bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Atorvastatin and Irbesartan, Alone and in Combination, on Postprandial Endothelial Dysfunction, Oxidative Stress, and Inflammation in Type 2 Diabetic Patients
Authors: Ceriello Antonio , Assaloni Roberta , Da Ros Roberto , Maier Amabile , Piconi Ludovica , Quagliaro Lisa , Esposito Katherine , Giugliano Dario
Published: May 2005

Background—

Postprandial hypertriglyceridemia and hyperglycemia are considered risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Evidence suggests that postprandial hypertriglyceridemia and hyperglycemia induce endothelial dysfunction and inflammation through oxidative stress. Statins and angiotensin type 1 receptor blockers have been shown to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, improving endothelial function.

Methods and Results—

Twenty type 2 diabetic patients ate 3 different test meals: a high-fat meal, 75 g glucose alone, and a high-fat meal plus glucose. Glycemia, triglyceridemia, endothelial function, nitrotyrosine, C-reactive protein, intercellular adhesion molecule-1, and interleukin-6 were assayed during the tests. Subsequently, diabetics took atorvastatin 40 mg/d, irbesartan 300 mg/d, both, or placebo for 1 week. The 3 tests were performed again between 5 and 7 days after the start of each treatment. High-fat load and glucose alone produced a decrease in endothelial function and increases in nitrotyrosine, C-reactive protein, intercellular adhesion molecule-1, and interleukin-6. These effects were more pronounced when high-fat load and glucose were combined. Short-term atorvastatin and irbesartan treatments significantly counterbalanced these phenomena, and their combination was more effective than either therapy alone.

Conclusions—

This study confirms an independent and cumulative effect of postprandial hypertriglyceridemia and hyperglycemia on endothelial function and inflammation, suggesting oxidative stress as a common mediator of such an effect. Short-term treatment with atorvastatin and irbesartan may counterbalance this phenomenon; the combination of the 2 compounds is most effective.
Long-Term Results of Mitral Valve Repair in Active Endocarditis
Authors: Zegdi Rachid , Debièche Mohamed , Latrémouille Christian , Lebied Djoulène , Chardigny Catherine , Grinda Jean-Michel , Chauvaud Sylvain , Deloche Alain , Carpentier Alain , Fabiani Jean-Noël
Published: May 2005

Background—

Several investigators have reported the feasibility of mitral valve repair in active endocarditis, but the long-term results are still unknown.

Methods and Results—

We reviewed 37 consecutive patients who underwent mitral valve repair with the Carpentier technique for active endocarditis in our center between 1989 and 1994. This repair involved prosthetic annuloplasty in 31 patients (84%), valve resection in 31 (84%), chordal shortening or transposition in 19 (51%), pericardial patch in 16 (43%), and direct suture of leaflet perforation in 4 (11%). Associated procedures were primarily aortic valve repair or replacement in 11 (30%) and tricuspid repair in 2 (6%). Early complications included 1 operative death (3%; 95% CI, 0 to 15.5) and 1 reoperation for pericardial patch dehiscence. Recurrence of endocarditis was observed in 1 patient (3%; 95% CI, 0 to 16). The 10-year survival rate and freedom from mitral valve reoperation were 80% (95% CI, 66 to 94) and 91% (95% CI, 81 to 100), respectively. At 10 years, most patients (96%) were in good functional status (NYHA class I to II) with no or trivial mitral regurgitation (92%) on echocardiography.

Conclusions—

Mitral valve repair using Carpentier’s techniques in patients with active endocarditis offers very good long-term results with a low rate of recurrence or reoperation.
Relationship of Office, Home, and Ambulatory Blood Pressure to Blood Glucose and Lipid Variables in the PAMELA Population
Authors: Mancia Giuseppe , Facchetti Rita , Bombelli Michele , Friz Hernan Polo , Grassi Guido , Giannattasio Cristina , Sega Roberto
Published: May 2005

Alterations in blood glucose and cholesterol are more frequently detectable in hypertensive than in normotensive conditions. However, no information exists as to whether this phenomenon involves only office or also home and 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure (ie, when values are representative of daily life). In 2045 subjects enrolled in the Pressioni Arteriose Monitorate E Loro Associazioni (PAMELA) study, we measured home, 24-hour, and office blood pressure. Measurements also included fasting blood glucose and serum total and HDL cholesterol values. Prevalence of diabetes (≥126 mg/dL or use of antidiabetic drugs), impaired fasting blood glucose (≥110 to <126 mg/dL), and hypercholesterolemia (serum total cholesterol ≥240 mg/dL or 200 mg/dL) increased progressively from “optimal” to “normal,” “high-normal,” and “elevated” office systolic or diastolic blood pressure. Fasting blood glucose and total serum cholesterol also increased progressively from the first to the fourth group, with HDL cholesterol values showing a concomitant progressive decrease. This was also the case for quartiles of office, home, and 24-hour blood pressure. In the whole population, there was a positive correlation between serum cholesterol or blood glucose and all blood pressure values (
P
always <0.0001), with a much smaller and less consistent relationship with heart rate. In a multivariate analysis that included gender, body mass index, age, and antihypertensive treatment, all blood pressure values remained highly significantly related to values of either metabolic variables. Thus, in the PAMELA population, glucose and lipid values are independently related to blood pressure. This is also the case when daily life blood pressure values are considered.
Smoking Cessation Strategy Use Among Pregnant Ex-Smokers
Authors: Scheibmeir Monica S. , O’Connell Kathleen A. , Aaronson Lauren S. , Gajewski Byron
Published: May 2005

