bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Humanistic Psychology and the Mental Health Worker
Authors: Benjamin Elliot
Published: April 2010

This article discusses the precarious relationship of humanistic psychology to the mental health worker in our current managed care, empirically based, behaviorally focused, excessively medication-oriented mental health system. Some of the challenges, frustrations, and potential successes of bringing real and nurturing human relationships in the context of humanistic psychology into the day-to-day involvements with clients for the mental health worker are described. Some of the particular ethical dilemmas of the mental health worker attempting to work in this context of humanistic psychology are discussed, inclusive of the enormous difficulties of bringing humanistic psychology into the all pervasive medical model that controls mental health practice in our society. Through a series of case descriptions, the author provides a narrative account of his own experiences in attempting to bring the authentic nurturing relationship context of humanistic psychology into his various mental health worker jobs. The author reaches the conclusion that this relationship context of humanistic psychology is in actuality being practiced by many mental health workers without knowing it by name. He further concludes that in spite of the challenges and frustrations of engaging in real and nurturing relationships with clients as part of the mental health worker’s job in our current society, the core ingredients of empathy, authenticity, and realness of bond between client and mental health worker, which are the hallmarks of humanistic psychology, are apparently being practiced with partial success through the cleverness, flexibility, and humane-ness of mental health workers despite the enormous obstacles against this kind of humanistic practice.
Carrying Forward: Explicating Gendlin’s Experiential Phenomenological Philosophy and Its Influence on Humanistic Psychotherapy
Authors: Sharma Ruby
Published: April 2010

In his philosophical writings, Eugene Gendlin has developed a way of thinking about human experience that inextricably connects the body to language and thought. His work has stemmed out of a frustration with the limited scope of rationalism and deconstructionism, both of which currently dominate discourse in the human sciences. Gendlin has drawn on the work of a rich and diverse array of thinkers, from Aristotle to Heidegger, to develop a novel approach to understanding the subjective processes that propel the meanings that we create and live by during our existence. This article explores the philosophical influences on Gendlin’s thought, as well as the significance of his experiential phenomenological philosophy for our understanding of the human body, the process of thinking, and language. It concludes with a discussion of the implications of Gendlin’s philosophy for psychotherapeutic practice.
Optimal Matching Analysis and Life-Course Data: The Importance of Duration
Authors: Halpin Brendan
Published: April 2010

The optimal matching (OM) algorithm is widely used for sequence analysis in sociology. It has a natural interpretation for discrete-time sequences but is also widely used for life-history data, which are continuous in time. Life-history data are arguably better dealt with in terms of episodes rather than as strings of time-unit observations, and in this article, the author examines whether the OM algorithm is unsuitable for such sequences. A modified version of the algorithm is proposed, weighting OM’s elementary operations inversely with episode length. In the general case, the modified algorithm produces pairwise distances much lower than the standard algorithm, the more the sequences are composed of long spells in the same state. However, where all the sequences in a data set consist of few long spells, and there is low variability in the number of spells, the modified algorithm generates an overall pattern of distances that is not very different from standard OM.
Sex and the City in Decline: Midnight Cowboy (1969) and Klute (1971)
Authors: Corkin Stanley
Published: April 2010

This essay looks at two popular and influential films of the late 1960s and early 1970s, which were both shot in New York City: Midnight Cowboy (1969) and Klute (1971). It places them in film history, New York City history, and U.S. urban history more generally, finding that they offer an update on earlier century narratives of the connections between urban areas and deviant sexuality. In this modern version, it is not just a moral tale but also an economic one, where, because of the historical decline of the U.S. city and of New York in particular, sex work becomes a plausible, if unsettling means of support. These films find both narrative and spatial terms for advancing the contemporary antiurban narrative, envisioning New York as an impinging vertical space and seeing possible redemption only in the protagonists leaving the city.
The Shantytowns of Central Park West: Fin de Siècle Squatting in American Cities
Authors: Jindrich Jason
Published: April 2010

This article argues that the scope and importance of squatting has been greatly understated in discussions of nineteenth-century urban development. Period newspapers reported often on the struggle of cities and titleholders across North America to evict squatters, indicating that squatters were a common and persistent component of the city landscape. Evidence also suggests that many, if not most, squatters believed that they would eventually win clear title to their homes.
A simple modification of deadlock prevention policy of S3PR based on elementary siphons
Authors: Yuh Chao Daniel
Published: April 2010

