bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cooperatives, Worker-Owned Enterprises, Productivity and the International Labor Organization
Authors: Logue John , Yates Jacquelyn S.
Published: October 2006

A survey of empirical research on productivity in worker-owned enterprises and cooperatives finds a substantial literature that largely supports the proposition that worker-owned enterprises equal or exceed the productivity of conventional enterprises when employee involvement is combined with ownership. The weight of a sparser literature on cooperatives tends toward the same pattern. In addition, employee-owned firms create local employment, anchor jobs in their communities and enrich local social capital. The International Labor Organization has recently begun to expand its promotion of cooperatives and to explore worker ownership as useful tools for economic development in a ‘fair globalization’ strategy.
Governing young people: Coherence and contradiction in contemporary youth justice
Authors: Muncie John
Published: October 2006

This article explores the burgeoning literature on modes and layers of governance and applies it to the complex of contemporary youth justice reform. Globalized neo-liberal processes of responsibilization and risk management coupled with traditional neo-conservative authoritarian strategies have dominated the political landscape. However, they also have to work alongside or within ‘new’ conceptions of social inclusion, partnership, restoration and moralization. These apparently contradictory strategies open up the possibility of multiple localized translations rather than an often assumed dominance of a uniform ‘culture of control’. The ensuing hybridity also suggests that any coherence within contemporary youth justice relies on continual negotiations between opposing, yet overlapping, discursive practices.
Capital to the rescue? New Labour’s business solutions to old welfare problems
Authors: Farnsworth Kevin
Published: October 2006

Business people, business associations and individual firms have been enlisted in various ways by New Labour as part of their strategy to identify and resolve a number of problems within the British welfare state. Business has been important to New Labour’s welfare strategies in at least three ways. First, New Labour has endeavoured to gear social policy more towards the needs of the profit making sector in the hope that this would increase competitiveness and help it to expand welfare expenditure in future. Second, by increasing the inputs of business people and firms into social policy, the government hoped to rescue services from their inefficient public sector strait-jackets. Third, the government has looked to private firms as important new sources of financing for welfare infrastructure. However, this embedding of business culture, business people and private enterprise into social policy has produced few real benefits to services, their employees or their users. This paper examines and evaluates New Labour’s strategy of embedding business into social policy in order to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of welfare services.
(In)appropriate Personal Pronoun Use in Political Science
Authors: Harwood Nigel
Published: October 2006

This article describes five political scientists’ interview-based accounts of appropriate and inappropriate use of the pronouns I and we in academic writing. The informants talked about pronoun use with reference to one of their own journal articles and also by referring to other informants’ texts. Beliefs about appropriate and inappropriate use varied widely, and it was emphasized that the discipline encompasses a number of subdisciplines, which helps account for these differing pronoun preferences. The insights and implications of the study are discussed, and a heuristic that combines corpus-based and interview-based approaches to the investigation of pronouns is proposed. The corpus-based part of the heuristic provides the researcher with data on typical disciplinary patterns of pronoun use, whereas the interview-based part provides accounts of informants’ motivations and intentions that inform their pronoun use. It is argued that the heuristic could be adapted to investigate other linguistic features in academic writing.
Europeanization and Convergence in Industrial Relations
Authors: Vos Kees J.
Published: October 2006

The possibility of convergence of national industrial relations systems has been debated for a long time. However, the predominant approach is to stress the persistence of national variation. This article draws on a number of comparative studies in order to consider whether globalization and European policy developments are important drivers towards increasing convergence. Consequently, the article concludes that a critical review of the prevalent research methods is necessary.
Contesting the Development of European Works Councils in the Chemicals Sector
Authors: Waddington Jeremy
Published: October 2006

The Directive on European Works Councils (EWCs) introduced areas in which management and employee representatives could contest the development of the institution. This article reviews the outcome of this contestation within the chemicals sector, examining the agenda, the ‘Europeanization’ of representatives, company transparency and integration of EWCs into wider industrial relations networks. It shows that neither the expectations of critics of the Directive nor of those who emphasized its potential have been realized.
Population Subgroups Responsible for New Urbanization and Suburbanization in Estonia
Authors: Kontuly Thomas , Tammaru Tiit
Published: October 2006

The results of this study indicate that during the 1990s urbanization was the dominant process in inter-regional migration, and residential suburbanization prevailed at the intra-metropolitan level.These tendencies are new and different from the trend existing during the Soviet era.These urbanization and suburbanization trends correspond closely with the expectations of the city life cycle and the differential urbanization models, indicating that patterns in Estonia during the 1990s follow those experienced by capitalist countries. The evaluation of urbanization and migration trends by age, education, gender and ethnicity, using 2000 census data, indicate that young people, females, migrants with a higher education, and Estonians accounted for the national urbanization trends. Also, in contrast to the Soviet era, Estonians participated fully in the urbanization trends of the 1990s. Suburbanization was the predominant direction of movement within metropolitan areas, and this trend was similar for all population subgroups. Yet people with a higher education and those in the family ages were most likely to suburbanize. Estonian migration trends for the total population were similar to many countries of the former Soviet Union, but different from East Central European countries.We believe that the main reason for such a contradiction stems from the compositional differences of the populations in these two groups of countries. Migration trends of population subgroups,however,seem to be similar across countries in transition. In addition, this study develops a Migration Concentration Index (MCI) to measure concentration and deconcentration processes in inter-regional migration.
Pancha Kanya
Authors: Bhattacharya Pradip
Published: October 2006

