bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Combating spam in tagging systems
Authors: Koutrika Georgia , Effendi Frans Adjie , Gyöngyi Zolt´n , Heymann Paul , Garcia-Molina Hector
Published: October 2008

Tagging systems allow users to interactively annotate a pool of shared resources using descriptive strings called
tags
. Tags are used to guide users to interesting resources and help them build communities that share their expertise and resources. As tagging systems are gaining in popularity, they become more susceptible to
tag spam
: misleading tags that are generated in order to increase the visibility of some resources or simply to confuse users. Our goal is to understand this problem better. In particular, we are interested in answers to questions such as: How many malicious users can a tagging system tolerate before results significantly degrade? What types of tagging systems are more vulnerable to malicious attacks? What would be the effort and the impact of employing a trusted moderator to find bad postings? Can a system automatically protect itself from spam, for instance, by exploiting user tag patterns? In a quest for answers to these questions, we introduce a framework for modeling tagging systems and user tagging behavior. We also describe a method for ranking documents matching a tag based on taggers' reliability. Using our framework, we study the behavior of existing approaches under malicious attacks and the impact of a moderator and our ranking method.
Real-World Concurrency
Authors: Cantrill Bryan , Bonwick Jeff
Published: October 2008

Software practitioners today could be forgiven if recent microprocessor developments have given them some trepidation about the future of software. While Moore’s law continues to hold (that is, transistor density continues to double roughly every 18 months), as a result of both intractable physical limitations and practical engineering considerations, that increasing density is no longer being spent on boosting clock rate. Instead, it is being used to put multiple CPU cores on a single CPU die. From the software perspective, this is not a revolutionary shift, but rather an evolutionary one: multicore CPUs are not the birthing of a new paradigm, but rather the progression of an old one (multiprocessing) into more widespread deployment.
Review of "Pro WPF in C# 2008: Windows Presentation Foundation with .NET 3.5 (2nd ed.)," Apress, 2008, $54.99, ISBN: 1590599551
Authors: Naugler David
Published: October 2008

Review of "Pro WPF in C# 2008: Windows Presentation Foundation with .NET 3.5 (2nd ed.)," Apress, 2008, $54.99, ISBN: 1590599551
Calendar
Authors: Stanik John
Published: October 2008

Web 2.0 Expo
SF1
Authors: Feldman Michael B.
Published: October 2008

Level - Beginner, but attendees should have some experience with a high-level programming language.

This tutorial is designed for those who have some familiarity with a programming language, but who are new to Ada. In the morning, we will discuss the basics of programming in Ada, including types, packages, syntax rules, and other Ada programming constructs. In the afternoon, we will cover Ada's object-oriented programming and concurrent-programming features. Many examples will be shown; freely downloadable Ada programming environments and tools will be demonstrated.
MA1
Authors: McCormick John W.
Published: October 2008

Level - Intermediate. This tutorial assumes basic knowledge or experience with the Ada programming language.

This tutorial covers two of the major problems with parallel and real-time programming - time management and storage management. Parallel processing, whether on single-processor machines or multiple processors, has many pitfalls. We will examine these potential pitfalls, and discuss ways to avoid common problems, such as deadlocks and race conditions. We will also discuss how to write code that efficiently passes data with other parallel processes. The basics of parallel processing are covered, leading to a discussion and examples using Ada tasking. In addition, the Ada Real-Time Systems Annex is also covered.
30 years after steelman, does DoD still have a software crisis?
Authors: Tokar Joyce
Published: October 2008

Dr. Tokar will investigate whether or not the Department of Defense has a software crisis today, 30 years after the 'Steelman' document, which defined the requirements for the use of software within the Department.
Real-time synchronization on distributed architecture with Ada-2005
Authors: Ras Jim , Cheng Albert M.K.
Published: October 2008

Ada is found in most Avionics processing. It is often the hidden software that makes life safe in systems that fly most passenger/private aircraft. In an effort to promote the use of Ada-2005 in more embedded systems, we will present a Distributed Stack Resource Policy (DSRP) suitable for synchronizing tasks executing on distributed systems, meaning the protocol relies only on message-passing between processors. Accordingly, we will present an empirical evaluation that tests the performance of the DSRP with the Distributed Priority Ceiling Protocol (DPCP) created by Rajkumar. To the best of our knowledge, no empirical distributed-based evaluation of the DPCP has ever been conducted prior to this. We will also discuss the efficacy of Ada and examine the resulting design issues and trade-offs, and the ability of the DSRP to manage multiple shared resources efficiently on distributed processors.
A multi-language service-oriented architecture using an enterprise service bus
Authors: Sward Ricky E. , Whitacre Kelly J.
Published: October 2008

