bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Other Christian Verse Invectives
Authors: Cameron Alan
Published: January 2011

This chapter examines three other anti-pagan poems in hexameter verse that date from the same time and place, give or take a decade: the Carmen ad quendam senatorem (CAS) mistakenly ascribed to Cyprian; the Carmen ad Antonium (CAA) preserved among the poems of Paulinus of Nola, though certainly not by him; and, most elaborate of all, the two books of Prudentius's Contra Symmachum (CS).
The “Pagan” Literary Revival
Authors: Cameron Alan
Published: January 2011

There is no question that the 4th century saw a revival of Latin literature. After the nadir of the 3rd century there was only one way to go. But in much of the modern literature it has been widely characterized as a pagan revival and associated with the aristocracy of late 4th-century Rome, reacting to the threat of Christianity. However, this chapter argues that this is perhaps the single most serious obstacle to a true understanding of this important development.
Correctors and Critics II
Authors: Cameron Alan
Published: January 2011

This chapter argues that the hundreds of corrected literary papyri from Hellenistic and early imperial times without signed subscriptions suggest that it was not untill the 4th century that they first appeared. Subscriptions in Latin manuscripts earlier than this were surely likewise normally unsigned. With the exception of Statilius Maximus's edition of Cicero, the only Latin subscriptions that can be dated earlier than the 4th century document the work of professional calligraphers, not correctors. What mattered was not who corrected the manuscript, but simply the fact that the job had been done, and that could be discovered from a bare di (orthōthē) or emendavi.
Greek Texts and Latin Translation
Authors: Cameron Alan
Published: January 2011

The question asked in this chapter is not just whether aristocrats like Praetextatus, Symmachus, and Flavian “knew” Greek, but how much and what sort of Greek they knew. Did they have an easy firsthand familiarity with the Greek literary classics? It argues that there is simply no basis for the assumption that Praetextatus, Flavian, and Symmachus were well-informed and devoted students of Porphyry, where they found an intellectual underpinning for their pagan convictions. Given their social preeminence in Rome and the traditional priesthoods this brought them, inevitably they were in some sense leaders of what passed for a pagan party in late 4th-century Rome. But there is no reason to believe that they were in any sense its intellectual leaders.
TheAnnalesof Nicomachus Flavianus I
Authors: Cameron Alan
Published: January 2011

This chapter discusses the lost Annales of Nicomachus Flavianus, which many scholars believe to be the most important and influential pagan history of the late 4th-century West. According to some, an imperial history from Augustus to the death of Gratian (383); according to others the whole of Roman history, from the foundation of Rome right down to the fall of the usurper Maximus in 388. It is argued that virtually nothing is known about Flavian's Annales. Not a single word survives. Not a single reference in any literary text of any sort or date. This supposedly so important and influential work is known from just two epigraphic dedications: one by his grandson, Nicomachus Dexter, revealing no more than a work called Annales dedicated to Theodosius; the other from the base to the statue erected in the family house on the Caelian Hill by his grandson-in-law Memmius Symmachus ca. 402.
TheAnnalesof Nicomachus Flavianus II
Authors: Cameron Alan
Published: January 2011

For a variety of reasons Flavianus's lost Annales simply cannot play the role for which it has increasingly often been cast in recent years. But both Bleckmann and Paschoud insist that their argument for an ultimate Latin source for the Byzantine tradition is entirely independent of its identification as Flavian's Annales. Paschoud himself has of late begun to berate his critics for their failure to realize that this identification is no more than a distraction and a detail. The real issue is the necessity of postulating a lost Latin history—the identification of which as Flavian's Annales remains “seductive and plausible.” This chapter asks whether it is possible that we do in fact need to postulate a lost Latin history of the 4th century.
Classical Revivals and “Pagan” Art
Authors: Cameron Alan
Published: January 2011

This chapter examines evidence for a pagan reaction in the art as well as the literature of the late 4th century. It looks at the contorniates (bronze medallions produced in the city of Rome from the mid-4th to the late 5th century), high-quality silver plate, ivory work, and manuscript illumination. It argues that there was no general classical revival in late 4th-century Rome—certainly nothing that can be associated with pagan rather than Christian members of the elite.
TheHistoria Augusta
Authors: Cameron Alan
Published: January 2011

This chapter discusses the Historia Augusta (HA), a corpus of imperial biographies from Hadrian to Carinus (117–285) that purports to be the work of six different writers, all otherwise wholly unknown, all purportedly writing between ca. 305 and 325. The HA is also alleged to be a covert attack on Christianity, a product of the “pagan reaction” at Rome in or soon after 395. Not only is the HA full of errors, absurdities, and manifestly forged documents, it cites as authorities no less than thirty-five otherwise unknown and for the most part surely bogus historians and biographers. But it was not until 1889 that Dessau branded the entire work a forgery, written by a single author at the end of the 4th century.
Establishment and ecosystem effects of the alien invasive red king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus) in the Barents Sea–a review
Authors: Falk-Petersen Jannike , Renaud Paul , Anisimova Natalia
Published: January 2011

