bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Durable Complete Responses With High-Dose Bolus Interleukin-2 in Patients With Metastatic Melanoma Who Have Experienced Progression After Biochemotherapy
Authors: Tarhini Ahmad A. , Kirkwood John M. , Gooding William E. , Cai Chao , Agarwala Sanjiv S.
Published: August 2007

Purpose

We conducted a phase II trial of high-dose bolus (HDB) interleukin-2 (IL-2) in patients with metastatic melanoma who had experienced progression after biochemotherapy (BCT).

Patients and Methods

Eligible patients had experienced progression on or after BCT (cisplatin, vinblastine, dacarbazine, IL-2 9 MU/m2/d for 4 days, and interferon alfa-2b). HDB IL-2 was administered at 600,000 U/kg per dose for a maximum of 14 doses per cycle with a 1-week rest period between cycles. Stable or responding patients were offered an additional course (two cycles) after 6 to 8 weeks.

Results

Twenty-six patients (12 men and 14 women), age 28 to 70 years (median, 45 years), have been treated. All but three patients received at least two cycles of HDB IL-2; 10 patients received a second course of therapy. Disease stage was American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage M1a (n = 5), M1b (n = 5), and M1c (n = 16). Grade 3 and 4 toxicities included hyperbilirubinemia (n = 10), thrombocytopenia (n = 6), oliguria (n = 3), diarrhea (n = 1), infection (n = 2), and neurologic toxicity (n = 2). Overall response rate was 19.2% (four complete responses, lasting 4, 4, 26+, and 41+ months; and one partial response, lasting 3 months). Five patients (19%) had stable disease lasting 1 to 3 months, but all eventually experienced progression. All four complete responders had AJCC stage M1a disease. At a median follow-up time of 10 months, median survival time was 42 weeks (95% CI, 19.1 to 86.6 weeks), and median progression-free survival time was 10 weeks (95% CI, 8 to 16.1 weeks). An initial response to BCT was not found to be predictive for response to HDB IL-2.

Conclusion

HDB IL-2 is active therapy for patients who experience progression on BCT. This observation has implications regarding the importance of dose-intensity for IL-2 therapy.
Prevalence of Joint Symptoms in Postmenopausal Women Taking Aromatase Inhibitors for Early-Stage Breast Cancer
Authors: Crew Katherine D. , Greenlee Heather , Capodice Jillian , Raptis George , Brafman Lois , Fuentes Deborah , Sierra Alex , Hershman Dawn L.
Published: August 2007

Purpose

Aromatase inhibitors (AIs) improve survival in postmenopausal women with hormone-sensitive breast cancer, but can cause joint pain and stiffness. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the prevalence of and identify risk factors for AI-related joint symptoms.

Patients and Methods

We performed a cross-sectional survey of consecutive postmenopausal women receiving adjuvant AI therapy for early-stage hormone-sensitive breast cancer at an urban academic breast oncology clinic. Patients completed a 25-item self-administered questionnaire assessing the presence of joint symptoms that started or worsened after initiating AIs. Multivariate regression was used to compare those with AI-related arthralgia with those who did not report symptoms, adjusting for demographic and clinical factors.

Results

Of 200 patients who completed the survey, 94 (47%) reported having AI-related joint pain and 88 (44%) reported AI-related joint stiffness. In multiple logistic regression analysis, being overweight (body mass index of 25 to 30 kg/m2) and prior tamoxifen therapy were inversely associated with AI-related joint symptoms. Patients who received taxane chemotherapy were more than four times more likely than other patients to have AI-related joint pain and stiffness (odds ratio [OR] = 4.08, 95% CI, 1.58 to 10.57 and OR = 4.76; 95% CI, 1.84 to 12.28, respectively).

Conclusion

Our study suggests that AI-related joint symptoms are more prevalent than what has been described previously in clinical trials. The success of AI therapy depends on patients' ability to adhere to treatment recommendations; therefore, additional studies of interventions that may alleviate these symptoms are needed.
Phase II Trial of Chemoradiation for Organ Preservation in Resectable Stage III or IV Squamous Cell Carcinomas of the Larynx or Oropharynx: Results of Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Study E2399
Authors: Cmelak Anthony J. , Li Sigui , Goldwasser Meredith A. , Murphy Barbara , Cannon Michael , Pinto Harlan , Rosenthal David I. , Gillison Maura , Forastiere Arlene A.
Published: August 2007

Purpose

Taxane-based concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCR) for head and neck cancers has proven to have a favorable toxicity profile compared with cisplatin and radiation. This phase II multi-institutional trial evaluates taxane-based induction chemotherapy followed by CCR for organ preservation in resectable stage III/IVA and IVB larynx and oropharynx (OP) cancer patients.

Patients and Methods

Eligibility required resectable stage T2N+, or T3-T4N0-3M0 biopsy-proven squamous carcinoma, age at least 18 years, PS 0 to 2, good organ function, and no prior chemotherapy or radiation. Treatment was induction paclitaxel 175 mg/m2 and carboplatin area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) 6 for two cycles every 21 days followed by concurrent paclitaxel 30 mg/m2 every 7 days with 70 Gy if no evidence of tumor progression. Weekly erythropoietin alpha 40 kU was used for suboptimal hemoglobin (< 14 gm/dL men, < 13 gm/dL women). The primary end point was organ preservation (freedom from primary site salvage surgery or primary tumor recurrence).

