bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Project Wings, a Coping Intervention for Latina Adolescents
Authors: Garcia C. , Pintor Jessie , Vazquez Gabriela , Alvarez-Zumarraga Estefania
Published: May 2011

The authors examined the feasibility and preliminary outcomes of Project Wings Girls’ Groups, a school-based mental health promotion program designed to improve well-being in Latina adolescents, as observed in outcomes, including perceived stress, depressive symptoms, coping, and connectedness. This pilot randomized controlled trial compared outcomes over 9 months postintervention for 42 9th and 10th grade adolescents attending two urban high schools. Girls were randomized to Project Wings Girls’ Groups, a 16-session facilitated curriculum, including sharing circles, mind–body exercises, and coping skills building or the attention control (i.e., similar format but focused on general health topics). Feasibility of retention and long-term follow-up data collection was demonstrated, with lessons learned for future study. Although not statistically powered, this trial demonstrated findings in the expected direction, including reduced perceived stress and depression and increased connectedness. A trial with sufficient power is warranted to examine Project Wings’ effects on mental health problems among Latina adolescents.
Histological and Immunohistochemical Study of Pars Tensa Retraction Pocket
Authors: Shunyu N. Brian , Gupta Siddhartha Datta , Thakar Alok , Sharma Suresh C.
Published: May 2011

Objective

To study the histological and proliferation characteristics of the pars tensa retraction pocket. To investigate the hypothesis that such retraction pockets may demonstrate breaks in the epithelial basement membrane.

Study Design

Prospective evaluation. Fifty stage II‐IV surgically resected retraction pockets.

Setting

Tertiary care academic hospital.

Methods

Paraffin sections stained with hematoxylin and eosin. Basement membrane evaluation by Periodic acid‐Schiff (PAS) and silver‐methenamine (SM). Evaluation of cellular proliferation by immunohistochemistry (MIB‐1 score).

Results

Following are findings noted as frequent but not invariable in pars tensa retraction pockets: (1) subepithelial chronic inflammation (86%), (2) proliferation and hyperkeratinization of the outer epithelial layer, (3) epithelial cones with proliferating cells (increased MIB‐1 score) in the basal epithelial layer (39%), (4) loss of the middle double collagen layer (71%), and (5) loss of the inner mucosal layer (33%). Inflammation and cellular proliferation were noted as ubiquitous among all grades. A trend was noted along progressive grades of retraction (II‐IV) for an increasing incidence of basal epithelial cones, middle collagen layer loss, and inner mucosal layer loss. Focal loss of basement membrane was noted in several cases with PAS staining, but further staining with the SM in all such cases indicated the basement membrane to be intact.

Conclusion

A continuum of progressive histological features akin to cholesteatoma is noted with increasing grades of retraction (II‐IV). Breach of the basement membrane was recently reported as a feature of cholesteatoma but is not a feature of retraction. The near universal presence of inflammation as noted suggests an etiological role.
Physiological Assessment of Active Middle Ear Implant Coupling to the Round Window in Chinchilla lanigera
Authors: Lupo J. Eric , Koka Kanthaiah , Hyde Blake J. , Jenkins Herman A. , Tollin Daniel J.
Published: May 2011

Objective

To study the effects of various active middle ear implant loading parameters on round window stimulation in an animal model.

Study Design

Physiological measurements of the cochlear microphonic and stapes velocity were made from active middle ear implant–generated sinusoidal stimuli with controlled changes in loading parameters.

Setting

Prospective study at an academic research institution.

Subjects and Methods

Cochlear microphonic and stapes velocities (HEV) were measured in 6 study subjects (Chinchilla lanigera) in response to active middle ear implant (Otologics MET, Boulder, Colorado) round window stimulation with assessment of effects of varying parameters of loading pressure, interposed connective tissue, and angle of stimulation with respect to the round window membrane.

Results

The measured performance variabilities in repeated applications of the active middle ear implant to the round window were 2.5 dB and 5.0 dB for HEV and cochlear microphonic thresholds, respectively. Loading pressure applied to the round window (51‐574 dynes) and angle of approach (±30° with respect to coronal plane) did not have a significant effect on cochlear microphonic thresholds or HEV. Significant improvements in cochlear microphonic thresholds and HEV were observed for interposed connective tissue regardless of tissue type.

Conclusion

Variability in performance due to repeated couplings of the active middle ear implant to the round window is small and reproducible. Interposition of connective tissue significantly improves vibration energy transfer to the cochlea. Neither changes in loading pressure nor angle of stimulation of the round window affected active middle ear implant performance.
Dysphagia and Quality of Life May Improve with Mometasone Treatment in Patients with Eosinophilic Esophagitis
Authors: Bergquist Henrik , Larsson Helén , Johansson Leif , Bove Mogens
Published: May 2011

Objective

The treatment of adult patients with eosinophilic esophagitis remains challenging. The aim was to assess dysphagia and health‐related quality of life (HRQL) using validated scales and questionnaires before and after treatment with mometasone furoate.

Study Design

Case series with planned data collection.

Setting

University hospital and secondary referral hospital.

