bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Declining seroprevalence of HIV infection among paediatric inpatients
Authors: Daga S R , Verma Bela , Gosavi D V , Kapse V , Shinde N
Published: October 2007

An unlinked anonymous testing for HIV infection among consecutive paediatric admissions at Cama and Albless Hospital, Mumbai, was performed in 1998-99 and again in 2003-04. The seroprevalence declined from 5.5% (24/535) to 2.2% (10/447). Greater awareness, enhanced antenatal detection and measures taken to prevent mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) seem to have contributed to the declining seroprevalence. We believe that paediatric inpatients reflect the extent of MTCT in the community.
Possible transmission of hepatitis B virus between spouses and their children in Babol, Northern Iran
Authors: Roushan Mohammad Reza Hasanjani , Mohraz Minoo , Velayati Ali Akbar
Published: October 2007

To determine the possible routes of transmission of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection between spouses and their children in Babol, Northern Iran, the spouses of 54 infected husbands and 49 wives without any evidence of HBV infection in their family members were evaluated from March 1998 to April 2005. All of these cases were hepatitis B surface antigen and anti-hepatitis B 'e' antigen positive. Mean duration of marriage for husbands was 14.4±6.49 and for wives12.46±6.24 years. Past HBV infection was found in 46.3% wives of infected husbands and in 65.3% husbands of infected wives ( P = 0.074). HBV markers were seen in 32.5% children of infected fathers and 64.5% children of infected mothers ( P = 0.0001). HBV carrier rates in boys and girls of infected mothers were significantly higher than in those of infected fathers ( P = 0.002 and P = 0.0001, respectively). The results show that transmission of HBV between spouses and their children were the main routes of transmission of HBV in our region.
Echocardiographic features of cardiac failure in Uganda
Authors: Ismail Y , Andia I , Byaruhanga S , Shaw M R , Mathieson P W , Wilde P
Published: October 2007

Cardiac failure is a common medical presentation in Uganda. This study primarily focuses on the aetiology of heart failure in 65 adult patients and assesses the utility of echocardiography in a resource-limited setting. Our findings suggest that endomyocardial fibrosis is much less prevalent than previously described in other regions of Uganda and highlights the need for more basic descriptive studies on common presenting illnesses in rural Africa.
Pattern of antimalarial prescriptions for children and pregnant mothers by private medical practitioners in Ilorin, Nigeria
Authors: Ologe Olufunmilayo M , Mokuolu Olugbenga A , Adedoyin Olanrewaju T
Published: October 2007

A survey of the prescription practices of private medical practitioners (PMPs) in four local government areas in Kwara State, Nigeria, was carried out using a self-administered pre-tested questionnaire. A total of 49 respondents from 40 private health facilities participated in the survey. The prescription practice of a significant number of PMPs was not in conformity with the National Malarial Treatment policy. There was inadequate knowledge of the classification of malaria; hence, many of the respondents could not recognize severe malaria. Regular continuing medical education and distribution of information, education and communication materials on malaria to private health facilities are strongly recommended.
Outcome of neonates ventilated in the main intensive care unit at The University Hospital of the West Indies: a 15-year experience
Authors: Trotman H , Barton M , Mitchell V
Published: October 2007

A 15-year retrospective review of neonates ventilated in the main intensive care unit at the University Hospital of the West Indies was conducted. During the study period, 153 neonates were ventilated, of whom 80 (52%) survived. The most common reason for admission was respiratory distress syndrome, which accounted for 67% (102/153) of admissions, 53 (52%) of these infants survived. Improving outcome will require strategies directed at improving neonatal intensive care.
Intestinal protozoan and helminth infections in the Municipality San Juan y Martínez, Pinar del Río, Cuba
Authors: Escobedo A A , Cañete Roberto , Núñez F A
Published: October 2007

A cross-sectional study was carried out to determine the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections and the intensity of soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) among children who attend the educational centres of San Juan y Martinez, Cuba. Ascaris lumbricoides, Blastocystis hominis and Giardia lamblia were the most common parasites found, with prevalence rates of 40.5%, 38.5% and 25%, respectively. In total, 91% of children harboured at least one type of intestinal parasite. The rates and intensity of intestinal parasitic infections found permit us to speculate that the conditions that predispose to acquire intestinal protozoan and STH infections persist in this municipality.
HIV and intestinal parasites in adult TB patients in a teaching hospital in Northwest Ethiopia
Authors: Kassu Afework , Mengistu Getahun , Ayele Belete , Diro Ermias , Mekonnen Firew , Ketema Dereje , Moges Feleke , Mesfin Tsehay , Getachew Assefa , Ergicho Bahiru , Elias Daniel , Wondmikun Yared , Aseffa Abraham , Ota Fusao
Published: October 2007

The level of HIV infection and intestinal parasitoses among TB patients was assessed in a hospital-based cross-sectional study involving 257 patients in Gondar, Ethiopia. In TB patients, our study reported co-infection with HIV (52.1%) and intestinal parasites (40.9%) The high prevalence of HIV and intestinal parasites indicates an increased morbidity inTB patients and emphasized the importance of continued HIV sero-surveillance, stool analysis and treatment.
Ileal stricture following strangulated inguinal hernia
Authors: Dakubo Jonathan C B , Akoto Harry , Etwire Victor K , Naaeder Simon B
Published: October 2007

