bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Anxiety, Fear of Cancer, and Perceived Risk of Cancer following Lung Cancer Screening
Authors: Byrne Margaret M. , Weissfeld Joel , Roberts Mark S.
Published: August 2008

Background. Lung cancer screening can result in a high rate of indeterminate findings and has not yet been proven to be efficacious in reducing mortality. To date, the psychological consequences of receiving an indeterminate screening result are not known. Methods. Four hundred individuals were recruited into this study. Participants completed 4 surveys: baseline, after lung screening results were known, and at 6 and 12 mo after screening. Demographics, state/trait anxiety, fear of cancer, and perceived risk of lung cancer were measured. Mixed-model regressions were used to determine whether the levels and time trends of outcome variables were different among individuals with different screening outcomes. Results. An indeterminate screening result increased state anxiety of participants, although anxiety then decreased over time. The objective risk of cancer is lower for individuals with an indeterminate screen than their initial perceived risk, and screening did not change their perceived risk of cancer. Those with a suspicious screening result had increased perceived risk of cancer and fear of cancer after screening, and these effects also diminished over time. Individuals with a negative screen had a temporary reduction in perceived risk of cancer. Conclu sions. Individuals who are screened for lung cancer and receive an indeterminate or suspicious screening result have some negative psychological effects from being screened. The results suggest that individuals who are considering screening should be fully informed of the risk of negative psychosocial consequences and that individuals who have been screened should receive clear and detailed information on interpreting screening results.
Labor Market Productivity Costs for Caregivers of Children with Spina Bifida: A Population-Based Analysis
Authors: Tilford John M. , Grosse Scott D. , Goodman Allen C. , Kemeng Li
Published: August 2008

Background. Caregiver productivity costs are an important component of the overall cost of care for individuals with birth defects and developmental disabilities, yet few studies provide estimates for use in economic evaluations. Objective. This study estimates labor market productivity costs for caregivers of children and adolescents with spina bifida. Methods. Case families were recruited from a state birth defects registry in Arkansas. Primary caregivers of children with spina bifida (N = 98 ) reported their employment status in the past year and demographic characteristics. Controls were abstracted from the Current Population Survey covering the state of Arkansas for the same time period (N = 416 ). Estimates from regression analyses of labor market outcomes were used to calculate differences in hours worked per week and lifetime costs. Results. Caregivers of children with spina bifida worked an annual average of 7.5 to 11.3 hours less per week depending on the disability severity. Differences in work hours by caregivers of children with spina bifida translated into lifetime costs of $133,755 in 2002 dollars using a 3% discount rate and an age- and sex-adjusted earnings profile. Including caregivers' labor market productivity costs in prevention effectiveness estimates raises the net cost savings per averted case of spina bifida by 48% over the medical care costs alone. Conclusions. Information on labor market productivity costs for caregivers can be used to better inform economic evaluations of prevention and treatment strategies for spina bifida. Cost-effectiveness calculations that omit caregiver productivity costs substantially overstate the net costs of the intervention and underestimate societal value.
Redeemed by His Love? The Characterization of Shechem in Genesis 34
Authors: Blyth Caroline
Published: August 2008

This article gives consideration to the apparent `rehabilitation' of the character of Shechem in the narrative of Genesis 34, following his initially negative portrayal as the rapist of Dinah, Jacob's daughter. Through a close analysis of the Hebrew language used by the narrator within this text to describe Shechem's actions and emotions, this article argues that this biblical rapist's depiction is perhaps not as `redemptive' as it may first appear. Furthermore, the article takes to task those interpreters who not only argue in favour of a textual basis for Shechem's seeming `rehabilitation', but who also suggest that such a redemption is understandable, if not merited.
The Golden Calf Story: Constructively and Deconstructively*
Authors: Slivniak Dmitri
Published: August 2008

Unlike other postmodern reading practices, deconstruction suppresses the figure of the reader: the text is viewed as both engendering and undermining its meaning, while the reader's role is only to discover these processes. Yet, when one deconstructs biblical texts, `anarchic' and `lacking logic' according to traditional Western criteria, the illusion vanishes, and it is hard to get along without the reader as an active figure. The reader's role is actively to construct the meaning of the text, before it gets deconstructed. This is the reason why in some recent works the deconstructive reading of the text is preceded by a `constructive' one. In this article the Golden Calf story (Exod. 32) is read both constructively and deconstructively. The constructive reading focuses on the opposition `normative cult—deviant cult' which is viewed as central to the story. Normative cult and deviant cult are represented by the Tablets of the Law and the Golden Calf respectively. The deconstruction of this opposition is based on the fact that the tablets and the calf receive the same treatment: Moses destroys both of them.
An Ambiguous Ending: Dynastic Punishment in Kings and the Fate of the Davidides in 2 Kings 25.27-30
Authors: Janzen David
Published: August 2008

