bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prediction of Prostate-Specific Antigen Recurrence in Men with Long-term Follow-up Postprostatectomy Using Quantitative Nuclear Morphometry
Authors: Veltri Robert W. , Miller M. Craig , Isharwal Sumit , Marlow Cameron , Makarov Danil V. , Partin Alan W.
Published: January 2008

Background: Nuclear morphometric signatures can be calculated using nuclear size, shape, DNA content, and chromatin texture descriptors [nuclear morphometric descriptor (NMD)]. We evaluated the use of a patient-specific quantitative nuclear grade (QNG) alone and in combination with routine pathologic features to predict biochemical [prostate-specific antigen (PSA)] recurrence-free survival in patients with prostate cancer.

Methods: The National Cancer Institute Cooperative Prostate Cancer Tissue Resource (NCI-CPCTR) tissue microarray was prepared from radical prostatectomy cases treated in 1991 to 1992. We assessed 112 cases (72 nonrecurrences and 40 PSA recurrences) with long-term follow-up. Images of Feulgen DNA–stained nuclei were captured and the NMDs were calculated using the AutoCyte system. Multivariate logistic regression was used to calculate QNG and pathology-based solutions for prediction of PSA recurrence. Kaplan-Meier survival curves and predictive probability graphs were generated.

Results: A QNG signature using the variance of 14 NMDs yielded an area under the receiver operator characteristic curve (AUC-ROC) of 80% with a sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 75% at a predictive probability threshold of ≥0.39. A pathology model using the pathologic stage and Gleason score yielded an AUC-ROC of 67% with a sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 70%, 50%, and 57%, respectively, at a predictive probability threshold of ≥0.35. Combining QNG, pathologic stage, and Gleason score yielded a model with an AUC-ROC of 81% with a sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 75%, 78%, and 77%, respectively, at a predictive probability threshold of ≥0.34.

Conclusions: PSA recurrence is more accurately predicted using the QNG signature compared with routine pathology information alone. Inclusion of a morphometry signature, routine pathology, and new biomarkers should improve the prognostic value of information collected at surgery. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2008;17(1):102–10)
Meat and Meat Mutagens and Risk of Prostate Cancer in the Agricultural Health Study
Authors: Koutros Stella , Cross Amanda J. , Sandler Dale P. , Hoppin Jane A. , Ma Xiaomei , Zheng Tongzhang , Alavanja Michael C.R. , Sinha Rashmi
Published: January 2008

Meats cooked at high temperatures, such as pan-frying or grilling, are a source of carcinogenic heterocyclic amines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. We prospectively examined the association between meat types, meat cooking methods, meat doneness, and meat mutagens and the risk for prostate cancer in the Agricultural Health Study. We estimated relative risks and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for prostate cancer using Cox proportional hazards regression using age as the underlying time metric and adjusting for state of residence, race, smoking status, and family history of prostate cancer. During 197,017 person-years of follow-up, we observed 668 incident prostate cancer cases (613 of these were diagnosed after the first year of follow-up and 140 were advanced cases) among 23,080 men with complete dietary data. We found no association between meat type or specific cooking method and prostate cancer risk. However, intake of well or very well done total meat was associated with a 1.26-fold increased risk of incident prostate cancer (95% CI, 1.02-1.54) and a 1.97-fold increased risk of advanced disease (95% CI, 1.26-3.08) when the highest tertile was compared with the lowest. Risks for the two heterocyclic amines 2-amino-3,4,8-trimethylimidazo-[4,5-f]quinoxaline and 2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo-[4,5-b]quinoxaline were of borderline significance for incident disease [1.24 (95% CI, 0.96-1.59) and 1.20 (95% CI, 0.93-1.55), respectively] when the highest quintile was compared with the lowest. In conclusion, well and very well done meat was associated with an increased risk for prostate cancer in this cohort. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2008;17(1):80–7)
Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs and Risk of Esophageal and Gastric Adenocarcinomas in Los Angeles County
Authors: Duan Lei , Wu Anna H. , Sullivan-Halley Jane , Bernstein Leslie
Published: January 2008

Background: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use has been associated with a reduced risk of colon cancer; further epidemiologic data appear consistent for stomach and esophageal adenocarcinomas. Yet, data on potential confounding effects by upper gastrointestinal tract (UGI) disorders on adenocarcinomas of the UGI are limited.

Methods: This study recruited newly diagnosed patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma (n = 220), gastric cardia adenocarcinoma (n = 277), or distal gastric adenocarcinoma (n = 441) as well as 1,356 control subjects in Los Angeles County. Unconditional multivariable logistic regression analyses were done to evaluate the association between regular NSAID use, at least two pills per week for 1 month, and these cancers.

Results: Duration of regular use of aspirin and non-aspirin NSAIDs was associated with reduced relative odds of distal gastric adenocarcinoma [>5 years use versus no regular use: odds ratio (OR), 0.61; 95% confidence interval, 0.40-0.92; Ptrend = 0.009] and esophageal adenocarcinoma (OR, 0.60; 95% confidence interval, 0.38-0.95; Ptrend = 0.04) in multivariable models that included history of UGI disorders and other potential confounding factors. Daily regular use was also associated with statistically significant reduced ORs of these two tumor types. No significant heterogeneity in risk estimates was noted after stratification by history of UGI disorders for any of the sites studied. However, irregular users of NSAIDs also had reduced risk of these cancers when compared with nonusers.

