bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A YORUBA TALE OF MARRIAGE, MAGIC, MISOGYNY AND LOVE
Authors: Schiltz Marc 
Published: November 2002

AbstractIn this paper I approach the efflorescence of witchcraft-sorcery concerns in post-colonial Africa through the personal experiences of Délé, a Nigerian friend and research assistant. At one level, the witchcraft-sorcery incidents offer illustrations of the rural-urban conflict situations that the Comaroffs and other Africanists have written about in recent years. Yet at another level I read Délé's texts for what they are, the chronicles of a real-life drama in which he plays the tragic hero's role. As a storyteller, Délé recalls events in which the actors' virtues, vices, and emotions constantly mirror our own experiences of what people can turn out to be as they progress through life. In Délé's case I perceive such a progression in his shift from a virtue-centred Catholic upbringing in rural Ìséyìn to a more prayer/power-centred aládúrà-Pentecostalism in Lagos, when recently the spectres of mágùn sorcery and witchcraft began to close in on his marriage, livelihood and health. Délé's tale compels me, as a friend and correspondent with a different view of the world, to reconsider the morally universalising aspects of what it entails to be human. I attempt this from the triple perspective of Délé's ancestral roots in traditional Yoruba religion, his attraction towards aládúrà-Pentecostalism in a failed nation-state, and his nostalgia for the missionary Catholicism through which our friendship first developed.
The performance of coated tungsten carbide drills when machining carbon fibre-reinforced epoxy composite materials
Authors: Murphy C , Byrne G , Gilchrist M D 
Published: November 2002

This paper is concerned with the effect of coatings on the performance of tungsten carbide (WC) drills in the drilling of carbon fibre-reinforced epoxy. Although composites are becoming increasing popular, there is a deficit in the existing knowledge of drilling composites, and in particular carbon fibre-reinforced epoxy resins. Two coated drills, namely titanium nitride (TiN)-coated and diamond-like carbon (DLC)-coated drills, were investigated and for comparative purposes an uncoated drill. The testing involved drilling a series of consecutive holes. During these tests the thrust forces and torques were monitored, following which the tool was inspected for flank wear and the workpiece inspected for damage in terms of hole tolerance, delamination and spalling. For all three tool types (uncoated, TiN coated and DLC coated), only a small number of drilled holes were found to satisfy an H8 tolerance criterion. An investigation of the hole diameter through the thickness of the composite revealed that it was the outermost plies that caused the hole to fail this tolerance criterion. The effect of tool wear caused the measured thrust forces and torques to increase over the life of the tool. While the degree of measured tool wear was small by comparison with that associated with drilling conventional materials, the effects were found to result in unacceptable damage to the composite. The damage was apparent in the form of spalling, chip-out and matrix cracking. The coatings were not found to reduce either tool wear or damage to the composite.
Gross dehiscence of the bone covering the facial nerve in the light of otological surgery
Authors: Bayazit Yildirim A. , Ozer Enver , Kanlikama Muzaffer 
Published: November 2002

Understanding the relationship between the anatomy of the fallopian canal and a variety of ear diseases is necessary. In this study, our purpose was to identify the incidence of facial nerve dehiscence in patients undergoing surgery for a variety of chronic ear diseases.The operative records of 219 patients were reviewed retrospectively for dehiscence of the facial canal. The diagnoses were cholesteatoma (n = 49), tympanosclerosis (n = 51), adhesive otitis media (n = 38), and chronic otitis media (n = 81). Only 17 of 219 who underwent tympanoplasty without mastoidectomy were excluded from the calculations.Dehiscence of the facial canal was encountered in 18 (8.9 per cent) of 202 patients. The dehiscence rate was highest with cholesteatoma, followed by adhesive otis media, chronic otis media and tympanosclerosis (p<0.01). The canal dehiscence was mainly seen in the tympanic segment and second genu, and was rare in the mastoid segment. Labyrinthine fistula was the most common pathology that coexisted with the dehiscence. It was encountered in two (11.1 per cent) of 18 patients. In conclusion, the likelihood of dehiscent bone covering the tympanic segment of the fallopian canal is significantly higher in cholesteatoma than the other chronic ear diseases. The surgeon can feel somewhat more confident while performing surgery for tympanosclerosis as far as the dehiscence in the fallopian canal is concerned.
How much variation in clinical activity is there between general practitioners? A multi-level analysis of decision-making in primary care
Authors: Davis Peter , Gribben Barry , Lay-Yee Roy , Scott Alastair 
Published: November 2002