There is strong evidence for the beneficial health effects associated with smoking cessation during pregnancy. Although many pregnant women spontaneously quit smoking during pregnancy, postpartum relapse is high. Evidence suggests that pregnant women do not use smoking cessation strategies as identified by the 40-item Processes of Change Scale as frequently as others who quit smoking. The purpose of this study is to identify factors associated with pregnant exsmokers’ use of experiential and behavioral smoking cessation strategies. A cross-sectional survey design is used for the study. From a sample of 201 primarily low-income pregnant women recruited to participate in a larger study, 58 were biologically confirmed ex-smokers. Multiple regression analysis reveals that motivation to quit smoking is the only significant factor explaining the use of experiential and behavioral smoking cessation strategies, accounting for 44% of the variance in experiential processes and 31% of the variance in behavioral processes.
The risk of menstrual abnormalities after tubal sterilization: a case control study
Authors: shobeiri Mehri Jafari , AtashKhoii Simin
Published: May 2005

Background

Tubal sterilization is the method of family planning most commonly used. The existence of the post-tubal-ligation syndrome of menstrual abnormalities has been the subject of debate for decades.

Methods

In a cross-sectional study, 112 women with the history of Pomeroy type of tubal ligation achieved by minilaparatomy as the case group and 288 women with no previous tubal ligation as the control group were assessed for menstrual abnormalities.

Results

Menstrual abnormalities were not significantly different between the case and control groups (p = 0.824). The abnormal uterine bleeding frequency differences in two different age groups (30–39 and 40–45 years old) were statistically significant (p = 0.0176).

Conclusion

Tubal sterilization does not cause menstrual irregularities.
Adapting developing country epidemiological assessment techniques to improve the quality of health needs assessments in developed countries
Authors: Smith Susan M , Long Jean , Deady Jillian , O'Keeffe Frances , Handy Deirdre , O'Dowd Tom
Published: May 2005

Background

We were commissioned to carry out three health assessments in urban areas of Dublin in Ireland. We required an epidemiologically robust method that could collect data rapidly and inexpensively. We were dealing with inadequate health information systems, weak planning data and a history of inadequate recipient involvement in health service planning. These problems had also been identified by researchers carrying out health assessments in developing countries. This paper reports our experience of adapting a cluster survey model originally developed by international organisations to assess community health needs and service coverage in developing countries and applying our adapted model to three urban areas in Dublin, Ireland

Methods

We adapted the model to control for socio-economic heterogeneity, to take account of the inadequate population list, to ensure a representative sample and to account for a higher prevalence of degenerative and chronic diseases. We employed formal as well as informal communication methods and adjusted data collection times to maximise participation.

Results

The model we adapted had the capacity to ascertain both health needs and health care delivery needs. The community participated throughout the process and members were trained and employed as data collectors. The assessments have been used by local health boards and non-governmental agencies to plan and deliver better or additional services.

Conclusion

We were able to carry out high quality health needs assessments in urban areas by adapting and applying a developing country health assessment method. Issues arose relating to health needs assessment as part of the planning cycle and the role of participants in the process.
Combined Analysis of Efficacy: The Addition of Bevacizumab to Fluorouracil/Leucovorin Improves Survival for Patients With Metastatic Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Kabbinavar Fairooz F. , Hambleton Julie , Mass Robert D. , Hurwitz Herbert I. , Bergsland Emily , Sarkar Somnath
Published: May 2005

Purpose

Bevacizumab (Avastin; Genentech Inc, South San Francisco, CA), a recombinant, humanized anti–vascular endothelial growth factor monoclonal antibody that inhibits tumor angiogenesis, has demonstrated survival benefit in patients with previously untreated metastatic colorectal cancer when combined with irinotecan/fluourouracil (FU)/leucovorin (LV; IFL). Three randomized clinical studies have evaluated bevacizumab in combination with FU/LV alone. A combined analysis of raw data from these studies was performed to better assess the efficacy of bevacizumab with FU/LV.

Patients and Methods

The analysis used primary efficacy data from three independent studies, including 241 patients in a combined control group receiving either FU/LV or IFL and 249 patients receiving FU/LV/bevacizumab (5 mg/kg once every 2 weeks). The efficacy data included response rate, progression-free survival, and overall survival.

Results

The median duration of survival was 17.9 months in the FU/LV/bevacizumab group, compared with 14.6 months in the combined control group, corresponding to a hazard ratio for death of 0.74 (P = .008). The median duration of progression-free survival was 8.8 months in the FU/LV/bevacizumab group, compared with 5.6 months in the combined control group, corresponding to a hazard ratio for disease progression of 0.63 (P ≤ .0001). The addition of bevacizumab also improved the response rate (34.1% v 24.5%; P = .019).

