of macaque monkeys that suggest that errors are of the order of 230 μm. We also introduce a coordinate transformation that takes into account the convoluted structure of the cortex near sulci to conveniently visualize recording site locations in a rectilinear representation. This method greatly extends the capabilities of microelectrodes for studying the three-dimensional structure of topographic maps in the cortex.
Temporal Dynamics of Direction Tuning in Motion-Sensitive Macaque Area MT
Authors: Perge János A. , Borghuis Bart G. , Bours Roger J. E. , Lankheet Martin J. M. , van Wezel Richard J. A.
Published: November 2004

We studied the temporal dynamics of motion direction sensitivity in macaque area MT using a motion reverse correlation paradigm. Stimuli consisted of a random sequence of motion steps in eight different directions. Cross-correlating the stimulus with the resulting neural activity reveals the temporal dynamics of direction selectivity. The temporal dynamics of direction selectivity at the preferred speed showed two phases along the time axis: one phase corresponding to an increase in probability for the preferred direction at short latencies and a second phase corresponding to a decrease in probability for the preferred direction at longer latencies. The strength of this biphasic behavior varied between neurons from weak to very strong and was uniformly distributed. Strong biphasic behavior suggests optimal responses for motion steps in the antipreferred direction followed by a motion step in the preferred direction. Correlating spikes to combinations of motion directions corroborates this distinction. The optimal combination for weakly biphasic cells consists of successive steps in the preferred direction, whereas for strongly biphasic cells, it is a reversal of directions. Comparing reverse correlograms to combinations of stimuli to predictions based on correlograms for individual directions revealed several nonlinear effects. Correlations for successive presentations of preferred directions were smaller than predicted, which could be explained by a static nonlinearity (saturation). Correlations to pairs of (nearly) opposite directions were larger than predicted. These results show that MT neurons are generally more responsive when sudden changes in motion directions occur, irrespective of the preferred direction of the neurons. The latter nonlinearities cannot be explained by a simple static nonlinearity at the output of the neuron, but most likely reflect network interactions.
Modeling Sleep and Wakefulness in the Thalamocortical System
Authors: Hill Sean , Tononi Giulio
Published: November 2004

When the brain goes from wakefulness to sleep, cortical neurons begin to undergo slow oscillations in their membrane potential that are synchronized by thalamocortical circuits and reflected in EEG slow waves. To provide a self-consistent account of the transition from wakefulness to sleep and of the generation of sleep slow waves, we have constructed a large-scale computer model that encompasses portions of two visual areas and associated thalamic and reticular thalamic nuclei. Thousands of model neurons, incorporating several intrinsic currents, are interconnected with millions of thalamocortical, corticothalamic, and both intra- and interareal corticocortical connections. In the waking mode, the model exhibits irregular spontaneous firing and selective responses to visual stimuli. In the sleep mode, neuromodulatory changes lead to slow oscillations that closely resemble those observed in vivo and in vitro. A systematic exploration of the effects of intrinsic currents and network parameters on the initiation, maintenance, and termination of slow oscillations shows the following. 1) An increase in potassium leak conductances is sufficient to trigger the transition from wakefulness to sleep. 2) The activation of persistent sodium currents is sufficient to initiate the up-state of the slow oscillation. 3) A combination of intrinsic and synaptic currents is sufficient to maintain the up-state. 4) Depolarization-activated potassium currents and synaptic depression terminate the up-state. 5) Corticocortical connections synchronize the slow oscillation. The model is the first to integrate intrinsic neuronal properties with detailed thalamocortical anatomy and reproduce neural activity patterns in both wakefulness and sleep, thereby providing a powerful tool to investigate the role of sleep in information transmission and plasticity.
On the existence of weak solutions for the initial‐boundary value problem in the Jeffreys model of motion of a viscoelastic medium
Authors: Vorotnikov D. A. , Zvyagin V. G.
Published: November 2004

