bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Science in pictures: Visual representation of climate change in Spain’s television news
Authors: León Bienvenido , Erviti Mª Carmen
Published: September 2013

The images used by the media to represent science can help people’s understanding of complex processes and create meaningful links with audiences. This is particularly relevant in the case of climate change (CC), an important phenomenon that, nevertheless, is often perceived as a remote issue, with no relevance to daily life. This article presents the main results of a research on the images used in television news to represent CC. From a sample of 1476.4 hours of Spanish television news programmes, a content analysis of 78 stories on climate change was carried out. This was complemented with six semi-structured interviews at five TV newsrooms. Results indicate that the low rate of coverage of CC can be related to the scarcity of attractive images available to the channels.
Exploring Social Network Dynamics Driving Knowledge Management for Innovation
Authors: Gubbins Claire , Dooley Lawrence
Published: September 2013

It is accepted that knowledge and competencies are key drivers of innovation. Knowledge is a key resource to manage if innovative efforts are to succeed. Despite this, it is noted that the process is intricate, complex, and difficult to manage. To facilitate understanding and management of this process, in-depth studies into the roles of network actors, implications of network characteristics over time, and greater understanding of interaction effects is required. This paper analyzes how a social network perspective can inform the key stages of a knowledge management for innovation process and conducts an exploration of this process on three university–industry knowledge networks. The set of findings reflect the evolution of the structural, relational, and cognitive social capital components and identify the most valuable characteristics relevant at each phase of the innovation process.
An Updated Review of Sepsis for the Anesthesiologist
Authors: Tzimas Konstantine N. , Papadakos Peter J.
Published: September 2013

Severe sepsis and septic shock continue to be among of the leading causes of death in intensive care unit patients, carrying an estimated mortality rate between 30% and 50%. This article provides an evidence-based focused review of sepsis, including an update on management strategies based on the most recent guidelines published by the Surviving Sepsis Campaign.
Primary care quality and safety systems in the English National Health Service: a case study of a new type of primary care provider
Authors: Baker Richard , Willars Janet , McNicol Sarah , Dixon-Woods Mary , McKee Lorna
Published: September 2013

Objectives

Although the predominant model of general practice in the UK National Health Service (NHS) remains the small partnership owned and run by general practitioners (GPs), new types of provider are emerging. We sought to characterize the quality and safety systems and processes used in one large, privately owned company providing primary care through a chain of over 50 general practices in England.

Methods

Senior staff with responsibility for policy on quality and safety were interviewed. We also undertook ethnographic observation in non-clinical areas and interviews with staff in three practices.

Results

A small senior executive team set policy and strategy on quality and safety, including a systematic incident reporting and investigation system and processes for disseminating learning with a strong emphasis on customer focus. Standardization of systems was possible because of the large number of practices. Policies appeared generally well implemented at practice level. However, there was some evidence of high staff turnover, particularly of GPs. This caused problems for continuity of care and challenges in inducting new GPs in the company’s systems and procedures.

Conclusions

A model of primary care delivery based on a corporate chain may be useful in standardizing policies and procedures, facilitating implementation of systems, and relieving clinical staff of administrative duties. However, the model also poses some risks, including those relating to stability. Provider forms that retain the long term, personal commitment of staff to their practices, such as federations or networks, should also be investigated; they may offer the benefits of a corporate chain combined with the greater continuity and stability of the more traditional general practice.
Impact of two different health systems on the burden of type 2 diabetes
Authors: Gallagher Naomh , Bennett Kathleen , Smith Susan M , O’Reilly Dermot
Published: September 2013

Objectives

Health policy directs the management of patients with chronic disease in a country, but evaluating nationwide policies is difficult, not least because of the absence of suitable comparators. This paper examines the management of patients with type 2 diabetes in two demographically comparable populations with different health care systems to see if this represents a viable approach to evaluation.

Methods

A secondary analysis of centralized prescribing databases for 2010 was undertaken to compare the levels and costs of care of patients with type 2 diabetes in Northern Ireland’s National Health Service (NHS) (NI, n = 1.8 million) which has structured care, financial incentives related to diabetes care and an emphasis on generic prescribing, with that of the Republic of Ireland (ROI, n = 4.3 million) where management of diabetes care is guided solely by clinical and other guidelines.

Results

The prevalence of treated type 2 diabetes was 3.59% in NI and 3.09% in ROI, but there were similar and high levels of prescribing of secondary cardiovascular medications. Medication costs per person for anti-diabetic, anti-obesity and cardiovascular medication were 46% higher in ROI than NI, due to differences in levels of generic prescribing.

