bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Beyond Corporate Environmental Management to a Consideration of Nature in Visionary Small Enterprise
Authors: Kearins Kate , Collins Eva , Tregidga Helen
Published: May 2010

This article examines the potential for visionary small-enterprise to operate with a fundamentally different conception of nature from the environmental management mode offered within the business case for sustainable development. Corporate environmental management is critiqued for not offering any fundamental reassessment of the business—nature relationship, which would be required to achieve ecological sustainability. Three contrasting cases of visionary small-enterprise in New Zealand are described in terms of the entrepreneurs’ expressed understandings of nature and constructions of the business—nature relationship. The entrepreneurs in this study readily made connections between nature and their businesses and were aware of value judgments they made either in favor of nature, or with some regret against it where supporting infrastructure was absent, or economic rationalities prevailed. A nature-centered and not overly growth-focused outlook appears an essential element of business aligned with the new ecological paradigm.
Demystifying the Struggles of Private Sector Paradigmatic Change: Business as an Agent in a Complex Adaptive System
Authors: Valente Mike
Published: May 2010

In this article, the author applies complex systems theory (CST) to help understand why, after 14 years of management scholar advocacy for a paradigmatic shift in management behavior, the field of management has been unable to move away from a technocentric paradigm. Using four principles of complex adaptive systems (CAS), the author shows that focusing exclusively on business behavior limits our attention to symptoms rather than the broader system of interacting agents whose collective behaviors legitimize and support an economic paradigm. By drawing on complexity and critical systems theory, the author then develops a three-phased process model that provides a preliminary conceptualization of what it might take to shift the business paradigm. The success of this shift is dependent on a consequential shift at the societal level, the interaction of which speaks to the implications for business as a recipient of this broader shift and, more important, its role as an agent in the process of creating new opportunities that sustain the life-supporting environmental and social systems. Through this model, the author presents important implications for policy makers and management theory.
Crew Resource Management Training Within the Automotive Industry: Does It Work?
Authors: Marquardt Nicki , Robelski Swantje , Hoeger Rainer
Published: May 2010

Objective: This article presents the development, implementation, and evaluation of a crew resource management (CRM) training program specifically designed for employees within the automotive industry. Background: The central objective of this training program was to improve communication, teamwork, and stress management skills as well to increase the workers’ situational awareness of potential errors that can occur during the production process. Method: Participants in the training program of this study were 80 employees, all of whom were working in a production unit for gearbox manufacturing. Effectiveness of the CRM training course was evaluated two times (1 month and 6 months after the training program). Results: The results showed a significant improvement in a wide range of CRM-relevant categories, especially in teamwork-related attitudes, in addition to an increase in the workers’ situational awareness after the training program. Conclusion: On the basis of the results, it can be stated that CRM training, which was originally developed for the aviation industry, can be transferred to the automotive industry. However, because of the lack of behavioral observations, these effects are limited to CRM attitudes and knowledge changes. Application: Several recommendations for future research and training development in the field of human factors training are made.
The Accountability Effects of Political Institutions and Capitalism on Interstate Conflict
Authors: Anderson Sally , Souva Mark
Published: May 2010

Selectorate theory posits that leader accountability increases with the size of the winning coalition. Recent research contends that capitalism also increases leader accountability because leaders are more dependent on the public for revenue in more capitalist economies. The authors argue that extant tests of accountability arguments of interstate conflict initiation and targeting are flawed. Accountability theories of foreign policy expect leaders to selectively initiate disputes based on their probability of winning. Accountability arguments, then, expect a conditional relationship between the accountability mechanism and the balance of power. For example, if capitalism produces peace through accountability, then more capitalist states should be less likely to initiate militarized disputes as their power advantage decreases. The authors find that this is not the case. At the same time, the authors find robust support for selectorate theory’s contention that larger winning coalitions are more selective about using military force. Political institutions induce accountability; capitalism does not.
The Cumulative Effect of Race and Ethnicity in Juvenile Court Outcomes and Why Preadjudication Detention Matters
Authors: Rodriguez Nancy
Published: May 2010

Despite federal and state legislation aimed at producing equitable treatment of youth in the juvenile court system, studies continue to find that race and ethnicity play a significant role in juvenile court outcomes. To date, few studies have examined the cumulative effects of race and ethnicity in juvenile court outcomes. In this study, a random sample of youth processed in Arizona during 2000 (N = 23,156) was used to examine how race and ethnicity influence diversion, petition, detention, adjudication, and disposition decisions. Analyses show that black, Latino, and American Indian youth were treated more severely in juvenile court outcomes than their white counterparts. Also, youth who were detained preadjudication were more likely to have a petition filed, less likely to have petitions dismissed, and more likely to be removed from the home at disposition. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.
So What Does It Mean to be Anti-capitalist? Conversations with Activists from Urban Social Centres
Authors: Chatterton Paul
Published: May 2010

