bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Changing Corporate Practices to Reduce Cancer Disparities
Authors: Freudenberg Nicholas , Galea Sandro , Fahs Marianne
Published: February 2008

While reducing racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in cancer mortality has been identified as a national goal, current policies are unlikely to achieve it. In order to advance the development of policies for the primary prevention of cancer and cancer disparities, we propose that the practices of the tobacco, alcohol, and food industries be considered as modifiable social determinants of health. We review evidence that the practices of these industries in product design, marketing, retail distribution, and pricing contribute to cancer risk behavior, incidence, and disparities, then examine public health strategies designed to reduce health-damaging practices of these industries and encourage healthier alternatives. We conclude with recommendations for research, practice, and policy that could contribute to the development of less carcinogenic corporate practices.
Health Care Utilization: The Experiences of Rural HIV-positive African American Women
Authors: Vyavaharkar Medha V. , Moneyham Linda , Corwin Sara
Published: February 2008

This qualitative study explored perceptions and experiences of HIV-positive rural African American women regarding availability, accessibility, and quality of health care and social services. Twenty-two women residing in rural areas of South Carolina were recruited to participate in one of three focus groups. A conceptual model of health services utilization was used to guide the study and served as a framework for coding data. Verbatim transcripts of group discussions were analyzed using content analysis to code and identify data categories. Data revealed common perceptions of lack of services and inferior quality of available services to meet some of their most important needs. Overall, findings provide a picture of women whom the health care/social services system fails to serve. The findings have significant implications for increasing resources and designing interventions that empower these women and enhance their quality of life.
Design and Reach of a Primary Care Weight Management Program
Authors: Clark Daniel O. , Keith Nicole , Chrysler Lisa , Perkins Anthony J. , Willis Deanna
Published: February 2008

Purpose. To report the reach of Take Charge Lite (TCL), a lifestyle weight management program. Methods. Eight months of data were used to determine prescription reach (number of patients receiving a TCL prescription divided by total eligible), visit reach (number of patients with a TCL visit divided by total receiving a prescription), and total reach (number of patients with a TCL visit divided by total eligible). Results. TCL prescription reach was 42.3% (1,071 prescriptions/2,528 eligible). There were 411 TCL first visits for an average visit reach of 38% (411/1,071). Total reach for the full period was 16% (411/2,528). Total reach was highest among female, middle-aged, and Black patients. Conclusion. There is potential for public health impact from such efforts but issues of reach require further planning and evaluation.
Multi-method Approach to Evaluate Inequities in Prenatal Care Access in Haiti
Authors: King-Schultz Leslie , Jones-Webb Rhonda
Published: February 2008

In this pilot study for evaluating equity in services at a hospital in rural Haiti, we investigated whether topography, walking time to dispensary, and presence of a mobile clinic were related to disparities in prenatal care utilization, using quantitative hospital record data on 100 women pregnant in 2002. We also assessed whether additional factors contributed to prenatal care disparities using qualitative key informant interviews with local health agents in Haiti. In logistic regression analyses, we found that walking time to the dispensary was associated with disparities in prenatal care utilization (p=.039). Health agent responses demonstrated lack of acknowledgment of disparities and attribution of underutilization to women undervaluing educational messages. Reducing disparities in prenatal care utilization will require attention to walking time to a point of care, though attitudes and experiential factors should not be overlooked. Similar multi-method approaches should be explored in future studies of health inequities in other communities.
Project HEAL: Peer Education Leads to Weight Loss in Harlem
Authors: Goldfinger Judith Z. , Arniella Guedy , Wylie-Rosett Judith , Horowitz Carol R.
Published: February 2008

Background. Obesity and diabetes are epidemic in the predominantly minority Harlem community. To address them, a coalition of community and academic leaders tested the effectiveness of a peer-led weight loss course. Methods. The coalition developed Project HEAL: Healthy Eating, Active Lifestyles through extensive collaboration with community members and experts in nutrition, exercise, and peer education. We piloted the course in a local church and assessed its impact through pre and post course weights, self-reported behaviors and quality of life. Results. Twenty-six overweight and obese African American adults lost a mean of 4.4 pounds at 10 weeks, 8.4 pounds at 22 weeks, and 9.8 pounds at 1 year. Participants reported decreased fat consumption and sedentary hours, and improved health related quality of life. Conclusions. A peer-led, community-based course can lead to weight loss and behavior change. The minority communities most affected by obesity and diabetes may benefit from this low-cost, culturally appropriate intervention.
Hair Salon Stylists as Breast Cancer Prevention Lay Health Advisors for African American and Afro-Caribbean Women
Authors: Wilson Tracey E. , Fraser-White Marilyn , Browne Ruth , Feldman Joseph , Price Marlene , Homel Peter , Wright Stacey , Banks Sonia , King Gwendolyn , Coll Beverly , Davis-King Donna
Published: February 2008