Falk-Petersen, J., Renaud, P., and Anisimova, N. 2011. Establishment and ecosystem effects of the alien invasive red king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus) in the Barents Sea – a review. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 68: . Since its introduction to the Barents Sea from the North Pacific in the 1960s, the red king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus) has become invasive. The crab represents an important source of income, but also a potential threat to the highly productive fisheries in the region through its ecosystem impacts. A literature review was conducted, identifying factors contributing to the success of the crab as well as its interactions with native biota. Characteristics of the Barents Sea and the crab itself that may explain its success include suitable habitat for settlement and growth of the larvae; the wide range of habitats occupied throughout its life history, high mobility, generalist prey choice, low fishing pressure during establishment, and the lack of parasites. Being a large, bottom-feeding omnivore of great mobility, the king crab can significantly impact the ecosystem. Reduced benthic diversity and biomass have been registered in invaded areas. Important prey items include large epibenthic organisms whose structures also represent important habitat. Impacts on commercial and non-commercial fish species, through egg predation or indirect interactions, are difficult to detect and predict.
Constructing Ancient Judaism from the Scrolls
Authors: Goodman Martin
Published: January 2011

Most of the Dead Sea Scrolls can be classified as religious documents of one kind or another, and all the studies since 1947 that have been devoted to their significance can be characterized as attempts to construct some aspect of ancient Judaism from them. Where agreement has been harder to achieve is on the centrality of the role to be accorded to the evidence from the scrolls in constructing a picture of Judaism in the last centuries BCE and the first century CE. Although the scrolls provide reason to believe that some sectarians believed that much was wrong with the Temple in Jerusalem, no text actually states that sectarians should avoid the Temple altogether. The question for the historian is whether the evidence from such texts should be enough to encourage the view that sectarian Jews with such beliefs would cut themselves off from the Temple.
Purity in the Dead Sea
Scrolls
Authors: Klawans Jonathan
Published: January 2011

This article considers Leviticus, the Rabbis, and Qumran; ritual purity, moral purity, and their evolution at Qumran; and other incongruities facing the purity–community model. The dominant understanding of purity at Qumran has much to commend it. Inspired by Mary Douglas's style of structuralism, scholars – notably Harrington – have reconstructed a meaningful and logically coherent sectarian purity system by following the interconnections among the various texts and correlating them with archaeological evidence. A number of questions, however, remain. When some purity practices are attributed to the sect's past or future, while others in the same document are taken as characteristic of the group's present, one can rightly question whether the evidence or the model is driving the interpretation. Moreover, the present paradigm rests, in part, on reconstructed evidence: can such a theory justify overlooking seeming contradictions between the literary and archaeological evidence?
Ireland: Halting Steps Towards Local Democracy
Authors: Loughlin John
Published: January 2011

Ireland used to form part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain. After the campaign for Home Rule and the War of Independence, Ireland was partitioned and some of the northern part of the island remained with the UK while majority of the counties formed the Free State. In 1949, the Free State declared itself as a Republic and left the Commonwealth. This history of separating from the UK and gaining independence formed the institutions and political culture of modern Ireland. This article discusses the evolution of the Irish government, particularly local government, since its separation from the Commonwealth. Although Ireland came to form its own political culture, its political and administrative institutions have their origins from the time of British rule. The pattern of installing democracy and the role of the local government, and the defined areas of competence of the local area mirrors that of the typical British approach. Irish local government with its foundations from British local rule is relatively weak, financially incapacitated, and dominated by central government. The political culture of Ireland is dominated by a central government that acts as a principal and which uses the local government as an agent to implement its own policies and programmes with little input from the local government. In sum, the democratic dimension of Irish local government is overridden by its administrative dimension.
Germany: Varieties of Democracy in a Federal
System
Authors: Benz Arthur , Zimmer Christina
Published: January 2011

This article discusses the patterns of subnational democracy within the context of German federalism and local government. The first section discusses the distinctive institutional expression of democracy and the evolution of state in Germany. The second section focuses on the interplay and the relationship between federalism and the political organization of society. This structural framework elucidates on the mechanisms of subnational democracy, in German Länder, and at the local level. The last section of this article collates the changes in society and state and their implications on the subnational democracy of Germany.
Finland: The Limits of the Unitary Decentralized
Model
Authors: Sjöblom Stefan
Published: January 2011

After more than seven centuries as a part of Sweden and one century as an autonomous grand duchy of Russia, Finland gained its independence in 1917. The long period of Swedish rule undoubtedly influenced the Finnish legal and social system. Conquered by Russia in 1808, Finland was ruled by the Czar of Russia under old Swedish constitutional laws. Two years after gaining independence from the weakened Russia, Finland enacted its first own Constitution Act. This Constitution Act of 1919 retained the leading principles of the 1906 Parliamentary Act. It was a compromised between republican and monarchist ideals. Following the two wars against the Soviet Union and the period of urbanization and industrialization, Finnish welfare state and administrative institutions underwent a transformation. These developmental processes were similar to that of Nordic countries however lagging slightly behind. Finland' societal development allowed for an improvement in social conditions and Finland's administrative development allowed for the gradual transfer of responsibility for the production of welfare state services from the state administration to the municipalities. This article focuses on Finland and the limits of its unitary decentralized model of governance. It also discusses several challenges faced by the Finnish subnational democracy and the local government. These challenges were partly due to the limitations of the unitary decentralized model, characterized by a large number of small municipalities, lack of an all-purpose organization and representative bodies at the regional level, and regional cleavages.
Sweden: Party‐dominated Subnational
Democracy Under Challenge?
Authors: Lidström Anders
Published: January 2011

