bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Renal autotransplantation for managing a short upper ureter or after ex vivo complex renovascular reconstruction
Authors: Webster J. Christopher , Lemoine Jason , Seigne John , Lockhart Jorge , Bowers Victor
Published: September 2005

Several topics related to the upper urinary tract are covered this month. Renal autotransplantation for managing a short upper ureter or after ex vivo complex renovascular reconstruction is described by authors from Florida. Percutaneous nephrolithotomy and various technical aspects associated with it are presented by authors from Germany and India.

OBJECTIVE

To report our contemporary experience with renal autotransplantation (AT), an established treatment for managing patients with a shortened ureter or renovascular disease, as despite its historical importance, AT remains an underused technique by urologists.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

All patients undergoing AT between 1997 and 2002 for a short ureter after ureteric injury and for renovascular disease were assessed by creatinine level and blood pressure before and after surgery, and antihypertensive drug use and complications.

RESULTS

Eleven patients had AT for renovascular disease and four for ureteric injury. There was no statistical difference in creatinine levels or blood pressure before and after surgery in either group. Eight patients treated with AT for renovascular disease required less antihypertensive medication after surgery. Minor complications occurred in both groups and included a suture abscess, chronic wound pain, and transient acute tubular necrosis. One patient in the ureteric injury group required a transplant nephrectomy after renal vein thrombosis, and one in the renovascular group died from multi‐organ system failure.

CONCLUSION

AT remains a treatment option for patients with a short ureter after ureteric injury and in those with renovascular disease. Patients had stable renal function and blood pressure after surgery. Most patients treated for renovascular disease required less medication after AT. The procedure is associated with both minor and major complications, which must be considered before surgery.
Tubeless percutaneous nephrolithotomy: a prospective feasibility study and review of previous reports
Authors: Shah Hemendra N. , Kausik Vikram B. , Hegde Sunil S. , Shah Jignesh N. , Bansal Manish B.
Published: September 2005

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the status of tubeless percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) in managing renal and upper ureteric calculi, from initial experience and a review of previous reports.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

From September 2004 to December 2004, 46 patients were scheduled for tubeless PCNL in a prospective study. Patients with solitary kidney, or undergoing bilateral simultaneous PCNL or requiring a supracostal access were also enrolled. Patients needing more than three percutaneous access tracts, or with significant bleeding or a significant residual stone burden necessitating a staged second‐look nephroscopy were excluded. At the end of the procedure, a JJ ureteric stent was placed antegradely and a nephrostomy tube avoided. The patients’ demographic data, the outcomes during and after surgery, complications, success rate, and stent‐related morbidity were analysed. Previous reports were reviewed to evaluate the current status of tubeless PCNL.

RESULTS

Of the 46 patients initially considered only 40 (45 renal units) were assessed. The mean stone size in these patients was 33 mm and 23 patients had multiple stones. Three patients had a serum creatinine level of >2 mg/dL (>177 µmol/L). Five patients had successful bilateral simultaneous tubeless PCNL. In all, 51 tracts were required in 45 renal units, 30 of which were supracostal. The mean decrease in haemoglobin was 1.2 g/dL and two patients required a blood transfusion after PCNL. There was no urine leakage or formation of urinoma after surgery, and no major chest complications in patients requiring a supracostal access tract, except for one with hydrothorax, managed conservatively. The mean hospital stay was 26 h and analgesic requirement 40.6 mg of diclofenac. Stones were completely cleared in 87% of renal units and 9% had residual fragments of < 5 mm. Two patients required extracorporeal lithotripsy for residual calculi. In all, 30% of patients had bothersome stent‐related symptoms and 60% needed analgesics and/or antispasmodics to treat them.

CONCLUSION

Tubeless PCNL was safe and effective even in patients with a solitary kidney, or with three renal access tracts or supracostal access, or with deranged renal values and in those requiring bilateral simultaneous PCNL. The literature review suggested a need for prospective, randomized studies to evaluate the role of fibrin sealant and/or cauterization of the nephrostomy tract in tubeless PCNL.
Expression of a recombinant vector of a mutant human telomerase reverse transcriptase gene in human bladder cancer cell line T24, and its clinical significance
Authors: Fu Wei‐Jun , Hong Bao‐Fa , Huang Jun‐Jian , Xu Bing , Gao Jiang‐Ping , Wang Xiao‐Xiong , Huang Cui‐Feng
Published: September 2005

OBJECTIVE

To construct a mutant enhanced green fluorescence protein (pEGFP) human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) gene expression vector (pEGFP‐hTERT), to observe its expression in transfected human bladder cancer cell line T24 and its role in the molecular regulatory mechanisms of telomerase, and to provide a new target gene for bladder cancer therapy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification was performed using primers based on the gene sequence of hTERT. The PCR product was cloned into plasmid pGEMT‐T Easy and the sequence of mutant hTERT gene analysed. A recombinant mutant hTERT vector (pEGFP‐hTERT) was constructed at the EcoR I and Sal I sites of the pEGFP‐C1 vector. After transfecting the fusion gene into T24 cells by the method of calcium phosphate‐DNA co‐precipitation, we detected steady expression of the GFP‐hTERT fusion protein by fluorescent‐light microscopy. Changes in the proliferation of T24 cells were detected by light microscopy, and β‐galactosidase staining correlated with senescence.

