bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Keynote Lecture: treating eating disorders
Authors: Greener Mark
Published: October 2009

The Keynote Lecture at the eighth LatestAdvances in Psychiatry Symposium, held in London in March, was given by Professor Gerald Russell, Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry at the Institute of Psychiatry in London. He noted that eating disorders are sometimes associated with a markedly excess mortality. A high crude mortality rate (2.2 per cent per annum) was recorded in a UK series of compulsorily treated anorexia patients, in keeping with these patients, dogged resistance to treatment.1 While bulimia nervosa may respond to fluoxetine, there is no effective pharmacological treatment for anorexia nervosa. Nevertheless,psychological treatments may improve outcomes in both anorexia and bulimia nervosa, although NICE has only grudgingly recognised their efficacy. Medical writer, Mark Greener, reports. Copyright © 2009 Wiley Interface Ltd
Adherence to risperidone long‐acting injection dosing recommendations
Authors: Mangan Brian , Rogers Clive , Wilton Kristina
Published: October 2009

The pharmacokinetic profile of risperidone long‐acting injection (RLAI) has lead to specific recommendations for its treatment initiation. A team of Mental Health Nurse Advisers conducted this audit in a cohort of 1647 patients from 32 centres in the UK to assess to what extent treatment with RLAI is initiated according to these recommendations and how this affects treatment adherence. Copyright © 2009 Wiley Interface Ltd
Overexpression of hepatocyte nuclear factor‐3α induces apoptosis through the upregulation and accumulation of cytoplasmic p53 in prostate cancer cells
Authors: Lee Hyun Joo , Chattopadhyay Soma , Yoon Wan‐Hee , Bahk Jong Yoon , Kim Tae‐Hyoung , Kang Hyung Sik , Lee Keesook
Published: October 2009

BACKGROUND

Hepatocyte nuclear factor‐3α (HNF‐3α) has been known to act as a repressor in the pathogenesis of many cancers. Herein, we investigated the effect of HNF‐3α overexpression in prostate cancer cells.

METHODS

HNF‐3α was overexpressed in prostate cancer cells using an adenovirus recombinant expressing wild‐type HNF‐3α. The apoptosis of prostate cancer cells was determined by TUNEL, FACS, and caspase activity analyses.

RESULTS

Adenovirus‐mediated overexpression of HNF‐3α caused cell death in prostate cancer cells as assessed by changes in cellular and nuclear morphology, TUNEL analysis, and caspase activations. Furthermore, FACS analysis showed an increased sub‐G1 phase of cell cycle as well as the G2/M phase with a corresponding decrease in S phases. HNF‐3α overexpression caused the upregulation of p53 protein and its accumulation, together with HNF‐3α, in the cytoplasm. It also causes Bax protein to localize to the mitochondria‐enriched fraction. These findings suggest that multiple apoptotic pathways seem to be involved in the HNF‐3α‐induced cell death: pathways involving the accumulation of p53 protein in the cytoplasm and subsequent cytochrome c release, and other pathways involving death receptor signaling and caspase‐8 activation.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of the current study suggest a novel function of HNF‐3α as a killer of malignant prostate cancer cells, which reveals HNF‐3α as a promising therapeutic molecule for prostate cancers. Prostate 70: 353–361, 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Leukocytic promotion of prostate cellular proliferation
Authors: McDowell Kristy L. , Begley Lesa A. , Mor‐Vaknin Nirit , Markovitz David M. , Macoska Jill A.
Published: October 2009

BACKGROUND

Histological evidence of pervasive inflammatory infiltrate has been noted in both benign prostatic hyperplasia/hypertrophy (BPH) and prostate cancer (PCa). Cytokines known to attract particular leukocyte subsets are secreted from prostatic stroma consequent to aging and also from malignant prostate epithelium. Therefore, we hypothesized that leukocytes associated with either acute or chronic inflammation attracted to the prostate consequent to aging or tumorigenesis may promote the abnormal cellular proliferation associated with BPH and PCa.

METHODS

An in vitro system designed to mimic the human prostatic microenvironment incorporating prostatic stroma (primary and immortalized prostate stromal fibroblasts), epithelium (N15C6, BPH‐1, LNCaP, and PC3 cells), and inflammatory infiltrate (HL‐60 cells, HH, and Molt‐3 T‐lymphocytes) was developed. Modified Boyden chamber assays were used to test the ability of prostate stromal and epithelial cells to attract leukocytes and to test the effect of leukocytes on prostate cellular proliferation. Antibody arrays were used to identify leukocyte‐secreted cytokines mediating prostate cellular proliferation.

