bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The discovery and application of gene fusions in prostate cancer
Authors: Morris David S. , Tomlins Scott A. , Montie James E. , Chinnaiyan Arul M.
Published: April 2008

Chromosomal rearrangements play a causal role in haematological and mesenchymal malignancies. Importantly, the resulting gene fusions can serve as specific therapeutic targets, as exemplified by the development of imatinib (Gleevec), which specifically inhibits the BCR‐ABL gene fusion product that defines chronic myeloid leukaemia. Recently, gene fusions involving the prostate‐specific gene transmembrane protease, serine 2 (TMPRSS2) and members of the erythroblastosis virus E26 transforming sequence (ETS) family of transcription factors were identified in most of PSA‐screened prostate cancers. In this review, we summarize the identification, characterization and detection of TMPRSS2:ETS gene fusions and their role in prostate cancer development. We also discuss the discovery of additional 5′ partners that define distinct classes of ETS gene fusions based on the prostate specificity and androgen responsiveness of the 5′ partner. Additionally, we also summarize conflicting reports about associations between gene fusion status and patient outcome. The specificity of ETS gene fusions in prostate cancer suggests that they may have causal roles in prostate cancer and suggest utility in prostate cancer detection, stratification and treatment.
CORPORATE CAPITAL STRUCTURE AND HOW SOFT BUDGET CONSTRAINTS MAY AFFECT IT
Authors: Rizov Marian
Published: April 2008

Abstract This survey paper examines existing theories of capital structure and related empirical tests with the aim to derive theoretical as well empirically testable predictions about the implications of the soft budget constraint for corporate capital structure. We show that the soft budget constraint syndrome is relevant for a variety of institutional environments, from central planning to capitalist economic systems, and consider features of company financing patterns in various institutional contexts. Special attention is paid to emerging and transition economies where, with the development of financial markets, companies reduce their financial dependence on the state and begin to borrow from a variety of sources. However, due to the persistence of soft budget constraints, corporate capital structure in transition and emerging economies may still deviate significantly from the capital structure of companies operating under hard budget constraints.
PRIVATIZATION AND EFFICIENCY: FROM PRINCIPALS AND AGENTS TO POLITICAL ECONOMY
Authors: Cavaliere Alberto , Scabrosetti Simona
Published: April 2008

Abstract We survey the theoretical literature on privatization and efficiency by tracing its evolution from the applications of agency theory to recent contributions in the field of political economy. The former extend the theory of regulation with incomplete information to address privatization issues, comparing state‐owned enterprises with private regulated firms. The benefits of privatization may derive either from the constraints it places on malevolent agents or from the impossibility of commitment by a benevolent government because of incomplete contracts. Contributions dealing with political economy issues separate privatization from restructuring decisions. They either explore bargaining between managers and politicians or analyse the impact of privatization shaped by political preferences on efficiency. The theoretical results regarding the relation between privatization and efficiency do not lead to any definitive conclusion. Privatization may increase productive efficiency when restructuring takes place whereas its effects on allocative efficiency still remain uncertain.
TILLMore, a resource for the discovery of chemically induced mutants in barley
Authors: Talamè Valentina , Bovina Riccardo , Sanguineti Maria Corinna , Tuberosa Roberto , Lundqvist Udda , Salvi Silvio
Published: April 2008

A sodium azide‐mutagenized population of barley (cv. ‘Morex’) was developed and utilized to identify mutants at target genes using the ‘targeting induced local lesions in genomes’ (TILLING) procedure. Screening for mutations at four agronomically important genes (HvCO1, Rpg1, eIF4E and NR) identified a total of 22 new mutant alleles, equivalent to the extrapolated rate of one mutation every 374 kb. All mutations except one were G/C to A/T transitions and several (approximately 68%) implied a change in protein amino acid sequence and therefore a possible effect on phenotype. The high rate of mutation detected through TILLING is in keeping with the high frequency (32.7%) of variant phenotypes observed amongst the M3 families. Our results indicate the feasibility of using this resource for both reverse and forward genetics approaches to investigate gene function in barley and related crops.
Emergency Service Response and Costs in British Floods
Authors: PARKER DENNIS J.
Published: April 2008

The costs of emergency response to flood disasters has received little attention. This paper presents and discusses a method for estimating the economic costs incurred through the use of the emergency services during flood events in Britain. First, a model of British emergency service response to flood events is presented. Secondly, cost evaluation principles relevant to each emergency service are discussed. Thirdly, a set of “standard” emergency service cost data are presented ‐ these data are derived from research based upon the model of response and the evaluation principles. Finally, the “standard” data are applied to the case of the York and Selby floods of 1982 where data from research on the reported actions and costs of each emergency service are compared with those predicted through the use of the “standard” data.
Famine Early Warning Systems and the Use of Socio‐Economic Data
Authors: WAAL ALEX DE
Published: April 2008

