bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Predictors of outcome in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia maintained on alpha‐blockers
Authors: Lo Alex H.K. , Kan Chi‐Fai , Wong Bill T.H.
Published: August 2010

Aim:  To determine factors that could predict failure of medical treatment or the need for surgical intervention in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) who were maintained on alpha‐blockers.

Methods:  124 eligible patients aged 51–82 years (mean 66.8) with lower urinary tract symptoms attributable to BPH treated with alpha‐blockers were included in the study. Initial assessments included a complete medical history, physical examination, blood biochemistry, serum prostate‐specific antigen and urinalysis. Baseline symptoms were assessed by International Prostate Symptoms Score (IPSS) questionnaire, peak urine flow rate (Qmax) and post‐void residual urine volume (PVR). Transrectal ultrasound (TRUS), prostate biopsy, cystoscopy and urodynamic study were carried out when indicated. Mean follow‐up was 47.7 months. Baseline parameters were compared between the cohort of patients requiring surgical intervention and the remaining cohort who were still maintained on alpha‐blockers.

Results:  Forty‐four patients (35.5%) demanded surgical intervention despite treatment with alpha‐blockers. Patients requiring surgical intervention had significantly worse baseline IPSS, quality‐of‐life score, Qmax and PVR when compared with those not requiring surgery. Risk analysis using binary logistic regression model showed that IPSS (odds ratio: 1.096; P = 0.001) and PVR (odds ratio: 1.006; P = 0.008) were independent predictors for surgical intervention. Receiver–operating characteristics curves further demonstrated that IPSS was slightly better than PVR as a single predictor. Kaplan–Meier cumulative risk analyses showed that patients with baseline IPSS ≥ 14 or PVR ≥ 100 mL were more likely to require subsequent surgical intervention than their counterparts.

Conclusions:  In patients with BPH who were maintained on alpha‐blockers, baseline IPSS and PVR were two useful independent predictors for failure of medical treatment and the need for surgical intervention.
Expression Analysis of Proline Metabolism‐related Genes From Halophyte Arabis stelleri under Osmotic Stress Conditions
Authors: Jung Yuchul , Park Jungan , Choi Yunjung , Yang Jin‐Gweon , Kim Donggiun , Kim Beom‐Gi , Roh Kyunghee , Lee Dong‐Hee , Auh Chung‐Kyoon , Lee Sukchan
Published: August 2010

Arabis stelleri var. japonica evidenced stronger osmotic stress tolerance than Arabidopsis thaliana. Using an A. thaliana microarray chip, we determined changes in the expression of approximately 2 800 genes between A. stelleri plants treated with 0.2 M mannitol versus mock‐treated plants. The most significant changes in the gene expression patterns were in genes defining cellular components or in genes associated with the endomembrane system, stimulus response, stress response, chemical stimulus response, and defense response. The expression patterns of three de novo proline biosynthesis enzymes were evaluated in A. stelleri var. japonica seedlings treated with 0.2 M mannitol, 0.2 M sorbitol, and 0.2 M NaCl. The expression of Δ1‐pyrroline‐5‐carboxylate synthetase was not affected by NaCl stress but was similarly induced by mannitol and sorbitol. The proline dehydrogenase gene, which is known to be repressed by dehydration stress and induced by free L‐proline, was induced at an early stage by mannitol treatment, but the level of proline dehydrogenase was increased later by treatment with both mannitol and NaCl. The level of free L‐proline accumulation increased progressively in response to treatments with mannitol, sorbitol, and NaCl. Mannitol induced L‐proline accumulation more rapidly than NaCl or sorbitol. These findings demonstrate that the osmotic tolerance of the novel halophyte, Arabis stelleri, is associated with the accumulation of L‐proline.
Biographing Realist Jurisprudence
Authors: Kreitner Roy
Published: August 2010

This essay reexamines realist jurisprudence through a review of two biographies of leading realists: Dalia Tsuk Mitchell's
Architect of Justice: Felix Cohen and the Founding of American Legal Pluralism (2007), and Spencer Waller's
Thurman Arnold: A Biography (2005). The essay argues that when biographies of legal realists are considered alongside their academic writing, a more robust jurisprudence emerges. Realist lives crystallize the intuition that the major innovation of legal realism was not, as generally assumed, its attitude toward judges and adjudication. Instead, realist jurisprudence is an institutionalist view of law with a focus on groups rather than individuals. Realist jurisprudence understands courts, legislatures, administrative agencies, and nongovernmental groups as important loci of law, lawmaking, and legal reasoning.
Endodontic treatment of a taurodontic premolar with five canals
Authors: Demiryürek Ebru Özsezer , Gönülol Nihan , Bulucu Bilinç
Published: August 2010