Conclusions: Results from this study support an inverse association between regular NSAID use and risk of esophageal and distal gastric adenocarcinomas in individuals with and without a history of UGI disorders with long duration and daily use, providing the greatest risk reduction. Reduced risk in irregular users suggests that factors other than an effect on cyclooxygenase may also be important. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2008;17(1):126–34)
Full-term Pregnancy Induces a Specific Genomic Signature in the Human Breast
Authors: Russo Jose , Balogh Gabriela A. , Russo Irma H. ,   and the Fox Chase Cancer Center Hospital Network Participants
Published: January 2008

Breast cancer risk has traditionally been linked to nulliparity or late first full-term pregnancy, whereas young age at first childbirth, multiparity, and breast-feeding are associated with a reduced risk. Early pregnancy confers protection by inducing breast differentiation, which imprints a specific and permanent genomic signature in experimental rodent models. For testing whether the same phenomenon was detectable in the atrophic breast of postmenopausal parous women, we designed a case-control study for the analysis of the gene expression profile of RNA extracted from epithelial cells microdissected from normal breast tissues obtained from 18 parous and 7 nulliparous women free of breast pathology (controls), and 41 parous and 8 nulliparous women with history of breast cancer (cases). RNA was hybridized to cDNA glass microarrays containing 40,000 genes; arrays were scanned and the images were analyzed using ImaGene software version 4.2. Normalization and statistical analysis were carried out using Linear Models for Microarrays and GeneSight software for hierarchical clustering. The parous control group contained 2,541 gene sequences representing 18 biological processes that were differentially expressed in comparison with the other three groups. Hierarchical clustering of these genes revealed that the combined parity/absence of breast cancer data generated a distinct genomic profile that differed from those of the breast cancer groups, irrespective of parity history, and from the nulliparous cancer-free group, which has been traditionally identified as a high-risk group. The signature that identifies those women in whom parity has been protective will serve as a molecular biomarker of differentiation for evaluating the potential use of preventive agents. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2008;17(1):51–66)
Insulin-Like Growth Factor Axis and Oncogenic Human Papillomavirus Natural History
Authors: Harris Tiffany G. , Burk Robert D. , Yu Herbert , Minkoff Howard , Massad L. Stewart , Watts D. Heather , Zhong Ye , Gange Stephen , Kaplan Robert C. , Anastos Kathryn , Levine Alexandra M. , Moxley Michael , Xue Xiaonan , Fazzari Melissa , Palefsky Joel M. , Strickler Howard D.
Published: January 2008

High serum levels of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) are reported to be a risk factor for several common cancers, and recent cross-sectional data suggest a possible additional association of IGF-I with cervical neoplasia. To prospectively assess whether circulating IGF-I levels influence the natural history of oncogenic human papillomavirus (HPV), the viral cause of cervical cancer, we conducted a pilot investigation of 137 women who underwent semiannual type-specific HPV DNA PCR testing and cervical cytology. Total IGF-I and IGF binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3), the most abundant IGFBP in circulation, were measured using baseline serum specimens. Having a high IGF-I/IGFBP-3 ratio was associated with increased persistence of oncogenic HPV infection [that is, a lower rate of clearance; adjusted hazard ratio (AHR), 0.14; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 0.04-0.57], whereas IGFBP-3 was inversely associated with both the incident detection of oncogenic HPV (AHR, 0.35; 95% CI, 0.13-0.93) and the incidence of oncogenic HPV-positive cervical neoplasia (that is, squamous intraepithelial lesions at risk of progression; AHR, 0.07; 95% CI, 0.01-0.66). These prospective data provide initial evidence that the IGF axis may influence the natural history of oncogenic HPV. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2008;17(1):245–8)
Aberrant DNA Methylation ofP16, MGMT, andhMLH1Genes in Combination withMTHFRC677T Genetic Polymorphism in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Wang JianMing , Sasco Annie J. , Fu ChaoWei , Xue HengChuan , Guo GuoPing , Hua ZhaoLai , Zhou Qing , Jiang QingWu , Xu Biao
Published: January 2008

To explore the role of aberrant hypermethylation of cancer-related genes, such as P16, MGMT, and hMLH1, in the esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) as well as its relation to dietary folate intake and MTHFR C677T polymorphism, we conducted a molecular epidemiologic study in China. One hundred and twenty-five histologically confirmed ESCC patients having undergone surgery in the Yangzhong People's Hospital between January 2005 and March 2006 were recruited. The aberrant CpG island hypermethylation of P16, MGMT, and hMLH1 genes could be found in cancer tissues with frequency of about 88.0%, 27.2%, and 3.2%, respectively, and in remote normal-appearing esophageal tissues with frequency of about 36.8%, 11.2%, and 0.0%, respectively. No hypermethylation was found in the normal esophageal tissues from healthy controls. Compared with those patients without lymph node metastasis, MGMT gene showed a higher proportion of hypermethylation in cancer tissues, whereas P16 gene showed a higher proportion of hypermethylation in remote normal-appearing esophageal tissues in patients with lymph node metastasis. A significant association was found between MTHFR C677T genetic polymorphism and CpG island methylation status of MGMT gene. After adjustment for potential confounders, individuals carrying CT or TT genotype have higher frequency of hypermethylation in MGMT gene in cancer tissues, with odds ratio of 3.34 (95% confidence interval, 1.07-10.39) and 3.83 (95% confidence interval, 1.13-12.94), respectively. This study indicated that the aberrant CpG island hypermethylation of cancer-related genes was associated with ESCC and might be a promising biomarker in diagnosis and prognosis. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2008;17(1):118–25)
Lung Ultrasound in Respiratory Distress Syndrome: A Useful Tool for Early Diagnosis
Authors: Copetti Roberto , Cattarossi Luigi , Macagno Franco , Violino Marco , Furlan Riccardo
Published: January 2008

