bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Long-Term Clinical Outcome After Fractional Flow Reserve–Guided Percutaneous Coronary Revascularization in Patients With Small-Vessel Disease
Authors: Puymirat Etienne , Peace Aaron , Mangiacapra Fabio , Conte Micaela , Ntarladimas Yiannis , Bartunek Jozef , Vanderheyden Marc , Wijns William , De Bruyne Bernard , Barbato Emanuele
Published: February 2012

Background—

Small coronary vessels supply small myocardial territories. The clinical significance of small-vessel stenoses is therefore questionable. Moreover, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of nonfunctionally significant lesions does not improve clinical outcome and might be associated with potential procedural or stent related risks. The aim of this study was to assess the clinical outcome of fractional flow reserve (FFR)-guided PCI in the treatment of small coronary vessel lesions as compared with an angio-guided PCI.

Methods and Results—

From January 2004 to December 2008, all patients treated with PCI for stable or unstable angina in small native coronary vessels (reference vessel diameter and stent size <3 mm) were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into angio-guided and an FFR-guided PCI groups. A total of 717 patients were enrolled (495 angio-guided, 222 FFR-guided). End points were death, nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI), combined death or nonfatal MI, target vessel revascularization (TVR), and procedure costs. Major adverse cardiac events (MACE) were defined as death, nonfatal MI, and TVR. Clinical follow-up was obtained in 97.5% (median follow-up: 3.3 [from 0.01–5] years) of the patients. Seventy-eight patients (35%) had a significant FFR (<0.80) and underwent PCI. Using a propensity score adjusted Cox analysis, patients treated with FFR-guided PCI had significantly lower combined death or nonfatal MI (hazard ratio [HR], 0.413; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.227–0.750;
P
=0.004), nonfatal MI (HR, 0.063; 95% CI, 0.009–0.462;
P
=0.007), TVR (HR, 0.517; 95% CI, 0.323–0.826;
P
=0.006), and MACE (HR, 0.458; 95% CI, 0.310–0.679;
P
<0.001). No difference was observed in mortality alone (HR, 0.684; 95% CI, 0.355–1.316;
P
=0.255). Procedure costs were also reduced in the FFR guided strategy (3253±102 Euros versus 4714±37 Euros,
P
<0.0001).

Conclusions—

FFR-guided PCI of small coronary arteries is safe and results in better clinical outcomes when compared with an angio-guided PCI.
Simulating the Biogeochemical and Biogeophysical Impacts of Transient Land Cover Change and Wood Harvest in the Community Climate System Model (CCSM4) from 1850 to 2100
Authors: Lawrence Peter J. , Feddema Johannes J. , Bonan Gordon B. , Meehl Gerald A. , O’Neill Brian C. , Oleson Keith W. , Levis Samuel , Lawrence David M. , Kluzek Erik , Lindsay Keith , Thornton Peter E.
Published: February 2012

To assess the climate impacts of historical and projected land cover change in the Community Climate System Model, version 4 (CCSM4), new time series of transient Community Land Model, version 4 (CLM4) plant functional type (PFT) and wood harvest parameters have been developed. The new parameters capture the dynamics of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5 (CMIP5) land cover change and wood harvest trajectories for the historical period from 1850 to 2005 and for the four representative concentration pathway (RCP) scenarios from 2006 to 2100. Analysis of the biogeochemical impacts of land cover change in CCSM4 reveals that the model produced a historical cumulative land use flux of 127.7 PgC from 1850 to 2005, which is in general agreement with other global estimates of 156 PgC for the same period. The biogeophysical impacts of the transient land cover change parameters were cooling of the near-surface atmosphere over land by −0.1°C, through increased surface albedo and reduced shortwave radiation absorption. When combined with other transient climate forcings, the higher albedo from land cover change was counteracted by decreasing snow albedo from black carbon deposition and high-latitude warming. The future CCSM4 RCP simulations showed that the CLM4 transient PFT parameters can be used to represent a wide range of land cover change scenarios. In the reforestation scenario of RCP 4.5, CCSM4 simulated a drawdown of 67.3 PgC from the atmosphere into the terrestrial ecosystem and product pools. By contrast the RCP 8.5 scenario with deforestation and high wood harvest resulted in the release of 30.3 PgC currently stored in the ecosystem.
Exploring Perturbed Physics Ensembles in a Regional Climate Model
Authors: Bellprat Omar , Kotlarski Sven , Lüthi Daniel , Schär Christoph
Published: February 2012

Perturbed physics ensembles (PPEs) have been widely used to assess climate model uncertainties and have provided new estimates of climate sensitivity and parametric uncertainty in state-of-the-art climate models. So far, mainly global climate models were used to generate PPEs, and little work has been conducted with regional climate models. This paper discusses the parameter uncertainty in two PPEs of a regional climate model driven by reanalysis data for the present climate over Europe. The uncertainty is evaluated for the variables of 2-m temperature, precipitation, and total cloud cover, with a focus on the annual cycle, interannual variability, and selected extremes.

