bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Immunological Status of the Stomach in Inflammatory Bowel Disease – Comparison between Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s Disease
Authors: Ando Takafumi , Watanabe Osamu , Nobata Kazuo , Ishiguro Kazuhiro , Maeda Osamu , Ishikawa Daisuke , Hasegawa Motofusa , Kondo Shinya , Kato Tsuyoshi , Ohmiya Naoki , Niwa Yasumasa , Goto Hidemi
Published: June 2008

Background/Aims: Ulcerative colitis (UC) mainly affects the colon and rectum, whereas the chronic inflammatory process in Crohn’s disease (CD) can affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract. Recently, however, upper gastrointestinal lesions have been reported in UC patients. In this study, we investigated the immunological status of the stomach in UC or CD patients. Methods: 26 patients each with UC, CD or functional dyspepsia (FD) underwent diagnostic upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, and biopsy specimens were obtained from the gastric antrum.The contents of interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8 in the organ culture supernatants of antral mucosal tissues were measured with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: Endoscopically abnormal findings in the stomach were more frequent in CD than in UC or FD patients. Mononuclear cell infiltration and IL-6 production in the gastric antrum did not significantly differ between UC and FD patients, but were higher in those with CD. There was no significant difference in neutrophil infiltration or IL-8 production between UC, CD, and FD patients. Conclusions: UC patients did not show the immunological abnormalities in the stomach seen in CD patients.
Efficacy and Safety of Azathioprine and 6-Mercaptopurine in Japanese Pediatric Patients with Ulcerative Colitis: A Survey of the Japanese Society for Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Authors: Tajiri Hitoshi , Tomomasa Tsuyoshi , Yoden Atsushi , Konno Mutsuko , Sasaki Mika , Maisawa Shuniti , Sumazaki Ryo , Shimizu Toshikazu , Toyoda Shigeru , Etani Yuri , Nakacho Mariko , Ushijima Kosuke , Kobayashi Akio
Published: June 2008

Background and Aims: Azathioprine (AZA) and 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP) have recently been used in Japanese pediatric patients with ulcerative colitis. The aims of this study were to evaluate both the therapeutic efficacy and safety of AZA/6-MP in this group of patients. Methods: Fourteen members of the Japanese Society for Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease reported 35 retrospective cases that received AZA/6-MP and were evaluated for adverse drug effects. In those who tolerated AZA/6-MP, disease activity and corticosteroid doses before and during the first 6 months of therapy were assessed. Results: AZA or 6-MP was safely used in 21 of 35 patients (60%) without adverse drug effects. The disease activity began to decrease from the first month of therapy and the maximum effect was achieved after 3 months. The mean daily prednisolone dose was decreased from 26.9 to 11.6 mg and dose reduction was achieved in 58% of patients after 6 months of therapy. Fourteen of the 35 patients (40%) experienced adverse drug effects, including leukopenia (n = 11), aplastic anemia (n = 1), pancreatitis (n = 1) and liver dysfunction (n = 1). Conclusions: The majority of Japanese children with ulcerative colitis tolerated AZA/6-MP and experienced favorable effects. However, 40% experienced adverse drug effects, mainly myelosuppression.
Clinical Profile and Significance of Delayed Enhancement in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
Authors: Maron Martin S. , Appelbaum Evan , Harrigan Caitlin J. , Buros Jacki , Gibson C. Michael , Hanna Connie , Lesser John R. , Udelson James E. , Manning Warren J. , Maron Barry J.
Published: June 2008

Background—

Contrast-enhanced cardiovascular magnetic resonance with delayed enhancement (DE) can provide in vivo assessment of myocardial fibrosis. However, the clinical significance of DE in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) remains unresolved.

Methods and Results—

Cine and cardiovascular magnetic resonance with DE were performed in 202 HCM patients (mean age, 42�17 years; 71% male), DE was compared with clinical and demographic variables, and patients were followed up for 681�249 days for adverse disease events. DE was identified in 111 (55%) HCM patients, occupying 9%�11% of left ventricular myocardial volume, including >25% DE in 10% of patients. The presence of DE was related to occurrence of heart failure symptoms (
P
=0.05) and left ventricular systolic dysfunction (
P
=0.001). DE was present in all patients with ejection fraction ≤50% but also in 53% (102/192) of patients with preserved ejection fraction (
P
<0.001); %DE was both inversely related to (
r
=−0.3;
P
<0.001) and an independent predictor of ejection fraction (
r
=−0.4;
P
<0.001). DE (7%�7% of left ventricle) was present in 54 patients who were asymptomatic (and with normal ejection fraction). Over the follow-up period, the annualized adverse cardiovascular event rate in patients with DE exceeded that in patients without DE but did not achieve statistical significance (5.5% versus 3.3%;
P
=0.5).

