bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Transformation-Dependent Silencing of Tumor-Selective Apoptosis-Inducing TRAIL by DNA Hypermethylation Is Antagonized by Decitabine
Authors: Lund Per , Kotova Irina , Kedinger Valérie , Khanwalkar Harshal , Voltz Emilie , Hahn William C. , Gronemeyer Hinrich
Published: June 2011

TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) kills tumor cells selectively. We asked how emerging tumor cells escape elimination by TRAIL and how tumor-specific killing by TRAIL could then be restored. We found that TRAIL expression is consistently downregulated in HRASG12V-transformed cells in stepwise tumorigenesis models derived from four different tissues due to DNA hypermethylation of CpG clusters within the TRAIL promoter. Decitabine de-silenced TRAIL, which remained inducible by interferon, while induction of TRAIL by blocking the HRASG12V-activated mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway was subordinated to epigenetic silencing. Decitabine induced apoptosis through upregulation of endogenous TRAIL in cooperation with favorable regulation of key players acting in TRAIL-mediated apoptosis. Apoptosis induction by exogenously added TRAIL was largely increased by decitabine. In vivo treatment of xenografted human HRASG12V-transformed human epithelial kidney or syngenic mice tumors by decitabine blocked tumor growth induced TRAIL expression and apoptosis. Our results emphasize the potential of decitabine to enhance TRAIL-induced apoptosis in tumors and thus provide a rationale for combination therapies with decitabine to increase tumor-selective apoptosis. Mol Cancer Ther; 10(9); 1611–23. ©2011 AACR.
Coupling of α1-Adrenoceptors to ERK1/2 in the Human Prostate
Authors: Bauer Ricarda M. , Strittmatter Frank , Gratzke Christian , Göttinger Johanna , Schlenker Boris , Reich Oliver , Stief Christian G. , Hedlund Petter , Andersson Karl-Erik , Hennenberg Martin
Published: June 2011

Introduction: α1-Adrenoceptors are considered critical for the regulation of prostatic smooth muscle tone. However, previous studies suggested further α1-adrenoceptor functions besides contraction. Here, we investigated whether α1-adrenoceptors in the human prostate may activate extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK1/2). Methods: Prostate tissues from patients undergoing radical prostatectomy were stimulated in vitro. Activation of ERK1/2 was assessed by Western blot analysis. Expression of ERK1/2 was studied by immunohistochemistry. The effect of ERK1/2 inhibition by U0126 on phenylephrine-induced contraction was studied in organ-bath experiments. Results: Stimulation of human prostate tissue with noradrenaline (30 µM) or phenylephrine (10 µM) resulted in ERK activation. This was reflected by increased levels of phosphorylated ERK1/2. Expression of ERK1/2 in the prostate was observed in smooth muscle cells. Incubation of prostate tissue with U0126 (30 µM) resulted in ERK1/2 inhibition. Dose-dependent phenylephrine-induced contraction of prostate tissue was not modulated by U0126. Conclusions: α1-Adrenoceptors in the human prostate are coupled to ERK1/2. This may partially explain previous observations suggesting a role of α1-adrenoceptors in the regulation of prostate growth.
Investigative Clinical Study on Prostate Cancer Part IV: Exploring Functional Relationships of Total Testosterone Predicting Free Testosterone and Total Prostate-Specific Antigen in Operated Prostate Cancer Patients
Authors: Porcaro Antonio B. , Petrozziello Aldo , Migliorini Filippo , Lacola Vincenzo , Romano Mario , Sava Teodoro , Ghimenton Claudio , Caruso Beatrice , Zecchini Antoniolli Stefano , Rubilotta Emanuele , Monaco Carmelo , Comunale Luigi
Published: June 2011

Objectives: To explore, in operated prostate cancer patients, functional relationships of total testosterone (tt) predicting free testosterone (ft) and total PSA. Patients and Methods: 128 operated prostate cancer patients were simultaneously investigated for tt, ft and PSA before surgery. Patients were not receiving 5α-reductase inihibitors, LH-releasing hormone analogues and testosterone replacement treatment. Scatter plots including ft and PSA versus tt were computed in order to assess the functional relationship of the variables. Linear regression analysis of tt predicting ft and PSA was computed. Results: tt was a significant predictor of the response variable (ft) and different subsets of the patient population were assessed according to the ft to tt ratio. PSA was related to tt according to a nonlinear law. tt was a significant predictor of PSA according to an inversely nonlinear law and different significant clusters of the patient population were assessed according to the different constant of proportionality computed from experimental data. Conclusions: In our prostate cancer population, ft was significantly predicted by tt according to a linear law, and the ft/tt ratio was a significant parameter for assessing the different clusters. Also, tt was a significant variable predicting PSA by a nonlinear law and different clusters of the patient population were assessed by the different constants of proportionality. As a theory, we explain the nonlinear relation of tt in predicting PSA as follows: (a) the number of androgen-independent prostate cancer cells increases as tumor volume and PSA serum levels rise, (b) the prevalence of androgen-independent cells producing a substance which inhibits serum LH, and (c) as a result lower levels of serum tt are detected.
Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Ureteroscopic Laser Lithotripsy and Shock Wave Lithotripsy in the Management of Ureteral Calculi in Eastern China
Authors: Zhang Jing , Shi Quan , Wang Guo-Zeng , Wang Fei , Jiang Ning
Published: June 2011

