bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Intravenous Thrombolysis for Acute Cerebral Ischaemia: Comparison of Outcomes between Patients Treated at Working versus Nonworking Hours
Authors: Bodenant Marie , Leys Didier , Debette Stéphanie , Cordonnier Charlotte , Dumont Frédéric , Hénon Hilde , Girot Marie , Lucas Christian , Devos David , Defebvre Luc , Deplanque Dominique , Leclerc Xavier , Bordet Régis
Published: June 2010

Background: Stroke outcomes are worse in patients admitted at nonworking hours (NWH), but whether this is also true in patients treated with intravenous (i.v.) thrombolysis has not been definitely proven. Objective: Our aim was to test the hypothesis that stroke patients treated by i.v. rt-PA at NWH have a worse outcome than those treated at working hours (WH). Methods: We compared outcomes at 7 days and at 3 months, between patients treated at NWH and at WH in the stroke unit of the Lille University Hospital. Results: Of 252 consecutive patients [median age: 69 years; 132 men (52.4%); median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score: 14; median onset-to-needle time: 150 min], 134 (53.2%) were treated at NWH. They did not differ for baseline characteristics and proportion of patients with modified Rankin Scale scores 0–1 and 0–2 at 3 months. Patients treated at WH were more likely to die before 7 days (12.7 vs. 4.5%; adjusted odds ratio: 3.6; 95% confidence interval: 1.2–10.4) and at 3 months (21.6 vs. 11.4%; adjusted odds ratio: 2.2; 95% confidence interval: 1.02–4.7). The causes of death did not differ between NWH and WH. At NWH, there was no difference in baseline characteristics and outcomes of patients treated by stroke- and nonstroke neurologists. Conclusion: The case fatality rates were unexpectedly higher at WH than at NWH. If this finding can be reproduced and is not a chance finding, we should identify explanations, especially organisational issues, chronobiological factors or summation of subtle – nonsignificant – baseline differences.
Effect of Cytoskeleton Inhibitors on Conidiogenesis and Capsule in the Long Neck Yeast Fellomyces Examined by Scanning Electron Microscopy
Authors: Kopecká Marie , Ilkovics Ladislav , Ramíková Vladimíra , Yamaguchi Masashi
Published: June 2010

Background: The aim of this basic study was to investigate by scanning electron microscopy the effects of cytoskeleton inhibitors on conidiogenesis and capsule in the yeast Fellomyces fuzhouensis CBS 8243, related to Cryptococcus neoformans. Methods: Cells were treated by methyl benzimidazole-2-ylcarbamate (BCM) and latrunculin A (LAT) in yeast extract peptone dextrose medium and examined by scanning electron microscopy. Results: During conidiogenesis, mother cells covered by capsule formed hypha-like stalks and at the hyphal tip yeast-like conidium developed. LAT blocked both stages of conidiogenesis. Inhibited mother cells and conidia became spherical and their capsule disappeared. BCM did not block formation of conidia that were neckless, or affect capsule. Combined application of LAT and BCM blocked both stages of conidiogenesis, cells became spherical and their capsule disappeared. Conclusion: Yeast cells with disrupted actin cytoskeleton do not reproduce by conidiogenesis and do not retain inherited cell shape and capsule.
New oral anticoagulant drugs in cardiovascular disease
Authors: Lip Gregory , Peter Karlheinz , Ahrens Ingo
Published: June 2010

Oral anticoagulation has been limited to vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) for over 60 years. VKAs are effective and recommended for the prevention of venous and arterial thromboembolism in cardiovascular disease, but their pharmacodynamics are difficult to predict and the highly variable interindividual and intraindividual response to treatment accounts for the need of continuous monitoring. This prompted the intensive exploration of numerous substances within the last decade in an attempt to meet the shortcomings of current oral anticoagulation with VKAs. The development and clinical investigation of two novel groups of oral anticoagulants targeting central factors of the coagulation system either factor Xa or thrombin (factor IIa) has now reached the daily clinical practice with the approval of the oral direct thrombin inhibitor dabigatran etexilate and the oral direct factor Xa inhibitor rivaroxaban. Ongoing clinical trials are investigating these substances and other novel oral anticoagulants with similar mechanisms of action in patients with atrial fibrillation and acute coronary syndromes. This review article discusses the clinical evaluation and pharmacological properties of novel oral anticoagulants in late and earlier stages of clinical development, thereby providing a critical analysis and an outlook on the future of oral anticoagulation in cardiovascular disease.
Translational potential of human embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells for myocardial repair: Insights from experimental models
Authors: Kong Chi-Wing , Akar Fadi , Li Ronald
Published: June 2010

