bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Circulating Adiponectin Levels and Expression of Adiponectin Receptors in Relation to Lung Cancer: Two Case-Control Studies
Authors: Petridou Eleni T. , Mitsiades Nicholas , Gialamas Spyros , Angelopoulos Miltiadis , Skalkidou Alkistis , Dessypris Nick , Hsi Alex , Lazaris Nikolaos , Polyzos Aristidis , Syrigos Constantinos , Brennan Aoife M. , Tseleni-Balafouta Sofia , Mantzoros Christos S.
Published: April 2008

Background: Decreased circulating levels of adiponectin, an adipocyte-secreted hormone and endogenous insulin sensitizer, have been associated with several obesity-related malignancies. Thiazolidinedione administration, which increases adiponectin levels, decreases risk for lung cancer. Whether circulating adiponectin levels are associated with lung cancer and/or whether adiponectin receptors are expressed in lung cancer remains unknown. Methods: We conducted a case-control study of 85 patients with incidental, histologically confirmed lung cancer and 170 healthy controls matched by gender and age. In a separate study, archival lung specimens from 134 cancerous and 8 noncancerous tissues were examined for relative expression of adiponectin receptors AdipoR1 and AdipoR2 using immunohistochemistry. Results: Tobacco smoking, heavy alcohol intake and education were all associated with lung cancer risk, whereas serum adiponectin levels were not significantly different between cases and controls (multiple logistic regression, odds ratio per SD of adiponectin among controls: 1.13, 95% confidence interval: 0.64–2.02). Adiponectin levels were significantly lower (odds ratio: 0.25, 95% confidence interval: 0.10–0.78) among patients with advanced compared to those with limited disease stage. Expression of adiponectin receptors was apparent only in the cancerous lung tissue (64.2% AdipoR1 and 61.9% AdipoR2 in cancerous vs. 0% among noncancerous tissue). Specifically, AdipoR1 was expressed in all disease types, but no difference was noted with disease stage, whereas AdipoR2 was mainly expressed in the non-small cell carcinomas and more prominently in the advanced disease stage (80%). Conclusions: Circulating adiponectin levels are not different in cases of this malignancy – which seems to be unrelated to obesity and insulin resistance – compared to their healthy controls, though hormonal levels were significantly lower in advanced versus limited lung cancer. Both adiponectin receptors were expressed in cancerous lung tissue, but not in normal control tissue and there was a differential expression by disease stage. These findings should be further explored, especially in the context of the recently reported protective effect of thiazolidinediones in diabetic patients with lung cancer.
Rapid Manifestation of CNS Metastatic Disease in a Cervical Carcinoma Patient: A Case Report
Authors: Brown III John V. , Epstein Howard D. , Kim Richard , Micha John P. , Rettenmaier Mark A. , Mattison Julie A. , Goldstein Bram H.
Published: April 2008

Objectives: Brain metastases originating from primary cervical carcinoma are very rare. Despite surgery and adjuvant therapy, patient prognosis is extremely unfavorable. Prior studies have reported that the median time from the primary disease’s diagnosis to development of CNS metastases is approximately 18 months. Case Report: A 60-year-old woman was initially diagnosed and treated for FIGO clinical stage IB2 cervical carcinoma in March 2007. She underwent a radical hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy and peri-aortic lymphadenectomy. Two weeks later, the patient presented with dysmetria and homonymous hemianopsia, which was related to a large right occipital CNS metastasis. The patient had surgery to resect the brain tumor and then received Gamma Knife stereotactic radiosurgery and chemotherapy. The neurological deficits were resolved and the patient’s disease status has since remained stable, with five months of follow-up. Conclusion: The incidence of brain metastases originating from primary cervical carcinoma is very rare. Furthermore, the occurrence of CNS metastatic disease manifesting itself within a couple weeks following diagnosis of the primary disease is even more unusual. Since the presenting symptoms of CNS metastatic disease are not well characterized and patient prognosis is very poor, oncology physicians should anticipate the presence of this condition in order to provide prompt and comprehensive treatment.
The Role of Science in Environmental Governance: Competing Knowledge Producers in Swedish and Norwegian Forestry
Authors: Gulbrandsen Lars H.
Published: April 2008

This article explores the influence of scientific knowledge in rule-making processes to enhance environmental protection in Swedish and Norwegian forestry. It examines the mapping and protection of small reserves; the development of plans for protection of large reserves; and rule-setting in voluntary forest certification schemes. The analysis shows that Sweden has enacted more stringent environmental protection policies on all measures examined. Whereas variation in the state of knowledge about environmental protection needs does not explain these differences, variation in the access to the science-policy dialogue and in the distribution of costs and benefits in the forestry sector does help explain the differences in the stringency of Norwegian and Swedish forest policy. I conclude that the influence of knowledge depends on the process by which it is created. Although scientific information usually has little influence when strong economic counter-forces are involved in the decision-making process, this problem can be ameliorated by facilitating processes of coproduction of knowledge among scientific experts, practitioners, and decision-makers.
Where and When It Hurts Most: The Theology of Hope and Accompaniment in the Context of HIV and Aids in Marriage and Family Life
Authors: Mashau
Published: April 2008

