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Recent Years (recent + year)
Selected AbstractsRecombinant History: Transnational Practices of Memory and Knowledge Production in Contemporary VietnamCULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY, Issue 1 2006Christina Schwenkel Recent years have seen the diversification of knowledge, memory, and meaning at former battlefields and other social spaces that invoke the history of the "American War" in Vietnam. Popular icons of the war have been recycled, reproduced, and consumed in a rapidly growing international tourism industry. The commodification of sites, objects, and imaginaries associated with the war has engendered certain rearticulations of the past in the public sphere as the terrain of memory making becomes increasingly transnational. Diverse actors,including tourism authorities, returning U.S. veterans, international tourists, domestic visitors, and guides,engage in divergent practices of memory that complicate, expand, and often transcend dominant modes of historical representation in new and distinct ways. [source] How does intergroup contact reduce prejudice?EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 6 2008Meta-analytic tests of three mediators Recent years have witnessed a renewal of interest in intergroup contact theory. A meta-analysis of more than 500 studies established the theory's basic contention that intergroup contact typically reduces prejudices of many types. This paper addresses the issue of process: just how does contact diminish prejudice? We test meta-analytically the three most studied mediators: contact reduces prejudice by (1) enhancing knowledge about the outgroup, (2) reducing anxiety about intergroup contact, and (3) increasing empathy and perspective taking. Our tests reveal mediational effects for all three of these mediators. However, the mediational value of increased knowledge appears less strong than anxiety reduction and empathy. Limitations of the study and implications of the results are discussed. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Characterizing regime shifts in the marine environmentFISH AND FISHERIES, Issue 2 2006Kathryn Lees Abstract Recent years have seen a plethora of studies reporting that ,regime shifts' have occurred in the North Atlantic and Pacific Oceans during the last century. In many cases, the criteria used to distinguish a regime shift have not been explicitly stated. In other cases, a formal definition has been proposed and the data set assessed against it. Developing a universal quantitative definition for identifying and distinguishing between purported climatic and ecological regime shifts has proved problematic as many authors have developed criteria that seem unique to the system under study. Consequently, they throw little light on the drivers of ecological regime shifts. Criteria used to define regime shifts are reviewed and on the basis of evidence from purported regime shifts, common characteristics in the speed and amplitude of the changes and the duration of quasi-stable states are used to propose a more clearly defined set of criteria for defining climatic and ecological regime shifts. Causal drivers of regime shifts are explored using correlation analysis. Limitations of these methods are discussed. [source] New strategies in insulin treatment: analogues and noninvasive routes of administrationFUNDAMENTAL & CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY, Issue 2 2005Jørgen Rungby Abstract Recent years have seen the development of alternatives to human insulin for the treatment of diabetes. Both rapid-acting and long-acting analogues are available. Alternative routes of insulin administration are emerging. The present review briefly summarizes the present knowledge on insulin analogues and alternative administration routes. [source] Fragmentation and Sprawl: Evidence from Interregional AnalysisGROWTH AND CHANGE, Issue 3 2002John I. Carruthers Recent years have witnessed widespread expansion of state and regional planning programs in the United States. A major purpose of these efforts is to reduce urban sprawl,low density, discontinuous, suburban,style development, often characterized as the result of rapid, unplanned, and/or uncoordinated growth, by promoting jurisdictional cooperation and regulatory consistency across metropolitan areas. This paper evaluates the efficacy of this approach by examining the relationship between governmental fragmentation and several measurable outcomes of urban development: density, urbanized land area, property value, and public expenditures on infrastructure. The four dimensions are modeled in a simultaneous equations framework, providing substantive evidence on how fragmentation and other exogenous factors affect metropolitan growth patterns. Fragmentation is associated with lower densities and higher property values, but has no direct effect on public service expenditures; less fragmented metropolitan areas occupy greater amounts of land due to the extensive annexation needed to bring new development under the control of a central municipality. The findings of the analysis lend support to state and regional planning efforts aimed at increasing cooperation among local governments, but also suggest that further research is needed in order to evaluate whether or not they produce their intended effects. [source] Preoperative staging and evaluation of resectability in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomaHPB, Issue 1 2004R Andersson Background Cancer of the pancreas is a common disease, but the large majority of patients have tumours that are irresectable at the time of diagnosis. Moreover, patients whose tumours are clearly beyond surgical cure are