Heart diseases have been a major cause of death worldwide, including developed countries. Indeed, loss of non-regenerative, terminally differentiated cardiomyocytes (CMs) due to aging or diseases is irreversible. Current therapeutic regimes are palliative in nature, and in the case of end-stage heart failure, transplantation remains the last resort. However, this option is significantly hampered by a severe shortage of donor cells and organs. Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) can self-renew while maintaining their pluripotency to differentiate into all cell types. More recently, direct reprogramming of adult somatic cells to become pluripotent hES-like cells (a.k.a. induced pluripotent stem cells or iPSCs) has been achieved. The availability of hESCs and iPSCs, and their successful differentiation into genuine human heart cells have enabled researchers to gain novel insights into the early development of the human heart as well as to pursue the revolutionary paradigm of heart regeneration. Here we review our current knowledge of hESC-/iPSC-derived CMs in the context of two fundamental operating principles of CMs (i.e. electrophysiology and Ca2+-handling), the resultant limitations and potential solutions in relation to their translation into clinical (bioartificial pacemaker, myocardial repair) and other applications (e.g. as models for human heart disease and cardiotoxicity screening).
Iodine-123 Metaiodobenzylguanidine Imaging and Carbon-11 Hydroxyephedrine Positron Emission Tomography Compared in Patients With Left Ventricular Dysfunction
Authors: Matsunari Ichiro , Aoki Hirofumi , Nomura Yusuke , Takeda Nozomi , Chen Wei-Ping , Taki Junichi , Nakajima Kenichi , Nekolla Stephan G. , Kinuya Seigo , Kajinami Kouji
Published: June 2010

Background—

Although both
123
I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (
123
I-MIBG) imaging and
11
C-hydroxyephedrine (
11
C-HED) positron emission tomography (PET) are used for assessing cardiac sympathetic innervation, their relationship remains unknown. The aims were to determine whether
123
I-MIBG parameters such as heart-to-mediastinum ratio (H/M) are associated with quantitative measures by
11
C-HED PET and to compare image quality, defect size, and location between
123
I-MIBG single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and
11
C-HED PET.

Methods and Results—

Twenty-one patients (mean left ventricular ejection fraction, 39±15%) underwent
123
I-MIBG imaging and
11
C-HED PET. Early (15-minute), late (3-hour) H/M, and washout rate (WR) were calculated for
123
I-MIBG. Myocardial retention and WR was calculated for
11
C-HED. Using a polar map approach, defect was defined as the area with relative activity <60% of the maximum. Both the early (
r
=0.76) and late (
r
=0.84)
123
I-MIBG H/M were correlated with
11
C-HED retention.
123
I-MIBG WR was correlated with
11
C-HED WR (
r
=0.57). Defect size could not be measured in 3 patients because of poor quality
123
I-MIBG SPECT, whereas
11
C-HED defect was measurable in all patients. Although defect size measured by early or late
123
I-MIBG SPECT was closely correlated with that by
11
C-HED PET (early:
r
=0.94; late:
r
=0.88), the late
123
I-MIBG overestimated defect size particularly in the inferior and septal regions.

Conclusions—

123
I-MIBG H/M gives a reliable estimate of cardiac sympathetic innervation as measured by
11
C-HED PET. Furthermore, despite the close correlation in defect size,
11
C-HED PET appears to be more suitable for assessing regional abnormalities than does
123
I-MIBG SPECT.
Potential Therapeutic Targets for Cardiac Fibrosis
Authors: Leask Andrew
Published: June 2010

Abstract
:

Fibrosis is one of the largest groups of diseases for which there is no therapy but is believed to occur because of a persistent tissue repair program. During connective tissue repair, “activated” fibroblasts migrate into the wound area, where they synthesize and remodel newly created extracellular matrix. The specialized type of fibroblast responsible for this action is the α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA)–expressing myofibroblast. Abnormal persistence of the myofibroblast is a hallmark of fibrotic diseases. Proteins such as transforming growth factor (TGF)β, endothelin-1, angiotensin II (Ang II), connective tissue growth factor (CCN2/CTGF), and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) appear to act in a network that contributes to myofibroblast differentiation and persistence. Drugs targeting these proteins are currently under consideration as antifibrotic treatments. This review summarizes recent observations concerning the contribution of TGFβ, endothelin-1, Ang II, CCN2, and PDGF and to fibroblast activation in tissue repair and fibrosis and the potential utility of agents blocking these proteins in affecting the outcome of cardiac fibrosis.
Observed and Modeled Growing-Season Diurnal Precipitable Water Vapor in South-Central Canada
Authors: Hanesiak John , Melsness Mark , Raddatz Richard
Published: June 2010