RESULTS

Leukocytic cells migrated towards both prostate stromal and epithelial cells. CD4+ T‐lymphocytes promoted the proliferation of both transformed and non‐transformed prostate epithelial cell lines tested, whereas CD8+ T‐lymphocytes as well as dHL‐60M macrophagic and dHL‐60N neutrophilic cells selectively promoted the proliferation of PCa cells.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of these studies show that inflammatory cells can be attracted to the prostate tissue microenvironment and can selectively promote the proliferation of non‐transformed or transformed prostate epithelial cells, and are consistent with differential role(s) for inflammatory infiltrate in the etiologies of benign and malignant proliferative disease in the prostate. Prostate 70: 377–389, 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The expression of osteoclastogenesis‐associated factors and osteoblast response to osteolytic prostate cancer cells
Authors: Morrissey Colm , Lai Janice S. , Brown Lisha G. , Wang Ya‐Chun , Roudier Martine P. , Coleman Ilsa M. , Gulati Roman , Vakar‐Lopez Funda , True Lawrence D. , Corey Eva , Nelson Peter S. , Vessella Robert L.
Published: October 2009

BACKGROUND

Prostate cancer (PCa) has a propensity to metastasize to bone. Tumor cells replace bone marrow and can elicit an osteoblastic, osteolytic, or mixed bone response. Our objective was to elucidate the mechanisms and key factors involved in promoting osteoclastogenesis in PCa bone metastasis.

METHODS

We cultured osteoblast‐like MC3T3‐E1 cells with conditioned medium (CM) from PC‐3 and C4‐2B cells. MC3T3‐E1 mineralization decreased in the presence of PC‐3 CM, whereas C4‐2B CM had no effect on mineralization. Using oligo arrays and validating by real‐time PCR, we observed a decrease in the expression of mineralization‐associated genes in MC3T3‐E1 cells grown in the presence of PC‐3 CM. In addition, PC‐3 CM induced the expression of osteoclastogenesis‐associated genes IGFBP‐5, IL‐6, MCP‐1, and RANKL while decreasing OPG expression in MC3T3‐E1 cells. Furthermore, CM from MC3T3‐E1 cells cultured in the presence of PC‐3 CM, in association with soluble RANKL, increased osteoclastogenesis in RAW 264.7 cells. Investigation of PCa metastases and xenografts by immunohistochemistry revealed that the osteoclastic factor IL‐6 was expressed in the majority of PCa bone metastases and to a lesser extent in PCa soft tissue metastases. In vitro it was determined that soluble IL‐6R (sIL‐6R) was necessary for IL‐6 to inhibit mineralization in MC3T3‐E1 cells.

RESULTS

PC‐3 cells inhibit osteoblast activity and induce osteoblasts to produce osteoclastic factors that promote osteoclastogenesis, and one of these factors, IL‐6, is highly expressed in PCa bone metastases.

CONCLUSIONS

IL‐6 may have an important role in promoting osteoclastogenesis in PCa bone metastasis through its' interaction with sIL‐6R. Prostate 70: 412–424, 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Peptide T exhibits a well‐defined structure in fluorinated solvent at low temperature
Authors: Yang Tran‐Chin , Rendell Jennifer , Gulliver Wayne , Booth Valerie
Published: October 2009

The structure of Peptide T was determined by solution NMR spectroscopy, under strong structure‐inducing conditions: 40% hexafluoro‐2‐propanol aqueous solution at 5 °C. Under these conditions it was possible to detect medium‐range NOEs for the first time for this peptide. This allowed a much better‐defined structure to be determined for Peptide T in comparison with earlier NMR and computational studies. Peptide structures consistent with the experimental restraints were generated using a restrained MD simulation with a full empirical force field. Residues 4–8 of Peptide T take on a well‐defined structure with a heavy atom RMSD of 0.78 Å. The structure is stabilized by hydrogen bonding to side‐chain oxygen atoms of Thr 4 and Thr 8, as well as backbone hydrogen bonding between residues 5 and 7 that forms this region into a classic γ‐turn. Copyright © 2009 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Investigation of the Aharonov–Bohm effect in a gated graphene ring
Authors: Huefner Magdalena , Molitor Françoise , Jacobsen Arnhild , Pioda Alessandro , Stampfer Christoph , Ensslin Klaus , Ihn Thomas
Published: October 2009

We experimentally investigate the conductance of a single‐layer graphene ring. The Aharonov–Bohm oscillation amplitude of the four‐terminal resistance is very high with a visibility up to 10%. Additionally, we investigate the amplitude and the period of the Aharonov–Bohm effect over a magnetic field range of ±5 T. We find that, while the period remains constant, the amplitude rises by a factor of 2.
Variable doping sensitivity of the TO phonon dispersion branch of metallic nanotubes: A double resonant Raman scattering study
Authors: Rafailov Peter M. , Maultzsch Janina , Thomsen Christian , Dettlaff‐Weglikowska Urszula , Roth Siegmar
Published: October 2009

We applied Raman spectroscopy to investigate the response to electrochemical doping of the second‐order D*‐band in single‐walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) bundles. A dramatic increase of the D*‐band sensitivity to doping is found upon moving the laser excitation to the red end of the visible spectrum and beyond. Basing on the double resonance (DR) Raman scattering model we interpret this phenomenon as an increasing doping sensitivity of the TO phonon dispersion branch of metallic SWNTs towards its minimum. From D*‐band measurements we are thus able to draw conclusions on the wave‐vector dependence of the doping sensitivity and the electron–phonon coupling (EPC) around the TO branch minimum.
Fermi velocity renormalization in doped graphene
Authors: Attaccalite C. , Rubio A.
Published: October 2009

