bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Socialism with a Slovak Face: Federalization, Democratization, and the Prague Spring
Authors: Brown Scott
Published: April 2008

Exploring the “federalization debate” that occurred in the context of the Prague Spring, this article highlights the diversity of opinions among political elites in Slovakia regarding the federalization and democratization discussions in 1968. The language Slovaks used to call for federalization reveals how they conceive of democracy and democratization, and it shows the variety of meanings Slovaks ascribed to federalization and to the popular slogan, “First federalization, then democratization.” Federalization and democratization were mutually dependent in the minds of many Slovaks. The author argues that Slovak political and cultural figures writing in the late 1960s saw federalization as a necessary precondition for democracy; they regarded the nation as one of the basic units of democracy, which led them to champion institutional safeguards for Slovak national rights as a prerequisite for successful democratization.
Cleavages in the Contemporary Czech and Slovak Politics Between Persistence and Change
Authors: Hloušek Vít , Kopeček Lubomír
Published: April 2008

This study describes and compares Czech and Slovak party politics after 1989. The concept of cleavages is used as a theoretical starting point. The authors point out that although the communist period overshadowed the traditional cleavages dating from the second half of the nineteenth century, it is possible to analyze some politically-based cleavages in the respective party arrangements of the two countries. The main conclusion of the article is as follows: that despite differing trajectories of political development during the 1990s, at the present time, both the Czech and Slovak party systems show great similarities in terms of the prevalence of the socioeconomic cleavage. Socioeconomic cleavage emerged quite early after 1989 in the Czech Republic; in Slovakia the socioeconomic cleavage has become dominant only in recent years. This has contributed to the stabilization of the classic left-right model of political competition and the consolidation of the two countries' party systems.
The Politics of Minimal “Consensus”
Authors: Mihailescu Mihaela
Published: April 2008

This article argues that the inclusion of ethnic Hungarian parties within the Slovak and Romanian democratic oppositions during the early years of democratic transition was a critical element for the peaceful management of interethnic relations in these two multiethnic new democracies. Contrary to what the existing literature suggests, violent conflict was averted despite the absence of institutions specially designed to manage interethnic relations, the exclusion of ethnic minorities from government, and quasi-majoritarian political environments. In the two studied cases, interethnic opposition coalitions resulted from the adoption of basic democratic political institutions, which constrained actors across the ethnic divide to cooperate based on a minimal consensus agenda. More broadly, this article questions the claim that multiethnic countries are unlikely candidates for peaceful democratization, and suggests that as long as participation in democratic processes, either in government or in opposition, is possible for ethnic minorities, violent conflict can be averted.
Polish Discussions on the Nature of Communism and Mechanisms of its Collapse
Authors: Brzechczyn Krzysztof
Published: April 2008

The author, against the background of Communist Studies developed in Poland since World War I, reconstructs theoretical orientations that explained the communist system in that country. In this paper, the division of theoretical approaches into political, economic, and cultural ones is proposed. Each of them seeks factors responsible for nature, evolution, and final decline of the communist system in a different sphere of social life. An approach of the political type was Leszek Nowak's theory of communism as a system of emancipated political power; of the economic type—Jadwiga Staniszkis's theory of the communist system as incomplete capitalism; and of the cultural type— Michał Buchowski's conceptualization of communism as a system of new religion. In the final part, the author considers complementary character of reconstructed approaches and analyzes reasons why some of reconstructed theories did not generate schools of thought in Polish social sciences after 1989.
Using Common Sense in Common Settings
Authors: Haydon Todd , Scott Terrance M.
Published: April 2008

The management of a large number of children in a nonclassroom or common setting (e.g., gymnasium, auditorium) can present a challenge to school staff. This article describes a set of commonsense solutions that were implemented with 400 elementary students in a before-school common setting. The solutions are described and the results of the interventions are provided.
Father Involvement With Young Children Among the Aka and Bofi Foragers
Authors: Fouts Hillary N.
Published: April 2008

In this article, the nature of father involvement with young children (1-4 years of age) among the Aka and Bofi foragers of Central Africa is examined. Human behavioral ecology predictions about fathering indicate that father involvement is associated with cultural values, such as lack of warfare, non-violent ideology, flexible gender roles, the high evaluation of both male and female children, residence patterns, and the kin resources of fathers (i.e., number of brothers). Furthermore, human behavioral ecology predictions posit that father involvement increases in early childhood around the time of weaning and that low father involvement is related to postmenopausal female kin involvement. Informed by these predictions, the present cross-sectional study of father involvement with young children will evaluate the role of residence patterns, age of children, the presence of fathers' brothers and postmenopausal female kin, and cultural and ecological contexts among two forest forager groups in the Congo Basin rainforest.
What Do Coronary Artery Disease Patients Think about Their Treatments? An Assessment of Patients' Treatment Representations
Authors: Hirani Shashivadan P. , Patterson David L.H. , Newman Stanton P.
Published: April 2008

