bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Industrial Shift, Skill Mismatch and Income Inequality: A Decomposition Analysis of Changing Distributions in the Oslo Region
Authors: Wessel Terje
Published: September 2005

This paper examines changing income inequality in the Oslo region between 1993 and 2000. Adopting a decomposition approach, the analysis reveals that both earnings inequality and post-tax inequality remained stable across educational groups, a finding that contradicts skill mismatch theory. Arguments relating to industrial shift turn out as more relevant: there is a clear dispersion of earnings and a substantial dispersion of post-tax income in certain industries, specifically producer services, high-tech distribution and, more ambiguously, high-tech manufacturing. The change is concentrated at the top end of the distribution and appears to reflect a combination of unbalanced growth, labour market environments and tax policy. It is suggested that Oslo during the transformation to a post-industrial economy is increasingly departing from Norwegian egalitarianism.
Extent, Location and Profiles of Continuing Gentrification in Canadian Metropolitan Areas, 1981-2001
Authors: Meligrana John , Skaburskis Andrejs
Published: September 2005

This study looks at the changes in 10 Canadian CMAs between 1981 and 2001 and builds on the work of other Canadian researchers to show how the extent, location and nature of gentrification processes have continued since the 1970s. The analysis of census data from 1981 and 2001 identifies gentrifying tracts and compares them with the neighbourhoods that are recognised by local housing market analysts as gentrifying and with the neighbourhoods that are clearly not gentrifying. Gentrification between 1981 and 2001 involves between 5 and 12 per cent of all tracts in the CMAs and about 25 per cent of inner-city tracts depending on the CMA examined and the definition of gentrification used. The spatial pattern of tracts gentrifying between 1981 and 2001 is more extensive than areas known to have gentrified during the 1970s. The extent of gentrification does not vary by city size. The profiles of gentrifying tracts show large increases in their proportion of young adult households, dramatic reductions in household size, rapid increases in university educated population, and had more mobile populations between 1981 and 2001. The gentrification of the inner city reduces population density while increasing dwelling unit density. Gentrification in Canada is changing the composition of the inner city but is not repopulating the inner city and it is contributing to the overall decentralisation process in Canadian cities.
Possible Sources of Wage Divergence among Metropolitan Areas of the United States
Authors: Drennan Matthew P.
Published: September 2005

Much of the literature on sub-national income convergence relates to states and regions. This paper focuses upon metropolitan areas as the germane geographical units for studying income convergence. Evidence of metropolitan wage divergence, the opposite of convergence, is presented. A theoretical basis for wage divergence is found in endogenous growth models and in two-sector trade models. Cross-section regression equations are estimated in which the level and the growth of metropolitan wages are related to variables that the empirical evidence and the theory suggest may be important sources of wage divergence.
‘Approaches to learning’ research in higher education: a response to Haggis
Authors: Marshall Delia , Case Jennifer
Published: September 2005

This article responds to the concerns raised by Haggis in 2003 regarding the use of approaches to learning theory in higher education. It is argued that the misrepresentations of the theory observed in the literature are not a reason for discarding the theory entirely. This article reasserts key features of the theory, argues for its relevance to mass higher education, and suggests that the incorporation of other theoretical perspectives would be appropriate.
Chemical-Induced Atrial Thrombosis in NTP Rodent Studies
Authors: Yoshizawa Katsuhiko , Kissling Grace E. , Johnson Jo Anne , Clayton Natasha P. , Flagler Norris D. , Nyska Abraham
Published: September 2005

Cardiac thrombosis, one of the causes of sudden death throughout the world, plays a principal role in several cardiovascular diseases, such as myocardial infarction and stroke in humans. Data from studies of induction of chemical thrombosis in rodents help to identify substances in our environment that may contribute to cardiac thrombosis. Results for more than 500 chemicals tested in rodents in 2-year bioassays have been published as Technical Reports of the National Toxicology Program (NTP) 〈 http://ntp-server.niehs.nih.gov/index 〉. We evaluated atrial thrombosis induced by these chemical exposures and compared it to similarly induced lesions reported in the literature. Spontaneous rates of cardiac thrombosis were determined for control Fischer 344 rats and B6C3F1 mice: 0% in rats and mice in 90-day studies and, in 2-year studies, 0.7% in both genders of mice, 4% in male rats, and 1% in female rats. Incidences of atrial thrombosis were increased in high-dosed groups involving 13 compounds (incidence rate: 20–100%): 2-butoxyethanol, C.I. Direct Blue 15, bis(2-chloroethoxy)methane, diazoaminobenzene, diethanolamine, 3,3′-dimethoxybenzidine dihydrochloride, hexachloroethane, isobutene, methyleugenol, oxazepam, C.I. Pigment Red 23, C.I. Acid Red 114, and 4,4′-thiobis(6- t-butyl- m-cresol). The main localization of spontaneously occurring and chemically induced thromboses occurred in the left atrium. The literature survey suggested that chemical-induced atrial thrombosis might be closely related to myocardial injury, endothelial injury, circulatory stasis, hypercoagulability, and impaired atrial mechanical activity, such as atrial fibrillation, which could cause stasis of blood within the left atrial appendage, contributing to left atrial thrombosis.

