bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparative Effectiveness of Combined Pharmacologic and Mechanical Thromboprophylaxis versus Either Method Alone in Major Orthopedic Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta‐analysis
Authors: Sobieraj Diana M. , Coleman Craig I. , Tongbram Vanita , Chen Wendy , Colby Jennifer , Lee Soyon , Kluger Jeffrey , Makanji Sagar , Ashaye Ajibade , White C. Michael
Published: February 2013

Study Objective

To evaluate the comparative efficacy and safety of combination pharmacologic and mechanical venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis versus either method alone in major orthopedic surgery.

Design

Systematic review with meta‐analysis of six randomized controlled trials.

Patients

Patients undergoing total hip replacement, total knee replacement, or hip fracture surgery who received VTE prophylaxis.

Measurements and Main Results

We conducted a systematic literature search of the MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Scopus databases (January 1980–July 2011) to identify trials that directly compared pharmacologic plus mechanical VTE prophylaxis to either strategy alone, evaluated United States Food and Drug Administration–approved agents, and reported rates of mortality, VTE, bleeding, and other adverse effects. Six trials were included, none of which were conducted in patients who had hip fracture surgery. The quality of each trial was evaluated, and the strength of evidence for each outcome was rated. No significant difference was found in the rate of pulmonary embolism or nonfatal pulmonary embolism when the combination of pharmacologic and mechanical prophylaxis was compared to pharmacologic prophylaxis alone, with low strength of evidence. The risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) was significantly decreased in the combination group (relative risk [RR] 0.48 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.32–0.72]), with moderate strength of evidence, with benefits of combination therapy persisting in the total knee replacement subgroup (RR 0.41 [95% CI 0.25–0.68]). There was insufficient evidence to evaluate other final or intermediate outcomes or harms. In the comparison of combined pharmacologic and mechanical prophylaxis to mechanical prophylaxis alone, there was insufficient evidence to evaluate any final health outcomes or harms. There was no significant difference in the risk of proximal DVT when comparing combination prophylaxis to mechanical prophylaxis alone (RR 0.78 [95% CI 0.35–1.74]) based on low strength of evidence.

Conclusions

The risk of DVT was decreased with the use of combination prophylaxis versus pharmacologic prophylaxis alone in patients undergoing total hip replacement or total knee replacement. However, due to primarily insufficient evidence for most outcomes evaluated, the balance of benefits to harms of combined pharmacologic and mechanical prophylaxis versus either strategy alone cannot be determined in patients undergoing major orthopedic surgery.
Guidelines for Resident Teaching Experiences
Authors: Havrda Dawn E. , Engle Janet P. , Anderson Keri C. , Ray Shaunta' M. , Haines Seena L. , Kane‐Gill Sandra L. , Ballard Stephanie L. , Crannage Andrew J. , Rochester Charmaine D. , Parman Malinda G.
Published: February 2013

Postgraduate year one (PGY1) and postgraduate year two (PGY2) residencies serve to develop pharmacists into skillful clinicians who provide advanced patient‐centered care in various general and specialized areas of pharmacy practice. Pharmacy residencies are a minimum requirement for many clinical pharmacy positions, as well as for positions in academia. The role of clinical pharmacists typically includes teaching, regardless of whether they pursue an academic appointment. Common teaching duties of pharmacist‐clinicians include giving continuing education or other invited presentations, providing education to colleagues regarding clinical initiatives, precepting pharmacy students (early and advanced experiences) and residents, and educating other health care professionals. Although ASHP provides accreditation standards for PGY1 and PGY2 residencies, the standards pertaining to teaching or education training are vague. Through the years, teaching certificate programs that develop residents' teaching skills and better prepare residents for a diverse pharmacy job market have increased in popularity; moreover, teaching certificate programs serve as an attractive recruitment tool. However, the consistency of requirements for teaching certificate programs is lacking, and standardization is needed. The Task Force on Residencies developed two sets of guidelines to define teaching experiences within residencies. The first guideline defines the minimum standards for teaching experiences in any residency‐training program. The second guideline is for programs offering a teaching certificate program to provide standardization, ensuring similar outcomes and quality on program completion. One of the main differences between the guidelines is the recommendation that residency programs offering a teaching certificate program be affiliated with an academic institution to provide the pedagogy and variety of teaching experiences for the resident. Residency program directors should consider adopting these guidelines to offer consistent teaching experiences. In addition, residents should inquire about the elements of teaching in a program as an aid to selecting the training best suited to their needs.
Contribution of proteomics to understanding the role of tumor‐derived exosomes in cancer progression: State of the art and new perspectives
Authors: Simona Fontana , Laura Saieva , Simona Taverna , Riccardo Alessandro
Published: February 2013