This paper is about autonomous urban social centres and attempts to show how the everyday lives, values and practices of participants within them give shape and meaning to the idea of anti-capitalism. This is done by reference to five areas: a politics of place, where local space constitutes anti-capitalist practice; political identities based on impure, messy identities; social relationships which prioritise emotions and collective working; organisational practices based on self-management and experimentation; and political strategies which stress the need to cross boundaries beyond the activist ghetto. Overall, social centre participants demonstrate that anti-capitalist practice is not just ‘anti-’, but also ‘post-’ and ‘despite-’ capitalist; simultaneously against, after and within. Just like capitalist social relations, its antithesis anti-capitalism is constituted through ordinary everyday practices. It is this reconceptualisation of anti-capitalist practice as experimental, messy, open, everyday, collective and grounded politics which has the potential to make this kind of contentious urban politics more legible and feasible—in times when we need it most.
Cooking up Non-violent Civil-disobedient Direct Action for the Hungry: ‘Food Not Bombs’ and the Resurgence of Radical Democracy in the US
Authors: Heynen Nik
Published: May 2010

This paper examines the efforts of one of the fastest-growing (anarchist) social movement groups in the world, ‘Food Not Bombs’ (FNB), to redefine urban anti-hunger politics in the US . The aim is to understand how FNB contests the politics and processes of poor people’s containment through their efforts to develop new, decommodified modes of biopolitics. As it is central to their success, the paper focuses on how FNB uses non-violent civil-disobedient direct action to provide an alternative grassroots response to the destructive market-driven imperatives of neo-liberal capitalism. The case of FNB provides an example of the continued potential for mutual aid and cooperativism in the city and does so against the backdrop of growing injustices within an ever-globalising world. Ultimately, the paper shows that FNB offers an example of the kinds of resistance necessary to secure the most fundamentally inherent right to the city, which is the right to eat and survive in the city.
From the Margins to Centre Stage: ‘Indian’ Demonstration Effects in Malaysia’s Political Landscape
Authors: Bunnell Tim , Nagarajan S. , Willford Andrew
Published: May 2010

This paper traces senses of injustice among Indian Malaysians which found expression in the ‘illegal’ Hindraf rally in Kuala Lumpur in 2007. While underlying ethnic and racial differentiation has been rendered through law in the post-colonial nation-state, the focus here is on a specific locality: resettlement flats for Indians displaced for the construction of Malaysia’s federal government administrative centre, Putrajaya. Ex-plantation workers are shown to be symbolically peripheral (to the spectacular ‘national landscape’ of Putrajaya) and to have experienced everyday forms of ethnicised marginalisation. The rally in the commercial heart of Kuala Lumpur—involving tens of thousands of Indian Malaysians from across peninsular Malaysia—mobilised what were previously largely localised grievances such as those associated with the Putrajaya estate evictions. It is shown how this ethnic transgression not only contests the ‘second-class’ position of Indians in Malaysia, but may also contribute to a redrawing of the ethnic contours of Malaysia’s legal and political landscape. More broadly, the Hindraf events also serve as a reminder that rights and social justice claims expressed in key urban centres continue to have important national-scale dimensions, even in an ostensibly neo-liberalised global economy.
Islam in the Spotlight: The Mediatisation of Politics in an Amsterdam Neighbourhood
Authors: Uitermark Justus , Gielen Amy-Jane
Published: May 2010

Conflicts over the presence of migrants and Muslims in Western societies have become increasingly ‘mediatised’ in recent years. Interactions between governments and migrants are now subject to constant scrutiny and the media have become a prime battle ground for political struggles. This paper investigates the effects of mediatisation on the relationships between the government and civil society associations in one Amsterdam neighbourhood before and after a Muslim extremist assassinated film maker Theo van Gogh in November 2004. With the help of field theory, it is shown that media representations do not just reflect local realities, but in fact are a part and outcome of struggles between actors unequally invested with discursive power. Mediatisation thus transforms the logic of politics and alters the balance of power between different actors.
“The Provinces Elect Governments, Bangkok Overthrows Them”: Urbanity, Class and Post-democracy in Thailand
Authors: Glassman Jim
Published: May 2010

Urban social movements are often associated with what are considered ‘progressive’ causes and most activists involved in such movements are inclined to describe themselves in such terms. The Thai coup of September 2006 poses problems for any such easy identification. Although executed by the military, on behalf of royalist interests, the coup was supported by an array of primarily Bangkok-based and middle-class groups, many of them associated with organisations such as NGOs and state enterprise unions. Although some of these groups claimed anti-neo-liberal political orientations, their support for the coup effectively placed them on the side of forces opposed to quasi-Keynesian policies and in favour of specific forms of neo-liberalism—at least for Thai villagers. This paper explores this development by focusing on the Bangkok/upcountry and urban/rural divisions in Thai politics, which, although socially constructed, have taken on political substance, in part because of their grounding in regionally differentiated class structures.
Short-a in Northern New England
Authors: Wood Jim
Published: May 2010