Taurodontism is a morpho‐anatomical abnormality in the shape of a tooth. An enlarged pulp chamber, apical displacement of the pulpal floor and no constriction at the level of the cemento‐enamel junction are the characteristic features. Special care is required in all aspects of endodontic treatment of a taurodontal tooth, including identifying the orifice, canal exploration, cleaning, shaping and obturation of the root canal. This case report describes the successful endodontic treatment of a taurodontic mandibular second premolar with five root canals.
Bond strength of fibre glass and carbon fibre posts to the root canal walls using different resin cements
Authors: Farina Ana Paula , Cecchin Doglas , da Fonseca Roberti Garcia Lucas , Naves Lucas Zago , de Carvalho Panzeri Pires‐de‐Souza Fernanda
Published: August 2010

The aim of the study was to evaluate the bond strength of fibre glass and carbon fibre posts in the root canal walls cemented with self‐adhesive (RelyX‐Unicem) and chemical (Cement‐Post) resin cements. Forty maxillary canines were divided into four groups according to the cement and post used and submitted to the push‐out test (0.5 mm min−1). The data were submitted to statistical analysis (2‐way anova, Bonferroni –P < 0.05) and fracture analysis by Scanning Electronic Microscopy. Fibre glass presented the best results when cemented with RelyX‐Unicem and Cement‐Post (P < 0.05). RelyX‐Unicem presented the highest bond strength values for both posts (P < 0.05). Fracture analysis showed predominance of cohesive fracture of post for RelyX‐Unicem and adhesive fracture between dentin/cement and mixed for Cement‐Post. The bond strength values were significantly affected by the type of post and cement used and the highest values were found for fibre glass posts and RelyX‐Unicem.
Morphometrical analysis of cleaning capacity of a hybrid instrumentation in mesial flattened root canals
Authors: Oliveira Gonçalves Leonardo Cantanhede , Sponchiado Junior Emilio Carlos , da Frota Matheus Franco , Marques André Augusto Franco , da Fonseca Roberti Garcia Lucas
Published: August 2010

The cleaning capacity of hybrid and rotary instrumentation techniques in mesial flattened canals of mandibular first molars was evaluated by morphometrical analysis in this study. Twenty human mandibular first molars were randomly assigned into two groups, according to instrumentation technique, as follows: group 1, instrumentation with ProTaper Starter Kit (Dentsply/Maillefer) rotary system; group 2, manual instrumentation using K files (Dentsply/Maillefer) by crown‐down technique in middle and apical thirds, cervical preparation with Gates‐Glidden #1 and #2 (Dentsply/Maillefer) burs, and to finalise the preparation, ProTaper F2 and F3 rotary files. Serial transverse cross‐sections (5 µm) of the apical third, stained with hematoxylin and eosin, were analysed at 100× original magnification. The images were submitted to morphometrical analysis with an integration grid to determine the percentage of root canal area with debris. Statiscal analysis (t‐Student, P < 0.05) showed significant difference between the techniques (P < 0.05), although neither completely cleaned the root canal.
Effectiveness of different chemical agents for disinfection of gutta‐percha cones
Authors: Nabeshima Cleber K. , de Lima Machado Manoel Eduardo , Borges Britto Maria Leticia , Pallotta Raul Capp
Published: August 2010

This aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the efficacy of different chemical methods to disinfect gutta‐percha cones (GP). Eighty‐six size 80 GP cones were used. The cones were contaminated by immersion in saliva and Enterococcus faecalis. Four chemical agents were used: 1% sodium hypochlorite (G1), 2% chlorhexidine gluconate (G2), 10% povidone iodine (G3) and 0.9% saline solution (G4). GP cones were immersed in the solutions for periods of 1 and 10 min. After the disinfection procedure, the cones were incubated in blood heart infusion and the presence of bacterial growth was analysed by turbidity of the medium. In G4, bacterial growth was observed in all specimens; G3 showed growth after immersion for 1 min when contaminated with E. faecalis; G1 showed diverse results after the immersion for 1 min. Meanwhile, G1 and G3 after 10 min, and G2 at both times evaluated did not show bacterial growth. The immersion of GP cones in 2% chlorhexidine gluconate for 1 min was an effective method for GP disinfection, while 10% povidone iodine and 1% sodium hypochlorite needed 10 min of immersion to disinfect the GP.
Devolution and differentiation: regional variation in EU law
Authors: Hunt Jo
Published: August 2010

For some years now, there has been a growing orthodoxy in EU legal studies which maintains that the EU project is less about achieving uniformity of laws across the Member States, and more about managing flexibility and differentiation. However, for the most part, space for differentiation is recognised only as between states or groups of states. The present paper moves beyond this level to explore the scope for local differentiation, at a sub-state level. This inquiry has been motivated by the recent Horvath judgment, in which the European Court of Justice was asked whether differential implementation by the devolved administrations of the UK of certain EU law obligations was lawful. The paper places these developments alongside other judicial, legal and political developments, to demonstrate a growing recognition of the role of regions within the EU's multi-levelled system of governance, revealing that the EU order is, in some respects, finally catching up with the realities of the rise of devolution and decentralisation taking place across Europe. However, it is submitted that there is further the EU could and should go in recognising, if not a ‘Europe of the Regions’, then a ‘Europe with the Regions’.
Accessorial liability in the law of torts
Authors: Dietrich Joachim
Published: August 2010

