bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Towards a stabilization of party systems in the post-communist countries?
Authors: Holmes Leslie
Published: July 2009

The absence or near-absence of liberal traditions in Central and Eastern Europe had led to the fear that pluralistic party systems might not emerge in post-communist countries; moreover, the fact that the countries of the area had to reconstruct their political system as well as their economy and their society, rendered the challenge particularly difficult to meet. Yet viable party arrangements are now found in a number of these countries, although most parties, except on the whole the ex-Communist parties, are relatively poorly organized and have tended to lack strong and able leadership. The future remains uncertain, however, given the continuing internal problems of the parties themselves, as well as the institutional and cultural handicaps under which post-communist societies have to operate.
Globalization and the death of liberal democracy
Authors: Cammack Paul
Published: July 2009

It is doubtful as to whether the countries of the Third World are likely to move to the kind of liberal democracy that is regarded as characteristic of the West. In particular, parties are often remaining ‘parties of the State’ and not organizations truly competing with each other. This is in part a consequence of economic globalization, as the requirements of global economic liberalization do not fit with the requirements of democracy. In such a context, clientelism around the State may be inevitable and it contributes to ensuring that the main party in the country, and indeed all parties become ‘parties of the State’, as is the case in Mexico or Malaysia and perhaps in the Ukraine and South Africa. Thus, globalization does not mean the end of the State, but possibly the end of liberal democracy.
The Obsolescence of almost all theories concerning International Relations
Authors: Brands Maarten
Published: July 2009

The implosion of the Soviet empire undermined most theories concerning International Relations. Only a few political scientists have conceded afterwards the weakness of their theories, which were mostly ahistorical, based on the deformation of politics with history omitted. The question asked in this article is what kind of International Relations as a discipline may be more reliable and helpful in the future.
Ancient medicine between hope and fear: Medicament, magic and poison in the Roman Empire
Authors: Horstmanshoff Manfred
Published: July 2009

Any reader of Tacitus'Annalsmay have noticed that poison played a prominent part at the imperial court during the Early Principate. In this article seven cases of suspected poisoning, mentioned by Tacitus in hisAnnals, are analysed and commented upon in some detail. The use of poison in general is studied against the background of Roman society, culture and mentality. It is argued that modern ideas about physicians, pharmacists, poisons and drugs may induce anachronistic interpretations of the texts. If the ambiguous position of the doctor, the root cutter, the drug-seller, the magician and of their products is taken into account, some cases of poisoning prove to be much more equivocal than they seem at first sight. It is likely that they are the unintentional result of medical practice – or of black magic.
International collaboration in science and technology: lessons from CERN
Authors: Smith C. H. Llewellyn
Published: July 2009

here is a long and beneficial tradition of international collaboration in science and technology. There are, however, trends working against collaboration, and tensions between (for example) collaboration and competition, and European integration and increasing emphasis on national competitiveness. It is therefore important to have a clear understanding of when and in what form international collaboration is desirable. This paper considers these issues, drawing lessons from CERN – the European Laboratory for Particle Physics. CERN, which pioneered European collaboration, is now becoming in a sense a world organization. Physicists from 47 countries will participate in experiments at CERN's next project, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), which is set to be the first megascience project constructed by a global partnership, driven ‘bottom up’ by the scientists involved. CERN's experience with the LHC could provide an excellent precedent for other projects.
Minorities in Islam: reflections on a new book by Xavier de Planhol
Authors: Abulafia David
Published: July 2009

The geography and history of the minorities living under Islam is the subject of a new book by the noted French scholar Xavier de Planhol. This article sets Planhol's work in the context of 14 centuries of Islamic rule over non-Muslim groups. Islam itself was initially the religion of a minority, a fact that helped determine its treatment of Jews, Christians and some other groups as tolerated ‘Peoples of the Book’. Islam conceived of a society in which non-Muslims had a place, as second class citizens, whereas medieval Christendom saw the Jew or Muslim as an outsider who could not be part of society in a real sense. For the Jews in particular, the meeting with Islam was enormously stimulating, and occasional derogatory remarks about Jews, or bouts of persecution, bore no comparison with western anti-Semitism.
Acceptance and criticism of science and technology in the German Empire and the Weimar Republic
Authors: Schneider Ivo
Published: July 2009

In the first years after World War I there was a strong reaction against science and technology in Germany that was backed by the Lebensphilosophie and Anthroposophie movements. This sudden change in public opinion was not the result of new concepts and convictions that did not exist before; rather, the spectrum of opinions in the Weimar Republic continued those of the Wilhelminian period. However, the strength of critical voices was increased substantially as a result of the defeat in the war and its consequences. It may be that the enfranchisement of women in Germany in 1918 at least indirectly influenced the substantial shift in opinion after 1918. The continuity of a critical attitude towards science and technology from 1870 to 1933 seems deeply rooted in the German educational system and among the leaders of society, stemming from the so-called Bildungsbürgertum.
Reflections of a neuroscientist on the origins of ethics
Authors: Changeux Jean-Pierre
Published: July 2009