Conclusions

These different health care systems appear to be producing similar levels of care for patients with type 2 diabetes, although at different levels of cost. The findings question the need for financial incentives in NI and highlight the large cost savings potentially accruing from a greater shift to generic prescribing in ROI. Cross-country comparison, though not without difficulties, may prove a useful adjunct to within-country analysis of policy impact.
The philosophy of G Ryle and its significance for physical education
Authors: Stolz Steven
Published: September 2013

Physical education has long suffered low status within educational institutions, due to the assumption that practical knowledge or ‘knowing how’ is somehow set apart from cognitive development and anti-intellectual. This dualistic conception of mind and body is challenged using Ryle’s conceptual account of ‘intelligent performance’, which provides a more positive account of ‘knowing how’ and in the process, dispels with an intellectualist account of education that privileges theory over practice, mental skills over physical skills. Since physical education predominantly deals with practical knowledge, the interest to physical educators is significant, because one’s knowledge of how to do something, in most cases, is a legitimate matter of evaluation. Consequently, to take intelligent performance seriously, we need to be able to ascribe know(ing) how to someone, particularly when we appraise their actions.
“Being responsible, respectful, trying to keep the tradition alive:” Cultural resilience and growing up in an Alaska Native community
Authors: Wexler Lisa , Joule Linda , Garoutte Joe , Mazziotti Janet , Hopper Kim
Published: September 2013

Indigenous circumpolar youth are experiencing challenges of growing up in a context much different from that of their parents and their grandparents due to rapid and imposed social change. Our study is interested in community resilience: the meaning systems, resources, and relationships that structure how youth go about overcoming difficulties. The research reflects an understanding that social and cultural ecologies influence people’s available and meaningful options. The in-depth, qualitative study of 20 youth from the same Arctic community shows Inupiat (Alaska Native) youth are navigating challenges. Findings from this research suggest that Inupiat youth reflect more flexible patterns of resilience when they are culturally grounded. This cultural foundation involves kinship networks that mediate young people’s access to cultural and material assets. Our participants emphasized the importance of taking care of others and “giving back to the community.” Being “in the country” linked youth to traditional ontology that profoundly shifted how youth felt in relation to themselves, to others, and the world. The vast majority of participants’ “fulfillment narratives” centered on doing subsistence and/or cultural activities. In relation to this, young people were more likely to demonstrate versatility in their resilience strategies when deploying coherent self-narratives that reflected novel yet culturally resonant styles. Young women were more likely to demonstrate this by reconfiguring notions of culture and gender identity in ways that helped them meet challenges in their lives. Lastly, generational differences in understandings signal particular ways that young people’s historical and political positioning influences their access to cultural resources.
Defending judgment and context in ‘original reporting’: Journalists’ construction of newswork in a networked age
Authors: Coddington Mark
Published: September 2013

With professional journalism facing vigorous competition over its jurisdiction in information production from online aggregators and networked forms of journalism, this article examines how journalists publicly construct their own reporting work in opposition to a networked alternative and argue to the public for its value. It does so through a qualitative analysis of discourse from mainstream journalistic sources regarding the document-leaking group WikiLeaks, identifying distinctions journalists made to differentiate their work and its professional value from that of WikiLeaks. The analysis suggests that journalists assign less importance to the sociocultural conventions and objects of evidence that have traditionally constituted professional newswork – documents, interviews, and eyewitness observation – and more significance instead to the less materially bound practices of providing context, judgment, and narrative power. In doing so, journalists cast themselves fundamentally as sense-makers rather than information-gatherers during an era in which information gathering has been widely networked.
Liraglutide pancreatitis: The ABCD nationwide liraglutide audit
Authors: Ryder REJ , Thong KY , Blann AD , Phillips SM , Barwell ND , Kelly CJG , Semple C , Cull ML , Gupta P Sen ,   for the ABCD nationwide liraglutide audit contributors
Published: September 2013

Introduction:

There is concern that glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP1) receptor agonists may be associated with acute pancreatitis. The data from the ABCD nationwide liraglutide audit (November 2009–June 2013; 6010 patients) provide an opportunity to assess the extent of the problem in routine clinical practice in the UK.

Methods:

At every patient visit, audit-contributors were invited to submit, via an electronic form, clinical data collected as part of routine clinical practice, including data on possible side effects of treatment. Cases of ‘possible pancreatitis’ were identified and we contacted the centres concerned to obtain full details.

Results:

To date, the audit has monitored 3720 years of exposure to liraglutide. There were four cases of possible pancreatitis documented from the 6010 patients on liraglutide: three patients had likely causes of pancreatitis identified and one patient had no aetiological cause. This sole case represents an incidence of 0.027/100 patient-years of exposure to liraglutide.