Conclusions—

In a large HCM cohort, DE was an independent predictor of systolic dysfunction but with only a modest relationship to heart failure symptoms. These data suggest an important role for myocardial fibrosis in the clinical course of HCM patients but are not sufficient at this time to consider DE as an independent risk factor for adverse prognosis.
Dietary Patterns and Risk of Mortality From Cardiovascular Disease, Cancer, and All Causes in a Prospective Cohort of Women
Authors: Heidemann Christin , Schulze Matthias B. , Franco Oscar H. , van Dam Rob M. , Mantzoros Christos S. , Hu Frank B.
Published: June 2008

Background—

The impact of overall dietary patterns that reflect actual eating behaviors on mortality caused by cardiovascular or other chronic diseases is largely unknown.

Methods and Results—

We prospectively evaluated the relation between dietary patterns and risk of cardiovascular, cancer, and all-cause mortality among 72 113 women who were free of myocardial infarction, angina, coronary artery surgery, stroke, diabetes mellitus, or cancer and were followed up from 1984 to 2002. Dietary patterns were derived by factor analysis based on validated food frequency questionnaires administered every 2 to 4 years. Two major dietary patterns were identified: High prudent pattern scores represented high intakes of vegetables, fruit, legumes, fish, poultry, and whole grains, whereas high Western pattern scores reflected high intakes of red meat, processed meat, refined grains, french fries, and sweets/desserts. During 18 years of follow-up, 6011 deaths occurred, including 1154 cardiovascular deaths and 3139 cancer deaths. After multivariable adjustment, the prudent diet was associated with a 28% lower risk of cardiovascular mortality (95% confidence interval [CI], 13 to 40) and a 17% lower risk of all-cause mortality (95% CI, 10 to 24) when the highest quintile was compared with the lowest quintile. In contrast, the Western pattern was associated with a higher risk of mortality from cardiovascular disease (22%; 95% CI, 1 to 48), cancer (16%; 95% CI, 3 to 30), and all causes (21%; 95% CI, 12 to 32).

Conclusion—

Greater adherence to the prudent pattern may reduce the risk of cardiovascular and total mortality, whereas greater adherence to the Western pattern may increase the risk among initially healthy women.
Sympathoadrenal Stress Reactivity Is a Predictor of Future Blood Pressure
Authors: Flaa Arnljot , Eide Ivar K. , Kjeldsen Sverre E. , Rostrup Morten
Published: June 2008

In the present study we hypothesized that arterial catecholamine concentrations during rest and 2 laboratory stress tests were independent predictors of blood pressure at an 18-year follow-up. At entry, blood pressure, heart rate, and arterial plasma epinephrine and norepinephrine concentrations were measured in 99 healthy men (age: 19.3±0.4 years, mean±SD) at rest, during a mental arithmetic test, and during a cold pressor test. After 18.0±0.9 years of follow-up, resting blood pressure was measured. The norepinephrine and epinephrine concentrations during the mental arithmetic explained 12.7% of the variation of future systolic blood pressure after adjusting for initial resting blood pressure, family history, body mass index, and systolic blood pressure during the stress test in a multiple regression analysis (adjusted
R
2
=0.651;
P
<0.001). To conclude, the present study shows that sympathetic nervous activity during mental arithmetic predicts future blood pressure, indicating a possible causal factor in the development of essential hypertension independent of the initial blood pressure.
The Embodiment of Cockroach Aggregation Behavior in a Group of Micro-robots
Authors: Garnier Simon , Jost Christian , Gautrais Jacques , Asadpour Masoud , Caprari Gilles , Jeanson Raphaël , Grimal Anne , Theraulaz Guy
Published: June 2008

We report the faithful reproduction of the self-organized aggregation behavior of the German cockroach Blattella germanica with a group of robots. We describe the implementation of the biological model provided by Jeanson et al. in Alice robots, and we compare the behaviors of the cockroaches and the robots using the same experimental and analytical methodology. We show that the aggregation behavior of the German cockroach was successfully transferred to the Alice robot despite strong differences between robots and animals at the perceptual, actuatorial, and computational levels. This article highlights some of the major constraints one may encounter during such a work and proposes general principles to ensure that the behavioral model is accurately transferred to the artificial agents.
The Nature of Words in Human Protolanguages: It's Not a Holophrastic-Atomic Meanings Dichotomy
Authors: Dowman Mike
Published: June 2008

There is an ongoing debate as to whether the words in early presyntactic forms of human language had simple atomic meanings like modern words, or whether they were holophrastic. Simulations were conducted using an iterated learning model in which the agents were able to associate words with meanings, but in which they were not able to use syntactic rules to combine words into phrases or sentences. In some of these simulations words emerged that had neither holophrastic nor atomic meanings, demonstrating the possibility of protolanguages intermediate between these two extremes. Further simulations show how increases in cognitive or articulatory capacity would have produced changes in the type of words that was dominant in protolanguages. It is likely that at some point in time humans spoke a protolanguage in which most words had neither holophrastic nor atomic meanings.
Comments on “The Three-Dimensional Current and Surface Wave Equations”
Authors: Ardhuin Fabrice , Jenkins Alastair D. , Belibassakis Konstadinos A.
Published: June 2008

