bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The 2007 Nobel Memorial Prize in Mechanism Design Theory
Authors: Mookherjee Dilip
Published: July 2008

This paper provides an overview of mechanism design theory, and explains the roles played by Leonid Hurwicz, Eric Maskin and Roger Myerson in the development of this field.
Do School Subsidies Promote Human Capital Investment among the Poor?*
Authors: Martinelli César , Parker Susan W.
Published: July 2008

We investigate the hypothesis that conditioning transfers to poor families on school attendance leads to a reallocation of household resources which enhances the human capital of the next generation, via the effect of the conditionality on the shadow price of human capital and (possibly) via the effect of the transfers on household bargaining. We introduce a model to study the effects of conditional transfers on intra‐household allocations, and provide suggestive evidence of the importance of price effects using data from a conditional transfer program in Mexico.
Interest Rate Risk Rewards in Stock Returns of Financial Corporations: Evidence from Germany
Authors: Czaja Marc‐Gregor , Scholz Hendrik , Wilkens Marco
Published: July 2008

The interest rate sensitivity of stock returns of financial and non‐financial corporations is a well‐known phenomenon. However, only little is known about the part of total stock returns that is attributable to the compensation an investor receives for being exposed to interest rate risk when investing in equity securities. We pursue here a benchmark portfolio approach, constructing benchmark portfolios having the same interest rate risk exposure as a particular stock. By studying the time series of returns of these asset‐specific benchmarks, we find: i) Regardless of the industry considered, the interest rate risk benchmarks of German corporations have mostly earned a significantly positive reward. ii) Returns of interest rate risk benchmarks of financial institutions exceeded significantly those of non‐financial corporations. iii) An investor willing to bear nothing but the average interest rate risk of German financial institutions would have earned a mean return of about or even exceeding 70% of the corresponding total stock returns. iv) Returns of the interest rate risk benchmarks of the German insurance sector were significantly higher than those of German banks, which seems to contradict conventional market wisdom that insurances hedge interest rate risks.
Habitat suitability model for Polish wolves based on long‐term national census
Authors: Jędrzejewski W. , Jędrzejewska B. , Zawadzka B. , Borowik T. , Nowak S. , Mysłajek R. W.
Published: July 2008

The central‐European population of wolves Canis lupus has its western border of contiguous range in eastern Poland. Protected since 1998, Polish wolves began to expand towards the west. Based on large‐scale data on wolf abundance (2000–2006) and geographic information system (GIS) tools, we built a habitat suitability model (HSM) for the species in Poland. The best model, selected by the Akaike information criterion, of the resource selection function (RSF) by wolves included percentage cover of forests, meadows and marshes (positively correlated to wolf abundance) and road density (negatively correlated), and explained 53% of the total variation in the wolf abundance index in a 10 × 10 km cell grid. That RSF was then used to evaluate the whole country in terms of suitability for wolves. Potential wolf range appeared to consist of 24 patches of good habitat (predicted relative probability of wolf occurrence ≥30%), including six patches already occupied and 17 new ones. In total, habitat suitable for wolves covers at least 20–24% of Poland, compared with 16% of the country's area now occupied by the species. HSM was validated with historical data on wolf occurrence in 1950–2006. The areas selected by our model and those inhabited by wolves in at least one decade overlapped in 81–86%. Furthermore, the probability of wolf occurrence predicted by the model correlated positively with the number of decades the wolves were actually recorded in the area. Based on the empirical relationship between patch size and wolf numbers, we estimated that Poland could support a population of 1450–1540 wolves, two to three times larger than the current estimate. HSM needs to be supplemented with a GIS‐based connectivity analysis among patches, which in turn should be validated by molecular genetics studies on dispersing wolves. Because of broadly similar geographic conditions, the model may be applicable to eastern Germany, Belarus Republic and the Baltic States (Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia).
Assessing the impact of climate variation on survival in vertebrate populations
Authors: Grosbois V. , Gimenez O. , Gaillard J.‐M. , Pradel R. , Barbraud C. , Clobert J. , Møller A. P. , Weimerskirch H.
Published: July 2008

The impact of the ongoing rapid climate change on natural systems is a major issue for human societies. An important challenge for ecologists is to identify the climatic factors that drive temporal variation in demographic parameters, and, ultimately, the dynamics of natural populations. The analysis of long‐term monitoring data at the individual scale is often the only available approach to estimate reliably demographic parameters of vertebrate populations. We review statistical procedures used in these analyses to study links between climatic factors and survival variation in vertebrate populations.

We evaluated the efficiency of various statistical procedures from an analysis of survival in a population of white stork,Ciconia ciconia, a simulation study and a critical review of 78 papers published in the ecological literature. We identified six potential methodological problems: (i) the use of statistical models that are not well‐suited to the analysis of long‐term monitoring data collected at the individual scale; (ii) low ratios of number of statistical units to number of candidate climatic covariates; (iii) collinearity among candidate climatic covariates; (iv) the use of statistics, to assess statistical support for climatic covariates effects, that deal poorly with unexplained variation in survival; (v) spurious detection of effects due to the co‐occurrence of trends in survival and the climatic covariate time series; and (vi) assessment of the magnitude of climatic effects on survival using measures that cannot be compared across case studies. The critical review of the ecological literature revealed that five of these six methodological problems were often poorly tackled. As a consequence we concluded that many of these studies generated hypotheses but only few provided solid evidence for impacts of climatic factors on survival or reliable measures of the magnitude of such impacts.

