bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
XVII International AIDS Conference: From Evidence to Action ‐ Basic science
Authors: Gilden David , Kort Rodney
Published: October 2009

This article focuses on the sessions in which basic science research was presented at the XVII International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2008). It also provides an analysis of basic science issues which generated significant discussion and debate at the conference and are likely to have implications for future laboratory and clinical research. Data presented at AIDS 2008 confirmed the speed with which HIV establishes latent viral reservoirs following infection and the resulting challenges to viral eradication given how effectively HIV proviral RNA inserts itself into human DNA within these reservoirs. Studies also raised questions about the source of residual viremia and how these might be targeted by novel therapeutic approaches.

3‐8 August 2008, XVII International AIDS Conference, Mexico City, Mexico
XVII International AIDS Conference: From Evidence to Action ‐ Social, behavioural and economic science and policy and political science
Authors: Mykhalovskiy Eric , Brown Glen , Kort Rodney
Published: October 2009

AIDS 2008 firmly established stigma and discrimination as fundamental priorities in the push for universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support. Conference sessions and discussions reinforced the tangible negative effects of stigma on national legislation and policies. A strong theme throughout the conference was the need to replace prevention interventions that focus exclusively on individual behaviour change or biomedical prevention interventions with “combination prevention” approaches that address both individual and structural factors that increase vulnerability to HIV infection.

Several high‐level sessions addressed various aspects of the debate over “vertical” (disease‐specific) versus “horizontal” (health systems) funding. The majority of evidence presented at the conference suggests that HIV investments strengthen health systems through the establishment of clinical and laboratory infrastructure, strengthened supply and procurement systems, improvements in health care worker training, and increased community engagement.

Human rights were a focal point at the conference; several presentations emphasized the importance of securing human rights to achieve universal access goals, including workplace discrimination, travel restrictions, gender inequality, and the criminalization of homosexuality, drug use, sex work, and HIV transmission and/or exposure.

3‐8 August 2008, XVII International AIDS Conference, Mexico City, Mexico
XVII International AIDS Conference: From Evidence to Action ‐ Regional focus
Authors: Baijal Parijat , Kort Rodney
Published: October 2009

This article summarizes the challenges, opportunities and lessons learned from presentations, discussions and debates addressing major policy and programmatic responses to HIV in six geographical regions: Sub‐Saharan Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Latin America, Caribbean, and Middle East and North Africa. It draws from AIDS 2008 Leadership and Community Programmes, particularly the six regional sessions, and Global Village activities.

While the epidemiological, cultural and socio‐economic contexts in these regions vary considerably, several common, overarching principles and themes emerged. They include: advancing basic human rights, particularly for vulnerable and most at risk populations; ensuring the sustainability of the HIV response through long‐term, predictable financing; strengthening health systems; investing in strategic health information; and improving accountability and the involvement of civil society in the response to AIDS.

Equally important is the need to address political barriers to implementing evidence‐based interventions such as opioid substitution therapy (OST), needle and syringe programmes (NSPs), comprehensive sexuality education for youth, and sexual and reproductive rights. Finally, these regional discussions emphasized the need for legislative and policy reforms related to structural barriers facing women and girls, MSM, IDUs, sex workers and migrant populations.

3‐8 August 2008, XVII International AIDS Conference, Mexico City, Mexico
XVII International AIDS Conference: From Evidence to Action ‐ AIDS 2008 and the global response to AIDS
Authors: Kort Rodney
Published: October 2009

The impact of the XVII International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2008) was reflected in a number of commitments from political and business leaders, who announced initiatives ranging from implementing comprehensive sexual education for young people in Latin America to reducing regulatory barriers and the price of drugs in the host country. The unprecedented media coverage brought attention and public awareness to the epidemic in Latin America.

Several meetings and sessions at AIDS 2008 also addressed the potential for the International AIDS Conference to play an even stronger role in tracking progress towards universal access and in improving accountability in the global response to AIDS, particularly given some of the inherent weaknesses in the United Nations General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) review process. The impact of AIDS 2008 was strongest in Mexico, the host country, and in Latin America. Highlights included the policy changes announced by President Calderon on pharmaceutical manufacturing to the focus on sex workers and gay and other MSM in marches, activism and the conference programme.

The next two years will determine whether the successes reported in Mexico are sustained and whether there is progress in addressing the barriers that continue to hamper an evidence‐based response to HIV/AIDS. The next International AIDS Conference is scheduled for the universal address deadline of 2010.

3‐8 August 2008, XVII International AIDS Conference, Mexico City, Mexico
“Trying to Be a Good Parent” As Defined By Interviews With Parents Who Made Phase I, Terminal Care, and Resuscitation Decisions for Their Children
Authors: Hinds Pamela S. , Oakes Linda L. , Hicks Judy , Powell Brent , Srivastava Deo Kumar , Spunt Sheri L. , Harper JoAnn , Baker Justin N. , West Nancy K. , Furman Wayne L.
Published: October 2009

Purpose

When a child's cancer progresses beyond current treatment capability, the parents are likely to participate in noncurative treatment decision making. One factor that helps parents to make these decisions and remain satisfied with them afterward is deciding as they believe a good parent would decide. Because being a good parent to a child with incurable cancer has not been formally defined, we conducted a descriptive study to develop such a definition.

