bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Association Between Women’s Perceptions of Professional Support and Problems Experienced on Breastfeeding Cessation: A Western Australian Study
Authors: Hauck Yvonne L. , Fenwick Jennifer , Dhaliwal Satvinder S. , Butt Janice , Schmied Virginia
Published: December 2010

A cross-sectional survey was used to determine the association among women’s breastfeeding problems, their perceptions of support from midwives and child health nurses, and breastfeeding cessation in the first 10 weeks postbirth in a sample of Western Australian women (N = 2669). Primiparous women (75.8%) experienced significantly more problems that multiparous women (52.6%). Although 78.8% of all women agreed or strongly agreed that staff were helpful with feeding, 53.4% confirmed that different midwives offered different feeding advice; however, receiving different advice from midwives around feeding was not associated with breastfeeding cessation. Differences in breastfeeding cessation were associated with parity. Primiparous women’s cessation was associated with experiencing any breastfeeding problems, unhelpful hospital midwives, and unhelpful information from child health nurses, whereas for multiparous women, this included 2 or more breastfeeding problems, not being able to choose when to feed, and unhelpful information from child health nurses. J Hum Lact. 27(1):49-57.
Knowledge, Beliefs, and Practices Regarding Exclusive Breastfeeding of Infants Younger Than 6 Months in Mozambique: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Arts Maaike , Geelhoed Diederike , De Schacht Caroline , Prosser Wendy , Alons Cathrien , Pedro Avone
Published: December 2010

Only 37% of infants younger than 6 months in Mozambique are exclusively breastfed. A qualitative assessment was undertaken to identify the knowledge, beliefs, and practices around exclusive breastfeeding—specifically, those of mothers, fathers, grandmothers, and nurses—and to identify the support networks. Results show many barriers. In addition to receiving breast milk, infants receive water, traditional medicines, and porridges before 6 months of age. Many mothers had heard of the recommendation to exclusively breastfeed for 6 months. However, other family decision makers had heard less about exclusive breastfeeding, and many expressed doubts about its feasibility. Some of them expressed willingness to support exclusive breastfeeding if they were informed by health workers. Nurses know the benefits of exclusive breastfeeding and pass this information on verbally but have insufficient counseling skills. Interventions to improve exclusive breastfeeding should target family and community members and include training of health workers in counseling to resolve breastfeeding problems.
Initial Scale Development of the Contextual Support for Post-Secondary Planning Scales
Authors: Ali Saba Rasheed , Martens Jessica Kelly , Button Christopher , Larma Nicholas C.
Published: December 2010

Vocational psychologists and career theorists have articulated the importance of social support in the development of career plans for high school youth. More recently, Lent, Brown, and Hackett carefully articulated the location of contextual supports in the Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) framework. However, there is a paucity of research examining contextual supports in relation to career outcomes due to a lack of adequate measures. The current article describes the initial development of the Contextual Support for Post-Secondary Planning Scales. These six scales were designed to assess support for postsecondary career planning for high school students from six sources (i.e., mother, father, sibling, peers, school personnel, and community). A study was conducted to determine the underlying factor structure of measure (n = 316 high school students), and exploratory factor analyses revealed a one-factor solution of general support across the six scales. The implications for the use of these measures in research and practice are discussed.
Journal of Career Development
Authors: Chaichanasakul Adipat , He Yuhong , Chen Hsui-Hui , Allen G. E. Kawika , Khairallah Taleb S. , Ramos Karina
Published: December 2010

The purpose of this study was to perform a comprehensive analysis of 830 articles published in the Journal of Career Development ( JCD) between 1972 and 2007 and provide a chronicle of the publication trends since the journal’s establishment. The analysis focused on six main areas (e.g., authors and institutions, type of article, major constructs/variables, career theories, type of methodologies, and sample characteristics). The results revealed that JCD published articles with a wide range of topics consistent with its mission statement. Recommendations for future publication agenda are presented.
Educational Differences in Volunteering in Cross-National Perspective
Authors: Gesthuizen Maurice , Scheepers Peer
Published: December 2010

Prior research shows vast educational differences in volunteering: more than half of the higher educated volunteer compared with only one third of the lower educated. However, these educational differences are not similar across countries. Our crucial question is “Which individual and contextual characteristics explain educational differences in volunteering?” We answer this question using secondary data collected in 17 countries. Multilevel analyses show that particularly a lower level of cognitive competence as well as a localistic orientation of the lower educated explains their lower likelihood of volunteering. Cross-level interactions between education and compositional indicators of the group of lower educated people within countries show that a stronger negative social and cognitive selection increases the educational differences in volunteering. In those situations, the group as a whole lacks the social resources within their networks that increase the likelihood to volunteer and is perceived to be less competent to perform voluntary work.
Toxicities of raw Alocasia odora
Authors: Moon Jeong Mi , Lee Byeong Kook , Chun Byeong Jo
Published: December 2010