The authors show that the simulated spread of the PPEs encompasses the observations at a regional scale in terms of the annual cycle and the interannual variability, provided observational uncertainty is taken into account. To rank the PPEs a new skill metric is proposed, which takes into account observational uncertainty and natural variability. The metric is a generalization of the climate prediction index (CPI) and is compared to metrics used in other studies. The consideration of observational uncertainty is particularly important for total cloud cover and reveals that current observations do not allow for a systematic evaluation of high precipitation intensities over the entire European domain.

The skill framework is additionally used to identify important model parameters, which are of interest for an objective model calibration.
Climate Drift in the CMIP3 Models
Authors: Sen Gupta Alexander , Muir Les C. , Brown Jaclyn N. , Phipps Steven J. , Durack Paul J. , Monselesan Didier , Wijffels Susan E.
Published: February 2012

Even in the absence of external forcing, climate models often exhibit long-term trends that cannot be attributed to natural variability. This so-called climate drift arises for various reasons including the following: perturbations to the climate system on coupling component models together and deficiencies in model physics and numerics. When examining trends in historical or future climate simulations, it is important to know the error introduced by drift so that action can be taken where necessary. This study assesses the importance of drift for a number of climate properties at global and local scales. To illustrate this, the present paper focuses on simulated trends over the second half of the twentieth century. While drift in globally averaged surface properties is generally considerably smaller than observed and simulated twentieth-century trends, it can still introduce nontrivial errors in some models. Furthermore, errors become increasingly important at smaller scales. The direction of drift is not systematic across different models or variables, as such drift is considerably reduced in the multimodel mean. Despite drift being primarily associated with ocean adjustment, it is also apparent in atmospheric variables. For example, most models have local drift magnitudes in surface air and ocean temperatures that are typically between 15% and 35% of the twentieth-century simulation trend magnitudes for 1950–2000. Below depths of 1000–2000 m, drift dominates over any forced trend in most regions. As such steric sea level is strongly affected and for some models and regions the sea level trend direction is reversed. Thus depending on the application, drift may be negligible or may make up an important part of the simulated trend.
Intraseasonal-to-Interannual Variability of South Indian Ocean Sea Level and Thermocline: Remote versus Local Forcing
Authors: Trenary Laurie L. , Han Weiqing
Published: February 2012

The relative importance of local versus remote forcing on intraseasonal-to-interannual sea level and thermocline variability of the tropical south Indian Ocean (SIO) is systematically examined by performing a suite of controlled experiments using an ocean general circulation model and a linear ocean model. Particular emphasis is placed on the thermocline ridge of the Indian Ocean (TRIO; 5°–12°S, 50°–80°E). On interannual and seasonal time scales, sea level and thermocline variability within the TRIO region is primarily forced by winds over the Indian Ocean. Interannual variability is largely caused by westward propagating Rossby waves forced by Ekman pumping velocities east of the region. Seasonally, thermocline variability over the TRIO region is induced by a combination of local Ekman pumping and Rossby waves generated by winds from the east. Adjustment of the tropical SIO at both time scales generally follows linear theory and is captured by the first two baroclinic modes. Remote forcing from the Pacific via the oceanic bridge has significant influence on seasonal and interannual thermocline variability in the east basin of the SIO and weak impact on the TRIO region. On intraseasonal time scales, strong sea level and thermocline variability is found in the southeast tropical Indian Ocean, and it primarily arises from oceanic instabilities. In the TRIO region, intraseasonal sea level is relatively weak and results from Indian Ocean wind forcing. Forcing over the Pacific is the major cause for interannual variability of the Indonesian Throughflow (ITF) transport, whereas forcing over the Indian Ocean plays a larger role in determining seasonal and intraseasonal ITF variability.
Analysis Methods for Characterizing Salinity Variability from Multivariate Time Series Applied to the Apalachicola Bay Estuary
Authors: Morey Steven L. , Dukhovskoy Dmitry S.
Published: February 2012