Introduction: It was the aim of this study to compare the efficiency and safety between shock wave lithotripsy (SWL) and ureteroscopic holmium laser lithotripsy (URL) methods for ureteral calculi while also determining which option is more cost-effective. Patients and Methods: During January 2008 to September 2009, a prospective randomized study was conducted to compare both modalities for the management of solitary radiopaque ureteral stones. Patient and stone characteristics, treatment outcome and charges were documented. Both options were compared using univariate statistical tests to identify the efficiency quotient and cost-effectiveness for ureteral calculi according to the stone location. Results: A total of 257 patients were in the SWL group, while 269 were in the URL group. The efficiency quotients for SWL and URL were 0.81 and 0.88, respectively. The initial stone-free rate of URL for lower ureteral calculi was higher (p = 0.002), while the complication rate of SWL for upper ureteral calculi was lower (p = 0.027). The SWL group required lower hospitalization charges (USD 440 vs. 1,221; p < 0.001), lower total charges (USD 454 vs. 1,284; p < 0.001) and a shorter period of hospitalization (5.4 vs. 6.6 days; p < 0.001) compared with the URL group for all ureteral locations. For mid and lower ureteral calculi, the postoperative office visits of the URL group were fewer (1.03 vs. 1.1 times; p = 0.001). Conclusions: Primary in situ SWL for upper and middle ureteral calculi showed lower complication rates compared to URL and was more cost-effective in Eastern China. However, primary URL was a better option for treating lower ureteral stones with a higher stone-free rate but was more expensive.
Imaging in Prostate Cancer Diagnosis: Present Role and Future Perspectives
Authors: Pinto Francesco , Totaro Angelo , Calarco Alessandro , Sacco Emilio , Volpe Andrea , Racioppi Marco , D’Addessi Alessandro , Gulino Gaetano , Bassi PierFrancesco
Published: June 2011

Prostate cancer (PCa) remains a major health concern for the male population. Detection and primary diagnosis of PCa are based on digital rectal examination, serum prostate-specific antigen levels, and transrectal ultrasound (TRUS)-guided random biopsy. Moreover, the gold standard for detecting PCa, systematic biopsy, lacks sensitivity as well as grading accuracy. This review summarizes recent developments of ultrasonography modalities and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the diagnosis of PCa. A comparison between the different methods is presented, including their clinical value and usefulness. It is concluded that innovative ultrasound techniques (including ultrasound contrast agents, 3-D and 4-D sonography, elastography and harmonic sonography) promise benefits in comparison to standard TRUS to accurately diagnose PCa. Promising advances have been made in the detection of PCa with multiparametric MRI. The combination of conventional and functional MRI techniques (including diffusion-weighted imaging, dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI, and MR spectroscopy) can provide information for differentiating PCa from noncancerous tissue and can be used for MRI-guided biopsies, especially in patients with persistent elevation of serum prostate-specific antigen and previous negative TRUS-guided biopsies. However, functional MRI technique and MRI-guided biopsy remain expensive and complex tools presenting inherent challenges.
Complete Removal of the Foreskin – Why?
Authors: Miernik A. , Hager S. , Frankenschmidt A.
Published: June 2011

Partial circumcision techniques frequently lead, on account of the remaining foreskin, to functional complications and unsatisfactory cosmetic results requiring re-operation. A series of pictures taken from our own sample of patients illustrates the problem. Review of the literature also attests to higher complication rates after partial circumcision. From a medical point of view, complete circumcision is preferable.
Use of Heliox in the Management of Neonates with Meconium Aspiration Syndrome
Authors: Szczapa Tomasz , Gadzinowski Janusz
Published: June 2011

Background: Helium-oxygen mixture (heliox) ventilation has been known as an alternative treatment in patients with airway obstruction. Because of the physical properties of heliox, mechanical ventilation with this gas mixture may offer advantages in the management of respiratory failure associated with meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS). Objectives: The purpose of this pilot study was to assess the effect of short-term mechanical ventilation with heliox in newborns with MAS on vital signs, oxygenation, acid-base balance and respiratory function parameters. Methods: The study was carried out in newborns with respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation due to MAS. Eight patients were ventilated using pressure-controlled synchronized intermittent mandatory ventilation. Parameters of respiratory function, oxygenation, acid-base balance and vital signs were recorded at baseline, then twice during 1 h of heliox ventilation and finally twice during 1 h after switching back to air-oxygen ventilation. Results: Mechanical ventilation with heliox did not affect vital signs and the infants’ clinical condition remained stable during the study. Heliox ventilation was associated with a nonsignificant increase in tidal volume, minute ventilation and peak expiratory flow rate values. Mechanical ventilation with heliox allowed the use of significantly lower FiO2, with a significant decrease in alveolar-arterial oxygen tension difference and a decrease in the oxygenation index which was not statistically significant. There was also a significant increase in the PaO2/FiO2 ratio during heliox ventilation. Conclusions: Ventilation with a helium and oxygen mixture had a positive effect on the selected parameters of oxygenation, while its effects on other respiratory parameters were relatively small.
Randomized Controlled Trial of a High Dose of Oral Erythromycin for the Treatment of Feeding Intolerance in Preterm Infants
Authors: Mansi Yasmeen , Abdelaziz Nabil , Ezzeldin Zahraa , Ibrahim Rania
Published: June 2011

Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness of high-dose erythromycin to treat feeding intolerance in preterm infants predominantly fed milk formula. Design: This study is a prospective randomized controlled trial on 60 premature infants suffering from feeding intolerance. Thirty infants were given oral erythromycin ethylsuccinate at a dose of 50 mg/kg/day for 10 days or until they reached full enteral feeds. Randomization was stratified according to gestational age <32 weeks or ≧32 weeks gestation. The primary end point was the time taken to establish full enteral feeding since enrollment. Potential adverse effects associated with erythromycin were also monitored. Student’s t test was used for comparison of continuous variables and χ2for categorical data. Results: In infants <32 weeks, the use of erythromycin was associated with more daily weight gain (12.8 ± 2.6 g vs. 9.2 ± 5.3 g, p = 0.04) compared to the control group. Time to reach full feed did not differ between the erythromycin (13.8 ± 3.9 days) and the control (17.46 ± 4.9 days) groups (p = 0.07). In infants ≧32 weeks, there were no differences between the erythromycin and the control groups. Conclusion: High-dose erythromycin is associated with greater weight gain in preterm infants <32 weeks gestational age, who are predominantly fed cow’s milk-based protein formulas.
Surgeon-Performed Ultrasound as Preoperative Localization Study in Patients with Primary Hyperparathyroidism
Authors: van Ginhoven T.M. , Morks A.N. , Schepers T. , de Graaf P.W. , Smit P.C.
Published: June 2011

Background: Minimally invasive parathyroidectomy is the treatment of choice for single-gland primary hyperparathyroidism. However, the exact location of the abnormal gland has to be established. Sestamibi scintigraphy, computed tomography and ultrasound (US) are commonly used modalities. We describe our experience in a non-academic center with surgeon-performed US (S-US) of the neck as preoperative localization study in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT). Methods: Patients with a biochemically proven diagnosis of PHPT and preoperative S-US were included. Data were recorded prospectively. Perioperative gland location was compared to the preoperative S-US to determine sensitivity, specificity and accuracy rates. Results: Two of the 50 patients who underwent S-US were not subjected to surgery. In 85% of the patients analyzed by S-US, the appropriate abnormal gland(s) were identified. In 11%, no gland was identified, but abnormal glands were found during surgery. Sensitivity of S-US in our hospital is 85%, with a positive predictive value of 97%. Conclusions: We achieved a satisfactory sensitivity rate. S-US provides anatomic information to the surgeon which enables a more detailed operation planning, and it is a valuable diagnostic modality for patients with PHPT in our opinion. We hope that our data encourage other centers to implement this technique as well.
Immunosenescence of Human Natural Killer Cells
Authors: Gayoso Inmaculada , Sanchez-Correa Beatriz , Campos Carmen , Alonso Corona , Pera Alejandra , Casado Javier G. , Morgado Sara , Tarazona Raquel , Solana Rafael
Published: June 2011

Natural killer (NK) cells are a key component of innate immunity involved not only in the elimination of virus-infected or tumor cells but also in the regulation of the immune response by producing cytokines and chemokines that can activate other cellular components of innate and adaptive immunity. NK cell subsets are differentially affected by aging. Whereas CD56bright cells are decreased in healthy elderly individuals, the CD56dim subset is expanded. The expression of CD57, a marker of highly differentiated NK cells, is increased in the elderly; this supports the notion that a remodeling process of NK cell subsets occurs in aging with a gradual decrease in more immature CD56bright NK cells and an increase in highly differentiated CD56dim CD57+ NK cells. This NK cell redistribution can explain many of the phenotypic and functional changes in NK cells associated with healthy aging such as decreased proliferation and the maintenance of CD16-dependent cytotoxicity.
Patients with Psoriasis Have a Higher Prevalence of Parental Cardiovascular Disease
Authors: Gisondi Paolo , Dalle Vedove Camilla , Girolomoni Giampiero
Published: June 2011

Background: Parental history of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is an independent risk factor for offspring CVD. Patients with chronic plaque psoriasis have an intermediate risk of developing CVD. Objective: To investigate the prevalence of parental history of CVD in patients with psoriasis. Method: A cross-sectional study on 236 adult patients with chronic plaque psoriasis and 246 controls was performed. Parental history of myocardial infarction and/or stroke was investigated by using a structured questionnaire. The accuracy of the self-reported information was confirmed by the hospital registry. Results: A positive parental history of maternal myocardial infarction was observed in 28/236 cases compared to 16/246 controls (11.8 vs. 6.5%; p = 0.04). A positive parental history of premature maternal myocardial infarction (i.e. <65 years) was observed in 16/236 cases compared to 3/246 controls (6.8 vs. 1.2%; p = 0.01). Moreover, a positive parental history of paternal stroke was observed in 25/236 cases compared to 14/246 controls (10.5 vs. 5.6%; p = 0.04). A positive parental history of psoriasis was higher in cases than in controls (35 vs. 2%; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Parental history of CVD could also be investigated in patients with psoriasis for a more comprehensive estimation of their cardiovascular risk.
A Prospective Study of Filaggrin Null Mutations in Keratoconus Patients with or without Atopic Disorders
Authors: Droitcourt C. , Touboul D. , Ged C. , Ezzedine K. , Cario-André M. , de Verneuil H. , Colin J. , Taïeb A.
Published: June 2011

