bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cell Cycle/Apoptosis Molecule Expression Correlates with Imatinib Response in Patients with Advanced Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors
Authors: Romeo Salvatore , Debiec-Rychter Maria , Van Glabbeke Martine , Van Paassen Heidi , Comite Paola , Van Eijk Ronald , Oosting Jan , Verweij Jaap , Terrier Philippe , Schneider Ulrike , Sciot Raf , Blay Jean Yves , Hogendoorn Pancras C.W. ,   on behalf of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Soft Tissue and Bone Sarcoma Group
Published: June 2009

Purpose: Altered expression of cell cycle/apoptosis key regulators may promote tumor progression, reflect secondary genetic/epigenetic events, and impair the effectiveness of therapy. Their expression pattern might then identify gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) patient subgroups with different response to imatinib and elucidate novel therapeutic targets.

Experimental Design: Immunohistochemical evaluation of expression of p53, p16, p21, CHK2, CCND1, BCL2, CDK4, and MDM2 was done on 353 histologically validated GIST patients enrolled into a European/Australasian phase III trial. TP53 was screened for mutations in cases with presumptive nonfunctional protein; that is, high p53 and low expression of the two downstream molecules p21 and MDM2. Results were correlated with clinicopathologic data, KIT/PDGFRA mutation status, and imatinib dosage.

Results: Frequent impaired expression was found for BCL2 (78%), CHK2 (53%), p53 (50%), and p16 (47%). Stomach-originating GISTs showed significantly lower expression of p21, p16, and BCL2. KIT/PDGFRA wild-type GISTs had significant lower expression of CDK4. Eighty-eight percent of the high p53 expressers show low downstream target activation, indicating a nonfunctional p53 route. Of these high p53 expressers, 16.4% harbor a detectable TP53 mutation. Multivariate analysis, including previously identified markers, showed an independent effect of p53 and p16 on progression-free survival (PFS). Patients with high level of CHK2 and p21 showed significantly better PFS upon a high-dose regimen.

Conclusions: Impaired p53, p16, BCL2, and CHK2 expression is common in advanced GISTs. Distinct patterns of expression correlate with tumor site, genotype, and PFS. Cell cycle/apoptosis maintenance is instrumental for optimal response to imatinib.
Combined Survival Analysis of Prospective Clinical Trials of Gefitinib for Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer with EGFR Mutations
Authors: Morita Satoshi , Okamoto Isamu , Kobayashi Kunihiko , Yamazaki Koichi , Asahina Hajime , Inoue Akira , Hagiwara Koichi , Sunaga Noriaki , Yanagitani Noriko , Hida Toyoaki , Yoshida Kimihide , Hirashima Tomonori , Yasumoto Kosei , Sugio Kenji , Mitsudomi Tetsuya , Fukuoka Masahiro , Nukiwa Toshihiro
Published: June 2009

Purpose: Somatic mutations of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene are associated with an increased response to gefitinib in patients with non–small cell lung cancer. We have examined the impact of gefitinib on progression-free survival and overall survival in patients with EGFR mutation–positive non–small cell lung cancer.

Experimental Design: We searched for all clinical trials that prospectively evaluated the efficacy of gefitinib for advanced non–small cell lung cancer with EGFR mutations in Japan. We did a combined analysis based on individual patient data from the identified trials.

Results: Seven eligible trials were identified for a total of 148 non–small cell lung cancer patients with EGFR mutations. The overall response rate to gefitinib was 76.4% [95% confidence interval (95% CI), 69.5-83.2]. The median progression-free survival and overall survival were 9.7 months (95% CI, 8.2-11.1) and 24.3 months (95% CI, 19.8-28.2), respectively. Good performance status and chemotherapy-naïve status were significantly associated with a longer progression-free survival or overall survival. Of the 148 patients, 87 received gefitinib as a first-line therapy, whereas 61 received systemic chemotherapy before gefitinib treatment. The median progression-free survival after the start of first-line therapy was significantly longer in the gefitinib-first group than in the chemotherapy-first group (10.7 versus 6.0 months; P < 0.001), whereas no significant difference in median overall survival was apparent between the two groups (27.7 versus 25.7 months; P = 0.782).

Conclusions: Gefitinib monotherapy confers substantial clinical benefit in terms of progression-free survival and overall survival in non–small cell lung cancer patients with EGFR mutations. Randomized trials comparing chemotherapy with gefitinib as a first-line treatment are warranted in such patients.
Epigenetic mechanisms of irinotecan sensitivity in colorectal cancer cell lines
Authors: Crea Francesco , Giovannetti Elisa , Cortesi Filippo , Mey Valentina , Nannizzi Sara , Gallegos Ruiz Marielle I. , Ricciardi Simona , Del Tacca Mario , Peters Godefridus J. , Danesi Romano
Published: June 2009