Statistical analysis methods are developed to quantify the impacts of multiple forcing variables on the hydrographic variability within an estuary instrumented with an enduring observational system. The methods are applied to characterize the salinity variability within Apalachicola Bay, a shallow multiple-inlet estuary along the northeastern Gulf of Mexico coast. The 13-yr multivariate time series collected by the National Estuary Research Reserve at three locations within the bay are analyzed to determine how the estuary responds to variations in external forcing mechanisms, such as freshwater discharge, precipitation, tides, and local winds at multiple time scales. The analysis methods are used to characterize the estuarine variability under differing flow regimes of the Apalachicola River, a managed waterway, with particular focus on extreme events and scales of variability that are critical to local ecosystems. Multivariate statistical models are applied that describe the salinity response to winds from multiple directions, river flow, and precipitation at daily, weekly, and monthly time scales to understand the response of the estuary under different climate regimes. Results show that the salinity is particularly sensitive to river discharge and wind magnitude and direction, with local precipitation being largely unimportant. Applying statistical analyses with conditional sampling quantifies how the likelihoods of high-salinity and long-duration high-salinity events, conditions of critical importance to estuarine organisms, change given the state of the river flow. Intraday salinity range is shown to be negatively correlated with the salinity, and correlated with river discharge rate.
The Finescale Response of Lowered ADCP Velocity Measurements Processed with Different Methods
Authors: Thurnherr A. M.
Published: February 2012

In a paper published in 2002 in this journal, K. Polzin et al. derive corrections for spectra of vertical shear calculated from lowered acoustic Doppler current profiler (LADCP) velocity data. To illustrate and validate the corrections, they use velocities derived with a specific implementation of the shear method for LADCP processing that is no longer supported or widely used. In several recent publications, spectral corrections specific to this old processing method have been applied without modification to LADCP data processed with the more modern and much more widely used velocity-inversion method, which is associated with significantly less damping at high vertical wavenumbers than the older method. The purpose of this work is to derive and validate spectral corrections appropriate for different LADCP processing methods.
Leadership in a Communicative Perspective
Authors: Eriksen Erik Oddvar
Published: February 2012

In analyzing a reform process at a Norwegian hospital, a central finding was that successful leadership depends upon actors assuming a communicative mode of interaction. This contradicts the instrumental view of leadership underlying the New Public Management approach, whose emphasis is on efficiency and goal achievement through employment of external sanctions. How can it be that leaders who give priority to reaching common understandings rather than on realizing specific goals are more successful? The unique feature of communicative leadership is its focus on legitimacy, which is achieved through rational conducted deliberation aimed at solving problems and resolving conflicts. This article depicts the varying organizational conditions favoring communicative leadership, such as decentralization, co-decision-making, and team-leadership. More specifically, delegation, reduced span of control, and dispersion of power are among the factors that contribute to a communicative mode of coordination.
Gendered Aspects of Time Related to Everyday Journeys
Authors: Hjorthol Randi
Published: February 2012

Time is a significant dimension of the everyday journey. The temporal aspects of a journey are both quantitative and qualitative. The perception of time has been related to different time order systems in various societies and to differences within the spheres of production and reproduction. In this paper the differences between men and women in attitudes towards different time aspects of transport are analysed and discussed, with the empirical results based on a survey from Oslo 1993. A random sample of 1,053 persons, 18 years or older, was interviewed about everyday activities, travel and attitudes related to transport. The analyses show that there are diversities between groups of men and women in the perception of time and time use associated with the means of transport. On average, women have a more positive attitude towards public transport than men, and women also are more willing to accept longer travel times if one has to use public transport instead of the car. It is argued that the dominant time order related to production, the temporal practice in everyday life and the experienced time could explain some of these differences. In relation to these aspects of social time, men's and women's position and perception are different.
Trends in the Intergenerational Transmission of Cultural and Economic Status
Authors: de Graaf Paul M. , Kalmijn Matthijs
Published: February 2012

Research on intergenerational occupational mobility in The Netherlands has shown that the association between the occupational positions of parents and their offspring has decreased over time. This article elaborates on the idea that the occupational stratification includes both a cultural and an economic hierarchy and that the process of intergenerational mobility follows different patterns in these two dimensions. The main hypothesis is that the intergenerational transmission of cultural status is related more strongly to the indirect channel, via educational attainment, than the transmission of economic status, and that the equalization of educational opportunities has especially affected the cultural transmission of social status. Data from ‘The Netherlands’ Mobility File are used, and the occupational mobility of 5,921 men and 3,457 women between 35 and 65 years of age is analyzed for cohorts who entered the labor market between 1923 and 1984. The findings are that the direct transmission of both cultural and economic status has virtually disappeared by the end of the observation period, for both men and women. For men, the indirect channel via education has decreased in the cultural dimension but not in the economic dimension. For women, the trends in the total effects of fathers' cultural and economic status are much weaker than those for men, which is caused by an increase of the indirect channel via education in both dimensions.
Explaining Levels of Deprivation in the European Union
Authors: Layte Richard , Whelan Christopher T. , Maitre Bertrand , Nolan Brian
Published: February 2012