Alocasia, the Araceae family, is a genus of more than 100 species of perennial, herbaceous, diminutive to extremely large, usually robust herbs with a clear-to-milky latex. They are distributed throughout subtropical and tropical Asia and in the tropical western pacific as well as eastern Australia. Despite easy access to A odora, there have been no published reports in English regarding the toxic symptoms following the ingestion of raw A odora. Here, the clinical manifestations of 2 patients that ingested raw A odora are described. Two patients experienced oral numbness and intractable tongue pain, and 1 patient required endotracheal intubation because of upper respiratory tract obstruction. Although conservative treatment is the primary approach to A odora poisoning, physicians should be aware of the potential for upper respiratory obstruction in patients exposed to A odora, as well as the need for controlling tongue pain.
Interleukin-6 G-174C gene polymorphism and serum resistin levels in North Indian women: Potential risk of metabolic syndrome
Authors: Gupta A , Gupta V , Singh AK , Tiwari S , Agrawal S , Natu SM , Agrawal CG , Negi MPS , Pant AB
Published: December 2010

The present investigations were aimed to identify the possible association between genetic polymorphism in interleukin-6 (IL-6) G-174C gene, which confers susceptibility to metabolic syndrome, and serum level of resistin in North Indian women. The study population comprised 370 unrelated Indian women (192 having abdominal obesity and 178 controls). Polymorphism in genotype (CC+GC) of IL-6 G-174C gene was determined using a combination of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequence-specific primer with restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) technology. Insulin resistance (IR) and serum resistin level were also analyzed along with metabolic risk factors. Of 192 abdominal obese women, 147 (76.56%) were found to have mutant CC+GC ( p = 0.001) genotype and allele frequency ( p = 0.001), which was significantly higher 45 (23.44%) than non-obese and their respective wild type. The mutant genotype (CC+GC) of IL-6 gene was found to be associated significantly with high triglyceride ( p = 0.025) and resistin level ( p < 0.001), when compared with respective wild genotype (GG) in obese women. Non-obese women with no signs of metabolic risk factors were found to have significantly low level of serum resistin and IR in comparison to obese women having genetic polymorphism for IL-6 G-174C gene. Study suggests that IL-6 G-174C gene is one among the susceptibility loci for metabolic syndrome in North Indian women. Genotype for this polymorphism may prove informative for prediction of genetic risk for metabolic syndrome. Further, high level of serum resistin molecules may be targeted to correlate with metabolic syndrome risk factors and could be used as early prediction marker.
Protective effect of sodium aescinate on lung injury induced by methyl parathion
Authors: Du Yuan , Wang Tian , Jiang Na , Ren Ru-Tong , Zhao De-Lu , Li Chong , Fu Feng-Hua
Published: December 2010

Methyl parathion (MP) is a high venenosus insecticide. It has been used in pest control of agriculture for several years. The present study is performed to investigate the protective effect of sodium aescinate (SA) on lung injury induced by MP. Forty male Sprague-Dawley rats are randomly divided into five groups, with 8 animals in each group: control group, MP administration group, MP plus SA at doses of 0.45 mg/kg, 0.9 mg/kg and 1.8 mg/kg groups. Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity and nitric oxide (NO) level in plasma, myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, NO level, and antioxidative parameters in lung tissue are assayed. Histopathological examination of lung is also performed. The results show that SA has no effect on AChE. Treatment with SA decreases the activity of MPO in lung and the level of NO in plasma and lung. The level of malondialdehyde in lung is decreased after SA treatments. SA increases the activities of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and the content of glutathione in lung. SA administration also ameliorates lung injury induced by MP. The findings indicate that SA could protect lung injury induced by MP and the mechanism of action is related to the anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative effect of SA.
The effect of uremic toxin cyanate (OCN--) on anaerobic sulfur metabolism and prooxidative processes in the rat kidney: A protective role of lipoate
Authors: Iciek Małgorzata , Bilska Anna , Lorenc-Koci Elżbieta , Włodek Lidia B , Sokołowska Maria M
Published: December 2010