An Enterprise Service Bus (ESB) provides developers a platform for the straightforward development of a multi-language Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA). Mule, an open source ESB, is presented as one such ESB that easily provides a multi-language SOA integration solution. This paper offers a Mule 1.4 ESB configuration allowing the communication between web services written in Java and Ada running on the Ada Web Server as an example. Additionally, the example demonstrates the use of SOAP and REST style messages within the SOA environment.
Fatty acid-induced NF-κB activation and insulin resistance in skeletal muscle are chain length dependent
Authors: Hommelberg Pascal P. H. , Plat Jogchum , Langen Ramon C. J. , Schols Annemie M. W. J. , Mensink Ronald P.
Published: October 2008

The saturated fatty acid (SFA) palmitate induces insulin resistance in cultured skeletal muscle cells, which may be related to NF-κB activation. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether other SFAs also exert these effects on skeletal muscle and whether these relate to chain length. Therefore, we incubated L6 and C2C12 skeletal muscle cells with four different fatty acids, caprylate (C8:0), laurate (C12:0), palmitate (C16:0), and stearate (C18:0), to study effects on GLUT4 translocation, deoxyglucose uptake, and NF-κB activation. Incubation of L6 cells with the long-chain FAs C16:0 and C18:0 reduced insulin-stimulated GLUT4 translocation and deoxyglucose uptake, whereas L6 cells incubated with the medium-chain FAs C8:0 and C12:0 remained insulin sensitive. Besides increasing NF-κB DNA binding activity in both L6 and C2C12 cells, C16:0 also induced NF-κB transcriptional activity. C18:0 showed comparable effects, whereas the SFAs with shorter chain lengths were not able to elevate NF-κB transcriptional activity. Collectively, these results demonstrate that SFA-induced NF-κB activation coincides with insulin resistance and depends on FA chain length.
Sugar Variation in Soybean Seed Assessed with a Rapid Extraction and Quantification Method
Authors: Hou A. , Chen P. , Shi A. , Zhang B. , Wang Y.-J.
Published: October 2008

Sugar content in soybean [Glycine max(L) Merr.] seed is an important quality attribute for soyfood and feed. Rapid extraction and quantification of soluble sugars in soybean seed are essential for large-scale breeding selections. In this study, using water as extractant combined with a high-performance anion exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection (HPAEC-PAD) system, variability and repeatability of sugar content were tested in 20 diverse soybean genotypes. Individual sugars were clearly resolved and identified, including sucrose, stachyose, raffinose, glucose, fructose, and verbascose. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed a highly reproducible estimation of sucrose, stachyose, and raffinose. PI 243545 was confirmed as a unique germplasm with the highest sucrose (105.48 mg/g) and total sugar (148.76 mg/g) content. Two low-oligosaccharide accessions, PI 200508 and 03CB-14, were confirmed with extremely low concentrations of raffinose and stachyose. PI 417559 was identified as a high glucose and fructose germplasm. The identified germplasm with unique sugar profiles will be valuable in breeding specialty soybeans for improved sugar content. The sugar testing method will facilitate the screening of seed sugar profiles in a large-scale soybean breeding program.
Combined Tyrosine and Serine/Threonine Kinase Inhibition by Sorafenib Prevents Progression of Experimental Pulmonary Hypertension and Myocardial Remodeling
Authors: Klein Martina , Schermuly Ralph T. , Ellinghaus Peter , Milting Hendrik , Riedl Bernd , Nikolova Sevdalina , Pullamsetti Soni S. , Weissmann Norbert , Dony Eva , Savai Rajkumar , Ghofrani Hossein A. , Grimminger Friedrich , Busch Andreas E. , Schäfer Stefan
Published: October 2008

Background—

Inhibition of tyrosine kinases, including platelet-derived growth factor receptor, can reduce pulmonary arterial pressure in experimental and clinical pulmonary hypertension. We hypothesized that inhibition of the serine/threonine kinases Raf-1 (also termed c-Raf) and b-Raf in addition to inhibition of tyrosine kinases effectively controls pulmonary vascular and right heart remodeling in pulmonary hypertension.

Methods and Results—

We investigated the effects of the novel multikinase inhibitor sorafenib, which inhibits tyrosine kinases as well as serine/threonine kinases, in comparison to imatinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, on hemodynamics, pulmonary and right ventricular (RV) remodeling, and downstream signaling in experimental pulmonary hypertension. Fourteen days after monocrotaline injection, male rats were treated orally for another 14 days with sorafenib (10 mg/kg per day), imatinib (50 mg/kg per day), or vehicle (n=12 to 16 per group). RV systolic pressure was decreased to 35.0±1.5 mm Hg by sorafenib and to 54.0±4.4 mm Hg by imatinib compared with placebo (82.9±6.0 mm Hg). In parallel, both sorafenib and imatinib reduced RV hypertrophy and pulmonary arterial muscularization. The effects of sorafenib on RV systolic pressure and RV mass were significantly greater than those of imatinib. Sorafenib prevented phosphorylation of Raf-1 and suppressed activation of the downstream ERK1/2 signaling pathway in RV myocardium and the lungs. In addition, sorafenib but not imatinib antagonized vasopressin-induced hypertrophy of the cardiomyoblast cell line H9c2.