Methods

In face-to-face interviews, 62 parents who had made one of three decisions (enrollment on a phase I study, do not resuscitate status, or terminal care) for 58 patients responded to two open-ended questions about the definition of a good parent and about how clinicians could help them fulfill this role. For semantic content analysis of the interviews, a rater panel trained in this method independently coded all responses. Inter-rater reliability was excellent.

Results

Among the aspects of the definition qualitatively identified were making informed, unselfish decisions in the child's best interest, remaining at the child's side, showing the child that he is cherished, teaching the child to make good decisions, advocating for the child with the staff, and promoting the child's health. We also identified 15 clinician strategies that help parents be a part of making these decisions on behalf of a child with advanced cancer.

Conclusion

The definition and the strategies may be used to guide clinicians in helping parents fulfill the good parent role and take comfort afterward in having acted as a good parent.
Multinational, Double-Blind, Phase III Study of Prednisone and Either Satraplatin or Placebo in Patients With Castrate-Refractory Prostate Cancer Progressing After Prior Chemotherapy: The SPARC Trial
Authors: Sternberg Cora N. , Petrylak Daniel P. , Sartor Oliver , Witjes J. Alfred , Demkow Tomasz , Ferrero Jean-Marc , Eymard Jean-Christophe , Falcon Silvia , Calabrò Fabio , James Nicholas , Bodrogi Istvan , Harper Peter , Wirth Manfred , Berry William , Petrone Michael E. , McKearn Thomas J. , Noursalehi Mojtaba , George Martine , Rozencweig Marcel
Published: October 2009

Purpose

This multinational, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, phase III trial assessed the efficacy and tolerability of the oral platinum analog satraplatin in patients with metastatic castrate-refractory prostate cancer (CRPC) experiencing progression after one prior chemotherapy regimen.

Patients and Methods

Nine hundred fifty patients were randomly assigned (2:1) to receive oral satraplatin (n = 635) 80 mg/m2 on days 1 to 5 of a 35-day cycle and prednisone 5 mg twice daily or placebo (n = 315) and prednisone 5 mg twice daily. Primary end points were progression-free survival and overall survival (OS). The secondary end point was time to pain progression (TPP).

Results

A 33% reduction (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.67; 95% CI, 0.57 to 0.77; P < .001) was observed in the risk of progression or death with satraplatin versus placebo. This effect was maintained irrespective of prior docetaxel treatment. No difference in OS was seen between the satraplatin and placebo arms (HR = 0.98; 95% CI, 0.84 to 1.15; P = .80). Compared with placebo, satraplatin significantly reduced TPP (HR = 0.64; 95% CI, 0.51 to 0.79; P < .001). Satraplatin was generally well tolerated, although myelosuppression and GI disorders occurred more frequently with satraplatin.

Conclusion

Oral satraplatin delayed progression of disease and pain in patients with metastatic CRPC experiencing progression after initial chemotherapy but did not provide a significant OS benefit. Satraplatin was generally well tolerated. These results suggest activity for satraplatin in patients with CRPC who experience progression after initial chemotherapy.
Young Adults With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Have an Excellent Outcome With Chemotherapy Alone and Benefit From Intensive Postinduction Treatment: A Report From the Children's Oncology Group
Authors: Nachman James B. , La Mei K. , Hunger Stephen P. , Heerema Nyla A. , Gaynon Paul S. , Hastings Caroline , Mattano Leonard A. , Sather Harland , Devidas Meenakshi , Freyer David R. , Steinherz Peter G. , Seibel Nita L.
Published: October 2009

Purpose

Patients 16 to 21 years of age with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) have an inferior outcome compared with younger children, leading some medical oncologists to advocate allogeneic stem-cell transplantation in first remission for these patients. We examined outcome for young adults with ALL enrolled onto the Children's Cancer Group (CCG) 1961 study between 1996 and 2002.

Patients and Methods

CCG 1961 entered patients with ALL 1 to 21 years of age with initial WBC count ≥ 50,000/μL and/or age ≥ 10 years. Randomly assigned therapies evaluated the impact of postinduction treatment intensification on outcome. We examined outcome and prognostic factors for 262 young adults with ALL.

Results

Five-year event-free and overall survival rates for young adult patients are 71.5% (SE, 3.6%) and 77.5% (SE, 3.3%), respectively. Rapid responder patients (< 25% bone marrow blasts on day 7) randomly assigned to augmented therapy had 5-year event-free survival of 81.8% (SE, 7%), as compared with 66.8% (SE, 6.7%) for patients receiving standard therapy (P = .07). One versus two interim maintenance and delayed intensification courses had no significant impact on event-free survival. WBC count more than 50,000/μL was an adverse prognostic factor.