The portrayal of the fates of the dynasties of the North in Kings shows that, in Deuteronomistic theology, only one king in a royal house need cause the people to sin to mandate the destruction of the entire house. Since Manasseh also causes the people to sin, we might assume that the Deuteronomic History (Dtr) intends the same fate for the Davidides. However, Dtr is deliberately ambiguous in regard to the future of the Davidides following the exile—besides the specific reference to Manasseh's sin, it also includes (but does not explicitly annul) the unconditional covenant with David, and includes a conclusion that permits readers to interpret the narrative as forecasting either hope for Davidic restoration or annulment of the Davidic covenant. This ambiguity suits the exilic period of composition of Dtr, when the fate of the Davidides was unknown, and so should not be taken as evidence for redaction.
The Silence of the Wives: Bakhtin's Monologism and Ezra 7—10*
Authors: Hays Christopher B.
Published: August 2008

This article examines an understudied aspect of Bakhtin's literary theory, monologism, and then brings the observations to bear on the account of the sending away of Israel's foreign wives in Ezra 7—10. Bakhtin's ethical interests make his work a promising lens through which to view this troubling text. It allows a reader to describe the diversity of narrative techniques used to characterize Ezra and his mission while still recognizing the underlying unity of the text's message. In fact, the multiplicity of voices in the text may serve to mask its monologic effect. However, these chapters in Ezra may also be read within the context of a canon, which does comprise polyphony, undercutting Ezra's message.
Ezekiel's Visionary Call as Prologue: From Complexity and Changeability to Order and Stability?*
Authors: Nielsen Kirsten
Published: August 2008

This article reads Ezekiel 1 as a prologue to the entire book of Ezekiel and deals with the tension between the vision of the living creatures in Ezekiel 1 and the vision of the temple in the epilogue, Ezekiel 40—48. It is argued that the vision in Ezekiel 1 signals complexity and changeability. The prologue is characterized by various kinds of category transgressions (cf. for instance the monstrosity of the living creatures). In Ezekiel 40—48, the new temple signals the opposite: order and stability. The book of Ezekiel uses both aspects to describe Yahweh as a god who is able to change the situation of the exiles and ensure future stability. A short section discusses passages from the book of Revelation as examples of the re-use in the New Testament of motifs from the book of Ezekiel.
Duping the Prophet: On ‭דסא‬ (Amos 7.8b) and Amos's Visions*
Authors: Novick Tzvi
Published: August 2008

The logic and imagery of Amos's third vision (Amos 7.7-9), which centers on the obscure word K , have been the subject of much debate. This essay advances a new interpretation of the third vision that presupposes that God, in both the third and fourth visions, prevents Amos from interceding on Israel's behalf (as Amos had done after the first and second visions) by having the prophet himself unwittingly mouth Israel's sentence. The third vision, like the fourth, depends on a pun that only a native northerner, and not a native southerner like Amos, would have sniffed out.
Hamstring Graft Size Prediction
Authors: Treme Gehron , Diduch David R. , Billante Mark J. , Miller Mark D. , Hart Joseph M.
Published: August 2008

Background

Recently we retrospectively collected clinical data to predict hamstring graft diameter. Prospective data collection will improve and further define prediction of hamstring graft size.

Hypothesis

Clinical anthropometric data can be used to predict hamstring graft size.

Study Design

Cohort study (prevalence); Level of evidence, 1.

Methods

Fifty consecutive patients with anterior cruciate ligament deficiency scheduled for reconstruction using hamstring autograft were prospectively evaluated. Preoperatively we recorded height, weight, body mass index, age, gender, leg length, thigh length, shank length, bilateral thigh circumference, and Tegner score. Intraoperative measurements of both the gracilis and semitendinosus tendons were made, including absolute length before fashioning the graft and final diameter of the quadrupled graft using sizing tubes calibrated to 0.5 mm. Bivariate correlation coefficients (Pearson r) were calculated to identify relationships among clinical data and intraoperatively measured hamstring graft length and diameter.

Results

Strongest correlations for graft lengths were height and leg length measurements. Shorter persons with shorter leg, thigh, and shank lengths tended to have shorter gracilis and semitendinosus grafts. Likewise, the strongest correlations for graft diameter were weight and thigh circumference. Self-reported activity level and age did not correlate. Gender comparison revealed that women who were shorter, lighter, and had smaller body mass indices were more likely to have smaller graft diameters and shorter graft lengths.

Conclusion

Patients weighing less than 50 kg, less than 140 cm in height, with less than 37 cm thigh circumference, and with body mass index less than 18 should be considered at high risk for having a quadrupled hamstring graft diameter less than 7 mm. When separated by gender, small graft diameters are most likely in older, short, female subjects with small thigh circumferences or young, skinny, male subjects with small thigh circumferences and low body mass index. Common clinical measurements can be used for preoperative identification of patients at risk for insufficient graft tissue and would be useful for patient counseling and alternative graft source planning.
Repair of Large Chondral Defects of the Knee with Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation in Patients 45 Years or Older
Authors: Rosenberger Ralf E. , Gomoll Andreas H. , Bryant Tim , Minas Tom
Published: August 2008

Background

Autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) has become an accepted option for the treatment of chondral defects in carefully selected patients. Current recommendations limit this procedure to younger patients, as insufficient data are available to conclusively evaluate outcomes in patients older than 45 years.