Irinotecan is a topoisomerase-I (Top-I) inhibitor used for the treatment of colorectal cancer. DNA demethylating agents, including 5-azacytidine (5-aza), display synergistic antitumor activity with several chemotherapy drugs. 5-Aza may enhance irinotecan cytotoxicity by at least one of the following mechanisms: (a) Top-I promoter demethylation, (b) activation of genes involved in Top-I transcriptional regulation (p16 or Sp1), and (c) modulation of the cell cycle and apoptosis after DNA damage. The growth-inhibitory effects of SN38, the active metabolite of irinotecan, 5-aza, and their combinations, were studied in four colorectal cancer cell lines. The effects of treatments on cell cycle were analyzed by flow cytometry, and apoptosis was measured by fluorescence microscopy. Top-I, Sp1, and p53 expression modulated by 5-aza were measured by real-time PCR. Methylation of Top-I, p16, 14-3-3σ, and hMLH1 promoters before and after 5-aza treatment were measured by MethyLight PCR and DNA bisulfite sequencing. Low-dose 5-aza significantly enhanced the apoptotic effect of irinotecan in all colorectal cancer cells, whereas a synergistic cytotoxic effect was observed only in p53-mutated cells (HT29, SW620, and WiDr). This synergistic effect was significantly correlated with Top-I up-regulation by 5-aza, and coupled to p16 demethylation and Sp1 up-regulation. p16 demethylation was also associated with enhanced cell cycle arrest after irinotecan treatment. In contrast, 5-aza down-regulated Top-I expression in the p53 wild-type LS174T cells in a p53-dependent manner, thereby reducing SN38 cytotoxicity. In conclusion, 5-aza modulates Top-I expression by several mechanisms involving Sp1, p16, and p53. If confirmed in other models, these results suggest that p16 and p53 status affects the 5-aza–irinotecan interaction. [Mol Cancer Ther 2009;8(7):1964–73]
Distinct Roles for Histone Methyltransferases G9a and GLP in Cancer Germ-Line Antigen Gene Regulation in Human Cancer Cells and Murine Embryonic Stem Cells
Authors: Link Petra A. , Gangisetty Omkaram , James Smitha R. , Woloszynska-Read Anna , Tachibana Makoto , Shinkai Yoichi , Karpf Adam R.
Published: June 2009

The H3K9me2 histone methyltransferases G9a and GLP repress Mage-a class cancer germ-line (CG) antigen gene expression in murine embryonic stem (ES) cells, but the role of these enzymes in CG antigen gene regulation in human cancer cells is unknown. Here we show that whereas independent or dual knockdown of G9a and GLP in human cancer cells leads to reduced global and CG antigen promoter–associated H3K9me2 levels, it does not activate CG antigen gene expression. Moreover, CG antigen gene repression is maintained following pharmacologic targeting of G9a or treatment of G9a knockdown cells with the histone deacetylase inhibitor trichostatin A. However, G9a knockdown cells display increased sensitivity to CG antigen gene activation mediated by the DNA methyltransferase inhibitor decitabine. To account for these findings, we examined DNA methylation at CG antigen gene promoters in both cell types. We found robust DNA hypomethylation in G9a/GLP targeted murine ES cells but a lack of DNA methylation changes in G9a/GLP targeted human cancer cells; intriguingly, this distinction also extended to markers of global DNA methylation. These data reveal that G9a/GLP is required for DNA methylation of CG antigen genes and genomic DNA in murine ES cells, but not human cancer cells, and implicate DNA methylation status as the key epigenetic mechanism involved in CG antigen gene repression. (Mol Cancer Res 2009;7(6):851–62)
Inhibition of G1 to S Phase Progression by a Novel Zinc Finger Protein P58TFL at P-bodies
Authors: Minagawa Kentaro , Katayama Yoshio , Nishikawa Shinichiro , Yamamoto Katsuya , Sada Akiko , Okamura Atsuo , Shimoyama Manabu , Matsui Toshimitsu
Published: June 2009

We recently reported the translocation of the immunoglobulin (Ig) light chain κ locus gene with a possible tumor suppressor gene, TFL, in transformed follicular lymphoma. However, the functional significance in cell transformation remains to be elucidated. Here, we first identified two gene products, P58TFL and P36TFL, derived by alternative splicing. The expression was prominent in normal human lymphocytes but defective in some leukemia/lymphoma cell lines. Overexpression of either protein in a mouse pro-B cell line, Ba/F3, and a human leukemia cell line, Jurkat, inhibited G1 to S phase progression through suppression of retinoblastoma protein (Rb) phosphorylation. The dominant gene product, P58TFL, colocalized with mRNA-processing body markers, eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2C and DCP1 decapping-enzyme homolog A, but not with a stress granule maker, T-cell intracellular antigen 1, in the cytoplasm. Taken together with the unique CCCH-type zinc finger motif, the present study suggests that P58TFL could play an important role in the regulation of cell growth through posttranscriptional modification of cell cycle regulators, at least partially, upstream of Rb. (Mol Cancer Res 2009;7(6):880–9)
Pediatric Ependymoma: Biological Perspectives
Authors: Kilday John-Paul , Rahman Ruman , Dyer Sara , Ridley Lee , Lowe James , Coyle Beth , Grundy Richard
Published: June 2009