Objectives: There is considerable policy interest in medical practice variation (MPV). Although the extent of MPV has been quantified for secondary care, this has not been investigated adequately in general practice. Technical obstacles to such analyses have been presented by the reliance on ecological small area variation (SAV) data, the binary nature of many clinical outcomes in primary care and by diagnostic variability. The study seeks to quantify the extent of variation in clinical activity between general practitioners by addressing these problems. Methods: A survey of nearly 10 000 encounters drawn from a representative sample of general practitioners in the Waikato region of New Zealand was carried out in the period 1991-1992. Participating doctors recorded all details of clinical activity for a sample of encounters. Measures used in this analysis are the issuing of a prescription, the ordering of a laboratory test or radiology examination, and the recommendation of a future follow-up office visit at a specified date. An innovative statistical technique is adopted to assess the allocation of variance for binary outcomes within a multi-level analysis of decision-making. Results: As expected, there was considerable variability between doctors in levels of prescribing, ordering of investigations and requests for follow up. These differences persisted after controlling for case-mix and patient and practitioner attributes. However, analysis of the components of variance suggested that less than 10% of remaining variability occurred at the practitioner level for any of the measures of clinical activity. Further analysis of a single diagnostic group - upper respiratory tract infection - marginally increased the practitioner contribution. Conclusions: The amount of variability in clinical activity that can definitively be linked to the practitioner in primary care is similar to that recorded in studies of the secondary sector. With primary care doctors increasingly being grouped into larger professional organisations, we can expect application of multi-level techniques to the analysis of clinical activity in primary care at different levels of organisational complexity.
Detection and correction of endotracheal‐tube position in premature neonates
Authors: Lange Malte , Jonat Susanne , Nikischin Werner 
Published: November 2002

AbstractDue to the short airways in premature children, an accurate position of the endotracheal tube (ETT) is crucial for adequate mechanical ventilation. Verification of ETT‐position is done in chest radiographs. However, ETT‐position varies substantially with head movement. When the head is flexed, the tube might appear too deeply inserted, and inadvertent extubation may occur in cases of retraction of ETT after radiography. Extension of the cervical spine will suggest an inappropriately high ETT‐position, so that intended corrections can lead to main‐stem intubation. Radiographic visible skeletal structures could serve as reference points to allow the detection of head declination and imperfect positioning of ETT. Ratios of anatomical landmarks were used to estimate head position.In this study, 111 radiographs of 24 preterm neonates with a gestational age of 24–29 weeks and weights of 500–1,000 g were analyzed. A mathematical algorithm for the detection and correction of ETT‐positions, based on common chest radiographs, was developed. In 108 cases (97.3%), ETT‐distance from the midtracheal level was less than 2 mm after use of the proposed correction.Thus, the suggested correction equation for head position enables verification of the actual ETT‐position without requiring a defined placement of the head during radiography. Moreover, it can be helpful for estimating the depth of ETT‐insertion in conditions when radiography is not available. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2002; 34:455–461. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Ventilatory control in newborn mice prenatally exposed to cocaine
Authors: Autret Fanny , Dauger Stéphane , Renolleau Sylvain , Eng Guy Vardon , Kosofsky Barry E. , Gressens Pierre , Gaultier Claude , Gallego Jorge 
Published: November 2002