We provide practical advice to solve efficiently most of the methodological problems identified. The only frequent issue that still lacks a straightforward solution was the low ratio of the number of statistical units to the number of candidate climatic covariates. In the perspective of increasing this ratio and therefore of producing more robust analyses of the links between climate and demography, we suggest leads to improve the procedures for designing field protocols and selecting a set of candidate climatic covariates. Finally, we present recent statistical methods with potential interest for assessing the impact of climatic factors on demographic parameters.
The unsympathetic exemplar in Vasari's Life of Pontormo
Authors: Gregory Sharon
Published: July 2008

In his biography of Jacopo Pontormo, Vasari was highly critical of two contrasting stylistic phases in the painter's career. Recent scholarship, concentrating on the (destroyed) frescoes in the choir of San Lorenzo, has concluded that Vasari was acting out of professional jealousy, or that he was attempting to obscure the frescoes’ heretical content. This article compares his criticism of the San Lorenzo frescoes with that of Pontormo's earlier Passion cycle at the Certosa del Galluzzo, showing that these parallel passages must be understood in light of contemporary debates about literary and artistic imitation and ideal exemplars – debates whose themes pervade the 1568 edition of Vasari's Lives. Vasari's purpose in Pontormo's biography is to present an object lesson in the danger of an artist's slavish imitation of other artists whose style is not sympathetic with his own.
Role of KATP Channels in Cephalic Vasodilatation Induced by Calcitonin Gene‐Related Peptide, Nitric Oxide, and Transcranial Electrical Stimulation in the Rat
Authors: Gozalov Aydin , Jansen‐Olesen Inger , Klaerke Dan , Olesen Jes
Published: July 2008

Objective.— The objective of this study was to explore the role of KATP channels in vasodilatation induced by calcitonin gene‐related peptide (CGRP), nitric oxide (NO), and transcranial electrical stimulation (TES) in intracranial arteries of rat.

Background.— Dilatation of cerebral and dural arteries causes a throbbing, migraine‐like pain. Both CGRP and NO are potent vasodilators that can induce migraine. Their antagonists are effective in the treatment of migraine attacks. KATP channel openers cause headache in the majority of healthy subjects suggesting a role for KATP channels in migraine pathogenesis. We hypothesized that vasodilatation induced by CGRP and the NO donor glyceryltrinitrate (GTN) is mediated via KATP channels.

Methods.— We examined the effects of the KATP channel inhibitor glibenclamide on dural and pial vasodilatation induced by CGRP, NO, and endogenously released CGRP by TES. A rat genuine closed cranial window model was used for in vivo studies and myograph baths for studying the effect in vitro. In the closed cranial window model the diameter of dural vessels was measured directly in anesthetized animals to investigate the vascular effects of infused CGRP, NO, and endogenous CGRP after electrical stimulation. Also diameter changes of pial arteries, mean arterial blood pressure and local cerebral blood flow by Laser Doppler flowmetry (LCBFFlux) were measured.

Results.— CGRP, NO, and TES caused dilatation of the 2 arteries in vivo and in vitro. In anesthetized rats glibenclamide significantly attenuated CGRP induced dural and TES induced dural/pial artery dilatation (P = .001; P = .001; P = .005), but had no effect on dural/pial vasodilatation induced by GTN. In vitro glibenclamide failed to significantly inhibit CGRP‐ and GTN‐induced vasodilatation.

Conclusions.— These results show that a KATP channel blocker in vivo but not in vitro inhibits CGRP, but not GTN‐induced dilatation of dural and pial arteries, a mechanism thought to be important in migraine.
Clinical‐Radiologic Heterogeneity of Occipital Neuralgiform Pain as Multiple Sclerosis Relapse
Authors: De Santi Lorenzo , Monti Lucia , Menci Elisabetta , Bellini Matteo , Annunziata Pasquale
Published: July 2008

Occipital neuralgia may be related to traumatic, compressive, or inflammatory injury to the occipital nerve or C2 radicular level and cervical spinal cord lesions. We report a series of 3 patients with definite relapsing‐remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) who experienced sudden occipital neuralgiform pain with or without diminished sensation in the cervical region and associated with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) evidence of a new active or new T2‐weighted demyelinating C2 cervical lesion. We suggest that sudden paroxysmal occipital pain may signal relapse of MS and cervical MRI with gadolinium should be considered; these patients show good clinical response to high‐dose intravenous corticosteroids.
Statistical Methods for Analysis of Radiation Effects with Tumor and Dose Location‐Specific Information with Application to the WECARE Study of Asynchronous Contralateral Breast Cancer
Authors: Langholz Bryan , Thomas Duncan C. , Stovall Marilyn , Smith Susan A. , Boice John D. , Shore Roy E. , Bernstein Leslie , Lynch Charles F. , Zhang Xinbo , Bernstein Jonine L.
Published: July 2008

