bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Women's Experiences of Preeclampsia: Australian Action on Preeclampsia Survey of Women and Their Confidants
Authors: East C. , Conway K. , Pollock W. , Frawley N. , Brennecke S.
Published: March 2011

Introduction. The experience of normal pregnancy is often disrupted for women with preeclampsia (PE).Materials and Methods. Postal survey of the 112 members of the consumer group, Australian Action on Pre-Eclampsia (AAPEC).Results. Surveys were returned by 68 women (61%response rate) and from 64 (57%) partners, close relatives or friends. Respondents reported experiencing pre-eclampsia (n=53), eclampsia (n=5), and/or Hemolysis, Elevated Liver enzymes, and Low Platelets (HELLP syndrome) (n=26). Many women had no knowledge of PE prior to diagnosis (77%) and, once diagnosed, did not appreciate how serious or life threatening it was (50%). Women wanted access to information about PE. Their experience contributed substantial anxiety towards future pregnancies. Partners/friends/relatives expressed fear for the woman and/or her baby and had no prior understanding of PE.Conclusions. The PE experience had a substantial effect on women, their confidants, and their babies and affected their approach to future pregnancies. Access to information about PE was viewed as very important.
Computational Modeling of Tumor Response to Vascular‐Targeting Therapies—Part I: Validation
Authors: Gevertz Jana L.
Published: March 2011

Mathematical modeling techniques have been widely employed to understand how cancer
grows, and, more recently, such approaches have been used to understand how cancer can
be controlled. In this manuscript, a previously validated hybrid cellular automaton model
of tumor growth in a vascularized environment is used to study the antitumor activity
of several vascular‐targeting compounds of known efficacy. In particular, this model is used
to test the antitumor activity of a clinically used angiogenesis inhibitor (both in isolation,
and with a cytotoxic chemotherapeutic) and a vascular disrupting agent currently undergoing
clinical trial testing. I demonstrate that the mathematical model can make predictions in
agreement with preclinical/clinical data and can also be used to gain more insight into these
treatment protocols. The results presented herein suggest that vascular‐targeting agents, as
currently administered, cannot lead to cancer eradication, although a highly efficacious agent
may lead to long‐term cancer control.
Activation of Toll-like Receptor 5 on Breast Cancer Cells by Flagellin Suppresses Cell Proliferation and Tumor Growth
Authors: Cai Zhenyu , Sanchez Amir , Shi Zhongcheng , Zhang Tingting , Liu Mingyao , Zhang Dekai
Published: March 2011

Increasing evidence showed that Toll-like receptors (TLR), key receptors in innate immunity, play a role in cancer progression and development but activation of different TLRs might exhibit the exact opposite outcome, antitumor or protumor effects. TLR function has been extensively studied in innate immune cells, so we investigated the role of TLR signaling in breast cancer epithelial cells. We found that TLR5 was highly expressed in breast carcinomas and that TLR5 signaling pathway is overly responsive in breast cancer cells. Interestingly, flagellin/TLR5 signaling in breast cancer cells inhibits cell proliferation and an anchorage-independent growth, a hallmark of tumorigenic transformation. In addition, the secretion of soluble factors induced by flagellin contributed to the growth-inhibitory activity in an autocrine fashion. The inhibitory activity was further confirmed in mouse xenografts of human breast cancer cells. These findings indicate that TLR5 activation by flagellin mediates innate immune response to elicit potent antitumor activity in breast cancer cells themselves, which may serve as a novel therapeutic target for human breast cancer therapy. Cancer Res; 71(7); 2466–75. ©2011 AACR.
β2-Microglobulin Induces Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition and Confers Cancer Lethality and Bone Metastasis in Human Cancer Cells
Authors: Josson Sajni , Nomura Takeo , Lin Jen-Tai , Huang Wen-Chin , Wu Daqing , Zhau Haiyen E. , Zayzafoon Majd , Weizmann M. Neale , Gururajan Murali , Chung Leland W. K.
Published: March 2011

Bone metastasis is one of the predominant causes of cancer lethality. This study demonstrates for the first time how β2-microglobulin (β2-M) supports lethal metastasis in vivo in human prostate, breast, lung, and renal cancer cells. β2-M mediates this process by activating epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) to promote lethal bone and soft tissue metastases in host mice. β2-M interacts with its receptor, hemochromatosis (HFE) protein, to modulate iron responsive pathways in cancer cells. Inhibition of either β2-M or HFE results in reversion of EMT. These results demonstrate the role of β2-M in cancer metastasis and lethality. Thus, β2-M and its downstream signaling pathways are promising prognostic markers of cancer metastases and novel therapeutic targets for cancer therapy. Cancer Res; 71(7); 2600–10. ©2011 AACR.
A Genetic Perspective on Nutritional Profiles: Do We Still Need Them?
Authors: Gregori Dario , Foltran Francesca , Verduci Elvira , Ballali Simonetta , Franchin Laura , Ghidina Marco , Halpern Georges M. , Giovannini Marcello
Published: March 2011