Conclusion:

In cases of acute pancreatitis of a patient on liraglutide, if another cause can be found (usually gall stones associated with obesity), the drug is not be necessarily culpable. People with Type 2 diabetes are at greater risk of acute pancreatitis (hazard ratio between 1.5 and 2.8). Thus, the possibility of liraglutide-associated pancreatitis in ‘real-world’ clinical practice (0.027/100 patient years) represents a very small risk.
Defining the visual adaptation field for mesopic photometry: Does surrounding luminance affect peripheral adaptation?
Authors: Uchida T , Ohno Y
Published: September 2013

CIE 191:2010 recommends a mesopic photometry system that defines the luminous efficiency function for peripheral visual tasks, which vary depending on the adaptation state of observers. For implementation of the system, an adaptation field to determine the adaptation state needs to be defined. To address this issue, vision experiments have been conducted to measure surrounding luminance effects on the adaptation state at a peripheral task point. The results reveal that the adaptation state depends mainly on the local luminance at the task point but there is also a small effect of the surrounding luminance. The results suggest that the surrounding luminance effect is larger than the veiling luminance predicted with existing foveal models; nevertheless, it is not significant for the mesopic luminance on uniform luminance distributions.
Metrics of circadian lighting for clinical investigations
Authors: Barroso A , Simons K , de Jager P
Published: September 2013

There are currently no accepted metrics for summarising lighting conditions in studies aimed at investigating effects mediated by the circadian system. The objectives of this paper are to propose a set of metrics for capturing circadian variations in environmental lighting conditions and to compare two different lighting regimes applied to patient rooms. Our metric design emphasises the characterisation of light stimuli over time, e.g. their spread over one or more days. Lighting measurements for comparative assessment were taken in 20 beds in the intensive care unit of the Jeroen Bosch Hospital. Lighting conditions between the intensive care unit beds differed significantly across a number of circadian metrics. The proposed set of metrics offers a simple yet comprehensive approach to characterising lighting conditions from the circadian perspective with direct application in clinical studies investigating the effects of light on health.
The Impact of the Affordable Care Act on Health Education: Perceptions of Leading Health Educators
Authors: Gastmyer Christine L. , Pruitt B. E. (Buzz)
Published: September 2013

The health care system in the United States is being overhauled by major legislation, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). This study’s goal was to provide insight into the perceived impact and changes that could occur within the health education profession as a result of this health care reform legislation. Seven leaders of the health education profession participated in this qualitative research study. Six semistructured, exploratory interviews were conducted, and one participant provided written responses to the interview questions. A thematic analysis of the content of the interviews yielded five themes: (a) a fragmented sick-care system, (b) ACA becomes law: the participants’ reactions, (c) ACA becomes law: the profession’s reactions, (d) impact on the profession, and (e) health education in 2020. This article describes the fourth theme, the impact of the ACA on the health education profession. Leaders of the health education profession believed that the ACA creates a more favorable environment for health education practice. The positive elements of this legislation, however, will need to be protected, strengthened, and verified, through the work of health education professionals. As more mandates within the law are enacted over time, the impact on the profession, more than likely, will shift.
Electromagnetic shielding effectiveness and functions of stainless steel/bamboo charcoal conductive fabrics
Authors: Hwang Po-Wen , Chen An-Pang , Lou Ching-Wen , Lin Jia-Horng
Published: September 2013

Following technological advancements, there is a growing population of cellular phone and computer users. However, these electronic instruments cause electromagnetic waves, negatively influencing users’ health or precision instruments’ malfunction. Therefore, shielding electromagnetic wave becomes an important matter. In this study, stainless steel wires and bamboo charcoal roving are made into conductive yarn with 6 turns/cm by ring spinning machine. On a 14-gauge automatic horizontal knitting machine, the resulting yarn is then knitted into stainless steel/bamboo charcoal conductive fabrics and then evaluated for the electrical property and functions. According to experimental testing, electromagnetic shielding effectiveness (EMSE) of the fabrics increases with an increase in stainless steel content and number of lamination layers. In particular, when laminated at an angle of 0°/45°/90°/−45°/0°/45°, the fabrics have an EMSE of above 30 dB at an incident frequency between 2010 and 2445 MHz. The far infrared emissivity increases with bamboo charcoal content, reaching the maximum of 0.9 ɛ, when the fabric was made by one-cycle polyethylene terephthalate (PET)/stainless steel/bamboo charcoal plied yarn in the first feeder and four-cycle PET/bamboo charcoal plied yarn in the second feeder.
Vote Self-Prediction Hardly Predicts Who Will Vote, and Is (Misleadingly) Unbiased
Authors: Rogers Todd , Aida Masahiko
Published: September 2013

Public opinion researchers, campaigns, and political scientists often rely on self-predicted vote to forecast turnout, allocate resources, and measure political engagement. Despite its importance, little research has examined the accuracy of self-predicted vote responses. Seven pre-election surveys with postelection vote validation from three elections ( N = 29,403) reveal several patterns. First, many self-predicted voters do not actually vote (flake-out). Second, many self-predicted nonvoters do actually vote (flake-in). This is the first robust observation of flake-in. Third, actual voting is more accurately predicted by past voting (from voter file or recalled) than by self-predicted voting. Finally, self-predicted voters differ from actual voters demographically. Actual voters are more likely to be White (and not Black), older, and partisan than actual nonvoters (i.e., there is participatory bias), but self-predicted voters and self-predicted nonvoters do not differ much. Vote self-prediction is “biased” in that it misleadingly suggests that there is no participatory bias.
Development and Validation of the Coping With Acculturative Stress in American Schools (CASAS-A) Scale on a Latino Adolescent Sample
Authors: Castro-Olivo Sara M. , Palardy Gregory J. , Albeg Loren , Williamson Ariel A.
Published: September 2013

