Search

The aim of this study was to determine the diagnostic value of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and uric acid (UA) in children undergoing evaluation for possible malignancies.This was a retrospective chart review of patients aged 0 to 18 years presenting to an urban, tertiary care, pediatric hospital between July 1, 2011, and July 1, 2016. Patients were included if they had an LDH and/or UA level drawn, and they were excluded if they had a known cancer diagnosis. Sensitivity, specificity, and receiver operating characteristic curves were calculated for each biomarker.Six hundred five subjects were included in this study; 579 and 384 subjects had LDH and UA levels drawn, respectively; 15.7% had a final diagnosis of malignancy (49 leukemia, 46 nonleukemia).The specificities of both biomarkers for all types of malignancies were lower than their respective sensitivities. Comparing leukemic versus nonleukemic malignancies, the areas under the curve were 0.848 and 0.719, respectively, for LDH and 0.681 and 0.555, respectively, for UA. more...

R. Scott Appleby as a scholar, teacher, institution-builder, and practitioner intervened in debates among scholars, politicians, policy makers, religious people, and all people of good will, grappl... more...

This essay serves as an introduction to a special symposium of essays in The Review of Faith & International Affairs in honor of R. Scott Appleby, one of the pioneers and luminaries in the field of... more...

The Christmas opening of Brother Sun, Sister Moon was in some ways worse than I’d anticipated [Franco Zeffirelli’s film on Francis of Assisi was released December 2, 1972]. The Vietnam War protests had intensified; this was the time of flag-burning and guilt. I went to the previews and watched the reactions. Some were ugly; there was mocking laughter at the idea of love and gentleness …. [the film] went totally against the grain of the new cynicism …. Needless to say, the critics did not flinch from putting in theknife …. [The Easter opening of the film in London] was greeted with no less enthusiasm, though with less derision, than in New York. As expected, the critics were merciless. The only joy I have had out of the whole business is the affection the film has found among those in the world where faith means more than supposed sophistication. Since it was made, not a day has gone by when it is not shown somewhere in the world and now it has become a cult film. more...

Background Patients undergoing procedural sedation with intravenous ketamine often receive repeat doses to maintain dissociation; however, data between doses are lacking. Objectives The purpose of this study was to characterize the frequency, time interval, and dosages of ketamine received by children undergoing procedural sedation and to explore the effects of age and body mass index on these parameters. Methods This was a retrospective study of patients 1 to 18 years of age undergoing procedural sedation with intravenous ketamine in a pediatric emergency department between October 2016 and June 2017. Total repeat ketamine dosages were standardized to a 1-h sedation. Results Four hundred nineteen patients were included in the analysis. The median sedation time was 33.0 minutes (interquartile range [IQR] 25.0–45.0). Three hundred sixty-three patients (86.6%) received at least 1 repeat ketamine dose. The median time between doses was 7.0 minutes (IQR 5.0–12.0). Children Conclusions Patients undergoing ketamine sedation often receive repeat doses to maintain dissociation. Patients more...

St. Francis of Assisi’s dramatic meeting with the Sultan Malek el-Kamel in Damietta, Egypt, during the Fifth Crusade (1213–1221) has become an important part of the contemporary context for Muslim–Christian relations, Middle East politics and international relations. It is well-known among Catholics and medieval historians, but it was Pope John Paul II who coined the term ‘the spirit of Assisi’ which has given this event its prominence and relevance. However, this has been questioned – it is based on limited and contradictory evidence, and why do we need such historical models of positive Muslim–Christian relations? This article, in response to these objections, argues that critical theory, the Frankfurt School and social constructivism as they are developed in the theory of international relations offer a helpful perspective to examine Francis’ encounter with the Sultan, and this shows more clearly why this early Muslim–Christian encounter is relevant for contemporary international relations. more...

The “religious turn” in the study of international relations has started to break through and inform concrete policy discussions. The first part of this article briefly explains that breakthrough a... more...

