bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How Forecasts Evolve - The Growth Forecasts of the Federal Reserve and the Bank of England
Authors: Allen William A. , Mills Terence
Published: July 2005

We investigate how central bank forecasts of GDP growth evolve through time, and how they are adapted in the light of official estimates of actual GDP growth. Using data for 1988–2005, we find that the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) has typically adjusted its forecast for growth over the coming four quarters by about a third of the unexpected component of estimated growth in the four quarters most recently ended. We were unable to find any clear signs of systematic errors in the FOMC's forecasts. UK data for 1998–2005 suggest that the Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) did not adjust its forecasts in this way, and that there were systematic forecast errors, but the evidence from the latter part of the period 2001–5 tentatively shows a behaviour pattern closer to that of the FOMC, with no clear signs of systematic errors.
The Return to a University Education in Great Britain
Authors: O'Leary Nigel C. , Sloane Peter J.
Published: July 2005

In this paper, we estimate the rate of return to first degrees, Masters degrees and PhDs in Britain using data from the Labour Force Survey. We estimate returns to broad subject groups and more narrowly defined disciplines, distinguishing returns by gender and controlling for variations in student quality across disciplines. The results reveal considerable heterogeneity in returns to particular degree programmes and by gender, which have important policy implications for charging students for the costs of their education.
Assessing the Performance of Local Government
Authors: Stevens Philip Andrew
Published: July 2005

We consider the measurement of performance in the public sector in general, focussing on local government and the provision of library services by English local authorities in particular. We will consider two methodologies that assess the performance of local authorities in terms of the efficiency with which they provide services and consider methods that allow us to account for exogenous influences on performance, such as the socio-economic profile of the population served by the authority. We find that although both methods' results appear similar, the implications for potential cost savings vary widely. Omitting to account for background factors leads to an overstatement of the level of inefficiency and hence the scope for reducing expenditure.
Profile of women with abortion complications in Ghana
Authors: Adanu R M K , Ntumy M N , Tweneboah E
Published: July 2005

A cross-sectional study of 150 women was performed at the gynaecology department of the Korle-BuTeaching Hospital to describe the characteristics of patients with complications of induced or spontaneous abortions, and to find out the reasons behind induced abortions. In all, 31% of the study sample presented with complications of induced abortions. This group was younger, of lower parity, more educated, with lower economic potential, in less stable relationships and with a higher knowledge of modern contraceptive methods than the group with spontaneous abortions. The chief reason for procuring an induced abortion was the presence of relationship problems with the subject's partner. We conclude that measures to prevent induced abortions and their subsequent problems will yield major results if directed at women in their early 20s with at least primary education, no children, low economic potential, not in a stable relationship and who have had a previous induced abortion.
Abortions in adolescents
Authors: Munasinghe Sujeevani , van den Broek Nynke
Published: July 2005

This review discusses the problem of abortion in adolescents across the world and highlights the gaps in knowledge. It also examines the need for adolescent-friendly services.
Liver cirrhosis: Child-Pugh grading of cases seen in Nigeria
Authors: Ndububa D A , Ojo O S , Aladegbaiye A O , Adebayo R A , Adetiloye V A , Durosinmi M A
Published: July 2005

Child-Pugh grading is an important determinant of treatment options, surgical interventions and prognosis in chronic liver disease. Sixty-four liver cirrhosis patients (49 men, 15 women) seen at Ile-Ife, Nigeria were graded according to the Child-Pugh parameters. Only one (1.6%) was in Class A, while 21 (32.8%) and 42 (65.6%) were in Classes B and C, respectively. Thirty-four either had coagulopathy or were already in encephalopathy at the time of presentation. Hepatitis B virus-associated disease was present in 64% of the patients. Most Nigerian cirrhosis patients present with very advanced disease; they are thus poor-risk candidates for diagnostic procedures and surgery. Efforts should be intensified at making the diagnosis at a much earlier stage and universal immunization with the hepatitis B vaccine should be commenced to reduce the incidence of HBV-related chronic liver disease in Nigeria.
Prevalence of rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease in rural Bangladesh
Authors: Ahmed Jasimuddin , Mostafa Zaman M , Monzur Hassan M M
Published: July 2005

A community-based study was done on 5923 rural Bangladeshi children aged 5-15 years to determine the prevalence of rheumatic fever (RF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD). The prevalence was found to be 1.2 (95% confidence interval 0.3-2.1) per 1000 for RF defined by revised Jones criteria and 1.3 (0.4-2.2) per 1000 for Doppler echocardiography-confirmed RHD.
Ectopic pregnancy: an 11-year review in a tertiary centre in the Niger Delta
Authors: Igberase G O , Ebeigbe P N , Igbekoyi O F , Ajufoh B I
Published: July 2005

Ectopic pregnancy still remains a leading cause of maternal mortality and morbidity in the first trimester of pregnancy and also a significant cause of reproductive failure in Nigeria. A descriptive review of 211 consecutive cases of ectopic gestation over an 11-year period was undertaken. Ectopic pregnancy constituted 9.5% of gynaecological admissions. In all, 86% were nulliparous and 62.6% were married. Abdominal pain and tenderness were the most consistent modes of presentation. Also, 95.3% presented as ruptured ectopic pregnancy. Induced abortion (72%) was the most common factor associated with ectopic pregnancy. Anaemia was the most common post-operative complication. In all, 21% had prior dilatation and curettage as a result of misdiagnoses. The case fatality rate was 2.5%.

