bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Glycemic Control and Cardiovascular Events in Diabetic Hemodialysis Patients
Authors: Drechsler Christiane , Krane Vera , Ritz Eberhard , März Winfried , Wanner Christoph
Published: December 2009

Background—

Patients on maintenance dialysis treatment experience an excess mortality, predominantly of sudden cardiac death. Poor glycemic control is associated with cardiovascular comorbidities in the general population. This study investigated the impact of glycemic control on cardiac and vascular outcomes in diabetic hemodialysis patients.

Methods and Results—

Glycohemoglobin A1c (HbA
1c
) was measured in 1255 hemodialysis patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who participated in the German Diabetes and Dialysis Study (4D Study) and were followed up for a median of 4 years. Using Cox regression analyses, we determined hazard ratios to reach prespecified, adjudicated end points according to HbA
1c
levels at baseline: sudden cardiac death (n=160), myocardial infarction (n=200), stroke (n=103), cardiovascular events (n=469), death caused by heart failure (n=41), and all-cause mortality (n=617). Patients had a mean age of 66±8 years (54% male) and mean HbA
1c
of 6.7±1.3%. Patients with an HbA
1c
>8% had a >2-fold higher risk of sudden death compared with those with an HbA
1c
≤6% (hazard ratio, 2.14; 95% confidence interval, 1.33 to 3.44), persisting in multivariate models. With each 1% increase in HbA
1c
, the risk of sudden death rose significantly by 18%; similarly, cardiovascular events and mortality increased by 8%. There was a trend for higher risks of stroke and deaths resulting from heart failure, whereas myocardial infarction was not affected. The increased risks of both cardiovascular events and mortality were explained mainly by the impact of HbA
1c
on sudden death.

Conclusions—

Poor glycemic control was strongly associated with sudden cardiac death in diabetic hemodialysis patients, which accounted for increased cardiovascular events and mortality. In contrast, myocardial infarction was not affected. Whether interventions achieving tight glycemic control decrease sudden death requires further evaluation.

Clinical Trial Registration—

URL: http://www.clinicalstudyresults.org. Unique identifier: CT-981–423–239.
Choice of Reperfusion Strategy at Hospitals With Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention
Authors: Fazel Reza , Krumholz Harlan M. , Bates Eric R. , French William J. , Frederick Paul D. , Nallamothu Brahmajee K.
Published: December 2009

Background—

Many hospitals with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) capability also use fibrinolytic therapy in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, but factors influencing the choice of reperfusion strategy at these hospitals are poorly understood. We examined clinical and system-related factors associated with choice of reperfusion strategy in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction at PCI-capable hospitals.

Methods and Results—

We analyzed patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction who presented to PCI-capable hospitals between July 1, 2000, and December 31, 2006, in the National Registry of Myocardial Infarction. Hierarchical multivariable logistic regression was used to examine the association between choice of reperfusion strategy and patient-, hospital-, and system-related factors. We identified 25 579 patients who received primary PCI and 14 332 patients who received fibrinolytic therapy at 444 PCI-capable hospitals. Use of reperfusion strategies varied widely across hospitals, although primary PCI use increased over the study period. Among the key clinical factors that favored primary PCI, cardiogenic shock and delayed presentation were associated with greater use of primary PCI (adjusted odds ratios 2.14 [95% confidence interval 1.72 to 2.66] and 1.18 [95% confidence interval 1.09 to 1.27], respectively), whereas a Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction risk score ≥5 was not. In contrast, female gender, advanced age, and nonwhite race, all risk factors for intracranial hemorrhage after fibrinolytic therapy, were not associated with increased use of primary PCI. Off-hours presentation had the strongest association overall, with an ≈70% lower likelihood of patients undergoing primary PCI (adjusted odds ratio 0.27, 95% confidence interval 0.25 to 0.29).

Conclusions—

Use of primary PCI, although increasing over recent years, is not universal at PCI-capable hospitals, and optimization of its use at such hospitals represents a potential opportunity to improve outcomes in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.
Long-Term Stability of Cardiovascular and Catecholamine Responses to Stress Tests
Authors: Hassellund Skjalg S. , Flaa Arnljot , Sandvik Leiv , Kjeldsen Sverre E. , Rostrup Morten
Published: December 2009

