bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Conditional Loss of Uterine Pten Unfailingly and Rapidly Induces Endometrial Cancer in Mice
Authors: Daikoku Takiko , Hirota Yasushi , Tranguch Susanne , Joshi Ayesha R. , DeMayo Francesco J. , Lydon John P. , Ellenson Lora H. , Dey Sudhansu K.
Published: July 2008

Etiology of endometrial cancer (EMC) is not fully understood. Animal models with rapidly and spontaneously developing EMC will help explore mechanisms of cancer initiation and progression. Pten+/− mice are currently being used as a model to study EMC. These females develop atypical endometrial hyperplasia of which ∼20% progresses to EMC. In addition, tumors develop in other organs, complicating the use of this model to specifically study EMC. Here, we show that conditional deletion of endometrial Pten results in EMC in all female mice as early as age 1 month with myometrial invasion occurring by 3 months. In contrast, conditional deletion of endometrial p53 had no phenotype within this time frame. Whereas mice with endometrial Pten deletion had a life span of ∼5 months, mice with combined deletion of endometrial Pten and p53 had a shorter life span with an exacerbated disease state. Such rapid development of EMC from homozygous loss of endometrial Pten suggests that this organ is very sensitive to this tumor suppressor gene for tumor development. All lesions at early stages exhibited elevated Cox-2 and phospho-Akt levels, hallmarks of solid tumors. More interestingly, levels of two microRNAs miR-199a* and miR-101a that posttranscriptionally inhibit Cox-2 expression were down-regulated in tumors in parallel with Cox-2 up-regulation. This mouse model in which the loxP-Cre system has been used to delete endometrial Pten and/or p53 allows us to study in detail the initiation and progression of EMC. These mouse models have the added advantage because they mimic several features of human EMC. [Cancer Res 2008;68(14):5619–27]
An Object Lesson: Source Determines the Relations That Trait Anxiety, Prostate Cancer Worry, and Screening Fear Hold with Prostate Screening Frequency
Authors: Consedine Nathan S. , Adjei Brenda A. , Ramirez Paul M. , McKiernan James M.
Published: July 2008

Fears regarding prostate cancer and the associated screening are widespread. However, the relations between anxiety, cancer worry, and screening fear and screening behavior are complex, because anxieties stemming from different sources have different effects on behavior. In differentiating among anxieties from different sources (trait anxiety, cancer worry, and screening fear), we expected that cancer worry would be associated with more frequent screening, whereas fear of screening would be associated with less frequent screening. Hypotheses were tested in a sample of 533 men (ages 45-70 years) recruited using a stratified cluster-sampling plan. Men provided information on demographic and structural variables (age, education, income, marital status, physician discussion of risk and screening, access, and insurance) and completed a set of anxiety measures (trait anxiety, cancer worry, and screening fear). As expected, two-step multiple regressions controlling for demographics, health insurance status, physician discussion, and health-care system barriers showed that prostate-specific antigen and digital rectal examination frequencies had unique associations with cancer worry and screening fear. Specifically, whereas cancer worry was associated with more frequent screening, fear of screening was associated with less frequent screening at least for digital rectal examination; trait anxiety was inconsistently related to screening. Data are discussed in terms of their implications for male screening and the understanding of how anxiety motivates health behaviors. It is suggested that understanding the source of anxiety and the manner in which health behaviors such as cancer screenings may enhance or reduce felt anxiety is a likely key to understanding the associations between anxiety and behavioral outcomes. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2008;17(7):1631–9)
Increases in Serum Estrone Sulfate Level Are Associated with Increased Mammographic Density during Menopausal Hormone Therapy
Authors: Crandall Carolyn J. , Guan Min , Laughlin Gail A. , Ursin Giske A. , Stanczyk Frank Z. , Ingles Sue A. , Barrett-Connor Elizabeth , Greendale Gail A.
Published: July 2008

Background: Menopausal hormone therapy increases mammographic density. We determined whether increases in serum estrone sulfate (E1S) levels during menopausal hormone therapy predict increased mammographic density.

Methods: We measured percent mammographic density and serum E1S levels in 428 participants of the Postmenopausal Estrogen/Progestin Interventions study who were randomly assigned to daily conjugated equine estrogen (CEE) 0.625 mg alone, CEE + daily medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) 2.5 mg, CEE + cyclical MPA (10 mg days 1-12 per 28-day cycle), or CEE + cyclical micronized progesterone (10 mg days 1-12). Serum E1S levels were determined by RIA. Information about covariates was determined by annual questionnaire. Using linear regression, we determined the association between change in E1S level from baseline to 12 months and change in percent mammographic density (by semiquantitative interactive threshold method).

Results: After controlling for baseline mammographic density, age, body mass index, alcohol intake, parity, smoking, ethnicity, physical activity, and age at first pregnancy, mammographic density increased by 1.3% for every 1 ng/mL increase in E1S level (P < 0.0001). The association between change in E1S level and change in mammographic density differed by treatment group (greater effect in CEE + cyclical MPA group versus CEE group; P = 0.05). After controlling for treatment group, change in the ratio of E1S to E1 was also positively associated with change in mammographic density.