AbstractInfants born to mothers who used cocaine during pregnancy are at increased risk for neonatal death and respiratory impairments. Confounding factors such as multiple substance abuse make it difficult to isolate the effects of cocaine. We used a murine model to test the hypothesis that prenatal cocaine exposure may impair ventilatory responses to chemical stimuli in newborns. Seventy‐two pregnant mice were randomly assigned to three groups: cocaine (COC), saline (SAL), and untreated (UNT). COC and SAL mice received subcutaneous injections of either 20 mg/kg of cocaine or a saline solution twice a day from gestational days 8–17. Ventilation (V′E) and tidal volume (VT), both divided by body weight, and breath duration (TTOT) were measured using whole‐body plethysmography in freely moving COC (n = 47), SAL (n = 123), and UNT (n = 93) pups on postnatal day 2.The comparison between SAL and UNT pups showed significant differences in baseline breathing and in V′E responses to hypoxia, suggesting that maternal stress caused by injections affected the development of ventilatory control in pups. Baseline TTOT was significantly longer in COC than in SAL pups. V′E responses to hypoxia were significantly smaller in COC than in SAL pups (+27 ± 35% vs. +38 ± 25%), but V′E responses to hypercapnia were similar (29 ± 15% vs. 25 ± 23%).Thus, breathing control was impaired by prenatal cocaine exposure, possibly because of abnormal development of neurotransmitter systems, such as the dopamine and serotonin systems. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2002; 34:434–441. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) such as 17β‐estradiol prevents MPTP‐induced dopamine depletion in mice
Authors: D'Astous Myreille , Morissette Marc , Tanguay Bastien , Callier Sophie , Di Paolo Thérèse 
Published: November 2002

AbstractPrevious work from our laboratory has shown prevention of 1‐methyl‐4‐phenyl‐1,2,3,6‐tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)‐induced striatal dopamine (DA) depletion in mice by 17β‐estradiol, progesterone, and raloxifene. Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), a neurosteroid, was shown to have neuroprotective activities in various paradigms of neuronal death but its effect in vivo in mice on MPTP toxicity has not been reported. We investigated the effects of 17β‐estradiol (2 μg/day) and DHEA (3 mg/day) for 5 days before and after an acute treatment of four MPTP (10 mg/kg) injections in male C57Bl/6 mice. Striatal DA concentrations and its metabolites dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) and homovanillic acid (HVA) were measured by HPLC. MPTP mice that received 17β‐estradiol or DHEA had striatal DA, DOPAC, and HVA concentrations comparable to intact animals and higher than striatal DA, DOPAC, and HVA levels in saline‐MPTP‐treated mice. MPTP treatment led to an increase of striatal DA turnover (assessed with the HVA/DA ratio); DHEA and 17β‐estradiol prevented this increase. 17β‐Estradiol did not affect striatal DA and metabolites concentrations in intact mice in this paradigm. Furthermore, in the substantia nigra DHEA and 17β‐estradiol prevented the MPTP‐induced dopamine transporter and tyrosine hydroxylase mRNA decreases measured by in situ hybridization. Therefore, DHEA such as 17β‐estradiol is active in preventing the catecholamine‐depleting effect of MPTP and our results suggest that this involves neuroprotection of DA neurons. Synapse 47:10–14, 2003. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Interleukin‐1β abrogates long‐term depression of hippocampal CA1 synaptic transmission
Authors: Ikegaya Yuji , Delcroix Isabelle , Iwakura Yoichiro , Matsuki Norio , Nishiyama Nobuyoshi 
Published: November 2002

AbstractAlthough interleukin‐1β (IL‐1β) is well known to modulate synaptic transmission and plasticity of the hippocampus, no study has yet evaluated how this cytokine affects long‐term depression (LTD), one of the major forms of hippocampal synaptic plasticity. Here we report that at Schaffer collateral‐CA1 synapses, bath application of IL‐1β induces a long‐lasting decrease in synaptic strength in intact slices, but not in disinhibited slices in the presence of bicuculline, a γ‐aminobutyric acid receptor antagonist. The IL‐1β‐induced synaptic depression efficiently foreclosed the subsequent induction of LTD in response to a 1‐Hz tetanus and, conversely, it was also prevented by preexisting LTD. These results suggest that IL‐1β‐induced, persistent depression of synaptic efficacy is required for GABAergic activation and shares, at least in part, a common cellular mechanism for LTD. Synapse 47:54–57, 2003. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The Energetic Metabolism of Societies Part I: Accounting Concepts
Authors: Haberl Helmut 
Published: November 2002

