bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Lateral Sinus Thrombosis Associated With Mastoiditis and Otitis Media in Children
Authors: Ghosh Partha S. , Ghosh Debabrata , Goldfarb Johanna , Sabella Camille
Published: May 2011

The authors describe the clinical features and management of lateral sinus thrombosis associated with mastoiditis and otitis media in children. Of 475 patients with mastoiditis and otitis media, 13 (2.7%) had lateral sinus thrombosis identified by magnetic resonance imaging/magnetic resonance venography (n = 11) and angiography (n = 2). Clinical features included headache, vomiting, fever, diplopia, papilledema, sixth nerve palsy, seventh nerve palsy, and unilateral cerebellar ataxia. All patients received antibiotics for 1 to 8 weeks. Four patients underwent mastoidectomy alone, 5 mastoidectomy with concurrent myringotomy and ventilation tube, and 1 myringotomy with tube without mastoidectomy. Three underwent anticoagulation for 6 months (1 had heterozygous factor V Leiden mutation). All survived; deafness occurred in 5 patients (4 transient, 1 persistent). Magnetic resonance imaging/magnetic resonance venography should be obtained in any child with otitis media having features of raised intracranial pressure and/or focal neurodeficits to rule out lateral sinus thrombosis. Antibiotics and mastoidectomy are essential in management. A hypercoagulable state may predispose to lateral sinus thrombosis.
Neonatal Swallowing Assessment and Practical Recommendations for Oral Feeding in a Girl With a Severe Congenital Myopathy
Authors: van den Engel-Hoek Lenie , Erasmus Corrie E. , de Swart Bert J. M. , Sie Lilian T. L. , de Groot Imelda J. M.
Published: May 2011

The investigators report the case of a 6-week-old girl with a cap-like congenital myopathy and frequent coughing during feeding. Neonatal swallowing assessments were performed with surface electromyography of the submental muscle group and nasal airflow during sucking and swallowing. A videofluoroscopic swallow study was performed separately. The registration of swallowing and breathing revealed a highly coordinated sequence of sucking, swallowing, and breathing. However, after a series of sucking and swallowing there was residue in the hypopharyngeal area, causing laryngeal penetration and coughing. Based on the findings, specific recommendations such as the use of a soft nipple, diminished suck–swallow sequences, and limited feeding time were made for this girl. These proved to be appropriate to prevent coughing as a signal of penetration or aspiration of milk during swallowing. This case highlights the profit of neonatal swallowing assessment, which can provide recommendations for safe oral feeding.
Lessons from “Post-Yugoslav” Democratization
Authors: Džihić Vedran , Segert Dieter
Published: May 2011

State weakness is one of the main obstacles for democratic stability. Yet under certain circumstances even a mere electoral democracy may gain stable support from the citizenry. Mere electoral democracy is best understood as a regime of elite governance endowed by a certain support from the citizens but without any ambition of the ruling elite to increase the quality of democratic rule. This article explores the historical reasons of this specific type of political regime in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Serbia. Departing from the empirical examples from the Western Balkans, the article comes to some rather general conclusions about the concept and sequence of democratization: Conducting elections too early may produce serious challenges to sustainable democratization. The general population’s primary interest mostly lies in the stabilization of state apparatus and its ability to produce common goods rather than in the fast establishment of electoral democracy and formal democratic institutions. For a better understanding of the real level of specific course and paths of democratic “consolidation,” the democracy rankings like Nations in Transit and Bertelsmann should focus on in-depth analyses of the main actors’ political and economic practices.
Thermoset polyimide matrix resins with improved toughness and high Tg for high temperature carbon fiber composites
Authors: Qu Ximing , Ji Mian , Fan Lin , Yang Shiyong
Published: May 2011

Thermoset polyimide matrix resins with high melt processability for high-temperature carbon fiber composites were prepared from the diethyl ester of 3,3′,4,4′-benzophenonetetracarboxylic acid (BTDE) and the aromatic diamine mixtures consisting of 4,4′-bis(4-amino-2-trifluoromethylphenoxy)biphenyl (6FBAB) and p-phenylenediamine ( p-PDA) with the monoethyl ester of 5-norbornene-2,3-dicarboxylic acid (NE) as the molecular-weight-controlling and reactive endcapping agent. The effects of diamine mixture compositions on the melt processability of the B-staged oligoimides and the thermal and mechanical properties of the thermally cured polyimide resins were systematically investigated. Experimental results indicated that the polyimide matrix resins with p-PDA concentration of ≤ 40% in 6FBAB + p-PDA showed lower melt viscosities, corresponding to a higher melt processability, than the conventional thermoset polyimide (PMR-15). After thermal curing, the thermoset polyimides exhibited a very good combination of thermal and mechanical properties with the glass transition temperature (Tg) of as high as 353 °C determined by differential scanning calorimetry and impact strength of 15.2 kJ m−2. Carbon fiber-reinforced composite derived from the representative polyimide resin showed good mechanical properties at temperatures of as high as 288 °C.
An Atropa belladonna L. poisoning with acute subdural hematoma
Authors: Cıkla Ulas , Turkmen Suha , Karaca Yunus , Ayaz Ahmet Faik , Turedi Suleyman , Gunduz Abdulkadir
Published: May 2011