The increased globalization of economics, communications and of medical care raises many issues of ethics and science and their applications on the global scale. A critical question to consider is the possibility of common agreement between people sharing different moral, philosophical or religious traditions. Common neurocognitive predispositions to moral judgement, which are found in the human species, may plausibly give access to common ethical values as a result of shared deliberations, despite differences in cultural traditions and social conventions. Various national bioethics committees have opened the debate at the national level, and extension to a global scale could be achieved by the creation of a Council for the Ethics of Science at the United Nations level.
The classical origins of our medical ethics
Authors: Debru Armelle
Published: July 2009

The tenets of medical ethics laid down in the Hippocratic Collection are discussed together with their practical limits. The essential dilemmas considered have not changed fundamentally.
Language and culture in Transnational society
Authors: De Swaan Abram
Published: July 2009

The modern world system also comprises a global constellation of languages, arranged in hierarchies and linked by multilingual individuals. The communication value of a language depends on the proportion of the people who speak it, multiplied by the proportion of multilingual speakers. The special characteristics of languages make them into hypercollective goods. In the West language is identified with state. A language of supercentral communication will permit the nations of the European Union to communicate and will exist in a dynamic, precarious balance with the indigenous languages.
The value and quality of Life
Authors: Downie R. S.
Published: July 2009

A medical view on ‘the value of life’ can be inferred from medical accounts of the quality of life: a life has value if it embodies certain qualities. Scales have been developed to quantify quality of life. While the term ‘quality of life’ is used frequently in everyday discourse, perceptions of what it might actually mean differ greatly and are often incompatible. This incompatibility can be illustrated through an examination and extension of the Greek myth of Sisyphus. The different models explored in this paper rest on ‘significant toil’, ‘choice’, ‘happiness or well-being’, or ‘social factors’ being the prerequisite for quality of existence. These models are incommensurable and, as intangible concepts, cannot be quantified. Decision-making in medicine does not require a complex evaluation of the quality of life: it consists of the doctor's offer of treatment based on the best evidence, and the patient's consent to, or refusal of, that offer. Apart from the need to obtain consent, the main ethical constraint on the doctor is equity.
The twentieth century: an economic retrospective
Authors: van der Wee Herman
Published: July 2009

The first of the three waves of economic development covering the 20th century started back in the previous century. The factors determining the success of this so-called ‘long 19th century’ were ideological and political, as well as economical. They generated, at the end of that wave, the move towards the first global economy. During the second wave (1914–1945), economic liberalism and globalisation came under pressure. The mixed economy of the postwar period – the framework of the third wave – initiated a trend towards a new global economy, covering ‘les trente années glorieuses’ (1945–1973), the uncertain 1970s, and the restructuring of the economy along neo-liberal lines (1980s and 1990s). What will be the economic future of Europe?
Recasting European Welfare States for the 21st Century
Authors: Ferrera Maurizio , Hemerijck Anton , Rhodes Martin
Published: July 2009

This article places European welfare states squarely in today's European integration context and looks optimistically at social policy perspectives ‘top down’ from the European level. It has the needs of European policy makers in mind, and thus their interests in optimal policy mixes, lessons from national experiences and in a new institutional architecture that links EU member states more effectively into All-European corridors of reform efforts. The authors argue that the overriding need in welfare state reform is to identify new value combinations and institutional arrangements in national systems that are both mixed – in terms of solidarity and growth objectives – and virtuous, that is capable of producing advances on all necessary fronts. The authors recapitulate the EU's present social agenda – where the search for ‘new value combinations’ is seen to be most actively undertaken. They take up the nature of the ‘bottom up’ challenges to, and the adjustment problems of, the four different sets of European welfare states at length and also their differing needs for functional, distributive as well as normative re-calibration. They present core components of an optimal adjustment strategy that could reconcile growth with solidarity. Finally, they focus on different instruments that might further substantiate the role the EU could play in preserving and developing the ‘European Social Model’ in different welfare domains.
Exact numbers
Authors: Burgen Arnold
Published: July 2009

The discovery of the inert gases is an excellent example of one variety of scientific investigation, where an increase in precision in methodology identifies a discrepancy that leads to a totally unpredicted, novel discovery.
Does nationality matter? Western and Japanese multinational corporations in Southeast Asia
Authors: Legewie Jochen , Meyer-Ohle Hendrik
Published: July 2009

Multinational corporations from Japan and Western countries have played an active role in the economic development of Southeast Asia and have, during this time, undergone several developments. The recent economic crisis and efforts by the countries of the region to promote economic integration have again forced corporations to reconsider their strategies. Based on an historical overview, this article examines current strategies and, in particular, addresses the driving forces that are underlying the corporate behaviour of companies from different home countries. It argues that while corporate nationality has, to some extent, been important in the past, it will lose significance as multinational corporations are increasingly developing organizational cultures of their own.
Novel concepts for surface movement radar design
Authors: Lukin Konstantin , Mogila Anatoliy , Vyplavin Pavlo , Galati Gaspare , Pavan Gabriele
Published: July 2009

