bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cultural rhetoric in coming‐out narratives: Witi Ihimaera's The Uncle's Story
Authors: TAWAKE SANDRA
Published: October 2006

ABSTRACT:  The novel The Uncle's Story by New Zealand Maori Witi Ihimaera tells a story within a story, recounting the coming out narratives of two Maori gay men who lived 25 years apart in the same family. The novel is examined in light of Bacon's (1998) discussion of the possibility of a cultural rhetoric of the queer movement for liberation. Representations of self in the two Maori gay men's stories both challenge and sustain essential notions of sexual identity and contemporary theories of rhetorical practice. Ihimaera's fictional representations of coming out capture the complexity and nuance of coming‐out experiences in a way that expressivist accounts of actual coming‐out stories may obliterate or obscure. In this novel Ihimaera extends the artistic representation of gay culture he presented in Nights in the Gardens of Spain in a way that does not fall apart under close scrutiny because it does not oversimplify what happens in the same way that truth‐telling often does.
Contextualizingauntyin Singaporean English
Authors: WONG JOCK
Published: October 2006

ABSTRACT: Presumably, in any culture, people who are perceived to be different from some ‘mainstream’ majority are categorized in some way and assigned a label. Such ‘cultural’ categories can be complimentary or, usually, pejorative and are therefore good indicators of cultural attitudes and values. We can learn a lot about a culture through the semantic study of its cultural categories. In Singapore English, the social honorificsauntyanduncleare used by extension as cultural categories to refer, somewhat unflatteringly, to a distinct kind of people. Yet, ironically, the use of these terms also reflects deference for age and thus indicates the speakers' mixed feelings towards the objects of their reference. In this paper, the meaning of the wordauntyis described in the form of a reductive paraphrase using natural semantic metalanguage. On the basis of meaning, the contrastive cultural attitudes reflected by the use of the word are explored.
A heterogeneous computing system for data mining workflows in multi‐agent environments
Authors: Luo Ping , Lü Kevin , Huang Rui , He Qing , Shi Zhongzhi
Published: October 2006

Abstract:The computing‐intensive data mining (DM) process calls for the support of a heterogeneous computing system, which consists of multiple computers with different configurations connected by a high‐speed large‐area network for increased computational power and resources. The DM process can be described as a multi‐phase pipeline process, and in each phase there could be many optional methods. This makes the workflow for DM very complex and it can be modeled only by a directed acyclic graph (DAG). A heterogeneous computing system needs an effective and efficient scheduling framework, which orchestrates all the computing hardware to perform multiple competitive DM workflows. Motivated by the need for a practical solution of the scheduling problem for the DM workflow, this paper proposes a dynamic DAG scheduling algorithm according to the characteristics of an execution time estimation model for DM jobs. Based on an approximate estimation of job execution time, this algorithm first maps DM jobs to machines in adecentralizedanddiligent(defined in this paper) manner. Then the performance of this initial mapping can be improved throughjob migrationswhen necessary. The scheduling heuristic used considers the factors of both theminimal completion timecriterion and thecritical pathin a DAG. We implement this system in an established multi‐agent system environment, in which the reuse of existing DM algorithms is achieved by encapsulating them into agents. The system evaluation and its usage in oil well logging analysis are also discussed.
CDK2-Dependent Phosphorylation of FOXO1 as an Apoptotic Response to DNA Damage
Authors: Huang Haojie , Regan Kevin M. , Lou Zhenkun , Chen Junjie , Tindall Donald J.
Published: October 2006

The function of cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2) is often abolished after DNA damage. The inhibition of CDK2 plays a central role in DNA damage–induced cell cycle arrest and DNA repair. However, whether CDK2 also influences the survival of cells under genotoxic stress is unknown. Forkhead box O (FOXO) transcription factors are emerging as key regulators of cell survival. CDK2 specifically phosphorylated FOXO1 at serine-249 (Ser
249
) in vitro and in vivo. Phosphorylation of Ser
249
resulted in cytoplasmic localization and inhibition of FOXO1. This phosphorylation was abrogated upon DNA damage through the cell cycle checkpoint pathway that is dependent on the protein kinases Chk1 and Chk2. Moreover, silencing of FOXO1 by small interfering RNA diminished DNA damage–induced death in both p53-deficient and p53-proficient cells. This effect was reversed by restored expression of FOXO1 in a manner depending on phosphorylation of Ser
249
. Functional interaction between CDK2 and FOXO1 provides a mechanism that regulates apoptotic cell death after DNA strand breakage.
Tandem Riboswitch Architectures Exhibit Complex Gene Control Functions
Authors: Sudarsan Narasimhan , Hammond Ming C. , Block Kirsten F. , Welz Rüdiger , Barrick Jeffrey E. , Roth Adam , Breaker Ronald R.
Published: October 2006

Riboswitches are structured RNAs typically located in the 5′ untranslated regions of bacterial mRNAs that bind metabolites and control gene expression. Most riboswitches sense one metabolite and function as simple genetic switches. However, we found that the 5′ region of the
Bacillus clausii metE
messenger RNA includes two riboswitches that respond to
S
-adenosylmethionine and coenzyme B
12
. This tandem arrangement yields a composite gene control system that functions as a two-input Boolean NOR logic gate. These findings and the discovery of additional tandem riboswitch architectures reveal how simple RNA elements can be assembled to make sophisticated genetic decisions without involving protein factors.
Fighting Fire with Common Sense
Authors: Steinberg Ted
Published: October 2006

Wildfire
. A Century of Failed Forest Policy.
George Wuerthner, Ed.
. Foundation for Deep Ecology, Sausalito, CA, in association with Island Press, Washington, DC, 2006. 352 pp. $75. ISBN 1-59726-069-X. Paper, $45. ISBN 1-59726-070-3.