Objectives. To assess the effectiveness of breast health promoting messages administered by salon stylists to clients in the salon setting. Methods. Forty salons in an urban, minority area were randomly assigned to provide messages to clients or to serve as controls. Pre-intervention surveys were completed by 1,185 salon clients. Following program initiation, assessments of 1,210 clients were conducted. Results. Among women completing surveys at control salons, 10% reported exposure to breast health messages, as opposed to 37% at experimental salons (OR 5.4, 95% CI 3.7–7.9). Self-reported exposure to stylist-delivered messages was associated with improved breast self-examination rates (OR 1.6, 95% CI 1.2–2.1) and with greater intentions to have a clinical breast examination (OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.1–3.3). Conclusion. Hair salons are a potentially important venue for promotion of health behaviors related to breast cancer detection.
Perspectives of African American, Amish, Appalachian and Latina Women on Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening: Implications for Cultural Competence
Authors: Documét Patricia Isabel , Green Heidi Hauser , Adams Janet , Weil Lou Ann , Stockdale Jami , Hyseni Yll
Published: February 2008

Low-income and minority women are less likely to be screened for breast and cervical cancer and less likely than others to be diagnosed at an early stage in the cancer’s growth. We consulted women and providers to understand how social, economic, and health care environments affect screening among African American, Amish, Appalachian, and Latina women, and to outline possible solutions. Women participated in 31 focus groups. Providers completed a mail survey (n=168) and follow-up interviews (n=12). We identified barriers women face: not always following recommendations; feeling intimidated during appointments; having incorrect information about risks, screening guidelines, and programs; and receiving information in ways they cannot understand or accept. Women indicated a strong desire for accurate information and, like the providers, identified strategies for reducing barriers to screening. In the terms of a social ecological model, our results point to three avenues along which to approach cultural competence: 1) policy, 2) health care provision, and 3) clinical care.
Black-White Disparities in Elderly Breast Cancer Mortality Before and After Implementation of Medicare Benefits for Screening Mammography
Authors: Levine Robert S. , Briggs Nathaniel C. , Roberts Kimyona , Kilbourne Barbara E. , Husaini Baqar A. , Baltrus Peter A. , Rust George E. , Williams-Brown Shanita , Caplan Lee
Published: February 2008

Background. Medicare implemented reimbursement for screening mammography in 1991. Main Findings. Post-implementation, breast cancer mortality declined faster (p<.0001) among White than among Black elderly women (65+ years). No excess breast cancer deaths occurred among Black elderly compared with White elderly through 1990; over 2,459 have occurred since. Contextual socioeconomic status does not explain differences between counties with lowest Black breast cancer mortality/post-implementation declines in disparity and counties with highest Black breast cancer mortality/widened disparity post-implementation. Conclusions. The results lead to these hypotheses: (a) Medicare mammography reimbursement was causally associated with declines in elderly mortality and widened elderly Black:White disparity from breast cancer; (b) the latter reflects inherent Black-White differences in risk of breast cancer death; place-specific, unaddressed inequalities in capacity to use Medicare benefits; and/or other factors; (c) previous observations linking poverty with disparities in breast cancer mortality are partly confounded by factors explained by theories of human capability and diffusion of innovation.
Religion and Health Connection: A Study of African American, Protestant Christians
Authors: Jr. Melvin E. Gonnerman , Lutz Gene M. , Yehieli Michele , Meisinger Bruce K.
Published: February 2008

The roles religious and health promoting behaviors may play in bolstering positive physical and emotional health were assessed using structured, face-to-face interviews conducted using a non-random community sample of 105 adult African American, Protestant Christians in a small city in a rural state in the Midwest. The interview measured health promotion, health locus of control beliefs, emotional health, physical health, religious practices, and demographics. Health promotion, church attendance, or both were related to decreased prevalence of loneliness, depression, trouble sleeping, and family problems. More than 80% of those interviewed ascribed healing power to God and prayer. There was an apparent lack of connection between respondents’ attitudes about faith and healing and their actual experiences.
State Medicaid Coverage and Access to Care for Low-income Adults
Authors: Weissman Joel S. , Zaslavsky Alan M. , Wolf Robert E. , Ayanian John Z.
Published: February 2008

Objective. Budgetary pressures have led some states to limit Medicaid eligibility. We evaluated access to care for all low-income adults by the extent of state Medicaid coverage. Methods. Current Population Survey data compiled by the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured were used to rank the 48 continental states by the extent of Medicaid coverage for low-income non-elderly adults during 2000–2003. Data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System for 2000–2003 were used to assess indicators of access to care, including being unable to see a physician due to cost, not obtaining routine checkups, and four preventive services for appropriate age groups by state. Access gaps were calculated between low-income (under $25,000/year) and high-income ($50,000 or more/year) adults within each state to control for unmeasured economic and health system differences between states. Results. Access gaps between high and low-income people who could not see physicians due to cost were significantly smaller in states with the broadest Medicaid coverage compared with states with the narrowest coverage (19.2% vs. 23.7%, p=.003). Significantly smaller access gaps also occurred in states with broader Medicaid coverage for cholesterol testing (16.0% vs. 18.7%, p=.01), and Pap testing (6.0% vs. 10.8%, p=.002), but not colorectal cancer screening (13.3% vs. 12.5%, p=.28), mammography (14.3% vs. 19.7%, p=.07), and routine checkup within two years (8.0% vs. 9.3%, p=.10). Conclusions. A state’s level of Medicaid coverage was associated with access to physicians’ services, cholesterol testing, and cervical cancer screening for low-income adults. Broad Medicaid coverage may be an effective strategy for states to improve access to care and preventive services for low-income adults.
Assessing the Moderating Effects of Anxiety Sensitivity on Antisocial Behavior among Urban African American Youth
Authors: Nebbitt Eugene Von , Lombe Margaret , Williams James Herbert
Published: February 2008