Pediatric ependymomas are enigmatic tumors that continue to present a clinical management challenge despite advances in neurosurgery, neuroimaging techniques, and radiation therapy. Difficulty in predicting tumor behavior from clinical and histological factors has shifted the focus to the molecular and cellular biology of ependymoma in order to identify new correlates of disease outcome and novel therapeutic targets. This article reviews our current understanding of pediatric ependymoma biology and includes a meta-analysis of all comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) studies done on primary ependymomas to date, examining more than 300 tumors. From this meta-analysis and a review of the literature, we show that ependymomas in children exhibit a different genomic profile to those in adults and reinforce the evidence that ependymomas from different locations within the central nervous system (CNS) are distinguishable at a genomic level. Potential biological markers of prognosis in pediatric ependymoma are assessed and the ependymoma cancer stem cell hypothesis is highlighted with respect to tumor resistance and recurrence. We also discuss the shifting paradigm for treatment modalities in ependymoma that target molecular alterations in tumor-initiating cell populations. (Mol Cancer Res 2009;7(6):765–86)
Quality Improvement Initiatives Improve Hypertension Care Among Veterans
Authors: Choma Neesha N. , Huang Robert L. , Dittus Robert S. , Burnham Kathy E. , Roumie Christianne L.
Published: June 2009

Background—

We implemented a quality improvement initiative to improve hypertension care at Veterans Affairs–Tennessee Valley Healthcare System.

Methods and Results—

We implemented multiple interventions among 2 teaching hospitals, 5 community-based outpatient clinics, and 4 contract clinic sites. Goals of the program were to (1) improve measurement and documentation of blood pressure (BP), (2) initiate outpatient patient education, (3) emphasize VA/Department of Defense hypertension treatment algorithms to providers, (4) emphasize external peer review program performance goals, and (5) initiate feedback of each clinic’s performance. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients seen each week with a diagnosis of hypertension who had their last available BP in control (≤140/90 mm Hg). Observation time was 40 weeks (14 weeks preintervention, 8 weeks intervention implementation, and 18 weeks postintervention), during which there were 55 586 unique clinic visits for hypertension. After intervention deployment, there was an absolute improvement of 4.2% in BP control (preintervention 61.5% [12 245/19 908] versus postintervention 65.7% [15 809/24 059],
P
<0.0001). Teaching hospital A had an absolute improvement of 1.4% (63.4% [3544/5591] versus 64.8% [4581/7073],
P
=0.108). Teaching hospital B showed a 0.8% absolute improvement in BP control (59.7% [2577/4315] versus 60.5% [3416/5650],
P
=0.456). The community-based outpatient clinics had a combined absolute improvement of 8.6% (60.2% [5252/8728] versus 68.8% [6895/10025],
P
<0.0001). The contract clinics had a combined improvement of 1.5% (68.4% [872/1274] versus 69.9% [917/1311],
P
=0.409). Results were sustained 1 year after intervention.

Conclusions—

After implementing small, focused, and inexpensive interventions, BP control improved 4.2%, thereby improving the quality of hypertension care.
Local Mixing Events in the Upper Troposphere and Lower Stratosphere. Part II: Seasonal and Interannual Variability
Authors: Shuckburgh Emily , d’Ovidio Francesco , Legras Bernard
Published: June 2009

The Lyapunov diffusivity is used to investigate local isentropic mixing events in the upper troposphere–lower stratosphere (UTLS) region. The diagnostic highlights the seasonal cycle of the longitudinally varying mixing properties, in particular those associated with the monsoon circulations and the westerly ducts in the subtropics. The results are broadly consistent with studies of Rossby wave–breaking frequencies. The mixing structure is shown to be modulated by modes of atmospheric variability. El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is found to strongly influence the mixing structure throughout the tropics and subtropics. The subtropical jet is associated with longitudinal bands of mixing minima (isentropic mixing barriers) separated by synoptic-scale regions of strong mixing activity. The greatest ENSO modulation in December–February is confined to the Pacific sector, where the barriers associated with the subtropical jets extend farther into the eastern Pacific, and in the western Pacific a barrier is found at the equator during the positive phase. During June–August, the influence is seen to extend beyond the Pacific region, with the barrier at the subtropical jet in the Southern Hemisphere increasing in strength at all longitudes and with an increase in strength (and isolation of) monsoon-related mixing over Asia and North America. The local influence of the North Atlantic Oscillation in wintertime is investigated. During the positive phase, a double-barrier structure is associated with the subtropical jet, the northern branch crosses the Atlantic toward Scandinavia, and the southern branch tends toward North Africa. The Antarctic Oscillation is shown to influence whether the subvortex region is isolated from midlatitudes.
Identifying Signatures of Natural Climate Variability in Time Series of Global-Mean Surface Temperature: Methodology and Insights
Authors: Thompson David W. J. , Wallace John M. , Jones Phil D. , Kennedy John J.
Published: June 2009