Cyanate and its active form isocyanate are formed mainly in the process of nonenzymatic urea biodegradation. Cyanate is capable of protein S- and N-carbamoylation, which can affect their activity. The present studies aimed to demonstrate the effect of cyanate on activity of the enzymes implicated in anaerobic cysteine metabolism and cyanide detoxification and on glutathione (GSH) level and peroxidative processes in the kidney. In addition, we examined whether a concomitant treatment with lipoate, a dithiol that may act as a target of S-carbamoylation, can prevent these changes. The studies were conducted in Wistar rats. The animals were assigned to four groups, which received injections of physiological saline, cyanate (200 mg/kg), cyanate (200 mg/kg) + lipoate (100 mg/kg) and lipoate alone (100 mg/kg). The animals were killed 2 h after the first injection, the kidneys were isolated and kept at −80°C until biochemical assays were performed. Cyanate inhibited rhodanese (TST) and mercaptopyruvate sulfotransferase (MPST) activity, decreased GSH level and enhanced peroxidative processes in the kidney. All these changes were abolished by cyanate treatment in combination with lipoate.
The Determining Factors of Western Australia’s (WA) Foreign Investment in China
Authors: Liu Yi , Pearson Cecil
Published: December 2010

Despite acknowledging that the economic recovery of Australia and particularly Western Australia from one of the worst global financial downturns will be coupled with a revived Chinese economy, there is a lack of knowledge about these connections. This study evaluates business drivers of Western Australian firms to appreciate how these factors enhance Chinese business engagement. The study findings demonstrate that market size, infrastructure and business ethics were significantly associated with intention to invest in China, but labour cost was not a primary driver. And while these relationships were influenced by personal, organizational and networking attributes, greater elucidation was obtained by interviewing managers. The evidence may benefit institutions intending to increase exposure to the Chinese marketplace.
Leadership Insights from Jaina text Saman Suttam
Authors: Jain Neetu
Published: December 2010

Leadership plays a leading role in the success story of any organization. Without leadership an organization may end up in confusion of people and other resources. Failures or lack of leadership can be found near the root of all problems. To be an effective manager, one must have some specific leadership qualities. It is necessary today for managers to understand the insights given in ancient shastras about leadership, as managers are the leaders of the nation. It is their job to manage things. As we are searching for effective leadership in organizations, we can get insights from the Jain scriptures. One of the most important works of Jaina philosophy is the Saman Suttam. It is an orderly and brief compilation of the essential principles of the Jaina philosophy. It offers many insights for new age managers.

The values or traits which emerge from the Jaina text can be considered as the real learning for all type of leaders. These serve as fundamental guidelines which could help managers evolve their leadership styles. This type of leadership will help creating a society where the ruinous struggle for power is renounced; where calm and peace prevail from conquest and defeat.
Intellectual Capital Disclosures in India
Authors: Joshi Mahesh , Ubha Dharminder Singh , Sidhu Jasvinder
Published: December 2010

This study examines the annual reports of the top 20 information technology companies listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange with a view to evaluate the prevailing practices of recording and reporting of intellectual capital. The content analysis of the annual reports makes it amply clear that intellectual capital recording by the Indian IT companies is very low and that intellectual capital reporting has not got any preference or priority for the mentors of Indian corporations. The average number of items reported by the companies is deplorably low and only a small percentage of the total firms studied have actually reported intellectual capital in their annual reports. The reporting of intellectual capital is not consistent and the study also finds that a range of different types of reporting formats have been used for communicating intellectual capital information in the annual reports. There is no established financial reporting framework for the disclosures of intellectual capital and there are no guidelines on the reporting of intellectual capital from the worldwide accounting bodies and the accounting profession.
Competitiveness in Service Sector
Authors: Roy Sancharan
Published: December 2010

Competitiveness has been a topic of research in the manufacturing and related sectors since the early 1990s. However, recently some researchers have started to examine the tourism and hospitality competitiveness, both conceptually and empirically. This article looks at one of the important sectors of the national economy, at least from its potential for development perspective: the hospitality industry. The research area is related to finding out the main related factors of competitiveness in this field. This research attempts to identify the essential aspects of competitiveness in the hospitality industry. The objectives pursued refer to: discovering the degree to which the concept of competitiveness is understood and capitalized on by the managers in the hospitality industry; identifying a set of factors considered decisive in raising the competitiveness of Indian firms in the hospitality industry; identifying the strategic concerns of firms operating in the Indian hospitality industry, in order to establish the connection between strategy and the competitiveness of the firms belonging to this sector.
Strategic Firm Response to Developing Economy Challenges
Authors: Bhaskaran P. Bala
Published: December 2010

Michael Porter describes economic development as a continuous process of upgradation of the competitive position of the country. During the economic development process the macroeconomic foundation of the economy and consequently the business environment of the firm experience paradigm shifts on a continuous basis. This results in newer challenges to the firm at every stage. This article attempts to capture the strategic shifts that firms are required to make in each of the stages to gain and sustain competitive advantage.

