bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cheering for ‘our’ champs by watching ‘sexy’ female throwers: Representation of nationality and gender in Slovenian 2008 Summer Olympic television coverage
Authors: Ličen Simon , Billings Andrew C
Published: August 2013

Television is a cultural service and its national renderings of the Olympic Games contribute to the viewers’ understanding of themselves and the world. This study examines the representation of nationality and gender within Slovenian broadcasts of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Results show that evaluative commentary comprised as much as 44% of the dialogue. ‘Home’ athletes were given more prominence, while foreign athletes were largely portrayed through quantifiable features. Male athletes received more commentary than females. Announcers favoured analysing results and predicting outcomes for men, and resorted to personality and physicality depictions in women. A critical discourse analysis uncovered notions about gender and nationality that would be deemed inappropriate in many societies. Sports journalists and broadcasters at TV Slovenija do not have explicit editorial policies addressing chauvinistic dialogue. The absence of a policy is not perceived as an issue as individual announcers abide to their personal, at times conflicting, understandings of proper announcing.
Emerging productive economies: Local restructuring in England and Wales, 1998–2012
Authors: Jones Paul S
Published: August 2013

There are pronounced differences in the productivity of local economies in England and Wales, with some areas thriving whilst others struggle with a legacy of de-industrialisation. This article relates productivity differentials to industry and occupation structure. Doing this facilitates the extrapolation of a metric for ‘productive employment base’ at local authority level. Using this measure, progress is examined for local authority areas in England and Wales during the period 1998–2012. Maps are produced of local areas making greatest gains. These are termed ‘emerging productive economies’.
Enhanced broadband access as a solution to the social and economic problems of the rural digital divide
Authors: Townsend Leanne , Sathiaseelan Arjuna , Fairhurst Gorry , Wallace Claire
Published: August 2013

This article discusses the danger of a growing digital divide between rural and other areas. It presents broadband as increasingly necessary for the delivery of information, health, education, business, social security, public and leisure services. Access to broadband has become vital for rural communities to participate in a progressively digital economy and to overcome problems of physical and social isolation. Yet rural areas are among those most excluded from fast broadband developments. Although this is partly due to technological/economic barriers in reaching more remote locations, even where technology is available, adoption can still be low in rural areas. This article explores the problems of providing broadband in rural Britain, considers various technological approaches and concludes with key development areas for policy and government.
Using community communicators to build trust and understanding between local councils and residents in the United Kingdom
Authors: Wood Matthew , Fowlie Julie
Published: August 2013

This article is a development of research published by the authors ( Wood and Fowlie, 2010 ) and explores the role of relationships and social networks within a social marketing approach to community communications in the UK. An understanding of their importance and value in delivering cost-effective customer-oriented services has grown significantly in the current political climate of cost cutting and ‘Big Society’. Specifically, it evaluates the effectiveness of using innovative communications channels – with community communicators playing a central role – to increase trust and positive perceptions of local government amongst resident networks in the London Boroughs of Sutton, Havering and Bexley. The article aims to provide practitioners with practical suggestions to address these issues.
‘Ground truths’ and scenarios: Examining and testing regional policy in North West Wales
Authors: James Rhydian Fôn , Midmore Peter , Thomas Dennis
Published: August 2013

This article describes how regional policy issues in North West Wales have been explored with local stakeholders, using scenario development to organise indigenous knowledge and elicit interpretations of the wider world. The context of scenario development, both in general and in its participatory form, is outlined, prior to an introduction to the study region and the policy framework which influences its development. In the latter part of the article, the process of construction and development of scenarios in combination with Delphi-like iterative questionnaires is described, showing how the gathering, organisation and interpretation of opinions, information and data from key stakeholders can illustrate a range of potential regional futures. The approach allows considerable broadening of stakeholder engagement at low cost. The four resulting scenario narratives and the policy insights they yield diverge considerably from top-down strategic planning perspectives and prescriptions. The article concludes by considering the general applicability of this guided method which draws on local knowledge of and involvement in policy decisions across different scales of impact, and provides more realistic and balanced perspectives, and demonstrates that enhanced quality and efficiency in decision making as well as opportunities for institutional learning can be achieved.
The role of 5-HT1A receptors in the anti-aversive effects of cannabidiol on panic attack-like behaviors evoked in the presence of the wild snake Epicrates cenchria crassus (Reptilia, Boidae)
Authors: Twardowschy André , Castiblanco-Urbina Maria Angélica , Uribe-Mariño Andres , Biagioni Audrey Francisco , Salgado-Rohner Carlos José , Crippa José Alexandre de Souza , Coimbra Norberto Cysne
Published: August 2013

