bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
SENSITIVE THYROID‐STIMULATING ANTIBODY ASSAY WITH HIGH CONCENTRATIONS OF POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL FOR THE DIAGNOSIS OF GRAVES' DISEASE
Authors: Takasu Nobuyuki , Kamijo Keiichi , Sato Ysusi , Yoshimura Hiroshi , Nagata Atsuo , Ochi Yukio
Published: May 2004

1. The aim of the present study was to determine the usefulness of a newly developed thyroid‐stimulating antibody (TSAb) assay. We developed a highly sensitive TSAb (sTSAb) assay with 22.5% polyethylene glycol‐precipitated crude IgG. The thyroid‐stimulating hormone (TSH) receptor antibody (TRAb) causes Graves' disease and TRAb has been measured as TSH‐binding inhibitor immunoglobulin (TBII) and thyroid‐stimulating antibody (TSAb). The TSAb stimulates the thyroid glands and causes hyperthyroidism. In addition to investigating the usefulness of the newly developed sTSAb assay, we also investigated the frequencies of positive TRAb in thyrotoxic patients with subacute thyroiditis, painless thyroiditis or a solitary toxic nodule.

2. We studied 700 untreated Graves' patients with hyperthyroidism and 923 normal controls. We also studied thyrotoxic patients with subacute thyroiditis, painless thyroiditis or a solitary toxic nodule. Conventional TSAb (cTSAb) and sTSAb were measured as TSAb, whereas porcine TBII (pTBII) and human recombinant TBII (hTBII) were measured as TBII.

3. Levels of cTSAb and sTSAb were determined in 923 normal controls and 629 untreated Graves' patients and cTSAb and sTSAb were found to be normally distributed in normal controls, but not in untreated Graves' patients. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis demonstrated that cTSAb and sTSAb had high sensitivity and specificity for Graves' disease. Of the patients investigated, 96.5% of untreated Graves' patients were positive for sTSAb and/or pTBII. Some untreated Graves' patients who were negative for cTSAb were positive for sTSAb. Paired determinations of cTSAb and sTSAb were performed in 146 untreated Graves' patients. A positive correlation was found between cTSAb and sTSAb. Titres of sTSAb were higher than those of cTSAb and sTSAb had high sensitivity.

4. Of the 35 untreated Graves' hyperthyroid patients who were negative for cTSAb, 18 (51%) were positive for sTSAb. Of the 36 untreated Graves' patients who were negative for hTBII, nine (25%) were positive for sTSAb. Some untreated Graves' patients who were negative for cTSAb were positive for sTSAb and some who were negative for hTBII and pTBII were positive for sTSAb.

5. Some thyrotoxic patients with subacute thyroiditis or painless thyroiditis were positive for TRAb. However, the frequency of TRAb‐positive patients was low in this group. None of the patients with a solitary toxic nodule was positive for TRAb.

6. In conclusion, sTSAb had higher sensitivity than cTSAb. Graves' patients who were cTSAb negative and hTBII negative could be sTSAb positive. The sTSAb indicates TSAb activity, but pTBII and hTBII do not necessarily do so. We recommended that the sTSAb is used in Graves' patients.
AURANOFIN INCREASES APOPTOSIS AND ISCHAEMIA–REPERFUSION INJURY IN THE RAT ISOLATED HEART
Authors: Venardos Kylie , Harrison Glenn , Headrick John , Perkins Anthony
Published: May 2004

1. Auranofin, an antirheumatic gold compound, is an inhibitor of selenocysteine enzymes, such as thioredoxin reductase and glutathione peroxidase. These enzymes play an important role in protecting cardiac tissue from oxidative stress generated during ischaemia–reperfusion.

2. Auranofin (100 mg/kg) was administered to rats and their hearts were subjected to an in vitro model of ischaemia–reperfusion. The activity of thioredoxin reductase and glutathione peroxidase was determined in liver and heart tissues in an attempt to correlate enzymatic activity with heart recovery after ischaemia–reperfusion.

3. There was significantly less thioredoxin reductase activity in rat liver extracts, whereas the level of glutathione activity remained unchanged, demonstrating that the dose of auranofin used was able to selectively inhibit one of these enzyme systems. Rats administered auranofin displayed significantly impaired recovery from ischaemic insult. The end diastolic pressure was increased, whereas the rate pressure product was significantly decreased.

4. The level of postischaemic apoptosis was also assessed by examining caspase‐3 activity in tissue homogenates. Auranofin significantly increased the degree of postischaemic apoptosis, leading to poor postischaemic recovery.
INHIBITION OF THE DOPAMINE SYSTEM IN RAT AMYGDALA ATTENUATES THE PICROTOXIN‐INDUCED LOCOMOTER HYPERACTIVITY AND HYPERTENSION
Authors: Chang CK , Wang NL , Lin MT
Published: May 2004

1. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether picrotoxin‐induced locomotor hyperactivity and hypertension can be inhibited by dopaminergic inhibition in rat amygdala.

2. Locomotor activity was detected using a modularized infrared light matrix system in freely moving rats. In anaesthetized rats, blood pressure was measured while dopamine release was detected using in vivo voltammetry with carbon fibre electrodes.