At times we come across traditional sayings that pose enigmas. Often, striving to resolve the puzzle turns into a quest, a search for meaning that, quite unexpectedly, throws light on problems facing us today. Such an enigmatic Sanskrit couplet exhorts invoking five females regularly to redeem us of failings, howsoever grievous:

Ahalya draupadi kunti tara mandodari tatha\

Panchakanya smarenityam mahapataka nashinim\\

The choice of the five is itself intriguing, all being epic heroines: Ahalya, Tara and Mandodari from the Ramayana; Kunti and Draupadi from the Mahabharata. Even more so is the celeberation of each as kanya, not as nari (woman) or sati (devoted to the husband). If kanya connotes ‘virgin’ (‘daughter’ makes no sense as several of them are not womb-born), the matter becomes more puzzling since each had intimate relationships with more than one man. In analysing what is known about them, we are surprised, fore these heroines of ancient myth turn out to be, quite unexpectedly, guides for us in the twenty-first century.

In the previous issue (12:1) the exploration had dealt with four of the five kanyas. This concluding part examines the persona of Draupadi, heroine of the world's longest epic, the Mahabharata.1
Serial Aspergillus Antigen Monitoring in Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant Patients
Authors: Baker Courtney
Published: October 2006

Invasive aspergillosis carries a high mortality rate in immunocompromised patients, such as bone marrow transplant patients. Favorable outcomes are dependent on early detection and treatment. Positive galactomannan antigenemia has been included as a microbiological criterion for probable or possible diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis. Detection of circulating Aspergillus DNA in the first positive galactomannan sample, with serial monitoring, could help in diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis in bone marrow transplant patients. Morbidity and mortality from aspergillosis can possibly be reduced if an early diagnosis is made and appropriate treatment initiated. An effective and accurate way of early detection of invasive aspergillosis is serial Aspergillus antigen monitoring.
The Role of Cognitive Remediation in Childhood Cancer Survivors Experiencing Neurocognitive Late Effects
Authors: Spencer Jennifer
Published: October 2006

With the increasing number of children becoming long-term cancer survivors, it has become evident that these survivors are experiencing long-term neurocognitive deficits. Many of these deficits have been found to be the result of cancer-related therapies including intravenous and intrathecal chemotherapy and cranial radiation. These neurocognitive deficits include learning disabilities, cognitive deficits, attention disorders, and difficulties with memory. Cognitive remediation therapy uses a systematic approach to learning strategies that is aimed to equip these affected children with proper, effective, and proven learning strategies. This article will briefly discuss the neurocognitive deficits experienced by long-term childhood cancer survivors. Cognitive remediation therapy will then be introduced with specific attention to the cognitive remediation program developed by Butler and Copeland. Finally, implications for practice and future research will be discussed.
Recharging Batteries using Energy Harvested from Thermal Gradients
Authors: Sodano Henry A. , Simmers Garnett E. , Dereux Remi , Inman Daniel J.
Published: October 2006

With the recent advances in wireless technology and low power electronics the idea of capturing the ambient energy surrounding a system and using it to provide electrical power to devices that do not rely on external power supplies has received a significant amount of attention. Much of this attention has been aimed at the use of piezoelectric materials to capture ambient vibrations. However, the energy generated by such materials is far too small to directly power most of the electronic devices. Therefore, in the present study a Seebeck heat pump is used to convert the ambient thermal gradient generated by solar radiation and waste heat into usable electrical energy. To increase the amount of thermal radiation captured by the power harvesting device, the hot side of the thermoelectric generator is placed in a small greenhouse, while the cold side is secured against a thermal sink, such as a highway bridge. The power generated by the thermoelectric device is shown to be substantially greater than that produced by piezoelectric materials and the ability to recharge a discharged battery is demonstrated. This research focuses on the use of thermal electric generators in a passive configuration where only conduction is used to remove heat from the device. The majority of previous studies have implemented convective heat transfer to increase power output and have only reported gross energy production. The results show that thermal electric materials when used in a passive fashion can form effective power sources with the ability to quickly recharge discharged batteries.
Computational Material Characterization of Active Fiber Composite
Authors: Paik Seung Hoon , Yoon Tae Ho , Shin Sang Joon , Kim Seung Jo
Published: October 2006