Atropa belladonna L. is a plant long known to cause poisoning. But no cases of acute subdural hematoma resulting from such poisoning have been reported so far. Care must also be taken in terms of acute pancreatitis and rhabdomyolysis in cases of such poisoning. The plant may sometimes be mistaken for the Caucasian blueberry, V. arctostaphylos L. At least one anti-cholinesterase toxidrome finding was determined in all the nine cases of belladonna poisoning in this series. No elevated creatine kinase was reported in one case with acute subdural hematoma and hyperamylasemia.
Association of the PTPN22 R620W polymorphism with increased risk for SLE in the genetically homogeneous population of Crete
Authors: Eliopoulos E , Zervou MI , Andreou A , Dimopoulou K , Cosmidis N , Voloudakis G , Mysirlaki H , Vazgiourakis V , Sidiropoulos P , Niewold TB , Boumpas DT , Goulielmos GN
Published: May 2011

Autoimmune diseases affect approximately 5% of the population, but much work remains to define the genetic risk factors and pathogenic mechanisms underlying these conditions. There is accumulating evidence that common genetic factors might predispose to multiple autoimmune disorders. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are complex autoimmune disorders with multiple susceptibility genes. The functional R620W (C1858T) polymorphism of the protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor type 22 ( PTPN22) gene, a member of the PTPs that negatively regulate T-cell activation, has been recently associated with susceptibility to various autoimmune diseases. The aim of this study was to assess whether the C1858T polymorphism of PTPN22 also confers increased risk for SLE and RA in the genetically homogeneous population of Crete. It was found that the minor T allele of the PTPN22 C1858T SNP was more common in SLE patients than in control individuals (odds ratio [OR] = 1.91, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.11 to 3.9, p = 0.017). No significant difference was observed in the frequency of this allele when RA patients were compared with controls (OR = 1.14, 95% CI = 0.65 to 1.9, p = 0.64). Although the PTPN22 1858 T allele is found at decreased frequency in Southern Europe, including Crete, an association was found between this allele and SLE in the population studied.
‘Holy War Made in Germany’? Ottoman Origins of the 1914 Jihad
Authors: Aksakal Mustafa
Published: May 2011

From the beginning the 1914 Ottoman jihad proclamation was portrayed by the Allies as the linchpin of a German scheme to revolutionize Muslim populations in the territories of Berlin’s enemies: in British Egypt and India, in French North Africa, and in the Russian Caucasus and Central Asia. This article questions the cliché of the German jihad by situating the 1914 declaration in its deeper Ottoman historical context. Did the Ottomans need Berlin’s blandishments to convince them of the advantages of issuing a jihad ( jihād) declaration in 1914?
The Spanish Foreign Legion during the Asturian Uprising of October 1934
Authors: Álvarez José E.
Published: May 2011

In October 1934 socialists in Spain attempted to seize control of the government in response to a perceived fascist threat by the present right-leaning government. The uprising failed everywhere except for Asturias, where socialists, anarchists, and communists joined in a united front led by radicalized coal miners. The uprising turned into a full-scale social revolution which threatened the nascent Second Republic. Fearful that conscripts were incapable of dealing with such a serious threat, the government turned to the battle-tested ‘Army of Africa’, composed of the Spanish Foreign Legion and the Moroccan Regulares. By employing the Army of Africa the government was able to quickly and ruthlessly crush the rebellious miners and restore order to Asturias. The use of the Army of Africa in 1934 would serve as a harbinger of what was to come for Spain in the summer of 1936.
Resource War, Civil War, Rights War: Factoring Empire into French North Africa’s Second World War
Authors: Thomas Martin
Published: May 2011

This article considers the Second World War’s socio-economic impact on the colonized populations of French North Africa’s three adjoining territories: Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. It suggests that the war’s significance for the long-term political future of French colonial rule was markedly different from that typically ascribed to it both by contemporary French and Allied observers and by subsequent historians of the conflict. This argument will be developed by contrasting the signpost events usually assigned to north-west Africa in strategic histories of the Second World War with the internal episodes, socio-political trends, and local changes in the fabric of colonial rule that, arguably, held greater importance for the region’s people.
Perceptions of Diabetes Symptoms and Self-Management Strategies
Authors: Barko Rimma , Corbett Cynthia F. , Allen Carol B. , Shultz Jill Armstrong
Published: May 2011

Purpose: The purpose of this research was to compare and contrast perceived symptoms of type 2 diabetes mellitus and self-management strategies between Russian-speaking Slavic immigrant American women and non-Hispanic, nonimmigrant White American women. Methods: The qualitative–descriptive study design was conducted with a convenience sample of Slavic immigrant women 50 years of age and older with type 2 diabetes ( n = 10), and non-Hispanic, nonimmigrant White American women 50 years of age and older with type 2 diabetes ( n = 10). Results: Slavic immigrants reported more global holistic symptoms of diabetes, whereas nonimmigrants reported more specific physiological somatic symptoms. The nonimmigrant women used more complex diabetes self-management techniques compared with the Slavic group. A lack of education and awareness of hypoglycemia may contribute to less medication adherence in Slavic immigrants and may prevent them from being motivated to participate in diabetes self-management. Discussion and Conclusions: Health care providers caring for Slavic immigrant women with diabetes need to be aware that these women may fail to recognize the symptoms of hypoglycemia and seldom acknowledge depression, although depressive symptoms are often present. Culturally congruent health care will increase adherence and improve health outcomes for Slavic immigrant women.
Strategic Linkages: The Evolving Role of Trade Agreements in Global Environmental Governance
Authors: Jinnah Sikina
Published: May 2011