We propose to extend our proprietary approach of siphon synthesis to a new simple deadlock control policy. To prevent each strict minimal siphon (SMS) S from becoming empty of tokens, we often add a control place VS and associated arcs to form an invariant to control the number of tokens leaking from S. In a disturbanceless approach, the control (called Type-1) arcs are chosen to disturb the original uncontrolled model as little as possible, to reach as many states as possible. However, this policy may generate new SMSs and hence require adding too many control places and arcs to the original Petri net model. Thus, Ezpeleta et al. moved all output (called Type-2) arcs of each VS to the output transition of the entry (called idle place) of input raw materials to limit their rate into the system, called all-sided, or SMSless approach. This may overly constrain the system so that many reachable states are no longer attainable. We hence propose an intermediate, called the one-sided, approach, which does not generate new SMS, based on our siphon-synthesis theory, by appropriately choosing the locations of Type-1 arcs and it can reach more states than the all-sided approach. The same results can be extended to the elementary-siphon approach by Li et al. except with no need to fine-tune the locations of Type-1 arcs. Comparison with other approaches has been made.
Elder Abuse in Long-Term Care: Types, Patterns, and Risk Factors
Authors: Post Lori , Page Connie , Conner Thomas , Prokhorov Artem , Yu Fang  , Biroscak Brian J.
Published: April 2010

The authors investigated types and patterns of elder abuse by paid caregivers in long-term care and assessed the role of several risk factors for different abuses and for multiple abuse types. The results are based on a 2005 random-digit-dial survey of relatives of persons in long-term care. We computed occurrence rates and conditional occurrence rates for each of six abuse types: physical, caretaking, verbal, emotional, neglect, and material. Among older adults who have experienced at least one type of abuse, more than half (51.4%) have experienced another type of abuse. Physical functioning problems, activities of daily living limitations, and behavioral problems are significant risk factors for at least three types of abuse and are significant for multiple abuse types. The findings have implications for those monitoring the well-being of older adults in long-term care as well as those responsible for developing public health interventions.
Immunohistochemical Detection of CD34, E-cadherin, Claudin-1, Glucose Transporter 1, Laminin, and Protein Gene Product 9.5 in 28 Canine and 8 Feline Meningiomas
Authors: Ramos-Vara J. A. , Miller M. A. , Gilbreath E. , Patterson J. S.
Published: April 2010

The variation in histologic pattern of meningiomas can make their diagnosis challenging. The immunohistochemical profile of 28 canine and 8 feline meningiomas was examined. Tumor types included anaplastic (6 dogs), angiomatoid (1 cat), fibroblastic (3 dogs, 1 cat), meningothelial (1 dog), microcystic (2 dogs), myxoid (3 dogs), psammomatous (4 cats), and transitional (13 dogs, 2 cats). The authors compared the expression of novel markers (CD34, E-cadherin, claudin-1, glucose transporter 1 [GLUT-1], laminin, and protein gene product [PGP] 9.5) with published markers (cytokeratins, glial fibrillary acidic protein [GFAP], progesterone receptor, S100, and vimentin). Neoplastic cells were immunohistochemically positive for vimentin in 100% of the meningiomas; CD34, 94%; GLUT-1, 86%; E-cadherin, 81%; S100, 75%; laminin, 72%; claudin-1, 60%; PGP 9.5, 55%; progesterone receptor, 44%; pancytokeratins, 39%; cytokeratins 8/18, 17%, and GFAP in 9%. Ki67 index did not correlate well with mitotic index. Based on these results and those in the human literature, immunohistochemistry for vimentin, CD34, and E-cadherin is proposed to support a diagnosis of meningioma. Immunohistochemistry for claudin-1, albeit of only moderate to low sensitivity in canine and feline meningiomas, may help to distinguish meningioma from some mesenchymal neoplasms involving the brain and associated structures, such as schwannomas, which in humans express claudin-1 poorly or not at all. Further studies with CD34, E-cadherin, and claudin-1 in canine and feline tumors that may mimic meningiomas are needed to determine the adequacy of this approach.
The book-to-market equity ratio as a proxy for risk: evidence from Australian markets
Authors: Dempsey Michael
Published: April 2010

Crucial to the interpretation of the Fama and French three-factor model is the question of whether the book-to-market equity ratio should be assigned as a ‘risk-based,’ as opposed to a ‘mispricing’ explanation of share price formation. In the context of Australian stock markets, we examine the role of the book-to-market equity ratio in the formation of stock returns. Notwithstanding the distinctive characteristics of Australian markets, our findings are complementary with findings for U.S. stocks. We succeed in revealing a strong association between stock returns and the firm’s book-to-market equity ratio, and find strong evidence that the association derives from the book-to-market ratio’s absorption of the implications of market leverage as a risk factor. In addition, we determine evidence of mispricing as contributing to the formation of market leverage itself.
The simultaneous relation between fund flows and returns
Authors: Benson Karen L. , Faff Robert W. , Smith Tom
Published: April 2010

We assess the simultaneous relation between fund flows and fund returns and show that current month flows and returns play a key role in understanding the flow/performance linkage. Current returns have a positive impact on current flows, suggesting that investors react quickly to performance information. However, current flows do not universally impact current returns. Notably, the pursuit of fund flows in large funds and established funds results in negative return impacts, yet it is these returns that drive investor decisions. Investors in institutional funds are able to identify high/low return funds and react in the current period resulting in an apparent positive impact of flows on returns.
A fixed-rate loan prepayment model for Australian mortgages
Authors: Daniel John
Published: April 2010