Active fiber composite (AFC) is composed of many different materials–piezoelectric fiber, polymer matrix, kapton mold, and kapton electrode and it is usually embedded in the glass fiber composites. In addition, there is an active/inactive region in the fiber. Therefore, it is ideal to adopt a full microscopic model and directly analyze the model without any simplifying assumptions. In this work, all the constituents of AFC are modeled and simulated directly in microscopic scale level. Material properties and actuation performances are characterized and compared with the previous experimental measurements. Some material constants which are difficult to be experimentally determined but needed for three-dimensional (3-D) finite element (FE) simulations can be obtained by this approach. Effects of mesh density are examined and local stresses are observed in detail. To solve a large scale problem, parallel computing technology is introduced.
He Got Game
Authors: Wyly Elvin , Pearce Tyler
Published: October 2006

Listening to the score heard in David L. Imbroscio’s “Shaming the Inside Game,” a composition that challenges us to reevaluate the questions we ask and the questions we ignore, our commentary suggests that urbanists tune in to the historical and contextual politics of today’s urban axioms; to the localized histories, actors, and events that nurture ideas and catalyze policy development; and to the changing urban dynamics that are traducing the inside/outside binary that Imbroscio identifies in the work of the liberal expansionists. To this end, we suggest various lines of investigation that urbanists might undertake to engender a metropolitics that really makes some noise.
Mobility among young urban dwellers
Authors: Jensen Mette
Published: October 2006

Young people of today travel and are more mobile than ever before. They have a considerable appetite for travelling and practically unlimited opportunities for mobility. Not only physical/bodily travelling, but also virtual travels via the Internet, or communicative travels via email, (mobile) phones and so on are separately and in combination a marked feature in everyday life among young people (see Tully,2002).To today's youth, mobility is a fact of life that they embrace with enthusiasm and, in a number of ways, mobility sets the agenda for and constantly transforms their social life.It influences their way of perceiving and understanding the world, which in turn makes them demand a still more and increasingly complex mobility.

The present article is based on a study of the meaning of mobility in modern everyday life (Jensen, 2001),1 and focus will be on mobility among young people in big cities.
A school-based movement programme for children with motor learning difficulty
Authors: Männistö Juha-Pekka , Cantell Marja , Huovinen Tommi , Kooistra Libbe , Larkin Dawne
Published: October 2006

The study investigated the effectiveness of a school-based movement programme for a population of 5 to 7 year old children. Performance profiles on the Movement ABC were used to classify the children and to assess skill changes over time. Children were assigned to four different groups: motor learning difficulty (n = 10), borderline motor learning difficulty ( n = 5), trained controls ( n = 9), untrained controls ( n = 9). The total programme consisted of 26 weekly sessions. Each one-hour session comprised of structured group play, individualized skill training, and relaxation. The results showed that children with motor learning difficulty improved consistently in the targeted skills. Most importantly, the obtained effects persisted beyond the actual intervention. The findings emphasize the effectiveness of task-oriented approaches in a school-based setting for children with motor learning difficulty.
Pupils’ self-regulation in physical education: the role of motivational climates and differential achievement goals
Authors: Ommundsen Yngvar
Published: October 2006

This study examined the relationship of motivational climate and differential achievement goals to meta-cognitive self-regulation, regulation of effort, help-seeking and self-handicapping in physical education (PE). The sample consisted of 273 pupils (boys n = 125; girls n = 148) attending 10th grade PE classes in Norway. Both motivational climates and achievement goals revealed expected patterns of relations to self-regulation indices. Direct climate influences as well as goal mediated influences were observed as illustrated by a direct positive influence of a mastery climate on meta-cognitive strategy use and effort regulation and by a positive performance climate effect on self-handicapping, mediated by a performance-avoid goal. A performance-avoid goal also moderated the influence of a mastery climate on effort regulation. Results lend support to the trichotomous achievement goal perspective by showing a) differential self-regulation influences of performance-approach and performance-avoid goals and b) proximal goal influences to be mediators in relations between distal climate influences and pupils’ self-regulation.
Critical storytelling as a teaching strategy in physical education teacher education
Authors: Garrett Robyne
Published: October 2006

Stories capture the richness and nuances of meaning in everyday existence and give insight into the complexity of our experiences and understandings. They can evoke an emotional response in the reader, which moves them beyond the literary experience to a more ‘lived’ and embodied experience. This article is concerned with autobiographical narrative in the form of story and its influence on the development of a critical pedagogy in physical education (PE). Girls’ stories of physicality were presented to training PE teachers as a strategy to foster critical and inclusive approaches to the teaching of PE. Student teacher responses indicated that much of the power of the strategy lay in the understanding that the stories came from ‘real people’. In promoting both emotional and embodied connections to the storyteller, empathy was enhanced. The stories served to highlight for student teachers the importance of noticing what was happening for girls in their classes, the public display of the body in PE and the need for particular pedagogies that ensure learner safety.
Experiences of Anabolic Steroid Use
Authors: Grogan Sarah , Shepherd Sarah , Evans Ruth , Wright Sam , Hunter Geoff
Published: October 2006