Background: Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) is a severe form of neonatal respiratory distress which occurs almost exclusively in premature infants. At present, the diagnosis is based on radiological findings and clinical course. Lung ultrasound in RDS has not yet been fully assessed. Objectives: The aim of the study was to define the ultrasonographic appearance of RDS and evaluate its clinical relevance. Methods: Lung sonography was performed in 40 newborn infants with radiological and clinical signs of RDS (mean gestational age 27.2 ± 2.7 weeks, mean birth weight 1,057 ± 361 g) and in 15 preterm infants without RDS (mean gestational age 30.4 ± 3.4 weeks, mean birth weight 1,775 ± 669 g). Results: In all the studied infants with RDS, lung ultrasound consistently showed generalized alveolar-interstitial syndrome (echographic ‘white lung’), pleural line abnormalities (small subpleural consolidations, thickening, irregularity and coarse appearance) and an absence of areas with a normal pattern (‘spared areas’). When presented simultaneously, these signs identify RDS with a sensitivity and specificity of 100%. Conclusions: We found that lung ultrasound is a reliable tool in the diagnosis of RDS. We speculate that it may be considered as a screening method for the diagnosis of RDS, and for early administration of surfactant in preterm infants with respiratory distress.
Functional Disability in Early Alzheimer’s Disease – A Validation Study of the Italian Version of the Disability Assessment for Dementia Scale
Authors: De Vreese Luc Pieter , Caffarra Paolo , Savarè Rita , Cerutti Renata , Franceschi Massimo , Grossi Enzo
Published: January 2008

Aim: To determine the applicability and psychometric properties of the Italian version of the Disability Assessment of Dementia scale (DAD-I) in a community-residing population with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Methods: The DAD-I was administered to the primary caregivers of 159 patients (mean age ± SD 77.1 ± 5.2) with mild AD (mean Mini Mental State Examination, MMSE, ± SD 23.1 ± 2.2). Results: The DAD-I showed excellent internal consistency reliability (Cronbach’s α = 0.92) and good construct validity. The DAD-I score was not significantly associated with gender, education and presumed duration of the illness, and had a low negative correlation with age. The DAD-I score correlated moderately with the traditional Instrumental Activities of Daily Living and Activities of Daily Living scales, respectively, with r = 0.53 and r = 0.54 (p < 0.0001). Relatively low, but statistically significant correlations (r ranging between 0.21 and 0.31) with the MMSE were also found. Conclusion: The DAD-I was found to be a reliable and valid instrument to assess functional disability in community-dwelling Italian subjects with early-stage AD.
Psychotic Symptoms in Frontotemporal Dementia: Prevalence and Review
Authors: Mendez Mario F. , Shapira Jill S. , Woods Rochelle J. , Licht Eliot A. , Saul Ronald E.
Published: January 2008

Background/Aims: Although most patients with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) present with neuropsychiatric symptoms, the frequency of psychotic symptoms is unclear. This study aims to determine the prevalence of psychotic symptoms in a large cohort of well-diagnosed and followed FTD patients compared to age-matched patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and to further review the literature on psychosis in FTD. Methods: Delusions, hallucinations and paranoia were evaluated among 86 patients who met consensus criteria for FTD, had frontotemporal changes on functional neuroimaging and were followed for 2 years. They were compared to 23 patients with early-onset AD on a caregiver-administered psychiatric questionnaire. Results: Among the FTD patients, only 2 (2.3%) had delusions, 1 of whom had paranoid ideation; no FTD patient had hallucinations. This was significantly less than the AD patients, 4 (17.4%) of whom had delusions and paranoia. Other investigations fail to establish a significant association of psychosis with FTD. Conclusions: These findings, and a literature review, indicate that psychotic symptoms are rare in FTD, possibly due to limited temporal-limbic involvement in this disorder.
Altered Expression of miR-21, miR-31, miR-143 and miR-145 Is Related to Clinicopathologic Features of Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Slaby O. , Svoboda M. , Fabian P. , Smerdova T. , Knoflickova D. , Bednarikova M. , Nenutil R. , Vyzula R.
Published: January 2008