Subjects and Methods

Newly diagnosed patients with eosinophilic esophagitis were included and given 200 µg of orally administered topical mometasone furoate 4 times daily. Questionnaires incorporating the Watson Dysphagia Scale (WDS), the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life–Oesophageal Module 18 (EORTC QLQ‐OES18), and the Short Form–36 (SF‐36) were completed before the initiation of treatment and after 2 months of treatment.

Results

Thirty‐one consecutive patients (23 men; mean age, 45 years; range, 18‐89 years) completed the trial. At inclusion, the mean scores of the WDS, the EORTC QLQ‐OES18 dysphagia scale, the eating scale and choking item, and the global health and social functioning dimensions of the SF‐36 were 21.3, 20.4, 35.0, 38.6, 71.1, and 82.3, respectively. Posttreatment, these scores improved to 8.9 (P <. 0001), 4.6 (P <. 00001), 17.8 (P <. 001), 16.0 (P <. 01), 76.1 (P <. 05), and 91.9 (P =. 0001), respectively. Except for 1 case of oral candidiasis, no significant side effects were reported.

Conclusion

The dysphagia and impaired HRQL found in untreated patients with eosinophilic esophagitis improved significantly after 2 months of mometasone furoate treatment. A randomized placebo‐controlled trial is warranted to assess causality. The scales and questionnaires used are sensitive instruments appropriate for symptom surveillance in individuals with eosinophilic esophagitis.
Understanding strategy processes in family firms: Exploring the roles of actors and arenas
Authors: Nordqvist Mattias
Published: May 2011

This article contributes to an increased understanding of how strategy processes unfold in family firms by integrating literature on strategy-as-practice and family business strategy. By relying on in-depth case research exploring three small and medium-sized family firms, and by drawing on notions of strategic actors and arenas from the strategy-as-practice literature, the article introduces the concepts of the Simmelian stranger and hybrid arena. These concepts help researchers and practitioners to achieve a richer understanding of how strategy processes unfold in the daily interactions that constitute the strategic work of family firms.
Retrograde autologous priming reduces transfusion requirements in coronary artery bypass surgery
Authors: Ševerdija EE , Heijmans JH , Theunissen M. , Maessen JG , Roekaerts PH , Weerwind PW
Published: May 2011

The hypothesis was tested whether retrograde autologous priming (RAP) of the cardiopulmonary bypass system, compared to a standard primed system (NON-RAP group), results in less haemodilution and less transfusion of packed red blood cells. Retrospectively, data was collected from the medical charts of one hundred patients undergoing elective coronary artery bypass grafting using cardiopulmonary bypass. Fifty patients where RAP was used have been compared to fifty patients using NON-RAP. The prime volume in the NON-RAP group was 1,627±108 mL versus 782±96 mL in the RAP group (p<0.001). The lowest haematocrit during perfusion was 22% in the NON-RAP group versus 26% when the RAP technique was used (p<0.001). In the NON-RAP group, 26% of the patients received packed red cells in contrast to 6% in the RAP group (p<0.012). A positive association was found between RAP and less transfusion of packed red blood cells (p<0.012). In conclusion, retrograde autologous priming, reducing the prime volume of the cardiopulmonary bypass system, causes less haemodilution and reduces intraoperative transfusion of packed red blood cells.
2010 Survey on cell phone use while performing cardiopulmonary bypass
Authors: Smith T , Darling E , Searles B
Published: May 2011

Cell phone use in the U.S. has increased dramatically over the past decade and text messaging among adults is now mainstream. In professions such as perfusion, where clinical vigilance is essential to patient care, the potential distraction of cell phones may be especially problematic. However, the extent of this as an issue is currently unknown. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to (1) determine the frequency of cell phone use in the perfusion community, and (2) to identify concerns and opinions among perfusionists regarding cell phone use.

In October 2010, a link to a 19-question survey ( surveymonkey.com ) was posted on the AmSECT (PerfList) and Perfusion.com (PerfMail) forums. There were 439 respondents. Demographic distribution is as follows; Chief Perfusionist (30.5%), Staff Perfusionist (62.0%), and Other (7.5%), with age ranges of 20-30 years (14.2%), 30-40 years (26.5%), 40-50 years (26.7%), 50-60 years (26.7%), >60 years (5.9%).

The use of a cell phone during the performance of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) was reported by 55.6% of perfusionists. Sending text messages while performing CPB was acknowledged by 49.2%, with clear generational differences detected when cross-referenced with age groups. For smart phone features, perfusionists report having accessed e-mail (21%), used the internet (15.1%), or have checked/posted on social networking sites (3.1%) while performing CPB.

Safety concerns were expressed by 78.3% who believe that cell phones can introduce a potentially significant safety risk to patients. Speaking on a cell phone and text messaging during CPB are regarded as “always an unsafe practice” by 42.3% and 51.7% of respondents, respectively. Personal distraction by cell phone use that negatively affected performance was admitted by 7.3%, whereas witnessing another perfusionist distracted with phone/text while on CPB was acknowledged by 33.7% of respondents.