This study was designed to investigate anabolic steroid users’ experiences of, and motivations for, use. Five men and six women users took part in in-depth interviews. Four themes emerged: Steroid Use vs Abuse; Side-effects; Trusted Information Sources; and Social Pressure. Many users believed that steroids used in moderation were safe. Serious side-effects (liver and kidney damage, hypertension) were not significant disincentives. Information from health professionals tended to be mistrusted because it was not based on first-hand experience of use. Social support, especially from within the body building community, was an important motivator. It is concluded that intervention programmes need the support of the body building community in order to be effective.
Attachment, Social Support and Well-being in Young and Older Adults
Authors: Kafetsios Konstantinos , Sideridis Georgios D.
Published: October 2006

The present study examined the link between attachment, social support and well-being in young and older adults. The results from multi-group path analyses showed significant between-group differences in the links between attachment, perceived support and well-being. Anxious attachment and well-being were inversely associated and this was stronger for the younger group than it was for the older group. Avoidant attachment was negatively related to perceived support satisfaction in the older age group only, and perceived support mediated the effects of avoidant attachment on mental health and loneliness in the older group. Generally, perceived satisfaction with support was more strongly related with well-being in older adults. The results point to differential links of insecure attachment styles with perceived support in different life-stages and to related cognitive, emotional and social processes.
Adherence to Chest Physiotherapy in Adults with Cystic Fibrosis
Authors: Myers Lynn B. , Horn Sandra A.
Published: October 2006

Chest physiotherapy (CP) is seen as a cornerstone of Cystic Fibrosis (CF) treatment. However, previous studies have suggested that adherence to CP is low. This study of adults with CF ( N = 563) investigated CP adherence and associated factors. Only 29.5 per cent reported undertaking daily CP. Predictors of adherence included problems with fitting CP into lifestyle, a perception that CP does not help, physical consequences of CP, doing exercises instead and doing CP as and when necessary. These variables accounted for 45 per cent of the variance in adherence. Content analysis revealed a number of themes related to adherence to CP. Future studies should explore the benefits of daily CP and attempt to devise simple interventions to maximize adherence to CP.
Learning from South Asian ‘Successes’
Authors: Khan Shahrukh Rafi
Published: October 2006

India's economic success over the last decade and a half, and more recently Pakistan's economic progress under the military government, have drawn attention. While these and information technology in India may be the main South Asian success stories drawing attention currently, there are a number of other successes that have been around long enough to be considered sustainable. Successes are defined as initiatives, interventions, cases or models that have been sustained for several decades, can be replicated, scaled up, have had a significant impact and exported to the rest of South Asia or beyond. The ones documented in this article rely on the tapping of social capital. This article explores various conceptualizations of social capital and argues that the latter is an important reason for the three ‘successes’ considered. It is further argued that a good understanding of the relevant concepts of tapping social capital will enable development via social mobilization, participation, collective action, public-private and local-foreign partnerships.
Facing up to civic pluralism
Authors: Scorza Jason A.
Published: October 2006

Beginning with the publication of Liberal Purposes in 1991, William Galston has developed an appealing theory of liberal pluralism that entails strong commitments to expressive liberty, political pluralism and Berlinian value pluralism. However, given these commitments, Galston might be expected to be more open to a theory of civic pluralism, understood as recognition and toleration of multiple reasonable conceptions of good citizenship, rather than advancing (as he does) a robust but unitary view of citizenship and civic education. This article offers a modest set of arguments on behalf of civic pluralism, based in part on Galston’s own theory of liberal pluralism, in the hope of prompting him to move in this direction.
Taking the right to exit seriously
Authors: Spiecker Ben , De Ruyter Doret , Steutel Jan
Published: October 2006

Both diversity and autonomy liberals agree that adults have the right to exit from voluntary associations. As children do not have this right, the paradoxical character of the upbringing of children in fundamentalist and ultra-orthodox communities is evident. Diversity liberals like Galston and Spinner-Halev seem to take an ambivalent position with regard to the right to exit, because they want to defend both the child’s future right to exit, which requires particular capacities, as well as the parental right to upbringing according to their conception of the good even if this undermines the required capacities.

