bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Transnationalizing the Public Sphere
Authors: Ugarteche Oscar
Published: September 2007

As a critical concept, the public sphere has always been premised on two idealizing assumptions: in principle, public opinion should be normatively legitimate and politically efficacious. Yet these assumptions are hard to associate with the discursive arenas we today call ‘transnational public spheres’, which neither stage communication among equal citizens nor address it to sovereign states. In this context, public sphere theory is in danger of losing its critical thrust and political point. Aiming to recover its critical potential, this article revisits the ideals of legitimacy and efficacy in three steps. First, I explicate the implicit Westphalian presuppositions of Habermas’s original formulation and show that these have persisted in its major feminist, anti-racist and multicultural critiques, including my own. Second, I identify several distinct facets of transnationality that problematize the understandings of legitimacy and efficacy that informed both the original theory and its critical counter-theorizations. Finally, I suggest a strategy for reconstructing the ideal of legitimate and efficacious public opinion for a post-Westphalian world.
Why the Economy is Often the Exception to Politics as Usual
Authors: Best Jacqueline
Published: September 2007

Many political theorists have turned to the dramatic political events of the post-9/11 world – terrorism, war, and the erosion of civil liberties – for insight into our changing sense of the political. Yet few have examined the economic dimensions of these events or sought to learn what they might tell us about the changing nature of political community today. This article seeks to fill this gap by drawing on the work of Michel Foucault and Georgio Agamben to examine the intimate and changing relationship between the political and the economic in the contemporary world. Now more than ever, there is a particular conception of politics at stake in global efforts to govern economic relations. Global economic institutions like the IMF and World Bank are policing the definition of political community and, in doing so, extending the scope of liberal governmentality. At the same time, the character of their implementation and justification is that of the sovereign exception, as state autonomy must continually be breached through extensive conditionality in order for it to be re-established in the form of a more ‘sound’ political and economic order. This is a sovereign exception with a difference: for the norm that is being established is one that necessarily limits the scope of sovereign power in the interests of market freedom. Paradoxically, while the economy is often the exception to politics as usual, is it an exception that simultaneously enables and constrains the possibility of exercising sovereignty itself?
Finding the Strength to Surrender
Authors: Kintz Linda
Published: September 2007

In the contemporary US, a configuration of market theocracy has melded together laissezfaire economics and right-wing religious conservatism, in spite of the many differences among the groups involved; it is a configuration that remains powerful even as it is increasingly fractured. Market theocracy draws on the mechanism of literalism, not the literal reading of texts but a concept of realism based on a belief in a common-sense version of unmediated natural law. Literalism filters meaning through two concepts long available in American culture: spirit and surrender. Analyzing this configuration requires an analysis of a double structure: a highly complex deployment of strategic vagueness, joined to claims of simple clarity, and wrapped in passionate, emotional intensity. It is the most valuable prize in mass-mediated US politics. This article traces literalism by way of the concepts of ‘surrender’ and ‘spirit’ in three secular discourses: a best-selling marriage self-help book for women; marketing texts directed at entrepreneurs and investors; and an academic study written for neoconservative economists, in order to assess the importance of the strategic deployment of literalism. Unlike the literal, literalism draws on the most advanced sophisticated technological resources of modernity in order to produce a form of ‘vague clarity’ characterized by passionate, affective intensities. This literalism often confounds scholars and activists on the left who, in too many cases, still presume that knowledge and faith, the secular and the religious, the rational and the emotional can be kept ‘cleanly’ separate.
The Canonization of Ancient Hebrew and Confucian Literature
Authors: Stordalen Terje
Published: September 2007

Recent humanistic scholarship regards canonization as a common anthropological phenomenon. Comparing religious canons gives insight on their various canonization processes and functions. Apparently, concepts commonly applied in biblical studies are anachronistic, reflecting notions of canonicity brought about by Islamic Scripture as well as by European mass printing technology. Philip Davies in his Scribes and Schools considered ancient Hebrew canonization in its technological, cultural and social framework, and identified the scribal class as a primary focus for the study of biblical canonization. This article argues that there were similarities between the canonization of ancient Hebrew and Confucian literature. The two occurred under comparable technological and cultural conditions. Using implications from Confucian canonization, this essay attempts to evaluate certain models in Scribes and Schools, in particular Davies' view of a `top-down' canonizing process. The Confucian material hints that Hebrew canonization had rather more of a two-way movement of influence.
Messengers of Hope in Haggai—Malachi
Authors: Boda Mark J.
Published: September 2007

