bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Characteristics of instructors at Farm Safety 4 Just Kids day camps
Authors: Reed Deborah B , Claunch Deborah T , Cole Henry P , Mazur Joan M
Published: September 2006

Objective This paper describes the characteristics of instructors at six farm safety day camps sponsored through local chapters of Farm Safety 4 Just Kids. What are their backgrounds and experience? What motivates them to participate as farm safety instructors? How do they prepare and present their instruction?

Design Data from 69 instructors were gathered as part of a larger evaluation of farm safety day camps conducted during the summer and fall of 2002.

Setting Farm safety day camps occur throughout North America. The camps selected for this study were conducted in five states within the United States. The overwhelming majority of instructors were community volunteers without formal instructional training.

Method A two-page survey was completed by the instructors on the day of the camp, and selected camp instructional sessions were videotaped and analysed by instructional design experts.

Results Case examples of instructor characteristics and instructional styles are presented in order to promote a better understanding of persons who provide children with farm safety instruction at farm safety day camps. Preparation, training, teaching methods, and other characteristics of the camp instructors are discussed.

Conclusion Findings from this analysis can be used by organisations that provide community-based injury prevention programmes as a planning tool for selecting instructors that can optimise the experience for children.
Switching Strategic Perspective: The Reframing of Accounts of Responsibility
Authors: Sillince John , Mueller Frank
Published: September 2006

We provide an empirical study of the reframing of accounts of responsibility for strategy. We found that top management ambivalence about strategy provided a middle management team with wide scope for interpretation of responsibility for developing and implementing a strategic initiative. In the early stage, responsibility as well as expectations about the strategy’s successful outcome were ‘talked up’. In the later stage, when it was considered that the strategic initiative was failing, the middle management implementation team engaged in ‘talking down’ of expectations. We show that reframing from initial duty to capability to later accountability shaped and reflected actors’ changing goals. By focusing on responsibility we increase understanding of the division of labour in the actual practice of strategizing, including where and how strategizing is done. Most important, we show how protagonists’ goals drive the framing and reframing of strategic agendas, and how linguistic devices such as disclaimers and self-handicapping influence this process.
Agency, Information, and the Structure of Moral Problems in Business
Authors: Husted Bryan W.
Published: September 2006

Many ethical problems in business can be characterized as having elements of incomplete and/or asymmetric information. This paper analyzes such problems using information economics and the principal-agent model. It defines the nature of moral problems in business and then applies principal-agent models involving adverse selection and moral hazard to these problems. Possible solutions to conditions of information asymmetry are examined in order to support the development of organizational virtue.
An evaluation of UK credit ratings services
Authors: Li Jiang , Oppenheim Charles , McShea Jo , Powell David
Published: September 2006

Describes a novel method for evaluating UK-based credit ratings services. Using a combination of timeliness, coverage, ease of use and accuracy of information, based upon a sample of 100 records added to the databases of six commercial companies’ information databases in autumn 2005, a framework for evaluation was developed and applied. The following services were evaluated: Creditsafe UK; Dun & Bradstreet; Equifax; Experian; Graydon; and ICC. Based upon the results of the evaluations, the services were graded overall with Experian coming out best. Equifax and ICC were next best, with Credit-safe after that. Dun and Bradstreet and Graydon performed the worst. However, changing the weightings of the various criteria would have produced a different outcome. Detailed explanations of the tests that were applied and the performance of each service are provided.
‘A good and constructive relationship’
Authors: Ainsworth Martin
Published: September 2006

Provides practical advice on how to optimize relations with information vendors, to the benefit of both vendor and customer. Considers decisions on the content required, identifying and selecting suppliers, effective negotiation and contract terms & conditions. Discusses what might go wrong, offering 12 tips on points to watch out for in contracts. Concludes that successful vendor relationships revolve round deciding what is needed via a Needs Assessment, running a focused trial of the product, negotiating acceptable terms, and thereafter repeating the process by testing existing products against new or improved alternatives as the annual contract renegotiation process comes round.
Constructing a new political spectacle: tactics of Chen Shui-bian’s 2000 and 2004 Inaugural Speeches
Authors: Cheng Maria
Published: September 2006

This article explores how the Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian1 uses political language rhetoric as a powerful tool to defuse dangerously tense relations with China, repair relations with the US government and gain public support in the country. I focus on Chen’s inaugural speeches delivered on 20 May 20002 and 20043, which present the rationale for his new administration and his socio-political ideologies, and I review his political spectacle for Taiwan.
Border ethnography and post-communist discourses of nationality in Poland
Authors: Galasińska Aleksandra
Published: September 2006