Famine early warning systems using socio‐economic data suffer from several problems. One is that they cannot, and do not attempt to, distinguish between qualitatively different kinds of famine. The second is that they cannot predict these either accurately or early enough. This is because all the socio‐economic indicators produce both false positives and false negatives, the indicators themselves are “late” and because interpretation of the data is complex and time‐consuming. The third problem is that within the context of a famine that is occurring, these indicators cannot predict excess mortality. The argument is illustrated with examples from the 1984–5 famine in Darfur, Sudan.
Overweight and obesity in preadolescent children and their parents in Cyprus: prevalence and associated socio‐demographic factors – the CYKIDS study
Authors: Lazarou C. , Panagiotakos D. B. , Panayiotou G. , Matalas A.‐L.
Published: April 2008

Obesity status differs by socio‐demographic factors, but data for Cyprus are scarce. An in‐depth understanding of this relationship may be useful in designing public health programmes. The objective of the present study is to estimate overweight and obesity (OW/OB) prevalence among children and adults in Cyprus and identify related socio‐demographic variables. National cross‐sectional study of 1140 children (mean age 11 ± 0.98 years) and their parents (mean age 42.5 ± 5.8 years, total n = 1954). Obesity was defined according to the World Health Organization classification for adults and according to IOTF (International Obesity Task Force) criteria for children. Overweight and obesity prevalence among girls was 18.3% and 2.9%, respectively, while in boys, 19.0% and 6.0%. Among parents, OW/OB prevalence was, respectively, women, 22.6% and 5.8%; men, 47.1% and 14.1%. Logistic regression analysis in both children and adults revealed that the most important socio‐demographic predictors of obesity status are factors of built environment. Higher prevalence of OW/OB was observed in adults living in a house as opposed to an apartment, in older adults, in younger children, and in men, irrespective of age. There is a severe obesity problem in the Cypriot population; almost one in two adults and at least one in four preadolescent children are overweight or obese. Prevalence of OW/OB was related to socio‐demographic factors, especially among adults and women.
Effects of the premenstrual syndrome on facial expressions of sadness
Authors: MASS REINHARD , MOLL BETTINA , HÖLLDORFER MARION , WIEDEMANN KLAUS , RICHTER‐APPELT HERTHA , DAHME BERNHARD , WOLF KARSTEN
Published: April 2008

This study examined the relationship between PMS and emotion‐related electromyographic facial activity at different phases of the menstrual cycle. Twenty‐four women of reproductive age (12 with PMS, 12 controls) participated in two EMG sessions (T1 and T2) in which they were shown photographic images that can elicit various emotions (IAPS stimuli). T1 took place in the follicular phase, T2 in the luteal phase. The activity of the musculus depressor anguli oris (“depressor”, expression of sadness) was measured. Depressor activity was compared to activity of musculus orbicularis oculi (“orbicularis”; expression of joy). ANOVA yielded a significant increase of the activity of the depressor at T2 in the PMS group. The PMS group showed more frequent depressor activity during the luteal than the follicular phase. Orbicularis activity did not change from T1 to T2. Conclusions: The PMS group experienced various visual stimuli in a more depressed way during the luteal phase.
Exemplars in the mist: The cognitive substrate of the representativeness heuristic
Authors: NILSSON HÅKAN , JUSLIN PETER , OLSSON HENRIK
Published: April 2008

The idea that people often make probability judgments by a heuristic short‐cut, the representativeness heuristic, has been widely influential, but also criticized for being vague. The empirical trademark of the heuristic is characteristic deviations between normative probabilities and judgments (e.g., the conjunction fallacy, base‐rate neglect). In this article the authors contrast two hypotheses concerning the cognitive substrate of the representativeness heuristic, the prototype hypothesis (Kahneman & Frederick, 2002) and the exemplar hypothesis (Juslin & Persson, 2002), in a task especially designed to elicit representativeness effects. Computational modelling and an experiment reveal that representativeness effects are evident early in training and persist longer in a more complex task environment and that the data are best accounted for by a model implementing the exemplar hypothesis.
‘You've Gotta Learn how to Play the Game’: Homeless Women's Use of Gender Performance as a Tool for Preventing Victimization
Authors: Huey Laura , Berndt Eric
Published: April 2008

As a masculinist space, ‘the streets’ present a variety of dangers to homeless women, a fact that has received too little attention within the social science literature. This study utilizes data drawn from interviews with homeless women and service providers in Edinburgh, San Francisco, Vancouver, Montreal and Ottawa, to explore the complex survival strategies that homeless women develop to prevent criminal victimization. Through women's words, we see that gender is understood strategically as performance. Four gender performances are identified and discussed: the ‘femininity simulacrum’, the ‘masculinity simulacrum’, ‘genderlessness’ and ‘passing’. We discussed how each of these performances is employed in the pursuit of safety and security in frequently violent and chaotic social spaces.
A Sociological Comparison of Anti-Semitism and Anti-Muslim Sentiment in Britain
Authors: Meer Nasar , Noorani Tehseen
Published: April 2008

