bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Religion in the Public Sphere—with Dietrich Bonhoeffer towards a Renewed Understanding of ‘the Two Kingdoms’
Authors: Johansson Torbjörn
Published: August 2015

In this article Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s critical reception of the Lutheran doctrine of the two kingdoms is related to the discussion about religion and politics in liberal democracies. Bonhoeffer experienced not only how the church isolated itself from the political sphere—by a ‘pseudo-Lutheran’ doctrine of the two kingdoms—but also how the church was politicized and abused by Deutsche Christen. His theological thinking is therefore a helpful starting point to formulate a theology which is politically relevant without being transformed into politics. Against the background of Bonhoeffer’s theology an argument is advanced that a renewed understanding of the two kingdoms assists the church in being focused on the Gospel, at the same time as it can also give the church instruments to be present in the public sphere with well-defined pretensions, which clarifies whether the assertions of the church are based on revelation or on public reason.
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (hiv) Stigma: Spoiled Social Identity and Jürgen Moltmann’s Trinitarian Model of the Imago Dei
Authors: Kang Ezer
Published: August 2015

Recent scholarship has conceptually reframed hiv-related stigma as a social rather than individual process that perpetuates and sustains relations of power that devalues persons living with hiv (plhiv). If hiv-stigma is perpetuated by social relationships that are embedded in socio-economic and political structures that insidiously exclude plhiv, and less by ‘spoiled’ individual identity, how does the widely referenced doctrine of the imago Dei inform efforts to mitigate structural forms of hiv-stigma? This paper examines Jürgen Moltmann’s trinitarian model of the imago Dei which suggests that humanity bears the image of the mutually supporting persons of the Trinity. A relationship that is characterized by radical equality that fosters participation in all facets of suffering—an impetus set by the hope established by Christ’s resurrection. It is this divine imago that incites the church to deliberately contradict identities that are spoiled by hiv with one that is of dignity and hope.
Contested Religious Authority: Sufi Women in Ethiopia and Eritrea
Authors: Bruzzi Silvia , Zeleke Meron
Published: August 2015

The African experience in works dealing with Sufi women shows a concentration of classical and more recent works in the Maghreb and in West Africa. There is an observable gap in academic writings on the Horn of Africa where only scarce and fragmentary studies are available on women’s involvement and leadership in Sufism. Works focusing on Somalia address such themes as women’s oral literature, religious practices, and everyday religion. The challenges Sufi women face in legitimizing their power, their experiences in a strong patriarchal society, the dominant discursive gendering strategy in defining religious orthodoxy, and the different mechanisms used by these women to establish and protect their religious power are marginalized themes in the region. Furthermore, by clearly showing the different coping mechanisms adopted by two religious figures and the different activities they lead as custodians of Sufi shrines, this paper stresses the need to go beyond the dominant academic discourse that overshadows the agency of women and instead magnify the passive status women have in the African sociopolitical landscape. This paper focuses on these themes and contributes to this gap through a comparative case study of two prominent Sufi figures from two different parts of the Horn of Africa, Ethiopia and Eritrea.
The Reception of Edwards’s A History of the Work of Redemption in Nineteenth-century Basutoland
Authors: Neele Adriaan C.
Published: August 2015

A recently discovered manuscript by the French missionary Adolph Mabille (1836-1894) in the Morija Archives, Lesotho, remedies the lack of attention ofA History of the Work of Redemption(hwrhereafter), by Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) in the nineteenth century. This manuscript found its way from colonial America to Africa through French missionary endeavors in relgious educational training (Paris) and teaching (Basutoland). Edwards’s original aim, and the subsequent publication of ‘outlines of a body of divinity’, converged in nineteenth-century France, where thehwrwas translated in the context ofLe Réveiland taught in the course of systematic theology at the Paris Evangelical Mission Society Mission house, exemplified by Mabille’sDogmatique. Moreover, the appropriation of Edwards’shwrin the combined context of missions and religious education was extended in Basutoland, as seen in theKatekisma. The outline of the catechism may be due to Mabille’s classical training and acquaintance with ‘universal chronology’ and Scripture, but it also reflected his intimate knowledge of Edwards’s work. The reception of Edwards’s exposition of redemptive history in the catechism of Basutoland thus resonates in part with Mabille’sDogmatique—a text transmission of Edwards’sHistoire. The transmission of this text remained the same in structure, was shortened in content and modified over time, but continued as intended by Edwards: to show ‘a work that God is carrying on from the fall of man to the end of the world’.
Obstacles to Cross-fertilisation: The International Criminal Tribunals’ ‘Unique Context’ and the Flexibility of the European Court of Human Rights’ Case Law
Authors: Geneuss Julia
Published: August 2015