The reality and effects of HIV and Aids are enormous and devastating, i.e. marriages are broken, the married are widowed and children become orphans. This has direct impact in the church's life in that some of the people infected and affected by the spread of HIV and Aids are members of the global church. In most cases these people are rejected and judged by the church without realising that the church is rejecting its own. Metaphorically speaking the church of God is HIV positive whenever one of its own is positive. The main question that this paper addresses is: what is it to become a church when and where the effects of HIV and Aids shake marriages and families? What should be the response of the church in the light of the scourge that she faces? This paper proposes a theology of hope and accompaniment that seeks to stand in solidarity with those infected and affected by HIV and Aids thereby providing them with hope that enables them deal with the present as they wait eagerly for the future.
'Hawks and Doves': The Impact of Operation Murambatsvina on Johane Marange Apostolic Church in Zimbabwe
Authors: Sibanda Fortune , Makahamadze Tompson , Maposa Richard Shadreck
Published: April 2008

The paper discusses the socio-economic and religious impact of Operation Murambatsvina on Johane Marange Apostolic Church in Masvingo, a city and Zvishavane, a mining town. It adopts a comparative approach in order to demonstrate the extent to which this phenomenon impacted on the religious and socio-economic activities of this movement in the two urban centres. While the majority of the church members were negatively affected, there are some who unintentionally benefited from this operation. The church was threatened numerically and theologically as some members were forced to translocate to rural areas. It is argued that in spite of the continued disruptions by the government and municipal authorities, the Vapositori of Marange continue to operate their informal business and missionary activities without necessarily compromising their traditions. The paper uses the 'hawks and doves' metaphor to demonstrate the relationship between the marauding government and municipal police and the vulnerable Vapositori during and in the post-Murambatsvina era.
Aristotle and the Problem of Human Knowledge
Authors: Wians William
Published: April 2008

I shall argue that, according to Aristotle, the knowledge we may attain is profoundly qualified by our status as human knowers. Throughout the corpus, Aristotle maintains a separation of knowledge at the broadest level into two kinds, human and divine. The separation is not complete—human knowers may enjoy temporarily what god or the gods enjoy on a continuous basis; but the division expresses a fact about humanity's place in the cosmos, one that imposes strict conditions on what we may know, with what degree of certainty, and in what areas. While passages bearing on human knowledge are familiar, looking at them collectively and in comparison with certain other well known Aristotelian doctrines may significantly affect how we understand the goals of his philosophy and why our hopes for reaching them must be limited.
Statistical Analyses of Satellite Cloud Object Data from CERES. Part IV: Boundary Layer Cloud Objects during 1998 El Niño
Authors: Xu Kuan-Man , Wong Takmeng , Wielicki Bruce A. , Parker Lindsay
Published: April 2008

Three boundary layer cloud object types—overcast, stratocumulus, and cumulus—that occurred over the Pacific Ocean during January–August 1998 are identified from the Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES) single scanner footprint data. Characteristics of each cloud object type matched with atmospheric states are examined for large regions in the tropics and subtropics and for different size categories. Stratocumulus cloud objects dominate the entire boundary layer cloud population in all regions and size categories. Overcast cloud objects, which have the largest average size, are more prevalent in the subtropics and near the coastal regions, while cumulus cloud objects are prevalent over the open oceans and the equatorial regions, particularly within the small-size categories. Cloud objects with equivalent diameters less than 75 km are excluded in the analysis.

The differences between the tropical and subtropical statistical distributions of cloud properties are small for liquid water path (LWP), cloud optical depth, and top-of-the-atmosphere (TOA) albedo, but large for cloud-top temperature and outgoing longwave radiation (OLR), for each of the three cloud object types. The larger cloud objects have higher LWPs, cloud optical depths, TOA albedos, and OLRs, but lower SSTs and cloud-top heights for the stratocumulus and overcast types. Lower-tropospheric stability seems to be the primary factor for the differences in the distributions of cloud physical properties between the regions or between the size categories. Atmospheric dynamics also play a role in determining the differences in the distributions of cloud physical properties between the size categories, but not a significant role for those between the types or between the regions. The latter may be due to uncertainties in the matched vertical velocity data. When the three cloud object types are combined in small regions, lower-tropospheric stability determines the transition of boundary layer cloud types along a Pacific transect. The proportion of each type is the most important factor for diagnosing the combined cloud properties along this transect, such as LWP, cloud optical depth, and TOA albedo. Atmospheric dynamics also play complicated roles in determining the combined cloud properties along this transect.
Gulf Stream and ENSO Increase the Temperature Sensitivity of Atlantic Tropical Cyclones
Authors: Moore J. C. , Grinsted A. , Jevrejeva S.
Published: April 2008

