bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of Multimedia Vocabulary Instruction on Adolescents With Learning Disabilities
Authors: Kennedy Michael J. , Deshler Donald D. , Lloyd John Wills
Published: May 2013

The purpose of this experimental study is to investigate the effects of using content acquisition podcasts (CAPs), an example of instructional technology, to provide vocabulary instruction to adolescents with and without learning disabilities (LD). A total of 279 urban high school students, including 30 with LD in an area related to reading, were randomly assigned to one of four experimental conditions with instruction occurring at individual computer terminals over a 3-week period. Each of the four conditions contained different configurations of multimedia-based instruction and evidence-based vocabulary instruction. Dependent measures of vocabulary knowledge indicated that students with LD who received vocabulary instruction using CAPs through an explicit instructional methodology and the keyword mnemonic strategy significantly outperformed other students with LD who were taught using the same content, but with multimedia instruction that did not adhere to a specific theoretical design framework. Results for general education students mirrored those for students with LD. Students also completed a satisfaction measure following instruction with multimedia and expressed overall agreement that CAPs are useful for learning vocabulary terms.
Psychological Trauma and the Simulated Self
Authors: Silcox Mark
Published: May 2013

In the 1980s, there was a significant upsurge in diagnoses of Dissociative Identity Disorder. Ian Hacking suggests that the roots of this tendency lie in the excessive willingness of psychologists past and present to engage in the “psychologization of trauma.” I argue that Hacking makes some philosophically problematic assumptions about the putative threat to human autonomy that is posed by the increasing availability, attractiveness, and plausibility of various forms of simulated experience. I also suggest how a different set of axiological and historical assumptions might have led to a less dismissive and possibly more plausible account of this diagnostic trend.
In What Sense Is Scientific Knowledge Collective Knowledge?
Authors: Cheon Hyundeuk
Published: May 2013

By taking the collective character of scientific research seriously, some philosophers have claimed that scientific knowledge is indeed collective knowledge. However, there is little clarity on what exactly is meant by collective knowledge. In this article, I argue that there are two notions of collective knowledge that have not been well distinguished: irreducibly collective knowledge (ICK) and jointly committed knowledge (JCK). The two notions provide different conditions under which it is justified to ascribe knowledge to a group. It is argued that ICK and JCK need to be approached independently, each of which can shed light on different aspects of science, knowledge production, and acceptance.
The Future of Diabetes Education
Authors: Martin Annette Lenzi , Lipman Ruth D.
Published: May 2013

Purpose

The purpose of the article is to explore challenges and opportunities associated with the state of practice for diabetes education and diabetes educators.

Methods

Observations, assumptions, predictions, and recommendations based on a literature review and the 2011 workforce study and workforce summit held by the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE) are presented.

Results

Demand for diabetes educators is projected to increase. The employer base will broaden beyond traditional outpatient venues and extend into industry, retail pharmacy clinics, and community-based organizations. Increasing roles in management, quality assurance, and technology interface design are possible for diabetes educators. Challenges limiting diabetes education such as poor understanding of what diabetes educators do and underutilization of diabetes education continue to need redress.

Conclusions

Increasing utilization of diabetes education and insight about health care trends can allow diabetes educators to thrive in the workplace of the future. Diabetes educators are urged to promote the evidence concerning the benefits of diabetes education, to work to increase physician referrals, and to acquire needed competencies for the workplace of the future.
Initial Validity and Reliability of the Banff Patella Instability Instrument
Authors: Hiemstra Laurie A. , Kerslake Sarah , Lafave Mark R. , Heard S. Mark , Buchko Gregory M.L. , Mohtadi Nicholas G.H.
Published: May 2013

Background:

Patellofemoral instability is a well-recognized problem, but there are currently no published patient-reported quality of life outcome measures that are disease specific for the treatment of this population.

Purpose:

To establish the content validity, initial construct validity, and initial reliability of the Banff Patella Instability Instrument (BPII).

Study Design:

Cohort study (diagnosis); Level of evidence, 2.

Methods:

The content of the BPII was validated using a modified 3-stage Ebel procedure and analysis of floor and ceiling effects. As a measure of internal consistency, the Cronbach α was utilized to assess how reliably the 32 items of the questionnaire measured a similar construct. Test-retest reliability of the BPII was calculated using an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Construct validity was evaluated on 150 questionnaires completed by patients with a confirmed diagnosis of patellofemoral instability. A one-way between-group analysis of variance was employed to determine if the BPII was able to differentiate between patients presenting at the initial orthopaedic consultation relative to patients presenting at 6 months and 12 months postoperatively.

