bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exercise After Diagnosis of Breast Cancer in Association with Survival
Authors: Chen Xiaoli , Lu Wei , Zheng Wei , Gu Kai , Matthews Charles E. , Chen Zhi , Zheng Ying , Shu Xiao Ou
Published: July 2011

It has been suggested that exercise following breast cancer diagnosis is inversely associated with mortality. However, controversy exists regarding the causality of such associations. We evaluated associations of exercise after breast cancer diagnosis with total mortality and recurrence/disease-specific mortality, accounting for conditions that restrict exercise participation. The analysis included 4,826 women with stage I to III breast cancer identified 6 months after diagnosis through the population-based Shanghai Cancer Registry and recruited into the study between 2002 and 2006. Exercise was assessed approximately 6, 18, and 36 months postdiagnosis, and metabolic equivalent (MET) scores were derived. Information on medical history, cancer diagnosis, treatments, quality of life (QOL), anthropometrics, and lifestyles were obtained by in-person interviews at 6 months postdiagnosis. Medical charts were abstracted to verify clinical information. During the median follow-up of 4.3 years, 436 deaths and 450 recurrences/cancer-related deaths were documented. After adjustment for QOL, clinical prognostic factors, and other covariates, exercise during the first 36 months postdiagnosis was inversely associated with total mortality and recurrence/disease-specific mortality with HRs of 0.70 (95% CI: 0.56–0.88) and 0.60 (95% CI: 0.47–0.76), respectively. Significant dose–response relationships between total and recurrence/disease-specific mortality rates and exercise duration and MET scores were observed (all values for Ptrend < 0.05). The exercise–mortality associations were not modified by menopausal status, comorbidity, QOL, or body size assessed at approximately 6 months postdiagnosis. An interaction between disease stage and hormone receptor status and total mortality was noted. Our study suggests that exercise after breast cancer diagnosis may improve overall and disease-free survival. Cancer Prev Res; 4(9); 1409–18. ©2011 AACR.
Copy Number Imbalances between Screen- and Symptom-Detected Breast Cancers and Impact on Disease-Free Survival
Authors: Brewster A.M. , Thompson P. , Sahin A.A. , Do K. , Edgerton M. , Murray J.L. , Tsavachidis S. , Zhou R. , Liu Y. , Zhang L. , Mills G. , Bondy M.
Published: July 2011

Screening mammography results in the increased detection of indolent tumors. We hypothesized that screen- and symptom-detected tumors would show genotypic differences as copy number imbalances (CNI) that, in part, explain differences in the clinical behavior between screen- and symptom-detected breast tumors. We evaluated 850 women aged 40 and above diagnosed with stage I and II breast cancer at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center between 1985 and 2000 with information available on method of tumor detection (screen vs. symptoms). CNIs in screen- and symptom-detected tumors were identified using high-density molecular inversion probe arrays. Cox proportional modeling was used to estimate the effect of method of tumor detection on disease-free survival after adjusting for age, stage, and the CNIs. The majority of tumors were symptom detected (n = 603) compared with screen detected (n = 247). Copy number gains in chromosomes 2p, 3q, 8q, 11p, and 20q were associated with method of breast cancer detection (P < 0.00001). We estimated that 32% and 63% of the survival advantage of screen detection was accounted for by age, stage, nuclear grade, and Ki67 in women aged 50 to 70 and aged 40 to 87, respectively. In each age category, an additional 20% of the survival advantage was accounted for by CNIs associated with method of detection. Specific CNIs differ between screen- and symptom-detected tumors and explain part of the survival advantage associated with screen-detected tumors. Measurement of tumor genotype has the potential to improve discrimination between indolent and aggressive screen-detected tumors and aids patient and physician decision making about use of surgical and adjuvant treatments. Cancer Prev Res; 4(10); 1609–16. ©2011 AACR.
Rate of Change in Kidney Function and the Risk of Death: The Case for Incorporating the Rate of Kidney Function Decline into the CKD Staging System
Authors: Al-Aly Ziyad , Cepeda Oscar
Published: July 2011

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with increased risk of death. A wave of recent studies used longitudinal data to examine the effect of the rate of decline of kidney function on the risk of death. The results from these studies show that there is an independent and graded association between the rate of kidney function decline and the risk of death. There is a need to incorporate the rate of decline in the definition of CKD. This redefinition of CKD will transform a static definition into a dynamic one that more accurately describes the disease state in an individual patient.
Effect of Consumption of Dried California Mission Figs on Lipid Concentrations
Authors: Peterson Joycelyn M. , Montgomery Susanne , Haddad Ella , Kearney Lauren , Tonstad Serena
Published: July 2011