Comparisons of anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim sentiment 2(the latter also known as ‘Islamophobia’) are noticeably absent in British accounts of race and racism. This article critically examines some public and media discourse on Jewish and Muslim minorities to draw out the similarities and differences contained within anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim sentiment. It provides a rationale for focusing upon the period of greatest saliency for Jewish migrants prior to the Second World War, compared with the contemporary representation of Muslims, and identifies certain discursive tendencies operating within the representations of each minority. The article begins with a discussion of multiculturalism, cultural racism and racialization, followed by a brief exploration of the socio-historical dimensions of Jewish and Muslim groups, before turning to the public representation of each within their respective time-frames. The article concludes that there are both hitherto unnoticed similarities and important differences to be found in such a comparison, and that these findings invite further inquiry.
Effects of rhyming, vocabulary and phonemic awareness instruction on phoneme awareness
Authors: Yeh Stuart S. , Connell David B.
Published: April 2008

Sixteen Head Start classrooms, involving 128 children, were randomly assigned to three approaches for augmenting early literacy instruction: (a) instruction in phoneme segmentation, blending, and letter–sound relationships, (b) rhyming instruction and (c) vocabulary instruction. The phoneme segmentation approach was more effective in promoting phoneme segmentation skill. Existing research suggests that phoneme segmentation skill is a better predictor of early progress in learning to read than rhyming skill or vocabulary knowledge. Thus, the results suggest that instruction emphasising phoneme segmentation is not only more likely to promote phoneme segmentation skill, but also more likely to promote future reading ability than rhyming or vocabulary activities, even for highly disadvantaged children as young as 4 years old.
Reading for different goals: the interplay of EFL college students' multiple goals, reading strategy use and reading comprehension
Authors: He Tung‐hsien
Published: April 2008

This study explored the effects of achievement goals on English as a foreign language (EFL) college students' reading strategy use and reading comprehension from the perspective of multiple goals. Fifty‐seven participants verbalised their thoughts while reading an English expository essay. They also completed assessments on their reading goal profiles and reading proficiency. The results of stimulated recall indicated that participants with profiles characterised by strong mastery and strong performance goals used intra‐sentential, inter‐paragraph, intra‐paragraph and monitoring/evaluating strategies significantly more frequently than did their counterparts. In contrast, participants with profiles characterised by strong mastery but weak performance goals utilised these strategies more often than those participants with weak mastery but strong performance goals. The strong‐mastery–strong‐performance goal profile served as a significant, positive predictor for degrees of reading comprehension. In line with these findings, suggestions for EFL reading pedagogy are provided.
Individualising scaffolding: teachers' literacy interruptions of ethnic minority students and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds
Authors: Mertzman Tania
Published: April 2008

This paper describes a small‐scale study that examined the ways four elementary teachers in the United States scaffolded the literacy of students differently through interruptions. One thousand four hundred and ninety‐eight interruptions were identified and coded in the study. Findings show that teachers' interruption patterns frequently conflicted with or undermined their planned and voiced approaches to literacy instruction. The interruption patterns in this study indicated that some teachers' interactions with the ethnic minority students and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, while somewhat individualised, had unrecognised patterns which focused these children on phonics and accuracy as opposed to comprehension and meaning. These patterns supported a more passive approach to literacy that replicates and reproduces class and race structures of society.
Population-Based Validation of a German-Language Self-Administered Headache Questionnaire
Authors: Yoon M-S , Obermann M , Fritsche G , Slomke M , Dommes P , Schilf C , Diener H-C , Katsarava Z
Published: April 2008

We validated a German-language self-administered headache questionnaire for migraine (M), tension-type headache (TTH) and trigeminal autonomic cephalalgia (TAC) in a general population sample of people with headache. Randomly selected subjects ( n = 240) diagnosed by the questionnaire as M ( n = 60), TTH ( n = 60), a combination of M and TTH (M+TTH, n = 60) and TAC ( n = 60) were invited for examination by headache specialists. One hundred and ninety-three subjects (80%) were studied. Sensitivity and specificity for M were 0.85 and 0.85, for TTH 0.6 and 0.88, for M+TTH 0.82 and 0.87, respectively. Cohen's κ was 0.6 (95% confidence interval 0.50, 0.71). Of 45 patients with TAC according to the questionnaire, physicians diagnosed cluster headache in two patients only. We conclude: (i) the questionnaire can be used to diagnose M, TTH and M+TTH, but not TAC; (ii) screening questionnaires for epidemiological research should be validated in a general population sample but not in a tertiary headache clinic.
Acute Convexity Subarachnoid Haemorrhage: A Cause of Aura-Like Symptoms in the Elderly
Authors: Kleinig TJ , Kiley M , Thompson PD
Published: April 2008

Late-life onset aura-like symptoms are not rare and can be potentially misdiagnosed as transient ischaemic attacks. The cause is often obscure. Four cases of recurrent aura-like symptoms are presented in whom acute convexity subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) contralateral to symptoms was demonstrated. Three experienced subsequent events or groups of events triggered by recurrent SAH. Negative diffusion-weighted imaging, normal electroencephalography and slow symptom march with complete resolution argued against ischaemic and epileptic causes. Aura-like symptoms in the elderly should be investigated with imaging modalities most sensitive for detecting subarachnoid blood, in particular gradient echo magnetic resonance imaging.
Patients’ perspective of pruritus in chronic plaque psoriasis: a questionnaire‐based study
Authors: Amatya B , Wennersten G , Nordlind K
Published: April 2008

Background  Pruritus in psoriasis patients has not been regarded as a major symptom.