If one day Muslim Americans will be forced to register their identities, then that is the day this proud Jew will register as a Muslim. (Khomami and Sidahmed 2016Khomami, Nadia, and Mazin Sidahmed. 2016. “Jonathan Greenblatt: ‘This Proud Jew Would Register as a Muslim’ in database.” BBC News, November 18. Accessed 28 August, 2017.https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/nov/18/jonathan-greenblatt-muslim-registry-database-trump [Google Scholar])—Jonathan Greenblatt, head of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL)When we were at last together he railed against injustice, particularly injustice against the lowly. He told me he had made a vow—at age seventy-six—that if a certain Algerian who is wanted by both the French police and the Algerian terrorists comes to the Muslim–Christian pilgrimage in Brittany later this month and is arrested, he will enter prison with him. (Emphasis added).11 Massingnon's is referring to the legend of the “Seven Sleepers of Ephesus” found in the Qur’an and ancient Christian sources. It is commemorated by an old French church in Brittany. Massignon started a Muslim–Christian pilgrimage there for reconciliation shortly after the FLN started the armed struggle in Algeria (section 4). Herbert Mason, formerly University Professor of History and Religion, Boston University, was a life-long friend of Massignon's, and translated into English Massignon's La Passion d’al-Hallaj / The Passion of al-Hallaj (Massignon 1982Massignon, Louis. 1982. La Passion d’ al-Hallaj / The Passion of al-Hallaj, Trans. by Herbert Mason, 4 vols. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. [Google Scholar]).View all notes—Herbert Mason on Louis Massignon (1988Mason, Herbert. 1988. Memoir of a Friend: Louis Massignon. Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press. [Google Scholar], 102)Many times in our private conversations, Massingnon told me how great was his debt to St. Francis of Assisi, whom he considered not only one of the most ‘compassionate’ men in the history of civilization, but also the first Western Christian to preach, by example, as well as by words, the principle of non-violence, as opposed to the war-like ideology of the Crusades … . to preach the principle that only with love should we confront those who appear to be our enemies.—Giulio Bassetti-Sani (1974Bassetti-Sani, Giulio, OFM. 1974. Louis Massignon: Christian Ecumenist. Chicago, IL: Franciscan Herald Press. [Google Scholar], 33) more...

The purpose of this article is to use René Girard’s mimetic theory in order to rethink the thorny relationship between religion, culture and violence and to relate it to some of the key issues in international relations theory. In doing this, I will examine the concept of the ‘ambivalence of the sacred’, which underlies much scholarly research on religion and international relations – what factors, under which conditions, does religion contribute to peace or to violence. As I will show, mimetic theory questions, or at least reconfigures, the mainstream construction of the problem of religion and violence – the violent eruptions that disturb social peace and social cohesion – to critically examine the sources of the unveiled, hidden, violence and the scapegoat ideology that operates in domestic society and in foreign policy to maintain any society’s cultural and political order. more...

Religion has long been seen as an obstacle to diplomacy, especially in disputes and conflicts that seem to be related to or motivated by religion. The very nature of religion—its concerns for dogma, truth, and certainty— would seem to be contrary to the nature of successful diplomacy, with its emphasis on empathy, dialogue, understanding, negotiation, and compromise. However, religion and diplomacy have become more interrelated since the end of the twentieth century. Globalization and the changing nature of conflict have exposed the limits of conventional diplomacy in resolving these new conflicts in a global era, and this has opened up new opportunities for religious actors involved in diplomacy. A so-called “faith-based diplomacy” has emerged, which promotes dialogue within and between religious traditions. Particularly in the Islamic world, with a new generation of theologians and politicians, it is recognized that there is a key role for religious leaders and faith-based diplomacy in the Middle East. Faith-based diplomacy can be distinguished from the traditional models of peacemaking and conflict resolution by its holistic approach to the sociopolitical healing of a conflict that has taken place. In other words, the objective of faith-based diplomacy is not only conflict resolution but also the restoration of the political order that has suffered from war and injustice, and the reconciliation of individuals and social groups. more...

This review covers three books on the religious turn in the study of international relations. There are two edited collections—the first edited by Shah, Stepan, and Toft, Rethinking Religion and Wo... more...

This article introduces René Girard’s mimetic theory to examine the relationship between culture, religion and violence. It challenges the way the problem of religion and violence is narrowly conceptualised as a problem of ‘religious violence’ (i.e. religious terrorism and civil war). When the problem of religion and violence is constructed in this way, purportedly to take religion seriously, it does so by not taking culture or politics seriously. It is a limited conception since religion as a concept is always socially, culturally and politically contested, negotiated and constructed. It is not a neutral descriptor of a reality in the world, which causes violence under certain conditions. Moreover, this limited conception of religion fits what critical theorists call a problem-solving approach to theory. It ignores the fact that how, by whom and in whose interests the problem of religion and violence is constructed is itself a form of power in international relations. Therefore, the way the problem of religion and violence is constructed can be challenged as an example of the scapegoat mechanism in mimetic theory, and how it operates in the West as well as in the religion and violence in countries that are the object of Western foreign policy. This is demonstrated in two case studies: the invention of religious violence, and ethno-religious conflict in the Balkans in the 1990s. more...