This paper considers the scope and limits of accessorial liability in the law of torts. It argues that the issue has been under-analysed, in part because such liability is encompassed under the label of ‘joint tortfeasorship’. Analysis of the question of accessorial liability needs to focus on two questions: what is the requisite involvement of the ‘accessory’ and what is the requisite mental state of the accessory when committing those acts? The paper seeks to define the precise limits of these two requirements and argues, after an analysis of the English and Australian authorities, that the current tests for accessorial liability, in rejecting liability for ‘mere’ assistance, are too narrowly stated.
Evaluation of 6 Prognostic Models Used to Calculate Mortality Rates in Elderly Heart Failure Patients With a Fatal Heart Failure Admission
Authors: Nutter Andria L. , Tanawuttiwat Tanyanan , Silver Marc A.
Published: August 2010

The objective was to evaluate 6 commonly used heart failure (HF) prognostic models in an elderly, fatal HF population. Predictive models have been established to quantify risk among HF patients. The validation of these models has not been adequately studied, especially in an elderly cohort. Applying a single‐center, retrospective study of serially admitted HF patients who died while in the hospital or within 30 days of discharge, the authors evaluated 6 prognostic models: the Seattle Heart Failure Model (SHFM), Heywood’s model, Classification and Regression Tree (CART) Analysis, the Heart Failure Survival Score (HFSS), Heart Failure Risk Scoring System, and Pocock’s score. Eighty patients were included (mean age, 82.7 ± 8.2 years). Twenty‐three patients (28.75%) died in the hospital. The remainder died within 30 days of discharge. The models’ predictions varied considerably from one another and underestimated the patients’ actual mortality. This study demonstrates that these models underestimate the mortality risk in an elderly cohort at or approaching the end of life. Moreover, the predictions made by each model vary greatly from one another. Many of the models used were not intended for calculation during hospitalization. Development of improved models for the range of patients with HF syndromes is needed. Congest Heart Fail. 2010;16:196–201. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
CLINICAL STUDY: Associations Among Cardiometabolic Risk Factor Clustering, Weight Status, and Cardiovascular Disease in an Appalachian Population
Authors: Blake Kimberly B. , Shankar Anoop , Madhavan Suresh , Ducatman Alan
Published: August 2010

Prev Cardiol. ****;**:**–**.

It has been suggested that within the traditional body mass index (BMI) categories there is a heterogeneous pattern of cardiometabolic risk factor clustering. The objective of this research was to determine the associations among obesity, cardiometabolic abnormalities, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) in a large population‐based study of Appalachian adults. The study comprised a cross‐sectional survey of Appalachian adults residing in 6 communities in Ohio and West Virginia, who were aged 18 years and older (n=14,783, 50.9% women). The authors categorized BMI into normal weight (<25 kg/m2), overweight (25–29.9 kg/m2), and obese (≥30 kg/m2). Cardiometabolic abnormalities were defined as the presence of hypertension, elevated triglycerides (≥150 mg/dL), decreased high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (<40 mg/dL [men], <50 mg/dL [women]), elevated fasting glucose (≥100 mg/dL)/diabetes, insulin resistance (homeostasis model assessment >5.13), or elevated C‐reactive protein (>3 mg/L). They found that 25.6% of normal‐weight adults displayed clustering of ≥2 cardiometabolic abnormalities; in contrast, 36.8% of overweight/obese adults displayed no clustering. Compared with normal‐weight persons without clustering of cardiometabolic abnormalities (referent), the odds ratio of CVD was 1.06 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.84–1.34) among overweight/obese individuals without cardiometabolic clustering, 2.21 (95% CI, 1.74–2.81) among normal‐weight individuals with cardiometabolic clustering, and 2.45 (95% CI, 2.02–2.97) among overweight/obese individuals with cardiometabolic clustering. These results suggest that within the traditional BMI categories, there may be heterogeneity of CVD risk depending on whether there is underlying clustering of cardiometabolic abnormalities.
At‐risk mental state (ARMS) detection in a community service center for early attention to psychosis in Barcelona
Authors: Quijada Yanet , Tizón Jorge L. , Artigue Jordi , Parra Belén
Published: August 2010

Aim: To describe the strategy and some results in at‐risk mental state (ARMS) patient detection as well as some of the ARMS clinical and socio‐demographical characteristics. The subjects were selected among the patients visited by an Early Care Equipment for patients at high risk of psychoses, in Barcelona (Spain) during its first year in operation.

Methods: Descriptive study of the community–team relations, selection criteria and intervention procedure. Description of patient's socio‐demographic and symptomatic characteristics according to the different instruments used in detection and diagnoses, taking account of four principal origins of referrals: mental health services, primary care services, education services and social services.

Results: Twenty of 55 referred people fulfilled the at‐risk mental state criteria, showing an incidence of 2.4 cases per 10 000 inhabitants. They were mainly adolescent males referred from health, education and social services. Overall, negative symptoms were predominant symptoms and the more frequent specific symptoms were decrease of motivation and poor work and school performance, decreased ability to maintain or initiate social relationships, depressed mood and withdrawal.