SummaryMethods for the analysis of individually matched case‐control studies with location‐specific radiation dose and tumor location information are described. These include likelihood methods for analyses that just use cases with precise location of tumor information and methods that also include cases with imprecise tumor location information. The theory establishes that each of these likelihood based methods estimates the same radiation rate ratio parameters, within the context of the appropriate model for location and subject level covariate effects. The underlying assumptions are characterized and the potential strengths and limitations of each method are described. The methods are illustrated and compared using the WECARE study of radiation and asynchronous contralateral breast cancer.
Analysis of Twin Data Using SAS
Authors: Feng Rui , Zhou Gongfu , Zhang Meizhuo , Zhang Heping
Published: July 2008

Summary Twin studies are essential for assessing disease inheritance. Data generated from twin studies are traditionally analyzed using specialized computational programs. For many researchers, especially those who are new to twin studies, understanding and using those specialized computational programs can be a daunting task. Given that SAS (Statistical Analysis Software) is the most popular software for statistical analysis, we suggest that the use of SAS procedures for twin data may be a helpful alternative and demonstrate that we can obtain similar results from SAS to those produced by specialized computational programs. This numerical validation is practically useful, because a natural concern with general statistical software is whether it can deal with data that are generated from special study designs such as twin studies and if it can test a particular hypothesis. We concluded through our extensive simulation that SAS procedures can be used easily as a very convenient alternative to specialized programs for twin data analysis.
Weighted Wilcoxon‐Type Smoothly Clipped Absolute Deviation Method
Authors: Wang Lan , Li Runze
Published: July 2008

SummaryShrinkage‐type variable selection procedures have recently seen increasing applications in biomedical research. However, their performance can be adversely influenced by outliers in either the response or the covariate space. This article proposes a weighted Wilcoxon‐type smoothly clipped absolute deviation (WW‐SCAD) method, which deals with robust variable selection and robust estimation simultaneously. The new procedure can be conveniently implemented with the statistical softwareR. We establish that the WW‐SCAD correctly identifies the set of zero coefficients with probability approaching one and estimates the nonzero coefficients with the raten−1/2. Moreover, with appropriately chosen weights the WW‐SCAD is robust with respect to outliers in both thexandydirections. The important special case with constant weights yields an oracle‐type estimator with high efficiency in the presence of heavier‐tailed random errors. The robustness of the WW‐SCAD is partly justified by its asymptotic performance under local shrinking contamination. We propose a Bayesian information criterion type tuning parameter selector for the WW‐SCAD. The performance of the WW‐SCAD is demonstrated via simulations and by an application to a study that investigates the effects of personal characteristics and dietary factors on plasma beta‐carotene level.
Influence of Surface Modification on the Cutting Performance of Reaction‐Sintered Al2O3–TiOC Ceramics
Authors: Bhattacharya Anup K. , Zimmermann Katrin , Schneider Gerold A. , Hintze Wolfgang
Published: July 2008

Al2O3–TiC mixed ceramics are popular for dry cutting of hardened steel. In this work, the cutting performance of surface‐modified mixed ceramic cutting tools has been studied. A 1‐μm‐thick modified surface has been obtained by CO2posttreatment of the Al2O3–TiOC mixed ceramics. The cutting performance of the modified tools has been found to be much better than the precursor‐mixed ceramics. The density of the modified layer also has an influence on the cutting performance. Modified ceramics with a dense surface layer show considerably improved wear resistance compared with that of ceramics with a porous layer. While plastic deformation of the TiC layer in the flank surface, followed by abrasive wear of the exposed substrate is responsible for flank wear, crater wear is caused mainly by diffusion reaction as well as by abrasion. In our system, it is mainly the flank wear that controls the cutting performance of the inserts.
Exchange Relationships in Inshore Fisheries1
Authors: Lauer Sean R.
Published: July 2008

Research on the long‐term, informal exchange strategies of harvesters and dealers working in inshore fisheries has been important to theory surrounding economic exchange. In transaction costs economics, this research provides evidence for economic exchange governed by trust, and in exchange theory, it provides evidence for the emergence of cooperation and trust. In this article I examine the emergence of economic exchange relationships in the new sea urchin fishery. The research is ethnographic in nature, utilizing a variety of data sources including participant observation, in‐depth interviews, and existing quantitative data. I find that, just as experience or improved efficiency can have an impact on the emergence of trust between exchange partners, potential exchange partners can be deemed untrustworthy based on general characteristics unrelated to the particular individual. Once established, these assessments become part of the strategic context of exchange in the fishery.
Interlegislator Relations and Policy Making: A Sociological Study of Roll‐Call Voting in a State Legislature1
Authors: Peoples Clayton D.
Published: July 2008

Legislative roll‐call voting is crucial in policy making. Standard approaches to studying roll‐call voting focus on legislator attributes, ignoring how social factors, such as legislator relations, may drive voting. Using original data based on a state legislature, I adopt a relational approach to examine how legislator relations impact roll‐call voting net of attributes. Results show that relations strongly influence voting, adding significantly to the explanatory power of the models. These results imply that standard approaches to studying roll‐call voting should incorporate consideration of social factors, suggesting the value of social influence models in studies of political phenomena.
Agency: The Internal Split of Structure
Authors: Wang Yong
Published: July 2008