In this paper we seek to explain variations in levels of deprivation between EU countries. The starting-point of our analysis is the finding that the relationship between income and life-style deprivation varies across countries. Given our understanding of the manner in which the income-deprivation mismatch may arise from the limitations of current income as a measure of command over resources, the pattern of variation seems to be consistent with our expectations of the variable degree to which welfare-state regimes achieve decommodification and smooth income flows. This line of reasoning suggests that cross-national differences in deprivation might, in significant part, be due not only to variation in household and individual characteristics that are associated with disadvantage but also to the differential impact of such variables across countries and indeed welfare regimes. To test this hypothesis, we have taken advantage of the ECHP (European Community Household Panel) comparative data set in order to pursue a strategy of substituting variable names for country/welfare regime names. We operated with two broad categories of variables, tapping, respectively, needs and resources. Although both sets of factors contribute independently to our ability to predict deprivation, it is the resource factors that are crucial in reducing country effects. The extent of cross-national heterogeneity depends on specifying the social class and situation in relation to long-term unemployment of the household reference person. The impact of the structural socio-economic variables that we label ‘resource factors’ varies across countries in a manner that is broadly consistent with welfare regime theory and is the key factor in explaining cross-country differences in deprivation. As a consequence, European homogeneity is a great deal more evident among the advantaged than the disadvantaged.
Expanding Education and Improving Odds? Participation in Higher Education in Finland in the 1980s and 1990s
Authors: Kivinen Osmo , Ahola Sakari , Hedman Juha
Published: February 2012

This article focuses mainly on the key results of research on the differences in participation in higher education in Finland in the 1980s and 1990s. The recent discussion surrounding the methods of measuring participation in higher education is also considered. The results show that, in 1980, the odds for children of the well educated participating in higher education was 13 times greater than that of children of fathers with only a basic level of education. Since then, the trend has decreased slowly from 12 in 1985 to 10 in 1995. Despite the various egalitarian policy measures applied by the State, the difference in participation, indicated by the odds ratio 10, is still enormous, and the actual situation for youth with poor family backgrounds has not changed during the past decades. The persistent inequality of educational opportunity in relative terms revealed by the odds ratio, which the authors argue to be the appropriate measure for changes over time, is analysed further by exploring regional differences and the differences between various fields of study. It is shown that the real competition for higher education is among the well off. This is illustrated by a metaphor from bicycle racing: even if the tail-end cyclists reach the main pack, the front-runners widen their gap between the main pack.
Sex Roles and Social Change
Authors: Holter Harriet
Published: February 2012

Some points made by authors addressing themselves to theories of changes in sex roles are first summarized, the economic character of their ultimate explanations being noted. The assumption is stressed that the modes and extent of sex differentiation are more resultants than determiners of social change, although gender differentiation contributes to the maintenance of given social orders. The second and main part of the article contains theoretical considerations about the consequences of social changes for the extent and modes of sex differentiation. The needs of the economic system with respect to labor and consumption are seen as promoting a change from traditional sex roles to quasi-egalitarianism, and mechanisms for masking of sex differentiation are discussed. A certain contradiction betwen covert sex differentiation at large and strong awareness in limited groups is pointed out. The author describes certain shifts in the maintenance of sex roles and other characteristics accompanying the main changes. Finally, some reflections on the question of strategies for sex role changes are offered.
On Vertical Differentiation of Sex Roles: Age Classes among the Nyakusa and Patterns of Interaction in Swedish Children's Books
Authors: Liljeström Rita
Published: February 2012

The article relates two systems of interaction to each other: the organization of the ascriptive categories age and sex among the Nyakusa and a content analysis of relations in girls' and boys' books. In both cases a pattern has been noted, in which men have their own age and sex category as principal norm-sender, while women to a greater extent receive norms from three categories: the older generation and from each gender in their own age group.

Male and female conformity can thus be related to different norm-senders and to the prevalent rank-order of the norm-sending categories. The greater homogeneity and the higher rank of the male pattern of interaction provides a basis for a more universalistic value orientation and thereby a socialization into positions on higher levels of system in Parsons' structural hierarchy, whereas the particular weighing between inconsistent norm-sending categories ties the individal to the primary base level of social systems. The perspective of subordination is illustrated by the different sanctions that Nyakusa men and women have at their disposal and the consistent idea of different characteristics of men and women in youth literature.

The comparative description is based on an implicit assumption that the mutual category-conformity of men and women's isolation into private roles (privatisizing) contributes to the maintenance of the prevalent distribution of women and men on low and high levels of organization in terms of the structural hierarchy of Parsons.
Sex Differences in Academic Behaviour
Authors: Sem Tove Thagaard
Published: February 2012

In this article, I have presented some data on sex differences in academic studies. The basis for my study is a sample of students with the final degree from the gymnasium in the years 1946, 1951 and 1958. The results of the investigation show that many more male than female students graduate from academic institutions. The study of examination grades, length of study and study break reveals much smaller differences in the academic behaviour of men and women.

