bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Regulatory Effect of Cinnamaldehyde on Monocyte/Macrophage-Mediated Inflammatory Responses
Authors: Kim Byung Hun , Lee Yong Gyu , Lee Jaehwi , Lee Joo Young , Cho Jae Youl
Published: May 2010

Cinnamaldehyde (CA) has been known to exhibit anti-inflammatory and anticancer effects. Although numerous pharmacological effects have been demonstrated, regulatory effect of CA on the functional activation of monocytes and macrophages has not been fully elucidated yet. To evaluate its monocyte/macrophage-mediated immune responses, macrophages activated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and monocytes treated with proaggregative antibodies, and extracellular matrix protein fibronectin were employed. CA was able to suppress both the production of nitric oxide (NO) and upregulation of surface levels of costimulatory molecules (CD80 and CD69) and pattern recognition receptors (toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) and complement receptor (CR3)). In addition, CA also blocked cell-cell adhesion induced by the activation of CD29 and CD43 but not cell-fibronectin adhesion. Immunoblotting analysis suggested that CA inhibition was due to the inhibition of phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K) and phosphoinositide-dependent kinase (PDK)1 as well as nuclear factor-(NF-)κB activation. In particular, thiol compounds with sulphydryl group, L-cysteine and dithiothreitol (DTT), strongly abrogated CA-mediated NO production and NF-κB activation. Therefore, our results suggest that CA can act as a strong regulator of monocyte/macrophage-mediated immune responses by thiolation of target cysteine residues in PI3K or PDK1.
Arogyasree: An Enhanced Grid-Based Approach to Mobile Telemedicine
Authors: Kailasam Sriram , Kumar Santosh , Dharanipragada Janakiram
Published: May 2010

A typical telemedicine system involves a small set of hospitals providing remote healthcare services to a small section of the society using dedicated nodal centers. However, in developing nations like India where majority live in rural areas that lack specialist care, we envision the need for much larger Internet-based telemedicine systems that would enable a large pool of doctors and hospitals to collectively provide healthcare services to entire populations. We propose a scalable, Internet-based P2P architecture for telemedicine integrating multiple hospitals, mobile medical specialists, and rural mobile units. This system, based on the store and forward model, features a distributed context-aware scheduler for providing timely and location-aware telemedicine services. Other features like zone-based overlay structure and persistent object space abstraction make the system efficient and easy to use. Lastly, the system uses the existing internet infrastructure and supports mobility at doctor and patient ends.
Synthesis, Solution, and Structural Characterization of Tetrahydrofuranyl‐2,2‐Bisphosphonic Acid Disodium Salt
Authors: Maltezou Elena , Stylianou Marios , Roy Sudeshna , Drouza Chryssoula , Keramidas Anastasios D.
Published: May 2010

Bisphosphonates are biologically relevant therapeutics for bone disorders and cancer. Reaction of γ‐chlorobutyric acid, phosphorus acid, and phosphorus trichloride without the use of solvent gave the tetrahydrofuranyl‐2,2‐bisphosphonate sodium salt (Na2H2L). The Na2H2L was isolated, characterized in solution by  1H,  13C, and  31P NMR spectroscopy and in solid state by single X‐Ray crystallography. The crystal structure showed that the Na2H2L forms in the crystal infinite two‐dimensional sheets stacked one parallel to the other. A comparison of the chelating properties of H2L2− with similar hydroxyl bisphosphonate ligands shows that the strength of the Na–O(furanyl/hydroxyl) bond is directly related to the total charge of the ligand anion.
Role of Angiopoietin-2 in Regulating Growth and Vascularity of Astrocytomas
Authors: Zadeh Gelareh , Koushan Keyvan , Baoping Qian , Shannon Patrick , Guha Abhijit
Published: May 2010

Angiopoietins and Tie2 are angiogenic-specific ligand and receptor complex that have been shown to play a critical role in tumor angiogenesis. Angiopoietin-2 (Ang2) is one of four ligands for receptor Tie2 and it is the naturally occurring antagonist to Tie2, inhibiting the action of Angiopoietin-1 (Ang1). Over the last decade, significant research has focused on elucidating the role of Ang2 in cancer biology and its exact role in tumor angiogenesis remains elusive. In this study we have focused on establishing the role of Ang2 in angiogenesis of malignant astrocytomas. We have demonstrated that Ang2 significantly enhances the vascular growth of malignant astrocytomas and constant upregulation of Ang2 throughout all phases of tumor growth generates abnormal vascular structures that are not typically seen in human astrocytomas, suggesting that Ang2 plays a tumor stage-dependent role and is not a consistently elevated throughout all growth stages of malignant astroctyomas.
New Type of Donor-Acceptor Through-Space Conjugated Polymer
Authors: Lin Lin , Morisaki Yasuhiro , Chujo Yoshiki
Published: May 2010

