bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Leucine reduces the duration of insulin-induced PI 3-kinase activity in rat skeletal muscle
Authors: Baum Jamie I. , O'Connor Jason C. , Seyler Jennifer E. , Anthony Tracy G. , Freund Gregory G. , Layman Donald K.
Published: September 2004

Leucine (Leu) is known to stimulate translation initiation of protein synthesis at mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) in the insulin signaling pathway. However, potential feedback from mTOR to upstream aspects of the insulin signaling pathway remains controversial. This study evaluates the impact of a physiological oral dose of Leu and/or carbohydrate (CHO) on upstream elements of the insulin signaling pathway using phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) activity and glucose uptake as markers for insulin sensitivity and glucose homeostasis. Rats (∼200 g) were fasted 12 h and administered oral doses of CHO (1.31 g glucose, 1.31 g sucrose), Leu (270 mg), or CHO plus Leu. Animals were killed at 15, 30, 60, and 90 min after treatment. Plasma and gastrocnemius muscles were collected for analyses. Treatments were designed to produce elevated blood glucose and insulin with basal levels of Leu (CHO); elevated Leu with basal levels of glucose and insulin (Leu); or a combined increase of glucose, insulin, and Leu (CHO + Leu). The CHO treatment stimulated PI 3-kinase activity and glucose uptake with no effect on the downstream translation initiation factor eIF4E. Leu alone stimulated the release of the translation initiation factor eIF4E from 4E-BP1 with no effects on PI 3-kinase activity or glucose uptake. The CHO + Leu treatment reduced the magnitude and duration of the PI 3-kinase response but maintained glucose uptake similar to the CHO treatment and eIF4E levels similar to the Leu treatment. These findings demonstrate that Leu reduces insulin-stimulated PI 3-kinase activity while increasing downstream translation initiation and with no effect on net glucose transport in skeletal muscle.
Vascular endothelial growth factor and nephrin interact and reduce apoptosis in human podocytes
Authors: Foster Rebecca R. , Saleem Moin A. , Mathieson Peter W. , Bates David O. , Harper Steven J.
Published: September 2004

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is anti-cytotoxic in podocytes. Moreover, it has been suggested that nephrin, a cell adhesion molecule of the podocyte slit diaphragm, can contribute to antiapoptotic mechanisms in these cells. We therefore investigated whether VEGF signals to reduce apoptosis and the role of nephrin in this survival mechanism. Flow cytometry showed that podocytes with nephrin mutations had a significantly greater proportion of apoptosis. Although VEGF reduced apoptosis in human conditionally immortalized podocytes [wild-type (WT)] by 18.1% of control ( P < 0.001), it was unable to do so in nephrin-deficient human conditionally immortalized podocytes. Moreover, Western blotting and immunodetection with an anti-nephrin antibody showed that the phosphorylation of nephrin, compared with serum-starved WTs, was significantly increased (ratio of 3.36 ± 1.2 to control, P < 0.05) by VEGF treatment and significantly reduced by treatment with a neutralizing VEGF monoclonal antibody (mAb) (ratio of 0.2 ± 0.09 to control, P < 0.05). The AKT signaling pathway has been implicated in nephrin-mediated inhibition of apoptosis in transfected cells, but the role of this pathway has not previously been shown in podocytes. Surprisingly, exogenous VEGF decreased AKT/PKB phosphorylation in normal podocytes but increased it in nephrin-deficient podocytes. We suggest therefore that both exogenous and endogenous (podocyte derived) VEGF can stimulate the phosphorylation of nephrin and through this action may prevent podocyte apoptosis. However, the involvement of AKT in this survival response in normal human podocytes is not clear.
Extension of Zhu′s solution to Lotto′s conjecture on the weighted Bergman spaces
Authors: Tadesse Abebaw
Published: September 2004

We reformulate Lotto′s conjecture on the weighted Bergman space setting and extend Zhu′s solution (on the Hardy space H2) to the space .
Order of growth of solutions to algebraic differential equations in the unit disk
Authors: Benbourenane D. , Sons L. R.
Published: September 2004

S. B. Bank has shown that there is no uniform growth estimate for meromorphic solutions of algebraic differential equations with meromorphic coefficients in the unit disk. We give conditions under which such solutions must have a finite order of growth.
Association between Educational Attainment and Ethnic Distance in Young Adults
Authors: Hello Evelyn , Scheepers Peer , Vermulst Ad , Gerris Jan R. M.
Published: September 2004

Time and again, studies have shown that higher educated individuals are less inclined to avoid social contact with ethnic minorities than are lower educated individuals. This has been interpreted as the liberalizing effect of education: the school is considered to be the most important socializing agent transmitting liberal values that reduce ethnic intolerance and ethnic prejudice. However, parents too are considered to be important socializing agents. We set out to compare the effects of educational attainment with various kinds of parental influence. We analysed data on 201 young adults and their parents from a Dutch panel study. The results show that the relative influence of parents is fairly small compared to the effect of education. Moreover, controlling for parental influences hardly reduces young adults' educational effect on ethnic distance: education is (still) the most important determinant for young adults' ethnic distance.
Review Essay Inclusion
Authors: Kivisto Peter
Published: September 2004