Exosomes are nanometer‐sized vesicles (40–100 nm diameter) of endocytic origin released from different cell types under both normal and pathological conditions. They function as cell free messengers, playing a relevant role in the cell–cell communication that is strongly related to the nature of the molecules (proteins, mRNAs, miRNAs, and lipids) that they transport. Tumor cells actively shed exosomes into their surrounding microenvironment and growing evidence indicates that these vesicles have pleiotropic functions in the regulation of tumor progression, promoting immune escape, tumor invasion, neovascularization, and metastasis. During the last few years remarkable efforts have been made to obtain an accurate definition of the protein content of tumor‐derived exosomes (TDEs) by applying MS‐based proteomic technologies. To date, TDEs proteomic studies have been mainly utilized to catalog TDEs proteins with the purpose of identifying disease biomarkers. The future challenge for improving our understanding and characterization of TDEs will be the implementation of new systems‐driven and proteomic integrative strategies. The aim of this article is to provide an overview of the most characterized exosomes‐mediated mechanisms that contribute to the pathogenesis of cancer and to review recent proteomics data that support the protumorigenic role of TDEs.
Burning Characteristics of Ammonium Nitrate‐Based Composite Propellants Supplemented with Fe2O3
Authors: Naya Tomoki , Kohga Makoto
Published: February 2013

Ammonium nitrate (AN)‐based composite propellants have attracted a considerable amount of attention because of the clean burning nature of AN as an oxidizer. However, such propellants have several disadvantages such as poor ignition and a low burning rate. In this study, the burning characteristics of AN‐based propellants supplemented with Fe2O3 as a burning catalyst were investigated. The addition of Fe2O3 is known to improve the ignitability at low pressure. Fe2O3 addition also increases the burning rate, while the pressure exponent generally decreases. The increasing ratio (R) of the burning rate of the AN/Fe2O3 propellant to that of the corresponding AN propellant vs. the amount of Fe2O3 added (ξ) depends on the burning pressure and AN content. R decreases at threshold value of ξ. The most effective value of ξ for increasing the burning rate was found to be 4 % for the propellant at 80 % AN, and the value generally decreased with decreasing AN content. According to thermal decomposition kinetics, Fe2O3 accelerates the reactions of AN and binder decomposition gases in the condensed‐ and/or gas‐phase reaction zones. The burning characteristics of the AN‐based propellant were improved by combining catalysts with differing catalytic mechanisms instead of supplementing the propellant with a single catalyst owing to the multiplicative effect of the former.
Comparison of the results of kinematic and dynamic approximations for parametric X‐ray radiation in the Bragg direction
Authors: Papadakis John , Trikalinos Christos
Published: February 2013

A theoretical study on the kinematic and dynamic approximations of parametric X‐ray radiation (PXR) is presented. The results obtained are examined and compared. The ratio of the absolute maxima of kinematic and dynamic PXR can be obtained. The results are closer at lower energies and their correlation depends on the angle of incidence. These theoretical results indicate that in some energy regions and angle of incidence it may be necessary to apply the dynamic approximation of PXR for greater accuracy.
Effects of Lepidium sativum, Nigella sativa and Trigonella foenum‐graceum on Phenytoin Pharmacokinetics in Beagle Dogs
Authors: Alkharfy Khalid M. , Al‐Jenoobi Fahad I. , Al‐Mohizea Abdullah M. , Al‐Suwayeh Saleh A. , Khan Rao M. A. , Ahmad Ajaz
Published: February 2013

The present work was designed to evaluate the effect of some commonly used herbs viz. garden cress (Lepidium sativum), black seed (Nigella sativa) and fenugreek (Trigonella foenum‐graceum) on the disposition of phenytoin after oral administration in a dog model. Phenytoin was given orally at a dose of 50 mg, and blood samples were obtained for the determination of drug's pharmacokinetic parameters. After a suitable washout period, animals were commenced on a specific herb treatment for one week. Garden cress treatment caused a modest increase in maximum observed concentration (Cmax) and terminal half‐life (T1/2λ) of phenytoin with a reduction in clearance by 33%. The effect of black seed therapy was more drastic on drug elimination and to a lesser extent on its volume of distribution at steady state (Vss) with a consequent reduction in systemic exposure measured by area under the curve (AUC0‐∞) by about 87%. The effect of fenugreek therapy resembled, albeit to a lesser extent, that of black seed with a significant reduction in AUC0‐∞ by ~72%. In addition, there was a 73% increase in Vss. Our findings suggest that the phenytoin disposition can be significantly altered by the concurrent consumption of tested herbal products. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
In vivo Antimalarial Activity of a Labdane Diterpenoid from the Leaves of Otostegia integrifolia Benth
Authors: Endale Abyot , Bisrat Daniel , Animut Abebe , Bucar Franz , Asres Kaleab
Published: February 2013