RESULTS

Identification of pEGFP‐hTERT by enzyme digestion showed that the mutant hTERT fragment had been cloned into EcoR I and Sal I sites of the pEGFP‐C1 vector. Steady expression of GFP‐hTERT fusion protein was located in the nucleus of transfected cells. Positive expression senescence‐associated β‐galactosidase staining in transfected cells increased gradually with extended cultured time, and their growth was suppressed.

CONCLUSION

The recombinant mutant vector (pEGFP‐hTERT) was successfully constructed and expressed steadily in T24 cells. The mutant‐type hTERT gene suppresses the proliferation of T24 cells by a competitive effect on telomerase activity. This suggests that the hTERT gene might be a suitable gene target for bladder cancer therapy.
Expression of the secreted form of clusterin protein in renal cell carcinoma as a predictor of disease extension
Authors: Kurahashi Toshifumi , Muramaki Mototsugu , Yamanaka Kazuki , Hara Isao , Miyake Hideaki
Published: September 2005

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the significance of clusterin expression in surgically resected renal cell carcinoma (RCC) specimens.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Normal kidney and RCC specimens were obtained from 131 patients who had radical surgery. The expression of clusterin protein was analysed by immunohistochemical staining with an antibody recognizing all isoforms of clusterin. Cell proliferative activities and apoptotic features in these specimens were investigated using Ki‐67 immunostaining and the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated dUTP nick‐end labelling assay, respectively. Findings were evaluated in relation to several clinicopathological factors.

RESULTS

There were various levels of clusterin expression in 128 of the 131 RCC specimens, while 37 of 131 normal kidney tissues (28.2%) had no clusterin staining. Clusterin protein was present in the cytoplasm of both normal and cancer cells, but there was no nuclear staining identified in either type of cell. The expression level of clusterin protein in RCC tissues was significantly related to tumour stage and grade, but not to age, gender or histological cell type. Cell proliferative activity in RCC specimens was significantly associated with clusterin expression, while the apoptotic index was inversely related to clusterin expression. Furthermore, recurrence‐free survival in patients with strong clusterin expression was significantly lower than that in those with weak expression.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that the secreted form of clusterin may be involved in the progression of RCC, and that overexpression of clusterin could be a useful prognostic variable after radical surgery in patients with RCC.
Urine cytology after flexible cystoscopy
Authors: Herr Harry W. , Regan Marisa
Published: September 2005

OBJECTIVE

To correlate urine cytology findings before and after flexible cystoscopy.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A total of 153 patients undergoing surveillance for bladder tumour provided voided urine for cytology before and immediately after flexible cystoscopy.

RESULTS

Of the 153 patients, 116 had negative urine cytology before and after (96%) a visibly normal cystoscopy and 37 had positive urine cytology before and after cystoscopy that showed recurrent tumour.

CONCLUSIONS

Urine cytology immediately after flexible cystoscopy correlates well with results of urine cytology before cystoscopy.
Does the time from biopsy to surgery affect biochemical recurrence after radical prostatectomy?
Authors: Boorjian Stephen A. , Bianco Fernando J. , Scardino Peter T. , Eastham James A.
Published: September 2005

In a large urological oncology section this month the topics of cancer of the prostate, bladder, kidney and testis are covered. To mention but a few of these, authors from New York report that the time from biopsy to surgery in the case of prostate cancer did not influence the probability of biochemical recurrence for men who had a radical prostatectomy within a year of diagnosis. A paper from Boston reports several pregnancies which occurred after brachytherapy for prostate cancer. Incidentally, there is a letter to the Editor at the end of this month's issue, from a UK author, which deals with the same topic. There are two papers from the USA presenting data on the use of nilutamide in hormone‐refractory prostate cancer, and a third from Japan using flutamide in the same setting. A report from New York correlates urine cytology findings before and after flexible cystoscopy, finding that cytology immediately after flexible cystoscopy correlates well with that before cystoscopy.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate whether the time from biopsy to radical prostatectomy (RP) predicts the biochemical recurrence (BCR) after RP, as men diagnosed with clinically localized prostate cancer have several available treatment options and investigating these alternatives may delay the initiation of definitive therapy.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We identified 3969 consecutive patients who had RP for clinically localized prostate cancer from 1987 to 2002; those eligible for the study had RP within a year of diagnosis. The interval between biopsy and RP was analysed both as a continuous and as a dichotomous variable (divided at 3 months). Multivariate analysis was used to evaluate the impact of time to RP on BCR. Subsets were also analysed for the effect of time to RP in patients considered to be at high risk of recurrence, with group 1 having a prostate specific antigen (PSA) level of ≥ 20 ng/mL, a biopsy Gleason score of ≥ 8, or clinical stage ≥ T2c; and group 2 assessed as having a >40% probability of BCR using a preoperative nomogram.