In this article I first examine the ways in which the dual terms of structure and agency are used in sociological theories. Then, relying on Lacan’s notions of split‐subject, the formula of sexuation, and forms of discourses, and Laclau’s theory of ideological hegemony, I argue that agency in most current sociological formulations is but a posited other of the structure that dissolves if examined closely; it is similar to the Lacanian fantasmic object. To resolve the fundamental paradoxes in structure‐agency theories, I reformulate structures as paradoxical, incomplete, and contingent symbolic formations that are always partial and unstable due to their inclusion and exclusion operations. Consequently, social transformational agency consists in the structural inconsistencies that open structural gaps available to social actors. As a result, agency can be recognized in two moments conceived as two symbolic gestures. From this perspective, agency as such is always a possibility qua potential and its efficacy is always retroactively recognized‐actualized from within a new social structure or symbolic order.
Periodontal debridement as a therapeutic approach for severe chronic periodontitis: a clinical, microbiological and immunological study
Authors: Del Peloso Ribeiro Érica , Bittencourt Sandro , Sallum Enilson A. , Nociti Francisco H. , Gonçalves Reginaldo Bruno , Casati Márcio Zaffalon
Published: July 2008

Aim: To clinically, microbiologically and immunologically characterize periodontal debridement as a therapeutic approach for severe chronic periodontitis.

Material and Methods: Twenty‐five patients presenting at least eight teeth with a probing pocket depth (PPD) of 5 mm and bleeding on probing (BOP) were selected and randomly assigned to quadrant‐wise scaling and root planing or one session of full‐mouth periodontal debridement. The following clinical outcomes were assessed: plaque index, BOP, position of gingival margin, relative attachment level (RAL) and PPD. Real‐time PCR was used for quantitative analysis of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis and Tannerella forsythia. The enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay permitted the detection of IL‐1β, prostaglandin E2, INF‐γ and IL‐10 in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF). All the parameters were evaluated at baseline, and at 3 and 6 months after treatment.

Results: Both the groups had similar means of PPD reduction and attachment gain over time. Besides a significant reduction in the bacterial level after treatment in both groups, microbiological analysis failed to demonstrate significant differences between them. Finally, no difference was observed between groups with respect to the levels of inflammatory mediators in GCF.

Conclusion: Periodontal debridement resulted in a similar clinical, microbiological and immunological outcome when compared with standard scaling and root planing and therefore may be a viable approach to deal with severe chronic periodontitis.
Ten‐year results following treatment of intra‐bony defects with enamel matrix proteins and guided tissue regeneration
Authors: Sculean Anton , Kiss Alice , Miliauskaite Asta , Schwarz Frank , Arweiler Nicole B. , Hannig Matthias
Published: July 2008

Background: Surgery utilizing an enamel matrix protein derivative (EMD) or guided tissue regeneration (GTR) has been shown to promote periodontal regeneration.

Aim: To evaluate the 10‐year results following treatment with EMD, GTR, EMD+GTR, and open flap debridement (OFD).

Material and Methods: Thirty‐eight patients out of an initial group of 56 participants were treated with one of the four modalities. Results were evaluated before surgery, at 1 year, and at 10 years. Primary outcome variable was CAL change.

Results: Treatment with EMD yielded a mean CAL gain of 3.4±1.0 mm (p<0.001) and 2.9±1.4 mm (p<0.001) at 1 and 10 years, respectively. GTR resulted in a mean CAL gain of 3.2±1.4 (p<0.001) at 1 year and 2.8±1.2 mm (p<0.001) at 10 years. Mean CAL gain in the EMD+GTR group was of 3.3±1.1 mm (p<0.001) and 2.9±1.2 mm (p<0.001) at 1 and 10 years, respectively. Treatment with OFD demonstrated a mean CAL gain of 2.0±1.2 mm (p<0.01) at 1 year and 1.8±1.1 mm (p<0.01) at 10 years. Compared with OFD, the three regenerative treatments resulted in statistically significant (p<0.05) higher CAL gain, at both 1 and 10 years. The CAL change between 1 and 10 years did not present statistically significant differences in any of the four groups.

Conclusion: The present results indicate that the clinical outcomes obtained with all four approaches can be maintained over a period of 10 years.
Different expression patterns of p27KIP1 and p57KIP2 proteins in benign and malignant melanocytic neoplasms and in cultured human melanocytes
Authors: Curry Jonathan L. , Richards Hunter W. , Huttenbach Yve T. , Medrano Estela E. , Reed Jon A.
Published: July 2008

Background:  The p27KIP1 and p57KIP2 proteins belong to the CIP/KIP family of cyclin‐dependent kinase inhibitors involved in the growth arrest and cellular senescence. High levels of p27KIP1 unexpectedly have been detected in invasive malignant melanomas (MM), whereas the role of p57KIP2 in melanocytic lesions is unknown. We therefore chose to study the expression of p27KIP1 and p57KIP2 in melanocytic neoplasms.

Design:  The expression of p27KIP1 and p57KIP2 were examined by immunohistochemistry in 40 melanocytic neoplasms and by Western blot analysis in cultured human melanocytes.

