bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Study of Quality Management in Indian Handicraft Units
Authors: Garg Ajay K. , Mittal R.K. , Goyal O.P.
Published: December 2005

Lack of quality control and quality management appear to be the major stumbling blocks being faced by domestic cottage units in a globalized marketplace. Markets for handicrafts products being manufactured in these cottage units are highly competitive in a business environment that is increasingly complex and uncertain. This study attempts to analyse issues related to quality management in selected handcrafted artware and giftware industries in India. It posits a viable model of quality-oriented management for the handicraft industry based on a comprehensive analysis of primary data collected on dominant variables from 106 handicraft cottage and small-scale units in selected pockets in northern India. The quality parameters identified in this model are those which have been found to be crucial for bridging the gap between current performance levels and the projected potential of Indian handicrafts industry in international markets. This is evidenced by the empirical data tested with the help of a t-test in paired comparison of two parameters at a time, and the level of each parameter is compared across three different handicraft manufacturing pockets with the help of ANOVA.
Interventional Roadmap for Digital Enablement Leading to Effective Value-chain Management in the Manufacturing Sector
Authors: Ilyas R.Mohammed , Banwet D.K. , Shankar Ravi
Published: December 2005

The aim of this article is to identify the key parameters of effective value-chain management in an information technology-driven industry. Further, the article aims to elucidate the hierarchical relationship among the parameters to facilitate focused interventions at ‘strategic’, ‘operational’ and ‘tactical’ levels. An important aspect of organizational transformation leading to integrated ‘value-chains’ facilitated by digital interaction among partners (that is, the digitized environment) is the identification of key parameters and establishing a critical list to facilitate focused attention of the different organizational levels—top management, middle management and operating levels. This article utilizes the Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM) methodology to understand the mutual influence among the parameters to identify the dependent and driving parameters. By analysing the hierarchical interrelationship amongst parameters, we can identify the focus group, that is, the set of key interventions on which the top management should focus their attention, to leverage the benefits from a digitally integrated value-chain. It can be clearly seen that there two sets of parameters—one set, which essentially leads to better information integration on the buy and sell side of the value-chain, includes the key drivers of an effective value-chain; and another set, reflecting the effectiveness/derived benefits of the integration of the value-chain, are dependent on the degree of integration. The input for this research is based on qualitative data collated from industry experts in Indian steel and cement industries. Finally, the implications for practices and scope of future research are identified here.
Derivatives Approach of Risk Management by Firms of Developing Countries
Authors: Sharma Kapil , Trivedi Vibhav , Chandak Gaurav
Published: December 2005

Risk management has increased in importance and sophistication in recent years. Increased volatility in financial markets across the globe has led to the development of a number of new financial instruments for managing the risks associated with specific transactions. Risk managers in developed countries are busy developing new techniques for managing risks; many of the existing techniques are unavailable or not well known in developing countries. Despite the fact that managers of developing countries are becoming more and more aware of the need to manage risk, they face substantial obstacles in using risk management instruments. In many cases they have started looking towards large international finance firms as a source of information on risk and for assistance in assessing new risk management instruments. In addition to the financial risks, many firms in developing countries suffer from exposure to other economic risks like the risk of long-term overvaluation/undervaluation of their local currency, etc. It is more difficult to measure and manage these type of purely transactional exposures, which have a direct effect on competitiveness. The management of transaction exposure involves use of financial instruments; that of economic exposure requires operational and marketing strategies in order to be effective. The article concentrates on the use of risk management techniques and instruments by firms in developing countries. Real examples have been quoted to explain how firms of developing countries are using derivatives to manage their risks, and the various problems which these firms face in using derivatives have been highlighted.
Biotechnology—The New Age ‘Global’ Industry
Authors: Paul Justin , Lova Festi
Published: December 2005

This article deals with the business prospects of the biotechnology industry and portrays it as ‘global sunrise’ industry. The biotech industry classification and the recent trends are outlined in the first part. The structure and the pattern of the industry in different countries have also been analysed. The case of bio-agricultural exports and imports in the world is given as a tool for understanding the importance of global business opportunities in the biotech industry.
Inside the Promotional Vortex
Authors: Darnell Simon C. , Sparks Robert
Published: December 2005

When Canadian Simon Whitfield won the gold medal in the first ever Olympic Men’s Triathlon at the 2000 Sydney Games, the Canadian media labeled him an ‘Olympic champion’ and ‘golden boy’ and constructed his victory as ‘heroic’ and emblematic of Canadian character. Positive media attention led to several sponsorship contracts which in turn led to more media coverage about his success, with the result that Whitfield became a media celebrity and product endorser in Canada. In this article we examine the media production processes that led to the construction of Whitfield’s positive media image and the impact of this coverage on his marketability. Through interviews with five national and regional newspaper journalists who wrote stories about Whitfield and four national marketers who worked on his sponsorship campaigns, as well as with Whitfield himself, we demonstrate how media and marketing production are linked as part of a promotional chain. In the case of Whitfield, this promotional chain resulted in media coverage that was similar across various newspapers, and which served in the construction of media and marketing coverage of Whitfield that affirmed dominant meanings of sport culture in Canada.
The Sociability of Sport
Authors: Giulianotti Richard
Published: December 2005