best treated non-operatively, if possible, by relief of biliary obstruction and percutaneous biopsy to confirm the diagnosis and then consideration of oncological treatment, notably chemotherapy. These facts underline the importance of a standard protocol for the preoperative determination of operability (is it worth operating?) and resectability (is there a chance that the tumour can be removed?). Recent years have seen the advent of many new techniques, both radiological and endoscopic, for the diagnosis and staging of pancreatic cancer. It would be impracticable in time and cost to submit every patient to every test. This review will evaluate the available techniques and offer a possible algorithm for use in routine clinical practice. Discussion In deciding whether to operate with a view to resecting a pancreatic cancer, the surgeon must take into account factors related to the patient, the tumour and the institution and team entrusted with the patient's care. Patient-related factors include age, general health, pain and the presence or absence of malnutrition and an acute phase inflammatory response. Tumour-related factors include tumour size and evidence of spread, whether to adjacent organs (notably major blood vessels) or further afield. Hospital-related factors chiefly concern the volume of pancreatic cancer treated and thus the experience of the whole team. Determination of resectability is heavily dependent upon detailed imaging. Nowadays conventional ultrasonography can be supplemented by endoscopic, laparoscopic and intra-operative techniques. Computed tomography (CT) remains the single most useful staging modality, but MRI continues to improve. PET scanning may demonstrate unsuspected metastases and likewise laparoscopy. Diagnostic cholangiography can be performed more easily by MR techniques than by endoscopy, but ERCP is still valuable for preoperative biliary decompression in appropriate patients. The role of angiography has declined. Percutaneous biopsy and peritoneal cytology are not usually required in patients with an apparently resectable tumour. The prognostic value of tumour marker levels and bone marrow biopsy is yet to be established. Preoperative chemotherapy or chemoradiation may have a role in down-staging an irresectable tumour sufficiently to render it resectable. Selective use of diagnostic laparoscopy staging is potentially helpful in determination of resectability. Laparotomy remains the definitive method for determining the resectability of pancreatic cancer, with or without portal vein resection, and should be undertaken in suitable patients without clear-cut evidence of irresectability. [source] The possible hydrologic effects of the proposed lignite open-cast mining in Drama lignite field, GreeceHYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 11 2008Sotiris Panilas Abstract The present study investigates the possible hydrologic effects of the proposed lignite open-cast mining in Drama lignite field (north Greece). Recent years have seen a rapid increase in surface mining. This activity has generated a growing concern for the potential environmental impacts associated with large scale surface mining. In order to achieve a safe mine operation and allow extraction of lignite to considerable depths, extensive dewatering by pumping will be necessary, while at the same time it is desirable to avoid presence of overpumping conditions in the broader area. Based on stratigrafic, hydrologic and hydrogeologic data, a three-dimensional finite difference model was developed in order to simulate the dewatering process of the western part of the lignite open-cast mine in Drama and to predict both spatially and temporally the decline of ground water level down to the lignite surface. The dewatering of the part of the aquifer which underlies the mine area will influence the hydrological conditions of the broader region. The most important anticipated effects will be the abandonment of shallow wells as well as the decrease of ground water pumping rates of deep wells. Aquifer discharge towards the ditches of the study area will cease and there will be an inversion of ground water flow from the ditches towards the underlying aquifer. Dewatering activities will probably result in minor subsidence of the nearby peat deposits of Drama Philippi marshes. Moreover, sand pumping as well as the presence of gasses is likely to cause local subsidence phenomena, mainly in the pit slopes. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Fixed Energy Storage Technology Applied for DC Electrified RailwayIEEJ TRANSACTIONS ON ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING, Issue 3 2010Takeshi Konishi Member Abstract The fixed energy storage system solves the problem of rising energy costs by reducing primary energy consumption. Without a fixed energy storage system, the energy generated by a braking vehicle would be simply converted into waste heat by its braking resistors if no other vehicles are powered simultaneously. Because, as a rule, such synchronized braking and powering cannot be coordinated, the energy storage system stores the energy generated during braking and discharges it again when a vehicle is powered. This greatly reduces primary energy demand in the substation. However, in addition to this energy saving, the energy storage system contributes to the reduction of CO2 emissions. The energy storage system also stabilizes the system voltage. Recent years have witnessed an advance in the energy storage media technology. Developments of energy storage media, lithium ion battery, nickel-metal hydride battery, and electric double-layer capacitors (EDLCs) have been remarkable. This study introduces technologies of fixed energy storage system