RESULTS

In all, 3149 patients met the inclusion criteria and had a mean (interquartile range) follow‐up after RP of 5.4 (2.2–7.9) years. Multivariate analysis showed that the year of biopsy, PSA level before biopsy, clinical stage and biopsy Gleason score (all P < 0.001) were significantly associated with BCR after RP. The time to RP, treated either as a continuous variable (P = 0.252) or when categorized at 3 months (P = 0.939), failed to predict BCR. Further, the time to RP was not an independent predictor of BCR for patients at high risk of recurrence in group 1 (P = 0.147) or group 2 (P = 0.548).

CONCLUSIONS

The time from biopsy to RP did not influence the probability of BCR for men who had RP within a year of diagnosis, even for those considered to be at high risk of BCR. Instead, the clinical and pathological features of the cancer provided the best estimate of the risk of BCR.
New life after prostate brachytherapy? Considering the fertile female partner of the brachytherapy patient
Authors: Grocela Joseph , Mauceri Thomas , Zietman Anthony
Published: September 2005

OBJECTIVES

To examine several cases of unusual and unexpected pregnancy in the female partners of men treated with brachytherapy for cancer of the prostate

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Self‐reported pregnancy of partners of patients who had had prostate brachytherapy was assessed. The dosimetry to the testicles and sperm counts were used to examine the feasibility of pregnancy in the partners.

RESULTS

Three reported cases of pregnancy showed the men to have viable counts of within several or all of the parameters of the World Health Organisation criteria for normal semen analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

These cases provide a cautionary tale and suggest that all men being treated with prostate brachytherapy should be counselled about the possibility of continued fertility. Documentation of this ‘risk’ on the consent form will allow for proper discussion of this issue in a clinical and medicolegal context. The key to addressing this problem is to propagate much better patient information. The topic should be addressed clearly in information booklets for the patients. Prostate brachytherapy may allow for pregnancy to be achieved in the fertile partners of patients, even after full radiation treatment of the patient.
A phase II study of nilutamide in men with prostate cancer after the failure of flutamide or bicalutamide therapy
Authors: Davis Nancy B. , Ryan Christopher W. , Stadler Walter M. , Vogelzang Nicholas J.
Published: September 2005

OBJECTIVE

To determine the prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) response and time to PSA or radiographic progression in men with prostate cancer refractory to bicalutamide and/or flutamide therapy.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Men with histologically confirmed prostate cancer not amenable to curative surgery or radiation therapy were eligible for the study if they had radiographic or PSA progression on at least one antiandrogen (not nilutamide) despite continued androgen suppression and standard antiandrogen withdrawal periods. All men received nilutamide 150 mg/day orally for ≥ 8 weeks unless there was unacceptable toxicity or disease progression. All men were evaluated for response, safety and toxicity. Baseline PSA levels, chest X‐ray, bone scan and abdominopelvic computed tomography studies were obtained; the re‐evaluation included PSA levels every 4 weeks and repeated imaging every 8 weeks in those with baseline abnormalities. The chest X‐ray was repeated if there were pulmonary symptoms. Nineteen men were consented and 16 were evaluable for response.

RESULTS

The median (range) Gleason score was 7 (6–9) and the median number of previous second‐line therapies was 2 (1–4). Bicalutamide therapy had failed in all patients. At baseline, 13 (of 16 men) had radiographically evident disease, nine with diffuse osseous and four with radiographically measurable metastases. There was no grade 3/4 toxicity; the commonest grade 1/2 toxicities were constipation (three), sensory neuropathy (four), fatigue (six), and visual changes (two) involving transiently altered colour vision and sensitivity to light, respectively. Responses included three partial and 13 with progressive disease.

CONCLUSIONS

The study was discontinued after a planned interim analysis because nilutamide had no apparent activity. Although well tolerated, nilutamide offers benefit to few men with prostate cancer in whom bicalutamide has failed.
Clinical outcome of maximum androgen blockade using flutamide as second‐line hormonal therapy for hormone‐refractory prostate cancer
Authors: Miyake Hideaki , Hara Isao , Eto Hiroshi
Published: September 2005

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the efficacy of maximum androgen blockade (MAB) using flutamide as second‐line hormonal therapy for advanced hormone‐refractory prostate cancer (HRPC).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The study included 55 patients with HRPC who were treated with MAB using flutamide (375 mg daily) as second‐line hormonal therapy. All patients had previously received bicalutamide combined with either surgical or medical castration as first‐line hormonal therapy, which failed. The effect of the second‐line therapy was evaluated by serum prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) level alone, and the response defined as a decrease of >50% from the baseline PSA at the start of second‐line therapy.

