bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Performance of p16/Ki-67 Immunostaining to Detect Cervical Cancer Precursors in a Colposcopy Referral Population
Authors: Wentzensen Nicolas , Schwartz Lauren , Zuna Rosemary E. , Smith Katie , Mathews Cara , Gold Michael A. , Allen R. Andy , Zhang Roy , Dunn S. Terence , Walker Joan L. , Schiffman Mark
Published: June 2012

Purpose: Cytology-based screening has limited sensitivity to detect prevalent cervical precancers. Human papilloma virus (HPV) DNA testing is highly sensitive and provides a high, long-term reassurance of low risk of cervical cancer. However, the specificity of HPV DNA testing is limited, requiring additional, more disease-specific markers for efficient screening approaches.

Experimental Design: Liquid-based cytology samples were collected from 625 women referred to colposcopy. A slide was stained using the CINtec plus cytology assay. Pap cytology and HPV genotyping were conducted from the same vial. Clinical performance characteristics were calculated for all women, stratified by age, and for women referred with a low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL) Pap.

Results: p16/Ki-67 positivity increased with histologic severity, from 26.8% in normal histology, 46.5% in CIN1, 82.8% in CIN2 to 92.8% in CIN3. Among women with CIN3, p16/Ki-67 positivity increased from 77.8% for women younger than 30 years without HPV16 to 100% for women 30 years and older with HPV16. The sensitivity and specificity to detect CIN3+ were 93.2% and 46.1%, respectively, and increased to 97.2% and 60.0% among women 30 years and older. In women with high-risk (HR)-HPV–positive atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US) and LSIL, sensitivity and specificity for detection of CIN3 were 90.6% and 48.6%, respectively.

Conclusions: p16/Ki-67 testing could reduce referral to colposcopy by almost half while detecting the most severe cases of CIN3. The high sensitivity of p16/Ki-67 with significantly improved specificity compared with HPV testing makes p16/Ki-67 a viable option for LSIL triage. Further studies are required to evaluate p16/Ki-67 as triage marker in HPV-based screening strategies. Clin Cancer Res; 18(15); 4154–62. ©2012 AACR.
Inhibition of Histone Deacetylation Potentiates the Evolution of Acquired Temozolomide Resistance Linked to MGMT Upregulation in Glioblastoma Xenografts
Authors: Kitange Gaspar J. , Mladek Ann C. , Carlson Brett L. , Schroeder Mark A. , Pokorny Jenny L. , Cen Ling , Decker Paul A. , Wu Wenting , Lomberk Gwen A. , Gupta Shiv K. , Urrutia Raul A. , Sarkaria Jann N.
Published: June 2012

Purpose: The therapeutic benefit of temozolomide in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is limited by resistance. The goal of this study was to elucidate mechanisms of temozolomide resistance in GBM.

Experimental Design: We developed an in vivo GBM model of temozolomide resistance and used paired parental and temozolomide-resistant tumors to define the mechanisms underlying the development of resistance and the influence of histone deacetylation (HDAC) inhibition.

Results: Analysis of paired parental and resistant lines showed upregulation of O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) expression in 3 of the 5 resistant xenografts. While no significant change was detected in MGMT promoter methylation between parental and derivative-resistant samples, chromatin immunoprecipitation showed an association between MGMT upregulation and elevated acetylation of lysine 9 of histone H3 (H3K9-ac) and decreased dimethylation (H3K9-me2) in GBM12 and GBM14. In contrast, temozolomide resistance development in GBM22 was not linked to MGMT expression, and both parental and resistant lines had low H3K9-ac and high H3K9-me2 within the MGMT promoter. In the GBM12TMZ-resistant line, MGMT reexpression was accompanied by increased recruitment of SP1, C-JUN, NF-κB, and p300 within the MGMT promoter. Interestingly, combined treatment of GBM12 flank xenografts with temozolomide and the HDAC inhibitor suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA) favored the evolution of temozolomide resistance by MGMT overexpression as compared with treatment with temozolomide alone.

Conclusion: This study shows, for the first time, a unique mechanism of temozolomide resistance development driven by chromatin-mediated MGMT upregulation and highlights the potential for epigenetically directed therapies to influence the mechanisms of resistance development in GBM. Clin Cancer Res; 18(15); 4070–9. ©2012 AACR.
Pretreatment EBV-DNA Copy Number Is Predictive of Response and Toxicities to SMILE Chemotherapy for Extranodal NK/T-cell Lymphoma, Nasal Type
Authors: Ito Yoshinori , Kimura Hiroshi , Maeda Yoshinobu , Hashimoto Chizuko , Ishida Fumihiro , Izutsu Koji , Fukushima Noriyasu , Isobe Yasushi , Takizawa Jun , Hasegawa Yuichi , Kobayashi Hajime , Okamura Seiichi , Kobayashi Hikaru , Yamaguchi Motoko , Suzumiya Junji , Hyo Rie , Nakamura Shigeo , Kawa Keisei , Oshimi Kazuo , Suzuki Ritsuro
Published: June 2012

Purpose: Extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type (ENKL) is an Epstein–Barr virus (EBV)–associated lymphoma for which a new chemotherapeutic regimen called SMILE (steroid, methotrexate, ifosfamide, l-asparaginase, and etoposide) recently showed promising results.