Small intestinal stenosis due to ischaemia following strangulated hernia is uncommon as patients with external hernias have ready access to elective herniorrhaphy. Small intestinal stenosis secondary to ischaemia may lead to acute small bowel obstruction, acute-on-chronic obstruction or chronic small bowel obstruction. It may also give rise to the blind loop syndrome. Preoperative diagnosis of this condition is difficult. We report four cases of small intestinal stenosis who presented to one surgical unit at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital with acute intestinal obstruction over a period of 15 months.
'The BloodStopper' - experiences with a novel portable hand-held orthopaedic limb tourniquet
Authors: Millar T M S , McGrath P , McConnachie C C P
Published: October 2007

Tourniquets are widely employed in orthopaedic practice to maintain a bloodless operative field during extremity surgery. In areas of the world where reliable pressurized air systems for tourniquet inflation are not available, and as an alternative to the traditional Esmarch bandage, we report on the successful and safe use of a novel hand-held, battery-operated limb tourniquet.
Assessment of HIV/AIDS awareness and changes in sexual practices among secondary school students in Nsukka environment
Authors: Okonta J M , Momoh M A , Ekwunife O I , Mbagwu I S U , Abali S O
Published: October 2007

This study is aimed at assessing the awareness of HIV/AIDS and changes in sexual behaviour among the Nigerian teens. Two hundred and fifty secondary school students were interviewed. Only 5% of the respondents were able to state the full meaning of HIV or AIDS. A minority (28%) believed that HIV was real while the majority (72%) believed that HIV infects whites only. Forty-eight percent of them have changed their sexual practices owing to the AIDS menace. A small percentage, 12%, believed that HIV/AIDS could kill. The study revealed low awareness of HIV/AIDS as well as misconception about the infection, especially in non-urbanized cities of Nigeria.
Clinical profile of patients presenting with uterus inversion
Authors: Taneja Anjali , Puri Manju , Sagartrivedi S
Published: October 2007

Inversion uterus is an unusual complication of vaginal delivery. Mismanaged third stage of labor is the most commonly identified predisposing risk factor. The condition requires immediate intervention. This retrospective study was conducted in Lady Hardinge Medical College and Associated Hospitals, New Delhi, India with the aim to study the clinical profile and outcome of patients admitted with inversion uterus. A total of six cases of inversion uterus were managed during the five year period reviewed. All patients had acute inversion and were managed successfully by manual reposition except one with chronic inversion which required laparotomy. In this case Huntington's technique was used to reposit back uterus. The patients were discharged in satisfactory condition with a mean hospital stay of nine days. Early diagnosis, resuscitation and replacement of inverted uterus are essential components of management of this rare but life threatening situation. Proper management of third stage is recommended.
Probabilistic Polyhedral Methods for Adaptive Choice-Based Conjoint Analysis: Theory and Application
Authors: Toubia Olivier , Hauser John , Garcia Rosanna
Published: October 2007

Polyhedral methods for choice-based conjoint analysis provide a means to adapt choice-based questions at the individual-respondent level and provide an alternative means to estimate partworths when there are relatively few questions per respondent, as in a Web-based questionnaire. However, these methods are deterministic and are susceptible to the propagation of response errors. They also assume, implicitly, a uniform prior on the partworths. In this paper we provide a probabilistic interpretation of polyhedral methods and propose improvements that incorporate response error and/or informative priors into individual-level question selection and estimation.

Monte Carlo simulations suggest that response-error modeling and informative priors improve polyhedral question-selection methods in the domains where they were previously weak. A field experiment with over 2,200 leading-edge wine consumers in the United States, Australia, and New Zealand suggests that the new question-selection methods show promise relative to existing methods.
The Impact of Survey Participation on Subsequent Customer Behavior: An Empirical Investigation
Authors: Borle Sharad , Dholakia Utpal M. , Singh Siddharth S. , Westbrook Robert A.
Published: October 2007

Recent research studies have shown that, in the aggregate, survey participation is associated with increased purchase behaviors. Whereas selective customer response could be responsible for some of this correlation, we conclude that survey participation does cause changes in purchase behavior. On the basis of this conclusion, we investigate the possible differential impact of participating in a firm-sponsored satisfaction survey on (1) services purchases, (2) responsiveness to promotions, (3) interpurchase time, and (4) spending, across customers. We develop a joint model of these four customer behaviors and explicitly examine the role of customer characteristics and store-specific variables in moderating the effects of survey participation. We also study how these effects change over time.

