bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
‘Only looking after the weans’? The Scottish nursery nurses’ strike, 2004
Authors: Mooney Gerry , McCafferty Tricia
Published: March 2005

During March and April 2004 5,000 local authority employed nursery nurses in Scotland were involved in a national all-out strike. A two and a half year dispute over pay was transformed into a struggle to maintain national bargaining in the face of employer attempts to impose local pay deals. Drawing on interviews with striking nursery nurses, this paper seeks to explore the factors that led to the largest all-out strike in Scotland since the Miners’ Strike in the mid 1980s. It is argued that the experiences of these nursery nurses highlight particular ways in which New Labour’s welfare reforms, and its approach to pay and conditions in the public sector, are impacting on some of the most poorly paid groups of public sector workers, and in doing so suggest that this dispute has a much wider resonance beyond Scotland and beyond the nursery nurses’ fight.
A systems approach to direct payments: a response to ‘Friend or foe? Towards a critical assessment of direct payments’
Authors: Lyon Jane
Published: March 2005

Spandler (2004) identifies the need to move from reactionary to progressive arguments about direct payments in the UK to enable progress towards a critical assessment of direct payments to users of care services. This reply advocates a strategic view of direct payments within the social care system, by looking at the context within which direct payments operate and system issues that affect the whole social care sector. The discussion advances the hypothesis that critical assessment of direct payments needs to recognize their impact on the whole social care sector and not just on those people who elect to receive them.
The Impact of an Online Evidence System on Confidence in Decision Making in a Controlled Setting
Authors: Westbrook Johanna I. , Gosling A. Sophie , Coiera Enrico W.
Published: March 2005

Objective. To examine the impact of online evidence retrieval on clinicians’ decision-making confidence and to determine if this differs for experienced doctors and nurses. Methods. A sample of 44 doctors and 31 clinical nurse consultants (CNCs) answered 8 clinical scenarios (600 scenario answers) before and after the use of online evidence resources. Clinicians rated their confidence in scenario answers and in the evidence they found using the information system. Results. Prior to using online evidence, 37% of doctors and 18% of CNCs answered the scenarios correctly. These clinicians were more confident (56% very confident or confident) in their answers than those with incorrect (34%) answers. Doctors with incorrect answers prior to searching rated their confidence significantly higher than did nurses who were incorrect. After searching, both groups answered 50% of scenarios correctly. Clinicians with correct answers had greater confidence in the evidence found compared to those with incorrect answers. Doctors were more confident in evidence found confirming an initially correct answer than were nurses. More than 50% of clinicians who persisted with an incorrect answer after searching reported that they were confident or very confident in the evidence found. Clinicians who did not know scenario answers before searching placed equal confidence in evidence that led them to a correct or incorrect answer. Conclusions. The information obtained from an online evidence system influenced clinicians’ confidence in their answers to the clinical scenarios. The relationship between confidence in answers and correctness is complex. Both existing knowledge and professional role were mediating factors. The finding that many clinicians placed confidence in information that led them to incorrect answers warrants further investigation.
Medical Decision Making with Incomplete Evidence—Choosing a Platelet Glycoprotein IIbIIIa Receptor Inhibitor for Percutaneous Coronary Interventions
Authors: Brophy James M. , Joseph Lawrence
Published: March 2005

Background. Medical decision making must often be performed despite incomplete evidence. An example is the choice of a glycoprotein IIb/IIIa (GP2b3a) inhibitor, a class of potent antiplatelet medications, as adjunctive therapy during percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs). GP2b3a inhibitor efficacy in reducing adverse outcomes has been well documented with multiple placebo-controlled randomized trials, but there is a paucity of comparative data about their individual equivalency. Substantial cost differentials are also present between the drugs. Methods. A systematic review of the literature was performed to identify all randomized placebo-controlled trials of GP2b3a inhibitors as adjunctive therapy for PCI. Three complimentary methods were used to assist in decision making regarding drug equivalency. First, the data from the single direct comparative trial are analyzed from a Bayesian perspective. Next, prior information from other GP2b3a inhibitor trials in similar but not identical patient populations is incorporated. In the 3rd method, indirect comparisons of GP2b3a inhibitors are carried out using a hierarchical meta-analytic model of the placebo-controlled trials identified by the systematic review. Results. A total of 12 randomized trials were identified involving 3 agents (abciximab, eptifibatide, tirofiban), but only 1 involved a direct comparison of 2 drugs (abciximab v. tirofiban). In contradiction to the original publication, the authors’ Bayesian analysis both without (method 1) and with (method 2) the inclusion of some prior information suggests a reasonable probability of equivalency. The indirect comparisons from all randomized placebo-controlled trials (method 3) also failed to provide support for superiority of any agent over the others. Conclusion. Decision making with incomplete evidence is a difficult but frequently occurring medical dilemma. The authors propose 3 methods that may elucidate the process and illustrate them in the context of the choice of GP2b3a inhibitor for adjunctive therapy during PCI. Further data may or may not eventually lead to a different conclusion, but based on the evidence available to date, the authors’ 3 methods suggest clinical equivalency between GP2b3a inhibitors, in contrast to the initial conclusions from the single comparative randomized trial.
The Value of Diagnostic Information to Patients with Chest Pain Suggestive of Coronary Artery Disease
Authors: Mushlin Alvin I. , Kern Lisa M. , Paris Mary , Lambert David R. , Williams Geoffrey
Published: March 2005