Ectopic pregnancy presents a major public health challenge among women of reproductive age in this region. Community-based comprehensive health education programme focusing on contraception, sex education, prevention and treatment of postabortal sepsis, pelvic inflammatory disease and puerperal sepsis are urgently needed.
Perception and attitude to epilepsy among teachers in primary, secondary and tertiary educational institutions in middle belt Nigeria
Authors: Sanya E O , Salami T A T , Goodman O O , Buhari O I N , Araoye M O
Published: July 2005

Compared with the disability associated with repeated seizures or side-effects of antiepileptic medications, the social stigma associated with epilepsy is often a major handicap to people living with this condition. This study therefore looked at the knowledge, attitude and perception of teachers who see a lot of epileptics, relates on daily bases and have a high influence on students with epilepsy.

Self-administered questionnaires were used to obtain information from 460 randomly selected teachers in primary, secondary and tertiary educational institutions in Kwara State-middle belt of Nigeria. The response rate was 75%. Almost all of the teachers had heard about epilepsy, but their awareness does not equate with the acceptance and understanding of epilepsy. About 30.5% believed that it could be contracted through the saliva of an epileptic, 27.7% thought it was synonymous with possession with evil spirit, while 10% misunderstood epilepsy for insanity. Close to one-fifth of the teachers were of the opinion that epileptic students have a below average mental capacity compared with other students and so cannot attainment the highest possible education.

Negative attitude and bias towards epilepsy is still deeply ingrained among teachers in Nigeria. Apart from formal education, teachers need to have health education courses on common disease conditions such as epilepsy that are prevalent in school age. This might help to reduce prejudice and increase the acceptance of epileptic individuals into the classroom.
A randomized trial of pain relief in termination of pregnancy in South Africa
Authors: Owolabi O T , Moodley J
Published: July 2005

The aim of this prospective trial was to evaluate and compare paracervical block with diclofenac for pain relief during manual vacuum aspiration (MVA) for surgical termination of pregnancy. Participants were randomized into three groups, viz. group (i) diclofenac 75 mg intramuscularly (i.m.) 30 min before the procedure; (ii) diclofenac 75 mg i.m. 30 min before the procedure, together with local infiltration of the cervix with lignocaine 1% (10 mL); (iii) diclofenac 75 mg i.m. 30 min before the procedure together with local infiltration of the cervix with lignocaine 1% (10 mL) and paracervical block with lignocaine 1% (5 mL).

There was a significant difference in pain scores during the procedure between groups (i) and (ii) ( P<0.001), and between groups (i) and (iii) ( P<0.001) in pain scores during the procedure. There was no difference in pain score between groups (ii) and (iii) ( P=0.144). Post procedure analysis of pain score also showed significant difference between group (i) on one hand, and groups (ii) and (iii) ( P<0.001), but no significant difference between groups (ii) and (iii)( P=0.029).

The local anaesthetic infiltration of the cervix in combination with diclofenac or together with diclofenac and paracervical block provides better pain relief during and after the MVA.
Constructing semisimple p -adic Galois representations with prescribed properties
Authors: Khare Chandrashekhar , Larsen Michael , Ramakrishna Ravi
Published: July 2005

Consider a characteristic p representation of the absolute Galois group of the rational numbers. In this paper we show how to deform this representation to the p -adics while guaranteeing that the characteristic polynomials of Frobenius at a density one set of primes are algebraic and pure of specified weight. The resulting representation is ramified at an infinite (density zero) set of primes. As a consequence of the technique of proof we show that one can compatibly lift a mod pq representation. Again, the resulting representation is ramified at infinitely many primes.
On capitulation cokernels in Iwasawa theory
Authors: Le Floc'h M. , Movahhedi A. , Nguyen Quang Do T.
Published: July 2005

For a number field F and an odd prime p , we study the "capitulation cokernels" coker ( A ' n → A ' Γ n ∞ ) associated with the ( p )-class groups of the cyclotomic [inline-graphic xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="01i" /]-extension of F . We prove that these cokernels stabilize and we characterize their direct limit in Iwasawa theoretic terms, thus generalizing previous partial results obtained by H. Ichimura. This problem is intimately related to Greenberg's Conjecture.
Selberg's orthogonality conjecture for automorphic L -functions
Authors: Liu Jianya , Ye Yangbo
Published: July 2005

