bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
‘I take a small amount of the real product’: Elevated cholesterol and everyday medical reasoning in liminal space
Authors: Hoel Felde Lina Klara
Published: December 2010

The medical consequences of elevated cholesterol are widely known, as are the medical regimens to control and manage it. At the same time, elevated cholesterol is bereft of bodily signs. Being symptomless places the condition in a no man’s land: people with elevated cholesterol are assessed as medically sick but their bodies signal wellness. In this article I refer to this ambiguous grey area, betwixt and between being healthy and being sick, as liminal space . The aim of this article is to show how people manage the symptomless condition of elevated cholesterol in liminal space. Particular attention is paid to everyday medical reasoning in that space. Based on interviews with people with elevated cholesterol, I show that medical regimens are ‘up against’ — challenged by — a variety of competing conditions in everyday life, illustrating ambiguity. Facing this dilemma between medicine and everyday life, they ongoingly need to navigate — edit, modify, adjust — medical regimens against everyday conditions. This navigating work can be seen as ritualized strategies to sort ambiguity. People with elevated cholesterol do not so much act ‘against medical regimens’ as they simultaneously need to take account of other matters they are up against in trying to stay healthy. Medical regimens are sometimes central, sometimes peripheral. Adapting medical regimens to the situation at hand, people continuously comply with medical regimens, producing and reproducing medical regimens in moral contexts of everyday life.
‘I put it on the back burner most days’: Living with chronic risk
Authors: Etchegary Holly
Published: December 2010

Continued advances in genetics and genomics research suggest that more and more people will be identified ‘at risk’ for common diseases such as cancer, heart disease or diabetes. A perspective for understanding how people adapt to and manage inherited risk, as well as identifying differences in individual response to DNA information would be useful in the planning and provision of genetics health services. This article adopts a ‘chronic risk’ perspective to explore living at risk of Huntington disease (HD), a fatal genetic disorder. Qualitative data analysis suggested two broad themes that illustrated living with chronic risk: (1) biographical disruption, including threats to self-identity and changes to relationships with others; and (2) zones of relevance, the conditions under which risk is or is not salient. Findings are relevant to the provision of genetics health services, particularly in follow-up support to individuals at risk for HD and their families.
The theory into practice dilemma: Lesson planning challenges facing Botswana student-teachers
Authors: Boikhutso Keene
Published: December 2010

The aim of this study is to examine the problems facing University of Botswana’s PostGraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) student-teachers with respect to their pedagogical practices during school placements. The study attempts to locate the issue of lesson plans and use of behavioural objectives within the general discourse on school improvement. It highlights the strengths and weaknesses of behavioural objectives, particularly the focus on the input—output process model of teaching and learning. Methods used to collect data for this study include mainly document analysis and classroom observations. The results revealed that student-teachers are more predisposed to rely on the use of knowledge and comprehension-type of behavioural verbs in their lesson plans. PGDE student-teachers appeared to face a number of difficulties such as poor articulation of instructional objectives; heavy reliance on traditional didactic teaching-learning approaches; failure to specify ‘Conditions’ under which learning is ultimately evaluated and; the failure to determine the ‘Degree of Mastery’ expected of the learners. The article concludes by suggesting the shift to medium- to long-term goals of education as an alternative to the existing pedagogical practices.
National student research fairs as evidence for progress in Qatar’s Education for a New Era
Authors: Anderson Margery K. , Tarfa Nasser Alnaimi  , Shaikha Hamad Alhajri
Published: December 2010

During the past decade, the State of Qatar has positioned itself as a leader of educational reform. In 2004, Education for a New Era (ENE) established internationally benchmarked curriculum in Qatari ‘Independent Schools’. Educational reform was to provide an educated workforce and economic prosperity based on a competitive, knowledge-based economy. Visible evidence of this goal are the Qatar National Research Fairs that showcase those students who are developing the skills necessary for a knowledge based economy. This study analyzes the difficulties of implementing national research fairs as a part of a nascent educational reform, and the initial achievements. Through interviews with teachers, students, fair organizers, and written student surveys, data were obtained on the quality and depth of the research skills acquired. As the three authors were the fair organizers and advocates, this research is practitioner-based. The data are primarily qualitative in nature. The evidence gathered indicates that common Western/European assumptions about the value of individual competition, dispassionate rubrics, and learning strategies for a successful knowledge economy are challenged by cultural and religious educational traditions.
Improving the learning process in the latest prefabricated school buildings
Authors: Pons Oriol , Oliva Josep-Manuel , Maas Sandra-Ruth
Published: December 2010

Since 2000 hundreds of school centers have been constructed in Catalonia using industrialized technologies. These centers are modern, useful, educational edifices built using advantageous prefabricated technologies that improve the building process and reduce the environmental impact of the building. This article analyses whether these technologies can have a positive influence upon learning activities. For example, it studies the viability of carrying out educational projects about the school building itself in the near future. First, there is an introduction about the prefabrication of hundreds of schools since 2000. Next, there is an analysis of the main architectural features that belong to these industrialized school buildings. The following part studies if these architectural features could have an impact on the learning process and/or affect the curriculum. The next part analyses this teaching process by interviewing several schools’ teaching staff. Finally, conclusions are drawn and recommendations are made for future educational projects.
Method and Analysis of a Dynamic Simulation of Ondol Heating
Authors: Sun Kuk Kim  , Hong Hiki , Kim Sihwan , Jeong Tai Kim
Published: December 2010

