bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of Combined Long-Term Treatment with a Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone Analogue and a Growth Hormone Secretagogue in the Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone Knock Out Mouse
Authors: Fintini Danilo , Alba Maria , Schally Andrew V. , Bowers Cyril Y. , Parlow A.F. , Salvatori Roberto
Published: April 2006

GH secretagogues (GHS) are synthetic ghrelin receptor agonists that stimulate GH secretion. It is not clear whether they act predominantly by stimulating the secretion of hypothalamic growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH), or directly on the somatotrope cells. In addition, it is not known whether combined treatment with GHRH and GHS has synergistic effects on growth. To address these questions, we used the GH-deficient GHRH knock out (GHRHKO) mouse model, which has severe somatotrope cell hypoplasia. We treated GHRHKO mice for 5 weeks (from week 1 to week 6 of age) with the GHRH analogue JI-38 alone, or in combination with a GHS (GHRP-2), and at the end of the treatment we examined their response to an acute stimulus with GHRP-2 or GHRP-2 plus JI-38. We used placebo-treated GHRHKO mice and animals heterozygous for the GHRHKO allele as controls. Animals treated with JI-38+GHRP-2 reached higher body length and weight than animals treated with JI-38 alone. All the animals receiving JI-38 (with or without GHRP-2) showed similar correction of somatotrope cell hypoplasia. None of the GHRHKO animals showed a serum GH response to the acute stimulation with GHRP-2 alone, while both treated groups responded to the combined test with JI-38 + GHRP-2. These data demonstrate that in GHRHKO mice, GHRP-2 has a growth-stimulating effect that augments the response induced by JI-38. In addition, the presence of GHRH seems necessary for the stimulation of GH secretion by GHRP-2.
Metallothionein Isoform 3 Gene Is Differentially Expressed in Corticotropin-Producing Pituitary Adenomas
Authors: Giorgi R.R. , Correa-Giannella M.L.C. , Casarini A.P.M. , Machado M.C. , Bronstein M.D. , Cescato V.A. , Giannella-Neto D.
Published: April 2006

In order to search for candidate genes related to pituitary adenoma aggressiveness, the present investigation was intended to compare the mRNA expression profile from a pool of four nonfunctional pituitary adenomas (NFPA) with a spinal cord metastasis of a nonfunctional pituitary carcinoma (MNFPC). The metallothionein isoform 3 (MT3) gene was differentially expressed in nonfunctional adenomas in comparison to the metastasis of nonfunctional carcinoma. A microarray dataset comprising 19,881 probes was employed for comparing expression profiles of a spinal cord metastasis of a nonfunctional pituitary carcinoma with a pool of four nonfunctional pituitary adenomas. RT-qPCR confirmed the microarray findings and was used to investigate MT3 mRNA gene expression in tumor samples of a series of 52 different pituitary adenoma subtypes comprising 10 corticotropin (ACTH)-producing, 18 growth hormone (GH)-producing, 8 prolactin (PRL)-producing, and 16 nonfunctional adenomas. Microarray data analysis by GeneSifter program unveiled Gene Ontology terms related to zinc ion-binding activity closely related to MT3 function. MT3 mRNA expression was statistically significantly higher in ACTH-producing pituitary adenomas and in nonfunctional pituitary adenomas in comparison to the other pituitary adenoma subtypes. The more abundant expression of this gene in ACTH-producing pituitary adenomas suggests that MT3 could be related to distinct pituitary cell lineage regulating the activity of some transcription factor of importance in hormone production and/or secretion.
Intertumoural Variability in Functional Imaging within Patients Suffering from Neuroendocrine Tumours
Authors: Quigley Ann-Marie , Buscombe John R. , Shah Tahir , Gnanasegaran Gopinath , Roberts Dave , Caplin Martyn E. , Hilson Andrew J.W.
Published: April 2006

123I mIBG (meta-iodobenzylguanidine) and 111In pentetreotide scintigraphy imaging modalities are useful in demonstrating neuroendocrine tumours. Although 111In pentetreotide is generally held to be a more superior imaging agent than 123I mIBG for neuroendocrine tumours, we noted a differential uptake of the two agents by different tumour sites within individual patients. In some cases, the two tracers appeared to demonstrate different lesions within the same patient. The aim of this study wasto determine the positivity of the two imaging modalities, the degree of correlation between them and to highlight any clinically useful differences between the two modalities. 123I mIBG and 111In pentetreotide images of 149 consecutive, biopsy-proven or biochemically confirmed, neuroendocrine tumour patients were compared. All the patients underwent whole-body imaging and upper abdominal single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). The results of both types of imaging were compared, lesion by lesion, for each individual patient. The overall positivity rate for 111In pentetreotide was 79%, and that for 123I mIBG was 63%. When both agents were positive, the 111In pentetreotide highlighted more lesions within the same patient in 33%, whilst the 123I mIBG highlighted more lesions in 13%. In 12% of patients both agents were positive, but different lesions were seen with the two agents. 111In pentetreotide has greater positivity than 123I mIBG for imaging neuroendocrine tumours. However, the two modalities can highlight different tumour lesions, suggesting the presence of phenotypically diverse tumour populations within individual patients. These findings are likely to influence clinical management in the future.
Liquid Incubator with Perfluorochemicals for Extremely Premature Infants
Authors: Hiroma Takehiko , Baba Atsushi , Tamura Masanori , Nakamura Tomohiko
Published: April 2006