We report the synthesis and properties of a novel through-space conjugated polymer with a [2.2]paracyclophane skeleton. The obtained polymer possessed donor (fluorene) and acceptor (2,1,3-benzothiadiazole) segments that were alternatelyπ-stacked in proximity via the [2.2]paracyclophane moieties. The good overlap between the emission peak of the donor unit (fluorene) and the CT band of the acceptor unit (2,1,3-benzothiadiazole) caused fluorescence resonance energy transfer, and the visible green light emission from the acceptor unit was observed.
The Natural History of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Authors: Caldwell Stephen , Argo Curtis
Published: May 2010

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease has a variable prognosis which is predictable to an extent based on the presence or absence of histological liver injury. Past studies have determined a number of clinical and laboratory parameters which predict greater severity on the initial biopsy, although all of these measures have limitations and biopsy remains the gold standard at this time. For patients with early stage non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), about one third will progress to stage 3 or 4 (cirrhosis) over 5–10 years. Thus, early-stage NASH constitutes one of the groups most likely to benefit from treatments now undergoing investigation. Among those who progress to NASH cirrhosis, about 25% will develop major complications of portal hypertension within 3 years. In contrast, non-NASH fatty liver tends to be stable over time, although there appears to be an increased cancer risk in all forms of fatty liver, albeit greater in NASH compared to non-NASH fatty liver. Interestingly, the cause of death among patients with NASH is more often due to cardiovascular disease or non-liver malignancy than cirrhosis. However, the accelerated risk of cirrhosis in this group compared to cardiovascular disease suggests that this picture is likely to change in the foreseeable future. Meanwhile, the relationship between these comorbidities will increasingly lead to patients with both coronary disease or malignancy and NASH-related cirrhosis presenting clinicians with a very challenging set of problems in coming years.
Systemic Symptoms in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Authors: Newton Julia L.
Published: May 2010

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common liver disorder in the Western world and the incidence of the disease is constantly increasing. Most patients with NAFLD do not present with symptoms directly attributable to their underlying liver disease. It is increasingly recognized, however, that those with NAFLD describe a range of non-specific symptoms, which include fatigue and daytime sleepiness, may be the presenting problem and can impact dramatically upon quality of life in this patient group. The recognition of systemic symptoms in NAFLD has important implications for patients as many are potentially modifiable with targeted interventions. Fatigue appears to be a significant problem in NAFLD and the severity of fatigue is not associated with severity of NAFLD or any parameters of liver damage. Instead, fatigue in these patients shows a strong relationship with the symptom of daytime sleepiness and autonomic dysfunction. Daytime sleepiness can frequently be associated with obstructive sleep apnoea in those with NAFLD and is therefore treatable with evidence-based interventions. Recent studies have confirmed the presence of autonomic nervous system dysfunction in those with early stages of NAFLD. The presence of autonomic nervous system dysfunction leads to symptoms such as postural dizziness and syncope and is also associated with a number of clinical consequences in hepatic and non-hepatic diseases such as cognitive dysfunction, falls and fall-related injuries. On direct questioning, problems with memory and concentration are frequently described by those with NAFLD, with our studies confirming that 50% of NAFLD patients experience mild cognitive symptoms and up to 46% moderate or severe cognitive impairment. There were no positive correlations between cognitive symptoms and biochemical or histological markers of liver damage severity, confirming that cognitive impairment in early-stage NAFLD is not related to hepatic encephalopathy. Falls are also considered a direct consequence of autonomic nervous system dysfunction, and our work suggests that a history of falls is common in NAFLD (43%). The proportion of recurrent fallers is significantly higher in a NAFLD cohort compared to controls (p = 0.001), with injuries (p = 0.009), emergency medical attention (p < 0.001), fracture rates (p < 0.001) and hospital admission (p < 0.001) all significantly more common in the NAFLD group. Falls and the aforementioned associations were unrelated to the presence of diabetes or the severity of liver disease. A range of systemic symptoms appear to affect those with NAFLD, the severity of which is unrelated to the underlying liver disease severity. The presence of autonomic dysfunction may provide a unifying mechanism for these symptoms and a therapeutic target. Consideration of these symptoms affecting patients with NAFLD and, where possible, effective treatment will lead to improvements in quality of life and enhance the ability of those with NAFLD to function in their daily lives.
Comparison of Treatment Results between Selective Peripheral Denervation and Deep Brain Stimulation in Patients with Cervical Dystonia
Authors: Huh Ryoong , Han In Bo , Chung MoonYoung , Chung Sangsup
Published: May 2010