Controversy exists over the role of the recent rise in sea surface temperatures (SST) and the frequency of tropical cyclones or hurricanes. Here, 135 yr of observational records are used to demonstrate how sea surface temperature, sea level pressure, and cyclone numbers are linked. A novel wavelet-lag coherence method is used to study cause and effect relations over a large space of time scales, phase lags, and periods. It is found that SST and cyclones are not merely correlated, but are in a negative feedback loop, where rising SST causes increased numbers of cyclones, which reduce SST. This is statistically most significant at decadal and not at longer periods, which is contrary to expectations if long-period natural cycles are important in driving cyclone numbers. Spatial relationships are examined using phase-aware teleconnections, which at the dominant decadal period show the in-phase behavior of the Atlantic SST in the Gulf Stream region, reflecting the role of the transportion of heat northward from the tropical Atlantic. At 5-yr periods there is significant coherence when SST leads cyclones by 2 yr, and this is associated with tropical ENSO activity such that, as predicted, increasing numbers of El Niños cause fewer Atlantic cyclones. The pattern of coherence existing since 1970 strongly favors the decadal coherence band, and despite growing coherence at higher frequencies, there is none at the 5-yr band, perhaps explaining why the observed sensitivity between SST and cyclones is larger than that from general circulation model (GCM) predictions and becoming greater.
Effects of Convective Momentum Transport on the Atmospheric Circulation in the Community Atmosphere Model, Version 3
Authors: Richter Jadwiga H. , Rasch Philip J.
Published: April 2008

Transport of momentum by convection is an important process affecting global circulation. Owing to the lack of global observations, the quantification of the impact of this process on the tropospheric climate is difficult. Here an implementation of two convective momentum transport parameterizations, presented by Schneider and Lindzen and Gregory et al., in the Community Atmosphere Model, version 3 (CAM3) is presented, and their effect on global climate is examined in detail. An analysis of the tropospheric zonal momentum budget reveals that convective momentum transport affects tropospheric climate mainly through changes to the Coriolis torque. These changes result in improvement of the representation of the Hadley circulation: in December–February, the upward branch of the circulation is weakened in the Northern Hemisphere and strengthened in the Southern Hemisphere, and the lower northerly branch is weakened. In June–August, similar improvements are noted. The inclusion of convective momentum transport in CAM3 reduces many of the model’s biases in the representation of surface winds, as well as in the representation of tropical convection. In an annual mean, the tropical easterly bias, subtropical westerly bias, and the bias in the 60°S jet are improved. Representation of convection is improved along the equatorial belt with decreased precipitation in the Indian Ocean and increased precipitation in the western Pacific. The improvements of the representation of tropospheric climate are greater with the implementation of the Schneider and Lindzen parameterization.
Summertime Evolution of Decadal Sea Surface Temperature Anomalies in the Midlatitude North Pacific
Authors: Mochizuki Takashi , Awaji Toshiyuki
Published: April 2008

To clarify the summertime evolution of decadal sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies and related physical processes in the midlatitudes of the North Pacific, numerical solutions of a three-dimensional bulk mixed layer model are analyzed, focusing on the contribution of the net shortwave radiative forcing at the sea surface. A quantitative heat budget analysis for the ocean mixed layer relating to late-1980s decadal SST change reveals that the decadal SST anomalies decay from late spring to early summer over the entire midlatitudes of the North Pacific. This quasi-seasonal decay of the decadal SST anomalies is controlled by an anomalous local thermal damping (i.e., anomalous surface heat fluxes). From midsummer to early autumn the anomalous net shortwave radiation flux associated with a meridional shift of the storm track acts to induce strong seasonal damping of the decadal SST anomaly in the northern Kuroshio–Oyashio Extension region. In contrast, in the north of the subtropical frontal region, the net shortwave radiation flux anomaly, which results from changes in low-level stratiform cloud cover, plays a major role in seasonally enhancing the decadal SST anomaly. Consequently, the SST anomalies formed by these radiative forcings cause significant variations in the local thermal damping rate at the sea surface over the period from late summer to early autumn.
Mechanisms of Global Warming Impacts on Robustness of Tropical Precipitation Asymmetry
Authors: Tan Pei-Hua , Chou Chia , Tu Jien-Yi
Published: April 2008