Conclusions—

The multikinase inhibitor sorafenib prevents pulmonary remodeling and improves cardiac and pulmonary function in experimental pulmonary hypertension. Sorafenib exerts direct myocardial antihypertrophic effects, which appear to be mediated via inhibition of the Raf kinase pathway. The combined inhibition of tyrosine and serine/threonine kinases may provide an option to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension and associated right heart remodeling.
Deletion of
WNK1
First Intron Results in Misregulation of Both Isoforms in Renal and Extrarenal Tissues
Authors: Delaloy Céline , Elvira-Matelot Emilie , Clemessy Maud , Zhou Xiao-ou , Imbert-Teboul Martine , Houot Anne-Marie , Jeunemaitre Xavier , Hadchouel Juliette
Published: October 2008

Large deletions in intron 1 of the with-no-lysine kinase type 1 (
WNK1
) gene cause familial hyperkalemic hypertension. Alternative promoters generate functionally different isoforms: long ubiquitous isoforms (L-WNK1) and a kidney-specific isoform (KS-WNK1) lacking kinase activity. It remains unclear whether the disease-causing mutations selectively modify the synthesis of 1 or both types of isoforms. Using a transgenic mouse model, we found that intron 1 deletion resulted in the overexpression of
L-
and
KS-WNK1
in the distal convoluted tubule and ubiquitous ectopic
KS-WNK1
expression. Phylogenetic and functional analysis of the minimal 22-kb intron 1 deletion identified 1 repressor and 1 insulator, potentially preventing interactions between the regulatory elements of L-WNK1 and KS-WNK1. These results provide the first insight into the molecular mechanisms of WNK1-induced familial hyperkalemic hypertension.
Raindrop Size Distribution Modeling from a Statistical Rain Parameter Relation and Its Application to the TRMM Precipitation Radar Rain Retrieval Algorithm
Authors: Kozu Toshiaki , Iguchi Toshio , Shimomai Toyoshi , Kashiwagi Nobuhisa
Published: October 2008

A generalized method is presented to derive a “two scale” raindrop size distribution (DSD) model over a spatial or temporal domain in which a statistical rain parameter relation exists. The two-scale model is generally defined as a model in which one DSD parameter is allowed to vary rapidly and the other is constant over a certain space or time domain. The existence of a rain parameter relation such as the radar reflectivity–rainfall rate (Z–R) relation over a spatial or temporal domain is an example of such a two-scale DSD model. A procedure is described that employs a statistical rain parameter relation with an assumption of the gamma DSD model. An example using Z–R relations obtained at Kototabang, West Sumatra, is presented. The result shows that the resulting two-scale DSD model expressed by conventional DSD parameters depends on the assumed value of parameter μ while rain parameter relations such as k–Ze relations from those models using different μ values are very close to each other, indicating the stability of the model against the variation of μ and the validity of this method. The result is applied to the DSD model for the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) precipitation radar 2A25 (versions 5 and 6) algorithm. The derivation procedure of the 2A25 DSD model is described. Through the application of this model, it has become possible to make a logically well-organized rain profiling algorithm and reasonable rain attenuation correction and rainfall estimates, as described in an earlier paper by Iguchi et al.
A Balanced Approximation of the One-Layer Shallow-Water Equations on a Sphere
Authors: Verkley W. T. M.
Published: October 2008

A global version of the equivalent barotropic vorticity equation is derived for the one-layer shallow-water equations on a sphere. The equation has the same form as the corresponding beta plane version, but with one important difference: the stretching (Cressman) term in the expression of the potential vorticity retains its full dependence on f 2, where f is the Coriolis parameter. As a check of the resulting system, the dynamics of linear Rossby waves are considered. It is shown that these waves are rather accurate approximations of the westward-propagating waves of the second class of the original shallow-water equations. It is also concluded that for Rossby waves with short meridional wavelengths the factor f 2 in the stretching term can be replaced by the constant value f02, where f0 is the Coriolis parameter at ±45° latitude.
A Revised Hydrology for the ECMWF Model: Verification from Field Site to Terrestrial Water Storage and Impact in the Integrated Forecast System
Authors: Balsamo Gianpaolo , Beljaars Anton , Scipal Klaus , Viterbo Pedro , van den Hurk Bart , Hirschi Martin , Betts Alan K.
Published: October 2008