We present an ab initio study of the graphene quasi‐particle band structure within GW approximation. In particular we studied the renormalization of the Fermi velocity vF as function of the electrostatic doping. We show that within local density approximation (LDA) the Fermi velocity is substantially renormalized by correlation effects and that this renormalization rapidly decreases with doping. We discuss our results in the light of recent experiments on graphene and intercalate graphite.
Surface‐induced changes in the vibrational spectra of conducting polymer – carbon nanotube hybrid materials
Authors: Kamarás K. , Botka B. , Pekker Á. , Ben‐Valid S. , Zeng A. , Reiss L. , Yitzchaik S.
Published: October 2009

We present infrared (IR) and Raman spectra of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) coated by the conducting polymers polyaniline (PANI), polycarbazole (PCz), and melanin (polydopamine). These hybrid materials have been prepared by electrochemical polymerization and exhibit increased conductivity and enhanced electron transfer from the electrolyte to the electrode. Interaction of the polymers with the nanotube surface causes attenuation of some IR modes [surface‐attenuated infrared absorption (SAIRA) effect], while the Raman modes are enhanced by a surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) mechanism. The magnitude of the attenuation depends on the strength of the nanotube–polymer interaction. We compared the spectra of the hybrids and found the most outspoken effect in the case of polyaniline, in accordance with the results of ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) and impedance spectroscopy.
Curvilinear Electronics Formed Using Silicon Membrane Circuits and Elastomeric Transfer Elements
Authors: Ko Heung Cho , Shin Gunchul , Wang Shuodao , Stoykovich Mark P. , Lee Jeong Won , Kim Dong‐Hun , Ha Jeong Sook , Huang Yonggang , Hwang Keh‐Chih , Rogers John A.
Published: October 2009

Materials and methods to achieve electronics intimately integrated on the surfaces of substrates with complex, curvilinear shapes are described. The approach exploits silicon membranes in circuit mesh structures that can be deformed in controlled ways using thin, elastomeric films. Experimental and theoretical studies of the micromechanics of such curvilinear electronics demonstrate the underlying concepts. Electrical measurements illustrate the high yields that can be obtained. The results represent significant experimental and theoretical advances over recently reported concepts for creating hemispherical photodetectors in electronic eye cameras and for using printable silicon nanoribbons/membranes in flexible electronics. The results might provide practical routes to the integration of high performance electronics with biological tissues and other systems of interest for new applications.
Diffusion‐weighted MRI in lungs of normal fetuses and those with congenital diaphragmatic hernia
Authors: Cannie M. , Jani J. , De Keyzer F. , Roebben I. , Dymarkowski S. , Deprest J.
Published: October 2009

Objective

To prospectively determine apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values of normally developing fetal lungs over gestation, as obtained by diffusion‐weighted (DW) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and to investigate its potential application in fetuses with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH).

Methods

Informed consent was obtained for this cross‐sectional study of 93 fetuses with normal lungs and 14 with isolated left‐sided CDH, assessed between 18 and 40 weeks of gestation. MRI delineation of left and right lungs was performed on the native DW image, b0, and three values of ADC, corresponding to the overall value (ADCavg), and values for low and high values of b (ADClow and ADChigh, respectively) were calculated. Regression analysis was used to assess the relationship between gestational age and b0‐values as well as calculated ADC values. The b0 and ADC values of normal and CDH fetuses were compared with normal ranges using the Mann–Whitney U‐test.

Results

In fetuses with normal lungs, there was a negative correlation between gestational age and b0 values as well as with ADChigh, a positive correlation with ADClow but no correlation with ADCavg. When measurable, ADChigh values were lower in CDH as compared to fetuses with normal lungs and ADClow values were higher. ADClow was unrelated to lung volume.

Conclusions

There is a significant relationship between ADClow and ADChigh values and gestational age in normal fetal lungs. This relationship is most probably explained by developmental changes during the last three stages of lung development, which involve intense peripheral growth of airways and vessels as well as maturation. In CDH, measurement of ADClow might be useful as a predictor of postnatal outcome that is independent of lung volume. Copyright © 2009 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
High current electron probe microanalysis of minerals
Authors: Lavrent'ev Yu. G.
Published: October 2009

New generation electron probe microanalysers are able to provide a stable beam with a relatively high probe current for long periods. This stability opens new possibilities for mineral analysis, because high current and increased time measurements are now available. As a result, reproducibility of the measurements is improved and detection limit for the traces of elements is lowered. The range of applications of the high current microanalysis has increased in the recent years. New applications are in general geochemical research, in monomineral geothermometry, in Th‐U‐Pb geochronology etc. In the near future the range of problems where HCMA can be applied will certainly increase. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Parenchyma‐sparing resections for pancreatic neoplasms
Authors: Crippa Stefano , Boninsegna Letizia , Partelli Stefano , Falconi Massimo
Published: October 2009

Background/purpose

In recent years there has been an increase in the indications for pancreatic resection of benign or low‐grade malignant lesions, especially in young patients with long life expectancy. In this setting, patients may benefit from parenchyma‐sparing resections in order to decrease the risk of development of exocrine/endocrine insufficiency.

Methods

A review of the literature and authors experience was undertaken.