After describing the stages of economic development—factor-driven economy, investment-driven economy, innovation-driven economy and wealth-driven economy—and classifying the firm in terms of its external linkages, the article explores the strategic response that a firm would need to make under different situations. The article argues that the strategic response would depend on the type of the firm, its resource endowments and the stage of the economy. The responses are mapped through four dimensions: ( i) Managing the Supply-side, ( ii) Managing the Demand-side, ( iii) Managing the Conversion Process and ( iv) Changing the Business Model.

After describing each, the article analyses a set of cases to explore deeper insights about the relationships between the stages of economic development, pre-conditions and the choice of strategies.
Effect of Working Capital Management on Firm Profitability
Authors: Sharma A.K. , Kumar Satish
Published: December 2010

The main aim of this article is to examine the effect of working capital on profitability of Indian firms. We collected data about a sample of 263 non-financial BSE 500 firms listed at the Bombay Stock (BSE) from 2000 to 2008 and evaluated the data using OLS multiple regression. The findings of our study significantly depart from the various international studies conducted in different markets. The results reveal that working capital management and profitability is positively correlated in Indian companies. The study further reveals that inventory of number of days and number of days accounts payable are negatively correlated with a firm’s profitability, whereas number of days accounts receivables and cash conversion period exhibit a positive relationship with corporate profitability. The present study contributes to the existing literature by examining the effect of working capital management on profitability in the context of an emerging capital market such as India.
The New Paternalism
Authors: Ben-Ishai Elizabeth
Published: December 2010

“New paternalist” welfare programs are premised on the idea that service users lack certain capacities and require “supervisory” programs to guide them toward self-sufficiency. The author argues that the use of new paternalist programs is incompatible with what she claims to be a just state’s obligation to foster autonomy. This is best understood in light of a notion of paternalism as implicated in oppressive power relations rather than solely as interventionist policy. By examining workfare and pregnancy prevention programs, the author sheds light on underlying gendered assumptions about the relationship between the autonomous self and both paid employment and care work.
Solicitor General Influence and Agenda Setting on the U.S. Supreme Court
Authors: Black Ryan C. , Owens Ryan J.
Published: December 2010

Do Solicitors General (SGs) influence how justices vote? Years of scholarship suggests that the answer is yes but has largely failed to examine what influence means and just how much influence the SG wields. The authors examine SG influence during the Court’s agenda-setting stage. They find, first, that justices follow SG recommendations even when they are completely opposed to them and, second, that law exerts a strong independent influence. Justices are significantly less likely to follow SG recommendations that contravene important legal factors.
Does a Nationalist Card Make for a Weak Hand?
Authors: Bloom Stephen
Published: December 2010

This article tests theories of group threat, competition, contact, and shared pain. The author argues that economic downturns undermine rather than increase support for prejudice. The absolute pain of a recession is felt by all groups in society, even if the relative costs are often distributed unevenly across groups. While nationalists can scapegoat minorities for economic woes, competing elites have incentives to adopt economic frames that focus on individual suffering. Empirical support comes from a subnational research design that includes quantitative data from Latvia’s 565 localities and from a qualitative analysis of the framing techniques adopted by Latvian political parties.
Engaged by the Initiative? How the Use of Citizen Initiatives Increases Voter Turnout
Authors: Childers Matt , Binder Mike
Published: December 2010

Using data from 1870 to 2008, the authors attempt to resolve competing claims about the nature of how citizen initiatives affect turnout in the American states. They provide evidence that mobilization is the mechanism through which direct democracy increases turnout. Contrary to previous research, they show that the adoption of the initiative and past usage of the process do not lead to higher turnout in a given election. Citizen initiative campaigns mobilize the electorate in current elections, and the number of competitive initiative elections has a greater effect on turnout than uncompetitive races.
An Experimental Test of Mobilization Effects in a Latino Community
Authors: Matland Richard E. , Murray Gregg R.
Published: December 2010

This article describes a field experiment designed to test the efficacy of get-out-the-vote (GOTV) techniques in a new context and for an understudied population. It evaluates the effectiveness of nonpartisan GOTV messages delivered via personal contact and mail in a heavily Latino community during the 2004 presidential campaign. It proposes and tests an alternative model of voter turnout based on Zaller’s receive–accept–sample model of public opinion. The findings are consistent with the authors’ predictions; mobilization efforts increase turnout, but mobilization effects vary across citizens based on their propensity to vote. There is a large increase among episodic voters but little increase among habitual or registered nonvoters.
Residential Mortgage Default in Low‐ and High‐Minority Census Tracts
Authors: Pedersen Camille , Delgadillo Lucy
Published: December 2010

