bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
At the Cutting Edge? Modernization and Nostalgia in a Hospital Operating Theatre Department
Authors: McDonald Ruth , Waring Justin , Harrison Stephen
Published: December 2006

Attempts by government to ‘modernize’ the British National Health Service involve constructing previous working practices and forms of organization as dys-functional, whilst at the same time selectively drawing on nostalgic images of the NHS in an attempt to win public support for and employee commitment to modernization. The use of nostalgic and nostophobic discourses by government can be interpreted as an attempt not merely to adjust working patterns, but to mobilize particular individual and organizational identities and present alternative identities as illegitimate.This article draws on interviews and observations in a hospital operating theatre department to explore the ways in which hospital doctors use nostalgia to present an alternative, competing version of the world which challenge the discourse of modernization.We interpret the findings in the context of literatures concerned with nostalgia and identity.
The Religious Content of Ethnic Identities
Authors: Mitchell Claire
Published: December 2006

The religious dimensions of ethnic identities have been under-theorized. In contemporary industrial societies there is a tendency to characterize religiously demarcated groups as ‘really’ ethnic.This article suggests that the religious content of ethnic boundaries may be more important than might initially be assumed. A religious identification may have specific religious content and assumptions that may cause it to operate in different ways from other identities. Even if identities do not seem primarily religious per se, they may have latent religious dimensions that can become reactivated. Whilst identity conflicts and other social struggles may stimulate the return of the religious, once reactivated, the religious dimensions of identity may take on a logic of their own.Therefore, the article argues that in many contexts there is a two-way relationship between religion and ethnicity. Each can stimulate the other, rather than religion simply playing a supporting role to the ethnic centrepiece.
Knowledge production and the punishment ethic: The demise of the probation service
Authors: Farrant Finola
Published: December 2006

In the past decade the probation service has experienced significant change. A new ‘knowledge’ has emerged, known as ‘what works’, which aims to use the ‘best available evidence-base’ for planning and implementing effective interventions with offenders. Simultaneously, there has been an embracing of ‘punishment’, as opposed to ‘welfarism’, as the appropriate milieu of the probation service. When deconstructed these two features share some common elements, within which a hegemonic masculinist approach to crime control and offender management can be discerned.
The future of rehabilitation: What role for the probation service?
Authors: Robinson Gwen , Raynor Peter
Published: December 2006

In this article, the authors draw on arguments developed in their recent book Rehabilitation, Crime and Justice (Raynor and Robinson, 2005) to discuss the aftermath of the ‘What Works’ initiative and the future of rehabilitation. They argue that our understanding of rehabilitation needs to extend beyond narrow correctionalism to a more socially inclusive and relational model, and outline some of the strategies which might enable the probation service, at a time of uncertainty about its future, to contribute to this kind of development.
Making sense of psychoanalysis in criminological theory and probation practice
Authors: Smith David
Published: December 2006

Recent developments in criminology have included a revival of interest in offenders' biographies and inner emotional experiences, and a stress on the importance of self-understanding for an understanding of crime. These approaches recall discussions of probation practice from the 1950s to the early 1970s, in which writers sought to make sense of the psychoanalytic emphasis of social work training. The article discusses the most striking of these efforts, by Clare Winnicott and William Jordan, and explores their relevance to current thinking and research on probation, in which the importance of the relationship between offender and supervising officer is once again receiving close attention.
Some reflections on risk assessment, parole and recall
Authors: Harding John
Published: December 2006

A few high-profile murders by released prisoners, subject to parole and life licences, have drawn governmental and public attention to the process of the parole board decision to release an offender and the quality of supervision under licence by probation areas. Reports by the Chief Inspector of Probation indicate that, in some parts of the parole process, too little attention is paid by prison and probation staff and parole board members to issues of risk of harm, static risk, instrumental violence, conditions of release and the thoroughgoing end-to-end management of prisoners. This article discusses these issues and examines some of the changes in parole responsibilities since the Criminal Justice Act 2003. In particular, it looks at the impact of recalls to custody following a breach of licence requirements and extended sentence recalls.
Who are my family members? Bridging and binding social capital in family configurations
Authors: Widmer Eric D.
Published: December 2006

This study tests the hypothesis that individuals’ identification of family members has an impact on the type of family-based social capital available to them. Data from a sample of college students from three universities in Switzerland ( N = 229), provided evidence that seven typical family configurations coexist. These configurations vary with respect to the importance given to partnerships, friendships, stepparents and parents’ relatives. Family configurations based on blood connections provide a ‘binding’ type of social capital, that is, densely connected family networks with low individual centrality, whereas family configurations based on friendship provide a ‘bridging’ type of social capital, that is, sparsely connected family networks with high individual centrality. Postdivorce family configurations are associated with neither type of social capital.
Motivation for Use of Information Technology by University Faculty: a developing country perspective
Authors: Agbonlahor Rosemary O.
Published: December 2006

