Sincere Congratulations Research Articles

Lasker-DeBakey Awards for Sir Roy Calne and Thomas Starzl

FIGURE: Roy Calne.FIGURE: Tom Starzl.Roy Calne and Tom Starzl have shared the Lasker-Debakey Clinical Research Award for 2012 for their pioneering work in the development of liver transplantation. Their experimental and clinical contributions need no repetition other than to affirm that, if it were not for the extraordinary persistence of these two transplantation pioneers in the face of early disappointments and failures, the development of liver transplantation to the widely applicable, life-saving procedure it is today may have been long delayed. The Lasker-DeBakey Award is made “to honor visionaries whose insight and perseverance have led to dramatic advances that will prevent disease and prolong life.” Tom Starzl and Roy Calne fit this description perfectly. This award identifies and affirms their multiple contributions—separate and equal—and, more importantly, underscores their unwavering commitment to their shared vision, their exceptional creativity and courage, and their refusal to fail. The entire transplantation community of patients and professionals alike is in their debt. It is also worth noting that both Roy Calne and Tom Starzl served for many years on the editorial board of this journal, and both are past presidents of The Transplantation Society and previous recipients of the Medawar prize of the society. The editors and readers of Transplantation offer their sincere congratulations to both Tom and Roy because this is an award that many would consider long overdue.

Transforming Information Into Knowledge: Quick Diagnosis and Prognosis

The birth of a knowledge delivery mediator such as this new Journal of Health Scope is an auspiciously exciting intellectual event. Perhaps breakthrough is the more appropriate terminology, knowing the challenges encountered and overcame by the executive team. It is a praiseworthy effort since mainstream publishing, including digital ones, is dominated by the established “giants” of the developed world. Embolden by the need for publishing quickly meaningful and quality research results of various research centers and institutes, this new publication augers well infusing new hope and inspiration for researches, especially from developing countries, to excel in research and communicate their findings. It is a strategic and appropriate time to focus on the outcome of health promotion and it’s attending processes and subtleties. Worldwide, many community health programs failed to fully achieve their long-term objectives due to deficiencies especially in their continual and continuous promotions and follow-ups. While absorbing the essence of contents and contexts of papers documented in the maiden issue of this journal, one senses and decipher clearly the manuscripts’ quality, breadth, depth, critical assessment, evaluation and presentation; and feels enlightened and elated by the open access digital structure of journal, instant accessibility and download-ability, easy-to-read format, the most upto-date layout, and ready-for-citation configuration. Such achievement for a new publication is a rare feat! Sincere congratulation to the pioneering team. The commencing Editorial by Professor Dr Ramazan Mirzaei (1), emphasises the journal’s aspiring devotion to promoting broad-based health sciences as framed by multidisciplinary research and collaboration. Historically and strategically, this sets a focused tone and well-defined trajectory of journey of this publication. This is indeed an open-arm invitation to submit for possible publication, researches on all relevant aspects of health promotion. The

Basal Ganglia Circuits: What's Now and Next?

Basal Ganglia Circuits: What's Now and Next?