The psychometric properties of the Coping With Acculturative Stress in American Schools (CASAS-A) scale were examined using a sample of 148 Latino middle school students. CASAS-A is a self-report scale designed to identify students in need of culturally responsive social–emotional interventions due to having high levels of school-related acculturative stress. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), analyses of internal consistency, correlations with related measures, and group differences among Latino English Language Learners (ELLs) and non-ELLs were examined. The CFA results indicate that the data fit the hypothesized factor structure. The results also support adequate levels of reliability and validity. In addition, significant group differences were found between Latino ELLs and non-ELLs, with Latino ELLs reporting higher levels of acculturative stress in CASAS-A. Implications for future research, as well as recommendations for practitioners who implement culturally responsive interventions, are discussed.
Universal Screening for Writing Risk in Kindergarten
Authors: Coker David L. , Ritchey Kristen D.
Published: September 2013

Early identification of students at risk for writing disabilities is an important step in improving writing performance. Kindergarten students ( n = 84) were administered a set of researcher-developed writing tasks (letter writing, sound spelling, word spelling, and sentence writing) and school-administered reading tasks ( Dynamic Indicators of Early Literacy Skills [DIBELS], Phoneme Segmentation Fluency [PSF], Nonsense Word Fluency [NWF], and Letter Name Fluency [LNF] subtests [DIBELS]) in January. The students were identified as at risk based on a norm-referenced writing assessment and teacher ratings collected in the spring. The classification accuracy of the writing and reading tasks was estimated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. For both risk criteria, individual reading and writing assessments demonstrated comparable accuracy (area under the curve [AUC] statistics range = .57–.87). However, classification accuracy was strengthened when reading and writing measures were combined (AUC range = .75–.92). The results suggest that the most accurate approach to universal screening of writing difficulties may include a battery of reading and writing measures.
Comparison of Name-Writing Rubrics
Authors: Puranik Cynthia S. , Schreiber Samantha , Estabrook Erin , O’Donnell Erin
Published: September 2013

The purpose of this study was to compare name writing using six different rubrics with the aim of ascertaining whether any were better for evaluating preschoolers’ name-writing skills. In addition, we investigated the relation between name writing assessed using these six rubrics and children’s emergent and conventional literacy skills. Name-writing data were obtained from 346 preschoolers across four data sets and scored using six rubrics: five detailed rubrics and a simple rubric. Results indicated that the scores from these rubrics were highly correlated. Furthermore, the magnitude of the correlations between name-writing scores and children’s literacy skills were similar. Findings suggest that these rubrics provide an equivalent index of children’s name-writing skills at a single assessment point.
Retrievable Stent Technique and Coil Embolization of High-Flow Iatrogenic Cervical Vertebral Arteriovenous Fistula
Authors: Buyukkaya Ramazan , Hakyemez Bahattin , Erdogan Cuneyt
Published: September 2013

Cervical vertebral arteriovenous fistulas (VAFs) are rare clinical entities between the vertebral artery and veins of the neighborhood. We report the first approach in the literature experience in the treatment of high-flow VAF caused by percutaneous catheterization of the internal jugular vein, which was successfully occluded with coils and Solitaire AB neurovascular remodeling device system that can be fully retrieved even when fully deployed for procedural control. Complete angiographic and clinical cure was achieved, and no complications related to the new embolization procedure occurred.
Graphical assessment of consistency in treatment effect among countries in multi-regional clinical trials
Authors: Chen Joshua , Zheng Hao , Quan Hui , Li Gang , Gallo Paul , Ouyang Soo Peter , Binkowitz Bruce , Ting Naitee , Tanaka Yoko , Luo Xiaolong , Ibia Ekopimo ,   for the Society for Clinical Trials (SCT) Multi-regional Clinical Trial (MRCT) Consistency Working Group
Published: September 2013

Background

One key objective of a multi-regional clinical trial (MRCT) is to use the trial results to ‘bridge’ from the global level to local region in support of local registrations. However, data from each individual country are typically limited and the large number of countries will increase the chance of false positive findings.

Purpose

Graphical tools to facilitate identification of potential outlying countries could be useful for country-level assessment. Existing methods such as funnel plot and expected range of treatment effect can substantially increase the false positive rate. The expected range approach can also have a very low power when there are a large number of small countries, which is typical in a MRCT.