This study examined factors which motivate lecturers in Nigerian universities to use information technology (IT). A Diffusion of Innovations perspective was adopted for the study. The study employed a questionnaire for data collection. One thousand lecturers from ten universities in Nigeria were sampled. Seven hundred and eighteen completed questionnaires were found usable. The results found that perceived usefulness (relative advantage) and perceived ease of use (complexity) significantly influence the use of IT by lecturers in Nigerian universities. In addition, ease of use was found to be a stronger motivator for IT use than perceived usefulness. Furthermore, both training and level of access to IT significantly influenced the number of computer applications used by lecturers. In addition, level of access to IT was a significant predictor of both the number of computer applications used by lecturers and the frequency with which they used computers. The study concludes that even though innovation characteristics are important predictors of the adoption of IT by Nigerian university lecturers, organizational factors such as providing training and easy access to IT are even more important. Thus, programs aimed at integrating IT into developing country universities should provide effective and well-targeted training programs as well as easy access to IT for lecturers.
Internet for Development? Patterns of use among Internet café customers in Indonesia
Authors: Wahid Fathul , Furuholt Bjørn , Kristiansen Stein
Published: December 2006

Internet cafés are important for people's access to the Internet in poor countries. These venues offer a potential gateway to valuable information, meaningful communication, and political participation for ordinary citizens. They may also represent a possible threat to traditions and cultural values. In this paper, we analyse the use of the Internet among Internet café customers in the city of Yogyakarta, Indonesia. A main objective is to assess the importance of Internet use for human resource development. Three main categories of use are identified, namely communication, instrumental, and recreational. The two first mentioned are by far the most important in our sample. Those who use the Internet mainly for instrumental purposes, i.e. seeking information, reading online news, and research, are generally older and more highly educated with a higher personal and financial capability. This fact points in the direction of increased individual usefulness of Internet access over time.
Critical Issues in Information and Communication Technologies for Rural Development in Ghana
Authors: Alemna A. A. , Sam Joel
Published: December 2006

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) hold tremendous potential for rural development in Ghana in the areas of agriculture, health, education and small scale industries. However, issues such as the availability of ICTs, electricity, literacy, telecommunications and content have to be addressed before any benefits can be obtained from ICTs for rural development.
Does a short period of rehabilitation in the home setting facilitate functioning after stroke? A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Björkdahl Ann , Nilsson A°sa Lundgren , Grimby Gunnar , Sunnerhagen Katharina Stibrant
Published: December 2006

Objective: To assess the effect of three weeks of rehabilitation in the home setting for younger patients with stroke with the aim of improving activity level.

Design: A randomized controlled study with blinded evaluations at discharge, three weeks, three months and one year after discharge.

Setting: Home of the patient or the ordinary day rehabilitation clinic at the university hospital.

Subjects: Fifty-eight patients (median age 53 years) consecutively discharged from inpatient rehabilitation with a first occurrence of stroke participated in training directly after discharge.

Intervention: Rehabilitation was given for 9 hours/week over three weeks. The home group received individually tailored training, based on the patient's needs and desires, with a focus on activities in their natural context. Support and information were also given. The intervention in the day clinic group was aimed mainly at improved functions.

Main measures: The main outcome was activity, assessed with the Assessment of Motor and Process Skill (AMPS). The impairment level was also evaluated. Costs were estimated.

Result: There were no significant differences between the groups on any of the four assessments. However, there seemed to be an earlier improvement on some measures (including AMPS) for the home group. For both groups there was a greater improvement on the activity level than on the impairment level. The costs of the home group were less than half of the costs of the day clinic group.

Conclusion: With the present results, both rehabilitation programmes could be recommended, however, further studies are needed to define patients who may specifically benefit from the home rehabilitation programme. Costs should be taken into consideration.
Incontinence after brain injury: prevalence, outcome and multidisciplinary management on a neurological rehabilitation unit
Authors: Leary S M , Liu C , Cheesman A L , Ritter A , Thompson S , Greenwood R
Published: December 2006

Objective: To investigate the prevalence, outcome and multidisciplinary management of incontinence in patients with acquired brain injury.

Design: Retrospective case notes review.

Setting: Regional neurological rehabilitation unit. Subjects: Two hundred and thirty-eight patients with acquired brain injury.

Main measures: Bladder and bowel subscores of the Barthel Index and Functional Independence Measure; number of multidisciplinary goals addressing bladder and bowel function.

Results: Fifty per cent of patients (n=112) had impaired bladder or bowel subscores on admission. Significant improvement was seen at discharge but 36% of patients (n=77) still had some degree of impairment. Over 90% of patients were set multidisciplinary goals addressing self-care (n=213) and mobility (n=205) but only 3.5% (n=8) were set multidisciplinary goals addressing bladder and bowel function.