Conclusion

The addition of bevacizumab to FU/LV provides a statistically significant and clinically relevant benefit to patients with previously untreated metastatic colorectal cancer.
Evidence for Distinct Pathomechanisms in Genetic Subgroups of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Revealed by Quantitative Expression Analysis of Cell Cycle, Activation, and Apoptosis-Associated Genes
Authors: Kienle Dirk L. , Korz Christian , Hosch Beate , Benner Axel , Mertens Daniel , Habermann Annett , Kröber Alexander , Jäger Ulrich , Lichter Peter , Döhner Hartmut , Stilgenbauer Stephan
Published: May 2005

Purpose

In patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), the VH mutation status and genomic aberrations (13q−, +12q, 11q−, 17p−) identify distinct prognostic subgroups. The aim was to elucidate biologic mechanisms through which these genetic markers may exert their pathogenic influence.

Patients and Methods

Twenty-four genes involved in apoptosis, cell cycle, B-cell activation, and B-cell receptor (BCR) signaling were analyzed by real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RQ-PCR) in 82 CLL cases constituting prototypic genetic CLL subgroups as defined by the VH mutation status and the genomic aberrations 13q−, +12, 11q−, and 17p−.

Results

The VH mutation subgroups were characterized by a differential expression of the BCR associated genes ZAP70 and PI3K. Among the subgroups defined by genomic aberrations, there was a deregulation of candidate genes from the affected critical genomic regions such as CDK4 (up), ATM (down), and TP53 (down) in the groups +12, 11q−, and 17p−, respectively. Additionally, the genomic subgroups were characterized by a significant deregulation of cell cycle and apoptosis regulators: AKT (up) in 13q, E2F1 (up) in +12, MYC (up) and BCL-2 (down) in 17p−, and CCND3 (down) in 11q− as well as 17p−. The 17p− subgroup showed an additional down-regulation of BCR-associated genes such as SYK and PI3K.

Conclusion

The characteristic gene expression patterns observed implicate a differential regulation of cell cycle, apoptosis, and BCR signaling in the genetic subgroups illustrating distinct pathomechanisms and are evidence for a gene dosage effect being operative in CLL. These findings link the biologic diversity and clinical heterogeneity of CLL.
Phase I Study of the Safety, Tolerability, Pharmacokinetics, and Pharmacodynamics of PTK787/ZK 222584 Administered Twice Daily in Patients With Advanced Cancer
Authors: Thomas Anne L. , Morgan Bruno , Horsfield Mark A. , Higginson Anthony , Kay Andrea , Lee Lucy , Masson Eric , Puccio-Pick Marie , Laurent Dirk , Steward William P.
Published: May 2005

Purpose

PTK787/ZK 222584 (PTK/ZK) is an oral angiogenesis inhibitor targeting all known vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor tyrosine kinases, including VEGFR-1/Flt-1, VEGFR-2/KDR, VEGFR-3/Flt-4, the platelet-derived growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase, and the c-kit protein tyrosine kinase. In this phase I dose-escalating study, PTK/ZK was administered bid to exploit the theoretical advantage of maintaining constant drug levels above a threshold known from preclinical data to interfere with VEGF receptor signaling.

Patients and Methods

Forty-three patients with advanced cancers received single-agent PTK/ZK at doses of 150 to 1,000 mg orally bid. Assessments for safety and pharmacokinetics were performed. Dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) was used as a pharmacodynamic marker of response.

Results

At 1,000 mg bid, the dose-limiting toxicity of reversible grade 3 lightheadedness was observed. Dose-related grade 3 fatigue and vomiting were observed but these were not dose-limiting. Pharmacokinetic data confirmed that PTK/ZK exposure increased with increasing dose up to 500 mg bid and appeared to plateau at higher doses. A greater than 40% reduction in the DCE-MRI bidirectional transfer constant (Ki) at day 2 predicted for nonprogression of disease.

Conclusion

The maximum-tolerated oral dose of PTK/ZK is 750 mg orally bid. DCE-MRI and pharmacokinetic data indicate that PTK/ZK ≥ 1,000 mg total daily dose is the biologically active dose.
Phase II Study of G3139, a Bcl-2 Antisense Oligonucleotide, in Combination With Dexamethasone and Thalidomide in Relapsed Multiple Myeloma Patients
Authors: Badros Ashraf Z. , Goloubeva Olga , Rapoport Aaron P. , Ratterree Bashi , Gahres Natalie , Meisenberg Barry , Takebe Naoko , Heyman Meyer , Zwiebel James , Streicher Howard , Gocke Christopher D. , Tomic Dragana , Flaws Jodi A. , Zhang Bin , Fenton Robert G.
Published: May 2005

Purpose

Bcl-2 regulates the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway that promotes chemotherapy resistance. Bcl-2 antisense oligonucleotide, G3139, targets Bcl-2 mRNA.

Patients and Methods

G3139 was administered (3 to 7 mg/kg/d for 7 days) by continuous intravenous infusion. On day 4, patients started thalidomide (100 to 400 mg as tolerated) and dexamethasone (40 mg daily for 4 days) on 21-day cycles for three cycles. Stable and responding patients continued on 35-day cycles for 2 years.