Recently negotiated linkages between trade and environmental agreements have the potential to enhance environmental regime effectiveness in ways that have been impossible under environmental treaties alone. Specifically, the 2009 U.S.—Peru Trade Promotion Agreement (TPA) contains the most prescriptive environmental directives found in any U.S. trade agreement to date and pioneering provisions linking environmental treaty implementation to the TPA’s much stronger dispute-settlement procedures. The combination of these two elements has begun to catalyze Peru’s implementation of relevant environmental provisions and a corresponding potential for regime effectiveness improvements. Simultaneously, these prescriptive provisions contributed to catastrophic social unrest in Peru that must be acknowledged and addressed by policy makers in the United States and abroad before this agreement is exported to other countries.
The Challenges of Certifying Tropical Community Forests: A Case Study From Honduras
Authors: Bieri Mari , Nygren Anja
Published: May 2011

This article examines the challenges involved in certifying tropical community forestry operations, by drawing on a case study of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified community forest management in Honduras. We identify social, economic, and environmental factors that require increased attention to improve certification as an instrument for sustainable community forest management, and discuss the linkages between these factors. The complexity of resource rights, the heterogeneity of forest users, and the difficulty of small Southern producers in competing in certified markets would need specific attention concerning certified community forestry. Concerning environmental sustainability, the focus in fragmented community forests under low-intensive logging should be directed toward landscape connectivity and forest restoration instead of reducing mechanical logging damage. Finally, without changes to the position of small Southern producers in the global trade networks, the ability of certifications to create sustainable livelihoods is limited.
The Relationship Between Behavior Change Strategies, Physical Activity, and Fruit and Vegetable Intake Following a Cardiac Event
Authors: Nies Mary A. , Dierkhising Ross A. , Thomas Randal J. , Vickers Kristin , Salandy Simone
Published: May 2011

Objective: To assess expectations for recovery and use of behavior change strategies as predictors of subsequent diet and physical activity among adults recently hospitalized for a cardiac event. Design: Quasi-experimental design in which adults with recent cardiac event-related hospitalization completed surveys assessing health behaviors and attitudes immediately post-discharge and three months later. Results: Among those completing the study (n = 323), positive expectations about recovery and more frequent use of behavior change skills predicted greater physical activity and better nutrition at follow-up. In multivariate models, baseline health behavior was a significant predictor of physical activity and fruit and vegetable intake at follow-up (alpha = 0.05). Conclusions: Individuals participating in physical activity and eating a heart-healthy diet approximately three months after cardiac hospitalization possessed behavior change skills. Early intervention is critical as health behaviors occurring just days after hospitalization predicted future health behavior.
In Vitro Cytotoxic Evaluation of Processed Natural Coral in Human Osteoblasts
Authors: Omar Nor Shamsuria , Kannan Thirumulu Ponnuraj , Ismail Abdul Rashid , Abdullah Siti Fadilah , Samsudin Abdul Rani , Hamid Suzina Sheikh Abdul
Published: May 2011

This study aimed to evaluate the in vitro cytotoxic effects of locally produced processed natural coral (PNC) using human osteoblasts (HOS). Cytotoxicity was not observed when HOS cells were cultured with PNC, as assessed by (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2-5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide; MTT) and Neutral Red (NR) assays at concentration up 200 mg/mL for up to 72 hours. Flow cytometry (FCM) analysis showed that PNC (200 mg/mL) did not decrease viability of HOS cells after 48 and 72 hours of treatment. In a cell attachment study, the HOS cells attached to the edge of the PNC disc, and later grew into the pores of the PNC disc. All results from these studies indicate that locally produced PNC material is noncytotoxic and favors the growth of HOS cells.
Using Antecedent Exercise to Decrease Challenging Behavior in Boys With Developmental Disabilities and an Emotional Disorder
Authors: Cannella-Malone Helen I. , Tullis Christopher A. , Kazee Aline R.
Published: May 2011

Some individuals with developmental disabilities and emotional disorders may engage in challenging behavior that can result in the use of aversive procedures and/or seclusion from typically developing peers. They may also engage in low levels of physical activity. One way to decrease challenging behaviors while increasing overall levels of physical health may be to provide access to exercise systematically throughout the day. This study used a multiple-baseline across-participants design to investigate the effects of antecedent exercise on the challenging behavior of three boys with moderate to severe developmental disabilities and an emotional behavior disorder. Each participant engaged in eight daily exercise sessions ranging in duration from 1 to 20 min throughout the entire school day across school settings. Challenging behavior decreased to zero for two participants and near zero for the third participant.
Recognizing medicalization and demedicalization: Discourses, practices, and identities
Authors: Halfmann Drew
Published: May 2011