Conclusions: It is possible to detect and to provide early treatment to patients with prodromal symptoms if the whole matrix of the community – including the social services – contributes to the process. The utilization of a screening instrument and a two‐phase strategy – the second carried out by the specialized team – seems to be an appropriate approach for early psychosis and ARMS detection.
Impaired verbal memory in young adults with unipolar and bipolar depression
Authors: Hermens Daniel F. , Naismith Sharon L. , Redoblado Hodge M. Antoinette , Scott Elizabeth M. , Hickie Ian B.
Published: August 2010

Aim: Early stages of severe mood disorders may be accompanied by neurocognitive changes. Specifically, deficits in verbal memory have been linked to depression in young people. This study examined whether young adults with unipolar compared with bipolar depression showed similar neurocognitive deficits.

Methods: A total of 57 young adults (16–32 years) were assessed in this study. Twenty with unipolar and 20 with bipolar depression, all currently depressed, were compared with 17 healthy controls. Neuropsychological assessment included psychomotor speed, attention for routine mental operations, attentional switching, executive control and verbal learning and memory.

Results: Both unipolar and bipolar subjects showed significant impairments in verbal memory and attentional switching compared with controls. Both mood disorder groups showed no impairments in psychomotor speed, attention for routine mental operations and executive control. Effects size calculations show that the unipolar and bipolar groups do not differ from each other across a range of neurocognitive measures.

Conclusion: Neurocognitive deficits in young adults with current depressive syndromes appear to differ from those typically seen in older patients. In early adulthood, both unipolar and bipolar depression may be distinguished by poor verbal memory, despite intact speed of processing, attention and executive functions. This study suggests that there is utility in neuropsychological testing for young adults in the early stages of severe mood disorders. In order to prevent neurobiological changes inherent to the disease, pharmacological and non‐pharmacological interventions that target verbal memory deficits may be optimally delivered early in the disease course.
The meaning of self‐care for people with chronic illness
Authors: Kralik Debbie , Price Kay , Telford Kerry
Published: August 2010

kralik d, price k & telford k (2010)
 Journal of Nursing and Healthcare of Chronic Illness2, 197–204 The meaning of self‐care for people with chronic illness

Aim.  To reveal the meaning of self‐care as described by men and women living with chronic conditions.

Background.  Chronic illness self‐care and self‐management are terms that have been used interchangeably in the literature. Self‐care in the context of chronic illness has received some research attention, but remains an under‐explored concept.

Methods.  Conversation data were gathered using longitudinal email groups facilitated by the first author over a 21‐month period between 2003–2005, with 42 men and women living with chronic illness.

Results.  Self‐care is a process of adaptation in response to learning about oneself and about ways to live well with illness. Developing capacity to self care impacted significantly on the way participants experienced illness, their view of themselves and of their future.

Conclusions.  People living with chronic illness describe the process of self‐care as transformational in terms of feelings about their selves and reclaiming a sense of order. It enables them to move forward with a sense of the future. The primary health care principle of holistic assessment, taking account of the wider context of people’s lives, is of heightened importance when educating about self‐care.

Relevance to clinical practice.  Health care workers can assist people by acknowledging that chronic illness self‐care is a process that gradually evolves and is borne out of listening to the person’s priorities and finding ways for strategies to fit harmoniously alongside those priorities.
Navigating the health care system: insights from consumers with multi‐morbidity
Authors: Ravenscroft Eleanor F
Published: August 2010

ravenscroft ef (2010)
 Journal of Nursing and Healthcare of Chronic Illness2, 215–224 Navigating the health care system: insights from consumers with multi‐morbidity

Aim.  This study explored the perspective of people with multi‐morbidity on navigating the health care system in Ontario, Canada.

Background.  Delivering health care to people with one or more chronic conditions presents a major challenge and opportunity for health care today. System redesign is informed by information from many sources including a vast body of knowledge about chronic illness. However, there is limited understanding of how patients with multi‐morbidity experience navigating the health care system.

Design and method.  An interpretive descriptive design was used to explore how patients with multi‐morbidity experience navigating the health care system. Data were collected through minimally‐structured interviews and a demographic questionnaire with 20 adult participants with chronic kidney disease, and co‐existing diagnoses of diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular disease, review of the participants’ health records, and secondary contextual data collection.

Findings.  Two main themes emerged through iterative, constant comparative analysis: navigating rough terrain and discovering how to manage the health care system. The findings of this study highlight the disjuncture and misalignments in the health care delivery system and the cumulative health care‐related burden of multiple chronic conditions for consumers.

Conclusion.  The perspective of patients with multi‐morbidity on navigating the health care system provides valuable insights into how the health care system may be redesigned to maintain and improve quality of care.