This paper is an investigation of Australian mortgage loan prepayment from a modelling perspective. A prepayment model for loans of mortgage- backed securities is developed specifically for the Australian mortgage market, and then empirically tested using (Reuters) Australian mortgage-backed security data. The model has origins in the fixed-rate loan prepayment models of the United States, but is designed and developed to take into account the Australian mortgage market structure. The model proves very successful when tested empirically.
‘‘None Must Meddle Betueene Man and Wife’’: Assessing Family and the Fluidity of Public and Private in Early Modern Scotland
Authors: Nugent Janay
Published: April 2010

The physical and ideological boundaries between public and private in early modern Scotland were constantly contested, resulting in a shifting reality of what was public and private. This fluidity has been recognized by historians, but how, when, and why the shifting took place is not as clear. The moral church courts (Kirk Sessions) of Reformation Scotland allow a unique opportunity to begin to understand the largely elusive boundaries between public and private in the early modern era.
Familial Recurrent Hypersomnia: Two Siblings with Kleine-Levin Syndrome and Menstrual-Related Hypersomnia
Authors: Rocamora Rodrigo , Gil-Nagel Antonio , Franch Oriol , Vela-Bueno Antonio
Published: April 2010

Kleine-Levin syndrome and menstrual-related hypersomnia are rare idiopathic sleep disorders occurring primarily in adolescence. They are characterized by intermittent periods of excessive sleepiness, cognitive disturbances, and behavioral abnormalities. In both, the etiology remains unknown but autoinmune, hormonal, infectious, and inflammatory mechanisms have been proposed. The authors describe, for the first time, the association of Kleine-Levin syndrome and menstrual-related hypersomnia in 2 adolescent siblings who shared the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) loci DQB1*0501. The same haplotype has been associated with sleepwalking and with rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder. This gender differences in the manifestation of a probably genetic influenced sleep disorder suggests that hormonal mechanisms could be implicated in the phenotypical expression of this sleep disorder. The male sibling with Kleine-Levin syndrome was easily controlled with carbamazepine in low doses, but his sister could be only efficaciously treated with oral contraceptives.
Femme-caissière and maîtresse de la maison: Max O’Rell and the Image of the Frenchwoman in the Fin-de-Siècle Cross-Cultural Debate
Authors: Verhoeven Jana
Published: April 2010

Max O’Rell is now forgotten, but in his time, he was an immensely popular author and lecturer, who propagated stereotyped images of French women in an unprecedented manner. French by birth and education, O’Rell had moved to England but had his greatest success in the United States. He was an active participant and mediator in the transnational debate over manners and morals in Britain, France and the United States. This article examines his representations of gender for three important groups of images: the girl, the wife and the fallen woman. By tracing their roots and analysing reactions to O’Rell’s ideas, the study reveals the density and reciprocity of intercultural exchange in the late nineteenth century. O’Rell’s popularity demonstrates the strength and tenacity with which conservative ideas and behaviour resisted modern trends.
The Plural Conjugation of Nadia in Tahar Ben Jelloun’s Les Raisins de la galère
Authors: Duffy Pat
Published: April 2010

During her 2007 presidential campaign, Socialist candidate, Ségolène Royal, was asked to comment on solutions to the continuing violence in the immigrant-dominated suburbs of French cities. She responded by asserting, somewhat enigmatically, that the suburbs ‘ne doivent plus être considérés comme un problème mais comme une partie de la solution aux problèmes qu’a la France’ (France 2, 2007a). Her response pulls into focus a desirable change in attitude towards immigrants that reveals a shift away from the condemnatory reactions of the past to a more constructive approach to their presence — one that privileges the positive contribution they make to the plural society that is modern France. I would like to explore further this notion of accentuating the positive by examining a text by Moroccan author, Tahar Ben Jelloun, whose ‘récit’, Les Raisins de la galère (1996),1 explores the trials and tribulations of Nadia, a young woman of Algerian descent. Nadia is featured attempting to come to terms with her own plural identity, while working tirelessly to improve the lives of others like herself whose identities have had, in the past, to be negotiated around the historically rigid definition of what it is to be French.
Europe, Immigration and the Sarkozian Concept of Fraternité
Authors: Emery Meaghan
Published: April 2010

In Nicolas Sarkozy’s embrace of ‘French national identity’ during his presidential campaign, one could sense the lepéniste nature of his campaign. Sarkozy’s cultural platform, specifying France’s Christian roots and the national language as vital to the country’s national and democratic heritage, has likewise betrayed his definitions of ‘Europeanness’ and ‘Frenchness’ as essentialist. Given his political success, the hardening of France’s universalist values has therefore become palpable, specifically the concept of fraternité (‘brotherhood’ or ‘solidarity’). The following analysis will examine how, during Sarkozy’s tenure as Interior Minister and now as President, the original concept of fraternité has been displaced in favour of a cultural predisposition to democracy — a shift that, along with France’s new immigration policy and longstanding opposition to Turkey’s candidacy for membership of the EU, coincides with a resurgence of Islamophobia.
Éffondrements : Frédéric Beigbeder’s Windows on the World
Authors: Schehr Lawrence R.
Published: April 2010