This survey suggests that the majority of perfusionists believe cell phones raise significant safety issues while operating the heart-lung machine. However, the majority also have used a cell phone while performing this activity. There are clear generational differences in opinions on the role and/or appropriateness of cell phones during bypass. There is a need to further study this issue and, perhaps, to establish consensus on the use of various communication modes within the perfusion community.
Scintigraphic parameters with emphasis on perfusion appraisal in rest 99mTc-sestamibi SPECT in the recovery of myocardial function after thrombolytic therapy in patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI)
Authors: Javadi H , Porpiranfar MA , Semnani S , Jallalat S , Yavari P , Mogharrabi M , Hooman A , Amini A , Barekat M , Iranpour D , Seyedabadi M , Assadi M , Asli IN
Published: May 2011

Introduction: This study was performed to determine the clinical application of rest 99mTc-sestamibi in the assessment of viability and functional improvement of the left ventricle (LV) myocardium in the post-thrombolytic therapy of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Material and methods: In 37 patients with AMI who received thrombolytic therapy, 2-dimensional (2D) echocardiography, as well as the resting redistribution of 99mTc-sestamibi, was investigated, both within 1 week and 3–5 months after AMI. The predictive capacity of the perfusion percentage for myocardial function recovery was evaluated. Also, the capacities of the possible variables in the prediction of recovery of myocardial function resulting from a change in LV ejection fraction (EF) were evaluated using stepwise multiple regression analysis. Results: Thirty-seven patients (30 men and 7 women; mean age: 58±14 years) with AMI were enrolled in the study. Redistribution was observed in 35 and 50 segments of the initial and follow-up scans, respectively. In addition, 146 segments with reverse redistribution (RR), both in the initial scan (118 segments) and the follow-up scan (86 segments), were also observed. An apparent difference in wall motion scores was seen between the initial and follow-up echocardiographs (p<0.001). Furthermore, using the optimal cut-off point of perfusion percentage in each image set, sensitivity as well as specificity and likelihood ratio (LR) for the improvement of regional wall motion after 3–5 months were defined. Conclusion: These data showed that redistribution and reverse redistribution of 99mTc-sestamibi post thrombolytic therapy can be used as a marker of viability to predict the recovery of segmental wall motion abnormality (stunning), as well as the improvement of segmental perfusion uptake. This study also demonstrates that the resting 99mTc-sestamibi SPECT can be used for an approximate assessment of LV function status and can predict the recovery of jeopardized myocardium function after thrombolytic therapy.
Occupational exposure to sevoflurane during cardiopulmonary bypass
Authors: Blokker–Veldhuis MJ , Rutten PMMJ , De Hert SG
Published: May 2011

Volatile anaesthetic agents are widely used for maintenance of anaesthesia in all kinds of surgical procedures. Despite the implementation of measures such as adequate ventilation of the operating room and the use of efficient scavenging systems, concern remains about the risks for occupational exposure, especially in situations associated with an increased risk of anaesthetic gas waste, such as with the use of volatile anaesthetic agents on cardiopulmonary bypass. The present contribution reports the results of a preliminary safety assessment involving measurements of sevoflurane concentrations in the ambient air of a cardiac surgery operating room.

In 22 cardiac surgical procedures with cardiopulmonary bypass (11 with open and 11 with closed venous reservoir), measurements of trace concentrations were obtained every 10 min at the following sites: at the outlet of the oxygenator, at the outlet of the cardiotomy reservoir, in the breathing zone of the perfusionist and above the surgical field. The concentrations were measured on-line using a photoacoustic infrared spectrometer.

Mean sevoflurane waste concentrations remained consistently below the recommended target value of 4.68 ppm throughout the observation period at the different measurement sites.

These results indicate that, with the use of sevoflurane on cardiopulmonary bypass, the recommended levels for occupational exposure are not exceeded, provided adequate operation room ventilation and waste gas scavenging is performed.
What Lies Beyond Lies Within
Authors: Lundborg Tom
Published: May 2011

The potential impact of global information flows is commonly framed either by pointing to how these flows transcend the limits of and introduce us to a world beyond the sovereign state and the international system of states, or by showing how these flows are subordinated to the control and static presence of the state/inter-state system. In contrast, this article explores how information flows move beyond while simultaneously being forced within the limits of the state/inter-state system, in ways that highlight an important paradox shaping the politics and continuous reproduction of the state/inter-state system. Specifically, it demonstrates how the presence of the state/inter-state system depends upon a process of affirming as well as rejecting the possibility of a world of flows and networks located somewhere beyond the state/inter-state system.
The L-kynurenine signalling pathway in trigeminal pain processing: A potential therapeutic target in migraine?
Authors: Guo Song , Vecsei L , Ashina Messoud
Published: May 2011

Introduction: In recent years the kynurenine family of compounds, metabolites of tryptophan, has become an area of intensive research because of its neuroactive properties. Two metabolites of this family have become of interest in relation to migraine and pain processing.

Discussion: Experimental studies have shown that kynurenic acid (KYNA) plays an important role in the transmission of sensory impulses in the trigeminovascular system and that increased levels of KYNA decrease the sensitivity of the cerebral cortex to cortical spreading depression. Furthermore, another metabolite of the kynurenine family, L-kynurenine, exerts vasodilating effects similar to nitric oxide by increasing cyclic guanosine monophosphate.