Conclusion

Young adult patients with ALL showing a rapid response to induction chemotherapy benefit from early intensive postinduction therapy but do not benefit from a second interim maintenance and delayed intensification phase. Given the excellent outcome with this chemotherapy, there seems to be no role for the routine use of allogeneic stem-cell transplantation in first remission for young adults with ALL.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Screening of the Contralateral Breast in Women With Newly Diagnosed Breast Cancer: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Incremental Cancer Detection and Impact on Surgical Management
Authors: Brennan Meagan Elizabeth , Houssami Nehmat , Lord Sarah , Macaskill Petra , Irwig Les , Dixon J. Michael , Warren Ruth M.L. , Ciatto Stefano
Published: October 2009

Purpose

Preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is increasingly used for staging women with breast cancer, including screening for occult contralateral cancer. This article is a review and meta-analysis of studies reporting contralateral MRI in women with newly diagnosed invasive breast cancer.

Methods

We systematically reviewed the evidence on contralateral MRI, calculating pooled estimates for positive predictive value (PPV), true-positive:false-positive ratio (TP:FP), and incremental cancer detection rate (ICDR) over conventional imaging. Random effects logistic regression examined whether estimates were associated with study quality or clinical variables.

Results

Twenty-two studies reported contralateral malignancies detected only by MRI in 131 of 3,253 women. Summary estimates were as follows: MRI-detected suspicious findings (TP plus FP), 9.3% (95% CI, 5.8% to 14.7%); ICDR, 4.1% (95% CI, 2.7% to 6.0%), PPV, 47.9% (95% CI, 31.8% to 64.6%); TP:FP ratio, 0.92 (95% CI, 0.47 to 1.82). PPV was associated with the number of test positives and baseline imaging. Few studies included consecutive women, and few ascertained outcomes in all subjects. Where reported, 35.1% of MRI-detected cancers were ductal carcinoma in situ (mean size = 6.9 mm), 64.9% were invasive cancers (mean size = 9.3 mm), and the majority were stage pTis or pT1 and node negative. Effect on treatment was inconsistently reported, but many women underwent contralateral mastectomy.

Conclusion

MRI detects contralateral lesions in a substantial proportion of women, but does not reliably distinguish benign from malignant findings. Relatively high ICDR may be due to selection bias and/or overdetection. Women must be informed of the uncertain benefit and potential harm, including additional investigations and surgery.
Laparoscopy Compared With Laparotomy for Comprehensive Surgical Staging of Uterine Cancer: Gynecologic Oncology Group Study LAP2
Authors: Walker Joan L. , Piedmonte Marion R. , Spirtos Nick M. , Eisenkop Scott M. , Schlaerth John B. , Mannel Robert S. , Spiegel Gregory , Barakat Richard , Pearl Michael L. , Sharma Sudarshan K.
Published: October 2009

Purpose

The objective was to compare laparoscopy versus laparotomy for comprehensive surgical staging of uterine cancer.

Patients and Methods

Patients with clinical stage I to IIA uterine cancer were randomly assigned to laparoscopy (n = 1,696) or open laparotomy (n = 920), including hysterectomy, salpingo-oophorectomy, pelvic cytology, and pelvic and para-aortic lymphadenectomy. The main study end points were 6-week morbidity and mortality, hospital length of stay, conversion from laparoscopy to laparotomy, recurrence-free survival, site of recurrence, and patient-reported quality-of-life outcomes.

Results

Laparoscopy was initiated in 1,682 patients and completed without conversion in 1,248 patients (74.2%). Conversion from laparoscopy to laparotomy was secondary to poor visibility in 246 patients (14.6%), metastatic cancer in 69 patients (4.1%), bleeding in 49 patients (2.9%), and other cause in 70 patients (4.2%). Laparoscopy had fewer moderate to severe postoperative adverse events than laparotomy (14% v 21%, respectively; P < .0001) but similar rates of intraoperative complications, despite having a significantly longer operative time (median, 204 v 130 minutes, respectively; P < .001). Hospitalization of more than 2 days was significantly lower in laparoscopy versus laparotomy patients (52% v 94%, respectively; P < .0001). Pelvic and para-aortic nodes were not removed in 8% of laparoscopy patients and 4% of laparotomy patients (P < .0001). No difference in overall detection of advanced stage (stage IIIA, IIIC, or IVB) was seen (17% of laparoscopy patients v 17% of laparotomy patients; P = .841).

Conclusion

Laparoscopic surgical staging for uterine cancer is feasible and safe in terms of short-term outcomes and results in fewer complications and shorter hospital stay. Follow-up of these patients will determine whether surgical technique impacts pattern of recurrence or disease-free survival.
Reporting of Time-to-Event End Points and Tracking of Failures in Randomized Trials of Radiotherapy With or Without Any Concomitant Anticancer Agent for Locally Advanced Head and Neck Cancer
Authors: Le Tourneau Christophe , Michiels Stefan , Gan Hui K. , Siu Lillian L.
Published: October 2009

Purpose

For multiple reasons, including complexities in anatomy and management, locally advanced squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck (SCCHNs) represent a challenging disease for the reporting of end points and the tracking of failures.

Methods

We retrieved all randomized trials published in English that began accrual on or after 1978 and enrolled previously untreated patients with nonmetastatic SCCHN receiving primary radiotherapy with or without any concomitant anticancer agent. The reporting of time-to-event end points and the tracking of failures in these trials were analyzed. Failures were defined as events meeting a prespecified end point definition.

