bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reassessing the Racial Divide in Support for Capital Punishment
Authors: Unnever James D. , Cullen Francis T.
Published: January 2007

This project investigates the racial divide in support for capital punishment. The authors examine whether race has a direct effect on support for capital punishment and test whether the influence of race varies across class, being a native southerner, confidence in government officials, political orientation, and religious affiliation. Using data drawn from the General Social Survey, they find a substantial racial divide, with African Americans much less likely to support the death penalty. Furthermore, the analysis revealed little support for the “spurious/social convergence” hypothesis; shared factors that might be expected to bring African Americans and Whites together—class, confidence in government, conservative politics, regional location, and religious fundamentalism—either did not narrow African American-White punishment attitudes or, at best, had only modest effects. The Results suggest that the racial divide in support for capital punishment is likely to remain a point of symbolic contention in African American-White conceptions of criminal injustice in the United States.
The Relationships Between Race-Related Stress, Racial Identity, and Mental Health for Black Americans
Authors: Franklin-Jackson Deidre , Carter Robert T.
Published: January 2007

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships between race-related stress, racial identity, and mental health in a sample of 255 Black American adults. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that racial identity and race-related stress predicted mental health; however, racial identity accounted for more of the variance in mental health. These findings provide evidence that a person’s racial identity must be considered when understanding race-related stress and mental health. Implications for practice and research are discussed.
Contradictions of Employee Involvement, Information Sharing and Expectations: A Case Study of an Indian Worker Cooperative
Authors: Kandathil George Mathew , Varman Rahul
Published: January 2007

Employee involvement is an evolving process replete with uncertainties even given the best of preconditions–worker ownership. This case study of the largest Indian worker cooperative focuses on the processes of employee involvement over a decade. The authors argue that employee involvement is contingent upon the feeling that the information that the employees consider critical is shared with them. While for the management, information sharing is an instrument in eliciting involvement, for the employees it is a matter of trust. The authors propose that as the management expectation of information sharing goes through an instrumental loop, the worker expectation of information sharing goes through an institutional, trust-based loop. This mismatch in expectations around information critically influences employee involvement.
Television tension: national versus cosmopolitan memory in a co-produced television documentary
Authors: Ashuri Tamar
Published: January 2007

This article examines the manner in which recent trends towards globalization and commercialization in the media impinge on the construction of collective (national) memory. Concentrating on the economics of television documentaries, it considers the way in which memory can be manipulated to signal national and historical differences. This issue is explored through the vantage point of a particular mode of television production, international co-productions. The study focuses on a television documentary, The Fifty Year War: Israel and the Arabs, co-produced by three television networks, BBC, PBS (WGBH Boston) and MBC. Making this documentary was only possible after funding from separate sources had been secured, with the quid pro quo of each funding source being given the right to use the produced footage to construct its own version of the final product. Analysing the production process of this television documentary, the study shows that making the tri-versions programme on the Arab-Israeli war became a kind of a war: a war over competing memories, a war over interpretation and, finally, a war over representation.
The Meaning and Use of Intuition in Novice Nurses: a phenomenological study
Authors: Ruth-Sahd Lisa A. , Tisdell Elizabeth J.
Published: January 2007

The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to determine the meaning and use of intuition in novice nurses with an above-average self-perception of intuitiveness in their 1st year of practice. Sixteen novice nurses from a variety of hospitals and specialty areas were interviewed to discover the meaning of intuitive knowing and to explore how intuitive knowing is manifested in their practice. Data interpretation revealed three dimensions. First, prior experiences were influencers to novice nurses; second, connections were central to making meaning through intuition; and third, dimensions of time, space, and touch proved to be significant in facilitating intuition. Based on the findings that emerged, implications for nursing education and practice and the wider field of adult education are presented.
A Mathematical Model for the Kai-Protein–Based Chemical Oscillator and Clock Gene Expression Rhythms in Cyanobacteria
Authors: Miyoshi Fumihiko , Nakayama Yoichi , Kaizu Kazunari , Iwasaki Hideo , Tomita Masaru
Published: January 2007

In the cyanobacterium, Synechococcus elongatus, most promoters are regulated by a circadian clock under continuous light (LL) conditions. Nevertheless, the basic circadian oscillation is primarily generated by alternating KaiC phosphorylation/dephosphorylation reactions at the posttranslational level. Indeed, the KaiC phosphorylation cycle was recently reconstituted in vitro by incubating KaiA, KaiB, and KaiC proteins with ATP. However, the molecular dynamics of this chemical oscillation and the mechanism that drives the circadian transcription/translation rhythms remain unknown. In this report, the KaiC phosphorylation cycle and the gene regulatory network in the cyanobacterial circadian system have been modeled. The model reproduces the robust KaiC phosphorylation cycle in the absence of de novo gene expression as is observed in vitro, as well as its coupling to transcriptional/translational feedback in LL conditions in vivo. Moreover, the model is consistent with most previous experiments, including various combinations of genetic knockout or overexpression of kai genes. It also predicts that multiple KaiC phosphorylation states and dynamic Kai protein interactions may be required for the cyanobacterial circadian system.
Hofbauer-Buchner Eyelet Affects Circadian Photosensitivity and Coordinates TIM and PER Expression in Drosophila Clock Neurons
Authors: Veleri Shobi , Rieger Dirk , Helfrich-Förster Charlotte , Stanewsky Ralf
Published: January 2007