Scholars of the medicalization of social problems have paid inadequate attention to medicalization’s multiple dimensions – discourses, practices and identities – and to the multiple levels of analysis at which it occurs – macro, meso and micro. As a result, scholars of a given social problem typically examine only a few aspects of its medicalization, fail to recognize changes in medicalization, and miss occasions where medicalization and demedicalization occur simultaneously. Moreover, by conceptualizing medicalization as a category or state rather than a continuous value, and failing to specify the threshold at which a phenomenon becomes ‘medicalized’ or ‘demedicalized’, scholars have discouraged attention to demedicalization. The article provides a new typology of medicalization and illustrates its utility through an analysis of two episodes in American abortion history. Previous analysts of these episodes miss many aspects of medicalization and disagree about whether these episodes involve medicalization or demedicalization. The typology helps resolve these differences.
Network gatekeeping: Complementary medicine information on the websites of medical institutions
Authors: Keshet Yael
Published: May 2011

Integrative medicine – complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practised in mainstream healthcare organizations – combines medical treatments based on incommensurable paradigms. As the Internet has been portrayed as a crucial pathway to CAM and sites administered by reputable organizations are considered to be relatively reliable sources of medical information, the research sought to explore and compare the ways in which CAM is presented on the Internet websites of diverse medical institutions. The contents of the websites of the Ministry of Health, the Israeli Medical Association and Israeli healthcare organizations were analysed, using an interdisciplinary theory of network gatekeeping. The websites were analysed not only according to the degree to which they are considered to be informative, but also with regard to the perceptions of integration that they convey. Comparison of the websites of community healthcare organizations and hospitals indicates that while the former display CAM treatments as an attractive commodity, the latter convey a message stressing the need to subject CAM to bio-medical scrutiny. Little or no information was provided concerning a number of important issues, such as research findings about efficacy and safety, risks and ethical considerations.
Europeanization and the political economy of active labour market policies
Authors: van Vliet Olaf , Koster Ferry
Published: May 2011

Previous studies show that reforms in labour market policies differ across countries. This may be partly owing to the impact of European integration on these policy reforms. Whereas most of these studies are qualitative case studies, the present study aims at explaining cross-national variation in expenditures on active labour market policies (ALMPs) quantitatively. Relying on pooled time-series data, the study tests whether and how Europeanization influenced activation. The analyses lead to the conclusion that the European Employment Strategy (EES) has contributed to shifts from passive to active labour market policies. Using new indicators, we trace the impact of specific mechanisms of the EES, resulting in evidence for the influence of mutual learning through the peer review programme.
Sociocultural study of immigrant suicide-attempters: An ecological perspective
Authors: Chung Irene
Published: May 2011

•  Summary: This article discusses the findings of a qualitative study with a sample of suicide attempters in the Chinese immigrant community of New York City from an ecological perspective.

•  Findings: The narratives of the participants delineate the pathway of their suicide attempts as the culmination of an interactive process of stressors, mental illness, and diminished help-seeking behavior, compounded by immigrant-specific issues, cultural meanings of distress and social barriers to resources.

•  Application: The transactional dynamics of these risk factors underscore the importance of adopting an integrative and contextualized stance of inquiry in suicide studies and initiating a broad-based community effort in suicide prevention.
Perceptions of Part-Time Faculty by Chairpersons of Undergraduate Health Education Programs
Authors: Price James H. , Braun Robert E. , McKinney Molly A. , Thompson Amy
Published: May 2011

In recent years, it has become commonplace for universities to hire part-time and non–tenure track faculty to save money. This study examined how commonly part-time faculty are used in health education and how they are used to meet program needs. The American Association of Health Education’s 2009 “Directory of Institutions Offering Undergraduate and Graduate Degree Programs in Health Education” was used to send a three-wave mailing to programs that were not schools of public health ( n = 215). Of the 125 departments (58%) that responded, those that used part-time faculty averaged 7.5 part-time faculty in the previous academic year, teaching on average a total of 10 classes per year. A plurality of departments (38%) were currently using more part-time faculty than 10 years ago and 33% perceived that the number of part-time faculty has resulted in decreases in the number of full-time positions. Although 77% of department chairs claimed they would prefer to replace all of their part-time faculty with one full-time tenure track faculty member. As colleges downsize, many health education programs are using more part-time faculty. Those faculty members who take part-time positions will likely be less involved in academic activities than their full-time peers. Thus, further research is needed on the effects of these changes on the quality of health education training and department productivity.
Successful Recruitment and Retention of Latino Study Participants
Authors: Reidy Mary Clare , Orpinas Pamela , Davis Marsha
Published: May 2011

