bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of NF-κB Constitutive Activation on Proliferation and Apoptosis of Gastric Cancer Cell Lines
Authors: Li Q. , Yu Y.-Y. , Zhu Z.-G. , Ji Y.-B. , Zhang Y. , Liu B.-Y. , Chen X.-H. , Lin Y.-Z.
Published: May 2005

Objective: To observe whether there is constitutive activation of nuclear transcription factor ĸB (NF-ĸB) and its effect on proliferation and apoptosis of human gastric cancer cell lines. Methods: Nuclear/cytoplasmic protein expression of NF-ĸB was analyzed by Western blot in four different gastric cancer cell lines. Trans AMTM NF-ĸB p65 Kit was used for detecting the difference of p65 activity. The effect of PDTC (pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate), a specific inhibitor of NF-ĸB on the proliferation of gastric cancer cells, was measured by MTT (3-[4,5-dimethythiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) method. The apoptotic rates of AGS and SGC-7901 gastric cancer cell lines were measured with flow cytometer (FCM) after treatment by PDTC. Results: The constitutive activations of NF-ĸB were identified in four gastric cancer cell lines. The expression of activated subunit of p50 was lower in AGS cell line, and higher in MKN28, MKN45 and SGC-7901 cell lines. The expression of activated subunit of p65 was lower in MKN28 and MKN45 cell lines, and higher in AGS and SGC-7901 cell lines. Both the activity of NF-ĸB and the cell proliferation were significantly inhibited in experimental group treated by PDTC, compared with control groups (p < 0.01). An increased apoptotic rate and a decreased proliferating activity were observed after the gastric cancer cells were exposed to PDTC for 24 h. Conclusions: These results suggested that the constitutive activation and the protein expression of NF-ĸB are different in gastric cancer cell lines. PDTC can inhibit NF-ĸB activity and cell proliferation, which related to an increased cell apoptosis. The results disclosed that NF-ĸB could be a potential therapeutic target for solid tumor therapy.
Effectiveness of Screening Aqueous Contrast Swallow in Detecting Clinically Significant Anastomotic Leaks after Esophagectomy
Authors: Tirnaksiz M.B. , Deschamps C. , Allen M.S. , Johnson D.C. , Pairolero P.C.
Published: May 2005

Background: Aqueous contrast swallow study is recommended as a screening procedure for the evaluation of esophageal anastomotic integrity following esophagectomy. The aim of this study was to assess the accuracy of water-soluble contrast swallow screening as a predictor of clinically significant anastomotic leak in patients with esophagectomy. Patients and Methods: The records of 505 consecutive patients undergoing esophagectomy in Mayo Clinic from January 1991 through December 1995 were retrospectively reviewed. 464 (92%) pa tients had water-soluble contrast swallows performed in the early postoperative period (median postoperative day 7, range 4–11 days). Results: A total of 39 radiological leaks were obtained but only 17 of these had clinical signs of anastomotic leakage. Furthermore, 25 patients who had normal swallow study developed a clinical anastomotic leak. There were therefore 22 (4.7%) false positive and 25 (5.4%) false negative results giving values for the specificity, sensitivity and false negative error rate of the radiological examination of 94.7, 40.4, and 59.5% respectively. Aspiration of the contrast agent was noted on fluoroscopy in 30 (6.5%) patients. Only 2 (0.4%) patients developed aqueous contrast agent-caused aspiration pneumonia. There was no procedure-related mortality. Conclusion: While radiological assessment of esophageal anastomoses in the early postoperative period using aqueous contrast agents appears to be a relatively safe procedure, the poor sensitivity and high false negative error rate of this technique, when performed on postoperative day 7 and in a series with clinical anastomotic leak rate of 9%, is insufficient for it to be worthwhile as a screening procedure.
Cholinergic Staining of Bronchus- Associated Lymphoid Tissue
Authors: Cavallotti Carlo , Tonnarini Gianfranco , D’Andrea Vito , Cavallotti Daniela
Published: May 2005

The cholinergic staining of human bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue (BALT) was studied in humans. Morsels of the human lung (containing BALT) were harvested, after having obtained the appropriate approvals, during autopsies in 24 human subjects. The samples were stained by means of the enzymatic technique of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and/or the monoclonal immunohistochemical method of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT). A morphometrical analysis was performed by means of quantitative analysis of images and statistical analyses of the data. AChE and proteins were also measured by biochemical assay. Our results demonstrate that both AChE and ChAT are localized in the BALT of young and old humans. These enzymes undergo age-related changes. The biochemical values of AChE are as follows: 22.3 ± 2.5 international units in young subjects and 78.5 ± 1.9 international units in old ones. The morphometrical values of AChE confirm the biochemical ones. The morphometrical data for ChAT are 31.6 ± 1.4 conventional units in young subjects and 71.2 ± 1.5 conventional units in old ones. Further results are needed to draw definite conclusions concerning the location and the distribution of these two enzymatic activities in BALT. In our opinion, the presence of AChE and ChAT in BALT can be both ‘non-neuronal’, with a role in general metabolism, and/or ‘neuronal’ with a role in neuroimmunomodulation.
Effects of Combined Stress during Intense Training on Cellular Immunity, Hormones and Respiratory Infections
Authors: Gomez-Merino Danielle , Drogou Catherine , Chennaoui Mounir , Tiollier Eve , Mathieu Jacques , Guezennec Charles Yannick
Published: May 2005