Ondol heating, a kind of radiant floor heating, is the main form of heating being used in housing units in Korea. Although Ondol can provide a more comfortable and healthy indoor environment than any other form of heating systems, a more precise simulation is required to further improve the system to prevent over and under heating of the housing environment. However, due to complexity, building energy simulation has so far not been performed, for systems such as Ondol and other relevant facilities. For evaluating energy consumption and indoor temperature variation, a new method has been proposed. In this study, a dynamic simulation of Ondol heating was carried out by combining TRNSYS and EES. This new system of building simulation could contribute to determine over or under heating of the system in a housing unit. The simulation results of a typical housing unit in Korea showed a good trend in a viewpoint of actual behaviour of Ondol heating, maintaining a comfortable and healthy indoor environment with less energy consumption.
Health-enhancing Architectural Features of Modern Hanok, Experienced in and Desired by Korean Residents
Authors: Lee Yeunsook , Lee Yeakoo , Jang Miseon , Jang Myunghee
Published: December 2010

One of the essential functions of the modern residential buildings should be to support health and well-being of occupants in a holistic way. The purpose of this research is to evaluate the health-friendly features of a Modern Hanok (Korean urban traditional house), much valued by residents of these types of homes. In this research, the factors related to ‘‘health and well-being’’ were considered as parts of a holistic concept including assessment of physical/physiological, psychological/ emotional and social health dimensions. The health friendly architectural characteristics of Modern Hanok were identified based on literature survey and classified according to the Murtha and Lee’s U.B.C Theory of three health dimensions. A questionnaire study involving 300 residents of Modern Hanok and apartment homes was conducted to analyse the various ‘‘health supportabilities’’ of Modern Hanok. The similarities and dissimilarities of the two sets of residents were analysed, together with the perceived health-related features. The study has provided a new perspective of the interactive relationship, both systematically and empirically, between objective health-related architectural features and subjective perception of occupants, to inform architects to design homes that would encompass the healthy features of Modern Hanok for modern contemporary healthy living of Korean residents.
Being there is everything!
Authors: Gook Ben
Published: December 2010

This article explores ideas of public memory, commemoration and ritual in the commemoration of the 20th Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall at Brandenburg Gate. The article proposes a novel theory of commemoration as interpassive ritual. It brings together accounts of ideology, psychoanalysis and memory. Commemoration is discussed as a moment of intensified public memory in which ideology and the unconscious are deeply embedded. Chief theoretical sources here are Edward S. Casey, Robert Pfaller and Slavoj Žižek. The article explores the role of ideology in commemoration and the potential of subjects to escape subjection through interpassive rituals. In the article’s second half, the historical events of 1989 are recalled in order to understand why a German subject would seek to enjoy a commemoration of the Berlin Wall’s fall.
Painful memories: Chronic pain as a form of re-membering
Authors: Burton Tess
Published: December 2010

Advances in scientific research enable chronic pain to be understood as a form of body memory. Inquiring into chronic pain can expand our understanding of the processes of memory and, in particular, can illuminate configurations of modern and postmodern memory as they are constructed and mediated through mundane, concrete and corporeal experiences.
Memory dispositifs and national identities: The case of Ned Kelly
Authors: Basu Laura
Published: December 2010

Enduring cultural memories are never made by politicians, monuments or individual media representations alone, although both media and politics (or power relations) are essential to their existence; they are formed and develop through a tangle of relations that reaches back and forth across time. Although questions of media, temporality and power have all been crucial to the field of memory studies, little work has been done on exactly how these elements interact to form memories that shift over time and what work they do in terms of identity formation and negotiation. Using the case of Australian outlaw Ned Kelly and the idea of a memory dispositif, this article will explore some of these types of relations and how they function to assemble complex and contradictory group identities.
Beyond the sadness: Memories and homecomings among survivors of ‘ethnic cleansing’ in a Bosnian village
Authors: Halilovich Hariz
Published: December 2010

The 11 new marble headstones erected at the small village cemetery at the outskirts of Hegići in late July 2007 outnumbered the number of people who had returned to the village. Only the dates of death engraved on the white headstones revealed that most of the people buried that day died together on the same day in July 1992. The small congregation of some 50 people, made up of surviving relatives and neighbours coming from afar, mourned in dignity and prayed for the souls of the victims of the massacre. Through ethnography of a collective funeral for the victims of ‘ethnic cleansing’ in a small Bosnian village, and reflexive narrative analysis of the past and present realities of the survivors, this article explores the complex relationship between memory, place and reconciliation in post-war Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The other side of the story
Authors: Monchamp Anne Marie
Published: December 2010

