bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Two Conceptions of Sustainability
Authors: Vanderheiden Steve
Published: November 2007

Mathis Wackernagel and William Rees describe the ‘ecological footprint’ (i.e. the ecological capacity, measured in hectares of biologically productive land, needed to supply a given person's consumption of natural resources and absorb their waste) as a conception of environmental sustainability, and have accumulated significant data to measure the footprints of nations, cities and even individual persons. Although the authors refrain from explicitly drawing normative inferences from their measurements, such implications lie not far beneath the surface of their work. Besides providing an empirical tool for assessing efforts to improve environmental performance, the footprint implies a normative ideal of global resource egalitarianism, once the conception is examined through the lens of contemporary political theory. In this article, I trace out the normative implications of ecological footprinting in comparison and contrast with those of carrying capacity, an alternative conception of sustainability which the footprint ought (or so I shall argue) to replace.
Parties, Democracy and Grounded Utopias: A Reply to Sara Motta
Authors: Panizza Francisco
Published: November 2007

The article is a reply to Sara Motta's article ‘Utopias Re-imagined: A Reply to Panizza’ in this journal. It discusses the relations between representative and participatory democracy in Latin America in the light of Motta's vindication of different forms of participatory democracy. It argues that when analysing the advances of the left and the centre-left in contemporary Latin America it is difficult to ignore the strategic role played by left-of-centre political parties in winning elections and the importance of controlling the state as a crucial instrument for promoting change. It further argues that while participatory democracy is essential for a democratic polity, it presupposes a well-functioning representative democracy rather than an alternative to it. Against Motta's celebration of localised, anti-capitalist utopias the article vindicates a process of iterative yet cumulative change that shapes and reshapes the political and institutional parameters that redefine what governments consider politically possible, feasible and desirable. It concludes by noting that the twentieth century's failure of totalising utopias makes us overlook the success of other, more grounded and open forms of utopian thinking, such as political democracy and economic social democracy, which have the potential to improve the lives of millions of people in Latin America.
Caring Children: Exploring Care in Post-Divorce Families
Authors: Haugen Gry Mette D.
Published: November 2007

This article draws on information from in-depth interviews in addition to a survey from a Norwegian ‘Families after divorce’ study, in which the perspective of children and younger people are emphasized. We describe the complex relations between care-giving and care-receiving among children and adults in post-divorce families and challenge and nuance the traditional western picture that emphasizes children as the receivers of care and adults as care-givers. Inspired by the notion of ‘caringscapes’, the article seeks to incorporate the spatial and the temporal into the analysis of care and caring, and three ‘caring routes’ are identified: i) the ‘money squeeze route’, ii) the ‘emotional considerations route’ and iii) the ‘time squeeze’ route. The three routes are verified by the interview data as having both direct and indirect effects on the phenomenon of caring. We argue that children's care-giving should be further investigated both empirically and theoretically and that a caringscapes approach might provide insight and departure for further research.
Re-Inscribing Gender Binaries: Deconstructing the Dominant Discourse around Women'S Equality in Science, Engineering, and Technology
Authors: Phipps Alison
Published: November 2007

This paper tracks and attempts to unravel a persistently dominant discursive construction of the problem of women's under-representation in science, engineering, and technology (SET) education and work: the idea that the interaction of gender stereotyping with the masculine image of SET disciplines and workplaces prevents girls and women from choosing SET subjects and going into SET careers. The discursive framework of ‘Women in SET’ will be examined at both macro and micro levels as it operates in the field of activist and pedagogic activity that has grown around the issue since the 1970s. A Foucauldian analysis will be applied in order to explore the kinds of subject positions this framework enables and excludes. It will be argued that the ‘Women in SET’ framework re-inscribes the gendered binaries that have at a symbolic level defined girls/women and SET as mutually exclusive, and as a result practices based on this framework may be counter-productive because their subjectivating effects on girls and women may undermine their broad political aims.
Having the Wrong Kind of Money. a Qualitative Analysis of New Forms of Financial, Social and Moral Exclusion in Consumerist Scandinavia
Authors: Hohnen Pernille
Published: November 2007

Consumerism not only promotes discourses emphasizing individualized consumer choices, but it also introduces new electronic, invisible and symbolic forms of money. The present article analyses social exclusion in contemporary Scandinavian society by focusing on patterns of consumption and the social meaning of money in low-income households in Denmark and Sweden. Drawing on recent sociological theory on money and budgeting ( Pahl, 1999 , 2002 ; Singh, 1997 , 1999 ; Zelizer, 1997 , 2005 ) and recent critiques of consumption studies (Edgell, Hetherington and Warde 1996; Gronow and Warde, 2001; Lodziak, 2002 ), it argues that experiences of social and financial exclusion in consumerist society must be related to the amount of money available within the household, the social position that the household occupies, and the social form that this money takes. Pahl (1999) shows that the development of electronic money seems to alter and further constrain access to consumption for the ‘credit poor’ and ‘information poor’. To this ‘technological filter’, a ‘social filter’ may be added, as the results suggest that consumption patterns and the social meaning of money in low-income families are largely incompatible with prevailing neo-liberalist ideas of money and consumption in contemporary society.
The delivery of a survivors’ group for learning disabled women with significant learning disabilities who have been sexually abused
Authors: Peckham Nicholas Guy , Corbett Alan , Howlett Susan , McKee Alan , Pattison Sue
Published: November 2007

Accessible summary

People with learning disabilities are more likely to experience sexual things happening to them when they do not want them to. This is called sexual abuse.