Results

One hundred five of 111 patients (36 larynx, 69 OP) were eligible. Median follow-up was 36.7 months. Ninety-four percent received full-dose radiotherapy and 91% received at least five cycles of concurrent paclitaxel. No patient progressed while receiving chemotherapy. Organ preservation was 81% at 2 years after completion of therapy (larynx 74%, OP 84%). Thirteen patients required primary-site salvage surgery (seven larynx, six OP), and six of these have progressed and died (three larynx, three OP). Thirteen patients developed distant metastases (seven larynx, six OP; P = .02) and 10 of 36 larynx and 11 of 69 OP patients have died as a result of their disease. Two-year survival is 76% (63% larynx v 83% OP).

Conclusion

A high organ preservation rate was obtained with this regimen for OP but not for larynx patients. Toxicity was low, and induction chemotherapy did not preclude delivery of concurrent chemoradiotherapy.
What Is the Psychological Impact of Mammographic Screening on Younger Women With a Family History of Breast Cancer? Findings From a Prospective Cohort Study by the PIMMS Management Group
Authors: Tyndel Sally , Austoker Joan , Henderson Bethan J. , Brain Kate , Bankhead Clare , Clements Alison , Watson Eila K.
Published: August 2007

Purpose

Studies are underway to establish the clinical effectiveness of annual mammographic screening in women younger than 50 years with a family history of breast cancer. This study investigated both the positive and negative psychological effects of screening on these women.

Patients and Methods

Women who received an immediate all-clear result after mammography (n = 1,174) and women who were recalled for additional tests before receiving an all-clear result (false positive; n = 112) completed questionnaires: 1 month before mammography, and 1 and 6 months after receiving final results. The questionnaires included measures of cancer worry, psychological consequences, and perceived benefits of breast screening.

Results

Women who received an immediate all-clear result experienced a decrease in cancer worry and negative psychological consequences immediately after the result, whereas women who were recalled for additional tests did not. By 6 months this cancer-specific distress had reduced significantly in both groups. Changes in levels of distress were significantly different between the two groups, but in absolute terms the differences were not large. Recalled women reported significantly greater positive psychological consequences of screening immediately after the result, and were also more positive about the benefits of screening compared with women who received an immediate all-clear result.

Conclusion

For women receiving an immediate all-clear result, participating in annual mammographic screening is psychologically beneficial. Furthermore, women who are recalled for additional tests do not appear to be harmed by screening: these women's positive views about mammography suggest that they view any distress caused by recall as an acceptable part of screening.
Functions of the novel RhoGAP proteins RGA-3 and RGA-4 in the germ line and in the early embryo ofC. elegans
Authors: Schmutz Cornelia , Stevens Julia , Spang Anne
Published: August 2007

We have identified two redundant GTPase activating proteins (GAPs) - RGA-3 and RGA-4 - that regulate Rho GTPase function at the plasma membrane in early Caenorhabditis elegans embryos. Knockdown of both RhoGAPs resulted in extensive membrane ruffling, furrowing and pronounced pseudo-cleavages. In addition, the non-muscle myosin NMY-2 and RHO-1 accumulated on the cortex at sites of ruffling. RGA-3 and RGA-4 are GAPs for RHO-1, but most probably not for CDC-42, because only RHO-1 was epistatic to the two GAPs, and the GAPs had no obvious influence on CDC-42 function. Furthermore, knockdown of either the RHO-1 effector, LET-502, or the exchange factor for RHO-1, ECT-2, alleviated the membrane-ruffling phenotype caused by simultaneous knockdown of both RGA-3 and RGA-4 [rga-3/4 (RNAi)]. GFP::PAR-6 and GFP::PAR-2 were localized at the anterior and posterior part of the early C. elegans embryo,respectively showing that rga-3/4 (RNAi) did not interfere with polarity establishment. Most importantly, upon simultaneous knockdown of RGA-3, RGA-4 and the third RhoGAP present in the early embryo, CYK-4, NMY-2 spread over the entire cortex and GFP::PAR-2 localization at the posterior cortex was greatly diminished. These results indicate that the functions of CYK-4 are temporally and spatially distinct from RGA-3 and RGA-4 (RGA-3/4). RGA-3/4 and CYK-4 also play different roles in controlling LET-502 activation in the germ line, because rga-3/4 (RNAi), but not cyk-4(RNAi), aggravated the let-502(sb106) phenotype. We propose that RGA-3/4 and CYK-4 control with which effector molecules RHO-1 interacts at particular sites at the cortex in the zygote and in the germ line.
Molecularly and temporally separable lineages form the hindbrain roof plate and contribute differentially to the choroid plexus
Authors: Hunter Nina L. , Dymecki Susan M.
Published: August 2007