Conclusion: This review summarizes current knowledge of the role of kynurenine signalling in trigeminal and central pain processing, including its therapeutic prospects in migraine treatment.
Economic trade between Australia and India: A case study of foreign direct investment
Authors: Srabani Roy Choudhury
Published: May 2011

Australia and India have had few reasons in the past to develop systematic and significant levels of economic engagement. This was due to very different positions they have held in the world-system since the Second World War. De-colonization, the fall of the British Empire, the weak status of the British Commonwealth, and the realpolitik of the Cold War saw India and Australia located on different parts of the geo-political and economic world map with small demographic and cultural flows, and insignificant economic trade. Both countries developed similar economic policy regimes that were essentially state-led nationalist projects of economic development with concomitant policies of import-substitution, local industry-subsidization, highly-regulated financial systems, and high tariffs. The last quarter of the 20th century saw a radical revision of both nations’ economic strategies, with Australia moving first to drop many of its trade barriers in the 1970s and ’80s. It is now one of the most open economies in the world. India’s liberalization programme commenced much later in 1991 but nonetheless has had a dramatic impact on its economic fortunes and growing status in the world economy. With these changes there are increasing opportunities for bilateral trade and a greater economic enmeshment in regional engagements and alignments in the Indian Ocean and in wider Asian fora. One significant indicator of change in growing Australia-India economic engagement is to look at Foreign Direct Investment (hereafter FDI). Currently, the movement of FDI between these two countries is still not very large but has a strong potential to grow over the short to medium term. This paper looks at the future prospect of this growth and asserts that, by engaging in areas of comparative advantage, it will benefit both national economies. Moreover, economic flows are also indicators of great social and cultural traffic. The movement of FDI between the two countries will not only encourage greater flow of peoples, especially outward migration from India to Australia, but also trigger more Australian expatriates living in India (from a very low base). Greater economic trade promises more cultural exchange.
Cities, sexualities and modernities: A reading of Indian cinema
Authors: Bose Brinda
Published: May 2011

I suggest that the representation of cities in Indian cinema — the effects and affects of modernities as well as of ambiguous, multiplicitous sexualities — mark significant change in engagement with modernity ever since independence in 1947. The city in the Indian imaginary has occupied an ambivalent, confrontational as well as contemplative space that signifies ‘modernity’ and its concurrent promise as well as ills. Non-normative sexualities have always occupied a liminal space in socio-political configurations, a site both of empowerment through transgression and containment through regulation. The urban space — newly freed up and as yet un-proscribed — assumes the metonymic equivalence of available sexual freedom (particularly for women), its powers and its dangers. The cinema as a text is especially well-suited to play with the dynamics of this fraught space: often, a film’s contexts and narratives identify the film text itself as a signifier of the liminal spaces that it proposes to explore, enacting both their limitations and their possibilities.
Review Essay: Narrating socialism: Three voices
Authors: el-Ojeili Chamsy
Published: May 2011

In this review essay, I consider a number of possible versions of a contemporary socialist balance-sheet, by way of the three very different recent accounts provided by Alain Badiou, Peter Beilharz, and Goran Therborn. Exploring these broad, colliding understandings of the socialist past, present, and future, I seek to evaluate the responses to some of those large and pressing socialist questions: Who owned the 20th century? What was 1968? What is the meaning of the period since? What remains of Marxism and of socialism? What are the situation and tasks of social theory today?
Clinical Course of ICU Patients With Severe Pandemic 2009 Influenza A (H1N1) Pneumonia
Authors: Sundar Krishna M. , Thaut Phillip , Nielsen David B. , Alward William T. , Pearce Michael J.
Published: May 2011

Received June 10, 2010, and in revised form July 26, 2010. Accepted for publication August 12, 2010. Background: A number of different modalities have been employed in addition to conventional ventilation to improve oxygenation in patients with severe 2009 pandemic influenza A (H1N1) pneumonia. Outcomes with ventilatory and rescue therapies for H1N1 influenza-related acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) have been varied. 1 – 6 A single intensive care unit (ICU) experience with management of laboratory-confirmed 2009 pandemic influenza A (H1N1) ARDS with a combination of proning and airway pressure release ventilation (APRV) is described. Methods: A retrospective review of medical records of ICU patients seen at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center during the first and second waves of the H1N1 influenza pandemic was done. Results: Fourteen ICU patients were managed with invasive ventilation for 2009 pandemic influenza A (H1N1)-related ARDS. Hypoxemia refractory to conventional ventilation was noted in 11 of 14 patients despite application of APRV. Following proning in patients on APRV, improvement of hypoxemia and hemodynamic status was achieved. Only 2 of 11 patients on APRV and proning required continuous dialysis. Mortality in intubated patients receiving a combination of proning and APRV was 27.3% (3/11) with 2 of these dying during the first wave of the H1N1 influenza pandemic. In all, 3 of 11 patients on proning and APRV underwent tracheostomy, with 2 of these undergoing tube thoracostomy. ARDSnet fluid-conservative protocol was safely tolerated in 8 of 11 of the intubated patients following initiation of proning and APRV. Conclusions: Proning in combination with APRV provides improvement of hypoxemia with limitation of end-organ dysfunction and thereby facilitates recovery from severe 2009 pandemic influenza A (H1N1).
Using a Classification System to Probe the Meaning of Dual Licensure in General and Special Education
Authors: Blanton Linda P. , Pugach Marleen C.
Published: May 2011