RESULTS

On initiating second‐line hormonal therapy there was a reduction in the PSA level in 25 of the 55 patients (45%), among whom 12 (22%) were regarded as responders, while the PSA level continued to increase in the remaining 30 (55%). The median (range) duration of the PSA response was 6 (1–13) months. During the observation period there were no severe side‐effects from the second‐line MAB therapy. Patients without bone metastases or whose disease progressed >1 year after first‐line therapy had a significantly higher incidence of PSA response to second‐line therapy, despite no significant effect of other factors examined on the PSA response to second‐line therapy. Furthermore, the cause‐specific survival in responders to second‐line therapy was significantly better than that in nonresponders; however, multivariate analysis showed that no factors, including response to second‐line therapy, could be used as independent predictors of cause‐specific survival.

CONCLUSIONS

MAB using flutamide as second‐line hormonal therapy can give a comparatively favourable PSA response with no severe side‐effects; therefore, this therapy may be suitable for patients with HRPC after primary MAB using bicalutamide has failed, particularly in those with no bone metastases or whose disease has progressed for >1 year after first‐line therapy.
Regional Economic Co‐operation in the Asia‐Pacific Region
Authors: Rieger Hans Christoph
Published: September 2005

This article surveys literature on regional economic co‐operation first in ASEAN and then in the general Pacific area. It covers both historical and descriptive accounts of regional co‐operation and also assessments of their impact. For ASEAN it deals with industrial projects, joint ventures, complementation and preferential trading arrangements. The treatment of Pacific economic co‐operation is more general and is concerned with background, objectives, proposals, membership and caveats and critical views.
Macroeconomic Management in Asian‐Pacific Developing Countries
Authors: Treadgold M L
Published: September 2005

This article surveys the literature on macro‐economic policy in East Asian and Pacific developing countries. Both internal and external aspects of macroeconomic policy are covered, but greater emphasis is placed on the former. After reviewing regional work on macroeconomic policy objectives and on the conflicts, constraints and trade‐offs faced by policy makers, an examination is made of research into target/instrument frameworks for the analsyis and design of policy. Then follow sections dealing with the specific instruments of monetary and fiscal policy. Finally, attention is drawn briefly to topics found in the literature but bypassed in this survey, and to gaps in the regional literature itself.
The Economics of Education in Asian‐Pacific Developing Countries
Authors: Gannicott K
Published: September 2005

Notingthut in munypartsof the worldthere has been widespread disillusionment with the economics of education, this paper argues that in Asia and the Pacifi there still remains a strong sense of optimism about the power of education to promote economic powth. The paper reviews the evidence on rates of return to education) and surveys the literature on education and equity. It also considers issues of educational management) education and unemployment, and the long‐running issue of the economic value of different curricula. The overall lheme of the paper i v the sense of confidence in education that is characteristic of most countries in the Asia‐PacifK region.
Trade in Services in the Asia‐Pacific Region
Authors: Findlay Christopher
Published: September 2005

After a discussion of definitional issues, such as the distinction between sales of services from the home base and from offshore establishments, the article surveys the literature on various policy issues in relation to trade in services, including those associated with the incorporation of services in the GATT, as well as others concerned with particular sectors. The article documents from the literature that developing countries can be internationally competitive suppliers of many services, which suggests that they stand to gain from a more liberal service trade regime.
Foreign Investment and East Asian Economic Development
Authors: Hill Hal
Published: September 2005

This article surveys and anabses the very lure literature on direct foreign investmenl (DFI) in the developing economies of East Asia and the Southwest Pacifi. Commencing with an overview of the MNC (mufcinafional corporation) presence in the region, successive sections a‐amine patterns and performance of major investors, trude‐DFI interrelationships, the impact of DFI on market structure and peflormance, the modalities of MNC entry, and host country policy. The latter, it is argues, is criticully importunt for assessments of the costs and benefits of DFI.
Labour Market Trends and Structures in ASEAN and the East Asian NIEs
Authors: Manning Chris , Fong Pang Eng
Published: September 2005

The paper reviews the literature on labour markets in the region with special emphasis on the impact of economic growth and structural change on employment and wages. It deals with labour supply trends, employment creation outside agriculture (especially export orientated industrialization and new high‐tech industries), labour absorption in agriculture, wage differentials and the functioning of rural and urban labour markets.

The creation of efficient and equitable labour market institutions and labour market flexibility have emerged as dominant issues in the NIEs. In the ASEAN‐4, because of concentration of employment in low productivity and low wage jobs and underutilization of labour, the rate of modern sector labour absorption remains the major policy concern.
Countertrade in the Asian‐Pacific Region
Authors: Hansson Ardo H
Published: September 2005

The article surveys the literature on countertrade with special reference to the Asian‐Pacific region. It covers the five most common forms of ‘tied’ trade: barter, counterpurchase, buyback, offset and bilateral agreements. It focuses on China as the most important centrally planned economy in the region; on the two regional market economies which have made use of countertrade, Indonesia and Malaysia; and on Singapore as a countertrade service centre. The literature survey consists not so much of the relatively few academic books and articles on the subject but of a miscellany of articles to assist practitioners and to study appropriate responses at the firm, national and global level.
China's Trade: Theory and Policy
Authors: Zhao Bing
Published: September 2005