Relevance to clinical practice.  It is increasingly important for nurses to recognise and understand the impact of how health care is delivered on the access to and continuity of care for patients with chronic conditions and the work required from such patients.
The life patterns of individuals who had been recently hospitalised for an exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Authors: Flanagan Jane
Published: August 2010

flanagan j (2010)
 Journal of Nursing and Healthcare of Chronic Illness2, 205–214 The life patterns of individuals who had been recently hospitalised for an exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Aim.  This study used Newman’s (Health as Expanding Consciousness, 2nd edn, 2000) health as expanding consciousness to explore the life patterns of individuals who had an exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease requiring hospitalisation.

Background.  Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a chronically debilitating disease of the lungs. Exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease requiring hospitalisation are highly correlated with increased mortality rates, making this experience critical in the disease trajectory (Groenewegen et al., Chest, 2, 2003, 459) While there have been many studies aimed at understanding the patient experience of late stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, there is a gap in knowledge consistent with the goals of nursing about the life patterns of patients recently hospitalised for the first time with an exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Methods.  Newman’s (Health as Expanding Consciousness, 2nd edn, 2000) Health as Expanding Consciousness guided data collection. Fourteen patients who had been admitted for an exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were individually interviewed at three time points posthospitalisation. Data were collected over an 18‐month period in 2008–2009. For the purpose of this report, two life pattern appraisals are presented and discussed.

Findings.  Fourteen patients including eight men and six women between the ages of 48–92 participated in the study. Participants readily engaged in the dialogue. The stories focused on what was personally meaningful and for these participants, the dialogue was not focused on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Isolation was a common experience with uniquely expressed meaning for each participant. The ability to form key relationships early in life may impact choices throughout life and requires further exploration.

Conclusion.  Through using health as expanding consciousness, a nurse–patient relationship was formed providing a more complete understanding of the unique experiences and needs of the participants. There were many missed opportunities for health care providers in addressing their care.

Relevance to clinical practice.  The process of dialoguing with patients to reflect on life patterns and choices underscored the importance of holistically knowing them and engaging them in care.
The DNA Barcode Linker
Authors: ALBU MIHAI , NIKBAKHT HAMID , HAJIBABAEI MEHRDAD , HICKEY DONAL A.
Published: August 2010

DNA barcoding is based on the use of short DNA sequences to provide taxonomic tags for rapid, efficient identification of biological specimens. Currently, reference databases are being compiled. In the future, it will be important to facilitate access to these databases, especially for nonspecialist users. The method described here provides a rapid, web‐based, user‐friendly link between the DNA sequence from an unidentified biological specimen and various types of biological information, including the species name. Specifically, we use a customized, Google‐type search algorithm to quickly match an unknown DNA sequence to a list of verified DNA barcodes in the reference database. In addition to retrieving the species name, our web tool also provides automatic links to a range of other information about that species. As the DNA barcode database becomes more populated, it will become increasingly important for the broader user community to be able to exploit it for the rapid identification of unknown specimens and to easily obtain relevant biological information about these species. The application presented here meets that need.
Genetic landscapes GIS Toolbox: tools to map patterns of genetic divergence and diversity
Authors: VANDERGAST AMY G. , PERRY WILLIAM M. , LUGO ROBERTO V. , HATHAWAY STACIE A.
Published: August 2010

The Landscape Genetics GIS Toolbox contains tools that run in the Geographic Information System software, ArcGIS®, to map genetic landscapes and to summarize multiple genetic landscapes as average and variance surfaces. These tools can be used to visualize the distribution of genetic diversity across geographic space and to study associations between patterns of genetic diversity and geographic features or other geo‐referenced environmental data sets. Together, these tools create genetic landscape surfaces directly from tables containing genetic distance or diversity data and sample location coordinates, greatly reducing the complexity of building and analyzing these raster surfaces in a Geographic Information System.
DNA barcoding for the discrimination of Eurasian yews (Taxus L., Taxaceae) and the discovery of cryptic species
Authors: LIU JIE , MÖLLER MICHAEL , GAO LIAN‐MING , ZHANG DE‐QUAN , LI DE‐ZHU
Published: August 2010

There is currently international interest in the application of DNA barcoding as a tool for plant species discrimination and identification. In this study, we evaluated the utility of five candidate plant DNA barcoding regions [rbcL, matK, trnH‐psbA, trnL‐F and internal transcribed spacer (ITS)] in Eurasian yews. This group of species is taxonomically difficult because of a lack of clear‐cut morphologically differences between species and hence represents a good test case for DNA barcoding. Forty‐seven accessions were analysed, representing all taxa treated in current floristic works and covering most of the distribution range of Taxus in Eurasia. As single loci, trnL‐F and ITS showed the highest species discriminatory power, each resolving 11 of 11 lineages (= barcode taxa). Species discrimination using matK, trnH‐psbA and rbcL individually was lower, with matK resolving 8 of 10, trnH‐psbA 7 of 11 and rbcL 5 of 11 successfully sequenced lineages. The proposed CBOL core barcode (rbcL + matK) resolved 8 of 11 lineages. Combining loci generally increased the robustness (measured by clade support) of the barcoding discrimination. Based on overall performance, trnL‐F and ITS, separately or combined, are proposed as barcode for Eurasian Taxus. DNA barcoding discriminated recognized taxa of Eurasian Taxus, namely T. baccata, T. cuspidata, T. fuana and T. sumatrana, and identified seven lineages among the T. wallichiana group, some with distinct geographical distributions and morphologies, and potentially representing new species. Using the proposed DNA barcode, a technical system can be established to rapidly and reliably identify Taxus species in Eurasia for conservation protection and for monitoring illegal trade.
Genomics and Pharmacogenomics of Dementia
Authors: Cacabelos Ramón , Martínez‐Bouza Rocío
Published: August 2010