Supplementary data referenced in this paper are not printed in this issue of Toxicologic Pathology. They are available as downloadable files at http:taylorandfrancis.metapress.com/openurl.asp?genre=journal&issn=0192-6233 . To access them, click on the issue link for 33(5), then select this article. A download option appears at the bottom of this abstract. In order to access the full article online, you must either have an individual subscription or a member subscription accessed through www.toxpath.org .
How ‘Modern’ is the Modern Apprenticeship?
Authors: Campbell Jim , Mckay Ailsa , Thomson Emily
Published: September 2005

Despite the fact that some sectors of industry are facing major skills shortages, the Scottish labour market continues to be characterised by occupational segregation and a large disparity between the wages of women and men. The concentration of individuals in occupations and training based on their gender effectively restricts the pool of potential recruits to industry and is unlikely to make the best use of human capital. Moreover, it obstructs the pursuit of gender equality by reinforcing the gender pay gap and restricting individual career choices. This paper reports on the government's flagship training policy, the Modern Apprenticeship programme, from a gender perspective. It concludes that, ten years on from its introduction, the scheme represents something of a ‘missed opportunity’ to tackle occupational segregation and its deleterious effects in the wider economy and in society at large. It is recommended that the government and organisations involved in the development and delivery of Modern Apprenticeships adopt a more conscious and cohesive approach to promoting non-traditional choices at the vocational level.
Sustainable Development, Support Mechanisms and the Opinions of Wood-using Micro-business Owner/Managers: The Case of a Community Forest
Authors: Lynch-Wood Gary , Williamson David
Published: September 2005

This paper outlines the findings of a study into sustainable support systems for wood-using micro-businesses1 (MBs) within a Community Forest. The study looked at how the Community Forest interacted with local MBs, and explored how these could be more successfully integrated into the Community Forest's strategic plan, with the aim of achieving a more sustainable level of development.
Information and Communication Technologies and their Role in Urban Regeneration
Authors: Southern Alan , Townsend Alan
Published: September 2005

The idea that information and communication technologies (ICT) can provide a means to regenerate deprived urban areas is still a relatively new concept in the United Kingdom. There is in fact little empirical evidence to demonstrate what actually happens when ICT projects are designed with regeneration in mind. A case study of ICT regeneration is examined here, one funded through the Single Regeneration Budget and operational in an urban area in the North East of England. What became apparent during this study is how the changing policy environment meant other types of ICT initiative came on-stream before the project could firmly establish a position within its community. The authors challenge the logic of this form of activity and demonstrate that even when there seems to be a need to support ICT-led development the sustainability of such projects is highly problematic.
The Perirhinal Cortex and Long-Term Familiarity Memory
Authors: Rolls E. T. , Franco L. , Stringer S. M.
Published: September 2005

To analyse the functions of the perirhinal cortex, the activity of single neurons in the perirhinal cortex was recorded while macaques performed a delayed matching-to-sample task with up to three intervening stimuli. Some neurons had activity related to working memory, in that they responded more to the sample than to the match image within a trial, as shown previously. However, when a novel set of stimuli was introduced, the neuronal responses were on average only 47% of the magnitude of the responses to the set of very familiar stimuli. Moreover, it was shown in three monkeys that the responses of the perirhinal cortex neurons gradually increased over hundreds of presentations (mean = 400 over 7–13 days) of the new set of (initially novel) stimuli to become as large as those to the already familiar stimuli. Thus perirhinal cortex neurons represent the very long-term familiarity of visual stimuli. Part of the impairment in temporal lobe amnesia may be related to the difficulty of building representations of the degree of familiarity of stimuli. A neural network model of how the perirhinal cortex could implement tong-term familiarity memory is proposed using Hebbian associative learning.
The Contribution of the Human Medial Temporal Lobe to Perception: Bridging the Gap between Animal and Human Studies
Authors: Lee Andy C. H. , Barense Morgan D. , Graham Kim S.
Published: September 2005

The medial temporal lobe (MTL) has been considered traditionally to subserve declarative memory processes only. Recent studies in nonhuman primates suggest, however, that the MTL may also be critical to higher order perceptual processes, with the hippocampus and perirhinal cortex being involved in scene and object perception, respectively. The current article reviews the human neuropsychological literature to determine whether there is any evidence to suggest that these same views may apply to the human MTL. Although the majority of existing studies report intact perception following MTL damage in human amnesics, there have been recent studies that suggest that when scene and object perception are assessed systematically, signifi-cant impairments in perception become apparent. These findings have important implications for current mnemonic theories of human MTL function and our understanding of human amnesia as a result of MTL lesions.
The Role of the Human Medial Temporal Lobe in Object Recognition and Object Discrimination
Authors: Holdstock J. S.
Published: September 2005