Results

Forty trials involving a total of 125 time-to-event end points were identified. A total of 17 different types of end points were reported. Locoregional control and overall survival accounted for 70% of primary end points. Except for survival, the definitions used for all other end points were heterogeneous. Among 72 end points tracking locoregional failures, 29% did not define the term, whereas 64% specified the absence of complete response as a failure. Overall, the specification of details related to elective neck dissection or salvage surgery to define locoregional failures was deficient. Furthermore, it was rarely stated whether residual disease found during these procedures represents a failure. The methods and timing specifications to assess failures were frequently missing in published reports. The tracking of other types of failure beyond the first failure was reported in only one trial.

Conclusion

These results support the need to standardize the selection, definition, and reporting of time-to-event end points in clinical trials of locally advanced SCCHN.
Racial Differences in Predictors of Intensive End-of-Life Care in Patients With Advanced Cancer
Authors: Loggers Elizabeth Trice , Maciejewski Paul K. , Paulk Elizabeth , DeSanto-Madeya Susan , Nilsson Matthew , Viswanath Kasisomayajula , Wright Alexi Anne , Balboni Tracy A. , Temel Jennifer , Stieglitz Heather , Block Susan , Prigerson Holly G.
Published: October 2009

Purpose

Black patients are more likely than white patients to receive life-prolonging care near death. This study examined predictors of intensive end-of-life (EOL) care for black and white advanced cancer patients.

Patients and Methods

Three hundred two self-reported black (n = 68) and white (n = 234) patients with stage IV cancer and caregivers participated in a US multisite, prospective, interview-based cohort study from September 2002 to August 2008. Participants were observed until death, a median of 116 days from baseline. Patient-reported baseline predictors included EOL care preference, physician trust, EOL discussion, completion of a Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order, and religious coping. Caregiver postmortem interviews provided information regarding EOL care received. Intensive EOL care was defined as resuscitation and/or ventilation followed by death in an intensive care unit.

Results

Although black patients were three times more likely than white patients to receive intensive EOL care (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 3.04, P = .037), white patients with a preference for this care were approximately three times more likely to receive it (aOR = 13.20, P = .008) than black patients with the same preference (aOR = 4.46, P = .058). White patients who reported an EOL discussion or DNR order did not receive intensive EOL care; similar reports were not protective for black patients (aOR = 0.53, P = .460; and aOR = 0.65, P = .618, respectively).

Conclusion

White patients with advanced cancer are more likely than black patients with advanced cancer to receive the EOL care they initially prefer. EOL discussions and DNR orders are not associated with care for black patients, highlighting a need to improve communication between black patients and their clinicians.
Phase II Study of Alemtuzumab in Combination With Pentostatin in Patients With T-Cell Neoplasms
Authors: Ravandi Farhad , Aribi Ahmed , O'Brien Susan , Faderl Stefan , Jones Dan , Ferrajoli Alessandra , Huang Xuelin , York Sergernne , Pierce Sherry , Wierda William , Kontoyiannis Dimitrios , Verstovsek Srdan , Pro Barbara , Fayad Luis , Keating Michael , Kantarjian Hagop
Published: October 2009

Purpose

To examine the efficacy and safety of the combination of alemtuzumab and pentostatin in patients with T-cell neoplasms.

Patients and Methods

We treated 24 patients with a variety of T-cell leukemias and lymphomas with a combination of alemtuzumab 30 mg intravenously (IV) three times weekly for up to 3 months and pentostatin 4 mg/m2 IV weekly for 4 weeks followed by alternate weekly administration for up to 6 months. Prophylactic antibiotics including antiviral, antifungal, and antibacterial agents were administered during the treatment and for 2 months after its completion.

Results

The median age of patients was 57 years (range, 21 to 79 years). Eight patients were previously untreated, and 16 had a median of two prior therapies (range, one to six regimens). Thirteen patients responded to treatment (11 complete responses [CRs] and two partial responses), for an overall response rate of 54%. The median response duration was 19.5 months. Monoclonal T-cell receptor chain gene rearrangements were detected by polymerase chain reaction in bone marrow of 20 of 22 evaluable patients and became negative in five of seven evaluable patients in CR. Opportunistic infections caused by pathogens associated with severe T-cell dysfunction were common.

Conclusion

The combination of alemtuzumab and pentostatin is feasible and effective in T-cell neoplasms. Although infections, including cytomegalovirus reactivation, are a concern, they may be minimized with adequate prophylactic antibiotic therapy.
Molecular Predictors of Progression-Free and Overall Survival in Patients With Newly Diagnosed Glioblastoma: A Prospective Translational Study of the German Glioma Network
Authors: Weller Michael , Felsberg Jörg , Hartmann Christian , Berger Hilmar , Steinbach Joachim P. , Schramm Johannes , Westphal Manfred , Schackert Gabriele , Simon Matthias , Tonn Jörg C. , Heese Oliver , Krex Dietmar , Nikkhah Guido , Pietsch Torsten , Wiestler Otmar , Reifenberger Guido , von Deimling Andreas , Loeffler Markus
Published: October 2009

Purpose

The prognostic value of genetic alterations characteristic of glioblastoma in patients treated according to present standards of care is unclear.