Let π and π' be automorphic irreducible unitary cuspidal representations of [inline-graphic xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="01i" /] and [inline-graphic xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="02i" /], respectively. Assume that either π or π' is self contragredient. Under the Ramanujan conjecture on π and π', we deduce a prime number theorem for L ( s , π × [inline-graphic xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="03i" /]), which can be used to asymptotically describe whether π' ≅ π, or π' ≅ π ⊗ |det(·)| i τ0 for some nonzero τ0 ∈ [inline-graphic xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="04i" /], or π' ≅ π ⊗|det(·)| it for any t ∈ [inline-graphic xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="05i" /]. As a consequence, we prove the Selberg orthogonality conjecture, in a more precise form, for automorphic L -functions L ( s , π) and L ( s , π'), under the Ramanujan conjecture. When m = m ' = 2 and π and π' are representations corresponding to holomorphic cusp forms, our results are unconditional.
Sign and area in nodal geometry of Laplace eigenfunctions
Authors: Nazarov Fëdor , Polterovich Leonid , Sodin Mikhail
Published: July 2005

The paper deals with asymptotic nodal geometry for the Laplace-Beltrami operator on closed surfaces. Given an eigenfunction f corresponding to a large eigenvalue, we study local asymmetry of the distribution of sign( f ) with respect to the surface area. It is measured as follows: take any disc centered at the nodal line { f = 0}, and pick at random a point in this disc. What is the probability that the function assumes a positive value at the chosen point? We show that this quantity may decay logarithmically as the eigenvalue goes to infinity, but never faster than that. In other words, only a mild local asymmetry may appear. The proof combines methods due to Donnelly-Fefferman and Nadirashvili with a new result on harmonic functions in the unit disc.
Patterns of Habitation and Burial Activity in the Ban Rai Rock Shelter, Northwestern Thailand
Authors: Treerayapiwat Cherdsak
Published: July 2005

The excavation of Ban Rai rock shelter (Pang Mapha district, Mae Hong Son Province, northwestern Thailand) has uncovered evidence relating to changing patterns of prehistoric human activity. Analyses of the excavation data, along with radiocarbon dating, have enabled the identification of two separate cultural components. The earlier component, the pre-Log Coffin culture, is dated by 14C to between ca. 12,500 and 8000 B.P. and is characterized by a wide range of lithics, an abundance of faunal remains, and a primary flexed burial. The second component, the Log Coffin culture, probably dates to ca. 2100-1200 B.P. and yielded human remains, potsherds, and iron tools, in addition to the log coffins themselves and their supporting posts. The composition of the artifact assemblages provided the main basis for the separation of the components, which has highlighted the changing use of the Ban Rai rock shelter from a primarily habitation to an exclusively burial site.
The Use of Caves in Peninsular Thailand in the Late Pleistocene and Early and Middle Holocene
Authors: Anderson Douglas D
Published: July 2005

Caves in peninsular Thailand have a complex history of human use ranging from brief campsites to long-term occupation and from locations of industrial activity to landscapes inhabited by spirit forces. In late Pleistocene times, dating from before than 40,000 B.P. to about 11,000 B.P., caves were used only sporadically as temporary campsites, where people built fires, fashioned tools, and consumed the meals of animal (and presumably plant) products. During early Holocene times, dating from before 11,000 B.P. to about 6500 B.P., many caves were occupied for sufficient duration to have built up sizable midden deposits, occasionally over 1 m thick. Some of these deposits also include burials, usually of single randomly placed individuals with few, if any, grave goods. During mid Holocene times, ca. 6500-3500 B.P., some caves were used as burial grounds, with little if any trace of occupation, whereas others were scenes of domestic activity. Mid Holocene and recent times also saw the use of cave walls as media for paintings, with depictions, often crude, of whole or parts of human figures, fish, birds, and land animals.
Reconstructing Human Subsistence in the West Mouth (Niah Cave, Sarawak) Burial Series Using Stable Isotopes of Carbon
Authors: Krigbaum John
Published: July 2005

The human burial series from the West Mouth of Niah Cave (Sarawak) offers a unique opportunity to explore prehistoric subsistence patterns in lowland tropical rainforest. Over 200 primary and secondary burials, classified as pre-Neolithic and Neolithic, have been recovered since preliminary excavations began there a half-century ago. Stable isotope ratios of carbon (13C/12C, reported as δ13C values) derived from human tooth enamel provide a quantitative measure of individual food consumption during the time of enamel formation. Such data provide a robust and independent assessment of total diet that complements other subsistence information recovered from the archaeological record. West Mouth human tooth enamel examined shows a broad range of δ13C values ( 15.70 to 11.30), consistent with a C3-based subsistence regime as would be expected in rainforest habitats dominated by C3 vegetation. Pre-Neolithic individuals have more negative δ13C values on average (N = 15, X = -14.3%) than Neolithic individuals sampled (N = 28, X = -13.1%). This isotopic shift is statistically significant and suggests a fundamental change in human subsistence between the late Pleistocene/early Holocene and later Holocene inhabitants at Niah. Pre-Neolithic δ13C values suggest broad spectrum rainforest foraging, whereas less negative Neolithic δ13C values, on average, suggest a more coordinated regime of food production and/or collection. Studies of δ13C variation in rainforest habitats contribute to this interpretation, particularly with respect to the "canopy effect," whereby closed-canopy foraging predicts more negative δ13C values, while food resources consumed by exploiting more open settings (such as fields, gaps, and swamps) predict less negative δ13C values. These data have important implications for interpreting the nature of human subsistence in a rainforest setting prior to and after the potential adoption of agriculture by the inhabitants represented in the West Mouth burial series.
Rock Shelters, Caves, and Archaeobotany in Island Southeast Asia
Authors: Paz Victor
Published: July 2005