The data used for the analysis come from a longitudinal field study of customer satisfaction conducted by a U.S. automotive services firm. It contains two groups of customers. One group was administered a customer satisfaction survey and the other was not. Our results reveal a substantial positive relationship between satisfaction survey participation and all the customer behaviors studied. Assuming a causal relationship, we also find the effects of satisfaction survey participation to vary across customers and stores, and over time.
News Consumption and Media Bias
Authors: Xiang Yi , Sarvary Miklos
Published: October 2007

Bias in the market for news is well-documented. Recent research in economics explains the phenomenon by assuming that consumers want to read (watch) news that is consistent with their tastes or prior beliefs rather than the truth. The present paper builds on this idea but recognizes that (i) besides “biased” consumers, there are also “conscientious” consumers whose sole interest is in discovering the truth, and (ii) consistent with reality, media bias is constrained by the truth. These two factors were expected to limit media bias in a competitive setting. Our results reveal the opposite. We find that media bias may increase when there are more conscientious consumers. However, this increased media bias does not necessarily hurt conscientious consumers who may be able to recover more information from multiple media outlets the more the outlets are biased. We discuss the practical implications of these findings for media positioning, media pricing, media planning, and the targeting of advertising.
Housing Needs, Family Values and Single Homeless People
Authors: Garside Patricia L.
Published: October 2007

Recent changes in Housing Corporation arrangements for special needs schemes provided by housing associations appeared to bring this kind of accommodation more closely in line with other social housing, both financially and managerially. This article examines the origin, significance and impact of these changes in the context of shifting perceptions and representations of the problem presented by single homeless people and especially their lack of family and other desirable social ties. It discusses the changing relationships between central government, statutory bodies, local authorities and housing associations since the 1970s; assesses the outcome in terms of the scale and nature of the provision and suggests likely future prospects.
Reflections on Urban Government in the USA
Authors: Hambleton Robin
Published: October 2007

This article examines experience with urban management and local government in the United States of America and draws lessons for the UK. It explains why, particularly at a time when UK local government reorganisation is taking place, it is helpful to scrutinise American models with care. Following a discussion of the key differences and similarities in local government systems three questions are addressed: Who controls? Who pays? Who wins? The article suggests that, whilst American city councils tend to be more prepared to innovate and create new institutional forms, US local authorities are, on the whole, less accountable and less responsive to their electorates than their British counterparts. From a UK point of view examination of American local government is desirable – it reveals pitfalls to avoid as well as possibilities to explore.
Staging an Official Inquiry for Policy Change: the case of the Drug Evaluation Review in Australia
Authors: Degeling Pieter , Baume Peter , Jones Ken
Published: October 2007

This paper provides a participant account of what was involved in Australia in using an official inquiry to produce a change in regulatory policy pertaining to therapeutic drug administration. The case study shows how the inquiry process was taken beyond formality and was focused on generating packages of bargains to which contending stakeholders could lend support. The centrality of these pragmatic and calculative dimensions of policy change did not mean that the attributes conventionally associated with official inquiries could be ignored. Accordingly we show how the process of conducting an inquiry came to consist of performances on three stages: ‘frontstage’, ‘backstage’ and ‘understage’.
An Exploration of Community Business Failure
Authors: McArthur Andrew A.
Published: October 2007

Community businesses are enterprises which are owned and controlled by local residents and which aim to create jobs for local and unemployed people. Although they received generous support from both local and central government during the 1980s, growing concern is being expressed about their performance and contribution. This paper deals with a failed community business which, for a short period, appeared to be a successful example of what could be achieved in a disadvantaged community. The study highlights problems which can emerge where inexperienced volunteers are responsible for overseeing an increasingly complex commercial organisation with a weak management structure. It underlines the need for support agencies to ensure that up to date financial records are kept, for business growth to be tied to organisational capacity, and for local people to have access to specialist training and external support.
Women Caring for People: the mismatch between rhetoric and women’s reality?
Authors: Brown Hilary , Smith Helen
Published: October 2007

This paper explores the implications, for women, of the new structures and systems which are being introduced in the ‘Working for patients’ and ‘Caring for people’ legislation. An exploration which focuses on women is urgent, given their predominance as both paid and unpaid workers in, and users of, community care services. The fundamental changes which are being introduced, ostensibly to empower the disadvantaged and give them more choice and influence, will fail if they do not directly address and draw links between the experiences of women on the giving and receiving end of service delivery.
The Struggle for Quality: the case of the National Health Service
Authors: Pollitt Christopher
Published: October 2007

Almost everybody, it seems, is currently in favour of improving the ‘quality’ of public services. However, analysis soon reveals that different groups define quality differently, adopt different approaches to its improvement and wield greater or lesser leverage in the struggle to determine which definitions, methods and measurements will be adopted in its pursuit.

The NHS offers a particularly vivid example of the ‘politics of quality’. Close examination shows that the medical professionals have thus far been successful in protecting their own version of quality from outside scrutiny. The influence of patients in shaping quality systems has, by contrast, been slight. The main challenge to the traditional professional monopoly over judgements of quality is coming not from patients but from managers.
Thomas Bowrey's Madagascar Manuscript of 1708
Authors: Bialuschewski Arne
Published: October 2007

In 1913 an old chest was discovered in a manor house in Worcestershire in the west of England. Packed with bundles of manuscripts, it contained several hundred letters and business papers written in a crabbed italic hand. These documents belonged to Thomas Bowrey, an English overseas merchant, who was born in 1662 and died in 1713. The collection of papers was later purchased by Colonel Henry Howard, and in 1931 part of it was presented to the Guildhall Library in London. These documents include an incomplete manuscript titled “Discription of the Coast of Affrica from the Cape of Good Hope, to the Red Sea” dated 1708. The notes indicate that Bowrey intended to write a book that encompassed descriptions of all the major ports of the region.