Conclusions: Incontinence was common in patients with brain injury on a neurological rehabilitation unit. Significant improvement was seen following rehabilitation. Bladder and bowel management was not well incorporated into the multidisciplinary management process.
Biofeedback supplementation to physiotherapy exercise programme for rehabilitation of patellofemoral pain syndrome: a randomized controlled pilot study
Authors: Yip Selina Lm , Ng Gabriel Yf
Published: December 2006

Objectives: To examine the efficacy of electromyographic (EMG) biofeedback supplementation to exercise rehabilitation for people with patellofemoral pain syndrome.

Design: Double-blinded randomized clinical controlled pilot trial.

Setting: Clinical setting with home programme.

Participants: Twenty-six subjects diagnosed with patellofemoral pain.

Intervention: Subjects were randomly assigned into EMG biofeedback+exercise group or exercise-only group. All subjects participated in an eight-week home exercise programme, while the biofeedback group also received EMG visual feedback of their quadriceps muscle activities during the exercises.

Main outcome measures: Isokinetic knee extension strength, patellar alignments and perceived pain severity were assessed in weeks 0, 4 and 8 for all subjects. The data within and between groups were compared by repeated measures ANOVA with aα=0.05.

Results: Both groups improved in isokinetic peak torque (P=0.005), work output (P=0.037) and patellar alignments (P=0.001-0.014). Besides, there was a trend of decrease in pain (P=0.088). The biofeedback group improved faster than the exercise group in lateral patellar rotation and peak torque per body weight, although no statistically significant difference was shown.

Conclusion: Biofeedback supplement to the exercise programme might hasten the improvement for subjects with patellofemoral pain in the first few weeks of a physiotherapy exercise programme, but this needs further study before being used.
Assessment and correlates of self-esteem following stroke using a pictorial measure
Authors: Vickery Chad D
Published: December 2006

Objective: To describe the characteristics of a non-verbal measure of self-esteem in a sample of individuals in the acute phase following stroke.

Design: Acute-phase stroke survivors (n=156) were administered measures of self-esteem, depression, anxiety, general emotional distress and cognitive functioning during admission to an inpatient stroke rehabilitation unit.

Main measures: Visual Analogue Self-Esteem Scale (VASES), Geriatric Depression Scale, Adult Manifest Anxiety Scale, Visual Analog Mood Scales, measures of neuropsychological functioning.

Results: VASES performance was not related to demographic variables, cognitive functioning, visual acuity, prior stroke or severe visuoperceptual impairment/left visual neglect. The VASES was most related to emotional functioning, with lower self-esteem ratings associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms and general emotional distress. Individuals with right hemisphere stroke tended to endorse lower self-esteem ratings, while aphasic individuals may have misunderstood the intent of the task.

Conclusions: The non-verbal VASES appears to be minimally impacted by potentially invalidating patient factors (e.g. visual acuity, left visual neglect), although its use with patients with severe communication deficits is cautioned. The VASES may prove useful in identifying acute stroke survivors most at risk for emotional dysfunction, and may be useful as a research tool in this population.
The impact of conducting a regional palliative care clinical study
Authors: Currow David C , Abernethy Amy P , Shelby-James Tania M , Phillips Paddy A
Published: December 2006

End-of-life care must be informed by methodologically rigorous, high-quality research, but well-documented barriers make the conduct of palliative care clinical trials difficult. With careful consideration to study design and procedures, these barriers are surmountable. This paper discusses the approach used in a large scale, randomised, controlled trial of service-based interventions in a regional palliative care service in South Australia, and the impact of this trial on palliative care research more broadly, the changes to the service in which it was conducted, and on health policy beyond palliative care.

The Palliative Care Trial evaluated three interventions in a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial cluster randomised design: case conferences, general practitioner education, and patient education. Main outcomes were performance status, pain intensity, and resource utilisation. A total of 461 patients were enrolled in the study.

Pre-study planning and piloting is crucial, and accurately estimated withdrawal and death rates in the study. Other study design elements that facilitated this research included assessment of three interventions at one time, a dedicated recruitment role, a single clinical triage point, embedding data collection into routine clinical assessments, and meaningful outcome measures. Recruitment and retention of participants is possible if barriers are systematically identified and addressed.