The contributors to the large-format, photo-rich volume discuss the ecology of fire landscapes of the western United States along with the effects of the policies and practices of fire suppression, prescribed burns, salvage logging, and land-use planning.
COST-EFFECTIVE WORMHOLE ROUTING IN TORUS
Authors: GE JINMING
Published: October 2006

The cost-effectiveness of wormhole torus-networks is systematically evaluated with emphasis on new buffered-wormhole routing algorithms. These algorithms use fixed datelines and escape channels to alleviate bottleneck and bubble problems caused by previous algorithms so as to improve the buffer efficiency with little hardware overhead. A two-part evaluation environment is developed consisting of a cycle-driven simulator for high-level measurements such as network capacity and an ASIC design package for low-level measurements such as operating frequency and chip area. This environment is used to demonstrate that the new routers are more cost-effective than their counterparts under various workload parameters.
PREDICTING UNCERTAIN OUTCOMES USING INFORMATION MARKETS: TRADER BEHAVIOR AND INFORMATION AGGREGATION
Authors: CHEN YILING , CHU CHAO-HSIEN , MULLEN TRACY
Published: October 2006

Forecasting seems to be a ubiquitous endeavor in human societies. In this paper, information markets are introduced as a promising mechanism for predicting uncertain outcomes. Information markets are markets that are specially designed for aggregating information and making predictions on future events. A generic model of information markets is proposed. We derive some fundamental properties on when information markets can converge to the direct communications equilibrium, which aggregates all information across traders and is the best possible prediction for the event under consideration. Information markets, if properly designed, have substantial potential to facilitate organizations in making better informed decisions.
GRAPHS, NETWORKS AND ACE
Authors: CHEN SHU-HENG
Published: October 2006

Following the standard probabilistic approach, we shall explicitly show the relation between a microscopic and a macroscopic view of an economy in the context of a discrete choice model. Two crucial issues to do with the graphical applications to the network economy are addressed. The first one concerns the representation richness of the graph, whereas the second one concerns the formation and evolution of the graph when it is applied to social networks. This study can be a starting point to see the relevance of agent-based computational economics (ACE) to the network economy, in particular, after bringing in the interaction mechanism associated with a network topology.
PREDICTION OF BIRD FLU A(H5N1) OUTBREAKS IN TAIWAN BY ONLINE AUCTION: EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS
Authors: WANG SUN-CHONG , TSENG JIE-JUN , LI SAI-PING , CHEN SHU-HENG
Published: October 2006

The ability of accurate epidemic prediction facilitates early preparation for the disease and minimizes losses due to any strikes. We devised a platform on the Web for users to exchange their information/opinions on the possible avian flu outbreaks in Taiwan. The likelihood of the first human infection from bird flu in Taiwan in, say, December 2005 is securitized in the form of a futures contract. Incentives are introduced via a tournament: users trade the futures in the market on our Web server in order to win the awards at the end of the tournament. We ran such a tournament during the period between December 2005 and February 2006. The results of the futures' prices correctly predicted no outbreaks of bird flu among the residents in Taiwan during the 3-month period, suggesting that the design of the futures exchange on the Web be a potentially useful tool for event forecasting. Another crucial aspect of the experiment is that, associated with the price convergence, the transaction volume also quickly converges to zero, which is closely related to the famous no-trade theorem in theoretical economics.
Hypoxia Tolerance in Mammals and Birds: From the Wilderness to the Clinic
Authors: Ramirez Jan-Marino , Folkow Lars P. , Blix Arnoldus S.
Published: October 2006

All mammals and birds must develop effective strategies to cope with reduced oxygen availability. These animals achieve tolerance to acute and chronic hypoxia by (a) reductions in metabolism, (b) the prevention of cellular injury, and (c) the maintenance of functional integrity. Failure to meet any one of these tasks is detrimental. Birds and mammals accomplish this triple task through a highly coordinated, systems-level reconfiguration involving the partial shutdown of some but not all organs. This reconfiguration is achieved through a similarly complex reconfiguration at the cellular and molecular levels. Reconfiguration at these various levels depends on numerous factors that include the environment, the degree of hypoxic stress, and developmental, behavioral, and ecological conditions. Although common molecular strategies exist, the cellular and molecular changes in any given cell are very diverse. Some cells remain metabolically active, whereas others shut down or rely on anaerobic metabolism. This cellular shutdown is temporarily regulated, and during hypoxic exposure, active cellular networks must continue to control vital functions. The challenge for future research is to explore the cellular mechanisms and conditions that transform an organ or a cellular network into a hypometabolic state, without loss of functional integrity. Much can be learned in this respect from nature: Diving, burrowing, and hibernating animals living in diverse environments are masters of adaptation and can teach us how to deal with hypoxia, an issue of great clinical significance.
7-12 Hz High-Voltage Rhythmic Spike Discharges in Rats Evaluated by Antiepileptic Drugs and Flicker Stimulation
Authors: Shaw Fu-Zen
Published: October 2006

