bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Self-Management Decision Influences in Heart Failure
Authors: Hicks Frank D. , Holm Karyn
Published: October 2003

Self-management decision making places significant cognitive demands on individuals with heart failure (HF). Before theoretically valid decision supports can be developed, a better understanding of underlying decision characteristics is needed. The purpose of this preliminary study was to describe sources of self-management decision influences for individuals (N = 38) with varying levels of HF (New York Heart Association [NYHA] classifications). Therapeutic value was the most influential source of self-management decision making for these patients, followed by personal beliefs and values, information sources, symptom influence, and task difficulty across all NYHA classes. Symptom influence was least influential for persons in Class II, whereas task difficulty was least influential for those in Classes III and IV. Moderate and significant associations were noted between information sources and personal beliefs and values and between information sources and symptom influence. As the disease progressed, a trend toward fewer decision influences, especially in the task difficulty scale, was noted.
Viability of Cardiorespiratory and Muscular Strength Programs for the Adolescent with Autism
Authors: Lochbaum Marc , Crews Debbie
Published: October 2003

Investigations have focused on exercise as an intervention with individuals with autism. The purpose of this investigation was to conduct exercise-training programs following standard guidelines with individuals with autism to stimulate future researchers to implement such programs. Aerobic and muscular strength training programs (MST) were con-ducted. Aerobic fitness increased 33%, 50%, and 33% for the 3 participants. For the MST, bench press increased 19% and 28%, low row increased 47% and 21%, and leg press increased 29% and 12% for the 2 participants. Future directions are discussed with regard to using exercise-training programs to not only enhance physical health but also the psychological well-being of individuals with autism.
`Two' Quiet: Monozygotic Female Twins with Selective Mutism
Authors: Segal Nancy L.
Published: October 2003

Selective mutism (SM) is a rare social anxiety disorder characterized by failure to speak in some situations despite normal verbal behavior in others. Previous work suggests a familial component for a predisposition to this disorder. The present article reviews the literature on twins with SM and examines the onset and progress of SM in a monozygotic female pair, age 5 years, 7 months. Information was gathered from parent and teacher interviews, birth records, direct observation, standard child assessment protocols and school performance reports. The variable symptom expression and severity in this concordant twin pair underline contributions from both genetic and environmental sources. Some unusual behavioral features observed in these twins, such as their popularity and non-verbal communication with classmates, underline the complexity of factors affecting the expression of SM. Pooling available data from affected monozygotic and dizygotic twins would advance understanding of the nature, course and management of this condition.
While my Sister went to the Disco, I went to Hospital and Met the Doctors: Narrative as a Measure of the Psychological Integration of the Experience of Cancer in Childhood and Adolescence
Authors: Di Gallo Alain
Published: October 2003

More than two-thirds of children and young people with cancer today can be cured. The illness and its treatment, which often lasts for months, create physical burdens, and, in addition, make heavy psychological and social demands on the children and their relatives. The associated experiences are part of their personal life history and must be integrated into the further psychological development in some way. In order to test the hypothesis that the ability to design personal narrative around these experiences assists in overcoming them, 60 adult former patients who had suffered cancer during their childhood, and 33 of their siblings, were asked how they had experienced the illness and treatment. In this article the terms Integration and Narrative will first be defined and an attempt made to conceptualize the psychic integration of the illness experience. Using excerpts from the narratives of two pairs of siblings, it will be shown how individually the experiences of illness are integrated and the major significance of intrafamilial communication for the mode of coping with the illness and for the sibling relationship. Finally, the relevance of narrative and integration for the overcoming of illness experience and for clinical psycho-oncological work with children with cancer and their families will be critically discussed.
Using Narrative and Attachment Theory in Systemic Family Therapy with Eating Disorders
Authors: Dallos Rudi
Published: October 2003

This article proposes that recent developments in attachment theory, especially the move towards the study of representations, offer some helpful new directions for systemic family therapy. Some of the findings of a close association between early attachment experiences and the coherence of the corresponding narratives are reviewed. It is suggested that this offers a useful link for systemic approaches in showing how early interactions in families promote, not only particular emotional attachment patterns, but also shape the content and style of the narratives that are formed. These implications are then explored in the context of work with anorexia nervosa. It is suggested that commonly observed patterns, such as avoidance of conflict and apparent difficulties in discussing relationships and feelings, is consistent with trans-generational experiences of insecure/dismissive attachments. Some implications for systemic therapy with families are outlined and an illustrative case study is offered.
Troubling Heroes: Of Rosa Parks, Multicultural Education, and Critical Pedagogy
Authors: Carlson Dennis
Published: October 2003