A group was started to help women who have been sexually abused. The group met once a week and lasted for 20 weeks.

Women who were interested in attending this group were given information about it and asked on three separate occasions if they wanted to attend.

Seven women with learning disabilities took part in the group and their carers helped them travel to the group and then went into a separate carers group upstairs. After the groups had finished the carers helped the women get home again.

Some of the women found it very difficult to talk about the sexual abuse that had happened to them. At first they felt very upset and two women hurt themselves. Everybody felt angry about what had happened and it was good to hear they were not alone.

After several months the group helped the women feel less scared and depressed and helped the women's carers understand them better.

This research matters because it helped the women move on with their lives and will help others who want to start a survivors’ of sexual abuse group.
Children's moral judgments of commission and omission based on their understanding of second‐order mental states1
Authors: HAYASHI HAJIMU
Published: November 2007

Abstract:  Children's moral judgments about acts of commission and omission with negative outcomes were studied based on their understanding of mental states. Children (N = 142) in the first, third, and fifth grades made judgments about four tasks composed of two levels of mental states (first‐order or second‐order) and two types of acts (commission or omission). The results showed that the 7‐year‐olds responded considering only first‐order mental states, but the 9‐ and 11‐year‐olds also used second‐order mental states in their judgments. Whether the acts were commission or omission did not make a difference. These results indicate that children can make moral judgments regarding acts of commission and omission based on an understanding of second‐order mental states by approximately the age of 9 years.
Interference effect caused by repetition in visual recognition of letters: Examination of the orthographic difference between two same letters1
Authors: KUWANA TOSHINORI
Published: November 2007

Abstract:   The present study examined the effect of phonological identity between two letters on the visual recognition of the letters. Participants were required to identify the two same or different letters that were successively presented for a short duration. In order to manipulate the phonological identity of the two letters, the orthography of the Kana letters was varied. In half of the trials, the first and second letters were presented in Hiragana (the same‐orthography condition). In the other half, the first letter was presented in Katakana, and the second letter in Hiragana (the different‐orthography condition). The results revealed that the identification performance for the second letter was reduced in the same‐orthography condition when the two letters were the same, compared with when they were different. In contrast to this, in the different‐orthography condition, the identification performance of the second repeated letter was marginally superior to that of the nonrepeated letter. Considering the present findings together with those of the author's previous study (Kuwana, 2004), it is suggested that the interference effect caused by repetition could result from the reduction in the availability of visual pattern information stored in long‐term memory.
Antibody‐based approaches in Alzheimer’s research: safety, pharmacokinetics, metabolism, and analytical tools
Authors: Lichtlen Peter , Mohajeri M. Hasan
Published: November 2007

High morbidity, enormous socioeconomic costs, and lack of specific treatments emphasize the importance of research on protective therapies against Alzheimer’s disease. The efficacy of anti‐amyloid immunization strategies has been demonstrated preclinically, prompting the design of clinical studies. However, the detailed mechanisms of action of therapeutic antibodies, especially their influence on the complex amyloid β peptide (Aβ) metabolism and various Aβ‐equilibria present both within and outside the CNS, are far from being clear. Furthermore, physiological Aβ metabolism is poorly understood and the analytical tools to characterize and quantify treatment effects on Aβ metabolism are suboptimal. Thus, the design of immunization strategies with optimized benefit‐to‐risk ratios for patients is subjected to significant obstacles. Indeed, an active immunization trial with Aβ was discontinued because of severe adverse effects. Anti‐Aβ immunization protocols designed to attain high blood levels of antibodies bear the potential to induce brain inflammation and/or hemorrhage, thus directing the biomedical research towards development of more predictable therapies for minimizing the risk of adverse effects. The focus of this review is to summarize current knowledge of Aβ metabolism under physiological and antibody‐based therapeutic conditions and to introduce a promising approach, namely the passive immunization using antibody fragments, which are characterized by entirely different pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties compared with conventional monoclonal antibodies.
A Novel Strain Sensor for Reinforced Concrete Structures
Authors: Ayranci C. , Fahim A. , Munro M.
Published: November 2007