Dementia is a major problem of health in developed countries, and a prototypical paradigm of chronic disability, high cost, and social‐family burden. Approximately, 10–20% of direct costs in this kind of neuropathology are related to pharmacological treatment, with a moderate responder rate below 30% and questionable cost‐effectiveness. Over 200 different genes have been associated with the pathogenesis of dementia. Studies on structural and functional genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics have revealed the paramount importance of these novel technologies for the understanding of pathogenic cascades and the prediction of therapeutic outcomes in dementia. About 10–30% of Western populations are defective in genes of the CYP superfamily. The most frequent CYP2D6 variants in the Iberian peninsula are the *1/*1 (57.84%), *1/*4 (22.78%), *1×N/*1 (6.10%), *4/*4 (2.56%), and *1/*3 (2.01%) genotypes, accounting for more than 80% of the population. The frequency of extensive (EMs), intermediate (IMs), poor (PMs), and ultra‐rapid metabolizers (UMs) is about 59.51%, 29,78%, 4.46%, and 6.23%, respectively, in the general population, and 57.76, 31.05%, 5.27%, and 5.90%, respectively, in AD cases. The construction of a genetic map integrating the most prevalent CYP2D6+CYP2C19+CYP2C9 polymorphic variants in a trigenic cluster yields 82 different haplotype‐like profiles, with *1*1‐*1*1‐*1*1 (25.70%), *1*1‐*1*2‐*1*2 (10.66%), *1*1‐*1*1‐*1*1 (10.45%), *1*4‐*1*1‐*1*1 (8.09%), *1*4‐*1*2‐*1*1 (4.91%), *1*4‐*1*1‐*1*2 (4.65%), and *1*1‐*1*3‐*1*3 (4.33%), as the most frequent genotypes. Only 26.51% of AD patients show a pure 3EM phenotype, 15.29% are 2EM1IM, 2.04% are pure 3IM, 0% are pure 3PM, and 0% are 1UM2PM. EMs and IMs are the best responders, and PMs and UMs are the worst responders to a combination therapy with cholinesterase inhibitors, neuroprotectants, and vasoactive substances. The pharmacogenetic response in AD appears to be dependent upon the networking activity of genes involved in drug metabolism and genes involved in AD pathogenesis (e.g., APOE). AD patients harboring the APOE‐4/4 genotypes are the worst responders to conventional antidementia drugs. To achieve a mature discipline of pharmacogenomics in CNS disorders and dementia it would be convenient to accelerate the following processes: (i) to educate physicians and the public on the use of genetic/genomic screening in daily clinical practice; (ii) to standardize genetic testing for major categories of drugs; (iii) to validate pharmacogenomic information according to drug category and pathology; (iv) to regulate ethical, social, and economic issues; and (v) to incorporate pharmacogenomic procedures both to drugs in development and drugs on the market in order to optimize therapeutics.
Are Self‐Service Customers Satisfied or Stuck?
Authors: Buell Ryan W. , Campbell Dennis , Frei Frances X.
Published: August 2010

This paper investigates the impact of self‐service technology (SST) usage on customer satisfaction and retention. Specifically, we disentangle the distinct effects of satisfaction and switching costs as drivers of retention among self‐service customers. Our empirical analysis examines 26,924 multi‐channel customers of a nationwide retail bank. We track each customer's channel usage, overall satisfaction, and retention over a 1‐year period. We find that, relative to face‐to‐face service, customers who use self‐service channels for a greater proportion of their transactions are either no more satisfied, or less satisfied with the service they receive, depending on the channel. However, we also find that these same customers are predictably less likely to defect to a competitor if they are heavily reliant on self‐service channels characterized by high switching costs. Through a mediation model, we demonstrate that, when self‐service usage promotes retention, it does so in a way that is consistent with switching costs. As a robustness check, we examine the behavior of channel enthusiasts, who concentrate transactions among specific channels. Relative to more diversified customers, we find that self‐service enthusiasts in low switching cost channels defect with greater frequency, while self‐service enthusiasts in high switching cost channels are retained with greater frequency.
National Security in Japan: Struggling between Continuity and Change
Authors: Kamo Takehiko
Published: August 2010

This is a paper which was prepared for delivery at the 1992 Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association, The Palmer House Hilton, September 3–6, 1992.
Korean Arms Control in the Regional Context
Authors: McLaurin Ronald D. , Moon Chung‐in
Published: August 2010