Results

Thirty-three patients (median age, 60 years; range, 28 to 76 years) received 220 cycles. Patients received a median of three prior regimens including thalidomide (n = 15) and stem-cell transplantation (n = 31). The regimen was well tolerated; the median number of cycles per patient was eight (range, one to 16+ cycles). Toxicities included reversible increase in creatinine, thrombocytopenia, neutropenia, fatigue, anorexia, constipation, fever, neuropathy, edema, electrolyte disturbances, and hyperglycemia. Fifty-five percent of patients had objective responses, including two complete responses (CRs), four near CRs (positive immunofixation), and 12 partial responses; six patients had minimal responses (MRs). Of patients who received prior thalidomide, seven had objective responses, and three had MRs. The median duration of response was 13 months, and estimated progression-free and overall survival times were 12 and 17.4 months, respectively. Responding patients had significant increase in polyclonal immunoglobulin M (P = .005), indicating innate immune system activation. Western blot analysis of Bcl-2 protein isolated from myeloma cells before and after G3139 demonstrated a decrease of Bcl-2 levels in three of seven patients compared with six of nine patients using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction.

Conclusion

G3139, dexamethasone, and thalidomide are well tolerated and result in encouraging clinical responses in relapsed multiple myeloma patients.
Measuring the Attitudes of Human Service Professionals Toward Deafness
Authors: Cooper Alexandra , Rose John , Mason Oliver
Published: May 2005

The Attitudes to Deafness Scale is a 22-item measure of attitudes
toward people who are deaf designed for use with human service
professionals. Attitude statements were generated from personal accounts
by deaf people in the literature and from a focus group in which deaf
people discussed their experience of hearing people's attitudes toward
them. A 60-item scale was administered to a group of 121 clinical
and forensic psychologists during their training. Item analysis was
conducted to select items that effectively distinguished participants
with a positive attitude from those with a negative attitude toward deaf
people. The scale may be used in any context where a professional group
comes into contact with people who are deaf.
Mental Health Problems of Deaf Dutch Children As Indicated by Parents' Responses to the Child Behavior Checklist
Authors: Eldik Theo van , Treffers Ph. D. A , Veerman Jan Willem , Verhulst Frank C
Published: May 2005

Emotional/behavioral problems of 238 deaf Dutch children ages
4-18 years were studied. Parental reports indicated that 41% had
emotional/behavioral problems, a rate nearly 2.6 times higher than the
16% reported by parents of a Dutch normative sample. Mental health
problems seemed most prevalent in families with poor parent-child
communication. Deaf children ages 12-18 showed more problems with anxiety
and depression and more social problems than those ages 4-11. Deaf
children with relatively low intelligence showed more social problems,
thought problems, and attention problems than those with relatively high
intelligence. The authors stress the need to get information on deaf
children's mental health functioning not just from parents but from other
informants such as teachers and the children themselves. An expansion
assessment of deaf children, and of special services and treatments
for deaf children and adolescents with emotional/behavioral problems,
is recommended.
Data-Driven Assessment of Teacher Candidates During Their Internships in Deaf Education
Authors: Roberson Len , Woolsey M. Lynn , Seabrooks Janice , Williams Gwen
Published: May 2005

Deaf education teacher training programs have received criticism
for graduating students with gaps in knowledge and skills required
for specific placements. The National Council for Accreditation of
Teacher Education (NCATE) requires that accredited programs engage
in self-study, and NCATE guidelines require programs to collect valid,
reliable evidence of teacher candidate performance and candidates' effect
on student learning. In the present study, an ecobehavioral assessment
computer program, MS-CISSAR (Mainstream Code for Instructional Structure
and Student Academic Response), was used in evaluations of 8 teacher
candidates during internship experiences. Results were mixed. Some of
the instructional arrangements, teaching behaviors, and student responses
resembled those found in studies using in-service teachers as subjects;
however, some data revealed a need for changes in instruction. Data
gathered with MS-CISSAR could be added to evaluations to help training
programs meet NCATE requirements for evidence on teacher candidate
performance and candidates' effect on student learning.
Making Public Mental-Health Services Accessible to Deaf Consumers: Illinois Deaf Services 2000
Authors: Munro-Ludders Bruce , Simpatico Thomas , Zvetina Daria
Published: May 2005

Illinois Deaf Services2000 (IDS2000), a public/private partnership,
promotes the creation and implementation of strategies to develop and
increase access to mental health services for deaf, hard of hearing,
late-deafened, and deaf-blind consumers. IDS2000 has resulted in the
establishment of service accessibility standards, a technical support
and adherence monitoring system,and the beginnings of a statewide
telepsychiatry service.These system modifications have resulted in
increase by 60% from baseline survey data in the number of deaf, hard of
hearing, late-deafened, and deaf-blind consumers identified in community
mental-health agencies in Illinois. Depending on the situation of deaf
services staff and infrastructure, much of IDS2000 could be replicated
in other states in a mostly budget-neutral manner.
Deaf Persons and Computer Use
Authors: Zazove Philip , Meador Helen E , Derry Holly A , Gorenflo Daniel W , Burdick Stephan W , Saunders Edward W
Published: May 2005