Extraretinal photoreception is a common input route for light resetting signals into the circadian clock of animals. In Drosophila melanogaster, substantial circadian light inputs are mediated via the blue light photoreceptor CRYPTOCHROME (CRY) expressed in clock neurons within the brain. The current model predicts that, upon light activation, CRY interacts with the clock proteins TIMELESS (TIM) and PERIOD (PER), thereby inducing their degradation, which in turn leads to a resetting of the molecular oscillations within the circadian clock. Here the authors investigate the function of another putative extraretinal circadian photoreceptor, the Hofbauer-Buchner eyelet (H-B eyelet), located between the retina and the medulla in the fly optic lobes. Blocking synaptic transmission between the H-B eyelet and its potential target cells, the ventral circadian pacemaker neurons, impaired the flies' ability to resynchronize their behavior under jet-lag conditions in the context of nonfunctional retinal photoreception and a mutation in the CRY-encoding gene. The same manipulation also affected synchronized expression of the clock proteins TIM and PER in different subsets of the clock neurons. This shows that synaptic communication between the H-B eyelet and clock neurons contributes to synchronization of molecular and behavioral rhythms and confirms that the H-B eyelet functions as a circadian photoreceptor. Blockage of synaptic transmission from the H-B eyelet in the presence of functional compound eyes and the absence of CRY also results in increased numbers of flies that are unable to synchronize to extreme photoperiods, supplying independent proof for the role of the H-B eyelet as a circadian photoreceptor.
Gates and Oscillators II: Zeitgebers and the Network Model of the Brain Clock
Authors: Antle Michael C. , Foley Nicholas C. , Foley Duncan K. , Silver Rae
Published: January 2007

Circadian rhythms in physiology and behavior are regulated by the SCN. When assessed by expression of clock genes, at least 2 distinct functional cell types are discernible within the SCN: nonrhythmic, light-inducible, retinorecipient cells and rhythmic autonomous oscillator cells that are not directly retinorecipient. To predict the responses of the circadian system, the authors have proposed a model based on these biological properties. In this model, output of rhythmic oscillator cells regulates the activity of the gate cells. The gate cells provide a daily organizing signal that maintains phase coherence among the oscillator cells. In the absence of external stimuli, this arrangement yields a multicomponent system capable of producing a self-sustained consensus rhythm. This follow-up study considers how the system responds when the gate cells are activated by an external stimulus, simulating a response to an entraining (or phase-setting) signal. In this model, the authors find that the system can be entrained to periods within the circadian range, that the free-running system can be phase shifted by timed activation of the gate, and that the phase response curve for activation is similar to that observed when animals are exposed to a light pulse. Finally, exogenous triggering of the gate over a number of days can organize an arrhythmic system, simulating the light-dependent reappearance of rhythmicity in a population of disorganized, independent oscillators. The model demonstrates that a single mechanism (i.e., the output of gate cells) can account for not only free-running and entrained rhythmicity but also other circadian phenomena, including limits of entrainment, a PRC with both delay and advance zones, and the light-dependent reappearance of rhythmicity in an arrhythmic animal.
Comparison Between Polyurethanes Containing Castor Oil (Soft Segment) and Cancellous Bone Autograft in the Treatment of Segmental Bone Defect Induced in Rabbits
Authors: Marques Pereira-Júnior Oduvaldo Câmara , Rahal Sheila Canevese , Iamaguti Paulo , Felisbino Sérgio Luis , Pavan Priscila Teodoro , Vulcano Luiz Carlos
Published: January 2007

The aim of this study is to compare polyurethanes containing castor oil (soft segment) in granular form compared to cancellous bone autograft applied to a segmental bone defect. Norfolk adult female rabbits – approximately 13 months of age with a mean body weight of 4.5 kg – are used. In both radial diaphyses, 1 cm osteoperiosteal segmental defects are created. The defect in the left radius is filled with the castor-oil-based polyurethane, and the right one, filled with cancellous bone autograft, collected from the left proximal humerus. The rabbits are euthanazed at 15, 30, 60, and 120 days postsurgery (5 animals/ period), for histological analyses. By radiographic analyses, at these time points, the bone regeneration is more evident and accelerated in the bone defects treated with the cancellous bone autograft. At 120 days postsurgery, the segmental bone defects treated with the cancellous bone autograft are totally reconstituted and remodeled, while the bone defects treated with polyurethane polymer have bone formation of 79%. Histological study shows that the polyurethane acts as a space filler, minimizing the local production of fibrous tissue. No granule degradation, resorption or any inflammatory reaction is detected. Thus, it is possible to conclude that the castor-oil-plant-based polyurethane – in the granule presentation – is biocompatible and osteointegrated, but does not show the same bone regeneration capacity as the cancellous bone autograft.
Shopping With a Social Conscience: Consumer Attitudes Toward Sweatshop Labor
Authors: Rudell Fredrica
Published: January 2007