This article investigates patients' beliefs about the intervention offered to manage their illness. Coronary artery disease (CAD) patients, 70 of whom were undergoing medication, 71 to undergo angioplasty and 73 to undergo surgery, completed a 58-item questionnaire regarding their treatment beliefs. Responses were subject to principal components analysis, which indicated four factors accounting for 36.7 per cent of the variance. After excluding extraneous items, the final questionnaire consisted of 27 items, clustered around four components: treatment-value, treatment-concerns, decision-satisfaction and cure. A coherent set of subscale inter-correlations and ANCOVAs examining treatment group differences on these sub-scales showed a logical, explicable pattern of group differences reflecting the distinctive natures of each treatment and demonstrated discriminant validity. Correlations with other scales provided evidence of construct validity.
The Relationship between Negative Communication and Body Image Dissatisfaction in Adolescent Females with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Kichler Jessica C. , Foster Carol , Opipari-Arrigan Lisa
Published: April 2008

Maladaptive eating attitudes and behaviors are common in adolescent females with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM). This research assessed potential pathways through which individual and familial factors relate to treatment adherence and glycemic control. Seventy-five females with T1DM (aged 11—17 years) and their mothers completed questionnaires regarding communication, diabetes management, and eating attitudes and behaviors. Hierarchical regression analyses found that body image dissatisfaction moderates the relationship between negative communication and maladaptive eating attitudes and behaviors. Treatment adherence mediates the relationship between maladaptive eating attitudes and behaviors and glycemic control. None of the participants endorsed omitting insulin for the purposes of weight management. This study highlights the need to address familial and individual factors along with treatment adherence within this population.
An Alternative Framework for Understanding Women's Caregiving Stress
Authors: Brannen Cyndi , Petite Kathy
Published: April 2008

In this article we present an alternative to inventory checklist approaches to measuring coping. We utilized a qualitative approach to explore themes of problem-focused, emotion-focused and meaning-focused coping in a sample of 98 women from diverse backgrounds and caregiving situations. Their narratives reflected the `goodness of fit' coping framework; that different strategies are more effective for stress reduction in relation to the amount of perceived control. Using a narrative approach allowed us to situate coping within the context of the caregiving experiences that the women discussed. This permits a broader understanding of how coping strategies can help women to navigate caregiving and reduce stress.
Gender Differences in Smoking and Meanings of Smoking in Asian-American College Students
Authors: Hsia Fan-Ni , Spruijt-Metz Donna
Published: April 2008

This study examined the meanings of smoking among Asian-America college students and the associations between those meanings and their smoking behaviors. Data were collected from two postsecondary institutions in southern California. A total of 460 students with 205 males and 255 females completed the survey. The odds ratio of each meaning to students' smoking behaviors was calculated. Spearman's correlational analyses were run to make comparisons between genders. Males who endorsed social meanings were more likely to smoke while females who endorsed personal meanings were more likely to smoke. Gender-tailored smoking prevention programs may be needed for Asian-American college students.
Dispositional Predictors of Complementary Medicine and Vitamin Use in Students
Authors: Wheeler Philippa , Hyland Michael E.
Published: April 2008

The Rational-Experiential Inventory (REI) and Tellegen Absorption questionnaire were completed by 131 undergraduate students who also completed a scale measuring complementary medicine use (with separate entries for practitioner and self-delivered use) and vitamin/mineral use. Less rationality and greater absorption predicted greater use of practitioner-delivered and self-delivered complementary medicine, and vitamin/mineral use. Logistic regression showed that rationality and absorption were independent predictors of these behaviours. In addition to confirming previous research, this is the first demonstration that complementary medicine and vitamin/mineral use are predicted by the same variables, including less rationality.
Emotions and Their Cognitive Precursors
Authors: Bennett Paul , Lowe Rob
Published: April 2008

This study used Smith and Lazarus's appraisal model to explore nurses' emotional reactions to self-identified distressing work situations. Key situations reported typically involved time or interpersonal pressure, coping with errors at work, difficulties with patients, and managerial conflict. The strongest emotions experienced were anger and frustration. Anxiety and sadness were less endorsed. Most nurses felt able to cope emotionally and problem-solve solutions to the problems they faced. The findings were generally supportive of Smith and Lazarus's theory, with the exception of the emotion of sadness. The implications of the results are discussed.
Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety among a Sample of South African Patients Living with a Chronic Illness
Authors: Kagee Ashraf
Published: April 2008

The present study reports on a survey conducted among 119 patients receiving treatment for diabetes or hypertension at semi-rural community health care clinics in South Africa. Participants completed the Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). On the HSCL, 38.5 per cent of the sample scored in the elevated range. On the BDI, 19.8 per cent of the sample fell in or above the moderate range for depression. The results suggest that a considerable proportion of the sample may be experiencing significant psychiatric difficulty, for which they may not be receiving treatment.
Views on the death penalty among college students in India
Authors: Lambert Eric G. , Pasupuleti Sudershan , Shanhe Jiang  , Jaishankar K. , Bhimarasetty Jagadish V.
Published: April 2008

While research abounds on attitudes toward capital punishment in the United States, such work has been lacking in non-western nations — particularly in India, the world's largest democracy. Data recently collected have revealed variance in levels of support for the death penalty among Indian college students: 44 percent express some degree of opposition, 13 percent are uncertain, and 43 percent express some degree of support. Reasons for support or opposition also exhibited variance. According to a multivariate analysis, statistically significant reasons for support included retribution, instrumentalist goals, and incapacitation; while significant reasons for opposition included morality and the belief that deterrence could be achieved by imposing sentences of life without parole.
The `Baghdad Broadcasting Corporation'
Authors: Wall Melissa A. , Bicket Douglas
Published: April 2008

