bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Agency and the Body in Adolescent Menstrual Talk
Authors: Fingerson Laura
Published: February 2005

Girls’ bodies are often constructed negatively and passively in their dominant cultures, but at the same time, girls may collectively construct menstruation and the body in creative ways. By exploring menstrual talk in individual and group interview data from mostly white, high school age girls and boys in the US, this study finds that girls draw on their bodies in social interaction to exert agency in their negotiations with the gendered world and social structure. These types of agency are based within the girls’ sense of responsibility and management of menstruation, their knowledge of menstruation and their social interpretations of menstruation.
Stages of Development: Marriage of Girls and Teens as an International Human Rights Issue
Authors: Bunting Annie
Published: February 2005

The case of ‘child marriage’ has not been extensively studied in international women’s rights and children’s rights scholarship. This article attempts to contribute to a discussion about cultural diversity and human rights through the case of early marriage. I argue that a strategy based on a uniform marriageable age and a narrow rights-based analysis misses the complexity of both marriage and age. I maintain that the socio-economic conditions in which girls, adolescents and young women live and marry need to be examined and addressed in order to develop relevant and culturally appropriate international strategies. Further, I discuss the cultural specificity of childhood and adolescence in contrast to the international human rights perspective that considers all people under the age of 18 as children.
The Responsibility To Protect and the Crisis in Darfur
Authors: Williams Paul D. , Bellamy Alex J.
Published: February 2005

Governments that have endorsed the ‘sovereignty as responsibility’ approach have shown little inclination to protect civilians suffering at the hands of their own government in the Sudanese province of Darfur. After providing an overview of Darfur’s crisis and international society’s feeble response, we explore why the strongest advocates of ‘sovereignty as responsibility’, the NATO and EU states, failed to seriously contemplate military intervention. We suggest that three main factors help explain the West’s unwillingness to intervene in Darfur: increased scepticism about the West’s humanitarian interventionism, especially after the invasion of Iraq; Western strategic interests in Sudan; and the relationship between the crisis in Darfur and Sudan’s other civil wars. We conclude that the emerging norm of humanitarian intervention remains weak and strongly contested, and that advocates of the ‘responsibility to protect’ approach have yet to persuade their governments to help save populations in danger.
Portrait of a Failed Rebellion
Authors: Hovil Lucy , Werker Eric
Published: February 2005

While newspaper reports typically describe anti-civilian violence in civil war as resulting from hatred or anarchy, there is an emerging literature that interprets these processes as calculated, strategic actions of war makers. We argue that this literature overestimates the strategic value of violence by focusing on conflicts where this strategy is used deliberately and on a massive scale. Our analysis examines the violence in a failed, peripheral rebellion in western Uganda and finds that the brutality was premeditated; however, the gains to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels were not military. Instead, we argue that anti-civilian violence in western Uganda stems from the financier-insurgent relationship that promoted a high level of violence in response to divergent interests, unequal access to information, and contracting limitations. In other words, civilians were victimized in order that the ADF could keep their outside funding.
Does Impartial Deliberation Breed Fair Behavior?
Authors: Ellingsen Tore , Johannesson Magnus
Published: February 2005

We experimentally test whether impartial deliberation leads to stronger concern for fairness in bargaining. In the experiment a seller can invest some of his/her time in order to generate potential gains from trade with a buyer. Conditional on investment the seller proposes how to split the gain. The buyer either accepts or rejects the seller’s offer. To vary the degree of impartiality, subjects are assigned to their roles as sellers or buyers either before (the ‘subjective group’) or after (the ‘objective group’) they read the instructions. We find that the relationship between the perceived investment cost and the bargaining proposal is significantly stronger in the objective group. This suggests that sellers in the objective group are more preoccupied with setting a fair price.
Understanding Women’s Labeling of Unwanted Sexual Experiences With Dating Partners
Authors: Harned Melanie S.
Published: February 2005

Qualitative data are used to examine the process by which women come to label their unwanted sexual experiences with dating partners as sexual abuse or assault, as well as the factors that impede such labeling. Issues of consent, causal attributions, and minimization were found to be central to understanding why women did or did not label. Labeling was generally a gradual process and was most often triggered by social support seeking. Women who did not label typically defined the incident as something less serious than sexual abuse or assault, although some provided definitions indicating that they had felt victimized.
Knowledge and Attitudes About Intimate Partner Violence Among Immigrant Latinos in Rural North Carolina
Authors: Moracco Kathryn E. , Hilton Alison , Hodges Kathryn G. , Frasier Pamela Y.
Published: February 2005

To create appropriate intimate partner violence (IPV) services for Latino immigrants, practitioners must be aware of their needs. We conducted interviews with 100 recent Latino immigrants in a rural North Carolina county. Overall, IPV was not perceived to be a problem; however, men and women differed in their perceptions. Men were more likely to agree with IPV myths, and both men and women felt that IPV had a detrimental impact on children. Many did not know about the local domestic violence agency, and knowledge about protective orders was limited. Outreach should emphasize the seriousness of IPV, adapt content for gender-specific audiences, and increase awareness about local resources.
Effect of Microballoon Radius Ratio on Syntactic Foam Core Sandwich Composites
Authors: Woldesenbet Eyassu , Gupta Nikhil , Jerro H. Dwayne
Published: February 2005