In this article, the author explores some of the implications of cultural studies perspectives on representation, curriculum, and pedagogy. The most significant and far reaching of these implications has to do with the postmodern disruption of the binary opposition that has framed thinking about education in the modern era: the logos/mythos or truth/myth binary. To develop these ideas, the article focuses on the mythologizing of Rosa Parks as a new, multicultural hero in American education and popular culture. The author argues that although the growing attention to Parks's life must be taken as a hopeful sign that new multicultural heroes are beginning to be celebrated in the curriculum, as Parks's life has been mythologized, it increasingly has been incorporated within a nonthreatening and even culturally conservative mythology. The article then explores some of the attributes of alternative, more progressive mythologizings of Parks's life.
Acceptance and Alignment, Misconception and Inexperience: Preservice Teachers, Representations of Students, and Media Culture
Authors: Freedman Debra
Published: October 2003

The author of this article examines student representations within the Dangerous Minds television series and further explores how preservice teachers perceive these representations. Applying a multiperspectival analysis, the author first looks at the political culture: the history behind the making of the Dangerous Minds television series. She then analyzes five specific episodes of the television series that embody the themes found within this formulaic narrative representation and the themes found within the complete television series: hero-teacher, teacher/student interactions, and angry and out-of-control adolescents. Finally, she inquires into preservice teachers' interpretations and wonderings of/about the Dangerous Minds television series. Specifically, this author explores how these media representations of students influence the perceptions preservice teachers have of their emergent teaching identity and of education to open up broader pedagogical discussions with regard to the ways media culture shapes our understandings of the world, social power, public opinion, values, and behaviors.
Drug Abuse as a Problem of Impaired Control: Current Approaches and Findings
Authors: Fillmore Mark T.
Published: October 2003

The author presents a selective and integrative overview of cur-rent research examining acute effects of abused drugs on aspects of behavioral control in humans. The review discusses the concept of behavioral control and reviews research models that examine inhibitory influences as a central mechanism of control. Evidence for drug-induced impairment of inhibitory mechanisms is reviewed from current neuroanatomical, neuropharmacological, and behavioral perspectives. Model-based laboratory assessments of behavioral control are described in terms of their application to behavioral pharmacology and evidence for alcohol and psychostimulant effects on basic inhibitory mechanisms is reviewed. Drug effects on inhibitory mechanisms are also discussed in terms of their relevance to higher-order cognitive and behavioral functions, and in relation to impulsive behaviors, such as drug abuse. The review concludes by identifying important drug-related phenomenon (e.g., drug tolerance, cue reactivity) that might also be studied in behavioral control frameworks in future research.
Crossover Designs in Lower Extremity Wounds
Authors: Reed James F.
Published: October 2003

In a basic AB/BA crossover trial, patients are randomly assigned to receive either treatment A in the first period followed by treatment B in the second period, or treatment B in the first period followed by treatment A in the second period. Treatment periods are separated by a suitable washout period that is long enough for the treatment effect from the first period to have no residual effect to the second treatment period. The AB/BA crossover trial has many advantages and, when used appropriately, provides an efficient means for comparing 2 treatments. If applied and conducted inappropriately, the AB/BA crossover design has fatal flaws. The objective of this article is to introduce the AB/BA crossover trial and to present some of the issues surrounding crossover trials. The crossover trial, when properly implemented and analyzed, remains a valid and efficient design alternative to the parallel group design and should not be abandoned as has been suggested by the FDA. Crossover studies have an advantage over parallel studies, for example, elimination of between-subject variability, more statistical power because of paired comparisons, and reduced sample sizes to achieve a specified power. Although a test for carryover would be desirable, at present there is no widely recognized method for doing this, and some experts feel that no method can be reliable.
The Hidden Roots of the Garden City Idea: From John Sinclair to John Claudius Loudon
Authors: Schumann Ulrich Maximilian
Published: October 2003

The Garden City is known as a radical and influential invention presented by Ebenezer Howard (1850-1928) in 1898 in his book To-morrow: A Peaceful Path to Real Reform. Less known is the past history of this conception of towns that combines the advantages of the city and the landscape. This article unfolds how firmly this notion was rooted in a tradition of enlightened thinking and planning. It is outlined by some of its most expressive milestones. Nowadays, almost-forgotten projects such as John Sinclair's “ideal village” and John Claudius Loudon's plan for London place the Garden City in a different and more complex light and indicate that Howard could count on an existing understanding of his concerns.
The Politics of Urban Design: The Center City Urban Renewal Project in Kansas City, Kansas
Authors: Wagner Jacob A.
Published: October 2003

In contrast to other urban renewal projects that erased the presence of minority and working-class residents, the design of the Center City Plaza in downtown Kansas City, Kansas, was an attempt to provide a democratic space for a diverse citizenry. Initiated by local officials, the project was intended to alter the “image” of the downtown. Environmental planner Elpidio Rocha was hired to design a pedestrian mall that included abstract sculptural forms. In the context of deindustrialization and suburbanization, however, urban renewal did not halt downtown decline and local political interests dismantled the pedestrian mall, setting the stage for a new round of redevelopment.
Availability of Domiciliary Dental Care for the Elderly
Authors: Longhurst Rosemary H
Published: October 2003

Purposes of the investigation

• To find out if local nursing/residential home managers are experiencing any problems in obtaining domiciliary dental care for residents. • To assess the availability of local GDS and CDS dentists for domiciliary dental care for the elderly and the range of treatments offered.