The lowest order sigma-transformed momentum equation given by Mellor takes into account a phase-averaged wave forcing based on Airy wave theory. This equation is shown to be generally inconsistent because of inadequate approximations of the wave motion. Indeed the evaluation of the vertical flux of momentum requires an estimation of the pressure p and coordinate transformation function s to first order in parameters that define the large-scale evolution of the wave field, such as the bottom slope. Unfortunately, there is no analytical expression for p and s at that order. A numerical correction method is thus proposed and verified. Alternative coordinate transforms that allow a separation of wave and mean flow momenta do not suffer from this inconsistency nor do they require a numerical estimation of the wave forcing. Indeed, the problematic vertical flux is part of the wave momentum flux, thus distinct from the mean flow momentum flux, and not directly relevant to the mean flow evolution.
Observations and a Model of the Mean Circulation over the Middle Atlantic Bight Continental Shelf
Authors: Lentz Steven J.
Published: June 2008

Analyses of current time series longer than 200 days from 33 sites over the Middle Atlantic Bight continental shelf reveal a consistent mean circulation pattern. The mean depth-averaged flow is equatorward, alongshelf, and increases with increasing water depth from 3 cm s−1 at the 15-m isobath to 10 cm s−1 at the 100-m isobath. The mean cross-shelf circulation exhibits a consistent cross-shelf and vertical structure. The near-surface flow is typically offshore (positive, range −3 to 6 cm s−1). The interior flow is onshore and remarkably constant (−0.2 to −1.4 cm s−1). The near-bottom flow increases linearly with increasing water depth from −1 cm s−1 (onshore) in shallow water to 4 cm s−1 (offshore) at the 250-m isobath over the slope, with the direction reversal near the 50-m isobath.

A steady, two-dimensional model (no along-isobath variations in the flow) reproduces the main features of the observed circulation pattern. The depth-averaged alongshelf flow is primarily driven by an alongshelf pressure gradient (sea surface slope of 3.7 × 10−8 increasing to the north) and an opposing mean wind stress that also drives the near-surface offshore flow. The alongshelf pressure gradient accounts for both the increase in the alongshelf flow with water depth and the geostrophic balance onshore flow in the interior. The increase in the near-bottom offshore flow with water depth is due to the change in the relative magnitude of the contributions from the geostrophic onshore flow that dominates in shallow water and the offshore flow driven by the bottom stress that dominates in deeper water.
Three-Dimensional Residual Tidal Circulation in an Elongated, Rotating Basin
Authors: Winant Clinton D.
Published: June 2008

The three-dimensional residual circulation driven by tides in an elongated basin of arbitrary depth is described with a small amplitude, constant density model on the f plane. The inclusion of rotation fundamentally alters the residual flow. With rotation, fluid is drawn into the basin on the right side of an observer looking toward the closed end (in the Northern Hemisphere) and the return flow is on the opposite side. A lateral circulation is superposed on the axial flow, with upwelling over the deeper part of each section and downwelling near the sides. The residual flow is driven by a combination of advective terms, including the lateral advection of axial momentum associated with the Coriolis acceleration and Stokes forcing. Tidally averaged fluid parcel trajectories are determined by integrating the Lagrangian mean velocities. With or without rotation these trajectories vary considerably depending on small differences in initial position as well as on basin shape and other parameters of the problem.
Lateral Coupling in Baroclinically Unstable Flows
Authors: Spall Michael A. , Pedlosky Joseph
Published: June 2008

A two-layer quasigeostrophic model in a channel is used to study the influence of lateral displacements of regions of different sign mean potential vorticity gradient (Πy) on the growth rate and structure of linearly unstable waves. The mean state is very idealized, with a region of positive Πy in the upper layer and a region of negative Πy in the lower layer; elsewhere Πy is zero. The growth rate and structure of the model’s unstable waves are quite sensitive to the amount of overlap between the two regions. For large amounts of overlap (more than several internal deformation radii), the channel modes described by Phillips’ model are recovered. The growth rate decreases abruptly as the amount of overlap decreases below the internal deformation radius. However, unstable modes are also found for cases in which the two nonzero Πy regions are separated far apart. In these cases, the wavenumber of the unstable waves decreases such that the aspect ratio of the wave remains O(1). The waves are characterized by a large-scale barotropic component that has maximum amplitude near one boundary but extends all the way across the channel to the opposite boundary. Near the boundaries, the wave is of mixed barotropic–baroclinic structure with cross-front scales on the order of the internal deformation radius. The perturbation heat flux is concentrated near the nonzero Πy regions, but the perturbation momentum flux extends all the way across the channel. The perturbation fluxes act to reduce the isopycnal slopes near the channel boundaries and to transmit zonal momentum from the region of Πy > 0 to the region on the opposite side of the channel where Πy < 0. These nonzero perturbation momentum fluxes are found even for a mean state that has no lateral shear in the velocity field.
Freezing Drizzle Detection with WSR-88D Radars
Authors: Ikeda Kyoko , Rasmussen Roy M. , Brandes Edward , McDonough Frank
Published: June 2008