Letter of congratulations for the initiation of Biomedical Engineering Letters

I would like to offer my sincere congratulations on the publication of the new journal, Biomedical Engineering Letters, the official journal of the Korean Society of Medical and Biological Engineering (KOSOMBE) published in English language. Inauguration of this journal is special and stimulating to the biomedical engineering community in Korea. The Korean biomedical engineers have recently increased their contribution to other established journals overseas and now they have their own. Especially some of the important advances made by the members of KOSOMBE can be readily published and let be known to others using this journal as a vehicle. Korea has become one of the major economic powers in the world, partly due to the semiconductor industry that has developed during last 30 years. To people outside Korea, the country is known as one that can make very sophisticated electronic products. Perhaps it is only natural for Koreans to try to bring this success story in electronics into another in biomedical engineering. Semiconductor devices use electrons and holes as their charge carriers while we use ions as signal carriers. The development of interfaces that can effectively transduce these two carrier actions can benefit humans in many ways. While this may sound simple, the development of the real product this seems to take long periods and efforts from many. Only recently successful devices such as cochlear implant and deep brain stimulator (DBS) have been made commercially available and began to be implanted chronically. Severely hearing impaired people can hear and understand everyday speech with remarkable open set speech perception score as high as 80-90%. Parkinson’s disease and essential tremor patients are receiving DBS implants that enable them go back to work. Prospects of DBS application seems limitless, including pain control, curing of psychological diseases, or even awakening of vegetated patients. It is anticipated that severely vision impaired patients will be helped by research in retinal implant. This area of research is called neural prosthesis which is young and dynamically growing. While of no doubt its importance is global, I think it can use in particular the Korean expertise in electronics. It is fortunate that government and private sectors now have realized the potential and began supporting the efforts. I hope this journal also can support this field and represent a place hub for the activities. There is a lot of works still needed for biomedical engineering, and some break-through is necessary to utilize the industry’s full potential. I think and hope this journal can help providing the discussion forum where things can be discussed and seed for improvement can be made. Congratulations again.

Congratulations to Japanese Society for Evolutionary Computation

This letter is to offer my sincere congratulations to the newly established Japanese Society for Evolutionary Computation. I would like to offer my good wishes as an individual working in the field of Evolutionary Computation. But I would also like to offer congratulations and best wishes on behalf of the ACM Special Interest Group on Evolutionary Computation (ACM-SIGEVO, which I currently Chair) and the Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference (GECCO). Over the last 20 years Japanese researchers have already made critical and lasting contributions to research in evolutionary computation. As early as 1991, pioneering Japanese researchers were making early, fundamental contributions to the field, as evidenced by publications in the International Conference on Genetic Algorithms in areas such as the evolution of neural network architectures, the optimization of associative memory models, job shop scheduling applications, and the use of Markov models to model evolutionary processes. Over the years, there have continued to be a number of important and seminal contributions from Japanese researchers. It is very impressive that you have 170 members and already have a strong record of organizing recent symposia. The existence of the Japanese Society for Evolutionary Computation will surely help to stimulate more research and advance the state of the art in evolutionary computation. The establishment of an academic journal in Japanese that focuses on evolutionary computation will also be of great value. Again, congratulations on the formation of a society. I look forward to many positive contributions to our field from your organization.

Dear [Dr/Prof] [Last name

Your letter of [date] addressed to the Rector has been passed to me. The Rector thanks you for your comments and apologizes for his inability to respond personally to the many individual letters of this kind that he receives, begging your understanding in the matter. First, please accept my sincere congratulations on your recent retirement. The University has a strong desire to remain in contact with former staff members and to ensure that their contributions over many years continue to be appropriately recognized. On the subject of your pension, I do appreciate the difficulties resulting from your unusual career path. However, under its standard terms and conditions of service, the University is not responsible for the superannuation arrangements of its staff prior to their most recent appointment. The University's pension scheme shows no contributions from you during the [number] years during which you were a PhD student on a tax‐free scholarship, or the [number] years when you worked abroad as a postdoctoral scientist and junior faculty member. Unfortunately, where no bilateral arrangements exist between the governments concerned, pension contributions in one country cannot be counted towards those in another, nor …

Analytical atomic spectrometry in Japan over the last 25 years

This review paper is dedicated to the celebration of the 25th Anniversary of the Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry (JAAS) published by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). This means, of course, that the publication of JAAS started in 1985. On this occasion, we give our sincere congratulations to the past and present editorial board members of JAAS as well as to the editorial staff of the RSC for their efforts in maintaining the highest standards of the journal. We were asked to write our review paper introducing the history of analytical atomic spectrometry in Japan over the last 25 years to the present editorial board. Thus, this review will cover mostly the history of analytical atomic spectrometry in Japan after 1985. As for the historical aspects of spectrochemical analysis in Japan before 1985, it is recommended to refer to the following review paper by K. Fuwa and

Editorial announcement: The 2007 SPSJ International Award of the Society of Polymer Science, Japan for Virgil Percec