This paper presents the state of archaeobotanical research at rock shelters and cave sites in Island Southeast Asia and its potential for enhancing our knowledge of the region's prehistory. It takes stock of what has been done, what is being done, and the prospects for archaeobtanical research in the region. This paper argues that the knowledge we generate from archaeobotany, in tandem with other methodologies, can lead to a better understanding of past subsistence strategies in the region. It also takes the view that knowledge derived from analyzing cave deposits is better utilized when seen in relation to the wider human landscape, at whatever scale a study takes.
The Early Exploitation of Southeast Asian Mangroves: Bone Technology from Caves and Open Sites
Authors: Rabett Ryan J
Published: July 2005

This paper focuses on the contribution that the study of bone technology is making to the understanding of early tropical subsistence in Southeast Asia. Newly completed research suggests that during the period from the terminal Pleistocene to mid Holocene, bone tools may have featured prominently in coastal subsistence. There are indications that this technology may have had a particular association with hunting and gathering in the mangrove forests that proliferated along many coasts during this period. The study of these tools thus represents a rare chance to examine prehistoric extractive technologies, which are generally agreed to have been predominantly made on organic, nonpreserving media. The evidence presented also suggests that prehistoric foragers from this region possessed a good working understanding of the mechanical properties of bone and used bone implements where conditions and needs suited the parameters of this material.
Micromorphology of Cave Sediments in the Humid Tropics: Niah Cave, Sarawak
Authors: Stephens Mark , Rose James , Gilbertson D. D , Canti Matthew G
Published: July 2005

This is the first detailed study of the micromorphology of archaeologically important cave sediments in the Great Cave of Niah, in the humid tropics of Sarawak, Borneo. Micromorphology is used to describe the sediments and post-depositional alteration, reconstruct the palaeoenvironments, and refine the environmental history of late Pleistocene deposits associated with the human remains (the so-called Deep Skull dated to ca. 43,000-42,000 B.P.). Micromorphology provides details of the shape, roundedness, arrangement, and chemistry of grains, aggregates, precipitates, and sedimentary structures that make up the cave sediments. The dominant processes in the West Mouth of the Great Cave of Niah are guano sedimentation, fluvial and shallow pond deposition interrupted by desiccation, mass movement, and chemical weathering. Also important is post-depositional alteration by bioturbation, mineral translocation and reprecipitation, and diagenesis. Micromorphology also provides evidence for short periods of soil development, burnt surfaces, and deposition of small fragments of bone within the sediment. Together this information indicates the fine details of the environment occupied by humans, the scale and effects of the mass movement processes that deformed the beds in which the human remains are preserved, and the taphonomic processes that reworked and redistributed archaeological material within this part of the cave.
Continuity in Tropical Cave Use: Examples from East Timor and the Aru Islands, Maluku
Authors: Veth Peter Marius , Spriggs Matthew , O'Connor Sue
Published: July 2005

The Aru Islands and East Timor fall within the biogeographic region known as Wallacea and have lain within the tropics for the known history of human occupation. Recent research has identified archaeological sequences that parallel the older radiocarbon chronologies from Australia. Terminal Pleistocene huntergatherer assemblages recovered from at least six caves register the introduction of a Neolithic technocomplex after ca. 4000 B.P. in the form of pottery, domesticates, ovens, the industrial use of shell, and some endemic extinctions. However, there are also intriguing uniformities in the cultural assemblages: in the suites of artifacts discarded and assumed supply zones for those artifacts, in the economic faunal suites, and in the apparent level of intensity of occupation of the different sites. We concur with and extend the argument made by Glover (1986) that there was no substantial change in the nature of cave use in East Timor despite the possible subsistence changes that might have taken place. Their remarkable continuities reflect their similar placement within larger regional land-use systems through time: they represent diverse components of a larger domestic and totemic landscape, which appears to continue to this day. The scale of territoriality, degree of mobility, and extent of trade and exchange of groups must all be considered if the placement of caves within cultural landscapes is to be understood.
Beyond Governance in Samoa: Understanding Samoan Political Thought
Authors: Huffer Elise , So'o Asofou
Published: July 2005

In the Samoan polity today, the indigenous institution of the matai (chiefs) continues to play a pivotal role in governance. In determining leadership, the fa'asāmoa (Samoan way) and the fa'amatai (way of the chiefs) are the most influential factors. Yet this has not prevented Sāmoa from experiencing governance problems found in other countries of the region, although perhaps on a lesser scale: misunderstanding, frustration, alienation, migration, discrimination, malpractice, patronage, and violence. Reasons for this may be (1) a lack of correspondence between fa'asāmoa and liberal democracy; (2) a lack of general understanding and critical assessment of the principles of liberal democracy in Sāmoa; (3) a combination of misuse, abuse, or misunderstanding of fa'asāmoa; and (4) a lack of publicity and critical assessment of the principles of fa'asāmoa. This paper examines aspects of these four characteristics of the Samoan polity and looks at ways of reassessing governance. It draws on literature that deals with some of the main features of Samoan political thought, as well as on discussions with Samoan scholars and thinkers. This introduction to a different approach to Samoan governance also briefly reviews some of the political forces and tensions at play in Sāmoa to show how they impact current political conceptualization.
Collingwood and Berlin: A Comparison
Authors: Skagestad Peter
Published: July 2005