Basic procedures

Self-completing postal questionnaires distributed to 148 dentists and 80 nursing/residential home nurse managers.

Main findings

71% of responding dentists undertook domiciliary visits but 43% of these were not accepting any new NHS domiciliary patients. Only 21% of those willing to visit would undertake any conservative treatment. Seventy per cent of nurse managers reported few problems in finding a NHS dentist, but the remaining 30% had found it difficult or impossible. Eighty-five per cent would find written guidelines helpful.

Principal conclusions

The number of elderly patients keeping natural teeth is steadily increasing. The rate of dental caries in institutionalised patients is significantly higher than those living in their own homes. The number of dentists in the area of this study who are accepting new domiciliary patients is rapidly decreasing and only one in five will provide conservative treatment. This is a deteriorating situation, which merits further investigation on a national scale and subsequent planning to address it.
The Working Patterns and Retirement Plans of General Dental Practitioners in a Midlands Health Authority
Authors: Morris John , Harrison Rachel , Caswell Martin , Lunn Howard
Published: October 2003

Introduction

With the problems of access to NHS primary dental care services in the last few years attention has focused on manpower considerations for dentistry.

Materials and Method

This paper presents the results of a simple survey of general dental practitioners in South Staffordshire.

Results

The response rate was 88%. Most dentists (76%) reported working over 30 hours a week. A small number reported working more than 50 hours a week. Woman dentists were more likely to report working fewer than 31 hours a week. Younger male dentists tended to work longer hours than older male dentists, whereas younger women dentists tended to work fewer hours than older women. The reported retirement plans suggested that around 16% of dentists in their 40s and 50s were planning to retire before 60.

Conclusion

The findings add weight to the view that woman dentists tend to work fewer hours but studies of cohorts are required to examine the impact of premature retirement and the reasons behind this apparent gender difference.
Resin-retained Bridges Re-visited Part 1. History and Indications
Authors: George Geoffrey St , Hemmings Ken , Patel Kalpesh
Published: October 2003

Resin-retained bridges have been used clinically since the 1970s, and offer a more conservative approach to the restoration of edentulous spaces than conventional bridgework. They are easy to place, cheap to fabricate and have been shown to be cost effective. Despite this, they are not frequently used in general dental practice and they have an undeserved reputation for failure.

Since their initial introduction, they have undergone a number of changes to their method of retention, and the materials used in their construction. This has resulted in a predictable, aesthetic restoration which, barring the use of implants, is often the treatment of choice where teeth adjacent to an edentulous space are minimally or not restored.

This first article details the history, advantages, indications, and designs of resin-retained bridges.
Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease—A Problem for General Dental Practitioners?
Authors: Whitworth Christine L
Published: October 2003

Over a hundred deaths from variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) have now been recorded. The incubation period for vCJD may be up to 40 years and the number of asymptomatic carriers in the population could be as many as 100,000. Confirmed iatrogenic transmission of other human transmissible spongiform encephalopathies raises the possibility of cross-infection from apparently healthy persons who are incubating vCJD. Decontamination techniques routinely used in general dental practice are incapable of inactivating the infective protein responsible for transmitting the disease. So far, no evidence exists to preclude the risk of iatrogenic infection occurring during dental procedures. The author reviews present knowledge of the infective agent, its transmissibility, its origins, current guidelines and the implications for dental practice.
Oral Ill-health and Deprivation among Patients of a General Dental Practice in South Wales
Authors: Richards Wayne
Published: October 2003

Purpose of study

This study aims to establish and report on whether individuals from deprived areas suffer more ill health than adults from areas considered not to be deprived when visiting a general dental practice.

Basic procedures

Between December 1998 and June 1999 registered dental patients over 18 years of age attending for routine care completed a questionnaire measuring functional, experiential and psychosocial impact of oral ill health. In addition the clinical impact of ill health was established from the patient examination and record card. Clinical outcome was assessed by numbers of standing teeth, oral health was assessed using the Subjective Oral Health Status Indicators (SOHSI). The patient's postcode was used to categorise individuals from areas of different deprivation states.

Main findings

99% were dentate with 88.4% having more than 20 teeth. A total of 71.8% were able to eat satisfactorily, 88.2% were able to speak satisfactorily, 54.6% were discontent, 99.4% were worried about their oral health and appearance, 62.8% were satisfied with their oral health, 44.8% experienced discomfort, 65.8% experienced other symptoms, and 86.8% experienced ‘general well-being’. No differences were observed for clinical measures between the deprived groups. Only three out of eight oral health measures showed any differences between the deprived groups, namely, ability to speak, discontent and general well-being. More individuals from deprived areas experienced these impacts.