The Editors of the Journal of Polymer Science, Part A: Polymer Chemistry proudly announce that Professor Virgil Percec of the Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania has received the 2007 International Award of The Society of Polymer Science, Japan (SPSJ). This award is to recognize, with the highest honor, one or two international colleagues a year for merit in polymer science and technology and for service to international activities. This year the Award was presented to Professor Percec by Professor Hiroyuki Nishide, President of SPSJ, on May 29, 2008 at an award ceremony during the 57th SPSJ Annual Meeting in Yokohama. At the award ceremony, the recipient was invited to join the Presidential Award Luncheon and give a speech at the Banquet on behalf of the overseas guests. Professor Percec received a B.S. degree in 1969 from the Department of Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry, Polytechnic Institute of Jassy and a Ph.D. degree in 1976 from the Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Jassy, Romania. In 1981 he defected from his native country and moved to the United States after a short postdoctoral stay at the University of Freiburg, Germany. In the United States, he was a postdoctoral fellow at the Institute of Polymer Science, University of Akron, OH, and in 1982 he joined the faculty of the Department of Macromolecular Science, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH. There he was promoted to Associate Professor in 1984, to Professor in 1986, and to Leonard Case Jr. Chair and Professor in 1993. In 1999 Virgil was invited to the Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA to be P. Roy Vagelos Chair and Professor of Chemistry. With as many as 599 original reviewed publications, 11 edited books, and 46 patents, his research encompasses a wide-range of interdisciplinary fields from organic and supramolecular chemistry to catalysis and to polymer science, particularly directed to programmable macromolecules and complex bio-inspired functional systems. While at Case Western Reserve University, he initiated a systematic study on side-chain liquid crystalline polymers, starting with metathesis polymerization of acetylenes, followed by development of nickel-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions, self-terminating polymerization toward truly uniform macromolecules, versatile sulfonyl chloride initiators for metal-mediated living radical polymerization, and super active metal-nonmetal catalytic systems therein. In parallel to these, his famous work in supramolecular science and self-assembled functional materials has been extraordinarily prolific, culminating in extensive libraries of self-assembling dendrons and their helical and globular supramolecules and superlattices many of which exhibit advanced functions such as ion channels, molecular machines, antibacterial agents, slow-release drug-delivery capsules, sensors, enzyme-mimic catalysts, and chirality-regulating systems. These achievements have led to numerous awards and about 1000 plenary, invited and endowed lectures. His recognitions include: National Science Foundation Research Awards for Creativity in Research (1990, 1995, and 2000), Humboldt Award for Senior U.S. Scientists, Germany (1997), PTN Polymer Award from the Netherlands (2002), ACS Award in Polymer Chemistry (2004), Staudinger-Durrer Medal, ETH, Zurich, Switzerland, (2005), Dr. Honoris Causa from the University of Iasi, Iasi, Romania and University of Athens, Greece (both in 2007). Later this year he will also receive the Herman F. Mark Medal in Vienna, Austria (2008). His endowed lectures include: the 4th Aggarwal Lecturer in Polymer Science, Cornell University, NY (1997), the 9th Ralph Milkovich Memorial Lecturer in Polymer Science, University of Akron, OH (1997), the First Woodward Lecturer “Frontiers in Chemical Sciences,” Harvard University, MA (2004) and the 7th Rohm and Haas Lecture in Polymer Science at University of California, Berkeley (2005). Serving as member of the editorial board of 20 journals, Professor Percec has also been very active and innovative as Editor of the Journal of Polymer Science Part A: Polymer Chemistry, bringing highly cited highlight articles, graphical abstracts, and front covers, not to mention dramatically enhancing the impact factor which now exceeds 3.5, ranking the Journal within the top five in the Polymer category. We Editors sincerely appreciate his never-tiring efforts and contribution to polymer science and to the Journal, and extend our sincere congratulations to Virgil on his receiving the SPSJ Award!