Objectives: Development and metastases of colorectal cancer (CRC) are characterized by multiple genetic alterations. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenously expressed regulatory noncoding RNAs. Previous, mainly preclinical studies showed altered expression levels of several miRNAs in CRC. Methods: In our study, the expression levels of miR-21, miR-31, miR-143 and miR-145 in 29 primary colorectal carcinomas and 6 non-tumor adjacent tissue specimens were examined by real-time polymerase chain reaction. miRNA expression levels were also correlated with commonly used clinicopath-ologic features of CRC. Results: Expression levels of analyzed miRNAs significantly differed among tumors and adjacent non-tumor tissues: miR-21 (p = 0.0001) and miR-31 (p = 0.0006) were upregulated, and miR-143 (p = 0.011) and miR-145 (p = 0.003) were downregulated in tumors. For the first time, a high expression of miR-21 was associated with lymph node positivity (p = 0.025) and the development of distant metastases (p = 0.009) in CRC patients. Thus, expression of miR-21 correlated with CRC clinical stage (p = 0.032). Furthermore, tumors >50 mm in maximal tumor diameter were characterized by lower expression of miR-143 (p = 0.006) and miR-145 (p = 0.003). We found no correlation between analyzed miRNAs and serum levels of carcinoembryonic antigen. Conclusion: Our results suggest possible roles of miR-21, miR-31, miR-143 and miR-145 in CRC.
Evaluation of a Fast-Running Urban Dispersion Modeling System Using Joint Urban 2003 Field Data
Authors: Hendricks Eric A. , Diehl Steve R. , Burrows Donald A. , Keith Robert
Published: January 2008

An urban dispersion modeling system was evaluated using the Joint Urban 2003 field data. The system consists of a fast-running urban airflow model (RUSTIC, for Realistic Urban Spread and Transport of Intrusive Contaminants) that is coupled with a Lagrangian particle transport and diffusion model (MESO) that uses random-walk tracer diffusion techniques. Surface measurements from fast-response and integrated bag samplers were used to evaluate model performance in predicting near-field (less than 1 km from the source) dispersion in the Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, central business district. Comparisons were made for six different intense operating periods (IOPs) composed of three different release locations and stable nighttime and unstable daytime meteorological conditions. Overall, the models were shown to have an underprediction bias of 47%. A possible influence to this underprediction is that the higher density of sulfur hexafluoride in comparison with air was not taken into account in the simulations. The models were capable of predicting 42% of the sampler data within a factor of 2 and 83% of the data within a factor of 10. When the effects of large-scale atmospheric turbulence were included, the models were shown to be capable of predicting 51% of the data within a factor of 2. The results were further broken down into performance for varying meteorological conditions. For daytime releases, the models performed reasonably well; for nighttime releases the models performed more poorly. Two possible causes of the poorer nighttime comparisons are (a) an inability to model the suppression of vertical turbulence because of the assumption of isotropy in RUSTIC’s k–ω turbulence model and (b) difficulty in modeling the light and variable inflow winds. The best comparisons were found for the three continuous daytime releases of IOP-4. It was hypothesized that these good comparisons were a result of steadier inflow conditions combined with the fact that the release site was more exposed and closer to the sodar used for the inflow meteorological conditions.
Urban Dispersion Modeling: Comparison with Single-Building Measurements
Authors: Diehl Steve R. , Burrows Donald A. , Hendricks Eric A. , Keith Robert
Published: January 2008

Two models have been developed to predict airflow and dispersion in urban environments. The first model, the Realistic Urban Spread and Transport of Intrusive Contaminants (RUSTIC) model, is a fast-running urban airflow code that rapidly converges to a numerical solution of a modified set of the compressible Navier–Stokes equations. RUSTIC uses the k–ω turbulence model with a buoyancy production term to handle atmospheric stability effects. The second model, “MESO,” is a Lagrangian particle transport and dispersion code that predicts concentrations of a released chemical or biological agent in urban or rural areas. As a preliminary validation of the models, concentrations simulated by MESO are compared with experimental data from wind-tunnel testing of dispersion around both a multistory rectangular building and a single-story L-shaped building. For the rectangular building, trace gas is forced out at the base of the downwind side, whereas for the L-shaped building, trace gas is forced out of a side door in the inner corner of the “L.” The MESO–RUSTIC combination is set up with the initial conditions of the wind-tunnel experiment, and the steady-state concentrations simulated by the models are compared with the wind-tunnel data. For the multistory building, a dense set of detector locations was available downwind at ground level. For the L-shaped building, concentration data were available at three heights in a lateral plane at a distance of one building height downwind of the lee side. A favorable comparison between model simulations and test data is shown for both buildings.
The capabilities approach and violence against women
Authors: Pyles Loretta
Published: January 2008

English

The capabilities approach attends to the unique situation of poor women in the context of social development, as exemplified in such concepts as household inequality and bodily integrity. The article clarifies how being safe from physical and sexual assault is critical as a social development issue.

French

L'approche centrée sur les capacités s'intéresse aux situations mettant en cause les femmes en situation de pauvreté dans le contexte du développement social comme l'illustrent les notions d'inégalité intra-ménage et d'intégrité physique. Cet article montre comment la protection contre les violences physiques et sexuelles est un enjeu clé pour le développement social.