Traditional millimeter-wave surface movement radar (SMR) has been designed and tested. A novel concept for the design of a new SMR is suggested based on synthetic aperture antenna and noise radar technology. It enables designing SMR without mechanical rotation of an antenna, but applying several nonmoving synthetic aperture antennas instead. Application of noise radar technology is also considered in more detail to improve the expected performance of a new SMR.
New Multiplatform Ocean Surface Wind Product Available
Authors: Ardizzone Joseph , Atlas Robert , Hoffman Ross N. , Jusem Juan Carlos , Leidner S. Mark , Moroni David F.
Published: July 2009

A new cross‐calibrated, multiplatform (CCMP) ocean surface wind product with wide‐ranging research applications in meteorology and oceanography became available at the Physical Oceanography Distributed Active Archive Center (PO.DACC) in May 2009. Data sets at three different levels of processing may be downloaded from http://podaac.jpl.nasa.gov/DATA_CATALOG/ccmpinfo.html. The principal data set, denoted as level 3.0, has global ocean coverage (except for the Arctic Ocean) with 25‐kilometer resolution every 6 hours for more than 20 years, beginning in July 1987.

Applying an enhanced variational analysis method (VAM) to multiple input data sources creates the level 3.0 data set. The VAM performs quality control and optimally combines wind observations from several individual satellite microwave radiometer and scatterometer sensors along with available conventional ship and buoy wind observations and European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) analyses.
Assessing carbonate aquifers
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: July 2009

An assessment of water quality in 12 carbonate aquifers, mostly in the eastern and central United States, found that while water quality in the aquifers was highly variable, most of the samples met drinking water standards. The study, “Factors affecting water quality in selected carbonate aquifers in the United States, 1993–2005,” was released by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) on 26 June. According to the study, carbonate aquifers provide about 20% of the groundwater used as drinking water in the United States.
Comment on “Examining the Scientific Consensus on Climate Change”
Authors: Granqvist Roland
Published: July 2009

In a summary of their survey on the opinion about global warming among Earth scientists (see Eos, 90(3), 20 January 2009), Peter Doran and Maggie Kendall Zimmerman conclude that the debate on the role of human activity is largely nonexistent, and that the challenge is “how to effectively communicate this fact to policy makers” and to the public.

However, I argue that neither of these conclusions can be drawn from the survey. For example, one issue that is much discussed in the public debate is the role of greenhouse gas emissions in global warming. Perhaps there is not much debate about this issue among scientists, but this cannot be concluded from the survey, in which nothing is said about such emissions. In the second question of their survey, Doran and Kendall Zimmerman refer only to “human activity.”
Further Comment on “Examining the Scientific Consensus on Climate Change”
Authors: Helsdon John
Published: July 2009

The feature article “Examining the scientific consensus on climate change,” by Peter Doran and Maggie Kendall Zimmerman (see Eos, 90(3), 20 January 2009), while interesting, has a primary flaw that calls their interpretation into question. In their opening sentence, the authors state that on the basis of polling data, “47% [of Americans] think climate scientists agree… that human activities are a major cause of that [global] warming….” They then described the two‐question survey they had posed to a large group of Earth scientists and scientifically literate (I presume) people in related fields. While the polled group is important, in any poll the questions are critical. My point revolves around their question 2, to wit, “Do you think human activity is a significant contributing factor in changing mean global temperatures?” Note that the opening sentence of their article uses the phrase “major cause” in reporting the results of the polling, while the poll itself used the phrase “significant contributing factor.” There is a large difference between these two phrases.
Reply to Comments on “Examining the Scientific Consensus on Climate Change”
Authors: Doran Peter T. , Zimmerman Maggie Kendall
Published: July 2009

Roland Granqvist's main concern with our study is that it did not include more specific questions about the causes and severity of global warming. In fact, our Eos article presented a snapshot of the full study [Kendall Zimmerman, 2008] in which we did ask about causes of warming, and in which we also explained that the survey was designed to have only a few key questions in order to maximize response. Granqvist also questioned our response rate, but as we explained in the report (with references), our response rate is typical for this type of survey. We actually were thrilled to receive more than 3000 responses, given that scientists are generally very busy.
Impact Factors Show Increased Use of AGU Journals in 2008
Authors: Ford Barbara Meyers
Published: July 2009

The latest numbers released from Journal Citation Reports (JCR), published annually by Thomson Reuters, show large increases in the impact factor (IF) for several AGU journals. IFs are one way for publishers to know that readers have found their journals useful and of value in research.

A journal's IF is calculated by taking the total number of citations to articles published by a given journal in the past 2 years and dividing it by the total number of papers published by the journal in the same time period. More generally, it can be seen as the frequency with which articles in a journal have been cited over the past year. The numbers speak for themselves (see Table 1).
Evaluation of models for numerical simulation of the non-neutral region of sheath plasma
Authors: Boerner Jeremiah J. , Boyd Iain D.
Published: July 2009