Frédéric Beigbeder’s Windows on the World uses the fictional conceit of a narrator telling events post mortem in order to describe what happened on 11 September 2001. In doing so, he approaches the events using what is culturally known, and attempts to develop a new episteme for these events by means of the known, in distinction to those who might penetrate the Lacanian Real and those recounting the events from an apocalyptic point of view.
“Whatever It Takes”: Nursing Students’ Experiences of Administering Medication in the Clinical Setting
Authors: Reid-Searl Kerry , Moxham Lorna , Walker Sandra , Happell Brenda
Published: April 2010

This research was conducted to examine experiences of nursing students in administering medication in the clinical setting. Grounded theory was utilized, involving in-depth interviews with 28 final-year students. In this article, we examine the importance participants attached to conforming to the prevailing culture, and their responses when offered what they considered inadequate supervision. Three main categories emerged: norming for the survival of self, conforming and adapting for benefit of self and others; and performing with absolute conscience. Subsequently, the model of contingent reasoning was developed to explain the actions of students. Contingent reasoning was influenced by the relationship with the registered nurse and individual characteristics of the students. Contingent reasoning was validated by participants and is discussed in relation to Kohlberg’s theory of moral reasoning and other relevant nursing literature. This model has the potential to enhance understanding of how students make decisions, and ultimately to positively influence this process.
Narrative Beginnings: Traveling To and Within Unfamiliar Landscapes
Authors: Caine Vera
Published: April 2010

Drawing on the life stories of Debra, an Aboriginal woman living with HIV, I reflect on the feeling of (dis)placement from a geographic landscape and cultural heritage that both Debra and I experienced, although in different ways. I explore how place is inscribed onto and into our bodies and how home can be understood as embodied. In this way I explore place as geographic position of home and as ontological. In the living out of her stories, Debra made me not only understand the deeper conditions of human life, but that stories told are not fixed texts, that they are composed in and out of the living and in relation to others. The textual representation and physical inscriptions of Debra’s stories are another way to not only understand, but to inquire into her life and my own. The inquiry deepened my understanding of nursing practice as a particular, contextual, and meaningful relational engagement.
Pleasure and Guilt: Alcohol Use and Hepatitis C
Authors: Harris Magdalena
Published: April 2010

One hundred and seventy million people worldwide live with chronic hepatitis C. Heavy alcohol use plays a key role in progression of the illness and is a contraindication to hepatitis C treatment. Despite the ubiquity of alcohol in Western society as a marker of celebration and sociability, there has been little research addressing the meanings of alcohol use and the dilemmas involved in ceasing or limiting consumption for affected people. This article fills a gap in the literature by addressing the meanings and practices of alcohol use for people with hepatitis C. Data are drawn from a qualitative study exploring the experiences of 40 people living with hepatitis C in New Zealand and Australia. Participants described a number of tensions and dilemmas involved in their relationship with alcohol, illustrating a complex and under-researched interplay of factors that inform drinking practice.
A Strengths-Based Group Program on Self-Harm
Authors: McAllister Margaret , Hasking Penelope , Estefan Andrew , McClenaghan Kerry , Lowe John
Published: April 2010

Every day in Queensland, Australia, student services within schools are responding to children who have deliberately self-injured. Although school nurses are in a prime position to effectively intervene, mitigate risk, and promote healthy self-caring behaviors, no programs that focus specifically on self-harm currently exist. This feasibility study of a program to assist young people find safer alternatives to self-harm canvassed opinions of 12 school nurses in secondary schools on the Sunshine Coast in 2009. Participants showed strong support and reported that the program was much needed; had an innovative, strengths-oriented approach; incorporated an essential training component; would likely be engaging for young people; and was in appropriate format. Perceived challenges to implementation included garnering support from the school community and educational stakeholders and recruiting young people most likely to benefit. Suggested changes included providing a youth-friendly name for the program and formalizing inclusion criteria to select appropriate group members.
Food Allergy Education for School Nurses
Authors: Carlisle Suzanna K. , Vargas Perla A. , Noone Sally , Steele Pam , Sicherer Scott H. , Burks A. Wesley , Jones Stacie M.
Published: April 2010

Food allergy is increasing in school-age children. School nurses are a primary health care resource for children with food allergy and must be prepared to manage allergen avoidance and respond in the event of an allergic reaction. An anonymous survey was administered to school nurses attending their association meetings to determine their educational needs regarding children with food allergy. With 199 school nurses responding, their self-reported proficiency for critical areas of food allergy knowledge and management varied, with weaknesses identified particularly for emergency plan development, staff education, delegation, developing guidelines for banning foods and planning school trips. Nurses reported a high interest in obtaining educational materials in these areas and prefer video and Internet resources that could be promoted through professional organizations.
In-plane Vibrations of Classical Planar Frame Structures — an Exact Wave-based Analytical Solution
Authors: Mei C.
Published: April 2010