This essay traces the discussion of ethnic group inclusion from Talcott Parsons to the present. It illustrates unappreciated convergences between earlier and current work while identifying what is genuinely novel about contemporary efforts.
Social Influence Effects on Social Assistance Recipiency
Authors: Mood Carina
Published: September 2004

A potential self-reinforcing component in the dynamics of social assistance (SA) is analyzed in this paper. The core hypothesis is that the SA recipiency of others can assert a positive influence on an individual's propensity to apply for SA. The mechanisms through which such influence may operate are discussed and a set of hypotheses linking individual action and macro-level SA are proposed and tested by means of pooled cross-sections time-series analysis. Data on all individuals aged 20-25 in the Stockholm region who received SA in the years 1990-9 are used for the analyses. Results indicate that the level of SA in one year has a positive effect on the next year's inflow of new SA recipients and a negative effect on the outflow, even when other relevant factors are controlled for. This lends support to the hypothesis of a self-reinforcing process.
The Cost of Governing
Authors: Pereira Carlos , Mueller Bernardo
Published: September 2004

Several characteristics of a political system have been identified as increasing the cost of governing, such as presidentialism, federalism, an open list with proportional representation, a multiparty system, and coalition governments. Although Brazil suffers from all of these “pathologies,” the authors argue that other characteristics of the Brazilian system have the opposite effect and allow high levels of governability at low cost. In particular, the authors examine the role of legislators’ amendments to the budget, which provide the executive a low-cost means of obtaining support. The authors provide evidence that the Brazilian president routinely uses his or her powers to reward and punish legislators for supporting or opposing his or her interests in Congress. Although legislators have a limited role in the budgetary process, that role can have important electoral consequences for their political careers.
Resource Wealth and Political Regimes in Africa
Authors: Jensen Nathan , Wantchekon Leonard
Published: September 2004

Political economists point to the levels of economic development, poverty, and income inequality as the most important determinants of political regimes. The authors present empirical evidence suggesting a robust and negative correlation between the presence of a sizable natural resource sector and the level of democracy in Africa. They argue that resource abundance not only is an important determinant of democratic transition but also partially determines the success of democratic consolidation in Africa. The results illuminate the fact that post-Cold War democratic reforms have been successful only in resource-poor countries such as Benin, Mali, and Madagascar. The authors argue that resource-rich countries such as Nigeria and Gabon can become democratic only if they introduce strong mechanisms of vertical and horizontal accountability within the state.
Social Movement Theory and Patron-Clientelism
Authors: Clark Janine
Published: September 2004

This article uses social movement theory to understand the nature and significance of the networks in which Islamic social institutions (ISIs) are embedded, the types of participants, how people participate, and the extensiveness of that participation. In particular, it examines the horizontal and vertical ties within and associated with Islamic medical clinics in Cairo, the Women’s Committee of the Islah Charitable Society in Yemen, and the Islamic Center Charitable Society in Jordan. It argues that ISIs play an important role not in the vertical recruitment or mobilization of the poor but in the expansion and strengthening of middle-class networks. Vertical patron-client relationships within Islamic institutions are often weak. In contrast, middle-class networks, bringing Islamists and non-Islamists together, are expanded and strengthened via ISIs. The case studies confirm that moderate Islamism is a movement of the marginalized, educated middle class, not of the disenfranchised poor.
Regionality Beyond Security?
Authors: Browning Christopher S. , Joenniemi Pertti
Published: September 2004

This article addresses the issue of the relationship between security-speak and regional cooperation in Northern Europe. In the post-Cold War period, it is argued, regional cooperation has been driven by a mixture of realist- and liberalist-based security discourses. While realism results in cooperation through othering, liberalism rather promotes cooperation through inclusion. On the whole, security has been a unifying theme, not a divisive one. European Union and NATO enlargements, however, are undermining the security bases of regional cooperation. The article asks the question of what will happen to regional cooperation if security is removed from the frame. Will regional cooperation wither away as a political project? Or will attempts at re-securitization be made to rejuvenate regional cooperation? Either way there are apparently difficulties in thinking of regional cooperation without relying on security for motivation and justification. Through a revisionist account of Nordic cooperation that challenges the idea that Norden is a security community par excellence and is rather driven by a security concerns, a way out of the security-cooperation dilemma is offered.
Security and Marginality
Authors: Palosaari Teemu , Möller Frank
Published: September 2004

