bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cerebral Ischemia: New Risk Factors
Authors: Diaz Jaime , Sempere Angel P.
Published: November 2004

Stroke is a disease with well-defined modifiable risk factors such as arterial hypertension, smoking, diabetes, hyperlipidemia and atrial fibrillation. The need of new risk factors is based on the fact that only half the cardiovascular disease risk is explained by conventional risk factors. Inflammatory markers, infection, homocysteine and sleep-disordered breathing rank as the four most important new risk factors in cerebral atherosclerosis. C-reactive protein is the inflammatory marker that has been most thoroughly studied. Elevated concentrations of C-reactive protein increase the risk of heart disease and thromboembolic stroke in men and women. The role of Chlamydia pneumoniae is still controversial. Influenza vaccination is a simple and effective preventive measure against stroke. Despite the potential relationship between homocysteine and stroke, we should wait to the results of the ongoing trials to know if the reduction of homocysteine levels with vitamin therapy is of clinical benefit. Sleep-disordered breathing is a potential new risk factor with an effective therapy. Neurologists should not forget to look for sleep disorders in their stroke patients and probably manage them with breathing therapy from the acute phase.
High Blood Pressure as Risk Factor and Prognostic Predictor in Acute Ischaemic Stroke: When and How to Treat It?
Authors: Bath Philip
Published: November 2004

High blood pressure is common in the western world and is a major risk factor for the development of stroke. Lowering blood pressure reduces the risk of first and recurrent stroke. High blood pressure is also common in acute stroke and is independently associated with a poor prognosis, in part due to promoting early recurrence and the development of fatal cerebral oedema in patients with ischaemic stroke and, possibly, re-bleeding in those with haemorrhagic stroke. However, the management of blood pressure remains an enigma – its lowering could improve outcome by reducing recurrence or worsen outcome by reducing regional perfusion in the face of dysfunctional cerebral autoregulation. Conversely, raising blood pressure might improve outcome by raising regional perfusion or worsen it by inducing cerebral oedema and early recurrence. Administration of some vaso-active drugs (β-receptor antagonists and calcium channel blockers) can worsen outcome and reduce cerebral blood flow. In contrast, other drug classes – angiotensin- converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin receptor antagonists and nitrates – appear to lower blood pressure without reducing measures of cerebral perfusion. In the absence of definitive trial data, which is urgently needed, blood pressure should not be routinely lowered unless it is extreme (systolic blood pressure >220 mm Hg) or associated with arterial dissection or cardiac ischaemia or failure, in which case cautious lowering (<15%), perhaps with an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, angiotensin receptor antagonist or nitrate, is appropriate.
Statins and Stroke Prevention
Authors: Amarenco Pierre , Lavallée Philippa , Touboul Pierre-Jean
Published: November 2004

Four randomized trials with a statin and one trial with a fibrate showed a modest but significant absolute reduction in the incidence of stroke in patients with a previous myocardial infarction. The reasons for the positive effect of statins on stroke end-point are unclear since, paradoxically, the link between serum cholesterol level and stroke has never been fully established. Furthermore, the positive results of statins trials were mainly obtained in patients with an average or a low serum cholesterol level. This suggests nonhypolipidemic effects of these drugs, so-called pleiotropic effects, acting on the biologic promoters of plaque instability. Statins have a good overall safety profile with no increase of hemorrhagic stroke and no increase in cancer. They have positive effects in primary prevention of cardiovascular disease in high-risk young as well as elderly populations. Statins reduced stroke incidence in high-risk (mainly CHD, diabetics and hypertensives) population even with a normal baseline blood cholesterol level, which argues for a global cardiovascular risk-based treatment strategy. In patients with prior strokes, statins likely reduce the incidence of cononary events, but it is not yet proven that statins actually reduce the incidence of recurrent strokes in secondary prevention. If current hypotheses are verified by ongoing trials, we may expect between 20 to 30 more stroke events avoided per 1,000 patients treated during 2 years with a lipid-lowering agent, which adds to the 28 stroke events prevented with an antiplatelet agent over the same time period. This would be one of the most significant advances in stroke and vascular dementia prevention since the era of aspirin therapy.
Antiplatelet Drugs in Ischemic Stroke Prevention: From Monotherapy to Combined Treatment
Authors: Urbano Luis A. , Bogousslavsky Julien
Published: November 2004

Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) is the most widely studied and prescribed antiplatelet drug for patients at high risk of vascular disease. It affects a single pathway in the platelet activation process and provides incomplete protection against cardiovascular events. Adenosine diphosphate receptor antagonists, by blocking an alternate pathway of platelet activation, are slightly more effective than aspirin in reducing serious vascular events in patients at high risk, with similar results for the subset of transient ischaemic attack/ischaemic stroke patients. Clopidogrel is an effective and safe alternative in patients who do not tolerate aspirin, in diabetics, in hypercholesterolaemic patients, or in those with a previous history of cardiac surgery. Moreover, antiplatelet combination therapy using agents with different mechanisms of action is an attractive preventive approach. In this way, dipyridamole combined with aspirin is being tested in the European/Australian Stroke Prevention in Reversible Ischaemia Trial (ESPRIT) in cerebrovascular disease patients. Clinical and preclinical studies have demonstrated that therapy with clopidogrel and aspirin provides synergistic antiplatelet effects. The Clopidogrel in Unstable Angina to Prevent Recurrent Events (CURE) and PCI-CURE trials demonstrate the benefit of this combination therapy in patients who suffer from unstable angina or non-Q-wave myocardial infarction treated or not by percutaneous coronary intervention. The relative risk reduction in ischaemic events in long-term use was 20%. This antiplatelet regimen was safe and well tolerated. Currently, this therapeutic option is tested in individuals with ischaemic stroke in the Management of Atherothrombosis with Clopidogrel in High-Risk Patients with Recent Transient Ischaemic Attacks or Ischaemic Stroke (MATCH) Trial.
Effective Stroke Prevention in Patients with Symptomatic Carotid Stenosis
Authors: Rothwell Peter M.
Published: November 2004

Patients with recently symptomatic carotid stenosis require effective medical treatment, and some require surgical removal of the carotid plaque. Randomized controlled trials have shown that endarterectomy reduces the overall risk of stroke in patients with severe carotid stenosis and, to a lesser extent, in patients with moderate stenosis. However, operating on all patients is not necessarily the most effective approach. The effectiveness of endarterectomy could be improved by selecting patients more rigorously. To do this, we first need to use data from existing randomized controlled trials to precisely determine the overall effect of surgery for different degrees of stenosis, identify subgroups in which benefit is increased, and use risk modeling to identify individuals at particularly high risk of stroke without surgery. Such an approach will also be useful in targeting angioplasty and stenting in patients in whom endarterectomy is not possible.
Organization of Medical Care in Acute Stroke: Importance of a Good Network
Authors: Gil Núñez Antonio C. , Vivancos Mora José
Published: November 2004

Stroke is a medical emergency which requires hospital care. Therapeutic and effective organizative measures, such as thrombolysis and stroke units, are available, but early attention is required, as the benefits are time dependent (therapeutic window). To achieve this objective, a high level of organization and coordination is required between the various steps of care. The chain of attention in acute stroke (from symptom onset till stroke unit admission) is a complex process. The main points are reviewed: delay in attention, knowledge and attitude towards stroke, emergency transportation, neurological attention, educational campaigns, clinical protocols and pathways, stroke codes, and existing resources for care. The organization must be modified to have the resources for care necessary for attending acute stroke available, if we want to achieve the real objective of maximum benefit for our patients as set out in the Declaration of Helsingborg.
Antithrombotic and Hypofibrinogenetic Therapy in Acute Ischemic Stroke: What Is the Next Step?
Authors: Sherman David G.
Published: November 2004

A thrombus occluding a brain artery is the leading mechanism underlying ischemic stroke. In the light of this pathophysiology, antithrombotic therapies have been among the most widely studied and used in the management of patients with ischemic stroke. Aspirin has a significant but modest benefit by reducing recurrent ischemic stroke and death given within 48 h of stroke onset. The use of anticoagulants including heparin, low molecular weight heparin, and heparinoids has not been supported by results of randomized clinical trials. Any reductions in ischemic stroke recurrence were offset by an increase in major bleeding. However, acute anticoagulation is widely used in specific disorders, including patients with high-risk cardiac sources of embolus, arterial dissection, venous sinus thrombosis, and hypercoagulable states. Early recurrent ischemic strokes in patients with atrial fibrillation and acute ischemic stroke have not been shown to be reduced with the heparins, when the effects of major bleeding and hemorrhagic worsening are considered. Recent clinical trials have suggested that other antithrombotic agents may be beneficial in acute ischemic stroke. Two such agents are ancrod and abciximab. Abciximab is currently being investigated in a large randomized clinical trial.
Therapeutic Considerations for the Use of Statin Therapy in Chronic Renal Disease
Authors: Moore Richard
Published: November 2004

This review presents an evidence-based analysis of the use of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors (statins) in patients with chronic renal disease. It considers the characteristics and incidence of dyslipidaemia among specific patient types and describes the available data concerning the ability of statin therapy to regulate dyslipidaemia in the renal disease population as well as early results for an anti-inflammatory effect in this group. The clinical impact of statins in terms of reduced morbidity and mortality is also discussed. The relative merits of different statin agents are reviewed in terms of efficacy and safety, together with the role of aggressive intervention as compared with standard approaches to care. Finally, a proposed algorithm for the initiation and monitoring of statin therapy in chronic renal disease patients is presented.
Microfocus Computed Tomography Analysis of Early Changes in Bone Microstructure in Rats with Chronic Renal Failure
Authors: Kazama Junichiro J. , Iwasaki Yoshiko , Yamato Hideyuki , Murayama Hisashi , Sato Masami , Gejyo Fumitake , Kurokawa Masafumi , Fukagawa Kiyoshi
Published: November 2004