This article assesses the US conservative attack on the BBC during the post 9/11 terrorism wars, finding conservative blogs, print media and think tanks notably hostile. The processes of media criticism taking place within this conservative triad are viewed through the analytical concepts of news repair and boundary maintenance. The findings suggest that the BBC's perceived transgression was that it threatened to reveal the fallacy of an argument that conservatives had long worked to establish: that the US mainstream news media are liberal and harshly critical of conservatives. This conservative triad supported its attempt to repair this paradigm breach in three main ways: suggesting that reporting multiple viewpoints of the war was evidence of bias; magnifying any reporting errors; and warning against the perils of public ownership of news media.
RISC Monitor audience rating and its implications for journalistic practice
Authors: Hujanen Jaana
Published: April 2008

Conceptualizations of good news are increasingly driven by detailed audience research. This article examines the application of Research Institute on Social Change (RISC) Monitor in the context of Finnish press journalistic practice and considers the views on journalism and the audience RISC Monitor reinforces. This international and widely used market research tool monitors social change by analysing people's life-styles, attitudes and values. Here the focus is on the implications the use of RISC Monitor has for the idea(l)s of journalism as the transmission of information and as a resource for public participation and active citizenship. The study is based on qualitative interviews with Finnish press journalists. Discourse analysis is used as a theoretical and methodological framework. The analysis finds that RISC Monitor is applied in heterogeneous ways in newsrooms. The criteria for good journalism are (re)negotiated according to the perceived wants and needs of target groups, and readers are seen as consumers. However, the idea(l)s and practices that emerge also aim to serve people as active citizens.
`Journalists are the confessors of the public', says one Foucaultian
Authors: Dent Chris
Published: April 2008

The article combines Foucault's ideas of discursive formations, practices and subjects with qualitative data gained from interviews with working Australian journalists, editors and broadcast producers. This combination of the theoretical and the empirical allows for the exploration of journalism as a discursive formation rather than as simply a set of practices internalized by journalists. Through the examination of the words of the respondents, Foucault's notions of internal, external and neither fully internal nor external discursive controls are given a practical foundation and provide the basis for the assessment of the central Truth of the journalistic discursive formation. This Truth, the set of practices whose absence would render journalism a different discursive formation, is found to be the facilitation of public confession. That is, journalists, if they are to be journalists, must, in the course of their daily lives, allow for, and publish, the `confessions' of their sources.
Some issues in nonparametric Bayesian modeling using species sampling models
Authors: Navarrete Carlos , Quintana Fernando A , Müller Peter
Published: April 2008

We review some aspects of nonparametric Bayesian data analysis with discrete random probability measures.We focus on the class of species sampling models (SSMs).We critically investigate the common use of the Dirichlet process (DP) prior as a default SSM choice. We discuss alternative prior specifications from a theoretical, computational and data analysis perspective. We conclude with a recommendation to consider SSM priors beyond the special case of the DP prior, and make specific recommendations on how different choices can be used to reflect prior information and how they impact the desired inference. We show the required changes in the posterior simulation schemes, and argue that the additional generality can be achieved without additional computational effort.
Segregation and Victimization
Authors: Estrada Felipe , Nilsson Anders
Published: April 2008

As a means of improving our understanding of the significance of the residential neighbourhood, we have examined exposure to property crime, studying the extent to which differences in the risk of exposure to crime are related on the one hand to individual and household characteristics and on the other to neighbourhood conditions and differences in where people live. The data are drawn from interview surveys of living conditions, which also include a number of questions relating to criminal victimization. These survey data have been combined with register data relating to residential neighbourhoods. The focus is directed at different districts in urban areas, grouped on the basis of accumulated resource deficiencies.
Are Statins an Option in the Management of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms?
Authors: Paraskevas Kosmas I. , Liapis Christos D. , Hamilton George , Mikhailidis Dimitri P.
Published: April 2008

Medline was searched for studies investigating the perioperative and long-term results that derive from statin use in patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm and the clinical and experimental evidence dealing with aneurysm expansion. Data suggest that statins improve the perioperative and long-term outcomes of aneurysm operations and may also reduce expansion rates. International guidelines recommend the use of statins in these patients because abdominal aortic aneurysms are considered as a coronary heart disease equivalent. These guidelines do not appear to have been widely implemented. Preliminary results suggest that statins might play a role in the management of abdominal aortic aneurysms. Verification of these results in large-scale trials may hold implications for a more comprehensive approach of patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms as well as population-wide aneurysm screening programs. Irrespective of the role of statins on aneurysm expansion rates, it is important to ensure that all abdominal aortic aneurysm patients receive statin therapy to improve perioperative and long-term morbidity and mortality.
Endovascular Exclusion of Superior Mesenteric Artery Pseudoaneurysms: An Alternative to Open Laparotomy in High-Risk Patients
Authors: Jimenez Juan Carlos , Lawrence Peter F. , Reil Todd D.
Published: April 2008