Among R. G. Collingwood's central ideas were those of history as the re-enactment of past thought and of metaphysics as the analysis of the absolute presuppositions of an era. Both are reflected, though somewhat differently, in the thought and work of Collingwood's one-time student Isaiah Berlin, who explicitly distanced himself from Collingwood's re-enactment doctrine, while himself embracing the somewhat similar, Diltheyan doctrine. By contrast, Berlin accepts Collingwood's doctrine of absolute presuppositions, and his study of the breakdown of the European Enlightenment from internal stresses and strains provides an exemplary illustration of Collingwood's brief account of how absolute presuppositions undergo change.
The New Iraq: The Sistani Factor
Authors: al-Rahim Ahmed H.
Published: July 2005

Abstract: For the Shi’ite majority and its senior religious leader, Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali al-Sistani, the January elections played out against the background of a longing for justice that has deep spiritual and historical sources as well as more recent sociopolitical roots.
Lula's Brazil at Midterm
Authors: Hunter Wendy , Power Timothy J. (Timothy Joseph)
Published: July 2005

This article assesses the Lula government at midterm. The PT-led government has steered a surprisingly orthodox course in economics, social policy and party politics in light of the factors that led it to victory in 2002, namely, the PT's critique of the economic and social models promoted by the Cardoso administration, its reputation as untainted by corruption and clientelism, and Lula's close personal identification with the plight of the poor. While following convention has helped ensure political and economic stability, the PT's long-term contribution to democracy rests on its ability to promote meaningful social development and political reform.
International Linkage and Democratization
Authors: Levitsky Steven , Way Lucan
Published: July 2005

This article presents a new framework for understanding the role of international factors in post-Cold War regime change.We treat the post�Cold War international environment as operating along two dimensions: western leverage, or governments' vulnerability to external pressure, and linkage to the West, or the density of a country's ties to the U.S., the European Union, and Western-led multilateral institutions. Both leverage and linkage raised the cost of authoritarianism during the post�Cold War period. However, mechanisms of leverage such as diplomatic pressure, or conditionality were--by themselves--rarely sufficient to democratize post�Cold War autocracies. Rather, the more subtle and diffuse effects of linkage contributed more consistently to democratization. The impact of linkage and leverage are examined in the context of post�Cold War hybrid or competitive authoritarian regimes.
Promoting Transparency in Angola
Authors: McMillan John
Published: July 2005

The story of how the Angolan government was induced to begin creating checks and balances, from a starting point of massive corruption, is a case study in building institutions from scratch. A dysfunctional state has been driven by a combination of domestic and external pressure to take some initial steps toward accountability.
Ethnoecology of the Yucatec Maya: Symbolism, Knowledge and Management of Natural Resources
Authors: Barrera-Bassols Narciso , Toledo Victor Manuel
Published: July 2005

There is a growing interest worldwide in adopting interdisciplinary approaches for studying the complex and dynamic interplay between societies and landscapes. During the last few years, ethnoecology, broadly defined as an integrative study of beliefs, knowledge and practice of a given social entity, has emerged as a useful research method for the comprehensive understanding of landscape use and management. Maya people have inhabited the Yucatan Peninsula for the last three thousand years, suggesting that Maya farmers have successfully managed natural resources, preserving both nature and culture in the long run. Despite research focusing on Yucatec Maya resource management, understanding of how pre-Hispanic Maya adapted to their heterogeneous and changing environment during the past is still limited. There are few studies that fully understand and explain how contemporary Maya farmers perceive, know, use and manage their landscapes as a whole. By applying the ethnoecological approach, this article reveals the inextricable links between beliefs, knowledge and management of natural resources among the Yucatec Maya. The paper concludes by discussing the highly resilient capacity of Yucatec Maya producers through examining two main mechanisms: their multiple-use strategy and their cross-scale concept of health.

Existe un creciente inter�s a nivel mundial por adoptar enfoques interdisciplinarios en el estudio de las multifac�ticas relaciones entre la sociedad y sus paisajes. La etnoecolog�a, definida en t�rminos generales como el estudio integral de creencias, conocimientos y pr�cticas de una entidad social dada, ha surgido como un m�todo cient�fico �til para el cabal entendimiento de la apropiaci�n humana de la naturaleza. El pueblo Maya ha habitado la Pen�nsula de Yucat�n durante los �ltimos 3 mil a�os, lo cual sugiere que e l campesino Maya ha manejado sus recursos naturales de manera exitosa, preservando naturaleza y cultura a trav�s del tiempo. Sin embargo, existen pocos estudios dedicados a entender y explicar, de manera integrada, c�mo el campesino Maya percibe, conoce, usa y maneja sus recursos naturales. Al aplicar el m�todo etnoecol�gico, este art�culo revela las inseparables relaciones que existen entre creencia, conocimiento y pr�ctica entre los Maya yucatecos actuales. El art�culo finaliza discutiendo la alta capacidad de resiliencia mostrada por los Maya yucatecos a trav�s de dos mecanismos principales: la estrategia de uso m�ltiple y su concepto multi-escalar de salud.
The Politics of Ecology: Local Knowledge and Wild Chili Collection in Sonora, Mexico
Authors: Perramond Eric P
Published: July 2005