The alignment of the teacher quality provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the transparency of low achievement of students who have disabilities under the testing mandates of NCLB have converged to create substantial renewed interest and activity in collaborative programs of teacher education—a term used to describe program redesign that brings together teacher preparation for general and special education to improve education not only for students who have disabilities but also for all students who struggle. Such preservice efforts (often referred to as “dual certification” or “dual licensure”) are not only proliferating at a rapid pace, they are proceeding in the absence of analytic frameworks to consider collaborative teacher education more critically, to create a common discourse around this trend, to capture variations in collaborative teacher education, to clarify its multiple meanings, and to uncover assumptions under which such program development is taking place. The purpose of this article is to provide a conceptual framework to simultaneously make sense of and problematize the landscape of collaborative teacher education, based on a classification system of program models.
Measuring Community Development Outcomes: In Search of an Analytical Framework
Authors: Dorius Noah
Published: May 2011

A consensus has evolved that the outcomes of local community development organizations are not amenable to traditional evaluation methods and that local self-learning versus knowledge production is a necessary concession. A documentary review and interviews with the principals at national grant and policy-making organizations are undertaken to deconstruct this outcome measurement impasse. Basic criteria for an analytical framework to measure community development outcomes are suggested both to clarify the current institutional mindset and suggest an alternative approach. Available empirical data from practitioner interviews and existing social theory provide the basis for a conceptual understanding and an analytical framework to guide the systematic evaluation of community development initiatives.
Where There is a Sea There are Pirates: Response to Jungherr, Jürgens, and Schoen
Authors: Tumasjan Andranik , Sprenger Timm O. , Sandner Philipp G. , Welpe Isabell M.
Published: May 2011

In their comment, Jungherr, Jürgens, and Schoen (2010) challenged part of the results presented in our original article ( Tumasjan, Sprenger, Sandner, & Welpe, 2010 ). The present response addresses their points of concern and demonstrates that the conclusions drawn in Tumasjan et al. (2010) are well supported by both data and analyses.
Personification in discourse: Linguistic forms, conceptual structures and communicative functions
Authors: Dorst Aletta G.
Published: May 2011

Drawing on examples from a corpus of 14 excerpts from novels, this article aims to present a systematic investigation of the different linguistic forms, conceptual structures and communicative functions of personification in discourse. The Metaphor Identification Procedure (Pragglejaz Group, 2007) and Steen’s five-step procedure (1999, 2009) will be used to present an integral model distinguishing between linguistic, conceptual, and communicative levels of analysis. The influence of linguistic realization, conventionality, deliberateness, metonymy, and stylistic effects will be considered and it will be demonstrated that studying personifications in discourse raises different issues at each level of analysis. As a result, the question whether something should count as a personification may yield a different answer for each level.
The soul of wit: A relevance theoretic discussion
Authors: Furlong Anne
Published: May 2011

Following an overview of approaches to wit from the 17th to the late 20th centuries, I provide an account that focuses on the process by which witty effects are produced in the reader. I argue that witty effects arise as the result of a failure of interpretation, which forces the reader to pause momentarily and reprocess the utterance in an altered context, and recognize the interpretation intended by the writer. After reviewing three main causes of interpretive failure in relevance-theoretic terms, I contend that a crucial factor in the production of witty effects is the speed at which the reader goes through the process. I suggest applications of this model to considerations of structure and theme in literary texts.
A tragic harp: Ritual, irony and myth in the war poetry of Wilfred Owen
Authors: Penny William Kevin
Published: May 2011

Wilfred Owen stands out as one of the foremost poets writing on the theme of war and the pity of war. This article examines Owen’s innovative use of Romantic, biblical, and Classical language in conjunction with specific literary and rhetorical devices as a way of developing irony in his work. Also central to the poet’s stylistic approach was his deliberate collapse of conventional literary modes of expression, which included the traditional sonnet form. The enquiry which follows examines how Owen’s use of antiquated language and literary patterning — which the poet relied on to undercut established ritual and myth and their associated symbolism — served to juxtapose the classically ‘heroic’ with the sacrificial ‘heroes’ he had encountered on the battlefields of Europe. To assist him in this the poet — somewhat paradoxically — relied on a mythopoeic approach that mirrored later Modernist attempts to address issues of personal nobility amidst the perceived dissolution of society. Close stylistic analysis contributes to an understanding of the intricate ironic patterning in Owen’s war poetry, which defamiliarizes, yet also heightens, a reader’s intuitive response to the poet’s work.
LMX, Coaching Attributions, and Employee Performance
Authors: Sue-Chan Christina , Chen Ziguang , Lam Wing
Published: May 2011