I have suggested that the greater dropout rate for women than for men may be caused by sex differences in family obligations. The data do not provide an opportunity to determine this completely, but the results indicate that marriage and children have a rather small influence on other aspects of academic behaviour. The rather few differences according to sex and family obligations for graduates may be due to selection through drop out, so that those who graduate are the most able and the most motivated to pursue academic studies. I have also suggested that academic institutions may be more egalitarian than other institutions, and, in addition, that both men and women are adjusted to demands for intellectual performance during the school years.
Consumption Society, Sex Roles and Sexual Behavior
Authors: Israel Joachim , Eliasson Rosmari
Published: February 2012

Sexual norms and behavior are analyzed within a sociological context. A relationship between the need for capital accumulation and a puritan moral is postulated. Sex roles and sexual behavior in the consumption society are analyzed and it is stressed that the emphasis on need-satisfaction is also applied to sexuality. A permissive attitude towards sex, made possible by easy access to contraceptives, is considered typical of the consumption society. Permissiveness has an effect on double moral standards as a study of Swedish metropolitan youth indicates: The more permissiveness the less double moral standards. As a special factor indicative of traditional female sex role expectations, romantic love attitudes are singled out. These attitudes are negatively correlated to such factors as age of first intercourse and sexual activity, measured through number of coital partners. The effects of such romantic love attitudes on the functioning of the small nuclear family is discussed. If high emphasis is placed on sexuality as a goal in itself but moral pressure is exerted to engage in sexual behavior under conditions of love only, divorce and extra-marital relations are bound to increase.

Finally, results of an interviewer bias study are discussed. Female subjects tend to overrate their sexual activity when interviewed by male as compared to female interviewers. Thus one conclusion is that in a permissive society traditional female sex roles are more controlled by the expectations of women than of men.
Convergences between East and West: Tradition and Modernity in Sex Roles in Sweden, Finland and the Soviet Union
Authors: Haavio-Mannila Elina
Published: February 2012

Changes in the participation of men and women in the agricultural and nonagricultural labor force during the 20th century, the present division of household tasks at home, and sex role attitudes are examined in Sweden, Finland and the Soviet Union. Time and rate of industrialization, economical and ideological factors arc used as explaining factors.

There has not been any equivalent to the Swedish “return home ”movement among women in the 1930's in Finland and the Soviet Union. The proportion of women working in nonagricultural occupations has in these two countries been steadily increasing simultaneously with the decreasing proportion of women working in agriculture.

The increasing employment of women has not had a great influence on the division of labor at home, which in these three countries shows an almost universal-looking pattern, even though the proportion of working wives in the samples varied.

Sex role attitudes in Finland have, during the latter part of the 1960's, moved in a more egalitarian direction, partly because of a radical sex role discussion in the mass media. The attitudes of the rural population show a pattern of traditional egalitarianism which is not found in Sweden.
Invasive Pneumococcal Disease in Infants Younger Than 60 Days
Authors: Ashkenazi Limor , Bar-Meir Maskit , Schlesinger Yechiel , Megged Orli
Published: February 2012

Objective. To review the epidemiology and clinical course of invasive pneumococcal diseases of infants younger than 60 days. Study design. All Streptococcus pneumoniae strains isolated from blood and cerebrospinal fluid cultures of infants below the age of 60 days during the years 1999-2009 were included in this study. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were collected from medical records. Results. In all, 24 cases of pneumococcal invasive infections were identified. The primary diagnoses were bacteremia without a focus (n = 13), meningitis (n = 6), bacteremia with otitis media (n = 3), and joint infection with bacteremia (n = 2). Only one of the serotypes found is included in the heptavalent pneumococcal conjugated vaccine (PCV7). Conclusions. Streptococcus pneumoniae should be considered and treated empirically in infants with suspected invasive bacterial disease during the first 60 days of life. Routine vaccination with PCV7 in not expected to substantially reduce the incidence of invasive pneumococcal disease in Israeli infants of this age as a result of herd immunity.
Abstainers in Adolescence and Adulthood
Authors: Owens Jennifer Gatewood , Slocum Lee Ann
Published: February 2012

Moffitt’s developmental taxonomy describes a small group of adolescents who abstain from all forms of delinquency because they are isolated from peer groups or because, unlike most adolescents, they lack the desire to engage in “adult-like” behaviors, such as drinking and smoking. Based on Moffitt’s work, this study examines the correlates of abstention for males and females, focusing on negative personal characteristics that may isolate youth from their peers. Using a sample followed from birth through adulthood, the authors found that although many prosocial characteristics are associated with abstention, individuals who refrain from delinquency are also more likely than offenders to possess undesirable personal characteristics. Still, abstainers are more likely than other youth to become successful, well-adjusted adults.
Gifted Girls and Nonmathematical Aspirations
Authors: Lee Kyeong Hwa , Sriraman Bharath
Published: February 2012