Georg Simmel is one of sociology’s most influential early figures, although arguably his work has been under-utilized in many scholarly fields, including sport studies. Some of Simmel’s most important theoretical and substantive arguments are deployed to develop a sociological analysis of a specific sports subculture: the ‘Tartan Army’ of supporters that travels to Scotland football matches. Of particular interest are Simmel’s formal sociological standpoint, differentiation of social and cultural forms, development of dualistic thinking, analyses of human sociability, writings on ‘the stranger’ and ‘the adventure’, and his concern with individuality in modern metropolitan culture. In applying Simmel’s insights, I explore the formal emergence and organic development of the Tartan Army as a distinctive supporter culture. The Tartan Army, like many sports crowds, affords an outstanding study in Simmelian sociability, while providing adventure and a possible escape from our overwhelming modern culture. The article concludes by considering Simmel’s wider utility within the sociology of sport.
Slim Bodies, Eating Disorders and the Coach-Athlete Relationship
Authors: Jones R. L. , Glintmeyer N. , McKenzie A.
Published: December 2005

This study explores the experiences of a former elite swimmer, Anne (a pseudonym), whose career was interrupted and finally terminated by disordered eating. The work is grounded in the need to tell Anne’s story in relation to compliance within a culture of slenderness and norms, and the role of the coach within that culture. Using interpretive biography, the data illustrate how the creation of strong athletic identity led to a vulnerable sense of self, which, when disrupted, critically contributed to the development of an eating disorder. They also indicate how the prevailing discourse fed the disorder through ongoing surveillance and disciplining of the self. Finally, suggestions are made about drawing lessons from Anne’s story with regard to re-interpreting the traditional coach-athlete relationship.
Three-Dimensional Finite Element Simulations of Ground Vibration Generated by High-Speed Trains and Engineering Countermeasures
Authors: Wang Judith C. , Zeng Xiangwu , Mullen Robert L.
Published: December 2005

In this paper we discuss the benefits of using rubber-modified asphalt concrete in high-speed railway foundations. We present the results from a series of three-dimensional finite element simulations modeling a high-speed train foundation utilizing various trackbed materials. Four trackbed materials were tested for their relative vibration attenuation capacities: ballast, concrete, conventional asphalt concrete, and rubber-modified asphalt concrete. Additionally, studies varying the speed and the weight of the passing train were performed. Parametric studies varying the dimensions of the trackbed underlayment were also examined. From these numerical simulations, it is shown that rubber-modified asphalt concrete outperforms other traditional paving materials in ground vibration attenuation. It is also shown that the speeds and weights of the passing trains and the dimensions of the trackbed have significant effects on the relative performance of the paving materials. Implications for design are discussed.
Analysis of Time-delay Systems via Hybrid of Block-pulse Functions and Taylor Series
Authors: Marzban H. R. , Razzaghi M.
Published: December 2005

In this paper we present a method for finding the solution of time-delay systems using a hybrid function. We present the properties of the hybrid functions, which consist of block-pulse functions plus Taylor series. The method is based upon expanding various time functions in the system as their truncated hybrid functions. Operational matrices of integration and delay are presented and are utilized to reduce the solution of time-delay systems to the solution of algebraic equations. Illustrative examples are included to demonstrate the validity and applicability of the technique.
Large Amplitude Free Vibration Analysis of a Rotating Beam with Non-linear Spring and Mass System
Authors: Das S. K. , Ray P. C. , Pohit G.
Published: December 2005

The free, out-of-plane vibration of a rotating beam with a non-linear spring-mass system has been investigated. The non-linear constraint appears in the boundary condition. The solution is obtained by applying the method of multiple time-scales directly to the non-linear partial differential equations and the boundary conditions. The results of the linear frequencies match well with those obtained in the literature. Subsequent non-linear study indicates that there is a pronounced effect of the spring and its mass. The influence of the spring-mass location on frequencies is also investigated for the non-linear frequencies of the rotating beam.
A Design Analysis Approach for Improving the Stability of Dynamic Systems with Application to the Design of Car-Trailer Systems
Authors: He Y. , Elmaraghy H. , Elmaraghy W.
Published: December 2005