The paper reviews the writings of Chinese economists on economic principles relating to international trade. The principal argument presented is that China's foreign trade policies have developed under the influence of both Marxist and conventional western economic thought, though the latter theories are not openly accepted in China and have been applied on a piecemeal basis. The survey also shows that Marxist economics in general, and the Marxist view of foreign trade in particular, have become less relevant to China's foreign trade policy, both theoretically and practically.
Small‐Scale Industry in the Asian‐Pacific Region
Authors: Berry Albert , Mazumdar Dipak
Published: September 2005

Small‐scale industry has been important in the successful development of many of the economies of East and Southeast Asia, both in cases like Japan, Korea and Taiwan where import‐substitution preceeded and/or accompanied the manufactured exporting phase, and in Hang Kong, the only essentially laissez faire economy in the region. An important general characteristic of the small‐scale sector, and one long commented upon in the Japanese case, is the prevalence of subcontracting relationships either with larger manufacturing firms or with traders. There is considerable evidence of economic efficiency in the sector, especially perhaps in the medium‐size range. Although some types of policy support appear to have paid off well, others appear not to have, so it is clear that such support must be both well thought out and carefully implemented if it is to have the hoped‐for result.
Trade Policy Issues in the Asian‐Pacific Region:
Authors: Yamazawa Ippei
Published: September 2005

Throughout the 1980s the Asian‐Pacific region (and especially fast Asian countries) has achieved rapid economic growth accompanied by drastic changes in industrial production and trade. In the textile and clothing industry (‘textile’ industry hereafter), exporting countries display the ‘flying geese’ pattern. The first‐tier exportec Japan, had retreated by the mid‐ 1970s. The second‐tier exporters, the East Asian newly industrializing economies (NIEs, consisting of South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong), are now being replaced by the third‐tier, ASEAN and Chinese exporters. The drastic changes in production and trade have resulted from the spread of modern textile production techniques in response to changing comparative advantage. This has been caused by increased labour costs and exchange rate alignment in the first‐and second‐tier exporters, but it has also been affected by the trade policies of industrial importer countries.

The textile industry trade has been tightly managed under the Multi‐Fibre Arrangement (MFA), and individual trade flows have been restricted by quota allocation under the MFA. At the current GATT Uruguay Round negotiations the major contracting parties agreed, in the Dunkel text of December 7997, on the gradual phasing out of the MFA restrictions over ten years. How will textile industry trade develop in the absence of the MFA restrictions? This paper focuses on the trade and production of textiles and clothing, but the case of this industry exemplifies important trade policy issues arising from the rapidly changing industrial structure in the Asian‐Pacific region.

In discussing textile trade policy issues, economists often focus on the MFA. However, the MFA has not produced a watertight regime. Textile production and trade have changed through product and process innovation, new management styles, and the ever‐changing tastes of consumers. The MFA restrictions have effected these innovative changes, but the policy issues need to be discussed in this context of industrial change.1
The ASEAN Free Trade Area: the search for a common prosperity
Authors: Yuan Lee Tsao
Published: September 2005

During the 1992 ASEAN Summit Meeting, a historic decision was made to create an ASEAN Free Trade area over the next fifteen years. This was a milestone in economic co‐operation within ASEAN. Global political and economic developments as well as factors internal to ASEAN made this decision possible. The task of expeditious implementation of AFTA poses major challenges, but AFTA itself augurs well for regional competitiveness.
Growth, Energy and the Environment: new challenges for the Asian‐Pacific economy
Authors: Drysdale Peter , Huang Yiping
Published: September 2005

This paper examines the impact of East Asia's future world energy demand on the environment, and explores the options for APEC in the management of regional environmental problems. This requires revisiting standard energy consumption forecasts and incorporating a more detailed examination of the environmental impact. China will be a major interest throughout, since a large part of the increment in industrial production and energy use over the next couple of decades is likely to be heavily concentrated in China.
Chinese Debate on Economic Reform: can China create a socialist market economy?
Authors: Myers Ramon H.
Published: September 2005

Between 1978 and 1992 a pattern of reform and tightening, inflation and deflation developed in China. The CPC realised that limiting central planning and expanding the role of the market had not alleviated the economic problems. In 1990–91 it was decided that the socialist core of China's economy should be restructured as a ‘socialist market economy’. This article follows the Chinese debate on the content and structure of the reform process and its effects on China's economic institutions.
The Technology Ladder in Development: the Singapore case
Authors: Swee Goh Keng
Published: September 2005

This paper by Singapore's former Deputy Prime Minister explains Singapore's industrial development in which the electronics industry was a major propellant. The growth of industry from the late 1960s cleared the backlog of unemployment, created demand for technical staff which transformed the education system and facilitated technology transfer to Singaporean companies. It also proved a developmental force as it moved into neighbouring countries when labour shortage in Singapore became a constraint. The article traces the role of multinational companies and of technical education in Singapore's ascent of the technology ladder and, more briefly, that of Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan and Indonesia.
Tourism in the Asian‐Pacific Region
Authors: Forsyth Peter , Dwyer Larry
Published: September 2005

