bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Effect of Dexmedetomidine on Middle Ear Pressure
Authors: Firat Yezdan , Kizilay Ahmet , Akarcay Mustafa , Yucel Aytac , But Kadir , Yologlu Saim
Published: July 2007

OBJECTIVE

Dexmedetomidine is a preferred anesthetic agent in otological surgery because it provides controlled hypotension and good surgical field visibility. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of this novel agent on middle ear pressure.

STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING

This prospective clinical trial was performed in 60 patients who were scheduled for elective surgery. They received dexmedetomidine or saline infusion for 20 minutes before induction of anesthesia. Tympanometric measurements were recorded for both ears at preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative states.

RESULTS

Mean difference of tympanometric peak pressure from baseline was statistically significant between dexmedetomidine and control group at the 30th minute of operation (24.8 daPa, P = 0.003 for right ear; 20.5 daPa, P = 0.02 for left ear) and at the end of the operation (25.8 daPa, P = 0.01 for right ear; 28.1 daPa, P = 0.004 for left ear).

CONCLUSIONS

Dexmedetomidine anesthesia raises the tympanometric parameters, but they never exceed the limits of normal.
Branchial Anomalies in the Pediatric Population
Authors: Schroeder James W. , Mohyuddin Nadia , Maddalozzo John
Published: July 2007

OBJECTIVE

We sought to review the presentation, evaluation, and treatment of branchial anomalies in the pediatric population and to relate these findings to recurrences and complications.

STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING

We conducted a retrospective study at a tertiary care pediatric hospital.

PATIENTS

Ninety‐seven pediatric patients who were treated for branchial anomalies over a 10‐year period were reviewed. Patients were studied if they underwent surgical treatment for the branchial anomaly and had 1 year of postoperative follow‐up; 67 children met criteria, and 74 anomalies were studied. RESULTS: Patients with cysts presented at a later age than did those with branchial anomaly fistulas or sinus branchial anomalies. 32% of branchial anomalies were previously infected. Of these, 71% had more than one preoperative infection. 18% of the BA were first arch derivatives, 69% were second arch derivatives and 7% were third arch derivatives. There were 22 branchial cysts, 31 branchial sinusies and 16 branchial fistulas. The preoperative and postoperative diagnoses differed in 17 cases. None of the excised specimens that contained a cystic lining recurred; all five recurrences had multiple preoperative infections.

CONCLUSIONS

Recurrence rates are increased when there are multiple preoperative infections and when there is no epithelial lining identified in the specimen.
Cochlear Cytokine Gene Expression in Murine Chronic Otitis Media
Authors: Ghaheri Bobak A. , Kempton J. Beth , Pillers De‐Ann M. , Trune Dennis R.
Published: July 2007

OBJECTIVE

To investigate chronic otitis media (COM) induction of cochlear cytokine genes.

STUDY DESIGN

RNA from cochleas of five C3H/HeJ mice with and without COM was isolated for cytokine expression in gene arrays. Immunohistochemistry was performed for the protein products of up‐regulated genes to confirm their expression in cochlear tissues.

RESULTS

Cochleas from COM mice showed increased expression of 29 genes (>2X normal) and decreased expression of 19 genes (<0.5X normal). Cytokines expressed were largely those related to inflammation and tissue remodeling. Cochlear immuno‐histochemistry confirmed the presence of numerous cytokines, as well as NF‐kB, a major inflammatory transcription factor that drives cytokine expression.

CONCLUSION

COM causes elevated levels of cochlear cytokine mRNA, which demonstrates that inner ear tissues are capable of NF‐kB activation and cytokine production. This may be another mechanism of otitis media‐induced cochlear cytotoxicity in addition to that caused by migration of inflammatory cytokines from the middle ear.

SIGNIFICANCE

Cochlear tissues are capable of mounting an immunological response to middle ear inflammatory stimuli.
Powered Intracapsular Tonsillectomy in the Management of Recurrent Tonsillitis
Authors: Schmidt Richard , Herzog Amanda , Cook Steven , O'Reilly Robert , Deutsch Ellen , Reilly James
Published: July 2007

OBJECTIVE

To compare intracapsular tonsillectomy (IT) and traditional tonsillectomy (TT) in treating recurrent adenotonsillitis or streptococcal pharyngitis.

DESIGN

Retrospective chart review.

SETTING

Tertiary care pediatric referral center.

RESULTS

Of 166 patients who met all inclusion criteria, 117 received TT and 49 received IT. Seventeen TT patients and 8 IT patients were treated at least once postoperatively for streptococcal pharyngitis or tonsillitis. The mean number of infections after surgery in each group did not reach statistical significance (P = 0.295).

CONCLUSION

There was no difference between the IT and TT groups in postoperative infection rates.
Utilization of Free Tissue Transfer in Head and Neck Surgery
Authors: Smith Russell B. , Sniezek Joseph C. , Weed Donald T. , Wax Mark K.
Published: July 2007

OBJECTIVE

Free tissue transfer is frequently incorporated into the reconstructive algorithm for a multitude of defects in the head and neck. With the increasing usage of free tissue transfer we undertook to review the most current advances in the field.