Global-mean surface temperature is affected by both natural variability and anthropogenic forcing. This study is concerned with identifying and removing from global-mean temperatures the signatures of natural climate variability over the period January 1900–March 2009. A series of simple, physically based methodologies are developed and applied to isolate the climate impacts of three known sources of natural variability: the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), variations in the advection of marine air masses over the high-latitude continents during winter, and aerosols injected into the stratosphere by explosive volcanic eruptions. After the effects of ENSO and high-latitude temperature advection are removed from the global-mean temperature record, the signatures of volcanic eruptions and changes in instrumentation become more clearly apparent. After the volcanic eruptions are subsequently filtered from the record, the residual time series reveals a nearly monotonic global warming pattern since ∼1950. The results also reveal coupling between the land and ocean areas on the interannual time scale that transcends the effects of ENSO and volcanic eruptions. Globally averaged land and ocean temperatures are most strongly correlated when ocean leads land by ∼2–3 months. These coupled fluctuations exhibit a complicated spatial signature with largest-amplitude sea surface temperature perturbations over the Atlantic Ocean.
Application of Airborne Passive Microwave Observations for Monitoring Inland Flooding Caused by Tropical Cyclones
Authors: Buckley Courtney D. , Hood Robbie E. , LaFontaine Frank J.
Published: June 2009

Inland flooding from tropical cyclones is a significant factor in storm-related deaths in the United States and other countries, with the majority of tropical cyclone fatalities recorded in the United States resulting from freshwater flooding. Information collected during National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) tropical cyclone field experiments suggests that surface water and flooding can be detected and therefore monitored at a greater spatial resolution by using passive microwave airborne radiometers than by using satellite sensors. The 10.7-GHz frequency of the NASA Advanced Microwave Precipitation Radiometer (AMPR) has demonstrated high-resolution detection of anomalous surface water and flooding in numerous situations.

In this study, an analysis of three cases is conducted utilizing satellite and airborne radiometer data. Data from the 1998 Third Convection and Moisture Experiment (CAMEX-3) are utilized to detect surface water during the landfalling Hurricane Georges in both the Dominican Republic and Louisiana. Another case studied was the landfalling Tropical Storm Gert in eastern Mexico during the Tropical Cloud Systems and Processes (TCSP) experiment in 2005. AMPR data are compared to topographic data and vegetation indices to evaluate the significance of the surface water signature visible in the 10.7-GHz information. The results illustrate the AMPR’s utility in monitoring surface water that current satellite-based passive microwave radiometers are unable to monitor because of their coarser resolutions. This suggests the benefit of a radiometer with observing frequencies less than 11 GHz deployed on a manned aircraft or unmanned aircraft system to provide early detection in real time of expanding surface water or flooding conditions.
Methodology for Water Monitoring in the Upper Troposphere with Raman Lidar at the Haute-Provence Observatory
Authors: Hoareau Christophe , Keckhut Philippe , Sarkissian Alain , Baray Jean-Luc , Durry Georges
Published: June 2009

A Raman water vapor lidar has been developed at the Haute-Provence Observatory to study the distribution of water in the upper troposphere and its long-term evolution. Some investigations have been proposed and described to ensure a pertinent monitoring of water vapor in the upper troposphere. A new method to take into account the geophysical variability for time integration processes has been developed based on the stationarity of water vapor. Successive measurements, considered as independent, have been used to retrieve H2O profiles that were recorded during the same nighttimes over a few hours. Various calibration methods, including zenith clear-sky observation, standard meteorological radiosondes, and total water vapor column, have been investigated. A method to evaluate these calibration techniques has been proposed based on the variance weakening. For the lidar at the Haute-Provence Observatory, the calibration based on the total water vapor column appears to be the optimum method. Radiosondes also give comparable results, but do not allow lidar to be independent. The clear-sky zenith observation is an original technique, and seems to accurately identify discontinuities. However, it appears to be less reliable, based on the variance investigation, than the two others. It is also sensitive to aerosol loading, which is also expected to vary with time.
Correcting Calibrated Infrared Sky Imagery for the Effect of an Infrared Window
Authors: Nugent Paul W. , Shaw Joseph A. , Pust Nathan J. , Piazzolla Sabino
Published: June 2009