When people chose to share stories with me during my fieldwork, in the Australian Central Desert community of Alpurrurulam, it was common for the story to be prefaced with the idiom ‘I’m gonna give you that story’. These sorts of statements emphasize the relationship between myself and the speaker, pointing to the unique nature of the stories I was given. I was not regarded as a passive listener in this context, but rather I, as a particular person, helped to shape the narratives of the past that were shared with me. We all share our memories in significant ways with the world around us. It is the case across cultures that we learn to remember with, around and through engaging with people. In this, culture plays an important role in shaping the ways that people remember, recall and recount their lives. This article will look at the interdisciplinary and intercultural challenges which face the re-telling of tales in memory studies from the perspective of the listener and, in the case of researchers, the reporter.
‘Piercing memories’: Empty spaces in the histories of Argentinean families - personal reflections
Authors: Bietti Lucas M.
Published: December 2010

This brief article particularly focuses on my ‘piercing memories’ of the 1976—83 military dictatorship when visiting a photography exhibition about the missing people. As an Argentinean born in Buenos Aires 30 years ago, I do not have many personal recollections of the period of dictatorship, yet the photographs of the exhibition act as external memory devices, enabling me to reconstruct and re-encounter both the largely forgotten and unarticulated personal experiences as well as the socially shared memories about what happened under the dictatorship. Despite the lack of first-hand knowledge and direct suffering — I do not have a missing relative - my ‘piercing memories’ of this traumatic period in Argentinean history are still very emotionally loaded and play a central role in defining my identity and personal motivations.
Circumnavigating La Realidad
Authors: Reade Paul
Published: December 2010

In the case of the 1994 Zapatista uprising in Chiapas, Mexico, memory has been imagined as a conduit for both the recurrence of trauma and the possibility of redemption. My travels through the order and chaos of Chiapas, which is in a state of counter-insurgency or ‘low-intensity warfare’, revealed a multiplicity of memories and forms of remembering. Focusing on anthropologist Michael Taussig’s ideas of the ‘death-space’ and ‘silencing’, I will show how through story-telling the idea of memory can be understood to transcend discourses of trauma and redemption.
The emerging role of lenalidomide in the management of lymphoid malignancies
Authors: Batoo Sameer A. , Hernandez-Ilizaliturri Francisco
Published: December 2010

Lenalidomide, a novel immunomodulatory drug (IMiD), is a promising therapeutic strategy for patients with relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and B-cell lymphomas. Biologically, the mechanisms responsible for lenalidomide activity are yet to be clearly defined. Based on preclinical models and early correlative studies conducted in parallel to clinical trials, lenalidomide has been found to enhance natural killer (NK)- and T-cell activity against tumor cells, alter the balance of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in the tumor bed, inhibit angiogenesis, and, to a lesser degree, induce cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in cancer cells. Together, all of these biological effects appear to play a role in the activity observed in CLL or lymphoma patients treated with lenalidomide. Given the effect in NK- and T-cell function, lenalidomide is an alternative strategy to enhance the antitumor activity of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). Clinical responses have been observed in patients with relapsed/refractory CLL, follicular lymphoma, small lymphocytic lymphoma, mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) treated with lenalidomide single agent. The favorable toxicity profile and route of administration made the use of lenalidomide an attractive therapy for certain types of patients (i.e. elderly, chemotherapy unfit, etc.). The erratic but serious incidence of tumor lysis syndrome and/or tumor flare reactions provides challenges in the incorporation of lenalidomide in the management of previously untreated CLL or CLL/lymphoma patients with bulky adenopathy. Correlative studies and/or retrospective analysis of lenalidomide-treated patients had identified several biomarkers associated with clinical endpoints in CLL (i.e. changes in tumor necrosis factor alpha [TNF-α] or vascular endothelial growth factor [VEGF] levels) or DLBCL (non-GCB phenotype) patients, but need to be validated. Early studies evaluating the efficacy and toxicity of lenalidomide in combination with rituximab in previously untreated indolent lymphoma are promising and warrant further study. In addition, the evaluation of lenalidomide in the maintenance setting or in combination with other target-specific agents (i.e. proteasome inhibitors) in aggressive lymphomas is being addressed in ongoing clinical trials. In summary, lenalidomide is emerging as a biologically active and novel agent in the treatment of B-cell neoplasms. Future translational and clinical studies will further define the role of lenalidomide in the management of de novo or relapsed/refractory CLL or B-cell lymphomas and identify the subset of patients most likely to gain clinical benefit.
When the brakes are lost: LNK dysfunction in mice, men, and myeloproliferative neoplasms
Authors: Oh Stephen T.
Published: December 2010