Background/Aims: Cervical dystonia (CD) is the most common form of focal dystonia. The treatment options for CD include medical therapy and surgery. The 3 basic types of CD are tonic, phasic and tremulous. Selective peripheral denervation (SPD) and globus pallidus internus (GPi) deep brain stimulation (DBS) have been developed as therapeutic options for the treatment of CD. Methods: Between 1997 and 2009, 24 patients with CD underwent operations: either SPD (n = 16) or DBS (n = 8). The mean follow-up period was 29.5 months (range = 2–59). The mean age at onset of symptoms was 46.6 years (range = 27–65). The patients were evaluated with the subjective scores and the Toronto Western Spasmodic Torticollis Scale scores. Results: All patients showed gradual improvement after SPD and DBS. No statistically significant differences were seen between the SPD group and the DBS group. However, there was a trend toward greater pain reduction in the DBS group (p = 0.094). Conclusion: Both the SPD group and the DBS group showed successful improvement in their Toronto Western Spasmodic Torticollis Scale scores as well as subjective scores. The GPi DBS group showed a remarkable improvement on the pain scale and there was a trend toward greater pain reduction in the DBS group.
Particulate Matter Air Pollution and Cardiovascular Disease
Authors: Brook Robert D. , Rajagopalan Sanjay , Pope C. Arden , Brook Jeffrey R. , Bhatnagar Aruni , Diez-Roux Ana V. , Holguin Fernando , Hong Yuling , Luepker Russell V. , Mittleman Murray A. , Peters Annette , Siscovick David , Smith Sidney C. , Whitsel Laurie , Kaufman Joel D.
Published: May 2010

In 2004, the first American Heart Association scientific statement on “Air Pollution and Cardiovascular Disease” concluded that exposure to particulate matter (PM) air pollution contributes to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. In the interim, numerous studies have expanded our understanding of this association and further elucidated the physiological and molecular mechanisms involved. The main objective of this updated American Heart Association scientific statement is to provide a comprehensive review of the new evidence linking PM exposure with cardiovascular disease, with a specific focus on highlighting the clinical implications for researchers and healthcare providers. The writing group also sought to provide expert consensus opinions on many aspects of the current state of science and updated suggestions for areas of future research. On the basis of the findings of this review, several new conclusions were reached, including the following: Exposure to PM <2.5 μm in diameter (PM
2.5
) over a few hours to weeks can trigger cardiovascular disease–related mortality and nonfatal events; longer-term exposure (eg, a few years) increases the risk for cardiovascular mortality to an even greater extent than exposures over a few days and reduces life expectancy within more highly exposed segments of the population by several months to a few years; reductions in PM levels are associated with decreases in cardiovascular mortality within a time frame as short as a few years; and many credible pathological mechanisms have been elucidated that lend biological plausibility to these findings. It is the opinion of the writing group that the overall evidence is consistent with a causal relationship between PM
2.5
exposure and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. This body of evidence has grown and been strengthened substantially since the first American Heart Association scientific statement was published. Finally, PM
2.5
exposure is deemed a modifiable factor that contributes to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.
Mobilized Human Hematopoietic Stem/Progenitor Cells Promote Kidney Repair After Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury
Authors: Li Bing , Cohen Amy , Hudson Thomas E. , Motlagh Delara , Amrani David L. , Duffield Jeremy S.
Published: May 2010

Background—

Understanding the mechanisms of repair and regeneration of the kidney after injury is of great interest because there are currently no therapies that promote repair, and kidneys frequently do not repair adequately. We studied the capacity of human CD34
+
hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) to promote kidney repair and regeneration using an established ischemia/reperfusion injury model in mice, with particular focus on the microvasculature.

Methods and Results—

Human HSPCs administered systemically 24 hours after kidney injury were selectively recruited to injured kidneys of immunodeficient mice (Jackson Labs, Bar Harbor, Me) and localized prominently in and around vasculature. This recruitment was associated with enhanced repair of the kidney microvasculature, tubule epithelial cells, enhanced functional recovery, and increased survival. HSPCs recruited to kidney expressed markers consistent with circulating endothelial progenitors and synthesized high levels of proangiogenic cytokines, which promoted proliferation of both endothelial and epithelial cells. Although purified HSPCs acquired endothelial progenitor markers once recruited to the kidney, engraftment of human endothelial cells in the mouse capillary walls was an extremely rare event, indicating that human stem cell mediated renal repair is by paracrine mechanisms rather than replacement of vasculature.

Conclusions—

These studies advance human HSPCs as a promising therapeutic strategy for promoting renal repair after injury.
Peripartum Cardiomyopathy as a Part of Familial Dilated Cardiomyopathy
Authors: van Spaendonck-Zwarts Karin Y. , van Tintelen J. Peter , van Veldhuisen Dirk J. , van der Werf Rik , Jongbloed Jan D.H. , Paulus Walter J. , Dooijes Dennis , van den Berg Maarten P.
Published: May 2010

Background—

Anecdotal cases of familial clustering of peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) and familial occurrences of PPCM and idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) together have been observed, suggesting that genetic factors play a role in the pathogenesis of PPCM. We hypothesized that some cases of PPCM are part of the spectrum of familial DCM, presenting in the peripartum period.

Methods and Results—

We reviewed our database of 90 DCM families, focusing specifically on the presence of PPCM patients. Then, in a reverse approach, we reviewed 10 PPCM patients seen in our clinic since the early 1990s and performed cardiological screening of the first-degree relatives of 3 PPCM patients who did not show a full recovery. Finally, we analyzed the genes known to be most commonly involved in DCM in the PPCM patients. We identified a substantial number (5 of 90, 6%) of DCM families with PPCM patients. Second, cardiological screening of first-degree relatives of 3 PPCM patients who did not show full recovery revealed undiagnosed DCM in all 3 families. Finally, genetic analyses revealed a mutation (c.149A>G, p.Gln50Arg) in the gene encoding cardiac troponin C (
TNNC1
) segregating with disease in a DCM family with a member with PPCM, supporting the genetic nature of disease in this case.