It is argued in this article that after the EU and NATO shift of attention towards eastern Europe, Arctic Europe is again at a turning point behind which a remarginalization and a silent remilitarization (which is often advanced in terms of environmental protection) loom. After a decade during which time the region enjoyed considerable international attention other than military, it is now facing the possibility of a loss in attention resulting from both the Northern Dimension’s development towards, or replacement by, an Eastern Dimension and the decrease in US interest in northern Europe. Yet, marginalization may also be seen as a possibility for the Arctic to regain its own political subjectivity which, resuming lines of thought introduced in the early 1990s, may be understood in terms of a universal Arctic.
Where the North Meets the East
Authors: Makarychev Andrey S.
Published: September 2004

The purpose of this paper is to analyse Poland’s Eastern Dimension (ED) proposal as seen from the marginality theoretical background. The basic argument is that the ED stands out as a discursive battlefield for different representations of Poland and of Europe’s margins. In devising its marginality strategy, Poland has learned from Finland about the ability of a state at the edge of the European Union to have an impact on the whole. However, Poland is torn between sovereign and post-sovereign discourses of space and identity; the tensions between them explain why the ED remains vague.
Racial Differences in Resolving Conflicts: A Comparison between Black and White Police Officers
Authors: Sun Ivan Y. , Payne Brian K.
Published: September 2004

This study examined the behavioral differences between Black and White police officers in handling interpersonal conflicts. Observational and survey data from the Project on Policing Neighborhoods and the 1990 census data were used. Actions taken by officers are examined along two behavioral dimensions: coercion and support. Findings show that Black officers are more coercive than their White counterparts in responding to conflicts. Black officers are also more likely than White officers to conduct supportive activities in predominantly Black neighborhoods, whereas they do not differ in initiating supportive actions in racially diverse communities. Situational characteristics play a strong role in determining police actions during conflict resolution. Implications for policy and future research are discussed.
The Role and Attitudes of Restorative Board Members: A Case Study of Volunteers in Community Justice
Authors: Karp David R. , Bazemore Gordon , Chesire J. D.
Published: September 2004

Criminal justice agencies often call for partnerships with the community. In restorative and community justice initiatives, citizen volunteers often serve as decision makers in nonadversarial sanctioning. Although prior research has reported the attitudes of other participants in restorative decision making, such as victims and offenders, none have examined those of community volunteers. We report on findings from a state-wide survey of volunteers serving on Vermont Reparative Probation Boards. In this program, board members meet with probationers to negotiate a “reparative contract” that may include apologies, restitution, community service, and other tasks. We found a board membership that is generally representative of the community, highly supportive of the program, and knowledgeable of restorative justice principles.
Self-Control and Social Bonds: A Combined Control Perspective on Deviance
Authors: Longshore Douglas , Chang Eunice , Hsieh Shih-chao , Messina Nena
Published: September 2004

With longitudinal data from a sample of adult male drug offenders, this study tested 4 aspects of social bonding (attachment, involvement, religious commitment, and moral belief) and association with substance-using peers as outcomes of low self-control and as mediators of the relationship between low self-control and drug use. Low self-control was negatively related to social bonds and positively related to drug use and association with substance-using peers. The relationship between low self-control and drug use was fully mediated by moral belief and association with substance-using peers. These results support the utility of integrating self-control and social bonding perspectives on deviance.
Dual Arrest Decisions in Domestic Violence Cases: The Influence of Departmental Policies
Authors: Finn Mary A. , Blackwell Brenda Sims , Stalans Loretta J. , Studdard Sheila , Dugan Laura
Published: September 2004

Dual arrests in family violence cases have increased following passage of proarrest laws. This study examined the relationship between officers’perceptions of their departmental policies and arrest outcomes. Each officer was given 1 of 6 hypothetical scripts that varied as to whether the wife only was injured or the wife and husband were injured. They were then asked what action they would take. Results indicate that officers who believed that their department would support arrest of both parties are more likely to arrest both parties. Officers who perceived that their department encouraged arrest of the primary aggressor only are more likely to arrest the husband only. When both parties were injured, officers were likely to arrest both. Experienced officers were more likely than novice officers to use dual arrest. Implications for the importance of primary aggressor language are discussed.
Teen Court Referral, Sentencing, and Subsequent Recidivism: Two Proportional Hazards Models and a Little Speculation
Authors: Rasmussen Andrew
Published: September 2004

This study extends literature on recidivism after teen court to add system-level variables to demographic and sentence content as relevant covariates. Interviews with referral agents and survival analysis with proportional hazards regression supplement quantitative models that include demographic, sentencing, and case-processing variables in a database of 648 youths participating in an Illinois teen court over an 8-year period. Findings suggest that sentencing and referral-based models support an interpretation in which judgment of the offender’s character is central, and post hoc analysis points to possible net-widening effects for certain teen court youths.
Plea Bargaining Practices: Less Covert, more Public Support?
Authors: Herzog Sergio
Published: September 2004