Patients and Methods

Three hundred one patients with glioblastoma were prospectively recruited between October 2004 and December 2006 at the clinical centers of the German Glioma Network. Two hundred fifty-eight patients had radiotherapy, 199 patients had temozolomide, 189 had both, and seven had another chemotherapy as the initial treatment. The tumors were investigated for TP53 mutation, p53 immunoreactivity, epidermal growth factor receptor, cyclin-dependent kinase CDK 4 or murine double minute 2 amplification, CDKN2A homozygous deletion, allelic losses on chromosome arms 1p, 9p, 10q, and 19q, O6-methylguanine methyltransferase (MGMT) promoter methylation, and isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) mutations.

Results

Median progression-free (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 6.8 and 12.5 months. Multivariate analysis revealed younger age, higher performance score, MGMT promoter methylation, and temozolomide radiochemotherapy as independent factors associated with longer OS. MGMT promoter methylation was associated with longer PFS (relative risk [RR], 0.5; 95% CI, 0.38 to 0.68; P < .001) and OS (RR, 0.39; 95% CI, 0.28 to 0.54; P < .001) in patients receiving temozolomide. IDH1 mutations were associated with prolonged PFS (RR, 0.42; 95% CI, 0.19 to 0.91; P = .028) and a trend for prolonged OS (RR, 0.43; 95% CI, 0.15 to 1.19; P = .10). No other molecular factor was associated with outcome.

Conclusion

Molecular changes associated with gliomagenesis do not predict response to therapy in glioblastoma patients managed according to current standards of care. MGMT promoter methylation and IDH1 mutational status allow for stratification into prognostically distinct subgroups.
Practical Application of a Calculator for Conditional Survival in Colon Cancer
Authors: Chang George J. , Hu Chung-Yuan , Eng Cathy , Skibber John M. , Rodriguez-Bigas Miguel A.
Published: October 2009

Purpose

Conditional survival (CS) estimates provide important prognostic information for clinicians and patients who have survived a period after diagnosis. In this study we performed a contemporary evaluation of conditional survival among colon cancer patients and created a browser-based tool for real-time determination of conditional survival expectancies.

Patients and Methods

Patients with colon adenocarcinoma diagnosed between 1988 and 2000 were identified from the Surveillance Epidemiology End Results (SEER) registry. Conditional survival estimates were calculated by using the multiplicative law of probability after adjustment for age; sex; ethnicity; grade; and American Joint Commission on Cancer, sixth edition stage. A browser-based calculator was constructed.

Results

A total of 83,419 patients were analyzed. As the time alive after initial treatment increased from 0 to 5 years, significant improvements in CS were observed for patients in all stages except stage I, which was associated with good CS even at diagnosis and which reflected the high likelihood of cure. Notably, adjusted 5-year CS rates improved from 42% to 80% for stage IIIC cancers and from 5% to 48% for stage IV cancers during the first 5 years. Differences in cancer-related CS at diagnosis were identified on the basis of age, ethnicity, and grade, but these differences decreased over time. A browser-based CS calculator was implemented by using the multivariate survival model (concordance index, 0.81).

Conclusion

For patients with colon cancer who survive over time, 5-year, cancer-specific CS improved dramatically, and the greatest improvements were among patients with poorer initial prognoses. These prognostic data are critical to inform patients for non–treatment-related life decisions and to inform treating physicians for planning of follow-up and surveillance strategies.
Shelley's Theory of Mind: From Radical Empiricism to Cognitive Romanticism
Authors: Bruhn Mark J.
Published: October 2009

This essay reconstructs Percy Shelley's theory of mind from his letters and many unfinished essays as well as his Defence of Poetry (1821), emphasizing his radical insistence on the formal and teleological roles of analogy in human cognition, communication, and culture. Adopting the assumptions, method, and terminology he inherited from the vigorous associationist tradition in eighteenth-century British philosophy and psychology, Shelley sought to demonstrate the innate and thus indefeasible foundations of human morality, especially its master principle of social equity. His analysis took him at once to the heart of a range of psychosocial issues that are today studied under the cognitive scientific rubric of “theory of mind,” including the developmental interrelations of, and motivations for, social imitation, language acquisition, and mental representation. Taking first a historical and then a theoretical view, I argue that Shelley's elegant solution to one of the major philosophical problems of the empirical age remains surprisingly relevant to central issues in contemporary science of mind.
The Visual Experience of Image Metaphor: Cognitive Insights into Imagist Figures
Authors: Gleason Daniel W.
Published: October 2009

In this essay I investigate how image metaphors—metaphors that link one concrete object to another, such as “her spread hand was a starfish”—promote visualization in the reader. Focusing on image metaphors in Imagist poetry, I assert that the two terms (e.g., the hand and the starfish) of many of these metaphors are similar in shape and that this “structural correspondence” encourages the reader to visualize those metaphors. Readers may spontaneously form a “visual template,” a schematic middle ground that mediates between those similar shapes, in order to smoothly move between the two images within each metaphor. The structural correspondence and the mediating visual template allow readers to mentally shift back and forth between the two images, yet readers cannot fuse the two terms through visual imagery. Research supports these claims: reader reports have demonstrated that subjects understand image metaphors primarily through their physical features, and work on the visual interpretation of ambiguous figures suggests that though one cannot fuse images together, one may switch back and forth between multiple images of a figure, especially if the images share the same frame of reference. These findings indicate that readers may be particularly likely to understand image metaphor through visual imagery, especially when the terms of the metaphor correspond physically. This essay is drawn from a larger project on the “poetics of literary visualization”—a part-by-part investigation of the formal features of texts that elicit visual imagery. Such an account helps reveal the workings of the visual imagination and restore critical attention to this neglected aspect of the reading experience.
The (Neuro)-Aesthetics of Caricature: Representations of Reality in Bret Easton Ellis'sLunar Park
Authors: Baker Timothy C.
Published: October 2009