Hypothesis

Cartilage repair with ACI in patients older than 45 years results in substantially different outcomes than those previously reported for younger age groups.

Study Design

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods

This prospective cohort study reviewed patients 45 years of age at the time of treatment with ACI. The clinical evaluation included a patient satisfaction questionnaire and four validated rating scales: Short Form-36, Modified Cincinnati Rating Scale, WOMAC (Western Ontario and McMaster Universities) Osteoarthritis Index, and the Knee Society Score.

Results

A total of 56 patients 45 years of age were treated with ACI. The average patient age at index surgery was 48.6 years (range, 45–60 years). The minimum follow-up was 2 years (range, 2–11 years; mean, 4.7 years). The cohort included 36 men and 20 women. The mean transplant size was 4.7 cm2 per defect (range, 1–15.0 cm2) and 9.8 cm2 per knee (range, 2.5–31.6 cm2). Twenty-eight patients (50%) underwent concomitant osteotomies to address malalignment. There were 8 failures (14%); 6 of 15 (40%) in patients receiving workers’ compensation (WC) and 2 of 41 (4.9%) in non-WC patients. Additional arthroscopic surgical procedures were required in 24 patients (43%) for periosteal-related problems and adhesions; 88% of these patients experienced lasting improvement. At their latest available follow-up, 72% of patients rated themselves as good or excellent, 78% felt improved, and 81 % would again choose ACI as a treatment option.

Conclusion

Our results showed a failure rate of ACI in older patients that is comparable with rates reported in younger patient groups. The procedure is associated with a substantial rate of reoperations, mostly for the arthroscopic treatment of graft hypertrophy, similar to that in younger patients.
Force Measurements on the Posterior Oblique Ligament and Superficial Medial Collateral Ligament Proximal and Distal Divisions to Applied Loads
Authors: Griffith Chad J. , Wijdicks Coen A. , LaPrade Robert F. , Armitage Bryan M. , Johansen Steinar , Engebretsen Lars
Published: August 2008

Background

There is limited information regarding load responses of the posterior oblique and superficial medial collateral ligaments to applied loads.

Hypotheses

The degree of knee flexion affects loads experienced by the posterior oblique ligament and both divisions of the superficial medial collateral ligament. The posterior oblique ligament provides significant resistance to valgus and internal rotation forces near knee extension. Different load responses are experienced by proximal and distal divisions of the superficial medial collateral ligament.

Study Design

Descriptive laboratory study.

Methods

Twenty-four nonpaired, fresh-frozen cadaveric knees were tested. Buckle transducers were applied to the proximal and distal divisions of the superficial medial collateral and posterior oblique ligaments. Applied loads at 0°, 20°, 30°, 60°, and 90° of knee flexion consisted of 10 N.m valgus loads, 5 N .m internal and external rotation torques, and 88 N anterior and posterior drawer loads.

Results

External rotation torques produced a significantly higher load response on the distal superficial medial collateral ligament than did internal rotation torques at all flexion angles with the largest difference at 90° (96.6 vs 22.5 N). For an applied valgus load at 60° of knee flexion, loads on the superficial medial collateral ligament were significantly higher in the distal division (103.5 N) than the proximal division (71.9 N). The valgus load response of the posterior oblique ligament at 0° of flexion (19.1 N) was significantly higher than at 30° (10.6 N), 60° (7.8 N), and 90° (6.8 N) of flexion. At 0° of knee flexion, the load response to internal rotation on the posterior oblique ligament (45.8 N) was significantly larger than was the response on both divisions of the superficial medial collateral ligament (20 N for both divisions). At 90° of flexion, the load response to internal rotation torques reciprocated between these structures with a significantly higher response in the distal superficial medial collateral ligament division (22.5 N) than the posterior oblique ligament (9.1 N).

Conclusion

The superficial medial collateral ligament experienced the largest load response to applied valgus and external rotation torques; the posterior oblique ligament observed the highest load response to internal rotation near extension.

Clinical Relevance

This study provides new knowledge of the individual biomechanical function of the main medial knee structures in an intact knee and will assist in the interpretation of clinical knee motion testing and provide evidence for techniques involving repair or reconstruction of the posterior oblique ligament and both divisions of the superficial medial collateral ligament.
Incidence of Associated Injuries with Acute Acromioclavicular Joint Dislocations Types III through V
Authors: Tischer Thomas , Salzmann Gian Max , El-Azab Hosam , Vogt Stephan , Imhoff Andreas B.
Published: August 2008

Background

Traumatic acromioclavicular (AC) joint dislocations are common injuries among the active population. The injury mechanism requires excessive force delivered by a fall or blow to the shoulder. Associated injuries may occur and remain undetected if they are masked by the painful and prominent AC joint injury.