Methods

In this article, we apply normal probability plots, commonly used as a diagnostic tool in linear regression analysis, to assess the differences among countries. Evidence of possible inconsistency, which incorporates both the estimated treatment effect and sample size, is plotted against its expected order statistic.

Results

A simulation study is conducted to assess the impact of the negative correlation among residuals due to unequal sample sizes among countries and the performance of the proposed methods compared to existing approaches. The proposed methods tend to have a balanced consideration with substantially smaller false positive rate and reasonable probability to identify outlying countries in realistic scenarios.

Limitations

While much lower than that of commonly used methods, the false positive rates of the proposed methods are not strictly controlled. This may be acceptable for these graphical tools with intention to flag potential outliers for investigation.

Conclusions

We recommend routine use of normal probability plots in MRCTs as a tool to identify potential outliers. If the normal probability plot is approximately linear but has heavy tails with a few outlying countries, these potential outliers should be examined carefully to understand the possible reasons.
Ultrasonography of the acute paediatric abdomen with surgical correlation: a pictorial review
Authors: Moorthy Ima , Zaparackaite Indre , Lewis Gareth , Mahomed Anies
Published: September 2013

Ultrasound is a versatile tool, which is well suited to imaging children. It may be the only imaging necessary, or act as a guide to further relevant imaging. This pictorial review aims to give an overview of the role of ultrasonography in the management of common paediatric surgical abdominal emergencies in the UK, correlating ultrasound appearances with surgical and intraoperative findings and with other imaging modalities. A historical perspective is given into the evolution of ultrasound and surgical techniques. A comprehensive and carefully researched up-to-date reference list for further reading is included.
Facial pain: temporomandibular joint disorders
Authors: Field Anne , Steele John , Thayer Tom
Published: September 2013

This paper is the first of a series of three looking at the complaint of facial pain. Facial pain may be a presenting complaint of a number of conditions that range from simple dental pathology, to malignancy. Patients with a complaint of facial pain usually present to their GP, however, some will seek advice from their General Dental Practitioner (GDP), as they may suspect a dental cause. In some cases of acute facial pain the cause is readily identifiable and the patient is managed appropriately, either by their GP or GDP. One population-based cross-sectional study undertaken in a North of England GP practice estimated the prevalence of orofacial pain among adult patients (aged 18–65) at 23%. Not only does facial pain have a significant effect on the individual patient's quality of life but it also impacts on their family and wider society, because of the economic burden of days taken off work. Facial pain can be difficult to diagnose because of its multifactorial nature. This article outlines the principal causes of facial pain and the clinical assessment of patients presenting with this complaint. The diagnosis and management of temporomandibular joint disorders in primary care is described.
Prophylactic antiepileptic treatment reduces seizure frequency in natalizumab-associated progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy
Authors: Hoepner Robert , Dahlhaus Stefanie , Kollar Susanne , Zurawski Barbara , Chan Andrew , Kleiter Ingo , Gold Ralf , Hellwig Kerstin
Published: September 2013

Objective:

Little is known about seizures in natalizumab-associated progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (NAT-PML).

Methods:

A review of clinical records of 15 NAT-PML patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) treated at a German university hospital.

Results:

Some 53% (8/15) of our patients developed seizures with often multiple semiologies (seven grand mal, three simple partial motor and two psychomotor seizures). Series of seizures or status epilepticus occurred in seven of these eight. Seizure onset was on average 61 days after onset of NAT-PML and was associated with immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS) in five of eight patients. After having observed severe seizures during NAT-PML in seven of our first nine patients, we started preventive antiepileptic treatment (PAT) with levetiracetam (1000–1750 mg/day). Patient subgroups analyzed for seizures and PAT did not differ in baseline characteristics. Only one of six patients, who received PAT, had a seizure compared with seven of nine patients without PAT (2-tailed Fisher’s exact test, p = 0.04).

Conclusions:

Although the small sample size and retrospective nature of the study are limitations, we propose to treat NAT-PML patients with PAT early after diagnosis, as seizures seem to be common and severe in NAT-PML.
Who Rules Papa’s Land? C. Wright Mills and the Nigerian Power Elite
Authors: Okonofua Benjamin Aigbe
Published: September 2013

In his immensely provocative work The Power Elite, Mills argued that the United States of America is controlled and manipulated by elite that constituted the leadership of three major institutions: business, government, and the military. These institutions and their leaders, over the years, have consolidated their hold on power while evading public opprobrium and chasm. Although Mills and those who support his thesis have been successful at applying the “power elite” model to the United States and, perhaps, developed countries in the Western hemisphere, it is debatable that his rigid classifications and their underlying assumptions apply to other countries, particularly in Africa with different socio-cultural, political, economic, and historical milieu. This article offers an opportunity to apply the “power elite” model to a non-Western, underdeveloped modern nation-state: Nigeria. Nigeria, the most populous Black nation on earth, is clearly under the control of a “power elite.” The question is which elite? Within relatively brief compass, I attempt to identify the Nigerian power elite as a way to validate or reject the “power elite” model of C. Wright Mills.
Links Among Eating Disorder Characteristics, Exercise Patterns, and Psychological Attributes in College Students
Authors: Brehm Bonnie J. , Steffen John J.
Published: September 2013