Abstract:  Reinforced concrete (RC) is the most commonly used structural material in civil engineering applications. RC structures have long‐term service lives under normal loading conditions; however, overload caused by misuse or statistically remote events such as earthquakes may create damages that, if not detected in time, may eventually cause failure. Hence, it is important to monitor RC structures to take necessary precautions and save human lives. A long‐gauge strain (LGS) sensor has been developed to monitor these structures. While it has been developed mainly with concrete applications in mind, the new sensor can also be used in a variety of applications, including measuring strains in pipelines, steel structures, and the like. The proposed sensor system has a very low cost compared with the commercially available competing systems. Prototypes of the proposed strain sensors have been built and calibrated. Test results prove the accuracy, repeatability and reliability of the proposed strain sensor. When the LGS sensor was incorporated into a concrete beam there was very good agreement between the experimental measurement of strain using the LGS sensor when compared with two strain‐gauged parallel steel rebars in the same concrete beam.
Technical Note: Effect of contact lenses on measurement of the accommodation microfluctuations
Authors: Day Mhairi , Strang Niall C. , Seidel Dirk , Gray Lyle S.
Published: November 2007

Aim:  Dynamic measurement of accommodation in subjects with myopia usually involves recording through soft contact lenses (CLs) to correct the refractive error. Conversely, dynamic accommodation measurement in emmetropic control subjects is generally undertaken without any corrective lenses. The aim of this experiment was to determine whether CL correction affects the measurement of accommodation microfluctuations using infrared refractometry, and whether this needs to be considered in studies which attempt to compare accommodation responses between the two groups.

Methods:  Ten young emmetropic subjects viewed a high contrast Maltese cross target monocularly using the right eye at a target vergence of 0 D. The subjects viewed the target under two conditions: with CL condition and without CL condition, where the subjects viewed the target with the eye only. Accommodation responses of the right eye were recorded continuously for 2 min at a sampling rate of 52 Hz using the Shin‐Nippon SRW‐5000 autorefractor.

Results:  No significant difference (two‐tailed paired t‐test, t9 = −1.499, p = 0.168) was found in mean accommodation response between the with CL (mean ± S.D. = −0.02 ± 0.24 D) and without CL conditions (mean ± S.D. = +0.01 ± 0.25 D). No significant (two‐tailed paired t‐test, t9 = 0.151, p = 0.883) difference in the magnitude of the accommodation microfluctuations was found between the with CL (mean ± S.D. = 0.162 ± 0.04 D) and without CL condition (mean ± S.D. = 0.169 ± 0.04 D). Power spectrum analysis revealed no differences in the characteristics of the microfluctuations waveform between the two conditions. A control experiment carried out on a subgroup of five subjects using a negative (−3 D) CL demonstrated that there was no significant effect of the dioptric power of the CL on the magnitude of the accommodation microfluctuations (anova: F3,15 = 0.254, p = 0.782).

Conclusion:  Thin soft CLs do not affect the magnitude or frequency characteristics of accommodation microfluctuations when measured using the Shin‐Nippon SRW‐5000.
Tariff Peaks for Agricultural and Food Products: their Incidence and Alternatives for their Removal
Authors: Fernández Javier
Published: November 2007

The aim of the paper is the analysis of the current market access situation in global agricultural markets for the post‐Uruguay Round period. It identifies those commodity groups in the food and agricultural sector for which tariff peaks exist, and examines how various tariff‐cutting formulae would affect their levels. The related issues of tariff complexity and of the administration of Tariff Rate Quotas are also reviewed here. Results show that the implementation of the Uruguay Round agreement has not significantly reduced agricultural protection, since high tariff peaks and nontransparent tariff structures still persist. A repetition of the Uruguay Round cuts would not solve the problem of high protection levels either, and only the introduction of more aggressive harmonising formulae could lead to a true liberalisation of world agricultural and food markets.
Structural Change and Policy Reform in the UK Dairy Sector
Authors: Colman David , Burton Michael , Rigby Dan , Franks Jeremy
Published: November 2007

Estimation of a cost function for a representative sample of UK dairy producers allows future re‐structuring of the industry to be simulated using a model which incorporates producers' differential costs and milk prices. Consideration is also given to reductions in producer prices and to the introduction of an A/B quota system. The results indicate that, despite the history of quota trading in the UK, there is considerable scope for further restructuring in the industry to take advantage of differential incentives between producers. It is also projected that UK milk supply would increase if quota restrictions were removed.
EU Enlargement, the CAP and the Cost of Direct Payments: A Note
Authors: Ackrill Robert W.
Published: November 2007

Negotiations over EU enlargement have highlighted difficulties in extending the CAP – and in particular direct payments ‐ to the applicant countries, given the spending limits agreed in Berlin in 1999. This note presents estimates of direct payment costs in the Eastern European applicants. It argues that the only way all member states in an enlarged EU can receive the same level of payments is if the payments currently prevailing in the EU15 are reduced.
The Patterns and Implications of Increasing Concentration in European Food Retailing
Authors: Dobson Paul W. , Waterson Michael , Davies Stephen W.
Published: November 2007

Across the European Union, concentration in food retailing at the national level has been increasing for some time, but increasingly multinational retailers have been extending their international reach. In the process, aggregate concentration has risen sharply over the last few years. In addition, the presence of buyer groups, representing different retail interests, adds to the characterisation of procurement markets as highly concentrated. Also at the aggregate level, cross‐border buyer alliances amongst large retailers have emerged. We consider the implications of these features for the changing patterns of retail competition and the impact on food producers, supplier competition and economic welfare.
Presidential Address Agricultural Subsidies: Measurement and Use in Policy Evaluation
Authors: Legg Wilfrid
Published: November 2007