Hypothesis

Intra-articular injuries associated with high-grade AC joint dislocations are common.

Study Design

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods

Between 2002 and 2007, 77 patients (68 male, 9 female; average age, 35.5 years; range, 17-62 years) were surgically treated for acute AC joint dislocations (Rockwood type III, 5; type IV, 30; and type V, 42). All patients underwent diagnostic glenohumeral joint arthroscopy. Concomitant intra-articular injuries were identified and treated.

Results

Intra-articular injuries were found in 14 of 77 patients (18.2%). Superior labral anterior posterior (SLAP) lesions were observed in 11 of 77 patients 14.3% (SLAP I, 3; II, 2; III, 3; and IV, 3). Nineteen percent of Rockwood V lesions had associated SLAP lesions (SLAP I excluded), whereas only 3.4% of Rockwood IV lesions showed SLAP lesions. A complete supraspinatus tear was detected in 1 case, and partial articular-sided supraspinatus tears were detected in 2 cases. Four patients sustained an accompanying fracture.

Conclusion

Concomitant injuries to the shoulder girdle obtained during traumatic AC joint separation may be more frequent than previously thought. Clinical diagnosis may be difficult in the setting of an acute and painful dislocated AC joint. Shoulder arthroscopy during arthroscopic AC joint stabilization may aid in detecting associated injuries.
A Group Analytic Understanding of the Tour de France: Why the Fittest Rider Does Not Necessarily Win
Authors: Bhurruth Martin
Published: August 2008

This article recognizes that sports coaching uses predominantly cognitive-based psychological techniques to bring about success. On the whole a psychoanalytic application to sporting success is minimal. Athletic success at the highest level requires suffering beyond the ordinary limits we would expect individuals to endure. In my experience psychoanalysis de-contextualises suffering in sport so that it is seen as a form of self-harm. This position limits the scope of psychoanalytic understanding to support professional athletes in maximising their athletic potential. This article is especially interested in how group analytic theory can be applied to create a winning identity. The theatre of operation in which this identity formation will be tested is the Tour de France (bicycle race).
Development by Adaptation
Authors: Nitzgen Dieter
Published: August 2008

The article addresses the subject of `applied' group analysis. Regarding the development of group analysis itself, the very term `adaptation' represents a key element of Foulkes' theoretical and clinical thinking from early on. This is particularly obvious in his first book Introduction to Group Analytic Psychotherapy (1948). Discussing problems of applying group analytic principles to field other than the purely therapeutic, Foulkes resorted to the holistic ideas of Kurt Goldstein, especially his notion of the `total situation'. Unlike the traditional psychoanalytic assumptions, a `total situation' for Foulkes is not the totality of transference and counter transference but a social situation in its total dynamic. Therefore, thinking in terms of `total situation' could serve as a key to unlock the problems of applied group analysis.
Monsters: The Social-Unconscious Life of `Others' and a Note on the Origins of Group Therapy
Authors: Weegmann Martin
Published: August 2008

Monsters are curious cultural products, at once indicative of human fears but equally characteristic of how humans envisage and construct preferred identities at a group level. Drawing on contemporary social and `monster theory', the article argues that the study of `the monstrous' is a fertile one for group analysts. Significantly, the late 19th century origins of group theory were linked to fears about monstrous forces at work in society, whilst contemporary `human monsters' continue to preoccupy the imagination.
Commentary: Assessing Student-Authored Articles in “Urban Planning”
Authors: Maghelal Praveen K.
Published: August 2008

Performance of universities and academic programs has been historically analyzed based on factors such as faculty quality and research, scholarship, and publication output. However, the contribution of students as authors of academic peer-reviewed journal articles has been overlooked in these performance assessments. This commentary seeks to highlight this issue, as well as to illustrate an analytical approach to further our understanding of doctoral planning student-authored articles (SAA). Results for (1) fourteen planning-focused journals with the most SAAs, (2) Carnegie classifications of SAA institutional affiliations, and (3) the influence on journal impact factor are presented, as well as recommendations for journals, students, faculty/mentors, investigators and institutions.
The Economic Value of Office Clusters
Authors: Sohn Dong-Wook , Moudon Anne V.
Published: August 2008

This study seeks to provide supportive information for the planning of existing or new employment centers in metropolitan regions. It examines how the spatial concentration of office uses and their combination with other land uses affects the assessed value of office properties. The goal is to measure the spatial clustering of office uses and the clusters' physical characteristics to quantify their association with office property values. The characteristics of interest include cluster size, regional location and relationship to transportation infrastructure, internal land use mix, and transportation network. The study revealed that recent office development has continued to benefit economically from agglomeration. Office property values seemed to be most positively affected by, in order of importance, the intensity of office development, a central regional location, and the clustering or agglomeration of office parcels.
Local Government Efforts to Promote the “Three Es” of Sustainable Development
Authors: Saha Devashree , Paterson Robert G.
Published: August 2008