African American adolescents are a vulnerable population, overrepresented in the juvenile justice system and underserved by mental health providers. Consequently, a disproportionate number of African American youth in the juvenile justice system have diagnosable mental health problems. This study investigates whether, among African American adolescents, the effects of attitude towards deviance, self-efficacy, and exposure to delinquent peers on antisocial behavior are moderated by anxiety sensitivity. A sample of 238 African American adolescents ages 13–19 from 3 public housing developments participated in this study. Results indicated that 40% of the adolescents reported no involvement in antisocial behaviors. Gender, anxiety sensitivity, and attitudes towards deviance were significant correlates of antisocial behavior. Interaction effects indicate that the relative impact of attitudes towards deviance and exposure to delinquent peers on antisocial behaviors is contingent upon adolescents’ level of anxiety sensitivity. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.
The Feasibility of Expectant Management with Inner-city Men with Newly Diagnosed Localized Prostate Cancer
Authors: Anai Satoshi , Nakamura Kogenta , Pendleton John , Yacoub Saif , Rosser Charles J. , Chang Myron
Published: February 2008

Objective. To determine the compliance rate for treatment recommendations consistent with expectant management of inner-city men with prostate cancer. Methods. Twenty-seven out of 560 men who underwent biopsy of the prostate were found to harbor cancer and opted for expectant management. Clinic and hospital records were reviewed for adherence to follow-up schema. Results. Of the 27 men on expectant management, 22 men (82%) adhered to strict follow-up schema. At 6-month follow-up, there were no significant changes in clinicopathologic features (e.g., prostate specific antigen (PSA), Gleason score, and stage). With a median follow-up of 12 months, only 2 men demonstrated a rise of more than 30% from baseline PSA (repeat biopsy demonstrated persistent low grade, low stage disease). Conclusions. Our findings imply that expectant management may be feasible in inner-city settings. Thus, in subsequent expectant management trials, inner-city men should be actively recruited.
Coping with Asthma in the Central City: Parental Experiences with Children’s Health Care
Authors: Grineski Sara
Published: February 2008

Asthma is the most common chronic illness among children in the United States. Poverty and asthma are tightly related, with poor children having higher rates of asthma than non-poor children. To document how poor parents with asthmatic children cope with health care-related barriers on a day-to-day basis, the author conducted 38 in-depth interviews with central city Phoenix (Arizona) parents. Barriers facing parents include a lack of health insurance and/or personal transportation, the expense of using private insurance, treatment delays, and language/communication. Instances of parents overcoming barriers are highlighted and offered as opportunities for designing capacity building interventions and policies that build on parents’ strengths.
Longitudinal Quality of Life in Low-Income Men in a State-Funded Prostate Cancer Treatment Program
Authors: Zavala Mary Wassel , Miller David C. , Fink Arlene , Litwin Mark S. , Maliski Sally L. , Kwan Lorna
Published: February 2008

Objectives. To evaluate longitudinal changes in disease-specific health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among a cohort of low-income men treated for prostate cancer. Methods. Three hundred fifty-seven participants in a state-funded program that provides free prostate cancer treatment to uninsured, low-income men completed written surveys and telephone interviews containing validated measures of general and disease-specific HRQOL. Assessments were made at study enrollment and at subsequent times. Determinants of change were identified with repeated-measures analyses. Results. We found a significant interaction between the acute surgical treatment effects and time of assessment. Men exposed longer to the program’s supportive and educational interventions reported less severe declines in post-operative urinary and bowel HRQOL than others. Conclusions. Demographic covariates predicted general and disease-specific domains of HRQOL. Among patients treated with surgery, longer duration of pre-treatment program enrollment was associated with better outcomes.
Human Rights: Both Universal and Relative (A Reply to Michael Goodhart)
Authors: Donnelly Jack
Published: February 2008

Academics generally endorse the Hollywood maxim that there is no such thing as bad publicity. We are particularly pleased when critical discussion of our work is fair, thoughtful, and intelligent. I am thus very happy indeed with Michael Goodhart’s commentary on my article. Almost every point that he raises merits serious consideration. I appreciate the opportunity to continue the conversation here.
Flowers, Diamonds, and Gold: The Destructive Public Health, Human Rights, and Environmental Consequences of Symbols of Love
Authors: Donohoe Martin
Published: February 2008