Only fragments of the draft survive. Most of the manuscript contains amendments, crossed-out sections, and blank spaces. The text consists of different versions of a preface, brief accounts of the Dutch Cape Colony and Delagoa Bay in Mosambique, as well as a draft portion which has the title “Islands of yeCoast of Africa on yeEast Side of yeCape of Good Hope: Places of Trade on Madagascar.” The densely written and in part hardly legible text is on sixteen folio pages. It gives information about Assada, Old Masselege, Manangara, New Masselege, Terra Delgada, Morondava, Crab Island, St. Vincent, St. Iago, Tulear, St. Augustin Bay, St. John's, Port Dauphin, Matatana, Bonavola, St. Mary's Island, and Antongil Bay. This document also includes descriptions of Mauritius and Bourbon, nowadays called Réunion. Most of these places were visited by English, Dutch, and French seafarers in the last decades of the seventeenth century.
From Kings Cross to Kew: Following the History of Zambia's Indian Community through British Imperial Archives
Authors: Haig Joan M.
Published: October 2007

In the summer months of 2005 I traveled to London for the purpose of carrying out archival research in the Oriental and India Office Collection (OIOC) of the British Library at Kings Cross. My aim was to document the history of Indian immigration to the former British protectorate of Northern Rhodesia (present-day Zambia), about which very little has been published. The OIOC contains a vast amount of material relating to Asia and Africa—reportedly some 14 kilometers of shelving—including the India Office Records (IOR) and its key manuscripts detailing Indians' migration to British Central Africa.

Indians' arrival into Northern Rhodesian territory can be traced in these archives to 1905, and I was interested in the period from then until the independence of the country in 1964. The information held in the IOR is partic ularly rich: because the India Office acted as an intermediary among the Colonial Office in London, the Governor's Office in Northern Rhodesia, and the Government of India in New Delhi, the records bring together and represent the concerns of all the official actors. However, when India achieved sovereignty in 1947 the doors of the India Office closed and matters relating to the Indian diaspora were transferred to the Commonwealth Relations Office and the Dominion and Colonial Offices, whose interests were empire-wide. These sets of files are presently held in the National Archives at Kew.
Double, Double, Toil, and Trouble: the Ergonomics of African History
Authors: Henige David
Published: October 2007

The longtime-accepted equation ofXianwith the Siamese kingdom of Suhkothai having been discarded now …

Knowledge and speculation would appear to have been confused.”

“Considering the enormous output … of theories concerning the Assyrian kings and their chronology—by far the greater art of which has proved untenable in the light of later discoveries and most of which, as we can see now, might well have

been avoided by refraining from premature speculation …

As I was growing up—when the automobile was becoming a standard accoutrement—two large car parks were in the downtown area of the city where I lived. These were not street level but were laid out 15 to 25 feet below the streets, and thousands of cubic yards of dirt had been removed to create these. Since then, much reconstruction (“urban renewal”) has occurred in the area, which entailed putting back just about as much dirt as had been removed earlier. Doubtless, each project required an enormous amount of time, labor, and money, yet the end result was a configuration very much like that which had existed before one minute, one bead of sweat, and one dollar had been spent. Some might regard this as simply an accommodation of differing needs for different times, whereas others might wonder how necessary it all had been—why, for instance, was it thought useful to render these car parks subterranean in the first place. Was the dirt needed elsewhere? Or were they make-work public works projects during economic downtimes? In short, what was the point? After all, the car parks were surrounded by imposing concrete walls, ramps were constructed to gain access; even the floors were concrete to neutralize the elements.
Constructing an Archival Cityscape: Local Views of Colonial Urbanism in the French Protectorate of Morocco
Authors: Holden Stacy E.
Published: October 2007

Existing studies of colonial architecture and urbanism in Morocco—much as in the case of France's other African holdings—usually highlight the political intentions of foreign administrators, not the local residents who lived and worked there. After three years of research in Moroccan archives, I came upon many primary sources that will allow historians to show Moroccans as energetic actors who shaped urban life in the French Protectorate (1912-56). The documents that I found hold significant potential for unraveling the social history of trades, neighborhoods, and institutions in the medina. The term “medina” designates the narrow streets and walled quarters of the premodern city, which colonial administrators kept distinct from the modern Ville Nouvelle built for European use. These sources make it clear that French administrators implementing urban policies in the medina faced the day-to-day responses of ordinary Moroccans of various social and economic classes. More importantly, they suggest that the colonial encounter played a secondary role in the quotidian choices of these residents, who worried more about relations with other locals, such as trouble-some neighbors or avaricious shopkeepers, than with French officers and civilians located in the Ville Nouvelle.