Cardiovascular (CV) hyperreactivity to stress must be reasonably stable if it is considered to be important in the development of hypertension and CV disease. The aim of the present study was to assess long-term stability of blood pressure, heart rate, epinephrine, and norepinephrine responses to a cold pressor test and a mental arithmetic stress test. Eighty-one subjects selected from the first (n=30), 50th (n=30), and 95th to 99th (n=39) percentiles of the mean blood pressure distribution at a military draft procedure were tested on 2 occasions 18 years apart. Stress responses were measured during a cold pressor test (hand immersed in ice water for 1 minute) and during a mental stress test (subtraction for 5 minutes). Intra-arterial blood pressure measurements and arterial catecholamine samples were taken at the initial examination. At follow-up, noninvasive Finapres beat-to-beat blood pressure measurements and venous plasma catecholamine samples were used. The 18-year correlations of the CV and epinephrine absolute responses during mental stress ranged from 0.6 to 0.8. The entry/follow-up correlation of systolic blood pressure during the mental stress test (95% CI: 0.69 to 0.86) was significantly higher than during the cold pressor test (95% CI: 0.30 to 0.65), and responses to mental stress overall appeared to be more stable than responses to the cold pressor test. Our study suggests that CV and sympathoadrenal reactivity, specifically to mental stress, are relatively stable individual characteristics. These results support one of the necessary preconditions to consider hyperreactivity involved in the development of hypertension and CV disease.
Ophthalmic Artery-Resistive Index and Evidence of Overperfusion-Related Encephalopathy in Severe Preeclampsia
Authors: Barbosa Alexandre Simões , Pereira Alamanda Kfoury , Reis Zilma Silveira Nogueira , Lage Eura Martins , Leite Henrique Vitor , Cabral Antônio Carlos Vieira
Published: December 2009

Neurological findings in preeclampsia fulfill diagnostic criteria of posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES), which is related to cerebral autoregulation impairment associated with high blood pressure. In preeclampsia, PRES may occur without a significant increase in blood pressure. Our aim was to investigate the association between ophthalmic artery resistive index (OARI) and clinical evidence of PRES, defined as the presence of headache and blurred vision, in patients with severe preeclampsia. OARI and main clinical and laboratory parameters were obtained in 112 patients with severe preeclampsia. Differences in these parameters were analyzed in the function of clinical evidence of PRES with a 2-sample
t
test. The area under receiver operating characteristic curve for each of these parameters in the function of clinical evidence of PRES was obtained. Logistic regression models were established with parameters categorized by cutoff points obtained in receiver operating characteristic curves. Among 112 patients with severe preeclampsia, 46 (41%) presented clinical evidence of PRES. These patients presented lower OARI (
P
<0.0001), higher mean blood pressure at admission (
P
<0.0001), higher mean blood pressure elevation after the first trimester (
P
<0.0001), and higher lactate dehydrogenase (
P
<0.0001) than those without clinical evidence of PRES. OARI presented an area under receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.810±0.039 (95% CI: 0.742 to 0.895;
P
<0.0001). OARI <0.56 was associated with clinical evidence of PRES, with an odds ratio of 12.67 (95% CI: 4.08 to 39.39;
P
<0.0001). Data suggest that OARI is a relevant biomarker of PRES in severe preeclampsia.
O-GlcNAcylation Contributes to Augmented Vascular Reactivity Induced by Endothelin 1
Authors: Lima Victor V. , Giachini Fernanda R. , Carneiro Fernando S. , Carneiro Zidonia N. , Saleh Mohamed A. , Pollock David M. , Fortes Zuleica B. , Carvalho Maria Helena C. , Ergul Adviye , Webb R. Clinton , Tostes Rita C.
Published: December 2009

O-GlcNAcylation augments vascular contractile responses, and O-GlcNAc-proteins are increased in the vasculature of deoxycorticosterone-acetate salt rats. Because endothelin 1 (ET-1) plays a major role in vascular dysfunction associated with salt-sensitive forms of hypertension, we hypothesized that ET-1–induced changes in vascular contractile responses are mediated by O-GlcNAc modification of proteins. Incubation of rat aortas with ET-1 (0.1 μmol/L) produced a time-dependent increase in O-GlcNAc levels and decreased expression of
O
-GlcNAc transferase and β-N-acetylglucosaminidase, key enzymes in the O-GlcNAcylation process. Overnight treatment of aortas with ET-1 increased phenylephrine vasoconstriction (maximal effect [in moles]: 19±5 versus 11±2 vehicle). ET-1 effects were not observed when vessels were previously instilled with anti–
O
-GlcNAc transferase antibody or after incubation with an
O
-GlcNAc transferase inhibitor (3-[2-adamantanylethyl]-2-[{4-chlorophenyl}azamethylene]-4-oxo-1,3-thiazaperhyd roine-6-carboxylic acid; 100 μmol/L). Aortas from deoxycorticosterone-acetate salt rats, which exhibit increased prepro–ET-1, displayed increased contractions to phenylephrine and augmented levels of O-GlcNAc proteins. Treatment of deoxycorticosterone-acetate salt rats with an endothelin A antagonist abrogated augmented vascular levels of O-GlcNAc and prevented increased phenylephrine vasoconstriction. Aortas from rats chronically infused with low doses of ET-1 (2 pmol/kg per minute) exhibited increased O-GlcNAc proteins and enhanced phenylephrine responses (maximal effect [in moles]: 18±2 versus 10±3 control). These changes are similar to those induced by O-(2-acetamido-2-deoxy-
d
-glucopyranosylidene) amino-N-phenylcarbamate, an inhibitor of β-N-acetylglucosaminidase. Systolic blood pressure (in millimeters of mercury) was similar between control and ET-1–infused rats (117±3 versus 123±4 mm Hg; respectively). We conclude that ET-1 indeed augments O-GlcNAc levels and that this modification contributes to the vascular changes induced by this peptide. Increased vascular O-GlcNAcylation by ET-1 may represent a mechanism for hypertension-associated vascular dysfunction or other pathological conditions associated with increased levels of ET-1.
The Role of Cross-Cultural Factors in Integrative Conflict Resolution and Crisis Communication: The Hainan Incident
Authors: Huang Yi-Hui , Bedford Olwen
Published: December 2009