High-temporal-resolution total-column precipitable water vapor (PWV) was measured using a Radiometrics Corporation WVR-1100 Atmospheric Microwave Radiometer (AMR). The AMR was deployed at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada, during the 2003 and 2006 growing seasons (mid-May–end of August). PWV data were examined 1) to document the diurnal cycle of PWV and to provide insight into the various processes controlling this cycle and 2) to assess the accuracy of the Canadian regional Global Environmental Multiscale (GEM) model analysis and forecasts (out to 36 h) of PWV. The mean daily PWV was 22.6 mm in 2003 and 23.8 mm in 2006, with distinct diurnal amplitudes of 1.5 and 1.8 mm, respectively. It was determined that the diurnal cycle of PWV about the daily mean value was controlled by evapotranspiration (ET) and the occurrence/timing of deep convection. The PWV in both years reached its hourly maximum later in the afternoon as opposed to at solar noon. This suggested that the surface and atmosphere were well coupled, with ET primarily being controlled by the vapor pressure deficit between the vegetation/surface and atmosphere. The decrease in PWV during the evening and overnight periods of both years was likely the result of deep convection, with or without precipitation, which drew water vapor out of the atmosphere, as well as the nocturnal decline in ET. The results did not change for days on which low-level winds were light (i.e., maximum winds from the surface to 850 hPa were below 20 km h−1), which supports the notion that the diurnal PWV pattern was associated with the daily cycles of local ET and convection/precipitation and was not due to advection. Comparison of AMR PWV with the Canadian GEM model for the growing seasons of 2003 and 2006 indicated that the model error was 3 mm (13%) or more even in the first 12 h, with mean absolute errors ranging from 2 to 3.5 mm and root-mean-square errors from 3 to 4.5 mm over the full 36-h forecast period. It was also found that the 3–9-h forecast period of GEM had better error scores in 2006 than in 2003.
Estimating the Urban Heat Island Contribution to Urban and Rural Air Temperature Differences over Complex Terrain: Application to an Arid City
Authors: Saaroni Hadas , Ziv Baruch
Published: June 2010

This study proposes a method for estimating the canopy-layer net urban heat island (UHI) in regions with complex terrain that lack preurban observations. The approach is based on a linear relationship between the urban–rural temperature difference (ΔTu−r), measured via screen-level air temperature, and the population of the city, which was found to have the highest correlation with observations. The linear relation is extrapolated to zero population to yield the desired preurban value. The difference between the zero population ΔTu−r and the current one is proposed to represent the net UHI. Given the uncertainties of the population method, the relatively short time period of the temperature record, and possible inhomogeneity in the data, the results should be regarded as a first-order approximation of the net UHI contribution. The UHI was evaluated for an arid city, Beer Sheba, Israel, for the minimum and maximum air temperatures for the summer and the winter. The study region resembles the combined effect of complex terrain (i.e., the concave topography of the city in contrast with the plateau landscape surrounding it), the UHI, and the regional warming trend. The study assumes that the regional warming does not affect the ΔTu−r. The concave topography of the city dominates over the UHI contribution during nighttime, resulting in an average lower minimum temperature in the city relative to the rural area. This difference has decreased considerably during the study period and has even reversed for the summer nights toward the end of the period. The estimated net UHI contribution in Beer Sheba varies between +0.8° and +3.1°C, with the highest values during the night hours. The high positive UHI during the night is in line with previous studies. The positive UHI in the summer implies further aggravation of heat stress beyond that occurring, and that predicted to increase, over the region.
Southern Ocean Response to Strengthening Winds in an Eddy-Permitting Global Climate Model
Authors: Spence Paul , Fyfe John C. , Montenegro Alvaro , Weaver Andrew J.
Published: June 2010

A global climate model with horizontal resolutions in the ocean ranging from relatively coarse to eddy permitting is used to investigate the resolution dependence of the Southern Ocean response to poleward intensifying winds through the past and present centuries. The higher-resolution simulations show poleward migration of distinct ocean fronts associated with a more highly localized near-surface temperature response than in the lower-resolution simulations. The higher-resolution simulations also show increasing southward eddy heat transport, less high-latitude cooling, and greater sea ice loss than the lower-resolution simulations. For all resolutions, from relatively coarse to eddy permitting, there is poleward migration of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current in the Atlantic and the western half of the Indian basin. Finally, zonal transports associated with the Antarctic Circumpolar Current are shown to be sensitive to resolution, and this is discussed in the context of recent observed change.
Multimodel Combination by a Bayesian Hierarchical Model: Assessment of Ice Accumulation over the Oceanic Arctic Region
Authors: Kallache Malaak , Maksimovich Elena , Michelangeli Paul-Antoine , Naveau Philippe
Published: June 2010

The performance of general circulation models (GCMs) varies across regions and periods. When projecting into the future, it is therefore not obvious whether to reject or to prefer a certain GCM. Combining the outputs of several GCMs may enhance results. This paper presents a method to combine multimodel GCM projections by means of a Bayesian model combination (BMC). Here the influence of each GCM is weighted according to its performance in a training period, with regard to observations, as outcome BMC predictive distributions for yet unobserved observations are obtained. Technically, GCM outputs and observations are assumed to vary randomly around common means, which are interpreted as the actual target values under consideration. Posterior parameter distributions of the authors’ Bayesian hierarchical model are obtained by a Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method. Advantageously, all parameters—such as bias and precision of the GCM models—are estimated together. Potential time dependence is accounted for by integrating a Kalman filter. The significance of trend slopes of the common means is evaluated by analyzing the posterior distribution of the parameters. The method is applied to assess the evolution of ice accumulation over the oceanic Arctic region in cold seasons. The observed ice index is created out of NCEP reanalysis data. Outputs of seven GCMs are combined by using the training period 1962–99 and prediction periods 2046–65 and 2082–99 with Special Report on Emissions Scenarios (SRES) A2 and B1. A continuing decrease of ice accumulation is visible for the A2 scenario, whereas the index stabilizes for the B1 scenario in the second prediction period.
Great Plains Precipitation and Its SST Links in Twentieth-Century Climate Simulations, and Twenty-First- and Twenty-Second-Century Climate Projections
Authors: Ruiz-Barradas Alfredo , Nigam Sumant
Published: June 2010

The present work assesses spring and summer precipitation over North America as well as summer precipitation variability over the central United States and its SST links in simulations of the twentieth-century climate and projections of the twenty-first- and twenty-second-century climates for the A1B scenario.