In this article I shall explore discursive constructions of ethnicity, and in particular notions of ‘Polishness’, among members of three-generation families living in the Polish town of Zgorzelec, on the border with Germany. The data come from a Europe-wide ethnographic project studying communities living on the borders between the EU and its ascendant nations, funded by the European Commission’s 5th Framework Programme (www.borderidentities.com). The most characteristic feature of the data concerning ethnicity is a clash between my informants’ declared identity (mainly constructed in terms of Polishness) and the constructions of Polishness. Even though the latter is usually described in negative terms, almost all interviewees choose to describe themselves in ethnic terms from the spectrum of labels they have been given. Drawing upon Billig et al.’s (1988) concept of ideological dilemma, I shall argue that the apparent contradiction in my informants’ discourse of identity is a result of two different ideological bases underpinning it: the lived ideology accomplished in their discourse clashes with the intellectual ideology explicitly adopted in their declarations of identity. Finally, I shall discuss this shift in terms of the particular place of residence of the members of Polish community right of the national border. I shall also explore the role of the interviewer in my informants’ discourses of ethnic identity. ‘Insiderness’ and ‘outsiderness’ of the researcher in relation to the community under investigation was perceived as a challenge to a coherence of the narratives and resulted in constant discursive negotiations of my interlocutors’ ‘stories of Polishness’.
Mobile phone masts: protesting the scientific evidence
Authors: Drake Frances
Published: September 2006

In the UK mobile phone ownership is high, however, there are conspicuous local protests against mobile phone masts. Protesters’ concerns often focus on the claimed ill health effects of mobile phone technology, which are frequently dismissed by industry and scientific experts. This paper provides an in-depth study into the attitudes and beliefs of one local protest. It considers to what extent health issues dominate the group’s concerns and how the campaigners have engaged with scientific knowledge to form their opinion. Surprisingly, mobile phone ownership was high within the protest group. This apparent paradox could be rationalized, however, by considering the location of the group and the ways in which the protesters used their mobile phone. Few believed that the precautionary approach had been fully applied to mobile phones. The campaign can be interpreted as one that questions the presumption that science and technology lead to increased economic performance and quality of life.
Ideology and scientific credibility: environmental policy in the American Pacific Northwest
Authors: Steel Brent S. , Lach Denise , Satyal Vijay A.
Published: September 2006

In the later years of the twentieth century and into the twenty-first century, there has been an increasing emphasis among many decision-makers, interest groups, and citizens about the importance of science-based environmental policy. The assumption is that scientists can facilitate the resolution of public environmental decisions by providing scientific information to policymakers and the public, and by becoming more directly involved in policy arenas than they have traditionally been. However, at the same time, there are those who question the value of science, especially for ideological reasons. This study empirically examines the impact of ideology on attitudes toward science, scientific research, and scientists among various environmental policy participants. The data utilized to investigate these orientations were collected from surveys of five different groups involved in environmental policy and management in the Pacific Northwest including ecological scientists at universities and federal agencies; natural resource and environmental managers of state and federal programs; members of interest groups (e.g., environmental groups, industry associations, etc.); the “attentive public” (i.e., citizens who have participated in the environmental policy process); and the general public. Preliminary results reveal significant differences between liberals and conservatives in their orientations toward science, with self-identified liberals generally more likely to see science and scientists as objective and conservatives having a contrary view.
Mapping whose reality? Geographic information systems (GIS) and “wild science”
Authors: Duncan Sally L.
Published: September 2006

In taking the landscape-scale view increasingly demanded of natural resource management, scientific assessments make considerable use of geographic information systems (GIS) maps to convey the research findings they develop. Public interaction with scientists over natural resource management issues is therefore frequently mediated by such maps, which can directly influence how the landscape is viewed, and how science findings are communicated and understood. Analysis of the Coastal Landscape Analysis and Modeling Study (CLAMS) project in western Oregon reveals that GIS maps play a significant role in how we frame and address natural resource management issues. They can support the role of privileged knowledge as held by the map makers, typically scientists, and may reinforce it by the de facto “map tyranny” that gives primacy to scientific worldviews. But they can also enable broader kinds of inquiry through multiple frames of reference, enhancing story-making opportunities for stakeholders. Which of these trajectories is followed is affected by resource availability and new perceptions of responsibility, each of which reflects social power structures. The CLAMS case study suggests that map user/non-scientists appear less likely to be victims of “map tyranny” the more familiar they are with the technology. Accordingly, they become more likely to push for usable results from it, and more confident about engaging their own knowledge with that of the map maker/scientists.
Does tomorrow ever come? Disaster narrative and public perceptions of climate change
Authors: Lowe Thomas , Brown Katrina , Dessai Suraje , de França Doria Miguel , Haynes Kat , Vincent Katharine
Published: September 2006