This article offers an integrated theoretical and policy-oriented framework for cross-cultural conflict resolution by exploring relationships among conflict resolution styles and crisis communicative strategies with emphasis on both conflict structure and cross-cultural factors. Using the Hainan negotiation between China and the United States as a case study, the factors inherent in conflict are investigated with respect to Chinese cultural characteristics. The congruence of the Chinese context with integrative conflict management is explored. The analysis indicated that the use of mediators and consideration of renqing (favor) and mianzi (face), which are central resources in Chinese interpersonal interactions, are likely to contribute to an integrative conflict solution.
Trading Places: The Role of the United States and the European Union in International Environmental Politics
Authors: Kelemen R. Daniel , Vogel David
Published: December 2009

When environmental issues emerged on the international agenda in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the United States was of one of the strongest and most consistent supporters of international environmental treaties and agreements. The member states of the European Union subsequently ratified all the international treaties created in this period, but U.S. leadership was crucial and European states were laggards in many cases. Since the 1990s, the political dynamics of international environmental policy have shifted, with the European Union emerging as a global environmental leader and the United States repeatedly opposing multilateral environmental agreements. The authors argue that a “regulatory politics” model that synthesizes the effects of domestic politics and international regulatory competition provides the most powerful explanation of why the United States and European Union have “traded places” with respect to their support for international environmental agreements.
Drawing the Neighbours Closer … to What?
Authors: Barbé Esther , Costa Oriol , Herranz Anna , Johansson-Nogués Elisabeth , Natorski Michal , Sabiote Maria A.
Published: December 2009

The European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) launched in 2004 was purposefully conceived as a strategy to encourage neighbours’ approximation with the European Union (EU). This aim by the EU to extend its own system of rules beyond member states has become the focal point of the literature on the EU’s relations with neighbours. In this article, however, we aim to broaden the scope of the analysis of the EU’s role as it pursues policy convergence in the ENP area. More specifically, we argue that the convergence processes can be established on a basis other than EU’s norms, namely, international and bilaterally developed norms. Building on this three-fold distinction, we propose a model explaining how and when policy convergence is more likely to happen on the basis of every one of these norms. The model takes into account three variables: the structure of incentives between the EU and its neighbours, mutual perceptions of legitimacy and intra-EU coherence. Based on a number of empirical examples, we illustrate that EU-based convergence is less predominant in EU’s relations with its neighbours than it is usually portrayed in the literature.
Hell on Earth
Authors: Buus Stephanie
Published: December 2009

A number of security scholars and policy-makers now approach the fictional narratives of popular culture as both a source of and a tool for imagining current and future threats and risks following the ‘failure of imagination’ that was 9/11. Building on this line of thought, this article assumes that contemporary popular fiction may be important to explorations of national and global security not only because elements of the security community have begun to turn to popular fiction in security scenario thinking and planning, but because people themselves have long turned to the popular cultural works that surround them as a particularly accessible source of security scenarios, thinking and even security practices. With the help of critical literary and cultural theories around the supernatural and crime narratology, as well as existing critical security studies scholarship, this article examines two contemporary popular cultural narratives, ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ from the United States and the Martin Beck series from Sweden, and asks how each narrative can be said to depict the new global security environment and the notion of borderless threats. How does a popular cultural fantasy narrative about energetic teens and demons in America’s low-welfare ‘Ownership Society’ represent the internal—external security boundary as compared with a long-standing popular realist narrative about tired cops and crime in Sweden’s high-welfare ‘People’s Home’? Although such a comparison may at first seem far-fetched, in this article I argue that comparing apples and oranges in this instance proves valuable, since the differing fictional modes at work in ‘Buffy’ and ‘Beck’ not only have much to say about the kinds of internal—external security images and actors that are presented in each, but also the kind of ‘security imagination’ that each narrative makes possible.
Key Currency Competition
Authors: Norrlof Carla
Published: December 2009

In this article, I investigate whether the euro is set to eclipse the dollar as the world currency. Although the euro has gained in importance at the expense of the dollar in all key currency functions, I argue that it is not about to replace the dollar as the unique currency of global importance. Notwithstanding America’s current weakness, I argue that different preferences for monetary and fiscal policy inside the euro-zone, and the need to coordinate these, will make it difficult to accommodate and correct large-scale imports over the long term. I also find that taking on the role of the world’s preferred import destination is bound to exacerbate internal differences and complicate decision-making.
Do State Policies Matter in Prosecutor-Reported Juvenile Marijuana Case Disposition?
Authors: Terry-McElrath Yvonne M. , Chriqui Jamie F. , Bates Hannalori , McBride Duane C.
Published: December 2009