This article addresses the global sweatshop issue and the market forces that influence workplace conditions, focusing on the role of the final consumer in ensuring an ethical marketplace. Opinion poll data provide evidence of consumer willingness and ability to shop with a social conscience, while consumer research offers insights into the consumer decision-making process. Exploratory research using a projective technique suggests how qualitative methods can shed additional light on consumer attitudes toward use of “No Sweat” labeling.
Making Connections for Success: A Networking Exercise
Authors: Friar John H. , Eddleston Kimberly A.
Published: January 2007

Networking is important, and it is a skill. The authors have developed an exercise that provides students with a realistic networking experience within the safe environment of the classroom. The exercise provides a lead-in to the discussion of networking techniques, active listening, the cultivation of secondary networks, appropriate ways to prepare for a networking opportunity, and tactics for cultivating relationships after a networking event. This exercise has an experiential learning and reflective assessment component so that it is aimed at giving students concrete experience, feedback, and an opportunity to reflect on ways to improve their current skill level.
Giving MBA Programs the Third Degree
Authors: Kleiman Lawrence S. , Kass Darrin
Published: January 2007

Many critics of management education believe that MBA programs are facing a crisis because their curricula fail to adequately address the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) that students must acquire in order to succeed in the business world. Because the traditional approaches to MBA curriculum development have failed to identify these KSAs, a new approach is needed. This article proposes a step-by-step guide to implementing such an approach, called “the proactive mission-based approach,” that will better provide graduates with KSAs valuable to them and employers.
Fitting In: The Effects of Relational Demography and Person-Culture Fit on Group Process and Performance
Authors: Elfenbein Hillary Anger , O'Reilly Charles A.
Published: January 2007

The authors integrate two complementary streams of research on “fit” that document positive impacts of similarity and negative effects of dissimilarity. Fit with an organization's culture typically focuses on similarity in values whereas relational demography examines similarity in demographic attributes. Although both streams emphasize fit and draw on similar underlying theories, little research investigates both simultaneously. In a field study with intact teams, both cultural and demographic fit had independent effects on subsequent performance; however, “deeper” value fit effects were stronger than “surface” demographic fit. Analyses by demographic group suggest that person-group fit has the greatest impact for individuals whose demographic background puts them at risk for poorer outcomes, particularly for socioeconomic status.
Issues of Ethics and Care in Psychiatric Home Care: Multidisciplinary Perspectives Revealed Through Ethnographic Research
Authors: Sturm Bonnie A.
Published: January 2007

This article focuses specifically on the ethically related issues that members of a multidisciplinary team at a home health care agency faced in providing care to clients with mental illness. This evidence was obtained through ethnographic research, utilizing the methods of participant observation, interviews, and analysis of agency documents. Findings are discussed in relation to principles of ethics and include the health care providers’ experience of moral distress when acutely aware that many patients were not receiving necessary care. In a financially restrictive managed-care environment, higher quality services for those with ongoing needs for assessment and treatment are often not adequately provided for. Multidisciplinary home care team members share their experiences in the care of persons with persistent mental illness, including the topics of compliance, safety, autonomy, and spiritual values. They serve as an excellent resource for understanding ways to work toward more effectively meeting this population’s needs.
The Future of Certificate of Need for Home Health Care and Hospice in Maryland
Authors: Maguire Patricia
Published: January 2007

This manuscript provides a look at one state’s certificate of need (CON) process and the controversy regarding whether to eliminate the need for a CON or not. The pros and cons of the process are discussed as well as home health agency closures within the state. In addition, this article summarizes the activities of the Maryland commission and the statistics available regarding utilization for home care as well as the recommendations and findings that were raised during the analysis and decision-making process.
Resistance, Regulation and Rights
Authors: Coyle Angela
Published: January 2007

Faced with high levels of unemployment and discrimination in Poland, Polish women have made up a very large proportion of those leaving the former Communist states of central Europe, to work in EU member states. They have constituted a large undocumented migrant workforce in Europe, usually working as domestic workers and carers in the informal economy. Poland’s membership of the EU is starting to regulate Polish women’s work abroad and to increase their access to better paid and skilled work in the formal labour market. New market-led immigration policies in Europe are still selective and restricted however. What Polish women really need from the EU is help in securing a new framework of gender equality and equal treatment in Poland that offers hope for an improvement in their rights at home.
Sexual dysfunction in females with multiple sclerosis: quantitative sensory testing
Authors: Gruenwald Ilan , Vardi Yoram , Gartman Irena , Juven Elizabeth , Sprecher Elliot , Yarnitsky David , Miller Ariel
Published: January 2007

Introduction and objectives Female sexual dysfunction (FSD) is highly prevalent (45–74%) in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. Quantitative sensory testing (QST) has recently been used to assess normal neural function of the female genitalia. In this study we used QST for assessment of the genital neural function of female MS patients.