A high prevalence of risk behaviors among the rapidly growing Latino youth population in the United States adds urgency to the need to identify effective recruitment and retention strategies for research studies and prevention programs. The objectives of this study are to (a) describe the culturally responsive recruitment and retention strategies used in the Familias Fuertes–Georgia program and (b) discuss the evaluation of the relative importance of these strategies. Familias Fuertes (i.e., Strong Families) is a community-based, primary prevention program for families in Latin America with children between the ages of 10 and 14 years. The main program goal is to reduce high-risk behaviors among adolescents by strengthening family relationships and promoting self-regulation and positive conflict resolution strategies. A pilot feasibility study was conducted to determine the appropriateness of the Familias Fuertes program for Latino families living in the United States. To promote participation, 15 culturally responsive recruitment and retention strategies were developed using a three-step process. These strategies contributed to the successful recruitment and retention of Familias Fuertes–Georgia study participants. Participating parents, the community liaison, and the community leader evaluated the relative importance of the 15 culturally responsive recruitment and retention strategies. Three of the strategies emerged as more important than others: face-to-face recruitment by the community liaison; bilingual, bicultural, and experienced facilitators; and free on-site child care. Further research is needed to develop strategies promoting the participation of male caregivers/fathers.
Assessing Self-Regulation in Individuals With Visual Impairments
Authors: Argyropoulos Vassilios , Sideridis Georgios D. , Botsas George , Padeliadu Susana
Published: May 2011

The purpose of the present study was to assess self-regulation of students with visual impairments across two academic subjects, language and math. The participants were 46 Greek students with visual impairments who completed self-regulation measures across the subject matters of language and math. Initially, the factorial validity of the scale was established. In turn, results pointed to the existence of a single universal self-regulation functioning pattern in individuals with visual impairments across subject matters (at the mean level). Measurement invariance was also observed at the item level through imposing equality constraints between items from different subjects. Based on the findings, it is suggested that self-regulation is not context specific for individuals with visual impairments.
‘I don’t f***ing care!’ Marginalia and the (textual) negotiation of an academic identity by university students
Authors: Attenborough Frederick Thomas
Published: May 2011

This article charts the ways in which students negotiate an academic identity whilst pursuing academic tasks that are publicly observable precisely as ‘academic tasks’ to their peers. Previous research into aspects of student interaction that take place within university tutorial sessions has suggested that different kinds of student identity come into conflict as students interact, face-to-face. Most notably, the imperative of ‘doing education’ — as a keen proto-academic seeking a good final degree classification — is often overridden by the imperative of ‘doing being a student’ — as an average and/or indifferent student who does not stand out. In this article, however, it is not the university tutorial but a slightly different and hitherto unexplored site of interaction that is foregrounded: the university library textbook. As with tutorials, the margins of library textbooks are spaces within which individually accomplished research becomes publicly observable — in the former as group work, and in the latter as student marginalia. Drawing on discourse analytic concepts such as ‘footing’ and ‘stake’ this article seeks to understand what student marginalia can tell us about the ways in which the tension between ‘doing education’ and ‘doing being a student’ is managed and negotiated in sites other than the university tutorial.
Text, lies and electronic bait: An analysis of email fraud and the decisions of the unsuspecting
Authors: Freiermuth Mark R
Published: May 2011

Despite the preponderance of advance fee fraud scams, many in society still fall victim to such con games. The internet has provided scammers with an opportunity to perpetrate fraud on a global scale. In particular, the 419 email scam has become a popular tool used by scammers to entice their victims. Our purpose is to establish rhetorical moves that exist in these 419 messages, and then analyze the intention of the scammers behind each move — a scam must shake the potential victim out of the status quo behavior. In other words, how is the content of particular moves able to facilitate change in a potential victim’s mind, goading him or her to unwise action? After examining each move in light of features considered necessary for mind change, it was determined that the scammers are most concerned about building solidarity with the mark and playing to a mark’s egocentrism, both of which keep the mark from making well-informed decisions.
Doing disagreement in the House of Lords: ‘Talking around the issue’ as a context-appropriate argumentative strategy
Authors: Robles Jessica S.
Published: May 2011

In this article I analyze talk in a political setting to demonstrate how disagreement-relevant practices are fitted to context to accomplish a kind of argumentative strategy. I propose that in the British Parliament’s House of Lords, interlocutors deal with dilemmas of disagreement by doing something I refer to as ‘talking around the issue’, a practice involving 1) institutional positioning , 2) display of emotionality, and 3) orientation to the issue . I suggest that these practices are indicative of institutional norms, but also comprise some of the argumentative resources available to interactants in everyday argumentative practice. These practices also reflect key areas of interest in disagreement and conflict research related to context, style, and issues in conflict.
Facts, opinions, and media spectacle: Exploring representations of business news on the internet
Authors: Tan Sabine
Published: May 2011

In the 21st century, the field of business and finance has become a media spectacle. Not only have advances in technology changed the ways in which audiences engage with business information, the pervasiveness of internet and cable television networks has led to the emergence of new hybrid forms of business news discourse, blending verbiage, images, graphics, audio, and video clips. Combining discourse analysis, social semiotic theory, and other interdisciplinary approaches, this article explores the multiple ways in which business news are mediated on the internet by continuous 24-hour business news networks such as Bloomberg, CNBC, FOXBusiness, and Reuters. In particular, this article is concerned with how events are contextualized, that is, how identities and social relationships are constructed and represented within and across different modes, media, and networks. The analysis focuses on what is foregrounded or backgrounded, what is thematized or unthematized in each mode and medium, and what process types and categories are drawn upon to represent events, social actors, and social (inter)actions. In this context, special interest is being paid to the semiotic shifts or transformations (and ensuing re-contextualizations) that multimodal representations undergo across modes, media, and news networks.
The Value of a Mentor
Authors: Scharbach Dan
Published: May 2011