3. Systemic administration of picrotoxin (1–4 mg/kg) increased both locomotor activity (including horizontal motion, vertical motion and total distance travelled) and the number of turnings (both clockwise and anticlockwise), but inhibited postural freezing. The locomotor hyperactivity induced by systemic administration of picrotoxin was mimicked by direct injection of a small dose (1–3 µg in 1.0 µL) of picrotoxin into the amygdala.

4. In vivo voltammetry data revealed that systemic administration of picrotoxin increased the release of dopamine in the amygdala of rat brain accompanied by hypertension.

5. Local injection of kainic acid into the paramedian reticular nucleus (PRN) of the medulla oblongata decreased both the spontaneous release of dopamine in the amygdala and spontaneous levels of locomotor activity in rats.

6. Furthermore, the picrotoxin‐induced locomotor hyperactivity, hypertension and increased amygdaloid dopamine release were all suppressed following chemical stimulation of the PRN with kainic acid.

7. Blockade of dopamine receptors with systemic or intra‐amygdaloid injection of haloperidol (a dopamine receptor antagonist) significantly attenuated the picrotoxin‐induced locomotor hyperactivity and hypertension.

8. These results demonstrate that picrotoxin‐induced hyperactivity and hypertension involve an increase in amygdaloid dopamine transmission that can be modulated by ascending projections from the PRN in the medulla oblongata.
HYPERHOMOCYSTEINAEMIA‐INDUCED ATRIAL REMODELLING IN HYPERTENSIVE RATS
Authors: Joseph Jacob , Washington Abeer , Joseph Lija , Kennedy Richard H
Published: May 2004

1. Studies from our laboratory and others indicate that, in addition to its purported atherothrombotic effects, hyperhomocysteinaemia (Hhe) is a powerful stimulus for ventricular remodelling, dysfunction and clinical heart failure. Because changes in atrial structure and function can impact on cardiac function in progressive ventricular remodelling and dysfunction, we conducted experiments to examine structural and functional remodelling of the atria in the hyperhomocysteinaemic hypertensive rat, a previously described model of ventricular diastolic dysfunction.

2. Atrial muscle preparations were isolated from hearts of spontaneously hypertensive rats that were fed control, intermediate Hhe‐inducing or severe Hhe‐inducing diet for 10 weeks.

3. Atrial developed tension, +dT/dtmax and –dT/dtmax were found to increase in parallel with levels of Hhe and ventricular diastolic dysfunction. Post‐rest developed tension and the maximum developed tension observed in the presence of isoproterenol were also increased significantly in both Hhe groups compared with control. These results indicate that Hhe increases both basal and maximal contractile function in atrial muscle. Atrial structural remodelling was characterized by increased interstitial fibrosis in both Hhe groups.

4. These data suggest that Hhe‐associated changes in atrial structure and function may act to maintain ventricular filling in Hhe‐induced diastolic dysfunction.
MOLECULAR CHANGES IN PROXIMAL TUBULE FUNCTION IN DIABETES MELLITUS
Authors: Hryciw Deanne H , Lee Erwin M , Pollock Carol A , Poronnik Philip
Published: May 2004

1. Diabetic kidney disease is initially associated with hypertension and increased urinary albumin excretion. The hypertension is mediated by enhanced volume expansion due to enhanced salt and water retention by the kidney. The increased urinary albumin is not only due to increased glomerular leak, but also to a decrease in albumin reabsorption by the proximal tubule. The precise molecular mechanisms underlying these two phenomena and whether there is any link between the increase in Na+ retention and proteinuria remain unresolved.

2. There is significant evidence to suggest that increased Na+ retention by the proximal tubule Na+/H+ exchanger isoform 3 (NHE3) can play a role in some forms of hypertension. Increased NHE3 activity in models of diabetes mellitus may explain, in part, the enhanced salt retention observed in patients with diabetic kidney disease.

3. The NHE3 also plays a role in receptor‐mediated albumin uptake in the proximal tubule. The uptake of albumin requires the assembly of a macromolecular complex that is thought to include the megalin/cubulin receptor, NHE3, the vacuolar type H+‐ATPase (v‐H+‐ATPase), the Cl– channel ClC‐5 and interactions with the actin cytoskeleton. The NHE3 seems to exist in two functionally distinct membrane domains, one involved with Na+ reabsorption and the other involved in albumin uptake.

4. The present review focuses on the evidence derived from in vivo studies, as well as complementary studies in cell culture models, for a dual role of NHE3 in both Na+ retention and albumin uptake. We suggest a possible mechanism by which disruption of the proximal tubule albumin uptake mechanism in diabetes mellitus may lead to both increased Na+ retention and proteinuria.
DIFFERENTIAL NEURAL CONTROL OF GLOMERULAR ULTRAFILTRATION
Authors: Denton Kate M , Luff Susan E , Shweta Amany , Anderson Warwick P
Published: May 2004

1. The renal nerves constrict the renal vasculature, causing decreases in renal blood flow (RBF) and glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Whether renal haemodynamics are influenced by changes in renal nerve activity within the physiological range is a matter of debate.

2. We have identified two morphologically distinct populations of nerves within the kidney, which are differentially distributed to the renal afferent and efferent arterioles. Type I nerves almost exclusively innervate the afferent arteriole whereas type II nerves are distributed equally on the afferent and efferent arterioles. We have also demonstrated that type II nerves are immunoreactive for neuropeptide Y, whereas type I nerves are not.