Hollow particles, called microballoons, are commonly used in the fabrication of syntactic foams, which are used as core materials in sandwich composites. The present experimental investigation aims at characterizing five different types of syntactic foam core sandwich composites for their edgewise compressive strength. The microballoon volume fraction is maintained at 0.65 in each type of syntactic foams. The five types of microballoons used in the study have the same mean outer diameter of about 40 mm but different wall thickness causing a difference in their densities and strengths. The differences in the compressive strength and modulus of sandwich composites are related to the microballoon radius ratio, which is defined as the ratio of the internal to the external radii of the microballoons. It is observed that the compressive strength and modulus of syntactic foams increase with a decrease in the microballoon radius ratio. The specimen fracture features are also discussed.
Energy Absorption of Sandwich Panels with Composite-Reinforced Foam Core
Authors: Laurin Frederick , Vizzini Anthony J.
Published: February 2005

Specimens with through-the-thickness reinforcement are manufactured and tested under uniaxial quasistatic loading to determine the effect of the reinforcement on the energy absorption characteristics. The sandwich structures are nominally 48 or 68mm by 68mm in area and varied from 13 to 51mm in thickness. Either three or four strips of unidirectional [02] graphite/epoxy served as the throughthethickness reinforcement. In addition, various other cores are tested in a similar fashion and compared against the reinforced core specimens. The reinforcement greatly increased the crushing initiation load, and the energy absorption was greatly enhanced even when normalized by the overall weight of the altered cores.
Reproduction, creativity, restriction
Authors: Geismar Haidy
Published: February 2005

Copyright legislation is often described in relation to a series of abstract legal and economic constructs, without due attention to the ways in which it may be constituted by the persons and artifacts that it legislates over. In this article, I focus in detail on some ways in which concepts of copyright are negotiated in the South Pacific archipelago of Vanuatu. I analyze copyright in relation to the technical, social and conceptual processes of copying, restriction and creativity, respectively, in order to draw out some of the diverse social and material processes that are built into the legal category. I draw specifically on my research with Ni-Vanuatu men and women using local resources to earn money through the production of artifacts for the market – an exemplary context for the emergence of discussions about ‘indigenous' copyright legislation. In describing copyright in one very local context, I emphasize that focusing on the materiality of different property forms can enable us to more sensitively understand the differential constitution of intellectual property rights in an increasingly global arena.
Group dynamic processes in email groups
Authors: Alpay Esat
Published: February 2005

Discussion is given on the relevance of group dynamic processes in promoting decision-making in email discussion groups. General theories on social facilitation and social loafing are considered in the context of email groups, as well as the applicability of psychodynamic and interaction-based models. It is argued that such theories may indeed provide insight into email group interactions, but that communication limitations may severely hinder the effectiveness, and possibly the natural evolution, of email-based groups. Based on the various theoretical perspectives on group dynamics, some general recommendations are provided on promoting effective email groups, which include the set-up of communication and decision protocols, the cogent use of a group facilitator, and where possible, the supplementary use of face-to-face interactions.
Setting Things Straight
Authors: Ajzenstadt Mimi , Borowski Allan
Published: February 2005

Between 1999 and 2003 public defenders were gradually introduced into Israel's welfare-oriented Juvenile Courts. This article reports on the findings of a study that sought to assess the perspectives of the social work trained probation officers on the early impacts of the introduction of public defenders. The study involved in-depth interviews with 14 probation officers. The major findings of the study were that the probation officers: (1) supported the introduction of public defenders in principle but not in practice; (2) believed public defenders should be committed to the therapeutic perspective of the court and become an additional link in the treatment chain; (3) felt that their influence in the court had diminished with the arrival of public defenders; and, (4) viewed the public defenders as compromising the benefit to the young defendant of the drama of the court hearing. Many of the study's findings can be explained by Eisenstein and Jacob’s (1991) model of the courtroom workgroup.
Realism as a Foundation for Social Work Knowledge
Authors: Mäntysaari Mikko
Published: February 2005

Could a philosophical position called ‘realism’ act as a foundation for social work knowledge? Social work is a phenomenon consisting of three parts: research, education and professional practise. The aim of social work is to alleviate social problems – and this task can be fulfilled through all the three parts of social work. Research must help not only the professional practise, but also the teaching of social work methods. When speaking of research methodology, social work research should overcome the pitfalls of empiricism, inductivism and relativism, and take into consideration of the powers of societal structures, history and nature. The ideas of realism can help in the realization of this task.
Fiber Optic Sensors for Detection of Corrosion within Aircraft
Authors: McAdam G. , Newman P. J. , McKenzie I. , Davis C. , Hinton B. R. W.
Published: February 2005

The cost of preventing and controlling corrosion in aging aircraft fleets is becoming a significant burden. Early detection of corrosion will reduce the maintenance required to repair the damage, which should result in increased aircraft availability and significant reduction in the cost of ownership. Fluorescent fiber optic sensors that detect aluminum cations from the early stages of the corrosion process are proposed as a means for providing early warning of corrosion in susceptible areas of an aging aircraft. This article will discuss the results for two different carriers of an aluminum-sensing fluorophore and some of the key technical issues that need to be resolved for the development of an effective fiber optic sensing system.
Quantitative Damage Prediction for Composite Laminates Based on Wave Propagation and Artificial Neural Networks
Authors: Su Zhongqing , Ye Lin
Published: February 2005