A series of articles regarding management techniques.
Early human cytomegalovirus replication after transplantation is associated with a decreased relapse risk: evidence for a putative virus-versus-leukemia effect in acute myeloid leukemia patients
Authors: Elmaagacli Ahmet H. , Steckel Nina K. , Koldehoff Michael , Hegerfeldt Yael , Trenschel Rudolf , Ditschkowski Markus , Christoph Sandra , Gromke Tanja , Kordelas Lambros , Ottinger Hellmut D. , Ross Rudolf S. , Horn Peter A. , Schnittger Susanne , Beelen Dietrich W.
Published: May 2011

The impact of early human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) replication on leukemic recurrence was evaluated in 266 consecutive adult (median age, 47 years; range, 18-73 years) acute myeloid leukemia patients, who underwent allogeneic stem cell transplantation (alloSCT) from 10 of 10 high-resolution human leukocyte Ag-identical unrelated (n = 148) or sibling (n = 118) donors. A total of 63% of patients (n = 167) were at risk for HCMV reactivation by patient and donor pretransplantation HCMV serostatus. In 77 patients, first HCMV replication as detected by pp65-antigenemia assay developed at a median of 46 days (range, 25-108 days) after alloSCT. Taking all relevant competing risk factors into account, the cumulative incidence of hematologic relapse at 10 years after alloSCT was 42% (95% confidence interval [CI], 35%-51%) in patients without opposed to 9% (95% CI, 4%-19%) in patients with early pp65-antigenemia (P < .0001). A substantial and independent reduction of the relapse risk associated with early HCMV replication was confirmed by multivariate analysis using time-dependent covariate functions for grades II to IV acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease, and pp65-antigenemia (hazard ratio = 0.2; 95% CI, 0.1-0.4, P < .0001). This is the first report that demonstrates an independent and substantial reduction of the leukemic relapse risk after early replicative HCMV infection in a homogeneous population of adult acute myeloid leukemia patients.
How I treat the acquired von Willebrand syndrome
Authors: Tiede Andreas , Rand Jacob H. , Budde Ulrich , Ganser Arnold , Federici Augusto B.
Published: May 2011

The acquired von Willebrand syndrome (AVWS) is a bleeding disorder that is frequently unrecognized or is misdiagnosed as von Willebrand disease. AVWS is characterized by structural or functional defects of von Willebrand factor (VWF) that are secondary to autoimmune, lymphoproliferative or myeloproliferative, malignant, cardiovascular, or other disorders. VWF abnormalities in these disorders can result from (1) antibody-mediated clearance or functional interference, (2) adsorption to surfaces of transformed cells or platelets, or (3) increased shear stress and subsequent proteolysis. Diagnosis can be challenging as no single test is usually sufficient to prove or exclude AVWS. Furthermore, there are no evidence-based guidelines for management. Treatments of the underlying medical condition, including chemo/radiotherapy, surgery, or immunosuppressants can result in remission of AVWS, but is not always feasible and successful. Because of the heterogeneous mechanisms of AVWS, more than one therapeutic approach is often required to treat acute bleeds and for prophylaxis during invasive procedures; the treatment options include, but are not limited to, desmopressin, VWF-containing concentrates, intravenous immunoglobulin, plasmapheresis or recombinant factor VIIa. Here, we review the management of AVWS with an overview on the currently available evidence and additional considerations for typical treatment situations.
A genome-wide association study identifies novel loci associated with susceptibility to chronic myeloid leukemia
Authors: Kim Dong Hwan (Dennis) , Lee Seung-Tae , Won Hong-Hee , Kim Seonwoo , Kim Min-Ji , Kim Hee-Jin , Kim Sun-Hee , Kim Jong-Won , Kim Hyeoung-Joon , Kim Yeo-Kyeoung , Sohn Sang Kyun , Moon Joon Ho , Jung Chul Won , Lipton Jeffrey H.
Published: May 2011

In the current study, we identified 2 genetic markers for susceptibility to chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) using a genome-wide analysis. A total of 2744 subjects (671 cases and 2073 controls) were included, with 202 Korean CML patients and 497 control subjects enrolled as a discovery set. Significant findings in the discovery set were validated in a second Korean set of 237 patients and 1000 control subjects and in an additional Canadian cohort of European descent, including 232 patients and 576 control subjects. Analysis revealed significant associations of 2 candidate loci, 6q25.1 and 17p11.1, with CML susceptibility, with the lowest combined P values of 2.4 × 10−6 and 1.3 × 10−12, respectively. Candidate genes in those regions include RMND1, AKAP12, ZBTB2, and WSB1. The locus 6q25.1 was validated in both Korean and European cohorts, whereas 17p11.1 was validated only in the Korean cohort. These findings suggest that genetic variants of 6q25.1 and 17p11.1 may predispose one to the development of CML.
Development and characterization of APRIL antagonistic monoclonal antibodies for treatment of B-cell lymphomas
Authors: Guadagnoli Marco , Kimberley Fiona C. , Phan Uyen , Cameron Katherine , Vink Paul M. , Rodermond Hans , Eldering Eric , Kater Arnon P. , van Eenennaam Hans , Medema Jan Paul
Published: May 2011