This paper deals with the initial‐boundary value problem for the
system of motion equations of an incompressible viscoelastic
medium with Jeffreys constitutive law in an arbitrary domain of
two‐dimensional or three‐dimensional space. The existence of weak
solutions of this problem is obtained.
Professionalizing the Human Resources Function
Authors: Tracey J. Bruce , Charpentier Abigail
Published: November 2004

Human resources (HR) has become increasingly integral to the success of hospitality firms. At the same time, HR professionals have identified the key competencies required for their field. No longer merely a “personnel” function, HR is essential to a business’s success. To that end, HR professionals at all levels have established industry-wide certification programs that embrace not only the classic administrative aspects of the position but also the financial and general business knowledge that helps ensure that HR will drive a firm’s success. ARAMARK’s orientation program provides an example of integrating HR professionals into all areas of an operation. ARAMARK Harrison Lodging (AHL) Services has established its “HR Rep” program, which has brought some forty HR professionals into the business to date, with notable success. In this program, AHL’s HR reps become involved in all aspects of the operation, including such unusual areas as finance, sales, marketing, and individual clients’ operations.
“If You Don’t Hear from Me You Know You Are Doing Fine”
Authors: Hinkin Timothy R. , Schriesheim Chester A.
Published: November 2004

A study of 243 employees of two different hospitality organizations compared the effects of managers’ giving feedback with no comments at all (favorable or unfavorable). The study found that feedback, formally known as contingent reinforcement, improves performance even when that feedback involves negative or corrective comments. Echoing previous studies, this research found a positive relationship between contingent rewards and workers’ effectiveness and satisfaction. Moreover, contingent punishment also had a small positive relationship with effectiveness and satisfaction. Going beyond previous work, however, this study found that managers’ omission of any commentary on good performance has a direct, albeit moderate, negative relationship with workers’ effectiveness and a small, direct negative relationship on satisfaction. These findings point in the direction of the long-established psychological theory of operant conditioning, which suggests that a behavior that is totally ignored will eventually be extinguished. In this case, the behavior that will be lost is good service
The Impact of Restaurant Table Characteristics on Meal Duration and Spending
Authors: Kimes Sheryl E. , Robson Stephani K. A.
Published: November 2004

Restaurateurs seeking to maximize revenues should look carefully at how long their tables are occupied and at how much the average diner spends. This study examines two aspects of the restaurant environment—table type and table location—to determine whether the placement or configuration of a dining table (in particular, whether it has an architectural anchor) has measurable effects on duration and average check, which were combined to show average spending per minute (SPM). An analysis of more than fourteen hundred meal transactions at a 210-seat, casual Mexican-style restaurant found that the SPM for parties at booths was slightly higher than average, while the SPM for diners at banquette tables was below the average. Ironically, tables in poor locations in the dining room generated SPM values higher than supposedly good tables. These findings suggest that restaurant designers reexamine the use of banquettes and not be overly concerned about “bad” tables.
Issues of Concern for Restaurant Owners and Managers
Authors: Enz Cathy A.
Published: November 2004

Human resources continues to be the most troubling issue for U.S. restaurant owners and operators. When 448 restaurateurs were given the chance to state their top concerns, they chose finding and keeping competent employees, closely followed by a constellation of concerns relating to government regulation, taxation, and legal liability. Other issues that respondents cited were ensuring safe food handling, finding effective marketing strategies, and staying ahead of competitors in a tight economic environment.
The United Nations Security Council and the Rally ’Round the Flag Effect
Authors: Chapman Terrence L. , Reiter Dan
Published: November 2004

A principal agent model is used to test the hypothesis that when proposed uses of force attract the support of the United Nations (UN) Security Council, the rally in support of the American president increases significantly. Regression analysis is applied to rallies during all militarized interstate disputes from 1945 to 2001. Results show that UN Security Council support significantly increases the rally behind the president (by as many as 9 points in presidential approval), even after including an array of control variables. This finding is generally robust across most model specifications. This effect is unique among international institutions because other actions by the UN or regional security organizations do not significantly affect rallies. These findings provide new insight into how international institutions can matter and influence the foreign policies of states by affecting public opinion.
What Is Civil War?
Authors: Sambanis Nicholas
Published: November 2004