To assess the effect of simulation training on pediatric residents' acquisition and retention of central venous catheter insertion skills. A secondary objective was to assess the effect of simulation training on self-confidence to perform the procedure.Prospective observational pilot study.Single university clinical simulation center.Pediatric residents, postgraduate years 1-3.Residents participated in a 60- to 90-minute ultrasound-guided central venous catheter simulation training session. Video recordings of residents performing simulated femoral central venous catheter insertions were made before (baseline), after, and at 3-month following training. Three blinded expert raters independently scored the performances using a 24-item checklist and 100-mm global rating scale. At each time point, residents rated their confidence to perform the procedure on a 100-mm scale.Twenty-six residents completed the study. Compared with baseline, immediately following training, median checklist score (54.2% [interquartile range, 40.8-68.8%] vs 83.3% [interquartile range, 70.0-91.7%]), global rating score (8.0 mm [interquartile range, 0.0-64.3 mm] vs 79.5 mm [interquartile range, 16.3-91.7 mm]), success rate (38.5% vs 80.8%), and self-confidence (8.0 mm [interquartile range, 3.8-19.0 mm] vs 52.0 mm [interquartile range, 43.5-66.5 mm]) all improved (p0.05 for all variables). Compared with baseline, median checklist score (54.2% [interquartile range, 40.8-68.8%] vs 54.2% [interquartile range, 45.8-80.4%], p = 0.47), global rating score (8.0 mm [interquartile range, 0.0-64.3 mm] vs 35.5 mm [interquartile range, 5.3-77.0], p = 0.62), and success rate (38.5% vs 65.4%, p = 0.35) were similar at 3-month follow-up. Self-confidence, however, remained above baseline at 3-month follow-up (8.0 mm [interquartile range, 3.8-19.0 mm] vs 61.0 mm [interquartile range, 31.5-71.8 mm], p0.01).Simulation training improved pediatric residents' central venous catheter insertion procedural skills. Decay in skills was found at 3-month follow-up. This suggests that simulation training for this procedure should occur in close temporal proximity to times when these skills would most likely be used clinically and that frequent refresher training might be beneficial to prevent skills decay. more...

This article asks is there a place for religion and spirituality in a critical theory of international relations (IR)? The usual answer is ‘no’ because of critical theory’s generally negative assessment of religion in domestic and international politics. However, while many of these criticisms can be acknowledged, a critical theory of IR still has to grapple with the more complex understanding of religion that already exists in critical theory, and the global resurgence of religion how Eurocentric its concept of religion actually is and how rooted it is in the European experience of modernisation. For the people of the global South — which comprises most of the people in the world — the struggle to ‘live faithfully’ amid the problems of world poverty, climate change, conflict and development can not be separated from their struggle for justice and emancipation. Therefore, a greater dialogue between critical theory and theology is necessary if critical theory is to more fully and creatively contribute to our understanding of some of the most important global issues in the study of IR in the 21st century. more...

International relations have changed dramatically since the Second Vatican Council, yet there are remarkable continuities in Catholic social teaching and its approach to global development. It accords importance to culture and religion vis‐a‐vis the Church's conception of integral human development. Several of the basic principles of Catholic social teaching are related to the main problems of developing countries, so Catholic social teaching can inform how the development community views culture and religion. Viewing the principles of Catholic social teaching through the lens of Alasdair MacIntyre's social theory helps us to constructively apply those principles to global development policy today. more...