Background/Aims: Little is known about the microstructural changes in bone tissue in the early phase of chronic renal failure (CRF). In this study, we analyzed the bone tissue in a rat model of early CRF using a high-resolution X-ray tomographic system, i.e. microfocus computed tomography (MXCT), which is capable of detecting microscopic structural changes in bone tissue. Methods: CRF rats were created by 7/8 nephrectomy by ligation of the renal artery branches, and were sacrificed 24 weeks after surgery. MXCT and bone mineral densitometry by single-energy X-ray absorptiometry (SXA) were performed using extracted bone samples. Images obtained by MXCT were further analyzed by node-strut morphometry. Results: Biochemical analysis confirmed that CRF was induced in 7/8-renal artery-ligated rats. MXCT demonstrated a significant decrease in trabecular bone in uremic rats, whereas SXA was unable to detect the difference. The node-strut method revealed decreased trabecular connectivity, with little change in the thickness of the trabecular bone in uremic rats. Conclusion: MXCT was able to detect significant changes in trabecular bone at an early stage of renal failure. The observed structural changes differed from those found in long-term dialysis patients. MXCT is a practical and promising device used for the non-invasive evaluation of early bone changes in uremic patients.
Renal Nerves Mediate Changes in Contralateral Renal Blood Flow after Extracorporeal Shockwave Lithotripsy
Authors: Connors Bret A. , Evan Andrew P. , Willis Lynn R. , Simon Jay R. , Fineberg Naomi S. , Lifshitz David A. , Shalhav Arieh L. , Paterson Ryan F. , Kuo Ramsay L. , Lingeman James E.
Published: November 2004

Renal blood flow falls in both kidneys following delivery of a clinical dose of shockwaves (SW) (2000 SW, 24 kV, Dornier HM3) to only one kidney. The role of renal nerves in this response was examined in a porcine model of renal denervation. Six-week-old pigs underwent unilateral renal denervation. Nerves along the renal artery of one kidney were identified, sectioned and painted with 10% phenol. Two weeks later the pigs were anesthetized and baseline renal function was determined using inulin and PAH clearances. Animals then had either sham-shockwave lithotripsy (SWL) (group 1), SWL to the innervated kidney (group 2) or SWL to the denervated kidney (group 3). Bilateral renal function was again measured 1 and 4 h after SWL. Both kidneys were then removed for analysis of norepinephrine content to validate the denervation. Renal plasma (RPF) flow was significantly reduced in shocked innervated kidneys (group 2) and shocked denervated kidneys (group 3). RPF was not reduced in the unshocked denervated kidneys of group 2. These observations suggest that renal nerves play a pivotal role in modulating the vascular response of the contralateral unshocked kidney to SWL, but only a partial role, if any, in modulating that response in the shocked kidney.
Expression of Visinin-Like Protein-3 in Mouse Kidney
Authors: Pribanic Sandra , Loffing Jan , Madjdpour Caveh , Bacic Desa , Gisler Serge , Braunewell Karl-Heinz , Biber Jürg , Murer Heini
Published: November 2004

In renal proximal brush borders the Na/Pi cotransporter NaPi-IIa is part of a heteromultimeric complex including the PDZ proteins PDZK1 and NHERF1, which interact with the C terminus of NaPi-IIa. In this study, a yeast two-hybrid screen against the N terminus of the Na/Pi cotransporter NaPi-IIa was performed. Thereby we identified visinin-like protein-3 (VILIP-3), a member of neuronal calcium sensors. In this study, expression and protein localization of VILIP-3 in the mouse kidney was performed by immunofluorescence and RT-PCR using laser-assisted microdissected nephron segments. VILIP-3 was found to be abundant in distal and collecting ducts where it partly colocalized with calbindin D28K. In addition VILIP-3 was observed in the brush borders of proximal tubular S1 and S3 segments of both superficial and deep nephrons.
Regulation of Corticosterone Production by Vasopressin during Water Restriction and after Drinking in Rats
Authors: Wotus Cheryl , Osborn John W. , Nieto Pilar Ariza , Engeland William C.
Published: November 2004

Plasma vasopressin (VP) and corticosterone have each been shown to be rapidly suppressed after drinking in different models of osmotic stimulation in rats; however, no causal relationship between these responses has been investigated. Studies were performed to determine if plasma VP and corticosterone are reduced in parallel after drinking and if manipulation of plasma VP affects plasma, ACTH corticotropins and corticosterone in a model of water restriction. A strong correlation between changes in plasma VP and corticosterone, but not between plasma ACTH and corticosterone, was observed after drinking induced by 6 days of water restriction. Similarly, ingestion of isotonic saline resulted in a biphasic VP response that was paralleled by adrenal and plasma corticosterone, but not by plasma ACTH. Administration of an immunoneutralizing antibody directed against VP resulted in a rapid decrease in plasma corticosterone, but not ACTH, in water-restricted rats, but not in rats receiving water ad libitum. These data suggest that during dehydration, elevated plasma VP can stimulate the production of corticosterone by the adrenal, independently of ACTH. Moreover, they support the hypothesis that the decline in corticosterone after restriction-induced drinking is due, in part, to a decline in plasma VP.
Lamivudine Therapy for Decompensated Liver Cirrhosis Related to Hepatitis B Virus Infection
Authors: Lee Han Chu , Suh Dong Jin
Published: November 2004