The empirical literature on civil war has seen tremendous growth because of the compilation of quantitative data sets, but there is no consensus on the measurement of civil war. This increases the risk of making inferences from unstable empirical results. Without ad hoc rules to code its start and end and differentiate it from other violence, it is difficult, if not impossible, to define and measure civil war. A wide range of variation in parameter estimates makes accurate predictions of war onset difficult, and differences in empirical results are greater with respect to war continuation.
“Because It’s Worth It?”
Authors: Jones Gill , O’sullivan Ann , Rouse Julia
Published: November 2004

The expansion of post–16 education in the United Kingdom makes young people more dependent, and for longer, on their parents. Generational change has been so great that parents with no history of postschool education are now expected to support children while they study. Some parents adhere to a working-class belief in selfsufficiency through employment. Others are taking an increasingly instrumental approach, believing that investment in education must pay dividends in job prospects. This article examines young people’s pathways between education and work and explores the motivations and pressures underlying choices about which path to take. It identifies uncertain transitions where choices are revised and pathways changed. The research finds that parents have increased power to affect their children’s transitions and that young people without parental support are severely disadvantaged. This study of parental support for transitions in youth involved interviews with young people and their parents in two contrasting English towns.
Secondary Schooling and Rural Youth Transitions in Lesotho and Zimbabwe
Authors: Ansell Nicola
Published: November 2004

Based on case studies centered on two rural secondary schools in Lesotho and Zimbabwe, this article examines the gendered impacts of schooling on young people’s transitions to adulthood. School attendance is shown first to disrupt the conventional pathways to adulthood: Young people attending school may leave home sooner than they otherwise would and take responsibility for their day-to-day survival, whereas marriage and childbearing are often delayed. More significantly, secondary schooling reflects and contributes to a growing sense that adulthood itself is not fixed. An alternative version of adulthood is promoted through schools in which formal-sector employment is central. Yet although young people are encouraged to opt for and work toward this goal, only a minority are able to obtain paid employment. The apparent possibility of determining one’s own life course serves to cast the majority of young people as failures in their transitions to adulthood.
AIC and BIC
Authors: Kuha Jouni
Published: November 2004

The two most commonly used penalized model selection criteria, the Bayesian information criterion (BIC) and Akaike’s information criterion (AIC), are examined and compared. Their motivations as approximations of two different target quantities are discussed, and their performance in estimating those quantities is assessed. Despite their different foundations, some similarities between the two statistics can be observed, for example, in analogous interpretations of their penalty terms. The behavior of the criteria in selecting good models for observed data is examined with simulated data and also illustrated with the analysis of two well-known data sets on social mobility. It is argued that useful information for model selection can be obtained from using AIC and BIC together, particularly from trying as far as possible to find models favored by both criteria.
Multimodel Inference
Authors: Burnham Kenneth P. , Anderson David R.
Published: November 2004

The model selection literature has been generally poor at reflecting the deep foundations of the Akaike information criterion (AIC) and at making appropriate comparisons to the Bayesian information criterion (BIC). There is a clear philosophy, a sound criterion based in information theory, and a rigorous statistical foundation for AIC. AIC can be justified as Bayesian using a “savvy” prior on models that is a function of sample size and the number of model parameters. Furthermore, BIC can be derived as a non-Bayesian result. Therefore, arguments about using AIC versus BIC for model selection cannot be from a Bayes versus frequentist perspective. The philosophical context of what is assumed about reality, approximating models, and the intent of model-based inference should determine whether AIC or BIC is used. Various facets of such multimodel inference are presented here, particularly methods of model averaging.
Searching the Literature by Design
Authors: Littleton Dawn , Marsalis Scott , Bliss Donna Zimmaro
Published: November 2004