Background: Figs are a rich source of soluble fiber. We evaluated the effect of consuming dried California Mission figs on serum lipids in hyperlipidemic adults. Methods: In a crossover trial men and women aged 30–75 years with elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (100–189 mg/dl) were randomized to add dried California Mission figs (120 g/day) to their usual diet for 5 weeks or eat their usual diet for 5 weeks, then crossed over to the other condition for another 5 weeks. Six 24-hour dietary recalls were obtained. Results: Low- and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations did not differ between usual and figs-added diets (Bonferroni-corrected p > 0.017), while total cholesterol tended to increase with fig consumption (p = 0.02). Total cholesterol increased in participants (n = 41) randomized to usual followed by figs-added diet (p = 0.01), but remained unchanged in subjects (n = 42) who started with figs-added followed by usual diet (p = 0.4). During the figs-added diet, soluble fiber intake was 12.6 ± 3.7 versus 8.2 ± 4.1 g/day in the usual diet (p < 0.0001). Sugar intake increased from 23.4 ± 6.5 to 32.2 ± 6.3% of kcal in the figs-added diet (p < 0.0001). Body weight did not change (p = 0.08). Conclusions: Daily consumption of figs did not reduce low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Triglyceride concentrations were not significantly changed despite an increase in sugar intake.
Hepatoprotective Effect of Platycodon grandiflorum against Chronic Ethanol-Induced Oxidative Stress in C57BL/6 Mice
Authors: Noh Jung-Ran , Kim Yong-Hoon , Gang Gil-Tae , Hwang Jung-Hwan , Kim Sang-Kyum , Ryu Shi-Yong , Kim Young-Sup , Lee Hyun-Sun , Lee Chul-Ho
Published: July 2011

Aims: This study was carried out to evaluate the hepatoprotective effect of Platycodon grandiflorum (PG) in ethanol (EtOH)-induced liver damage. Methods and Results: PG treatment (both the total extract and saponin fraction) significantly blocked EtOH-induced oxidative stress through the preservation of activities of antioxidant enzymes in HepG2 cells. Furthermore, while the administration of EtOH to C57BL/6 mice for 6 weeks induced liver damage, along with a significant increase in plasma glutamic oxalacetic transaminase, glutamic pyruvic transaminase, hepatic triglyceride and thiobarbituric acid reactive substance levels, PG treatment significantly decreased glutamic oxalacetic transaminase, glutamic pyruvic transaminase, hepatic triglyceride and thiobarbituric acid reactive substance levels compared with the EtOH-treated control group (p < 0.05). Histological observation by hematoxylin-eosin and oil red O staining in the liver showed more effective inhibition of lipid accumulation in PG-treated groups, as compared to the EtOH-treated control group. Additionally, PG treatments appeared to enhance the activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase in the liver (p < 0.05). Conclusion: These results suggest that PG has a protective effect against EtOH-induced oxidative damage, possibly by inhibition of lipid accumulation and peroxidation through the enhancement of the antioxidant defense system. PG might be useful as a therapeutically potent natural ingredient for the prevention of chronic EtOH-induced oxidative stress and liver damage.
Mesoscale Convective Complexes over Southern Africa
Authors: Blamey R. C. , Reason C. J. C.
Published: July 2011

The maximum spatial correlation technique (MASCOTTE) is an objective and automated method developed to simultaneously determine both the structural properties and evolution (tracking) of cloud shields of convective systems. Originally designed to monitor systems over the Amazon region, this method has now been adapted for subtropical southern Africa. In this paper, a detailed climatology of 70 mesoscale convective complexes (MCCs) that occurred during the austral summer months over southern Africa during the 1998–2006 period are presented. Most MCCs are clustered along the eastern regions of southern Africa, adjacent to the warm waters of the Mozambique Channel and Agulhas Current. A few infrequent systems are found to be developing in Namibia and Botswana. The systems are found to predominantly occur during the months of November–February, with maximum activity occurring in November and December. The transition from a more midlatitude-dominated circulation to a tropical circulation over the region during the late summer leads to an uncharacteristic equatorward migration of the MCC distribution then. The analysis also suggests that there is variability in MCC frequency on monthly and seasonal time scales. Although fewer in number (about nine per season) compared to MCC populations in other regions, the systems do tend to follow the nocturnal life cycle as documented elsewhere.
An Operation-Based Scheme for a Multiyear and Multipurpose Reservoir to Enhance Macroscale Hydrologic Models
Authors: Wu Yiping , Chen Ji
Published: July 2011

This paper develops an operation-based numerical scheme for simulating storage in and outflow from a multiyear and multipurpose reservoir at a daily time step in order to enhance the simulation capacity of macroscale land surface hydrologic models. In the new scheme, besides the purpose of flood control, three other operational purposes—hydropower generation, downstream water supply, and water impoundment—are considered, and accordingly three related decision-based parameters are introduced. The new scheme is then integrated into the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), which is a macroscale hydrologic model. The observed water storage and outflow from a multiyear and multipurpose reservoir, the Xinfengjiang Reservoir in southern China, are used to examine the new scheme. Compared with two other reservoir operation schemes—namely, a modified existing reservoir operation scheme in SWAT (i.e., the target release scheme) and a multilinear regression scheme—the new scheme can give a consistently better simulation of the reservoir storage and outflow. Furthermore, through a sensitivity analysis, this study shows that the three decision-based parameters can represent the significance of each operational purpose in different periods and the new scheme can advance the flexibility and capability of the simulation of the reservoir storage and outflow.
Employment chances and changes of immigrants in Belgium: The impact of citizenship
Authors: Corluy Vincent , Marx Ive , Verbist Gerlinde
Published: July 2011