The purpose of this article is to find out the extent to which local governments in the United States are committed to the principles of sustainable development in their planning practices. This study presents the findings from a survey of all medium to large cities carried out in April 2006. The findings indicate that, instead of adopting sustainable development as a development framework, cities are adopting sustainability initiatives in a piecemeal, ad-hoc manner. A broader level commitment to the concept, as evidenced by presence of sustainability plans, indicators project measuring progress toward sustainability goals, or an office and staff devoted to sustainability activities, is exhibited by very few cities. Finally, there is little evidence that cities are connecting sustainability to equity and social justice issues.
Traumatic Truths and the Gift of Telling
Authors: Giorgio Grace
Published: August 2008

This article explores how three modalities of writing dissertation, memoir, and autoethnography negotiate the tensions between poststructuralist and psychoanalytic notions of truth as experienced by survivors of trauma. Although the nebulous nature of truth contrasts with the healing powers of speaking one's truth, this article argues that autoethnography in its experimentally analytic potential to produce meaning in and out of original contexts allows the writer to unearth the multiple truths of trauma. In doing so, the writer/survivor can heal while sharing with others the politics and hope of speaking about our traumatic truths.
Living Hymns and Iterations
Authors: Tillett Wade
Published: August 2008

This text is a spiritual (re)search. I selected a local Pentecostal church that would align with and trouble the conservative Methodist Christian background with which I grew up. The text (re)creates this tension. How do I (re)create belief? How do I (re)construct (“preserve”) reality? How do I preserve the Self in the face of a changing Other? How do I (re)construct the Other in the face of a changing Self? I explore and alter this border of Self/Other, specifically the portion that defines spirituality/rationality. I allow for and encourage the overlap of desire and observation. I experiment with modes of spirituality/ rationality, with fields of possible/impossible. Using the Christian Trinity as a structure, I juxtapose identities and modes to create a text that is disjointed, nonlinear, and multiple. A prayer, a hymn, a true fiction.
The Challenge of Doing Corporatized Research
Authors: Browning Larry D. , Sørnes Jan-Oddvar
Published: August 2008

Two team members from a four-person research project chronicle the power relations of their experiences during a 6-year study of information and communication technologies (ICTs), showing that employing bargaining techniques and framing the corporate support as a grant rather than as a contract can help one resist and even “manage upward” the corporate influence on research. The authors also detail the micro strategies and politics of team membership over the life of the project and show how membership dynamics change as a result of diverse interests, changing competencies, and, most important, the health issues that affected team members.
Children With Attention Deficits Concentrate Better After Walk in the Park
Authors: Faber Taylor Andrea , Kuo Frances E.
Published: August 2008

Objective: In the general population, attention is reliably enhanced after exposure to certain physical environments, particularly natural environments. This study examined the impacts of environments on attention in children with ADHD. Method: In this within subjects design, each participant experienced each of three treatments (environments) in single blind controlled trials. Seventeen children 7 to12 years old professionally diagnosed with ADHD experienced each of three environments—a city park and two other well-kept urban settings—via individually guided 20-minute walks. Environments were experienced 1 week apart, with randomized assignment to treatment order. After each walk, concentration was measured using Digit Span Backwards. Results: Children with ADHD concentrated better after the walk in the park than after the downtown walk (p = .0229) or the neighborhood walk (p = .0072). Effect sizes were substantial (Cohen's d =.52 and .77, respectively) and comparable to those reported for recent formulations of methylphenidate. Conclusion: Twenty minutes in a park setting was sufficient to elevate attention performance relative to the same amount of time in other settings. These findings indicate that environments can enhance attention not only in the general population but also in ADHD populations. “Doses of nature” might serve as a safe, inexpensive, widely accessible new tool in the tool kit for managing ADHD symptoms. ( J. of Att. Dis. 2009; 12(5) 402-409)
Two New Rating Scales for Assessment of ADHD Symptoms in Italian Preschool Children
Authors: Re Anna Maria , Cornoldi Cesare
Published: August 2008

Objective: Two new rating scales are presented for the assessment of ADHD symptoms in Italian preschool children, and the agreement between parents and teachers on the presence of an ADHD profile is examined. Method: The scales were administered to parents and teachers of 180 children with a mean age of 5 years and 9 months, attending final year of the Italian preschool system (kindergarten). Results: Despite the good psychometric properties of the scales, parent and teacher agreement was poor and parents endorsed more symptomatic behaviors in their children than the teachers, especially for the hyperactive dimension, although they did not necessarily associate these with the presence of a potential problem. Conclusions: The low correspondence between teachers and parents shows that ADHD rating scales, although useful screening instruments, are not sufficient for diagnosis and must be combined with other tools. ( J. of Att. Dis. 2009; 12(6) 532-539)
Some contributions of the Department of Veterans Affairs to the epidemiology of multiple sclerosis
Authors: Kurtzke JF
Published: August 2008