The film The Day After Tomorrow depicts the abrupt and catastrophic transformation of the Earth’s climate into a new ice age, playing upon the uncertainty surrounding a possible North Atlantic thermohaline circulation (Gulf Stream) shutdown. This paper investigates the impact of the film on people’s perception of climate change through a survey of filmgoers in the UK. Analysis focuses on four issues: the likelihood of extreme impacts; concern over climate change versus other global problems; motivation to take action; and responsibility for the problem of climate change. It finds that seeing the film, at least in the short term, changed people’s attitudes; viewers were significantly more concerned about climate change, and about other environmental risks. However, while the film increased anxiety about environmental risks, viewers experienced difficulty in distinguishing science fact from dramatized science fiction. Their belief in the likelihood of extreme events as a result of climate change was actually reduced. Following the film, many viewers expressed strong motivation to act on climate change. However, although the film may have sensitized viewers and motivated them to act, the public do not have information on what action they can take to mitigate climate change.
Three Anointings and One offering: The Sinful Woman in Luke 7.36-50
Authors: Van Til Kent
Published: September 2006

The story of a woman pouring oil on Jesus' feet or head is attested in all four canonical gospels. While some see the Lukan version pointing to an event that is different from the `Bethany' anointing found in the other three gospels, I argue that all four accounts are based on the same event. The differences in Luke's narrative, instead, can be accounted for by seeing the pouring of oil in Luke as symbol of a sacrificial offering rather than an anointing. Understanding this symbolic act as an offering/sacrifice fits Luke's theme of forgiveness, which is evident in this passage and many others. Moreover, it shows how Luke's gospel moves his readers from a Jewish, male, temple-based religion at the beginning of Jesus' ministry to a Jewish and Gentile, male and female, Spirit-based religion that culminates at Pentecost. Such a reading may also provide clues about the relationships among the Spirit, forgiveness and worship in Luke's gospel.
The Rule of Spirituality and the Rule of Doctrine: A Necessary Relationship in Theological Method
Authors: Stephenson Christopher
Published: September 2006

As more and more Pentecostal theologians are pursuing formal training in academic theology and philosophy, they are becoming increasingly sensitive to the importance of being conscious of one's theological method in systematic theology. This article is a suggestion that Pentecostal theologians would benefit from adopting as one guideline for their theological method a form of lex orandi, lex credendi called `the rule of spirituality and the rule of doctrine', which involves a reciprocal relationship between Pentecostal spirituality and doctrine. The goal of the relationship is doctrinal theology that is informed by legitimate aspects of Pentecostal spirituality and that is able to correct illegitimate aspects of it. After the method is established, three aspects of Pentecostal spirituality are chosen to inform a Pentecostal doctrine of the Lord's Supper. Finally, aspects of this doctrine of the Supper are employed to critique other aspects of Pentecostal spirituality.
From Social to National Security: On the Fabrication of Economic Order
Authors: Neocleous Mark
Published: September 2006

This article explores some of the conceptual, political and historical links between social and national security. Social security and national security are not often talked about together, despite the recent surge of interest in widening the security agenda. The first aim of this article is to contribute to critical ways of thinking security by identifying the issues connecting social and national security. The second aim is to suggest that if there is any mileage in the idea of ‘securitization’ as a process, its primary example may lie in the realm of social security. The third aim is to link social security and national security via the notion of economic security, bringing together themes within international political economy and security studies in an argument about the fabrication of economic order.
International Organizations, Security Dichotomies and the Trafficking of Persons and Narcotics in Post-Soviet Central Asia: A Critique of the Securitization Framework
Authors: Jackson Nicole J.
Published: September 2006

This article offers a constructive critique of the Copenhagen School's ‘securitization’ framework by applying it in an analysis of the role of international organizations seeking to counter the trafficking of narcotics and persons in post-Soviet Central Asia. The study discovers common and divergent motivations that explain international attempts and failures to securitize. In the case of human trafficking, significant clashes created obstacles to international efforts. In both cases, international organizations advanced their agendas through the language of security, but also through institutional changes and increased resource allocation. These processes led to the adoption of mostly traditional security strategies. The analysis concludes that although the securitization framework makes significant contributions as an analytical tool, its definition is too vague and it is too narrow in focus. ‘Security dichotomies’ need to be taken into account in a comprehensive analysis of why international attempts to securitize issues sometimes succeed and sometimes fail. The influence of rhetoric on the development of policy should also be taken into account if the securitization framework is to provide a complete understanding of the issues or be useful for policymakers.
Double Standards, Distance and Disengagement: Collective Legitimization in the Post-Cold War Security Council
Authors: Boulden Jane
Published: September 2006