Background. The results of diagnostic tests often have a profound impact on the way patients view their health. Decision analyses and clinical guidelines do not routinely consider this, in part because methods are not well developed for measuring the value of testing to patients. Objectives. To measure the value of stress testing to patients with chest pain suggestive of coronary artery disease (CAD) and to improve methods for measuring the value of diagnostic information. Methods. The authors conducted a prospective cohort study of patients with chest pain who were referred from 44 primary care practices for treadmill testing (N = 320). Current health status, perceived life expectancy, anxiety, uncertainty, and preferences for current health states were measured before and 1 week after testing and receipt of the results. Patients also reported the diagnosis given by their physicians after testing. The authors used paired t tests to assess changes before and after testing. Results. Perceived life expectancy lengthened, anxiety decreased, and uncertainty decreased 1 week after exercise testing, compared to before (P < 0.01). For many patients, sytoms were less bothersome after testing than before. There were few changes in perceptions of current health status, as measured by the SF-36. The authors found evidence of reassurance among patients who reported that CAD had been excluded and no evidence of psychological harm among patients who reported a new CAD diagnosis. Conclusions. Patients experienced measurable psychological benefits from noninvasive diagnostic testing for CAD. Similar measurements should be standard components of diagnostic test evaluation.
Invariance and Inconsistency in Utility Ratings
Authors: Bravata Dena M. , Nelson Lorene M. , Garber Alan M. , Goldstein Mary K.
Published: March 2005

Purpose. To assess utilities of composite health states for dependence in activities of daily living (ADLs) for invariance ( i.e., when subjects provide a utility of 1 for all health states) and order inconsistency ( i.e., when subjects order their utilities such that their utility for a combination of ADL dependencies is greater than their utility for any subset of the combination). Methods. Each of the 400 subjects, age 65 y and older, enrolled in one of several regional medical centers of the Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program of Northern California and provided standard-gamble utilities for single ADL dependencies (e.g., bathing, dressing, continence) and for dependence in 8 other combinations of ADL dependencies. For order-inconsistent responses, the authors calculated the maximum magnitude of inconsistency as the maximum difference between the utility for the combined ADL dependence health state and that of its inconsistent subset. Results. A total of 76 subjects (19%) gave a utility of 1.0 for all health states presented to them; 19 (5%) gave the same utility other than 1.0 for all health states; 130 (33%) gave at least 1 utility < 1.0 and had no order inconsistencies; and 175 (44%) had at least 1 order inconsistency. Invariance was associated with a Mini-Mental Status Examination score < 28.6 (P = 0.01), with education < 12 y (P = 0.004), with race/ethnicity other than non-Hispanic White/Caucasian (P = 0.001), and with shorter time spent on the utility elicitation task (P < 0.0001). Among the inconsistent subjects, 69% had a maximal magnitude of inconsistency that was within 1 standard deviation of the mean utilities. The maximal magnitude of inconsistency was associated with longer time spent on the elicitation task (P < 0.0001) and race/ethnicity other than non-Hispanic White/Caucasian (P = 0.005). The mean (s) utility for dependence in continence among consistent subjects who were not invariant (0.88 [0.24]) was higher than among inconsistent subjects (0.80 [0.27]; P = 0.01). Conclusions. Invariance and order inconsistencies in utility ratings for complex health states occur frequently. Utilities of consistent subjects may differ from those of inconsistent subjects. Utility assessments should attempt to measure and report these patterns.
Withholding or Starting Antibiotic Treatment in Patients with Dementia and Pneumonia: Prediction of Mortality with Physicians’ Judgment of Illness Severity and with Specific Prognostic Models
Authors: van der Steen Jenny T. , Ooms Marcel E. , van der Wal Gerrit , Ribbe Miel W.
Published: March 2005