This study describes a freezing drizzle detection algorithm based on the Weather Surveillance Radar-1988 Doppler (WSR-88D) measured radar reflectivity. Although radar returns from freezing drizzle and light snow are similar—<5 dBZ and spatially uniform—freezing drizzle can be identified using feature parameters computed from radar reflectivity, such as local and global standard deviations and reflectivity texture weighted with a fuzzy-logic scheme. Algorithm results agree well with surface precipitation reports. The proposed algorithm can serve as one component of automated decision-support schemes for icing hazard detection and/or hydrometeor identification.
Acute Otitis Media
Authors: Schwartz Richard H. , Stool Sylvan E. , Rodriguez William J. , Grundfast Kenneth M.
Published: June 2008

Eighty-five infants and children presenting with acute otitis media who had normal tympanic membrane landmarks and mobility within 1 month before entry into the study were studied. These criteria were used in order to avoid including children with prior otitis media with effusion (secretory otitis media). A diagnosis of suppurative otitis media was made in each case based on pneumo-otoscopic findings of diminished mobility, contour, and color of the tympanic membrane. The diagnosis was validated by myringotomy and posi tive culture of the middle ear fluid. A poorly mobile, bulging, yellow, opacified tympanic membrane was the most common type of tympanic membrane visu alized ; whereas a poorly mobile, bulging, red tympanic membrane was seen in only 19%. The color of the tympanic membrane did not correlate with a specific pathogen isolated from the middle ear exudate. Sixty-seven per cent of children had no fever; 28% had no pain or querulous behavior.
A Review of Congenital Neurologic Malformations
Authors: Icenogle Deborah A. , Kaplan Allen M.
Published: June 2008

Congenital neurologic malformations present a difficult challenge to the clinician in regard to diagnosis, management, and prevention. The authors review normal ontogenesis and divide this complex process into three develop mental phases: (1) induction, (2) cellular proliferation and migration, and (3) maturation of cellular organization, synaptic development, and myelin forma tion. A classification of malformations based on the timing of occurrence during the first and second stages of central nervous system development is presented. These disorders are described with particular attention to the clinical and diag nostic features. Various prenatal diagnostic screening tests are also reviewed in an attempt to identify the population at risk for congenital neurologic mal formations.
A transmutation theory of inter-organizational exchange relations and networks: Applying critical realism to analysis of collective agency
Authors: Vincent Steve
Published: June 2008

This article outlines a critical realist approach to inter-organizational relations and networks. It reviews existing criticisms of the main theoretical contributions within this substantive topic area and argues that most have explained outcomes by referring to the structural antecedents that condition the different contexts which actors behave within. This downplays the impact of social processes and how these are shaped by the behavioural orientations of actors within these structures. Critical realism can be used to address this limitation. It provides a perspective on agency and social process that facilitates sophisticated analyses of the behavioural orientations of actors and how these combine to condition processes and outcomes. A three-step approach to analysing inter-organizational relations and networks is outlined and case study data are used in the effort to demonstrate that this approach is less susceptible to the existing criticisms of the field.
Coping processes linking the demands-control-support model, affect and risky decisions at work
Authors: Daniels Kevin , Beesley Nick , Cheyne Alistair , Wimalasiri Varuni
Published: June 2008

As a model of job design, the demands-control-support model (DCSM) indicates that dynamic processes involving individual agency underpin the effects of job characteristics. Specifically, the DCSM indicates that control and social support facilitate effective coping with work demands. To examine such processes in detail, 32 nuclear design engineers participated in an experience sampling study (number of observations = 456). Findings indicate that enacting problem-focused coping by control and support across situations may be beneficial for affect. Problem-focused coping enacted by control was also related to fewer decisions that bear risks to design safety. Although higher levels of risky decisions were related to consistent use of emotional-approach enacted by control coping across situations, this form of coping used in specific demanding episodes was related to less cognitive error and fewer risky decisions two hours later. Emotional-approach enacted through support in specific episodes had a mixed pattern of relationships with outcomes. Theoretically, the findings indicate the importance of understanding the purpose for which job characteristics are enacted. Practically, the findings indicate the importance of shaping both problem-solving and emotional processes alongside job redesign.
Liturgical Spontaneity as Eschatological Rhetoric
Authors: Love Cyprian
Published: June 2008

As a result both of the influence of the Council of Trent, and of certain methodological approaches within the twentieth-century liturgical movement, the idea that Catholic liturgy might incorporate elements of spontaneous behaviour enjoyed at best a very muted acceptance before Vatican II. Moreover, despite its growth in Catholic and other Western liturgies in more recent decades, liturgical spontaneity remains an under-discussed theme in theology. However, there seems to be, profoundly rooted in the human psyche, a relationship between human spontaneity and human engagement with the future. This would suggest that there is a symbolic connection between liturgical spontaneity and eschatology, a connection which could form the basis for a theology of liturgical spontaneity.
Partial Peace: Rebel Groups Inside and Outside of Civil War Settlements
Authors: Nilsson Desirée
Published: June 2008