Paroxysmal 7- to 12-Hz high-voltage rhythmic spike (HVRS) or spike-wave discharges often appear in several particular strains of rats. However, functional hypotheses of these 7-12 Hz high-voltage cortical oscillations (absence seizure vs. idling mu rhythm) are inconclusive. The mu rhythm can be provoked by flicker stimulation (FS) in most people, but FS is less effective at eliciting absence epileptic activity. Therefore FS and antiepileptic drugs were used to verify the role of HVRS activity in Long-Evans rats with spontaneous HVRS discharges and Wistar rats without spontaneous HVRS discharges. The occurrence of HVRS discharges was significantly reduced by antiabsence drugs (ethosuximide, valproic acid, and diazepam) in dose-dependent manners, but high-dose carbamazepine displayed little effect. On the other hand, oscillation frequencies and durations of spontaneous HVRS discharges were not altered by FS. Under asynchronous brain activity, many FSs (>60%) elicited small-amplitude mu-rhythm-like activity in the barrel cortex concomitant with FS-related rhythms in the occipital cortex and resulted in significant augmentation of 7-12 Hz power in the parietal region. Furthermore, a large portion of FSs (>60%) revealed increase of 7-12 Hz power of the parietal cortex after ethosuximide administration (100 mg/kg ip) in Long-Evans rats. Similar FS-elicited phenomena also appeared in Wistar rats. Characteristics of FS-elicited mu-rhythm-like activities were consistent with those observed in humans, and they remarkably differed from those of spontaneous HVRS discharges. These results support the hypothesis that HVRS activity in Long-Evans rats may be an absence-like seizure activity rather than the mu rhythm.
Reasons for Tooth Extraction in Kuwait
Authors: Al-Shammari Khalaf F. , Al-Ansari Jassem M. , Al-Melh Manal Abu , Al-Khabbaz Areej K.
Published: October 2006

Objectives: To investigate reasons for tooth extraction and its association with age and gender in Kuwait. Subjects and Methods: A record of all tooth extractions performed in 21 general dental practice centers during a 1-month period was logged on specially designed study forms. The patient’s age and gender, number of teeth extracted, and the reason(s) for the extraction were recorded. Results: A total of 2,783 teeth were extracted in 1,604 patients (1.73 ± 0.07 teeth per patient). Caries and periodontal disease were responsible for 43.7 and 37.4% of extractions, respectively. Caries was the principal cause for extraction in patients ≤40 years old (60.7%), while periodontal disease was the main cause of extractions in patients ≧40 years of age (63.0%). Extractions for caries and orthodontic reasons were more common in females, while extractions for periodontal disease were more prevalent in males. Molars and maxillary premolars were more commonly extracted due to caries, while mandibular premolars, and maxillary and mandibular anterior teeth (canines and incisors) were more commonly extracted due to periodontal disease. Conclusions: The data show that caries is the principal cause for extractions in younger patients, while periodontal disease accounts for the majority of tooth extractions in patients older than 40 years. Furthermore, this study indicates that more teeth per patient are lost to periodontal disease than for any other reason.
Childhood Meningitis in Kuwait: Epidemiology of Etiologic Agents and the Need for Pneumococcal Disease Prevention
Authors: Shabani Issa S. , Al-Ateeqi Wafaa , Abu-Shanab Othman , El-Sori Hassan , Omar Nihad , Ahmed Hussain F. , Al-Musallam Maysoon
Published: October 2006

Objective: To investigate the epidemiology of the etiologic agents causing bacterial meningitis in Kuwait. Subjects and Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of the medical records of children 1 month to 12 years old who had cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) findings consistent with meningitis. Patients were identified from the records of the Departments of Microbiology and Communicable Diseases in six regional hospitals during 2001. They were divided into bacterial and viral infective groups. Results: Ninety children had CSF findings consistent with meningitis, 44 bacterial (23 culture proven, 21 probable) and 46 viral. Streptococcus pneumoniae and Neisseria meningitidis were the most frequently isolated organisms (44 and 30%, respectively). A 2-month-old child had Haemophilus influenzae and was the only mortality of this series. S. pneumoniae is the leading bacterial agent causing meningitis in children under the age of 1 year; 61% had bacterial meningitis compared to 37% with viral meningitis. Sequelae were encountered in 23% of bacterial cases. Conclusion: The results indicate that S. pneumoniae is the leading bacterial agent causing meningitis, indicating a need for the introduction of polyvalent pneumococcal vaccine.
Association of Physical Activity and the Metabolic Syndrome in Children and Adolescents: CASPIAN Study
Authors: Kelishadi Roya , Razaghi Emran Mohammad , Gouya Mohammad Mehdí , Ardalan Gelayol , Gheiratmand Riaz , Delavari Alireza , Motaghian Molouk , Ziaee Vahid , Siadat Zahra Dana , Majdzadeh Reza , Heshmat Ramin , Barekati Hamed , Arabi Minoo Sadat Mahmoud , Heidarzadeh Abtin , Shariatinejad Keivan
Published: October 2006