In this paper, classical theories are applied in modeling in-plane vibrations in planar frame structures. An exact analytical solution has been obtained using a wave vibration approach, in which vibrations are described as waves that propagate along a uniform structural element (waveguide) and are reflected and transmitted at discontinuities (such as structural joints). The propagation, reflection, and transmission matrices, as well as the matrix relations between the injected waves and externally applied forces and moments are obtained using classical vibration theories. The coupling effect between bending and longitudinal vibrations is considered in the derivations. Assembling these matrices provides a concise and systematic approach to vibration analysis of complex in-plane coupled bending and longitudinal vibrations of planar frame structures. Numerical examples are presented, with comparisons to results available in the literature.
Bandwidth Maximizing Design for Hydraulically Actuated Excavators
Authors: Yoo Seungjin , Park Cheol-Gyu , Lim Bokman , Kyo Il Lee  , Park F.C.
Published: April 2010

In this paper we address the optimal design of a multi-degree-of-freedom hydraulically actuated excavator for reducing vibration and improving dynamic bandwidth. We specifically consider the problem of maximizing the minimum fundamental frequency of a hydraulic excavator with respect to various actuator and structural design parameters, i.e. the piston areas of the hydraulic cylinders, and the masses and inertias of the mechanical links. An analytic gradient-based optimization algorithm, together with the design sensitivity equations, are derived. Detailed case studies involving a prototype hydraulic excavator are presented.
Assessing the Impact of Campaign Finance on Party System Institutionalization
Authors: Booth Eric , Robbins Joseph
Published: April 2010

There are numerous advantages to institutionalized party systems; yet the instability in post-communist party systems has been well documented. Thus, it is increasingly important to understand how parties become institutionalized. Scholars have examined various dynamics of campaign finance’s effect on politics; however, despite this increased attention, several important theoretical and empirical questions remain. In this article, we investigate campaign finance, institutional, and economic explanations for post-communist party development. We test the impact of campaign finance restrictions and public fund availability on several measures of party institutionalization. The results of our analysis are important for outlining the role of public financing and restrictions on structuring party development.
How intra-party power relations affect the coalition behaviour of political parties
Authors: Pedersen Helene Helboe
Published: April 2010

This article examines the impact of intra-party politics on the coalition behaviour of political parties. The policy-seeking model of party behaviour is refined by differentiating between policy purity and policy influence, arguing that the distribution of power within political parties affects how inclined they are to abandon policy ideals to participate in coalitions and thereby gain influence on policy. Three contradictory hypotheses are tested in a multivariate analysis based on the legislative coalition behaviour of 11 Danish parties from 1953 to 2004. The analysis shows that, among parties close to the government in policy terms, those dominated by the parliamentary party group more frequently enter binding legislative coalitions than do parties dominated by their national party organization. This implies that the ability of parties to convert parliamentary representation into actual influence on parliamentary decisions is conditioned by their internal distribution of power.
Party Platforms and Party Coalitions
Authors: Conger Kimberly H.
Published: April 2010

In this article, I make a first attempt at identifying how coalitions are represented in a state party’s platform. Using the Christian Right as a test case for Republican coalition membership, I further examine the notion that platforms reflect elite opinion coalitions by linking coalition group influence to both elite opinion and the structure of the party organization. Using state Republican Party platforms from 2000, I identify the extent of Christian Right influence on each platform based on the proportion of platform paragraphs that focus on Christian Right issue positions and explain the variation in that proportion across states. My findings suggest that, indeed, the Christian Right’s power as a coalition player is evident in state Republican Party platforms, and, at least for the Christian Right, it seems that both mass opinions and elite opinions are at work in determining the tone of the Republican Party platform.
Parties and Social Protest in Latin America’s Neoliberal Era
Authors: Arce Moisés
Published: April 2010

Prior research has shown that economic liberalization leads to greater levels of protest in the presence of open and democratic politics. Yet the meso-level political institutions that associate democratic political regimes with protest remain unknown. In this light, the article analyses the effects of political parties on the level of protest using cross-sectional time-series data from 17 Latin American countries beginning with the third wave of democratization in 1978. The results show that the quality of representation embodied in political parties structures the level of societal conflict. In particular, countries with low levels of party system institutionalization and high levels of legislative fragmentation experience greater levels of protest activity. Overall, the article highlights the importance of political institutions in countering the most recent wave of protest against economic liberalization across Latin America.
Evaluating the outcomes of adolescent day programs in an Australian child and adolescent mental health service
Authors: Kennair Nicola , Mellor David , Brann Peter
Published: April 2010