Conclusions: Increases in serum E1S levels during menopausal hormone therapy are associated with increases in mammographic density. The relative contribution of E1S and E1 to stimulation of breast tissue awaits further elucidation. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2008;17(7):1674–81)
A Systematic Review of the Prevalence and Attribution of Human Papillomavirus Types among Cervical, Vaginal, and Vulvar Precancers and Cancers in the United States
Authors: Insinga Ralph P. , Liaw Kai-Li , Johnson Lisa G. , Madeleine Margaret M.
Published: July 2008

Objectives: To describe prevalence and estimated attribution of human papillomavirus (HPV) types in U.S. cervical, vaginal, and vulvar precancers and cancers.

Methods: U.S. studies reporting HPV typing for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN), and vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia (VaIN) and/or invasive cancers of those sites were gathered from the PubMed database (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez/). Selected studies had PCR testing data for ≥10 cases for a disease endpoint. Analytic methods augmented prior reviews of cervical disease with an updated and expanded analysis (including vulvar and vaginal disease), new selection criteria for specimens, and adjustment for histologic type, where possible, among pooled cancer cases. In addition, for analyses of estimated attribution of HPV types, we incorporated accounting methods for lesions infected with multiple HPV types.

Results: Data from 22 U.S. studies meeting review eligibility criteria were tabulated. Following adjustment for the presence of multiple HPV types in a single specimen, the top two HPV types contributing to disease were CIN 1 (HPV 16/66; 15.3%), CIN 2/3 (HPV 16/31; 61.9%), cervical cancer (HPV 16/18; 79.2%), VIN 1 (HPV 6/11; 41.7%), VIN 3 (HPV 16/18; 84.0%), vulvar cancer (HPV 16/33; 55.5%), VaIN 3 (HPV 16/18; 65.1%), and vaginal cancer (HPV 16/18; 72.7%).

Conclusions: The HPV type distribution and proportion of cases testing positive for any HPV type were observed to vary among U.S. cervical, vulvar, and vaginal neoplasias and by grade of disease. Adjustment for the presence of multitype HPV infections can have an important effect on the estimated attribution of HPV types to disease, particularly for types other than HPV 16. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2008;17(7):1611–22)
High Excretion of Etheno Adducts in Liver Fluke–Infected Patients: Protection by Praziquantel against DNA Damage
Authors: Dechakhamphu Somkid , Yongvanit Puangrat , Nair Jagadeesan , Pinlaor Somchai , Sitthithaworn Paiboon , Bartsch Helmut
Published: July 2008

Chronic infection by Opisthorchis viverrini (OV) is a strong risk factor for developing cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). To clarify the involvement of oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation (LPO)–derived DNA damage, the excretion of LPO-derived etheno DNA adducts was measured in urine samples collected from healthy volunteers and OV-infected Thai subjects. 1,N6-etheno-2′-deoxyadenosine (εdA) and 3,N4-etheno-2′-deoxycytidine (εdC) levels were quantified by immunoprecipitation/high-performance liquid chromatography/fluorescence detection and 32P-postlabeling TLC. Excreted etheno adduct levels were related to indicators of inflammatory conditions [malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitrate/nitrite levels in urine and plasma alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity]. Mean εdA and εdC levels were 3 to 4 times higher in urine of OV-infected patients; MDA, nitrate/nitrite, and ALP were also increased up to 2-fold. MDA and ALP were positively related to εdA excretion. Two months after a single dose of the antiparasitic drug Praziquantel, εdA and εdC concentrations in urine of OV-infected subjects were decreased; MDA, nitrate/nitrite, and ALP were concomitantly lowered. We conclude that chronic OV infection through oxidative/nitrative stress leads to increased urinary excretion of the etheno-bridged deoxyribonucleosides, reflecting high LPO-derived DNA damage in vivo. These promutagenic DNA etheno adducts in bile duct epithelial cells may increase the risk of OV-infected patients to later develop CCA. Urinary εdA and εdC levels should be explored (a) as noninvasive risk markers for developing opisthorchiasis-related CCA and (b) as promising biomarkers to assess the efficacy of preventive and therapeutic interventions. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2008;17(7):1658–64)
Expression of Aurora A (but Not Aurora B) Is Predictive of Survival in Breast Cancer
Authors: Nadler Yasmine , Camp Robert L. , Schwartz Candice , Rimm David L. , Kluger Harriet M. , Kluger Yuval
Published: July 2008

Purpose: The cell cycle mediators Aurora A and B are targets of drugs currently in clinical development. As with other targeted therapies in breast cancer, response to therapy might be associated with target expression in tumors. We therefore assessed expression of Aurora A and B in breast tumors and studied associations with clinical/pathologic variables.

Experimental Design: Tissue microarrays containing primary specimens from 638 patients with 15-year follow-up were employed to assess expression of Aurora A and B using our automated quantitative analysis method; we used cytokeratin to define pixels as breast cancer (tumor mask) within the array spot and measured Aurora A and B expression within the mask using Cy5-conjugated antibodies.