Background/Aim: To determine the association of physical activity and the metabolic syndrome in a large national-representative sample of children. Methods: This study was performed in 2003–2004 on 4,811 school students aged 6–18 years, selected by multi-stage random cluster sampling from six provinces in Iran. We assessed the level of physical activity using a standardized questionnaire, and categorized it to the tertiles. The metabolic syndrome was defined based on criteria analogous to those of the Adult Treatment Panel III. Results: The participants comprised 2,248 boys and 2,563 girls with a mean age of 12.07 ± 3.2 years. In all age groups, boys were more physically active than girls. The metabolic syndrome was detected in 14.1% of participants, and its prevalence was higher in those subjects in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd tertiles of physical activity, respectively (15.1 vs.14.2 and 13.1%, respectively, p <0.05). This difference was seen in boys, while no difference was found between girls in the 2nd and 3rd tertiles of physical activity. Physical activity was linked to a cluster of factors consisting of high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol and waist circumference, followed by triglycerides in boys, and of triglycerides, waist circumference and blood pressure in girls. In both genders, before and after adjustment for age and body mass index, low levels of physical activity significantly increased the risk of having the metabolic syndrome [in boys: OR: 1.8, 95% CI: 1.1, 2.1; and in girls, OR: 1.6 (1.1, 1.9)]. Conclusion: We found an association between physical activity and the metabolic syndrome, which was independent of body mass index and age. Children should be encouraged to have greater physical activity.
Digestive Tract Schwannoma
Authors: Khan A.A. , Schizas A.M.P. , Cresswell A.B. , Khan M.K. , Khawaja H.T.
Published: October 2006

Background: Digestive tract schwannomas (DTS) are rare benign mesenchymal tumours usually affecting females between 30 and 60 years old. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 2 cases of DTS treated at our hospital. The first case is a 38-year-old female with gastric schwannoma presenting with acute upper gastro-intestinal bleeding. The second case is a 36-year-old female with mesenteric schwannoma presenting with chronic right iliac fossa pain. Both patients underwent surgical resection of the tumour. Results: Histology and immunohistochemistry revealed the typical appearance of a DTS. Conclusion: DTS is most commonly found in the stomach. It is usually asymptomatic but can present with variable symptoms. Definitive diagnosis can only be made on the basis of immunohistochemistry. Surgical resection is the treatment of choice.
F344 Rat Liver Nonparenchymal Cell Transplantation Can Increase the Number of Albumin-Positive Hepatocytes in the Liver following Hematopoietic Reconstitution in Irradiated Analbuminemic Rats
Authors: Xia Yan , Zhang Biao , Inagaki Mitsuhiro , Arikura Jun , Miyakoshi Masaaki , Yoshie Masumi , Ogawa Katsuhiro , Kasai Shinichi
Published: October 2006

The adult liver contains hematopoietic stem cells that can reconstitute the bone marrow. We tested whether bone marrow cells (BMCs) derived from liver nonparenchymal cells (LNPCs) can increase the number of hepatocytes within livers. LNPCs from Fischer 344 rats (F344) were infused into the penile veins of F344 congenic Nagase’s analbuminenic rats (F344alb) immediately after whole-body irradiation, and the recipients were sacrificed 8 weeks later. Eleven of 15 (73.3%) F344alb that received the LNPC transplantation after irradiation survived, while only 1 of 8 (12.5%) F344alb that received irradiation alone was alive after 8 weeks. Normal albumin gene sequences were detected by PCR in BMCs of the recipient F344alb that received LNPC transplantation after irradiation, indicating that F344alb bone marrow was reconstituted by F344 LNPCs. Although single or pairs of albumin-positive (Alb+) hepatocytes were seen in the liver of untreated F344alb and those with irradiation or LNPC transplantation alone, clusters consisting of >3 Alb+ hepatocytes were detected in the livers of F344alb with the LNPC or BMC transplantation after irradiation together with single or double Alb+ cells. Normal albumin gene sequences were detected by PCR in the DNA isolated from such Alb+ hepatocyte clusters microdissected from the immunostained sections. The data indicate that BMCs derived from F344 LNPCs could increase the number Alb+ hepatocytes within the F344alb liver.
Improvement of Epidermal Barrier Properties in Cultured Skin Substitutes after Grafting onto Athymic Mice
Authors: Barai Namrata D. , Supp Andrew P. , Kasting Gerald B. , Visscher Marty O. , Boyce Steven T.
Published: October 2006