In Ethiopian traditional medicine, the leaves of Otostegia integrifolia Benth. are used for the treatment of several diseases including malaria. In an ongoing search for effective, safe and cheap antimalarial agents from plants, the 80% methanol leaf extract O. integrifolia was tested for its in vivo antimalarial activity, in a 4‐day suppressive assay against Plasmodium berghei. Activity‐guided fractionation of this extract which showed potent antiplasmodial activity resulted in the isolation of a labdane diterpenoid identified as otostegindiol. Otostegindiol displayed a significant (P < 0.001) antimalarial activity at doses of 25, 50 and 100 mg/kg with chemosuppression values of 50.13, 65.58 and 73.16%, respectively. Acute toxicity studies revealed that the crude extract possesses no toxicity in mice up to a maximum dose of 5000 mg/kg suggesting the relative safety of the plant when administered orally. The results of the present study indicate that otostegindiol is among the antimalarial principles in this medicinal plant, and further support claims for the traditional medicinal use of the plant for the treatment of malaria. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Joining Copper Oxide Nanotube Arrays Driven by the Nanoscale Kirkendall Effect
Authors: Chun Shu Rong , Sasangka Wardhana Aji , Ng Mei Zhen , Liu Qing , Du Anyan , Zhu Jie , Ng Chee Mang , Liu Zhi Qiang , Chiam Sing Yang , Gan Chee Lip
Published: February 2013

Various annealing conditions (environment, temperature, and duration) are applied to study the nanoscale Kirkendall effect of copper (Cu) nanowire (NW) arrays on a Si substrate. The results show that an appropriate amount of oxygen supply is crucial for uniform transformation from Cu NWs (average diameter ∼50 nm) into Cu oxide nanotube arrays. An annealing duration of 30 min at 200 °C in a low vacuum environment reveals that the voids are not uniformly distributed at the Cu/Cu oxide interface. This suggests that void growth is due to surface diffusion of Cu along void surfaces. Annealing above 200 °C for 60 min resulted in complete transformation from Cu NWs into Cu oxide nanotubes. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy characterization indicates that the Cu oxides formed at 200 °C and 300 °C are Cu2O and CuO, respectively. It is demonstrated that the transformation from Cu NW arrays into Cu oxide nanotube arrays can be combined with the joining of stacked Si chips in a single‐process step with reasonable joint shear strength. Transmission electron microscopy‐electron energy loss spectroscopy elemental mapping analysis reveals that the joint interface is Cu oxide. The outward diffusion of Cu driven by the nanoscale Kirkendall effect is believed to enhance the joining process. By controlling the environment, temperature, and duration, joined Cu2O or CuO nanotube stacked chips can be achieved, which serve as a platform for the further development of nanostructured, stacked devices.
Protein–Carbohydrate Complex Reveals Circulating Metastatic Cells in a Microfluidic Assay
Authors: Simone G. , Malara N. , Trunzo V. , Perozziello G. , Neuzil P. , Francardi M. , Roveda L. , Renne M. , Prati U. , Mollace V. , Manz A. , Di Fabrizio E.
Published: February 2013

Advances in carbohydrate sequencing technologies reveal the tremendous complexity of the glycome and the role that glycomics might have to bring insight into the biological functions. Carbohydrate–protein interactions, in particular, are known to be crucial to most mammalian physiological processes as mediators of cell adhesion and metastasis, signal transducers, and organizers of protein interactions. An assay is developed here to mimic the multivalency of biological complexes that selectively and sensitively detect carbohydrate–protein interactions. The binding of β‐galactosides and galectin‐3—a protein that is correlated to the progress of tumor and metastasis—is examined. The efficiency of the assay is related to the expression of the receptor while anchoring to the interaction's strength. Comparative binding experiments reveal molecular binding preferences. This study establishes that the assay is robust to isolate metastatic cells from colon affected patients and paves the way to personalized medicine.
“Sometimes, I think I might say too much”: Dark Secrets and the Performance of Inflammatory Bowel Disease*
Authors: Thompson Alex I.
Published: February 2013

This study examines the dramaturgical embodiment of chronically ill bodies managing “fecal matters” (Weinberg and Williams 2005) in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) support groups. Data were derived from my reflections as a person with IBD, a year of participant observation, and semi‐structured interviews with support group members. I first uncover the boundaries of the private body (Cahill 2006). Secondly, I focus on the entrenchment of IBD within the stigma of fecal matters. Lastly, I explore the disparate ways that support group members harnessed language to protect their embodied selves from symbolic fecal contamination, from a “soiled self.”
The effects of age and ganglioside composition on the rate of motor nerve terminal regeneration following antibody‐mediated injury in mice
Authors: Rupp Angie , Cunningham Madeleine E. , Yao Denggao , Furukawa Koichi , Willison Hugh J.
Published: February 2013

Gangliosides are glycosphingolipids highly enriched in neural plasma membranes, where they mediate a diverse range of functions and can act as targets for auto‐antibodies present in human immune‐mediated neuropathy sera. The ensuing autoimmune injury results in axonal and motor nerve terminal (mNT) degeneration. Both aging and ganglioside‐deficiency have been linked to impaired axonal regeneration. To assess the effects of age and ganglioside expression on mNT regeneration in an autoimmune injury paradigm, anti‐ganglioside antibodies and complement were applied to young adult and aged mice wildtype (WT) mice, mice deficient in either b‐ and c‐series (GD3sKO) or mice deficient in all complex gangliosides (GM2sKO). The extent of mNT injury and regeneration was assessed immediately or after 5 days, respectively. Depending on ganglioside expression and antibody‐specificity, either a selective mNT injury or a combined injury of mNTs and neuromuscular glial cells was elicited. Immediately after induction of the injury, between 1.5% and 11.8% of neuromuscular junctions (NMJs) in the young adult groups exhibited healthy mNTs. Five days later, most NMJs, regardless of age and strain, had recovered their mNTs. No significant differences could be observed between young and aged WT and GM2sKO mice; aged GD3sKO showed a mildly impaired rate of mNT regeneration when compared with their younger counterparts. Comparable rates were observed between all strains in the young and the aged mice. In summary, the rate of mNT regeneration following anti‐ganglioside antibody and complement‐mediated injury does not differ majorly between young adult and aged mice irrespective of the expression of particular gangliosides. Synapse 67:382–389, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Initial neurogenesis in Drosophila
Authors: Hartenstein Volker , Wodarz Andreas
Published: February 2013