Experimental Design: The amount of EBV-DNA was prospectively measured in whole-blood and plasma samples by real-time quantitative PCR from 26 patients registered in the SMILE phase II study.

Results: Before treatment, the EBV-DNA was detected in 22 samples of whole blood with a median number of 3,691 copies/mL (range: 0–1.14 × 107), but 15 samples of plasma with a median of 867 copies/mL (range: 0–1.27 × 107). Results of these 2 measurements of EBV-DNA well correlated (R2 = 0.994, P < 0.001). The overall response rate to SMILE was significantly higher in patients with less than 105 copies/mL of EBV-DNA in whole blood at enrollment (90% vs. 20%, P = 0.007) and in patients with less than 104 copies/mL of EBV-DNA in plasma (95% vs. 29%, P = 0.002). The incidence of grade 4 toxicity of SMILE other than leukopenia/neutropenia was significantly higher in patients with 105 copies/mL of EBV-DNA or more in whole blood (100% vs. 29%, P = 0.007) than that of others and in patients with 104 copies/mL or more in plasma (86% vs. 26%, P = 0.002).

Conclusions: These findings suggest that whole blood is more sensitive for clinical use than plasma. The EBV-DNA amount in whole blood was useful for predicting tumor response, toxicity, and prognosis after SMILE chemotherapy for ENKL. Clin Cancer Res; 18(15); 4183–90. ©2012 AACR.
Coarctation of the Aorta and Coronary Artery Disease
Authors: Roifman Idan , Therrien Judith , Ionescu-Ittu Raluca , Pilote Louise , Guo Liming , Kotowycz Mark A. , Martucci Giuseppe , Marelli Ariane J.
Published: June 2012

Background—

Aortic coarctation (CoA) is reported to predispose to coronary artery disease (CAD). However, our clinical observations do not support this premise. Our objectives were to describe the prevalence of CAD among adults with CoA and to determine whether CoA is an independent predictor of CAD or premature CAD.

Methods and Results—

The study population was derived from the Quebec Congenital Heart Disease Database. We compared patients with CoA and those with a ventricular septal defect, who are not known to be at increased risk of CAD. The prevalence of CAD in patients with CoA compared with those with ventricular septal defect was determined. We then used a nested case-control design to determine whether CoA independently predicted for the development of CAD. Of 756 patients with CoA who were alive in 2005, 37 had a history of CAD compared with 224 of 6481 patients with ventricular septal defect (4.9% versus 3.5%;
P
=0.04). Male sex (odds ratio [OR], 2.13; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.62–2.80), hypertension (OR, 1.95; 95% CI, 1.44–2.64), diabetes mellitus (OR, 1.68; 95% CI, 1.09–2.58), age (OR per 10-year increase, 2.28; 95% CI, 2.09–2.48), and hyperlipidemia (OR, 11.58; 95% CI, 5.75–23.3) all independently predicted for the development of CAD. CoA did not independently predict for the development of CAD (OR, 1.04; 95% CI, 0.68–1.57) or premature CAD (OR for CoA versus ventricular septal defect, 1.44; 95% CI, 0.79–2.64) after adjustment for other factors.

Conclusions—

Although traditional cardiovascular risk factors independently predicted for the development of CAD, the diagnosis of CoA alone did not. Our findings suggest that cardiovascular outcomes of these patients may be improved with tight risk factor control.
Secret Peace Overtures, the Holocaust, and Allied Strategy vis-à-vis Germany: Hungary in the Vortex of World War II
Authors: Borhi László
Published: June 2012

This article explores how the U.S. and British governments' wartime strategy against Germany affected their policies toward Hungary, a country that had allied itself with Germany when World War II began. U.S. and British leaders wanted to facilitate an Allied landing on the French coast by diverting German troops to other theaters, thinning them out as much as possible. To this end, the United States and Britain were cool toward Hungary's peace overtures in 1943 and were willing to brook Germany's military incursions into Hungary and Romania in 1944 because German troops operating there could not be quickly redeployed to the west. Germany's occupation of those two countries led to the destruction of what remained of the once-large Jewish communities there, a tragic price that Allied leaders were ultimately willing to risk. The failure of Hungary's secret peace overtures also contributed to the later Soviet occupation of Hungary and the grim fate that befell the country after the war.
Exploiting the Exiles: Soviet Émigrés in U.S. Cold War Strategy
Authors: Mikkonen Simo
Published: June 2012

This article discusses the abortive U.S. government effort to organize Soviet émigrés after World War II. After years of a lack of interest on the part of both the United States and the Soviet Union, Soviet émigrés and émigré politics came to the fore with the onset of the Cold War. The U.S. government sought to use émigrés in political and psychological warfare against the Soviet bloc. The many studies that have looked at Cold War-era psychological warfare have largely ignored U.S. plans to enlist Soviet émigrés on the West's behalf. Attempts to create a political forum for anti-Bolshevik Soviet émigrés were broader than have been understood thus far, revealing important information about the postwar emigration from the Soviet Union, the émigrés' role in the Cold War in general, and the development of U.S. Cold War strategies in relation to the émigrés.
Review Essay: The Russian View(s) of the Prague Spring
Authors: Williams Kieran
Published: June 2012