The purpose of this study is to examine housing, demographic, and economic characteristics of the owners in census tracts with high residential mortgage default rates. In addition to these variables, the effect of being a minority is studied. Descriptive statistics and correlations are used to profile the characteristics of the census tracts and to determine which characteristics had statistical significance with mortgage default rate as well as minority percentage. Logistic regression is conducted to create a model describing the characteristics of the census tracts that have high rates of default. The statistical model shows that census tracts with high minority concentrations might be associated with higher rate of mortgage default; however, this could be explained by the fact that census tracts with higher minority concentrations typically have more economic disadvantages, which is the real cause of default, not their minority status per se.
The Importance of the Home Literacy Environment for Developing Literacy Skills in Young Children Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
Authors: DesJardin Jean L. , Ambrose Sophie E.
Published: December 2010

Four-year-old Olivia, who is deaf and has used a cochlear implant for 3 years, and her mother, Laura, enjoy looking at storybooks together at home. During storybook reading, Laura notices that Olivia tries to imitate some words that she reads to her yet does not seem to understand many words or story events. Laura is unsure whether to stop the storybook interaction and encourage Olivia’s attempts at word imitation and directly teach her the new vocabulary or continue reading the story for pleasure. Olivia’s preschool teacher, Ms. Lynn, also notices that Olivia displays a keen interest in storybook reading but is not able to answer or ask simple questions about the story. What can Laura and Ms. Lynn do collaboratively to support Olivia’s emerging language and literacy skills to better prepare Olivia for her upcoming transition into kindergarten?
Resources Within Reason
Authors: Catlett Camille , Turan Yasemin , Hall Laura J.
Published: December 2010

A place to discover good, inexpensive materials for providing effective services to young children and their families
Highly reactive anti-myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibodies differentiate demyelinating diseases from viral encephalitis in children
Authors: Lalive PH , Häusler MG , Maurey H , Mikaeloff Y , Tardieu M , Wiendl H , Schroeter M , Hartung HP , Kieseier BC , Menge T
Published: December 2010

Background: Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) may be implicated in the immunopathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS) inducing demyelination in the animal model of MS. In adults reported anti-MOG antibody frequencies have been variable across a number of studies and can also be detected in controls.

Objective: To measure antibodies against MOG in paediatric patients with demyelinating disorders of the central nervous system and in controls.

Methods: Serum antibodies against MOG and myelin basic protein were measured by ELISA, flow cytometry (FACS) and in the liquid phase in 11 children with acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM), 22 children with MS, seven children with acute viral encephalitis and 13 healthy controls. The serostatus of Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) infections were assessed.

Results: Anti-MOG antibodies, measured either by ELISA or FACS were exclusively detected in children with demyelination. In ADEM these antibodies were highly reactive. Anti-MBP reactivity was detectable equally in all groups. The presence of either autoantibodies did not associate with EBV serostatus, age, gender or disease course.

Conclusions: This study independently corroborates recently published results of seroprevalence and specificity of the assay. Due to their low sensitivity anti-MOG antibodies will not serve as disease-specific biomarkers, but could help to support the diagnosis of ADEM in difficult cases.
Interferon-beta increases systemic BAFF levels in multiple sclerosis without increasing autoantibody production
Authors: Hedegaard Chris J , Sellebjerg Finn , Krakauer Martin , Hesse Dan , Bendtzen Klaus , Nielsen Claus H
Published: December 2010

Background: Treatment with interferon-beta (IFN-beta) increases B-cell activating factor of the TNF family (BAFF) expression in multiple sclerosis (MS), raising the concern that treatment of MS patients with IFN-beta may activate autoimmune B cells and stimulate the production of MS-associated autoantibodies.

Objective: To investigate whether BAFF levels are associated with disease severity/activity in untreated MS patients, and to assess the effect of IFN-beta therapy on circulating BAFF and anti-myelin basic protein (MBP) autoantibody levels.

Results: Twenty-three patients with relapsing–remitting MS (RRMS) were followed longitudinally from initiation of IFN-beta therapy. Their blood levels of BAFF correlated positively at baseline with the expanded disability status scale ( p < 0.009) and MS severity score ( p < 0.05), but not with disease activity as determined by the number of gadolinium-enhanced lesions. The patients were followed for up to 26 months, during which the BAFF levels remained elevated without association to increased disease activity. IFN-beta therapy caused an increase in plasma BAFF levels after both 3 and 6 months of therapy ( p < 0.002). However, an 11% decrease in IgM and a 33% decrease in IgG anti-MBP autoantibodies ( p < 0.09 and p < 0.009, respectively) was observed after 6 months.

Conclusion: Pre-treatment BAFF levels correlate with high disability scores in MS, suggesting that high BAFF expression is a negative prognostic marker. Despite its known beneficial effects, IFN-beta therapy causes a sustained increase in plasma BAFF levels, which does not translate into increased levels of anti-MBP autoantibodies.
-308 G > A of TNF-α gene promoter decreases the risk of multiple sclerosis: a meta-analysis
Authors: Yang Yan , Sun Rulin , Yang Heng , Zheng Fang , Gong Feili
Published: December 2010

Background: Environmental and genetic factors are thought to be involved in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS). Polymorphisms of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α −308 were implicated in MS risk in several case–control association studies. However, the studies have shown inconsistent results.