Results:

Content validity was clearly established as each item in the BPII achieved a minimum of 83.3% agreement (range, 83.3%-100%) for relevance among the expert panelists. The average agreement was 96.9%; 24 items achieved 100% agreement. There was no evidence of floor or ceiling effects. Reliability (internal consistency) of the BPII was established at the initial orthopaedic consultation (α = .91), 6 months postoperatively (α = .97), and 12 months postoperatively (α = .97). Test-retest analysis resulted in an ICC of 0.98 between tests. Construct validity was established as there was a statistically significant difference in BPII scores at the initial orthopaedic consultation and 6-month and 12-month postoperative appointments (F2,146 = 75.62; P < .001).

Conclusion:

The BPII demonstrates content validity, strong initial reliability, and a statistically significant level of construct validity in patients with patellofemoral instability. This population includes patients with recurrent patellofemoral instability as well as surgically stabilized patients.
The Diagnostic Quality of the Emotional and Behavioral Screener
Authors: Lambert Matthew C. , Epstein Michael H. , Cullinan Douglas
Published: May 2013

Students who exhibit substantial behavior and emotional problems in school often have shown less severe problems earlier. Screening for such problems can suggest which students need extra support and help educators to direct support to students who are more likely to benefit. The present study explored predictive validity of a very brief behavior problem screening procedure as applied to 2,253 students ages 5 to 17 years. About half were special education students identified with emotional disturbance; the rest were students with no identified disabilities. Teachers rated them on the 10 items of the Emotional and Behavioral Screener. Any student whose sum of ratings exceeded a norm-based cutoff score was designated as at-risk; otherwise the student was not at-risk. Binary classification analyses of four age-level by gender subgroups of students showed that the instrument validly identifies at-risk students. Study method limitations and directions for research to clarify some remaining questions about this screening procedure are presented.
The Owl of Minerva Flies Only at Dusk?
Authors: Glaurdić Josip
Published: May 2013

Could the Western foreign policy makers have done anything to prevent the violence accompanying the breakup of Yugoslavia? The answer to that question largely depends on their level of awareness of what was happening in the South Slavic federation in the run-up to war. This article analyzes a string of newly declassified documents of the British Foreign Office related to the February 1991 visit of a high-level British political delegation to Yugoslavia, together with interviews with some of the meetings’ protagonists. These declassified documents and interviews offer a unique snapshot in the development of the Yugoslav crisis and Britain’s policy in the region. They give us a clear picture of the goals and strategies of the principal Yugoslav players and show us what the West knew about the true nature of the Yugoslav crisis and when. The article’s conclusions are clear. Yugoslavia’s breakup and impending violence did not require great foresight. Their cause was known well in advance because it was preannounced—it was the plan of the Serbian regime of Slobodan Milošević to impose a centralized Yugoslavia upon the other republics or, if that failed, to use force to create a Greater Serbia on Yugoslavia’s ruins. Crucially, British policy at the time did nothing to dissuade Milošević from his plan and likely contributed to his confidence in using violence to pursue the creation of a new and enlarged Serbian state.
Maintaining the Trail
Authors: Rosenbaum Michael S.
Published: May 2013

This article uses data from a four-year ethnographic study of off-road driving enthusiasts to investigate the potential of leisure consumption to organize collective action. I analyze a serious-leisure community’s efforts to secure a place in the future for the culture of its constituency and suggest that this collective action reflects the increasing significance of consumption as a foundation of personal and collective identity in contemporary society. These Jeep people perceived themselves as facing negative stereotypes that constituted an existential threat to their personal and collective identities, which demanded access to natural areas for their maintenance and articulation. Drawing on theoretical insights from literatures on community, consumption, and the identity politics of new social movements, I analyze Jeepers’ efforts to overcome negative stereotypes through identity work and impression management in the public realm. My findings offer empirical support to theoretical claims that new forms of community can foster benefits to individuals and groups that are similar—and perhaps functionally equivalent—to those generated by traditional forms of community; these off-road driving enthusiasts challenge pessimistic assumptions about the capacity of leisure consumption to inspire the commitment and public-sphere activity characteristic of “genuine” communities.
How Positive Emotions Build Physical Health
Authors: Kok Bethany E. , Coffey Kimberly A. , Cohn Michael A. , Catalino Lahnna I. , Vacharkulksemsuk Tanya , Algoe Sara B. , Brantley Mary , Fredrickson Barbara L.
Published: May 2013

The mechanisms underlying the association between positive emotions and physical health remain a mystery. We hypothesize that an upward-spiral dynamic continually reinforces the tie between positive emotions and physical health and that this spiral is mediated by people’s perceptions of their positive social connections. We tested this overarching hypothesis in a longitudinal field experiment in which participants were randomly assigned to an intervention group that self-generated positive emotions via loving-kindness meditation or to a waiting-list control group. Participants in the intervention group increased in positive emotions relative to those in the control group, an effect moderated by baseline vagal tone, a proxy index of physical health. Increased positive emotions, in turn, produced increases in vagal tone, an effect mediated by increased perceptions of social connections. This experimental evidence identifies one mechanism—perceptions of social connections—through which positive emotions build physical health, indexed as vagal tone. Results suggest that positive emotions, positive social connections, and physical health influence one another in a self-sustaining upward-spiral dynamic.
The role of a credit trap on paths to homelessness in the Czech Republic
Authors: Lux Martin , Mikeszova Martina
Published: May 2013