applicable for DC electrified railway in Japan, and describes two examples of charge/discharge characteristics. Copyright © 2010 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. [source] Layer-by-Layer Hydrogen-Bonded Polymer Films: From Fundamentals to ApplicationsADVANCED MATERIALS, Issue 30 2009Eugenia Kharlampieva Abstract Recent years have seen increasing interest in the construction of nanoscopically layered materials involving aqueous-based sequential assembly of polymers on solid substrates. In the booming research area of layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly of oppositely charged polymers, self-assembly driven by hydrogen bond formation emerges as a powerful technique. Hydrogen-bonded (HB) LbL materials open new opportunities for LbL films, which are more difficult to produce than their electrostatically assembled counterparts. Specifically, the new properties associated with HB assembly include: 1) the ease of producing films responsive to environmental pH at mild pH values, 2) numerous possibilities for converting HB films into single- or two-component ultrathin hydrogel materials, and 3) the inclusion of polymers with low glass transition temperatures (e.g., poly(ethylene oxide)) within ultrathin films. These properties can lead to new applications for HB LbL films, such as pH- and/or temperature-responsive drug delivery systems, materials with tunable mechanical properties, release films dissolvable under physiological conditions, and proton-exchange membranes for fuel cells. In this report, we discuss the recent developments in the synthesis of LbL materials based on HB assembly, the study of their structure,property relationships, and the prospective applications of HB LbL constructs in biotechnology and biomedicine. [source] Call admission control for voice over IPINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS, Issue 4 2006Huseyin Uzunalioglu Abstract Voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) is a technology that enables the transmission of voice over an IP network. Recent years have witnessed heavy investment in this area in the commercial world. For VoIP to replace Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), it should provide voice quality comparable to circuit-switched PSTN networks. This paper addresses the mechanisms to guarantee VoIP quality of service (QoS). The focus is given to the call admission control, which blocks voice calls when the required resources are not available to guarantee the QoS for the call. We review call admission control approaches that can be applied to VoIP, and describe the advantages and disadvantages of each approach. In the second part of the paper, we present a measurement-based admission control scheme that achieves QoS in an efficient and scalable manner. The scheme uses voice traffic load measurements at each router link to compute link-level blocking policies for new call attempts. Then, these policies are translated into path-level blocking policies, which are applied to new call set-up requests. The performance of the scheme is presented for single and multiple-priority voice calls. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Genomic analysis of acute leukemiaINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LABORATORY HEMATOLOGY, Issue 4 2009C. G. MULLIGHAN Summary Acute leukemia is the commonest childhood cancer and a major cause of morbidity from hematologic malignancies in adults. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is commonest in children, and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is more frequent in adults. Apart from childhood ALL, the prognosis of acute leukemia is suboptimal, with many patients experiencing relapse, which carries a poor prognosis, or toxicities from nonspecific therapies. Recent years have witnessed great interest in the application of high-resolution, genome wide approaches to the study of acute leukemia. These studies have identified multiple novel genetic alterations targeting critical cellular pathways that contribute to leukemogenesis, including alterations of genes regulting lymphoid development, tumor suppressors, apoptosis regulators, and oncogenes. These studies have also delineated novel genetic alterations that are associated with prognosis, and have demonstrated substantial evolution in patterns of genetic alterations from diagnosis to relapse, indicating that specific genetic changes determine resistance to therapy in ALL. Overall, fewer recurring alterations have been identified in AML. These studies have demonstrated the power of genome-wide approaches to identify new lesions in acute leukemia, and suggest that ongoing genomic analyses, including deep resequencing and epigenetic analysis, will continue to yield novel, clinically relevant insights into the pathogenesis of this disease. [source] Asymmetric Synthesis with Silicon-Based Bulky Amino OrganocatalystsADVANCED SYNTHESIS & CATALYSIS (PREVIOUSLY: JOURNAL FUER PRAKTISCHE CHEMIE), Issue 2-3 2010Li-Wen Xu Abstract Recent years have witnessed an explosive growth in the field of amino organocatalysis, especially in asymmetric enamine and iminium catalysis. Except for the obvious interaction between organocatalyst and substrate, the impact of bulky side group ons stereoselectivity is not as simple as one could imagine. Within the development of bulky site-stereoselective organocatalysts, functional silyl organocatalysts with a bulky silicon group are promising and meet the high standards of modern synthetic methods. This review focuses on the recent advances in the synthetic applications of silicon-based, bulky amino organocatalysts in which catalysts containing an organosilicon moiety or group play a formative role in