We defend that people need to be at least autarchic, that is self-determining and morally accountable, in order to be able to exercise their right to exit. Since this right is a civic freedom right, the state has the right and duty to ensure that children will be able to develop into autarchic persons. Therefore, our claim is that school education should aim for minimal autonomy and that such education should be compulsory. We argue that this will not undermine legitimate diversity and therefore that Galston and Spinner-Halev should be able to take an unequivocal position.
Signs of progress
Authors: Galston William A.
Published: October 2006

In this reply to my critics, I begin by clearing away some misunderstandings: I do not reject autonomy and critical self-reflection as possible bases for political judgment and action; I do not dissent from the standard view that some civic education should be mandatory; and I claim neither that each citizen need possess civic virtue nor that there is a one-size-fits-all conception of pro-civic traits within a liberal society. I do endorse the idea of a ‘civic core’ - beliefs, skills and traits of character that ideally every citizen would possess. I then distinguish civic from philosophic education, characterize liberal civic virtues as instrumentally rather than intrinsically valuable, and clarify the relation between these virtues and the idea of limited government that lies at the heart of liberalism. I defend my account of civic education against the claims that it cannot justify citizens’ resistance to unjust or immoral government policies and that it safeguards neither the basic needs nor the meaningful exit rights of children. I conclude by distinguishing between parental influence over children, on the one hand, and brainwashing on the other; the latter warrants external intervention, while the former does not.
Galston’s dilemmas and Wisconsin v. Yoder
Authors: Callan Eamonn
Published: October 2006

William Galston posed two dilemmas about parental rights and education in Liberal Purposes.The first of these arises from conflict between the proper ends of civic education in a liberal society and the values that some parents will want to honor in the way they rear their children; the second arises from conflict between how the basic interests of the child are understood by the wider society and the dissident views of some parents. Galston’s approach to the dilemmas strongly emphasized deference to parental choice. Galston returns to these dilemmas in his recent Liberal Pluralism and endorses the approach he had earlier defended within the context of a theory of the ethical foundations of liberal politics. He uses the US Supreme Court’s decision in Wisconsin v. Yoder as a test case for his argument. This article offers an internal critique of Galston’s treatment of the two dilemmas in Liberal Pluralism and finds it unsatisfactory in some respects.
A Study of the Role of ‘Representative’ Leadership in Stimulating Organization Democracy
Authors: Clarke Martin
Published: October 2006

There has been a growing concern among commentators about the disconnection between the apparent increase in the plurality of society, and the relatively limited facets of democracy practised in the corporate work place. Specifically, models of distributed leadership appear at odds with the dominant bureaucratic and unitary model of organizing. In addressing the problem, this article offers a model of Representative Leadership (RL) derived from a political institutional discourse and suggests that in settings of contested plurality, the representation of different organizational constituencies, by a wide range of individuals is central to effective organizing. This model of leadership is explored in the context of data derived from 31 senior managers in five different commercial organizations. Observations are provided about the causal relationships between organization context, managerial cognitions of plurality, personal interest, authority and politics. The potential for RL behaviour to inform future discourse on democratic governance is considered.
`we don't learn democracy, we live it!'
Authors: Maitles Henry , Deuchar Ross
Published: October 2006

As the education for citizenship agenda continues to impact on schools, there is a need to begin the discussion to examine the kind of initiatives that can push it forward. In Scotland the proposals should, it is argued, permeate the curriculum throughout the school. Yet there is the fear that the responsibility of all can become the responsibility of none. This article examines, through three case studies carried out by the authors, initiatives in schools designed to take forward the citizenship agenda in the light of children’s rights. The first two relate to the impact of pupil councils in primary schools and as well as the impact of discussing controversial issues in the primary classroom. The third outlines the impact on values and dispositions of developing more participatory, democratic practice in the classroom. The article concludes by calling for more initiatives of this type and further evaluation of their worth.
the do-gooder, the vain, the generous, and moral education
Authors: Kristjánsson Kristján
Published: October 2006

The virtue of generosity - at least generosity in the context of world poverty - is conspicuously absent from most curricula in the field of moral education. This article explores generosity and its educational ramifications. I start by characterizing two types of persons who may seem to be generous but who do not really possess generosity as a stable character trait. I do so by dint of fictional characters from two well-known novels - Nick Hornby’s How to Be Good, and Albert Camus’ The Fall - showing how the protagonists of both novels (‘the do-gooder’ and ‘the vain’) fall short of true generosity. I then consider Aristotle’s specification of generosity, and explain how Aristotle’s generous person morally surpasses both character types. I finally address didactic issues - how to teach generosity - by highlighting the quasi-Aristotelian method of ‘service learning’.
PKC412 demonstrates JNK-dependent activity against human multiple myeloma cells
Authors: Sharkey Janelle , Khong Tiffany , Spencer Andrew
Published: October 2006

The effect and mode of action of the protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor PKC412 on human multiple myeloma (MM) cell lines (HMCLs) and primary MM cells was explored. We found that PKC412 induced apoptosis of HMCLs and primary MM cells with variable efficacy; however, some activity was seen against all HMCLs and primary MM cells with at least 0.5 μM PKC412. PARP cleavage and decreased PKC activity was observed in all HMCLs tested. Furthermore, PKC412 inhibited C-FOS transcription and nuclear protein expression, induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and induced both sustained C-JUN expression and phosphorylation. The latter was inhibited by cotreatment with the JNK inhibitor SP600125, which similarly abrogated PKC412-induced apoptosis, suggesting that PKC412-induced apoptosis is a JNK-dependent event. PKC412 treatment secondarily induced prosurvival stress responses as evidenced by activation of NFκB and increased expression of the heat shock proteins HSP70 and HSP90. Consistent with the former, sequential inhibition of NFκB activation with bortezomib or SN50 synergistically enhanced cell killing. Our results demonstrate that PKC412 induces JNK-dependent apoptosis of HMCLs and primary MM cells and that this effect is enhanced by NFκB inhibition. The further evaluation of PKC412 in the treatment of MM is justified.
Host-virus interaction: a new role for microRNAs
Authors: Scaria Vinod , Hariharan Manoj , Maiti Souvik , Pillai Beena , Brahmachari Samir K
Published: October 2006