This briefing paper aims to show the most common paths to homelessness in a post-socialist state: the Czech Republic. Homelessness in the Czech Republic is worthy of examination because the generous provision of social assistance and tenure security in this country has provided a more secure safety net against homelessness than many other EU member states: yet homelessness has still arisen. The theoretical approach applied in this paper attempts to move beyond the structure–agency debate in the homelessness literature by focusing on the characteristics that most homeless people share on their paths to homelessness. Simple associations among factors associated with homelessness cannot provide a definitive account of the causes of homeless; such data can, however, provide invaluable insights into the constellation of factors that are associated with the phenomenon of homelessness. This briefing paper reveals that the pervasiveness of consumer credit has often been a critical juncture on the pathway to homelessness in the Czech Republic, despite the assistance available from a strong welfare state.
Policy feedback and support for the welfare state
Authors: Jordan Jason
Published: May 2013

How does the structure of social policy institutions shape the level of public support for the welfare state? The policy feedback literature predicts that highly inclusive welfare institutions generate larger bases of public support by shifting the focus away from redistribution and toward common market insecurities felt across classes, while more selective strategies erode support by highlighting the conflicts of interest imbedded in clearly redistributive social programs. This paper expands on existing research by adopting a disaggregated approach to measuring both welfare state structure and public support, uncovering important cross-program variations in public attitudes and welfare state design masked by traditional measures of universality and public support. This project applies this method to public opinion data in 17 advanced capitalist democracies across three policy areas: healthcare, pensions, and unemployment. The findings offer evidence of policy feedback effects.
Converging by procedures
Authors: Penasa Simone
Published: May 2013

This article is structured in three sections. In the first section, the theoretical framework of the analysis will be laid out, grounded on the need for a paradigm shift when classifying national regulations on assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs). Instead of focusing directly on the specific content of each national regulation, it is more appropriate to move towards a focus on the characteristics of the decision-making process which drive political choices. In the second section, a comparative analysis will be provided of legal systems belonging to different legal families (civil law and common law families), such as Spain and the UK, France and Italy. The analysis will be conducted using a set of classificatory indexes covering both the decision-making process and the theory of law which is developed within specific but different regulatory regimes. According to these criteria, the legal systems analysed have been classified according to a threefold distinction: the ‘procedure-oriented’ model (UK and Spain); the ‘hybrid’ model (France); and the ‘value-oriented’ model (Italy). Comparison seems to show the need for new actors, sites and procedures of law-making in the field of ART. Accordingly, it seems advisable to devise new regulatory systems, in order to achieve, on the ground of comparative analysis, original mechanisms of law-making, starting from the assumption that sharing common deliberative methods proves to be more effective in view of a convergence of national policies. In the last section, a new regulatory mechanism will be proposed. It has been defined as ‘integration by specialisation’ of regulatory tools. This proposal stems from the assumption that, rather than harmonisation by imposing common regulatory content, harmonisation between national regulations (which is crucial in the light of both a uniform health care system and a common ‘market’ of biotechnological research in the European Union framework) can be effectively achieved by enforcing common regulatory mechanisms. These mechanisms can be based on the plurality of regulatory tools, each characterised by a specific (autonomous) normative function. 1
A Metaphor Analysis of Recovering Substance Abusers’ Sensemaking of Medication-Assisted Treatment
Authors: Malvini Redden Shawna , Tracy Sarah J. , Shafer Michael S.
Published: May 2013

In this study, we examined metaphors invoked by people recovering from opioid dependence as they described the challenges and successes of using medication-assisted treatment. Metaphors provide linguistic tools for expressing issues that are confusing, complex, hidden, and difficult to state analytically or literally. Using data from eight focus groups with 68 participants representing four ethnic minority groups, we conducted a grounded analysis to show how recovering substance users communicatively constructed addiction and recovery. The primary medication, methadone, was framed as “liquid handcuffs” that allowed those in recovery to quit “hustling,” get “straight,” and find “money in their pockets.” Nonetheless, methadone also served as a “crutch,” leaving them still feeling like “users” with “habits” who “came up dirty” to friends and family. In this analysis, we tease out implications of these metaphors, and how they shed light on sensemaking, agency, and related racial- and class-based structural challenges in substance abuse recovery.
Trust and Support for Surveillance Policies in Canadian and American Opinion
Authors: Nakhaie Reza , de Lint Willem
Published: May 2013