Targeted at an online health monitoring technique for in-service composite structures, a Lamb wave propagation-based deterioration assessment approach is developed using an artificial neural network (ANN) algorithm and a PZT transducer network. Structural dynamic responses are numerically simulated using three-dimensional FEM analyses, and signal characteristics are then extracted with a Signal Processing and Interpretation Package (SPIP) in terms of the wavelet transform technique. A damage parameters database (DPD) is constructed to accommodate the extracted wave spectrographic characteristics, and adopted for ANN training under the supervision of an error-backpropagation neural algorithm. The validity of this methodology is evaluated by identifying through-hole-type damages in [45/45/0/90]s quasi-isotropic CF/EP (T650/F584) laminates. The results exhibit excellent quantitative prediction for damage in the CF/EP composites, including position, geometric identity, and orientation. Additionally, the dependence of ANN performance on inherent network configurations is also evaluated.
‘The enigma of subjectivity’
Authors: Ladkin Donna
Published: February 2005

This article explores the issue of how action researchers might fully account for their subjectivity while simultaneously seeking to more fully understand ‘the other’ as they engage in inquiry processes. Ideas from the 20th-century philosophical tradition of phenomenology, including that of the ‘Lifeworld’, ‘presence and readiness-to-hand’, ‘bracketing’, and ‘objectivity for subjectivity’ are considered for the insights they bring to this paradox. The article considers the nature of truth generated through epistemologies based in subjectivity, and examines the role objectivity plays in establishing valid claims to truth. It concludes that subjectivity and objectivity are necessarily intertwined in the creation of valid truths with the consequence of this being the interdependence of meaning with truth as well.
Atlas – a data warehouse for integrative bioinformatics
Authors: Shah Sohrab P , Huang Yong , Xu Tao , Yuen Macaire MS , Ling John , Ouellette BF Francis
Published: February 2005

Background

We present a biological data warehouse called Atlas that locally stores and integrates biological sequences, molecular interactions, homology information, functional annotations of genes, and biological ontologies. The goal of the system is to provide data, as well as a software infrastructure for bioinformatics research and development.

Description

The Atlas system is based on relational data models that we developed for each of the source data types. Data stored within these relational models are managed through Structured Query Language (SQL) calls that are implemented in a set of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). The APIs include three languages: C++, Java, and Perl. The methods in these API libraries are used to construct a set of loader applications, which parse and load the source datasets into the Atlas database, and a set of toolbox applications which facilitate data retrieval. Atlas stores and integrates local instances of GenBank, RefSeq, UniProt, Human Protein Reference Database (HPRD), Biomolecular Interaction Network Database (BIND), Database of Interacting Proteins (DIP), Molecular Interactions Database (MINT), IntAct, NCBI Taxonomy, Gene Ontology (GO), Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM), LocusLink, Entrez Gene and HomoloGene. The retrieval APIs and toolbox applications are critical components that offer end-users flexible, easy, integrated access to this data. We present use cases that use Atlas to integrate these sources for genome annotation, inference of molecular interactions across species, and gene-disease associations.

Conclusion

The Atlas biological data warehouse serves as data infrastructure for bioinformatics research and development. It forms the backbone of the research activities in our laboratory and facilitates the integration of disparate, heterogeneous biological sources of data enabling new scientific inferences. Atlas achieves integration of diverse data sets at two levels. First, Atlas stores data of similar types using common data models, enforcing the relationships between data types. Second, integration is achieved through a combination of APIs, ontology, and tools. The Atlas software is freely available under the GNU General Public License at: http://bioinformatics.ubc.ca/atlas/
The Arabidopsis Mei2 homologue AML1 binds AtRaptor1B, the plant homologue of a major regulator of eukaryotic cell growth
Authors: Anderson Garrett H , Hanson Maureen R
Published: February 2005

Background

TOR, the target of the antibiotic rapamycin in both yeast and mammalian cells, is a potent cell growth regulator in all eukaryotes. It acts through the phosphorylation of downstream effectors that are recruited to it by the binding partner Raptor. In Arabidopsis, Raptor activity is essential for postembryonic growth. Though comparative studies suggest potential downstream effectors, no Raptor binding partners have been described in plants.

Results

AtRaptor1B, a plant Raptor homologue, binds the AML1 (Arabidopsis Mei2-like 1) protein in a yeast two-hybrid assay. This interaction is mediated by the N-terminal 219 residues of AML1, and marks AML1 as a candidate AtTOR kinase substrate in plants. The AML1 N-terminus additionally carries transcriptional activation domain activity. Plants homozygous for insertion alleles at the AML1 locus, as well as plants homozygous for insertion alleles at all five loci in the AML gene family, bolt earlier than wild-type plants.