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a new class of 18–23 nucleotide long non-coding RNAs that play critical roles in a wide spectrum of biological processes. Recent reports also throw light into the role of microRNAs as critical effectors in the intricate host-pathogen interaction networks. Evidence suggests that both virus and hosts encode microRNAs. The exclusive dependence of viruses on the host cellular machinery for their propagation and survival also make them highly susceptible to the vagaries of the cellular environment like small RNA mediated interference. It also gives the virus an opportunity to fight and/or modulate the host to suite its needs. Thus the range of interactions possible through miRNA-mRNA cross-talk at the host-pathogen interface is large. These interactions can be further fine-tuned in the host by changes in gene expression, mutations and polymorphisms. In the pathogen, the high rate of mutations adds to the complexity of the interaction network. Though evidence regarding microRNA mediated cross-talk in viral infections is just emerging, it offers an immense opportunity not only to understand the intricacies of host-pathogen interactions, and possible explanations to viral tropism, latency and oncogenesis, but also to develop novel biomarkers and therapeutics.
The Measurement of Daily Surge and Its Relevance to Disaster Preparedness
Authors: McCarthy Melissa L. , Aronsky Dominik , Kelen Gabor D.
Published: October 2006

This article reviews what is known about daily emergency department (ED) surge and ED surge capacity and illustrates its potential relevance during a catastrophic event. Daily ED surge is a sudden increase in the demand for ED services. There is no well‐accepted, objective measure of daily ED surge. The authors propose that daily and catastrophic ED surge can be measured by the magnitude of the surge, as well as by the nature and severity of the illnesses and injuries that patients present with during the surge. The magnitude of an ED surge can be measured by the patient arrival rate per hour. The nature and severity of the surge can be measured by the type (e.g., trauma vs. infection vs. biohazard) and acuity (e.g., triage level) of the surge. Surge capacity is defined as the extent to which a system can respond to a rapid and sizeable increase in the demand for resources. ED surge capacity includes multiple dimensions, such as systems, space, staffing, and supplies. A multidimensional measure is needed that reflects both the core components and their relative contribution to ED surge capacity. Although many types of factors may influence ED surge capacity, relatively little formal research has been conducted in this area. A better understanding of daily ED surge capacity and influencing factors will improve our ability to simulate the potential impact that different types of catastrophic events may have on the surge capacity of hospital EDs nationwide.
Dysphonia in the aging: Physiology versus disease
Authors: Woo Peak , Casper Janina , Colton Raymond , Brewer David
Published: October 2006

A chart review from 151 dysphonic patients over the age of 60 was done to define aging related voice disorders. Overwhelmingly, patients suffered from dysphonia due to disease processes associated with aging rather than to physiologic aging alone. These include: 1. central neurological disorders affecting laryngeal function (e.g., stroke, Parkinson's disease, essential tremor, Alzheimer's disease); 2. benign vocal fold lesions (e.g., Reinke's edema, benign and dysplastic epithelial lesions); 3. inflammatory disorders (e.g., laryngitis sicca, medication effect); 4. laryngeal neoplasia; and 5. laryngeal paralysis. Typical laryngeal findings of vocal fold bowing and breathiness consistent with presbylarynges were present in only six patients. Presbylarynges is not a common disorder and should be a diagnosis of exclusion made only after careful medical and speech evaluation.
Compound action potentials recorded from the exposed eighth nerve in patients with intractable tinnitus
Authors: Møller Aage R. , Møller Margareta B. , Jannetta Peter J. , Jho Hae Dong
Published: October 2006

Compound action potentials (CAP) were recorded directly from the exposed intracranial portion of the eighth nerve in 19 patients undergoing microvascular decompression (MVD) of the eighth nerve for intractable tinnitus. The waveform of the CAPs recorded in patients with tinnitus varied from normal to highly abnormal, but only in 1 patient were there distinct abnormalities in the waveform of the CAP that could not be attributed to the patient's hearing loss. The mean values of the latencies of the N1 and N2 peaks in the CAPs recorded from the exposed eighth nerve in patients with tinnitus and high‐frequency hearing loss were virtually indistinguishable from the latencies obtained in patients with similar hearing loss but no tinnitus. There was no statistically significant difference between the latency of peak III in the brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEPs) in these two groups of patients, but the latency of peak V was slightly shorter (statistically significant) in the patients with tinnitus than it was in the patients without tinnitus.
Functional endonasal sinus surgery in adults and children
Authors: Lazar Rande H. , Younis Ramzi T. , Long Thomas E.
Published: October 2006