Although a common practice in many legal systems, plea bargaining (PB) tends to be held in low esteem by the public at large. In the present study, which was based on a survey of a national sample of Israeli respondents, a factorial design methodology was used to examine public attitudes toward varied PB scenarios. It was hypothesized that opening up PB procedures to parties other than the traditionally involved “insiders” would enhance public support for PB. The findings of the study generally confirmed this hypothesis, albeit not completely: The effect of decreased covertness was minimal. This article concludes with a discussion of the policy implications of the findings.
Democratic Transition and Consolidation in South Africa: The Advice of ‘the Experts’
Authors: Suttner Raymond
Published: September 2004

The quality of the South African democratic order and its potential trajectory cannot be adequately measured by abstract and supposedly universal prescriptions. It is questionable whether democratic ‘consolidation’ requires the potential replacement of a government in power in the foreseeable future, whether there is an inevitable and necessary transition of liberation movements into political parties, and whether South Africa is a ‘dominant party state’. This article problematizes ‘the national liberation model’ depicting the organization as representing the entire nation. While unifying people against colonialism and apartheid, it tends to suppress difference and is intolerant of pluralism. Social movements and opposition parties are not likely to supplant the ANC but social and political organization outside and inside the ruling organization is legitimate and essential to strengthen and deepen democracy. One should avoid fixation on a potential change of government and encourage broader factors in order to secure and extend democratic gains. In particular, wider forms of popular participation are crucial. The specific South African constitutional order and traditions of popular mass activity have the potential to sustain and expand democracy.
Human Capital and Credentialism: The Sociological Explanation of Racial Inequalities in South Africa
Authors: Mgobozi Idris
Published: September 2004

This article analyses outcomes in the labour market in South Africa and reveals the persisting institutionalized racial and class inequalities. In particular, it explores how Bantu education succeeded, during the apartheid era, in delivering cheap labour for South Africa, hence the black South African’s marginality and regression into mediocrity in the economic stature. This is continuity of past inequalities. An improvement in labour market processes and radical improvement of black South Africa’s educational alternatives to apartheid education have to be addressed by policy-makers yet again. The current problems of inequality and enormous racial wage gaps cannot be adequately dealt with until the legacy of Bantu education is overcome by policymakers. The article utilizes an economic theory—human capital—and a sociological theory—credentialism—to explain the marginal position of the black South African within South Africa’s economy.
‘As Unremarkable as the Air they Breathe’? Reforming Police Management in South Africa
Authors: Marks Monique , Fleming Jenny
Published: September 2004

With the transition to democratic governance in South Africa in 1994, the public service was identified as the key sector requiring transformation. This involved refashioning the types of delivery offered to the public and a complete renovation of labour relations practices and institutions within public service organizations. The police were expected to dramatically change their labour relations framework and practices to allow for increased ‘worker’ participation in decision-making processes and enhanced performance management. This article examines attempts at transforming police labour relations in one unit of the South African Police Service. Existing legacies of authoritarianism and police disciplinary customs and a lack of directive leadership from management have seriously limited this attempt at transforming police labour relations. This, in turn, has hampered the unit’s transition towards operating in accordance with the community policing framework that is supposed to guide the practice of the ‘new’ South African Police Service.
South Africa and the Rest of the Continent: Towards a Critique of the Political Economy of NEPAD
Authors: Lesufi Ishmael
Published: September 2004

Post-apartheid South Africa has been increasingly integrated with the rest of the continent at various levels. The South African state has been at the forefront of processes that led to the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). This article fully endorses the argument that NEPAD is neo-liberal due to its resemblance to structural adjustment programmes and its adherence to policies associated with the so-called Washington consensus. The article examines the evolution and eventual adoption of NEPAD from the point of view of the social forces behind it. The central question at the heart of any developmental programme such as NEPAD is: which class rules, benefits from and shapes policies in their own image? The article argues that NEPAD is a programme by major South African corporations to restructure social relations on the continent to facilitate their penetration and capital accumulation.
Thirty Years Since the Durban Strikes: Black Working-Class Leadership and the South African Transition
Authors: Sitas Ari
Published: September 2004

The article explores core themes arising from a sustained ethnography spanning South Africa’s transition to democracy. Focusing on emerging tensions in what used to be a strong horizontal solidarity of ‘comradeship’ since the 1980s, it explores why the ‘elastic band’ that held the movement together still holds despite class mobility, divergent socioeconomic needs and mounting challenges to its ‘elasticity’. In this longitudinal study of 400 people the author traces the shifts in consciousness and notions of solidarity and analyses how livelihood strategies, notions of race and ethnicity and most importantly notions of class had been redefined by the year 2000. This article is for a generation of black worker leaders who, since the 1973 Durban strikes that ushered the new trade unions onto the historical stage, were a core component of the resistance against racial domination and economic inequality in the country.
Core-Shell Rubber Modified Microcellular Polyamide-6 Composite
Authors: Winardi Andreas , Yuan Mingjun , Gong Shaoqin , Turng Lih-Sheng
Published: September 2004