Hemispherically and temporally asymmetric tropical precipitation responses to global warming are evaluated in 13 different coupled atmosphere–ocean climate model simulations. In the late boreal summer, hemispherical averages of the tropical precipitation anomalies from the multimodel ensemble show a strong positive trend in the Northern Hemisphere and a weak negative trend in the Southern Hemisphere. In the late austral summer, on the other hand, the trends are reversed. This implies that the summer hemisphere becomes wetter and the winter hemisphere becomes a little drier in the tropics. Thus, the seasonal range of tropical precipitation, differences between wet and dry seasons, is increased. Zonal averages of the precipitation anomalies from the multimodel ensemble also reveal a meridional movement, which basically follows the seasonal migration of the main convection zone. Similar asymmetric features can be found in all 13 climate model simulations used in this study. Based on the moisture budget analysis, the vertical moisture advection associated with mean circulation is the main contribution for the robustness of the asymmetric distribution of the tropical precipitation anomalies. Under global warming, tropospheric water vapor increases as the temperature rises and most enhanced water vapor is in the lower troposphere. The ascending motion of the Hadley circulation then transports more water vapor upward, that is, anomalous moisture convergence, and enhances precipitation over the main convection zones. On the other hand, the thermodynamic effect associated with the descending motion of the Hadley circulation, that is, anomalous moisture divergence, reduces the precipitation over the descending regions.
“What Are You and Where Are You From?”
Authors: Dutro Elizabeth , Kazemi Elham , Balf Ruth , Lin Yih-Sheue
Published: April 2008

Although most educators would agree that enacting cultural relevance in the classroom is always a complex process, we have too few examples in the research literature of what that complexity looks like and how it plays out in highly diverse classrooms. Drawing on a range of qualitative data sources, this case study examines how one teacher's interpretation of culturally relevant pedagogy bumped up against children's ideas about their own and others' cultural and racial positionings in an elementary classroom where both cultural background and race varied. The authors argue that it is vital for teachers and researchers to consider cases such as this if we are to better understand and respond to the complexities of substantively engaging children in issues of culture and race in diverse public school communities.
Reducible and Nonsensical Uses of Game Theory
Authors: de Bruin Boudewijn
Published: April 2008

The mathematical tools of game theory are frequently used in the social sciences and economic consultancy. But how do they explain social phenomena and support prescriptive judgments? And is the use of game theory really necessary? I analyze the logical form of explanatory and prescriptive game theoretical statements, and argue for two claims: (1) explanatory game theory can and should be reduced to rational choice theory in all cases; and (2) prescriptive game theory gives bad advice in some cases, is reducible to rational choice theory in other cases, while it makes no sense in yet other cases.
Population Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Analysis of Pegloticase in Subjects With Hyperuricemia and Treatment‐Failure Gout
Authors: Yue Corinne Seng , Huang William , Alton Michelle , Maroli Allan N. , Waltrip Royce W. , Wright David , Di Marco Marika
Published: April 2008

Pegloticase is designed to convert urate into the easily excretable allantoin to treat hyperuricemia in gout. The aim of this analysis was to describe the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of pegloticase in 40 gout patients. Pegloticase was administered as intravenous infusions every 2 weeks at 4‐ and 8‐mg doses or every 4 weeks at 8‐ or 12‐mg doses for 12 weeks. Serum pegloticase concentrations, plasma urate, and serum antibody response were determined. Population pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics analyses were performed. Data were modeled simultaneously, and covariates were investigated (age, gender, race, body weight, ideal body weight, and antibody response). The dosing regimens to maintain uric acid levels below the therapeutic target of 6 mg/dL were then predicted by the model. The pharmacokinetics were best described by a 1‐compartment linear model, while the pharmacodynamics model was fitted as a direct effect of pegloticase on uric acid concentrations with a suppressive maximum effect attributed to drug (Emax) function. Pegloticase suppressed uric acid levels up to 83%. Weight only affected clearance and volume of distribution. No covariates affected pharmacodynamics. Simulation suggests pegloticase administered at 8 mg every 2 or 4 weeks as 2‐hour intravenous infusions will maintain uric acid levels well under 6 mg/dL.
A Push or a Punch
Authors: Eriksen Shelley , Jensen Vickie
Published: April 2008

Sibling violence is the most prevalent and least studied form of family violence, and little research has examined differences based on severity. This research examines more severe versus less severe forms of sibling violence. Using a subsample of married couples with two or more children ages 0 to 17 drawn from the 1976 National Survey of Physical Violence in American Families, the authors employ Conflict Tactics Scale items for child-to-child conflict to construct a measure of sibling violence severity. Drawing from several theoretical perspectives on family violence and peer aggression, the authors analyze the impact of macro-system variables, family stress and resources, and family subsystems on less severe and more severe sibling violence. Contextual factors are most important in explaining less severe sibling violence. Experience of parental violence and unpredictability are individual factors relevant to severe sibling violence. More research is needed to examine the etiology and impact of different forms of sibling violence.
Czech Diplomacy: Challenges and Opportunities
Authors: Murphy Roger
Published: April 2008

This article examines changes in the structure and operation of the Czech Republic Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) after the collapse of communism through its entry into the European Union. Like all foreign ministries, the MFA must adapt to the changing nature of diplomacy, where the distinction between foreign policy and domestic policy has become increasingly blurred. The MFA must compete in a more crowded foreign policy-making environment. However, the MFA has also been transformed by the collapse of communism. The ministry has been purged and forced to reevaluate its operations, goals, and institutional culture. This article evaluates the success of the MFA in meeting these significant challenges, and compares these reforms to the reforms of other ministries in the Czech Republic and other foreign ministries.
The Serbian Radical Party in the 2004 Local Elections
Authors: Konitzer Andrew
Published: April 2008