This study challenged and developed the research culture within our clinical team and subsequently translated into further research.
Towards using administrative databases to measure population-based indicators of quality of end-of-life care: testing the methodology
Authors: Grunfeld Eva , Lethbridge Lynn , Dewar Ron , Lawson Beverley , Paszat Lawrence F , Johnston Grace , Burge Frederick , McIntyre Paul , Earle Craig C
Published: December 2006

This study is concerned with methods to measure population-based indicators of quality end-of-life care. Using a retrospective cohort approach, we assessed the feasibility, validity and reliability of using administrative databases to measure quality indicators of end-of-life care in two Canadian provinces. The study sample consisted of all females who died of breast cancer between 1 January 1998 and 31 December 2002, in Nova Scotia or Ontario, Canada. From an initial list of 19 quality indicators selected from the literature, seven were determined to be fully measurable in both provinces. An additional seven indicators in one province and three in the other province were partially measurable. Tests comparing administrative and chart data show a high level of agreement with inter-rater reliability, confirming consistency in the chart abstraction process. Using administrative data is an efficient, population-based method to monitor quality of care which can compliment other methods, such as qualitative and purposefully collected clinical data.
The development of palliative care knowledge in care homes for older people: the place of action research
Authors: Hockley Jo , Froggatt Katherine
Published: December 2006

Action research in health care is a relatively new research approach, which is adopted when one aim of the research is to bring about change in practice and to research the process of that change. This paper describes the way action research, as a research methodology, can be used to develop palliative care knowledge in generalist care settings. An overview of action research is presented and its relationship to more conventional research paradigms. Two action research projects, undertaken to develop knowledge about end-of-life care for older people in care homes, are used to illustrate the key principles of action research, methods of data collection and data analysis. Finally, the challenges of such, utilising an action research approach and its strengths, are discussed.
Identifying, recruiting, and retaining seriously-ill patients and their caregivers in longitudinal research
Authors: Steinhauser Karen E , Clipp Elizabeth C , Hays Judith C , Olsen Maren , Arnold Robert , Christakis Nicholas A , Lindquist Jennifer Hoff , Tulsky James A
Published: December 2006

Background: In order to improve the state of science in palliative care, we must increase our ability to document the real-time experience of patients and families as they traverse the end of life. Yet, frequently, prospective measurement is impeded by difficulty with patient identification, recruitment, enrollment, and retention. The palliative care literature is replete with descriptions of studies unable to meet enrollment goals, and that as a result, do not have adequate power to test hypotheses or draw conclusions.

Objectives: To review the literature describing difficulties associated with ascertainment, enrollment, and attrition. To outline the successful recruitment methods of a new longitudinal study of patients and their caregivers.

Design: A two-year longitudinal study of 240 patients with Stage IV cancer (breast, prostate, colorectal, lung), advanced congestive heart failure (CHF) LVEFB < 40 or advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) pCO2 > 46, and their caregivers, interviewed monthly for up to two years. Patients were identified using clinical and administrative databases from one geographic region.

Results: Representative and successful ascertainment was associated with use of clinical criteria and medical record review versus physician or other provider prognostication, use of recruitment letters from personal physician, recruitment letter content, brochure content, small monetary incentives, refined phone scripts, use of matched ethnicity interviewers, in-home and phone interview strategies, measure selection, patient and caregiver rapport, and on-going staff support (including grief and bereavement).

Conclusions: Recruitment to prospective longitudinal studies at the end of life is difficult, but possible. The lessons learned from this study are applicable to future investigators conducting prospective research.
Sarah/Sodom: Birth, Destruction, and Synchronic Transaction
Authors: Levine Nachman
Published: December 2006

This article proposes that reading Genesis 18-19, the announcement of Isaac’s birth and the destruction of Sodom, as a cohesive narrative unit (and as a reversal of Gen. 13) reveals a deep structure of symmetry, opposition, and closure. Between counterpointed righteous birth and destroyed wickedness, opposed constructs move in opposite movement in dynamic synchrony and transformation. As the messengers of birth destroy Sodom, the aged barren Sarah becomes young and fertile while the fertile Sodom turns to ash and salt. Transacted opposition is established in the narrative’s deep structure or at the linguistic level of literary association in similar and contrasted motifs, words, phrases, and word-play.
Re-reading the Power of Satire: Isaiah’s ‘Daughters of Zion’, Pope’s ‘Belinda’, and the Rhetoric of Rape
Authors: Miles Johnny
Published: December 2006

This essay’s semiotic and feminist approach proposes a re-reading of the ‘daughters of Zion’ poem (Isa. 3.16-4.1) as a rape text. Analysis of such a text (including intertextuality with Alexander Pope’s The Rape of the Lock) with deleterious effects for a rape culture reveals the interplay of satire with its poetics of rape, the misogynist biases actuating the sexual violence of its rape rhetoric, and the necessity to re-inscribe valuation of the feminine in such a text of terror vis-à-vis a rape culture. This poetic satire possesses no ideological neutrality as its androcentric nature (en)genders the (male) poet and Yhwh to (circum)(in)scribe the ultimate fate of these women as rape victims after having mocked them with sexist stereotypes. Nonresistance to this textual marginalization of Woman as ‘other’ tacitly succumbs to this text’s power to interpellate female readers as immasculated victims and male readers as salacious voyeurs, thus coopting readers in the perpetual ethos of violence against the feminine. The resistant act of re-reading such a textual act of violence, however, empowers by unveiling it as an abuse of power and liberates by voicing advocacy for the suffering silent demeaned, devalued, and dehumanized.
Social Responsibility: The Concept As Defined by Apparel and Textile Scholars
Authors: Dickson Marsha A. , Eckman Molly
Published: December 2006