On Valentine’s Day, anniversaries, and throughout the year, suitors and lovers buy cut flowers and diamond and gold jewelry for the objects of their affection. Their purchases are in part a consequence of timely traditions maintained by aggressive marketing. Most buyers are unaware that in gifting their lovers with these aesthetically-beautiful symbols, they are supporting industries which damage the environment, utilize forced labor, cause serious health problems, and contribute to violent conflicts. This article reviews the health and environmental consequences of, and the human rights abuses associated with, the production of cut flowers, gold, and diamonds. Recommendations to improve the safety of production standards are offered, as well as alternative gift suggestions which do not promote environmental degradation, human suffering, and death.
Western Scientists’ Reactions to Andrei Sakharov’s Human Rights Struggle in the Soviet Union, 1968–1989
Authors: Rhéaume Charles
Published: February 2008

After a brief look at the young Andrei Sakharov, this article examines expressions of an awakening to the human rights question in Sakharov’s own thinking as well as that of the physicist’s foreign colleagues. This article then scrutinizes the circumstances and reflections associated with the boycott by Western scientists of their relations with the Soviet Union in retaliation for the violation of the rights of dissident Soviet scientists, and Sakharov in particular. It concludes by analyzing the latter’s exclusive personal features that may help understand an unprecedented movement of solidarity of world science in defense of one of its most illustrious members.
Neither Relative nor Universal: A Response to Donnelly
Authors: Goodhart Michael
Published: February 2008

This response raises questions about Jack Donnelly’s argument for the “relative universality” of human rights. It shows that Donnelly’s reliance on the terms relative and universal dulls many of his sharp analytic points and in some instances leads to inconsistencies in his account. This response also contends that in defending the relative universality of human rights Donnelly obscures or mischaracterizes the bases of their legitimacy. It concludes by arguing that human rights are neither relative nor universal and shows how abandoning this vocabulary would improve our theoretical understanding of them.
Human Rights and Harmony
Authors: Angle Stephen C.
Published: February 2008

There are a number of reasons for thinking that human rights and harmony, two values much discussed with regard to contemporary China, make poor bedfellows. They emerge from different traditions and may apply in different ways: human rights setting a minimal standard and harmony articulating an elusive ideal. In addition, might not harmony demand the sacrifice of one person’s rights in order to achieve some larger objective? Does not individual striving to protect one’s human rights smack of disharmony? Drawing on both Confucian and contemporary Western philosophy, however, this essay argues that a simultaneous commitment to human rights and to harmony is both coherent and desirable.
Defining the Problem of Trafficking: The Interplay of US Law, Donor, and NGO Engagement and the Local Context in Latin America
Authors: Guinn David E.
Published: February 2008

Efforts to combat trafficking are hindered by poor understandings of the problem. Using Latin America as a case study, this article identifies the definitional, sociological, and legal issues that hinder an accurate assessment of the problem. The article focuses not upon the empirical problems of assessment, but upon those issues within the compass of policy makers and advocates. The article then describes the basic features of trafficking in Latin America and identifies efforts to address the problem, highlighting the role of the United States, the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, (TVPA) and the donor/NGO community. Finally, the article suggests appropriate methods for limiting the problem and assisting its victims.
Prospects for Feminism in the Islamic Republic of Iran
Authors: Barlow Rebecca , Akbarzadeh Shahram
Published: February 2008

There is a stark contrast between the level of Iranian women’s social and political engagement and what the conservative regime prescribes. The gap between the reality of women’s participation in public life and their restricted legal status has emboldened women’s groups to campaign for legal reforms. But the Iranian regime has adopted an uncompromising position in relation to such demands. This is seen as an existential matter for the state. As a result, the Islamic regime has adopted a highly intolerant and repressive approach to women’s groups. This is most evident in relation to secular-oriented feminists, such as the Nobel Prize Laureate Shirin Ebadi, driving a wedge between the latter and the more religiously-oriented feminists.
The African Peer Review Mechanism and Human Rights: The First Reviews and the Way Forward
Authors: Killander Magnus
Published: February 2008

The African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), one of the spin-offs of the African development framework, NEPAD, offers a unique approach to the monitoring of agreed norms of political, economic, and corporate governance in Africa. This article analyzes the APRM structure and process with a focus on how the APRM could complement other efforts to realize the African Union objective of promotion and protection of human rights. The country review reports on Ghana, Kenya, and Rwanda are analyzed from a human rights perspective.
The Irreconcilable Goals of Transitional Justice
Authors: Leebaw Bronwyn Anne
Published: February 2008