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is the major cause of chronic liver disease worldwide. Although the clinical course of HBV infection varies widely, the prognosis of decompensated liver cirrhosis is quite poor and the 5-year survival rate has been estimated to be only 14–35%. While the ultimate treatment of decompensated cirrhosis is orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT), recent studies have suggested that lamivudine can also improve the clinical outcomes in this group of patients. Lamivudine rapidly suppresses HBV replication and can improve several parameters of liver function tests and afford prolonged periods of pretransplantation survival. However, the proportion of clinical improvement as defined by a decrease in Child-Pugh score as well as the prolonged survival rate varied widely from study to study. These discrepancies might result from differences in the severity of cirrhosis at entry, the presence of active viral replication or inflammation, and the proportions of patients who received OLT during the study period. Overall, about half of the patients achieved a clinical improvement with lamivudine therapy. However, data are still lacking on whether lamivudine can prolong survival before OLT and even replace OLT. Most of the deaths or clinical improvement occurred or started to occur within the first 6 months of treatment. Therefore, OLT should be actively considered in patients with risk factors for early mortality or those without clinical improvement within the first 6 months of lamivudine treatment.
Three Novel Mutations in Japanese Patients with 21-Hydroxylase Deficiency
Authors: Usui Takeshi , Nishisho Kahoru , Kaji Masayuki , Ikuno Noriko , Yorifuji Tohru , Yasuda Toshiyuki , Kuzuya Hideshi , Shimatsu Akira
Published: November 2004

Objective: This study analyzed the mutation of 21-hydroxylase deficiency (21-OHD) in 36 unrelated Japanese patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). Methods: All the exons of the functional CYP21 gene (CYP21A2) were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and PCR direct sequencing. Results: Apparent gene deletions and conversions were present in 23.6% of the 72 CAH alleles, in which the most frequent mutation was the IVS2-13 A/C>G (27.8%), followed by I172N (26.3%), consistent with the frequencies reported for other countries. Previously described mutations were not present in three unrelated cases. Sequence analysis of the complete functional CYP21A2 gene revealed three, not yet described mutations that represent a common pseudogene sequence. These three putative novel mutations are located in exon 1 (M1I), in exon 5 (1210–1211insT), and in exon 3 (R124H). Conclusions: In this study, we have identified three putative novel mutations. It remains to be determined whether these three mutations are responsible for the significant number of as yet uncharacterized CAH patients in Japan.
Effect of Pamidronate Treatment on Vertebral Deformity in Children with Primary Osteoporosis
Authors: Šumník Zdeněk , Land Christof , Rieger-Wettengl Gabriele , Körber Frederike , Stabrey Angelika , Schoenau Eckhard
Published: November 2004

Objective: Bisphosphonates are effectively used in treatment for primary osteoporosis in children. In the present study, we quantitatively evaluated the effect of pamidronate treatment on lumbar vertebrae in children with primary osteoporosis using radiographic morphometry. Methods: Paired lateral radiographs of the lumbar spine were obtained before and after pamidronate treatment in 5 children with primary osteoporosis. To characterize vertebral deformities, specific morphometrical ratios were calculated for vertebral bodies L1–L4. Results: Significant reshape of lumbar vertebrae was observed: the concavity index (middle-anterior ratio) decreased from 55 to 36% (p = 0.006), and the anterior-posterior ratio (used as a surrogate of wedge deformity) decreased from 25 to 11% (p = 0.001). Conclusions: Pamidronate treatment significantly influences the restoration of vertebral fractures in children with primary osteoporosis. The present study demonstrates that radiographic morphometry is a suitable tool for quantitative assessment of the vertebral deformities in childhood.
Renal Medullary Infusion of Indomethacin and Adenosine
Authors: Dobrowolski Leszek , Sadowski Janusz
Published: November 2004