A method is demonstrated for deriving a correction for the effects of an infrared window when used to weatherproof a radiometrically calibrated thermal infrared imager. The technique relies on initial calibration of two identical imagers without windows and subsequently operating the imagers side by side: one with a window and one without. An equation is presented that expresses the scene radiance in terms of through-window radiance and the transmittance, reflectance, and emissivity of the window. The window’s optical properties are determined as a function of angle over the imager’s field of view through a matrix inversion using images observed simultaneously with and without a window. The technique is applied to calibrated sky images from infrared cloud imager systems. Application of this window correction algorithm to data obtained months before or after the algorithm was derived leads to an improvement from 0.46 to 0.91 for the correlation coefficient between data obtained simultaneously from imagers with and without a window. Once the window correction has been determined, the windowed imager can operate independently and provide accurate measurements of sky radiance.
Dual-Polarization Radar Characteristics of an Apartment Fire
Authors: Jones Thomas A. , Christopher Sundar A. , Petersen Walt
Published: June 2009

Dual-polarimetric microwave wavelength radar observations of an apartment fire in Huntsville, Alabama, on 3 March 2008 are examined to determine the radar-observable properties of ash and fire debris lofted into the atmosphere. Dual-polarimetric observations are collected at close range (<20 km) by the 5-cm (C band) Advanced Radar for Meteorological and Operational Research (ARMOR) radar operated by the University of Alabama in Huntsville. Precipitation radars, such as ARMOR, are not sensitive to aerosol-sized (D < 10 μm) smoke particles, but they are sensitive to the larger ash and burnt debris embedded within the smoke plume. The authors also assess if turbulent eddies caused by the heat of the fire cause Bragg scattering to occur at the 5-cm wavelength.

In this example, the mean reflectivity within the debris plume from the 1.3° elevation scan was 9.0 dBZ, with a few values exceeding 20 dBZ. The plume is present more than 20 km downstream of the fire, with debris lofted at least 1 km above ground level into the atmosphere. Velocities up to 20 m s−1 are present within the plume, indicating that the travel time for the debris from its source to the maximum range of detection is less than 20 min. Dual-polarization observations show that backscattered radiation is dominated by nonspherical, large, oblate targets as indicated by nonzero differential reflectivity values (mean = 1.7 dB) and low correlation coefficients (0.49). Boundary layer convective rolls are also observed that have very low reflectivity values (−6.0 dBZ); however, differential reflectivity is much larger (3.2 dB). This is likely the result of noise, because ARMOR differential reflectivity is not reliable for reflectivity values <0 dBZ. Also, copolar correlation is even lower compared to the debris plume (0.42). The remainder of the data mainly consists of atmospheric and ground-clutter noise. The large differential phase values coupled with positive differential reflectivity strongly indicate that the source of much of the return from the debris plume is particle scattering. However, given the significant degree of noise present, a substantial contribution from Bragg scattering cannot be entirely ruled out.
An Empirical Model for Estimating the Geographic Location of Nonlinear Internal Solitary Waves
Authors: Jackson Christopher R.
Published: June 2009

This paper describes the development and performance of a new approach for estimating the geographic location of high-frequency nonlinear internal waves. The approach makes use of the internal wave signatures recorded in satellite imagery to determine the parameters of a model function that relates the internal wave phase speed to depth. The phase speed map produced by the parameterized model function establishes a propagation time and propagation path between an origin and any location in the region of interest. Contours of propagation time represent the internal wave locations for a particular time since generation. The parameters of the model function are found by minimizing the difference between the calculated propagation times and the observed propagation times. This approach is applied to the internal solitary waves observed in the northern portion of the South China Sea west of the Luzon Strait. Propagation time estimates based on this new approach have errors of ±1.32 h (1σ) for depths greater than 1000 m and ±2.55 h (1σ) for all depths over which the waves are observed.
Do Textbooks Used in University Reading Education Courses Conform to the Instructional Recommendations of the National Reading Panel?
Authors: Malatesha Joshi R. , Binks Emily , Graham Lori , Ocker-Dean Emily , Smith Dennie L. , Boulware-Gooden Regina
Published: June 2009

Two reasons may be responsible for the poor grasp of the linguistic concepts related to literacy acquisition by preservice and in-service teachers: a lack of attention given to such concepts by teacher educators (college faculty members) and a lack of relevant information provided in the textbooks used in college courses. In an earlier study, the authors found that many teacher educators involved in the training of preservice and in-service teachers were not well acquainted with these concepts. In this study, the authors examined the extent to which textbooks used in reading education courses contain the information about the five components of literacy instruction (phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and text comprehension) recommended by the National Reading Panel. Such scrutiny shows that many textbooks do not adequately cover these five components and the related instructional procedures for teaching them. In addition to the paucity of information about teaching the five components, some textbooks present inaccurate information.
Classification Consistency and Accuracy for Complex Assessments Under the Compound Multinomial Model
Authors: Lee Won-Chan , Brennan Robert L. , Wan Lei
Published: June 2009

For a test that consists of dichotomously scored items, several approaches have been reported in the literature for estimating classification consistency and accuracy indices based on a single administration of a test. Classification consistency and accuracy have not been studied much, however, for ``complex'' assessments—for example, those that involve polytomously scored items or mixtures of different types of items. This article describes procedures for estimating various types of single-administration classification consistency and accuracy indices using the multinomial and compound multinomial models for individuals and groups who take a single administration of a complex assessment. An alternative procedure using the bootstrap is also proposed. These procedures are illustrated using real data sets obtained from tests consisting of both polytomous and dichotomous items.
A Parametric Cumulative Sum Statistic for Person Fit
Authors: Armstrong Ronald D. , Shi Min
Published: June 2009