Results: Aurora A and B expression was variable in primary breast tumors. High Aurora A expression was strongly associated with decreased survival (P = 0.0005). On multivariable analysis, it remained an independent prognostic marker. High Aurora A expression was associated with high nuclear grade and high HER-2/neu and progesterone receptor expression. Aurora B expression was not associated with survival.

Conclusions: Aurora A expression defines a population of patients with decreased survival, whereas Aurora B expression does not, suggesting that Aurora A might be the preferred drug target in breast cancer. Aurora A expression in early-stage breast cancer may identify a subset of patients requiring more aggressive or pathway-targeted treatment. Prospective studies are needed to confirm the prognostic role of Aurora A as well as the predictive role of Aurora A expression in patients treated with Aurora A inhibitors.
A Novel Breast Cancer–Associated BRIP1 (FANCJ/BACH1) Germ-line Mutation Impairs Protein Stability and Function
Authors: De Nicolo Arcangela , Tancredi Mariella , Lombardi Grazia , Flemma Cristina Chantal , Barbuti Serena , Di Cristofano Claudio , Sobhian Bijan , Bevilacqua Generoso , Drapkin Ronny , Caligo Maria Adelaide
Published: July 2008

Purpose: BRCA1-interacting protein 1 (BRIP1; FANCJ/BACH1), which encodes a DNA helicase that interacts with BRCA1, has been suggested to be a low-penetrance breast cancer predisposing gene. We aimed to assess whether BRIP1 mutations contribute to breast cancer susceptibility in our population and, if so, to investigate the effect of such mutation(s) on BRIP1 function.

Experimental Design: A series of 49 breast/ovarian cancer families, devoid of a BRCA1/BRCA2 mutation, were screened for BRIP1 mutations. Functional analyses, including coimmunoprecipitation and stability assays, were employed to further characterize a previously unreported variant.

Results: Five sequence alterations were identified, of which four had been already described. Herein, we report a novel BRIP1 germ-line mutation identified in a woman with early-onset breast cancer. The mutation consists of a 4-nucleotide deletion (c.2992-2995delAAGA) in BRIP1 exon 20 that causes a shift in the reading frame, disrupts the BRCA1-binding domain of BRIP1, and creates a premature stop codon. Functional analysis of the recombinant mutant protein in transfected cells showed that the truncation interferes with the stability of the protein and with its ability to interact with BRCA1. Loss of the wild-type BRIP1 allele with retention of the mutated one was observed in the patient's breast tumor tissue.

Conclusions: These results, by showing that the newly identified BRIP1 c.2992-2995delAAGA mutation is associated with instability and functional impairment of the encoded protein, provide further evidence of a breast cancer–related role for BRIP1.
Patient-Reported Health Status in Coronary Heart Disease in the United States
Authors: Xie Jipan , Wu Eric Q. , Zheng Zhi-Jie , Sullivan Patrick W. , Zhan Lin , Labarthe Darwin R.
Published: July 2008

Background—

Coronary heart disease (CHD) affects 15.8 million Americans. However, data on the national impact of CHD on health-related quality of life, particularly among people of different age, sex, racial, and ethnic groups, are limited.

Methods and Results—

Using data from the 2000 and 2002 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, we examined various measures of patient-reported health status, including health-related quality of life, in the CHD and non-CHD populations and differences in the measures among demographic subgroups. These measures included short-form generic measures (Short Form 12; Mental Component Summary-12 and Physical Component Summary-12) and EuroQol Group measures (EQ-5D index and EQ visual analog scale). Ordinary least-squares regressions were used to adjust for sociodemographic characteristics, risk factors, comorbidities, and proxy report. The adjusted difference between the CHD and non-CHD populations was −1.2 for Mental Component Summary-12 (2.4% of the score in the non-CHD population), −4.6 for Physical Component Summary-12 (9.2%), −0.04 for EQ-5D (4.6%), and −7.3 for EQ visual analog scale (9.0%) (all
P
<0.05). Differences among demographic subgroups were observed. Particularly, compared with whites, the differences between CHD and non-CHD in blacks were bigger in all measures except Physical Component Summary-12. A significantly bigger difference in Mental Component Summary-12 also was observed among Hispanics compared with non-Hispanics.

Conclusions—

CHD is associated with significant impairment of health-related quality of life and other patient-reported health status in the US adult population. Differences in the impairment associated with CHD exist across different age, racial, and ethnic groups. In addition to preventing CHD, effective public health interventions should be aimed at improving health-related quality of life and perceived health status in the CHD population, especially the most vulnerable groups.
Hybrid Reinforcement/Supervised Learning of Dialogue Policies from Fixed Data Sets
Authors: Henderson James , Lemon Oliver , Georgila Kallirroi
Published: July 2008