Results:  Expression of both nuclear p27KIP1 and p57KIP2 (> 10% of cells with nuclear labeling) was observed in most cases with non‐proliferating melanocytes (8/10, benign nevi and 9/10 DN, dysplastic nevi), but in only a few cases containing proliferating melanocytes (3/11 RN, recurrent nevi and 2/9 MM, melanoma) (p < 0.002). In proliferating melanocytes, there was an inverse correlation of nuclear expression of p27KIP1 and p57KIP2 in both RN (p27KIP1 = 3/11 RN and p57KIP2 = 8/11 RN) and MM (p27KIP1 = 7/9 MM and p57KIP2 = 2/9 MM) (p < 0.05). Western blot analysis detected p57KIP2 only in proliferating melanocytes. p27KIP1 was detected in both proliferating and senescent melanocytes.

Conclusion:  The difference in expression patterns of p27KIP1 and p57KIP2 in proliferating and senescent melanocytes suggests the interplay between these proteins may play a functional role in melanocytic tumorigenesis.
A scanning microscopic clue to the diagnosis of arthropod assault reaction: alteration of interstitial tissue is more common than a wedge‐shaped inflammatory infiltrate
Authors: Krahl Dieter , Sellheyer Klaus
Published: July 2008

Background:  A scanning microscopic clue to the diagnosis of arthropod assault reactions is a wedge‐shaped inflammatory infiltrate. However, to describe an inflammatory infiltrate as wedge‐shaped or not involves a high degree of subjectivity.

Methods:  We studied hematoxylin and eosin‐stained sections of 137 biopsies of arthropod assault reactions for epidermal and dermal changes and for the composition, density and depth of the inflammatory infiltrate.

Results:  We found a wedge‐shaped inflammatory component in only 10.2% of the cases. A much more common feature is an alteration of the interstitial tissue present in 85.4% of the biopsies. It consisted of a narrowing of the spaces between the collagen bundles, which was readily observable on scanning magnification. On higher magnification, a loosely textured basophilic material was often noted within the dermis.

Conclusions:  The hitherto often emphasized wedge‐shaped configuration of the inflammatory component of arthropod assault reactions is not of great diagnostic value. The altered interstitial tissue is easily recognizable by its diminished interstitial spaces at low power magnification and can serve as a scanning magnification clue to the diagnosis of arthropod assault reactions.
The Rising Power of the Modern Vice Presidency
Authors: GOLDSTEIN JOEL K.
Published: July 2008

Long a pilloried office, the vice presidency has become a significant government institution especially since the service of Walter F. Mondale (1977–81). Mondale and President Jimmy Carter elevated the office to a position of ongoing significance through a carefully designed and executed effort that required the confluence of a number of factors. Mondale's service provided his successors a more robust institution with new resources, enhanced expectations, and a successful model for vice presidential service. Subsequent vice presidents have benefited from Mondale's legacy but have exercised the office in different ways depending, to some degree, on the way in which the factors that shaped Mondale's term have played out for each new incumbent.
Beyond Civics and the 3 R's: Teaching Economics in the Schools
Authors: Yarrow Andrew L.
Published: July 2008

During the twenty to twenty-five years after World War II, children in the United States were increasingly taught to understand their nation, its history, and its economic greatness—as an “economy”—rather than in social, moral, philosophical, or political terms (i.e., as a society, a community, a republic, etc.). Equally powerful was its message that the U.S. economy was an unprecedented marvel of productivity and a facet of Americanness of which to be proud and to defend. During this time period, not only did an economics education movement emerge, but economics increasingly was taught as part of social studies, history, or other classes, and a huge amount of curricular material was developed and disseminated for classroom use.
Defending the Faith through Education: The Catholic Case for Parental and Civil Rights in Victorian Britain
Authors: Tenbus Eric G.
Published: July 2008

The struggle to provide primary education for the Catholic poor in England and Wales dominated the agenda of English Catholic leaders in the last half of the nineteenth century. This effort occurred within the larger framework of a national educational revolution that slowly pushed the government into providing public education for the first time. Although state education grants at the elementary level began in 1833, lingering problems forced the government to establish a new era of educational provision with the controversial Education Act of 1870. This act created a dual education system consisting of the long-standing denominational schools operated by the different churches and new rate-supported board schools, operated by local school boards, providing no religious instruction or nondenominational religious instruction. In the closing years of the nineteenth century, the dual system grew intolerable for Catholics because local rates (property taxes) only supported the board schools and gave them almost unlimited funding while Catholic schools struggled to make ends meet on school pence and shrinking state grants, which Catholics had only had access to beginning in 1847.
Anthropology of Religion
Authors: Bowie Fiona
Published: July 2008

An anthropological approach to religion is characterised by engagement with the people studied through participant observation in the field. Although the ethnographer might be changed by this experience, the majority of anthropologists are constrained by academic and cultural conventions that prevent them from fully engaging with it. The challenge for anthropologists is to find a language that moves beyond the security of phenomenological or scientific approaches to religion, without becoming apologists for any one theological perspective.
Understanding Dr. B. R. Ambedkar
Authors: Zelliot Eleanor
Published: July 2008

Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, also called Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar in affection and respect, was born in 1891 in a Mahar Untouchable family and died in 1956 after a lifetime of service to his people and to India. His influence has spread throughout India and his image, a Western‐dressed gentleman pointing to the future and carrying a book, is found in many villages and all cities. The book represents the Constitution of independent India. His followers know the facts of his life and are so reverential that one right wing critic called him a ‘false God’. The word now used broadly for Untouchables, Tribals, and other low castes and classes is ‘Dalit’, which means ground down, but began a proud use in the 1970s with a literary movement called ‘Dalit Sahitya’, made famous at first by the ‘Dalit Panthers’ named in reference to the militant American ‘Black Panthers’. Like the word ‘Black’, it can be a source of controversy today. The term coined by Mohandas K. Gandhi, ‘Harijan’ or people of God, was resented by Ambedkar as patronizing, and the two also clashed over the idea of separate electorates for untouchables; Gandhi's win is still resented by some as depriving Dalits of their chosen leaders. Dr. Ambedkar's influence may be seen in literature, in educational and political institutions, in a massive Buddhist conversion, and in increased pride and self‐confidence among Dalits.
Mitochondrial Signaling in Mammalian Cells Activated by Red and Near‐IR Radiation
Authors: Karu Tiina I.
Published: July 2008

Mitochondrial signaling is an information channel between the mitochondrial respiratory chain and the nucleus for the transduction signals regarding the functional state of the mitochondria. The present review examines the question whether radiation of visible and near‐IR (IR‐A) radiation can activate this retrograde‐type cellular signaling pathway. Experimental data about modulation of elements of mitochondrial retrograde signaling by the irradiation (mitochondrial membrane potential ΔΨm, reactive oxygen species ROS, Ca2+, NO•, pHi, fission‐fusion homeostasis of mitochondria) are reviewed. The terminal enzyme of the mitochondrial respiratory chain cytochrome c oxidase is considered as the photoacceptor. Functions of cytochrome c oxidase as a signal generator as well as a signal transducer in irradiated cells are outlined.
“Changing for My Kid”: Fatherhood Experiences of Mexican‐Origin Teen Fathers Involved in the Justice System
Authors: Parra‐Cardona José Rubén , Sharp Elizabeth A. , Wampler Richard S.
Published: July 2008

A descriptive phenomenological study was conducted with six adolescent fathers of Mexican origin on juvenile probation for a variety of serious offenses. All participants successfully completed a parenting program designed especially for teen fathers. In a series of consecutive in‐depth interviews, teen fathers were asked to discuss their experiences as fathers. Four phenomena were identified from the data: (a) not giving up and deciding to be a dad, (b) figuring out my relationships after becoming a father, (c) wanting to be a good father, and (d) wanting to be Brown and a father. Findings challenge negative stereotypes associated with Mexican‐origin teen fathers engaged in delinquent behaviors and describe the ways in which fatherhood became an important positive motivator in the lives of participants.
Effects of a late evening snack combined with α‐glucosidase inhibitor on liver cirrhosis
Authors: Korenaga Keiko , Korenaga Masaaki , Uchida Koichi , Yamasaki Takahiro , Sakaida Isao
Published: July 2008

Aim:  A late evening snack (LES) is recommended for protein‐energy malnutrition in patients with liver cirrhosis. However, many cases of liver cirrhosis have accompanying impaired glucose tolerance and there are concerns that LESs might aggravate glucose intolerance. In this study, we concomitantly used an α‐glucosidase inhibitor with a LES and examined the effects on glucose tolerance. In addition, we examined whether or not there was an improvement in energy metabolism by slowing glucose absorption with the concomitant use of the α‐glucosidase inhibitor.

Methods:  The subjects were 11 patients with liver cirrhosis. From before the study, all the patients had been taking a LES supplementation with a branched‐chain amino acid (BCAA)‐enriched nutrient mixture. The patients were started on the concomitant use of α‐glucosidase inhibitor (0.2 mg) taken just prior to the LES. The change of glucose tolerance and energy metabolism were examined using a 75‐g oral glucose tolerance test and indirect calorimetry.

Results:  One week and three months after the start of the concomitant use of the α‐glucosidase inhibitor, the area under the concentration curve for plasma glucose was significantly decreased. Three months after the concomitant use, the non‐protein respiratory quotient was significantly improved. There were no serious side effects during the follow‐ups.