Objective  To study the pattern of pruritus in chronic plaque psoriasis.

Methods  A questionnaire was sent out to 109 patients with a diagnosis of chronic plaque psoriasis, who attended our outpatient departments during the period of January 2006 to January 2007.

Results  Out of 109 patients, 80 patients (74%) answered the questionnaire. Pruritus was found in 80% of the patients, with an intensity of 5.2 ± 2.6 (±SD) using a visual analogue scale (0–10). The frequency and intensity of pruritus were higher in women. Lower leg and scalp were reported to be the most commonly affected sites. Major aggravating factors for pruritus were stress and dryness of skin. Sun, sleep and vacation could relieve pruritus. The most common antipruritic treatments used by the patients were topical steroids, topical vitamin D, emollients and ultraviolet light therapy, whereas antihistamines were used by a small number of patients. Mood, concentration and sleep were negatively affected by pruritus.

Conclusion  Pruritus is a common symptom in patients with chronic plaque psoriasis.
Young children's difficulty with inhibitory control in a social context1
Authors: MORIGUCHI YUSUKE , ITAKURA SHOJI
Published: April 2008

Abstract:  The authors’ prior research has documented that young children's behaviors in the Dimensional Change Card Sorting (DCCS) task can be influenced by their observation of another person performing the task and has suggested that young children committed perseverative errors in a social context. The present study explored whether children who committed perseverative errors in the social context also committed perseverative errors in the standard DCCS task. Three‐ and 4‐year‐old children were given the standard DCCS and the observation version of the DCCS, and the relationship between them was examined. The results showed that the correlation between these two tasks was significant. Furthermore, 4‐year‐old children displayed more difficulty in the observation version than in the standard DCCS, whereas 3‐year‐olds did not. The results are discussed in terms of the development of inhibitory control and social cognition.
New equally readable charts based on anisotropy of peripheral visual acuity1
Authors: KONDO MICHIAKI , ARARAGI YUKYU , NAKAMIZO SACHIO
Published: April 2008

Abstract:  Anstis’ equally readable chart for visual acuity has been widely quoted in textbooks on visual perception. However, this chart does not reflect the anisotropy of peripheral visual acuity that has been reported by previous studies. Here, the authors reexamined peripheral visual acuity by measuring resolution thresholds for Landolt rings and recognition thresholds for hiragana letters as a function of retinal eccentricity across two principal retinal meridians: horizontal and vertical. Observers were required to identify the orientation of a gap in the Landolt ring or recognize a hiragana letter while the stimulus was moved slowly from the periphery toward the fovea across each of four meridians: nasal, temporal, superior, and inferior. The results revealed the horizontal‐vertical anisotropy of visual acuity in accordance with the results of previous studies. The mean thresholds obtained in the vertical meridian were approximately 1.51‐fold (for Landolt rings) and 1.42‐fold (for hiragana letters) higher than those obtained in the horizontal meridian at the same retinal eccentricity. The authors propose new equally readable charts for Landolt rings and hiragana letters.
Crossmodal spatial attention shift produced by centrally presented gaze cues1
Authors: KAWAI NOBUYUKI
Published: April 2008

Abstract:  Despite previous failures to identify visual‐upon‐auditory spatial‐cuing effects, recent studies have demonstrated that the abrupt onset of a lateralized visual stimulus triggers a shift of spatial attention in response to auditory judgment. Nevertheless, whether a centrally presented visual stimulus orients auditory attention remained unclear. The present study investigated whether centrally presented gaze cues trigger a reflexive shift of attention in response to auditory judgment. Participants fixated on a schematic face in which the eyes looked left or right (the cue). A target sound was then presented to the left or right of the cue. Participants judged the direction of the target as quickly as possible. Even though participants were told that the gaze direction did not predict the direction of the target, the response time was significantly faster when the gaze was in the target direction than when it was in the non‐target direction. These findings provide initial evidence for visual‐upon‐auditory spatial‐cuing effects produced by centrally presented cues, suggesting that a reflexive crossmodal shift of attention does occur with a centrally presented visual stimulus.
Prioritizing areas for conservation of Mexican carnivores considering natural protected areas and human population density
Authors: Valenzuela Galván D. , Vázquez L.‐B.
Published: April 2008