This article examines outcomes for first-time juvenile marijuana possession offenders based on relationships between state policy and local prosecutor self-reported decision making. Specifically, relationships between state statutory penalty data for low-level marijuana possession offenses and prosecutor-reported case outcomes for first-offender juvenile marijuana possession cases are examined. A national sample of prosecutors was interviewed in 2000. Analyses included state statutory policy data in effect as of January 1, 1999, as well as community sociodemographic controls. Results indicated that state statutory policy significantly related to prosecutor-reported juvenile court processing as well as diversion and transfer to criminal court. State statutory policy appears to play a significant role among the legal, resource, and extralegal factors that affect prosecutorial discretion regarding juvenile substance offenders.
Measuring Responsible Environmental Behavior: Self-Reported and Other-Reported Measures and Their Differences in Testing a Behavioral Model
Authors: Chao Yu-Long , Lam San-Pui
Published: December 2009

This study used both self-reported behavior (SB) and other-reported behavior (OB) as measures of responsible environmental behavior (REB) and examined their validities. The validation process included (a) comparing the frequency of behavioral intention (BI), SB and OB; (b) comparing the model fit of Ajzen’s theory of planned behavior (TPB) with SB and OB as dependent variables respectively; and (c) testing the effect of social desirability on BI, SB, and OB. Data were collected through survey and observation. The observers were 65 students trained to observe their 172 roommates. These roommates also reported their own REBs in the survey. Results showed that frequency of BI and SB were significantly higher than those of OB, and the TPB model predicting SB fitted much better than that predicting OB. These and other findings suggest that researchers should be careful in interpreting results based solely on self-reported REB.
Ethnic and Linguistic Minorities and Political Participation in Europe
Authors: Sandovici Maria Elena , Listhaug Ola
Published: December 2009

Understanding the political behavior of ethnic minorities is important for their integration in contemporary European societies. We compare the political participation rates of ethnic and linguistic minorities to those of the majority population using data from the 2002—03 European Social Survey which covers 21 countries in Europe. Using a broad index of participation, we show that the differences between minority and majority groups are virtually zero. Only voting in national elections displays a gap between majorities and minorities. Based on a multivariate model we estimate that a person with a minority background both with reference to ethnicity and language has an 80 percent probability of voting in national elections compared to 89 percent for a person in the majority population. In making sense of these findings we have to remind ourselves that ethnic and linguistic minorities in Europe are groups that show great heterogeneity, and that not all characteristics of these groups should lead us to expect them to be less active than majority groups in every single act of political participation. This finding is in line with the emphasis of variation and heterogeneity in effects of ethnicity and language that Anderson and Paskeviciute (2006) have found in research based on aggregate indicators.
Sports and European Soccer Fans in Nigeria
Authors: Omobowale Ayokunle Olumuyiwa
Published: December 2009

Sports seem to be an aspect of culture which cuts across all societies. Though it may be principally directed at entertainment and/or leisure, it is embedded with meanings in cultures where it is practised. Soccer, as a sporting event has transcended numerous cultures over the years. Prior to the 1990s in Nigeria, soccer fans were aligned with local clubs. With increasing globalization, fans are exposed more than ever before to the performances of foreign clubs and these have inevitably resulted in a redirection of fans’ alignment with European clubs. Data for the study were collected through in-depth interviews with soccer fans in Nigeria.
The Bonded Labour System in Nepal
Authors: Giri Birendra
Published: December 2009

This in-depth study carried out over a period of one year focuses on the life-worlds of haliya and kamaiya child workers from Morang and Bardiya districts, respectively. The participants, from ethnic Musahar and Tharu backgrounds, become bonded labourers to earn household income and are unable to attend full-time schooling. While a few have managed to forge a ‘study-work’ contract with their employers, the vast majority are working in difficult circumstances just to support their families. Given the tremendous physical and psychosocial impact from being a haliya or a kamaiya worker, all children want to stop working if they could receive external support on educational and skills learning activities to improve their future life prospects.
Disconnect Between Economic Reforms and Electoral Democracy in India
Authors: Kumar Ashutosh
Published: December 2009

Indian democracy is being globally acclaimed for its ‘twin successes’, namely achieving an impressive market reforms-driven economic growth in recent years notwithstanding ongoing global recession, accompanied with a consistent practice of democracy. Against the grain of such celebration of the ‘widening’ and ‘deepening’ of democracy in India under the shadow of globalization, the article argues that even though competitive politics is being understood as an essential ‘democratic minimum’ that cannot be dispensed with at the same time the concurrent depoliticization of policy process also ensures that it need not intervene in the substantive issue of economic policy. The article makes this point by visiting India’s electoral politics since the initiation of neo-liberal economic reforms and taking note of the marked disconnect between the two.
The Status of Ngie Rural Women Farmers’ Socio-Economic Condition
Authors: Agheneza Zipporah Engow
Published: December 2009

The article examines Ngie women’s socio-economic conditions and discusses the factors that brought about these unfavorable conditions. These unfavorable conditions are due to physical, cultural and human factors. Some recommendations are suggested. The results of this article represent a synthesis of interview data gathered from rural women farmers in Ngie villages through survey, group meetings of other villages, farm visits and participant observation. The conclusion is that the women must depend on the evolution of a productive system in which environmental management, social institutions, good administration, good income-generating activities and good agricultural practices are closely linked.
Inhibition of Apoptosis in Periodontitis
Authors: Lucas H. , Bartold P.M. , Dharmapatni A.A.S.S.K. , Holding C.A. , Haynes D.R.
Published: December 2009