This paper presents the effects of processing parameters and submicron core-shell rubber particle filler on the mechanical properties and cell morphology of microcellular injection molded polyamide-6 (PA-6) composites. Three types of materials are studied, namely, neat PA-6 resin, and 0.5 wt% and 3.1 wt% core-shell rubber polybutylacrylate-polymethylmethacrylate-filled PA-6 composites. This study shows that the addition of a small amount (0.5%) of core-shell rubber particles improved the ductility and impact strength of micro-cellular injection molded PA-6 samples. In comparison to the microcellular injection molded PA-6 polymer-clay nanocomposite, the samples with a small amount (0.5%) of core-shell rubber had much higher impact strength and ductility. The small addition of core-shell rubber also reduced cell size and increased cell density of the microcellular injection molded PA-6 parts, in comparison to their neat resin counterparts. On the other hand, at higher core-shell rubber loading, the cell size and density were found to be similar to that of the neat resin.
Cell Development in Microcellular Injection Molded Polyamide-6 Nanocomposite and Neat Resin
Authors: Chandra Alexander , Gong Shaoqin , Turng Lih-Sheng , Gramann Paul
Published: September 2004

The effects of nanoclay addition into polyamide-6 (PA-6) neat resin and processing parameters on cell density and size in microcellular injection molded components are investigated. The analyses are performed on the sprue section of standard ASTM D 638-02 tensile bars molded based on a fractional four-factorial, three-level, L9 Taguchi design of experiments (DOE) with varying melt temperature, injection speed, super critical fluid (SCF) concentration, and shot size. It is found that the presence of nanoclay greatly reduced the cell size and increased the cell density when compared to neat resin processed under identical molding conditions. In addition, cell size distribution at the sprue center was, in general, the largest, gradually decreasing toward the skin for both the neat resin and the nanocomposite. Finally, in contrast to neat resin, in which shot size and injection speed were important to cell density and all molding parameters affected cell growth, the cell size and density for nanocomposite only depended strongly on shot size.
Intramuscular Haloperidol or Lorazepam and QT Intervals in Schizophrenia
Authors: Harvey Anne T. , Flockhart David , Gorski J. Christopher , Greenblatt David J. , Burke Michael , Werder Steve , Preskorn Sheldon H.
Published: September 2004

The objective of this study was to estimate the effects of intramuscular haloperidol and lorazepam on the QT interval in volunteers with schizophrenia. Intramuscular haloperidol and intramuscular lorazepam are standard treatments in the acute management of agitation and aggression. Although prolongation of the QT interval and sequelae, including torsade de pointes and death, have been reported for haloperidol (but not lorazepam), formal studies have been lacking. Volunteers with schizophrenia (n = 12) were administered a single intramuscular injection of 7.5 mg haloperidol or 4 mg lorazepam in a blinded, randomized, placebo‐controlled crossover design. Serial EKGs and concurrent blood samples were obtained over 6 hours following each injection. Changes in the QT interval were evaluated, as were plasma drug and prolactin concentrations. Haloperidol injection increased the heart rate‐corrected QT interval an average of 5.1 msec using Bazett's correction (QTb 90% confidence interval [CI]: 0.3, 9.8), 3.6 msec using Fridericia's correction (QTf 90% CI: 0.02, 7.2), and 4.2 msec using an empirically derived “baseline correction” (QTii 90% CI: 0.3, 8.0). Effects of lorazepam on QT were nullified by correction for the heart rate elevation (QTb 3.8 msec, 90% CI: 0.6, 7.1; QTf 0.0 msec, 90% CI: −3.2, 3.4; QTii −2.3 msec, 90% CI: −6.6, 2.0). An association between QT prolongation and occurrence of extrapyramidal symptoms was observed. On average, intramuscular haloperidol led to minimal prolongation of the QT interval. This propensity is of theoretical concern in individuals with risk factors for torsade de pointes but seems unlikely to be a problem in the vast majority of patients.
Differences in Drug Pharmacokinetics Between East Asians and Caucasians and the Role of Genetic Polymorphisms
Authors: Kim Kiman , Johnson Julie A. , Derendorf Hartmut
Published: September 2004

Interethnic variability in pharmacokinetics can cause unexpected outcomes such as therapeutic failure, adverse effects, and toxicity in subjects of different ethnic origin undergoing medical treatment. It is important to realize that both genetic and environmental factors can lead to these differences among ethnic groups. The International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) published a guidance to facilitate the registration of drugs among ICH regions (European Union, Japan, the United States) by recommending a framework for evaluating the impact of ethnic factors on a drug's effect, as well as its efficacy and safety at a particular dosage and dosage regimen. This review focuses on the pharmacokinetic differences between East Asians and Caucasians. Differences in metabolism between East Asians and Caucasians are common, especially in the activity of several phase I enzymes such as CYP2D6 and the CYP2C subfamily. Before drug therapy, identification of either the genotype and/or the phenotype for these enzymes may be of therapeutic value, particularly for drugs with a narrow therapeutic index. Furthermore, these differences are relevant for international drug approval when regulatory agencies must decide if they accept results from clinical trials performed in other parts of the world.
Population Pharmacokinetics of Ibuprofen Enantiomers in Very Premature Neonates
Authors: Gregoire Nicolas , Gualano Virginie , Geneteau Anne , Millerioux Laurette , Brault Murielle , Mignot Alain , Roze Jean‐Christophe
Published: September 2004