Conclusion:  The concomitant use of the α‐glucosidase inhibitor use with LES showed the possibility of improving glucose tolerance and energy metabolism. In patients with impaired glucose tolerance, the concomitant use of an α‐glucosidase inhibitor with LES might be a useful measure for nutritional management.
Rhabdomyolysis with atorvastatin and fusidic acid
Authors: O'Mahony C , Campbell V L , Al-Khayatt M S , Brull D J
Published: July 2008

Rhabdomyolysis is a rare but life-threatening complication of statin therapy. A 74-year-old man, treated with atorvastatin, developed rhabdomyolysis after the co-administration of fusidic acid and flucloxacillin. The patient recovered with supportive treatment and subsequently tolerated reintroduction of atorvastatin. Pharmacokinetic interactions can cause raised plasma statin concentrations, which can precipitate rhabdomyolysis in the presence of certain predisposing biological factors.
Abdominal compartment syndrome: an under-diagnosed contributory factor to morbidity and mortality in the critically ill
Authors: Hunter J D
Published: July 2008

As the abdomen is a closed cavity, it follows that any increase in abdominal contents will inexorably lead to a rise in the intra-abdominal pressure. Normally this is less than 7 mm Hg, but when it persistently exceeds 12 mm Hg, renal, intestinal, pulmonary, cardiovascular and central nervous system dysfunction arises. A wide range of conditions encountered in both medical and surgical intensive care units are associated with a rise in intra-abdominal pressure. When this pressure is continually above 20 mm Hg, organ system failure can occur, a condition known as abdominal compartment syndrome. Failure to recognise and treat this syndrome is associated with a high morbidity and mortality.
CT and appendicitis: evaluation of correlation between CT diagnosis and pathological diagnosis
Authors: Andre J B , Sebastian V A , Ruchman R M , Saad S A
Published: July 2008

Purpose

To evaluate the correlation between appendiceal size measured by contrast-enhanced CT of the abdomen and pelvis and the size of surgically removed appendixes on gross pathological examination.

Materials and methods

The initial database consisted of the cases of 301 children, collected over 2 years, of which 56 met inclusion criteria. Both the radiology and surgical pathology reports of these patients were reviewed.

Results

The mean size of appendixes meeting the CT size criteria of appendicitis was 10.3 mm, and that of the surgical pathology specimens was 10.4 mm. The pathological diagnosis of acute appendicitis was confirmed in 54 of 56 cases, yielding a positive predictive value of 96.4%. The Pearson product–moment correlation coefficient was calculated to be 0.5443 (95% CI 0.329 to 0.706). The slope of the linear correlation was 0.5788. The mean absolute difference in CT size versus pathological size was 2.2 mm.

Conclusion

The data reveal a strong correlation in ability of CT to predict the presence of acute appendicitis, with moderate correlation in the size estimate of acutely inflamed appendixes, as imaged on CT, and the pathological specimen status after appendectomy.
Hydrofracturing-related sill and dyke emplacement at shallow crustal levels: the Eastern Elba Dyke Complex, Italy
Authors: Mazzarini Francesco , Musumeci Giovanni
Published: July 2008

An example of sheet-like intrusion emplacement at very shallow crustal levels on Elba Island, Italy, is described. The Eastern Elba Dyke Complex (EEDC) consists of decimetre- to metre-thick sheeted aplites emplaced within intensely folded low-grade metamorphic rocks. Field data indicate that sill and dyke emplacement was controlled by mechanical discontinuities, represented by fractures in the host rocks, and was strongly favoured by magma overpressure. The occurrence of angular fragments of host rocks in the dyke border zones and the branching of sills testify to hydraulic fracturing. Analysis of the spatial distribution and geometry of EEDC sills and dykes provides clues on fluid pressure conditions and the stress state at the time of magma emplacement, as well as on the depth of emplacement. The calculated stress ratio and driving pressure ratio were used to estimate a magma overpressure of 6–54 MPa at the time of emplacement of the EEDC at a depth of about 2 km.
Topotecan inhibits vascular endothelial growth factor production and angiogenic activity induced by hypoxia in human neuroblastoma by targeting hypoxia-inducible factor-1α and -2α
Authors: Puppo Maura , Battaglia Florinda , Ottaviano Catherine , Delfino Silvana , Ribatti Domenico , Varesio Luigi , Bosco Maria Carla
Published: July 2008

Neuroblastoma produce angiogenic peptides, and the extent of angiogenesis correlates with tumor progression and poor clinical outcome. Hence, angiogenic factor inhibition represents an important therapeutic option. One of the major drives to tumor angiogenesis is hypoxia, a decrease in oxygen tension that characterizes the tumor microenvironment. We investigated the effects of the topoisomerase I inhibitor, topotecan, on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) induction by hypoxia in advanced-stage human neuroblastoma cells. Topotecan counteracted hypoxic induction of VEGF and decreased angiogenic activity of conditioned medium from hypoxic cultures in vivo in the chick chorioallantoic membrane. Promoter-driven reporter studies showed the role of both hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α and -2α in VEGF transcription activation by hypoxia, because (a) overexpression of either protein by cotransfection with expression vectors resulted in VEGF promoter transactivation, which was abrogated by mutation in the HIF-binding site, and (b) targeted knockdown of HIF-1α/2α by RNA interference inhibited hypoxia-stimulated VEGF transcriptional activity and protein secretion. Topotecan-inhibitory effects on VEGF induction by hypoxia were mediated through suppression of both HIF-1α and HIF-2α protein accumulation and transactivation properties, which was specific and required ongoing RNA transcription. A similar pattern of results was obtained in cells treated with the hypoxia-mimetic agent, desferrioxamine. These data provide the first evidence that topotecan is a potent inhibitor of HIF-1α and HIF-2α subunits in hypoxic neuroblastoma cells, leading to decreased VEGF expression and angiogenic activity. An important clinical implication of these findings is that therapies targeted to the HIF pathway have the potential to inhibit neuroblastoma angiogenesis and growth. [Mol Cancer Ther 2008;7(7):1974–84]
HSP90 inhibitor, DMAG, synergizes with radiation of lung cancer cells by interfering with base excision and ATM-mediated DNA repair
Authors: Koll Thuy T. , Feis Steven S. , Wright Mollie H. , Teniola Modupe M. , Richardson Mekel M. , Robles Ana I. , Bradsher John , Capala Jacek , Varticovski Lyuba
Published: July 2008