This study examined associations among eating disorder characteristics, excessive exercise, and selected psychological attributes in college students ( N = 499). Male and female participants were recruited from university psychology courses and administered the Obligatory Exercise Questionnaire (OEQ), Mental Health Inventory, Eating Self-Efficacy Scale, Revised Restraint Scale, and Eating Disorder Inventory. Results confirmed the multidimensionality of excessive exercise for both males and females. Profiles of male and female exercisers were developed based on the clustering of scores on the OEQ’s factor analytically derived subscales. Specific qualitative aspects of exercise (e.g., emotionality and obsession), rather than the quantity of exercise, were found to be associated with eating disorder traits and, for some groups, psychological distress (PD). For other groups, such as female excessive exercisers, exercise seems to act as a coping mechanism, thereby lessening PD and enhancing well-being.
Understanding and Assessing the Work Motivations of Employed Women
Authors: Bezzina Frank , Azzopardi Rose Marie , Vella George
Published: September 2013

This empirical study investigates the work motivations of employed women in the Maltese labor market. A self-administered questionnaire purposely designed for the present study was presented to a quota sample of 400 women employed in Malta. Statistical analyses revealed that (a) the most important work motivators are “financial independence” and “earning money for basic necessities”; (b) the 16 proposed work motivations could be grouped under two internally consistent and unidimensional factors, namely, “personal and professional development” and “social and economic well-being”; and (c) that the intention to continue to work in the future was associated with a higher level of “education,” and greater levels of work motivation related to “personal and professional development” and “social and economic well-being.” The findings are discussed and the study provides 10 important recommendations for Maltese labor market policy makers and employers aimed at boosting the participation of working women. These include a more supportive support system for working mothers, flexible educational and training opportunities, and tighter enforcement of laws to prevent gender discrimination and harassment at the place of work and nonobserved economic activity. The study concludes by providing some interesting avenues for further research.
Effects of Community Transition Teams on Interagency Collaboration for School and Adult Agency Staff
Authors: Noonan Patricia M. , Erickson Amy Gaumer , Morningstar Mary E.
Published: September 2013

This study examined change in indicators of high-quality interagency collaboration after 1 year of establishing a community transition team and compared school and adult agency staff participants. The Transition Collaboration Survey was developed based on research-based indicators of collaboration, piloted, administered to school and agency participants from 16 midwestern community transition teams, and then analyzed through nonparametric statistics. Results indicated a significant increase in indicators of high-quality collaboration in domain areas of shared vision, variety of partnerships, time together, joint planning, shared leadership, structure, training together, minimizing duplication, and sustainability. School and adult agency staff increased collaboration in each domain area, with the exception of only school staff increasing administrative support.
Transition Needs Identification of College Students With Disabilities in Taiwan
Authors: Chen Li Ju
Published: September 2013

This research investigated the factors that motivated or caused college students with disabilities to identify transition needs compared with what they originally requested. The research began with a survey of transition needs conducted with 72 students who would graduate from college in 1 year, and the same survey was conducted with the same students a year later. The survey was followed by interviewing 11 students who made more than 10 transition need changes in the second survey. The research found that requiring different transition needs or concealing transition needs was determined by natural factors, external factors, personal condition factors, and environmental factors. Per analysis results, implications for improving students’ transition needs identification and transition services’ quality were given.
Aligning Transition Services With Secondary Education Reform
Authors: Morningstar Mary E. , Bassett Diane S. , Kochhar-Bryant Carol , Cashman Joanne , Wehmeyer Michael L.
Published: September 2013

Society has witnessed significant improvements in the lives of students receiving transition services over the past 30 years. The field of transition has developed an array of evidence-based interventions and promising practices; however, secondary school reform efforts have often overlooked these approaches for youth without disabilities. If we are to see improvements in postsecondary outcomes for all youth, reform efforts must begin with active participation of general and special educators and critical home, school, and community stakeholders. In this article, the authors discuss the evolution of transition in light of reform efforts in secondary education. They review and identify secondary educational initiatives that embrace transition principles. Finally, recommendations are provided for advancing alignment of transition services with secondary education reforms.
Educators’ Beliefs and Practices About Parent Involvement in Transition Planning
Authors: Landmark Leena Jo , Roberts Eric L. , Zhang Dalun
Published: September 2013