Spanish

El enfoque de capacidades atiende a la situación única de las mujeres pobres en el contexto del desarrollo social como es ejemplificado en conceptos tales como 'hogar deigual' y 'integridad corporal'. Este artículo clarifica como la seguridad contra el asalto físico y sexual es crítico como tema del desarrollo social.
Children's rights: a challenge for social work
Authors: Roose Rudi , De Bie Maria
Published: January 2008

English

A children's rights approach to social work might have adverse consequences for children and parents when it ignores a view on rights as a lever for commitment and the question of how these rights can be realized in different contexts and with respect for the rights of other actors involved.

French

Une approche de travail social centrée sur les droits des enfants peut avoir des conséquences négatives auprès des enfants et des parents lorsqu'elle ne considère pas les droits comme un levier pour l'engagement et lorsqu'elle ne tient pas compte de la façon dont ces droits peuvent s'exercer dans différents contextes et en regard des droits des autres acteurs concernés.

Spanish

Abordar el trabajo social desde el punto de vista de los derechos de los niños puede tener consecuencias negativas para los niños y los padres cuando ignora una visión de derechos como palanca de dedicación y compromiso, y cuando ignora el cómo los derechos pueden realizarse en distintos contextos respetando los derechos de otros actores.
The nature of practice wisdom in social work revisited
Authors: Chu William C.K. , Tsui Ming-sum
Published: January 2008

English

Social work knowledge cannot be adequately articulated by the positivistic epistemology. It arises from the judgements rather than the techniques. Forms of knowledge acquisition and utilization must be reinvented so that there is a close and equal partnership among the profession, practitioners and students. This will enable social workers to discover, articulate and use their knowledge most effectively.

French

L'épistémologie positiviste ne permet d'articuler adéquatement le savoir en travail social. Celle-ci découle davantage des préjugés que des techniques. Les façons d'acquérir et d'utiliser le savoir demandent à être repensées de manière à établir un partenariat serré, sur une base d'égalité entre la profession, les practiciens et les étudiants. Les travailleurs sociaux pourront ainsi découvrir, articuler et exploiter le savoir de façon plus efficace.

Spanish

El conocimiento de trabajo social no puede ser adecuadamente articulado por la epistemología positivista. Ya que este conocimiento surge de opiniones, criterios más que técnicas. Formas de adquisición y utilización de conocimiento debe ser reinventada de tal manera que exista una colaboración igualitaria entre la profesión, practicantes y estudiantes. Esta colaboración ayudara trabajadores sociales a descubrir, articular y usar nuestro conocimiento más efectivamente.
The welfare state in the wake of globalization
Authors: Lyngstad Rolv
Published: January 2008

English

The article starts with a discussion of recent developments in the Norwegian welfare state. It focuses on the welfare promises of the present centre-left majority government and asks if an ambitious welfare-state policy is possible in an international climate of globalization and a market-oriented economy. It is decisive that social work educators and the profession addresses these questions if the core values of the welfare state are to prevail.

French

Cet article s'appuie sur les récents développements du système de sécurité publique de la Norvège et examine les promesses du présent gouvernement majoritaire de centre-gauche en matière de sécurité sociale, tout en s'interrogeant sur la viabilité d'une ambitieuse politique d'état-providence dans le contexte de la mondialisation et d'une économie centrée sur les marchés à l'échelle internationale. Il est impératif que les enseignants en travail social et que la profession tout entière s'interrogent à savoir si les valeurs de base de l'état-providence subsisteront.

Spanish

Este artículo parte de los desarrollos recientes en el Estado de Bienestar de Noruega. Se enfoca en las promesas del presente gobierno mayoritario de centro-izquierda, y se pregunta si es posible una política ambiciosa estatal de bienestar, en un clima internacional de globalización y una economía orientada hacia el mercado. Es importante que los profesores y profesionales del trabajo social se planteen estas cuestiones si los valores básicos del estado de bienestar han de prevalecer.
Warlike Democracies
Authors: Ferejohn John , McCall Rosenbluth Frances
Published: January 2008

Classical republican theories are monadic in the sense of seeing in each political regime a set of typical operating characteristics. There is disagreement as to what those characteristics are and specifically whether republican governments are more likely to be aggressive or peace loving. We group these two views as (democratic) mobilization theory versus (republican) checks theory and argue, first, that each can help us understand the finer structure of republican government; second, that they are not contradictory but can be combined in various ways in the same institutions; and third, that they offer the prospect of deepening our understanding of what is called the democratic peace proposition.
Threat, Dehumanization, and Support for Retaliatory Aggressive Policies in Asymmetric Conflict
Authors: Maoz Ifat , McCauley Clark
Published: January 2008

Public opinion can permit or encourage retaliatory aggressive state policies against vulnerable but threatening out-groups. The authors present a model in which public support for such policies is determined by perceived threat from and dehumanization of the target group. This two-factor model predicts Israeli Jews' support for two retaliatory aggressive policies: the more hypothetical notion of Palestinian population transfer and concrete, coercive actions toward Palestinians. The authors find (1) that threat and dehumanization are distinct constructs, each having unique contributions to explaining support for aggressive retaliatory policies, (2) that threat and dehumanization significantly explain support for aggressive retaliatory policies when respondents' hawkishness, socioeconomic status (SES), and education level are taken into account, and (3) that the association of hawkishness and SES with support for aggressive retaliatory policies is largely mediated by threat perception. Results are highly consistent across two studies, suggesting the two-factor model may be useful for understanding support for aggressive action in situations of asymmetric conflict.
A Tournament of Party Decision Rules
Authors: Fowler James H. , Laver Michael
Published: January 2008