The article examines three specific aspects of military operations authorized by the UN Security Council in the post-Cold War period. The trends examined respond to the following questions: Who chooses what gets on the Security Council's agenda? Who implements actions authorized by the Security Council? And what is it that they are doing? The answers reveal that it is the P-5 who control both what gets on the Security Council agenda and, importantly, what does not. In terms of carrying out Security Council activity, the post-Cold War period has generated a division of labour whereby developing states are the main providers of troops for blue-helmeted UN operations, while developed states contribute to coalition operations in their own regions and/or when their own vital interests are at stake. The main activity is post-conflict or what might be termed pre-post-conflict operations. Taken together, these trends characterize a Council that can be described as distant and disengaged, at least for some conflicts in some parts of the world. Using Claude's idea of collective legitimization, the article argues that these trends suggest that greater consideration needs to be given to how to recoup Council legitimacy, not just how to increase its representative nature, when debating UN reform. While both representativeness and legitimacy are desirable, the pursuit of one without considering the repercussions to the other may ultimately undermine the objectives of reform.
Wartime Sexual Violence: Assessing a Human Security Response to War-Affected Girls in Sierra Leone
Authors: Denov Myriam S.
Published: September 2006

Wartime sexual violence continues to be widespread and systematic in contemporary conflicts. Although the problem is gaining increasing international attention, it has remained, for the most part, peripheral within the domain of security studies. However, the human security agenda may have the capacity to raise the profile of wartime sexual violence and offer a useful framework from which to understand and respond to the unique needs of war-affected girls and women. This article explores the capacity of the human security agenda, both conceptually and practically, to address the plight of girl victims of sexual violence in the aftermath of Sierra Leone's conflict. Drawing upon the perspectives and experiences of three girls formerly associated with Sierra Leone's Revolutionary United Front, the article traces the extreme forms of sexual violence and insecurity girls were forced to endure, both during and following the conflict. It also examines a number of human security efforts implemented in the conflict's aftermath and their impact on the level of empowerment, protection and security of girls. The broader implications of these human security efforts are explored in light of the girls' lived realities in post-conflict Sierra Leone.
Towards a Strategic Partnership? The US and Russian Response to the European Security and Defence Policy
Authors: Giegerich Bastian , Pushkina Darya , Mount Adam
Published: September 2006

The article surveys the responses to the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) of two important external actors: the United States and Russia. It explains the motivations behind these responses and the effect of the latter on the development of the ESDP. The survey finds that both the Clinton and the Bush administrations in the USA have expressed cautious support for the initiative while insisting on NATO's salience in Europe. Russia's enthusiasm for the project is an effort to ensure its participation in European and global security affairs. The conclusion of the article briefly explores the implications of the empirical observations in the light of the future development of the ESDP.
Running away with health: the urban marathon and the construction of ‘charitable bodies’
Authors: Nettleton Sarah , Hardey Michael
Published: September 2006

The increase in fundraising through mass-participation running events is emblematic of a series of issues pertinent to contemporary conceptualizations of health and illness. This increasingly popular spectacle serves as an indicator of present-day social relationships and broader cultural and ideological values that pertain to health. It highlights contemporary discourses on citizenship; ‘active citizens’ can ostentatiously fulfil their rights and responsibilities by raising money for those ‘in need’. Involvement in such events comprises an example of the current trend for drawing attention to illness, and sharing one’s experiences with others. We examine these issues through a consideration of charity advertisements and offer a fourfold typology of runners in terms of their orientations to both mass-participation running and charity. We conclude that ‘charitable bodies’ are constructed out of the interrelationships between philanthropic institutions, sport and individual performance.
The genetic conception of health: is it as radical as claimed?
Authors: Petersen Alan
Published: September 2006

The so-called new genetics is widely predicted to radically transform medicine and public health and deliver considerable benefits in the future. This article argues that, although it is doubtful that many of the promised benefits of genetic research will be delivered, an increasingly pervasive genetic worldview and expectations about future genetic innovations are profoundly shaping conceptions of health and illness and priorities in healthcare. Further, it suggests that debates about the normative and justice implications of new genetic technologies thus far have been constrained by bioethics discourse, which has tended to frame questions narrowly in terms of how best to ensure the protection and promotion of the rights and freedoms of the individual. Sociologists and other social scientists can help broaden debate in this field by exposing the assumptions underlying the genetic conception of health and exploring the implications of associated developments.
Changing conceptions of health and life course concepts
Authors: Kronenfeld Jennie Jacobs
Published: September 2006