This article looks at the impact of citizenship acquisition on the labour market position of immigrants in Belgium. Citizenship is open to all immigrants with a sufficient period of legal residence, without any language or integration requirements. In that respect, this study is an important complement to existing studies which have mostly focused on countries with strict acquisition rules. Based on Labour Force Survey data for 2008, this study uses probit regression to estimate the static and dynamic employment probabilities and unemployment risks. We find that citizenship acquisition is associated with better labour market outcomes for non-Western immigrants in general. This effect remains after controlling for years of residence since migration, indicating the existence of a citizenship premium in Belgium.
Ethnic penalties in the transition to and from unemployment: A West European perspective
Authors: Reyneri Emilio , Fullin Giovanna
Published: July 2011

The gap between unemployment rate of immigrants and that of natives varies across West European countries. This article aims at explaining these differences by taking into account economic and institutional characteristics of labour markets and by adopting a dynamic perspective, that is, disentangling the risk of being unemployed into two different risks: that of entering unemployment and that of remaining in long-term unemployment. From the analyses of yearly transitions to/from unemployment, less immigrant penalization results in those countries where the employment protection legislation is stricter, the labour demand is more biased towards low skilled jobs and the welfare state is less generous for the unemployed. Furthermore, the article summarizes the main results of five country studies also focused on labour market transitions of immigrants and natives.
Blocked mobility or unemployment risk? Labour market transitions of natives and immigrants in Switzerland
Authors: Laganà Francesco
Published: July 2011

Cross-sectional literature has shown that in Switzerland as elsewhere immigrants are more penalized than the native-born population both considering the unemployment risk and their position in the employment structure. Using a longitudinal framework, the present article focuses on a comparison between male immigrants and natives in the Swiss labour market, analysing two risks: the risk of unemployment and the risk of entrapment in unskilled occupations. In the first part of the article, using a dynamic random effect models, we show that immigrants present less state dependence than natives considering both unemployment and the risk of entrapment in unskilled positions. In the second part, using Heckman selection models, we show that less state dependence of immigrants corresponds to a higher mobility towards the skilled working class that is limited to the secondary labour market. We explain these differences with the interplay of Swiss labour market characteristics, in particular, the need for high flexibility and the positive selection of immigrants whose access to the Swiss labour market is generally realized through the bottom of employment structure.
The curse of inopportune transitions: The labour market behaviour of immigrants and natives in the UK
Authors: Demireva Neli , Kesler Christel
Published: July 2011

The article focuses on transitions between employment and not working among immigrants, the second generation and British-born Whites. We find evidence of lower stability in employment for New Commonwealth, Middle Eastern and Turkish immigrants. This penalization holds also for the second generation, especially in terms of exiting unemployment. On the other hand, no disadvantage is noted for labour immigrants from countries recently accessed to the EU such as Romanians and Bulgarians; or, if penalization is observed in the transition matrices, it disappears with controls for personal and labour market characteristics as is the case for EU8 and Eastern European immigrants. The continuous penalization of immigrants in Britain is confirmed; however, a dynamic perspective emphasizes that some immigrants, such as those from Eastern Europe, are less penalized than is observed in cross-sectional analyses.
National missile defense and (dis)satisfaction
Authors: Quackenbush Stephen L , Cooper Drury A
Published: July 2011

Previous research, applying perfect deterrence theory, has demonstrated that national missile defense generally enhances the stability of deterrence, primarily because it makes the defender’s retaliatory threat more credible. However, stability is not ensured, because missile defense has the potential to increase other states’ dissatisfaction with the status quo. Consequently, dissatisfied states have an increased incentive to challenge the status quo, undermining deterrence stability. Although there is a lengthy literature debating this point, no one has conducted a rigorous empirical analysis of the impact of national missile defense on satisfaction. To address this significant gap in the literature, we analyze the impact of US missile defense programs on other states’ status quo evaluations through analyses of events data, 1985–2004, and UN voting data, 1985–2008.
Field research in conflict environments: Methodological challenges and snowball sampling
Authors: Cohen Nissim , Arieli Tamar
Published: July 2011