Both hindbrain roof plate epithelium (hRPe) and hindbrain choroid plexus epithelium (hCPe) produce morphogens and growth factors essential for proper hindbrain development. Despite their importance, little is known about how these essential structures develop. Recent genetic fate maps indicate that hRPe and hCPe descend from the same pool of dorsal neuroectodermal progenitor cells of the rhombic lip. A linear developmental progression has been assumed,with the rhombic lip producing non-mitotic hRPe, and seemingly uniform hRPe transforming into hCPe. Here, we show that hRPe is not uniform but rather comprises three spatiotemporal fields, which differ in organization,proliferative state, order of emergence from the rhombic lip, and molecular profile of either the constituent hRPe cells themselves and/or their parental progenitors. Only two fields contribute to hCPe. We also present evidence for an hCPe contribution directly by the rhombic lip at late embryonic stages when hRPe is no longer present; indeed, the production interval for hCPe by the rhombic lip is surprisingly extensive. Further, we show that the hCPe lineage appears to be unique among the varied rhombic lip-derived lineages in its proliferative response to constitutively active Notch1 signaling. Collectively, these findings provide a new platform for investigating hRPe and hCPe as neural organizing centers and provide support for the model that they are themselves patterned structures that might be capable of influencing neural development along multiple spatial and temporal axes.
SOX3 activity during pharyngeal segmentation is required for craniofacial morphogenesis
Authors: Rizzoti Karine , Lovell-Badge Robin
Published: August 2007

Craniofacial development is a complex multi-step process leading to the morphogenesis of the face and sense organs, and to that of the neck, including the anteriormost part of the respiratory and digestive apparatus and associated endocrine glands. In vertebrates, the process is initiated by the formation of the pharyngeal arches from ectoderm, endoderm and mesoderm. These arches are then populated by neural crest cells, which originate from the central nervous system. We show here that, in mouse, there is a requirement for the HMG box factor SOX3 during the earliest stage of pharyngeal development: the formation of the pharyngeal pouches that segment the pharyngeal region by individualising each arch. In Sox3-null mutants,these pouches are expanded at the detriment of the second pharyngeal arch. As a consequence, neural crest cell migration and ectoderm-derived epibranchial placode development are affected, leading to craniofacial defects. We also show that Sox3 genetically interacts both with FgfR1 and with Sox2, another member of the Soxb1 family, to fulfil its function in the pharyngeal region. Although the importance of the neural crest has long been recognised, our studies highlight the equally crucial role of the pharyngeal region in craniofacial morphogenesis. They also give insight into the formation of pharyngeal pouches, of which little is known in vertebrates. Finally, this work introduces two new players in craniofacial development -SOX3 and SOX2.
Bone morphogenetic proteins specify the retinal pigment epithelium in the chick embryo
Authors: Müller Frank , Rohrer Hermann , Vogel-Höpker Astrid
Published: August 2007

In vertebrates, the neuroepithelium of the optic vesicle is initially multipotential, co-expressing a number of transcription factors that are involved in retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and neural retina (NR)development. Subsequently, extrinsic signals emanating from the surrounding tissues induce the separation of the optic vesicle into three domains: the optic stalk/nerve, the NR and the RPE. Here, we show that bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are sufficient and essential for RPE development in vivo. Bmp4 and Bmp7 are expressed in the surface ectoderm overlying the optic vesicle, the surrounding mesenchyme and/or presumptive RPE during the initial stages of eye development. During the initial stages of chick eye development the microphthalmia-associated transcription factor(Mitf), important for RPE development, is expressed in the optic primordium that is covered by the BMP-expressing surface ectoderm. Following BMP application, the optic neuroepithelium, including the presumptive optic stalk/nerve and NR domain, develop into RPE as assessed by the expression of Otx2, Mitf, Wnt2b and the pigmented cell marker MMP115. By contrast, interfering with BMP signalling prevents RPE development in the outer layer of the optic cup and induces NR-specific gene expression (e.g. Chx10). Our results show that BMPs are sufficient and essential for RPE development during optic vesicle stages. We propose a model in which the BMP-expressing surface ectoderm initiates RPE specification by inducing Mitf expression in the underlying neuroepithelium of the optic vesicle.
Three-dimensional Ferromagnetic Frameworks of Syn–Anti-type Carboxylate-bridged NiII and CoII Coordination Polymers
Authors: Yoneda Ko , Ohba Masaaki , Shiga Takuya , Oshio Hiroki , Kitagawa Susumu
Published: August 2007

Two novel coordination polymers, [M(L)(MeOH)2]n (MII = Ni, Co; H2L = E,E-muconic acid) having 3-D pillared-layer structure based on 2-D grid sheet extended by syn–anti-type carboxylate-bridges were prepared and NiII compound showed a ferromagnetic ordering at 1.7 K.
Versatile applications of transcriptional pulsing to study mRNA turnover in mammalian cells
Authors: Chen Chyi-Ying A. , Yamashita Yukiko , Chang Tsung-Cheng , Yamashita Akio , Zhu Wenmiao , Zhong Zhenping , Shyu Ann-Bin
Published: August 2007