Background. To help decision makers plan treatment, the authors assessed clinical predictors of mortality from nursing home-acquired pneumonia in patients with dementia. Methods. Pneumonia patients treated without (n = 165) or with antibiotics (n = 541) were enrolled in a prospective cohort study in 61 nursing homes. Results. In both groups, clinical judgment of illness severity was a strong predictor for 1-week mortality. Despite large differences in frailty and mortality (83% in untreated patients and 15% in treated patients), separate multivariable logistic models included similar specific predictors. Discussion. Despite profound differences between the 2 independent groups, predictors for short-term mortality were largely similar. We found that, when combined with physicians’ clinical judgment, 3 readily assessed predictors (respiratory rate, fluid intake, and eating dependency) helped predict mortality. Our results, if confirmed in an independent population, can help make decision making about antibiotic treatment of pneumonia in patients with dementia more evidence-based.
Listeners’ judgments of the musical unity of structurally altered and intact musical compositions
Authors: Tan Siu-Lan , Spackman Matthew P.
Published: March 2005

The aims of this study were to examine how listeners judge musical unity and whether they can detect lack of unity in compositions that have been structurally altered. Participants listened to 15 piano solos. Five were not altered. Ten were altered by combining three sections of three different compositions, or by repeating the same section three times in succession. Although their unity ratings for the 15 compositions were similar, trained and untrained participants focused on different aspects of the music. When judging unity, musically trained participants focused on repetition, themes/motifs, transitions, endings, and contrast providing overall balance. Untrained participants focused on pitch contour and range, tempo, mood, and pauses when judging musical unity. Although participants were not aware that any compositions had been altered, both groups were sensitive to varying degrees of repetition and variety in altered and unaltered compositions as shown in their unity ratings and written descriptions.
The effect of music listening on work performance
Authors: Lesiuk Teresa
Published: March 2005

This study measured the effect of music listening on state positive affect, work quality and time-on-task of computer information systems developers. Effects of music on work performance, in this case, software design, may be explained by increases in state positive affect. Data from 56 (male = 41, female = 15) developers were obtained from four different Canadian software companies. Data were collected in the participants’ actual work environments over five weeks. Results indicated that state positive affect and quality-of-work were lowest with no music, while time-on-task was longest when music was removed. Narrative responses revealed the value of music listening for positive mood change and enhanced perception on design while working. Evidence is provided of the presence of a learning curve in the use of music for positive mood alteration. Overall, the study contributes to the development of a model that aspires to elucidate music and workplace interactions; as well, it has implications for organizational practice.
A case of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder diagnosis: Sir Karl and Francis B. slug it out on the consulting room floor
Authors: McHoul Alec , Rapley Mark
Published: March 2005

Drawing upon Conversation Analysis and Critical Discourse Analysis, and in the frame of what is currently called discursive psychology, we open up a significant macro-social problem - indeed a global problem - to inspection at a local level by reference to a naturally-occurring instance of talk-in-interaction. The problem is the documented increase in diagnoses of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in recent years - particularly for boys, particularly in Anglophone countries, and particularly by reference to school-based conduct - and its consequent ‘treatment’ by amphetamines (including Ritalin [methylphenidate]) and related medications (Singh, 2002a). The local instance of talk-in-interaction is a transcript of a diagnostic session involving a young boy, his parents and a paediatrician. We aim to show that the local instance can shed light on just how routine and mundane it is for children to be positively diagnosed and medicated merely on presentation for the possibility of the ‘disorder’, even when parents are manifestly sceptical about (even resistive to) the diagnosis and its methodological grounds.
Potential Spaces - Subjectivities and Gender in a Generational Perspective
Authors: Rudberg Monica , Nielsen Harriet Bjerrum
Published: March 2005

Most social and cultural researchers emphasize the way people use cultural concepts to organize their social world and to constitute themselves and others in meaningful ways. In this article, this is taken one step further through taking into account the way that such cultural constructions are animated and loaded with personal meaning and emotions that stem from specific psycho-biographies. Making use of object-relational theory in general, and Chodorow’s theory of ‘power of feeling’ in particular, the authors analyse the self-talk of two young women, positioning themselves in a ‘modern’ and ‘postmodern’ discourse respectively, relating these discursive positions to the generational context in which they seem to have evolved. The aim is to contribute to a more concrete and historically situated understanding of subjectivities as ongoing processes interweaving both cultural demands and personal constructions, which always involve emotional meaning.
A study of learning and retention with a Web-based IR interface
Authors: Ahmed S. M. Zabed , McKnight Cliff , Oppenheim Charles
Published: March 2005