Conducting research in conflict environments is a challenge, given their complexity and common attitudes of distrust and suspicion. Yet, conflict and methodology are usually analyzed as separate fields of interest. Methodological aspects of field work in conflict environments have not been systematically analyzed. This article addresses the central methodological problems of research conducted in conflict environments. We suggest the use of the snowball sampling method (hereafter, SSM) as an answer to these challenges. The effectiveness of this method has been recognized as significant in a variety of cases, mainly regarding marginalized populations. We claim that in conflict environments, the entire population is marginalized to some degree, making it ‘hidden’ from and ‘hard to reach’ for the outsider researcher. The marginalization explains why it is difficult to locate, access and enlist the cooperation of the research populations, which in a non-conflict context would not have been difficult to do. SSM directly addresses the fears and mistrust common to the conflict environment and increases the likelihood of trusting the researcher by introduction through a trusted social network. We demonstrate how careful use of SSM as a ‘second best’ but still valuable methodology can help generate cooperation. Therefore, the evaluation of SSM, its advantages and limitations in implementation in conflict environments can be an important contribution to the methodological training of researchers. In addition to its effectiveness under conditions of conflict, SSM may, in some cases, actually make the difference between research conducted under constrained conditions and research not conducted at all. Together with our experiences in the field, we supply several insights and recommendations for optimizing the use of SSM in a conflict environment.
Societal security, the security dilemma, and extreme anti-migrant hostility in Russia
Authors: Alexseev Mikhail A
Published: July 2011

The societal security theory posits that extreme anti-migrant hostility – such as demands to deport all migrants unconditionally – emerges when host communities see migration as a threat to the survival of their group identity. An alternative interpretation – the immigration security dilemma – attributes extreme hostility to the human tendency to prepare for the worst under uncertainty when central authority weakens. Does extreme intergroup hostility relate more to threats framed in terms of group survival or to those framed in terms of uncertainty about government capacity and migration effects? I investigate this question empirically with the Russian national survey data (2005, N = 680) asking who in Russia supports the deportation of all internal and external migrants, legal and illegal, and their children to their places of origin – an extreme and widespread view that would require forced population movements not seen in the region since Stalin’s Great Terror. In multivariate tests, agreement with the societal security (survival) rhetoric explained about five percent of variation in support for unconditional, wholesale deportation of migrants; agreement with the security dilemma (uncertainty) rhetoric – about 20%. A comparison of attitudes in the same survey to Armenian, Uzbek, Chechen, and Chinese migrants and the association of each ethnic group with different types of security threat further support this finding. Hostility toward ethnic groups viewed as a weak security threat was more diagnostic of public support for wholesale deportation of migrants than hostility toward groups viewed as a strong security threat.
The institutional expansion of human rights, 1863–2003: A comprehensive dataset of international instruments
Authors: Elliott Michael A
Published: July 2011

This article summarizes the results of a recently completed, comprehensive coding of 779 human rights instruments from 1863 to 2003. As such, it offers an extensive portrayal of how, and to what degree, this powerful doctrine has been formally institutionalized over time. Following a brief overview of the data collection process, selected results from this study are presented that highlight how many human rights instruments have been drafted, what kind of violations have been most prominent, the number of rights that have been specified over time, and the ultimate aspirations that are linked to the realization of human rights. Next, potential applications of this dataset are discussed regarding both human rights and peace research scholarship. Specifically, the results shed new light on the historical development of human rights by highlighting key periods of instrument growth in the late 19th century, the interwar years, and the post-World War II period. In addition, the data can effectively augment recent quantitative studies that measure the effect of treaty ratification on internal state violence by helping to generate more extensive ratification information, develop better measures of state compliance, and construct new measures that assess how human rights principles get translated into national practice and potentially mitigate state violence over time.
A study of the relationship between clothing pressure and garment bust strain, and Young’s modulus of fabric, based on a finite element model
Authors: Liu Hong  , Chen Dongsheng  , Wei Qufu  , Pan Ruru
Published: July 2011

In an effort to provide a technology platform for the mechanical analysis of the clothing pressure on the bust and to investigate the relationship of clothing pressure on the bust and garment bust strain, and Young’s modulus of fabric, accurately, a finite element model of the standard female body bust cross-section was created. The model was composed of skin, soft tissue and bone. The clothing pressure exerted on the busts by 10 elastic sports vests of two types of extensibility in fabric with different bust girth and identical style was measured, then the pressure was taken as load and applied to the model. The bust strain of 10 sports vests after wearing was calculated based on the finite element model. The data from eight out of the 10 vests was chosen to find the linear equation of the relationship between the clothing pressure exerted on the bust, the vest bust strain and Young’s modulus of fabric. The data from the other two vests were used to verify the equation, and results indicated that the calculated clothing pressure was very similar to that measured, proving that the equation can provide a database for the design, from bust size, of functional pressure comfort tight-fit garments.
Society–Military Relations in a State-in-the-Making
Authors: Cohen Hillel
Published: July 2011