DATA SOURCES

PubMed search of all pertinent articles as they related to oropharyngeal reconstruction, flap choice, new technologies and techniques, and outcomes. Articles were chosen based on reviewer selection.

METHODS

The microvascular committee met and discussed the current important topics in free tissue transfer. A priority list was created and ranked. Topics were assigned to the authors who conducted a narrative review of the literature.

RESULTS

Free tissue transfer has evolved to the point where a limited number of specific flaps are now utilized for most defects. Composite tissue is used to reconstruct composite defects. The coupling device and implantable Doppler are demonstrating a positive impact on flap survival and efficiency. Finally, outcomes in terms of quality of life, swallowing, and return to function have been shown to improve with the use of free tissue transfer.

CONCLUSION

Free tissue transfer continues to be the reconstructive modality of choice for head and neck defects.
Histological Comparison of Implanted Cadaveric and Porcine Dermal Matrix Grafts
Authors: Richter Gresham T. , Smith Jacob E. , Spencer Horace J. , Fan Chun Y. , Vural Emre
Published: July 2007

OBJECTIVES

Histological comparison of human‐based (AlloDerm) and porcine‐based (ENDURAGen) dermal matrices regarding tissue incorporation and neovascularization as potential soft tissue augmentation materials.

STUDY DESIGN

In vivo, rat model.

METHODS

Subcutaneous implantation of 1‐mm thick, 1 cm X 1 cm pieces of AlloDerm, ENDURAGen, and meshed ENDURAGen was performed in 24 Sprague Dawley rats. Implant materials were harvested at 4 (n = 12) and 8 weeks (n = 12). Histological quantification of soft tissue ingrowth and microvascular density was performed following hematoxylin‐eosin staining and CD34 immunohistochemistry, respectively.

RESULTS

AlloDerm showed significantly greater soft tissue in‐growth and microvascular density compared with both ENDURAGen and meshed ENDURAGen at 4 and 8 weeks (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Although these results may differ in human host tissues, AlloDerm seems to be a more suitable dermal matrix implant than ENDURAGen for cases in which tissue incorporation and neovascularization are sought for the optimal outcome based on this animal model.
Comparison of Intradermal Dilutional Testing, Skin Prick Testing, and Modified Quantitative Testing for Common Allergens
Authors: Peltier Jacques , Ryan Matthew W.
Published: July 2007

OBJECTIVES

To compare and correlate wheal size using the Multi‐Test II applicator with the endpoint obtained by intradermal dilutional testing (IDT) for 5 common allergens. To examine the safety of modified quantitative testing (MQT) for determining immunotherapy starting doses.

STUDY DESIGN

Prospective comparative clinical study.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

A total of 134 subjects were simultaneously skin tested for immediate hypersensitivity using the Multi‐Test II device and IDT.

RESULTS

There was a 77% concordance between results from IDT and results from MQT. When there was a difference, MQT predicted a safer endpoint for starting immunotherapy in all but 2 cases.

CONCLUSION

Wheal size by SPT is predictive of endpoint by IDT. MQT is nearly as effective as formal IDT in determining endpoint.

SIGNIFICANCE

Modified quantitative testing appears to be a safe alternative to IDT for determining starting doses for immunotherapy.
The Song of Songs and the Testament of Solomon: Solomon's Love Poetry and Christian Magic
Authors: Rainbow Jesse
Published: July 2007

A widespread early Christian tradition regarded Solomon as the great exorcist and magician of antiquity, the forerunner of the exorcistic activity of Jesus, and the genius of later Christian magic and divination. In time, this tradition (henceforth the “Solomon magus” tradition) would become increasingly syncretistic and would yield the numerous grimoires and claviculae of the Middle Ages, but in the early centuries of Christianity, the tradition produced texts which were more or less haggadic, that is, engaged in the exegesis of canonical materials and rooted in earlier Jewish interpretive traditions. Modern students of the documents of this tradition have long perceived its debt to the Old Testament, particularly to the portrait of Solomon in 1 Kgs 5:9–14 (4:29–34), a text which both traditional Christian and modern critical interpreters have subsequently explained in nonmagical terms. While Solomon's magical identity is widely recognized to be inspired by the biblical description of his greatness, little is known about how readers in the Solomon magus tradition interpreted the canonical books of traditional Solomonic authorship—the Song of Songs, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and the Wisdom of Solomon.
“Above the Bath of Myrtinus”: Justin Martyr's “School” in the City of Rome
Authors: Snyder Harlow Gregory
Published: July 2007

Justin's social context in the city of Rome may seem to have only a tenuous connection with his beliefs about God, his doctrine of the Logos and the other religious commitments for which he ultimately laid down his life. Perhaps, had Justin lived in Athens or Ephesus, he would have written much the same thing. This, after all, is a man deeply moved by Platonist philosophy and the “perception of immaterial things.” Furnished with such Platonist wings, Justin himself would surely claim to soar high over all such mundane realities as the streets, bridges, and buildings of ancient Rome. It is not surprising that the vast majority of scholarship on Justin and other early Christian intellectuals follows him on a similar trajectory.
Nemo iudex in causa sua as the Basis of Law, Justice, and Justification in Luther's Thought
Authors: Malysz Piotr J.
Published: July 2007