“There is no art which one government sooner learns of another than that of draining money from the pockets of the people.’ (Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations, 1776)
Economies of Scale and the Demand for Food in Switzerland: Parametric and Non‐Parametric Analysis
Authors: Abdulai Awudu
Published: November 2007

This paper examines the role of household public goods arising from co‐residence and economies of scale in the allocation of household expenditure. Using both parametric and non‐parametric methods, the paper tests the theoretical prediction that in the presence of shared public goods, larger households should have higher per capita consumption of private goods like food, provided that they do not substitute too much towards the effectively cheaper public good. The results indicate that, at constant per capita total expenditure, the per capita demand for food declines with household size. No evidence is found in favour of the hypothesis that the endogeneity of male and female hours of work in the labour force could be responsible for this anomaly. However, an examination of the role of direct economies of scale in explaining this negative relationship yielded a negative relationship between household size and quality adjusted unit values, suggesting that the effects of direct economies of scale dominate those generated by public goods.
Value versus Volume in the Catch of the Spanish South‐Atlantic Trawl Fishery
Authors: Herrero Ines , Pascoe Sean
Published: November 2007

An understanding of the link between the level of inputs and resultant level of outputs is of considerable importance when trying to manage fisheries through input controls. To this end, studies of several fisheries have been undertaken to examine this relationship through the estimation of production functions and frontiers, using either catch weight or revenue as the dependent variable. The choice of the appropriate output variable to use in the analysis will depend on the objectives of the fishermen. Maximisation of catch weight is often proposed as an objective of fishermen rather than maximisation of profits. In this paper, the technical efficiency scores of vessels operating in the Spanish south‐Atlantic trawl fishery are estimated using the stochastic production frontier approach. The production frontiers are estimated with both the weight and the value of the catch as the dependent variable. The results of the analysis suggest that fishermen adopt a range of strategies but relatively few aim to maximise catch weight only. The differences in strategies may reflect heterogeneous attitudes towards risk, with more risk averse fishermen aiming to trade‐off some potential catch value for a more certain quantity of catch.
Farm‐specific Adjustment Costs in Dutch Pig Farming
Authors: Gardebroek Cornelis , Lansink Alfons G.J.M. Oude
Published: November 2007

This paper develops a dynamic model of investment under rational expectations, assuming farm‐specific production technologies and adjustment cost structures. The model distinguishes regimes of negative, zero and positive investments and maintains that it is optimal for a farmer not to invest for a range of shadow prices, depending on thresholds for positive and negative investments. The model is applied to a rotating sample of Dutch pig farms over the period 1980–1996. Farm‐specific parameters of the adjustment cost function and production technology are obtained using Generalised Maximum Entropy estimation. Cluster analysis using the farm‐specific adjustment cost parameters indicates that five groups of farms with distinct adjustment cost structures can be identified. A tobit regression analysis is used to explain the impact of different socio‐economic factors on the size of the threshold between positive and negative investments.
Regional Integration of Nineteenth Century U.S. Egg Markets
Authors: Serra Teresa , Goodwin Barry K.
Published: November 2007

Multivariate asymmetric threshold vector error correction models are applied to a historical analysis of the regional integration of U.S. markets for eggs at the turn of the nineteenth century. Two general approaches to the selection of the thresholds are considered. The first criterion ignores the cross equation correlation while the latter explicitly accounts for it. Our results suggest that threshold behaviour characterises spatial price linkages between the markets analysed.
Imperfect Price Transmission: Is Market Power Really to Blame?
Authors: Weldegebriel Habtu Tadesse
Published: November 2007

Several studies in the literature have argued that price transmission in vertically‐related markets is imperfect, i.e. that farm input price changes are not fully passed‐through to the final product price. Market power, notably oligopoly, is presumed to be the principal source of imperfect price transmission. To date, the impact of oligopsony (buyer) power on the degree of price transmission has not been evaluated using a formal theoretical model. Moreover, neither has the combination of oligopoly and oligopsony despite the fact that its influence has been formally acknowledged in both the UK and some European food markets. This paper makes a contribution to the literature by developing a model of price transmission where both oligopoly and oligopsony power co‐exist and where industry technology is assumed to be characterised by variable input proportions. It shows that taking the degree of price transmission in a perfectly competitive market as a benchmark, oligopoly and oligopsony power do not necessarily lead to imperfect price transmission, although they can. Indeed, they may counteract each other's impact on the degree of price transmission. The key to these outcomes is to be found in the functional forms for retail demand and farm supply.
Irrigation Externalities and Agricultural Sustainability in South‐eastern Nigeria
Authors: Urama Kevin C. , Hodge Ian
Published: November 2007

Agricultural intensification by irrigation is increasingly regarded as the key to solving food supply problems in Sub‐Saharan Africa. Conversely, mounting empirical evidence suggests that irrigation externalities might preclude long‐term sustainability of arable agriculture. Choosing between intensive irrigation schemes and less intensive farming systems is therefore, problematic. The paper examines the implications of irrigation intensification in south‐eastern Nigeria using adjacent rain‐fed farms as the counterfactual. The analyses found mixed results. When first introduced, the irrigation scheme increased marginal factor productivity and gross margins but this has subsequently declined to the extent that the marginal factor product of land has become negative. The annual yields of the irrigated farms were also less stable than those of the less intensive rain‐fed farms. These results indicate the dilemma that irrigation externalities present to sustainable agricultural policy and suggest a need to look again at the potential for developments in rain‐fed systems.
Does delayed child‐bearing increase the risk of levator injury in labour?
Authors: DIETZ Hans P. , SIMPSON Judy M.
Published: November 2007

Background:  Levator trauma is common in parous women. We have recently found a relationship with age at first vaginal delivery in women seen before and after childbirth.