3. This led us to hypothesize that, in the kidney, distinct populations of nerves innervate specific effector tissues and that these nerves may be selectively activated, setting the basis for the differential neural control of GFR. In physiological studies, we demonstrated that differential changes in glomerular capillary pressure occurred in response to graded reflex activation of the renal nerves, compatible with our hypothesis.

4. Thus, sympathetic outflow may be capable of selectively increasing or decreasing glomerular capillary pressure and, hence, GFR by differentially activating separate populations of renal nerves. This has important implications for our understanding of the neural control of body fluid balance in health and disease.
DOSE‐DEPENDENT EFFECT OF CAPTOPRIL ON AORTIC REACTIVITY OF STREPTOZOTOCIN‐DIABETIC RATS
Authors: Baluchnejadmojarad Tourandokht , Roghani Mehrdad , Imani Alireza
Published: May 2004

1. Diabetes mellitus is a primary risk factor for cardiovascular disorders. Strategies that interrupt the renin–angiotensin system have been known to reduce cardiovascular disease. The present study was performed to investigate the effect of sub‐chronic administration of captopril on the aortic reactivity of streptozotocin‐diabetic rats.

2. Streptozotocin‐diabetic rats received captopril (30 and 50 mg/kg per day) for 2 months. Contractile responses to phenylephrine (PE) and relaxation responses to acetylcholine (ACh) and isosorbide dinitrate (ISD) were obtained from aortic rings.

3. Concentration–response curves from captopril‐treated diabetic rats to PE were attenuated compared with vehicle (Saline)‐treated diabetic rats, especially at a dose of 50 mg/kg captopril. In addition, endothelium‐dependent relaxation responses induced by ACh were significantly higher in captopril‐treated diabetic rats compared with diabetic rats. The endothelium‐independent relaxation responses for ISD were found not to be significantly different among the groups.

4. Therefore, sub‐chronic treatment of diabetic rats with captopril in a dose‐dependent manner could prevent the functional changes in vascular reactivity in diabetic rats.
A NOVEL INEXPENSIVE MURINE MODEL OF ORAL CHRONIC DIGITALIZATION
Authors: Helber Izo , Kanashiro Rosemeire M , Alarcon Ernesto A , Antonio Ednei L , Tucci Paulo JF
Published: May 2004

1. A novel inexpensive murine model of oral administration of digitoxin (100 µg/kg per day) added to routine chow is described.

2. Serum digitoxin levels achieved after oral (n = 5; 116 ± 14 ng/mL) and subcutaneous (n = 5; 124 ± 11 ng/mL) administration were similar.

3. A significant increase in the maximal left ventricular pressure rise of treated (n = 9) compared with control (n = 6) rats (dP/dt: 8956 ± 233 vs 7980 ± 234 mmHg/s, respectively; P = 0.01) characterized the positive inotropic action of digitoxin. In addition, no differences were observed in treated compared with control rats with regard to the electrocardiogram and systolic and diastolic left ventricular pressures.
EFFECTS OF FLUVASTATIN ON ENDOTHELIUM‐DERIVED HYPERPOLARIZING FACTOR‐ AND NITRIC OXIDE‐MEDIATED RELAXATIONS IN ARTERIES OF HYPERTENSIVE RATS
Authors: Kansui Yasuo , Fujii Koji , Goto Kenichi , Abe Isao , Iida Mitsuo
Published: May 2004

1. Endothelial cells release endothelium‐derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF), as well as nitric oxide (NO). It has recently been suggested that 3‐hydroxy‐3‐methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG‐CoA) reductase inhibitors (statins) improve NO‐mediated endothelial function, partially independently of their cholesterol‐lowering effects. It is, however, unclear whether statins improve EDHF‐mediated responses.

2. Eight‐month‐old stroke‐prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP) were treated with fluvastatin (10 mg/kg per day) for 1 month. Age‐matched, normotensive Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats served as controls. Both EDHF‐ and NO‐mediated relaxations were impaired in SHRSP compared with WKY rats.

3. Fluvastatin treatment did not affect blood pressure and serum total cholesterol. The acetylcholine (ACh)‐induced, EDHF‐mediated hyperpolarization in mesenteric arteries did not significantly differ between fluvastatin‐treated SHRSP and untreated SHRSP and the responses in both groups were significantly smaller compared with those of WKY rats. Endothelium‐derived hyperpolarizing factor‐mediated relaxations, as assessed by the relaxation to ACh in mesenteric arteries contracted with noradrenaline in the presence of NG‐nitro‐l‐arginine and indomethacin, were virtually absent and similar in both SHRSP groups. In contrast, NO‐mediated relaxation, as assessed by the relaxation in response to ACh in rings contracted with 77 mmol/L KCl, was improved in fluvastatin‐treated SHRSP compared with untreated SHRSP (maximum relaxation in control and fluvastatin groups 42.0 ± 5.2 and 61.2 ± 3.8%, respectively; P < 0.05).

4. Hyperpolarization and relaxation in response to levcromakalim, an ATP‐sensitive K+ channel opener, were similar between the two SHRSP groups.