The potential anxiolytic and antipanic properties of cannabidiol have been shown; however, its mechanism of action seems to recruit other receptors than those involved in the endocannabinoid-mediated system. It was recently shown that the model of panic-like behaviors elicited by the encounters between mice and snakes is a good tool to investigate innate fear-related responses, and cannabidiol causes a panicolytic-like effect in this model. The aim of the present study was to investigate the 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) co-participation in the panicolytic-like effects of cannabidiol on the innate fear-related behaviors evoked by a prey versus predator interaction-based paradigm. Male Swiss mice were treated with intraperitoneal (i.p.) administrations of cannabidiol (3 mg/kg, i.p.) and its vehicle and the effects of the peripheral pre-treatment with increasing doses of the 5-HT1A receptor antagonist WAY-100635 (0.1, 0.3 and 0.9 mg/kg, i.p.) on instinctive fear-induced responses evoked by the presence of a wild snake were evaluated. The present results showed that the panicolytic-like effects of cannabidiol were blocked by the pre-treatment with WAY-100635 at different doses. These findings demonstrate that cannabidiol modulates the defensive behaviors evoked by the presence of threatening stimuli, and the effects of cannabidiol are at least partially dependent on the recruitment of 5-HT1A receptors.
Detection of hypoplasia of bony cochlear nerve canal by the opening threshold of virtual endoscopy: a pilot study
Authors: Quan Yong , Liu Jie , Liu Zhaoyu , Wu Lebin , Gong Ruozhen
Published: August 2013

Background

Dimensions of the bony cochlear nerve canal (BCNC) have been proposed as a potential diagnostic standard for BCNC hypoplasia, but the standard remains inconsistent. Some studies have revealed that computed tomography virtual endoscopy (CTVE) with variation of reconstruction threshold is good at identifying labyrinthine fistulas or semi-circular canal dehiscence.

Purpose

To examine diagnostic accuracy of VE in the evaluation of BCNC hypoplasia on basis of opening threshold.

Material and Methods

Twenty ears diagnosed with BCNC hypoplasia were included in this study. One hundred ears served as controls. The opening thresholds were measured by two reviewers. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were reported. The width of BCNC was obtained on transverse CT images. Association between the width of BCNC and opening threshold was assessed by using Spearman correlation coefficients. ROC curves were applied to assess the best cut-off value of opening threshold.

Results

The opening threshold of BCNC was significantly higher in diseased ears (926 ± 308 Hounsfield units [HU]) than that in control ears (287 ± 72 HU). Inter-observer agreement was very good. The mean width of BCNC for diseased ears and control ears were 0.83 ± 0.36 mm and 2.21 ± 0.35 mm, respectively. Significant negative linear correlation was found between opening thresholds and width of BCNC (Spearman coefficient, −0.768; P < 0.001). The area under the ROC curve was 0.981. The cut-off opening thresholds of 408 for differentiation between the two groups provided the best combination of sensitivity (85%) and specificity (94%).

Conclusion

The VE with opening threshold may be an effective optional tool for prediction of hypoplasia of BCNC.
Thin-section CT findings in peripheral lung cancer of 3 cm or smaller: are there any characteristic features for predicting tumor histology or do they depend only on tumor size?
Authors: Jiang Binghu , Takashima Shodayu , Miyake Chie , Hakucho Tomoaki , Takahashi Yoshiyuki , Morimoto Daisuke , Numasaki Hodaka , Nakanishi Katsuyuki , Tomita Yasuhiko , Higashiyama Masahiko
Published: August 2013

Background

Ground-glass opacity (GGO) is reported to be characteristic to lepidic growth of neoplasm in subsolid nodules. In solid nodules of lung cancer, however, there is no characteristic feature to be reported.

Purpose

To study if there are any thin-section CT findings characteristic to tumor histology or if they are only related to tumor size in solid nodules of the lung cancer.

Material and Methods

This study included 106 solid peripheral lung cancers of 3 cm or smaller (56 adenocarcinomas, 33 squamous cell carcinomas, and 17 small cell carcinomas) in which 16-slice CT with 1 mm collimation was performed before surgery. Six morphologic findings (presence or absence of lobulation, coarse spiculation, air bronchogram, cavity, pleural tag, and pleural-based lesion) and four measurements (ratio of the greatest transverse and vertical diameter to the shortest transverse diameter and density of lobulation and coarse spiculation) on thin-section CT images were evaluated. Density of lobulation (coarse spiculation) was defined as the ratio of lobulation (coarse spiculation) number to the greatest transverse diameter of a nodule.

Results

Air bronchogram ( P < 0.01) was the only significant factor for predicting lung adenocarcinoma. The prevalence of air bronchogram was significantly greater in adenocarcinoma than in squamous cell carcinoma ( P < 0.01) or small cell carcinoma ( P < 0.01). As the tumor size advanced, significantly positive linear trends were seen in the prevalence of lobulation ( P < 0.01), coarse spiculation ( P < 0.01), and pleural tag ( P < 0.01), and the mean values of density of lobulation ( P < 0.01) and coarse spiculation ( P < 0.01), while the significant negative linear trend was seen in the ratio of vertical diameter to the shortest transverse ( P = 0.02).