This paper reviews evidence from neuropsychological patient studies relevant to two questions concerning the functions of the medial temporal lobe in humans. The first is whether the hippocampus and the adjacent perirhinal cortex make different contributions to memory. Data are discussed from two patients with adult-onset bilateral hippocampal damage who show a sparing of item recognition relative to recall and certain types of associative recognition. It is argued that these data are consistent with Aggleton and Brown's (1999) proposal that familiarity-based recognition memory is not dependent on the hippocampus but is mediated by the perirhinal cortex and dorso-medial thalamic nucleus. The second question is whether the recognition memory deficit observed in medial temporal lobe amnesia can be explained by a deficit in perceptual processing and representation of objects rather than a deficit in memory per se. The finding that amnesics were impaired at recognizing, after short delays, patterns that they could successfully discriminate suggests that their memory impairment did not result from an object-processing deficit. The possibility remains, however, that the human perirhinal cortex plays a role in object processing, as well as in recognition memory, and data are presented that support this possibility.
A rare case of paraovarian cancer coexisting with cancer of the fallopian tube: magnetic resonance appearance
Authors: Shimada K. , Ohashi I. , Hanafusa K. , Shibuya H. , Somekawa Y. , Yamaguchi Y. , Kikuchi M.
Published: September 2005

Primary paraovarian cancer is a rare tumor occurring in the female pelvis. Magnetic resonance imaging features of paraovarian cancer have not been previously reported. In the present report, we describe a case of paraovarian cancer coexisting with cancer of the fallopian tube and the magnetic resonance features.
Adjuvant use of abciximab for balloon angioplasty of symptomatic middle cerebral artery stenosis
Authors: Lee D. H. , Jo K. D.
Published: September 2005

Purpose: To evaluate the safety of adjuvant intravenous use of abciximab in balloon angioplasty for symptomatic middle cerebral artery stenosis.

Material and Methods: Seven patients with symptomatic stenosis at the main trunk ( n = 5), or proximal post-trifurcation portion ( n = 2) of the middle cerebral artery, were enrolled in the study. A bolus dose of abciximab (0.15 mg/kg) was given intravenously immediately before the procedure. The immediate morphologic results as well as the presence of hyperacute thrombosis or hemorrhage after angioplasty were evaluated. Clinical evaluation was performed 1 day and 1 month following angioplasty. Oral antiplatelets were administered during the follow-up period. Follow-up angiography was performed after 7 to 14 (mean 10.4) months. Stenosis of a vessel greater than 50% was considered as restenosis.

Results: The procedure was technically successful in all patients. Immediate residual stenosis was insignificant in 4 and mild (less than 50%) in 3 patients. There was no evidence of intimal dissection. Mild gum bleeding was noted in two patients. All study patients were clinically stable at follow-up without newly developed neurological abnormality even though there was one case of occlusion and one case of restenosis on follow-up angiography. Angiographic patency rate was 71%.

Conclusion: In performing proximal middle cerebral artery balloon angioplasty, abciximab may be safely used to prevent acute thrombosis. The mid-term patency of the vessels was also acceptable.
PROPELLER diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging of acute spinal epidural hematoma
Authors: Fujiwara H. , Oki K. , Momoshima S. , Kuribayashi S.
Published: September 2005

We present the case of an 86-year-old female with spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma. Although T1- and T2-weighted images showed the dilated posterior epidural space at the cervical spine, this finding was non-specific on conventional magnetic resonance imaging obtained 15 h after the onset of symptoms. Diffusion-weighted imaging with the use of periodically rotated overlapping parallel lines with enhanced reconstruction (PROPELLER), which clearly revealed the high intensity hematoma, was useful for detection and diagnosis of acute spinal epidural hematoma.
Uterine fibroid embolization can still be improved: observations on post-procedure magnetic resonance imaging
Authors: Dorenberg E. J. , Novakovic Z. , Smith H.-J. , Hafsahl G. , Jakobsen J. Å.
Published: September 2005

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy and completeness of uterine fibroid embolization (UFE) measured by changes in volume and signal intensity at magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and to compare with clinical outcome.

Material and Methods: 40 women with symptomatic uterine fibroids underwent bilateral uterine artery embolization. At MRI studies, including post-contrast sequences before and repeatedly after treatment, the uterus and dominant fibroids were evaluated for volume, location, and contrast enhancement. Prior to treatment, all myomas showed significant contrast enhancement. The mean uterine volume was 929 ml. Clinical examinations with emphasis on menorrhagia, pelvic pain, and urinary dysfunction were performed before and 6 and 12 months after treatment.

Results: UFE was bilaterally successful in 38 patients. After UFE, MRI showed no enhancement of myomas in 30 patients. In 8 patients, post-procedural MRI revealed partially remaining vascularization of fibroids despite angiographically complete embolization of the uterine arteries. On average, uterine volume decreased by 46.2% at 12 months. There was significant improvement of symptoms in the majority of patients, but slightly less improvement in patients with partially remaining vascularization of myomas.