The participation of the Palestinian Authority’s (PA’s) security agencies in the armed struggle against Israel in the second Palestinian uprising (2000–2005) is analyzed in this article as a response to the demand of Palestinian society, thus as a unique case of armed forces which, in the lack of political directive, became more attentive to public opinion. The article shows how Palestinian public discourse in the late 1990s–early 2000s, that was shaped by the Islamic movement of Hamas, portrayed the PA’s security officials as traitors. Members of the PA security agencies (mainly Fatah members) sought to reposition themselves in the “national camp,” and this motivated them to raise their weapons against Israeli targets. By doing so, they also removed the mental burden of turning their weapons against fellow Palestinians that was one of the major sources for their image as collaborators.
Health Care Standards and the Politics of Singularities
Authors: Moreira Tiago
Published: July 2011

Context is a pivotal concept for social scientists in their attempt to weave singularities or universals to moral codes and political orders. However, in this, social scientists might be neglecting the ways in which individuals or groups who are excluded from the collective production of knowledge want to politicize their concerns also by claiming their uniqueness and singularity. In this article, drawing on the public controversy about access to dementia drugs on the U.K. National Health Service (NHS) and on the work of pioneering sociologist Helen McGill Hughes on “human interest stories,” the author argues that the “politics of singularities” can be articulated in two related ways within technical controversies. First, it expresses the unraveling of sociotechnical ties caused by institutional failure to take concerns into account. Second, it expresses the concrete uniqueness of persons caught by standardized, “universal” and impersonal implements and/or policies. Both these effects are underpinned by resourcing to allegorical expression, a literary form that while fostering political imagination in technological democracies might weaken Science and Technology Studies' (STS) ambitions to influence decision making.
Orientation and mobility training for partially-sighted older adults using an identification cane: a systematic review
Authors: Ballemans Judith , Kempen Gertrudis IJM , Zijlstra GA Rixt
Published: July 2011

Objective: This study aimed to provide an overview of the development, content, feasibility, and effectiveness of existing orientation and mobility training programmes in the use of the identification cane.

Data sources: A systematic bibliographic database search in PubMed, PsychInfo, ERIC, CINAHL and the Cochrane Library was performed, in combination with the expert consultation (n = 42; orientation and mobility experts), and hand-searching of reference lists.

Review methods: Selection criteria included a description of the development, the content, the feasibility, or the effectiveness of orientation and mobility training in the use of the identification cane. Two reviewers independently agreed on eligibility and methodological quality. A narrative/qualitative data analysis method was applied to extract data from obtained documents.

Results: The sensitive database search and hand-searching of reference lists revealed 248 potentially relevant abstracts. None met the eligibility criteria. Expert consultation resulted in the inclusion of six documents in which the information presented on the orientation and mobility training in the use of the identification cane was incomplete and of low methodological quality.

Conclusion: Our review of the literature showed a lack of well-described protocols and studies on orientation and mobility training in identification cane use.
Foot posture after stroke: frequency, nature and clinical significance
Authors: Forghany Saeed , Tyson Sarah , Nester Christopher , Preece Stephen , Jones Richard
Published: July 2011

Objectives: Clinical convention suggests that foot posture and movements are adversely affected by stroke and cause walking difficulties but there is little objective data to support or refute these beliefs. This study explores static foot posture in people with stroke and their relationship to weakness and spasticity and walking limitations.

Design: Cross-sectional survey.

Setting: Stroke services and support groups of two acute hospitals.

Subjects: Seventy-two stroke survivors with mobility limitations.

Main measures: Foot Posture Index; Demographics; Motricity Index (weakness); modified Ashworth Scale (spasticity); Walking Handicap Scale (walking limitations).

Results: About one-third of participants had abnormal foot posture on the weak side, which was associated with walking limitations. Most (70%) had a symmetrical foot posture with similar frequencies of supination (13%) and pronation (16%) abnormalities. There was no relationship between foot posture and weakness and spasticity; age was the only independent predictor of foot posture abnormalities.

Conclusions: A minority of people with stroke had abnormal or asymmetrical foot posture and equal numbers suffered pronation and supination abnormalities; these findings challenge the beliefs that underpin the clinical management of stroke-related foot problems.
The Effect of Lace-up Ankle Braces on Injury Rates in High School Basketball Players
Authors: McGuine Timothy A. , Brooks Alison , Hetzel Scott
Published: July 2011

Background: Ankle injuries are the most common injury in basketball players. However, no prospective studies have been performed to determine if wearing lace-up ankle braces will reduce the incidence of ankle injuries in high school athletes.

Purpose: This trial was undertaken to determine if lace-up ankle braces reduce the incidence and severity of acute first-time and recurrent ankle injuries sustained by high school basketball players.

Design: Randomized controlled trial; Level of evidence, 1.

Methods: A total of 1460 male and female basketball players from 46 high schools were randomly assigned to a braced or control group. The braced group players wore lace-up ankle braces during the 2009-2010 basketball season. Athletic trainers recorded brace compliance, athlete exposures, and injuries. Cox proportional hazards models (adjusted for demographic covariates), accounting for intracluster correlation, were utilized to compare time to first acute ankle injury between groups. Injury severity (days lost) was tested with the Wilcoxon rank-sum test.