Recent work on the Book of the Twelve has consistently identified various sections of Haggai—Malachi as a corpus that existed prior to its incorporation into the Book of the Twelve. Many see Haggai/Zechariah 1—8 as an initial collection to which Malachi and Zechariah 9—14 were later added (prior to and/or after inclusion in the Book of the Twelve). This study investigates this corpus by interacting with past research and the text of these prophetic sections to argue that although each section in the corpus (Haggai, Zech. 1—8, Zech. 9—14, Malachi) displays an integrity of its own, the corpus as a whole is witness to a developing tradition, the resulting literature of which has been unified through a `messenger' leitmotif. This leitmotif, however, rather than signalling the end of prophecy (as argued by some), identifies the importance of prophetic, priestly and royal streams to the emerging hope for a heavenly visitation.
Reclaiming `Paradise Lost' in the Writings of Patrick Chamoiseau and Edouard Glissant
Authors: Cunningham Catriona
Published: September 2007

This article considers the paradisiacal image of the French Caribbean island of Martinique, focusing in particular on the writing of two contemporary authors, Patrick Chamoiseau and Edouard Glissant. Beginning with the obvious exotic associations of Martinique in metropolitan France, and the Western world at large, and drawing on anti-colonialist theory, I argue that increasing levels of tourism in a global world can in fact be read as a form of neo-colonisation. Within this context, the role of the French Caribbean writer is perceived by both Chamoiseau and Glissant to be crucial in resisting this dominating, globalising force. I will demonstrate how the authors turn to their native landscape in their writing — and to the liminal space of the beach in particular — to combat this form of neo-colonisation.
Mona Lisa in Veils: Cultural Identity, Politics, Religion and Feminism in Turkey
Authors: Atakav Atil Eylem
Published: September 2007

Turkey has been experiencing an evolutionary feminist movement within the modernization project since 1923. This paper explores the relationship between politics, religion and feminism in the context of Turkish cultural identity and women's experience of the evolution of modernization evolution. Commencing with a discussion of the Time magazine cover-the Mona Lisa in veils-the paper gives examples of women's experiences of the divine and shifts in patriarchal culture. It also provides an overview of the history of feminism in Turkey, which offers the opportunity to explore, articulate and share the experiences and reflections on the change in women's circumstances in Turkey. The paper will argue that Turkey is one of the most important success stories of women's empowerment; not only because it is an Islamic country; but also because the empowerment of women began in the early twentieth century. Indeed, it is worth identifying what is of crucial importance for the success of both Turkish women and wider feminist movements in Turkey: it is making change real: a 'realization' from theory to political and social practice.
Lilith's Fire: Examining Original Sources of Power Re-defining Sacred Texts as Transformative Theological Practice
Authors: Grenn Kohenet Deborah J.
Published: September 2007

This paper offers a reinterpretation of the divine as embodied by the Semitic goddess Lilith, she who has been represented and misrepresented in a variety of sacred texts. Working with Lilith as both symbol and archetype, I will analyze texts in which she appears, tracing her historical development and metamorphosis from goddess to demon to symbol of independence and open sexuality. As part of this analysis, I will discuss how Lilith's demonization was designed to keep women alienated from their own 'original sources' of power and spiritual authority. The essay concludes with an appreciation of feminist texts, including the first midrash or reinterpretation of the Alphabet of Ben Sira, and more recent work. I also bring in feminist scholars' reclamation of the Sacred Feminine through poetic/liturgical responses to damaging canonical texts. My paper argues that this literature, too, should be regarded as 'sacred text,' since these women-centered writings have become texts of empowerment for contemporary women as well as part of their spiritual practice.
Mary Baker Eddy and Christian Science
Authors: Hall Irene
Published: September 2007

The quotation in the title is taken from a contemporary, Mark Twain, who is often quoted as a stern critic of Mrs Eddy, but who also held the opinion that `In several ways she is the most interesting woman that ever lived, and the most extraordinary'. Yet today, less than a hundred years after her death, Eddy has become barely visible in academic discussions relating to women, religion and spirituality, or in discourse concerning Christian and faith-based healing. Eddy produced seminal work in these fields and founded a world-wide religious movement in Christian Science, whose followers are still actively studying and practising the ideas she pro-pounded. As a reformer, Eddy wanted to reinstate `primitive Christianity and its lost element of healing', and she wrote her book, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures to inspire the mainstream churches with this message. With the rejection of her ideas, she was impelled to found her own church to take her vision forward.
Beyond the Victim/Empowerment Paradigm: The Gendered Cosmology of Mormon Women
Authors: Hoyt Amy
Published: September 2007

Women's participation in traditional religions is often explained in terms of their victimization and/or their opportunities for empowerment. This paper seeks to use Mormon women as a framework in order to explore some of the consequences of this phenomenon and to advocate for the creation of multiple, complex spaces where traditional religious women may be understood beyond the paradigm of victim/empowerment. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, otherwise known as the LDS or Mormons, maintains a cosmology that is based upon highly differentiated gendered practices. A belief in a female deity, Mother in Heaven, and a related belief that all pious Mormon men and women have the ability to become gods and goddesses in a post-mortal existence are central to the Mormon gendered cosmology. Despite these beliefs, Mormon women generally resist feminism because they perceive feminism to be at odds with motherhood and family. Ironically, their belief in a female divine and their potential divinity strengthens their commitment to interdependence through maternal practices and kinship.
Great Goddess, Elemental Nature or Chora? Philosophical Contentions and Constructs in Contemporary Goddess Feminism
Authors: Reid-Bowen Paul
Published: September 2007