This article discusses Sweden, its political system and the challenges faced by its subnational democracy. Sweden was established when the Kalmar Union was abolished. With the accession of a new king, a unified form of a state with a centralized government was established. This afforded the king a stronger position, included a national four-estate assembly, and introduced a coherent legal system. From the mid-nineteenth century to the early twentieth century, Sweden underwent extensive modernization. Democracy was introduced and parliamentarism succeeded the medieval four-estate national assembly. The development of the Swedish state was furthered by the establishment of a comprehensive public welfare system. Today, the political system of Sweden is a representative democracy. The formal base of the Swedish democracy is a constitutional monarchy although the monarch no longer has formal powers. Swedish democracy is defined as ‘rule by the people’. This states that the Swedish democracy is realized through a representative and parliamentary system and a local government. While the Swedish system of subnational government is based on the strong institutions of representative democracy, it is now facing major challenges. Major challenges which include demands for new reforms of representative democracy, demands for the expansion of the citizen's direct involvement in local decision making, and regional transformation.
Malta: Local Government: A Slowly Maturing Process
Authors: Frendo Henry
Published: January 2011

Malta is the smallest member of the European Union. Strategically located, the nation has been under successive invasions and domination of several other European nations. Given the strategic location of the nation, recurring fears of invasion have dominated Malta, hence the need for concerted collective watchfulness under a supreme command. Governance was centralized, however, localities have distinct identities before any democratic norm could be institutionalized in their service. This article discusses Malta and the slow maturation of its local government. It discusses Malta's move towards devolvement, delegation, and regionalization; all of which have been trivial issues within the formation of the political system of the nation. Although the delegation of political powers in Malta was trivial, they nevertheless contributed to the service delivery agenda, especially as councils have been entrusted with the enacting as well as with the enforcement of their own by-laws. Despite the limitations and deficiencies circumscribed by the lack of critical mass, local governments in Malta have worked reasonably well and moved at a steady pace. This has crystallized local identities in a secular sense and hurried the pace of infrastructure works. It has also dented the notion and practice of over-centralized government. Keeping abreast with the changing times and with the new responsibilities as an EU member, Malta has been working for reforms.
Latvia: Experiments and Reforms in
Decentralization
Authors: Vilka Inga
Published: January 2011

Latvia is an independent country which was founded in 1918. Its independence was interrupted by the Soviet Union and was renewed in 1991. It joined the European Union in 2004. Latvia is a sovereign, independent, unitary, and indivisible nation-state. Its government is republic and it is organized on the principle of separation and balance of the legislative, executive, and judicial powers. This article focuses on Latvia and its decentralization reforms. Latvia has a long history of development of local government. From 1918 to 1934, Latvia had a positive experience of creating democratic society and local governments; however the fruits of these efforts were lost after the formation of an autocratic regime in 1934 and the Soviet occupation. In 1991, after its independence, Latvia implemented public administration and local government reforms. From 1991 to 1998, reforms which centred on democratization, decentralization, increased local accountability for the implementation of entrusted functions, improvement of the quality services, and extensive involvement of citizens in the local government activities were introduced.
Bulgaria: The Dawn of a New Era of Inclusive
Subnational Democracy?
Authors: Nikolova Pavlina
Published: January 2011

This article focuses on the state of Bulgaria. In a geographical area where continents, religions, and influences of power meet, Bulgaria has relied on the traditions of centralism and uniformity to reserve itself as a state. These traditions were first carved by the governing elite of the early Bulgarian state, and later reaffirmed by the nation when under territorial repartitions and foreign invasion. As a result, strong regional identities hardly ever existed in Bulgaria. Communism furthered centralized power and insisted that no minorities could be recognized. Even after communism was abolished, the traditions of constitutionalism and centralization continued. In 1991, a new constitution which conforms to the European standards was adopted. It borrowed democratic experiments elsewhere establishing Bulgaria as a parliamentary republic but with a directly elected president and vice-president. The new constitution was controversial because it was passed by a Great National Assembly dominated by former communists. In conformity to the requirements of EU accession, Bulgaria amended the constitution. This 2007 constitutional amendment led to some decentralization of Bulgaria. It allowed subnational governance, subnational finance, and fiscal decentralization.
A feline rotavirus G3P[9] carries traces of multiple reassortment events and resembles rare human G3P[9] rotaviruses
Authors: Martella V. , Potgieter A. C. , Lorusso E. , De Grazia S. , Giammanco G. M. , Matthijnssens J. , Bányai K. , Ciarlet M. , Lavazza A. , Decaro N. , Buonavoglia C.
Published: January 2011