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the pharmacokinetic parameters for both S‐ and R‐ibuprofen enantiomers in very premature neonates (gestational age strictly inferior to 28 weeks) and possible relationships between the pharmacokinetic parameters and various covariates. Newborns were randomized to receive ibuprofen or placebo for the prophylactic treatment of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) at an initial dose of 10 mg/kg ibuprofen within 6 hours after birth, followed by two 5‐mg/kg doses at 24‐hour intervals (n = 52). If a PDA was still present afterwards, a curative course of ibuprofen using the same dosage regimen was administered (n = 10). A sparse sampling strategy was used because only 2 samples were collected after the third prophylactic injection and 1 after the third curative injection. A model including the chiral transformation of R‐ to S‐ibuprofen was fitted to the concentration‐time data using a population approach (NONMEM). R‐ and S‐ibuprofen t1/2 were about 10 hours and 25.5 hours, respectively. After prophylactic treatment, the mean clearance of R‐ibuprofen (CLR = 12.7 mL/h) was about 2.5‐fold higher than for S‐ibuprofen (CLS = 5.0 mL/h). In addition, clearance of R‐ and S‐ibuprofen increased significantly with gestational age. The mean estimation of R‐ibuprofen clearance was found to be higher than for S‐ibuprofen, and the clearance of both enantiomers increased with gestational age. This should be considered to assess pharmacokinetic‐pharmacodynamic relationships of ibuprofen in premature neonates and subsequently to understand and refine the use of ibuprofen in managing PDA either as a prophylactic or curative treatment.
Hand‐Foot Syndrome in Patients Treated With Capecitabine‐Containing Combination Chemotherapy
Authors: Heo Young Seol , Chang Heung Moon , Kim Tae Won , Ryu Min‐Hee , Ahn Jin‐Hee , Kim Sung Bae , Lee Jung Shin , Kim Woo Kun , Cho Hye Kyung , Kang Yoon‐Koo
Published: September 2004

Clinical characteristics and risk factors of hand‐foot syndrome were investigated in patients who received capecitabine‐containing chemotherapy. Toxicity data were analyzed from 179 patients in 4 prospective clinical trials testing docetaxel/capecitabine/cisplatin in stomach cancer, capecitabine/cisplatin in biliary or stomach cancer, and vinorelbine/capecitabine in breast cancer. Hand‐foot syndrome was reported in 116/179 (64.8%) of patients, with grade 3 hand‐foot syndrome in 8/179 (4.5%). Hand‐foot syndrome first developed within the first 3 chemotherapy cycles in 100/116 (86.2%) patients, with the median onset for all 3 treatment regimens occurring during cycle 2. Because severe reactions were rare, hand‐foot syndrome was not a major factor influencing treatment schedule. Risk factor analyses showed that combined use of docetaxel and preceding chemotherapy‐related stomatitis were significant risk factors for the develop‐ ment of hand‐foot syndrome. Our results suggest that a combined treatment agent and a patient's susceptibility to chemotherapy‐related toxicity may increase the risk of capecitabine‐induced hand‐foot syndrome.
Pharmacokinetics of Dextromethorphan After Single or Multiple Dosing in Combination With Quinidine in Extensive and Poor Metabolizers
Authors: Pope Laura E. , Khalil M. H. , Berg James E. , Stiles Mark , Yakatan Gerald J. , Sellers Edward M.
Published: September 2004

Dextromethorphan (DM) pharmacological properties predict that the widely used cough suppressant could be used to treat several neuronal disorders, but it is rapidly metabolized after oral dosing. To find out whether quinidine (Q), a CYP2D6 inhibitor, could elevate and prolong DM plasma profiles, 2 multiple‐dose studies identified the lowest oral dose of Q that could be used in a fixed combination with 3 doses of DM. A multiple‐dose study in healthy subjects with an extensive or a poor enzyme metabolizer phenotype evaluated the safety and pharmacokinetic profile of a selected fixed‐dose combination (AVP‐923). Study 1 randomized 46 healthy subjects, who were extensive CYP2D6 metabolizers, to receive 0, 2.5, 10, 25, 50, or 75 mg Q twice daily in combination with 30 mg DM for 7 days. Plasma and urine samples were collected after the first and last doses for the assay of DM, dextrorphan (DX), and Q. Study 2 randomized 65 healthy extensive CYP2D6 metabolizers to 8 groups given twice‐daily 45‐ or 60‐mg DM doses combined with 0, 30, 45, or 60 mg Q for 7 days. The effects of increasing Q were not different with doses greater than 25 mg, whereas lower doses showed a dose‐related increase in plasma DM concentrations. Urinary ratios of DM/DX showed a Q dose‐ and time‐related increase in the number of subjects converted to the poor metabolizer phenotype that reached 100% on day 3 of dosing with 25 mg Q. Results from both studies indicated that 25 to 30 mg Q is adequate to maximally suppress O‐demethylation of DM. Study 3 evaluated 7 extensive metabolizers and 2 poor metabolizers given an oral capsule every 12 hours containing 30 mg Q combined with 30 mg DM. DM plasma AUC values increased in both groups of subjects during the 8‐day study. The mean urinary metabolic ratio (DM/DX) increased at least 27‐fold in extensive metabolizers by day 8. There was no effect of Q on urinary metabolic ratios in poor metabolizers. Safety evaluations, including electrocardiograms, indicated that the combination was well tolerated, with no difference between extensive and poor metabolizer phenotypes.
Sex Differences in Video Game Play:
Authors: Lucas Kristen , Sherry John L.
Published: September 2004