This article reports on an empirical study on novices’ learning and retention with the Web-based interface to the Web of Science. The aim was to evaluate the performance of novice searchers in initially learning to use the search interface and in later use. Their performance in both sessions was measured in terms of time taken to perform tasks, search terms used, success of the tasks performed and error rates. At the end of each session, novices’ subjective satisfaction with the interface was also measured. The results showed that novices’ performance was better in the learning session. Their performance in the retention session declined significantly in terms of success score as they forgot the interface functionalities from one search session to another. Novices’ subjective satisfaction with the interface was also higher in their learning session. Their satisfaction rating with the interface declined sharply in the retention session. The Web of Science interface suffers from usability problems which made its functionalities difficult to learn and remember for naïve searchers.
No easy Rider? The Scholar and the Future of the Research Library by Fremont Rider
Authors: Steele Colin
Published: March 2005

Fremont Rider’s 1944 book, The Scholar and the Future of the Research Library, had a major impact on research library thinking. The issues raised by Rider, such as research library economics, collection, acquisition and management policies, and library cooperation still resonate today, although his technology solutions have long since been outdated. Rider’s thoughts and predictions on research library growth influenced, rightly or wrongly, generations of administrators and librarians, particularly in the United States. The article outlines Rider’s thesis and traces trends in research libraries from the 1930s to the present day when libraries will have to become much more proactive in their institutional roles to tackle the new paradigms for the creation, distribution and access of information. We return to the question of what is the future of the research library and its economics in the digital era - no easy Rider?
Care Neglect, Supervisory Neglect, and Harsh Parenting in the Development of Children’s Aggression: A Replication and Extension
Authors: Knutson John F. , DeGarmo David , Koeppl Gina , Reid John B.
Published: March 2005

To understand the effects of neglectful parenting, poor supervision, and punitive parenting in the development of children’s aggression, 218 children ages 4 to 8 years who were disadvantaged and their mothers were recruited from two states to develop a sample that was diverse with respect to degree of urbanization and ethnicity. Multimethod and multisource indices of the predictive constructs (Social Disadvantage, Denial of Care Neglect, Supervisory Neglect, and Punitive Discipline) and the criterion construct (Aggression) were used in a test of a theoretical model using structural equation modeling. The results established the role of care neglect, supervisory neglect, and punitive parenting as mediators of the role of social disadvantage in the development of children’s aggression, the importance of distinguishing between two subtypes of neglect, and the need to consider the role of discipline in concert with neglect when attempting to understand the parenting in the development of aggression.
Toward a Definition of Neglect in Young Children
Authors: English Diana J. , Thompson Richard , Graham J. Christopher , Briggs Ernestine C.
Published: March 2005

This study examined the relationship between child experiences identified conceptually as “neglectful” prior to age 4 and child outcomes at age 4. This was done using measures from two sites collected as part of LONGSCAN. Child needs were included within categories of physical and psychological safety and security. Problems with residence safety or cleanliness and untreated behavioral problems predicted child impairments in language. CPS reports of failure to provide shelter predicted impairments in several developmental outcomes. A stimulating home environment predicted less impairment in cognitive development. Multiple changes in residence predicted externalizing behavior problems. Exposure to verbally aggressive discipline predicted more behavioral problems overall. Conversely, some indicators (such as caregiver transitions and lack of medical care) predicted less developmental impairment or fewer behavior problems in certain domains. The approach supports a conceptualization of neglect based on child developmental needs. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.
Family Connections: A Program for Preventing Child Neglect
Authors: DePanfilis Diane , Dubowitz Howard
Published: March 2005

Family Connections was a demonstration program specifically designed to prevent child neglect. This article describes the development of prevention strategies and the assessment of outcomes for families who received two versions of the intervention. The sample included 154 families (473 children) in a poor, urban neighborhood who met risk criteria for child neglect and who were randomly assigned to receive either a 3- or 9-month intervention. Self-report and observational data were analyzed using analyses of variance (ANOVA) with repeated measures. Results for the entire sample indicated positive changes in protective factors (parenting attitudes, parenting competence, social support); diminished risk factors (parental depressive symptoms, parenting stress, life stress); and improved child safety (physical and psychological care of children) and behavior (decreased externalizing and internalizing behavior). Results further reflected no advantage of the 9-month intervention for improving parenting adequacy. Further testing of the intervention with other target populations is being conducted.
Pocketbooks or Prayer Beads?
Authors: Christensen Christian
Published: March 2005

In this article, the author analyzes the texts of newspaper articles from the United States and Britain written in the week following the November 2002 elections in Turkey. The purpose of this research is to examine the degree to which the religious origins of the victorious party, the AKP, were emphasized by newspapers, and the implications of such emphasis on the overall coverage. A number of international events and trends have triggered recent research into the press coverage of Islam, Muslims, and/or Muslim nations: most notably the 1991 Gulf War, the September 11 attacks in the United States, and the rise in the Muslim population of many European nations. Very few studies, however, have analyzed international press coverage of what one could call the more day-to-day, nonsensational activities in Muslim nations (such as national elections). Such studies could add a great deal to the understanding of how these nations are presented in the press in contexts other than those of war, terrorism, or upheaval.
War on the Web
Authors: Dimitrova Daniela V. , Kaid Lynda Lee , Williams Andrew Paul , Trammell Kaye D.
Published: March 2005