Conclusions—

Our findings strongly suggest that a subset of PPCM is an initial manifestation of familial DCM. This may have important implications for cardiological screening in such families.
Rare Variant Mutations in Pregnancy-Associated or Peripartum Cardiomyopathy
Authors: Morales Ana , Painter Thomas , Li Ran , Siegfried Jill D. , Li Duanxiang , Norton Nadine , Hershberger Ray E.
Published: May 2010

Background—

The term
p
eripartum cardiomyopathy
(PPCM) describes dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) without known cause that occurs during the last month of pregnancy to 5 months postpartum. A related term,
pregnancy
-
associated cardiomyopathy
(PACM), refers to DCM onset earlier in pregnancy. Multiple studies have focused on inflammatory, immunologic, and environmental causes. An alternative hypothesis is that PPCM and PACM result, in part, from a genetic cause. In this study, we sought to test the hypothesis that rare DCM-associated mutations underlie a proportion of PACM or PPCM cases.

Methods and Results—

A systematic search of our DCM database designed for family-based genetic studies was undertaken for cases associated with pregnancy and the postpartum period; in the identified cases, clinical and molecular genetic data, including exonic and near intron/exon boundaries of DCM genes, were analyzed. Of 4110 women from 520 pedigrees in the Familial Dilated Cardiomyopathy Research Project database, we identified 45 cases of PPCM/PACM. Evidence of familial clustering with DCM was present in 23 unrelated cases. Of the 45 cases, 19 had been resequenced for known DCM genes, and 6 carried mutations. Five had PPCM, of which 3 were familial with mutations found in
MYH7
,
SCN5A
, and
PSEN2
, and 2 were sporadic with mutations in
MYH6
and
TNNT2
. One case had PACM and carried a mutation in
MYBPC3.

Conclusions—

These findings suggest that a proportion of PPCM/PACM cases results from a genetic cause.
Greater Orthostatic Tolerance in Young Black Compared With White Women
Authors: Hinds Kumba , Stachenfeld Nina S.
Published: May 2010

We hypothesized that orthostatic tolerance is higher in young, healthy black compared with white women. To determine orthostatic tolerance, 22 women (11 black and 11 white) underwent graded lower body negative pressure to presyncope. We measured blood pressure, heart rate, and R-R interval (ECG) continuously at baseline and through all of the levels of lower body negative pressure. Blood samples were taken at baseline along with presyncope for the measurement of plasma catecholamine concentrations, serum aldosterone concentration, and plasma renin activity. Cumulative stress index, the sum of the product of time and lower body negative pressure, was the indicator of orthostatic tolerance. Orthostatic tolerance in the black women was greater than in the white women [cumulative stress index: −1003 (375) versus −476 (197);
P
<0.05]. Although plasma concentrations of norepinephrine increased in both groups at presyncope, the increase was greater in black [Δplasma concentrations of norepinephrine: 167 (123)] versus white women [86 (64);
P
<0.05], as was the increase in PRA [ΔPRA 2.6 (1.0) versus 0.6 (0.9) ng of angiotensin II · mL
−1
· h
−1
;
P
<0.05, for black and white women, respectively). Although heart rate increased and R-R interval decreased to a greater extent during lower body negative pressure in black women compared with white women (ANOVA:
P
<0.05), baroreflex function (ie, slope R-R interval versus systolic blood pressure) was unaffected by race. These data indicate that orthostatic tolerance is greater in black compared with white women, which appears to be a function of greater sympathetic nervous system responses to orthostatic challenges.
Orthostatic Hypotension Is a More Robust Predictor of Cardiovascular Events Than Nighttime Reverse Dipping in Elderly
Authors: Fagard Robert H. , De Cort Paul
Published: May 2010

Aims of the study were to assess in an elderly population the prevalences of orthostatic hypotension at different times after standing and of nighttime reverse dipping on ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, as well as their interrelationships and relative prognostic power for incident cardiovascular events. The study population consisted of 374 patients (225 women), aged 70.2±8.5 years, registered in 1 primary care practice and without major cardiovascular events or other comorbidities at baseline. They experienced 76 first cardiovascular events (death, myocardial infarction, or stroke) during 3406 years of follow-up. Systolic/diastolic orthostatic hypotension, defined as a decrease of systolic/diastolic blood pressure of ≥20/≥10 mm Hg, was present in 24.0%/13.3% of the patients immediately after standing, and in, respectively, 18.1%/10.5% and 12.4%/11.6% after 1 and 2 minutes, whereas systolic/diastolic reverse dipping occurred in 14.4%/9.5%. Orthostatic hypotension was 2 to 3 times more prevalent in reverse dippers than in dippers (
P
≤0.01). Systolic orthostatic hypotension was a significant and independent predictor of cardiovascular events, which was stronger during recovery than immediately after standing; in Cox regression analysis, the adjusted hazard ratio amounted to 2.38 (
P
<0.01) after 2 minutes. The independent predictive power of diastolic orthostatic hypotension was only significant soon after standing (
P
<0.05). Systolic and diastolic reverse dipping carried prognostic significance in univariable analyses (
P
<0.001) but not after adjustment for confounders, including 24-hour blood pressure. We conclude that orthostatic hypotension contributes to the phenomenon of reverse dipping but is a more robust predictor of cardiovascular events than reverse dipping in the elderly of the current study.
More than lost in translation? An exploratory study of social workers’ experiences working with Vietnamese wives in Taiwan
Authors: Hung Su-Chen , Yang Wen-Shan , Yen Pei-Chih
Published: May 2010