Objectives: This study was designed to determine immune and hormonal changes and their relationship with the incidence of upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) during an extremely stressful military training (3 weeks of physical conditioning followed by a 5-day combat course with energy restriction, sleep deprivation and psychological stress). Methods: Blood samples were collected from 21 cadets (21 ± 2 years old) before training and after the combat course for analysis of leukocyte and lymphocyte subpopulations, serum cytokines [interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-1β and IL-10], and hormones [catecholamines, cortisol, leptin, total insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), prolactin, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) and testosterone]. Symptoms of URTI were recorded from health logs and medical examinations during training. Results: After the combat course, total leukocyte and neutrophil counts were significantly increased while total lymphocytes were unchanged. In lymphocyte subsets, NK cells were reduced (p < 0.01), while CD4+ and CD19+ (B) cells were increased. Levels of IL-6 were increased (p < 0.01), while those of IL-1β and IL-10 were unchanged. Norepinephrine and dopamine levels were increased, while those of cortisol were reduced. Levels of leptin, testosterone, prolactin and total IGF-I were reduced, while those of DHEAS were increased. The incidence of URTI increased during the training (χ2 = 53.48, p < 0.05). After training data analysis showed a significant correlation between URTIs and NK cells (p = 0.0023). Training-induced changes in immune and hormonal parameters were correlated. Conclusions: Blood NK cell levels are related to increased respiratory infections during physical training in a multistressor environment. The training-induced decreases in immunostimulatory hormone levels may have triggered immunosuppression.
Asymmetrical Distribution of Brain Interleukin-6 Depends on Lateralization in Mice
Authors: Shen Yan-Qin , Hébert Guillaume , Moze Elisabeth , Li Kang-Sheng , Neveu Pierre J.
Published: May 2005

The central nervous system can regulate the peripheral immune system. Moreover, differences between left and right hemispheres (neurochemical brain asymmetries) and behavioral lateralization (functional brain asymmetries) affect immune responses. The molecular basis of brain-immune interactions remains insufficiently understood. Cytokines regulate immune responses, possibly through activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. HPA axis activities are related to behavioral lateralization and brain asymmetry. Given IL-6 plays a role in asymmetrical brain immunomodulation, one might expect the IL-6 distribution in brain to be asymmetrical and to depend on behavioral lateralization. In order to start to test this hypothesis, male C57BL/6J mice were selected for paw preference and assessed for IL-6 levels in right and left cortex and hippocampus by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. The results showed asymmetrical distribution of brain IL-6 in left-pawed animals and ambidextrous animals, but not in right-pawed animals, both in cortex and hippocampus. Furthermore, we found a correlation between IL-6 hemispheric distribution and the degree of behavioral lateralization both in cortex and hippocampus. Altogether, these results suggest that brain IL-6 could be a mediator of asymmetrical immunomodulation by the central nervous system.
New Treatment of Neonatal Pulmonary Hemorrhage with Hemocoagulase in Addition to Mechanical Ventilation
Authors: Shi Yuan , Tang Shifang , Li Huangqiang , Zhao Jinning , Pan Feng
Published: May 2005

Objective:To investigate the effect of a new treatment for neonatal pulmonary hemorrhage with hemocoagulase in addition to mechanical ventilation. Methods:Forty-eight newborn infants with pulmonary hemorrhage were included and divided randomly into 2 groups. Among them, 28 patients were treated with hemocoagulase in addition to mechanical ventilation, and the other 20 neonates served as controls and were treated with mechanical ventilation only. Results: Both the length of pulmonary hemorrhage and the duration ofmechanical ventilation in the survivors were significantly shortened in the infants treated with hemocoagulase in addition to mechanical ventilation as compared to controls (p < 0.05). Moreover, all infants that were unable to remain in the neonatal intensive care unit died after discharge, and when their outcome was estimated as non-survivors, the mortality in the patients with this new treatment was 39.3% (11/28), which was significantly lower than in controls (75.0%, 15/20; p < 0.05). When the discharged infants were not included in the statistics, the mortality in the hemocoagulase group was 10.7% (3/28), which was also significantly lower than in controls (40.0%, 8/20; p < 0.05). Conclusions:The new treatment with hemocoagulase in addition to mechanical ventilation is effective in newborn infants with pulmonary hemorrhage.
Application of Real-Time DEVS to Analysis of Safety-Critical Embedded Control Systems: Railroad Crossing Control Example
Authors: Song Hae Sang , Kim Tag Gon
Published: May 2005