Conclusion: UFE causes significant volume reduction of myomas and clinical improvement. MRI can reveal remaining vascularization in myomas despite angiographically complete embolization of uterine arteries.
Reaction & Resistance to Neo-liberalism in Zambia
Authors: Larmer Miles
Published: September 2005

This paper explores the current Zambian discourse around neo-liberal economic polices, in particular its expression in a trade union-led campaign against the privatisation of the Zambian National Commercial Bank (ZNCB). It locates the origin of these protests in the impact of economic liberalisation programmes implemented by the ruling Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) since 1991. The paper studies the privatisation of the economically strategic copper mining industry and, taking as a case study the mining town of Luanshya, explores the linkages between a secretive and corrupt privatisation process, and its human consequences for mineworkers, their families and communities. It finds that the International Financial Institutions (IFIs) sought to implement privatisation regardless of legal requirements, social consequences, and the future sustainability of the mining industry. It surveys the development of opposition to privatisation amongst civil society organisations, particularly trade unions, and seeks to identify emerging Zambian alternatives to neo-liberalism, including new models of popular control of strategic economic resources, and a renewed authoritarian nationalism that feeds on popular resentment of the effects of neo-liberal policies.
Sierra Leone: Urban-elite bias, atrocity & debt
Authors: Riddell Barry
Published: September 2005

Sierra Leone experienced the violent results of an undeclared civil war which lasted over a decade. The state had lost control of the country's hinterland! Maiming, killing, and destruction dominated this part of West Africa, and the violence largely resulted from a set of programmes and policies of the country's post-colonial government which produced pronounced and obscene elite-peasant disparities. With the termination of hostilities, the IMF and the World Bank have financially assisted the country's recovery and rehabilitation through a set of programmes. These were dominated by the IMF's Post-Conflict scheme and the jointly-administered (IMF/WB) Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative. This paper interrogates the documents of these International Financial Institutions (IFIs) and queries such data in two senses: a) has the nation's development agenda been able to recover from the debt overhang, and b) are the fundamental causes of the country's violent past addressed? The experience of Sierra Leone provides a window into the operations of the IFIs as they impose neoliberal globalisation in the third world.
David Hume's Account of Luxury
Authors: Cunningham Andrew S.
Published: September 2005

Scholarly discussions of the eighteenth-century luxury controversy invariably acknowledge the important role of David Hume, usually identifying him as one of the first to have made a strong case against the traditional view that luxury is morally corrupt and inimical to the survival of the state. But, having said this, they tend to treat Hume rather summarily, often focusing exclusively on the 1752 essay “Of Refinement in the Arts” and generally agreeing with one leading commentator that “Hume's arguments are straightforward, and can be dealt with briefly.” On closer examination, however, it appears that Hume's treatment of luxury was more complex in its historical development, and more subtle in its final form, than some have supposed. The first part of the following discussion considers the historical progression of Hume's thinking while the second consists in an analysis of “Refinement,” with particular attention to an important but overlooked distinction between the appropriate moral and political responses to luxury.
Assessment for learning in English and mathematics: a comparison
Authors: Hodgen Jeremy , Marshall Bethan
Published: September 2005

Research in the area of assessment for learning (AfL) has largely focused on generic approaches and strategies, applicable to teaching and learning in all subject areas. In this article, we address the issue of subject‐specific approaches. We examine two lessons, one English and one mathematics, and we discuss the form of assessment for learning in the context of these two subjects. English and mathematics are often thought of as contrasting disciplines, typifying the arts/sciences split in education and there are significant differences in the social norms and the structure of knowledge in each subject. This article undertakes a comparison of the lessons in order better to understand how these significant differences affect the realization of formative assessment in the classroom, and in doing so finds much common ground which might be the starting point for future dialogue between the disciplines.
Teachers' summative practices and assessment for learning – tensions and synergies
Authors: Harlen Wynne
Published: September 2005

This article concerns the use of assessment for learning (formative assessment) and assessment of learning (summative assessment), and how one can affect the other in either positive or negative ways. It makes a case for greater use of teachers' judgements in summative assessment, the reasons for this being found in the research that is reviewed in the first sections of the article. This research, concerning the impact of summative assessment, particularly high‐stakes testing and examinations, on students' motivation for learning and on teachers and the curriculum, reveals some seriously detrimental effects. Suggestions for changes that would reduce the negative effects include making greater use of teachers' summative assessment. However, this raises other issues, about the reliability and validity of teachers' assessment. Research on ways of improving the dependability of teachers' summative assessment suggests actions that would equally support more effective use of assessment to help learning. The later sections of the article address the issues and opportunities relating to the possibility of assessment that serves both formative and summative purposes, with examples of what this means in practice, leading to the conclusion that the distinction between formative and summative purposes of assessment should be maintained, while assessment systems should be planned and implemented to enable evidence of students' ongoing learning to be used for both purposes.
The journey so far: assessment for learning in Scotland
Authors: Hutchinson Carolyn , Hayward Louise
Published: September 2005

This article takes the form of a case‐study, outlining the progress of policy and practice in Scotland towards the introduction of Assessment for Learning in pre‐school and schools for children aged 3–14. The period described comprises the launch of 5–14 curriculum and assessment guidelines in the early 1990s, a review and consultation on assessment in pre‐school and 5–14 by HM Inspectorate of Schools, the recent assessment development programme, Assessment is for Learning (AifL), initiated in 2002, and the publication by the Scottish Executive Education Department (SEED) of a set of curriculum and assessment policy documents for education 3–18 in November 2004.