Early neurogenesis comprises the phase of nervous system development during which neural progenitor cells are born. In early development, the embryonic ectoderm is subdivided by a conserved signaling mechanism into two main domains, the epidermal ectoderm and the neurectoderm. Subsequently, cells of the neurectoderm are internalized and form a cell layer of proliferating neural progenitors. In vertebrates, the entire neurectoderm folds into the embryo to give rise to the neural tube. In Drosophila and many other invertebrates, a subset of neurectodermal cells, called neuroblasts (NBs), delaminates and forms the neural primordium inside the embryo where they divide in an asymmetric, stem cell‐like mode. The remainder of the neurectodermal cells that stay behind at the surface loose their neurogenic potential and later give rise to the ventral part of the epidermis. The genetic and molecular analysis of the mechanisms controlling specification and proliferation of NBs in the Drosophila embryo, which played a significant part in pioneering the field of modern developmental neurobiology, represents the topic of this review. WIREs Dev Biol 2013, 2:701–721. doi: 10.1002/wdev.111

This article is categorized under:

Establishment of Spatial and Temporal Patterns > Repeating Patterns and Lateral Inhibition

Signaling Pathways > Cell Fate Signaling

Nervous System Development > Flies
Religious Coping and Depression in Young Adulthood: Effects of Global Stress Exposure and Pre-Teenage Religious Service Attendance
Authors: Eliassen A. Henry
Published: February 2013

This paper builds upon previous research on the association between religiosity and depressive symptomatology in young adults by focusing on the coping aspects of religious involvement (use of beliefs, comfort seeking, and prayer). Data come from a representative sample of Miami-Dade County, Florida, youths interviewed initially at around age 11 and then at age 19 to 21 ( N = 1,210). OLS regression models demonstrate an inverted U-shaped curvilinear relationship between religious coping and depression which, in subgroup analyses, applies only to females, and specifically to those young women reporting above-average stress exposure who had attended religious services at least once a week during their middle school years. No association is found among those reporting lower stress exposure or less frequent pre-teenage service attendance. These results provide evidence that early religious exposure on a regular basis and high global stress exposure may be essential preconditions for a relationship at the aggregate level between current religious coping and depressive symptomatology in young adults.
Loneliness trajectories from middle childhood to pre‐adolescence: Impact on perceived health and sleep disturbance
Authors: Harris Rebecca A. , Qualter Pamela , Robinson Sarita J.
Published: February 2013

The current study is the first to examine the association between chronic loneliness and perceived health, school absence due to illness, sleep duration and disturbance, in a sample of pre‐adolescents (N = 209). Loneliness was measured in three collection waves that were 18 months apart and covered the ages 8–11 years. Using growth mixture modeling, two groups were identified with discrete growth patterns of loneliness: (a) relatively high, reducing loneliness (48%), and (b) low, stable loneliness (52%). At age 11 years, those in the relatively high, reducing lonely group reported higher levels of depressive symptoms, poorer general health, took longer to get to sleep, and had greater sleep disturbance than children in the low, stable loneliness group. These findings suggest that there may be long‐term health effects of experiencing high loneliness in middle childhood, even when loneliness levels reduce to normal levels at pre‐adolescence.
The longitudinal causal directionality between body image distress and self‐esteem among Korean adolescents: The moderating effect of relationships with parents
Authors: Park Woochul , Epstein Norman B.
Published: February 2013

This study examined the longitudinal relationship between self‐esteem and body image distress, as well as the moderating effect of relationships with parents, among adolescents in Korea, using nationally representative prospective panel data. Regarding causal direction, the findings supported bi‐directionality for girls, but for boys the association was unidirectional, in that their self‐esteem predicted body image distress, but not vice versa. A gender difference also emerged in the moderating effect of quality of relationships with parents. For girls, relationships with parents moderated the effect of body image distress on self‐esteem, such that when relationships with parents were better, the effect of greater body image distress on subsequent lower self‐esteem was stronger than when relationships with parents were less positive. For boys, relationships with parents moderated the influence of self‐esteem on body image distress, such that self‐esteem reduced body image distress more when boys had better relationships with parents.
HPV E6 induces eIF4E transcription to promote the proliferation and migration of cervical cancer
Authors: Wang Sen , Pang Tianyun , Gao Min , Kang Haixian , Ding Weibin , Sun Xiwen , Zhao Yi , Zhu Wei , Tang Xudong , Yao Yunhong , Hu Xinrong
Published: February 2013