Objectives: Maintenance of appropriate body temperature, humidification and prevention of skin injury are very important in the management of extremely premature infants with immature skin. We have developed a new closed liquid incubator, utilising the characteristics of perfluorochemical (PFC) liquids, i.e., high specific gravity and chemical and biological inertness. The potential of this incubator to control body temperature was evaluated in rats. Methods: PFC liquid (FC43; 3M Company, Tokyo, Japan) within the incubator was heated or cooled and the rectal temperature of each rat and the PFC temperature were monitored. Results: The rectal temperature of rats floating on the PFC liquid surface changed almost in parallel to the temperature of PFC within the incubator, indicating that this technique can be used to warm or cool adults rats in a stable manner. The relative humidity of air within the incubator was maintained constant at 100%. Conclusions: The liquid incubator used in the present study maintained an environment with a relative humidity of 100% and allowed stable maintenance of temperature in adult rats. We also demonstrated that heating and cooling the PFC liquid allowed control of body temperature. Although further studies are required, this new incubator may be useful for the clinical management of extremely premature infants.
The Effect of Imatinib Mesylate on the Contractility of Isolated Rabbit Myometrial Strips
Authors: Hutchings G. , Deprest J. , Nilius B. , Roskams T. , De Ridder D.
Published: April 2006

Background: C-kit receptor expressing interstitial cells generate and coordinate the electrical signals that control peristalsis in the gut. However, the function of interstitial cells in the myometrium is not known. Methods: (1) Sections of rabbit myometrium were subjected to immunohistochemical staining for the c-kit receptor. (2) Spontaneously contracting myometrial strips from New Zealand White rabbits near term were mounted in an organ bath and attached to a tension-recording device. The effect of increased concentrations of the c-kit receptor antagonist imatinib mesylate on these contractions was observed. The main outcome measures were the change in frequency, amplitude and duration of contraction. Results: (1) Multipolar cells expressing c-kit were identified in the fibromuscular septum confirming the presence of interstitial cells in rabbit myometrium. (2) Imatinib decreased the amplitude of contractions by approximately 20% at 100 µM. No effect was seen at lower concentrations. No effect of imatinib on frequency or duration of contractions was observed at any of the concentrations studied. Conclusions: In isolated rabbit myometrium, acute inhibition of the c-kit receptor by imatinib mesylate affects only the amplitude of spontaneous contractions at concentrations, the equivalent of ×10–100 the normal therapeutic concentration.
Sensitization to Lolium multiflorum Grass Pollen in Pollinosis Patients: Evaluation of Allergenic Fractions Recognized by Specific IgE Antibodies
Authors: Sopelete Mônica C. , Moreira Priscila F.S. , Silva Deise A.O. , Cunha-Júnior Jair P. , Vieira Francisco A.M. , Sung Sung-sang J. , Taketomi Ernesto A.
Published: April 2006

Background:Lolium multiflorum (Lm) pollen allergens are the major causative agents for rhinoconjunctivitis in Southern Brazil. There have been no studies about the sensitization and allergenic cross-reactivity between Lm and other grass pollens. We evaluated the sensitization of Brazilian pollinosis patients to Lm pollen allergens through skin prick test (SPT) and immunoassays (ELISA and immunoblot). Methods: Serum samples from 60 patients with pollinosis and positive SPT to grass pollen extracts (Lm+ group), 30 patients with negative SPT to grass pollen, but positive SPT to mite extracts (Lm– group), and 30 nonatopic subjects (NA group) were tested by SPT, ELISA, and immunoblot using Lm extract. Inhibition immunoassays with Lolium perenne (Lp), mixed grass (Gmix) and Lm extracts were also performed. Results: A high concordance was found between the Gmix and Lm extracts in SPT. Positivity rates in SPT were also highly concordant with IgE-ELISA results. The assay was able to detect Lm-specific IgE in >95% of Lm+ patients. A significant self- and cross-inhibition was observed in IgE-ELISA, reflecting a high cross-reactivity between the grass pollen allergens. Immunoblot revealed 13 IgE-binding Lm fractions, from which the bands 28–30 kDa and 31–34 kDa were recognized by >90% of Lm+ patients. Conclusion: Lm-specific IgE antibodies are highly cross-reactive with pollen proteins from other grass species. The results indicate that Lm extracts could be used in both SPT and ELISA for a more specific evaluation of IgE responses to Lm grass pollen in Brazilian pollinosis patients.
Variability of Ole e 9 Allergen in Olive Pollen Extracts: Relevance of Minor Allergens in Immunotherapy Treatments
Authors: Duffort Oscar , Palomares Oscar , Lombardero Manuel , Villalba Mayte , Barber Domingo , Rodríguez Rosalía , Polo Florentino
Published: April 2006