Four different electron models are used to simulate the nonequilibrium plasma flow around a representative cylindrical Faraday probe geometry. Each model is implemented in a two-dimensional axisymmetric hybrid electron fluid and particle in cell method. The geometric shadowing model is derived from kinetic theory on the basis that physical obstruction of part of the velocity distribution leads to many of the expected sheath features. The Boltzmann electron fluid model relates the electron density to the plasma potential through the Boltzmann relation. The non-neutral detailed electron fluid model is derived from the electron conservation equations under the assumption of neutrality, and then modified to include non-neutral effects through the electrostatic Poisson equation. The Poisson-consistent detailed electron fluid model is also derived from the conservation equations and the electrostatic Poisson equation, but uses an alternative method that is inherently non-neutral from the outset. Simulations using the geometric shadowing and non-neutral detailed models do not yield satisfactory sheath structures, indicating that these models are not appropriate for sheath simulations. Simulations using the Boltzmann and Poisson-consistent models produce sheath structures that are in excellent agreement with the planar Bohm sheath solution near the centerline of the probe. The computational time requirement for the Poisson-consistent model is much higher than for the Boltzmann model and becomes prohibitive for larger domains.
Temperature and doping dependencies of electrical properties in Al-doped 4H-SiC epitaxial layers
Authors: Koizumi Atsushi , Suda Jun , Kimoto Tsunenobu
Published: July 2009

The free hole concentration and the low-field transport properties of Al-doped 4H-SiC epilayers with several acceptor concentrations grown on semi-insulating substrates have been investigated in the temperature range from 100to500K by Hall-effect measurements. Samples have been grown by cold-wall chemical vapor deposition (CVD) in the Al acceptor concentration range from 3×1015to5.5×1019cm−3. The dependencies of the acceptor ionization ratio at 300K and the ionization energy on the acceptor concentration were estimated. Numerical calculations of the hole Hall mobility and the Hall scattering factor have been performed based on the low-field transport model using relaxation-time approximation. At the low acceptor concentrations, the acoustic phonon scattering dominates the hole mobility at 300K. At the high acceptor concentrations, on the other hand, the neutral impurity scattering dominates the mobility. A Caughey–Thomas mobility model with temperature dependent parameters is used to describe the dependence of the hole mobilities on the acceptor concentration, and the physical meanings of the parameters are discussed.
AlGaN membrane grating reflector
Authors: Kim Jaehoon , Kim Dong-Uk , Lee Joonhee , Jeon Heonsu , Park Yeonsang , Choi Y.-S.
Published: July 2009

We report on AlGaN grating reflectors for short-wavelength applications, an alternative to conventional distributed Bragg reflectors that are difficult to make in a GaN-based system. An array of air-bridge AlGaN grating reflectors, with a period and filling factor of 430 nm and 0.55, was fabricated through holographic lithography and photoelectrochemical etching. Polarization-dependent microreflectance spectra were measured to confirm their consistency with simulation results. The reflectance measured at 532 nm for transverse-electric polarization was as high as ∼90%. We also found that the spectral range for high reflection correlates with the photonic Bloch band-edge modes.
Weak and strong regimes of incompressible magnetohydrodynamic turbulence
Authors: Gogoberidze G. , Mahajan S. M. , Poedts S.
Published: July 2009

It is shown that in the framework of the weak turbulence theory, the autocorrelation and cascade time scales are always of the same order of magnitude. This means that, contrary to the general belief, any model of turbulence that implies a large number of collisions among wave packets for an efficient energy cascade (such as the Iroshnikov–Kraichnan model) is not compatible with the weak turbulence theory.
For chromosomes, equality means segregation
Authors: Leslie Mitch
Published: July 2009

Sliding spindle microtubules equalize force on separating chromosomes.
Different Rho GTPase–dependent signaling pathways initiate sequential steps in the consolidation of long-term potentiation
Authors: Rex Christopher S. , Chen Lulu Y. , Sharma Anupam , Liu Jihua , Babayan Alex H. , Gall Christine M. , Lynch Gary
Published: July 2009

The releasable factor adenosine blocks the formation of long-term potentiation (LTP). These experiments used this observation to uncover the synaptic processes that stabilize the potentiation effect. Brief adenosine infusion blocked stimulation-induced actin polymerization within dendritic spines along with LTP itself in control rat hippocampal slices but not in those pretreated with the actin filament stabilizer jasplakinolide. Adenosine also blocked activity-driven phosphorylation of synaptic cofilin but not of synaptic p21-activated kinase (PAK). A search for the upstream origins of these effects showed that adenosine suppressed RhoA activity but only modestly affected Rac and Cdc42. A RhoA kinase (ROCK) inhibitor reproduced adenosine's effects on cofilin phosphorylation, spine actin polymerization, and LTP, whereas a Rac inhibitor did not. However, inhibitors of Rac or PAK did prolong LTP's vulnerability to reversal by latrunculin, a toxin which blocks actin filament assembly. Thus, LTP induction initiates two synaptic signaling cascades: one (RhoA-ROCK-cofilin) leads to actin polymerization, whereas the other (Rac-PAK) stabilizes the newly formed filaments.
Adherence to Self-Quarantine Recommendations during an Outbreak of Norovirus Infection
Authors: Rao Supriya , de Gier Nicole Scattolini , Caram L. Brett , Frederick Joyce , Moorefield Mary , Woods Christopher W.
Published: July 2009