This article identifies the cultural differences and language barriers faced by Taiwanese social workers when working with families of cross-border marriages, and discusses the importance of adopting a multicultural approach in social work practice in order to cater to the urgent needs of an increasingly culturally diverse society.
Differences in the Tensile Properties and Failure Mechanism of PP/PE Core/Sheath Bicomponent and PP Spunbond Fabrics in Uniaxial Conditions
Authors: Hong Wang  , Xiangyu Jin  , Ningtao Mao  , Russell S.J.
Published: May 2010

The tensile failure mechanism in thermally point-bonded bicomponent spunbonds is elucidated based on core/sheath PP/PE filaments. These fabrics exhibit high extension and low tensile strength. In contrast to 100% PP spunbonds, where there is limited bond deformation prior to failure of the fabric, the bond points in PP/PE bicomponent spunbonds undergo large deformations during uniaxial extension before fabric breakage occurs. Failure occurs mainly within the bond points rather than around their perimeter.
Risk Assessment Among Incarcerated Male Domestic Violence Offenders
Authors: Hilton N. Zoe , Harris Grant T. , Popham Suzanne , Lang Carol
Published: May 2010

It is estimated that at least a third of incarcerated male offenders have committed domestic violence, but there is little research on risk assessment among such offenders. The authors tested the actuarial Ontario Domestic Assault Risk Assessment (ODARA), designed for frontline policing, with 150 incarcerated male domestic violence offenders followed for an average of 8 years (range = 0.1—10.6) and at risk for an average of 5 years (range = 0.0—10.5). The base rate of postrelease charges for domestic violence was 27%, and the mean ODARA score was 5.81 ( SD = 2.06). The ODARA predicted domestic violence recidivism (relative operating characteristic area = .64) significantly better than a general risk assessment, the Level of Service Inventory, and in follow-ups as short as 6 months. The ODARA also predicted recidivism severity and survival. Better identification of victim—offender relationships and measuring psychopathy are challenges for future research.
Colombian Family Farmers’ Adaptations to New Conditions in the World Coffee Market
Authors: Forero Álvarez Jaime
Published: May 2010

A summary of the recent evolution of Colombian coffee production and a look at the family farms that currently represent the majority of coffee grown in Colombia highlights the institutional adjustments that have optimized benefits from marketing phases controlled by the country and passed them on to the producers. It also reveals the strategies by which coffee growers have adjusted their production systems, including technification and the pursuit of sustainability. As a result of these adjustments, family farmers have made their production systems economically viable, although for most the income from them has been insufficient to raise them above the poverty line.
Peru as a New Major Actor in Latin American Coffee Production
Authors: Tulet Jean-Christian
Published: May 2010

Despite the sustained effects of catastrophic economic policies, a terrible civil war, and a major decline in international prices, coffee production in Peru has increased phenomenally during the past decade and is now the nation’s primary agricultural export. The increase makes Peru unusual among coffee-producing countries, and it can be explained in large part in terms of the response of small coffee growers to the disruption of traditional marketing networks. The experience of a small cooperative in the Department of Junín reveals that the alternative networks developed with the assistance of international nongovernmental organizations have not only provided coffee growers guaranteed prices that are higher than the international average and strengthened their position in the market but also facilitated improvements to the productive system and better management of natural resources.
The Characteristics and Effectiveness of Feedback Interventions Applied in Early Childhood Settings
Authors: Casey Amy M. , McWilliam R.A.
Published: May 2010

Because research has shown that providing information alone does not have an impact on educators’ behavior, supervisors and other individuals interested in personnel preparation are becoming interested in providing early childhood educators with continuous feedback about their classroom performance. Reviews of the literature on performance feedback have been conducted in the field of organization behavior management; however, a compilation of early childhood information was needed. Nineteen studies conducted in early childhood (i.e., infant/toddler through fourth grade) classrooms were reviewed to determine the characteristics of performance feedback provided to early childhood educators. Intervention effectiveness was then assessed using visual analysis of graphed data. Across studies, an immediate and clear feedback effect was displayed in the majority of tiers (participants, settings, or behaviors), contributing to the conclusion that performance feedback is a promising practice.
After Liberalism
Authors: Weber Cynthia
Published: May 2010