This study examines the factors that contributed to the success of the Serbian Radical Party (SRS) during Serbia's September 2004 local elections. Understanding the factors behind the SRS's success is important, both for the future of local government in an increasingly decentralized Serbia, and for electoral politics at the national level. Through quantitative analyses of election results across 160 localities and drawing from evidence gathered from interviews, media reports, and various analytical sources, the study demonstrates that a combination of new electoral laws, turnout levels, proportions of refugees and minorities, economic factors, and divisions amongst democratic bloc parties all contributed to variation in SRS success across Serbia's localities.
Party Patronage in Poland
Authors: Gwiazda Anna
Published: April 2008

Patronage is central to Polish party politics. The power of a governing party to appoint its supporters to positions in public and semi-public spheres will be examined in this paper. The two governments under investigation are: the center—left coalition government of the Democratic Left Alliance, the Labour Union, and the Polish Peasant Party formed in October 2001 and the center—right minority government of the Law and Justice party formed in October 2005. A significant extent of party patronage was expected in the case of the Democratic Left Alliance, which confirmed a dominant party thesis. However, in the case of Law and Justice, party patronage was expected to be hindered by party competition. This has not been the case, which challenges two arguments put forward by Grzymała-Busse that the dispersion of parliamentary power constrains party patronage and that in Poland the general pattern is that of decreasing rent-seeking.
Accessibility of Public Accommodations in Three Ethnic Minority Communities
Authors: Hernandez Brigida , McCullough Sarah , Balcazar Fabricio E. , Keys Christopher
Published: April 2008

This study assessed compliance with the public accommodations provisions (Title III) of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Title III of the ADA requires the removal of physical, procedural, and attitudinal barriers that prohibit people with disabilities from entering public establishments and accessing their goods and services. The physical accessibility of 90 establishments located in three ethnic minority communities was assessed. Following each assessment, ADA information and feedback were presented to business owners and managers in either English or Spanish. Results revealed that 23 (25.6%) were fully accessible, 43 (47.8%) were accessible with minor assistance, and 24 (26.7%) were inaccessible with minor assistance. Establishments identified as for-profit tended to be more accessible than those identified as not-for-profit. Overall, findings indicate that much work remains to improve the ADA compliance of places open to the public.
To Discipline a “Dog”: The Essential Structure of Mastering Diabetes
Authors: Ingadottir Brynja , Halldorsdottir Sigridur
Published: April 2008

In this article we describe the findings of a study in which the essential structure of mastering diabetes was explored from the patient's viewpoint, emphasizing the lived experience of adhering and not adhering to a complex treatment regimen for diabetes.
Coping With Grief
Authors: Heath Melissa Allen , Leavy Deon , Hansen Kristina , Ryan Katherine , Lawrence Lacey , Gerritsen Sonntag Amy
Published: April 2008

This article provides basic information for school-based mental health professionals, teachers, staff, and administrators to support students coping with grief, and more specifically, grief related to death. The information is consolidated into guidelines and key points in providing support; suggested children's books and activities; Web sites with additional resources, information, and handouts for parents and teachers; and a list of key readings further explaining how children understand and cope with grief.
Implementing CRA With Secondary Students With Learning Disabilities in Mathematics
Authors: Witzel Bradley S. , Riccomini Paul J. , Schneider Elke
Published: April 2008

Students with learning disabilities struggle to acquire essential mathematical concepts and skills, especially at the secondary level. One effective approach to improving secondary math performance supported by research is the concrete-to-representational-to-abstract (CRA) sequence of instruction. Although CRA is an evidenced-based instructional practice, it is somewhat complicated for teachers to implement in their day-to-day instruction.To better assist implementation of the CRA, an instructional approach with the mnemonic CRA-MATH was developed as a flexible roadmap to help math teachers better address student deficits using the CRA sequence of instruction. The purpose of this article is to describe the seven-step strategy used to guide curricular CRA modifications in secondary mathematics.
Cancer risk and impact of disease-modifying treatments in patients with multiple sclerosis
Authors: Lebrun Christine , Debouverie Marc , Vermersch Patrick , Clavelou Pierre , Rumbach Lucien , de Seze Jérôme , Wiertlevski Sandrine , Defer Gilles , Gout Olivier , Berthier Frédéric , Danzon Arlette
Published: April 2008

Background Prior to the era of immunomodulating or immunosuppressive (IS) treatments Multiple Sclerosis (MS) was linked to reduced rates of cancer.

Method A descriptive study of MS patients with a documented oncological event was performed. From 1 January 1995 to 30 June 2006, we collected and studied the profile of 7418 MS patients gathered from nine French MS centers. We evaluated the incidence of cancer in a Cancer Risk In MS Cohort.