In México, 63% of the mammalian carnivore species are considered threatened. Therefore, we performed a prioritization exercise to find sets of areas needed for the conservation of Mexican terrestrial carnivores. Using a grid of half‐degree cells, we mapped the distribution of richness, endemic and threaten species. Then, we determine the efficiency of the natural protected areas in México for protecting carnivores. Finally, we define optimal sets of complementary cells needed to represent all species either one or five times, or to represent at least 10% of the geographic distribution range of each carnivore in México. We perform this analysis including or excluding the existing protected areas, or excluding the top 10% cells with highest human population density (HPD). Species richness was higher in south‐eastern México, threatened species concentrate in the same region, and also in the Yucatan's Peninsula. The Baja California Peninsula and the central region of the Mexican Plateau is where lower richness and numbers of threatened species are found. There is only one endemic carnivore distributed in the central and southern portion of the Pacific Slope. Complementary analysis showed that sets of three, 16 and 71 cells are required to represent one time, five times or at least 10% of the total distribution range of all species. Sets of 35 cells are needed to complement the natural protected areas to achieve this last representation goal. Finally, if cells with highest HPD are excluded, sets of three, 14 and 71 cells are needed to achieve our three representation goals. Our results provide insight into the ability of different sites to contribute to the representation of carnivore diversity at the national scale, and indicate gaps in the existing protected area network.
Competing hypotheses for the etiology of cryptorchidism in Sitka black‐tailed deer: an evaluation of evolutionary alternatives
Authors: Latch E. K. , Amann R. P. , Jacobson J. P. , Rhodes O. E.
Published: April 2008

On the Aliulik Peninsula (AP) of Kodiak Island, Alaska, 70% of male Sitka black‐tailed deer (SBTD;Odocoileus hemionus sitkensis) are bilaterally cryptorchid (both testes fail to descend; male is sterile). Both genetic and environmental factors have been proposed as possible causes of this problem. We investigated the possibility that population genetic processes (isolation, inbreeding and genetic drift) have contributed to an increased frequency of cryptorchidism in this population. Overall, SBTD on major islands throughout Alaska have unusually low levels of genetic diversity, though we identified a likely glacial refugium on Prince of Wales Island in the Alexander Archipelago. Within the Kodiak Archipelago, deer on the AP did not exhibit the patterns of genetic isolation, inbreeding and drift that would be expected if cryptorchidism in this population was the result of a founder mutation(s). Instead, our data favor exposure to environmental contaminants as a likely alternative mechanism causing high prevalence of cryptorchidism on the AP.
Wetland complexes and upland–wetland linkages: landscape effects on the distribution of rare and common wetland reptiles
Authors: Attum O. , Lee Y. M. , Roe J. H. , Kingsbury B. A.
Published: April 2008

We used landscape ecology concepts to test the importance of upland–wetland linkages on the distribution of two common wetland species, the northern watersnakeNerodia sipedon sipedonand midland painted turtleChrysemys picta marginata, and two rare wetland species, the copper‐bellied watersnakeNerodia erythrogaster neglectaand Blanding's turtleEmydoidea blandingii. We tested if connectivity (proximity to other wetlands), connectivity quality (wetland distance to roads and forest area within 30, 125, 250, 500 and 1000 m of the wetland), and patch size (wetland size and shoreline length) affected the distribution of these four species. Our results show that both common species were more likely to occur in larger, less isolated wetlands, but their distribution were not influenced by proximity to roads or the amount of adjacent forest area surrounding the wetland. Both rare species were more likely to occur in wetlands that were farther away from roads and that had more surrounding forest. Proximity to other wetlands was not a significant predictor of either rare species' distribution. Our results suggest that management practices should focus on protecting wetland complexes and maintaining upland–wetland linkages by improving landscape connectivity, increasing forest area surrounding wetlands and reducing road effects.
Evolution of African mole‐rat sociality: burrow architecture, rainfall and foraging in colonies of the cooperatively breeding Fukomys mechowii
Authors: Sichilima A. M. , Bennett N. C. , Faulkes C. G. , Le Comber S. C.
Published: April 2008

African mole rats (Bathyergidae) offer an excellent system with which to test theories relating to the evolution and maintenance of sociality in mammals. The aridity food distribution hypothesis (AFDH) suggests that, within the bathyergids, sociality has evolved in response to patterns of rainfall, its effects on food distribution, and the subsequent costs and risks of foraging and dispersal. Here, in the first detailed study of burrow architecture in a social mole‐rat species, with data from 32 burrows, we show that in the giant mole‐rat Fukomys mechowii burrow fractal dimension increases with colony size and is higher during the rainy season than during the dry season. The mass of food in the burrow increases with fractal dimension and is higher during the rainy season than during the dry season. These results link for the first time colony size, burrow architecture, rainfall and foraging success and provide support for two assumptions of the AFDH, namely that (1) in arid conditions burrowing may be severely constrained by the high costs of digging; and (2) the potential risks of failing to locate food may be mitigated by increases in colony size.
Recent progress in macular function self‐assessment
Authors: Trevino Richard
Published: April 2008

Background:  Patients that are deemed to be at risk for the development of choroidal neovascularization are frequently instructed to self‐monitor their vision for symptoms that may signal the presence of choroidal neovascularization. Traditionally, the Amsler grid has been used for this purpose, but recent technological innovations have resulted in a number of potential alternatives that offer important advantages, including greater sensitivity, the ability to differentiate exudative from non‐exudative disease, and quantitative analysis of test results.