This article investigates the relationship between the Boston speech community and two New Hampshire (NH) speech communities with respect to the phonetic status of short-a. Analysis of twenty-six recordings shows that (1) breaking is more prevalent in New England than previous isoglosses suggest and (2) younger NH speakers are exhibiting a pattern distinct from both Boston and older NH speakers. The author suggests that the latter result is related to migration patterns and geographic attitudes in New England, which may have contributed to dialect leveling in the sense of Kerswill.
Dynamic characteristics of the scanning system used in online measurement systems for large hot forgings
Authors: Zhisong Tian  , Feng Gao  , Yong Zhang  , Xianchao Zhao
Published: May 2010

The scanning system is the core of online measurement systems that are developed for large hot forgings. In this paper, the dynamic characteristics of a scanning system are described and its dynamic performance is improved by complete force balancing. According to the demands of the field environment of large hot forgings, the dynamic characteristics mainly comprise the reduction and amelioration of input torque, and the decrease of shaking force. To these ends, the input torque and the centre of mass (centroid) of the scanning system are derived in succession. Then the complete force balancing conditions are presented. From these conditions, the correlative dynamical parameters are adjusted, the shaking forces to the bearings are eliminated, and the input torques are reduced and ameliorated. Simulations and experiments are also conducted to verify the effect, and the fore-and-aft torques are compared. The results prove the decrease and amelioration of the input torque. This shows that dynamical parameter design is of great significance for the improvement of the dynamic characteristics of scanning systems.
Feeding Your Feelings: Emotion Regulation Strategies and Emotional Eating
Authors: Evers Catharine , Marijn Stok F. , de Ridder Denise T. D.
Published: May 2010

The process by which emotions affect eating behavior emerges as one of the central unresolved questions in the field of emotional eating. The present studies address the hypothesis that the regulation strategies people use to deal with these emotions are responsible for increased eating. Negative emotions were induced and intake of comfort food and non—comfort food was measured by means of taste tests. Emotion induction was preceded by measuring individual differences in emotion regulation strategies (Study 1) or by instructions to regulate emotions in either an adaptive (reappraisal) or maladaptive (suppression) manner (Study 2). Study 3 also entailed a control condition without any regulation instructions. Relative to reappraisal and spontaneous expression, suppression led to increased food intake, but only of the comfort foods. Emotions themselves were not responsible for this effect. These findings provide new evidence that the way in which emotions are regulated affects eating behavior.
Person-Level Relatedness and the Incremental Value of Relating
Authors: Moller Arlen C. , Deci Edward L. , Elliot Andrew J.
Published: May 2010

The concept of a human need for relatedness is among the oldest and most generative topics in psychology. Yet despite the considerable attention relatedness has received, some basic aspects of this important construct remain poorly understood. Specifically, the literature to this point has been inconclusive with regard to how one’s lifetime experiences of relatedness may be related to how much individuals value additional or new experiences of relatedness. The present investigation directly addressed this question using a multimethod approach. Three studies found consistent support for a positive association between person-level relatedness and the incremental value of new relatedness experiences. That is, those who reported having experienced more relatedness in their lives nevertheless reported anticipating and extracting more affective value from additional social encounters. By contrast, those having experienced less relatedness in life reported less incremental value—a pattern consistent with a process of person-level accommodation or desensitization.
Myocardial and Reproductive System Toxicity of SCH 351591, a Selective Phosphodiesterase-4 Inhibitor, in CD-1 Mice
Authors: Losco Patricia E. , Poulet Frederique M. , Kaminska-McNamara Grazyna Z. , Klein Max F.
Published: May 2010

This report describes the findings of preclinical testing of SCH 351591, a selective phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitor, in CD-1 mice over a wide range of doses, in which the heart and reproductive organs of both sexes demonstrated toxic effects. Repeat-dose toxicity studies assessed 5, 15, 50, 100, 200, 400, and 800 mg/kg/day, orally by gavage, for one or three months. Findings included higher testes and ovary weights and lower uterus weights (≥200 mg/kg), small ovaries/uterus (≥400 mg/kg), and histopathologic changes of large corpora lutea and ovarian atrophy at 200 and 800 mg/kg, respectively. In addition, chronic myocardial inflammation of the heart base occurred at 100 mg/kg. Vaginal staging of the estrous cycle revealed persistent diestrus. There was no histopathologic correlate or morphometric change to explain higher testes weights. A pilot fertility and early embryonic developmental toxicity study assessing doses of 100, 200, 400, and 800 mg/kg/day produced complementary results. Females had prolonged or abnormal estrous cycles, fewer successful pregnancies, increased ovarian corpora lutea, and decreased size of live litters owing to fetal resorptions. Male fertility was not affected. However, males had a 25% increase in testes weights at all doses. The pharmacology of specific PDE4 isoenzymes may explain both the reproductive and cardiac findings.
An Agenda That Sets the Frames: Gender, Language, and NBC’s Americanized Olympic Telecast
Authors: Angelini James R. , Billings Andrew C.
Published: May 2010

This study used theories of agenda setting and framing to examine NBC’s Americanized telecast in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Five sports (gymnastics, diving, swimming, track and field, and beach volleyball) received more than 90% of the prime-time coverage, which set an agenda about which sports were most relevant for Americans to watch. The limited scope within NBC’s televised agenda, in turn, facilitated the gendered framing of Olympians through sport commentator accounts. Gendered differences were statistically present in only four sports; diving had no significant differences, whereas beach volleyball contained the most differences. Implications and directions for future research are explored.
Weighing in on the Coaching Decision: Discussing Sports and Race Online
Authors: Sanderson Jimmy
Published: May 2010