Eighty-seven members of the International Textile and Apparel Association (ITAA) completed an electronic survey focused on the scholarly activities in which they are engaged that relate to social responsibility. A wide range of social responsibility topics was considered important to address in our teaching. Most important were topics related to labor practices in and trade with developing countries, consumerism, aspects of environmental protection, and body image. Responses to an open-ended question on defining socially responsible apparel/textile business revealed a three-dimensional concept incorporating an orientation encompassing the environment and its people, a philosophy balancing ethics/morality with profit, and an emphasis on the business actions and strategies resulting in positive outcomes for people and the environment. The social responsibility concept serves as a critical linkage among apparel and textile scholars across the various subdisciplines.
Employment With a Socially Responsible Business: Worker Capabilities and Quality of Life
Authors: Littrell Mary A. , Dickson Marsha A.
Published: December 2006

Alternative trade organizations (ATOs) adhere to a set of socially responsible business practices fostering empowerment and improved quality of life for their workers. The researchers explored the ATO claim by asking, How has artisan work with Market Place: Handwork of India affected the capabilities and well-being of women textile artisans in India? A second question addressed women's household responsibilities in relation to work expectations. Photoelicitation interviews were conducted with 31 artisans who were asked to take photographs depicting “who you are, your work, your family, and the neighborhood where you live.” Charting of the women's daily activities into household responsibilities, cooking, and artisan work revealed a nonlinear nature to women's days. The interviews offered insights about newfound capabilities, which contributed to individual and household well-being in the form of more attractive living spaces, better schooling, interpersonal support, improved health, and conceptualizing a life of choices and duties.
Digging for Diamonds: A Conceptual Framework for Understanding Reclaimed Textile Products
Authors: Hawley Jana M.
Published: December 2006

Recycling textiles is a process that affects many entities. It avoids the punitive costs of landfill, provides employment, helps charity, and moves clothing to areas of the world where it is needed. This study uses systems theory as a theoretical framework. The purpose of this study is to present a conceptual model and a schematic of the textile recycling process for postconsumer apparel and textile waste. The conceptual model presents the categories of sort classifications and suggests that an inverse relationship exists between the volume of goods and the value of goods. The schematic presents the wide variety of textile recycling markets that are available for the sorted goods. This research is based on nearly 5 years of qualitative data collection.
Beyond Capabilities: A Case Study of Three Artisan Enterprises in India
Authors: Strawn Susan , Littrell Mary A.
Published: December 2006

Textiles are part of the handcrafts industry that employs a substantial percentage of India's population. Despite the economic importance of handcrafts, not all decision-making officials support the sector's development. Arguments against government and foundation for developing artisan enterprises point to the stopgap nature of craft production and question whether artisan enterprises foster skills that can lead to new entrepreneurial endeavors. Arguments for artisan development propose models that emphasize capabilities artisans can develop to improve their well-being. Among these, a model developed by economist Amartya Sen distinguishes capability acquisition from entrepreneurial application. In this research, the authors conducted a case study of three artisan entrepreneurs that appeared to demonstrate this distinction. Individuals acquired textile production and business management capabilities while working for a parent fair trade enterprise and applied their skills in forming entrepreneurial ventures. Research identified the most salient capabilities applied to artisan enterprises.
Rehearsals of The Sovereign
Authors: Chappell Ben
Published: December 2006

The attacks of 9/11 have been generally viewed as a traumatic, historical rupture, ushering in the ‘war on terror’ as well as a warfare/security state in the US. Yet close attention to police practices on urban streets suggests that the actions of the state in this context are not without precedent. This article links apparently divergent situations in order to track the persistence of a rationality of government, which I call ‘threat governmentality’. Concerned with security and the management of risk, and fi xating on racialized bodies, threat governmentality comprises repressive violence on the part of police and civilians, and public discourse after the fact of such violence, in which the relative criminality of the victims—and hence the relative value of their lives—is debated. Rather than a post–9/11 invention, I argue that this rationality represents what Agamben called the ‘nomos of the political space’ in which we live.
Household employment patterns in an enlarged European Union
Authors: Haas Barbara , Steiber Nadia , Hartel Margit , Wallace Claire
Published: December 2006