Materials and methods We examined 41 female MS patients aged 21–56, with 10 years median disease duration. Each patient had a neurological examination, and evaluation of sexual function (SF) by both questionnaire and a focused interview. QST wasperformed at the clitoris and vagina for temperature and vibratory stimuli, by method of limits.

Results By questionnaire, 25 patients (61%) had FSD; the most common complaints were decreased libido (61%) and orgasmic disturbances (54%). Sensory deficit was very common–significant correlations were found between high sensory thresholds and FSD parameters; the most significant correlation was between clitoral vibratory sensation and orgasmic dysfunction (r=0.423, P=0.006). Another interesting significant association was found between cerebellar deficit and orgasmic dysfunction (P=0.0012).

Conclusions This study suggests that QST of the genitalia, specifically clitoral vibration, may be a useful test for detecting sexual dysfunction in MS patients, and supports an important role of the cerebellum in SF.
Anxiety disorders and their clinical correlates in multiple sclerosis patients
Authors: Korostil M , Feinstein A
Published: January 2007

Objective To assess prevalence rates and clinical correlates of anxiety disorders in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Methods Demographic and neurological data were collected on 140 consecutive clinic attendees, and their lifetime and point prevalences of anxiety disorders were determined with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV disorders (SCID-IV). All subjects completed the self-report Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Suicidal intent was rated with the Beck Suicide Scale (BSS), psychosocial stressors and supports were quantified with Social Stress and Support Interview (SSSI), and cognition assessed with Neuropsychological Screening Battery for MS.

Results The lifetime prevalence of any anxiety disorder was 35.7%, with panic disorder (10%), obsessive compulsive disorder (8.6%), and generalized anxiety disorder (18.6%), the most common diagnoses obtained. Subjects with an anxiety disorder were more likely to be female, have a history of depression, drink to excess, report higher social stress and have contemplated suicide. The diagnosis of an anxiety disorder had been missed in the majority of subjects, therefore, they had not received treatment. A discriminant function analysis identified a series of variables that correctly classified 75% of patients with an anxiety disorder.

Conclusion Anxiety disorders are common in patients with MS, but are frequently overlooked and under-treated. Risk factors include being female, a co-morbid diagnosis of depression, and limited social support. Clinicians should evaluate all MS subjects for anxiety disorders, as they represent a treatable cause of disability in MS.
A putative mechanism on remission of multiple sclerosis during pregnancy: estrogen-induced indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase by dendritic cells
Authors: Zhu W-H , Lu C-Z , Huang Y-M , Link H , Xiao B-G
Published: January 2007

The basis for the reduced relapse rate of multiple sclerosis (MS) during pregnancy remains unexplained but, if defined, could create novel treatment options. Estrogen constitutes one candidate molecule, but the mechanism by which estrogen may affect MS during pregnancy is unclear. In this study, we used monocyte-derived dendritic cells (DCs) from MS patients to explore the estrogen (17-b-estradiol)-related pathway of immune modulation. Estrogen induced the expression of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) on DCs, limiting T-cell proliferation and both Th1 and Th2 cytokine production. The suppression of T-cell proliferation mediated by estrogenexposed DCs was partly abolished by the IDO-inhibitor, 1-methyl-dl-tryptophan, indicating that estrogen-exposed DCs induced IDO-dependent T-cell suppression. Our data support the hypothesis that the change in the clinical course of MS observed in pregnancy may be related to the estrogen DC-IDO axis, which could represent a novel target for MS therapy.
Early cognitive impairment in patients with clinically isolated syndrome suggestive of multiple sclerosis
Authors: Feuillet L , Reuter F , Audoin B , Malikova I , Barrau K , Cherif A Ali , Pelletier J
Published: January 2007

Cognitive impairment in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) is a common occurrence and is generally fairly circumscribed. The prevalence of the cognitive deficits usually encountered could vary with the clinical course of the disease. To investigate whether the presence of cognitive impairment may occur in the very early stage of MS, we assessed the cognitive status of a group of 40 patients presenting with a recently diagnosed clinically isolated syndrome suggestive of MS (CISSMS), in comparison with 30 age-, sex-, and educational level-matched healthy control subjects. An extensive battery of neuropsychological tests was used to explore verbal and non-verbal memory, attention, concentration, speed of information processing, language and abstract reasoning. Patients with CISSMS had a significant, frequent (57%), and circumscribed cognitive impairment, focused on memory, speed of information processing, attention and executive functions.
Prevalence of bladder, bowel and sexual problems among multiple sclerosis patients two to five years after diagnosis
Authors: Nortvedt M W , Riise T , Frugaård J , Mohn J , Bakke A , Skår A B , Nyland H , Glad S B , Myhr K-M
Published: January 2007