Tourism has been growing rapidly in the Asian‐Pacific region, outward tourism propelled by rising incomes and inward tourism by falling airfares. This article draws on recent literature to describe the development of the tourist industry in the region and government policies concerning tourism. It discusses some of the industry's problems, such as environmental effects, shortage of appropriate skills and changes in competitiveness, especially for Japan and Singapore.
The Economic Position of Women in Asia
Authors: Meng Xin
Published: September 2005

This article surveys the literature on the economic position of women in Asian countries. Statistics show that the relative position of women improves with economic development. A negative income effect on women's economic participation in the paid workforce results in an inverse U‐shaped relationship between female participation rate and economic development. Cultural influences affect the degree of discrimination against women, and these vary between countries. China and Australia illustrate the potentially moderating role of government policy on gender discrimination.
Continuing Demographic Transitions in Asia
Authors: Hull Terence H.
Published: September 2005

This article updates the literature survey on demographic trends and policies published in the May 1987 issue of this journal. It reports substantial adjustments in earlier population projections, suggesting slower decline in population growth rates for China and several other Asian countries. It gives an account of recent trends and policies in the Asian‐Pacific region, especially China, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines and Singapore.
Parents, Power and Public Participation: Sure Start, an Experiment in New Labour Governance
Authors: Gustafsson Ulla , Driver Stephen
Published: September 2005

This paper examines parent participation in local Sure Start partnerships within the broader context of public involvement in policy‐making processes. Public participation is set against a background where an emphasis on participatory democracy is seen as a solution to shortcomings identified with policy‐making and implementation. However, the meaning of public participation is by no means straightforward and gives rise to problems at several levels. Many of these problems emanate from concerns with power and legitimation. While these concerns highlight important aspects of public participation in public and social administration, this paper, drawing on Foucault's concept of “pastoral power”, examines whether public participation is better viewed as a predictable part of governance in modern Western democracies where subjects need to be recruited to exercise power over themselves.
ISLAM AND SCIENCE: CONTRADICTION OR CONCORDANCE
Authors: Al‐Hayani Fatima Agha
Published: September 2005

Abstract. Many question whether Islam and science can be compatible. In the first six hundred years of Islam, Muslims addressed all fields of knowledge available to them with unprecedented zeal and contributed immensely to the knowledge that became the precursor of the Renaissance in Europe. The Tatar invasion in the thirteenth century and the total destruction of Baghdad, the Muslim capital of knowledge and science, followed by the crusades, the ensuing hostility between East and West, and Western colonialism of Muslim countries led to a distrust of all knowledge emanating from the West. Such distrust closed the doors to ijtihad, a dynamic method in Islamic jurisprudence for addressing change, new demands, and new acquired knowledge, even though the Qur'an challenges Muslims to think, contemplate, understand, comprehend, and examine everything around them—tasks that bring humankind closer to God as they find methods to apply God's laws of justice and equity to the benefit of all humankind. Islam is the religion of yusr (ease) and not ‘usr (hardship). The creation of the world was for human benefit and use. Innovation for such beneficial use and application is a must.
GOD VERSUS TECHNOLOGY? SCIENCE, SECULARITY, AND THE THEOLOGY OF TECHNOLOGY
Authors: Padgett Alan G.
Published: September 2005

Abstract. In debate with John Caiazza, we clarify the meaning of the terms technology and secular, arguing that technology is not really secular. Only when combined with antireligious secularism do we get the modern techno‐secular worldview. Science is not secular in the strong sense, nor does its practice automatically lead to the techno‐secular. As a complete worldview, techno‐secularism is antireligious, but it also is dehumanizing and destructive of our environment. Religion may provide a transcendent source for a humanizing morality that might move technology in a more ecofriendly, humane direction. The alternative is not a happy one for our posthuman technological future.
NOTES ON THE ALLEGED CONFLICT BETWEEN RELIGION AND SCIENCE
Authors: Pannenberg Wolfhart
Published: September 2005

Abstract. I interpret several key events in the history of the relationship between Christianity and science and conclude that there is no reason for assuming a fundamental conflict between science and religion. Christian theologians should feel confident in using the science of our day to retell the story of God's creation of the world.
THE POWER OF RELIGIOUS NATURALISM IN KARL PETERS'S DANCING WITH THE SACRED
Authors: Hardwick Charley D.
Published: September 2005

Abstract. This essay is an appreciative engagement with Karl Peters's Dancing with the Sacred (2002). Peters achieves a naturalistic theology of great power. Two themes are covered here. The first is how Peters gives ontological footing for a naturalistic conception of God conceived as the process of creativity in nature. Peters achieves this by conceiving creativity in terms of Darwinian random variation and natural selection combined with the notion of nonequilibrium thermodynamics. He gives ontological reference for a conception of God similar to Henry Nelson Wieman's idea of creative transformation. The second theme is how Peters succeeds in translating this nonpersonal conception of God into a powerful view of naturalistic religion that can shape a religious form of life. The key is that Peters's God can be understood as present in experience. Peters provides naturalistic interpretations of grace and the cruciform structure of creativity; the latter addresses the problem of evil in a nuanced fashion. I conclude with three critical comments about Peters's environmental ethics, his use of the notion of mystery, and his failure to have a robust conception of human fault or sin.
TEILHARD'S TWO ENERGIES
Authors: Morowitz Harold J. , Schmitz‐Moormann Nicole , Salmon James F.
Published: September 2005