A large norovirus outbreak affecting hospital patients and staff occurred during the winter of 2007. We administered a survey to affected staff to evaluate adherence to social distancing recommendations. Of the 102 survey respondents, 74 (73%) completed self-quarantine. Staff adherence was similar regardless of job responsibility. Incomplete adherence to recommendations could potentially accelerate and prolong infectious disease outbreaks.
Characterization of Rice Blast Resistance Genes in the Pik Cluster and Fine Mapping of the Pik-p Locus
Authors: Wang Ling , Xu Xiaoke , Lin Fei , Pan Qinghua
Published: July 2009

Pik-p is carried by cv. K60, which is one of the Japanese differentials widely used in both Japan and China since the 1980s. Its utility and specificity was evaluated with a total of 612 isolates of Magnaporthe oryzae collected from various regions in China in combination with 16 main resistance genes being used in the breeding programs. Pik-p is an independently and dominantly acting gene in the Pik cluster, which conditions differential reactions against many isolates and contains higher resistance in Guangdong, Jiangsu, and Sichuan provinces, China, indicating that this gene could be still used in these regions. A high-resolution genetic map of Pik-p was constructed using genomic position-ready markers. A set of 47 recombinants out of 681 F2 plants derived from the crosses cv. K60 (resistant) × cv. AS20-1 (susceptible) and × cv. Kasalath (susceptible) was identified in the genetic interval defined by the markers RM5926 and K37 which flank the Pik gene cluster. This set was then genotyped with seven markers known to reside within the interval. The closest markers to Pik-p were K28 (≈0.60 centimorgans [cM]) and K39 (≈0.07 cM). A further four markers in the K28–K39 interval were developed from an in silico analysis based on the cv. Nipponbare genome sequence, and these all co-segregated with Pik-p. This 0.67-cM region is equivalent to a physical separation in cv. Nipponbare of ≈126 kb, plus an as-yet-unfilled genomic gap of unknown length. Four nucleotide-binding site leucine-rich repeat-type resistance genes are present in this interval, and these represent good candidates for Pik-p.
Modeling Infection of Spring Onion by Puccinia allii in Response to Temperature and Leaf Wetness
Authors: Furuya Hiromitsu , Takanashi Hiroyuki , Fuji Shin-ichi , Nagai Yoshio , Naito Hideki
Published: July 2009

The influence of temperature and leaf wetness duration on infection of spring onion (Japanese bunching onion) leaves by Puccinia allii was examined in controlled-environment experiments. Leaves of potted spring onion plants (Allium fistulosum cv. Yoshikura) were inoculated with urediniospores and exposed to 6.5, 10, 15, 22, or 27 h of wetness at 5, 10, 15, 20, or 25°C. The lesion that developed increased in density with increasing wetness duration. Relative infection was modeled as a function of both temperature and wetness duration using the modified version of Weibull's cumulative distribution function (R2 = 0.9369). Infection occurred between 6.5 and 27 h of leaf wetness duration at 10, 15, 20, and 25°C and between 10 and 27 h at 5°C, and increased rapidly between 6.5 and 15 h of wetness at 10, 15, and 20°C. At 25°C, few uredinia developed regardless of the wetness duration. Parameter H, one of eight parameters used in the equation and which controls the asymmetry in the response curve, varied markedly according to the temperature, so that the model could be improved by representing H as a function of wetness duration (R2 = 0.9501).
Geostatistical Analysis of the Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Powdery Mildew and Leaf Rust in Wheat
Authors: Franke Jonas , Gebhardt Steffen , Menz Gunter , Helfrich Hans-Peter
Published: July 2009

Plant diseases are dynamic systems that progress or regress in spatial and temporal dimensions. Site-specific or temporally optimized disease control requires profound knowledge about the development of each stressor. The spatiotemporal dynamics of leaf rust (Puccinia recondite f. sp. tritici) and powdery mildew (Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici) in wheat was analyzed in order to evaluate typical species-dependent characteristics of disease spread. During two growing seasons, severity data and other relevant plant growth parameters were collected in wheat fields. Spatial characteristics of both diseases were assessed by cluster analyses using spatial analysis by distance indices, whereas the temporal epidemic trends were assessed using statistical parameters. Multivariate statistics were used to identify parameters suitable for characterizing disease trends into four classes of temporal dynamics. The results of the spatial analysis showed that both diseases generally occurred in patches but a differentiation between the diseases by their spatial patterns and spread was not possible. In contrast, temporal characteristics allowed for a differentiation of the diseases, due to the fact that a typical trend was found for leaf rust which differed from the trend of powdery mildew. Therefore, these trends suggested a high potential for temporally optimized disease control. Precise powdery mildew control would be more complicated due to the observed high variability in spatial and temporal dynamics. The general results suggest that, in spite of the high variability in spatiotemporal dynamics, disease control that is optimized in space and time is generally possible but requires consideration of disease- and case-dependent characteristics.
Robotic Artificial Chordal Replacement for Repair of Mitral Valve Prolapse
Authors: Brunsting Louis A. , Rankin J. Scott , Braly Kimberly C. , Binford Robert S.
Published: July 2009