Objectives: To address the association of G/A polymorphisms of TNF-α −308 with MS risk by meta-analysis.

Methods: Thirteen studies were included. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) together with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated.

Results: A total of 1870 cases and 2769 controls were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled result indicated that −308 A allele is significantly associated with reduced risk of MS compared with −308 G allele (A vs. G, p = 0.022). The same pattern of the result was also obtained in the contrasts of AA + GA vs. GG ( p = 0.008) and GA vs. GG ( p = 0.007). For AA vs. GG or AA vs. GA + GG, no significant association was detected most likely caused by very low frequency or non-availability of homozygote genotype AA for all of the studies.

Conclusions: TNF-α −308 A allele is associated with reduced risk of MS.
‘Can I do it in my pyjamas?’ Negotiating a physical education curriculum with teenage girls
Authors: Enright Eimear , O'Sullivan Mary
Published: December 2010

The data for this paper were generated during a three-year, Participatory Action Research project, with 41 15—19-year-old female co-researchers and activists, within and beyond the walls of a secondary school. The purpose of the larger study was to work with these students to understand and transform their self-identified barriers to physical education (PE) engagement and physical activity participation. The focus of this paper is on one of the transformation sites, the students’ formal PE curriculum. Participatory Action Research (PAR) constituted the theoretical, pedagogical and methodological framework for this study. The specific questions we seek to address in this paper are what does a negotiated PE curriculum process look like, and how does students’ increased involvement in curricular decision-making impact on their engagement with physical education. Data for this paper were generated through individual and group conversations with five student researchers and curriculum designers during the first year of the study. These conversations were guided by participatory research artefacts (e.g. photographs, posters). Findings suggest that participatory approaches to research and curriculum-making can serve to promote students’ meaningful engagement in the critique and the reimagining of their PE and physical activity experiences. The girls in this study, when provided with guidance and encouragement, rose to the challenge and took ownership of their learning, and doing so was a positive, energizing and exciting experience for them and one in which deep learning occurred and deep insights were produced. Negotiating the curriculum was not without challenge however, and both students and adult allies needed support in persevering beyond the transition and the novelty of initial excitement.
Task card instruction: The effect of different cue sequences on students’ learning in tennis
Authors: Iserbyt Peter , Madou Bob , Elen Jan , Behets Daniël
Published: December 2010

In physical education, task cards are often used in student-centred learning models. Consequently, a better understanding of how to deliver effective instructions by means of task cards would make a contribution to the literature. In this study, 80 right-handed university students in kinesiology were randomized across three experimental conditions and a control group to learn a forehand groundstroke in tennis. Experimental settings differed in the presentation sequence of four technical cues on task cards. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of different cue sequences on reading time of the task cards, ball control and stroke technique. Results show that presenting all cues at once provoked more reading time in comparison with the other settings. Considering ball control, significant learning gains were achieved when cues were presented all at once or separately. For stroke technique, results indicated significant improvement for the entire group.
Inadequate and inappropriate?: The assessment of young disabled people and pupils with special educational needs in National Curriculum Physical Education
Authors: Haycock David , Smith Andy
Published: December 2010

Based upon focus groups with 12 secondary school physical education (PE) teachers working in north-west England, this paper examines: (i) how young disabled people and pupils with special educational needs (SEN) were assessed in National Curriculum Physical Education (NCPE) 2000; and (ii) how teachers managed the constraints on them to assess these pupils in the same manner as other young people. The findings indicate that the NCPE assessment criteria were often perceived as inappropriate, inadequate and attainable by only a few pupils. Although teachers were constrained to use these criteria because of their statutory nature, the assessment of pupils was very much a matter of personal judgement and guess work that resulted in pupils being awarded grades that were not necessarily accurate or sufficiently indicative of their abilities. It is concluded that the competing pressures on teachers to include young disabled people and those with SEN in mainstream lessons resulted in a series of unplanned outcomes that were not intended nor desired by government, and which came to limit the extent to which pupils’ abilities could be assessed, in any meaningful way, within the NCPE 2000 statutory assessment arrangements.
The continuing development of primary sector physical education: Working together to raise quality of provision
Authors: Sloan Stephen
Published: December 2010