Health as a social concept is very important in medical sociology. More complicated conceptions of health as a multi-dimensional concept have emphasized not only physical health status, but aspects of overall well-being. This article continues in the tradition of a multi-dimensional concept of health, but adds in the complexity of variation over the life course. As people age, chronic health problems become more common. Mobility and sensory limitations also increase. How does this impact how people view their health? How do more complicated understandings of the life course and variation by social factors link to an expanded model of health. This literature review article covers material on concepts of health and life course concepts. The concluding portions of the article focus on the need to improve measurement, to incorporate diversity related to social factors such as gender and race, and to incorporate a broader understanding of health problems into conceptions of health across the life course.
Spear and digging stick
Authors: Balme Jane , Bowdler Sandra
Published: September 2006

A division of labour between sexes/genders in which, although there is some overlap, men hunt large game and women collect smaller game, shellfish and most plant foods, is a characteristic of all documented hunter-gatherer societies. We argue that there is no biological reason for this behaviour and that it must be a social construct. These gender roles became part of the structure of societies at the same time as other forms of symbolic behaviour associated with anatomically modern humans ( Homo sapiens sapiens). Established gender roles were important for the first colonizers of a new continent, Australia, because it allowed the colonizers to tackle a completely new environment.
Clipart images as commonsense categories
Authors: Dillon George L.
Published: September 2006

Clipart is the visual representation of commonsense categories and stereotypes of social representations, as defined by Moscovici. Indexed and displayed online for downloading on Microsoft's Design Gallery and Art Today's clipart.com, the clips exhibit strong threads of continuity with earlier popular illustration and rhetorical manuals of gesture. At the same time, they also register differences in the social representations of different eras, as well as divisions and complexities in the representation of controversial categories such as sexual harassment. Though it is questionable how and in what way the theories popular at a particular time can be critiqued by citing the clipart of the era, these large archives provide powerful new tools for seeing, displaying, and investigating social representations - more powerful and useful than directly accessing Google's hundreds of millions of online `images'.
On creative engagement
Authors: Edmonds Ernest , Muller Lizzie , Connell Matthew
Published: September 2006

This article is concerned with the design of interactive art systems intended for display in public locations. It reviews approaches to interactive art systems and discusses the issue of creative engagement with them by the active audience. An approach to elaborating a model of creative engagement is described and exploratory work on its refinement is reported.
Balancing Agendas
Authors: Griffin Gabriele
Published: September 2006

Taking as its starting point the European Commission’s agenda for promoting collaborative, interdisciplinary research that includes the Humanities as well as the Social Sciences, this article argues that arts and humanities research needs greater integration into that research agenda and more, as well as more imaginative and incentivizing, funding and support. Utilizing the issue of the London bombers as an example, the article indicates that the Arts and Humanities can provide both insights into and perspectives on the challenges Europe faces in the 21st century. It suggests that a trans-disciplinary approach to research issues is required that is, inter alia, best supported by the establishment of advanced interdisciplinary research institutes that include the Humanities and Social Sciences.
Engaging with Historical Source Work
Authors: Anderson Charles , Day Kate , Michie Ranald , Rollason David
Published: September 2006

Although primary source work is a major component of undergraduate history degrees in many countries, the topic of how best to support this work has been relatively unexplored. This article addresses the pedagogical support of primary source work by reviewing relevant literature to identify the challenges undergraduates face in interpreting sources, and examining how in two courses carefully articulated course design and supportive teaching activities assisted students to meet these challenges. This fine-grained examination of the courses is framed within a socio-cultural account of learning. The findings show how a skilful drawing of students into the interpretive/discursive practices of source analysis was associated with an epistemological reframing of historical knowledge and dialogical forms of teaching that helped the students to take forward a dialectical engagement with sources. The benefits of an ‘integrated’ approach to source work that fosters students’ affective and intellectual engagement with historical interpretive practices are highlighted.
The Arts and the Cult of Performance
Authors: Allen Garth
Published: September 2006

This article is a response to recent revealing political attempts to set a political and social function for the Arts through the establishment of performance criteria. A long-standing feature of the historical development of government policy in the UK has been attempts to judge the effectiveness and efficiency of public activity (health, education, social welfare and so on) by invidious comparison to effectiveness and efficiency in so-called ‘private’ industry. This tendency requires continuous critical scrutiny.
Finding a Voice Through Research
Authors: Lobo José , Vizcaíno Alida
Published: September 2006