The first class 1 treatment trial ever conducted in multiple sclerosis (MS) was a Veterans Administration Cooperative Study. This led us to explore MS in the military–veteran populations of the United States in three main series: Army men hospitalized with final diagnoses of MS in World War II, all veterans of World War II and the Korean Conflict, and veterans of later service up to 1994. In each series, all cases had been matched with pre-illness military peers. These series provide major information on its clinical features, course and prognosis, including survival, by sex and race (white men and women; black men), as well as risk factors for occurrence, course, and survival. They comprise the only available nationwide morbidity distributions of MS in the United States. Veterans who are service-connected for MS by the Department of Veterans Affairs and matched with their military peers remain a unique and currently available resource for further clinical and epidemiological study of this disease.
“These Two Are Speaking Welsh on Channel 4!”
Authors: Klein Bethany , Wardle Claire
Published: August 2008

As the number and popularity of reality programs continue to grow, there has been an increasing focus in television studies on the representative and constitutive potential of unscripted dramas. Through its inclusion of two Welsh-speaking housemates and consideration of the use of the language on the program, Big Brother 7 provided an opportunity for viewers to deliberate on issues of identity, culture, and nationalism. This article examines the postings that appeared on internet message boards in response to this program, demonstrating the extent to which Big Brother 7 prompted discussions and debate about Welsh culture and language. Significantly, much of the discourse about Wales and the Welsh language was civil, rational, and deliberative, a theme that runs contrary to increasingly accepted wisdom about message board culture. This case also highlights the uses and limitations of popular reality programming for affirming identity and celebrating cultural differences.
Offensive Lines: Sport-State Synergy in an Era of Perpetual War
Authors: King Samantha
Published: August 2008

Although relationships between professional sport and the United States military are not new, following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, a system emerged in which sport culture moved beyond its customary role as an ideological support to the state. In this new configuration, organizations like the National Football League (NFL) integrated Bush administration policy into their business strategy, and the Bush administration built an audience for its military ventures through an association with a brand that attracts more fans each week than a presidential election draws voters once every 4 years. Drawing on discourse surrounding the use of military metaphors in sports commentary, Pat Tillman's death, and NFL Kickoff celebrations, I argue that there is an intensified depth and mutuality to the sport-war nexus, a shift that is indicative of the militarization of everyday life and, simultaneously, of the sportification of political life, in the contemporary United States.
Shaft Aneurysm of Femoropopliteal Expanded Polytetrafluoroethylene Graft Treated With a Covered Stent
Authors: Punnam Sujeeth R. , Hadid Tarik , Franklin Prashanti B. , Gandhi Divyakanth B. , Abela George S. , Shah Dineshchandra O. , Prieto Alejandro A.
Published: August 2008

Aneurysm formation is a known complication of native vein or synthetic grafts following peripheral bypass surgery. However, with improvement in the material used for prosthetic grafts, these complications are now uncommon. Open surgery has always been the treatment of choice for aneurysms, but the emergence of percutaneous endovascular intervention has led to a safer and easier way to treat aneurysms. In this article, a unique case of aneurysm in a reinforced expanded polytetrafluoroethylene graft placed 11 years ago during a femoropopliteal bypass surgery in a 77-year-old woman with peripheral arterial disease is presented. The aneurysm was treated percutaneously with a self-expanding covered stent resulting in complete isolation of the aneurysm with no complications encountered.
Endovascular Treatment of Aberrant Right Subclavian (Lusorian) Artery to Oesophagus Fistula: A Case Report
Authors: Magagna Paolo , Abbiate Nicola , Mansi Giuseppe , D'Onofrio Augusto , Auriemma Stefano , Piccin Caterina , Savastano Sergio , Fabbri Alessandro
Published: August 2008

The creation of a fistula between the subclavian artery and the oesophagus is extremely rare. All the reported cases of subclavian oesophagus—arterial fistulae have been described either in aberrant subclavian arteries or as caused by foreign bodies in the oesophagus. In this article, a case of fistulous communication between an aberrant right subclavian and the oesophagus managed with the positioning of endovascular prosthesis is presented.
Mountaineering expedition by persons with intellectual disability
Authors: Kishore Thomas M. , Nagar Ram K .
Published: August 2008

The recreational needs of adults with intellectual disability are the same as those of the general population. If properly planned, recreational activities can facilitate positive behavioral changes. In this context, this present study was designed to understand the effects of a mountaineering expedition on the behaviors and temperament in a group of people with intellectual disability. The study included eight men and two women with intellectual disability aged 17—38 years. After a training programme, the participants went on an 11 day expedition in the Himalayan region under the supervision of professionals and two parents. Results indicated that all of them successfully climbed mountains up to 12,000 feet, and also had specific positive behavioral changes. Details and implications are discussed in this article.
Examining pre-retirement and related services offered to service-users with an intellectual disability in Ireland
Authors: Lawrence Stephanie , Roush S.E.
Published: August 2008