This article develops a new cumulative sum (CUSUM) statistic to detect aberrant item response behavior. Shifts in behavior are modeled with quadratic functions and a series of likelihood ratio tests are used to detect aberrancy. The new CUSUM statistic is compared against another CUSUM approach as well as traditional person-fit statistics. A simulation study demonstrates the advantage of the proposed method. Also, the person-fit methods are applied to real response data from the administration of a high-stakes exam. The use of CUSUM charts to help visually identify types of aberrant behavior is demonstrated.
A four-part model of autonomy during emerging adulthood: Associations with adjustment
Authors: Lamborn Susie D. , Groh Kelly
Published: June 2009

We found support for a four-part model of autonomy that links connectedness, separation, detachment, and agency to adjustment during emerging adulthood. Based on self-report surveys of 285 American college students, expected associations among the autonomy variables were found. In addition, agency, as measured by self-reliance, predicted lower psychological and somatic symptoms, as well as stronger self-esteem, college grades, and attitudes towards college. Separation, as measured by a modified Emotional Autonomy Scale score, was associated with lower grades and lower self-esteem, but only for emerging adults who reported lower self-reliance. Separation was not important in predicting these outcomes for emerging adults who were self-reliant.
Distal and proximal parenting as alternative parenting strategies during infants’ early months of life: A cross-cultural study
Authors: Keller Heidi , Borke Joern , Staufenbiel Thomas , Yovsi Relindis D. , Abels Monika , Papaligoura Zaira , Jensen Henning , Lohaus Arnold , Chaudhary Nandita , Lo Wingshan , Su Yanjie
Published: June 2009

Cultures differ with respect to parenting strategies already during infancy. Distal parenting, i.e., face-to-face context and object stimulation, is prevalent in urban educated middle-class families of Western cultures; proximal parenting, i.e., body contact and body stimulation, is prevalent in rural, low-educated farmer families. Parents from urban educated families in cultures with a more interdependent history use both strategies. Besides these cultural preferences, little is known about the relations between these styles as well as the behavioural systems constituting them. In this study therefore, the relations between the styles and the constituting behaviours were analysed in samples that differ with respect to their preferences of distal and proximal parenting. The hypothesized differences between the samples and the negative relationship between distal and proximal parenting, as well as between the respective behavioural systems can clearly be demonstrated. Furthermore, the impact of the sociodemographic variables with respect to the parenting strategies can be shown. Results were discussed as supporting two alternative parenting strategies that serve different socialization goals.
Cognitive flexibility in children with and without speech disorder
Authors: Crosbie Sharon , Holm Alison , Dodd Barbara
Published: June 2009

Most children's speech difficulties are `functional' (i.e. no known sensory, motor or intellectual deficits). Speech disorder may, however, be associated with cognitive deficits considered core abilities in executive function: rule abstraction and cognitive flexibility. The study compares the rule abstraction and cognitive flexibility of children with speech disorder and typically developing controls. Three groups of five-year-old children (typically developing, consistent atypical speech disorder and inconsistent speech disorder) were assessed on the Flexible Item Selection Test (Jacques and Zelazo, 2001). Children were shown a set of three cards and asked to select two that matched on one dimension (selection 1: abstraction). Children were then asked to select a different pair of cards that matched on another dimension (selection 2: flexibility). The children with consistent atypical speech disorder performed worse than the other two groups on selections 1 and 2. The children with an inconsistent speech disorder performed similarly to their typically developing peers. Children who use consistent atypical error patterns have difficulties with rule abstraction and flexibility that are not confined to the linguistic system. The results are discussed in terms of the deficits underlying different types of speech disorders.
Youth Political Participation: Is This the End of Generational Cleavage?
Authors: Rossi Federico M.
Published: June 2009

Young people express an increasing rejection of institutional politics and its classic actors, which has led to the assertion that youth are apathetic. This article intends to show why this affirmation is partial and does not reflect the underlying complexity of what motivates political participation in young people. The hypothesis is that since young people interpret the youth condition as transitory, they do not consider youth political participation an end in itself. While the youth condition does not structure political participation or constitute actors and political projects, there are specificities of youth political participation that need to be identified. For the purpose of identifying what motivates youth to participate — and how and where do they tend to do so — three cases of political involvement are presented: ATTAC Argentina, the Klampun Community of Papua New Guinea and the World YWCA. The theoretical sections rest on a broadly based research study suggest a reformulation of the common adult perception on youth political participation.
Modalities of Democratic Transformation
Authors: Roberts Carl W. , Popping Roel , Pan Yijiang
Published: June 2009