This paper examines some of the metaphysical concepts that are present within Goddess feminism at the beginning of the twenty-first century. It is asserted from the outset that Goddess feminism is not as incoherent as many of its critics claim; and it is also highly problematic for feminist thealogians to view conceptual precision and philosophical analysis as inevitably masculinist and invidious preoccupations. Three contemporary feminist thealogical concepts of deity are introduced: the Goddess as a personal, loving and panentheistic deity, the Goddess as the impersonal, female and generative pantheistic body of nature, and the Goddess as a maternal space or receptacle of becoming. By reflecting on some of the different ways in which the Goddess may be understood to originate, organize and relate to the whole of nature, this paper identifies areas of coherence, contention and originality in Goddess feminism that are arguably in need of further philosophical study.
Real Cyclists Don't Race
Authors: O'Connor Justen P. , Brown Trent D.
Published: September 2007

This study examines participation in an emerging, non-conventional sporting form that retains a self generated and mediated structure, providing an attractive alternative not fully explained by a shift to individualism. Based on ethnography and interviews, the study presents a cohort of capable sporting cyclists who develop a sense of belonging and self-identity through `buying' into the social, semi-competitive, adrenaline-charged atmosphere of the weekend bunch ride. In contrast to traditional sports, participants go some way to distance themselves from serious competition and its associated layers of formality. These practitioners range in ability and the extent to which the battle for victory is replaced by Maffesolian ideas of an emotional commonality and shared participation. Competition without consequence, excitement, sociability and multiple points for personal challenge (or not), combine with a sustained sense of control that diminishes the need for capable cyclists to seek out a formal structure and yet retains characteristics that fulfil the competitive urge.
New Zealand Bodybuilder Identities
Authors: Probert Anne , Leberman Sarah , Palmer Farah
Published: September 2007

Existing research implies bodybuilders are a homogenous group with gender, power, control and empowerment, as well as afflictions such as personal inadequacies, dominating scholarly thinking concerning their identity. External critiques have frequently portrayed bodybuilders in a negative light, whilst phenomenological accounts have emphasized participant's positive experiences. This research has focused on bodybuilder identity in New Zealand. Some 382 competitive bodybuilders completed a questionnaire as part of a three-year project. Factor analysis generated the following themes: Self-Life Enhancement; Bodybuilder Lifestyle; Body Manipulation; Physical Attractiveness Tool; Healthy-Balanced Self-Image; The Price of Bodybuilding and An Extreme Competitive Aesthetic Pursuit. The findings suggest that there is heterogeneity in bodybuilder identities and whilst bodybuilding may positively reinforce identity construction, it may also lead to identity conflicts, negative experiences and self-risk.
Beyond Borders: International Student Pathways to the United States
Authors: Lee Jenny J.
Published: September 2007

This study investigates college access in the United States and within the larger context of the global marketplace as a way to extend current views of college access to the international realm. Using surveys and interviews among international students in a case U.S. institution, this study finds that information sources and reasons for studying at the U.S. institution differ by international student background characteristics. This study then further elaborates on the diverse pathways based on international students' backgrounds as a way to expand current conceptions of college access.
The Middle Way: East Asian Master's Students' Perceptions of Critical Argumentation in U.K. Universities
Authors: Durkin Kathy
Published: September 2007

This article explores the learning experiences of East Asian master's students in dealing with Western academic norms of critical thinking in classroom debate and assignment writing. The research takes a cultural approach and employs grounded theory and case study methodology. The aim is for students to explain their own perceptions of their learning journeys and tell their own stories through in-depth interviews. The data suggest that the majority of students interviewed rejected full academic acculturation into Western norms of argumentation. They instead opted for a “Middle Way” that synergizes the traditional cultural academic values held by many East Asian students with those elements of Western academic norms that are perceived to be aligned with these. This is a relatively new area of research, which represents a challenge for British lecturers and students.
Seeing and Listening
Authors: Varpio Lara , Spafford Marlee M. , Schryer Catherine F. , Lingard Lorelei
Published: September 2007

This article investigates the contribution visual rhetoric and rhetorical genre studies (RGS) can make to health care education and communication genres. Through a visual rhetorical analysis of a patient record used in an optometry teaching clinic, this article illustrates that a genre's visual representations provide significant insights into the social action of that genre. These insights are deepened by an insider analysis of the patient record that highlights how content analyses of visual designs need to be elaborated by contextual considerations. A combined visual rhetoric and RGS analysis shows that clinical novices learn to interpret the record's visual cues to safely traverse the complex requirements of this apprenticeship genre. The article demonstrates that visual rhetoric research can meaningfully contribute to the understanding of genres by presenting an enriched contextual analysis achieved by consulting with context insiders.
Crime victimization, exposure to crime news and social trust among adolescents
Authors: Salmi Venla , Smolej Mirka , Kivivuori Janne
Published: September 2007