5. These findings suggest that fluvastatin improves NO‐mediated relaxation, but not EDHF‐mediated hyperpolarization and relaxation, in SHRSP. Thus, the beneficial effects of the statin on endothelial function may be mainly ascribed to an improvement in the NO pathway, but not EDHF.
Endosonographic features of primary esophageal melanoma
Authors: Sriram Parupudi VJ , Kaffes Arthur J , Mateen Mohammed A , Rao Guduru Venkat , Reddy Duvvuru Nageshwar
Published: June 2004

Malignant melanoma most commonly arises in the skin; however, primary melanomas can also arise from the mucosal epithelial lining of the gastrointestinal tract. Primary esophageal melanoma is rare and constitutes only 0.1% of primary esophageal tumors. There are only a few reports on the use of endosonography in this condition. We report here a case of a 45‐year‐old male with a history of painful deglutition and describe the endosonographic features of primary esophageal melanoma.
Autoimmune pancreatitis associated with biliary stricture, immune thrombocytopenic purpura and lung fibrosis
Authors: Nakazawa Takahiro , Kobayashi Kunio , Ohara Hirotaka , Sano Hitoshi , Ando Tomoaki , Yamada Tamaki , Nomura Tomoyuki , Joh Takashi , Itoh Makoto
Published: June 2004

We report an autoimmune pancreatitis case with diverse manifestation of biliary stricture, lung ﬁbrosis and immune thrombocytopenic purpura. The patient was a 70‐year‐old man who presented with jaundice. Abdominal ultrasonography and computed tomography revealed enlargement of the entire pancreas and endoscopic retrograde pancreatography showed diffuse irregular narrowing of the main pancreatic duct. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiography revealed a band‐like stricture of the bile duct in the hilar hepatic region with intrahepatic duct dilation. Chest X‐rays and computed tomography revealed interstitial ﬁbrosis of the bilateral lower lungs. Thrombocytopenia and purpura appeared. Antinuclear antibody, anti‐Ro (SS‐A) and anti‐La (SS‐B) antibodies and rheumatoid factor were positive. All manifestations responded well to steroid therapy. From the present case it would appear that a multitude of manifestations are linked within one syndrome. If we encounter patients with autoimmune pancreatitis, we should not focus on a disease but rather on the possibility of a syndrome complex.
Magnifying endoscopic observation of superficial esophageal carcinoma
Authors: Kumagai Youichi , Inoue Haruhiro , Kawano Tatsuyuki
Published: June 2004

The depth of tumor invasion of esophageal cancers is one of the most important indicators for predicting lymph node metastasis, so much effort has been directed toward improving the diagnosis of tumor invasion, especially in cases of superﬁcial esophageal cancer. Ultra‐high magnifying endoscopic observation for esophageal cancer was performed using an Olympus Q240Z, which has a 100 × magnifying capacity. We succeeded in observing looped capillary vessels inside the papillae (intrapapillary capillary loop: IPCL). The IPCL inside an m1 cancer showed abnormal changes such as ‘dilation, weaving, changes in caliber, variety of shapes’. Furthermore, we found that superﬁcial esophageal cancers show characteristic changes according to the depth of invasion. In our investigation, the rate of accurate diagnosis using magnifying endoscopy for superﬁcial esophageal cancers was 83.1% in cases for which ﬁne pictures were obtained. Observations of the microvascular architecture of superﬁcial esophageal carcinoma using magnifying endoscopy are useful for diagnosing the depth of tumor invasion, especially for superﬁcial cancers with invasion reaching to the muscularis mucosae (m3) and slightly into the submucosa (sm1) esophageal cancer.
Gadow's Romanticism: science, poetry and embodiment in postmodern nursing
Authors: Paley John
Published: June 2004

Abstract Sally Gadow's work is a sophisticated version of a familiar line of thought in nursing. She creates a chain of distinctions which is intended to differentiate cultural narratives, and particularly the ‘science narrative’, from imaginative narratives, especially poetry. Cultural narratives regulate and restrict; imaginative narratives are creative, liberating and potentially transcendent. These ideological effects are (supposedly) achieved through different structures of language. Scientific language, for example, is abstract and literal, while poetry is sensuous and metaphorical. In this paper, I argue that Gadow's way of discriminating between science and poetry fails. In the first place, the ideological valence she assigns to each of them is unwarranted. Science and poetry can both be harnessed to the project of emancipation, just as both can be incorporated in a strategy of oppression. In the second place, the claim that poetry and science are distinguished by their respective linguistic features – specifically, that one is metaphorical and the other literal – cannot be sustained. I illustrate this argument, as Gadow illustrates hers, by reference to the concept of embodiment, and consider whether Gadow is correct in thinking that poetry, not science, makes it possible for individuals (especially women) to ‘reclaim the body’. I also suggest that Gadow's brand of postmodernism echoes Romanticism, whose defining characteristic was an insistent contrast between poetry and science. This is ‘flip side’ postmodernism, which merely opposes modernist values, preferring subjectivity to objectivity, feeling to rationality, and multiple realities to truth. It is less radical, and far less interesting, than ‘remix’ postmodernism, whose objective is not to reverse the polarities, but to reconfigure the entire circuit.
The Bitter Product of Defeat? Reflections on Winstanley's Law of Freedom
Authors: Webb Darren
Published: May 2004