Artificial chordal replacement (ACR) has emerged as a superior method of mitral valve repair with excellent early and late efficacy. It is also ideal to combine with robotic techniques for correction of mitral prolapse, and this article presents a current method of robotic Gore-Tex ACR. Patients with isolated posterior leaflet prolapse are approached with the fourth-generation DaVinci robotic system and endoaortic balloon occlusion. A pledgetted anchor stitch is placed in a papillary muscle, and a 2-o Gore-Tex suture is passed through the anchor pledget. After full annuloplasty ring placement, the Gore-Tex suture is woven into the prolapsing segment and positioned temporarily with robotic forceps. Chordal length is then “adjusted” by lengthening or shortening the temporary knot over 1-cm increments as the valve is tested by injection of cold saline into the ventricle. After achieving good leaflet position and valve competence, the chord is tied permanently. The “adjustable” ACR procedure preserves leaflet surface area and produces a competent valve in the majority of patients. Postoperative transesophageal echo shows a large surface area of coaptation. Patient recovery is facilitated by the minimally invasive approach, while long-term stability of similar open ACR techniques have been excellent with a 2% to 3% failure rate over 10 years of follow-up. Robotic Gore-Tex ACR without leaflet resection is a reproducible procedure that simplifies mitral repair for prolapse. The outcomes observed in early robotic applications have been excellent. It is suggested that most patients with simple prolapse might validly be approached in this manner.
Soliton pair interaction law in parametrically driven Newtonian fluid
Authors: Clerc M. G. , Coulibaly S. , Mujica N. , Navarro R. , Sauma T.
Published: July 2009

An experimental and theoretical study of the motion and interaction of the localized excitations in a vertically driven small rectangular water container is reported. Close to the Faraday instability, the parametrically driven damped nonlinear Schrödinger equation models this system. This model allows one to characterize the pair interaction law between localized excitations. Experimentally we have a good agreement with the pair interaction law.
Emulation, imitation, over-imitation and the scope of culture for child and chimpanzee
Authors: Whiten Andrew , McGuigan Nicola , Marshall-Pescini Sarah , Hopper Lydia M.
Published: July 2009

We describe our recent studies of imitation and cultural transmission in chimpanzees and children, which question late twentieth-century characterizations of children as imitators, but chimpanzees as emulators. As emulation entails learning only about the results of others' actions, it has been thought to curtail any capacity to sustain cultures. Recent chimpanzee diffusion experiments have by contrast documented a significant capacity for copying local behavioural traditions. Additionally, in recent ‘ghost’ experiments with no model visible, chimpanzees failed to replicate the object movements on which emulation is supposed to focus. We conclude that chimpanzees rely more on imitation and have greater cultural capacities than previously acknowledged. However, we also find that they selectively apply a range of social learning processes that include emulation. Recent studies demonstrating surprisingly unselective ‘over-imitation’ in children suggest that children's propensity to imitate has been underestimated too. We discuss the implications of these developments for the nature of social learning and culture in the two species. Finally, our new experiments directly address cumulative cultural learning. Initial results demonstrate a relative conservatism and conformity in chimpanzees' learning, contrasting with cumulative cultural learning in young children. This difference may contribute much to the contrast in these species' capacities for cultural evolution.
Diverticular disease hospital admissions are increasing, with poor outcomes in the elderly and emergency admissions
Authors: JEYARAJAH S. , FAIZ O. , BOTTLE A. , AYLIN P. , BJARNASON I. , TEKKIS P. P. , PAPAGRIGORIADIS S.
Published: July 2009

Background  Diverticular disease has a changing disease pattern with limited epidemiological data.

Aim  To describe diverticular disease admission rates and associated outcomes through national population study.

Methods  Data were obtained from the English ‘Hospital Episode Statistics’ database between 1996 and 2006. Primary outcomes examined were 30‐day overall and 1‐year mortality, 28‐day readmission rates and extended length of stay (LOS) beyond the 75th percentile (median inpatient LOS = 6 days). Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to determine independent predictors of these outcomes.

Results  Between the study dates 560 281 admissions with a primary diagnosis of diverticular disease were recorded in England. The national admission rate increased from 0.56 to 1.20 per 1000 population/year. 232 047 (41.4%) were inpatient admissions and, of these, 55 519 (23.9%) were elective and 176 528 (76.1%) emergency. Surgery was undertaken in 37 767 (16.3%). The 30‐day mortality was 5.1% (n = 6735) and 1‐year mortality was 14.5% (n = 11 567). The 28‐day readmission rate was 9.6% (n = 21 160). Increasing age, comorbidity and emergency admission were independent predictors of all primary outcomes.