Most multiple sclerosis (MS) patients experience some sexual, bladder and/or bowel dysfunction during the course of the disease - one of MS most disabling features. This study estimated the frequency of these problems among patients, two to five years after diagnosis, and investigated how these problems are associated with health-related quality of life (using the Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life-54 questionnaire). The study population comprised a cohort of patients (n=56), diagnosed in a three-year period, in Hordaland County, Norway. The patients were examined clinically, including scoring of the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), and completed questionnaires related to bowel and bladder dysfunction, sexual problems and health-related quality of life. More than half the patients had bladder and sexual problems. The frequency of self-reported bladder problems corresponded to the relatively high levels of residual urine found. The presence of these problems was associated with lower scores on the quality of life scales. Further, the bowel problems reported were markedly associated with the quality of life scores. Since treatments and preventive strategies can manage many of these problems, we suggest increasing the focus on these aspects of the disease when consulting patients, including at early stages.
Biographical learning as health promotion in physical education. A Danish case study
Authors: Christensen Mette Krogh
Published: January 2007

This article presents a case study concerning biographical learning as health promotion among 16–18-year-old school girls in a Danish upper-secondary school. The case study shows a conflict in the students' perception of the learning in traditional physical education (PE) compared to a four-week pilot project employing dialogue groups as a didactic method in PE, which focused on the actual telling and listening to stories about sport and physical activity. The discussion of the results has its starting point in the concept of biographicity as the raw material of a learning process. By exploring the narrative structure of biographical learning, the article develops pedagogical considerations and discussions surrounding the case study, especially concerning biographical learning as an evident educational framework, in which the student has the opportunity to ‘stop, think and tell’ about what matters to him or her as a physical active person and a ‘healthy citizen’.
Visual-verbal communication on online newspaper home pages
Authors: Knox John
Published: January 2007

This article is a study of visual, verbal and visual-verbal communication on the home pages of three English-language online newspapers from different national cultures. Important similarities in the visual-verbal structure of news stories and home pages between the three newspapers are identified. Each newspaper demonstrates a similar tendency towards atomization of news texts with which readers interact over short time scales, and a tendency towards greater consistency in the visual-verbal design of news across longer timescales. A genre-specific visual grammar for online newspaper home pages is emerging in response to the demands of the new medium and historical and social trends in news reporting.
Violence in the Apocalypse of John
Authors: Skaggs Rebecca , Doyle Thomas
Published: January 2007

Over the years, scholars have wrestled with the apparent emphasis on violence in the Apocalypse, even to question whether it should be considered Christian at all. Certainly, much of the material in Revelation appears to be violent and vengeful. In fact, Gerd Lüdemann calls this the ‘dark side of the Bible’. As scholars of the Apocalypse, we are forced to ask, ‘What is the significance of the violent images in Revelation? Does it matter? Does God, in fact, have a dark side, one which perhaps negates his “loving side”? If this violence is significant, how can these images be understood as relevant to our world which is so focused on technology, empiricism and rationality? What are we, as biblical scholars, to say about this as we proceed into the twenty-first century, a century already marred by terrorism justified by its emphasis on jihad? Is violence ever justified, even when it is used to bring about a just cause?’ This article will review, without being comprehensive, what noteworthy scholars have suggested from their study of the Apocalypse. Possibly, an alternative to the extreme positions of violence and non-violence can be found within the text of Revelation. Hopefully, this review will advance a further consideration of this issue.
Messiah bar Ephraim in the Targums
Authors: MITCHELL DAVID C.
Published: January 2007

This article examines the references to Messiah bar Ephraim in the Targums, and concludes that the Targumic Tosefta to Zech. 12.1 0, where Messiah bar Ephraim is vanquished, and Targum Pseudo-Jonathan to Exod. 40.9-11, where he is the vanquisher, both predate the Christian period. The apparent conflict between his suffering and conquering roles may indicate a belief that bar Ephraim's death effects the final redemption. References in the Targum to the Song of Songs are also considered.
An Analysis of Attendance at Major League Baseball Spring Training Games
Authors: Donihue Michael R. , Findlay David W. , Newberry Peter W.
Published: January 2007

This article examines the determinants of game-day attendance during Major League Baseball’s 2002 spring training season in Florida. The model of game-day attendance includes location, quality of game, and time and weather variables. A censored Tobit estimation procedure is used to estimate the model. Results indicate that the quality of the game, average ticket price, and several location-specific factors affect attendance. Specifically, results suggest that changes in income have no effect on attendance while increases in ticket prices cause reductions in attendance. Furthermore, estimates of the price elasticity of demand for Major League Baseball during the spring training season are consistent with unitary elasticity. We also find that a number of factors unique to spring training, such as a nonresident fan base and split squads of players, significantly affect game-day attendance.
Application of Behavioral Activation Treatment for Depression to an Adolescent With a History of Child Maltreatment
Authors: Ruggiero Kenneth J. , Morris Tracy L. , Hopko Derek R. , Lejuez C. W.
Published: January 2007