Conclusion

Air bronchogram on thin-section CT is characteristic feature of solid adenocarcinoma of the lung. However, other thin-section CT findings are irrelevant to tumor histology and related only to tumor size.
The ‘Hymn’ of Amos: An Ancient Flood Narrative
Authors: Cox Gavin
Published: August 2013

A comparison of Amos with Sumerian City-Lament (SCL) reveals that SCL was likely used as the literary template for Amos’ prophecy. Amos also contains references to the flood, used as a covenant-curse to warn Israel of her treaty violations. This article compares these flood passages, 4.13; 5.8+9; 8.8; 9.5+6, (described by scholars as ‘hymnic’), with SCL, Genesis’ flood account, and Job 9.5–10, a similar flood-like hymn, in order to determine common vocabulary and themes. Analyzing the Amos hymn's vocabulary roots reveals an ancient narrative source. Exploration of the passage's literary connections to Amos in terms of a ‘flood covenant-curse',’, demonstrates why such literature was utilized. This article also discusses a new proposal that Amos’ hymn should be extended to incorporate a fragment at 7.4.
Obadiah's ‘Day of the Lord': A Semiotic Reading
Authors: Werse Nicholas R.
Published: August 2013

The semiotics of Yuri Lotman employs a theoretical contradiction. A symbol, by definition, must be both repeatable and unrepeatable within the same semiotic system. This paradox precludes the possibility of a perfectly static symbol in poetry. Every symbol, by nature of its syntagmatic axis, must develop as the surrounding semiotic system unfolds. This article demonstrates that when Lotmanian semiotics is applied to the poetry of Obadiah, it becomes evident that Obadiah's use of ‘day’ originally appears to be two distinct symbols as determined by their differing syntagmatic values. Yet as the system develops, the apparently separate usages of the symbol are drawn together in a heightened state of tension before their fusion into a single unified sign for the ‘day of the Lord’ within the system.
The Hitler swarm
Authors: Baecker Dirk
Published: August 2013

Explaining the seizure of power by the National Socialist Party and the totalitarian workings of the Nazi regime in the Third Reich is still difficult not only with respect to the atrocities committed but also to understanding whether the German population and society had to be terrorized into complying with the regime or were part and parcel of it. The paper introduces a notion of swarm to advance the idea that the German population was terrorized into a deliberate compliance with the regime. The notion of swarm is sociologically controlled by a complementary notion of form, which serves to reconstruct and model the social calculus realized by the swarm to differentiate and reproduce itself inside a complex society. The data I use are the results of historical research done in the last 60 years.
Hegemony, passive revolution and the modern Prince
Authors: Thomas Peter D
Published: August 2013

Gramsci’s concept of hegemony has been interpreted in a wide variety of ways, including a theory of consent, of political unity, of ‘anti-politics’, and of geopolitical competition. These interpretations are united in regarding hegemony as a general theory of political power and domination, and as deriving from a particular interpretation of the concept of passive revolution. Building upon the recent intense season of philological research on the Prison Notebooks, this article argues that the concept of hegemony is better understood as a ‘dialectical chain’ composed of four integrally related ‘moments’: hegemony as social and political leadership, as a political project, as a hegemonic apparatus, and as the social and political hegemony of the workers’ movement. This alternative typology of hegemony provides both a sophisticated analysis of the emergence of modern state power and a theory of political organization of the subaltern social groups. This project is encapsulated in Gramsci’s notion of the formation of a ‘modern Prince’, conceived as both political party and civilizational process, which represents an emancipatory alternative to the dominant forms of political modernity.
Slave to the rhythm or love, sex and the dialectic of freedom
Authors: Rundell John
Published: August 2013

Current changes in the intimate sphere are denoted by an expansion of emotional vocabularies, of freedom in sex and sexual preference, and the extension of sexual life with neither inhibition, nor obligation, nor marriage for both women and men. This reading of the works of Jean-Claude Kaufmann and Niklas Luhmann suggests that the result of this current revolution of the intimate sphere is mixed. A new differentiated form of the intimate sphere has developed with an internal distinction between sex qua leisure and committed love-relationality. Although sex qua leisure is mediated by the new communications technology, this technological mediation is not what is important here. Rather, the actions are configured and mediated by the neo-liberal paradigm by all participants. Leisure-sex is simply a game that combines autonomy, leisure, power and rational choice – a combination that is open to men and women alike. But there is still love, and in ways that enable it to be expressed beyond traditional forms. From the position of committed love-relationality, rather than marriage, love is between people – but it is a different between to the one of leisure sex. Love is double-sided: whilst heightening a sense of self-orientation, one is also focused on an other. Love involves all kinds of complexity in the everyday because it involves the well-being of an other or others – with joys and heartaches, responsibilities and conflicts.
‘Pervaded by a chill’:1 The dialectic of coldness in Adorno’s social theory
Authors: Mussell Simon
Published: August 2013