SummaryBased upon the currently emerging international consensus on how to account for the materials flows of industrialized countries, this article proposes methods to account for the energetic metabolism of societies. It argues that, to fully exploit the potential of the metabolism approach in the context of sustainable development, both energetic and material aspects of societal metabolism have to be taken into account. The article proposes concepts to empirically describe energy input, internal energy transformations, and energy utilization of societies by extending commonly used notions of energy statistics in a way that is compatible with current methods of materials flow analysis. Whereas energy statistics include only the energy used in technical devices for providing heat, light, mechanical work, and data processing, an accounting system for the energetic metabolism of societies should also consider flows of nutritional energy for both livestock and humans. Moreover, in assessing the energy input of a society, all inputs of energy‐rich materials (and immaterial forms of energy such as electricity and light) that cross the boundary into the biophysical structures of society should be taken into consideration, regardless of the purpose for which they are eventually used. As a consequence, an energetic metabolism accounting system treats all biomass as energy input, instead of considering only the biomass used for technical energy generation, as energy statistics do. Part II in this set of articles will apply these concepts to different modes of societal organization and explore the significance of energetic metabolism for sustainable development. In particular, it will explore the significance for policies that aim at increasing the contribution of renewable energy, especially biomass.
Nitrogen's Role in Industrial Systems
Authors: Domene L. Alejandra Febre , Ayres Robert U. 
Published: November 2002

SummaryNitrogen is one of the key component elements in biological systems, but it also plays an increasingly important part in other areas of a modern industrial system. The starting point for almost all nitrogen‐based chemicals is ammonia. This article presents 1996 production and use statistics for ammonia and its most important derivatives. We also characterize the key production processes and emissions. Finally, we summarize losses and emissions of nitrogen within the sector.
The Introduction of Postconsumer Recycled Material into TYVEK® Production, Marketing, and Organizational Challenges
Authors: Sharfman Mark P. , Ellington Rex T. , Meo Mark 
Published: November 2002

SummaryIn the late 1980s, with the advent of increased consumer environmental awareness, DuPont faced a challenge with its TYVEK® family of nonwoven polyethylene textile products. TYVEK is used in a wide variety of applications ranging from house wrap to medical packaging. One of the most visible portions of the business is envelopes used by FedEx (previously known as Federal Express), the wellknown courier and delivery service and by the U.S. Postal Service. As early as 1988, end users began asking questions about the environmental characteristics of TYVEK envelopes. As these questions increased, DuPont began to address the concerns directly. In response to the market's concern and because of the increased availability of postconsumer‐recycled (PCR) polyethylene, DuPont decided to put PCR polyethylene into TYVEK, beginning with the envelope business. Further, DuPont developed a recycling infrastructure for TYVEK because, although TYVEK consists entirely of high‐density polyethylene, which is highly recyclable, no infrastructure was in place to recycle the material. These decisions produced a wide variety of technical and organizational challenges the firm had to overcome. This case study examines how DuPont made these choices and overcame the difficulties created by implementing needed changes. Whereas the envelope market for TYVEK embraced PCR polyethylene, other product markets resisted the innovation. The article closes with a discussion of the lessons learned from DuPont's experience.
Estimating Sliding Displacement of an Unanchored Body Subjected to Earthquake Excitation
Authors: Choi Byounghoan , Tung C. C. David 
Published: November 2002

A freestanding rigid body under the action of base excitation can move in many different ways. In this study, the sliding response of a body is considered. The body is placed on a horizontal base that undergoes a one-dimensional horizontal motion. In 1965, Newmark (1965) gave a simple formula to determine the sliding distance of a freestanding body subjected to a single rectangular acceleration pulse of short duration at the base. The objective of this study is to see if this formula can be applied to estimate the sliding displacement of a body under the action of real earthquakes. Newmark's formula calls for the maximum velocity of the base which information is usually not directly available. To make use of the response spectrum commonly available to the engineers, Newmark's formula is first re-derived and expressed in terms of the maximum displacement of the base, which can be determined from the absolute displacement response spectrum in low frequency range. An ensemble of 75 real earthquakes is then employed, the equation of sliding motion is solved numerically and the average of the maximum sliding displacement of the body relative to the base is computed. The computed displacement is then compared with that obtained by Newmark's formula. This is done for a body placed on the ground as well as on the floors of a building. It is shown that Newmark's formula can be used if an adjustment factor, as suggested in this study, is applied. Key words: earthquake, sliding, unanchored body
Pharyngo-laryngo-oesophagectomy and gastric pull-up for post-cricoid and cervical oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Ullah R. , Bailie N. , Kinsella J. , Anikin V. , Primrose W. J. , Brooker D. S. 
Published: November 2002