This essay discusses five recently published volumes dealing with the Prague Spring of 1968 and the Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia. These volumes mark the first extensive involvement by Russian scholars and archivists in historical assessments of the Soviet-Czechoslovak crisis. Reams of declassified documents and analytical essays in four of the volumes illuminate the events of 1968 and add details and nuances, but they do not alter the basic interpretations developed by Western scholars in earlier decades. The fifth volume, put out by the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD), says more about the mentality of the Putin-era MVD than about the events of 1968.
Assets, Capitals, and Resources
Authors: Owen John R. , Kemp Deanna
Published: June 2012

The community mining space remains contested for a range of complex reasons. This inherently difficult discursive space is made most apparent in the context of international development where mining is often viewed as a potential lever in the effort to lift poorer nations out of poverty. In this article, the authors offer a critical review of community development (CD) approaches that are currently being applied by the mining sector. While the authors acknowledge recent positive developments in this domain, there remains a good deal of scope for improving the internal standing of, and the external influence over, CD practice in mining. Drawing on the contemporary CD literature, the authors assert “assets” as one possible heurism for enhancing this discursive space by highlighting the ways in which community and company representatives may be able to participate more actively in dialogical processes—both between and within company and community—where development discourse is not prefigured or biased against participating parties.
Democratizing Corporate Governance
Authors: Scherer Andreas Georg , Baumann-Pauly Dorothée , Schneider Anselm
Published: June 2012

This article addresses the democratic deficit that emerges when private corporations engage in public policy, either by providing citizenship rights and global public goods (corporate citizenship) or by influencing the political system and lobbying for their economic interests (strategic corporate political activities). This democratic deficit is significant, especially when multinational corporations operate in locations where national governance mechanisms are weak or even fail, where the rule of law is absent and there is a lack of democratic control. This deficit may lead to a decline in the social acceptance of the business firm and its corporate political activities and, thus, to a loss of corporate legitimacy. Under these conditions corporations may compensate for the emerging democratic deficit and reestablish their legitimacy by internalizing democratic mechanisms within their organizations, in particular in their corporate governance structures and procedures. The authors analyze the available corporate governance models with the help of a typology and discuss the possible contributions of a new form of democratic corporate governance.
The Sports Participation Effect on Educational Attainment of Black Males
Authors: Harris Paul C.
Published: June 2012

The purpose of this study is to explore the direct, indirect, and total effects of high school sports participation on educational attainment for Black males using the Educational Longitudinal Study (2002/2006), a large, nationally representative, database. A path analysis procedure for determining underlying causal relationships between variables is presented. Although the implications of the results of this study are relevant for all who work with this population, school counselors are specifically highlighted.
Factors Influencing Adults’ Environmental Attitudes and Behaviors and the Role of Environmental Schools in Influencing Their Communities
Authors: Eilam Efrat , Trop Tamar
Published: June 2012

The present study revisits a subfield of environmental education: significant life experiences, which studies the influences that shape the development of environmental stewardship. In the present study, we examine the effect of various formative experiences on a group of adults and analyze the role of school, as a formative influence on the parents of the students. By employing factor analysis, we were able to differentiate between groups of variables influencing attitudes and those influencing behavior. Cluster analysis enabled us to differentiate between types of respondents in accordance to their responsiveness to influencing experiences. The results draw attention to (a) the different pathways by which environmental attitudes and behaviors are influenced; (b) the important role of the inner self (“personality”) in organizing and giving meaning to all other formative influences; and (c) the effectiveness of environmental schools in urban communities in Israel, in influencing the behavior of students’ parents.
The Development of Healthcare Chaplaincy
Authors: Kelly Ewan
Published: June 2012

Healthcare chaplaincy is going through a period of considerable challenge amidst current financial austerity within public sector provision. However, such cutbacks have sharpened the need for chaplains not only to show that their practice enhances the wellbeing of service users, their carers, staff and organisations but that their contribution is unique and value for the tax payers’ money. This article seeks to enable readers to understand more fully the different roles healthcare chaplain play as an increasingly integrated aspect of healthcare provision. It also describes the need for chaplains to be proficient in the language of healthcare culture as well as pastoral theology and why reflective practice is key to person-centred spiritual care.
Genesis 37-50: The Story of Jacob and His Sons in Light of the Primary Narrative (Genesis ~ 2 Kings)
Authors: Kim Dohyung
Published: June 2012