The purpose of this study was to explore the beliefs and stated practices of educators from local education agencies with differing levels of parent involvement during the transition planning process. A total of 3 major themes consisting of 133 minor themes emerged from the 1,304 units of data. The major themes included the concept of parent involvement in the transition process, barriers for parent involvement in the transition process, and how parent involvement in the transition process is promoted. The theory of planned behavior is used to interpret findings and develop recommendations for practice and research.
Methodological Trends in Secondary Education and Transition Research
Authors: Carter Erik W. , Brock Matthew E. , Bottema-Beutel Kristen , Bartholomew Audrey , Boehm Thomas L. , Cease-Cook Jennifer
Published: September 2013

Prevailing policy and practice in the field of transition emphasizes the importance of designing services and supports based on research-based practices. We reviewed every article published across the 35-year history of Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals (CDTEI) to document methodological trends in research focused on equipping youth and young adults with disabilities for adulthood. Although experimental research articles have assumed increasing prominence within the journal since the late 1980s, the vast majority of published studies could be characterized as primarily descriptive in focus. While almost one quarter of research articles involved some type of intervention evaluation, only 25 studies reported using research designs that could allow causal claims to be made. The data collection approaches used in these studies were quite diverse, with self-report surveys and questionnaires representing the dominant approach. We summarize the current methodological legacy of CDTEI and offer some modest recommendations for where the field might go next in its efforts to conduct rigorous research that enables youth with disabilities to flourish.
Poverty and Disability
Authors: Hughes Carolyn
Published: September 2013

Living in poverty increases the likelihood that students with disabilities will experience poor postschool outcomes, including unemployment, underemployment, and limited postsecondary education. The effects of the intersection of poverty and disability persist into adulthood where the employment rate for adults with disabilities is only one fourth that of individuals without disabilities. For close to 50 years, federal legislation has attempted to address the educational and economic disparities faced by students with disabilities and those growing up in poverty. In keeping with the focus of the civil rights movement and the Occupy Wall Street protests on the social and economic inequalities prevalent in the United States, policy directly addressing educational inequities is recommended to improve the daily lives and postschool outcomes of students with disabilities and those who are living in poverty.
Age-Appropriate Transition Assessment
Authors: Neubert Debra A. , Leconte Pamela J.
Published: September 2013

Age-appropriate transition assessment (TA) serves as the foundation for youth with disabilities to identify measurable postsecondary goals and to determine necessary transition services to pursue such goals during the secondary school years. This position paper provides guidelines for special educators, transition specialists, and other members of the Individualized Education Program team to work with youth with disabilities, their families, and interagency personnel in providing ongoing TA. The Division on Career Development and Transition endorses this position paper, which identifies federal policy; definitions, terms, and purposes; a conceptual framework and process; and competencies for personnel involved in age-appropriate TA.
IL-21 and CD40L signals from autologous T cells can induce antigen-independent proliferation of CLL cells
Authors: Pascutti Maria Fernanda , Jak Margot , Tromp Jacqueline M. , Derks Ingrid A. M. , Remmerswaal Ester B. M. , Thijssen Rachel , van Attekum Martijn H. A. , van Bochove Gregor G. , Luijks Dieuwertje M. , Pals Steven T. , van Lier René A. W. , Kater Arnon P. , van Oers Marinus H. J. , Eldering Eric
Published: September 2013

Key Points

Autologous activated T cells can drive antigen-independent proliferation of CLL cells through CD40 and IL-21 signaling. An IL-21 gene induction signature, IL-21 mRNA, and protein can be found in CLL lymph node samples.
The control of hematopoietic stem cell maintenance, self-renewal, and differentiation by Mysm1-mediated epigenetic regulation
Authors: Wang Tao , Nandakumar Vijayalakshmi , Jiang Xiao-Xia , Jones Lindsey , Yang An-Gang , Huang Xue F. , Chen Si-Yi
Published: September 2013

Key Points

Mysm1 is required to maintain the quiescence and pool size of HSC, and its deletion severely impairs the survival and function of HSC. Mysm1 controls HSC homeostasis by regulating Gfi1 expression via modulating histone modifications and transcriptional factors recruitment.
Treatment factors affecting outcomes in HIV-associated non-Hodgkin lymphomas: a pooled analysis of 1546 patients
Authors: Barta Stefan K. , Xue Xiaonan , Wang Dan , Tamari Roni , Lee Jeannette Y. , Mounier Nicolas , Kaplan Lawrence D. , Ribera Josep-Maria , Spina Michele , Tirelli Umberto , Weiss Rudolf , Galicier Lionel , Boue Francois , Wilson Wyndham H. , Wyen Christoph , Oriol Albert , Navarro José-Tomás , Dunleavy Kieron , Little Richard F. , Ratner Lee , Garcia Olga , Morgades Mireia , Remick Scot C. , Noy Ariela , Sparano Joseph A.
Published: September 2013