Behavioral Activation Treatment for Depression (BATD) is a promising new intervention that has received preliminary empirical support with adult samples. However, researchers have not yet examined the application of BATD to children and adolescents. The authors describe implementation of BATD with a 17-year-old girl in foster care who endorsed several symptoms of depression and reported a low rate of potentially reinforcing life events. Over the course of treatment, patient adherence to the BATD protocol was associated with an increased rate of reinforcing life events that coincided with decreased symptoms of depression. The authors discuss special considerations (e.g., parental involvement, supplemental activity selection methods) that are unique to the use of BATD with children and adolescents and offer recommendations for researchers and clinicians.
Structural Family Therapy in Adolescent Drug Abuse
Authors: Sim Timothy
Published: January 2007

Considering the favorable outcomes of family therapy in adolescent drug treatment overseas, there has been an urgent call recently to use family-based approaches in view of the sharp rise of adolescent drug abuse in Hong Kong. This article discusses the application of structural family therapy (SFT) to an adolescent with a drug problem in Hong Kong. Implementation of SFT is fully delineated, including some of the difficulties and challenges in mobilizing the family to help the adolescent in a Chinese context. The need to involve the adolescent's parents was apparent. The treatment was assessed and evaluated by several psychometric measures from various vantage points of the adolescent, family members, and independent judges. The outcome was followed up formally at the third month after treatment and informally over a 2-year period. The follow-ups revealed that the adolescent abstained from using drugs in relation to his improved family and personal functioning.
Acceptance and Change
Authors: Huss Debra B. , Baer Ruth A.
Published: January 2007

Both dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) include training in mindfulness skills and address the synthesis of acceptance and change. DBT is a comprehensive treatment for borderline personality disorder (BPD). MBCT was developed for prevention of relapse in individuals with a history of depressive episodes. Both have considerable empirical support for their efficacy. Many individuals with BPD also suffer from depressive episodes, which can interfere with motivation to participate in DBT. In such cases, it may be helpful to integrate strategies designed to prevent recurrence of depressive episodes. This case study describes integration of MBCT into ongoing DBT in the treatment of an individual with BPD and a history of depressive episodes. Findings suggest that MBCT can be successfully integrated into ongoing DBT in cases in which prevention of depressive episodes is an important goal. Findings also suggest that mindfulness skills may be very helpful in enhancing the efficacy of traditional cognitive-behavioral treatment approaches.
The Politics and Inhumanity of Torture
Authors: Antaki Mark
Published: January 2007

This commentary turns to Pierre Clastres’ account of torture in primitive societies, an account in which the cruel infliction of unbearable pain serves to constitute a body politic, to point to the dangers that come along with humanitarian - rather than political - accounts of torture and pain.
Torture and Hyperbole
Authors: Elmer Jonathan
Published: January 2007

There is something about the topic of torture that makes discussion of it tend toward hyperbole. In this regard, such discussion mimics in an unsettling way the drive toward absoluteness or hyperbole that animates the practice of torture itself. Analyses of torture that inflate the clash of bodies and interests in modern societies into something ascribable to quasi-subjects who approach power and powerlessness asymtotically remain entangled in the very fantasies about soverigns and victims that underpin torture itself as a symbolic practice. The result is a “left anti-humanitarianism” that, by exaggerating the co-implication of sovereign and victim, ends up condemning the victim along with his torturer.
Torture and an Ethics of Responsibility
Authors: Gross Oren
Published: January 2007

May torture ever be morally or legally justified or excused? This article argues that an absolute legal ban on torture ought to be maintained. However, in truly catastrophic cases the appropriate method of tackling extremely grave national dangers and threats may call for going outside the legal order. The way to deal with the “extreme” or “catastrophic” case is neither by ignoring it nor by using it as the center-piece for establishing general, ex ante, policies. Rather, the focus is on the possibility that truly exceptional cases may give rise to official disobedience: Public officials may act extralegally and be ready to accept the legal ramifications of their actions.
Numerical Simulation of Natural Convection in Three-dimensional Cavities with a High Vertical Aspect Ratio and a Low Horizontal Aspect Ratio
Authors: Gustavsen Arild , Thue Jan Vincent
Published: January 2007

In this article a commercial computational fluid dynamic program is used to study the effect of the horizontal aspect ratio on heat flow through cavities with a high vertical aspect ratio (cavities typically found in vertical window frames with internal cavities). The cavities studied have two opposite isothermal vertical walls separated by four adiabatic walls. The vertical aspect ratios are 20, 40, and 80 and the horizontal aspect ratios range from 0.2 to 5. Simulations of two-dimensional cavities are also included. The simulations show that three-dimensional cavities with a horizontal aspect ratio larger than five can be considered as being two-dimensional cavities to within 4% when considering heat transfer rates. Nusselt number correlations for the different horizontal aspect ratios are included. Complex multicellular flow is presented for one of the three-dimensional cavities.
Previous Experimental Studies and Field Measurements on Moisture Buffering by Indoor Surface Materials
Authors: Svennberg Kaisa , Lengsfeld Kristin , Harderup Lars-Erik , Holm Andreas
Published: January 2007