International criminal courts (icts) frequently refer to the European Convention on Human Rights and the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). While this practice is often regarded as cross-fertilisation, in this paper cross-fertilisation is used in a more demanding way and refers to the “transmission of meaning from one (legal) context to another”. For such a cross-fertilisation to ensue legal norms or concepts need to be translated from original to the borrowing legal system without losing its normative meaning. However, a translation from ECtHR-language into ict-language is problematic because of the specific contexts in which both courts operate. Since those obstacles primarily affect the outcome and not the method of the translation process, this paper concludes with an attempt to develop a coherent and transparent method of translating human rights into ict-language taking the frequent characterisation of ECtHR jurisprudence as “persuasive authority” as a starting point.
Cross-fertilisation in International Law
Authors: Linderfalk Ulf
Published: August 2015

This article picks up on a term (‘cross-fertilisation’) often exploited in debates on the interaction of international laws and legal practices, especially in the context of international criminal law. Two questions are addressed: (1) What is the meaning of ‘cross-fertilisation’? (2) What are its conditions? As the article argues, ‘cross-fertilisation’ pertains to the understanding of legal utterances relative to other such utterances. The concept assumes that if an agent wishes to understand the meaning or significance of a legal utterance, his understanding may profit by bringing the analysis of this utterance to bear on its assumed relationship with other legal utterances. Any assumption of a relationship between two legal utterances requires justification, however, or else it will not meet acceptance in international legal discourse. Consequently, when an agent brings the analysis of a legal utterance to bear on its relationship with some other legal utterance, as this article argues, cross-fertilisation will occur on two conditions. First, there has to be recognition of the relationship between the two utterances by a rule, principle, or informal convention pertinent to international legal discourse. Second, the agent must have grasped the precise nature of this same relationship. Based on this proposition, the article ends with six examples illustrating the kind of problems that might obstruct cross-fertilisation proper.
Just How Ill-treated Were You? An Investigation of Cross-fertilisation in the Interpretative Approaches to Torture at the European Court of Human Rights and in International Criminal Law
Authors: Farrell Michelle
Published: August 2015

The prohibition on torture in international human rights law seems a fairly straightforward candidate for productive use in international criminal law. The Convention against Torture contains an elaborate definition of torture and human rights institutions have developed substantial jurisprudence on the prohibition and definition of torture. Indeed, the ad hoc Tribunals and the drafters of the Rome Statute have employed the human rights law approach to torture to varying degrees. But the conception of torture reached by human rights bodies is problematic and unsuitable for usage where individual criminal responsibility is sought. It is unsuitable because the human rights law understanding of torture is subjective and victim-derived. Human rights bodies do not scrutinize intent, purpose and perpetration, central aspects of international criminal legal reasoning. The communication on torture between these bodies of law to date shows that cross-fertilisation, without detailed reasoning, is inappropriate - because rights are different to crimes.
Social Accountability in War Zones – Confronting Local Realities of Law and Justice
Authors: Macdonald Anna , Allen Tim
Published: August 2015

This article examines how justice and social order are administered and experienced in poor, politically fragile and conflict-affected environments. Taking notions of legal pluralism and public authority as our starting point, we explore how moral and social worlds are understood in places where ‘the law’ is not necessarily a discrete institutionalised process. Drawing upon current debates in the field, as well as findings from the six articles in this special issue, we explore how legal pluralism and public authority operate in context; how we might evaluate whether ‘justice’ is being done’; and the stark dissonances between local realities and the normative assumptions that currently guide international development interventions, particularly around rule-of-law reform and access to justice initiatives.
Analogy, Natural History and the Philosophy of Nature
Authors: Nassar Dalia
Published: August 2015

In 1785 Kant published a series of critical reviews of Johann Gottfried Herder’s Ideas for a Philosophy of the History of Humanity (1784–1785), in which he not only challenges Herder’s conception of nature but also, and more importantly, his methodology. Kant’s complaint is that by relying on analogy, Herder draws deeply mistaken conclusions that overlook fundamental differences between human and nonhuman beings. But was Kant’s critique of Herder entirely fair? And how does it compare to Kant’s own use of analogy? My claim is that Herder’s use of analogy posed a fundamental methodological challenge to Kant, a challenge he sought to meet in the years following the reviews. In so doing, however, Kant found himself in the untenable situation of, on the one hand, granting analogy greater significance, and, on the other, severely restricting its use. By tracing the shifts in Kant’s thought through the lens of analogy, I aim to show that Kant’s transformed understanding of analogy reveals a fundamental tension between his a priori “metaphysics of nature” and empirical science, a tension that fundamentally shaped the philosophies of nature after Kant.
Historical Citation and Revolutionary Epistemology
Authors: Ross Alison
Published: August 2015