The goals of transitional justice advocacy and institutions are commonly portrayed as mutually reinforcing and complementary. This article argues that in evaluating the political significance of transitional justice, more attention should be given to their irreconcilable goals. This analysis is informed by the work of legal scholars and political theorists that have drawn attention to the dual role of law in relation to violence. While law can be a tool for regulating violence and exposing abuses of power, law is also utilized to obfuscate and legitimate abuses of power. Similarly, transitional justice institutions aim to challenge the legitimacy of prior political practices by confronting denial and transforming the terms of debate on past abuses, yet they also seek to establish their own legitimacy by minimizing the challenge that they pose to dominant frameworks for interpreting the past. This article demonstrates how a better understanding of this tension sheds light on problematic assumptions and unacknowledged trade-offs associated with the claims regarding the role of transitional justice institutions in advancing political reconciliation through measures designed to counter denial, expand dialogue, and address trauma. It concludes by discussing the implications of the analysis for transitional justice policy as well as debates on the general significance of expanding transitional justice advocacy.
The European Union and Democratization in Turkey: The Role of the Elites
Authors: Türkmen Füsun
Published: February 2008

Although Turkey’s recent democratization efforts triggered by the accession process to the EU have been considerable, implementation remains a serious problem. As in similar cases, experience has shown that in externally induced democratization processes, the role of internal agents of democratization—through elite socialization—determines the level of implementation. Within this context, the roles played by Turkey’s business, army, judiciary, and state bureaucracy are explored.
Ume Kenjirō and the Making of Korean Civil Law, 1906-1910
Authors: Kim Marie Seong-Hak
Published: February 2008

In 1906 Itō Hirobumi invited Ume Kenjirō (1860–1910), a drafter of the Meiji Civil Code, to oversee the creation of a modern legal system in protectorate Korea. Ume's legal reform, which focused on writing a Korean civil law and establishing modern judicial administration, was imbued with nineteenth-century natural law theory, and it proceeded under the assumption of the continuing existence of an independent Korea. Cut short by annexation, Ume's saga in Korea highlights the insight and tensions underlying colonial legal reform and presents a powerful case that legal development under Japanese inﬂuence needs to be considered from a perspective detached from the nationalist paradigm.
The Female Danjūrō: Revisiting the Acting Career of Ichikawa Kumehachi
Authors: Edelson Loren
Published: February 2008

Ichikawa Kumehachi (1846?–1913) is best remembered in the history of Japanese theater as the ﬁrst female disciple of the renowned kabuki actor and head of the Naritaya house, Ichikawa Danjūrō IX. This article reconsiders the complex relationship of these two important actors, arguing that Kumehachi's career cannot be reduced simply to her association with Danjūrō. Although she received intangible beneﬁts from this prestigious connection, her career was largely independent of his. Ultimately, she was typecast as an "old-school" kabuki actress and viewed as the "female Danjūrō," which precluded her from making her reputation in the emerging "new-school" genres.
Minority Success, Assimilation, and Idenity in Prewar Japan: Pak Chungǔm and the Korean Middle Class
Authors: Bayliss Jeffrey P
Published: February 2008

During the 1930s, an entrepreneurial class began to form within the overwhelmingly working-class Korean minority community in prewar Japan. This article examines how certain Koreans attained socioeconomic success and how they became assimilated into Japanese society in the process. As a case study, it focuses on the career of prewar Japan's most successful Korean en-trepreneur-turned-politician, Pak Chungŭm, to reveal how the internalization of Japanese values that came with success disconnected such individuals from the vast majority of Koreans residing in Japan, while offering them only a problematic sense of identiﬁcation with the Japanese.
Shakespeare and Conservatism during the Greek Civil War (1946–1950)
Authors: Krontiris Tina
Published: February 2008

The ideological and political climate during the Greek Civil War had a negative effect on the staging of Shakespeare's plays in Greece. Between 1946 and 1950, the English dramatist came to be associated with conservatism and escapism. This impression was largely due to the way Shakespeare's plays were performed by the state-funded National Theater of Greece in Athens and to the new repertory policy of private theater companies that favored the production of contemporary Greek plays. This new policy, which was ideologically-inspired, was seen as a sign of cultural progress. The production of Shakespeare's plays during this period declined and so did the culture that supported it.
Joining Our Grand Circus
Authors: Van Steen Gonda Aline Hector
Published: February 2008

The unusual play and production of Our Grand Circus by Iakovos Kambanellis placed history and myth squarely on the Greek stage of 1973. As a mix of dramatized history and historicized drama, the play offered up a critical mirror-image or answer-in-kind to the proliferating military parades, victory festivals, and historical reenactments sponsored by the regime of 1967–1974. The production won over mass audiences that warmly welcomed Kambanellis's presentation of alternative ways of telling and displaying Greek history. The playwright effectively created a leftist ideological genealogy out of historical vignettes of continuing hardship and persistent lack of freedom which became palpable on stage. Kambanellis and his lead actors used an abundance of comic, popular, and folk ingredients to signal, under the restrictions of censorship, that they understood and dared to show Greek history in a new, critical light from below. Especially after November of 1973, the past of their play often erupted into the present in its opposition to the military regime and the regime's treatment of history.
The Greek Emigrant Experience between 1945 and 1980 in the Plays of Petros Markaris and Loula Anagnostaki
Authors: Pefanis George P
Published: February 2008