This paper sets out to provide further insight as to the reasons why many schools within the primary sector continue to find it difficult to ensure quality provision for physical education (PE) and school sport. It examines why class teachers, including the subject coordinator, possess concerns about teaching PE. It asks the question of who is actually best placed for teaching primary school PE and looks at how working together in partnership can support primary and subsequently secondary school PE curricula. Results from this study reinforce existing research in this area, namely that lack of personal subject knowledge and availability of training opportunities still affect quality of provision. Findings indicate that the majority of class teachers within schools sampled wish to retain a prominent role in providing quality PE experiences. While external specialist support is welcomed many primary sector teachers would resent being placed on the periphery of teaching PE.
Sex differences in the prevalence of peripheral artery disease in patients undergoing coronary catheterization
Authors: Sadrzadeh Rafie Amir H , Stefanick Marcia L , Sims Stacy T , Phan Tiffany , Higgins Mamie , Gabriel Andre , Assimes Themistocles , Narasimhan Balasubramanian , Nead Kevin T , Myers Jonathan , Olin Jeffrey , Cooke John P
Published: December 2010

To determine whether there are sex differences in the prevalence of peripheral artery disease, we performed an observational study of 1014 men and 547 women, aged ≥ 40 years, referred for elective coronary angiography. Women were slightly older, more obese, had higher low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels and systolic blood pressure (BP), and were more likely to be African American. Women had higher high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels, lower diastolic BP, and were less likely to smoke or to have a history of cardiovascular disease. Women had less prevalent (62% vs 81%) and less severe coronary artery disease (CAD) ( p < 0.001 for both) by coronary angiography, but more prevalent peripheral artery disease (PAD) as determined by the ankle—brachial index (ABI) than men (23.6% versus 17.2%). Independent predictors of lower ABI were female sex, black race, older age, tobacco use, CAD, diabetes, and triglyceride level. In a full multivariable logistic regression model, women had a risk-adjusted odds ratio for PAD of 1.78 (95% CI 1.25—2.54) relative to men. Among patients referred for coronary angiography, women have less prevalent and less severe CAD, but more prevalent PAD, a sex difference that is not explained by traditional cardiovascular disease risk factors or CAD severity. Clinical Trial Registration—URL: http://clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00380185
Dynamic assessment in the classroom: Vygotskian praxis for second language development
Authors: Lantolf James P. , Poehner Matthew E.
Published: December 2010

This article reports the efforts of an elementary school teacher of Spanish as a second language to implement principles of dynamic assessment (DA) in her daily interactions with learners. DA is neither an assessment instrument nor a method of assessing but a framework for conceptualizing teaching and assessment as an integrated activity of understanding learner abilities by actively supporting their development (Poehner, 2008). DA is based on Vygotsky’s (1987) proposal of the zone of proximal development (ZPD), which underscores the developmental importance of providing appropriate support to learners to help them stretch beyond their independent performance. The particular approach to DA that the teacher followed reflected her interpretation of the ZPD as well as her knowledge of her instructional context and was arrived at through consultation with the present authors. In other words, her use of DA represents a unification of theory and practice, as advocated by Vygotsky, whereby theory offers a basis to guide practice but at the same time practice functions to refine and extend theory. Examples of the teacher’s interactions with learners in her classroom are discussed with regard to the opportunities for development they create.
The effects of simultaneous use of careful online planning and task repetition on accuracy, complexity, and fluency in EFL learners’ oral production
Authors: Mohammad Javad Ahmadian  , Tavakoli Mansoor
Published: December 2010

This article reports on a study that was primarily aimed at investigating the effects of simultaneous use of careful online planning and task repetition on accuracy, complexity, and fluency in the oral production of learners of English as a foreign language (EFL). The effects of four planning and task repetition conditions (i.e. careful online planning without task repetition, pressured online planning with task repetition, careful online planning with task repetition, and pressured online planning without task repetition) on learners’ accuracy, complexity, and fluency in producing English language were investigated. Iranian intermediate-level EFL learners ( n = 60) were randomly selected and assigned to the four task conditions. The results obtained from one-way ANOVAs revealed that the opportunity to engage simultaneously in careful online planning and task repetition enhances accuracy, complexity, and fluency significantly. The obtained results also have some implications for teachers and practitioners in EFL context.
‘Nowadays, teachers are relatively obedient’: Understanding primary school English teachers’ conceptions of and drives for research in China
Authors: Gao Xuesong , Barkhuizen Gary , Chow Alice
Published: December 2010