Background: Clustered severe adverse reactions to immunotherapy with olive pollen extracts have been occasionally reported in areas where olive trees are extensively grown. Allergic patients from these areas, in addition to the major olive pollen allergen Ole e 1, frequently recognize a recently described allergen, Ole e 9. Objective: We aimed to develop an immunoassay to measure Ole e 9 concentration and to study the variability of this allergen in olive pollen extracts. Methods: Monoclonal antibodies (mAb) to Ole e 9 were produced from mice immunized with the pure allergen. One of these mAbs was used to develop a sandwich ELISA with an anti-olive pollen extract rabbit serum as the tracer. Olive pollen batches from several suppliers were analyzed using this method. These batches were also analyzed for Ole e 1 content and biological activity. Results: A 10-fold variation between the extreme values was found for the biological activity of the batches analyzed. Ole e 1 concentration showed a 25-fold variation. Variability of Ole e 9 concentration was extremely high, up to 161 times. The ratio Ole e 1/Ole e 9 varied in a range from 0.6 to 390.4. Conclusion: The availability of a mAb-based ELISA for Ole e 9 made it possible for us to detect an important source of variability in olive pollen batches. This variability may be the cause of outbreaks of adverse reactions in the course of immunotherapy treatments, which have sometimes been observed among olive-allergic patients living in areas with very high levels of airborne olive pollen.
Increased Plasma Nitric Oxide Metabolites in Suicide Attempters
Authors: Lee Bun-Hee , Lee Sung-Woo , Yoon Dokyung , Lee Heon-Jeong , Yang Jong-Chul , Shim Se-Hoon , Kim Do-Hoon , Ryu Seung-Ho , Han Changsu , Kim Yong-Ku
Published: April 2006

Objective: To evaluate any correlation between plasma levels of nitric oxide metabolites (NOx) and suicide attempt. Method: Plasma NOx levels were measured in 53 patients who had recently attempted suicide, 58 nonsuicidal psychiatric patients, and 75 normal controls. The severity of suicidal behaviors was evaluated using Weisman and Worden’s Risk-Rescue Rating Scale. Results: Plasma NOx levels were significantly higher in suicidal patients than nonsuicidal psychiatric patients or normal control subjects (F = 11.029, d.f. = 2, 183, p < 0.001). Among the patients with a diagnosis of major depression, suicidal depressive patients had significantly higher plasma NOx levels than nonsuicidal depressive patients (t = –3.090, d.f. = 84, p = 0.003). Conclusion: Our study suggests that increased NO production in plasma is associated with suicide attempt, especially in depressive patients.
Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor Aggravates Rather than Regenerates Emphysematous Lungs in Mice
Authors: Ishikawa Takaaki , Aoshiba Kazutetsu , Yokohori Naoko , Nagai Atsushi
Published: April 2006

Background: Lung regeneration is an innovative strategy that may cure pulmonary emphysema. The bone marrow (BM) harbors pulmonary stem cells. Hematopoietic cytokine-driven mobilization of BM cells may thus support lung regeneration. Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine whether systemic administration of macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) leads to the regeneration of lungs in a murine model of elastase-induced emphysema. Methods: C57BL/6J mice were administered elastase intratracheally. Four weeks later, in the absence or presence of elastase treatment, mice were intraperitoneally given either M-CSF or saline on days 1–5 each week for 3 weeks. Lung tissue was harvested 24 h after the last injection. Results: M-CSF administration without prior elastase did not affect the mean linear intercept, surface area, or surface area/lung volume. In contrast, M-CSF administration following elastase injury caused a greater increase in the mean linear intercept and greater decreases in surface area and surface area/lung volume than saline administration following elastase, indicating that M-CSF aggravated emphysema. This aggravation of emphysema was accompanied by accumulation of pulmonary alveolar macrophages (AMs) expressing metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 and MMP-12. M-CSF stimulated AMs to express MMPs in vitro. Conclusions: These results suggest that M-CSF administration does not support lung regeneration but rather aggravates the lung destruction associated with elastase injury.
Survey of Current Practices in Fellowship Orientation
Authors: Lucarelli Maria R. , Lucey Catherine R. , Mastronarde John G.
Published: April 2006