We propose a method for learning dialogue management policies from a fixed data set. The method addresses the challenges posed by Information State Update (ISU)-based dialogue systems, which represent the state of a dialogue as a large set of features, resulting in a very large state space and a huge policy space. To address the problem that any fixed data set will only provide information about small portions of these state and policy spaces, we propose a hybrid model that combines reinforcement learning with supervised learning. The reinforcement learning is used to optimize a measure of dialogue reward, while the supervised learning is used to restrict the learned policy to the portions of these spaces for which we have data. We also use linear function approximation to address the need to generalize from a fixed amount of data to large state spaces. To demonstrate the effectiveness of this method on this challenging task, we trained this model on the COMMUNICATOR corpus, to which we have added annotations for user actions and Information States. When tested with a user simulation trained on a different part of the same data set, our hybrid model outperforms a pure supervised learning model and a pure reinforcement learning model. It also outperforms the hand-crafted systems on the COMMUNICATOR data, according to automatic evaluation measures, improving over the average COMMUNICATOR system policy by 10%. The proposed method will improve techniques for bootstrapping and automatic optimization of dialogue management policies from limited initial data sets.
A High-End Virtual Reality Setup for the Study of Mental Rotations
Authors: Lehmann Alexandre , Vidal Manuel , Bülthoff Heinrich H.
Published: July 2008

Mental rotation is the capacity to predict the orientation of an object or the layout of a scene after a change in viewpoint. Previous studies have shown that the cognitive cost of mental rotations is reduced when the viewpoint change results from the observer's motion rather than the object or spatial layout's rotation. The classical interpretation for these findings involves the use of automatic updating mechanisms triggered during self-motion. Nevertheless, little is known about how this process is triggered and particularly how sensory cues combine in order to facilitate mental rotations. The previously existing setups, either real or virtual, did not allow disentangling the different sensory contributions, which motivated the development of a new high-end virtual reality platform overcoming these technical limitations.

In the present paper we will start by a didactic review of the literature on mental rotations and expose the current technical limitations. Then we will fully describe the experimental platform that was developed at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics in Tübingen. The setup consisted of a cabin mounted on the top of a six degree-of-freedom Stewart platform inside of which was an adjustable seat, a physical table with a screen embedded, and a large projection screen. A 5-PC cluster running Virtools was used to drive the platform and render the two passive stereovision scenes that were displayed on the table and background screens. Finally, we will present the experiment using this setup that allowed replicating the classical advantage found for a moving observer, which validates our setup. We will conclude by discussing the experimental validation and the advantages of such a setup.
Anxiety Increases the Feeling of Presence in Virtual Reality
Authors: Bouchard Stéphane , St-Jacques Julie , Robillard Geneviève , Renaud Patrice
Published: July 2008

Given previous studies indicating a significant correlation between anxiety and presence, the purpose of this investigation was to explore the direction of the causal relationship between them. The sample consisted of 31 adults suffering from snake phobia. The study featured a randomized within-between design with two conditions and three counterbalanced immersions: (a) a baseline control immersion (BASELINE), (b) an immersion in a threatening and anxiety-inducing environment (ANX), and (c) an immersion in a nonthreatening environment that should not induce anxiety (NOANX). In the NOANX environment, participants were immersed for 5 min in a virtual Egyptian desert. They were told that the environment was safe and contained no snakes. The ANX immersion was identical, except that participants were led to believe that a multitude of hidden and dangerous snakes were lurking in the environment. A period of distraction (reading a text on relaxation) separated the ANX and NOANX immersions. Experimenters recorded presence and anxiety in the middle of and after each VR immersion. These brief measures of presence supported our hypothesis and were significantly higher in the anxious immersion than in the baseline or the nonanxious immersion. This finding was not corroborated by the presence questionnaire, where scores varied significantly in the opposite direction. The results from the brief one-item measures of presence support the significant contribution of emotions felt during the immersion on the subjective feeling of presence. The mixed results with the presence questionnaire are discussed, along with psychological factors potentially involved in presence.
Truth and Memory: Narrating Viet Nam
Authors: Li-Lian Sharon Seah
Published: July 2008

In the quest for "truths" and "untruths", popular discourse and state memorial practices try to stake a claim on individual and collective memories. This article attempts to unpack narratives and the memories contained within; through an analysis of state memorialization - its monuments and museums - it probes the problematics of "truth" and veracity. We begin, then, to question the constructions of taken-for-granted "truths", history and memory. In the struggle for "reality", it becomes increasingly clear that "Others" are marked out and this poses a problem for Vietnam's past, present and future social dynamics.
Textual Construction of a Nation: The Use of Merger and Separation
Authors: Istiaisyah bte Hussin Dayang
Published: July 2008

History is not neutral. It is rendered ideological by the very act of being conveyed in a narrative form, for language is both the purveyor of meaning and the principle locus of ideology. This paper explores the idea of history as discourse, and its deployment in the cultural-symbolic construction of the Singapore nation. To this end, I have chosen to analyse a key moment for Singapore history, the years 1963-65, when Singapore was first merged with the nation of Malaysia, and then separated from it. The way that these events are described in official histories is used by the government of Singapore to justify its policy of multiracialism, which also serves as a legitimating device confirming the state in its political and ideological hegemony. I have examined the events through analysis of local newspapers, The Straits Times and Berita Harian, to see in what ways their reporting may have helped to mould popular understandings of what was happening.
The Past in the Present: Memories of the 1964 'Racial Riots' in Singapore
Authors: Cheng Adeline Low Hwee
Published: July 2008