Results: The rate of acute ankle injury (per 1000 exposures) was 0.47 in the braced group and 1.41 in the control group (Cox hazard ratio [HR] 0.32; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.20, 0.52; P < .001). The median severity of acute ankle injuries was similar ( P = .23) in the braced (6 days) and control group (7 days). For players with a previous ankle injury, the incidence of acute ankle injury was 0.83 in the braced group and 1.79 in the control group (Cox HR 0.39; 95% CI 0.17, 0.90; P = .028). For players who did not report a previous ankle injury, the incidence of acute ankle injury was 0.40 in the braced group and 1.35 in the control group (Cox HR 0.30; 95% CI 0.17, 0.52, P < .001).

Conclusion: Use of lace-up ankle braces reduced the incidence but not the severity of acute ankle injuries in male and female high school basketball athletes both with and without a previous history of an ankle injury.
Getting Performance Management on Track
Authors: Risher Howard
Published: July 2011

Performance management practices have been the source of dissatisfaction and criticism for decades. New approaches and the adoption of technology have failed to quiet the critics. Despite the problems, the management of employee performance remains one of the basic responsibilities of managers and supervisors. Research by Gallup and others has highlighted the importance of managers in creating high-performance work groups. Edward Lawler summarized the ingredients for effective practices in his book Talent. More recent developments augment his conclusions. Performance management can be a valuable tool when systems are properly designed and implemented. The key is providing adequate preparation and support for managers.
Legitimating Urban “Revitalisation” Strategies in Post-socialist Łódź
Authors: Fleming Michael
Published: July 2011

The city of Łódź in central Poland has witnessed de-industrialisation and urban decay. Often tagged the Polish Manchester on account of its former prominence in textiles, the city has struggled to reinvigorate itself in the post-socialist period. Focusing on the post-1999 period, this paper examines how narratives of “Europeanisation” and “multiculturalism” have been promoted to legitimate current efforts to regenerate the city. It is argued that new moral geographies are being constructed, in part, through a selective reading and exploitation of the city’s past as well as through wider socio-economic processes, which have a detrimental impact on sections of the city’s population. The final part of the paper highlights how the dissonant heritage of the city offers possibilities for more inclusive “revitalisation.”
A Socially Situated Praxeological Approach to Entrepreneurship
Authors: Giménez-Roche Gabriel A.
Published: July 2011

What is the precise nature of entrepreneurial action in economic and business analyses? Moreover, what is the relationship between the entrepreneur’s action and the socio-institutional environment where this action takes place? The difficulty in specifying the nature of the entrepreneurial act and its interaction with the socio-institutional environment is to be found in the lack of development of an actual theory of action, in which entrepreneurship can be contextualised. This article aims at the delineation of a socially situated action theory to be used in the analysis of entrepreneurship. One of the main results of using the action theory developed in this study is that entrepreneurial action is defined by its institutional autonomy within society. This leads to the conclusion that entrepreneurial action is a tridimensional praxeological phenomenon, which integrates profit-seeking, uncertainty-bearing and ultimate power of decision-making in the one person of the acting entrepreneur.
Different Background— Similar Strategies
Authors: Egbert Henrik , Fischer Gundula , Bredl Sebastian
Published: July 2011

The literature on enterprises in Sub-Saharan Africa provides evidence that there are significant differences between companies run by members of the majority population and those run by members of minorities. Differences are frequently related to size, age and certain success indicators. However, it remains unclear whether decisions concerning the acquisition of personnel also diverge. This article outlines results of a questionnaire survey on recruitment methods of enterprises in Tanzania. The authors tried to discover differences in the recruitment strategies of Tanzanian-African and Tanzanian-Asian companies, but found none. The interpretation is that companies operate in similar business environments and face comparable exogenously given institutional restrictions. Thus, strategies of personnel recruitment seem to be alike.
Music Improvisation and Composition in the General Music Curriculum
Authors: Guderian Lois Veenhoven
Published: July 2011

This article describes an approach to general music where assignments in music improvisation and composition are embedded into the curriculum, that is, creative assignments are given as an outgrowth of curriculum content and directly related to instruction and activities in conceptual learning and skill development in the classroom. Such an approach to general music education can make possible the teaching and learning of standards-based, sequentially-designed curriculum and the nurturing of students’ creative thinking in music, an almost simultaneous process. Included are practical suggestions for meeting National Standards Three (Improvisation) and Four (Composition) by embedding composition assignments into the general music curriculum per age categories of elementary, middle, and high school learners supported by descriptions of examples from the field.
Modeling the influence of morphology on the movement ecology of groups of infant rats (Rattus norvegicus)
Authors: May Christopher James , Schank Jeffrey Charles , Joshi Sanjay
Published: July 2011