Objective To assess trends in tenure for chairs of academic departments of ophthalmology and to assess characteristics that may be correlated with longevity. Design Cross-sectional study. Participants Current chairs from 136 institutions were surveyed. Methods Questionnaires mailed to ophthalmology chairs. Main Outcome Measures Questionnaires assessed demographics along with duration of tenure for current and previous chairs. Results From 1983 through 2007, 415 individuals (404 men and 11 women) held the position of chair at the 127 responding institutions. The mean duration of tenure for chairs whose tenure included 1980 was 20.3 years, and the mean duration decreased to 14.7 years for chairs whose tenure included 2000. Mean annual turnover changed from 4.8% during the first 5 years of the study to 6.7% during the last 5 years of the study. Departments had an average of 3.3 chairs during this period, with 25 departments having 5 or more new chairs. The number of female chairs increased from 4 in 1983 to 6 in 2007. Length of tenure was not found to correlate with a department's national ranking. Conclusions The average turnover rate for chairs of departments of ophthalmology has shown a slight upward trend over the last 25 years with a corresponding decrease in mean tenure length. Although this trend is not particularly alarming compared with those of other disciplines, academic leaders must be aware of this trend to estimate future leadership needs and to take steps to ensure tenure length does not decrease in such a way that it hinders the field. Financial Disclosure(s) The author(s) have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article. more...

Background Surgical management of strabismus caused by dysthyroid ophthalmopathy has a history of variable success outcomes ranging from 43% to 82%. Previous studies showed that correcting the restricted duction seen in thyroid eye disease, rather than the deviation as is done in other types of strabismus surgery, resulted in markedly improved success rates. Other investigators have recommended a change in the approach to the surgical management of dysthyroid ophthalmopathy. Methods Retrospective comparison of sequential case series. Results The data of 86 patients were retrospectively reviewed, including 52 in the deviation correction group and 34 in the duction correction group, with 74 deviation correction operations and 47 duction correction operations. A successful outcome, defined as postoperative deviation less than or equal to 5Δ, was seen in 72% of deviation corrections operations and 66% of duction correction operations (p = 0.55). Conclusions In our study, no difference in outcome between surgical corrections of restricted duction versus deviation was demonstrated. more...

2-Hydroxypyridine-1-oxide (HOPO) is utilized in the pharmaceutical sector to facilitate the formation of amide bonds. This present work describes the development of a HPLC high pH ion-pairing method for the trace analysis of HOPO in pharmaceutically relevant materials. Several method development aspects are discussed and the application of this method to several late-stage programs is presented. more...

The book of Isaiah has more strongly influenced the Western theo-political imagination than any book in the Hebrew Bible. Isaiah presents a global vision of human security that, instead of relying on power politics, is based on virtue-ethics. Today the tradition of virtue-ethics is concerned with the long-term consequences of foreign policies, not only their immediate effects. Virtue-ethics are focused as much on identity as on interests, often contradicting realist balance-of-power diplomacy. The concept of justice for Isaiah is more than legal equity; it is a sustainable positive peace, encompassing the concepts of development and well-being. more...

An efficient one-pot procedure for the four-step preparation of 7-hydroxyquinoline (1) from 3-N-tosylaminophenol (4) in 60% isolated yield, that reduces the risk of exposure to acrolein (2), is described. more...

The HPLC retention behavior of simvastatin and its β,δ‐dihydroxy acid and methylester forms were investigated. The retention of the lactone and the methylester was found to be highly dependent on the eluent composition and mildly dependent on temperature at low temperatures. The retention of the β,δ‐dihydroxy acid was found to be highly dependent on eluent pH and temperature as well as the composition. Atypical dependence of the retention of the β,δ‐dihydroxy acid on temperature prompted further investigation. It was determined that the observed temperature–retention relationship for the β,δ‐dihydroxy acid was caused by a shift in the w s pK of the acid under the elution conditions. As the elution temperature increases, the w s pK of the acid changes resulting in an increase in retention at low temperatures. Thermodynamic analysis shows that retention of simvastatin and the methyl ester is predominantly enthalpy driven. Similar analysis for the β,δ‐dihydroxy acid shows that retention is entropy d... more...

Although prejudice against religious relief organizations persists among American and European elites, there is a growing acknowledgement of the effective role of faith-based organization in development. Culture, religion, and spirituality have become a part of the discourse in international development policy. Consequently, Christians have increased opportunities to develop authentic and holistic responses to poverty around the world. more...