The 1964 racial riots are a prominent event in Singapore's history. They are often cited officially but rarely discussed by the Singapore community. This paper examines the riots from the perspective of a sociology of collective memories. A comparison of official and popular memories reveals a number of contrasts in the interpretations placed on these events by different groups. An official interpretation of the memory of the riots is disseminated to the younger generation through the media and education, and used to justify and legitimize the ideology of multiracialism and its social policies. Older people's memories give rise to more varied interpretations. Although the riots occurred more than thirty years ago, they have not been forgotten. The past still lives in the present because it serves a purpose and has implications for the next generation.
War and Violence, History and Memory: The Philippine Experience of the Second World War
Authors: José Ricardo T.
Published: July 2008

The subject of War and Memory in the Philippines remains a sensitive topic in the Philippines today. Many controversial issues about the Second World War remain subjects of debate, among them collaboration with the Japanese; Japanese war responsibility; American responsibility for the failed defense of the Philippines, and others. In one sense, the war in the Philippines has left an ambiguous legacy which leads to conflicting war memories and commemorations, particularly in the light of present conditions and evolving relationships with the other countries involved.
Remembering, Misremembering and Forgetting: The Struggle over "Serangan Oemoem 1 Maret 1949" in Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Authors:   Heddy Shri Ahimsa Putra
Published: July 2008

This paper concerns a question of memory relating to an event that took place towards the end of the Indonesian war of Independence (1945-49). The event is the Serangan Oemum 1 Maret 1949, or "General Attack of 1 March, 1949", when Indonesian freedom-fighters launched an all-out attack on Dutch positions in Yogyakarta and drove them from the city. Who was the originator of this plan? The matter became a national controversy since it involved two prominent persons: the late Sultan of Yogya, and former President Soeharto. While Soeharto was in power, his own account of the event became the focus of elaborate annual commemorations; but since his fall, historians have thrown into question his account of his own role in the episode.
Chinese-Educated Intellectuals in Singapore: Marginality, Memory and Modernity
Authors: Kian-Woon Kwok
Published: July 2008

This paper will first provide a historical and sociological overview of the "Chinese community" and the "Chinese-educated" in Singapore, after which I shall turn to the personal experience of marginalization on the part of older Chinese-educated intellectuals. I then focus on the social memory of Nanyang University as a means in which such marginalization is contested. In conclusion, I highlight the efforts of younger Chinese-educated intellectuals in responding to the condition of marginality by taking on contemporary issues, rather than by refighting old battles, in effect returning Chinese-language discourse to issues of modernity - this time set in a radically changed environment from that of earlier decades.
Problems Associated with Transnational Sociological Research Collaboration in Cambodia
Authors:   Chou Meng Tarr
Published: July 2008

In this paper the focus will be the following applied social research projects I have been involved with - (1) role of rural women in the rehabilitation of local irrigation systems; (2) a study of contextual factors affecting risk-related sexual behaviour among young people between the ages of 15 and 25; (3) participatory action research project looking at problems of natural resource management; (4) sociological study of an urban wastewater project in a provincial town still affected by forms of low level insurgency - to illustrate the problems associated not simply with the research process but with the nature of collaborative research itself. However, an underlying purpose of this paper is not to argue against international collaboration on a range of research-based problems, but how we can better communicate the nature of our research and enhance its credibility. Living and working in a society like Cambodia that has yet to develop a critical academic culture of interest, relevance and utility to the international scholarly community, particularly in the field of sociology, is an issue that will be confronted in this paper.
Socio-Economic Significance of the Pawnbroking Business in Singapore
Authors:   Selina Ching Chan
Published: July 2008

This paper examines the socio-economic role of pawnshops in Singapore. It suggests that pawnshops are a barometer of socio-economic changes in Singapore. The changing style and operation of pawnshops is explored, as is the changing varieties of the items pledged. The research shows that pawnshops have adopted a new image and continue to have a significant role in modern Singapore. This paper also suggests that pawnshops serve cash-strapped individuals, who ironically are not necessarily poor. Through data collected on redemptions and pledges, it is found that a high redemption rate both in number and amount reflects a period of economic growth; the reverse is true when the redemption rate falls.
Environmental Social Movements in Thailand: How Important is Class?
Authors: Forsyth Timothy
Published: July 2008

This paper argues that current academic approaches to environmentalism in developing countries understate the role of class in either dominating political alliances, or in constructing underlying environmental discourse. The paper uses examples of various social movements in Thailand to illustrate the diverse ways in which environmental activism may represent or support different political objectives. It is proposed that analysts need to pay more attention to the origin of much environmental discourse from new, or identity-based social movements both within Thailand and elsewhere, and to seek ways to understand the 'co-production' of social activism and environmental knowledge.
Environment and the Global Civil Society
Authors:   Habibul Haque Khondker
Published: July 2008