The full-length genome sequence of a feline G3P[9] rotavirus (RV) strain, BA222, identified from the intestinal content of an adult cat, was determined. Strain BA222 possessed a G3-P[9]-I2-R2-C2-M2-A3-N1-T3-E2-H3 genomic constellation, differing substantially from other feline RVs. Phylogenetic analyses of each genome segment revealed common origins with selected animal and zoonotic human RVs, notably with rare multi-reassortant human G3P[9] RVs (Ita/PAI58/96 and Ita/PAH136/96). Altogether, the findings suggest that feline RVs are genetically diverse and that human RVs may occasionally originate either directly or indirectly (via reassortment) from feline RVs.
Evidence for covert baculovirus infections in a Spodoptera exigua laboratory culture
Authors: Murillo Rosa , Hussey Mark S. , Possee Robert D.
Published: January 2011

A laboratory culture of Spodoptera exigua was examined to assess covert (latent or persistent) baculovirus infections and spontaneous disease outbreaks. Two nucleopolyhedrovirus (NPV) species were found to be reactivated from a covert state in a laboratory culture of S. exigua to fully lethal forms. These were identified as S. exigua multinucleopolyhedrovirus (SeMNPV) and Mamestra brassicae NPV (MbNPV) using restriction enzyme analysis of purified viral DNA. Sequence data derived from both overtly and covertly virus-infected insects revealed highly conserved sequences for lef-8, lef-9 and polyhedrin gene sequence (98–100 % nucleotide identity to SeMNPV published sequence). By monitoring spontaneous overt infections and quantifying viral DNA (by quantitative-PCR) in asymptomatic individuals over two generations we identified fluctuating trends in viral DNA levels from covert SeMNPV and MbNPV within an S. exigua host population. Virus levels per insect life stage ranged from 3.51±0.101×105 to 0.29±0.036 pg (detection limit at 0.06 pg). Bioassays performed with this culture of larvae showed a differential susceptibility to SeMNPV-like or MbNPV-like viruses, with SeMNPV superinfections being extremely virulent. The data presented has broad implications relating to our understanding of transmission patterns of baculovirus in the environment and the role of covert infections in host–pathogen interaction dynamics.
12-Hydroxyjasmonic Acid Glucoside Is a COI1-JAZ-Independent Activator of Leaf-Closing Movement in Samanea saman
Authors: Nakamura Yoko , Mithöfer Axel , Kombrink Erich , Boland Wilhelm , Hamamoto Shin , Uozumi Nobuyuki , Tohma Kentaro , Ueda Minoru
Published: January 2011

Jasmonates are ubiquitously occurring plant growth regulators with high structural diversity that mediate numerous developmental processes and stress responses. We have recently identified 12-O-β-d-glucopyranosyljasmonic acid as the bioactive metabolite, leaf-closing factor (LCF), which induced nyctinastic leaf closure of Samanea saman. We demonstrate that leaf closure of isolated Samanea pinnae is induced upon stereospecific recognition of (−)-LCF, but not by its enantiomer, (+)-ent-LCF, and that the nonglucosylated derivative, (−)-12-hydroxyjasmonic acid also displays weak activity. Similarly, rapid and cell type-specific shrinkage of extensor motor cell protoplasts was selectively initiated upon treatment with (−)-LCF, whereas flexor motor cell protoplasts did not respond. In these bioassays related to leaf movement, all other jasmonates tested were inactive, including jasmonic acid (JA) and the potent derivates JA-isoleucine and coronatine. By contrast, (−)-LCF and (−)-12-hydroxyjasmonic acid were completely inactive with respect to activation of typical JA responses, such as induction of JA-responsive genes LOX2 and OPCL1 in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) or accumulation of plant volatile organic compounds in S. saman and lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus), generally considered to be mediated by JA-isoleucine in a COI1-dependent fashion. Furthermore, application of selective inhibitors indicated that leaf movement in S. saman is mediated by rapid potassium fluxes initiated by opening of potassium-permeable channels. Collectively, our data point to the existence of at least two separate JA signaling pathways in S. saman and that 12-O-β-d-glucopyranosyljasmonic acid exerts its leaf-closing activity through a mechanism independent of the COI1-JAZ module.
Ki67 index changes, pathological response and clinical benefits in primary breast cancer patients treated with 24 weeks of aromatase inhibition
Authors: Toi Masakazu , Saji Shigehira , Masuda Norikazu , Kuroi Katsumasa , Sato Nobuaki , Takei Hiroyuki , Yamamoto Yutaka , Ohno Shinji , Yamashita Hiroko , Hisamatsu Kazufumi , Aogi Kenjiro , Iwata Hiroji , Takada Masahiro , Ueno Takayuki , Saji Shigetoyo , Chanplakorn Niramol , Suzuki Takashi , Sasano Hironobu
Published: January 2011