Barrier function in cultured skin substitutes (CSS) prepared from human cell sources was measured by noninvasive (surface hydration, transepidermal water loss) and invasive methods (water permeation, niacinamide flux) before and after grafting onto athymic mice. In vitro measurements were made on days 7 and 14. Although three of the four measures of barrier function improved markedly from day 7 to 14, the values obtained were still far from those obtained with native human skin controls. Additional CSS were grafted onto athymic mice on day 14, and skin was harvested 2 and 6 weeks after grafting. Grafting brought about a substantial decrease in all measurements by 2 weeks and almost complete normalization of barrier function after 6 weeks. The most sensitive measure of this recovery was niacinamide permeability, which decreased from (280 ± 40) × 10–4 cm/h in vitro to (17 ± 30) × 10–4 cm/h 2 weeks after grafting and (5 ± 2) × 10–4 cm/h 6 weeks after grafting, versus control values of (2 ± 2) × 10–4 cm/h in human cadaver skin and (0.6 ± 0.4) × 10–4 cm/h in human epidermal membrane prepared from freshly excised breast skin. These results demonstrate the reformation of epidermal barrier function after transplantation and provide insights for the development of a functional epidermal barrier in CSS in vitro.
Topical Bioavailability of Triamcinolone Acetonide: Effect of Occlusion
Authors: Pellanda C. , Strub C. , Figueiredo V. , Rufli T. , Imanidis G. , Surber C.
Published: October 2006

Background/Aims: Occlusion by covering the skin with an impermeable wrap enhances skin hydration, affects drug absorption and can induce the formation of a drug reservoir within the stratum corneum. This is desired in local therapy with topical corticosteroids. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of occlusion before (experiment 1) and after (experiment 2) application on the penetration of triamcinolone acetonide (TACA) into the stratum corneum. Methods: The experiments were conducted on the forearms of 10 healthy volunteers. In experiment 1, 100 µg/cm2 TACA in acetone were applied on 3 sites per arm, one arm having been pre-occluded for 16 h. In experiment 2, the same dose was applied on 2 sites per arm, and one arm was occluded after application until skin sampling. Stratum corneum samples were removed by tape stripping at 0.5, 4 and 24 h (experiment 1) and 4 and 24 h (experiment 2) after application. Corneocytes and TACA were quantified by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy and HPLC, respectively. The total TACA amount penetrated into the stratum corneum was evaluated by multifactor ANOVA. Results: TACA penetration into the stratum corneum with and without pre-occlusion (experiment 1) showed no significant difference and decreased with time. Occlusion after application (experiment 2) produced a marked TACA accumulation within the stratum corneum, which persisted for 24 h. Conclusion: Pre-occlusion showed no effect on the topical bioavailability of TACA in the stratum corneum. In contrast, post-occlusion enhanced the TACA penetration by a factor of 2, favouring the development of a drug reservoir.
Chloroacetaldehyde as a Sulfhydryl Reagent: The Role of Critical Thiol Groups in Ifosfamide Nephropathy
Authors: Benesic Andreas , Schwerdt Gerald , Freudinger Ruth , Mildenberger Sigrid , Groezinger Franziska , Wollny Brigitte , Kirchhoff Antje , Gekle Michael
Published: October 2006

Chloroacetaldehyde (CAA) is a metabolite of the alkylating agent ifosfamide (IFO) and putatively responsible for renal damage following anti-tumor therapy with IFO. Depletion of sulfhydryl (SH) groups has been reported from cell culture, animal and clinical studies. In this work the effect of CAA on human proximal tubule cells in primary culture (hRPTEC) was investigated. Toxicity of CAA was determined by protein content, cell number, LDH release, trypan blue exclusion assay and caspase-3 activity. Free thiols were measured by the method of Ellman. CAA reduced hRPTEC cell number and protein, induced a loss in free intracellular thiols and an increase in necrosis markers. CAA but not acrolein inhibited the cysteine proteases caspase-3, caspase-8 and cathepsin B. Caspase activation by cisplatin was inhibited by CAA. In cells stained with fluorescent dyes targeting lysosomes, CAA induced an increase in lysosomal size and lysosomal leakage. The effects of CAA on cysteine protease activities and thiols could be reproduced in cell lysate. Acidification, which slowed the reaction of CAA with thiol donors, could also attenuate effects of CAA on necrosis markers, thiol depletion and cysteine protease inhibition in living cells. Thus, CAA directly reacts with cellular protein and non-protein thiols, mediating its toxicity on hRPTEC. This effect can be reduced by acidification. Therefore, urinary acidification could be an option to prevent IFO nephropathy in patients.
Gullah Island Dispute Resolution
Authors: Jenkins Morris
Published: October 2006

Restorative justice has been suggested as a means to deal with disproportionate minority confinement and other social problems within communities of color, specifically the Black community. However, scholars and practitioners have pointed out cultural concerns that must be addressed in the restorative justice process. Afrocentric theory and its principles have been suggested as a way to deal with the cultural concerns within the restorative justice process. This article examines the contemporary and historical means of informal dispute resolution in the Gullah Islands of South Carolina. These strategies of dispute or conflict resolution were used to deal with crime, delinquency, civil matters, community grievances, and other social wrongs outside the traditional common and civil legal systems. Through on-site in-depth interviews, focus groups, and an analysis of archival documents, the research determined that the strategies used on the Gullah Islands fell within the Afrocentric restorative justice model.
African Renaissance Conferences of the 21st Century
Authors: Asante Molefi Kete
Published: October 2006