This article presents an application of the Discrete Event System Specification (DEVS) framework to the design and safety analysis of a real-time embedded control system, a railroad crossing control system. The authors employ an extension of the DEVS formalism, real-time DEVS (RT-DEVS), which has a sound semantics for the specification of real-time systems in a hierarchical modular fashion. The notion of a clock matrix for communicating RT-DEVS models is proposed, which represents a global time between the models. Based on the composition rules and the clock matrix, an algorithm for the generation of a timed reachability tree is developed that can be used for safety analysis at two phases: an untimed and timed analysis phase. A railroad crossing control example demonstrates that the proposed analysis for RT-DEVS models would be effective to verify the safety property of real-time control systems.
Cell-DEVS/GDEVS for Complex Continuous Systems
Authors: Wainer Gabriel A. , Giambiasi Norbert
Published: May 2005

The Cell-Discrete Event System Specification (Cell-DEVS) formalism allows defining asynchronous cell spaces with explicit timing delays (based on the specifications of the DEVS formalism). The authors used Cell-DEVS to solve different applications and go one step further in the definition of complex continuous systems by combining Cell-DEVS and Generalized DEVS (GDEVS). They focus on a model describing the electrical behavior of the heart tissue, as previous research in this field has thoroughly studied this problem using differential equations and cellular automata. The authors show that they can provide adequate levels of precision at a fraction of the computing cost of differential equations. Their thesis is that the use of the GDEVS formalism is perfectly suited to attack problems such as this one, improving complex systems analysis. The authors show that their approach permits making models easily extensible to provide different actions in different cells while not affecting performance.
Using Symbolic DEVS Simulation to Generate Optimal Traffic Signal Timings
Authors: Lee JongKeun , Chi SungDo
Published: May 2005

This article applies the advanced symbolic Discrete Event System Specification (DEVS) simulation method to the optimal signal control problem with respect to intelligent transportation systems. The authors introduce a new approach that would generate optimal signal times based on the temporal sequence of traffic signal control variables and traffic information collected for each intersection using the symbolic DEVS simulation method, which can express nondeterministic time symbolically. The symbolic DEVS simulation method allows the authors to infer the relationship between time and every event that reaches the simulation goal by generating a time trajectory for every possible event automatically. This study suggests a new approach for optimal signal time calculation using symbolic DEVS simulation for traffic response signal control based on real-time traffic volumes; this study also verified its application in a case study.
Palestinian Political Identities during the Post-Oslo Period: A Case Study of Generation Effects in a West Bank Refugee Camp
Authors: LYBARGER Loren D.
Published: May 2005

English

The first Intifada (1987-1993) split Palestinian society in the West Bank and Gaza Strip into two camps, one secular-nationalist, the other Islamist. The author examines the new identities that formed as a result of this split in a Bethlehem-area refugee camp. Drawing on the concepts of event as structurally transforming process, socio-political milieu, and Mannheimian generation units, he shows how the first Intifada gave rise to a generational dialectic that in turn produced new religio-political orientations. He concludes by suggesting an extension of the Mannheimian framework to take into account the dynamic effects of generation-unit tensions for collective solidarities.

French

Depuis la première Intifada (1987-1993), les Palestiniens se sont divisés en nationalistes et islamistes. Dans une étude d'un camp de réfugiés à Bethléem, l'auteur analyse les nouvelles identités qui sont apparues à la suite de cette division. Il explique la déstabilisation de ces identités en s'appuyant sur le concept d'événement comme processus de transformation structurelle du milieu sociopolitique et des unités générationnelles comprises au sens de Mannheim. Il montre comment la première Intifada a engendré une dialectique générationnelle, laquelle a produit des orientations religieuses et politiques nouvelles. Il termine en suggérant une extension du cadre théorique de Mannheim qui permette de prendre en compte les effets dynamiques de ces tensions dans une perspective de maintien des solidarités.
From “Everything Has a Meaning” to “I Want to Believe in Something”: Religious Change Between Two Generations of Women in Norway
Authors: FURSETH Inger
Published: May 2005

English

The author analyzes change in religious culture between two generations of Norwegian women. The first part consists of a brief overview of the major findings from the survey, ISSP Norway Religion 98, regarding gender and religion. The second part consists of an in-depth analysis of the life-stories of two women, one born in 1933 and the other in 1980. The narratives demonstrate a shift in orientation from organized religion to individual spirituality, from belief in a personal God to a higher power, from others to self, and from continuity and tradition to fragmentation and plurality. The changes in religious orientations are related to different historical contexts, level of modernization, altered gender roles, and difference in cultural values.