Recent research by V. S. Ramachandran and Semir Zeki has used neuroscientific methods to investigate the nature of aesthetic response. By situating their work in the context of post-Kantian aesthetic discourse, this essay demonstrates that such research provides an opportunity to bridge cognitive and artistic approaches to aesthetic experience and offers a provisional theory of art that incorporates both empirical and philosophical traditions. These theories will be considered in relation to Bret Easton Ellis's recent novel Lunar Park (2005), which focuses explicitly on questions of representation and reality. Through a juxtaposition of Ramachandran's emphasis on caricature as a central principle of art and Ellis's focus on distorted and questionable realities, this essay suggests new possibilities for the integration of cognitive science with literary and philosophical criticism.
The Languages of Art: How Representational and Abstract Painters Conceptualize Their Work in Terms of Language
Authors: Sullivan Karen
Published: October 2009

Representational and nonrepresentational (abstract) artists exhibit different conceptual processes when they describe their work. Data from ekphrastic texts written by artists to accompany their artwork show that, although both kinds of painters refer metaphorically to their art using terms such as language, vocabulary, conversation, and narrative, the two use these words in different ways and with different meanings. For example, representational painters refer to “languages” that consist of the systems of represented objects, people, or landscapes that they depict, whereas nonrepresentational painters write about “languages” composed of sets of colors or shapes. Moreover, representational artists claim to engage in a “conversation” with the viewers of their works, whereas nonrepresentational artists prefer to “converse” with their materials or canvases. In general, representational painters use metaphorical terms such as language to describe their subject matter and their artwork's effect on potential viewers, whereas nonrepresentational painters use the same words to describe colors, shapes, and their own artistic process. Artists that combine representation and abstraction in the same artwork (here termed “partly representational” artists) use some of the metaphors preferred by the purely representational artists and some of the metaphors of the nonrepresentational artists, suggesting that the presence/absence of both representation and abstraction affect the metaphors that artists use to describe their work.
Narrative Structuring of Sympathetic Response: Theoretical and Empirical Approaches to Toni Cade Bambara's “The Hammer Man”
Authors: Sklar Howard
Published: October 2009

This essay examines some of the ways that narratives produce sympathy in readers. First, I compare several models that have been proposed to explain how fictional texts structure readers' emotional responses. In this connection, I highlight some of the ways that narratological analyses of fictional narratives can complement approaches to the study of reader response that rely exclusively, or heavily, on psychological assumptions. I demonstrate some of the advantages of a narratologically based approach by analyzing in detail Toni Cade Bambara's short story “The Hammer Man.” I contend that Bambara's story systematically moves readers from dislike to sympathy for the story's protagonist. In order to verify my claims about the story's effect on readers, I also review the results of tests that I conducted to measure subjects' levels of sympathy at the beginning and the end of the story. Finally, I discuss some of the implications of the test results for literary studies.
Comparing the regression slopes of independent groups
Authors: Ng Marie , Wilcox Rand R.
Published: October 2009

In this study, we explore the effects of non‐normality and heteroscedasticity when testing the hypothesis that regression lines associated with two independent groups have the same slopes. Our results indicate that some recently proposed methods that allow heteroscedasticity and perform well in extant simulation studies do not perform well for the situation at hand. Two of the methods studied here are recommended for general use.
Teacher organizational citizenship behaviours and job efficacy: Implications for student quality of school life
Authors: Jimmieson Nerina L. , Hannam Rachel L. , Yeo Gillian B.
Published: October 2009

The present study investigated the impact of teachers' organizational citizenship behaviours (OCBs) on student quality of school life (SQSL) via the indirect effect of job efficacy. A measure of teacher OCBs was developed, tapping one dimension of individual‐focused OCB (OCBI – student‐directed behaviour) and two dimensions of organization‐focused OCB (OCBO – civic virtue and professional development). In line with previous research suggesting that OCBs may enhance job efficacy, as well as studies demonstrating the positive effects of teacher efficacy on student outcomes, we expected an indirect relationship between teachers OCBs and SQSL via teachers' job efficacy. Hypotheses were tested in a multi‐level design in which 170 teachers and their students (N=3,057) completed questionnaires. A significant proportion of variance in SQSL was attributable to classroom factors. Analyses revealed that the civic virtue and professional development behaviours of teachers were positively related to their job efficacy. The job efficacy of teachers also had a positive impact on all five indicators of SQSL. In regards to professional development, job efficacy acted as an indirect variable in the prediction of four student outcomes (i.e., general satisfaction, student–teacher relations, achievement, and opportunity) and fully mediated the direct negative effect on psychological distress.
What will the others think? In‐group norms as a mediator of the effects of intergroup contact
Authors: De Tezanos‐Pinto Pablo , Bratt Christopher , Brown Rupert
Published: October 2009