Aromatase inhibitor shows efficacy for hormone receptor positive postmenopausal breast cancer. We evaluated the activity of 24 weeks of aromatase inhibition with exemestane for primary breast cancer in a neoadjuvant setting. Patients with stage II/IIIA invasive breast cancer with estrogen receptor (ER) and/or progesterone receptor (PgR)‐positive status were eligible. Primary endpoints were objective response rate (ORR) and safety. A steroidal aromatase inhibitor exemestane of 25 mg/day was administered for 16 weeks with an 8‐week extension. Secondary endpoints were rates of breast‐conserving surgery (BCS), and change of Ki67 index and ER/PgR expression in central laboratory analyses. Between March 2006 and December 2007, 116 patients were enrolled. Among those, 102 patients completed 24 weeks of administration. The ORR was 47% (55/116) at Week 16 and 51% (59/116) at Week 24, respectively. No serious toxicity was seen. ORR was associated with ER Allred scores but not with PgR scores. The significant reduction in Ki67 index was confirmed. No progression was experienced in tumors with less than 15% Ki67 index. Pathological response was observed in 28 (30%) of 94 evaluated cases. No statistical correlation between pre‐treatment Ki67 index and pathological response was detected; however, a trend of correlation was found between the post‐treatment preoperative endocrine prognostic index (PEPI), a prognostic score and the pathological response. At diagnosis, 59 patients (51%) would have required mastectomy but 40 patients were converted to BCS, showing an increase in the rate of BCS (77%). The 24‐week aromatase inhibition provided preferable clinical benefits with significant reduction in Ki67 index. More precise mechanisms of the response need to be investigated. (Cancer Sci 2011; 102: 858–865)
Coffee consumption is inversely associated with type 2 diabetes in Chinese
Authors: Lin Wen‐Yuan , Xaiver Pi‐Sunyer F. , Chen Ching‐Chu , Davidson Lance E. , Liu Chiu‐Shong , Li Tsai‐Chung , Wu Mei‐Fong , Li Chia‐Ing , Chen Walter , Lin Cheng‐Chieh
Published: January 2011

Eur J Clin Invest 2011; 41 (6): 659–666

Background  Coffee consumption has been shown to be inversely associated to type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), but evidence in Chinese populations is limited. We investigated the relationship between coffee consumption and T2DM in a population‐based cohort of middle‐aged Chinese.

Materials and methods  We studied 2332 subjects who participated in the Taichung Community Health Study in Taiwan in 2004. The relationships between coffee consumption, T2DM and fasting glucose were assessed.

Results  The prevalence of T2DM was 14·0% and 10·4% in men and women. After adjustment for age, body mass index, blood pressure, smoking, alcohol drinking, betel nut chewing, physical activity, income, education level, fat%, protein%, carbohydrate% and magnesium, coffee intake was inversely associated with T2DM. Habitual coffee drinkers had 38–46% lower risk of T2DM than nondrinkers. Compared to nondrinkers, the adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for T2DM according to subjects with habitual coffee consumption (< 1, 1–6, ≥ 7 times per week) were 0·77 (0·52–1·13), 0·46 (0·28–0·76) and 0·37 (0·16–0·83), respectively. The decreasing ORs indicate a dose–response effect of coffee consumption on the likelihood of having T2DM (P < 0·001). A similar relationship was also evident in newly diagnosed T2DM (P < 0·05). The adjusted mean fasting glucose levels gradually decreased as the frequency of coffee consumption increased (P < 0·05).

Conclusions  Coffee intake is inversely associated with T2DM in Chinese. Coffee may be a protective agent for T2DM in Chinese.
Characterization of nonrapid virologic response patients infected with HCV genotype 1 who may relapse after standard therapy with peginterferon plus ribavirin
Authors: Reau N. , Hamzeh F. M. , Lentz E. , Zhou X. , Jensen D.
Published: January 2011

Summary.  Approximately 50% of patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1 treated with peginterferon alfa‐2a/ribavirin discontinue treatment early or experience a suboptimal response despite 48 weeks of therapy. The objective of this analysis was to develop a model to identify nonrapid virologic response (non‐RVR) patients who may be candidates for intensified therapy that would increase treatment response. The retrospective analysis included non‐RVR patients from four trials of 48‐week peginterferon alfa‐2a/ribavirin treatment. Patients were grouped into those who cleared virus between weeks 5 and 12 (complete early virologic responders, cEVR) or between weeks 13 and 24 (slow responders). A model was developed to predict relapse at the end of follow‐up (week 72). An optimal model was evaluated and compared with current practice by using receiver operating characteristic curves, sensitivity and specificity. In total, 539 non‐RVR patients were eligible for analysis of which 72% experienced cEVR and 28% were slow responders. Variables associated with relapse included age, ethnicity, baseline HCV RNA and interval of time to HCV RNA undetectable. The optimal model was most accurate at predicting patients at risk for relapse. The practice of considering treatment intensification (e.g. extending treatment duration) in all slow responders was less accurate but likely most practical. A week 4 HCV <2‐log reduction was the earliest but least accurate marker. We developed a model that could identify non‐RVR patients at high risk for relapse after 48 weeks of peginterferon alfa‐2a plus ribavirin and who may benefit from intensified therapy to reduce this risk of relapse.
Serum concentrations of lectin‐pathway components in healthy neonates, children and adults: mannan‐binding lectin (MBL), M‐, L‐, and H‐ficolin, and MBL‐associated serine protease‐2 (MASP‐2)
Authors: Sallenbach Seraina , Thiel Steffen , Aebi Christoph , Otth Margrith , Bigler Susanna , Jensenius Jens C. , Schlapbach Luregn J. , Ammann Roland A.
Published: January 2011

To cite this article: Sallenbach S, Thiel S, Aebi C, Otth M, Bigler S, Jensenius JC, Schlapbach LJ, Ammann RA. Serum concentrations of lectin‐pathway components in healthy neonates, childrens and adults: mannan‐binding lectin (MBL), M‐, L‐, and H‐ficolin, and MBL‐associated serine protease‐2 (MASP‐2).Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2011;: 424–430.