Aims:  To examine women presenting with symptoms of pelvic floor disorders for such an association.

Methods:  Eight hundred and one women were prospectively seen for an interview, clinical examination (including for levator integrity and function in 789 cases), multichannel urodynamic testing and pelvic floor ultrasound (including 3D imaging in 350 cases). Findings were tested for association with maternal age at first vaginal delivery, parity and operative vaginal delivery using logistic regression.

Results:  Mean age was 55.3 years (range 17–90), with 79% complaining of stress urinary incontinence and 28% of symptoms of prolapse. Median vaginal parity was 2 (range 0–12); mean age at first vaginal delivery was 24 (range 14–39). Levator defects were found in 170 women (21.6%), 24% of the vaginally parous. Defects were more common on the right (86%) than left (45%) (P < 0.0001). Women with levator trauma had a higher mean age (25.5 (SD 5.2) vs 23.5 (SD 4.5) years, P < 0.0001). Regression modelling confirmed findings, demonstrating an increase in the odds of levator trauma of approximately 10% for every year of delay in child‐bearing. Vaginal operative delivery was associated with a near‐doubling of the odds of trauma.

Conclusions:  Increased maternal age is a risk factor for intrapartum pelvic floor trauma. The global trend towards delayed child‐bearing may result in an increased prevalence of pelvic floor disorders in coming decades.
The protective effect of α‐lipoic acid in experimental ovarian ischaemia‐reperfusion injury
Authors: COSAR Emine , SAHIN Figen Kır , KÖKEN Gülengül , TOY Hatice , BASARALI Kemal , BÜYÜKBAS Sadik
Published: November 2007

Background:  We investigated the effect of α‐lipoic acid (LA) on reperfusion injury in a rat ovarian torsion–detorsion model. The changes in tissue and plasma levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), end‐product of lipid peroxidation, superoxide dismutase (SOD), xanthine oxidase (XO) and nitric oxide (NO), were determined. Ovarian histopathological findings were scored and compared among groups.

Materials and methods:  Thirty‐two female Sprague–Dawley rats were divided into four groups. Sham operation was performed in group I; in group II only ovarian torsion was performed. Group III received intraperitoneal injections of saline, and group IV received LA via intraperitoneal injections (LA group: aqueous solution at 36 mg/kg of body weight per day, saline group: equal volume of saline) 21, nine, and one hour before torsion of the ovary. Rats in the torsion group were killed after 360° clockwise adnexial torsion for three hours, and ovaries were harvested. After three hours of adnexial detorsion, the rats in saline group and LA group were killed and adnexa were surgically removed.

Results:  Ovarian tissue damage scores were significantly different among groups and were seen to correlate with tissue MDA levels. Ovarian tissue and serum MDA, NO and serum XO levels in the group III were significantly higher than those of the groups I and IV (P < 0.05). The serum levels of SOD in the group III were significantly lower than those of the groups I and IV (P < 0.05).

Conclusion:  These results suggest that LA pretreatment has beneficial effects in the prevention of ischaemia‐reperfusion injury of the ovaries.
Epidemiology of Premalignant Gastric Lesions: Implications for the Development of Screening and Surveillance Strategies
Authors: De Vries Annemarie C. , Kuipers Ernst J.
Published: November 2007

Gastric cancer is one of the most common cancers worldwide; however, gastric cancer incidence varies greatly between different geographic areas. As gastric cancer is usually diagnosed at an advanced stage, the disease causes considerable morbidity and mortality. To detect gastric carcinomas at an early and curable stage, screening and surveillance seem necessary. Premalignant gastric lesions are well known risk factors for the development of intestinal type gastric adenocarcinomas. In a multistep cascade, chronic Helicobacter pylori‐induced gastritis progresses through premalignant stages of atrophic gastritis, intestinal metaplasia and dysplasia, to eventually gastric cancer. Therefore, this cascade may provide a basis for early detection and treatment of gastric cancer. Epidemiology of gastric cancer and premalignant gastric lesions should guide the development of screening and surveillance strategies, as distinct approaches are required in countries with low and high gastric cancer incidences.
After Helicobacter pylori, Genetic Susceptibility to Gastric Carcinoma Revisited
Authors: Canedo Paulo , Figueiredo Ceu , Machado Jose Carlos
Published: November 2007

Genetically, it is possible to distinguish two main forms of gastric carcinoma (GC): a hereditary form in which the initiating genetic alteration is inherited and the remaining mutations are acquired somatically; and a sporadic form in which every mutation is of somatic origin and where the environment is thought to play a major role.