Principal conclusions

It was anticipated that individuals from deprived areas would experience greater ill-health: this outcome was not as marked as expected.
Impaired complex I assembly in a Leigh syndrome patient with a novel missense mutation in the ND6 gene
Authors: Ugalde Cristina , Triepels Ralf H. , Coenen Marieke J.H. , Van Den Heuvel Lambert P. , Smeets Roel , Uusimaa Johanna , Briones Paz , Campistol Jaume , Majamaa Kari , Smeitink Jan A.M. , Nijtmans Leo G.J.
Published: October 2003

We describe a novel mutation in the ND6 gene (T14487C) in a patient with Leigh syndrome. Biochemical analyses indicated a low complex I activity in the patient's fibroblasts but normal values in muscle and liver. Cybrid clones showed a specific complex I defect that correlates with the mutant heteroplasmy levels. Additionally, we demonstrate an altered mobility and a decrease in the levels of fully assembled complex I in the patient's fibroblasts and cybrids, suggesting that the mutation has a profound effect on complex I assembly and/or stability.
Functional neuroimaging provides evidence of anomalous cerebral laterality in adults with Klinefelter's syndrome
Authors: Itti Emmanuel , Gaw Gonzalo Irene T. , Boone Kyle B. , Geschwind Daniel H. , Berman Nancy , Pawlikowska‐Haddal Anna , Itti Laurent , Mishkin Fred S. , Swerdloff Ronald S.
Published: October 2003

This study aimed to characterize cerebral perfusion in men with Klinefelter's syndrome, known to present specific deficits in language, using 99mTc‐ hexamethylpropylene‐amine‐oxime scintigraphy and Talairach normalization. While a perfusion asymmetry toward the left hemisphere was found in controls, perfusion was mostly symmetrical in Klinefelter patients in the upper temporal and lower parietal areas. Scores on verbal tests were inversely correlated with perfusion changes, providing neurobiological substrate of anomalous cerebral laterality.
The prognostic impact of cyclin dependent kinase inhibitors p21WAF1, p27Kip1, and p16INK4/MTS1 in adenocarcinomas of the uterine cervix
Authors: Alfsen G. Cecilie , Reed Wenche , Sandstad Berit , Kristensen Gunnar B. , Abeler Vera M.
Published: October 2003

BACKGROUND

The authors assessed the prognostic significance of abnormal cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor (CDKI) expression in adenocarcinomas of the uterine cervix.

METHODS

Population‐based, archival material from patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) Stage I and II cervical adenocarcionmas from 2 5‐year periods (1976–1980, n = 82 patients; 1986–1990, n = 142 patients) was examined for expression of p21WAF1, p27Kip1, and p16INK4/MTS1 using immunohistochemical techniques.

RESULTS

Rates of tumors with low levels of nuclear expression of p27 and p16 were lower during the period 1976–1980 (P < 0.01), suggesting bias due to unbuffered formalin. Analyses that were restricted to patients from 1986–1990 showed positive associations between all three CDKIs (P < 0.05). Low p16 expression was associated with higher FIGO stage (P = 0.01), age older than 55 years (P = 0.01), and deep invasion (P = 0.003). No significant associations with stage, age, or histopathologic parameters were found for p21 or p27. Significant associations with tumor differentiation were not seen for any CDKI. Kaplan–Meier plots showed diverging survival curves for p21 and p27 expression, but the differences were not significant. In multivariate analysis, low p27 expression and high p16 expression were strong predictors of a poor prognosis (p27: < 40% nuclear staining; P = 0.001; hazard ratio, 3.18; p16: < 40% nuclear staining; P < 0.001; hazard ratio, 0.16). Low p27 expression was of prognostic significance only if it was analyzed together with p16 expression. Further evaluation indicated that patients with different phenotypic p27/p16 combinations may have different outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

Aberrant expression patterns of CDKIs were predictors of prognosis for patients with FIGO Stage I or II cervical adenocarcinoma. Analysis of CDKI expression in this patient group may prove clinically useful. Cancer 2003. © 2003 American Cancer Society.
Nutritional strategies for breast cancer prevention: What have we learned and where do we go from here?
Authors: Forman Michele R. , Ballard‐Barbash Rachel , Kipnis Victor
Published: October 2003

The effect of diet on serum hormone levels and breast carcinoma risk is an active area of investigation. In the current study, the authors report the results of a 12‐month randomized intervention trial of a diet plan that lowered fat intake, increased fiber intake, and increased the number of servings of fruits and vegetables per day to reduce serum steroid hormone concentrations in premenopausal women. See referenced original article on pages 1870–9, this issue.
The effects of a low‐fat/high‐fiber diet on sex hormone levels and menstrual cycling in premenopausal women
Authors: Gann Peter H. , Chatterton Robert T. , Gapstur Susan M. , Liu Kiang , Garside Daniel , Giovanazzi Sue , Thedford Kim , Van Horn Linda
Published: October 2003

BACKGROUND

Reduction of cumulative exposure to endogenous ovarian steroid hormones is a postulated method for reducing the risk of carcinoma of the breast and other malignancies. Although there are data from trials evaluating the effect of low‐fat and high‐fiber diets on sex hormone levels in premenopausal women, to the authors' knowledge none of these trials has combined a relatively large number of participants, follow‐up of > 2–3 months, parallel controls receiving a usual diet, and careful timing of blood sampling within the menstrual cycle.