The influence of social norms in the context of intergroup relations has long been recognized by social psychologists, yet research on intergroup contact and social norms have usually remained disconnected. We explored the influence of direct and indirect friendship on attitudes towards ethnic minorities in Norway, and in particular the role of in‐group norms about the social approval of intergroup contact as a mechanism that distinguishes direct from indirect contact. Using a sample of school students from 89 classrooms (N =823), we tested this hypothesis with both one level and multi‐level structural equation modelling (ML‐SEM), where the amount of contact of other classroom members was considered as a form of indirect contact. The results suggest that the intergroup contact of other in‐group members (in‐group friends or classmates) affects attitudes towards the out‐group by changing the perception of in‐group norms and by reducing intergroup anxiety. In contrast, direct contact (or contact at the individual level in the case of ML‐SEM), improved attitudes only by reducing intergroup anxiety, and did not affect the perception of in‐group norms.
Highlight: Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms of Memory
Authors: Sies Helmut
Published: October 2009

No abstract available
EFEMP1 binds the EGF receptor and activates MAPK and Akt pathways in pancreatic carcinoma cells
Authors: Camaj Peter , Seeliger Hendrik , Ischenko Ivan , Krebs Stefan , Blum Helmut , De Toni Enrico N. , Faktorova Dagmar , Jauch Karl-Walter , Bruns Christiane J.
Published: October 2009

The EGF-related protein EFEMP1 (EGF-containing fibulin-like extracellular matrix protein 1) has been shown to promote tumor growth in human adenocarcinoma. To understand the mechanism of this action, the signal transduction activated upon treatment with this protein has been investigated. We show that EFEMP1 binds EGF receptor (EGFR) in a competitive manner relative to epidermal growth factor (EGF), implicating that EFEMP1 and EGF share the same or adjacent binding sites on the EGFR. Treatment of pancreatic carcinoma cells with purified EFEMP1 activates autophosphorylation of EGFR at the positions Tyr-992 and Tyr-1068, but not at the position Tyr-1048. This signal is further transduced to phosphorylation of Akt at position Thr-308 and p44/p42 MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) at positions Thr-202 and Tyr-204. These downstream phosphorylation events can be inhibited by treatment with the EGFR kinase inhibitor PD 153035. The observed signal transduction upon treatment with EFEMP1 can contribute to the enhancement of tumor growth shown in pancreatic carcinoma cells overexpressing EFEMP1.
Cancer Osaka thyroid (Cot) phosphorylates Polo-like kinase (PLK1) at Ser137 but not at Thr210
Authors: Wu Binhui , Jiang Ping , Mu Yuguang , Wilmouth Rupert C.
Published: October 2009

Cancer Osaka thyroid (Cot) is a proto-oncogenic kinase which belongs to the MAP3K family. A peptide-based substrate screening assay revealed that Cot has the ability to phosphorylate Polo-like kinase 1 (Plk1) at Ser137. Kinase assays with intact Plk1 and peptides surrounding Ser137 and Thr210 indicated further that Cot phosphorylates Ser137 but not Thr210. Additional support came from 3D peptide structure prediction and Cot-Plk1 interaction modeling.In vivoexperiments demonstrated that wild type Cot, but not a kinase-dead mutant, has the ability to phosphorylate Ser137. Knockdown of Cot in Hela showed a reduction in the level of phosphorylation of Ser137. These results imply for the first time that Cot might be an upstream kinase of Plk1 and suggest a new mechanism for the regulation of the cellular function of Plk1.
Coagulation factor XIII variants with altered thrombin activation rates
Authors: Andersen Mette Dahl , Kjalke Marianne , Bang Susanne , Lautrup-Larsen Inger , Becker Peter , Andersen Asser Sloth , Olsen Ole Hvilsted , Stennicke Henning R.
Published: October 2009

Coagulation factor XIII (FXIII) is activated by thrombin and catalyses crosslinking between fibrin monomers thereby providing mechanical strength to the fibrin network. V34L is a common FXIII-A polymorphism found in the activation peptide. FXIII-A V34L is activated faster by thrombin and provides formation of a tighter clot at fibrinogen concentrations in the low end of the physiological range. FXIII-A variants with potentially increased activation rates were generated. Introduction of an optimal thrombin cleavage site, V34L+V35T, increased the activation rate 7.6-fold and facilitated the formation of a fibrin network more resistant to fibrinolysis than obtained with wt FXIII-A. In contrast, introduction of fragments of fibrinopeptide A into the activation peptide resulted in severely impaired activation rates.
Binding and activation of the human plasma kinin-forming system on the cell walls of Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis
Authors: Karkowska-Kuleta Justyna , Kozik Andrzej , Rapala-Kozik Maria
Published: October 2009