In Celebration of the Foundation of “International Journal of Automation Technology”

It is my great honor to extend my sincere congratulation on the new journal on automation technology in 21st century. The assembly automation started in the 1960's after machining had been mechanized. It took a long period to mechanize workers’ operation and automate assembly lines. In these decades, computers exploded their ability and robots gained intelligence. The diversification of the customer requirement, however, has changed automated lines into manufacturing systems with low flexibility. Instead of automation, cell manufacturing system by human workers turned dominant. Hereafter, the automation will become important again. A new age of automation comes with intelligent use of sensors; technology of image processing an force feedback enables automatic machine not only adaptable to the change of environment but also cooperative with human workers. Applications of automation technology will extend from manufacturing industries to service sectors, where IRT (Information and Robot Technology) is required to support to deal with physical objects and to generate values for each individual. I hope the journal advances automation technology in various novel fields such as bio-engineering, human support technology and service engineering.

TSL Dissertation Abstracts—2006 Transportation Science and Logistics Society Dissertation Prize Competition

The Transportation Science and Logistics (TSL) Society Dissertation Prize Competition is the oldest and most prestigious competition for doctoral dissertations in the field. The 2006 TSL dissertation prize committee consisted of Professor Michel Bierlaire (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne), Professor Ann Campbell (University of Iowa), Professor Alan Erera (Georgia Institute of Technology), Professor Donald Hearn (University of Florida), and Professor Mark Hickman (University of Arizona). Eligibility was limited to doctoral dissertations completed between June 1, 2005, and May 31, 2006, in the general area of transportation science and logistics. To be considered, a dissertation must have been nominated by the author’s thesis supervisor. This year we received 26 nominations from 24 universities and 10 countries, representing such diverse areas as vehicle routing, vehicle scheduling, traveler behavior, activity analysis, logistics, and supply chain management. This year’s pool of dissertations was exceptional in both its breadth and depth, showing remarkable theoretical and practical insights into many very interesting problems in transportation and logistics. With the large number of submissions and their exceptional quality, it was not easy for the committee to select a first place winner and an honorable mention. I would like to thank the authors, their advisors, and the prize committee for their part in this effort to recognize and honor the field’s outstanding doctoral researchers. Awards were announced at the TSL meeting at the 2006 INFORMS meeting in Pittsburgh. Perhaps without saying, the theses nominated for the TSL Dissertation Prize are distinguished by the fact that they were nominated for the award. Each dissertation makes a unique and valuable contribution to transportation science and logistics, and all entrants and their advisors deserve our sincere congratulations. Abstracts for the 26 dissertations follow; awardees are listed first, and finalists’ abstracts follow in alphabetical order by author. First Place: Christian Liebchen, Technische Universität Berlin, Germany. Advisors: Rolf H. Möhring and Karl Nachtigall. Title: “Periodic Timetable Optimization in Public Transport”. Honorable Mention: Anne Goodchild, University of California, Berkeley. Advisor: Carlos Daganzo. Title: “Crane Double Cycling in Container Ports: Algorithms, Evaluation, and Planning”.

The 2003 Nobel Prize for MRI: significance and impact.

The 2003 Nobel Prize for MRI: significance and impact.

Comments on the classification

This workshop concerning the endoscopic classification of superficial neoplastic lesions in the esophagus, stomach, and colon took place in Paris on November 30th and December 1st, 2002. It is honorable that the achievements of this workshop have been compiled by Dr. Lambert, who dedicated himself to realize the workshop and prepare, with the help of Dr. Lightdale, its publication as a supplement to Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. Profoundly respectful of the continuous, persistent effort of Dr. Lambert, I would like to offer my sincere congratulations on completion of this classification. I would also like to express my deepest gratitude to those who presented the results of their many years of studies and participated in discussion in the workshop, as well as all those who were involved in this project in diverse ways.