Background: The emergence of nutritional genomics and the availability of nutrigenetic tests, which use genetic information to identify food products suited/not suited to the individual nutrigenetic profile, allow defining personalized dietary advice. Aim: To compare personalized dietary advice provided to 24 Italian children by a nutrigenetic test based on the recommendations from 2 different, widely employed nutrient profiling (NP) schemes, the USA Health Claims (USAHC) and the Guidelines for Responsible Food Marketing to Children, published by the US Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI); the genetic test-NP agreement regarding 50 commonly eaten foods has been calculated. Methods: Twelve normal-weight and 12 overweight children were recruited in the Trieste district (North-East Italy), and nutrigenetic testing was offered using the G-Diet® Nutrigenomic Kit. Variants of 20 genes were tested and personalized dietary advice was formulated for each subject. The agreement between the NP schemes and among the nutrigenomic indications and both profiles was computed using Cohen’s ĸ. Results: Agreement between the USAHC and CSPI schemes was very poor overall (Cohen’s ĸ = 0.66). The agreement among the nutrigenomic indications and profiles ranged overall from 0.43 to 0.74 for each nutrigenomic profile with the USAHC, and from 0.29 to 0.80 with the CSPI. Conclusion: Disagreement on food classification among different NP schemes and inconsistencies deriving from nutrigenetic tests advocate more research into this area.
Phase II Trial of S-1 plus Low-Dose Cisplatin for Unresectable and Recurrent Gastric Cancer (JFMC27-9902 Step2)
Authors: Nakata Bunzo , Tsuji Akihito , Mitachi Yasushi , Taenaka Naoyuki , Kamano Toshiki , Oikawa Keisuke , Onoda Naoyoshi , Kambe Mariko , Takahashi Masahiro , Shirasaka Tetsuhiko , Morita Satoshi , Sakamoto Junichi , Tanaka Yukari , Saji Shigetoyo , Hirakawa Kosei
Published: March 2011

Aims: The efficacy and the toxicity of oral fluorouracil derivative S-1 plus low-dose cisplatin in unresectable or recurrent gastric cancer were evaluated by a phase II study. Methods: S-1 was administered orally for 28 days following 14 days’ rest at 80–120 mg/body/day, depending on body surface area. During administration of S-1, cisplatin was given twice a week at the recommended dose (10 mg/m2), which was determined by a phase I study. Data from 34 patients in phase II and 8 patients treated with the recommended dose of cisplatin in phase I were analyzed. The primary endpoint was objective response. Results: The response rate was 47.1%. The median survival time was 11.0 months and the median progression-free survival was 6.9 months. The grade 3/4 toxicities observed in 10% or more of the treated patients were neutropenia (16.7%), anemia (16.7%) and anorexia (11.9%). The serum concentration of cisplatin was 794 ± 341 ng/ml at day 25 of the first course. Conclusions: S-1 plus low-dose cisplatin may be a clinically useful regimen for unresectable or recurrent gastric cancer because of its infrequent adverse events in spite of considerable efficacy and its convenience of no hydration and no hospitalization.
The Role of Natural Killer Cells in the Defense against Listeriamonocytogenes Lessons from a Rat Model
Authors: Naper Christian , Shegarfi Hamid , Inngjerdingen Marit , Rolstad Bent
Published: March 2011

Ly49 receptors in rodents, like killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors in humans, regulate natural killer (NK) cell activity. Although inhibitory Ly49 receptors clearly recognize classical major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) molecules, the role for the activating Ly49 receptors has been less well understood. Here, we discuss recent data from a rat model for listeriosis. Rats depleted of NK cells, or more specifically the Ly49 receptor-bearing cells, showed increased bacterial loads in their spleen. Athymic nude rats with no functional T cells but increased numbers of Ly49-expressing NK cells were more resistant to infection, indicating a central role of NK cells in early immune defense against Listeria in this species. Listeria infection of macrophages or enteric epithelial cells led to upregulation of MHC-I, including nonclassical (Ib) molecules not regularly recognized by T cells. We have shown that activating Ly49 receptors are more efficiently stimulated when binding to upregulated class Ib antigens on infected cells. From this we postulate that activating Ly49 receptors may have a sentinel function in the early immune response against Listeria in detecting diseased cells ‘flagged’ by increased MHC-Ib expression.
Nutrigenomics, Vitamin D and Cancer Prevention
Authors: Davis Cindy D. , Milner John A.
Published: March 2011

Although there is growing epidemiological, preclinical and clinical evidence suggesting that low vitamin D intake, exposure and/or status is associated with an increased risk of various types of cancer, the optimum amount needed remains controversial. Furthermore, there is evidence that a U- or J-shaped response curve exist between 25(OH)D and certain cancers. Increasing information about the impact of genetic variation, especially polymorphisms that influence absorption, transport, metabolism and associated molecular targets, should help clarify inconsistencies in the data regarding vitamin D’s effect on cancer risk. Rather than focusing on the main effects of a few variants of these genes alone, future studies need to consider gene-nutrient or environmental interactions. Nutrigenomics should clarify who might benefit and be placed at risk because of vitamin D exposure.
Tracheobronchial Amyloidosis and Confocal Endomicroscopy
Authors: Newton Richard C. , Kemp Samuel V. , Yang Guang-Zhong , Darzi Ara , Sheppard Mary N. , Shah Pallav L.
Published: March 2011