Aberrant JAK-STAT signaling is a hallmark of myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs). These hyperproliferative disorders are classically associated with activating mutations in tyrosine kinases such as JAK2 and the thrombopoietin (TPO) receptor MPL. Activation of JAK-STAT signaling and responses to JAK2 inhibitors have been observed in MPN patients lacking JAK2 or MPL mutations, suggesting that other regulatory elements in the JAK-STAT pathway are altered. However, the molecular basis for this observation has been unclear. Recently, the role of inhibitory regulators of JAK-STAT signaling in MPN pathogenesis has been increasingly recognized. LNK is an adaptor protein that forms a negative feedback loop by binding to MPL and JAK2 and inhibiting downstream STAT activation. Murine models indicate that loss of LNK function can promote the development of a MPN phenotype. Several recent studies have identified novel LNK mutations in MPNs, thus validating this notion in humans. These findings represent a novel genetic paradigm of loss of negative feedback regulation of JAK-STAT activation in MPNs and have implications for the future development of targeted therapies in MPNs.
JAK2 allele burden in the myeloproliferative neoplasms: effects on phenotype, prognosis and change with treatment
Authors: Vannucchi Alessandro M. , Pieri Lisa , Guglielmelli Paola
Published: December 2010

The field of Philadelphia-chromosome-negative chronic myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) has recently witnessed tremendous advances in the basic knowledge of disease pathophysiology that followed the identification of mutations in JAK2 and MPL. These discoveries led to a revision of the criteria employed for diagnosis by the World Health Organization. The prognostic role of the JAK2 V617F mutation and of its allelic burden has been the objective of intensive research using a variety of cellular and animal models as well as in large series of patients. While a definitive position cannot yet been taken on all of the issues, there is a consensus that the presence of higher V617F allele burden, that is on the basis of a stronger activation of intracellular signalling pathways, is associated with the clinical phenotype of polycythemia vera and with defined haematological and clinical markers indicative of a more aggressive phenotype. On the other hand, a low allele burden in myelofibrosis is associated with reduced survival. Finally, a significant reduction of JAK2 V617F allele burden has been demonstrated in patients treated with interferon, while the effects of novel JAK1 and JAK2 inhibitors have not yet been fully ascertained.
An Opportunity for Improving Osteoporosis Treatment in Home Health Care
Authors: Switzer Julie A. , Rolnick Sharon J. , Jackson Jody M. , Schneider Nicole K. , Dutkowski Jeanne E. , Edgett Denise R.
Published: December 2010

Purpose: To examine osteoporosis prevention and treatment among home health care (HHC) patients at risk of fragility fracture in a large, Midwestern integrated HHC system. Methods: All patients who received HHC services in 2006 were identified. International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision ( ICD-9) diagnosis codes and pharmaceutical data were examined between January 1, 2004 and December 31, 2005 to determine risk status (high vs average) for fragility fracture. Patients with a documented diagnosis of osteoporosis, osteopenia, previous fragility fracture, stroke, or those taking a glucocorticoid were categorized as high risk. Pharmaceutical data (eg, estrogen, bisphosphonates) were obtained during the same 2-year period to determine treatment status. Descriptive statistics documented the proportion at high risk and treatment status. Inferential statistics tested differences in characteristics (age, gender, race, number of comorbidities) among high-risk patients with and without treatment. Results: 2798 patients were seen in HHC during 2006 and had utilization data available in 2004 and 2005. Of these, 754 were categorized as high risk and 2044 as average risk. Approximately one third (34%) of high-risk patients received osteoporosis medication compared to 4% of average risk ( P < .0001). We found no treatment differences based on age. Those with higher comorbidity profiles were less likely to receive treatment ( P < .0001). Conclusion: Only 34% of HHC patients at high risk for fracture received adequate treatment. Patients with more comorbidities were least likely to receive treatment. Since these individuals are receiving medical and nursing care, an opportunity exists to increase treatment rates for those at greatest risk.
A Novel Method of Ring Removal From the Aging Finger
Authors: Kates Stephen L.
Published: December 2010

A simple, inexpensive method for removal of a ring from a swollen finger in elderly patients is described. This technique is similar to application of an Esmarch bandage prior to a surgical procedure. The technique uses a sheet rubber blood-drawing tourniquet, a hemostat, and a lubricant. In over 250 cases, this method has failed only once and no complications have been noted.
Prevention and Clinical Management of Hip Fractures in Patients With Dementia
Authors: Menzies Isaura B. , Mendelson Daniel A. , Kates Stephen L. , Friedman Susan M.
Published: December 2010

Hip fractures and dementia increase exponentially with age, and patients who are afflicted by both conditions suffer significant morbidity and mortality. The aging of our population heightens the need to recognize the interaction of these conditions in order to improve our efforts to prevent hip fractures, provide acute care that improves outcomes, and provide secondary prevention and rehabilitation that returns patients to their previous level of functioning. Identification and treatment of vitamin D deficiency and osteoporosis and assessment and interventions to reduce falls in patients with dementia can significantly impact the incidence of first and subsequent hip fractures. Acute management of hip fractures that focuses on comanagement by orthopedic surgeons and geriatricians and uses protocol-driven geriatric-focused care has been shown to decrease mortality, length of hospitalization, readmission rates, and complications including delirium. Patients with mild-to-moderate dementia benefit from intensive geriatric rehabilitation to avoid nursing home placement. Recognizing the need to optimize primary and secondary prevention of hip fractures in patients with dementia and educating providers and families will lead to improved quality of life for patients affected by dementia and hip fractures.
Collaborative Learning and the Importance of the Discussion Board
Authors: Wilson Michelle , Fairchild Claudine
Published: December 2010