METHODS

A total of 213 healthy women, ages 20–40 years, were randomly assigned to follow their usual diet or to adopt an isocaloric diet with goals of 20% calories as fat, total fiber of 25 g/day, and at least 8 fruit or vegetable servings per day. Serum levels of total estradiol (E2), sex hormone‐binding globulin (SHBG), non‐SHBG‐bound estradiol (NSBE2), SHBG, and progesterone were evaluated during a menstrual cycle at baseline, and at 4 cycles (C4) and 12 cycles (C12) after the start of the intervention. Serum was collected during each test cycle 7–9 days after the detection of an luteinizing hormone peak in the urine. One hundred eighty‐nine women provided serum at C4 and 176 women at C12.

RESULTS

Serum E2 decreased by an average of 7.5% or 7.8 pg/mL (95% confidence interval [95% CI], −16.0–0.04) at C12 in the intervention group, versus a decrease of 0.9% or 0.9 pg/mL (95% CI, −9.5–7.7) in the control group (the P value for the difference between the treatment groups was 0.25). Results for NSBE2 were very similar to those for total estradiol. There were no material effects found to result from intervention with regard to SHBG or progesterone. The results did not differ by baseline age, body mass index, or baseline hormone level above or below the median, and were not likely to be affected by weight change, which amounted to a mean loss of only 0.23 kg in the diet group versus a gain of 0.17 kg in the control group. The decrease in serum E2 associated with intervention was not greater when subjects were stratified by self‐reported adherence to the dietary goals.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of the current study suggest that the effects of this isocaloric low‐fat, high‐fiber diet pattern on circulating ovarian steroids were modest or nonexistent. However, the observed 7.5% reduction in estradiol could have biologic significance if it persisted over many years. Moreover, underestimation of the true dietary effect could have occurred because of incomplete adherence to assigned diets. Weight loss and weight control through midlife could be a more effective and feasible approach to dietary intervention in reducing the risk of breast carcinoma. Cancer 2003. © 2003 American Cancer Society.
Adjuvant aromatase inhibitors
Authors: Fleming Gini F.
Published: October 2003

The current issue contains an update on the results of the ATAC (Arimidex, Tamoxifen Alone or in Combination) trial. After a median follow‐up period of 47 months, there remains an advantage in terms of disease‐free survival (DFS) for patients treated with anastrozole compared with patients treated with tamoxifen for breast malignancies. Is it necessary to wait for a difference in overall survival to emerge before recommending anastrozole over tamoxifen, the current standard therapeutic agent? In previous trials involving tamoxifen, early benefits in terms of DFS translated into later benefits in terms of overall survival. Nonetheless, given the long natural history of breast cancer and the uncertainties regarding the duration of anastrozole's effects, a change in the standard of care is not yet warranted. See pages 1802–10.
Larval development of Myzostoma cirriferum (Myzostomida)
Authors: Eeckhaut Igor , Fievez Laurence , Müller Monika C.M.
Published: October 2003

The larval development of Myzostoma cirriferum is described by means of SEM, TEM, and cLSM. It is similar to that of other myzostomids and includes three stages: the protrochophore, the trochophore, and the metatrochophore. The protrochophore is a ball‐shaped larva present in culture from 18–48 h after egg laying. It has no internal organs and its body is made of three cell types: covering cells and ciliated cells that are external and surrounded by a cuticle, and resting cells that fill the blastocoel. The trochophore is a pear‐shaped larva that develops 20–72 h after egg laying; the body includes the same three cell types as the previous stage. The metatrochophore is a pear‐shaped larva that develops between 40 h and 14 days and is characterized by the presence of two bundles of four chaetae. When fully developed, the metatrochophore has a digestive system (made of a pharynx, an esophagus, and a blind digestive pouch), two pairs of protonephridia, and a nervous system composed of a supraesophageal ganglion, circumesophageal connectives, and dorsal and ventral nerves. Metamorphosis generally occurs 7 days after egg laying. At that time, the metatrochophore loses its chaetae and becomes pleated ventrally. This ultrastructural analysis suggests that chaetae and the five ventral longitudinal nerve cords of M. cirriferum metatrochophores are homologous structures to those observed in some polychaete trochophores. Coupled with recent phylogenetic analyses, where the Myzostomida are placed outside the Annelida, homologies between myzostomid and polychaete larvae support the view that a trochophore appeared early during the spiralian evolution. J. Morphol. 258:269–283, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Corporatism packaged in pluralist ideology: the case of Slovenia
Authors: Lukšiŭ Igor
Published: October 2003