This study investigated whether the prolonged survival of inflammatory cells in periodontal disease could be due to the inhibition of apoptosis by tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) decoy receptors and inhibition of the terminal stages of apoptosis signaling by inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) family members. Gingival tissue samples were taken from healthy individuals and those with chronic periodontitis. The expression of TRAIL, TRAIL receptors, TUNEL, cleaved caspase-3, xIAP, and survivin was determined immunohistologically and at the level of mRNA expression. Higher levels of TRAIL and the TRAIL decoy receptor, TRAIL R4, were expressed in the diseased periodontal tissues ( p < 0.005). Statistically ( p < 0.05) higher levels of cleaved caspase-3 and the cleaved caspase-3 inhibitors, xIAP and survivin, were seen. Similar changes were seen at the level of mRNA. The results indicate that apoptosis in periodontitis may be inhibited by elevated expression of TRAIL decoy receptors and cleaved caspase-3 inhibitors.
Deformation of a Dental Ceramic following Adhesive Cementation
Authors: Isgró G. , Addison O. , Fleming G.J.P.
Published: December 2009

Stress-induced changes imparted in a ‘dentin-bonded-crown’ material during sintering, annealing, pre-cementation surface modification, and resin coating have been visualized by profilometry. The hypothesis tested was that operative techniques modify the stressing pattern throughout the material thickness. We polished the upper surfaces of 10 ceramic discs to remove surface imperfections before using a contact profilometer (40-nm resolution) to measure the ‘flatness’. Discs were re-profiled after annealing and after alumina particle air-abrasion and resin-coating of the ‘fit’ surface. Polished surfaces were convex, with a mean deflection of 8.4 ± 1.5 μm. Mean deflection was significantly reduced (P = 0.029) following alumina particle air-abrasion and increased (P < 0.001) on resin-coating. Polishing induced a tensile stress state, resulting in surface convexity. Alumina particle air-abrasion reduced the relative tensile stress state of the contralateral polished surface. Resin-polymerization generated compression within the resin-ceramic ‘hybrid layer’ and tension in the polished surface and is likely to contribute to the strengthening of ceramics by resin-based cements.
Dynamic Simulation of Lightning Attachment to Earthed Overhead Transmission Line Structures
Authors: Tavakoli Mohammad Reza Bank , Vahidi Behrooz
Published: December 2009

In this paper a novel method is presented to investigate lightning stroke attachment to earthed overhead transmission line structures. This method is based on the dynamic simulation of lightning downward leader movement toward the ground in three dimensions. To perform the simulation, a three-dimensional model for clouds, towers, wires, and a perfectly conducting ground is created. A stepping approach is also introduced in accordance with the field observations of negative downward lightning leaders to model the downward leader movement toward the ground. In each step of the leader movement, the electric field is computed numerically in all points of the simulation space and in three dimensions. Meanwhile, stable positive upward leader inception from some test points on earthed structures is tracked by means of an adopted precise model of the leader—streamer system to find the ultimate striking point. The main computational volume is occupied by an electric field calculation, which is performed using the charge simulation method. A direct movement model for the downward leader is also simulated and compared with the stepping approach. The percentage of strokes that attach to the phase wires, ground wires, and towers is extracted using this method. The maximum return stroke current for the strokes that attach to the phase wires is also computed by this dynamic simulation and is compared with the traditional methods that are available for transmission line lightning performance investigation.
Correlation of brain tissue oxygen tension with cerebral near-infrared spectroscopy and mixed venous oxygen saturation during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation
Authors: Tyree Kreangkai , Tyree Melissa , DiGeronimo Robert
Published: December 2009

The aim of this prospective, animal study was to compare brain tissue oxygen tension (PbtO2) with cerebral near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and mixed venous oxygen saturation (SVO2) during venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA ECMO) in a porcine model. This was accomplished using twelve immature piglets with surgically implanted catheters placed in the superficial cerebral cortex to measure brain PbtO2 and microdialysis metabolites. The NIRS sensor was placed overlying the forehead to measure cerebral regional saturation index (rSO2i) while SVO2 was measured directly from the ECMO circuit. Animals were placed on VA ECMO followed by an initial period of stabilization, after which they were subjected to graded hypoxia and recovery. Our results revealed that rSO2i and SVO2 correlated only marginally with PbtO2 (R2=0.32 and R2=0.26, respectively) while the correlation between rSO2i and SVO 2 was significantly stronger (R2=0.59). Cerebral metabolites and rSO2i were significantly altered during attenuation of PbtO 2, p<0.05). A subset of animals, following exposure to hypoxia, experienced markedly delayed recovery of both rSO2i and PbtO 2 despite rapid normalization of SVO2. Upon further analysis, these animals had significantly lower blood pressure (p=0.001), lower serum pH (p=0.01), and higher serum lactate (p=0.02). Additionally, in this subgroup, rSO2i correlated better with PbtO2 (R2=0.76). These findings suggest that, in our ECMO model, rSO2i and SVO 2 correlate reasonably well with each other, but not necessarily with brain PbtO2 and that NIRS-derived rSO2i may more accurately reflect cerebral tissue hypoxia in sicker animals.
Informed Choice Assistance for Women Making Uterine Fibroid Treatment Decisions: A Practical Clinical Trial
Authors: Solberg Leif I. , Asche Stephen E. , Sepucha Karen , Thygeson N. Marcus , Madden Joan E. , Morrissey Larry , Kraemer Karen K. , Anderson Louise H.
Published: December 2009