Methods:  The following technologies that could be employed for patient self‐assessment of macular function in a home setting are reviewed: computerized Amsler grid, preferential hyperacuity perimetry, macular mapping test and noise‐field campimetry.

Conclusions:  A number of technologies are currently available that could significantly improve the ability of patients at risk for the development of choroidal neovascularization to self‐monitor their central visual field.
Citizenship as Interpellation: Refugee Women and the State
Authors: Bassel Leah
Published: April 2008

This article examines the ideological function of ‘models’ of citizenship in shaping the contours of public debate and the ability of refugee women to make claims in the public sphere. Key elements of Louis Althusser's concept of interpellation are explored: ideology works by interpellating (‘hailing’) individuals, providing them with a social and juridical identity that constitutes them as subjects. The article argues that ‘models’ of citizenship serve as vehicles for processes of interpellation that restrict claim-making, through the imposition of a dominant hierarchy of identities and needs. These processes become visible through analysis of Somali refugee women's experiences in republican France.
Refugee Interdiction Before Heaven's Gate
Authors: Kernerman Gerald
Published: April 2008

Despite their stated commitment to the 1951 Refugee Convention, liberal democratic states routinely interdict refugees, such as through the use of visa requirements, effectively blocking them from reaching their borders. How do liberal democratic states navigate this contradictory terrain? To answer this question, this article explores situations where normally routine and often invisible interdiction practices break down. Canada's approach to Roma arriving from the Czech Republic and Hungary between 1997 and 2001 is an illuminating example of such breakdown and repair, providing a rare glimpse into how one liberal democratic state manages its own interdiction contradictions.
Frontal White Matter and Cingulum Diffusion Tensor Imaging Deficits in Alcoholism
Authors: Harris Gordon J. , Jaffin Sharon Kim , Hodge Steven M. , Kennedy David , Caviness Verne S. , Marinkovic Ksenija , Papadimitriou George M. , Makris Nikos , Oscar‐Berman Marlene
Published: April 2008

Background: Alcoholism‐related deficits in cognition and emotion point toward frontal and limbic dysfunction, particularly in the right hemisphere. Prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortices are involved in cognitive and emotional functions and play critical roles in the oversight of the limbic reward system. In the present study, we examined the integrity of white matter tracts that are critical to frontal and limbic connectivity.

Methods: Diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (DT‐MRI) was used to assess functional anisotropy (FA), a measure of white matter integrity, in 15 abstinent long‐term chronic alcoholic and 15 demographically equivalent control men. Voxel‐based and region‐based analyses of group FA differences were applied to these scans.

Results: Alcoholic subjects had diminished frontal lobe FA in the right superior longitudinal fascicles II and III, orbitofrontal cortex white matter, and cingulum bundle, but not in corresponding left hemisphere regions. These right frontal and cingulum white matter regional FA measures provided 97% correct group discrimination. Working Memory scores positively correlated with superior longitudinal fascicle III FA measures in control subjects only.

Conclusions: The findings demonstrate white matter microstructure deficits in abstinent alcoholic men in several right hemisphere tracts connecting prefrontal and limbic systems. These white matter deficits may contribute to underlying dysfunction in memory, emotion, and reward response in alcoholism.
Dissociation of Alcohol‐Seeking and Consumption Under a Chained Schedule of Oral Alcohol Reinforcement in Baboons
Authors: Kaminski Barbara J. , Goodwin Amy K. , Wand Gary , Weerts Elise M.
Published: April 2008

Background:  Initiation and maintenance of compulsive alcohol drinking involves a sequence of behaviors which occur in the presence of environmental cues. Animal models using chained schedules of alcohol reinforcement may be useful for examining the complex interactions between cues and alcohol‐seeking and ‐consumption.

Methods:  Four baboons self‐administered alcohol under a 3‐component chained schedule of reinforcement; distinct cues were presented in the context of different behavioral contingencies associated with gaining access to 4% w/v alcohol (alcohol‐seeking) and concluding with alcohol self‐administration. First, the response strength of alcohol‐related seeking responses was evaluated using a between‐sessions progressive ratio (PR) procedure in which the response requirement to initiate the final contingency and gain access to the daily supply of alcohol was increased each session. The highest response requirement completed that resulted in alcohol access was defined as the breaking point (BP). Second, water was substituted for alcohol and PR procedures were repeated. The effects of increasing the “seeking” response requirement on subsequent alcohol or water consumption were also determined.

Results:  When alcohol was available, operant responses to gain access to and self‐administer alcohol were maintained. When water was substituted for alcohol, alcohol‐related cues continued to maintain alcohol‐seeking responses. However, higher BPs, higher rates of self‐administration and higher volumes of intake occurred when alcohol was available compared with water. Increasing the response requirement to gain access to alcohol did not reduce alcohol consumption (total alcohol intake).