Following Axelrod's tournaments for strategies in the repeat-play prisoner's dilemma, we ran a ``tournament of party decision rules'' in a dynamic agent-based model of party competition. We asked researchers to submit rules for selecting party positions in a two-dimensional policy space, pitting each rule against all others in a suite of long-running simulations. The most successful rule combined a number of striking features: satisficing rather than maximizing in the short run, being ``parasitic'' on choices made by successful rules, and being hardwired not to attack other agents using the same rule. In a second suite of simulations in a more evolutionary setting in which the selection probability of a rule was a function of the previous success of agents using the same rule, the rule winning the original tournament pulled even further ahead of the competition.
To Kill or to Protect
Authors: Colaresi Michael , Carey Sabine C.
Published: January 2008

Contemporary studies of genocide have found military capabilities to be inconsistent predictors of state-sponsored killings. We suggest that these empirical inconsistencies stem from the fact that government strength can serve two opposing purposes. Some level of armed capabilities is necessary for a state to remain viable and to provide internal and external security. Yet armed government personnel can be deployed to repress and destroy segments of the public. We identify conditions under which an executive is more likely to use security forces for private-interest killing rather than public protection. We hypothesize that unconstrained leaders are more likely to use their putative security forces to initiate genocide and remain in power. An analysis of state failures that lead to genocide robustly supports the idea that the effect of increased security forces on the risk of genocide is conditional on institutional executive constraints.
Spatial and Temporal Tourist Dispersal Analysis in Multiple Destination Travel
Authors: Wu Cheng-Lung , Carson Dean
Published: January 2008

There is a growing body of literature concerned with the analysis of multiple destination travel and related visitor dispersal. Important aspects of multiple destination trips include the destinations visited (spatial), length of stay (temporal), and mode of transportation along with supply and demand characteristics. Geographic information systems (GIS) offer one way of visualising the results of multiple destination trip analysis, but past attempts to use GIS applications have not incorporated the temporal element. A case study of international and domestic multiple destination trip patterns in South Australia demonstrates how the temporal element may be incorporated in a GIS application to help identify tourists' travel behavior. The application also helps identify differences between markets and may be particularly useful in monitoring change in dispersal patterns over time.
Analyzing and Forecasting Tourism Demand: A Rough Sets Approach
Authors: Goh Carey , Law Rob , Mok Henry M. K.
Published: January 2008

This article reports a study that applies the rough sets algorithm to tourism demand analysis. Empirical outcomes are a set of automated but practical decision rules for practitioners from data that have a high degree of vagueness. We also introduce two new measures of qualitative noneconomic factors, namely a leisure time index and climate index into the forecasting framework. On the basis of long-haul U.S. and U.K. tourism demand for Hong Kong, empirical results show that leisure time and climate have stronger impacts on tourist arrivals than economic factors. Comprehensible decision rules are generated and tourism demand forecasts attain an accuracy of up to 80%. The findings put forward the importance of qualitative non- economic factors in travel motivation theory and demand analysis.
A Corpus Analysis of (The) Last/Next + Temporal Nouns
Authors: WonHo Yoo Isaiah
Published: January 2008

Many reference grammars cover the use of last and next, but none pays overt attention to when and why those words combine with ø or the before temporal nouns; for example, (a) I came to Boston ø last year and (b) I've been in Boston for the last year. Based on three theoretical notions of predicated time, extensivity, and the null article, and a corpus analysis of the tokens of (the) last/next from the Brown Corpus, the 1996 LA Times Corpus, and the Michigan Corpus of Academic Spoken English, this article presents a detailed account of when the determiners last and next combine with null or the; why last/next followed by singular temporal nouns occur with null, as in (a), or with the, as in (b); and why only singular temporal nouns, but not plural temporal nouns or non-temporal nouns, can combine with null + last/next.
Fear and Anxiety at the Basis of Adolescent Externalizing and Internalizing Behaviors
Authors: Kramer Ueli , Zimmermann Grégoire
Published: January 2008

Juvenile delinquency is rarely associated with success in psychotherapeutic treatment. Up until now, few data have been recorded regarding possible overlaps or common features of conduct disorders with anxiety disorders. This case report of a delinquent adolescent's presenting an obsessive-compulsive disorder discusses possible underlying common features of externalizing and internalizing disorders, mainly in terms of fear and anxiety regulation. The successful psychotherapy is discussed with regard to efficient psychological assessment and treatment of delinquent adolescents, and it underlies the importance of detailed analysis of psychopathology in cases of juvenile delinquency.
Drug-Induced Movement Disorders
Authors: Claxton Katherine L. , Chen Jack J. , Swope David M.
Published: January 2008