Genesis 37 to 50 is traditionally known as the story of Joseph, or sometimes referred to as the story of Israel (Jacob)-Joseph. It seems that these two fathers are considered to be the main characters, and their influence predominates in various ways within the storyline of the novella. In this article, I challenge the titles traditionally given to the story because they do not fit into the wider context of the Primary Narrative (Genesis ~ 2 Kings). Chapters 37-50 do not merely focus on Joseph or Jacob, but also have an interest in other characters and a wider perspective. This is the reason, for instance, why a chapter such as Genesis 38, and the characters Judah and Tamar, exists in the present form in their stories. These considerations lead me to propose a more suitable title for this section of narrative, that is, The Story of Jacob and His Sons. Reframing these chapters in this way assists the reader in understanding how the multiple threads of the subsequent narratives are to be combined.
Ambivalence and fluidity in the teenage smoking and quitting experience: Lessons from a qualitative study at an English secondary school
Authors: Buswell Marina , Duncan Peter
Published: June 2012

Objective:

To evaluate a school-based stop smoking pilot project and to understand the teenage experience of smoking and quitting within that context.

Design:

Flexible design methods.

Setting:

A Kent (United Kingdom [UK]) secondary school.

Methods:

Semi-structured interviews analyzed following a grounded theory approach.

Results:

The main themes that emerged were ambivalence and fluidity. Young people can have mixed feelings towards their smoking behaviour. They experience ambivalence at the societal level in the messages they get about starting and stopping smoking and at the individual level in how they feel about other people smoking. Ambivalence in the quitting process is intensified by the phenomenon of addiction. Fluidity characterizes their way of life; things are not fixed and arrangements open to change. This was reflected in the way they approached coming to appointments.

Conclusion:

This research contributes a new perspective on the teenage smoking and quitting experience which others working in the field may find useful in characterizing their experience of working with young people. This ambivalence and fluidity suggests that a flexible approach in interventions with young people may be a key to success.
Thermal and mechanical properties of maize fibres–high density polyethylene biocomposites
Authors: Trigui Abdelwaheb , Karkri Mustapha , Peña Laura , Boudaya Chokri , Candau Yves , Bouffi Sami , Vilaseca Fabiola
Published: June 2012

In recent years, considerable attention has been given to the development and utilization of natural fibres. This study examines the thermal properties of maize thermomechanical fibre reinforced high density polyethylene composites with competitive mechanical properties. The composites were produced by six different steps, namely: drying, cutting, mixing, compounding, pelletizing and injection moulding. Composite samples with fibre contents in the range 10–40 wt% were chosen to observe their effect on thermal and mechanical properties as the fibre content was increased. Measurements of thermophysical properties were obtained using periodic temperature ramp method. The material characterization was performed on a temperature range that extends from −20℃ to 120℃. It was found that the thermal conductivity and diffusivity of the composites decrease with fibre loading. The results showed that when the temperature is increased, a significant increase of both thermal effusivity and the factor [Formula: see text] was observed. A high-quality dispersion and adhesion of maize fibre in the high density polyethylene matrix was indicated by scanning electron microscopy. Good mechanical performance of the obtained composites was established considering the stress transfer at fibre–matrix interface.
Biodegradable polyvinyl alcohol nanocomposites made from rice straw fibrils: Mechanical and thermal properties
Authors: Wu Yan , Wang Siqun , Zhou Dingguo , Zhang Yang , Wang Xin , Yang Rui
Published: June 2012

Rice straw ( Oryza sativa L.) pulp was treated using a high-pressure homogenizer to make fibril and fibril aggregates. The rice straw fibril and fibril aggregate material was used as reinforcement in a rice straw fibril and fibril aggregates/polyvinyl alcohol nanocomposite that was prepared by casting film under air-dry and freezing–thawing conditions, respectively. The material’s tensile strength was increased by adding the rice straw fibril and fibril aggregates material into the polyvinyl alcohol matrix. The mechanical properties were higher in rice straw fibril and fibril aggregates/polyvinyl alcohol nanocomposites cast under freezing–thawing conditions than those casting under air-drying conditions. Dynamic thermomechanical analysis testing showed that the storage modulus ( E′) of the rice straw fibril and fibril aggregates/polyvinyl alcohol nanocomposites was higher than that of polyvinyl alcohol alone when 2% rice straw fibril and fibril aggregates material was added into the polyvinyl alcohol matrix. The glass transition temperature ( Tg) rose in neat polyvinyl alcohol and rice straw fibril and fibril aggregates/polyvinyl alcohol nanocomposites cast under freezing–thawing conditions. Differential scanning calorimetry analysis revealed that the melting temperature ( Tm), melting enthalpy (Δ HC) and crystallinity ( XC) in rice straw fibril and fibril aggregates/polyvinyl alcohol nanocomposites increased to higher values compared to those in neat polyvinyl alcohol when cast under the two conditions. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that the polymer matrixes were stabilized against thermal decomposition by the addition of rice straw fibril and fibril aggregates. The shift of the –OH stretching peak of rice straw fibril and fibril aggregates/polyvinyl alcohol nanocomposites in Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy spectra indicated a good compatibility between rice straw fibril and fibril aggregates and the polyvinyl alcohol matrix in nanocomposites.
Experimental investigation into the post-filling stage of the resin infusion process
Authors: Govignon Q , Bickerton S , Kelly PA
Published: June 2012