This article defends the thesis that there are multiple points of exchange between the categories of “word” and “image” in Walter Benjamin’s Arcades Project. Benjamin describes the truth of the articulate wish of the past as “graphically perceptible” and the image as “readable.” In this respect the vocabulary of “word” and “image” that Benjamin’s early work had opposed are not just deployed in concert, but specific features of the vocabulary of “word” and “image” become exchangeable. The distinctive features of this exchange can be used to expound on Benjamin’s peculiar understanding of revolutionary experience and the significance of the break that it marks with his early way of opposing the word and the image. In particular, the exchange of features between word and image can explain the mechanics and intended effect of his idea that the meaning of history can be perceived in an image. The study of this exchange also shows that although the framework of “graphic perception” entails an experience of motivating meaning that is epistemologically grounded, the citation model of history is unable to secure the extension of the sought after legibility of the nineteenth century to a recipient.
Skepticism and the Prediction Objection
Authors: Petersen Esben
Published: August 2015

It is an influential and often repeated objection to external world skepticism that skeptical theories lead to implausible predictions about the patterns of ordinary epistemic discourse and thought. Since skepticism entails that we know nothing, or only very little, about the external world, the skeptic seems unable to explain why competent speakers constantly ascribe such knowledge to both themselves and others. Uncontroversial facts about every day communication hence appear to present a strong reason to reject skeptical conditions on knowledge. In this paper, however, I argue that this objection to skepticism underestimates the means that a skeptic has available to account for people’s anti-skeptical assertions and judgments. A modest and highly plausible error theory enables the proponents of a familiar type of skeptical underdetermination principle to provide a compelling explanation of our linguistic and doxastic behavior. So there is a type of skepticism with a powerful response to the charge that skeptical theories lead to unacceptable predictions.
Against Piecemeal Skepticism
Authors: Yang Eric
Published: August 2015

Rather than advancing a global skeptical hypothesis, Anthony Brueckner and Jon Altschul construct a skeptical strategy in which they posit a plurality of skeptical hypotheses for distinct propositions that someone claims to know. I show that such “piecemeal” skepticism fails, suggesting that the skeptic is better off sticking with a global skeptical hypothesis.
Characteristics of Some Days Involving Abrupt Increases in Fire Danger
Authors: Fox-Hughes Paul
Published: August 2015

A class of fire-weather events has been identified recently in which the normal, often diurnal, rise and fall of fire danger is interrupted by abruptly worsening conditions, or “spikes,” for which fire managers may be unprepared. Frequent observations from a site in Tasmania, Australia, show that spike events are associated with the passage of negatively tilted upper-tropospheric troughs, leading to descent into the atmospheric boundary layer of dry, high-momentum air—a result that is supported by satellite water vapor imagery. Case studies from other major fire events, both in Australia and in the Northern Hemisphere, show similar characteristics. Statistically significant differences exist between the location and placement of trough and jet-streak features during spike events and normal fire-weather events, with differences in satellite water vapor imagery features also evident. The seasonality of spike events differs significantly from other fire-weather events, with their occurrence peaking from late spring to early summer in Tasmania, in contrast to broad summer primary and midspring secondary peaks for nonspike events.
Estimation of Wind-Induced Losses from a Precipitation Gauge Network in the Australian Snowy Mountains
Authors: Chubb Thomas , Manton Michael J. , Siems Steven T. , Peace Andrew D. , Bilish Shane P.
Published: August 2015

Wind-induced losses, or undercatch, can have a substantial impact on precipitation gauge observations, especially in alpine environments that receive a substantial amount of frozen precipitation and may be exposed to high winds. A network of NOAH II all-weather gauges installed in the Snowy Mountains since 2006 provides an opportunity to evaluate the magnitude of undercatch in an Australian alpine environment. Data from two intercomparison sites were used with NOAH II gauges with different configurations of wind fences installed: unfenced, WMO standard double fence intercomparison reference (full DFIR) fences, and an experimental half-sized double fence (half DFIR). It was found that average ambient temperature over 6-h periods was sufficient to classify the precipitation phase as snow, mixed precipitation, or rain in a statistically robust way. Empirical catch ratio relationships (i.e., the quotient of observations from two gauges), based on wind speed, ambient temperature, and measured precipitation amount, were established for snow and mixed precipitation. An adjustment scheme to correct the unfenced NOAH II gauge data using the catch ratio relationships was cross validated with independent data from two additional sites, as well as from the intercomparison sites themselves. The adjustment scheme was applied to the observed precipitation amounts at the other sites with unfenced NOAH II gauges. In the worst-case scenario, it was found that the observed precipitation amount would need to be increased by 52% to match what would have been recorded had adequate shielding been installed. However, gauges that were naturally well protected, and those below about 1400 m, required very little adjustment. Spatial analysis showed that the average seasonal undercatch was between 6% and 15% for gauges above 1000 m MSL.
Measuring Youth Media Exposure
Authors: Rich Michael , Bickham David S. , Shrier Lydia A.
Published: August 2015