The Law of Freedom in a Platform was Gerrard Winstanley's final published work. It appeared in February 1652, nearly two years after the dissolution of the ‘Digger’ commune in Surrey of which he had been the principal spokesperson. The book is said to differ markedly from his previous writings. In particular, his depiction of a disciplinary state apparatus is contrasted to his earlier rejection of state authority, and his appeal to a utopian legislator (Cromwell) is contrasted to his earlier emphasis on the self-emancipation of the poor. In accounting for this shift of position, commentators often refer to the ‘bitter’ experience of the Diggers' defeat. Confronted everywhere by ignorance and persecution, Winstanley came to realise that institutionalised discipline was required to counter human imperfection and that emancipation could only come from the top down. This paper questions such an argument. It suggests that in almost every respect The Law of Freedom remained consistent with Winstanley's other writings and that no transformation in his thought took place. What apparent differences there were stemmed from the challenges presented by the utopian genre, and the paper concludes by arguing that Winstanley's achievement lies in his having risen to these challenges.
Fair-Play Obligations
Authors: McDermott Daniel
Published: May 2004

The fair-play theory of political obligation holds that citizens incur obligations to obey the law as a result of gaining important benefits from their political communities. In this essay, I argue that the fair-play theory fails in large part because it relies on a flawed understanding of the way in which free-riding is morally wrong. Starting with the assumption that those who benefit from the efforts of others have a moral reason to reciprocate, at least under some circumstances, I show that the fair-play theorists' claim that this reason is grounded in a right to reciprocation, which the providers gain, does not succeed. Therefore this theory cannot provide an adequate explanation of how citizens incur political obligations.
The Scope of Public Reason
Authors: Quong Jonathan
Published: May 2004

This paper presents two conceptions of the scope of public reason. The narrow view asserts that the ideal of public reason must regulate questions of constitutional essentials and matters of basic justice, but should not apply beyond this limited domain. The broad view claims that the ideal of public reason ought to be applied, whenever possible, to all political decisions where citizens exercise coercive power over one another. The paper questions whether there are any good grounds for accepting the narrow view. I survey and reject three potential reasons. The priority argument for the narrow view claims that constitutional essentials and matters of basic justice are the only proper subjects of public reason because they have a special moral priority for our reasoning about justice. The basic interests argument supports the narrow view by arguing that public reasons only exist at the level of constitutional essentials and matters of basic justice. Finally, the completeness argument defends the narrow view on the grounds that public reason can only be complete if it abstains from most legislative questions. I conclude that there are no good reasons for accepting the narrow view of the scope of public reason, whereas there are several reasons to prefer the broad view.
Pierre-Louis Rœderer and the Debate on Forms of Government in Revolutionary France
Authors: Scurr Ruth
Published: May 2004

The French Revolution raised the problem of how to construct a modern republic under conditions of acute political conflict. The debate over the forms of government was at its most intense before the outbreak of the Terror in 1793, when there seemed to be no alternative to instituting a republic, but there was serious disagreement over what this entailed. The problem was considered in terms of the political thought of Hobbes, Locke, Bayle, Voltaire, Helvetius, Montesquieu, Rousseau and Sieyès. The urgent political and constitutional need to reconcile accountable with effective government was central to the use made of both inherited and new ideas about the republican form of government. This parallels Madison's concern to reconcile accountable with effective government during the constitutional debates of the American Revolution.
Laclau and Mouffe's Hegemonic Project: The Story So Far
Authors: Townshend Jules
Published: May 2004

This paper seeks to do two things: first, to map out in a broad way Laclau and Mouffe's intellectual development, since the publication of Hegemony and Socialist Strategy in 1985, and how they have created a following within academia; and second, to evaluate their ‘hegemonic’ endeavours so far. I argue that there is a place for a post-structuralist approach to the study of political ideologies and the ‘political’, but that the project as a whole is unlikely to achieve its intellectual and political ambitions.
The Electoral Impact of Constituency Campaigning in Britain, 1992–2001
Authors: Denver David , Hands Gordon , MacAllister Iain
Published: May 2004

Political parties maintain local organisations and recruit members mainly to fight elections. For most of the post-war period, however, the dominant view among analysts has been that constituency campaigning in British general elections has little or no effect on election outcomes. This view has been challenged over the last ten years or so. Evidence derived from post-election surveys of constituency election agents following the 1992, 1997 and 2001 general elections is used here to show that the intensity of constituency campaigning significantly affects turnout levels and, for Labour and the Liberal Democrats, levels of party support. There is also some evidence that Conservative campaigning affected constituency variations in the party's performance in 2001. The conclusions reached on the basis of aggregate-level analysis are supported by analysis of individual-level data derived from British Election Study surveys. The effects of campaigning are not large, but they are clear and significant – and sufficient to affect the numbers of seats won by the major parties. In the light of this, parties have good reasons to maintain healthy local organisations.
Local Autonomy, Local Democracy and the ‘New Localism’
Authors: Pratchett Lawrence
Published: May 2004

Most studies of local autonomy and local democracy fail to distinguish adequately between the two terms. As a consequence, there is an assumed bilateral relationship between them in which changes in one are always deemed to affect the other – particularly in policy formulations. This article develops a stronger analytical distinction between them by considering local autonomy in three separate ways: as freedom from central interference; as freedom to effect particular outcomes; and as the reflection of local identity. Each of these conceptualisations raises different challenges for local democracy and its relationship to broader forms of democratic practice. When used to analyse the recent emergence of the ‘new localism’ as a policy approach within Britain, this separation also shows significant limitations in current policies towards democratic renewal and central policies that are supposedly focused on outcomes rather than processes. Although localities are being afforded some autonomy, most initiatives are not supporting the enhancement of local democracy.
The Endless Construction of Charity: On Milbank's Critique of Political Economy
Authors: Herdt Jennifer A.
Published: June 2004