This paper examines the role of civil society in environmental movements in the context of globalization. Exploring the various meanings of civil society, it argues that to understand civil society as a politically meaningful concept, due consideration should be given to social movements, which recharge civil society. At the same time, the efficacy of social movements rests on the vibrancy of civil society. In the present day world, civil society has become quite active in a large number of public interest issues of which environment has become quite central. This paper explores the conditions of the environmental movement as a truly global phenomenon and its role in the rise of a global civil society. The paper also reflects on the implications of the emergence of a global civil society for the protection of the environment. Drawing upon the cases of the Three Gorges Dam in China and the Narmada Dam in India the paper examines the role of an incipient global civil society. We must keep on striving to make the world a better place for all of mankind - each one contributing his bit, in his or her own way. - Ken Saro-Wiwa The Environment is humanity's first right. - Ken Saro-Wiwa
Transnational Protest and the Corporate Planet - the Case of Mitsubishi Corporation vs. The Rainforest Action Network
Authors: Holzer Boris
Published: July 2008

This paper argues that the emergence of a global economy has led to new lines of conflict between transnational corporations (TNCs) and civil society actors. While the efficiency of state regulation seems to have diminished, transnational protest groups have been able to challenge TNCs and enforce certain standards upon them. The paper discusses the conflict between the Mitsubishi Corporation and rainforest protection groups in order to identify the mechanisms behind this and similar conflicts.
The Roots of ASEAN: Regional Identities in the Strait of Melaka Region Circa 1500 C.E
Authors: Hall Kenneth R.
Published: July 2008

Southeast Asian sources that report regional connection with the Majapahit and Angkor polities reflect upon a rapidly changing fourteenth and fifteenth century world order, the result of new trading opportunities as Europeans were becoming more direct participants in affairs beyond their Western home-lands. In the face of the individualistic and destructive tendencies of the wider global community circa 1500, in the Strait of Melaka region there was less dislocation and isolation than is supposed by many twentieth century scholars. Despite the number of political and religious transitions underway, in the Southeast Asian archipelago and mainland there was a sense of regional self-confidence and progress among societies who had enjoyed over two hundred years of widespread socio-economic success. These successes were the product of the functional international, regional, and local networks of communication, as well as a common heritage that had developed in the Strait of Melaka region during the pre-1500 era. This study not only addresses the role of Majapahit and Angkor in the shaping of regional inclusiveness circa 1500, but also explores the enduring (and often exclusive) legacy of these two early cultural centers among Southeast Asia's twentieth century polities.
Human Security in the Western Pacific: The Asian Economic Crisis and Beyond 1
Authors: Kim Hee-Soo , Wesley Michael , Thomas Nicholas
Published: July 2008

This paper examines the human security implications of the Asian economic crisis for the Western Pacific. It will be shown that the regional insecurity was not caused by great power military intervention or by the escalation of territorial disputes, or subversion from revolutionary ideologies. Rather the insecurity was transmitted through the unregulated operation of the global market, on which the countries of East Asia had based their national and regional development strategies. It is likely that the regional approach to security will change forever after 1998. It is argued that if the countries of the Western Pacific are to successfully ameliorate the effects of the Asian economic crisis as well as optimally position themselves to resolve future challenges then a regional security regime that revolves around humanitarian concerns must be developed.
Le Traité « Sur Les Enfants Morts Prématurément» De Grégoire De Nysse
Authors: Daniélou Jean
Published: July 2008

Grégoire appartient par sa famille à l'aristocratie cappadocienne. Cette noblesse sénatoriale était caractérisée par la grande propriété, les fonctions publiques, la culture rhétorique. Grégoire rapporte lui-même, dans la Vie de Macrine que les propriétés de sa famille s'étendaient dans les deux provinces pontiques, en Cappadoce, en Arménie. De même a-t-il reçu la culture rhétorique des hommes de sa classe. Un aspect de la vie de ces milieux était les relations entretenues par la correspondance.1 Même devenu évêque, Grégoire comme Basile, reste en correspondance avec de hauts personnages chrétiens et païens. Une partie de son oeuvre relève de cet aspect de sa personnalité. C'est le cas en particulier de la correspondance. C'est le cas aussi de l'un de ses traités, qui est un vrai chef d'oeuvre de la rhétorique du temps, celui Sur les enfants morts prématurément (PG, 46, 161 A-192 C).
Critical Notes To Firmicus Maternus, De Errore
Authors: Forbes Clarence A.
Published: July 2008

The Christian polemic of Firmicus Maternus, De errore profanarum religionum, is known from a solitary manuscript P, Vaticanus Palatinus Latinus 165. After finding this manuscript in Minden in 1559, the Lutheran scholar Flacius produced the editio princeps in 1562. Modern editions, to be mentioned in the following discussion, are those of Ziegler (Teubner, 1907), Heuten (Brussels, 1938), Ziegler in a second edition (Munich, 1953), and Pastorino (Florence, 1956). I propose to discuss the readings in certain disputed passages.
Augustinus Unter Dem Feigenbaum (Zu Conf. Viii)
Authors: Buchheit Vinzenz
Published: July 2008