French

L'auteure analyse le changement dans la culture religieuse entre deux générations de femmes norvégiennes. La première partie esquisse les principaux résultats de l'étude, ISSP Norway Religion 98, concernant le genre et la religion tandis que la deuxième développe une analyse approfondie à partir de l'histoire de vie de deux femmes, l'une née en 1933 et l'autre en 1980. Les narrations montrent un net changement d'orientation: de la religion organisée vers une spiritualité individuelle, de la croyance en un Dieu personnel vers celle en un pouvoir supérieur, des autres vers soi, ainsi que de la continuité et de la tradition vers la fragmentation et la pluralité. Les changements d'orientations religieuses sont resitués dans les différents contextes historiques et analysés en fonction des degrés de modernisation, de la modification des rôles de genre et des différences de valeurs culturelles.
The Moral Thinking of Three Generations in Scandinavia: What Role Does Religion Play?
Authors: BOTVAR Pål Ketil
Published: May 2005

English

The author compares religious and moral values of three generations in Scandinavia, starting from the question: is it true that young people lack moral principles and have low moral standards compared with older generations? The assumed moral decay in society is often blamed on the young generation. The empirical evidence of the RAMP survey (Religious and Moral Pluralism) does not support this hypothesis. Young people are, however, to a large extent guided by other moral principles than the older generations. While young people often stress the consequences of their moral actions, the older generations emphasize the existence of general rules about right and wrong. This indicates that the young and the older generations approach moral issues in quite different ways. Our material is taken from the RAMP survey conducted in the four Scandinavian countries from 1998 to 1999. RAMP has made it possible for researchers to study the relationships between religiosity and morality in new ways compared to the European Values Studies.

French

L'auteur compare les valeurs religieuses et morales de trois générations différentes en Scandinavie. Son point de départ est la question de savoir s'il est vrai que les jeunes manquent de principes moraux et mènent une vie moins morale que les générations plus âgées. Cette hypothèse est démentie par la recherche empirique RAMP (Religious and Moral Pluralism) qui montre que les jeunes sont à l'évidence largement guidés par des principes moraux mais que ceux-ci sont autres que ceux des générations précédentes. Tandis que les jeunes insistent souvent sur les conséquences de leurs actions morales, les plus âgés mettent davantage l'accent sur des règles générales concernant le bien et le mal. Il ressort aussi que les jeunes et les plus âgés approchent les questions morales de faç on assez différente. Ce matériau est tiré de la recherche RAMP qui a été réalisée dans les quatre pays scandinaves en 1998-1999. Elle a permis aux chercheurs de revisiter les rapports entre attitudes religieuses et attitudes morales au regard des Etudes des Valeurs Européennes.
Le développement de nouvelles ressources de sens “psycho-philo-spirituelles”: dérégulation des savoirs et nouvelle offre idéologique
Authors: GARNOUSSI Nadia
Published: May 2005

English

In France, the decline of utopianism which used to be at the heart of new spiritualities, following the anti-establishment culture, has led to a transformation of the ideal being advocated: now, the aim is to change oneself rather than change the world. The assertion of the individual as a “decider of the meaning of his/her own life” and the concern with well-being which is becoming more widespread, encourage the mobilization of practical resources. Consequently, we are witnessing the emergence of a nebulous group composed of networks and actors offering the general public a series of psychological, philosophical and spiritual resources. The analysis offered by the sociology of religions helps to assess the de-regulation that is going on within the three fields mentioned above. The questions raised are the following: can we consider this intertwining of practical resources to correspond to the construction of new meanings? And what are their interactions with religious belief?

French

En France, le déclin de la dimension utopique qui structurait les nouvelles spiritualités issues de la contre-culture a correspondu avec la transformation de l'idéal de "changer le monde"en celui de "se changer soi''. L'affirmation du sujet "décideur de son propre sens"et la généralisation du souci du mieuxe être renvoient en partie à la mobilisation de ressources pratiques de sens. Ainsi, nous assistons à l'émergence d'une nébuleuse composée d'entreprises et d'acteurs divers qui proposent au grand public des ressources philosophiques, psychologiques et spirituelles. Les analyses de sociologie des religions sont très précieuses pour évaluer la dérégulation qui s'opère au sein de ces différents savoirs. L'enjeu principal de la recherche est de déterminer si ces entrecroisements de ressources pratiques correspondent à de nouvelles compositions du sens et de dégager leurs interactions avec le croire religieux.
The Positioning of the Parish in a Context of Individualization
Authors: DE GROOT Kees , KREGTING Joris , BORGMAN Erik
Published: May 2005

English

Now that religious participation largely depends on individual choice, existing religious congregations find themselves confronted with the challenge of organizational renewal. Both sociological and theological authors disagree on two strategies as successful ways of coping with this new “market situation”. The first strategy is that of the service institution; the second, that of the exclusive firm. We conducted a survey among parish councils in the Netherlands regarding the positioning of Roman Catholic parishes in this respect. Factor analysis shows that these parishes do not differentiate along these lines. They do differentiate, however, on the factors of “perceived accessibility” and “Christian pro-file”. Thus, three parish types could be discerned: the open parish, the inviting parish and the “parochial” parish. These types reflect different ways of coping with the strategic challenge parishes are faced with: holding on to a Christian profile, while trying to stay in contact with the public.