The online consumption of sport is becoming increasingly popular among sports fans. This study examined how fans used computer-mediated communication to discuss allegations of racism in American Division I College Football hiring practices. A thematic analysis of 1,254 postings to an ESPN.com discussion forum revealed that fans addressed the issue through messages of (a) transference, (b) irrelevance, (c) reverse racism, and (d) recognition. Results suggest that the online commentary (re)produced an ideology that (a) claims racism as nonexistent, (b) blames the victims of racism for their underrepresentation, and (c) suggests any lingering racism is against Whites (e.g., Whites are victims of reverse discrimination). The findings reveal how computer-mediated communication domains are important sites for examining how fans’ messages (re)produce societal beliefs about the role and relevance of race in sport.
Canine Synovial Myxoma
Authors: Craig L. E. , Krimer P. M. , Cooley A. J.
Published: May 2010

This report describes the signalment, clinical findings, gross appearance, histological and immunohistochemical characteristics, and behavior of 39 cases of canine synovial myxoma. Large-breed middle-aged dogs—especially, Doberman Pinschers and Labrador Retrievers—were most commonly affected. The stifle and digit were the most common sites. Grossly, the tumors were composed of gelatinous nodules that often filled the joint cavity and exuded viscous fluid on cut section. In 12 cases (31%), radiographic bony lysis or grossly invasive growth was noted clinically. Histologically, the nodules were sparsely cellular and composed of stellate to spindle cells suspended in an abundant myxomatous matrix. By immunohistochemistry, the cells were positive for vimentin, heat shock protein 25, and cadherin 11 and negative for cytokeratin and S100 protein; some cells (20–40%) were positive for CD18. Affected dogs had long survival times (average, 2.5 years), even with incomplete excision of the tumor. Three cases had local recurrence, but none metastasized or directly resulted in death. Canine synovial myxoma is a histologically distinctive tumor with a good prognosis.
Neuropathologic Study of Border Disease Virus in Naturally Infected Fetal and Neonatal Small Ruminants and Its Association With Apoptosis
Authors: Toplu N. , Oğuzoğlu T. Ç. , Epikmen E. T. , Aydoğan A.
Published: May 2010

The present study describes the pathologic changes and cellular apoptosis in the central nervous system (CNS) of fetal and neonatal small ruminants infected with border disease virus (BDV), as demonstrated by immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization. Abortions of ewes and goats were observed, as were births of lambs and kids with poor survival rates and nervous signs. Lesions included cerebellar hypoplasia, porencephaly, hydranencephaly, and nonsuppurative meningoencephalomyelitis with hypomyelinogenesis. Viral antigens and RNA were present in neuropil, glial, and neuronal cells, especially in periventricular areas, cerebellum, and brainstem. TUNEL positivity and labeling of anti-bax and anti-caspases 3, 8, and 9 were detected in BDV-infected CNSs, especially in glial and neuronal cells. The double immunostaining and TUNEL assay revealed that in BDV-infected animals, not only were BDV-infected glial and neuronal cells undergoing apoptosis, but so were uninfected cells in close vicinity of BDV-infected cells. The expression of activated caspases 3, 8, 9; bax; and TUNEL in glial and neuronal cells of the infected fetal and neonatal kids were significantly ( P < .05) higher than those of the infected fetal and neonatal lambs. Yet, the expression of bcl-2 in the CNSs of the infected fetal and neonatal lambs was higher ( P < .05) in neuronal and glial cells than in those of the infected fetal and neonatal kids. The results suggest that cell death in the BDV-infected CNS is induced by intrinsic and extrinsic cascades of apoptotic pathways.
The Apnea Test: Rationale, Confounders, and Criticism
Authors: Joffe Ari R. , Anton Natalie R. , Duff Jonathan P.
Published: May 2010

The apnea test is recommended for the diagnosis of brain death. There are several reasons this test should be reconsidered. Confounding factors for performing the test are vaguely and poorly specified. The following 2 confounders are usually present and not considered: potentially reversible high cervical spinal cord injury and central endocrine failure of adrenal and thyroid axes. There are case reports of breathing at a higher partial pressure of arterial carbon dioxide threshold and cases of recovery of breathing after brain death is diagnosed. The test is dangerous for an injured brain in the setting of high intracranial pressure. It can convert viable penumbral brain tissue to irreversibly nonfunctioning tissue via a transient increase in intracranial pressure and no-reflow phenomena. Hyperoxia during the apnea test can further suppress the function of medullary respiratory rhythm centers. Finally, the philosophical rationale for the need to show lack of spontaneous breathing in brain death is lacking.
Father’s and Mother’s Psychological Violence and Adolescent Behavioral Adjustment
Authors: Melançon Claudiane , Gagné Marie-Hélène
Published: May 2010