In this longitudinal study of two gifted Korean girls, experiences with early admittance into a gifted program are charted alongside their family and societal experiences that ultimately influenced their career choices in nonmathematical fields. The 8-year-long qualitative study involved extensive interviews with the two gifted girls and their parents to determine factors that led to their choice of a nonmathematical area of specialization in spite of early identification and support of their mathematical talent. Using tenets of qualitative inquiry to code the longitudinal data, the authors identified three main factors that contributed to these career choices, which are presented in the form of narratives. One of the startling findings of this study, contrary to the literature in gifted education research, is that the two girls’ early experiences with gifted education kept them from choosing careers related to mathematics. The article also narrates the enculturation of mathematically gifted girls in Korea that leads to nonmathematical career aspirations.
The Forced Choice Dilemma
Authors: Jung Jae Yup , McCormick John , Gross Miraca U. M.
Published: February 2012

This study developed and tested a new model of the forced choice dilemma (i.e., the belief held by some intellectually gifted students that they must choose between academic achievement and peer acceptance) that incorporates individual-level cultural orientation variables (i.e., vertical allocentrism and vertical idiocentrism). A survey that had previously been administered to a sample of intellectually gifted Australian adolescents was modified and then administered to a new sample of 450 intellectually gifted Australian students enrolled in Grades 7 through 12. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling procedures. The major findings of the study were that: (a) motivation for academic success and need for peer acceptance generally predict the experience of the forced choice dilemma, and (b) vertical allocentric and vertical idiocentric orientations strongly predict motivation for academic success. The findings of the study provide insights that may assist educators, psychologists, counselors, and family members to better understand, and guide, intellectually gifted students affected by the forced choice dilemma.

Putting the Research to Use

Educators, psychologists, counselors, and families may be able to use the model developed and confirmed in this study to better understand how some intellectually gifted students experience the dilemma arising from a perceived conflict between academic achievement and peer acceptance. The model provides insights on how specific cultural orientations of students may play a part in how the dilemma is experienced. It appears that intellectually gifted students who value human inequality and interdependence are more able to resolve the dilemma; hence, attention in this realm should be focused on those students who place greater importance on human equality and/or independence, for whom the dilemma may be a more difficult issue.
Natural Environment Disclosures in the Annual Reports of Chinese Listed Entities
Authors: Qi Yuan , Taplin Ross , Brown Alistair M
Published: February 2012

This paper analyzes the level of natural environment disclosure (NED) in the year ending 2007 annual reports of Chinese-listed companies. Using a simplified NED index that accommodates a developing country setting, the results show a low level of NED. Only 2% of sampled companies make disclosures for all eight basic environmental issues in the NED index. Larger companies and resource companies disclose significantly more NED. Clearly there is scope for Chinese regulators and entities to improve the reporting of natural environmental issues. Strategies are explored to consider how NED might be improved.
A Cross-Cultural Exploration of Masculinity and Relationships in Men From Turkey, Norway, and the United States
Authors: Lease Suzanne H. , Montes Sarah H. , Baggett Linda R. , Sawyer R. John , Fleming-Norwood Kristie M. , Hampton Ashley B. , Ovrebo Elin , Çiftçi Ayşe , Boyraz Güler
Published: February 2012

Masculinity ideology is the endorsement of a set of culturally based male role norms that influences gender-related attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors. However, masculinity research has been criticized for not being inclusive enough of different cultures. This study explored the cultural and relational components of masculinity by comparing 564 Turkish, Norwegian, and U.S. men’s endorsement of masculinity ideology and examining the associations between masculinity ideology and interpersonal attitudes and behavioral competencies with romantic partners and work colleagues separately for the three groups of men. Norwegian men had significantly lower scores on a measure of masculinity ideology than both Turkish and U.S. men. Canonical correlation analyses revealed that all three groups of men had significant associations between male role norms and interpersonal relationship variables, but the patterns of association differed by country. Generally, endorsement of traditional male role norms was associated with poorer interpersonal competencies for men in all three countries, although the associations were much stronger for the Norwegian sample. Implications, limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.
The National Solo and Ensemble Contest 1929–1937
Authors: Meyers Brian D.
Published: February 2012

This study is the first investigation of the nine-year history of the National Solo and Ensemble Contests, held in the United States in conjunction with the National School Band and Orchestra Contests of the late 1920s and early to mid-1930s. Primary sources used include letters from those involved with the planning of the contests, meeting minutes from the responsible organization, and music journals from the early twentieth century. Dissertations and research articles pertaining to the National Band Contests are the secondary sources that helped corroborate the existence of the events described and provide foundational information. This research offers a picture of the interest in the Solo and Ensemble Contests and how they flourished during a time of substantial change in the philosophy of music contests. Changes in the rules and format of the Contests also are explored as they affected the establishment of solo and ensemble contests across America, many of which are still in existence today. This work adds to the previous research conducted about the National Band Contests by documenting a little-known but important element of the contest movement.
Negotiating Networks of Self-employed Work
Authors: Fenwick Tara
Published: February 2012