The assessment guidelines published in 1991 put considerable emphasis on professional practice in assessment as part of learning and teaching, promoting what would now be recognized as ‘assessment for learning’. However, curriculum guidelines for English language and mathematics and new arrangements for national testing in reading, writing and mathematics were published at the same time. These commanded considerable professional and public attention, so that curriculum content and measurement of attainment levels, rather than the quality of assessment practice in classrooms, became the main focus of schools' planning and action. The increasing emphasis on standards, target‐setting and accountability in the mid‐ to late 1990s ensured that measurement, rather than assessment for learning, remained the main priority.

Recognition on the part of ministers that assessment and testing arrangements were not working well for learners, teachers or policy‐makers led to the 1999 review and consultation. This once again asserted the importance for learning and achievement of good professional practice in classroom assessment. At the same time, the emphasis in policy more generally was shifting towards establishing a culture of self‐evaluation in local authorities and schools. The Assessment is for Learning development programme has sought to bring together these various threads in a coherent national system of assessment. It aims to promote excellence in professional assessment practice, the primacy of teachers' judgements and sound arrangements for local quality assurance of those judgements, to ensure consistency. For national monitoring of attainment, there will be a cycle of sample surveys rather than a collection of data for all schools and pupils. The programme has also sought to take account of research on the management of change to ensure that the new system is developed collaboratively with stakeholders and put into effect in all Scottish schools.
Lessons from around the world: how policies, politics and cultures constrain and afford assessment practices
Authors: Black Paul , Wiliam Dylan
Published: September 2005

This article outlines the main assessment traditions in four countries – England, France, Germany and the United States – in order to explore the prospects for the integration of summative and formative functions of assessment during compulsory schooling. In England, teachers' judgments do feed into national assessments, at 7, 11, 14 and 16, but concerns for reliability and accountability mean that such judgments are made in a way that has little impact on learning. In France, teachers have no involvement in the formal assessment of students, and, possibly as a result, have been free to concentrate on the use of assessment to serve learning. In Germany, faith in the education system has been considerably undermined by recent unfavourable international comparisons, although faith in the ability of tests both to measure learning accurately and to allocate students to different educational pathways appears to be unshaken. In the United States, multiple demands for accountability at different levels of the system have resulted in multiple assessment systems, but these tend to be focused on measuring the amount of learning that has taken place, providing little insight into how it might be improved. It is concluded that the effective integration of formative and summative functions of assessment will need to take different forms in different countries, and is likely to be extremely difficult.
The Bidirectional Transfer and Fetal Vascular Pressure ChangesDue to the Presence of  125I‐Labeled Inhibin A in the ex-vivoHuman Placental Model
Authors: Bawdon Roger E. , Ghetie Victor
Published: September 2005

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the transport of inhibin A and to determine its effects
on fetal vascular pressure at elevated levels in the human placenta using  125I
‐labeled synthetic glycoprotein.

Methods: Synthetic inhibinAwas prepared and was shown to be consistent with the natural form by high‐pressure
liquid chromatography (HPLC) and molecular weight determination by gas‐chromatography mass spectrometry.
The standardized Na 125I
process yielded  125I
‐labeled inhibin A with a radioactivity of106
cpm/μg. This compound
was placed in the human placenta in maternal–fetal and fetal–maternal studies using antipyrine and  14C
‐labeled
inulin as controls to determine the bidirectional transfer of the compound.

Results: Maternal–fetal and fetal–maternal clearance indices were 0.045± 0.003 and 0, respectively. In eight
placentas there was no evidence of vascular pressure changes due to the presence of up to 5000 pg of inhibin A.

Conclusions: There is minimal maternal–fetal transfer and no detectable fetal–maternal transfer in normotensive
and pregnancy‐induced hypertensive placentas. In addition, there are no pressure changes in the fetal vascular
system due to the clinically significant levels of inhibin A.
Bacterial Sacroiliitis Probably Induced by Lumbar Epidural Analgesia
Authors: Edelstein Shimon , Edoute Yeouda
Published: September 2005

Background: Properly administered, lumbar epidural analgesia provides adequate pain relief during labor and
delivery, and is considered to be a safe procedure with limited complications. The prevalence of infection after
lumbar epidural analgesia is negligible.