Superior mesenteric artery (SMA) aneurysms are rare. However, patients are frequently symptomatic on presentation and require urgent repair. SMA aneurysms have the potential for severe complications, including thrombosis or rupture, resulting in acute mesenteric ischemia and death. In patients with adhesions secondary to prior abdominal surgery, traditional open exposure of the aneurysm neck via dissection at the base of the transverse colon mesentery may be technically difficult. Endovascular exclusion of visceral artery aneurysms using covered stent grafts presents a reasonable alternative to the morbidity associated with laparotomy. We report an interesting case of a patient with a large SMA aneurysm and multiple prior laparotomies treated percutaneously with a combined expanded polytetrafluoroethylene/nitinol self-expanding stent-graft allowing maintenance of end-organ perfusion and bowel viability.
Interposition Grafting of Popliteal Artery Cystic Adventitial Disease: Case Report
Authors: Patel Sejal M. , Patil Vivek A. , Pamoukian Vicken N.
Published: April 2008

Cystic adventitial disease of the popliteal artery is a rare cause of leg claudication occurring primarily in young adults. We report a case of a 41-year-old athletic man who presented with rapidly progressive left leg claudication. Using duplex ultrasound and magnetic resonance angiography, a diagnosis of popliteal artery cystic adventitial disease was made. The cystic popliteal artery was resected and replaced using a prosthetic interposition graft. At the 1.5-year follow-up, the cysts have recurred; however, the related symptoms have not. This is in contrast to a previously reported case of interposition saphenous vein grafting requiring resection due to invasion by recurrent cysts within 6 months.
NKG2D-dependent effector function of bronchial epithelium-activated alloreactive T-cells
Authors: Kraetzel K. , Stoelcker B. , Eissner G. , Multhoff G. , Pfeifer M. , Holler E. , Schulz C.
Published: April 2008

Allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (SCT) has emerged as a curative therapeutic option. However, the role of graft-versus-host disease in lung injury after SCT has yet to be determined.

In the present study, primary bronchial epithelial cells and the bronchial epithelial cell line BEAS-2B were used to investigate immune responses of allogeneic CD8+ T-cells directed against respiratory epithelial cells.

Following stimulation with irradiated bronchial epithelial cells, CD8+ T-cells produced significant amounts of interferon-γ, upregulated alloantigen activation markers and proliferated highly compared with T-cells stimulated with interleukin-2 alone. Furthermore, cytotoxicity assays demonstrated that bronchial epithelial cell-specific and granzyme B-mediated cytolytic activity was induced in CD8+ T-cells. Generation of natural killer (NK) T-cells, NK-like T-cells, cytokine-induced killer cells or lymphokine-activated killer cells could be excluded by phenotyping, culture conditions and neglectable lytic activity following stimulation with interleukin-2 alone. Inhibition experiments showed that lysis of bronchial epithelial cells was not major histocompatibility complex-I restricted, but depended on NK group 2 member D signalling; a stimulatory receptor initially shown to be expressed on NK cells.

The present data imply that the respiratory epithelium has an antigen presenting function and directly alloactivates cytotoxic CD8+ T-cells that show nonclassical effector function.
The incidence of respiratory symptoms and sensitisation in baker apprentices
Authors: Skjold T. , Dahl R. , Juhl B. , Sigsgaard T.
Published: April 2008

The aim of the current study was to describe the incidence of respiratory symptoms and allergic sensitisation and the sequence of events leading to respiratory symptoms among Danish baker apprentices (BA). A total of 114 BA were surveyed over a 20-month period. Questionnaires were completed along with spirometric analysis and skin-prick tests to common and work-related allergens. Bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) was determined at baseline and at the end of the follow-up period.

The incidences of work-related rhinitis and asthma-like symptoms were 22.1 and 10.0 cases·100 person-yrs−1, respectively. At 20 months the cumulative incidence proportion was 40.2 and 20.5% for rhinitis and asthma-like symptoms, respectively. The cumulative incidence of occupational sensitisation was 6.1%.

An increased risk of asthma-like symptoms was found in both atopic subjects and in females. In the BA with new onset respiratory symptoms, an increase in BHR from baseline was observed. Forced expiratory volume in one second and forced vital capacity did not change during the follow-up period. No relationship was observed between new sensitisation and new symptoms.

In conclusion rhinitis- and asthma-like symptoms were found to develop commonly in Danish baker apprentices. The mechanism by which symptoms arose was perceived to reflect the development of an inflammation rather than the production of a specific immunoglobulin E pathway, as sensitisation to occupational allergens was rarely observed. Hence, respiratory symptoms and allergy may develop through separate pathways.
Modulation of ozone-induced airway hyperresponsiveness and inflammation by interleukin-13
Authors: Williams A. S. , Nath P. , Leung S-Y. , Khorasani N. , McKenzie A. N. J. , Adcock I. M. , Chung K. F.
Published: April 2008

The present study aimed to determine whether the T-helper cell type 2-derived cytokines, interleukin (IL)-4 and -13, can modulate the lung response to ozone exposure.

IL-13-/-, IL-4/13-/-and IL-13-overexpressing transgenic (Tg) mice were exposed to ozone (3 ppm; 3 h) or air. Wild-type (Wt) Balb/c mice and transgenic-negative littermates (IL-13Wt) were used as controls for gene-deficient and IL-13Tg mice, respectively.