Measuring Youth Media Exposure (MYME) methodology was developed in response to a need for more sensitive, comprehensive, and reliable measures of media use and exposure in a rapidly evolving and increasingly complex mobile digital environment. MYME combines multiple measurement modes to locate its findings in relation to historical trends and superimposes those components to complement, cross-validate, and provide strengths where other components have limitations. Self-collected as the individual moves through media-saturated environments, MYME combines established, validated media use measures, Recall Estimation and Time-Use Diaries, with Ecological Momentary Assessment in two forms, Questionnaire (Q-EMA) and Video (V-EMA). Triggered at random intervals during study participants’ waking hours, Ecological Momentary Assessment captures in detail complex behaviors, including multitasking and background exposure, simultaneously with media content, contexts of its use, and individuals’ responses, attention, and affective states. MYME measurement modes are focused, but open-ended so that they can be used to measure similar media uses and exposures as technology evolves over time. This allows MYME to be applied to prospective longitudinal studies of the temporal relations between media exposure, human development, and the physical, mental, and social health of children and adolescents, positioning MYME to test theorized contributions of media use to a wide variety of health and developmental outcomes. The pilot study reported here followed a cohort of 126 13- to 15-year-olds in three annual waves, measuring their media use and exposure, health status, and health-related behaviors. When implemented in future studies, MYME will be consolidated into a smartphone app which signals participants and collects and uploads time-linked data to a secure cloud-based data shell, where it can be accessed in a continuous manner and analyzed for specific research questions within and across participants.
Voice Outcomes for Photoangiolytic KTP Laser Treatment of Early Glottic Cancer
Authors: Friedman Aaron D. , Hillman Robert E. , Landau-Zemer Tali , Burns James A. , Zeitels Steven M.
Published: August 2015

Objectives:

Surgery and radiotherapy routinely provide high cure rates in treating early glottic cancer. Therefore, key metrics for success are optimal voice outcome and preservation of future cancer treatment options. Remarkably, there is a paucity of pretreatment versus posttreatment voice outcome data. Angiolytic KTP (potassium titanyl phosphate) laser treatment of early glottic cancer with ultranarrow margins was initiated to better preserve vocal function. Given that effective oncological results have been achieved, it was hypothesized that this approach would also result in improved posttreatment measures of vocal function that more closely approximate historical norms than pretreatment values.

Methods:

Pretreatment and posttreatment voice outcome data were obtained for 92 patients (64 with T1 cancer and 28 with T2 cancer) who underwent 532-nm KTP laser treatment of early glottic cancer in a study design in which each patient essentially served as his or her own control. The evaluations included objective measures (acoustic and aerodynamic) and patients' self-assessments of vocal function (Voice-Related Quality of Life; V-RQOL). A series of mixed analyses of variance were conducted for all vocal function measures, with tumor stage and depth of invasion as the between-subjects variables and time (presurgery versus postsurgery) as the within-subject variable.

Results:

There were statistically significant (p ≤ 0.05) postoperative improvements for acoustic (perturbation and noise-to-harmonics ratio) and aerodynamic (subglottic pressure and vocal efficiency) measures of vocal function, as well as for V-RQOL assessment.

Conclusions:

Comprehensive pretreatment and posttreatment voice measures in a large patient cohort demonstrated that the KTP laser significantly improved postoperative vocal function in patients with early glottic cancer. Furthermore, radiotherapy was preserved as an oncological treatment option.
Mitochondrial Myopathy: A Rare Cause of Early-Onset Vocal Fold Atrophy
Authors: Kelly Elizabeth A. , Bock Jonathan M. , Peltier Amanda C. , Oh Shin J. , Garrett C. Gaelyn
Published: August 2015

Objectives:

We present the second published case of laryngeal involvement in mitochondrial myopathy.

Methods:

A patient with laryngeal involvement of mitochondrial myopathy is presented, together with a literature review.

Results:

A 41-year-old man presented with progressive breathy dysphonia. His brother had mitochondrial myopathy. Biopsy of the biceps muscle demonstrated cytochrome C oxidase–negative ragged blue fibers confirming mitochondrial myopathy. Videostroboscopy showed marked vocal fold atrophy, but subsequent injection laryngoplasty did not significantly improve the patient's voice, despite improved postoperative glottic closure.

Conclusions:

Mitochondrial myopathy should be considered in the differential diagnosis of severe early-onset vocal fold atrophy.
Rigid Bronchoscopic Management of Complications Related to Endobronchial Stents after Lung Transplantation
Authors: Redmond Jonas , Diamond Jay , Dunn Jonathan , Cohen Gary S. , Soliman Ahmed M. S.
Published: August 2015

Objectives:

We reviewed the utility of rigid bronchoscopy in the management of complications resulting from placement of metallic endobronchial stents after lung transplantation.

Methods:

A retrospective review was performed of all lung transplant patients who required metallic endobronchial stenting between 2005 and 2009. The patients' medical records were reviewed, and details regarding stent placement, complications, and removal were recorded.

Results:

A total of 43 metallic stents were placed in 22 patients who had unilateral or bilateral lung transplantation. Stent complications occurred in 18 cases (42%) at a mean of 285 days after placement and included stent collapse, stent breakdown, stent migration, ingrowth of granulation tissue, and coughing up of fractured pieces of stent. Of the 43 stents placed, only 4 (9%) had to be removed. Removal was readily accomplished by rigid bronchoscopic techniques, even when some endothelial ingrowth had occurred.