An increased interest in moisture buffering in the indoor environment and the development of more refined hygrothermal calculation tools call for a better understanding of the phenomenon. There are many materials indoors with potential to act as moisture buffers, ranging from traditional finishing materials as gypsum plaster to textiles. The objective of this study is to show that the interest in moisture buffering is not a new issue. There have been significant laboratory studies made in the past. This study presents a review of such previous studies (1960-2000) on indoor surface materials from Germany and Sweden, not published in English before.
Prenatal Diagnosis of Posterior Urethral Valves
Authors: Guthrie Joy D.
Published: January 2007

Posterior urethral valves are a urologic deformity involving a narrowing of the prostatic portion of the male urethra. This causes a bladder outlet obstruction. The sonographic criteria include hydronephrosis, bilateral ureterectasis, and enlarged bladder, with a “keyhole” appearance in the region of the obstruction of the prostatic urethra. Varying degrees of oligohydramnios will be present due to the inability of the fetus to release urine. Additional findings may include pulmonary hypoplasia due to lack of amniotic fluid. In severe cases, the bladder may rupture and cause urinary ascites within the fetal pelvis. A case study demonstrating this condition is presented.
The BH3-mimetic GX15-070 synergizes with bortezomib in mantle cell lymphoma by enhancing Noxa-mediated activation of Bak
Authors: Pérez-Galán Patricia , Roué Gaël , Villamor Neus , Campo Elias , Colomer Dolors
Published: January 2007

Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is an aggressive B-cell lymphoma resistant to conventional chemotherapy. The Bcl-2 pathway is deregulated in these tumors and may represent an interesting target for new therapeutic strategies. The new small-molecule pan–Bcl-2 inhibitor GX15-070 mimics BH3-only proteins by binding to multiple antiapoptotic Bcl-2 members. Here we show that GX15-070 induced apoptosis in vitro in MCL cell lines and primary cells from patients with MCL by releasing Bak from Mcl-1 and Bcl-XL at short incubation times and low micromolar doses. GX15-070 was effective in cells bearing defective DNA damage-sensor genes or cell-cycle regulators, inducing Bax and Bak conformational changes, mitochondrial depolarization, phosphatidylserine exposure, and caspase-3 activation. Furthermore, GX15-070 synergized with bortezomib, sensitizing MCL cells to low doses of this proteasome inhibitor, by neutralizing bortezomib-induced Mcl-1 accumulation and cooperating with Noxa to induce Bak displacement from this protein. These events led to an increased activation of the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway. Importantly, GX15-070 alone or in combination with bortezomib showed no significant cytotoxic effect in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from healthy donors. All these findings suggest that GX15-070 alone or in combination with bortezomib represents a new attractive therapeutic approach for MCL treatment.
The dystrotelin, dystrophin and dystrobrevin superfamily: new paralogues and old isoforms
Authors: Jin Hong , Tan Sipin , Hermanowski Jane , Böhm Sabrina , Pacheco Sabrina , McCauley Joanna M , Greener Marc J , Hinits Yaniv , Hughes Simon M , Sharpe Paul T , Roberts Roland G
Published: January 2007

Background

Dystrophins and dystrobrevins are distantly related proteins with important but poorly understood roles in the function of metazoan muscular and neuronal tissues. Defects in them and their associated proteins cause a range of neuromuscular disorders. Members of this superfamily have been discovered in a relatively serendipitous way; we set out to compile a comprehensive description of dystrophin- and dystrobrevin-related sequences from available metazoan genome sequences, validated in representative organisms by RT-PCR, or acquired de novo from key species.

Results

Features of the superfamily revealed by our survey include: a) Dystrotelin, an entirely novel branch of the superfamily, present in most vertebrates examined. Dystrotelin is expressed in the central nervous system, and is a possible orthologue of Drosophila DAH. We describe the preliminary characterisation of its function, evolution and expression. b) A novel vertebrate member of the dystrobrevin family, γ-dystrobrevin, an ancient branch now extant only in fish, but probably present in our own ancestors. Like dystrophin, zebrafish γ-dystrobrevin mRNA is localised to myosepta. c) The extent of conservation of alternative splicing and alternative promoter use in the dystrophin and dystrobrevin genes; alternative splicing of dystrophin exons 73 and 78 and α-dystrobrevin exon 13 are conserved across vertebrates, as are the use of the Dp116, Dp71 and G-utrophin promoters; the Dp260 and Dp140 promoters are tetrapod innovations. d) The evolution of the unique N-terminus of DRP2 and its relationship to Dp116 and G-utrophin. e) A C-terminally truncated common ancestor of dystrophin and utrophin in cyclostomes. f) A severely restricted repertoire of dystrophin complex components in ascidians.