Although rare, the identification of germline mutations is proving invaluable in the clinical management of GC families. In the setting of sporadic‐type GC it has been shown that individuals infected with Helicobacter pylori have an increased risk of developing GC. Recently, abundant evidence has been collected showing that the risk for sporadic GC development also depends on host genetic factors. Despite providing important insights into the understanding of the disease pathogenesis, the genetic markers we have at present are not sensitive/specific enough to form the basis of a screening strategy.
Contemplating the Future without Helicobacter pylori and the Dire Consequences Hypothesis
Authors: Graham David Y. , Yamaoka Yoshio , Malaty Hoda M.
Published: November 2007

Helicobacter pylori is a serious chronic transmissible pathogen that causes gastric structural and functional damage and is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. H. pylori is one of the digestive tract pathogens that has traveled with mankind since before humans moved out of Africa. Some have suggested that the long association of H. pylori with humans means there must be a benefit and suggest dire consequences will follow its eradication. Fortunately, there are now sufficient experiences with the outcome of treatment and with populations where the infection disappeared long ago to support the conclusion that H. pylori is a serious chronic transmissible pathogen that no one needs, deserves, or desires. The dire consequence hypotheses have proven to be erroneous attempts to blame some of the problems facing the modern world on a pathogen that was and is responsible for much suffering, morbidity, and mortality. It is time to join together to eradicate it and to let H. pylori join smallpox and polio on the hit list of undesirables.
Reduction of ethanol‐induced injury in portal hypertensive gastric mucosa of rats by induction of heat shock protein 72 by geranylgeranylacetone
Authors: Kai Seiichiro , Ohta Masayuki , Tominaga Masayuki , Matsumoto Toshifumi , Bandoh Toshio , Kitano Seigo
Published: November 2007

Portal hypertensive (PHT) gastropathy has an increased susceptibility to damage due to noxious factors. Heat shock protein (HSP) 72 has a protective effect against gastric mucosal injury and geranylgeranylacetone (GGA) is an inducer of HSP 72. However, it remains unclear how HSP 72 influences the PHT gastric mucosa. The aim of the present study was to investigate HSP 72 induction by GGA and the protective effect to gastric mucosa in PHT rats. PHT rats were produced by staged portal vein occlusion, and GGA 200 mg/kg was orally administered. Expression of HSP 72 protein in the gastric mucosa was evaluated by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay, and gastric mucosal damage against 70% ethanol (10 mL/kg) following GGA or vehicle treatment was also estimated. Expression of mucosal HSP 72 after vehicle administration was significantly higher in the PHT rats compared with the sham‐operated rats. After GGA treatment, portal pressure did not change but HSP 72 was significantly increased in the gastric mucosa of both groups. Ethanol‐induced gastric mucosal damage was significantly decreased due to GGA treatment in the PHT rats, but not in the sham‐operated rats. These findings suggest that HSP 72 expression is enhanced in PHT gastric mucosa and plays an important role in gastric mucosal protection. The induction of HSP 72 by GGA may therefore effectively prevent mucosal injury in the PHT stomach.
Human bone marrow‐derived cells: An attractive source to populate dermal substitutes
Authors: Fioretti Florence , Lebreton‐DeCoster Corinne , Gueniche Farida , Yousfi Myriam , Humbert Philippe , Godeau Gaston , Senni Karim , Desmoulière Alexis , Coulomb Bernard
Published: November 2007

We have previously shown the importance of dermal fibroblasts within skin substitutes for promoting the emergence of a functional neodermis after grafting in humans. However, the use of fibroblasts from sources other than the dermis needs to be evaluated for patients with extensive skin loss. Here we examined the capacity of human bone marrow‐derived cells (BMDCs), selected for their ability to adhere to plastic culture dishes, to behave like human dermal fibroblasts when incorporated within a 3D in vitro reconstructed tissue that promotes dermal fibroblast differentiation. Like dermal fibroblasts, BMDCs contracted a collagen matrix and were growth regulated by the matrix environment. They had the same shape and their nuclei had the same form factor as dermal fibroblasts. In addition, both cell types expressed desmin and vimentin but not α‐smooth muscle actin. BMDCs deposited collagen types I and III, and fibrillin‐1 with similar efficiency to dermal fibroblasts. In addition, BMDCs have the potential to regulate this deposition, as they produced metalloproteinases (MMP1, MMP2, and MMP9) and metalloproteinase inhibitors (TIMP1) very similarly to dermal fibroblasts. BMDCs can thus be induced to express functions resembling those of dermal fibroblasts, including those involved in the wound healing process.
Nerve Stimulator‐Guided Repetitive Paravertebral Block for Thoracic Myofascial Pain Syndrome
Authors: Naja Zoher M. , Al‐Tannir Mohamad A. , Zeidan Ahed , El‐Rajab Mariam , Ziade Fouad , Baraka Anis
Published: November 2007

▪ Abstract:  Myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) may persist for many years and is often refractory to traditional therapeutic approaches including pharmacotherapy, focal tenderness infiltration by local anesthetic and corticosteroids, physical therapy and behavioral modification. This report describes three cases of MPS following coronary artery bypass graft, inadequate positioning during abdominal hysterectomy, and excessive physical effort refractory to conventional therapeutic approaches. Three patients were successfully treated with repeated nerve stimulator‐guided paravertebral block using a mixture of bupivacaine and clonidine.