Previous research proposes that peace is more likely to become durable if all rebel groups are included in the settlement reached. The argument implies that if actors are excluded and continue to pursue the military course, this could have a destabilizing effect on the actors that have signed an agreement. This article argues that all-inclusive peace deals — signed by the government and all rebel groups — are not the panacea for peace that many seem to believe. Given that the parties are strategic actors who are forward-looking when making their decisions, the signatories should anticipate that the excluded parties may continue to fight. Therefore, the risk of violent challenges from outside actors is likely to already be factored into the decisionmaking calculus when the signatories decide to reach a deal, and so does not affect their commitment to peace. Implications from this theoretical argument are tested using unique data on the conflict behavior of the government and each of the rebel groups in internal armed conflicts during the post-Cold War period. The results are well in line with the theoretical expectations and show that whether an agreement leaves out some actor does not affect whether the signatories stick to peace. The results demonstrate that, even when excluded rebel groups engage in conflict, this does not affect the signatories' commitment to peace. Hence, the findings suggest that partial peace is possible.
Postwar Capital Flight and Inflation
Authors: Davies Victor A.B.
Published: June 2008

This article provides empirical evidence on the effects of inflation on postwar capital flight flows. It tests the hypothesis that inflation has a positive differential effect on capital flight in postwar economies. It uses a new panel dataset of 77 developing countries, of which 35 experienced at least one episode of war between 1971 and 2000. The rest enjoyed peace throughout this period. Ordinary Least Squares, Generalized Least Squares, Within-Group and Arellano-Bond estimation methods are applied to four capital flight measures — Cline, World Bank, Morgan Guaranty and Dooley. The results support the research hypothesis: in postwar economies, a percentage point increase in the inflation rate is associated with a differential increase in annual capital flight flows of about 0.005 to 0.01 percentage points of GDP. This constitutes the positive differential impact of inflation on capital flight after war. This finding is robust to alternative specifications of the capital flight equation, the different measures of capital flight and econometric estimation methodologies. Given the average level of capital flight flows and the high and sustained inflation rates in some postwar economies, the overall effect could be substantial. The implication is that low inflation helps to curb capital flight in postwar economies.
Enhanced Time-stepping FEM Simulation using Digital Signal Processing
Authors: Dadić Martin
Published: June 2008

The purpose of this paper is to present a novel approach in time-domain simulations based on the time-stepping finite element method (FEM). The method uses a single time-stepping FEM simulation to determine the unit step response of the system. On the basis of this response, a digital filter with transfer function equal to that of the target system is designed. This allows excitation to be varied without need for the field analysis to be performed again. Such an approach can give substantial speed-up in electromagnetic or structural simulation. The proposed approach was validated in the simulation of a pulsed eddy-current inspection system and in the simulation of the eddy currents induced in the shield of a busbar system.
CostGlue: Simulation Data Exchange in Telecommunications
Authors: Savić Dragan , Bešter Janez , Pustišek Matevž , Tomažič Sašo , Potortì Francesco , Furfari Francesco
Published: June 2008

Exchanging simulation data among simulation practitioners is, to a great extent, hindered by the use of different kinds of data formats in simulation software packages. The purpose of the CostGlue project is to facilitate the exchange of simulation data in the field of telecommunications. We propose a common data interchange format and a data exchange model for raw simulation data, metadata and post-processing data. Based on this model, we additionally propose a framework, CostGlue, designed for packaging simulation output data into the common interchange format, launching post-processing plugins and exporting data into input formats for various third party tools. As a proof of concept we have implemented the framework as a software package and released it as free software.
Modeling and Simulation of Virtualized Autonomic Service Centers
Authors: Xiaoying Wang  , Zhihui Du  , Sanli Li  , Yinong Chen
Published: June 2008

Large service centers are becoming widely used to host many different services on a shared computing infrastructure, for which autonomic control and management are necessary to meet the service quality targets and maximize the overall profit. This paper presents the architecture, design and implementation of a framework for modeling and simulating virtualized autonomic service centers. This provides methods of estimating the system behavior for capacity planning before real establishment or execution. In addition, the performance of an existing service center can be efficiently evaluated. Performance analysis shows that our system is moderately efficient to perform large-scale simulation. Moreover, detailed evaluation results also depict various aspects of the feasibility and the efficiency of our modeling and simulation approaches, which can help to improve the productivity of researchers via quick proof of concepts.
The Shifting Meanings of Childhood and “N.N.”
Authors: Guy Donna J.
Published: June 2008

The history of the Dirty War in Argentina relates as much to intolerance of adolescents and young people as to ideological conflict. The fact that the disappeared in Argentina were disproportionately young and buried in plots that identified them as nameless (“ningún nombre,” or “N.N.”) links this war to the long history of state efforts to control the actions of parents and delinquent children. Argentine society, of which the military formed a part, had long refused to accept the idea of adolescence and rejected all inappropriate behavior of young people from 1919 on. The combination of extralegal efforts of families to rid themselves of unwanted children and the state's desire to control families eventually became part of a military policy of getting rid of perceived unacceptable youths by having them disappeared and buried in anonymous graves.
Universal Citizens, Unequal Childhoods
Authors: Veloso Leticia
Published: June 2008