Increasing evidence has placed eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) at the hub of tumor development and progression. Several studies have reported that eIF4E is over‐expressed in cervical cancer; however, the mechanism remains elusive. The results of this study further confirm over‐expression of eIF4E in cervical cancer tumors and cell lines, and we have discovered that the transcription of eIF4E is induced by protein E6 of the human papillomavirus (HPV). Moreover, regulation of eIF4E by E6 significantly influences cell proliferation, the cell cycle, migration, and apoptosis. Therefore, eIF4E emerges as a key player in tumor development and progression and a potential target for CC treatment and prevention.
Deciphering post‐translational modification codes
Authors: Lothrop Adam P. , Torres Matthew P. , Fuchs Stephen M.
Published: February 2013

Post‐translational modifications (PTMs) occur on nearly all proteins. Many domains within proteins are modified on multiple amino acid sidechains by diverse enzymes to create a myriad of possible protein species. How these combinations of PTMs lead to distinct biological outcomes is only beginning to be understood. This manuscript highlights several examples of combinatorial PTMs in proteins, and describes recent technological developments, which are driving our ability to understand how PTM patterns may “code” for biological outcomes.
HDAC6 promotes hepatocellular carcinoma progression by inhibiting P53 transcriptional activity
Authors: Ding Gang , Liu He-Dai , Huang Qian , Liang Hong-Xiang , Ding Zhao-Han , Liao Zhi-Jun , Huang Gang
Published: February 2013

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of liver cancer. HDAC6 is a transcriptional regulator of the histone deacetylase family, subfamily 2. Previous studies have shown that HDAC6 plays critical roles in transcription regulation, cell cycle progression and developmental events. However, its biological roles in the development of HCC remain largely unexplored. In the present study, we found that mRNA and protein levels of HDAC6 were up‐regulated in HCC tissues and cell lines. The proinflammatory cytokines, which were up‐regulated in the human HCC microenvironment, increased HDAC6 expression through a proximal NF‐kappaB binding site on the HDAC6 gene promoter. Furthermore, overexpression of HDAC6 could promote cell proliferation in HCC cell lines. In contrast, HDAC6 knockdown using small interfering RNA inhibited cell proliferation. At the molecular level, we demonstrated that HDAC6 could interact with p53 and attenuate its transcriptional activity through promotion of its degradation. Therefore, our results suggest a previously unknown HDAC6‐p53 molecular network controlling HCC development.
The Great War with Russia
Authors: Russell William Howard
Published: February 2013

The journalist William Howard Russell (1820–1907) is sometimes regarded as being the first war correspondent, and his reports from the conflict in the Crimea are also credited with being a cause of reforms in the British military system. This account of his time there, first published in 1858 and expanded in this 1895 edition, explains how Russell was sent by The Times of London in 1854 to join British troops stationed in Malta. He spent the next two years witnessing some of the key moments of the war, including the battle of Balaclava and the ill-fated Charge of the Light Brigade. His newspaper reports of the fighting and of the living conditions for the troops were widely read and very influential. In this retrospective work, Russell gives a more personal narrative of his experiences, making this an important account of one the most brutal wars of the nineteenth century.
Physician and Pharmacist Care of Varenicline Users in a Real-World Setting
Authors: Frandsen Mai , Ferguson Stuart G.
Published: February 2013

Since its launch as a smoking cessation aid, varenicline use has been linked to a number of serious adverse events, notably the exacerbation of pre-existing psychiatric illness, depressed mood and suicidal ideation. Regulators’ fears have been somewhat allayed by varenicline's status as a prescription only medication. The purpose of this study was to examine the care provided by physicians – or general practitioners – and pharmacists to varenicline users under real-world conditions. Participants were 141 patients who had filled a prescription for varenicline at a participating pharmacy within the previous six-months. Identified patients were mailed a survey to complete that included items on interactions with their physician and pharmacy staff, and knowledge of treatment side-effects. Most participants reported that their physician encouraged them to set a quit date (82.5%) and provided additional cessation materials (57.2%). While most (79.0%) physicians discussed whether varenicline was appropriate for the patient, fewer asked about psychiatric illness (40.1%), or asked to be informed about mood or behaviour change during treatment (48.1%). Participants (78.4%) reported that their physician had discussed a follow-up consultation, but only 59.4% of patients who had finished treatment at the time of the survey reported having one. Most reported discussing potential drug side-effects with their physician (71.0%) and or pharmacist (52.9%); when probed, knowledge was variable. These results suggest that many patients do not receive the level of support that physicians and pharmacists are assumed to provide.
GROUPS WHOSE PROPER SUBGROUPS OF INFINITE RANK HAVE FINITE CONJUGACY CLASSES
Authors: DE FALCO M. , DE GIOVANNI F. , MUSELLA C. , TRABELSI N.
Published: February 2013