Current nursing knowledge has been generated by studies whose designs range from exploratory to experimental. Searching the literature for a study illustrating a particular design can be a perplexing process. This article explains strategies that are useful in identifying research studies according to the designs used in their methods. The suggested search strategies assist in identifying the most relevant search results and can save time. Outcomes of such a search can be instructional about the implementation of a design in its classic form or some variation. They can provide practical illustrations of the advantages and limitations of a design when applied in a particular area of interest.
Cancer Risk-Reduction Behaviors of Breast Cancer Survivors
Authors: Lindsey Ada M. , Waltman Nancy , Gross Gloria , Ott Carol D. , Twiss Jan
Published: November 2004

Using secondary data analysis, the aim was to determine if postmenopausal women, who have survived breast cancer, have adopted healthy nutritional and physical activity behaviors recommended in the American Cancer Society guidelines as cancer risk-reduction strategies, and in guidelines for prevention of other chronic diseases or for improving general health. From their personal health history, women who have survived breast cancer would be likely candidates to adopt healthy behaviors recommended as cancer risk-reduction strategies or for prevention of other chronic diseases. A secondary aim was to determine the perceived general health and affective state of these women. These breast cancer survivors had a high perception of their general health, a positive affective state, and have adopted some healthy lifestyle behaviors, but they are not fully adhering to the ACS nutrition and physical activity guidelines or other healthrelated guidelines for cancer risk reduction or prevention of other chronic diseases.
How to Develop a Budget for a Research Proposal
Authors: Higdon Joseph , Topp Robert
Published: November 2004

Novice investigators may be intimidated by the task of proposal budget preparation. Often a basic understanding of the mechanics of budgeting, paired with a good working relationship with the institution’s sponsored programs office, can alleviate much of the stress investigators encounter in developing budgets. Careful attention to the detailed inclusive costs of conducting the proposed study combined with awareness of university and agency budget requirements is essential. This article describes strategies for developing a budget for a research proposal.
Theory Development and Evaluation of Project WIN
Authors: Roberts Laura , White George , Yeomans Peter
Published: November 2004

There is a need for an effective violence reduction program for early adolescents in schools. Social psychologists have had success teaching adolescents integrative negotiation strategies that help them to resolve potentially violent conflicts. The caveat is that these strategies are effective only in cooperative social contexts and backfire in competitive social contexts. To develop an effective violence reduction program, we must not only teach young people skills of integrated negotiation; we must also present complementary strategies to help them transform competitive social contexts into cooperative social contexts. The purpose of this study was to present a violence reduction program, entitled Project WIN (Working out Integrated Negotiations), which accomplished both of these goals. The target group was fifth-graders in a low-income, urban community. Plans for further evaluation of Project WIN and greater investment of educators and researchers in the behavioral technology of violence reduction are discussed.
Students’ Perceptions of School Safety:
Authors: Kitsantas Anastasia , Ware Herbert W. , Martinez-Arias Rosario
Published: November 2004

An important element of the context in which children are educated is the safety in their schools. The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationships among student perceptions of community safety, school environment, substance use, and school safety with a total of 3,092 sixth, seventh, and eighth graders. Data were used from the School Safety and Discipline component of the National Household Education Survey. Path analyses provided evidence that the strongest predictors of student perceptions of safety and substance use in school were perceived safety in the school relative to their neighborhood, community safety, and school climate. We also found that actions taken by the school to enhance school safety were the weakest predictor of student perceptions of school safety and substance use. These findings offer implications for the initiatives to be taken by schools and the community to improve school safety.
Exploring the Forensic Use of the Emotional Recognition Test (ERT)
Authors: Lee Soo Jung , Miller Holly A. , Moon Junseob
Published: November 2004