Maternal and paternal psychological violence were examined as potential risk factors for internalized and externalized behavior problems displayed by adolescents. Childhood family violence (physical and psychological parental violence), current extrafamily violence (bullying and dating violence), and family structure were taken into account. A sample of 278 adolescents (mean age: 14.2) were recruited in three public schools located in low to high socioeconomic areas. Participants were in the 7th, 8th, and 9th grades, and each completed a self-administered questionnaire. Frequency of current psychological violence is about the same for each parental figure. The three most frequent and least frequent psychologically violent parental practices were also the same for both parental figures. Psychological violence of both parents was related to internalized and externalized behavior problems over and above family structure, childhood family violence, and current extrafamily violence.
Operation Safe Corridor: An Outcome Evaluation
Authors: McLean Sarah J. , Worden Robert E. , MoonSun Kim  , Garmley Tara L. , Bonner Heidi S.
Published: May 2010

Exposure to crime occurs when an individual’s activities place them in vulnerable situations. A collaborative problem-solving approach to address student victimization in one area of the city of Ashton resulted in the development of a safe passageway initiative, Operation Safe Corridor (OSC). OSC applies the logic of crime and place research by focusing efforts that seek to modify behavior and reduce opportunities for criminal behavior in the corridor. Despite concentrated deployment of resources in a relatively small area, OSC has not had the expected impact on student victimization. Although OSC was introduced as a measure whose primary focus was to combat personal crimes, particularly street robberies, the intervention appears more successful with respect to property crime. Thus, despite efforts to raise awareness regarding personal safety, college-aged individuals are still making themselves vulnerable as targets and OSC seems instead to have had an effect on would-be offenders. The program appears to have been successful at hardening a location (the corridor) but was not successful in modifying victim behavior.
Minor Nation
Authors: Pershái Alexander
Published: May 2010

In the twentieth century, nationalism has become an unwritten yet strong hegemonic rule that prescribes and defines cultural configurations of statehood. In the context of post-socialist and post-colonial transformations in “expanding” Eastern Europe, nation building is a complicated and incoherent process: the nation’s canonic attributes may contradict the cultural and historical “circumstances” of the development of a particular nation. This article questions a complicated dynamic between theoretical frameworks of nationalism and their applications in Eastern European states, such as in Belarus. More specifically, it argues against the discursive conceptualization of Belarus as a “nonexistent” or “undeveloped” nation. This article suggests rethinking nation building in Belarus in relation to the notion of major/minor developed by Deleuze and Guattari. The author implies that the unusual mode of Belarusian nationalism is not only a part of a struggle for domination between different intellectual groups in Belarus; it is also an issue of relying on traditional scholarly paradigms of nationalism that may no longer suffice.
Thermo-oxidative Degradation of Polymers Containing Phosphorus in the Main Chain
Authors: Vlase Titus , Vlase Gabriela , Doca Nicolae , Iliescu Smaranda , Ilia Gheorghe
Published: May 2010

In the present study the thermal behavior of some polyphosphonates and polyphosphates was studied. The polymers were synthesized by the inverse phase-transfer catalysis method. The thermal behavior was tested on a Perkin-Elmer DIAMOND device, in a dynamic air atmosphere and with heating rates of 5, 7, 10 and 12 °C min-1. By inspecting the thermogravimetric curves, a remarkable thermal stability up to 200 °C was observed. Between 240 and 380 °C, an endothermic decomposition occurred, with the tendency to a maximum at the end of the process. The end of the thermo-degradation was connected with an oxidative process. A kinetic analysis of the thermogravimetric/differential thermogravimetric results by means of the Friedman, Flynn—Wall—Ozawa, and non-parametric kinetic methods is the basis of discussions on the influence of the molecular architecture on the thermal behavior.
Foodborne microbial risks in the press
Authors: Gauthier Elisabeth
Published: May 2010

Outbreaks of foodborne illness generally receive abundant print media coverage. However, the framing of outbreaks and representations of foodborne pathogens in the media discourse are not necessarily homogeneous. Drawing on previous research on media coverage of emerging diseases and on the conceptual tools of framing theory, this paper explores the diversity of frames and representations used in the media coverage of two listeriosis outbreaks that occurred in Canada in fall 2008. In the dominant war against microbes frame, microbes are portrayed as posing serious risks that call for stringent control measures. This frame coexists with other frames which rather emphasize economic, ecosystem or nutrition issues and which are supported by representations of microbial risks that either mitigate these risks, present them as inevitable or as less serious than others. The implications of these observations for the public understanding of foodborne microbial risks are discussed.
Presenting Chamber Music to Young Children
Authors: Smith Terry Fonda
Published: May 2010

The number of professional ensembles and organizations with dedicated outreach concerts has been steadily increasing over the past decade. More recently, educational concerts pairing chamber music with young children have been documented. The work presented in this article is a study in the efficacy and feasibility of this format. Various music activities and ways to engage and involve the audience in performances are presented. The role of the music educator in managing and facilitating the performance is detailed with a subsequent presentation of general guidelines for implementation. Example videos that model music educator—ensemble—audience interaction are included.
Low Levels of Protein Z Are Associated With HELLP Syndrome and its Severity
Authors: Kaygusuz Isik , Firatli-Tuglular Tulin , Toptas Tayfur , Ugurel Vedat , Demir Muzaffer
Published: May 2010