Conclusion

AML1 interacts with AtRaptor1B, homologue of a protein that recruits substrates for phosphorylation by the major cell-growth regulator TOR. Identification of AML1 as a putative downstream effector of TOR gives valuable insights into the plant-specific mode of action of this critical growth regulator.
Oral vitamin B12therapy in the primary care setting: a qualitative and quantitative study of patient perspectives
Authors: Kwong Jeff C , Carr David , Dhalla Irfan A , Tom-Kun Denise , Upshur Ross EG
Published: February 2005

Background

Although oral replacement with high doses of vitamin B12 is both effective and safe for the treatment of B12 deficiency, little is known about patients' views concerning the acceptability and effectiveness of oral B12. We investigated patient perspectives on switching from injection to oral B12 therapy.

Methods

This study involved a quantitative arm using questionnaires and a qualitative arm using semi-structured interviews, both to assess patient views on injection and oral therapy. Patients were also offered a six-month trial of oral B12 therapy. One hundred and thirty-three patients who receive regular B12 injections were included from three family practice units (two hospital-based academic clinics and one community health centre clinic) in Toronto.

Results

Seventy-three percent (63/86) of respondents were willing to try oral B12. In a multivariate analysis, patient factors associated with a "willingness to switch" to oral B12 included being able to get to the clinic in less than 30 minutes (OR 9.3, 95% CI 2.2–40.0), and believing that frequent visits to the health care provider (OR 5.4, 95% CI 1.1–26.6) or the increased costs to the health care system (OR 16.7, 95% CI 1.5–184.2) were disadvantages of injection B12. Fifty-five patients attempted oral therapy and 52 patients returned the final questionnaire. Of those who tried oral therapy, 76% (39/51) were satisfied and 71% (39/55) wished to permanently switch. Factors associated with permanently switching to oral therapy included believing that the frequent visits to the health care provider (OR 35.4, 95% CI 2.9–432.7) and travel/parking costs (OR 8.7, 95% CI 1.2–65.3) were disadvantages of injection B12. Interview participants consistently cited convenience as an advantage of oral therapy.

Conclusion

Switching patients from injection to oral B12 is both feasible and acceptable to patients. Oral B12 supplementation is well received largely due to increased convenience. Clinicians should offer oral B12 therapy to their patients who are currently receiving injections, and newly diagnosed B12-deficient patients who can tolerate and are compliant with oral medications should be offered oral supplementation.
Docetaxel plus cisplatin is effective for patients with metastatic breast cancer resistant to previous anthracycline treatment: a phase II clinical trial
Authors: Park Se Hoon , Cho Eun Kyung , Bang Soo-Mee , Shin Dong Bok , Lee Jae Hoon , Lee Young Don
Published: February 2005

Background

Patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) are frequently exposed to high cumulative doses of anthracyclines and are at risk of resistance and cardiotoxicity. This phase II trial evaluated the efficacy and toxicity of docetaxel plus cisplatin, as salvage chemotherapy in patients with MBC resistant to prior anthracyclines.

Methods

Patients with MBC that had progressed after at least one prior chemotherapy regimen containing anthracyclines received docetaxel 75 mg/m2 followed by cisplatin 60 mg/m2 every 3 weeks for a maximum of 6 cycles or until disease progression.

Results

Between Jan 2000 and May 2002, 24 patients with tumors primary resistant and 15 with secondary resistant disease were accrued. All 39 patients were evaluable for safety and 36 for efficacy. The objective response rate was 31% (95% CI, 16–45%) with 3 complete responses. The median time to disease progression was 7 months, and the median overall survival was 23 months (median follow-up of 41 months). Neutropenia was the most frequently observed severe hematologic toxicity (39% of patients), whereas asthenia and nausea were the most common non-hematologic toxicities. No treatment-related death was observed.

Conclusion

In conclusion, we found docetaxel plus cisplatin to be an active and safe chemotherapy regimen for patients with MBC resistant to anthracyclines.
Rural Indian tribal communities: an emerging high-risk group for HIV/AIDS
Authors: Naik Eknath , Karpur Arun , Taylor Richard , Ramaswami Balasubramaniam , Ramachandra Seetharam , Balasubramaniam Bindu , Galwankar Sagar , Sinnott John , Nabukera Sarah , Salihu Hamisu M
Published: February 2005

Background

Rural Indian tribes are anthropologically distinct with unique cultures, traditions and practices. Over the years, displacement and rapid acculturation of this population has led to dramatic changes in their socio-cultural and value systems. Due to a poor health infrastructure, high levels of poverty and ignorance, these communities are highly vulnerable to various health problems, especially, communicable diseases including HIV/AIDS. Our study sought to assess knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding sexuality, and the risk factors associated with the spread of HIV/AIDS and STDs among these communities.

Methods

A nested cross sectional study was undertaken as part of the on going Reproductive and Child Health Survey. A total of 5,690 participants age 18–44 were recruited for this study. Data were obtained through home interviews, and focused on socio-demographics, knowledge, attitudes and behaviors regarding sexuality, HIV/AIDS and other STDs.

Results

The study revealed that only 22% of adults had even heard of AIDS, and 18 % knew how it is transmitted. In addition, only 5% knew that STDs and AIDS were related to each other. AIDS awareness among women was lower compared to men (14% vs.30 %). Regarding sexual practices, 35% of the respondents reported having had extramarital sexual encounters, with more males than females reporting extramarital affairs.