In Theology and Social Theory, John Milbank critiques Scottish Enlightenment political economy and its attendant descriptive moral philosophy for “de‐ethicizing” human action. A closer look at the development of theoretical understandings of sympathy, however, shows that instinct did not ultimately displace virtue. Moreover, a survey of practical responses to poverty calls into question the claim that political economy obliterated the Christian sphere of public charity. Many of the innovations Milbank criticizes as de‐ethicizing in fact reflect serious efforts to absorb into ethical reflection and practice deep social and economic changes, which Christian theology could ignore only at its own peril. Moreover, it was sometimes non‐ or even anti‐religious thinkers like David Hume and William Hazlitt who were soonest to see the dangers involved in appealing to instinctual behavior and providential coordination of social action. Returning to the roots of social theory allows theologians to recover lost possibilities for productive collaboration with “the secular.”
Re‐Reading the Post‐Kantian Tradition with Milbank
Authors: Michalson Gordon E.
Published: June 2004

The essay explores the meaning and implications of Milbank's claim that the post‐Kantian presuppositions of modern theology must be eradicated. After defining and locating the post‐Kantian element in the context of Milbank's broader concerns, the essay employs a comparison between Milbank and Barth to draw out the differences between radical orthodoxy and neo‐orthodoxy with respect to the Kantian ideal of “mediation” between theology and culture. The essay concludes with comparisons of Milbank's metanarrative concerning “modern” thought with those offered by Hans Blumenberg and James Edwards. The effect is not only to suggest the apparent arbitrariness of Milbank's account, but also to indicate the evident futility of arguing with Milbank's theological position on the basis of alternative accounts of the post‐Kantian tradition.
A Jewish Modified Divine Command Theory
Authors: Kavka Martin , Rashkover Randi
Published: June 2004

We claim that divine command metaethicists have not thought through the nature of the expression of divine love with sufficient rigor. We argue, against prior divine command theories, that the radical difference between God and the natural world means that grounding divine command in divine love can only ground a formal claim of the divine on the human; recipients of revelation must construct particular commands out of this formal claim. While some metaethicists might respond to us by claiming that this account leads to an inability to judge between better and worse constructions of the commanded life, we propose that an analysis of the human response to divine love—theological eros—can be the basis for an articulation of a philosophical theology (in our case, negative theology) that can guide the religious believer toward generating particular principles for ethical action that are grounded in an account of divine action. By linking divine command to imitatio Dei, the believer can have confidence that her imitative acts of God are not inaccurate constructions of the commanded life.
The Scottish Path to Capitalist Agriculture 1: From the Crisis of Feudalism to the Origins of Agrarian Transformation (1688–1746)
Authors: DAVIDSON NEIL
Published: June 2004

This is the first of a series of articles which attempt to remedy the lack of Marxist discussion about one of the most spectacularly successful transitions to capitalist agriculture in the historical record: that of Scotland. At the end of the seventeenth century, Scottish agriculture was remarkable only in one respect: the rural class structure within which it took place corresponded to the classic feudal model more closely than that of any other state west of Poland. The subsistence crisis of the 1690s exposed the productive limits of an agriculture based on feudal social relations, but also severely weakened any possible capitalist alternative. The Treaty of Union with England of 1707 brought the feudal powers of the Scottish lords into the new British state intact, but access to English and imperial markets encouraged a minority of them to experiment with the same forms of agricultural improvement which had produced such increases in landlord income south of the border. Although these attempts were not successful in the short term, they laid the basis for the transformation of Scottish agriculture in the changed circumstances after 1746, which is the subject of a subsequent article.
In Defence of Neo‐Classical Neo‐Populism
Authors: GRIFFIN KEITH , RAHMAN KHAN AZIZUR , ICKOWITZ AMY
Published: June 2004

This paper is a response to the discussion in the special issue of this Journal onRedistributive Land Reform Today(Vol. 4, Nos. 1 and 2). We begin by attempting to clarify the methodological debate, differentiating our approach, which our critics call neo‐classical neo‐populism, from mainstream neo‐classical economics and historical materialism. We then distinguish between land tenure reforms and redistributive land reforms, and argue that it is the latter that really matter. Next, we address the issue of the inverse relationship between farm size and productivity. Fourth, we discuss cases in which systems of labour control are used to transform the peasantry into a landless rural proletariat and challenge the view that systems of labour control can usefully be reduced to a problem of transaction costs. We end with discussions of reform in the transition economies, China and Bangladesh, where we defend the view that it is the distribution of landownership rather than operational holdings that largely determines the extent of poverty.
Prostitution and other cofactors in preinvasive and invasive lesions of the cervix
Authors: T. NÚÑEZ José , DELGADO Mariela , GIRÓN Hugo , PINO Gloria
Published: June 2004

Objective:  To examine risk factors for preinvasive and invasive lesions of the cervix in Venezuelan female sex workers (FSW).

Methods:  A total of 438 FSW were analysed. Each FSW had their clinical history recorded, a gynaecological examination, a Pap smear and a colposcopic examination of the cervix. A cervical biopsy was taken under colposcopic guidance when there was an abnormal epithelium. The statistical methods used were Student's t‐test, χ2 test and logistic regression.