Development of transcriptional pulsing approaches using the c-fos and Tet-off promoter systems greatly facilitated studies of mRNA turnover in mammalian cells. However, optimal protocols for these approaches vary for different cell types and/or physiological conditions, limiting their widespread application. In this study, we have further optimized transcriptional pulsing systems for different cell lines and developed new protocols to facilitate investigation of various aspects of mRNA turnover. We apply the Tet-off transcriptional pulsing strategy to investigate ARE-mediated mRNA decay in human erythroleukemic K562 cells arrested at various phases of the cell cycle by pharmacological inhibitors. This application facilitates studies of the role of mRNA stability in control of cell-cycle dependent gene expression. To advance the investigation of factors involved in mRNA turnover and its regulation, we have also incorporated recently developed transfection and siRNA reagents into the transcriptional pulsing approach. Using these protocols, siRNA and DNA plasmids can be effectively cotransfected into mouse NIH3T3 cells to obtain high knockdown efficiency. Moreover, we have established a tTA-harboring stable line using human bronchial epithelial BEAS-2B cells and applied the transcriptional pulsing approach to monitor mRNA deadenylation and decay kinetics in this cell system. This broadens the application of the transcriptional pulsing system to investigate the regulation of mRNA turnover related to allergic inflammation. Critical factors that need to be considered when employing these approaches are characterized and discussed.
St. Benedict Center and No Salvation Outside the Church, 1940-1953
Authors: Carey Patrick W.
Published: August 2007

This essay argues that historians of American Catholicism have paid little attention to the issue of the relationship between the Church and salvation. The issue has been important in American Catholic thought since the time of John Carroll, but came to the fore most publicly in the late 1940's and early 1950's at the Cambridge, Massachusetts, St. Benedict Center where Father Leonard Feeney and his young associates taught that no salvation existed outside of the Catholic Church. And yet, few general histories of American Catholicism have examined the episode, which is important for what it reveals about the Catholic understanding of the substantive issue of salvation.
The Human Body as a Universe: Understanding Heaven by Visualization and Sensibility in Jesuit Cartography in China
Authors: Chen Hui-hung
Published: August 2007

This paper discusses the religious meaning of Jesuit world maps that were produced in China by their missionaries from the late sixteenth to the seventeenth centuries. These world maps serve as a visual proof to emphasize the greatness of the world and the minuscule nature of man, and by means of these maps man "can see" the truth of God because of the visual ability granted via God's omnipotence. Jesuit cartography is not only a visual image of geographical configuration. It paved the way for the comprehension of the Creator's significance. It was an embodiment of the Renaissance tradition of cartography as the graphical representation of the universe, which included the idea of understanding nature through mathematical science as well as of understanding Heaven by visualization and sensibility. In this Renaissance tradition, geography was associated with cosmology that was based upon Christian theology, and Aristotle's sensibility toward the comprehension of the universe formed the core of Catholic epistemology and natural philosophy. The religious implications of Jesuit cartography in China explain how the Jesuits could have used it strategically in their evangelization.
Abbot Hugh: An Overlooked Brother of Henry I, Count of Champagne
Authors: Cline Ruth Harwood
Published: August 2007

Hugh (d. 1171), a natural son of Count Thibaut IV of Blois and II of Champagne (d.1152), was a half-brother of Count Henry I of Champagne (1127-1181) and Adèle (d. 1206), queen of France and mother of Philip Augustus. A knight wounded in battle, Hugh became a monk of Tiron Abbey near Chartres. Supported by his uncles King Stephen and Bishop Henry of Winchester, Hugh became abbot of St. Benet of Holme in Norfolk and of Chertsey outside London. Hugh returned to Champagne ca.1155 and became abbot of Lagny near Paris (1163-1171). A castrate, Hugh may have inspired Chrétien de Troyes' Fisher King.
News from Nowhere
Authors: Bentley Michael
Published: August 2007

This short article reflects critically on the method, politics and epistemology of Stefan Collini's Absent Minds. Collini's method involves a long meditation rather than anything systematic. In comparative history, he is at east with France and America, but less so Germany and Eastern Europe or Russia. Without announcing an overt set of political principles, Absent Minds develops a master-narrative of social-democratic intellectual leadership, but this commitment is undermined by Collini's presentation of epistemology as a non-problem.
Stefan Collini, Virginia Woolf, and the Question of Intellectuals in Britain
Authors: Caine Barbara
Published: August 2007

This essay raises the question of gender in relation to the question of intellectuals in Britain, commenting on the gender blindness that made their exclusion so automatic in Collini's study. It looks at some women who might have been included, focussing particularly on Virginia Woolf as one who was not only a very significant public intellectual, but who in her essays entitled 'The Common Reader' also provided a definition and analysis of the role of an intellectual which is very different from that suggested by Collini. Rather than offering expert advice, Woolf sought to help readers to develop their own critical insights.
Author's Response
Authors: Collini Stefan
Published: August 2007

In addressing the main points made by the five discussants, this response acknowledges possible failures of execution in the writing of Absent Minds. But it reaffirms the value of examining British traditions of debate about "the question of intellectuals" in analytical and comparative terms; it emphasizes that the figures and episodes discussed in some detail were not selected to be representative of political affiliations or of gender of any other identity apart from that of having made a significant or revealing contribution to the traditions being examined; and it maintains that a broadly literary-critical approach, partly deploying the terms of everyday discrimination and assessment, is a legitimate and central aspect of the work of the intellectual historian.
Hazards of the Higher Debunkery
Authors: English James F.
Published: August 2007