Protein Z (PZ) was found to be associated with pregnancy complications. There are no data implying an association between hemolysis (H), elevated liver enzymes (EL), and low platelet counts (LP) (HELLP) syndrome and changes in plasma levels of PZ. The aim of this study is to investigate whether HELLP syndrome is associated with plasma concentrations of PZ. Protein Z levels in 29 women with HELLP syndrome were compared with 29 healthy, nulliparous and 25 normal pregnant women. The median PZ levels in patients with HELLP syndrome were found to be significantly lower than those of pregnant women. No significant difference was found between HELLP and healthy groups. Protein Z levels correlated with platelet counts, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels in patients with HELLP syndrome. Median PZ level was higher in partial HELLP than in complete HELLP. We calculated 1330 ng/mL as a cutoff value for PZ level to discriminate HELLP syndrome from normal pregnancy. Low PZ levels are associated with the pathobiology of HELLP syndrome.
The Thrombotic Profile of Treatment-Naive HIV-Positive Black South Africans With Acute Coronary Syndromes
Authors: Becker A.C. , Jacobson B. , Singh S. , Sliwa K. , Stewart S. , Libhaber E. , Essop M.R.
Published: May 2010

Background: Patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection on protease inhibitors (PIs) have a heightened risk of arterial thrombosis but little is known about treatment-naive patients. Methods/Results: Prospective study from South Africa comparing thrombotic profiles of HIV-positive and -negative patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). A total of 30 treatment-naive HIV-positive patients with ACS were compared to 30 HIV-negative patients with ACS. Patients with HIV were younger; and besides smoking (73% vs 33%) and low high-density lipoprotein (HDL; 0.8 ± 0.3 vs 1.1 ± 0.4), they had fewer risk factors. Thrombophilia was more common in HIV-positive patients with lower protein C (PC; 82 ± 22 vs 108 ± 20) and higher factor VIII levels (201 ± 87 vs 136 ± 45). Patients with HIV had higher frequencies of anticardiolipin (aCL; 47% vs 10%) and antiprothrombin antibodies (87% vs 21%). Conclusion: Treatment-naive HIV-positive patients with ACS are younger, with fewer traditional risk factors but a greater degree of thrombophilia compared with HIV-negative patients.
Thrombolysis to Treat Thrombi of the Aortic Arch
Authors: Krüger Tobias , Liske Benjamin , Ziemer Sabine , Lindemann Stephan , Ziemer Gerhard
Published: May 2010

Thoracic mobile aortic mural thrombus (TAMT) of the aortic arch is a rare condition. We report 3 cases of symptomatic TAMT treated with systemic alteplase (tissue plasminogen activator [t-PA]) thrombolysis. The first patient was symptomatic with repetitive thromboembolism to the left brachial artery. She was treated with repetitive thrombolysis after surgical embolectomy of the brachial artery. The second patient was symptomatic with splenic infarction and mesenteric ischemia. She was treated with a single cycle of systemic thrombolysis followed by ileocoecal resection. The third patient presented with a TAMT obstructing the left common carotid artery, causing ischemic stroke. After systemic thrombolysis, a reduction in thrombus size was documented; however, the patient died later, of acute heart failure, during the clinical course. On follow-up 6 months after the incidences, the 2 surviving patients were in good condition and free of thromboembolic events. We show that systemic thrombolytic therapy can be performed successfully in patients with TAMT.
Mean Platelet Volume: A New Predictor in Confirming Acute Appendicitis Diagnosis
Authors: Albayrak Yavuz , Albayrak Ayse , Albayrak Fatih , Yildirim Rahsan , Aylu Belkiz , Uyanik Abdullah , Kabalar Esref , Güzel Ibrahim C.
Published: May 2010

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the diagnostic value of mean platelet volume (MPV) in acute appendicitis (AA). Methods: Our study was carried out in 206 healthy control groups and 226 patients who had a preliminary diagnosis of AA. Results: A statistically significant decrease in MPV was noted in patients with AA compared with healthy controls (P < .001). The best MPV level cutoff point for AA was 7.6 fL, with a sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of 73%, 84%, 84%, and 74%, respectively. Conclusions: As the MPV value is included in the complete blood count (CBC) analysis, it increases the sensitivity and NPVs of white blood cell (WBC) in AA diagnosis without the need for extra analyses, loss of time, or cost increase. Therefore, we believe that the MPV value should also be taken into consideration along with the WBC in every patient with suspected AA.
Association of Interaction Between Smoking and CYP 2C19*3 Polymorphism With Coronary Artery Disease in a Uighur Population
Authors: Yang Yi-Ning , Wang Xin-Lei , Ma Yi-Tong , Xie Xiang , Fu Zhen-Yan , Li Xiao-Mei , Chen Bang-Dang , Liu Fen
Published: May 2010