This article is based on the premise that social systems are justified via the discursive use of modal statements (i.e. sentences in which actors delineate that which is possible, impossible, inevitable or contingent) and their associated rationales. Within authoritarian states such modal discourse usually reflects a relatively coherent `modality of permission'. However, when the citizens of such states unite to overthrow their totalitarian leaders, their activities are typically justified in terms of two mutually inconsistent discursive forms: a `modality of achievement' (based on market justice among competitors) vs a `modality of necessity' (based on social justice for the masses). These three discursive modalities have theoretical roots in Simmel's forms of sociation, and can be differentiated using content analysis. In an analysis of editorials during Hungary's first seven years of post-Soviet democratization, evidence is found of a steady increase during these years in mentions of Hungarians' opportunities being based on economic circumstances as well as in mentions of their responsibilities being grounded in political circumstances. This latter finding suggests that as late as 1997, Hungarian political discourse was heading toward a modality of necessity, more like the predominant political modality in Western Europe than the achievement modality that characterizes political discourse in the US.
The Case for Staying Home
Authors: Yang Philip Q. , Rodriguez Elizabeth
Published: June 2009

Recent US media reports about a new trend in returning home among married women with children, especially college-educated ones, have raised questions about the well-documented trends of increasing labor force participation among married women with young and minor children in the US. Using both cohort and period data from the 1994 and 2002 General Social Surveys, this study examines whether there is a reverse trend in staying home among married women with young children under the age of six and those with school-age children aged six to 17. Results of trend analyses by cohort and by period and multinomial logistic regression analysis indicate that there is no reverse trend in staying home among married women with young children as a whole, but the evidence does point to a new trend in staying home among married women with young children and a bachelor's or higher degree. For married women with school-age children as a whole and those with a bachelor's or higher degree, there appears to be mostly statistically insignificant changes in staying home across time periods and among the new generation. The study also finds declines in stay-home rates from 1994 to 2002 especially among less-educated, low-income or African-American married women with young children and to a less extent those with school-age children. The implications of the findings are discussed.
Romantic and Sexual Behavior in Young Adolescents: Repeated Surveys in a Population-Based Cohort
Authors: Waylen Andrea E. , Ness Andrew , McGovern Phil , Wolke Dieter , Low Nicola
Published: June 2009

Adverse outcomes of teenage sexual activity are common in the United Kingdom. The authors used a computer-assisted interview to ask young adolescents aged 11 to 12 years ( N = 6,856) and 12 to 13 years ( N = 6,801) who were part of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children about romantic and intimate behaviors. A total of 24% of 11- to 12-year-olds, and 41% of 12- to 13-year-olds reported holding hands, and 17% and 32%, respectively, reported having been kissed on the mouth. A minority of 12- to 13-year-olds reported sexual behavior including intercourse. The majority of participants who reported intimate sexual behavior did not regret it. Boys reported all activities more than girls and were less likely to express regret. The findings suggest that the timing and content of sex education should take into account the frequency with which young people are experimenting with sexual behaviors.
Competing for What?
Authors: Lamothe Meeyoung , Lamothe Scott
Published: June 2009

This article explores the links between competition and contractor performance often assumed by market theory. Using data from Florida social service contracting, the authors test to see if competitively procured vendors outperform their noncompetitive peers regarding adherence to contract terms. It is found that, contrary to market theory, this is not the case. It is also found that district management capacity is positively related to performance and the performance of nonprofit vendors is indistinguishable from for-profits (whereas both appear to be outperformed by other government contractors). Finally, this study finds little evidence that performance or competition is related to the likelihood of maintaining contracts.
Evaluation of an Education and Support Program for Early-Stage Alzheimer's Disease
Authors: Roberts J. Scott , Silverio Elaine
Published: June 2009

This study evaluated an existing education and support program specifically designed for early stage Alzheimer's disease (AD). The “Taking Control of Alzheimer's Disease” series is an Alzheimer's Association-sponsored, four-session program that combines didactic and interactive activities for both persons with early-stage dementia and their care-partners. Seventy-four participants across nine series (37 persons with dementia, 37 care-partners) provided data. Participants expressed a high degree of satisfaction with the program (e.g., 71% gave it a letter grade of “A,” 99% found it helpful). No significant changes from baseline were observed in AD knowledge, coping self-efficacy, or psychosocial adjustment to illness. At 3-month follow-up, participants were more likely than at baseline to be engaged in numerous AD-related coping and health behaviors, including participation in a support group (68% vs. 17%) and legal/financial planning (66% vs. 31%). Findings suggest numerous potential benefits from education and support programs specifically designed for early-stage AD.
Special Education Teachers’ Attitudes and Perceptions of Teamwork
Authors: Malone D. Michael , Gallagher Peggy A.
Published: June 2009