IL-4/13-/-and IL-13-/-mice developed a lesser degree of ozone-induced airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) while IL-13Tg mice developed a greater degree of AHR compared with ozone-exposed wild-type or IL-13Wt mice, respectively. Ozone caused a time-dependent increase of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) neutrophils and macrophages in wild-type mice, maximal at 20–24 h, which was attenuated in the IL-13-/-and IL-4/13-/-mice. In IL-13Tg mice, there was a greater increase in BAL neutrophils after ozone exposure compared with IL-13Wt mice. Using quantitative real-time PCR, ozone-induced mRNA expression for IL-6 and keratinocyte chemokine was further enhanced in IL-13-/-and IL-4/13-/-mice, and was inhibited in IL-13Tg mice. Macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-3α/CCL20 expression was enhanced after ozone exposure in wild-type mice, inhibited in IL-13-/-and IL-4/13-/-mice, while in IL-13Tg mice it was enhanced. A similar pattern of expression was observed with lipopolysaccharide-induced cytokine (LIX/CXCL5/ENA-78) expression.

In conclusion, interleukin-13 augments ozone-induced airway hyperresponsiveness and neutrophilic inflammation, possibly through modulation of certain cytokines induced by ozone exposure.
Higher pulmonary artery pressure in children than in adults upon fast ascent to high altitude
Authors: Kriemler S. , Jansen C. , Linka A. , Kessel-Schaefer A. , Zehnder M. , Schürmann T. , Kohler M. , Bloch K. , Brunner-La Rocca H. P.
Published: April 2008

The response of pulmonary artery pressure to high altitude has not been studied in children. It is also not known whether the individual response is hereditary. Therefore, the response of pulmonary artery pressure to high altitude was measured in pre-pubertal children in comparison to that in their biological fathers.

Echocardiography was performed at 450 m and over 3 days at 3,450 m. Systolic pulmonary artery pressure was estimated from the pressure gradient of tricuspid regurgitation.

The increase in pulmonary artery pressure in children was greater than that in adults at day 1 of high altitude (15.5±9.1versus7.9±6.4 mmHg), but returned to adult levels on day 2. The increase in pulmonary artery pressure from low to high altitude of each child correlated with that in the father.

Pre-pubertal children transiently develop greater pulmonary hypertension than their fathers when exposed to high altitude. The individual response of pulmonary pressure to high altitude seems to be at least partly hereditary.
Novel thin bronchoscope with a 1.7-mm working channel for peripheral pulmonary lesions
Authors: Oki M. , Saka H. , Kitagawa C. , Tanaka S. , Shimokata T. , Mori K. , Kajikawa S.
Published: April 2008

In the present study, the authors evaluated the diagnostic utility of a novel thin bronchoscope with a 1.7-mm working channel for peripheral pulmonary lesions.

A total of 118 patients were included in this prospective study. Bronchoscopic examination was performed using a 5.9-mm standard bronchoscope. If no visible endobronchial lesion was found, transbronchial biopsies were performed with 1.5-mm biopsy forceps under fluoroscopic guidance and the bronchus were washed with 10–20 mL of saline solution, using a prototype 3.5-mm thin bronchoscope with a 1.7-mm working channel.

Endobronchial lesion was visualised with the standard bronchoscope in 16 patients, and the other 102 patients underwent biopsies with the thin bronchoscope. The mean bronchus levels reached with the standard bronchoscope and the thin bronchoscope were 2.3 and 4.3 generations, respectively. Endobronchial abnormality was revealed with the thin bronchoscope in a further 14 patients. Diagnostic material was obtained in 50 of 68 (74%) patients with malignant disease and 18 of 30 (60%) patients with benign disease. Four patients did not return to follow-up. The diagnostic yield was 57%, even in lesions <20 mm. There were no major complications.

In conclusion, bronchoscopy using a 3.5-mm thin bronchoscope with a 1.7-mm working channel is useful and safe for the diagnosis of peripheral pulmonary lesions.
Breast cancer risk in relation to urinary and serum biomarkers of phytoestrogen exposure in the European Prospective into Cancer-Norfolk cohort study
Authors: Ward Heather , Chapelais Gaelle , Kuhnle Gunter GC , Luben Robert , Khaw Kay-Tee , Bingham Sheila
Published: April 2008

Introduction

Phytoestrogens are a group of compounds found in plants that structurally resemble the hormone oestradiol, and thus have the potential to act as oestrogen agonists or antagonists. Their potential effects may alter the risk of breast cancer, but only a limited range of phytoestrogens has been examined in prospective cohort studies.

Methods

Serum and urine samples from 237 incident breast cancer cases and 952 control individuals (aged 45 to 75 years) in the European Prospective into Cancer-Norfolk cohort were analysed for seven phytoestrogens (daidzein, enterodiol, enterolactone, genistein, glycitein, o-desmethylangolensin, and equol) using liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. Data on participants' diet, demographics, anthropometrics, and medical history were collected upon recruitment. All models were adjusted for weight, fat and energy intake, family history of breast cancer, social class, analytical batch, and factors related to oestrogen exposure.