In this study, we examined gender differences in video game use by focusing on interpersonal needs for inclusion, affection, and control, as well as socially constructed perceptions of gendered game play. Results of a large-scale survey (n = 534) of young adults’ reasons for video game use, preferred game genres, and amount of game play are reported. Female respondents report less frequent play, less motivation to play in social situations, and less orientation to game genres featuring competition and three-dimensional rotation. Implications for game design are discussed.
A Signal Detection Analysis of Audio/Video Redundancy Effects in Television News Video
Authors: Fox Julia R.
Published: September 2004

Using signal detection methods, this study found participants were better able to discriminate information from news stories with redundant visuals than from news stories with dissonant visuals. This finding, along with the absence of memory decision-criterion differences between the redundant and dissonant conditions, is further evidence that the robust audio/video redundancy effect in the literature reflects differences of memory strength and not simply a shift in decision criterion. More interesting, there were no significant differences when examining correct recognitions only, further pointing to the need for signal detection methods in media memory studies.
Orienting Response and Memory for Web Advertisements:
Authors: Diao Fangfang , Sundar S. Shyam
Published: September 2004

This study investigated the effects of pop-up windows and animation on online users’ orienting response and memory for Web advertisements. All participants (N = 60) in a mixed-design factorial experiment were exposed to four online portal Web sites, each containing a banner ad that was either animated or static and a pop-up ad that was also either animated or static. Their orienting responses during reception of the online sites were measured via heartbeats using electrocardiogram (ECG). Recall and recognition memory for ads and portal Web sites were measured via a postexposure paper-and-pencil questionnaire. Hypotheses derived from visual attention, motion effect, distinctiveness, bio-informational, and limited-capacity theories were tested. The results fully supported the proposition that pop-up ads elicit orienting responses. Ad recognition was lower whereas ad recall was higher for pop-up ads compared to banner ads. In addition to main effects, the data revealed several interaction effects, with implications for theory.
The Third-Person Effect and its Influence on Behavioral Outcomes in a Product Advertising Context:
Authors: Huh Jisu , Delorme Denise E. , Reid Leonard N.
Published: September 2004

This study explored the third-person effect in the context of direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising. A survey of 264 adults examined perceptions of DTC ad effects and their relationship to support for DTC ad regulation. Results support the third-person-effect perceptual component. The study revealed that for DTC advertising, the third-person effect operates in a multidimensional fashion through four factors (Negative DTC Ad Effects, Learning and Involvement, Patient/Provider Interaction, and Distrust of DTC Ad Information) and that negative content-based third-person effects were greater than positive effects. However, the current study showed weak support for the third-person effect behavioral component. Only perceived self-effect for Distrust of DTC Ad Information and attitude toward DTC advertising were significant predictors of regulatory support. The findings are discussed in relation to existing theoretical work, and future research recommendations are provided.
Audience-Oriented Approach to Crisis Communication:
Authors: Lee Betty Kaman
Published: September 2004

This study investigated the responses of consumers to information about an organizational crisis. Three hundred and eighty-five individuals from Hong Kong responded to hypothetical scenarios describing a plane crash. The scenarios manipulated causal attribution (internal and external), the organizations’ crisis response (shifting the blame, minimization, no comment, apology, compensation, and corrective action), and crisis severity (severe and extremely severe). Results showed significant main effects of causal attribution and crisis response on (a) judgment of organizational responsibility for the crisis, (b) impression of the organization, (c) sympathy toward the organization, and (d) trust in the organization. However, no significant effects of crisis severity were found. Crisis response affected participants’ judgment of organizational responsibility, and the “no comment” crisis response fostered more trust in the organization than did the minimization crisis response. Implications of the findings for attribution theory and cross-cultural research on crisis communication are discussed.
Female Adjustment to Incarceration as Influenced by Sexual Assault History
Authors: Islam-Zwart Kayleen A. , Vik Peter W.
Published: September 2004