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is significantly associated with keratoconus (KC). An inherited component for KC has been suggested. Filaggrin (FLG) mutations are a strong genetic risk factor for AD. Since filaggrin is also expressed in the corneal epithelium, we hypothesized a common aetiology for ichthyosis vulgaris (IV), AD and KC. Objectives: We examined the prevalence of AD and IV in a KC population. We also studied the expression of filaggrin in normal and KC cornea and analysed 2 prevalent loss-of-function FLG alleles (R501X and 2282del4) in a KC population. Finally we examined whether the population with KC and FLG mutations had specific clinical characteristics. Results: Of 89 KC patients, 38 had current or a history of AD and/or IV. Five patients were carriers of at least 1 FLG mutant allele and had a clinical diagnosis of AD and IV with a severer KC. Conclusion: The low frequency of FLG mutations is surprising since 42.7% of our KC population had AD associated or not with IV; the expected frequency would have been 12–15%, based on our previous studies. Further studies are required to look at other possible FLG mutations or other candidate genes.
Levels of Soluble Triggering Receptor Expressed on Myeloid Cells 1 in Infectious Exacerbations of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Authors: Rohde Gernot , Radsak Markus P. , Borg Irmgard , Buhl Roland , Schultze-Werninghaus Gerhard , Taube Christian
Published: June 2011

Background: Soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 1 (sTREM-1) is an activating receptor on inflammatory cells upregulated by microbial products. Elevated levels of sTREM-1 have been associated with the diagnosis and prognosis of patients with sepsis, severe pneumonia and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Objectives: The aim of this study was to define the role of sTREM-1 in acute exacerbations of COPD (AE-COPD) and to investigate the ability of sTREM-1 to differentiate between infectious triggers of AE-COPD. Methods: Smokers without COPD (SM), patients with stable COPD (sCOPD) and patients with AE-COPD were prospectively recruited. sTREM-1 levels were determined by ELISA in serum. Potentially pathogenic bacteria were analyzed by sputum culture, and polymerase chain reaction was used to determine the presence of respiratory viruses. Results: One hundred and ninety-five subjects were included: 64 sCOPD patients, 118 AE-COPD patients and 13 SM. In 62 (52.6%) AE-COPD patients, a respiratory pathogen was detected. Serum levels of sTREM-1 were barely detectable in SM but were significantly increased in patients with sCOPD [97.5 (interquartile value 76.6) pg/ml] and AE-COPD [110.9 (98.5) pg/ml; p < 0.001]. There was no significant difference in sTREM-1 between sCOPD and AE-COPD (p = 0.277). However, in AE-COPD, sTREM-1 was significantly lower in patients with virus detection [87.5 (97.3) pg/ml] compared to those without [120.3 (99.7) pg/ml; p = 0.015]. No difference was found in AE-COPD patients with or without bacterial detection. Conclusions: The present study shows an increase in sTREM-1 in patients with COPD compared to SM but not in AE-COPD compared to sCOPD. Viral exacerbations showed significantly lower sTREM-1 levels than non-viral exacerbations.
Early-Onset Postirradiation Sarcoma of the Tongue after Pseudotumor Phase
Authors: Miyoshi Takushi , Takebayashi Shinji , Suzuki Chiaki , Hiwatashi Nao , Ikeda Hiroki , Ono Kazuo , Miura Makoto
Published: June 2011

Radiation-induced sarcoma usually develops after an interval of more than 10 years from the completion of radiation therapy to the diagnosis of secondary sarcoma. However, the theory of radiation-induced transformation does not rule out postirradiation sarcomas with a short latency period. We experienced the case of a patient with postirradiation leiomyosarcoma of the tongue, which occurred 19 months after he had received chemoradiotherapy. Besides the short latency period, a pseudotumor stage developed between the time of radiation exposure and the development of leiomyosarcoma. In this article, we also describe an immunohistochemical approach to diagnose leiomyosarcoma and the efficacy of a gemcitabine and docetaxel regimen.
Surgical Technique for Implantation of the MED-EL SONATATI100
Authors: Stark Thomas , Niedermeyer Hans P. , Knopf Andreas , Sudhoff Holger
Published: June 2011

Aims: The objective of this study was to describe our surgical techniques following the general principles of cochlear implantation focusing on the small and thin design of the SONATATI100 implant device. Methods: From May 2007 to December 2010, 97 patients were implanted with the SONATATI100 device. Due to the titanium housing, a bony bed and a muscle-periost pocket were created to host the biggest part of the device with its magnet. For device fixation, suture-retaining holes were drilled at the end of the bed, and the electrode array was inserted deeply into the scala tympani via the round window or a cochleostomy. Results: Up to now, no case of device failure, migration or intracranial complication has been reported. However, one minor wound healing complication has occurred. Conclusion: Following the principal rules of cochlear implantation using a 2-bed technique combined with sutures allows safe fixation of the SONATATI100 device.
Effect of Methylphenidate and/or Levodopa Combined with Physiotherapy on Mood and Cognition after Stroke: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial
Authors: Delbari Ahmad , Salman-Roghani Reza , Lokk Johan
Published: June 2011