A design analysis approach is developed for improving the stability of dynamic systems subject to non-conservative forces. It combines genetic algorithms, sequential quadratic programming (SQP), and dynamic mode tracking (DMT). The proposed approach automatically optimizes the stability criterion and is applicable to rotor dynamics, wind turbine dynamics, aeronautics, and ground vehicle dynamics. The Routh-Hurwitz criterion has traditionally been used for determining the stability characteristics of these dynamic systems. In the conventional trial and error approaches, designers iteratively change the values of the design variables and reanalyze until an acceptable stability characteristic is achieved. This is both time-consuming and tedious. The proposed approach automates the design/analysis cycle by using the DMT technique to identify the modes; then, the SQP algorithm determines the stability criterion; and finally a genetic algorithm is applied to optimize design variables. The proposed integrated approach has been tested and evaluated numerically using a linearized car-trailer model with three degrees of freedom and the results demonstrate its feasibility and efficacy. The performed parametric sensitivity analysis revealed that the geometric parameters have a much greater influence on the lateral stability of the vehicle systems, compared with inertia parameters and torsional spring stiffness coefficients.
Determination of the Steady-State Response of Viscoelastically Supported Rectangular Orthotropic Mass Loaded Plates by an Energy-Based Finite Difference Method
Authors: Altintaş Gökhan , Bağci Muhiddin
Published: December 2005

A method based on a variational procedure in conjunction with a finite difference method is used to examine the free vibration characteristics and steady-state response to a sinusoidally varying force applied orthotropic elastic rectangular plate carrying masses. Using the energy-based finite difference method, the problem reduced to the solution of a system of algebraic equations. Due to the significance of the fundamental natural frequency of the plate, its variation is investigated with respect to the mechanical properties of the plate material, the translational spring coefficient of the supports, the mass distribution, the mass locations and the quantity of mass. The steady-state response of the viscoelastically supported plates was also investigated numerically for the damping coefficient of the supports and the force distribution in addition to the characteristics of the plate system. Many new results are presented and the validity of the present approach is demonstrated by comparing the results with other solutions based on the Kirchhoff-Love plate theory.
Physicians’ Perceptions of Managed Care: A Review of the Literature
Authors: Christianson Jon B. , Warrick Louise H. , Wholey Douglas R.
Published: December 2005

In this article, the authors review the health services research literature regarding physician attitudes and opinions relating to managed care and how managed care has affected their clinical practice. This literature suggests that physician perceptions of managed care are largely related to the nature of their ties to managed care plans and to their selection of practice setting. There are substantial limitations in study designs and execution, suggesting that many of the published findings should be viewed with caution; the research basis regarding physicians’ perceptions of managed care is not as strong as the number of articles published on this subject would suggest. The review concludes with suggestions for the conduct of future research on this topic.
The Effects of Medicaid Reimbursement on the Access to Care of Medicaid Enrollees: A Community Perspective
Authors: Cunningham Peter J. , Nichols Len M.
Published: December 2005

Previous research has not found a strong association between Medicaid reimbursement levels and enrollees’ access to medical care, even though higher fees increase the acceptance of Medicaid patients by physicians. This study shows that high Medicaid acceptance rates by physicians in a community are more important than fee levels per se in affecting enrollees’ access to medical care. Although high fee levels increase the probability that individual physicians will accept Medicaid patients, high fee levels do not necessarily lead to high levels of physician Medicaid acceptance in an area. Numerous other physician practice, health system, and community characteristics also affect Medicaid acceptance. The effects of Medicaid fees on Medicaid acceptance are substantially lower in areas with high Medicaid managed care penetration and for physicians who practice in institutional settings. The results suggest that a broad range of factors need to be considered to increase access to physicians for Medicaid enrollees.
Organizational Survival in the Outpatient Substance Abuse Treatment Sector, 1988-2000
Authors: Wells Rebecca , Lemak Christy Harris , D’Aunno Thomas A.
Published: December 2005

Substance abuse remains one of the most pressing health issues in the United States today, yet treatment supply continues to lag far behind need. Given the hostile environments treatment facilities face, their survival is a matter of pressing policy concern. Results from analyses of National Drug Abuse Treatment System Survey (NDATSS) data from 1988 through 2000 suggest that organizational attributes such as age, size, and client severity and resource dependencies such as reliance on government revenue affect survival, but their effects change over time. By the mid-1990s, director involvement in state and local policy making was positively associated with subsequent survival; later that decade, directors’ professional credentials affected survival as well. Results also show that serving clients with multiple substance abuse problems became a survival liability by the late 1990s. Facilities that treat clients with multiple addictions may need additional financial support to serve these particularly vulnerable clients.
Physician Leadership Styles and Effectiveness: An Empirical Study
Authors: Xirasagar Sudha , Samuels Michael E. , Stoskopf Carleen H.
Published: December 2005

The authors study the association between physician leadership styles and leadership effectiveness. Executive directors of community health centers were surveyed (269 respondents; response rate = 40.9 percent) for their perceptions of the medical director’s leadership behaviors and effectiveness, using an adapted Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (43 items on a 0-4 point Likert-type scale), with additional questions on demographics and the center’s clinical goals and achievements. The authors hypothesize that transformational leadership would be more positively associated with executive directors’ ratings of effectiveness, satisfaction with the leader, and subordinate extra effort, as well as the center’s clinical goal achievement, than transactional or laissez-faire leadership. Separate ordinary least squares regressions were used to model each of the effectiveness measures, and general linear model regression was used to model clinical goal achievement. Results support the hypothesis and suggest that physician leadership development using the transformational leadership model may result in improved health care quality and cost control.
Measuring the Nursing Workforce: Clarifying the Definitions
Authors: Reinier Kyndaron , Palumbo Mary Val , McIntosh Barbara , Rambur Betty , Kolodinsky Jane , Hurowitz Laurie , Ashikaga Takamaru
Published: December 2005