After September 11, much legislation has been passed that has impacted negatively upon the tradition of limited government and entrenched privacy rights. Scholarly interest is attracted to the mechanism by which regimes of control and surveillance have disestablished rights without engendering substantial popular resistance. In this article, we analyze a survey of Americans and Canadians on their attitudes toward surveillance and security-based legislation. We develop an argument that trust in government (TGB) produces a tolerance for legislation that limits citizen’s rights. We evaluate our model for both Canada and the United States, given the scholarly debate that these countries differ regionally in their level of TGB and support of statism. We posit that support for surveillance and security legislation is related to respondents’ trust of government, airport officials, and low tolerance of minorities (LTMs). Results suggest that TGB and airport officials as well as LTMs are the key predictors of surveillance and security legislation in both Canada and the United States. Although Quebeckers are more supportive and residents of the U.S. South are less supportive of security and surveillance legislation than the rest of North America, much of the difference in support for such policies can be accounted for by the level of public TGB.
The Incremental Validity of Perceived Goal Congruence
Authors: Supeli Abas , Creed Peter A.
Published: May 2013

Person–organization (P–O) fit has attracted much attention as an important workplace and career variable, but there is little consensus regarding conceptualization, operationalization, and the criteria used to measure it. Values congruence, personality congruence, knowledge–skills–abilities, and goal congruence are recognized as separate aspects of P–O fit, and have been identified as predictors of work attitudes and behaviors. The present study reports on the development and initial validation of a perceived goal congruence scale that can be used to measure perceptions of similarity between employee and organizational goals, which has not been studied previously. Initial items were administered to 895 employees of a manufacturing company in Indonesia. Exploratory factor analyses identified a single factor, which was confirmed on a holdout sample using confirmatory factor analysis. Construct validity was demonstrated by testing correlations between the new scale and attitudinal variables of job satisfaction, intention to quit, and organizational commitment. Structural validity was demonstrated by showing that perceived goal congruence was independent from, and explained additional variance over and above, the other measures of fit.
Tibiotalocalcaneal Arthrodesis With Bulk Femoral Head Allograft for Salvage of Large Defects in the Ankle
Authors: Jeng Clifford L. , Campbell John T. , Tang Edward Y. , Cerrato Rebecca A. , Myerson Mark S.
Published: May 2013

Background:

Tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis in patients with large segmental bony defects presents a substantial challenge to successful reconstruction. These defects typically occur following failed total ankle replacement, avascular necrosis of the talus, trauma, osteomyelitis, Charcot, or failed reconstructive surgery. This study examined the outcomes of tibiotalocalcaneal (TTC) arthrodesis using bulk femoral head allograft to fill this defect.

Methods:

Thirty-two patients underwent TTC arthrodesis with bulk femoral head allograft. Patients who demonstrated radiographic union were contacted for SF-12 clinical scoring and repeat radiographs. Patients with asymptomatic nonunions were also contacted for SF-12 scoring alone. Preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative factors were analyzed to determine positive predictors for successful fusion.

Results:

Sixteen patients healed their fusion (50% fusion rate). Diabetes mellitus was found to be the only predictive factor of outcome; all 9 patients with diabetes developed a nonunion. In this series, 19% of the patients went on to require a below-knee amputation.

Conclusions:

Although the radiographic fusion rate was low, when the 7 patients who had an asymptomatic nonunion were combined with the radiographic union group, the overall rate of functional limb salvage rose to 71%. TTC arthrodesis using femoral head allograft should be considered a salvage procedure that is technically difficult and carries a high risk for complications. Patients with diabetes mellitus are at an especially high risk for nonunion.

Level of Evidence:

Level IV, retrospective case series.
Structural Health and the Politics of African American Masculinity
Authors: Metzl Jonathan M.
Published: May 2013

This commentary describes ways in which notions of African American men’s “health” attained by individual choice—embedded in the notion that African American men should visit doctors or engage in fewer risky behaviors—are at times in tension with larger cultural, economic, and political notions of “health.” It argues that efforts to improve the health of Black men must take structural factors into account, and failure to do so circumvents even well-intentioned efforts to improve health outcomes. Using historical examples, the article shows how attempts to identify and intervene into what are now called social determinants of health are strengthened by addressing on-the-ground diagnostic disparities and also the structural violence and racism embedded within definitions of illness and health. And, that, as such, we need to monitor structural barriers to health that exist in institutions ostensibly set up to incarcerate or contain Black men and in institutions ostensibly set up to help them.
The Psychological Self as Actor, Agent, and Author
Authors: McAdams Dan P.
Published: May 2013