In the wake of the investiture struggle and against the background of burgeoning humanist thought, Martin Luther's affirmation of the secular realm as a discrete area of divine activity may be lauded as a judicious recovery of the thought of Augustine and perhaps of Gelasius I. In light of subsequent developments in sociopolitical theory, however, this progressive aspect of the reformer's thought appears to be immediately undercut by its seemingly unbending social conservatism. Instituted by God (Rom 13; 1 Pet 2:13–14), the “law of [the] temporal sword has existed from the beginning of the world,” Luther writes. And while he asserts that “God cannot and will not permit anyone but himself to rule over the soul,” he does, nevertheless, forbid Christians to resort to violence to defend their cause: “For the governing authority must not be resisted by force, but only by confession of the truth. If it is influenced by this, well and good; if not, you are excused, you suffer wrong for God's sake.”
Recurrence in major depressive disorder: a neurocognitive perspective
Authors: Robinson O. J. , Sahakian B. J.
Published: July 2007

Depressive disorders are amongst the leading causes of disability and mortality worldwide and, as such, it is predicted that by 2010 only cardio-ischaemic disorders will provide a greater burden. In addition to the sizable emotional, individual and social burden, depressive disorders cost an estimated US$83·1 billion per year in the United States alone. In spite of effective treatments, a large proportion of sufferers go on to experience recurrences. With successive recurrences, the likelihood of subsequent episodes increases. Despite this, research to date has tended to focus on first episodes or else has not distinguished between episodes. This editorial review highlights a number of differences between first and recurrent episodes which, in turn, recommend more longitudinal, recurrence-oriented, treatments. We also examine the findings from acute tryptophan depletion studies which, it is speculated, help to understand the differences between successive episodes. The overall aim, however, is to highlight the importance of recurrence in depression and to stimulate debate.
Convection under a lid of finite conductivity: Heat flux scaling and application to continents
Authors: Grigné C. , Labrosse S. , Tackley P. J.
Published: July 2007

A scaling law for the heat flux out of a convective fluid covered totally or partially by a finitely conducting lid is proposed. This scaling is constructed in order to quantify the heat transfer out of the Earth's mantle, taking into account the effect of the dichotomy between oceans and continents, which imposes heterogeneous thermal boundary conditions at the surface of the mantle. The effect of these heterogeneous boundary conditions is studied here using simple two‐dimensional models, with the mantle represented by an isoviscous fluid heated from below and continents represented by nondeformable lids of finite thermal conductivity set above the surface of the model. We use free‐slip boundary conditions under the oceanic and continental zones in order to study in an isolated way the possible thermal effect of continents, independently of all mechanical effect. A systematic study of the heat transfer as a function of the Rayleigh number of the fluid, of the width of the lid, and of its thermal properties is carried out. We show that estimates of continental lithosphere thickness imply a strong insulating effect from continents on mantle heat loss, at least locally. The heat flux below continents was low in the past and of the order of the present one if the continental thickness has remained broadly constant over the Earth's history.
The40Ar/39Ar age constraints on the duration of resurgence at the Valles caldera, New Mexico
Authors: Phillips Erin H. , Goff Fraser , Kyle Philip R. , McIntosh William C. , Dunbar Nelia W. , Gardner Jamie N.
Published: July 2007

The40Ar/39Ar ages for rocks from the Valles caldera, New Mexico, imply that resurgent uplift of the caldera floor occurred within 27 ± 27 ka of caldera collapse. The structural resurgent dome of the Valles caldera was uplifted approximately 1000 m above the surrounding caldera floor during resurgence. The upper Bandelier Tuff, which yields an age of 1.256 ± 0.010 Ma (2σ; ages relative to Fish Canyon tuff sanidine at 28.02 Ma), is the lower constraint on the timing of resurgence. The oldest postcollapse ring fracture dome, Cerro del Medio, is the upper time constraint and yields an age of 1.229 ± 0.017 Ma for one of its oldest flow lobes. Therefore resurgent uplift probably occurred within 54 ka, at a minimum rate of 1.9 cm/yr. Sanidine phenocrysts from rhyolites of the postcollapse intracaldera Deer Canyon and Redondo Creek members yield40Ar/39Ar single‐crystal laser fusion ages ranging from 1.229 ± 0.013 Ma to 1.283 ± 0.017 Ma (Deer Canyon Member; n = 8) and 1.208 ± 0.017 Ma to 1.239 ± 0.017 Ma (Redondo Creek Member; n = 4). With one exception from each unit, these ages are statistically indistinguishable from the upper Bandelier Tuff, indicating that eruption of these postcollapse rhyolites probably commenced shortly after caldera formation. Melt inclusion hosted excess argon was not found to have a measurable effect on the age of sanidine from the upper Bandelier Tuff or the Deer Canyon Member.
Seismotectonics of the Nubia plate compressive margin in the south Tyrrhenian region, Italy: Clues for subduction inception
Authors: Billi A. , Presti D. , Faccenna C. , Neri G. , Orecchio B.
Published: July 2007