The resin infusion process has developed as a low-cost method to produce large composite parts in low to medium quantities. Although the process is conceptually simple, the effects of many of the processing parameters on the post-filling stage of the process are not well understood. Most manufacturers tend to develop their approach to infusion process through trial and error, and then adhere to their ‘secret recipe’ without knowledge of the effect of each parameter. This paper describes an experimental investigation of the controllable process parameters and their effect on the final laminate composition, by monitoring local fluid pressure and full field laminate thickness data through the filling and post-filling stages. From the understanding of the effect of each parameter, guidelines are drawn to help manufacturers to optimise their process. The effect of using a ‘brake’ between the part and the vent are evaluated, and the benefits of turning the inlet into a vent at the onset of post-filling are highlighted together with methods of gaining some control on the final laminate fibre volume fraction.
Thermal and decay-resistance properties of tropical wood–plastic composites
Authors: Islam Md Saiful , Hamdan Sinin , Sobuz Habibur Rahman , Rahman Rezaur , Ahmed Abu Saleh
Published: June 2012

This investigation concerns about the thermal and decay resistance properties of tropical wood polymer composites. Wood polymer composites were prepared from several types of tropical wood species by impregnating the woods with ethyl methacrylate that was combined with a cross-linker, hexamethylene diisocyanate. Thermal properties of wood polymer composites in terms of thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry were evaluated, and an improvement in thermal stability was found on ethyl methacrylate and ethyl methacrylate–hexamethylene diisocyanate treatment. A significant improvement in decay resistance was also identified in wood polymer composites that were treated with ethyl methacrylate, and also, with ethyl methacrylate–hexamethylene diisocyanate. The improvement in properties was observed as more potential with ethyl methacrylate–hexamethylene diisocyanate combination rather than ethyl methacrylate.
Determinants of the Attempting and Outcome of Coups d’état
Authors: Powell Jonathan
Published: June 2012

Previous studies have attested to leaders “coup-proofing” their regimes by reducing the ability or disposition of their armies to seek their removal. The following article tests the utility of these efforts. “Structural” coup-proofing such as counterbalancing is expected to reduce the ability to organize a coup plot by creating substantial coordination obstacles to soldiers. Coup-proofing by spoiling militaries with organizational resources is expected to reduce the willingness to intervene. However, increased organizational resources are expected to increase the army’s capabilities, thereby increasing the likelihood of a coup’s success. The theory is empirically tested using a selection model with a global sample from 1961 to 2000. Findings suggest that both coup-proofing strategies are effective deterrents of coup activity and, more generally, that characteristics of the military appear to be far more important than economic influences on coups.
Effect of Reveromycin A on Experimental Tooth Movement in OPG−/− Mice
Authors: Tanaka M. , Miyazawa K. , Tabuchi M. , Yabumoto T. , Kadota M. , Yoshizako M. , Yamane C. , Kawatani M. , Osada H. , Maeda H. , Goto S.
Published: June 2012

In osteoprotegerin-deficient (OPG−/−) mice, osteoclast activity causes bone resorption to outpace bone formation, leading to the development of severe osteoporosis. Such mice are therefore useful for investigating the alveolar bone of patients with osteoporosis. Reveromycin A (RM-A) was recently identified as the unique agent acting on osteoclast activation. This study aimed to analyze the effect of RM-A on the orthodontic treatment of OPG−/− mice (a model of osteoporosis patients with high levels of bone turnover). We examined alveolar bone remodeling in OPG−/− and wild-type (WT) mice during continuous tooth movement. The orthodontic force was induced by means of a Ni-Ti closed-coil spring to move the maxillary first molar for 14 days. RM-A sodium salt (1 mg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally twice daily. In OPG−/− mice, the tooth movement distance was longer, alveolar bone resorption was enhanced, the osteoclast count was greater, and serum alkaline phosphatase and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase levels were higher relative to those in WT mice. However, the administration of RM-A in OPG−/− mice reduced these parameters. We conclude that RM-A normalizes bone metabolism and loss of alveolar bone during continuous tooth movement in OPG−/− mice.
La conscience éthique restaurée des Entrepreneurs et Dirigeants Chrétiens
Authors: de Brémond d’Ars Nicolas
Published: June 2012

The Entrepreneurs et Dirigeants Chrétiens (Christian Entrepreneurs and Directors) movement is an effective institutional response to the gulf between the economic and the religious domains in France. The members cite personal testimony and experience instead of doctrine. The movement is structured according to the old division of religious labour: it distributes the symbolic goods of baptism. In this sense, one can say that the EDC is a ‘brotherhood of Christian executives’.
Towards a new political economy of religion: reflections on Marion Maddox and Nicolas de Bremond d’Ars
Authors: Martikainen Tuomas
Published: June 2012