My own research focuses on the experiences of millers and butchers in Fez, but my insights into the archival treasures of this North African kingdom will help historians interested in other cities and socio-economic groupings. In this paper I will discuss five distinct types of documentation: archives of the municipality, archives of the Department of Fine Arts, documentation on religious endowments, land titles, and transcripts of judicial proceedings. By exploiting these sources, historians can begin to reconsider how and why Moroccans shaped the physical and socio-economic development of their cities.
Of War-Leaders and Fire-Makers: A Rejoinder
Authors: Knighton Ben
Published: October 2007

If there is to be a “great Karamoja debate”, then it is necessary to keep in focus the leading issues, with the constraints of historiographical and methodological concerns. Since 1990 publications on the Karamojong have in general taken the line expressed in Mirzeler and Young's abstract: “The transformation of local modes of conflict by large-scale infusion of the AK-47 has had far-reaching effects …”. Against this trend I cite the French critic, Alphonse Karr (1808-1890), “Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose”. My perversity is sustained by studying the Karamojong over 23½ years, living there 1984-86, and returning for fieldwork across Karamoja in 1998, 2000, 2002, and 2005. Taking copies of my monograph to deposit for Karamojongliteratito read, the dominant impression was that mobile telephones notwithstanding, this was the same Karamoja. I will not have the last word, but history will.

The issue in Mirzeler's paper above is that “Pastoral Politics” has been mis-represented. Of course any part of an article cannot fully represent the whole, but my book cites Mirzeler no less than 49 times, often giving multiple page references. There is therefore no attempt at disguise or misappropriation: readers are invited and enabled to see for themselves. Where I have fallen down is in five sentences in one chapter, which Allen enjoys for its rare antipathy, where I have inverted commas in manifestly the wrong places. Sadly this is merely where my incompetence got the better of my conscientiousness. These five sentences were my précis, which I knew contained phrases it would have been appropriate to quote, so I marked them with inverted commas with the full intention of checking with the original article. Since I did not have it in my study, my intention was never executed, so now Mirzeler has his reward and I a lifetime's chagrin.
Towards a Reassessment of the Dating and the Geographical Origins of the Luso-African Ivories, Fifteenth to Seventeenth Centuries
Authors: Mark Peter
Published: October 2007

Fifty years ago, a group of 100 ivory carvings from West Africa was first identified by the English scholar William Fagg as constituting a coherent body of work. In making this important identification, Fagg proposed the descriptive label “Afro-Portuguese ivories.” Then, as now, the provenance and dating of these carved spoons, chalices (now recognized as salt cellars), horns, and small boxes posed a challenge to art historians. Fagg proposed three possible geographical origins: Sierra Leone, the Congo coast (Angola, ex-Zaïre), and the Yoruba-inhabited area of the old Slave Coast. Although Fagg was initially inclined on stylistic grounds to accept the Yoruba hypothesis, historical documents soon made it clear that the ivories—or at least many of them—were associated with Portuguese commerce in Sierra Leone. This trade developed in the final decades of the fifteenth century.

Today approximately 150 works have been identified by scholars as belonging to the “corpus” of carved ivories from West Africa. Although the sobriquet “Afro-Portuguese” remains the most common appellation, these pieces should more appropriately be referred to as Luso-African ivories. The latter term more accurately reflects the objects' creation by West African sculptors who were working within Africa. The works, although hybrid in inspiration, are far more African than they are Portuguese. In addition, no documentary evidence exists to indicate that any of the ivories were carved by African artists living in Portugal. West African artists created the sculptures within the context of their own cultures.
The Akoko-Ikale: A Revision of Colonial Historiography on the Construction of Ethnic Identity in Southeastern Yorubaland
Authors: Ogen Olukoya
Published: October 2007

The Akoko-Ikale constitute a significant part of the Ikale sub-ethnic group in southeastern Yorubaland. However, as far as Yoruba historiography is concerned, the Akoko-Ikale and indeed the larger Ikale nation have suffered from neglect because they remain one of the least researched groups in Yorubaland. As a result of the dearth of serious academic works on the Ikale people, official and hegemonic accounts of Ikale's origin and ethnic identity that became institutionalized during the colonial era have become the abiding mantra in Ikale contemporary historical discourse.3 For instance, the Akoko-Ikale, as well as the generality of the people of Ikale, who are culturally, linguistically, and biologically of Yoruba stock, are widely perceived to have originated from Benin and so are Edoid people.