The Tiled ECMWF Scheme for Surface Exchanges over Land (TESSEL) is used operationally in the Integrated Forecast System (IFS) for describing the evolution of soil, vegetation, and snow over the continents at diverse spatial resolutions. A revised land surface hydrology (H-TESSEL) is introduced in the ECMWF operational model to address shortcomings of the land surface scheme, specifically the lack of surface runoff and the choice of a global uniform soil texture. New infiltration and runoff schemes are introduced with a dependency on the soil texture and standard deviation of orography. A set of experiments in stand-alone mode is used to assess the improved prediction of soil moisture at the local scale against field site observations. Comparison with basin-scale water balance (BSWB) and Global Runoff Data Centre (GRDC) datasets indicates a consistently larger dynamical range of land water mass over large continental areas and an improved prediction of river runoff, while the effect on atmospheric fluxes is fairly small. Finally, the ECMWF data assimilation and prediction systems are used to verify the effect on surface and near-surface quantities in the atmospheric-coupled mode. A midlatitude error reduction is seen both in soil moisture and in 2-m temperature.
Constraints and Choices
Authors: Przeworski Adam
Published: October 2008

Participation in electoral politics is not a fully voluntary act. Suffrage rules regulate who can participate, whereas institutional arrangements affect incentives to vote by shaping the consequences of the voting act. The secular increase of electoral participation in the world during the past two centuries was largely due to extensions of suffrage rather than to increased turnout of those eligible. The relation between voting and electing, as manifested in institutional arrangements, had a strong effect on individual decisions to vote. In the end, the voice of the people is inescapably structured by the ideas and the institutional frameworks that relate voting to electing.
Understanding Cleavages in Party Systems
Authors: Rohrschneider Robert , Whitefield Stephen
Published: October 2008

There has been considerable debate about the characteristics of political cleavages underlying post-Communist Central and Eastern European party competition, with views ranging from no structure, to unidimensionality, to structured diversity, to entirely sui generis country-specific approaches. Much of the disagreement, the authors argue, results from the failure to take seriously the distinction between issue position and issue salience. Taking this into account, the authors present a model of party cleavages that synthesizes the various arguments into one comprehensive model. Empirical evidence for the argument is derived from an expert survey of 87 parties in 13 post-Communist democracies. Theoretically, this study provides a much more positive picture of the character of party cleavages and of democratic responsiveness in post-Communist states than is generally accepted.
Are Parliamentary Systems Better?
Authors: Gerring John , Thacker Strom C. , Moreno Carola
Published: October 2008

The institutional differences between presidential and parliamentary rule are well known, yet the practical effects of these divergent constitutional arrangements within democratic polities have received scant attention. This article employs a global data set to test the relationship between a historical measure of parliamentary rule and 14 indicators ranging across three policy areas: political development, economic development, and human development. The study revealed a strong relationship between parliamentarism and good governance, particularly in the latter two policy areas. To the extent that these institutions influence the quality of governance, parliamentary systems may offer advantages over presidential systems of democratic rule.
Analysis of Environmental Statements Issued by EMAS-Certified Spanish Hotels
Authors: Bonilla Priego Maria Jesús , Avilés Palacios Carmen
Published: October 2008

In June 2005, Spain became the country with the second greatest number of sites and companies certified by the Ecomanagement and Audit Scheme (EMAS). Indeed, the Spanish hospitality industry led the way in certifications under this standard. An analysis of 115 environmental statements issued by EMAS-certified Spanish hotels finds that the data in the statements are difficult to compare. This study found that the current nature of the studies makes it unfeasible to rank hotels under this standard. The study found little difference in the release of environmental information according to certain specific hotel characteristics, including size, ownership, and location.
Core Components of Therapy in Youth
Authors: Weersing V. Robin , Rozenman Michelle , Gonzalez Araceli
Published: October 2008

Bridging the gap between lab and clinic has become a rallying cry for a generation of treatment researchers, and identifying and overcoming barriers to successful dissemination of best-practice treatment has become a major public mental health priority. In this review, the authors argue that a key limit to accomplishing this goal may be found back in the original research laboratories where these treatments were developed. Despite 50 years of research and 1,500 clinical trials, there are surprisingly little data on what makes youth psychotherapy therapeutic. To illustrate the problem this poses for dissemination, the adolescent depression literature is reviewed in terms of (a) critical core components of intervention and (b) basic processes through which these techniques operate. Process—outcome relationships in cognitive-behavioral, interpersonal, and family therapy models are examined with descriptive meta-analytic techniques. Discussion of treatment dissemination follows, focusing on the value of basic research on core psychotherapeutic techniques and processes.
Comparison of Human to Macaque Uterosacral–Cardinal Ligament Complex and Its Relationship to Pelvic Organ Prolapse
Authors: Shahryarinejad Azin , Vardy Michael David
Published: October 2008

The uterosacral–cardinal ligament complex is thought to be the critical structure responsible for uterine and apical vaginal support. It is ill defined and can be difficult to dissect in the cadaver lab and in the operating room. Even less information is available on the analogous structures in the monkey model. We present this report to bring together what little is known to aid in studying this model and pelvic organ prolapse (POP), and to point out the need for critical assessment of this hormone-responsive tissue in the process of drug development.