This study aimed to measure serum concentrations of five lectin‐pathway components, mannan‐binding lectin (MBL), M‐ficolin, L‐ficolin, H‐ficolin, and MBL‐associated serine protease‐2 (MASP‐2), in healthy neonates and children, to determine if they change with age and to compare them with serum concentrations in healthy adults. Concentrations were measured in 141 preterm and 30 term neonates, in 120 children including infants and adolescents, and in 350 adults (97 for L‐ficolin) by inhouse time‐resolved immunofluorometric assays or commercially available enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays. The adjacent categories method applying Wilcoxon–Mann–Whitney tests was used to determine age categories where concentrations differed significantly. Displaying serum concentration vs. age, an inverted‐U shape (higher concentrations in children than in neonates and adults) was found for MBL and the ficolins, and an S‐shape for MASP‐2. Serum concentrations of all five lectin‐pathway components were significantly lower in preterm neonates <32‐wk gestational age compared to older neonates, infants, and children. Only M‐ficolin in children >1 yr and H‐ficolin in term neonates and in children were found to be comparable with adult values. MBL, M‐, L‐, and H‐ficolin, and MASP‐2 serum concentrations show important changes with age. The respective normal ranges for adults should not be used in the pediatric population. The age‐specific pediatric ranges established here may be used instead.
Plantar verrucous carcinoma masquerading as toe web intertrigo
Authors: McKay Catherine , McBride Penelope , Muir James
Published: January 2011

A 77‐year‐old man presented with a 6‐month history of intractable toe web intertrigo located in the third and fourth web spaces of his left foot. Biopsy and histological examination confirmed the presence of a verrucous carcinoma. Verrucous carcinoma of the foot has been called epithelioma cuniculatum, a case arising in the intertriginous area of the foot is presented.
Heparin prophylaxis and the risk of venous thromboembolism after robotic‐assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy
Authors: Patel Trushar , Kirby Will , Hruby Greg , Benson Mitchell C. , McKiernan James M. , Badani Ketan
Published: January 2011

Study Type – Therapy (case series)

Level of Evidence 4

What’s known on the subject? and What does the study add?

The incidence of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) in major urological surgery has decreased over time with the introduction of pharmacological prophylaxis, early mobilization, and the use of sequential mechanical compression devices. We examined the value of heparin prophylaxis in robotic assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (RALP), where the risk of DVT is already low.

The rate of thromboemolic events within 30 days was 0.6% in this series. Heparin did not influence estimated blood loss, haematrocrit change, or length of stay. The incidence of thromboembolism is low after RALP, which may obviate the use of heparin prophylaxis. However, its use appears to be safe and does not affect surgical outcomes.

OBJECTIVE

• The incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) after robotic‐assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (RALP) in patients receiving perioperative heparin prophylaxis was compared with those who did not receive such prophylaxis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

• Between July 2007 to February 2010, a total of 307 RALPs were performed at our institution by two surgeons. A total of 187 patients operated on by surgeon 1 received perioperative heparin prophylaxis, whereas 120 patients operated on by surgeon 2 did not receive any.

• All demographic, clinical and pathological data were prospectively recorded, whereas the incidence of venous thromboembolism within 30 days of the operation was retrospectively reviewed. Evaluation for potential VTE was based on clinical symptoms.

RESULTS

• Cohorts were comparable with respect to PSA, clinical stage, preoperative Gleason score, body mass index, smoking status, pathological stage, path Gleason score and margin status. A total of two thromboemoblic events occurred (0.6%) within 30 days of surgery (one in each arm of the study).

• Heparin prophylaxis did not influence estimated blood loss (P= 0.076) or haematocrit change from preoperative levels (P= 0.378). Length of stay was comparable between the two groups (1.4 vs 1.3 days; P= 0.159).

CONCLUSION

• The incidence of thromboembolism is low after RALP, which may obviate the need for heparin prophylaxis. However, its use is safe and does not impact surgical outcomes. Larger series are needed to confirm the results obtained in the present study.
Are there symptom‐specific testosterone thresholds in aging men?
Authors: Lackner Jakob E. , Rücklinger Ernst , Schatzl Georg , Lunglmayr Gerhard , Kratzik Christian W.
Published: January 2011

Study Type – Prognosis (retrospective cohort)

Level of Evidence 2b

What’s known on the subject? and What does the study add?

Late onset hypogonadism is a syndrome combining low testosterone levels and clinical symptoms. But specific testosterone levels as well as clinical symptoms (e.g. sexual dysfunction) are poorly defined and still under debate.

This study explores the association between testosterone levels and clinical symptoms with regard to co‐morbidities such as obesity, smoking and age. A main focus in this study is to investigate the influence of age on late onset hypogonadism, as many symptoms, which are correlated to low testosterone, might reflect just a normal process of aging. Finally the results show that only few symptoms (mainly psychosomatic symptoms) are associated with low testosterone and all other symptoms are significantly associated with age.