Interpersonal trust has recently emerged at the centre of research in social science as an important component of social capital. Earlier, it has been theorized that exposure to media cultivates a suspicious and distrusting ‘mean–world’ outlook on life (cultivation theory). In this article, we aim to bind these separate but obviously interconnected theoretical discussions in a combined empirical analysis, by exploring several potential correlates of social trust. As criminologists, our main interest lies in the possible association between victimization, fear of crime, use of crime news media and trust. We categorize victimization experiences as either persistent or occasional ones. In addition, we add a set of social and structural factors to our analysis. Our cross–sectional survey data consists of a nationally representative sample of 15–16 year–old Finnish adolescents (N = 5142). The results of the multivariate analyses indicate that both victimization and fear of crime are related to lower levels of interpersonal trust. As expected, there is a more robust association between persistent victimization and the level of trust than is the case with occasional victimization. Viewing regularly television crime reality programmes is also robustly related to lower levels of trust, a finding that supports the cultivation theory. Of social interaction variables, social support and supervision by parents and teachers are positively related to trust. Contrary to this, participation in civic life (such as religious and various secular associations) is not related to social trust among Finnish adolescents. This and other results are here discussed applying social capital theory and cultivation theory of media effects.
Understanding accommodation search query formulation: The first step in putting `heads in beds'
Authors: Pan Bing , Litvin Stephen W. , O'Donnell Thomas E.
Published: September 2007

The internet affords enormous amounts of destination and accommodation information. A key tool relied upon to navigate the medium is the search engine. As such, accommodation marketers, primary target beneficiaries of this research, seek greater understanding of how search engine travel inquiries are conducted. Such knowledge would better inform online marketing campaigns and allow for more effective use of limited marketing dollars. This study analyzed 701 Excite.com accommodation search queries in order to identify such trends. The results suggest that travelers most often search for their accommodations simultaneously with other aspects of their travel, such as destinations, attractions, transportation and dining; and that most commence their search by seeking specific hotels in conjunction with their destination city. A sequential analysis also revealed the prevalence of switching behavior, with searches often reflecting swings between broad and focused research tacks. Marketing implications of these findings are discussed.
Current state of endovascular treatment of femoro-popliteal artery disease
Authors: Zeller Thomas
Published: September 2007

Considerable advances have been made over the last decade in percutaneous technology for the treatment of atherosclerotic diseases in the femoro-popliteal arteries. While treatment strategies are well defined in the iliac segment, where angioplasty and stenting perform well in appropriately selected lesions, the search for a durable transcatheter therapy for femoro-popliteal lesions continues. Whereas balloon angioplasty (PTA) is the accepted therapy for short lesions, long diffuse lesions are still recommended for surgical treatment. However, attractive new technologies ranging from transcatheter plaque excision to laser ablation, rotational atherectomy, cryoplasty, brachytherapy, and placement of drug-eluting stents to simple angioplasty with drug-coated balloons may have the potential to replace femoro-popliteal bypass surgery as a treatment of choice for complex lesions. This article reviews the status of percutaneous endovascular techniques for the treatment of femoro-popliteal artery occlusive disease.
Indices of cardiovascular function derived from peripheral pulse wave analysis using radial applanation tonometry: a measurement repeatability study
Authors: Crilly Mike , Coch Christoph , Bruce Margaret , Clark Hazel , Williams David
Published: September 2007

Pulse wave analysis (PWA) using applanation tonometry is a non-invasive technique for assessing cardiovascular function. It produces three important indices: ejection duration index (ED%), augmentation index adjusted for heart rate (AIX@75), and subendocardial viability ratio (SEVR%). The aim of this study was to assess within- and between-observer repeatability of these measurements. After resting supine for 15 minutes, 20 ambulant patients (16 male) in sinus rhythm underwent four PWA measurements on a single occasion. Two nurses (A & B) independently and alternately undertook PWA measurements using the same equipment (Omron HEM-757; SphygmoCor with Millar hand-held tonometer) blind to the other nurse's PWA measurements. Within- and between-observer differences were analysed using the Bland-Altman `limits of agreement' approach (mean difference ± 2 standard deviations, 2SD). Mean age was 56 (blood pressure, BP 136/79; pulse rate 64). BP/PWA measurements remained stable during assessment. Based on the average of two PWA measurements the mean ± 2SD between-observer difference in ED% was 0.3 ± 2.0; AIX@75 1.0 ± 3.9; and SEVR% 1.7 ± 14.2. Based on a single PWA measurement the between-observer difference was ED% 0.3 ± 3.3; AIX@75 1.7 ± 6.9; and SEVR% 0.6 ± 22.6. Within-observer differences for nurse-A were ED% 0.0 ± 5.4; AIX@75 1.5 ± 7.0; and SEVR% 1.7 ± 39.0 (nurse-B: 0.1 ± 3.8; 0.1 ± 8.0; and 0.6 ± 23.3, respectively). PWA demonstrates high levels of repeatability even when used by relatively inexperienced staff and has the potential to be included in the routine cardiovascular assessment of ambulant patients.
A novel approach using atherectomy for chronic total occlusion of the brachial artery: a case report
Authors: Pride Yuri B. , Pinto Duane S. , Garcia Lawrence A.
Published: September 2007