This article examines some of the ways in which the trope of coldness appears in the social theory of Theodor W. Adorno. In the first section, I show how and why Adorno repeatedly criticizes a certain brand of coldness, namely, ‘bourgeois coldness’, which is understood as enacting and encouraging formal abstraction and indifference to sensuous particularity. In this sense, coldness is seen to function as a precondition for severe forms of violence (both symbolic and material). However, in the second section, I argue that stopping short at this one-sided ‘critique of coldness’ remains incomplete and undialectical, and does not do justice to Adorno’s more complicated engagement with the topic. In light of this, I invert the focus of analysis to the ‘coldness of critique’, claiming that there are examples of other forms, internalizations and uses of coldness in Adorno’s work, serving to indefatigably expand the utopian horizons of his social theory above and beyond piecemeal reformism, local pedagogy or pragmatic micro-politics. The aim is not simply to promote ostensibly ‘positive’ alternatives or remedies to the ‘negative’ symptom of coldness, but rather to tarry with the negative, to recognize the coldness within ourselves the better to break through and sublate it. For Adorno, there is no way around coldness; the only way is to go through it.
Leadership Lessons in Global Nursing and Health From The Nightingale Letter Collection at the University of Alabama at Birmingham
Authors: Harper Doreen C. , Davey Kimberly S. , Fordham Pamela N.
Published: August 2013

This article analyzes the components of Florence Nightingale’s visionary leadership for global health and nursing within the historical context of Great Britain’s colonization of India. The descriptive study used the qualitative approach of narrative analysis to analyze selected letters in the Nightingale Letter Collection at the University of Alabama at Birmingham that Nightingale wrote to or about Dr. Thomas Gillham Hewlett, a physician and health officer in Bombay, India. The authors sought to increase understanding of Nightingale’s visionary leadership for global nursing and health through a study of the form and content of the letters analyzed as temporally contextualized data, focusing on how the narratives are composed and what is conveyed. Several recurring themes central to Nightingale’s leadership on global nursing and health emerge throughout these letters, including health and sanitation reform, collaborative partnerships, data-driven policy development, and advocacy for public health. These themes are illustrated through her letters to and testimony about Dr. Thomas Gillham Hewlett in her vivid descriptions of health education and promotion, data-driven policy documents, public health and sanitation advice, and collaboration with citizens, medicine, policy makers, and governments to improve the health and welfare of the people of India. The focus on leadership in nursing as a global construct highlights the lessons learned from University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Nightingale Letter Collection that has relevance for the future of nursing and health care, particularly Nightingale’s collaboration with policy leaders, her analysis of data to set policy agendas, and public health reform centered on improving the health and well-being of underserved populations.
Stories of Liminality
Authors: Bruce Anne , Sheilds Laurene , Molzahn Anita , Beuthin Rosanne , Schick-Makaroff Kara , Shermak Sheryl
Published: August 2013

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to examine liminal experiences of living with the uncertainty of life-threatening illness. Increasing numbers of people with life-threatening illness live in-between the promise of treatment and the threat of recurrence or progression of disease, and yet this experience is not well understood. Design: A narrative inquiry methodology within a constructionist frame was used. Method: Semistructured in-depth interviews were conducted with 32 participants from three populations of interest: (a) 10 people living with cancer, (b) 13 people with chronic renal disease, and (c) 9 people living with HIV/AIDS. Findings: An overarching theme of “pervasive liminality” and four narratives are identified: storying into fear(lessness), being alive but not living; knowing and not knowing, and the (in)visibility of disease. Conclusions: Over time, living with a life-threatening illness produces complex and paradoxical experiences that do not easily fit within familiar categories of experience. Findings highlight pervasive liminal experiences as in-between narratives that are neither problematic nor need to be resolved, and endure over time.
A Grounded Theory of Faculty’s Use of Humanization to Create Online Course Climate
Authors: Cox-Davenport Rebecca A.
Published: August 2013

The purpose of this research was to study the way faculty establish course social presence in an online course. The community of inquiry model by Garrison, Anderson, and Archer distinguished the area of social presence as an important component of online learning, and this study sought to understand how faculty perceive and create social presence in their online classroom. By employing a grounded theory approach, a substantive theory was developed to explain the way in which faculty create and maintain an online course climate. The sample consisted of 10 nursing faculty teaching various master’s in nursing courses. Through a rigorous qualitative process using nursing faculty interviews and online course analysis, humanization was found to be the core category in setting online course climate. Faculty’s efforts to humanize the climate lead each member of the community to view the other members as real, thereby enabling the establishment of online social presence.
Internalized homonegativity/homophobia is associated with HIV-risk behaviours among Ugandan gay and bisexual men
Authors: Ross M W , Kajubi P , Mandel J S , McFarland W , Raymond H F
Published: August 2013

Summary

We investigated the relationship of internalized homonegativity/homophobia (IH) to sexual risk behaviours among 216 Ugandan gay and bisexual men, using the 7-item IH scale previously developed on this population. IH was significantly associated with unprotected anal intercourse, and more so with unprotected receptive anal intercourse. Higher IH was also associated with more sex while intoxicated. There was a strong association between anal intercourse of any type and IH, suggesting a complex relationship between anal sex and identification with, or internalization of, homonegativity/homophobia. Specifically, it may be the anal component of sex rather than the sex with another man that is seen as labeling one as homosexual or stigmatizing. Those men who stated that they engaged in sex with other men for love, rather than for the physical feeling or for money, had higher IH scores. These data suggest that there may be an interactive relationship between IH and sexual behaviour, with greater internalization being associated with more stereotypically gay activities, which in turn may lead to more self-identification as gay and thus greater susceptibility to internalization.
Seroprevalence of HSV-1 and HSV-2 antibodies in Canadian women screened for enrolment in a herpes simplex virus vaccine trial
Authors: Gorfinkel I S , Aoki F , McNeil S , Dionne M , Shafran S D , Zickler P , Halperin S , Langley J , Bellamy A , Schulte J , Heineman T , Belshe R
Published: August 2013