In northern Mexico the collection of wild chilies, known in Sonora as chiltepines, has long been practiced during the months of September through January. Those involved with the collection of these small fruits have developed criteria, methods, and management ideals about what is "proper" and "sustainable." The ecology of the plant and collection practices becomes an act of political knowledge at the local level. While this local knowledge can no longer be associated with an indigenous identity in this highly mixed region, elements of traditional management remain apparent, as do contrasts in terms of plant and collection management. Informants from the comunidad of Mazocahui, in the Mexican state of Sonora, illustrate the complexity of controlling the collection and management of chiltepín shrubs. The seasonal nature of chili availability, rise in chiltepín prices, and lack of collection controls have led to disputes in this area of the Río Sonora Valley.
En el norte de México, la recolección de chiles silvestres llamados chiltepines en el estado de Sonora, ha sido un una práctica tradicional entre los meses de septiembre y enero. Los habitantes involucrados en la recolección de éstas frutas pequeñas han desarrollado criterios, métodos y principios de manejo que se pueden considerar "apropiados" o "sostenibles." La ecología de la planta y de las prácticas de recolección se convierten en actas (actos) de conocimiento políticos al nivel local. Aunque este conocimiento local no se puede considerar asociado con una identidad indígena en ésta región bastante mestiza, los elementos del manejo tradicional quedan aparentes, igual que los términos de plantas y el manejo de la cosecha. Informantes en la comunidad de Mazocahui, ilustran la complejidad de controlar la recolección y manejo de las matas de chiltepín. La naturaleza estacional de la disponibilidad del chiltepín, el incremento de precios por el chiltepín, y la falta de controles de recolección han creado conflictos en esta región del Río Sonora.
The Use of Flexible Parametric Duration Functions in Modelling the Tempo of Fertility: Applications to the Analysis of Birth Intervals in Rural China
Authors: Ghilagaber Gebrenegus , Gyimah Stephen Obeng , Lofstedt Petra , Johansson Annika
Published: July 2005

The birth-interval approach to the study of fertility reflects two aspects of the process of reproduction: (1) the quantum of fertility as indicated by the proportion of women who move to the next higher parity; and (2) the tempo of fertility, as measured by the time it takes to make the transition for those women who continue reproduction. In most previous empirical analyses, the focus has been on the quantum of fertility using proportional hazard models for the intensity of birth. That is, the rates at which children are born to a defined set of women within a specified unit of time is modelled as a function of covariates such that the effect of covariates is to increase or decrease such intensity relative to that of a reference category. This paper focuses on the tempo of fertility where covariates act multiplicatively on the duration itself so that their effect is to accelerate or decelerate the transition time between successive births relative to that of a reference category. We utilize the flexibility of a family of parametric duration models to select a statistically appropriate model for a given birth interval using data from rural China. The results show that the distributional shape of birth intervals depends on the birth order of the index child and that inferences concerning covariate effects on birth intervals are sensitive to model choice. The flexible parametric approach suggested in this paper provides a statistically well grounded, theoretically appropriate, and empirically evident alternative to the usually untenable quantum-based proportional hazards modelling of birth interval data.
Institutionalization of Gender Inequality in Nigeria: Implications for the Advancement of Women
Authors: Oyekanmi Felicia Durojaiye
Published: July 2005

This paper highlights the institutionalization of gender inequality in Nigerian society and affirms that there is a thin divide between the public and private lives of women in Nigeria, especially in rural areas. It draws attention to the emergence of non-traditional female-headed families. The new trend in defining the household shows that it is a dynamic social unit that is not necessarily built around men. This new flexibility in defining the household helps to envision women, not as persons who work merely to supplement household income, but as persons who engage in economic ventures because they have personal needs and aspirations. The main barriers to the advancement of women in public life are low level of employment of women in the formal labor sector, low literacy rates, gender stereotypes with regard to employment opportunities and promotions, and cultural practices such as patriarchy and early marriage that limit women's access to and control over resources. In their private lives women somehow manage to provide the necessary resources to maintain themselves and their children with or without financial assistance from spouses, although with increased difficulty. The feminization of poverty concept is applicable in view of the high level of poverty among women. In order to remedy the situation for women in Nigeria, and to enhance the lives of the populace in general, proposals are put forth that it is hoped will be embraced by government leaders, employers, families and individuals.
Transgressions of a Model Minority
Authors: Freedman Jonathan
Published: July 2005