Distance education appears to be a relatively new idea to many, yet its roots are at least 160 years old. A number of formal diagnostic medical sonography programs are adopting this learning vehicle; therefore, more avenues for educational success are being encountered. One instructional tool often implemented for both asynchronous and synchronous courses is the discussion board. This article describes the various aspects a discussion board can lend to enhance the sense of a learning community.
Lung function, radiological changes and exposure: analysis of ATSDR data from Libby, MT, USA
Authors: Weill D. , Dhillon G. , Freyder L. , Lefante J. , Glindmeyer H.
Published: December 2010

In 2000, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR; Atlanta, GA, USA) investigated lung disease in those exposed to the tremolite-contaminated vermiculite mine in Libby, MT, USA. Previously unreported spirometric results are presented here in relation to exposure and radiographic findings.

4,524 study participants were assigned to one of seven mutually exclusive exposure categories. Associations among radiographic findings, spirometric results and exposure were investigated, along with the effect of a reduction in exposure potential when production was moved to a wet process mill in the mid 1970s.

Spirometry data for the total population by smoking status and age were within the normal range. Prevalence of pleural plaque increased with age, but was lowest in the environmentally exposed group (0.42–12.74%) and greatest in the W.R. Grace & Co. mineworkers (20–45.68%). For males, there was a significant (4.5%) effect of pleural plaques on forced vital capacity. For W.R. Grace & Co. workers and household contacts, a reduction in plaque (0.11versus1.64%) and in diffuse pleural thickening or costophrenic angle obliteration (1.94 and 0.13%) was noted for those exposed after 1976.

These analyses do not support a clinically important reduction in spirometry of this cohort. The 1976 reductions in exposure have led to decrease in radiographic changes.
Free fatty acids and the metabolic syndrome in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea
Authors: Barceló A. , Piérola J. , de la Peña M. , Esquinas C. , Fuster A. , Sanchez-de-la-Torre M. , Carrera M. , Alonso-Fernandez A. , Ladaria A. , Bosch M. , Barbé F.
Published: December 2010

Obesity and metabolic syndrome (MS) occur frequently in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS). We hypothesised that circulating free fatty acids (FFAs) are elevated in OSAS patients independently of obesity. This elevation may contribute to the development of MS in these patients.

We studied 119 OSAS patients and 119 controls. Participants were recruited and studied at sleep unit of our institution (Hospital Universitari Son Dureta, Palma de Mallorca, Spain) and were matched for sex, age and body mass index (BMI). The occurrence of MS was analysed by clinical criteria. Serum levels of FFAs, glucose, triglycerides, cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein–cholesterol, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, γ-glutamyltransferase, C-reactive protein and 8-isoprostanes were determined.

Prevalence of MS was higher in OSAS than in the control group (38versus21%; p = 0.006). OSAS patients had higher FFAs levels than controls (mean±sd12.2±4.9versus10.5±5.0 mg·dL−1; p = 0.015). Among subjects without MS, OSAS patients (OSAS+ MS-) showed higher levels of FFAs than controls (OSAS- MS-) (11.6±4.7versus10.0±4.4 mg·dL−1; p = 0.04). In a multiple regression model, after adjustment for age, sex, BMI and the presence of MS, FFAs were significantly associated with apnoea/hypopnoea index (p = 0.04).

This study shows that FFAs are elevated in OSAS and could be one of the mechanisms involved in the metabolic complications of OSAS.
Long-term efficacy of bosentan in treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension in children
Authors: Hislop A.A. , Moledina S. , Foster H. , Schulze-Neick I. , Haworth S.G.
Published: December 2010

The aim of the present study was to evaluate a 5-yr experience of bosentan in children with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). A retrospective, observational study was made of children in the UK Pulmonary Hypertension Service for Children (Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK) who were given bosentan as monotherapy or in combination, from February 2002 to May 2008 and followed up for ≥6 months.

Detailed studies were made of 101 children with idiopathic PAH (IPAH) (n = 42) and PAH associated with congenital heart disease (n = 59). Before treatment, World Health Organization (WHO) functional class, 6-min walk distance (6MWD), height, weight and haemodynamic data were determined. Evaluations were analysed after 6 months and annually to a maximum of 5 yrs.

Median duration of treatment was 31.5 months. Initial improvement in WHO functional class and 6MWD was maintained for up to 3 yrs. Height and weight increased but the z-scores did not improve. After 3 yrs, bosentan was continued as monotherapy in only 21% of children with IPAH, but in 69% of repaired cases and 56% of those with Eisenmenger syndrome. The Kaplan–Meier survival estimates for the 101 patients were 96, 89, 83 and 60% at 1, 2, 3 and 5 yrs, respectively.