Results

Parenchyma‐sparing resections of the pancreas including enucleation, middle pancreatectomy (MP) and middle‐preserving pancreatectomy are described. Short and long‐term outcomes after surgery are analyzed with special regard to postoperative morbidity/mortality, and oncological and functional long‐term results.

Conclusions

Parenchyma‐sparing resections are safe and effective procedures for treatment of benign and low‐grade malignant neoplasms. Despite a significant postoperative morbidity they are associated with good long‐term functional and oncological results. Enucleation should preferentially be performed laparoscopically whenever possible.
Liver functional reserve estimation: state of the art and relevance for local treatments
Authors: Fan Sheung Tat
Published: October 2009

Liver function reserve estimation is important for selecting the appropriate patients for hepatectomy or ablation of tumors. Many liver function tests have been devised, but the indocyanine green (ICG) clearance test remains the most popular for its simplicity and perhaps accuracy. Compared with the Child–Pugh classification, the ICG retention value at 15 min (ICGR‐15) after intravenous injection provides more information. Though a significant difference in ICGR‐15 has been observed between patients with Child–Pugh A and B liver function, the hospital mortality rates following partial hepatectomy are not significantly different between the two groups. Yet, ICGR‐15 values can differentiate patients with or without hospital mortality. The cutoff values of ICGR‐15 for a safe major and minor hepatectomy are 14 and 22%, respectively.
Hierarchical Multinomial Processing Tree Models: A Latent-Trait Approach
Authors: Klauer Karl Christoph
Published: October 2009

Multinomial processing tree models are widely used in many areas of psychology. A hierarchical extension of the model class is proposed, using a multivariate normal distribution of person-level parameters with the mean and covariance matrix to be estimated from the data. The hierarchical model allows one to take variability between persons into account and to assess parameter correlations. The model is estimated using Bayesian methods with weakly informative hyperprior distribution and a Gibbs sampler based on two steps of data augmentation. Estimation, model checks, and hypotheses tests are discussed. The new method is illustrated using a real data set, and its performance is evaluated in a simulation study.
Outcome Following Spinal Accessory to Suprascapular (Spinoscapular) Nerve Transfer in Infants with Brachial Plexus Birth Injuries
Authors: Ruchelsman David E. , Ramos Lorna E. , Alfonso Israel , Price Andrew E. , Grossman Agatha , Grossman John A. I.
Published: October 2009

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the value of distal spinal accessory nerve (SAN) transfer to the suprascapular nerve (SSN) in children with brachial plexus birth injuries in order to better define the application and outcome of this transfer in these infants. Over a 3-year period, 34 infants with brachial plexus injuries underwent transfer of the SAN to the SSN as part of the primary surgical reconstruction. Twenty-five patients (direct repair, n=20; interposition graft, n=5) achieved a minimum follow-up of 24 months. Fourteen children underwent plexus reconstruction with SAN-to-SSN transfer at less than 9 months of age, and 11 underwent surgical reconstruction at the age of 9 months or older. Mean age at the time of nerve transfer was 11.6 months (range, 5–30 months). At latest follow-up, active shoulder external rotation was measured in the arm abducted position and confirmed by review of videos. The Gilbert and Miami shoulder classification scores were utilized to report shoulder-specific functional outcomes. The effects of patient age at the time of nerve transfer and the use of interpositional nerve graft were analyzed. Overall mean active external rotation measured 69.6°; mean Gilbert score was 4.1 and the mean Miami score was 7.1, corresponding to overall good shoulder functional outcomes. Similar clinical and shoulder-specific functional outcomes were obtained in patients undergoing early (<9 months of age, n=14) and late (>9 months of age, n=11) SAN-to-SSN transfer and primary plexus reconstruction. Nine patients (27%) were lost to follow-up and are not included in the analysis. Optimum results were achieved following direct transfer ( n=20). Results following the use of an interpositional graft ( n=5) were rated satisfactory. No patient required a secondary shoulder procedure during the study period. There were no postoperative complications. Distal SAN-to-SSN (spinoscapular) nerve transfer is a reliable option for shoulder reinnervation in infants with brachial plexus birth injuries. Direct transfer seems to be the optimum method. The age of the patient does not seem to significantly impact on outcome.
Preparation and Characterization of a Lecithin Nanoemulsion as a Topical Delivery System
Authors: Zhou Huafeng , Yue Yang , Liu Guanlan , Li Yan , Zhang Jing , Gong Qiu , Yan Zemin , Duan Mingxing
Published: October 2009