The author offers a commentary on Marion Maddox’s and Nicolas de Bremond d’Ars’s articles in this journal. He suggests that taking into account macro-level changes in political economy is the key to understanding many current debates in the sociology of religion. He situates the Maddox and de Bremond d’Ars texts in the context of contemporary scholarship on religion and economy and discusses whether a new political economy of religions is emerging with reference to a growing economic reasoning among religions, new forms of religion and Church–State relations. The author raises many questions on the nature of contemporary religious change and the specific role of global capitalism and neoliberalism. He also suggests that religions will both adapt to and take advantage of the new state of affairs.
Market and money: a critique of rational choice theory
Authors: van der Veer Peter
Published: June 2012

The author argues that market theories of religion based on the notion of ‘rational choice’ do not contribute to our understanding of the transcendental value of money and markets in our social life. Such theories depend on too narrow an interpretation of ‘rationality’ and neglect the importance of enchantment in financial transactions, consumption patterns, and religious life. The author uses studies of religion in China and South Asia to illustrate his theoretical position.
Les croyances religieuses sont-elles des croyances comme les autres ?
Authors: Cuin Charles-Henry
Published: June 2012

Can the ‘continuity thesis’ upheld by R Boudon – that rationality is an undivided and permanent property of human thought in all fields in which it operates – include religious beliefs, which are often viewed as those most unrelated to any rationality ? The author will begin by distinguishing two types of reason for endorsing a belief, that is for holding a statement to be true or likely. The first type concerns the processes by which a belief is acquired, and are therefore exterior to it ; the second are independent of the acquisition process, and concern cognitive processes used to test the internal contents of this belief. In the latter case, probably the more characteristic of our societies, the author will examine the rationality of the arguments most often used by believers themselves in order to justify their adherence to beliefs : the cognitive argument of the evidence for them and the instrumental argument of their practical efficacy. Then the author will try to determine to what extent these arguments are consistent with a rational conception of belief behaviours (is it possible to believe something for its usefulness ?) and if, as Boudon’s conception leads us to suppose, they may or may not be reduced to rationality of the ‘cognitive’ type. Finally, the author will examine how well the ‘cognitive’ hypothesis stands up when one takes into account the specific semantics of religious beliefs, that is to say, the ‘semi-propositional’ character of most of their statements.
The influence of religion on adolescent family life in England: an explanatory study of the views of young people and parents
Authors: Horwath Jan , Lees Janet , Sidebotham Peter
Published: June 2012

The majority of adults in England describe themselves as affiliated to a religious faith. However, little is known about the influence religion has on family life, particularly in relation to ways in which religion influences the parenting of adolescents. The authors seek to add to the limited body of knowledge by reporting the findings of a qualitative study of young people and parents who held a range of religious beliefs and engaged in varied religious practices. The findings indicate that religious beliefs influence both what parents want for their adolescents, and young people’s lifestyles. Moreover, the perceived views of grandparents and peer and societal pressures on young people inform both parents’ and young people’s attitudes. However, the views of faith leaders do not appear to have an influence. The authors conclude by drawing on the findings of this study to explore ways in which the young people and the parents in the study appeared to negotiate adolescent lifestyle choices.
Chinese Adolescents’ Social Status Goals
Authors: Wright Michelle F. , Li Yan , Shi Junqi
Published: June 2012

This study examined two social status goals in relation to aggressive and prosocial behaviors as well as attributions for relational aggression among 477 (244 girls) Chinese early adolescents. Findings indicate that, after controlling for each other, the social preference goal was negatively related to self-reported overt aggression, and positively associated with prosocial behaviors as reported by self, peers, and teachers, whereas the popularity goal was not uniquely related to either aggressive or prosocial behaviors. Regarding attributions, adolescents with the popularity goal displayed a tendency to justify relational aggression by not attributing it to the aggressor’s characteristics (e.g., jealousy). In contrast, adolescents with the social preference goal were more likely to attribute relational aggression to the aggressor’s characteristics as well as neutral reasons. Findings of this study highlight the importance of investigating the social cognitive processes of peer status among adolescents.
Indigenista Dreams Meet Sober Realities
Authors: Lewis Stephen E.
Published: June 2012

In 1951, Mexico’s National Indigenist Institute (Instituto Nacional Indigenista—INI) opened its pilot coordinating center in highland Chiapas. For several years, Mexico’s top indigenistas directed the center and tested several innovative projects aimed at promoting economic development, modernization, and cultural assimilation among the Tzeltal and Tzotzil Maya. They also tried to protect the indigenous from their worst non-Indian exploiters. After a period of initial fanfare, this important center slid into decline, hampered by inadequate budgets, compromised programs in education, health, and agriculture, and a demoralized staff. Its decadence had implications for the dozens of centers built by the INI in subsequent years. Crippled by local opposition, an outdated theoretical underpinning, and tepid political support, this coordinating center—and the INI in general—also suffered from close association with the Ministry of Public Education and other institutions of Mexico’s corporatist state.