Conclusion

Lack of awareness, permissiveness of tribal societies for premarital or extra-marital sexual relationships, and sexual mixing patterns predispose these communities to HIV/AIDS and STD infections. There is a dire need for targeted interventions in order to curtail the increasing threat of HIV and other STDs among these vulnerable populations.
A comparative study of reaction times between type II diabetics and non-diabetics
Authors: Richerson Samantha J , Robinson Charles J , Shum Judy
Published: February 2005

Background

Aging has been shown to slow reflexes and increase reaction time to varied stimuli. However, the effect of Type II diabetes on these same reaction times has not been reported. Diabetes affects peripheral nerves in the somatosensory and auditory system, slows psychomotor responses, and has cognitive effects on those individuals without proper metabolic control, all of which may affect reaction times. The additional slowing of reaction times may affect every-day tasks such as balance, increasing the probability of a slip or fall.

Methods

Reaction times to a plantar touch, a pure tone auditory stimulus, and rightward whole-body lateral movement of 4 mm at 100 mm/s2 on a platform upon which a subject stood, were measured in 37 adults over 50 yrs old. Thirteen (mean age = 60.6 ± 6.5 years) had a clinical diagnosis of type II diabetes and 24 (mean age = 59.4 ± 8.0 years) did not. Group averages were compared to averages obtained from nine healthy younger adult group (mean age = 22.7 ± 1.2 years).

Results

Average reaction times for plantar touch were significantly longer in diabetic adults than the other two groups, while auditory reaction times were not significantly different among groups. Whole body reaction times were significantly different among all three groups with diabetic adults having the longest reaction times, followed by age-matched adults, and then younger adults.

Conclusion

Whole body reaction time has been shown to be a sensitive indicator of differences between young adults, healthy mature adults, and mature diabetic adults. Additionally, the increased reaction time seen in this modality for subjects with diabetes may be one cause of increased slips and falls in this group.
Involvement of β-chemokines in the development of inflammatory demyelination
Authors: Banisor Ileana , Leist Thomas P , Kalman Bernadette
Published: February 2005

The importance of β-chemokines (or CC chemokine ligands – CCL) in the development of inflammatory lesions in the central nervous system of patients with multiple sclerosis and rodents with experimental allergic encephalomyelitis is strongly supported by descriptive studies and experimental models. Our recent genetic scans in families identified haplotypes in the genes of CCL2, CCL3 and CCL11-CCL8-CCL13 which showed association with multiple sclerosis. Complementing the genetic associations, we also detected a distinct regional expression regulation for CCL2, CCL7 and CCL8 in correlation with chronic inflammation in multiple sclerosis brains. These observations are in consensus with previous studies, and add new data to support the involvement of CCL2, CCL7, CCL8 and CCL3 in the development of inflammatory demyelination. Along with our own data, here we review the literature implicating CCLs and their receptors (CCRs) in multiple sclerosis and experimental allergic encephalomyelitis. The survey reflects that the field is in a rapid expansion, and highlights some of the pathways which might be suitable to pharmaceutical interventions.
Results of Whole-Brain Radiation As Salvage of Methotrexate Failure for Immunocompetent Patients With Primary CNS Lymphoma
Authors: Nguyen Paul L. , Chakravarti Arnab , Finkelstein Dianne M. , Hochberg Fred H. , Batchelor Tracy T. , Loeffler Jay S.
Published: February 2005

Purpose

This study evaluates the efficacy and toxicity of whole-brain radiation therapy (WBRT) as salvage therapy for immunocompetent patients who failed initial high-dose methotrexate for primary CNS lymphoma (PCNSL).

Patients and Methods

The study cohort included 27 consecutive patients who failed initial high-dose methotrexate and then received salvage WBRT (median dose, 36 Gy). Actuarial survival was measured from the initiation of radiotherapy.

Results

Ten patients (37%) achieved a complete radiographic response (CR), and 10 patients (37%) a partial response to WBRT, for a 74% overall radiographic response rate. At the time of maximal response, Karnofsky performance status improved in 12 (44%) of 27 patients and at least stabilized in 67%. Median estimated survival from initiation of WBRT was 10.9 months (range, 0.3 to 63.7 months). The univariate predictor of longer survival was age less than 60 years at the time of WBRT (P = .028). Among patients who survived 4 months, achievement of a CR to WBRT by 4 months (P = .002) predicted longer survival. Late treatment-associated neurotoxicity was diagnosed in four patients (15%) and was significantly associated with total radiation doses greater than 36 Gy (P = .04). No patient treated with daily fractions less than 1.8 Gy developed late neurotoxicity.

Conclusion

For patients with PCNSL who experience treatment failure with methotrexate, WBRT provides high response rates (74%) and a median survival of 10.9 months. Age less than 60 years and response to WBRT predict post-WBRT survival. Modest rates of late neurotoxicity (15%) were seen and were associated with a total dose greater than 36 Gy.
Diagnosis and Management of Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia
Authors: Dimopoulos Meletios A. , Kyle Robert A. , Anagnostopoulos Athanasios , Treon Steven P.
Published: February 2005

Purpose

To review the diagnostic criteria, prognostic factors, response criteria, and treatment options of patients with Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia (WM).