Several modern Greek dramatists staged plays about the various types of the Greek emigrant experience in the aftermath of the Second World War in which they debated issues of national origin, cultural identity, and assimilation or alienation. One of them, Petros Markaris, dealt with the Greek emigrant experience in West Germany in his play, The Guests. This play dramatizes the difficult living conditions of Greek emigrants who struggled for survival and integration in their host countries. Loula Anagnostaki took a different approach in three of her plays, Antonio, The Victory, and To My Listeners. In these plays she presents Greek emigrants who are political dissidents with serious psychological problems, haunted by their past experiences in Greece and by present difficulties in their host countries. My focus here covers only a fraction of the problematic status of the foreigner and his/her representation in modern Greek drama.
Children's Theater in Greece from 1949 to 2001
Authors: Georgakaki Konstantza
Published: February 2008

Children's theater in Greece had no advocacy for a long time and was neglected. Playwrights believed that children's theater did not challenge their skills, actors felt that it did not engage their talents, critics thought that it offered boring or socially naïve entertainment, while the state government was indifferent to its needs. Several Greek playwrights and actors, however, who were influenced by some successful West European explorations into children's theater, contributed to the revitalization of children's theater in Greece. They steered away from naïvete and didacticism and aimed at bridging the world of technology with the world of fantasy. Didacticism did not disappear altogether, but now co-existed with poetry and imagination, stimulating the thought and sensibilities of young audiences. At the same time, children's theater marginalized the presumed seriousness of the adults who escorted the children to the theater.
The Long Century of the Enlightenment and the Revival of Greek Theater
Authors: Tampakē Anna
Published: February 2008

The eighteenth century was "long" because the maturation of the ideals of the Enlightenment in Greek culture was a slow, protracted process. The quest for innovation led to fundamental ruptures with existing traditions, but, at the same time, it turned to the ancient Greek heritage for inspiration. A number of key methodological issues, including the precise nature of the quest for renewal (especially in drama during the Greek Enlightenment), merit closer inspection. Therefore, in this paper I focus on continuity and discontinuity in modern Greek theater and on the major landmarks in its development during the Greek Enlightenment.
Drama Competitions in Greece from 1851 to 1950
Authors: Petrakou Kyriakē
Published: February 2008

In this paper I investigate the formative and ideological roles that drama competitions have played in Greece since Ambrose Rallis inaugurated a poetry competition in 1851 and assigned its management to the University of Athens. The Rallis Poetry Competition provided the blueprint for similar competitions in Greece with the faculty of the University of Athens playing a leading managerial role in all of these competitions until 1910 when the Averov Drama Competition was established. In this competition the judges evaluated the plays in performance, not just as scripts. Finally, I draw a number of conclusions about the relationship between the art of drama and official ideology.
The Deadlock of Modernism in Greek Drama: Kazantzakis's Othello Returns
Authors: Glytzourēs Antōnēs
Published: February 2008

The iconic Greek author Nikos Kazantzakis returned to playwriting with Othello Returns (1937) after a break of almost ten years. During this period he had carefully observed developments on directing in Europe and had translated a series of plays for the Royal Theater of Greece. Othello Returns has been characterized as "Pirandellian" for a long time, but the in-depth analysis undertaken here shows that it is the product of Kazantzakis's sui generis, yet conformist, theatricalism. His theatricalism is not a departure from the traditions of Greek drama during the interwar years, but a reaffirmation of a crisis in Greek drama and theater that manifested itself in a downturn in the output of Greek playwrights, followed by an upsurge of creativity, the emergence of a new theater-going public, the rise of the director as a key player, and the impasse of modernism both in terms of playwriting and stage direction.
Greek Theater in Southeastern Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean from 1810 to 1961
Authors: Stamatopoulou-Vasilakou Chrysothemis
Published: February 2008

In this essay I examine the importance of theater in the communities of the Greek diaspora around the Mediterranean and in southeastern Europe during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Greek translations of European plays and original modern Greek plays were both published and produced from Odessa to Vienna and from Constantinople to Alexandria. The onset of the Greek War of Independence in 1821 had an adverse effect on the public performances of Greek plays in the Ottoman Empire for several years, but performances resumed in 1856 with the Hatti-Hümayun (Imperial Edict). Theater at this time was used as a means to raise the consciousness of the Greek diaspora. It was supported by the touring professional companies, local amateur companies, and by intellectuals, teachers, and journalists who translated or adapted foreign plays into Greek but also wrote original plays. The demise of prosperous Greek communities during the twentieth century put an abrupt end to this all this activity.
Early Modern Greek Drama: From Page to Stage
Authors: Puchner Walter
Published: February 2008