Conclusions:

Lung transplantation presents unique challenges in airway management. Endobronchial stenting plays an important role in the management of anastomotic stenosis and bronchomalacia in these patients. Although metallic stents have significant advantages, complications often arise that occasionally necessitate their removal. Rigid bronchoscopy is a valuable tool in the management of endobronchial stent complications after lung transplantation.
Voice Outcomes from Subligamentous Cordectomy for Early Glottic Cancer
Authors: Hillel Alexander T. , Johns Michael M. , Hapner Edie R. , Shah Manish , Wise Justin C. , Klein Adam M.
Published: August 2015

Objectives:

We evaluated the voice and vocal fold pliability outcomes of European Laryngological Society (ELS) deep type I (subepithelial) and type II (subligamentous) cordectomies for early glottic cancer.

Methods:

We reviewed the medical records of patients with glottic carcinoma at a tertiary care medical center between 2005 and 2011. Their procedures were stratified into ELS type I and ELS type II cordectomies. The data recorded included age, gender, tumor stage, recurrence, patient-assessed voice-related quality of life, perceptual voice evaluation, and stroboscopy.

Results:

Four patients were identified as having subepithelial cordectomy, and 13 as having subligamentous cordectomy. The average preoperative and postoperative voice-related quality of life scores were 65 and 74 for the ELS I cohort and 64 and 95 for the ELS II group. The preoperative and postoperative perceptual voice evaluation scores were 56 and 35 for the ELS I cohort and 45 and 21 for the ELS II cohort. The ELS I cohort had a moderately to severely reduced mucosal wave, with 75% of patients demonstrating glottic insufficiency, whereas the ELS II cohort had a mildly to moderately reduced mucosal wave, with 8% of patients demonstrating glottic insufficiency. The survival outcomes were the same.

Conclusions:

Patients who underwent subligamentous excision of early glottic cancer had significantly improved postoperative voice and stroboscopy scores. This finding suggests that if tumor resection reaches the vocal ligament, and minimal superficial lamina propria can be preserved, subligamentous cordectomy should be performed.
Voice Outcome following Acute Unilateral Vocal Fold Paralysis
Authors: Young VyVy N. , Smith Libby J. , Rosen Clark
Published: August 2015

Objectives:

We assessed voice outcomes following unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP).

Methods:

We performed a retrospective chart review of 72 patients with UVFP proven by laryngeal electromyography, including their Voice Handicap Index-10 (VHI-10) scores at presentation and at the study end point (at the return of vocal fold motion or before the decision regarding definitive treatment).

Results:

The average VHI-10 score on presentation was 26.9 of 40 (27.2 for patients who recovered motion and 26.7 for those who did not; p = 0.847). A recovery of vocal fold motion was experienced by 35% of patients, and 76.4% of patients underwent temporary vocal fold injection. For the patients who recovered motion, the average changes in VHI-10 score were −22.3 for those with injection and −11.4 for those without (p = 0.027). For patients without motion recovery, the average changes in VHI-10 score were −9.5 for those with injection and −0.8 for those without (p = 0.027). At the study end point, 84% of patients with return of motion had normal VHI-10 scores, in contrast to 21% of patients without motion recovery (p = 0.0009).

Conclusions:

A return of vocal fold motion is a vital determinant of voice outcome in patients with UVFP. However, despite recovery of vocal fold motion, 16% of patients in this study still had significant voice handicap. In contrast, 21% of patients without motion recovery had normal VHI-10 scores. This information can be used to counsel patients on voice outcome (precluding permanent treatment) with and without recovery of motion. There may be long-term voice benefit from early temporary vocal fold injection.
Supraglottic Stenosis: Etiology and Treatment of a Rare Condition
Authors: Stevens Matthew S. , Chang Andrew , Simpson C. Blake
Published: August 2015

Objectives:

Although laryngotracheal stenosis is well described in the literature, the vast majority of cases are of stenosis at either the subglottic or glottic level. Supraglottic stenosis is an unusual subset of laryngotracheal stenosis that has distinctly different causes, symptoms, and treatment options.

Methods:

A retrospective chart review was conducted on all adult patients at our institution with a diagnosis of supraglottic stenosis. Clinical records, videolaryngoscopic examinations, and operative and clinic procedure records were reviewed. All patients had a minimum follow-up of 12 months.

Results:

Eight patients with supraglottic stenosis were identified. Five (62.5%) had a history of radiation therapy, and the remaining 3 cases were associated with autoimmune disorders. Our data revealed a frequent association with dysphagia (7 of 8 cases, or 87.5%), including 2 patients with complete pharyngoesophageal stricture and 3 who required a percutaneous gastrostomy tube. All of the patients required more than 1 surgical intervention because of symptomatic recurrent airway stenosis. Three patients underwent successful endoscopic treatment with a carbon dioxide laser in the operating room. One of these patients and 5 additional patients were successfully managed with pulsed KTP laser treatment in the clinic setting without complications. We observed 2 cases of acute intraoperative supraglottic edema in the setting of suspension laryngoscopy and jet ventilation, 1 of which necessitated emergent tracheostomy.