Objectives: Cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2C19 is expressed in vascular endothelium and metabolizes arachidonic acid to biologically active epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs), which are potent endogenous vasodilators and inhibitors of vascular inflammation. The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between the interaction of CYP2C19*3 polymorphism and smoking and coronary artery disease (CAD) in a Uighur population. Methods: In a Chinese Uighur case-control study of patients with CAD (n = 336) and healthy controls (n = 370), we investigated the roles of polymorphism in the CYP2C19 gene by the use of polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis. Results: The CYP2C19*3 AG + AA genotype was significantly more prevalent in patients with CAD (6.25.0% vs 2.96%; P = .03). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed 4 independent risk factors: the interaction of CYP2C19*3 and smoking (OR 7.22, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.32-10.23; P = .009), smoking (OR 3.23, 95% CI 1.72-5.44; P = .003), blood sugar (OR 2.12, 95% CI 1.03-4.21; P < .01), and hypertension (OR 1.74, 95% CI 0.98-2.34; P = .013). Conclusions: The CYP2C19*3 polymorphism and CAD were synergistically and significantly associated in Chinese Uighur patients.
Identification of Missense Mutations in Exon 16 of Factor VIII Gene in Mild and Moderate Cases With Hemophilia A
Authors: Nuzhat Jahan Faridi  , Husain Nuzhat , Mohammad Imran Siddiqi  , Kumar Praveen , Bamezai R.N.K.
Published: May 2010

Hemophilia A is a bleeding disorder caused by heterogeneous mutations of the factor VIII gene. A total of 60 unique mutations have been identified in exon 16. The current study was done with the objective of detecting small mutations in exon 16 of factor VIII gene in Indian cases with hemophilia A and to further analyze structural and functional alterations in protein structure. In all, 40 cases with mild and moderate hemophilia A, negative for intron 22 inversion mutations were screened with single-strand conformational polymorphism (SSCP) for point mutations in the exon 16 region. Two cases from unrelated families showed the presence of a missense mutation due to conversion of CGT to CAT at codon 1781 in which arginine was replaced by histidine residues, resulting in deficiency in A3 domain function. Small mutation detection can be achieved using a low-infrastructure SSCP-DNA sequencing protocol in developing countries. Protein modeling predicts structural and functional changes defining causative mutations.
In Vivo Neutralization of Unfractionated Heparin and Low-Molecular-Weight Heparin by a Novel Salicylamide Derivative
Authors: Kuziej Jacqueline , Litinas Evangelos , Hoppensteadt Debra A. , Dahui Liu  , Walenga Jeanine M. , Fareed Jawed , Jeske Walter
Published: May 2010

Unfractionated heparin (UFH) and low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) are widely used anticoagulants for surgical and interventional use. Currently, the anticoagulant and bleeding effects of heparin are neutralized by protamine sulfate. There are several problems associated with the use of protamine sulfate, including allergic reactions, cardiovascular effects, heparin rebound, and incomplete neutralization of LMWHs. The objective of this investigation is to characterize the effectiveness of a novel salicylamide-derived heparin antagonist, PMX 60056, in neutralizing the antithrombotic and bleeding effects of UFH and LMWHs. Animals were first anticoagulated using an intravenous injection of UFH or LMWH followed by protamine sulfate or PMX 60056. Established animal models of hemorrhage (rat-tail transection) and thrombosis (jugular vein clamping) were then performed. Blood samples were collected for ex vivo analysis using activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), anti-Xa, and anti-IIa assays. We demonstrate that PMX 60056 neutralized the antithrombotic, anticoagulant, and bleeding effects of heparins as effectively as protamine sulfate and may be slightly more efficacious against LMWHs. These results suggest that PMX 60056 may provide an improved approach for the neutralization of UFH and LMWHs.
An Evaluation of the DDAVP Infusion Test With PFA-100 and vWF Activity Assays to Distinguish vWD Types in Children
Authors: Akin Mehmet , Karapinar Deniz Yilmaz , Balkan Can , Ay Yilmaz , Kavakli Kaan
Published: May 2010

von Willebrand disease (vWD) is classified into partial (type 1), qualitative (type 2), and total deficiency (type 3).The aims of the study were to evaluate prospectively the potency of the DDAVP infusion test together with von Willebrand factor (vWF) ristocetin cofactor (vWF:RCo), vWF antigen (vWF:Ag), factor VIII coagulant activity (FVIII:C), and platelet function analyzer (PFA)-100 to distinguish vWD types. Genetic analysis and multimeric analysis of vWF was not applied. We classified the 112 patients and 47 healthy children phenotypically according to the laboratory test results and bleeding severity score. PFA-100 closure times (CT), FVIII:C, vWF:RCo, vWF:Ag, ristocetin-induced platelet aggregation (RIPA), and the response of FVIII:C and vWF parameters to desmopressin (DDAVP) were used to define types 1, 2, and 3 vWD. Type 1 vWD is mild in 34 cases (vWF:RCo % 40-55), moderate in 29 (vWF:RCo %27-40), severe type 1 vWD or nonclassical type 2 vWD in 12 cases (vWF:RCo % 4-16), and type 2 vWD in 23 cases (vWF:RCo %4-38).The response to DDAVP of vWF parameters is normal in all patients with mild/moderate type 1 vWD, 6 patients with severe type 1 vWD or nonclassical type 2 vWD and 11 patients with type 2 vWD. In conclusion, this study showed that measurement of vWF:RCo, vWF:Ag, FVIII:C, and PFA-100 parameters can differentiate vWD types but not severe type 1 vWD or nonclassical type 2 vWD. In the differentiation of severe type 1 vWD and nonclassical type 2 vWD, DDAVP response may be used.
Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor I 4G/5G Polymorphism in Neonatal Respiratory Distress Syndrome
Authors: Armangil Didem , Yurdakök Murat , Okur Hamza , Gürgey Aytemiz
Published: May 2010