French

Le contexte de l'individualisation des choix religieux oblige les paroisses à une remise en question de leur positionnement. Du côté des sociologues et des théologiens, le débat est analogue et porte sur l'efficacité des stratégies paroissiales. Mais les premiers favorisent la stratégie de l'organisation de services religieux, tandis que les autres celle de la "firme exclusive''. Or, l'analyse d'une enquête parmi les paroisses catholiques aux Pays-Bas montre que les paroisses ne suivent pas cette ligne de partage. Confrontées au dilemme de choisir entre accessibilité et profil chrétien, les paroisses adoptent en fait une des trois positions suivantes: la paroisse publique, la paroisse accueillante et la paroisse "à l'esprit de clocher''.
Do the Rite Thing: Religious Civil Unions in Vermont
Authors: COULMONT Baptiste
Published: May 2005

English

Vermont, one of the smallest US states, implemented in 2000 a new form of recognized partnership for same-sex couples. A “civil union” gives the couple that contracts it the same benefits a marriage gives to a heterosexual couple. As with a marriage, ministers (pastors, priests, rabbis) are agents of the state when performing a civil union. Following an intense cultural conflict, the implementation of civil unions was simultaneous with a speedy accommodation on the part of the churches. The author provides two explanations for this phenomenon. First, civil unions of the religious type, understood as a religious consumption, provide incentives for an economic routinization. Second, the author focuses on the work of the ministers: through various appeals to the legal order, they try to find ways to perform same-sex wedding ceremonies.

French

En 2000, le petit Etat américain du Vermont créa les "unions civiles"qui donnent aux couples de même sexe les mêmes droits que ceux qui sont accordés par le mariage aux couples hétérosexuels. Pasteurs, prêtres et rabbins sont autorisés à célébrer ces unions aunomdupouvoir civil, de lamêmemanière qu'un mariage héte ´rosexuel peut être célébré par un membre du clergé ou un juge de paix. Ala suite d'un grave conflit, on a assisté à une adaptation rapide de la part des Eglises à ces unions civiles. Deux explications peuvent être apportées à ce phénomène: tout d'abord, l'apport financier lié à la célébration religieuse de ces unions civiles conç ues comme des objets de consommation n'est pas négligeable; ensuite, il est clair que, dans leurs pratiques pastorales, les ministres du culte s'appuient sur la légalité pour chercher à célébrer des unions civiles.
Marcel Mauss et la sociologie de la religion
Authors: MENEZES Renata
Published: May 2005

English

If for anthropologists and ethnologists the importance of Marcel Mauss is evident, for sociologists of religion he is sometimes relegated to the background, somewhat overshadowed by the figure of his uncle, Emile Durkheim. In the literature of the social sciences, works by Mauss on religions are cited as important but outmoded on a theoretical level, or else they are considered to be simple applications of Durkheimian theories of the sacred to concrete situations. The author offers a few observations on the specificities and relevance of Mauss’s work. In the present context, witnessing a rise in new religious movements and other non-institutionalized practices, and due to the problematization of the limits of the religious, his work offers innumerable elements useful in the construction of a theoretical arsenal and of objects capable of contributing to understanding that reality.

French

Si pour les anthropologues et les ethnologues, l'importance de Marcel Mauss est évidente, pour les sociologues de la religion il est parfois relégué au second plan, quelque peu occulté par la figure de son oncle, Emile Durkheim. Dans la littérature des sciences sociales, les travaux de Mauss sur les religions sont cités comme importants mais dépassés sur le plan théorique. Ou bien ils sont conside ´rés comme de simples applications à des situations concre`tes des théories durkheimiennes du sacré. L'auteure avance quelques observations sur les spécificités et l'actualité du travail de Mauss. Dans le contexte actuel de surgissement de nouveaux mouvements religieux et d'autres pratiques non institutionnalisées et par sa problématisation des frontiéres du religieux, son oeuvre offre d'innombrables éléments utiles à la construction d'un arsenal théorique et d'objets pouvant contribuer à la compréhension de cette réalité.
A Single Administration of Recombinant Human Interleukin‐12 Is Associated With Increased Expression Levels of Interferon‐gamma and Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription in Healthy Subjects
Authors: Trudeau Caroline , Cotreau Monette M. , Stonis Lucille , Dykstra Kevin H. , Oestreicher Judy L. , Strahs Andrew , Dorner Andrew J. , Cleave Victor H. Van , Trepicchio William L. , Schwertschlag Ullrich S.
Published: May 2005

The objectives of this study were to assess the safety and tolerability of single doses of 1, 4, and 8 μg of recombinant human interleukin‐12 (rhIL‐12) administered subcutaneously to healthy subjects. The pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacogenomics of rhIL‐12 were evaluated. Recombinant human IL‐12 was well tolerated in these healthy male and female subjects. The most frequently reported adverse events were flu‐like symptoms, which exhibited a dose‐response relationship. Pharmacokinetic analysis suggested that serum IL‐12 levels increased with dose. Analysis of serum levels indicated that interferon‐γ increased with the dose of rhIL‐12, whereas IL‐6 levels showed no changes with rhIL‐12 treatment. The messenger ribonucleic acid expression of signal transducer and activator of transcription was significantly increased 24 hours after the administration of rhIL‐12 for all dose groups versus placebo, and results indicated that the magnitude of increase may be dose dependent. This study suggests that interferon‐γ and signal transducer and activator of transcription are biomarkers of rhIL‐12 activity.
Pharmacokinetics, Safety, and Tolerability of Intramuscular Ziprasidone in Healthy Volunteers
Authors: Miceli Jeffrey J. , Wilner Keith D. , Swan Suzanne K. , Tensfeldt Thomas G.
Published: May 2005