Background: The transition from medical resident to subspecialty fellow is a critical time period in fellowship training that has not been well described. The current practices of fellow orientation in pulmonary and critical care training programs are not known. Objectives: The aim of this study was to describe orientation practices for training programs in the United States. Methods: A 10-question survey was sent via e-mail to program directors of pulmonary/critical care fellowship programs identified on the American Thoracic Society (ATS) webpage of current programs. Results: Eighty-seven programs responded (61.7%), of which 86% had a formal orientation program. The mean time spent in fellow orientation was 5–10 h in didactic sessions and 0–5 h in wet labs. The most frequent didactic sessions were bronchoscopy in 69 programs (80.2%), pulmonary function testing in 63 programs (73.3%) and orientation to hospital services in 63 programs (73.3%). The most frequent use of wet labs was in bronchoscopy training in 60 programs (81.1%) and ventilators in 45 programs (60.8%). Simulators were used in 37 programs (43%). The majority reported that these areas were covered with on the job training, without a formal designated orientation. Conclusion: This survey demonstrated that early fellow training differs across programs in both time spent and clinical and procedural topics covered. An early, standardized approach to clinical and procedural training can assure appropriate exposure that cannot be guaranteed by on the job training. To provide justification for such an approach, clinical outcomes need to be correlated with training methods.
Evaluating the Use of a Streptococcus pneumoniae Urinary Antigen Detection Kit for the Management of Community-Acquired Pneumonia in Japan
Authors: Kobashi Yoshihiro , Yoshida Kouichiro , Miyashita Naoyuki , Niki Yoshihito , Matsushima Toshiharu
Published: April 2006

Background: The urinary antigen detection kit for Streptococcus pneumoniae was tested. Objectives: It was our aim to evaluate the usefulness of the immunochromatographic membrane test by doing a large prospective study of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in Japan. Methods: We prospectively evaluated the use of the S. pneumoniae urinary antigen detection kit and analyzed the treatment and clinical effect seen in patients with positive test kit results. One hundred and fifty-six patients with CAP admitted to our hospital between October 2001 and September 2003 were evaluated. Results: In 49% of these CAP patients, the causative microorganisms were isolated. S. pneumoniae was suspected to be the causative microorganism in 15%, but positive results of the urinary antigen detection kit indicated S. pneumoniae to be a probable microorganism in 28%, even though antibiotics had previously been administered to half of the patients. The kit was particularly useful for diagnosing patients with poor quality sputum in whom antibiotics treatment nevertheless had to be selected. Antibiotics appropriate for S. pneumoniae (mainly penicillin) were given. The treatment was found to have excellent clinical results in 89% of the CAP patients. Conclusions: The S. pneumoniae urinary antigen detection kit was considered to be useful in selecting treatment since there was a high level of clinical effectiveness when the most suitable antibiotics were immediately administered to positive patients. The use of the S. pneumoniae urinary antigen kit is rapid and simple compared with conventional microbiological procedures.
The Prognostic Determinants of Gastric Cancer Treatment Outcome in Omani Arab Patients
Authors: Al-Moundhri M.S. , Al-Bahrani B. , Burney I.A. , Nirmala V. , Al-Madhani A. , Al-Mawaly K. , Al-Nabhani M. , Thomas V. , Ganguly S.S. , Grant C.S.
Published: April 2006

Background: Gastric cancer is the most common cancer in Oman and a leading cause of cancer death. The variation in survival rates between countries and ethnic groups has been attributed to early detection policies, differences in clinicopathological features, treatment approaches, and biological characteristics. There were no previous reports on gastric cancer from Oman and very few studies on Asian Arabs. Aim: To evaluate the impact of clinicopathological and treatment variables on the survival prospects of Omani Arab patients diagnosed with gastric cancer. Methods: The medical records of 339 Omani Arab patients diagnosed with invasive gastric adenocarcinoma during the period 1993–2004 were retrospectively reviewed. The relative importance of clinicopathological features and surgical and medical treatments were assessed using univariate and multivariate analyses. Results: Most patients had distal ulcerating-type gastric cancer and presented at advanced stages. The median survival time for the entire cohort was 12 months (95% CI 9.7–14.4) with a 5-year overall survival rate of 16.7%. On univariate analysis of 237 patients who underwent surgical resection, the following positive prognostic factors emerged as significant: early overall TNM stage, early T stage, negative lymph nodes, tumor size <5 cm, ulcerating macroscopic appearance, and curative surgical attempt. The independent prognostic factors on multivariate analysis were T stage and lymph node involvement. Conclusion: The overall T and N stages are the most important determining factor for survival in Omani Arab patients. More efforts need to be made for the early detection of gastric cancer in developing countries such as Oman, while continuing to employ the standard surgical and medical treatments.
Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase in Vascular Disease
Authors: Förstermann Ulrich , Münzel Thomas
Published: April 2006

Nitric oxide (NO·) is an important protective molecule in the vasculature, and endothelial NO· synthase (eNOS) is responsible for most of the vascular NO· produced. A functional eNOS oxidizes its substratel-arginine tol-citrulline and NO·. This normal function of eNOS requires dimerization of the enzyme, the presence of the substratel-arginine, and the essential cofactor (6R)-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-l-biopterin (BH4), one of the most potent naturally occurring reducing agents. Cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes mellitus, or chronic smoking stimulate the production of reactive oxygen species in the vascular wall. Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidases represent major sources of this reactive oxygen species and have been found upregulated and activated in animal models of hypertension, diabetes, and sedentary lifestyle and in patients with cardiovascular risk factors. Superoxide (O2·−) reacts avidly with vascular NO· to form peroxynitrite (ONOO−). The cofactor BH4is highly sensitive to oxidation by ONOO−. Diminished levels of BH4promote O2·−production by eNOS (referred to as eNOS uncoupling). This transformation of eNOS from a protective enzyme to a contributor to oxidative stress has been observed in several in vitro models, in animal models of cardiovascular diseases, and in patients with cardiovascular risk factors. In many cases, supplementation with BH4has been shown to correct eNOS dysfunction in animal models and patients. In addition, folic acid and infusions of vitamin C are able to restore eNOS functionality, most probably by enhancing BH4levels as well.
Yunnan.s Water Resource Development
Authors: Yang Rongxin
Published: April 2006