Results

Urinary or serum phytoestrogens were not associated with protection from breast cancer in the European Prospective into Cancer-Norfolk cohort. Breast cancer risk was marginally increased with higher levels of total urinary isoflavones (odds ratio = 1.08 (95% confidence interval = 1.00 to 1.16), P = 0.055); among those with oestrogen receptor-positive tumours, the risk of breast cancer was increased with higher levels of urinary equol (odds ratio = 1.07 (95% confidence interval = 1.01 to 1.12), P = 0.013).

Conclusion

There was limited evidence of an association between phytoestrogen biomarkers and breast cancer risk in the present study. There was no indication of decreased likelihood of breast cancer with higher levels of phytoestrogen biomarkers, but the observation that some phytoestrogen biomarkers may be associated with greater risk of breast cancer warrants further study with greater statistical power.
Erect wing regulates synaptic growth in Drosophilaby integration of multiple signaling pathways
Authors: Haussmann Irmgard U , White Kalpana , Soller Matthias
Published: April 2008

Background

Formation of synaptic connections is a dynamic and highly regulated process. Little is known about the gene networks that regulate synaptic growth and how they balance stimulatory and restrictive signals.

Results

Here we show that the neuronally expressed transcription factor gene erect wing (ewg) is a major target of the RNA binding protein ELAV and that EWG restricts synaptic growth at neuromuscular junctions. Using a functional genomics approach we demonstrate that EWG acts primarily through increasing mRNA levels of genes involved in transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression, while genes at the end of the regulatory expression hierarchy (effector genes) represent only a minor portion, indicating an extensive regulatory network. Among EWG-regulated genes are components of Wingless and Notch signaling pathways. In a clonal analysis we demonstrate that EWG genetically interacts with Wingless and Notch, and also with TGF-β and AP-1 pathways in the regulation of synaptic growth.

Conclusion

Our results show that EWG restricts synaptic growth by integrating multiple cellular signaling pathways into an extensive regulatory gene expression network.
Taxanes Alone or in Combination With Anthracyclines As First-Line Therapy of Patients With Metastatic Breast Cancer
Authors: Piccart-Gebhart Martine J. , Burzykowski Tomasz , Buyse Marc , Sledge George , Carmichael James , Lück Hans-Joachim , Mackey John R. , Nabholtz Jean-Marc , Paridaens Robert , Biganzoli Laura , Jassem Jacek , Bontenbal Marijke , Bonneterre Jacques , Chan Stephen , Basaran Gul Atalay , Therasse Patrick
Published: April 2008

Purpose

Taxanes (paclitaxel or docetaxel) have been sequenced or combined with anthracyclines (doxorubicin or epirubicin) for the first-line treatment of advanced breast cancer. This meta-analysis uses data from all relevant trials to detect any advantages of taxanes in terms of tumor response, progression-free survival (PFS), and survival.

Patients and Methods

Individual patient data were collected on eight randomized combination trials comparing anthracyclines + taxanes (+ cyclophosphamide in one trial) with anthracyclines + cyclophosphamide (+ fluorouracil in four trials), and on three single-agent trials comparing taxanes with anthracyclines. Combination trials included 3,034 patients; single-agent trials included 919 patients.

Results

Median follow-up of living patients was 43 months, median survival was 19.3 months, and median PFS was 7.1 months. In single-agent trials, response rates were similar in the taxanes (38%) and in the anthracyclines (33%) arms (P = .08). The hazard ratios for taxanes compared with anthracyclines were 1.19 (95% CI, 1.04 to 1.36; P = .011) for PFS and 1.01 (95% CI, 0.88 to 1.16; P = .90) for survival. In combination trials, response rates were 57% (10% complete) in taxane-based combinations and 46% (6% complete) in control arms (P < .001). The hazard ratios for taxane-based combinations compared with control arms were 0.92 (95% CI, 0.85 to 0.99; P = .031) for PFS and 0.95 (95% CI, 0.88 to 1.03; P = .24) for survival.

Conclusion

Taxanes were significantly worse than single-agent anthracyclines in terms of PFS, but not in terms of response rates or survival. Taxane-based combinations were significantly better than anthracycline-based combinations in terms of response rates and PFS, but not in terms of survival.
Asparaginase May Influence Dexamethasone Pharmacokinetics in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Authors: Yang Lei , Panetta John C. , Cai Xiangjun , Yang Wenjian , Pei Deqing , Cheng Cheng , Kornegay Nancy , Pui Ching-Hon , Relling Mary V.
Published: April 2008

Purpose

Dexamethasone is used widely in oncology, but pharmacokinetic studies are lacking. We evaluated dexamethasone pharmacokinetics in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Patients and Methods

We assessed 214 children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia who received 418 courses of oral dexamethasone (8 mg/m2/d) on days 1 and 8 of reinduction. Extensive asparaginase use preceded reinduction in the 101 children in the standard/high-risk treatment arm but not in the 113 children in the low-risk treatment arm. A one-compartment model with first-order absorption and disposition was fit to dexamethasone plasma concentrations by using maximum a posteriori probability estimation; we evaluated covariates by using linear mixed models.