President Abdoulaye Wade and other African leaders have sought to activate the large African diaspora to spur African progress and unity. Two key congresses of African intellectuals and cultural workers from the continent and the diaspora have been held with the objectives of making concrete this vision of a coherent African world. The first congress was held in Dakar, Senegal, and the second one was held in Salvador, Brazil. More than 700 intellectuals attended the first meeting, and nearly 500 attended the second congress. This article is a reflection, based on the organization, objectives, and actions of the congresses. The author believes that the African renaissance will depend on the degree to which the participants of the two conferences will be able to convince their fellows of the value of African unity and African resurgence.
Palliative Sedation in a Southern Appalachian Community
Authors: Cowan John D. , Clemens Libby , Palmer Teresa
Published: October 2006

Of 1200 palliative care patients, 28 received palliative sedation. They were more likely than patients without palliative sedation to have an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of at least 3, a cancer diagnosis, an expected survival of weeks or less, to have been monitored by the palliative care team for at least 1 week, to have delirium as the cause of decreased communication, to have dyspnea as a non-pain symptom, and to be less able to communicate symptoms. Almost 90% received palliative sedation for at least 24 hours for a median of 3 days (range, 0 to 24 days). Home patients received palliative sedation longer. Symptoms were controlled in 82% and improved in the rest. Sedation developed in 79% but was not required for symptom control in 5. Patient survival from palliative care consultation was a median of 8 days (range, 0 to 32 days).
Community Types and Social Indicator Rates
Authors: Young Frank W. , Lyson Thomas A.
Published: October 2006

To explore and test the Durkheimian proposition that social morphology determines communities’ social indicator levels, this research introduces an improved method for identifying community types and relates them to disability rates and problematic pregnancies. A factor analysis of Mapquest data for 283 villages in western New York State produced four factors: services, satellite villages, regional centers, and college centers. The factor scores were then used in regression models of two disability criteria—work limitation and work curtailment—along with teenage pregnancies. The disability criteria coefficients were significantly negative for satellite and college villages and for service and regional villages that are near cities. A plausible explanation for these correlations is that the cost of living deters residence by disabled people. In the hinterland, people with disabilities tend to concentrate in regional centers with a large hospital and a veterans organization. Positive associations were found in the African American and evangelical subcommunities of hinterland villages for teen pregnancies. This research using the cross-cultural method illustrates the untapped potential of what is often considered an esoteric anthropological method.
On Homo-Diplomacy
Authors: Constantinou Costas M.
Published: October 2006

This article explores alternative cultures of diplomacy that have been neglected in diplomatic studies and global politics. It is concerned firstly with the human dimension of diplomacy, that is to say, the interpersonal dealings of the homo sapiens, or the experimental and experiential diplomacy of everyday life. It is concerned secondly with the spiritual and transformative potential of diplomacy, a form of diplomacy that engages in heterology to revisit and rearticulate homology, whose mission is not only, not just, the knowledge and control of the Other but fundamentally the knowledge of the Self and this knowledge of the Self as a more reflective means of dealing with and transforming relations with Others. The article examines three specific functions of homo-diplomacy: reverse accreditation, introspective negotiation, and gnostic discourse.
In Search of Urban Vitalis
Authors: Pløger John
Published: October 2006

The notion of urban vitalis as constitutive to urbanity and urbanism has not been acknowledged thus far as perhaps a premise to urban politics and planning. Critical urban studies instead see planning as a matter of designing the everydayness of everyday life by spatializing its flows and encounters. This article focuses on a force of urbanity and urbanism that at least Georg Simmel diagnosed and discusses the missing urban vitalis in urban planning and how policy makers in fact rely very much on vitalism as an a priori force to urbanism. The aim of the Danish urban regeneration project kvarterløft (neighborhood regeneration) is, politically speaking, to reconstruct bonding, inclusive, caring urban communities, and the project therefore very much relies on local interactionism and connectivity. The article discusses how this project, however, exemplifies more generally a political reliance on the existence of an urban vitalis.
Epidemic Imaginary
Authors: Erni John Nguyet
Published: October 2006

This article is a narrative experiment written in the hope of illuminating “Third World AIDS” less as a geographically situated pandemic than as dispersed and dispersing encounters of mobile figurations. Using HIV/AIDS in Thailand as a case, the author argues that to move beyond the dominant understanding of “Third World AIDS” today—influenced mainly by epidemiology and anthropology—we need to attend to a mobile mediascape that manages to bypass the medicoethnographic sphere to invest in discursive encounters, awaiting framing and materialization. As such, this article posits the performative movement of figurative imagination as an alternative materiality, one that engages with the “diseased other” ethically and postnationally. While AIDS rages on in the 21st century, the narrative/figurative encounters staged in this article continue to present an uneasy picture about nation, gender, (queer) sex, activism, and power.
Hallowed Ground, Place, and Culture
Authors: Miller DeMond Shondell , Rivera Jason David
Published: October 2006

Throughout most recorded history, human societies have used various types of cemeteries for burial purposes; this theme points to humanity’s need to construct a meaning behind death and reflect life into the places where the dead are interred. Whether the bodies of the deceased are placed in the ground, within elaborate tombs, or simply in the presence of ancient or contemporary monuments, their location holds symbolic meaning as well as practical historical meaning for the surrounding living community. This article explores cemetery culture and architecture and their contribution to the social construction of the cemetery landscape. After exploring the historical development of the modern cemetery, the cemeteries of New Orleans, Louisiana, are used as a case study to illustrate how the cemetery, as a place, is influenced by culture and has cultural significance.
The Unmappable
Authors: Miller Vincent
Published: October 2006