Conclusions  Diverticular disease admissions increased over the course of the study. Patients of increasing age, admitted as emergency and significant comorbidity should be identified, allowing management modification to optimize outcomes.
Expression and localization of augmenter of liver regeneration in human muscle tissue
Authors: Lorenzo Polimeno , Barbara Pesetti , Floriana Giorgio , Biagio Moretti , Leonardo Resta , Roberta Rossi , Emanuele Annoscia , Vittorio Patella , Angela Notarnicola , Rosanna Mallamaci , Antonio Francavilla
Published: July 2009

Mitochondrial DNA (mt‐DNA) disorders and abnormal regulation of nuclear‐derived proteins devoted to the cross‐talk between the two cellular genomes have recently interested researchers in the field of neuromuscular diseases. We have identified, isolated and sequenced a new gene, augmenter of liver regeneration (ALR) that stimulates in vivo hepatocyte proliferation and up‐regulates mt‐DNA expression and ATP production. ALR protein (Alrp) is mainly located, in rat, in the mitochondrial inter‐membrane space and its mRNA is particularly abundant in brain, muscle, testis and liver, tissues whose activity is mostly dependent on mitochondrial metabolism. Studies on rat Alrp sequence revealed the presence of homologous amino‐acid sections into proteins derived from mouse, human, Drosophyla, plants and even DNA viruses. In this article, we evaluated ALR expression in normal human muscular tissues, both as protein and as mRNA. The data, obtained by molecular biology, immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy, demonstrated that: (i) Alrp and ALR mRNA are present in human muscular tissue; (ii) Alrp is particularly expressed in muscular fibres rich in mitochondria; (iii) Alrp is localized in the mitochondrial inter‐membrane space or associated to mitochondrial cristae; and (iv) in subjects younger then 35 years of age, ALR mRNA expression is different between male and female subjects. In conclusion, the present data set Alrp, as a factor associated with mitochondria also in human tissue, call for future studies aimed at establishing Alrp as an important factor involved in the molecular events that trigger neuromuscular diseases.
European orthopaedic and trauma patients’ perceptions of nursing care: a comparative study
Authors: Suhonen Riitta , Berg Agneta , Idvall Ewa , Kalafati Maria , Katajisto Jouko , Land Lucy , Lemonidou Chryssoula , Schmidt Lee A , Välimäki Maritta , Leino‐Kilpi Helena
Published: July 2009

Aim.  To compare English, Finnish, Greek and Swedish orthopaedic and trauma patients’ perceptions of nursing care received during hospitalisation.

Background.  Patient perceptions are important when evaluating nursing care delivery. Evaluations usually take place sub‐nationally though European citizens may be treated throughout the European Union. International comparative studies are possible because of the universal nature and philosophical roots of quality in nursing care. They are needed to assist in improving care outcomes.

Design.  A cross‐sectional, comparative study design was used.

Method.  The Schmidt Perception of Nursing Care Survey was used to obtain data from orthopaedic and trauma patients in acute hospitals in four countries: Finland (n = 425, response rate 85%), Greece (n = 315, 86%), Sweden (n = 218, 73%) and UK (n = 135, 85%). Data were first analysed using descriptive statistics, then between‐country comparisons were computed inferentially using a one‐way analysis of variance and a univariate analysis of covariance.

Results.  Between‐country differences were found in patients’ perceptions of the nursing care received. Over the whole Schmidt Perception of Nursing Care Survey the Swedish and Finnish patients gave their care the highest assessments and the Greek patients the lowest. The same trend was seen in each of the four sub‐scales: Seeing The Individual Patient, Explaining, Responding and Watching. Responding was given the highest assessments in each participating country and Seeing the Individual Patient the lowest except in Greece.

Conclusions.  Further research is needed to consider whether the between‐country differences found are caused by differences between cultures, nursing practices, roles of healthcare personnel or patients in the different countries. The Schmidt Perception of Nursing Care Survey is suitable for the assessment of European orthopaedic and trauma patients’ perceptions of nursing care received during hospitalisation.

Relevance to clinical practice.  The results are useful in evaluating and developing nursing care in hospitals from different European countries.
Development and characterization of a monoclonal antibody against Taura syndrome virus
Authors: Côté I , Poulos B T , Redman R M , Lightner D V
Published: July 2009

We produced a panel of monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) from the fusion of Taura syndrome virus variants from Belize (TSV‐BZ) immunized BALB/cJ mouse spleen cells and non‐immunoglobulin secreting SP2/0 mouse myeloma cells. One antibody, 2C4, showed strong specificity and sensitivity for TSV in dot‐blot immunoassay and immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis. The MAb reacted against native TSV‐BZ, TSV variants from Sinaloa, Mexico (TSV‐SI) and TSV variants from Hawaii (TSV‐HI) in dot‐blot immunoassay. By IHC, the antibody identified the virus in a pattern similar to the digoxigenin‐labelled TSV‐cDNA probe for the TSV‐BZ, TSV‐HI and TSV‐SI variants, but not for the TSV variants from Venezuela (TSV‐VE) and the TSV variants from Thailand (TSV‐TH). MAb 2C4 did not react against other shrimp pathogens or with normal shrimp tissue. Western blot analysis showed a strong reaction against CP2, a region of high antigenic variability amongst TSV variants. This antibody has potential diagnostic application in detection and differentiation of certain TSV biotypes.
Dermatomycosis in a pet inland bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps) caused by a Chrysosporium species related to Nannizziopsis vriesii
Authors: Abarca M. L. , Martorell J. , Castellá G. , Ramis A. , Cabañes F. J.
Published: July 2009