Summary

Herpes simplex virus 1 and 2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2) infections continue to be among the most common and unrecognized sexually transmitted infections in the world. Although treatable, HSV-1 and HSV-2 infections remain incurable. Hence, there is interest in the development of a vaccine to prevent genital herpes. As part of a multicentre, randomized, placebo-controlled trial to test such a vaccine, healthy women 18–30 years were enrolled as volunteers in several Canadian centres between 2005 and 2007. This study reports the seroprevalence of HSV-1 and HSV-2 antibodies in this group. A total of 2694 adult female volunteers in Canada with no known history of herpes simplex were screened for HSV antibodies using Western blot assay (the gold standard for diagnosis of HSV) for potential participation in a randomized, double-blind efficacy field trial of a herpes simplex vaccine. This trial provides a unique opportunity to examine the prevalence of antibodies to HSV-1 and of antibodies to HSV-2 in women with no known history of herpes simplex infection. The prevalence of antibodies to HSV-1 and to HSV-2 is compared with that found in previous Canadian studies that focused on a more general population. The overall seroprevalence of antibody to HSV-1 was 43%; that of HSV-2 was 2.5% and seropositivity to both was 2%. The prevalence of antibody to both HSV-1 and to HSV-2 increased with age. Seronegativity to both HSV-1 and HSV-2 was 56% in participating centres with populations under 250,000 and 46% in participating centres with populations over 250,000. Significant racial differences in seropositivity to HSV-1 and to HSV-2 were noted. The likelihood of participants being seropositive to HSV-1 and to HSV-2 was found to increase with age and to positively correlate with the population of the city in which they resided. Hypotheses are proposed to account for differences in racial seropositivity to HSV-1 and to HSV-2.
Early loss to follow-up and mortality of HIV-infected patients diagnosed after the era of antiretroviral treatment scale up: a call for re-invigorating the response in Iran
Authors: Badie Banafsheh Moradmand , Nabaei Ghaemeh , Rasoolinejad Mehrnaz , Mirzazadeh Ali , McFarland Willi
Published: August 2013

In Iran, the HIV/AIDS epidemic is growing during an era of scaling up the national surveillance system and antiretroviral therapy programs. We examined the early loss to follow-up and mortality rates in a retrospective cohort of 1495 HIV-infected patients by survival proportional hazard Cox model. We also conducted a data abstraction sub-study in a systematic random sample of 147 patients to assess the association between mortality and predictor factors. Overall, 17.3% patients were not seen after their first visit and 17.4% more were lost by 6 months. The overall mortality rate was 7.0 (95% CI 6.1–8.1) per 100 person-years. Moreover, crude mortality rate was higher in men (8.6) than in women (1.7), with an age-adjusted hazard ratio for men compared to women of 4.55 (95% CI 2.31-8.93). Lastly, history of tuberculosis and not being on antiretroviral therapy were significantly associated with higher mortality in the patient sub-sample.
Contraceptive choice and acceptability: the future for STI risk in Kelantan, Malaysia
Authors: Shiely Frances , Saifuddin Mohammed Syafiek
Published: August 2013

More than 150 million women become pregnant in developing countries annually and an estimated 287,000 die from pregnancy-related causes. Contraception is vital to prevent unnecessary maternal deaths, as well as sexually transmitted infections. The objective of this study was to investigate preferred contraceptive methods and the factors that influence contraceptive choice among women in Kelantan, Malaysia. A cross-sectional study using interview-based questionnaires was conducted, during July and August 2009, in local family planning clinics in Kelantan. The questionnaire was administered to adult women (age 20–50). Prevalence of unplanned pregnancies was high (48%). Contraceptive preference was Depo contraceptive injection (32%), oral contraceptive pills (27%), intrauterine devices (15%) and contraceptive implants (12%); 9% used condoms. Only 2% used contraception to protect against sexually transmitted infections or HIV/AIDS. Younger women (OR 0.90; 95% CI 0.807–0.993) were more likely to use contraception. In conclusion, non-interrupted contraceptive methods were preferred. More than 60% would stop using contraception if it interrupted intercourse. From both a public health and infectious disease perspective, this is extremely worrying.
The Polarizing Effect of Arousal on Negotiation
Authors: Brown Ashley D. , Curhan Jared R.
Published: August 2013

In this research, we examined the impact of physiological arousal on negotiation outcomes. Conventional wisdom and the prescriptive literature suggest that arousal should be minimized given its negative effect on negotiations, whereas prior research on misattribution of arousal suggests that arousal might polarize outcomes, either negatively or positively. In two experiments, we manipulated arousal and measured its effect on subjective and objective negotiation outcomes. Our results support the polarization effect. When participants had negative prior attitudes toward negotiation, arousal had a detrimental effect on outcomes, whereas when participants had positive prior attitudes toward negotiation, arousal had a beneficial effect on outcomes. These effects occurred because of the construal of arousal as negative or positive affect, respectively. Our findings have important implications not only for negotiation, but also for research on misattribution of arousal, which previously has focused on the target of evaluation, in contrast to the current research, which focused on the critical role of the perceiver.
Enacting Cultural Interests
Authors: Brannon Tiffany N. , Walton Gregory M.
Published: August 2013