In Absent Minds: Intellectuals in Britain, Stefan Collini deploys a fiercely skeptical wit against what he calls the "absence thesis": the cliché view of England as a land peculiarly lacking in intellectuals. The brio and aggression with which he demolishes this longstanding myth serve a paradoxical double function, marking his own claim to a place in the specifically English and male tradition of writing that he so effectively deconstructs.
The View from Calais
Authors: Jennings Jeremy
Published: August 2007

This short article provides a critical assessment of Stefan Collini's account of the place and role of the intellectual in France. Whilst it does not wish to deny that intellectuals in France have provided a distinctive model of autonomous political engagement, it seeks to suggest that the reality in France might have been somewhat different from the stereotype of the public intellectual and that the position and behaviour of the French intellectual have not been very different from that experienced in other countries, including Britain.
John Adams versus Mary Wollstonecraft on the French Revolution and Democracy
Authors: O'Neill Daniel I.
Published: August 2007

This article is the first in-depth analysis of the direct intellectual engagement between one of America's most important Founding Fathers, John Adams, and the work of the leading modern feminist, Mary Wollstonecraft. It draws on the first complete transcription of Adams's marginalia in his copy of Wollstonecraft's French Revolution to argue that these two thinkers disagreed profoundly in their respective assessments of the watershed event of political modernity due to their divergent interpretations of the relationship between human nature, history, and Revolutionary violence on the one hand, and the appropriate structure of political and social institutions on the other.
John von Neumann and Scientific Method
Authors: Rashid Salim
Published: August 2007

This paper interprets John von Neumann's views on the proper role of mathematics in science, with attention to its implications for economics. The evolution of von Neumann's thought over his lifespan, an examination of which is greatly aided by some self-conscious appraisals of von Neumann himself, suggests that von Neumann ended by taking a very pragmatic approach to the use of mathematics. One can almost characterize it as an engineering approach to the philosophy of mathematics since von Neumann takes mathematics to be justified by its applications. This approach, which is surprisingly non-technical and hence accessible to general readers, is then placed in the context of his wider world-view.
Anatomy of a Cliché
Authors: Rodgers Daniel T
Published: August 2007

Stefan Collini's Absent Minds is a rich, critical history of a cliché: that English culture is peculiarly hostile to intellectuals. Despite striking differences in the organization of intellectual life in the U.S. and Britain, precisely the same cliché pervades American writing. The explanation may lie less in structure than in the transnational mobility of the language of the intellectual.
Infallibility and Intentionality: Franz Brentano's Diagnosis of German Catholicism
Authors: Schaefer Richard
Published: August 2007

This article explores Franz Brentano's opposition to papal infallibility, and sets this in the context of his development as a Catholic scholar. An active participant in the Catholic revival of the nineteenth century, Brentano contributed to the emergence of neoscholasticism through his philosophical rehabilitation of Aristotle. Brentano ultimately left the Church however as the result of intensive scrutiny of his faith occasioned by his analysis of infallibility. This article explores this crisis of faith by analyzing, for the first time, Brentano's position on papal infallibility, and suggesting ways that it informed his philosophical development.
Commerce, Law, and Erudite Culture: The Mechanics of Théodore Godefroy's Service to Cardinal Richelieu
Authors: Thomson Erik
Published: August 2007

This paper examines the French erudite scholar Théodore Godefroy's (1580-1649) service to Cardinal Richelieu as a commercial expert. Using manuscripts that reveal his reading, connections and intellectual methods, it shows how Godefroy used his connections in the Parisian lettered circles and a politicized group within the Republic of Letters to gather commercial information, and used the techniques of juridical scholarship to organize his collection. His papers suggest that historians must look beyond a narrow canon of "mercantilist" works to understand seventeenth century debates about the governance of commerce, to a broader context of debates about law, history, and sovereignty.
''Facts, or Conjectures'': Antoine-Yves Goguet's Historiography
Authors: Wolloch Nathaniel
Published: August 2007

This article examines an eighteenth-century historical work, Antoine-Yves Goguet's De L'origine des loix, des arts, et des sciences, et de leurs progrès chez les anciens peuples. Goguet studied ancient cultures, but maintained that they were inferior to modern European civilization. His methodology, wide erudition, and detailed footnotes were praised at the time, including by the customarily critical Edward Gibbon. Goguet's work was translated into several languages and was influential into the beginning of the nineteenth century, although he was later all but forgotten. The article discusses his work in the context of eighteenth-century scholarship.
Government, universities and the HSRC: a perspective on the past and present
Authors: Chisholm Linda , Morrow Seán
Published: August 2007

The article considers the history of the HSRC's relationship with government and universities in three periods (1917-1945, 1945-1990 and 1990-2005), characterising the first as relatively harmonious, the second as conflictual and the third as uneasy. Underpinning this relationship is the nature of the funding of research in universities and entities such as the HSRC. This the article explores from its foundation to the current period, linking a discussion of it to the degree of independence of researchers and as mediating its relationships with government and universities. The article uses secondary sources to develop the argument and ends with a plea for the history of the HSRC to be written.
Religion and transformation in South Africa? Institutional and discursive change in a charismatic congregation
Authors: Ganiel Gladys
Published: August 2007