Introduction: Infection of the sacroiliac joint, although very close to the pucture area, has never been reported as
a procedure complication.

Case: In this report, we describe a patient who experienced bacterial sacroiliitis a few days after lumbar epidural
analgesia for labor. No portal of entry was identified, and we evoked a new potential risk factor that has never
been proposed before, namely lumbar epidural analgesia.

Conclusion: Sacroiliitis must be considered as a rare but serious complication of lumbar epidural analgesia.
Second‐Trimester Pregnancy Loss at an Urban Hospital
Authors: Heller Debra S. , Moorehouse-Moore Charlene , Skurnick Joan , Baergen Rebecca N.
Published: September 2005

Objectives: Second‐trimester spontaneous pregnancy losses are less common than first‐trimester losses, and are
often associated with ascending infection and/or acute chorioamnionitis. A Medline search revealed only two
large studies published in the recent literature, reporting incidences of chorioamnionitis of 39.3% and 58.2%,
respectively. These studies did not address the use of histopathology for the identification of organisms. Since
ascending infection is likely to be a significant cause of second‐trimester loss in the inner‐city population at the
University Hospital in Newark, New Jersey, we sought to evaluate the usefulness of stains for microorganisms,
which are rarely utilized on these specimens.

Methods: Retrospective review of the medical records and pathologic material for cases of spontaneous
abortions seen at the University Hospital in Newark between January 1999 and March 2001 was undertaken.
Stains for microorganisms were performed on archival placental tissue for cases with histologic acute
chorioamnionitis.

Results: A total of 67 cases were available for review, of which 38 cases (56.7%) showed histologic acute
chorioamnionitis, similar to the rates in one previous study, but significantly higher than those in the other
(p = 0.01). Of 25 cases with histological chorioamnionitis for which appropriate fetal material was available,
13 cases (52%) showed polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) in the fetal lungs, one case (4%) showed PMNs
in the fetal stomach, and seven cases (28%) showed PMNs in both the lung and the stomach. Of the 38 cases
with chorioamnionitis, Gram stains showed Gram‐positive cocci in six cases, two of which were culture
positive for group B streptococcus. Warthin–Starry stains showed filamentous organisms consistent with
Fusobacterium sp. in the placenta in three cases.

Conclusions: Acute chorioamnionitis is associated with second‐trimester pregnancy loss at this inner‐city hospital,
and may be related to the high incidence of risk factors in this population. A small proportion of cases can be further
characterized by the inclusion of Gram and Warthin–Starry stains in the evaluation. Selection of cases with
histologic acute chorioamnionitis for further study with special stains may provide additional information on the
causative organism.
Vulvovaginal Trichosporonosis
Authors: Makela Paul , Leaman Debbie , Sobel Jack D.
Published: September 2005

Objective: Isolation of Trichosporon species from vaginal secretions is a rare event, and no data are available on
its pathogenic role. A case series is presented to determine the pathogenic role of Trichosporon species in
vulvovaginal infections.

Methods: We performed a retrospective chart review of patients seen in the W.S.U. Vaginitis Clinic in order
to identify patients from whom Trichosporon species were isolated.

Results: Between 1986 and 2001, a total of 13 patients had a total of 18 positive vaginal cultures for Trichosporon species. All 18 vaginal isolates were T. inkin. In general, positive vaginal cultures were accompanied by low
yeast colony counts. Four out of 18 positive T. inkin cultures were obtained from visits by asymptomatic patients.
Of the remaining 14 positive T. inkin cultures from patients with symptoms, nine out of 14 cultures had other
diagnoses (Candida albicans, six cases; bacterial vaginosis, two cases; Trichomonas, one case). Five positive T. inkin
cultures were obtained from visits at which patients had symptoms and no associated diagnosis. In only one of the
five episodes could we establish a clear pathogenic role for Trichosporon. In this case the patient was treated with
boric acid and had resolution of symptoms and a negative culture at follow‐up. In-vitro susceptibility tests revealed
that T. inkin was resistant to flucytosine and susceptible to all topical and oral azoles.

Conclusions:T. inkin is occasionally found in vulvovaginal cultures and is usually a non‐pathogen. Transient
colonization tended to occur in women, usually of African—American origin, with major perturbations in vaginal
flora (bacterial vaginosis and trichomoniasis) and increased pH. Pathogenic consequences of Trichosporon colonization
appear to be rare.
Toxoplasmosis‐Related Knowledge and Practices AmongPregnant Women in the United States
Authors: Jones Jeffrey L. , Ogunmodede Folashade , Scheftel Joni , Kirkland Elizabeth , Lopez Adriana , Schulkin Jay , Lynfield Ruth
Published: September 2005

Background: Infection with Toxoplasma gondii during pregnancy can lead to severe illness in the fetus. Many
T. gondii infections are preventable by simple hygienic measures.

Methods: We surveyed pregnant women in the US to determine their knowledge about toxoplasmosis and
their practices to prevent infection. Volunteer obstetricians selected to be demographically representative of the
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recruited the participants.