In the present research, we examined the hypothesis that cues of social connectedness to a member of another social group can spark interest in the group’s culture, and that such interest, when freely enacted, contributes to reductions in intergroup prejudice. In two pilot studies and Experiment 1, we found that extant and desired cross-group friendships and cues of social connectedness to an out-group member predicted increased interest in the target group’s culture. In Experiments 2 and 3, we manipulated cues of social connectedness between non–Latino American participants and a Latino American (i.e., Mexican American) peer and whether participants freely worked with this peer on a Mexican cultural task. This experience reduced the participants’ implicit bias against Latinos, an effect that was mediated by increased cultural engagement, and, 6 months later in an unrelated context, improved intergroup outcomes (e.g., interest in interacting with Mexican Americans; Experiment 4). The Discussion section addresses the inter- and intragroup benefits of policies that encourage people to express and share diverse cultural interests in mainstream settings.
A 12-week intramuscular toxicity study of risperidone-loaded microspheres in Beagle dogs
Authors: Tian J , Wang W , Ye L , Cen X , Guan X , Zhang J , Yu P , Du G , Liu W , Li Y
Published: August 2013

Long-acting formulations of antipsychotics are important treatment options to increase the compliance of schizophrenic patients. Risperidone, a 5-HT2 and dopaminergic D2 receptor antagonist, was developed as long-acting sustained-release microspheres with poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) as a drug carrier for the treatment of schizophrenia. In the present study, the main objective is to determine the nonclinical safety profile of risperidone-loaded microspheres (RM) in Beagle dogs after intramuscular administration for 3 months, once in 2 weeks, followed by 8-week recovery phase. No animal death was found and no special toxicological findings were observed. The findings, such as hypoactivity, ptosis, increased heart rate, and elevated serum and pituitary prolactin levels, were observed and related to the pharmacological effects of risperidone. The changes in the reproductive system (uterus, ovary, vagina, cervix, and mammary gland) were considered secondary to the prolactin elevation, and the congestion of spleen was related to risperidone. The foreign body granulomas at injection sites might be caused by PLGA. At the end of recovery phase, the above changes mostly recovered to normal, and on administering 3 mg/kg dose level once in 2 weeks on Beagle dogs showed no observed adverse effect. Taken together, RM had exhibited the acceptable safety.
Hyperbaric oxygen treatment and N-acetylcysteine ameliorate acetaminophen-induced liver injury in a rat model
Authors: Taslipinar MY , Aydin I , Kaldirim U , Aydin FN , Agilli M , Eyi YE , Tuncer SK , Altayli E , Ucar F , Macit E , Toygar M , Yigit N , Cayci T
Published: August 2013

An overdose of acetaminophen (APAP) produces centrilobular hepatocellular necrosis. We aimed to investigate the hepatoprotective effects of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) only and hyperbaric oxygen (O2) treatment (HBOT) combined with NAC, and their anti-inflammatory properties in liver tissue. In the current study, a total of 32 male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into 4 groups: sham, APAP, NAC, and NAC + HBOT. In the APAP, NAC, and NAC + HBOT groups, liver injury was induced by oral administration of 1 g/kg APAP. The NAC group received 100 mg/kg NAC per day. NAC + HBOT group received intraperitoneal injection of 100 mg/kg/day NAC and were given HBOT at 2.8 ATA pressure with 100% O2 inhalation for 90 min every 12 h for 5 days. Rats in the sham group received distilled water only by gastric tube. All animals were killed on day 6 after APAP or distilled water administration. Serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activities, hepatic neopterin, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin 6 (IL-6) levels were measured. There was a significant increase in serum AST and ALT activities in the APAP group compared with the sham group (in both p = 0.001). NAC and NAC + HBOT groups had significant decreases in hepatic neopterin, TNF-α, and IL-6 levels compared with the APAP group. APAP administration caused extensive hepatic necrosis. NAC and NAC + HBO treatments significantly reduced APAP-induced liver injury. Our results showed that the liver damage in APAP toxicity was attenuated by NAC and NAC + HBO treatments. NAC + HBOT exhibit hepatoprotective activity against APAP-induced liver injury in rats.
Responses of trade union confederations to the youth employment crisis
Authors: Geelan Torsten
Published: August 2013

The current economic recession has had a dramatic impact on youth employment across Europe. This article analyses responses by trade union confederations in Denmark and the UK. Looking first at their power capacities (with a specific focus on communicative power and its relevance for young people), the article moves on to analyse how these capacities and the broader political opportunity structure shape the nature and extent of actions in which they engage. The article ends with some reflections on the usefulness of communicative power as a new theoretical and analytical tool.
Youth unemployment in the period 2001–2010 and the European crisis – looking at the empirical evidence
Authors: Dietrich Hans
Published: August 2013