controlling both the course of the reaction as well as the stereoselectivity. [source] The Eviction of Critical Perspectives from Gentrification ResearchINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF URBAN AND REGIONAL RESEARCH, Issue 4 2006TOM SLATER Recent years have seen an extraordinary resurgence of interest in the process of gentrification, accompanied by a surge of articles published on the topic. This article looks at some recent literature , both scholarly and popular , and considers the reasons why the often highly critical perspectives on gentrification that we saw in earlier decades have dwindled. Whilst a number of reasons could be put forward, three in particular are discussed. First, the resilience of theoretical and ideological squabbles over the causes of gentrification, at the expense of examining its effects; second, the demise of displacement as a defining feature of the process and as a research question; and third, the pervasive influence of neoliberal urban policies of ,social mix' in central city neighbourhoods. It is argued that the ,eviction' of critical perspectives from a field in which they were once plentiful has serious implications for those at risk from gentrification, and that reclaiming the term from those who have sugarcoated what was not so long ago a ,dirty word' (Smith, 1996) is essential if political challenges to the process can be effective. [source] Migration and Transnational Families in Fiji: Comparing Two Ethnic GroupsINTERNATIONAL MIGRATION, Issue 4 2008Carmen Voigt-Graf In the past two decades, international migration patterns out of Fiji have undergone changes with important implications for the formation of transnational families. The focus of this paper is on a comparison between the formation of Indo-Fijian transnational extended families and indigenous Fijian transnational nuclear families. These are discussed within the framework of "transnational corporations of kin." For several decades, Indo-Fijians have permanently migrated to the Pacific Rim as a consequence of the economic and political situation in Fiji. They have resettled in complete nuclear family units and have subsequently attempted to sponsor the migration of their extended family members. Recent years have witnessed an increasing number of indigenous Fijians migrating temporarily for work. In contrast to Indo-Fijians, indigenous Fijian migrate as individuals, leaving their spouses and children behind in Fiji. Women migrate autonomously as caregivers and nurses while men find employment as soldiers and security officers. The main purpose of their mostly temporary migration is to send remittances. However, these economic benefits have to be contrasted with the social and psychological costs associated with the separation of nuclear families. The paper also discusses policy implications arising from the comparative analysis, especially in the light of the current situation in Fiji which is characterised by a lack of policies addressing the implications of migration. Migration et familles transnationales à Fidji: comparaison de deux groupes ethniques Durant ces vingt dernières années, les tendances migratoires internationales au départ de Fidji ont subi des changements qui ont eu d'importantes conséquences sur la constitution de familles transnationales. Le thème central de cette publication porte sur une comparaison entre la constitution de familles transnationales indo-fidjiennes élargies et les familles transnationales fidjiennes indigènes nucléaires. Celles-ci sont examinées dans le cadre de ce que l'on appelle les sociétés familiales transnationales. Depuis plusieurs dizaines d'années, les Indo-Fidjiens migrent à demeure vers la ceinture du Pacifique en raison de la situation économique et politique de Fidji. A partir de là, ils reprennent le schéma de la famille nucléaire complète et tentent ensuite de financer la migration des membres de leur famille élargie. Les dernières années ont mis en évidence une tendance croissante des Fidjiens indigènes àémigrer temporairement en quête de travail. A la différence des Indo-Fidjiens, les Fidjiens indigènes émigrent seuls, en laissant derrière eux femmes et enfants. Les femmes émigrent de façon autonome en quête d'un emploi d'aidante ou d'infirmière tandis que les hommes se font embaucher comme soldats ou agents de sécurité. L'objectif principal de leur migration le plus souvent temporaire est de rapatrier des fonds. Cependant, ces avantages économiques doivent être rapportés aux conséquences sociales et psychologiques découlant de la séparation des familles nucléaires. L'article examine également les répercussions politiques résultant de l'analyse comparative, surtout à la lumière de la situation actuelle à Fidji, laquelle dénote l'absence de politiques appropriées pour faire face aux conséquences de la migration. La migración y las familias transnacionales en Fiji: Comparación de dos grupos étnicos En los últimos veinte años, los patrones de migración internacional desde Fiji han sufrido cambios que han repercutido notablemente en la conformación de familias transnacionales. En este artículo, se establece una comparación entre la conformación de familias indo-fiyianas transnacionales amplias y las familias indígenas fiyianas transnacionales nucleares. Ambas se debaten en el marco de "corporaciones transnacionales de parentesco". Durante varias décadas, los indo-fiyianos emigraron con carácter permanente a la costa del Pacífico a raíz de la situación económica y política prevaleciente en Fiji. Se reasentaron en unidades familiares nucleares completas y, ulteriormente, intentaron patrocinar la migración de sus familiares. En los últimos años, se ha observado un creciente número de fiyianos indígenas que