Physical examinations including a complete neurological assessments were unremarkable. Relevant diagnostic imaging (X‐ray, magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography) and laboratory evaluations also failed to demonstrate any significant structural disorders or systemic diseases that might have been responsible for their pain. Nerve stimulator‐guided paravertebral block was performed at the dermatomes corresponding to the thoracic myofascial pain region. Each point was injected with 4 mL of the local anesthetic solution. If the pain returned, a second paravertebral block was performed. The three patients were pain‐free over a follow‐up period up to 2 years. Our report suggests that nerve stimulator‐guided paravertebral blockade could be a useful treatment for MPS refractory to traditional therapeutic approaches. ▪
The Burden of Headache in Neurology Outpatient Clinics in Turkey
Authors: Baykan Betul , Ertas Mustafa , Karli Necdet , Akat‐Aktas Sinem , Uzunkaya Ozlem , Zarifoglu Mehmet , Siva Aksel , Saip Sabahattin ,   the MIRA–Neurology Study Group
Published: November 2007

Background and Aim:  The aim of the study was to investigate the burden of headache in neurology outpatient clinics (NOCs) regardless of their primary complaint.

Methods:  Patients presenting for their routine appointments in 41 NOCs were screened during the course of 1 week. All eligible subjects (n = 3682; 61.9% female, mean age 45.2 ± 16.5 years) were evaluated by a neurologist for the headache diagnosis and some demographic characteristics.

Results:  Of all patients, 66.4% reported headache, and in 35.1% headache was the primary cause for admitting to the NOC. Of 3682 patients, 917 (24.9%) were diagnosed as migraine according to International Headache Society (IHS) criteria. Thirty‐three and nine‐tenths percent of all patients admitted and 56% of the migraineurs according to IHS had severe headaches. As the headache severity increases, the ratio of the patients admitted with headache as the primary complaint increases significantly. The distribution of burden and other characteristics of headache did not differ in seven geographic regions and 41 different centers.

Conclusion:  Headache complaint caused at least 1/3 of all neurological outpatient visits in Turkey and 2/3 of all patients admitted to NOC had headache. Of these patients, 1/4 had migraine according to IHS with substantial disability and severity level. ▪
Gender Justice or Just Gender? The Role of Gender in Sexual Assault Decisions at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia*
Authors: King Kimi Lynn , Greening Megan
Published: November 2007

Objective. This article examines gender justice at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) by analyzing sexual assault cases and the impact that gender composition has on sentencing outcomes.

Methods. We employ regression analysis to explain the impact of male and female jurists as decisionmakers and the subsequent outcomes rendered for victims.

Results. We find that gender is a determinate factor in sentencing outcomes, and that female judges have a distinctive role that varies depending on the gender of the victim in the case.

Conclusion. Contrary to criticisms that the ICTY has not provided justice for victims in sexual assault cases, we find support for the exact opposite. Sentencing disparities indicate that female jurists more severely sanction defendants who assault women, while all male panels of judges do the same for male victims.
Political and Civic Participation Among Disadvantaged Urban Mothers: The Role of Neighborhood Poverty*
Authors: Casciano Rebecca
Published: November 2007

Objective. This article explores the relationship between neighborhood economic conditions and mothers' political and civic participation, examining whether this relationship is conditioned on mothers' individual characteristics.

Methods. Using data from the Fragile Families and Child Well‐Being Study, it tests specifically whether neighborhood poverty influences mothers' voting and voluntary behavior differently depending on their income, education, race/ethnicity, and relationship status.

Results. The results suggest that the relationship between neighborhood poverty and voting behavior depends on mothers' education level and relationship status, whereas the relationship between neighborhood poverty and mothers' volunteer work varies by race and relationship status.

Conclusions. The results are in accordance with what some qualitative research has long suggested: that the relationship between neighborhood conditions and individual outcomes varies from person to person and group to group. Future research on “neighborhood effects” should continue to move beyond homogeneous explanations for how neighborhoods influence behavior and instead seek to determine the specific conditions under which neighborhoods exert influence on individual outcomes.
Foundations of Feminism: How Philanthropic Patrons Shaped Gender Politics*
Authors: Goss Kristin A.
Published: November 2007

Objectives. Although recent research has documented the contributions of philanthropic foundations as “patrons” of the major identity movements, scholars know very little about the specific ways foundations have influenced these movements' development and impact. This study examines the role of foundations in shaping the U.S. women's movement of the 1960s–1980s, in particular the role that foundations played in deciding which of its claimsmakers—and by extension, its claims—would be sustained.