This article examines the development of youth unemployment in the period 2001–2010 from a macro perspective. As dependent variables, alternative concepts of measuring youth unemployment are introduced. Whilst the traditional youth unemployment rate responds best to business cycle effects, improvement of the overall education level, or growth of the share of industrial employment, it does not respond to the relative growth of inactive young people. As alternatives, the NEET ratio and the share of unemployed in the youth population are employed, which both relate unemployment or joblessness to the youth population. Compared to the NEET model the latter model is more sensitive to the change in size of the inactive youth population and delivers good explanatory power. Finally, the ratio of youth unemployment to the corresponding adult rate was tested, and found to have increased in the 2000s until 2008. In the years of crisis, however, this ratio stagnated or decreased even slightly. Generally speaking, the development of this ratio seemed only to be weakly connected to the business cycle in the 2000s, something which should be further researched. Possible consequences for political action are discussed.
Introducing Dyadic Interviews as a Method for Collecting Qualitative Data
Authors: Morgan David L. , Ataie Jutta , Carder Paula , Hoffman Kim
Published: August 2013

In dyadic interviews, two participants interact in response to open-ended research questions. There are few precedents for using dyadic interviews as a technique for qualitative research. We introduce this method largely in comparison to focus groups, because both represent forms of interactive interviewing. We do not, however, view dyadic interviews as miniature focus groups, and treat them as generating their own opportunities and issues. To illustrate the nature of dyadic interviewing, we present summaries of three studies using this method. In the first study, we used dyadic interviews and photovoice techniques to examine experiences of people with early-stage dementia. In the second study, we explored the experiences of staff who provided services to elderly housing residents. In the third study, we examined barriers and facilitators to substance abuse treatment among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Hawaii. We conclude with a discussion of directions for future research using dyadic interviews.
Metasynthesis and Bricolage
Authors: Kinn Liv Grethe , Holgersen Helge , Ekeland Tor-Johan , Davidson Larry
Published: August 2013

During the past decades, new approaches to synthesizing qualitative data have been developed. However, this methodology continues to face significant philosophical and practical challenges. By reviewing the literature on this topic, our overall aim in this article is to explore the systematic and creative research processes involved in the act of metasynthesizing. By investigating synthesizing processes borrowed from two studies, we discuss matters of transparency and transferability in relation to how multiple qualitative studies are interpreted and transformed into one narrative. We propose concepts such as bricolage, metaphor, playfulness, and abduction as ideas that might enhance understanding of the importance of combinations of scientific and artistic approaches to the way the synthesizer “puzzles together” an interpretive account of qualitative studies. This study can benefit researchers by increasing their awareness of the artistic processes involved in qualitative analysis and metasynthesis to expand the domain and methods of their fields.
Using Stake’s Qualitative Case Study Approach to Explore Implementation of Evidence-Based Practice
Authors: Boblin Sheryl L. , Ireland Sandra , Kirkpatrick Helen , Robertson Kim
Published: August 2013

Although the use of qualitative case study research has increased during the past decade, researchers have primarily reported on their findings, with less attention given to methods. When methods were described, they followed the principles of Yin; researchers paid less attention to the equally important work of Stake. When Stake’s methods were acknowledged, researchers frequently used them along with Yin’s. Concurrent application of their methods did not take into account differences in the philosophies of these two case study researchers. Yin’s research is postpositivist whereas Stake’s is constructivist. Thus, the philosophical assumptions they used to guide their work were different. In this article we describe how we used Stake’s approach to explore the implementation of a falls-prevention best-practice guideline. We focus on our decisions and their congruence with Stake’s recommendations, embed our decisions within the context of researching this phenomenon, describe rationale for our decisions, and present lessons learned.
Adenomyomatous Polyp of the Endometrium With Prominent Epithelioid Smooth Muscle Differentiation
Authors: Kenny Sarah L. , McCluggage W. Glenn
Published: August 2013

A minor component of smooth muscle may be present in the stroma of benign endometrial polyps and 2 distinctive endometrial polypoid lesions, atypical polypoid adenomyoma and adenomyoma, are characterized by stroma with a predominant smooth muscle component. In this report, we describe 2 unusual endometrial polyps in 43- and 60-year-old women in which the stromal component was predominantly composed of smooth muscle with an epithelioid appearance, a phenomenon which, as far as we are aware, has not been previously reported.
Mechanisms of Reward Circuit Dysfunction in Psychiatric Illness
Authors: Pujara Maia , Koenigs Michael
Published: August 2013

The brain’s “reward circuit” has been widely implicated in the pathophysiology of mental illness. Although there has been significant progress in identifying the functional characteristics of individual nodes within the circuit and linking dysfunction of these brain areas to various forms of psychopathology, there remains a substantial gap in understanding how the nodes of the circuit interact with one another, and how the growing neurobiological knowledge may be applied to improve psychiatric patient care. In this article, we summarize what is currently known about the functions and interactions of two key nodes of this circuit—the ventral striatum and the ventromedial prefrontal/orbital frontal cortex—in relation to mental illness.
Testosterone Therapy, Thrombophilia–Hypofibrinolysis, and Hospitalization for Deep Venous Thrombosis-Pulmonary Embolus
Authors: Glueck Charles J. , Richardson-Royer Caitlin , Schultz Reiker , Burger Tim , Bowe Dedrick , Padda Jagjit , Wang Ping
Published: August 2013