Numerous articles have addressed the causes and implications of the current nursing shortage. Little has been published, however, about how to measure the nursing workforce. This article presents (1) a review of definitions for common workforce indicators such as vacancy and turnoverrates and the relationship between these indicators and the need for nurses,(2) a review of the calculation of vacancy and turnoverrates in several statewide and national surveys, and (3) the results from the development and pilot test of a health care workforce survey for use in Vermont. The review indicates that in practice, no standard method is used despite attempts to standardize the calculation of vacancy and turnover rates. The Vermont pilot study results demonstrate that a richer profile of the health workforce can be obtained by using both standard workforce measures and more subjective questions to assess a statewide need for nurses.
A Theoretical Analysis of Medicaid Supplantation
Authors: Merriman David
Published: December 2005

Matching grants inevitably provide lower level governments with an incentive to relabel expenditures so that they become eligible for a match. The author terms such behavior supplantation. Anecdotes and some systematic empirical evidence suggests that supplantation may be widespread in Medicaid—the United States's largest intergovernmental matching grant program. The author develops a theoretical model of Medicaid supplantation. States supplant because it increases their access to resources. Supplantation is costly, however, because it requires states to justify their adherence to federal rules. Supplantation increases with the federal match rate and declines with federal scrutiny but does not change with the total state budget or the state's “taste” for legitimate Medicaid services. Somewhat surprisingly, legitimate Medicaid services risewith the level of supplantation because total state resources are increased. An exploratory normative analysis demonstrates that if supplantation is possible the first-best allocation cannot be achieved through matching grants. Policy implications are discussed briefly.
How Public Is Public Television?
Authors: Brooks Arthur C. , Ondrich Jan I.
Published: December 2005

Public television in the United States is built upon a mission of universal accessto broadcasting services. From a policy standpoint, however, the useof public television may be as important as the access to public television, because use provides the most complete measure of “how public” public television actually is. Data from the General Social Survey give a mixed evaluation of public television use. While some sociodemographic characteristics of viewers and viewing areas have little significant effect over the likelihood of viewing public television, others—such as higher education levels—strongly push it up.
Young Children in Institutional Care at Risk of Harm
Authors: Johnson Rebecca , Browne Kevin , Hamilton-Giachritsis Catherine
Published: December 2005

A recent survey has revealed a large number of young children in institutional care across Europe. Young children placed in institutional care without parents may be at risk of harm. This review considers systematically the research evidence on the impact of institutional care on brain growth, attachment, social behavior, and cognitive development. Analytical epidemiological study designs (i.e., including a control/comparison group) show that young children placed in institutional care are at risk of harm in terms of attachment disorder and developmental delays in social, behavioral, and cognitive domains. Delays in physical growth, neural atrophy, and abnormal brain development have also been implicated. The findings suggest that the lack of a one-to-one relationship with a primary caregiver is a major cause of harm to children in residential care. Evidence indicates that infants who are placed in institutional care will suffer harm to their development if they are not moved to family-based care by the age of 6 months. The neglect and damage caused by early privation and deprivation is equivalent to violence and policy makers should work to ensure that every child has the opportunity to grow up in a family environment.
Dowry and Its Link to Violence Against Women in India
Authors: Rastogi Mudita , Therly Paul
Published: December 2005

Dowry is exchanged in a majority of Indian weddings. Although its practice became illegal in 1961, dowry flourishes among all social classes. Families of the bride and groom negotiate transfer of assets to the groom and his family in exchange for marrying the bride, often within the context of an arranged marriage. Dissatisfaction with the amount of dowry may result in abuse of the bride. In extreme cases “dowry deaths” or the murder of the bride by her husband and his family take place. This article conducts a feminist psychological analysis of the dowry phenomenon, its link to domestic violence against women, and the role of the perpetrators. Existing and new explanations of the dowry system and its ramifications are explored. Psychologically based interventions and the implications of dowryrelated violence in the larger context of Asian Indians living in North America and the United Kingdom are discussed.
Fas costimulation of naïve CD4 T cells is controlled by NF-κB signaling and caspase activity
Authors: Maksimow Mikael , Söderström Thomas S , Jalkanen Sirpa , Eriksson John E , Hänninen Arno
Published: December 2005