En 1951, el Instituto Nacional Indigenista (INI), en México, abrió su coordinadora piloto en los altos de Chiapas. Durante muchos años, los mayores indigenistas de México dirigieron el centro y probaron varios proyectos innovadores dedicados al fomento del desarrollo económico, modernización, y asimilación cultural entre Mayas Tzeltales y Tzotziles. También intentaban proteger a los indígenas de sus mayores explotadores no-indígenas. Luego de un periodo de fanfarria inicial, este centro importante se deslizó al decline, obstaculizado por presupuestos inadecuados, programas transigidos en la educación, salubridad, y agricultura, y un equipo desmoralizado. Su decadencia tuvo implicaciones para docenas de centros que construyera el INI en años posteriores.
Response to Notes Regarding the 2006 Survey of Active Duty Spouses
Authors: Nassir Fawzi Al , Lipari Rachel , Matos Kenneth
Published: June 2012

The Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC) of the US Department of Defense conducted a survey of active duty spouses in 2006. In Notes Regarding the 2006 Survey of Active Duty Spouses, Willard C. Losinger suggests that “Severe problems existed with the sampling, weight adjustments, and estimation (including variance-estimation) procedures.” DMDC’s review of these claims has revealed that Losinger used a preliminary data set with incorrect weighting variables to conduct his analyses. This data set was not used in any of DMDC’s published results. Therefore, the article’s claims about the quality of DMDC’s published data and survey methods lack the necessary empirical support to be useful in improving the DMDC survey program.
The Power of Gendered Stereotypes in the US Marine Corps
Authors: Archer Emerald M.
Published: June 2012

Gendered stereotypes in the US military context often result in the creation of barriers for women. Constant confrontation with these barriers may negatively impact a servicewoman’s career. The author argues that gendered stereotypes in the US Marine Corps (USMC) have the potential to undermine a female Marine’s performance, and sometimes the performance of others around her. Through the application of ethnographic content analysis to thirty-five in-depth interviews (seventeen female and eighteen male Marines), this article investigates the possible consequences of gendered stereotypes in the USMC. Four themes regarding the origination, socialization, and reinforcement of gender-role stereotypes in the USMC emerge through the interview process. Findings suggest gender-role stereotypes influence (1) the perceived abilities of female Marines, (2) the initial socialization of Marines, (3) camaraderie and opportunities for female Marine mentorship, and (4) a culture of double standards. The aforementioned themes are compared to findings in the literature and implications for camaraderie, shared sense of mission, and leadership are discussed.
An improved exponential stability criterion for discrete-time switched non-linear systems with time-varying delays
Authors: Xiang Zhengrong , Liu Shilong , Chen Qingwei
Published: June 2012

This paper is concerned with the exponential stability analysis for a class of discrete-time switched non-linear systems with time-varying delays. By constructing an appropriate Lyapunov–Krasovskii function, a new criterion for checking the exponential stability of the addressed switched systems is established and then formulated in terms of linear matrix inequalities. It is shown that this new criterion can provide less conservative results than some existing ones. Two numerical examples are given to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed results.
A framework for retrieving Arabic documents based on queries written in Arabic slang language
Authors: Shatnawi Mohammed Q. , Yassein Muneer Bani , Mahafza Reem
Published: June 2012

Due to the widespread use of the internet, there are large amounts of information and documents available in several languages. The Arabic language is one of the available important languages in terms of its usage and structure. Search engines like Google and Yahoo support searching in Arabic, yet fail to get good results when slang terms are used in the query. There are difficulties associated with the Arabic language. The main goal of this research is to refine Arabic text-based searching by using Arabic slang terms in queries. This research proposed a framework to enable users to use their slang language in order to retrieve the relevant documents that have been posted in both forms – slang and classical. The framework is designed and implemented based on a context-free grammar that is used to map the user’s slang queries to the equivalent classical ones. On a classical dataset, results showed a 3% improvement on the average values of precision, recall, and F-measure achieved using classical-based queries rather than slang-based ones. Using slang-based queries gives 13% improvement on the average values of the used measures on a slang dataset and 7% improvement on the average values of the used measures on a hybrid dataset.
Authenticity of cultures and of persons
Authors: Roessler Beate
Published: June 2012

In this article I argue that it does not make sense – either empirically or normatively – to speak of ‘authentic’ cultures. All we need when talking about cultures is a relatively weak concept that still carries enough normative weight to function as the meaningful background of a person’s identity, autonomy and good life. Discussing the authentic culture, I refer to the debates around the German Leitkultur as well as the Dutch populist movement as examples. However, I am interested not only in the concept of the authenticity of a culture but also in the concept of the authenticity of persons: if an ‘authentic culture’ is not feasible, does this have repercussions on the concept of the autonomy and authenticity of persons? In suggesting that this might be the case, I argue that persons can be autonomous without always being fully authentic.
‘Can Muslims be suicide bombers?’ An essay on the troubles of multiculturalism
Authors: Kaul Volker
Published: June 2012