Results Thirty one patients (1.75%) with confirmed MS had a history of cancer: mean age at MS diagnosis of 37.9 years and a mean age at cancer diagnosis of 46.4 years. The most frequent cancers were breast (34.5%), gynecological (12.5%), skin (10.2%), acute leukemia and lymphoma (5.9%), digestive (8.8%), kidney and bladder (5.1%), lung (3.4%) and central nervous system (3%). Calculated standardized incidence rates were 0.29 (0.17—0.45) for men and 0.53 (0.42—0.66) for women. The incidence of cancer in this MS population was lower than that expected for the general population. Matched to age, gender and histology, cancers in MS were associated with a young age and exposure to IS treatments. When considering all patients, treated patients had a 3-fold higher risk of developing cancer, if they had a history of IS ( P = 0.0035). For treated patients, the cancer sites were more likely the breast, the urinary tract, the digestive system and the skin.

Conclusion Our data suggest that MS patients do not have an increased risk of cancer. Rather for several types of cancer a significantly reduced risk was observed, except for breast cancer in women treated with IS. The relative increased risk of breast cancer in MS women under IS treatment warrants further attention. Multiple Sclerosis 2008; 14: 399—405. http://msj.sagepub.com
The Impact of Breast Scarring on Perceptions of Attractiveness
Authors: Ogden Jane , Lindridge Lauren
Published: April 2008

This study explored whether breast scarring following a lumpectomy generated negative judgements using an experimental between subjects factorial design. Eight images of women varying in terms of breast scarring (present vs. absent), beauty (average vs. high) and celebrity (as a proxy for familiarity; present vs. absent) were rated by 232 participants. The results showed that scarring resulted in lower ratings of attractiveness and self esteem and higher ratings of femininity. Scarred celebrities were judged as particularly unattractive. Women's assumption that they will be judged more harshly following breast cancer surgery maybe reflected in the actual ratings of others.
Ways of Coping and Perceived Stress in Women with Spinal Cord Injury
Authors: Lequerica Anthony H. , Forschheimer Martin , Tate Denise G. , Roller Sunny , Toussaint Loren
Published: April 2008

Using a cross-sectional design, this research aimed to assess whether a three-factor model of Positive Reappraisal, Escape-Avoidance, and Seeking Social Support based on the Ways of Coping Questionnaire (WOCQ) appropriately depicts coping within a sample of women with spinal cord injury (SCI). Forty-four community-dwelling women with spinal cord injury were interviewed from two urban rehabilitation facilities in the Midwestern United States. The main outcome measures used were the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and the WOCQ. The Positive Reappraisal, Escape-Avoidance, and Seeking Social Support scales of the WOCQ significantly accounted for variance in perceived stress. These three scales appear to be most relevant to perceived stress in women with SCI. Implications for coping research in this population are discussed.
Correlates of Self-efficacy among Rural Smokers
Authors: Berg Carla J. , Sanderson Cox Lisa , Mahnken Jonathan D. , Greiner K. Allen , Ellerbeck Edward F.
Published: April 2008

Self-efficacy has been related to intent to stop smoking, abstinence success, and risk for relapse. Because limited research exists regarding self-efficacy among rural smokers, the current study examined correlates of self-efficacy among rural primary care patients smoking ≥10 cigarettes per day. Participants completed a telephone survey assessing demographics, smoking history, and psychosocial variables (e.g. motivation, depression). Among the 750 participants, lower self-efficacy was correlated with high depression scores, shorter previous abstinence, lower autonomous motivation, younger age, higher nicotine dependence, readiness to quit, and being female. Future studies should examine the potential to improve self-efficacy by addressing depression and autonomous motivation.
Romantic Relationships and Eating Regulation
Authors: Markey Charlotte N. , Gomel Jessica N. , Markey Patrick M.
Published: April 2008

The current study examines eating regulation in the context of romantic relationships. One hundred and four heterosexual couples provided information about their weight, satisfaction with their partners' bodies, weight concerns, healthy dieting behaviors, and attempts to regulate their partners' eating behaviors. Results indicated that women were more likely to monitor their partners' eating behaviors than were men. Both men and women who attempted to regulate their partners' eating behaviors tended to have relatively heavy partners and tended to be dissatisfied with their partners' bodies. However, only women's attempts to regulate men's eating behaviors were associated with men's weight concerns and healthy dieting behaviors.
The Effects of Unmitigated Communion and Life Events among Women with Fibromyalgia Syndrome
Authors: Nagurney Alexander J.
Published: April 2008

This study examined the effects of the personality trait of unmitigated communion (UC) within the context of positive and negative relationship events. Ninety-one women diagnosed with fibromyalgia syndrome completed initial measures of UC as well as weekly measures of positive and negative relationship events and positive and negative affect. Positive events were related to positive affect while negative events were related to negative affect. Negative and positive affect were also predicted from the interaction of UC and negative events. These results suggest the interrelationships among UC and relationship events can combine in meaningful ways to predict psychological well-being.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in Male Gulf War Veterans and Civilians
Authors: Ciccone Donald S. , Weissman Lois , Natelson Benjamin H.
Published: April 2008