Results: Of 403 women responding to the survey, 48% indicated that they had heard or seen information about
toxoplasmosis; however, only 7% were aware of being tested for the disease. Forty percent of responding women
knew that toxoplasmosis is caused by an infection, but 21% thought that a poison causes it. The highest level of
knowledge was about cats and T. gondii ; 61% responded that the organism is shed in the feces of infected cats and
60% responded that people could acquire toxoplasmosis by changing cat litter. There was a low level of knowledge
about other risk factors; only 30% of the women were aware that T. gondii may be found in raw or undercooked
meat. Nevertheless, a high percentage of women indicated that they do not eat undercooked meat during
pregnancy and that they practice good hygienic measures such as washing their hands after handling raw meat,
gardening or changing cat litter.

Conclusion: Except for the risk of transmission from cats, knowledge among pregnant women about
toxoplasmosis is low. However, toxoplasmosis‐preventive practices are generally good, suggesting that providers
should continue to offer education about practices that help prevent foodborne diseases in general as well as
information about preventing toxoplasmosis specifically.
Hypertension‐Independent Microvascular Rarefaction in the Obese Zucker Rat Model of the Metabolic Syndrome
Authors: FRISBEE JEFFERSON C.
Published: September 2005

Objective: To test the hypothesis that reduced skeletal muscle microvessel density (MVD) in obese Zucker rats (OZR) is independent of chronic elevations in mean arterial pressure (MAP).

Methods: Microvessels in cross sections of gastrocnemius muscle from lean Zucker rats (LZR) and OZR were labeled with Griffonia simplicifolia I lectin, visualized with fluorescence microscopy and vessel number within sections was determined using imaging software. Rats were used at different ages to assess correlations between the temporal development of hypertension and microvascular rarefaction. Additionally, rats were chronically treated with captopril or hydralazine as antihypertensive therapies to examine the development of microvascular rarefaction in the absence of elevated blood pressure.

Results: MVD in muscle of OZR was reduced by ∼ 17% versus LZR by 10–11 weeks of age, prior to any elevation in MAP. By 15–17 weeks, OZR exhibited a ∼ 23% reduction in MVD and a ∼ 25 mmHg increase in MAP. Treatment with hydralazine prevented elevated MAP in OZR, although this was not associated with an improved MVD. Captopril treatment also prevented elevated MAP in OZR, although a partial recovery of MVD toward normal levels was observed. This observation was associated with an improved insulin resistance.

Conclusions: These results suggest that microvessel rarefaction in skeletal muscle of OZR manifesting the metabolic syndrome does not depend on an elevated mean arterial pressure and that other factors associated with the metabolic syndrome, possibly insulin resistance, may underlie the progressive reduction in MVD in these animals.
L‐NAME Induces Direct Arteriolar Leukocyte Adhesion, Which Is Mainly Mediated by Angiotensin‐II
Authors: NABAH YAFA NAIM ABU , MATEO TERESA , CERDÁ‐NICOLÁS MIGUEL , ÁLVAREZ ÁNGELES , MARTINEZ MARIA , ISSEKUTZ ANDREW C. , SANZ MARIA‐JESUS
Published: September 2005

Objective: Acute inhibition (1 h) of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) with L‐NAME causes leukocyte recruitment in the rat mesenteric postcapillary venules that is angiotensin‐II (Ang‐II) dependent. Since 4‐h exposure to Ang‐II provokes arteriolar leukocyte adhesion, this study was designed to investigate whether subacute (4‐h) NOS inhibition also causes this effect.

Methods: Rats were intraperitoneally injected with saline, L‐NAME, or 1H‐[1,2,4]‐oxidazolol‐[4,3‐a]‐quinoxalin‐1‐one (ODQ). Leukocyte accumulation in the mesenteric microcirculation was examined 4 h later via intravital microscopy. Some groups were pretreated with losartan, an AT1 Ang‐II receptor antagonist.

Results: At 4‐h, L‐NAME caused a significant increase in arteriolar leukocyte adhesion and leukocyte–endothelial cell interactions in postcapillary venules. Mononuclear cells were the predominant leukocytes attached to the arteriolar endothelium. Administration of losartan inhibited L‐NAME‐induced arteriolar leukocyte adhesion by 90%. L‐NAME provoked increased expression of P‐selectin, E‐selectin, ICAM‐1, and VCAM‐1 in arterial endothelium, which was attenuated by losartan pretreatment. Inhibition of guanylyl cyclase with ODQ mimicked the effects exerted by L‐NAME and losartan also reduced these effects.