Drug-induced movement disorders (DIMDs) pose a significant burden to patients, often resulting in nonadherence, disease relapse, and decreased quality of life. Dopamine-receptor blocking agents such as conventional antipsychotics (eg, haloperidol and chlorpromazine) and antiemetics (eg, metoclopramide and prochlorperazine) are most commonly implicated. DIMDs can be categorized by the onset of symptoms: acute reactions occurring hours to days after exposure, subacute DIMDs appearing within weeks, and tardive occurring months to years after drug exposure. The DIMDs of akathisia, tardive dyskinesia, dystonia, and parkinsonism are reviewed. Their epidemiology, mechanism, clinical presentation and differential diagnosis, risk factors, morbidity and mortality, and prevention and management are discussed. For many of these disorders, treatment inconsistently provides benefit, and therefore, primary prevention is essential. Clinicians and other healthcare professionals play a key role in the identification of patients with DIMDs, or those at risk, and in implementing prevention and treatment plans.
Essential Tremor
Authors: Chen Jack J. , Swope David M.
Published: January 2008

Essential tremor is a common movement disorder that interferes with the performance of motor tasks and social activities. As a consequence, patients experience a reduction in quality of life. The pathophysiology remains not well understood. Differentiation of essential tremor from other tremor syndromes is important in order for clinicians to better provide patient education and therapy. When pharmacotherapy is indicated, the standard agents remain propranolol and primidone. However, additional agents such as benzodiazepines, gabapentin, topiramate, and zonisamide may provide additional symptomatic benefits. Surgical interventions, such as thalamic deep brain stimulation, and focal injections of botulinum toxin offer patients an alternative treatment modality when oral pharmacotherapy is inadequate. A treatment outline is provided to guide clinicians in the management of patients with essential tremor.
Possible Amiodarone−Warfarin Interaction: A Reemphasis on a Potentially Dangerous Drug−Drug Interaction
Authors: Plakogiannis Roda , Ginzburg Regina
Published: January 2008

This article reports two patients with delayed amiodarone— warfarin interaction resulting in a significant elevation in the international normalized ratio. One patient developed episodes of nosebleeds. Amiodarone is a potent inhibitor of the cytochrome P450 enzyme system. Warfarin undergoes metabolism via the same isoenzyme, potentially leading to prolongation of elevated international normalized ratio levels. A decrease in the warfarin dose is thus warranted when coadministered with amiodarone to circumvent the potential danger of this interaction, which can go unnoticed because several weeks of therapy may be necessary to discern an elevated international normalized ratio. The Naranjo probability scale indicated a possible relationship between the elevated international normalized ratio levels and the coadministration of amiodarone and warfarin. With the coadministration of warfarin and amiodarone, frequent and close monitoring of warfarin is paramount, especially in the initial weeks of therapy, in an effort to prevent supratherapeutic international normalized ratios and bleeding complications.
Visualization and rule validation in human-behavior representation
Authors: Moya Lisa Jean , McKenzie Frederic D. , Nguyen Quynh-Anh H.
Published: January 2008

Human behavior representation (HBR) models simulate human behaviors and responses. The Joint Crowd Federate TM cognitive model developed by the Virginia Modeling, Analysis, and Simulation Center (VMASC) and licensed by WernerAnderson, Inc., models the cognitive behavior of crowds to provide credible crowd behavior in support of military training, exercise support, and wargaming experiments and can be federated with semi-automated forces (SAF) simulations. Other possible uses include training support to emergency management and security personnel. The large parameter spaces and behavior complexities associated with HBR can make validating these simulations difficult, but with a multipronged approach, it is not impossible. A comprehensive approach investigates not only the results of the simulation but also the mathematical instantiation in the conceptual model. This article demonstrates a technique developed to understand the mathematical instantiation of the parameter space embodied by our HBR model and the effects of different parameterizations on the model's initialization space.
Characterizing Hospice Discharge Patterns in a Nationally Representative Sample of the Elderly, 1993-2000
Authors: Taylor Donald H. , Steinhauser Karen , Tulsky James A. , Rattliff John , Van Houtven Courtney Harold
Published: January 2008

The aim of this study is to identify the prevalence and correlates of individuals discharged alive from hospice in the Medicare program to determine whether the current hospice benefit matches the needs of dying patients. Using a nationally representative sample of age-eligible Medicare beneficiaries who died from 1993 to 2000, the use of hospice and other Medicare-financed care was analyzed during the last year of life for different groups of hospice users. It was found that 84.5% (n = 1029) of hospice users initiate and use it continuously until death; 15.5% of hospice users are discharged alive, with some later reinitiating hospice. The main difference between continuous hospice users and those discharged alive is the time survived after initial hospice use (those discharged alive live longer). After controlling for survival time, costs per day survived are similar for all groups. This study suggests several motivations for being discharged alive that are worthy of more research.
To Die, to Sleep: US Physicians' Religious and Other Objections to Physician-Assisted Suicide, Terminal Sedation, and Withdrawal of Life Support
Authors: Curlin Farr A. , Nwodim Chinyere , Vance Jennifer L. , Chin Marshall H. , Lantos John D.
Published: January 2008