A treatment regime that includes bosentan is safe and appears to be effective in slowing disease progression in children with PAH.
Periostin, a matrix protein, is a novel biomarker for idiopathic interstitial pneumonias
Authors: Okamoto M. , Hoshino T. , Kitasato Y. , Sakazaki Y. , Kawayama T. , Fujimoto K. , Ohshima K. , Shiraishi H. , Uchida M. , Ono J. , Ohta S. , Kato S. , Izuhara K. , Aizawa H.
Published: December 2010

Idiopathic interstitial pneumonias (IIPs) are histopathologically classified into several types, including usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP), nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP) and cryptogenic organising pneumonia (COP). We investigated whether periostin, a matrix protein, could be used as a biomarker to assess histopathological types of IIPs.

We performed immunohistochemical analyses in each histopathological type of IIP, examined serum levels of periostin in IIP patients and analysed the relationship between serum levels of periostin and the pulmonary functions in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).

Periostin was strongly expressed in lungs of UIP and fibrotic NSIP patients, whereas expression of periostin was weak in the lungs of cellular NSIP and COP patients, as well as in normal lungs. Serum levels of periostin in IPF were significantly higher than those of healthy subjects and COP patients. Furthermore, periostin levels in IPF patients were inversely correlated with their pulmonary functions.

Thus, we have found that periostin is a novel component of fibrosis in IIP. Periostin may be a potential biomarker to distinguish IIP with fibrosis.
The respiratory health effects of nitrogen dioxide in children with asthma
Authors: Gillespie-Bennett J. , Pierse N. , Wickens K. , Crane J. , Howden-Chapman P. ,   and the Housing Heating and Health Study Research Team
Published: December 2010

There is growing evidence that asthma symptoms can be aggravated or events triggered by exposure to indoor nitrogen dioxide (NO2) emitted from unflued gas heating.

The impact of NO2on the respiratory health of children with asthma was explored as a secondary analysis of a randomised community trial, involving 409 households during the winter period in 2006 (June to September).

Geometric mean indoor NO2levels were 11.4 μg·m−3, while outdoor NO2levels were 7.4 μg·m−3. Higher indoor NO2levels (per logged unit increase) were associated with greater daily reports of lower (mean ratio 14, 95% CI 1.12–1.16) and upper respiratory tract symptoms (mean ratio 1.03, 95% CI 1.00–1.05), more frequent cough and wheeze, and more frequent reliever use during the day, but had no effect on preventer use. Higher indoor NO2levels (per logged unit increase) were associated with a decrease in morning (-17.25 mL, 95% CI -27.63– -6.68) and evening (-13.21, 95% CI -26.03– -0.38) forced expiratory volume in 1 s readings. Outdoor NO2was not associated with respiratory tract symptoms, asthma symptoms, medication use or lung function measurements.

These findings indicate that reducing NO2exposure indoors is important in improving the respiratory health of children with asthma.
Parameters affecting pharyngeal response to genioglossus stimulation in sleep apnoea
Authors: Dotan Y. , Golibroda T. , Oliven R. , Netzer A. , Gaitini L. , Toubi A. , Oliven A.
Published: December 2010

Chronic stimulation of the hypoglossus nerve may provide a new treatment modality for obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). In previous studies we observed large differences in response to stimulation of the genioglossus (GG). We hypothesised that both individual patient characteristics and the area of the GG stimulated are responsible for these differences.

In the present study, we compared the response to GG electrical stimulation at the anterior area (GGa-ES), which activates the whole GG and the posterior area (GGp-ES), which activates preferentially the longitudinal fibres. Studies were performed in 14 propofol-sedated OSA patients. The parameters evaluated included cephalometry, pressure–flow relationship and pharyngeal shape and compliance assessed by pharyngoscopy.

Compared with GGa-ES, GGp-ES resulted in significantly larger decreases in the critical value of end-expiratory pressure (Pcrit) (from 3.8±2.2 to 2.9±3.3 and -2.0±3.9 cmH2O, respectively (p<0.001)). Both tongue size and velopharyngeal shape (anteroposterior to lateral ratio) correlated significantly with the decrease inPcritduring GGp-ES (R = 0.53 and -0.66, respectively; p<0.05). In the patients with the larger tongue size (n = 7), the decrease inPcritreached 8.0±2.2 cmH2O during GGp-ES.

We conclude that directing stimulation to longitudinal fibres of the GG improves the flow-mechanical effect. In addition, patients with large tongues and narrow pharynx tend to respond better to GGp-ES.
Asthma and comorbid medical illness
Authors: Cazzola M. , Calzetta L. , Bettoncelli G. , Novelli L. , Cricelli C. , Rogliani P.
Published: December 2010

Asthma is associated with several comorbidities but the magnitude of the association has not been clearly defined. We aimed to examine the relationship between asthma and comorbidities using information obtained from the Health Search Database (HSD) owned by the Italian College of General Practitioners (Società Italiana Medici Generici, Florence, Italy).

We conducted a population-based retrospective study using information obtained from the HSD. The software system used codes of all the diagnostic records using the 9th revision of the International Classification of Diseases.