Seismological and structural data are used to constrain the active tectonics of the Nubia plate compressive margin in southern Italy. In this region, compressional displacements have resumed at the rear of the Maghrebian orogenic wedge since about 700–500 ka and are presently accommodated along a seismic belt in the south Tyrrhenian area, where a passive margin has developed during late Neogene‐Quaternary times. Earthquake data from the south Tyrrhenian belt are analyzed with Bayloc, a probabilistic nonlinear location method. Results show that the seismic belt is segmented and involves a series of NE‐SW and NW‐SE elongated clusters. The NE‐SW clusters are interpreted as high‐angle reverse fault zones verging toward the southeast, whereas the perpendicular clusters are interpreted as possible strike‐slip fault zones transferring the contractional displacements to advanced segments of the belt in the southeast. Brittle deformations observed in the Quaternary volcanic island of Ustica are consistent with the geometry and kinematics of the seismic belt deduced from the seismological data. The south Tyrrhenian active belt may constitute an early stage of subduction of the Tyrrhenian oceanic crust beneath Sicily. A similar scenario has been hypothesized also for the westward prolongation of the south Tyrrhenian belt off the Algerian coast. By integrating instrumental and historical seismic data with tectonic evidences, we infer that the south Tyrrhenian belt is probably capable of producing earthquakes with a maximum size close to magnitude 7. The analyzed data suggest a multifault system behavior for the studied compressional belt. This inference is important to estimate and mitigate the seismic and tsunamic hazards in such a densely populated region.
Normal Morlet wavelet transform and its application to the Earth's polar motion
Authors: Liu Lintao , Hsu Houtse , Grafarend Erik W.
Published: July 2007

The normal Morlet wavelet transform (NMWT), which is a mathematical method for harmonic analysis, is defined in this study by resorting toL1normalization continuous wavelet transform and a normalized simplified Morlet wavelet. The NMWT of a complex time signal enables direct recognition and extraction of the harmonic components of the signal without an inverse transform. We demonstrate theoretically and numerically the benefit of the NMWT in the harmonic analysis. A NMWT analysis of the observed polar motion data shows that except for the prograde annual wobble (PAW), the interseasonal wobbles including the retrograde annual wobble (RAW) became less significant in amplitude by at least 70% after the 1970s, manifesting the accuracy improvement in the polar motion observation. This NMWT analysis proves that the observed Chandler wobble possesses only one instantaneous period at any time point within the 20th century and such instantaneous period is slightly variable around 433.08 days with a standard deviation of 1.57 days from 1950 to 2000. Using the NMWT analysis, we show that at the prograde and retrograde annual scales, the atmospheric pressure and the oceanic current play the most significant and stable role in polar motion excitation. The atmosphere and ocean can explain the phases of the PAW with 15 days discrepancy but only 70% of the amplitude of the PAW. However, they can explain the RAW with less than 10 days in phase discrepancy and less than 10% in amplitude discrepancy. This study reveals that the ocean always reduces the atmospheric effects on the annual polar motion.
Corroborating ecological depth preferences of planktonic foraminifera in the tropical Atlantic with the stable oxygen isotope ratios of core top specimens
Authors: Farmer E. Christa , Kaplan Alexey , de Menocal Peter B. , Lynch‐Stieglitz Jean
Published: July 2007

Past variability in upper ocean thermocline depth is commonly estimated from the abundance of different species of planktonic organisms or the difference in oxygen isotopic composition between two species of planktonic foraminifera, one that lives in the mixed layer and one that lives in or near the thermocline. To test the latter relationships, we measured the oxygen isotopic composition of eight species of planktonic foraminifera (pink and white varieties of Globigerinoides ruber, Globigerinoides sacculifer without the final chamber, Orbulina universa, Pulleniatina obliquiloculata, Globorotalia menardii, Neogloborotalia dutertrei, and Globorotalia tumida) in surface sediment samples from 31 tropical Atlantic deep‐sea sediment cores. Bayesian analysis was used to compare measured oxygen isotopic compositions with their predictions based on modern data sets of annual temperatures and oxygen isotopic composition of ocean water in the upper 500 m at the core sites. Posterior probability densities for predictive model parameters were computed. Probability distributions of calcification depth for analyzed species corroborated their ecological preferences inferred from net tow and sediment trap data. Robustness of the habitat signals in core top specimens suggests that reconstructions of the entire upper ocean temperature profiles, not just their thermocline depth or temperature, might be possible.
Series‐fed circularly polarized microstrip antennas with broad bandwidth
Authors: Mao Shau‐Gang , Chen Shiou‐Li , Yeh Jen‐Chun , Lin Tien‐Min
Published: July 2007

A new series‐fed circularly polarized antenna (SFCPA) in microstrip configuration, which consists of a traveling‐wave‐type crank‐line antenna (CLA) and a resonant‐type square‐ring slot antenna (SRSA), is developed. Unlike the conventional crank‐line (CL) antenna array with an open end or a resistive load, the proposed SFCPA uses the SRSA at the termination of the CLA and thus exhibits not only a broad circularly polarized (CP) bandwidth but also a large antenna gain. The characteristics of the SFCPA, including the leaky‐wave radiation and the circular polarization, are examined in terms of the dispersion diagram and the current distribution. The SFCPA with the two‐cell CLA and the terminated SRSA is fabricated and measured to demonstrate the 10‐dB return loss and 3‐dB axial ratio (AR) bandwidths of 34.3% and 30.5%, respectively. The frequency‐scanning radiation patterns with a 5–7 dBi antenna gain are also presented in the operating band.
A comparison of lower stratosphere temperature from microwave measurements with CHAMP GPS RO data
Authors: Ho Shu‐P. , Kuo Ying‐Hwa , Zeng Zhen , Peterson Thomas C.
Published: July 2007