The observed spatial structure of spring and summer precipitation poses a challenge for models, particularly over the western and central United States. Tendencies in spring precipitation in the twenty-first century agree with the observed ones at the end of the twentieth century over a wetter north-central and a drier southwestern United States, and a drier southeastern Mexico. Projected wetter springs over the Great Plains in the twenty-first and twenty-second centuries are associated with an increase in the number of extreme springs. In contrast, projected summer tendencies have demonstrated little consistency. The associated observed changes in SSTs bear the global warming footprint, which is not well captured in the twentieth-century climate simulations.

Precipitation variability over the Great Plains presents a coherent picture in spring but not in summer. Models project an increase in springtime precipitation variability owing to an increased number of extreme springs. The number of extreme droughty (pluvial) events during the spring–fall part of the year is under(over)estimated in the twentieth century without consistent projections.

Summer precipitation variability over the Great Plains is linked to SSTs over the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, with no apparent ENSO link in spite of the exaggerated variability in the equatorial Pacific in climate simulations; this has been identified already in observations and atmospheric models forced with historical SSTs. This link is concealed due to the increased warming in the twenty-first century. Deficiencies in land surface–atmosphere interactions and global teleconnections in the climate models prevent them from a better portrayal of summer precipitation variability in the central United States.
Global Trends of Sea Ice: Small-Scale Roughness and Refractive Index
Authors: Hong Sungwook , Shin Inchul
Published: June 2010

Sea ice is one of the most important parameters in the global climate system, specifically the exchange of energy and momentum between the ocean and the atmosphere. In previous studies, a steady decline in Arctic sea ice has been observed over recent decades. The aim of this study is to estimate and analyze the spatial and temporal characteristics of the averaged sea ice extent, surface roughness, and refractive index from March 2003 to September 2009. A unique inversion algorithm is used for deriving the surface roughness and refractive index from Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for Earth Observing System (AMSR-E) daily observations. Surface roughness significantly affects the microwave emission of the sea ice/snow surface. The sea ice, snow, and water show the dielectric contrast in the microwave frequencies. Consequently, the averaged roughness as well as the sea ice extent shows a downward trend, while the averaged refractive index shows the opposite signature. The increased trend of the refractive index in summer on both poles supports more sea ice melting in summer because of the increased temperature. This research can be applied to the climate change studies and supports the previous approaches based on the sea ice concentration in passive microwave remote sensing by the physical explanations.
Seasonal Hydrologic Forecasting: Do Multimodel Ensemble Averages Always Yield Improvements in Forecast Skill?
Authors: Bohn Theodore J. , Sonessa Mergia Y. , Lettenmaier Dennis P.
Published: June 2010

Multimodel techniques have proven useful in improving forecast skill in many applications, including hydrology. Seasonal hydrologic forecasting in large basins represents a special case of hydrologic modeling, in which postprocessing techniques such as temporal aggregation and time-varying bias correction are often employed to improve forecast skill. To investigate the effects that these techniques have on the performance of multimodel averaging, the performance of three hydrological models [Variable Infiltration Capacity, Sacramento/Snow-17, and the Noah land surface model] and two multimodel averages [simple model average (SMA) and multiple linear regression (MLR) with monthly varying model weights] are examined in three snowmelt-dominated basins in the western United States. These evaluations were performed for both simulating and forecasting [using the Ensemble Streamflow Prediction (ESP) method] monthly discharge, with and without monthly bias corrections. The single best bias-corrected model outperformed the multimodel averages of raw models in both retrospective simulations and ensemble mean forecasts in terms of RMSE. Forming an MLR multimodel average from bias-corrected models added only slight improvements over the best bias-corrected model. Differences in performance among all bias-corrected models and multimodel averages were small. For ESP forecasts, both bias correction and multimodel averaging generally reduced the RMSE of the ESP ensemble means at lead times of up to 6 months in months when flow is dominated by snowmelt, with the reduction increasing as lead time decreased. The primary reason for this is that aggregating simulated streamflows from daily to monthly time scales increases model cross correlation, which in turn reduces the effectiveness of multimodel averaging in reducing those components of model error that bias correction cannot address. This effect may be stronger in snowmelt-dominated basins because the interannual variability of winter precipitation is a common input to all models. It was also found that both bias correcting and multimodel averaging using monthly varying parameters yielded much greater error reductions than methods using time-invariant parameters.
Bias in Differential Reflectivity due to Cross Coupling through the Radiation Patterns of Polarimetric Weather Radars
Authors: Zrnić Dusan , Doviak Richard , Zhang Guifu , Ryzhkov Alexander
Published: June 2010