We examined the relationship between leader–member exchange (LMX) quality and the attributions subordinates make about their supervisors’ coaching of them. Data were collected from 270 supervisor–subordinate dyads. Subordinates reported that LMX was positively related to attributions that their supervisor’s coaching was for the benefit of subordinates (other-focused interests), and negatively related to attributions that their supervisors’ coaching was for the benefit of themselves (self-focused interests). Moreover, attributions partially mediated the relationship between LMX quality and both objective and subjective performance with subordinate-attributed supervisors’ other-focused interests positively related to performance but subordinate-attributed supervisors’ self-focused interests negatively related to performance.
Long-Term Efficacy of Deferasirox in Preventing Cardiovascular Complications in the Iron-Overloaded Gerbil
Authors: Al-Rousan Rabaa M. , Manzoor Kamran , Paturi Satyanarayana , Arvapalli Ravi Kumar , Laurino Joseph P. , Darnon Lucy , Walker Ernest M. , Blough Eric R.
Published: May 2011

Iron-induced cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in iron-overloaded patients. Deferasirox is a novel tridentate oral chelator that exhibits a half-life suitable for once-daily dosing; however, little is known regarding the effectiveness of this agent in preventing iron-induced cardiovascular disease. Adult male Mongolian gerbils were randomly divided into 3 groups: control, iron overload, and iron overload followed by deferasirox treatment. Iron-overloaded animals received iron dextran 100 mg/kg intraperitoneally (ip)/5 days for 10 weeks, while deferasirox was given 100 mg/kg per d orally (po) for 9 months post iron loading. Cardiac and aortic iron levels were determined by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry. Gerbil electro- and echocardiograms were obtained in anesthetized animals at regular intervals. Compared to control animals, iron concentration was 3.3- and 2.4-fold higher in iron-overloaded heart and aorta, respectively ( P < .05). Deferasirox treatment reduced cardiac and aortic iron levels by 32% and 35%, respectively ( P < .05). These results were consistent with the decrease in cellular iron deposition observed with Prussian Blue iron staining. Iron-overloaded gerbils were found to exhibit frequent arrhythmias including premature ventricular contractions, supraventricular tachycardia, and recurrent ventricular tachycardia. In addition, echocardiographic assessment demonstrated iron overload-associated increase in left ventricular dimensions including left ventricular posterior wall dimension (LVPWd: 49%), left ventricular internal dimension (LVIDd: 26%), and left ventricular septum thickness (LVSd: 42%). These parameters were significantly reduced with deferasirox treatment (LVPWd: 23%, LVIDd: 24%, and LVSd: 27%). Iron overload was also associated with reduced ejection fraction (EF: by 30%) and fractional shortening (FS: by 23%) in comparison with controls ( P < .05). With deferasirox treatment, these values were higher (EF: by 30%, FS: by 28%) compared to iron-overloaded group. These findings suggest that deferasirox may be useful for attenuating iron-induced changes in cardiac structure and function.
Preventing Venous Thromboembolism Following Orthopedic Surgery in the United States
Authors: Deitelzweig Steven B. , Lin Jay , Lin Grace
Published: May 2011

Clinical trials of anticoagulants often exclude special populations. We assessed the proportion of special populations in real-world orthopedic surgery and the incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE)-related outcomes. Data on patients with hip (n = 11 483) or knee replacement (n = 19 390) were extracted from IMS’ PharMetrics Patient-Centric Database. There was high prevalence of patients aged ≥75 years (20.3%), CYP3A4-inhibitor use (21.5%), and chronic warfarin use (9.5%). Venous thromboembolism events were increased with each increasing year of age (hip: odds ratio [OR] 1.02, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.01-1.03; knee: OR 1.01, 95%CI = 1.00-1.02) and chronic warfarin use (hip: OR 1.56, 95%CI = 1.13-2.17; knee: OR 1.33, 95%CI = 1.03-1.72); in hip patients with renal insufficiency (OR1.61, 95%CI=1.11-2.36); and in knee patients with atrial fibrillation (OR 1.41, 95%CI = 1.06-1.88). Major bleeding was higher in hip patients with hepatic impairment (OR 21.99, 95%CI = 2.04-236.62), each increasing year of age (OR 1.08, 95%CI = 1.01-1.15), and chronic warfarin use (OR 7.11, 95%CI = 1.16-43.46). Special populations are prevalent in real-world orthopedic surgery, which may impact VTE-related outcomes.
Identification of Patient Venous Thromboembolism Risk Across the Continuum of Care
Authors: Caprini Joseph A.
Published: May 2011