This contribution discusses the laboratory results and factory-scale drying of an organic monohydrate with therapeutic qualities. The crystal form instabilities of this monohydrate are discussed with respect to undesired dehydrated crystalline species and an IPA solvate. To reproducibly determine the end-of-drying while ensuring deliverable monohydrate is produced, a factory-scale drying scheme in which a dew-point hygrometer is used to measure the water content of the dryer vapor effluent online was shown to be effective. This online measurement technique obviates the need for repeated sampling from the dryer and is a low-cost alternative to near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy monitoring systems. This novel factory-scale drying scheme was successful in determining the end-of-drying while ensuring preservation of the desired monohydrate for four 20−30 kg batches. Also, drying curves were produced from the recorded dew-point data by an iterative approach. more...

In the aftermath of September 11 foreign aid has returned to the center of U.S. foreign policy. Most policymakers have approached the problems of failed or weak states—limited legitimacy, political instability, and religious terrorism or fundamentalism—by saying they are simply the result of incomplete modernization. However, this is a very misleading way to understand the global resurgence of religion. A global struggle for authenticity and development is taking place, and learning how to take cultural and religious pluralism seriously has become one of the most important aspects of foreign policy in the twenty-first century. This article examines how U.S. foreign aid policy can do this by assisting faith-based organizations help the churches, mosques, and temples in developing countries become the kind of "communities of character" that can generate the social capital that contributes to social change and development. more...

A process to generate an organofluorine pharmaceutical intermediate yields two main products, a bis‐ and mono‐trifluoroacylated analog of the hydrazino starting material. Analytical methods are discussed that characterize solid and solution intermediate mixtures, as well as monitor their formation. In addition, quantitative high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) assay method development and validation is presented. However, due to solution stability issues, a diluent system that forcibly, yet controllably, degraded the bis‐trifluoroacylated product to the mono analog had to be employed. A more in depth discussion of the investigation into the appropriate diluent system is also presented. more...

A simple, rapid, and accurate HPLC method was developed using high‐low chromatography (H‐LC), to determine the level of propyl gallate (PG) in an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API). The method utilizes a Waters Symmetry C‐8 column and a variable wavelength UV detector. The method employs isocratic conditions. The mobile phase consists of water and acetonitrile with phosphoric acid. The method is effective in determining the amount of PG in an API. The method was applied to process developmental samples to determine the effectiveness of PG loading and to monitor the levels of PG during the long term and accelerated stability studies. Spiking experiments of PG in the API demonstrated quantitative recovery. Ruggedness was determined as a function of solution stability. Sample solutions stored under ambient conditions are stable for an overnight period in methanol:acetic acid 99:1 v/v. The limit of detection (LOD) was determined to be 0.0006% w/w. The limit of quantitation (LOQ) was determined to... more...

The worst global economic crisis since the Great Depression has made it clear that the identity of Europe, what is Europe, and what is Europe for are questions central to the meaning and to the future of the European project and to the future of European security in the twenty-first century. The European Union (EU) project in its most recent form has been sold in various referenda to European publics as a bourgeois, technocratic project to guarantee employment and prosperity for Europeans. The recent failure or unraveling of these objectives undermines for many, if not most, Europeans what is Europe—indeed, what is it now for, if it can no longer guarantee the continuation of these bourgeois objectives? When economic difficulties arose, it became clear that French, British, or German workers are, well, French, British, and German workers after all, and not “European workers” welcome in Europe to work anywhere. Beyond the bickering of France and Germany, or France and the United Kingdom (depending on which national newspapers one reads), at the root of the debate over EU bailout funds to Greece and to other countries is not the details of economic or technocratic disagreements, but the identity of Europe and the nature of the bond between European states, and the conception of rights and duties between them. more...

Martin Wight is responsible for one of the English school's most distinctive features: the historical sociology of different international systems demonstrating the importance of world history for the study of International Relations. Because of Wight's influence, the English school was, from the beginning, concerned with the role of religion, culture and civilization in international society. This emphasis, particularly with regard to the role of religion, has been marginalized in the English school's current research programme. This is unfortunate because, despite a renewed interest in the English school, the kind of questions Wight asked about religion, culture and identity have become some of the most important in the study of IR. This article examines the role of religion in Wight's international theory, which cannot be separated from the fact that he was a devout Anglican throughout his life. There was a relationship between his personal faith and his understanding of religion's role in international relations that previous scholars have not examined. When these two aspects of Wight's faith and life are brought together, there is both a better sense of continuity between his early life as a Christian pacifist and his later years as a teacher and scholar of IR, and a better recognition of what his distinctive approach to religion brought to the study of International Relations. more...