Little has been published regarding the pharmacokinetics of the intramuscular (IM) formulation of Ziprasidone. The authors report results from 2 early phase I studies in healthy volunteers: a trial of single 5‐, 10‐, or 20‐mg IM doses of ziprasidone in 24 subjects and an open‐label 3‐way crossover trial of 5‐mg intravenous (IV), 5‐mg IM, and 20‐mg oral ziprasidone in 12 subjects. Absorption of IM ziprasidone was rapid (Tmax < 1 hour). The IM pharmacokinetic profile was consistent between studies and linear, with dose‐related increases in exposure observed. The mean IM elimination t1/2 was short and approximately 2.5 hours. The mean bioavailability for the 5‐mg IM ziprasidone dose was approximately 100%. Adverse events were generally mild to moderate, and no subjects were discontinued from the study. No significant effects on renal function or other laboratory values were noted. These results support the use of IM ziprasidone in treating acutely agitated patients with schizophrenia.
Literary Responses to the Mughal Imperium: The Historical Poems of Keśavdās
Authors: Busch Allison
Published: May 2005

The penetration of Mughal power into previously autonomous regional kingdoms produced significant political, but also literary effects. In this article, I trace the advent of the Mughal political order to the princely state of Orcha (located in what is now north-western Madhya Pradesh) through the eyes of Keśavdās (fl. 1600), the leading poet from that court. Keśavdās is famous in Hindi literary circles as one of the progenitors of the Brajbhasha rīti tradition, a constellation of courtly poetic and intellectual practices that flourished in a climate of mixed Mughal and sub-imperial patronage. There is a pronounced tendency to think of Keśavdās’s work (and that of most rīti poets) as a corpus of baroque, purely decorative poems largely comprising time-worn erotic and devotional themes. This preliminary study of Keśavdās’s three historical poems will help to complicate such an understanding by bringing into our conceptual purview a fuller range of rīti textual expression. These lesser known works by one of the foremost rīti poets are certainly striking for their literary accomplishments, but they also serve as an invaluable window onto a critical moment in Orcha history. They constitute the perfect testing ground for the enterprise of retrieving historical meaning from the literary sources that were the dominant form of pre-modern Indian courtly self-expression, and the methodology employed here is to critically engage both aesthetic and historical perspectives simultaneously.
Confessions of a 17th-Century Jain Merchant: The Ardhakathānak of Banārasīdās
Authors: Snell Rupert
Published: May 2005

The subject of this article, the Ardhakathānak of Banārasīdās (a Jain author from Jaunpur), is an autobiographical poem in the Braj Bhāṣa dialect of Hindi dating from 1641 AD. The article examines the construction of the text, looking at the creative ways in which Banārasīdās builds subtle literary devices by exploiting features inherent in Hindi and in the metres chosen for the poem. It is suggested that a conventional critical approach to the poem, following traditional Sanskritic literary categories, can fail to perceive the strengths of this decidely vernacular composition, and that a new methodology of vernacular aesthetics is needed to do it justice. The problems of maintaining the poem’s literary qualities in English translation are explored, both by examining published prose versions and by an experiment with metrical English verse.
Response from a dying breed?
Authors: Considine Goretti
Published: May 2005

Comments are presented, based on the experiences of the City Business Library (CBL), a major public business library serving the City of London and other users, on selected results and conclusions of the Business Information Resources Survey 2005 (Foster and Foster, 2005), the annual survey of UK business libraries and information resources. These results have pointed to the declining demand for the services of public business libraries generally, particularly since the advent of business information services on the Internet. The CBL appears to have escaped some of these trends, with both visitor numbers and enquiry figures increasing. The reasons for this success are discussed in terms of: library budgets; library stock; library staff; electronic resources; relations with account managers; human resource issues; and the value of business information services. The CBL is capable of supporting most of its users’ business needs due to the broad base of its budget sources; the budget covers both printed and electronic resources, although there is still a great demand for printed sources, possibly because many City firms have downsized their provision in recent years. CBL staff are proactive in visiting other London public libraries regularly to promote the library’s services and to assess the level of business information provided by each authority. The electronic information services at the Library are freely accessible via People’s Network terminals but access is subject to a number of limitations. The CBL has developed excellent relationships with account managers, who have given much support in turn to the Library because of the nature of the services offered. The CBL has begun to develop its own in-house courses on subjects where staff have identified a need, but where there are suitable external courses, appropriate staff are sent for training. The main strategic priorities in the development of business information services at CBL over the next two years are discussed.
Changing Scales and the Scales of Change
Authors: Jiménez Alberto Corsín
Published: May 2005