The Western Development Programme is a strategic project for China's sustainable development in the twenty-first century. It focuses on exploration of natural resources, on protecting and restoring the environment, and expanding the social economy in order to eliminate poverty and remove the disparity between the East and the West. Known as the ‘Water Tower’ of Asia, Yunnan province enjoys geographical advantages over eleven other western provinces due to its bountiful natural resources. Given that China has entered the World Trade Organization (WTO), it is of tremendous importance for Yunnan to seize the opportunity, and properly explore and protect its water resources so as to promote its social and economic development.
Indo-Tibetan Border Trade In Himachal Pradesh
Authors: Vasan Sudha
Published: April 2006

Trade along the Indo-Tibetan border in Himachal Pradesh has a long history with the first state intervention in trade recorded over three hundred years ago. Colonial mercantile interests, the political interests of independent India and China, infrastructure, economic development and cultural transformations have all affected this trade and transformed communities living on either side of the border. A memorandum on the resumption of border trade between India and Chinese Tibet was signed at New Delhi on 13 December 1991, and Shipki La in Himachal Pradesh was one of the two designated trade routes. This article discusses the historical transformations in trade and in the lives of communities living along this border on the Indian side. The two major trade routes along Shipki La and the Kaurik Pass are described. Current practices, attitudes and aspirations of traders and villagers along these routes, and the quantum and quality of current and potential trade are analysed. Based on this, the potential impact of encouraging legal trade along these traditional routes and the impediments to improvement in trade are discussed.
US.India.China
Authors: Gupta Amit
Published: April 2006

With the rise of India and China to potential great power status, there is now talk of the United States, India and China being the three poles in the international system of 2050. This article argues that the three countries are on different power trajectories and that two of these trajectories—those of the United States and China—will lead to a strategic rivalry. On the other hand, India's power trajectory, while faced with conflict at the South Asian level of analysis, may well allow it to play the role of a ‘swing state’.

As a swing state, India could work as a facilitator to get China to work in a cooperative security arrangement to secure energy supplies, maintain freedom of navigation on the high seas, and play according to the rules that make it a status quo power in the international system. In return, India would expect China to settle the border dispute to India's advantage, delink from Pakistan, and be more considerate of India's own quest for securing energy resources.
Feasibility of the Russia-China-India “Strategic Triangle.
Authors: Pant Harsh V.
Published: April 2006

The present international system is defined by the phenomenal power that the United States (US) enjoys relative to any other state in the system. With the US as the world's only super power, the idea has taken hold in some capitals that big countries such as Russia, China and India should work concertedly to balance the US influence. One of the major endeavours on this front has been an attempt by Russia, China and India to forge trilateral cooperation into what has been termed as a “strategic triangle.. The possibility of the emergence of such a “strategic triangle. remains quite low given the present structure of international politics where the US has more comprehensive ties with Russia, China and India than any two of them have between themselves. Moreover, though bilateral ties among the three states in question have improved considerably in recent years, much more effort is required to bring them to the footing of a meaningful strategic relationship. Not only are Russia, China and India too weak to balance the US power in any significant measure, the allure of US power remains too strong for them to resist.
A Discourse on Black Studies
Authors: Asante Molefi Kete
Published: April 2006

This article seeks to examine the current phase in the discipline with a projection of what it could be in the future if researchers reevaluate their responses from the standpoint of African people as subjects instead of objects. Research centered on African agency and centeredness asks different questions than does that which views Africans as problems or issues to be handled by Eurocentric examinations. Thus, the building of departments, the administrative unit for programs and disciplines, must begin with the view that African American studies (Africology, Africana studies, Black studies, etc.) is not merely history, sociology, or literature. What researchers in this field do, by virtue of their disciplinary and philosophical orientation, is something entirely different and is based on an exposure to a new paradigm that is deeply embedded in the notion and practice of African agency.
A Preliminary Report and Commentary on the Structure of Graduate Afrocentric Research and Implications for the Advancement of the Discipline of Africalogy, 1980-2004
Authors: Bankole Katherine Olukemi
Published: April 2006

The purpose of this article is to discuss the findings of an examination of 81 randomly selected dissertations submitted for completion of the doctoratelevel degree between 1980 and 2004. In this sample, 37 institutions of higher education in the United States produced doctoral recipients who based their major research on Afrocentric analysis. This random sampling of dissertations does not begin to indicate the actual number of dissertations that utilized an Afrocentric theory and/or methodology in higher education between 1980 and 2004. However, the sample gives us an important indication of how Afrocentric scholarship has captured academic and intellectual enthusiasm and provided a groundbreaking theoretical and methodological basis for the discipline of Black studies. The analysis of these dissertations indicates significant findings for the advancement of the discipline of Africalogy.
Black Studies in the 21st Century
Authors: Christian Mark
Published: April 2006