Fas ligation induces apoptosis of activated T cells via the caspase cascade but can also mediate costimulatory signals to naïve T cells at the time of activation. We have previously shown that Fas ligation of naïve CD4 T cells activated by dendritic cells induces death or accelerates their proliferation and increases interferon-γ (IFN-γ) production. To understand this costimulation, we investigated the roles of caspases and nuclear factor (NF)-κB in survival and proliferation of responding T cells. Fas ligation increased caspase-3 and -8 activities during T cell activation, irrespective of cell fate. The accelerated proliferation induced by Fas ligation could be reduced by selective inhibition of both caspases. Inhibition of NF-κB simultaneously with Fas ligation inhibited the increased IFN-γ production and caused uniform death of all responding T cells. Thus, Fas-mediated costimulation of naïve CD4 T cells is driven by active caspases, and NF-κB acts as a dominant survival-supporting factor of Fas-costimulated cells containing high levels of activated caspase-8 and -3.
Role of PKC isoforms in the FcγR-mediated inhibition of LPS-stimulated IL-12 secretion by macrophages
Authors: Fronhofer Van , Lennartz Michelle R , Loegering Daniel J
Published: December 2005

Ligation of Fc receptors for immunoglobulin G (FcγRs) inhibits lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated secretion of interleukin (IL)-12 by macrophages. FcγR activation of protein kinase C (PKC) contributes to several functions of this receptor including phagocytosis, activation of the reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase, and secretion of certain cytokines. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that PKC mediates the FcγR inhibition of IL-12 secretion by macrophages. In murine macrophages, FcγR ligation augmented LPS-stimulated activation of PKC-α and PKC-δ but reduced IL-12p40 secretion. Similarly, activation of PKC with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) depressed LPS-stimulated IL-12p40 secretion, and depletion of PKC augmented LPS-stimulated IL-12p40 secretion. Antisense down-regulation of PKC-δ increased LPS-stimulated IL-12p40 secretion and fully prevented the effects of FcγR ligation or PMA on IL-12p40 secretion. In contrast, down-regulation of PKC-ε blocked LPS-stimulated secretion of IL-12p40. Down-regulation of PKC-α had no effect on LPS-stimulated IL-12p40 secretion. The results suggest a negative role for PKC-δ and a positive role for PKC-ε in the regulation of LPS-stimulated IL-12p40 secretion.
Randomized Phase III Trial of Whole-Abdominal Irradiation Versus Doxorubicin and Cisplatin Chemotherapy in Advanced Endometrial Carcinoma: A Gynecologic Oncology Group Study
Authors: Randall Marcus E. , Filiaci Virginia L. , Muss Hyman , Spirtos Nick M. , Mannel Robert S. , Fowler Jeffrey , Thigpen J. Tate , Benda Jo Ann
Published: December 2005

Purpose

To compare whole-abdominal irradiation (WAI) and doxorubicin-cisplatin (AP) chemotherapy in women with stage III or IV endometrial carcinoma having a maximum of 2 cm of postoperative residual disease.

Patients and Methods

Four hundred twenty-two patients were entered onto this trial. Of 396 assessable patients, 202 were randomly allocated to receive WAI, and 194 were allocated to receive AP. Irradiation dosage was 30 Gy in 20 fractions, with a 15-Gy boost. Chemotherapy consisted of doxorubicin 60 mg/m2 and cisplatin 50 mg/m2 every 3 weeks for seven cycles, followed by one cycle of cisplatin.

Results

Most patient and tumor characteristics were well balanced. The median patient age was 63 years; 50% had endometrioid tumors. Median follow-up time was 74 months. The hazard ratio for progression adjusted for stage was 0.71 favoring AP (95% CI, 0.55 to 0.91; P < .01). At 60 months, 50% of patients receiving AP were predicted to be alive and disease free when adjusting for stage compared with 38% of patients receiving WAI. The stage-adjusted death hazard ratio was 0.68 (95% CI, 0.52 to 0.89; P < .01) favoring AP. Moreover, at 60 months and adjusting for stage, 55% of AP patients were predicted to be alive compared with 42% of WAI patients. Greater acute toxicity was seen with AP. Treatment probably contributed to the deaths of eight patients (4%) on the AP arm and five patients (2%) on the WAI arm.

Conclusion

Chemotherapy with AP significantly improved progression-free and overall survival compared with WAI. Nevertheless, further advances in efficacy and reduction in toxicity are clearly needed.
EZH2 Expression Is Associated With High Proliferation Rate and Aggressive Tumor Subgroups in Cutaneous Melanoma and Cancers of the Endometrium, Prostate, and Breast
Authors: Bachmann Ingeborg M. , Halvorsen Ole J. , Collett Karin , Stefansson Ingunn M. , Straume Oddbjørn , Haukaas Svein A. , Salvesen Helga B. , Otte Arie P. , Akslen Lars A.
Published: December 2005

Purpose

EZH2 is a member of the polycomb group of genes and important in cell cycle regulation. Increased expression of EZH2 has been associated previously with invasive growth and aggressive clinical behavior in prostate and breast cancer, but the relationship with tumor cell proliferation has not been examined in human tumors. The purpose of this study was to validate previous findings in a population-based setting, also including tumors that have not been studied previously.

Patients and Methods

In our study of nearly 700 patients, we examined EZH2 expression and its association with tumor cell proliferation and other tumor markers, clinical features, and prognosis in cutaneous melanoma and cancers of the endometrium, prostate, and breast.