Deaf persons' computer use was studied (N = 227). Respondents
self-administered a survey in their preferred language (voice, American
Sign Language, captions, or printed English). A small nonparticipant
sample was also recruited. Demographics were consistent with those in
other studies of deaf people: 63% of respondents reported computer use,
mostly at home; 50% of nonparticipants reported computer use. Subjects
with hearing loss due to meningitis were less likely to use computers
(p = .0004). Computer use was associated with English usage at
home (p = .008), with hearing persons (p = .002), and
with physicians and nurses (p = .00001). It was also associated
with the use of Signed English as a child to communicate (p
= .02), teacher use of Signed English (p = .04), and teacher
use of ASL (p = .03). Two thirds of respondents reported using
computers, though nonresponder data suggested less use among all deaf
persons. Computer use was associated with English use and inversely
associated with hearing loss due to meningitis.
Literacy Development in Deaf Students: Case Studies in Bilingual Teaching and Learning
Authors: Evans Charlotte J
Published: May 2005

A bilingual model has been applied to educating deaf students who are learning American Sign Language (ASL) as their first language and written English as a second. Although Cummins's (1984) theory of second-language learning articulates how learners draw on one language to acquire another, implementing teaching practices based on this theory, particularly with deaf students, is a complex, confusing process. The purposes of the present study were to narrow the gap between theory and practice and to describe the teaching and learning strategies used by the teachers and parents of three elementary school children within a bilingual/bicultural learning environment for deaf students. The findings suggest that strategies such as using ASL as the language of instruction and making translation conceptual rather than literal contribute to literacy learning. Findings further indicate that some inconsistencies persist in applying a bilingual approach with deaf students.
A Rapid Ethnography of Itinerant Teachers of the Deaf
Authors: Kluwin Thomas N , Morris C. S , Clifford Jesteene
Published: May 2005

A rapid ethnographic study of 10 itinerant teachers in two school districts and 21 other professionals working with the itinerants was conducted. Rapid ethnography starts with the same assumptions about culture as conventional ethnography. However, it is not constrained by the assumption of cultural ignorance on the investigator's part. Thus, it enables better-directed data collection. Interviews with the itinerants and other professionals, direct observation of itinerants at work, and archival data permitted the authors to generate a list of themes reflecting results of other studies which focused on specific skills for itinerant teaching. While knowledge of specific skills cannot be ignored, the study shows that effective itinerants are ones who, through a personality trait, extensive experience, or a specific value system, can generate a positive composite image of their role as itinerants and are then able to interact on the basis of that image.
Organization and Use of the Mental Lexicon by Deaf and Hearing Individuals
Authors: Marschark Marc , Convertino Carol , McEvoy Cathy , Masteller Allison
Published: May 2005

Two experiments explored the taxonomic organization of mental lexicons in deaf and hearing college students. Experiment 1 used a single-word association task to examine relations between categories and their members. Results indicated that both groups' lexical knowledge is similar in terms of overall organization, with associations between category names and exemplars stronger for hearing students; only the deaf students showed asymmetrical exemplar-category relations. Experiment 2 used verbal analogies to explore the application of taxonomic knowledge in an academically relevant task. Significant differences between deaf and hearing students were obtained for six types of analogies, although deaf students who were better readers displayed response patterns more like hearing students'. Hearing students' responses reflected their lexical organization; deaf students' did not. These findings implicate the interaction of word knowledge, world knowledge, and literacy skills, emphasizing the need to adapt instructional methods to student knowledge in educational contexts.
What Verbal Protocols Reveal About the Reading Strategies of Deaf Students: A Replication Study
Authors: Schirmer Barbara R , Bailey Jill , Lockman Alison Schirmer
Published: May 2005

Deaf students' reading strategies were identified by investigating these students' self-reported thinking during reading. In an earlier study (Schirmer, 2003), 10 elementary-level students attending a state school for the deaf had constructed meaning, monitored comprehension and activated strategies to improve comprehension, and evaluated comprehension, but had not demonstrated each of the reading strategies within these three overarching activities, all observed in previous studies of hearing skilled readers. Also, the students used a considerably greater variety of reading strategies for constructing meaning than for the other two activities. The replication study used the same procedure. Six elementary-level students attending a site-based public school classroom for deaf students thought aloud after reading each page of a short story. Analysis of these verbal reports indicated the participants performed similarly to those in the first study, thus supporting the reliability of results regarding reading strategies of readers who are deaf.
U.S. Deaf Education Teacher Preparation Programs: A Look at the Present and a Vision for the Future
Authors: Johnson Harold A
Published: May 2005

Numerous reports identify critical learning
needs of deaf and hard of hearing students,
but there is a growing recognition that these
students' ability to achieve academic success
is tied to the instructional effectiveness of
teachers. Developments in deaf and hard
of hearing education include (a) a shift
toward educating students in local public
schools; (b) a conceptual reorientation toward
establishing effective learning environments;
and (c) a critical, nationwide shortage of
qualifi ed teachers. The result has been a
growing acceptance of the need to examine
and redesign the way teachers are prepared to
educate deaf and hard of hearing students.
The present article is an examination of key
redesign issues.
Schools for the Deaf and the No Child Left Behind Act
Authors: Cawthon Stephanie W
Published: May 2005