Brazil's Child and Adolescent Statute, enacted in 1990, was conceived as an instrument for addressing the problems of poverty, exclusion, and violence through a legal framework. It attempts to ascribe universal, liberal-democratic citizenship to all children and adolescents. Ethnographic study of children in Rio de Janeiro reveals that different groups of children and adolescents themselves negotiate, resist, and reinterpret the citizenship rights that are ascribed to them and that the ways in which they do so are profoundly marked by class and race. These differential rights contribute to the reproduction of class-based and racial polarization in Brazilian society. At the same time, that poor children are becoming able to understand themselves as rights-bearers and that more privileged children are acquiring some level of social consciousness are potentially positive outcomes.
Rebel Youth and Zapatista Autonomous Education
Authors: Baronnet Bruno
Published: June 2008

The Lacandón rain forest of Chiapas, Mexico, has been progressively colonized by Maya peasant families since the middle of the twentieth century. Recently, the Ejército Zapatista de Liberación Nacional (Zapatista Army of National Liberation—EZLN) unilaterally implemented indigenous rights policies, and young women and men have been taking part in the autonomous local political structures—particularly the schools— through a community-based process in which teachers or “autonomous education promoters” are supervised and maintained by the community. The active participation and engagement of young indigenous people in autonomous education implies a new type of instruction in accordance with communal political traditions and collective priorities. With the help of other international youth groups, Zapatista educators are trying to contribute to a new society in which ethno-political differences are recognized and respected.
The Thin Line Between Reality and Imagination: Attachment Orientations and the Effects of Relationship Threats on Sexual Fantasies
Authors: Birnbaum Gurit E. , Svitelman Neta , Bar-Shalom Adi , Porat Omer
Published: June 2008

The authors examined the effects of relationship threats on sexual fantasies. In two studies, participants described a sexual fantasy following an imagination task and reported their attachment orientations. In Study 1, participants imagined relationship or nonrelationship threat scenes. Results indicated that relationship threat led to fantasies that involved interpersonal distance and hostility themes. Furthermore, following relational threat, women and more anxiously attached individuals were most likely to use relationship-maintaining strategies in their fantasies. More anxiously attached individuals were also particularly likely to represent themselves as alienated. In Study 2, participants imagined sexual or emotional threat scenes. The findings showed that sexual threat elicited self-enhancement, whereas emotional threat led to fantasies involving both self-enhancement and attachment-related themes. Emotional threat was also most likely to induce negative views of others in more avoidant women. Implications for understanding the underlying functions of sexual fantasies within the context of romantic relationships are discussed.
Effects of Neighborhood and Individual Change on the Personal Outcomes of Recent Movers to Low-Income Senior Housing
Authors: Smith Geoffrey C. , Sylvestre Gina M.
Published: June 2008

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of neighborhood and individual change on the personal outcomes of recent movers to Canadian government-subsidized senior citizen apartment buildings (SCAs). The authors' sample included 137 recent movers to 25 SCA projects in Winnipeg, Manitoba, who participated in a longitudinal survey. The analysis involved testing four logistic and ordinary least squares regression models, with personal state outcomes of the moves (self-rated health, morale, depression, self-esteem) treated as dependent variables. Although the overall performance of the models was moderate, the entry of a block of independent change variables into the regression equations consistently registered statistically significant increases in their explanatory power . Significant predictors of the outcomes included changes in personal resources, everyday travel, and resident appraisals of service, social, and physical components of neighborhood content. The findings suggested that the older person's subjective interpretations of a new residential setting assumed more importance in producing outcomes than objective measures of that settings.
Incremental Learning, Clustering and Hierarchy Formation of Whole Body Motion Patterns using Adaptive Hidden Markov Chains
Authors: Kulić Dana , Takano Wataru , Nakamura Yoshihiko
Published: June 2008

This paper describes a novel approach for autonomous and incremental learning of motion pattern primitives by observation of human motion. Human motion patterns are abstracted into a dynamic stochastic model, which can be used for both subsequent motion recognition and generation, analogous to the mirror neuron hypothesis in primates. The model size is adaptable based on the discrimination requirements in the associated region of the current knowledge base. A new algorithm for sequentially training the Markov chains is developed, to reduce the computation cost during model adaptation. As new motion patterns are observed, they are incrementally grouped together using hierarchical agglomerative clustering based on their relative distance in the model space. The clustering algorithm forms a tree structure, with specialized motions at the tree leaves, and generalized motions closer to the root. The generated tree structure will depend on the type of training data provided, so that the most specialized motions will be those for which the most training has been received. Tests with motion capture data for a variety of motion primitives demonstrate the efficacy of the algorithm.
The West Indian Gazette: Claudia Jones and the black press in Britain
Authors: Hinds Donald
Published: June 2008