Background/Aim: Stimulant medications can enhance mood and cognition in stroke rehabilitation, but human clinical trial results are inconclusive. We sought to prospectively study the effects of levodopa (LD) and/or methylphenidate (MPH) in combination with physiotherapy on mood and cognition following stroke in human subjects. Methods: Ischemic stroke patients were enrolled in our study 15 to 180 days after stroke onset. The patients were randomized into four medication groups (MPH, LD, MPH + LD, or placebo) and received a 15-day course of medication therapy (1 dose daily) and 45-min standard physiotherapy treatment daily. Mood and cognitive function were assessed at the study onset and 15, 90 and 180 days after study enrollment. Results: The strongest improvement of mood and cognition was found between baseline and the first follow-up immediately after the intervention. A significant improvement in mood was also found in the combined treatment group (MPH + LD) at 90 and 180 days, compared to the placebo group. Conclusions: A 15-day course of daily MPH + LD combined with physiotherapy over a 3-week period was safe and significantly improved mood status in ischemic stroke patients. Future studies are needed which determine the optimal therapeutic window for and dosage of psychostimulants as well as identify those stroke patients who might benefit the most from treatment.
Reversibility of Adverse, Calcineurin-Dependent Cardiac Remodeling
Authors: Berry Jeff M. , Le Vien , Rotter David , Battiprolu Pavan K. , Grinsfelder Bennett , Tannous Paul , Burchfield Jana S. , Czubryt Michael , Backs Johannes , Olson Eric N. , Rothermel Beverly A. , Hill Joseph A.
Published: June 2011

Rationale:

Studies to dissect the role of calcineurin in pathological cardiac remodeling have relied heavily on murine models, in which genetic gain- and loss-of-function manipulations are initiated at or before birth. However, the great majority of clinical cardiac pathology occurs in adults. Yet nothing is known about the effects of calcineurin when its activation commences in adulthood. Furthermore, despite the fact that ventricular hypertrophy is a well-established risk factor for heart failure, the relative pace and progression of these 2 major phenotypic features of heart disease are unknown. Finally, even though therapeutic interventions in adults are designed to slow, arrest, or reverse disease pathogenesis, little is known about the capacity for spontaneous reversibility of calcineurin-dependent pathological remodeling.

Objective:

We set out to address these 3 questions by studying mice engineered to harbor in cardiomyocytes a constitutively active calcineurin transgene driven by a tetracycline-responsive promoter element.

Methods and Results:

Expression of the mutant calcineurin transgene was initiated for variable lengths of time to determine the natural history of disease pathogenesis, and to determine when, if ever, these events are reversible. Activation of the calcineurin transgene in adult mice triggered rapid and robust cardiac growth with features characteristic of pathological hypertrophy. Concentric hypertrophy preceded the development of systolic dysfunction, fetal gene activation, fibrosis, and clinical heart failure. Furthermore, cardiac hypertrophy reversed spontaneously when calcineurin activity was turned off, and expression of fetal genes reverted to baseline. Fibrosis, a prominent feature of pathological cardiac remodeling, manifested partial reversibility.

Conclusions:

Together, these data establish and define the deleterious effects of calcineurin signaling in the adult heart and reveal that calcineurin-dependent hypertrophy with concentric geometry precedes systolic dysfunction and heart failure. Furthermore, these findings demonstrate that during much of the disease process, calcineurin-dependent remodeling remains reversible.
Impact of Enhanced Satellite-Derived Atmospheric Motion Vector Observations on Numerical Tropical Cyclone Track Forecasts in the Western North Pacific during TPARC/TCS-08
Authors: Berger Howard , Langland Rolf , Velden Christopher S. , Reynolds Carolyn A. , Pauley Patricia M.
Published: June 2011

Enhanced atmospheric motion vectors (AMVs) produced from the geostationary Multifunctional Transport Satellite (MTSAT) are assimilated into the U.S. Navy Operational Global Atmospheric Prediction System (NOGAPS) to evaluate the impact of these observations on tropical cyclone track forecasts during the simultaneous western North Pacific Ocean Observing System Research and Predictability Experiment (THORPEX) Pacific Asian Regional Campaign (TPARC) and the Tropical Cyclone Structure—2008 (TCS-08) field experiments. Four-dimensional data assimilation is employed to take advantage of experimental high-resolution (space and time) AMVs produced for the field campaigns by the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies. Two enhanced AMV datasets are considered: 1) extended periods produced at hourly intervals over a large western North Pacific domain using routinely available MTSAT imagery and 2) limited periods over a smaller storm-centered domain produced using special MTSAT rapid-scan imagery. Most of the locally impacted forecast cases involve Typhoons Sinlaku and Hagupit, although other storms are also examined. On average, the continuous assimilation of the hourly AMVs reduces the NOGAPS tropical cyclone track forecast errors—in particular, for forecasts longer than 72 h. It is shown that the AMVs can improve the environmental flow analyses that may be influencing the tropical cyclone tracks. Adding rapid-scan AMV observations further reduces the NOGAPS forecast errors. In addition to their benefit in traditional data assimilation, the enhanced AMVs show promise as a potential resource for advanced objective data-targeting methods.
The Threshold Sea Surface Temperature Condition for Tropical Cyclogenesis
Authors: Dare Richard A. , McBride John L.
Published: June 2011