We would like to thank the United States Institute of Peace for supporting this research. This paper is part of a larger research project on arms control on the Korean peninsula which is funded by a grant from the United States Institute of Peace.
Desperately Seeking Fighters: Taiwan's Military Aircraft Deals
Authors: Lee Wei‐chin
Published: August 2010

Desperately Seeking Fighters: Taiwan's Military Aircraft Deals

Ms. Margaret Backenheimer read an earlier version of this paper and offered her critical comments and suggestions. The Research and Creativity Fund and Dean's office, Wake Forest University, funded the research. The Inter‐library answered to my numerous requests. I would like to thank all their help. Needless to say, I am responsible for any mistake and opinion in this paper.
The Korean Peace‐Building Process: An Inter‐Korean Cooperation Approach
Authors: Kwak Tae‐Hwan
Published: August 2010

The author attempts to deal with an inter‐Korean cooperation approach to the Korean peace‐building process. The inter‐Korean first‐ever summit meeting in June 2000 produced an inter‐Korean joint declaration of June 15, 2000. This landmark declaration provided a framework for institutionalizing a peaceful coexistence between the two Koreas. The objectives of this article are: (1) to examine the significance of the June 15 joint declaration which laid a foundation for a new inter‐Korean peace process after the summit; (2) to examine the inter‐Korean cooperation approach to the peace regime building; and (3) to analyze key issues between the two Koreas and the U.S. in the peace process. Three major arguments are presented in this article. First, the Korean peace‐building process is the first and necessary step for achieving Korean reunification. Second, the two Koreas and the U.S. should continue to remove key obstacles to inter‐Korean reconciliation, cooperation and peace process. Third, the two Koreas need to work together to find an alternative to the South's principle of an inter‐Korean peace agreement and the North's principle of a North Korea‐U.S. peace treaty to establish an agreed framework for a durable peace. Seoul and Pyongyang need to reactivate the South‐North Korean Joint Military Commission established by the 1992 inter‐Korean basic agreement and hold inter‐Korean government talks on military issues to discuss a new Korean peace system from an inter‐Korean perspective. The inter‐Korean peace‐building process depends largely on three factors: the political will of the two Korean leaders, South Korean domestic political process and economic conditions, and the international factors, especially President Bush's new policy toward North Korea and a global anti‐terrorism campaign led by the U.S. The author makes several policy recommendations for the Korean peace‐building process: (1) South and North Korea need to sincerely abide by inter‐Korean agreements to build mutual trust; (2) President Kim should actively and positively gather a national consensus on and bipartisan support for his North Korea policy, and (3) Seoul, Washington, and Tokyo must continue to maintain trilateral cooperation in dealing with North Korea. The author argues that the Bush administration needs to soften its hard‐line, hostile policy toward North Korea for promoting the inter‐Korean peace process.
U.S.‐Korean Relations Post September 11
Authors: Kang C. S. Eliot
Published: August 2010

The events of September 11, 2001 and the not‐too‐subtle style of the George W. Bush administration have introduced new uncertainties in U.S. security policy toward Korea. However, strategic considerations that have inclined successive U.S. administrations toward restraint and engagement with North Korea in the post‐Cold War period continue to operate and the Bush administration is not immune to these forces. That is, U.S. security policy toward Korea in the post‐Cold War period has been conditioned by an implicit strategy of husbanding U.S. primacy through a posture of reassurance toward potential great power competitors. No doubt, the Bush administration will continue to support the status quo on the Korean peninsula to reassure Japan and China that the United States is a “responsible hegemon.
Global Income Inequality in Developing and Less Developed Countries
Authors: Paik Won K. , Mardon Russell
Published: August 2010

The purpose of this study is to analyze global income inequalities by examining neo‐classical, dependency, and statist analyses. The present study utilizes both cross‐sectional and longitudinal analyses for developing and less developed countries for the time frames of the 1970s and 1990s. The cross‐sectional analyses tend to suggest that while the level of economic development partially affects income distribution, structural constraint of land tenure offers a greater explanation. The longitudinal analyses suggest that changes in income inequality are best explained by the nature and policies of the state in question.
Northeast Asian Energy Cooperation: The Irkutsk Pipeline Project*
Authors: Kim Euikon
Published: August 2010

Northeast Asia is a cluster of countries with wide differences in political systems, stages of economic development, levels of technology, and natural resource endowments. In addition, infrastructures of national economies are mutually complementary: Japan and Korea have capital and technology on the one hand and Russia and China enjoy abundant resources and cheap labor. Yet many socio‐political elements have so far barred active economic cooperation among Northeast Asian national economies from becoming a reality, such as, North Korean nuclear issues, different ideologies, unstable political systems, and anti‐Japanese sentiments.