Perfusion of the renal medulla and osmotic hypertonicity of its interstitium are the two important features of this zone which can influence body fluid homeostasis, especially arterial blood pressure. Separate manipulation of the two variables is best obtained with the intramedullary infusion of active agents. In this study, a set-up combining the possibility of infusion into the medulla with measurement of local blood flow (MBF, laser-Doppler flux) and extracellular ion concentration (tissue electrical admittance, Y) was used to determine effects of intramedullary indomethacin (Indo) and adenosine (Ado) in anaesthetized rats. Intramedullary Indo, 1 mg kg–1 h–1, significantly increased tissue Y, by 12 ± 3%, and significantly decreased MBF by 20 ± 3%.There was also an unexplained increase of sodium excretion (UNaV) by 169 ± 24% and of urine flow (V) by 62 ± 6% (n = 10, both p < 0.03). Intramedullary Ado, 5 µg kg–1 h–1, did not alter Y, MBF or UNaV, whereas V increased 45 ± 6% and urine osmolality decreased 25 ± 4% (both changes significant). Elevation of medullary interstitial Ado to a level that did not alter MBF or UNaV induced a moderate defect of urine concentration that was not due to a decrease in ionic medullary hypertonicity.
Coagulation Factor Xa Stimulates Interleukin-8 Release in Endothelial Cells and Mononuclear Leukocytes
Authors: Busch Gabi , Seitz Isabell , Steppich Birgit , Hess Sibylle , Eckl Robert , Schömig Albert , Ott Ilka
Published: November 2004

Objective—In acute myocardial infarction (AMI), proinflammatory plasma C-reactive protein values are strongly associated with postinfarction morbidity and mortality. So far, the cause of these inflammatory changes is not well understood. Therefore, we sought to investigate the relationship between the activation of coagulation and subsequent systemic inflammatory changes in AMI.

Methods and Results—Factor Xa (FXa) bound to tissue factor pathway inhibitor and prothrombin fragments F1+2 (F1+2) were used as a measure for activated coagulation. To assess systemic inflammatory changes, plasma interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8 concentrations were analyzed by immunoassay. Blood samples were taken from 21 patients with AMI and 20 patients with stable angina pectoris. In AMI, tissue factor pathway inhibitor FXa but not F1+2 plasma levels were associated with circulating IL-8 (P=0.01). In vitro experiments revealed that FXa stimulated IL-8 and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 release and RNA expression in endothelial cells and mononuclear leukocytes by activation of protease-activated receptor-1.

Conclusion—Our data suggest that coagulation FXa may contribute to proinflammatory changes in AMI by stimulation of IL-8 release. Therapeutic inhibition of the proinflammatory effects of FXa may improve the clinical course in AMI.
Communication and Transition in the Middle East
Authors: Wilkins Karin Gwinn
Published: November 2004

US intervention in the Middle East builds on a problematic assumption that western technology and knowledge will transform the region into modern, democratic nation-states. The Arab Middle East in particular tends to be constructed in public discourse as suffering from social, political and economic hardships, in order to justify military action and development assistance. In this article, the author considers and critiques recent development intervention using communication technologies in terms of academic literature on communication and transition in the Middle East.
Applying the Public Trust Doctrine to the Governance of Content-Related Internet Resources
Authors: Stewart Concetta M. , Gil-Egui Gisela , Pileggi Mary S.
Published: November 2004

This article explores the feasibility of applying the public trust doctrine (PTD) to the management of portals and search engines and discusses these tools’ crucial role for the materialization of the e-commons. The PTD establishes that certain resources are to be publicly owned and preserved because they are deemed essential for society. Through a theoretical and historical analysis of the doctrine, the authors contend that it is also possible to extend its application to cyberspace as a way to protect users’ right to navigate the Internet’s main gateways and roadways without ‘pay-per-placement’, targeted categorizations and other obstructions imposed by commercial web resources to access content.
UNESCO’s Conceptualization of Women and Telecommunications 1970-2000
Authors: Lee Micky
Published: November 2004

This article examines UNESCO resolutions and programs on women in relation to telecommunications in the time period 1970-2000. It argues that in those three decades, UNESCO responded to the four UN world conferences on women by incorporating women into its programs of information and communication. The organization’s conceptualized relations between women and telecommunications are critiqued as simple and naive. Women are alloted only three roles in relation to telecommunications: as representations, as media professionals and as active participants of communication technologies. It is argued that if women are not seen as owners of telecommunications and inventors of technologies, women’s advancement and women’s empowerment will not be fully achieved.
Mass Media Reform in China
Authors: Akhavan-Majid Roya
Published: November 2004

Historically, analyses of change in mass media systems have tended to draw upon a ‘dissident vs state’ framework, derived largely from the western historical experience. In the case of China, a ‘state vs market’ scenario has been superimposed on this basic framework, in the context of which the Chinese Communist party-state is often portrayed as a monolithic entity intent on promoting market-oriented reform in China’s economic base, while keeping a tight grip on the country’s mass media system and political superstructure. These dominant analytical frameworks tend to mask a number of important dynamics unique to Chinese history and society, that have played a significant role in the mass media transformation process. The purpose of this article is to outline a new conceptual framework incorporating these unique dynamics. In particular, it is the contention of this article that many of the changes in China’s mass media system during the post-Mao period have been achieved by non-state actors, not in an adversarial process vis-à-vis the state, but through what may be called ‘creative renegotiation and expansion’ of new policy openings initiated by the state. The success of these non-state actors, furthermore, has been due to three major systemic factors: (1) the increasing ‘deideologization’ of the Chinese society set in motion by Deng’s pragmatic policies; (2) the gradual functional shift on the part of the local party cadres and bureaucratic authorities from ideological supervision to entrepreneurial collaboration with private investors; and (3) the increasingly common core of interest created by the media’s commercialization among the party cadres, bureaucratic bodies and media entrepreneurs and managers in extracting profits from the media.
Ralph Ellison and the Paradox of Juneteenth
Authors: Jua Roselyne M.
Published: November 2004