Adolescent day programs (ADPs) are an increasingly used approach to treating adolescents with mental health issues. However, there is a dearth of studies empirically examining the outcomes of adolescent day programs. This study retrospectively examined the mental health functioning of 84 adolescents, pre- and post-treatment, who in addition to their ongoing outpatient treatment had participated in an ADP during a five-year period. Their functioning was compared to matched adolescents who participated only in outpatient treatment during the same time period. Statistical and clinical examinations revealed the reported outcomes following ADP treatment were at least comparable, and sometimes significantly better, when compared to the reported outcomes following outpatient treatment excluding ADP involvement. This study, while having some methodological shortcomings, provides some evidence for the efficacy of ADPs.
Insights Into Communication Intervention and AAC in South India
Authors: Srinivasan Saranya , Mathew Samuel N. , Lloyd Lyle L.
Published: April 2010

This study investigated current trends in communication intervention and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) in southern India through a mixed-methods design. Study participants ( N = 18) were special educators, speech-language pathologists, and behavior therapists. Responses from the questionnaire were quantitatively analyzed. Open-ended interview questions were recorded and qualitatively analyzed for emergent themes. The results are presented as descriptive statistics and insights. Some prevalent perspectives conveyed by the participants include that (a) communication intervention should be a structured, child-centric process, using a collaborative team model; (b) parents play an integral role in decision making and intervention; (c) because of the diversity that exists in India, cultural and linguistic issues are imperative in decision making and intervention; (d) use of better materials and technology can improve intervention; (e) better training programs are needed; and (f) more conference, workshops, seminars are required as a common platform for professionals to learn and interact.
The führer gives the Jews a town: Impression management, homo dramaticus, and bare life in Theresienstadt
Authors: Woolford Andrew
Published: April 2010

In 1941, the Czech garrison town of Terezín (or, in German, Theresienstadt) was selected by the Nazis to serve as a ghetto and transport camp.2 But Theresienstadt is perhaps most well known as the stage upon which the Nazis enacted a massive charade. Imagined as a ‘model ghetto’ since the Wannsee Conference of January 1942, Theresienstadt was eventually ‘beautified’ in preparation for a June 1944 visit by representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Danish government, as well as to serve as the set for a documentary about life in the camp, filmed that same year. In this paper, I draw upon Erving Goffman’s (1993/1959) dramaturgy and Pierre Bourdieu’s (1990a, 1990b) practice theory to identify various mechanisms of misrepresentation that made possible the adoption of a ‘normalizing performativity’ within Theresienstadt’s carceral space. This theoretical approach serves two purposes. First, it is used to describe the technical details of how the Nazi regime attempted to foster and manage a false impression of Theresienstadt. Second, the performativity of Theresienstadt is argued to offer a compelling frame for understanding contemporary biopolitical life, and therefore is presented as a competing metaphor of ‘camp’, which Agamben (2000: 44.5) describes as the ‘new biopolitical nomos of the planet’. In particular, it is suggested that Agamben’s figure of the homo sacer reduced to bare life fails to capture the persistence of human agency and performativity (homo dramaticus) in even the most regimented and brutal conditions.
Constructing ideal victims? Violence narratives in Finnish crime-appeal programming
Authors: Smolej Mirka
Published: April 2010

This article utilizes Nils Christie’s classic concept of the ideal victim and examines the ways in which crime-appeal programming contributes to the construction of social narratives of victims of violence. Its special focus is on techniques and victim-specific attributes that are used in the Finnish crime-appeal programme, Poliisi-TV, to define victims. The data comprise 21 violence vignettes, which are textually and visually analysed from the perspective of dramaturgy. These narratives represent victims of violence as either survivors or victims. The survivors are portrayed as heroic characters who have found inner strength to carry on with their lives after their victimization, while the victims are presented as depressed and traumatized, and their future is pictured as gloomy and unhopeful. The narratives mediate a strong picture of the hetero-normative nuclear family and the victims of violence represented in the programme are middle-aged, middle-class, financially well-off parents. Victims of violence who are outside the parameters of family, such as marginalized alcoholic men and particularly vulnerable victims, are completely missing from the footage. Some major differences among Finnish and Anglo-American media portrayals are pointed out, and internationally comparative crime media research is called for.
‘I’ve seen this on CSI’: Criminal investigators' perceptions about the management of public expectations in the field
Authors: Huey Laura
Published: April 2010

Police perceptions as to the influence of CSI and similar forensic and/or police procedural television programs on public expectations of the investigative process in the field is the focus of the present study. Through qualitative interviews with 31 members of Canadian police forces, I explore the question of whether police investigative personnel view media representations of their work as negatively influencing public expectations, thereby creating a source of occupational role strain for police officers. What is revealed is that the majority of investigative personnel interviewed have experienced citizen queries and demands attributed to consumption of unrealistic images of police work in television programs. Where a minority of investigators report feelings of frustration due to the role strain associated with having their expert knowledge and work methods questioned, the majority of those interviewed saw such queries as opportunities for educating the public about the realities of policing.
Antinociceptive effects of morphine and naloxone in mu-opioid receptor knockout mice transfected with the MORS196A gene
Authors: Chen Shiou-Lan , Ma Hsin-I , Han Jun-Ming , Lu Ru-Band , Tao Pao-Luh , Law Ping-Yee , Loh Horace H
Published: April 2010