A group $G$ is said to be an $FC$-group if each element of $G$ has only finitely many conjugates, and $G$ is minimal non$FC$ if all its proper subgroups have the property $FC$ but $G$ is not an $FC$-group. It is an open question whether there exists a group of infinite rank which is minimal non$FC$. We consider here groups of infinite rank in which all proper subgroups of infinite rank are $FC$, and prove that in most cases such groups are either $FC$-groups or minimal non$FC$.
Planetary Power? The United States and the History of Around-the-World Travel
Authors: CHAPLIN JOYCE E.
Published: February 2013

It is a given that the United States has been an important global power, yet it may be of at least equal significance that the nation has been an only faltering planetary power. Global is social – it implies the social relations that extend over the globe. In contrast, planetary is physical, indicating the physical planet itself. Far more historical studies have focussed on the former than on the latter; examining the history of the United States within planetary terms is only beginning to be done. One long tradition of human engagement with the whole Earth is the practice of circumnavigation, going around the world. This essay examines American circumnavigators’ accounts ecocritically, in terms of their consciousness of the natural world, in order to explain that the United States came to the tradition of going around the world belatedly and not always beneficially.
The new climate leaders?
Authors: ACUTO MICHELE
Published: February 2013

Little interest has thus far been paid to the role of cities in world politics. Yet, several are the examples of city-based engagements suggesting an emerging urban presence in international relations. The Climate Leadership Group, despite its recent lineage, is perhaps the most significant case of metropolitan intersection with global governance. To illustrate this I rely on Actor-Network Theory (ANT) to develop a qualitative network analysis of the evolution of the C40 in the past seven years from a limited gathering of municipal leaders to a transnational organisation partnering with the World Bank. Pinpointed on the unfolding of a twin diplomacy/planning approach, the evolution of the C40 can demonstrate the key role of global cities as actors in global environmental politics. These cities have a pivotal part in charting new geographies of climate governance, prompting the rise of subpolitical policymaking arrangements pinpointed on innovative and hybrid connections. Yet, there remains some important rational continuity, in particular with neoliberalism, which ultimately limits the revolutionary potential these cities might have for international relations.
Rethinking refugeehood: statelessness, repatriation, and refugee agency
Authors: BRADLEY MEGAN
Published: February 2013

Hannah Arendt's characterisation of the refugee as rightless and stateless has become a touchstone for scholars grappling with the nature of forced migration and exile. While aspects of Arendt's depiction continue to resonate, the notion of refugees as stateless, rightless ‘scum of the earth’ is now in many cases anachronistic, and no longer clearly reflects the challenges now faced by the majority of the world's refugees. This is attributable to structural changes in the refugee regime, particularly the increased focus on repatriation and the reconstitution of the relationship between refugees and their states of origin, a possibility largely unforeseen by Arendt. Drawing on the example of the Guatemalan repatriation movement, this article contends that indiscriminately portraying refugees as stateless represents a potential disservice to the displaced, as it may inadvertently undermine refugees' claims against their states of origin for the redress of their rights as citizens. There is a need to expand theorising on refugees from a narrow focus on the refugee as rightless and stateless to a broader conception of the refugee as a bearer of claims for the renegotiation of her relationship with her state.
Making sense of survival: refining the treatment of state preferences in neorealist theory
Authors: KADERCAN BURAK
Published: February 2013

The assumption that ‘states' primary goal is survival’ lies at the heart of the neorealist paradigm. A careful examination of the assumption, however, reveals that neorealists draw upon a number of distinct interpretations of the ‘survival assumption’ that are then treated as if they are the same, pointing towards conceptual problems that surround the treatment of state preferences. This article offers a specification that focuses on two questions that highlight the role and function of the survival assumption in the neorealist logic: (i) what do states have to lose if they fail to adopt self-help strategies?; and (ii) how does concern for relevant losses motivate state behaviour and affect international outcomes? Answering these questions through the exploration of governing elites' sensitivity towardsregime stabilityandterritorial integrityof the state, in turn, addresses the aforementioned conceptual problems. This specification has further implications for the debates among defensive and offensive realists, potential extensions of the neorealist logic beyond the Westphalian states, and the relationship between neorealist theory and policy analysis.
Nomadic life's counter-attack: moving beyond the subaltern's voice
Authors: ROSENOW DOERTHE
Published: February 2013

According to opponents of ‘neoliberal globalisation’ located in the postcolonial realm, multinational corporations are central agents in a structure of global hegemonic rule that leaves little or no space for the postcolonial subject to determine his/her own fate. This argument is contested by a number of scholars, who point out that presupposing a lack of agency on the side of subaltern is yet another way of silencing him/her. But how can his/her ‘true’ voice be recognised without at the same time disguising existing domination? In this article, it will be argued that one possibility is the development of a different theoretical framework that challenges the taken-for-granted assumption on which the dilemma is based: the existence of the subject and its conscious voice. For this purpose, the article will use Gilles Deleuze's theory of the various expressions and struggles of life. With the help of the analysis of a particular case, Monsanto's introduction of genetically modified cotton into India in 2002, the article will suggest that the multinational company (Monsanto) should not be regarded as yet another neo-colonial oppressor. Instead, it is awar machinethat unleashes flows enabling nomadic life assemblages to counter-attack.
SLA research and L2 pedagogy: Misapplications and questions of relevance
Authors: Spada Nina
Published: February 2013