The analyzed value of sea surface temperature (SST) is examined for all global cases of tropical cyclone formation within 35° latitude of the equator over the period 1981–2008. It is found that 98.3% of formations occur at SST values exceeding 25.5°C. This practical threshold is relatively insensitive to the exact value of maximum wind speed used to define formation. The threshold is sensitive, however, to short-term variations in SST during development. By expanding the time period such that thresholds are calculated based on the maximum SST during the 48-h period leading to genesis, it is found that 99.5% of cyclone formations occur above 25.5°C. It is also found that tropical cyclones form over a narrow temperature range with 90.4% forming over SSTs between 27.5° and 30.5°C when the 48-h period is considered. Without consideration of the 48-h period, an SST threshold of 25.5°C is representative with less than 2% of formations occurring below this value. When the 48-h period is considered, 26.5°C is the equivalent threshold. The response to warming of the global oceans is also examined. Dividing the 27-yr dataset into an earlier versus a later 13.5-yr period, positive but small changes (+0.2°C) occur in the mean formation temperature. There is no detectable shift of the threshold temperature toward a higher value.
The Role of Linear Interference in Northern Annular Mode Variability Associated with Eurasian Snow Cover Extent
Authors: Smith Karen L. , Kushner Paul J. , Cohen Judah
Published: June 2011

One of the outstanding questions regarding the observed relationship between October Eurasian snow cover anomalies and the boreal winter northern annular mode (NAM) is what causes the multiple-week lag between positive Eurasian snow cover anomalies in October and the associated peak in Rossby wave activity flux from the troposphere to the stratosphere in December. This study explores the following hypothesis about this lag: in order to achieve amplification of the wave activity, the vertically propagating Rossby wave train associated with the snow cover anomaly must reinforce the climatological stationary wave, which corresponds to constructive linear interference between the anomalous wave and the climatological wave. It is shown that the lag in peak wave activity flux arises because the Rossby wave train associated with the snow cover is in quadrature or out of phase with the climatological stationary wave from October to mid-November. Beginning in mid-November the associated wave anomaly migrates into a position that is in phase with the climatological wave, leading to constructive interference and anomalously positive upward wave activity fluxes until mid-January. Climate models from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 3 (CMIP3) do not capture this behavior. This linear interference effect is not only associated with stratospheric variability related to Eurasian snow cover anomalies but is a general feature of Northern Hemisphere troposphere–stratosphere interactions and, in particular, dominated the negative NAM events of the fall–winter of 2009/10.
The Dependence of Storm Longevity on the Pattern of Deep Convection Initiation in a Low-Shear Environment
Authors: Houston Adam L. , Wilhelmson Robert B.
Published: June 2011

The sensitivity of storm longevity to the pattern of deep convection initiation (e.g., multiple, quasi-linearly arranged initial deep convective cells versus an isolated deep convective cell) is examined using idealized cloud-resolving simulations conducted with a low-shear initial environment. When multiple deep convective cells are initialized in close proximity to one another using either a line of thermals or a shallow airmass boundary, long-lived storms are produced. However, when isolated deep convection is initiated, the resultant storm steadily decays following initiation. These results illustrate that a quasi-linear mechanism, such as a preexisting airmass boundary, that initiates multiple deep convective cells in close proximity can lead to longer-lived storms than a mechanism that initiates isolated deep convection.

The essential difference between the experiments conducted is that an isolated initial storm produces a shallower cold pool than when a quasi-linear initiation is used. It is argued that the deep cold pools promote deep forced ascent, systematic convective cell redevelopment, and thus long-lived storms, even in environments with small values of vertical shear. The difference in cold pool depth between the simulations is attributed to differences in the horizontal flux of cold air to the gust front. With a single initial storm, the few convective cells that subsequently form provide only a limited source of cold air, leading to a cold pool that is shallow and incapable of fostering continued updraft redevelopment.
Water Budget of Typhoon Nari (2001)
Authors: Yang Ming-Jen , Braun Scott A. , Chen Deng-Shun
Published: June 2011