Chronic upper limb ischemia is uncommon, and is most often secondary to subclavian artery stenosis. Percutaneous intervention for subclavian stenosis usually includes balloon angioplasty and stent implantation. Brachial artery stenosis is even more scarce and accounts for approximately 12% of symptomatic upper extremity ischemia. Because it is rare, the optimal treatment strategy for brachial artery stenosis remains uncertain. We describe a case of chronic brachial artery ischemia due to atherosclerotic disease treated with the SilverHawk™ plaque excision system and review the available data regarding its use.
Delayed ischemia after subarachnoid hemorrhage: result of vasospasm alone or a broader vasculopathy?
Authors: Zemke Daniel , Farooq Muhammad U , Mohammed Yahia Abutaher , Majid Arshad
Published: September 2007

The term vasospasm is commonly used to describe constriction of cerebral blood vessels after subarachnoid hemorrhage which results in the restriction of blood flow and ischemia in affected portions of the brain. The pathophysiological changes that underlie vascular constriction after subarachnoid hemorrhage include changes within the vessel walls themselves, alteration of the levels of several vasoactive substances, and broader pathological conditions such as immune responses, inflammation, and oxidative damage. In this review, we summarize the current state of knowledge concerning the processes that occur in cerebral blood vessels after subarachnoid hemorrhage and how they may be involved in the development of vasospasm. We also propose that, rather than merely vasospasm, the multitude of vascular effects occurring after subarachnoid hemorrhage can be best described as a post-subarachnoid hemorrhage vasculopathy.
The effect of current cigarette smoking on calf muscle hemoglobin oxygen saturation in patients with intermittent claudication
Authors: Afaq Azhar , Montgomery Polly S , Scott Kristy J , Blevins Steve M , Whitsett Thomas L , Gardner Andrew W
Published: September 2007

The purpose of this study was to compare calf muscle hemoglobin oxygen saturation response during exercise between smokers and non-smokers with peripheral arterial disease. Patients limited by intermittent claudication who were smokers (n = 12) were compared with those who had not smoked (n = 28) for at least 1 year prior to investigation. Ankle/brachial index (ABI) measurements were obtained with Doppler ultrasound, and maximal calf blood flow was measured by venous occlusion plethysmography. Hemoglobin oxygen saturation (StO2) of the calf muscle, initial claudication distance (ICD), and absolute claudication distance (ACD) were obtained during a graded treadmill test. Smokers refrained from smoking on the morning of the test. Smokers had similar ABI values compared with non-smokers (0.70 ± 0.26 vs 0.73 ± 0.23 [mean ± SD]; p = 0.808), whereas the smokers had lower values for maximal calf blood flow (8.71 ± 5.76 %/min vs 11.48 ± 4.46 %/min; p = 0.038), ICD (122 ± 123 m vs 243 ± 177 m; p = 0.023), and ACD (284 ± 170 m vs 452 ± 263 m; p = 0.023). Additionally, smokers had lower calf muscle StO2 values at the end of 1 minute (16 ± 15% vs 37 ± 19%; p = 0.002) and 2 minutes of exercise (16 ± 16% vs 35 ± 25%; p = 0.008), and at the occurrence of ICD (17 ± 17% vs 32 ± 23%; p = 0.033) and ACD (16 ± 16% vs 32 ± 24%; p = 0.024). After adjusting for blood flow, calf muscle StO2 values remained lower in the smokers (p < 0.05). Finally, calf muscle StO2 at the end of the first minute of exercise was related to ICD (r = 0.611, p < 0.001) and ACD (r = 0.443, p < 0.01). In conclusion, smokers limited by intermittent claudication have lower calf muscle StO2 during exercise than nonsmokers, and lower StO2 during exercise is associated with shorter ICD and ACD.
Health and Street/ Homeless Youth
Authors: Kelly Katharine , Caputo Tullio
Published: September 2007

This article reviews the Canadian literature on health issues for homeless/street youth couched in terms of the broad determinants of health. A description of the target population is presented, followed by a discussion of the health risks associated with living in marginal and precarious situations `on the street'. In particular, the potential consequences of engaging in the risky and often dangerous activities (e.g. substance abuse and high-risk sex) associated with the street lifestyle are discussed. Key conclusions drawn from the relevant literature are taken into consideration in a final section that includes a discussion of the policy implications of this work.
Homelessness and Mental Health in Ghana
Authors: De-Graft Aikins Ama , Ofori-Atta Angela L.
Published: September 2007