The purpose of this study was to describe the pre-retirement and related services offered to service-users with intellectual disability in Ireland. Increasing numbers of service-users with an intellectual disability are living into older adulthood, creating important challenges for services providers. The National Intellectual Disability Database 2007 (NIDD) suggests that the population of service-users with an intellectual disability in the Republic of Ireland is an ageing population. Significant ongoing demands for new retirement-related intellectual disability services and enhancement of existing services are indicated. It is unknown how to support the development of a retirement policy to meet this growing need. The findings of this survey study indicate that there is, in general, recognition among Ireland's service providers of the need for retirement options for this population, although little attention has been directed towards formalizing these services through policy-making. There are few retirement policies in place, limiting the implementation of comprehensive services to meet the changing needs of ageing adults with an intellectual disability.
Native human autoantibodies targeting GIPC1 identify differential expression in malignant tumors of the breast and ovary
Authors: Yavelsky Victoria , Rohkin Sarit , Shaco-Levy Ruthy , Tzikinovsky Alina , Amir Tamar , Kohn Hila , Delgado Berta , Rabinovich Alex , Piura Benjamin , Chan Gerald , Kalantarov Gavreel , Trakht Ilya , Lobel Leslie
Published: August 2008

Background

We have been studying the native humoral immune response to cancer and have isolated a library of fully human autoantibodies to a variety of malignancies. We previously described the isolation and characterization of two fully human monoclonal antibodies, 27.F7 and 27.B1, from breast cancer patients that target the protein known as GIPC1, an accessory PDZ-domain binding protein involved in regulation of G-protein signaling. Human monoclonal antibodies, 27.F7 and 27.B1, to GIPC1 demonstrate specific binding to malignant breast cancer tissue with no reactivity with normal breast tissue.

Methods

The current study employs cELISA, flow cytometry, Western blot analysis as well as immunocytochemistry, and immunohistochemistry. Data is analyzed statistically with the Fisher one-tail and two-tail tests for two independent samples.

Results

By screening several other cancer cell lines with 27.F7 and 27.B1 we found consistently strong staining of other human cancer cell lines including SKOV-3 (an ovarian cancer cell line). To further clarify the association of GIPC1 with breast and ovarian cancer we carefully studied 27.F7 and 27.B1 using immunocytochemical and immunohistochemical techniques. An immunohistochemical study of normal ovarian tissue, benign, borderline and malignant ovarian serous tumors, and different types of breast cancer revealed high expression of GIPC1 protein in neoplastic cells. Interestingly, antibodies 27.F7 and 27.B1 demonstrate differential staining of borderline ovarian tumors. Examination of different types of breast cancer demonstrates that the level of GIPC1 expression depends on tumor invasiveness and displays a higher expression than in benign tumors.

Conclusion

The present pilot study demonstrates that the GIPC1 protein is overexpressed in ovarian and breast cancer, which may provide an important diagnostic and prognostic marker and will constitute the basis for further study of the role that this protein plays in malignant diseases. In addition, this study suggests that human monoclonal antibodies 27.F7 and 27.B1 should be further evaluated as potential diagnostic tools.
Costs of treating patients with schizophrenia who have illness-related crisis events
Authors: Zhu Baojin , Ascher-Svanum Haya , Faries Douglas E , Peng Xiaomei , Salkever David , Slade Eric P
Published: August 2008

Background

Relatively little is known about the relationship between psychosocial crises and treatment costs for persons with schizophrenia. This naturalistic prospective study assessed the association of recent crises with mental health treatment costs among persons receiving treatment for schizophrenia.

Methods

Data were drawn from a large multi-site, non-interventional study of schizophrenia patients in the United States, conducted between 1997 and 2003. Participants were treated at mental health treatment systems, including the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals, community mental health centers, community and state hospitals, and university health care service systems. Total costs over a 1-year period for mental health services and component costs (psychiatric hospitalizations, antipsychotic medications, other psychotropic medications, day treatment, emergency psychiatric services, psychosocial/rehabilitation group therapy, individual therapy, medication management, and case management) were calculated for 1557 patients with complete medical information. Direct mental health treatment costs for patients who had experienced 1 or more of 5 recent crisis events were compared to propensity-matched samples of persons who had not experienced a crisis event. The 5 non-mutually exclusive crisis event subgroups were: suicide attempt in the past 4 weeks (n = 18), psychiatric hospitalization in the past 6 months (n = 240), arrest in the past 6 months (n = 56), violent behaviors in the past 4 weeks (n = 62), and diagnosis of a co-occurring substance use disorder (n = 413).

Results

Across all 5 categories of crisis events, patients who had a recent crisis had higher average annual mental health treatment costs than patients in propensity-score matched comparison samples. Average annual mental health treatment costs were significantly higher for persons who attempted suicide ($46,024), followed by persons with psychiatric hospitalization in the past 6 months ($37,329), persons with prior arrests ($31,081), and persons with violent behaviors ($18,778). Total cost was not significantly higher for those with co-occurring substance use disorder ($19,034).