Editorial announcement

The editors of the Journal of Polymer Science Part A: Polymer Chemistry are delighted to congratulate our fellow editor, Virgil Percec, P. Roy Vagelos Professor of Chemistry at the Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, as the 2004 recipient of the prestigious ACS Award in Polymer Chemistry sponsored by ExxonMobil Chemical Company. The award will be presented at the 227th ACS National Meeting in Anaheim, CA and cites Virgil for “his contributions to the development of novel methods of polymer synthesis for both covalent and supramolecular systems from liquid-crystalline polymers to dendrimers”. Virgil joins our illustrious Advisory Editors, Professors Jean M. J. Fréchet, Robert H. Grubbs, and David A. Tirrell and founding editor Herman F. Mark as worthy recipients of this important and esteemed award. As a scientist and spokesman for polymer chemistry, Virgil Percec is unique in the international community. Over the last 25 years, Virgil has contributed a body of independent research that is unmatched in originality, breadth, and scope. Beginning from his original work involving the synthesis and chemistry of poly(arylacetylene) sterioisomers, proceeding to metal-catalyzed arylations, phase-transfer catalyzed polymerizations, living and other controlled radical polymerization, and supramolecular polymer chemistry, Virgil has significantly influenced a generation of polymer chemists with his prodigious energy and extraordinary dedication to scholarly work. A number of new and important areas of polymer chemistry have emerged as a result of Virgil's insight, and he has applied his enormous skills creatively to solve real problems of scientific and technological significance. We would like to express our most sincere congratulations to Virgil Percec on this well-deserved award. It is an honor to work with him as editors of the Journal of Polymer Science Part A: Polymer Chemistry and we thank Virgil for his continuing and invaluable contributions to the journal, the success of which is evident from the fifth straight year of an increasing impact factor. The innovations and insights that Virgil brings not only to the journal but to all aspects of polymer chemistry are his trademark and we express our gratitude to him for all of his efforts.

Celebration of the new journal Paddy and Water Environment

Greetings! On behalf of the Korean Academy of Science and Technology (KAST), I offer sincere congratulations to the International Society of Paddy and Water Environment Engineering for taking this initiative to launch the first issue of the first volume of the journal Paddy and Water Environment, a unique new international peerreviewed publication series. The impact of any new scientific journal is always difficult to measure or even predict. However, what is most certain is that the new journal will measurably increase the Society’s visibility worldwide. Paddy rice culture is the most important agricultural practice in Asia in terms of the monetary value of production, as well as efficient use of acreage cultivation. Rice, which is closely related to economic, social, political, cultural, and natural environments, is produced in vast areas and consumed by almost 70% of over 3 billion Asian people. Due to its high productivity per unit area compared with other crops, the Asian lands with many paddy fields are able to support twice the population of other regions. In addition, because natural resources, such as soil, water, and forest, are utilized for the production of rice, rice is closely related to the maintenance of resources. Therefore, in-depth studies and discussions on issues related to water and its surrounding environment in the paddy farming region are necessary, and we believe this journal can provide great opportunities to discuss and share research ideas and findings in paddy rice cultivation. As more scientists and engineers working in different areas of paddy and water environment engineering in the Asian monsoon region become aware of the Society and its activities, an increasing number of authors will surely select the journal as their primary forum for publishing research data, thus allowing the new journal to become an attractive instrument for assuring the progress and growth in the field at the beginning of a new millennium. The journal is also very much in line with the objectives of the KAST and their strategies to encourage continued strengthening of the academic societies and maximum dissemination of information globally. We thank the presidents of the three societies (JSIDRE, KSAE, and CSAE) for recognizing the need for the publication of a new technical journal and presenting this concept to the International Society of Paddy and Water Environment Engineering, in addition to the scores of people who have committed themselves to developing the details necessary for the planning and materialization of this product. With best wishes and success in future activities, we look forward to the continuing contribution of the new journal at the local, regional, and international levels.

Reactivity of phosphido-bridged diplatinum complexes towards electrophiles: synthesis of new hydrides and related Pt2Cu and Pt2Ag clustersDedicated to Prof. D. Fenske on the occasion of his 60th birthday, with our most sincere congratulations and best wishes.