Is a Muslim still a Muslim when he crashes airplanes into the twin towers? Any serious theory of multiculturalism has to deny that Islam could ever come to justify suicide bombing and terrorism. My thesis is that none of the contemporary multicultural theories manages to do so, or at least not without collapsing into a Kantian conception of personal autonomy and, consequently, into some standard version of liberalism. Communitarianism, trying to demonstrate that fundamentalism has nothing to do with the true and authentic Islam and that it does not take into account the pluralism prevailing in Islam, has to moralize Islam. A Humean position, which takes Islamic fundamentalism to be merely a pathology, the product of resentment and western neocolonialism, eventually could come to the conclusion that good and upright Muslims today cannot help but become suicide bombers. Liberal multiculturalism, considering identity to be a matter of choice, must suppose that an active agent with self-knowledge is by definition a responsible person with a moral identity. In conclusion, multiculturalism, in its effort to make the good identities prevail over the bad and the ugly identities, risks adopting some of the same righteous attitudes towards Islam as traditional liberalism.
Political liberalism, identity politics and the role of fear
Authors: Offe Claus
Published: June 2012

Resentment is not so much based upon the diversity of cultural and other identities but often rooted in grievances, complaints, and memories of historical conflicts that groups hold against other groups. Using examples from Central and Eastern Europe, this article argues that the viability of liberal democratic welfare states in Europe depends upon a minimum of toleration, trust, and solidarity among citizens. It is these cultural underpinnings of democracy which are threatened by historically rooted and (often strategically activated) feelings of resentment.
Differential Effect of Troglitazone on the Human Bile Acid Transporters, MRP2 and BSEP, in the PXB Hepatic Chimeric Mouse
Authors: Foster John R. , Jacobsen Matt , Kenna Gerry , Schulz-Utermoehl Timothy , Morikawa Yoshio , Salmu Juuso , Wilson Ian D.
Published: June 2012

The aims of this study were to assess the utility of the PXB mouse model of a chimeric human/mouse liver in studying human-specific effects of an important human hepatotoxic drug, the PPARγ agonist, troglitazone. When given orally by gavage for 7 days, at dose levels of 300 and 600 ppm, troglitazone induced specific changes in the human hepatocytes of the chimeric liver without an effect on the murine hepatic portions. The human hepatocytes, in the vehicle-treated PXB mouse, showed an accumulation of electron-dense lipid droplets that appeared as clear vacuoles under the light microscope in H&E-stained sections. Following dosing with troglitazone, there was a loss of the large lipid droplets in the human hepatocytes, a decrease in the amount of lipid as observed in frozen sections of liver stained by Oil-red-O, and a decrease in the expression of two bile acid transporters, BSEP and MRP2. None of these changes were observed in the murine remnants of the chimeric liver. No changes were observed in the expression of three CYPs, CYP 3A2, CYP 1A1, and CYP 2B1, in either the human or murine hepatocytes, even though the baseline expression of the enzymes differed significantly between the two hepatocyte species with the mouse hepatocytes consistently showing increased expression of the protein of all three enzymes. This study has shown that the human hepatocytes, in the PXB chimeric mouse liver, retain an essentially normal phenotype in the mouse liver and, the albeit limited CYP enzymes studied show a more human, rather than a murine, expression pattern. In line with this conclusion, the study has shown a differential response of the human versus the mouse hepatocytes, and the effects observed are highly suggestive of a differential handling of the compound by the two hepatocyte species although the exact reasons are not as yet clear. The PXB chimeric mouse system therefore holds the clear potential to explore human hepatic–specific features, such as metabolism, prior to dosing human subjects, and as such should have considerable utility in drug discovery and development.
Functional Connectivity during Modulation of Tinnitus with Orofacial Maneuvers
Authors: Lee Megan H. , Solowski Nancy , Wineland Andre , Okuyemi Oluwafunmilola , Nicklaus Joyce , Kallogjeri Dorina , Piccirillo Jay F. , Burton Harold
Published: June 2012

Objective

To determine changes in cortical neural networks as defined by resting‐state functional connectivity magnetic resonance imaging during voluntary modulation of tinnitus with orofacial maneuvers.

Study Design

Cross‐sectional study.

Setting

Academic medical center.

Subjects and Methods

Participants were scanned during the maneuver and also at baseline to serve as their own control. The authors chose, a priori, 58 seed regions to evaluate previously described cortical neural networks by computing temporal correlations between all seed region pairs. Seed regions whose correlations significantly differed between rest and maneuver (P <. 05, uncorrected) entered into a second‐stage analysis of computing the correlation coefficient between the seed region and time courses in each of the remaining brain voxels. A threshold‐free cluster enhancement permutation analysis evaluated the distribution of these correlation coefficients after transformation to Fisher z scores and registration to a surface‐based reconstruction using Freesurfer.

Results

The median age for the 16 subjects was 54 years (range, 27‐72 years), and all had subjective, unilateral or bilateral, nonpulsatile tinnitus for 6 months or longer. In 9 subjects who could voluntarily increase the loudness of their tinnitus, there were no significant differences in functional connectivity in any cortical networks. A separate analysis evaluated results from 3 patients who decreased the loudness of their tinnitus. Four subjects were excluded because of excessive motion in the scanner.

Conclusion

The absence of significant differences in functional connectivity due to voluntary orofacial maneuvers that increased tinnitus loudness failed to confirm prior reports of altered cerebral blood flows during somatomotor behaviors.