emigran temporalmente por motivos laborales. A diferencia de los indo-fiyianos, los fiyianos indígenas emigran a título individual, dejando atrás a cónyuges e hijos. Las mujeres emigran de manera autónoma para trabajar al cuidado de personas o como enfermeras, mientras que los hombres encuentran trabajo como soldados o guardias. Su migración es mayormente de carácter temporal y tiene por finalidad el envío de remesas. Ahora bien, estos beneficios económicos tienen que examinarse a la luz de los costos sociales y sicológicos asociados con la separación del núcleo familiar. En este artículo también se debaten las consecuencias políticas resultantes del análisis comparativo, especialmente habida cuenta de la situación reinante en Fiji, que se caracteriza por la falta de políticas que encaren las repercusiones que trae consigo la migración. [source] Sex and Gender Traditionalism Among Conservative Protestants: Does the Difference Make a Difference?JOURNAL FOR THE SCIENTIFIC STUDY OF RELIGION, Issue 4 2009John P. Bartkowski Recent years have witnessed the resurgence of conservative Protestantism and its adherents' advocacy of gender traditionalism. Scholarship has traced conservative Protestant women's support for gender traditionalism to biblical inerrancy while linking conservative Protestant men's support for gender traditionalism to their denominational affiliation. Our study revisits this issue with more recent data, more sophisticated analytical techniques (structural equation modeling), and a refined measure of theological conservatism (accounting for beliefs pertaining to scripture, sin, and salvation). We find that theological conservatism is significantly related to gender traditionalism among conservative Protestant women but not men. For men, strength of denominational affiliation is more strongly related to traditionalist ideology. Strength of affiliation also affects gender ideology for women, but its effects, as well as those of religious attendance, are largely indirect through theological conservatism. We discuss these sex-specific patterns of religious influence in the context of conservative Protestantism exhibiting characteristics of a gendered institution. [source] Systems that Should Have Failed: Critical Infrastructure Protection in an Institutionally Fragmented EnvironmentJOURNAL OF CONTINGENCIES AND CRISIS MANAGEMENT, Issue 1 2007Mark De Bruijne Recent years have witnessed major governmental initiatives regarding critical infrastructure protection (CIP). During that same time, critical infrastructures (CIs) have undergone massive institutional restructuring under the headings of privatization, deregulation and liberalization. Little research has gone into understanding the interactions between these two developments. In this article, we outline the consequences of institutional restructuring for the changing ways in which CIs ensure the reliability and security of their networks and services. Neither Normal Accident Theory nor High-Reliability Theory can account for reliability under these conditions. We then investigate the implications of these findings for CIP. [source] Is there life after evidence-based medicine?JOURNAL OF EVALUATION IN CLINICAL PRACTICE, Issue 2 2004Massimo Porta MD PhD Abstract Recent years have witnessed the rising star of evidence-based medicine (EBM) as an approach towards rationalizing clinical practice in the face of an exponentially growing body of knowledge. Along with it, however, a sense of unease is rising among practising doctors, as they feel that well-intentioned principles may be increasingly applied to disease management, with its economic and cost-cutting implications, rather than disease cure or treatment. There is a fear that any procedure, however time-honoured, that was not or cannot be subjected to randomized controlled clinical trial, may some day be discouraged, more or less strongly, based on statistical rather than clinical considerations. Resistance to EBM ranges from a ,we-know-best' uncompromising non-acceptance to a ,you-may-be-right-sometimes-but-don't-ever-tell-me-what-to-do' sort of openness. The problem is one of measure, in more than one sense: measure of how effective individual practitioners are in treating their patients, measure of how useful EBM is, measure in promoting what may become a dogmatic application of probability laws to the very improbable practice of medicine, measure in siding with the supporters of health care on a budget. There is much that EBM can give to clinical medicine by its ability to organize complex data sets for the ultimate benefit of patients, but there is also much that can stifle practice by forcing a dogmatic implementation, rather than a flexible common sense approach, of its principles. [source] Imaging biomarkers in multiple sclerosisJOURNAL OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING, Issue 4 2010M. Filippi MD Abstract Recent years have witnessed impressive advances in the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for the assessment of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Complementary to the clinical evaluation, conventional MRI provides crucial pieces of information for the diagnosis of MS. However, the correlation between the burden of lesions observed on conventional MRI scans and the clinical manifestations of the disease remains weak. The discrepancy between clinical and conventional MRI findings in MS is explained, at least partially, by the limited ability of conventional MRI to characterize and quantify the heterogeneous features of MS pathology. Other quantitative MR-based techniques, however, have the potential to overcome such a limitation of conventional MRI. Indeed, magnetization transfer MRI, diffusion tensor MRI, proton MR spectroscopy, and functional MRI are contributing to elucidate the mechanisms that underlie injury, repair, and functional adaptation in patients with MS. Such techniques are likely to benefit from the use of high-field MR systems and thus allow in the near future providing additional insight into all these aspects of the disease. This review summarizes how MRI is dramatically changing our understanding of the factors associated with the accumulation of irreversible disability in MS and highlights the reasons why they should be used more extensively in studies of disease evolution and clinical trials. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2010;31:770,788. ©2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Constraints and blocks to change and improvement on acute psychiatric wards , lessons from the City Nurses projectJOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRIC & MENTAL HEALTH NURSING, Issue 5 2006G. BRENNAN rmn rnmh ba(hons) Recent years have seen sustained criticism and inspection of acute inpatient psychiatric wards, with the publication of reports and research leading to policy developments and a variety of efforts to improve perceived deficits. The City Nurses project seeks to reduce levels of conflict and containment on acute wards through the placement of expert nurses on wards to assist with the implementation of changes according to a working model of conflict and containment generation, based on previous research. Evaluation has shown significant decreases in aggression, absconding and self-harm by patients. However, in the course of working with the wards, various constraints and blocks to change have been identified and we describe these in detail in this paper. Analysis of the fieldwork diaries of the two City Nurses identified that change was hindered by limited staffing resources, problems with the physical environment and other resources, insufficient beds and the process of bed management, hierarchical ambiguity and multidisciplinary issues, the overdemanding role of the ward manager, and pervasive anxiety about the potential for serious untoward incidents and their implications for staff. We argue that sustained positive change in acute inpatient psychiatry requires these underlying structural issues to be both acknowledged and, if possible, resolved. [source] Bioethics, Theology, and Social ChangeJOURNAL OF RELIGIOUS ETHICS, Issue 3 2003Lisa Sowle Cahill ABSTRACT Recent years have witnessed a concern among theological bioethicists that secular debate has grown increasingly "thin," and that "thick" religious traditions and their spokespersons have been correspondingly excluded. This essay disputes that analysis. First, religious and theological voices compete for public attention and effectiveness with the equally "thick" cultural traditions of modern science and market capitalism. The distinctive contribution of religion should be to emphasize social justice in access to the benefits of health care, challenging the for-profit global marketing of research and biotechnology to wealthy consumers. Second, religion and theology have been and are still socially effective in sponsoring activism for practical change, both locally and globally. This claim will be supported with specific examples; with familiar concepts like subsidiarity and "middle axioms"; and with recent analyses of "participatory democracy" and of emerging, decentralized forms of global governance. [source] Reading and genetics: an introductionJOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN READING, Issue 1 2006Kate Nation Recent years have brought about rapid advances in our understanding of how genetic factors influence reading development and reading disorder. The purpose of this special issue is to summarise what has been learned, and to highlight some of the issues and questions currently at the forefront of research. This paper sets the scene for the special issue by introducing relevant methodology and background information. [source] Necks-for-sex or competing browsers?JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY, Issue 1 2010A critique of ideas on the evolution of giraffe Abstract Recent years have witnessed a resurgence in tests of the evolution and origin of the great height and long neck of the giraffe Giraffa camelopardalis. The two main hypotheses are (1) long necks evolved through competition with other browsers allowing giraffe to feed above them (,competing browsers' hypothesis); or (2) the necks evolved for direct use in intra-sexual combat to gain access to oestrous females (,necks-for-sex' hypothesis). Here, we review recent developments and their relative contribution in explaining giraffe evolution. Trends from Zimbabwean giraffes show positive allometry for male necks and isometry for female necks relative to body mass, while comparative analyses of the cervical versus the total vertebral column of the giraffe, okapi and fossil giraffe suggest selection specifically on neck length rather than on overall height. Both support the necks-for-sex idea. Neither study, however, allows us to refute one of the two ideas. We suggest new approaches for quantifying the relative importance of the two hypotheses. A direct analysis of selection pressure on neck length via survival and reproduction should clarify the mechanism maintaining the trait, while we predict that short robust ossicones should have arisen concurrently with incipient neck elongation if sexual selection was the main selective driver. The main challenge for the competing browser hypothesis is to explain why giraffe have remained about 2 m taller than their tallest competitors for over 1 Myr, whereas the sexual selection hypothesis cannot provide