Tracheobronchial amyloidosis is one of many causes of endobronchial stenosis and nodularity, the concrete diagnosis of which currently requires the finding of apple-green birefringence from endobronchial biopsies. Bronchoscopic probe-based confocal endomicroscopy (pCLE) is a novel optical biopsy technique which provides real-time images of the lattice structure of the bronchial basement membrane – a finding lost in malignancy. This case study outlines the imperfect, essentially palliative management of this rare disease, and shows for the first time the unusual dappled in vivo pCLE images of amyloid-affected endobronchium.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-Specific Gene Expression Signatures of Alveolar Macrophages as well as Peripheral Blood Monocytes Overlap and Correlate with Lung Function
Authors: Poliska Szilard , Csanky Eszter , Szanto Attila , Szatmari Istvan , Mesko Bertalan , Szeles Lajos , Dezso Balazs , Scholtz Beata , Podani Janos , Kilty Iain , Takacs Laszlo , Nagy Laszlo
Published: March 2011

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by progressive airflow limitation and significant extrapulmonary (systemic) effects that lead to co-morbid conditions, though the pathomechanism of COPD is largely undetermined. Alveolar macrophages (AM) derived from peripheral monocytes (MO) appear to play a key role in initiating and/or sustaining disease progression. Objectives: To identify disease- and cell type-specific gene expression profiles and potential overlaps in those in order to diagnose COPD, characterize its progression and determine the effect of drug treatment. Method: Global gene expression analysis was used for primary screening in order to obtain expression signatures of AMs and circulating MOs of COPD patients and healthy controls. The results of microarray analyses of AMs (20 controls and 26 COPD patients) and MOs (16 controls and 22 COPD patients) were confirmed and validated by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Results: We have identified gene sets specifically associated with COPD in AMs and MOs. There were overlapping genes between the two cell types. Our data also show that COPD-specific gene expression signatures in AMs and MOs correlate with percent of predicted FEV1. Conclusion: Disease-specific and overlapping gene expression signatures can be defined in lung-derived macrophages and also in circulating monocytes. Some of the validated expression changes in both cell types correlate with lung function and therefore could serve as biomarkers of disease progression.
Cardiac Sarcoidosis and Giant Cell Myocarditis as Causes of Atrioventricular Block in Young and Middle-Aged Adults
Authors: Kandolin Riina , Lehtonen Jukka , Kupari Markku
Published: March 2011

Background—

Cardiac sarcoidosis (CS) and giant cell myocarditis (GCM) may present as high-degree atrioventricular block (AVB), but their proportion of the causal spectrum of AVB is not well-known. We investigated the prevalence of biopsy-verified CS and GCM in young and middle-aged adults undergoing pacemaker (PM) implantation for AVB.

Methods and Results—

We used the PM registry of Helsinki University Central Hospital to identify all patients aged 18 to 55 years who underwent PM implantation for AVB between January 1999 and April 2009 and reviewed their medical records. In total, 133 patients had either second- or third-degree AVB as an indication for PM. Of them, 61 had a known cause for AVB, and they were excluded from further analyses. Among the remaining 72 patients with initially unexplained AVB, biopsy-verified CS or GCM was found in 14 (19%) and 4 (6%) patients, respectively. The majority (16/18, 89%) were women. Among the adult patients aged <55 years, the prevalence of CS and GCM combined was 14% (95% CI, 7.7% to 19.3%) of the whole AVB population and 25% (95% CI, 15% to 35%) of those with an initially unexplained AVB. Over an average of 48 months of follow-up, 7 (39%) of 18 patients with CS or GCM versus 1 of the 54 patients in whom AVB remained idiopathic, experienced either cardiac death, cardiac transplantation, ventricular fibrillation, or treated sustained ventricular tachycardia (
P
<0.001).

Conclusions—

CS and GCM explain ≥25% of initially unexplained AVB in young and middle-aged adults. These patients are at high risk for adverse cardiac events.
Bright-Blood T2-Weighted MRI Has Higher Diagnostic Accuracy Than Dark-Blood Short Tau Inversion Recovery MRI for Detection of Acute Myocardial Infarction and for Assessment of the Ischemic Area at Risk and Myocardial Salvage
Authors: Payne Alexander R. , Casey Matthew , McClure John , McGeoch Ross , Murphy Aengus , Woodward Rosemary , Saul Andrew , Bi Xiaoming , Zuehlsdorff Sven , Oldroyd Keith G. , Tzemos Niko , Berry Colin
Published: March 2011

Background—

T2-Weighted MRI reveals myocardial edema and enables estimation of the ischemic area at risk and myocardial salvage in patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI). We compared the diagnostic accuracy of a new bright-blood T2-weighted with a standard black blood T2-weighted MRI in patients with acute MI.