Asthma appeared to be weakly associated with cardiovascular and hypertensive diseases. Intriguingly, the odds ratio of acute or old myocardial infarction was 0.84 (95% CI 0.77–0.91). Asthma was also weakly associated with depression, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidaemia, osteoporosis and rhinosinusitis. In contrast, it was strongly associated with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) and, particularly, allergic rhinitis. Age did not influence the association of asthma with comorbidities whereas sex had a different impact according to the specific comorbidity.

Our results indicate that asthma is weakly associated with several comorbidities, whereas its association with allergic rhinitis or GORD is stronger.
Reproducibility of 6-minute walking test in patients with COPD
Authors: Hernandes N.A. , Wouters E.F.M. , Meijer K. , Annegarn J. , Pitta F. , Spruit M.A.
Published: December 2010

The reproducibility of the 6-min walking test (6MWT) needs to be more solidly studied. This study aimed to investigate the reproducibility of two 6MWTs performed on subsequent days in a large and representative sample of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and to quantify the learning effect between the two tests, as well as its determinants.

In a retrospective observational study, 1,514 patients with COPD performed two 6MWTs on subsequent days. Other measurements included body composition (dual X-ray absorptiometry), dyspnoea (Medical Research Council scale) and comorbidity (Charlson index).

Although the 6MWT was reproducible (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.93), patients walked farther in the second test (391 m, 95% CI 155–585 mversus418 m, 95% CI 185–605 m; p<0.0001). On average, the second 6MWT increased by 27 m (or 7%), and 82% of patients improved in the second test. Determinants of improvement ≥42 m in the second test (upper limit of the clinically important change) were as follows: first 6MWT <350 m, Charlson index <2 and body mass index <30 kg·m−2(OR 2.49, 0.76 and 0.60, respectively).

The 6MWT was statistically reproducible in a representative sample of patients with COPD. However, the vast majority of patients improved significantly in the second test by an average learning effect of 27 m.
Biological role of matrix metalloproteinases: a critical balance
Authors: Löffek S. , Schilling O. , Franzke C-W.
Published: December 2010

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are members of the metzincin group of proteases which share the conserved zinc-binding motif in their catalytic active site. It was originally thought that their main function is to degrade the various components of the extracellular matrix (ECM), yet recent studies have led us to appreciate their significance as regulators of extracellular tissue signalling networks. Due to the broad spectrum of their substrate specificity, MMPs contribute to the homeostasis of many tissues and participate in several physiological processes, such as bone remodelling, angiogenesis, immunity and wound healing. MMP activity is tightly controlled at the level of transcription, pro-peptide activation and inhibition by tissue inhibitors of MMPs. Dysregulated MMP activity leads to pathological conditions such as arthritis, inflammation and cancer, thus highlighting MMPs as promising therapeutic targets. Analysis of MMP mutant mice has proved to be an essential tool for the identification of novel functions and interactions of single MMP members. Advancing our understanding of the MMP contribution to tissue homeostasis will lead us to identify causal relationships between their dysregulation and the development of disease pathologies, thus guiding us to successful MMP-directed therapies.
Nitric oxide controls an inflammatory-like Ly6ChiPDCA1+ DC subset that regulates Th1 immune responses
Authors: Giordano Daniela , Li Chang , Suthar Mehul S , Draves Kevin E , Ma Daphne Y , Gale Michael , Clark Edward A
Published: December 2010

Using NOS2 KO mice, we investigated the hypothesis that NO modulation of BM-DC contributes to the NO-mediated control of Th1 immune responses. BM-DCs from NOS2 KO mice, compared with WT BM-DCs, have enhanced survival and responsiveness to TLR agonists, develop more Ly6ChiPDCA1+ DCs that resemble inflammatory DCs and produce high levels of inflammatory cytokines. Also, compared with WT-infected mice, NOS2 KO mice infected with WNV showed enhanced expansion of a similar inflammatory Ly6ChiPDCA1+ DC subset. Furthermore, in contrast to WT DCs, OVA-loaded NOS2 KO BM-DCs promoted increased IFN-γ production by OTII CD4+ T cells in vitro and when adoptively transferred in vivo. The addition of a NO donor to NOS2 KO BM-DCs prior to OTII T cells priming in vivo was sufficient to revert Th1 immune responses to levels induced by WT BM-DCs. Thus, autocrine NO effects on maturation of inflammatory DCs and on DC programming of T cells may contribute to the protective role of NO in autoimmune diseases and infections. Regulating NO levels may be a useful tool to shape beneficial immune responses for DC-based immunotherapy.
Burkholderia cenocepacia O polysaccharide chain contributes to caspase-1-dependent IL-1β production in macrophages
Authors: Kotrange Sheetal , Kopp Benjamin , Akhter Anwari , Abdelaziz Dalia , Abu Khweek Arwa , Caution Kyle , Abdulrahman Basant , Wewers Mark D , McCoy Karen , Marsh Clay , Loutet Slade A , Ortega Ximena , Valvano Miguel A , Amer Amal O
Published: December 2010