The West Indian Gazette, edited by Claudia Jones, and on which Donald Hinds was a writer, was one of the most influential pioneers of a genuinely independent black press in Britain. To say that Claudia herself was a communist, feminist and anti-imperialist does not express the dynamism and humanity of her politics, or their innovative nature — including the introduction of the first black carnival in Britain. She, and the Gazette, were immensely important in the creation of the black community in Britain from the late 1950s onwards, as it was beset by an ongoing and crude racism, including the riots of Notting Hill and Nottingham.
Israel, Europe and the academic boycott
Authors: Rose Hilary , Rose Steven
Published: June 2008

From competing in the Eurovision song contest to participating in the European Research Area, Israel is beneficially treated as a European nation. Yet its violations of international law against the Palestinians, attested in UN resolutions and in contravention of Europe's own humanitarian conventions, attract no international sanctions. The academic boycott of Israel, following the wide-ranging boycott of South Africa that helped to publicise and end the iniquities of apartheid, aims to focus attention on issues of human rights, in the hope of securing a just peace in Palestine/Israel. The parameters of the boycott and the opposition mounted against it are explored here by two of its leading proponents, even as they expose the double standards to which Israeli and Palestinian students and academics are subjected.
The Resource Utilization of Women Who Use Violence in Intimate Relationships
Authors: Swan Suzanne C. , Sullivan Tami P.
Published: June 2008

Studies have found high rates of help seeking among domestic violence victims. However, little research has investigated the help-seeking patterns of women who use violence (many of whom are also abused). Understanding the resources utilized by women who are violent toward their partners may aid in designing interventions that will reduce the women's violence, as well as reduce the victimization they may be experiencing. This study examines the resource utilization of 108 women who used violence against a male partner (94% of whom also experienced victimization). Findings revealed that (a) almost all of the women utilized community resources in an attempt to manage the violence in their relationships; (b) victimization was related to resource utilization via self-defense motives, avoidance coping, and posttraumatic stress symptoms; and (c) greater resource utilization was related to lower levels of women's violence against their partners. Findings suggest that community resources may help prevent women's violence.
Internationalizing the University Mathematics Curriculum
Authors: Appelbaum Peter , Friedler Louis M. , Ortiz Carlos E. , Wolff Edward F.
Published: June 2008

This article offers suggestions for achieving the internationalization of university mathematics-related curricular offerings. It presents learning objectives and related student outcomes, raises general issues related to internationalization, and then discusses how to incorporate the objectives and address these issues within the university mathematics curriculum. Specific recommendations include developing a new course, Cultural Aspects of Mathematics, to be team taught by the Departments of Mathematics and Sociology/Anthropology; creating a new Mathematical Modeling course within the mathematics major that includes solving problems from an international perspective; revising the existing Math History course to include more non-Western content; devoting approximately one quarter of the Mathematics Capstone Course to an examination of international and cultural issues; and working to increase the number of mathematics majors who take advantage of study abroad opportunities.
Residency Training in Advance Care Planning: Can It Be Done in the Outpatient Clinic?
Authors: Alderman Jeffrey S. , Nair Baishali , Fox Mark D.
Published: June 2008

Resident physicians are expected to assist their outpatients to understand and complete advance directives, but their efficacy in doing so remains uncertain. After receiving educational training, internal medicine residents identified at-risk patients and solicited them about advance directives. Residents completed pretest and posttest questionnaires that assessed their knowledge, skills, attitude, and comfort with advance directives. Patients were also surveyed about their attitudes regarding advance directives. Ten internal medicine residents and 88 patients participated. Residents' self-assessed knowledge rose from 6.0 to 9.2 on a 10-point Likert scale. Skills using advance directives increased from 4.0 to 7.9, attitudes improved from 6.0 to 8.4, and comfort rose from 5.4 to 8.9. Eighty-four percent of patients expressed interest in completing advance directives, and 16% actually completed documents. An educational intervention improved knowledge, skills, attitudes, and comfort with advance directives among internal medicine residents practicing in the outpatient setting. Meanwhile, patients demonstrated a strong interest in completing advance directives.
Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Tumor: A Clinical, Pathological, and Immunohistochemical Study of 18 Chinese Cases
Authors: Liping Cao  , Jun Ni  , Risheng Que  , Zhengrong Wu  , Zhenya Song
Published: June 2008

Desmoplastic small round cell tumor (DSRCT) was first reported in 1989. Generally, DSRCT is considered to be an aggressive malignant neoplasm that mainly occurs in the abdominal cavity and has been often seen in adolescents and young male adults. In the present study, a total of 18 cases of DSRCT reported in China between October 1998 and June 2006, including one case treated by the authors, were reviewed and analyzed. Among them, 14 had tumors in the abdominal cavity; the other four cases had tumors in the left fossa orbitalis, the root of the tongue, the soft tissue behind the left eyeball, and the abdominal wall (umbilicus). Overall, the 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year survival rates were 52.36%, 27.92%, and 27.92%, respectively. The survival rate of DSRCT patients is disappointing; however, the survival of patients who had resection of the tumor or received comprehensive clinical treatment is satisfactory.
Epidemiology of Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors in a Defined Canadian Health Region: A Population-Based Study
Authors: Yan Brian M. , Kaplan Gilaad G. , Urbanski Stefan , Nash Carla L. , Beck Paul L.
Published: June 2008