Results

Interpatient and intrapatient variabilities in apparent clearance were substantial; they were 46% and 53%, respectively. Variability was explained by the serum albumin concentration (P < .0001), concomitant use of fentanyl (P = .008) and ketoconazole (P = .03), and age (P = .006). Apparent clearance was higher in the low-risk arm (P < .001) and was related to a greater serum albumin concentration (P < .001) and to a lower exposure to asparaginase than in the standard/high-risk arm. Hypoalbuminemia, a biomarker of asparaginase activity, was associated with a lower dexamethasone apparent clearance (P = .04) in patients in the standard/high-risk arm that was more pronounced in those not allergic to asparaginase. Ethnicity or gender did not explain apparent clearance variability.

Conclusion

Dexamethasone pharmacokinetics are highly variable and are related to the concurrent use of particular drugs, age, and treatment intensity. Patients allergic to asparaginase may be doubly disadvantaged: they not only suffer from diminished exposure to asparaginase but also, by maintaining high clearance of dexamethasone, may experience fewer antileukemic effects of dexamethasone.
Randomized Phase III Study of Capecitabine Plus Oxaliplatin Compared With Fluorouracil/Folinic Acid Plus Oxaliplatin As First-Line Therapy for Metastatic Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Cassidy Jim , Clarke Stephen , Díaz-Rubio Eduardo , Scheithauer Werner , Figer Arie , Wong Ralph , Koski Sheryl , Lichinitser Mikhail , Yang Tsai-Shen , Rivera Fernando , Couture Felix , Sirzén Florin , Saltz Leonard
Published: April 2008

Purpose

To evaluate whether capecitabine plus oxaliplatin (XELOX) is noninferior to fluorouracil. folinic acid, and oxaliplatin (FOLFOX-4) as first-line therapy in metastatic colorectal cancer (MCRC).

Patients and Methods

The initial design of this trial was a randomized, two-arm, noninferiority, phase III comparison of XELOX versus FOLFOX-4. After patient accrual had begun, the trial design was amended in 2003 after bevacizumab phase III data became available. The resulting 2 × 2 factorial design randomly assigned patients to XELOX versus FOLFOX-4, and then to also receive either bevacizumab or placebo. We report here the results of the analysis of the XELOX versus FOLFOX-4 arms. The analysis of bevacizumab versus placebo with oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy is reported separately. The prespecified primary end point for the noninferiority analysis was progression-free survival.

Results

The intent-to-treat population comprised 634 patients from the original two-arm portion of the study, plus an additional 1,400 patients after the start of the amended 2 × 2 design, for a total of 2,034 patients. The median PFS was 8.0 months in the pooled XELOX-containing arms versus 8.5 months in the FOLFOX-4–containing arms (hazard ratio [HR], 1.04; 97.5% CI, 0.93 to 1.16). The median overall survival was 19.8 months with XELOX versus 19.6 months with FOLFOX-4 (HR, 0.99; 97.5% CI, 0.88 to 1.12). FOLFOX-4 was associated with more grade 3/4 neutropenia/granulocytopenia and febrile neutropenia than XELOX, and XELOX with more grade 3 diarrhea and grade 3 hand-foot syndrome than FOLFOX-4.

Conclusion

XELOX is noninferior to FOLFOX-4 as a first-line treatment for MCRC, and may be considered as a routine treatment option for appropriate patients.
Structure and function in acquired prosopagnosia: Lessons from a series of 10 patients with brain damage
Authors: Barton Jason J. S.
Published: April 2008

Acquired prosopagnosia varies in both behavioural manifestations and the location and extent of underlying lesions. We studied 10 patients with adult‐onset lesions on a battery of face‐processing tests. Using signal detection methods, we found that discriminative power for the familiarity of famous faces was most reduced by bilateral occipitotemporal lesions that involved the fusiform gyri, and better preserved with unilateral right‐sided lesions. Tests of perception of facial structural configuration showed severe deficits with lesions that included the right fusiform gyrus, whether unilateral or bilateral. This deficit was most consistent for eye configuration, with some patients performing normally for mouth configuration. Patients with anterior temporal lesions had better configuration perception, though at least one patient showed a more subtle failure to integrate configural data from different facial regions. Facial imagery, an index of facial memories, was severely impaired by bilateral lesions that included the right anterior temporal lobe and marginally impaired by fusiform lesions alone; unilateral right fusiform lesions tended to spare imagery for facial features. These findings suggest that (1) prosopagnosia is more severe with bilateral than unilateral lesions, indicating a minor contribution of the left hemisphere to face recognition, (2) perception of facial configuration critically involves the right fusiform gyrus and (3) access to facial memories is most disrupted by bilateral lesions that also include the right anterior temporal lobe. This supports assertions that more apperceptive variants of prosopagnosia are linked to fusiform damage, whereas more associative variants are linked to anterior temporal damage. Next, we found that behavioural indices of covert recognition correlated with measures of overt familiarity, consistent with theories that covert behaviour emerges from the output of damaged neural networks, rather than alternative pathways. Finally, to probe the face specificity of the prosopagnosic defect, we tested recognition of fruits and vegetables: While face specificity was not found in most of our patients, the data of one patient suggested that this may be possible with more focal lesions of the right fusiform gyrus.
Voice recognition and the posterior cingulate: An fMRI study of prosopagnosia
Authors: Arnott Stephen R. , Heywood Charles A. , Kentridge Robert W. , Goodale Melvyn A.
Published: April 2008