Inhibition of heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) leads to inappropriate processing of proteins involved in cell survival pathways. We found that HSP90 inhibitor, 17-(dimethylaminoethylamino)-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (DMAG), is synergistic with radiation for non-small cell lung cancer cell lines, NCI-H460 and A549. To establish the optimal schedule for this combination, cells were radiated before, after, or simultaneously with DMAG, and survival was scored by clonogenic assay. The sequence of DMAG administration was critical for synergy with radiation, and pretreatment for 16 h led to maximal synergy. Similar radiosensitization was observed in isogenic cells in which expression of wild-type p53 was silenced by RNA interference, although p53 loss rendered cells overall less radiosensitive. The mechanistic basis for synergy was studied by Western blotting, cell cycle analysis, alkaline comet assay, and direct measurement of the activities of key base excision repair enzymes. Regardless of schedule of administration, DMAG led to degradation of proteins involved in activation of cell survival pathways after radiation, which did not explain the differences in the schedule of administration observed in clonogenic assays. In addition to previously reported decrease in activation of ATM, pretreatment with DMAG blocked activation of base excision repair machinery and activity of key enzymes, apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease, and DNA polymerase-β. Similarly, pretreatment with specific apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease inhibitor, CRT0044876, reproduced the effects of DMAG. Thus, administration of HSP90 inhibitors before radiation is critical for optimizing their use as radiosensitizers. [Mol Cancer Ther 2008;7(7):1985–92]
Cloning and apoptosis-inducing activities of canine and feline TRAIL
Authors: Rong Sing , Cai Jenny H. , Andrews Jennifer
Published: July 2008

The apoptosis process is crucial to various biological processes including embryo development and organism homeostasis. Inducing apoptosis of cancer cells has become a very attractive field for cancer therapy in the recent years. Tumor necrosis factor–related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL; also called Apo2L, TNFSF10, CD253, or TL2) is a member of tumor necrosis factor family. Preclinical studies showed that human TRAIL induced apoptosis of various tumor cell lines, whereas nontransformed normal cell lines were not affected. We have cloned both canine and feline TRAIL full-length genes by using Rapid Amplification of cDNA Ends-PCR technology. Truncated soluble versions of the canine and feline TRAIL genes were also constructed. The degree of identity between canine TRAIL protein and the human, mouse, chicken, porcine, and rat homologues is 81.3%, 61.7%, 54.3%, 82.9%, and 63.2%, respectively. The degree of identity between the feline TRAIL protein and the human, mouse, chicken, porcine, and rat homologues is 84.2%, 64.2%, 54.4%, 86.8% and 65.7%, respectively. The identity between the canine and feline TRAIL proteins is 93.2%. The canine and feline soluble TRAIL proteins were expressed in both mammalian and bacterial expression systems. Western immunoblot assays with TRAIL-specific antibody confirmed the identity of expressed protein. Both canine and feline TRAIL proteins were shown to specifically induce apoptosis and inhibit cell growth of cancer cells at a level comparable with their human counterpart. [Mol Cancer Ther 2008;7(7):2181–91]
Delivery of PTEN via a novel gene microcapsule sensitizes prostate cancer cells to irradiation
Authors: Tomioka Atsushi , Tanaka Motoyoshi , De Velasco Marco A. , Anai Satoshi , Takada Satoshi , Kushibiki Toshihiro , Tabata Yasuhiko , Rosser Charles J. , Uemura Hirotsugu , Hirao Yoshihiko
Published: July 2008

The tumor suppressor gene MMAC/PTEN located on chromosome10q23.3 has dual phosphatase activity in the phosphoinositide-3-kinase signaling pathway and inhibits Akt activation, a serine-threonine kinase, which is involved in proliferative and antiapoptotic pathways. Furthermore, MMAC/PTEN is frequently inactivated in a variety of tumors including prostate cancer. In this study, we generated a new type of gene transfer drug, GelaTen, which is a microsphere of cationized gelatin hydrogels incorporating PTEN plasmid DNA. Using our previously reported radiation-resistant PC3-Bcl-2 human prostate cancer cells (PTEN deleted), we examined the efficacy of GelaTen to force the expression of PTEN in vivo to inhibit tumor growth after intratumoral injection alone or with irradiation. Combinational therapy with GelaTen and irradiation improved both the in vitro and in vivo efficacy of growth inhibition compared with GelaTen or irradiation alone. These data show that GelaTen gene therapy, enabling radiosensitization, can potentially treat prostate cancers that have MMAC/PTEN gene alterations associated with radioresistance. [Mol Cancer Ther 2008;7(7):1864–70]