One question guided this experimental study: What impact does the change from teacher training to educational research have on university teachers’ methodology and attitudes to teaching? To find answers to this question, the researchers selected five teachers of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) at the language centre of a private university on the Caribbean Coast of Colombia and instructed them in the principles and procedures of action research. Semi-structured interviews were then conducted with each of the teachers involved, a focus group with students and class observations, and field notes were made. Most data sources were audio-taped and transcribed, and all were coded and analysed using qualitative methods. Results indicate that by carrying out research, these teachers, who find it very hard to make ends meet, were able to find a voice, articulate their ideas and propose new ways of teaching. They also found ways to see things differently, from a humanistic angle, and to empower themselves.
creative abilities in early childhood
Authors: Prieto Maria Dolores , Parra Joaquin , Ferrándo Mercedes , Ferrándiz Carmen , Bermejo Maria Rosario , Sánchez Cristina
Published: September 2006

The aim of this study is to explore creativity in Spanish children during their early years and to explore differences regarding gender and age. We have used a sample of 285 children between five and seven years old. To measure their creativity we used the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking (TTCT). We have used the test of figured expression that is orientated to evaluate the level of imagination in producing pictures. It consists of three subtests: making a picture; finishing a picture; and making different patterns using parallel lines. The abilities that are assessed with this test are: originality, which consists in considering innovative answers, neither familiar nor inappropriate; elaboration, which refers to the amount of detail the child adds to the picture with the aim of enriching it; flexibility, the variety of categories in the answers; and fluency or the number of pictures with titles (Torrance, 1966, 1974). The results show significant evidence of differences relating to gender and age.
constructive competition in preschool
Authors: Sheridan Sonja , Williams Pia
Published: September 2006

The purpose of this article is to draw attention to competition as a multidimensional phenomenon in preschool. Theories of competition are outlined here in relation to an empirical study of how preschool children compete constructively and how they themselves express and conceive competition in different situations. The data consist of video observations, individual and group interviews as well as children’s drawings. The results show that cooperation and constructive competition exist simultaneously. Competition enters children’s lives at an early stage, and constructive competition is a dimension that can motivate children to achieve better at the same time as it makes activities more exciting. Constructive competition is also a dimension of children’s cooperation as well as individual activities.
Imatinib mesylate discontinuation in patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia in complete molecular remission for more than 2 years
Authors: Rousselot Philippe , Huguet Francoise , Rea Delphine , Legros Laurence , Cayuela Jean Michel , Maarek Odile , Blanchet Odile , Marit Gerald , Gluckman Eliane , Reiffers Josy , Gardembas Martine , Mahon François-Xavier ,   The Intergroupe Français des Leucémies Myéloïdes Chronique (FIφLMC)
Published: September 2006

In the present study, we address the issue of the discontinuation of imatinib mesylate (Gleevec) in chronic myelogenous leukemia with undetectable residual disease for more than 2 years. Twelve patients were included. The median duration of real-time quantitative–polymerase chain reaction (RTQ-PCR) negativity and imatinib therapy were, respectively, 32 months (range, 24-46 months) and 45 months (range, 32-56 months) before imatinib interruption. Six patients displayed a molecular relapse with a detectable BCR-ABL transcript at 1, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 months. Imatinib was then reintroduced and led to a novel molecular response in most patients. Six other patients (50%) still have an undetectable level of BCR-ABL transcript after a median follow-up of 18 months (range, 9-24 months). We hypothesize that relapses observed within 6 months reflect the kinetics of undetectable dividing chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) cells. Those cells may be eradicated or controlled in long-term nonrelapsing patients, as described in our study.
Occupational asthma caused by stainless steel welding fumes: a clinical study
Authors: Hannu T. , Piipari R. , Tuppurainen M. , Nordman H. , Tuomi T.
Published: September 2006

The aim of the present study was to describe the cases of occupational asthma (OA) due to stainless steel welding fumes diagnosed at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health during the period 1994–2003.

OA was diagnosed according to patient history, lung function examinations and welding challenge tests with measurements of the forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and peak expiratory flow (PEF) values.

The present series comprised 34 patients, all male, with a mean age of 44.7 yrs (range 22–57), mainly working as welders. The mean duration of exposure was 22.4 yrs, and the mean duration of exposure before the onset of respiratory symptoms was 18 yrs. Dyspnoea was the most frequently reported work-related respiratory symptom. During the inhalation challenge tests, the mode of the asthmatic FEV1/PEF reaction was delayed in 16 (47%) patients, immediate in nine (26%) patients and dual (both immediate and delayed) in nine (26%) patients. In the follow-up assessment 6 months later, only six patients were considered able to continue performing welding tasks, whereas occupational injury pension was recommended for seven, and measures of vocational rehabilitation for 14 patients.

In most cases, after the diagnosis of occupational asthma, the continuation of welding work was not possible.
Induction chemotherapy, concurrent chemoradiation and surgery for Pancoast tumour
Authors: Marra A. , Eberhardt W. , Pöttgen C. , Theegarten D. , Korfee S. , Gauler T. , Stuschke M. , Stamatis G.
Published: September 2006

The traditional treatment of Pancoast tumour with local approaches (surgery, radiotherapy or a combination of both) leads to a poor outcome due to the high rate of incomplete resection and the lack of systemic control. The aim of the present prospective feasibility study was to determine whether a trimodality approach improves local control and survival.