Results

Strong EZH2 expression was associated with increased tumor cell proliferation in all four cancer types. Associations were also found between EZH2 and important clinicopathologic variables. EZH2 expression showed significant prognostic impact in melanoma, prostate, and endometrial carcinoma in univariate survival analyses, and revealed independent prognostic importance in carcinoma of the endometrium and prostate.

Conclusion

Our findings point at EZH2 as a novel and independent prognostic marker in endometrial cancer, and validate previous findings on prostate and breast cancer. Further, EZH2 expression was associated with features of aggressive cutaneous melanoma. The fact that EZH2 might identify increased tumor cell proliferation and aggressive subgroups in several cancers may be of practical interest because the polycomb group proteins have been suggested as candidates for targeted therapy. EZH2 expression should, therefore, be further examined as a possible predictive factor.
Activity of SU11248, a Multitargeted Inhibitor of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor and Platelet-Derived Growth Factor Receptor, in Patients With Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Motzer Robert J. , Michaelson M. Dror , Redman Bruce G. , Hudes Gary R. , Wilding George , Figlin Robert A. , Ginsberg Michelle S. , Kim Sindy T. , Baum Charles M. , DePrimo Samuel E. , Li Jim Z. , Bello Carlo L. , Theuer Charles P. , George Daniel J. , Rini Brian I.
Published: December 2005

Purpose

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is characterized by loss of von Hippel Lindau tumor suppressor gene activity, resulting in high expression of pro-angiogenic growth factors: vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF). SU11248 (sunitinib malate), a small molecule inhibitor with high binding affinity for VEGF and PDGF receptors, was tested for clinical activity in patients with metastatic RCC.

Patients and Methods

Patients with metastatic RCC and progression on first-line cytokine therapy were enrolled onto a multicenter phase II trial. SU11248 monotherapy was administered in repeated 6-week cycles of daily oral therapy for 4 weeks, followed by 2 weeks off. Overall response rate was the primary end point, and time to progression and safety were secondary end points.

Results

Twenty-five (40%) of 63 patients treated with SU11248 achieved partial responses; 17 additional patients (27%) demonstrated stable disease lasting ≥ 3 months. Median time to progression in the 63 patients was 8.7 months. Dosing was generally tolerated with manageable toxicities.

Conclusion

SU11248, a multitargeted receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor of VEGF and PDGF receptors, demonstrates antitumor activity in metastatic RCC as second-line therapy, a setting where no effective systemic therapy is presently recognized. The genetics of RCC and these promising clinical results support the hypothesis that VEGF and PDGF receptor-mediated signaling is an effective therapeutic target in RCC.
THE SEMANTIC UNITY OF REFLEXIVE, EMPHATIC, AND OTHER-SELFPRONOUNS
Authors: STERN NANCY
Published: December 2005

In contrast to studies that have focused on the syntactic properties of English -self pronouns (myself, yourself, etc.), this paper investigates the semantic and pragmatic contributions these forms make in different structural contexts, including not only appositive uses, but also reflexives and a wide variety of so-called exceptional uses, such as logophoric expressions and picture noun phrases. An extensive examination of data from a collection of spoken and written texts reveals that -selfpronouns in different structural environments nevertheless exhibit the same semantic and pragmatic characteristics. The structurally diverse assemblage of reflexives, emphatics, and a list of other exceptions are shown to have semantic unity, since the same message effects are seen in all of these environments, including argument and appositive, reflexive and emphatic, as well as what are traditionally described as discourse-based uses.
ADS ANNUAL LECTURE: CAN YOU REALLY STUDY LANGUAGE VARIATION IN LINGUISTIC CORPORA?
Authors: MEYER CHARLES F.
Published: December 2005

Linguistic corpora are increasingly being used to study many features of language variation. The use of corpora for this purpose raises an important methodological issue: can a single corpus be reliably used as the basis of studies examining many different language phenomena? This article describes a study of variation in the use of pseudotitles based on the various regional components of the International Corpus of English (ICE)—components containing comparable samples of spoken and written English totaling one million words and taken from the many regional varieties of English that have developed worldwide. The study demonstrates that although certain kinds of language variation can be validly studied in a corpus such as ICE, other kinds of variation require different kinds of corpora. The final section describes how to determine whether a given corpus is suitable for a particular linguistic analysis and how future corpora can be designed to best facilitate the study of language variation.
SOME EFFECTS OF TRANSCRIBERS ON DATA IN DIALECTOLOGY
Authors: BAILEY GUY , TILLERY JAN , ANDRES CLAIRE
Published: December 2005