Within the increased flexible, contracted work in cities, employment is negotiated through network arrangements characterised by multiplicity, mobility and fluidity. For Black and minority ethnic group members, this network labour becomes fraught as they negotiate both their own communities, which can be complex systems of conflicting networks, as well as non-BME networks which can be exclusionary. This discussion explores the networking experiences of BME individuals who are self-employed in portfolio work arrangements in Canada. The analysis draws from a theoretical frame of ‘racialisation’ to examine the social processes of continually constructing and positioning the Other as well as the self through representations in these networks. These positions and concomitant identities enroll BME workers in particular modes of social production, which order their roles and movement in the changing dynamics of material production in networked employment.
Transformation and Continuities in Urban Struggles
Authors: Martínez Lucio Miguel , Connolly Heather
Published: February 2012

Spain was one of the countries at the heart of the work of Manuel Castells due to its history of urban struggles and labour–urban based alliances. It formed one of the key examples of city movements and the democratisation of urban spaces. The 1960s and 1970s were seen to throw up a range of new types of urban mobilisation and engagement—in part based on issues of internal migration and its urban and employment impact. With the changes in Spain during the late 1970s and 1980s—which were economic, political and social—this dimension of urban politics steadily fell away, although Spain continued to exhibit unique organisational forms at the level of the local state and local civil society. Civic politics were linked to local associations in a curious way, but the extent of mobilisation had changed due to the steady institutionalisation of urban and labour movements (and a weakening of their relations). However, this civic dimension began to re-emerge with the strong wave of immigration after the mid 1990s when, from being a country with one of the lowest levels of first-generation immigrants, it has become the European country with one of the highest. The paper focuses on the way migrant organisations and trade unions have organised in relation to migrants in the labour market. It shows how the legacy of previous mobilisations and structures continues to provide a framework for the politics and inclusion of migrant communities. However, it also argues that much of the new urban politics of migration has been influenced by a service delivery—leading to a similar set of outcomes that faced the indigenous urban movements of the 1960s and 1970s. This is of theoretical significance to how we see network and urban politics in relation to unions and employment relations.
Trade Union Learning Strategies and Migrant Workers
Authors: Perrett Robert , Lucio Miguel Martínez , McBride Jo , Craig Steve
Published: February 2012

This paper examines trade union networking and community-oriented activity through the recent development of learning strategies in relation to migrant workers. The paper locates the discussion on learning in relation to union attempts to develop a broader urban and community-based view of the union as an organisation. It assesses the innovative ways trade unions deploy their learning strategies given the challenges associated with a liberal market economy, in particular, in relation to poor levels of co-ordination amongst key social organisations and low levels of state commitment to the area of training. The paper draws on five empirical case studies of such innovative union approaches and concludes that many of these learning initiatives represent a significant intervention by unions in local urban and community-based contexts. However, it also notes that these appear to be disconnected from stable and consistent forms of local community-based organisation and, in part, remain enveloped in a marketised project-based approach which is piecemeal and in many aspects financially dependent on the state.
Networks of Support for New Migrant Communities
Authors: MacKenzie Robert , Forde Chris , Ciupijus Zinovijus
Published: February 2012

This article examines the role of support mechanisms for new migrant communities provided by networks of statutory, third-sector and refugee community organisations. The article explores the dynamics of the relationships between support groups, with analysis located in the urban context of NorthTown. The findings point to the possibility of tension between migrant support groups where there is a perceived need to compete over resources or political influence. Moreover, it is argued that there is a risk that institutional goals of organisational sustainability may take precedence over substantive goals of support provision. The ability of support groups to assert agency in terms of strategic responses to structural constraints on sustainability is explored. It is argued that an organising logic based on the creation of a political community within the new migrant population can prove more sustainable than contingent communities based on commonalities of language or nationality.
Diabetes-specific Quality of Life After a Low-carbohydrate and Low-fat Dietary Intervention
Authors: Davis Nichola J. , Tomuta Nora , Isasi Carmen R. , Leung Vivien , Wylie-Rosett Judith
Published: February 2012

Purpose

The purpose of the study was to examine the impact of a 12-month weight loss intervention with either a low-carbohydrate or a low-fat diet on quality of life (QOL) among obese patients with type 2 diabetes.

Methods

Participants were enrolled in a randomized trial comparing a low-carbohydrate to a low-fat diet in type 2 diabetes. QOL was assessed with the Diabetes-39 questionnaire, which measures QOL within 5 distinct scales: anxiety and worry, diabetes control, energy and mobility, social burden, and sexual functioning. Repeated measures ANOVA compared change in QOL scales at baseline and 6 and 12 months.