Patients with stage IIB−IIIB Pancoast tumour received induction chemotherapy (three courses of split-dose cisplatin and etoposide or paclitaxel) followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy (a course of cisplatin/etoposide combined with 45 Gy hyperfractionated accelerated radiotherapy). After restaging, eligible patients underwent surgery 4−6 weeks post-radiation.

A total of 31 consecutive patients with T3 (81%) or T4 (19%) Pancoast tumour were enrolled in the study. Induction chemoradiotherapy was completed in all patients without treatment-related deaths. Grade 3−4 toxicity was observed in 32% of cases. In total, 29 (94%) patients were eligible for surgery. Complete resection was achieved in 94% of patients. The post-operative mortality rate was 6.4% and major complications arose in 20.6% of the patients. The median survival was 54 months with 2- and 5-yr survival rates of 74 and 46%, respectively.

In conclusion, this intensive multimodality treatment of Pancoast tumour is feasible and improves local resectability rates and long-term survival as compared with historical series.
Genetic determinants of C-reactive protein in COPD
Authors: Hersh C. P. , Miller D. T. , Kwiatkowski D. J. , Silverman E. K.
Published: September 2006

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with a systemic inflammatory state, marked by elevations in serum inflammatory markers including C-reactive protein (CRP). The present study sought to determine epidemiological predictors of CRP levels, to estimate the genetic influence on CRP levels, and to identify genetic variants that affect CRP in a family-based study of COPD.

CRP was measured by a high-sensitivity assay in participants from the Boston Early-Onset COPD Study. Predictors of CRP level were determined using multilevel linear models. Variance component analysis was used to estimate heritability and to perform genome-wide linkage analysis for CRP levels. Two variants in the surfactant protein B (SFTPB) gene were tested for association with CRP levels.

Increased age, female sex, higher body mass index, greater smoking pack-yrs and reduced forced expiratory volume in one second were all associated with increased CRP levels. There was a significant genetic influence on CRP (heritability = 0.25). Genome-wide linkage analysis revealed several potentially interesting chromosomal regions, though no significant evidence for linkage was found. A short tandem repeat marker nearSFTPBwas significantly associated with CRP levels.

There is a genetic influence on C-reactive protein levels in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients. Preliminary evidence suggests an association of the surfactant protein B gene with systemic inflammation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Airway neutrophilia in COPD is not associated with increased neutrophil survival
Authors: Rytilä P. , Plataki M. , Bucchieri F. , Uddin M. , Nong G. , Kinnula V. L. , Djukanović R.
Published: September 2006

Neutrophilic airway inflammation is a prominent feature of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and correlates with disease severity. The mechanisms that determine the extent of neutrophilia could involve increased influx or prolonged survival of neutrophils. The aim of the study was to assess whether neutrophil pro-survival mechanisms are increased in the airways of subjects with COPD owing to the presence of anti-apoptotic factors in the bronchial lining fluid.

Induced sputum samples were collected from 20 subjects with stable COPD, 14 healthy smokers and 14 healthy controls. Quantification of apoptotic neutrophils was based on typical morphological cell changes. Anti-apoptotic, pro-survival activity in the sputum was studied by culturing peripheral blood neutrophils with the fluid phase of induced sputum. Apoptosis was assessed both by morphology and flow cytometry using Annexin V/7-aminoactinomycin D staining.

COPD patients and healthy smokers had significantly higher percentages of sputum neutrophils than healthy controls. However, there were no significant differences between the three subject groups in either the proportion of apoptotic neutrophils in sputum or thein vitroanti-apoptotic activity detected in the sputum fluid phase.

In conclusion, prolonged survival of neutrophils in sputum is not a feature of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cannot explain the increased numbers of airway neutrophils in this disease.
Saliva is one likely source of leukotriene B4in exhaled breath condensate
Authors: Gaber F. , Acevedo F. , Delin I. , Sundblad B-M. , Palmberg L. , Larsson K. , Kumlin M. , Dahlén S-E.
Published: September 2006

Leukotriene (LT)B4in exhaled breath condensate (EBC) has been reported to be elevated in airway inflammation. The origin of leukotrienes in EBC is, however, not established.

The aims of this study are to measure LTB4levels in EBC collected in two challenges characterised by a strong neutrophilic airway inflammation and to compare LTB4levels in EBC with levels in sputum and saliva.