Jewish- and Asian-Americans have recently found themselves classed as "model minorities," examples of upward mobility allegedly achieved through thrift, family cohesion, and educational achievement. This ascription has a long history, one dating back at least to nineteenth century America, when Asians—especially Chinese—and Jews were viewed in strikingly similar terms. Defined as outsiders to the black/white binary that governed American race ideology, Jews and Asians were also constructed as money-mad traders and outsiders to assertive norms of Anglo-Saxon masculinity. These negative stereotypes gradually turned, in the last years of the twentieth century, into positive ones: first Jews and then Asians came to model economic self-sufficiency and braininess as means to social success (albeit also as de-masculinized neurotics). But for many Asian-American intellectuals, these comparisons proved—and prove—irritating, and a number of contemporary South- and East Asian-American writer writers like Bharathi Mukherjee and Gish Jen have engaged with the tropes and narrative structures of Jewish-American fiction in order to contest these identifications. No writer has done so more successfully than Lan Samantha Chang, and the essay concludes with a reading of her novella Hunger as a critique of the narratives of aspiration and achievement that fuel the model minority mythos for both Jews and Asians living in the U.S.
Bagels, Bongos, and Yiddishe Mambos, or The Other History of Jews in America
Authors: Kun Josh
Published: July 2005

"Bagels, Bongos, and Yiddishe Mambos" focuses on Jewish-Latin recordings of the 40s–60s. Arguing that standard models of understanding Jews and race are inadequate in thinking about the mid-century Jewish-Latin interchange, this essay suggests that Jews were drawn to Latin music neither to demonstrate their whiteness, nor to pretend to be Latin, but rather to find new ways of being Jewish.
Nathanael West's Indian Commodities
Authors: Rubinstein Rachel
Published: July 2005

If the imaginary Indian, from the moment of the nation's founding, served as a flexible figure through which to work out questions of "American" identity, Indianness came to serve in the early twentieth century as a category through which Americans could also define what it meant to be modern. American modernism had nativist and nationalist inflections; American moderns demonstrated their commitment to a national artistic culture through their "Indianness," which was cast as fundamentally opposed to Jewishness. This discussion seeks to address Jewish American literary response to this nativist modernism through a discussion of Nathanael West, whose ambivalent relationship with both Jewishness and aesthetic modernism continues to preoccupy and vex his critics. This essay reads West's preoccupations with Indians, Jews, and the marketplace through the unfixable Jewishness dramatized in his 1934 novel A Cool Million, whose modernist parody of racial and ethnic typologies succeeds in thoroughly undermining them.
Wage Bargaining in the Presence of Social Services and Transfers
Authors: Mares Isabela
Published: July 2005

OECD economies were able to reconcile the pursuit of welfare state expansion and full employment during the first decades of the postwar period. Yet the trade-off between these two policy objectives widened in recent decades. To explore the question ofwhy this change occurred, this article extends familiar models of wage determination by adding a number of parameters that capture cross-national differences among welfare states. The model identifies the conditions under which unions deliver wage moderation in exchange for social policy benefits and transfers and explores how different labor-market institutions magnify or decrease the impact of wage choices on the equilibrium level of employment. Next, the author examines the impact of changes in the composition of social policy expenditures and in the level of the tax burden on. unions' wage choices. She shows that mature welfare states, characterized by high tax burdens and a high share of transfers devoted to labor-market outsiders, reduce the effectiveness ofwage moderation in lowering unemployment. The author tests the main propositions using OECD panel data for the period 1960–95.
Reinventing Welfare Regimes Employers and the Implementation of Active Social Policy
Authors: Martin Cathie Jo
Published: July 2005

Denmark and Britain have adopted quite similar “active” social reforms in which employers play a major role in the programmatic delivery of services; however, the implementation of the programs has differed dramatically in the two countries. Danish firms, despite having had virtually no prior involvement in administering social programs, have participated in far greater numbers than British employers, who, by contrast, have long provided private, employment-based social benefits.

Drawing from interviews with 107 randomly selected British and Danish corporations, this article seeks to explain why Danish employers have participated at higher rates than their British counterparts. Subtle programmatic differences that reflect each country's welfare regime have had profound feedback effects on firms' willingness to participate in the programs; these findings have implications for regimes' capacities both to correct for traps and to revise social protections to meet the needs of the new economy.
Rethinking The Origins of Federalism: Puzzle, Theory, and Evidence from Nineteenth-Century Europe
Authors: Ziblatt Daniel
Published: July 2005

This article examines the paradox of how federal political institutions are created: how can a state-building core be unyielding enough to forge a union but accommodating enough to grant federal concessions to subunits? A comparison of the trajectories of national unification in nineteenth-century Germany and Italy indicates that the formation of federations does not come about exclusively through voluntary “contract”; instead, coercion and cooperation go hand in hand in the formation of all states, including federations. Whether the outcome is federal or unitary depends on the level of subunit infrastructural capacity at the moment of founding.