The psychological self may be construed as a reflexive arrangement of the subjective “I” and the constructed “Me,” evolving and expanding over the human life course. The psychological self begins life as a social actor, construed in terms of performance traits and social roles. By the end of childhood, the self has become a motivated agent, too, as personal goals, motives, values, and envisioned projects for the future become central features of how the I conceives of the Me. A third layer of selfhood begins to form in the adolescent and emerging adulthood years, when the self as autobiographical author aims to construct a story of the Me, to provide adult life with broad purpose and a dynamic sense of temporal continuity. An integrative theory that envisions the psychological self as a developing I–Me configuration of actor, agent, and author helps to synthesize a wide range of conceptions and findings on the self from social, personality, cognitive, cultural, and developmental psychology and from sociology and other social sciences. The actor–agent–author framework also sheds new light on studies of self-regulation, self-esteem, self-continuity, and the relationship between self and culture.
Why It Matters
Authors: Thompson Valerie A.
Published: May 2013

Evans and Stanovich (2013, this issue) propose that Type 1 processes should be defined in terms of autonomy, such that they are initiated and run to completion in the presence of relevant triggering conditions. In this commentary, I argue that their autonomous execution has implications for the nature of the representation that is formed and for the shape and outcome of subsequent Type 2 processes. In addition, I argue that Type 2 processes may also be triggered automatically, but that, unlike Type 1 processes, their completion requires working memory resources, and that the outcome of those processes is more flexible than that of Type 1 processes.
Only One? The Default Interventionist Perspective as a Unimodel—Commentary on Evans & Stanovich (2013)
Authors: Kruglanski Arie W.
Published: May 2013

Evans and Stanovich (2013, this issue) defend the dual-processing theories of higher cognition after first criticizing them on fundamental grounds. To make that possible, they resurrect the very distinctions between the two alleged “types” of processing that they formerly had rejected. At the end, however, the default-interventionist model they embrace, seems similar to the single-process unimodel they contest.
Theory and Metatheory in the Study of Dual Processing
Authors: Evans Jonathan St. B. T. , Stanovich Keith E.
Published: May 2013

In this article, we respond to the four comments on our target article. Some of the commentators suggest that we have formulated our proposals in a way that renders our account of dual-process theory untestable and less interesting than the broad theory that has been critiqued in recent literature. Our response is that there is a confusion of levels. Falsifiable predictions occur not at the level of paradigm or metatheory—where this debate is taking place—but rather in the instantiation of such a broad framework in task level models. Our proposal that many dual-processing characteristics are only correlated features does not weaken the testability of task-level dual-processing accounts. We also respond to arguments that types of processing are not qualitatively distinct and discuss specific evidence disputed by the commentators. Finally, we welcome the constructive comments of one commentator who provides strong arguments for the reality of the dual-process distinction.
The Nature–Nurture Debates
Authors: Eagly Alice H. , Wood Wendy
Published: May 2013

Nature–nurture debates continue to be highly contentious in the psychology of gender despite the common recognition that both types of causal explanations are important. In this article, we provide a historical analysis of the vicissitudes of nature and nurture explanations of sex differences and similarities during the quarter century since the founding of the Association for Psychological Science. We consider how the increasing use of meta-analysis helped to clarify sex difference findings if not the causal explanations for these effects. To illustrate these developments, this article describes socialization and preferences for mates as two important areas of gender research. We also highlight developing research trends that address the interactive processes by which nature and nurture work together in producing sex differences and similarities. Such theorizing holds the promise of better science as well as a more coherent account of the psychology of women and men that should prove to be more influential with the broader public.
Twenty-Five Years Using the Intermodal Preferential Looking Paradigm to Study Language Acquisition
Authors: Golinkoff Roberta Michnick , Ma Weiyi , Song Lulu , Hirsh-Pasek Kathy
Published: May 2013

The intermodal preferential looking paradigm (IPLP) has proven to be a revolutionary method for the examination of infants’ emerging language knowledge. In the IPLP, infants’ language comprehension is measured by their differential visual fixation to two images presented side-by-side when only one of the images matches an accompanying linguistic stimulus. Researchers can examine burgeoning knowledge in the areas of phonology, semantics, syntax, and morphology in infants not yet speaking. The IPLP enables the exploration of the underlying mechanisms involved in language learning and illuminates how infants identify the correspondences between language and referents in the world. It has also fostered the study of infants’ conceptions of the dynamic events that language will express. Exemplifying translational science, the IPLP is now being investigated for its clinical and diagnostic value.
Secondary displacement of distal radius fractures treated by bridging external fixation
Authors: Farah N. , Nassar L. , Farah Z. , Schuind F.
Published: May 2013