Taking Daniel Deudney and John Ikenberry’s demand for a ‘more selfconscious and robust liberal statecraft’ as its point of departure, this article considers whether this demand can be realised in practice, given the apparent contradiction between a desire for a self-conscious Liberalism and a desire for a robust Liberalism. By weaving a path through the work of Deudney, Ikenberry and Kant, and through the film District 9, this article suggests that Liberalism and especially Liberal Internationalism 3.0 fail to provide an ethical basis that could supply a ‘non-negotiable demand of human [and “alien”] dignity’, which is what a more self-conscious Liberalism ought to strive for. This failure is down to the way Liberalism draws its limits on political subjectivity. It is these Liberal practices that we cannot be ‘after’ in a temporal sense so long as Liberalism carries on. And so we need to be ‘after Liberalism’ in a different sense of being after — of calling it to account by being aware ourselves of how the core principles of Liberalism are both beneficial and destructive in their crafting of all political subjectivities.
Power and Democratic Weakness
Authors: Caverley Jonathan D.
Published: May 2010

While realists and neoconservatives generally disagreed on the Iraq invasion of 2003, nothing inherent in either approach to foreign policy accounts for this. Neoconservatism’s enthusiasm for democratisation would appear to distinguish the two but its rejection of all other liberal mechanisms in world politics suggests that the logic linking democracy and American security shares little with liberalism. Inspecting the range of neoconservative thought reveals a unifying theme: the enervating effects of democracy on state power and the will to wield it in a dangerous world. Consequently, the United States enjoys greater safety among other democracies due to a more favourable distribution of relative power. Viewing regime type through the prism of state power extraction in a competitive, anarchic world puts neoconservatism squarely in the neoclassical realist camp. The article concludes by suggesting why the rest of International Relations should care about this new ‘neo—neo’ debate.
The Liberal International Order and its Discontents
Authors: Ikenberry G. John
Published: May 2010

The American-led world system is troubled. Some would argue that it is in crisis. But what sort of crisis is it? Is it a crisis of America’s position in the global system or is it a deeper world historical transition in which liberalism and liberal international order are at risk? Is the American-led ‘liberal era’ ending, or is it transforming into a new sort of liberal order? In this article, I argue that the American liberal hegemonic order is in crisis. But it is a crisis of authority within liberal international order and not a crisis of its underlying principles and organisational logic. That is, it is a crisis of the American governance of liberal order and not of liberal order itself. The crisis of liberalism today will ultimately bring forth ‘more liberalism’. The post-Cold War liberal international order is more durable than many think. Russia and China are not inevitable enemies of Western international order. A grand alternative to liberal order does not exist. To put it sharply: the pathway to the future still runs through institutions and relationships created over the last 60 years. American unipolarity will eventually give way to something new. Power and authority will shift in the global system as they have over the centuries. But rival orders will not emerge — even if new leaders will. In the decades ahead, the United States and Europe and rising states — many of which are in Asia — will have more reasons and not fewer reasons to cooperate in open and rule-based ways. The future still belongs to the liberal international order.
E.H. Carr and the Crisis of Twentieth-Century Liberalism
Authors: Cox Michael
Published: May 2010

E.H. Carr’s contribution to IR is recognised as being of central importance in the history of the field. But it is sometimes forgotten that he began to develop his world viewpoint — through a critique of liberalism — almost 20 years before he published his classic The Twenty Years’ Crisis in 1939. These views began to take shape during the Paris peace negotiations in 1919, and were then given sharper definition still following the world economic crash and the launching of the first of many Five Year Plans in the USSR. Carr’s thought continued to evolve while holder — ironically — of the liberal-inspired Woodrow Wilson Chair in Aberystwyth, a position he held until 1947. The onset of the Cold War and his decision to undertake a sympathetic study of early Soviet history strengthened the reputation he had already acquired as the enfant terrible of the British establishment. A few years after his death in 1982, however, communism and the USSR collapsed, dealing his anti-liberal perspective a serious political blow. However, new problems at the heart of the world order today make Carr a writer from whom much can still be learned about the causes of crisis and the limits of liberalism.
Highlights of Contemporary Microsimulation
Authors: Anderson Ronald E. , Hicks Chantal
Published: May 2010

Microsimulation is a family of computer simulations that all depend on individual-level data as input to one or more processes that are aggregated into macro-level outcomes. A popular application of microsimulation is automobile traffic systems where the individual records are vehicles. Persons constitute the individuals of most policy-oriented microsimulation models built by economists, sociologists, geographers, demographers, and other policy analysts. Although the field is more than 50 years old, in the past two decades, the volume of policy microsimulation models has skyrocketed. The articles in this Special Issue reflect the exciting developments and findings of these models.
‘Well, I’m a lot of things, but I’m sure not a bigot’: Positive self-presentation in confrontational discourse on racism
Authors: Chiang Shiao-Yun
Published: May 2010