Although there have been many observational and modeling studies of tropical cyclones (TCs), the understanding of TCs’ budgets of vapor and condensate and the changes of budgets after TCs’ landfall is still quite limited. In this study, high-resolution (2-km horizontal grid size and 2-min data interval) model output from a cloud-resolving simulation of Typhoon Nari (2001) is used to examine the vapor and condensate budgets and the respective changes of the budgets after Nari’s landfall on Taiwan. All budget terms are directly derived from the model except for a small residual term. For the vapor budget, while Nari is over the ocean, evaporation from the ocean surface is 11% of the inward horizontal vapor transport within 150 km of the storm center, and the net horizontal vapor convergence into the storm is 88% of the net condensation. The ocean source of water vapor in the inner core is a small portion (5.5%) of horizontal vapor import, consistent with previous studies. After landfall, Taiwan’s steep terrain enhances Nari’s secondary circulation significantly and produces stronger horizontal vapor import at low levels, resulting in a 22% increase in storm-total condensation. Precipitation efficiency, defined from either the large-scale or microphysics perspective, is increased 10%–20% over the outer-rainband region after landfall, in agreement with the enhanced surface rainfall over the complex terrain.
International Legal Note: Salaries of CEOs of international NGOs: Ensuring fair compensation while avoiding populist rage
Authors: Pollack Daniel
Published: June 2011

We have all seen studies showing how the divergence between executive compensation and that of regular employees has grown dramatically. Does the international social work community need to look in the mirror? Do some NGOs have discrepancies between top and bottom salaries that are just as stark as those in the banking world? What kinds of perquisites are bestowed upon the top executives and department heads of some of the larger international NGOs? In the name of being ethically and fiscally responsible, is there a need to explore these remuneration packages or are they a private matter?
Potholes on the Road to College
Authors: Roderick Melissa , Coca Vanessa , Nagaoka Jenny
Published: June 2011

This article examines the extent to which indicators of the college-going climate of urban high schools are associated with students’ application to, enrollment in, and choice among four-year colleges. The investigators examine two mechanisms by which high schools may shape college enrollment among low-income students in an urban school system: (1) by ensuring whether seniors who aspire to a four-year college degree take the steps to apply to and enroll in a four-year college, and (2) by influencing whether students enroll in colleges with selectivity levels at or above the kinds of colleges they are qualified to attend (a “college match”). We investigate different approaches to measuring college-going climate and develop new indicators. Findings suggest that qualifications and college aspirations will not necessarily translate into four-year college enrollment if urban high schools do not develop organizational norms and structures that guide students effectively through the college application process. Urban students who attend high schools where there is a pattern of four-year college-going, where teachers report high expectations and strong supports for college attendance, and where there is high participation in financial aid application are more likely to plan to attend, apply to, be accepted into, and enroll in a four-year college that matches their qualifications.
The Potential Effects of Spatial Strategies on Urban Sprawl in Istanbul
Authors: Terzi Fatih , Bölen Fulin
Published: June 2011

Urban sprawl is one of the major issues regarding sustainable urban development. In response to concerns about sprawl, compact development strategies have been proposed to promote sustainable development. However, a compact development approach needs to pay attention to the crucial question of commercial profitability. The aim of this article is to inquire into the commercial profitability of compact development strategies by developing different scenarios and to put forward ways to control urban sprawl through certain spatial strategies in the Istanbul case. The results indicate that the current planning approach is not effective in reducing sprawl without setting certain spatial strategies by which development activity is restricted, or imposing additional requirements for new development in certain areas. It is found that urban sprawl can be reduced by up to 62 per cent through setting certain spatial strategies and that uncontrolled urban sprawl might feasibly be shifted from peripheral to central areas.
Obama’s “Smart Strategies” against Latin America and the Caribbean
Authors: Suárez Salazar Luís
Published: June 2011

A critical appraisal of the “smart strategies” (a new combination of “hard” and “soft” power) of Barack Obama reveals that, despite his criticism of the policies of his predecessor, his Latin American policy has been similarly characterized by interventionist “defense” and “security” strategies and the more or less compulsory expansion of “free-market democracies” with the objective of reestablishing U.S. domination of the region. The future of the agreements for political coordination, cooperation, and multinational integration currently being developed in Latin America will depend on the ability of the governments of the Alianza Bolivariana de los Pueblos de Nuestra América (ALBA) and the social and political forces that support them to defeat these strategies and gather around them the most dedicated platoons of the “old” and “new” left and other reformist or simply progressive governments in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Testing a multi-stage screening system: Predicting performance on Australia’s national achievement test using teachers’ ratings of academic and social behaviors
Authors: Kettler Ryan J. , Elliott Stephen N. , Davies Michael , Griffin Patrick
Published: June 2011

This study addresses the predictive validity of results from a screening system of academic enablers, with a sample of Australian elementary school students, when the criterion variable is end-of-year achievement. The investigation included (a) comparing the predictive validity of a brief criterion-referenced nomination system with more comprehensive behavior ratings, and (b) determining the optimal combination of scores to gather from this system for identifying academic difficulties. Students ( n = 360) were rated using both the Performance Screening Guides (PSGs; Elliott & Gresham, 2007) and the Rating Scales (Gresham & Elliott, 2008) of the Social Skills Improvement System. The PSGs were highly sensitive (0.95) predictors of below minimum standard performance on the national test. The Rating Scales, including the brief academic competence scale in particular, added predictive value in most domains. The discussion addresses implications of these findings for school psychologists and other educators interested in the role of social behaviors as academic enablers and predictors of academic achievement.
Signs of segmentation? A flexicurity perspective on decentralized collective bargaining in Denmark
Authors: Ilsøe Anna
Published: June 2011