an adaptive explanation for the long neck of female giraffe. We conclude that probably both mechanisms have contributed to the evolution and maintenance of the long neck, and their relative importance can be clarified further. [source] IPF: new insight on pathogenesis and treatmentALLERGY, Issue 5 2010S. Harari To cite this article: Harari S, Caminati A. IPF: new insight on pathogenesis and treatment. Allergy 2010; 65: 537,553. Abstract Recent years have seen a robust influx of exciting new observations regarding the mechanisms that regulate the initiation and progression of pulmonary fibrosis but the pathogenesis remains poorly understood. The search for an alternative hypothesis to unremitting, chronic inflammation as the primary explanation for the pathophysiology of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) derives, in part, from the lack of therapeutic efficacy of high-dose immunosuppressive therapy in patients with IPF. The inflammatory hypothesis of IPF has since been challenged by the epithelial injury hypothesis, in which fibrosis is believed to result from epithelial injury, activation, and/or apoptosis with abnormal wound healing. This hypothesis suggests that recurrent unknown injury to distal pulmonary parenchyma causes repeated epithelial injury and apoptosis. The resultant loss of alveolar epithelium exposes the underlying basement membrane to oxidative damage and degradation. Emerging concepts suggest that IPF is the result of epithelial,mesenchymal interaction. The initiation of this fibrotic response may depend upon genetic factors and environmental triggers; the role of Th1 or Th2 cell-derived cytokines may also be important. This process appears to be unique to usual interstitial pneumonia/IPF. It is clear that IPF is a heterogeneous disease with variations in pathology, high-resolution computed tomography findings, and patterns of progression. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a complex disorder, and no unifying hypothesis has been identified at present that explains all the abnormalities. [source] Therapeutics targeting tumor immune escape: Towards the development of new generation anticancer vaccinesMEDICINAL RESEARCH REVIEWS, Issue 3 2008Simone Mocellin Abstract Despite the evidence that immune effectors can play a significant role in controlling tumor growth under natural conditions or in response to therapeutic manipulation, it is clear that malignant cells evade immune surveillance in most cases. Considering that anticancer vaccination has reached a plateau of results and currently no vaccination regimen is indicated as a standard anticancer therapy, the dissection of the molecular events underlying tumor immune escape is the necessary condition to make anticancer vaccines a therapeutic weapon effective enough to be implemented in the routine clinical setting. Recent years have witnessed significant advances in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying tumor immune escape. These mechanistic insights are fostering the development of rationally designed therapeutics aimed at reverting the immunosuppressive circuits that undermine an effective antitumor immune response. In this review, the best characterized mechanisms that allow cancer cells to evade immune surveillance are overviewed and the most debated controversies constellating this complex field are highlighted. In addition, the latest therapeutic strategies devised to overcome tumor immune escape are described, with special regard to those entering clinical phase investigation. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Med Res Rev, 28, No. 3, 413,444, 2008 [source] Adaptive evolutionary conservation: towards a unified concept for defining conservation unitsMOLECULAR ECOLOGY, Issue 12 2001Dylan J. Fraser Abstract Recent years have seen a debate over various methods that could objectively prioritize conservation value below the species level. Most prominent among these has been the evolutionarily significant unit (ESU). We reviewed ESU concepts with the aim of proposing a more unified concept that would reconcile opposing views. Like species concepts, conflicting ESU concepts are all essentially aiming to define the same thing: segments of species whose divergence can be measured or evaluated by putting differential emphasis on the role of evolutionary forces at varied temporal scales. Thus, differences between ESU concepts lie more in the criteria used to define the ESUs themselves rather than in their fundamental essence. We provide a context-based framework for delineating ESUs which circumvents much of this situation. Rather than embroil in a befuddled debate over an optimal criterion, the key to a solution is accepting that differing criteria will work more dynamically than others and can be used alone or in combination depending on the situation. These assertions constitute the impetus behind adaptive evolutionary conservation. [source] Quality of life and obesityOBESITY REVIEWS, Issue 4 2001R. L. Kolotkin Abstract Interest in the quality of life of patients with different diseases continues to grow. Recent years have witnessed a dramatic rise in the prevalence of obesity worldwide, stimulating interest in the health and quality of life consequences of this phenomenon. The body of research on the quality of life of obese individuals has grown to a point that a review of this literature is warranted. Numerous studies have demonstrated that obese persons experience significant impairments in quality of life as a result of their obesity, with greater impairments associated with greater degrees of obesity. Weight loss has been shown to improve quality of life in obese persons undergoing a variety of treatments. Further research is needed