Methods and Results—

A breath-hold, bright-blood T2-weighted, Acquisition for Cardiac Unified T2 Edema pulse sequence with normalization for coil sensitivity and a breath-hold T2 dark-blood short tau inversion recovery sequence were used to depict the area at risk in 54 consecutive acute MI patients. Infarct size was measured on gadolinium late contrast enhancement images. Compared with dark-blood T2-weighted MRI, consensus agreements between independent observers for identification of myocardial edema were higher with bright-blood T2-weighted MRI when evaluated per patient (
P
<0.001) and per segment of left ventricle (
P
<0.001). Compared with bright-blood T2-weighted MRI, dark-blood T2-weighted MRI underestimated the area at risk compared with infarct size (
P
<0.001). The 95% limits of agreement for interobserver agreements for the ischemic area at risk and myocardial salvage were wider with dark-blood T2-weighted MRI than with bright-blood T2-weighted MRI. Bright blood enabled more accurate identification of the culprit coronary artery with correct identification in 94% of cases compared with 61% for dark blood (
P
<0.001).

Conclusions—

Bright-blood T2-weighted MRI has higher diagnostic accuracy than dark-blood T2-weighted MRI. Additionally, dark-blood T2-weighted MRI may underestimate area at risk and myocardial salvage.
Artisanship and Ethnicity in the 2000s Romania
Authors: Constantin Marin
Published: March 2011

This article is concerned with the social, economic, and cultural process of the folk artisanship among the ethnic minorities of Hungarians, Turks, and Croatians in contemporary Romania. Ethnographic information is provided on the peasant artisans' professional framework (private workshops), as well as on their crafts development under socialism and in times of market economy in Romania. Similarly considered are the craft traditions, the folk arts, and the ethnic representativeness of artisanship. Relevant categories of analysis are also paternity in crafts and the relationships that the craftsmen engage with the ethnographic museums and the national centers for the conservation of folk culture. Description and interpretation in this text contribute to the understanding of artisanship as complex and dynamic pattern of civilization among the minority ethnic groups in Romania.
The Possible Risk of Cancer in Claudicants
Authors: Taute Bettina-Maria , Thommes Stephan , Taute Ralf , Podhaisky Hubert
Published: March 2011

The aim of this study was to select a group of patients who had mild intermittent claudication and were undergoing secondary prevention measures, and record all vascular and non-vascular events over a 10-year follow-up. A total of 534 events were recorded in 109 claudicants. 25.7% of the claudicants died, 39% of them due to vascular events, 36% from cancer and 25% from other causes. 17 of the 20 cancer cases could be classified as related to smoking. Cancer occurred relatively early in the study, within the first five years, while severe vascular events occurred mainly during later periods. A clear transformation occurred in the outcome of the claudicants. Mortality was equally attributable to vascular and cancer-related comorbidities. In conclusion, the improvement of vascular outcomes due to secondary prevention measures and technological advances in the management of acute vascular events may result in a relative increase in cancer incidence and deaths.
Popular Music and Classical Musicians
Authors: Allsup Randall Everett
Published: March 2011

In recent years, popular music has become a growing area of music study and is increasingly accepted in schools and universities around the world. Despite this general enthusiasm, classically trained music teachers bring a certain hesitation to this art form, perhaps because too few have had formal hands-on experience with it. This article describes several strategies for teaching the study and practice of popular music to classically trained musicians as part of a university teacher education program. Included is discussion of collaborative learning, an approach that helps classical musicians learn popular music through participating in “classroom garage bands.”
Dance All Night
Authors: Criss Ellen
Published: March 2011

One of the biggest challenges that teachers of adolescents face is the necessity to motivate them. This article begins with an overview of motivational theories and then focuses on process theory and its application in the middle school and high school classrooms. An effective teacher can create motivation in students by forming relationships with them and stimulating the affective domain. Included in the article are suggestions for classroom application.
The Creative Music Strategy
Authors: Robinson Nathalie G. , Bell Cindy L. , Pogonowski Lenore
Published: March 2011

The creative music strategy is a dynamic and flexible seven-step model for guiding general music students through the music concepts of improvisation and composition, followed by critical reflection. These are musical behaviors that cultivate the development of our students’ deeper conceptual understandings and music independence by helping them think creatively, critically, and analytically, all while they are engaged as active music makers.
Practice Education
Authors: Oare Steve
Published: March 2011

To practice effectively, one must first know how to practice. The practice process is affected by one’s ability to set goals, design strategies, self-assess, and to have an aural image of the music being learned. The author proposes a model reflecting the factors involved in practice and proposes a number of strategies that can be used to progressively teach students how to practice effectively.
I Know Who I Am, Do You?
Authors: Wright Brian L.
Published: March 2011

This study explores racial-ethnic identity and academic achievement of five young African American men in 11th and 12th grade in an urban pilot high school. Data gathered through individual and group interviews and a questionnaire were analyzed to understand how academically successful African American male adolescents interpret their social and academic lives to achieve school success while also maintaining a healthy racial-ethnic identity (HREI). The findings reveal that the young men developed layered and complex notions of what it means to be African American, male, and successful against the backdrop of having achieved a HREI within a nurturing school environment.
A Quantitative Analysis of the Increase in Public School Segregation in Delaware
Authors: Glenn William J.
Published: March 2011