Methods

A review of published reports was facilitated by the use of a MEDLINE computer search and by manual search of the Index Medicus.

Results

WM should be regarded as a distinct clinicopathologic entity and confined to those patients with lymphoplasmacytoid lymphoma who have demonstrable serum immunoglobulin M monoclonal protein. Treatment decisions should rely on specific clinical and laboratory criteria. Initiation of therapy should not be based on serum monoclonal protein levels per se. The three main choices for systemic primary treatment of symptomatic patients with WM include alkylating agents (chlorambucil), nucleoside analogs (fludarabine and cladribine), and the monoclonal antibody rituximab. There are no data from prospective randomized studies to recommend the use of one first-line agent over another, although consideration of a patient's candidacy for autologous stem-cell transplantation (ASCT) should be taken into account to avoid stem cell–damaging agents. There are preliminary data to suggest that combinations of nucleoside analogs and alkylating agents with or without rituximab may improve response rates at the expense of higher toxicity.

Conclusion

WM is a distinct low-grade lymphoproliferative disorder. When therapy is indicated, alkylating agents, nucleoside analogs, and rituximab are reasonable choices. Several factors, including the presence of cytopenias, need for rapid disease control, candidacy for ASCT, age, and comorbidities, should be taken into consideration when choosing the most appropriate primary treatment.
Atypical Teratoid/Rhabdoid Tumors (ATRT): Improved Survival in Children 3 Years of Age and Older With Radiation Therapy and High-Dose Alkylator-Based Chemotherapy
Authors: Tekautz Tanya M. , Fuller Christine E. , Blaney Susan , Fouladi Maryam , Broniscer Alberto , Merchant Thomas E. , Krasin Matthew , Dalton James , Hale Gregory , Kun Larry E. , Wallace Dana , Gilbertson Richard J. , Gajjar Amar
Published: February 2005

Purpose

To describe clinical features, therapeutic approaches, and prognostic factors in pediatric patients with atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumors (ATRT) treated at St Jude Children's Research Hospital (SJCRH).

Patients and Methods

Primary tumor samples from patients diagnosed with ATRT at SJCRH between July 1984 and June 2003 were identified. Pathology review included histologic, immunohistochemical analysis, and fluorescence in situ hybridization for SMARCB1 (also known as hSNF5/INI1) deletion. Clinical records of patients with pathologic confirmation of ATRT were reviewed.

Results

Thirty-seven patients were diagnosed with ATRT at SJCRH during the 19-year study interval. Six patients were excluded from this clinical review based on pathologic or clinical criteria. Of the remaining 31 patients, 22 were younger than 3 years. Posterior fossa primary lesions and metastatic disease at diagnosis were more common in younger patients with ATRT. All patients underwent surgical resection; 30 received subsequent chemotherapy. The majority of patients aged 3 years or older received postoperative craniospinal radiation. Two-year event-free (EFS) and overall survival (OS) of children aged 3 years or older (EFS, 78% + 14%; OS, 89% ± 11%) were significantly better than those for younger patients (EFS, 11% ± 6%; OS, 17% ± 8%); EFS, P = .009 and OS, P = .0001. No other clinical characteristics were predictive of survival. Three of four patients 3 years or older with progressive disease were successfully rescued with ifosfamide, carboplatin, and etoposide therapy.

Conclusion

Children presenting with ATRT before the age of 3 years have a dismal prognosis. ATRT presenting in older patients can be cured using a combination of radiation and high-dose alkylating therapy. Older patients with relapsed ATRT can have salvage treatment using ICE chemotherapy.
Site of Primary Tumor Has a Prognostic Role in Operable Breast Cancer: The International Breast Cancer Study Group Experience
Authors: Colleoni Marco , Zahrieh David , Gelber Richard D. , Holmberg Stig B. , Mattsson Jan E. , Rudenstam Carl-Magnus , Lindtner Jurij , Eržen Darja , Snyder Raymond , Collins John , Fey Martin F. , Thürlimann Beat , Crivellari Diana , Murray Elizabeth , Mendiola Caesar , Pagani Olivia , Castiglione-Gertsch Monica , Coates Alan S. , Price Karen , Goldhirsch Aron
Published: February 2005

Purpose

Cancer presenting at the medial site of the breast may have a worse prognosis compared with tumors located in external quadrants. For medial tumors, axillary lymph node staging may not accurately reflect the metastatic potential of the disease.

Patients and Methods

Eight-thousand four-hundred twenty-two patients randomly assigned to International Breast Cancer Study Group clinical trials between 1978 and 1999 were classified as medial site (1,622; 19%) or lateral, central, and other sites (6,800; 81%). Median follow-up was 11 years.