Bacterial infections often upregulate the plasma kinin-forming cascade of the host (the ‘contact system’) which is triggered by adsorption of high molecular mass kininogen (HK), coagulation factor XII (FXII) and prekallikrein (pHPK) on the host or pathogen cell surfaces. A possible activation of the contact system upon infection of the human host by major fungal pathogens of Candida species has not been extensively explored until a recent report of tight binding of HK to the cell walls of these fungi. In the current study, the adsorption of the other contact system components to the cell surfaces of Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis was characterized. FXII was found to be tightly bound by Candida germ tube forms, to a level 5-fold higher than that for HK. In contrast, pHPK bound poorly but its additional amounts could dock to the cell wall through the surface-bound HK. It was also shown that within the complex of these proteins assembled on the cell walls of fungal hyphae, pHPK could be activated by FXIIa and the active HPK effectively produced kinins from HK. It is suggested that kinins, released at the Candida cell wall, can promote host colonization by the pathogen and the development of infection.
Set-theoretic State Observation of Disturbed Linear Systems with Parametric UncertaintiesMengentheoretische Zustandsbeobachtung linearer Systeme unter Störungen und Parameterunbestimmtheiten
Authors: de Léon Cantón Plinio , Lunze Jan
Published: October 2009

This publication presents a method for guaranteed state observation of uncertain linear systems, which is based on polyhedric approximations of the state sets. The method computes minimal enclosures of the set of reachable states that are consistent with the inputs, the outputs and the system dynamics. The main result is a new method for the determination of these sets, which is less conservative than the methods currently used. The efficiency of this state-set observation method is illustrated by its application to a mobile robot.
Das Internet der Energie. Trends in der Automatisierung von EnergienetzenInternet for Energy
Authors: Rehtanz Christian , Wietfeld Christian
Published: October 2009

Der Prozess der elektrischen Energieübertragung und -verteilung wird durch das europaweite Marktgeschehen und die Integration erneuerbarer Energiequellen zunehmend komplexer. Die Informations-, Kommunikations- und Leittechnik muss diesen Herausforderungen neue Lösungen entgegensetzen. Trends und Ansätze hierzu werden in diesem Artikel vorgestellt.
Test statischer Eigenschaften ausgewählter NeigungssensorenTest of Static Properties of a Variety Tiltmeters
Authors: Woschitz Helmut
Published: October 2009

Im Bauwesen werden Neigungssensoren bei unterschiedlichsten Anwendungen eingesetzt. Neben statischen Anwendungen wie Überwachungsmessungen werden sie zunehmend bei kinematischen Vermessungsaufgaben, z. B. der Positionierung von Fertigteilen, eingesetzt. Eine Genauigkeit von 0,01° ist für viele Anwendungen ausreichend. Gewohnte Verfahren wie die Umschlagmessung sind aber oftmals nicht möglich, weshalb die Stabilität der Kenngrößen der Sensoren essenziell ist. In diesem Beitrag werden einfache Tests zur Überprüfung statischer Eigenschaften vorgestellt und Resultate von 11 ausgewählten Neigungssensoren zusammengefasst. Ein weiterer Beitrag beschäftigt sich mit der Bestimmung dynamischer Eigenschaften.
Erprobung eines Messsystems mit Datenbus und dezentraler Datenspeicherung für den Einsatz bei FallprüfungenValidation of a Measuring System with Data Bus and Local Data Recording for Application in Drop Tests
Authors: Bartholmai Matthias , Werner Klaus-Dieter , Kammermeier Michael , Köppe Enrico
Published: October 2009

Zur Untersuchung der Sicherheit von Behältern für den Transport und die Lagerung von Gefahrstoffen und -gütern werden Fallprüfungen durchgeführt. Die Aufpralldynamik und die strukturmechanischen Einwirkungen auf den Behälter werden mittels Beschleunigungsaufnehmern und Dehnungsmessstreifen erfasst. Dabei kommen derzeit Vielkanalmesssysteme zum Einsatz, die eine Verkabelung jeder einzelnen Messstelle und somit das Mitfallen eines Kabelbaums erfordern, wodurch Probleme bei der Versuchsvorbereitung und Durchführung entstehen. Die Verwendung eines Messsystems mit Datenbus und dezentraler Datenspeicherung bietet diesbezüglich einen vielversprechenden Lösungsansatz.
Comparison of Mating Designs for Establishing Nested Association Mapping Populations in Maize and Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Stich Benjamin
Published: October 2009

The nested association mapping (NAM) strategy promises to combine the advantages of linkage mapping and association mapping. The objectives of my research were to (i) investigate by computer simulations the power and type I error rate for detecting quantitative trait loci (QTL) with additive effects using recombinant inbred line (RIL) populations of maize derived from various mating designs, (ii) compare these estimates to those obtained for RIL populations of Arabidopsis thaliana, (iii) examine for both species the optimum number of inbreds used as parents of the NAM populations, and (iv) provide on the basis of the results of these two model species a general guideline for the design of NAM populations in other plant species. The computer simulations were based on empirical data of a set of 26 diverse maize inbred lines and a set of 20 A. thaliana inbreds both representing a large part of the genetic diversity of the corresponding species. I observed considerable differences in the power for QTL detection between NAM populations of the same size but created on the basis of different crossing schemes. This finding illustrated the potential to improve the power for QTL detection without increasing the total resources necessary for a QTL mapping experiment. Furthermore, my results clearly indicated that it is advantageous to create NAM populations from a large number of parental inbreds.