This study analyzes the increase in school segregation in Delaware from a quantitative perspective. The article tests the hypothesis that the declaration of unitary status that released the Wilmington area school districts from their desegregation order caused the increase in segregation. The research reveals that the declaration of unitary status contributed to an increase in segregation in the Wilmington area. However, the primary factor in the statewide increase in school segregation was the flight of White students from the Wilmington area schools, a result that might be expected from the imposition of a desegregation order but not from its termination.
Using Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory to Understand Community Partnerships
Authors: Leonard Jack
Published: March 2011

Although the value of school–community partnerships is unquestioned, the reasons for success and failure are not sufficiently understood. This mixed-methods case study examines 60 years of partnering at one urban high school, using Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory to better understand the effect on student development as measured by variables such as graduation, attendance, and drop-out rates. Successful partners achieve “cultural cohesion” by building collaborative relationships that encircled students, whereas failed partnerships ignore ecological theory. In contrast to conventional reform strategies that focus on curriculum and/or school structure, the author offers a cultural reform strategy that emphasizes relationships.
Anti‐EGFR Monoclonal Antibodies for Treatment of Colorectal Cancers: Development of Cetuximab and Panitumumab
Authors: You Benoit , Chen Eric X.
Published: March 2011

Over the last decade, anti‐epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) have been firmly established as essential drugs for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC). Cetuximab and panitumumab have been approved by American and European drug agencies. This review aims at exploring the main outcomes of clinical studies performed during their clinical development, from phase I to III trials, and hence at giving a comprehensive review of the scientific rational and up‐to‐date evidence sustaining the use of these drugs. Many areas are still under active investigation such as administration schedules, their efficacy in comparison with bevacizumab, their role in adjuvant therapy, molecular predictors, and management of side effects.
Scripture and the Field of Hate Studies: Traversing Biblical Landscapes
Authors: Guyette Fred
Published: March 2011

The need for an interdisciplinary approach in the emerging field of hate studies has recently been highlighted by Kenneth Stern. His working definition describes both a “diagnostic” and a “preventive/restorative” task for hate studies. What themes might emerge from the Bible when it is read in light of hate studies? The Psalms give a realistic account of what it means to have an enemy. The stories of Dinah and the Sons of Shechem in Genesis 34 and of Cain’s Murder of Abel in Genesis 4 indicate that every human being stands in need of repentance and healing. David and Elisha each show that it is possible for enmity to give way to friendship and peace. The New Testament has many resources for diagnosing and transforming hate. A concluding section focuses on what Scripture has to say about (1) respect for human dignity, (2) friendship across sociological fault-lines, and (3) the connection between worship and justice.
To Eat or Not to Eat Meat?
Authors: Coppins Wayne
Published: March 2011

This article aims to contribute to the topic of conversion in the New Testament by drawing upon insights from the anthropology of religion. Taking up Rebecca Sachs Norris’s focus on embodied culture, and Simon Coleman’s and Peter Collins’s extension of Bourdieu’s concept of habitus, I attempt to bring Paul’s argument in 1 Corinthians 8:7 into sharper focus by reflecting theoretically on the ingrained associations of bodily practice, and the relationship between ritual worship and everyday life. In doing so, I also aim to add complexity to our overall picture of “the Pauline model of conversion.”
The battle over the FCC Blue Book: determining the role of broadcast media in a democratic society, 1945-8
Authors: Pickard Victor
Published: March 2011

During the 1940s a media reform movement of grassroots activists and a progressive Federal Communication Commission (FCC) emerged to challenge the commercial interests consolidating control of US media. A key initiative born out of this movement was the so-called Blue Book, a high-water mark for FCC progressive activism that mandated social responsibility obligations for broadcasters in return for their use of the public airwaves. Ultimately, red-baiting tactics defeated the policy initiatives outlined in the Blue Book and the media reform movement was largely contained. The following analysis draws from archival materials to illuminate the resulting arrangement for US broadcasters.
Is family a moral capital resource for female politicians? The case of ABC’s Commander in Chief
Authors: Adams Michele
Published: March 2011

Being perceived as family-engaged is assumed to benefit politicians, augmenting moral capital they can trade for votes and power. Moral capital benefits of family engagement are particularly salient for male politicians, whose relationship to family generally invokes responsibility and strength. Is family engagement a moral capital resource for female politicians, whose stereotypical associations with family invoke dependency and support? This manuscript examines the fictional television series Commander in Chief, the first to seriously engage the issue of a female US president, juxtaposing her political life with her domestic life as a working wife and mother. Analysis of gender stereotypes deployed in the family narrative suggests that family engagement may not represent a moral capital resource for this fictional female politician, undermining the audience’s ability to see her as moral capital-worthy in the political sphere. Application is made to actual female politicians in the United States.
Inside the lives of three Sudanese women performers: negotiating gender, the media and culture
Authors: Saadia Izzeldin Malik
Published: March 2011