This study examined the immediate coverage of the 2003 Iraq War on the home pages of 246 international news Web sites. The results show that most of these online publications provided coverage and made Gulf War II their top story only hours after the war began. However, foreign news sites framed the war differently than U.S. sites. Domestic news sites focused more heavily on the military conflict, human interest, and media self-coverage while the responsibility frame was more common for international sites. Also, online news coverage in countries officially supporting the war was more positive than in the countries opposing the war. The implications of these differences are discussed, and examples to illustrate the differences are offered.
Embedding the Truth
Authors: Aday Sean , Livingston Steven , Hebert Maeve
Published: March 2005

This article reports on a cross-cultural analysis of television coverage of the 2003 Iraq War that seeks to assess and understand the dimensions of objectivity in the news during wartime. A total of 1,820 stories on five American networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, Fox News Channel [FNC]) and on the Arab satellite channel Al Jazeera were included in the study. The study assessed bias on two levels:tone of individual stories and the macro-level portrait of the war offered by each network. Results showed that at the story level, the overwhelming number of stories broadcast by Al Jazeera and the American networks other than FNC were balanced. Yet the data also revealed a strong bias in support of the American-led war effort at FNC and important differences in how the various networks covered the war. Also, broadcasters showed a war devoid of blood, dissent, and diplomacy, focusing instead on a sanitized version of combat. Overall, the study found evidence that the news norm of objectivity is defined in large part by culture and ideology more than events, as the norm would imply. The study also explored in detail the coverage of embedded reporters to assess their objectivity and compare their coverage to other types of reporters, especially “unilaterals” with whom they shared the battlefield.
Exploring the Transatlantic Media Divide over Iraq
Authors: Lehmann Ingrid A.
Published: March 2005

There were significant differences in media reporting in the United States and Germany in the seven months prior to the war in Iraq. This article focuses on the coverage of United Nations weapons inspections in two print and two television media from the two countries. The main finding of this article is that, while media reporting in Germany and in the United States differed qualitatively, policy certainty and effective government framing of their respective but divergent policies on Iraq were critical factors. Both the Bush and the Schroeder governments were able to build on a predominant national consensus. The absence of critical reporting in both countries allowed the respective governments to dominate the foreign policy agenda. This led, in the United States, to support for the war and in Germany, to abstention from it. The American media in particular neglected their watchdog function.
‘Teenage traumas’
Authors: Devlin Maurice
Published: March 2005

Previous research has shown that media representations of young people consistently portray them as in one way or another ‘problematic’, but little such research has focused specifically on the medium of radio. This article contains a detailed case study of a radio documentary series broadcast in Ireland called The Teenage Years. It explores the editorial, rhetorical and narrative devices used to construct and sustain a mainstream clinical-psychological discourse of adolescence, one which effectively ‘pathologizes’ the teenage years. It also ‘homogenizes’ them, privileging age as an explanatory factor in shaping identity and development and thereby systematically ignoring other aspects of social inequality and stratification. It is argued that this is an important ideological dimension of the discourse expressed and enacted by the series.
From classlessness to clubculture
Authors: Muggleton David
Published: March 2005

This article surveys the field of British youth cultural analysis since the development in the 1950s of a so-called specific identity and distinctive set of experiences for young people. It outlines the main trajectories of sociological research, from the early positing of a classless youth culture, via various investigations into delinquent solutions, through to the establishment within a cultural studies discipline of a ‘new wave of subcultural theory’in the 1970s. It also examines the challenges to this orthodoxy in an era of ‘new times’ and the recent return to sociology and ethnographic fieldwork. In so doing the article traces the main theoretical traditions from the initial influence of American subcultural theory, through symbolic interactionism and the reinvention of the problem-solving approach in the language of Marxism, to how the field has recently been reconstituted upon the terrain of ‘post-subcultural studies’. It concludes by critiquing some current calls for the replacement of the subculture concept and argues that, while reports of the death of subculture are greatly exaggerated, the continued use of this concept in future research is perhaps likely to emphasise certain CCCS connotations of group coherence, consistency and commitment in addition to the postmodern traits of flux, fluidity and hybridization that are seemingly constitutive of certain youth cultural forms and activities in the new millennium.
Families and fortunes
Authors: Gilding Michael
Published: March 2005