The Irkutsk Pipeline Projects can be a litmus test for the future economic cooperation in the region. Market forces in Russia, Japan, South Korea and China increasingly tend to jump national boundaries and to escape political control, seeking for economic profits, whereas socio‐political factors have tendency to restrict and channel the economic activities. Thus, problems of the Irkutsk Pipeline Projects lie in how and where those positive and negative factors are reconciled.
The United States and Northeast Asia: Present and Future
Authors: Scalapino Robert A.
Published: August 2010

Two issues have dominated the political‐security scene in Northeast Asia in recent times: the North Korean nuclear program and the issue of Taiwan's sovereignty. In both matters, the U.S. is deeply involved, and while the North Korean problem has shown recent progress, neither issue can be considered close to resolution. Meanwhile, U.S. relations with the major Northeast Asian powers vary. With Japan, the relationship is strongly positive. Relations with China are characterized by complexity, with cooperation and competition coexisting. Relations with Russia have fluctuated, with problems mounting in the recent past. Among other nations, the ROK remains a significant ally despite certain differences both with respect to policies and political atmosphere. Mongolia represents a nation seeking balanced relations with near neighbors and closer relations with Japan and the United States. When the current scene is viewed in its full dimensions, there is reason for cautious optimism.
ROK‐U.S. Military Cooperation in the Post‐9/11 Era: Challenges and Paradigms in the Age of Terrorism
Authors: Bechtol Bruce E.
Published: August 2010

Since the beginning of the Global War on Terror, and largely because of it, Washington and Seoul have viewed their most important security challenges in the region through different prisms. While the leaders in South Korea have sometimes made an effort to help these interests converge (and sometimes not), this has had repercussions as their military forces continue to make an effort to work together in an alliance where the infrastructure and interoperability of forces will change drastically in 2012 and beyond. Much of the problem has been exacerbated because of a radically different view regarding the threat from North Korea and the policy that must be taken to deal with its often rogue‐state behavior. An analysis of potential new governments for both nations reveals a potential for continued disagreement and difficulties in both the policy regarding North Korea and the changing structure of the ROK‐U.S. military alliance. The electorates in the United States and South Korea have already begun the process of picking their next presidential candidates, and in both countries this has the potential for leadership that will want a substantially different role for the military and for military alliances that protect their national interests.
Cooperation for Transboundary Pollution in Northeast Asia: Non‐binding Agreements and Regional Countries' Policy Interests
Authors: Yoon Esook
Published: August 2010

Environmental cooperation in Northeast Asia has made a significant progress over the past decade. The institutional development of intergovernmental cooperation demonstrates credible political commitments of member countries to regional environmental protection. Environmental cooperation is viewed by the countries as a workable regime to address transboundary pollution in the region. Interestingly, however, environmental cooperation in Northeast Asia has evolved through non‐binding agreements despite its steady institutional development. These agreements do not contain official commitments on compliance or legal restrictions for non‐compliance and environmental practices of member countries are not subject to scrutiny under the agreements. Based on above observation, this paper explores why countries in Northeast Asia have adopted a non‐binding cooperation. The research suggests that non‐binding environmental cooperation is consistent with the policy interests of the key member countries in the region that have pursued a regime to serve the common regional interest of curbing trans‐boundary pollution while safeguarding their sovereign environmental policymaking authority and economic interests.
Going Transnational?: Dynamics and Challenges of Linking Local Claims to Global Advocacy Networks in Southeast Asia
Authors: Caouette Dominique
Published: August 2010

In Southeast Asia, especially since the 1997 financial crisis, there has been a growing tendency, for NGOs, social movements and activist networks to organize and work transnationally. This paper explores one specific component of Sidney Tarrow's most recent work on transnational activism, namely “the political processes that activists trigger to connect their local claims to those of others across borders and to international institutions, regimes, and processes.” In doing so, I will try to answer the following questions: Is the emergence and expansion of transnational activism in Southeast Asia comparable to other regions of the world? What are the reasons that motivate local activists and how do they inscribe their demands and claims in transnational coalitions, networks and campaigns? And, in what ways does this participation in such form of collective action affect local level activism and influence for public policy changes?>

Using a process tracing approach, the proposed paper will discuss transnational activism in four East Asian countries, namely the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia and Hong Kong. The analysis of each transnational network reveals that different methodologies and processes that are deployed to link local concerns to global advocacy. These reflect certain organizational choices linked to certain conception of social change as well as different types of domestic structures.
Lessons from the Past: The First Wave of Developmental Assistance to North Korea and the German Reconstruction of Hamhùng
Authors: Frank Rüdiger
Published: August 2010

North Korea is currently a receiver of substantial international economic support, but not for the first time in its history. This article seeks to shed some light on a largely unknown instance of multilateral aid and assistance to North Korea provided by the socialist camp in the 1950s. Based on research in archives and the analysis of trade data and contemporary media reports, the focus is mainly on the contribution of East Germany to the reconstruction of the North Korean city of Hamhùng. It is argued that this relatively well documented and completed case provides a number of highly relevant conclusions for the current, ongoing debate on engagement with North Korea. Comparing two historically distinct “waves” of assistance to the same country provides new analytical insights if contrasted with the usual approach of using assistance to a third country as the point of reference. There is evidence that North Korea might be applying the same tactics as five decades ago, while the international community faces the danger of repeating old mistakes. Moreover, history provides a hitherto underestimated rationale for the nuclear program, one that might require the international community to develop very different strategies from the ones applied so far.