A number of Christian churches in South Africa have proclaimed their commitment to reconciliation and the elimination of unjust inequalities. This study analyses how these commitments are being worked out at the micro-level of a congregation. Using an ethnographic approach, I explore how a charismatic congregation in Cape Town has changed from being nearly all-white to being more inclusive. I explore links between individual, cognitive identity change and institutional change; and consider the discourses which justify change, including their emphasis on 'unity in diversity' and 'restitution'. I outline the limitations of change, including the persistence of 'racialised' leadership structures and the discursive privileging of unity over restitution. This allows us to understand how micro-level changes take place, to explore their potentialities and limitations, and to apply these insights to other contexts.
The Jewish community in the post-apartheid era: same narrative, different meaning
Authors: Herman Chaya
Published: August 2007

The article explores the transformation of the Jewish community in South Africa and the strategies that have been pursued by the community to forge a new identity whereby secular Zionism has been shifted towards religious Zionism; moderate Orthodoxy has been replaced with Ultra Orthodoxy and the perceived unity of the community has been maintained by advancing exclusion and seclusion. The article investigates how this identity has evolved in response to local and global changes. It argues that South Africa's transformation to democracy has not seemed to open up the community to new possibilities, but has instead made it more inward-looking and insular. The article calls to the community to face and debate its shifting identity, to broaden its boundaries and to create a new content that celebrates diversity, inclusivity, tolerance and openness to others.
Organisational shifts in the feature film industry: implications for South Africa
Authors: Tuomi Krista
Published: August 2007

The last few years have proved turbulent for the international film industry. A wave of merger and acquisition activity has allowed the large entertainment companies to exert influence over the film value chain and raise entry barriers. At the same time there has been an organisational shift away from hierarchical production to a looser network structure wherein companies act as financing and distribution hubs, mobilising resources from outside. Although this has meant greater flexibility and lower overheads, it has also made assembling resources more problematic. These trends have important implications for South Africa, both threatening and opening up opportunities for the local film industry. This article looks at the current status and structure of the sector in an attempt to determine the implications of the international trends. It suggests that in this new arena, competitiveness is increasingly reliant on ease of contracting; audience development and effective distribution. As such, it reviews ways in which both the public and the private sector can help develop the responsiveness necessary for long-term growth.
Taking money right out of an American's pockets: Faulkner's South and the international cotton market
Authors: Hagood Taylor
Published: August 2007

In re-mapping the United States South, it is important to pay attention to the economic force that established the region as a global presence cotton: its growth, its processing and its international market value. The international cotton market informs southern writer William Faulkner's
work, especially his essay Mississippi, both materially and metaphorically as a powerful political, economic and ecological presence that simultaneously establishes the South's exceptionalness while also inscribing it on national and international political maps.
Mother-child double incompatibility at vWA and D5S818 loci in paternity testing
Authors: Narkuti Venkanna , Vellanki Ravi N. , Gandhi Kaza P.C. , Mangamoori Lakshmi N.
Published: August 2007

Clin Chem Lab Med 2007;45:1288–91.
Perception and Production of Syncopated Rhythms
Authors: Fitch W. Tecumseh , Rosenfeld Andrew J.
Published: August 2007

THE PROCESSING OF COMPLEX, METRICALLY ambiguous rhythmic patterns, of the sort found in much popular music, remains poorly understood. We investigated listeners' abilities to perceive, process and produce complex, syncopated rhythmic patterns. Rhythmic complexity was varied along a continuum, quantified using an objective metric of syncopation suggested by Longuet-Higgins and Lee. Participants (a) tapped in time to the rhythms, (b) reproduced the same patterns given a steady pulse, and (c) recognized these patterns when replayed both immediately and after a 24-hour delay. Participants tended to reset the phase of their internally generated pulse with highly syncopated rhythms, reinterpreting or "re-hearing" the rhythm as less syncopated. High complexity in rhythmic stimuli can thus force a reorganization of their cognitive representation. Less complex rhythms were more robustly encoded than more complex syncopated rhythms in the delayed memory task. Syncopated rhythms provide a useful tool for future explorations of human rhythmic competence.
Competition and Predation as Mechanisms for Displacement of Greenback Cutthroat Trout by Brook Trout
Authors: McGrath C. C. , Lewis W. M.
Published: August 2007

Cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarkii frequently are displaced by nonnative brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis, but the ecological mechanisms of displacement are not understood. Competition for food and predation between greenback cutthroat trout O. c. stomias and brook trout were investigated in montane streams of Colorado. A replicated field study was used to describe the population density, diet, stomach fullness, and body condition of the two species in allopatry and sympatry. Population data confirmed that brook trout displaced greenback cutthroat trout at sites where the species occur together. The diets of the two species were different; cutthroat trout consumed more prey items and a wider variety of prey than brook trout. Sympatry did not influence gut fullness or body condition for either species. Predation occurred at low rates that did not account for declines in populations of greenback cutthroat trout. Instead, population data suggest that the displacement of greenback cutthroat trout by brook trout occurs through a bottleneck on recruitment due to the mortality of eggs or juvenile cutthroat trout.
Measuring the Quality of Life of Youth with Facial Differences
Authors: Patrick Donald L. , Topolski Tari D. , Edwards Todd C. , Aspinall Cassandra L. , Kapp-Simon Kathleen A. , Rumsey Nichola J. , Strauss Ronald P. , Thomas Christopher R.
Published: August 2007

Objective:

To describe the Facial Differences Module of the Youth Quality of Life Instruments (YQOL-FD) and present results evaluating domain structure, internal consistency, reproducibility, validity, and respondent burden.