This article provides a discursive space for the voices of three Sudanese women singers who have different life experiences and have different agencies regarding their subject positions as ghanayaat/fananaat (performers) and as women. The article explores how the fananaat negotiate their position as female singers through highlighting their perceptions of the songs they perform which are referred to in Sudan as Aghanii al-Banaat (girls’ songs). Aghanii al-Banaat are songs that are usually performed in women’s gatherings in Central Sudan such as weddings, naming parties, and other gatherings. Moreover, the article will also dwell on the artistic experiences of the three women performers: the ‘other’), and through highlighting their artistic experiences as fananaat. In addition, the article discusses the relationship of the three fananaat with institutions (such as the media and record production companies).
Commodifying Asian-ness: entrepreneurship and the making of East Asian popular culture
Authors: Otmazgin Nissim Kadosh
Published: March 2011

This article examines the linkage between entrepreneurship and the making of popular culture in East Asia. The central argument presented here is that the notion of entrepreneurship is central for understanding and conceptualizing the process of constructing trans-national markets for popular culture and for building new circles of ‘Asian’ recognition. In other words, entrepreneurial vision is not only transforming the local cultural markets by underpinning a region-wide cultural production system but also un-intentionally spurring feelings of ‘Asian’ sameness. The study itself focuses on four cases of entrepreneurship which exemplify the driving forces and the intended and unintended consequences of entrepreneurship, and outlines the wider theoretical and methodological implications for this concept by defining the relations between structural determinism and human agency in popular culture.
An Experiment to Test the Feasibility and Quality of a Web-Based Questionnaire of Teachers
Authors: Tepper Jacob Robin
Published: March 2011

The use of web-based surveys to gather information from teachers has become increasingly common primarily based on the premise that they can reduce costs. Yet, relatively, little is known about the quality or cost effectiveness of web-based versus mail surveys for teachers. To study the efficacy of web-based teacher surveys, the author randomly assigned a nationally representative sample of 877 elementary school teachers to a paper or web survey mode. The cost savings from the web administration were not enough to offset the loss of sample due to missing/inaccurate email addresses and the lower response rates that resulted from the web survey.
Hospital to Home Health Care Transition: Patient, Caregiver, and Clinician Perspectives
Authors: Foust Janice B. , Vuckovic Nancy , Henriquez Ernesto
Published: March 2011

Increasing national attention is focused on improving posthospital transitions. Home health patients are in an opportune position to provide insight into this transition as they resume care for themselves with informal caregivers and home health professionals. This qualitative study describes the experiences of patients, informal caregivers, and home health clinicians during the posthospital transition. A total of 40 patients, 35 informal caregivers, and 15 clinicians participated in this study. Patients recalled receiving discharge instructions but with few details and limited information about follow-up actions if they had problems. Discharge instructions were a versatile means of communication. Home health clinicians used these instructions to guide discussions with patients and their caregivers. Both informal caregivers and home health care clinicians emphasized the inadequate preparation of caregivers during the discharge process. More attention is needed to proactively engage informal caregivers and involve home health clinicians who can facilitate the implementation of discharge plans to improve patient outcomes.
Evaluating the Critical Care Family Satisfaction Survey for Chronic Critical Illness
Authors: Hickman Ronald L. , Daly Barbara J. , Douglas Sara L. , Burant Christopher J.
Published: March 2011

Recognition of the family as a component of patient-centered critical care has shifted our attention to the assessment of family satisfaction in the intensive care unit (ICU). To date, there are no established measures of satisfaction with ICU care for family members of the chronically critically ill (CCI). This study evaluated psychometric properties of the Critical Care Family Satisfaction Survey (CCFSS) in 326 family members of the CCI using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). From the exploratory factor analysis, two unique structural models emerged, each with alpha coefficients of .72 to .91 and discriminant validity among factors ( r < .70). The CFA confirmed the best-fitting structural model was a 14-item, three-factor solution (χ2 = 354, df = 148, p < .001, Tucker Lewis Index = .88, Comparative Fit Index = .90, root mean square error of approximation = .06). Thus, the modified 14-item version of the CCFSS is reliable and valid in family members of CCI patients.
Exercise training improves walking function in an African group of stroke survivors: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Olawale OA , Jaja SI , Anigbogu CN , Appiah-Kubi KO , Jones-Okai D
Published: March 2011

Objective: To evaluate the effects of treadmill walking and overground walking exercise training on recovery of walking function in an African group of stroke survivors.

Design: Prospective, randomized controlled study.

Setting: Outpatient stroke rehabilitation unit in a tertiary hospital.

Subjects: Sixty patients with chronic stroke (≥3 months).

Intervention: All subjects received individual outpatient conventional physiotherapy rehabilitation for 12 weeks. In addition, subjects in Group A ( n = 20) received treadmill walking exercise training (TWET) while those in Group B ( n = 20) received overground walking exercise training (OWET). Those in Group C (control) ( n = 20) received conventional physiotherapy rehabilitation only.

Main measures: Outcome measures were (i) 10-metre walk time (10MWT) test and (ii) six-minute walk distance (6MWD) test. These were evaluated at entry into the study and at the end of every four weeks. Paired t-tests were used to evaluate the significance of the difference between pre-training and post-training scores on the two measures ( P < 0.05).