In this study, we compare the microwave brightness temperature (Tb) for the Lower Stratosphere (TLS) datasets provided by Remote Sensing Systems (RSS) Inc. and University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) with the GPS radio occultation (RO) data from Challenging Mini‐satellite Payload (CHAMP) over 49 months from June 2001 to June 2005. The GPS RO data are used to simulate microwave brightness temperatures, for comparison with Microwave Sounding Unit (Channel 4) and Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit (Channel 9) measurements. Excellent agreement was found between both RSS and UAH TLS and that of CHAMP. This study demonstrates the usefulness of GPS RO observations as independent data for comparison against and use with other satellite observations in climate studies.
Hydrogeologic controls on nitrate transport in a small agricultural catchment, Iowa
Authors: Schilling K. E. , Tomer M. D. , Zhang Y.‐K. , Weisbrod T. , Jacobson P. , Cambardella C. A.
Published: July 2007

Effects of subsurface deposits on nitrate loss in stream riparian zones are recognized, but little attention has been focused on similar processes occurring in upland agricultural settings. In this paper, we evaluated hydrogeologic controls on nitrate transport processes occurring in a small 7.6 ha Iowa catchment. Subsurface deposits in the catchment consisted of upland areas of loess overlying weathered pre‐Illinoian till, drained by two ephemeral drainageways that consisted of Holocene‐age silty and organic rich alluvium. Water tables in upland areas fluctuated more than 4 m per year compared to less than 0.3 m in the drainageway. Water quality patterns showed a distinct spatial pattern, with groundwater in the drainageways having lower nitrate concentrations (<0.5 mg L−1) compared to upland areas (>10 mg L−1) as wells as lower pH, dissolved oxygen and redox, and higher ammonium and dissolved organic carbon levels. Several lines of evidence suggested that conditions are conducive for denitrification of groundwater flowing from uplands through the drainageways. Field‐measured nitrate decay rates in the drainageways (∼0.02 day−1) were consistent with other laboratory studies and regional patterns. Results from MODFLOW and MT3DMS simulations indicated that soils in the ephemeral drainageways could process all upland groundwater nitrate flowing through them. However, model‐simulated tile drainage increased both water flux and nitrate loss from the upland catchment. Study results suggest that ephemeral drainageways can provide a natural nitrate treatment system in our upland glaciated catchments, offering management opportunities to reduce nitrate delivery to streams.
Structure, function and regulation of the Toll/IL‐1 receptor adaptor proteins
Authors: Watters Tanya M , Kenny Elaine F , O'Neill Luke A J
Published: July 2007

The Toll/IL‐1 receptor (TIR) domain plays a central role in Toll‐like receptor (TLR) signalling. All TLRs contain a cytoplasmic TIR domain, which, upon activation, acts as a scaffold to recruit adaptor proteins. The adaptor proteins MyD88, Mal, TRIF, TRAM and SARM are also characterized by the presence of a TIR domain. MyD88, Mal, TRIF and TRAM associate with the TLRs via homophilic TIR domain interactions whereas SARM utilizes its TIR domain to negatively regulate TRIF. It is well established that the differential recruitment of adaptors to TLRs provides a significant amount of specificity to the TLR‐signalling pathways. Despite this, the TIR–TIR interface has not been well defined. However, structural studies have indicated the importance of TIR domain surfaces in mediating specific TIR–TIR interactions. Furthermore, recent findings regarding the regulation of adaptors provide further insight into the crucial role of the TIR domain in TLR signalling.
Toll‐like receptors, RIG‐I‐like RNA helicases and the antiviral innate immune response
Authors: Thompson Alex J V , Locarnini Stephen A
Published: July 2007

The antiviral innate immune response follows the detection of viral components by host pattern recognition receptors (PRRs). Two families of PRRs have emerged as key sensors of viral infection: Toll‐like receptors (TLRs) and retinoic acid inducible gene‐I like RNA helicases (RLHs). TLRs patrol the extracellular and endosomal compartments; signalling results in a type‐1 interferon response and/or the production of pro‐inflammatory cytokines. In contrast, RLHs survey the cytoplasm for the presence of viral double‐stranded RNA. In the face of such host defence, viruses have developed strategies to evade TLR/RLH signalling. Such host–virus interactions provide the opportunity for manipulation of PRR signalling as a novel therapeutic approach.
Toll‐like receptors in the brain and their potential roles in neuropathology
Authors: Crack Peter J , Bray Paula J
Published: July 2007

The explosion of the toll‐like receptors (TLRs) over the past decade has touched almost every field of mammalian biology and neuroscience is not an exception. The current advent of research papers examining the TLRs in the central nervous system (CNS) signifies that these receptors are not only involved in peripheral innate immunity but may also play a role in the development and regulation of CNS inflammation, neurodegeneration and brain trauma. This review addresses the potential role of TLRs in the brain and how they may be involved in various neuropathologies.
Progressive Apraxia of Speech as a Sign of Motor Neuron Disease
Authors: Duffy Joseph R. , Peach Richard K. , Strand Edythe A.
Published: July 2007

Purpose

To document and describe in detail the occurrence of apraxia of speech (AOS) in a group of individuals with a diagnosis of motor neuron disease (MND).