Design:

A multisite observational study of youth aged 11 to 18 years with acquired or congenital facial differences.

Participants:

Three hundred seven youth recruited through clinics at four U.S. sites and one U.K. site. Eligible youth were aged 11 to 18 years, had a noticeable facial difference, could read at the fifth-grade level, and, for youth with facial burns, were at least 2 years posttrauma.

Measures:

Included were the newly developed YQOL-FD, the generic Youth Quality of Life Instrument, the Children's Depression Inventory, and demographics.

Results:

Principal components analysis showed five significant factors that closely matched the domain structure hypothesized a priori. Domain scores of the YQOL-FD showed acceptable internal consistency and reproducibility. Scores were more strongly correlated with the Children's Depression Inventory score than with self-rating of health as predicted. All domain scores showed adequate discrimination among levels of general quality of life (Wilks λ = 0.84, p = .001). The median time to complete the module was 10 minutes.

Discussion:

The YQOL Facial Differences Module augmented information obtained from the generic YQOL measure by addressing specific concerns. The module was well received by youth and showed acceptable measurement properties for evaluating the perceived quality-of-life status of youth facial differences. Future use in longitudinal studies and clinical trials is anticipated to evaluate the ability to detect change.
Comparison of Caries Prevalence in Two Populations of Cleft Patients
Authors: Stec-Slonicz Magdalena , Szczepańska Joanna , Hirschfelder Ursula
Published: August 2007

Objective:

To assess and compare the oral and dental status and the level of oral health care among Polish and German patients with cleft lip and palate treated in Łódź and Erlangen, followed by an assessment of the level of realization of oral care procedures.

Design:

Oral and dental status were assessed by the presence of dental plaque and caries lesions. Parents of each patient completed a questionnaire related to frequency of tooth brushing, frequency of dental visits, and the use of means with increased fluoride content.

Setting:

Department of Dentistry for Developmental Ages, Medical University of Łódź, Łódź, Poland, and Department of Orthodontics, University of Erlangen-Nuremburg, Erlangen, Germany.

Patients and Intervention:

Thirty-seven Polish patients were examined between February and April 2004. Sixty-three German patients were examined between October 2004 and August 2005.

Results:

In Erlangen, decayed teeth = 1.625, missing teeth = 0.014, and filled teeth = 2.39. In Łódź, decayed teeth = 2.5, missing teeth = 0.09, and filled teeth = 0.75. Among the subjects with Approximal Plaque Index scores <40%, the Decayed-Missing-Filled-Teeth Index was significantly higher in Polish than in German patients. In the total population of patients, a positive correlation between the value of the API Index and caries intensity was recorded. Declared parents’ answers did not copy the actual oral cavity status.

Conclusions:

Caries prevalence in each group was much higher than in the general population and significantly higher among Polish than German cleft patients. Programs for cleft children promoting oral health, especially aimed at plaque control, are recommended in the early stages of the children's lives.
Surgical Navigation Technology for Treatment of Pneumosinus Dilatans
Authors: Taub Peter J. , Narayan Prithvi
Published: August 2007

The objective of this study is to present the use of surgical navigation in the selective removal of the anterior table of the frontal sinus in a patient with pneumosinus dilatans. A 16-year-old boy presented with progressive deformity of the forehead and left postauricular sulcus due to pneumosinus dilatans. Reconstruction of the anterior table of the frontal bone was assisted by a surgical navigation system that used data from a preoperative computed tomography scan of the head and neck to map out the boundaries of the frontal sinus. The device enabled selective resection of the anterior table without violation of the cranial cavity.
Surgical Correction of Congenital Lower Lip Sinuses in Van der Woude Syndrome
Authors: Brookes James T. , Canady John W.
Published: August 2007

Objective:

To review the clinical outcome for patients with Van der Woude syndrome undergoing surgical excision of congenital lip sinuses.

Design:

Retrospective chart review.

Setting:

Multidisciplinary cleft-craniofacial team within a tertiary care hospital.

Patients, Participants:

Seventeen patients with Van der Woude syndrome were identified from hospital records as having cleft lip and/or palate surgery performed at the University of Iowa, and six of these patients underwent simple surgical excision of lower lip sinuses.

Main outcome measures:

Incidence of postoperative complications and number of surgeries required per patient for correction of lower lip defect.

Results:

All six patients undergoing surgical excision of lip sinuses had postoperative mucocele formation. These uniformly required one or two further surgeries for correction. There were no other complications associated with the procedures and no patient had a pre- or postoperative whistling deformity. Cosmetic outcome was thought to be satisfactory in all cases.