The transcription of speech into a graphic code is a basic procedure in both dialectology and sociolinguistics, and typically, it is this graphic analog of speech that forms the data for analysis in both disciplines. The act of transcription, however, affects linguistic data in subtle,difficult-to-detect ways. This paper demonstrates some of those effects by examining impressionistic phonetic data in American linguistic atlases. The paper identifies three sources of transcriber effects in the data: (1)conceptual differences regarding the phonetic status of particular sounds(e.g., offglides of diphthongs) and how they should be transcribed, (2)normative differences regarding the phonetic values of particular symbols, and(3) changing scribal practices as transcribers discover the importance of phonetic details that they had previously overlooked. When transcriber effects such as these are not identified and accounted for in the analysis of the data, they can create misleading results.
Signs of the Second Coming: On Eschatological Expectation and Disappointment in Highland and Seaboard Papua New Guinea
Authors: Jebens Holger
Published: December 2005

In Papua New Guinea it is widely believed that soon the biblically prescribed Second Coming of Jesus will end the world in its present state. This paper intends to examine the occurrence, change, and spread of apocalyptic narratives. I will summarize which eschatological signs have been pointed out to me in Pairundu (Southern Highlands Province) and how they were looked upon five years later. Surprisingly, subsequent fieldwork in Koimumu(West New Britain Province) showed that apocalyptic narratives seemed to be absent. Analyzing the ethnographic data, I will start with the question of why the inhabitants of Pairundu would find the idea of the Second Coming to be believable. Elucidation of the cultural meaning of this idea, however, will finally necessitate an attempt to account for its virtual nonexistence in Koimumu.
Tying the Time String Together: An End-of-Time Experience in Irian Jaya, Indonesia
Authors: van Oosterhout Dianne
Published: December 2005

The approaching millennium is a primary concern of the Inanwatan population. It is believed to herald a period of involution rather than an abrupt ending. The year 2000 is seen as bringing a new world order by restoring a mythical past and returning life-generating powers to the Inanwatan, rejuvenating them as well as society and the cosmos. This order is to be initiated by the Second Coming of Jesus. Narratives about the end of the world and meetings with Jesus may be interpreted as an attempt to gain control over this process of renewal. These narratives are closely related to origin myths of humans and society, when death and the flow of time were created. This article shows how the end of time is envisioned to reunite people with their original source of life force.
Antiquity of Traditional Ethnobiological Knowledge in Amazonia: The Tupí-Guaraní Family and Time
Authors: Balée William
Published: December 2005

Traditional ethnobiological knowledge (tek) in Amazonia can be elucidated by comparative study within a language family. Some of thistek has been more resistant to change than certain elements from other cultural domains, such as kinship and politics. Although muchtek has been nevertheless eroded over time, the Tupí-Guaraní language family shows evidence for retention oftek concerning not only many domesticated and semidomesticated plants but also certain wild resources. In particular, that language family has evidently retained complexes of traits that (1) associate tortoises with the human female reproductive cycle; (2) associate Pachycondyla commutata ants with menarche and female initiation rites; and (3)prescribe the stings of Pseudomyrmex spp. ants as therapy for fever and inflammatory conditions. Such knowledge, however unequally shared in modern languages and cultures, appears to be very old.
Women, Kin, and Catholicism: New Perspectives on the Fur Trade
Authors: Sleeper-Smith Susan
Published: December 2005

This article focuses on four Native women who were Christian converts and married French fur traders. As “cultural mediators” and“negotiators of change” they mediated the face-to-face exchange of goods for peltry in the western Great Lakes through Catholic kin networks that paralleled and extended those of indigenous society. Their reliance on kinship and Catholicism suggests new ways to study women's involvement in the trade and to reassess how trade and religion affected Indian communities.
Cultural Change and Identity in Mapoyo Burial Practice in the Middle Orinoco, Venezuela
Authors: Scaramelli Franz , Tarble Kay
Published: December 2005

Transformations in Mapoyo burial practice since the eighteenth century are documented in archaeological, ethnographic, and historical evidence and correlated to the ongoing process of contact. In this article we discuss the postcontact history of the Mapoyo, as manifested in attitudes of aperture and resistance that emerged under different historical conditions and that are clearly expressed in the distribution and modes of burial practice. Funerary remains serve as indicators of the changes in cultural response to the contact situation, and as such they have played an active role in the definition of ethnic identity through time.
Power and Meaning on the Periphery of a Malagasy Kingdom
Authors: Middleton Karen
Published: December 2005

This paper explores the historical narratives of the Karembola, a people who settled a highly marginal region of southern Madagascar as Maroseraña subjects but who subsequently subverted royal ritual to make themselves “lords in their own land.” In contrast to Malagasy peoples who either identify as “royal followers” or,alternatively, reject symbols of monarchy, Karembola attitudes to monarchy are shown to be profoundly ambivalent. Focusing on the politics of landscape and ceremonial exchange, the analysis highlights the capacity of ancestor-focused rituals to enable the contestation of authority and to foster the relocalization of power from center to periphery.
When Origins Matter: The Politics of Commemoration in Northern Madagascar
Authors: Walsh Andrew
Published: December 2005