Examined is bias in differential reflectivity and its effect on estimates of rain rate due to coupling of the vertically and horizontally polarized fields through the radiation patterns. To that end, a brief review of the effects of the bias on quantitative rainfall measurements is given. Suggestions for tolerable values of this bias are made. Of utmost interest is the bias produced by radars simultaneously transmitting horizontally and vertically polarized fields, as this configuration has been chosen for pending upgrades to the U.S. national network of radars (Weather Surveillance Radar-1988 Doppler; WSR-88D). The bias strongly depends on the cross-polar radiation pattern. Two patterns, documented in the literature, are considered.
A Comparison between Raw Ensemble Output, (Modified) Bayesian Model Averaging, and Extended Logistic Regression Using ECMWF Ensemble Precipitation Reforecasts
Authors: Schmeits Maurice J. , Kok Kees J.
Published: June 2010

Using a 20-yr ECMWF ensemble reforecast dataset of total precipitation and a 20-yr dataset of a dense precipitation observation network in the Netherlands, a comparison is made between the raw ensemble output, Bayesian model averaging (BMA), and extended logistic regression (LR). A previous study indicated that BMA and conventional LR are successful in calibrating multimodel ensemble forecasts of precipitation for a single forecast projection. However, a more elaborate comparison between these methods has not yet been made. This study compares the raw ensemble output, BMA, and extended LR for single-model ensemble reforecasts of precipitation; namely, from the ECMWF ensemble prediction system (EPS). The raw EPS output turns out to be generally well calibrated up to 6 forecast days, if compared to the area-mean 24-h precipitation sum. Surprisingly, BMA is less skillful than the raw EPS output from forecast day 3 onward. This is due to the bias correction in BMA, which applies model output statistics to individual ensemble members. As a result, the spread of the bias-corrected ensemble members is decreased, especially for the longer forecast projections. Here, an additive bias correction is applied instead and the equation for the probability of precipitation in BMA is also changed. These modifications to BMA are referred to as “modified BMA” and lead to a significant improvement in the skill of BMA for the longer projections. If the area-maximum 24-h precipitation sum is used as a predictand, both modified BMA and extended LR improve the raw EPS output significantly for the first 5 forecast days. However, the difference in skill between modified BMA and extended LR does not seem to be statistically significant. Yet, extended LR might be preferred, because incorporating predictors that are different from the predictand is straightforward, in contrast to BMA.
An Analysis of the Environments of Intense Convective Systems in West Africa in 2003
Authors: Nicholls Stephen D. , Mohr Karen I.
Published: June 2010

The local- and regional-scale environments associated with intense convective systems in West Africa during 2003 were diagnosed from soundings, operational analysis, and space-based datasets. Convective system cases were identified from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) microwave imagery and classified by the system minimum 85-GHz brightness temperature and the estimated elapsed time of propagation from terrain greater than 500 m. The speed of the midlevel jet, the magnitude of the low-level shear, and the surface equivalent potential temperature θe were greater for the intense cases compared to the nonintense cases, although the differences between the means tended to be small: less than 3 K for surface θe and less than 2 × 10−3 s−1 for low-level wind shear. Hypothesis testing of a series of commonly used intensity prediction metrics resulted in significant results only for low-level metrics such as convective available potential energy and not for any of the mid- or upper-level metrics such as the 700-hPa θe. None of the environmental variables or intensity metrics by themselves or in combination appeared to be reliable direct predictors of intensity. In the regional-scale analysis, the majority of intense convective systems occurred in the surface baroclinic zone where surface θe exceeded 344 K and the 700-hPa zonal wind speeds were less than −6 m s−1. Fewer intense cases compared to nonintense cases were associated with African easterly wave troughs. Fewer than 25% of these cases occurred in environments with detectable Saharan dust loads, and the results for intense and nonintense cases were similar. Although the discrimination between the intense and nonintense environments was narrow, the results were robust and consistent with the seasonal movement of the West African monsoon, regional differences in topography, and African easterly wave energetics.
Pakistan’s Nuclear Weapons Program and Implications for US National Security
Authors: Tkacik Michael
Published: June 2010

This article analyzes Pakistan’s nuclear weapons program and the characteristics of the environment in which the program is nested. These characteristics include Pakistan’s history of internal and external instability; nuclear saber-rattling during crises; support for Islamic terrorism in order to advance state goals; indigenous production of many elements of its nuclear forces; possession of delivery and command and control systems with destabilizing characteristics; and, finally, nuclear doctrine that appears to advocate first use of nuclear weapons. The article argues that the characteristics of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons program generate threats to US national security interests. The article examines six interrelated and synergistic challenges for US national security: first, Pakistan is engaged in an arms race in Southwest Asia that has negative implications for Pakistan’s stability; second, the threat of nuclear proliferation from Pakistan continues; third, Pakistan’s arsenal characteristics make accidental and/or unauthorized nuclear war more likely; fourth, there is an ongoing possibility of war with India; fifth, Islamist influence is spreading through key sectors of Pakistani society; and, finally, there is an increasing danger of state failure in Pakistan.
The Responsibility to Protect: ‘Sound and Fury Signifying Nothing’?
Authors: Hehir Aidan
Published: June 2010