Since the managerial thesis (notably Berle and Means’ classic study), the role of the family in capitalist enterprise and organization has often been viewed as an anachronism, the remnant of an earlier era. This article uses qualitative interviews with wealthy Australians to argue that family relationships are an enduring influence in relation to accumulation, succession and inheritance. There are two reasons. First, the decline of family control in big business is not just a historical event, but also an ongoing event that informs the passage of most entrepreneurial businesses as they grow in scale and complexity; hence the enduring influence of nepotism in large companies such as News Corporation. Second, a variety of considerations - including dynastic ambitions, tax minimization and trust - encourage family members to cooperate in the management of inheritance through family business institutions, from family holding companies to family offices. These family business institutions possibly reflect the rise of ‘network forms of organization’ grounded in personal trust, at the expense of large companies.
Household wealth in Australia
Authors: Marks Gary N. , Headey Bruce , Wooden Mark
Published: March 2005

Using data from the second wave of the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey, conducted in 2002, this article provides information on the composition, distribution and correlates of the wealth holdings of Australian households. The survey results indicate that Australian households have an average net worth (or wealth) of just over A$400,000, comprising assets of $473,000 and debts of $68,000. The largest component of wealth is home equity. The degree of inequality across households in wealth inequality is found to be much larger than the inequality in income and varies substantially with age and, to a lesser extent, with household type and education. Age, socio-economic background, educational attainment, marital status and the number of children can account for about 30 percent of the variation across households in (logged) wealth.
The adult children of divorce
Authors: Hughes Kate
Published: March 2005

Giddens and Beck-Gernsheim argue that there has been a shift from stable family formations to relationships that are inherently fragile and temporary. Both propose that intimate relationships in late modernity have been marked by reflexivity and contingency. Although these are not new propositions, little empirical work has been done on the contours of such relationships and the meanings that they have for individuals. This article explores Giddens’ and Beck-Gernsheim’s contentions through looking at the perceptions of relationships, and the family values, of members of Generation X whose parents divorced and who subsequently grew up in a single-parent, step-, or blended family. In particular it discusses the suggestion that we are moving into an era in which ‘the normalisation of fragility’ will become central to people’s intimate relationships.
Visual Studies, Historiography and Aesthetics
Authors: Cheetham Mark A. , Holly Michael Ann , Moxey Keith
Published: March 2005

This dialogue is an opportunity for Mark Cheetham, Michael Ann Holly and Keith Moxey to speak together in print for the first time since their edited collection entitled The Subjects of Art History (1998). Concerned, in that volume, with the prospect that ‘art history, like many other fields in the humanities, has entered a post-epistemological age’, the three editors wrote opening ‘position papers’ outlining, respectively, their concern for the (Kantian) philosophical imperatives of/in art history, and how the specters of context haunt the writing of the history of art, and the historiography of art history as Hegelian. Overall, their collection was a chance to reassess the role that the philosophies of history of Kant and Hegel and other philosophical, semiotic, queer, postcolonial, psychoanalytic and museological traditions concerned with ‘history’ have played, and continue to play, in art history’s efforts to legitimate its past and predict its future. In many ways, then, The Subjects of Art History was an attempt, from within the discipline of art history, to picture that area of inquiry in an expanded field that we may continue to call art history or might be more usefully designated as visual studies. The dialogue in this issue of the journal of visual culture is an opportunity to continue that conversation. Specifically, it is a chance to rethink the question of the place of both ‘aesthetics’ and ‘history’ in and through visual studies. As such, this dialogue seeks to address questions such as: how might visual studies rethink what we thought we already knew? Are both critics and supporters of visual studies right to believe that ‘aesthetics’ has nothing to do with visual studies? Why might they be right, or wrong? (And if they are wrong, how does visual studies offer us an occasion to engage with aesthetics in new ways?) What status do or should the philosophies of history of Kant and Hegel, say, have in visual studies? How does visual studies affect such models of history, or what does it mean for it no longer to believe it needs History at all? Or, to put it more kindly, is there something that visual studies can teach us about Kant and Hegel and subsequent historiographical thought? By no means looking to resolve these questions, this dialogue is motivated by an urge to problematize in productive ways the accusation that visual studies does not do, care for, take into consideration, or otherwise understand ‘history’. It hopes to indicate why visual studies has to deal with history, however conceived, if for no other reason than at least (and most importantly) that it can attend necessarily to the genealogies of the study of our visual cultures.
New York Shelf Life: Dirk Westphal’s Acts of Preservation
Authors: Hastie Amelie
Published: March 2005