This article discusses different understandings of the origins of a ritual associated with the Antankaraña polity of northern Madagascar. If we are to understand how history is “made” differently at different points in time, we must consider the interrelatedness of historical narratives and the sociopolitical contexts in which they are produced and interpreted. By focusing on one purportedly commemorative rite and the different ways in which it has been interpreted at different points in Malagasy history, this essay suggests one example of how acts of commemoration and the historical narratives they imply might be studied in relation to the political interests they serve.
La Question des Raketa: Colonial Struggles with Prickly Pear Cactus in Southern Madagascar, 1900-1923
Authors: Kaufmann Jeffrey C.
Published: December 2005

Diverse attitudes toward Malagasy prickly pear cactus demonstrate that French colonialism was not a single cohesive strategy but was marked by contradictions and struggles. Struggles among groups of colonizers included not only the control of cactus but also its appropriateness and desirability. One side of the debate attributed an aggressive and threatening agency to thorny cactus. Another side emphasized that prickly pear was a vital socioeconomic plant for pastoralists. While some French colonists implemented drastic measures against the perceived cactus threat—based more on blind hopes than scientific knowledge—others criticized interfering with the delicate symbiotic relationship between herder and cactus. Although pastoralist resistance to foreign interference took different forms during this period, avoidance was the main form.
History and Forgetting in an Indigenous Amazonian Community
Authors: Oakdale Suzanne
Published: December 2005

This article explores a mode of historical consciousness constructed through mortuary rituals among a Brazilian Amazonian people. Paradoxically,the process of forgetting is argued to be crucial for this type of historical consciousness. The dual focus on historical consciousness and mortuary ritual shows how culturally specific notions of personhood, particularly those relating to life, death, and agency, are crucial for an adequate“ethno-ethnohistorical” understanding.
The Geography of the Rio Grande Pueblos in the Seventeenth Century
Authors: Barrett Elinore M.
Published: December 2005

One way to measure the impact of the first phase of Spanish colonization(1598-1680) on the Rio Grande Pueblo peoples of New Mexico is to trace changes in the number and location pattern of their settlements (pueblos). During this period 62 percent of their pueblos were abandoned, and large parts of their territory were lost. The greatest loss occurred in the years from about 1636 to 1641, when Pueblo populations, already diminished as a result of various forms of Spanish exploitation, flight from the region, and, perhaps, earlier epidemics, suffered a major disease event that was a key factor in these abandonments, which particularly affected the Estancia, Socorro, and Albuquerque-Belen basins.
When the Mountain Dwarfs Danced: Aboriginal Traditions of Paleoseismic Events along the Cascadia Subduction Zone of Western North America
Authors: McMillan Alan D. , Hutchinson Ian
Published: December 2005

Geological evidence demonstrates that recurrent great earthquakes have been generated at the Cascadia subduction zone, off the west coast of North America, throughout the Holocene. Such major earthquakes and associated tsunamis would have had devastating impacts on Native villages along this coastline. Native oral traditions of such disasters, along with earthquake figures in myth and ceremony, are examined for evidence of the nature of such past geological events and the impact they had on human populations.
Portents of Plague from California's Protohistoric Period
Authors: Preston William L.
Published: December 2005

The thesis that California's native peoples were infected with Old World diseases prior to the founding of the first mission in 1769 is attracting increasing attention but is not widely accepted by students of the state's prehistoric and colonial periods. The perceived lack of irrefutable proof that exotic pestilence was transmitted to California after the Columbian landfall but before foreign settlement is, in part, responsible for this lack of recognition. This article scrutinizes many varied lines of evidence that are interpreted as strong indicators of premission pestilence. As a consequence,researchers of California's prehistoric and colonial past are urged to seriously consider the profound implications for the interpretation of archaeological, biological, and ethnographic data.
Ethnogeography and the Native American Past
Authors: Carson James Taylor
Published: December 2005

For the most part, scholars have failed to incorporate geography into the interdisciplinary canon of ethnohistory. At the same time, geographers writing on native history have not integrated fully the ethnohistorical method into their own work. The essay explains to ethnohistorians and geographers alike what the other has been up to and why it is vital that each group begin to consider ethnogeography as an important category of analysis. A few suggestions are made as to how ethnogeography can illuminate different native societies' understanding of land and their relationship to it and to also help explain the actions they took to defend it from the encroachments of European settlers and colonial expansion.
Haciendas, Ranchos, and the Otomí Way of Life in the Mezquital Valley, Hidalgo, Mexico
Authors: Fournier-García Patricia , Mondragón Lourdes
Published: December 2005

During the colonial period, Indian republics were formed as were private holdings in the Otomí region of the Mezquital Valley. The indigenous population was deprived of fertile agricultural lands while ranchos and haciendas raised cattle, affecting the fragile semiarid environment of the region. This article analyzes the economic strategies of the indigenous inhabitants of the valley with an ethnoarchaeological and historical perspective. Based on the historical evidence, this article studies the socioeconomic interactions among the Otomí Indians and the haciendas during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The impact of the indigenous marginal survival strategies on the economic success of ranchos and haciendas in the Tula and Ixmiquilpan subregions is analyzed.