Abstract. Resolution of the entropy‐evolution problem was a significant issue for Pierre Teilhard de Chardin throughout his scientific career. Although never truly satisfied with his solution, he proposed that all energy must be psychic and contain two components. Tangential energy is related to physical energy. Radial energy in some way accounts for increasing complexity and consciousness in evolution. Analysis of developments in thermodynamics, statistical mechanics, and information theory show that Gibbs free energy contains both calorimetric and noetic components, thus validating Teilhard's intuition.
A THEOLOGY FOR EVOLUTION: HAUGHT, TEILHARD, AND TILLICH
Authors: Carr Paul H.
Published: September 2005

Abstract. Paul Tillich and Pierre Teilhard de Chardin both have made contributions to a theology of evolution. In a 2002 essay John Haught expresses doubt that Tilllich's rather classical theology of “being” is radical enough to account for the “becoming” of evolution. Tillich's ontology of being includes the polarity of form and dynamics. Dynamics is the potentiality of being, that is, becoming. Tillich's dynamic dialectic of being and nonbeing is a more descriptive metaphor for the five mass extinctions of evolutionary history than Teilhard's progress. This dialectic is also a more realistic description of cosmic evolution. Tillich's “Kingdom of God” within history as well as “the End of History,” in contrast to Teilhard's Omega Point, does not appear to contradict the Second Law of Thermodynamics, which predicts that the universe will ultimately disintegrate. Haught's contrast/contact modes of relating science and religion would regard Teilhard's Omega Point as an expression of spiritual hope and purpose rather than a scientifically verifiable principle. The contrast/ contact position is consonant with Tillich's description of religion as part of the vertical dimension of ultimate concern and science as part of the horizontal dimension of relationships between finite objects. Tillich did not share Teilhard's optimistic vision of the future.
SYNCRETISM OR CORRELATION: TEILHARD AND TILLICH'S CONTRASTING METHODOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO SCIENCE AND THEOLOGY
Authors: DeLashmutt Michael W.
Published: September 2005

Abstract. I revisit Paul Tillich's theological methodology and contrast his practice of correlation with the syncretistic methodological practices of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin. I argue that the method of correlation, as referred to in Robert John Russell's 2001 Zygon article, fails to uphold Tillich's self‐limitation of his own methodology with regard to Tillich's insistence upon the theological circle. I assert that the theological circle, as taken from Tillich's Systematic Theology I, is a central facet within his methodology and that this often‐ignored concept needs to be resuscitated if one is to remain authentically Tillichian in one's approach to the science‐and‐theology dialogue.
DIMENSIONS OF LIFE: A SYSTEMS APPROACH TO THE INORGANIC AND THE ORGANIC IN PAUL TILLICH AND PIERRE TEILHARD DE CHARDIN
Authors: Huchingson James E.
Published: September 2005

Abstract. Systems theory provides a surprisingly fruitful approach to several important ideas held in common by Paul Tillich and Pierre Teilhard de Chardin. These include complexity or organization as the key to understanding the distinction between the inorganic and the organic, and hierarchy or levels in complex systems. Teilhard and systems theorists accept hierarchy as fundamental. Tillich questions the concept and prefers “dimensions,” including the inorganic, organic, psychological, spiritual, and historical dimensions. Tillich's rejection of hierarchy is questioned, but significant correlations are discovered in the systems interpretation of the psychological and spiritual dimensions as well as in the use of “centeredness” by both thinkers.
TRANSCENDENTALISM OR EMPIRICISM? A DISCUSSION OF A PROBLEM RAISED IN E. O. WILSON'S BOOK CONSILIENCE
Authors: Brun Rudolf
Published: September 2005

Abstract. E. O. Wilson writes that the “choice between transcendentalism and empiricism” is this century's “version of the struggle for men's soul” (1998, 240). The transcendentalist argues for theism—that there is a God, a creator of the world. The empiricist instead makes the point that the notion of God, including morality and ethics, are adaptive structures of human evolution. Before entering the debate of the transcendentalist/empiricist controversy I analyze how things exist and suggest that all that is exists as united diversity, as identity in difference. I argue that oneness by itself is intangible because wholes are concrete only through their tangible parts. I briefly discuss this understanding of existence in the realm of art to show that transcendence and immanence are not mutually exclusive but constitute each other. I conclude that existence, the hypostasis of unity in diversity, might be seen as a gift from absolute existence. In this view, the world might reveal itself as a gift that reflects the trinitarian existence of the Giver.
THE VARIETY OF PANENTHEISMS
Authors: Towne Edgar A.
Published: September 2005