The term ‘Responsibility to Protect’ (R2P) has dominated debate on humanitarian intervention since the publication in 2001 of the report of the International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty (ICISS). Today ‘R2P’ has become a seemingly obligatory reference point for all researchers in this field and R2P’s near ubiquity is testament to the effective marketing of the idea. This article will argue, however, that the currency of the term obscures its hollowness. R2P has undeniably changed the discourse surrounding humanitarian intervention, and possibly broadened interest in the subject, but it has contributed little of substance or prescriptive merit. Though the report was drafted with the mandate to reconcile international human rights with state sovereignty it fudged the key issues, namely, substantive reform of the United Nations Security Council, the legitimacy of unilateral humanitarian intervention and the threshold for intervention. The shift in focus from response to prevention since 2001 evades the key issue which prompted the ICISS to draft its report and fails to provide a viable or innovative approach.
Confounding Cultural Citizenship and Constitutional Reform in Bolivia
Authors: Albro Robert
Published: June 2010

The Bolivian constitution ratified in January 2009 has been hailed as a watershed in the effort to empower the indigenous majority. However, in addition to an entrenched political opposition in the lowland half of the country, some observers have pointed to the constitution’s “Aymara-centric” character, suggesting that it has left some people unrecognized and unrepresented. Examination of associational life in the urban provincial capital of Quillacollo, where what it means to be indigenous is quite different from that which the constitution valorizes and confirms, helps of clarify the challenges of multicultural or plurinational legal reforms based upon cultural citizenship. A central challenge is that of transcending a conception of legal rights and claims inhering in citizenship as mutually exclusively either individual or collective.
Integrative Health Coaching for Patients With Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Wolever R.Q. , Dreusicke M. , Fikkan J. , Hawkins T.V. , Yeung S. , Wakefield J. , Duda L. , Flowers P. , Cook C. , Skinner E.
Published: June 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of integrative health (IH) coaching on psychosocial factors, behavior change, and glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Methods

Fifty-six patients with type 2 diabetes were randomized to either 6 months of IH coaching or usual care (control group). Coaching was conducted by telephone for fourteen 30-minute sessions. Patients were guided in creating an individualized vision of health, and goals were self-chosen to align with personal values. The coaching agenda, discussion topics, and goals were those of the patient, not the provider. Preintervention and postintervention assessments measured medication adherence, exercise frequency, patient engagement, psychosocial variables, and A1C.

Results

Perceived barriers to medication adherence decreased, while patient activation, perceived social support, and benefit finding all increased in the IH coaching group compared with those in the control group. Improvements in the coaching group alone were also observed for self-reported adherence, exercise frequency, stress, and perceived health status. Coaching participants with elevated baseline A1C (≥7%) significantly reduced their A1C.

Conclusions

A coaching intervention focused on patients’ values and sense of purpose may provide added benefit to traditional diabetes education programs. Fundamentals of IH coaching may be applied by diabetes educators to improve patient self-efficacy, accountability, and clinical outcomes.
Reflections on Teaching “Spirituality in the Healthcare Environment”
Authors: Lemmer Corinne M.
Published: June 2010

This article provides insight into the experience of teaching a course designed to promote understanding of how health care providers might deal with spiritual needs of persons experiencing health-related issues. The development and structure of the one-credit-hour course is described. Both students’ and instructor’s perceptions are addressed.
Schizophrenia, evolution and the borders of biology: on Huxley et al.’s 1964 paper in Nature
Authors: De Bont Raf
Published: June 2010

In October 1964, Julian Huxley, Ernst Mayr, Humphrey Osmond and Abram Hoffer co-published a controversial paper in Nature, in which they tried to explain the persistence of schizophrenia from an evolutionary perspective. This article will elucidate how the reputed authors composed this paper to make it a strong argument for biological psychiatry. Through a close reading of their correspondence, it will furthermore clarify the elements which remained unspoken in the paper, but which were elementary in its genesis.The first was the dominance of psychoanalytical theory in (American) psychiatry — a dominance which the authors wanted to break. The second was the ongoing discussion on the boundaries of biological determinism and the desirability of a new kind of eugenics. As such, the Huxley et al. paper can be used to study the central issues of psychiatry in a pivotal era of its history.
Classic Text No. 82
Authors: López Piñero JM
Published: June 2010

This is the conclusion of a two-part translation of José Maria López Piñero’s book John Hughlings Jackson (1835—1911), Evolucionismo y Neurología (Madrid: Editorial Moneda, 1973). Part 1 was published in History of Psychiatry 21 (1): 85—95.
Why do contingent workers join a trade union? Evidence from the Irish telecommunications sector
Authors: MacKenzie Robert
Published: June 2010