The question of identity has remained crucial in the American psyche and has been reflected in all of its literature. By and large, Juneteenth in a paradoxical manner also attempts a definition of the American identity. Delving into the lives of and relationship between Daddy Hickman and Bliss/Sunraider, Ellison demonstrates that essentially there is no difference between a Black man and a White man. This is amplified throughout the novel by the movement the Black characters make from the periphery at the beginning of the story to the very heart and soul of the novel. The convergence of the lives of Bliss/Sunraider and Hickman is reflected as they reminisce and echo each other. A symbol throughout the novel as he begins life in the coffin/womb, Bliss/Sunraider, now a U.S. senator but formerly a preacher and then subsequently a movie man, will be shot at by his son with a Black woman. As Bliss/Sunraider and Hickman look back at the trials and tribulations of their lives, Ellison lets readers see in no small way that they are only men, one no better than the other
Harnessing and Channeling African American Children’s Energy in the Mathematics Classroom
Authors: Lattimore Randy
Published: November 2004

This study investigated African American students to determine effective ways to channel their energy in the mathematics classroom. Two African American male students participated in this qualitative inquiry that allowed them to speak for themselves about the characteristics of teachers and instructional practices that can contribute, in general, to students’ and, in particular, to African American students’success in the mathematics classroom. The voices of these two African American mathematics students will also offer some suggestions to teachers for channeling the energy of students in general and African American males in particular
The Politics of Black Presence in Britain and Black Male Exclusion in the British Education System
Authors: Christian Mark
Published: November 2004

This article examines Black settlement in the United Kingdom in relation to the experience of Black male exclusion in the British education system. The time frame covers the post-World War II era and the subsequent Enoch Powell era that manifested in anti-Black discrimination throughout British society in the 1960s to mid-1970s. During this period, people of color in British schools, particularly males of African Caribbean heritage, were experiencing poor results in terms of gaining education qualifications. A major contention is that one cannot divorce the broader anti-Black political sentiment from the British education system; the two are interwoven when it comes to understanding the plight of Black British school children in historical and contemporary times
Component-Based Modelling of Thermofluid Systems for Sensor Placement and Fault Detection
Authors: Samantaray A. K. , Medjaher K. , Bouamama B. Ould , Staroswiecki M. , Dauphin-Tanguy G.
Published: November 2004

Modelling of thermofluid systems is complex because of the coupling of thermal and hydraulic energies. Bond graph language is a suitable tool for modelling such nonlinearmultienergy domain systems along with their control systems. Structural control properties of the system can be determined using the causal properties of bond graphs, without resorting to any formal computation. An ontology for classifying thermofluid process components is presented in this article, along with connection syntax and model validation algorithms. Then the theory for structural analysis is used to design sensor placements for observability and also for component fault detection and isolation. This study also deals with developing a bond graph–based model representation mechanism to perform structurallevel linking of submodels.The methodology developed is applied to two example systems. Simulation of process faults is used to validate the theoretically obtained fault signatures for a thermofluid system in the second example.
Verifying Collaborative Behavior in Component-Based DEVS Models
Authors: Yilmaz Levent
Published: November 2004

Construction of models from reusable components requires clear and precise understanding of design and integration dependencies. Formalization of the semantics of such dependencies is a prerequisite for reasoning about compositional consistency. DEVS formalism provides a sound and powerful framework under which discrete event behavior and component coupling can be precisely defined. Reasoning about the interaction behavior of components to ensure that they are coordinated around specific collaboration constraints is a serious problem inherent in coupled DEVS models. At least two major complications arise: (1) analytically identifying components that violate required interaction constraints is difficult, and (2) the evolution and substitution of new participants in coupled models give rise to unanticipated behavioral conflicts. This article presents a solution technique that addresses both of these problems. Local consistency conditions are formalized, and decidable inference mechanisms are developed to facilitate determining the compositional consistency and safe refinement of DEVS models.
Criteria for Decomposing Systems Into Components in Modeling and Simulation: Lessons Learned with Military Simulations
Authors: Hofmann Marko A.
Published: November 2004

A crucial decision within component-based modeling and simulation is the choice of the criterion or criteria to be used in decomposing the system. Many experiences with combat simulation systems indicate, first, that the optimal choice depends on the driving forces behind the decomposition or the goals that should be achieved by using components instead of monolithic systems. Second, the common criteria for decomposition in software design, information hiding, and “object picking”are sometimes inappropriate for model decomposition because they neglect the importance of so-called hidden assumptions of model abstraction and idealization, which are paramount to the modeling of every complex system.
Musical contracts: fostering student participation in the instructional process
Authors: Andrews Bernard W.
Published: November 2004