Loss of reduction remains an important problem after treatment of distal radius fractures, whatever the type of bone fixation. We assessed retrospectively the rate of secondary displacement after external fixation of distal radius fractures in order to identify possible risk factors for instability. We reviewed the pre-operative and serial post-operative radiographs of a retrospective series of 35 distal radius fractures treated by bridging external fixation. When classified according to the Société Française d’Orthopédie et Traumatologie (SOFCOT) criteria, the rate of secondary displacement was 48.5%. At final follow up, the reduction was anatomical in 12% and acceptable in 83%. There was malunion in 5%. The loss of reduction concerned primarily the distal radius palmar tilt and was moderate. No correlation was found with age, gender, type of fracture, degree of initial displacement, associated ulnar fracture, or seniority of the treating surgeon.
Surgical findings in the treatment of Dupuytren’s disease after initial treatment with clostridial collagenase (Xiaflex)
Authors: Hay D. C. , Louie D. L. , Earp B. E. , Kaplan F. T. D. , Akelman E. , Blazar P. E.
Published: May 2013

We investigated the difficulty of surgical fasciectomy after previous treatment with clostridial collagenase injection. The 35 clinicians who had participated in the initial trials of this injection were contacted via email. Twenty-eight responded, nine of whom reported on 15 patients. Most (seven of nine) felt there was no significant distortion of anatomy and rated the level of technical difficulty as equivalent to a primary Dupuytren’s fasciectomy at the observed degree of contracture (nine of 15 cases). One respondent (four of 15 cases) reported significantly more difficulty and grossly distorted anatomy. One surgical complication, a wound dehiscence, was reported.
Sexual Prejudice
Authors: Pirlott Angela G. , Neuberg Steven L.
Published: May 2013

Sexual prejudice may arise from beliefs that certain sexual orientation groups direct unwanted sexual interest, with the implication that heterosexual men and women hold prejudices against different groups. Study 1 confirmed that heterosexual women believe bisexual men, bisexual women, and lesbians (but not gay men) direct unwanted sexual interest, whereas heterosexual men believe bisexual and gay men (but not bisexual women or lesbians) direct unwanted sexual interest. Study 2 revealed patterns of negativity toward different sexual orientation groups mirroring Study 1’s pattern of perceptions of unwanted sexual interest and Study 3 demonstrated that the perception of unwanted sexual interest statistically mediates the relationship between target sexual orientation group and negativity. Existing theoretical approaches for understanding sexual prejudices, including the in-group–out-group heterosexism, gender–role violation, and sexual identity threat approaches, fail to account for the nuanced pattern of findings observed.
The Motivational Dynamics of Dissent Decisions
Authors: Packer Dominic J. , Fujita Kentaro , Chasteen Alison L.
Published: May 2013

We propose that dissent decisions involve a tension between shorter term group stability goals and longer term group change goals. Strongly identified members may be animated by either goal, and their behavior with respect to group norms is influenced by which is currently dominant. In two experiments, we manipulated construal level, a factor that affects goal selection, such that people are more likely to make decisions that further long-term goals at high (vs. low) construal level. As predicted, at high construal level, strong identifiers were more willing to dissent from group norms than weak identifiers; at low construal level, strong identifiers were equally or more conformist. These findings advance understanding of the motivational dynamics of dissent decisions and speak to the nature of depersonalization/self-categorization in groups. Identified members retained individual agency and exercised their own judgment regarding group norms, choosing to deviate when they perceived it to be in the group’s interest.
Dreaming of You
Authors: Selterman Dylan F. , Apetroaia Adela I. , Riela Suzanne , Aron Arthur
Published: May 2013

This study examined the extent to which dreams of close others would predict subsequent waking experiences with those partners, suggesting a process for the effects of dreams parallel to findings on “priming” as observed in other contexts. Participants in committed relationships completed measures of attachment and relationship health (interdependence), followed by a 2-week diary of dream reports and interactions with their partners. Multilevel modeling results indicated (among other effects) that certain types of content (e.g., infidelity) and emotions (e.g., jealousy) in participants’ dream reports were associated with less intimate feelings and more conflict with their partners on subsequent days. These associations were unidirectional and they remained significant while controlling for trait attachment styles, overall relationship heath, and the previous day’s activity, thus identifying for the first time a unique and important role for dreams in affecting relationship behaviors.
A Phenomenological Case Study of the Experiences of African American High School Students
Authors: West Edna Theresa
Published: May 2013

In a progression of scholarly research on the achievement gap, the results remain the same. The data show that there is a statistically significant difference in the achievement of African American and Hispanic students compared with their Caucasian and Asian academic counterparts. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the implications of the gap in achievement for young urban adults. The participants were five African American students who had dropped out of traditional school. These students described their academic decline through interviews and focus group sessions at two alternative educational sites. The data were collected and the results indicated that the students felt disconnected from their teachers and the process of education. As a result of this disconnection, they became adrift in the educational system and were eventually swallowed by the undertow.
Leukemia surfaceome analysis reveals new disease-associated features
Authors: Mirkowska Paulina , Hofmann Andreas , Sedek Lukasz , Slamova Lucie , Mejstrikova Ester , Szczepanski Tomasz , Schmitz Maike , Cario Gunnar , Stanulla Martin , Schrappe Martin , van der Velden Vincent H. J. , Bornhauser Beat C. , Wollscheid Bernd , Bourquin Jean-Pierre
Published: May 2013