There has been considerable debate about the relevance and applicability of SLA theory and research for L2 pedagogy. There are those who maintain that SLA must be applicable to L2 pedagogy: a view based on the argument that because SLA is a subfield of applied linguistics, it should have direct relevance to L2 teaching. Others take the view that not all areas of SLA research need to be relevant to L2 pedagogy – only the more ‘applied’ areas. While I would agree that much of the work in SLA should be applicable to L2 pedagogy, particularly research on instructed SLA, my presentation takes a different perspective on the SLA/L2 pedagogy interface. It focuses onmisapplicationsof SLA theory and research to L2 pedagogy. I argue that the applicability of SLA research for L2 instruction requires a careful consideration of context and that specific SLA constructs – even those considered to be important within instructed SLA – may not have directrelevanceto L2 pedagogy. Three areas of SLA research that I will discuss with respect to misapplication and relevance are: the role of instruction in SLA, the role of age in SLA, and the nature of and distinction between implicit and explicit L2 knowledge.
Yehuda Elkana (1934–2012)
Authors: Corry Leo , Epple Moritz , Harari Orna , Métraux Alexandre , Renn Jürgen
Published: February 2013

We mourn the loss of Yehuda Elkana, founding editor of this journal. Setting science in context was a mission of his life. For him this did not mean to relativize and historicize science to the point where it is no longer distinguishable as central to the human quest for knowledge. Rather, an understanding of science as being rooted in social, material, and cultural contexts was for him the key to its central role for solving the problems of humanity with which he was so deeply concerned.
Citizen, Academic, Expert, or International Worker? Juggling with Identities at UNESCO's Social Science Department, 1946–1955
Authors: Rangil Teresa Tomás
Published: February 2013

Argument

This paper explores the links between the competing scientific, disciplinary, and institutional identifications of social scientists working for international organizations and the nature of the work produced in these establishments. By examining the case of UNESCO's Social Science Department from 1946 to 1955, the paper shows how the initial lack of organizational identification diminished the efficiency and productivity of the Department and slowed down the creation of an international system for research in the social sciences. It then examines how the elaboration of such identification resulted from a period of trial and error during which several national, academic, and scientific models were explored. The paper concludes that only the discourse of “moral sensitivity” kept the Department together at a time when disillusions regarding internationalism, the destabilization of the meaning of nation, and suspicion towards some Western disciplines rendered unacceptable the universalization of a single international social scientific identification.
Assessing Ecological Modernization in China: Stakeholder Demands and Corporate Environmental Management Practices in Guangdong Province
Authors: Yee Wai-Hang , Lo Carlos Wing-Hung , Tang Shui-Yan
Published: February 2013

This paper compares the key arguments of ecological modernization theory (EMT) with the reality of recent environmental reform in China. Based on data gathered from a survey and in-depth interviews with executives from Hong Kong-based enterprises operating in Guangdong province, we examine the changing roles of government, market, and civil society actors in the reform process, focusing on various types of pressures these actors have exerted on business enterprises. Compatible with Mol's (2006) conjectures, ecological concerns have gradually gained a foothold in existing political, economic, and to a lesser extent, social institutions. Yet, the relevant actors and their patterns of interactions differ from what EMT generalizes from Western European experiences. Specifically, local governments are assuming a more formalized relationship with firms in regulatory enforcement. Among market actors, organizational buyers along the supply chain have exerted more noticeable pressures on manufacturing firms than industrial associations and individual consumers. Civil society, while remaining less of an institutionalized actor in the environmental policy process, appears to pose a perceptible threat to at least some firms.
“Petitions Without Number”: Widows' Petitions and the Early Nineteenth-Century Origins of Public Marriage-Based Entitlements
Authors: Collins Kristin A.
Published: February 2013

In 1858, Catharine Barr wrote to the Pension Commissioner in Washington, D.C., seeking reinstatement of her widow's pension. Barr explained that she had been married to two men who had died in the service of the United States: first to George Bundick, “a young and beloved husband” who had died in the War of 1812; then to William Davidson in 1835, who had died in 1836 of injuries sustained while serving on the USSVandalia. She acknowledged that she was not, strictly speaking, a widow, as her current husband, James Barr, was still living and they were still married. She nevertheless sought reinstatement of the pension she had been granted as Davidson's widow. Pursuant to the terms of the relevant pension statute, Barr's pension had terminated upon her remarriage to James. However, as Barr explained to the commissioner, James “has neither been with me or given me one Dollar for my support since 1849, and I know not his whereabouts.” Having also lost her father in the War of 1812, Barr saw herself as particularly deserving of the federal government's assistance and believed that she and other widows in her position had a claim on the national coffers. “I for one,” she implored, “have no Dependence on Earth only what comes through my relations.”
Evocative gene–environment correlation in the mother–child relationship: A twin study of interpersonal processes
Authors: Klahr Ashlea M. , Thomas Katherine M. , Hopwood Christopher J. , Klump Kelly L. , Burt S. Alexandra
Published: February 2013