MK-0507 (Dorzolamide HCl, (4S,6S)-4-Ethylamino-5,6-dihydro-6-methyl-4H-thieno-[2,3-b] thiopyran-2-sulfonamide 7,7-dioxide hydrochloride) is the first topically active, water-soluble, carbonic anhydrase inhibitor to be developed for the treatment of glaucoma and ocular hypertension. Dorzolamide HCl is an effective and well tolerated agent as monotherapy for patients who cannot tolerate ophthalmic beta-blockers, and for those who need add-on therapy to beta-blockers.1 The steps taken in the development and validation of a fast and rugged reverse-phase HPLC method for the analysis and quality assessment of MK-0507 drug substance and acetamidosulfonamide intermediate are described. Four columns were used during the development: Du Pont Zorbax C-18, Rainin Microsorb C-8, Perkin Elmer CR-C8 and YMC4. The last two columns showed excellent resolution, peak shape, and precision. The selected HPLC method for acetamidosulfonamide, using the Perkin Elmer CR-C8 column, was validated with respect to linearity,... more...

The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education requires that family medicine residents receive structured skills training on pediatric advanced life support (PALS) and should learn procedures for medical emergencies in patients of all ages. Traditional methods of training family medicine residents in PALS is challenging given their limited clinical exposure to critically ill patients. The primary objective of this study was to assess the effect of a 2-hour PALS training session utilizing high-fidelity mannequins on residents' psychomotor skills performances.Between February and June 2009, residents from two urban family medicine residency programs received training on four PALS procedures (bag-mask ventilation, tracheal intubation, intraosseous line placement, and cardiac rhythm assessment/defibrillation) at a university simulation center. Residents completed questionnaires to provide data on previous resuscitation training and experience. We collected self-confidence data and video recordings of residents performing the procedures before and after training. To assess retention at 6 months, we collected self-confidence data and video recordings of PGY-1 and PGY-2 residents performing the procedures. A blinded reviewer scored the video recordings.Forty-seven residents completed the study. The majority of residents (53.2%) had never performed any of the procedures on a real patient. Immediately following skills training, mean overall performance improved from 39.5% (± 11.5%) to 76.5% (± 10.4%), difference 37.0% (95% CI, 33.5%--40.6%). Bag-mask ventilation and intraosseous insertion skills remained above baseline at 6-month follow-up.Simulation training is beneficial for teaching PALS procedures to family medicine residents. more...

For any scholar of International relations, It Is sobering to realize that the Ideals of the United Nations, in the view of the organization’s founders, are summed up by the vision of the prophet Isaiah,2 His key prophecy on ‘”?ations hammering their swords Into plowshares and their spears into sickles” Is now written on the curved granite walk called the Isaiah Wall, in the plaza in front of the UN building, given to the UN by the city of New York. Indeed, the book of Isaiah with Its vision of peace and the restoration of Israel has loomed larger In the Western theopolltlcal imagination than almost any other book of the Hebrew Bible. more...

To evaluate the incidence of burnout in chairs of academic departments of ophthalmology, identify stressors, and propose methods for reducing and preventing burnout in our academic leaders.Cross-sectional study.One-hundred thirty-one chairs of academic departments of ophthalmology in the United States and Canada.Confidential surveys mailed to ophthalmology chairs.Questionnaires assessed demographics, potential stressors, satisfaction with personal life, self-efficacy, burnout as measured by the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS), and quality of life.Questionnaires were returned from 101 chairs, a response rate of 77%. Each chair had served an average of 9.4 years. They worked an average of 62 hours each week, spending 41% on patient care, 36% on administrative duties, 13% on teaching, and 9% on research. There was no difference in hours worked each week in chairs who had served10 years from those who had been chair5 years. The most frequently identified stressors were faculty retention, Residency Review Committee/Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education issues, department or hospital budgets, and compliance issues. Seventy percent of chairs reported they are currently satisfied with their positions compared with 79% who reported feeling that way 5 years ago. Nine chairs (9%) were considered to have burnout based on their MBI-HSS surveys, and 9 (9%) chair's scores showed no characteristics of burnout. Fifty-six percent had scores consistent with low personal achievement, the highest risk factor for burnout. Overall, the MBI-HSS revealed moderate subscale scores for emotional exhaustion, low for depersonalization, and low for personal accomplishment.The overall prevalence of burnout in chairs of academic departments of ophthalmology is similar to burnout rates seen in chairs of other academic departments. The MBI-HSS scores for ophthalmology chairs showed high levels of emotional exhaustion, moderate levels of depersonalization, and moderate levels of personal accomplishment. Because the cost of burnout can be high, both in terms of a chair's psychological well-being and the actual cost associated with replacing a chair, it is important that strategies are put in place to reduce burnout in our academic leaders. more...