General “hypo-emotionality” has now become a broadly accepted concept as one of the conspicuous psychological characteristics of repetitive, violent offenders. Numerous psychophysiological studies have verified this premise. The current study sought to examine the applicability of the Emotional Recognition Test (ERT) in a sample of 85 Korean inmates in a maximum-security prison. Two additional criterion groups were included for comparison: normal controls and schizophrenic inpatients. Because the ERT consists of problem-solving items, it is relatively free from response biases and is more efficient than measuring physiological responses. Results indicated that all criterion groups scored significantly differently on the ERT total and subscale scores. Additionally, similar to the physiological emotion-specific findings, emotion-specific subscales of the ERT indicated that offenders had significantly more difficulty in recognizing negative emotional stimuli, particularly sadness.
Youth Violence: An Exploratory Study of a Treatment Program in a Central Illinois County
Authors: Kethineni Sesha , Blimling Lisa , Bozarth Julia Madden , Gaines Cheryl
Published: November 2004

A local treatment provider has developed an OPTIONS program to prevent adolescent aggression. The program is designed for youths who displayed threatening or abusive behaviors, particularly toward family members. This study described the characteristics of juveniles and their families who were referred to the program and if the program participation helped reduce the severity of violence and improve the communication skills among program participants. Referrals came from law enforcement, juvenile court services, school resource officers, and parents. Information on 100 juveniles and their families were provided by the counselors of the program. The findings showed that a large percentage of juveniles came from unstable families with a family history of criminal convictions, substance abuse, or mental illness. Program participants showed an improvement in communication skills and reduction in their levels of dangerousness.
The Impact of Racial Composition and Other County Characteristics on the Size of Sheriff’s Departments: A New Analysis of Police Force Growth
Authors: Sever Brion , McSkimming Michael J.
Published: November 2004

Over the past three decades, there have been an abundance of studies that have tested the impact of various city characteristics on police force strength. A number of these studies included minority population size as a control, however only a few have placed a great deal of concentration on this area, and we have found only one other study that has tested it at the county level. The current study tested the impact of minority populations, crime, and other county characteristics on the total number of sworn sheriff’s deputies and deputies in the field for 122 large counties across the United States. Unlike research focusing on the city level, we found that the number of sheriff’s deputies (either total sworn or field deputies) in a county is not highly influenced by minority population size or other characteristics of the county that they police.
Uniting the Enemy: Politics and the Convergence of Nationalisms in Slovakia
Authors: Deegan-Krause Kevin
Published: November 2004

Although aggregate popular support for particular nationalisms in Slovakia showed little change during the 1990s, relationships between nationalisms changed significantly. This article uses categories of nationalism derived from the relational typologies of Brubaker and Hechter to analyze surveys of postcommunist Slovak public opinion and demonstrate that popular nationalisms against Czechs, Hungarians, the West, and nonnationalist Slovaks bore little relationship to one another at the time of Slovakia’s independence but converged over time. With the encouragement of nationalist political elites, a large share of the Slovak population became convinced that Slovakia faced threats from all sides and that the country’s enemies were actually working together to undermine its sovereignty. The example of Slovakia thus provides an important case study for understanding how the complex and interactions between distinct nationalisms creates opportunities for the influence of political leadership.
Developing a problem-based learning simulation: An economics unit on trade
Authors: Maxwell Nan L. , Mergendoller John R. , Bellisimo Yolanda
Published: November 2004

This article argues that the merger of simulations and problem-based learning (PBL) can enhance both active-learning strategies. Simulations benefit by using a PBL framework to promote student-directed learning and problem-solving skills to explain a simulated dilemma with multiple solutions. PBL benefits because simulations structure the information students receive to focus learning on the intended curriculum and increase the strategy’s effectiveness in a wider variety of venues. A combined strategy—a PBL simulation— places its simulation at the forefront of learning and helps students and teachers sift through the overwhelming complexity that can arise in a more pure PBL. The authors illustrate the strength of a PBL simulation with an economics unit on trade, titled THE GREAT AWAKENING.
Course Preparation for Management Consultants
Authors: Adams Susan M. , Zanzi Alberto
Published: November 2004