Conclusions:

Supraglottic stenosis is a rare condition that is often associated with external-beam radiation or autoimmune disorders. All of the patients in our series experienced some degree of symptomatic airway obstruction that required management. The majority also had coexisting dysphagia, often associated with pharyngeal or esophageal stricture. Despite the favorable response to endoscopic treatment, all patients eventually required additional procedures because of symptomatic recurrence of their stenosis. Although endoscopic surgical treatment with a carbon dioxide laser in the operating room setting is a viable option, office-based treatment with a pulsed KTP laser appears to be an effective and potentially safer alternative.
Prevalence of Vocal Cord Paralysis in Patients with Incidentally Discovered Enlarged Lymph Nodes along the Expected Course of the Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve
Authors: Agarwal Ritu , Ionita Justin A. , Akin Esma A. , Sadeghi Nader , Taheri M. Reza
Published: August 2015

Objectives:

We sought to determine the prevalence of vocal cord paralysis in patients with incidentally discovered lymphadenopathy along the expected course of the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN).

Methods:

We reviewed the positron-emission tomographic (PET) and computed tomographic (CT) scans of 936 consecutive patients with a variety of diagnoses. Enlarged lymph nodes (short-axis diameter of more than 1 cm) along the expected course of the RLN were identified. Patients with lymphadenopathy were evaluated for CT signs of vocal cord paralysis. The medical records of patients with lymphadenopathy were reviewed for clinical signs of vocal cord paralysis. Patients with head and neck malignancies were excluded from the study.

Results:

Lymphadenopathy along the course of the RLN was identified in 57 of the 936 patients studied. Fifty-three of the 57 patients (93%) were found to have a malignancy. Thirty-four enlarged nodes (60%) had FDG uptake as shown on a PET/CT scan. Twenty enlarged nodes (35%) had CT evidence of extracapsular spread. Four patients (7%) had CT evidence of vocal cord paralysis. One patient (2%) had clinical evidence of vocal cord paralysis.

Conclusions:

In asymptomatic patients with incidental lymphadenopathy along the course of the RLN, vocal cord paralysis is rare.
Salvage Endoscopic Angiolytic KTP Laser Treatment of Early Glottic Cancer after Failed Radiotherapy
Authors: Barbu Anca M. , Burns James A. , Lopez-Guerra Gerardo , Landau-Zemer Tali , Friedman Aaron D. , Zeitels Steven M.
Published: August 2015

Objectives:

Management of early glottic cancer subsequent to failed radiotherapy is challenging, especially in balancing oncological control and function preservation. Patients frequently have been incentivized against surgical management and thus have undergone radiotherapy as initial treatment. This history compounds the difficulty of discussions about surgical management after recurrence. Typically, endoscopic salvage has less morbidity than transcervical partial laryngectomy and is clearly desirable over total laryngectomy. However, there are appropriate concerns about the efficacy of endoscopic salvage and the overarching impact on larynx preservation and survival. Given our success with endoscopic angiolytic KTP laser treatment of previously nonirradiated T1 and T2 glottic cancers, we examined our results from treating similar-sized lesions after failed radiotherapy.

Methods:

We performed a retrospective chart review of 20 patients from our cancer database who had undergone failed radiation therapy elsewhere for early glottic cancer and then underwent endoscopic angiolytic KTP laser treatment.

Results:

Analysis of the geographic tumor recurrence of the 20 patients revealed T1a N0 M0 cancer in 4 patients, T1b N0 M0 cancer in 1 patient, T2a N0 M0 cancer in 1 patient, and T2b N0 M0 cancer in 14 patients. After KTP laser salvage treatment, 4 patients (20%) had local recurrence (all T2b) and required subsequent total laryngectomy, and 3 of these patients (15%) ultimately died of disease. The remaining 16 patients (80%) were free of disease at least 2 years after endoscopic salvage (average follow-up, 39 months).

Conclusions:

Our investigation provides preliminary evidence that angiolytic KTP laser salvage treatment of early glottic cancer is an effective treatment after failed irradiation. Studies with larger cohorts and longer follow-up will be necessary to establish incontrovertible evidence of its efficacy.
Protective Effects of Exogenous Surfactant Protein A in Allergic Rhinitis: A Mouse Model
Authors: Ren Jie , Deng Yuqin , Xiao Bokui , Wang Guirong , Tao Zezhang
Published: August 2015

Objectives:

A mouse model of allergic rhinitis (AR) was prepared, and exogenous surfactant protein A (SP-A) was given by an intranasal route to study its mechanism and effects in the mice.