Key Points

Rituximab use is associated with significant improvement in all outcomes for patients with HIV-associated CD20-positive lymphomas. Infusional EPOCH chemotherapy is associated with better overall survival in patients with AIDS-related diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL).
Progesterone Receptor and Stat5 Signaling Cross Talk Through RANKL in Mammary Epithelial Cells
Authors: Obr Alison E. , Grimm Sandra L. , Bishop Kathleen A. , Pike J. Wesley , Lydon John P. , Edwards Dean P.
Published: September 2013

Progesterone (P4) stimulates proliferation of the mammary epithelium by a mechanism that involves paracrine signaling mediated from progesterone receptor (PR)-positive to neighboring PR-negative cells. Here we used a primary mouse mammary epithelial cell (MEC) culture system to define the molecular mechanism by which P4 regulates the expression of target gene effectors of proliferation including the paracrine factor receptor and activator of nuclear factor κB ligand (RANKL). MECs from adult virgin mice grown and embedded in three-dimensional basement-membrane medium resemble mammary ducts in vivo structurally and with respect to other properties including a heterogeneous pattern of PR expression, P4 induction of RANKL and other target genes in a PR-dependent manner, and a proliferative response to progestin. RANKL was demonstrated to have multiple functional P4-responsive enhancers that bind PR in a hormone-dependent manner as detected by chromatin immunoprecipitation assay. P4 also stimulated recruitment of signal transducer and activator of transcription (Stat)5a to RANKL enhancers through an apparent tethering with PR. Analysis of primary MECs from Stat5a knockout mice revealed that P4 induction of RANKL and a broad range of other PR target genes required Stat5a, as did P4-stimulated cell proliferation. In the absence of Stat5a, PR binding was lost at selective RANKL enhancers but was retained with others, suggesting that Stat5a acts to facilitate PR DNA binding at selective sites and to function as a coactivator with DNA-bound PR at others. These results show that RANKL is a direct PR target gene and that Stat5a has a novel role as a cofactor in PR-mediated transcriptional signaling in the mammary gland.
Meis1 regulates Foxn4 expression during retinal progenitor cell differentiation
Authors: Islam Mohammed M. , Li Ying , Luo Huijun , Xiang Mengqing , Cai Li
Published: September 2013

The transcription factor forkhead box N4 (Foxn4) is a key regulator in a variety of biological processes during development. In particular, Foxn4 plays an essential role in the genesis of horizontal and amacrine neurons from neural progenitors in the vertebrate retina. Although the functions of Foxn4 have been well established, the transcriptional regulation of Foxn4 expression during progenitor cell differentiation remains unclear. Here, we report that an evolutionarily conserved 129 bp noncoding DNA fragment (Foxn4CR4.2 or CR4.2), located ∼26 kb upstream of Foxn4 transcription start site, functions as a cis-element for Foxn4 regulation. CR4.2 directs gene expression in Foxn4-positive cells, primarily in progenitors, differentiating horizontal and amacrine cells. We further determined that the gene regulatory activity of CR4.2 is modulated by Meis1 binding motif, which is bound and activated by Meis1 transcription factor. Deletion of the Meis1 binding motif or knockdown of Meis1 expression abolishes the gene regulatory activity of CR4.2. In addition, knockdown of Meis1 expression diminishes the endogenous Foxn4 expression and affects cell lineage development. Together, we demonstrate that CR4.2 and its interacting Meis1 transcription factor play important roles in regulating Foxn4 expression during early retinogenesis. These findings provide new insights into molecular mechanisms that govern gene regulation in retinal progenitors and specific cell lineage development.
Mutations in the Arabidopsis RPK1 gene uncouple cotyledon anlagen and primordia by modulating epidermal cell shape and polarity
Authors: Luichtl Miriam , Fiesselmann Birgit S. , Matthes Michaela , Yang Xiaomeng , Peis Ottilie , Brunner Andrä , Torres-Ruiz Ramon A.
Published: September 2013

Plant seedlings have either one or two cotyledons. The mechanisms that regulate this organ number are poorly understood. Mutations in the RECEPTOR-LIKE PROTEIN KINASE1 (RPK1) gene of the dicot Arabidopsis have only one cotyledon, with low penetrance due to complex genetic redundancy. An analysis of patterning genes required for cotyledon initiation showed that these have normal expression patterns, defining the cotyledon anlagen, in rpk1. This was also true for key genes, which organize the shoot apical meristem (SAM). By contrast, epidermal cell shape and polarity were compromised in rpk1 embryos, as evidenced by disturbed polarity of the auxin efflux carrier PIN1. PIN1 is required for the establishment of auxin maxima, which induce and maintain organ primordia. The effects in rpk1 mutants manifest in a spatially and timely stochastic fashion probably due to redundancy of RPK1-like functions. Consistently, auxin maxima showed a stochastic distribution in rpk1 embryos, being at times entirely absent and at other times supernumerary. This variability may explain how monocotyledonous seedlings and cotyledon shape variants can developmentally arise in Arabidopsis and possibly in other plants.