A 3-year-old girl with desmoid tumor of the right orbit initially presented with a 4-month history of unilateral ptosis and was subsequentially found to have fullness of the right upper eyelid. Computed tomography of the orbit revealed a soft tissue density in the superolateral quadrant of the right orbit. Histopathology from a biopsy revealed a desmoid tumor with positive margins. The patient subsequently underwent compete excision of the tumor and is presently doing well. more...

Three momentous events in international relations — the Iranian Revolution, the rise of Solidarity and the Polish Revolution, and the tragedy of September 11, 2001 indicate how a global resurgence of religion is transforming our understanding of international relations. more...

In chapter 2 we saw that it was a common set of assumptions about religion in social theory as well as the main theories of international relations that were at least partly responsible for the way culture and religion were marginalized in the study of international relations. What if it may not only be a matter of using the correct conceptual maps — theories or paradigms — to interpret what is taking place in world politics? The social scientific approach to the study of international relations assumes that there is an objective social world “out there” waiting to be discovered by the mapmaker or social scientist. All that is needed is study leave from teaching, enough funding, and an appropriate methodology. more...

Conflict and cooperation have always been a key part of the study of international relations since the discipline started after World War I. The role of religious non-state actors has been most noticeable in activity to promote international cooperation through peacebuilding, conflict resolution, faith-based diplomacy, interfaith dialogue, and economic development; some of these issues are examined in the next few chapters. more...

What is the power of religion and how does it operate in the secular world of international relations? The communist leaders in Poland and the Soviet Union discovered that the pope had no army divisions but he had legions of followers. So did Francis of Assisi in his day, and so do the Franciscans and the Sufi orders, and the Dalai Lama and Osama bin Laden, and countless other religious leaders, orders, and movements in our time. How should we understand the meaning and influence of these religious non-state actors or nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in international relations today? more...

The concepts of civil society and social capital generated a cornucopia of expectations for social change, democracy, and economic development among foreign aid agencies and Western governments in the aftermath of the Cold War. These concepts were used to explain a wide variety of social and political changes, including the fraying of the social fabric in the United States and in other mature democracies, the rise of “pro-democracy” demonstrations in China, the transition to democracy in Eastern Europe, and the relative wealth of northern Italy compared to the rest of the country. more...

Another aspect of the global resurgence of religion is the growing recognition that religion, spirituality, and cultural authenticity are a part of international development. There are a variety of indicators of this shift in international relations, including the World Faiths Development Dialogue started a decade ago by James Wolfensohn, the president of the World Bank, and Dr. George Carey, then the Archbishop of Canterbury, head of the worldwide Anglican Church, the growing partnership between the World Bank and faith-based organizations and interfaith organizations on a variety of issues in development, and the higher profile of the world’s religious leaders at the United Nations, and at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.1 more...

It was stated at the outset this book seeks to examine the way the global resurgence of religion is challenging our understanding of how culture and religion influence international relations. At the heart of this challenge, at least for those of us in the West, is the way it challengs our understanding of what it means to be modern, opening up the possibility of multiple ways of being modern. We have to understand that the sacred, and considerations of religion and spirituality are an inherent part of a postmodern world. more...

Religion can no longer be ignored. Did the tragic events on September 11 have something to do with culture and religion or were they about something else? If this is an important question to answer—and, another question is whether or not this is an important question (Paul Berman, for example, argues that we have to defend ourselves regardless of why people are attacking us)—then how should we go about trying to answer it? What kind of implications does the answer we come up with have for the conduct of U.S. foreign policy, the war on terrorism, national security, or Western security more generally? Another set of questions are about the implications of the answer we come up with for promoting a dialogue between civilizations, international cooperation, and international development. What the right questions to ask about the impact of culture and religion in international affairs are, and how we should go about trying to answer them is now one of the most important questions in the study of international relations. more...