The restructuring of Irish telecommunications brought major changes to employment in the sector, including increased use of contingent labour. The Communications Workers Union won bargaining recognition in the main subcontract supply firm.The recruitment of contingent workers brought new challenges in terms of reconciling the interests of members working on traditional employment contracts and those with a variety of contingent employment forms. Successful organizing campaigns also raised the questions: why do contingent workers join the union and what does union membership mean to them? These developments are set in the context of union responses to sectoral restructuring in other countries, and possible lessons are drawn for broader attempts by unions to recruit and represent contingent workers.
An antibody of TNF-alpha did not prevent thioacetamide-induced hepatotoxicity in rats
Authors: Demirel Ulvi , Harputluoglu Murat MM , Seckin Yuksel , Ciralik Harun , Temel Ismail , Ozyalin Fatma , Otlu Baris , Yilmaz Bilgic , Dincturk Mehmet Sarp , Aladag Hulya
Published: June 2010

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α antibodies have been shown to reduce liver damage in different models. We investigated the effects of infliximab (a TNF-α antibody) on liver damage in thioacetamide (TAA)-induced hepatotoxicity in rats. Group 1 (n = 8) was the control group. In group 2 (n = 8), the TAA group, the rats received 300 mg/kg intraperitoneal (ip) TAA daily for 2 days. In group 3 (n = 8), the TAA + Infliximab (INF) group, infliximab (5 mg/kg ip daily) was administered 48 hours before the first dose of TAA daily for 2 days and was maintained for 4 consecutive days. In group 4 (n = 8), the INF group, the rats received only ip infliximab (5 mg/kg) daily. Livers were excised for histopathological and biochemical tests (thiobarbituric-acid-reactive substances [TBARS], and myeloperoxidase [MPO]). Serum ammonia, aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), TNF-α, liver TBARS and MPO levels, and liver necrosis and inflammation scores in the TAA group were significantly higher than in the control and INF groups (all p < 0.01). All parameters except AST were not significantly different between TAA and TAA + INF. In conclusion, our results suggest that oxidative stress plays an important role in TAA-induced hepatotoxicity, and infliximab does not improve oxidative liver damage.
Binding Items and Contexts
Authors: Ranganath Charan
Published: June 2010

In order to remember a past event, the brain must not only encode the specific aspects of an event but also bind them in a manner that can later specify the spatiotemporal context in which event occurred. Here, I describe recent research aimed at characterizing the functional organization of two brain regions—the medial temporal lobes and the prefrontal cortex—that allow us to accomplish this task. Converging evidence indicates that different regions of the medial temporal lobes may form representations of items, contexts, and item-context bindings and that areas in the prefrontal cortex may implement working-memory control processes that allow us to build meaningful relationships between items that are encountered over time. The results are compatible with an emerging model that generates novel predictions at both the behavioral and neural levels.
Toward You
Authors: Becchio Cristina , Sartori Luisa , Castiello Umberto
Published: June 2010

Humans spend most of their time interacting with other people. It is the motor organization subtending these social interactions that forms the main theme of this article. We review recent experimental studies testing whether it is possible to differentiate the kinematics of an action performed by an agent acting in isolation from the kinematics of the very same action performed within a social context. The results indicate that social context shapes action planning and that in the context of a social interaction, flexible online adjustments take place between partners. These observations provide novel insights on the social dimension of motor planning and control.
Cognitive Habits and Memory Distortions in Anxiety and Depression
Authors: Hertel Paula T. , Brozovich Faith
Published: June 2010

When anxious or depressed people try to recall emotionally ambiguous events, they produce errors that reflect their habits of interpreting ambiguity in negative ways. These distortions are revealed by experiments that evaluate performance on memory tasks after taking interpretation biases into account—an alternative to the standard memory-bias procedure that examines the accuracy of memory for clearly emotional material. To help establish the causal role of interpretation bias in generating memory bias, these distortions have been simulated by training interpretation biases in nondisordered groups. The practical implications of these findings for therapeutic intervention are discussed; future directions are described.
Words as Windows to Thought
Authors: Barner David , Li Peggy , Snedeker Jesse
Published: June 2010

Languages differ in how they express thought, leading some researchers to conclude that speakers of different languages perceive objects differently. Others, in contrast, argue that words are windows to thought—reflecting its structure without modifying it. Here, we explore the case study of object representation. Studies indicate that Japanese, Chinese, and English speakers do not perceive objects differently, despite their languages’ grammatical differences. Syntax provides frames for words that can select among meanings without affecting underlying object perception.
Longitudinal Modeling of Developmental Changes in Psychological Research
Authors: Ferrer Emilio , McArdle John J.
Published: June 2010

In this article we provide a review of recent advances in longitudinal models for multivariate change. We first claim the need for dynamic modeling approaches as a way to evaluate psychological theories. We then describe one such approach, latent change score (LCS) models, and illustrate their utility with a summary of research findings in various areas of psychological science. We then highlight the most prominent features of LCS models. We conclude the article with suggestions for future research on multivariate models of change that can enhance our understanding of psychological science.
The Unbidden Past
Authors: Berntsen Dorthe
Published: June 2010