LTB4and α-amylase were measured in EBC from 34 healthy subjects exposed in a pig confinement building or to a lipopolysaccharide provocation. These markers were also measured in induced sputum in 11 of the subjects. For comparison, LTB4and α-amylase were measured in saliva from healthy subjects.

Only four out of 102 EBC samples had detectable LTB4(28–100 pg·mL-1). α-amylase activity was detected in the LTB4-positive samples. In contrast, LTB4was detected in all examined sputum supernatants in the same study (median 1,190 pg·mL-1). The median LTB4level in saliva was 469 pg·mL-1.

High levels of leukotriene B4in saliva and the presence of leukotriene B4in exhaled breath condensate only when α-amylase was detected, indicate that leukotriene B4found in exhaled breath condensate is the result of saliva contamination. As leukotriene B4was consistently present in sputum supernatants, exhaled breath condensate may be inappropriate for monitoring airway leukotriene B4.
A maximum likelihood framework for protein design
Authors: Kleinman Claudia L , Rodrigue Nicolas , Bonnard Cécile , Philippe Hervé , Lartillot Nicolas
Published: September 2006

Background

The aim of protein design is to predict amino-acid sequences compatible with a given target structure. Traditionally envisioned as a purely thermodynamic question, this problem can also be understood in a wider context, where additional constraints are captured by learning the sequence patterns displayed by natural proteins of known conformation. In this latter perspective, however, we still need a theoretical formalization of the question, leading to general and efficient learning methods, and allowing for the selection of fast and accurate objective functions quantifying sequence/structure compatibility.

Results

We propose a formulation of the protein design problem in terms of model-based statistical inference. Our framework uses the maximum likelihood principle to optimize the unknown parameters of a statistical potential, which we call aninverse potentialto contrast with classical potentials used for structure prediction. We propose an implementation based on Markov chain Monte Carlo, in which the likelihood is maximized by gradient descent and is numerically estimated by thermodynamic integration. The fit of the models is evaluated by cross-validation. We apply this to a simple pairwise contact potential, supplemented with a solvent-accessibility term, and show that the resulting models have a better predictive power than currently available pairwise potentials. Furthermore, the model comparison method presented here allows one to measure the relative contribution of each component of the potential, and to choose the optimal number of accessibility classes, which turns out to be much higher than classically considered.

Conclusion

Altogether, this reformulation makes it possible to test a wide diversity of models, using different forms of potentials, or accounting for other factors than just the constraint of thermodynamic stability. Ultimately, such model-based statistical analyses may help to understand the forces shaping protein sequences, and driving their evolution.
Genetic affinities among the lower castes and tribal groups of India: inference from Y chromosome and mitochondrial DNA
Authors: Thanseem Ismail , Thangaraj Kumarasamy , Chaubey Gyaneshwer , Singh Vijay Kumar , Bhaskar Lakkakula VKS , Reddy B Mohan , Reddy Alla G , Singh Lalji
Published: September 2006

Background

India is a country with enormous social and cultural diversity due to its positioning on the crossroads of many historic and pre-historic human migrations. The hierarchical caste system in the Hindu society dominates the social structure of the Indian populations. The origin of the caste system in India is a matter of debate with many linguists and anthropologists suggesting that it began with the arrival of Indo-European speakers from Central Asia about 3500 years ago. Previous genetic studies based on Indian populations failed to achieve a consensus in this regard. We analysed the Y-chromosome and mitochondrial DNA of three tribal populations of southern India, compared the results with available data from the Indian subcontinent and tried to reconstruct the evolutionary history of Indian caste and tribal populations.

Results

No significant difference was observed in the mitochondrial DNA between Indian tribal and caste populations, except for the presence of a higher frequency of west Eurasian-specific haplogroups in the higher castes, mostly in the north western part of India. On the other hand, the study of the Indian Y lineages revealed distinct distribution patterns among caste and tribal populations. The paternal lineages of Indian lower castes showed significantly closer affinity to the tribal populations than to the upper castes. The frequencies of deep-rooted Y haplogroups such as M89, M52, and M95 were higher in the lower castes and tribes, compared to the upper castes.

Conclusion

The present study suggests that the vast majority (>98%) of the Indian maternal gene pool, consisting of Indio-European and Dravidian speakers, is genetically more or less uniform. Invasions after the late Pleistocene settlement might have been mostly male-mediated. However, Y-SNP data provides compelling genetic evidence for a tribal origin of the lower caste populations in the subcontinent. Lower caste groups might have originated with the hierarchical divisions that arose within the tribal groups with the spread of Neolithic agriculturalists, much earlier than the arrival of Aryan speakers. The Indo-Europeans established themselves as upper castes among this already developed caste-like class structure within the tribes.