Drawing on discursive psychology, critical discourse analysis and conversation analysis, this study examines the discursive procedures in which accusations and refutations are made in public discourse on hate speech against immigrants in the United States. The data under study are two extended interviews on CNN regarding illegal immigration. The matter of analytic interest in this article is the verbal formulations of rhetorical devices and their interactive uses in accusing and denying racial hatred. A close analysis of the argumentation in each debate reveals that the use of a rhetorical device may be interactively called for and contextually sensitive in relation to an interactional goal, and its local and global function may be inferred from the sequential procedures wherein participants make an effort at a particular juncture to constrain the course of interaction in an attempt to execute their respective agenda. It is argued here that the performance and the structure of a public discourse on race or ethnicity may be explained in reference to the US societal and cultural orientations to individuals’ positive and negative face wants.
‘Oh you don’t want asylum seekers, oh you’re just racist’: A discursive analysis of discussions about whether it’s racist to oppose asylum seeking
Authors: Goodman Simon , Burke Shani
Published: May 2010

In this article, we explore how speakers discuss whether or not it is racist to oppose asylum seekers. A discourse analysis is conducted on the parts of a corpus of data collected from focus groups with undergraduate students talking about asylum seeking in which they were asked if it is racist to oppose asylum. It is shown that speakers use the word ‘just’ as part of a contrast structure which is used to present a topic as self-evidently unreasonable. While some participants orient to the taboo against prejudice, it is shown that there is also an orientation to the idea that accusations of racism are unreasonable and that opposition to asylum is usually based on practical and economic reasons rather than racism. These findings are discussed in light of the growing literature surrounding the changing nature of race talk and new taboos on accusations of racism.
Crisis in Latin America
Authors: Schwartz Jordan , Andres Luis , Dragoiu Georgeta
Published: May 2010

Infrastructure investment is a central part of the stimulus plans of the Latin American and the Caribbean (LAC) region as it confronts the growing financial crisis. This article estimates the potential effects on direct, indirect and induced employment for different types of infrastructure projects with LAC-specific variables. The analysis finds that the direct and indirect short-term employment generation potential of infrastructure capital investment projects may be considerable—averaging around 40,000 annual jobs per US$ 1billion in LAC, depending upon such variables as the mix of sub-sectors in the investment programme; the technologies deployed; local wages for skilled and unskilled labour; and the degrees of leakages to imported inputs. While these numbers do not account for a substitution effect, they are built around an assumed ‘basket’ of investments that crosses infrastructure sectors most of which are not employment-maximising. Albeit limited in scope, rural road maintenance projects may employ 200,000 to 500,000 annualised direct jobs for every US$ 1billion spent. The article also describes the potential risks to effective infrastructure investment in an environment of crisis including sorting and planning contradictions, delayed implementation and impact, affordability and corruption.
Capacity, Proximity and the Limitations of Infrastructure Services Decentralisation for Poverty Reduction
Authors: Agu Chukwuma , Onodugo Vincent A.
Published: May 2010

While in practice, infrastructure decentralisation is gaining ground in developing countries, it is not clear that it is supported by robust literature on its capacity to deliver superior growth and poverty reduction outcomes. Rather, a number of social goals seem to be behind the push for decentralisation. While these lofty goals should be encouraged, the trade-off with economic efficiency can be quite high, particularly when proximity considerations are not weighed vis-à-vis capacity challenges that face sub-national governments. By looking at the literature and showing some results from benchmarking of Nigerian states, we attempt to show in this article that the capacity challenge at sub-national governments is potent. The article also outlines a number of other considerations that need to be incorporated while deciding the effective levels of decentralisation and what services should be in the basket of decentralised sectors. It posits that the procedure and factors affecting such a decision remain context-specific, and where the goals are economic, should be supported by equally context-specific empirical analysis.
Teaching Business Cases Online Through Discussion Boards: Strategies and Best Practices
Authors: Rollag Keith
Published: May 2010

What are the most effective and efficient ways to teach business cases online, specifically in asynchronous electronic discussion boards? This article describes several design strategies and approaches used by instructors at Babson College to structure and facilitate online case discussions in our blended Fast Track MBA program.
Dispensing Rates of Four Common Hearing Aid Product Features: Associations With Variations in Practice Among Audiologists
Authors: Johnson Earl E. , Ricketts Todd A.
Published: May 2010

The purpose of the study was to develop and examine a list of potential variables that may account for variability in the dispensing rates of four common hearing aid features. A total of 29 potential variables were identified and placed into the following categories: (1) characteristics of the audiologist, (2) characteristics of the hearing aids dispensed by the audiologist, (3) characteristics of the audiologist’s patient population, and (4) evidence-based practice grades of recommendation for each feature. The potentially associative variables then were examined using regression analyses from the responses of 257 audiologists to a dispensing practice survey. There was a direct relation between price and level of hearing aid technology with the frequency of dispensing product features. There was also a direct relation between the belief by the audiologist that a feature might benefit patients and the frequency of dispensing that feature. In general, the results suggested that personal differences among audiologists and the hearing aids audiologists choose to dispense are related more strongly to dispensing rates of product features than to differences in characteristics of the patient population served by audiologists. An additional finding indicated that evidence-based practice recommendations were inversely related to dispensing rates of product features. This finding, however, may not be the result of dispensing trends as much as hearing aid manufacturing trends.
Improvements in Speech Understanding With Wireless Binaural Broadband Digital Hearing Instruments in Adults With Sensorineural Hearing Loss
Authors: Kreisman Brian M. , Mazevski Annette G. , Schum Donald J. , Sockalingam Ravichandran
Published: May 2010