Voices, in addition to faces, enable person identification. Voice recognition has been shown to evoke a distributed network of brain regions that includes, in addition to the superior temporal sulcus (STS), the anterior temporal pole, fusiform face area (FFA), and posterior cingulate gyrus (pCG). Here we report an individual (MS) with acquired prosopagnosia who, despite bilateral damage to much of this network, demonstrates the ability to distinguish voices of several well‐known acquaintances from voices of people that he has never heard before. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) revealed that, relative to speech‐modulated noise, voices rated as familiar and unfamiliar by MS elicited enhanced haemodynamic activity in the left angular gyrus, left posterior STS, and posterior midline brain regions, including the retrosplenial cortex and the dorsal pCG. More interestingly, relative to noise and unfamiliar voices, the familiar voices elicited greater haemodynamic activity in the left angular gyrus and medial parietal regions including the dorsal pCG and precuneus. The findings are consistent with theories implicating the pCG in recognizing people who are personally familiar, and furthermore suggest that the pCG region of the voice identification network is able to make functional contributions to voice recognition even though other areas of the network, namely the anterior temporal poles, FFA, and the right parietal lobe, may be compromised.
The Relation Between Driving Experience and Recognition of Road Signs Relative to Their Locations
Authors: Borowsky Avinoam , Shinar David , Parmet Yisrael
Published: April 2008

Objectives: Examine how driving experience and expectations affect the ability of experienced drivers to identify traffic signs — specifically, no right turn (NRT) and no left turn (NLT) at intersections. Background: Failure to heed signs is a frequent cause of accidents, and the authors focused on the contributions of experience and expectancy to sign identification. Method: Inexperienced and experienced drivers were connected to an eye tracker system and briefly exposed to various traffic scenes. Some of the pictures included an NRT sign at the expected location (on the right), and some included the same sign at an unexpected location (on the left). The same procedure was used with an NLT traffic sign. Results: Experienced drivers identified traffic signs better than inexperienced drivers did when the signs were posted at the expected location but identified them worse than did inexperienced drivers when they were at unexpected locations. Conclusions: With experience, drivers' expectations regarding the expected location of traffic signs become so strong that violating these expectancies results in more identification errors among experienced drivers than among inexperienced drivers. To optimize experienced drivers' traffic sign identification, signs must be located in accordance with drivers' expectations — specifically, on the right side of the road. Applications: When signs are misplaced, crashes can be caused by inappropriate placement rather than inappropriate driving. Highway designers should ensure that their design conforms to standards that shape experienced drivers' expectations.
Elaboração e validação do instrumento de entrevista de enfermagem
Authors: Hermida Patrícia Madalena Vieira , Araújo Izilda Esmênia Muglia
Published: April 2008

Esta pesquisa teve como objetivos elaborar e validar o instrumento Entrevista de Enfermagem para a coleta de dados na assistência de enfermagem, guiado pelo referencial de Orem. Para validar o conteúdo do instrumento e de seu respectivo guia de apoio à decisão, estes foram encaminhados para apreciação de juízes, cuja concordância entre eles, analisada pelo Teste Qui-Quadrado de Cochran, apontou diferença estatisticamente significativa quanto à objetividade do instrumento, porém, o número de respostas positivas foi maior, indicando que o instrumento apresenta os quesitos pertinentes. A análise descritiva da concordância quanto ao guia de apoio à decisão, mostrou que apenas a objetividade obteve 50% de respostas negativas, sugerindo alterações. Concluindo, o instrumento apresenta validade permitindo coletar dados de forma sistemática e voltados ao autocuidado.
Competitividade relativa entre cultivares de arroz irrigado e biótipo de arroz-vermelho
Authors: Fleck N.G. , Agostinetto D. , Galon L. , Schaedler C.E.
Published: April 2008

O objetivo deste trabalho foi comparar as habilidades competitivas relativas entre dois cultivares de arroz e um biótipo de arroz-vermelho. Para isso, foram realizados experimentos em casa de vegetação na Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, na estação de crescimento 2001/02. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o completamente casualizado, com quatro repetições. Os tratamentos foram arranjados em série de substituição e constituíram-se de cinco proporções de plantas de arroz e do biótipo competidor: 100:0, 75:25, 50:50, 25:75 e 0:100. O arroz foi representado pelos cultivares IRGA 417 e EEA 406, e os competidores, pelo arroz-vermelho e pelo cultivar EEA 406, usado como simulador daquele. A análise da competitividade foi efetuada por meio de diagramas aplicados a experimentos substitutivos e uso de índices de competitividade relativa. As variáveis estudadas foram afilhamento, estatura, área foliar e massa seca da parte aérea das plantas. O arroz-vermelho modificou negativamente o número de afilhos, a estatura e a massa seca da parte aérea das plantas dos cultivares IRGA 417 e EEA 406, demonstrando habilidade competitiva superior. Os cultivares de arroz IRGA 417 e EEA 406 não modificaram suas características morfofisiológicas quando em competição, independentemente da proporção de plantas entre ambos, demonstrando habilidades competitivas equivalentes.