Corporatism has been an influential doctrine in the Slovenian polity since its beginning. After the onset of democratization in the early 1990s, its influence remains strong. Forms of corporatism are embodied in the National Council as the second chamber of parliament, in the chamber system, the system of social partnership and the RTVS (Public Television of Slovenia) Council. It is also present in certain socio-political priorities such as a higher value being placed on partnership over competition, on fairness over human rights, on community over individualism. Social pluralism has always been a part of Slovenian public life. Political pluralism emerged at the end of the 19th century and was never fully developed. There has always been a strong inclination in the political life of Slovenia to organize around interest groups and editorial boards of various publications, a tendency that reveals a plurality of voices but a general unwillingness to fight for political power. It could also be concluded that the development of pluralism in Slovenia relies heavily on corporatism because of the general lack of liberal foundations.
Postmortem on the Federal Reserve's Functional Cost Analysis Program: how useful was the FCA?
Authors: Ors Evren
Published: October 2003

I conduct a postmortem analysis on the now defunct Functional Cost Analysis (FCA) Program. I examine whether FCA banks were representative of U.S. bank population. I assess the costs and benefits of participation in a selection model and test whether participation in the program improves bank cost and profit efficiency. I find that FCA banks are not statistically representative of the universe of U.S. banks, but the differences are economically small. I also find that participation adds little, if any, improvement to performance. It would appear that the Federal Reserve System (the Fed) was justified in ending a subsidized service to community banks.
The impact of banks' expanded securities powers on small‐business lending
Authors: Ely David P. , Robinson Kenneth J.
Published: October 2003

The Gramm–Leach–Bliley Act (GLB) repealed many of the Glass–Steagall restrictions separating commercial and investment banking. We explore whether the ability of commercial banking organizations to conduct securities underwriting has lead to greater small‐business lending at banks with securities affiliates. We hypothesize that this effect on small‐business lending might emerge from greater incentives to engage in relationship lending. Our test results are inconsistent with this hypothesis. Banks with a securities affiliate and with less than $1 billion in assets record lower portfolio proportions of small‐business lending than banks without a securities affiliate. For larger banks, the differences between small‐business lending proportions at banks with and without a securities affiliate are not statistically different when considering the smaller loan categories. Large banks with securities affiliates, though, record significantly lower portfolio proportions of both the largest category of small‐business loans and total small‐business loans.
The PIR domain of Grb14 is an intrinsically unstructured protein: implication in insulin signaling
Authors: Moncoq Karine , Broutin Isabelle , Larue Valéry , Perdereau Dominique , Cailliau Katia , Browaeys-Poly Edith , Burnol Anne-Françoise , Ducruix Arnaud
Published: October 2003

Grb14 belongs to the Grb7 family of adapter proteins and was identified as a negative regulator of insulin signal transduction. Its inhibitory effect on the insulin receptor kinase activity is controlled by a newly discovered domain called PIR. To investigate the biochemical and biophysical characteristics of this new domain, we cloned and purified recombinant PIR‐SH2, PIR, and SH2 domains. The isolated PIR and PIR‐SH2 domains were physiologically active and inhibited insulin‐induced reinitiation of meiosis in the Xenopus oocytes system. However, NMR experiments on 15N‐labelled PIR revealed that it did not present secondary structure. These results suggest that the PIR domain belongs to the growing family of intrinsically unstructured proteins.
Identification of HMG‐5 as a double‐stranded telomeric DNA‐binding protein in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Im Seol Hee , Lee Junho
Published: October 2003

Many protein components of telomeres, the multifunctional DNA–protein complexes at the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes, have been identified in diverse species ranging from yeast to humans. In Caenorhabditis elegans, CEH‐37 has been identified by a yeast one hybrid screen to be a double‐stranded telomere‐binding protein. However, the role of CEH‐37 in telomere function is unclear because a deletion mutation in this gene does not cause severe telomere defects. This observation raises the possibility of the presence of genetic redundancy. To identify additional double‐stranded telomere‐binding proteins in C. elegans, we used a different approach, namely, a proteomic approach. Affinity chromatography followed by Finnigan LCQ ion trap mass spectrometer analysis allowed us to identify several candidate proteins. We further characterized one of these, HMG‐5, which is encoded by F45E4.9. HMG‐5 bound to double‐stranded telomere in vitro as shown by competition assays. At least two telomeric DNA repeats were needed for this binding. HMG‐5 was expressed in the nuclei of the oocytes and all embryonic cells, but not in the hatched larvae or adults. HMG‐5 mainly localized to the chromosomal ends, indicating that HMG‐5 also binds to telomeres in vivo. These observations suggest that HMG‐5 may participate, together with CEH‐37, in early embryogenesis by acting at the telomeres.
Mediating theologies: Karl Barth between radical and neo-orthodoxy
Authors: Mangina Joseph L.
Published: October 2003