Competing Interests: This article was sponsored by Covance Inc. and Schering-Plough. The authors did not declare any other competing interests.
Improving Fast and Frugal Modeling in Relation to Regression Analysis: Test of 3 Models for Medical Decision Making
Authors: Backlund Lars G. , Bring Johan , Skånér Ylva , Strender Lars-Erik , Montgomery Henry
Published: October 2008

Background . A matching heuristic (MH) model of decision making has been evaluated previously in a series of studies on medical decision making. The authors' purpose is to evaluate an extended MH model that considers the prevalence of cue values. Methods . Data from 2 previous studies were reanalyzed, one on judgments regarding drug treatment of hyperlipidemia and the other on diagnosing heart failure. The original MH model and the extended MH model were compared with logistic regression (LR) in terms of fit to actual judgments, number of cues, and the extent to which the cues were consistent with clinical guidelines. Results . There was a slightly better fit with LR compared with MH. The extended MH model gave a significantly better fit than the original MH model in the drug treatment task. In the diagnostic task, the number of cues was significantly lower in the MH models compared to LR, whereas in the therapeutic task, LR could be less or more frugal than the matching heuristic models depending on the significance level chosen for inclusion of cues. For the original MH model, but not for the extended MH model or LR, the most important cues in the drug treatment task were often used in a direction contrary to treatment guidelines. Conclusions . The extended MH model represents an improvement in that prevalence of cue values is adequately taken into account, which in turn may result in better fit and in better agreement with medical guidelines in the evaluation of cues.
The Intersection of Genes and Neuropsychological Deficits in the Prediction of Adolescent Delinquency and Low Self-Control
Authors: Beaver Kevin M. , DeLisi Matt , Vaughn Michael G. , Wright John Paul
Published: October 2008

Gottfredson and Hirschi’s A General Theory of Crime, Moffitt’s developmental taxonomy theory, and Caspi et al.’s Gene × Environment study are three of the most influential pieces of contemporary criminological scholarship. Even so, there has been little attempt to integrate and empirically assess these three perspectives simultaneously. This article addresses this gap in the literature by analyzing phenotypic and genotypic data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). The results revealed that all three perspectives have considerable empirical support, where neuropsychological deficits interact with the MAOA genotype to predict adolescent delinquency and levels of self-control for White males. The theoretical implications of the findings are noted.
Polypropylene—Bamboo/Glass Fiber Hybrid Composites: Fabrication and Analysis of Mechanical, Morphological, Thermal, and Dynamic Mechanical Behavior
Authors: Samal Sushanta K. , Mohanty Smita , Nayak Sanjay K.
Published: October 2008

Hybrid composites of polypropylene reinforced with bamboo and glass fibers (BGRP) were fabricated using an intermeshing counter rotating twin screw extruder followed by injection molding. Maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene (MAPP) has been used as a coupling agent to improve the interfacial interaction between the fibers and matrix. The mechanical properties of the hybrid composites were studied from tensile, flexural, and impact tests. Mechanical tests indicated an increase in tensile, flexural, and impact strength of the BGRP hybrid composites at a bamboo:glass fiber ratio of 15:15 ratio in the presence of 2 wt% of MAPP. Nearly, 69, 86, and 83% increase in tensile flexural and impact strength respectively has been observed as compared with virgin PP. The fiber matrix interfacial morphology of the tensile fractured specimens was studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) which showed less fiber pullout and comparatively less gaps between the fiber and the base matrix in the case of MAPP treated hybrid composites. The crystallization, melting behavior and thermal stability of the hybrid composites were investigated employing differential scanning electron microscopy (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) showed an increase in thermal stability of the matrix polymer with incorporation of bamboo and glass fibers, confirming the effect of hybridization and efficient fiber matrix interfacial adhesion. The dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) showed an increase in storage modulus (E′) indicating higher stiffness in case of hybrid composites as compared with untreated composites and virgin matrix. The tan δ spectra presented a strong influence of fiber content and coupling agent on the α and γ relaxation process of PP.
Effect of Knitting Tightness on Mechanical Properties of Weft-knit Glass Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Composites
Authors: Asi Osman , Aktaş Alaattin , Tercan Mevlüt , Yüksekkaya Mehmet Emin
Published: October 2008

In the presented article, an experimental study has been carried out to investigate the effect of tightness level on mechanical properties of weft-knit 1 × 1 rib glass fiber reinforced epoxy composites. Three different glass fiber reinforced epoxy composites with different tightness level were produced. Mechanical properties of the composites have been determined. The results show that tensile strength, compression strength, and shear strength of the composites increase with increasing of tightness level.
My Sister, Myself
Authors: Shambley-Ebron Donna Z.
Published: October 2008