APRIL (A proliferation-inducing ligand) is a TNF family member that binds two TNF receptor family members, TACI and BCMA. It shares these receptors with the closely related TNF family member, B-cell activating factor (BAFF). Contrary to BAFF, APRIL binds heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs), which regulates cross-linking of APRIL and efficient signaling. APRIL was originally identified as a growth promoter of solid tumors, and more recent evidence defines APRIL also as an important survival factor in several human B-cell malignancies, such as chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). To target APRIL therapeutically, we developed two anti–human APRIL antibodies (hAPRIL.01A and hAPRIL.03A) that block APRIL binding to BCMA and TACI. Their antagonistic properties are unique when compared with a series of commercially available monoclonal anti–human APRIL antibodies as they prevent in vitro proliferation and IgA production of APRIL-reactive B cells. In addition, they effectively impair the CLL-like phenotype of aging APRIL transgenic mice and, more importantly, block APRIL binding to human B-cell lymphomas and prevent the survival effect induced by APRIL. We therefore conclude that these antibodies have potential for further development as therapeutics to target APRIL-dependent survival in B-cell malignancies.
Bronchoalveolar lavage for the evaluation of interstitial lung disease: is it clinically useful?
Authors: Meyer K.C. , Raghu G.
Published: May 2011

Although the application of thoracic high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) to clinical pulmonology has revolutionised the diagnostic approach to patients with suspected interstitial lung disease (ILD), additional testing is often needed to make a confident ILD diagnosis.

Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) can play a significant role in making an accurate and confident diagnosis of specific forms of ILD. When BAL is used in conjunction with comprehensive clinical information and HRCT, BAL nucleated immune cell patterns can frequently provide useful information for diagnostic evaluation and lessen the need to proceed to more invasive procedures, such as surgical lung biopsy.

Additionally, BAL can identify confounding conditions, such as infection or malignancy. However, BAL technique, and protocols for processing and analysing BAL fluid are critically important for providing useful information.

This perspective reviews the current status of using BAL as a diagnostic tool for the diagnosis of ILD.
A 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine/valproate combination induces cytotoxic T-cell response against mesothelioma
Authors: Leclercq S. , Gueugnon F. , Boutin B. , Guillot F. , Blanquart C. , Rogel A. , Padieu M. , Pouliquen D. , Fonteneau J-F. , Grégoire M.
Published: May 2011

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is an aggressive tumour with a limited response to conventional therapy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anticancer effect of a DNA methyltransferase inhibitor, 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine (5-azaCdR), and two histone deacetylase inhibitors, valproic acid (VPA) and suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA).

Human mesothelioma cells were treated with each epigenetic drug, either alone or in combinations. The cytotoxic effects on treated cells and the expression of specific tumour antigens were evaluated. The recognition of treated cells by a specific CD8+ T-cell clone was also measured. Additionally, the effect of combined treatments was tested in a murine model of mesothelioma.

We showed that VPA and SAHA synergised with 5-azaCdR to kill MPM cells and induce tumour antigen expression in the remaining living tumour cells. As a consequence, tumour cells expressing these antigens were recognised and lysed by specific CD8+ cytotoxic T-cells.In vivo, treatment with 5-azaCdR/VPA inhibited tumour growth, and promoted lymphocyte infiltration and an immune response against tumour cells.

Appropriate epigenetic drug combinations, in addition to inducing mesothelioma cell death, also affect the immunogenic status of these cells. This property could be exploited in clinical investigations to develop MPM treatments combining chemotherapeutic and immunotherapeutic approaches.
TACE/TGF-α/EGFR regulates CXCL8 in bronchial epithelial cells exposed to particulate matter components
Authors: Øvrevik J. , Refsnes M. , Totlandsdal A.I. , Holme J.A. , Schwarze P.E. , Låg M.
Published: May 2011

Airborne particulate matter (PM) may induce or exacerbate neutrophilic airway disease by triggering the release of inflammatory mediators, such as CXC chemokine ligand (CXCL)8, from the airway epithelium. It is still unclear which PM components are driving CXCL8 responses, as most candidates occur at low concentrations in the dusts. We therefore hypothesised that different PM constituents may contribute through common mechanisms to induce CXCL8.

Human bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B) were exposed to different PM components (Zn2+/Fe2+salts, 1-nitropyrene, lipopolysaccharide and diesel exhaust/mineral particles). Gene expression patterns were detected by real-time PCR array. CXCL8 responses were measured by real-time PCR and ELISA. CXCL8 regulation was assessed with a broad inhibitor panel and neutralising antibodies. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) phosphorylation was examined by immunoprecipitation and Western blotting.