The article finds that where the constituents of a potential federation are parliamentary and well governed, they can deliver the benefits of state formation, assuring their continued existence in a federation. Where such subunits are patrimonial and poorly governed, they are absorbed within a unitary model of governance. This institutional explanation supplements accounts emphasizing the cultural sources of federalism and revises arguments that only militarily weak founding cores make federal concessions to their constituents.
Arthrogryposis multiplex with deafness, inguinal hernias, and early death: A family report of a probably autosomal recessive trait
Authors: Tiemann Christian , Bührer Christoph , Burwinkel Barbara , Wirtenberger Michael , Hoehn Thomas , Hübner Christoph , van Landeghem Frank K.H. , Stoltenburg Gisela , Obladen Michael
Published: July 2005

We report on three male newborn infants of a highly inbred Lebanese family presenting with a characteristic phenotype: arthrogryposis multiplex, deafness, large inguinal hernia, hiccup‐like diaphragmatic contractions, and inability to suck, requiring nasogastric gavage feeding. All three boys died from respiratory failure during the first 3 months of life. Intra vitam or post mortem examinations revealed myopathic changes and elevated glycogen content of muscle tissue. This new syndrome is probably transmitted in an autosomal recessive mode, although X‐linked inheritance cannot be excluded. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Schizencephaly: Heterogeneous etiologies in a population of 4 million California births
Authors: Curry Cynthia J. , Lammer Edward J. , Nelson Verne , Shaw Gary M.
Published: July 2005

Schizencephaly is a rare congenital brain defect characterized by gray matter lined clefts of the cerebral mantle, frequently accompanied by other defects of the CNS such as absence of the corpus callosum. This study in a California population of >4 million births from 1985–2001 found a population prevalence of 1.54/100,000. Among 63 cases, there was an association with young parental age in isolated schizencephaly (RR 3.9 mothers; 5.8 fathers), which was also seen in mothers but not fathers of non‐isolated cases (RR 3.2). Monozygotic twins may also be at increased risk for schizencephaly (RR 2.1). One third of cases had a non‐CNS abnormality, over half of which could be classified as secondary to vascular disruption, including gastroschisis, bowel atresias, and amniotic band disruption sequence. Other apparent rare causes included chromosomal aneuploidy, non‐random associations, and unusual syndromes. Our observations suggest that schizencephaly has heterogeneous etiologies many of which are vascular disruptive in origin. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Non-Decomposable Quantum Dynamical Semigroups and Bound Entangled States
Authors: Benatti Fabio , Floreanini Roberto , Piani Marco
Published: July 2005

We use open quantum system techniques to construct one-parameter semigroups of positive maps and apply them to study the entanglement properties of a class of 16-dimensional density matrices, representing states of a 4 × 4 bipartite system.
Note on Multiple Additivity of Minimal Renyi Entropy Output of the Werner-Holevo Channels
Authors: Alicki R. , Fannes M.
Published: July 2005

We give an elementary self-contained proof that the minimal Renyi entropy output of arbitrary products of channels [Formula: see text] is additive.
A Class of Linear Positive Maps in Matrix Algebras II
Authors: Kimura Gen , Kossakowski Andrzej
Published: July 2005

We provide a class of linear trace preserving positive maps on matrix algebras which is a generalization of that in [7]. A systematic construction by means of spectra of generators of SU (n) is discussed.
Quantum Orlicz Spaces in Information Geometry
Authors: Streater R. F.
Published: July 2005

Let H0 be a selfadjoint operator such that Tr e−βH0 is of trace class for some β < 1, and let χɛ denote the set of ɛ-bounded forms, i.e., ∥(H0+C)−1/2−ɛX(H0+C)−1/2+ɛ∥ < C for some C > 0. Let χ := Span ∪ɛ∈(0,1/2]χɛ. Let [Formula: see text] denote the underlying set of the quantum information manifold of states of the form ρx = e−H0−X−ψx, X ∈ χ. We show that if Tr e−H0 = 1.

1. the map Φ, [Formula: see text] is a quantum Young function defined on χ

2. The Orlicz space defined by Φ is the tangent space of [Formula: see text] at ρ0; its affine structure is defined by the (+1)-connection of Amari

3. The subset of a ‘hood of ρ0, consisting of p-nearby states (those [Formula: see text] obeying C−1ρ1+p ≤ σ ≤ Cρ1 − p for some C > 1) admits a flat affine connection known as the (−1) connection, and the span of this set is part of the cotangent space of [Formula: see text]

4. These dual structures extend to the completions in the Luxemburg norms.
Spin-Orbit Entanglement in Time Evolution of Radial Wave Packets in Hydrogenic Systems
Authors: Turek Marcin , Rozmej Piotr
Published: July 2005

Time evolution of radial wave packets built from the eigenstates of Dirac equation for a hydrogenic system is considered. Radial wave packets are constructed from the states of different n quantum numbers and the same lowest angular momentum. In general they exhibit a kind of breathing motion with dispersion and (partial) revivals. Calculations show that for some particular preparations of the wave packet one can observe interesting effects in spin motion, coming from inherent entanglement of spin and orbital degrees of freedom. These effects manifest themselves through some oscillations in the mean values of spin operators and through changes of spatial probability density carried by upper and lower components of the wave function. It is also shown that the characteristic time scale of predicted effects (called T ls ) is much smaller for radial wave packets than in other cases, reaching values comparable to (or even less than) the time scale for the wave packet revival.