Conclusions:

Despite the overall improvement in cosmetic appearance following simple surgical excision of congenital lower lip sinuses, the high rate of mucocele formation and repeat surgery has led to cautious preoperative counseling regarding the risks and benefits of the procedure.
Differential expression of prostaglandin (PG) synthesis enzymes in conceptus during peri-implantation period and endometrial expression of carbonyl reductase/PG 9-ketoreductase in the pig
Authors: Waclawik Agnieszka , Ziecik Adam J
Published: August 2007

Prostaglandins (PGs) play a pivotal role in luteolysis, maternal recognition of pregnancy, and implantation. In many species, including pigs, both conceptus (embryo and associated membranes) and endometrium synthesize PGE2, which may antagonize PGF2α by playing a luteotropic/antiluteolytic role. Previously, we have reported expression profiles of PG G/H synthases (PGHS-1 and PGHS-2), PGE synthase (mPGES-1), and PGF synthase (PGFS) in the endometrium of cyclic and pregnant pigs. In the present study, expression of above-mentioned PG synthesis enzymes and PG 9-ketoreductase (CBR1), which converts PGE2 into PGF2α, and the PGE2/PGF2α ratios were investigated in porcine peri- and post-implantation conceptuses. Furthermore, expression of CBR1 was examined in the endometrium. PGHS-2 and mPGES-1 were upregulated, and PGHS-1, PGFS, and CBR1 were downregulated in conceptuses during trophoblastic elongation. A second increase of mPGES-1 mRNA occurred after days 20–21 of pregnancy. After initiation of implantation, expression of PGHS-1, PGFS, and CBR1 in conceptuses increased and remained higher until days 24–25 of pregnancy. Comparison of the endometrial CBR1 protein expression in cyclic and pregnant gilts revealed upregulation on days 16–17 of the cycle and downregulation on days 10–11 of pregnancy. In conclusion, reciprocal expression of PGHS-2, mPGES-1, PGFS, and CBR1 in day 10–13 conceptuses and decrease of endometrial CBR1 may be important in increasing the PGE2/PGF2α ratio during maternal recognition of pregnancy. This study indicates that PGE2 produced via PGHS-2 and mPGES-1 in conceptus may be involved in corpus luteum control. Moreover, high expression of conceptus PGHS-1, mPGES-1, PGFS, and CBR1 after initiation of implantation suggests their significant role in placentation.
Maternal adaptations to pregnancy in spontaneously hypertensive rats: leptin and ghrelin evaluation
Authors: Raso Giuseppina Mattace , Bianco Giuseppe , Iacono Anna , Esposito Emanuela , Autore Giuseppina , Ferrante Maria Carmela , Calignano Antonio , Meli Rosaria
Published: August 2007

Leptin and/or ghrelin, initially thought to be considered messengers of energy metabolism, are now considered to play a role in normal and complicated pregnancy. In this study, pregnant, spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) have been used to evaluate, for the first time, the modification of leptin and ghrelin both at serum and tissue levels. In SHR, we evaluate plasma leptin level and tissue protein expression in both placenta and adipose tissue at the end of gestation (day 20) versus normotensive Wistar–Kyoto (WKY) animals. The expression of functional leptin receptor (Ob-Rb) in peripheral tissues and in the hypothalamus was evaluated. Moreover, we measured plasma ghrelin level and its mRNA expression in the stomach and placenta. SHR strain presented significantly lower plasma leptin levels when compared with those found in pregnant or not WKY controls. Interestingly, in the placenta, leptin gene expression was higher in SHR than normotensive WKY. Moreover, we demonstrated a resistance to the effects of leptin via ‘downregulation’ of hypothalamic receptors in pregnant SHR. Conversely, SHR presented significantly higher ghrelin plasma levels when compared with those found in pregnant or not WKY. However, we observed that ghrelin level in the stomach of SHR did not change during pregnancy, and on the opposite, mRNA ghrelin in the placenta of SHR was lower than that of normotensive rats, suggesting a different production of this hormone in the fetal–placental unit. These data gain further insight into metabolic hormone modifications observed in a model of pre-existing hypertension associated with pregnancy.
Ghrelin differentially modulates glucose-induced insulin secretion according to feeding status in sheep
Authors: Takahashi Hideyuki , Kurose Yohei , Sakaida Muneyuki , Suzuki Yoshihiro , Kobayashi Shigeki , Sugino Toshihisa , Kojima Masayasu , Kangawa Kenji , Hasegawa Yoshihisa , Terashima Yoshiaki
Published: August 2007

The present study was conducted to investigate roles of ghrelin in glucose-induced insulin secretion in fasting- and meal-fed state in sheep. Castrated Suffolk rams were fed a maintenance diet of alfalfa hay cubes once a day. Hyperglycemic clamp (HGC) was carried out to examine glucose-induced insulin response from 48 to 53 h (fasting state) and from 3 to 8 h (meal-fed state) after feeding in Experiment 1 and 2 respectively. Total dose of 70 nmol/kg body weight of d-Lys3-GHRP6, a GH secretagogue receptor 1a (GHS-R1a) antagonist, was intravenously administered at 0, 60, and 120 min after the commencement of HGC. In the fasting state, the ghrelin antagonist significantly (P < 0.01) enhanced glucose-induced insulin secretion. In the meal-fed state, i.v. administration of synthetic ovine ghrelin (0.04 μ g/kg body weight per min during HGC) significantly (P < 0.05) enhanced glucose-induced insulin secretion. d-Lys3-GHRP6 treatment suppressed ghrelin-induced enhancement of the insulin secretion. In conclusion, ghrelin has an inhibitory and stimulatory role in glucose-induced insulin secretion via GHS-R1a in fasting- and meal-fed state respectively.