This article discusses everyday experiences of transient homelessness in Ghana's capital, Accra. Episodic interviews with individuals living in squatter settlements in the wealthy East Legon suburb explored: (1) roots of homelessness; (2) everyday experiences and coping strategies; (3) relationship between experiences and (mental) health; (4) needs and interventions. Three intersecting forms of insecurity framed participants' everyday experience: financial, legal and psychosocial. Physical and psychological stresses were common; physical illnesses rare. Coping strategies facilitated adaptation but not transformation of everyday circumstances. We explore possibilities for intervention and discuss relevance of this study to the health psychology and African literatures on homelessness.
Outcomes of a Brief Sexual Health Intervention for Homeless Youth
Authors: Rew Lynn , Fouladi Rachel T. , Land Lee , Wong Y. Joel
Published: September 2007

Homeless youth face various health challenges. The effectiveness of a short intervention to promote sexual health in 572 homeless 16—23-year-olds ( M = 19.467+1.89) was conducted using a quasi-experimental repeated measures design. Data collected at three time points (pre-intervention, immediately post-intervention and follow-up) via laptop computers were analyzed using multivariate general linear mixed models. A significant condition by time interaction was found for self-reported AIDS/STD knowledge; intervention participants had higher scores at first post-test. Females scored significantly higher on cognitive and behavioral outcomes while males reported significantly more sexual risk-taking behaviors. Findings support gender-specific interventions.
In the shadow of penal law
Authors: Tränkle Stefanie
Published: September 2007

This article aims to demonstrate that German and French Victim—Offender Mediation schemes (VOM), in contrary to mainstream opinion, do not seem to work but face enormous problems, which prevent the procedure from putting into practice its intended aims. In her qualitative study on VOM, the author evaluated the interaction process between participants and mediators from a micro-sociological point of view. Based on that evaluation, it is suggested that VOM is not able to put into practice its specific modus operandi within the framework of a penal procedure.
Envisioning futures of African agriculture
Authors: deGrassi Aaron
Published: September 2007

Concern about the future of agriculture, particularly in Africa, has mounted again in recent years. This paper reviews applications of innovative methods for planning for the future – including scenario planning, future search, search conference, appreciative inquiry, and open space technology – and notes some limitations. Pro-poor planning for the future requires contextualising recent concerns within broader research about time, society and power, which emphasises that visions of the future are socially constructed, and hence inseparable from contemporary politics.
Improving the efficiency of estimation in randomized trials of adaptive treatment strategies
Authors: Lavori Philip W , Dawson Ree
Published: September 2007

Background Given the history of treatments to date, and the responses of the patient, what is the best treatment to try next? An ensemble of sequential, multistage rules guiding such adaptive decision making can be described as an `adaptive treatment strategy (ATS)'. Robins' G-computation can be used for estimation of the mean outcome of an ATS from a `sequential multiple assignment randomized (SMAR)' trial.

Purpose To develop a variance estimate for the G-computation formula, based on a sequential analysis of the states and treatments observed in the trial, and compare its properties with those of the `marginal mean' method described by Murphy, which is based on an estimating equation.

Methods We use both mathematical calculation and simulation studies to demonstrate the properties of the G-computation and its sequential variance estimate, including finite-sample bias and coverage.

Results The sequential method is unbiased and more efficient when the variation in intervening states contributes substantially to the variation in final outcome, and when the study can be designed to guarantee full observation of the ATS under study. The method extends to the comparison of two or more ATS.

Limitations If full observation cannot be guaranteed, the method may have poor finite-sample properties.

Conclusions When the states used to adapt treatment contribute substantially to the outcome, and good design technique can be applied, the sequential method provides more efficient estimation. Clinical Trials 2007; 4: 297—308. http://ctj.sagepub.com
Noncompliance in cancer screening trials
Authors: Gareen Ilana F.
Published: September 2007

Background Randomized trials evaluating new cancer screening technologies may underestimate the efficacy of screening to reduce cancer mortality if study participants are noncompliant. Participants may fail to comply with the screening itself or fail to obtain appropriate diagnostic follow-up and treatment. Noncompliance with screening has drawn wide attention, but little attention has been paid to noncompliance with diagnostic follow-up and treatment.

Purpose To examine the importance of noncompliance with screening, follow-up, and treatment in cancer screening trials.

Methods The unique problems associated with noncompliance in screening trials are described and provide an example illustrating the potential impact of noncompliance in a screening trial. I discuss issues that arise with measurement of follow-up and therapeutic noncompliance, and the benefit of collecting information on health system and participant characteristics associated with noncompliance.