African American women are bearing an excess burden of HIV/AIDS, becoming infected at a rate 25 times that of White American women. This places African American girls at the highest risk for becoming infected with HIV/AIDS. Culturally appropriate prevention strategies are indicated to suppress this trend. Two qualitative research methods were used to evaluate a culture- and gender-based HIV prevention intervention: My Sister, Myself. Community action participatory research was used to engage the community in the development of the intervention for early-adolescent girls. Eight girls participated in the 8-week intervention. Data were collected about culture and gender identification, sexual health knowledge, and future intentions throughout the intervention. Focus groups and observation participation data revealed three major themes: “high aspirations,” “needing to know the truth,” and “internal, external, and eternal resources.” Findings indicate promise for intervention strategies that utilize culture- and gender-based strategies for HIV/AIDS prevention with young girls.
Renegotiating Masculine Identity After Prostate Cancer Treatment
Authors: Maliski Sally L. , Rivera Steve , Connor Sarah , Lopez Griselda , Litwin Mark S.
Published: October 2008

Because little is known about how low-income Latino and African American men attribute meaning and adapt to prostate cancer treatment —related symptoms relative to masculine identity, in this study we sought to develop a descriptive model of this process. Using qualitative methods, 60 Latino and 35 African American/Black men were interviewed by language- and ethnicity-matched male interviewers using a semistructured guide. Interviews were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim. Spanish transcripts were rigorously translated to produce English transcripts. Analysis using grounded theory techniques found that men constructed masculine identities that were influenced by early experience, challenged by several factors including prostate cancer treatment, and underwent a renegotiation process that resulted in the maintenance of their identity as men. Development and testing of interventions that support this process will facilitate the adaptation process for men in a culturally relevant manner.
A Space for Suffering? Communicating Breast Cancer in an Online Self-Help Context
Authors: Sandaunet Anne-Grete
Published: October 2008

In this article, I explore the communication in an online self-help group for Norwegian women with breast cancer, aiming to add further knowledge to the question of whether the online context functions as a “liberating realm” for alternative discourses about illness. My analysis is conducted within an action-oriented framework and is based on participant observation of the online communication and qualitative interviews of women who participated in the group. Based on the analysis, I argue that proposals of a replication of dominating offline discourses in online communication are affirmed. More precisely, I argue that a “socially desirable” story about the cancer “hero” was further circulated in this online context, and that experiences of resignation and meaninglessness were not woven into the communication. Offering some reflections on this process, I suggest that it has active and voluntary aspects that need attention in further research.
Making Sense of Sibling Responsibility for Family Caregiving
Authors: Willyard Jennifer , Miller Katherine , Shoemaker Martha , Addison Penny
Published: October 2008

As the population in the United States and around the globe ages, families are faced with decisions about caregiving for elderly parents. Research suggests that daughters often take on these stressful caregiving responsibilities, with varying levels of help from siblings. In this article, we examine these sibling relationships within the caregiving context, considering the ways in which siblings negotiate the division of tasks for elderly parents and make sense of siblings who provide little help in caregiving activities. Our content analysis of interviews with 25 family caregivers indicated that there was little negotiation of caregiving tasks. Furthermore, family caregivers make sense of sibling participation in caregiving in three ways. First, some caregivers account for caregiving as an individual activity for which they are especially suited. Second, some caregivers see caregiving as stemming from values about family life, but excuse nonparticipant siblings by defining them as outside family boundaries. Finally, caregivers with strong family values who could not make sense of siblings through an exclusionary frame engaged in verbal backtracking during the telling of their stories as a way of making sense of personal caregiving responsibilities.
Variations in Lay Health Theories: Implications for Consumer Health Care Decision Making
Authors: Shaw Hughner Renée , Schultz Kleine Susan
Published: October 2008

Wide variations in how contemporary consumers think about health and make health care decisions often go unrecognized by health care marketers and public policy decision makers. In the current global environment, prevailing Western viewpoints on health and conventional biomedicine are being challenged by a countervailing belief system forming the basis for alternative health care practices. The ways American consumers once thought about health have changed and multiplied in this new era of competing health paradigms. Our study provides empirical evidence for this assertion in two ways. First, it demonstrates that in the current environment consumers think about health and health care in a multiplicity of very different ways, leading to the conclusion that we should not classify health care consumers as either conventional or alternative. Second, the results provide clues as to how individuals holding diverse health theories make health care decisions that impact health behaviors, treatment efficacy, and satisfaction judgments.
Linking Abilities, Interests, and Sex via Latent Class Analysis
Authors: Johnson Wendy , Bouchard Thomas J.
Published: October 2008

The few studies that have examined associations between measured interests and abilities have suffered from small sample sizes, restricted ranges of ability and background, preconceived groupings of interests, and measures of ability that confound general and specific cognitive abilities. In this study of 425 adults from diverse backgrounds, the authors used latent class analysis, with general intelligence and two dimensions of ability that are uncorrelated with general intelligence as covariates, to articulate eight occupational interests that could be characterized by level and profile of ability. These groups showed substantial mean differences in all covariates, and differences in the covariates had substantial effects on probabilities of interest group classification. Sex differences in ability dimensions did not, however, completely explain the sex differences in most likely interest group classification. Although socialization may explain the greater sex differences in occupational interests than abilities, biological explanations are also possible.
Domestic Violence Survivors
Authors: Chronister Krista M. , Brown Chris , O'Brien Karen M. , Wettersten Kara B. , Burt Michelle , Falkenstein Corrina , Shahane Amit
Published: October 2008