Research engagement has been widely considered crucial in transforming teachers into ‘expert knowers about their students and classrooms’ (Cochran-Smith & Lytle, 1999, p. 16). This article reports on a mixed-method study of the research engagement of a group of primary school teachers in China’s Guangdong province, focusing particularly on their conceptions of teacher research and the contextual factors driving them to do research. The study revealed that the majority of these teachers opted for the type of research involving experimental use of particular teaching methods or approaches in their classrooms with the intention of improving their teaching and their students’ learning. While sharing research findings through publication is an integral part of academic research, these teachers did not place much emphasis on writing for publication, although they reported alternative forms of research dissemination. The study also revealed that research has been promoted through a top-down performance review process for schools and teachers, which has research activity and outcomes structured into it. This mechanism may be effective in promoting research activity among schools and teachers, but it is far less effective in actually supporting teachers’ research efforts. We conclude that further research on primary school English teachers’ research experiences is needed in order to provide relevant and useful knowledge to teacher educators and policymakers on the Chinese mainland, making research a sustainable path to professional excellence for teachers.
How the Internet is changing the experience of bereavement by suicide: A qualitative study in the UK
Authors: Chapple Alison , Ziebland Sue
Published: December 2010

The aim of this qualitative study was to explore how Internet support may be changing the experiences of people who have been bereaved by suicide. Forty narrative interviews about the (whole) experience of being bereaved by suicide were conducted with a maximum variation sample of people living in the UK. Interviews were transcribed for thematic analysis. The analysis explores several ways in which the Internet has made a difference to the aftermath of the death. These include the use of e-mail and social networking sites to inform others about the death, making sense of the events and gaining support from an Internet community of others who had been similarly bereaved and setting up website memorials. A few people preferred not to use the Internet for this purpose or had no access to a computer. Few adverse consequences of Internet communities were mentioned. In conclusion we found evidence that the Internet is transforming the experience of bereavement by suicide, most dramatically through providing access to other people’s experiences.
When resources get sparse: A longitudinal, qualitative study of emotions, coping and resource-creation when parenting a young child with severe disabilities
Authors: Graungaard Anette Hauskov , Andersen John Sahl , Skov Liselotte
Published: December 2010

Parents who realize that their newborn child is severely disabled often experience severe physical and emotional stress. Parental well-being is essential for the care-taking of the child. It is yet not known why some cope well and others do not. The aim of this study was to explore how parents coped with parenting a disabled child and how they maintained their energy and personal resources. We explored parents’ experiences, coping and resources over a two-year period after their child was diagnosed with a severely disabling condition using a qualitative, longitudinal approach. Findings were interpreted in a theoretical framework of Lazarus and Folkman’s studies on coping and Fredrickson’s broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions, as well as theories of positive illusions and benefit finding during severe adversity. We found that parents continually created and sustained their personal resources through positive cognitive reappraisals of their circumstances, the consequences of those circumstances and their coping possibilities. Nine main coping strategies were identified constituting transformative pathways in resource-creation. A theory of resource-creation is proposed as an addition to the current understanding of coping and the role of positive emotions. Coping and resources were found to be closely interrelated and portals of intervention are discussed.
Constructing the ‘gender-specific body’: A critical discourse analysis of publications in the field of gender-specific medicine
Authors: Annandale Ellen , Hammarström Anne
Published: December 2010

Gender-specific medicine, a new and increasingly influential ethos within medical research and practice, has received little critical attention to date. The objective of this article is to critically examine the attributes of gender-specific medicine as imparted by its advocates. Through a critical discourse analysis of its two leading academic journals, we identify five interrelated discourses: of male/female difference; of hegemonic biology; of men’s disadvantages; of biological and social reductionism; and of the fragmented body. Together these comprise a master discourse of the ‘gender-specific body’. The discourse of the ‘gender-specific body’ is discussed in relation to the current neoliberal political agenda which frames healthcare as a market good and locates health and illness in individual bodies rather than in the wider social arrangements of society. We argue that the ‘gender-specific body’ threatens not only to turn back the clock to a vision of the biological body as fixed and determinate, but to extend this ever deeper into the social imagination. Lost in the process is any meaningful sense of the human body as a relatively open system which develops in interaction with its social world. We propose that, as it gains momentum, the ‘gender-specific body’ is likely progressively to circumscribe our thinking about the health of women and men in potentially problematic ways.
Communicative disability and stories: Towards an embodied conception of narratives
Authors: Hydén L.C. , Antelius Eleonor
Published: December 2010

In this article we show that persons with communicative disabilities are often involved in storytelling that does not necessarily conform to the conventional expectations of what constitutes a narrative. By analyzing the relationship between story and storytelling event, and the relation between what could be called the primary storyteller and the vicarious storyteller, we show that storytellers with communicative disabilities are often quite inventive in finding ways of presenting themselves as competent storytellers even though they may have certain problems vocally animating a coherent, structured story. This lead us to conclude a necessary redefinition of what a narrative is - that it could be performed as well as it could be told - and that such a redefinition stresses methodological issues: in order to be able to study the life stories of people with communicative disabilities we need to use both narrative and ethnographic research methods.