Different modes of fatigue onset in male Gulf War veterans versus male civilians raise the possibility that chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) may not be a single disease entity. We addressed this issue by comparing 45 male veterans with CFS to 84 male civilians who satisfied identical case criteria. All were evaluated for fibromyalgia (FM), multiple chemical sensitivity and psychiatric comorbidity. CFS was more likely to present in a sudden flu-like manner in civilians than veterans ( p < .01) and comorbid FM was more prevalent in civilians ( p < .01). These findings question the assumption that all patients with CFS suffer from the same underlying disorder.
Law, society, and capital punishment in Asia
Authors: Zimring Franklin E. , Johnson David T.
Published: April 2008

Students of capital punishment need to study Asia, the site of at least 85 percent and as many as 95 percent of the world's executions. This article explores the varieties of Asian capital punishment in two complementary ways. Cross-sectionally, the impression of uniformity that comes from classifying 95 percent of the population of Asia as living in executing states breaks down when closer attention is paid to the character of capital punishment policy within retentionist nations. Temporally, the general trajectory of capital punishment in the Asian region seems downward (though generalizations about patterns in this part of the world are undermined by significant data problems). Asia is also a useful territory for testing the generality of theories of capital punishment based on European experience. Looking forward, Japan and South Korea, two developed nations in Asia that still retain the death penalty, may indicate what other Asian nations are likely to do as they develop. Ultimately, Asia either will become a major staging area for world-wide abolition or the campaign against capital punishment will fail to achieve global status.
The death penalty and society in contemporary China
Authors: Wang Yunhai
Published: April 2008

Why are death penalty provisions, convictions and executions so prevalent in China? This article aims to answer this question by way of defining China as a 'state power' based society characterized by a socialist social system. The prevalence of the death penalty in China can be explained in terms of the following factors: first, the death penalty is a political issue of state power; second, the death penalty is a crucial part of criminal policy in a 'state power'-based society; third, the issue of whether to retain the death penalty is a political rather than a legal matter. The Chinese government has improved its death penalty system in recent years; however, the situation has not fundamentally changed. The future of death penalty policy and practice in China will depend primarily on legal rather than democratic developments. The death penalty serves as a focal point that can help illuminate issues of punishment and society in East Asia. Accordingly, this article will elaborate my theories regarding the death penalty in contemporary China, with the primary intent of elucidating the relationship between punishment and society in China.
From seventy-eight to zero
Authors: Liao Fort Fu-Te
Published: April 2008

This article examines, from a legal perspective, why executions in Taiwan declined from 78 in 1990 to zero in 2006. The inquiry focuses on three considerations: the number of laws that authorized employment of the death penalty; the code of criminal procedure; and the manner in which executions were carried out, including the manner in which amnesty was granted. The article argues that the ratification of international covenants and constitutional interpretations did not play a significant role in the decline, and that several factors that did play a role included the annulment or amendment of laws, changes in criminal procedure, establishment of and further amendments to guidelines for execution and two laws for reducing sentences. This article maintains that the absence of executions in 2006 is a unique situation that will not last because some inmates remain on death row, meaning that executions in Taiwan will continue unless the death penalty is abolished. However, the article concludes that the guarantee of the utmost human right, the right to life, can be sustained in Taiwan through the demands of democratic majority rule.
Journalism education crossing national boundaries
Authors: Terzis George
Published: April 2008

The article first introduces the concept of mainstreaming binary oppositions in reporting the `other', and the recent debate on media peacebuilding interventions, and then describes the organization, realization and evaluation of three joint journalism training workshops with Greek and Turkish students from the main university departments of communication of the two countries. The workshops were organized by the international non-governmental organization (NGO), Search for Common Ground, with funding from the European Commission, the Council of Europe and the USAID office in Ankara, and took place in both Greece and Turkey during the years 2000-2003. The results of this research places such peacebuilding journalism education interventions in the context of the professional culture and the other social determinants of journalism (McNair, 1998), and argues for a more holistic approach to media peacebuilding interventions, which would include the other market, political, professional and public aspects of media governance.
Nonparametric Bayesian modelling for item response
Authors: Duncan Kristin A , MacEachern Steven N
Published: April 2008

Item response theory is widely used in standardized testing to model the relationship between test takers’ unobserved ability levels and their responses to items on the test. Item characteristic curves give the probability of a correct response to an item as a function of ability and are most often modelled with logistic curves. In this paper we demonstrate how to model the item characteristic curve with nonparametric Bayesian methods through the use of Dirichlet process priors and present a complementary model in which the ability distribution is modelled nonparametrically while the item characteristic curves are logistic. We compare the nonparametric models with the two-parameter logistic Bayesian model on data from an exam in an introductory statistics course. We find that the nonparametric curve model produces significantly different item characteristic curves for a few of the items and that the corresponding ability estimates also change substantially for some individuals.
Multivariate mixtures of Polya trees for modeling ROC data
Authors: Hanson Timothy E , Branscum Adam J , Gardner Ian A
Published: April 2008

Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves provide a graphical measure of diagnostic test accuracy. Because ROC curves are determined using the distributions of diagnostic test outcomes for noninfected and infected populations, there is an increasing trend to develop flexible models for these component distributions. We present methodology for joint nonparametric estimation of several ROC curves from multivariate serologic data. We develop an empirical Bayes approach that allows for arbitrary noninfected and infected component distributions that are modelled using Bayesian multivariate mixtures of finite Polya trees priors. Robust, data-driven inferences forROCcurves and the area under the curve are obtained, and a straightforward method for testing a Dirichlet process versus a more general Polya tree model is presented. Computational challenges can arise when using Polya trees to model large multivariate data sets that exhibit clustering. We discuss and implement practical procedures for addressing these obstacles, which are applied to bivariate data used to evaluate the performances of two ELISA tests for detection of Johne's disease.
Surgical Complications in a Hemophilia Patient With Factor VIII Inhibitor and Their Endovascular Management
Authors: Sadat Umar , Naik Jag , Hayes Paul D.
Published: April 2008

Hemophilia, an X-linked disorder due to clotting factors VIII or IX deficiency, is associated with recurrent hemorrhage into joints, soft tissue, and organs. Recombinant factor VIII concentrates are available for the treatment of bleeding complications. However, inhibitors to factor VIII develop in 25% to 35% of patients with severe hemophilia A, making the management of bleeding episodes more complex. The treatment of unusual metachronous ruptured aneurysms in a patient with hemophilia A with factor VIII inhibitor is presented, and the outcomes of endovascular and open operations are discussed.
Type I NKT cells protect (and type II NKT cells suppress) the host's innate antitumor immune response to a B-cell lymphoma
Authors: Renukaradhya Gourapura J. , Khan Masood A. , Vieira Marcus , Du Wenjun , Gervay-Hague Jacquelyn , Brutkiewicz Randy R.
Published: April 2008

Natural killer T (NKT) cells are a T-cell subpopulation known to possess immunoregulatory functions and recognize CD1d molecules. The majority of NKT cells express an invariant T-cell receptor (TCR) α chain rearrangement (Vα14Jα18 in mice; Vα24Jα18 in humans) and are called type I NKT cells; all other NKT cells are type II. In the current study, we have analyzed the roles for these NKT-cell subsets in the host's innate antitumor response against a murine B-cell lymphoma model in vivo. In tumor-bearing mice, we found that type I NKT cells conferred protection in a CD1d-dependent manner, whereas type II NKT cells exhibited inhibitory activity. Pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines secreted by splenocytes from tumor-bearing mice correlated with tumor progression. Myeloid cells (CD11b+Gr1+) were present in large numbers at the tumor site and in the spleen of tumor-bearing type I NKT–deficient mice, suggesting that antitumor immunosurveillance was inhibited by CD11b+Gr1+ cells. Overall, these data suggest that there are distinct roles for NKT-cell subsets in response to a B-cell lymphoma in vivo, pointing to potential novel targets to be exploited in immunotherapeutic approaches against blood cancers.
Systematic Survey of Therapeutic Trials for Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: Room for Improvement in the Critical Pathway
Authors: Kopetz Scott , Overman Michael , Chang David Z. , Glover Katrina Y. , Shureiqi Imad , Wolff Robert A. , Abbruzzese James L. , Eng Cathy
Published: April 2008

Purpose

The current strategy of drug development has been criticized as being highly inefficient. In 2004, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released recommendations to improve this process, including a push for increased use of enrichment trials. It is unclear to what extent aspects of this “Critical Path Initiative” have been adopted in trial designs in metastatic colorectal cancer.

Methods

A systematic review was conducted of actively enrolling treatment trials in metastatic colorectal cancer. Trials were identified from the National Cancer Institute's clinicaltrials.gov and Investigative Drug Branch databases. Trials were categorized based on the number of prior treatments allowed, phase of the trial, agent mechanism of action, and FDA approval status of agents under investigation.

Results

One hundred two trials are enrolling, with a combined enrollment goal of more than 20,000 patients. Thirteen percent of trials investigated an agent not yet FDA-approved for any oncology indication. The most common study design was a phase II study limited to previously untreated patients; compared with the remaining trials, these phase II trials were more than 10 times more likely to only use agents FDA-approved for colorectal cancer. Three percent of patients were enrolled onto trials enriched for tumor characteristics that were hypothesized to improve clinical benefit.

Conclusion

Current clinical trials for metastatic colorectal cancer are deficient in the investigation of agents directed at a novel therapeutic target, overuse phase II studies of FDA-approved agents, and fail to incorporate enrichment trial designs as encouraged by the FDA initiative.