Results:  The sex workers’ mean age was 32.1 ± 7.9 years old (mean ± standard deviation). The age of the first sexual intercourse activity for the FSW was 15.9 ± 2.1 years. Sixty‐four of the 84 women (76.2%) who had cervical biopsies had preinvasive and invasive lesions; 41 (9.4%) had cervical intra‐epithelial neoplasia (CIN) 1, 12 (2.7%) had CIN 2, eight (1.8%) had CIN 3, two (0.5%) had microinvasive carcinoma, and one (0.2%) had invasive carcinoma. Forty of these 64 women (62.5%) with preinvasive or invasive lesions had a concurrent histological diagnosis of human papilloma virus (HPV) infection (P < 0.0001). The FSW with cervical pathology were younger (P < 0.05) and had their first sexual intercourse earlier (P < 0.02) than FSW with no pathology. Two hundred and seventy‐six (63%) of the FSW were current smokers, and 47 of these women (17.6%) had cervical pathology (P < 0.03).

Conclusions:  First sexual experience before 20 years of age, cigarette smoking and HPV infection were high‐risk factors for preinvasive and invasive lesions of the cervix in Venezuelan FSW.
Ectomycorrhizal fungi: A new source of atmospheric methyl halides?
Authors: Redeker K. R. , Treseder K. K. , Allen M. F.
Published: May 2004

Incomplete source budgets for methyl halides – compounds that release inorganic chlorine and bromine radicals which, in turn, catalyze atmospheric ozone depletion – limit our ability to predict the fate of the stratospheric ozone layer. We report here the first measured emissions of methyl chloride, methyl bromide, and methyl iodide from ectomycorrhizal fungi. We grew nine fungal isolates on growth media containing halide concentrations similar to those found in soils and plant tissues. The observed range of emissions was 0.003–65 μg methyl chloride, 0.001–3 μg methyl bromide, and 0.02–12 μg methyl iodide g−1 dry weight fungi day−1. Species varied in production rates of methyl chloride vs. methyl bromide vs. methyl iodide. Cenococcum geophilum, a widespread ectomycorrhizal fungus, was further tested to investigate the effects of halide substrate concentration in growth media. Emissions from this species increased linearly with increasing concentrations of both bromide and iodide. In addition, a subset of four fungi was studied with two media concentrations each of chloride, bromide, and iodide (0.2 or 20 mm). These fungi had similar responses to halide concentration, despite 1000‐fold differences in baseline emission rates between isolates. Finally, high chloride concentrations (20 mm) in media did not appear to inhibit emissions of methyl bromide or methyl iodide. Overall, ectomycorrhizal fungi might be an important source of methyl halides to the atmosphere, and substrate concentrations and community composition may influence production levels in ecosystems.
Biomechanics of Cantilever Fixed Partial Dentures in Shortened Dental Arch Therapy
Authors: Romeed S.A. , Fok S.L. , Wilson N.H.F.
Published: May 2004

Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to investigate, by means of 3‐dimensional finite element analysis, aspects of the biomechanics of cantilever fixed partial dentures replacing the maxillary canine in shortened dental arch therapy. The null hypothesis was that no differences would be identified by finite element analysis in the mechanical behavior of the 2 designs of cantilever fixed partial denture under different scenarios of occlusal loading.

Materials and Methods: Single‐ and double‐abutted cantilever fixed partial dentures were modeled and analyzed using the finite element packages PATRAN® and ABAQUS®. Displacement and maximum principal stresses (magnitude and location) within the fixed partial dentures, supporting structures, and the periodontal ligament/bone and abutment/retainer interfaces were examined under 20 different scenarios of axial and lateral occlusal loading.

Results: The results indicate that more displacement occurred in the 2 rather than the 3‐unit cantilever fixed partial denture, with the greatest displacement having occurred under lateral loading. The maximum principal stresses observed in the periodontal ligament/bone interfaces were greatest buccocervically, with the highest value being observed in the 2‐unit fixed partial denture under lateral loading. The highest maximum principal stresses observed in the retainer/abutment interfaces were located cervically in relation to the distal margin of the retainer of the 2‐unit fixed partial denture under axial loading.

Conclusions: It was concluded that in adopting a cantilever fixed partial denture approach for the replacement of a missing maxillary canine in shortened dental arch therapy, there may be merits, in terms of mechanical behavior, in selecting a double‐rather than a single‐abutment design. Furthermore, prostheses' displacement and functional stresses may be minimized by reducing lateral loading and avoiding pontic only loading.
Shortened Dental Arch: A Review of Current Treatment Concepts
Authors: De Sa e Frias Vladimir , Toothaker Randy , Wright Robert F.
Published: May 2004

It is generally assumed that dentition has ceased to be a predominant selection factor in the process of human evolution. With differentiation and reintegration of the human species, gross differences in the morphology and physiology of the stomatognathic system have become apparent. Variability and adaptation of this system have proven that deviations from what may be considered ideal are not pathologic but may, in fact, prove to be a range of normality in this general pattern of evolution. The treatment of patients according to inflexible postulates may be detrimental to the individual patient and the concept of a variable and patient‐specific optimal dentition should be considered, especially in the context of the shortened dental arch.
Using the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award in Teaching: One Criteria, Several Perspectives*
Authors: Belohlav James A. , Cook Lori S. , Heiser Daniel R.
Published: June 2004