Our aim is to contribute to better understanding of why different practices relating to the division of paid labour by sex in couple households are still to be found in different parts of Europe. We analyse data on the distribution of dominant household employment patterns in eight countries: Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, the Netherlands, Romania, Slovenia, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Using comparative survey evidence for a large total sample ( N = 10,123), we examine how national differences in terms of the gender division of paid work correspond with predictions drawn from well-established structuralist and culturalist theories of the determinants of cross-country variations.The findings call for a further elaboration of conventional approaches to explaining gendered employment patterns in an enlarged Europe.
Rapid sea-level rise in the North Atlantic Ocean since the first half of the nineteenth century
Authors: Gehrels W. Roland , Marshall William A. , Gehrels Maria J. , Larsen Gudrún , Kirby Jason R. , Eiríksson Jón , Heinemeier Jan , Shimmield Tracy
Published: December 2006

A high-resolution late-Holocene sea-level record is produced from salt-marsh deposits at Vioarhólmi in Snæfellsnes, western Iceland. The stratigraphy of Vioarhólmi saltmarsh is documented using detailed descriptions of ten exposed sections and numerous hand-drilled cores. Fossil foraminifera are used as proxy sea-level indicators in an exposed section of salt-marsh peat. The agglutinated foraminifera Jadammina macrescens and Paratrochammina (Lepidoparatrochammina) haynesi are most useful as sea-level indicators because of their narrow vertical extent on the marsh surface and their good preservation in the peaty marsh deposits. We collected compaction-free sea-level index points from salt-marsh peat directly overlying the bedrock surface to establish the pre-industrial millennial-scale trend of sea-level rise and evaluate effects of autocompaction on the stratigraphy. The chronology of the sea-level reconstruction is based on tephra stratigraphy, AMS 14C, 137Cs, Pb and palaeomagnetic analyses. The main tephra layer visible in the stratigraphy of Vioarhólmi salt marsh is the Landnám (settlement) layer, previously dated to AD 875±6. A sea-transported pumice layer was correlated to the ‘Mediaeval Layer’ of AD 1226/27. Our reconstruction indicates that relative sea level along the coast of western Iceland has risen by about 1.3 m since c. AD 100. The detrended sea-level record shows a slow rise between AD 100 and 500, followed by a slow downward trend reaching a lowstand in the first half of the nineteenth century. This falling trend is consistent with a steric change estimated from reconstructions of sea-surface and sea-bottom temperatures from shelf sediments off Northern Iceland. The sea-level record shows a marked recent rise of about 0.4 m that commenced AD 1820±20 as dated by palaeomagnetism and Pb produced by European coal burning. This rapid sea-level rise is interpreted to be related to global temperature rise. The rise has continued up to the present day and has also been measured, since 1957, by the Reykjavik tide gauge.
Clinical and prognostic value of autoantibodies in Puerto Ricans with systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Vilá L M , Molina M J , Mayor A M , Peredo R A , Santaella M L , Vilá S
Published: December 2006

The aim of this study was to determine the association between lupus autoantibodies and the clinical manifestations and outcome in a cohort of Puerto Ricans patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). All patients fulfilled the American College of Rheumatology classification criteria for SLE. Demographic parameters, clinical manifestations over time and damage accrual were obtained at the last study visit. Disease damage was assessed with the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics Damage Index (SDI). ANA, ANA pattern, and anti-dsDNA, anti-Smith, anti-Ro (SSA), anti-La (SSB) and anti-snRNP antibodies were measured at the time of SLE diagnosis. Chi-square test, Fisher exact test, ANOVA, logistic regression and general lineal model analyses were used to evaluate these associations. Ninety-six percent of patients were females. The cohort had a mean age of 40.2 = 12.0 years and mean disease duration of 9.6 = 7.0 years. Patients with elevated anti-dsDNA antibodies were more likely to have vasculitis, pericardial effusion, renal involvement, anaemia, leukopenia, lymphopenia and thrombocytopenia. Anti-Smith antibodies were positively associated with skin ulcerations, elevated liver enzymes, renal involvement and thrombocytopenia. Anti-Ro antibodies were related with the presence of discoid lupus, serositis, pneumonitis, elevated liver enzymes, hemolytic anaemia, leukopenia and lymphopenia. No positive associations were found for anti-snRNP or anti-La antibodies. The presence of anti-dsDNA, anti-Smith and anti-Ro antibodies was associated with higher SDI scores. In conclusion, anti-dsDNA, anti-Smith and anti-Ro antibodies are associated with several clinical manifestations and more damage accrual in Puerto Ricans with SLE. These findings provide valuable clinical and prognostic information for this ethnic population.
Efficacy and safety of Etanercept, high-dose intravenous gammaglobulin and plasmapheresis combined therapy for lupus diffuse proliferative nephritis complicating pregnancy
Authors: Micheloud D , Nuño L , Rodríguez-Mahou M , Sánchez-Ramón S , Ortega M C , Aguarón A , Junco E , Carbone J , Fernández-Cruz E , Carreño L , López-Longo F J
Published: December 2006