Purpose of this study was to establish a lecithin nanoemulsion (LNE) without any synthetic surfactant as a topical delivery vehicle and to evaluate its topical delivery potential by the following factors: particle size, morphology, viscosity, stability, skin hydration and skin penetration. Experimental results demonstrated that an increasing concentration of soybean lecithin and glycerol resulted in a smaller size LNE droplet and increasing viscosity, respectively. The droplet size of optimized LNE, with the glycerol concentration above 75% (w/w), changed from 92 (F10) to 58 nm (F14). Additionally, LNE, incorporated into o/w cream, improved the skin hydration capacity of the cream significantly with about 2.5-fold increase when the concentration of LNE reached 10%. LNE was also demonstrated to improve the penetrability of Nile red (NR) dye into the dermis layer, when an o/w cream, incorporated with NR-loaded LNE, applied on the abdominal skin of rat in vivo. Specifically, the arbitrary unit (ABU) of fluorescence in the dermis layer that had received the cream with a NR-loaded LNE was about 9.9-fold higher than the cream with a NR-loaded general emulsion (GE). These observations suggest that LNE could be used as a promising topical delivery vehicle for lipophilic compounds.
Analysis of Sterol Glycosides in Biodiesel and Biodiesel Precipitates
Authors: Wang Huali , Tang Haiying , Salley Steven , Ng K. Y. Simon
Published: October 2009

Biodiesel is produced by the transesterification of vegetable oils with short chain alcohols, usually in the presence of an alkali catalyst. Minor components in biodiesel exist as a result of unreacted reagents, by‐products, additives, and auto‐oxidation products, such as water, free glycerin, bonded glycerin, free fatty acids, catalysts, residual alcohol, unsaponifiable matter (plant sterols, antioxidants, and hydrocarbons), soaps and polymers. The biodiesel properties, such as cold flow properties, acid number, cetane number, and oxidative stability are oftentimes significantly affected by these minor components. Sterol glycosides, as one of the most important minor components in biodiesel, and due to their polarities and limited solubility, can accelerate precipitate formation even at room temperature and possibly block fuel filters. In this paper, reversed phase high‐performance liquid chromatography with an Evaporative Light Scattering Detector (ELSD) is evaluated for the analysis of sterol glycoside (SG) content in not only biodiesel precipitates but also in biodiesel. SG was found to be a major component in soy biodiesel precipitates and an SG peak was found in biodiesel after concentration by centrifugation.
Evaluating the performance of freight transport: a service approach
Authors: Blanquart Corinne , Burmeister Antje
Published: October 2009

Background and aim

The objective of this paper is to develop an alternative framework for evaluation of performance in freight transport, based on heterodox service economics. Traditionally, transport performance is analysed through productivity measures, even though the conceptual, methodological and practical problems of these indicators are well established in the literature.

Methods

The paper develops and applies a typology of transport service configurations. The empirical analysis uses data from a large scale transport survey and from case studies in France.

Result

The result of this analysis is an array of performance indicators, each one corresponding to specific types of transport services.

Conclusion

We conclude that there is not a single way of achieving performance in freight transport, but a variety of service configurations, each of them having a particular logic of performance.
Pancreatic cancer cells activate CCL5 expression in mesenchymal stromal cells through the insulin‐like growth factor‐I pathway
Authors: Makinoshima Hideki , Dezawa Mari
Published: October 2009

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have a critical role in cancer progression and metastasis. Despite extensive studies of the physiological responses in cancer cells, the molecular mechanisms regulating gene expression in MSCs by cancer cells remain undefined. Here we demonstrate that CC chemokine ligand 5 (CCL5) expression was increased in MSCs co‐cultured with pancreatic cancer cells (PCCs), and this activation was dependent on extracellular insulin‐like growth factor (IGF‐I). Moreover, CCL5 induction in MSCs was required for the activation of IGF‐I pathway in PCCs. These results reveal a link between the IGF‐I pathway in PCCs and CCL5 pathway in MSCs through the interaction of those cells.
Where there is no obstetrician – increasing capacity for emergency obstetric care in rural India: An evaluation of a pilot program to train general doctors
Authors: Evans Cherrie Lynn , Maine Deborah , McCloskey Lois , Feeley Frank G. , Sanghvi Harshad
Published: October 2009

Background

Maternal mortality continues to be high in rural India. Chief among the reasons for this is a severe shortage of obstetricians to perform cesarean delivery and other skills required for emergency obstetric care (EmOC). In 2006, the Government of India and the Federation of Obstetric and Gynecological Societies of India (FOGSI) with technical assistance from Jhpiego, instituted a nationwide, 16‐week comprehensive EmOC (CEmOC) training program for general medical officers (MOs). This program is based on an earlier pilot project (2004–2006).

Objective

To evaluate the pilot project, and identify lessons learned to inform the nationwide scale‐up.

Methods

The lead author (CE) visited trainees and their facilities to evaluate the project. Eight data collection tools were created, which included interviews with informants (program/government staff, regional/international experts, trainees and trainers), facility observation, and facility‐based data collection of births and maternal/newborn deaths during the study period.

Results

More trainees performed each of the basic EmOC skills after the training than before. After training, 10 of 15 facilities to which trainees returned could provide all signal functions for basic EmOC whereas only 2 could do so before. For comprehensive EmOC, 2 facilities with obstetricians were providing all functions before and 2 were doing so after, even though the specialists had left those facilities and services were being provided by CEmOC trainees. Barriers to providing, or continuing to provide, EmOC for some trainees included insufficient training for cesarean delivery, lack of anesthetists, equipment and infrastructure (operating theater, blood services, forceps/vacuum, manual vacuum aspiration syringes).

Conclusion

Although MOs can be trained to provide CEmOC (including cesarean delivery), without proper selection of facilities and trainees, adequate training, and support, this strategy will not substantially improve the availability of comprehensive EmOC in India.