Functional endonasal sinus surgery (FESS) is becoming the procedure of choice for the surgical treatment of chronic and recurrent sinusitis in adults and children. Retrospective analysis of the charts of 513 adult and 260 pediatric patients who underwent FESS after failing to respond to optimal medical treatment revealed an improvement rate of approximately 80% for both age groups. Although high response rates and low complication rates were found for both groups, there were significant differences in indications, preoperative evaluation, operative technique, and methods of postoperative follow‐up for children.
Oncogenes in head and neck cancer
Authors: Irish Jonathan C. , Bernstein Alan
Published: October 2006

Primary head and neck squamous cell carcinomas from 58 patients were analyzed for the presence of alterations in the K‐ras, raf, and erb‐B oncogenes. Analysis of 17 fresh tumor specimens using sequence analysis of target sequences amplified by the polymerase chain reaction showed no evidence of mutations in the K‐ras oncogene. Thirty fresh tumor specimens were analyzed for the presence of raf gene activation using Southern blot analysis. Under these conditions, no mutations in the c‐raf oncogene were detected.

In this study, 6 (13%) of the 47 tumors studied displayed epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene amplification and/or gene rearrangement. Overexpression of the erb‐B gene was observed in 18 (67%) of the 27 head and neck tumors studied. Those patients expressing high levels of EGFR or showing EGFR amplification had tumors that were clinically more advanced.

These data suggest that amplification and over‐expression of the EGFR gene may be a useful diagnostic and prognostic marker in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas.
Bony dehiscence between singular canal and round window niche
Authors: Sato Hiroaki , Takahashi Haruo , Sando Isamu
Published: October 2006

The incidence of bony dehiscence of the human singular canal was studied by examining 409 human temporal bones obtained from 300 individuals. Such a dehiscence was noted in three (0.7%) of the bones from three (1%) of the individuals, all male, aged 2, 6, and 76 years. All of these bony dehiscences were located between the round window niche and the cribrose area of the singular canal. The finding of a microfissure in the vicinity of the bony dehiscence in two of the three cases indicates that such dehiscences occur independently of microfissures. Although the incidence of bony dehiscences of the singular canal is small, these dehiscences appear to have considerable clinical significance in that they form a communication between the middle and inner ears or possibly between the middle ear and the cerebrospinal fluid space.
Reclassification of aggressive adenomatous mastoid neoplasms as endolymphatic sac tumors
Authors: Li John C. , Brackmann Derald E. , House John W. , Lo William W. M. , Carberry Joseph N.
Published: October 2006

The emerging concept that aggressive adenomatous tumors of the temporal bone arise from the endolymphatic sac and constitute a distinct clinico‐pathologic entity merits wider recognition. These tumors share a common clinical pattern and exhibit consistent imaging and histopathologic features. Endolymphatic sac tumors (ELSTs) have been mistaken for other neoplasms such as paragangliomas, adenomatous tumors of mixed histology, ceruminomas, and choroid plexus papillomas. A review of the literature shows similarities among case studies of these aggressive adenomatous lesions. An analysis of the data supports the endolymphatic sac as an origin for these tumors. This report also presents an additional case of a less differentiated variant of this rare but important clinicopathologic entity.
Angular Tuning Bias of Vibrissa-Responsive Cells in the Paralemniscal Pathway
Authors: Furuta Takahiro , Nakamura Kouichi , Deschenes Martin
Published: October 2006

One of the most salient features of primary vibrissal afferents is their sensitivity to the direction in which the vibrissae move. Directional sensitivity is also well conserved in brainstem, thalamic, and cortical neurons of the lemniscal pathway, indicating that this property plays a key role in the organization of the vibrissal system. Here, we show that directional tuning is also a fundamental feature of second-order interpolaris neurons that give rise to the paralemniscal pathway. Quantitative assessment of responses to vibrissa deflection revealed an anisotropic organization of receptive fields with regard to topography, response magnitude, and the degree of angular tuning. Responses evoked by all vibrissae within the receptive field of each cell exhibited a high consistency of direction preference, but a striking difference in angular tuning preference was found among cells that reside in the rostral and caudal divisions of the interpolaris nucleus. Although in caudal interpolaris vectors of angular preference pointed in all directions, in rostral interpolaris virtually all vectors pointed upward, revealing a strong preference for this direction. Control experiments showed that the upward bias did not rely on a preferential innervation of rostral cells by upwardly tuned primary vibrissa afferents, nor did it rely on a direction-selective recruitment of feedforward inhibition. We thus propose that the upward preference bias of rostral cells, which project to the posterior group of the thalamus, emerges from use-dependent synaptic processes that relate to the kinematics of whisking.
Important Contribution of α-Neurexins to Ca2+-Triggered Exocytosis of Secretory Granules
Authors: Dudanova Irina , Sedej Simon , Ahmad Mohiuddin , Masius Henriette , Sargsyan Vardanush , Zhang Weiqi , Riedel Dietmar , Angenstein Frank , Schild Detlev , Rupnik Marjan , Missler Markus
Published: October 2006