Abstract. In this article I review the efforts of eighteen scientists and theologians, recorded in this book, to describe the relation of God to the universe during a conference sponsored by the John Templeton Foundation at Windsor Castle in 2001. Theologians from several branches of Christian faith articulate their understanding of panentheism, revealing a considerable diversity. I deal with each author in relation to six issues: the way God acts, how God's intimate relation to the world is to be described, the relation of God to spacetime, whether God is dependent upon the world, what type of language is used, and the problem of dipolar panentheism. I identify significant differences between these authors, suggest where fruitful dialogue is possible, and distinguish between intelligibility and plausibility in comparing dipolar panentheism with other types.
THE RELATIONSHIP OF RELIGION AND ETHICS: A COMPARISON OF NEWMAN AND CONTEMPORARY PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION
Authors: Wynn Mark
Published: September 2005

John Henry Newman's An Essay in Aid of a Grammar of Assent is a commonly cited source for the idea that religion and ethics are in some fashion mutually implicated, and specifically the idea that religious belief can be grounded in our moral experience.1 In this paper I aim to do two things. First of all, I shall try to show that Newman's account of the relationship between religious and ethical understanding, as expounded in the Grammar, is more richly nuanced than one might suppose from reading the work of his commentators, and indeed anticipates a great deal of recent discussion in the philosophy of religion. Secondly, I shall argue that one strand of Newman's case in particular merits further attention in the context of current debate; here I shall argue that Newman's position is reminiscent of recent discussion in the philosophy of mind concerning the sense in which feelings are intentional, and articulates a view which is at best underdeveloped in recent work in philosophy of religion.
How not to become a museum piece
Authors: Beck Ulrich
Published: September 2005

In this essay I want to address two question marks which arose during my reading of Michael Burawoy's inspiring piece. First, sharing his spirit of recreating the sociological enlightenment by differentiating between different types of public sociologies, I do not share his optimism that sociology can easily become an integral part of public discourse and practice. Second, I don’t think that mainstream sociology is really prepared for this adventure. My argument points in the opposite direction: all the different forms of public and non‐public sociology are in danger of becoming museum pieces. Thus, sociology not only needs a public voice, it also needs to be reinvented first – in order to have a public voice at all!
Effects of creatine treatment on survival and differentiation of GABA‐ergic neurons in cultured striatal tissue
Authors: Andres R. H. , Ducray A. D. , Huber A. W. , Pérez‐Bouza A. , Krebs S. H. , Schlattner U. , Seiler R. W. , Wallimann T. , Widmer H. R.
Published: September 2005

Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder, characterized by a prominent loss of GABA‐ergic medium‐sized spiny neurons in the caudate putamen. There is evidence that impaired energy metabolism contributes to neuronal death in HD. Creatine is an endogenous substrate for creatine kinases and thereby supports cellular ATP levels. This study investigated the effects of creatine supplementation (5 mm) on cell survival and neuronal differentiation in striatal cultures. Chronic creatine treatment resulted in significant increased densities of GABA‐immunoreactive (‐ir) neurons, although total neuronal cell number and general viability were not affected. Similar effects were seen after short‐term treatment, suggesting that creatine acted as a differentiation factor. Inhibitors of transcription or translation did not abolish the creatine‐mediated effects, nor did omission of extracellular calcium, whereas inhibition of mitogen‐activated protein kinase and phosphatidylinositol‐3‐kinase significantly attenuated the creatine induced increase in GABA‐ir cell densities. Creatine exhibited significant neuroprotection against toxicity instigated either by glucose‐ and serum deprivation or addition of 3‐nitropropionic acid. In sum, the neuroprotective properties in combination with promotion of neuronal differentiation suggest that creatine has potential as a therapeutic drug in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, like HD.
Modulation of the homophilic interaction between the first and second Ig modules of neural cell adhesion molecule by heparin
Authors: Kulahin Nikolaj , Rudenko Olga , Kiselyov Vladislav , Poulsen Flemming M. , Berezin Vladimir , Bock Elisabeth
Published: September 2005

The second Ig module (IgII) of the neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) is known to bind to the first Ig module (IgI) of NCAM (so‐called homophilic binding) and to interact with heparan sulfate and chondroitin sulfate glycoconjugates. We here show by NMR that the heparin and chondroitin sulfate‐binding sites (HBS and CBS, respectively) in IgII coincide, and that this site overlaps with the homophilic binding site. Using NMR and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) analyses we demonstrate that interaction between IgII and heparin indeed interferes with the homophilic interaction between IgI and IgII. Accordingly, we show that treatment of cerebellar granule neurons (CGNs) with heparin inhibits NCAM‐mediated outgrowth. In contrast, treatment with heparinase III or chondroitinase ABC abrogates NCAM‐mediated neurite outgrowth in CGNs emphasizing the importance of the presence of heparan/chondroitin sulfates for proper NCAM function. Finally, a peptide encompassing HBS in IgII, termed the heparin‐binding peptide (HBP), is shown to promote neurite outgrowth in CGNs. These observations indicate that neuronal differentiation induced by homophilic NCAM interaction is modulated by interactions with heparan/chondroitin sulfates.