This article is an elucidation of what anthropology can say about social and economic change, and about its relationship to political economy at large. I locate the argument within the recent debate about ‘modernity’ in anthropology, because of the debate’s conspicuousness, and because of its concern with describing and analysing ‘change’. The argument is based on an ethnographic and institutional analysis of urban change in the city of Antofagasta, Chile, focusing particularly on a series of recent local proposals for economic and urban regeneration. The material is used to illustrate the many different ‘scales’ through which projects of ‘modernity’ are put to work and understood in Antofagasta, to argue that the concept of ‘modernity’ is of little use save as a heuristic term, and to suggest that we should look instead to the kinds of complex connections that different orders of analysis afford. Ethnography has its own scale, which participates in, but does not exhaust, the order of political economy.
Gifts of Labour
Authors: Mollona Mao
Published: May 2005

The article focuses on how the workers of a small tool factory located in Endcliffe - an area of urban deprivation in Sheffield, UK - conceptualize, experience, and talk about the value of their labour and how changes in the wider politico-economic environment affect their notion of labour value. The article combines a Marxist analysis of the capitalist labour process with an anthropological focus on the ideology of gift and commodity exchange, and explores the cultural specificity of processes of labour commodification. It argues that the combined effect of state neoliberal policies and extensive subcontracting by local steel corporations in Sheffield have turned small factories into hybrids between economic and welfare institutions, with mixed commodified and non-commodified labour on the same shopfloor. In challenging much of the recent anthropological literature on alienation, the article claims that alienation is the consequence of the workers’ (con)fusion of the ideology of labour as a free gift and the ideology of labour as a purely utilitarian activity, rather than of their sharp separation.
Sociology, political science and anthropology: institutionalization, professionalization and internationalization in Argentina
Authors: Murmis Miguel
Published: May 2005

Full institutionalization of sociology, anthropology and political science occurred in Argentina in the late 1950s. While sociology started out as an established field having radically broken with the past of the discipline, both anthropology and political science established linkages with traditional versions of their fields. Although there were differences between them, the three disciplines evolved through a process of frequent crises, resulting mostly from military interventions at the national level. Institutionalization brought with it an expansion of the labor market and the opportunities for obtaining research funds, thus generating growing professionalization. This expansion as well as the response of social scientists to repression in universities was strongly related to links with foreign foundations and international organizations. Until 1983, the dramatic history of the social sciences was marked by disappearances (desapariciones) and exile. In recent years the three disciplines have grown and diversified.
An overview of the institutionalization process of social sciences in Mexico
Authors: Reyna José Luis
Published: May 2005

The article deals with the institutionalization of Mexican social sciences. The central hypothesis is that the state and the social sciences have always been related. Sometimes the link has been strong, at other times weaker, but it has never been absent. Mexico has had a relatively well-defined social policy of support for scientific activities. The most important institutions are sheltered by the state, at least in terms of budget. For this reason, the starting point of the institutionalization process in Mexico can be traced to the end of 1920s. Since then, strong institutions have been built. Without mentioning those dedicated to “hard research”, social science institutions have been important in discovering our past and understanding our present. The present study covers a period of 80 years, although the emphasis is on the period after 1939, the year in which the Social Sciences Research Institute of the National University (ISSUNAM) was founded.
Circulation internationale et formation d’une “ecole de pensee” latino-americaine (1945-2000)
Authors: Garcia Afrânio
Published: May 2005

Study abroad has long been a favorite strategy of the Latin American ruling classes for acquiring the credentials that will win them a choice position among the elites of their native country. The growth of the “globalization” theme has reinforced the importance of foreign study as a sort of attestation of one’s capacity for international mobility, thus increasing the interest of studies on the international circulation of academics, which enhance our understanding of the changes in science on a global scale. This article discusses the relative importance of the circulation of social science doctoral students and researchers inside and outside Latin America. It examines the statistics on the countries chosen by Brazilian doctoral candidates and shows that their choice of Latin American countries has dropped off in the last 15 years. This contrasts sharply with the importance of Santiago (Chile), headquarters of the CEPAL and home of the theories on development and dependence of Latin American countries. A study of the social trajectories of the economist Celso Furtado and the sociologist Fernando Henrique Cardoso makes it possible to analyze the social and cultural capital invested in the work of the CEPAL and the emergence of the theoretical tools constructed through the use of the concepts of development and dependence. However, Pinochet’s 1973 coup d’état seems to have tarnished Santiago’s appeal as one of Latin America’s top-ranking cosmopolitan centers.
Effects of equipment loadings on geosynthetic-lined slope behaviour
Authors: Park Hyun I. , Lee Seung R.
Published: May 2005

When combined in the lining and covering of waste-containment facilities, soil and geosynthetic components protect the environment by acting as a hydraulic barrier. Equipment loading may significantly increase the tensile stress induced in geosynthetic components, leading to a potential stability problem. Large equipment loadings may also result in a localized circular slip surface during construction operations. New analytical method based on discrete element modelling is proposed for estimating the distribution of tensile force developed in the individual geosynthetic components of the lining system and for evaluating the safety factor of slope failure due to equipment loading. The analytical results of an example are presented to demonstrate the applicability of the analytical method for the lining system of a waste landfill. The analyses of the example show that equipment loading provide a substantial increase in the tensile forces of the geosynthetic components of a lining system and that the possibility of shallow failure due to equipment loading increases as the slope becomes steeper. This method is a useful tool for analysing the lining system of waste landfills with complex lining components.
Quantification of landfill emissions to air: a case study of the Ano Liosia landfill site in the greater Athens area
Authors: Paraskaki Ioanna , Lazaridis Mihalis
Published: May 2005