Methods:

Sixty male BALB/c mice were randomly divided into a normal control group, a group with AR (AR group), and a group with AR that was given SP-A (treatment group).

Results:

A mouse model of AR was successfully established. Enzyme-linked immunoassay showed that the level of ovalbumin-specific immunoglobulin E in the AR group was significantly higher than those in the treatment and control groups (p < 0.05), whereas the levels were not significantly different (p > 0.05) between the treatment and control groups. Hematoxylin-eosin staining showed typical allergic injury of the nasal epithelium in the AR group, and the number of eosinophils that migrated into the nasal tissue in the AR group was significantly greater than those measured in the treatment and control groups (p < 0.05). Western blotting and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction testing revealed that the type 2 helper (Th2) cytokine (interleukin 4 and interleukin 5) levels were highest in the AR group, followed by the treatment and control groups, with significant differences between each of the groups (p < 0.05). Significant differences were found in the levels of nasal mucosa type 1 helper (Th1) cytokines (interferon γ, interleukin 12) among the AR, treatment, and control groups; the highest levels were found in the control group, and the lowest levels were detected in the AR group (p < 0.05).

Conclusions:

Exogenous SP-A had a significant therapeutic effect in mice with AR, and its mechanisms of action included inhibition of the differentiation of Th2 cells in the nasal mucosa, reduced levels of Th2 cytokines, and increased levels of Th1 cytokines. Together, these effects corrected the Th1/Th2 imbalance, inhibited the increase of specific immunoglobulin E production, effectively reduced the symptoms of AR, and inhibited the development of AR.
Transnasal Approach to the Orbital Apex and Cavernous Sinus
Authors: Felippu Alexandre , Mora Renzo , Guastini Luca , Peretti Giorgio
Published: August 2015

Objectives:

The aim of this study was to provide the anatomic rationale for a transnasal approach to the orbital apex and cavernous sinus, and to evaluate its applicability and efficiency.

Methods:

One hundred patients with lesions of the orbital apex, cavernous sinus, optic nerve, clivus, parapharyngeal space, infratemporal fossa, or pterygopalatine fossa were reviewed over a 10-year period. All patients underwent an endoscopic transnasal approach to the orbital apex and cavernous sinus. The surgical technique required a standard endoscopic sinus surgery set. The possible complications were recorded and classified as intraoperative or postoperative.

Results:

There were complications in 8 cases: 4 intraoperative and 4 postoperative. The intraoperative complications included rupture of the internal carotid artery in 1 patient and cerebrospinal fluid leak in 3 patients. All intraoperative complications were resolved during surgery. The postoperative complications were transitory eyelid ptosis in 2 patients (resolved in 6 months) and transitory diplopia with immediate deficit of the medial rectus muscle in 2 patients (completely resolved in 1 month).

Conclusions:

With the use of this technique, the surgeon can precisely identify the position of the surgical instrument without losing his or her way, thereby significantly reducing the rate of complications.
Repair of Posterior Semicircular Canal Dehiscence from a High Jugular Bulb
Authors: Gubbels Samuel P. , Zhang Qi , Lenkowski Paul W. , Hansen Marlan R.
Published: August 2015

Objectives:

We describe the clinical evaluation and operative management of posterior semicircular canal dehiscence caused by a high jugular bulb.

Methods:

We performed a retrospective case report.

Results:

The patient had clinical and audiometric findings consistent with semicircular canal dehiscence and imaging findings that demonstrated erosion of the posterior semicircular canal by a high jugular bulb. Resurfacing of the eroded canal provided resolution of the vestibular symptoms without damage to the inner ear.

Conclusions:

Dehiscence of the posterior semicircular canal can cause clinical and audiometric findings similar to those of superior semicircular canal dehiscence syndrome. Resurfacing of the area of dehiscence can successfully relieve the vestibular symptoms. In the case of dehiscence of the posterior canal from a high jugular bulb, resurfacing may offer advantages over canal plugging for definitive management.
Management of Wire Brush Bristle Ingestion
Authors: Wong Stephanie , Brook Christopher , Grillone Gregory
Published: August 2015

Objectives:

To increase awareness of wire brush bristle ingestion, review the literature relating to wire brush bristle ingestion, and describe an algorithm for management of wire brush bristle foreign bodies as well as a technique for bedside removal.

Methods:

The authors present a case of an accidental wire bristle ingestion that was successfully treated with bedside removal and describe a successful bedside technique for removal. For the literature review, the PubMed journal database and Google Scholar were queried using the search terms wire bristle, wire brush, grill brush, and grill bristle.

Results:

Twenty-three wire brush ingestions with upper aerodigestive presentations were identified in the medical literature. Bedside visualization was attempted in 10 patients and successful in 5. The foreign body was able to be removed at the bedside in 3 of these patients. Two patients were managed conservatively. The authors developed an algorithm for management based on these literature findings.