This article considers four photographic series by New York artist Dirk Westphal. In each of these series, Westphal takes an ephemeral object (telephone booths, snack-cakes, mouthwash and small aquarium fish) and preserves it through a multimedia, multi-step process delivered via photography. His images and the labor to produce them trace and remake the intersection between the two essential components of capitalism: mass production and mass consumption. Yet he reinvents the labor in the form of the artist, the consumer in the form of the viewer. He learns from and transforms the market, collecting and remaking knowledge of urban space for his viewer-consumers.
Children, irony and philosophy
Authors: Matthews Gareth B.
Published: March 2005

In her very influential book, The Point of Words (1988), Ellen Winner presents strong evidence that children younger than six can understand and use metaphors, but not irony. Winner, however, fails to consider ‘philosophical story irony’ in her research. This sort of irony is a little like dramatic irony. We have a case of such irony whenever there is some proposition, p, such that (1) according to a story, or some character in a story, it is true that p, even though (2) we, the audience, understand that not p, and (3) we won’t be able to offer a helpful explanation of why anyone would think that p without clarifying some philosophically problematic concept basic to the supposition that p. Even very young children can understand and appreciate examples of philosophical story irony, as the popularity of a certain kind of children’s literature reveals.
Teaching political philosophy and academic neutrality
Authors: De-Shalit Avner
Published: March 2005

Should lecturers who teach political philosophy hide their personal political beliefs? This question becomes interesting when lecturers face what seems to be morally repugnant policies, such as massive human rights violations. In such cases is there a conflict between a lecturer’s civic and political obligations and his/her academic and pedagogical ones? This article argues that while university lecturers should not adhere to academic neutrality, they should be impartial. While arguing this a distinction is drawn between paternalism and empowerment through teaching.
The Contributions of Different Groups of Individuals to Employees’ Creativity
Authors: Madjar Nora
Published: March 2005

This article provides a current review of the research on the social factors for creativity and explores the relevance of sets of other individuals, both inside and outside the boundaries of the organization, that have the potential to influence creative performance. In addition, the author discusses two alternative ways in which these individuals might have an impact on creativity. First, others may encourage a person’s creativity by providing support and assistance for his or her new ideas. Second, they may stimulate creativity by presenting new information and knowledge to the employee, which in turn trigger novel ideas and alternative solutions. Implications of these relationships for human resource development (HRD) practice are discussed.
Factors Influencing Individual Creativity in the Workplace: An Examination of Quantitative Empirical Research
Authors: Egan Toby Marshall
Published: March 2005

Research on individual creativity within human resource development (HRD) has emerged as a body of research fairly recently. This article explores individual employee creativity by detailing identified roles of individual factors and external influences featured in HRD-related research utilizing a quantitative empirical methodology. Research examining the effect of general personality characteristics, self-perception, goal setting, feedback, leadership, role modeling, and other factors associated with individual creativity are detailed. Recommended future directions regarding research on employee creativity with particular focus on HRD-related issues are described.
Organizational Culture’s Influence on Creativity and Innovation: A Review of the Literature and Implications for Human Resource Development
Authors: McLean Laird D.
Published: March 2005

The majority of the literature on creativity has focused on the individual, yet the social environment can influence both the level and frequency of creative behavior. This article reviews the literature for factors related to organizational culture and climate that act as supports and impediments to organizational creativity and innovation. The work of Amabile, Kanter, Van de Ven, Angle, and others is reviewed and synthesized to provide an integrative understanding of the existing literature. Implications for human resource development research and practice are discussed.
Bringing Creativity Into Being: Underlying Assumptions That Influence Methods of Studying Organizational Creativity
Authors: Taylor Mark A. , Callahan Jamie L.
Published: March 2005

Different epistemological frameworks are presented for the effective collection of creativity data in organizations. It is suggested that researchers’ epistemological approaches can significantly influence collection methods and subsequent outcomes. Classic sociological epistemological approaches—functionalism, interpretivism, radical humanism, and radical structuralism—are used to categorize definitions of creativity. An overview of methods used in extant literature on creativity is provided, and it is suggested that alternative approaches may be useful in studies of organizational creativity.
Connecting HRD and Creativity: From Fragmentary Insights to Strategic Significance
Authors: Gibb Stephen , Waight Consuelo L.
Published: March 2005

The previous articles indicate that there are connections between creativity and human resource development (HRD) but that these connections are fragmented. The growing strategic concern with creativity and the workforce and the workplace presents a challenge to all those concerned with HRD. This article focuses on the underlying themes among the six articles and presents concerns with meanings, strategies, and challenges.
Transforming growth factor-β1 modulates responses of CD34+ cord blood cells to stromal cell-derived factor-1/CXCL12
Authors: Basu Sunanda , Broxmeyer Hal E.
Published: March 2005