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) emphasizes educational accountability for all students. Twenty-eight states have policies to aggregate student participation and proficiency data for schools for the deaf in NCLB reports. The remaining states account for these students in other ways: referring student data to "sending" schools and aggregating data to the district or state level are most prominent. In reports of student assessment results for academic year 2002-2003, three schools for the deaf made "Adequate Yearly Progress" under NCLB: These schools demonstrated at least a 95% participation rate in assessments, and at least 95% of their students met or surpassed state proficiency benchmarks in reading and mathematics. Proficiency levels for other schools varied by report, but were often comparable to those of students with disabilities. Challenges and strategies for capturing the impact of NCLB accountability policies on deaf students are discussed.
Healthy Families of Children Who Are Deaf
Authors: Luckner John L , Velaski Ann
Published: May 2005

Families provide the building blocks for the development of healthy, happy, competent children. The purpose of the present study was to identify and interview healthy families of children who were deaf. The researchers were interested in identifying factors that contribute to families' health as well as in collecting suggestions for other families with children who are deaf and for professionals in the field of deaf education. Nineteen families, all nominated by deaf education professionals, were interviewed. The interviews were transcribed and coded, and responses to each interview question were grouped under recurring themes. A summary of the results, limitations of the study, suggestions for future research, and recommendations for practice are provided.
Marital Status and Birthrate of Deaf People in Two Swedish Counties: The Impact of Social Environment in Terms of Deaf Community
Authors: Carlsson Per-Inge , Danermark Berth , Borg Erik
Published: May 2005

Deafness affects many social interactions. The impact of deafness depends on several factors, e.g., the type of social environment in terms of the particular Deaf community a person lives in. The authors recorded the birthrate and the proportions of married and divorced people among deaf people in two Swedish counties: Narke, which had a strong Deaf community, and Varmland, whose Deaf community was weak. In both counties, the authors found that deafness was associated with low marriage rates and low birthrates. Further, in Narke, 99% of the people in the sample were married to another deaf person; only 10% were in Varmland. In Narke, the divorce rate among deaf people was about the same as that of the reference population (i.e., the county's marriage-age population). In Varmland, deaf people had a relatively low divorce rate. The findings are discussed from medical and social perspectives.
Effectiveness of Multimedia Reading Materials When Used With Children Who Are Deaf
Authors: Gentry Mary Marshal , Chinn Kathleen M , Moulton Robert D
Published: May 2005

The purpose of the study was to assess the relative effectiveness of print, sign, and pictures in the transfer of reading-related information to children who are deaf. By means of personal computers, deaf children were presented CD-ROM-generated stories in four different formats: print only, print plus pictures, print plus sign language, and print plus pictures plus sign. A repeated-measure design was used to analyze participants' reading comprehension performance. Significant differences were found among the four presentation options. One observed phenomenon was that participants would switch from American Sign Language to Signed English when analyzing text. The study findings suggest that presenting stories on CD-ROM with multiple modes of reading cues, such as print, pictures, and sign language, may be an enjoyable and interesting supplement to standard reading practices.
Deaf and Hearing Individuals' Beliefs About the Capabilities of Deaf People
Authors: Nikolaraizi Magda , Makri Maria
Published: May 2005

The study explored the beliefs of 100 residents of Greece about the capabilities of deaf people living in that country. Participants included deaf adults who communicated in Greek Sign Language (GSL), deaf adults who communicated orally, hearing adults who attended GSL courses, and hearing adults who did not attend such courses. Beliefs were explored through the ODP (Opinions About Deaf People) scale (Berkay, Gardner, & Smith, 1995) and an open-ended interview. All participant groups viewed deaf people's capabilities positively, but Deaf users of GSL expressed the most positive beliefs. The findings suggest that less positive beliefs reflect diverse ideological views toward GSL and Deaf culture or an awareness of the obstacles preventing deaf people from developing their potential. The Deaf community's role in empowering deaf people and the role of GSL courses in promoting awareness regarding deaf people are also discussed.
Consumption and Cosmopolitanism: Practicing Modernity at the Second-Hand Marketplace in Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Authors: Besnier Niko
Published: May 2005

At the second-hand marketplace in Nuku'alofa, the capital of Tonga,
Tongans buy and sell objects that their diasporic relatives send them
instead of remittances. While selling objects goes against the grain
of a traditional moral order, the marketplace is immensely popular
but dominated by local Others. It enables participants to articulate
and practice consumption and, more generally, a modern but locally
relevant self, while at the same time quietly challenge the generally
accepted assumption that high-ranking or wealthy elites control
modernity.
The Jewish Roots and Routes of Anthropology
Authors: Feldman Jeffrey D
Published: May 2005

Does anthropology have "a Jewish problem"? Let us not be deceived
by the fact that Mary Douglas's "The Abominations of Leviticus" is
part of the contemporary canon of mainstream anthropology, or that
Barbara Myerhoff's work has inspired and moved innovative scholars in
anthropological folklore. Large numbers of American anthropologists come
from Jewish families, yet very few have done any research or writing on
Jews (Dominguez 1993:621-622).
Nothing to See Hear
Authors: Benson Peter
Published: May 2005