Initial scholarly research on early Modern Greek drama was largely philological, but also entertained the possibility that these plays had a stage history. Evidence of a stage history for early modern Greek drama came to light in recent years indicating that there was more activity than anyone previously suspected. Evidence for theater performances in early modern Greece is now quite abundant and so are the indirect clues in the texts of the extant plays. The issue of whether each specific extant play was intended for performance or was actually performed has to be addressed for each play separately. That task is beyond the scope of the present essay in which I provide a structured synthesis of much new research that has been reported mainly in Greek over the past 25 years. I also survey all of the extant plays of early modern Greek drama in order to make a case for their performability and stage history.
Morbidity and Mortality Associated With Paget's Disease of Bone: A Population-Based Study
Authors: Wermers Robert A , Tiegs Robert D , Atkinson Elizabeth J , Achenbach Sara J , Melton L Joseph
Published: February 2008

Introduction: Limited information is available about the clinical features of Paget's disease of bone among unselected patients in the community. We examined morbidity and mortality associated with this condition in a large inception cohort of Olmsted County, MN, residents with a new diagnosis of Paget's disease from 1950 through 1994.

Materials and Methods: Survival was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess the impact of various covariates on death.

Results: Paget's disease of bone was diagnosed in 236 Olmsted County residents (mean age at diagnosis, 69.6 yr; 55% men). The majority were symptomatic at diagnosis (58%), and the proportion with symptoms did not change from the prescreening era (1950 to June 1974) to the postscreening era (July 1974–1994). Most patients had polyostotic disease (72%), and the pelvis (67%), vertebra (41%), and femur (31%) were the most common sites of involvement. Skeletal complications attributable to Paget's disease included bowing deformities (7.6%), fracture of pagetic bone (9.7%), and osteosarcoma (0.4%). Osteoarthritis was observed in 73% of patients, and 11% had a hip or knee replacement. Nonskeletal complications related to Paget's disease included cranial nerve (0.4%), peripheral nerve (1.7%), and nerve root (3.8%) compression, basilar invagination (2.1%), hypercalcemia (5.2%), and congestive heart failure (3.0%). Hearing loss, noted in 61%, was significantly higher than previously reported.

Conclusions: Compared with white Minnesota residents, overall survival was slightly better than expected (p = 0.010). No clinical risk factors were identified that were associated with an increased risk of death.
Targeted Deletion of the Sclerostin Gene in Mice Results in Increased Bone Formation and Bone Strength
Authors: Li Xiaodong , Ominsky Michael S , Niu Qing-Tian , Sun Ning , Daugherty Betsy , D'Agostin Diane , Kurahara Carole , Gao Yongming , Cao Jin , Gong Jianhua , Asuncion Frank , Barrero Mauricio , Warmington Kelly , Dwyer Denise , Stolina Marina , Morony Sean , Sarosi Ildiko , Kostenuik Paul J , Lacey David L , Simonet W Scott , Ke Hua Zhu , Paszty Chris
Published: February 2008

Introduction: Sclerosteosis is a rare high bone mass genetic disorder in humans caused by inactivating mutations in SOST, the gene encoding sclerostin. Based on these data, sclerostin has emerged as a key negative regulator of bone mass. We generated SOST knockout (KO) mice to gain a more detailed understanding of the effects of sclerostin deficiency on bone.

Materials and Methods: Gene targeting was used to inactivate SOST and generate a line of SOST KO mice. Radiography, densitometry, μCT, histomorphometry, and mechanical testing were used to characterize the impact of sclerostin deficiency on bone in male and female mice. Comparisons were made between same sex KO and wildtype (WT) mice.

Results: The results for male and female SOST KO mice were similar, with differences only in the magnitude of some effects. SOST KO mice had increased radiodensity throughout the skeleton, with general skeletal morphology being normal in appearance. DXA analysis of lumbar vertebrae and whole leg showed that there was a significant increase in BMD (>50%) at both sites. μCT analysis of femur showed that bone volume was significantly increased in both the trabecular and cortical compartments. Histomorphometry of trabecular bone revealed a significant increase in osteoblast surface and no significant change in osteoclast surface in SOST KO mice. The bone formation rate in SOST KO mice was significantly increased for trabecular bone (>9-fold) at the distal femur, as well as for the endocortical and periosteal surfaces of the femur midshaft. Mechanical testing of lumbar vertebrae and femur showed that bone strength was significantly increased at both sites in SOST KO mice.

Conclusions: SOST KO mice have a high bone mass phenotype characterized by marked increases in BMD, bone volume, bone formation, and bone strength. These results show that sclerostin is a key negative regulator of a powerful, evolutionarily conserved bone formation pathway that acts on both trabecular and cortical bone.
ODDD-Linked Cx43 Mutants Reduce Endogenous Cx43 Expression and Function in Osteoblasts and Inhibit Late Stage Differentiation
Authors: McLachlan Elizabeth , Plante Isabelle , Shao Qing , Tong Dan , Kidder Gerald M , Bernier Suzanne M , Laird Dale W
Published: February 2008

Introduction: Bone development and modeling requires precise gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC). Oculodentodigital dysplasia (ODDD) is an autosomal dominant human disease caused by mutations in the gene (GJA1) encoding the gap junction protein, connexin43 (Cx43). The disease is characterized by craniofacial bone deformities and limb abnormalities. It is our hypothesis that Cx43 mutation causes osteoblast dysfunction, which may contribute to the bone phenotype of ODDD.