Results: Subjects in the TWET group recorded 22.6 ± 1.5% decrease in 10MWT and 31.0 ± 4.3% increase in 6MWD; those in the OWET group made 26.8 ± 1.3% and 45.2 ± 4.6% improvement in 10MWT and 6MWD respectively. Subjects in the control group made 2.2 ± 0.7% and 2.9 ± 0.8% improvement in the two functions. These changes were significant for the TWET and OWET groups ( P < 0.05).

Conclusion: This study indicated that treadmill and overground walking exercise training programmes, combined with conventional rehabilitation, improved walking function in an African group of adult stroke survivors. Therefore, professionals who conduct stroke rehabilitation programmes should utilize exercise training to optimize patient outcomes.
Longer versus shorter mental practice sessions for affected upper extremity movement after stroke: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Page Stephen J , Dunning Kari , Hermann Valerie , Leonard Anthony , Levine Peter
Published: March 2011

Objective: To evaluate and compare efficacy of 20-, 40-, and 60-minute mental practice sessions on affected upper extremity impairment and functional limitation.

Design: Randomized controlled study with multiple baseline design.

Subjects: Twenty-nine subjects with chronic stroke and exhibiting stable, mild hemiparesis.

Interventions: Subjects were given 30-minute rehabilitative sessions 3 days/week for 10 weeks, emphasizing affected upper extremity use during valued activities. Directly after these sessions, randomly selected subjects were given audiotaped mental practice for 20, 40, or 60 minutes. Subjects assigned to a control group received the same therapy as the mental practice groups, and an audiotaped sham intervention directly after therapy sessions.

Main outcome measures: Fugl-Meyer (FM) motor assessment and Action Research Arm Test (ARAT).

Results: No pre-existing differences were found between groups on any demographic variable or movement scale. On the FM, mental practice duration significantly predicted pretesting to post change (P = 0.05), with increasing duration related to larger FM score increases (5.4 point score increase for the 60-minute duration group). On the ARAT, a non-significant trend was seen (P = 0.78), favoring the 20-minute dosing condition (4.5 point increase). Importantly, regardless of dosing condition, subjects administered mental practice exhibited markedly larger score changes on both the FM and ARAT than subjects not receiving mental practice.

Conclusions: Sixty minutes of mental practice appears to most significantly reduce affected arm impairment. However, no clear change pattern was seen in affected arm functional limitation according to mental practice duration. Results suggest that a stroke rehabilitative regimen augmented by mental practice renders a greater functional impact than therapy only.
Do measures used in studies of anxiety disorders reflect activities and participation as defined in the WHO International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health?
Authors: Brütt Anna Levke , Schulz Holger , Koch Uwe , Andreas Sylke
Published: March 2011

Background: Besides the measurement of symptoms, information on functioning and disability in daily routines expands the description of impairments in patients with anxiety disorders. Therefore, the measurement of activities and participation, as theoretically included in the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) is of increasing importance. The objective of this study is to give an overview over the implementation of the concept ‘activities and participation’ in outcome measurements of patients with anxiety disorders.

Methods: Based on a literature review in PubMed and PsycInfo databases and including 200 papers, this study analyses 65 outcome instruments used in randomized controlled trials in anxiety disorders according to their content related to the ICF domain of ‘Activities and participation’.

Results: Instruments used in trials evaluating outcome in patients with anxiety disorder only partially address activities and participation. Over all 65 instruments, the chapters on ‘Interpersonal interactions and relationships’ and ‘Mobility’ were most frequently included in measurements.

Conclusions: The identification of relevant ICF categories (core sets) according to activities and participation and especially interpersonal interactions and relationships as well as mobility, can be a basis for describing functioning and evaluating treatment in anxiety disorders, helping to improve outcome assessment in clinical practice.
Effect of Mimosa pudica (Linn.) extract on anxiety behaviour and GABAergic regulation of 5-HT neuronal activity in the mouse
Authors: Ayissi Mbomo Rigobert , Gartside Sasha , Ngo Bum Elizabeth , Njikam Njifutie , Okello Ed , McQuade Richard
Published: March 2011

Mimosa pudica (Linn.) ( M. pudica L.) is a plant used in some countries to treat anxiety and depression. In the present study we investigated the effects of an aqueous extract of M. pudica L. on mouse anxiety-like behaviour using the elevated T maze, and on regulation of dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) neuronal activity using an in-vitro mouse brain slice preparation. Acute treatment with M. pudica L. extract had an anxiolytic effect on behaviour in the elevated T maze, specifically on inhibitory avoidance behaviour. Acute application of the extract alone had no effect on the activity of DRN 5-HT neurones. However, when co-applied with the GABAA receptor agonist THIP (4,5,6,7-tetrahydroisoxazolo[5,4- c]pyridin-3-ol), the extract enhanced the inhibitory effect of the THIP on DRN 5-HT neurones. These observed effects of M. pudica L. on both behaviour and GABA modulation of 5-HT neuronal activity are similar to the effects of diazepam, the established anxiolytic and positive modulator of the GABAA receptor. This study suggests that the aqueous extract of M. pudica L. contains a positive modulator of GABAA receptor function and provides impetus for further investigation of the neuropharmacologically active constituents of the extract.
Addressing Energy Poverty Through Smarter Technology
Authors: Oldfield Eddie
Published: March 2011