The doubly-bridged, dinuclear complex [Pt2(μ-PPh2)(μ-o-C6H4PPh2)(PPh3)2] (1) reacts with electrophiles such as H+ or [M(PPh3)]+ (M = Cu, Ag, Au) first at the metal–metal bond. This is supported by an X-ray diffraction study of [Pt2{μ-Cu(PPh3)}(μ-PPh2)(μ-o-C6H4PPh2)(PPh3)2]PF6 (2) which reveals a Pt2Cu triangular metal core and, unexpectedly, a bonding interaction between the Cu atom and the Cipso of the orthometalated phenyl. This confers a tetrahedral-like geometry to the Cu atom. In the neutral complex [Pt2{μ-AgOC(O)CF3}(μ-PPh2)(μ-o-C6H4PPh2)(PPh3)2] (3), the silver atom is coordinated by the terminally bound trifluorocarboxylate anion. Reactions of 1 in a polar solvent with 2 equiv. of acid HA, where A is a weakly nucleophilic anion, afforded the dicationic solvento adducts [Pt2(μ-H)(μ-PPh2)(Solv)(PPh3)3]A2 (5a, Solv = THF, A = PF6; 5b, Solv = CH2Cl2, A = BF4; 5c, Solv = acetone, A = BF4) which result from rupture of the Pt–C σ bond and transformation of the cyclometalated bridging ligand into PPh3. The coordinated solvent molecule is readily displaced by nucleophiles such as PO2F2−, CF3SO3−, Cl− or Br−, thus forming monocationic complexes, 6–9, respectively. An X-ray diffraction study on [Pt2(μ-H)(μ-PPh2)(OPOF2)(PPh3)3](PF6)·0.5CH2Cl2 (6·0.5CH2Cl2) establishes that the OPOF2 group is linked by one O atom to platinum, to our knowledge an unprecedented feature.

Medico-Legal Matters

</br>![][1]</img> What a wonderful meeting we experienced in Washington! I would like to publicly thank, and to offer my sincere congratulations to Dr. Paul Cotterill and his committee for their hard work in making it such a success. In Washington, significantly more than at ANY other meeting,

From the Secretariat

From the Secretariat A record number of ballots flooded the RMMLA office. Our sincere congratulations are extended to Mary Elizabeth Green (English, Arizona State University) and Jerry L. Benbow (Spanish, Utah State University), elected Vice-President and Delegate-at-large respectively. We look forward to working with them over the next three years. The opinion poll question—should we continue scheduling an autumn annual meeting or change to another time of year—was very revealing. Support for maintaining the status quo was overwhelming. The vast majority of those answering the ballots emphatically endorsed an October date. Second choice was a date in the late spring, and a time during the winter was a weak third. Plans for the 1976 Convention in Santa Fe are well under way. The co-chairpersons of the local arrangements committee (Margretta LeRoy and Rex Kleitz, College of Santa Fe, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501) are promising a repeat of the successes of the recent meeting in Denver. New sections and other special features are now being organized. The Career Information Service (old Faculty Exchange) will be functioning once again. We hope you will make note of the Convention dates (October 21-23, 1976) on your calendar and consider joining us in colorful Santa Fe. We remind you also that membership in RMMLA is based on the calendar year, beginning in January. Please send us your renewal if you have not done so already. Affiliation with the organization entides you to a subscription of the Review and the right to attend and participate in annual conventions. J.H. ...

Canine ear disease.