In our study of 596 men hospitalized in the last 3 years for deep venous thrombosis-pulmonary emboli (DVT-PE), we determined the prevalence of exogenous testosterone (T) use with subsequent development of DVT-PE. Of the 596 men, 110 were now dead, 97 had cancer thought to cause DVT-PE, 250 could not be contacted, leaving 139, of whom 7 had taken T before and at the time of their admissions, 1.2% of the total cohort, a conservative estimate of the prevalence of T-associated DVT-PE. In all, 5 of the 7 DVT-PE events occurred within 3 months of initiation of T, with mean and median intervals between initiation of T and hospitalization with DVT-PE 6.7 and 2 months. Of the 7 men treated with exogenous T, all 5 men who had evaluation of thrombophilia–hypofibrinolysis were found to have previously undiagnosed familial or acquired thrombophilia or hypofibrinolysis, suggesting a thrombotic interaction between exogenous T and thrombophilia–hypofibrinolysis.
Evaluations of In Vitro Metabolism, Drug–Drug Interactions Mediated by Reversible and Time-Dependent Inhibition of CYPs, and Plasma Protein Binding of MMB4 DMS
Authors: Hong S. Peter , Lusiak Bozena D. , Burback Brian L. , Johnson Jerry D.
Published: August 2013

1,1′-Methylenebis[4-[(hydroxyimino)methyl]-pyridinium] (MMB4) dimethanesulfonate (DMS) is a bisquaternary pyridinium aldoxime that reactivates acetylcholinesterase inhibited by organophosphorus nerve agent. Drug metabolism and plasma protein binding for MMB4 DMS were examined using various techniques and a wide range of species. When 14C-MMB4 DMS was incubated in liver microsomes, 4-pyridine aldoxime (4-PA) and an additional metabolite were detected in all species tested. Identity of the additional metabolite was postulated to be isonicotinic acid (INA) based on liquid chromatography with a tandem mass spectrometry analysis, which was confirmed by comparison with authentic INA. Formation of INA was dependent on species, with the highest level found in monkey liver microsomes. The MMB4 DMS exhibited reversible inhibition in a concentration-dependent manner toward cytochrome P450 1A2 (CYP1A2), CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP2D6, and CYP3A4 in human liver microsomes showing the highest inhibition for CYP2D6. Human recombinant CYPs were used to evaluate inhibitory curves more adequately and determine detailed kinetic constants for reversible inhibition and potential time-dependent inhibition (TDI). The MMB4 DMS exhibited reversible inhibition toward human-recombinant CYP2D6 with an inhibition constant ( Ki) value of 66.6 µmol/L. Based on the kinact/ KI values, MMB4 DMS was found to exhibit the most potent TDI toward CYP2D6. The MMB4 DMS at 5 different concentrations was incubated in plasma for 5 hours using an equilibrium dialysis device. For all species tested, there were no concentration-dependent changes in plasma protein binding, ranging from 10% to 17%. These results suggest that MMB4 was not extensively bound to plasma protein, and there were no overt species-related differences in the extent of MMB4 bound to plasma protein.
Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, and Excretion of 14C-MMB4 DMS Administered Intramuscularly to Sprague-Dawley Rats and New Zealand White Rabbits
Authors: Lusiak Bozena D. , Kobs Dean J. , Hong S. Peter , Burback Brian L. , Johnson Jerry D.
Published: August 2013

1,1′-Methylenebis[4-[(hydroxyimino)methyl]-pyridinium] dimethanesulfonate (MMB4 DMS) is currently under development for the treatment of chemical warfare organophosphorus nerve agent poisoning. The present study evaluates the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of 14C-MMB4 DMS administered intramuscularly to rats and rabbits. The formulated mixture of radiolabeled and nonradiolabeled MMB4 DMS was administered as a single or 7-day repeated dose. Rat doses were 55 or 220 mg/kg (100 µCi/kg), and rabbit doses were 25 or 100 mg/kg (31.25 and 62.5 µCi/kg, respectively). Urine, bile (rats only), feces, blood, and tissues were collected for up to 72 hours. Metabolic profiling using high-performance liquid chromatography with radiodetection was performed on selected urine samples. For both animal species, the majority of the total radioactivity was excreted in the urine (74%-94%) by 72 hours after dosing with greater than 90% of the radioactivity measured in the urine within 8 to 12 hours after dosing. There were no apparent species or dose differences in the urine excretion pattern. The distribution of 14C-MMB4 DMS-derived radioactivity was rapid and generally reached the highest concentration by the first collection time point (0.25 hours). The tissue–blood concentration ratios were highest at the injection sites and in the kidneys and gastrointestinal tract contents for both the species. Two metabolites of MMB4 DMS were detected in rat and rabbit urine; their structure was confirmed by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry as 4-pyridine aldoxime and isonicotinic acid (pyridine-4-carboxylic acid).