This article contributes to current discussions of the spatial inspired by complexity theories that emphasize the multiple and relational qualities of space. It introduces the concept of vagueness and “vague objects” and relates these to spatial theory through the intersubjective theory of Alfred Schutz. The author argues that a consideration of vagueness, especially as constructed in Schutz’s version of intersubjectivity, can provide insights (outside complexity theorizations) into the continuous and multivalent nature of social space and the relationships between spatial experience, practice, representation, and power.
Safe as Houses
Authors: Ripley Colin
Published: October 2006

The Colonie Agricole Pénitentiaire de Mettray was an important signpost in the development of modern disciplinary space. The writings of Jean Genet act as a set of burglar’s tools, opening up new ways of understanding not only Mettray but also the modern world—Foucault’s carceral regime—in a larger sense. Modernity is seen to operate through a conceptual delamination that, in the end, is far more secure than the walls of any prison.
Overview and Evolution of the ADDIE Training System
Authors: Allen W. Clayton
Published: October 2006

The problem and the solution . The workforce of the 21st century is in a continual state of flux. This has created a need by human resource development scholars and practitioners to continue to review best practices in developing a workforce with the latest technology, knowledge, and expertise. Revisiting traditional training models and processes is important as a means of moving forward. Although there are many system models, almost all are based on the generic analysis, design, develop, implement, and evaluate (ADDIE) model that evolved from instructional systems research following World War II. The purposes of this article are to (a) reacquaint the profession with the background and basic concepts of the traditional ADDIE model and (b) compare the original and revised ADDIE models. Subsequent articles in this volume deal with issues and advancements surrounding ADDIE and the ADDIE phases.
Analysis: The Defining Phase of Systematic Training
Authors: Roberts Paul B.
Published: October 2006

The problem and solution. The analysis phase of analysis, design, develop, implement, evaluate (ADDIE) was originally based on the understanding that training was needed and that analyzing the content was the starting point. Over time the analysis phase has become the defining phase as it moved up from job-task analysis for identifying the content of a training program to (a) analyzing a worker performance problem that can be addressed by training, (b) to identifying and analyzing a worker-work system performance problem that can be addressed by a combination management and training intervention, and (c) on to an analysis process for diagnosing performance in an organization that may or may not involve training as part of a performance improvement intervention. The contemporary analysis process is designed to help decision makers gain a clear understanding of the “gaps” between the desired and current performance and the factors or variables impinging on them.
Handheld Computers for Direct Observation of the Social and Physical Environment
Authors: Gravlee Clarence C. , Zenk Shannon N. , Woods Sachiko , Rowe Zachary , Schulz Amy J.
Published: October 2006

This article evaluates the use of handheld computers for systematic observation of the social and physical environments. Handheld computers, also known as personal digital assistants (PDAs), make the advantages of computer-assisted data collection (CADC) more accessible to field-based researchers. In particular, CADC with handheld computers may improve data quality, reduce turnaround time, and enhance research capacity for community-academic partnerships. Here, we describe our experiences using handheld computers for the Healthy Environments Partnership's Neighborhood Observational Checklist, an instrument for systematic observation of the social and physical environments. We discuss hardware and software considerations, observer training and implementation strategies, and observer attitudes toward using handhelds in the field. We conclude that handheld computers are a feasible alternative to pen-and-paper forms, and we identify ways that future researchers can maximize the advantages of CADC with handheld computers to advance our understanding of how neighborhood context relates to individual-level outcomes.
The (Im)Possibilities of Writing the Self-Writing: French Poststructural Theory and Autoethnography
Authors: Gannon Susanne
Published: October 2006

Poststructural theories problematize taken-for-granted humanist notions of the subject as capable of self-knowledge and self-articulation while simultaneously providing a rationale for incorporating the personal into research. The body, emotions, and lived experience become texts to be written and read in autoethnography. However, a paradox arises for poststructural autoethnography in that autoethnographic research presumes that subjects can speak for themselves, whereas poststructuralism disrupts this presumption and stresses the (im)possibilities of writing the self. This article explores the work of pivotal French poststructuralists—Foucault, Barthes, Derrida, and Cixous—as they write themselves and put those selves under erasure in writing. The author identifies the implications for a reconfigured poststructural autoethnography, tracing textual strategies that evoke fractured, fragmented subjectivities and provoke discontinuity, displacement, and estrangement. In poststructural autoethnography, the writing writes the writer as a complex (im)possible subject in a world where (self) knowledge can only ever be tentative, contingent, and situated.
Storage protein profiles in Spanish and runner market type peanuts and potential markers
Authors: Liang XQ , Luo M , Holbrook CC , Guo BZ
Published: October 2006

Background

Proteomic analysis has proven to be the most powerful method for describing plant species and lines, and for identification of proteins in complex mixtures. The strength of this method resides in high resolving power of two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE), coupled with highly sensitive mass spectrometry (MS), and sequence homology search. By using this method, we might find polymorphic markers to differentiate peanut subspecies.