Involuntary autobiographical memories are memories of personal experiences that come to mind spontaneously—that is, with no preceding attempt at retrieval. They were one of Ebbinghaus’s (1885/1964) three basic kinds of memory but have been ignored by modern cognitive psychology. Recent work suggests that involuntary memories are a basic mode of remembering that operates on the same episodic memory system as voluntary (strategic) remembering and thus follows the same rules of encoding and maintenance. Due to their associative and unplanned retrieval, involuntary memories differ from voluntary memories by being more specific, by being less relevant to one’s life story and identity, and by involving more emotional reaction at the time of recall. Research on involuntary autobiographical memories has important implications for the understanding of intrusive memories in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
All Teachers Are Vulnerable but Especially Gay Teachers: Using Composite Fictions to Protect Research Participants in Pupil—Teacher Sex-Related Research
Authors: Piper Heather , Sikes Pat
Published: June 2010

The ways in which the media searches out, depicts, and writes about teacher—pupil sex-related topics have implications both for researchers working in the area and, sometimes more seriously, for the people who participate in and contribute to that research as respondents. In this article, the authors discuss, and provide an example of, the composite fiction strategy they developed and decided to adopt primarily for purposes of protection when writing up a project that investigated the perceptions and experiences of teachers (and those of members of their families, their friends, and colleagues) who had been accused of sexual abuse of pupils, which they said they had not committed and of which they were eventually cleared.
Multiple sclerosis patients lacking oligoclonal bands in the cerebrospinal fluid are less likely to develop neutralizing antibodies against interferon beta
Authors: Lundkvist M. , Greiner E. , Hillert J. , Fogdell-Hahn A.
Published: June 2010

Multiple sclerosis patients without cerebrospinal fluid oligoclonal IgG bands have been proposed to constitute an immunogenetically distinct subgroup of multiple sclerosis that may also differ in terms of prognosis. A proportion of patients with multiple sclerosis receiving IFNβ develop neutralizing antibodies, which interfere with treatment efficacy. Evidence suggests that the likelihood of developing neutralizing antibodies is partly genetically determined. Here, we hypothesized that absence of oligoclonal IgG bands reflects a property of B-cell responses in oligoclonal IgG band-negative patients characterized by a lessened propensity to develop neutralizing antibodies. We aimed to compare the development of neutralizing antibodies against IFNβ between oligoclonal IgG band-negative and oligoclonal IgG band-positive multiple sclerosis patients. Treatment, oligoclonal IgG band and neutralizing antibody information was obtained for 2219 patients from the Swedish multiple sclerosis registry and the Swedish neutralizing antibody registry. Additional data on genotype was available for 532 patients. A correlation was found between oligoclonal IgG band negativity and neutralizing antibody negativity ( p = 0.02). This difference was confined to neutralizing antibodies against IFNβ-1a, since oligoclonal IgG band-negative patients were, to a lesser extent, neutralizing antibody positive compared with oligoclonal IgG band-positive patients if treated with IFNβ-1a (12% vs. 23%; p = 0.005). No difference was observed for IFNβ-1b-treated patients (44% vs. 46%). We propose that oligoclonal IgG band-negative patients differ immunologically from oligoclonal IgG band-positive patients, potentially influenced by distinct HLA-DRB1 alleles.
Translation of questionnaire increases the response rate in immigrants: Filling the language gap or feeling of inclusion?
Authors: Moradi Tahereh , Sidorchuk Anna , Hallqvist Johan
Published: June 2010

Sweden has a long history of conducting questionnaire-based Public Health Surveys (PHS) to monitor health determinants. As Sweden has become a multi-ethnic society a linguistically adapted instrument to collect data was first used in Stockholm PHS 2006 to overcome the barrier of lack of Swedish language proficiency, but more importantly to overcome the psychological barrier of being excluded. The questionnaire was translated into the six most spoken languages among Swedish immigrants, namely Arabic, English, Farsi, Finnish, Spanish, and Turkish. In spite of a decrease in participation rate (—2.9%, p < 0.0001) among native Swedes in PHS 2006 compared with PHS 2002, there was a substantial increase in participation rate among immigrants in PHS 2006 who received a translated questionnaire or were interviewed in their mother tongue. The increase in response rate varied from 2.1% among Finnish-speaking immigrants up to 12.4% among Turkish-speaking immigrants and was significant for Arabic-speaking (p < 0.0001), Farsi-speaking (p = 0.003), Spanish-speaking (p < 0.0001) and Turkish-speaking (p < 0.0001) immigrants. Various attempts to increase participation rate will be of importance to policy makers involved in the integration of the immigrant population, to healthcare professionals, and obviously to the public.
Number as an inventive frontier in knowing and working Australia’s water resources
Authors: Verran Helen
Published: June 2010

Taking number as material and semiotic, this article considers the enumeration of Australia’s water resources as both a form of audit and a form of marketing. It proposes that a scientific enumeration utilizes the relation one/many while an economic enumeration utilizes the relation whole/parts. Working the tension between these two forms of enumeration can be understood as an inventive frontier in contemporary Australian life.
Finger counting money
Authors: Maurer Bill
Published: June 2010

Through a discussion of a novel design concept for an embodied currency, this paper inquires into gesture and number. In so doing, it underscores the importance of attending to the phenomenological character of number and money. It speculates on the creation of an embodied currency lived in and through community.