Energy poverty is a key detriment to labor productivity, economic growth, and social well-being. This article presents a qualitative review of literature on the potential role of intelligent communication technology, web-based standards, and smart grid technology to alleviate energy costs and improve access to clean distributed energy in developed and developing countries. It puts forward the argument that energy poverty can be addressed through the use of smarter technologies— which inform decisions we make as individual and corporate citizens, policy makers, and elected officials. Furthermore, the potential application of smarter technologies and energy mapping is explored at the global, national, and provincial levels, with particular attention on their ability to affect our choice of energy and resulting economic impacts.
Future Technoscientific Education: Atheism and Ethics in a Globalizing World
Authors: Pearce Colin D.
Published: March 2011

This article attempts to assess the claim that the unum necessarium in our time is the general dissemination of scientific knowledge because liberal civilization or the “good society” cannot be had in the presence of traditional religion and “metaphysics.” The paper attempts to place this claim in the context of continuing globalization and related questions such as 9/11, Fundamentalist Islam, Sino-Western relations, “pop” atheism and the prospect of a “post-human” future. The paper describes the continuance of pre-Enlightenment traditions and beliefs even as constant globalizing influences with their attendant secularism, atheism and technologism make their presence felt. The paper canvasses the views of Chet Raymo, C.S. Lewis, Bryan Appleyard, Werner Heisenberg, Stanley Rosen, Henry Adams, Friedrich Nietzsche Martin Heidegger and Francis Fukuyama as a means of assessing the claim that an education rooted in a simple commitment to scientific progressivism will be inadequate to the demands of the 21 st Century.
Decolonising the Grounds of Ethical Inquiry: A Dialogue between Kant, Foucault and Glissant
Authors: Shilliam Robbie
Published: March 2011

In this article I seek to decolonise the grounding of dialogue within the Europe-modern condition. I do so by working through two authors who are indispensable to the current canon of IR theory, Immanuel Kant and Michel Foucault, and one author who is largely missing from the canon, Édouard Glissant, the Martiniquean poet and literary critique. With regards to Kant and Foucault, I show how within both there exists at the same time a strong endorsement of the policing of ethical inquiry on the grounds of the European-modern and a weaker resistance to it. With regards to Glissant, I focus on his set of essays entitled Caribbean Discourse to show how he strongly endorses a relational pluralising of the grounds of ethical inquiry while at the same time retaining a weaker accommodation to the European-modern. In the course of these discussions I present each author’s assessment of an adequate ethical faculty in the form of a figure: in Kant, the enlightened philosopher; in Foucault, the creative work of art; and in Glissant, the maroon. In the final section I rehearse a dialogue amongst the three figures that opens up the grounds of ethical inquiry to decolonising impulses.
From War to Security: Security Studies, the Wider Agenda and the Fate of the Study of War
Authors: Barkawi Tarak
Published: March 2011

This article critiques the wider agenda in security studies from the perspective of the idea of a war studies. It argues that security studies in any form has not adequately addressed the phenomenon of war and that IR more generally reduces war to an effect of the states system. An analysis of inquiry into the Second World War illuminates these points, while the Vietnam War is mobilised to show how the study of war can refigure our understanding of the international as a distinct social space. The conclusion suggests a new critical research agenda centred on politics, force, and war.
Talking among Themselves? Weberian and Marxist Historical Sociologies as Dialogues without ‘Others’
Authors: Bhambra Gurminder K.
Published: March 2011

Historical sociology is divided between two broad approaches, Weberian and Marxist. The first utilises a methodology of ideal types, presenting a largely endogenous examination of Western history in its account of modernity. The second acknowledges capitalism as a ‘world system’, but also identifies its central dynamic with processes having a European origin. Within the Weberian tradition, theories of multiple modernities allow modernity to be understood as culturally inflected and diverse in its instantiations, but retain the idea of a distinctive European modernity against which other forms are measured. Similarly, within Marxism, the emphasis on a distinctive capitalist mode of production allows space for uneven development globally, or the contingent association of non-capitalist forms, but retains an account of the logic of capitalism derived from European experience. Although the social relations of colonialism, imperialism and slavery are coextensive with capitalism, each tradition renders them peripheral to the development of capitalist modernity. This article discusses the limitations of the two approaches, arguing that any model that posits a world historical centre from which developments diffuse outwards is problematic, especially when such a model does not address the ‘others’ with which it comes subsequently to engage. What is needed is a ‘connected histories’ approach counter to the otherwise dominant forms of historical sociology.
Dialogue between Whom? The Role of the West/ Non-West Distinction in Promoting Global Dialogue in IR
Authors: Hutchings Kimberly
Published: March 2011

There is a politics to the West/non-West distinction that is bound up with predominant models for dialogue in IR; rethinking these models of dialogue implies a new politics, and therefore also, I will suggest, a move away from the West/non-West binary as a way of characterising the participants in dialogic exchange oriented towards the expansive transformation of disciplinary imaginaries.