Conclusion

We have refined our understanding of the evolutionary history and isoform diversity of the five previously reported vertebrate superfamily members and describe two novel members, dystrotelin and γ-dystrobrevin. Dystrotelins, dystrophins and dystrobrevins are roughly equally related to each other. Vertebrates therefore have a repertoire of seven superfamily members (three dystrophins, three dystrobevins, and one dystrotelin), with one lost in tetrapods. Most invertebrates studied have one member from each branch. Although the basic shared function which is implied by the common architecture of these distantly related proteins remains unclear, it clearly permeates metazoan biology.
Malaria vectors and transmission dynamics in coastal south-western Cameroon
Authors: Bigoga Jude D , Manga Lucien , Titanji Vincent PK , Coetzee Maureen , Leke Rose GF
Published: January 2007

Background

Malaria is a major public health problem in Cameroon. Unlike in the southern forested areas where the epidemiology of malaria has been better studied prior to the implementation of control activities, little is known about the distribution and role of anophelines in malaria transmission in the coastal areas.

Methods

A 12-month longitudinal entomological survey was conducted in Tiko, Limbe and Idenau from August 2001 to July 2002. Mosquitoes captured indoors on human volunteers were identified morphologically. Species of the Anopheles gambiae complex were identified using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Mosquito infectivity was detected by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and PCR. Malariometric indices (plasmodic index, gametocytic index, parasite species prevalence) were determined in three age groups (<5 yrs, 5–15 yrs, >15 yrs) and followed-up once every three months.

Results

In all, 2,773 malaria vectors comprising Anopheles gambiae (78.2%), Anopheles funestus (17.4%) and Anopheles nili (7.4%) were captured. Anopheles melas was not anthropophagic. Anopheles gambiae had the highest infection rates. There were 287, 160 and 149 infective bites/person/year in Tiko, Limbe and Idenau, respectively. Anopheles gambiae accounted for 72.7%, An. funestus for 23% and An. nili for 4.3% of the transmission. The prevalence of malaria parasitaemia was 41.5% in children <5 years of age, 31.5% in those 5–15 years and 10.5% in those >15 years, and Plasmodium falciparum was the predominant parasite species.

Conclusion

Malaria transmission is perennial, rainfall dependent and An. melas does not contribute to transmission. These findings are important in the planning and implementation of malaria control activities in coastal Cameroon and West Africa.
Need telomere maintenance? Call 911
Authors: Francia Sofia , Weiss Robert S , d'Adda di Fagagna Fabrizio
Published: January 2007

"Natura non facit saltum" (nature makes no leap) the Latins used to say, meaning that nature does not like discontinuities. Cells make no exception and indeed any discontinuity in the DNA double helix is promptly detected, triggering an alteration of cell proliferation and an attempt to repair. Yet, linear chromosomes bear DNA ends that are compatible with normal cell proliferation and they escape, under normal conditions, any repair. How telomeres, the chromosomes tips, achieve that is not fully understood. We recently observed that the Rad9/Hus1/Rad1 (911) complex, previously known for its functions in DNA metabolism and DNA damage responses, is constitutively associated with telomeres and plays an important role in their maintenance. Here, we summarize the available data and discuss the potential mechanisms of 911 action at telomeres.
Immune complexes suppress IFN-γ signaling by activation of the FcγRI pathway
Authors: Boekhoudt Gunther H , Frazier-Jessen Michelle R , Feldman Gerald M
Published: January 2007

Antigen-driven immune responses are modulated by immune complexes (ICs), in part through their ability to inhibit IFN-γ-dependent MHC Class II expression. We have demonstrated previously that ICs dramatically inhibit IFN-γ-induced activation of human monocytes through the suppression of the JAK/STAT signaling pathway. In the current study, we further explore the mechanisms by which ICs regulate IFN-γ activation of human monocytes. Consistent with previous studies in monocytes pretreated with ICs, there was a reduction in steady-state levels of RNA by real-time RT-PCR of the IFN-inducible protein 10 gene as well as the FcγRI gene. Pull-down assays confirm that IC pretreatment inhibits IFN-γ-induced STAT1 phosphorylation without affecting the ability of STAT1 to bind to the STAT1-binding domain of the IFN-γ receptor. In addition, the inhibitory function of ICs was reduced when cells from the FcR common γ-chain knockout mice were used, supporting the role of the FcγRI in this inhibitory pathway. It is unexpected that ICs also require the phosphatase Src homology-2-containing tyrosine phosphatase 1 (SHP-1) to inhibit IFN-γ induction, as demonstrated by studies with cells from the SHP-1 knockout (motheaten) mice. These data suggest a mechanism of IC-mediated inhibition of IFN-γ signaling, which requires the ITAM-containing FcγRI, as well as the ITIM-dependent phosphatase SHP-1, ultimately resulting in the suppression of STAT1 phosphorylation.