In this paper, I recount narratives of two violent events, and of enduring feelings of blame, guilt, and complicity in Tecpán, Guatemala, a mostly Maya town in the highlands. Many locals had followed all the coverage of September 11. Just months later, this city that always sleeps witnessed its own arresting moment, the "tragedy of June 10 (2002)," an anti-tax demonstration that began peacefully but became violent when, it is said, local gang members tried to assassinate the mayor. In this emerging democratic public sphere, being seen or heard can be politically empowering and potentially dangerous. Social experiences of the protests had to conform to "post-war" idioms that increasingly privilege ideals of compromise, equality, and harmony. But, casting those ideals against televised experiences of 9/11, locals produced ways of seeing and hearing violence—and conceptualizing blame—that differ from both the discourses of retaliation and innocence that overwhelm the U.S. and the flattening idiom of democratic compromise that dominated so-called "reconciliation meetings" with the mayor. The protests speak to a number of contradictions involved in processes of economic and political decentralization in Guatemala. Silently embedded in local claims that "there is nothing to see here" is a history of violence, ongoing forms of social suffering, and the hard feelings that continue to link this sleepy little town to "decentralized" agencies. That Guatemala is not yet decentralized enough emerges finally as the dream of one local daykeeper, who already saw the tragedy of June 10 in his sleep months prior, who didn't warn his friends since they would not have believed him, and who still feels guilty.
Missing the Holocaust: My Father's Account of Auschwitz from August 1943 to June 1944
Authors: Bourgois Philippe I.
Published: May 2005

Conversations with my father over many years reveal how genocides unfold invisibly in front of ethical witnesses. In August 1943, he was deported as a forced laborer by the French Vichy regime to work in the construction of the IG Farben petrochemical factory at Auschwitz, where he was recruited into a resistance group. His precise recollection of exactly what he knew or did not know, and what resistance acts he and his companions undertook demonstrates how terror can make uncertainty a strategy for survival as well as resistance. My father dissects multiple contradictory interpretations of ethical motivations for everyday acts of kindness and betrayal. He refuses to identify clear heroes or villains, ultimately condemning only those in power, especially Allied leaders who had the knowledge and logistical capacity to intervene, but instead allowed the trains to run on time. Primo Levi's concept of the Grey Zone alerts us to how institutionalized brutality overwhelms the possibility of human solidarity. What genocides and Grey Zones are we missing today?
The Story of My Story: An Anthropology of Violence, Dispossession, and Diaspora
Authors: Waterston Alisse
Published: May 2005

This is a story of an old man whose travels through the 20th century were marked by sorrow, humor, tragedy, and transformation. The author follows in anthropology's tradition of writing an individual's biography, locating one man's life in space and time. It is also an experiment in autoethnography since this anthropologist is the old man's daughter. The personal, intimate narrative recounts a father's history (child in Jedwabne, Poland, young man in Havana, old man in San Juan, Puerto Rico) which is also a story about peasantry, fascism, patriarchy, dictatorship, migration, transnationalism, revolution, and diaspora. In the strands of this tale, we see processes of structural violence and social suffering. Memory, interpretation and narrative can take us towards destruction, ethnocentrism, the worst of nationalism and war, or towards understanding, empathy, justice. My hope is that this experiment in autoethnography be a means towards becoming mindful, towards awakening—a necessary but insufficient condition in preventing genocidal violence.
Home Range Size in Middle Pleistocene China and Human Dispersal Patterns in Eastern and Central Asia
Authors: Keates S. G
Published: May 2005

Home range size in Middle Pleistocene China can be explored based on various lines of evidence. This paper provides a brief review of home range size from the perspectives of raw material source distance and the geographic location of archaeological localities in the eastern half of China. In most cases, hominids exploited lithic materials for tool manufacture from sources close to their camps. This is indicative of small home range size in the Middle Pleistocene of this region. Hominid occupation of upland localities in the later Middle Pleistocene may reflect a larger home range than previously. In the wider geographic context, based on faunal dispersals, hominid morphology, and also with reference to some relevant ecological hypotheses, it is diÃ¤cult to defend the idea of geographic isolation of Eastern Asia in the Pleistocene. Rather, it seems that hominid dispersal within Eurasia may have been a significant behavioral attribute contributing to the evolution and survival of Homo species.
Lithic Technological Variability of the Middle Pleistocene in the Eastern Nihewan Basin, Northern China
Authors: Shen Chen , Qi Wei
Published: May 2005

Previous studies have generalized the technological character of the Lower Paleolithic of China with reference to its non-Acheulean features, but regional perspectives on technological variability were largely overlooked. This study examines two lithic assemblages from Middle Pleistocene sites in the Nihewan Basin in northern China: Cenjiawan and Maliang. Through applications of refitting analysis, technological analysis, and use-wear examinations, technological variability within these assemblages is assessed. The results reveal some aspects of lithic technology that were largely undocumented in Lower Paleolithic industries, such as intentional selection of high-quality raw materials, continuously rotating core reduction, and evidence for butchering/meat-processing tool use, suggesting that the Cenjiawan and Maliang lithic assemblages might represent regional and/or temporal variations of Lower Paleolithic industries in northern China. The data are compared to other Lower Paleolithic industries such as Xiaochangliang, Dongguotou, and Zhoukoudian ( Localities 1 and 15).
Panxian Dadong, South China: Establishing a Record of Middle Pleistocene Climatic Changes
Authors: Wang Wei , Liu Jun , Hou Yamei , Si Xinqiang , Huang Weiwen , Schepartz Lynne Alison , Miller-Antonio Sari
Published: May 2005