A Chrysosporium sp. related to Nannizziopsis vriesii was isolated in pure culture from squames and biopsies of facial lesions in a pet inland bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps) in Spain. The presence in histological sections of morphologically consistent fungal elements strongly incriminates this fungus as the aetiological agent of infection. Lesions regressed following treatment with oral ketoconazole and topical chlorhexidine and terbinafine until the lizard was lost to follow up 1 month later. The ITS‐5.8S rRNA gene of the isolate was sequenced and a search on the GenBank database revealed a high match with the sequences of two Chrysosporium sp. strains recently isolated from green iguanas (Iguana iguana) with dermatomycosis, also in Spain. Phylogenetic analysis of the sequences revealed that all these strains are related to N. vriesii. This is the first report of dermatomycoses caused by a Chrysosporium species related to N. vriesii in a bearded dragon outside North America.
Characterization and quantification of ceramides in the nonlesional skin of canine patients with atopic dermatitis compared with controls
Authors: Reiter Lisa V. , Torres Sheila M. F. , Wertz Philip W.
Published: July 2009

As in humans, there is mounting evidence in support of an abnormal skin barrier contributing to the pathogenesis of canine atopic dermatitis (AD). Studies in people with AD have associated an abnormal skin barrier with deficiencies in ceramides, which represent important components of the stratum corneum (SC) intercellular lipid lamellae. Therefore, the goal of this study was to determine if the SC of dogs with AD is deficient in ceramides compared to normal dogs. Samples of SC were obtained from nonlesional skin of the caudal abdomen of 14 patients with AD and 14 age‐, breed‐ and sex‐matched healthy controls using a cyanoacrylate stripping procedure, and the subclass and relative amount of ceramides were assessed blindly by thin layer chromatography. Pairedt‐tests using R statistical computer software revealed the percentage amounts of ceramides 1 and 9 were significantly lower in nonlesional skin of AD dogs compared to controls (P= 0.034 andP= 0.047, respectively), and the cholesterol percentage amount was significantly higher in AD dogs than in controls (P= 0.016). Furthermore, the cholesterol/ceramide ratio was significantly higher in the AD group with respect to controls (P= 0.014). These findings suggest that decreased amounts of ceramides in the skin of dogs with AD may be involved in the impaired barrier function of their skin.
Paecilomyces lilacinuseumycetoma
Authors: Motswaledi Hendrick M. , Mathekga Keneiloe , Sein Pyu Pyu , Nemutavhanani Dick L.
Published: July 2009

Eumycetoma is a chronic granulomatous infection of the skin, subcutaneous tissue, fascia, and bone caused by true fungi. Most commonly, it affects the foot or hand. Fungi commonly reported to cause eumycetoma areMadurella mycetomatis,Madurella grisea,Phialophora jeanselmei,Cephalosporium recifei, etc. There have been several previous reports of human invasive infections byPaecilomyces lilacinuscausing endophthalmitis, keratitis, chronic sinusitis, skin and soft tissue infections, and catheter‐related infections. We report a case of eumycetoma caused byP. lilacinus. To our knowledge, this is the first report ofP. lilacinuscausing eumycetoma of the foot in the English literature.
External urethral stenosis: a latent effect of sulfur mustard two decades post‐exposure
Authors: Emadi Seyed Naser , Hosseini‐Khalili Alireza , Soroush Mohammadreza , Ardakani Mohammadreza Khodaei , Ghassemi‐Broumand Mohammad , Davoodi Seyed Masoud , Amirani Omolbanin , Haines David
Published: July 2009

Background  Sulfur mustard (SM), a chemical weapon used widely during World War I and against Iranians during the Iran–Iraq War of the 1980s, causes massive inflammatory tissue damage in the immediate post‐exposure period, resulting in debilitating chronic disease in years to decades following contact with the agent. These syndromes most often are pathologies of the lungs, eyes, and skin, the primary target organs of SM. Typically, they are characterized by severe and increasingly painful inflammation, often accompanied by fibrosis and constriction of the anatomic channels needed for normal life, such as the small airways of the lungs and, in the present report, the urethra.

Methods  The present case study is a 43‐year‐old man with a history of heavy SM exposure to the groin in 1984.

Result  Within 1 year after exposure, the patient was found to have developed meatal stricture, occlusion of the external urethral meatus, and difficulty in urination. Two years post‐exposure, he underwent ventral meatotomy and meatoplasty.

Conclusion  This case presents a unique example of the latent effects of SM exposure to the groin, and will be of value in the prevention of similar injury and complications to persons at risk of SM exposure in the future.
A new allele, HLA‐G*01010106, with changes in intron 2
Authors: Román A. , Cervera I. , Herraiz M. A. , Vidart J. , Martinez‐Laso J.
Published: July 2009

Three nucleotide changes and one insertion in intron 2 upon human leucocyte antigen (HLA)‐G*01010105 generate HLA‐G*01010106.
The new HLA‐Cw*0524 allele increase the variability of position 49 in HLA‐C
Authors: Figueiredo C. , Jaimes Y. , Horn P. A. , Blasczyk R. , Eiz‐Vesper B.
Published: July 2009

The identification of the novel human leukocyte antigen (HLA)‐Cw*0524, which was found in a potential stem cell donor, is described. The sequence of the new allele differs from HLA‐Cw*0501 and HLA‐Cw*0503 by a nonsynonymous amino acid (AA) exchanges at position 49.