Conclusion:

Wire brush bristle ingestion is increasingly common in the literature, and a definitive algorithm does not exist for management. The authors present an algorithm for management and describe a technique for successful removal at the bedside.
Damage Tolerance of Laminated Composites Containing an Open Hole and Subjected to Compressive Loadings: Part I—Analysis
Authors: Chang Fu-Kuo , Lessard Larry B.
Published: August 2015

An analytical investigation was performed to study the damage in laminated composites containing an open hole and subjected to compressive loading. A progressive damage model was developed during the investigation to predict the extent and the failure modes of the internal damage in the laminates as a function of the applied load and to simulate the in-plane response of the laminates from initial loading to final collapse. The model consists of a stress analysis and a failure analysis. Stresses and strains inside the laminates were calculated by a nonlinear finite element analysis which is based on finite deformation theory with consideration of material and geometric nonlinearities. The types and extent of damage in the material were predicted by a failure analysis which includes a set of proposed failure criteria and material degradation models.

Numerical results from the model were compared with the data which were obtained during the investigation and are presented in a companion paper [1]. Good agreements were found between the predictions and the test results. A computer code was developed based on the model which can be used as a tool for sizing and designing composite plates containing holes and subjected to compression.
Damage Tolerance of Laminated Composites Containing an Open Hole and Subjected to Compressive Loadings: Part II—Experiment
Authors: Lessard Larry B. , Chang Fu-Kuo
Published: August 2015

An experimental investigation was conducted to study the compression response of composite plates containing holes. Compression tests were performed on T300/976 Graphite/Epoxy composites for five different ply orientations, covering a wide range of response types. For each ply orientation, different geometries were chosen, giving a total of over 30 different test configurations. Two of the layups were also tested for the effect of ply clustering. The samples were tested for their compressive response to initial detection of failure, and beyond to final failure. Load-shortening measurements, microscopy, and Dye-Enhanced X-Radiography were used as evaluation techniques. Based on the study, it was found that ply orientation significantly affects damage mechanisms of composites in compression. Different failure mechanisms will result in totally different failure modes and failure loads, and response of the materials beyond initial failure.
A Failure Criterion for Composite Materials
Authors: Feng William W.
Published: August 2015

A failure criterion for composite materials based upon the strain invariants of finite elasticity is introduced. The failure criterion assumes that the material is transversely isotropic and that failure occurs when the strain energy density reaches its maximum value. The failure criterion is further simplified by assuming that the fiber and matrix failure modes can be decoupled. An experimental test is proposed for determining the failure surface. A special case, the failure criterion for infinitesimal-strain elasticity theory, is introduced. The failure surfaces in the strain invariants' space are determined for two composite materials.
Estimating Dynamic State Preferences from United Nations Voting Data
Authors: Bailey Michael A. , Strezhnev Anton , Voeten Erik
Published: August 2015

United Nations (UN) General Assembly votes have become the standard data source for measures of states preferences over foreign policy. Most papers use dyadic indicators of voting similarity between states. We propose a dynamic ordinal spatial model to estimate state ideal points from 1946 to 2012 on a single dimension that reflects state positions toward the US-led liberal order. We use information about the content of the UN’s agenda to make estimates comparable across time. Compared to existing measures, our estimates better separate signal from noise in identifying foreign policy shifts, have greater face validity, allow for better intertemporal comparisons, are less sensitive to shifts in the UN’ agenda, and are strongly correlated with measures of liberalism. We show that the choice of preference measures affects conclusions about the democratic peace.
Difficult Texts: Matthew 27.25
Authors: Worthen Jeremy
Published: August 2015

Any Christian who speaks about Matthew 27.25 needs to be aware of how it has been used to promote Christian anti-Judaism. Various approaches have emerged to reading it in such a way that this connection is broken. One is to argue that it does not reflect the true circumstances of Jesus’ trial and death but rather the conflicts of the communities in which it was written. Another depends less on such historical scepticism and instead puts clear limits around the responsibility of ‘the whole people’ conveyed by the text. Finally, it is possible to seek a meaning in the words that transcends the immediate intentions of the speakers and draws us as it did them into the saving mystery of the Passion.
Twenty years on
Authors: Randall Kelvin J.
Published: August 2015

The twenty-year anniversary of the ordination of women as priests in the Church of England provides an opportunity to compare the career patterns of male and female clergy. All those ordained to stipendiary ministry in the Anglican Church in England and Wales in 1994 are tracked by means of Crockford’s Clerical Directory. The results show that gender, age and type of theological training each affect the career patterns of the clergy.
On the Threshold
Authors: Miller Stephen
Published: August 2015

This short paper (adapted from a part of my ma dissertation at King’s College London) explores the theology of images with reference to the devotional art of the Italian Renaissance, or, more precisely, to the painted image of Christ. The essay will aim to penetrate the theological theme of threshold – to show what it means to talk of crossing such thresholds and what it means to interact with such space. The thesis is that Christ literally becomes space, in timeless representation – the Incarnation drawing attention to the invisible God’s own visibility in the image of Christ.