Key Points

Proteomic analysis of the leukemia cell surface reveals new leukemia-associated features with a potential to improve diagnostics. The ALL surfaceome is a resource for systematic functional exploration.
Characterization of a novel NKG2D and NKp46 double-mutant mouse reveals subtle variations in the NK cell repertoire
Authors: Sheppard Sam , Triulzi Chiara , Ardolino Michele , Serna Daniel , Zhang Lily , Raulet David H. , Guerra Nadia
Published: May 2013

Key Points

NKG2D, but not NKp46, has a modest, NK cell intrinsic influence on shaping the NK cell receptor repertoire. NKG2D deficiency does not alter the NK cell response to MCMV infection.
The lupus anticoagulant: results from 2257 patients attending a high-risk pregnancy clinic
Authors: Clark Christine A. , Davidovits Judith , Spitzer Karen A. , Laskin Carl A.
Published: May 2013

Key Points

Only 62 (2.7%) of 2257 high-risk patients tested positive for LAC over 6 years; only 5 (0.02%) with early recurrent miscarriage tested positive. The 2 assays recommended by ISTH guidelines were less effective than our 4-assay panel at capturing and describing LAC-positive patients.
Clinical features, anger management and anxiety: a possible correlation in migraine children
Authors: Tarantino Samuela , De Ranieri Cristiana , Dionisi Cecilia , Citti Monica , Capuano Alessandro , Galli Federica , Guidetti Vincenzo , Vigevano Federico , Gentile Simonetta , Presaghi Fabio , Valeriani Massimiliano
Published: May 2013

Background

Psychological factors can increase severity and intensity of headaches. While great attention has been placed on the presence of anxiety and/or depression as a correlate to a high frequency of migraine attacks, very few studies have analyzed the management of frustration in children with headache. Aim of this study was to analyze the possible correlation between pediatric migraine severity (frequency and intensity of attacks) and the psychological profile, with particular attention to the anger management style.

Methods

We studied 62 migraineurs (mean age 11.2 ± 2.1 years; 29 M and 33 F). Patients were divided into four groups according to the attack frequency (low, intermediate, high frequency, and chronic migraine). Pain intensity was rated on a 3-levels graduate scale (mild, moderate and severe pain). Psychological profile was assessed by Picture Frustration Study test for anger management and SAFA-A scale for anxiety.

Results

We found a relationship between IA/OD index (tendency to inhibit anger expression) and both attack frequency (r = 0.328, p = 0.041) and intensity (r = 0.413, p = 0.010). When we analyzed the relationship between anxiety and the headache features, a negative and significant correlation emerged between separation anxiety (SAFA-A Se) and the frequency of attacks (r = −0.409, p = 0.006). In our patients, the tendency to express and emphasize the presence of the frustrating obstacle (EA/OD index) showed a positive correlation with anxiety level (“Total anxiety” scale: r = 0.345; p = 0.033).

Conclusions

Our results suggest that children suffering from severe migraine tend to inhibit their angry feelings. On the contrary, children with low migraine attack frequency express their anger and suffer from separation anxiety.
Odontogenic ameloblast-associated protein (ODAM) inhibits growth and migration of human melanoma cells and elicits PTEN elevation and inactivation of PI3K/AKT signaling
Authors: Foster James S , Fish Lindsay M , Phipps Jonathan E , Bruker Charles T , Lewis James M , Bell John L , Solomon Alan , Kestler Daniel P
Published: May 2013

Background

The Odontogenic Ameloblast-associated Protein (ODAM) is expressed in a wide range of normal epithelial, and neoplastic tissues, and we have posited that ODAM serves as a novel prognostic biomarker for breast cancer and melanoma. Transfection of ODAM into breast cancer cells yields suppression of cellular growth, motility, and in vivo tumorigenicity. Herein we have extended these studies to the effects of ODAM on cultured melanoma cell lines.

Methods

The A375 and C8161 melanoma cell lines were stably transfected with ODAM and assayed for properties associated with tumorigenicity including cell growth, motility, and extracellular matrix adhesion. In addition, ODAM–transfected cells were assayed for signal transduction via AKT which promotes cell proliferation and survival in many neoplasms.