Component-induced gene expression was mainly linked to nuclear factor-κB, Ca2+/protein kinase C, phospholipase C, low-density lipoprotein and mitogenic signalling. Many inhibitors attenuated CXCL8 release induced by all PM components, but to varying extents. However, EGFR inhibition strongly reduced CXCL8 release induced by all test compounds and selected compounds increased EGFR phosphorylation. Interference with transforming growth factor (TGF)-α or tumour necrosis factor-α-converting enzyme (TACE), which mediates TGF-α ectodomain shedding, also attenuated CXCL8 release.

Different PM constituents induced CXCL8 partly through similar signalling pathways but the relative importance of the different pathways varied. However, TACE/TGF-α/EGFR signalling appears to be a convergent pathway regulating innate immune responses of airway epithelial cells upon exposure to multiple airborne pollutants.
Association between domestic mould and mould components, and asthma and allergy in children: a systematic review
Authors: Tischer C. , Chen C-M. , Heinrich J.
Published: May 2011

Critical reviews over the past 10 yrs have found increased respiratory and allergic health outcomes for children living in damp and mouldy environments. However, recent studies have suggested that early childhood exposure to specific mould components may actually protect children from developing allergy.

We conducted a systematic review of observational studies published in English from January 1980 to July 2010. This review was conducted according to systematic guidelines for Meta-analyses of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (MOOSE). The literature was searched using a computerised bibliographic database, PubMed. In order to increase the quality of the reviewed studies, meta-analyses of the effects of visible mould exposure on allergic health outcomes were performed and we evaluated the findings according to the Bradford Hill criteria for evidence of causation.

The literature search identified 1,398 peer-reviewed scientific publications, and 61 studies that fulfilled the inclusion criteria were included in this review. We observed increased risks of allergic respiratory health outcomes in children exposed to visible mould and mould spores. These findings were confirmed by the results of the meta-analysis and in line with the evaluation criteria according to Bradford Hill. Visible mould was positively associated with asthma (OR 1.49 (95% CI 1.28–1.72)), wheeze (OR 1.68 (95% CI 1.48–1.90)) and allergic rhinitis (OR 1.39 (95% CI 1.28–1.51)). However, there was a tendency of lower risk for allergic health outcomes in children exposed to mould-derived components such as (1,3)-β-d-glucan and extracellular polysaccharides.

These findings suggest that home environments with visible mould and mould spore exposure increase the risk of allergic respiratory health outcomes in children. However, further investigations are needed to examine the effects of exposure to mould-derived components as the current literature is inconclusive. In order to disentangle the different effects of overall microbial exposure on children’s health, research should focus on specific microbial markers in the home, in combination with new assessment techniques including molecular methods.
E-cadherin gene polymorphisms in asthma patients using inhaled corticosteroids
Authors: Ierodiakonou D. , Postma D.S. , Koppelman G.H. , Boezen H.M. , Gerritsen J. , ten Hacken N. , Timens W. , Vonk J.M.
Published: May 2011

E-cadherins form intercellular junctions that maintain epithelial integrity. Epithelial integrity is impaired in asthma and can be restored by inhaled corticosteroids (ICSs). Our aim was to investigate the association ofCDH1gene polymorphisms (single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs)) with airway remodelling, inflammation and forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) decline in asthma patients and assess whether ICSs modulate these effects.

Bronchial biopsies of 138 asthmatics were available (population 1). Associations of 17 haplotype-tagging SNPs with epithelial E-cadherin expression, biopsy parameters and FEV1/vital capacity (VC) ratio were tested. FEV1and VC data were collected in 281 asthmatics with 30-yr follow-up (population 2). Linear mixed-effect models were used to assess associations of SNPs with FEV1decline.

Seven out of the 17 SNPs were associated with airway remodelling, three with CD8+ T-cell counts, two with eosinophil counts and seven with FEV1decline. All associations occurred only in patients using ICS. In general, alleles associated with less remodelling correlated with less FEV1decline and higher FEV1/VC. Decreased epithelial E-cadherin expression was associated with five SNPs in non-ICS users.

In conclusion, our data show thatCDH1polymorphisms are associated with epithelial E-cadherin expression and suggest that epithelial adhesion is an important contributor to airway remodelling and lung function in asthma. These effects are modified by the use of inhaled corticosteroids.
GC/MS based metabolomics: development of a data mining system for metabolite identification by using soft independent modeling of class analogy (SIMCA)
Authors: Tsugawa Hiroshi , Tsujimoto Yuki , Arita Masanori , Bamba Takeshi , Fukusaki Eiichiro
Published: May 2011

Background

The goal of metabolomics analyses is a comprehensive and systematic understanding of all metabolites in biological samples. Many useful platforms have been developed to achieve this goal. Gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC/MS) is a well-established analytical method in metabolomics study, and 200 to 500 peaks are routinely observed with one biological sample. However, only ~100 metabolites can be identified, and the remaining peaks are left as "unknowns".

Result

We present an algorithm that acquires more extensive metabolite information. Pearson's product-moment correlation coefficient and the Soft Independent Modeling of Class Analogy (SIMCA) method were combined to automatically identify and annotate unknown peaks, which tend to be missed in routine studies that employ manual processing.

Conclusions

Our data mining system can offer a wealth of metabolite information quickly and easily, and it provides new insights, particularly into food quality evaluation and prediction.