The behavior genetic literature suggests that genetically influenced characteristics of the child elicit specific behaviors from the parent. However, little is known about the processes by which genetically influenced child characteristics evoke parental responses. Interpersonal theory provides a useful framework for identifying reciprocal behavioral processes between children and mothers. The theory posits that, at any given moment, interpersonal behavior varies along the orthogonal dimensions of warmth and control and that the interpersonal behavior of one individual tends to elicit corresponding or contrasting behavior from the other (i.e., warmth elicits warmth, whereas control elicits submission). The current study thus examined these dimensions of interpersonal behavior as they relate to the parent–child relationship in 546 twin families. A computer joystick was used to rate videos of mother–child interactions in real time, yielding information on mother and child levels of warmth and control throughout the interaction. Analyses indicated that maternal control, but not maternal warmth, was influenced by evocative gene–environment correlational processes, such that genetic influences on maternal control and child control were largely overlapping. Moreover, these common genetic influences were present both cross-sectionally and over the course of the interaction. Such findings not only confirm the presence of evocative gene–environment correlational processes in the mother–child relationship but also illuminate at least one of the specific interpersonal behaviors that underlie this evocative process.
The prosody of question tags in English
Authors: DEHÉ NICOLE , BRAUN BETTINA
Published: February 2013

The prosodic realization of English question tags (QTs) has received some interest in the literature; yet corpus studies on the factors affecting their phrasing and intonational realization are very rare or limited to a certain aspect. This article presents a quantitative corpus study of 370 QTs from theInternational Corpus of Englishthat were annotated for prosodic phrasing and intonational realization of the QT and the host. Factors tested were polarity, position in the sentence and the turn as well as verb type. Generally, prosodic phrasing and intonational realization were highly correlated: separate QTs were mostly realized with a falling contour, while integrated QTs were mostly rising. Results from regression models showed a strong effect of polarity: QTs with an opposite polarity were more often phrased separately compared to QTs with constant polarity, but the phrasing of opposite polarity QTs was further dependent on whether the QT was negative or positive (more separate phrasing in negative QTs). Furthermore, prosodic separation was more frequent at the end of syntactic phrases and clauses compared to phrase-medial QTs. At the end of a turn, speakers realized more rising contours compared to QTs within a speaker's turn. Verb type also had an effect on the phrasing of the tag. Taken together, our results confirm some of the claims previously held for QTs, while others are modified and new findings are added.
The promise of clinical interventions for hepatocellular carcinoma from the west to mainland China
Authors: Bai Mei , Reynolds Nancy R. , McCorkle Ruth
Published: February 2013

Objective:

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) presents a major health problem with its steadily increasing incidence in Western countries, and persistent high fatality rates worldwide. The well-recognized complexity and toxicity of its treatment as well as inadequate care and limited resources in mainland China exacerbate the difficulty of maintaining quality of remaining life of patients living with this illness. The goal of this comprehensive literature review was to identify promising clinical interventions for improving quality of life (QOL) of people with advanced HCC in mainland China.

Method:

A comprehensive literature review was performed in China Academic Journals (CAJ), Cochrane, and PubMed databases. The review was confined to studies of randomized controlled trials (RCT) for adults, in Chinese and English, from 1980 to 2012.

Results:

A total of 676 studies in Chinese and 391 studies in English were identified. Eighteen RCTs were selected for the final review, among which three were conducted in mainland China.

Significance of results:

Nurse-led home-based comprehensive interventions using a collaborative care approach addressing multiple dimensions of QOL show promise for enhancing clinical outcomes for people with advanced HCC in mainland China. Education and psychosocial support combined with symptom management early in the illness trajectory and ongoing close attention to physical symptoms, emotional distress, as well as spiritual well-being are crucial for maintaining QOL of people with advanced HCC. Telephone monitoring appears to be a feasible way in rural as well as urban areas. Families are advised to be part of overall interventions. It is warranted that promising interventions aiming at improving QOL for advanced cancer patients reported in Western literature be further tested in mainland China.
Gendered Jobs: Integrating Immigrants versus Controlling Immigration in the European Union
Authors: Crage Suzanna M. , Hughes Melanie M. , Mohanty Pete , Givens Terri E.
Published: February 2013

Over the past fifteen years, concerns related to immigration and the integration of immigrants have risen to the forefront of European politics (e.g., Givens and Luedtke 2005; Guild, Groenendijk, and Carrera 2009). As anti-immigrant nationalist parties have gained ground, European governments have closed borders and even deported immigrants en masse. At the same time, countries throughout the European Union (EU) have increasingly stressed the importance of the social, economic, and cultural integration of immigrants. As immigration has become increasingly politicized across Europe, many governments have restructured themselves. Some countries have created new cabinet ministries designed to focus on immigration and immigrant integration. Other countries have assigned new immigration-related tasks to existing political bodies. In the face of new or radically transformed governance structures, one important question emerges: To what extent do women serve in immigration ministry leadership?