Background

Opioid analgesics such as morphine and meperidine have been used to control moderate to severe pain for many years. However, these opioids have many side effects, including the development of tolerance and dependence after long-term use, which has limited their clinical use. We previously reported that mutations in the mu-opioid receptors (MOR) S196L and S196A rendered them responsive to the opioid antagonist naloxone without altering the agonist phenotype. In MORS196A knock-in mice, naloxone and naltrexone were antinociceptive but did not cause tolerance or physical dependence. In this study we delivery this mutated MOR gene into pain related pathway to confirm the possibility ofin vivotransfecting MORS196A gene and using naloxone as a new analgesic agent.

Methods

The MOR-knockout (MOR-KO) mice were used to investigate whether morphine and naloxone could show antinociceptive effects when MORS196A gene was transfected into the spinal cords of MOR-KO mice. Double-stranded adeno-associated virus type 2 (dsAAV2) was used to deliver the MORS196A-enhanced green fluorescence protein (EGFP) gene by microinjected the virus into the spinal cord (S2/S3) dorsal horn region. Tail-flick test was used to measure the antinociceptive effect of drugs.

Results

Morphine (10 mg/kg, s.c.) and naloxone (10 mg/kg, s.c.) had no antinociceptive effects in MOR-KO mice before gene transfection. However, two or three weeks after the MOR-S196A gene had been injected locally into the spinal cord of MOR-KO mice, significant antinociceptive effects could be induced by naloxone or morphine. On the other hand, only morphine but not naloxone induced significant tolerance after sub-chronic treatment.

Conclusion

Transfecting the MORS196A gene into the spinal cord and systemically administering naloxone in MOR-KO mice activated the exogenously delivered mutant MOR and provided antinociceptive effect without causing tolerance. Since naloxone will not activate natural MOR in normal animals or humans, it is expected to produce fewer side effects and less tolerance and dependence than traditional opioid agonists do.
Pelota interacts with HAX1, EIF3G and SRPX and the resulting protein complexes are associated with the actin cytoskeleton
Authors: Burnicka-Turek Ozanna , Kata Aleksandra , Buyandelger Byambajav , Ebermann Linda , Kramann Nadine , Burfeind Peter , Hoyer-Fender Sigrid , Engel Wolfgang , Adham Ibrahim M
Published: April 2010

Background

Pelota (PELO) is an evolutionary conserved protein, which has been reported to be involved in the regulation of cell proliferation and stem cell self-renewal. Recent studies revealed the essential role of PELO in the No-Go mRNA decay, by which mRNA with translational stall are endonucleotically cleaved and degraded. Further, PELO-deficient mice die early during gastrulation due to defects in cell proliferation and/or differentiation.

Results

We show here that PELO is associated with actin microfilaments of mammalian cells. Overexpression of human PELO in Hep2G cells had prominent effect on cell growth, cytoskeleton organization and cell spreading. To find proteins interacting with PELO, full-length human PELO cDNA was used as a bait in a yeast two-hybrid screening assay. Partial sequences of HAX1, EIF3G and SRPX protein were identified as PELO-interacting partners from the screening. The interactions between PELO and HAX1, EIF3G and SRPX were confirmed in vitro by GST pull-down assays and in vivo by co-immunoprecipitation. Furthermore, the PELO interaction domain was mapped to residues 268-385 containing the c-terminal and acidic tail domain. By bimolecular fluorescence complementation assay (BiFC), we found that protein complexes resulting from the interactions between PELO and either HAX1, EIF3G or SRPX were mainly localized to cytoskeletal filaments.

Conclusion

We could show that PELO is subcellularly localized at the actin cytoskeleton, interacts with HAX1, EIF3G and SRPX proteins and that this interaction occurs at the cytoskeleton. Binding of PELO to cytoskeleton-associated proteins may facilitate PELO to detect and degrade aberrant mRNAs, at which the ribosome is stalled during translation.
The Drosophila Fry protein interacts with Trc and is highly mobile in vivo
Authors: Fang Xiaolan , Lu Qiuheng , Emoto Kazou , Adler Paul N
Published: April 2010

Background

Cell polarity is a common feature of eukaryotic cells. The NDR kinases have been found to regulate polarized growth in both animal cells and fungi. Drosophila Tricornered is an NDR kinase that is essential for the normal polarized growth of extensions of epidermal cells and for the tiling and branching of dendrites of da sensory neurons. Tricornered function requires interacting with the large Furry protein (3479 amino acid).