Results

ODAM expression in A375 and C8161 cells strongly inhibited cell growth and motility in vitro, increased cell adhesion to extracellular matrix, and yielded significant cytoskeletal/morphologic rearrangement. Furthermore, AKT activity was downregulated by ODAM expression while an increase was noted in expression of the PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homolog on chromosome 10) tumor suppressor gene, an antagonist of AKT activation. Increased PTEN in ODAM-expressing cells was associated with increases in PTEN mRNA levels and de novo protein synthesis. Silencing of PTEN expression yielded recovery of AKT activity in ODAM-expressing melanoma cells. Similar PTEN elevation and inhibition of AKT by ODAM was observed in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells while ODAM expression had no effect in PTEN-deficient BT-549 breast cancer cells.

Conclusions

The apparent anti-neoplastic effects of ODAM in cultured melanoma and breast cancer cells are associated with increased PTEN expression, and suppression of AKT activity. This association should serve to clarify the clinical import of ODAM expression and any role it may serve as an indicator of tumor behavior.
Chronic inhibition of tumor cell-derived VEGF enhances the malignant phenotype of colorectal cancer cells
Authors: Yamagishi Naoko , Teshima-Kondo Shigetada , Masuda Kiyoshi , Nishida Kensei , Kuwano Yuki , Dang Duyen T , Dang Long H , Nikawa Takeshi , Rokutan Kazuhito
Published: May 2013

Background

Vascular endothelial growth factor-a (VEGF)-targeted therapies have become an important treatment for a number of human malignancies. The VEGF inhibitors are actually effective in several types of cancers, however, the benefits are transiently, and the vast majority of patients who initially respond to the therapies will develop resistance. One of possible mechanisms for the acquired resistance may be the direct effect(s) of VEGF inhibitors on tumor cells expressing VEGF receptors (VEGFR). Thus, we investigated here the direct effect of chronic VEGF inhibition on phenotype changes in human colorectal cancer (CRC) cells.

Methods

To chronically inhibit cancer cell-derived VEGF, human CRC cell lines (HCT116 and RKO) were chronically exposed (2 months) to an anti-VEGF monoclonal antibody (mAb) or were disrupted the Vegf gene (VEGF-KO). Effects of VEGF family members were blocked by treatment with a VEGF receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (VEGFR-TKI). Hypoxia-induced apoptosis under VEGF inhibited conditions was measured by TUNEL assay. Spheroid formation ability was assessed using a 3-D spheroid cell culture system.

Results

Chronic inhibition of secreted/extracellular VEGF by an anti-VEGF mAb redundantly increased VEGF family member (PlGF, VEGFR1 and VEGFR2), induced a resistance to hypoxia-induced apoptosis, and increased spheroid formation ability. This apoptotic resistance was partially abrogated by a VEGFR-TKI, which blocked the compensate pathway consisted of VEGF family members, or by knockdown of Vegf mRNA, which inhibited intracellular function(s) of all Vegf gene products. Interestingly, chronic and complete depletion of all Vegf gene products by Vegf gene knockout further augmented these phenotypes in the compensate pathway-independent manner. These accelerated phenotypes were significantly suppressed by knockdown of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α that was up-regulated in the VEGF-KO cell lines.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that chronic inhibition of tumor cell-derived VEGF accelerates tumor cell malignant phenotypes.
Standard or hypofractionated radiotherapy in the postoperative treatment of breast cancer: a retrospective analysis of acute skin toxicity and dose inhomogeneities
Authors: Tortorelli Grazia , Di Murro Luana , Barbarino Rosaria , Cicchetti Sara , di Cristino Daniela , Falco Maria Daniela , Fedele Dahlia , Ingrosso Gianluca , Janniello Dania , Morelli Pasquale , Murgia Alessandra , Ponti Elisabetta , Terenzi Sara , Tolu Barbara , Santoni Riccardo
Published: May 2013

Background

To identify predictive factors of radiation-induced skin toxicity in breast cancer patients by the analysis of dosimetric and clinical factors.

Methods

339 patients treated between January 2007 and December 2010 are included in the present analysis. Whole breast irradiation was delivered with Conventional Fractionation (CF) (50Gy, 2.0/day, 25 fractions) and moderate Hypofractionated Schedule (HS) (44Gy, 2.75Gy/day, 16 fractions) followed by tumour bed boost. The impact of patient clinical features, systemic treatments and, in particular, dose inhomogeneities on the occurrence of different levels of skin reaction has been retrospectively evaluated.

Results

G2 and G3 acute skin toxicity were 42% and 13% in CF patients and 30% and 7.5% in HS patients respectively. The retrieval and revaluation of 200 treatment plans showed a strong correlation between areas close to the skin surface, with inhomogeneities >107% of the prescribed dose, and the desquamation areas as described in the clinical records.

Conclusions

In our experience dose inhomogeneity underneath G2 – G3 skin reactions seems to be the most important predictor for acute skin damage and in these patients more complex treatment techniques should be considered to avoid skin damage. Genetic polymorphisms too have to be investigated as possible promising candidates for predicting acute skin reactions.