Background. There is limited evidence about how to ensure that patients are helped to make informed medical care decisions. Objective. To test a decision support intervention for uterine fibroid treatments. Design and Setting. Practical clinical trial to test informed choice assistance in 4 randomly assigned gynecology clinics compared to 5 others providing a pamphlet. Patients. Three hundred women facing a treatment decision for fibroids over a 13-month period. Intervention. Mailed DVD and brochure about fibroid treatments plus the Ottawa decision guide and an offer of counseling soon after an index visit. Measurements. Mailed survey 6 to 8 weeks later asking about knowledge, preferences, and satisfaction with decision support. Results. In total, 244 surveys were completed for an adjusted response rate of 85.4%. On a 5-point scale, intervention subjects reported more treatment options being mentioned (3.0 v. 2.4), had a higher knowledge score (3.3 v. 2.8), and were more likely to report being adequately informed (4.4 v. 4.0), and their decision was both more satisfactory (4.3 v. 4.0) and more consistent with their personal values (4.5 v. 4.2). Neither knowledge nor use of the intervention was associated with greater concordance between preferences and decisions. Limitations. Implementation of intervention may not have been well timed to the decision for some patients, limiting their use of the materials and counseling. Conclusion. It is difficult to integrate structured decision support consistently into practice. Decision support for benign uterine conditions showed effects on knowledge and satisfaction but not on concordance.
Chains and Ladders: Exploring the Opportunities for Workforce Development and Poverty Reduction in the Hospital Sector
Authors: Nelson Marla , Wolf-Powers Laura
Published: December 2009

In this article, the authors investigate the potential of hospitals to offer low- and semiskilled workers employment and advancement options.This study uses the job chains approach to measuring economic development impacts devised by Persky, Felsenstein, and Carlson to compare hospitals with three other industries highly concentrated in central cities and examines the practical challenges facing workforce development professionals. The findings suggest that growth in hospital employment has the potential to outstrip the impact of growth in accommodations, legal services, and securities and commodities on the well-being of low-income workers and should prompt economic development practitioners to take the sector more seriously as a locus for attention and investment. To maximize welfare gain and distributional equity, economic development policy makers must accompany investments in health care—based economic development both with strategies to promote skills attainment and credentialing among low-paid health care workers and with formal strategies to facilitate upward movement.
Factors Sustaining Pediatric Adherence to Antiretroviral Therapy in Western Kenya
Authors: Vreeman Rachel C. , Nyandiko Winstone M. , Ayaya Samwel O. , Walumbe Eunice G. , Marrero David G. , Inui Thomas S.
Published: December 2009

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) requires nearly perfect adherence to be effective. Although 90% of HIV-infected children live in Africa, there are limited data on pediatric adherence from this multicultural continent.We conducted a qualitative study to identify key factors contributing to pediatric ART adherence. Ten focus group discussions (N = 85) and 35 individual interviews were conducted with parents and guardians of HIV-infected children receiving ART in western Kenya. Interviews covered multiple aspects of the experience of having children take ART and factors that inhibited or facilitated medication adherence. Constant comparison, progressive coding, and triangulation methods were used to arrive at a culturally contextualized, conceptual model for pediatric ART adherence derived from the descriptions of the lived experience in this resource-limited setting. Child care, including sustained ART adherence, depends on interacting cultural and environmental determinants at the levels of the individual child, parent/caregiver, household, community, health care system, and society.
Child Abuse in Young, HIV-Positive Women: Linkages to Risk
Authors: Clum Gretchen A. , Andrinopoulos Katherine , Muessig Kathryn , Ellen, Jonathan M. ,   and The Adolescent Medicine Trials Network for HIV/AIDS Interventions
Published: December 2009

In this article we explore the lives of young women living with HIV who experienced physical and/or sexual abuse in childhood. Using a modified version of the Life Story Interview, 40 women recruited from HIV clinics in three different states participated in a qualitative interview. Interviews covered abuse experiences, cognitive and emotional consequences of abuse, coping strategies, and sexual behavior and relationships. Overall, these young women had complex abuse histories, often experiencing more than one type of abuse in the context of other difficult life events. Avoidance and substance use were frequently utilized as coping strategies for abuse-related distress. Young women reported sexual and relationship concerns, including avoidance of sex, sexual dysfunction, sex as a trigger for abuse memories, and difficulty establishing intimacy and trust. Relationships between abuse-related reactions and sexual risk behavior, as well as recommendations for interventions, are discussed.
Intravascular Large B-Cell Lymphoma of the Uterus
Authors: Yamamoto Tomoko , Morita Kazuo , Iriyama Noriyoshi , Wakui Kiyotaka , Hiroi Atsuko , Sawada Tatsuo , Masuda Akihiro , Kobayashi Makio
Published: December 2009