Burkholderia cenocepacia infections in CF patients involve heightened inflammation, fatal sepsis, and high antibiotic resistance. Proinflammatory IL-1β secretion is important in airway inflammation and tissue damage. However, little is known about this pathway in macrophages upon B. cenocepacia infection. We report here that murine macrophages infected with B. cenocepacia K56-2 produce proinflammatory cytokine IL-1β in a TLR4 and caspase-1-mediated manner. We also determined that the OPS (O antigen) of B. cenocepacia LPS contributes to IL-1β production and pyroptotic cell death. Furthermore, we showed that the malfunction of the CFTR channel augmented IL-1β production upon B. cenocepacia infection of murine macrophages. Taken together, we identified eukaryotic and bacterial factors that contribute to inflammation during B. cenocepacia infection, which may aid in the design of novel approaches to control pulmonary inflammation.
The effect of interpolation on imaging and AVO: A Viking case study
Authors: Hunt Lee , Downton Jon , Reynolds Scott , Hadley Scott , Trad Daniel , Hadley Mark
Published: December 2010

The use of prestack interpolation prior to prestack migration to improve AVO analysis on image gathers is demonstrated on an exploration play. The interpolation achieves this improvement by reducing migration artifacts. AVO analysis attempts to estimate fundamental information from surface seismic data and likely will be used more frequently if the estimates can be more accurately produced. Land 3D seismic typically has poor and irregular sampling. This poor sampling creates migration noise, which is a material cause of inaccurate AVO estimates. Prestack 5D interpolation is applied prior to prestack migration and AVO analysis on the imaged gathers to address this noise problem. The interpolation algorithm includes offset and azimuth dimensions that preserve AVO information. This method is evaluated bycomparing the results to those of alternate approaches, such as superbinning, that suppress this kind of noise in AVO analysis. The evaluation is determined by comparing our ability to predict the reservoir quality of a gas-charged sandstone reservoir with 48 well penetrations. We compare migrated gathers, AVO attribute stacks, and attribute maps in our analysis. We also generate scatter plots of the AVO attribute values against measures of reservoir quality at the well control points to allow a quantitative measure of the improvements. The interpolation method yields gathers, stacks, and maps that all appear to be better resolved and less noisy than the other methods. The scatter plots demonstrate a measurable and significant improvement from the interpolation method, especially compared to superbinning. This work suggests interpolation before imaging, and imaging before AVO analysis, should be performed on land 3D surface seismic data.
Nonequispaced curvelet transform for seismic data reconstruction: A sparsity-promoting approach
Authors: Hennenfent Gilles , Fenelon Lloyd , Herrmann Felix J.
Published: December 2010

We extend our earlier work on the nonequispaced fast discrete curvelet transform (NFDCT) and introduce a second generation of the transform. This new generation differs from the previous one by the approach taken to compute accurate curvelet coefficients from irregularly sampled data. The first generation relies on accurate Fourier coefficients obtained by an [Formula: see text]-regularized inversion of the nonequispaced fast Fourier transform (FFT) whereas the second is based on a direct [Formula: see text]-regularized inversion of the operator that links curvelet coefficients to irregular data. Also, by construction the second generation NFDCT is lossless unlike the first generation NFDCT. This property is particularly attractive for processing irregularly sampled seismic data in the curvelet domain and bringing them back to their irregular record-ing locations with high fidelity. Secondly, we combine the second generation NFDCT with the standard fast discrete curvelet transform (FDCT) to form a new curvelet-based method, coined nonequispaced curvelet reconstruction with sparsity-promoting inversion (NCRSI) for the regularization and interpolation of irregularly sampled data. We demonstrate that for a pure regularization problem the reconstruction is very accurate. The signal-to-reconstruction error ratio in our example is above [Formula: see text]. We also conduct combined interpolation and regularization experiments. The reconstructions for synthetic data are accurate, particularly when the recording locations are optimally jittered. The reconstruction in our real data example shows amplitudes along the main wavefronts smoothly varying with limited acquisition imprint.
Multiple subtraction using statistically estimated inverse wavelets
Authors: Liu Yike , Jin Degang , Chang Xu , Li Peng , Sun Hongchuan , Luo Yi
Published: December 2010

Surface-related multiple elimination (SRME) typically consists of two steps: The first step is prediction and the second step is subtraction. In subtraction, it is important to effectively attenuate multiple events and preserve primary events. When multiples cross with or overlap on primaries, least-square subtraction usually cannot subtract multiples effectively and may also damage the primaries. When multiples overlap with primaries, least-square subtraction cannot always subtract multiples accurately and often damages the primaries. To remedy this problem, we propose to statistically estimate the inverse source wavelet, correct for errors in the estimate of the inverse wavelet, and then use the corrected inverse wavelets for multiple subtraction. Synthetic tests and real data examples show that the proposed method can effectively attenuate multiples, while they also preserve the continuity of reflection events and successfully avoid amplitude distortion. The proposed method is characterized by low computational costs and ease of implementation.