Methods. The study is based on an original data set of nearly 6,500 foundation grants to women's groups, or for women's causes, from 1970 to 1990. It examines shifts in the types of groups that received foundation grants and in the female interests that these groups represented.

Results. Philanthropic patrons were central to transforming women from servants of society into claimants against the state. Likewise, foundations played a critical role in segmenting U.S. womanhood into politically relevant subgroups (civic stewards, battered women, lesbians, etc.) with ever narrower policy claims.

Conclusions. By legitimizing identity subgroups and their policy agendas, foundations played an important role in the development of special interest politics in the second half of the 20th century. In this way, professional grantmakers have constituted a critical yet overlooked force behind the construction of U.S. hyperpluralism, in the process diminishing the capacity of gender to unite women in common cause.
Incidence and prevalence of pseudoexfoliations and open‐angle glaucoma in northern Sweden: II. Results after 21 years of follow‐up
Authors: Åström Siv , Stenlund Hans , Lindén Christina
Published: November 2007

Purpose:  To prospectively evaluate the prevalence and incidence of pseudoexfoliation (PEX) syndrome and open‐angle glaucoma (OAG) with and without PEX and to evaluate PEX as a risk factor for glaucoma in a population born in 1915 and living in the municipality of Skellefteå in northern Sweden.

Methods:  A randomized population study comprising 339 individuals. The cohort was followed for 21 years at 7 year intervals. The examination included tonometry, dilated slit‐lamp biomicroscopy, optic disc evaluation and, if glaucoma was suspected, a visual field analysis.

Results:  The prevalence of PEX increased from 23%[95% confidence interval (CI): 20–26] at 66 years of age to 61% (CI 50–71) at 87 years. The annual incidence of PEX was 1.8% (CI 1.3–2.4). In the group of subjects with unilateral PEX, 55% converted to bilateral PEX during follow‐up. The prevalence of OAG was 2.1% (CI 0.8–4.3%) at 66 years of age and 25% (CI 16–35) at 87 years. Of the glaucoma cases, 59% had PEX. There was no difference in incidence between the sexes. The annual incidence of PEX and OAG did not increase with time. The overall annual incidence of OAG was 0.9% (CI 0.6–1.3%) [0.5% (CI 0.2–0.9) without PEX and 2.1% (CI 1.2–3.3) with PEX]. PEX increased the risk of glaucoma four fold in both sexes. There was no significant difference in mortality between individuals with or without PEX.

Conclusion:  PEX syndrome and OAG are common in the north of Sweden. Prevalences increase with age. PEX increases the risk of glaucoma four fold. The consequences of this situation demand guidelines for handling patients with PEX, with or without other risk factors. In order to issue guidelines, more information is needed on the impact of the disease on the general health in the ageing population.
Preliminary experience of 99mTc‐Aprotinin scintigraphy in amyloidosis
Authors: Han Sai , Chong Victor , Murray Tom , McDonagh Theresa , Hunter John , Poon Fat‐Wui , Gray Henry W. , Neilly James B.
Published: November 2007

Background and aim:  Radio‐labelled Aprotinin has been shown to bind with amyloid fibrils in vitro as well as in vivo. The aim was to test the usefulness of 99mTc‐Aprotinin imaging in systemic amyloidosis.

Methods:  Thirty‐five cases who had 99mTc‐Aprotinin scans for the assessment of systemic amyloidosis were reviewed retrospectively. Eighteen had biopsy‐proven amyloidosis and 17 were controls (amyloidosis was excluded by negative biopsies and non‐invasive tests). Five of 18 patients with amyloidosis had final diagnosis of cardiac amyloid.

Results:  Physiological uptake of 99mTc‐Aprotinin was noted in the urinary tract (kidneys and bladder) and in the liver of all patients and controls; and non‐specific uptake of 99mTc‐Aprotinin was visualised in the spleen and oro‐facial structures in the majority of both groups. Myocardial 99mTc‐Aprotinin uptake was noted in all five patients with final diagnosis of cardiac amyloidosis and in none of the 30 subjects who did not have cardiac amyloid. The median heart to background uptake ratio was 2.0 in cardiac amyloid patients and 1.1 in subjects without cardiac amyloid (P = 0.0004). Single Photon Emission Tomography (SPECT) studies of the thorax confirmed that the site of uptake lay within the myocardium. In the amyloidosis group, site‐specific 99mTc‐Aprotinin uptake was also identified in the subcutaneous tissue of the legs and in a breast nodule shown to be positive for amyloidosis on biopsy.

Conclusions:  99mTc‐Aprotinin imaging may be a useful non‐invasive method for the assessment of the presence and extent of extra‐abdominal amyloid, particularly cardiac amyloidosis. It has little role in diagnosis of amyloidosis involving the oro‐facial and abdominal structures.
Postcard from America
Authors: Podesta John
Published: November 2007

John Podesta, Director of the US think tank Center for American Progress Action Fund, finds that, in a country infamous for failing to stymie social inequity, the war on poverty has surfaced as a defining issue in the presidential campaigns. He argues that after eight years of Bush the time is finally right for a push to stamp out poverty in the US