Domestic violence survivors encounter numerous barriers and few supports in pursuit of their vocational goals. There is a dearth of research, however, on the vocational supports and barriers salient for survivors. This study aims (a) to assess the psychometric properties of vocational supports and barriers measures with a racially and geographically diverse sample of survivors, (b) to investigate survivors' abuse experiences and perceived supports and barriers, and (c) to examine the relationships among survivors' abuse experiences and supports and barriers. This study was conducted with 227 women survivors residing in five U.S. geographic regions. Results showed strong construct validity for the supports and barriers measures; participants' abuse experiences were associated with current perceptions of vocational barriers but not anticipation of future barriers; racial differences were found among survivors' perceptions of support and the relationship between perceived support, perceived barriers, and abuse experiences. Research and practice implications are provided.
A Cross-Cultural Perspective on Aggressiveness in the Workplace
Authors: Galin Amira , Avraham Shani
Published: October 2008

The study aimed to investigate whether employees' ethnic culture affects their organizational aggression toward their managers. The authors compared aggression toward managers in two samples of Israeli employees—Jews who are low collectivists and Arabs who are high collectivists. The study's sample was composed of 160 employees in 19 community centers—80 Israeli Jews and 80 Israeli Arabs. Results indicate that ethnic group is the major predictor of employees' aggressive behavior, whereas gender predicts aggression within each ethnic group. Furthermore, a significant distinction in the use of direct and indirect aggression was found between the two ethnic groups. Theories of power distance, cultural communication patterns, and comparative analysis of emotion expressions offer possible explanations for these results.
The Influence of Length of Stay, Linguistic Competence, and Media Exposure in Immigrants' Adaptation
Authors: Miglietta Anna , Tartaglia Stefano
Published: October 2008

Empirical evidence shows that immigrants adapt best in relation to their ability to negotiate between the cultural entities they confront. Factors such as cultural knowledge, length of stay in the new culture, and linguistic competence strongly influence this process. Length of stay and linguistic competence may be essential for cultural knowledge acquisition that, in turn, may be enhanced by mass media consumption. A questionnaire is completed by 576 immigrants (196 Romanians, 179 North Africans, and 201 Latino Americans) investigating time spent in Italy, proficiency in the Italian language, familiarity with Italian and homeland mass media, and acculturation. The authors hypothesize that language plays a central role in the acculturation process and assume that length of stay influences acculturation mostly through linguistic competence and mass media knowledge. A structural equation model is tested to verify the hypothesis. The model results are acceptable, invariant across genders, and partially invariant across ethno-cultural groups.
Utilizing Peer Academic Detailing to Improve Childhood Immunization Coverage Levels
Authors: Boom Julie A. , Nelson Cynthia S. , Kohrt Alan E. , Kozinetz Claudia A.
Published: October 2008

Interventions that utilize academic detailing to improve childhood immunization have been implemented across the country. This study evaluates the effectiveness of an academic detailing intervention to increase childhood immunization rates in pediatric and family medicine practices in a major metropolitan area. Educational teams of one physician, nurse, and office manager delivered 83 peer education sessions at practices in the intervention group. Postintervention immunization rates for children 12-23 months of age increased 1% in the intervention group and decreased 3% in the control group. Postintervention coverage levels for children 12-23 months of age did not differ between the intervention and control groups. Results indicated this office-based intervention was not sufficient to effect measurable changes in immunization coverage levels after 1 year of participation. Future interventions need to provide initial feedback regarding practice immunization coverage levels prior to the educational interventions and include multiple encounters.
Adult People With Language Impairment and Their Life Situation
Authors: Törnqvist Maria Carlson , Thulin Sofia , Segnestam Ylva , Horowitz Laura
Published: October 2008

Psychosocial outcome of language impairment (LI) was explored in interviews with three adults with LI (as children attended specialized boarding school) and four of their parents. The informants with LI expressed acceptance of LI and described themselves as independent. With driving education with adjusted pedagogy and initial governmental support, the informants with LI acquired driving licenses, developed work skills, and were paid salary by employers. Academic success was accredited to the specialized boarding school, though this limited development of social skills for social community participation. The adults with LI socialized nearly exclusively with family or peers with LI; described obvious angst for communicatively demanding situations, such as shopping in crowded stores; and described symptoms typical of attentiondeficit/hyperactivity disorder, social anxiety, and lower intellectual levels. Governmental support may facilitate accomplishment of life skill goals, increasing self-esteem in that realm. Negative social experiences, commonly without support outside family, reinforce behavioral trajectories toward further social isolation.
Health Promotion for Successful Aging
Authors: Marquez David X. , Bustamante Eduardo E. , Blissmer Bryan J. , Prohaska Thomas R.
Published: October 2008