We report one case of pregnancy-onset severe diffuse proliferative nephritis in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), who was successfully treated with a combination of anti-tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, plasmapheresis and high-dose intravenous gammaglobulin. No flares were observed either in clinical symptoms or in laboratory examinations during pregnancy or after delivery. Her autoantibodies except fluorescent anti-nuclear antibodies were negative. We suggest that a combination of anti-TNF-alpha, plasmapheresis and high-dose intravenous gammaglobulin may be a safe and effective therapy for pregnant patients suffering severe lupus nephritis.
Estrogen does not regulate CD154 mRNA stability in systemic lupus erythematosus T cells
Authors: Li X , Rider V , Kimler B F , Abdou N I
Published: December 2006

Previous studies in our laboratory showed a dose-dependent and hormone-specific increase in CD154 expression in T cells from females with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). This present study investigates if the estrogen-dependent increase in CD154 expression is due to stabilization of the messenger RNA. T cells from female SLE patients and controls were cultured for 18 h in serum-free medium without and with estradiol 17-β (107 M). T cells were either unstimulated (resting) or were activated by further culture on anti-CD3 coated plates. Actinomycin D (25 σg/mL) was added to parallel cultures to inhibit new messenger RNA synthesis. CD154 messenger RNA stability was assessed by reverse-transcription polymerase chain amplification. Resting SLE ( n = 10, P = 0.88) and normal ( n = 7, P = 0.65) T cells showed no significant differences in message stability in response to estradiol. CD154 messenger RNA was also not significantly stabilized in activated SLE ( n = 10, P = 0.15) or activated normal ( n = 6, P = 0.077) T cells in response to estradiol. These findings indicate that the estrogen-dependent increase in CD154 in SLE T cells is not due to stability of the mRNA. These data are consistent with the postulate that estradiol stimulates CD154 transcription in SLE T cells.
Aortic valve calcification in systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Kiani A N , Fishman E K , Petri M
Published: December 2006

Aortic valve calcification is associated with atherosclerosis in the general population. We investigated the prevalence of and associates of aortic valve calcification in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). One-hundred and ninety-nine SLE patients enrolled in a clinical trial had aortic valve calcification assessed by helical CT. The patients had a mean age of 44.3 = 11.4 years and were 92% female, 61% Caucasian, 34% African-American, 2% Asian and 2% Hispanic. Aortic valve calcification was present in 1.5%, whereas coronary calcium was found in 43% and carotid plaque in 17%. Among cardiovascular risk factors, hs-CRP ( P = 0.0592), fibrinogen ( P = 0.0507), and lipoprotein(a) ( P = 0.0250), were associated with aortic valve calcification. Prednisone use ( P = 0.049) and use of methotrexate ( P = 0.0174) were also associated with aortic valve calcification. Aortic valve calcification was associated with antiphospholipid antibody positivity (0.0287) (lupus anticoagulant, by dilute Russell viper venom time). It was not associated with coronary calcium or carotid plaque. Aortic valve calcification, although rare in SLE, was associated with some novel cardiovascular risk factors and with a marker of hypercoagulability (lupus anticoagulant). In contrast to the general population, aortic valve calcification in SLE is not associated with subclinical measures of atherosclerosis, such as coronary calcium or carotid plaque.
Pregnancy-associated recurrent liver necrosis in patient with antiphospholipid syndrome
Authors: Ulander V-M , Stefanovic V , Rinta-Kiikka I , Kaaja R
Published: December 2006

The presence of antiphospholipid antibodies is associated with thromboembolic events, thrombocytopenia and numerous pregnancy complications such as recurrent miscarriage, preeclampsia and HELLP syndrome. This condition is known as the antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). We describe a rare case of recurrent liver necrosis postpartum in two consecutive pregnancies of woman with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and positive antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) who underwent complete recovery.
Mortality related to cerebrovascular disease in systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Bernatsky S , Clarke A , Gladman D D , Urowitz M , Fortin P R , Barr S G , Senécal J-L , Zummer M , Edworthy S , Sibley J , Pope J , Ensworth S , Ramsey-Goldman R , Hanly J G
Published: December 2006

The objective of this study was to examine mortality rates related to cerebrovascular disease in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) compared to the general population. Our sample was a multisite Canadian SLE cohort (10 centres, n = 2688 patients). Deaths due to cerebrovascular disease were ascertained by vital statistics registry linkage using ICD diagnostic codes. Standardized mortality ratio (SMR, ratio of deaths observed to expected) estimates were calculated. The total SMR for death due to cerebrovascular disease was 2.0 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.0, 3.7). When considering specific types of events, the category with the greatest increased risk was that of ill-defined cerebrovascular events (SMR 44.9, 95% CI 9.3, 131.3) and other cerebrovascular disease (SMR 8.4, 95% CI 2.3, 21.6). Deaths due to cerebral infarctions appeared to be less common than hemorrhages and other types of cerebrovascular events. Our data suggest an increase in mortality related to cerebrovascular disease in SLE patients compared to the general population. The large increase in illdefined cerebrovascular events may represent cases of cerebral vasculitis or other rare forms of nervous system disease; alternately, it may reflect diagnostic uncertainty regarding the etiology of some clinical presentations in SLE patients. The suggestion that more deaths are attributed to cerebral hemorrhage, as opposed to infarction, indicates that inherent or iatrogenic factors (eg, thrombocytopenia or anticoagulation) may be important. In view of the paucity of large-scale studies of mortality attributed to neuropsychiatric outcomes in SLE, our findings highlight the need for additional research in large SLE cohorts.
A solution for the most basic optimization problem associated with an ROC curve
Authors: Le Chap T
Published: December 2006