Disruption of stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1/CXCL12 [CXC chemokine ligand 12]) interaction leads to mobilization of stem/progenitor cells from bone marrow to circulation. However, prolonged exposure of CD34+ cells to SDF-1 desensitizes them to SDF-1. So how do cells remain responsive to SDF-1 in vivo when they are continuously exposed to SDF-1? We hypothesized that one or more mechanisms mediated by cytokines exist that could modulate SDF-1 responsiveness of CD34+ cells and the desensitization process. We considered transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) a possible candidate, since TGF-β1 has effects on CD34+ cells and is produced by stromal cells, which provide niches for maintenance and proliferation of stem/progenitor cells. TGF-β1 significantly restored SDF-1–induced chemotaxis and sustained adhesion responses in cord blood CD34+ cells preexposed to SDF-1. Effects of TGF-β1 were dependent on the dose and duration of TGF-β1 pretreatment. Phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 (Erk1)/Erk2 was implicated in TGF-β1 modulation of migratory and adhesion responses to SDF-1. Our results indicate that low levels of TGF-β1 can modulate SDF-1 responsiveness of CD34+ cells and thus may facilitate SDF-1–mediated retention and nurturing of stem/progenitor cells in bone marrow.
Platelet-derived soluble factors induce human extravillous trophoblast migration and differentiation: platelets are a possible regulator of trophoblast infiltration into maternal spiral arteries
Authors: Sato Yukiyasu , Fujiwara Hiroshi , Zeng Bin-Xiang , Higuchi Toshihiro , Yoshioka Shinya , Fujii Shingo
Published: March 2005

In early pregnancy, human extravillous trophoblasts (EVTs) invade and remodel maternal arteries. We have previously demonstrated that CCR1 is expressed on perivascular/endovascular trophoblasts and that CCR1 ligands promote EVT migration. In this study, we examined the physiologic roles of platelet-derived chemoattractants on EVT invasion. By immunohistochemistry, maternal platelets were localized among endovascular trophoblasts within the lumen of spiral arteries. Extracellular matrices (ECMs) were also detected among endovascular trophoblasts and platelets, suggesting that the platelets in these arteries were activated by ECMs. In vitro, platelets attached to EVTs isolated from human villous explant cultures and expressed P-selectin on the cell surface. Platelets significantly enhanced migration of EVTs without affecting proliferation of EVTs or secretion of MMP-2 or MMP-9. The invasion-enhancing effect of platelet-derived culture medium on EVTs was neutralized by anti-CCR1 antibody. Heat treatment completely abrogated the invasion-promoting effects of platelet-derived culture medium, but charcoal stripping did not. Platelets also induced endovascular trophoblast-like morphologic changes and integrin α1 expression in EVTs during 48-hour culture. These findings suggest that maternal platelets activated in the spiral arteries can regulate trophoblastic vascular infiltration and differentiation by releasing various soluble factors.
Identification and characterization of Iporin as a novel interaction partner for rab1
Authors: Bayer Michael , Fischer Julia , Kremerskothen Joachim , Ossendorf Edith , Matanis Theodoros , Konczal Magdalena , Weide Thomas , Barnekow Angelika
Published: March 2005

Background

The small GTPase rab1a and its isoform rab1b are essential regulating components in the vesicle transport between the ER and the Golgi apparatus. Rab1 is thought to act as a molecular switch and can change between an active GTP-bound and an inactive GDP-bound conformation. To elucidate the function of rab1, several approaches have been established to isolate effector proteins, which interact with the activated conformation of rab1. To date p115, GM130, golgin-84 and MICAL have been identified as direct interacting partners. Together with rab1, these molecules are components of a protein complex, which mediates and regulates intracellular vesicle transport.

Results

Here, we report the characterization of Iporin, which is similar to KIAA0375 as a novel rab1-interacting protein. It was initially identified by yeast two-hybrid screening experiments with the active mutant of rab1b (rab1b Q67R) as bait. Iporin contains a SH3 domain and two polyproline stretches, which are known to play a role in protein/protein interactions. In addition, Iporin encloses a RUN domain, which seems to be a major part of the r ab1b inding domain (R1BD). Iporin is ubiquitously expressed and immunofluorescence staining displays a cytosolic punctual distribution. Interestingly, we also show that Iporin interacts with another rab1 interacting partner, the GM130 protein.

Conclusion

Our results demonstrate that Iporin is a potential new interacting partner of rab1. Iporin is different from already identified rab1 interacting proteins concerning protein structure and cellular localization. We conclude that Iporin might function as a link between the targeting of ER derived vesicles, triggered by the rab1 GTPase and a signaling pathway regulated by molecules containing SH3 and/or poly-proline regions. The characterization of this novel intermolecular relation could help to elucidate how vesicles find their way from ER to the Golgi apparatus.