The attempt to bring radical orthodoxy (and in particular, the work of John Milbank) into conversation with Barth is hampered by the movement's dismissal of him as ‘neo-orthodox’, a thinker who rejected liberalism only to embrace revelatory positivism. If Barth were a positivist, he might be guilty of alienating human history, language, and culture from their divine source: ‘the secular’ would then be autonomous. But he does nothing of the kind – certainly not in his mature theology, probably not even in his earlier work. Radical orthodoxy's reading of Barth may reflect the influence of D. M. MacKinnon, who tended to highlight the prophetic and crisis elements in Barth's thought. The radically orthodox are more accurate when they cite ecclesial mediation as the real source of contention. While the stress on mediation can have disastrous results, dissolving Christ's identity into that of the church, this need not happen; indeed, one can argue that Barth's Christology demands a stronger account of church and sacraments than he himself supplied. The deeper issue may be what radical orthodoxy means by its stress on human poesis. Is the movement really an ecclesial theology, taking its stand within the historic church? Or is it just another form of liberalism, seeking to re-invent the church in default of authentic performance? If the latter, then theology has indeed become ‘tragically too important’, occluding sheer celebration of the divine gift.
A novel mobile robot for finned tubes inspection
Authors: Li Yanming , Ma Peisun , Qin Changjun , Xu Jun , Gao XueGuan
Published: October 2003

A novel mobile robot FTIR (Finned Tube Inspection Robot) for finned tube inspecting is presented in this paper. FTIR can move in both x- and y-direction on the top layer of the tubing that is installed in layers. The snake-like arms mounted on the robot can be lowered into the narrow space between the tubes and the tubing can be inspected through the device installed in the end of the arms. The moving mechanisms, inspecting device applied in narrow space and control system are introduced.
The effects of the frog Eleutherodactylus coqui on invertebrates and ecosystem processes at two scales in the Luquillo Experimental Forest, Puerto Rico
Authors: Beard Karen H. , Eschtruth Anne K. , Vogt Kristina A. , Vogt Daniel J. , Scatena Frederick N.
Published: October 2003

Determining the ubiquity of top-down control effects of predators on their prey and ecosystem processes is important for understanding community and ecosystem-level consequences that may result from predator loss. We conducted experiments at two spatial scales to investigate the effects of terrestrial frogs (Eleutherodactylus coqui) on aerial and litter invertebrates, plant growth and herbivory, and litter decomposition. At both scales, frogs reduced aerial invertebrates and leaf herbivory, but had no effect on litter invertebrates. At the smaller scale, frogs increased foliage production rates, measured as the number of new leaves and new leaf area produced, by 80% and decomposition rates by 20%. The influence of E. coqui on increasing primary productivity and decomposition rates at the smaller scale appeared to be a result of elimination and excretion rather than of controlling prey. While the results provide evidence for frogs controlling herbivorous prey at both scales, species effects on ecosystem processes were only detectable at the smaller scale. The results highlight the difficulties in conducting experiments at large spatial scales. The findings from this study imply that the loss of amphibians and other species of higher trophic levels may affect nutrient cycling rates in tropical forests.
Emerging Land Markets in Rural and Urban China: Policies and
Practices
Authors: Ho Samuel P.S. , Lin George C.S.
Published: October 2003

This article examines the evolution of China's land system in the past two decades. Since the early 1980s, China has altered its land use arrangements and introduced new regulations to manage land use changes. In the process the administrative allocation of land to users has been transformed into a complex hierarchical system of primary and secondary markets for land use rights. The changes in China's land system were adopted primarily for two reasons: to develop land markets to allocate land more efficiently and to protect agricultural land. An analysis of available data suggests that the development of land markets is still at an early stage, that the conversion of land to non-agricultural use continues but at a slower pace, and that illegal land use is pervasive. The article concludes with an assessment of the new land system and a discussion of some likely future changes.
The Chinese Government's Role in Implementing Multilateral Environmental Agreements:
The Case of the Montreal Protocol
Authors: Zhao Jimin , Ortolano Leonard
Published: October 2003

The Multilateral Fund created by amendments to the Montreal Protocol played a key role in motivating the Chinese government to ratify and comply with the Protocol. Two other factors have affected China's actions in meeting the Protocol's requirements: the nation's desire to appear as a responsible and co-operative actor in solving global environmental problems, and the interest of China's principal implementing agency in expanding its responsibilities and authorities. Three factors have had significant roles in enhancing the national government's ability to implement the Protocol: expanded administrative capacity, participation of local government units with capability to enforce regulations, and the employment of market-based environmental policy instruments.
The People's Liberation Army as Organization, Reference Volume v1.0 (conference proceedings). Edited by James C. Mulvenon and Andrew N. D. Yang. [Santa Monica, CA: RAND, 2002. xx+635 pp. $45.00. ISBN 0-8330-3303-4.]
Authors: Bickford Thomas
Published: October 2003