Conclusions: NOS inhibition for 4‐h results in the attachment of leukocytes to the arterial endothelium, a critical event in disease states such as hypertension and atherosclerosis, which could be prevented by the administration of AT1Ang‐II receptor antagonists.
Much Ado about Little: The Foreign Policy of the Second Berlusconi Government
Authors: Croci Osvaldo
Published: September 2005

This article provides a review and an assessment of the foreign policy of the second Berlusconi government. The first section summarizes the changes Italian foreign policy underwent at the end of the Cold War. The second focuses on the question of continuity and change regarding the two traditional pillars of Italian foreign policy, the European Union and the Atlantic Alliance, during the second Berlusconi government's time in office. The article concludes that if the current government has brought changes to Italian foreign policy, they concern its tone and style more than its substance, and that the claim that Italy has embarked on a new foreign policy course is a political exaggeration.
Neuroimaging studies of brain corpus striatum changes among heroin‐dependent patients treated with herbal medicine, U'finer ™ capsule
Authors: Jia SW , Wang W , Liu Y , Wu ZM
Published: September 2005

Chronic exposure to heroin is associated with structural changes in dopaminergic (DA) neurones. The present study examined the effects of a new herbal medicine, U'finer TM capsule, on the brain corpus striatum and DA systems, comparing pre‐ and post‐ treatment in 36 heroin‐dependent patients. Neuroimaging studies were performed by using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with 99m Tc‐TRODAT‐1 as radiotracer. The results show that U'finer TM significantly repaired the damaged bilateral corpus striatum, restoring it to a ‘panda eye? shape, analogous in size and shape to that of the healthy volunteers. DA transporter (DAT) function in the bilateral corpus striatum was restored to a normal state after recovery from neurotoxic insult. These findings suggest that U'finer TM is a reliable herbal medicine in the treatment of heroin dependency
Effects of MPEP on expression of food‐, MDMA‐ or amphetamine‐conditioned place preference in rats
Authors: Herzig Volker , Capuani Eleonora , Kovar Karl‐Artur , Schmidt Werner
Published: September 2005

Recent studies have revealed the effectiveness of 2‐methyl‐6‐(phenylethynyl)pyridine (MPEP), a highly selective antagonist of metabotropic glutamate receptors subtype 5 (mGluR5), in conditioned drug reward. In a previous study we showed that MPEP blocks expression of context‐conditioned morphine‐ but not cocaine reward in the rat. The present study now examines the effectiveness of MPEP in the expression of context‐conditioned food, MDMA (‘ecstasy?) or amphetamine reward. Therefore, three groups of rats were conditioned either to food, MDMA or amphetamine in the conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm. After conditioning, CPP expression and locomotion were determined simultaneously in the presence and absence of the respective reward (i.e. food or drug), or after application of 50?mg/kg MPEP (the dose that was most effective in reducing morphine CPP expression in our previous study). As a result, MPEP reduced locomotion in all groups. Furthermore, only expression of amphetamine CPP was inhibited by MPEP, while expression of food and MDMA CPP was not affected, suggesting that the MPEP‐induced inhibition of amphetamine CPP expression was not causally linked to the reduction of locomotion. Overall, we conclude that MPEP reduces expression of context‐conditioned amphetamine but not MDMA or food reward.
A double‐blind, placebo‐controlled study of naltrexone in the treatment of alcohol dependence in Taiwan
Authors: Huang Ming‐Chyi , Chen Chun‐Hsin , Yu Jeng‐Ming , Chen Chiao‐Chicy
Published: September 2005

The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of naltrexone in Taiwanese Han males with alcohol dependence. In conjunction with limited supportive psychotherapy, 40 alcoholic patients, who met Diagnostic and Statistical Manual version III revised (DSM‐III‐R) criteria for alcohol dependence, were assigned to a randomized double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial of naltrexone hydrochloride (50?mg/day) for 14 weeks following alcohol detoxification. Among recruited patients, 45% (n = 9/20) of the naltrexone‐treated subjects and 35% (n = 7/20) of the placebo‐treated subjects dropped out (p = 0.374). The relapse rates between the two groups were not significant (p = 0.671). Subjects taking naltrexone reported less alcohol craving compared with placebo‐treated subjects. In support of previous reports, the present results suggest that naltrexone may be safe and effective in craving reduction in alcohol‐dependent subjects.
Oxcarbazepine versus carbamazepine in the treatment of alcohol withdrawal
Authors: Schik G , Wedegaertner FR , Liersch J , Hoy L , Emrich HM , Schneider U
Published: September 2005

In a single‐blinded and randomized pilot study efficacy and tolerability of oxcarbazepine versus carbamazepine were investigated in 29 patients during therapy of alcohol withdrawal. No initial differences were found regarding sociodemographic data and alcohol‐related parameters, indicating successful randomization. The oxcarbazepine group showed a significant decrease of withdrawal symptoms and reported significantly less ‘craving for alcohol? compared to the carbamazepine group. Subjectively experienced side effects, normalization of vegetative parameters and improvement in the cognitive processing speed did not reveal differences for both groups. Therefore, oxcarbazepine might be an interesting alternative to carbamazepine, and having almost no addictive potential, no clinically relevant interaction with alcohol and no prominent sedatory effect, possibly also to other drugs such as benzodiazepines or clomethiazole, in the treatment of alcohol withdrawal syndrome.