Body morphology appears to strongly determine the behavior of infant rats in an arena (May et al., 2006). In this article, we systematically examined the influence of body-flexibility on the group behavior of infant rats (Rattus norvegicus) by comparing one-, two-, and three-segmented simulated rats with 7- and 10-day-old rats in an arena. Simulated rats provided very different fits to 7-day-old rat pups compared with 10-day-old pups. With respect to 7-day-old pups, three-segmented rats were similar on 83% of our metrics, two-segmented rats were similar on 33% of our metrics, and one-segmented rats were similar on 66% of our metrics. Both one- and three-segmented simulated agents matched 7-day-old rats better than two-segment agents, but it is still premature to conclude which of the three simulated agents best matched the 7-day-old rats. However, no group of simulated rats was similar to 10-day-old pups on any metric. Our results suggest that morphology strongly determines behavior in groups of 7-day-old rats, but that other mechanisms, from more active intersegment control to more influential top-down control, are required to explain the group behavior of 10-day-old rats.
Should oxyhaemoglobin saturation be monitored continuously during the 6-minute walk test?
Authors: Fiore CB , Lee AL , McDonald CF , Hill CJ , Holland AE
Published: July 2011

Guidelines for conducting the 6-minute walk test (6MWT) indicate that oxyhaemoglobin saturation (SpO 2) should not be monitored constantly during the test. The aim of this study was to determine whether the nadir SpO2 differs from the end-6MWT SpO2 in patients with chronic respiratory disease. A total of 86 subjects underwent the 6MWT according to a standardized protocol with continuous monitoring of SpO2 by pulse oximeter. Comparison of nadir SpO2 and end SpO2 was made and the proportion of subjects with important desaturation according to each measure was determined. The effect of resting during the 6MWT on the likelihood of a significant difference between nadir and end SpO2 was evaluated. A total of 29 subjects with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD; mean [SD] forced expiratory volume in 1 second [FEV1] 51[21] % predicted) and 57 with interstitial lung disease (ILD; TLCO 49[18] % predicted) were studied. Nadir SpO2 was slightly lower than end-test SpO2 (median 87% vs. 88%, p < 0.001) with differences ranging from 1% to 10%. Those who rested during the test (n = 14) were more likely to have a significant difference between nadir SpO2 and end SpO2 (p = 0.04). End SpO2 did not accurately identify desaturation in 21% of subjects. No differences between COPD and ILD were observed. For most patients with chronic respiratory disease, the end SpO2 and the nadir SpO 2 are similar during the 6MWT. However, the end SpO2 does not give an accurate estimate of nadir SpO2 in patients who rest. Consideration should be given to the constant monitoring of SpO2 during the 6MWT.
Moving towards effective chronic illness management: asthma as an exemplar
Authors: Estes Tracy S
Published: July 2011

The United States health care system is at a pivotal point in its ability to manage chronic illness. The demands and philosophical differences between the management of acute and chronic illnesses suggest the need for different strategies for effective and efficient management of chronic illness. The purpose of this article is to discuss the Chronic Care Model and the collaborative approach to managing chronic illnesses. Asthma, as an exemplar, will be used to illustrate the need for the development of new models of collaborative care for the treatment of chronic illnesses.
Is a practice incremental shuttle walk test really necessary?
Authors: Dyer Fran , Marriner Pamela , Cheema Katherine , Bott Julia
Published: July 2011

The incremental and endurance shuttle walking tests (ISWT and ESWT) are measures of exercise tolerance commonly used in pulmonary rehabilitation (PR). A practice ISWT is advocated but often omitted by PR centres. We aimed to investigate the effect of such an omission within a clinical PR service. Between October 2002 and October 2008, 392 patients attending PR completed a practice ISWT and an ISWT. Results showed that patients walked significantly further on ISWT compared to practice ISWT (p ≤ 0.001). A significant difference in ESWT level was found between those calculated from practice ISWT and those calculated from ISWT (p ≤ .001). Despite a visual trend towards a negative relationship between distance walked at baseline (practice ISWT) and magnitude of the difference between the two walks, this did not meet statistical significance (p = 0.409). Absence of a practice ISWT could lead to possible clinical misjudgements.
Turnover rates and organizational performance
Authors: Shaw Jason D.
Published: July 2011

The author of this article reviews the burgeoning literature on turnover rates and dimensions of organizational performance, and concludes that substantial evidence indicates that turnover rates have negative implications for several dimensions of organizational performance (e.g., safety, productivity, and monetary), that the content of turnover rates plays a role in the magnitude and form of the relationship between turnover rates and organizational performance, and that turnover rates affect distal measures (e.g., profitability, financial performance) through decreased productivity and losses in human and social capital. A roadmap is provided for future theory-building and empirical work in this area.
Support for diversity in organizations
Authors: Avery Derek R.
Published: July 2011