This article addresses the contribution of decentralized collective bargaining to the development of different forms of flexicurity for different groups of employees on the Danish labour market. Based on five case studies of company-level bargaining on flexible working hours in Danish industry, it is argued that decentralized bargaining has enabled new balances between flexibility and security to develop for many but not all groups of employees. On the one hand, the company-level agreements on flexible working hours facilitate greater efficiency and employee satisfaction that often goes beyond the text of the agreements. On the other hand, less flexible employees often face difficulties in meeting the demands of the agreements and may ultimately be forced to leave the company and rely on unemployment benefits and active labour market policies. In a flexicurity perspective, this development seems to imply a segmentation of the Danish workforce regarding hard and soft versions of flexicurity.
Research Methods for Non-Representational Approaches to Organizational Complexity: The Dialogical Mediated Inquiry
Authors: Lorino Philippe , Tricard Benoît , Clot Yves
Published: June 2011

This paper explores the methodological implications of non-representational approaches to organizational complexity. Representational theories focus on the syntactic complexity of systems, whereas organizing processes are predominantly characterized by semantic and pragmatic forms of complexity. After underlining the contribution of non-representational approaches to the study of organizations, the paper warns against the risk of confining the critique of representational frameworks to paradoxical dichotomies such as intuition versus reflexive thought, or theorizing versus experimenting. To counter this difficulty, we suggest the use of a triadic theory of interpretation, and more particularly the concepts of semiotic mediation, inquiry and dialogism. Semiotic mediation dynamically links situated experience and generic classes of meanings. Inquiry articulates logical thinking, narrative thinking and experimenting. Dialogism conceptualizes the production of meaning through the situated interactions of actors. A methodological approach based on these concepts, the ‘dialogical mediated inquiry’ (DMI), is proposed and tested with a case study about work safety in the construction industry. This interpretive view requires the researcher to complicate the inquiry process rather than the mirroring models of reality. In DMI, the inquiry process is complicated by establishing pluralist communities of inquiry in which different perspectives challenge each other. The paper ends with a discussion of the specific contribution of this approach compared with other qualitative methods, and its present limitations.
Problems in paradise? Challenges to future democratization in democratic states
Authors: Denk Thomas , Silander Daniel
Published: June 2011

What are the challenges to future democratization in states regarded as democratic? This study shows that some states that are traditionally regarded as democratic consist of political institutions in need of further democratization. On average, states that are classified as democratic have one or two institutional dimensions in need of further democratization. The main institutional dimensions in need of democratization are functions of government, rule of law, personal autonomy and individual rights. In order to investigate challenges to future democratization, the study presents a methodology that uses Freedom House Index and Polity Index in a new innovative way.
Predictors of non-remission of depression in a palliative care population
Authors: Goodwin Laura , Lee William , Price Annabel , Rayner Lauren , Monroe Barbara , Sykes Nigel , Hansford Penny , Higginson Irene J , Hotopf Matthew
Published: June 2011

Background:

Prospective studies of depression in palliative care are rare. Two studies that examine depression prospectively in patients with advanced disease have not looked at predictors of remission.

Aims:

to explore prospective predictors of non-remission of depression in palliative care.

Design and participants:

The study design comprised two data collections: initial assessment on referral to a palliative care service in South London, UK, and a four-week follow-up. Seventy six participants met the criteria for ‘any depressive syndrome’ at the time 1 assessment, using the PRIME-MD, who also participated at time 2. The outcome measure was remission ( N = 39) or non-remission ( N = 37) of depression by time 2.

Results:

The findings showed that reporting low social support from family and friends at time of referral was the most powerful risk factor for non-remission. There was also a strong association between improved physical symptoms, from time 1 to 2, and remission of depression.

Conclusions:

This study in palliative care is the first of which we are aware to explore factors associated with non-remission of depression. Depressed patients identified with low social support on referral to palliative care services might particularly benefit from additional psychosocial care in the treatment of their depression. This study provides evidence that effective physical symptom management in palliative care may be a valuable intervention for depressive symptoms.
Experimental stem cell therapy: Biohierarchies and bionetworking in Japan and India
Authors: Sleeboom-Faulkner Margaret , Patra Prasanna Kumar
Published: June 2011

This article concerns new developments in autologous adult stem cell research in Japan and India through the notions of biohierarchy and bionetworking. It conceptualizes how human subject research in one country may be turned into experimental stem cell therapies in another through bionetworks. We analyse the processes that enable researchers in Japan to discard a therapy as being of reputational risk, while researchers in India employ it so that it becomes reputation enhancing. At the same time, scientists from both countries collaborate in and potentially benefit from the same bionetwork. Explaining how the recruitment of patients and scientists is organized through bionetworking, this article analyses how experimental research in India thrives using Japanese technologies. The concept of biohierarchy illustrates how inequalities in health and standards of living in India and in Japan underpin the methods by which researchers, medical professionals, managers and patients collaborate in bionetworks. The concept of ‘boundary object’ here captures the ways in which the meaning of experimental therapy is defined by subjective categories projected onto it by patients and scientists alike. The article is based on fieldwork conducted by both authors during 3 months between September and December 2008 at various locations in India and Japan. Data for this article were collected from a wide range of interviews with stem cell researchers, medical doctors, coordinators, managers and patients, primary and secondary sources gathered at these centres, and through web and archival research.