Method

Seven individuals with MND and AOS were identified from among 80 patients with a variety of neurodegenerative diseases and AOS (J. R. Duffy, 2006). The history, presenting complaints, neurological findings, and speech-language findings were documented for each case.

Results

Spastic or mixed spastic-flaccid dysarthria was present in all 7 cases. The AOS was judged as worse than the dysarthria in 4 cases. Nonverbal oral apraxia was eventually present in all cases. Aphasia was present in 2 cases and equivocally present in another 2. Dementia was present in 1 case and equivocally present in 2.

Conclusions

AOS can occur in MND, typically also with dysarthria, but not invariably with aphasia or other cognitive deficits. Thus, a diagnosis of MND does not preclude the presence of AOS. More importantly, MND should be a diagnostic consideration when AOS is a prominent sign of degenerative disease.
A Comparison of Linguistic Profiles in Subgroups of Children With Specific Language Impairment
Authors: Haskill Allison M. , Tyler Ann A.
Published: July 2007

Purpose

To compare morphosyntactic skills of preschoolers in different subgroups of language impairment.

Method

Eighty-three children participated in this study. They represented 4 groups: (a) language impairment-only, (b) speech-language impairment with minimal or no final cluster reduction/consonant deletion, (c) speech-language impairment with frequent final cluster reduction/consonant deletion, and (d) a no-impairment control group. Group performance was compared for finite and nonfinite morpheme production and sentence structure.

Results

Children in the language impairment-only group had significantly higher performance than children in both speech-language impairment subgroups, even when errors that could be attributed to final consonant deletion/cluster reduction were taken into account. The language impairment-only and control groups' performance was similar for finite and nonfinite morpheme production, and both groups produced nonfinite plurals with significantly higher accuracy than finite third person singular forms. The language impairment-only group had significantly higher accuracy for both plural and third person singular relative to the group with speech-language impairment characterized by infrequent final cluster reduction/consonant deletion.

Conclusions

Children with speech-language impairment generally had poorer morphosyntactic skills than peers who had language deficits and age-appropriate speech skills. Final consonant and final cluster production skills alone did not account for group differences. Clinically, the findings suggest that it is important to assess carefully the speech skills, including final cluster production skills, of preschoolers who have language deficits and language skills of preschoolers who have speech sound disorders.
Retelling a Script-Based Story: Do Children With and Without Language Impairments Focus on Script and Story Elements?
Authors: Hayward Denyse V. , Gillam Ronald B. , Lien Phuong
Published: July 2007

Purpose

The script frameworks model (R. Schank, 1975) and causal network model (T. Trabasso & L. Sperry, 1985) were used to assess script-based story retellings of children with and without language impairments (LI). When retelling scripts and stories, children developing typically include (a) more obligatory than optional elements, with few temporal sequencing errors, and (b) story elements having several versus few causal connections to other story elements. The purpose of this study was to determine whether children with LI demonstrated a similar pattern of recall.

Method

A script-based story retell was collected from 22 children with LI and 22 age-matched peers (AM). Retells were analyzed for inclusion of obligatory and optional elements, elements with high and low causal connectivity, and temporal sequencing accuracy.

Results

Retells from both groups contained more obligatory elements and elements with high causal connectivity. However, groups differed on the specific elements included.

Conclusions

Children in the AM group appeared to utilize script and causal connectivity elements when retelling a script-based story. Children in the LI group appeared to focus more on script elements than causal connectivity. Their deficiencies may reflect difficulties with flexible application of scripts and accessing relevant knowledge, and/or generalized difficulties organizing information and extracting patterns.
Mexican Immigrant Mothers' Perceptions of Their Children’s Communication Disabilities, Emergent Literacy Development, and Speech-Language Therapy Program
Authors: Kummerer Sharon E. , Lopez-Reyna Norma A. , Hughes Marie Tejero
Published: July 2007

Purpose

This qualitative study explored mothers' perceptions of their children’s communication disabilities, emergent literacy development, and speech-language therapy programs.

Method

Participants were 14 Mexican immigrant mothers and their children (age 17–47 months) who were receiving center-based services from an early childhood intervention program, located in a large urban city in the Midwestern United States. Mother interviews composed the primary source of data. A secondary source of data included children’s therapy files and log notes. Following the analysis of interviews through the constant comparative method, grounded theory was generated.

Results

The majority of mothers perceived their children as exhibiting a communication delay. Causal attributions were diverse and generally medical in nature (i.e., ear infections, seizures) or due to familial factors (i.e., family history and heredity, lack of extended family). Overall, mothers seemed more focused on their children’s speech intelligibility and/or expressive language in comparison to emergent literacy abilities.