Fibrin monomers inhibit surfactant function. 4G/5G insertion/deletion polymorphism plays an important role in the regulation of plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) gene expression. To examine the genotype distribution of PAI-1 polymorphism in 60 infants with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) and 53 controls, an allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used. The proportion of 4G/4G, 4G/5G, and 5G/5G genotypes did not differ statistically between the RDS and control groups (P > .05). Having PAI-1 4G/4G genotype polymorphism appears to increase the risk of RDS (odds ratio [OR] =1.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.5-4.3), although it was not statistically significant. No relation was found between the PAI-1 4G/5G polymorphisms and RDS, but there was an increased risk associated with the 4G variant of the PAI-1 gene. We believe that our findings of increased 4G allele of the PAI-1 gene in infants with RDS would also help to clarify the pathogenesis of RDS.
Sexual Coercion Experience and Sexually Coercive Behavior: A Population Study of Swedish and Norwegian Male Youth
Authors: Seto Michael C. , Kjellgren Cecilia , Priebe Gisela , Mossige Svein , Svedin Carl Göran , Långström Niklas
Published: May 2010

The authors tested the hypothesis that experiencing sexual coercion and engaging in sexually coercive behavior are positively associated in a representative sample totaling almost 4,000 Swedish or Norwegian male high school students (estimated response rate 80%). In both surveys, youths who had experienced sexual coercion were approximately three times more likely to engage in sexually coercive behavior than those without such experience (10%—12% vs. 4%). The association between sexual coercion experience and sexually coercive behavior was attenuated but remained significant and moderately strong in both surveys when controlling for nonsexual antisocial behavior, substance use, and noncoercive sexual behavior in multivariate logistic regression models. The population attributable fraction (proportion of sexually coercive behavior that can be explained by sexual coercion experience) was 18%—25%. The findings support a robust link between having been sexually coerced and engaging in coercive sexual behavior in the general population.
Corpus Callosum Anatomy in Chronically Treated and Stimulant Naïve ADHD
Authors: Schnoebelen Sarah , Semrud-Clikeman Margaret , Pliszka Steven R.
Published: May 2010

Objective: To determine the effect of chronic stimulant treatment on corpus callosum (CC) size in children with ADHD using volumetric and area measurements. Previously published research indicated possible medication effects on specific areas of the CC. Method: Measurements of the CC from anatomical MRIs were obtained from children aged 9-16 in three diagnostic groups (a) chronically treated ADHD, (b) stimulant-naïve ADHD, and (c) typically developing children. Results: The three groups did not differ in overall CC volume. Additional analyses found differences in the area of the splenium, with the treatment-naïve group exhibiting the smallest area. Conclusions: Previously reported reductions of CC size in ADHD samples do not appear to be a result of chronic stimulant treatment. The current study suggested a trend toward normalization of splenium size for participants treated with stimulant medication.
Enjoy your Stress! Using Lacan to enrich transactional models of stress
Authors: Bicknell Martin , Liefooghe Andreas
Published: May 2010

This article reconsiders stress both theoretically and empirically using a Lacanian perspective. It addresses how Lacan’s concepts of jouissance and desire may be employed to provide a rich overlay to transactional models of stress that engages with unconscious aspects of appraisal. In doing so, it challenges the dichotomy between stress and enjoyment.
The dream that caused reality: the place of the Lacanian subject of science in the field of organization theory
Authors: Woźniak Anna
Published: May 2010

Lacan was concerned with the relationship between psychoanalysis and science. Today, the understanding of his theoretical claims can be significantly extended by analysing how this relationship has emerged as a certain scientific reality. In this article I explain how the evolution of scientific metatheoretical thought has led to the application of Lacanian psychoanalysis as one of the perspectives in organization theory and how the attention paid to Lacan undermines the very scientific condition which has allowed for its development in the first place. By retracing the terms and consequences of the ‘Burrell and Morgan debate’ I seek to demonstrate how the scientific propensity to take meta-positions in relation to any object of inquiry became an effective way of dealing with the experience of the ‘scientific impossibility’. Avoidance of the traumatic encounter resulted in the intensification of ‘paradigm wars’, in the crystallization of the concept of ‘incommensurability’ and subsequently in the emergence of a subject of science. The application of Lacan in organization theory became possible precisely within the confines of this rearranged field and turned out to have a subversive effect on the scientific project of organization theory.