In a few cases, such as early pregnancy tests, the test results are dichotomous; many diagnostic tests, however, give results which are not binary. In the diagnosis of prostate cancer, prostate-specific antigen test result is on a continuous scale; or, in radiology, assessment of mammograms is on an ordinal scale. In such cases, the accuracy of the marker or test is often first summarized in a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and then as the area under that curve. The area under the ROC curve, however, only shows the ‘potential’ of a marker; sooner or later, for practical uses, we still need to dichotomize the test result so that we can classify subjects as ‘diseased’ or ‘healthy’. Finding an ‘optimal’ cutpoint to dichotomize a continuous marker is desirable and is a very basic problem but, in all or most cases, cutpoints used in practice are arbitrary. The difficulty lies in our failure to define and justify a criterion for optimality. In this paper, we will propose a solution by maximizing a well-known parameter -the Youden’s Index -within the framework of the ROC curve.
A flexible class of parametric transition regression models based on copulas: application to poliomyelitis incidence
Authors: Escarela Gabriel , Mena Ramsés H , Castillo-Morales Alberto
Published: December 2006

This paper presents an extension of a general parametric class of transitional models of order p. In these models, the conditional distribution of the current observation, given the present and past history, is a mixture of conditional distributions, each of them corresponding to the current observation, given each one of the p-lagged observations. Such conditional distributions are constructed using bivariate copula models which allow for a rich range of dependence suitable to model non-Gaussian time series. Fixed and time varying covariates can be included in the models. These models have the advantage of straightforward construction and estimation for the analysis of time series and more general longitudinal data. A poliomyelitis incidence data set is used to illustrate the proposed methods, contrary to other researches’ conclusions whose methods are mainly based on linear models, we find significant evidence of a decreasing trend in polio infection after accounting for seasonality.
From Common Defence to Comprehensive Security: Towards the Europeanization of French Foreign and Security Policy?
Authors: Rieker Pernille
Published: December 2006

This article looks at the relationship between European integration and national foreign and security policy -specifically, how and to what extent the development of a European (EU) foreign and security policy leads to adaptation and change in national foreign and security policy. The theoretical point of departure is an interest in national changes in response to EU norms. It will be argued that national approaches tend to adapt to norms defined by an international community or institution to which they are closely linked; that this adaptation takes place over time, through a socialization process; and that it may also, in the end, lead to changes in national identity. This argument challenges the common assumption of international relations theory that national identities and/or interests are fixed and independent of structural factors like international norms and values. The empirical focus is on changes in French foreign and security policy since the early 1990s. How and to what extent has the dominant French national discourse on foreign and security policy changed since the early 1990s? And how are these changes related to the European integration process in general, and to the development of a European foreign and security dimension in particular?
Critical Approaches to Security in Europe: A Networked Manifesto
Authors: Collective C.A.S.E.
Published: December 2006

In the last decade, critical approaches have substantially reshaped the theoretical landscape of security studies in Europe. Yet, despite an impressive body of literature, there remains fundamental disagreement as to what counts as critical in this context. Scholars are still arguing in terms of ‘schools’, while there has been an increasing and sustained cross-fertilization among critical approaches. Finally, the boundaries between critical and traditional approaches to security remain blurred. The aim of this article is therefore to assess the evolution of critical views of approaches to security studies in Europe, discuss their theoretical premises, investigate their intellectual ramifications, and examine how they coalesce around different issues (such as a state of exception). The article then assesses the political implications of critical approaches. This is done mainly by analysing processes by which critical approaches to security percolate through a growing number of subjects (such as development, peace research, risk management). Finally, ethical and research implications are explored.
Moving with the Bat and the Ball
Authors: Takahashi Yoshio , Horne John
Published: December 2006

Since the early 1990S there has been increased research interest in the migration of athletic talent, or sports labour. Until recently, however, academic interest in sports labour migration from and between east Asian countries has been limited. This article considers the recent migration patterns of Japanese professional baseball players. Focusing particularly on the past decade, some key trends in the migration of Japanese baseball players are identified, and issues for future investigation are outlined.