The need to address and underscore the threat to identity posed by Ikale's historigraphical neglect and its fundamentally flawed Edo identity constitutes the major plank for this study. It is against this backdrop that this paper finds it expedient to focus on the origin and ethnic identity of the Akoko-Ikale. This important Ikale sub-group is singled out for scrutiny because of my belief that a systematic attempt at tracing the origin and pattern of migration of specific and very significant Ikale lineage groups such as the Akoko-Ikale represents the best way to discredit Ikale's widely alleged Edo identity and Benin ancestry.
The Future of Africa's Past: Observations on the Discipline
Authors: Schmidt Heike
Published: October 2007

In April 2007 David William Cohen and his graduate students held a symposium on the future of African Studies at the University of Michigan. David Cohen, two graduate students—Isabelle de Rezende and Clapperton Mavhunga—as well as five invited speakers with different disciplinary backgrounds—Pius Adesanmi, Tim Burke, Jennifer Cole, Paul Zeleza, and myself—contributed papers. The purpose of the conference, entitled “2020: Re-Envisioning African Studies,” was twofold. First, it appeared timely to reflect yet again on the state of African Studies in disciplinary-based and area studies departments. Second, David Cohen had the idea of 2020 representing both the utopia of ideal vision and the concrete question of what the field might look like when the graduate students participating might conceive their second book projects. What follows are the thoughts—not a list of solutions—by a historian who has studied in three academic contexts—Germany, Zimbabwe, Britain—who has taught in as many—Britain, Germany, USA—and who has gathered experience both in area and disciplinary-based departments.

Finding one's intellectual home in area studies is problematic for a range of reasons, not least for the exoticization and marginalization of non-western world regions in the global flows of ideas. At the same time, African Studies make for a comfortable sense of belonging. This is a community of scholars who provide a productive and engaging, if at times impassioned, conversation with colleagues across disciplinary boundaries, time periods, and the great diversity of African and diasporic societies and regions. The question is: what place does the historical discipline occupy within this field, and what is its future?
The Ìkál (Yorùbá, Nigeria) Migration Theories and Insignia
Authors: Sheba Eben
Published: October 2007

Ìkàl is one of the several dialects spoken by the Yorùbá of Nigeria (Adeoye 1979:5). The name also refers to the people who speak the dialect. This subgroup is made up of fourteen communities in the southwestern part of Ondo State of Nigeria. They share boundaries with the Ìlàjẹ, Ìj Àpì, and Ìj Àrògbò to the south; Òdígbó Local Government to the north; Edo State to the east; and Ògùn State to the west. Ìkàl communities include Ìkyà, Òde-Ìrèlè, mn, Igbódìgò, Àyèká, Ìdèpé (Òkìtìpupa), Òde-Aye, Erínjẹ, Òṣóòró and Ìgbìnsìn-Ọlt. Others are Àkótógbò, Àjàgbà, Ìyànsàn and Ijù-ṣun. These last four communities were formerly grouped under the Benin Confederation. Traces of Edo language and culture show very clearly in their ways of life. Òṣóòró is a conglomeration of Igbótako, Ìlútitun, Iju-Odò, Iju-Òkè, Erékìtì, and Òṣmtṣ towns. The Ìkál also have kindred communities in parts of Ògùn State, viz., Ayédé, Àyílà, Aràfn and Moblrundúró.

While some Ìkál communities claim direct descent from Ilé-If, others claim Benin, or Ugbò descent, and a few others elsewhere. Oral tradition confirms that there were migrations from If Oòyè before the Benin contact of the sixteenth century, which tend to link Ìkál dynasty to Ọba Esigie (Bajowa 1992:3). In an interview with Chief M.A. Fabunmi, he narrated the If version of the Ìkál migration from Ile-If.
Agency and Analogy in African History: the Contribution of Extra-Mural Studies in Ghana
Authors: Skinner Kate
Published: October 2007

As the pioneering generation of postwar British academics retired, some produced autobiographical texts which revealed the personal circumstances and intellectual influences that brought them to the study of Africa. Edited volumes have also provided broader reflections on the academic disciplines, methodologies, and institutions through which these scholars engaged with the continent. In one such text, Christopher Clapham and Richard Hodder-Williams noted the special relationship between extramural studies (also known as university adult education) and the academic study of Africa's mass nationalist movements:

The impetus for this study came to a remarkable degree from a tiny group of men and women who pioneered university extra-mural studies in the Gold Coast immediately after the [Second World War], and to a significant extent established the parameters for subsequent study of the subject [African politics]. Gathered together under the aegis of Thomas Hodgkin […], they were led by David Kimble […], and included among the tutors Dennis Austin, Lalage Bown and Bill Tordoff, all of whom were to play a major role in African studies in the United Kingdom over the next forty years.
On Ravenstein's Edition of Battell's Adventures in Angola and Loango
Authors: Vansina Jan
Published: October 2007

Between 1590 and ca. 1610 the English sailor Andrew Battell lived in Central Africa, first in Angola until 1606/07 and then in Loango. His reports about these lands are a priceless source for the otherwise poorly documented history of Angola between ca. 1590-1606, especially since his is the only known eyewitness account about the way of life of the notorious Jaga. He actually lived with one of their bands supposedly for at least twenty months (26-27). In addition his account is also one of the very earliest about Loango. Hence modern historians of Angola and Loango have relied extensively on him. They all, myself included, have used the text edition by E.G. Ravenstein of The Strange Adventures of Andrew Battell of Leigh (London, 1901) and did so without referring back to the original documents. These are, first Battell's information in Samuel Purchas' Purchas His Pilgrimage, or Relations of the World and the Religions observed in all Ages and Places discovered from the Creation unto the Present (London, 1613), and later, the more detailed “The Strange Adventures of Andrew Battell” in Samuel Purchas His Pilgrimes (London, 1625), also known as Hakluytus posthumus after its frontispiece. Given the absolute reliance of modern scholars on Ravenstein, it is worthwhile to evaluate its reliability compared to the original publications.
Words of Batswana: Letters to the Editor of Mahoko a Becwana, 1883–1896
Authors: Volz Stephen
Published: October 2007