This article is concerned with the fact that Black studies (or African American studies, Africana studies, Pan-African studies, African Centered studies, Afrocentric studies, Africalogical studies, African and African Diaspora studies—they all basically mean the same thing) continues to have a contested existence in the U.S. academy. However, regardless of the ever-present need to validate itself, this field defies all attempts to silence its voice. The works of Black studies scholars are “here, there, and everywhere” if one cares to take the time to search and sift through the many scholarly contributions. Admittedly, the field is very diverse with numerous schools of thought. Yet rather than viewing this diversity as a problem, it should endorse the fact that Black studies continues to make strides in the academy. This is not to suggest that there are not problems facing its growth and development in the university systems; this article shall highlight a number, but it does make a worthwhile claim against any notion of a decline in the scholarly interest in peoples of African descent, in terms of history, culture, socioeconomics, and politics.
The Sky is Falling
Authors: Etter-Lewis Gwendolyn
Published: April 2006

This article is in response to Robin Wilson's April 22, 2005, piece in the Chronicle of Higher Educationand the larger issues that it evokes. The author frames her argument in the context of the way language is used to construct Black studies as “the Other” in the academy. That is, language as it is used in Wilson's essay and elsewhere marks or codes Black studies in certain, mostly negative, and questionable ways. Using the Chicken Little analogy, the author explores the invisible agenda hidden in Wilson's words.
The Souls of Black Radical Folk
Authors: Rabaka Reiland
Published: April 2006

W. E. B. Du Bois provides an important, though often overlooked, Africana history, culture, and philosophy – informed framework for (a) redeveloping Africana studies and relating it to the crises and conundrums of the 21st century; (b) reconstructing critical social theory, making it more multicultural, transethnic, transgender, and non-Western European–philosophy focused; and (c) reinventing what it means to be an insurgent intellectualactivist (one who relates critical theory to radical political praxis). Du Bois has been hailed as an historian, sociologist, Marxist, and political activist but never an early interdisciplinary social theorist with concrete political commitments to not simply Black liberation and racial justice but to women's liberation, the poor masses and working classes, and colonized people of color worldwide. He has long been praised and criticized by scholars who have interpreted and reinterpreted his work, often overlooking its deep critical theoretical dimensions. In this article, Du Bois's multifarious and ever-evolving social theory is situated at the center and examined for its significance to the discourse and development of Africana studies, contemporary radical political theory, and revolutionary social movements.
Prescriptive Thinking
Authors: Evans Karen G. , Lowery Daniel
Published: April 2006

This article presents a conceptual model related to normative truth claims and is advanced as part of a larger project involving the development of a logical taxonomy of options available to public administration scholars as they assess projects of various kinds. The model differentiates among five types of truth claims, two paradigmatic options, various theoretical perspectives, four forms of argumentation, and several kinds of evidence, creating a roadmap that can be used by scholars—particularly those just entering the field—to conceptualize and articulate their projects. It also provides a framework against which normative truth claims can be evaluated.
Organization/Literature: Exploring the Seam
Authors: De Cock Christian , Land Christopher
Published: April 2006

In this paper we develop a particular way of understanding literature and organization with the aim of drawing on and extending the relationship between the two. Hence our subtitle: exploring the seam. Although the use of literary concepts and theories within our discipline is now well established, the way in which such ideas are taken up often neglects debate and contestation by treating ‘literature’ as a relatively homogeneous field. By following some of the ardent debates relating to issues of representation, the relation between text and extra-textual reality, and literature’s disclosure of its status as fiction, we find a discussion of (social) organization at the heart of contemporary literary theory. It is the oscillation between literature and organization that structures this paper and gives us our argument: that ‘organization’ and ‘literature’ are mutually co-articulating and interdependent concepts and fields of enquiry.
Institutional Influences on Manufacturing Organization in Multinational Corporations: The ‘Cherrypicking’ Approach
Authors: Geppert Mike , Matten Dirk
Published: April 2006

Research on the multinational corporation (MNC) is increasingly concerned with the alleged evolution of companies towards a more standardized and rationalized global organization. Only recently, this field has been informed by alternative approaches which generate a more differentiated picture and consider the influence of divergent national institutional contexts on the multinational organization. This paper makes a contribution to this debate from a comparative institutionalist perspective by focusing on manufacturing organization within MNCs. It argues that organization structures and processes in MNCs are sector specific and influenced by national institutional features of the home and host countries. Drawing on data from a specific industrial sector, it identifies the crucial role of home country and host country embeddedness in the (re)organization of manufacturing tasks and work systems. The key question is how actors shape the interaction of these institutional pressures and, hence, manufacturing approaches, location choices and work system designs. Research in British and German subsidiaries of three MNCs suggests that, particularly at subsidiary level, MNCs apply a ‘cherrypicking’ strategy of selected use of work system elements, shaped by the host country business system. It is shown that manufacturing strategies of MNCs originating from highly coordinated business systems are highly context specific and difficult (if not impossible) to transfer elsewhere. Moreover, ‘cherrypicking’ strategies in subsidiaries embedded in such contexts turned out to be highly problematic, especially when managers attempt to combine them with group-wide standardizing work systems.
The Political Dynamics of Organizational Culture in an Institutionalized Environment
Authors: Rodrigues Suzana Braga
Published: April 2006