The explosive growth of the consulting industry in recent years and the controversy surrounding the quality of the consulting function stresses the needs for a better preparation and training of consultants. This article examines the contribution that academia can provide in furthering the development of consultants at different stages in their careers. The research indicates a scarcity of academic course offerings and a lack of comprehensive coverage of essential course elements such as client-based field projects. A template is provided to address the curricular deficiencies detected in the survey of current course offerings.
Seizing the Moment: Talking about the “Undiscussables”
Authors: Baker Ann C.
Published: November 2004

Given the varied backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives among students and faculty in management education and organizational studies programs, often teachable moments present themselves around differing perceptions. Seizing these moments to talk about difficult, controversial issues—or undiscussables—can catalyze and deepen learning. This article delves into the underutilized resource of class conversations for conversational learning. It explores how to prepare more receptive learning environments and how to prepare faculty to facilitate conversational interactions that can promote a more complex level of learning. The article concludes with two illustrations from actual classroom work.
Reconcilable Differences? Incorporating a Trade-Environment Simulation into a Management Course
Authors: Doh Jonathan P.
Published: November 2004

Challenges in reconciling trade liberalization policies and efforts to protect the natural environment provide useful illustrations to underscore important concepts in management education. In particular, the three-way interactions among government, business, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) over economic and environmental trade-offs serve to reinforce the managerial complexities of resolving disputes between parties over differences in economic and social priorities. This article describes a simulation on trade-environment interactions in which student groups prepare and present arguments before a global trade (GATT/WTO) panel. The article provides instructions for conducting the simulation, actual simulation materials, and an appendix containing supplementary information on trade-environment tensions.
Beyond the Silo Approach: Using Group Support Systems in Organizational Behavior Classes to Facilitate Student Understanding of Individual and Group Behavior in Electronic Meetings
Authors: Ready Kathryn J. , Hostager Todd J. , Lester Scott , Bergmann Marilyn
Published: November 2004

In this article we show how management faculty have successfully incorporated teaching and research to better acquaint their students in organizational behavior classes with how groupware actually works in organizations and how to think through the ramifications of the groupware process in organizational decision making. The exercise is conducted with multiple classes, varying facilitator and agenda style across classes. A postexercise debriefing with the students examines the differing results and behavioral concerns critical in group support systems (GSS) decision-making design. This exercise provides instructors with a means of enhancing student learning in management and organizational behavior courses through classroom integration of electronic decision-making software and through analysis of the results of this integration.
High-Maintenance Students: A Conceptual Exploration and Implications
Authors: Burke Lisa A.
Published: November 2004

This article explores high-maintenance students in the university setting: those students who complain and whine, beyond reasonable limits, thereby exhausting their instructor’s energy. By drawing heavily on the personality literature, I advance a conceptual foundation, research propositions, and suggestions for future research regarding high-maintenance students. Specifically, the abridged big five dimensional circumplex (AB5DC) model is applied to examine the multivariate influence of dispositional profiles on high-maintenance student behaviors. Finally, implications for instructors are explored, as drawn from the education and management literature base.
The Meaning of Work: Studs Terkel’s Working as a Teaching Tool
Authors: Cox Pamela L.
Published: November 2004

Studs Terkel explores the motivation to work in his classic book Working, compiling more than 100 interviews of workers across America. The author has found Working to be a useful vehicle for exploring organizational issues and for confronting students with the realities of the workplace. Terkel’s interviews are honest, earthy, seasoned with experience, and, oftentimes, brutally frank. The insights captured by Terkel’s interviews possess the ability to captivate students and to attach meaning to management concepts. This article discusses the author’s use of Working as a teaching tool and students’ reactions to the book and corresponding assignments.