Despite growth in the presence of workplace diversity and realization that diversity management is important, a great deal remains unknown about the causes and consequences of employees' level of support for diversity. This is unfortunate because employee support is one of the key determinants of whether diversity is managed effectively or poorly. Accordingly, the present paper develops a theoretical model outlining individual-level antecedents and consequences of employee endorsement of diversity. Moreover, the model also identifies several contextual factors that lead diversity endorsement or opposition to either remain passive or promote behavioral action.
Leadership and collective requisite complexity
Authors: Hannah Sean T. , Lord Robert G. , Pearce Craig L.
Published: July 2011

We maintain that the requisite complexity of collectives is an important component of collective learning and adaptive performance. Collective requisite complexity is comprised of two components: static complexity, which consists of group or team heterogeneity in general cognitive, social, self, and affective domains; and dynamic complexity, which is a social interactive process by which one person’s contributions transform those of another. We propose that social-regulation processes involving active goals, identity, and affect, as well as formal and emergent leadership processes, such as shared leadership, provide the key social structures within which dynamic complexity emerges. We also propose that successful adaptation to task or organizational demands, as well as social feedback, transform these structural aspects through “double-loop learning” and provide a basis for individual and collective learning.
Transradial Primary Angioplasty in a Patient With Congenital Abnormality of the Forearm Circulation and Increased Bleeding Risk
Authors: Lupi Alessandro , Gabrio Secco Gioel , Rognoni Andrea , Lazzero Maurizio , Sansa Mara , Sante Bongo Angelo
Published: July 2011

Transradial percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) have gained popularity because of reduced vascular complications and increased patient acceptability. However, safety and efficacy of transradial PCI in ST elevation myocardial infarction has been questioned. Anomalous radial artery anatomy is a relatively common cause of transradial PCI failure. The authors describe a case of a primary PCI performed by transradial approach through a very small caliper and tortuous superficial brachioradial artery (a rare variant). The use of miniaturized and hydrophilic apparels allowed procedure success without significant delay. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first report of a primary PCI performed through an abnormal superficial brachioradial artery with final success.
CD19-independent instruction of murine marginal zone B-cell development by constitutive Notch2 signaling
Authors: Hampel Franziska , Ehrenberg Stefanie , Hojer Caroline , Draeseke Anne , Marschall-Schröter Gabriele , Kühn Ralf , Mack Brigitte , Gires Olivier , Vahl Christoph J. , Schmidt-Supprian Marc , Strobl Lothar J. , Zimber-Strobl Ursula
Published: July 2011

B cell–specific gene ablation of Notch2 results in the loss of the marginal zone (MZ) B-cell lineage. To analyze the effects of constitutive Notch2 signaling in B cells, we have generated a transgenic mouse strain that allows the conditional expression of a constitutively active, intracellular form of Notch2 (Notch2IC). Expression of Notch2IC at the earliest developmental stages of the B-cell lineage completely abolished B-cell generation and led to the development of ectopic T cells in the bone marrow (BM), showing that Notch2IC is acting redundantly with Notch1IC in driving ectopic T-cell differentiation. In B cells clearly committed to the B-cell lineage induction of Notch2IC drove all cells toward the MZ B-cell compartment at the expense of follicular B cells. Notch2IC-expressing B cells reflected the phenotype of wild-type MZ B cells for their localization in the MZ, the expression of characteristic surface markers, their enhanced proliferation after stimulation, and increased basal activity of Akt, Erk, and Jnk. Notch2IC-driven MZ B-cell generation in the spleen was achieved even in the absence of CD19. Our results implicate that a constitutive Notch2 signal in transitional type 1 B cells is sufficient to drive MZ B-cell differentiation.
Acquired genomic copy number aberrations and survival in chronic lymphocytic leukemia
Authors: Ouillette Peter , Collins Roxane , Shakhan Sajid , Li Jinghui , Peres Edward , Kujawski Lisa , Talpaz Moshe , Kaminski Mark , Li Cheng , Shedden Kerby , Malek Sami N.
Published: July 2011

Genomic aberrations are of predominant importance to the biology and clinical outcome of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), and FISH-based genomic risk classifications are routinely used in clinical decision making in CLL. One of the known limitations of CLL FISH is the inability to comprehensively interrogate the CLL genome for genomic changes. In an effort at overcoming the existing limitations in CLL genome analysis, we have analyzed high-purity DNA isolated from FACS-sorted CD19+ cells and paired CD3+ or buccal cells from 255 patients with CLL for acquired genomic copy number aberrations (aCNAs) with the use of ultra-high-density Affymetrix SNP 6.0 arrays. Overall, ≥ 2 subchromosomal aCNAs were found in 39% (100 of 255) of all cases analyzed, whereas ≥ 3 subchromosomal aCNAs were detected in 20% (50 of 255) of cases. Subsequently, we have correlated genomic lesion loads (genomic complexity) with the clinical outcome measures time to first therapy and overall survival. With the use of multivariate analyses incorporating the most important prognostic factors in CLL together with SNP 6.0 array–based genomic lesion loads at various thresholds, we identify elevated CLL genomic complexity as an independent and powerful marker for the identification of patients with aggressive CLL and short survival.