OBJECTIVE

• To study the association between specific clinical symptoms (e.g. low libido and erectile dysfunction) and testosterone levels and age in order to define symptom‐specific testosterone thresholds.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

• Serum samples for testosterone determination were obtained from 675 healthy men.

• Participants underwent urological examination and completed the Aging Males Symptoms scale, the Beck Depression Index and the International Index of Erectile Function. Overall scores and those from individual questions from the questionnaires were evaluated.

• Testosterone levels in men with symptoms were compared with those in men without symptoms.

• The risks of clinical symptoms were evaluated using univariate, multiple multinomial regression analyses and Bonferroni correction.

RESULTS

• Significant associations between testosterone levels and a number of androgen deficiency symptoms were seen at testosterone levels of 13.5–14.4 nmol/L, but multiple logistic regression analysis revealed confounding effects with age.

• Symptoms such as loss of libido, lack of vigour and sexual dysfunction were associated with age rather than with testosterone.

• Erectile dysfunction was reported at testosterone levels between 14.65 nmol/L and 14.8 nmol/L, but was again significantly associated with age rather than testosterone levels.

• The severity of symptoms significantly increased with decreasing testosterone levels using univariate analysis, but only the relationship with psychological symptoms remained significant after Bonferroni correction.

CONCLUSION

• In aging males, androgen deficiency symptoms were reported at normal levels of testosterone, but age was an important confounder. Symptom‐specific testosterone thresholds could not be defined.
Natural Resource Dependence and Economic Performance in the 1970–2000 Period
Authors: Mavrotas George , Murshed Syed Mansoob , Torres Sebastian
Published: January 2011

We look at the type of natural resource dependence and growth in developing countries. Certain natural resources called point‐source, such as oil and minerals, exhibit concentrated and capturable revenue patterns, while revenue flows from resources such as agriculture are more diffused. Developing countries that export the former type of products are regarded prone to growth failure due to institutional failure. We present an explicit model of growth collapse with micro‐foundations in rent‐seeking contests with increasing returns. Our econometric analysis is among the few in this literature with a panel data dimension. Point‐source‐type natural resource dependence does retard institutional development in both governance and democracy, which hampers growth. The resource curse, however, is more general and not simply confined to mineral exporters.
Destined to Receive: The Impact of Remittances on Household Decisions in Armenia
Authors: Grigorian David A. , Melkonyan Tigran A.
Published: January 2011

The paper uses data from Armenia to test the implications of remittance flows on behavior of receiving households. We find that remittance‐receiving households work fewer hours and spend less on the education of their children. While saving more, these households are not leveraging their savings to borrow from the banking system to expand their business activities. This evidence suggests that the benefits of remittances might be overstated and emphasizes the importance of measuring their impact in a general‐ rather than a partial‐equilibrium context.
International Trade and Volume Patterns under Quasilinear Preferences
Authors: Dinopoulos Elias , Fujiwara Kenji , Shimomura Koji
Published: January 2011

We formally analyze the pattern and volume of trade by embedding quasilinear preferences in the standard perfectly competitive, two‐factor, two‐good, two‐country trade model. Quasilinear preferences deliver a natural partition of the two goods into a luxury and a necessity, and preserve the validity of the Heckscher–Ohlin and Heckscher–Ohlin–Vanek theorems. In addition, the predicted factor content of trade under quasilinear preferences is smaller (larger) than the predicted factor content of trade under homothetic preferences if and only if the luxury good is capital (labor) intensive. This result offers a novel explanation for the “missing‐trade” mystery.
Closing the Technology Gap?
Authors: Castellacci Fulvio
Published: January 2011

This paper focuses on the dimensions shaping the dynamics of technology. We present a model where the knowledge stock of a country grows over time as a function of three main factors: innovation intensity, technological infrastructures, and human capital. The latter two variables determine the absorptive capacity of a country as well as its innovative ability. We then carry out an empirical analysis that investigates the dynamics of technology in a large sample of economies in the last two‐decade period, and studies its relationships with income per capita growth. The results indicate that the cross‐country distributions of technological infrastructures and human capital have experienced a process of convergence, whereas the innovative intensity is characterized by increasing polarization between rich and poor economies. Thus, while the conditions for catching up have generally improved, the increasing innovation gap represents a major factor behind the observed differences in income per capita.
Private Investment in Higher Education: Comparing Alternative Funding Schemes
Authors: ECKWERT BERNHARD , ZILCHA ITZHAK
Published: January 2011

This paper uses an overlapping generations framework to analyse the implications of different financing regimes in the education sector for human capital formation and economic welfare. Agents privately invest in education after they have received a noisy information signal about their abilities. The incentives of individuals to invest in education are determined by the financing regime under which the economy operates. We analyse and compare three financing regimes. Under each regime, the payback obligation of an educational loan is contingent, to some extent, on an individual's future income.
Towards a Phenomenology of Civil War: Hobbes Meets Benjamin in Beirut
Authors: DE CAUTER LIEVEN
Published: January 2011