Materials and Methods: We expressed human and mouse ODDD-linked Cx43 mutants in MC3T3-E1 cells and primary mouse osteoblasts by retroviral infection and evaluated their in vitro differentiation as an index of osteoblast function. We compared these findings to the differentiation of osteoblasts isolated from a mouse model of ODDD that harbors a germ line Cx43 mutation and exhibits craniofacial and limb defects mimicking human ODDD. We determined the differentiation status of osteoblasts by analyzing alkaline phosphatase activity and the expression levels of osteoblast markers including bone sialoprotein and osteocalcin.

Results: We showed that ODDD-linked Cx43 mutants are loss-of-function and dominant-negative to co-expressed Cx43 and, furthermore, greatly inhibit functional GJIC in osteoblasts. Surprisingly, the mutants had only a minor effect on osteoblast differentiation when introduced into lineage committed cells. In contrast, osteoblasts isolated from the ODDD mouse model exhibited impaired late stage differentiation.

Conclusions: Expression of human and mouse ODDD-linked Cx43 mutants failed to significantly impair differentiation in cells predisposed to the osteoblast lineage; however, germ line reduction of Cx43-based GJIC leads to impaired osteoblast differentiation, which may account for the bone phenotypes observed in ODDD patients.
Diosmetin Induces Human Osteoblastic Differentiation Through the Protein Kinase C/p38 and Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase 1/2 Pathway
Authors: Hsu Ya-Ling , Kuo Po-Lin
Published: February 2008

Introduction: The survival of osteoblasts is one of the determinants of the development of osteoporosis. This study is the first to investigate the osteoblastic differentiation induced by diosmetin, a flavonoid derivative, in osteoblastic cell lines MG-63, hFOB, and MC3T3-E1 and bone marrow stroma cell line M2-10B4.

Materials and Methods: Osteoblastic differentiation was determined by assaying alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and mineralization degree and measuring various osteoblast-related markers using ELISA. Expression and phosphorylation of Runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2), protein kinase Cδ (PKCδ), extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), p38, and c-jun-N-terminal kinase (JNK) was assessed by immunoblot. Rac1 activity was determined by immunoprecipitation, and Runx2 activity was assessed by EMSA. Genetic inhibition was performed by small hairpin RNA plasmids or small interfering RNA (siRNA) transfection.

Results: Diosmetin exhibited an effect on osteoblastic maturation and differentiation by means of ALP activity, osteocalcin, osteopontin, and type I collagen production, as well as Runx2 upregulation. Induction of differentiation by diosmetin was associated with increased PKCδ phosphorylation and the activations of Rac1 and p38 and ERK1/2 kinases. Blocking PKCδ by siRNA inhibition significantly decreased osteoblastic differentiation by inhibiting Rac1 activation and subsequently attenuating the phosphorylation of p38 and ERK1/2. In addition, blocking p38 and ERK1/2 by siRNA transfection also suppressed diosmetin-induced cell differentiation.

Conclusions: In this study, we show that diosmetin induced osteoblastic differentiation through the PKCδ-Rac1-MEK3/6-p38 and PKCδ-Rac1-MEK1/2- ERK1/2-Runx2 pathways and that it is a promising agent for treating osteoporosis.
Mid-Infrared Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopic Examination of Charred Pine Wood, Bark, Cellulose, and Lignin: Implications for the Quantitative Determination of Charcoal in Soils
Authors: Reeves James B. , McCarty Gregory W. , Rutherford David W. , Wershaw Robert L.
Published: February 2008

Fires in terrestrial ecosystems produce large amounts of charcoal that persist in the environment and represent a substantial pool of sequestered carbon in soil. The objective of this research was to investigate the effect of charring on mid-infrared spectra of materials likely to be present in forest fires in order to determine the feasibility of determining charred organic matter in soils. Four materials (cellulose, lignin, pine bark, and pine wood) and char from these materials, created by charring for various durations (1 to 168 h) and at various temperatures (200 to 450 °C), were studied. Mid-infrared spectra and measures of acidity (total acids, carboxylic acids, lactones, and phenols as determined by titration) were determined for 56 different samples (not all samples were charred at all temperatures/durations). Results showed spectral changes that varied with the material, temperature, and duration of charring. Despite the wide range of spectral changes seen with the differing materials and length/temperature of charring, partial least squares calibrations for total acids, carboxylic acids, lactones, and phenols were successfully created (coefficient of determination and root mean squared deviation of 0.970 and 0.380; 0.933 and 0.227; 0.976 and 0.120; and 0.982 and 0.101 meq/g, respectively), indicating that there is a sufficient commonality in the changes to develop calibrations without the need for unique calibrations for each specific material or condition of char formation.