α-Neurexins constitute a family of neuronal cell surface molecules that are essential for efficient neurotransmission, because mice lacking two or all three α-neurexin genes show a severe reduction of synaptic release. Although analyses of α-neurexin knock-outs and transgenic rescue animals suggested an involvement of voltage-dependent Ca2+channels, it remained unclear whether α-neurexins have a general role in Ca2+-dependent exocytosis and how they may affect Ca2+channels. Here we show by membrane capacitance measurements from melanotrophs in acute pituitary gland slices that release from endocrine cells is diminished by >50% in adult α-neurexin double knock-out and newborn triple knock-out mice. There is a reduction of the cell volume in mutant melanotrophs; however, no ultrastructural changes in size or intracellular distribution of the secretory granules were observed. Recordings of Ca2+currents from melanotrophs, transfected human embryonic kidney cells, and brainstem neurons reveal that α-neurexins do not affect the activation or inactivation properties of Ca2+channels directly but may be responsible for coupling them to release-ready vesicles and metabotropic receptors. Our data support a general and essential role for α-neurexins in Ca2+-triggered exocytosis that is similarly important for secretion from neurons and endocrine cells.
Acute Impairment of Mitochondrial Trafficking by β-Amyloid Peptides in Hippocampal Neurons
Authors: Rui Yanfang , Tiwari Priyanka , Xie Zuoping , Zheng James Q.
Published: October 2006

Defects in axonal transport are often associated with a wide variety of neurological diseases including Alzheimer's disease (AD). β-Amyloid (Aβ) is a major component of neuritic plaques associated with pathological conditions of AD brains. Here, we report that a brief exposure of cultured hippocampal neurons to Aβ molecules resulted in rapid and severe impairment of mitochondrial transport without inducing apparent cell death and significant morphological changes. Such acute inhibition of mitochondrial transport was not associated with a disruption of mitochondria potential nor involved aberrant cytoskeletal changes. Aβ also did not elicit significant Ca2+signaling to affect mitochondrial trafficking. However, stimulation of protein kinase A (PKA) by forskolin, cAMP analogs, or neuropeptides effectively alleviated the impairment. We also show that Aβ inhibited mitochondrial transport by acting through glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β). Given that mitochondria are crucial organelles for many cellular functions and survival, our findings thus identify an important acute action of Aβ molecules on nerve cells that could potentially contribute to various abnormalities of neuronal functions under AD conditions. Manipulation of GSK3β and PKA activities may represent a key approach for preventing and alleviating Aβ cytotoxicity and AD pathological conditions.
Oligomerization of KCC2 Correlates with Development of Inhibitory Neurotransmission
Authors: Blaesse Peter , Guillemin Isabelle , Schindler Jens , Schweizer Michaela , Delpire Eric , Khiroug Leonard , Friauf Eckhard , Nothwang Hans Gerd
Published: October 2006

The neuron-specific K+–Cl−cotransporter KCC2 extrudes Cl−and renders GABA and glycine action hyperpolarizing. Thus, it plays a pivotal role in neuronal inhibition. Development-dependent KCC2 activation is regulated at the transcriptional level and by unknown posttranslational mechanisms. Here, we analyzed KCC2 activation at the protein level in the developing rat lateral superior olive (LSO), a prominent auditory brainstem structure. Electrophysiology demonstrated ineffective KCC2-mediated Cl−extrusion in LSO neurons at postnatal day 3 (P3). Immunohistochemical analyses by confocal and electron microscopy revealed KCC2 signals at the plasma membrane in the somata and dendrites of both immature and mature neurons. Biochemical analysis demonstrated mature glycosylation pattern of KCC2 at both stages. Immunoblot analysis of the immature brainstem demonstrated mainly monomeric KCC2. In contrast, three KCC2 oligomers with molecular masses of ∼270, ∼400, and ∼500 kDa were identified in the mature brainstem. These oligomers were sensitive to sulfhydryl-reducing agents and resistant to SDS, contrary to the situation seen in the related Na+–(K+)–Cl−cotransporter. In HEK-293 cells, coexpressed hemagglutinin-tagged KCC2 assembled with histidine-tagged KCC2, demonstrating formation of homomers. Based on these findings, we conclude that the oligomers represent KCC2 dimers, trimers, and tetramers. Finally, immunoblot analysis identified a development-dependent increase in the oligomer/monomer ratio from embryonic day 18 to P30 throughout the brain that correlates with KCC2 activation. Together, our data indicate that the developmental shift from depolarization to hyperpolarization can be determined by both increased gene expression and KCC2 oligomerization.