Conclusions

To promote culturally responsive intervention, mothers recommended that professionals speak Spanish, provide information about the therapy process, and use existing techniques with Mexican immigrant families.
Politicizing Biographies: The Forming of Transnational Subjectivities as Insiders Outside
Authors: Mulinari Diana , Räthzel Nora
Published: July 2007

We take our own life stories as points of departure to look at some of the ways in which women were politicized in Argentina and West Germany (our respective countries of origin), focusing on similarities as well as differences in our politicization processes. We aim at putting present discussions about global political movements into a historical perspective. We want also to illuminate the centrality of political identities in the construction of specific (gendered) subjectivities. Our focus lies on theorizing the ways through which privileged (gendered) identities critically re-read their own position and transform their own understanding of themselves and the world through the field of the political. Methodologically, we want to contribute to ways of re-thinking Feminist methodologies by experimenting with a form of analysis in which we are alternately the subject and the object of our research process. The aim of this intervention is to transgress the binary oppositions between researcher/researched and challenge traditional understanding of social science where researchers provide analysis and informants have ‘experience’. One of our conclusions is that the 68 movement provided subject positions for living alternative normalities as an ‘insider-outside’, that is, for those who belonged to normalized groups in their respective societies, but for different reasons (of which we analyse some concerning our formation as ‘women’) could not identify with the dominant normalities offered to them. At the same time, the dominant male instrumentality of the movement estranged (some) women and allowed them (or forced them into) a kind of distanced engagement that, perhaps paradoxically, provided a basis for sustaining their political subjectivities through transformative experiences of defeat.
Is there Really a Second Shift, and if so, who does it? A Time-Diary Investigation
Authors: Craig Lyn
Published: July 2007

This paper draws on data from the most recent Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Time Use Survey ( TUS) (over 4,000 randomly selected households) to tease out the dimensions of the ‘second shift’. Predictions that as women entered the paid workforce men would contribute more to household labour have largely failed to eventuate. This underpins the view that women are working a second shift because they are shouldering a dual burden of paid and unpaid work. However, time use research seems to show that when both paid and unpaid work is counted, male and female workloads are in total very similar. This has led to suggestions that a literal second shift is a myth; that it exists in the sense that women do more domestic work than men, but not in the sense that they work longer hours in total. Using a more accurate and telling measure of workload than previous research (paid and unpaid labour including multitasked activities), this paper explores the second shift and how it relates to family configuration, ethnicity and indicators of class and socioeconomic standing. It finds a clear disparity between the total workloads of mothers and fathers, much of which consists of simultaneous (secondary) activity, and some demographic differences in female (but not male) total workloads. It concludes that the view that the second shift is a myth is only sustainable by averaging social groups very broadly and by excluding multitasking from the measurement of total work activity.
Theorizing ‘African’ Female Genital Cutting and ‘Western’ Body Modifications: A Critique of the Continuum and Analogue Approaches
Authors: Pedwell Carolyn
Published: July 2007

Making links between different embodied cultural practices has become increasingly common within the feminist literature on multiculturalism and cultural difference as a means to counter racism and cultural essentialism. The cross-cultural comparison most commonly made in this context is that between ‘African’ practices of female genital cutting (FGC) and ‘western’ body modifications. In this article, I analyse some of the ways in which FGC and other body-altering procedures (such as cosmetic surgery, intersex operations and 19th century American clitoridectomies) are compared within this feminist literature. I identify two main strategies of linking such practices, which I have termed the ‘continuum’ and ‘analogue’ approaches. The continuum approach is employed to imagine FGC alongside other body-altering procedures within a single ‘continuum’, ‘spectrum’ or ‘range’ of cross-cultural body modifications. The analogue approach is used to set up FGC and other body-altering practices as analogous through highlighting cross-cultural similarities, but does not explicitly conceive of them as forming a single continuum. Two key critiques of the continuum and analogue approaches are presented. First, because these models privilege gender and sexuality, they tend to efface the operation of other axes of embodied differentiation, namely race, cultural difference and nation. As such, the continuum and analogue approaches often reproduce problematic relationships between race and gender while failing to address the implicit and problematic role which race, cultural difference and nation continue to play in such models. This erasure of these axes, I contend, is linked to the construction of a ‘western’ empathetic gaze, which is my second key critique. The desire on the part of theorists working in the West to establish cross-cultural ‘empathy’ through models that stress similarity and solidarity conceals the continuing operation of geo-political relations of power and privilege.
Imagery, Gender and Power: The Politics of Representation in Post-War Kosova
Authors: Krasniqi Vjollca
Published: July 2007

The article focuses on the politics of representation in Kosova since the United Nations took over ‘peace management’ in 1999. It uses UN propaganda posters (political pedagogy) and local nationalist political advertising as a way to read the multiple gendered discourses of representation. It shows how gender is used relationally between competing forces – the ‘international community’ and nationalists – as a tool to ensure UN's imposition of Western policies and norms and as a mechanism for local politicians to consolidate their domination of the domestic/private sphere. Moreover, it discusses the price paid to mimic the West: how Kosovar politicians have sought to ‘undo’ national identity in favour of a Western self-representation through a gendered abnegation of Islam. Thus, as an intrinsic part of the discourse of ‘peace-building’, these images represent the site of power production, domination, negotiation, and rejection, involving the collaboration of different actors, institutions, and individuals. Three specific points will be made: first, the article seeks to show that a Western political modernization discourse has, paradoxically, reinforced patriarchal relations of power and traditional gender roles in Kosova through the subjugation of women. Second, it explains the inability to resolve competing Albanian narratives – one relying on the legacy of peaceful resistance and the other on the armed struggle against Serbian domination during the 1990s. Third, through the intermeshing of international peace-keepers and local nationalist patriarchs, it will show how the militarization of culture is perpetuated through, and in relationship to, gender.
Conflicting Institutional Logics: A National Programme for IT in the Organisational Field of Healthcare
Authors: Currie Wendy L , Guah Matthew W
Published: July 2007