Results The estimate of the efficacy of a screening program on cancer mortality can be adjusted for screening, follow-up, and treatment noncompliance. Noncompliance needs to be measured in a rigorous, systematic manner across all arms of the trial. Information on health system and participant characteristics associated with compliance may also be incorporated into statistical models to estimate screening effects with full compliance, plan interventions to increase compliance, and extrapolate results of screening trials from one population to another.

Limitations Measuring compliance with follow-up and treatment can be difficult when these occur outside the trial, and when there is variation among providers in follow-up and treatment practices.

Conclusions Noncompliance may alter the estimate of a screening effect on cancer mortality in clinical trials. It is possible to adjust screening efficacy estimates for noncompliance using existing statistical techniques. It is important that data describing compliance with screening, follow-up, and treatment are collected as part of standard data collection in cancer screening trials. Clinical Trials 2007; 4: 341—349. http://ctj.sagepub.com
Leaders as Researchers
Authors: Coleman Andy
Published: September 2007

This article explores the history of practitioner-based enquiry in education and the degree to which in bridges the gap between leadership research and leadership practice. In doing so it draws on the findings from an evaluation of NCSL's Research Associate Programme. Several key drivers are identified behind the increased interest in practitioner-based enquiry, these being school based curriculum reform, the reconceptualization of the notion of professionalism, increased commitment to continued professional development and greater interest in action research. The article then explores the potential benefits of practitioner enquiry at the individual, school and system levels. It also reviews the potential challenges facing practitioner researchers and the strategies adopted by NCSL in response to these. The article concludes by highlighting the value of practitioner enquiry in encouraging reflection and school leadership is an evidence based profession.
Imagine `Meadfield'
Authors: Willoughby Glyn , Tosey Paul
Published: September 2007

This article examines an application of appreciative inquiry (AI), a contemporary approach to organizational change that is increasingly evident in the business world, as a participative means of school improvement. AI appears relevant to contemporary themes in literature on school improvement such as self-evaluation, capacity-building and distributed forms of leadership. AI is introduced and its literature reviewed, with reference to its growing use both in business and in American schools. The authors then report on `Imagine Meadfield', the first known large-scale appreciative inquiry undertaken in an English secondary school, with particular reference to the experience of the head teacher (first author) who led this process. The article critically reviews this experience in order to assess the potential of AI for school improvement.
The TCL1 oncoprotein inhibits activation-induced cell death by impairing PKCθ and ERK pathways
Authors: Despouy Gilles , Joiner Marjorie , Le Toriellec Emilie , Weil Robert , Stern Marc Henri
Published: September 2007

The TCL1/MTCP1 oncogenes were identified on the basis of their involvement in T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia (T-PLL). TCL1 and MTCP1 proteins directly interact with AKT and modulate the AKT signal-transduction pathway, but the relevance of this mechanism in leukemogenesis remains unclear. We investigate the biologic functions of TCL1 in the T-cell lineage using various cell lines, and primary malignant and normal lymphocytes. In the Jurkat cell line, expression of TCL1 had no effect in unstimulated cells, whereas it abrogated activation-induced cell death (AICD). These cellular effects were concomitant with a major inhibition by TCL1 of PKCθ and ERK pathways. Secondly, the TCL1-driven T-cell leukemia cell line SUP-T11 was shown to have impaired PKCθ and ERK phosphorylation upon stimulation, which were restored by TCL1 inhibition using RNA interference. Finally, defects in these pathways were also observed in primary malignant (T-PLL) and transduced normal T lymphocytes expressing TCL1. Altogether, our data demonstrated that TCL1 inhibits AICD in T cells by blocking PKCθ and ERK activation, upon cellular activation.
The new tumor-suppressor gene inhibitor of growth family member 4 (ING4) regulates the production of proangiogenic molecules by myeloma cells and suppresses hypoxia-inducible factor-1 α (HIF-1α) activity: involvement in myeloma-induced angiogenesis
Authors: Colla Simona , Tagliaferri Sara , Morandi Francesca , Lunghi Paolo , Donofrio Gaetano , Martorana Davide , Mancini Cristina , Lazzaretti Mirca , Mazzera Laura , Ravanetti Lara , Bonomini Sabrina , Ferrari Luca , Miranda Claudia , Ladetto Marco , Neri Tauro Maria , Neri Antonino , Greco Angela , Mangoni Marcellina , Bonati Antonio , Rizzoli Vittorio , Giuliani Nicola
Published: September 2007