One hundred and eighty-four special education teachers serving school-based intervention teams completed the Attitudes About Teamwork Survey, the Team Characteristics Survey , and the Team Process Perception Survey. Respondents’ regard for the team process in planning and implementing supports for children with disabilities was generally favorable. Similarly, respondents’ perceptions of the performance characteristics of the teams on which they served were generally positive. Associations among items on the Attitudes About Teamwork Survey and the Team Characteristics Survey are reported. Finally, respondents provided input regarding teamwork benefits and limitations, how teamwork supports their efforts, and recommendations for improving the effectiveness of teamwork. Practical implications of the results and directions for further investigation in this area are discussed.
Palestinian Physicians’ Misconceptions About and Approval of Wife Abuse
Authors: Haj-Yahia Muhammad M.
Published: June 2009

The article presents the results of a study that examined Palestinian physicians’ misconceptions about abused wives and abusive husbands and the extent to which Palestinian physicians approve of wife abuse. Self-administered questionnaires were completed by 396 physicians. The results revealed that between 10% and 49% of the Palestinian physicians held misconceptions about abused wives and between 15% and 63% held misconceptions about abusive husbands. The findings also revealed that substantial percentages of physicians tended to approve of moderate and severe violence against wives. Significant amounts of the variance in the physicians’ approval of moderate and severe wife abuse can be attributed to their exposure to family violence and to their patriarchal ideology—variance over and above that which can be explained by the physicians’ sociodemographic characteristics. The limitations of the study are discussed, as are the implications of the results for future research and theory development on the approaches of professionals toward wife abuse.
The actuary as fallen hero: on the reform of a profession
Authors: Collins David , Dewing Ian , Russell Peter
Published: June 2009

This article investigates reform of the actuarial profession following the establishment of the UK Financial Services Authority and as a result of the problems emerging at the Equitable Life Assurance Society. Perceptions on changes to the role of life actuaries are explored using interviews with senior actuaries and accountants. The study complements the few existing academic analyses of actuaries and yet challenges these analyses inasmuch as it locates actuarial work within a broader sociological frame. Thus, the article views the actuarial profession not as a simple collection of traits but as a dynamic socio-historical project that reflects and projects professional knowledge claims.The article concludes that the imposed reforms have rescued the actuarial profession from its failure to reform itself, at least in the short term. The main price to be paid is that regulation of the actuarial profession is firmly locked into the regulatory structures of the accountancy profession.
Entrepreneurship and institution-building in the case of childminding
Authors: Greener Ian
Published: June 2009

This article considers institution-building by 'childminder organizers' who rearranged local childminding services away from state-imposed, market-based relationships into localized co-operative arrangements instead. It explores how, through the introduction and enforcement of unified pay and conditions and of a childminding brokering system, institutions for establishing norms of practice were established. It shows how childminder organizers deployed social capital to reform local childminding institutions, even though they appeared to have little from their introduction, and how the new institutions structured relationships between childminders within them.
Promoting Social and Emotional Learning With Games
Authors: Hromek Robyn , Roffey Sue
Published: June 2009

This article has two broad objectives: (a) It reviews the theoretical and practical literature on the use of games to facilitate social and emotional learning (SEL). (b) Based on this review, it argues that games are a powerful way of developing social and emotional learning in young people. In addition, we draw on our collective experience as educational psychologists to identify effective practice when using games to teach SEL. The social and emotional skills needed to play successfully with others are those needed to succeed at work and in adult life. Prosocial skills involve regulating negative emotions, taking turns and sharing, support orientations to others that are fair, just, and respectful. The natural affiliation between children, play, and the desire to have fun with others makes games an ideal vehicle for teaching SEL. Circle Time games are used to support universal programs for teaching SEL to whole classes. Therapeutic board games provide an effective intervention for young people who have been targeted for further guided practice in small group settings. Verbatim quotations from students and teachers demonstrate ways in which SEL has generalized to real-life situations. The role of facilitator is crucial to the success of this approach, both in modeling appropriate skills and making the learning connections for students. In this article, facilitation and debriefing are deconstructed and the value of collaborative, rather than competitive, aspects of games highlighted.
The Impact of Prison-Based Treatment on Sex Offender Recidivism
Authors: Duwe Grant , Goldman Robin A.
Published: June 2009

Using a retrospective quasi-experimental design, this study evaluates the effectiveness of prison-based treatment by examining recidivism outcomes among 2,040 sex offenders released from Minnesota prisons between 1990 and 2003 (average follow-up period of 9.3 years). To reduce observed selection bias, the authors used propensity score matching to create a comparison group of 1,020 untreated sex offenders who were not significantly different from the 1,020 treated offenders. In addition, intent-to-treat analyses and the Rosenbaum bounds method were used to test the sensitivity of the findings to treatment refuser and unobserved selection bias. Results from the Cox regression analyses revealed that participating in treatment significantly reduced the hazard ratio for rearrest by 27% for sexual recidivism, 18% for violent recidivism, and 12% for general recidivism. These findings are consistent with the growing body of research supporting the effectiveness of cognitive—behavioral treatment for sex offenders.