Results

Forty-six participants completed all measures. Following 12 months, there was a significant reduction in the scores related to sexual function and energy and mobility, suggesting improvement in QOL related to these domains. These changes were not significantly different between dietary arms. Changes in weight, A1C, and dietary composition were not significantly correlated with changes in QOL.

Conclusions

Participants with diabetes have various options for weight loss. Dietary interventions with either low-carbohydrate or low-fat diets may lead to some improvements in QOL in patients with type 2 diabetes.
Use of the Mastery of Stress Instrument in Caregivers of Children Newly Diagnosed With Type 1 Diabetes
Authors: Beck Joni , Lewis Teresa , Harrison Donald , Sternlof Steve , Comp Carol , Copeland Kenneth
Published: February 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to determine if the Mastery of Stress Instrument (MSI) can assess further education needs of primary caregivers of children newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. The MSI has been utilized to measure mastery in response to both illness and interventions, including education. The primary objective was to correlate MSI subscales and stress scores with caregiver age, ethnicity, gender, and education. Secondary objectives were to correlate MSI scores with child age at diagnosis, payer source, hemoglobin A1C (A1C), emergency room (ER) visits, or hospitalization for diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA).

Methods

Caregivers from a pediatric endocrinology practice completed the MSI after basic diabetes education. Demographic data from caregivers and patients were obtained. A1C, ER, and DKA were evaluated 2 years following completion of the MSI. Descriptive univariate statistics and proportions on nominal or discrete data were used to describe the data. Bivariable analyses included t tests and ANOVAs.

Results

Eighty-five of 88 participants completed the instrument. Caregivers between 40 and 49 years of age scored worse on change, acceptance, and growth subscales compared to those 18 to 29 years of age. Those 40 to 49 years of age reported having more stress compared to caregivers 18 to 29 years of age. Males reported having less stress and were more willing to implement change compared to females. No statistically significant relationships between secondary outcomes measurements and MSI scores were detected.

Conclusions

The mastery of stress instrument identified groups of caregivers in need of further education or team interventions.
Assessing Barriers to Medication Adherence in Underserved Patients With Diabetes in Texas
Authors: Bailey Genee R. , Barner Jamie C. , Weems James K. , Leckbee Gretta , Solis Roxann , Montemayor Donna , Pope Nathan D.
Published: February 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to assess (1) medication adherence in individuals with diabetes, (2) barriers to adherence, and (3) what factors were related to medication nonadherence.

Methods

A self-administered anonymous survey was provided to adults with diabetes (N = 59) who used a grocery store chain pharmacy or a community clinic for the underserved. Participants were recruited by pharmacy staff to complete a 10- to 15-minute survey to assess adherence, access, barriers, medication use, and demographics. Adherence was measured using the 8-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS), which is a reliable and valid self-report adherence instrument. Access (eg, use medications from Mexico, transportation), barriers (eg, cost, language difficulties), medication use (eg, complementary and alternative medicine, prescription medication), and demographics were also measured. The survey was available in English and Spanish. Data collection occurred from December 2010 through February 2011.

Results

Fifty-nine participants completed the survey. Approximately 57% of study participants were male, 85% were Hispanic, and the mean age was 50.4 ± 10.3 years. Over 50% of participants had hypertension or dyslipidemia and were taking 3 or more medications. Participants (52.6%) reported their health status as good or excellent and over one-half (56%) of the participants were nonadherent (score 0-6). The following factors were significantly ( P < .05) related to nonadherence: cost, no refills, poor health status, fewer disease states, and any reason.

Conclusions

This study increased awareness of barriers to medication adherence in a predominantly Hispanic underserved patient population. This may lead to more informed recommendations and perhaps address gaps in health disparities.
Midrash and Papias of Hierapolis
Authors: Hegedus Tim
Published: February 2012

This article uses a connotative understanding of Jewish midrash in order to demonstrate the presence of midrash in two extracts from the early Christian writer Papias of Hierapolis (late first to early second centuries ce) as examples of on-going Jewish influence within the early church.
Fried‐Potato Diet Causes Vitamin A Deficiency in an Autistic Child
Authors: Tanoue Koji , Matsui Kiyoshi , Takamasu Tetsuya
Published: February 2012

A 5‐year‐old boy with autism developed dry eye and xerophthalmia. Serum vitamin A was undetectable. Dietary history revealed a markedly altered intake consisting of only fried potatoes and rice balls for 2 years. Fried potatoes contain no vitamin A. Autism is a multifaceted developmental disorder infrequently accompanied by abnormal eating practices. To the authors’ knowledge, most children with autism who develop dietary vitamin A deficiency have consumed an excess of fried potatoes. Attention to possible vitamin A deficiency is essential when fried potatoes are consumed exclusively.