This paper addresses organizational culture change from a longitudinal perspective. It analyses how the organizational culture of a major Brazilian telecommunications company changed during its 27-year history from a condition of integration to one of fragmentation and then differentiation. The paper identifies the sources of these changes, paying particular attention to the role of institutional and political factors. Based on the empirical data, a framework for analysing the dynamics of culture change in organizations is proposed.
Understanding Process From Within: An Argument for ‘Withness’-Thinking
Authors: Shotter John
Published: April 2006

If our task is simply that of theorizing process, then there are many brilliant writers and thinkers in the recent past to turn to. But as I see it, these writers are mostly oriented toward helping us think about process ‘from the outside’, about processes that we merely observe as happening ‘over there’. But if we are to rethink appropriate styles of empirical research, then we need a different form of engaged, responsive thinking, acting, and talking, that allows us to affect the flow of processes from within our living involvement with them. Crucially, this kind of responsive understanding only becomes available to us in our relations with living forms when we enter into dialogically structured relations with them. It remains utterly unavailable to us as external observers. I will call this kind of thinking, ‘thinking-from-within’ or ‘withness-thinking’, to contrast it with the ‘aboutness-thinking’ that is more familiar to us. What we can gain in our understandings-from-within, is a subsidiary awareness (Polanyi) of certain ‘action guiding feelings’ that can play a role in giving us an anticipatory sense of at least the style or the grammar of what is to come next in the ongoing process in which we happen to be involved, feelings which are lost in descriptions ‘from the outside’.
Environmental modelling of use of treated organic waste on agricultural land: a comparison of existing models for life cycle assessment of waste systems
Authors: Hansen Trine Lund , Christensen Thomas Højlund , Schmidt Sonja
Published: April 2006

Modelling of environmental impacts from the application of treated organic municipal solid waste (MSW) in agriculture differs widely between different models for environmental assessment of waste systems. In this comparative study five models were examined concerning quantification and impact assessment of environmental effects from land application of treated organic MSW: DST (Decision Support Tool, USA), IWM (Integrated Waste Management, UK), THE IFEU PROJECT (Germany), ORWARE (ORganic WAste REsearch, Sweden) and EASEWASTE (Environmental Assessment of Solid Waste Systems and Technologies, Denmark). DST and IWM are life cycle inventory (LCI) models, thus not performing actual impact assessment. The DST model includes only one water emission (biological oxygen demand) from compost leaching in the results and IWM considers only air emissions from avoided production of commercial fertilizers. THE IFEU PROJECT, ORWARE and EASEWASTE are life cycle assessment (LCA) models containing more detailed land application modules. A case study estimating the environmental impacts from land application of 1 ton of composted source sorted organic household waste was performed to compare the results from the different models and investigate the origin of any difference in type or magnitude of the results. The contributions from the LCI models were limited and did not depend on waste composition or local agricultural conditions. The three LCA models use the same overall approach for quantifying the impacts of the system. However, due to slightly different assumptions, quantification methods and environmental impact assessment, the obtained results varied clearly between the models. Furthermore, local conditions (e.g. soil type, farm type, climate and legal regulation) and waste composition strongly influenced the results of the environmental assessment.
Production of brown and black pigments by using flotation waste from copper slag
Authors: Ozel Emel , Turan Servet , çoruh Semra , Ergun Osman Nuri
Published: April 2006

One of the major problems in copper-producing countries is the treatment of the large amount of copper slag or copper flotation waste generated from copper slag which contains significant amounts of heavy metals such as Cu, Zn, Pb and Co. Dumping or disposal of such large quantities of flotation waste from copper slag causes environmental and space problems. In this study, the treatment of flotation waste from copper slag by a thermal method and its use as an iron source in the production of inorganic brown and black pigments that are used in the ceramic industry were investigated. The pigments were produced by calcining different amounts of flotation waste and chromite, Cr2O3, ZnO and CoO mixtures. The pigments obtained were added to transparent ceramic glazes and porcelainized tile bodies. Their colours were defined by L* a* b* measurements with a spectrophotometer. The results showed that flotation waste from copper slag could be used as an iron source to produce brown and black pigments in both ceramic body and glazes.
Life cycle modelling of environmental impacts of application of processed organic municipal solid waste on agricultural land (Easewaste)
Authors: Hansen Trine Lund , Bhander Gurbakhash S. , Christensen Thomas Højlund , Bruun Sander , Jensen Lars Stoumann
Published: April 2006