Results

A statistically significant difference was observed for patients with medial tumors versus those with nonmedial tumors in disease-free survival (DFS; 10-year DFS, 46% v 48%; HR, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.02 to 1.18; P = .01) and overall survival (10-year OS 59% v 61%; HR, 1.09; 1.01 to 1.19; P = .04). This difference increased after adjustment for other prognostic factors (HR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.13 to 1.32 for DFS; and HR, 1.24; 95% CI, 1.14 to 1.35 for OS; both P = .0001). The risk of relapse for patients with medial presentation was largest for the node-negative cohort and for patients with tumors larger than 2 cm. In the subgroup of 2,931 patients with negative axillary lymph nodes, 10-year DFS was 61% v 67%, and OS was 73% v 80% for medial versus nonmedial sites, respectively (HR 1.33; 95% CI, 1.15 to 1.54; P = .0001 for DFS; and HR 1.40; 95% CI, 1.17 to 1.67; P = .0003 for OS).

Conclusion

Tumor site has a significant prognostic utility, especially for axillary lymph node–negative disease, that should be considered in therapeutic algorithms. New staging procedures such as biopsy of the sentinel internal mammary nodes or novel imaging methods should be further studied in patients with medial tumors.
Size of Breast Cancer Metastases in Axillary Lymph Nodes: Clinical Relevance of Minimal Lymph Node Involvement
Authors: Colleoni Marco , Rotmensz Nicole , Peruzzotti Giulia , Maisonneuve Patrick , Mazzarol Giovanni , Pruneri Giancarlo , Luini Alberto , Intra Mattia , Veronesi Paolo , Galimberti Viviana , Torrisi Rosalba , Cardillo Anna , Goldhirsch Aron , Viale Giuseppe
Published: February 2005

Background

Overt ipsilateral axillary lymph node metastases of breast cancer are the most significant prognostic indicators for women who have undergone surgery, yet the clinical relevance of minimal involvement (isolated tumor cells and micrometastases) of these nodes is uncertain.

Patients and Methods

We evaluated biologic features, adjuvant treatment recommendations, and prognosis for 1,959 consecutive patients with pT1-3, pN0, minimal lymph node involvement (pN1mi or pN0i+), or pN1a (single positive node) and M0, who were operated on and counseled for medical therapy from April 1997 to December 2000.

Results

Patients with pN1a and pN1mi/pN0i+, when compared with patients with pN0 disease, were more often prescribed anthracycline-containing chemotherapy (39.1% v 33.2% v 6.1%, respectively; P < .0001) and were less likely to receive endocrine therapy alone (9.8% v 19.4% v 41.9%, respectively; P < .0001). At the multivariate analysis, a statistically significant difference in disease-free survival (DFS) and in the risk of distant metastases was observed for patients with pN1a versus pN0 disease (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.04; 95% CI, 1.46 to 2.86; P < .0001 for DFS; HR = 2.32; 95% CI, 1.42 to 3.80; P = .0007 for distant metastases) and for patients with pN1mi/pN0i+ versus pN0 disease (HR = 1.58; 95% CI, 1.01 to 2.47; P = .047 for DFS; HR = 1.94; 95% CI, 1.04 to 3.64; P = .037 for distant metastases).

Conclusion

Even minimal involvement of a single axillary node in breast cancer significantly correlates with worse prognosis compared with no axillary node involvement. Further studies are required before widespread modification of clinical practice.
Direct Amination of Toluene with Hydroxylamine in the Presence of Vanadium-based Catalysts
Authors: Yu Tianhua , Hu Changwei , Wang Xueqin
Published: February 2005

The amination of toluene to toluidines with hydroxylamine hydrochloride was investigated over vanadium-based catalysts supported on different carriers and in different reaction media. Over 50% total yield of toluidines was obtained on the catalysts operated at optimal conditions.
Lewis Base-catalyzed Trifluoromethylation of Aldimines with (Trifluoromethyl)trimethylsilane
Authors: Kawano Yoshikazu , Fujisawa Hidehiko , Mukaiyama Teruaki
Published: February 2005

A catalytic trifluoromethylation of various aldimines with (trifluoromethyl)trimethylsilane in the presence of Lewis bases such as lithium acetate or benzoate proceeded smoothly to afford the corresponding trifluoromethylated adducts in good yields.
Enhanced Selectivity to Decalin in Naphthalene Hydrogenation under Supercritical Carbon Dioxide
Authors: Hiyoshi Norihito , Miura Ritsuko , Rode Chandrashekhar V , Sato Osamu , Shirai Masayuki
Published: February 2005

A charcoal-supported rhodium catalyst was highly active and selective to decalin for the hydrogenation of naphthalene at very low temperature (333 K) under supercritical carbon dioxide.
The predictability of deep convection in cloud‐resolving simulations over land
Authors: Petch J. C.
Published: February 2005

Cloud‐resolving models (CRMs) can be used to provide subgrid information for use in improving the representation of convection in large‐scale models. However, it is shown here that, for a 24‐hour simulation of convection over land, the total daily rainfall and instant rain rates can often be hard to predict. An ensemble of 2D CRM runs, which differ only in the initial white‐noise temperature perturbations added to the lowest 200 m, show a large spread of results. The size of the spread is shown to be dependent on the nature and strength of the forcing with the most significant differences between ensemble members when only a small number of convective cells exist in the domain. Further sensitivity experiments show that stronger forcing or increased domain size can reduce the spread of results due to an increased number of clouds. However, in all the simulations described in this paper, convection tended to organize into fewer but larger clouds during the day and, as this occurs, the ensemble members began to diverge even with a domain size of 1000 km. © Crown copyright, 2004.
An updated length‐scale formulation for turbulent mixing in clear and cloudy boundary layers
Authors: Lenderink G. , Holtslag A. A. M.
Published: February 2005