The number of female prisoners is increasing, and many of these women report a history of sexual assault. The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of sexual assault on adjustment to incarceration. Females with a history of childhood and adult sexual assault were expected to show greater initial reaction and slower adjustment to incarceration than women with no history of sexual assault or a history of adult assault exclusively. Female minimum-security inmates ( N = 92) at a state prison participated in interviews and completed questionnaires on initial incarceration and 2 weeks later. Results indicated that type of sexual assault history influences adjustment to prison for female inmates initially and after 2 weeks of incarceration.
Low Self-Control, Staged Opportunity, and Subsequent Fraudulent Behavior
Authors: Smith Tony R.
Published: September 2004

Since its conception, A General Theory of Crime has attracted a considerable amount of interest among criminologists. At this particular juncture, the extant research literature has generally been supportive of Gottfredson and Hirschi’s theory. However, opportunity, a critical element of low-self-control theory, remains conspicuously untested. Although some empirical studies have examined this theoretical concept, they have neglected to take into consideration the issue of temporal ordering. The current investigation addressed this oversight by presenting a pool of research participants with an actual and controlled opportunity to commit fraudulent behavior in a natural setting.
Adult Sex Offenders on Community Supervision
Authors: Stalans Loretta J.
Published: September 2004

Sex offenders present challenges to treatment providers and probation officers. This article reviews recent developments in assessing risk and gauging their treatment progress. Probation departments in many jurisdictions have recently created specialized sex offender programs that provide intensive supervision and treatment. This article also reviews studies that have carefully evaluated these new probation strategies. In addition, it surveys the literature on treatment effectiveness and the predictors of treatment failure. Finally, the current article discusses directions for future research and implications for professional practice.
Assessing Psychopathology in Individuals with Developmental Disabilities
Authors: Rush Karena S. , Bowman Lynn G. , Eidman Shannon L. , Toole Lisa M. , Mortenson Bruce P.
Published: September 2004

Individuals with developmental disabilities are at high risk for developing mental health problems. The prevalence of psychopathology is approximately 4 times higher than that found in the general population. Yet there is a tendency to underdiagnose psychiatric disorders in the developmentally delayed population because of diagnostic overshadowing, the lack of appropriate diagnostic criteria, and the paucity of appropriate assessment measures. Over the past decade, there has been an emergence of scales developed specifically to screen for psychopathology in individuals with developmental disabilities. In addition, advancements have been made in observation techniques, thus facilitating the ability to objectively observe behaviors often described as internal events. Adescription of a multimethod approach to assessing psychopathology in individuals with developmental disabilities is provided incorporating the recent advancements in the field, as well as suggestions for future research.
Assessment of Feeding and Mealtime Behavior Problems in Persons with Mental Retardation
Authors: Kuhn David E. , Matson Johnny L.
Published: September 2004

Feeding and mealtime behavior problems are commonly observed among individuals with developmental disabilities. These problems include, but are not limited to, food refusal, food selectivity, mealtime aggression, rumination, pica, and insufficient feeding skills. Difficulties of this type can be associated with life-threatening consequences of other serious health-related problems. Because of the nature of these problems and the lack or accurate client self-reporting, an interdisciplinary assessment in addition to a thorough behavioral assessment is recommended to ensure the best quality of care. This article discusses the role of the various disciplines, and the types of behavioral assessments that are currently being utilized by clinicians and researchers.
Functional Assessment of Problem Behaviors in Adults with Mental Retardation
Authors: Paclawskyj Theodosia R. , Kurtz Patricia F. , O’connor Julia T.
Published: September 2004

Functional assessment has significantly improved the success of behavioral treatment of problem behaviors in adults with mental retardation. Functional assessment methods (i.e., techniques that yield a hypothesis of functional relationships) include direct observation, interviews, and checklists. Functional analysis consists of empirical methods that demonstrate behavioral function in controlled settings. Each method has advantages and limitations that reflect differences in both available resources and individual client characteristics. These methods and issues are reviewed, and future directions for both the research field and the adult population are suggested.
The Business of Information
Authors: Dorabjee Shaida
Published: September 2004

In a recent book on knowledge management, information professionals are urged to transform and brace themselves for a more active and dynamic role in the information and knowledge society.

However are information professionals rising to the clarion call? This article takes challenging and deliberately provocative look at the role of the traditional information professional in an environment where others in information-related functions appear to take a more active part in the business, present a stronger image and ultimately may replace the role of the information professional.

One of the main barriers to successful transformation that information professionals face is the need to change perceptions, behaviour and ways of working, and this theme runs throughout the article.

The author highlights features relating to information work with the help of a SWOT analysis. Information professionals are also be urged to regard their service as a business in itself, and, as such, to promote and market the service, brand and if necessary re-launch the product. The need to develop traditional skills and to acquire new skills is emphasised, as is the need to use the softer skills. These initiatives together with formal professional development activities will ensure that the profession has a bright future ahead.