Conclusion

Recent crises, particularly suicide attempts, psychiatric hospitalizations, and criminal arrests, are predictive of higher mental health treatment costs in schizophrenia patients.
Regional differences in mortality in Greece (1984–2004): The case of Thrace
Authors: Papastergiou Panagiotis , Rachiotis George , Polyzou Konstantina , Zilidis Christos , Hadjichristodoulou Christos
Published: August 2008

Background

Mortality differences at national level can generate hypothesis on possible causal association that could be further investigated. The aim of the present study was to identify regions with high mortality rates in Greece.

Methods

Age adjusted specific mortality rates by gender were calculated in each of the 10 regions of Greece during the period 1984–2004. Moreover standardized mortality rates (SMR) were also calculated by using population census data of years 1981, 1991, 2001. The mortality rates were examined in relation to GDP per capita, the ratio of hospital beds, and doctors per population for each region.

Results

During the study period, the region of Thrace recorded the highest mortality rate at almost all age groups in both sexes among the ten Greek regions. Thrace had one of the lowest GDP per capita (11 123 Euro) and recorded low ratios of Physicians (284) per 100 000 inhabitants in comparison to the national ratios. Moreover the ratio of hospital beds per population was in Thrace very low (268/100 000) in comparison to the national ratio (470/100 000). Thrace is the Greek region with the highest percentage of Muslim population (33%). Multivariate analysis revealed that GDP and doctors/100000 inhabitants were associated with increased mortality in Thrace.

Conclusion

Thrace is the region with the highest mortality rate in Greece. Further research is needed to assess the contribution of each possible risk factor to the increased mortality rate of Thrace which could have important public health implications.
Insertion polymorphisms of SINE200 retrotransposons within speciation islands of Anopheles gambiae molecular forms
Authors: Santolamazza Federica , Mancini Emiliano , Simard Frédéric , Qi Yumin , Tu Zhijian , della Torre Alessandra
Published: August 2008

Background

SINEs (Short INterspersed Elements) are homoplasy-free and co-dominant genetic markers which are considered to represent useful tools for population genetic studies, and could help clarifying the speciation processes ongoing within the major malaria vector in Africa, Anopheles gambiae s.s. Here, we report the results of the analysis of the insertion polymorphism of a nearly 200 bp-long SINE (SINE200) within genome areas of high differentiation (i.e. "speciation islands") of M and S A. gambiae molecular forms.

Methods

A SINE-PCR approach was carried out on thirteen SINE200 insertions in M and S females collected along the whole range of distribution of A. gambiae s.s. in sub-Saharan Africa. Ten specimens each for Anopheles arabiensis, Anopheles melas, Anopheles quadriannulatus A and 15 M/S hybrids from laboratory crosses were also analysed.

Results

Eight loci were successfully amplified and were found to be specific for A. gambiae s.s.: 5 on 2L chromosome and one on X chromosome resulted monomorphic, while two loci positioned respectively on 2R (i.e. S200 2R12D) and X (i.e. S200 X6.1) chromosomes were found to be polymorphic. S200 2R12D was homozygote for the insertion in most S-form samples, while intermediate levels of polymorphism were shown in M-form, resulting in an overall high degree of genetic differentiation between molecular forms (Fst = 0.46 p < 0.001) and within M-form (Fst = 0.46 p < 0.001). The insertion of S200 X6.1 was found to be fixed in all M- and absent in all S-specimens. This led to develop a novel easy-to-use PCR approach to straightforwardly identify A. gambiae molecular forms. This novel approach allows to overcome the constraints associated with markers on the rDNA region commonly used for M and S identification. In fact, it is based on a single copy and irreversible SINE200 insertion and, thus, is not subjected to peculiar evolutionary patterns affecting rDNA markers, e.g. incomplete homogenization of the arrays through concerted evolution and/or mixtures of M and S IGS-sequences among the arrays of single chromatids.

Conclusion

The approach utilized allowed to develop new easy-to-use co-dominant markers for the analysis of genetic differentiation between M and S-forms and opens new perspectives in the study of the speciation process ongoing within A. gambiae.
Signal transduction around thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) in atopic asthma
Authors: Sebastian Katrin , Borowski Andreas , Kuepper Michael , Friedrich Karlheinz
Published: August 2008

Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), a novel interleukin-7-like cytokine, triggers dendritic cell-mediated inflammatory responses ultimately executed by T helper cells of the Th2 subtype. TSLP emerged as a central player in the development of allergic symptoms, especially in the airways, and is a prime regulatory cytokine at the interface of virus- or antigen-exposed epithelial cells and dendritic cells (DCs). DCs activated by epithelium-derived TSLP can promote naïve CD4+ T cells to adopt a Th2 phenotype, which in turn recruite eosinophilic and basophilic granulocytes as well as mast cells into the airway mucosa. These different cells secrete inflammatory cytokines and chemokines operative in inducing an allergic inflammation and atopic asthma. TSLP is, thus, involved in the control of both an innate and an adaptive immune response. Since TSLP links contact of allergen with the airway epithelium to the onset and maintainance of the asthmatic syndrome, defining the signal transduction underlying TSLP expression and function is of profound interest for a better understandimg of the disease and for the development of new therapeutics.