Contract learning is an approach to classroom instruction that emphasizes teacher-student collaboration in the teaching-learning process. Participation in instructional decision-making encourages students to take responsibility for what happens to them, and it engenders a greater sense of commitment to the outcomes of the music program. In music education, where large group performance-based instruction is prevalent, students often feel that they are alienated, and the programs do not meet their personal needs. This article illustrates how the strategy can be adapted for music instruction, and outlines the benefits that contract learning offers for fostering student participation in the instructional process.
The impact of informal music learning practices in the classroom, or how I learned how to teach from a garage band
Authors: Jaffurs Sheri E.
Published: November 2004

This ethnographic study is an investigation of the environment that students create when making music that is meaningful to them. The initial purpose of the study was to describe a developing ‘rock group’, and the factors that contributed to its creation. The significance of the study may be in the discovery of ways to ‘counter mechanisms of dominance inherent’ (Fornas, Lindberg, & Sernhede, 1995, p. 263) in many formal environments. The author reflects on the lessons of informal music learning practices and the implications for her own classroom environment. A broader perspective on the informal/formal dichotomy may help teachers establish more diverse learning practices.
Teacher intervention strategies in the composing processes of lower secondary school students
Authors: Fautley Martin
Published: November 2004

In this article, case studies of teacher interventions in the composing processes of school students aged 11-14 in generalist music classes are described and discussed. The study finds that music teachers have developed their own strategies for formative assessment, unaware that these are valorized by external agencies.
The performance teacher as music analyst: a case study
Authors: Ward Vicky
Published: November 2004

Performance/analysis discourse has largely overlooked one crucial area of potential relationship; that between music analysis and music education. After assessing the notion that music analysis may help performance teachers to fulfil their role as music educators, this article presents a study which would begin to assess (a) the effects of an analytical approach on one-to-one instrumental lessons, and (b) the general attitudes of performance teachers towards music analysis, continuing on to suggest ways in which music analysis and instrumental teaching might be integrated.
Small Firm Innovation, Growth and Performance
Authors: Freel Mark S. , Robson Paul J. A.
Published: November 2004

This article uses Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) estimation techniques of a large-scale survey to examine the effect of firms’ innovation activities on their growth performance. The survey, covering 1347 respondents, is the largest and most definitive assessment of enterprise in Scotland and Northern England. In this article we employ four measures of growth: growth in employment; growth in turnover; growth in productivity; change in the profit margin. These measures of growth are analysed separately for manufacturing and service firms. The models are re-estimated with the current sales and profit levels adjusted for the number of employees. The most emphatic findings highlight a positive relationship between novel product innovation and employment growth and, for manufacturing firms, at least in the short term, a negative relationship between product innovation (both incremental and novel) and growth in sales or productivity. By contrast, growing sales and productivity appear positively associated with incremental process introductions in service firms.
A Study of the Formality of Human Resource Management Practices in Small and Medium-Size Enterprises in Vietnam
Authors: Nguyen Thang V. , Bryant Scott E.
Published: November 2004

One main challenge for human resource (HR) management in small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) is to balance the formal policies and the informal culture of these smaller firms. While HR formality has remained a subject of much qualitative analysis, it has not received much quantitative analysis. Using a sample of 89 Vietnamese SMEs this study tested the level of formality as a dimension of HR management. The results supported our hypotheses that firm size is positively related to HR formality, and that HR formality is positively associated with owners’ perceptions of firm performance. This study provides important research implications as well as practical implications for managers and policy makers.
Competitive Governments, Fiscal Arrangements, and the Provision of Local Public Infrastructure in China
Authors: Herrmann-Pillath Carsten , Xingyuan Feng
Published: November 2004

This article introduces the analytical framework of “government competition”, which encompasses current models of Chinese local government like the “developmental” or “entrepreneurial state” as special cases. The argument is based on a detailed empirical case study of Gujiao Municipality (Shanxi Province) which is put into perspective with reference to two other cases (Tongxiang, Zhejiang Province, and Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu Province). It is argued that the specific interaction between fiscal reforms and local approaches to infrastructure finance is the outcome of vertical and horizontal competition among governments. This competition is conceived as a complex system of formal and informal institutions undergoing endogenous change. Rooted in historically determined institutions like the regional property rights system in local resources, the system evolves through political entrepreneurship crafting competitive strategies and institutional innovations. The peculiar features of Chinese local government like budgetary dualism, local resource ownership or fiscal bargaining should not be conceived as “policy failures” in terms of deviations from centrally imposed formal institutions. They are defining features of the institutional framework of government competition in China, in which the central government is only one player.
Walls of Dialogue in the Chinese Space
Authors: Marinelli Maurizio
Published: November 2004