Pharyngo-laryngo-oesophagectomy and gastric pull-up (PLOGP) is a complex and relatively uncommon procedure. The aim of this study is to analyse the results of PLOGP in patients with post-cricoid and cervical oesophageal squamous cell carcinomas.This study was a retrospective review of 26 patients (11 males + 15 females, mean age 63.5 years) who underwent PLOGP from 1988 to 1997. Eighteen (69 per cent) patients were staged as T3 and eight (31 per cent) T4. Eighteen (69 per cent) patients had N0, seven (27 per cent) N1 and one (four per cent) N2 disease. Multiple primary tumours were recorded in three (11.5 per cent) patients. Four (15 per cent) patients had pre-operative radiotherapy with poor response and two (eight per cent) required emergency tracheotomy prior to surgery. Feeding jejunostomy was performed on 19 (73 per cent) and neck lymph node dissection in eight (31 per cent) patients.The mean duration of surgery was five hours (range 3.5 to 7.5) with a mean blood loss of 840 ml (range 160 to 1800), a mean stay in ICU of 4.2 days and hospital stay ranged from nine to 84 days (mean 34). Three (11.5 per cent) patients died (pneumonia – one, congestive heart failure – one pulmonary embolus – one) in the early post-operative period. Eight (31 per cent) patients remain alive from 30 to 136 months (mean 58 months). Two (eight per cent) patients died with no evidence of disease. Thirteen (50 per cent) patients died of their disease between two to 51 months (mean 17.3 months) post-operatively. Kaplan-Meier survival estimates for one year was 65 per cent, for three years 35 per cent and for five years 26 per cent (see Figure 1). Median survival in the whole series was 18 months.Post-operative speech was with an electrolarynx in 16 (62 per cent). One patient (four per cent) used gastric speech and one patient (four per cent) used a Blom-Singer valve effectively. Five (19 per cent) patients had no speech post-operatively. All patients maintained oral feeding. Gastric transposition constitutes a safe and reliable method of restoring the continuity of the upper digestive tract following pharyngo-laryngo-oesophagectomy.
Evaluation of a complex intervention for changing professional behaviour: the Evidence Based Out Reach (EBOR) Trial
Authors: Nazareth Irwin , Freemantle Nick , Duggan Catherine , Mason James , Haines Andy 
Published: November 2002

Objectives: To identify the effect of a complex intervention (educational outreach visits by pharmacists) designed to change general practitioners' (GPs') prescribing on each step of a hypothesised pathway of change leading to the final primary trial outcome of change in prescribing. Method: The study was undertaken in six health authorities in the North of England and six in London. We described three steps leading to this outcome: the general practices agreeing to participate; GPs in each practice attending the outreach visit conducted by the pharmacists; and the GPs' prescribing practice being influenced by these visits. The outcomes of each step were assessed using a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods. Results: Of the 102 practices randomly selected, 75 (73.5%) agreed to participate. The odds of all the doctors attending the outreach meeting in small practices (i.e. 1-2 partners) was 6.7 (95% CI: 4.4-23.5) compared with other practices (i.e. > 3 partners). Although the pharmacists reported that they had established a good rapport at 100 (72%) first visits and had agreed management plans for 110 (79%) of these visits, they were confident that the practice was likely to alter its prescribing in only 41% of these visits. Pharmacists' and GPs' satisfaction with the outreach visits did not necessarily lead to prescribing changes after the practice visit, and the GPs' knowledge of the guidelines promoted by the pharmacists did not necessarily translate into changes in clinical practice. The main barriers to the implementation of guidelines identified by the pharmacists at the follow-up visits were organisational difficulties, the GPs' scepticism of the evidence presented to them and the doctors' lack of interest in changing their prescribing behaviour. Conclusions: Although our study is limited by a post hoc rather than a pre hoc design, it provides a pragmatic approach to understanding the factors influencing the pathway of change in prescribing behaviour in response to academic outreach visits.