P. Courcelle hat in seinem viel beachteten Werk über die Confessiones Augustins' u.a. nachzuweisen versucht, daß die - in der Substanz nicht angezweifelte - Bekehrung Augustins, wie sie im achten Buch der Confessiones, besonders in der Gartenszene geschildert sei, literarisch-fiktiven Charakter habe. Besonders dieser Text hat eine sehr lebhafte Diskussion ausgelöst, die teils zustimmend, teils kritisch, teils ablehnend ausgefallen ist.2 Courcelle selbst hat inzwischen in zahlreichen Arbeiten zum Problem Stellung genommen und zuletzt die Frage in kritischer Auseinandersetzung erneut umfassend behandelt.3 Mit Recht stellt er einleitend fest, daß man bisher versäumt habe, die Confessiones Augustins genauer zu untersuchen "au sein de la tradition litteraire".4 Mit bewundernswerter Belesenheit gelingt es Courcelle, diese literarische Tradition, in der gerade die Darstellung im achten Buche steht, nahezu erschöpfend einzufangen und für die Interpretation der betreffenden Texte fruchtbar zu machen. Es scheint mir auf diesem gründlichen und methodisch zu Recht erarbeiteten Hintergrund kein Zweifel mehr möglich an der Berechtigung der These vom literarisch-fiktiven Charakter der Gartenszene in der von Augustin geschilderten Form.
Eine Verbindung Der Zwei Höhlengleichnisse Der Heidnischen Antike Bei Gregor Von Nyssa
Authors: Blum Wilhelm
Published: July 2008

Wenn wir vom "Höhlengleichnis" sprechen, denken wir zunächst an das berühmte Höhlengleichnis in Platons Staat.1 Weit weniger bekannt ist die Tatsache, daß auch Aristoteles ein Höhlengleichnis verfaßt hat.2 Im folgenden sollen zunächst diese beiden Gleichnisse kurz einander gegenübergestellt werden; dann wird gezeigt, wie der heilige Gregor von Nyssa diese beiden Gleichnisse in einer originellen Synkrisis zusammengestellt und für eine genuin christliche Interpretation fruchtbar gemacht hat.
Die Theodizee Des Patriarchen Germanos I. Von Konstantinopel
Authors: Blum Wilhelm
Published: July 2008

Germanos I. (715-730 Patriarch von Konstantinopel) hat eine Schrift verfaßt, die bis jetzt viel zu wenig Beachtung fand. In dem Werk πΕrepì öpou ξωξ1 versucht Germanos, das Wirken Gottes in der Welt darzustellen und Gottes Vorsehung zu beweisen. Das Werk ist in der Form eines Dialogs abgefaßt; es unterhalten sich Meister und Schüler. Germanos hat den heiligen Basilius sehr verehrt, und so weist er diesem Kirchenlehrer des 4. Jahrhunderts die Rolle des Meisters zu. Der Schüler stellt die Fragen, die jeden Menschen immer wieder interessieren, die Fragen nach dem Sinn von Krankheit, Leid und Tod, also eben die klassischen Fragen der Theodizee. Die Gedanken des Germanos hierzu sind sehr wertvoll und sollten auch heute noch Interesse finden.
Negotiations in the Former Soviet Union: New Structure, New Dimensions
Authors: Kremenyuk Victor A.
Published: July 2008

Despite a heritage of suspicion toward negotiation, the new states of the Former Soviet Union (FSU) have negotiated among themselves (and in Russia's case, within itself) to resolve the issues of the Soviet Union's dissolution and to create a new structure of relations and institutions for the future. Special situations have occurred in relations with the Baltic states, which are not members of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), and Chechnya, which is a restive part of Russia. Past and future issues need to be distinguished, a new structure for the CIS worked out, and new relations established with the outside world.
The Russian Way of Negotiating
Authors: Kimura Hiroshi
Published: July 2008

Characteristics of Russian negotiating perceptions, behavior and tactics as reported for the pre-Soviet and Soviet periods are examined as hypotheses for verification against post-Soviet activity. Positive views of struggle and power and negative views of compromise and rhetoric, lack of initiatives, openness and constancy, and tactical ploys are presented. While evidence is not yet available to confirm these traits currently, there is a presumption of continuity that requires verification.
The Meeting in East-West Negotiations in Post-Soviet Russia
Authors: Svedberg Erika
Published: July 2008

Intercultural communication poses challenges to East-West negotiations in the post Cold War era. The meeting in East-West negotiations is a metaphor for the processes that were set in motion when parties representing Western and Eastern organizations respectively negotiated on cooperation projects. The projects in question were of two types: the profit driven type (joint ventures), and the NGO, non-profit driven type. In applying a relational approach to analyzing negotiations, this paper presents four different typologies of the East-West meeting. The material that forms the basis for these analytical typologies consists of the two parties' perceptions of meeting, negotiating, and cooperating with the Other. The material was gathered via the author's own experience as a negotiator of a Russian-Swedish NGO project between 1991-1994, and also by studying a number of East-West joint ventures and NGO projects in post-Soviet Russia between 1991-96. The four meeting typologies developed in the article are (1) Concurring Perceptions; (2) Mirror Perceptions; (3) Inverted Perceptions; and a type of meeting characterized by a process that has been named (4) Recreating the Other.
Why Conflicts In The Former Soviet Union Are So Difficult To Negotiate And Mediate
Authors: Lebedeva Marina M.
Published: July 2008