Since the early 1980s, Beijing has been undergoing a period of phenomenal structural transformation and immense growth, as a consequence of the open door policy. The dramatic change of the Chinese capital has progressively forced its inhabitants to face the challenge of managing the fabric and culture of the urban environment in order to adapt to a new city, while burgeoning nationalism and the development of local and international tourism have constructed Beijing as a showcase for national identity. Day after day the traditional houses ( siheyuan) and tiny alleyways ( hutong) of Beijing are destroyed, neutralized, and rebuilt to turn the capital into an international metropolis. This article focuses on the graffiti and performance artworks of Beijing-based Zhang Dali — one of the artists most concerned with the transformation of the city. The human head profile that invaded the Beijing cityscape in the 1990s — often found inscribed on the walls and buildings demarcated for destruction ( chai) — is called “Dialogue” ( duihua). It is a figurative symbol that cannot escape attention. Investigating Zhang’s work through the lens of Foucault’s and Benjamin’s theoretical approaches to history, this article deals with the relationship between subjective representation and spatial transformation, and raises the critical question of artistic agency in public space.
Model-based Concurrent Systems Design for Safety
Authors: Park Joong-Yong , Park Young-Won
Published: November 2004

This article describes a model of concurrent systems design for developing safety-critical systems. The developed model integrates system design, system safety analysis, and human factors. The model is able to develop the specifications for safety-critical systems easily. System safety analysis is a crucial part of the system effectiveness analysis for safety critical systems that require a concurrent systems design for safety (SDFS). This concurrent engineering approach is important during the early phase of the systems engineering process. The results of SDFS must be established during the early phase of the development life cycle to yield the architecture option satisfying the safety requirements. Evolution of computer technology has enabled engineers to perform more productive model-based systems engineering. A computer-aided systems engineering (CASysE) tool, CORE, is used to carry out the SDFS. The proposed method can provide the insight and traceability among requirements, functions, components, and the potential hazards. The application of the method to a commercial aircraft, one of the safety-critical systems, demonstrates utility of this model for concurrent SDFS. The method shows the concept of concurrent engineering during the system design while a specialty engineering analysis must be integrated. System engineers can efficiently develop the system specification considering system safety using this approach.
SMWA: A CAD-based Decision Support System for the Efficient Design of Welding
Authors: Kwon Yongjin , Wu Teresa , Saldivar Juan Ochoa
Published: November 2004

Welding is one of the most widely used permanent joining technologies in assembly. As with other manufacturing processes, manufacturing feasibility and efficiency of weld components should be considered early in the part design stages to avoid costly redesign and delay. While there have been considerable research interests in weldability assessment and predictive modeling of welding distortion, under current practices, only after the part has been designed, welding engineers start working on the welding process plan. One significant reason for the current practice is the complexity involved in the decision and selection of feasible welding parameters. Therefore, there is a great need for a methodology that can incorporate benefits from Concurrent Engineering (CE) concepts into weld design. The objective of this study is to develop such a methodology to avoid welding infeasibility due to lack of manufacturability evaluations at the design stages and to generate a more complete and improved welding design in a shorter time. A CAD-based decision support system, named Sheet Metal Welding Advisor (SMWA), is developed for the purpose. The advantages include: (1) integration of CE concepts in welding design, thus improving the overall efficiency of design and manufacturing practices, (2) automatic generation of optimum welding parameters and associated manufacturing data for economic considerations, and (3) a great potential for the real-world applications.
A New Design for Production (DFP) Methodology with Two Case Studies
Authors: Wong Lee Ming , Wang G. Gary , Strong Doug
Published: November 2004

Concurrent engineering (CE) design demands the consideration of product life cycle issues in the early product design stage. Among various life cycle issues, this work concentrates on production and how to optimize a product design to minimize its production costs. This paper proposes the use of cost as a measure of the productivity and defines Design for Production (DFP) as methods that lead to a product design with minimum production costs while satisfying all the functional requirements. Based on this definition, this work proposes a DFP methodology. The novelty of this methodology lies on three aspects (1) the use of the Operation-Based Costing (OBC) method to measure productivity, (2) the identification of relations and boundaries between product design and production activities, and (3) the integration of product design, production cost estimation, and metamodeling-based optimization to search for the optimal product design. The proposed DFP methodology has been applied to the optimal design of two industry products, an industrial silencer and a linear air diffuser. The results from these studies demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method, whose assumptions and limitations are also elaborated.
A survey of parents’ reactions to the diagnosis of an autistic spectrum disorder by a local service
Authors: Mansell Warren , Morris Kathleen
Published: November 2004

We conducted a postal survey of parents whose child had been diagnosed with an autistic spectrum disorder by a district diagnostic service. The service was regarded as having improved signifi- cantly following recent changes, but there were still shortcomings. Parents had obtained useful information from a range of other sources, including a parents’ support group, school teachers, speech and language therapists, educational psychologists, the Internet, books and academic journals. Special units and schools were rated as the most useful source of support and treatment, but many other interventions were rated highly. Parents reported a diverse range of both negative and positive consequences of diagnosis, and many reported a change in their attitudes to diagnosis over time. Many expressed frustration with trying to get an early diagnosis, with the social, educational and health services, and with the way that autistic spectrum disorders are regarded by laypeople and other parents.