Recommendations

To implement a successful nationwide scale‐up, several steps should be taken. These include, selecting motivated trainees, implementing the training as it was designed, improving support for trainees, and ensuring appropriate staff and infrastructure for trainees at their facilities before they return from training.
Saving mothers and newborns through an innovative partnership with private sector obstetricians: Chiranjeevi scheme of Gujarat, India
Authors: Mavalankar Dileep , Singh Amarjit , Patel Sureshchandra R. , Desai Ajesh , Singh Prabal V.
Published: October 2009

Objective

To document an innovative public–private partnership between the government of Gujarat, India and private obstetricians in rural areas that provides delivery care to the poor.

Methods

This is a descriptive analysis of the scheme and analysis of secondary data. We estimate the lives of mothers and newborns potentially saved because of the scheme.

Results

More than 800 obstetricians have joined the scheme and more than 269 000 poor women have delivered in private facilities in 2 years. We estimate that the percentage of institutional deliveries among poor women increased from 27% to 48% between April 2007 and September 2008. In addition, there are fewer reported maternal and newborn deaths among the beneficiaries compared with the number of deaths expected in the absence of the scheme.

Conclusions

This innovative program shows that, at least in some areas of India, it is possible to develop a large scale partnership with the private sector to provide skilled birth attendance and emergency obstetric care to poor women at a relatively low cost. This is one way of addressing the human resource deficit in the public sector in rural areas of low‐income countries to achieve Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5. We also conclude that the skilled care thus provided can reduce maternal and neonatal mortality among the poor.
The League of Polish Families between East and West, past and present
Authors: de Lange Sarah L. , Guerra Simona
Published: October 2009

Historical legacies play an important role in the rise of radical right parties in Central and Eastern Europe. This article conducts an in-depth study of the trajectory of a particular radical right party, the League of Polish Families, in a particular Central and East European country, Poland. The central objective of the article is to highlight that, although there are important similarities between the League of Polish Families and other radical right parties in both Central and Eastern Europe and Western Europe, the League of Polish Families differs in some respects, such as the composition of electorate and ideology from these parties. The article shows that the observed differences have their roots in the Polish historical legacy, that on some accounts deviates from the historical legacies present in other Central and East European countries.
Within-field damage and distribution patterns of the stalk borer, Eldana saccharina (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), in sugarcane and a comparison with nematode damage
Authors: Berry S.D. , Leslie G.W. , Spaull V.W. , Cadet P.
Published: October 2009

The occurrence of Eldana saccharina (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) was monitored in grids represented by plots in 12 nematicide trials in South African sugarcane fields. The trials encompassed a total of eight plant cane crops and 22 ratoon crops and were situated within commercial cane fields. Several measurements were made to characterize the damage caused by E. saccharina. These included the number of internodes per stalk, the percentage of internodes damaged and the percentage of stalks damaged. The mapping of E. saccharina infestation in plant crops of sugarcane showed that the borders of the trials were as infested as the centre, indicating invasion from outside the field plus internal spread within the field. Ratoon crops were less infested than plant crops. This could be explained by a shorter ratoon crop cycle and by the fields having areas that were more suitable for the borer than elsewhere. The location of these preferred areas could be predicted from one ratoon crop to the next but was not related to the distribution of the borer in the plant crop. This situation was thought to explain the apparent stabilization of E. saccharina infestation in ratoon cane. Because the borer was found at harvest only in stalks with more than 14 to 16 internodes, it appeared that the oldest shoots, or the shoots with the greatest growth potential, attracted the insect, possibly due to their higher nitrogen content, which would stimulate growth. All the trials were on sandy soil, and crop loss from nematodes was greater than that caused by E. saccharina.
“Hegemony Protected by the Armour of Coercion”: Dashiell Hammett's Red Harvest and the State
Authors: PEPPER ANDREW
Published: October 2009

This article argues that Dashiell Hammett's 1929 novel Red Harvest is best understood in the context of the consolidation and expansion of the US state following the First World War and the Russian Revolution. It also argues that Hammett's novel constitutes a highly significant articulation of theoretical debates about the nature of political authority and state power in the modern era and speaks about the transition of one state formation to another. Insofar as Red Harvest explores the way in which the state's coercive and ethical character are bound up together, this article argues that Hammett's novel draws upon an understanding of political authority and state power primarily derived from Gramsci, via Marx. Gramsci insists that control cannot be maintained through force alone (and his conception of hegemony, in turn, suggests a power bloc that can become fragmented and disunited in a war of position). In the same way, Red Harvest traces the transformation of the “economic-corporate” state into the expanded or “ethical” State but crucially any ethical dimension, as Gramsci notes, is always beholden to the needs of the capitalist economy. As such, the apparently arbitrary bloodshed in the novel is conceived as a relatively minor realignment in the ranks of the capitalist classes – certainly less serious than the miners' strike that prefigures the novel. What makes this realignment significant is that it calls attention to the state both as repressive and as a site of conflict and compromise. Here, the work performed by the Continental Op and by the crime novel in general – simultaneously buttressing and, to some extent, contesting the power of the state – needs to be understood as part of the process by which the state is consistently enacting hegemony (albeit protected by the armour of coercion). The article concludes by pointing out that while Gramsci is perhaps too willing to dwell upon the state's expanded reach, Red Harvest is more interested in examining possible “cracks and fissures” in the state formation, even if the critique it ultimately offers goes nowhere and yields nothing.
The generalised bio-political border? Re-conceptualising the limits of sovereign power
Authors: VAUGHAN-WILLIAMS NICK
Published: October 2009