Intravascular lymphoma (IVL) of the uterus, a rare manifestation of malignant lymphoma, was diagnosed in a 71-year-old woman, who had fever, edema, and genital bleeding. Only 4 cases of uterine IVL have been reported in detail in the literature in English, to the author’s knowledge. The patient was treated with total hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, accompanied by subsequent chemotherapy in combination with rituximab. Preoperative endometrial cytology and biopsy showed atypical lymphocytes intermingled with nonneoplastic epithelial cells. Intravascular proliferation of atypical lymphocytes was detected by histological examination of the resected materials, in which almost the entire uterine structure, including a large endometrial polyp, ovaries, and uterine tubes were involved. Immunohistochemically, tumor cells were positive for CD20 and CD79a and negative for CD5 and CD10. In situ hybridization for Epstein-Barr virus was negative. IVL generally has a poor prognosis. However, in the present case, the patient has been disease free for at least 51 months, and a favorable outcome can be expected.
“What Has It Been Like for You to Talk With Me Today?”: The Impact of Participating in Interview Research on Rape Survivors
Authors: Campbell Rebecca , Adams Adrienne E. , Wasco Sharon M. , Ahrens Courtney E. , Sefl Tracy
Published: December 2009

The purpose of this project was to conduct a qualitative study of how participating in in-depth interviews impacted rape survivors. These interviews contained both open-ended, free response section and closed-ended, standardized assessments. The implementation of the interviews was informed by principles of feminist interviewing, which emphasized reducing hierarchy between the interviewer and interviewee, providing information and resources, and creating an emotionally supportive and compassionate setting. Narrative data were analyzed from rape survivors ( N = 92) regarding how they were affected by participating in these interviews. Results suggested that the overwhelming majority of survivors found the interview to be a helpful, supportive, and insightful experience. Additional analyses revealed that the feminist interviewing principles were noticed and appreciated by the participants and contributed to their overall positive participation outcomes.
“A Fool to Keep Staying”: Battered Women Labeling Themselves Stupid as an Expression of Gendered Shame
Authors: Enander Viveka
Published: December 2009

In this qualitative study with women who have left abusive heterosexual relationships, the informants labeling themselves stupid is investigated. Several different meanings ascribed to stupidity were found, with feeling stupid for allowing oneself to be mistreated and for staying in the abusive relationship as main themes. Four frames for interpreting the findings are presented: abusive relationship dynamics, gendered shame, the gender-equality-oriented Nordic context, and leaving processes. It is proposed that feeling— and labeling oneself—stupid is an expression of gendered shame or, more explicitly, of battered shame.
“But Sometimes I Think . . . They Put Themselves in the Situation”: Exploring Blame and Responsibility in Interpersonal Violence
Authors: Thapar-Björkert Suruchi , Morgan Karen J.
Published: December 2009

This article draws on narratives of volunteers working with women who have experienced violence. It explores how institutional discourses nurture a culture of blame and responsibility. Using qualitative data, it examines the ways in which women victims are seen as complicit in their own victimization. An indirect consequence of the blame/responsibility dichotomy is that victims are depicted as deserving their fate. There is, therefore, a culture of resignation in which violence is normalized. It proposes that if institutional practices are embedded in a feminist tradition, they can provide a more sustainable framework for challenging sexual and domestic violence.
Effects of Dexamethasone on Pulmonary and Renal Functions in Patients Undergoing CABG With Cardiopulmonary Bypass
Authors: Yasser Mohamed Amr  , Elmistekawy Elsayed , El-serogy Hesham
Published: December 2009

This study evaluates whether dexamesathone in patients undergoing CABG using CPB results in better renal and pulmonary outcome. Methods: 100 patients were randomized to receive either placebo or dexamethasone (1 mg/ kg, at induction of anesthesia and 0.5 mg/kg 8 h later). Results: The differences regarding pulmonary parameters over times were significant in relation to measurements taken 10 minutes after intubation within groups; nevertheless, differences were significant between groups only at 12, 24 hours for A-a O2 gradient, respiratory index, PaO2/FiO2 ratio. Dexamethasone had no effect on extubation time. Creatinine clearance, urinary micro albumin excretion and (NAG) levels were comparable in both the groups. The dexamethasone treated patients were more likely to have hyperglycemia. Conclusions: Dexamethasone offers no renal protective effect and the drug is associated with significant improvement in A-a O2 gradient, respiratory index, PaO2/FiO 2 at 12, 24 hours postoperatively and had no effect on extubation time and lung compliance.
An Examination of Item Response Theory Item Fit Indices for the Graded Response Model
Authors: LaHuis David M. , Clark Patrick , O'Brien Erin
Published: December 2009