Based on interviews with Beirut intellectuals and architects, this essay endeavours to trace the contours for a phenomenology or anthropology of civil war. Thomas Hobbes serves as a guide, with his idea of civil war representing a relapse into the ‘state of nature’; as absence of sovereignty resulting in a ‘war of everybody against everybody’. The effects of ever‐latent civil war in Beirut are far‐reaching: the fragmentation of urban space and the disappearance of public space, the loss of memory and the fragmentation of time, even the reification of language. In the collective imagination and in the arts, Beirut appears as a ghost town, a spectral city with a spectral civility. What we discover is a city, its inhabitants, its social behaviour, but also its art and literature, in the grip of post‐traumatic stress syndrome. From all this, we take home two things: first, any city can (at least in principle) relapse into a similar state of nature — Beirut can become a paradigm of latent civil war; and second, the traumatic modernity of Beirut mirrors the traumatic artistic expressions of modernism — the shock of modernity is also always a modernity of shock.

Ce texte, basé sur des interviews d'intellectuels et d'architectes beyrouthins, tente de délimiter une phénoménologie ou une anthropologie de la guerre civile. Thomas Hobbes en est le guide, avec l'idée de la guerre civile comme rechute dans «l'Etat de Nature», comme absence de souveraineté conduisant à la «guerre de tous contre tous». Les effets de la guerre civile, toujours latente à Beyrouth, sont très vastes: la fragmentation de l'espace urbain et la disparition de l'espace public, la perte de la mémoire et la fragmentation du temps, jusqu'à la réification du langage. Dans l'imagination collective et dans l'art, Beyrouth apparaît comme une ville fantôme, une cité spectrale avec une citoyenneté spectrale. Nous découvrons une ville, sa société, son art et sa littérature en proie à un syndrome de stress post‐traumatique. Tout cela nous conduit à deux conclusions: d'abord, toute ville peut, au moins en principe, retomber dans un tel Etat de Nature; Beyrouth peut devenir le paradigme d'une guerre civile latente. Ensuite: la modernité traumatisante de Beyrouth reflète les expressions artistiques traumatiques du modernisme; le choc de la modernité est aussi un modernisme du choc.
Increased blood oxidative stress in experimental menopause rat model: the effects of vitamin A low‐dose supplementation upon antioxidant status in bilateral ovariectomized rats
Authors: Behr Guilherme Antônio , Schnorr Carlos Eduardo , Moreira José Cláudio Fonseca
Published: January 2011

Menopause has been reported to be associated with increased oxidative stress and metabolic disorders among women worldwide. Disarrangements in the redox state similar to those observed in women during the decline of ovarian hormonal activity can be obtained experimentally through rat bilateral ovariectomy. The search for alternative treatments to improve life quality in postmenopausal woman is really important. The aim of this study was to evaluate biochemical and oxidative stress parameters that distinguish sham‐operated female rats from Wistar rats bilaterally ovariectomized (OVX). Additionally, we have also investigated the effects of retinol palmitate (a vitamin A supplement) low‐dose supplementation (500 or 1500 IU/kg/day, during 30 days) upon blood and plasma antioxidant status in OVX rats. Ovariectomy caused an increase in body weight gain, pronounced uterine atrophy, decreased plasma triglycerides and increased total cholesterol levels, and reduced acid uric content. Moreover, we found increased blood peroxidase activities (catalase and glutathione peroxidase), decreased plasma non‐enzymatic antioxidant defenses total reactive antioxidant potential and total antioxidant reactivity, decreased protein and non‐protein SH levels, accompanied by increased protein oxidative damage (carbonyl). In addition, vitamin A low‐dose supplementation was capable to ameliorate antioxidant status in OVX rats, restoring both enzymatic and non‐enzymatic defenses, promoting reduction in plasma SH content, and decreasing protein oxidative damage levels. This is the first work in the literature showing that vitamin A at low dose may be beneficial in the treatment of menopause symptoms. Further studies will be made to better understand the effects of vitamin A supplementation in menopause rat model.
Exploring Reductions in London Underground Passenger Journeys Following the July 2005 Bombings
Authors: Prager Fynnwin , Beeler Asay Garrett Ryan , Lee Bumsoo , von Winterfeldt Detlof
Published: January 2011

We examine the reduction in London Underground passenger journeys in response to the July 2005 bombings. Using entrance data for London Underground stations between 2001 and 2007, we incorporate demand and supply factors in a multivariate time‐series regression model to estimate changes in passenger journeys between different Underground lines. We find that passenger journeys fell by an average of 8.3% for the 4 months following the attacks. This amounts to an overall reduction of 22.5 million passenger journeys for that period. Passenger journeys returned to predicted levels during September 2005, yet we find evidence of reduced travel until June 2006. Our estimates controlled for other factors, including reduced Underground service provision due to damage from the attacks, economic conditions, and weather, yet substantial reductions in passenger journeys remained. Around 82% of passenger journey reductions following the 2005 attacks cannot be attributed to supply‐side factors or demand‐side factors such as economic conditions, weather, or the summer school‐break alone. We suggest that this reduction may partially be due to an increased perception of the risk of Underground travel after the attacks.