During the last twenty years, in conjunction with rapid political changes in southern Africa, scholars of the region's history have become increasingly interested in studying the experiences of people whose stories, like their livelihoods, were previously often restricted or ignored by those in power. This scholarly interest initially focused on instances of conflict and oppression, disclosing the violence and injustice that accompanied colonialism and apartheid, but more recent studies have given greater attention to different local and personal histories that do not necessarily share the same preoccupation with broader political issues. Rather than define their lives primarily in terms of their relations with Europeans, Africans were often more concerned with affairs within their own families and communities over which they felt that they had some measure of control and responsibility. Those problems were certainly instigated to some extent by European institutions, but they were usually addressed and managed in African terms and along the lines of locally-established norms and practices. Such African-centered historical viewpoints and activities, previously overlooked by scholars, are achieving greater recognition, but there are still numerous important sources that have not yet been fully studied.
“Se Débrouiller” or the Art of Serendipity in Historical Research
Authors: Wild-Wood Emma
Published: October 2007

A school has no textbooks: the teachers are told “débrouillez-vous,” use the notes you took as a pupil. The pickup truck breaks down and will go no further: the passengers realize they will have to find another way home— “débrouillons-nous.” A resourceful man, who has learnt to turn his hand to a variety of things in order to survive, gives his job description with a smile as “débrouillard.” In the Democratic Republic of Congo the phrase “se débrouiller” has entered the realm of myth, joke, and national identity. The French words even puncture conversations in vernaculars. Congo has suffered from a long history of colonial oppression, economic mismanagement, political dictatorship, and most recently violent internal warfare.

The Congolese know that they must learn how to manage on their own, to sort things out by themselves, to cope somehow, to get by. Such is the necessity of being able to deal with the unexpected or the unfortunate that Congolese joke—and many sincerely believe—that “débrouillez-vous” the “golden rule of resourcefulness” is written into the constitution. In a difficult situation they will remind each other of “Article Quinze.” Congolese people understand themselves as those who endure hardship, but have the resilience to rise to whatever comes their way, to cope with the unexpected. Indeed, so often does the unexpected occur that managing events as they happen rather than planning ahead for events that might not happen often seems the most effective way to cope with life.
Language and Ontology in Early Chinese Thought
Authors: Fraser Chris
Published: October 2007

This essay critiques Chad Hansen's "mass noun hypothesis," arguing that though most Classical Chinese nouns do function as mass nouns, this fact does not support the claim that pre-Qin thinkers treat the extensions of common nouns as mereological wholes, nor does it explain why they adopt nominalist semantic theories. The essay shows that early texts explain the use of common nouns by appeal to similarity relations, not mereological relations. However, it further argues that some early texts do characterize the relation between individuals and collections as a mereological relation.
Scavenger Receptor of Class B Expressed by Osteoblastic Cells Are Implicated in the Uptake of Cholesteryl Ester and Estradiol From LDL and HDL3
Authors: Brodeur Mathieu R , Brissette Louise , Falstrault Louise , Luangrath Vilayphone , Moreau Robert
Published: October 2007

Lipoproteins transport many vitamins and hormones that have been shown to be necessary for bone formation. However, the metabolism of LDL and HDL3 by bone-forming osteoblastic cells remains unknown. Here we report that osteoblastic cells express scavenger receptors of class B that are implicated in the uptake of cholesterol and estradiol from LDL and HDL3.

Introduction: The bone tissue is continuously remodeled, and its integrity requires a balance between osteoclastic bone resorption and osteoblastic bone formation. Recent studies have reported the importance of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins for the delivery of lipophilic vitamins necessary for normal bone metabolism. However, the ability of osteoblastic cells to process low- and high-density lipoproteins (LDL and HDL3) and the receptors involved remain unknown.

Materials and Methods: Binding, competition, degradation, and selective uptake assays with LDL and HDL3 radiolabeled in their protein and lipid moieties or with [3H]estradiol were conducted on human osteoblasts (MG-63 cell line and primary cultures of human osteoblasts [hOB cells]) and on mouse osteoblasts (MC3T3-E1 cell line and primary cultures of murine osteoblasts [mOB cells]). The expression of scavenger receptors (SRs) by osteoblastic cells was determined by RT-PCR and Western immunoblotting, and cellular localization was assessed by sucrose gradient fractionation.