The difficulty in using negotiation and mediation to resolve conflicts in the former Soviet Union (FSU) derives from factors coming both from the Soviet and pre-Soviet Russian periods and from the current transition. Traditional reliance on authority and government centralization led to both reliance on and distrust of central authorities, neither of which is conducive to negotiation. In the transition period, rigidity, change, long-term and short-term uncertainty, distrust, and absence of valid spokespeople all contribute to undermine negotiations. Yet, inevitably, more negotiation and mediation will be needed and eventually used.
Ethnopolitics, Strategic Bargaining, And Institutional Design: Setting The Rules Of Electoral Competition In Post-Soviet Central Asia
Authors: Luong Pauline Jones
Published: July 2008

The purpose of this article is to explore the process by which elites in emerging, multi-ethnic states design new institutions or negotiate the new "rules of the game," combining the use of game theory and social-historical analysis. In doing so, it represents a first attempt to explain why state-builders in a multi-ethnic state exclude some groups while including others. I present my preliminary hypothesis that a new state creates inclusive or exclusive institutions based on its calculated perception of the threat posed by the respective bargaining strategies of the major ethnic groups residing within it, which I argue is directly influenced by the preceding state's institutional structure. In other words, those groups which pose a "credible threat" to the continued rule of present state leaders if excluded will be included, as well as those groups which can help to diffuse this threat. Yet, the assessment of this threat is based largely upon the legacy of the preceding state's institutions and policies. A detailed account of the development of electoral rules in the three newly-independent, multi-ethnic states of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan serve as a "critical test" of my hypothesis.
Lost Opportunities in Negotiating the Conflict over Nagorno Karabakh
Authors: Maresca John J.
Published: July 2008

There have been at least six moments in the evolution of the Armenian-Azeri conflict over Nagomo Karabakh which can be qualified as lost opportunities for negotiation toward management of the conflict; that is, moments when movement toward resolution could have been produced. These include early CSCE involvement in 1992, cooperation with Russia in 1993, provision of a peacekeeping force in 1993, provision of a special envoy in 1994, use of the CSCE summit of 1994, and use of an oil pipeline after 1994. Other possibilities are also examined; the idea of a special envoy should be retained.
Coercive Mediation on the Road to Dayton
Authors: Touval Saadia
Published: July 2008

The article tries to explain why the American mediation at Dayton resulted in agreement, whereas previous attempts to settle the Bosnian conflict had failed. After examining the evolution of American policies prior to 1995, the article discusses the US initiative of taking the lead in the negotiation, and the methods and tactics it employed. It argues that the military operations against the Serbs do not fit the description of the mediator as a manipulator inducing a mutually hurting stalemate. The military campaign having endowed Western policies with credibility, intimidated the Serbs, and redrawn the front-lines, might be called coercive mediation. It suggests that the description of the mediator as an intervenor who does not employ force needs to be revised.
Scaffolded Participation of Children: Perspectives from India
Authors: Rampal Anita
Published: July 2008

This paper offers a nuanced cross-cultural perspective on children's 'scaffolded' participation, within the 'spaces' of formal, informal and non-formal education. Contrasting children's agency in rural or urban, disadvantaged or privileged, modernising or collectivistic communities in India, it points to the tensions of 'participation' in school, work or public action, within a stratified education system which promotes 'technological' rather than 'social intelligence'. Scaffolded participation in the 'formal' school is detailed through two curricular models - the Gandhian Basic School for learning situated in productive processes, and the National Curriculum Framework 2005 for active participation in the construction of knowledge. The non-formal space of the literacy campaign is used to analyse the large-scale voluntary mobilisation of rural youth for transformative action.
Public Policy, Governance and Participation in the UK: A Space for Children?
Authors: Arnott Margaret
Published: July 2008

This article considers key concerns which have occupied political scientists' analyses of 'participation'. Children have seldom featured in these analyses. 'Participation' in public policy initiatives have been used as a means of (re)building 'trust' and 'renewing democracy'. In recent years we have seen some shift towards viewing children as direct participants in public policy. There are signs that the government in the UK is including children more directly in policies designed to 'renew' democracy and 'civil society' and that such policies are not confined to proposals to lower the voting age. The article draws upon examples from education and the running of schools in particular to reflect upon the relationship between public policy, governance and children's participation.
Children's Participation and International Development: Attending to the Political
Authors: Hart Jason
Published: July 2008

Since the early 1990s participation has grown to become a key notion amongst child-focused international and intergovernmental development organisations. By means of participatory projects such bodies commonly seek to achieve transformation of children's lives. While considerable consideration has been given to the technical, institutional and attitudinal challenges to achievement of this goal, far less attention has been paid to the political context in which such transformation is sought. Drawing upon the emerging critique of (adult) participatory development, this article seeks to illustrate the inherent limitations of child participation resulting from the failure to confront the workings of power associated with capitalist expansion. It argues that societal change leading to the realisation of the rights of impoverished and marginalised children requires greater political will and new forms of alliance amongst international child-focused development organisations.