to clarify whether quality of life differs among subsets of obese persons. Until recently, there has been little standardization of quality of life measures in obesity. The SF-36 has been used in a number of studies of obese persons. Several obesity-specific instruments have also been developed and have shown great promise. The quality of life of obese individuals is an important issue that should be included in weight management treatment and research. [source] Methadone and Buprenorphine Toxicity in ChildrenTHE AMERICAN JOURNAL ON ADDICTIONS, Issue 1 2010Edward W. Boyer MD Recent years have seen very large increases in the prescribing of methadone and buprenorphine formulations for treatment of opioid addiction as well as the increasing utilization of methadone for the treatment of chronic pain. Coincident with the rise in the prescribing of these drugs has been a substantial increase in pediatric opioid toxicities and adverse events. This review will address the current state of methadone- and buprenorphine-related adverse events in children in the United States. We will also discuss treatment of opioid toxicity in pediatric populations and make recommendations aimed at reducing these occurrences.,(Am J Addict 2009;19:89,95) [source] Sensual, material, and technological understanding: exploring prehistoric soundscapes in south IndiaTHE JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL ANTHROPOLOGICAL INSTITUTE, Issue 2 2007Nicole Boivin Recent years have witnessed an increased interest within archaeology in the non-visual senses, and particularly sound. To date, however, most studies have focused on the evidence for musical instruments and the acoustic properties of special structures and spaces, like monuments and caves. This study reports on further evidence for special musical activities at the prehistoric site of Sanganakallu-Kupgal in south India, but then also moves on to a discussion of the acoustic dimension of more mundane Neolithic technological and productive activities, like flint-knapping, axe-grinding, and crop production. It focuses on the evidence for links between such activities at Sanganakallu-Kupgal, based on shared material, gestural, and acoustic properties, and argues that the hammering of ringing rocks to make music was only one aspect of a wider Southern Neolithic cultural propensity to address technological and ritual requirements by applying stone against stone. The article attempts to bring to recent discussions of the senses an awareness of the materiality of sensory experience, which, despite recent interest in the body, remains marginalized in theoretical accounts. [source] Fibonacci grids: A novel approach to global modellingTHE QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY, Issue 619 2006Richard Swinbank Abstract Recent years have seen a resurgence of interest in a variety of non-standard computational grids for global numerical prediction. The motivation has been to reduce problems associated with the converging meridians and the polar singularities of conventional regular latitude,longitude grids. A further impetus has come from the adoption of massively parallel computers, for which it is necessary to distribute work equitably across the processors; this is more practicable for some non-standard grids. Desirable attributes of a grid for high-order spatial finite differencing are: (i) geometrical regularity; (ii) a homogeneous and approximately isotropic spatial resolution; (iii) a low proportion of the grid points where the numerical procedures require special customization (such as near coordinate singularities or grid edges); (iv) ease of parallelization. One family of grid arrangements which, to our knowledge, has never before been applied to numerical weather prediction, but which appears to offer several technical advantages, are what we shall refer to as ,Fibonacci grids'. These grids possess virtually uniform and isotropic resolution, with an equal area for each grid point. There are only two compact singular regions on a sphere that require customized numerics. We demonstrate the practicality of this type of grid in shallow-water simulations, and discuss the prospects for efficiently using these frameworks in three-dimensional weather prediction or climate models. © Crown copyright, 2006. Royal Meteorological Society [source] Personality Assessment with the MMPI-2: Historical Roots, International Adaptations, and Current ChallengesAPPLIED PSYCHOLOGY: HEALTH AND WELL-BEING, Issue 1 2009James N. Butcher The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) is the most widely used personality test in psychological practice. Although originally developed during the middle of the last century in the United States, its use today extends around the world. The MMPI-2 is a robust measure given its strong empirical tradition and many innovations. Recent years have seen controversial changes to this standard of psychological assessment. New scales were added in 2003 (i.e. the Restructured Clinical or RC Scales) and the Fake Bad Scale (FBS) was included in the MMPI-2 in 2007. A new instrument called the MMPI-2 Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) was released in 2008 with the RC Scales replacing the well-validated MMPI-2 Clinical Scales; 40 per cent of its items eliminated; a shortened FBS included; and most of its 50 scales introduced for the first time. This article traces the history of the evolving MMPI-2 with special attention to its international applications, and offers a perspective on the radical departure from past MMPI-2 research represented by the RC Scales, FBS, the MMPI-2-RF, and other recent changes to this standard in the field. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||