This paper reports the findings from a 4-year study on the UK National Health Service on the introduction of a national programme for information technology.1 This is the largest civil IT programme worldwide at an estimated technical cost of £6.2 billion over a 10-year period. An institutional analysis of our historical and empirical data from six NHS organisations identifies growing fragmentation in the organisational field of healthcare, as past and present institutional logics both fuel and inhibit changes in the governance systems and working practices of healthcare practitioners. This is further complicated by new institutional logics that place the citizen at centre stage of the NFfIT, in a move to promote patient choice and public value.
Information Technology, Transaction Costs and Governance Structures: Integrating an Institutional Approach
Authors: Islamoglu Mehmet , Liebenau Jonathan
Published: July 2007

Transaction cost concepts have been deployed in information systems to analyze the impact of information technology on the organization of economic activity in markets and hierarchies. It has been widely observed that there is a general trend toward markets. It has also been observed that the transaction cost approach cannot explain empirical observations where the choice of governance has more to do with power and behavioral attributes of transacting actors than with minimizing transaction costs. Information systems researchers have overcome the shortcomings of the transaction cost approach to a limited extent by complementing it with political economy, resource-dependency and network theories. However, these complementary perspectives cannot easily analyze the interactions between power and efficiency and cannot handle the impact of the institutional environment on the choice of governance structure. This research exposes the shortcomings of these complementary perspectives in the light of a range of institutionalist studies drawn from economics, sociology and anthropology. The research points out that an institutional approach is essential for understanding and overcoming the complications that may arise as IT-enabled moves toward markets are launched in organizations that are situated in institutional environments that are at present not compatible with market-oriented exchange arrangements. We demonstrate this by the application of three ‘tools’ to an exemplary case where information systems in the British National Health Service were intended as a tool to move one aspect of the hierarchical structure toward a market structure.
Shock front distortion and Richtmyer-Meshkov-type growth caused by a small preshock nonuniformity
Authors: Velikovich A. L. , Wouchuk J. G. , Huete Ruiz de Lira C. , Metzler N. , Zalesak S. , Schmitt A. J.
Published: July 2007

The response of a shock front to small preshock nonuniformities of density, pressure, and velocity is studied theoretically and numerically. These preshock nonuniformities emulate imperfections of a laser target, due either to its manufacturing, like joints or feeding tubes, or to preshock perturbation seeding/growth, as well as density fluctuations in foam targets, “thermal layers” near heated surfaces, etc. Similarly to the shock-wave interaction with a small nonuniformity localized at a material interface, which triggers a classical Richtmyer-Meshkov (RM) instability, interaction of a shock wave with periodic or localized preshock perturbations distributed in the volume distorts the shape of the shock front and can cause a RM-type instability growth. Explicit asymptotic formulas describing distortion of the shock front and the rate of RM-type growth are presented. These formulas are favorably compared both to the exact solutions of the corresponding initial-boundary-value problem and to numerical simulations. It is demonstrated that a small density modulation localized sufficiently close to a flat target surface produces the same perturbation growth as an “equivalent” ripple on the surface of a uniform target, characterized by the same initial areal mass modulation amplitude.
On a class of gauge theories
Authors: Loginov E. K.
Published: July 2007

We give a framework to describe gauge theory in which a nonassociative Moufang loop takes the place of the structure group. The structure of such gauge theory has many formal similarities with that of Yang-Mills theory. We extend the gauge invariance to this theory and construct an on-shell version of N=1 supersymmetric gauge theory.
Electronic structure of the benzene dimer cation
Authors: Pieniazek Piotr A. , Krylov Anna I. , Bradforth Stephen E.
Published: July 2007

The benzene and benzene dimer cations are studied using the equation-of-motion coupled-cluster model with single and double substitutions for ionized systems. The ten lowest electronic states of the dimer at t-shaped, sandwich, and displaced sandwich configurations are described and cataloged based on the character of the constituent fragment molecular orbitals. The character of the states, bonding patterns, and important features of the electronic spectrum are explained using qualitative dimer molecular orbital linear combination of fragment molecular orbital framework. Relaxed ground state geometries are obtained for all isomers. Calculations reveal that the lowest energy structure of the cation has a displaced sandwich structure and a binding energy of 20kcal∕mol, while the t-shaped isomer is 6kcal∕mol higher. The calculated electronic spectra agree well with experimental gas phase action spectra and femtosecond transient absorption in liquid benzene. Both sandwich and t-shaped structures feature intense charge resonance bands, whose location is very sensitive to the interfragment distance. Change in the electronic state ordering was observed between σ and πu states, which correlate to the B̃ and C̃ bands of the monomer, suggesting a reassignment of the local excitation peaks in the gas phase experimental spectrum.