This article is a response to calls from a number of theorists in International Relations and related disciplines for the need to develop alternative ways of thinking ‘the border’ in contemporary political life. These calls stem from an apparent tension between the increasing complexity of the nature and location of bordering practices on the one hand and yet the relative simplicity with which borders often continue to be treated on the other. One of the intellectual challenges, however, is that many of the resources in political thought to which we might turn for new border vocabularies already rely on unproblematised conceptions of what and where borders are. It is argued that some promise can be found in the work of Italian philosopher Giorgio Agamben, whose diagnosis of the operation of sovereign power in terms of the production of bare life offers significant, yet largely untapped, implications for analysing borders and the politics of space across a global bio-political terrain.
Soldier photography: visualising the war in Iraq
Authors: KENNEDY LIAM
Published: October 2009

This article focuses on the production and dissemination of photographic images by serving US soldiers in Iraq who are photographing their experiences and posting them on the Internet. This form of visual communication – in real time and communal – is new in the representation of warfare; in earlier wars soldiers took photographs, but these were not immediately shared in the way websites can disseminate images globally. This digital generation of soldiers exist in a new relationship to their experience of war; they are now potential witnesses and sources within the documentation of events, not just the imaged actors – a blurring of roles that reflects the correlations of revolutions in military and media affairs. This photography documents the everyday experiences of the soldiers and its historical significance may reside less in the controversial or revelatory images but in more mundane documentation of the environments, activities and feelings of American soldiery at war.
The workshop of filthy creation: or do not be alarmed, this is only a test
Authors: BUCKLEY BERNADETTE
Published: October 2009

In this article I explore the nature of the relationship between art and terror/ism and ask why identifications between the two are so routinely and often insistently made. In so doing, my aim is twofold. Firstly, I explore the possibility of there being a deep-seated structural link that exists between art, terror/ism and creativity. In other words, I ask if terror is a necessary corollary of the ‘creative event’. Secondly, I explore explicit examples in which artists have sought to create or to emphasise this relationship, from the perspective of Contemporary Art practices. In the spirit of experiment rather than of judgment then, this article sets up a series of trials in which art and terror/ism are philosophically, aesthetically and politically blended. It asks where else should such tests be conducted, if not in relation to the artwork and in particular, in relation to those artworks which toy with terror/ism and those artists who claim on some level, to be ‘terrorists’? How is the ‘artist-as-terrorist’ to be interpreted and understood alongside existing definitions of both terrorism and of Art? And finally, what role does imagination play in the construction of experience?
The Intelligence and Security Committee and the challenge of security networks
Authors: GILL PETER
Published: October 2009

A major feature of current security is the development of intelligence networks between agencies within and between nations and across public and private sectors. The performance of the UK Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) is examined within this context, especially regarding allegations of collusion by UK agencies in rendition and torture. Proposed changes to the ISC are discussed and it is argued that the ISC must seek to leverage its limited powers by helping to construct an oversight network.
The International Regulation of the Use of Force: The Politics of Interpretive Method
Authors: BIANCHI ANDREA
Published: October 2009

The difficulty in identifying the contours of the international regulation of the use of force is not merely the product of the highly politicized character of this area of international law, let alone of the divide between theory and practice. This paper submits that the problem rather lies in the fact that the interpretive community that produces the official discourse on the use of force is no longer able to agree on the way in which legal categories and interpretive techniques should be used to identify the applicable law. A reflexive consideration, by all actors involved, of the method by which the discourse on the use of force is formed seems to be necessary in order to establish or restore, within that interpretive community, the societal consensus needed to provide the international community with a common understanding of the extant regulatory framework and its scope of application.
Defining Victims of Crimes against Humanity: Martić and the International Criminal Court
Authors: DUNGEL JOAKIM
Published: October 2009

In Martić, the ICTY held that the term ‘civilian’ in the chapeau of crimes against humanity excludes persons hors de combat, but that such persons may still be victims of crimes against humanity. This paper analyses that holding and its applicability before the ICC. It observes that the holding may result in additional protection to prisoners of war, leave the group of victims of crimes against humanity undefined, and render the term ‘civilian’ in the chapeau nugatory. Some recommendations are offered in these regards.
The Application of Human Rights Treaties in the Development of Domestic and International Law: A Personal Perspective
Authors: DOHERTY TERESA A.
Published: October 2009