Broad-based reconstructions of the Middle Pleistocene Asian environment are valuable sources of information that can augment our understanding of prehistoric human adaptations and expansion into East Asia. The sediments, speleothems, and geochronology of Panxian Dadong Cave serve as an example of the possible integration of this broader paleoenvironmental information with more fine-grained archaeological data. The current U-series and ESR dating results for Dadong suggest that the early human activity in the cave began at least 260 kya and continued until around 142 kya. This period correlates with Oxygen Isotope Stages 7 through 6. The lower part of the breccia (Layer 2) contains very strongly weathered dark deposits, suggesting a relatively warm climatic period from 260–180 kya that corresponds to OIS 7, followed by a cooler phase with less speleothem formation corresponding to OIS 6. The Middle Pleistocene stratigraphic sequence in the Dadong cave deposits documents fluctuating and rapid changes in temperature and humidity that are also detected in general Asian, as well as South China, paleoclimatic studies based on diverse data ranging from microstratigraphic and geochemical sediment analyses to mollusk species representation.
Lithic Raw Material Use at the Late Middle Pleistocene Site of Panxian Dadong
Authors: Miller-Antonio Sari , Schepartz Lynne Alison , Karkanas Panagiotis , Hou Yamei , Huang Weiwen , Bekken Deborah
Published: May 2005

The possibility of selective use of lithic raw material in the Middle Pleistocene cave deposits of Panxian Dadong is examined in order to evaluate hominid strategies of resource management. Limestone, chert, and basalt, available in or nearby the cave, were differentially used for the production of tools and unretouched flakes. Limestone was predominantly used to produce expedient tools, unretouched flakes were most commonly made of basalt, and chert was most frequently used to produce retouched flakes and tools. Patterns in the reduction sequence for each raw material also indicate that these lithic resources were selectively used. The early stages of core reduction are clearly represented in basalt flakes, whereas chert artifacts exhibit the later stages of tool production and the greatest degree of resharpening. When the selection of raw material is examined through time, over a span of more than 100,000 years, two patterns are clear. The proportion of chert and basalt and the overall frequency of artifacts increases. These changes in the frequency and selection of raw material occur without a techno-typological change. The major shifts in raw material usage correlate with a colder climatic regime and may relate to the intensified use of the cave for animal carcass processing and shelter.
Wayang Wahyu as an Example of Christian Forms of Shadow Theatre
Authors: Poplawska Marzanna
Published: May 2005

This essay discusses the creation ofwayang wahyu—a Catholic form of shadow theatre in central Java—and its relation to Church politics of inculturation. It presents a short history and an analysis of performance practice of this unique Christian theatre.
Memory Theatres, Virtual Witnessing, and the Trauma-Aesthetic
Authors: Feldman Allen
Published: May 2005

To enclave the human rights violation story at a primordial scene of violence is already to preselect the restorative powers of legal, medical, media, and textual rationalities as post-violent. Where violence is and is not positioned in the narrative of witness and the witnessing of narrative is the concern of this essay. I pose this question: Does the cultural intelligibility of the biographical and witnessing artifact depend on the violence of the signifier—by which I mean repressive authentication by various expert knowledge practices, truth-claiming procedures, and mass media circuits? And if so, how do we witness this particular violence?
Documenting Violations: Rhetorical Witnessing and the Spectacle of Distant Suffering
Authors: Hesford Wendy S
Published: May 2005

If one of the prominent rhetorical features in human rights documentaries is to create a rhetorical space of intersubjectivity—of bearing witness—how to account for ruptures in identification? Hesford explores the documentation of rape warfare and ethnic violence as human rights violations and the ethical challenges such representations pose for us as witnesses, and as scholars, teachers, and members of the international community.
Conjunctions: Life Narratives in the Field of Human Rights
Authors: Schaffer Kay , Smith Sidonie
Published: May 2005

In the fifty years during which human rights have gained an international currency, personal narratives have become a potent vehicle for advancing human rights claims. This article considers the importance of storytelling within an emerging and increasingly fractured human rights discourse as the circulation and reception of stories result in unpredictable readings and outcomes that both make visible and also forestall new rights claimants, subjectivities, and futures.
Racism, Moral Community, and Australian Aboriginal Autobiographical Testimony
Authors: Wilson Tikka Jan
Published: May 2005

From almost the first moment of colonization in 1788, British authorities sought to "civilize" Aboriginal Australians by separating Aboriginal children from their families. Racist discourse located Aboriginal people as not quite human Others who were outside moral community with white colonists. As excluded Others, Aboriginals were subject to treatment that would be deemed "criminal" if inflicted on persons located within the moral community. Autobiographical testimony by Aboriginal people separated from their families has been a significant political tool for undermining racialized moral exclusion. This article explores how Margaret Tucker's If Anyone Cared (1977) uses autobiography to challenge assumptions of white moral superiority, and to call white readers into moral community with Aboriginal speakers.