This study analyzes data from a national survey to estimate the proportion of physicians who currently object to physician-assisted suicide (PAS), terminal sedation (TS), and withdrawal of artificial life support (WLS), and to examine associations between such objections and physician ethnicity, religious characteristics, and experience caring for dying patients. Overall, 69% of the US physicians object to PAS, 18% to TS, and 5% to WLS. Highly religious physicians are more likely than those with low religiosity to object to both PAS (84% vs 55%, P < .001) and TS (25% vs 12%, P < .001). Objection to PAS or TS is also associated with being of Asian ethnicity, of Hindu religious affiliation, and having more experience caring for dying patients. These findings suggest that, with respect to morally contested interventions at the end of life, the medical care patients receive will vary based on their physicians' religious characteristics, ethnicity, and experience caring for dying patients.
Use of Thromboprophylaxis in Palliative Care Patients: A Survey Among Experts in Palliative Care, Oncology, Intensive Care, and Anticoagulation
Authors: Kierner Katharina A. , Gartner Verena , Schwarz Maria , Watzke Herbert H.
Published: January 2008

Study-based guidelines on thromboprophylaxis are not available for palliative care patients. The authors asked a panel of academic medical experts in palliative care, oncology, blood coagulation, and intensive care to select a prophylactic regimen out of 5 predefined options for a virtual patient with advanced bronchial cancer in different clinical settings. Primary prophylaxis for venous thromboembolism was withdrawn by all physicians when the patient had a Karnovsky's index of 10 and was described as dying. It was given by 25% of physicians when the patient had a Karnovsky's index of 20 and by 85% when Karnovsky's index 40 was still 40. Similar results were obtained in the situation of secondary prophylaxis of venous thromboembolism and when the patient was described as having a history of chronic atrial fibrillation. This data clearly show that thromboprophylaxis is delivered according to a compound estimate of risks and benefits of such prophylaxis in a specific palliative care situation.
End-of-Life Care in Hancock County, Maine: A Community Snapshot
Authors: Ostertag Susan G. , Forman Walter B.
Published: January 2008

This study presents a model for identifying end-of-life concerns in 1 rural community: Hancock County, Maine. Focus groups and structured interviews were held with primary care physicians, hospice staffs, clergy, hospice board members, long-term care facility staffs, and families of patients who had died either with or without hospice services. A list of suggestions for action within the community was generated from the interviews. Specific ideas targeted for implementation as a result of this project were educational sessions for long-term care facility staff, hospital grand rounds for primary care physicians, collaboration to bring information to the general public, stronger liaisons between long-term care facility and hospice staffs, and investigation of the development of a dedicated hospice facility. This is a simple, easily accomplished model to evaluate hospice needs in a small community.
Locational Patterns of Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Developments
Authors: Oakley Deirdre
Published: January 2008

This study examined neighborhood characteristics and spatial patterns of Low-Income Housing Tax-Credit (LIHTC) developments in four metropolitan areas using census data and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) LIHTC database. Sociospatial analysis determined neighborhood characteristics associated with LIHTC developments and how clustered or dispersed they are. Findings indicate that as a low-income housing policy, the LIHTC program was more successful than other programs at locating developments in less disadvantaged neighborhoods but not as successful at avoiding geographic concentrations associated with these other low-income housing programs. The presence of a LIHTC project increased the likelihood of nearby LIHTC development by rewarding developers who place LIHTC units in qualified census tracts.
Parish Nursing: A Mission of the Heart and Soul
Authors: Koenig Libby
Published: January 2008

Parish nursing has been practiced for many years. It is the art of caring for the whole person: body, mind, and spirit. Parish nursing continues to grow as a vital component of community health. This article describes the role of the parish nurse and provides a case example of the impact the nurse can make in the parishioner's lives. The individual's practice, which is a ministry, is discussed within the scope of parish nursing.
The Fairy Godmother—and Her Warts
Authors: Weiss Carol H. , Murphy-Graham Erin , Petrosino Anthony , Gandhi Allison G.
Published: January 2008

Evaluators sometimes wish for a Fairy Godmother who would make decision makers pay attention to evaluation findings when choosing programs to implement. The U.S. Department of Education came close to creating such a Fairy Godmother when it required school districts to choose drug abuse prevention programs only if their effectiveness was supported by “scientific” evidence. The experience showed advantages of such a procedure (e.g., reduction in support for D.A.R.E., which evaluation had found wanting) but also shortcomings (limited and in some cases questionable evaluation evidence in support of other programs). Federal procedures for identifying successful programs appeared biased. In addition, the Fairy Godmother discounted the professional judgment of local educators and did little to improve the fit of programs to local conditions. Nevertheless, giving evaluation more clout is a worthwhile way to increase the rationality of decision making. The authors recommend research on procedures used by other agencies to achieve similar aims.
Application of Economic Analysis to School-Wide Positive Behavior Support (SWPBS) Programs
Authors: Blonigen Bruce A. , Harbaugh William T. , Singell Larry D. , Horner Robert H. , Irvin Larry K. , Smolkowski Keith S.
Published: January 2008

The authors discuss how to use economic techniques to evaluate educational programs and show how to apply basic cost analysis to implementation of school-wide positive behavior support (SWPBS). A description of cost analysis concepts used for economic program evaluation is provided, emphasizing the suitability of these concepts for evaluating educational programs. The authors also describe the specific data and measurement and analytic procedures that cost analysis evaluation requires. The concepts are then applied in a case study showing a cost analysis of SWPBS. Implications are provided for extending the cost analysis case study into evaluation of cost-effectiveness and/or cost—benefit economic analyses of program success.