Angiogenesis has a critical role in the pathophysiology of multiple myeloma (MM); however, the molecular mechanisms underlying this process are not completely elucidated. The new tumor-suppressor gene inhibitor of growth family member 4 (ING4) has been recently implicated in solid tumors as a repressor of angiogenesis. In this study, we found that ING4 expression in MM cells was correlated with the expression of the proangiogenic molecules interleukin-8 (IL-8) and osteopontin (OPN). Moreover, we demonstrate that ING4 suppression in MM cells up-regulated IL-8 and OPN, increasing the hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) activity and its target gene NIP-3 expression in hypoxic condition. In turn, we show that the inhibition of HIF-1α by siRNA suppressed IL-8 and OPN production by MM cells under hypoxia. A direct interaction between ING4 and the HIF prolyl hydroxylase 2 (HPH-2) was also demonstrated. Finally, we show that ING4 suppression in MM cells significantly increased vessel formation in vitro, blunted by blocking IL-8 or OPN. These in vitro observations were confirmed in vivo by finding that MM patients with high IL-8 production and microvascular density (MVD) have significantly lower ING4 levels compared with those with low IL-8 and MVD. Our data indicate that ING4 exerts an inhibitory effect on the production of proangiogenic molecules and consequently on MM-induced angiogenesis.
A novel approach to detect hot-spots in large-scale multivariate data
Authors: Wu Jianhua , Kendrick Keith M , Feng Jianfeng
Published: September 2007

Background

Progressive advances in the measurement of complex multifactorial components of biological processes involving both spatial and temporal domains have made it difficult to identify the variables (genes, proteins, neurons etc.) significantly changed activities in response to a stimulus within large data sets using conventional statistical approaches. The set of all changed variables is termed hot-spots. The detection of such hot spots is considered to be an NP hard problem, but by first establishing its theoretical foundation we have been able to develop an algorithm that provides a solution.

Results

Our results show that a first-order phase transition is observable whose critical point separates the hot-spot set from the remaining variables. Its application is also found to be more successful than existing approaches in identifying statistically significant hot-spots both with simulated data sets and in real large-scale multivariate data sets from gene arrays, electrophysiological recording and functional magnetic resonance imaging experiments.

Conclusion

In summary, this new statistical algorithm should provide a powerful new analytical tool to extract the maximum information from complex biological multivariate data.
How to decide which are the most pertinent overly-represented features during gene set enrichment analysis
Authors: Barriot Roland , Sherman David J , Dutour Isabelle
Published: September 2007

Background

The search for enriched features has become widely used to characterize a set of genes or proteins. A key aspect of this technique is its ability to identify correlations amongst heterogeneous data such as Gene Ontology annotations, gene expression data and genome location of genes. Despite the rapid growth of available data, very little has been proposed in terms of formalization and optimization. Additionally, current methods mainly ignore the structure of the data which causes results redundancy. For example, when searching for enrichment in GO terms, genes can be annotated with multiple GO terms and should be propagated to the more general terms in the Gene Ontology. Consequently, the gene sets often overlap partially or totally, and this causes the reported enriched GO terms to be both numerous and redundant, hence, overwhelming the researcher with non-pertinent information. This situation is not unique, it arises whenever some hierarchical clustering is performed (e.g. based on the gene expression profiles), the extreme case being when genes that are neighbors on the chromosomes are considered.

Results

We present a generic framework to efficiently identify the most pertinent over-represented features in a set of genes. We propose a formal representation of gene sets based on the theory of partially ordered sets (posets), and give a formal definition of target set pertinence. Algorithms and compact representations of target sets are provided for the generation and the evaluation of the pertinent target sets. The relevance of our method is illustrated through the search for enriched GO annotations in the proteins involved in a multiprotein complex. The results obtained demonstrate the gain in terms of pertinence (up to 64% redundancy removed), space requirements (up to 73% less storage) and efficiency (up to 98% less comparisons).

Conclusion

The generic framework presented in this article provides a formal approach to adequately represent available data and efficiently search for pertinent over-represented features in a set of genes or proteins. The formalism and the pertinence definition can be directly used by most of the methods and tools currently available for feature enrichment analysis.
Comparison of Bayesian and frequentist approaches in modelling risk of preterm birth near the Sydney Tar Ponds, Nova Scotia, Canada
Authors: Ismaila Afisi S , Canty Angelo , Thabane Lehana
Published: September 2007

Background

This study compares the Bayesian and frequentist (non-Bayesian) approaches in the modelling of the association between the risk of preterm birth and maternal proximity to hazardous waste and pollution from the Sydney Tar Pond site in Nova Scotia, Canada.

Methods

The data includes 1604 observed cases of preterm birth out of a total population of 17559 at risk of preterm birth from 144 enumeration districts in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality. Other covariates include the distance from the Tar Pond; the rate of unemployment to population; the proportion of persons who are separated, divorced or widowed; the proportion of persons who have no high school diploma; the proportion of persons living alone; the proportion of single parent families and average income. Bayesian hierarchical Poisson regression, quasi-likelihood Poisson regression and weighted linear regression models were fitted to the data.

Results

The results of the analyses were compared together with their limitations.

Conclusion

The results of the weighted linear regression and the quasi-likelihood Poisson regression agrees with the result from the Bayesian hierarchical modelling which incorporates the spatial effects.