The rising costs of health and social support systems for an aging population will become unsustainable without proactive steps to create individual and environmental changes that promote successful aging. Unfortunately, many older adults do not currently have a healthy lifestyle and are at risk for poor health outcomes, including chronic illnesses and mortality. The authors review the behavioral and psychosocial correlates of health and well-being, which include resilience, self-efficacy, smoking, physical activity, diet, good sleep, and having a strong social network, and linked them to the concept of successful aging. They discuss the unique challenges of maintaining health behaviors among older adults over time and review 3 of the most common approaches to lifestyle intervention in older adults (ie, social cognitive theory, the transtheoretical model, and social ecological models). They conclude that initiation and maintenance of behaviors require perceptions of control (self-efficacy), a belief in the positive health outcomes for performing these behaviors, and a value for the outcome (outcome expectancy) for successful aging to be realized. Moreover, more research is needed that takes a broader ecological perspective that makes use of multilevel strategies to behavior change in older adults.
Work-Family Conflict and Facilitation in the Hotel Industry
Authors: Karatepe Osman M. , Magaji Alheri Bawa
Published: October 2008

This study develops and tests a research model that investigates the impact of negative affectivity on the conflicting interactions of work and family, as well as facilitation between work and family roles. The study then examines the connection of these conflict and facilitation dimensions with affective commitment to the organization and turnover intentions. The study takes place in a formerly unexamined location, Abuja, Nigeria, where data were obtained from a sample of 102 frontline employees in two luxury hotels and one upscale property. The study found, in keeping with other studies, that negative affectivity intensifies work-family conflict and family-work conflict. As hypothesized, conflict between family and work roles reduces affective commitment to the organization, and work-family conflict exacerbates turnover intentions. The results further demonstrate that facilitation between work and family roles enhances affective commitment. Again in keeping with other studies, employees high in negative affectivity display higher turnover intentions, while those with less affective commitment tend to leave the organization.
Human Resource Systems in Kenya
Authors: Onyango Fwaya Erick , Okech Roselyne N.
Published: October 2008

A study of 160 managers and employees in four hotels in Nairobi and Mombasa, Kenya, found that functionally flexible human resource systems in conjunction with differentiation strategies are associated with high organizational performance, whereas numerically flexible human resource systems and cost-reduction strategies are linked with low organizational performance. Functionally flexible human resources systems emphasize mutual obligations between management and workers. By contrast, numerically flexible human resources systems are based on a straight work-for-hire relationship, in which employment is subject to unilateral termination at any time by employee or employer. The research also found that the independent hotels pursued numerically flexible human resource systems in conjunction with cost-reduction strategies, whereas the chain hotels applied functionally flexible human resource systems and differentiation—focus strategies.
High-dose therapy followed by autologous purged stem cell transplantation and doxorubicin-based chemotherapy in patients with advanced follicular lymphoma: a randomized multicenter study by the GOELAMS with final results after a median follow-up of 9 years
Authors: Gyan Emmanuel , Foussard Charles , Bertrand Philippe , Michenet Patrick , Le Gouill Steven , Berthou Christian , Maisonneuve Hervé , Delwail Vincent , Gressin Rémi , Quittet Philippe , Vilque Jean-Pierre , Desablens Bernard , Jaubert Jérôme , Ramée Jean-François , Arakelyan Nina , Thyss Antoine , Moluçon-Chabrot Cécile , Delépine Roselyne , Milpied Noël , Colombat Philippe , Deconinck Eric
Published: October 2008

Autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) as first-line therapy for follicular lymphoma (FL) remains controversial. The multicenter study randomized 172 patients with untreated FL for either immunochemotherapy or high-dose therapy (HDT) followed by purged ASCT. Conditioning was performed with total body irradiation (TBI) and cyclophosphamide. The 9-year overall survival (OS) was similar in the HDT and conventional chemotherapy groups (76% and 80%, respectively). The 9-year progression-free survival (PFS) was higher in the ASCT than the chemotherapy group (64% vs 39%; P = .004). A PFS plateau was observed in the HDT group after 7 years. On multivariate analysis, OS and PFS were independently affected by the per-formance status score, the number of nodal areas involved, and the treatment group. Secondary malignancies were more frequent in the HDT than in the chemotherapy group (6 secondary myelodysplastic syndrome/acute myeloid leukemia and 6 second solid tumor cancers vs 1 acute myeloid leukemia, P = .01). The occurrence of a PFS plateau suggests that a subgroup of patients might have their FL cured by ASCT. However, the increased rate of secondary malignancies may discourage the use of purged ASCT in combination with TBI as first-line treatment for FL. This trial has been registered with ClinicalTrials.gov under identifier NCT00696735.