This investigation examined whether speech intelligibility in noise can be improved using a new, binaural broadband hearing instrument system. Participants were 36 adults with symmetrical, sensorineural hearing loss (18 experienced hearing instrument users and 18 without prior experience). Participants were fit binaurally in a planned comparison, randomized crossover design study with binaural broadband hearing instruments and advanced digital hearing instruments. Following an adjustment period with each device, participants underwent two speech-in-noise tests: the QuickSIN and the Hearing in Noise Test (HINT). Results suggested significantly better performance on the QuickSIN and the HINT measures with the binaural broadband hearing instruments, when compared with the advanced digital hearing instruments and unaided, across and within all noise conditions.
Diaspora biographies balancing ideology and utopia
Authors: Lindgren Joakim
Published: May 2010

This is an article on the utopian life projects of immigrant youth in a disadvantaged Swedish community. These projects are analyzed through the concept of utopian diaspora biography which describes a process whereby a high level of aspiration concerning education and labour is accumulated as a consequence of the social, temporal and spatial dynamic of the biography. Utopian diaspora biographies, it is suggested, are fragile projects that reproduce political notions of meritocratic social mobility and individual agency. However, they may also explore individual possibilities and thereby challenge hierarchies in a segregated education and labour market. The risks and potentials associated with these modernist projects are analyzed through Ricoeur’s (1986) thoughts on ideology and utopia. It is suggested that the diaspora condition implies a movement between different internal systems of ideology and utopia — between a modern, Fordist system and a late modern, post-Fordist version. The article is based on life history interviews.
Peacekeeping in Japanese security policy: International–domestic contexts interaction
Authors: Singh Bhubhindar
Published: May 2010

This article analyses how peacekeeping became available to Japan as a policy option during the early 1990s and, thereafter, a part of the national security discourse through the international–domestic contexts interaction approach. The international context refers to the nature (culture) of the international environment at a particular period of time defined by the dominant norms that govern inter-state relations. It also highlights the policy options available to states. The domestic context refers to the nature of the leadership within a state that interprets the international norms and incorporates them into the domestic agenda. Japan’s implementation of the peacekeeping policy was a result of the collective security norms that defined the international environment during the early 1990s and the re-emergence of the revisionists within the Japanese political system — a group that embraced the collective security norms and pushed for the peacekeeping policy in the hope of expanding Japanese security policy in the post-Cold War period.
Fourth-grade children’s dietary recall accuracy for energy intake at school meals differs by social desirability and body mass index percentile in a study concerning retention interval
Authors: Guinn Caroline H. , Baxter Suzanne D. , Royer Julie A. , Hardin James W. , Mackelprang Alyssa J. , Smith Albert F.
Published: May 2010

Data from a study concerning retention interval and school-meal observation on children’s dietary recalls were used to investigate relationships of social desirability score (SDS) and body mass index percentile (BMI%) to recall accuracy for energy for observed ( n = 327) children, and to reported energy for observed and unobserved ( n = 152) children. Report rates (reported/observed) correlated negatively with SDS and BMI%. Correspondence rates (correctly reported/observed) correlated negatively with SDS. Inflation ratios (overreported/observed) correlated negatively with BMI%. The relationship between reported energy and each of SDS and BMI% did not depend on observation status. Studies utilizing children’s dietary recalls should assess SDS and BMI%.
Impaired Sleep in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Authors: Creti Laura , Libman Eva , Baltzan Marcel , Rizzo Dorrie , Bailes Sally , Fichten Catherine S.
Published: May 2010

The goal was to examine comparative efficacy of polysomnography, actigraphy, and self-report in evaluating the sleep/wake experience of individuals with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Sleep parameters were evaluated by the three measurement modalities for the same night in 49 participants with CFS. Psychological and daytime functioning were measured by self-report. Results indicate that: (a) objectively measured nocturnal sleep time effectively approximated subjective experience although nocturnal wakefulness did not; (b) total sleep time and sleep efficiency differentiated individuals with and without insomnia complaints; (c) daytime sleepiness, fatigue, and non-refreshing sleep were not reflected by the objective sleep-related measures (polysomnography and actigraphy).
Alcohol and Tobacco Use during Adolescence
Authors: White James , Halliwell Emma
Published: May 2010

Despite evidence that frequent family meals are associated with low levels of substance use during adolescence, prior studies have not examined the role of how adolescents perceive mealtimes. We examined family meal frequency, family connectedness, perceived priority, atmosphere and structure of mealtimes as predictors of alcohol and tobacco consumption, using data from 550 adolescents (50% boys; age range 11—16). Frequent family meals were significantly associated with a lower likelihood of alcohol and tobacco use. However, this association was explained by adolescents’ perception of the atmosphere at mealtimes. These findings suggest adolescents’ perception of the mealtime environment contributes to family meals’ protective effect.