The current study examined the Type I error rates and power of several item response theory (IRT) item fit indices used in conjunction with the graded response model (GRM). Specifically, S — χ2, χ2*, and adjusted χ 2 degrees of freedom ratios (χ2/dfs) were examined. Model misfit was introduced by manipulating item parameters and by using a different IRT model to generate item data. Results indicated lower than expected Type I error rates for S — χ2 and χ 2*. Adjusted χ2/dfs resulted in large Type I error rates when used with cross validation and very low Type I error rates when used without cross validation. χ2* and adjusted χ 2/dfs without cross validation were the most powerful overall.
Common Method Bias in Regression Models With Linear, Quadratic, and Interaction Effects
Authors: Siemsen Enno , Roth Aleda , Oliveira Pedro
Published: December 2009

This research analyzes the effects of common method variance (CMV) on parameter estimates in bivariate linear, multivariate linear, quadratic, and interaction regression models. The authors demonstrate that CMV can either inflate or deflate bivariate linear relationships, depending on the degree of symmetry with which CMV affects the observed measures. With respect to multivariate linear relationships, they show that common method bias generally decreases when additional independent variables suffering from CMV are included in a regression equation. Finally, they demonstrate that quadratic and interaction effects cannot be artifacts of CMV. On the contrary, both quadratic and interaction terms can be severely deflated through CMV, making them more difficult to detect through statistical means.
Perceived effects of the Master of Music in music education on P—12 teaching practice
Authors: Conway Colleen , Eros John , Stanley Anne Marie
Published: December 2009

The purpose of this study was to examine teacher perceptions ( N = 9) of the effect of the Master of Music (MM) in Music Education degree on teaching practice and student (P—12) achievement. Research questions included: (1) How do graduates discuss the connections between their teaching practices and their coursework? (2) What changes in P—12 musical achievement do they perceive may be effects of graduate education? Data sources included: an online survey, participant journals, and individual interviews. All data sets were reviewed and coded for common themes. Findings suggest that participants discussed music performance, connecting research with practice, and a ‘re-interaction’ with undergraduate content as they drew connections between their MM studies and teaching practice. Participants did believe there was a relationship between the graduate degree and student achievement; however, they were unable to pinpoint a direct link. We also discuss: (1) the thesis or exam as a powerful connection between coursework and teaching practice; (2) the value of the community of learners in a MM program; and (3) questions regarding the development of an identity as a teacher/scholar.
Differences in self-rated health among older immigrants — A comparison between older Finland-Swedes and Finns in Sweden
Authors: Kulla Gunilla E. , Ekman Sirkka-Lsa , Heikkilä A. Kristina , Sarvimäki Anneli M.
Published: December 2009

Aims: Research has shown a tendency among immigrants and ethnic minorities to have a lower health status compared with the majority population. This applies to Finnish immigrants in Sweden. This group, however, also consists of persons who belong to a small ethnic minority in Finland, the Finland-Swedes, who speak Swedish as their mother tongue. In Finland, this minority has been shown to have better health and longer lives than the majority of Finnish-speaking people. Most of the previous research has studied the objective health of immigrants and minorities, while less is known about their subjective health. The aim of this study was to describe and compare self-rated health in older Finland-Swedes and Finns living as immigrants in Sweden. Methods: The study was carried out as a sample-based cross-sectional study. Data was collected by a postal structured questionnaire. The response rate among the Finland-Swedes was 47% (n = 169) and among the Finns was 54% (n = 643). Data was analyzed descriptively and tested with Pearson’s chi-square test. Results: The results showed significant differences between the language groups in self-rated health, age of retirement and causes for retirement. The Finland-Swede immigrants rated their health as better than the Finnish-speaking ones. They had retired at an older age and less frequently because of health problems. Conclusions: The results indicate that there may be significant differences in health, at least in subjective health, between immigrant groups. Due to the low response rate, the results cannot be generalized.
Childe and Oxford
Authors: Champion Timothy
Published: December 2009

Childe's time as a student in Oxford has received little critical attention, partly because of an apparent lack of evidence. His reasons for going to Oxford are explored, and attention is drawn to two factors: the role of one of his tutors in Sydney, W.J. Woodhouse; and the state of prehistoric European studies in England at the time, dominated by Oxford and the figures of Arthur Evans and John Myres. Childe's study visit to Greece in 1915 is discussed and it is suggested that he had already embarked on his major research project before it was interrupted by the unexpected duration of the First World War. He left Oxford in 1917 to return to Australia, and though he may have feared conscription, the impossibility of pursuing his archaeological research was also a critical factor. In 1921 Childe returned to England and soon resumed the project he had started and suspended.
Looking for Trouble: A Recent History of Girls, Young Women and Youth Justice
Authors: Gelsthorpe Loraine , Worrall Anne
Published: December 2009

This article summarizes key issues in the historical conceptualization of, and responses to, girls’ delinquency. Drawing on historical material, we tease out distinctive elements of the conception and perception of girls’ delinquency in England and Wales. We demonstrate some of the inherent and pervasive myths, muddles and misconceptions in their treatment and outline the implicit as well as the explicit reinforcement of gender stereotypes which have informed theory, policy and practice over time. Yet whilst ‘welfare’ perspectives have often brought trouble for girls in terms of excessive intervention, modern ‘justice’ perspectives have perhaps criminalized girls’ genuine welfare needs.