Community, Regional Identity, and Civic Agriculture: A Structural Ritualization Analysis of Rural Online Farmers\u27 Market Sellers

Despite the impact of “new agriculture,” a revival of farmers’ markets (FMs) occurred in recent years. Though urban environments have FMs, people often neglect to consider their existence and functions in rural areas. Moreover, a lack of research specifically related to rural, online markets exists. This article is an analysis of rural, online farmers’ market sellers in the Arkansas River Valley. It provides a brief history of FMs and review of literature associated with food, identity, and community. It also uses structural ritualization theory to explore community bonds, regional identity, and civic agriculture themes. Results suggest that online sellers rarely create close bonds with buyers, though they believe doing so is important. They seldom identify their products with their region, though they recognize the benefits. In viewing their FM work as civic agriculture, sellers perceive local food as individually beneficial, but fail to see its ability to alleviate wider social problems. Simultaneously, they contribute to local nonprofit food distribution networks

Using Literary Ethnography as a Form of Qualitative Document Synthesis to Explore the Maltreatment of Vulnerable Populations: An Examination of Verbal Neglect and Abuse in Nursing Homes

Studying vulnerable populations can be highly problematic. This is especially true when they are located in institutional settings. When gatekeepers block access and a researcher wants to examine a delicate topic, one ethical, feasible way to paint an interpretive picture of everyday life involves the use of a literary ethnography. With data on the verbal neglect and abuse of elders in United States nursing homes, this paper details the six-stages of a literary ethnography. It includes a discussion of identifying sources, reading and interpreting the documents, identifying textual themes, classifying themes, developing a set of analytic constructs, and re-reading documents for contextual confirmation. It concludes with a discussion of literary ethnography weaknesses and directions for future applications

The Presentation of Paradise: Impression Management and the Contemporary Nursing Home

This report discusses dramaturgical perspectives, organizational impression management, and the history of the nursing home industry. Through participant observation, it uses a critical dramaturgical analysis to examine social interaction in three for-profit nursing homes. It explores how employees in these facilities create impressions of affective care in the face of negative publicity and long-term care competition. Specifically, the article examines four impression management tactics related to nursing home environments, concluding with suggestions for future research relating to organizational deviance

In Vitro Evaluation of Oxoplatin: An Oral Platinum(IV) Anticancer Agent

Platinum(IV) compounds like oxoplatin (cis, cis, trans-diammine-dichlorido-dihydroxido-platinum(IV)) show increased stability and therefore can be applied orally. In a panel of 38 human cancer cell lines this drug induced S-phase arrest and cell death with IC50 values 2.5-fold higher than cisplatin. Oxoplatin may be converted to cisplatin by intracellular reducing agents, however, exposure to 0.1 M HCl mimicking gastric acid yielded cis-diammine-tetrachlorido-platinum(IV) exhibiting twofold increased activity. Similar results were obtained for another platinum(IV) compound, JM 149 (ammine-dichlorido-(cyclohexylamine)-dihydroxido-platinum(IV)), but not for its parent drug JM 216/satraplatin. Genome-wide expression profiling of H526 small cell lung cancer cells treated with these platinum species revealed clear differences in the expression pattern of affected genes between oxoplatin and cisplatin. In conclusion, oxoplatin constitutes a potent oral agent that is either reduced or converted to distinct active compounds, for example, by gastric acid or acidic areas prevailing in solid tumors, in dependence of the respective pharmaceutical formulation

Potential of Resveratrol Analogues as Antagonists of Osteoclasts and Promoters of Osteoblasts

The plant phytoalexin resveratrol was previously demonstrated to inhibit the differentiation and bone resorbing activity of osteoclasts, to promote the formation of osteoblasts from mesenchymal precursors in cultures, and inhibit myeloma cell proliferation, when used at high concentrations. In the current study, we screened five structurally modified resveratrol analogues for their ability to modify the differentiation of osteoclasts and osteoblasts and proliferation of myeloma cells. Compared to resveratrol, analogues showed an up to 5,000-fold increased potency to inhibit osteoclast differentiation. To a lesser extent, resveratrol analogues also promoted osteoblast maturation. However, they did not antagonize the proliferation of myeloma cells. The potency of the best-performing candidate in vitro was tested in vivo in an ovariectomy-induced model of osteoporosis, but an effect on bone loss could not be detected. Based on their powerful antiresorptive activity in vitro, resveratrol analogues might be attractive modulators of bone remodeling. However, further studies are required to establish their efficacy in vivo

Elder Crimes of the Law Abiding: Backwards Dresses, Covered Up Messes, and Nursing Homes

This article uses data from 75 biographies, autobiographies, and research monographs on nursing homes to explore physical neglect and abuse. Linked to crimes of the law abiding concepts, it implies employees see maltreatment as “normal.” It extends lines of research examining bureaucratic forces and their influence on nursing homes. It also provides a history of elder care in the UK and US and a review of structural ritualization theory. Findings concentrate on how rituals involving hierarchical structure, work efficiency, documentation, and rules adversely influence care homes. This includes physical maltreatment involving employee neglect of personal needs of residents, failing to provide medical help, bodily harm, and not maintaining quality living spaces