Results

We constructed a furry (fry) transgene and established that it rescued the lethality of fry null mutations. The encoded protein was tagged at both its amino and carboxy termini and this allowed us to demonstrate that the protein existed as an uncleaved protein in vivo. We used the C terminal GFP tag to follow the protein in vivo and found it to be highly mobile. Interestingly Fry accumulated at the distal tip of growing bristles. We established that Fry and Trc could be co-immunoprecipitated from wing discs.

Conclusions

The mobility of Fry in both bristles and dendrites suggests that it could function in directing/mediating the intracellular transport needed for polarized growth. Our observations that full length Fry and Trc show only partial co-localization in growing bristles while an amino terminal fragment of Fry shows close to complete co-localization with Trc suggests that the interaction between these proteins is transient and regulated.
Cell-specific expression of tryptophan decarboxylase and 10-hydroxygeraniol oxidoreductase, key genes involved in camptothecin biosynthesis in Camptotheca acuminata Decne (Nyssaceae)
Authors: Valletta Alessio , Trainotti Livio , Santamaria Anna Rita , Pasqua Gabriella
Published: April 2010

Background

Camptotheca acuminata is a major natural source of the terpenoid indole alkaloid camptothecin (CPT). At present, little is known about the cellular distribution of the biosynthesis of CPT, which would be useful knowledge for developing new strategies and technologies for improving alkaloid production.

Results

The pattern of CPT accumulation was compared with the expression pattern of some genes involved in CPT biosynthesis in C. acuminata [i.e., Ca-TDC1 and Ca-TDC2 (encoding for tryptophan decarboxylase) and Ca-HGO (encoding for 10-hydroxygeraniol oxidoreductase)]. Both CPT accumulation and gene expression were investigated in plants at different degrees of development and in plantlets subjected to drought-stress. In all organs, CPT accumulation was detected in epidermal idioblasts, in some glandular trichomes, and in groups of idioblast cells localized in parenchyma tissues. Drought-stress caused an increase in CPT accumulation and in the number of glandular trichomes containing CPT, whereas no increase in epidermal or parenchymatous idioblasts was observed. In the leaf, Ca-TDC1 expression was detected in some epidermal cells and in groups of mesophyll cells but not in glandular trichomes; in the stem, it was observed in parenchyma cells of the vascular tissue; in the root, no expression was detected. Ca-TDC2 expression was observed exclusively in leaves of plantlets subjected to drought-stress, in the same sites described for Ca-TDC1. In the leaf, Ca-HGO was detected in all chlorenchyma cells; in the stem, it was observed in the same sites described for Ca-TDC1; in the root, no expression was detected.

Conclusions

The finding that the sites of CPT accumulation are not consistently the same as those in which the studied genes are expressed demonstrates an organ-to-organ and cell-to-cell translocation of CPT or its precursors.
Selection of reference genes for quantitative gene expression normalization in flax (Linum usitatissimum L.)
Authors: Huis Rudy , Hawkins Simon , Neutelings Godfrey
Published: April 2010

Background

Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) is currently the most accurate method for detecting differential gene expression. Such an approach depends on the identification of uniformly expressed 'housekeeping genes' (HKGs). Extensive transcriptomic data mining and experimental validation in different model plants have shown that the reliability of these endogenous controls can be influenced by the plant species, growth conditions and organs/tissues examined. It is therefore important to identify the best reference genes to use in each biological system before using qRT-PCR to investigate differential gene expression. In this paper we evaluate different candidate HKGs for developmental transcriptomic studies in the economically-important flax fiber- and oil-crop (Linum usitatissimum L).

Results

Specific primers were designed in order to quantify the expression levels of 20 different potential housekeeping genes in flax roots, internal- and external-stem tissues, leaves and flowers at different developmental stages. After calculations of PCR efficiencies, 13 HKGs were retained and their expression stabilities evaluated by the computer algorithms geNorm and NormFinder. According to geNorm, 2 Transcriptional Elongation Factors (TEFs) and 1 Ubiquitin gene are necessary for normalizing gene expression when all studied samples are considered. However, only 2 TEFs are required for normalizing expression in stem tissues. In contrast, NormFinder identified glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GADPH) as the most stably expressed gene when all samples were grouped together, as well as when samples were classed into different sub-groups.

qRT-PCR was then used to investigate the relative expression levels of two splice variants of the flax LuMYB1 gene (homologue of AtMYB59). LuMYB1-1 and LuMYB1-2 were highly expressed in the internal stem tissues as compared to outer stem tissues and other samples. This result was confirmed with both geNorm-designated- and NormFinder-designated-reference genes.

Conclusions

The use of 2 different statistical algorithms results in the identification of different combinations of flax HKGs for expression data normalization. Despite such differences, the use of geNorm-designated- and NormFinder-designated-reference genes enabled us to accurately compare the expression levels of a flax MYB gene in different organs and tissues. Our identification and validation of suitable flax HKGs will facilitate future developmental transcriptomic studies in this economically-important plant.