Results: Osteoblastic cells were able to bind, internalize, and degrade HDL3 and LDL and are capable of selectively taking up cholesteryl esters (CEs) from these lipoproteins. Also, we provide evidence that osteoblastic cells express SR-BI, SR-BII, and CD36 (SR-Bs receptors) and that these receptors are localized in membrane lipid rafts or caveolin-rich membranes. The selective uptake of CE from LDL and HDL3 by osteoblastic cells was strongly inhibited by the known SR-B ligand oxidized LDL, indicating that SR-B receptors are responsible for the selective uptake. Finally, estradiol carried by LDL and HDL3 was selectively transferred to the osteoblastic cells also through SR-B receptors.

Conclusions: Overall, our results suggest a novel mechanism for the routing of cholesterol and estradiol to osteoblasts involving the metabolism of LDL and HDL3 by SR-B receptors.
Chronic Ethanol Consumption Inhibits Postlactational Anabolic Bone Rebuilding in Female Rats
Authors: Shankar Kartik , Hidestrand Mats , Liu Xiaoli , Chen Jin Ran , Haley Rani , Perrien Daniel S , Skinner Robert A , Lumpkin Charles K , Badger Thomas M , Ronis Martin J J
Published: October 2007

EtOH consumption significantly impaired anabolic rebuilding of bone after lactation. Lower BMD and BMC in EtOH-fed rats were associated with decreased bone formation in the proximal tibia, increased proportion of adipocytes, and increased expression of TNF-α. EtOH-induced skeletal deficits were prevented by treatment with either NAC or sTNFR1. These data suggest that postlactational anabolic rebuilding is influenced by EtOH consumption and may affect the long-term risk of osteopenia.

Introduction: Despite significant loss of bone during lactation, BMD is restored by a powerful anabolic rebuilding process after weaning. A significant number of women resume alcohol consumption after weaning their offspring from breast feeding. The objectives of this study were to examine the consequences of chronic ethanol (EtOH) consumption on the postlactational rebuilding process and to investigate the underlying mechanisms by which EtOH mediates its detrimental effects.

Materials and Methods: Female Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 7–9 per group) were fed EtOH-containing diets (13 g/kg/d) for 1, 2, or 4 wk after weaning of their offspring. Skeletal parameters in the proximal tibia were examined using pQCT, μCT, and histomorphometric techniques, and interventional studies were performed on the mechanistic roles of EtOH-induced oxidative stress and TNF-α.

Results and Conclusions: EtOH consumption completely abolished the anabolic bone rebuilding that occurred after lactation. Decreased BMD and BMC were associated with decreased bone formation and not with increased osteoclast activity. Furthermore, EtOH-fed rats showed greater proportion of fat volume/bone volume and expression of adipocyte-specific genes. EtOH-induced skeletal effects were mitigated by the dietary antioxidant, N-acetyl cysteine or by blocking TNF-α signaling. These data suggest EtOH consumption in the period immediately postweaning may significantly impair the mother's skeletal health and lead to long-term osteopenia.
Murine and Chicken Chondrocytes Regulate Osteoclastogenesis by Producing RANKL in Response to BMP2
Authors: Usui Michihiko , Xing Lianping , Drissi Hicham , Zuscik Michael , O'Keefe Regis , Chen Di , Boyce Brendan F
Published: October 2007

Chondrocytes express RANKL, but their role in osteoclastogenesis is not clear. We report that hypertrophic chondrocytes induce osteoclast formation through RANKL production stimulated by BMP2 and Runx2/Smad1 and thus they may regulate resorption of calcified matrix by osteoclasts at growth plates.

Introduction: Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling and Runx2 regulate chondrogenesis during bone development and fracture repair and RANKL expression by osteoblast/stromal cells. Chondrocytes express RANKL, and this expression is stimulated by vitamin D3, but it is not known if chondrocytes directly support osteoclast formation or if BMPs or Runx2 is involved in this potential regulation of osteoclastogenesis.

Material and Methods: The chondrocyte cell line, ATDC5, primary mouse sternal chondrocytes, and chick sternal chondrocytes were used. Cells were treated with BMP2, and expression of RANKL and chondrocyte marker genes was determined by real-time RT-PCR and Western blot. Chondrocytes and spleen-derived osteoclast precursors ± BMP2 were co-cultured to examine the effect of chondrocyte-produced RANKL on osteoclast formation. A reporter assay was used to determine whether BMP2-induced RANKL production is through transcriptional regulation of the RANKL promoter and whether it is mediated by Runx2.

Results: BMP2 significantly increased expression of RANKL mRNA and protein in all three types of chondrocytes, particularly by Col X-expressing and upper sternal chondrocytes. Chondrocytes constitutively induced osteoclast formation. This effect was increased significantly by BMP2 and prevented by RANK:Fc. BMP2 significantly increased luciferase activity of the RANKL-luc reporter, and Smad1 increased this effect. Deletion or mutation of Runx2 binding sites within the RANKL promoter or overexpression of a dominant negative Runx2 abolished BMP2- and Smad1-mediated activation of RANKL promoter activity.

Conclusions: Hypertrophic chondrocytes may regulate osteoclastogenesis at growth plates to remove calcified matrix through BMP-induced RANKL expression.