Results

Total proteins extracted from seeds of 12 different genotypes of cultivated peanut (Arachis hypogaeaL.), comprised of runner market (A. hypogaea ssp. hypogaea) and Spanish-bunch market type (A. hypogaea ssp. fastigiata), were separated by electrophoresis on both one- and two-dimensional SDS-PAGE gels. The protein profiles were similar on one-dimensional gels for all tested peanut genotypes. However, peanut genotype A13 lacked one major band with a molecular weight of about 35 kDa. There was one minor band with a molecular weight of 27 kDa that was present in all runner peanut genotypes and the Spanish-derivatives (GT-YY7, GT-YY20, and GT-YY79). The Spanish-derivatives have a runner-type peanut in their pedigrees. The 35 kDa protein in A13 and the 27 kDa protein in runner-type peanut genotypes were confirmed on the 2-D SDS-PAGE gels. Among more than 150 main protein spots on the 2-D gels, four protein spots that were individually marked as spots 1–4 showed polymorphic patterns between runner-type and Spanish-bunch peanuts. Spot 1 (ca. 22.5 kDa, pI 3.9) and spot 2 (ca. 23.5 kDa, pI 5.7) were observed in all Spanish-bunch genotypes, but were not found in runner types. In contrast, spot 3 (ca. 23 kDa, pI 6.6) and spot 4 (ca. 22 kDa, pI 6.8) were present in all runner peanut genotypes but not in Spanish-bunch genotypes. These four protein spots were sequenced. Based on the internal and N-terminal amino acid sequences, these proteins are isoforms (iso-Arah3) of each other, are iso-allergens and may be modified by post-translational cleavage.

Conclusion

These results suggest that there may be an association between these polymorphic storage protein isoforms and peanut subspeciesfastigiata(Spanish type) andhypogaea(runner type). The polymorphic protein peptides distinguished by 2-D PAGE could be used as markers for identification of runner and Spanish peanuts.
The secretion of HMGB1 is required for the migration of maturing dendritic cells
Authors: Dumitriu Ingrid E , Bianchi Marco E , Bacci Monica , Manfredi Angelo A , Rovere-Querini Patrizia
Published: October 2006

Chemokines regulate the migration and the maturation of dendritic cells (DC) licensed by microbial constituents. We have recently found that the function of DC, including their ability to activate naïve, allogeneic CD4+ T cells, requires the autocrine/pracrine release of the nuclear protein high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1). We show here that human myeloid DC, which rapidly secrete upon maturation induction their own HMGB1, remodel their actin-based cytoskeleton, up-regulate the CCR7 and the CXCR4 chemokine receptors, and acquire the ability to migrate in response to chemokine receptor ligands. The events are apparently causally related: DC challenged with LPS in the presence of HMGB1-specific antibodies fail to up-regulate the expression of the CCR7 and CXCR4 receptors and to rearrange actin-rich structures. Moreover, DC matured in the presence of anti-HMGB1 antibodies fail to migrate in response to the CCR7 ligand CCL19 and to the CXCR4 ligand CXCL12. The blockade of receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE), the best-characterized membrane receptor for HMGB1, impinges as well on the up-regulation of chemokine receptors and on responsiveness to CCL19 and CXCL12. Our data suggest that the autocrine/paracrine release of HMGB1 and the integrity of the HMGB1/RAGE pathway are required for the migratory function of DC.
VDR-dependent regulation of mast cell maturation mediated by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3
Authors: Baroni Enrico , Biffi Mauro , Benigni Fabio , Monno Antonia , Carlucci Donatella , Carmeliet Geert , Bouillon Roger , D’Ambrosio Daniele
Published: October 2006

1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25(OH)2D3] is a secosteroid hormone that regulates bone metabolism, controls calcium homeostasis, and possesses immunomodulatory properties. We show here that 1,25(OH)2D3 contributes to the regulation of development and function of mast cells, which play a critical role in several inflammatory disorders. 1,25(OH)2D3 promotes apoptosis and inhibits maturation of mouse bone marrow-derived mast cell precursors. Dose-dependent inhibition of mast cell differentiation by 1,25(OH)2D3 is observed at discrete, intermediate stages of mast cell development, identified by expression of c-kit, FcεRI, and IL-3 receptor-α chain, and depends on the expression of the vitamin D receptor (VDR). It is important that mast cell progenitors obtained from VDR-ablated mice undergo an accelerated maturation in vitro and give rise to more responsive mast cells than wild-type. Furthermore, histological analysis of mast cell density in peripheral tissues reveals a moderate increase in the number of mast cells in the skin of VDR-deficient mice compared with wild-type animals. These data support the hypothesis of a physiological role of 1,25(OH)2D3 in mast cell development and suggest novel, therapeutic uses of 1,25(OH)2D3 analogs.
Less May Be More: Rethinking Adult Literacy Volunteer Tutor Training
Authors: Belzer Alisa
Published: October 2006

This study analyzed the relation between volunteer tutor training and reading instruction in 4 adult literacy programs. The data focus on tutors' choices of reading materials and strategies for assisting in the development of comprehension and word identification skills. Tutor training did not always transfer to practice, and it did not always deal effectively with the complex topic of teaching reading to struggling adult learners. One implication might be that less initial training and more ongoing “just-in-time” training based on the specific needs and strengths of students and tutors working together on improving reading may be a more efficient use of resources than those traditionally expended on preservice training.