On behalf of the audience I wish to express our sincere congratulations and thanks to our colleagues from the University of Edinburgh for the very fine and interesting papers they presented, so obviously based on a considerable number of patients.“

Father Theobald Mathew: Apostle of Temperance By the Rev. Patrick Rogers, M.A., D. Litt. (review)

BOOK REVIEWS135 assert — they have besides their symbolical and legendary value an historical one worthy of consideration. For those who are anxious to know and have a serious interpretation of Franciscanism a very useful note containing the main works on St. Francis and Franciscan life appears in pages xxiii and xxiv of the Introduction. The authors have also made the book more useful by the insertion of an "Index of Names and Subject Matter." Numerous illustrations reproducing paintings of the more famous Franciscan artists and a map of Franciscan Italy add greatly to the usefulness and value of the volume. We wish to express our sincere congratulations to the Biblioteca for their fine edition of the writings of our Seraphic Father. Frs. Legísima and Gómez Cañedo deserve the compliments of all lovers of St. Francis. This book adds prestige to their glorious and brilliant careers. Roderick A. Mouna, O.F.M. Academy of American Franciscan History, Washington, D.C. Father Theobald Mathew: Apostle of Temperance. By the Rev. Patrick Rogers, M.A., D. Litt. (New York: Longmans, Green and Co., 1945. Pp. 166. $2.50.) Here truly is a definitive biography of the Apostle of Temperance. Dr. Rogers with all the diligence and training of the skilled historian has limned the figure of Fr. Mathev so artistically that one sees the great Capuchin live again in the pages of the book. The few illustrations (photographs of a painting of Fr. Mathew, the Friary in Cork, Holy Trinity Church in Cork, etc.) all serve to fix the picture of the man and his surroundings upon the eye and so upon the mind. Dr. Rogers begins with the early years of Theobald Mathew in the immense mansion of Thomastown. He sketches in the ancestors of the friar to show how many of the good qualities and even the apparent weaknesses of character were part of a family strain. The story of the boy's vocation to the priesthood is told, his schooling, his leaving of Maynooth, his joining the Capuchins. The trials of his early priestly years are set against the background of the Penal Laws and the subsequent dissatisfaction of Irish Bishops and secular clergy with the continuance of the plenary faculties given the friars in Penal days. A misunderstanding arising from the restrictions put on the friars in the see of Ossory sent Fr. Mathew from Kilkenny to Cork. Here for twenty-four years he threw himself into work among the poor. He attained a great reputation as a confessor and a popular preacher. In his work among the people he saw the evils of drink. Many times he had been approached to join the crusade for temperance. In 1838 with the words "Here goes in the name of God," he began the apostolate that was to take him all over Ireland, Scotland, England, to twenty-five states in America, an apostolate that was to close only with his death. The lights and shadows of that apostolic life are portrayed with photographic sharpness by Dr. Rogers. We see Fr. Mathew giving lectures, administering the pledge, hurrying, ever hurrying to new fields to sow the 136BOOK REVIEWS good seed. Crowds, crowds, 6,000, 10,000, 30,000, listening to the words of Fr. Mathew, waiting to take the pledge from him. A tangible proof of the success of the crusade lies in the decrease of revenue from Irish spirit duties — £1,434,573 in 1839; £852,418, in 1844. One might go on, as Dr. Rogers does, listing the eulogies bestowed on Fr. Mathew by his contemporaries, as further proof of his success. But the figures above speak in a language all conclusive. The biography continues with Fr. Mathew's work in the years of the Great Famine in Ireland. Chapter IX deals with his visit to the United States, a real contribution to the history of the Church in America. The closing days of his life are poignantly drawn in a chapter headed "Nunc Dimittis." One puts the book down with the feeling that here was a man wholly human, wholly Franciscan, wholly Christlike. His greatness and his weakness (witness his financial difficulties, his surprise at poverty...

RE: "ROUTINE CIRCUMCISION"

To the Editor: I wish to express my sincere congratulations to Mr. R. A. Shaw and Dr. W. O. Robertson for their most lucid survey of the problem of routine [Amer J Dis Child106:216 (Aug) 1963]. The experimental approach and the style of their study are certainly an example to follow. I have often wondered how American medicine had accepted so uncritically such procedures as T and A and circumcision as routine. Indeed, to assist me in my speculations I have tried to collect several references on the subject, from the most ancient to the very contemporary. I was ready to conclude that the solution to this problem ought to be delegated to the social psychologist when the good study of Shaw and Robertson appeared in print. I do hope that these investigators will continue their efforts and, some day, will provide us with a hypothesis on the