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) complications are the leading cause of preventable in-hospital mortality and morbidity in the United States. Initiatives by the National Quality Forum, the Joint Commission, and the Surgical Care Improvement Project aim to improve the prevention of VTE and emphasize the need to recognize the risk of the condition in hospitalized patients. In clinical practice, individual risk assessment using a validated scoring system provides patients with the best care in the prevention of VTE. This is accomplished by a weighted scoring of risk factors, selection of the most appropriate prevention strategy for patients at risk, and regular risk review across the continuum of care. All hospitals should have a local, written, care pathway which assesses inpatient risk of VTE as early as possible upon admission and identifies members of the health care team responsible for applying risk assessment. Venous thromboembolism risk should be regularly reassessed for any changes in the level of risk, with extended out-of-hospital prophylaxis considered for patients with continued risk factors, such as prolonged immobility or illness, treated at home, or in a long-term care facility. Finally, a mandatory alert system requiring the clinician to address the issue of prophylaxis before any orders are carried out by the nursing staff is one way to protect all hospitalized patients.
The Impact of Age on the Delay in Diagnosis in Patients With Acute Pulmonary Embolism
Authors: Berghaus T. M. , Thilo C. , von Scheidt W. , Schwaiblmair M.
Published: May 2011

It has been speculated that the atypical clinical presentation of acute pulmonary embolism (PE) in older patients leads to a late diagnosis and therefore contributes to a worse prognosis. Therefore, we prospectively evaluated the delay in diagnosis and its relation to the in-hospital mortality in 202 patients with acute PE. Patients >65 years presented more often with hypoxia ( P = .017) and with a history of syncope ( P = .046). Delay in diagnosis was not statistically different in both age groups. Older age was significantly associated with an increased risk for in-hospital mortality (OR 4.36, 95% CI 0.93-20.37, P = .043), whereas the delay in diagnosis was not associated with an increase of in-hospital mortality. We therefore conclude that the clinical presentation of acute PE in older patients cannot be considered as a risk factor for late diagnosis and is not responsible for their higher in-hospital death rate.
Real-World Rates of In-hospital and Postdischarge Deep-Vein Thrombosis and Pulmonary Embolism in At-Risk Medical Patients in the United States
Authors: Amin Alpesh N. , Lin Jay , Thompson Stephen , Wiederkehr Daniel
Published: May 2011

Hospitalized medical patients are at risk of deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE). We evaluated inpatient and postdischarge DVT/PE and thromboprophylaxis rates in US medical patients, using patient admissions from January 2005 to November 2007 in the Premier Perspective™-i3 Pharma Informatics database. Among 15 721 patients with cancer, congestive heart failure, severe lung disease, and infectious disease, 39.0% received inpatient thromboprophylaxis, with the highest rate in patients with cancer (51.9%). In all, 3.4% received outpatient pharmacological prophylaxis. Mean ± SD prophylaxis duration was 2.2 ± 5.7 days. Overall, 3.0% of inpatients had symptomatic DVT/PE, and an additional 1.1% of patients were rehospitalized for DVT/PE or treated in the outpatient setting. Patients with infectious disease had the highest rate of DVT/PE (4.6%). Inpatient DVT/PE and prophylaxis rates of the different medical conditions had a negative correlation ( R 2 = 0.72). This analysis demonstrates the burden of DVT/PE and highlights the underuse of thromboprophylaxis across the continuum of care.
Preschool Children’s Cardiac Reactivity Moderates Relations Between Exposure to Family Violence and Emotional Adjustment
Authors: Cipriano Elizabeth A. , Skowron Elizabeth A. , Gatzke-Kopp Lisa M.
Published: May 2011

This study examined relations between cardiac reactivity, family violence exposure (i.e., child maltreatment [CM] and inter-partner violence [IPV]), and preschool children’s emotional adjustment. A sample of 92 mother–preschooler dyads was drawn from predominantly low-income, rural communities. Dyads participated in a laboratory session in which children’s Electrocardiograph (ECG) monitoring occurred during a resting baseline, joint-challenge, and individual emotional and cognitive tasks. Mothers consented to review of Children & Youth Services (CYS) records for CM and completed an IPV measure. Mothers rated children’s emotional adjustment, and observers rated children on their frustration and positive affect. Children’s vagal suppression was shown to moderate relations between family violence exposure and emotional adjustment. Findings indicated that children greater in vagal suppression showed better emotional adjustment when from families low in violence. However, regardless of children’s level of vagal suppression, all children showed poorer emotional adjustment when from families high in violence.
Effect of Four Types of Dietary Fiber on the Technological Quality of Pasta
Authors: Bustos M.C. , Pérez G.T. , León A.E.
Published: May 2011

The development of dietary fiber-enriched foods permits to obtain products with functional properties but can cause several problems in technological quality. The aim of this study was to study the quality of pasta obtained by replacing bread wheat flour with resistant starch II (RSII), resistant starch IV (RSIV), oat bran (OB) and inulin (IN) with the purpose of improving their nutritional quality. RSII, RSIV, OB and IN were substituted for a portion of bread wheat flour at levels 2.5%, 5.0%, 7.5% and 10.0%. Cooking properties, amylose and inulin losses, color and texture were measured. Finally, nutritional quality of enriched pasta was evaluated by protein losses during cooking and total dietary fiber. Microstructure of pasta was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy. Addition of RSII into pasta formulation improved the quality of the final product. RSIV-enriched pasta presented an improvement in textural characteristics and OB affected cooking properties positively up to 5% of substitution. Inulin was lost during cooking; besides, its addition negatively affected the technological quality of pasta. The results obtained in this study prove that it is possible to elaborate pasta with acceptable cooking quality and with improved nutritional characteristics by adding 10% of RSII and RSIV and 5% of OB.
Comparison of Nonfried Apple Snacks with Commercially Available Fried Snacks
Authors: Joshi A.P.K. , Rupasinghe H.P.V. , Pitts N.L.
Published: May 2011