Fugitive pollutant emissions from municipal solid waste landfills have the potential to cause annoyance and health impacts in the surrounding residential areas. The overall objective of this research was to perform an assessment of fugitive pollutant emissions and a dispersion analysis down-wind of a specific landfill site. The study was performed at the closed Ano Liosia landfill site which is located in the greater Athens area. The human exposure from priority to health-risk pollutants emitted from landfill, such as vinyl chloride and benzene, was estimated by the landfill gas emission LandGEM 2.01 software combined with the atmospheric long-term dispersion model ISC3-LT. The emission and meteorological conditions under which the models were applied referred to the worst-case scenario. This scenario was used for the evaluation of the maximum human exposure assessed beyond the Ano Liosia landfill towards the residential areas. The above scenario provides the minimum down-wind distance of the health-risk zone which is calculated to be equal to 1.5 km from the landfill. Within this distance the assessed air pollutant concentration for several air pollutants was significantly above the World Health Organization reference lifetime exposure health criteria. Finally, the applied methodology was used in the Ano Iiosia landfill, where atmospheric concentrations of pollutants measured in the field were compared with model predictions.
Moisture retention of municipal solid waste mixed with sewage sludge and ash in a semi-arid climate
Authors: Dollar L. H.
Published: May 2005

Mechanisms involved in moisture storage in refuse are explored using data from four sets of experiments in a semi-arid climate. Two laboratory series of experiments contained municipal solid waste (MSW) amended with sewage sludge, one with higher proportions of ash in the MSW than the other. Outdoor experiments contained waste streams with different proportions of ash. Field cells compared moisture retention of refuse and MSW co-disposed with sewage sludge. Sewage sludge at high loads was found to increase the moisture storage relative to unamended MSW. Belt-pressed sludge retained water as bound water that was released by decay and changing pH. Sun-dried sludge also retained more moisture than MSW alone. In gravimetric terms, ash reduced the storage potential of MSW, in laboratory and outdoor experiments. However, outdoor experiments released less leachate from ash-rich refuse than middle-income waste with no ash fraction.
The use of volcanic soil as mineral landfill liner - I. Physicochemical characterization and comparison with zeolites
Authors: Navia Rodrigo , Hafner Georg , Raber Georg , Lorber Karl E. , Schöffmann Elke , Vortisch Walter
Published: May 2005

The main physicochemical characteristics of the volcanic soil of Southern Chile, with allophane as the main pedogenic mineral phase were analysed and compared with common zeolites (clinoptilolite) of the European market. The ultimate goal of this study was to test volcanic soil for the use as mineral landfill liner. The main results indicated that the clay and silt fractions together of the volcanic soil were between 38 and 54%. The buffering capacity of the volcanic soil was higher compared with the studied zeolites, whereas the cationic exchange capacity of the volcanic soil (between 5.2 and 6.5 cmol+ kg-1) is of the same order of magnitude of the studied zeolites (between 9.7 and 11.4 cmol+ kg-1). Moreover, the anionic exchange capacity of the volcanic soil was higher compared to the zeolites analysed. The hydraulic conductivity of the volcanic soil, measured in the laboratory at maximum proctor density, ranges between 5.16 × 10-9 and 6.48 × 10-9 ms-1, a range that is comparable to the value of 4.51 × 10-9 ms-1 of the studied zeolite. The Proctor densities of the volcanic soil are in a lower range (between 1.11 and 1.15 g ml-1) compared with zeolites (between 1.19 and 1.34 g ml-1). The volcanic soil physicochemical characteristics are comparable to all the requirements established in the Austrian landfill directive (DVO, 2000). Therefore, the use as mineral landfill basal sealing of the analysed volcanic soil appears reasonable, having a pollutant adsorption capacity comparable to zeolites. It is of special interest for Southern Chile, because there are no alternative mineral raw materials for basal liners of landfills.
‘May be I’ll Need a Pair of Levi’s Before Junior High?’
Authors: Wærdahl Randi
Published: May 2005

Changing schools at the age of 12 also represents a change in social age identity. Children prepare for this change of age identity in different ways, and their strategies vary across sociocultural contexts as well as between individuals. In this article, some of these strategies are explored through ethnographic observation and interviews with Norwegian 12-year-olds preparing and anticipating a change of school, making use of Robert Merton’s concept of ‘anticipatory socialization’. Merton’s concept describes the building of personal abilities, alienation from one’s former group and adaptation to new norms as social processes identifying change of social reference group. These terms are employed here to identify social processes initiating children’s orientation to a youth identity. The functions that material possessions fulfil are related to the ability to symbolically communicate both categorically and self-expressively a growing normative awareness and a sense of value.