Conclusions:  These results show that alcohol‐related cues maintained alcohol‐seeking even after a prolonged period of only water availability. Cue‐maintained alcohol‐seeking behavior can be dissociated from subsequent alcohol consumption.
The Tachykinin Receptor 3 Is Associated With Alcohol and Cocaine Dependence
Authors: Foroud Tatiana , Wetherill Leah Flury , Kramer John , Tischfield Jay A. , Nurnberger John I. , Schuckit Marc A. , Xuei Xiaoling , Edenberg Howard J.
Published: April 2008

Background:  A broad region on chromosome 4q was previously linked to the phenotype of alcohol dependence in the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism sample. A strong positional candidate gene was identified within this region: tachykinin receptor 3 gene (TACR3), which encodes tachykinin receptor 3 (NK3R), the receptor for the tachykinin 3 (neurokinin B) peptide. Pharmacological studies have provided evidence that the administration of NK3R agonists attenuates the intake of alcohol and NK3R can also mediate the acute and chronic behavioral effects of cocaine.

Methods:  Thirty SNPs were genotyped throughout TACR3. Family based association analysis was performed in 219 European American families to detect an association with alcohol dependence. Subsequent analyses were performed to evaluate the evidence of association with other definitions of alcohol dependence as well as cocaine dependence.

Results:  Seven of the 9 SNPs in the 3′ region of TACR3 provided significant evidence of association with alcohol dependence (p ≤ 0.05). Further analyses suggest that the evidence of association is strongest among those subjects with more severe alcohol dependence (defined by ICD‐10) and those with co‐morbid cocaine dependence. Haplotype analyses further strengthen the evidence of association in the 3′ region of the gene.

Conclusions:  These results indicate that sequence variations in TACR3 contribute to the variation in more severe alcohol dependent individuals and those who are also cocaine dependent.
A Multidomain Approach for Predicting Older Driver Safety Under In‐Traffic Road Conditions
Authors: Wood Joanne M. , Anstey Kaarin J. , Kerr Graham K. , Lacherez Philippe F. , Lord Stephen
Published: April 2008

OBJECTIVES: To identify a battery of tests that predicts safe and unsafe performance on an on‐road assessment of driving.

DESIGN: Prospective cohort study.

SETTING: University laboratory assessment and an on‐road driving test.

PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred seventy community‐living adults aged 70 to 88 recruited through the electoral roll.

MEASUREMENTS: Performance on a battery of multidisciplinary tests and on a standardized measure of on‐road driving performance.

RESULTS: A combination of three tests from the vision, cognitive, and motor domains, including motion sensitivity, color choice reaction time, postural sway on a compliant foam rubber surface, and a self‐reported measure of driving exposure, was able to classify participants into safe and unsafe driver groups with sensitivity of 91% and specificity of 70%.

CONCLUSION: In a sample of licensed older drivers, a short battery of tests and a self‐reported measure of driving exposure were able to accurately predict driving safety.
Noninvasive fetal RHD genotyping by maternal plasma with capillary electrophoresis
Authors: Kimura Machiko , Sato Chiaki , Hara Masaaki , Ishihara Osamu , Ikebuchi Kenji
Published: April 2008

BACKGROUND: Recently, a more accurate and reliable screening test has been investigated for noninvasive prenatal fetal RHD genotyping from D– women. The objective of this study was to perform the new method of noninvasive fetal RHD genotyping with maternal plasma from D– women by use of capillary electrophoresis.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Blood samples were obtained from 8 D+ and 8 D– nonpregnant donors and mixed to make test plasma samples. DNA was extracted and the appropriate conditions relating to the initial sample volume as well as polymerase chain reaction cycle numbers were analyzed to detect the RHD gene with RHD exon 10 primer. Blood samples were also obtained from 13 D– pregnant women ranging from the 12th to 39th weeks of gestation. The presence of the RHD gene and Y‐chromosome–specific STR (Y‐STR) derived from the fetus was analyzed. The results were compared with the D status of newborns.

RESULTS: In samples from 12 D– pregnant women, the RHD gene was detected. In one sample, the RHD gene was not detected but Y‐STR loci were demonstrated in this sample, indicating a D– male baby. The results of fetal genotyping were all in concordance with the postpartum samples by serologic tests on D as well as with the sex of newborns.

CONCLUSION: Capillary electrophoresis can be used for the determination of fetal RHD status in D– women. This diagnostic method is useful for the noninvasive prenatal diagnosis of the fetal RHD genotyping from D– women.
Cost‐efficient sequence‐specific priming–polymerase chain reaction screening for blood donors with rare phenotypes
Authors: Wagner Franz F. , Bittner Rita , Petershofen Eduard K. , Doescher Andrea , Müller Thomas H.
Published: April 2008

BACKGROUND: Transfusion support for patients with irregular antibodies to red blood cell (RBC) antigens of high frequency may be hampered by lack of appropriate antigen‐negative RBC units. Often, this perceived lack is due to the low number of typed donors. We developed a simple multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method to screen for donors with rare blood group phenotypes.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: A multiplex PCR with sequence‐specific priming predicting Yta, Coa, Lub, and Kpb antigens was developed based on a commercially available system (Extract‐N‐Amp, Sigma‐Aldrich) that obviates the DNA purification step. PCR amplicons were analyzed by size fractionation in a 2 percent agarose gel. Samples representing rare phenotypes were identified by the lack of one of the four visible bands. Donors of blood phenotype O D– ccddee were screened.