The study was carried out to evaluate the selected quality attributes of a prototype nonfried apple snack produced by application of vacuum impregnation (VI) of maple syrup and vacuum drying. When maple syrup concentration was adjusted to 20—40% in the VI solution, vacuum-dried apple slices are resulted in the greatest textural attributes, whiteness index, and desirable moisture content and water activity. Comparison of the VI-treated, vacuum-dried apple slices with commercially fried apple and potato snacks revealed that the consumer acceptability was greater for the fried snack products due to their flavor and texture; however, in addition to higher oil content (>30%), commercial fried apple and potato snacks possessed lower antioxidant capacity than nonfried apple snacks. VI process enhanced the calcium content of the nonfried apple snack products.
Impact of Individual Differences and Consumers’ Readiness on Likelihood of Using Self-Service Technologies at Hospitality Settings
Authors: Kim Jungsun (Sunny) , Christodoulidou Natasa , Brewer Pearl
Published: May 2011

As more hospitality companies use self-service technologies (SSTs), the industry is going through an evolutionary adoption process. Many hotels, resorts, and casinos have installed self-service check-in/check-out kiosks and have recently added new SSTs, such as self-service ordering devices at pool lounge chairs. To successfully implement and use SSTs, it is important for the hospitality operators to understand the factors that determine both willingness and resistance of the customers on using the SSTs. Thus, the purpose of this study is to explore factors that affect customers’ willingness to embrace the usage of SSTs. Having a comprehensive understanding of customers behavior related to their demographic factors and readiness will promote successful implementation of new SSTs as well as effective modifications of existing SSTs. Structural equation modeling was conducted to test hypotheses with a sample of 614 consumers. The results indicate that consumers’ extrinsic motivation had the most significant impact on their likelihood of using new SSTs (e.g., kiosks and touch screen tables for ordering food or other services at hotels, casinos, and restaurants or pools), followed by intrinsic motivation and role clarity. Younger customers and those who do not believe having interactions with employees at hospitality settings is important were also more likely to use these SSTs.
A critical analysis of North American business leaders’ neocolonial discourse: global fears and local consequences
Authors: McKenna Steve
Published: May 2011

Using a postcolonial analytic frame and critique this article investigates the nature of the discourse used by 24 North American business leaders to describe, understand and make sense of the economic development of China and India and contemporary international encounters. In particular the article investigates how business leaders discursively characterize this ‘threat’, how they (re)present China and India and, how they discursively construct the requirements of a response to this ‘threat’. An analysis of the interviews indicates the persistence of the discourse of (neo)colonialism (Orientalism) in the construction of the Other within the context of a view of China and India as developing and progressing towards a North American ideal. Despite this, North American business leaders also show ambivalence and uncertainty towards China and India. On the one hand they laud their success while damning them for their apparently exploitative social, economic and workplace systems and practices. Moreover, while they promote a Western development discourse concerning China and India, North American business leaders recognize that China and India are becoming centres of global economic power that are increasingly challenging the global hegemony of the United States. The article ends with a conclusion on the contribution of the article and in particular points to the value of Bhabha’s notion of the in-between’ spaces as a way forward for understanding developments in the global business environment.
Voices of the Governed: towards a theory of the translocal
Authors: Banerjee Subhabrata Bobby
Published: May 2011

In this article I want to interrogate the political, economic, and social conditions that enable the extraction of natural and mineral resources from Indigenous and rural communities in Africa, the Americas, and the Asia-Pacific. The end of direct colonialism and the emergence of the development state did not necessarily translate into forms of local sovereignty for these communities who bore the brunt of development. I describe the emergence of resource wars in the postcolonial era and how organizational technologies of extraction, exclusion and expulsion lead to dispossession and death. I conclude by discussing possibilities of resistance and develop the notion of translocal resistance where local actors most affected by development are able to forge a series of temporary coalitions with international and national groups in an attempt to promote some form of participatory democracy. The article advance debates on postcolonialism by developing theoretical insights from translocal modes of resistance that open up new analytical spaces marked by particular configurations of market, state and civil society actors.
A postcolonial and anti-colonial reading of ‘African’ leadership and management in organization studies: tensions, contradictions and possibilities
Authors: Nkomo Stella M.
Published: May 2011

This article reports on a postcolonial and anti-colonial reading of representations of ‘African’ leadership and management in organization studies. The resulting analysis revealed tensions and contradictions between stereotypical colonial images of ‘African’ leadership and management and proposed counter-images that often reflect the excesses of cultural relativism. Finding alternatives between colonized representations and counter-representations is not an easy project. This article extends existing postcolonial scholarship in organization studies which has relied primarily upon the seminal trinity of Said, Spivak, and Bhabha by incorporating anti-colonial and nationalist thought found primarily in the work of Fanon, Césaire and Senghor.