This is an essential reference volume for scholars, students and public officials interested in the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA). It is the first highly detailed examination of the Chinese military's organizational structure and takes full advantage of the vast amount of Chinese language material that has recently become available on the subject.
Chinese Women Organizing: Cadres, Feminists, Muslims, Queers. Edited by Ping-Chun Hsiung, Maria Jaschok and Cecilia Milwertz. [Oxford and New York: Berg, 2001. xxvi+332pp. Hard cover £42.99, $68.00, ISBN 185973-536-3; paperback £14.99, $23.50, ISBN 185973-541-X.]
Authors: Benewick Robert
Published: October 2003

The most striking feature of this important project is the excitement that the book is able to stimulate about the theoretical issues involved, about what has been achieved and about what remains to be done. Whether it is possible to describe a women's movement in China is almost beside the point for the ongoing project is so impressive.
Building a New China in Cinema: The Chinese Left-wing Cinema Movement, 1932–1937. By Laikwan Pang. [Lanham, MD, Boulder, New York and Oxford: Rowman and Littlefield, 2002. xvi+279 pp. £22.95. ISBN 0-7425-0946-X.]
Authors: Xiao Zhiwei
Published: October 2003

As the first monograph on the Chinese left-wing cinema movement published in English, this book makes a significant contribution to the growing literature on pre-1949 Chinese film. Based on extensive research in both primary and secondary sources, Pang traces the historical development of the leftist cinema movement and makes several insightful observations about 1930s film culture in China in general and the leftist cinema movement in particular. She argues that during the 1930s, a group of Chinese filmmakers, despite their individual differences in social and political backgrounds, shared some common understandings about the social mission of the film medium and visions of modernity and nationhood, which resulted in a body of films that was coloured by a leftist orientation. Pang argues that some of the unique features of those films were continuously visible in the 1940s (pp. 231–238).
Yellow Music: Media Culture and Colonial Modernity in the Chinese Jazz Age. By Andrew F. Jones. [Durham, NC and London: Duke University Press, 2001. ix+213 pp. ISBN 0-8223-2694-9.]
Authors: Harris Rachel
Published: October 2003

Yellow Music is one of the rare publications in the field of ethnomusicology whose cross-over appeal is immediately apparent. This book will provide new perspectives for students of modern Chinese history, placing music centre stage in the cultural and political debates of the interwar period. It is less a study in musicology than a study of the cultural and political debates surrounding the musical recordings of the time.
Job descriptions, nepotism, and part-time work: the minstrels and trumpeters of the court of Edward IV of England
(1461–83)
Authors: Marsh Jeffries Helen
Published: October 2003

The role of the minstrels of the English court has been relatively neglected compared to the attention devoted to the Chapel Royal, and the importance of the reign of Edward IV has been long overlooked. The minstrels disappeared from court life, and we have no modern comparison that might help us to understand their role. The fact that they did not have a prescribed set of daily rituals to perform, as the chapel did, also complicates discussion. Study of the instrumentalists employed by Edward IV reveals information about working practices that can illuminate our view not only of them, but also of the whole royal household. It also helps to clarify the difference between ‘King's Minstrels’ and ‘King's Trumpeters’, a distinction that has been hitherto ignored.
Opération coup de poing
Authors: Dubow Saul
Published: October 2003

Nathan Schlanger's entry point into the history of South African prehistory may be read as an academic coup de poing, a sharp fist strike designed to cleave its way into the archaeological establishment; yet, like the examples of such ‘palaeoliths’ that so fascinated earlier prehistorians, the object of study may require further contextualization and understanding in order to yield up its wider meanings.
Acute psychophysiological arousal and posttraumatic stress disorder: A two‐year prospective study
Authors: Bryant Richard A. , Harvey Allison G. , Guthrie Rachel M. , Moulds Michelle L.
Published: October 2003

This study investigated the role of acute arousal in the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Hospitalized motor vehicle accident survivors (n = 146) were assessed for acute stress disorder (ASD) within 1 month of the trauma, 6 months later, and reassessed for PTSD 2 years posttrauma (n = 87). Heart rates (HR) were assessed on the day of hospital discharge. Participants who had PTSD 2 years posttrauma had higher HR at hospital discharge than those without PTSD. A diagnosis of ASD or a resting HR of 95 beats per minute had moderate sensitivity (74%) and specificity (91%) in predicting PTSD. These findings suggest that caution is required in using acute HR as a predictor of longer‐term PTSD following trauma.
The clinical relevance of a partial remission specifier for posttraumatic stress disorder
Authors: Johnson Dawn M. , Zlotnick Caron , Zimmerman Mark
Published: October 2003

The clinical relevance of a partial remission specifier for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was examined. Using a subgroup of outpatients from the Rhode Island Methods to Improve Diagnostic Assessment and Services project who met criteria for lifetime PTSD (N = 261), participants with current PTSD, PTSD in partial remission, and PTSD in full remission were compared on various indices of impairment. A substantial number (n = 75) of patients met criteria for PTSD in partial remission (28.7%). Outpatients in partial remission of PTSD displayed comparable levels of social and employment functioning as those with current PTSD, and over half of these patients requested treatment for their symptoms. Results support the clinical utility of a partial remission specifier for PTSD.