RESULTS: Excluding the preparation of the reaction mixture and the gel, the whole procedure consisted of five pipetting steps. Hands‐on time was 102 minutes for 91 donors. After optimization, interpretable results were obtained in 85 percent of samples without repetition. Among 3422 donors tested, 1 Kp(b–), 6 Co(a–), 10 Yt(a–), and 5 Lu(b–) donors were detected.

CONCLUSIONS: Multiplex PCR is a simple, versatile, and cost‐efficient method for the screening for donors with rare phenotypes who may be identified by their genotype. If such donor screening is introduced on a broad basis, transfusion support for patients with anti‐Coa, anti‐Yta, or anti‐Lub will be considerably improved.
Where Are the Muslim Moderates?
Authors: ALI AYAAN HIRSI
Published: April 2008

The drama between the secularist legacy of Ataturk and the popular surge of Islamist‐rooted politics continues in Turkey, centered on the debate over the headscarf. Is it a sign of religious reaction, or a sign of non‐Western modernization that will ensure higher education for Muslim women? We represent here all sides of the debate.

Elsewhere in the Muslim world are the reformers and critics listening to each other, or impeding progress with a blame game? Europe's most controversial figures in this debate—Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Tariq Ramadan—engage here.
Development and Validation of Diagnostic Criteria for Atrial Flutter on the Surface Electrocardiogram
Authors: Weinberg Kenneth M. , Denes Pablo , Kadish Alan H. , Goldberger Jeffrey J.
Published: April 2008

Background: There are no universally accepted ECG diagnostic criteria for atrial flutter (AFL), making its differentiation from “coarse” atrial fibrillation (AF) difficult.

Methods: To develop diagnostic criteria for AFL, we examined two sets of ECGs. Set 1 consisted of 100 ECGs (50 AF, AFL) with diagnoses confirmed by intracardiac recordings. Criteria evaluated were presence of F waves in the frontal plane leads, F waves in V1, sawtooth F waves, rate, and regularity of ventricular response. Set 2 included 200 ECGs taken from the hospital database each of which had already been interpreted by a cardiologist as either AF (n = 100) or AFL (n = 100). Set 2 was blindly read by electrophysiologists whose consensus‐diagnoses were compared to the diagnoses made by using the best criteria identified from the Set 1 data.

Results: The criteria of frontal plane F waves, regular or partially regular ventricular response, and their combination had sensitivities of 92%, 98%, and 90% and specificities of 100%, 78%, and 100% in Set 1 for the diagnosis of AFL. In Set 2, concordance of electrophysiologist and cardiologist diagnoses was only 84%. The criteria of frontal plane Fwaves, regular or partially regular ventricular response, and their combination resulted in concordances with the cardiologist diagnoses of 85%, 85%, and 82% and with the electrophysiologist‐consensus diagnoses of 90%, 89%, and 94% (P < 0.001).

Conclusions: The criteria of frontal plane F waves and regular or partially regular ventricular response aid in the proper diagnosis of AFL. Because management strategies may differ for AF and AFL, it is important to adopt a more rigorous diagnostic approach.
Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms and Haplotype of Four Genes Encoding Cardiac Ion Channels in Chinese and their Association with Arrhythmia
Authors: Zhang Yu , Chang Bingxi , Hu Songnian , Wang Duenmei , Fang Quan , Huang Xianyong , Zeng Qiang , Qi Ming
Published: April 2008

Background: Many studies revealed that variations in cardiac ion channels would cause cardiac arrhythmias or act as genetic risk factors. We hypothesized that specific single nucleotide polymorphisms in cardiac ion channels were associated with cardiac rhythm disturbance in the Chinese population.

Method: We analyzed 160 nonfamilial cardiac arrhythmia patients and 176 healthy individuals from which 81 individuals were selected for association study, and a total of 19 previously reported SNPs in four cardiac ion channel genes (KCNQ1, KCNH2, SCN5A, KCNE1) were genotyped.

Results: The frequency of KCNQ1 1638G>A, as well as the haplotype harboring KCNQ1 1638A, KCNQ1 1685 + 23G and 1732 + 43T (haplotype AGT) was significantly higher in healthy controls than in arrhythmia patients. This finding implicated that this haplotype (AGT) might be a protective factor against arrhythmias.

Conclusions: Our study provided important information to elucidate the effect of SNPs of cardiac ion channel genes on channel function and susceptibility to cardiac arrhythmias in Chinese population.