This article considers the application of international human rights treaties or conventions to domestic law in common law countries and the historical differences in approach between some jurisdictions. It promotes the view that the judiciary of a country which has signed an international human rights treaty or convention may refer to such a treaty when interpreting domestic law, notwithstanding the fact that the treaty or convention has not been incorporated into domestic legislation. The article also suggests that international human rights treaties and conventions have a role in developing international criminal law and international humanitarian law. It cites the example of the decision that forced marriage is an inhumane act, a crime against humanity, by the Special Court of Sierra Leone, and gives the factual and jurisprudential background to that decision.
Preserving the Legacy of the Special Court for Sierra Leone: Challenges and Lessons Learned in Prosecuting Grave Crimes in Sierra Leone
Authors: KAMARA JOSEPH F.
Published: October 2009

Sierra Leone experienced particularly heinous and widespread crimes against humanity and war crimes during its eleven years of civil war from 1991 to 2002. During the war, the civilian population was targeted by all the fighting factions. Civilians were captured, abducted, and held as slaves used for forced labour. The Special Court for Sierra Leone was established by the government of Sierra Leone and the United Nations in 2002, through Security Council Resolution 1315. It is mandated to try those who bear the greatest responsibility for serious violations of international humanitarian law and Sierra Leonean law committed in Sierra Leone since 30 November 1996. The aim of this paper is to sketch out the extent to which the jurisprudence of the Special Court can serve as a model for efficient and effective administration of criminal justice nationally through the preservation of its legacy.
Common Article 1: A Minimum Yardstick for Regulating Private Military and Security Companies
Authors: TONKIN HANNAH
Published: October 2009

Tens of thousands of contractors work for private military and security companies (PMSCs) during armed conflict and occupation, often hired by states to perform activities that were once the exclusive domain of the armed forces. Many of the obligations and standards that guide states in regulating their armed forces are lacking in relation to PMSCs, raising concerns that states might simply outsource their military policy to PMSCs without taking adequate measures to promote compliance with international humanitarian law (IHL). This article argues that the universally applicable obligation ‘to ensure respect’ for IHL in Common Article 1 of the Geneva Conventions can provide a key mechanism for addressing these concerns.
Moving Ahead in Protecting Freshwater Resources: The International Law Commission's Draft Articles on Transboundary Aquifers
Authors: MECHLEM KERSTIN
Published: October 2009

On 11 December 2008 the UN General Assembly adopted a set of draft articles on the law of transboundary aquifers which had been prepared by the International Law Commission (ILC) between 2002 and August 2008. These draft articles are the first official instrument that lays down rules of international law for the management and protection of groundwater, which makes up 97 per cent of the Earth's freshwater resources, excluding the resources locked in polar ice. This article discusses the contribution of the draft articles to the development of international water law. It first provides some background on the importance of shared groundwater resources, then describes the ILC's work on transboundary aquifers, and finally assesses in detail the draft articles and the way ahead.
REVIEW ESSAY
Authors: SKOUTERIS THOMAS
Published: October 2009

Progress in International Law, edited by Russ Miller and Rebecca Bratspies, is one of the most notable compiled volumes in the field of general international law for 2008. It merits the reader's attention for several reasons. First, it deals with a central mantra of internationalism, namely the Kantian idea that international law can be a catalyst for social progress on a global level. While progress is regularly used in international law writings as a slogan to accentuate diverse claims of renewalism, it is a notion that has received as such little attention in scholarship. In this sense, the book at hand responds to an important gap in the literature. Second, the editors have clearly devoted a lot of attention in the planning and production of the book to ensuring that the essays are meaningfully juxtaposed, complementary, and in dialogue with one another. Although this is an essential quality for any compiled volume, it is easier said than done, and this book has done reasonably well. The final product boasts some forty contributors and more than 900 pages of text, packed together in an attractive (but steeply priced) hardback edition by Martinus Nijhoff (Brill). Third, the book aspires to ‘survey the state of the contemporary legal order’ (p. 11). This is a broad and unusually ambitious scholarly project aimed at ‘cataloguing this generation's tangled international legal order’ and hoping ‘to map the current tendencies, theories, doctrine, and trends’ (p. 11). This last promise alone would have been sufficient to trigger anyone's interest in the book at the beginning of (what is perceived to be) a new era of internationalism.
Midkine expression is regulated by the circadian clock in the retina of the zebrafish
Authors: CALINESCU ANDA-ALEXANDRA , RAYMOND PAMELA A. , HITCHCOCK PETER F.
Published: October 2009

The retina displays numerous processes that follow a circadian rhythm. These processes are coordinated through the direct action of light on photoreceptive molecules and, in the absence of light, through autocrine/paracrine actions of extracellular neuromodulators. We previously described the expression of the genes encoding the secreted heparin-binding growth factors,midkine-a(mdka) andmidkine-b(mdkb), in the retina of the zebrafish. Here, we provide evidence that the expression ofmdkaandmdkbfollows a daily rhythm, which is independent of the presence or absence of light, and we propose that the expression ofmdkais regulated by the circadian clock. Both qualitative and quantitative measures show that formdka, the levels of mRNA and protein decrease during the night and increase during the subjective day. Qualitative measures show that the expression ofmdkbincreases during the second half of the subjective night and decreases during the second half of the subjective day. Within horizontal cells, the two midkine paralogs show asynchronous circadian regulation. Though intensely studied in the contexts of physiology and disease, this is the first study to provide evidence for the circadian regulation of midkines in the vertebrate nervous system.