A new mixing‐length scale is presented for turbulence‐closure schemes, with special emphasis on neutral‐to‐convective conditions in clear and cloudy boundary layers. The length scale is intended for a prognostic turbulent‐kinetic‐energy closure. It is argued that present‐day length‐scale formulations may easily fail in one of two limiting situations. Schemes based on a local stability measure (e.g. the Richardson number) display unrealistic behaviour and instabilities in the convective limit. This strongly limits the representation of mixing in cloudy boundary layers. On the other hand, it is shown that non‐local parcel methods may misrepresent mixing near the surface. The new length‐scale formulation combines local and non‐local stability in a new way; it uses vertical integrals over the stability (the Richardson number) in a simple ‘parcel’ framework. The length scale matches with surface‐layer similarity for near‐neutral conditions and displays a realistic convective limit. The use of the length‐scale formulation can be extended easily to cloudy boundary layers. The scheme is numerically stable and computationally cheap. The behaviour of the length scale is evaluated in a single‐column model (SCM) and in a high‐resolution limited‐area model (LAM). The SCM shows good behaviour in three cases with and without boundary‐layer clouds. The prediction of the near‐surface wind and temperature in the LAM compares favourably with tower measurements at Cabauw (the Netherlands). Copyright © 2004 Royal Meteorological Society
Sensitivity of moist convection to environmental humidity
Authors: Derbyshire S. H. , Beau I. , Bechtold P. , Grandpeix J.‐Y. , Piriou J.‐M. , Redelsperger J.‐L. , Soares P. M. M.
Published: February 2005

As part of the EUROCS (EUROpean Cloud Systems study) project, cloud‐resolving model (CRM) simulations and parallel single‐column model (SCM) tests of the sensitivity of moist atmospheric convection to midtropospheric humidity are presented. This sensitivity is broadly supported by observations and some previous model studies, but is still poorly quantified. Mixing between clouds and environment is a key mechanism, central to many of the fundamental differences between convection schemes.

Here, we define an idealized quasi‐steady ‘testbed’, in which the large‐scale environment is assumed to adjust the local mean profiles on a timescale of one hour. We then test sensitivity to the target profiles at heights above 2 km.

Two independent CRMs agree reasonably well in their response to the different background profiles and both show strong deep precipitating convection in the more moist cases, but only shallow convection in the driest case. The CRM results also appear to be numerically robust. All the SCMs, most of which are one‐dimensional versions of global climate models (GCMs), show sensitivity to humidity but differ in various ways from the CRMs. Some of the SCMs are improved in the light of these comparisons, with GCM improvements documented elsewhere. © Crown copyright, 2004.
The role of stability and moisture in the diurnal cycle of convection over land
Authors: Chaboureau J.‐P. , Guichard F. , Redelsperger J.‐L. , Lafore J.‐P.
Published: February 2005

The diurnal cycle of convection over land is investigated by a cloud‐resolving model simulation. Three regimes of convection—dry, shallow, and deep—successively take place during daytime under the presence of substantial convective available potential energy. The convective inhibition (CIN) and the normalized saturation deficit (NSD) in the cloud‐base layer are identified as the major two variables that characterize the cycle of the convective regimes. The surface heating during daytime leads to the development of a quasi‐dry well‐mixed convective planetary boundary layer (PBL). This yields a decrease of CIN while NSD remains steady. Shallow convection is initiated as soon as the CIN becomes lower locally than the vertical kinetic energy in the PBL. This timing also marks the minimum of CIN, both in local and in domain‐mean senses. Then, detrainment of moisture from the cloud layer gradually moistens the low free troposphere, resulting in a NSD decrease. Finally, deep convection is triggered when sufficient moistening is realized, as measured by a NSD minimum. During deep convection, NSD rapidly increases and CIN increases. Once CIN has exceeded the vertical kinetic energy in the PBL, deep convection ceases. Copyright © 2004 Royal Meteorological Society
On the role of drizzle in stratocumulus and its implications for large‐eddy simulation
Authors: Lenderink G. , Siebesma A. P.
Published: February 2005

Large‐eddy simulation (LES) of marine stratocumulus cloud‐topped boundary layers show a surprisingly large sensitivity to the prescribed forcing—this being at odds with the widespread and persistent occurrence of this cloud type. However, most LES studies have not taken drizzle explicitly into account. This note explores the damping effect (i.e. reducing the sensitivity to the forcing) that drizzle might have on the stratocumulus cloud‐topped boundary layer. A single‐column model is used to illustrate the difference in response in one model version with drizzle taken into account and one in which drizzle is inactivated. Results are shown for a simulation of the diurnal cycle of stratocumulus clouds over sea; they support the notion that the impact of drizzle is underrated in the present‐day modelling of stratocumulus‐topped boundary layers. Copyright © 2004 Royal Meteorological Society