The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA) has influenced the thinking and operations within organizations from all sectors of the American economy. This paper presents the experiences of three faculty members who have used the Criteria for Performance Excellence and the underlying concepts of the MBNQA to enhance the learning experiences of their students. The authors discuss how Dale's Cone of Experience is employed, by means of concrete exercises and experiences, to better leverage the student's ability to understand the abstract concepts. The formal, end‐of‐term student evaluations indicate that the described approach has led to a higher level of student engagement in the learning process, as evidenced by more abundant and higher‐quality feedback to the instructors.
Impaired spatial working memory in adults with attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder: comparisons with performance in adults with borderline personality disorder and in control subjects
Authors: Dowson J. H. , McLean A. , Bazanis E. , Toone B. , Young S. , Robbins T. W. , Sahakian B. J.
Published: May 2004

Objective:  This study investigated a previous claim that working memory may be ‘particularly impaired’ in adult attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), compared with other psychiatric disorders which affect frontal lobe‐mediated executive functions.

Method:  Performance on spatial working memory (SWM) and two additional tasks were investigated for adult patients selected on the basis of DSM‐IV ADHD (n = 19), adult patients selected on the basis of borderline personality disorder (BPD) (n = 19), and non‐clinical control subjects (n = 19). Groups were matched for age, verbal IQ and gender.

Results:  Analysis of variance showed that the ADHD group had significant impairment of SWM performance relative to the non‐clinical controls. Although there was a trend towards impairment in the BPD group relative to non‐clinical controls, this did not reach significance.

Conclusion:  The results are consistent with the claim that aspects of working memory are ‘particularly impaired’ in adult ADHD. Also, the BPD group had a longer deliberation time for one of the additional tasks, compared with the ADHD group, which indicated that the patient groups may have different patterns of neuropsychological impairments.
Neurological soft signs discriminating mood disorders from first episode schizophrenia
Authors: Boks M. P. M. , Liddle P. F. , Burgerhof J. G. M. , Knegtering R. , van den Bosch R.‐J.
Published: May 2004

Objective:  To investigate the specificity of neurological soft signs (NSS) for first episode schizophrenia compared with mood disorders.

Method:  We assessed NSS in a sample of 60 healthy controls, 191 first episode psychosis patients and 81 mood disorder patients. We used a principle component analysis to identify dimensions of NSS. We subsequently investigated the specificity of these dimensions for schizophrenia and their relationships with medication and symptom scores.

Results:  We identified five dimensions; coordination disorders, movement disorders, increased reflexes, dyskinesia and catatonia. These dimensions were related to neural circuits associated with schizophrenia and mood disorders and included the fronto‐striatal‐thalamic and the fronto‐cerebellar pathway. The movement disorder dimension, which was suggestive for the involvement of the fronto‐striatal‐thalamic pathway, was specific for first episode schizophrenia independent from medication.

Conclusion:  NSS are the result of circuitry dysfunctions rather than overall dysfunction and a particular set of NSS shows specificity for schizophrenia.
Delivering cognitive therapy to people with psychosis in a community mental health setting: an effectiveness study
Authors: Morrison A. P. , Renton J. C. , Williams S. , Dunn H. , Knight A. , Kreutz M. , Nothard S. , Patel U. , Dunn G.
Published: May 2004

Objective:  Cognitive therapy (CT) has been shown to be an efficacious treatment for persistent psychotic symptoms. However, there is some debate regarding whether this is transportable to real life clinical settings. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of CT for psychosis in a community mental health team (CMHT) setting.

Method:  Patients referred for CT for psychosis were naturalistically allocated (determined by the availability of a therapist) to CT or waiting‐list (WL)/treatment‐as‐usual (TAU). Outcome assessments were performed at WL, pre‐CT, post‐CT and 1‐year follow‐up. Data from 59 patients were analysed.

Results:  Random effects regression analyses showed there was a significant improvement, attributable to CT, on most outcome measures, and that many of the symptomatic improvements were maintained at follow‐up. Wilcoxon signed ranks tests indicated that there was a significant reduction in psychiatric hospital use following CT.

Conclusion:  These results confirm that CT is an effective treatment for psychosis that is generalizable to a community setting.
A randomized comparison of group cognitive‐behavioural therapy and group psychoeducation in patients with schizophrenia
Authors: Bechdolf A. , Knost B. , Kuntermann C. , Schiller S. , Klosterkötter J. , Hambrecht M. , Pukrop R.
Published: May 2004

Objective:  Although the efficacy of cognitive‐behavioural therapy (CBT) in schizophrenia has been established in a number of studies, no information is available on the differential efficacy of CBT in comparison with patient psychoeduction (PE).

Method:  Eighty‐eight in‐patients with schizophrenia were randomized to receive a therapy envelope of 8 weeks including either 16 sessions group CBT or 18 sessions group PE treatment. Assessments took place at baseline, post‐treatment and 6 month follow‐up.

Results:  Patients, who received CBT were significantly less rehospitalized than patients in the PE group during the follow‐up period. On a descriptive level, CBT resulted in lower relapse rates and higher compliance ratings at post‐treatment and at follow‐up than PE. Both forms of therapy led to significant psychopathological improvement at post‐treatment and at follow‐up.

Conclusion:  The brief group CBT intervention showed some superiority to the PE programme, which could be of considerable clinical and economical importance.