A model capable of quantifying the potential environmental impacts of agricultural application of composted or anaerobically digested source-separated organic municipal solid waste (MSW) is presented. In addition to the direct impacts, the model accounts for savings by avoiding the production and use of commercial fertilizers. The model is part of a larger model, Environmental Assessment of Solid Waste Systems and Technology (EASEWASTE), developed as a decision-support model, focusing on assessment of alternative waste management options. The environmental impacts of the land application of processed organic waste are quantified by emission coefficients referring to the composition of the processed waste and related to specific crop rotation as well as soil type. The model contains several default parameters based on literature data, field experiments and modelling by the agro-ecosystem model, Daisy. All data can be modified by the user allowing application of the model to other situations. A case study including four scenarios was performed to illustrate the use of the model. One tonne of nitrogen in composted and anaerobically digested MSW was applied as fertilizer to loamy and sandy soil at a plant farm in western Denmark. Application of the processed organic waste mainly affected the environmental impact categories global warming (0.4-0.7 PE), acidification (-0.06 (saving)-1.6 PE), nutrient enrichment (-1.0 (saving)-3.1 PE), and toxicity. The main contributors to these categories were nitrous oxide formation (global warming), ammonia volatilization (acidification and nutrient enrichment), nitrate losses (nutrient enrichment and groundwater contamination), and heavy metal input to soil (toxicity potentials). The local agricultural conditions as well as the composition of the processed MSW showed large influence on the environmental impacts. A range of benefits, mainly related to improved soil quality from long-term application of the processed organic waste, could not be generally quantified with respect to the chosen life cycle assessment impact categories and were therefore not included in the model. These effects should be considered in conjunction with the results of the life cycle assessment.
The performance of a natural treatment system for landfill leachate with special emphasis on the fate of organic pollutants
Authors: Thörneby Lars , Mathiasson Lennart , Mårtensson Lennart , Hogland William
Published: April 2006

A natural treatment system for the treatment of leachate was studied at Moskogen landfill in southern Sweden. This facility consists of three consecutive ponds and a soil-plant (SP)-system. A test area, receiving water from the third pond with the same hydraulic load as the SP-system, was used for estimation of the latter system. Quality parameters including biochemical oxygen demand, total organic carbon, ammonium, nitrate, orthophosphate, and total suspended solids along the treatment line were determined as well as soluble metals (Cu, Cd, Zn, Cr, Ni, and Pb). In addition a thorough investigation along the treatment line has also been performed concerning volatile organic compounds and semi-volatile organic compounds. Non-polar organic compounds were investigated using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Quantification was based on the assumption of equal response for the compounds found in comparison with the chosen marker substances. For polar, water-soluble compounds the measurements were restricted to phenolic compounds using high-performance liquid chromatography. Several different types of organic compounds were found in the raw leachate including aromatics, benzene-sulfonamides, biphenyls, naphthalene, organic phosphates, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls, phenols and phthalates. The treatment system efficiently reduced organic pollutants, heavy metals, and nitrogen/phosphorous compounds. Most metals and organic compounds in the leachate were already significantly reduced to a low level in the treatment ponds and ammonium-N was efficiently transformed to nitrate-N in the SP-system.
Recovery of copper and cobalt from ancient slag
Authors: Bulut Gülay
Published: April 2006

About 2.5 million tonnes of copper smelter slag are available in Küre, northern part of Turkey. This slag contains large amounts of metallic values such as copper and cobalt. A representative slag sample containing 0.98% Cu, 0.49% Co and 51.47% Fe was used in the experimental studies. Two different methods, direct acid leaching and acid baking followed by hot water leaching were used for recovering Cu and Co from the slag. The effects of leaching time, temperature and acid concentration on Cu- and Co-dissolving efficiencies were investigated in the direct acid leaching tests. The optimum leaching conditions were found to be a leaching time of 2 h, acid concentration of 120 g L-1, and temperature of 60°C. Under these conditions, 78% Cu and 90% Co were extracted. In the acid baking + hot water leaching tests, 74% Co was dissolved after 1 h of roasting at 200°C using a 3: 1 acid: slag ratio, whereas the Cu-dissolving efficiency was 79% and the total slag weight loss was approximately 50%.
Integrating multi-criteria techniques with geographical information systems in waste facility location to enhance public participation
Authors: Higgs Gary
Published: April 2006

Despite recent UK Government commitments’ to encourage public participation in environmental decision making, those exercises conducted to date have been largely confined to ‘traditional’ modes of participation such as the dissemination of information and in encouraging feedback on proposals through, for example, questionnaires or surveys. It is the premise of this paper that participative approaches that use IT-based methods, based on combined geographical information systems (GIS) and multi-criteria evaluation techniques that could involve the public in the decision-making process, have the potential to build consensus and reduce disputes and conflicts such as those arising from the siting of different types of waste facilities. The potential of these techniques are documented through a review of the existing literature in order to highlight the opportunities and challenges facing decision makers in increasing the involvement of the public at different stages of the waste facility management process. It is concluded that there are important lessons to be learned by researchers, consultants, managers and decision makers if barriers hindering the wider use of such techniques are to be overcome.