The aim of this study was to determine the incidence and the clinical and pathological features of gastrointestinal stromal tumors within a nonselected, well-defined Canadian Health Region. A population-based cohort study of all adult patients diagnosed with gastrointestinal stromal tumors was conducted in the Calgary Health Region from April 2000 to March 2004. All charts and pathological specimens were reviewed for clinical, histological, and antigenic features. The age-adjusted and gender-adjusted annual incidence rate was 0.91/105 person-years. There was a trend for increased incidence with routine use of CD117. The only identified risk was advancing age (age ≥50; rate ratio = 4.6; P = .0006). All samples were positive for CD117. At presentation, 19% were at intermediate and 19% were at high risk of becoming malignant, with 14% being overtly metastatic. This is the first North American study to define the incidence and the clinical and pathologic features of gastrointestinal stromal tumors based on current diagnostic criteria.
Lymphoplasmacytic Infiltrate of Regional Lymph Nodes in Küttner's Tumor (Chronic Sclerosing Sialadenitis): A Report of 3 Cases
Authors: Kojima Masaru , Miyawaki Shuichi , Takada Satoru , Kashiwabara Kenji , Igarashi Tadahiko , Nakamura Shigeo
Published: June 2008

Regional lymph nodes of Küttner's tumor from 3 patients showed reactive follicular hyperplasia and prominent interfollicular plasmacytosis. The patients were 71-, 57-, and 73-year-old Japanese men. The polytypic nature of plasma cells was demonstrated by immunohistochemistry. There were numerous IgG-positive plasma cells with scattered IgA-positive or IgM-positive plasma cells. IgG4-positive cells comprised 25% to 40% of IgG-positive plasma cells. Prominent polyclonal hyperimmunoglobulinemia was demonstrated on laboratory test in 2 cases examined. An elevated serum IgG4 level (16%) was also demonstrated in 1 patient. The present 3 cases indicated that regional lymph node of Küttner's tumor may show reactive follicular hyperplasia and prominent interfollicular plasmacytosis and should be differentiated from various benign and malignant lymphoproliferative disorders including systemic rheumatic disease, plasma cell type of Castleman disease, and lymph node involvement of marginal B-cell lymphoma of the mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue type showing prominent plasma cell differentiation.
Papillary Cystadenocarcinomas of Salivary Glands With Oncocytic Epithelial Lining: Report of 2 Cases
Authors: Agarwal Shipra , Das Prasenjit , Manoj Kumar Singh  , Sharma Alok , Karak A.K.
Published: June 2008

Papillary cystadenocarcinoma involving the salivary glands is rare, and there are only about 13 case reports and a single large series of 57 cases in the literature. We report 2 cases of this rare entity with emphasis on the diagnostic histomorphological features. The cases are also distinctive, in that they have an epithelial lining, which is oncocytic throughout. One of our cases was detected in an 8-year-old male child, which is itself a rarity.
Report of a Case of Streptococcus agalactiae Mycotic Aneurysm and Review of the Literature
Authors: Chandrikakumari Kavitha , Giot Jean Baptiste , de Leval Laurence , Creemers Etienne , Leonard Philippe , Mukeba Didier , Moutschen Michel , Frippiat Frederic
Published: June 2008

A unique case of mycotic aneurysm of the abdominal aorta caused by Streptococcus agalactiae in an afebrile patient presenting with abdominal pain is described. Although this bacterium is associated with a variety of infections in human beings, aortitis is uncommon. Chronic alcoholism and diabetes mellitus are the 2 major predisposing conditions for group B Streptococci infection and both were present in this case. The abdominal pain and elevated inflammatory markers in the absence of fever were elusive in presentation; however, the diagnosis of mycotic aneurysm was established by abdominal computed tomography scan. The patient was treated successfully by resection of the diseased aorta and aortic allograft replacement. Culture of the excised tissue grew Streptococcus agalactiae sensitive to penicillin G and (other commonly tested antibiotics) fluoroquinolones. A prolonged course of moxifloxacin (for 6 months) was administered due to the persistence of elevated inflammatory markers and was remarkably well tolerated. Sixteen months after stopping the antibiotics, the patient is doing well, and the control imaging studies are satisfactory.
Rare Coexistence of Invasive Papillary Carcinoma with Infiltrating Ductal Carcinoma in Male Breast: Report of a Case
Authors: Bhatia Alka , Uma Nahar Saikia  , Kumar Yashwant
Published: June 2008

Invasive papillary breast carcinoma is a subtype of breast cancer that is more frequent in males. An intraductal carcinoma can coexist with it but association of an infiltrating carcinoma has not been described. This report presents a rare case of a 35-year-old man with dual malignancy in the same breast. The patient had two separate nodules, one with the morphology of invasive papillary carcinoma and the other having features of an infiltrating ductal carcinoma. To the best of our knowledge this is the first case report describing the coexistence of these two entities.